texts:
My parents have an electric water heater in the basement of a townhouse. It's been 13 years+ and still works well, no leak or rust.

I've seen public service ads on TV that suggests an replacement every 10 years, otherwise it gets dangerous. But also read online that most water heater tanks are good for 10-15 years and there is no need to replace it if no visual sign of defect.

I'd like some professional advises on this topic.

Model: Giant 172ETE-3F5M

Date written on it: 2003-11-05


texts: Non-dimmable LED on dimmer. Fire hazard?

texts:
I just moved into a new home where some of the electrical appears to have been recently re-done.  Nearly every light in the house has a dimmer on it, which is fine with me because I prefer to keep light dim.  However, most of the lights are cheap Ikea, non dimmable LED's.  I initially noticed some lights in my bathroom ocassionally flickering when I tried to dim them, and discovered they were not dimmable.  After replacing them with dimmable LED's, everything is fine.  Last night I turned on the living room recessed lighting and dimmed it, for the first time and two lights started flickering, as well as smoking. When I turn the dimmer all the way up there doesn't appear to be any issue.  Those two lights were gone but the others are fine.

So, that being said, this scares the hell out of me.  Had my son turned it on and not noticed the smoke, it probably would have caught fire within seconds.  Is this a symptom of the LED's or something else? Not that I have allowed other lights to flicker, but why haven't I seen this in other rooms.

A little more background information: The seller just had an electrician do a $4000 inspection and overhaul of the electrical as a contingency for the purchase.  The 200A panel and breakers are brand new and all the wiring is 12ga or less.


texts: Should I be concerned about a green crust on the copper pipes on my boiler?

texts: I have a boiler system, about 9 years old, with copper pipes. Many of those connections and handle faucets have a green crust. Is this a sign of something wrong? What do I do? Should I be concerned?


texts: I have a concrete patio in my backyard that's in pretty good condition.  We don't like how it looks, so we'd like to cover it up with brick or pavers.  Looking online, it appears that most people install pavers over gravel, so I was wondering if it was a good idea to lay the pavers straight on the concrete patio.  Would drainage be an issue?  What kind of cement would I use to secure the pavers on the concrete?


texts:
I am trying to re-stain a door here. I sanded and applied pre-conditioner. Ofcourse as you can see from the first picture, I had to remove the original stain in some areas. These areas had marks that I needed gone from the wood.
When I apply my first coat of stain though, and then wipe off the excess, I notice that the parts of the door were the original stain was left on, does not seem to absorb any of the new stain. What can I do to change this behavior?


texts: Any differences between Apollo PEX-B and Sharkbite PEX-B - Need to Run through Wooden Studs

texts:
I noticed that near me, HD carries Apollo PEX-B and Lowe's sells Sharkbite PEX-B. Are there any differences between these two in terms of flexibility, durability, etc? I wasn't sure if one brand was considered better than the other, and I can't find much comparing the two. I would appreciate any insight!

As an aside, I noticed that Sharkbite mentions using abrasion clips when passing through a wood stud. I was under the impression that they are only needed for metal studs, unless the PEX is penetrating the wood at an angle or rubbing against the stud, joist, etc. Can anyone clarify?


texts: What is the buzzing noise I hear for about 30 seconds before my furnace blower starts?

texts:
There's a buzzing sound for about 30 seconds prior to the blower starting. Everything seems to be working normally, but I don't recall hearing this sound before.

Here's a video, the blower starts normally at about 20 seconds.

Buzzing


texts: What kinds of contractors deal with basement/foundation flooding/leaks?

texts:
Winter is coming to an end. All the snow/ice in my back lawn is thawing. A massive vertical crack has opened in my basement wall (the foundation) and water is hemmoraging in. I tried parging it with hydraulic cement but it literally is jetting out of the wall and the cement won't hold.

What kind of contractor do I call for this? Mason? GC? Home emergency restoration services?


texts: Need help with attaching wood to cinder block

texts:
Ive been researching and toiling over this as opposed to actually getting it done for too long, finally had to turn to a forum!

I purchased a relatively old house (1957) some time ago and we've finally gotten onto the basement (i call it the basement but its really considered living space as its only half underground/tri level home).

The utility room is bare cinder block on the 3 of the 4 walls.  I intend to attach furring strips (1x3) which ive already purchased.

my question is kinda two-fold.

I also need to attach window sills to the "hollow side" of cinder block as all the new windows we just had put in have nothing but holes leading down into cinder block below them.  Ive cut the window sills and was hoping to simply use liquid nails to secure them however as luck would have it, 2 of the boards have a slight warp so ill need to use something to draw them flush/square.

Im on a very tight budget so im looking to find a solution that will work for both the furring strips and the window sills.

I looked at a ramset but it appears the orange sleeve the fasteners are surrounded by actually creates a bulge above the surface of the wood.  Im concerned this would cause me the ramset equivalent of a nail-pop if i tried to drywall over the bulges on the furring strips, and it would also make it impossible for me to spackle/woodfiller/mud or whathaveyou the windowsills to finish them off with white paint.

Sorry for being long winded here.  Anyone able to set me straight on something that will work for both and fasten flush with the wood?


texts: What is this implement called and where can I get one?

texts: In my shower there are two bumps meant to receive a square rod. I drew a picture as I don't know what they would be called. I want to put a rod in there, but I don't know if there is a special name for it and where I would get one.


texts: Nest Thermostat says "delayed" and never turns AC on

texts:
New Nest, replacing an old thermostat. Image of old setup:

Nest setup:

The Nest says "cooling" with the blue screen for about 1 second, then switches to "delayed", then just shows black with "set" but doesn't cool. The blue screen never comes back.

Pics of the furnace:

Any idea why it wouldn't be cooling? I plugged the old thermostat back in and it's working fine.


texts: How to straighten a twisted 2x6 deck board

texts:
I have a 2x6 deck board (treated lumber) that is 14 feet long and it's lying across 6 joists and a ledger on the east end and a frame board on the west end. Right now it's not screwed in anywhere. If I stand on the east end of the board the west end lifts up on the north side, and if I stand on the west end of the board the east end lifts up on the south side.
This board is expensive and so I want to straighten it out so it's flat all the way across the deck.
Any suggestions? The only power tools I have to work with are a Sawzall, a circular saw, a jigsaw, a Dremel and of course my impact driver. I've thought of putting a clamp on the west end to hold it down but I'm looking for the best professional solution.


texts: I am talking about those small and narrow screwdrivers with a thin handle. I can't get a tight enough grip on the handle to generate enough torque to remove a small screw. Do I have to use something else with it?


texts: What does water leak through my chimney and wood stove pipe?

texts: I bought a house n July 2017. The previous owners converted their fireplace into a wood stove years ago, a Garrison Stove in 1987 to be exact. My home inspector did not inspect the wood stove, but also did not say much about the installation. When I look up in the chimney, I see the wood stove pipe goes up the chimney and it's surrounded by a lot of fiberglass insulation where the flue damper is, at least that is what it looks like to me. We recently had some strong rain storms and I noticed water dripping from the wood stove pipe and the insulation and covering the bottom of the fireplace. This doesn't seem normal and I feel the install was done wrong, but what else could be causing the leak? How can I fix this? Or is it best to just get rid of the wood stove and revert back to a wood burning chimney?


texts:
Ok......  I had an older spa pump that went out.  I also replaced the spa pack. The old spa pack had a GFCI breaker in it and the new one does not.  So now I have to add gfci protection to the spa via a gfci breaker.  The older main panel (square D) does not make gfci breakers for that style of panel (1980's).  So I elminated the hot tub from the main and moved it into an under utilized already existing sub panel.

Here is where I am now lost..... the sub has only one bus bar, all wired attached are grounds, there is NO floating neutral bus bar. I know I can NOT run the breaker (which has a built in "coiled" neutral wire to the ground bus bar or I create a parallel circuit which will feed back current and will not trip the gfci.

So.......
Question 1:  Can I ground the hot tub in the subpanel and run the neutral into the main panel and attach it there ?  Will that create a parallel circuit?  Will that prevent the gfci breaker from tripping?

Question 2:  If that will not work....... OPTION A: is there a way to ground the subpanel, (grounding rod) and mount a new bus bar to ground box and use the other bus bar as a neutral bar.  OR OPTION B: how do I create a neutral bus bar in the subpanel...... (if this is the option I need details) I know it needs to float, but where would it connect to in the main panel ? What gauge wire would be needed?

More info..... the main panel does not have a Main disconnect breaker, the sub panel is being fed from a 60 AMP breaker in the main panel that has two wires from the breaker to the subpanel lugs, a ground and a neutral in the main panel.
The current subpanel (also Square D) bus is a ground bus running to the main panel bus.

Thank you for any and all information, I am NO electrician so any help is greatly appreciated.


texts: Is spruce wood a good choice to make a bunk bed?

texts:
I decided to make a bunk bed for my room as it is small and I need a desk. I'm a beginner at woodworking and I need some help.

I have made some "plans", I will put 7x2m stakes, 4x1.40m each around 10cm x 10cm wide. Each horizontal stake will have a angle bracket under. Each horizontal stake next to another will a a square between.

The bed dimensions are 140x200cm.

How can I calculate if it supports 2 people (about 70kg each)?

Material :

10 x Wood 3m x 17 x 36 mm
9 x Wood 3m x 100 x 180 mm
20 x Galvanised steel right-angle brackets: 100 mm long arms, 65mm wide x 2.5mm thick

My plans :


texts: What options do I have to seal the top of the concrete base of a galvanized steel post? Should I seal it?

texts:
As the subject line says I am looking for options to seal the top of the concrete base of a galvanized steel post? Should I seal it?

Update: Here is what my posts look like and the specs https://www.masterhalco.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/PM-Install-TearPad-011480-English.pdf


texts:
I bought this induction hob (that sits on the table top), and I need to connect it to the wires.

The problem is that there are 5 wires, the hob came with a cable that joined 4 wires into 2 pairs at the end. That cable was too short so I switched it to a longer one (same thickness, same color coding).

