texts: How to reshape square tube after welding a small square bar along one of the sides

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I've welded a few 3 m long square tubes out of mild steel angle bars (1.5x1/8) and along one corner side of the tubes welded a 8 mm square bar with one weld along the corner side of the tubes. Now the tubes are bent along the whole length with a deflection in the middle of, I estimate, 0-3/4 inch depending on the tube. I consider the tube as a circle segment as it seems to be uniformly bent along its length.
The next step is to straighten out the tubes and I've prepared a plan for that:
I want to put two tubes vertically along a concrete post, each on opposite sides. The one to be straightened out has both its ends distanced from the concrete post. Then I want to wind a rope under tension around the post with both tubes. The tube directly hitting the post will prevent it from cracking as I doubt it contains enough steel to withstand the forces needed to bend the tube.
The idea is to have the end's distances exactly right for the post to bend as much as needed plus a bit for the elasticity. So the middle of the tube will hit the concrete and will 'spring back' to 'perfectly' straight when we remove the ropes. I guess the rope then exerts a force that's equal to the sum of yielding force and elastic force locally.
My problem is I don't know how to calculate the force I need per winding, or let's say per meter length as the rope thickness is unknown. I also guess this won't be a uniform load, so every winding probably will need a different tension while hoping the friction with the concrete posts' sharp corners will keep the rope from slipping due to the interwinding difference in tension.
No answers are found on google nor here. If anyone has some ideas of how to calculate this, I would be thankful.
Myself I'm not unversed in math but have no idea how to go from Young's modulus of mild steel (210 GPa?) to structural bending and yielding of a square tube.


texts: This may sound too simple, but I know nothing about it. My kitchen sink drain was replaced and a small amount of putty comes off around the diameter. I know that is normal but am I suppose to let that 'cure' with no water contact for a certain amount of time? I'm afraid the water (especially HOT) will cause it to remain soft and will keep it having to be wiped off, eventually removing too much of it! I forgot to ask the man that put the drain in and can't reach him.


texts: What's the procedure for stripping wires with pliers?

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In this answer to this question on stripping wires pliers are mentioned as a tool suitable for that job. I guess it can be done, but I feel quite paranoid about damaging the conductor which is made of rather soft metal and effectively reducing the conductor cross-section which can lead to overheating and possibly fire.

What's the procedure for stripping a wire with pliers without damaging the conductor?


texts: Testing for asbestos in vinyl or linoleum flooring sheet?

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I wonder if there are ways to tell if there are asbestos in vinyl or linoleum flooring sheet (not tiles). We removed them from our 1987 house and now we are a bit concerned.
From what I can gather, the vinyl flooring sheet if it had asbestos at all, would be in a separate paper backing. I don't recall seeing such a backing.
I also cannot find any definitive info on whether, or when, asbestos was banned from vinyl flooring products. I understand asbestos was banned from dry wall compounds and spray-able ceiling products in the late 70s.
Please advise.


texts: What should I lay under carpet to protect hardwood floor for a couple of years?

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Our dogs are getting old and need more secure footing.  So we're going to loose-lay room size pieces of new conventional carpet on top of a nicely finished wood floors. A couple of rooms. Some hardwood, some engineered.  Loose-lay. No padding. Not wall-to-wall with tack strips.  We're worried the coarseness of the underside of the carpet will scratch the wood floor finish, even though the carpet will not be sliding around like a rug since sofas, bookcases, beds etc... will, we hope, weight it in place.  We plan to take it once a year to clean it and to clean up any dirt/sand that has made its way underneath.

We've thought of kraft-paper (either the thin smooth kind, or heavier textured kind that is like tar paper with out the tar) or plastic.  Or something else? What would be best for protecting the wood finish for a couple of years?


texts:
I have a 3 level townhouse, there is a damper controlling flow to each floor. My main concern is the number of vents on my upper level. One master bedroom (with bath), 2 smaller bedrooms, and another bath. The return air is in the hall. There is one vent in each smaller bed room and one in the hall bath. Then there are 2 in master bath, 1 in walk in closet in master, 4 smaller vents in master, and 1 giant vent in the master. As you can imagine with 8+ vents in the master and only 3 in the other upper areas, most of the air goes to the master. It is freezing in the summer and toasty in the Winter. The air pressure keeps the master door closed if it isn't held open.
I can easily see where all the vent lines are coming from from the attic. What I've been wondering is if the large vent in the master is supposed to have been connected to the return. The vent it self looks like it should be a return grille and it is positioned closest to the door.
Do my suspicions sound correct? Has it been installed wrong? Could I pinch it off to see the difference without much issue to my air handler? Would it be best to have it attached as it's own return air for the master bedroom?


texts: What type of wood siding should I use for a shed?

texts: What kinds of inexpensive wood siding, suitable for a shed, are commonly available in the U.S.?  I checked Lowe's and Home Depot, but all they had was a single type of barn-style shiplap.  I had expected more of a selection.


texts: Removing angled section from edge of board?

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I have a 1" thick sheet (maybe plywood or solid wood or MDF) and I would like to cut a section out of the edge. This image shows the board, in green, in cross section:

The angle is 30/60 degrees. I'm considering trying to find a router bit that can accomplish this, or trying to use a table-saw dado blade at an angle. Are either of these the right approach? Should I be trying something else?


texts: How can I black out sunlight BEHIND my condo's windows and vertical blinds?

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To block sun light, I taped  aluminum foil and garbage bags to window. then  condo board lawyer mailed me warning letter. They violated condo's bylaws and she ordered me to take them down.

Without prior written consent of our condo board, you cannot:

decorate or paint any outside area, exterior surface or exterior door.

change the color of any exterior glass, window, door or screen of any dwelling unit. The window side of all drapes, blinds or other window coverings shall be white or off white in color.

Lawyer wrote foil or bags cannot be in front of, or touch, blinds or window.  But I can put up coverings behind red line in picture.  But how can I set up them at red line? Bag or foil can't stick to ceiling or carpet!

Condo board refused my request and wrote that if they let everybody cover their windows with bags or foil, condo will look ugly and look like it's still under construction!
Pic below is my blinds. I don't have curtain rods. I can't hang curtains. I got allergies. I DON'T want sleep mask,  tent,  hat to cover eyes or put pillow over my head. I lost my job. I don't have money to hire professionals  or lawyers.


texts: Trouble with twinned Bryant heating units

texts: I have twinned heating units as w1 and w2. The first unit to come on needs to be replaced; but, until then I need to know how to get the system to heat better. The problem is the fan comes on on unit one (even though the heat does not come on on this unit) when the system comes on and unit 2 is heating. Seems like it is diluting the heat by pulling air through a cold system. Would you recommend turning off the fan on unit one? And if so what is the best way on an older Bryant unit? Would it be at the Thermostat?


texts: Cracked bathroom tile - runs almost entire length of the wall

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Have lived in this house 8 years.  Finally redoing  (full gut) bathroom this July.  Just recently we have noticed horizontal cracks in the bathroom tile. Runs almost the entire width of the shower/tub enclosure back wall.  We have had issues with crown molding separating ever since we installed a new HVAC system and we are considering adding a humidifier to the system.  It appears that the material in the house may be drying out.

The discoloration in the grout is because it was wet.  I've never seen grout like this until I moved here. We also have some separation of the back shower wall from the sides.  But now that summer is here, and it is more humid, the cracks and separations are less noticeable.

I'm just concerned that this may be an issue with the new bathroom.  Any thoughts?


texts: Changing hot water supply and keeping cold water supply

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Repiping my master bathroom shower and sink.  We have a new instant hot water heater on an addition to our house 10' away.  The shower and sink now run off the water heater in garage, 100' away.
I tee'd into hot water supply line in the addition (instant hot water tank) and I am connecting the sink and shower in master bath to this new hot water line and capping the old hot water supply line from the garage (just for the master bath) which is at the end of the run.
My question is can I use the cold water supply line from the house (original cold water supply) or do I need to run the cold water from the addition also.  Both cold water supplies originate after the regulator coming into the main house.


texts: Rheem OEM condenser fan motor part number

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I called Rheem to get the OEM part number for a condenser fan motor that was originally installed in a model number 14AJA36A01 condenser. Here is the tag on the condenser outside the home:

I would like to purchase the OEM condenser fan motor to install in this condenser. The previous homeowner installed an aftermarket condenser fan motor, so I cannot determine the OEM part number. When I contacted Rheem via telephone, the person who answered said they do not deal with parts and that I had to go through an A/C contractor (utterly useless). Googling the model number yields very few search results. I'm at a loss. Any ideas on how I can determine the part number? I'm thinking I can look for a similar home down the street and pray that they have a similar A/C system, but I doubt any homeowner would appreciate some stranger looking at their A/C unit (so no, not doing that).


texts: 120/240 Multi wire branch circuit - failed inspection because of uneven loads?

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From a double pole 20-amp breaker, I ran 12/3 w/g to a quad box with a 120 receptacle and a 240 receptacle. Red wire from one pole of the breaker to the 240, ground to the grounds, white to neutral bar in the panel and then the 120 outlet, and black from the other pole of the breaker to the box where it's pigtailed and split to the 120 and 240. The inspector failed me because this "produces uneven loads on the breakers".

I'm confused because everything I've read/seen indicates that this is exactly how to run such a circuit and the inspector could not well explain the problem or point it out in the code. Worse case if I run a tool drawing 20 amps on the 240 and plug something in drawing 10amps on the 120, both poles trip no harm no foul. I don't understand the problem or what exactly in the code I violated. He wants me to add another breaker, pull another wire, and put the 120 on its own hot.


texts: How to run 10 AWG ground wire along basement wall?

texts: What would be a sturdy and efficient way to mount a single 10 AWG solid core ground wire along an unfinished concrete basement wall (connectors, fasteners, etc)? I'm connecting a server rack ground bar to ground to prevent static electricity build up. I planned on coming down from ceiling between the receptacles in picture.


texts: Where can I get this type of 'wood paneling'/'siding'/(name?)

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Sorry about my ignorance here but I don't know what to call this stuff.  I have a few wood (Pretty sure it's wood) boards that have falling off the side of the area that supports my deck.  Questions:

What are these boards called?
Is it possible to order it anywhere so I can replace it?

