texts: Vapors from washing machine stinking the garage and kitchen

texts: This shows that there is a trap in the washing machine drainHow do I hook up a washing machine drain line to this box?. How do I clean this?  Other traps under sinks have threaded connectors so I can extricate crap. And somehow my drain hose is stuck in the box as gentle tugging will not disconnect it;  is there a clip inside that somehow grips it?  Coz' suddenly after 10 years, our Maytag front load washer is eschewing vapors into the garage and even into the kitchen sink and it seems needs a clean-out.


texts: what thickness drywall is used for mechanical room ceilings and walls with in a living space

texts: I am building a mechanical room in a new house that will be located in the basement. What is the thickness of drywall required for walls and ceilings. The room will be located in a future


texts: Single Zone has Little Pressure, New Problem

texts:
My in-ground sprinkler system worked well, all zones. Now today, I try one single zone and the heads don't have even close to enough pressure to even pop. They dribble, barely. I'm thinking it could be a solenoid? Is there any easy way to test it? Any advice?

Thanks,
Josh


texts: How can I remove tiles without damaging the heating mat underneath?

texts: Removing kitchen tiles from the floor, but the trick is not to damage the in-floor heating. I’m a bit worried about the heating mat, and don’t want to puncture it. Any info would be lovely.


texts: Copper pipe identification using electrical current

texts:
My HVAC contractor installed two linesets, one from my basement apartment, one from the main unit, both going to the roof where the air condensers are. The problem is, he did it over several days and I have a suspicion that he messed up which pipe/wire goes where, i.e. that he mixed them.  He claims that he marked it along the way but I am skeptical.  Both linesets (fat and skinny flex copper, power supply, and thermostat) enter the roof through lead cones.  It is not possible to trace the pipes along the way because most of their way is now blocked to sight.  Only the linesets have been installed thus far, so there is no air handler/condensers installed on their end, so the pipes are empty.

Is it possible to use a small amount of current (from a battery?) and send it on one end of the pipe while checking it with a multimeter or some voltage detector on the other end?  If yes, how should I rig up such a contraption?  Can I just wire the battery onto the pipe?


texts:
I'm just wondering how serious this is and also what are my options for fixing it?

Best solution would be to replace the plates and column. How much work (cost) is that?


texts: What size gravel works best for a driveway?

texts: What is the best type of gravel for a driveway. Is it the larger sized so it does not get stuck in tires, if so what is that called.


texts: What type of bathroom window for max airflow?

texts: I don't have fans for ventilation at the moment and may choose not to have but I have big windows in bathroom. What type of window should i install? The common ones here are those rectangular ones that open from the top, with hinges at the bottom. The window swings open to inside.


texts: How do I seal the cracks between my asphalt driveway and my garage concrete slab?

texts:
I am not sure if this is an aesthetic problem or not. I suspect that if I do not fix the damage properly the water will continue to infiltrate the cracks and it will create larger problems in the future.

Here are some pictures


texts: When would a paint-roller be considered "worn out"?

texts: I am in the middle of a lengthy project that involved numerous skills, one of which is painting panels of wood. I've got a roller and tray, but this is the first time I have had my own painting equipment to look after. How do experienced painters tell when the roller is better thrown out than washed? I can still get a nap on the roller, but it's difficult to tell what colour it was as I just can't wash all the paint out.


texts:
Want to install a ductless a/c in my concrete condo. It is 220 volt only draws max 1300 Watts I have a 15 amp 120 v outdoor outlet available. I know it’s not optimal, but is it doable to convert to 15 amp with a 220 breaker
and change outlet and run it off of that as I can’t run a 12 wire through concrete walls
Many thx


texts: What am I doing wrong while finishing drywall inside corners?

texts:
I'll admit, I'm definitely a novice when it comes to finishing drywall.  I've done loads of patching, which doesn't typically require working with corners.  This time, however, I'm doing a whole room.

I watched some YouTube videos, and read a few articles online about how to properly finish inside corners.  Everybody makes it look so simple, but I just can't seem to get the hang of it.

The process goes something like this...

Put some drywall compound on each side of the corner.
Fold the paper tape in half.
Press the tape into the mud.
Place a corner trowel in the corner, and with gentle pressure on the back of the trowel draw it down (or up) the corner.

The first problem I was running into, was that instead of the trowel sliding along the tape. The tape was being pushed along by the trowel, and it would bunch up and be removed from the corner. I solved this by pressing a bit more gently, and holding the tape in place just to get started.

The next problem I ran into, was that while I slide the trowel down the corner, the tape would ripple and bunch up ahead of the trowel. To fix this, I had to use my taping knife to smooth the wrinkles out of the tape. While this worked in the long run, it seems less than ideal. This extra step was never mentioned in any of the videos or articles, which made me wonder what I was doing wrong.

Am I adding too much (or not enough) compound to the corner? Applying too much pressure with the trowel? Or do I just need to work on my technique?


texts: Can a hammer concrete drill bit be used with a regular drill for a small project

texts:
I have to run  a 1/2 inch pvc electrical conduit through a mortar joint

The mfg calls for a 7/8 masonry bit to be used to allow the conduit through.

Have not been able to find such a bit at the big box stores, but did find a 5/8 hammer drill concrete bit.

Will I be able to use that 5/8 hammer bit in a conventional power drill for this small project? Thanks for your help


texts: A more thermally efficient house - can I block up vents in my brickwork?

texts: I live in the UK in a typical '1930's semi' house.  It is built with two layers of good old bricks and a cavity wall inbetween them.  In my hallway, there is currently no carpet or hardwood flooring - just the original timber floor, which has gaps in.  I happened to notice the sun shining in through the floor recently when the sun was at a low angle in the sky.  I could then tell that the 'airbrick' or vent in the brickwork outside, was allowing air directly in and under this floor.  This explains why the hallway is so cold in the winter, with cold air coming directly underneath this floor.  I have several more of these airbricks around the house, and I suspect they are all letting cold air directly into the house and making it like a sieve in the winter.  Im trying to make the house more thermally efficient to save on gas bills etc and to make it bit more environmentally friendly.  Ive done triple glazing and insulated the loft.  But Ive got cold air coming directly in here so I need to do something about these vents.  My question then is - can I just remove them and put a normal brick in, and get away with it?  Will I end up with condensation / damp afterwards?  How do you make these 1930s style houses really thermally efficient?  Any tips much appreciated, thanks.


texts: "Floating" desk - Avoiding wood sag, aluminium right angle support

texts:
I'm building a new desk in my study, and I'm looking for some advice/guidance on structural strength.

The desk will be an L shape, mounted wall to wall along one side of the room, and desk to leg along the other wall of the room. The image I've included shows the measurements. The dotted lines show bracing along the wall (40mm wood, mounted to the wall, screwed to the desktop from the bottom. Yellow lines are solid legs to the ground. (The 500mm space between the wall and the solid leg on the top section is going to be made into a cupboard - all our routers, DVR, etc sit there, so I can't move that much.

The join between the two legs of the desk I was going to do as a mortise, and not glue up the ends to allow for some wood movement without cracking.

The whole desk is going to be made from 40mm laminated rubberwood.

My concerns are:
- The wood is bloody heavy. I'm worried about the inner point between the legs of the desk being too weak to hold the weight of it. What do you think? One option is to build a leg down there, but if I can avoid that I'd like to.

The length of the wood - I'm worried about sag over time. It's a desk, so it'll have computers and books and stuff on it, but also me leaning on it for hours a day. I have thought (and would love some advice here please) to hide a piece of 90 deg. aluminium underneath (cut a slot in the wood, route out slightly to one side to recess), and glue/screw the aluminium in there. Figured that would make it pretty rigid?

Any other suggestions? Is there anything else I should be worrying about?

Thanks,
Zak


texts:
I'm installing a pre-hung exterior door on the back of the garage. The door jam is 4 9/16" wide. The total width of the wall (interior face to exterior face) is about 5 3/4"
The door jam is about 1 - 1 1/8" too narrow.
My question is where should I place the face of the door jam? Should I place it flush with the inside face of the drywall or place it flush with the exterior of what will be the face of the finished stucco?
Currently, it's just studs and sheathing. I'm looking for a best practice since I have options right now.
Wall Assembly
Moving from the Interior to Exterior
Drywall 5/8"
Wall framing 3 1/2"
OSB Sheathing 1/2"
Stucco about 1 1/8"


texts: What type of cable should I run to future-proof an outlet for an air conditioner?

texts:
Our new house is still under construction by a standard builder. After the home is finished, I will be installing a small mini split ductless AC system for a home office that will get much warmer than the rest of the house.

I received permission from the construction manager to run a cable from the breaker to an outdoor wall, so that I would not have to tear up the drywall or run conduit from the breaker to wherever the compressor will go. I will not be installing the wire into the breaker, or the outdoor outlet, until after we have closed on the home. It will essentially be a dead wire sitting in the wall until I add it do the breaker and then add the outlet.

That being said, I am not sure if the compressor will be a 110v or 220v configuration (I haven't decided on a unit). What would be the best cable to run to ensure that I can either install a 110v outlet or 220v outlet using the same wire? Is this possible?

Also, what should my outdoor outlet look like? Is just an outdoor junction box sufficient or should I use something similar to a non-fuse metallic disconnect?

Thanks for the help!


texts:
Recently I've renovated a bathroom in my house. I re-tiled the shower and there was extra cement on the wall after the bullnose was put in.

I wanted to cover the cement so I could just paint the wall up to the bullnose so it looks clean. I tried caulking it thinking that would work. It ended up looking like it melted when it was drying so I'm in the process of removing the half dried caulk.

Is there a better/easier way to cover this cement? It's about a half inch wide.


texts:
Followup to another question where I asked about drilling diagonally up into the sole plate and joist (I think I got good answers but realized but didn't get a clear "it's ok to drill through the joists diagonally".

Trying to run coax up the basement. I am learning this desired spot is within the outer 1/3 of the 14ft joist (It's ~4ft in from one of the ends).

Where I need to get to I could drill diagonally up through these two joists or everything I'm reading says it needs to be a notch.

