texts: Why is getting a chimney sleeved such a hassle ... and expensive

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Installing a Chimney Liner a DIY project?

This seems to be an ongoing theme, and quite annoying I might add.

When I first went looking for this to be done, I found some WILDLY different quotes.  One guy said the materials -start- at $3000.  Another 4-7k, a 3rd said "2 grand tops".  So smelling a rat, I went looking and found this... http://www.woodlanddirect.com/Chimney/Champion-EasyFlex-316Ti-Chimney-Liner-Kits/316Ti-Chimney-Champion-Easy-Flex-Chimney-Liner-Kit-55in

Ok, so 1300 bucks MAX (sleeve and insulation) and it's rated for any fuel I could throw at it (it's going to be wood) and there's no way this can be complicated.  Run it down the chimney, connect it up, done.  Oh, I forgot to mention, this is a house that's had a chimney for almost 100 years and appears to be used all the way up though the 90s then the fire place was walled off (why do people do this?!).  I can see daylight at the base of the chimney.  It's around 45' high.

I called some place today, 300 bucks to come out, clean and inspect my chimney, ok that's not too bad ... but got the sticker shock again "$2,000 to $15,000" for the sleeving ...what?

So my question -- why is doing it myself 1300 bucks and a 6 pack for a friend and if I hire some place, it's going to be a TON more than that?  Is this like a 5 day job or something is amazingly hard that I'm not seeing here?


texts:
I was replacing old outlet in my house and came across an outlet that is screwed directly into the studs.  Also the stud and the junction box were cut to fit the outlet.  The new outlet is too big to fit in this space. I am afraid to put a new outlet in here as it could be a fire risk.

What should I do with this?  Should i cap off the wires and put a blank wall plate?  Or is there some way I can salvage this and put an outlet in here.

There is a wall (fireplace) to the left and a sliding glass door an inch or so to the right.


texts: Lennox G51MP shutting down with Primary/secondary switch fault

texts:
I have Lennox G51MP-48c-090-06 ~14yrs old, starting up for first time this season. It is throwing error code: Primary or secondary limit switch open.

Unit shows normal operation when powered up and when heat is demanded. Inducer starts, pilot lights, flames start for a few minutes, then shuts down, with code listed above.

I started troubleshooting:
- New filter ~1 month ago
- All switches seem closed as normal, the primary may be only one moving off of 0ohms or 0volts.
- Indoor blower does turn on, but seems quieter than normal
- Blower spins freely by hand, capacitor measured good with resistance test, and blower runs when provided line voltage
- Blower seems quieter than normal and doesn't seem to be pushing air out of registers as I recall, but it has been a summer since I have heard & felt it.
- I did test with no filter & filter door open to see if it was intake airflow, but it still fails the same.
-viewing flames through port on burner box, they seem fine, all blue flame shooting into the four tubes, but a small amount of blue flame going left-right prior to the heat exchanger tubes.
- The rollout switches on this unit look more link flat thermostats on both the L and R sides of burner box, they remain closed through failure.

Not sure if it is related to this, but late this summer we had a frozen evaporator coil above the heat exchanger.


texts:
I've bought a house that came with an integrated new world DW60 dishwasher
the house had been empty for a number of months.

It worked fine for at least 1 load but now it doesnt enter the wash cycle.
On any program it will drain and fill with cold water but now it no longer sprays hot water after several minutes it drains again and fills with cold water.

What i've tried so far

i've opened it up and checked the main wash pump the drain pump and the heating element. they all got what i thought was normal readings from the multimeter

Main wash pump 75 ohms
drain pump 135 ohms
heating element 30 ohms

the washer was draining fine so wasnt concerned about it but i did find some loose glass around the inlet for that pump.

thinking maybe that was it, i put everything back and switched it on. no joy unfortunately.

if the flowthrough heater was the problem then the machine would spray cold water around but never get up to temperature surely so thats not the problem.

this led me to thinking it is a problem with the main wash pump.
which got normal readings from the multimeter 75ohms. the capacitor had no obvious signs of being blown, and when tested with the multimeter seemed to charge up correctly.
the shaft rotated freely so there was no blockage.

i removed the motor/pump and hooked it up to AC power using an old lamp cord. and it worked ok.
baffled i put the whole thing back together and switched it on still no luck.

and now i'm here.
any ideas?


texts: How can I plug the gap between a dishwasher and kitchen skirting board?

texts: So we have a mouse problem, and our landlords are pretty worthless when it comes to solving it. They're coming from underneath our kitchen units, which are all raised about six inches, with wooden skirting board in front of them. I've closed two small (2x2 inches, ish) gaps with thick cardboard and white threaded tape, but I'm unable to do the same with the dishwasher since the door needs to be able to open. Currently, we're shoving a towel in there whenever the dishwasher is closed, and removing it whenever we need to open it. It's inconvenient. Is there a better solution? Something that would fill the hole, but stretch, expand, or unfold when the dishwasher is opened?


texts: Flushed water heater yesterday got a lot of sputtering right after that and today hot water is not flowing with the same pressure as before

texts:
Yesterday I decided to flush my water heater and I did the following:

turn to pilot
turn off cold water supply to water heater
open valve and drain hot water. I noticed it was still flushing for a while and I was expecting the water to be less and less every time so what I did is to turn off the water coming to the house and kept draining, and then now I noticed that the water flow was every time less and less, until it was almost no flow at all. I then closed the water heater valve.
I lower the temperature of the water heater since it's already hot outside, and I was thinking in moving it back up when is winter again.
I opened the water valve for the house, opened cold water valve to the water heater.

When I went upstairs and I opened my faucet with hot water I first noticed it was sputtering and brown water coming out and then the presure on the water wasn't the same as before.  The next day the sputtering stopped but the pressure in some of the faucets for hot water is still not the same. At the beginning when I open the faucet it had good pressure and after 2 seconds the pressure decreased and it has been like that since then.

Note: I just checked and there are at least 5 faucets that have the same problem, not just one like I originally thought.

What could be wrong with my system?

Thank you


texts: Old oil furnace with 2 wire thermostat, installing new wifi and need C wire. How can I wire with my current stack switch?

texts: I'm trying to wire a new wifi thermostat and only have two wires, R and W.  The stack switch (transformer - pictured) only has two wire slots as well.  What is the easiest way to add a common C wire?  There are 4 wires currently running to the thermostat with 2 unused.  Can I do this myself or need an electrician?


texts:
I have a wooden bed frame, for which one of the sides is very slightly bent out (as shown in the picture). I would like to get it straightened because the slight bending out means that the slats that support the mattress on that side aren't held in place as firmly, so occasionally fall out. The bed is about 7 years old and unfortunately the shop that sold me the bed has gone bust in the meantime - so I don't think there's any reasonable chance of getting a replacement.
Is there any reasonable way to fix this? I don't know that much about DIY, but wood doesn't seem like a good material for simply bending back into shape.
(NB. Picture shows the bottom corner of the bed at the front of the picture not fully in place, with a gap showing. Don't worry about this - the bed was disassembled for room redecoration and I haven't yet fully reassembled it, hence the gap)


texts: When replacing a window, what are the pros/con of a retrofit vs new construction?

texts:
I am replacing a old Garden window with a new "flat" window.

I was given a quote for "Retrofit" option, and then a $400 more for a "new construction" option.

I have Stucco wall

I understand that with a retrofit they need to put a Z-bar, and with new construction there is more breaking of the outside stucco. But that is all I understand.

Is it worth it or not to pay $400 extra for new constructions? why would I and why shouldn't I ?

If picture will help, let me know.


texts: Installing a floor for storage above detached garage?

texts:
We have a gabled-roof single-story detached garage with horizontal 2x4 beams spaced four feet apart and a 20' span.  There are two vertical 2x4 beams connecting the two horizontal center beams to the roof.  There are also 1x6 diagonal braces connecting the roof to every joist.

I'd like to install plywood flooring above most of it for storage.  Nothing that we put up there will be too heavy, but I'm certain I'd need to provide additional support.  I would plan to walk on the floor to store and retrieve things.

What size and spacing of supplemental joists would be reasonable to support a floor?  How should they be safely secured to the existing structure?  And what thickness should the plywood floor be for reasonable support?  Should I consult with a structural engineer?

The following may be duplicates.

Is my attic floor over my garage strong enough to use it for storage and maybe as a small work area?
Can I use the area above my garage for storage?
Can I lay down plywood in my attic to create a storage space?


texts: I added a switched outdoor outlet and a switched outdoor light fixture to my garage, getting power from the load side of a GFCI outlet with a 12/2 romax. Everything works works fine, grounds are all connected and pigtailed to metal boxes, but my tester shows "open ground" at GCIF and new outdoor outlet. Ideas?


texts:
My house built in 1928 has concrete filled spaces between the floor joists and rim joist. There are gaps in some of them, some 1" wide with most being very small. I suspect these gaps could be the source of some mice we've caught along with leaking air.

What is the best method and products to fill these gaps to prevent air loss and from rodents entering?


texts: No shutoff valve for tankless hot outlet

texts: I just had a tankless water heater installed and I noticed that although it's recommend by the manufacturer, the installer did not add a shutoff to the hot water outlet. Will this cause any problems when flushing the system? It seems like the pump used during flushing might not be able to build up as much pressure within the unit itself if water is allowed to flow out. Not to mention the possibility of any loosened sediment getting pushed up instead of flushed.


texts: How do I clean stains from rice pilaf from my off-white carpet and wall?

texts: I spilled rice pilaf on my carpet and I don't know how to clean the stains it left. I picked up most of it, but as you can see, remnants of it still persist. It has now been sitting for about a day. Is there a DIY way to totally remove it?


texts: How to frame a wall around existing exterior door

texts:
Framing a basement.  I have a an exterior door that is set in the poured foundation.  I'm building my wall that runs parallel to foundation that has the existing door and is ~2-4" from the foundation.  How do I frame this opening?  Of particular concern, if I from perpendicular from the wall to the in-swing door, it would seem that I wouldn't be able to open the door more than 85-90 degrees.

