texts: I want to feed power to two outlets from one outlet. Is there a problem with code doing that?

texts: So I have an outlet in a kitchen that feeds in succession to an outlet outside. I want to run that power from that breaker to a bathroom I'm building. It's much easier for me to access that outlet in the kitchen. So I was wondering if I can keep the outlet running to outside and also attach another Romex off the kitchen outlet that is brought over to the bathroom without problems or breaking code. Never seen it done so probably not legal somehow but thought I'd ask.


texts:
So I have 2 units on my property with solar on each, totaling 7K. My front unit I use as an office and already upgraded the box there to 200A. In the back I still have 100. I have central air right now, but that's about it, the rest is lights. I realized in the office unit the only thing that was still gas was the stove so last year I got an induction stove and turned off the account (saving around $300/year). My back house I will eventually go completely off gas but I have a Takagi tankless right now. When that dies will replace with electric. Then I have a gas stove and a gas furnace for my AC. And a gas dryer.

Few weeks ago I had finally had enough of it sounding like a helicopter battle was occurring under the house when the washing machine was completing its cycle. Got a new machine (which incidentally has an annual use of $10 of energy).

When the dryer dies I will for sure replace it with an electric one.

Last variable: I am in LA where DWP instituted a program to switch to Time of Use meters. I did that over a year ago and my meter has run backwards in the A and B periods a lot, so anything I move to electric is running for free.

Question is should I just do the box now? or try and hang the dryer and see if I can get away with it.


texts: Where should my furnace filter go in a Lennox G40UH24A045 series furnace (Merit)?

texts:
I cannot find the filter and my furnace is not providing any heat.
The limit switch is working fine as is the flame sensor.
Diagnostic lights are: 1 slow bling 2 on
Any clues?
Thanks


texts: Recommend laundry tub automatic pump system

texts:
I've spend hours looking through various online catalogues and other sources for advice. What seems to be the most long-lasting and reliable design for systems that pump grey water from laundry tubs to home sewer systems, that do not require human intervention? (I assume that one is not allowed to mention trade names on here.)

Thanks!


texts:
I have had a new single story extension built to first fixtures; this includes a new kitchen area. Building Control (UK), will not sign off the extension until an extractor hood is fitted with external ventilation.

To give an overview of the issue, the location of the Cooker hood is to be located on an external load-bearing wall, which is supporting a steel RSJ beam, because of this I am unable to place the ducting straight out of the wall, or out through the ceiling above.  Therefore, I plan to use rectangular flat ducting to hide behind the cornice and come out at a different location along the wall.

My main concern is the height of the cabinet means the ducting will come out approximately 20cm (2 bricks), lower from under the eaves and directly centre between the joists.

I would ideally like to have the vent come out higher up the wall so the cabinets can sit higher, it will then mean that it will only be 10cm from the eaves.

I have considered boxing in the ducting so it protrudes further out than the guttering but this will be unsightly.

In the UK, is there a minimum distance the vent can be to the eaves/guttering and joists?

Any guidance or other suggestions would be a great help.


texts:
I have some strange symptoms with my house's lighting circuit, which I am trying to isolate.

There are two lighting circuits in the house, upstairs and downstairs (although some downstairs lights seem to be on the upstairs ring - which I find strange)

I had 3 GU10 bulbs in a light fitting in the kitchen - two halogen, one LED. This was working fine, until one of the halogen bulbs blew.

I replaced all 3 bulbs with LED bulbs, for consistency and since then I have had a persistent problem that the bulbs are very dim until you turn on several other nearby lights (all on the same ring from what I can tell)

Whilst the bulbs are glowing dim, it also causes interference with our TV reception, which is probably due to a booster unit being wired up to the lighting ring.

My question is: can bulbs cause this strange behaviour? We have had other similar issues, which have been resolved by replacing all bulbs in the house with non-LED/non-CFL bulbs, which seem to cause problems. Or perhaps it is one or more light fittings at fault?

The breaker never trips, which is something I guess.


texts:
I have a shower stall (no tub). The shower head leaks water when not in use. I replaced the posi-temp cartridge and it still leaked. Then I installed a vacumm breaker which screws into the shower arm, then the shower head screws into it. That slowed the leaking water a lot, but it still leaks a slow drip. Any Master Plumbers out there who can help please.
Thanks a lot, Armando


texts: Can I configure home battery power like a UPS - where it constantly self charges and auto transfers?

texts:
A simple UPS (uninterruptible power supply - like APC, cyberpower, etc.) will charge itself while simultaneously powering the loads on the other side.  If utility power is cut, the batteries will automatically kick in (a UPS has an automatic transfer switch built-in, I guess).  When power returns, the UPS passes it through to the loads again, and slowly recharges itself - no intervention required.
If I install a bank of home power batteries - I am looking at Blue Planet Energy - can I configure them to behave for my entire house in the same way ?  The auto-transfer is easy - I just need to wire an automatic transfer switch in between utility power and my main breaker panel ... but if I transfer away from utility power, the batteries won't ever charge.
How can I pass utility power through my battery bank and use it like a UPS ?


texts: How do you refinish a Corian countertop?

texts:
The title says it all.  We have a Corian countertop.  One of the selling points of this type of counter is that it is supposedly easy to fix minor flaws in it, but there seems to be little information on the net about how to go about it.

A few years back my wife put a hot pan on it and discolored the surface.  I have tried sanding the surface down with sandpaper (start rough and then moving on to finer grits), but it only slightly improves the look.  Are their any tricks that I am missing?


texts: Why does my LG Microwave range hood hum loudly when the fan turns on?

texts:
Lately once the microwave has been running for more than 5-10 seconds, a very loud humming noise starts happening.  When I remove the top vent panel, the humming stops, but I cannot for the life of me determine where the noise is coming from and what is causing it.

Model number LMV-1680ST


texts:
How would you go about fabricating a sprinkler head for a general use sprinkler system? I'm talking about the sort in your front yard.

The basics of what I'm looking for:

Design which can be placed on a pipe fitting
Automatically pops up from water pressure, possibly spring-loaded
Cheap, accessible materials


texts: My DA250C porter cable nailer wont fire suddenly. It just releases a bit of air?

texts: Porter Cable DA250C 15 gage finish nail nearly new just stopped firing? Just releases a bit of air.


texts: How can I repair a leaking wall valve for future laundry sink?

texts:
Just found the stub for an unbuilt sink in our laundry room is leaking. Tightened but moisture continues to collect below the valve. Not sure about next steps to explore before calling a plumber.
You can see it here:


texts: How safe is my patio and how much weight could it support?

texts:
I live in a three story apartment. I have a patio which also has a storage off of it. The actual patio is 8 X 10 and made from decking boards. However the exterior corner is supported by a 4 X 4 for three stories. How much weight could that possibly hold? I am a large man and could 3 or 4 guests cause an unsafe situation?

About how much weight could my patio support with one corner being just 4 X 4? Just looking for safe options. I also have plants on my patio which could take up about 200 LBS.


texts: Can quartz be sealed? If so, would it have beneficial effects?

texts:
Quartz is not supposed to scratch and is not supposed to stain. Furthermore its not supposed to require sealing (unlike natural stone like granite).

I have what appears to be low quality quartz installed. It both scratches (for example from cast iron pans if dragged over the surface, or even from some dirty cardboard moving boxes that were moved while on the surface) and it stains (rust, coffee, wine, etc). The stains can sometimes be worked out with lots of elbow grease a concoction of cleaners, but sometimes remain deeply embeded. The scratches remain no matter what. The stone is white with grey areas/spots/design and the scratches are the same grey.

Would sealing the quartz help? Could it be harmful?

Incase it matters for any reason the quartz is from the MSI Q series.


texts:
One of the configurations in this question on feeding two nearby subpanels from one main breaker has two wires screwed into each lug on one of the subpanels. Do I need to have a two-wire lug like this one

or can get away with something like this

instead? I've managed to find a digital spec sheet for my subpanels here (both are identical). I intend to have a 6GA Cu and a 2GA Cu wire entering each lug and it seems the current lugs are large enough to accommodate both wires, but I don't know if it's code legal.

Since I don't know when I'll get to feeding each subpanel from a dedicated breaker in the main panel, I'd rather make it code legal in case it stays that way for a while.


texts:
We have a PVC outlet pipe in our basement for water from the sump pump to be pumped outside. It was previously hung from the joists using white, plastic straps. Last night a few of them broke, so I replaced those with metal strapping.

After reading a bit online, I'm seeing some people say that you shouldn't use metal straps for PVC pipe since it might rub against the pipe and wear through it, so only plastic straps should be used. Any merit to this claim? Should I instead just use plastic straps?

Only went to metal so they wouldn't break again and cause a big problem if we weren't home to notice next time.


texts:
so we just drywalled all walls in our bedroom. And now (~ 3 weeks later) one of the joints is cracking in the middle edge of the tape.

Summary:

The house is concrete. Built 1970s.
All drywall boards are glued onto mostly concrete walls (some of the  lighter interior walls are made of very dense chipboard)
All joints are taped, then spackled / mudded three coats, then sanded.
Primer / sealer is applied.

The crack is in a joint where there's concrete walls behind.

It's more significant closer to the ceiling (that section is pictured below). And becomes less pronounces towards the floor. It stretches over about 1,5 meters.

Here's an image of the crack.

Do we apply new tape over the old one now. Or do we wait a year, let it settle and crack some more, then fix it?

EDIT: Thanks for all your replies so far.

EDIT 2: It turns out the crack took place in the edge of the tape, not in the center as stated before.


texts: Troubleshoot Reliance transfer switch ACE side

texts:
When switched to LINE all circuits work. When switched to GEN, only circuits BDF work. ACE goes dead. I tested ACE with a volt meter and a clamp multimeter. Circuit A, for example draws 3A when on LINE. Switching to GEN drops it to 0.1- 0.2A.

BDF work great. Example, the 20A circuit it's drawing 11A from the generator during a test to run an air-conditioner. The other two 15A circuits draw 1.5 and 3A.

Generator is a 7000W Westinghouse.

I've double checked the wiring, and it is correct. The switch is new, and with the storm coming tomorrow, I'd love to have these other circuits running. I'm afraid I have a bad switch.

I'm tempted to uninstall it and take it apart to test with a multi meter, but, I'd rather not.