Here is what the manual has to say on wiring:

The built-in cable had the cables arranged in the first arrangement (32A 1N ~)

The socket in the wall looks like this:

Seeing the slight damage, and knowing that another socket in my apartment has intermittent working issues (I'll deal with that separately), I wanted to make sure that my hob won't blow up when I connect it, so I took a cheap chinese multimeter and measured the voltage on each of the pairs.
And there I was, in shock:

Blue - Brown = 230V
Brown - Gray = 150V
Brown - Black = 90V
Black - Gray = 60V
Blue - Gray = 60V
Blue - Black = 120V

So no other situation is applicable other than the first one (32A 1N ~). Except that I have a problem with that, since my main switches that I guess are for this circuit are rated at 25A, so I guess that if I'll ever use them at 30A, they will automatically switch off, so I can't use my hob properly this way.

So I have the following questions:

What's going on? Why does my cheap multimeter measure 230V on one pair, and ludicrous values (60V) on others?
What would happen if I connect every wire to its respective color (thus possibly getting 60V instead of 220-240V)?
Are the automatic switches so sensitive that they do turn off at exactly 25A? Or can they go higher than their rating?
Is it possible that wires from 2 different switches converge into the same color? (in the photo you can see 2 blue wires, 2 brown wires, and 2 striped wires, so maybe I have 2x25A)


texts: How to remove this ceiling lamp cover held together with three metal latches

texts:
For the life of me, I can't figure out how to remove this ceiling lamp cover.
I need to change the light bulb inside.

The three metal hooks there are held to the base of the lamp with these:

The metal hooks are very rigid. I don't think I can force them open enough to squeeze the glass lamp cover through them.
Here are two more picture of the rivets and latches holding this god forsaken lamp cover:

I'm stuck :(


texts: Is there any way to stain white pine to match a natural red pine?

texts: We are building a bed frame and my hubby accidentally got white pine for the head board, but red pine for the posts and the wood for the sides of the bed. We wanted to stain the whole bed a rustic color, unsure which stain at this point because we don't know what to choose since we have different color pines. We can't return the wood because they have already been cut and sanded. What is our best course of action.


texts:
I do wood working in my garage.  I have two saws a miter saw and a table saw.  About 1 in 10 times when I start either of the saws the circuit breaker will immediately trip.  Nothing else is running on the same circuit at the time of the trips.  They have never tripped after startup, including when actually cutting wood.  The breaker is a 20 amp breaker.  I attached an image of it and a label of the panel.  The outlet is GFCI, but its not the GFCI tripping its the breaker.  Their cords dont reach the outlet, they are plugged into this extension cord.

What are possible solutions to stop the breaker from tripping?  I read about trip time delay, is there a way to identify the trip time delay of my current breaker?  My guess is the solution will involve messing with the panel which I am not comfortable doing and will get an electrician to do, but I am interested to know what they might do.  Also interested if there is anything I should try before calling an electrician?

Thanks


texts: How do I properly renovate the concrete floor of my balcony?

texts:
I live in an apartment that can be characterized as an old soviet-era, 5-story, multi-apartment, concrete block-based building. That means, everything was built by "stroybat" a soviet-time army battalion, whose main purpose was to construct everything that was needed by commanders. This apartment building was for officers, but still, it was made without knowledge about concrete and metal usage, everywhere you can see bad usage of materials.

There is a balcony I want to renovate. It looks terrible!

I removed that strange concrete substance, as it was shattered by wear and tear. There was an asphalt board between this layer and building panel, that allowed me to remove that layer with ease.

My goals:

Remove old concrete layer from balcony floor (done)
Lay a new thin layer of concrete
Remove old paint from metal handrails, cut off oblique parts, that are hanging outside the "handrail design"
Paint with a new paint
Lay a new thin layer of gyps (or some other material), and put small rocky garden floor on it
Set up wooden cover for handrails and add some wooden flower boxes outside.

The questions are about that new layer, I want to lay:

How to set up concrete "box" (to make concrete stay in place, and stop it falling off the balcony sides), there is hardly place to connect any temporary wooden box for that, ideas?
Which concrete should I use?
How thick a metal armature will be enough for this job?
Do I need any layers between building panel and my new layer?
Do I need to clean/set up those metal parts, cover with something, to stop rust and not let the flexibility of metal handrail shatter my new layer.
How thick should that layer be, how many sacks of that stuff will I need (will give balcony area m2 later)

I will give you some real photos (later) to let you understand more precisely.

I have questions about working on that metal handrail construction, it needs much work, but I am mostly experienced with wood and indoor constructions, but that would be wrong to ask about two things in one question, will add a link later.

PS: Sorry for my english, I don't know specific construction terminology in english.

Balcony size: 319-x710 mm
Building concrete panel thikness: 90mm
From panel to balcony door sill: 140mm
Highest place, where metal feet is out of concrete panel (in picture 7): 25mm
Wire diameter of bought armature (in picture 8): ~0,9mm


texts: Should I wax or polyurethane an old pine floor?

texts:
I found another question that sort of asks this, but the answers don't provide any detail.

We bought a 1918 house in somewhat rough shape.  The second floor (with two bedrooms and a nursery when we're done with it) has (we're told original) pine floors that were treated years ago with some kind of polyurethane.  Much of it is peeling (or has peeled) leaving exposed wood.

Treatment options I'm considering are polyurethane and Rubio Monocoat, which is a wax finish.  The Rubio product claims 0% VOC, and comes with a number of stain colours.  Multiple people we've talked to say that wax is the "better" choice for a century old pine floor, but can provide no concrete reasons as to why.

So my question is ... Why?

Is the amount of work and extra expense for a wax finish really worth it?  What does a wax finish get me that I'd lose out on with polyurethane?

And finally...  Has anyone got an opinion of Rubio Monocoat?  Aside from the colour options, is it really that much better than basic tung or linseed oil?

I realize that if I sand things down and apply poly, there's no going back.  I just don't think I know enough to make the right decision.


texts:
Just wondering how to start the 1st row of laminate flooring.
I have a door to deal with right off the bat. Wondering which is the better option (see diagram). This diagram is not to scale. The wall is 20 feet long with a standard door opening.


texts: Low Height Deck Joist Support Options on Concrete

texts:
I'm looking to add a wood/composite deck over an existing concrete slab that has heaved/cracked and looks unsightly. We've only owned the house for a year so I don't have the full history but we have resolved some drainage issues that I assume caused the cracked slab in the first place. Now we'd like to create a more visually appealing back patio.

Some quick info:

Slab size = 12' x 14'
Slab thickness = 4"
Slab is covered by overhanging shingled roof with eaves
Vertical clearance to sliding door threshold  = ~2-1/2"
Slab heave = 3/4" ~ 1" at the center of the slab

Option 1:

I've considered floating deck tiles directly on top of the slab but I'm concerned about the slab not being level enough for this, and also about how well the floating tiles will hold up over an Ontario winter.

Option 2:

The second option is to lay down some 2x2 joists (16" OC) and put cedar/composite decking on those. This is my preferred method but I'm not sure what the best way to support the joists is. I'm thinking of using plastic shims to level & support the joists and some steel angle brackets to secure joists to slab.

I haven't seen any information on how much unevenness can be tolerated by floating tiles, so if anyone has experience with this that would be great. Otherwise, I'm mostly looking for suggestions on how to best support the 2x2 joists that the decking will sit on.


texts: Contractor cut joist hangers to make them fit

texts:
(edited with additional info re. header)

We are removing a couple of load bearing walls as part of renos in our home. The engineer specified a W8x21steel beam to replace the load bearing wall. The floor joists are 2x10.

It appears the contractor put the bolts into the "header" (not sure if that is the right term) in the wrong place (not enough space between bolt and joist). He then cut some of the joist hangers to make them fit. This has been done in at least 4 out of the 10 hangers that he has installed.

Also, he used 2 1/2" layers of plywood plus a 2x8 as a header in the flange of the steel beam (see picture below)

Questions:

Has the integrity of the hanger been compromised by him cutting out part of the material?
The hangers he used are Simpson Strong Tie LUS210Z. Are these the correct hangers to use in this application since the beam is shorter than the joist by 2" and the lowest nail barely goes into the wooden
The contractor has used N10dhdg Simpson nails (.148" x 1 1/2"). Are these the right nails to use? The Simpson website specifies that common 10d nails (.148" x 3") are used with this hanger.
Is the use of plywood + 2x8 as the header acceptable or should this be replaced with a single 3x10 cut to size?  Should we use 2 1/2"  nails into the header?

Per the simpson website
https://www.strongtie.com/facemounthangersssl_solidsawnlumberconnector/lus-hus-hhus-hgus_productgroup_wcc/p/lus.hus.hhus.hgus

"With 3x carrying members, use 0.162" x 2 1/2" nails into the header and 0.162" x 3 1/2" nails into the joist with no load reduction.
With 2x carrying members, use 0.148" x 1 1/2" nails into the header and 0.148" x 3" nails into the joist, reduce the load to 0.64 of the table value."

Is this ok and if not any suggestions on how it can be corrected?

Thanks!
Added view of header inserted into i-beam


texts:
I got two electricians to come out and look at my 1939 house. I wanted to see if the wiring needed upgrading.

One person opened up a receptacle and said I had cloth insulated wires and that I need to rewire the house...including bringing everything up to code. This includes adding outlets to walls that don't have it. It includes adding hardwired smoke and CO2 detectors. It also includes re-wiring all the light fixtures too. Cost ~14k

Another contractor went up to the attic with me and saw old metal conduits and said that it was actually in good shape. He said that as long as the wires are inside the conduit it would be fine. He also saw that in the house there were some receptacles that are not grounded, have ground and neutral reversed, no neutral or ground... I asked him about cloth wire and he didn't seem to think that was an issue. As long as it is in conduit it was okay. Cost: ~$800 to make sure receptacles are grounded and properly wired.

Who should I listen too?

update

picture of conduit

This is the type of conduit in the attic. It may be BX (armored cable) as mentioned by by @ThreePhaseEel.

Here's a picture in our kitchen. Old junction box and metal conduit. One goes to the floor the other goes to a hardwired garbage disposal.

updated 9/16

The house has 3 bedrooms, one bathroom, a small dining room, a living room and a kitchen (total ~ 1400 sq/ft). Some outlets are actually grounded (at least that's what my tester tells me).