We also have some fascia(?) or molding that has come off (looks like the previous owner installed the gutters poorly.  So not sure I can get this fascia board at the same place? THANKS!


texts: I have a 24v power supply attached to y and c on furnace terminal block with with regular y,w,r,g and what looks like a c wire to ac coming from inside furnace. I have a wire on y,w,g and 2 on r at thermostat.I'm guessing power supply was added to furnace to power digital thermostat I'm replacing. How do I install wifi thermostat correctly.


texts: How do I find air vents that are covered over with popcorn ceiling?

texts: My house has several areas where we are have no heat vents and these areas are quite cold. Others areas have vents  even in the closet spaces. I found one covered vent after walking through my neighbors house, and know that there are others, but need a way to locate them. Any advise? Thanks


texts: Can I take power from the hot line on another switch in a multi-gang box?

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I have been working on wiring a Z-Wave 3 way dimmer.  In my current three way configuration, I only have line, ground, and 2 travelers in the remote box.

In the primary box, I have 2 travelers, ground, load, and neutral.

It seems that in nearly every configuration (that supports LEDs and Fluorescents), both boxes need a neutral wire.

I could achieve this if I could use one of the traveler wires to get neutral to the remote box.  To do this, I'd need to take power from another hot wire in the same box as my dimmer.

The dimmer is in a 2 gang box with the switch for my outdoor lights.  Both the outdoor lights and the indoor light (that's on the dimmer) are on the same breaker.

My concern was that if I took too much power on the hot wire for the outdoor lights that it could be a fire hazard; however, it seems like if they're on the same breaker, that both of those loads are going into the breaker box on one wire at some point anyhow so they must have a high enough ampacity for both loads.

Is it safe to use the hot line from another switch like this?

EDIT

Forgive me; these are my first wiring diagrams

Here are the current switch configurations

And what I think the current diagram would look like

This is what I'm proposing as an interim until I understand more about 3-way Z-wave switches

What I'm hoping to accomplish someday if I can get a better understanding of inductive coupling:


texts: What is "skin" time for bathroom sealant?

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I need to replace the bathroom sealant around our bath, as our bath has moved by about a cm over the years and the watertight seal has broken.

The sealant I have says "Skins in 15 minutes, dries in 24 hours".

What does "Skins" mean? I'm assuming that means that the surface goes solid (kinda like touch-dry for paint), but what's the implication of this?

What I'm trying to figure out is - when can I use the bath again? After 15 minutes, or after 24 hours (our shower is above the bath, so 24 hours is a loooong time to wait before using the shower).


texts: How do I correctly join this sink fitting to the wall pipe?

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I was unclogging a blocked drain and putting everything back together and I'm unsure how this piece is supposed to work

Here it is just loosely resting where it came from. It seemed to be held onto the pipe by some cohesive force before (though now I'm doubting myself about that), but I'm not sure how. I thought I may have lost a washer or something but I double checked the floor and couldn't see anything.

Here's the rest of the plumbing without that piece

And here's how I left it for now

While the metallic piece is screwed on as before, I'm pretty certain it's not accomplishing anything (besides maybe aesthetically). Something presumably needs to exert a force towards the wall to get a tight seal there. It expectedly leaks slightly. If I apply pressure towards the wall then it doesn't.

The sink was leaking before this, but I thought that was only from the black rubber washer. It's possible that my landlord never did it properly and that it always leaked from here too, but I tend to think I'm missing something.

How can I fix it?


texts: We live in Argyle TX and have a 42 yr old pier and beam house sitting at the bottom of a hill. I have called several people out for professional help and they want $5000 to $7000 to regrade put in French drains etc. I thought I could just create a swale and make a dry creek bed going around the house and directed down the hill more simply bit was concerned about how high is safe to build up on house side I'm assuming stay just below brick line?


texts:
I have a AEG pro intensiv favorit. It flooded my kitchen and the water is gone but the alarm doesn't stop. I tried to unplug it and push the buttons for more than 10 seconds. The motor is still sucking, but there is no water left. When I pour in new water, it is sucked away immediately. I don't know the cause of the original flooding and how to reset the machine.

How could I stop the alarm and fix my dishwasher? According to the manual it is clearly the anti-flood protection (three consecutive beeps). The manual doesn't mention how to solve it.


texts: What are the unused 240V breakers in my panel for?

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The main service panel in my house has eight 2 pole breakers in it.  It breaks down as:
2 40A breakers for the AC units
2 50A breakers for the furnaces
1 40A breaker for the stove
1 30A breaker for the dryer
2 30A breakers that are unlabeled, but have 10ga wire landed on both.
We have a gas water heater, so no need for 240V power there.
My question is this: Any idea what the two unlabeled breakers could be for?  I cannot think of any other 240V loads.  We do not have a subpanel anywhere, no hot tub, no RV plug, generator backfeed... I have them turned off now, but have not noticed a change in anything.  I would like to repurpose one of them to feed a subpanel in my shed, but don't want to drop something in the house.  Thanks in advance for the help.


texts:
We have a Whirlpool fridge with french doors, similar to this model that is around 2 years old.

We have both the fridge and freezer parts sets as cold as they will get.  This is -5F for the freezer and 33F for the fridge.  The fridge is staying about this cold, but the freezer is only getting down to around 24-26F, and it seems like it is warmer because some ice cream we keep in this freezer always seems very soft when we pull it out.

This unit also seems to be inordinately slow at making ice. It has the ice container in the door, and even re-enabled the "fast ice" feature every 24 hours it isn't keeping the ice bay full even with only moderate ice usage. (I would estimate usage is no more than a quart by volume, including gaps between the cubes, while the bay itself holds a bit more than a gallon.) I'm not sure what the long-term effect of perpetually commanding fast ice is, or if this can be a problem.  It's not fast enough for us even on the "fast" setting so I'm a bit perplexed by this setting.

There does not seem to be any blockage in air flow, but it seems like the unit runs a lot - although it is pretty quite and unless you stand up close to it or actually open the freezer drawer you might not know it.  It was repaired for the opposite problem about 9 months ago (not cooling in the fridge part) and they replaced - I want to say they said it was an invertor.

Update: When "fast ice" is turned off the freezer temp does drop slightly - about 4-5 degrees, so it's around 20F, which is still 25 degrees above what it's set for.  I suspect that fast ice is really just trying to direct more cold to the ice maker in the top of the fridge, but with temperatures only 5-10 degrees of melting it's no wonder ice takes so long to make.


texts: Light Switch Tripping Adjacent GFCI circuits

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I've been having some issues with what I thought were ghost GFCI trips in my shop. The shop is a metal building, all 20a 120v outlet circuits are routed through a GFCI outlet at the start of the circuit. Over the past year, I had one of the three GFCI circuits tripping intermittently, maybe a few times a month. It seemed when like over the summer it didn't really trip but it recently got colder and started tripping more frequently. I've tried removing all devices plugged into this circuit but it still trips.
Fast forward to yesterday, I installed another circuit again starting with the GFCI as the first outlet. I tested the circuit and GFCI, ran some power tools, etc. and everything seemed fine for a few hours. I turned off the lights in the shop and took a break. A few hours later I came back and all circuits were still working. As soon as I turned on the light switch (wired through a separate breaker), both my new GFCI and the one I previously had issues were tripped. I know that I have not crossed neutrals in any of the boxes since I know exactly where each wire runs.
The light circuit is on a separate breaker with no GFCI. The light circuit has several old fluorescent fixtures, probably 40 years old. 4-5 are 4 ft units, one 8 ft fluorescent unit. The rest are all newer LED units without ballasts. I've read that fluorescent lights can trip GFCI's, but my question is can they trip GFCI that are on separate circuits? I also know that the lights start a little slower depending on temperature.
Update 10/8/2020: This morning when I turned the lights on the first time, the GFCI's on both circuits were tripped. After the first time, I could not replicate the issue. Also some more information on brand if it matters. Both GFCI's that I'm having issues with are "Smart Electrician" brand. The other two GFCI's are different brands, one a Legrand, the other I can't tell without taking it out of the box.


texts: Is this vinyl tile? Should I have it tested for asbestos?

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What kind of tile is this? I think it is vinyl tile but it doesn't look like the pictures I am finding online. Maybe it is plastic tile?

The house is from the 1950s but the bathroom was installed prior to 1990.

Should I be concerned about asbestos?

The tile is 1/8 inch thick and 12" by 12". It doesn't break with pulling it up. The adhesive is tacky and difficult to remove.


texts: Why would my boiler's pilot go out after the hot water comes on?

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I have a Potterton Prima 40B conventional heat-only boiler that was installed in 1999. The pilot light goes out after the hot water comes on. It will stay on if the heating is on, but about 2 minutes after the hot water timer comes on, it goes out. I've had the thermocouple replaced.
I wanted to get some advice before I have to spend on a new boiler and its trimmings.

Update:
Hi, I now have a little more information. If I ignite the pilot, it will stay on. The controls are set to CH only with the HW off. The burner will come on to start the CH. If I then switch the HW on, after a couple of minutes the pilot goes out and the boiler will have to be reignited.
This morning I have tried it vice versa. CH off HW on. The boiler stays on. If I have both on at the same time it goes off.
Just to add, I left the CH controls to zero last night but on at the main control the pilot stayed on all night at that. I then turned the temp up on the heating this morning and the boiler went off, but I was able to reignite and it stayed on (until HW was turned on). I then turned the CH off and HW on and its still working.


texts:
Model: Goodman AWB30-08C Electric AC/Heat

I'm hoping someone can help me identify the 24V C wire. Fortunately the thermostat line has a spare wire already run, so I just need to find the C wire in the HVAC. See diagrams below:

I can also post a pic of the exposed wiring if need be.


texts: Venting a hot garage, how much cooler can it get with an exhaust fan?

texts: I life in Miami and the garage gets very hot in the summer and I am trying to cool it down so I can workout in it. The basics are: I'm looking at this product: iLiving - 10" Wall Mounted Exhaust Fan - Vent Fan For Garage Ventilation, 600 CFM, 900 SQF Coverage Area. Installing it as high as I can and as far from the garage door as I can. The garage door has a screened row at the bottom for airflow intake. So the airflow will help even thou the temperatures may still be in the mid 80s. Thanks, Todd


texts:
I am in Australia, with 220-volt single phase power. My electricity distribution control panel has 6 switches, of which two, call them A and B, control wall power points. My juicer is plugged into one of these power points, which is controlled by the A switch. Using the juicer often causes the B switch to open while the A switch remains closed.