Can you notch this joist in the basement after it's already installed with some sort of oscillating tool or some other method?


texts: What type of tool or bit is a metal shaft with splines?

texts: I inherited a load of tools from my father. Among them was this bit.  I have never seen one like it, and don't know its purpose. It has six straight splines set at an angle to the long axis of the bit and sharpened to act as cutters. The diameter at the splines is 1/2" and at the smooth shaft slightly less than that.  There is a hole in the tip that is 1/8" deep.  The first half or so of the hole is conical, and the deepest part is cylindrical.  I do not see or feel any threads in the hole. The following is stamped into the smooth part of the shaft: "National Detroit High Speed IVF [those three letters are slightly obscured from wear, but I think that's what they are] 1/2 [which must be the diameter]." It will cut into the edge of a piece of wood if put in a drill press with the wood pressed against the rotating bit, but the cutting is slow.


texts: Should I convert a single light switch to a receptacle/switch combo?

texts:
First I want to say I've done a little research on my question. I'm familiar (I think) with the wiring, but I'm uncertain if my solution is a good one because of what I plan on using the outlets for (see Convert Light Switch to Light Switch + Outlet Combination).

My plan is to convert a single light switch in my garage to a switch/outlet combo. I am not a carpenter and I do not plan on using 'heavy' machinery via the outlets. But I do plan on running vacuums, computers, fluorescent lights, TV's, radios and an occasional drill or circular saw or other 'light' home use tools.

I live in San Diego, CA and the home was built in the 80's. See below for images of the existing wiring and the outlet/switch combo I plan on installing.

The question is whether or not this is a "safe" solution to my problem given the intended use of the outlets.


texts: 4 awg wire too large for circuit breakers

texts:
I need to run a long circuit out to a stock tank heater in a pasture. This is a 120V, 20 Amp line. Due to length, 4 AWG is called for to hold voltage drop within 3%.

The panel where the circuit will originate is a Siemens G2040. It appears that the 15A and 20A circuit breakers for this panel only accept a maximum size of 6 AWG.

Is it safe to run a short 2 to 4 ft length of 6 AWG wire and connect that to the 4 AWG wire?

-- Update - please see my answer below.


texts: Checking damage for a mini fridge that is plugged in without waiting

texts:
I got a new mini fridge yesterday. As it is my first fridge ever, I had no idea about the oil settling time waiting so I just plugged it in immediately. It is most probably transported in the correct upright position but I can’t be 100% sure.

Now I wonder is there a way that I could check if I somehow damaged it? It seems like working and cooling is okay. Makes a bit weird noises while running but it might be normal I guess.

And would it make sense to plug it off now and wait? Would it help with the oil settling or is it too late now?


texts: Is my rapidly failing foundation dangerous?

texts:
I'll be succinct. I'm afraid we're having a full structural failure. Over the past week, crack after crack has been appearing in our plaster and walls. I'm honestly concerned for our safety.

Our home was built in 1890 and is a two-story brick and mortar home, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, newer roof, and an unfinished basement (read: dirt floor, moisture barrier).

A huge crack appeared almost overnight in our bathroom on the ground floor, including diagonal cracks from each corner of the window frame; the crack goes up the seam of the corner of the wall and continues across the ceiling. This is an external, outside wall.

There is a crack in the plaster in our dining room that runs floor to ceiling (12' ceilings) all the way up the seam of the corner. It appeared suddenly.

There is a buckle in one of the walls, which was there when we bought the house in 2005; however, the plaster has cracked open within the past two weeks.

Cracks are rapidly appearing throughout the house at the corners of the windows and above doors.

The floor upstairs (original wood plank) feels sloped and the floorboards are quite flexible -- springy, almost.

On the exterior there are cracks (hairline - vertical) around the foundation. I can see hairline cracking running almost the full frame of a good-sized, curved window we have in our living room.

I know this is urgent, but I don't even know who or what kind of professional to call in this situation to get an evaluation/inspection done. What's going on? Is my house falling apart around me?

ETA: 02.04.12 Well, we had both our homeowner's insurance agent come by AND a hired structural engineer. Here's the verdict: The floor is sinking. It's fixable; the joists need to be either reinforced or replaced. The structural engineer (who did a 1000% more thorough and professional evaluation than the insurance adjuster, who called it "settling" and just said it wasn't covered by insurance. . . thanks for nothing, lady! ;) ) found evidence of a previous fire that went unnoticed by two inspectors. This obviously may have weakened the beams. So we'll be interviewing contractors and having the repairs made. While not ideal, it's a relief that the foundation isn't failing. The engineer who inspected the property pronounced it safe to inhabit -- we just need to attend to the joists as quickly as possible. Thank you all for your well wishes and helpful and thoughtful advice. :)

ETA 2: 09.28.13 I thought I would come by and update this post. Because we wanted to sell the house, we had to make a decision that was safety-conscious, structurally sound, and as affordable as possible. We opted to reinforce the joists and support beams with new steel beams; this cost approximately $5,000. Finding an honest, yet capable, contractor was extremely difficult -- we were quoted estimates of up to $35,000 (!!!!) to fix the damages. Basically, the house settled rather fast and unexpectedly, which caused the extensive cracking of the walls. While rare, this does sometimes happen, and we had had a very dry winter in 2011-2012. I'm pleased to say that after the joists and beams were reinforced, we were able to put it on the market. It was up for sale for only 48 hours before we got a full-price offer with no contingencies, and we closed on 09.20.13. Now it is someone else's money pit. ;)


texts: How do I seal a gap between concrete step and wood at outside of house?

texts:
I would like have recommendation on what kind of material I should use to seal a gap between concrete stair and wood siding (in front of front door of my house). My primary concern is that using a wrong material that will rotten the wood. It seems that they previously used cement as far as I can tell. You can see some pieces the previous material on the picture.

Thank you.


texts: my toilet water level goes down when my neighbor flushes her toilet

texts:
I live in a second floor condo unit. First floor is the parking garages. A couple of months ago I replaced the old toilet with a low volume, Toto toilet. Since then, every time my next door neighbor flushes her toilet the water in mine goes away and I end up with almost no water in my toilet bowl.  I have checked with the neighbors above me (there are 2 more floors above mine) and also with the ones above my next door neighbor and none of them have experienced any problems with their toilets.
A plumber says that the problem is that the low volume toilet is not suitable for my building, but these days all new toilets are low volume.  My neighbors have low volume toilets. Any clues about what the problem could be and what I could be done to get it fixed?


texts: How do I darken new mortar in a brick wall to match the older mortar?

texts: I had some bricks replaced. Unfortunately, the mortar is really light. How do I stain it a darker gray, so that it matches the original mortar? Is there a product that I can buy at a big box store?


texts: Waterproof Box THHN Clamp and Interior Run

texts:
Have a waterproof box under garage eve with typical motion detector and two floods. I want to run the switched hot to a relay to turn on additional spots. So need four wires, the hot, neutral, ground, runner to the relay and a hot from the relay back to the two spots.  Right now I have a 1/2" X 1" nipple from the box through the wall. If I run emt and THHN or BX, how do I clamp the wire in the box? "Dumb" question I can't find an answer to: Can I put a rigid pull on the nipple and then emt or BX on the other side?  I can't find anything on going from rigid to emt. Or do I need to use a handy box as a pull? Or is there an all altogether different and smarter way to do this?

TIA

Ron

Later:

I've read that accessibility to the pull is an issue. I don't think there is any kind of a 90 or junction I can put on the nipple that doesn't have a cover that will require access. I suppose I could build a cubby with a door. It's the garage so not a huge deal and it would be just below the top plates.

I've about decided the easiest way to do this is to put an insulating bushing on the end of the nipple, run two NM into the box and use the hot in the second NM back to the spots. Staple off both in the stud bay and be done with it.

But . . . now I'm wondering if I'm putting too many connectors in the box . . . 4"X 1-1/2" round with 12 guage and lets see if I'm doing this right??
1. Hot to sensor =  2
2. Neutral to sensor and two lights. = 4
3. Sensor to runner = 2
4. 2nd hot to two lights = 3
Arggg 11 total. Looks like I need a 4" X 1-1/2" square.

Did I get the count correct?

Again, thanks for sharing your time and skills.


texts:
I was testing the GFCI in my garage and the "test" button would not work.  The receptacle had power but pushing the test button would not cut power.  I turned off the breaker and took the receptacle out of the wall.

The box in the wall has 4 wires coming into from one piece of conduit (no ground wire as conduit has been used throughout the house as a ground).  A red and a light gray (almost white) wire were on the "line" of the GFCI and a black and white wire were on the "load" of the GFCI.

To see if the line and load were backwards, I capped all 4 wires, turned the breaker back on and used a non-contact volt tester.  To my surprise both the red and the black wires were identified as carrying voltage.  Since all wires are in conduit, I thought perhaps the voltage tester was reading phantom voltage.

I bought a new GFCI, turned the breaker off and hooked up the red and light gray wires in the "line" of the GFCI and kept the black/white wires capped.  My multitester read 123 volts and the receptacle worked fine.  All tests of the GFCI were fine.  I then capped the red/light gray wires and hooked up the black/white wires in the "line" of the GFCI.  The receptacle worked fine and my multitester again reads 123 volts.

Moreover, in both of these configurations, I am not able to identify a downstream plug or light that isn't working properly.  Thus, I am convinced that I have two hot wires coming into the same box and i have no idea why this would be the case.

I'm inclined to keep the red/light gray hooked into the "line" of the GFCI and keep the black/white wires capped in the box.  Any thoughts?


texts:
I left town for a week and now have a hot water heater that's been sitting and apparently breeding bacteria resulting in an abundance of hydrogen sulfide.  It stinks really bad.

I tried emptying it and there was some slight improvement but after 24 hours the stink is back.

I'm now thinking about chlorinating it. Various articles I've read suggest draining a bit of water, removing the anode rod and pouring the bleach in there.  I have a different idea and was hoping for some feedback about whether or not this will work and any potential factors to consider.