Update 9/21/16

The outside of the wire actually feels a little tacky...almost rubber-like.


texts: Do disconnect breakers have to be the same brand of breaker as in the main panel?

texts: I have a cutler hammer breaker box with a cutler hammer breaker that will be fed to a disconnect box with a GFCI before going to the hot tub. Does the disconnect box necessarily have to be a cutler hammer brand with cutler hammer breakers. I wouldn't think so but want to be sure.


texts: Subfloor tolerance for engineered hardwood

texts: I am installing (floating) 3/8" engineered hardwood with 1/8" QuietWalk underlayment on a cement slab.  I have used a grinder and leveling compound to remove the large valleys and hills.  Now I have occasional small valleys I've found that are around 1/8" or less deep at their deepest points and span 1 or 2 feet in diameter.  What kind of tolerance can I allow given I have a 1/8" underlayment?


texts:
I'm replacing a storm door on our front porch. This is the only door on the porch as the exterior door to the house is inside the porch. I'm having trouble measuring...or rather knowing if my measurements are correct as using the measuring guides on Home Depot. I feel don't really relate to my scenario.

I don't have exterior trim/brickmold (from what I can tell) on my porch. There is a door frame/jam leading into the porch, but there no exterior door. If I measure the width of the jam it's 30" and from the sill to the top of the frame is 79."

Obviously there are standard size doors of 30"x80" and these have about a 1" leeway for the rough space.

So my question(s) is am I measuring correctly and my dimensions are 30"x79" which will require a custom door, or will a standard 30"x80" door work since I don't have a way to really measure the brickmold as it doesn't exist?

I thought about just measuring the door that I am replacing or finding the model # to research online. It's an old Cole Sewell door though and I cannot find a model # anywhere.

Edit: Here are some pictures of the actual porch/door. Note if I measure the outside frame of the current storm door it is 32"x80" which is a pretty standard size.


texts: Can I safely reconnect thermostat wire on furnace controller?

texts:
Furnace (oil) wouldn't come on at any setting (fan works). Tried reset button on controller, no noise, nothing. Then noticed the white wire to one of the thermostat terminals was hanging loose, possibly from when serviced last Spring?

Just want to know if I can connect that wire safely (power switch off natch) and not create any other problems. Could there be any reason they left it loose on purpose? We do have air conditioning that is run by the same thermostat (old circular kind) and it ran fine all summer. But now we need heat. Does it make sense that the other things run but not heat with that one wire off?
Thanks in advance.


texts: Dual light switch changing to dual smart switch

texts: I currently have 2 switches. Each switch has a black wire and a white attached to it. I’m trying to install a dual smart switch, which requires 4 black wires and a neutral wire.  Confused on how to accomplish this with what I have. Can I split the neutral wire into a neutral and two black wires? Is that safe?


texts: How can I convert my under cabinet lighting from halogen to LED?

texts:
Our kitchen has under-cabinet lighting that uses halogen 20 watt G8 socket bulbs.   With 15 bulbs in the kitchen that is 300 watts.  I'd prefer to replace them with 3 watt LED bulbs.

I've been searching but I haven't found any 120 volt AC G8 LED bulbs that will work.  The only ones that I can find are over-sized like this one.  I wrapped one of my dead halogen bulbs in newspaper strips until it was 1.25" in diameter like the over-sized bulb and tested it.  It wouldn't fit in the light fixture.

Do I need to replace all the fixtures?   There seem to be a lot of G4 LED bulbs on the market, but very few G8 bulbs.


texts: Step up-down transformer tripping circuit breaker

texts:
I got a 3000watt step down transformer(https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07LCSTP24/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) to power my 1500 watt Ninja blender I got from US to run in India.

For some reason, whenever I plug the transformer in, the circuit trips. To be noted, that I got a similar step down transformer but a 1500 watt one to power my TV which doesnt trip any circuit.

Any clue why this is happening? Does the power rating of transformer cause this issue?


texts: What direction should laminate flooring be placed in?

texts:
I'm thinking of installing laminate flooring and have a question: If I'm installing laminate throughout the house, should ALL of it be going in the same direction?

Say for example, let's say I have a hallway that is perpendicular to a large living room.

---------------
|             |
|             |
|             |
|             |--------------------
|
|
|             |--------------------
|             |
|             |
---------------

In the layout above, would all of the laminate be installed "left to right" for both the living room and hallway? Or could it be installed in one direction for one room and installed in a different direction for the other room?


texts: Can I modify a roof truss by removing purlins and kickers?

texts:
I have an attic space I'd like to make more user friendly.  The rafters are original 2x4's, same goes for the purlins, and the kickers.

The span is approx 12 feet. This particular space is over a bedroom and bathroom, it has been used for storage over the years and the underlying floor joists have been fine.  No sagging, no cracking of ceiling below.

If I were to sandwich each of the 2x4 rafters with 2x6 rafters, glue and screw, would I add enough strength to do away with the purlin and kickers?

The roof itself is shake over felt.  There is no plywood sheathing.

*** editing to add more information:

The attic space is 20 feet wide by 10 deep. The roof pitch is 12-12.  The very old 2 by 4 rafters are 24 inches on center. From the point the rafter meets the top plate of the wall to the center on the attic space is 10 feet. I am determining this 10 feet to be the so called rafter span.

Basically a 10 deep by 20 wide box with a 45 degree roof.  The floor joists, also 2 by 4's, run parallel to the rafters thus I assume the floor joists are tying in the side walls at the eaves.

As this is not my line of work, I have been using some of the rafter calculators. If I am using the calculators correctly, 2 by 4's should not be used to span 10 feet - more like 6 feet.  Thus I assume the original builder bolstered everything with the purlins and the kickers/struts to compensate for the under-sized rafters.  After 80 years, the roof looks fine, no sag.

This same calculator reports that a 2 by 6 can span 10 feet 6 inches.  Thus I was thinking of sistering not one, but two 2 by 6's - one on each side of the existing 2 by 4 rafter. There are six rafters on each side.  Thus when all is said and done I'd have 36 rafters - 18 per side, 3 to a set, 24 inches on center, thickness of each rafter being 2 + 1.5 + 1.5, width being 5.5 inches.

The rafters are 14 feet in length.

For building codes ... this is an old home. Much of the 80 year old home is not code compliant, for example wires are spliced and taped, post/tube wiring, etc.  Due to the age and condition of the home it is highly likely a new buyer will raze it, it seems to be the trend nowadays. Out with the old and put up a McMansion.

Regarding consulting outsiders:  a carpenter friend suggested collar ties only should do the trick.  I did not pursue this.  A structural engineer took a look and suggested I beef up the rafters and I'm done.  He further mentioned the floor should be OK, if the rooms below have lasted this long with people/furniture as a real world load walking and moving above them, they will be no worse off if I convert the space to something like a half bath. However, because lumber is relatively inexpensive, I'd most likely sister 2 by 6's to the floor joists as well as I think it could only help.

I will not take advice from this forum and start building with abandon, I'm just looking for friendly feedback and additional opinions. I got this idea about 6 months ago, and as you can tell, I haven't gotten very far.


texts: How to keep home automation complexity under control?

texts:
If you installed some form of home automation (lighting control for example), how did you keep the complexity manageable for your family members?

In many cases where friends have installed some form of home automation, I see that the person who wanted it and decided on the individual settings is the only one comfortable with it. The others? Not so much.

They think there are too many buttons ("We used to have a single button and light everywhere, now there are eight, and I always have to try them all to get the right one"), too many options (pressing once vs. holding, on-off vs dimming - "Why doesn't that light turn on?" "It is, it's just dimmed all the way down"), and they see it as just one of the new toys of their husband or father. The same thing with home theater setups ("Why do I need three remotes to watch TV?" [TV screen, set-top box, audio installation] "We had a simple TV, and I liked it!")

Do you recognize this situation? What can be done to prevent it? I understand the difference Don Norman makes between a "complex world" and a "complicated user interface", but are we maybe making the world/our house too complex ourselves?

(Of course, since this is a site for DIY'ers, and an offspring of Stack Overflow, most of us will be the enthusiastic husbands and fathers. Bonus points for answers written together with your wives and children!)


texts:
I am faced with the task of measuring a room that has no right angles. The room has the following layout (this sketch in not scaled, there is also a window in the right wall which I omitted here):

I want to measure the room as accurately as possible, because I want to create a plan for a friend who is a carpenter to cut some plates for a subceiling, and I would like for them to fit.

My current plan is to measure the diagonals shown in the sketch as well as all the individual wall-segments. This should give me the information to construct an accurate plan without actually having to measure the angles of the corners.

The measuring is complicated by the fact that I cannot measure on the ground, because there is furniture in the way that I cannot move. Also, since the walls are really crooked, I want to take the measurements at the hight at which the subceiling will be built. The longest diagonal is about 6 meters.

How do I measure this room accurately? Is my approach sound? How can I measure these diagonals accurately (preferably without having to buy a laser-measuring-device)?


texts: How can I get a reasonable plaster finish in an awkward recess?

texts:
I am plastering my basement, having drywalled it. It's mostly done, but there is an awkward recess around the gas meter that I still need to do:

Would just leave the plasterboard exposed and paint it, but there is scrim tape at the edges, and also several joins / screw heads to cover.

It doesn't need to perfect, as it'll be boxed in, in a cupboard, but I want to get a reasonable finish that I can paint. I suspect trying to plaster it will be a nightmare, as I'll be unable to get a trowel behind the meter (may leave it looking worse than before). How else can I make a paintable finish? Wondered about joint compound and then sanding it.

Anyone got any better ideas?!


texts: How do I install flex duct to existing duct including registers

texts:
When my home was built in 2016 the HVAC runs from the furnace in the basement up through the house uses 7" R4.2 insulated flex duct.
I am in the process of finishing my basement and I would like to tap into the existing runs. I am not sure what type of register to use to blow downward from the ceiling perimeter of the main room or how to accomplish this. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Attached are a couple pictures


texts: 2-part door for raised patio (horizontal and vertical) with tiles possible?

texts:
I have a patio that is raised on meter off the ground. On a side of it there are stairs that lead to a storage room. I would like to build a door for this opening from two parts

a 1-meter high horizontal door that swings to the left (as you look
down the stairs)
a vertical door that is level with the existing         tiles made
(out of metal probably)

The horizontal door will have a locking mechanism and it will have a lip that holds the vertical door closed: if you close the vertical one first and then close and lock the horizontal one, it will hold them both securely closed. Until you open the horizontal door the vertical one cannot be raised.

