texts: How do I wire a new ceiling light with power to the ceiling and 3-way switches?

texts:
I'm trying to install a new light fixture in the front hall. Currently, the light is activated by 2 switches (on each end of hall). The NEW fixture has 1 black wire and 1 white wire. The ceiling wires have 2 black and 2 white coming down. The OLD single light has the 2 wires connected separately by a little metal tab.

I tried connecting the 3 black and 3 white together and attached the metal ground to the green screw. It kept on switching the breaker when I went to turn it back on.

How do I connect this light so I can still use all switches? Again, 2 black and 2 white in ceiling, 2 switches, new light has 1 black, 1 white, and 1 ground.


texts: What would cause my furnace to only work with the filter removed?

texts:
My Carrier furnace works fine without the air filter in place on the return. With the filter in place it works for a while and then stops with a complaint about "limit, or flame rollout is open" (Carrier unit error 33).

What are some next steps I can carry out to narrow down the problem?


texts:
In the past, I added 4 breakers to my breaker box in my basement and ran the wire for each of those circuits out the side of the box thru their individual clamp.  However, all the pre-existing wires were run thru the top of the box thru 2 pvc-like pipes.  That pipe ended when it reached the bottom of the joists.

Is it a code violation to run wires out the side of the box?  The face of the breaker box is flush with the sheetrock around it but the new wire can be seen in the 1" gaps on the side of the breaker box.


texts:
These fittings don't have any obvious affordance for removing or opening them.

Any ideas?


texts: Marbles in marble dispenser get stuck trying to fit through hole

texts:
I've been working on a marble dispenser for the little ones. The box in the center is meant to be pushed. When pushed, it aligns three slots and allows the marbles to drop. (See figures). The problem that I'm having is the marbles aren't even making it through the first slot--if two or more try to enter at once, there's not enough room and they get stuck.

I tried using a funnel to feed marbles into the hole, but they still get stuck. Any ideas on how to prevent that?


texts: What type of sander could be used for both sanding spackle and doors?

texts:
So I have two diy projects somewhere in my queue:

1) I did a poor spackle job on a wall that appeared to be slightly raised between two sheets of drywall.  I put the spackle on and sanded using a sanding sponge.  I thought it was "even enough", but once I painted I realize what a poor job I did.  I should have really sanded better, made it more even somehow and perhaps used a wet sponge to smooth out the edges of the spackle.

2) I have several doors in my house that are wood (pine maybe), and they show off the wood grain.  They have a high gloss.  The trim around the doors is the same way, glossy something on top of an unpainted wood.  I'm looking to update this by sanding them down eventually and hopefully repainted one day.  The doors have panels that are rectangular.

Both involve sanding, so I'm thinking to buy a sander, however there are so many types to get.  I'm not sure what sander I might get that might fulfill both of these tasks and perhaps more generally.

Can anyone advise on a type of sander that might help me with both of these tasks?


texts: I noticed that one of my Mepla kitchen cabinet hinges looks like it's broken, as the swinging arm (from the door) at the lower left of the picture is no longer connected to the mounting plate (that is mounted at the cabinet).  Is it possible to reattach the two parts without having to replace the hinge?


texts: my faucet when i woke this morning barely has water running out of it in the kitchen. What would cause this all  of a sudden. It was fine last night


texts: How to make a flushometer toilet look nicer?

texts:
I'm the new owner of a 3 bed, 2 bath condo in Chicago, built in 1923. It's lovely and old. Both toilets are flushometer style, tankless. They look exactly like a toilet you'd see in a public school (which is to say, functional but not nice).

I'm wondering if there's a way to make these puppies look nicer (ie, covering up all the exposed metal stuff that's behind the bowl and comes out of the wall) without actually having to replace the toilets entirely? They work fine, they just look...not that nice. Also it's annoying to flush them when the toilet lid is up.

Thanks all!

They generally look like this, for reference:


texts: How can I remove a lemon from a toilet drain?

texts: My little boy flushed a whole lemon down the toilet. It is stuck. What can I use to remove the lemon?


texts: Electrical box not producing 220. All 220 appliances are only pulling 110 happened last night still going on today never happened before.


texts:
I'm considering purchasing a home built in 1969 in a region with clay soil, where foundation settling is quite common. Looking at the exterior brick veneer, I noticed numerous cracks on 3 sides of the structure, horizontal across the full length of walls and and "stair-step" patterns in multiple places.

The slab foundation was stabilized (not repaired) two months ago with pressed pilings,  and the interior has been painted so I don't see any evidence of issues inside. My question: at what point, if any, should exterior brick veneer cracking be considered a deal-breaker?


texts: tub won't drain – I think lift bucket broke off

texts: My tub won't drain. I tried drain cleaner, but then realized the "sound" of tripping the lift lever was not the same as in our other tub, making me think the mechanism to lift the drain plug "bucket" has broken. How do I verify, and fix?


texts: Why does water rush through pipes when no water is being used?

texts:
We live in a house with city water, septic well, water softener and sump pump. We periodically hear a very loud sound of rushing water through pipes in the house. It lasts about 15 - 20 minutes. This happens every few weeks.

What on earth causes this?  We live on 2 acres, there is only the two of us living here. We can hear the sound loudly in the laundry room (probably due to drain area for washer) and it sounds like it is coming down from the attic. We have one furnace in the attic, but it is not always on when this happens. We can also hear it loudly in the exposed pipes in the basement.

Any ideas?


texts: Relocating a fibre-optic router-modem within a home

texts:
I've just gotten an FTTH fiber optic internet provider in Canada. The problem I'm having is that the technician would only install the router/modem by the back of my apartment where the fiber comes in. He said it was completely not possible to have it next to my desktop where I wanted it so that I could connect to my computer via ethernet rather than WiFi. In the end I had to let him install it in the back by the back deck.

The apartment is in a large mansion sectioned off into apartments and goes: back hallway with the modem on the wall with access to a back deck -- bedroom -- small kitchen -- living room. It'll be 20-30m to where the desktop will be from where the modem is right now.
So... questions:

Is this true that this modem really can't be moved to a more convenient place in my apartment? This makes no sense to me. What if you want your desktop hard wired to a modem? I upload videos to my website all the time that are several GB in size. I dont want to do that via WiFi on this 50mbps Fiber signal.
The fiber cable is a thin white cable (not ethernet) with a small green plug that comes out of a hole in the wall and goes into the Homehub3000 modem. Can I extend this cable with a coupler or a hub or something and run more of this same cable the length I need to get to my living room, about 20m?
If I run one Cat6 and split it in the living room with some hub device, can I run the fiber signal effectively to four devices at the same time the way I would with four SEPARATE ethernet ports and cables or are they essentially going to be sharing one port. And will that cause I conflicts on each device?
The four ethernet ports on the back of this thing are useless to me because I'm not gonna run FOUR Cat6 cables 20m each through my bedroom, through the kitchen, into the living room to where they need to go to connect to different devices. How do I effectively "put" the four ports in my living room if moving the modem isn't an option?

Thanks!


texts: Rust and misty glass door, repair or replace?

texts:
My daughter shoot water gun at our balcony glass door, water got in between glasses, now it's rust and misty.

We got a handyman to paint walls last week. We let him take a look. He said it has to be replaced.
I want to double check whether it is fixable and worth repairing first. If so, is it something I can do myself and how? Thanks.


texts: How can I cut a tree trunk into more manageable pieces?

texts:
I live in the UK and I just had a tree surgeon round to cut down a tree. He cut the trunk up into 6" pieces and my grandad plans on using one of the cuts to make a table. However, the trunk, which is about 60cm in diameter, is too thick and heavy at the moment and I need it cut down into 1-2" thick pieces.
Because of the size we don't have any tools which will get through it neat enough.
Does anyone know of a company/tool which can provide this service/effect?
Shame to see all this good wood go to waste.


texts: Remove Urine from Amana In-Wall Heating/Air-conditioning Unit

texts: I just moved into a new apartment and noticed that when I turn the fan up high on the in-wall heating/ac unit there is a strong smell of urine. I swear that someone peed in it. Is there some way to open the thing up and look? The one that I have looks like this.


texts: Why does my water pressure drop after using my water hose for a few minutes?

texts:
When I'm using my water hose, especially with the electric pressure washer, after about 15 minutes of use, the water pressure drops.   I can disconnect the water hose from the pressure washer and although the hose is running full, it has a very weak stream.  This isn't a problem in the house and we never notice it, even when the washer is running or if we are taking showers.  I have no water leaks anywhere and this problem is present even if I'm just using the water hose without the pressure washer.   My water system is residential.  I have a 4" well with a submerged pump and a pressure tank in the garage.  The system is four years old.

Would this be a pressure switch problem or a pump problem?

UPDATE

Thanks, guys for all the helpful answers.   My pressure tank is a 40 gallon and I have not problem running out of water or the pump keeping up.  I have ran four hoses at the same time watering apple trees and landscaping almost all  day as well as our in house use without any problems.

Actually, I have since found the problem.   I should have read the instructions to the pressure washer more carefully as it specified not to use more than a 25ft. hose connecting it to the water supply.  I just connected to my hose supply which is on a hose real and contains several hundred feet of water hose.   Evidently, by the time the water circulated through all those hoses on the real, it was being restricted somewhere along the line.   I disonnected one hose and the thing worked like it should.  I do need to up the low pressure setting on my pressure switch as I like to have a kick on pressure of 40psi and kick off pressure of 60psi and right now it is a few psi below 40 but other than that things are like they should be.

Thanks again for all your help.


texts: Is it normal for Teflon tape to discolor like this?

texts: Today I was replacing a fitting on the house's water supply. I took off the PVC female adapter and the underneath looks to be Teflon tape that has discolored into black. I do not remember seeing this before. I wonder whether it looks normal to some of you or have you seen this before. If you can provide a chemicky explanation, that will be great!


texts: Are loose teeth in a saw blade a safety concern?

texts:
When I watch videos on using a table saw safely, it almost always is about kickback.
I realize, that kickback is the most dangerous hazard, but are loose teeth, that could become projectiles, when disconnecting from the blade really no issue ? For example in case of an manufacturing defect.