Update: it looks like the bottom set of blades run the circuits in question. They are connected to a black wire on the side.

I was trying to see on the box looking for a lose connection, but, unfortunately, it's riveted, so access is limited at best.

Updated image: the box outside:


texts:
I have a 1911 property with a stone? back door step which is worn and either crumbled or cracked.

A few years back a plasterer did a repair and think skimmed it, but needs doing again.

I had a Google around and Toupret exterior masonry repair filler had good reviews, as well as U-can repair steps concrete repair from B&Q.

I can do most things and am happy to give this a go.

I think the step needs an angle adding or building up so the water runs away also.

Any advice or thoughts much appreciated.

Pictures Added

Here is the step from inside and outside.

Also photos of windowsills, also needing work to help with type of stone.


texts: In the UK, how do I run wiring from indoors onto a balcony for a light?

texts:
I am trying to install a light onto a balcony and would like to do so according to the UK electrical code. I have a power socket on the other side of the wall, so I would like take power from that, run it through the wall to the other side and finally to the light. The entire apartment is behind an RCD in the consumer unit.

Questions:

Am I allowed to do this at all (in my own property), or do I need an electrician? Do I need to notify anyone that I am doing this work?
The power socket is fused for 16A at the electrical panel. The single light will not need more than 1A so I need a way to put a fuse in it, I'm assuming I can use one of those "fuse & switch" boxes on the indoor side, is this right and is there a better way?
What type of cable should I use on both sides (indoor side and outdoor side - note that outdoor would be exposed to the sun)? Do I need a conduit on the outdoor side or can I attach the cable directly to the wall?
Do I need a light switch on the outside? I plan on using a smart bulb so I don't need the functionality of a switch, but I wonder if it's required by code - if not the light fixture will always be live unless the indoors fuse is removed.
What kind of IP rating should I look for in the light fixture where the top is covered (by the balcony above) however there is risk of water going onto it from the side if the wind blows the rain sideways?


texts: Dimmed LEDs flickering: is it the bulbs' or the dimmer's fault?

texts:
I have this dimmer https://www.amazon.es/iolloi-interruptor-regulador-encendido-incandescente/dp/B0894KNN65 feeding two of these lightbulbs: https://www.efectoled.com/es/comprar-bombillas-led-e27-filamento/1096-bombilla-led-e27-regulable-filamento-planet-g95-6w-8445044014651.html?
They work pretty well and i can dim them to an incredibly low intensity. Everything is brand new.
At first I wasn't noticing any flickering at all but now I'm starting to notice a very slight flickering. By "flickering" i mean random slight fluctuations in brightness, kind of like those of a candle, but obviously way more subtle.
It happens from time to time when I keep them at low intensity.
The lightbulbs are supposed to be dimmable and the dimmer is supposed to be suitable for LED and the minimum load is supposed to be 3W.
How can I know whether the lightbulbs or the dimmer are to blame? Or is a small level of flickering just to be expected?


texts: If my home connected single phase 50 kw loads what will be the loads if I want to change the connection to a three phase?

texts:
My home is connected with single phase (200/220v) line. Total connected load is 48 kw, now I want to connect my home with a 3 phase (400/440) line.

What will be the load in the latter case? Please provide a mathematical calculation to convert single phase load to a three phase.


texts: How do I remove textured paint from my patio floor?

texts: My patio flooring has a paint-like texture on it that is chipping off. The base is concrete. I have tried scraping, but it's incredibly tedious to get up and is taking hours of work. Is there some sort of chemical or solution I can use to help the paint/texture lift easier?


texts: Should vents protruding through the roof be protected from weather?

texts: Should vent and air intake pipes that exit thru the house roof be left open to the elements or should they be terminated with a gooseneck to make them rain proof?


texts: Can anyone tell me why my new window unit airconditioner has stopped blowing cold air?

texts:
I just bought this window unit last July, and right away it was installed wrong. (not by a professional, by a family member who said he knew how) It is tilted so that water leaks into the house. Since we live in such a remote area, calling a professional would have cost me big bucks, so I tried to keep something under it to catch the water and left it at that. Other than than that, I cleaned the filter once per week and it worked fine.

A few days ago, I woke up and it was working fine, left the house, came home in the evening to find my unit blowing room temperature air. Left it off for a few days because family member mentioned above said it could become "frozen". Ummm, ok?

Really bummed that I payed a fortune for this thing only to get a few months use out of it, since it wasn't used during the fall/winter/early spring months at all. Anyone know what the problem could be? (Advice to others: when asked if you want the 2 year warranty, say yes!)


texts: What is causing the vibrations through my water pipes after flushing the toilet?

texts: I am getting vibration through my pipes after flushing, it is also very slow & I am finding cement pellets at the bottom of the pan


texts: How do I repair a drywall ceiling when there is blown in insulation above?

texts:
I was finishing the space above a garage.  The space was buried in blown in cellulose insulation and we framed in some walls, laid a subfloor, and finished the room.  During framing two different people punched a hole in the drywall ceiling below creating a couple large irregular holes and causing it to rain insulation.  The space below is an unheated garage.

Now it's time to fix those holes.  I see two options:

1)  Somehow patch the drywall as-is to keep from dropping another ton of insulation.  The holes aren't nice and square and some of the edges would be a good 10 inches from a support to screw into.  Don't see any way to easily frame or toenail in 2x4s without cutting more drywall and dropping more insulation.  Is there any product or technique that could help here?  I've tried those aluminum patches in the past, but wasn't very impressed.

2)  Somehow catch all the insulation, then the holes can be cut square back to beams and patched in a normal fashion.  How to do this?  Vacuum? Any way to put the insulation back up there when installing the ceiling patch?  To further complicate matters, the garage in question can't be emptied easily.


texts: How can I repair this rotted section of wood siding?

texts:
I have a section of wood siding that is soft and rotting. Complicating matters (and possibly causing the issue) is the placement of the seating area of the deck. The previous owners built a privacy wall and bench and it abuts the house.

The wood that I've tapped around the area feels firm, the damage is primarily on the top section of one plank.

Any advice on the steps, tools, and materials I'd need to properly repair this are appreciated. I'm concerned some moisture is in the wall cavity; after a recent heavy rain I noticed some minor paint bubbling on the interior side of this wall.


texts: How can I put a plastic sky-light in a shed roof?

texts:
I have a large shed with a shallow angled roof made from 9mm OSB board and supported by wooden beams every 3ft approx, and covered with standard shed roofing felt.

I want to put a few sky-lights made from double-walled polycarbonate plastic in the roof (EG 2x6ft)

What would be a good method to do this, and keep it water-tight?

Climate - England so rain, wind, some snow, and on the odd occasion SUN!


texts: How to add a two pole 40A breaker with corner tab(s) to Challenger panel?

texts:
I'm adding a 40A breaker to my panel and I'm confused with the corner tabs. I can buy left or right tab breakers that use only one bus bar. I'm guessing the two pole 40A breaker has two tabs, one in each corner/side to catch both bus bars, but I can't see both sides of the breaker in the picture (see link for the breaker below pls). It also looks like I need to move a 15A breaker from the right side to the left to make space but that would make the number of breakers uneven so I would need a plastic cover like the one installed on the right. I'm including pictures of the panel with and without cover, as well as, close up of top and bottom breakers sections. BTW the panel is Challenger and the wiring for the 40A breaker will be going to the bottom of the panel.

Thanks

Link to breaker: https://www.connecticut-electric.com/40-amp-two-pole-ubitba240


texts: Underlayment for using porcelain tile outdoors?

texts:
Rebuilding an outdoor deck in upstate NY with 6" X 24" porcelain tile. The foundation will be a 6" concrete bed with rebar. Confused about the need for and the order in which the following should be used:
Uncoupling Membrane (e.g.: Schluter Ditra)
Redgard
Cement Backer Board
Thin set mortar
Have no issue with the expense of using all of the above in order to maximize the life and stability of the deck.
Thanks in advance for any advice you might offer.


texts: Installing Leviton IPS02 occupancy switch

texts: I purchased a Leviton IPS02 motion occupancy switch to install in a lighting circuit.  The problem is, I pulled out the old switch and it is a 4 way switch with 5 wires ground included.  The Leviton switch has line, load and ground.  Can this be adapted for use?


texts: How could I attach a face plate to a broken Appleby dry lining box?

texts:
An electrician has installed a dry lining box for a cat6 network terminal.  These boxes are supposed to have a metal insert inside each of the yellow parts, which accepts the type of screw that is standard for attaching UK electrical switches, sockets etc.  Unfortunately, both of these metal inserts are missing, so there is no obvious way to attach the faceplate.

I don't want to replace the entire box as the plasterboard has already been tiled.

What alternative methods could be used to attach the faceplate securely?

Somebody asked about removing the yellow inserts from these boxes on Screwfix, and Appleby responded that "in design principle and as a general rule these [yellow parts] should never be removed as the lugs themselves cannot be replaced."  I hope somebody here can be more helpful than this.

Again, this is being used for networking -- not mains -- so electrical safety is not a serious concern.


texts: Correct way to fix a broken block in a cinder block foundation

texts:
I have a 1954 built house with a cinder block crawlspace foundation with about a 1 1/2 foot clearance. I can squeeze in, but not easily. I'm in Cleveland, OH, so there is definitely a freeze-thaw cycle.
I was crawling around looking for the source of a moldy smell, and found that one of the cinder blocks under our renovated kitchen was shattered.
My question is what is the best way to fix this - various masons have suggested filling the space with hydraulic cement with maybe some bricks tossed in for good measure to fill the void.
My thought was to grind the broken block out and "butter" in a new block.
What is the best way?


texts: How can I clean tile debris from the bottom of my pool?

texts:
After changing tiles, I have lots of tile/thinset debris on the bottom of the concrete pool.

Robot cleaner does not pick it up, since they are too heavy for it.

I did try to manually vacuum it by placing a hose into a skimmer. While a suction from a skimmer is ok, and it does pick up some of it, the system (pool pvc pipes) get clogged with tile debris, which tells me it is not the right way to go.

Did some diving and cleaning manually, but it just too much to clean by hand.

I can see that there are autonomous vacuum cleaners such as this, but not sure they are going to do any better than my dolphin..

What are the other things I can try, or maybe I am missing something and there are known ways to do it which I have not tried without clogging the pool system?


texts:
My main water shutoff valve currently has no handle.

