texts:
I am a new to me house (built in the 70's) and lately one of the bedroom doors, a wooden door, has started sticking in the upper corner furthest away from the hinge.  The bolts going through the hinge are all the way in and we have had some rain lately so the humidity is up which I assume could cause expansion but I would like to prevent this from happening.  We live in an area with solid foundations so foundation shift is not a likely issue.

Are their any options other than reposition the hinges or use a plane to shave off some of the top of the door?


texts: Getting various non-zero voltages between neutral and ground on daisy-chained extension cords

texts:
Backstory: I am running power (temporarily) to a workshop through a 25' and a 50' extension cords. I was worried about the voltage  drop over this length so I was measuring voltage to see if it dropped below what the tools needed. As it turned out, there was almost no voltage drop, which really surprised me, so I connected another 50' cable to the end of that. Still no very little voltage drop.
The resulting daisy-chain looks like this:
Outlet -> [25' 10AWG] -> [50' 12AWG] -> [50' 14AWG]
Then I decided to measure neutral to ground to see if it was zero. I tested at each of the four locations, and had various readings from 8V to 0V. It seemed that the farther I got from the original outlet the higher the voltage. What can explain this?


texts: Why did my switch spark when I installed it in a metal junction box?

texts: Okay, so I put in a new Wifi Light Switch. The box was metal and tiny, while the switch was big and all of the screws were on the bottom of the switch. Why did it spark and blow up? Was it because all four screws hit the box? I just want to know, because I am going to get a plastic box replacement, and i want to know if that's all I need to do to assure it never happens again.


texts: Should I fill eroded mortar in exterior brick?

texts:
There's a few bricks around my house about 40cm up from ground level where the vertical mortar between the bricks has completely fallen out / eroded away.

In a few spots, there's insects going into it and making a home.

I think I should fill it in, but I'm not sure of the best way to do it.

Mix up some mortar? Just use caulking?

I'm in SWO, Canada, so whatever I do has to be weather resilient.


texts: What are my options to replace a sliding glass door screen?

texts:
I have a sliding glass door off my kitchen which used to have a screen on it (the screen slid on a track just outside of the glass doors).  When I moved into my house the screen that was there was a replacement screen (I do not think it was the original) which quickly ripped (the screen that was there just was not made for 4 kids 6 years and under).  I tried another replacement screen from Home Depot this spring and although the screen itself did not rip, it just did not fit perfectly, would not slide smoothly, and got bent and went in the garbage in about 2 weeks.

I would try another replacement but it would need to be something better than what I got at Home Depot last.  And I would go to the door manufacturer but the name on the glass is Guardian and I have not been able to find them.

UPDATE (2011-09-18): The patio door is an American Craftsman by Andersen sold at the Home Depot.  See my answer for more info.


texts: going to cross black to white wire,... but which one?

texts:
So I replaced all of my fire detectors. They were hard wired with battery backup, and so are the new ones... accept for one. I put the wireless combo CM and fire detector in the ceiling of my common 2nd floor area.

So after disconnecting the old wired detector from the white/black/red wires, I lost power to one outlet in an adjacent bedroom and the light in the 2nd floor area directly next to the detector. The light is controlled by 3 switches in same hallway.

So now Im left with these wires and I am betting I have to cross a black and white, but which one? all of them perhaps?


texts: Floor Makes Metal Clang When Walked On - One Room

texts:
We have a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom house. The whole house has hard-wood flooring. One bedroom on the corner of the house has a floor that sounds hollow... When walked on it makes a loud clanging sound... As if noise is vibrating through a duct or pipe. This sound travels to the living room which is across the house, and seems to come from the walls there.

Our heating/AC is heat pump and the ducts are run in the ceiling. The floor seems level. No other floor in the house has this problem. What is causing this noise and how do I fix it?