Edit: added pictures for more clarity

Edit 2: Added diagram of proposed layout (minus solution)

Edit 3. Added new diagram

Edit 4. 4th times a charm


texts: I am planning to expand master bedroom and hired an architect to draw the plan. What I learnt is that he drew diagram by hand and not using CAD. He is an old guy. But I am wondering if I should be concerned now? Given this age, everything has to be exactly accurate and submit as CAD diagram for the city permit. Does it matter?


texts: How to snake a bathtub with no overflow drain?

texts:
Our upstairs bath tub has been taking longer and longer to drain and my wife has finally tasked me to fix it.

Yesterday I literally emptied an entire bottle of Liquid Plumber down the drain (following all the directions of course - well, except the fact I used the whole bottle!) and still no difference.

So I borrowed my father-in-law's "snake" and went online to learn-up on how to snake a bathtub. I found two videos that were particularly helpful:

Snaking from the overflow drain
Using two plungers

Both of these methods require an overflow drain to be present in the tub. In both videos, this overflow drain was located about 18" above the main drain. However, my bathtub looks like it's wired a little differently:

Instead of an overflow drain approximately 18" above the main drain, there is this mechanical lever that engages or deactivates the bath plug. Above that is the faucet, and above the faucet is the hot/cold/on/off control.

So I ask: given my setup, and given what I've learned from these two videos/methods, what's the best way for me to unclog my bathtub? Thanks in advance!

Edit: per @BMitch's suggestion, I checked around the perimeter of the "bath plug" and it appears that it is not sealed around a slot running along the very bottom. In other words, it appears that there is actually an opening there, starting around "4:00" position and extending to the "8:00" position...


texts: What exactly is tested when a fire extinguisher is tagged?

texts:
I am just curious: the obvious is that the

pressure
mass
hydrostatic test

can be inspected /measured to ensure that the device has not been discharged. Is there anything else that is measured \ checked?


texts: What are my options for asphalt driveway repair and/or sealing?

texts:
I live in New England and my asphalt driveway is showing a lot of cracks.  There's also a little divot in one flat spot that collects water.

What are my options for getting the driveway back to looking good, and stopping any further damage?


texts: How do I remove a pole that's rusted into a sleeve in the ground?

texts:
I have a square metal pole (probably 3x3 inches) that sits in the ground in a metal sleeve. It's been there for a long time and I want to pull it out. In order to prep for this I've been soaking between the pole and sleeve with WD-40.

The suggestion that's been made is that I use a Farm / Automotive Construction (Jeep or 4x4) Jack and then tie a rope around the pole and jack it out. Problem is I don't know how you would tie the rope around the pole. The solution does seem reasonable though.

My objective is to get the pole out of the ground. If you think that the rope and jack is the right answer can you describe how to tie it? Otherwise if you have a better idea I'd love to hear it.


texts: How to wire this old Lennox thermostat to my Heil 2003 furnace?

texts:
Here is my attempt which isn't working. Maybe I should jumper R to G and move the green wire to C with Blue? The wires I cut off it had that jumpered.

Here is the image address: https://imgur.com/tjprnWI
Sorry, don't know how to use the image button.


texts: Moving a washer and dryer when relocating across the country

texts:
I have been contemplating accepting a job offer on the opposite side of USA. If everything works out, I was thinking about putting all my belongings to a couple of u-haul u-boxes and have them shipped.

So for this reason I wanted to ask if I needed to somehow secure the drums on my washer and dryer?

Both are electric (not gas) and of the front-loading variety.


texts: Our electrician installed a "Wet location" NEMA 5-20R outlet under our sink recently and have been trying to figure out what makes it special? He states it isn't GFCI, which by my understanding would be required in such a location (or perhaps just unwise not to do so). What on earth makes a "wet location" outlet different from a standard NEMA 5-20R outlet?


texts: What are these 3 pipes on the side of my furnace / AC?

texts: I'm trying to install a whole-home humidifier. I'm wondering whether I can use these copper pipes as supply lines for the humidifier. Any guesses as to what pipes A, B, and (just out of curiosity) C do? I believe they're connected to a condensate drain, but am wondering where they come from.


texts: How to cut in paint on a TALL wall left of a stair case

texts: How can I cut in paint over stairs with a wall that is 12 feet? I do not belive that all the brush holders and gages will do quality work. The red rectangle is where I need to do the cut in's woth a brush. On the ground level I can barely reach it with an extension ladder but I need a way to get it from the stairs


texts: Baseboard heat register makes loud banging sounds

texts:
FYI... I am a homeowner and not technical.
Problem.. about 2 months ago my baseboard heating (hot water) starting making loud noises when the furnace turned on. It continues for a good period of time, its so loud it wakes me up. If I go to the thermostat and lower the temp the noises immediately stop. The noises come from more than 1 baseboard. I had service come to check the issue and I was told that the pipes are hitting something and need to pinpoint and eliminate where hitting. The system has been in place for years and this never occurred.
I would appreciate any feedback before I call for another service appt.
Thanks


texts: I pulled up some carpet and found some brownish glue that's still gummy underneath the pad.  This doesn't appear to look like any of the images of asbestos glue I can find online (it's see-through and not completely black), but I just want to double check.


texts: Should my sump pump be running when the water level is below the pump?

texts: i am a new home owner and i have concerns about my sump pump.  it has been working properly until today.  it was making strange sounds this morning so i took the cover off.  the water level is below the sump pump, which i have never seen before but yet the pump comes on periodically.  Is there a problem with the float, which is cylindrical and attached to the pvc piping?  Should the water level be covering the sump pump at all times  [IT IS AN OLDER METAL ONE}?


texts: Why does a system boiler with hot water cylinder not use a diverter valve?

texts:
I understand that it doesn't need a diverter valve... But I was thinking, couldn't the system be more efficient with one?

For example, the central heating could run at a low temperature (35°-40°) and when the hot water cylinder calls for heat it can go to the necessary 65°-75°.

Why isn't a combi boiler system used that uses the hot water temperature setting for the hot water cylinder and the central heating temperature for the central heating?


texts: Tester indicates hot/ground are reversed after lightning strike

texts:
Another post-lightning strike problem:  we have a run of outlets that no longer make a connection when you touch black & white wires, yet get a connection when touching black to the ground wire with a multimeter.  A circuit tester reads "Hot/Ground Reversed."  The outlet at the end of the run is totally dead.  PLUS, we just upgraded the service TODAY and we are still having the problem, so it's not at the breaker.  This was not an issue before the lightning strike. Ever heard of such a thing?

The wire coming out of the panel is a 3-wire bx. The circuit that the black wire feeds is just fine, yet the circuit the red wire feeds gives us the reverse/ground reading. I know that can be an open neutral, but if both hot wires are coming from the same cable, shouldn't both show the open problem? Any idea what could be going on? We get the bad reading at the first junction box after the panel, on the red wire coming from the panel.


texts: Will a 2-stage heat pump cool my upstairs on low stage?

texts:
I am currently upgrading my furnace from an oil furnace/AC combination to all heat pump. I am considering two stage vs single stage heat pumps.

I understand that two-stage will supposedly give me more 'comfort' (for running on low stage instead of one shorter single stage). However, one of the HVAC company representatives that came out to give me an estimate for a heat pump explained that he doesn't think a two stage is worth it for my house. Here is why;

I have a colonial style single family home (2 levels plus a finished basement, built in the 70s). The way the duct system is setup, the main level heats and cools fine, but the upstairs gets significantly less airflow (with bedroom doors open). Even with an oversized unit and blower, the air coming out of the vents is weak compared to the first floor. With the way my ducts are setup currently, he said that the second floor will not cool well in the summer if a two stage is running on the low stage. In essence, in order to get efficient cooling upstairs I'd need to be running at higher speeds. He was the only one that presented this opinion of several other people that came out.

Does this guy have a point, or will a two stage still give me better 'comfort' even with really low air flow on the second level?

The home is approximately 1600 square feet above ground, and then another 800 square feet for the finished basement. There is currently a 3.5 ton unit a several companies recommended a 3 ton unit.

Note: I am not asking for the ideal solution to my heating/cooling problems. I am asking of single stage and dual stage, which would do better cooling and heating the entire house more evenly in my situation.


texts: AC compressor runs with heat on. NOT a heat pump

texts:
My AC compressor recently started running whenever the heat kicks on. It is not a heat pump. The compressor is a Nordyne fs3ba-036ka.
I haven't done anything to the system aside from changing filters since last winter, so I've no idea why this would just start happening. Any suggestions are appreciated.


texts: Can I use a stairwell ceiling fan to save energy?

texts:
We have a two story house, with a small ceiling fan mounted above the main stairway.

The house has separate thermostats for heating/cooling the upstairs and downstairs.

During the day, we spend 90% of the time downstairs. At night, everyone sleeps upstairs.

Given this setup, can we use the ceiling fan to save energy and/or make the house more comfortable throughout the day? How should we use the fan differently during the day and night? During summer and winter?

I'd love to be able to turn down the thermostats to save a few bucks, or to make the house feel more comfortable.


texts: How to prevent bolts from rusting and sticking in the toilet tank?

texts:
Inspired by this problem.

If I somehow succeed in removing the rusted bolts and replace them with new ones, how can I prevent the new bolts from rusting and getting stuck too? (Other than removing the tank every x months/years just to clean the bolts.)

E.g. in the bike repair videos they always grease the bolts before reinserting them, I was asking myself if this would work for the toilet tank as well. Since I did not find any mention of this anywhere, I imagine this would be a bad idea (maybe because the grease would allow the water to leak around the bolts?), but I would be interested in your opinions, or maybe if someone has tried it, what were the experiences.


texts:
Hi I live in a mobile home also late 80s/early 90s I have a few light switches that makes a sizzling sound at times they are the self contained type switch!

What is occurring during arcing in a switch? is this any different then an arc fault such as nipped/cut cable in the wall do I need arc fault breakers?


texts:
OK. So I had a kitchen ceiling light. too big. Took it out and put in a light w/ enclosed fan. Light worked on a single switch. No biggie, light/fan comes w/ remote. Excellent. New light works on same single switch, but it's pretty faint and dims in and out. I decide I want to remove dimmer switch and put in a regular switch, hoping that fixes the strange dimming. NOTE: Light and fan are working w/ dimmer switch, just not excellently. I put in new switch. NOTHING. No power going to light or fan.