I am sure that the juicer is not in the B circuit because it continues working when the switch opens. I know what the A circuit controls by experiment with other equipment. My question is not why a switch opens when overloaded, but why does the wrong switch open?

Can anyone explain what is going on?


texts:
First box has 14/2 from panel, 14/2 to outlet, 14/3 to the other switch

Second box has 14/3 from the first switch and 14/2 to the light.. how can I wire these up for 3 way switch.


texts: Bathroom ceiling vent has a fan cover, and a duct behind it but no wiring. What does that do?

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I'm in the UK. I believe this house was built in the late 90's. The bathroom (and toilet) both have ceiling fan vents with a plastic guard covering the vent.

When I removed the guard to replace the fan, (I thought it was broken as there was no noise coming from it) I realised that there was no fan! There's also no wiring. It looks like a rubbery vent going straight up.

What's the purpose of this? It doesn't seem to be doing anything as there is mould building up in the bathroom.

Any help would be much appreciated.

I've attached a picture with the guard off for reference:

Also, apologies if this has been posted before. This setup may have a name but I don't know what it is so I'm not having much luck with Google!


texts: Should I immediately clean my paint sprayer after use?

texts:
I just purchased a Wagner ProCoat sprayer. Used it for the 1st time with Valspar Ultra Zero VOC paint from Lowe's.

Do I need to clean it immediately? I'm gonna use it again next weekend. Is 1-week enough to dry the paint inside the sprayer and clog it?

Side question: What chemical should I use to "flush" the Valspar paint with? Reading the gallon, it says thin with water. So should I just flush my paint sprayer with water?


texts: Can you have neutrals on ground bar only bonded through main panel body

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I have just added a circuit to my main panel and saw something I wanted clarification on. For reference, my main panel is a Homeline 30 space panel with 2 extra grounding bars on the sides. Picture for reference.

I know that in a main panel, you can have grounds and neutrals on the same bar, since they are bonded together at the main anyway. But doesn't that only pertain to the 2 inner neutral/ground bars, the ones that have the bonding screw. I found several neutral wires on the grounding bars on that are near the edges of the panel. From my understanding, wouldn't that be against code since the panel body is now carrying the return current for those particular circuits. In other words, should those 2 outer bars ONLY have grounding wires on them, while the 2 inner bars can have ground AND neutral wires.

Thanks for any input.


texts: Transition between casing and baseboard?

texts:
Transition between casing and baseboard. How to do a nice transition. Just use blocks?
The upper side will be mittered.


texts: Resilient Channel and Drywall Orientation

texts: I’ve got a 20’x12’ vaulted ceiling, 4/12 pitch that I want to install resilient channel on to reduce the risk of cracking; sound damping is not important. Trusses are just plain 2x6’s in the roof. Would I install the resilient channel perpendicular or parallel to the trusses, and subsequently what direction would I install my sheeting in relation to the RC?  I haven’t been able to find any good info online or in manufacturers install specs in relation to vaulted ceilings.  Thank you.


texts: Connect 1/2" supply line to 3/8" outer diameter faucet line

texts:
I bought from Home Depot a Glacier faucet that comes with 3/8 inch O.D. supply tubes. The supply lines from the wall have an outer diameter of 1/2 inches though. How do I connect the two?

This seems like a common enough question, but searching for "connector" I could only find this connector on Home Depot's site, which is from 3/8" to "M22". I'm not sure why "M22" is called that way, but its diameter is apparently 14mm, which isn't exactly 1/2".

Brass nipples on Home Depot's site seem to come only in the same diameter on both ends, e.g. 1/2".

(As you might suspect, I'm originally from Europe and have quite a bit of disdain for the imperial system and the US hanging on to it when the entire rest of the world uses metric.)


texts: Basic Circuit Breaker trips inconsistently, persistently

texts:
I have a 15 amp circuit breaker in my house. It controls 1 of the basement circuits for a room that has:

1 small dim CFL wall sconce
6 ceiling cans with CFL bulbs
6 wall outlets that only have a single nightlight plugged into them
a double outlet (4 outlets total) that have a dvd player, a 50" LED flat TV, a small stereo

Some things I've tested:

My whole-house heater/AC is not on this circuit
My whole-house water filter (which does draw some power) is not on this circuit
There is no sump-pump and I can't think of any other appliances that might be on this circuit.

The basement was renovated 6 years ago and when that happened the whole house electrical panel was upgraded to a modern unit.

The breaker has been tripping periodically ever since the basement renovation. Sometimes it will go for a month or 2 without tripping. Sometimes it trips and trips again within a minute of resetting.

The time of day it trips is not consistent. The load on the circuit when it trips is not consistent.

What steps should I follow to try to pinpoint the problem? What are the likely causes of the problem?


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I’d like to install a GE smart dimmer and a GE smart switch into a four gang box.  The box currently has four non-smart switches.

I determined that one of the switches is on a different circuit than the other three.  One circuit breaker cuts three of the switches and another the fourth.  It is one of the ones I’d like to replace.

The issue I’m running into is with the neutral wires to power the smart switch.  There is only one bundle of neutral wires in the box. It was my understanding that the neutral wire had to be on the same circuit as the load and line for the switch.

The bundle of wires for the switch that is on a different circuit doesn’t have a neutral wire at all.  There are six bundles of wires coming into the box even though there are only four switches.  I’m assuming the others are for adjacent outlets.  All of them have neutral wires except for the one, so there are a total of five white wires that are all twisted together and capped.

The neutral wires appear to be all on the same circuit as when I open the breaker for the three switches, they are all cold.  For curiosity, I separated the neutral wire bundle and with the one circuit closed, two of the five wires are hot.  Is that normal/expected?

If it matters, the switch that is on a different circuit is a four way configuration in that two other switches control the same fixture.  I don’t yet know the neutral wire situation for the other switches but I’m assuming they will also have a single bundle but don’t know which circuit at this time.

Is it safe to power both switches from the one neutral bundle?  If it’s not ok, I don’t know what options I have as there doesn’t appear to be a neutral wire on the other circuit, at least in the box I have opened so far.

Appreciate any help!

For background, this room was once part of our main house.  We built it out into a mother-in-law suite/house with its own breaker box.  I believe the fixture in question was part of the original room.  That is probably irrelevant, however, as it is now on the new breaker box now so it would seem that everything was rewired.  This was all done using a contractor with an electrician, permits, inspections, etc.  So, should have been done to code (at least in theory).

Best regards,
Eric


texts:
I lost the only remote control I had for my garage box. Normally I should be able to open the garage with a key and a cylinder lock. But when I bought this apartment (with this garage box), the cylinder lock was somehow taken out by the previous owners. I have a small hole now in my garage door where the lock has been previously.
Is there any way I can open my garage from the outside? There is no panel or anything. To program a new remote control, I need the buttons on the motor, which is inside the garage.
Thank you in advance!


texts:
Is there anything I can do to prolong the life of my thatched roof?

Should I attempt to remove moss etc?


texts: What are the code requirements for installing a ceiling fan alongside a fire sprinkler?

texts: I have a fire sprinkler in my bedroom ceiling which is right in the middle. I want to install a ceiling fan.  What are code requirements to follow?


texts: Electrical issues in house less than 18 mos old

texts: I built a carriage house is SC about 18 mos ago which I visited almost monthly. I took possession from my builder in mid May. In June, the can lights in the master mad e a sizzling noise when I turned the switch on and then died. I called the electrician and he came over and re wired them. Every month when I come back down the electric has been off and the clocks are flashing. I was down in August and the air conditioner had shut off and it seems the thermostat went bad. The fan in the freezer portion of the refrigerator also went bad.  We replaced the thermostat and the fan. I keep questioning my builder and he first called the power company. They came out and told me that some animals ate my wire and they fixed it. I was at the house the very next day and the power went off again. This does not happen to any of the neighbors. I keep questioning my builder. He is now telling me it is arc breakers which are required here. Problem is that his electrician hanged these out the first time. Now last week the ceiling fan in the family room burnt out. There is power tot he switch but the fan itself is dead. I keep telling my builder there is something wrong. He insists not. I can’t believe all this is normal. I’m 53 and never had such issues.  Can anyone shed any light on what might be going on??? I don’t want my house to burn down and I’m super tired of paying to replace everything. Thanks in advance!!!


texts: Is a drain snake the right tool to clean a long-term clogged bath pipe?

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OK, I'm not sure how to explain this best... If you have a better wording in mind for the title, please edit or tell me:
The setup: I live in an apartment. The bathtub after the U-bend connects to pipe 50mm in diameter. That pipe then connects to a larger pipe (100 or 150, not sure) which then connects to the vertical sewer pipe. The 50mm pipe is straight and about 1m long - but it passes through a wall so I can't remove it. The bathtub connects to the 50mm pipe via a 45 degree junction and the 50mm also continues on in the other direction towards the kitchen.
So.... in Ascii art...
                                        Neighbors above
                                               #
Kitchen       Bathtub                          #
   |             |      1m        Fat pipe     #
   \-------------\--------------===============#
                45°                            #
                                               #
                                        Neighbors below

The problem: I can clean the U-bend easily enough, but the straight 50mm pipe is another story. Over time it clogs and the bathtub starts draining slowly. With great difficulty I can get disassemble the connection to the kitchen and remove the 45° junction and poke around with a long stick which helps... for a while... but it's a pain to do so. I could however easily access the 45° junction and put a drain snake it (well, if I had one).
What fills me with doubt is that everything I read about drain snakes suggest that they are for removing acute blockage - something big suddenly stuck in the pipe. You can dislodge that and everything is fine. In my case however it's a slow buildup of gunk over years of time. The pipe doesn't block, it's more like it's inner diameter slowly shrinks... And I doubt if gettin a drain snake would help here. If there was something like a 50mm round brush, then maybe... but I can't find any.
Am I overthinking it and a drain snake is exactly the tool for the job, or is there something more specific for this scenario?


texts: How to fix bottom of door frame (light puppy chewing)

texts: So I live in a rented apartment and some things did not go as planned and ended up with a puppy before moving instead of after. Anyways I just noticed he has been chewing on the frame inside my bedroom and I'm just wondering how to fix this so I can obtain as much of my deposit as possible


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I recently got a pool filled in in my backyard. The Contractor cut three large holes (3x3') in the bottom of the pool before filling it. This is the first heavy rain of the season and I see a lot of water logging in the area where the pool was demolished and filled. In the demolition process, the Entire side wall / shell of the pool was intact because it was connected to the patio.