Also, this house is in Florida and off-grade with a crawlspace.


texts: Voltage fluctuations and GFCI tripping drivng me crazy

texts:
Voltage at a GFCI pug in the bathroom goes down 20 volts when I plug in a 1800 watt hair dryer from 120 to around 100.  At the same time when I measure the voltage at a plug in the kitchen it goes up 20 volts from 120 to 140.

The bathroom GFCI triggers randomly with nothing plugged into it.  The GFCI doesn't seem to trigger by loading or voltage fluctuations.

After checking the breakers and grounds an electrician told me it must be a Edison transformer issue and to call Edison which I did.  Edison found nothing wrong yet.

Help


texts: Should you chemically treat wood that is outside and under a roof?

texts:
My friend said yesterday that houses that are built with birch don't need to be chemically treated.

The wood what is now 50 years old has dark dots on the surface, but it seems to be strong. The wood is exposed to a litte water, since it is used only for those parts under the roof.

I have thought before that the wood would rot inside during such long periods of time. There may however be some fungi on the material, since the dark dots are very evident on the surface of the wood. Is it dangerous to build houses without chemically treated wood?


texts: Where does the strength of a French cleat lie?

texts: I'm making a French cleat wall for a home office.  I'm wondering how to make the strongest French cleat.  Is it the length/angle of the bevel that matters most, like in B vs A in the diagram?  Or is it the overall width of the cleat that is attached to the wall, like in X vs Y?  Or does overall thickness of material (as in across A-side/B-side) make the real difference?


texts:
I picked up this slab of wood from my local Woodcraft in the scrap pile but have no idea what it is.

This particular piece is 8x12x2".


texts: Exterior caulking - metal to concrete, metal to metal, metal to painted wood (pacific northwest). Any negatives of dow 795?

texts:
I am looking for a long lasting caulking for exterior work.  I have primarily metal cladding but there is metal to metal, metal to concrete and metal to painted wood areas that need caulking.
I reviewed this thread:
https://www.contractortalk.com/threads/best-caulk-sealant-osi-quad-vs-silicone-and-polyurethane.413759/
and it seems like the poly based caulks are prone to uv damage but a lot of people tend to like them.
One comment seemed to suggest that silicone sealant wouldn't work for adhesion to painted wood.  Do I need different caulk for the different areas?
My siding contractor recommends dow 795 which is a silicone sealant.  Anyone have any negative views of dow 795?
Amazon reviews all seem quite good - https://www.amazon.com/Dow-Corning-Silicone-Building-Sealant/product-reviews/B000NY76MI/ref=cm_cr_unknown?filterByStar=five_star&pageNumber=1
Only one comment about it being too soft and damaged by cleaning and one about the cure time being 7-14 days (I am not fused about that).


texts: How should I add 120V service to an outbuilding?

texts: I need to wire a small building off of my main service.  I will be running a few lights, a small TV, and a small fridge.  I want to run two 120V lines to it.  My question is can I run 10/2 using the ground as neutral/ground or do I need to run 10/3 2 hots neutral and ground.  I know that neutral and ground are essentially the same electrical connection inside the main panel.  And I really don't need to have the small building inspected.  Any help is appreciated.


texts: How can I fix a tilted concrete shed footing?

texts:
We just bought our first home, and it came with a shed (hooray! Workspace!).

The shed has a footing that's about 8" wide and runs the perimeter of shed, and at some point erosion has caused the part that is butted up to the neighbors fence to crack and more or less  collapse against the fence.

This has caused the floor to be a bit spongy as the footer is barely supporting the bottom joist on that wall, and it has started making that wall of the shed bow outward, as well as push up against the neighbors fence.

Is there anything that I can do, short of say - moving the shed and really fixing the footing - to level things out?

The wall with the busted footing is probably 16' long, and because of the pressures it's fractured that footing into a couple of 4' to 6' pieces. The thought I had was to get a concrete drill and stick some eyelets through and anchor it under the shed (there's about 12" of clearance under the floor), but I'm not sure if that would just cause more problems with the concrete.