Or am i missing something?


texts:
I moved to a new house recently. The house is around 40 years old. It has a central heating system (natural gas furnace). I hear that one should replace the filter regularly (like once a month, or once every 3 months at least). However, I am unable to find where to replace it. I have attached a photo of the furnace area.

The furnace tag reads:
frigiking, inc.
Forced Air Central Furnace. Equipped for natural gas.
Model no. UGI 80D8 E1.

There is a logo too on the furnace which reads Tappan Air Conditioning.

I have two questions:

Does this furnace even require a filter, since I don't see a filter anywhere?
If so, where is the slot where the filter resides? Should the filter be placed behind the vent screen right below the HVAC closet (see photo)?


texts:
Sorry if my terminology is bad, I tried to pick up some of the terms and do some research in the ICC before posing the question here.

I've got a contractor replacing a deck for me and I noticed that he attached the joists to the ledger, then removed the screws and (looks like) pulled out a corner of the frame. This now caused a gap to gradually increase in distance from the ledger to the point where some of the boards now terminate in the hanger just before the hangers can screw into the board.

I understand that the best support for the joists, the wood should be fit as far in as possible. Is this an allowable gap? What should I expect to see in a fix of this is out of code?


texts: What can cause an electric water heater to stop working?

texts:
Last night my electric water heater stopped working and I'd like to figure out whats wrong with it before going off and calling a repair service.

What are some things I can do to troubleshoot this? So far I've:

Did a quick check and it isn't isolated to a single room.
Checked the water heater for leaks, but everything appears normal.
Checked the breaker and it was not tripped. I also flipped it off and back on and that also had no effect.

Update:

I broke out my multi-meter and did some further testing:

I tested the breaker itself. It is working properly.
I tested the heating elements for resistance. Both read ~12/12.5 ohms
No power is going to either element (actually, there is but its < 1v)


texts: Where can I find a key for my old locks?

texts: My house was build in 1938 and the whole house has these door knobs everywhere. I believe they were made by Dexter. Is there a way to ID them properly and, if so, where can I find someone who makes a key for them?


texts: What would you do to quickly troubleshoot a j-type fixture that burns out bulbs every few days?

texts:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DUPXJLI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1  - bulb example
Fixture is just a single overhead ceiling light with plenty of air flow and cover.   I have about 20 of these exact same fixtures across rentals and people love them.   All exact same setup, same bulbs, all on a dimmer.
This particular one was installed about 10 years ago.   I replaced the bulb for the 3rd time over 10 years about 3 months ago.   When these bulbs go out there is usually heavy black marking.    So after I replaced it, boom out in 3 days.   No marking, filament blasted.   Went through this process 4 more times...
Things I have tried...

took cover off to reduce heat
brought in new bulbs
brought in a bulb from working light
used bulbs from same pack in a different fixture at house
checked voltage to light and checked connection at switch

So I am either buying new fixture or trying an LED or fixing.  I am being stubborn about this so I would like to fix it but really have no reason that this thing is burning out so quick.  It seems to be heat related as you can sit there and test the thing out put the dimmer up and down for a half hour and it works fine.
To add on:  The tenants love these lights.   Looks great.   Really warm and bright on dimmer all the way up and almost like a night light all the way down.   This is the first light out of the 20 I have had any issues with.   Honestly I don't think I have ever replaced any bulbs within a year and some in sparsely used rooms have last a good 5 years.


texts: Sump pump running continuously, float switch ok

texts:
I have a sump pump in the crawl space of my house, with a French drain system. Several years ago the pump failed and I replaced it. Yesterday I realized the pump was running continuously - it’s not loud or obvious, but took us a while to realize what the motor sound was. The location is not easy to get to to check it or work on it.

We have had only light rain, and the water level in the pit was below the intake, and everything around it seemed dry.

I unplugged it and plugged it back in and it did not restart. I manually moved the float switch a few times. The pump turned on and off appropriately, and the float mode smoothly with no obstruction.

This afternoon I could again hear the pump running continuously. Since it was easier to access I tripped the GFI in the garage and reset it, the pump again did not restart.

Is there is something I can check or fix without replacing the whole unit?

Edit: The pump is an Everbilt pump and the float switch has the direct-in connection. I believe the float switch has a magnetic sensor, but I can't find the same type of switch. It looks like I might be able to get a replacement tether-type float switch.


texts: Can one cut the interior sill off a vinyl window flush with the wall surface?

texts:
I am wondering if it is possible to cut the protruding part of the window sill here (see picture) such that my wall would be entirely flush. I am looking to fit a bespoke floating desk which would go right against the wall.
What are the risks here? Is the protruding part critical to the window stability?


texts: Kitchen Faucet shuts off both Hot and cold water whenever I try to use both

texts: Kitchen faucet was replaced...now it wont allow both Hot and Cold mix to flow together always shuts off.


texts: I hope this is the right place to ask. I noticed earlier tonight I had a very old can of paint thinner that is now leaking. There isn't very much paint thinner left in it but I went ahead and put it in a bucket and left it out on the balcony - it is cold in my area. I also covered the parts that seemed to be leaking with duct tape. I won't be able to bring it to a hazardous waste drop-off site before Saturday since everything is closed on Jan. 1, so I'm wondering if there is anything else I can do to make sure it is stored safely until I dispose of it? Should I put the can in a Ziploc bag for example?


texts: Can a new water heater cause a Aquatherm heating system to fail?

texts:
I am quite unfamiliar with central heating systems, let alone those that use hot water as the heat source, so please forgive my clumsy attempt to ask this question.

I have a First Co Aquatherm "Combo Heater" that is connected to my tank-type gas water heater.  As I understand it, hot water is piped in from the water heater to the Aquatherm where it passes through some sort of heat exchanger, producing hot air and cool water.

My water heater recently failed and I had it replaced.  The guys doing the install did not check the heating system after they installed the tank; the tech only told me that I might experience some air in our faucets the first time we used the heating system.

The last time I used the heating system (prior to the water heater replacement) everything was working fine - granted this was a few month back in spring.  With the new water heater, we get hot water from the tap, but our heating system blows only ambient air.  I suspect an issue with the water heater install, but my vendor has washed his hands of it and told me that it's probably a problem with something in my heating system.

I've traced the lines from the water heater up through the ceiling to the Aquatherm in the attic, and from what I can tell they have the connections right.  I don't have a way to check that the hot water conduit to the Aquatherm is actually full.  My understanding is that the cold water supply provides the pressure for the hot water outlet; this was sufficient before the tank install, so I would assume it's the same now.

Are there any other mechanisms by which a new water heater can cause a heating system like mine to fail?  Or should I just shell out for maintenance on my heating system?


texts: GFCI outlet issue: downstream tests wired OK but upstream will not reset

texts: I have an issue with a 20A circuit with a GFCI plug.  The GFCI will not reset, no light appears.  I have replaced GFCI, checked line/load to ensure they are correct.  The funny thing is, the plug downstream from the GFCI shows it's wired properly (used 3-prong GFCI tester), but when I plug in the appliance (make-up mirror), the tester shows hot-ground reverse, and the GFCI plug upstream now lights up RED.  GFCI still will not reset, and has no power. This same circuit is tied to other GFCI plugs downstairs, but they are all functioning properly without issue.  I have to think it is just this one GFCI and its downstream partner that is somehow causing this issue.  Thoughts?


texts: Safe wrapping for fiberglass around pipes?

texts: If I wrap pipes with fiberglass for insulation but I'm worried about the health risks of exposed fiberglass, is there something that I could wrap around the fiberglass? If so, what and why?


texts: Problem with Ladylux kitchen faucet sprayer

texts: I have a 14-year old Grohe Ladylux kitchen faucet.  Recently, the spray knob stopped working properly.  Normally when you press and release the knob, the faucet goes to spray mode until you press the release knob.  Now it only stays in spray mode if you continuously hold the spray knob down.  Any ideas on how to fix this?


texts: Should I use clear grain filler on this oak table?

texts:
Currently at the end stages of stripping and refinishing a painted-over vintage oak table. After stripping off several coats of paint and careful sanding it has a nice natural pickled look to it. Would clear grain filler, no stain, and poly work for this project? This is only my second project so any input would be appreciated.

Pictures: https://imgur.com/gallery/7zrSPbO


texts: How do I protect myself from bad contracting jobs?

texts:
I've came cross couple recent bad jobs 1 2 and am dealing with a bad electrical job myself.

Before putting down money and letting the people leave, what resources are available to a consumer to protect themselves (before the fact and after the fact)?


texts: What would be a good material for a portable video projection surface?

texts:
I'm considering picking up a picoprojector as an lcd replacement. I would like to have maybe some frosted plastic as a surface that I can deploy in the absence of a suitable whitewashed wall.

It should be
- frosted/backed by a semitransparent coating to show a picture, optimally from either side (projector on same side as viewer OR on opposite side).
 - cheap (easily replaceable)
 - easy to clean/descratch
 - light

Optimally it should also be amenable to some kind of modification to allow assembly into larger panels.


texts: Does this ceiling joist layout look structurally sound?

texts:
I plan on talking with an architect soon, but wanted feedback from this community too. Please see the attached photo. I'm in Raleigh, NC and am using information from this site (http://www.totalconstructionhelp.com/joists.html) to make the assumptions that the beams used below would work.

My goal would be to have only the center wall being a load bearing interior wall. The biggest question mark I have is the beams which are 3 2x12's with 1/2" play between them to hang the 2x8x16s from. I think the others according to the table should have no problem supporting the ceiling.

So I think I might update it to the following structure. I've not really researched a whole lot, but it seems logical. Here is the new plan. The change is on the left using a similar beam structure as on the right with 12' 2x8's spaced 16"o.c. This takes the middle joists to be a little closer than 24"o.c. I also have the framing for the attic stairs and a vaulted ceiling in the bathroom. What do you think?

And finally here is the roof structure. It is a hip roof with a gable on the front. I had two contractors say that the roof is supporting itself and other than ceiling joists tying the walls together the roof has no other supports to the ceiling or walls in the house.


texts: How do I select a color to paint various rooms in my home? What color guides are best?

texts:
I am prepare to paint my "old" house rooms, to clean it up.

But I do not know how to select a color to paint my bedroom, my baby room, and other living room.