Immediately before the water heater I have a small 10" sediment filter housing.  Can I simply pour the bleach in there and run the hot water to draw the bleach into the water heater?  It seems like a simple enough approach but as I wasn't able to find anything online about doing it this way, I'm feeling a bit tentative.


texts: How can I wire an exhaust fan to turn on from multiple locations?

texts: I just bought a Panasonic FV-20NLF1 inline bath exhaust fan that I planned to used to exhaust 2 different bathrooms.  I want each bathroom light switch to control the fan, so when the lighting turns on in either bathroom, the fan will go on. If both light switches are off, the fan will go off.  If one light is on the fan will stay on.  Could someone share how I could accomplish this, ideally in a diagram?


texts: What kind of inverter do I need for an inductive load?

texts:
TLDR: My shed AC unit (maximum draw 8A 120V AC) keeps tripping my 1100W inverter. It seems to have troubles occasionally when the fan turns on. It's pretty much guaranteed to have troubles when the compressor turns on. Looking at the power draw though, it never seems to draw more than 14A on the 12V DC line.

I've built a solar power system for my shed and so far it works well. In theory, I've got plenty of capacity for everything I need.

Solar panels producing 150W
Batteries capable of producing 50A at 12V for 5 hours
Inverter rated to produce 1100W at 120V AC

The system is more than capable of powering lights, chargers, and other small loads for as long as I've tried running it for. Thus, I doubt it's really a lack of capacity in the general sense.

I'm fairly sure the problem is the inductive load of the motors during startup. I've been reading a bit and I think one way to solve the problem is to get an inverter capable of handling roughly 8 times the load of the AC. My calculations would indicate that I need an inverter capable of handling (120V*8A*8) = 7680 Watts. Such a beast is quite expensive...especially if I can't be sure of it solving my problem.

Is my problem really just inverter size, or is there something I should look for when handling inductive loads.


texts:
Help!!   I live in a condo.  Since my neighbors renovated their downstairs bathroom, which is next to mine,  whenever they flush the water is siphoned out of my toilet bowl.  It never happened before.  I spoke to them twice about it, asking that they call the installer to see if it was properly installed, but I got no where.
I called our condo management who had their plumber come. He checked the line and removed a big clog, but said that the vent was clear.
They are telling me that now I need to get a new toilet because the neighbors toilet is the new efficiency model with a strong flush,  yet they told me that may not make a difference. I can't understand why I would have to put in a new toilet because my neighbor renovated???   And to be told it may not solve the problem anyway.  This makes no sense to me.
I still feel their toilet was improperly installed, but of course I have no proof of that.
I'm concerned about the water getting so low that sewer gases may come into my unit!  Please help!


texts:
I have an old Maytag top-load washing machine, model LA182.    At the end of the spin cycle, it often makes an extremely loud squealing noise, like a car with bad brakes.  I assume there is in fact some sort of brake that stops the drum spinning, and it is either worn or out of adjustment.

Here is a video (caution, loud noise).

How might one go about fixing this?  What would likely be involved in terms of parts and labor?  Given the machine's age and inefficiency, it is probably not worth sinking very much time or money into it, so I am trying to get a quick sense of whether to repair or replace it.


texts:
I dropped a beer glass and got a damage on the floor around 2.5 cm long. I am not sure about the material on the floor because the damage looks more like that something is peeling off. If it had been marble, then there would have been a one straight crack. Maybe its vinyl?

The following question is how to repair this? Is there any repair set available to hide this? I have seen a couple of them on amazon but dont know which one would be the right one. Help would be appreciated.


texts: Change fan & light control into 2 separate switches

texts:
Hello all this is my first post and hope I cover everything needed to answer this question. I have a switch that controls a cieling fan/light in the living room of my house that was built in 2001.
The other switch in the same gang controls an outlet on another wall.  This outlet is also controled by another switch on a different wall.

Confused? Here I will provide pictures to help in case I suck at explaining...

So above is an outline of what switches control what...

The switch that is circled (controls the fan) is the one to focus on.  This switch has the control above from home depot and controls the fan and lights in the fan, they both have dimmer/different fan settings.  The other switch controls that outlet beneath it on the picture.  As you can see there is another switch on a different wall that controls that outlet as well.  FYI the switch that is next to the fan control (which is cirlced) seems to be the secondary switch meaning it will turn the outlet on and off but if the other switch is flicked off, whatever is plugged into that outlet turns off no matter what the circled switch is on.

My goal, is to eliminate the switch that controls the outlet (want to keep it live, meaning anything i plug into the switch will work) but remove that switch pictured in the circle.  Instead I would like to separate the fan/light switch into 2.  This should work since the gang box is already meant for 2 switches.  I am going to use the GE Z-Wave fan control and the GE Z-Wave dimmer switch to accomplish this.

Below is what the gang box looks like once removed from the wall.

Ok so to inform you about this pic, the left romex is I think is controlling the fan/light. The red wire is connected to the yellow wire coming from the fan/light combo switch.  The black wire coming from romex is connected to the red wire coming from the fan/light switch. The silver or white (which i marked as B/N and you can ignor the N part) is connected to the black wire coming from the fan/light switch (I think this is hot wire from testing, which I think is strange considering I thought all hot wires were black!)  and the Green wire is attached to the Green wire from the fan/light switch.  Now the blue circles are wire nuts where multiple wires are attached... The middle romex connects to a couple of things (the black is connect to the switch and black nut, which is hot when i test is!!! ) ....it seems and the romex on the right hand side seems to control the switch which controls the outlet (and we are trying to eliminate but things still work if they are plugged in)

Again the main goal is to remove the switch to the outlet and replace the switch for fan and light to 2 different controls!

Thank you for all your help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


texts: Could a 90 degree gentle bend reduce btu/hr flow by 25% in a natural gas connector?

texts:
I want to connect my new gas dryer to my gas supply.  The 7.3 cubic foot dryer (DLG1502) came with a ½ OD connector kit that is not compatible with my 3/8 shut-off valve.   I bought a 3/8 connector cable that is rated at 28,300 btu/hr (I assume rating is for cable without any turns).  I could not find the exact btu/hr consumption for my dryer but some comparable dryers have consumption of less than 20,000.  Once installed, the cable will have a gentle 90 degree turn.
Could a 90 degree gentle bend reduce btu/hr flow by 25%?
Thanks for any help.


texts: Repairing Hardwood Floor, Two Different Joint Systems

texts:
My master bedroom closet took some water damage. The closet and bedroom have the same engineered wood flooring. I am trying to replace the engineered floor in the closet only. However, the closest matching flooring replacement planks I could find don't have the same joint-locking system as my current flooring.

Does anyone know of any techniques to make this project work? I am replacing ALL of the floor in the closest, so technically the only place that the two different joints will meet is in the doorway to the closet, where the old flooring will meet the new. Tongue and groove meets locking joints, any suggestions?


texts: Can induction in parallel ungrounded cables lead to false continuity readings with a multimeter?

texts: I have two old circuits with no ground wires in which cables run parallel to each other for 20 feet or so. I had both circuits powered off today and was testing some things for unrelated reasons when I accidentally discovered that my multimeter thinks there is continuity between the neutral slots of an outlet on circuit A and the hot slots of an outlet on circuit B. I took both outlets apart, but couldn't see any wiring anomalies. I also traced the wires pretty thoroughly, but couldn't find anywhere that bare copper could be in contact (obviously I can't see inside the walls). The circuits (seem to) work fine, and it seems like if this were really happening, it would create a short that would trip a breaker. But I repeated the test several times, and the meter kept telling me there was continuity. And the meter has not lost its mind, because it gives sane continuity results in other places where I know for sure what's going on. Could this be some sort of inductive effect due to the lack of ground wires?


texts: Will I draw more power/use more energy if I add an additional heater?

texts: I currently have one baseboard heater in my bedroom, I wanted to add another heater because it gets very cold and I have two exterior walls and only one heater. Will I be consuming more energy because I'm adding an additional heater?


texts: Replacing leaking Scalemaster scale inhibitor

texts:
I've just discovered that my "Scalemaster Electrolytic Speedfit Scale Inhibitor" has a pin prick leak in it.

This device is sat between a copper pipe going to the combi boiler (I have assumed)

I've ordered a replacement with the intention of replacing it myself as it looks dead simple to do. However, I know absolutely nothing about plumbing.

Are there any pitfalls I could run into when attempting to replace it? Is there going to be an "air lock" situation?

My plan is simply to:

Turn off the water (which I've tested does stop the leak)
Take off the scalemaster
Put new scalemaster on
Turn the water on.

Is there anything I should be aware of? Am I incorrectly assuming it will be this simple?

Here is the knackered one:

Replacement on order:


texts: After replacing pressure tank water stops completely for several minutes at a time

texts: I just installed a new well tank, replaced all with new parts,made sure the air was set on the new tank at 28 as the instructions said to do ,I have a 30/50 switch . Never had this problem until we replaced the tank, the old one was not producing enough water pressure and was over 20 years old. The water stops and after 3 or four minutes it starts back... what can I do now to fix this problem?


texts: What could be some reasons why a tub faucet's spout leaks when water is turned off? E.g. some gasket within the mixing valve perhaps? The shower doesn't leak, just the tub spout.


texts: Using a telephone wall-mount jack for an Ethernet-connected (VOIP) phone

texts:
(There are already a lot of existing questions here about converting telephone wire to use it for Ethernet. That is not my question. I already know that the CAT5 in the wall here is a straight run back to the electrical closet and I can just re-terminate the ends.)
I have new VOIP phones that I would like to wall-mount. Our jacks, along with the vast majority of wall-mount phone jacks I see in stores, look like this one:

The problem is that the jack itself is (a) built-in 6P4C and (b) sticking out from the surface.
The first of those isn't really a problem, because I can put in an Ethernet biscuit jack right below the phone and plug into that.
The bigger problem is the fact that the existing jack is not flush. The phone I have overlaps the jack by a fraction of an inch when I try to mount it. If the jack were flush with the surface, the phone would fit (and if it were an RJ45 there would be just enough room for the cable).
I looked into recessed-jack wall plates, but all of the ones I have found are not recessed enough to make a difference. Here is one example which explicitly shows that the jack still sticks out despite being recessed.

Other than cutting the jack out of the wall plate and just having an empty hole there (or spending money on a keystone wall plate but not putting a keystone in it), are there any better ways to handle this?


texts:
First-timer here.

I want to lower the maximum brightness of various LED circuits in my home so that the "public" dimmer switches on the walls, when at maximum, only produce the lumen limit that I, the boss of this house, have chosen.