Questions:

Having a metal surface, can i put tiles on the vertical door so it
will look like the rest of the patio door ? If yes, can you point me
in the right direction with a product type or name?
Is there a kind of hinge i can put on the bottom of the vertical door
so it is not visible from above?
are there any good reasons I should not do this?

Having tiles on the metal doors would increase it's weight a lot, but I can build a counter-weight inside the stairs area that would be almost the same weight as the door, requiring very little effort to raise it.

I thought about building the vertical door with a few U-shaped arms on the side it will connect with the floor. A leg of the U will be welded to the metal door and the other one to a hinge connected to the ceiling of the stairs. When swinging the door up the U will be on a side, allowing the door to move while hiding the patio floor (less things to trip is always a good thing, right? and it would look a lot better)

(Please forgive my english, I probably used a few wrong names for things, it is not my first language and I used google translate to find a few words related to constructions)

Thank you kindly for your time and any advice

Edit 1:
I found this image while searching for U-shaped hinges to add as an example. Another option would be to have the two pieces welded together and make the door swing up like this suitcase (the left part of the image: the part that swings up would be the door) but I'm even more worried about the total weight of the door.

Edit2:
Added sketch for the ideal door, seen from the side, in the closed an opened state. The blue arm would be inside the stairwell

black - door with arm
red - hinge
blue - counter-weight arm
yellow -  counter-weight


texts: What are the possible ways to prevent heating pipes in an entryway from freezing?

texts:
I live in Maine, and it can get cold in the winter.  My house has baseboard hot water heating and three heating zones (basement, first floor, and second floor).  We have a mudroom/entry room that I believe was added to the house after it was originally built - it has many windows and cools easily.  It also has a long heating register, which is on the first floor zone.

The thermostat for the first floor zone is well-located in a central spot.  Typically, all works well.  When most of the first floor is kept at a comfy 68 or so, the mudroom is probably in the mid or upper 40s.

A problem has arisen, however, with the installation of a wood stove on our first floor.  The stove works well and can heat the whole house.  However, when it is operating, it raises the inside temp enough so that the baseboard heat doesn't come on.  The problem is that if it is sufficiently cold outside, the temperature out in the mudroom can drop into the low 30s (or potentially lower if I don't keep a careful eye on it).  I obviously don't want this to happen because i don't want the pipes that supply the register in the mudroom to freeze.

What suggestions do you have that might address this problem?

Some ideas I've had are:

Remove the baseboard heat from the mudroom (possible, though I'd like a little heat out there)
Put the mudroom on its own zone (a bit of a costly undertaking, but perhaps the best solution)
Put a thermostat out in the mudroom set to, say, 35 - it would be connected to the same first-floor zone as the indoor thermostat.  The whole zone would kick on when either thermostat tripped.  Would add more heat than wanted inside...but might be workable?
Install some sort of shut-off valve on the pipes that go out to the mudroom so that I can manually drain those pipes and shut off water in them when I am running the stove.  (I suspect this is a bad idea)
Install some sort of standalone heater. (I am reluctant to do this - there isn't a great spot for one, and it seems like a less elegant solution in that it adds an additional complication rather than fixing the existing problem)


texts: Can I install a fence post immediately adjacent to an existing one?

texts:
I want to install a new all-wooden fence across the far end of my garden. Ideally, with my neighbour's permission, I would have attached the far left panel to the last post of their end fence which sits on our shared boundary. Unfortunately that fence is collapsing under the weight of massively overgrown ivy, and the post is being pulled over towards their property, and is completely unsuitable for me to make use of. I don't think waiting for them to repair or replace their fence is an option, so I need to install my own end post adjacent to the existing one. I obviously want to put it as close as possible to minimise any gap, especially as the lean of the existing post makes a triangular gap unavoidable and I don't want to make it any bigger.
I was planning to use concrete groundings for my new posts but it seems that, for this post, given that the existing toppling-over post is grounded in a post spike, that the best chance of success without affecting the existing post is to bang in another post spike right next to it.
So my question is: is it wise to fix a post right up against the base of an existing one? Or is it always better to try to either put it further away or try to utilise the existing post?


texts: How do I repair laminate damage on a kitchen cabinet?

texts: We have a kitchen cabinet that we accidentally attached a calendar to using tape.  When removing the tape the surface came right off with it.  My question is how to best repair this damage?  It appears this material is paper backed.  Will we need to remove the rest of the wood looking sticker?


texts: How do I attach twist straps to rafters along the top plate?

texts:
I live in a 1950's cape house with a finished attic.  The rafters are nominally 2x6.  I want to refinish the attic with better insulation and called in a structural engineer to make sure the roof is up to holding the additional weight of insulation and snow load.  The verdict was it should be good with some reinforcement.  The engineer advised me to a) reinforce each collar tie to rafter connection with a 5/8 in bolt and b) nail 2x's across the rafters along the top plates in the attic and attach the bottoms of the rafters to the 2x's with twist straps.  The idea being to have the straps tie the rafters to the joists and do more to keep them from sliding out and my roof pancaking.

I toyed around with a 12 in simpson strong-tie twist strap to see how it fits and I should be able to make it work if I run 2x6's along the top plate.  What's giving me pause is that the rafters are toe-nailed to the top plate and the nail heads are are right where the strap would go.

Is it safe to grind the nail heads flush with the surface?  Is it safe to drive more nails that close to the end of a 70 year old what I think is douglas fir rafter?  I would pre-drill and only nail through the top 4 holes on the strap but I'm cautious because I've worked with similar lumber elsewhere in the house and it's petrified.  Am I misunderstanding what the structural engineer suggested and have this backwards somehow?


texts:
I'd like to demolish concrete porch.

I’d like to demolish:
- the concrete stairs (it’s about 3’x3’x3’)
- the slab (about 3’x5’x5", all cracked with rusty rebars)
- the 2 brick columns
- the metal rebars and the T-shaped metal pieces on top of which the slab is placed
- the upper part of the wall (I think it’s made of cinder blocks) that’s behind the stairs (in pic 6)

Here is a Dropbox link to the pictures.

The whole porch is going to be re-done in wood so no need for any of the pieces.

I'd like to keep the concrete step underneath the door if possible.

How this can be done?  What tools to use?  What approach?  How long would it take?


texts: how do I repair broken pipe under foundation

texts: For a home built in 1965, with broken pipe under foundation, what is status of inserting a stent, perhaps under visualization?


texts:
I cannot for the life of me figure out where this excess moisture is coming from. My bathroom has humidity about 10% higher then the rest of the apartment. The living area is fine. I check the humidity on a Humidity monitor and it is always very high in the bathroom, around 68%
The thing is its only 30% humidity outside so its not coming from outside. I have a fan that I use every shower and leave the door open. If I open the window it drops to about 58% (that is with the outside being 30%) It won't get lower then 58. As soon as I shut the window it goes back to 68 or so. I see no leaks under sink, no condensation on toilet. I don't know where this is coming from. I live on the 2nd floor of a 3 floor apartment complex that is only 2 years old. I have lived on the 2nd floor of a 3 floor complex before and never had this problem. And that bathroom didn't even have a window. This one does. I don't get it. Can someone tell my why it is so humid? What gives?


texts: Can I use Romex in an unfinished basement or attic?

texts:
I am asking in reference to articles 382.2 & 382.12 in the 2008 edition of NFPA-70.

The following definition appears to me to be describing Romex (NM-type) cabling:

**382.2 Definitions**
**Nonmetallic Extension.** An assembly of two insulated conductors within a nonmetallic
jacket or an extruded thermoplastic covering. The classification includes surface
extensions intended for mounting directly on the surface of walls or ceilings.

Then, this article indicates that nonmetallic extensions cannot be used in attics:

**382.12 Uses Not Permitted.** Nonmetallic extensions shall not be used as follows:
***(1) In unfinished basements, attics, or roof spaces***
(2) Where the voltage between conductors exceeds 150 volts for nonmetallic surface
    extensions and 300 volts for aerial cable
(3) Where subject to corrosive vapors (4) Where run through a floor or partition, or
    outside the room in which it originates

My home is a single-family dwelling with a single floor, an unfinished accessible attic (permanent ladder) with crawl space only, and an unfinished basement.

I was hoping to be able to use Romex to connect branch circuit junction boxes in my attic with runs along the floor joists and through the floor joists (existing bored holes from knob and tube). I was also hoping to be able to use Romex with runs along the ceiling joists and through the ceiling joists in sections of my unfinished basement to connect junctions and light fixtures. However, these articles appear to prohibit the use of Romex in unfinished attics and basements. Must I use MC or AC for this application or am I misinterpreting the definition of a nonmetallic extension? Or, is there an article that I am missing that makes plain Romex acceptable for these applications?

Also, if it is not acceptable for these applications, how should I deal with getting runs of Romex down from the attic (or up from the basement) to power receptacles in the finished portion of my home? Is there an acceptable defined length for which NM cabling may be run in the attic to reach from a junction in an unfinished attic to power a wall receptacle, or is the only way to be code-compliant to just run AC down to the first (metal) receptacle junction box and run Romex through the walls to the other wall receptacles in the room?


texts: Safety Razor Disposal in Medicine Cabinet

texts: A question for the old timers(or any timers), have any of you demolished an older house that had a safety razor disposal slot built into a bathroom medicine cabinet?  Was dealing with the dispised blades any more difficult than usual?


texts: Laying gravel under flat concrete slabs is easy because the levelness of dirt bed makes it easy to distribute it evenly. But when preparing to pour concrete stairs on a graded bed, what are good ways to keep the gravel from sliding downhill from the higher stairs down to the lower, under gravity? Is there a way to make gravel stick to the dirt underneath?


texts: Trying to fix a leaky faucet, structure was not I expected after removing the knobs

texts:
My faucet has been dripping very slightly, so I decided to try fixing it. I watched a couple of videos, and it seemed like the task would be fairly easy.

I removed the top of my handles, and what I found was unlike any of the videos I have seen Here is a picture.

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

The base around it is fairly stuck, and there isn't any kind of valve that I can remove from the top. I did take this picture of the bottom, though.

https://i.imgur.com/7jk0Rx4.jpg

Does anybody have any advice? The base of the handle feels like it is stuck to the counter. Do I have to remove it? Do I need to remove something from below the counter in order to fix this type of faucet?


texts:
I have a small metal trailer.  It is 5 years old and has developed a leak.  I'd appreciate advice about how to re-seal it.