This house did not have too much light because is on base floor surround with buildings and I wish for bright colors that make people relax on bedroom.

Are there any general guides to help me out on this ? Or any sites with ideas or proposals.


texts: Replacing pool light switches with smart switches... is this correct?

texts: I'm trying to replace the switches to my two pool lights with smart switches.  The way it is wired now, the neutral wire bypasses both switches and goes directly to the lights.  The smart switches require a neutral, so I need to reconfigure the wiring a bit.  The switches are located in an outside breaker box that has two double pole breakers (one for the pump and one for the Polaris booster pump), and a single pole breaker connected to a GFI outlet.  The pool lights are wired off of that GFI outlet.  This is how I want to wire it so that the neutral goes to each switch.  Does this look right?


texts: Is it OK to turn off power to a fuel furnace?

texts: Is it OK to turn off the power to a fuel furnace to replace the thermostat? Will the furnace start back up once power is restored? This is on a new furnace with an old thermostat and fuse panel.


texts: How is ground wire handled on 240V outlet?

texts:
I'm in the process of moving 240V outlet. The outlet has three wires connected.
See the image:

In the junction box I can see the ground coming out of the outlet.
See the image:

So where is the ground wire inside the outlet? I'd like to know how this is handled.
Update: for some reason I didn't notice ground attached to the neutral. But it is there

Then I noticed a orange label and found the instruction:

So I wired the stove cord according to the code:

Measured all the connections with the voltmeter and all is now set up correctly. Thanks to everyone!


texts:
I have a hydronic heating system in my house, and I noticed a valve on a pressure gauge on the side of the boiler is extremely corroded (see 3 pictures below).
1) Is there any purpose for this valve other than for removing the pressure gauge?
2) Is this a huge/expensive/messy accident waiting to happen if I don't do something about it? If so, what should be done? I'm a somewhat handy DIYer but don't know much about boilers, is this something better left to an expert?


texts: What are the exact measurements of this pipe thread?

texts:
I would like to 3D print something that fits into this threading:

For that I would need the exact measurements of that thread, but without knowing what the standard is called it's hard to look them up.

Edit: As requested in the comments, I have measured the pitch, it is about 2.3 mm.


texts: 15 meter zinc gutter, flex enough to bend a little (0.5 degree)?

texts:
I have a flat roof, ~ 150 m2. The roof is under a ~ 5 degree slope.

Since the roof is approx 15 meters long (by 10 meters wide), I was thinking to make (on the low side) the high point of the gutter in the center of the wall. Then install the drains on each side (125mm dia).

           drain          CENTER         drain
           (low)          (high)         (low)
             |--- 7500 mm --||-- 7500 mm --|
             |                             |
        (0.5% drop)                   (0.5% drop)

I would like to use zinc gutters (½ round), but I'm a bit concerned how to connect these at the center.

If I buy a long piece of zinc gutter (~ 6-10 meter), would this by itself be flex enough so I can achieve a 0.5% drop/pitch? Or would I need to solder two parts in the center under an angle?

Thanks!


texts: Will a furnace drawing combustion air from my basement improve circulation throughout the house?

texts: We need to replace our propane furnace.  One contractor said he needs to replace our existing 2 inch external PVC pipe with a new 3 inch one (requiring drywall work).  Another says they can use a non-direct vent setup using inside air.  I've read other posts about pros and cons but one thing that wasn't mentioned is whether the non-direct will suck all the warm air from upstairs down into the basement.  My house is a mix of 100+ year old and modern and the heating is very uneven from room to room.  Will non-direct make that better or worse?


texts:
I have a deck with vinyl posts, and 5"x5" vinyl caps on the posts.  I'm looking at how I can affix them to the posts so they don't blow off.  I found a "Vinyl Fence Glue" listed at both Home Depot and Lowe's websites, but they are listed as online-only.  Amazon has something similar but it is not in stock.

Am I just looking for anything labeled as a "vinyl adhesive"?  Since it's going to be outside facing the weather, should I be aware of any qualities to avoid in an adhesive?  Would something like Gorilla Glue work?  Most "vinyl adhesive" searches end up with a bunch of the canned stuff you brush on but I think I'm looking for some sort of tubed type of adhesive.


texts:
In all the youtube videos I see, dryers are connected to dryer vents via flexible hose. One end is clamped to the dryer and the other is attached to a plug that fits into the vent

I bought a vent kit and actually installed it inline with the dryers vent hole.

So I have 100mm diameter metal pipe from the vent kit installed in the wall. Length of the pipe through the wall is probably 160mm

The outside has the supplied gravity louvre in place

Back to the inside:

I put a foam rubber ring (from the kit) over the hole as a spacer

Then I put in a small metal sleeve (from the kit) that fit inside the vent pipe, but then flares / flanges outwards so that there is a round face parallel with the wall

Then I put another ring of foam rubber on that flange

Then I pushed the dryer up tight to that. There's not a lot of room in our laundry so having it tight against the wall is just giving us a bit more room.

I turned it on and the louvres on the outside were definitely opening up as the warm air came through. I couldn't fell any heat coming up from the back

The connection between the vent and the dryer actually looks pretty tight. The distance from the dryer to the wall is about 20mm

I live in a timber home so I'm a bit concerned about fire hazards

Is it a problem having a dryer that close to the wall? (if it is being vented properly)
Is there a better way to "inline" a dryer vent with a vent in the wall? Maybe I could trim down the supplied flexible hose
With dryers, are fire hazards more from lint catching on fire or from dryers getting really hot in a confined space?

At this stage I'm going to inspect after every run to see how it goes


texts: How can I fix railings that lack newel posts?

texts:
In my new house these two rails:

are wobbly and feel unsafe. It seems to me that whatever I do to the existing pieces, they're always going to be rather unsafe—they're low (less than 3 feet high) and will always have a tendency to get wobbly rapidly, due to the one-ended way they're attached and the small area that's contacting the walls. .

I'd like to replace them with something sturdier—ideally something to which I'll then be able to attach a top-of-stairs baby gate.

My first problem is that I've been unable to even search for replacement items, because I'm at a loss for how to describe these top-of-stairs-sawn-off-stairwell-side-rail-ettes.  Can anyone tell me what they're called, point me in the right direction to shop for replacements, and/or supply any further advice on how to construct something better in the limited space available?


texts: Wiring dimmer in box were hot wires are joined

texts:
I want to replace a light switch in my home with a dimmer.
Each switch has one wire going into the wall and the other pigtailed with the corresponding wire from the other switch.
I am testing with the lights off.
I want to figure out which is the hot and which is the load wires before removing the old switch.
I have never used a multi-meter with AC power and the one I have is not very fancy. When I test the 2 terminals on the current switch, I get around 105 V (I guess there is something wrong with how I am making contact). When I reverse the leads, I still get the same value, not the negative.
I wanted to make sure the box is properly grounded. I thought that the single wire going into the wall was the hot; but there is no voltage difference between that wire and the box. There is a difference of 120 V between the pigtailed wires and the box. Again there is no difference when reversing the leads.
Are these pig-tailed wires hot and the single wires load?
The wiring diagram from the dimmer's instructions:

The wall box has 2 light switches in it:


texts:
The second floor of my house is not to level. The walls are, everything is straight but the floor has a slight pitch.

I'm about to remove the current glued vinyl tiles and replace it with a regular vinyl flooring and I want to know if I can correct this.


texts: How to fix small holes/separation in caulk around bathtub?

texts:
I'm sure this is a relatively simple task but I've never done it before and want to make sure I get it right. There are some holes/separation appearing in the caulk between the bathtub and the wall around it. Here is a picture:

What would be the most appropriate way to fix this? Can I "patch" the holes with caulk or do I really need to remove what's there now and reapply? What type of caulk do I need? How do I make sure there is not moisture being sealed in? Also, what is the name of this type of material covering the wall around the inside of the tub/shower area? It feels thin and kind of plastic-y. I tried to describe it to someone and realized that I do not know what it's called.


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My furnace pilot light keeps going out so I changed the thermocouple. Now the furnace will come on and heat up to the degree set on my thermostat, then the pilot light will go out and the furnace will not come back on.

Could the thermostat be bad and cause the pilot light to go out?


texts:
I replaced a standard single pole switch with an Intermatic ST01 timer switch, into a metal electrical box with three other switches. The switch I was replacing had no ground connection, but some of the others do.

When installing the timer switch, I attached the green ground wire from the switch to a screw at the back of the electrical box. This is my first time doing this, so I wanted to find out if this is properly/safely grounded, or if I missed something.


texts: How can I prevent my HVAC condensate drain line from freezing?

texts:
Last night, my heat (forced air) suddenly stopped.  Today, a plumber figured out that my heater is 90% efficient, produces lots of condensate, and the drain line had frozen.  We went outside and saw the drain line was about 2 feet long of 2" PVC, mounted vertically about 6 inches off the ground.  He sawed off the bottom 9 inches which had frozen, the water trickled out, and the heater started working again.

Problem solved for today... but it may freeze again, soon.  So the question is: How to fix it?

The plumber recommended rerouting the drain to use the sewer vent, despite it being against code.  But I don't want to do that.  To me, it would make more sense to insulate, heat, shorten, or widen the drain pipe so that it doesn't freeze.  It's only a trickle of water.

I'm a beginner here.  Here are my ideas.  What do you think of them?

Shorten the pipe outside, so that there's less area exposed
Widen the pipe at the end - if the ice starts at the end, from the drip, expanding it to 4" might work
Insulate or heat the pipe using heat tape or something like that (which I don't know anything about)
Something else?

Also:

Do I need to do anything to the part of the drain that's inside? The system is is my (unconditioned, tiny) attic
Is there a way to run the system in emergency mode, so that we're not all shivering, until we fix it? I read about this online but don't know how to do it

UPDATE:

I live in Central New Jersey.  The winter can get its cold spell, but nothing beyond that.
We ended up cutting off the entire run of the outside pipe.  Now there's only a spout facing directly down.  The spout is about 3 feet off the ground.
Do I have to worry about the water damaging things? The water trickles down my siding now.  It's near an external AC unit and a window well for the basement window, but it doesn't hit either one of those.  If I make it a bit longer, it will come closer to those, unless I make it much longer
Someone told me that the condensate isn't regular water, but is corrosive.  Is that true?
I have an in-house humidifier.  I shut it off for now, because I thought it would make the condensate worse.  Is that true? Can I turn it back on?