In other words, I want to install a resistor of sorts that is not going to be messed with by anyone other than me.

I haven't tried anything yet, but my first thought was to install a second dimmer in a nearby closet -- in a junction box, code-compliant and all -- between the public dimmer and the light circuit. Or does it matter which dimmer comes first?

But this can get ridiculous fast. Is there a better way to achieve this?

I don't want to delve quite yet into the world of smart bulbs and hubs and the like. I'm no Luddite, but I have bigger fish to fry right now.

And if my need to control the max brightness sounds odd, it's because a couple of the can circuits brutally overwhelm all the other layers of lighting when fully lit. And I'm the only one who seems to notice or care.

Thank you!


texts: Install new Shingles with Copper flashing

texts:
I had a roofing company install new roof with new shingles and copper flashing (pictures attached). Can the experts please provide suggestions if the copper flashing looks fine or does something needs to be changed/modified?
Thanks and Regards.


texts:
i would like to remove the upper part of that wall, the cut would be somewhere between the red line
one thing i want to make sure is to NOT damage the firewood side finish, the rock tile.
what would be the best way to do that? also assume the remaining section of the wall could need more support, i would like some advice on that too


texts: Electrical Disconnects for condensing unit

texts: What year did the NEC code require electrical disconnects to be installed at HVAC condensing unit?


texts: Running wire through sole plate and joist at an angle

texts:
I am cutting a new outlet in the wall between my living room and dining room. Below is an unfinished garage with completely accessible joists where I can run wire. There are double joists directly below the sole plate behind the wall.

I will build a jig for the 3/4" spade bit at the required angle (I calculated to be 18°). At the top of the sole plate the 3/4" hole has the required 1.25" clearance within the sole plate.

The "hole" in the joist below is at the top edge so it ought to be considered a "notch". The height of the notch is, uh, some old horse... around 2.5"... which is more than 1/6 the height of the 2x12...

What do you think? Can I do this?

Top view:

Bottom view:

Edit:

Stepping away from the pen and paper for a bit, and thinking practically, I could easily cut a 2" notch in the joist, then my spade bit would fit in the notch easily and at a better angle. I don't have to cut the notch with the spade bit, you know.


texts: Replace 3-way switch with one single pole dimmer

texts:
I have a single dining room light controlled by two 3-way switches (Switch 1 and Switch 2).

The way things are wired / set up right now is:

Switch 1 is really the only switch we ever use to turn the light on and off.

If Switch 1 is in the On position you can turn the light off using Switch 2, BUT

If Switch 1 is in the Off position, then you CANNOT turn it on using Switch 2.

That said, what I want to do is replace Switch 1 with this single pole dimmer switch.  I DO NOT care about being able to turn the light on and off using Switch 2.

The following pictures show the current wiring for the (non-dimmer) three-way switch (Switch 1) and the single pole dimmer switch I want to replace it with.

How would I go about wiring things to accomplish what I want?


texts:
My rancher has several large single pane picture windows oriented vertically along the south and east sides of our house. All have storm windows that do a great job insulating from noise but the whole assembly could use a good spring cleaning. They are all rather old and the interior painted wooden frame around the windows has some blistering and cracking.

The windows on the east side are "normal" in dimensions and topped with standard casement windows for ventilation.

On the south side are a cluster of tall, thin windows that reach all the way to the gabled ceiling. I believe that they are ~2 feet wide and between 8-10 feet tall - the tops are angled to the roof.

I can't seem to find anything anywhere about fixing the framing or getting replacements for these oddly sized windows.

Would sectioning them in two so the top of each is a relatively small angled window and the bottoms are all the same size (say 2X8 ft) be a sound idea?

Would a double pane replacement be worth it, or would sticking with the custom storm windows (and/or replacing their old aluminum frame) be a better idea?


texts:
I'm trying to wire a new ceiling fan.

The outlet box wires are White, Red, and Black.

The ceiling fan wires are Black, Blue, White, and Green.

The installation manual states to connect both Blue and Black ceiling fan wires to the Black outlet box wire.

Shouldn't the connections be:

Outlet     Ceiling
-------    --------
Black      Black
Red        Blue
White      White

Also, where am I supposed to "connect" the ground wire to?


texts: How can I fasten 1x4 fence railings to fence panels from underneath or from the side?

texts:
I'm helping put together a custom fence with wire panels sandwiched between flat 1x4s, with the panels being placed in-between 4x4 posts. What would be an effective way to fasten the top 1x4 to the fence, either by fastening it to the fencing frames or to the posts?
We would like to have all the screws on the outside of the fence so that when we are inside the perimeter of the fence, no fasteners are visible, and we'd also like to avoid any fasteners on the top of the 1x4 railing for looks as well as for general rain impermeability, if possible.
My first that was to toe-screw them together with the screw-tip coming up at an angle into the under side of the top 1x4 railing after passing through both of the fence panel 1x4s, but I worry that will cause the top 1x4 railing to tilt a bit to one side. I'm hoping I can combat that with some clamps while screwing things together, but I'm not sure how effective that will be (or if I'm worrying about nothing).
If it matters, this is ground-contact pine lumber that will eventually be stained/sealed. We are using wooden fence/deck fasteners; typically #8 of varying lengths.
How the top 1x4 will rest on the fence panels:

How the fence panels will sit/attach to the 4x4 posts:


texts: Our house was built in the the 80s, and sometime after that they converted the garage into a new living space, and added a new garage.  I live below a flood plain, and have water coming into the house from multiple points.  I do not know how to begin, or who to call.  The leaks at the front of the house are at points below ground level, and the leaks at the back are higher than where the water pools up.  Overall my entire backyard pretty much becomes a lake.  Thanks in advance for any help someone can provide, and if someone needs more info to help narrow down my problem I will answer to the best of my ability.


texts: Two way light switching is common, but how do I setup a 3 way system so the light can be controlled from 3 places?


texts:
I poured a concrete walkway in my back yard three days ago, and I've kept it wet, under plastic since then. Today, I removed the forms, packed sand around the edges (because I had a pile laying around, and to make weeding easier), wet it thoroughly and put the plastic back on. I know that 28 days is the standard for 99% strength, but my plan is to cure it for 7 days. [We're expecting a week of rain in a few days, so curing will continue then without my help.]

Given the time and cost of this project (relative to just making a gravel path), and what I've read about the importance of curing concrete, it makes perfect sense to me to cover it and just let it do its thing for a while.

My question: Am I babying this walkway too much, or more than normal? Every person I've mentioned the wet/plastic treatment to has questioned me, as though it is somehow unusual or unnecessary.

[My process, in case it is relevant: I used 3 inches of compacted 3/4 minus gravel, steel mesh elevated a few inches above the gravel, and poured 4 inches of 3500 psi concrete. I edged it and added expansion grooves every 5 feet.]


texts: How do you achieve this stairway 'chaser' effect with an LED light strip?

texts: Here is a gif showing it in action, once the motion is detected, the strip slowly lights up directionally from bottom to top, how is this achieved? I can't seem to find how this is done: Looping GIF link


texts: For pine shelves, do I need to stain before applying polyurethane?

texts:
I built some pine shelves. They're pretty, but I don't want them to darken. I'm told I can apply polyurethane to ensure they stay nice and bright.

My question is this: do I need to apply some kind of stain, even "natural," before polyurethane? Or can I sand and then apply the polyurethane directly?

If it's okay to apply polyurethane directly, can I sand 60-grit and then do poly? Or do I still need to work up to 200-something-grit?


texts: I'm trying to paint my porch, but I was wondering how to make the cement kind of glossy. I want it to look like marble. What can I do?


texts: I have inherited 4 of these outside lights which appear to be very solid and well made but i'm not sure how to make best use of them.


texts: Federal Pacific 200a main panel problem with oversized 100a 2pole breaker

texts:
There is a 200a FPE breaker box (yes, I am aware of all the problems). It is not in the homeowners budget to replace at this time.  He has 2 issues:

His panel is full
His electric furnace is an older 100a furnace. The 100a breaker in the panel is a double pole but it also over crowds the adjoining spot on the right rail.  So, essentially, his double 100a breaker is taking up 4 spots (2 on left rail and creeping over (preventing other breakers) and partially covering 2 spots on the right rail.

This is a problem because the home owner has to disconnect the 100a to plug in the 30a for the dryer.  I advised him that is not ideal in any situation, but extra not ideal with a FPE panel.

I thought about installing a sub panel for him right next to the main panel and just re-route the dryer run to that one but I have not installed a sub panel before.  I am competent in my ability to do so but would like to hear suggestions from others before I attempt that feat.

thanks!


texts: Wire a 5 wire down draft remote motor / can this be done?

texts: I currently have a Thermador downdraft range w/ remote blower on the roof.  The  range has failed.  This blower unit was very expensive and I hate to chuck it.   Am wondering if it can be used elsewhere.  What I would like is to wire it to a 3 speed wall switch.  Can this be done.  I would hire it out but don't want to waste the cost of an electrician if it is not do-able or safe.  The blower has 5 wires. (white-red-blue-black-green)


texts: Repairing water damage to ceiling drywall where ceiling meets wall

texts:
I have a question for how best to repair interior water damage to ceiling drywall along a wide, thin section where the ceiling meets the wall.

We recently experienced slight water damage to our ceiling drywall due to water that entered through gaps that in the exterior roof flashing. Now that the roof flashing has been re-sealed by a professional, I would like to address the drywall water damage in my condo.

The water damage is limited to a 10 ft. x 4 in. section of the ceiling where the ceiling meets a wall in the bedroom - very long and skinny. I am thinking about two options:

1) Scrape off damaged sections and then spackle, sand, prime, and paint

OR

2) Cut out the damaged section (perhaps 10 ft by 6 in) and then look to replace with new drywall. Given the section is a) long and skinny and b) adjoining a wall, I am curious if there are any other considerations that I should be thinking about.

As you can (barely) see in the photo, a small crack has developed due to the water damage, so I'm not sure whether option 1 is realistic.

Thank you for the help


texts: Double glazed windows reduce only part of noise. What could I do next?

texts:
My bedroom is using double glazed windows with great performance on soundproofing noise made by cars outside.

