texts: How to wire a duct fan, pressure switch, and fan speed controller

texts: My question relates to the wiring sequence with a duct booster fan, pressure switch, and fan speed control. When I draw it out, it seems that black from power source would first go to the P.S, white from P.S. would go to the fan. Black from fan would go to speed control, and white from speed control would go back to power source- all in a circuit with wires meeting in a junction box.  Is this correct or am I way off?


texts: What does "No Other Outlets" mean for a kitchen 20A branch circuit?

texts:
I'm trying to wire my kitchen up to code, which means (based on the outlet spacing rules) I need 6 counter-top outlets. How many branch circuits do I need?
When the NEC talks about the 2 "appliance" branch circuits required to be installed on kitchen counters, it says in 210.52(B)(1), the two or more 20-ampere small-appliance branch circuits required by 210.11(C)(1) shall serve all wall and floor receptacle outlets covered by 210.52(A) and then immediately follows that with:
210.52(B)(2)

No Other Outlets. The two or more small-appliance branch  circuits specified in 210.52(B)(1) shall have no other outlets.
Exception No. 1: A receptacle installed solely for the electrical supply to and support of an electrical clock in any of the rooms specified in 210.52(B)(1).
Exception No. 2: Receptacles installed to provide power for supplemental equipment and lighting on gas-fired ranges, ovens, or counter-mounted cooking units.

I can see two possible ways of understanding "other outlets" in context, and I don't know which is correct:

It could mean, "Outlets besides the receptacles 210.52(B)(1) described aren't allowed on the appliance branch circuits," in which case I could do however many receptacles can be on a circuit normally.
But it could also mean, "the appliance branch circuits must have exactly one outlet each," in which case all 6 outlets would need to connect directly to 6 individual breakers in the panel.

Which is it?


texts: 14/3 to run a small 1650 watt Charbroil electric patio pedestal grill

texts:
We have a patio outlet that is connected to an interior, 15amp outlet. I want to move the patio outlet about 15 linear feet away from its current location to use for a 1650 watt electric patio grill (a small Charbroil, sold in Walmart/Home Depot).

The circuit is wired with 14/2 cable.

We never use the interior outlet the patio outlet hangs off of so I'd like to just 'junction box' it and put a solid plate over the outlet (it's too close to some decorative dried plants anyhow).

So if I move the outlet and keep to 14/2, can I put the GFI and weatherproof outlet box on the patio and run the electric grill?


texts:
I'm trying to replace my washing machine (Haier MHS1000TVE) lock (in photo):

To do so, I have to determine the correct wiring, that is, which one is Common (C), which one is Line (L) and which one is Neutral (N).
I've found this photo in a service manual online:

According to this scheme, the C is definitely the middle one, but how do I determine the other ones?


texts: What is this closet made out of and how to mount to the walls?

texts:
I moved into a building that was originally constructed in 1890 in New England, and this is my first time dealing with walls which are not recent construction with sheetrock over studs. The bedroom closet is my first challenge. I am trying to set up two rods - one very high the whole way across, and one halfway down and halfway across to do two tiers of clothes on the left, and one on the right for longer pieces of clothing.

There is currently one rod installed at a level which wouldn't allow for hanging two tiers of clothes.

Walls in the rest of the place seem to be plaster (a thumb tack won't go in) and using a strong magnet seems to show nail heads where I would expect them (consistent with studs every 16" measured out from the side of a light switch box).

The one existing rod was mounted on the sides and with one bracket in the center. The walls "sound" thin and hollow with no obvious changes to suggest studs. In the photo you can see magnets on some of the nail heads in vertical lines (NOT 16" or any uniform distance apart). I assumed the back wall was a panel of some sort attached to studs and tried to drill along one of these vertical lines, but the wall seemed to be hollow where I expected studs.

I've also included a picture of one of the corners of the closet that seems to show the most about how it is built. Thin plaster layer over some sort of panel?

Any suggestions or input from someone who understands how this is built? I'm debating just attaching the brackets for my closet rods using toggle bolts to whatever this back wall is made of. Is there a better way to do this?

http://imgur.com/a/bKnDL


texts: Unable to remove a cross-threaded water hose

texts:
I am unable to remove my outdoor hose from the spigot faucet and think it may be cross-threaded. I am using a pipe wrench but the entire fitting just keeps turning. Do I need a plumber to remove it?

** IMPORTANT UPDATE:
In order to prevent a DIY disaster, I had a plumber come out who immediately recommended replacing the entire pipe, valve and spigot at a cost of $175. Having received OUTSTANDING recommendations and informative comments from StackExchange contributors, I asked him to first attempt to use a dremel to cut a notch above the back-flow preventor pin on the hose bibb, and if necessary, slice the collar to peel it back at a cost of $75. This method took him 20 minutes, was totally successful, and saved me $100!
When finished, he inspected the cut pieces and informed me that the issue preventing removal of the hose was not due to cross-threading or stripped thread; but rather, the use of a hose connector made of aluminum on a brass hose bibb which causes corrosion due to dissimilar metals. ** PLUMBING 101: NEVER USE DISSIMILAR METAL FITTINGS ON PARTS INTENDED FOR FUTURE REMOVAL !! I have replaced the hose with one that has a brass fitting ;)


texts: How to re-seal rough-in bit in basement bath?

texts:
I'm finishing a basement, and a bathroom shower drain rough in was pit was sealed with a plywood top. Now, the drain had to be moved a bit, so we cut the plywood to get access to the piping below, and moved a pipe 6 inches or so.

Do I need to seal it all back somehow, or can I leave it as-is? The opening will be partly in interior wall cavity, and partly under the shower acrylic base, so not visible, and no flooring will be above it.

We are in southern Ontario, this is a fairly new house, and everything in the basement concrete floor was sealed/caulked by the builder: sump pump, post bases, etc.


texts: Outdoor concrete repair/resurface/sealing and painting

texts:
We have an outdoor patio at my house which was made of concrete, but I don't think it ever got the finishing coat (it was supposed to be tiled but never happened) nor sealed and it has been there for 10 years or more.
The concrete is really damaged in some spots, we already knew that. Today we decided to power wash it so we removed the damaged concrete which was already only sand in some places, so we can later resurface and fix it.
Before power wash:

After power wash:

As you can see the concrete is really really damaged in some places. Here are some close-ups:

How can we repair the holes?
My plan was to use a concrete repairing compound on the holes like this one:

Would this be appropriate to repair the holes? Should I add some kind of glue around the concrete holes before filling it with the compound? (I saw some video of one guy doing this)
After the holes were repaired the plan would be to resurface the whole concrete. How could I do this and leave a smooth finish? I was thinking of using this product: (sorry it is in Portuguese)
https://secilpro.com/upload/documents/5cd04d0e01b89.pdf

Would this work? If not what do you advise?
After resurfacing we wanted to seal it. Which sealant could I use? We wanted to paint over it if possible.
I read about a liquid membrane sealer but I also think that you can't paint over them, am I right?
Also the concrete is a bit slopped so the water flows to the center drain. Resurfacing wouldn't ruin this right? In my view the resurface compound would just follow along the profile of the pre-existing concrete. I guess I just can't use self-leveling compound or I would ruin this slope, right?
Thank you everyone for the help, looking forward for answers :)


texts: How can I protect the plywood base of a tile table against the weather?

texts:
HI  I want to make a small table for the patio and will put tiles on top.  what is the best way to preserve the wood on all sides before I tile it.
Thankyou


texts: Can a 220V US circuit have more than one 220V outlet, by code?

texts:
When I move the laundry, I'm considering switching to a gas drier -- but even so it'd be nice to have the 220V drop there for future-proofing.

However, if I'm not using it for the drier, I'd like to have it available in the workshop. Perhaps even if the drier is hooked up to it; I have the house to myself and don't need to do laundry and woodworking simultaneously.

So: Rumor has it that code would only allow one outlet per 220V circuit, to prevent any risk of simultaneous use. Is this true? If so I would need to either delay installing the new drier outlet, or spring for another pair of breakers (meaning more doubles to make room or a secondary box), or both. Or perhaps code would let me use the existing drier run to feed a secondary box, and pull the new drier drop off that? (Wouldn't be a bad thing for the workshop to have its own box anyway, perhaps with lockout or EPO...)

I know, I'm overcomplicating things. Just juggling ideas to see which ones fit.


texts: how to attach a replacement soft pad on a Model #32039598 CRAFTSMAN Sander. I have the pad just do not see how it attaches,if it needs glued on?


texts: Waterproof membrane under alcove tub? Tiling the bathroom floor

texts: I’ve completely demoed my bathroom, I’m going to install the alcove tub and then tile the floor. It’s a one story house and it’s a concrete subfloor. My question is: do I apply the waterproof membrane on the entire floor, under the tub? Or do I install the tub and then apply the waterproof membrane? I live near the golf coast so it is very humid and wet most of the year. That’s why I’m thinking to put the waterproof membrane down. My garage doesn’t have a moisture barrier and the concrete in there gets very wet daily. Anyone have a idea for this on a side note...?


texts:
I have an old home with a bathroom added on using a gambrel / barn style roof. I need to fix a leak in the top nearly flat section, and I am considering roll / edpm style roofing.
Is there anything special I need to do to transition from the flat roof tech to standard shingles on the pitched roof below? Everything I've seen focuses on the other way, taking a pitched roof to a flat roof.
If I were doing shingles I'd just lay them over the junction and bend, placing the latest course on top... Is it the same here?


texts: Use less water with concrete water reducer?

texts:
Reading up on concrete water reducer additives, it says it "reduces water by 5% - 10%".  I assume this actually means that it reduces the required amount of water?  I.e. I would mix in less water, correct?

This would also decrease the amount of shrinkage that occurs during curing, correct?

Maybe this should be its own question, but will it be odd to communicate to a concrete contractor my desire for very low water content and request water reducer be used?  Will they get annoyed at me dictating these details?  I have read alot of professionals griping about other contractors adding too much water to make the concrete easier to work.  I am looking to do a monolithic cast in place pool 16'x32' and plan to do forms+rebar but contract the pour. I am aware these days most pools use shotcrete/gunite which avoid shrinkage cracking due to much lower water content.  The gunite guys around here want $40,000 to do a pool so thats out of the question for me. So trying to do a monolithic pour and take every precaution I can against shrinkage cracking. I reallize theres other contributors to cracking but dont want to ramble on.