In switch box: three white wires connected and wire capped together (dead end.) Three ground wires, connected and wire capped together (dead ended). Red wire. Black wire. Red and black wires are connected to the dimmer switch. I take out dimmer switch, put in single pole switch - nothing. Change out toggle switch for a three-way toggle. Still nothing.

I undo white and ground pigtails and attach a white and a ground to a three-way. I lose power to the entire circuit this switch is on (as in, I flipped the switch in the circuit board and got nothing on anything). I put the wiring back - everything works again. Phew.

Why on earth can't I just replace the dimmer? I've not gotten the meter out yet, as I know there is a functioning circuit. The dimmer switch works.

Oh, and I got a new one-way toggle switch (guy at lowe's thought it might be the switch). Still nothing.

HELP. Thanks!


texts:
I have a 4" hole in my ext. wall that once held a vent. I want to plug it 'flat' and parge over it.
What is the actual name for these plugs, please?


texts: Would the service breaker or sub-panel breaker trip first if they have equal ratings?

texts:
I've rented a space where the transformer and main panel are fenced off and I can’t access it without calling the landlord. He lives rather far away and is the only one with the key and that kind of potential downtime would be catastrophic for my business, however I do need to pull a lot of power consistently and will be pushing it as hard as I can which means I might occasionally trip on hot days.

The hypothetical setup is as follows:
A new 125 A cutler hammer breaker on the service side
A new 125 A square d breaker backfeeding our main sub panel (in our building)
About 120 feet of underground 3/0 aluminum between the two

My question is:
If our equipment pulls more that 125 A which breaker trips first, the one on the service side (outside) or the one on the load (in our building) or both?

If the answer is the one on the service side or both (or either depending on manufacturing tolerance variation or whatever) my followup question is:
Is there any way we can purchase or modify our inside 125 A breaker to flip at ~123 A so that it always flips first?


texts:
Ive run my EMT conduit and placed my boxes in my workshop and placed the wires.   All is good except... my inspector says I cant use conduit as ground and must run a bare or green conductor to each box/outlet...  I dont want to get into rules/lawyering but what NEC line tells me (him) that conduit is OK for residential grounding.  My city (Tucson) is on the 2017 NEC rev.

Am I reading this wrong?:

250.118 Types of Equipment Grounding Conductors.  The equipment grounding conductor run with or enclosing the circuit conductors shall be one or more or a combination of the following:
(1) A copper, aluminum, or copper-clad aluminum conductor. This conductor shall be solid or stranded; insulated, covered, or bare; and in the form of a wire or a busbar of any shape.
(2) Rigid metal conduit.
(3) Intermediate metal conduit.
(4) Electrical metallic tubing. ...

and this:

358.60 Grounding.  EMT shall be permitted as an equipment grounding conductor.


texts: Insect pods on walls...how to eradicate?

texts:
Our house and detached garage (in Los Angeles) was fumigated before we moved in. After a year or so, these pods (~0.5") started showing up in some exterior walls and interior walls.

Here are two pictures of them on stucco. This is in our covered front porch area.

I found out that these are household casebearers (moths). How to I get rid of them...and potentially prevent them from coming back?


texts: Is it bad to have a circuit breaker on both ends of a feeder?

texts:
My main service panel only has a single breaker connected to a feeder wire which goes to my subpanel. I'd like a main disconnect closer to my subpanel so I don't have to go all the way to my main service panel if I need to do work inside my panel. Unfortunately, 100A+ disconnect switches are pretty pricey and a less expensive solution is a breaker for my subpanel.

Is it a bad idea to have a breaker on the load side of a feeder that is already protected by a breaker on the line side?


texts: I am changing thermostat but I see that I have both an orange and a blue wire in use coming from the zone board. I found the c wire hooked up at the zone board but not on the old t-stat. I assume I will use that wire now but I don’t have single posts for the orange and blue wires on the new thermostat but I do have one that is labeled O/B. Any thoughts or advice? The new thermostat is a Honeywell T5 and the zone board is an EWC ST 2B


texts: Ground Jump Cable attached to White on GFCI Receptacle?

texts:
Just bought a home, and going through minor electrical issues.
The guest bathroom GFCI wasn't working. According to the prev. owner's labels in the fuse box, there is a single 20A breaker that services ONLY that receptacle, and it's tripped, and will not reset.
So, I pulled off the wallplate and see that the ground is connected, but there is also a jumper connecting the ground screw to the white neutral... HUH???

My first instinct was just to wire it up correctly... but I wanted to check to see if this was actually indicating a larger issue before I go messing around.
Maybe this was a temporary solution for something that they never got back to?
Maybe the breaker is bad, and this (I guess?) would just make sure any wayward electricity goes to ground until the breaker could be replaced?
Thoughts?


texts: Fan in my furnace will not turn on in the manual position

texts: When I turn my thermostat to the off position and my fan from auto to on the fan does not turn on. I have a Goodman electric furnace. Is this normal? The fan will run if I call for heat or cooling but not when I have system off. I was told the fan should come on when I switch from auto to run even if I am not calling for heat or cooling?


texts: Crack in acrylic bath tub, but fiberglass is ok

texts:
I managed put a small crack in the corner of my acrylic bathtub. Looking underneath it looks like the crack is just to the acrylic, and the fiberglass shell is still in-tact.

Is this enough to hold water? Looking online, the fiberglass does the heavy lifting - but didn't want it to start leaking! I'll repair the cracked acrylic at a later point.


texts: Building a Circular Platform using 12" wide boards

texts:
I need to make a 7.5' circle 12 inches wide (OD 7.5', ID 6.5').
 Since there is no lumber sold in 8'x8' pieces, and I don't have room to set up 2 4x8s side by side, I thought another approach might be to buy 12" wide boards and cut them in trapezoidal shapes of a certain length, and join them side to side to form a Dodecagon that is 12" wide.

I'm unsure of what angle to use for the sides of each of the 12 pieces, as well as how long each one should be on the long side and the short side.

Can anyone help?


texts: We're going to be redoing our bathroom and, unfortunately, there's no room in the budget for a new tub.  Is there a way we could paint the tub and, if so, how would I go about doing that?


texts: Can I use particle board over wood plank flooring to smooth it out for laminate flooring?

texts:
I need some help! I live in a prewar building, I am looking for a cheap and easy way to install a 10mm floating laminate floor. I ripped up the old carpet to find 1inch wood plank subfloor. The floor boards are squeaky and loose. I secured and tightened loose planks. I was told I need to add a 1/2" plywood subfloor over the plank floor in order to install laminate. I need this to be as inexpensive and easy as possible. Can I use particle board just to smooth out the floor in order to install a floating laminate floor? Would
That be less expensive and easier to install than plywood? I know I cannot install the laminate over the planks. I would hate to have to re carpet so any advice would be appreciated!!


texts: Moved into an older home and found plastic sheeting was applied to cinder blocks in basement

texts:
How do we know if we should be redoing all the drywall (on exterior walls) in the basement or leave as-is?

We just moved into an older house (1970s) that was mostly sitting empty for about 6-12 months so everything does have a slightly musty smell to it and there was a leak in another part of the basement (since fixed).

There isn't clear evidence of mold, besides a few spots on the surface of the drywall in one of the basement rooms, but that could have been caused by something in the room that has since been removed.

When we cut an opening in the drywall we discovered that there is a layer of plastic, then insulation, and then plastic right against the cinder blocks. We are assuming that all the finished exterior walls have been done like this. We will be using the basement regularly for office space, laundry, and rec room and we aren't planning on moving in the next 30 years.

We are wondering what the risk is of just leaving everything as-is.
My husband feels that if this was like this for years, then we can just leave it. I feel that since we know that plastic right up against cinder blocks is a recipe for mold, we should redo it all.


texts: Why is my dryer turning off mid-cycle and staying off for 30-60 minutes?

texts:
My dryer recently started turning off during its cycle (after 20-30ish minutes), including the (digital) control panel being completely unresponsive. After 30-60 minutes, it will work again normally and shut off.

The dryer is a Samsung DV350AEG/XAC 04.

I've read this is indicative of a motor failure, but I'm not clear on the reason or why this is causing the control panel to go dead also (as opposed to indicating an error code of some sort).

Here's the wiring diagram:

I've checked:

Heater circuit overall resistance is ~9Ω (measured between (2) and (3))
TH2 and TH3 cut-offs seem to be okay, at ~0Ω (measured between (1) and (2))
Motor circuit overall resistance is ~2.08Ω (measured between (4) and (7) with door closed), however immediately after it malfunctioned I measured it at 2.4Ω
TH1 cut-off seem to be okay, at ~0Ω (measured between (5) and (6))
Door switch is functioning properly
Voltage is fine (L1-L2 is ~240V, L1 or L2 to N or G are ~120V, and N to G is 0V)

I did find an shocking amount of lint in the bottom, but the motor itself certainly wasn't coated to the point I would think it would overheat. I cleaned all of this out (used compressed air for the motor windings) but it's still cutting out.

Is there anything else I should check?


texts: Can voltage fluctuation cause heater thermostat to flare up?

texts:
As the title says can voltage fluctuation cause thermostats to flare up?
I noticed light (led bulbs) would randomly flicker (but its not consistent)
It happens at most twice a day, or once every few days
As per my research, this can be caused by noise in electricity or voltage fluctuation
I know this can shorten the life of LED bulb and can also damage other electrical devices
can this also damage electric thermostats and cause them to flare up?
I am bit super paranoid, that this could happen, and troubleshooting voltage issue seem
like a very hard problem
long story short, unless the electrician see the problem happen in front of him, they cant do much, and as I said the light blinking happens at most twice a day, or once every few days
so the chance that the electrician will see it happen, or be able to measure it during his visit is very small
I am not super worried about changing LED bulbs every two years, instead of ten
I am more worried, it would cause serious damage to more critical devices, specifically thermostats, and wonder how can I protect myself
I need to add, that the current thermostats are only one year old
And we changed them because the old one did just that flare up (i.e. raise temp to the max, then reset), but the old thermostats, were very old, so its unclear if they were damaged because of voltage fluctuation or because they were old
The other thing I noticed is my LED bulbs not reaching near the 10 years claim ( and the random  blinking )


texts: Can I safely deal with an open ground receptacle by replacing it with a GFCI?

texts:
I have found three receptacles in my home for which a three-light receptacle tester indicates open ground. Can I safely resolve this issue by replacing these receptacles with GFCI receptacles? Would that be up to code?
Given the placement of these three, I suspect that they are in a row on the circuit. If this turns out to be true, can I just use one GFCI receptacle at the box closest to the breaker, and then pass power to the other two on the load side of the GFCI?
In case it matters, this is in Chicagoland, so ground is provided by conduit throughout the home.


texts: How should I insulate behind the last floor joist that runs parallel to the foundation wall?

texts:
As an aside, I can't for the life of me figure out what to call the last floor joist that runs parallel to the basement foundation. Does it have a name?