The trailer has a PVC coated galvanised steel body, about 6ft long and 4ft wide and high.  I believe the roof was manufactured as a separate piece.  There is a 90° bend at the end of the body and roof panels, forming a flange (if that's the right word) about 4cm long on each.  The two flanges are riveted together inside the trailer.  The join is filled with a white sealant (I assume silicone) on the outside.  I've tried to show all this in photos below.

When I look inside, there is often water sitting on the flange (as well as on the floor and ceiling).  I think that the two flanges have been distorted by jolts from the road, the sealant no longer fills the gap properly (or perhaps it is ageing & now lacks the flexibility required), and the water has a route in.

What would be the best way to fix this?  Some ideas I've already had suggested to me:

Add externally-rated silicone sealant between the flanges, outside and inside.  (What sort of sealant would be best?  Should I remove the existing sealant first?  How?  Also, could I really seal from the inside?  The gap is mostly quite small and I don't want to make it worse.)
Cover the gap up externally with a strip of vinyl.  (But apparently the vinyl is unlikely to last long due to the movement between the roof and body.)
Bridge the gap externally with P40 Glass Fibre Bridging Compound.  (I have no experience with this... would it bond to the PVC coating?  Would it cope with jolts, or shatter?  Would it look neat?)
Add more rivets?
Cover up the trailer with a tarpaulin when it is at home.


texts: No water after replacing reverse osmosis membrane

texts:
I have an under-sink reverse osmosis system that came with our house and which appears to the the Maxima 4000 system here: http://www.advwatersys.com/residential-water-filtration.html

I recently tested the TDS with a tester I bought, after noticing the taste of the water got worse, and found it was getting < 50% filtration, so I replaced all of the filters and the membrane.

I drained the tank (I had to disconnect it and drain it with gravity because it wouldn't seem to drain from the pressure alone) and pumped it to 10 psi, and let it fill, which took several hours.

After the tank stopped filling, I am unable to get any water at all from the tap. The tank is noticeably heavier than when it was empty, so the system seems to be producing water. I tried removing the post-filter and opening the tank valve, and there is definitely a good stream of water coming from the tank. If I put the post-filter back on and disconnect its output port, no water comes out of the filter. I tried putting the old post-filter back on with the same results. The air pressure in the tank is about 35 psi with the water in it, and I tried pumping it as high as 80 psi without any change in results.

Does anyone have any ideas what would be wrong? I suspect maybe the pressure is not high enough to push the water through the post filter, but I'm not sure how I might be able to test that theory. I also suspect it could potentially be some problem with the tank, but I'm not sure how to test that.


texts: How to calculate temperature rise rate for hydronic water tank

texts:
The engineering to figure this out is beyond me!
I have a freshwater hot water tank that holds 30 liters of water. It is heated by hot water (coolant) running through an internal pipe (the heat exchanger). The heat exchanger pipe is 304SS, 17mm diameter and is 850mm long.
Based in input temperature of 10°C and output temperature of 60°C and assuming that the 75°C coolant is flowing through the heat exchanger pipe at 24 liters per minute, how long will it take to heat the entire tank of water?
The tank is sort of like this cut-away image (the heat exchanger pipe is the lower pipe, ignore the electrical element protruding from the middle of the tank).

If someone can give me an idea of heat rise rate or where/how to figure it out, would be appreciated.
Actually this is in relation to an upgrade we are planning for our sailboat to figure out if upgrading our hot water heating system is a worthwhile investment.


texts: Does the security certification of a lock relates to both bolts?

texts:
I have a Vachette lock installed on a door with a internal doorknob and no doorknob outside (one needs the key to open it). The lock is certified, which means that it is supposed to "resist to attacks" for a given time.

My question is whether this resistance applies only when the lock is turned (ie. the deadbolt is engaged into the frame of the door) or does this also applies to the latch bolt?

In other words, is a door closed, but not locked, conceptually as difficult to open as when the deadbolt is out? I am strictly asking about the difficulty to manipulate the lock so that the latch bolt is pulled in (to open the door) compared to the difficulty to bring the dead bolt in (and, ultimately, the latch bolt to open the door).


texts: Switched outlet needs to be on for an exterior light switch to work; how can I fix this?

texts:
I have two switches in a box connected via a jumper wire; one for an outside light and one for the top plug of a wall receptacle. My problem is that the receptacle switch has to be switched on in order for the exterior light switch to work.
What's confusing me is that the line in comes to the exterior light switch first, so if I were expecting any odd situation, it would be the reverse (e.g. the exterior light switch needing to be on for the switched receptacle to work).
The 110 line in connected to the exterior light switch is indicated by the red arrow below:

Then there's a jumper line that runs from the same screw of the exterior light switch over to the switch that controls the top receptacle of the outlet (blue arrow above).
The green arrow on the above photo is the load out to the exterior light.
Here is what the switch for the receptacle looks like:

Again, the blue arrow denotes the jumper wire coming from the powered, exterior light switch, and the green arrow denotes the connection to the top plug of the receptacle.
How can I fix this so that I can turn the exterior light on without having to switch on the receptacle?
(NB: not shown is a 3rd, 3-way switch in between these two that controls a ceiling light -- it is not connected to these two in any way other than all neutrals/grounds in the box being gathered together, respectively.)


texts: Why would cinder blocks be used instead of concrete for a foundation wall?

texts: Saw this video about how to properly lay bricks and dang! It takes more skill and care than I thought. Then I saw a video about how foundations are poured into wooden casts from a big concrete truck and that looked easy. I also recently studied the building material costs around my area and concrete is a good deal cheaper per cubic meter. That raises the question though - why lay bricks if you can just pour concrete? Most buildings around here are made of bricks or cinderblock, while the only building with extensive use of concrete is the new library (and that is basically just a giant box of concrete and glass).


texts: Need Help removing Mailbox (Architectural Mailbox 7500) from post

texts:
Trying to remove this mail box from the post.

There are five of these fasteners which I believe are holding the mailbox the mounting plate.

Here is an interior shot, and as you can see, it is not simply the process of unscrewing.

Appreciate your suggestions and feedback.


texts: Ist it possible to fix aluminum tubing in a freezer?

texts: I own an upright freezer where I tried to drill a hole into the side wall. Unfortunately I hit one of the aluminium tubes that sit on the outside close to the metal frame of the freezer. Is there a way to fix it through welding or can I maybe put some plastic tubing in between and clamp it down?


texts: Why does this night light cause the GFI to trip?

texts:
I recently got some of these auto-dimming, light-sensitive, night light / emergency flash lights and plugged one in into a grounded (three-prong) GFI outlet in the bathroom. In the few days since I did that, I've found twice that the GFI had tripped. I have not had trouble with this outlet before, including when using it with a simpler kind of light-sensitive night light.

More details:

Neither the current night light nor the older one have a ground prong.
The outlet is dry and clear of obstructions.

Why would this kind of night light cause the GFI to trip? Should I simply not use this light in this outlet, or does this point to a possible fault in the circuit? How would I check?

(Context: USA, 1950s-built house)


texts: How should I wire a ceiling fan remote where two switches are used to control the fixture?

texts:
I have 2 wall switches. 4 wires coming out of ceiling (black-hot, red-hot, white-common, bare- ground), a ceiling fan and a remote. How do I wire them and still be able to use wall switches?

I can wire the ceiling fan and just leave the red wire capped with a wire nut, but that leave a useless switch in the wall. The ceiling fan that was up before had a remote and the switches on the wall worked ( 1 switch had to be on in order for the remote to work, and the other controlled power to the fan). How do I wire it back like this?


texts: Can I hire non-licensed architecture firm for residential project?

texts: I recently considering on a major renovation/remolding of our house in Los Angeles, and we do contacted a few candidates from online, the talented one we like told us that their small firm is not a licensed architecture firm in California. And we are told in California an architecture license is not required to work on residential project. I'm not sure if this is true, and we really do want to hire them, but we don't want get into any troubles in the future. Thank you.


texts:
I have bought a Hisense BI5228PBUK electric integrated oven. It’s 3.3kw, has a 16amp fuse and requires a 13amp power supply.
Under the worktop, behind the oven, there is a 3 pin plug socket specially installed for the existing oven (which is also 3.3kw). This socket has an on off switch on the socket and is also wired to a large red on off switch above the worktop. The fuseboard in the house has a 32amp circuit breaker labelled “oven”, which controls the power to this plug socket.
Is it a simple case of wiring a plug onto the cable coming from the oven and plugging it in to this socket?
An electrician has quoted me a price of £80 to install the oven. If it’s just a case of wiring up a plug to the end of the oven’s power cable then I would rather do it myself!


texts: Bolt, washer placed in wrong order of floor lamp

texts: How to fix a floor lamp made in China which has a loose/wobbly base after much use. They placed the bolt first then washer/nut and it cannot be removed or tightened?


texts: How to keep my tankless water heater safe in a cold room?

texts: I have a room in my apartment that can sometimes get around 40°F (4°C), and that's where my new tankless water heater is installed. Should I take any special precautions to keep my pipes from freezing or to avoid any other weird problems with my water heater? I live in the US Midwest in a second-floor apartment.


texts: What solutions exsist to fill in the gap between the bottom of garage door and cement?

texts:
What are some good options or approaches to fill in a large gap under garage door after having the driveway redone. It's a decent size gap.
I've tried resetting the garage door opener but it is at the lowest point it can go.
Do they make weather strips and such that will fill this gap correctly, or do I need to fill the gap with something else?
Added a photo, I'll have to get some measurements.


texts:
Bought 4 new Philips 120-Watt Equivalent PAR38 floodlight bulbs and installed in double flood light fixtures at corners of house. Worked great for a week...
Now when I flip the on switch, none of the four LED bulbs turn on. IF, I replace one of the LED bulbs with ANY sort of incandescent bulb, the other three LEDs begin illuminating. Any ideas as to the cause of the problem?