How can I ensure the concrete contractor mixed in the water reducer and used less water? I know I can do a slump test onsite, but the water reducer acting as a plasticizer will mean that the cincrete with less water+plasticizer will have same slump as concrete with more water and no plasticizer,  AFAIK.


texts: can I splice underground 12-2 UF cable run to a water pump

texts:
Can I run 12-2 NM-B wire from my 20 amp dedicated breaker under my house and then using a four by four box splice 12-2 UF wire to run underground to my water pump house?

Running the wire would be in a dry crawl space, and the 4 x 4 box that the splice will be will also be in the dry crawl space mounted to a floor beam.


texts: The plans for https://www.shanty-2-chic.com/2019/01/diy-rustic-modern-queen-bed.html call for glue and pocket holes at every joint. I'm wondering if pocket holes will provide enough structural support, or what the simplest practical alternative joint/fastener will be better? FYI I do not have any fancy tools or woodworking experience.


texts: Loads for sub panels from 150A split-bus main panel

texts:
This box has a capacity of 150A. The breakers in the upper section are as follows:

Left side upper: RANGE 60A, AIR CONDITIONER 40A, MAIN 60A

Right side upper: MICROWAVE 20A, FRIDGE 15A, KITCHEN LIGHTS 15A, DRYER 40A ["dryer" circuit is actually unused since we got a gas dryer]

The bottom section of the panel is controlled by the 60A "MAIN" breaker, and contains all the general use circuits in the house (all 15A, I think).

I would like remove all the breakers on the upper right side, and replace them with two 100A breakers controlling two subpanels. So, there will be only 5 double breakers in the upper portion--the three currently on the left and the two new 100A breakers on the right.

One of the subpanels will hold the 3 smaller circuits currently on the top right of the main panel (Micro 20A, Fridge 15A, kit lights 15A) plus a dedicated 20A circuit for an electric fireplace insert and 3 or 4 additional 15A circuits for general lighting and plugs for a basement remodel.

The other subpanel will go in the garage and contain a 30A circuit (garage workshop heater that will have intermittent use only in the winter), a 40A circuit (electric vehicle charger--intermittent use, mostly during the wee hours), and a 20A general use circuit. I don't envision the 30A and the 40A ever being used at the same time.

So, based on that background, a few questions:

Given the load on the left side of the upper main panel (two 60A and one 40A), will the two proposed 100A subpanels overload the 150A main box? (Note that one of the 60A is for the range, which has intermittent use, and the 40A is for the AC, which will never be used at the same time as the 30A heater in the garage or the 20A electric fireplace insert.)
If the proposed 100A subpanels will overload the main box, can I use two 60A subpanel breakers instead, or will they overload the main box?
If I end up using a 60A subpanel for the garage, will the use proposed above (30A, 40A and 20A--with the 30A and 40A not used simultaneously) overload a 60A subpanel?

I appreciate any thoughts.

Thanks,

AEP


texts: one gang wall plate with three toggle switches

texts:
I am looking to replace a one gang wall plate  (3 toggle switches.).  Going to a big box store (lowes) I was told that they do not carry such an item .  From what I can see  a 2 gang plate with three toggle switches is most common.
The home was built in 1943.  Is such a plate even available any longer (one gang)??  I recall an illustration of what "gang" means in your answer to a another person's question and I saw the plate cover I was looking for.


texts: What are some tips for installing laminate wood flooring?

texts: I'm about to install laminate wood flooring in our family room. The floor is concrete. Having not done this before what tools and tips can you all offer before I get started?


texts: Determine which way to place beam for maximum strength

texts: I have a 4" x 6"-16' treated wooden beam. I am trying to determine which way the beam should be placed to provide the most strength for the decking.


texts: Condensation on just 1 duct in unfinished basement

texts:
We live in the Northeast (PA) and have a new construction home that we have lived in for a year.  The home is small (1300 sq ft, open concept first floor) with an unfinished basement.  The ceiling of the basement was insulated with this super thick pink insulation w/paper backing (paper is marked R30), paper side up.  We have a heat pump and central ac and keep the thermostat at 68 in winter and 71 in the summer. I keep a dehumidifier running in all seasons except winter. The basement is dry. All rooms on the first and second floor seem to heat and cool evenly.
At the end of July I noticed we kept having wet spots all over the floor along the front wall of our basement. I kept an eye on them for about two weeks, until I notice wetness on a piece of furniture that we have stored down there.  I reached up and touched the insulation and water poured down through it.  I pulled the entire batting of insulation down and see the duct was wet and dripping all the way across. This duct is the supply that goes up into our second floor (through outer walls) in the front 2 bedrooms (floor registers).
We pulled the insulation down that covered every other duct in the basement and all of the others were completely dry. I had the original HVAC installer come and he says his work is perfect and we MUST have a water leak (we have pex and our lines aren't anywhere near this area).  I changed the dehumidifier setting to 40%, bumped the temp up to 72, and changed the filter (which was reasonably dirty but not the worst I have seen). I have kept an eye on it for several weeks now and the condensation is all but gone except for a few drips only on the elbows that bend up and go up through the wall (both sides, although one side is worse than the other).
Any theories, ideas, and suggestions/things to look for are appreciated so we know where to start. Checking the vapor barrier in our living room was the main idea that I was given but i'd like to avoid cutting holes in the walls if I could...  We were also told to wrap the ducts but i'm not sure that's all it needs.  In the next year or two we do want to finish our basement.


texts: What is the best way to clean my dirty toilet pan without damaging the enamel or something else?


texts: Connecting a refrigerator water line - modifying the existing tubing

texts:
I have a water line in place for the fridge but I want to modify it. It is a 1/4" copper line that runs from under my sink under the floor below the cabinets then to my fridge.  I cannot do anything to change it under there.
I have something like 10 feet of copper tubing coiled behind the fridge and I know it is going to get kinked eventually.  I would like to cut the copper tubing about two feet up from the floor and attach braided stainless steel from there.
My plan is to use a compression to thread fitting and running the flexible tubing from there. I think I would secure this connection to the wall as well so the copper and the fitting don't move too much when I slide out the fridge for cleaning.
Does anyone see any issues with this plan?


texts: What is the best type of door/barrier for a 96" H x 48" W uncased opening?

texts:
We have an uncased opening measuring 96" H x 48" W which opens to a room we would like to convert to a home office. What kind of door or other barrier would best serve this space?

We're planning on engaging with a contractor for the work but are still exploring feasibility. I'm concerned about negatively affecting home value by taking a more open plan, adding a doorway and converting it to a new room.

We've thought about something like narrow double doors which open inward that could be removed by a future homeowner if they want to leave the doorway open. Would the depth of the wall affect the feasibility of this option? We've also thought about a higher quality accordion door which could be added without too much modification to the opening. Being a home office reducing noise would be a huge benefit.

Pocket doors aren't an option due to the angled wall. Barn doors would be cool but I can't find anything about mounting them where they slide on an angle like this. One 48" door would probably be too big as it would eat up a lot of interior space with the door sweep. We think that changing this to be a regular doorway would look funny and inhibit the open concept for future owners too.

See pictures:


texts: Wiring for a mini-split ductless AC system

texts:
I am wiring a new home and considering a ductless AC system for my home over central-air ducts. There will be an air handler in each bedroom and living area.

Could someone chime in and let me know what type of wiring should be in place to support this type of system? I know there will be an outside condenser too, so outside dedicate sub-panel? What about air-handler power for each room.


texts: I have a Maytag Dryer model number LDE8420ACW that was give to me. The yellow, blue, purple and 2 white wires that connect to the power terminal block that the power supply cord hooks to are not connected to the terminal.  I would like to know what wires hook together or  what they hook to. It is a 3 (prong) wire terminal block. The 5 wires mentioned have numbers on them if it is of any help the 3 wires coming from the control panel are labeled white-22 , purple-23 , yellow-34 and the 2 wires coming from below are labeled blue-28 and white-29.


texts: Why does a wall in my finished basement only have a steel plate and no studs?

texts:
I am trying to mount a TV that's about 20lbs into some studs in the wall. I used a stud finder and drilled some holes where the studs should be but never hit any wood, instead I hit a metal plate about half a centimeter thick.

First off I am puzzled why I would have this metal plate to begin with but I am more concerned by the fact that I can't find any studs. Is this "ok"? Can I safely mount my TV by drilling into this metal plate?

The room in question is in the basement and has finished drywall on the walls. I tried drilling 16in from the corner of 2 walls and tried the stud finder in several locations but everytime I only hit the metal sheet. Where a stud shouldn't be (according to the stud finder), there's no metal plate which makes me think it's a substitute for studs.

If I left out any important details please let me know. Thanks!


texts: What is the difference between the filter on my furnace and an Air Exchanger?

texts:
I live in the Pacific Northwest (Seattle area) and the allergy season has started for me. It is so bad that I am thinking about getting an air exchanger for next year. The house I live in was built in 2007. It has a standard gas furnace and the furnace has a large 20 x 25 x 4 filter attached to it (I change the filter twice a year).

What is the difference between the filter attached on my furnace and an air exchanger? Are they doing the same thing? Would I get much better air in the house with an air exchanger? Is it worth getting an air exchanger?

Thank you!


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Can I build a deck this low to the ground?

Every set of instructions I've seen for building a deck requires me to put joists on top of beams attached to posts. But I only have 6" clearance above the ground. In other words, not enough room to stack the joists on top of the beams.