Please see the picture attached.

What is the best way to fix this water logging problem now?


texts: How should the ground wires be connected when changing my dryer's power cord from 3 prong to 4?

texts:
So we have this really old dryer (MayTag sde305dayw) and I've attempted to do the wiring from a 3 Prong to 4 Prong power cord (moved to a newer home) but when I plugged it in, it didn't turn on.

The confusion I have is there are two Green/Yellow wires connected to the body. There's also a blue wire where I connected the red one to, so hopefully that isn't something that could affect it either. Not sure what else to do at this point, don't want to cause damage to myself. .


texts: How to better seal and/or adjust a metal cellar door / bulkhead?

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First of all, I am not exactly sure what the door is called. I have a metal outside door leading to steps into my basement. I have always just called it the basement/cellar door but it seems like other people refer to it as a storm door or bulkhead ? It looks like

(via google images).

Names aside I am looking to put a better seal on the door when it is closed. I can see quite a bit of daylight at the bottom and sides of the folding doors when they are closed. I want to keep the gaps as small as possible to hopefully keep out insects/pests from crawling through. Searching has just lead me to instructions for installing the door which I don't need.


texts: No Drainage Around Concrete Basement Floor

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This question/comment is in regards to the sump pump question I had yesterday.
While digging the hole to set my new sump pump basin I realized that there was very little if any gravel under the actual concrete. Again, the house was built in 1964 and it appears that they poured the concrete floor directly over the undisturbed or compacted soil (good old Missouri clay!), without using a gravel base. So my guess is, there is absolutely no drainage around the foundation and no place for the water to go except into the house between the walls and the floor.  And if that's the case, in order to eliminate the water problem, I will need to break out the floor along the wall where the water is coming in, dig a trench over to the sump pump, then back-fill the trench with gravel before finishing the concrete.  Correct??
So my question now is, (unless someone has a simpler solution!), is how deep and wide would I need to make the trench to ensure proper drainage?  The basin I put in is 18"x22" deep.

Thanks again!!


texts: Can You Help Identify This Dryer Part Left Over

texts: I have a maytag bravo dryer model #medx700xl0.  This piece (Thick plastic card) was was left over after I removed the drum, cleaned up the inside and replaced the heating element.  Dryer is working and heating which was the goal, but this piece was on the floor. None of the "take apart" diagrams seem to show this piece.  Anybody know what it might be?  I'd like to put it back on.


texts: What are the pros and cons of installing a roof heating cable?

texts:
Had some roof work done last year after mother nature abused my house by way of an errant tree branch. I had always suspected my roof had poor ventilation, most notably when I wound up with a 200 lb chunk of ice going from roof to ground (about 20 feet or so), so when the roofing contractor repaired the roof I had him install a ridge vent and ventilation system along the back wall (for some reason, my back wall has no soffits).

Anywho to make a long story even longer, it's winter here and I've got some ice dams in the gutters and icicles hanging off the roof. When spring rolls around I'm considering putting up a roof heating wire along (or possibly IN) the gutter and up the first 5-6 feet of roof on both sides of the house. I've heard various pros and cons from friends and family about these heating wires and just wanted to get opinions from the fine folk here as to what they think of this system.

I live in the "snow belt" region of Ohio (for those who live outside of the country, "snow belt" just means we get hit with severe lake effect snow often accumulating to several feet over the course of a day or so). So if you live in a similar area or know someone who does I'd love to hear your point of view.


texts: Can I use a vent that was over an electric oven for a dryer instead?

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I just bought an apartment built in 1980 and it does not have a washer and dryer.  There is a vent above an electric oven.  I am remodeling the kitchen and moving the oven to the other side of the kitchen and would like to put a stackable washer dryer in the same place where the oven is.  This way I can use the vent for my dryer only.  Please let me know if I can do this and if it is safe to do so (and following the safety/state code in California-OC).

It is more important for me (and it increases the market value of my home) to have a washer/dryer than to be worried about the smell of fried onion or garlic once in a while in my home.  I would just open the windows instead of having a vent on top of my stove.

Please advise! This is very important improvement for me and makes my life much much easier to have my own washer/dryer in my home.


texts: Fan wiring no switch, only using humidity sensor for control

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Putting in an exhaust fan for a bathroom that did not have one previously. Purchased one that has a humidity sensor and was looking to use that for the sole means of control (dont trust the kids to turn it on and off when they shower).
The fan has black & white to one connector for fan itself, and a black, white and brown from the connector labeled for humidity control. I did not plan on using any switch, just a direct hard wire to the unit.
Would I only wire the humidity sensors wires? Black & Brown to the hot, and white to white? Not certain if I need to use the other two at all or not, assuming a hard wire to them without a switch would just run the fan constantly. The instructions can be seen here, they are for 1 or 2 switches though.


texts: Wiring ethernet cable from AT&T fiber Modem to a specific room

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I currently have internet service with At&t and interested in wiring an Ethernet connection into one of the rooms in the house (I will call this room1). I called At&t to ask how much it would cost to wiring just 1 line of Ethernet and it comes out to be ~&150.00. So I decide to do it myself.

Some background information. The house came pre-wired with Cat5e cables. All of these wires are bundle up in the attic. So, in each room, there is a Cat5e port. All of the jacks in the house are phone jacks, and the other ends in the attic are not terminated yet. Also, none of the ends in the attic is labeled, so I don't know which one ends up in which room.

Currently, the modem is sitting in the living right next to a phone jack. The only thing that it's connected to is the At&t fiber box outside the house.

So here are what I have done so far:
1) I changed out the phone plate and phone jack near the modem. I replaced it with an Ethernet keystone jack using a punch down tool and by following the TIA568B configuration.
2) I plug an Ethernet cable (Cat5e) from one of the Ethernet ports of the modem to the new Ethernet jack.
3) I went to the attic and terminate all of the Cat5e cables with rj45 connectors using TIA568B and a crimping tool.
4) I try to determine which cable is connected to the modem by plugging each of them into my laptop.

So far, none of the cable gives me an Ethernet signal. Before I went to the attic, I plugged an Ethernet from my laptop directly into the modem and was sure that it works. So where have I gone wrong? Why doesn't any of the cable giving me Ethernet signal when I plug it into my laptop?

Also, here is the rest of my plan, once I found which cable is from the living room (i.e., the cable that is plugged into the modem):
5) Connect the living room cable to the cable of room1 using an Ethernet keystone coupler.
NOTE: I am aware that most situation would have used a switch to do this step, but since I only need one Ethernet connection (we only use 1 desktop computer in the house), I decide to use the coupler instead. Is this reasoning incorrect?
6) Change the phone jack in room1 to an Ethernet jack. DONE!

So, beside not understanding why I do not find any signal from any cable in the attic, is there anything wrong with the process that I proposed?

Sorry for so may words, this is my first time doing this, so I try to make sure I am not doing something wrong.


texts: How can I vent my bathroom through a ground floor vertical-slider privacy window?

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I live in an old style garden level unit in Chicago (roughly 80 years old).

The bathroom currently has no ventilation.  The window is cracked and I'll leave the bathroom door open when I shower, but I'd like a longer term solution.

The tricky part is, that the bathroom window overlooks the courtyard at eye level.  There are no other vents/ducts I could hook an exhaust fan into.

Any ideas on how I can add in some sort of exhaust fan through the window which would still have privacy?  It would be OK if the top half of the window became a fan, but the bottom half would have to stay blocked.

UPDATE:  I'd consider pulling the window frame (old wooden one, likely original) out and the entire window.  Reason being is right now the window frame is a shelf for shampoo/etc. I don't know if I'd be able to do something like glass brick or not.


texts: How could a hot-cold plumbing crossover spontaneously appear?

texts:
OK, this is a weird one. Follow the bouncing ball:

I have a tankless water heater
I've had problems the last few weeks with the water running lukewarm instead of hot. Someone suggested power-cycling the water heater, and I did, and the problem went away for a couple weeks, then came back. Power-cycling didn't work a second time.
Following suggestions found in the trouble-shooting guide, and various YouTube videos, I decide to clean the water filter.
I turn off the power to the heater, the gas, and the cold water supply.
I turn on the kitchen hot water to relieve pressure, water flow stops, and I close it again.
I open the bathroom hot-water tap just for good measure. I close it again.
I remove the water filter from the heater. There's a brief spurt and then nothing.

So far, everything is as expected. Then …

I go inside, turn on the cold water in the kitchen, and clean the filter.
I go back to the water heater, and water is gushing out where I removed the filter.
I go back inside, double-check that all the taps are turned off. No help. I double-check the cold water valve to the heater; still off.
I turn off the main water feed to the house so I can put the filter back in.
I turn the main water feed back on.
Hot water taps in both kitchen and bathroom are now providing cold water when I turn them on.
Not knowing what else to do, I put everything back and come here.

This looks to me like somehow there's a cross-over between the hot water and the cold water in the house. That would certainly explain the lukewarm water problem as well.

For the record, the guy who originally installed the heater was a general contractor but not a plumber, and he did originally install a cross-over which we discovered and made him remove. But that was two years ago and there haven't been any problems since.

So how could a cross-over spontaneously appear? Could there be some sort of pressure-relief mechanism that failed? Is there such a thing? Why would it be installed?

Edit: If Chris H is right, and I suspect he is, the kitchen faucet is letting cold water into the hot water system.