P.S. Just a plain old flip switch! The other thing that adds to the puzzle is that I installed four additional LED floodlights on the front corners of house and those are working OK. Only difference is front lights are on a three-way switch. Keep in mind that the problem lights worked fine for a week


texts: What packing material to use between a brick and house beam?

texts:
I'm replacing a damaged beam under my house with bricks under each floor joist. The bricks are 15mm lower than the original beam. I've been told to use roof slates to pack the rest of the height.

I'm slightly skeptical due to slates being brittle. Could I use synthetic slates instead?

I've read about dry hard packed mortar but that isn't an option for me.

What other materials are used for packing in these instances?


texts: Is it possible to connect an inline filter to a hot water dispenser?

texts:
I plan to install an under-counter hot water dispenser and want to pre-filter the water.  I found this product that already includes a pre-filter, but the cartridges appear to be proprietary and overpriced.

I'm wondering if it's possible to install a generic inline pre-filter in front of a standard hot water dispenser.  Specifically, I'd like a filter that removes chlorine, or at least its smell and taste.  Could there be problems with insufficient water pressure or other problems I'm not aware of?


texts: Strapping down a copper pipe with little access

texts:
I installed a new tub faucet because the old one had a terrible diverter.

Because the pipe moves in and out (about 1.5inches), it’s impossible to get the new faucet to fit tight against the tub. I also can’t caulk any gap because the movement will break the seal.

I have a plan to fix it and I want to make sure this is the best plan.

I’ve opened up the wall to strap down the pipe.

This is what it looks like inside:

The pipes run along the inside of the studs so I cannot screw in a strap.

So here’s my plan and I’d love feedback. I plan to add a 3/4” thick piece of scrap plywood behind the pipe. 3/4” is the distance between the tub and pipes.

Then, I’ll strap the pipe to this scrap plywood with this:

That will keep the pipe from pulling towards the inside of the tub.

Then, I’ll toenail a 2x4 between the studs. Finally, I’ll screw through the 2x4 into the 3/4” plywood.

Is this over-complicating things?


texts: Multiple holes in exterior wall studs for electrical wiring

texts:
Our home in Toronto was built in the early 70s with aluminum wiring. Since we are doing a bunch of renovations we took the decision.to replace the existing aluminum wiring with copper wiring.

The electrician has created multiple holes in the wall studs to run the new wiring (pls see attached pics). According to him as per code he can only run a single cable through each hole. The studs look a bit like Swiss cheese and we wanted to get the opinion of the forum experts.
EDIT: Please note this is an exterior wall

Is he right?
Is there not a better way of running the wires?
Should wires be protected by metal plates across the studs to prevent damage from screws/nails?
Any other things we should be aware of or pointers you can share...


texts: How to remove cables from the Philips ballast for fluorescent lamps?

texts:
I have a few HF-Performer III TL5 ballasts to to which I connected cables in past. Now I can't take them out

http://www.lighting.philips.com/main/prof/lighting-electronics/fluorescent/fluorescent-fixed-output-gear/hf-performer-iii-for-pl-l-lamps/913713028366_EU/product

The instruction on the housing says that:

  - just rotate and pull, but it does not work when I keep them with my fingers and do so, maybe there is a tool for this?

  - this is an ADS / Manual connection, but in Google I can't find anything about this connection

On the pictures you can see a ballast with plugged cables and without cables

I ask for you advice


texts: Why is GFCI Receptacle Tripping From Downstream Fluorescent LIght on Switch?

texts:
I recently ran power to a small shed in my backyard.  I extended a 15amp circuit that was powering only a gate motor.  The #12 wire enters the shed and transitions to 14/2 Romex at a disconnect.  The circuit is very simple: it feeds a GFCI receptacle (first image) then passes to a single pole light switch (second image) that switches hot wire to a standard receptacle with a fluorescent shop light plugged in (third image).
Everything is wired properly and works fine, except the fluorescent shop light plugged into the standard receptacle at the end of the circuit causes the GFCI to trip when turned off (most of the time).  I have tried plugging the light directly to the GFCI with no problems.  I have tried replacing the shop light with a small 60 watt light with no problem. I have tried replacing the shop light with a small air compressor with no problem. It seems to be this shop light causing it to trip when plugged into an outlet downstream of the GFCI.  I'm at a loss on what to try.  Could it be a bad GFCI?  Why is it only this scenario causing it to trip?


texts: Would applying silicone grease to an EPDM seal/gasket be helpful or hurtful?

texts:
I'm repairing a Samsung front-load washing machine and had to take the tub apart.  The tub consists of two halves which are joined by a number of bolts and a thin (approximately 1/4) seal which appears to be made of EPDM (based on the label).

I'm installing a new seal and it appears there was no lubricant/grease used originally, and it's not mentioned anywhere in repair guides.  However, I was taught that a gasket/seal isn't watertight without lubricant, and this being the most likely location for a leak I'm weighing the risk of applying a thin coat of silicone grease to the new seal.

Would that be a mistake as it's not to the manufacturer's spec?  And would there be a risk of it causing problems now or in the future?


texts: What wire type & size for sub-panel in a shed?

texts: I need to install a sub-panel in a shed.  Total run distance from main panel to sub-panel is 80 ft and includes three 90 degree turns.  Burial distance will be 18".  I'm thinking to install a 60-amp main breaker in the sub-panel and running #6-3 THWN in 1-1/4" PVC conduit.  I hesitate using direct buried cable as it seems a bit more vulnerable (but I'm no expert).  I will be driving an 8' ground rod.  A worst case inventory of expected loads is about 30-amps (1500 watt heater, 300 watts in lighting, 12.5-amp table saw, other?).  This gives me a bit of room to grow.  Am I doing anything stupid?


texts: Tub overflow elbow standard screw pattern; 2 or 1 screw?

texts:
Is there a standard screw for tub overflow elbows?  Or most popular?  I am installing a new tub and looking for a overflow elbow with a screw pattern that will lend itself to a stylish overflow now, and replacement parts for when it gets rusty and grimy down the road.

I've included a picture of a one-screw overflow and two-screw that I have available to me.


texts: How can I remove cured tile mortar from subfloor?

texts: I was setting tile last night and had to stop before the room was done. I was being diligent to make sure the edges that were adjacent to the unfinished areas were smooth but in my exhaustion I missed an edge. What is the best way to break up this cured thinset without risking the adhesion of the surrounding tiles?


texts: spacing of steel studs for ceiling leveling

texts:
I'm renovating a single-family basement. The floor joists above the basement are 2x8 douglas fir, mostly spaced 12" OC. The basement ceiling will be finished with a single layer of 1/2" drywall. There's no requirement for fireproofing or soundproofing, and it's not an earthquake zone.

The joists in the ceiling are not sufficiently level for the finished ceiling.  So I'm considering sistering those joists with steel studs, which I'll install level. I'd then attach nominal 1x4 strapping to those steel studs, and attach the drywall to the strapping.

My question is about the spacing of the steel studs:

If I sister every joist with a steel stud, then the steel studs will cost more than I'm willing to spend. I'd just use shims at that point.
But if I only sister every second joist with a steel stud (i.e., the steel studs will be spaced 24" OC), I'm not sure if that will provide enough points of attachment for the wood strapping.  I.e., I'm concerned there's a risk of the strapping partially or fully pulling away from the steel studs, resulting in a ceiling failure.

Anyone know if I can get away with the 24" spacing on the steel studs?

Clarification: The wood strapping would be installed perpendicular to the steel studs and spaced 16" OC. And I'm using 4'x8' drywall sheets. So if I sister every joist with a steel stud, there would be (on average) 24 steel-to-strapping attachments per drywall sheet. If I sister every second joist with a steel stud, each drywall sheet would, on average, be supported by just 12 steel-to-strapping attachments. If we conservatively assume 40 lbs per drywall sheet, then we're looking at about 2 lbs vs. 4 lbs of static load per steel-to-strapping attachment point, respectively.


texts: How to repair cable at the breaker box knock out hole?

texts:
I'm getting ready to replace the breaker panel in my condo and I found some scary damage in one of the cables coming into the box from the top, just at the knock out hole (see picture). The damage black wire seems to be almost gone. It looks like I would need to add a piece of wire to extend it to the breaker that is connected. what is the best way to do this? I should be able to do whatever is needed since I'll have the old breaker box off.

I've been living here for 18 years and that breaker (not AFCI/GFCI) has never tripped. I wonder if this happened before my time.


texts: Will my fridge be damaged if I put a bag of ice in the fridge compartment while I wait for the repairman to fix a warm fridge/cold freezer?

texts: My repairman can only come tomorrow evening and I want to keep my food fresh. ( I have a warm fridge/overly cold freezer) Can I put a bag of ice in the fridge or will that damage something in the fridge? ( or just keep the food outside?)


texts: Should I use thread-seal tape for steam pipe?

texts:
I am getting ready to replace the pressuretrol of my oil-burning steam boiler, which provides heat and hot water.  Should I use thread-seal tape (aka. Teflon tape, PTFE tape, tape dope, or plumber's tape) when attaching the new pressuretrol?  If so, should I use the same kind of tape that I use for water pipes, or is there a special kind for use with steam pipes?

(The pressuretrol datasheet describes the connector as “1/4 inch female pipe thread.”  I presume that is a synonym for national pipe thread taperered thread (NPT), so the threads themselves are providing the seal, and there is no gasket.)


texts: In USA AC system, A 2 pole circuit breaker means both hot lines (120v) are connected to the breakers. How about a 2 pole outlet. Does it also mean both hot pair of 120v are connected to the 2 pole outlet?  Or does 2 pole mean other thing when in comes to outlet? Any illustration would be much appreciated.


texts: Why do I have low hot water pressure in showers only?

texts:
I have 2 showers in my house. Suddenly the hot water pressure dropped in both. The cold is fine and we haven't noticed any change in the faucets in the house. What could make my hot water pressure change from fine one day, then low the next?

We have taken the shower heads off and the water coming out is still low so it's not a blockage in the head.

We also have gas heated water. Not sure if that matters.


texts: Do epoxy paints need to cure after being heated in the oven?

texts:
I am doing a project with a rattle can but it's an epoxy based paint (not oil like your off-the-shelf Krylon or whatever). I am also doing a step where I oven cure everything after I finish painting it. I am doing 200 degrees for 2 hours. So far my parts have turned out great, I'm really happy with them.