Is it possible to replace the handle?  If so, what type of handle would I need?  I don't see any obvious way to attach one.

Or would the entire valve need to be replaced?

The valve is currently open.  I haven't tried to close it, so there's a possiblity that the valve may need to be replaced anyway.


texts: Best tool and approach to cut new hole for airbrick in Victorian stone house wall?

texts:
It has been recommended by a building surveyor that will install another airbrick in the external wall of our Victorian house to help with airflow in the sub floor.
I have seen multiple examples online of how to install a new airbrick on a modern brick house but not on a house made of stone where the stone are much harder and of uneven size. I wonder what the best tool for the job would be and the best approach to drill the rectangular space and correctly bed the airbrick?


texts: How do I fix this noise coming from my fridge?

texts:
My refrigerator (Bosch B22CT80SNS01) sits in an alcove and has begun intermittently making a noise from what seems to be the inside. At first I thought it was the water filter/lines having air, but I’ve switched the filter and cycled water for a few minutes. Running the water doesn’t stop the noise when it’s happening either, nor does it sputter.

It sounds like it’s behind an inside panel at the top, maybe a fan or something? See video below.

https://imgur.com/a/KBlKLYH


texts: Is there a suspended ceiling tile that allows sound to pass through without reflecting sound?

texts:
I've ordered an acoustic ceiling which comprises a suspended ceiling with sound insulation above to absorb echo and sound insulate. I'm concerned because the builder has given us a sample of the tile today; I was expecting something of fibre which would allow sound to pass and be absorbed by the sound insulation but in fact he's offering gypsum.

Will a gypsum tile allow sound to pass through or will it reflect sound into the classrooms below and a fibre/alternative tile be preferable?


texts: Should I Add More Static Vents On My Roof

texts:
I want to add insulation to an old ranch house. However, the insulation contractor wants to add static vents (2 turtles and 2 pipes). He says I don't have enough ventilation in my attic.
The roof already has a ridge vent. It also has a gable vents but no soffit . The attic seems fine to me. The attic temperature is always within +/- 10 of the outside temperature.
The house is in MA; so we have extreme weather. Even in the coldest winter, there has never been ice damns. There is no known mold issue. The shingles have aged well, the roof is almost 25 years old. I think it's time to start thinking about a new roof.
Should I think about changing the roof or keep it as is? I'm a big believer in "If it's not broken." Was the insulation guy misinformed?


texts: Is this natural gas shut off valve behaving correctly?

texts:
The natural gas shut off valve in the picture below is installed behind my oven. Usually when I see a valve like this, if I turn it 90 degrees, it will turn until it stops. When it stops 90 degrees from where it started, the valve is off.

However, with this valve, it doesn't stop at 90 degrees. It continues turning 180 degrees until it's facing the other direction. The valve is on in both of those positions. If I stop turning the valve at 90 degrees, it does appear to shut off, but like I said, nothing stop me from continuing to turn the valve to 180 degrees.

Is the valve meant to function this way or was something installed incorrectly? It seems strange to me to not have the valve stop at 90 degrees so you know it is definitely off. The way it is now you are basically guessing that you have properly turned the valve 90 degrees to shut the gas off.

Is this right?


texts: Identifying and crimping 2-pin connector

texts: What are these plastic connectors? They’re female and male counterparts. One has male pins and the other has female metal square-holed pin receptacles. What are these called? Here’s a side view and into-pin view. The wires are 20 AWG. They're for connecting to the solar panel and DC motor of a solar-powered attic fan. I want to make another pair. How do I crimp the wires into the pins and insert them into the connectors? What is the specific crimper called?


texts:
I checked the net and found that one horse power is equal to 735.5 watt. I thought there should be a time factor in this calculation.

I have a 0.5 HP motor. I would like to know if the motor runs continuously for 30 days, how much power would it consume. I was thinking HP * time = watt but several web sites all say 1 HP is equal to 735.5 watt. Then, where does the time factor come in to play? Surely if a motor runs for two hours, it'd consume twice as much power as if it runs for one hour. So, how do I factor in the time to get the watts the motor consumes?


texts: Beam where joists meet in center of room

texts:
First. I am getting a contractor. I like to have a good idea what I am dealing with so I can understand what 1,2,3 contractors with estimates propose to me.

Ranch house with Cape Cod roof sitting on a slab with brick exterior walls.

There are 2 rooms I want to make into 1 by removing the load bearing center wall. The joists above rest on this wall like the picture below. The load is transfered to the slab.

Joists in ceiling

There is no living space above this load bearing wall. Any tips on how I can recess a beam into the attic and transfer the load on this wall to

A. The brick exterior wall and B. To a center post on the slab.

This load bearing wall is basically just supporting the weight of the ceiling which is drywall. The joists in the ceiling as pictured above obviously also help with keeping the exterior walls from spreading.

Any tips on how to recess a beam in the ceiling (attic)? Will the post on the slab be ok for support or will footers need to be dug? I feel like there is not a lot of weight being transfered down the post to the slab.

Thanks!


texts: Leveling first row of CMUs on uneven slab

texts:
So I may have a couple to many beers when pouring the slab for my new outdoor fireplace, and "forgot" that I needed to pour it level and not follow the slop of the patio.  Whoops...

https://ibb.co/z5bhkc6

https://ibb.co/gmbS9Nj

I bought a concrete grinding disc for my grinder and am about to set out on a marathon of correcting my mistake, but before I inhale clouds of concrete dust, I figured I'd ask the brain trust if they had any other ideas of how to level this without spending hours grinding my mistake away.  FWIW, this isn't under the main fireplace, its on one of the wings which will be the firewood holder box area and will have two courses of CMUs to build it up to box height.  The motor I'm using is rated to 1/2" height so I only have about 2 1/2-3" to make up :-(


texts: 6x6 Cedar posts for yard barn, should I glue them?

texts:
I am building a yard barn/shed, that uses cedar posts as the outside framing of the gable ends.

I was planning on just drilling and lag-bolting the posts together (plugging the holes) but do you think I should glue them as well?


texts: I replaced the pull chain unit because  ceiling fan did not stop.  I have replaced the pull chain unit.  The fan will change speeds, but it won't turn off.


texts: Should I place my RO filter on straight city water or post-softener water?

texts:
It's my basic understanding that a water softener removes dissolved calcium and magnesium and replaces it with sodium.  It's not clear to me, however, which is worse for the reverse osmosis filter, hard water or salty water.  The RO system is all plastic, so I'm not worried about corrosion, I'm just curious of the impact on the life of the membrane and the quailty of the water.  It's a 3-stage filter system.

My kitchen cold water is not softened (which is typical).  I guess people prefer the taste of hard water to softened water.  But the rest of the water in the house (except exterior spigots) is softened.  I intend to use the RO-filtered water in the kitchen.  I will install a separate drinking water faucet for the kitchen sink and use RO-treated water for the refrigerator/ice-cube maker.


texts: Can I use my shower while grout is curing?

texts:
I just recaulked my front bath and accidentally popped loose a tile in the process.  I reinstalled the tile and allowed that to set before grouting.  I just finished grouting the tile, and I read on the interwebs you should allow grout to cure for at least a week before sealing, but was wondering if it was okay to use the shower stall in the meantime.

If I allow the grout to set for a day, is it ok to use that shower while the grout cures?  I know you're supposed to keep the grout from drying out...

The new grout only extends a few tiles from the corner and is on the side with the shower head, so it doesn't get very wet either.  Hoping someone could relate their experience(s) - I am definitely a tiling noob.


texts: Can I rewire the cooker so I can use the gas oven without it being connected to the mains?

texts: I'm planning on getting a freestanding gas cooker (LEISURE Cuisinemaster CS60GVK)  (all gas hobs/oven/grill etc) but it uses a normal plug for the ignition and led programmer. I know I can rewire the ignition to run off a 12v spark generator (that should be straight forward)  but reading through the manual it says I can't switch the oven on if the time isn't set on the led programmer, does this mean that if I don't have the programmer on, the oven won't work? I don't know why this would be but wanted to ask if any one knows of why this is and how or if I can bypass this as I don't need the programmer.


texts: Why does my electricity blow when I plug in my oven?

texts:
I have a Sauter (electric) oven that was working fine last week. It was unplugged for a few days. Now, when I try to plug it in, it blows the main electric fuse. This happens with all the dials turned off. I tried plugging it into another outlet, but it also blows the fuse, so the problem is clearly with the oven (other appliances are working fine in the kitchen).

What can this be?


texts: How do I dry up a stucco wall that presents efflorescence?

texts:
I have determined the source of the water and I would like to believe that I stopped that with a temporary fix (a large tarp that will cover my patio which used to collect water at the base of the wall; I am on my way to redo the patio as well).
Now, because the temperatures are getting below 0 here where I live I would like to speed up the drying of this wall (see the picture below)
I would like to try that from inside and from outside if there is any way to do it.
Outside is what you see in the picture below
Inside is a finished basement with above the grade windows. I am quite sure that the previous owner used a vapor barrier right under the drywall and fiberglass insulation (so it is solid insulation panels,2x4 studs, fiberglass, vapor barrier and drywall)
Is there any way to dry up that wall from inside without tearing down the whole thing and rebuilding it?
From what I have read so far I will need to rebuild it because a plastic vapour barier is the last thing that you need in these cases. The same for the fiber glass batt that absorbs water and adders to the wall making the things even worse

Edit: this is 9 months later. I fixed the slope of the patio 1 month ago, and while I was fixing that I realized that a lot of water was going under the patio via the deck post holes around which the patio was also poorly sloped. I found dirt and earthworms under the bricks ...
My brother in low told me that it will take year for the humidity in soil to disappear ...I am more optimistic but he might be right. Here is a picture taken today (~9 months later)


texts: Which is more effective in a 3.5" stud bay--"R13" or "R19" batt insulation?

texts: I have extra R19 insulation batts (designed for a 2x6 bay)--should I use them in a 3.5" stud cavity, or does compressing them that much make them less effective than R13 batts in the same space?


texts:
I moved to a new apartment last week and as luck would have it, one of the pegs that holds up a shelf in my bookcase went missing and I'm looking for a replacement.