When the water filter on the heater was somewhat clogged, there was a pressure drop coming out of it, and so the cold water from the kitchen faucet was able to dominate the hot water from the heater. Cleaning the filter shifted the balance enough that I can get water hot enough to shower, but the problem isn't really solved.

And the problem in the kitchen faucet is intermittent enough for the problem to come and go.


texts:
Recently moved into a new home and replaced the main light fitting in the sitting room. We replaced it with this dimmable LED fitting:
https://www.leycroftlighting.co.uk/endon-rubens-6lt-semi-flush-79469?gclid=Cj0KCQjw4v2EBhCtARIsACan3nxJ0tKAQnqt4noe7I0xnm7tTwk-Xl6RuXjAd3FiHT_1iqSWbqgXiO0aAoYuEALw_wcB

Specification
Lampholder
E27
Lamp Type
FILAMENT
Max Wattage
40
Number Of Light Sources
6
Voltage
230

After wiring it up, the fitting worked but the lights flickered constantly. I read this was likely due to the dimmer switch itself not being compatible with an LED, so I replaced the switch with one of these:
https://www.screwfix.com/p/lap-1-gang-2-way-led-dimmer-switch-white/273cc

It's still flickering.
What switch or accessories do I need to get stable lighting?


texts: How do I wire a switch with 9 wires in the box?

texts:
I have an odd wiring situation at one of my switches, and like a rookie took it all apart before taking a picture.

I have 9 wires running into the box, 3 white, 3 black and 3 ground.The switch is a standard two-way that controls a light in the basement. This appears to be the start of the line, with another switch (controlling a different light) and an outlet further down the line.

What's odd, is that one of the lines (BW pair) are both hot. As such, I can't figure out how this switch needs to be connected. Any thoughts?


texts: How much drywall should I remove around a moldy area?

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The previous owner told me that during the last winter when snow melted, water got in the basement through the drywall and he had to wipe dry the floor. Last year we had one of the worst winters on record (New York City).

I have a closet where a piece of the drywall (2x3 ft) has some black spots on it and water marks, but the rest of the drywall seems fine. The basement has regular drywall (not the blue one).

The basement doesn't smell musty or bad at all and I have not seen water coming in since then. I am planning on pouring concrete on the outside to take care of water that might be seeping through to the foundation.

If I just remove that small piece of drywall that has some black spots (mold?) on it, should I continue ripping off the rest of the drywall to look underneath? It would mean I would have to destroy the walls etc. what is the best route especially since the basement doesn't smell and I haven't had any issues since and the rest of the walls seem fine.

When I replace the drywall should I spray some stuff inside to kill the mold?


texts:
I have been struggling with a water leak in a flex space I have.

I don't know where it is coming from. I have removed the bottom siding panel, the paper behind and the wood is dry, but the concrete is very wet. I live in Vancouver and it rains a lot here. At first I thought it was coming underneath the siding from capillary action, but now I am inclined to think the concrete itself is the suspect. Thoughts?

How can I fix this? Tar? waterproof paint? Do you guys think it is the concrete or something else? Only the baseboards and floor on the sides are wet inside.


texts: How do you remove paint and rust from outdoor chairs?

texts: I have some outdoor metal chairs that have a few rust spots and the paint is chipping in a number of places. I'm looking for the best way to clean off the rust and paint so I can repaint them.


texts: Contactor relay connected to circulating pump not working

texts:
I have a 120V coil contactor relay connected to a pump.  The pump is connected on the control terminals of the relay.  I would like to switch another circuit when the pump circuit is turned on, but this problem has to do with the control circuit. When I energize the circuit, the relay clicks but the pump does not turn on.  On the other hand, if I jump the relay (bypass the relay), when I energize the circuit the pump does turn on. I’ve tried two different relays with the same result. Pump is here https://www.pexuniverse.com/armstrong-astro250ci-circulator-pump
Relay is here https://canada.newark.com/carlo-gavazzi/gdp251ss120v/contactor-spst-no-120vac-panel/dp/45Y3714


texts: Can I reduce or eliminate water hammer without plumbing?

texts:
I have a friend who lives in an apartment with terrible water hammer problems which the management is unwilling to fix.

I'm curious if there is a product or device that would attach, for instance, to a faucet with the faucet on that would act as a water hammer arrestor.  I haven't seen anything like that, and I expect that even if it did exist it wouldn't help too much as it's not near the source of the problem, and the pipes would still rattle, but even if it helped a little he might get more sleep.

Right now it feels like someone's hitting his walls with a sledgehammer a few times an hour as other people in the building use the supply.


texts: I have a root growing in my sewage drain and I’m wondering what is the best way to remove it and what are the implications of having an apparently cracked main sewage line.  Backstory:  a few months ago my toilet stopped up and while investigating I took the toilet off and discovered a pinky finger sized root growing all the way up to the toilet wax ring and forming a thick mat of roots around the wax ring area. I was able to run a cheap auger I bought at Lowe’s and clear the line of solids that had backed up. However, I have not been able to clear the roots from the drain.  I did buy this powder root inhibitor chemical at Lowe’s which I guess stops future growth. I have not been able to remove the actual root system. I live in a concrete slab suburban house that is about 60 feet feet from the main sewage line at the cul de sac. There is a large silver maple tree growing in my front yard which I suspect the roots came from.  How do I best deal with this problem without breaking the bank??


texts: How do I avoid taking off the finish at the corners when sanding between coats?

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I just refinished a dresser with a tinted poly finish to roughly match the other wood tones in its new room. I didn't do the greatest job in many aspects - it was my first experience with poly and I don't really have the patience required for mirror-like finish work on furniture - but the end result is passable.

One of the things that kept me pulling my hair out was the ease with which the finish came off at the corners when smoothing between coats (I was brushing it on instead of spraying, and so I was also forever smoothing out brush strokes between coats). It didn't matter if I was using the ROS or hand-sanding, what grit or material I was using (I usually started with a light pass of 320 grit with the power sander, followed by detail work with 4-0 steel wool by hand and a finish pass with a Scotch-Brite style pad on the ROS), or how many coats had been applied (lost count; the goal was to get dark to match the espresso/black cherry finishes of other pieces, so the piece got at least three full coats plus touch-ups), all it took was one pass too many, too close to an edge or corner of a panel, and a line of bright bare wood shone through the dark red-mahogany finish, forcing me to apply more touch-ups and then sand the brush marks smooth again, potentially undoing the touch-up or uncovering another edge elsewhere.

Given the total time the project took to look halfway presentable, I could have sanded the whole thing down to raw wood, stained it nice and deep, then finished in three or four coats of clear poly; this product was supposed to be easier than all that to change the tone of an already-finished piece, but nothing doing. That was probably mistake number one; going for a quick fix over doing the job "right". However, even doing that with my sanding technique (or lack thereof) would have left the corners unfinished, the only difference being that it would be harder to tell if a corner was still raw, as the stain will still show fairly dark, but there'd be no poly protecting the wood.

I understand the physics; the pressure of the sanding media on an edge or corner, in pounds per square inch terms, is infinitely more than when sanding a flat surface as the edge ideally has zero surface area. That means it's much easier to burn right through any layers of finish you've managed to build up over that edge.

The question is, how to overcome the physics and preserve your corners, without just rounding them off? It can't be as simple as "don't power-sand your finishes" as even when I worked by hand it was ridiculously easy to remove finish along the edges (easier, in fact, as with hand-sanding the paper or pad wraps around corners more easily).


texts: Swapping High voltage breakers; change 50amp to 40amp

texts: I have 6AWG wiring with a 50amp breaker; no device is yet connected to the circuit. I need to swap the 50amp breaker for a 40amp breaker. I have popped the breaker loose from the bus bar in the panel. Are the red and black wires I need to transfer to the 40amp breaker actually live wires? I'm not going to touch them but rather just wanted to know for peace of mind.


texts: It seems my Coleman furnace relies on the hi-limit to shut down the burners, then when the hi-limit resets itself, the sequence of operation resume until the thermostat is satisfied. Is this normal operation?


texts: What type of threshold weather-stripping goes here?

texts:
This is for an external door to the garage. It originally had some rubber weatherstrip in it, but it was all busted up and falling apart and dry so that it squeaked really badly. I stupidly didn't take any pictures when I took it out, and now I can't figure out exactly what type goes back in here.
I haven't tried unscrewing the screws to see if that helps me or not since I don't want to break it if I don't need to touch it.
What is this type called so that I can search for it? And do you have a picture of what it should look like, ideally?
Thanks.


texts: I currently have a T5 Fluorescent Fixture which one socket broke. I got a great deal on LED Bulbs which are a direct replacement to T8 Fluorescent bulbs. Would I be able to reoutfit the fixture with T8 Sockets, or would I need to change the ballasts too?


texts: I am installing some solar panels that measure 41" x 27" on my concrete flat roof using slotted angle bars. What type of of screws (as well as wish and length) would be best to attach to the roof and permit the best shear strength for hurricane force winds. I have a lot of 1/4 inch width Tapcon anchor screws. Would that be sufficient?


texts: Trying to install smart switches - came across something that looks wrong

texts:
I am putting in some wemo dimmers to replace my existing dimmers in a three gang box, and came across this wiring:

I marked areas of concern with red circles.

It seems that the two dimmers are grounded to each other (the boxes in the middle and right). The ground wires are just tied together, nothing else.
The cables to the lights are also grounded together (but I can't see grounding from anywhere else).
Also, it seems that the neutral wires are tied to a ground wire that is from a 3 way switch. This is the other end of the three way switch:

The light gray wire (as opposed to the dark grey) I'm assuming is a white wire used as part of a traveler.

Here are pictures of the actual boxes:

My #1 concern is this: is it ok for those neutrals to be tied to a ground wire? Should those dimmers be grounded to eachother?

Thank you so much for your time and consideration!


texts: Adding an outlet in kickspace of kitchen cabinet kickspace, meet code?

texts:
Some time ago I added an outlet in the bottom/side of a kitchen cabinet. I took out the drawer, cut an access panel in bottom of cabinet and ran the wire up from the basement, through the floor. Used a plastic box and set it in the side of the cabinet about 4” up from the floor. Receptacle is under a shelf at end of cabinet (this was to have an outlet to plug in pet’s water dish that has a tiny pump in it.)