Finally I'm really a real beginner at DIY.  If I should a section of (wide?) pipe (with insulation) to it, can you recommend specific products and give me links?


texts: Untreated pine wood - do I really need to treat it? (indoor usage)

texts:
I have a piece of furniture which is made from raw pine wood. It has relatively fine
sanded surface and I like that it is not sealed or stained.
What if I just leave it so, i.e. do not apply any seal or paint, what will happen with years with the wood?
Assume following conditions and requirements:

there is no direct sun light;
only indoor usage;
no heavy oscillating mechanical load;
it will not be exposed to extreme temperatures or humidity or liquids;
I do not need to preserve its look for many years and a bit of natural darkening is totally OK.

As I know, a 'commonplace' advice is to cover the wood with shellac or similar substance,
but I think  that it will not give much or any improvement to mechanical quality of the surface.
Because in my experience such coatings on soft woods result in a sticky surface (= ruining the surface).
As I understand, to achieve good hard surface I will need mechanical scraping and then several layers of special coat
or lacquer that turns into very hard surface - but I am not going to invest so much effort and materials in it anyway,
and I like the look and tactile feel of natural wood.

Questions:

Given the above mentioned conditions, will it be right to say that the wooden pieces will preserve fine
without seal or any kind of paint, let's say in 20 or 30 years or so? What can go bad most probably?
If possible, please suggest a not-so-complicated method to harden the surface without toxic chemicals and paints.


texts: Is it possible to recharge a dehumidifier

texts:
I have an old Santa Fe dehumidifier capable of removing 110 pints of water per day. It has recently stopped working and the company diagnosed it over the phone as being low on R22. But they wouldn't tell me whether it can be recharged.

Generally speaking, is it possible for a diyer to recharge a stand-alone dehumidifier the same way one recharges their car cooling system?


texts: Is it okay to use silicone sealant on plexiglass?

texts:
I've installed an air conditioner in a large horizontal sliding window, and I've used plexiglass to block off the space above the unit. I'd now like to seal the edges of the plexiglass pane to prevent air leakage.

I've bought a tube of silicone sealant to do this, but I've just noticed that the instructions say not to use it with plastic.  ("Adheres to: wood, glass, metal, vinyl, aluminum. [...]  Do not apply on plastics.")

The A/C unit is made of plastic, as is the plexiglass (I assume). Is this a problem? Should I not use this sealant around the edges of the plexiglass pane and the A/C unit?  If not, why not?  Why is the warning there?


texts: Can I install a modern light fixture on this box?

texts:
My 1950s house has several old fixtures, but only one like this. There is a metal plate flush with the ceiling. It has holes that look similar to a regular light fixture mounting plate. Can I use those holes and the existing wires to install a new fixture, or do I need to replace everything with a new box?

I got the cover off and there is a box up there. It looks like the awesome textured ceiling was put over the old plaster, and then the light fixture was cut in to sit flush. I'm thinking to do this properly, I'd need to put in a new, deeper box and then patch up the ceiling.


texts: What is the purpose of this piece of a toilet fill valve?

texts:
I was replacing a toilet fill valve last night, and after it was all done, I noticed the following item sitting in the basin I had placed underneath:

It looks unused, so I'm assuming it fell out of the new fill valve, but I can't figure out what it is. Presumably it's some kind of aerator, but why would a fill valve need one? Everything seems to be working fine without it. Can someone here identify what this thing is?


texts: Can I run heat tape on my water pipe behind drywall without hardwiring?

texts:
In removing the ceiling tiles in renovating our basement, it came to my attention that the first 5 feet or so on water supply line has heat tape on it. While we've had no problems with it freezing (knock on wood), the pipe extends for a while at the same distance from the exterior wall, with the same amount of insulation. My theory is the previous owner added the short amount of heat tape as that is what could be reached without tearing up the ceiling. Since it's the pipe is easily accessible now, I'd like to do the entire run, just to be safe.

I was looking at the FrostKing Heat Cable Kits, and their FAQ states not to do it behind drywall without hardwiring. Before reading this, my thought had been to run a longer heat tape (approximately 30 feet), plugging into the same GFCI outlet the heat tape uses now. Would this be OK since the plug itself would be easily accessible? Or should hard wiring be done? If so, any recommendations on tips/tricks, or products? I have no attachment to using the FrostKing heat cable kits, so other suggestions are welcome. I've contacted FrostKin, but I have  not heard back yet.


texts: Barn doors that angle into the entry way

texts: I have just installed barn doors into a livingroom entry. (approx 6ft opening) It is 2 doors on a single track with offset. The issue I'm having is the doors are angling INTO the entryway. There is sufficient wall clearance at the top of the doors but the bottom of the doors are rubbing at the bottom of the wall. Any ideas how to fix this problem?


texts:
I am installing an Ecobee3 and have found that, while the common wire exists, it is not connect to the furnace. The wiring schematic for my specific furnace can be found in this PDF

There is no control board on this furnace so identifying the connections aren't as simple as they could be.

On my furnace, the current wiring is as follows:

The 3 white wires from the low voltage field connection are joined with the single white wire going to thermostat.
The green wire is connect to green going to thermostat.
The red wire is connected to red going to thermostat.
The blue wire is connected to yellow wire going to thermostat.

Here is a picture of the current wiring.

Do I connected the unused blue wire going to the thermostat, to the blue wire coming from the furnace? If so, what do I do with the yellow wire? Do I join all 3?


texts: Help with 2 Dimmer Switches and bad wiring

texts:
Two dimmers in one "box", each going to a separate room. One set of lights started to flicker, so I figured I needed to replace the switch. I've done dimmers before. But when I opened the box, whoever wired it had one wire screwed in, which I assume is the hot wire, but 3 other wires braided together and stuck into one pole.

Why would they do that?

Now I have a 3 way switch. How should I go about fixing it? Also, all 3 wires are black so that's frustrating. Thanks, sorry if I'm not using correct verbiage.


texts: Is wrapping Roxul around hot water tank pipe a fire hazard?

texts:
I have heard Roxul is safe and non-combustible, I need to wrap something around the vertical hot water tank piping leading up to the attic. This pipe can be seen in the basement ceiling and there is space around this pipe I want to use two layers of Roxul material to wrap around.

Could this become a fire hazard somehow by trapping the heat and causing nearby wood to ignite?


texts: Do I need a floor drain for the water heater in my townhome?

texts:
I’m looking at replacing an 11-year-old water heater as the hot water has become extremely discolored recently. I have flushed it twice in five years (I know, not enough) and could never remove the anode rod to check it, much less replace. A failed expansion tank also had to be replaced once it was determined that the pressure regulator had also failed (85 psi at the washing machine).
This is in a townhome on a slab that was built in 2000, and it does not appear to have any type of floor drain in the laundry room where the heater is located. The AC in a neighboring closet has a condensate pump. I have searched images of neighboring homes on real estate websites, and it doesn’t look like any of those homes have floor drains either. The current water heater was replaced around 2010 and - based on the (poorly) replaced flooring in the laundry room - probably experienced some type of leak. I want to replace this one before the same thing happens as the damages would be significant for myself and the neighbor.
However, I can’t determine what to do about a drain. I was already planning to replace the stand with one that is the proper height and add a drain pan beneath the heater. Is it required to add a drain to bring it up to code (Raleigh, NC)? How am I expected to do that when the home is on a slab? I have only come up with two options:

drain the pan to a small basin beneath the heater and pump to the laundry drain
add a PVC drain line behind the washer and dryer and gravity drain through the exterior wall

I don’t know if either option is allowed. Option 1 is the easiest, but there is also some risk if there is a power or pump failure, or if the pump can keep up with the leak. Still, it’s better than nothing. For Option 2, I’m not sure if any code would prevent adding a drain line on the inside of a wall running behind appliances. I’d also rather not drill a hole in a brick exterior wall where the utilities are located. It would also be next to the dryer vent and would drain onto a concrete slab and downhill into an adjoining neighbor’s backyard. Of course this is only for an emergency, but I don’t want to create a bigger problem in the process. How do homebuilders get away with stuff like this?
Does anyone see any other issues that I could potentially face with the heater replacement? I was considering going with corrugated flex lines on the inlet and outlet since it will be such a short transition to the PEX. I believe there is supposed to be 18” of line between the heater and PEX. The additional height from the stand will make things a bit tight. I know the expansion tank will have to be mounted to the wall if I go that route.


texts: How to address gaps between underlayment and drywall before waterproofing?

texts: There's a small, maybe 1/2 inch, gap between my concrete backerboard underlayment and the bottom of my drywall. I want to install Ditra waterproofing  (mat plus Kerdi seal tape). For waterproofing the outside perimeter, I'm supposed to apply thinset to the floor and wall 2 inches in each direction, and then stick on the Kerdi tape. However, how do I deal with this vertical gap between underlayment and drywall bottom? Would it be silly to fill it with drywall compound and mimic the drywall panel being flush with the underlayment? Should I leave it alone as it will be covered up by baseboard later?


texts: Line to GRN or Neutral to GRN blowing my GFCI?

texts:
I just helped my friend change an outlet in the garage of a home he just moved into.  The outlet was an old duplex that I replaced for a GFCI.  The installation went fine, outlet tested properly and we used it to power several power tools and shop lights around the garage.  The problems started when we went to plug in the post lamp that is located in a garden bed right next to the garage door and has a 12/2 direct burial conductor running from the post through a hole in the floor.  The previous owner put a two prong non-grounded connector (I know, going to change that) on the end of the conductor.  Now when we plug in the lamp it comes on, no issues except for the fact that after being on for about 10-15secs the GFCI cuts out.  If we unplug the lamp, the outlet will reset and remain on until we plug in the lamp again.  I didn't have my multi meter on me so I couldn't check but from what I described.  Being that there wasn't a ground on the lamp connection...Would you assume the connection somewhere between the connector and the post lamp is having a:

Line to ground short (going to GRN at the post or in the earth) where its causing an imbalance on the return (neutral) which would explain the delay in the GFCI turning off?
Neutral to ground with a similar situation as the above scenario?