What kind of peg is this? All the pegs I've found so far online have a single pin but I need one with two pins as below.


texts: Can I realistically replace my drill with a rotary hammer?

texts:
I find myself needing to do more and more stucco and concrete chipping work that is suitable for purchasing a rotary hammer. Can anyone here tell me if such tools can entirely replace a normal drill? On paper, it seems like they can; they can do pure drilling, hammer drilling, or non-rotating chipping. I'm an efficiency-minded kind of guy, so if it's possible to replace my drill with a high-quality do-it-all machine, I'd really like to. Off the top of my head, I can imagine two drawbacks to using a rotary hammer for everything:

They are heavier than regular drills.
You need to use an adapter to use regular non-SDS drill bits, further increasing the weight, and there's more slop since the adapter will slide up and down a bit.

Are there more downsides? Is it indeed feasible to use a rotary hammer for everything?


texts: How can I straighten pipes behind a wall?

texts: The original builders did a shoddy job when they installed the plumbing in the bathroom, causing the taps/faucets to come out of the tiled plasterboard wall at a slight angle - about 5 degrees - so the flanges aren't flush against the wall. Any ideas on straightning the pipes without breaking the wall; I don't have any spare tiles and am unlikely to find any.


texts: What hardwood flooring is recommended for high traffic areas?

texts:
I am having a house built and the developer wanted to charge me $10/sq ft for the cheapest $3/sq ft Bruce Oak, and more for anything better quality.  There was no charge for Vinyl so, I had them put that in and figured I would get someone else to do the wood floors.  I plan on having the foyer, dining room, kitchen and breakfast area done.  These are all very heavy use areas.  I expect lots of kids with shoes on.  What is the best hardwood for my heavy use application?  I don't mind spending the $10/sq ft for wood that's worth it.

Edit:  We have a wood subfloor.


texts: How do you build a bookcase around an outside or convex corner?


texts:
I've ordered a chair from Argos, however, after assembly, the gas lift fails to elevate the chair -in fact, pulling the lever on the side seems to have no effect at all (it just swings back & forth). The seat support seems to have a cylinder marked x <--> 1, however that also fails to make any effect.

Is the gas lift needs to be activated separately, or am I missing something obvious here? (chair is already a replacement, previous one had the same problem, so I'm assuming it's not manufacturer problem)

Terribly sorry for the newb question, would really appreciate constructive suggestions.


texts: Oops! I forgot the clamps when I fixed my sprinklers!

texts: For the first time ever, I fixed a broken sprinkler pipe that a root had pushed through. After it was all put together and re-buried, I realized that I forgot to use clamps on the patch. I did test the line before I buried it and saw no leaks. Am I going to regret not going back in and clamping?


texts: What kind of paint/stain will prevent bees?

texts:
For exposed pine, like a roof eave, how can the wood be treated to
prevent bees from tunneling into the wood, or building nests?

Edit: Currently, I'm using a water-based stain, to no effect.


texts: How can I handle dry-looking areas in the table I'm refinishing?

texts: I've stripped and sanded my dining room table, and have put down 5 coats of minwax gloss one step (classic oak color) lightly sanding between coats.  The problem I'm having is that there are small areas that aren't taking the poly and leaving "dry" areas. If I put a final coat of satin poly or semi gloss poly would it cover these areas?  Any other suggestions?


texts: What are possibilities of balancing 3-phase consumption?

texts:
A lot of homes have a 3-phase electric connection. Each of the phases has some appliances connected to it. That implies power consumption in any moment on each phase is different, so we have an unbalanced or non-symmetric load.

A strongly unbalanced load is not desired because:

(3-phase) circuit breakers can trip because of the one overloaded phase. Even if the total load if far below the circuit breaker's designed maximum. If this happens with the main connection circuit breaker, the whole house is blacked out.
It causes higher losses and lowers the energy transmission efficiency.
The power supplier company can penalize the consumer for it.

Are there any affordable means of balancing the power consumption of 3-phase home connection? Commercial solutions are preferred, but DIY is accepted too.

Reconnecting the appliances is an option to improve the power consumption balance to some extent. But it's nonsense to use a vacuum cleaner only because the washing machine is on. The 3-phase consumption will always be varying, so at least improving the balance would suffice.

A phase-shifting transformer helps this situation in transmission networks but it is a utility grade solution.


texts:
I am in a 10 year old house.  Custom built, very nice home.  Twice in the last year, have encountered a leak under the slab.

History

The first time about a year ago, I agreed to have the lines rerouted overhead in attic with PEX.  Worked fine.
This month, another leak happened in the other end of the house, again, the hot water side.

The House

The house was on a circulating pump that ran 24/7.
We are on hard water that has a high pH factor out of the tap.

The Plan

I am going to have the entire house re-routed with PEX in the attic.
We are in a fairly cold climate (Oklahoma) but the attic is well insulated and we are going to have them insulate the pex.
I don't want to jack hammer up the floor every six months because it is an expensive wood floor, and tile in some areas.

Here's my question(s):

Would the running water from the pump create more friction in the copper pipes thus creating a breakdown in the copper?
Should I just re-route the HOT Water?  The cold water line has yet to fail, and I would have to tear out some tiled shower walls where the outdoor faucets are, and prefer not to have to rebuild the showers, however, if the cold water is intent on failing soon, might as well replace both at the same time.


texts: Can I fix a possible gas leak on a valve for a hot water system myself with Thread Seal Tape?

texts:
Is a leaking gas fitting something a non-professional should even attempt to fix?

Symptoms:
There is a slight off odor around the hot water system, after some experimentation of turning the gas off at the valve and waiting 30 minutes the smell disappears. Later opening up the valve again the smell returns.

It's a copper pipe with a tap valve.

Can I just use some Thread Seal Tape (plumbers tape)? After turning off the gas at the main.


texts: Refurbish propane range top grates w/ KBS Coating XTC (rated to 1500 deg. F.) Suitable for a propane range grates? Exposed to direct flame?

texts: Whirlpool propane gas range and oven. Black color stove top burner grates, Cast Iron.


texts: When do you use an aluminum vs PVC service entrace cap (weatherhead)?

texts: When installing an overhead power service entrance, you can choose between metal conduit with a metal weather-head, or PVC conduit with a PVC weather-head. Is this 100% a matter of preference, or are there specific code requirements that determine which you can or can't use in a given scenario? If there are specific requirements, what are they?


texts: Toilet water tank sometimes takes hours to fill and sometimes it fill up right away

texts: As stated above, sometimes the tank takes hours to fill and other it fills up in a minute or less. This has been happening now for weeks and I had no changes made recently, it started all of a sudden. Thanks.


texts: How can I fix this shower drain and eliminate its odor?

texts:
A house member had some health issues the past few months and, for a while, another house member was pouring buckets of urine down the shower. It developed something of a smell which we tried to extirpate with bleach and vinegar.

However, there's still a lingering odor, and, through the grating, I can see what looks like a loose seal of some sort.

Pulling off the grate, it looks like this:

I'm worried that some kind of seal is broken and is either (a) letting gases up from the sewer or (b) the smells of waste that snuck into the cavity below the shower.

Any thoughts on what may have happened and how to fix this?


texts: Why might our washing machine cause our clothes to smell damp when dry?

texts:
Recently we've noticed that our clothes smell damp once dried.  It doesn't matter if we tumble-dry them, hang them outside or hang them indoors.  This leads me to believe it's our washing machine.  We don't leave clothes in the washing machine long after the cycle is complete.

The washing machine waste pipe is plumbed into the waste pipes under the sink in the kitchen, on the house-side of the trap.  I've had the trap off and the washing machine's waste pipe and there doesn't seem to be a cause for the smell.  I reckon it's inside the washing machine (I've checked and cleaned the washing machine filter).

What other things can I check for the cause of the smell?  Are there products I can put through the machine to eradicate it or could there be corrosion inside that means I need to buy a new machine?


texts: How do I install laminate counter tops? What are some tips/tricks to it?

texts:
I'm preparing to install a new laminate counter top in my kitchen; as this is the first I have installed by myself, I would like to know if there are any tip/tricks or things to look out for while doing it?

Specifically, what is the best saw and technique to use when trimming the counter top to length?  The counter top has a back splash attached, and I'm not quite sure how to handle cutting it.

What are the best tools and techniques for cutting the hole for the sink, are there any tricky bits to watch out for while doing it?

I know this is a lot to ask for a single question, but I'm looking for the ultimate step by step guide to installing a laminate counter top.  Also this counter will be in the shape of an "L", so it would be nice to cover attaching the two pieces and any gotchas associated with that.


texts: Should this roof be fixed now (shingles)?

texts:
My wife and I just bought a house, and it looks like the previous owners did a partial repair job on the roof. Shingles on the front of the house look OK, but the back not so much. I see some granules in my gutters, some damaged and curling shingles. It is especially bad on the flatter parts of the roof over the windows (back of the house).

I'm just looking for opinions on proper procedure here. Do you think this is something that needs an immediate intervention, or am I OK to wait for a few years? Can I just do a partial job to fix the worst parts, or would it not be worth it?

Photo gallery: https://carousel.dropbox.com/photos/cc/lU58DzGUtxUIS7B


texts: What are the consequences of not completely removing the old polyurethane?

texts:
After spending two hours laboring over just one 12ft x 12ft room with grit 20 paper (the coarsest available) with a floor sander, followed by a little sanding with 60-grit paper, I am not pleased with the result.

As you see, the old polyurethane is still there in about 50% of the area. I now have the impression that if I wanted to take out the old polyurethane completely, the right tool for the job was a drum sander. This of course requires more careful sanding by maintaining a steady rate of movement.

At this stage I have no desire to restart with a drum sander. I want to move on. Does applying a layer of polyurethane at this point mean that I would see afterwards clearly the marks of the old polyurethane? I'm not sure why it was so hard to take it out. Perhaps it was too old and has hardened extremely well. The sandpaper I was using seemed to lose none of its teeth after use. It's as if it was floating over the hardwood during sanding with a floor sander. I applied my own body pressure to no avail.


texts: Are cracks in a newly poured concrete basement floor a problem?

texts:
I'm having a new home built and found a large crack in the newly poured concrete basement floor and wanted to see if it's something I should be concerned about.  The floor was poured sometime in the past two weeks; I need to check with the builder exactly when.

I'd really appreciate your opinion: please see the pictures below. Should I have the builder repair or replace the floor?  (The basement will be finished, so cosmetic issues are not a concern, I just want to know the floor will function properly.)