In my house, there is a little cramped gap an inch or two wide for me to access this gap. I'm wondering what the best way to go about insulating this space is.

After reviewing DIY kits for spray foam, I've decided based on friends' experience that hiring a contractor to spray the rim joists will likely save time and money and result in more insulation. I'm thinking that they will be able to fill this space, but I just wanted to confirm since most guides and conversation I've come across is mostly about the perpendicular joist spaces.


texts: dedicated return line and recirculation pump

texts: I'm building a new home and I installed a dedicated return line for my water heater. The recirculation pump I have says it's not compatible with water heaters with heat traps. Does that only apply to recirculating configurations without recirculating lines?


texts: What open source home automation software exists? What are the differences between them?

texts:
I just bought my first apartment and I am now looking to setup a cheap home automation system.

I would like to control :

light
electric shutter
heater thermostat
other stuff in the future

I am looking to an open source software that I could install into a cheap linux box and which could be accessible from internet (mobile or desktop) with a nice UI.
It would be best if it was technology independant (not X10 only for example) and plugin base to be able to add support for a new specific device in the futur.

I am also ready to do some code hacking to make it better as I am a web developer. I am a software and electronics engineer so not afraid of new tech.

A good community supporting the software is also a plus.

For info this is what I found with a first internet search :

http://www.domogik.org/
http://www.openami.de/
http://misterhouse.sourceforge.net/
http://lifedomus.blogspot.com/
http://www.opensourceautomation.com/
http://www.linuxha.com/linuxha/
http://www.catrpillr.com/


texts: Taking a neutral wire from another meter connection?

texts:
I live in a two story duplex, yesterday the other unit's electricity went off, the electrician diagnosed that somehow their neutral path is not coming from the pole so he connected the neutral connection from my meter to their neutral (changing some wires through circuit breaker). He was doing it through circuit breakers as we don't have a main breaker.
 So my question is "with the live wire from his meter but a neutral path through my meter, is my meter is being used?"


texts: What size wire should i use for a 125 foot underground run to a garden shed

texts: I want to run a buried 125' line to a 30A subpanel in my garden shed. I will only be running hand tools and lighting. Was planning on using 12/3 from the house to the subpanel. Does that sound like the right size wire for the job?


texts:
I've recently moved into a new home with a few outbuildings.  Due to the property being in rural unincorporated area, no inspections or permitting was required on the outbuildings when they were built last year.
To mitigate the risk my insurance company paid for and completed a comprehensive electrical inspection to check for fire risks.  The inspection report listed a deficiency with all of the outlets in my largest outbuilding.  It was not deemed a fire risk, so I don't need to immediately fix the situation, but I am wondering how important it is to get fixed (For safety reasons).
The report listed the deficiency as:
"Possible MWBC without pig-tailed neutrals in all outlets within building 4"
I've pulled apart one of the outlets as seen below:

I have a total of 60 outlets (30 boxes with 2 outlets each) wired this way, so I'd rather not change if not necessary.
The 3 matching breakers for these outlets are These 2 pole GFCI breakers, additionally if I measure between the red and black at each outlet box, I get 248 volts, so I assume I do have multi-wire branch circuits in use here.
For what it is worth, the building should have been built to NEC 2018.  The lack of conduit will be addressed.
Specific questions:

What is the risk of not using pig-tailed neutrals when connecting MWBC outlets?
How important is it to get fixed (Shut off breakers and don't use until changed, get to it in a month, within next year, don't bother changing).


texts: Who to call about sinking porch and mud room?

texts:
I live in Massachusetts and have a porch and mud room that are sinking. I was stupid enough to think they had "settled" when I bought the house, but now I can see that they're still sinking, which is causing some damage to the inside of the house (cracks in drywall, etc). I have heard of mudjacking, but can't seem to find anyone local. There was one guy who I stumbled on a couple of years ago that came out and quoted me $10k just to drill these things under it to stabilize it, but I didn't (don't) have the money. At this point, however, I think I may need to take out a loan to address this, but don't want to just jump at the first guy who gave me a quote. I want to gather a few quotes.

Also, I want to know what my options are. If there is someone who can do something to alleviate the problem in a creative (less $$) way, that would preferred.

EDIT: The mudroom is 8 x 10, the porch is 10 x 20. I just signed up for Angie's List and I am still facing the same problem: I can't find someone to call. I'm searching for "foundation" and "porch". I just can't seem to find a business that mentions anything like this.


texts: Backed up toilet, I can't remove the water from the bowl

texts:
My toilet is backed up and I have been plunging for hours now. As I was plunging it started overflowing with water. So, I used my shop vac to take some of the water out but as much as I was draining, it was filling back up.

I turned the water to the toilet off, but it is still filling right back up to the top of the bowl. It is only affecting this toilet and all the other drains are working fine.

Any clue why it is filling back up or any fixes to this problem?


texts: Need help designing a circuit layout and wiring diagram for a garage

texts:
I'm renovating the electric in my detached garage. The previous owner ran 12/2 direct burial and it shorted. So I put a 20 amp breaker in, dug up the direct burial,  ran 1 inch pvc at 18 inch depth, and pulled 12/3 through. So I'm inside the garage now with the 12/3 and ready to start branching.

Power receptacles: I'm going to install 2 garage door openers, and would like to have receptacles for them. Additionally, one receptacle on each side wall,  and 2 receptacles on the back wall for my work bench.

Light fixtures: I'd also like to have 2 standard light fixtures up in the loft on one switch, and one light fixture (flourescent?...suggestions?) at the back wall above the work bench controlled by its own switch at the bench. And I have an existing flood light fixture mounted on the outside of the back wall by the roof that has a motion sensor switch, no physical wall switch.

I have basic electrical knowledge for working with 12/2, but my GFCI and 12/3 experience is very limited.  Can anyone help me map out how to wire this up, and how to run the line and load wires between and at the receptacles/fixtures/switches terminals?

I understand best with diagrams, I get lost with electrical text descriptions.

Thanks so much.

Evan


texts: generator transfer switch install question

texts: I recently purchased a 6000 watt portable generator and need to install a transfer switch. The problem is my meter can and Service Entrance panel are back to back and the Service Entrance panel is flush mounted in drywall in my attached garage. All of the installation videos that I have watched show the SE panel being surface mounted or in an open wall.Is it possible to mount the 3 prong generator cord connector box to the meter can and run the wires through the meter can to the SE panel and then how would I interface the surface mount transfer switch to the flush mount SE panel?


texts: I've just got a tube of XtraBond250 sealant with a threaded nozzle. It's not at all clear how to get started. Do I puncture the tube at the male threaded end? Or cut off the conical portion of the the threaded part? Or ...? And then how to seal it back up when I'm done in case I need more in the future?


texts: How do I brace shed walls against shear when sheathing cannot overlap rim joist?

texts:
I'm building an 8' by 13.5' shed with a loft. I posted previously about the floor frame being slightly larger than the planned floor. Below is the intended floor framing, as seen in the plan:

Here is the current execution (joists have been installed as above but are omitted from the diagram; red area is where subfloor and walls actually sit):

Consequently, the outer face of each side wall (2x4 thickness) is inset about 3" from the outer edge of the beam below it (three sistered 2x6s). Here is a cross-section of a side wall:

I have nailed the bottom plate to the 2x6 below, but could not overlap the sheathing past the bottom plate and nail it to the rim board (like I did on the rear wall) because of how the rim board juts out. I plan on adding flashing to avoid moisture seepage into the plywood.
The current connection between walls and floor is rather dinky and I would like to ensure that shear bracing is adequate, especially since I live in a relatively earthquake-prone location. Can I use another method, e.g. using steel strapping to attach the wall framing to the rim board at studs? If so, can I bend the strapping so that it conforms to the outer surface of the rim board and wall?


texts: Did I break my door lock by locking it from the inside before exiting?

texts:
The lock on my front door is broken.

When I leave my house, I lock the door handle from the inside, then close the door and lock the deadbolt with the key. My boyfriend is trying to tell me that closing the door when the handle is locked already is bad for it and will break the mechanism. I've done it this way my entire life and I've never had a problem so I have a hard time believing that this is the problem.

Does anyone have some knowledge on the subject?


texts:
I am finishing my kitchen remodel but I had run the electrical supply lines previously, before I finished my basement, when its ceiling was exposed for routing. For some reason I can't exactly recall right now, I ran a 12/3 cable to supply the dishwasher and garbage disposal. I now think it was not the best choice because they should either be on a 15A (which corresponds to 14 AWG) dedicated circuit each or share a common 20A circuit. In other words, 20A each is an overkill and might be an overload on the side of the panel. The breaker at the panel is a double 20A where the switch is shared between the two circuits, in other words they are bother either on or off but can't be in a different state, because they share the same cable and the same neutral (I think this is called a multi-wire branch circuit).
Even though this may be perfectly legal (is it?), I prefer to go optimal and not provide more amps than can realistically be drawn. The dishwasher draws a maximum of 10.9A and the garbage disposal 5.9. I am asking for help to decide among several possible recourse options, assuming that the 12/3 cable going in cannot be changed as the distance is very long and blocked by drywall the entire route:

Even though the wire is 12 AWG, replace the 20A double branch breaker with a 15A double branch circuit and the 20A rater terminal outlet, which both appliances share, with a 15A, making it effectively a 15A circuit for each appliance.
Make it a single regular 20A circuit by simply not using the red wire inside the cable. Is this allowed?
Leave it a 20A double branch circuit as is.