If so would doing a resistance check with my DVOM figure that out?  Any other ideas?  Thanks


texts: Should porch roof pitch always match house roof pitch?

texts:
This is question about design standards.

I want to build a small patio roof over a side door to our house, which happens to be the main door we use.

I wanted a gabled roof but realized it would only be able to be 8-9 ft wide or less if I were to match the house roof pitch, so I switched to a lean-to style design. That would give me the 12ft wide by 10-12 ft extension that I want, but I would need to go with a 0.5/12 pitch in order to avoid blocking too much of the view.

Now I'm back to considering a gabled roof but at a different pitch from the main house roof. That way I can get even more coverage, 14-16 ft and extend out as far as I want, say 12-14ft. This way I get both the coverage and the visibility I want.

Question: Is this an extremely non-standard design?

See Diagram below.

In NE Arkansas. We do get snow, but it usually melts away within a day or so, as 3 storms of 3-4 inches each. Plenty of rain though.


texts: How to replace this weird faucet aerator?

texts: I'm trying to remove my aerator but it doesn't seem like the standard one that you can unscrew it with a delta key or a wretch. I guess the issue is because the water pipe is attached to the aerator as in the first picture. Any advice on how I can get rid of this bad boy?


texts: I ran about 90 feet of direct burial 14/2 wire from an existing breaker box from a 20 amp breaker to my new breaker box also 20 amp. I had everything done but now it is tripping the breaker in the new shed and the original breaker box. It was told it was from a voltage drop because the wire is not long enough. Is there anyway to correct this without running new wire and digging everything up? I also have the option to run the original line out from a 220 breaker but don't know if that will fix it or if I need to add some form of voltage converter to the breaker so I run the additional plugs with out burning them up or causing damage. Any suggestions would be appreciated.


texts: How do I design a 100 mm thick barrier that maximizes thermal and acoustic insulation?

texts:
I need to design a thermal and sound barrier - walls of a cuboid-shaped space. Imagine it is a free-standing bike shed in the fields. The walls can not be thicker then about 100 mm (4 inches). The most-internal layer of the wall will be a 2 mm (0.08 in) thick sheet of stainless steel. The most-outer layer of the wall will be a 1 mm (0.04 in) thick sheet of aluminum (fully exposed to weather).

Now, can you suggest what should I put between these two sheets of metal, to achieve the following properties:

R-value (thermal resistance) of the walls of at least 2.64 K·m²/W, that is in US units R-15 (15.0 h·ft²·°F/Btu)
noise reduction of 50 dB - Sound Transmission Class: STC 50

Are such properties possible to achieve in a 10 cm (4 inch) space wall between two sheets of metal? If not, what are the best possible properties to achieve in that thickness, with the budget of about 70 EUR/m² or 10 USD/ft²?

I have read about materials such as polyisocyanurate (PIR) for thermal insulation and QuietRock 545 for sound (is it available in Europe?), but maybe there are materials which offer thermal and sound insulation combined, with more efficient use of the limited thickness?

Please suggest materials to put inside the wall between the two sheets of metal, preferably materials possible to purchase in Europe. Do I also need to worry about a vapor-barrier in such application (free-standing bike shed with steel walls)?


texts: Over the weekend I built a playhouse for my kids in the back yard using pressure treated lumber.  As I was cleaning up I realized that my lawn was covered in chemical laden sawdust.  Has anyone here had experience with this?  Is it a problem and if so is there a solution?


texts:
Every time I shut my door to go in or out of the house the door frame moves. Also where the door locks it wont completely shut all the way. Which is hard to go out places, without worrying someone will get in. So I guess my questions here are:
1.) How to fix the loose door frame where it is loose? Would I be able to use long nails and hammer it in more?
2.)How would I fix the locking part of the door?(I have bought a new door handle thing.)
I am on a tight budget so what would I be able to use around the house you is very cheep to get.


texts:
zanussi zev6240fba, one of hob won't heat up even it reaches 9
any idea to fix it?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YofMpdFk0M


texts: How can I remove a fireplace insert without damaging the surrounding wall?

texts:
I have a fireplace (factory-built) that requires replacement. It is in an interial wall in the house. How do I detach the flue, detach the gas line and remove the existing fireplace? Is it possible to remove the fireplace from the wall through the living room, and is it possible to put a new fireplace in through the living room, or must I remove and replace the fireplace through the attic space?

(See my comment below)

From the attic, the fireplace looks like this:

From inside the living room, the fireplace resembles this:


texts: Do I need to install aerial wall outlets or is there a wireless solution?

texts:
Just bought a new house and realized that everything is great but there's only one aerial socket (rooftop antenna coax connector) and it's on the opposite side of the living room where I want the TV.

I also want a TV in the kitchen and probably some in the bedrooms:  basically, I'd like to be able to put a TV wherever I want conveniently.

So I'm wondering if I need to hire an electrician to install aerial socket outlets in each of the rooms or is there some sort of device I can get to plug into the aerial socket I have now which will increase the TV signal, similar to a wifi repeater or something and then other TVs in the home can use portable antennas.


texts:
I'm just beginning a basement finishing project, so I expect this is my first of many posts.

Right now I'm wondering about whether it would be worthwhile to add insulation to my rim joists. I live in Minnesota and the rim joists that I have are an engineered product that has a layer of foam insulation in the middle--rated R-8. My question is whether I can get away with just throwing in some extra fiberglass batting. I know this is generally not a good idea for the rim joist area, but I thought since there's already foam insulation that that would mean that I already have a pretty good air seal in place. Would the warning against using batting in this scenario still apply? I want to use batting because it seems like it would be quite a bit easier than the alternatives (except the alternative of doing nothing).


texts: What could be causing rippling and staining in a hardwood floor?

texts: Since the start 11 years ago there has been a problem with staining and rippling in our kitchens flooring. Just one area. It was repaired three times early on and lasted about seven years, then just before our ten years was up the builder had us replace it again. It has been tested for water and gas leaks to no avail. The last repair lasted only about 10 months. I want new flooring but can't proceed without discovering the culprit. Do you think I need to hire an engineer to come and diagnose the problem?


texts: How to use Ideal 92-650 F connectors on RG-6 quad shield cable?

texts:
I bought a 50 pack of Ideal 92-650 compression F connectors. They're advertised to work on RG-6 and RG-6 Quad Shield cable. However, as I and other reviewers found, it's very difficult to push these connectors onto quad shield cable (normal RG-6 and tri-shield cable is OK).

When I do get them on, sometimes I've crumpled the foil shield in the process. Others have had problems with this as well. Does anyone have any tips for working with this connector or others that are too tight for RG-6Q?


texts: How to arrest Cat6 cables from falling inside the wall?

texts:
I successfully drilled through floors (see this), pulled Cat6 cables and terminated them with keystones. I tested everything  and now am ready to finish the installation by installing wall plates
I want to put some kind of stopper on the cables, so that they don't slide down with their own weight.  Initially I thought of making a single loose knot (~2") with the whole bunch, but not sure if this may be detrimental to signal quality.
What do you guys recommend?
(somewhat old photo):

(almost finished):


texts: Do I need ductwork for a through-wall exhaust fan?

texts: We have a small wine fridge beneath our counter that was having temperature problems because there was no ventilation to allow the heat to exhaust. The other side of the wall behind the fridge is a half bath, so our solution was to cut a hole in the wall and mount a fan which would blow the hot air out into the bathroom (pictures attached) - so far it seems to be working great! My one hesitancy is that in the 5 inches between the fan and the vent, there's no duct work, just open wall, so there's a good chance some hot air is just going into the wall. Is this a problem?


texts:
Looking to hookup a wifi (smart) thermostat that requires common constant low voltage power.  The hookup of the old thermostat didn't use the blue wire as it was shoved into the wall but I traced it up to the air handler.

Below is the electrical diagram as well as an image of what I've already done.

The blue wire wasn't connected to anything in the air handler.  I used the wire nut that was there already being used for a thick and thin blue.  That is what I did to my other one in the house and it worked.  This one did not.

I've written some notes on my 2nd picture circling the "c" wire that goes to the thermostat, how I plugged it into the wire nut, and then showing a trace of that thick blue wire and where it goes with a zoom of where it goes.  It mounts to the metal with a screw as a ground.  This did not work as the thermostat didn't light up.

I believe that in my 2nd photo the ORANGE arrow is where I am really suppose to tap into (blue coming off of the circuit board).  I don't want to do anything without a little bit more confidence though.

Any help or suggestions is much appreciated.

UPDATE:  I've now updated wires.  I'm only referring to BLUE wires, but I use overlay color to describe.

A - Green
B - Pink
C - Orange
D - Turquoise


texts: Can I (should I) do anything about these open PVC exhaust pipes in regards to rain or pests

texts:
I moved into my current home recently and noticed these exhaust pipes are open.
Do I have to worry about rodents or insects getting in?
Can I improvise a makeshift screen with some additional PVC pipe or would that be out of code?
Additionally, should I be concerned about rain water on the center exhaust? It may be very little, but I imagine some getting in isn't great?
I was thinking of (again) improving a rain cover to prevent any water from dripping in.


texts: Was it standard practice in decades past to connect hot conductors with crimp devices?

texts:
Yesterday, the modem and desk lamp in my home office started flashing.  I thought the power strip was failing.  When I touched the outlet to unplug the power strip, the outlet was hot to touch!!!

I immediately shut the power off and upon examination of the outlet, a copper crimp had been used to pigtail off two black wires.  The insulation on the wires and electrical tape had melted and the crimp fell to the floor when I removed the outlet.

This is the second time this has happened.  We were fortunate to find this before major damage. The first time I had an electrician inspect the first incident and he made the repair.  This one, I rewired with wire nuts and electrical tape.  Now I plan to inspect EVERY outlet to remove these crimps.

Question:

House was built in 1978 in central CA.  Was this normal procedure back then?  If so, with new technology and gadgets, is that causing the failure of the crimps.  Thank you.  Bk.


texts: Our tile flooring cracked and I am wondering what the best method is to repair it without actually repairing the whole tile?


texts: How to fix A0 error code of a Daikin split system air conditioner

texts:
When I tried to turn on my split system AC today, the indicator light just kept blinking and the air conditioning was not on.