Going to try to get an engineer to look at it...still interested in more comments, thanks!

FYI: There is no rebar in the floor; poured concrete on vapor barrier and gravel.

Click any photograph for full size

Crack is under window well area in picture above.

Footer corner sitting in mud and water in picture above. It's hard to see in this uploaded version, but standing water is in the corner; if the footer is settling here, that would likely explain the crack, right?

Footers with some gravel (more was added before the floor).


texts: Water backing up into Refrigerator Freezer

texts:
I have a General Electric HTS20GBCCC fridge that, after working faithfully for over a decade, suddenly started forming a layer of ice in the bottom of the freezer compartment.

I looked it up online, and the most likely culprit seemed to be that the drain at the back of the freezer had become clogged. So, I shut the unit down, took the back panel off, thoroughly melted and cleaned out the ice buildup, and ran some baking soda and water down the drain.

Now, earlier this week, the unit is building up ice on the bottom of the freezer again. I rapidly took out the back panel this time to try to see exactly where the water was coming from and.. nothing interesting is apparent.

I'm not a repairman or engineer, just a dad on a budget trying to avoid a service call. Is there something I'm missing? Is it clogging in such a way that it does not appear clogged when I take off the panel? Please let me know, and thank you so much for your attention.


texts:
I am framing my basement tomorrow and I'm thinking of using 24" OC for my interior non-load bearing walls.  I plan on using 2 sheets of 5/8" sheet rock with a noise dampening compound.

Is 24 OC legal or within the bounds of the UDC (universal dwelling code)?


texts: do I need gfci outlets for a storage room receptacles

texts: I wired a storage room and run one 20 amp circuit for some outlets and to power the water heater and furnace does this circuit have to be gfci protected?? Or can I install regular receptacles


texts:
I just installed one of these in my house:

but after a few days it got really hard to turn,
is it broken?


texts:
I want to build a 45 degree angled shelf (think along the lines of a magazine shelf) across a 4 metre plasterboard covered concrete wall. The target load is approx. 50kg distributed evenly.

I haven't bought any of the materials yet, but I'm considering getting some of these laminated chipboard panels. My initial plan was to purchase a set of 45 degree angled metal brackets and fix them at 1 metre intervals, to compensate for the front-heavy weight distribution.

So far I've had no luck sourcing shelf brackets that are anything other than 90 degrees. I did find some "adjustable" brackets that appeared to do what I want; but having looked at them close up in a Wickes store I've determined they don't tilt enough for my need and they look a bit too "industrial" for an in-home shelf.

My question is, how should I affix this shelf to the wall? Is there a better approach?


texts: how can I safely attic insulation from kitchen counter

texts: storm  caused roof kitchen ceiling to collapse onto counter.  how do I safely clean this up the insulation that fell with it?


texts: If a dirty Merv-13 Furnace Filter is still passing air does that mean it is still catching allergens like mold spores?

texts:
I built a DIY air filter by fitting a Merv-13 air filter inside a cardboard box. It's held in place by wood strips cut and glued to the box and I cut a hole for a 200mm case fan with a 12v power supply. The result is an air filter that operates continuously in the room I am in, but unlike other solutions is completely silent.
My question is: When should I change the Merv-13 filter? The recommendation on the box is every 3 months, but that's for a filter working over an entire house, not with a single 200mm fan pulling air slowly. If I can still feel air coming off the fan, does that mean mold spores and other allergens are being trapped?


texts: What is the correct way to repair the bottom of a drawer that has fallen out - screw or nail? Both the bottom sheet of the drawer and the frame seem to be fiberboard. The bottom sheet was originally attached to the frame with staples.


texts:
I am trying to stick a strip of LED lights under a bed base (which is covered with a bed base kind of sheet). The adhesive behind the LED strip has worn off. I have tried to get some cloth tape and wrapped it around trying to use it as a double sided tape which didnt work. Then I tried to just tape the LED to the bed base at equal spaces, which didnt work either. The tape just kept coming off after sometime.

All indoor/outdoor double sided hanging tapes specifically say not to use on porous material.

So how can I stick plastic on to cloth ?


texts: Will I get electrocuted if I contact a live wire on an earthed appliance?

texts: I have an appliance that has the wires connected well and it has been grounded (earthed). If I accidentally get into contact with a live wire will I get electrocuted considering it has already been earthed?


texts: Can I have a "hollow" basement bathroom floor?

texts:
I'm going to jackhammer my basement's concrete floor to install plumbing for a new bathroom.

Normally, after the plumbing is done, we should pour concrete to it again.

What will happen if I just "cover" it with something (plywood? with tiles on top) so I don't have to jackhammer the floor again in the future, should I need access to the plumbing?

Will I get weird condensation / water problems?


texts: How to setup saw horse for cutting laminate floor?

texts:
I'm installing laminate floors.

I have the following tools:

Hitachi 15-amp corded Circular Saw
Freud Diablo 60-teeth 7 1/4" carbide blade
Stanley plastic folding saw horses (2 pieces)
6-inch "pistol" clamps (4 pieces)
12" speed square
A couple of 8' 2x3 lumber

I want to:

"crosscut" my laminate floor pieces to length
"ripcut" my laminate floor pieces to width

How do I setup my existing tools properly for these tasks?


texts: Anything forward-thinking things to do regarding solar panels when putting a new roof on?

texts: If you were putting a new roof on now on a shed or garage, and solar panels were a real possibility in the next two or three years (for lights and light-duty electric tools), what things, if any, would you would do, in anticipation, to make the future solar-installation easier?


texts: How can I attach to drywall with aluminum studs?

texts: First, how can I find the studs? My normal and good stud finders are mostly baffled. Second, what should I use to anchor into them? I'm thinking some sort of self-expanding toggle bolt?


texts: Treehouse ladder - 12ft and corrosion resistant from pressure treated wood?

texts:
I'm designing an elevated deck/swingset combo and am trying to figure out how I'm going to build the ladder.

But I've got a couple of challenges. One is that the main posts will be ground-contact rated pressure-treated wood, which from what I read corrodes basically all metal except stainless steel.

Another is that most ladder rungs I've found you need to weld in place, and I don't have welding equipment or training.

This is my first shot at a ladder design (safety cage is planned but not pictured):

Deck height is 12ft.

I've been looking up hardware to build this but having a bit of trouble. A stainless steel ladder rung mount would be nice but I can't find it. Basically I just need a ladder I can attach to this pressure treated frame.

Anyone have any ideas?


texts: Why would all pizeoelectric plugs spark when igniting just one gas stove burner?

texts:
When trying to ignite a single burner on a 2012 model gas stove, all 5 of the piezoelectric plugs start to spark. Once the chosen burner lights and I adjust the flame all the plugs stop sparking.

Questions

Is this something awry or is this typical behavior of a gas stove?

What are some probable explanations for such behavior?


texts:
This might not be the right forum for this kind of question, but I figured I'd ask anyway.  We're finding random ticks at home, maybe one a day, sometimes one every other day.  They look like the picture above (pen for scale).  Our house has 3 floors and I've found them on all floors (i.e., they don't keep to one floor).  We don't have any pets and we're barely going outside (pandemic and all...).

My questions are:

How big of an issue is this? Are these dangerous? We're expecting a newborn in a month, so we're trying to be as careful as possible.
How do I remove them?


texts: Are some power cables too old to be safe?

texts: Found some really old extension cables (+20 years). Is it safe to use them? I was worried that the plastic could deteriorate with time, but I have never seen a power cable with a best-by date.


texts:
There's a 40A circuit in the greenhouse that's separated into 5 individual circuits consisting of two 15 amp breakers and four 20 amp breakers, one of which is unused.
If I run 2 small electrical heaters on one side, the 20 Amp circuit trips.  Obviously, the two heaters are drawing more than 20 amps.
My question is: If I connect the two 20 amp breakers together and try to run both heaters am I looking for trouble - will it work?


texts: Can I replace a single light switch with a 3-way switch that can individually control 2 lights in a fixture?

texts:
I have a ceiling light fixture with 2 bulb sockets. Right now it's controlled by a single 2-way switch (on/off).

My idea was to install a 3-way (or possible 4 but not necessary) switch that can control each bulb independently. The point to that would be in being able to individually control two contrasting bulbs, ie: 1 5000k and 1 2700k to set different 'scenes' if you will.

States:

position 1, bulb 1 on, bulb 2 off
position 2, bulb 1 off, bulb 2 on
position 3, bulb 1 off, bulb 2 off

Ideally I'd like to be able to do this without pulling the wiring or adding an additional wire and to instead mod either either access point (light switch or light fixture).

Logically speaking, one can get 4 states with 2 wires (00,01,10,11) so it stands to reason that it is possible but would be a matter of what components to use and if there are off-the-shelf solutions.


texts: How should I insulate my concrete ceiling in a safe room under a concrete porch?

texts:
We have a safe room roughly 25' long  x 7' wide x 10' tall. It has concrete walls with a metal ceiling and concrete covered porch above it. The room gets very cold in the winter, I suspect mostly due to the uninsulated ceiling. Right now we have an open door to your conditioned basement from the safe room. How would you recommend insulating the ceiling?
I have considered:

Foam board attached to metal. I wondered if I could glue this up or would have to attach some other way?

Spray foam ceiling. I am guessing that would cost much more than the foam board and wouldn't be something I could do myself.

Putting a door in the opening to the safe room to slow the cold air. This would help but the room still shares uninsulated concrete walls with the rest of the basement.

With any option I have to deal with minor water leaks when water blows onto the porch and leaks through the concrete.
Thank you for any ideas and suggestions!


texts: How do I remove this old bathroom exhaust fan?

texts:
My ancient 1960s bathroom fan (a NuTone 8832) stopped working. I removed the cover and fan, but the "metal box" assembly is still in the ceiling. I'm not sure how to get it out.

Here's the unit, with the cover and fan removed:

What I've tried:

undo all exposed screws. didn't help.
look for a way to tilt or pry a piece of it down. no luck there either.