The main reason I would like to make this change is so that the main panel looks as elegant as possible and not overloaded so that a future buyer's home inspector doesn't ask any unnecessary questions. It is not so much a safety issue (or is it?) as it is about perception management.


texts:
What is the best place to keep Microwave Oven in home?

I thought to keep it my kitchen but my electrician said not to put it in kitchen along with LPG (but didn't provided any specific reason). What could be the possible reason of not keeping it in kitchen?

Is there any harm (due to Microwave or heat radiation) if I put it in my bedroom?


texts: Why am I hard pressed to find framing nails that meet code at my local retailers?

texts:
I'm specifically talking about collated framing nails for a pneumatic nailer.

For example, the IRC calls for 16d common nails (3-1/2" length, 0.162" shank) all over its fastening schedules. Clearly a 16d common will cover a majority of the scenarios one would encounter. Yet every local retailer that sells collated framing nails does not stock such a nail. The closest I can get is usually 3-1/4" with a 0.131" shank. Does everyone skimp on the fastening schedule because most inspections won't catch it, or am I missing a crucial piece of information?

I get that most professionals aren't going to be shopping at blue box or orange box, but even those folks are going to come up short sometimes and need to make a quick run to grab a few more nails. Surely retailers would only stock/sell the most in demand sizes, how is a code compliant 16d nail not that?

Admittedly this sounds more like a rant than a question, but I'm genuinely curious if I'm missing part of the picture. Are folks just sloppy when it comes to sizing their fasteners, or are pneumatic nails slightly smaller but "equivalent?" What's going on here?


texts: How should I connect electrical wires to a cooktop (platetop)?

texts:
I'm having some problems understanding how to connect some electric wires for a platetop.

The wire colors normally mean, blue=N, brown=L, and yellow/green=PE.

My problem is, the platetop has L1 & L2:

When I connect the blue wire to L1, nothing happens. When I connect the blue wire to L2, then the platetop works, but only half of them on the right.

This is how it's connected now:

What am I doing wrong?


texts: I have greyhound kennels. Built them brand new the concreter was a moron and the fall is everyway except towards the drains, I was wondering If it's oossoble to cut a small trench to squeegee water into so it has a chance to get to the drains it would be 12 m long approx 50mm wide and I would say 25mm deep,


texts: Can water siphon backwards through the main pressure regulator?

texts: Can water siphon backwards through the house pressure regulator? My house is above the main water line in the street. If the main line pressure goes to zero, will the house water siphon backwards through the pressure regulator and down into the main line?


texts: Why is there a line connecting two light switches

texts:
I am trying to install a new z-wave light switch. But I have encountered something I can't figure out. I have two light switches in the same box. They both have a hot and neutral wire connected to them. But there is also a wire that goes between the two (I think hot) terminals. They are the old kind of switch so they don't have screws, so the extra wire is just jammed into one of the terminals. Do I need this extra wire? What is it for?

All the wires that come out of the switches and out of the picture, go into the wall, beyond that I don't know what they do.


texts: How to attach a wood moulding trim around a backsplash

texts:
I'm installing a backsplash and trying to hide the ugly edges at the countertop ends. My wife and I decided on a wood moulding type trim, but I'm stuck on the best way to attach it to the drywall around the tiles.

The trim itself is 11/16" wide and 5/16" deep and would be cut to a maximum length of about 19". Should I use a glue like Liquid Nails since it's so small, or would a more "permanent" solution like tiny finishing nails do better?


texts:
My interior staircase has a closed stringer and I want to change the first step to add a bullnose tread.  Can I cut the stringer: is there any way this can be done?

I


texts: Can I install 1x6 T&G boards over 1/2" drywall on 2x6x14' ceiling joists

texts: I have an 8'x14'(outside dimensions) mudroom attached to the back of my house with 2"x6"x14' ceiling joists/rafter ties @16" centers. I have 1"x6" collar ties installed and installed a center support (L-shaped) made up of 2"x4"'s running perpendicular to the ceiling joists which I tied one end to the gable end of the outer (14') wall of the mudroom and the other end to the existing house roof sheathing.  I installed a 2"x4" vertical support in two spots which tie to the ridge board on one end and to the 2"x4" L-shaped support on the other end which is tied to the top of each 2"x6" ceiling joist.  I have installed 1/2"x4'x8' drywall to the ceiling joists and would like to know if it would be safe to now install over the 1/2" drywall 3/4"x6" T&G wood planking.


texts: How do I tile over a leveled floor with a feathered edge?

texts:
I have a laundry room in a home I just bought which had some unseen water damage. They originally had the sticky vinyl tiles on there which I pulled up. The concrete underneath was pitted and uneven.
So I put down leveler...but I came back to find a corner of it had drained through what I thought originally were just some cracks that would get filled in the process.
It was flat, but not level. So I filled the gaps and leveled it out after re-prepping the new surface etc. Except I had never feathered an edge before. I've only just leveled. Since I didn't want to add any more to the existing floor height I chose to give it a shot.
The outcome isn't horrible. I could just throw sheet vinyl over it and call it done but was looking for something a little nicer than that. I've only ever tiled on completely flat surfaces. Except over the feathering there's some slight unevenness. How would I properly tile over it and get consistent plum? Do I have to float? To give you an idea hopefully the pic will help.
It's a laundry room that goes into a garage, so I'd like to keep the height difference between the floors minimal. Advice?

and yes...I know you can tell I've never feathered before. ;)


texts:
I'm painting some MDF doors, and noticed that someone appears to have run a stanley knife over one of them, perhaps whilst removing them from their packing.

I've sanded the area back as much as I can, but the groove isn't completely gone. What should I use to fill the remaining void?


texts:
I have a manufactured home. I hear a sound that resembles a wooden ball dropping on a hard surface, it seems to bounce as well, sometimes multiple times a day. It sounds like a croquet ball bouncing on a hardwood floor.
I am  not sure what it is perhaps a valve for gas to escape.
There is   a utility laundry room adjacent to this bathroom. It sounds like it is possibly coming from in the wall but have never heard it when in bathroom but hear it from my bedroom at random times.


texts: Should drainage pipe behind a retaining wall only have holes on the top?

texts:
I am mid-project in a DIY yard project. I have subbed out a large retaining wall to a civil / wall contractor. It's 220 feet long, between 2-5' in height, and makes 2 90-degree turns. It's built to code with CMU blocks and has an overkill of rebar in it and through the 26" wide and 14" deep footer. i'm in Southern California, so it's a dry climate. I plan to have the face of the wall stuccoed.
The wall just went up this weekend, but hasn't been filled with concrete, yet. That is coming this weekend. Before he comes back on Saturday morning I wanted to get a few things cleared up for my own knowledge and to know what to ask for to make this wall last. The wall has a lot of room behind it now, but will be backfilled with 12" of 3/4 gravel and then compacted and graded soil. No landscape fabric.
My contractor brought in 4″ corrugated pipe with holes on all sides to act as the drain tile at the base of the backside of the wall. I don’t see sock material. I was under the impression that you only wanted the holes on top of a strong PVC pipe so water could easily enter the pipe, but then the continuous bottom of the pipe could run the water out to drainage holes. My local building code does not specify anything other than 4" pipe.
Is it OK for him to use the pipe with holes on all sides or will the water just go in the pipe and run through it and sit below it?


texts: Closing refrigerator's door causes freezer's door to stay open

texts:
The problem with the freezer door is that when the refrigerator's door is pushed closed, the door of the freezer slightly opens and stays open without re-closing and sealing itself properly, leaving a gap. It seems to be due to even the slightest closing as something does not absorb shocks properly. Similar thing with refrigerator's door but it worries me less as it closes and seals itself. It's actually the freezer's door which I am concerned more about:

See this in action on YouTube: http://youtu.be/5fs35-deVV0

There are no screws holding gasket and it seems to be stretched across door's frame.

I am concerned because as long as door opened, I hear fridge constantly working and leaving door opened for half day results in freezer's inside becoming wet. After closing door and looking inside next day I get to see products covered in snow/ice? and layer of ice on fridge's left and right sides, and especially freezer's ceiling.

If you think about misalignment then there is a bit but I have no idea how to realign. And if I did realign, you think doors would be absorbing shocks properly without opening?

What are your thoughts gentlemen? Thanks.


texts:
I'm putting in an end-grain floor in my house. The idea is that you cut normal dimensional lumber into 3/4' "bricks", then lay them like tile.

What I'd like to find, however, is 4"x8" or even 4"x6", so the bricks are larger. I have not been able to find these at normal hardware stores (like Home Depot or Lowe's). Is this a specialty cut of some sort that I will need to special order?


texts:
This is a 300 years old building split into multiple apartments in the middle of Lisbon. When doing some cleaning (removing some cover tables), what supposed to be a "small" cubicle/closet turns out to be the old access to the top of the building and isis 3 times bigger.

The flat needs some construction work/renovations but now with this weird finding and trying to take more advantage of the space (flat is only 40m2) ideas about needed, below some pictures:

Any ideas about how to take advantage of this space are more than welcome.


texts: What amp rating fuse should be used for the low-voltage side of the control board in my Goodman furnace?

texts:
I have a Goodman furnace (model GMH80803BNBC) (with separate Goodman AC condenser).
The specs (PDF) are located online.
The control board has stamped on it, next to the fuse (for the low-voltage (24V) portion), 5 AMP MAX.
But I cannot find in the specs, online, or elsewhere on the board what the "recommended"(not the maximum) amp rating fuse is.

Do I assume a 3 Amp fuse should be used (as that appears to be the most common rating I've come across while searching online)?
There are no additional accessories wired to / being supplied by the board besides  a "regular" (not smart/wi-fi) programmable Honeywell thermostat.