Do I still need to let them air cure for a few days after or are my parts ready to use now?


texts: Repairing Basement Wall Framing After Subpanel install notched to 75%

texts:
I have a home I bought a few months ago and I'm working on finishing out the basement space. The builder put in a 2x6 wall 12" on center. I quite certain it's a load bearing wall. 2 Story house with a basement.

The electrician notched one stud 75% to get the 14" wide sub panel in the wall. I've taken out the stud and want to put the panel back in up to code. I have to pull a permit to finish in an unfinished space. Since it appears to be a load bearing wall, do I have to maintain the 12" spacing? Or can I have a 14" space and 10" space? Do I need to frame this in like a window with a jack studs and a header then rough in the box with 2x4s?

I ask this because I need to inset a smart panel (same 14" spacing) next to the electrical sub panel for the basement and this wall will end up being an interior wall in my office.

Any help would be appreciated!

Here are Pictures for those who asked: Basement Remodel Pics


texts: Is the PF error on my microwave caused by the home or electric company?

texts:
I'm asking this about my rental property. We've had several lightening storms in the past week and 1/2...one this morning that caused the electric to go out in the area of the rental property.

Last Thursday, the renters heard a loud screeching noise come from the oven when it was in use. It seemed to turn off and then oven read "4400" degrees and then changed to FOEO. It is a gas range and the burners were working fine, just not the oven. They reset the breaker and the display changed but it was still not correct. The next day, when they came home from work, the microwave and oven had a "PF" on the display. Both are working fine today. The appliances are original from 2009.

The Sunday before, their TV stopped working. It was an older TV so they aren't sure if it stopped working because of a power surge or if it was old. The cable company came out today and said the cable setup looked fine.

The electric company come out to check the outside of the house and they said all looked fine. They will be going out next week to check the grid.

Wondering if I should have an electrician come out to check the house. Could the problem be the breaker or wiring inside the house?

Also, any suggestions on how to protect the house and appliances from power surges? Can a surge protector be used on a microwave & oven?


texts: What might be the cause of hot water usage when nothing in property is using hot water?

texts:
This question needs a bit of background.

I live in a unit that I rent in a building of 8 units. There is a central gas water heater for the whole building. Each unit has it's own separately metered hot water pipe. The meter measures the water that flows through it, and I am billed for gas usage that is calculated from the water usage.

A few months ago, I heard a noise that I thought was just someone else in the building having a shower, but it continued for a long time (and was accompanied by colder water in my shower), and it turned out that my hot water pipe was leaking. Strata management sent a plumber out to repair the pipe.

More recently, I heard the same noise, so I ran out to my meter and noticed that it was measuring a flow, even though nothing in my unit was using any water at the time. I turned the hot water off with the tap that is before the meter, and went out to do some things in town. When I came back, I turned the tap back on to investigate, but the water was no longer flowing (unless of course, I turned on a hot water tap in my unit).

What could cause this recent behaviour? At first glance, it seems like the pipe must have started leaking again, but then stopped without any maintenance being performed (which seems unlikely to me). The only other explanation I can think of is that the pipe for my unit is also connected to some other tap elsewhere in the building, but I wanted to ask on here before going down the route of trying to prove that.


texts: PVC drain pipe that the washer empties into is echoing all plumbing sounds

texts:
My father said that we could put tape around the washer hose to lessen the gap between the hose and the pipe. I've found some adapters that go from the ~1" washer hose to our 2" pipe. My father said though to leave a little bit of a gap between each hose, while the adapters I've found online seem to completely seal the connection. Which is correct? Should I leave an air gap or completely seal it?

EDIT: The house was built in 1952. Based on my understanding, the plumbing should look like this:

NOTE: Periodic gurgling occurs in the bath drain if the bath hasn't been used in a couple of days. We believe this is because the vents are blocked to some extent, and get flushed out after showers, but then settles after a while.

EDIT 2: This home is a rental, we do not own it; not sure if that matters in your comments.


texts: How can I secure these inadequate/leaning deck supports?

texts:
I am in the process of buying a house. The home inspector noted problems with the deck, most significantly "leaning posts."

What would be required to get those 4x4 supports adequately secured to the deck surface?
Does the fact that some of the precast foundations are tilted (that one in the back is just horrifying) mean that I'll need to have those reseated?
Is any of this work feasible without disassembling the entire thing -- is it a better idea to look into a complete rebuild?

This isn't a tall deck (~3-4 feet off the ground at highest point), and the surface is approximately 15x15 feet.


texts:
I have a walkout staircase.  The top wall of the walkout had to be cut down to use as a tread.  Cutting down the top wall exposed 6 ends of #5 rebar.  What should I do?
The wall is 8" thick and 14 feet tall.


texts:
I want to install food waste disposer, my pipes are 1.5 inch and I've heard that the pipes should be 2 inch otherwise after a couple of years the pipes will start clogging.
I'm trying to understand if it's true.
Thanks


texts: Do I need to install cement backer board on the wall above a tile shower surround?

texts:
We removed a tub wall surround and want to replace it with tile. We don't plan to tile to the ceiling.

Can we cut out only the drywall where the tub wall was and replace that with cement backer board? Or do I need to go to the ceiling with the cement board and paint over it?

Just to be clear, I am not talking about putting cement board on the ceiling. I am wondering if I can leave some of the drywall on the wall and only put cement board/denshield where I plan to tile. Leaving about 2 feet of drywall from the ceiling down.

For example, in this photo only the tiled area would have cement board and the tan area would have the original drywall.

http://www.mcadamsremodeling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/738309_10_0_BEFORE.jpg


texts: Why is the spigot on my oil heater dripping?

texts:
We have fuel oil and a Beckett oil burner that heats our house. I just noticed water is dripping out of this hosebib/spigot at the bottom of it:

What could be causing this and how can I troubleshoot? Also, in case you're wondering, we had a basement flood a few months ago and I put down cat litter around the base of my Beckett to wick water away; thats the gravely/grainy stuff you're seeing in the photo.


texts: wiring 220V GFCI in a subpanel with only 2 conductors

texts:
we are updating a subpanel near a little pond. the installation is fed by only 2 conductors (L1 and L2) from the main panel 200Ft away. THERE IS NO NEUTRAL OR GND conductors here and it would be prohibitivaly expensive to retrench wires.  Of course we sunk a grounding bar here for the subpanel.

the 220v pumps of course only need L1 and L2 to run. I want to put a GFCI 2pole breaker for them . Can I wire the GCFI pigtail to gnd bar since I dont have a neutral?   I think that pigtail is just needs to provide a 110v path for the internal circuit of the GFCI ?
If I wanted to run a low voltage transformer here (for led lights), would it function (assume its a 110v to 12v ac xfmr) if I used L1 and the GND bar.  Please dont just say its against code without explanation.  my thinking: it will work since the current will flow into GND rather than back thru a neutral but its against code to have current running to GND for safety reason. Also ... it would trip my 220V GFCI since the current in L1 and L2 will be different when i have those led lights on.   does that make sense?


texts: Connect washing machine drain pipe to existing outlet

texts:
I am trying to install a washing machine next to our boiler. I don't have an SDS drill so I'm trying to get away with not drilling a hole in the cavity wall. There's an existing hole through the wall where the condensate from the boiler drains away into the waste pipe which goes to the soil pipe.

From what I've read online, it looks like I would need to have to put the washing machine drain in to a standpipe before the wastewater goes outside and I shouldn't go from a 40mm standpipe to a narrower flexible pipe because you should always flow through pipes getting larger, not smaller right?

Is there any way I can reuse this pipe through the wall for the washing machine waste water? Or is my only way of resolving this by drilling a 50mm hole in the cavity wall using tools I don't have at the moment?


texts: I am interested if bending of the pvc conduit is allowed using heat to 90 degrees in larger radius. Also, is there max number of 90 degree turns allowed in a circuit?


texts: Can a honda iAVR generator safely run a computer?

texts:
Honda advertises their iAVR generators as producing stable enough power to run a computer.  For example, see "applications" section at https://powerequipment.honda.com/generators/models/em6500.  However, THD, frequency tolerances, etc., aren't listed.
Can anybody here provide measurement-based reasons why or why not it's safe to power sensitive electronics with a honda iAVR generator?


texts: Should I purchase single tools, or a tool set?

texts:
I now happen to need a wrench to make some changes to my bed. I also realize that sometimes I may need other tools in my life as well. I was wondering

Which way to build one's own collection of tools is better, buying one after another, or buying a tool set?

I am living in U.S., if that helps.


texts: How can I drive a screw with an impact drill?

texts:
I bought a Bosch PSB 650 RE Impact Drill and I have some question about how to use it for driving screws. I know it's not its primary function but for a few screws here and there it should work. I have a magnetic adapter with a bit perfect for the screws, the drill has a variable speed control on the handle and by pressing the switch button deeper I increase the speed of rotation.

So here's my concern,

I tested with a screw, I pressed the switch button gently and it started to screw about half way then the screwing stopped, the drill sounded like it was spinning but it didn't had the power to insert the screw further. I pressed a little harder still the same, It sounded like it was turning but it didn't. To screw more I had to press harder on the handle to increase the speed and then it screwed all the way.

Is this a problem or this is how it should behave? Can the drill get damaged while it's working but not screwing cause it doesn't have enough power?


texts: Why does an air-conditioner need maintenance and a fridge does not?

texts: Does anyone know why an air-conditioner needs regular maintenance while a fridge doesn't?


texts: What is the third pipe leading to my water heater?

texts:
Ok here's a riddle. :)
So there are three pipes coming out of this wall to what used to be a gas water heater. The one on the right is the cold water, the one on the left will pour cold water if the sink has both  cold and hot water valves turned on but will immediately stop if either the cold OR the hot is turnyed off. What is this pipe? I am assuming the right pipes are cold in and hot out.
Can the left pipe just be capped off? Does it need to go back to the hot?
Thanks!


texts:
A relative is rebuilding his bathroom. Since he has a garden and he is all about "thinking green" he was wondering if he could use the shower water (or any other) in any way, like water plants.

I found the idea interesting when he told me and we googled a bit around to see what solutions there are. We found many ways of saving water, but none to reuse. I assume one cant just use it directly due to the soap and other chemicals. Is there something that its practically doable in order to be able to reuse this water safely?