Here is the error code as displayed on the remote

According to what I found on Daikin, the Error conditions decision is When an open circuit occurs between external input terminals with the remote controller set to
"external ON/OFF terminal".

I have no idea what it means.

I suspect it is related to some recent severe storms in my local area (Sydney, Australia).

I tried to switch the circuit breakers on and off but it has no effect (Blue ones in the following picture)

Would it help if I toggle the main isolator? I do not know how to toggle the switch though.

The model no of the unit is: FTXS35GVMA.


texts: I had a builder install some lights and also an electrical socket. He used a junction box to do this from the loft lights as it was easy access. However, the hoover and hair dryer is causing this now to trip. I was wondering what may cause this and if there is a better solution.


texts: Is it ok to have a french drain right against a house?

texts:
My landscaper is suggesting installing a french drain right against the foundation to collect and drain water (I originally proposed just grading and possibly adding pond liner) but he thinks water will collect under it anyways.

Is there a risk this will have more water sitting against the foundation or is this common enough?


texts: How can I transition between these floors at differing levels?

texts: I need some ideas for the transition trim. I don't want it too tall. I have kids and don't want them to trip over it.


texts: Heat Pump - emergency electric strips - how controlled?

texts:
I have a recently installed combination of a Goodman electric package unit, and an ecobee smart thermostat.

This morning with the outdoor temp at 36, I was surprised when I peered out the window and saw that my compressor fan was not running (which told me my house was being heated by the electric heat strips in the unit rather than the compressor).

I was surprised because the thermostat was set up to only run the heat strips if the outdoor temp was below 35, and the stat itself was claiming an outdoor temp of 36.

Now I am wondering if the goodman package unit has a thermostat of it's own that switches over to electric heat strip at a certain temp.

Since mid to upper 30's is such a common overnight temp around here during the winter, this could make a big difference in my power usage.  Just a few degrees one way or the other would change the percentage of my heating that was with the heat pump by a large margin.

I did some googling and can't find any detailed technical info about Goodman products on line.  Just very basic stuff.  They don't provide ANY tech support to customers, only through dealers.  argh.


texts: Can a receptacle be added to a lamppost?

texts:
I'm adding a post and a post-mounted light fixture in the backyard. Some posts have an outlet at the bottom, but they appear to always have a "decorative ladder rest" (with plastic golden balls!) that is an eyesore. Is it possible to add a receptacle to a plain post?

The plan is to use this light, which fits on a 3" post.


texts: Does a painted side of a glass cover for a fluorescent light go towards or away from the light?

texts: In my building, there are ceiling and wall fixtures that use fluorescent bulbs.  The cover of them is just a sheet of glass and there is a large square in the middle that is painted white.  My question is, does the painted side go toward the bulbs or is the painted side supposed to be pointed toward the outside, away from the bulbs?


texts:
I have a junction box where wires from 3 electric cables are connected together:

Is there a way I can hook up a light fixture to this box? The fixture looks like this:


texts: Do I have to hardwire my electric garage heater, or can I use an existing 240V receptacle?

texts: I just purchased a 17000BTU heater for my garage. The instructions say to hard wire it with 10/3 and 30amp breakers, 240 volt. The company says the warranty is void unless it is hard wired. I have an existing 240V/40amp outlet for my welder. Are there any safety issues with using my existing outlet?


texts: Dripping sound in wall after toilet fills

texts: I just had a new toilet installed. When I flush toilet and the tank fills and fill valve shuts the water off, I hear a dripping sound in the wall for about 15 to 20 seconds. Then it stops until I flush the toilet again and it repeats.


texts:
I am currently (slowly) re-modeling a small bathroom (about 32 sq/ft) and I have small problem with the shower curtain rod.  The space is small, and one of the walls that the shower curtain rod would mount to has a piece of window trim.  Currently there is an adjustable rod that is fit between the two walls, and it works, but its ugly.

I am looking for possible suggestions for a shower curtain rod installation, perhaps hanging from the wall above where the rod is currently installed.  See the pictures below for a better idea of what I'm talking about.

Also, I was looking at Ceiling Shower Rod which looks decent.  I'm not sure if this is the best solution though.


texts: Line loses power when light bulb is put in

texts:
My wife's cousin keeps losing power to her bathroom lights and fan. It will be out for a week or so, then come back on for a day to a week, then go back out.
I went over and checked the line at the switch, the lights, and the fan. The readings were good (120v-124v) without any bulbs in (she had removed them before I came over). Since I had a good reading in the bathroom, I checked the breaker. The breaker is a 2-pole 15 amp WR and had a good reading as well (123v), but one of the wires was broken and away from the breaker. I reconnected it and retested, everything was checking out.
Now, for the weird part that is beyond my basic comprehension. After fixing the breaker, I checked the power in the bathroom and it was still reading fine, but when I put a light bulb back in either of the two light fixtures, it drops to 4v, but does not trip the breaker. When I unscrew the bulb, the power goes back up to 120ish volts.
I changed out the breaker and retested. 123v without a light bulb, yet still drops to 4v once a light bulb is plugged in.
What can be causing this?


texts: Should the wiring to my recessed light have a strain relief and a ground wire connected?

texts:
I had this can light installed by a contractor.
It was not attached to anything, just resting on top of a hole in the ceiling. The cable is not entering through the plastic grommets. There are no ground wires coming out of the cable. The ground wire in the box is attached to nothing.There was no cover over the junction box and the paper instructions are still inside the box.

Is this as messed up as it looks? The contractor doesn’t reply to my messages.


texts: Changing gloss marble finish to honed finish

texts:
How can I tone down the gloss of a small marble countertop. It is currently high gloss, and I would like to reduce it to what is usually called a honed finish.

My inclination is to use wet emery cloth with an orbital sander. Or maybe just by hand using small circular motions to avoid lines.


texts: How can I prevent a ceiling fan light kit from wobbling?

texts: I have a ceiling fan with a single light bulb attachment below the fan.  This light bulb socket is loose and wiggles on the unit.  Sometimes I can get the light bulb inserted in the socket in a certain way and it works okay.  Other times I cannot get the bulb to work at all.  Any I don't want to spend a fortune on just fixing this socket.


texts: Just purchased a new house and found a splintered sub floor under neath our kitchen. Anyone see anything like this?  Is it a problem that should be addressed immediately?


texts: What is the procedure for restarting a drilled well?

texts:
Drilled well hasn't been used in 15 years. I turned pump on 2 years ago by mistake and a bit of water came out of the black PE pipe. I figure at least the water in the well is stale and I should drain a few times.

Well is 138 feet from top of casing, 128.76 Gal of water in well, pump is 10 feet from bottom of well and water is 50 feet from top of casing.  Put in 1998, stopped use 2004.


texts: How do I replace the LED bulb in this ceiling light?

texts:
I'm moving out of my flat next week and yesterday (!). This ceiling light went on the blink.
I've managed to get it out of the ceiling but now I'm stuck. It won't come out any further and I've tried turning the silver bezel with no luck, the glass doesn't move either.
Beginning to suspect the entire thing is an 'integrated fixture'. Online research says these things should last 20,000 hours...but the flat is only 5 years old.
Edit: I am in the UK.
2nd Edit: to be clear, I don't want to replace the entire fixture if I can avoid it, just the LED bulb which is housed in the fixture (I am assuming that is what is faulty, it is flickering so I know there is power). Problem is I don't know how to get the bulb out of the housing. The silver bezel doesn't appear to rotate (under reasonable force). There is a pane of glass about 1 inch below the bulb and flush with the bezel which doesn't appear to rotate either. Also, I can't find any switches, latches or knobs on the black part of the housing which will cause the front part to open and let me get at the bulb.
Finally, the top of the black part of the fixture appears to have some sort of protuberances which prevent it from being pulled out of the ceiling. I am baffled as to how they got it through the hole, to be frank.
I was hoping that someone would be familiar with this sort of fixture and could point me to the solution. I am nervous about applying larger amounts of force to try and remove the bezel. I don't want to break anything at this stage given I am moving out next week (and COVID lockdown means it will be difficult to find someone to repair it).


texts: Please help me identify which shower set do I need to get to replace it. Thanks.


texts: Dedicated 240v 30A Circuit Switched for A/C and NEMA 14-30

texts:
I have a dedicated 240 volt circuit that's hard wired into my air conditioning unit.  The circuit has a 30 amp breaker at the main box and another 30 amp breaker on the wall next to my air conditioner.  Since the main breaker box is on the opposite side of the house from the garage, another run would be price preclusive.  Instead, I am considering the install of a switch (e.g. DPDT Center-Off) like the Leviton 1288:

https://www.leviton.com/en/docs/PK-93107-10-02-0D-W.pdf
(see figure 3)

The goal is to keep the circuit dedicated - regardless of which load it is directed to (i.e. air conditioner OR NEMA 14-30).  The NEMA 14-30 would be used in the garage for charging an electric vehicle.  The air conditioning unit is outside (just on the other side of the wall).

Two questions:

Does this use case violate NEC code?
Is DPDT a reasonable choice for this use case?

Another answer in the forum (slightly different question) stated that it is 'more elegant' to switch the Neutral wire (since it too is a conductor).  I have not been able to locate a wiring diagram depicting Neutral with a DPDT.  What's the scoop?


texts: Why is my Central Heating taking so long to heat up?

texts:
I'm in the UK with a small modern, well insulated, double glazed home heated by a traditional gas boiler.

My heating had been achieving room stat temperature within 30 minutes but is now taking at least 3hours.  After the boiler has run continually for about 2hours I think it probably cuts out on the boiler stat (ie it is not up to temperature on the room stat - also confirmed with seperate thermometer).  It switches off for a few minutes and then comes back on again and continually cycles the boiler on and off for at least another hour before the room stat temperature is reached.  I have monitored the rise in temperature closely this morning and find that the inside temperature does not even keep up with the rise in the external temperature!

If I only run the "hot water" part of the system (ie no central heating) the hot water gets to temp within about 45minutes.  The problem appears to only be with the central heating side of the system.