I'm certain I'm not the first person in the history of the world to do this, so how do I do it? Do I use joist hangers and run the joists between the beams creating a grid?  Or do I need to bury tons of posts and attach the joists directly to them (I hope not!)


texts:
I am looking to install a new microwave in my kitchen since my old one just died. My new microwave is a Whirlpool over the range microwave model #WMH53521HZ. My old microwave had a bizarre mount where there was a very long bolt that when through the entire microwave and the mount actually went through the microwave itself. This new microwave is only supported by a thin metal bracket that just holds the weight on the bottom and then you are supposed to tilt the microwave back and drill through a cabinet above the microwave to secure the mounting bolts.
Only issue is that I do not have a cabinet above my microwave and the old mount is not compatible with this new microwave. I am looking to create something to mount onto my drywall and then come out 14 inches to the mounting bolt hole which is located on the top of the microwave.
Luckily I have two studs within the 29 inches where my microwave is going to be installed. One stud lines up with the right mounting bolt hole on the top of the microwave and one mounting bolt hole does not. I was wondering if I could install these two L brackets above my microwave and then just slide the adjustable part to where the mounting bolt hole is on top of the microwave. I was planning on using a 75lb rated wall anchor for the hole that doesn't line up with a stud. I did not want to have these below the microwave because the girlfriend does not like the look of it.
I then planned to cover the 8 inch gap above the microwave to the ceiling with something decorative.


texts: Why are there sheen differences between woods?

texts: I hired a painting contractor to stain and poly my new windows. He used (2) coats of oil based polyurethane, but after the second coat, the finish was rough on the pine sashes. The oak jams and casing were fine. I asked him to come back and sand and apply another coat to the sashes, which he agreed to do. I was home when he began the sanding, but left before he began applying the poly. When I got home, the sashes were smooth, but the sheen was much duller than the oak, which wasn't the case after the first 2 coats. I am suspicious of the application of a third coat, but he was adamant he applied it. The windows were not tacky when I got home as well. He said the lower sheen was the result of the additional sanding, but wouldn't the additional application of the poly have the same sheen, as well as be tacky?


texts: Can I install electric equipment on carpeting?

texts:
I am starting to build a 600-watt solar panel system. I have a small workshop, that used to be an office. I am planning to install it there. I plan to install backups, a charge controller in an enclosure. I will also be installing a disconnect, a breaker panel for 8 breakers and a few outlets, a meter socket, (only for KWH use tracking for personal use), and a few outlets.

I have heard that NEC code requires overcurrent devices ( a part of what I'm installing ) to not be located near flammable or combustible material.

Is carpeting an exception? If not, what can I do other than installing new flooring?


texts:
I have a desk made with 2x4 legs I want to increase the height for a work table. I'm thinking adding 5 1/2". How to I connect the new piece onto the original leg?
I've been looking at pocket holes but didn't know if this would be strong with the wood grain.


texts: Voltage imbalance on phase-neutral of three phase generator under load

texts:
Complaints of occasional voltage spikes blowing electrical items (computer, ac) in a compound.

A three phase four wire generator is powering a residential building with primarily single phase 230 volt consumers. When loaded with the compound consumers reading at panel shows 230 -218-224  volts phase to neutral.

When disconnected from compound generator readings stablaze.

What is the fault (AVR or building) ?  How do I trouble shoot or diagnose?

Thanks for the advise! English is my first language but I'll work on my grammar hahaha.

We will take the load measurements from the compounf and report back  ASAP next week.

The generator doesn't work in parallel with the grid power or another genratir. To clarify, when the generator is powering the residence it us reported to occasional have voltage imbalance/spike ( but not all the time).  However ehen the change over swith is positioned to neutral ( disconnecting the building from the generator) the observed  line to line and line to neutral readings are  equal.

Two generator tech companies have made check and said the AVR is okay...but the electrician  then blames the genset....

By observing the voltage at load steps do you mean to turn the circuits in the building on one by one to see if/when the spikes  occur?

Thanks again and apologies for any incorrect nomenclature.


texts: How to run HVAC supply /return & plumbing + keep out of the way

texts:
This is the 2nd house we have GC'd.   We want to address concerns prior to having the blue prints finalized and contacting an HVAC company. One among a few concerns is the plumber and HVAC having problems.
After research, we have decided we want rigid sheet metal ductwork.

Furnace and ductwork will be installed in finished conditioned space.
Preliminary plans attached show basement with red lines showing the main floor above.

a. About how far on either side of the furnace will the supply and return trunk lines need to run, as well as the trunk line for the zone heating?  What might be the logical location for the zone trunk and a possible length?


texts: How can I repair this washing machine that I think has had the chip wiped?

texts:
I have been having a huge problem with my washing machine and I think that it's because the chip program is wiped or a problem with the EEPROM.

Here's a video showing what happens when I plug it in the wall, until I unplug it:

I have already sent the control panel to be fixed, 2 tracers were burned and are now repaired but still the problem persists.

Does anyone know what the problem is and what the fix might be?

The following is a picture showing what was burned before I sent it to the repair shop:

And here is the view from above:

The parts in the burned tracers area are a M10LZ47 5-J (or 5-i, don't recall correctly) screwed to the heatsink and a small 104 smd capacitor.

I can't find a replacement anywhere so my only choice is to repair whatever the problem might be so I am trying to see if someone here might give me a hand.


texts: Is it worth adding a 2nd roof vent to an unfinished detached garage?

texts:
If a "2.5" car (24x24ft) garage has one roof vent near the top, is there any use in adding an extra roof rent? The garage is unfinished/uninsulated, and there is no obstruction of air between the roof and bottom of the garage. Also consider a Northern Ohio climate (hot+humid summers, freezing+snow winters).

I'm thinking a 2nd vent could help with flow/cross-breeze, but it may also just add to the probability of leaking somewhere down the road.

If a 2nd vent should be added, where? If there were two vent near the top, I feel like that wouldn't do as much as one near the top and the other near the bottom of the roof. But I also think it would look ugly to have a vent that low.


texts: Chamberlin Keypad work with a Linear motor

texts:
I replaced an old Chamberlin garage door open with a Linear LDO50 motor.  I have a Chamberlin garage door opener keypad (model unknown) mounted on the outside of the garage. I’m trying to program the keypad with a new PIN.  Doesn’t seem to be working. I pressed the learn button on the Linear motor, keyed a PIN into to the keypad and held the enter key down.  The Linear motor times out in 15 seconds.  The instructions on the Chamberlain keypad says it may take up to 30 secs to set the PIN.

Is the Chamberlin keypad compatible with Linear motor?


texts: Hydronic heat radiators not used for long time - should they be drained?

texts:
What should I do with radiators that have been out of action for about 3 years since the boiler went on the blink?

Is it better to drain the water out of the system while system is dormant?


texts:
We have a rental in a neighborhood with a serious rat problem.  Per the county, we can only hope to battle and contain the issue.

To that end, we've been paying for rat poison services for a while, but the county requires us to fill the holes, so that we can determine if the rats have been pushed back or are still active in the yard.

What is the best way to fill rat holes?  I have been going back and forth between pouring dry concrete mix down the hole followed by some top soil and allowing natural water fall to fill it, or by pouring down dry cement followed by water, or by mixing cement first and pouring it down.

Clarification: I haven't done any of the above yet - when I say I've been going back and forth, I mean in my head, thinking about it.

My concern with the last bit is - if I pour wet cement down the hole, won't it keep on flowing down the hole, requiring much more cement than if I use dry mix which can pile up and block the hole, which then when it gets wet will cure in place?


texts: Is there such thing as a bowl shaped "ceiling bounce" lamp?

texts:
I'd like a lamp that acts like an IKEA floor lamp but without the long stick. Ideally it's bown shaped to not limit much of the light output to a tiny circle on the ceiling. I'd place a LIFX bulb in it and put it on the top of a cabinet.

Is there a name for this thing? I've been looking at stores and ebay, but can't find anything. They all either have a lampshade, limiting the lumens output by diffusing too much, or have a stand or E14. I'd have no problem creating one on my own, just don't know where to begin.


texts: What would be the best tuck pointing temporary alternative?

texts: I have a brick home and I am seeing a lot of spots that are missing mortar.  It was not obvious at first, but we have had a bit of an ant problem and I tried to figure out where they are coming in from and that is how I started to discover lots of holes.  We can not really offord to have the house repointed right now, but would like to stop the bugs and I am also thinking it will be good for winter coming up to fill these holes up.  Is there anything I could use, like masonry caulk, that would be effective but not mess things up for when we do want to have the tuckpointing done?  Should I just use some mortar instead, even though the bond will not be as good without properly clearing away old mortar?


texts: I have a 3-way switch in our dining room (just 2 switches) and have replaced the one we use the most with a 3-way w/ dimmer. The light turns on just fine, but will not dim.  I have installed a Lutron- Eco-dim dimmer (3-way)...  Need help as to why it won't dim.


texts: How to protect outside cable wire from myself?

texts:
I have a lovely standard black cable wire that wraps almost around my entire house, through, over and under dirt, mulch, rocks, bushes, daffodils...you name it this darn wire hits it all. An arborvitae has lifted it up 2.5 feet into the air at one point.

Before I end up running over it with a mower, or slicing it by way of a shovel or clippers I need to do something with it.

First question is, is it fine the way it is?  I live in the Northeast and we get hot summers and cold winters.  I assume the hot summer sun doesn't provide any benefits.
Should I wrap the sucker in some sort of metal conduit or pvc tubing?

Second question, is it safe to just bury? with or without protection?

Third, currently it is one continuous piece, if I do decide to bury it, I am going to have to cut it somewhere to be able to rethread it behind bushes and set it back closer to the house/foundation.  Will I need a special outdoor cable connector to protect it from water? or is a standard thread connection ok.


texts: How can I patch my slab around a rough-in pipe in a difficult to access location?

texts:
I've got a situation similar to this one (slab finishing/patching around roughed-in plumbing remodel), but in my situation the finishing job poses a couple extra problems:

1) The trench routes under a floor-to-ceiling, built-in wall cabinet, so there is about 1.5 to 2 feet of trench I can't access vertically.

I'm worried about getting a good meld between the concrete I fill underneath the built-in and the bit of slab that remains below it. Obviously there is a reasonable pocket I need to fill, and I can't think of a great way to get the concrete under it so that it's well-packed.

2) The area (small laundry/utility room) is carpeted, and currently there's a surgically-cut area of carpet pulled away from the trench.

I've read concrete "bleeds" out some water before its ready to be finished/smoothed. How long should I let it sweat before I smooth it, and is it worth my while to attempt protecting the carpet beyond the trench? The carpet should ultimately be replaced, so my biggest concern is getting a level patch, but I'm wondering where will the bleeding water go?

Am I over-thinking this, or is it as simple as mix some 'crete, dump it in the trench, and smooth with a short length of 2x4?!?

The trench going under the built-in. There are at most, 2 or 2.5 inches between the slab and the pea gravel there.