A little back story:
Yesterday, one of the inside units would not run and there was no power to the t-stat.
Upon entering the attic to inspect the unit, I discovered a discarded 3 Amp fuse (which was blown) on the floor.
The 3 Amp fuse still in the control board was also blown.
I am left to assume the (discarded) fuse must have blown when the installers were testing the unit (or some point before we took ownership of the house -- this is a new build house, which we've been in for about 1.5 years).
This makes me wonder, in conjunction with the 5 AMP MAX on the board, that perhaps a 5 Amp fuse should be used instead of 3 Amp?

The house has a second Goodman furnace (model GMS80603ANBE) (also with a separate Goodman AC condenser), which has a 3 Amp fuse, but the control board has nothing stamped on it about the max rating.
We've had no problems with this unit.


texts:
per this post,

  Resilient channel is a thin metal channel that is intelligently designed to

  substantially improve the sound insulation of drywall, sheetrock,
  plasterboard walls

  and ceilings. The channel effectively isolates drywall from the
  framing studwork,

  which results in the weakening of sound waves substantially.

Is the following image the section of a Resilient channel?

The key is the air space at the right side, which cannot be connected to the connect studs. Is my understanding right?


texts:
I recently moved into a new condo with 2 kitchen sinks -- a main one and one embedded in an island.  There's a lot going on under the main one -- the cold water is split so that it leads to the faucet and the fridge, hot water split to lead to the faucet and the dishwasher.

When I turn on the hot water all the way (so there's no cold water coming out at all) the valve under the sink starts to vibrate very loudly.  It sounds like a bad muffler!  And if I open up the doors under the sink I can see it vibrate very quickly.  It's hard to tell if the noise is coming from the water heater (which is right next to the kitchen) or the valve itself or maybe both.  If I twist the handle slightly to let some cold water out of the faucet too, then the vibrating and noise stop.

This does not happen on the other sink (which is on an island and has its own line).

Any idea why this might happen and want I can do to solve it?


texts: Can I convert galvanized ducts to wood stove black ducts by coating it with high temp RustOleum paint?

texts:
I compared the black ducting for wood stoves with regular galvanized ducting and found that they are both 24 gauge and I noticed they are both steel since both tug magnets.  There is quite a large price difference in addition to not as much stocked variety for the black pipe.  The galvanized is ubiquitous with all sorts of adapters and sizes available.

Black pipe is available only in 6 and 8 inch diameters.  I had an idea of spray painting the galvanized duct with high temperature resistant RustOleum.  Would this work?


texts: Cheap solution to cease creking sound of parquet floor

texts:
I have parquet flooring in both of the rooms in my rental (block of flats). The problem is that they are laid down when these houses were built (~40 years ago), and when they did that, they didn't let them dry enough.

Basically it's loud as hell, and it is impossible to walk silently.

Please help me found a cheap solution with these conditions:

I can't remove or change the floor, just work on it's surface
I can't screw or nail the wooden pieces to the subfloor

A possible solution is polishing the floor, but it's a little bit difficult for me, and i have to rent machines to do that.

What i'm thinking about is to apply some kind of wax or grout on the floor, or some kind of oil that would rehydrate it, but I can't tell if they would help.


texts: 1/4" metal pin through a 2x4: unthreaded t-nut or metal sleeve to prevent fretting (wear from small movements)?

texts:
I want to secure fittings to a 2x4. These fittings will have holes that line up with holes in the 2x4. Thick metal pins will hold the fitting in place, but I want to reinforce the 2x4 so the pin will not enlarge the hole.

I think I'm looking for an unthreaded t-"nut", or perhaps a sleeve bushing.

Does this have a more elegant solution?


texts: Suggestions on where to start hardwood flooring

texts: I will soon be ready to start laying hardwood in a bedroom - outlined below.  The boards will run parallel to the walls with the doors (joists run perpendicular to those walls).  The hallway outside the "door to hall" (and adjoining room) will have the same hardwood installed later this year.  I feel I should start on either the wall with the bathroom door or at the door to the hallway.  Should I start on the wall with the bathroom door and reverse direction to work the little square back to the hallway door?  I know there is a chance that they aren't completely parallel - but the area with the door to the hall isn't lit very well, so an "adjustment" wouldn't be as noticeable.  Should I rip a piece to use as a threshold there or just use the whole board (if I can) since more hardwood will be installed later?


texts:
I want to build a murphy bed from scratch :

I don't know if that kind of structure can be made without drilling in the wall to fix the frame and without making some large base.

for Now on my 3d sketch, the base is made with two wood blocks making a 2"x8" section and more than 60" length. I dont'know if such a structure (I mean the frame and the bed) can fall on me when I down the bed (n.b the purple stuffs are hinges).

The sketch is not yet finished, I want to know if it worth to go further with that design. I can add more details if needed


texts: I want to mix old latex paint with ready concrete mix or cat litter to make pavers.

texts: I want to mix latex paint with ready mix concrete or cat litter to make pavers. Trying to find a way of using approx 200 gallons of old paint since I can't dispose it. Also trying to come up with inexpensive pavers.


texts:
Why don't swamp coolers push air instead of pulling air?  If they pushed air, the fan/motor wouldn't get wet!

I'm designing my own DC, battery-powered, off-grid, swamp cooler for an RV.  I'd like to design it so the fan motor is on the outside, followed by the evaporative pad, then connected to the RV window.  Essentially the opposite of normal swamp coolers which have the evaporative pad on the outside.

This seems like a no-brainer because your fan/motor won't be operating in the wet/humid air, extending the life of the fan/motor.  This is important to me because the DC fan/motor that I'm purchasing is expensive and I'd like to extend it's life as much as possible.

Am I missing some basic physics for why my idea won't work?  Or won't work as well as a conventional swamp cooler?


texts:
I've recently renovated my kitchen, which amongst a great many other things involved putting in new skirting boards, which needed painting.

So, to protect our new timber floor we decided to slide A4 paper into the very small gap between the skirting and floor and then paint. This seemed to work well, except that now the paint has dried it appears that if I pull the a4 paper out, it may take the paint off the skirtings with it (it's white silk, dulux trade vinyl paint).

Do any of you have any tips to remove this with minimal damage to the new paint? I've thought I could just very carefully go around the edge with a scalpel?

Thanks in anticipation.


texts: Can uneven ACQ treatment be corrected on decorative objects?

texts: I bought some "pineapple" post caps made of treated pine. When they arrived, I was taken aback to see, rather than an overall greenish tinge, splotches and patches of green. As my plan has been to leave these unstained, I will probably have to send them back-- unless someone knows how to "fix" this problem? Additionally, what caused these caps to look like they have green splotchy paint on them?


texts: Is the light/fan combo in my shower safe?

texts: In all of the bathrooms, there is a recessed light/exhaust fan combo installed. I assume, due to the combo feature, is the reason there is no cover over the light fixture.  However, the same light/exhaust is also located inside the master shower - not in the damp area but, the actual wet area.  Visualize yourself taking a shower and looking directly above you as your washing your hair, with water spraying and splashing everywhere, you look right up into the can of the light!  So, out of precaution, we keep the switch off -ALL THE TIME! Is this safe and to code?


texts:
Our home has a large addition on it and i'm thinking of running newer lines throughout our original house that has copper. There are many bends at various points and some are starting leak (probably 40+ years old). The original part of the house would need 6 hot and 9 cold runs setup whereas the addition would need an additional 6 hot and 8 cold. There's two 3/4" main lines (one hot, one cold) that feeds the addition of CPVC. I'm curious if I switch over to use a home run PEX manifold setup just for our original house if that would cause a pressure drop on the addition side or pose any other problems. Additionally here's a rough diagram (excuse the resemblance to pre-school art) of what i'm looking to accomplish.

I realize too switching out the copper for PEX may pose an issue with the grounding of our house so that will be verified by an electrician unless anyone has any tips on confirming this.

plumbing diagram http://www.yukoncreative.com/remedy/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/plumb-diagram.png


texts: Can I move a GFCI outlet from the end of a circuit to the middle to protect another oulet?

texts:
I have a single, feed cable that comes up behind my counter into a single gang box. This box has an unprotected outlet.  This cable is then teed off to the left and right.  The left cable feeds a GFCI close to the sink.  The right feeds another unprotected outlet.  All three are over the counter and, I believe, should be protected.  Here's the question:  can I replace the center outlet with another GFCI and use it to feed the right outlet?  I seem to remember something about not being able to use two GFCI units on a single neutral fed circuit due to differential currents causing one or the other GFCI to trip.

Any thoughts or answers are greatly appreciated!


texts: Intermittent sewage smell from air ducts

texts:
My home is two stories, 5100 sq feet, and was built in 1990. I have a septic system, radon mitigation, and central forced air.

This has gone on for two winters now, but not before that.

The second story will intermittently smell like sewage (my wife thinks it smells like something died) when the heater kicks on. But the first story and basement don't smell.

When it does smell, it is almost always in the mornings
And it seems to happen only when weather outside is cold and the
heater is on.
The smell goes away after an hour even if the temperature outside
is below freezing.
It does not smell during the summer with the air conditioning.
Mechanical room doesn't seem to smell when this happens.
Attic doesn't smell when this happens.
I have checked the blowers for dead rodents and didn't find any.

Does anyone have any ideas as to why this is happening?

Does anyone have any ideas as to how to find/fix the problem?

Update

The issue did turn out to be a dry p-trap located in the mechanical room that we have never used and so I forgot about it.

The reason the smell was only on the second floor is because the p-trap was next the blower that serviced the second floor. The first floor blower was further away and so didn't suck in the sewage smell.

Once I put a cap on the drain pipe, no more smell.


texts: What kind of fastener should I use to hang things on cabinets?

texts:
I have cabinets that hang down in the middle of my kitchen, above the island, and would like to mount things on the back of them (it's a metal rod from Ikea from which I'm going to hang pots and pans, so a decent amount of weight - basically something like this, but about 5 feet long:

I'm wondering how exactly I should mount it to the back of the cabinets.  I figure I can:

screw right into the cabinet wall
drill holes for anchors into the cabinet wall, and then screw into those (but the cabinet wall is not very thick, maybe 1/2 or 3/4 inch (standard, I assume)
drill holes into the cabinet wall and then attach with nuts and bolts
something else?