Is there anything about this that is not up to code? Does the rule about attaching the wire to a stud or something within 12” of a box apply here?

Is there any problem with the wire running through the floor like this? (tile over plywood). (Should I run it through conduit or some kind of shielding?)

Was it okay to put an outlet in this space in bottom of cabinet?


texts: Does converting a non-polarized plug to a polarized one actually make the appliance safer?

texts:
I bought an amazing vintage clock, but have some anxiety about using it, since it's quite old. Some pictures for reference:

I would like to re-wire the clock with a newer cord, as the old one has become stiff and worn, and has that old "scary" feel:

I was planning to convert the old plug to a UL approved polarized plug. But I'm wondering -- would this conversion actually make the clock any safer? If the clock isn't made to be polarized, then does using a polarized plug change anything about it?

(And this inevitably brings up the sub-questions: Is this clock actually unsafe to operate, or does it just feel unsafe because it's old? Are there different upgrades I could do to the clock to make it more safe?)


texts:
After a few power outages and some very cold weather, the Goodman (GMSS960803BNAA) propane furnace at our cabin is not heating.

The thermostat is new/replaced (Nest) and I've checked voltages for the thermostat wires.

When turned on, the furnace attempts to light (see video) but for whatever reason does not end up lighting.

After three attempts, the solid red status light turns to a single blink (system lockout).  No other blink statuses during ignition.

Other propane appliances in the house (stove, water heater) seem to be working fine.

I am not familiar with furnaces so any specific suggestions appreciated.  I'd call an expert in to help but the cabin is not easily accessible in the winter.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/WZ8Qan3Hhertzj3X7


texts: Which of these will strongest connect three panels?

texts:
I'd like to assemble essentially a cube made of aluminum panel walls (30 cm x 30 cm x 4 mm sheets), with an emphasis on stability/strength of the cube.

Since I don't have welding knowledge, I'd prefer to use (internal) connector brackets to connect each corner of every three panels; i.e., a total of 8 corners.

Based on research of easily/inexpensively available parts, I've come up with the following three options. (The idea being I'd use multiple of these, taking care of all inner-corner combinations of my panels.)

Question: How would these rank; will one of these be significantly stronger than the others in connecting the three aluminum panels?


texts: Vent a portable air conditioner with a 6 inch hose through a 3 inch hole in the wall

texts:
I bought a new portable air conditioner for my condo. I bought this one: a/c. I want to use it to cool either my living room or my bedroom. My apartment is 1100 sq. ft. so I believe this should be more than enough to cool down either portion of the condo. However my condo is not A/C friendly. It has only narrow casement windows and one roof to ceiling sliding window in the living room. I am also not allowed to install a window mounted A/C. However, it does have these 3 inch holes in the wall in many of the rooms (presumably for ventilation or A/C). I heard some of my neighbors use those holes to vent their A/Cs. I wonder whether this is safe or not (fire, mold). If it is, can I just hook the hose into a 6 to 3 reducer? What material is good for this purpose: PVC, metal, something else?

I know there are ways to install portable A/Cs in casement and tall sliding windows but both seem too complicated. I was hoping I can just use a reducer and be done, but I want to make sure it is safe. BTW the condo exterior walls are concrete.The holes clearly lead to the outside (I can see the street through them)


texts:
Unfortunately, the only place we can have a sofa is in front of the radiator and the radiator cannot be moved. I am thinking about building a box around the radiator to achieve the following:
The Goals

Keep heat away from the back of the sofa. (It's a leather sofa to looking to avoid drying damage)
Try and direct as much heat upwards and into the room

The box specification:

Bottom of the box fully open
Gap around the front and sides of about 50mm
TRV to be outside of the box and not behind the sofa as much as possible
Top of the box to have plenty of holes or slots
Box made from 12mm MDF

For lining the inside I am thinking of one of the following:

Thin sheet of Celotex (or other branded). I think the thinnest is 12.5mm
Insulated underfloor lining

Questions

Will this design help with The Goals?
What is the best material to line the box with to keep heat from escaping from the front & sides?
What other things would you suggest to help achieve The Goals?

Thanks!


texts: bolting together a mitred formica counter top

texts: My counter tops have been cut in a precision miter and holes made underneath for the bolts that join the corner together.  We did a dry fit and everything joins perfectly.  Normally, you would lay down the longest run, then affix the perpendicular run up to it, go underneath the counter at the underside of the cabinet and affix the bolts to tighten together.  My problem is the corner cabinet (a lazy susan cabinet) has a finished interior top in the carcass, which means when you look up, you are not seeing the underside of the counter top so you can access it to bolt it together.  Must I destroy the interior "lid" of the cabinet top by cutting it open or is there any other way?  Help!!!!!  This has to go in now!


texts: Repairing wall near shower and floor - drywall repair

texts:
We recently moved into an older house with a pretty rough master bathroom with a walk in shower. The corner of the shower door appears to be a little leaky so I was going to sit down and replace caulk and clean a bit, but the wall by the corner was crumbly as soon as I touched it (see the first image). One thing led to another and I removed those baseboard tiles (there were two, a long one you see in the first image and a small one by the corner just out of frame), cut out all the damaged drywall, and ended up with the hole you see in the second picture.

I got some cement board and have attached it to cover the hole like you see in the third picture. I needed a wider piece on bottom to run from end to end so hopefully that isn't too weird an arrangement. The reddish messy thing on the corner is I guess the metal corner bead which I'll try to clean off a bit. The two tiles by the shower door are part of larger tiles so I couldn't remove them without taking off the shower door, which would turn this into more than I could probably do, although maybe that would have been ideal?

Before I do anything too irreversible the plan was to tape and apply a couple of coats of joint compound (which seems like it'll be awkward with the little space I have but hopefully doable). Reattach the tiles with thinset mastic, and then caulk everything, sand, prime, paint.

I just want to run this by people to see if this plan is the right way to do this or if I should take those pieces off and do something else with this.


texts: Wiring two lights and two switches using a single 14/3

texts: Trying to wire 2 fixtures with power coming in at one of them. Can I run a single 14/3 from powered fixture to 2 gang switches, then branch from the powered fixture to the remote one?  Thanks for any advice!


texts: What kind of Extruded Aluminum sections to replace main wooden frame on this DIY project?

texts:
Please note, I am not asking or suggesting Aluminum for the horizontal rods/ dowels here. I am asking about the Vertical frame.

Since suggested "Extruded Aluminum Section":

Wondering if that will work?

Strength
Load capacity
Stiffness

If so, what kind?

Extruded Section type - C, U, Rectangular, Hex.. lots of designs?

e.g. http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-x-3-Aluminum-Rectangle-Tube-6063-x-1-8-Wall-96-Long-/201466668412
http://www.jindalaluminium.com/jindal-ecatalogue.php

Thickness/ Strength

To balance strength, stiffness & weight, I was wanting to make the Vertical FRAME out of Extruded Aluminium Section as there are many kinds out there.

Reference to DIY Woodworking Project for Home Fitness & Rehab:

https://woodworking.stackexchange.com/questions/3032/lightest-woods-that-would-be-strong-stable-for-2-components-of-diy-wall-stall

  Horizontal: Wooden parallel bars/ rods/ dowels

  Less thick than frame & probably need greater strength, rigidity & less flex
  Looking at certain wood types

  The Vertical Frame holding them

  Will need to be made of thicker, wider & bigger pieces of wood, adding more to the weight, so a lighter wood would be better, maybe
  plywood?

http://www.roymech.co.uk/Useful_Tables/Timber/Timber_Strength_Calcs.html


texts: How to remove baseboard installed behind hardwood floor?

texts:
The hardwood floors in my house were installed after the baseboards so the lower 3/4 inch of the baseboards is covered.  This is real tongue and groove oak hardwood floors which I want to keep but the baseboards have to go because I'm redoing the walls.  Some of the baseboards are installed directly to the studs, some over drywall, all with 8d trim nails.  Half the nails are about the level of the top of the floor.  The wood floors is butted tight up against the baseboards which is part of why they need to go: no expansion gap.
I've been removing the baseboard by prying off the exposed part, pulling the nails with end cutters, then prying out the bottom part.  The baseboards are mostly white pine so they cut and split easily but it's still slow and I have to break up a lot of the wood with a hammer and chisel while trying to not to damage the floor.  Is there a better way?


texts: Roof Rafter/Beam Joint pulling apart and sagging

texts: There is a joint in my attic where 4 beams or rafters meet. Someone used a 2x4 to support one of the beams, but it did not work because the beam was in two sections.As you can see in the pictures, there is a couple of inches in sag, and the rafters are beginning to pull apart. I was considering putting a 2x6 across the ceiling joists on top of a wall, then hammering in a 2x4 to "jack" up the joists. I am new to this forum and not a construction expert. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.


texts:
I posted a question a few weeks ago regarding wiring to a pool sub-panel, and I'm grateful for the wonderful information I received. Since then, I learned a little more about the area between my main panel and where I need the pool subpanel.

My question is how to best wire the two based on the following:

Main panels are in the basement. The basement is largely unfinished with a poured concrete wall about 5.5' high and with normal framing above it.
The pool panel will be mounted outside on the same house wall as the main panel, but it will be on the other end (mains are on one side, pool panel on other side).
I am limited to where I can exit the basement wall and cannot run the wire inside the basement all the way to where the pool panel is (on outside). I must exit the basement about halfway down that wall.
When I exit the basement to run the wire outside, an exit through the framed part of the basement (thru plywood and siding) puts the wire on the outside about 6' above ground.
I could exit the basement through the concrete wall and exit around 4' high.
No matter at what height I exit, I will then need to run the wire about 3' down the outside wall and then over about 5' to get to the pool subpanel (wire needs to run ~8' on the outside).

Concerns:
I know I need the pool panel mounted chest high in order to have access to the breakers.
I think I need THWN-2 single conductors in conduit on the outside of the house from where the wires exit the house and run over to the panel.
I know I can't use THWN-2 single conductors in the house or romex in conduit outside.