I'm not opposed to the idea of doing it the right way (which probably means moving the shed and fixing what the footing stands on) - but right now my primary goal is to get things more or less stable so we can finish getting moved in.


texts: What's the appropriate range for the angle of a slide?

texts:
I'm building a slide, but I can't find any information on what angles are safe yet fun.

What's the appropriate range of angles for a slide?


texts: Calculating Battery Size for 2 Channel NVR Security Camera System

texts:
I need to install a security camera system on a United States 110v power circuit that is only on a night. The circuit is using an astronomical clock to turn on power and more accurately measure the amount of sunlight in a day before turning on the night power, compared to just having a timer on the circuit.

I need to install a PoE NVR with a 2 terabyte HDD, and two PoE cameras on this 110v circuit. The cameras will run during the day only, no night time operation. I want to charge the battery during the night while 110v power is on and have the cameras power off the battery during the day.

I have selected an AGM sealed 100ah 12v battery, a 12v 5amp battery charger (to ensure the battery gets fully charged during the night when there is power) and a 400w inverter. I do not need 400w at all, I only need roughly a 100w inverter but I do not believe a higher watt inverter consumes more power just because it is capable of a high watt output, it is just the devices plugged into the inverter that consume power, so the 400w inverter in fine and not very expensive. It has the battery connectors that I want is why I choose it.

An NVR with HDD can consume a range between 40watts and 200watts from what I have read online. Since I only have 2 cameras I believe I will be in the 40w to 60w range for my NVR. And remember, I will only be recording during the day, no nighttime recording, no night vision usage of the PoE cameras, the cameras will consume around 4w each.

So I am calculating a 70w consumption average of my PoE NVR and 2 PoE camera system.

By my calculations, a 12v 100ah battery will provide 1200 watt hours of power. To maintain good battery health of an AGM sealed deep cycle battery I want to keep the depth of discharge to 80%.

1200 watt hours * .8 = 960 watt hours.

If I am consuming 70w than that means I should get roughly 13 hours from the battery, 960/70 = 13.7 hours.

I am debating on whether I need a larger battery or not and also if my battery charger will be sufficient to recharge during the night, particularly in the peak of summer when you have the longest days and shortest nights.

For the battery size, I am concerned about the broad range between 40watts and 200watts NVR power consumption. With the battery charger I am concerned about the 80ah that will need charged back with a 5amp battery charger during the night. It will take 16 hours to recharge an 80% drained 12v 100ah battery with this 12v 5amp battery charger.

Any insight into where my calculations might be wrong would be greatly appreciated.


texts: Equivalent of union for rigid conduit installation?

texts:
As everyone who's ever done some plumbing knows, every fitting goes together clockwise.  The more pipe you run, or the more complicated your geometry is, the more likely it is you'll end up with something you have to connect where you can't turn the ends the right way, or at all.  There's a solution, of course: a union.
So the question is, what if you have that problem when you're running rigid conduit?  I've never seen a union, and AFAIK using a union (or any ordinary plumbing fitting other than perhaps a coupling) is not kosher for conduit work.
But I've looked at complicated, professionally-installed rigid conduit runs where I can't imagine how they got it together conventionally.  (It would be nice if I had some pictures, but I don't.)  So how do they do it?  Sometimes I can imagine that a left-hand thread would let you make something up tight, but I'm reasonably sure there's no such thing.  But is there some kind of special conduit fitting that helps you assemble things where you can't turn them conventionally?


texts: Does it matter where is live and where is neutral when wiring an electronic ballast?

texts:
I just bought a new electronic ballast to replace the old one for my florescent lamp. However, the connection diagram on the ballast does not indicate where I should connect the live and neutral wires. There are also no L and N markings on either side.

Does it matter at all or am I putting myself at risk of a shock if connected wrongly?


texts: How can I mend a broken bathroom sink drain pipe?

texts:
I removed the P-trap from underneath my bathroom sink and cleaned out a messy clog. (Blech!)