Any ideas how to get this box out of my ceiling? I bought a new fan unit, but I need to get the old one out before I can install the new one! :)


texts: Do I need builders risk insurance for a kitchen remodel

texts:
I am managing my own kitchen remodel which involves the following work:

Level subfloor
New porcelain tile floor
Replace load bearing wall with post and beam (under the direction and plans of a licensed structural engineer).
New cabinets
New countertops
Minor plumbing modifications
Minor electrical modifications
New drywall

I am subcontracting out for most of this work and am being very selective in who I am working with. I have done some reading online and in books I got from the library and some of them say I must get an insurance policy called a Builders Risk insurance policy.

I called my homeowners insurance company today and asked about this and they said that there is no need for me to do this. Is that good advice? What are the pros and cons of getting that insurance and where would I buy such a policy if I decided to get one?


texts:
I bought a house a few years ago and am finally getting around to working on the irrigation system.

I have what I believe are two separate wells for outside water - one for the irrigation system and the other for a few spigots around the yard. I am in central Florida - I believe that matters regarding well type/depth?

Here is the well for the irrigation system:

The top of that is about 6” below the ground level. Although it starts up and I can feel the ground vibrating around it, I don’t get any water from it. Could there be anything I’m doing wrong, or does feeling the ground vibrate mean that it is definitely running and needs to be pulled to investigate?

EDIT (5/5/2020): After pulling the pump up about 4 foot and lowering it back down, it now slowly pumps out a steady stream of very dirty water. The foot valve seems to work fine - it starts putting out water immediately when turning it on, so it's not leaking back down, at least not quickly.

Am I safe in assuming that this points to a dirty/clogged filter at the bottom? And is the only fix a pull and clean?

Here is the well and pump for the second one:

This one has a pressure tank, unlike the irrigation well. I’ve tried priming this one via the priming plug and by back-feeding the spigots. The water that I put in gets pressure-fed back out to me, but I get nothing more. Could I have a blocked pipe?

EDIT (5/5/2020): I determined that the tank had a bad bladder, so I'm going to replace that. After letting the pump run for a long time, it does bring water up, in cycles. It will start to pump out water, and then it stops for a few seconds. This cycle goes on forever.

Does this cycling point to an issue with the pump or with the well?


texts: Foundation issue - tell me how worried I need to be

texts:
I have noticeable movement and cracks in some of the walls in my home. This has been ongoing for a few years and seems to be getting slowly worse. The 1st photo shows the most severe and obvious evidence where it is clear that one wall is migrating down - this is in the kitchen. 2nd photo is the dining room wall opposite that first photo (other side of same wall). 3rd photo is same location as first but further away. 4th photo is a separate crack near the ceiling in the wall at the bottom of the basement stairs.
We have had significant water drainage issues directly behind the house - which is near the kitchen - which I assume may be responsible. We have recently addressed this via a landscaping job that directed rainwater around the back of the house which seems to be mostly working. Based on these photos I’m wondering how concerned I should be? Is this minor or is my house collapsing? Thanks in advance.


texts:
I've spent the morning looking at YouTube videos and I feel I've gotten my wiring correct.

I'm trying to add a rose / pendant to a room. As I took the original light off, I noticed there is only 1 set of cables (set of 3 cables). As such, I don't believe there is any looping required.

The problem I have, is the light isn't working and my first assumption is that it's due to my wiring.

However, I've now seen a video which potentially conflicts with the wiring diagram.

This is a screenshot of a video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoVSdqeFkhE

Please ignore the green arrow

And this is the instruction sheet which came with the pendant

These 2 seem to conflict. Am I reading this wrong? Or does it not matter in which hole within the terminal block it goes?

And another diagram shows something totally differnt:

If it helps, this is my effort


texts: Sealing middle of sliding window with portable air conditioner installed

texts:
In my bedroom I have a one hose portable AC unit, because my only bedroom window is a sliding window. Currently, I set up the window kit in the day and take it out before bed. The reason for this is because of the road noise at night from the street the window faces.
To seal the window kit I am using foam pipe insulation around the edges, which works quite well. The main source of noise, however, is coming from the opening between the two sections of window in the middle. When the window is closed, the middle frame of the sliding section seals  against the other frame, blocking out any noise.

When the window is open, there is a gap created (approx 49 1/2" tall, 3/8" wide).

My first attempt at sealing the gap was to use half a section of foam pipe insulation jammed into the gap, which does block out some noise (and outside air) from getting in, but still not to a level where I can sleep comfortably with it installed in the window.
So, my question is what would be a good way to seal the gap?


texts: What are the levers on my washing machine hose connection fittings?

texts: In the picture below, can someone identify the silver grooved items with rounded ends between the hose connections.  If they are shut-off valves, they do not move with normal force (or really at all).


texts: What paint to use on particle board for a shoe rack?

texts:
I am repurposing a piece of particle board from a kitchen island to add another level to our shoe rack. I wanted to know what paint would be best to use. I don’t want the board to swell. Would covering the piece in contact paper be a better way to seal it from wet/muddy shoes?
Thank you, Beth Anne


texts: Vertical gap between wooden floor and baseboard trim: how do I fix that gap?

texts:
There's a small vertical gap maybe 1/8" to 1/4" between our wooden floors and the bottom of the wall (which ends with baseboard trim).

What should I do to fill that gap and make it look nice?

The time consuming way is probably to drop the baseboard trim down right?
Can I fill it with something like caulk and match the color of the baseboard?


texts: Why do some oil heaters ("red diesel") use also electricity and some not?

texts:
I would like to install a small heater, for heating one room, that runs on heating oil, i.e. "red diesel".

After a brief look on what is available for sale, I noticed some of them require also an electrical connection, and use from 10W to 50W of electricity, and some others don't require any electricity.

For example the Webasto AirTop2000 diesel heater uses 14 to 29 W: http://www.webasto-outdoors.com/service/faq-knowledge-database.html#c163

Also the wikipedia article on "Heating oil" says:

  For efficient burning, the oil is drawn from the tank into a pump and
  pressurized (residential) to 1,034 kPa (150 psi) and forced through a
  filtered (specific to appliance) nozzle, into an atomized spray
  pattern. It is then ignited through the use of a step-up transformer,
  taking 120 or 240 V AC and stepping it up to 10,000 V AC.

which implies that generally oil-heaters use electricity, but then I see many oil heaters of this kind:

This does not have any electricity connection at all, so I am a bit confused. Can someone explain me what is the difference, and are there any significant benefits on using the types which use electricity?

In my application the only electricity that comes is also from a diesel generator, so I would like to avoid having the heater use any electricity, unless there is any significant benefit, like better efficiency which offsets the diesel used for generating the electricity it uses.

Also, what type of oil heaters can you recommend?
I would like to be able to burn different types of oil in it too, like diesel fuel from the petrol station, rapeseed cooking oil, kerosene, used engine oil, just anything similar - are there heaters which will burn all of that?


texts:
I would like to connect an iDevices WIFI wall switch to an end of line single pole connection which controls the my table lamp connected to an upper wall outlet. The wifi switch has a red, black white and ground. My wall switch has a black, white and ground. The white is the load (hot wire) coming into the switch.

I know there's a way to do this but I can't seem to find a diagram on line.

My question is in the title:  How do I connect a WiFi enabled wall switch?


texts: The float in the image is in a cistern. Sometimes it jams right at the top so the water keeps on filling and doesn't stop. Is there a way to lubricate or fix this type of float to prevent it from jamming in the last quarter inch?


texts: What diameter pipe do I need to adjust this basin waste pipe?

texts:
I fitted a new tap and waste outlet to a small basin, because the new outlet is shorter than the old, the plastic pipework no longer reaches (see photo) I can force the parts to mate but I don't like having the pipe under a lot of strain and it doesn't seal properly (I havent tried applying copious amounts of plumbers putty).

I am considering cutting off the white-painted down-pipe (at right of photo) and using a solvent-weld straight coupling to insert a new section of pipe to raise the pipework about 1 cm.

The existing pipe has an outside diameter of 36 mm.
The pipes available in catalogues are listed as 32 mm or 40 mm.

I understand that a nominal 32 mm plastic waste pipe has an outside diameter of 34.5 mm. Is this the right pipe?


texts: can i use a mortar shower pan before its tiled

texts:
can i take showers in a mortar shower pan, before it is tiled?

I am trying to redo 2 bathrooms at once.  Is it possible to take a showers in one when it is only half complete, and for how long is this OK?


texts: Is dropping a bromine tab in my sump pit bad?

texts:
I have a sump pump that runs a lot (I have a perched water table under my house).

It discharges into my gutter and there is a significant mold build up.

My sump pit is just a hole in the ground, but I would like to try dropping a bromine tab in my sump pit.

My worry is that this will mess up the ground water.

My second worry is that it will mess up my pump.

Are these valid concerns or can I just try this out and see if it helps my mold issues?


texts:
I am installing a chandelier and there is no ground wire in the metal junction box, but there is a screw with a copper wire already running to it. The wire runs up through the box.

Is this the ground screw? Why is there a copper wire already connected? Should I disconnect and connect the copper wire from my chandelier?


texts: How can I remove an electrical junction box that is attached to a stud, without damaging the surrounding wall?

texts:
I'm trying to pull the phone wire in my new house, and replace it with Cat6 cable for Ethernet. Upon removing the faceplate for the dual cable (coax) and phone jack, I found what I believe is this gang box:

Obviously I can't see the bracket for the drywall atop it, so I can't be completely sure this is what I've got, but the blue box looks almost exactly like mine...

I've already unscrewed the screw until it (apparently) came out of the bracket, in an effort to remove the box so I could see into the wall at how the phone line is run. Unfortunately, I can't pull it out -- seems that it can't slide off the bracket? Double-unfortunately, the screw seems to have come out of the bracket, and I can't put the box back in the wall, either.

Can I remove this box without putting a big hole in my wall to get at the bracket? I was hoping to avoid that (literal) mess for this little project, and just pull the phone wire and run the Ethernet cable in its place. Is my only option cutting into the drywall anyway?


texts: I have a LG air conditioner that i can find it online, not sure why. when i turn it on, there is no air blowing. not sure if it helps but the model number is hs-0964f73. not sure why but i cant seem to find it online.


texts: Trying to swap 1 outlet with a switch that doesn’t control outlets

texts: I have 3 outlets. Trying to remove 1 to put a switch to a recessed light in. But I don't want to control the outlets with the switch. What do I do?


texts: What material can be used to bond metal to metal and is removable in the future?

texts:
I'm looking to seal an opening in a metal refrigerator with a standard heatsink as a part of a thermoelectric cooling setup.