So what wire do I use that's good for the inside basement run but that can also be run on the outside for a few feet? I thought it would be #6/3 romex but I also read I can't put romex in conduit on the outside.
And vice versa: if I get single strands of THHN-2/THWN-2 that are good in outside conduit, they would be an absolute pain to run inside in conduit.
I could run it immediately outside by the main panels, drop down underground, run the length of the house, then back up to the subpanel. This would be extremely difficult due to existing buried septic plumbing.

TL/DR: How do I run 60' of three conductor #6 with ground from my main panels to a pool subpanel from inside my basement, penetrating to the outside of the house (above ground), then running 8' outside to a pool subpanel (all above ground)?


texts: How do I know whether or not I've killed the mold?

texts:
I had some mold on the ceiling of my bathroom. I scraped it off with a sponge. The thick black mold has gone, but there are still fainter grey stains all over the ceiling which won't come off, even with bleach. I sprayed on PolyCell mould killer (UK product).

How do I know whether or not that has worked? I was told the area would have to be completely dry for it to work. There is obviously a lot of moisture around there every day when we have a shower.

If I now paint over the ceiling with anti-mold paint, how can I be sure the mold is not festering underneath it? Does anti-mold paint prevent existing mold from growing underneath, as well as preventing any new mold from coming on top?


texts: Is there a lighting code restricting where lights can be placed?

texts:
I am having a new home built in New Brighton, MN, USA. We went over the plans on where we would like our lights, outlets, switches to be placed throughout the home. I asked them to place a light in a different position in the storage area of the garage.

See the image below. The red X's indicate where the lights are currently placed. A few months ago I asked them to move the red X in the storage area closer to the main part of the garage (where the blue X is located). At first, no one objected to this plan. However, we just did a walk through of the home before they install the drywall. I was told that they cannot move the light because of "code".

I've tried searching but cannot find any code restricting where lights can be placed. Does anyone know of such code for my area or in general?


texts:
I bought 2 of these from home depot (except they are like 16' wide instead of 25' and incidentally only $24):

I am doing a "pallet project" wherein I've built a "tiki hut" bar out of old pallets, within a large area inside of metal pipes from the 1950's used (I think) for clotheslines:

I don't necessarily feel like it has to be enclosed (fenced) on all 4 sides, just the 2 shorter sides of the rectangle.

I put one up on one end by leaning it against the metal poles then putting 4 tall skinny wooden stakes in on each side to hold it up straight. This did OK, but not great -- it's still loose and slumps a bit. I think the wind will blow the whole thing over this weekend.


texts: How to eliminate vibration noise that started after replacing blower motor?

texts:
I have a Trane XR80 furnace, circa 2002. The blower motor died today.

I purchased a new motor and replaced it. Started the A/C and it blows great, but now on the first floor above the furnace I have what sounds like the washing machine on spin cycle.

I looked in and spun it and it doesn't seem to be wobbling or hitting anything. The set screw is tight, I even went around the furnace and tightened every screw.

Any ideas on what to look for or how to fix? It seems out of balance, but everything went in the way it came out


texts:
I have a cigar lounge with a ventilation system, I would like to detect the "level" of cigar or cigarette smoke in the room. But I am not sure what sensor to go for, since these smokes contains a lot of different substances and I really want to measure the "smoke-level".

I have been looking for cigarette smoke detectors/sensors online but all I can find is detection systems with alarm output. I want to monitor the levels, to determine e.g. if it's rising or declining.

Any suggestions for what kind of sensor I could use?

Update:
After doing some experiments, I ended up with a solution that works pretty good. I am using an MQ-2 sensor, which I am reading with an Arduino. I calculate the mean and standard deviation of the last 5 minutes, and compare it with the mean from the last three seconds. If there is an increase above 3 sigma, lasting for a couple of seconds, the "smoke" alarm flashes.

It also triggers on a couple of other things; like farting and using compressed air in a can.


texts: How can I cut a bolt off flush with concrete in a corner?

texts: I've got the top of an old rusty bolt sticking out the ground in a corner (see image) I've tried flattening it with a heavy hammer. Can't get a hacksaw in there. Suggestions for leveling that bolt to the surface?


texts: How do I remove this so I can change the lightbulb?

texts: This is a lot more complicated than I thought. I unscrewed the nipple, thinking the cover would slide right out, but no — nothing. Any ideas? I can't get a very good vantage point and am really hoping this can be done blindly from beneath.


texts: What is this yellow fluid in my sump pump?

texts:
I was cleaning out a clogged sump pump for my first time (is been cleaned before but not by me).  During this I opened the top of the pump and saw what looked like a yellow solid but it turned out to be a liquid.  At first I thought it was some sort of dirty water that hadn't drained from the pump but when I dumped some of it out I saw some coiled wires.  I stopped but by that time I spilled some of it on my hands and a lot of it on the ground.

What is the liquid and how toxic is it?  The sump pump was from the late 80's, so I don't know what types of liquids they used then or if the liquid has been replaced since then.  Its been 30 minutes since the spill and I feel fine but want to be sure.

Also, can I pick up the liquid at a local store to replace what spilled out?


texts: Can a doorbell transformer that is on the outside of a wall be place inside the wall behind the drywall. I’m concerned about it getting too hot. Mine is in the kitchen by the ceiling lights


texts: I have older HVAC unit (heat pump) and looking for the C wire to hook up to Smart Thermostat

texts:
I spent 2 hours with Thermostat vendor, Ecobee and they couldn't help me.
I have R,G,Y,B and the white lead is not connected.
I need some guidance on how to get a Common wire.
I tested voltage and R-G, R-B, R-Y all give me 26 volts.

So the red,blue,green and yellow were working fine with old thermostat, yet the Smart Ecobee3 needs a Common.

Any suggestions on how to get the Common wire?

This is a Whalen unit, about 15 years old.


texts:
I am building a sliding door with a frame made of 2x2s covered with plywood panels on each side. I would like to make it reasonably soundproof and was planning on filling the void with some insulation material.

What would be a good material to use in between the panels of plywood?

Here's a peek at what the door will look like: https://s3-production.bobvila.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/DIYSlidingDoor_Step07.jpg


texts: I had a contractor do some tile work on my house and I noticed the grout is sort of spongy and soft. It doesn't feel like the grout around the rest of my tiles. Anyone know what this could be? Is there such a thing as soft grout?


texts: How can I provide neutral wires for my smart switches?

texts:
I'm trying to install smart switches, which obviously need a neutral wire.  I'm pretty sure I am lucky enough that I have it, but, want to make sure and also find out how to use it.  I've attached a diagram of what is inside the 3-gang box that I have.

There are 3 switches that are on the same circuit (all go dead with the same breaker) - one for lights, one for a fan and one for another fan.

The red in the diagram are actually white in the box.  Green is ground and black is black.  The diagram does not demonstrate this because it would look unnecessarily complicated, but all of the ground wires are bundled together with a wire nut, as are all of the white wires.  The grounds are not connected to the existing switches, nor are the white wires.

For now I am just installing a smart switch on one of these.

First, is this possible....are the white ones actually neutrals like I am hoping?

Second, do I just take one of the white wires and connect it to the neutral spot on the switch?

Third, do I need to take one of the grounds out and connect to the switch also?  Should the existing switches also get grounds?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Sorry....forgot the diagram and photo.....


texts: Propane tank sizes peddled by various local providers

texts:
At my house, the previous owner was a huge fan of propane. I've got gas lines running to the main floor fireplace, a basement fireplace, kitchen and the deck. All I ever use and have hooked up is the main floor fireplace, and even that only during winter time.
The previous guy had a massive 500 gallon tank in the back, since I have no use for that much and I wanted to avoid renting it, I opted out for a smaller, 100 pounder.
The problem is, the 100 pound tank doesn't work, it feels like there are so many pipes around the house, even with the taps closed at the edges, there isn't enough pressure and I need a larger tank just for the sake of getting the pressure to power a single small fireplace.
Another supplier said that because of the freezing winter temperatures, 100lb tanks aren't usable and I need at least 420lb because in the smaller tank, in cold weather, the propane wouldn't vapourize, so while 100lb is enough to provide the pressure, it wouldn't work anyhow.
Since I've run into some not-quite-honest providers around here before, I'd love some real input on what to do here.
My plan right now is to simply disconnect all the gas pipes at the source and install a new  pipe only for the fireplace I want to use, and stay with the 100lb tank.
Any ideas and solutions are of course welcome


texts: Idea to fill the tile gap after removing the wall

texts:
I removed the wall in my basement which has a tile floor. I want to fill this gap where the wall was and looking for ways on what i can do which is going to look good. Shared picture is part of the wall and other half of the wall (with door in middle) where the tile lines dont match up. So putting existing tiles is not a good option has the size would vary.

UPDATE:
Other side of the wall

Complete picture:

SOLUTION:
This is I how ended up solving this problem.


texts:
I'm planning on installing a natural gas pool heater. I want to have a 1-1/4" black iron pipe exit the house where it will run for about 5ft to the heater which will then be reduced to 3/4". I don't want the pipe to be in contact with the ground to prevent corrosion. I think it would also be easier to paint the underside of the pipe if it was elevated about 6 inches from the ground.

Being elevated like that does it make sense to place a permanent concrete block under the pipe somewhere halfway in-between the house and the heater? I want to protect the line and the equipment in case someone decides it's a good idea to stand on top of the pipe. Is there an an industry standard to something like this? Is the concrete block a good idea?


texts: Do cables that are not NM type need to be derated when used as NM?

texts:
I am a newbie in this forum but have been looking at some of the wiring in my house especially some XHHW-2 wiring used for the electric range.
I need to have some clarification of cable terminology.

When someone refers to non-l(or NM) cables they are referring to a specific type of cable.  What I mean by this is that the term NM does not include for example XHHW-2 cable.  Correct? (I think I'm reading too much into the term "non-metallic")

I have an NM-B, copper two conductor 14 AWG with one 14 AWG ground cable running through the same hole in a floor joist as an aluminum XHHW-2 three conductor 6 AWG with 1 unshielded 6 AWG ground wire cable.  There is no sort of filler and insulation in the hole.