What's the best way to do this?  I couldn't find anything by searching; I guess this isn't a very common thing since most peoples' cabinets' back walls are, well, against the walls in their kitchens.


texts: How many amps can 240v handle-tied breakers provide?

texts:
Question

How much amperage can handle-tied breakers provide?

If there are 2 circuits, is there any way I can check?

Background

My heating is provided by 3 convection heaters, respectively 1000w, 1500w and 1750w. The 1750w unit broke, and to increase our comfort we thought about upgrading to a 2000w unit (the 1750w unit is not manufactured anymore).

I've been trying to ramp up and understand what kind of power the tripped breakers provide, and what my options are. The circuits on the "on" parts of the two breakers are for the kitchen countertop and the living room.

My current understanding is that to get 240v, these handle-tied breakers are also joined in the back somehow, and effectively provide a maximum of 20 amp, of which I can only use 80%.

If my math is correct, this means that I have available 240v * 20a * 0.8 = 3840w. Given I live in Canada, AFAIU all units have to be considered as running continuously at their full rating.

Assuming all of this understanding is correct, this would mean that the current setup used too much wattage.

  3840w
- 1750w
- 1500w
- 1000w
-------
-  410w

It would also mean that downgrading to a 1500w unit wouldn't be acceptable.

However, this answer makes me think there could be 2 circuits (doubling the available power?). How can I make sure this is my case?

I noticed the first the first unit has 2 sets of wires connected to it, while the last unit only has one. If the 2nd unit only has 1 set, would this mean that either (1 and 2) or (1 and 3) are on one circuit?

Here's the full panel if that helps:


texts: Mice entering condo through a large hole in drywall behind gas range

texts: I have an enormous hole in the drywall where the gas pipe comes in to my stove. Should I use steel wool sheets to cover the hole?


texts: How to effectively fire a contractor and avoid liens or other legal issues

texts:
There may come a time despite all the research, when you realize the contractor you hired just isn't up to snuff. what is the best way to fire them and avoid liens or legal battles?

Is this something that should be discussed while creating the contract, or is it just a down side of working with bad contractors?


texts: How can I deep clean grout in my kitchen?

texts:
I've tried homemade recipes with baking soda and lemon juice. I've also tried store bought cleaner/repair stuff. So far, it's still dingy.

Anyone know of a powerful (and somewhat safe) product that can get the grout back to what it use to be so I can reseal it?


texts: framing in a header. Can I toenail from each side?

texts: i am doing a remodel and moved a 2-6 door over a few feet.  the original door has a 4x8 header, so I put in the same.   My understanding is the header should be affixed by 6 16d nails on each side. because the header was put up against existing framing, I can't shoot through the king stud into the header.  Can I toenail three nails per side, shooting through the header, into the king stud?


texts: Preparing an old metal cabinet for painting

texts:
I bought an old metal cabinet that needs some restoration work, maybe not the best idea for a guy with no DIY experience and two left hands. So first I asked at a paint shop how much it would be to do this professionally , but for the quoted price I could have bought two already restored cabinets of the same type, so that's not going to happen.  I did some research on how to best approach this, and ended up with three different options.

At my local equivalent to home depot they said I should thoroughly remove all rust, sand to get an even surface, apply a primer, and then paint it in the color of my choice.
A shop that specializes in paints recommended that I should remove all loose material with a wire brush, and then paint the whole thing with paint of the "Hammerite" brand, which apparently includes rust protection and does not need a base coat.
basically every DYI site  I found on the topic insisted that I would have to strip the cabinet to the bare metal to get an acceptable result.

Now that I have three opinions on how to prepare the cabinet for painting, I need to solicit a fourth to help me decide. I have already resigned to the fact that I cannot do a perfect job, but this will go into a living area, so it should look at least decent. I am not afraid of work, but my neighbours will probably kill me if I spend the next three days making noise with a sander, so if can get away with not removing the old paint completely it would be some relief (if not I will risk their wrath). Picture of the cabinet is attached. Thank you for any hints.


texts: Insulate ceiling, walls, or garage door?

texts:
I live in Ohio and have created a golf stimulator in my attached garage. The garage typically stays around 10 degrees warmer than the outside without wall insulation except the interior wall.

I can raise the temperature with a 4000 watt electric heater another 20 degrees. The ceiling and walls are all finished with drywall.

What will provide better heat retention?  Insulating the walls would be a big project; one that I want to avoid. I weather stripped the exterior garage door and that helped quite a bit. I suspect the priority should be the ceiling, then the door.


texts:
My 200amp panel is pretty full so I started mapping all the circuits since I suspected that there are abandoned circuits or circuits with very small loads on them.
I am used to finding dryers on 30amp double pole breakers but it looks like mine is on a 30amp single pole breaker which doesnt make sense to me since it needs 240v.

Attaching a photo of the breaker & panel. The dryer is setup on the one marked (4).  Just for reference, I didnt find anything on (2) and my cooktop is setup on 6 & 8 (2x 30 amp single breakers; it turns off if either is flipped)

I just bought the house a few months back and am looking to free up some space for a finished basement.  A few circuits are setup to control 1 or 2 outlets or <4 lights.

Let me know what you think.


texts: I am making similar shelving to these and I am trying to figure out the best method to hang these shelving. Any suggestions?


texts: How can I insert a hanger bolt into wood table leg?

texts: I am attaching table legs to table top with Waddell Metal Table Straight Top Plate. How can I insert a 5/16-18 X 3 in Hanger Bolt into wood table leg?


texts: Fence post hole near utility lines, digging advice

texts:
I am looking for advice on how to go about digging fence post holes 42 inches down (to exceed 40 inch frost line) safely.and properly.

I was told that I must manually dig the hole within 18 inches of any marked utility lines. I have these utility boxes in the back corner of my lot (3 of them) as well as drainage sewer my sump pump drains into.

First, the town came out and marked some lines that run in and out of my property line that go to two street lights in front of my house. They weave in and out of the property line over and out a foot or so making it pretty tedious to put my fence as close as I can to the property line. So I am going to do my best and manually dig a few of the holes.

I am confused on how to dig the hole. Some people say use a post hole digger, and others say use a spade sliding along the top horizontally rather than vertically. If I use a spade and dig a trench 42 inches down this seems like a lot of work, and also how would I back fill the hole properly. I plan on using tamped crushed rock for the back fill. Would I have to make some sort of square form to back fill the earth in and fill the post hole properly? Does square vs circle surrounding make a difference?  If I used a the post hole digger, how do I safely cut into the ground without worrying about cutting into the line? I feel like I can go slowly, but I don't want each hole to turn into a 4hr project a piece!

Any advice would be great as this is my first time putting up a fence. I don't mind the leg work/labor.. I just want to do the job right and maximize the real estate of my backyard without giving it away to my neighbors.

Also, how deep is the sump pump line usually? The only marking I have of it is from the plat of survey showing it running just past the utility boxes near the property line.

Thanks!


texts:
Will big box home supply stores cut Zinc-Plated Slotted Angle pieces to size for customers?

Things like

The shortest they sell at my local home depot is 5 feet, but from one piece, should they be able to cut it into a few pieces for me just like they would for lumber?

If they can't, how could I? Would a reciprocating saw with a blade for metal do the trick?


texts: How to run low voltage wire from one side of kitchen hood to the other?

texts:
I need to run low voltage wire for under cabinet lighting from one side of an exhaust hood to the other.  I would like to install a conduit so that the wire can be pulled later in the project (after backsplash is installed, etc.)  For example can we cut away the drywall, mount a 1/4" conduit to the 2x4s and burry it in compound?  If yes, what type of conduit should be used?  Is there something made for this purpose?

Also (and perhaps more importantly), what is the "right" way to do this?


texts:
I'm trying to understand what is going on in my electrical panel. I do not have a main breaker in my panel, nor is there a separate main breaker upstream. However, it does not appear to follow what I have seen in other cases for a split bus. Everything I've seen seems to indicate that there would be a set of 12 slots at the top reserved for the "rule of six" panel and a separate "internal sub-panel" below behind one of the six breakers at the top.
Now, see my panel:

It appears that the there are two breakers marked "Main," one of which is not in the top 12 slots. Two of those top twelve slots are empty. I'm just not sure what I'm working with here.
The reason for the question is another question, which is that I am looking to replace my oil heat with a heat pump which requires 2 additional circuits, a 60A and a 30A, plus add an additional circuit for an EV charger that's rated at 30A, and what do I need to do to accommodate? I've had one electrician tell me I need to increase my service from 200A to 400A, and another electrician tell me that's crazy, and that I could get away with it in this box but should probably replace it.


texts: Why do I see 240v between hot and neutral when one breaker is out in my mobile home?

texts: This is an a double wide mobile home. The two sides of the kitchen are on different circuits. When both Breakers are on one side reads 120 hot to ground 120 neutral to ground 240 something hot to neutral. When just one breaker is on it reads 120v hot to ground nothing anywhere else


texts: I've finally found two identical bench's on an auction site that are almost perfect as I'm looking to create a breakfast nook In my kitchen that im doing up. Unfortunately just measured and one is slightly too long for the area I'm working with..I feel it's possible but wondered if anyone could advise me as to the best possible way to downsize the length of the bench without damaging it structurally


texts: How to drill into an acrylic tub to create an overflow drain

texts: We bought a freestanding tub and did not realize it did not have an overflow drain.  We need to add one to meet code.  Does anyone have experience with this they can share?


texts:
It's like a crowbar with a screwdriver handle.
I have found one called KM-569-A, but I need one for a job, and I have no idea what its called!
Image:

So, What is this called?


texts: How do I wire a modern wall sconce to a power source with 6 wires?

texts:
I bought a house that was built in the early 70's.

I replaced a wall sconce which had the usual white, black and ground wire.  The power source for the wall box has several wires; two white, two black and two red.  I wired the new light using the same wiring pattern that existed previously; the white sconce wire went to the two white wires and the sconce's black wire going to the two red wires.  I left the two black wires alone and twisted/capped together.

The light works fine except that it smells hot.  I am reluctant to use this light because I don't understand how are why it was wired as it is.

Is it safe to use or should it be wired differently?


texts: Why does one light on a new chandelier light up after the others?

texts:
One lamp socket in a newly installed chandelier lights up the bulb a split second after the others.  I changed bulbs to make sure that wasn't the problem.