Regarding little girls screaming and dogs barking, double glazed windows do reduce part of that kind of noise, unfortunately the remaining noise that passes through the window is not very loud but still clear and annoying.

What could I do next?


texts: Help creating a half hot switch: 3 sets of wires

texts:
I know this has been asked a few times before, but I am having trouble finding an answer thread in my combination.

I have 3 sets of wires in 1 outlet 15A. The outlet is currently controlled by a light switch successfully.  But because I want to connect my TV to it, I don’t want to let the light switch control all of it. My goal is to make the top switch always hot and the bottom one controlled by the outlet.

In the diagram I drew, I believe #1 goes to the switch since it’s the only positive power I see and the outlet is successfully controlled. #2 and #3 must go to other outlets or the box, but I am not sure.

My question is this: if I run a black wire from where the wires are capped to #12 on the diagram and then disconnect the tab between them, will that make the top of the outlet always hot and the bottom controlled by the switch?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

See pictures:

https://i.imgur.com/ixWNYJ7.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/kYvusIl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/EGPOZOk.jpg


texts: Should I install a subfloor if I'm putting LVP in my basement?

texts:
I live in an area with temperatures from -7°F to 118°F. I'd like to put Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP) in my concrete basement, but I've heard conflicting reports on if I need a subfloor.

Some assumptions:

If I installed a subfloor, I'd be putting down moisture barrier. I'll be using DRICORE as an example as its got OSB and a moisture barrier built as a single piece.
With LVP, all the ones I've looked at come with an underlayment.

Moisture

If I use DRICORE subflooring, that supposedly gives me a moisture barrier.

Since the subfloor itself is OSB wood, is it possible for moisture to get trapped between it and the LVP since the LVP would have a rubber or plastic underlayment?

Leveling

My basement slab isn't 100% level; although, the dips are minor. From what I've seen, it's mostly an issue of sloping like most basements.

From seeing DRICORE installation videos, they have special shims available to help level the floor to some degree. This would prevent needing to patch the concrete and allow the LVP to sit flat.

Unlike carpet, my assumption is that you'd want a hard floor to be completely flat as dips would be noticeable.

R Value

A subfloor, especially DRICORE, adds R value from 1.44 to 3.00. I don't know if this is important as LVP doesn't let heat transfer as much as other materials. Is it going to be a major improvement to comfortably?

Question

I'd like to know on which points I'm right and wrong and any gotchas I made not have considered using LVP with a subfloor in a basement.


texts: Why does the hot terminal of my extension cord always burn out?

texts:
Need help on understanding why does the "Black Wire" is always burned/damaged periodically?
It's always being replaced. Is this normal? How can I prevent this from happening.
Thank you!


texts:
Cleaned out the basement to start framing walls. 1950s house with a lot of water pipes below the floor joists.  The main wall has a pipe about 5 inches away from the wall but runs along the majority of the wall.  Would you recommend:

Building the wall up to the floor joist behind the pipe, then build a soffit around the pipe.
build the wall in front of the pipe, potentially losing about half a foot of space across the room.
Build the wall up to a lower point then the floor joist and build a soffit from the floor joist to the top of the wall

See the picture for the area I'm referring to.


texts: how can I drill a 1/2" diameter, 1/2" deep hole in 3/4" particle board?

texts: I need to drill a couple of holes in the bottom of a kitchen cabinet to fit it with IKEA Akurum legs. I thought of using a 1/2" spade drill bit but its' narrow end - the tip of the spear so to speak - protrudes too far and would drill through the 3/4" board before the 1/2" diameter cylinder could reach 1/2" depth.


texts: Can you use an LED Bayonet bulb in standard 40 or 60W bayonet fitting?

texts:
First time poster. In short have flipped all my halogen GU10 bulbs over to LED. Only non spotlight is a Bayonet fitting in my bedroom. The halogen (45W candle) in that went this week & I am having trouble finding (am in UK) a reputable brand of halogen bulb to replace it (have uplighters so am OK in the short term).

Can I just use an LED to replace it instead (standard switch - not a dimmer) or would I need to other adjustments (e.g. to the power to step it down?). Am just thinking this may give me a better chance of finding a better bulb (& also cut the electricity bill!).

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.


texts: Can I run my washing machine drain line into a condensate pump so it drains better?

texts:
I have this ventless combination washer/dryer from LG:

https://www.lg.com/us/washer-dryer-combos/lg-WM3997HWA-washer-dryer-combo

The unit is installed on an upper level of my house. It's on the other side of the wall from a bathroom sink. They use the same supply/drain lines.

The drain pump in the washer recently burned out (one month after the warranty expired, of course).

Apparently this is a common problem when draining the unit into a wall drain, as opposed to a floor drain. Even though the instructions clearly say that a wall drain is fine, the drain pump is underpowered and can't capably move the water 2' up to the drain. This causes dry cycles to be extremely long, and the pump to eventually fail.

I know that the main options are:

Install a floor drain. I suspect this will be much more trouble than it's worth, since it'll mean taking up laminate floors, running new lines, etc.
Install a lower wall drain. I don't think this will work since it would be downstream of the sink, and I'd need to re-do all the venting.
Put the washer on a pedestal so the drain pump doesn't have to pump up.

I'm wondering if there's another option: get a condensate pump (like the one our central air conditioner uses), put it on the ground next to the washer, drain the washer into the pump, and have the pump force the water into the wall drain.

What I like about this idea:

Condensate pumps are much less expensive than pedestals
It's very quick to install
I don't need to lift a 200-pound washer onto a pedestal

But I'm not sure whether a condensate pump can handle grey water from a washer.

Thoughts?


texts: What's this piece under the nut on my faucet, and could it be stopping me from loosening the nut?

texts:
I'm trying to remove my kitchen faucet, and have not been able to get this nut to budge with any of locking pliers, pb blaster penetrating oil, and a basin wrench. After looking more closely at it, I noticed this "sleeve" or cover of the threads of the screw the nut is on, which is different from what I've seen in the guides I've been referencing.

I'm wondering what this piece is and if it may be preventing me from loosening the nut.


texts: Stuck padlock without key - its attachements to the door seem stuck, how could I remove it?

texts:
I recently lost the key to the padlock for the door in the garage. This was installed by the previous owner. Don't have a duplicate of the key and could not find the original I've lost.

So I tried padlock picking after watching some videos, it looks like padlock picking requires some minimum training / skills, some feeling, sense of doing it right.
I tried to use wrenches to damage/break the padlock, but I have very small space to operate, after 10 / 15 minutes of trying, I gave up, could not find a proper position for both wrench to get enough force ( like you can see , there is not so much space between the door and the things in the circle in red ).
I tried removing these things attached ( circle in red on the photo ) which keep the padlock, the door, and the wall fixed together. But for some reason they would not totally come out my way ? Like if they were not entirely straight, with some angle that makes them stuck or something. Not sure if I have tried hard enough on both at the same time. But it looked really stuck at some point.
I thought of borrowing or renting a grinder, but I would like to avoid that - would be a last solution.
What could be done ? Could you tell just by looking at the photo ?
Any help / advice would be much appreciated. Thanks.


texts: How to handle the Stainless Steel cable?

texts:
First, I would like to what is the best tools to cut a Stainless Steel cable?
Second, I would like to know how to install this kind of lock in the stainless stell cable? Thanks.


texts:
I am having an issue in my garage where 3 outlets dont work and my 2 fluorescent hanging lights dont work. I have put new outlets in to see if that was the issue, I have checked our breakers and no issue there. I do have power and electric in 2 of my standard lights and my garage door opener works.

I was am running out of ideas on where to look. We were recently told to check the fluorescent lights to see if it would be them. Would they also cause the outlets not to work?


texts: What's the best way to hang an unframed poster on a sloping wall without using something that will damage the poster?

texts:
What's the best way to hang unframed posters on a sloping wall without using tape or velcro or glue that would damage the poster? Thumb-tacks don't work too well because the poster ends up sagging between the tacks.

I'd love to find a way of attaching the posters to the wall so that they lie as flat and as close as possible to the wall without resorting to adhesives that could damage the posters or the wall.


texts: Should I isolate the ground and neutral in the 30A safety switch box or keep them bonded until the sub panel it is feeding (as service disconnect)?

texts:
I am in Michigan if that makes a difference to you.

I am wiring a subpanel (QO 100-Amp Rainproof Main Lug Load Center) to my detached barn.  I am feeding the subpanel from a 30A double breaker in my house's main panel.  The feeder is 10/3 with ground, buried in conduit, 2 conductors, 1 neutral, 1 ground, supplying 240V at the subpanel.

In order to make working in the subpanel more safe, I have elected to install a 30A fused safety switch (GE TG3221) inline before the subpanel inside my barn, feeding the subpanel from the safety switch. All the wires will be the same 10/3 w ground.

Inside the safety switch box, there is a 3-lug isolated neutral bar, with an optional green screw to bond that neutral bar to the box.  There is no equipment grounding bar in the safety switch box.

Now, I am well read on the fact that the neutral and ground in the subpanel MUST be ISOLATED. but in the safety switch box, I'm not sure.  Since I'm feeding from my main panel (where the neutral and ground are bonded) I'm thinking that they should stay bonded inside the safety switch and only get isolated in the subpanel.

I have driven an 8' grounding rod, which I plan to connect (with #8 bare Cu) to the ground inside the subpanel, which will, once again, be isolated from neutral inside the subpanel.

Can anyone advise me on the question of whether or not the ground and neutral should stay bonded inside the safety switch?  I am thinking that the options are:

Bond ground and neutral simply by using the neutral bar lugs to connect all the neutrals and grounds (not sure if using the bonding screw would be needed here)
Bond ground and neutral by connecting neutrals to neutral bar, installing bonding screw.  Next installing an equipment grounding bar (to the box) and connecting the grounds to that (bonded) ground bar.
Isolate by connecting the neutrals to the neutral bar (NO BONDING SCREW).  Installing an equipment grounding bar (to the box) and connecting the grounds to that bar (which will be isolated from the neutral bar w/o the bonding screw).

I've tried to include all the relevant details, but let me know if I missed anything.


texts: My neighbor already had a wooden privacy fence up. New neighbor's bought the home and put up a new privacy fence w/o taking down the old one. Basically a double privacy fence. Is that legal?


texts:
I need to take off my shower head for cleaning and possible replacement.