The idea is to save money, but above all to avoid wasting water.


texts: Peculiar external spigot replacement needed

texts:
I have the following spigot and it appears that there is no way to access the piping that leads to it. I am used to the typical silkcock style but this one I've never seen before. Is it removable from the front?

PS: The reason why it needs to be changed is that it leaks through all the holes in the front which renders having a hose pretty much useless.


texts: Can I remove and reframe the top horizontal studs? for a TV mount

texts:
Photos (sorry too "big" to upload here)
I am working on a project to install a heavy duty robotic mantel mount. Now I have gotten the walls open I can start seeing what needs to be done.
For this mount I have very little tolerances. I will be reframing one vertical stud for sure. What I am less sure about is how to deal with this top vertical one.
This mount needs 6 inches clearance from the mantel. Which would give me a very slender mantel.
My questions are

These are non load bearing right? If they are, I should hire a pro.
Can I just cut away one section of horizontal beams? They will be
replaces with a metal brack the mount comes with.
a pair of studs can
support 200+ lbs with leverage, or should I add a second support
stud?


texts: This metal p-trap in my kitchen has rusted out at the bottom and is leaking. I removed it and in this case the nut goes on the trap side and the piece it connects to is threaded. I'm used to seeing the opposite where the trap is threaded. All the traps I saw at HD were threaded as well so wasn't sure what to purchase to repair this.


texts: Creating a wireless water level indicator and/ or controller

texts:
I wish to create a wireless water level indicator for measuring the level of water in my sump and then making automatic changes to the motor switch to fill the water to the overhead tank. What are the tools required to do so. In the market online, I find very less wireless options available. The float sensors are all wired, and are quite expensive. Is there a DIY solution to this?
I think installing two electrodes with a powered battery, with an alert occurring in my smart phone ( or a similar alarming system) is the way to go. For this, I think I need to have a bluetooth installed  in the provisional sensor. As for remote controlling the switch of the water motor, I think I have to somehow modify the available controller in the market which works for wired sensors. Any ideas how this could be done from scratch. I am a total beginner in this. Thanks beforehand.


texts:
I accidently removed our microwave's interior paint by spraying the interior with an oven cleaner (my wife told me to do it).
What paint can I use to to repaint the interior? Our microwave is expensive so I prefer to repaint it if possible. I searched Amazon for "microwave cavity paint" but it's either out-of-stock or discontinued.
I read in the Internet that I can use Enamel paint. Is that correct?


texts: How do I wire a new light from an outlet, with power to the light box?

texts: I'm trying to run power from an outlet box to a light and then to a wall switch to control the light. The outlet box is in the attic and I want to go from the outlet to the light and then from the light to a single pole wall switch. What would be the proper way to wire each box?


texts: Seeking ideas to correct and prevent sprinkler from spraying building

texts:
The neighbor is a plant nursery, which use sprinklers to water inventory late at night.  The report is that their sprinklers are watering our building which is an issue.   As I understand it, even if the sprinkler are put back into calibration to avoid spraying the building, it will eventually go out of calibration.

What would be effective techniques to:

encourage and put the responsibility on the neighbor to monitor /
correct?
enact physical prevention building spray?

Would a 'backstop' placed directly behind the sprinkler help?  Constructive suggestions are appreciated as I am trying to maintain a good relationship with the neighbor. That being said, humor is appreciated too.

Experience and lessons learned are appreciated: thank you.


texts: finding the easy to install vessel sink drain stopper

texts: I have a vessel sink which is lacking a drain stopper. The vessel sink does not have a pop out system (buttom to pop out the drain). The internal diameter is probably 1 inch. When i look for drain stopper they look like i have to unscrew the pipe from below and then install it. What do i need to buy that is eayy to install without unscrewing the pipe and works well?


texts: Why are there so many 220v circuits/breakers in my house's electrical panel?

texts: We noticed during our home inspection the main panel has only six general lighting circuits and seven 220v circuits/breakers.There were only two areas where 220 outlets would be used. Why would they have so many 220v breakers? Is this normal or cause any problems/safety issues?


texts: My current electrical system appears to have the ground and the neutral wires on the same bus bar.  If I had a second grounding bar, do I need to move ALL of my ground wires to the new grounding bar, which in turn would free up space on the ground/neutral bar?


texts:
In a normal, properly-wired home, what are the possible causes of a tripped breaker? At 110-120V is there a maximum wattage throughput on a single breaker?

I'd like to understand the system to be able to know how best to lay out the electrical system in a brand new house. I'm not an electrician, but I do understand certain basic concepts. (I'm also not planning necessarily on doing the work myself, but I'd like to understand the whole line of thinking behind electrical system layout.)


texts: When buying a rental home after many years of our occupancy, is a home inspection still necessary?

texts:
I lived in a rental home for around 8 years and am currently negotiating the cash purchase of it. Because I've lived here for so long and (this is my first home purchase),I'm very familiar with the condition of this house. Is a home inspection really necessary and a good idea? The home was built about 30 years ago. There are no visible signs of mold or termites, the interior is generally sound. Because its a condo the roof / outside isn't our responsibility to maintain. Internally, there are no signs of anything other than a few dry cracks here and there - no odd smells or otherwise.

I appreciate any suggestions on if it makes sense for us to still inspect the home we're buying? My logic is, we know the home so well b/c we've lived here so long - how much would inspector know beyond what we already know? If yes, should we go for a basic inspection or a thorough inspection for mold and termites as well?


texts: Hanging a curtain rod to hold Drapes on an Old Plaster wall (which wall has no studs)

texts:
Help, a novice here.  What is the best way to mount/attach a rod to hold heavy drapes to an old plaster wall.  The wall is an exterior wall that has no studs (i.e., it is the wall that faces the back yard).

The bracket will be at least 8 feet in width and hold heavy living room drapes.  I've read that it's best to use toggle or molly bolts - but that doesn't make sense as the wall is entirely made of plaster. In other words, there is no way to get behind the plaster as the entire wall is plaster until you hit the outside brick wall?


texts: Can I use fewer than the recommended number of fasteners for exterior wall insulation?

texts: I'm insulating my exterior wall (built of perforated Porotherm blocks) using 40mm gutex wood-fibre boards.  The recommended application involves the use of an adhesive (allegedly very strong) and plastic fasteners / anchors. The insulation layer will be applied over the existing (cement-based) rendering.  The recommended number of fasteners for gutex boards is minimum 6 per square metre, which I find excessive.  Is there a good reason why I should use so many dowels (and bore so many holes into my wall) ?  Can it be avoided - especially given that the adhesive is very strong and is applied continuously rather than just in spots?


texts:
I am having a two-wire system oil boiler with two-zone valves. I installed two Nest E and worked fine but it started to swing the valves due to the charging cycle. So I decided to run a new C wire from the C terminal of the transformer.
Here comes the problem. After I tracing the wires, looks like the wirings from the transformer are reversed. I drew the lines in the actual color of the wire.
So if I reversely connect (R W) wires to Nest E and connect new C wire from the C terminal of the transformer as below, all is well?
Or should I reconnect all zone valves too?
I'd appreciate it if anyone can suggest a good solution for this.
Thank you!


texts: How do I fill a hole above my shower where cockroaches are coming through?

texts:
I recently moved into an old brownstone and realized that there is a cockroach issue in the entire building. I'm working on getting rid of them but the other night I noticed some were near the ceiling above my shower.

There is a pipe in the corner of the shower that is a couple inches thick and runs up to the ceiling. Where it connects to the ceiling there is a large gap on all sides. I want to seal it.

Any suggestions? I was told steel wool and expandable foam, but want to know if that is sensible to do right above the shower where it is likely to be humid.


texts: Trying to replace a light bulb that has a mini candelabra base and want to replace this bulb with a CFL bulb but can't find any. Are CFLs available with mini candelabra bases?


texts: I need to replace a 110v wall outlet in the middle of a circuit.  In addition I need to add an additional outlet in the same box (I've removed the single outlet box and replaced it with a double) and finally -- using this same circuit -- I need to add a single outlet a short distance away. What is the best way to do this?


texts: What's the deal with the 18ga wire in a light fixture?

texts:
I always read "rule #1: never use less than 14GA wire on a 15A breaker, and never use less than 12GA wire on a 20A breaker". The idea being that if the circuit gets to the max current allowed by the breaker, too small of wire can get too hot.

So recently I installed a direct-wire light fixture, and attached to the light and switch on the fixture where they wanted me to connect power were 18GA wires. So, excited about my new fixture, I connected my 14GA from the wall to the 18GA wires in the fixture, buttoned it all up, enjoyed my new light, but now am wondering "what was I supposed to do to not violate rule #1?".

It is "ok" for the wire to potentially get hot as long as it's in a metal fixture or something (vs in the drywall)? Or is it "ok" for the wire to get hot because it is onl 10" (presumably not?)? What gives??


texts: Connecting 4-wire supply to 3-wire outlet for bathroom fan timer switch

texts:
I am aware that there are similar questions on this site. However, because this is about electrical wiring (in the bathroom to boot), I want to make sure I am doing things correctly.
I am attempting to change a push button timer switch for the extractor fan. The current one has 4 wires (black, white, green and red) feeding into it, and it's clearly marked what goes where. The one I bought (https://www.venmar.ca/232-accessories-20-minute-lighted-push-button-12030.html) just has 'OL', 'OC' and 'I'. I have searched online at length and I cannot figure out what goes where.
I think I should just cap the green (grounding) wire, then connect the black (hot), white (neutral) and red (hot) wires to the OL, OC and I respectively. But I wanted to make sure. Hope someone can help me out.
Also, if someone can explain the logic here of the OL, OC and I, that would be welcome. Or direct me to relevant literature.
Thanks!
Edit 1: I'm in Canada, Quebec more specifically.
Edit 2: The fan. I just moved here so I don't know what's the brand or model of the fan. And I am unsure how to find it.

Edit 3: The current switch.


texts: Would a 20 amp 240 volt panel from the main panel be enough for a laundry room?

texts: Would a 20 amp 240 volt panel be good enough for three circuits, of total 40 amps 120 volts in a laundry room?


texts: When the central air is running, cold air blows outside through the intake and exhaust pipes from the HE furnace. Is this normal? Can I block/seal off these pipes for the summer and uncover them before  we use the furnace for heat in the fall. Or is there something wrong with the system?