I thought all was going well, but as I was reinstalling the trap, the metal pipe detached from from the stub of piping leading down from the top of the sink (as in the photo). It felt like the two pieces had been very lightly sealed together.

In your answer, please take into account my basic plumbing knowledge. If you use a term fancier than "pipe," please define it.

Thanks for your help.


texts: How do I move a support post for a 4x5 stair landing?

texts:
The back door of my church has a stair landing above it that is supported by two 4x4 posts. One of the posts is in the path of the door and people are always running into it. I want to move this post over 12 inches to create a clear walkway. The structure above is simply an enclosed stair landing (4' x 5') that attaches to the newer second story. (Picture a 50"x48" rectangle sticking out from the building.) It is made as follows: On the 50" stair side: 2- 2x12x58 beams that sit on the 8" block header of the first story and a 4x4 post on a concrete slab. The other 50" side is 2- 2x12x50 beams that do not attach to the building side but rest on a 4x4 post on a concrete slab. The 48" side next to the building is 1- 2x12x48 attached to the wood frame of the second story. The problem side is 1- 2x12x48 and 1- 2x12x40 that are nailed into the 50" sides and bracketed to the 4x4 posts.
My thought is to bolt a 2x8x66 to the existing outside 2x12x48 with 1/2" lag bolts every 8" and bracket it to the top of a new 4x4. I would also attach a hanger bracket to the building side that is currently NOT supported. Then I would cut off the existing 4x4 that is in the way of the door.
Does this sound like it would work?


texts:
This is my bathroom's light, which is both a light and a bathroom fan.

The light is much dimmer now, so I guess that one of the fluorescents (or lightbulbs) is out. The fan seems to be working well.

I have never seen this kind of model (I'm a expatriate, and this is nothing like I have seen in the country where I was born). I don't know how to manipulate the lamp to open it and replace the light (I'm afraid of cracking it when forcing it open). I don't even know the name of this particular lamp in order to look for some online tutorial, description or hints.

Any help abut how to manipulate the lamp open, how to replace the lights or even simply pointing to online resources about how to do it would be really helpful. Thanks!


texts: How do I clear a drain pipe clogged with dried soap?

texts:
I think we have a clog of dried soap in our pipes, past the U-bend and down the pipes from upstairs to the drain at ground level.

How do I clear them?


texts:
We are selling our house, and I have not noticed any problems myself with our water pressure, but the home inspector's report said---
Water pressure rising and dropping as pump is running and shutting down. This is improper.
Water pressure should maintain even pressure after the pressure tank. Recommend plumber to evaluate.
  I always thought it was normal for some change...that a pressure switch is set between two readings to come on and off and the pressure in the house would fluctuate between these two pressures.
 What am I misunderstanding?


texts: Which wire should be capped when replacing an old 4 wire smoke alarm with a 3 wire alarm

texts: We have to replace an old 4 wire smoke alarm, wire colours are: white, black, orange, brown, in our condo with a 3 wire smoke/co2 alarm. My question is which wire from the old system should be capped when I install the new alarm?


texts: How can I protect my hands when using power tools?

texts:
When doing many DIY projects there's a strong need to protect hands against cutting by sharp part edges. Gloves seem a natural solution.

However recently I was mounting a countertop and wearing gloves and I needed to drill a hole in the countertop surface. I held my hand too close to the drill bit, so once I turned the drill on the drill bit somehow captured the glove and started wrapping it onto itself. I was lucky - the drill had a rather weak motor and it was adjusted to not achieve anything close to high torque, so I all got was a glove torn apart, but that could easily be a broken finger or two. If I had no gloves at that moment just nothing would have happened, except I could at most mildly scratch a finger.

So it looks like wearing gloves greatly increases risk of injury when using power tools. How to address this? How to protect hands when using power tools?


texts:
I'm refinishing the floors in a 4 bedroom house, built circa 2003. The house is roughly 1800 sqft total. The 4 bedrooms have pine floors, while the living room and the hallway are some sort of hardwood. Considering the tile in the kitchen and bathrooms, I would estimate that the pine covers roughly 800 sqft, and the hardwood approximately 500 sqft.