New room & boiler stat have been fitted.  The pump "sounds" to be running fine and all radiators are uniformly hot across their entire surface.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what the problem might be please?


texts: Can I use cement backer board as a subfloor?

texts: Would it be correct to tack HardieBacker to the floor joists directly or is it necessary to lay exterior plywood when renovating/installing a new bath floor? my home is 140 years old and the floor joists are massive. My fear is that the plywood will attract termites as I have had issues with them attracted and devouring new wood used in the house and they have cost me thousands in damages.  The old wood is generally left untouched by the termites since it is old growth cypress.


texts: Do I need to level the outdoor AC cooling unit?

texts: I've read somewhere that the outdoor AC unit needs to be leveled. My outdoor unit is a bit slanted due to the floor not being completely flat (pic below). However, I don't see any obvious structural issues. Is this something I need to correct? Perhaps by sticking a small piece of wood on one side?


texts: Are there solar lights that can be put inside existing lamps?

texts:
We've got lamp posts in the garden that we're fond of, but the electrics were not very well installed (by the previous owner I might add). I've disconnected the electrics and would like to put a solar bulb or mass of LED lights inside the lamp houses with the charger discretely stuck in the ground nearby.

Are there lamps I can buy online or in the UK that would be suitable? If none are suitable, I might create a birds nest of an LED string of lights inside the lamp housing. Would that provide enough light?


texts: Cost-effective root barrier for home sewer line

texts: We have 2 trees growing in the same area of our house front yard as the sewer line. As shown in the picture below, one tree is about 5ft away from the line, and the other, about 20ft away. I assume that the water supply line runs next to the sewer line as well. We're concerned about the tree roots getting into the water/sewer lines in the future. What's the most cost-effective preventive measure (aside from cutting the trees down) that will work? My research has led me to root barriers, but wondering if installing them on either sides of the lines is the best way in this case. If so, are there barriers made specifically for water/sewer lines?


texts: How do I replace part of my bathroom ceiling?

texts:
I had a leak in the roof above my bathroom. I had a contractor investigate. He looked at the roof carefully, and he examined the ceiling with an infrared scanner while it was actually leaking. He explained that the leak was caused by runoff from the upper roof, running across this lower not very steep one, and the water was pooling in the keys of the shingles and finding nail holes. He told me to get a downspout extension to route the upper roof's runoff into the gutter, which I have done, so I feel hopeful there will be no more leak.

However, my bathroom ceiling was damaged by the leak and at least part of it needs replacing. I have attached a picture, showing that the leak came through the fan and to the side of the fan (circled areas).

You can see there is mold in the peeling paint. There is a smaller hole where my husband's thumb easily poked through when it was really soaked.

Do I need to replace the fan as part of repairing the ceiling? Should I assume there is mold in it, but even if so, could I clean it out?

What is the best way to replace the ceiling? I've never replaced a wall or a ceiling, though I've done a lot of spackling and painting. My husband and I both do a lot of small repairs, too, so I think we can do it. I would welcome detailed instructions or pro tips.


texts: How can I remove the residue that is building up in PEX tubing?

texts: I have a pex plumbing system that has been slowly clogging / losing pressure.  Our sulphur treatment system injects peroxide into the pressure tank then flows upstairs to the filter system.  The oxidizing process creates a white film (from the chemical reaction).  And this seems to be getting thicker over the years.  Anyways I believe this is the source of the problem.  I am curious if there is an easy way to clean the inside of the pex tubing out between the pressure tank and filter?  Was thinking of running vinegar through the chemical feeder line - and letting it dissolve in the lines.  Not sure if that is a good idea or not.  Any thoughts?


texts: Are there refrigerators with a remote compressor?

texts:
Kind of a crazy question, but is it possible to get a refrigerator with a remote compressor?
I have an "open" style ground floor and a person can hear the whine of the refrigerator's compressor in the dining room and living room.
Ideally I would like to re-situate the refrigerator compressor in the basement (directly below) and put some sound proofing around it to silence it, then run the refrigerant lines through the floor to the refrigerator. Is it possible to get a setup like this?


texts: Need advice, Curtains, blinds, Shades? which to use, whats in currently?

texts:
i need to purchase curtains/blinds or shades for all my windows in my apartment. I have 5 windows - 1 being a bathroom.

Its a small apartment and view outside the window isn't onto the main road but to other apartments..

What would you suggest?

I want a kind of modern look. I will have wooden laminate flooring. and i am thinking of painting the falls a neutral color like magnolia.

ANy ideas really appreciated.


texts: Ok to use Denatured Alcohol to clean wood before applying oil-based primer?

texts:
I'm preparing crown molding for painting. The molding is pre-primed with pine core. I hand-sanded the molding and vacuumed to remove as much dust as possible. The surface still has dust, and I'm not sure what's the best way to remove it. If the pieces were flat I'd use a tack cloth and be done with it, but the molding is "fancy" and using a tack cloth to clean the profile will be tedious and time-consuming, also, I don't want wax residue ending up in corners and hard to clean areas.

If I'm using an oil-based primer (Benjamin Moore Enamel 217), can I clean the surface with denatured alcohol instead of a tack cloth? I suppose mineral spirits would work too but the alcohol dries much faster.


texts: How to replace drywall adjacent to wall cabinets and then tile over it?

texts:
I just had the cabinets and countertops in my kitchen replaced. The new stuff doesn't quite line up with the old tile. The drywall behind it is pretty old and torn up, and the gaps between the tile and countertops/cabinet are only about 1", so I'm planning on tearing it out, putting in new drywall, and tiling over it.

Below is a picture of my microwave and a box of Cheerios -- and the wall/countertops/cabinets. :)

My question is: is it OK to leave a small seam in the drywall right where the cabinet/countertops meet the wall? I don't see how I can mud over the seam since it means I would need to mud under the cabinets/countertops. Can I just caulk the seam, or will the tile grout be sufficient?

Thank you!


texts: I have a glass door knob taken apart to clean but wonder do I have to remove the glass knob from the brass shaft in order to clean that piece of brass. I have seen many knobs break removing them and didn't want to immerse the knob in a solution until I ask.


texts: Can I run a new independently-switched light from a box in a four-way switch circuit?

texts:
I'm doing some renovating and where I want to put a closet I'd like to put a light. There is a junction box there which appears to have been used as a light before and would be ideal. It has only 1 3-wire coming in and 1 out, twisted together. They moved the light elsewhere. I'm hoping I can use this box for a light with its own switch and somehow get power from it.

So the current configuration goes like this:

 Light
  ||
  ||
Switch 1
  |||
  |||
 J-box (old light box?)
  |||
  |||
Switch 2
  |||
  |||
Switch 3 (power)

2-wire from the light to the first switch. 3-wire from that switch to the junction box and 3-wire to 2 other switches. Power comes in at Switch 3. Can I get power from this box or do I have to use a new line?


texts: There is a 240V/30A circuit in a room of my house that used to be a patio.  I think it was used for a baseboard/electric heater system.  It had a surface mounted outlet that I have removed, but now I have the cable sticking out of the wall.  I also disconnected the wires completely from the breaker panel, so they're hanging by it.  How much of this wire should I remove to be safe?


texts: What size are the correct fittings for 1 1/4" ABS pipe?

texts:
I need to plumb into an existing ABS drain, labelled as "ABS/DWV 1 1/4" schedule 40 ", but for the life of me cant find any 1 1/4" fittings!!!

My suspicion is that the pipe is 1 1/4" ID, and I need to buy 1 1/2" OD fittings.

Before I trundle down to Home Depot, is anyone able to confirm my suspicion (or do I have the most useless, redundant piping ever?

Thanks!


texts: I'm moving into about a 1500 sq. ft. house soon and I would like to build my own portable bar that I can store beverages in. It should be long enough to put a couple stools in front of where people can sit but not so heavy that it becomes a pain to move around. Can anyone recommend a place or website where I can find plans or blueprints for a smaller, DIY, portable home bar? Any suggestions for this setup would be appreciated.


texts: Problems with dismantling GR8 lamp socket

texts:
Switching my lamps from fluorescent bulbs to LEDs (GR8 socket).

While dismantling the lamp, I accidentally pulled out the cord, as seen in the topmost picture, and I can't get it back. The other cord seems tight as well, and feels like a I have to brute force to pull it off, no?

I tried pushing the little plastic handle (advice I found online) on the other side, but apparently broke it. I'm not even sure if this is what should be done to get cords loose?

Can I still use this old GR8 socket to install the lamp or is it toast? I bought wire and new switch terminal, but GR8 sockets are rare and I would need to order them abroad.


texts: can the spring mechanism in a mepla match cabinet hinge be replaced?

texts: The "spring" for this mepla hinge has broken.  It's shown left of the hinge in this photo, "appearing" to be unbroken.  Is there anyplace i can get new spring?


texts: New home, do vanity lights require electrical boxes to be wired in?

texts:
I Opened an existing light fixture that came with house and there is no electrical box to install a new lights.

Builder is telling me it does not need an electrical box like other fixtures in the house. Does it require an electrical box to be mounted on ?

Does the electrical code require it to have one or not?


texts: Is it ok to lubricate exercise equipment hydraulic cylinders?

texts:
I have a Pro-Form 220c Hydraulic Cylinder based stepper.  After about 10 minutes of use the right cylinder stops offering any resistance.  I suspect that it's related to it getting hotter.

With normal usage they are supposed to get hot, so this isn't unexpected. I don't feel a noticeable difference between the two cylinders.  A new one costs about $60, but before I do that, I was wondering if it was possible to lubricate it?

If so, with what?


texts: Why is there a minimum distance to a corner from a direct vent exhaust?

texts:
According to the instructions for my direct vent furnace, (item #4) the minimum distance from the center of the vent to the nearest corner is 16 inches. Why is that important?

I understand the minimum distance to a window/door, but this one makes no sense to me.


texts: Why do my LED strip lights only work if I reverse the connection polarity?

texts:
Hi I have installed a small run of LEDs but they do not work at all unless I reverse the connection that goes directly on to the stip so that it's not lining up with 12v symbol. I tested everything before cutting the strip to length and it worked fine but now it will not switch on with remote. I have changed the controller and remote with different ones but still no go.
I would be very greatful for any help.
Thanks


texts: How thick should plywood be when building a desk?

texts:
I'd like to build a desk from a sheet of wood and four metal legs at each corner. Appearance is not critical; a rugged built-from-scratch look is quite fine. Dimensions will be 1200mm x 650mm (47" x 26").