I can see there is Teflon tape on the fitting where the head connects to the arm. When I reconnect the head, can I reuse the existing tape? Do I wrap an extra layer around the existing tape? Or do I need to go ahead and completely remove and replace the existing tape?


texts: Neither pendant light or ceiling box has loose wires

texts:
So I'll preface with this is the first time I've ever tried to install a light. I brought several pendant lamps from Ikea, on the end of the wires is a plastic box where i should be able to connect the wires from the ceiling to (assuming the ceiling had loose wires).

But in the ceiling box, only the ground wire is lose (well covered in plaster), the others have their own plastic box connector. And they boxes don't fit each other. The ceiling one has two screws to attach the wires to (presumably assuming the lamp would have loose wires).

So whats the best option here? Cut the plastic connector off of the lamp wires? Though i have another lamp that has a thicker cord which would be a lot harder to cut. Maybe get some wire and connect it between the boxes? I cant do anything to the ceiling box as its a rented accommodation.


texts: What to do if average gas usage increased by 30x but they say there is no leak?

texts:
Not sure if this is the right place, but figured you guys may have some answers/suggestion of what to do?

My average hourly gas usage has increased by 30x suddenly and the company said they will send someone to check the meter in a few days...they don't consider it an emergency because I don't smell gas or see a damaged pipe.

My appliance usage has remained the same. We have only a fireplace which has only had the pilot on since the winter and never turned the actual fire on.. And a water heater that has had the temp set the same and we haven't used additional hot water over the norm.

Here is the chart of their readings/estimates and the readings I started taking last night after looking at the bill.


texts: How do I unclog a clogged swimming pool vacuum?

texts:
I have a swimming pool which I was vacuuming the other day. Unfortunately, I accidentally vacuumed some larger items (leaves, paper, etc) which caused the whole mechanism to clog, i.e., I can no longer vacuum.

What is the proper way to solve this problem?

We have checked the filters, and they're clean. We suppose that something's actually stuck in the pipes.


texts: What would cause arcing between equipment connected to each other where power is connected to different circuits?

texts:
Scenario

In my "datacenter" (read: basement), I've got a rack of various computer and A/V equipment plugged into a UPS, and into a standard 120v outlet on one side of the room. This equipment works normally, and the UPS detects no wiring faults.

On the other side of the room, is another rack of equipment, going into a UPS, going into another standard 120v outlet.

All equipment is directly connected to either the outlet for testing or to the UPS.

Basically, imagine one side of this room as a mirror image of the other side.

Each outlet is connected to a different circuit.

The problem

Attempting to connect equipment using one circuit to equipment using the other circuit (say, a monitor plugged into circuit 1 to a PC plugged into circuit 2) results in a rather sizeable arc and burn marks where the cable touched the port. The lights dim, and the circuit breaker for one side or the other will trip if left for too long.

I have eliminated the equipment as a cause. All gear works fine whether plugged into one circuit or the other. The light show only happens when you try to connect devices that reside on different circuits. (With the exception of networking gear - I can connect computers on circuit 1 to routers on circuit 2 via ethernet with no problems).

The UPSes are also not the cause - the same thing happens when the equipment is plugged in directly.

Basic probing with a multimeter indicates that the outlets are operating properly and have working grounds.

A regular 3 light receptacle tester also shows that both outlets are wired "correctly".

What the heck is going on here, how do I test for it, and most importantly, how do I fix it without burning the place down?


texts:
What kind of socket is this?
I found it in my apartment's wall.


texts: Hooking up a 50A hot tub breaker to a 60A subpanel

texts:
I am considering adding a hot tub to my backyard. Most of the ones I've seen require a 240v 50A breaker, presumably with #6 4-wire.

It would be most convenient to run the line for this from my subpanel in my detached garage. I had an electrician put in the subpanel just a year ago (so it is up to modern standards; previously it was knob-and-tube! house built in 1927) and he set it up as a 60A subpanel. This consists of a 60A breaker at the main panel in the house, run underground to the subpanel in the garage, which has room for eight GE Q-line miniature breakers. Due to the number of available spaces, I'm guessing the breaker panel could handle more than 60A, but it's just limited by the breaker at the main panel and by the amp rating of the wire going between the panels.

There isn't a lot of load in the garage usually, just a couple lights and outlets. I think we could have gotten away with using two 20A circuits, but he wired up two 20A circuits and two 15A circuits, using 4 of the breaker spaces. This adds up to 75A, but from what I understand this is okay since once it hits 60A it would trip the breaker at the main panel and shut off the entire garage. Occasionally we will run a 12A electric lawn mower or other similar electric lawn tools from the outlets. The lights are motion lights on the outside, and switched fluorescent shop lamps on the inside.

Okay, now for the the question: Would it be okay and up to code to run a 50A 2-pole breaker in two of the remaining 4 slots in the panel and hook the hot tub up to it?

I'm assuming that the hot tub isn't going to be drawing close to 50A under normal conditions otherwise it'd regularly trip the breaker. But even if someone is sitting in it with the jets on and say it draws 40A, it seems like I could still run the lawn mower at 12A and have a couple lights on and not trip the 60A breaker at the house. (Related: does anyone know how many amps a typical hot tub would draw at peak and during regular operation?) I assume this line of thinking is why the electrician was able to put 75A worth of breakers on that 60A panel.

But, if any of this screams "could cause a fire" or "not up to code", please let me know! Thanks in advance!


texts: How should I wire a Trane air handler & heat strips?

texts:
Looking for validation or correction on my understanding of requirements for wiring 5 ton Trane air handler with 20kw heat strips. Of course, I read the label and identified that there are (2) 240v circuits required. Minimum circuit ampacities are 57 and 50 amps respectively. MOPs are accordingly 60 and 50. The heat strips are designated 40a per circuit. It's indoors in basement and wire runs from panel are about 25 feet.

The heating system was recently installed and HVAC contractor reused existing 2/0 AL cable connected in my panel to a single 4 pole 125a breaker. He installed a single feed kit that serves the (2) 60a disconnects in the unit. Concerns: 1) the single feed kit is labeled for use only up to 100a, 2) the air handler is labeled for use only with copper wire.

I therefore would like to have new wiring run to the heater. My options, as I understand them, are a) keep the single feed kit and run a single copper feed from the panel presumably with a 100a breaker replacing the 125a or b) remove the single feed kit and run two feeds, one for each of the circuits in the air handler, appropriately sized and connected to one 50a and one 60a breaker.

Is there a general preference of rule of thumb for which of these options is best? Will the single feed with 100a breaker be adequate or will it trip when running on full aux heat?

Using sizing calculators, tables and derating - appears that single 100a feed will require either 1 awg copper NM (SE) or 3 awg THHN in conduit. The air handler uses 2 conductors plus ground (no neutral) for each circuit and I have not seen or been able to find 2-conductor copper plus ground in 1 AWG or larger.

Separate feeds will require either 4 awg 2-conductor copper plus ground NM (also difficult to find) or 4 awg THHN in conduit (which would require 4 THHN conductors plus ground in a conduit - for which I derated the ampacity of the cable to 80% of the 75 degree value).

Hate to have to use conduit, especially since there are many turns (more than 360 degrees) and practically zero clearance for the bend required where cable enters the air handler.

Also wondering: if I run two separate circuits/lines, do I need to tie together to the (2) 240 volt 2-pole breakers in the panel so that they would trip together?

Sorry about the long message but wanted to be precise.  Any suggestions?

UPDATE:

I want to get rid of the AL wiring because the old 125a breaker shows some possible heat damage (dark spot) and one leg of my main feed coming into the house partially melted down at the meter. Not sure if this was related to the old HVAC system but seems suspicious and I'd reather start fresh.

Everyone seems to agree that 6/2 would be adequate for the 60 amp circuit, even though I thought I read that maximum ampacity of 6 awg NM wire is only 55a (and the max current listed on the heater is 57!)

By the way, the way the air handler is configured, each of the 2 circuits has one 9.6kw heat strip on it, plus one of them also includes the blower. Thus, my question on tying the breakers together in the load center.


texts: Fiberglass insulation that didn't cause skin irritation?

texts:
I had to move around some insulation in my basement to find the cause of a leak. The insulation is yellow and fluffy, so I'm assuming it's fiberglass. I wasn't wearing gloves or eye protection, but I didn't end up itching or anything. My house was built in 2006.

Is it likely fiberglass and I was I just lucky to not get skin irritation?

Thanks.


texts: How much deeper sink can I get away with without having to redo waste drain?

texts:
I'm remodeling the kitchen. Our sink is a standard 7" deep sink, but most cool sinks these days are 8-10" deep. I would probably want to keep the existing configuration with the double bowl and disposal. It looks like I could maybe squeak out an extra 1.5 inches by shortening the tailpiece below the sink. I think modifying the plumbing stub out so the trap arm could be lower would be a pain because this is an exterior wall below the window.

Here's a picture with the measure up to the bottom of the sink.


texts: I have a breaker that keeps tripping even when no load is on it.  I have already replaced the breaker with a new one, replaced a ground fault outlet and a dimmer switch (all on that circuit), and the same thing happens.  There are two outlets I haven't checked and the light itself. Also I have checked for loose neutral wires at the panel. How do I find the problem?


texts: Can I add handle ties to QO tandem breakers?

texts:
This is a follow up to Why does a single pole tandem breaker allow connecting the switch handles? which was asking what circumstances handle-tied tandem breakers would ever be useful. (There are some good reasons.)

Some answers to that question raised the issue: is it actually "permissible" to tie two QO tandem breakers together yourself? Such as a QOTO2020.

By permissible I mean: strictly allowed by the manufacturer & therefore to code. (I'm sure you could rig something up but if you want to do it by the book & know that it is safe, that may not cut it.)


texts: Wiring for grounds wire in light fixture

texts:
Im not sure how to connect these ground wires. Theres a ground wire connected to green screw on electrical box, and theres another green screw on the light fixture bracket. Thanks

[3]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/sGDvl.jpg


texts: What's this type of lamp light bulb socket called?

texts: I want to buy a replacement, but don't know what to search for.


texts: Where can I find a kitchen faucet that stays in spray mode after turning the water off and turning it back on?

texts:
I'm looking for a kitchen faucet with a single spray head that can toggle between spray mode and stream mode, but where the setting stays put when turning the water off and turning it back on. I asked the manufacture about this Kraus faucet

, but they said that it resets to stream mode after shutting the water off, as I have found most do.