Top-down view of the trench showing the carpet. I'm worried, what happens to the water the concrete will bleed out?


texts: Do drywall cracks pose any risk for further damage?

texts:
I recently discovered a fairly long (~2 foot) crack in my drywall within my home. Aside from the aesthetics, is there any negatives associated with leaving a drywall crack alone for an extended period of time? Of course I will eventually fix it up, but does delaying this fix pose any risk for further damage?
Edit: The property is basically brand new. It is a condo that was constructed in 2019. The crack (image attached) is about 2-3 feet long. From top to bottom, it starts off jagged like a normal drywall crack but then suddenly becomes very straight near the window frame. The area right at this crack-type transition is raised off the wall. Don't know the exact dimension of the raise, but it is obvious in sight if you are close and very obvious running your finger over it. I do not know what would be in the wall here since it is a perimeter wall.


texts: How can I attach/seal around an exhaust fan duct at the roof?

texts:
I am redoing the ducting from a kitchen exhaust fan to the roof cap.  The old ducting was 6" and I'm increasing it to 8" to match the vent on the new exhaust fan.  The current roof penetration is a 6.5" x 6.5" square, and the old rigid ducting just sat in it without any strapping or sealant.

I plan to increase the hole to an 8" circle, but that will leave ~0.6" gaps in the corners so I assume caulk won't be sufficient to span them.

What's the best way to attach the ducting and ensure an air-tight seal?  Would something like a take-off be the way to go?


texts: Should I remove and replace base trim or install quarter round when installing laminate flooring?

texts:
I want to install laminate over my existing tile floor. The problem is that I have small 3¼" baseboards. If I don't remove the base moldings and install quarter rounds I think it will look ridiculous buried in the new flooring.

I've gotten several quotes from installers and they all want to charge a lot for removing and replacing the baseboards.

So my questions are: is there any solution for leaving the baseboards on the wall and maybe using a tiny shoe moulding to hide the gap? All shoe mouldings or quarter rounds seem to be too big. If I try to remove them myself do I have to have a miter saw to cut them down to reinstall them? How hard is that? I really am not a 'handy woman'. Any ideas?

Also, they want to charge a lot to install the laminate in the kitchen because they would need to move the appliances. Is there any way to install laminate everywhere else but something different (easier) in the kitchen and have the floors be the same level? Meaning laminate in my living room, dining room then transition into vinyl or tile or something else in the kitchen that doesn't require moving the appliances?


texts: Any code points, other references on using compression and set screw fittings on same EMT run?

texts:
This is more a commercial/industrial electrical question, but there's no Stack for that, so;
Anyone ever been dinged by an inspector for this? I can't find anything in the 2017 or 2020 NEC, even went so far as to download NECA 1-2015, which expands on that one line from NEC 110.12 (the "neat and workmanlike manner" clause). But anyway, everywhere I look no one just outright condemns it. I found one site that mentions it but only in the vein of if you're using two different types of hardware that's more work because I guess you're loading up two different types of hardware. I'm looking at it more like, an electrician just has a few types of fittings/couplings/connectors in his pouch, so that's what he uses instead of taking the time to go get matching fittings and having a better looking run. ....then we end up with a run that maybe has set screw and standard compression couplings under an outdoor awning, then switches to raintight compression where it's exposed to the weather. (just for an example).  ...Anyway, any building pros on here know any deep-dive code points for me? (or really, any other data on this minute topic) Thanks in advance!


texts:
wiring picture from an IsEasy cooktop.  The picture shows 3 wires marked 240v each going into the unit with a common and a ground.  Does this mean I would connect both sides of the 240 wiring coming into the wall (2 hot out of phase 120) to the three wires into the unit?
I assume this is a European wiring pattern.  Just want to be sure before I order the product.


texts: Will canola oil have any adverse effects on silicone?

texts:
So I needed to fill in a rather slab like shape with silicone. All I had at the time was aquarium silicone that came in a tube so I could just make squiggly lines. I didn't like it so I put on a glove and tried to smooth it out but it just stuck to the glove like crazy.

Then I lubed the glove with some canola oil and then we were in business! The silicone became very workable when it wasn't sticking to my hand so I went ahead and filled a corner too and I could mold the silicone into the right shape really nicely.

Anyway, its supposedly curing now and due to the thickness I'd estimate it to take at least 2 days. I realize that I probably mixed some of the oil right into the silicone too (not much, maybe 1% max by volume). Has anybody done something similar? How do you think it would affect the silicone? If it takes longer to cure.. whatever.

What I don't want though is fractures in the silicone mass caused by the oil separating it. Due to the way I was shaping it, this might be the case if canola is effective at preventing it from bonding with itself. Would that be the case?


texts: Winterizing pipes for weekend house in upstate NY

texts:
I recently purchased a weekend house in the Hudson Valley.  New to home ownership but need to prepare for the winter. I have a rough plan to ensure the pipes don't burst, especially while we are not at the house.  Is my plan sensible, what else should I do?

Setup: One level house with basement.  Three zone boiler with baseboard heating, two zones on main level and one in basement.

Plan:

Leave heat on during week at 50 deg in all three zones. This should keep all interior spaces warm enough barring a power outage.
Insulate all water pipes, both potable water and heating.
Install stop and waste valves to remove water from pipes that feed unused bathroom/sink.
When leaving for week shut off main line to minimize damage in event of a burst pipe.

Thanks.


texts: How do I Reconnect Knob and Tube Wiring To A New Main BreakerBox

texts: How do I reconnect my old knob-and-tube wiring to a new box. My issue is my furnace will not come back on until the knob-and-tube wiring is connected to the new main breaker box. This is a temporary fix to a costly repair I cannot make until spring. But, I need heat now for the winter. So how do I reconnect the wires?


texts: Will this 3 way switch wiring plan work?

texts:
I am in a situation that is Hot - Switch - Fixture - Fixture - Switch.  The Hot is supplied with 14/2, and the remainder romex is 14/3.  Both switches will be 3way.  I found this drawinng on the internet, but not sure it will work.  Do I have to run an additional conductor between the two fixtures?  I predict this wiring is not correct.  But trying to wrap my head around it, so to speak.

Also found this, which I believe will work but requires an additonal conductor.  Any thoughts?


texts: My girlfriend knocked a chair over when she tripped and it made a large hole approximately 6 inches by 6 inches in a triangle shape. How do I fix this as fast and as cheap as possible ?


texts: I need to drive a 7/16" nut but am unsure how to use the socket I bought for my screwdriver

texts:
I have this 7/16" hex nut (in front) and I tried to order in amazon an adapter that can make my 1/4 hex bit torque screwdriver drive it. When I received the package. It was all wrong. The 7/16" was the size of the hex bit and the 1/2 is the size of the square wrench (I need all to be hexagon or 6 sides, not 4 sided).

What is the proper way to do this?

I also bought adapter for 1/4 hex to 1/2 hex thinking the male size was 1/2 size (when it fact it was 7/16" size)


texts: Do I have to do anything different to use compression fittings on chrome pipe?

texts:
I have a radiator sitting on a concrete floor in my bathroom. I'm connecting it up to the central heating with chrome pipes and chrome compression fittings - the piping is all visible above floor due to concrete so I wanted it chrome.

I'm having problems with the compression fittings, they tend to leak. I've been tightening them up gradually over the weeks and despite being really careful just managed to crimp a pipe.

I've not had problems with compression joints before this, both copper and plastic work fine. I think it's the chrome plating. Are there any tips for improving the fittings?

Looking on the web, I see that if you are soldering chrome fittings you have to sand off the chrome at the ends - do you think this would help with compression fitting too?


texts:
I have a Cuisinart KML-KO3B precision kitchen scale.  Up to now weighing anything to within a gram or two has been trivial.

Currently when I turn it on, it flashes 8's repeatedly about once per second.  It will do this for 10 to 30 seconds, then tare properly to zero.

Now is the odd bit.

With it still empty, it will gradually increase in weight.  I turned it on and tared it when I started this post, and now it's at 124 grams.  Still empty.

Repeat:
17 flashes.
Tared.
at 1 minute registering 47 grams.
at 1:30 61 grams
at 2:00 67 grams
at 2:30 73 grams
at 3:00 77 grams

Never heard about this happening.

What is going on?

Can it be fixed?

I have searched for Cuisinart scale KML-KO3B flashing 8's and gotten nothing meaningful.


texts:
I'm trying to determine how strict to be when reviewing a contractors work.

We had new windows installed, which involved caulking around the outside, between the vinyl window and the new wood siding. There are places where there are small holes in the caulk. It seems like even a small hole defeats the purpose of having any caulk at all, since now water can get in.

Is 95% coverage good enough, or should it be 100%? Are a few 3 mm gaps here and there an issue I should bring up, or is that reasonable and expected with this type of work?


texts: Can Rhino lining be used for a residential roof?

texts: Is Rhino® lining a viable option for a residential roof? I know for many people it is cost prohibitive, are there any regulations concerning polyurethane coatings on a roof? Has this been done before?


texts: Extend dryer termination away from condensing unit

texts:
How can I extend my dryer's exhaust vent away from my A.C. condensing unit using the existing outlet?

It currently looks like the picture below. I don't know if the vent going through the wall is connected with the cover on the outside or not.


texts: I have a window A/C unit mounted through a hole in the wall. It's bolted in place, so fairly permanent. It has a 6ft power cord with what looks like a GFI on the end. I think the cord is ugly, so I'd like to cut it and hardwire it inside the wall. Are there any safety concerns, and does this violate any codes? I think I would drill a hole in the wall right next to the A/C, send the cord through that and connect to the back of the nearby duplex outlet. I believe the built-in power cord is stranded, so not sure if it's rated for in-wall use.


texts: Outdoor three way switch and outlet on light pole GFI

texts: Placing a new outdoor pole light with a three way switch and outlet. Using 12/3 wire in conduit with One 3way switch in house. Question: what is the best way to have ground fault on outlet and switch?


texts:
What materials are required to cap off a 3/8” water feed at the valve?
I had a dishwasher.  Its feed line connected to the water service under my kitchen sink right at the hot water shut off valve.  I’ve removed that hose and would like to continue to use the kitchen sink.   What do I need in order to cap off opening?
I have a compression fitting cap that fits on the threads, but this, by itself, does not make a water tight seal.


texts: I have a 6 year old 80 gallon American water heater, looking to check/replace the anode rod for the first time. It currently has a 3/4" aluminum anode rod, 52" length. I need a flexible anode rod, as I have very little clearance to put a new one in.  The longest flexible one I found is 44".  Can I use a shorter anode rod than what it calls for?  Would it simply mean it may corrode faster?


texts: What ballast should I use for a 90W low pressure sodium lamp?

texts:
I am building a monochromatic lamp with the use of a low pressure sodium (LPS) lamp. Through research I understood I need a specific ballast for such a bulb.
The examples I found on the net feature a LPS bulb but only the 35W one. The ballast recommended for the 35W bulb was the Fulham Lighting WH3-120-L Workhorse 3 Adaptable Electronic Fluorescent Lamp Ballast, 120V, 64W max.
Unfortunately I require the 90W bulb for the project, as apparently it is possible to mount the bulb horizontally. I tried to look for a ballast for a 90W LPS, but often found products that are five times the price of the first mentioned ballast or that are unavailable in my area (I was only looking with those specific keywords.)
My question to you is: what kind of ballast should I be looking for for a low pressure sodium lamp of 90 watts?


texts: gas line location for natural gas clothes dryer

texts:
In the US, what are the usual code requirements governing where you can put a gas clothes dryer relative to the gas line, and governing length and clearance for the flexible gas line between wall and dryer?