I've watched videos, read articles, and actually helped refinish floors a decade or two ago, so I have a loose idea what I'm getting into. My one uncertainty is the type of sander I'll need.

The hardwood is generally in good shape, except the finish is badly worn, especially in the high traffic areas. The pine's finish is much better, although the level of the boards does not seem to be nearly as even. Still, it's not horrible in my opinion.

Do you think using an oscillating floor sander with a low grit would be a reasonable choice (for the hardwood, or both), or would I be killing myself? Would I be better off with a drum sander?

Secondly, can anyone help estimate what grit of paper to start with, and how much I would likely require? I'm just looking for a ballpark of 5, 10, 25 sheets.

Hardwood

Pine


texts: My washer has water in between the 2 barrels after each load. The water leaves a terrible smell, what is causing this and how can I fix it. The washer is a "Amana" top load washer


texts: How to find the splitter box for cable TV?

texts: I want to move a TV from one room to another.  One room has an active cable connection and the other has an inactive connection.  I cannot find the signal splitter to change the connection.  Any ideas on where the splitter may be located?  This is a 10 year old, single family home.


texts: I’m trying to switch out a wall oven, and I’m having trouble disconnecting the old wiring. The wires are connected by these large blue wire nuts that have a soft outside and almost seem shrink wrapped on. Any ideas on how to remove them? They don’t unscrew.


texts:
I exchanged my double pole 40 ampere breaker that supplied my sub panel for my garage with a single pole 40 ampere and now out of my six breakers in the sub panel only 1,3, and 5 have power. How do I resolve the issue to get power to all my breakers?

The reason I exchanged breakers is my sub panel has three lugs, and I had to completely disconnect it to do some work. When I wired it back up, even with the breakers in the sub panel in the off position, I had power to all my outlets and switches. I do not know what I did wrong as it was fine before.

To Harper, yes, there are only three wires supplying the sub panel.


texts: Drain issue with kitchen sink & basement

texts:
I have washing machine down at the basement and pipe out the grey water with a pump over to the waste water drain. However, it appears that the water from kitchen sink just above the basement is shared the same path. So when my pump starts to pump water some of the water goes up the kitchen sink along with dirty stuff into the sink.

Should I put a check valve below the kitchen sink? would that help? or could I do to fix this issue?

The reverse is also an issue: it appears that water draining from the kitchen sink would go down to the drain, some water would always goes down to the pump which trigger the pump to come on and in turns pumps some water and junk back to kitchen sink.

I have actually since install a check valve in between the pump and the drain line. So at least now the water from kitchen sink would not overflow down to the pump which triggers it to pump back up again.

I also felt that there's a plumbing problem here. I'm not sure how to fix this. Drain seems to work because the water from washer would pump out eventually, some would always flow up to the kitchen sink along with junk, with the check valve installed now for the basement pump at least now the water from kitchen going down to the drain to basement would not overflow over to the pump now.

What would happen if I put a check valve also under the kitchen sink. So only allow water to go down? with the existing check valve between the pump and the drain (only flowing out to the drain), and now new check valve in kitchen sink that only flowing down to the drain. Would this work? that water would not back up the kitchen sink, and kitchen sink water would not back down to the pump in basement, eventually all the water would exit out of the drain properly. or would this create a problem?

I attached a picture of the setup. (The very thin blue arrow indicate the diretion of water flow for check valve) The red check valve is the one I am thinking about adding.

Thanks.


texts: What will happen if I feed a device with two legs from the same phase?

texts: What will happen if I feed a 208v baseboard heater with two legs from the same phase?  What will happen if I feed anything that requires two legs with the same phase?


texts:
I'm installing a firewood rack outside, and want for one side of it to stand on a large stone we have there.

The boulder is irregularly shaped and the metal legs of the rack may slip off -- so I'd like to make depressions in the rock for the legs. The depressions need not be very deep -- I think, half of an inch would do.