It'd be ideal if there was a bonding material of some sort that can squish down, needs to be both heat and cold resistant (40 F to 120 F), can be cut away or dissolved in the future for repairs, and form a mostly airtight seal.

Please advise, thanks!


texts: Is the maximum load of my circuit panel split evenly between the two legs?

texts:
I’ve been curious about the max load of the home. I have a 200 amp service coming into my home. My question is, is it 200 amps per phase or 100 amps per phase 200 amps total? I couldn’t seem to find an answer simply my searching.

We’ve bought a few large appliances and when the ac and dryer and cooktop are on it draws close to 80 amps per phase. I started to wonder if this was approaching the limit of the service.


texts: why is my residential cold water in pressure reducer valve corroding like a battery terminal?

texts:
my pressure reducer valve to my appartment is corroding on the outside like the build up you get on an automobile batery? is this any indication that the water is toxic? what would cause this? improberly installed electrical ground? no dielectric fiting at my hotwater tank? hard water? is my electricity to the apartment rickling down the drain?
the other 3 pressure reducer valves in line with mine are all fine only mine is corroding.


texts: Is the max current draw of wall outlets reported in RMS or peak?

texts:
In the United States, the voltage of typical wall outlets is 120 Vac (RMS). Maximum current draw is 15 A or 20 A. Is this "maximum" expressed in terms of RMS or peak? The "maximum" seems to imply peak.

Extension to this question: If I plug multiple devices into a power strip with a 15 A fuse, should I be worried about the total peak current or total RMS current of the devices?


texts:
Are electrical boxes required by code to house electrical devices and outlets or is it just an accepted way of doing it?

If it is required, where does this requirement come from? Would it still hold up if an outlet receptacle had no exposed metal parts (and accepted wiring with push-in terminals)?


texts: Which screw and anchor should I use to mount a projector screen?

texts:
I have a projector screen which weighs about 8 kg (~17.6 lbs) and to light it up a little for when I don't use it I decided to mount a LED strip behind it. I already bought matching strips of wood (24 mm / ~0.9 inches). The screw head has to leave a space of about 2 mm (~1/10 inch) so that I can hook the projector screen.

The wall is no drywall, I suppose it is out of concrete or bricks. I've only put nails in it and I think I won't get them out if I have to...

The projector screen frame has two mounting holes in both top corners.

Which length and diameter should the screws have? Maximum diameter of the mounting holes is 11 mm (~0.4 inches)


texts: Why is the combustion chamber on my furnace vibrating and humming when the air conditioner is on?

texts:
I replaced the blower motor, blower wheel (squirrel cage), and run capacitor in my Goodman GMS80904BNBB furnace (1994 model I believe) because it showed signs of bearing and capacitor failure. First run with the new parts it blew air through the system at a wonderful speed; but it hummed, vibrated, and clanked loudly.
I was able to isolate the sound of the clanking to the control board having a loose mount, securing that made the clanking go away. Now I'm left with a vibrating/humming noise that I've isolated to be coming from the combustion chamber but only when the cooling is on and the blower is at full speed. The sound only comes from one side (the right-hand side when looking at the front of the furnace upright, if that makes a difference). The sound is about 75dB right next to the source of the humming (noise floor is about ~60dB for reference). The sound does not appear to be coming from the blower motor/wheel/housing, hopefully ruling out an imbalanced wheel/shaft/etc (the whole blower chamber actually runs very quietly and smoothly).
I have not tried it with the furnace heater on because it's 95 degrees outside, but I could if necessary. I do not remember this humming before I replaced the motor and wheel, the system has been operating quietly up until a few weeks ago when it started to grind, sputter, not start, etc because of the motor bearings. I believe this new motor produces more RPMs than my last motor (old motor model deprecated for the newer one) but I could check to make sure if that would help.
My question is, what could be humming and what would it take to fix it? Is there a component I'm unaware of that is operating in the combustion chamber when the air conditioning is on? Is it just harmonics? Is it really just an imbalance in the blower wheel that's being amplified at high speeds? Could I somehow reduce the blower speed to make it quieter?


texts: What kind of treatment should I use on bottom wall plates to prevent decay?

texts:
I have a bathroom project in my basement. I made the mistake of not using pressure-treated lumber for the bottom plate. Everything is roughed in, and I have access to the framing since I haven't put up cement board yet.
We do get some leaks in this area when it rains hard. We have recently regraded the ground outside, so hopefully it won't leak anymore, but I have to assume that it will.
I would like to cover the plates with some kind of paint to at least give them some kind of protection from mold. I know that it's impossible to paint the bottom of the baseboards.
What kind of paint should I use to cover these boards? And is there a way to seal the edges to prevent water from seeping in underneath them?


texts: Running PEX line through PVC then thread into end

texts:
I installed an irrigation system for my lawn with 1/2" PEX tubing. Most of it is buried, but at the start of the run I want to run it through some PVC to make it look cleaner where it is coming up from the ground, where my water timer is.
My issue is I want it to look really clean, so I want the top of the PVC run coming up from the ground to have a female garden hose thread on it, where I can then attach my water timer. I am trying to figure out how I can connect my PEX line that is running through the PVC to a fitting that attaches to the top of the PVC with a female garden hose end. Any ideas?


texts: I put in a new counter top and had to take off my garbage disposal to do so. When I hooked everything back up and flipped the switch nothing happened. I grabbed my wire tester and touched the wire and there was a pop and some smoke from the disposal. Now weather the switch is on or off I have constant power to the garbage disposal. Everything else that is on that breaker works just fine. What could be the problem? And how can I fix this?


texts: How do I remove this window sash to replace the glass pane?

texts:
I have watched a lot of videos on removing the pane and reglazing. It doesn't seem that hard. I'm stuck though on how to remove the sash. I have a video I made which goes over the entire window.

See the window in a video


texts: How can I make 5 lights work with 2 switches and one light common to both?

texts:
I have 5 lights and 2 switches.
When I press switch 1 I want light numbers 1 and 2 and 3 to come on and when I press switch 2 I want light numbers 3 and 4 and 5 to come on.
Note that the 2 switches are on two different circuits in the distribution-board but are on the same phase.


texts: How to reduce ear splitting intercom noise?

texts: My landlord replaced our fancy intercom system to a cheap one, I am guessing because of maintenance. The new one does not have any controls and I am trying to reduce the noise of the buzzing or, if possibly, replace it with a compatible one that allow for reducing the volume. The pics below show the model and the wiring:


texts:
I received a used DVR, which expects a power supply like this -- note the 4-pin connector. I want to feed the DVR and the cameras from a battery-backed system like this so that the whole setup survives a power outage for at least a few minutes.

The cameras are easy -- they want only the + and the - of the DC. But what's in the four contacts of the DVR? I can guess, the third one is ground -- what of the fourth? Does the connector have a name I can put into Google?


texts: Adding Siemens Whole House SPD to Pseudo neutral Siemens GFCI

texts:
Harper taught me how to connect the following and it's working perfectly. From (related to) the post
Connecting a Pseudo-Neutral to Pig Tail of GFCI
where I only have 240v black and red line of the US ac power in the Philippines and the Siemens GFCI has 120v circuitry. So Harper suggested an autotransformer with neutral to power it and worked flawlessly.

Harper, etc. Can I add the following to the above?

I mean the Neutral and Ground will be connected to the autotransformer centertapped output with the 2 Hot connected to the autotransformer input? This is to avoid surges damaging the sensitive GFCI circuitry (the internal MOV may not be enough).

Note I can easily use the Siemens First Surge by simply shorting the ground/neutral leads and not connecting it to anything and just connecting the two hots. No alarm sounded and the Siemens First Surge works without error.

But this won't offer the L-N protection mode with lower VPR (600) instead of L-L of 900v VPR (related to Let-through voltage). Hence I need to use 120v protection mode too by connecting the neutral/ground of the Siemens First Surge to the autotransformer neutral lead (which powers the Siemens GFCI breaker circuitry).


texts: I am installing a Honeywell RTH6580WF with a TACO SR504

texts:
The current installation does not have a C wire.  So I have run an extra wire and am now confused as to where to connect it.  There is a 24VAC connection and a common connection.   Comments say that the C wire provides 24VAC.  Does that mean it connects to the 24VAC at the TACO or because it is common, it connects to Common.

Connecting to 24VAC shows 24VAC between R and C and 0 VAC between W and C.
Connecting to common shows 0VAC between R and C and 24VAC between W and C.

Color me puzzled

Any guidance?  Thanks


texts: Gas oven won't maintain temperature it is set on

texts: Maytag oven initially ignites, heats up to temperature selected but won't reignite to maintain temperature.


texts:
So my little teardrop trailer plans have changed into a 12'x6' camper so that I can stand in it.  I'm in the planning phase still.  What I'm doing for the walls is 3 layers; an outer 1/2" board, a middle 3/4" board with cutouts for foam insulation (also for weight reduction) and a 1/8" inner finishing board.

The top roof will be plywood until right before the curve down towards the front.  From there it'll be aluminum all the way down.

My concern is if I'm making the back strong enough.

Here's what it looks like

FRONT:

REAR:

Closeup of the right-rear corner

The roof will also have a sandwich design like the walls, but it'll be 1/2" outer, 1/2" structural and hollowed out middle with insulation, and 1/8" finishing inner.  I'm planning on laying the middle structural ceiling on top of the inner walls, which will make it flush with the top of the outer walls.  Then put the outer roof panel on top of everything including the outer walls. I'm hoping the outer roof board being on top of the outer walls will also help with water issues.

Does this sound right?  Or should the outer roof panel be in between the outer walls and just make sure it's good and waterproof? I also have a concern regarding the walls.

The walls for the camper will be a sandwich of 3 layers.  I'm using all 4'x8' plywood sheets.

See the image below for my design and then I'll explain.

I made everything 2-tones so that you can see the different board of plywood easier.  The blue colored panels are the outer 1/2" plywood boards.  The green ones are the inner 3/4" plywood boards that I've made cutouts in to reduce weight (and I'll be filling the voids with insulation).  There will be another nicer layer of 1/8" plywood for the interior.

What I've done is arranged all the boards to be standing upright, and I offset them so that the inner and outer boards don't have seams in the same places.  The outer is just three 4' wide boards.  The inner is 1' wide on the left, then two 4' wide boards, and then a 3' board.