Does this mean I do not have to derate the ampacity of these cables? Looking at various forums and reading the code I get that impression but then I notice almost all those forums are explicitly talking about NM cable - which takes me back to my first question.

If someone could help clarify things that would be much appreciated.


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. I tried to attach a photo but can't--something about needing "at least 10 reputation to post images"?!? I realize it'd be a lot easier if you could see a photo, but can anyone advise what went wrong? 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? Does anyone know of a company etc that sells a similar--hopefully better treated--product? I've had a hard time finding pineapple post caps like this, but I just don't think I can use these in their present condition.


texts: do i add a number to alumiconn connectors when using for repair work of aluminum wiring

texts: I have three receptacles boxes with burnt aluminum wiring. I,m going to use three port alumiconn conectors to repair outlet and join copper pigtail with two aluminum wires. I will be using one for hot,one for neutral, and one for ground. What number do I assign each connector for box cubic fill. Hopefully electrical boxes will be big enough after adding all numbers for wires and receptacle and connectors. I have incoming romex, traveling romex to next box down line,receptacle and three alumiconn connectors.


texts:
we have a problem with our internet connection. it is not stable and not as fast as it can be...
Our provider suggested we contact an electrician to " break" (?) The bridge tap. According to him, it can help.
Before I contact an electrician, I wish to understand a little bit about that and to be sure it makes sense?
Thank you for your help!


texts: Why does the wall-mounted control for my Genie 2024 Garage Opener quit working when the weather is hot?

texts: Remotes work fine.  But every time the temperature gets above 80 the light in the wall unit (inside) goes out and it quits working.  Usually by the next morning it comes back on.  Since we're having an unusually warm summer the unit never does work.


texts: My 10x10 bedroom has one funky light fixture in the center. Can I get away with replacing it with one recessed light?


texts: How do I calculate fan size for a single room exhaust system to reach a desired cfm when restricted to specific duct size/route?

texts:
I am wanting to exhaust a sealed room (except for air intake and exhaust).

The room is 512 ft3, and due to positioning, orientation, and existing construction, I am restricted to using 6" flexible ducting (I may be able to put rigid sections, but don't want to assume this yet).

The route I have to take to the outside wall is about 15 to 20 feet and will require a number of soft bends, at least 1 x 90 degree bend, and likely 3 x 45 degree bends.

I would like to have the ability to change the air completely once every 3 minutes minimum. My initial simple calculation for my target minimum is 171cfm.

My questions are:

Given a min requirement of 171 cfm, how can I roughly calculate the fan size I need such that I end up at 171 cfm after accounting for the flexible ducting run?
My initial search online finds that 6" round duct is capable of handling 100 cfm, is this a different rating, or does that mean that even if I could reach 171 cfm, a 6" duct won't handle it?
Is there a simple forumla to calculate intake requirements?
If the required intake size is too large for my application, can I make multiple smaller intakes which add up to the same area as the larger?
Once I have the target fan size if there is any equipment I then want to place in front of it to pull air through, what do I need to know to calculate the new fan size? For example if it tells me the pressure drop if 42 pascals?
If that filter equipment has an effective cfm range, do I compare that to my fan's rating before or after calculating the effect of the ducting?

I have tried various calculators such as: https://www.cdicurbs.com/ductcal

The problem is, it asks for things like "Duct Air Flow" in cfm, would this be my desired 171cfm for the room?and in the end, I am not sure I understand how to use these numbers. For example, if I add the numbers in, and it tells me the Friction Loss is .45, would that mean I would convert that to .09 for the 20 foot run (.45 * 20)/100, and add 9% to the cfm of the fan to account for the ducting (this doesn't seem close to right to me)?

The resulting calculation doesn't need to be absolutely exact, but I definitely want to land at or higher than my minimum.

Thank you for any help you can provide, after asking all this I am realizing what a tremendous rabbit hole this is for DIY. I will update as I learn more, or discover new information as I will be continuing to try learn on my own after posting!

Thanks!

Steve


texts:
I recently purchased a home with a full finished basement. The home was built in 1988. No foundation or structural concerns were noted during the home inspection. There is carpet in the basement. The few visible locations of bare concrete (exterior, mechanical room) show no signs of distress.
However, when I walk around the carpet in the basement without shoes on, I feel a few places where it’s uneven: a ridge, a bump, etc.
Is this a cause for concern? Should I pull up the carpet to check for cracks?
Update,
I pulled a piece of carpet over one of the offending areas and this is what I found. There is a crack, and also what looks like a purposeful control joint. This isn’t the entirety of the areas I was worried about. However, for discussions sake, if all of the unevenness in my basement is due to features like this, should I be concerned?

A deeper inspection of visible, vertical concrete surfaces continues to indicate no cracks in the foundation walls. All windows and doors in the home function properly.


texts: Is a slightly-deformed clay pipe a concern?

texts:
We're doing a buying inspection on a house, and the sewer inspector provided a video of the snake camera. Here's a still from where the house line (clay) connects to the city line:

The inspector didn't mention anything about this in the video, but I just want to make sure it's OK the pipe doesn't seem to be completely round at this point?

The rest of the line looked fine -- a couple places with roots starting to poke in, but nothing crazy. Goes from cast iron closer to the house to clay closer to the city.


texts: How can I provide GFCI protection to my kitchen receptacles?

texts:
I Live in Round Lake, Il., in a 1940's built home.
In my kitchen I have four counter top receptacles surrounding my sink area. Two of the receptacles are close to the sink, and I want to replace them with GFCI receptacles. The wiring is serviced by armored cable containing two insulated wires (blk/wht), and a very small non-copper uninsulated wire. All receptacles are on the same circuit, and appear to loop through the outlets from left to right. How can I install a GFCI receptacle to control this string of receptacles.


texts: Perpendicular set studs sometimes shift during toe nailing to flat plates, top and bottom. Is there a way or a tool to clamp 2x4 perpendicular?


texts: What alternatives are there to a gas boiler for private house?

texts:
I am looking for gas boiler alternatives for private house. At this moment I have found solid fuel boiler as replacement of gas one. Could someone suggest any alternative to gas technology or other (better) implementation of this one?

ADDED:

By the way I have found:

Thermia's heat pumps


texts: Ceiling fan wiring (2x light switch, 1x fan switch)

texts:
I'm installing a ceiling fan in our kitchen and we need to have 1x switch for the fan (preset fan control switch) and 2x switches for the light (1x 3-pole dimmer switch, 1x 3-pole switch). I was unable to find any wiring diagrams for such a setup, so I drew one up myself:

Before implementing it I wanted to get some outside eyes on the diagram to make sure that it will in fact work as intended and that it is safe and to code.
Any help or input would be appreciated. TIA!
Updated diagram based on @ThreePhaseEel's comment:


texts: ivy growing between sliding glass door frame

texts:
On the ground floor of my house, I have a sliding glass door. A small stalk of ivy has grown through the caulk (or other sealant?) between the frame/wall of the house and the frame of the sliding glass door.

What's the best way to repair this?

Current thinking:

Immediately cut the ivy so it doesn't widen further. Trim back the ivy so other strands don't invade the house.
Wait for the ivy to die off, then remove the ivy from the gap.
Caulk in the hole

What criteria are best to determine how to repair the hole/gap leading out of the house?


texts: Install wire rope to several steel tubes?

texts:
We have 13 1.5" round steel tubes that go around a small area in our backyard Each tube has a small hole that crosses the tube. I'm including the basic design:

I would like to use wire rope (or steel cable) to go around all these tubes, and make a rudimentary fence.

What would I need? The tubes are galvanized, but I wouldn't want water to go inside the tube.

Thanks.

These are the regular tubes:

This is the regular wire:


texts: Can I hang a swing from 2 by 8 roof beams?

texts:
I have a deck where the roof overhang goes out about 5-6 feet. I'd like to hang a porch swing from the roof beams. I'm looking at three person swing (similar to this model). The adults in the house weigh approx 260 lbs, so I would expect a load of no more than 600-700 lbs in total. Image of beams below.

The roof overhang is built on 2x8 beams. I am thinking that I could drill aligned holes the length of the swing (plus a beam on either side), then put a metal pipe of some type through the holes and hang the swing from that. Is this a good idea, or am I at risk of damaging the roof beams? If so, any suggestions as to how to do this?


texts: Just purchased home has 3 wire receptacles in 2 wire system which the lower of the two plug ins are controlled by a wall switch. There are 6 of these on one room.  How does a GFCI replacement receptacle in each box work with that?


texts: Do multiple shower heads require multiple shower valves?

texts: I'm working with a home builder to have two shower heads in a master bath shower. The builder proposes have two shower valves, one per head. Is this recommended/required or is the builder just trying to charge me more for another part?


texts: How can I repair/replace this swollen section of countertop?

texts:
This countertop appears to be laminated particle board. I suspect the damage shown in these photos happened likely due to excess water being present on the countertop and seeping in between the sections of countertop, getting absorbed, and causing this swelling.

I think that swollen section is called an "end splash", a "return splash", or a "backsplash" (although I thought the last one may be reserved for when the material is tile).
Can the swollen section can be repaired? Or would it simply be replaced? How would I ensure that the replacement will have the same color/design on the laminate? What would a professional do?


texts:
Applied recently "Scotts® Green MAX™ Lawn Food" to my lawn without knowing that the iron could stain my driveway concrete and ended up with some very ugly rust stains after the rain came down later that day.

Here are my questions:

Can I expect that the stains will wash off over time simply by being exposed to the elements like rain and snow and if so how long could that take?
If not which product would you recommend to remove the stains? So far I tried ZEP Calcium, Lime and Rust Remover found at Home Depot and it did not help a lot.
Since there are already some chips in the concrete that would be nice to fix, would it make sense to get a contractor to coat the concrete with a thin layer which would also cover the rust stains and how much does that cost per 1000 sqft?


texts: How do I fix cracked plumbing in this situation?

texts: Pictured is where a drain from my washing machine enters into the main stack. There is a crack in the collar of the plumbing underneath where I have circled in the picture. It broke when the extending pipe was torqued. I tried to reglue and seal but continues to leak.  Between the pieces all being so close together and up against the wall, I am not sure what else to do. Any suggestions would help.