Specifically, is there usually a code requirement that the gas line for a clothes dryer is immediately in back of the dryer?  I noticed this "must be in back" requirement when Home Depot installs a dryer and was wondering if this is a code requirement or Home Depot's requirement.

I'm asking because our current dryer is recessed into a "nook" in the laundry room but the gas line comes out of the wall to the right of the nook. The flexible gas tubing is attached to the gas line, snakes back and left about 12 inches, goes through the 2-inch gap between dryer and right wall of the nook, and finally hooks up to the dryer. See below (apologies for ASCII art).

||============||
||            ||
||  "nook" ***||
||         * *||
||  ---------*||
||  |       |*|=====||
||  |       |*      ||
||  | dryer |*****--|| <- gas line comes out here (* = flexible gas tubing)
||  |       |       ||
||  |       |       ||

The nook is clearly a do-it-yourself add-on from house's previous owner (e.g. walls in back of the nook are plywood!).  There are built-in shelves over the area where the gas line is so no one is going to step on the gas line, but that doesn't mean it's up to code!  ;-)  Judging by (poorly) filled-in holes in the linoleum floor, the original dryer location was did indeed have the gas line directly in back of it, as Home Depot recommends, but I'd prefer to keep the current location because it yields more room in our small laundry area.


texts: How to calculate cutting angle for a circle of tiles?

texts:
I'm looking to calculate the angle I need to cut on square tiles that will be arranged around the edge of a circular pool.

Given that radius is 7' and that tile width is 12", how many tiles are needed to close the full circle, when distance between each tile is 1/4". At what angle does each tile need to be cut on both sides, so that when laid in a circle, sides of the tiles are parallel to each other? Can somebody point me in how to calculate this?


texts: Which kind of roof coating to use to treat low pitch mod bit roof?

texts:
My city row house is 100+ years old and has a low pitch modified bitumen roof.  It looks like a one piece asphalt or tar sheet covering of the roof.  I bought the house 7 years ago and never had it treated, I think it looks like it hasn't been done in at least 10 years.  The roof has no leaks but some little cracks in the cover and the paler color than the neighbor's indicate that the time is due perhaps.

The current covering is silver with some patches of black surfacing up.  I imagine the black is indicative of wear and tear and the silver is the original, healthy finish.  At least the neighbor's is all solid silver.

I noticed that the brand Henry at the Home Depot has several grades of tar/asphalt roof covering that comes in 5 gal buckets. I was wondering which grade to use to apply over my roof. I don't think any of them match the current silver of my and my neighbor's roofs though.  The roof area is approx 900 sq ft.


texts: is there a sandable compound I can use for a final skim coat over StructoLite plaster?

texts:
I had to rip out a 4' x 6' section of ceiling and wall to make a plumbing repair on our house. The original walls were 1940s era gypsum board reinforced at changes-of-plane with metal lath.

Some sagging of the joists had caused a slight bow in the ceiling, so I couldn't repair the ceiling with a piece of drywall, because the board see-sawed.  So I nailed metal lath to the joists and applied StructoLite like old-school plaster in three coats: a thick scratch coat, a brown coat, and a final veneer coat.

The wall turned out really nice with a creamy smooth finish but my overhead troweling skills aren't so good, and the ceiling has a lot of trowel marks.

So I want to trowel on a sandable skim coat compound which will adhere well to the StructoLite. What would be a good choice?

Any tips would be appreciated too.  Do I want to mist the plaster beforehand or wipe it down with a damp sponge?  It has been curing for about two weeks.


texts: Can I reduce hot water distribution delay with thinner tubes?

texts:
Kitchen and bathroom(s) are at the opposite sides of my house (14m).

I recently replaced and moved my hot-water-heater (electric, now thermo-dynamic) closer to the bathroom(s) in order to reduce the time it takes to have hot water in the shower, bath, etc. It works nicely.

I was aware that now it'll take much more time get hot water in the kitchen sink due to the plumbing done as it is.

I only have one sink with hot-water in the kitchen. Therefore I was thinking of putting in a new - direct - tube between the boiler and the sink to reduce the delay.

One sink, not much pressure is needed: I could use a very thin tube, like that less water has to travel. But how much pressure will be lost?

Is this a good idea in general in my configuration? I don't want to add more active components until I run out of passive solutions.


texts: Rain Got To Untreated Wood Furniture Project - What to Do?

texts:
I've been building a bedframe from unfinished wood on my deck (due to lack of indoor workspace), and tarping it off at night to protect it. Apparently I did a poor job last night though, as the wind blew a corner of the tarp off, said corner taking a few minutes of rain today.

My question is basically - what should I do now? I was planning on doing some sanding and bolting tonight, and staining later this week. Is there a general guideline for how long it takes untreated wood to dry out enough for either of those purposes, and should I be worried about warping once it dries?

Very mad at myself, and been having trouble finding answers to these particular questions - thanks much.

Edit: Also, should I be worried about the water damaging/staining the wood's appearance?


texts: Is there a reasonable substitute for nail guns when installing baseboards?

texts: What are the alternatives to nail guns? I need to install new MDF based baseboards and trims. Buying a new nail gun with air compressor or a battery powered nail-gun is quite costly. I see there is also nail tacker or hammer tackers available. Will they do the job, or they tend to be for other purposes? For example, I'd like to use brad nails 1-1/2"


texts: How deep do I need to make the post footings for a residential deck in Northern Michigan? The 12" X 20" deck will be less than 2 feet off the ground.


texts:
I've split my question up into two parts:

Part 1

After investigating my consumer unit (after I first started to wonder about things in part 2 below) I'm confused regarding the AMPS my RCDs are rated to take.

My home (which is a new build from 2010) has the consumer unit split in two, with two RCD units (I think they are) splitting up the trip switches. The split is as follows

Left most trip switches

6A trip - Down stairs lights

20A trip - Kitchen Grid switches for fridge, washing machine, dish washer

32A trip - Ring main wall sockets

32A trip - cooker

90A total - These are connected to an 80A  RCD

Right most trip switches

6A trip - Up stairs lights

6A trip - Smoke Alarms (up/down stairs)

16A trip - Central Heating

32A trip - Ring main wall sockets

40A trip - Electric Shower

100A total - These are connected to an 80A  RCD

Lastly

100A - Main Switch/Trip for consumer unit

As you can see the RCDs are rated at 80A but the combined amps of the trips going into them both, exceed the rated amperage and not only that the combined amps of all trips/RCDs far exceed that of the main consumer unit trip. What am I missing here, im sure it's right, I just don't understand it.

As I understand things, we're always told to not exceed 13A on a wall socket if we use a strip plug. Hence I'm guessing all plugs connected to either ring main shouldn't exceed 32Amps. Is this correct? It just seems low to me. Run the Kettle-13A, Microwave-13A and TV-10A and I'm above 32A there...I don't get it.

If I apply the same logic to the consumer unit, why is there potential for all trip switches combined to exceed the RCDs they are connected to and further to this the main consumer unit switch? I must be missing something fundamental here and would greatly appreciate some clarity on the matter.

Part 2

I'm sure an explanation of the above will also explain my confusion here to. Basically I confused regarding the max AMPs a UK ring main will accept (given a strip plug shouldn't exceed 13A) and was seeking some advice and information to clear up the confusion.

I'm setting up a new marine aquarium which has a lot of equipment. There are at least 15 plugs going to be used. At minimum thats a potential 45A right there if all plugs were 3A (which they are not, some are 5 &13). If the potential amps is above 32 does this mean I can't connect them to my ring main via multiple strip sockets plugged into several wall sockets. If so then how do I get around this? Install a new Trip switch in the Consumer Unit and run a cable specifically for this project?

People regularly do what I'm doing, use multiple strip sockets plug everything in, everything works and they don't worry. But I'm baffled by it as I'm not sure thats the safest thing to be doing plus have spare Amps for all the other normal house hold electricals. I'm so confused with AMPS because of what people say in overloading those strip sockets, surely the same logic applies to the trip switches themselves?

Thanks.


texts: What is a humane, safe and clean way to dispose of a live mouse caught in a glue trap?

texts:
A glue trap in my garage caught a mouse. I consider it inhumane to let the mouse die in the glue trap. I am looking for a method to euthanize the mouse that meets the following requirements:

Humane - Must be quick and effective.
Safe - I got bit when I tried to remove the mouse from the board.
Clean - Ideally just kill and throw into trash bin.

I am currently considering spending $20-$50 on a stun gun, but I'm not sure if a stun gun can kill a mouse in a few seconds.

Related questions:

How do I find where mice are entering my house?
How can I get rid of a mouse in my house?
How can I remove mice from my house?
How can I prevent mice from entering my house?
What to block a hole with to stop mice getting in?


texts: What could cause the hot water not to work after replacing a water heater?

texts: I replaced my hot water heater and now the hot water doesn't run in any of my faucets. What could be the problem? I did not have to replace any piping from old hot water heater and the water ran fine before replacng with a new water heater.


texts:
This happened in my bathroom just now.
The build got completed approx 12 months ago and now tiles are coming off this extended wall.
During construction, the builders told me, that the bathtub didn't fill out the length of the room. So they wanted to "pad" the adjacent wall a few inches so it didn't leave a gap. At the time it seemed sensible. In hindsight, it was a terrible idea. I'm sure there would have been better solutions for this little problem.
How can I best recover from this?
And what did the builders do wrong?