So my question is; If the 2 layers are glued and fastened together, does this seem like it'll be quite strong?  I was going to screw them together, but does someone recommend another method?  Maybe bolts and t-nuts and glue?  Should I add some blocks where the green boards meet to further fasten them together?  Or should I just do pocket screws?

Keep in mind this will be on a trailer and moving around.  I want it to be nice and solid, and hopefully last a long time.  This is why I'm seeking out advice.

The roof won't have anything on top of it other than a vent with a fan, so I'm not worried about it being able to carry any weight other than itself.

Here's an update to what I have so far with framing the roof:

The small blue square on top will be the roof vent with fan. The large blue rectangle in front will be a front window.  The framing around the vent are 2x2's.  The 7 others in front are all 2x4's.  I'm not sure if the 2x4's are overkill, but the front half of the trailer won't have a heavy-duty roof.  It'll just be a couple of thin layers of plywood that I can bend down the front, finished off with some 0.05 aluminum on top.

EDIT

Extra pics to show layout for possible balance issues.
Front will be a queen-sized bed.  Left rear-corner is a table with 2 chairs.  Right-rear corner will have a large cabinet with the bottom-half of the cabinet reserved for a sink that will slide outside.  The water tank and extra storage will be under the bed.


texts: If garage door circuit board is fried by power surge, wouldn't outlet also be fried?

texts: The control/circuit board is dead in Wayne Dalton opener. Is covered by our American Home Shield warranty. However, because tech suggested to AHS work "approval dept" that it could have been fried by a power surge, they are denying the claim. Tech said to me that he doesn't know for a fact that this happened because of a power surge but was merely hypothesizing because he was pressed for a reason the board went bad. At any rate, I am wondering if a power surge DID cause this, wouldn't the receptacle show signs of damage? Wouldn't the other thing (a shop light) also be damaged?  Would it have tripped a breaker? Just looking for ammo to AHS to cover my claim. They tend find a way to deny everything. Thanks for any advice.


texts: Live wire spliced in a switch to provide power to other parts of the room!

texts:
I wanted to replace a single pole toggle switch with a smart switch. I opened the switch box to analyze the existing wiring. Typically in single pole switches there should be 3 wires going in. I live wire (typically screwed to the black screw) and one load wire and one ground wire ( green wire or just wire without the casing). But I noticed 4 wires in this switch. There was a black wire pinned to the same screw where the live wire went in. This black wire was getting constant power and it was providing power to other parts of the room. Like light switches in powder room etc.
My question is when I put in the new smart switch, can I put both the live wire and the other wire that was providing power to all other switches together with a wire nut?
Attached some photos for reference!


texts: Potential Causes of Electric Meter Showing more power consumed than alternative measurement device

texts:
I have lived in a house for awhile that seemed to have an awfully high reported electric power usage. Like shockingly high, with nobody home in the winter (meaning no AC usage) we were seeing numbers like 100kWh per day. And over the summer that number jumps up to 140kWh. (this is a house in the northeast USA, so not too many days a year that the central AC even gets run)

This seemed to be the case regardless of upgrading all the appliances to high efficiency ones, changing out all light bulbs for CFLs then LEDs. Basically doing everything imaginable to reduce energy consumption, had almost no impact on the billed kWh usage.

So a few days ago I got a Sense home electric monitoring tool, and installed it on the split phase main right as they enter the house in my breaker box. The power it reports is exactly what I would expect to see. If I turn on 60W worth of light bulbs, the consumption jumps by 60W. Everything with this device seems to be pretty darn accurate.

Except that it is reporting less than 1/2 of the power consumption of the electric meter. Last night during a 12 hour period, the electric meter went from a reading of 88784 to 88832, or 48kWh being reported consumed, while the Sense device reported that 18kWh was consumed during the same period.

Other than a defective electric meter (which is possible, but I consider it to be a long shot) can anyone else think of any other way in which an additional 30kWh could be reported as consumed with no apparent restive heat source sitting there burning it away? I have considered reactive power somehow, but I don't have any large inductive loads that I could think might be phase shifting by that much.

The meter is at a barn which is about 700 feet of cable away from the house, but 700 feet of 4 aught cable wouldn't possibly burn any meaningful amount of power in a I^2*R fashion at 240V over that distance.

I've read a few places people talking about "deviations to ground" being a source of energy loss. Is it even possible that could be the case here with that much power? And if so, how would I even start trying to hunt such a thing down?


texts: Mains wires aren't paired, is this a problem?

texts:
I'm wanting to add another socket outlet to my ring main, on the opposite side of the wall to an existing socket outlet.

When I've removed the old socket the live and neutral wires aren't paired (can't tell which live goes with which neutral).

Does it matter which I pair together? My gut says it does but I'm not 100%.

If it is a problem I guess I'll have to spur the new socket instead.

It's a 1950s house in the UK.


texts: Is it necessary to connect a boiler and gas meter to the main fuse box?

texts:
We are getting a new kitchen fitted. An electrical survey has been carried out by the compnay installing kitchen. they have said that, our brand new and recently fitted, boiler needs a earth wire running from itself to the fusebox. As does our old gas meter.  This is a pain as they are at the outermost parts of our property and the fusebox is central. So it will mean cables/wires all over the place.

Surely the boiler can be earthed via nearby mains powerpoint ? Or straight out to the literal earth via the nearby water stop cock/water meter.

Any advice from electricians, or those with electrical knowledge ?  I am based in the UK, and apparently these are health safety regulations, although I think they are somewhat open to interpretation.


texts: Sound of Running Water After Faucet is closed

texts:
In addition to a "whooshing" sound when water is running through our pipes, I've noticed recently that after we turn off a faucet the sound of running water continues for about 5 seconds. What would cause this?
I recently replaced the main shutoff valve since it was leaking. I don't think there is air in the system. All of the faucets and showers have been used extensively since then. Could the whooshing water sound and the delayed shutoff be related? They both started after I replaced the main shutoff.


texts:
My son sometimes has a temper, and has been known to hit his door when sent to his room. He has actually done so enough to punch a bit of a hole in it. I'm trying to figure out what might be doable to fix the door. Here is a photo of it:

As can be seen, there is a crack on the left that is visible and slightly dented in, and the center/right hole is actually pressed in pretty good. The punched hole is approximately 6 inches in diameter.

I'm going to make my son pay for the repairs from his allowance, and as that is limited, I am hoping for a fairly quick/inexpensive solution.

Any ideas as to what can be done?


texts:
Have a broken clay drainage pipe that just takes water away from the house.  It is near the wye on the bigger clay drainage pipe that where the difficulty is.  So any ideas how to fix it?

E we


texts:
I'm planning to build a ground level deck, approximately 8ft x 10ft long. I'm going to use deck concrete blocks for footing, e.g. :

I want to place 4 of those in the corners and probably two-three in the middle on left and right sides:

A       B
X-------X

X-------X

X-------X

X-------X
D       C

My question is about framing: would it be OK to use 2x6 boards, or it is too weak and I should rather pick 2x8 instead ?

Thanks.


texts: Why does my furnace drip bucket fill up so frequently?

texts: We have an oil furnace that heats the house using a two-zone hot-water circuit, and also acts as an on-demand hot water heater. There is a pipe coming off the collection of pipes coming out of it that has a 2-quart drip bucket beneath it. This bucket fills every other day. In other homes I've seen with this arrangement, this bucket never fills, and any water in it evaporates after a day or so. What's causing it to fill so quickly, and is it something worth calling the furnace repair service for?


texts: What type of grout and mortar should I use for the compartment around my wood stove?

texts:
I would like to tile around the inside of my fireplace but I am unsure what type of grout I should use. My only problem is the stove can produce an extreme amount of heat, therefore, causing the tiles to fall off if I use the wrong type of grout.

Is there a type of grout, cement or adhesive that is resistant to extreme heat?

Note: the tiles of which I will be using are fire and heat resistant.

Below is an image of the area within my fireplace of which I am tiling: (note: at the time of tiling the wallpaper will be removed)

Thanks.


texts: Hardibacker seems to draw moisture out of thinset?

texts:
Working with 3/4" glass mosaic tiles for the first time - look great, but a very different process than I'm used to with ceramic tiles of normal size.
Tiled a section of cement floor following the glass tile instructions (rake with 1/4 x 3/16 V notch, then trowel flat, then place tile and beat into place) which worked pretty much fine (one loose tile from a few hundred, and several places where I must not have gotten the raking and smoothing even enough so I had to go over with a grout saw to remove excess thinset before grouting.)
Moved on to doing a section of wall that's covered with 1/2" hardibacker. Only did about 3 square feet as I figured it was going to be trickier working on the wall than the floor. Got the thinset on the wall successfully, raked and smooth, tile (in sheets with a gummed paper on the face on it and not falling down, moved to beating it in and I could hear it rattling - much of the mortar wasn't taking the tile, though enough had for the sheets to be on the wall (Mapei glass tile mortar, supposedly 2 hour pot life, 30 minute open time and conditions were not particularly hot or dry.)
I ended up stripping the tiles and scraping off the mortar. As far as I recall the instructions said nothing about pre-wetting the substrate (I understand Hardibacker to be what they call CBU), but it certainly appeared that the Hardibacker had dried it out to a point of uselessness in a very short period (which the concrete floor did not, but of course the floor needed to be mopped clean before tiling and the walls did not.) I'm wondering if I should pre-wet/dampen the hardibacker before applying thinset.
I basically wasted a few hours and a lot of mortar to re-set that one 3/4" square tile in the floor that had been loose, as opposed to getting started on the wall section...
Back-buttering these tiny tiles seems like it would result in a huge amount of cleanup for grouting if laid on with a trowel, and would be incredibly tedious dotting on the back of each one (225 tiles per sheet.)
Similar question but not exactly this (mesh rather than paper face and more about trowel technique)


texts: Why is my refrigerator so loud? Can I fix this?

texts:
I live in a small NYC apartment and my refrigerator is close to the bedroom. When it kicks on, it's makes a loud thunk/click, and can be enough to wake me up. (While running it's pretty quiet.)

I think it's the fan in the freezer. The maintenance folks have replaced it once or twice, but it seems not to change. Anything I can do?

(FWIW, it's Whirlpool.)