If I build this from plywood, how can I calculate how thick the plywood must be to avoid the desk bending in the middle?

In a perfect world, the desk is super strong - enough that I could sit in the middle (at 75kg/165lb). In a realistic world, it needs to hold two large monitors and various computer accessories, totalling no more than 20kg/45lb.

I've found a place that offers hardwood plywood at 15mm (0.6"), 18mm (0.7") and 25mm (1") thickness. How do I determine which thickness is sufficient for my plans?

I've assumed hardwood plywood is a reasonable choice, but softwood plywood would be 25% cheaper if I can get away with it.


texts: Why does my furnace stop unless we remove and replace the inspection panel?

texts: Furnace keeps stopping! What we do to restart is remove inspection panels, the combustion air blower ia always running and feels hot. Anyway we put panels back on and it works till next time. Please help


texts: Do I have to worry about Bimetallic corrosion corrosion in this compression fitting?

texts: I had an old fridge in my basement with an ice maker and water dispenser. I want to hook it up to my bathroom sink. I have a bunch of spare 1/4" fittings in my toolbox. The only problem is my compression fitting that came with the fridge is this silver metal. My compression fittings are all brass. Previously that silverish compression fitting was connected to a copper line with a brass compression nut around it, and it worked just fine. I just want to make sure that I don't have a risk of a flood from bimetallic corrosion in the distant future.


texts: When is a fence considered light weight and how do you chose if you need a heavy or a light fence?

texts:
I have two other related posts regarding fences (if you are curious) . I am now trying to decide what kind of base I should implement for my fence...

Here is what I am trying to build

I would like to use one of these

but I am reading that these are used for light weight fences
The question is: is my fence built like below a heavy one? (it will span 12' and it will be made of cedar boards (1x-2 or 3 or 4-6x8')
How do you decide when you need a heavy or a light weight fence?


texts: How do I repair a burner on an electric stove that is on all the time even if turned off?

texts:
I have a free standing range electrical stove and one of the burners stays on all the time even if I turn it off.

Can someone give me some ideas on how to fix this?


texts: Sulfur smell in one hot water heater, but not the other hot water heater

texts: We have two hot water heaters in our house; one is in the attic and one is in our crawl space. We have a sulfur smell coming from the crawl space hot water heater, but the water smells fine coming from the attic hot water heater. Our cold water smells fine throughout the house, so we don't think the well water is the issue. The smell seems to be isolated to just the hot water heater in the crawl space. Any suggestions as to why one hot water tank would smell even though the other hot water heater smells fine?


texts: Shower Light connected to bathroom ventilation fan. Does it need GFCI?

texts:
I am going to attempt to make this as clear as possible.

In my bathroom, there is a switch that directly controls only the bathroom ventilation fan. I would like to add a recessed light over the shower by adding it to the circuit that the recessed fan is on, so the connection would be switch->vent fan->shower recessed light.

Does this connection need to be GFCI protected, and if so how would I do that because there isn't an outlet in this circuit? Would the only option be a dead-front GFI?

Thanks in advance!
Dan


texts: What type of trellis do I want to build for fruit bearing vines on the south side of the house?

texts: I'm looking at holding up to a ton of vines on a 2 story trellis on including covering up the chimney on the side of the house, in order to keep a lot of summer heat off the house, and was wondering what type I should build, and to stand up to the weight during the summer.


texts: Determining health risks associated with carpets

texts:
I've read about the health risks posed by molds, but how can one determine the risks posed by existing carpeting? Are there some testing kits for allergen and bacterial levels?

This is not the carpets vs. hardwood floor question, but rather trying to determine if carpeting might be the culprit for respiratory problems experienced in a residence.


texts: How do you disconnect a tv satellite from the roof?

texts: We recently had the roof replaced. The roofers discarded the old satellite dish portion left from the previous owners but the cable to the dish was left dangling from the roof with some kind of heavy attachment piece at the end (it looks like a trailer hitch), banging the side of the house.  How do we remove it safely?  Is it still energized?


texts: Fix blinking LEDs with a motion sensor (when off)

texts:
I have bought a new motion sensor for my corridor LEDs. The lights turn on fine with it, however, when the sensor is set to OFF, the lights blink indefinitely (a few times per second) and never actually turn off.

It turns out the sensor has a minimum watt requirement of 40W, and I'm quite certain the LEDs use less than that, so could that be the cause of the issue?

If so, how can I easily raise the wattage of the circuit?

And if that's not it, then what could be causing this?

Thanks in advance!


texts: Why momentary chemical smell after Tankless Hot Water Heater install

texts:
Why is my hot water stinky for a few seconds? This is a strong but hard to describe chemical smell like CPVC glue, not rotten eggs and not sewage or gas.
I put in a new propane-fired tankless water heater with integral recirculation pump and remote cross-over valve 4 weeks ago on CPVC piping in the garage. After the heater has been idle for a while, the water that has been sitting in it gets a strong chemical smell. You can't smell it at the heater, and it takes a while to pass through the pipes to the fixture (sink/shower) depending on the length of the pipe run. The smell only comes from hot water, so it is not coming from my well water (meaning it is not stinky on the cold side). The smell goes away in a few seconds.

I was thinking it was contamination burning off inside the heat exchanger.  One problem with that notion is I believe there would be far more widespread discussion of this online.

To distinguish between a smell that comes from water that's been sitting in the heat exchangers leeching versus some smell coming from initial heating, I plan to do a test allowing water to sit overnight then disable the heater and run the hot water and see if it still stinks but have not yet done this test.

Note that the burner cannot in my opinion contaminate the water and the smell is IN THE WATER. Pipe dope from supply piping could contaminate the heat exchanger, but I found no residue on the inlet screen whatsoever.

Since I'm on well water, I'll mention that we attempting to manage an acidity problem as well as an iron problem whose calcium filter is hardening the water.


texts: LVL Floor Joist Notch / Reinforcement Question

texts:
Please see image attached.
I am looking to make a notch in a 11 1/2 LVL beam spanning 17ft across my basement.


texts: What unpowered bladed tool can make deep beveled cuts in sheet material?

texts:
I can use a tablesaw the bevel the edges of a sheet of material.

I can use a circular saw or jig saw with a bevel attachment to make similar cuts in the middle of the sheet instead of the edges. If I use a jig saw, those cuts can turn and curve.

I would like to make similar cuts to what a jig saw can make, but in less hard material and with razor blades instead of a powered saw. My target depth is about 1 inch, so something that uses standard trapezoidal box cutter blades would be appropriate.

Is there a tool that can do this?

Mat board cutters come close, but they seem to generally only do one or two specific angles, and I haven't found one that can make non-straight cuts.


texts:
We have a large kitchen drawer - I believe it is known as a metal sided drawer box - used to store pots. The screws have just come undone from the metal side that is attaching it to the front. In order to reattach the screws I need to somehow remove the fixing from the side so I can get into the back of it.

This picture shows the side of the metal side that attaches to the face of the drawer. The arrows point to where the screws need to be fixed to.

I imagine that I somehow need to remove this piece. But I cannot for the life of me work out how!

Here is another shot of the side of the metal side if it is of any help :

Any ideas how I can get to the back of those screw holes?

Edit - this hopefully gives a better idea of the components involved :

Edit 2 - After a bit of research I have realised my terminology is all wrong. It is the side of a metal sided drawer box that has become unscrewed and not the runner as I was initially saying.


texts: Eliminating an outlet with 2 white 1 green and no black wires

texts:
I would like to eliminate an electrical outlet. When I removed it I was expecting to find blackk, white and green wires. However, I found there were 2 white wires and a green but no black.

My question is, do I splice the 2 white wires together after removing the outlet?

Some facts that might be useful

home was built in 2008
this is an outdoor outlet
this is a GFCI outlet


texts: How to connect earth(grounding) that has copper wire attached?

texts:
This is my first time doing a light fixture. In the ceiling, the wires are black, white and green wire with a copper wire attached to the green wire.
 In my light fixture, there is a brown wire, blue wire and a yellow wire with green stripe ( which is attached to the fixture housing). I went through online to figure out I have to connect (black with brown wire, white with blue wire) I am just confused how to connect the copper wire(from the ceiling), green wire(from the ceiling) and the yellow wire (from fixture). Do I connect the yellow wire to the copper wire or to the green wire? Hope I explained it clearly.


texts: Is their some kind of device that can take a picture to locate where these leaks are located?

texts:
Our house is a 4 level split model and within the guest room which is on the 2nd level (level above the basement) I hear a drips somewhere above the ceiling.    These drip sounds are located in 2 different locations above the ceiling.

Is their some kind of device that can take a picture to locate where these leaks are located so that we don't have to tear up the house to find the source of these leaks?


texts: What hinge is this and where can I buy them in the UK?

texts:
I need to replace 4 hinges on the doors on our summerhouse.

I have checked in a local hardware store and also I checked in B&Q on the weekend but I couldn't see them in either.

Does anyone know where I can buy these hinges from in the UK?


texts: What primer and paint should I used for a solid-core wooden front door?

texts:
I recently purchased a new pre-hung exterior door for my house.  We opted for a solid-core Douglas Fir instead of the fiberglass models as the wooden door was substantially cheaper.  We want to paint it and I'm not sure what kind of primer and paint to use.  What would you recommend?

If it helps, the weather in my area is relatively mild -- temperatures average around the 70's with winter lows reaching the mid 40's and summer highs reaching the 90's.  We get rain and fog during the winter months.

Here's a picture if it helps.


texts:
I am a novice DIYer and recently purchased a Makita circular saw (7 1/4"). The manual says that I should always put my two hands over the saw and that it is not safe to hold the saw with one hand while holding a lumber or plywood with the other. But, when I check most of tutorials or videos on Youtube, I often find that the saw is held with one hand while the other hand is grabbing the object. Is holding a circular saw with one hand a unsafe practice? Or, is the manual just over-concerning?

Thanks,