EDIT
I contacted the builder and they ended up demolishing the entire bathroom, including knocking down ALL of the tiles. It comes with a 5 year warranty so I walk away scot-free.
For the wall that needs to come out a few inches extra (in the picture), they are using metal studs and Villaboard which is all drilled deep into the wall with plugs and screws. Then tiling goes on top, this time no five spotting but applying the tile glue the right way covering 90% of the tile. Also they are re-doing the waterproofing.


texts:
I like the look of old-fashioned doorknobs with a small rosette.  I'm getting some new doors and thinking about boring and mortising them myself. My plan is to find old knobs, rosettes, locksets from eBay and various building salvage stores.
I'm having a hard time finding any info online about how to do this.  When I search for "small bore" door materials, I only find results talking about how to update an old, small-bore door to a new 2.5 inch bore hole for modern hardware. In my experience, this sort of issue is usually overcome by knowing the exact terminology used by collectors or vintage enthusiasts.
Can anyone on this forum point me to materials for vintage or period house restoration that talks about prepping doors for smaller, old-fashioned rosettes?


texts:
I have a Trane XV90 and XL 14i. The wiring looks a little strange as in the picture bellow.

                  _____________
                  |           |

BK W2  W1   R  G  Y  B/C  YLO O
   |___||   |__|  ||   |
        |   |     ||   |_____>|----------|
        |   |     ||_________>|other wire|
        |   |     |           ------------
        V   V     V
    ---------------
    |thermostat   |
    ---------------

The R and G are jumpered together and the G wire is connected on the board  but is actually not connecting to the thermostat on the other end. So people told me that means the furnace fan is always on! (In my diagram above, I switched the location of Y and B/C to make diagram easier to draw. You can refer to the photo added below to see the details)
My questions are the following

is the jumper between O and Y doing anything? I don't think I have heat pump
I need to install Honeywell wifi thermostat and I am thinking of doing either one of the following:

remove jumper between R and G, and use G to connect B/C and then to thermostat C and put jumper between G and Y

leave jumper between R and G, and use G to connect B/C and then to thermostat C and put jumper between G and Y

remove jumper between R and G, connect G on control board to thermostat G, and finally have the spare wire to connect B/C and then thermostat C

leave jumper between R and G, does not connect G to thermostat,  and just use a spare wire to connect B/C on board to thermostat C

Can anyone comment on those plans? Thanks a lot!


texts:
Going to have to pour a very small 3'x2' foundation.  I know that I should go easy on the water to prevent spalling problems, etc., but I'm looking for something better than chicken wire for reinforcement.  I'm afraid of rust problems, which can crack concrete because rust takes up more volume than the original iron/steel.

Obviously I don't need anything too substantial for such a small foundation, but I'd like something that isn't galvanized and is intended for encasement in concrete.  Anyone know of anything that would be suitable?


texts: What should we look for when buying a fixer-upper house?

texts:
My fiance and I are considering buying a fixer-upper house rather than an apartment when we get married.

Obviously things like location, neighbors etc. are important, but; what should we be looking for in terms of fixing it up ourselves?  Neither of us have much DIY experience.

What are the huge hidden expenses?  Broken water heater?  Bad foundation?  I imagine fixing a bad foundation would take an enormous amount of time, money, and special tools.  Time we have; the others we don't.  Unfortunately, I don't even know how to tell if the foundation is bad.
What things can we simply not do ourselves without having to take a ton of classes?  Who would we call to do those things?  Would we need to get it certified by the city if we want to sell it later (or even just live in it) - would we have to pay for that?
I would be okay with reading books and taking reasonably short classes to save a bit of cash, if possible.
What sort of things can we do with little experience and cash? Ex. tear-up and replace carpets, paint walls, etc.  Of course I know it's going to cost some money, but I don't want to be spending $30k to fix up a house that cost us that much.
What are the Gotchas the realtor might not mention?


texts: Can I run a natural gas dryer from a portable propane tank?

texts:
I bought a modular home in the woods with no w/d hookup,I want to know if it's safe & OK to hookup a 5 gallon propane tank to a gas dryer, plug it in & dry my clothes?

Do I have to change something in the dryer to run propane from natural gas?
Just trying to be safe. I don't want to blow me & my house up!  ANY HELP OUT THERE PLEASE WOULD APPRECIATED!


texts: What is this 5' Tall Pipe on the Side of my house (1973/South Florida)?

texts: I just bought a home built in 1973 in South Florida. There is a pipe protruding from the ground on the side of my house with all the utilities. It's about 5 feet high. Any idea what it is? Who should I call to find out? The county? I appreciate any advice. Thanks!


texts: Replacement GFCI isn't working correctly

texts:
I have a bathroom outlet where the GFCI is going bad and needs replacement.

There is one line and 2 cables coming in for 2 loads so there are 3 black wires, 3 white wires, and 3 ground wires coming into the box. One of the loads goes to the overhead light switch and the other goes to the light switch in another bathroom.

When I rewired the new one exactly as the old one it wouldn't work. The green light on the GFCI would come on for a brief second and then go off, and the circuit breaker seemed to be making a quick buzz sound as soon as it was thrown on.

I know I have it wired correctly in terms of the line and the load positions. From previous posts I read I'm wondering if the problem is with the multiple ground wires tripping things. The old GFCI had all 3 ground wires connected to the screw on the bottom.

If this is the problem what is the best way to wire this outlet?


texts: When using power strips, is it OK leave all the electronics, such as TV etc. plugged in and just turn the power off when leaving on vacation?


texts: Pressure Washer shoots black smoke from exhaust and then will not start

texts:
I have a two year old Troy Bilt pressure washer with a GCV 190 Honda engine. The pressure washer has worked fine for two years (although I have rarely used it).

Recently, I broke out the pressure washer to use for the summer, and I ran into an issue. The washer ran fine for about the first hour of use, but then it shot black smoke from the exhaust and cut off. I could not get the washer to restart.

I removed the spark plug from the washer, and it was charred almost completely black on the end. I bought a replacement spark plug and installed it. The next day when trying to use the washer, it would run but the engine sounded like it was struggling to stay on, and whenever I turned off the sprayer the engine would die. After about an hour, more black smoke came form the exhaust and the pressure washer will not crank again.

Does anyone have an idea of what the issue may be? I've put new gas in the engine and the oil levels look fine.


texts:
I am having some trouble figuring out how to reinstall this light fixture in my bathroom. My wife unscrewed it to paint behind on the wall, but I do not see how I am supposed to get the thing back on the mount!

Seems straight forward. Three screws go through the bulb housing and through a small metal piece and nut connecting it to the mount on the wall... however, the nuts are not secure in the position under the metal piece and slip down to where I can not get the screw to thread through.

I feel like the best way to reconnect is to pull the entire mount off the wall and lay it flat on the table, but if one nut slips while trying to place the screws into position I have to pull it all apart and start over.

Is there something I am missing or some trick to make this faster/easier?

Thank you for any advice!


texts: I have a 220V 15 amp body dryer with 2 prongs on the plug (European). Manufacturer instructions indicate to connect 2 hots and 1 ground to the receptacle. Since this is in a bathroom, I have installed a GFCI 2 pole breaker, which requires a neutral from the receptacle.  Without a neutral from the GFCI, the breaker trips. I just finished wiring my other GFCI single pole circuits to include the neutral from the receptacle, walla no more trips. How do I wire this? If I need to run a neutral, what size? I am using a 20 amp circuit.


texts: I am looking to finish my basement,how do i calculate for the needed materials such as sheet rock and the studs for framing?


texts: Used an impact driver to screw into a (pre-drilled) stud. The head of the cheap screw broke off, just about flush with the drywall. How do I remove this screw?


texts: Silicone or rubber protection for kitchen base

texts:
I have been trying to find a solution for a newly installed kitchen. On the base podium of the kitchen, the vendor did not add any rubber flaps or water protection panels to prevent wetting the base when washing the floor.

Is there a simple solution for that? Simple rubber/silicone flap to glue on the base so it doesn't get wet when washing the floor? Thanks?


texts: Who can I ask to install a 30 amp rated range on a 30 amp circuit (not as easy as it sounds)

texts:
I realize there are lots of similar questions, and I've read most of them. Thanks in advance for advice on this particular flavor.

In my home I have a (broken) dual fuel range. It's installed on a 30 amp circuit with a 30 amp breaker and NEMA 14-30 plug.

I'm trying to buy a new dual fuel range. I looked at a model which on its website says it requires a 30 amp connection. To confirm it would work on the kitchen circuit I have, I did the following:

I read the manufacturer's installation instructions. They say "A cord kit rated at 120 / 240 volt 30 amp minimum is required. A 50 amp range cord is not recommended"
I emailed the manufacturer directly. The response was unhelpful, it quoted the instructions back at me ("You will see that the Volts/Hertz/Amps are: 208/240Volts / 60 Hz / 30 Amps")
Our salesman at the local-not-bigbox appliance store talked to the regional rep for the manufacturer, who confirmed we could use the new range on a 30 amp circuit.

So far so good, right? Unfortunately, the local-not-bigbox appliance store has an installation team who won't install the range because they say I have a "dryer" outlet, and they will only install a range with a "range" cord and plug. The salesman has told me I can either change the outlet at the wall to match the "range" plug, or buy the range and have someone else install it.

I have a couple questions:

Is the installation team right? Is there a difference between the dryer and range receptacles that's more than "30 amp" vs. "50 amp"? In other words, do I have to use a "range cord" on a range no matter what the circuit rating is (and related - does that mean my house was built not to code)?
What's the right answer on installing a new range from a safety point of view? Is it to use a 30 amp cord with "dryer" plug? Is it to change the wall outlet? Or should I give up and buy a gas range?
Who is the right professional to ask for help? So far I've called a couple local installers who have all told me I should call an electrician to change the wall receptacle. Is it time to call an electrician or time to find a more understanding installer?

Thanks for any help.


texts: How to use a 100 amp sub panel for a 50 amp input

texts:
I'm building a shed I want to add power to. To get power I'm planning to use the power that is going to my hot tub (50 amp).

The hot tub has a 50 amp breaker from the main to a 50 amp breaker box that is mounted on the side of my house. I plan to disconnect the hot tub and run the wire to my shed from this breaker box.