Are there any particular manufacturers that make faucets that stay in spray mode after shutting the water off and turning it back on? Is there a standard industry term to search by for this functionality?


texts: How to resolve uneven meeting of new and existing drywall pieces

texts:
While installing a new piece of drywall into a painted wall with existing drywall of the same thickness, parts of the new drywall seem to sit or sink back further into the wall even with pressure evenly distributed on the new piece. I imagine this since the new piece is not pressed up against a stud.

What is the best way to resolve this gap?

At the base, the drywall pieces do not have this problem since they are both against a board.

What is the best way to approach in this scenario to end up with a smooth wall, is there some method to shim behind the drywall to get a more flush fit? Or does it make more sense to just install as is and apply joint compound until level?


texts: Can I run a 50 amp circuit for a hot tub from a 60 amp sub panel

texts: I recently had a pool installed with a commercial water slide. My sub panel is a 60 amp panel fed from a 200 amp main panel 70 feet away with 4 awg wire. The main and sub panels both have 60 amp breakers. I have 2 pumps powered off of this panel. Both are wired to separate 20 amp 240v circuits. I have 2 120v outlets on separate 20 amp circuits. 1 feeds an outlet for a natural gas pool heater and the other is an unused convenience outlet. The pumps are a 1 hp for the pool and a 3 hp for the slide. I want to add a hot tub next year. Is the sub panel and wiring sufficient to run a 50 amp circuit for the hot tub?


texts: In my basement I have 2 outlets with no power, and a 220 with partial power and in the kitchen above I have some outlets not working, and on the second floor in the bedroom the outlets don't work.  Every once in awhile the circuits come on for a short while for no apparent reason then go back off for months.  Any ideas out there ?


texts: How do I repair broken bathtub faucet handles?

texts: How can I repair the faucet handles on my bathtub? It snapped off then when I was trying to use it; it shot off the wall and water constantly pours out where the handles go.


texts: Currently I do not have ground in my house wiring. I am planing to install ground wiring but the floor around the main service panel is cemented and I don't think I can place a ground rod in the floor. There is an iron rod sticking horizontally out of the wall behind where my main service panel is(main service panel is in the garage). There is a wire wrapped around that rod, which seems to be made out of steel, going into the ground. I think it was installed when the house was built (1968). can I connect the ground wire to that rod?


texts: Ways to mitigate safety risks with double cylinder deadbolts on enterance/exit doors?

texts:
While double cylinder deadbolts (those deadbolts on house doors that require a key from both sides) can be good for security, it could be a trade-off with safety if needing to get out of the house in a hurry. In some places housing safety code requires entrances and exits can be operated from the inside without any special skills or equipment (eg. a key), while in other places this is not required or it is only required for X amount of entrances and exits.

In cases where these types of deadbolts are permitted and chosen for their security benefits, what are some ways to make that entrance/exit safer for those indoors in case of fire or some other need to get out of the house?


texts: Why did my sink drain blockage clear after several weeks?

texts:
Recently I installed a new kitchen in a flat in a very old house (1830s) in a neighbourhood known for sagging pipes.

The old pipes up to the soil stack were cleaned by a pro, after the kitchen was installed. Naturally the sink got blocked (only draining very slowly). Plungers were applied and as last resort some chemicals. Nothing worked.

After doing dishes by hand for a while (2 weeks), rather than the dishwasher, the sink is magically free again. Is it possible that this is just delayed reaction to the chemical drain cleaner, or was it the increased flow from the manual washing that did the trick? I have never seen a sink unblock itself before.


texts: Should I have continuity between hot lug (at service in) and neutral bus with main breaker off?

texts:
With the main house breaker turned off, I have electrical continuity between the hot lug at the service entrance and the neutral bus in my service panel.

I also have electrical continuity from neutral to one leg of the service.

Does this indicate that I have a bad main breaker?


texts: Dado (+glue) or just screws (+glue) for painted MDF bookcase

texts:
I am thinking of building some MDF build-in bookcases, dado joints are clearly stronger but creates lots of mess from a router and takes more time.

As the book case will be painted, I can hide any screw heads, so that is not an issue.

I see 4 options:

Just screw and glue the shelves to both the sides and back.
Dado, screw and glue the shelves to both the sides and back.
Dado to side, screw to back.
I could also make “cheat” Dados by gluing 6mm MDF onto 15mm MDF on make the sides

Dado at the back means I need a thicker back that will make then harder to build due to the mass.  However I don’t know if screw joints into the end grain of MDF are strong enough,   I am thinking of using 18mm MDF for the sites and 30mm MDF for the shelfs.

I am thinking of using spax MDF screws as they don't need predrilling etc.

(I am not asking this on a woodworking site as I do not have great woodworking stills and care more about the result then the process.)


texts: Three-way bulb's brightness levels are out of sequence

texts:
I have tried 2 3-way LED bulbs by GE.  The settings are 50w, 100w and 150w.  They have the same base configuration as incandescent 3-way bulbs (extra ring around center contact). When I turn it to the first click this is the lowest brightness (like a 50W).  Turning it to the second click it puts out about twice as much light (as it should).  Turning it to the third click, the brightness goes to slightly LESS than the second click level.

I bought the first bulb, had this experience and assumed it was faulty.  Bought a second bulb and had the same experience.  The third click is dimmer than the second.

I've tried the bulb in three different lamps that have a 3-way switch.  Same results in all of them.

Is this a flaw in the GE bulb or is there some other problem?


texts: How feasible is a brick veneer fake wall?

texts:
We want to brick veneer our chimney breast (Which has a TV mounted to it) but I had a thought that would allow us to hide the wires, brick veneer the wall and also keep the wall behind in a clean state that would allow us to easily revert the brick veneer if we so wish. However... I'm most certainly a DIYer and don't want to jump head first into it without exploring whether or not it is a wise idea.
My plan is to use a piece of ply wood that is the same size as the chimney breast.

Channel routes for the TV cables into the back side of the plywood.

Cut hole out of the plywood for the TV mounting bracket.

Apply brick veneer/brick slips to the front side of the plywood with the mortar leaving 8 exposed holes around the edges for mounting purposes.

Attach plywood to chimney breast with 8 large screws and rawl plugs.

More information:

The chimney breast is not plaster, it is some form of brick or concrete.

The fireplace is not in use. It is blocked up and has an electric fire mounted in it's place. (never used)

The house is a UK semi detached 1960s/1970s construction

The this is the wall mount bracket for the TV

Does this sound like a wise idea? I've had concerns over the weight of the brick slip tiles but having never undertaken a task like this before I'm not sure.
Here is a pic of the wall in question, the bit above the mantle piece is the bit we would like to brick veneer


texts: Can I install an above-the-range microwave above an exhaust vent?

texts: So we recently purchased a house that doesn’t have a lot of counter space and we are wanting to install a microwave above the gas range. However , there is currently a through the wall exhaust fan right about the range on the wall. Are we able to still install the microwave above that fan? Or will it be a no go for above range microwave because of that fan? Thank you for your help!


texts: How to chlorinate a tankless water heater?

texts:
I live on a private well and have had a tank for a while. Every few months I'd have to chlorinate the tank (with hydrogen peroxide) to get rid of the rotten egg smell.
Two local plumbing companies advised that the smell was caused by sulfate-reducing bacteria, confirmed by numerous online sources.
I could get rid of it by draining a gallon out of the tank, opening the temp & pressure relief valve, pouring hydrogen peroxide into the tank, and letting this solution flush through the pipes and sit for a few hours.
About a month ago I noticed the smell again and was planning to chlorinate the system. Unfortunately shortly after, the tank was leaking, so I replaced it and "upgraded" to a tankless system.
Now the problem is, after a month, the water still smells. Obviously there is no more anode rod or sitting water, so there must be bacteria still in my pipes. It's mainly coming from one faucet in the kitchen.
How can I flush that pipe, or kill the bacteria in some other way?

Odor in the cold water that goes away after water flows... the most likely source of the hydrogen sulfide is Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria 1


texts: Insulation inside HVAC duct (and related issues)

texts:
Should I be concerned with the fiberglass insulation batts the former owners of my home stuffed in an uncapped end of our rectangular HVAC duct?

I noticed this set up when investigating rat/mouse infestation where they've clearly burrowed in the Batts in the ceiling of my unfinished basement.

My solution was to remove the soiled insulation, cap the duct, and put up new batts.

Is that a reasonable solution?  Ultimately I'm concerned about the health risks but building/safety/damage is a close second.  I have consulted a pest control company as well.


texts: Can new grout be layered on top of old grout?

texts:
I had a shower updated by a professional contractor.  He removed all the old tile and floor pan.
There are several areas I'm concerned about.

There are gaps all across the tiles.  There are spots where the grout is well below the edge of the tile.  The grout is uneven and looks crumbling in places.  The contractor says he'll come back and add another layer of grout.  It's been 3 weeks since he grouted.  Should I let him ADD grout?  Of should he remove it all and start again?

He cut the wall tile and inserted the soap dish below the cut.  He didn't finish the edges with silicone.  Just some grout and there are big gaps between the grout and the soap dish.  Looking at YouTube on soap dish installation, every one I saw shows a smaller hole the soap dish fixes to and then the soap dish hugs the tile - not set under it.

He put in a new pan and laid tile...kind of a mosaic style. There are spots that feel like I'm stepping on a bulge.  He says that's normal because the pans aren't completely flat.  What!  I realize the new tile floor has to slope toward the drain.  But shouldn't it be flat?


texts: How do I change an old 3 round pin socket to a square pin socket in a newer house?

texts:
I live in a relatively newly built house (15-20 years old), yet the last owner fitted old 3 round pin sockets in the lounge, possible for old fashioned table lamps.

Can I safely replace the round pin sockets with new square ones, just to use for one lamp (i.e. not overload with adapters and multiple devices)?