Why is this happening and should the chandelier be replaced?


texts:
I have a 3 way switch at the top of the stairs and one at the bottom that control the lights in the stairway/hall way.  The problem that I have is that you can only turn the lights on from the same switch that the lights were last turned off from.

I have looked at many websites and videos and haven't quite seen the setup that I have. The home is not that old (13 years). I am not the original owner but I suspect that the house was originally wired this way because when I took off the wall plate, I had to cut the paint away from the wall plate and the screws looked fairly new still.

Unlike everything that I have seen online, the junction box with the hot black wire has another cable that examples don't show. For the sake of this description, I'll name Cable #1 as the cable housing the hot black wire. It is a 14-2 cable. Cable #2 is a 14-3 wire houses the red wire. Cable #3 is another 14-2 cable. Anyway, here is what I found.

Switch 1 has the following connections:

All ground wires are connected together.

From 14-2 Cable #1 with the hot wire:
Hot Black wire connected to common screw.
White neutral is to another 14-2 Cable #3 and is connected to the black wire.

Cable #2 is a 14-3 wire:
Black and Red are connected to switch 1 gold terminals
The white is connected to the white wire from Cable #3

I do not know where Cable #3 is going. I am assuming it is to one of the light fixtures.

Switch 2

The black wire is connected to the common screw.
The red and white wires are connected to the gold terminals.

I have checked the voltage in switch 2 with the power on and switch one in the up position, I have 120v at the black and white screws with switch 2 in the up position. The red screw shows a voltage of about 60V. When I put switch 2 in the down position, the red screw now shows a voltage of 120V as well as the black common screw. The white now has very little current showing (about 3V).  When switch 1 is in the down position (so that current should flow through the red wire), there is no current at switch 2.

I tried disregarding Cable #3 and connected the white wires together from cables 1 and 2. This resulted in blowing the circuit.

Also, I have moved all of the wires around at switch 2. The effect was that the lights came on with the switch in the down position but I still could not turn the lights on at switch 1.

I know this is a lot of information. Perhaps, I should either call a pro or live with the way it is but, I wanted to try and figure this out.  Thanks for any help you can give.


texts: Why is my light connected between two red wires on a circuit with two switches?

texts:
I'm trying to wire up a new ceiling fan that has built in lights where my old light fixture used to be but am a little confused with the wiring. In the electrical box (pic below) there are two black wires connected together and two white wires connected together. Then the old light fixture was connected between two red wires. Any idea why it was connected like that and how should I connect my new fan/light to it?

The room had two switches to control the old light, one with a dimmer on it. Is that perhaps why there is this weird wiring? Should I just wire the new fan/light up to the 2 red wires like the old light was?


texts: Why are there extra pipes coming out of the ground?

texts:
Is there any reason for all of these water pipes to be here? There are four coming out of the ground on the right, that all just connect to each other before going anywhere, and the three on the left that also all connect to eachother before going anywhere.

Behind this wall is a sink for a bathroom, and on this side of the wall there is currently nothing but was a sink at one point in the past for a wet bar. The pipes that go off to the left go no where, but my best guess for that is that the bathroom used to have a double sink since thats about where the second sink would be if there was one.


texts: Is it acceptable to use a larger gauge wire downstream of a junction box for a deep well pump?

texts: Well pump is some 300 to 400 feet down fed by 10-2 awg wire running into j-box next to the water tank. From the j-box to the main panel is 12-2 awg, 16 ft. Is this acceptable practice?


texts: Graphite packing rope squeezes out between valve stem and packing nut

texts:
I'm repairing an old brass hot water valve for my washing machine.  I've removed the old packing material and replaced it with new graphite packing rope.  I've tightened the packing nut until it is firm, but when I test the valve, water still leaks out between the nut and the valve stem.  When I continue tightening the packing nut, the graphite packing squeezes out between the valve stem and the packing nut, and the valve continues to leak.  What am I doing wrong?
(I have tried doing the recommended "wrap the packing rope twice around the stem".  I have also tried manually pushing the rope down into the void between the stem and the valve to minimize air gaps.  Neither approach seems to make a difference.)


texts:
Wondering if somebody could please let me know where I should put my receptacle for the microwave in my kitchen. It's an over the stove microwave/range hood type. I was going to install it in the section of my cabinets designated for my microwave, so basically behind my microwave. A contractor, however ; told me to instal it in the cabinet above the microwave.

Thank You


texts: My house is flooding and I have things plugged into an extension cord that is getting wet what do I do

texts:
I'm freaking out because the extension cord that has a lot of things plugged into it is on the floor this whole place is concrete floors and it's flooding or sleeping in and it's right there right where it's plugged in at and I'm scared I'm going to get what should I doelectrocuted so I can't even get close to it to even drive the water because I'm a scaredy-cat of every single thing possible and it's actually in three rooms one room is the laundry room where the washer and dryer is and the other room is where the washer is plugged into where it's plugged into extension cords on the wall but that plug-in could also possibly be getting wet right now and I just don't know what to do in. I'm so scared

and I don't know if you could tell from the picture. There's three rooms on the left and each one of them has had water seep up through I guess the cracks in the concrete floor and so all three rooms have flooding and all three rooms have important things plugged in to the outlet

okay I tried to add a picture of the room before I threw the blanket on the water I don't know if you could see it that good but you could see the water in front of that cabinet and the plug-in is just to the left of that obviously it's not submerged under water I'm just really worried about electricity and the concrete floor and me stepping close to it with the extension cord

I'm sorry my phone kind of sucks but there's one picture where the water is coming up and I've got a big flat-screen TV that was on the floor thank God it was sitting on top of a blanket or something but I'm sure that's probably destroyed now because there is water seeped in all behind there which is where the washing machine is plugged into through a big extension cord that is in the other room which is the laundry room so every room in this house I think has one plug in and so each one is probably using an extension cord I just don't know how safe everything is especially the washer and dryer in the laundry room


texts: Weird set screw on single handle bathroom faucet

texts:
I have a leak in my single handle bathroom faucet.  I can't find any stamp or marking on it to indicate the manufacturer.  Turning off the hot water fixes the problem short term.  I have found some great online tutorials for repairing all potential types of these sinks, but I can't get the handle off to even begin to work on it.  We have several Allen wrenches but none fit.  It does not appear to be a typical screw, or maybe it is not a screw at all?  It looks like a post that is threaded around the outside with a perfectly round hole in the center that is not threaded.  The faucet is only five years old and I don't want to replace the whole thing if it can be avoided.

The bright spot in the middle is a post that seems to prevent inserting an allen wrench.


texts: Whats the best way to seal a new garage roof to another existing garage roof?

texts:
I've just raised my garage roof from just below to 150mm above the adjoining garage of my neighbour. Their felt roof used to flap down onto my roof but now I need to direct this felt flap up to my - what in effect will be an upstand. This flap is only 75 - 100mm so I fear it wont quite be long enough to seal against my my roof.  I will probably be installing an edpm covering which will flap down "over" this upturned flap of my neighbour.

Will bending their flap from down to the upward direction  ruin their felt fabric (its been laid down for 2 or 3 years), what is of the best way to seal it all? Their roof actually slopes in the direction of my garage, somewhat, as a result of some subsidence.


texts: Mixing White Paint into Ceiling Knockdown Mud

texts:
I would like to knockdown a ceiling (newbie) and read that it is desirable to add white paint to drywall mud.  It seems reasonable that it would be preferable to have the color 'built-in' to the mud so that it never needs painting.  I do not know the color of drywall mud, but it would seem that it is not quite white

This is the desired outcome:

Is there a 'recipe' that provides for the amounts of water, paint, etc?

Bonus round: Is there a rule of thumb for estimating paint / drywall mud based on ceiling area to be covered?

Edits to this post that sharpen the question is appreciated.  Thank you


texts:
If you have a grounded conduit going in to a metal box (no ground wires), do you need to attach a grounding pigtail to the metal box and then to the outlet ground screw? Or is the metal/metal/outlet screws connection enough to provide grounding?

I ask because I have seen both a grounding pigtail from the outlet to the box and no grounding pigtail from the outlet to the box.


texts: How many lights can be run from one breaker I would like to add two two tube fluorescent lights to a string of lights I have already.


texts: Can I run two cables through the same conduit?

texts:
I want to install electrical outlets in my unfinished basement that has block walls.

It is my understanding you can't have cable on the walls--that whatever cable used must be protected by conduit.

My idea is use NM-B cable from the breaker box, run cable through joists down 3/4" conduit to box with GFCI outlet. Then run the 12/2 cable back up the same conduit and thru joists until it goes down conduit on wall again to an outlet and so on.

Is there any issue with taking cable down and back up the same conduit due to heat?

Trying to do this with the least conduit installed as possible but safely.


texts:
For reasons, I'm going to put a D lock through the wall of my flat, and I want to protect it against sealing up with rust.

There are coincidentally a pair of perfect holes already in the wall (from old plumbing, I assume?) that I can poke the legs of the D-lock through and then lock from the other side of the wall.

The lock is my current Bike lock, which is used almost daily, is fairly old, and for which the 'teeth' (where the D enters the locking bar) are fairly rusty.

Every 6 months or so, the teeth (and the holes that the go into on the locking bar) get sufficiently rusty that it starts to be a moderate struggle to open the lock if I haven't used the bike for a day or two.
At that point I clean it throughly with WD-40 and kitchen towel, to get as much of the rust off as possible and just continue.

This has worked perfectly well for the past 2 years.

Now I want to put the lock through the wall, lock it and leave it in place for  years, ideally without ever touching it/having to regularly clean it. The Teeth and locking bar will be on the inside of the wall, the outside point is sheltered and I'll try to block up around the hole to keep rain for passing through, so there won't be any substantial water getting to it ... just general atmospheric humidity (London, UK)

Obviously I'm going to do a heavy-duty clean with WD-40, but I'm wondering whether I should be doing anything more than that to try to protect it?

Some sort of heavier oil, or similar?

Do I need to?
What should I be doing?
What products/product names should I be looking for?
Is there anything I should know about the technique of applying these things?