I can't find a 50 amp sub panel, but I can find 100 amp boxes online that are fairly cheap. I'm curious how I can wire this box to use the 50 amps that will be coming in?


texts: How to seal PVC-U and copper pipes together

texts:
How to seal a gap between hard PVC pipe and copper coil as visible on the picture below? It needs to stand small vacuum (45 mmHG = 1.8inHg = 6kpa = 60mbar = 0.87psi).

What is the best way to do it? Is there any special PVC mass / epoxy suitable for that?

At the moment I used tick layer of white silicone and it stills cures (after 15h) and not sure if it was a good idea in the first place:


texts:
Some days ago I assembled the following joint using pipe dope (it is solvent based that semi hardens to a rubber like stuff).

I waited 2 days to pressurise the system and after a few days it started leaking.

How can I fix that?

Edit: this is how it looks after disassembly:


texts: Tub Drain SLOWLY Drains - If You Hold "Knob" Down It Drains At Regular Speed

texts:
I am sure this is just due to age and wear and tear on the drain, but I do not know where to start.  My drain slowly drains, but if I hold the "knob" down it will drain at regular speed.

What should be my steps to replace parts in order for the drain to drain regular speed all the time?

EDIT
I pulled out the "knob" all the way out and the spring appears to be in tact as well as all connections.  When out of the wall, I can lift the "knob" up and down with no issue and the "weight" (or whatever you'd call it at the bottom) moves freely.  Surprisingly, there wasn't even that much hair or gunk built up on anything.

See this image, does someone notice anything off?


texts: Is there a reason to install anti-siphon valves and a backflow protector on the main line?

texts:
The irrigation system that came with our house (looks like a DIY job) has a backflow protector on the main line and all the valves are anti-siphon. The valves are old and some of them leak so we're planning to replace them. I'm wondering if there's a reason why the valves are anti-siphon instead of inline. I've seen a few instances of this configuration on the Internet, but with no reasonable explanations.
As far as I know, our municipality doesn't have any rules requiring valves to be anti-siphon. In fact, we live in an area that can freeze overnight as late as June and as early as September, so moving to inline to get the valves underground would help make the system more resilient to freezing.


texts: What could be causing this weird problem with a 240v trainer?

texts:
I'm in electrical classes and we are hooking up a 240v trainer.  Last year the trainer worked fine.  When connected to power there is a 120v light bulb that lights up to show that power is on.  Yesterday we plugged it in and the light would not come on, but we had 240v through the meter. This is being connected on a new panel box that is 120v/240v, no stinger.  Power coming into disconnect is reading 126v on L1 and L2 to neutral or ground, 246v between them.

I decided to work on just getting the light to work first, (yes the bulb is good and the light base is good).  I hard wired it out of the panel box using L2 and Neutral and wire nutted the L1 off.  Turn power on, no light.  when I check the voltage at the light I get 0. From the breaker I get 0 on L2 and 246v on the L1.  When the load is disconnected, at the breaker I read 126v from L1 to Neutral or ground and 126v from L2 to neutral or ground.  I did do a continuity check from the disconnect to the panel box.  When checking the L2 it beeped on L2, Neutral and ground.  It is very strange, and I have been told several times that it is impossible to get 240 from one leg, but it is happening.  All I can come up with is that L2, neutral and ground are somehow connected because of the continuity test.  However wouldn't it trip the breaker?


texts: I recently moved into a home and this was lying on a shelf untouched or plugged into anything. Thanks]1


texts: What size chuck key do I need for my Black & Decker DNJ62 drill?

texts:
I have been given an ancient Black and Decker DNJ62 power drill from my father (who knows even less about DIY than I - which is saying something).  Unfortunately he has lost the chuck key for it, which is something of a draw back.

Am I correct in thinking from the label attached below that I need a 13 mmm chuck key like this one from Screwfix for this drill?

I fear I'm asking a stupid question here, but it did occur to me that the  13 mm below might refer to something else (maximum size of drill bit?) and it would be frustrating to get home with the wrong size chuck...


texts: Other than unforeseen surge in draw, what can cause breaker tripping?

texts:
My house originally had a single main panel, 150A. Some years ago, I decided to split the basement apartment and the main unit. The original main panel is in the basement but I wanted the main unit to have its own panel so I put a 100A breaker in the basement panel to feed the main unit subpanel.

A strange thing happened to me this morning. I woke up and and the power was out in the main unit of my house, where we live. I first thought the whole block lost power, as a result of some construction work nearby. However, that was not the case.

What turned out to be the case is that the 100A basement breaker had been tripped overnight. I know that breakers usually trip when there is excessive demand to draw amperage. I find this to be an extremely unlikely explanation because of the time of the day. Even if the AC was on (20A blower + 30A outside condenser), which I doubt it was because it was something like 70 degrees outside, it wouldn't come near to 100A. Realistically, what was likely drawing current at the time was the fridge, bedroom ceiling fan, and various super low amperage devices, like the modem etc. This is the first time it's happened in probably 5-6 years.

Could it have been that some external surge coming from the street bumped the breaker? I find it odd because it first went through the basement main panel, the rest of whose breakers went uninterrupted.


texts:
Haven't seen my exact question answered on here so forgive me if already has been.

Here's my issue - there are 3 outlets around my kitchen counter. The first is a GCFI outlet that I'm assuming has the other 2 chained two it. It works fine. The next one works fine too. The last one however does not.

I checked the wires on the middle one and everything seems to look good there. There is power coming to the outlet obviously (from the GCFI outlet). The white and black wire that should be going to the last outlet (that doesn't work) has power in it too.

When I check the wires out of the outlet that doesn't work for power, there's nothing. It's the oddest thing. I don't know where else the wire coming out of the middle outlet would go. All other outlets in the kitchen and even around the kitchen work fine. I guess I could check the outlet in the other room and see if it's somehow chained in the series. Not sure why it would be though.

Any ideas/things I could try? It's just odd.


texts: Voltage increase when connecting a large load to household circuit

texts:
So in the place I'm currently staying, they use an inline hot water heater1. This is a ~5500W, 50A beast2 that replaces the shower head and heats up the water as it comes out. Notably, even 5500W isn't enough to really get the water hot if the flow rate is high, but it's certainly better than nothing.

I noticed that when I turn the water on, the bulb in the bathroom gets brighter. That's the opposite of what I would have normally expected. I whipped out the multimeter, and sure enough when the shower isn't running, I am reading 92V-95V3, but as soon as I turn it on and the shower starts drawing ~30A, the voltage increases to about 107V, which explains the brighter bulbs.

I'm used to a heavy load like a 30A4 either dropping the voltage, on a system with long insufficiently thick wiring runs (or a weak voltage source, like a generator or inverter near its maximum load), or holding steady (a well designed system) - but what could cause a load to significantly increase the system voltage?

Notes: I wasn't able to measure the voltage at the shower head itself - I measure it at an outlet elsewhere in the house. You can't see it in the picture, but the ground wire which comes out of the back of the shower head is simply pigtailed to neutral, which is why you only see two wires coming out of the head - unsafe as hell, but could this also have an effect, e.g., by providing a second return path for current?

1Admittedly, I'm just making this name up - I'm sure the correct term is lurking out there somewhere.

2I've never seen these in Canada, the US or Western Europe, so I'm kind of guessing they are against code. Having live mains voltage in your shower doesn't seem like a great idea, and many that I've seen have bare copper exposed on the hot wire, so you are just a couple inches away from a bad accident when you reach up to adjust it. That said, they are very common at least across Mexico and Guatemala, where plumbing is either absent or cold only. Dual hot/cold plumbing is very rare.

3Yeah, it's out of spec, but this is rural Guatemala we are talking about.

4It's on full, so it should be trying to draw 50A, not 30A, but it's probably experiencing a lot of voltage drop on the long wiring run to the shower head.


texts:
I was just looking at some timber screws online and was confused about the sizing. For example, the dimensions of one screw were, "18 - 7 x 200mm". Another one was 14g x 150mm.
From what I understand, the first number in both cases refers to the diameter,  7 to the number of threads per inch/mm (not given in the second example), and then the length.
Are the units used for the diameter the same in both examples (i.e, could the "18" in the first example also be written 18g)?
Here are links to product pages for each of the screws:

18 - 7 x 200mm: https://www.bunnings.co.nz/buildex-18-7-x-200mm-landscaping-construction-screw_p2410356
14g x 150mm: https://www.bunnings.co.nz/zenith-14g-x-150mm-galvanised-type-17-bugle-head-timber-batten-screws-25-pack_p2410108


texts: How to provide ventilation on NEMA 12 Arcshield enclosure with help of fans?

texts: I have a NEMA 12 enclosure with VFD (Powerflex 753) mounted in it. Also the enclosure should be ArcShielded. But the norms are that if the NEMA 12 enclosure is arc proof, then no fans should be mounted on the door ( to avoid the arc fallout on the operating personnel through fans). So how should I provide the ventilation ? The space factor is 6 S.F. ( = 78 inches ). (Please note:- There are fans made especially for ArcShield, but those cannot be mounted on NEMA 12 enclosure.)


texts: What is this hole in my concrete basement floor?

texts:
I've striped my basement floating floor, as I want to have a epoxy/polyurea flooring installed. I've found this hole, with a plastic frame, under the floating floor. It was covered with some transparent tape and there was some kind of sealant inside the tape around the hole.

The new flooring would cover it. So, I wonder:

what is this hole ?
what's the purpose ?
why was it taped and sealed ?
anything special I must do/not do as the new flooring cover it ?

Extra information:  I believe there's some sort of pressure differential, as I was feeling a very slight breeze from it (I think) with the tape removed. It was raining outside today and I believe I heard a very faint gargling noise from it (might have been coming from outside, though).

House is in Quebec, Canada, build around 2005.

Lastly, spouse is very concerned about radon gas and anything that might be a way for radon to get in or accumulate is extra concern.

Thanks !

The coin, for sizing, is a canadian 2$, barely larger than a quarter.


texts:
The Pella salesman claims that his replacement windows are better than the Pella replacement windows that are sold at the big box stores.  Is that true?

I've done my best to ask the windows people at the big box probing questions.  Maybe I haven't found enough questions to ask.

So far, I've only found two differences:

Pella Pella: he says the frames have foam insulation added at the factory.  The big box window sales person says they can do that too, for $15 extra per window.
Pella Pella: he says that when they do the installation, they bring a small machine to put foam insulation into the wall around the edges.  The big box window installer says he uses the fiberglass kind and stuffs it in around the edges because the foam is too messy, and he says the results are the same.