The plug on the lamp will of course contain a 13 amp fuse.


texts:
This question may sound dumb to those that live in an area requiring residential conduit, but I live in philly, where everybody tries to do as much as they can with NM-B.  After wiring my second kitchen, I can't help but look at it and think, what a friggin mess!  I try my hardest to be as neat as possible, but I have to cram 8 x 120V 20A circuits, 2 x 240V circuits and a lighting circuit with travel wires into an 8' x 10' shed kitchen with a block wall on one side.
Since the old studs are less than 3.5" thick, I also have to use stackers and kickplates everywhere.
Now conversely,  I don't know all the rules as I am not an electrician, but I can bend conduit and it seems like it would be much easier to run 2 circuits of 3/4". the conduit which should be enough for everything except the lighting.  It would probably take a whole day just to run the conduit, but after that, it would be easy, and half the issues people run into on inspections would be eliminated.  What am I missing?  is there a good reason not to run conduit?


texts: How do I get my bench clamp swivel to hold?

texts:
I have a bench vise that can rotate something like 270°. The problem is that the clamp that's supposed to stop it from rotating seems to only work in one direction. I can crank as hard as I can on the handle - really reefing on it. Yet, the vise will still rotate.

Here's a picture of the vise with the handle in question:

On the bottom there's a square head on the bolt that looks to have an ACME thread. My thought was that I could just grind down a bit off the end of the bolt and that should let me tighten it a lot better against the base of the vise. Does that seem like a bad idea? Are there better ways to keep my vise from rotating?

Edit

Here's the bolt and the underside of my vise:


texts: Cesspool vs Septic system, what's the difference?

texts:
I own a home on Long Island, NY, which has an original block construction cesspool. These are known to collapse, and I'd like to replace it in the near future. I was given two options for replacement:

A septic tank system
A replacement cesspool - this is made of 3 stacked concrete rings, with a dome top. Works the same way as the current cesspool, but is not supposed to have the same danger of collapse.

The septic tank system is about $2000 more than the cesspool system.

Has anyone had to go through this and can tell me the pros and cons of each? I'm not sure if spending the extra money is worth it. The terms "cesspool" and "septic" seem to be used interchangeably or maybe incorrectly, I'm having a hard time finding info.

The septic system is supposed to be pumped every 3 years, the cesspool system has no pumping schedule, I assume you just let it go until it backs up...?

Thanks


texts: Why would my GFCI breaker trip when I flip a switch?

texts:
I am working in my basement where the wiring is from the early 70s. I am replacing a couple of fluorescent lights with new ones so I can put in LED bulbs (the others are original). I am not new to wiring and have done quite a bit. I learned from my dad (and I also know his style). I got into mess from right at the beginning.

I should clarify this. The two wires heading down out of the picture is to the light fixture.

Not knowing what the heck was happening there, I started tracing wires. One set is the hot wires. The other 14-2 goes to a switch. The 14-3 I was confused about for quite a while, but finally figured out that it powers the outlets . The red goes to a switch the power the top outlet, the black keeps the bottom outlets hot full time. I matched the wiring back up and tested it. My GFI breaker (in a separate box flips and separate circuit). I do some more looking, and "properly wired" the switch for the light (I really didn't like how they wired it).  (The green tape is labeled switch). Tried again and it still blows the GFI breaker. All of the grounds are wired correctly, all of the commons are linked correctly. Could these new ballasts blow an older GFI breaker?

If you want I can upload a picture of how I currently have it wired, I can. I am at a loss of what is happening. I'd hate to call an electrician for something that could be a simple fix.

Here are the boxes. This first one is the box I'm working in.
 This second box is where the GFCI is tripping.

On the other hand, I discovered that the outlets are all twisted and soldered wires then covered in tape. I am going to fix that crap right away and fix the open grounds that I discovered as well in this series of outlets.

Update: Added more pictures and added my second light without any issues.


texts: Is it bad to have the bottom of a baseboard heater covered?

texts:
I live in an apartment with baseboard heaters. As the temperature outside gets colder so does my apartment. The thermostat is set high enough, but it just doesn't reach that temperature. When it's warmer outside the inside temp is fine.

The pipe is hot on one end and gets cooler the farther along you go. It's almost room temperature by the time it gets to the end.

The bottom of the baseboard heater is covered by wooden baseboard. There is no gap between the floor and the heater.

Is the fact that there's no gap there enough to stop my apartment from getting warm? Are there styles of baseboard heater where there wouldn't be a gap?


texts: I've seen the following perlator and similars (also plastic ones) on some shopping sites. They claim it can decrease water consumption up to 40%. Is it possible? Is it worth to try?


texts: What does it mean when an LED bulb starts blinking randomly?

texts:
Recently I noticed that my led bulb turns on/off for a split second randomly over the past few days. Does this mean it is starting to die or could it be something wrong with the lamp?

I've unscrewed to see if anything was damaged but could not detect any damage.


texts: How can I hang small weights from a drywall ceiling in a way that's minimally destructive?

texts:
I need to hang some plants (small, a few pounds max) from the ceiling but I don't want to go the usual toggle bolt or the drywall anchor route. These create holes that are too large for the kind of weights I want to hang. In other words, I feel like when you're talking about 2-3 lb weights, you should be able to get away with much smaller holes.

What I imagine is something similar to those elastic holders used for hanging name badges. I'm talking about these:

If the metal part is thin enough and resistant enough, then you can get away with minuscule holes. Imagine that you had a sewing needle with the ear right at the center instead of the top. Thread fishing wire through the ear and push the needle through a small hole in the ceiling. Once it goes through the other side pull back on it, causing the needle to lay flat on the other side of the ceiling.

The amount of weight this sort of setup could support would depend on:
1) the strength of the metal anchor (sewing needle in my example)
2) the dimension of the hole in the ceiling. The smaller the hole the more weight it can support. (Also 3, the fishing wire, but I think the first two will become a problem way before that).

Something like this seems pretty simple to put together. Really the only problem is finding a long thin piece of metal with a hole in the middle (the hypothetical needle with ear at the center).

My questions are:
 1) Is this dumb?
 2) If not, what's a cheap, easily available object that I can use as the metal anchor?


texts: How to remove bricks cemented on patio floor? Who do we hire?

texts: My patio has some bricks cemented on top of older ones that I wish to remove. What kind of service do we need to hire for having the top bricks removed? Cement or mortar was used to set the bricks.


texts: Does it make sense to put quality (=pricy) underlayment over 3/4" subfloor+1/2" extra plywood layer?

texts: I have standard subfloor + 1/2" plywood on top, to correct for joists going different directions, so that all hardwood boards can be laid one direction for a clean look and avoid sagging where they would go parallel to the joists. The sagging problem apparently solved - but would it still make sense to go through the expense of quality underlayment? Or the extra layer of plywood be just as adequate for sound/vapor/heat control? Thanks


texts:
My well pressure tank has this symptom... Tank cycles about every 4 minutes without any water running. checked the pressure and it is where it should be. In between cycles I can see the pressure dial going down slowly until it clicks the cycle back on again. Afraid I will burn out well pump. Checked the tank by using the drain tank method and it has 28 psi pressure in it and no water comes out when checking the pressure value. Should not be waterlogged and I need help. So HELP ME DIAGNOSE BEFORE I SPEND MONEY ON A WELL REPAIR COMPANY...PLEASE!!!

Added information...Failed to mention that we have shut the water off to the house at a shut off value at the well but it still does the same thing. Have read several articles about this and from what I can tell to this point it would seem to either be the tank bladder tear or the check value that is down in the well by the pump. Could I assume this is right? And also you are saying I am losing water from the tank...could it be the AIR? – Kevin Kings Mountain


texts: Garage outlet causes unrelated outlet's breaker to trip

texts:
When I use the power outlet (240v, 15A) outlet in my garage, it trips the breaker for the power in my home office upstairs. What is also interesting and concerning is that the breaker for the garage power does not trip in this situation.
I've noticed this only happens when a fair bit of current is being drawn from the outlet; e.g. using a corded drill on a tough material. The garage and office outlets are the plain standard type, not GFCI or anything. I should also note that the garage outlet is loose...
So what exactly is happening? How does a dodgy outlet cause another outlet's breaker to trip and not its own?


texts: Can't select some temperatures with the thermostat of my furnace

texts:
I have a problem with the thermostat of my furnace. This problem is wired but I'll try to explain it as clearly as possible.
When I turn the button of the thermostat, some temperatures can't be selected (they can never be), and sometimes, a temperature that can't be select appears briefly when I turn the button but disappears nearly immediately (and then the screen displays an other temperature).
Have you got any idea of how to fix this ?


texts: Do refrigerators struggle with too warm a temperature setting?

texts:
My apartment's fridge just stopped working (the light didn't even come on), after showing some signs of struggling in the last day or two (vibrating in sync with light flickering). The landlady asked what setting I had it at - it was at 3/9, with 9 being the coldest. (This is the setting yielding a reasonable temperature through most of the fridge, with only some parts freezing lightly.) She immediately told me that was too low a setting, that it'd overload with it set that low, that I should set it higher (colder) and it'd come back on.

I did play along, and the light and compressor came back on almost immediately after I changed the setting. I'd also pulled it away from the wall as soon as I realized it'd stopped working, though it didn't feel terribly warm anywhere on the back. But of course, correlation doesn't imply causality, and this sounds a bit odd to me - surely keeping the fridge colder puts more load on the compressor. Am I crazy?

(I suppose the more general question is: what should I do about a refrigerator that I know is flaky but is not going to get repaired or replaced terribly quickly?)

Edit: it turns out to be an electrical problem outside the fridge but I'm still interested in the answer!


texts: Is there such a thing? Wall access panel with a water shutoff -> so I can turn off water to outside spigot in the winter?

texts:
Im looking to see if such thing exists.

Nice looking wall access panel with a shutoff ball valve inside -> so I can turn off water to outside spigot in the winter?


texts: removing and capping a wall plug that works in series with other plugs

texts: I need to remove a wall plug.  There are 4 wires connected to the plug.  Two are black (actually one is black and white and one is all black) which are connected to one side.  Two are white connected to the other side.  Then there is the ground wire.  Is it proper to connect the two black together and two white together and the grounds together so I can put a cap plate over the hole?