Do either of those matter?  Also, what other differences are there?  What other questions should I ask?  I'm not looking to make my 1940's house a model of energy efficiency.  I just want to be more comfortable.  Money is a concern for me at this time.

The Pella Pella estimate is about double the big box Pella estimate.


texts:
How do you wire two ceiling lights on one switch?  I have installed the switch, and the two lights, but only one light is working.  It is the light that the power source enters.  My setup is like this:

Power  enters first light    + another light   + switch.   The first light is working with the switch (where power enters), but the second is not.  Can you draw a picture for me of the wiring that should be done to make this circuit work?


texts: My living room outlets are not working after installing new ceiling fan and switch. Ceiling fan and included light works fine

texts:
enter image description hereSo I installed a new ceiling fan and included switch now my living room outlets dont work. Fan and ceiling fan light work fine.

https://www.wayfair.com/lighting/pdp/mercury-row-52-mcnemar-3-blade-led-propeller-ceiling-fan-and-light-kit-included-w002792210.html

There are 3 wire bundles in the switch box... 1 going to fan (fan works), 1 to bathroom switch box, 1 to I have no idea where.

I checked all the following:

Red to blue (fan light)
Black white stripe (AC in on switch) to other two black wires.
Black (to motor) on switch to other single black wire labeled motor.
Whites all tie together
Grounds all together.

Just want to make sure I didnt miss something obvious before I call an electrician! Thanks.


texts: What should I consider when determining whether to clear coat, oil/wax or paint an old fir floor?

texts:
I'm not sure how to make the decision about how to finish my 100 year old fir floor. The boards are 7/8" thick, but quite splintery. They have stains on them. Even after sanding 1-2mm of material off, they still look kind of dirty.
Floor ready for sanding:

Another room after sanding with 24 grit:


texts:
I have brought US lamps to the UK. The sockets are rated 300W, but the cables are 18/2 gauge rated 10A/120V (UL rated, purchased 3 years ago).

What would happen if I ran 230V at 0.05 amp with a 9W UK Edison E27 bulb? The cables also have a switch on it.

I called several electricians and they all offered to replace the plug but not to rewire the lamp and said the amps were so low it didn't matter, but I figured I'd ask the group re: safety.

Thanks!
Mark


texts: How is "continuous wiring" defined in context of the 2017 NEC code?

texts:
First, some context: About AFCI protection in Dwelling Units, NEC 2017:

210.12(A) All 120-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere branch circuits supplying outlets or devices installed [...] shall be protected by [...]
... (4) A listed outlet branch-circuit type arc-fault circuit interrupter installed at the first outlet on the branch circuit in combination with a listed branch-circuit overcurrent protective device where all of the following conditions are met:

a. The branch-circuit wiring shall be continuous from the branch-circuit overcurrent device to the outlet branch-circuit arc-fault circuit  interrupter.
b. The maximum length of the branch-circuit wiring from the branch-circuit overcurrent device to the first outlet shall not exceed 15.2 m (50 ft) for a 14 AWG conductor or 21.3 m (70 ft) for a 12 AWG conductor.
c. The first outlet box in the branch circuit shall be marked to indicate that it is the first outlet of the circuit.
d. The combination of the branch-circuit overcurrent device and outlet branch-circuit AFCI shall be identified as meeting the requirements for a system combination-type AFCI and shall be listed as such.

So how is "continuous wiring" defined in context of the 2017 NEC code? It is not listed in its Definitions chapter. Is it the same as electrical continuity? Mechanical continuity? Not-interrupted-by-switches-that-are-potentially-open-continuity? or something else? In a different context, Mike Holt states [1]:

Conductors in raceways must be continuous between all points of the system. This means you can't place splices in the raceway[...]

Is this correct? If so / if not: Can you provide a reference?
[1] https://www.mikeholt.com/mojonewsarchive/NEC-HTML/HTML/Article-300-Wiring-Methods~20031029.htm


texts: My door lock has 3 screws that attach the lock portion to the wooden door. 2/3 screws no longer "grip" the wooden door as when I drill it goes straight through the hole. Moving the lock is not an option. I was thinking of filling the existing hole with some type of putty and then drilling into it but not sure how to approach the problem properly.


texts:
My faucet is becoming way calcined and it is getting sticky when I try to rotate it in order to open the water.

How should I proceed in order to make it less sticky as when I bought them?


texts: How can I replace a water pipe on the second floor without the need to damage the bathtub?

texts: My father is the owner of the house, and on the second floor area there is a bathtub over the top of the water damaged ceiling on the first floor that i currently live, my father told me that these pipe may leaking thus thus cause a giant bubble on the ceiling, however i don't want to brother the tenant my self and thus my father only check it once and of course i didn't saw it with my naked eyes. So, base on your experience/knowledge, what will be the different way for me to replace the water pipe on second floor without the need to damage the bathtub in some of the most common situation?


texts:
I used Timberwolf Composite Shims with Liquid Nails Heavy Duty Construction Adhesive and Liquid Nails Subfloor Adhesive. I didn't read the Liquid Nails instructions, until after I used the products (...brilliant...) and they recommend not using them with plastic, vinyl or composite lumber.

I've contacted Liquid Nails and I'm awaiting their reply.

The shims are made out of HDPE (milk jugs) and cellulose (wood fiber).

Are the shims safe to use with Liquid Nails? Has anyone used composite shims with Liquid Nails? Will they react/weaken? What should I expect?


texts: Why don't I have ground wiring on any of my outlets?

texts:
My house in California was built in 1989 (I believe) And in the last 5 years I've replaced at least 20 outlets myself (successfully), and noticed there were never any ground wires to connect to the new outlet (Decora style). The old outlet are exactly the same as the new outlets, the majority of the time.

I've read plenty of tutorials that point out that this is possible with older style homes and you simply just screw in the green screw firmly into the receptacle and wire everything back up like it was before.

Edit: I forgot to mention that all the outlets are housed in a metal box. But I don't know if the ground wire is connected to metal box because I physically can't see if it is.

I guess my question is why don't I have any ground wires?
Is this a bad thing? How does not having ground wires affect me as opposed to a newly built home that does have ground wires?
Is my house actually grounded, just without the ground wire? For example I know that if you have a string of outlets and they all connect to a GFCI, then they are considered grounded. Correct?

The reason I bring this up, is because i'm gearing up to do some electrical work and this keeps nagging at me that I should address this issue before moving forward.

Some Hi-Res Images of my breaker and outlet HERE.


texts:
I'm looking for a dimmer switch. Not a knob I can turn, an actual on/off switch.
I want to have dim lights for the bathroom, but rather than a knob just a switch that turns them on dim or off. And then another switch that turns them on full.
Does such a thing exist? I'm in the UK so needs to be compatible with UK wiring.


texts:
Toro Personal Pace Recycler 22 in.
Variable Speed Self-Propelled Gas Lawn Mower
Briggs & Stratton Engine
Model #: 104M02-0010-F1
Serial:1412305830813
Parts List: PDF

Last worked one month ago.
Now, I pull and pull, but engine won't start (doesn't even sound like it tries)

This youtube video @ 2:53 is how my lawn mower sounds and acts. Later on the guy sprays some stuff into the engine and shows how it will start and cut off. My lawn mower won't even do that.

TL;DR: Aside from checking/changing the spark plug, is there anything else I can do or should I just figure out how to load the thing in my car and have it serviced?

Troubleshooting steps I've done:

Drained the oil and put new SAE 30 in.
Drained the fuel and put new fuel in (fresh from gas station).
Watched a youtube video saying use 13/16 inch spark plug
Looked up accessories for mower on Home Depot and was recommended 13/16 spark plug
Purchased the spark plug and a 13/16 spark plug socket
Tried to remove the spark plug with purchased socket and the socket was too damn big
Much shakes fist, very frustration
Plugged the spark plug wire back into spark plug and tried to start
Pulled a few times and back at square one

More troubleshooting with DIY users help:

I've verified blue spark by unscrewing the spark plug from the engine, stuck it back into the "lead" (the cable that was plugged into the spark plug), and pulled a few times.

I can turn it in for warranty but its heavy and I'd prefer to know how to fix this instead of having to lug it back to Home Depot and wait who knows how long for them to fix it. Next thing I'm going to do is see if I can at least get the socket right so I can check the spark plug. Local Home Depot does not sell the spark plug itself, gotta order it.

EDIT: while I was at home depot to get a new socket and some cleaner, the dude told me i needed to look at the spark plug in order to see which one it is. Turns out its an AUTOLITE 3924 in case anyone else needs to get one. Alts are the Champion 5/8in RC12YC and the E3.20


texts: Wire in two lights to a switch plus a fan to a switch when power is coming in between the lights without using 14-3 wire

texts: I am redoing some work in my bathroom. I have a hot wire running between two lights with the switch outside one of the lights. How do I wire it with 14-2 wire without running the power source to one of the lights first? I also must use this same power source for a fan where the hot goes into the fan and then down to the switch.


texts: Overhead Light Fixture - Didn't Use Green Screw

texts:
I, with the help of a neighbor, installed an overhead light fixture. It was a little awkward and I'm not sure the unit came with the right bracket - it didn't match the one in the instructions. The awkwardness meant that it was impossible to attach the two ground wires to the green screw. The neighbor simply twisted the two ground wires together and added one of those plastic screw on wire connectors. He said it was perfectly safe.

My in-law's house just had a kitchen fire after an electrician had done some work so I'm spooked. Should I have a professional come in and reinstall the light? Is it necessary to use the green screw if the two ground wires are firmly connected?


texts: Can I use two UPSes to power the same device?

texts:
I have two identical 230V single-phase "line interactive" UPS'es, powering a few devices which only have one power supply each – half of the devices are connected to UPS 1, half to UPS 2. (The devices are Ethernet switches and a PC.)

What sort of connection or device would be needed to allow both UPSes to power the same device? (I have a feeling it would be easy for devices taking DC input, but not for those which only have AC in?)

And would it still be possible if the two UPSes were fed from outlets connected to different AC phases? (Which the room happens to have – the building has a standard European 3-phase supply, except it's a bit unreliable – and it's what prompted the question in the first place.)

I'm only looking for theoretical knowledge and not actually planning to do any such connections in reality. I don't want anything to be on fire.