I tried applying a chisel with a hammer, and got nowhere -- just a little bit of rock dust flying off. I think, the rock is too hard.

Are there any alternatives? I thought of applying a drill with diamond-tipped "circular saw", but that -- even after I cut a circle -- would still leave the inside of the circle in place, because I'm not going through the rock.

I'm sure, this is a solved problem already -- what's the solution?


texts:
FYI: No inspections or permits, I live in the middle of mostly nowhere. But, of course want to do this "right".
Details:
While face on the right is 9/12, face on chimney side is 11/12. This is a hip roof, all framing sheeting is done (except Chimney). This chimney needs to be approximately 12ft taller than the eave to pass code ("10-3-2 rule" for chimneys). It will get a 6", double-wall insulated pipe with 2" clearance requirements. Thus, i plan the chase to be 1'x1'. I am NOT installing the pipe, because i'd feel more comfortable if a pro does that. I am an experienced framer, but have never framed a chase which extrudes this far atop the roof. I DO get strong winds on occasion and this house is already VERY tall (42' to peak). Needs to withstand wind gusts of 100mph (we never see more than that in 30 years)
My question:
I need a 12ft tall, free standing 1'x1' structure. Is this too tall to just do standard framing with post corners, double top and bottom, then screw on 3/4" sheeting all 4 sides? I could run a 16' 2x4s and fasten to the exterior wall + inside porch truss network. Am I in the metal / angle iron or even engineered territory considering height and wind shear?


texts: How do I make this large mold for concrete countertop?

texts:
I've been wanting to make a concrete counter-top for a long time but there's one section that is giving me trouble. The mold would have to be bigger than would fit on a standard 4' x 8' sheet of melamine. Hoping someone might have encountered this before.

The dimensions in the diagram aren't exact but give a rough idea of the size and shape.

As I see it I have 2 options.

Connect 2 pieces of plywood to create one large mold

Not sure if this is a good idea or not. Might create an uneven surface where the melamine is joined or create the appearance of a seam? Need to reinforce it to make sure it doesn't come apart with the weight of the cement mix. Also will have one very heavy piece to move.

Make 2 molds

I can split the counter-top into 2 molds and then seam the two pieces with epoxy. It should blend in pretty good plus the sink hole will remove a lot of the seem from view. I'll also have 2 more manageable slabs to move around.

3 options for where to put the seem. Yellow line, red line and blue line.

Red and blue lines I'm worried might be too close to the sink opening and compromise strength? Anyone know how close it's recommended to have a sink hole to the edge? Blue

Blue line is pointless now that I look at it. No benefit and just makes the weight distribution between the 2 parts weird.

Yellow line is probably the least conspicuous location but I think might make the mold a little more difficult. Especially getting the sink hole edges to line up. I'd like to use an undermount sink.

Make 3 Molds

After reading the helpful input and better understanding the challenges I'm now leaning towards making 3 molds with a seam at the red and blue lines.

I think it will make it easier to create the molds, make it easier to get a good sink hole and overall be stronger. Three slabs will be easier to move around than 2 also.

Open to any opinions.


texts: Does a non-functional whole-house humidifier affect air quality in my home?

texts:
I installed a Honeywell Humidifier 18 years ago and it was never cleaned and stopped working 10 years ago.

Does this non working humidifier affect the quality of the air in the winter? Should we clean it or replace it altogether?


texts:
In the course of doing some other work, I came across this poor installation of a ceiling fan.  This was done when my house was originally wired by "professional" electricians, and presumably inspected under some version of the NEC, while being constructed in North Carolina in 1987-88.

As you can see, they simply lag-screwed the fan to the ceiling framing (a piece of 2x8 between two joists).   The fan canopy trim (removed for photo) encapsulated the wiring from underneath, but above it was directly exposed to the wood and virtually in contact with it.  A 14/3 cable was passed through a hole in the 2x8.

Obviously this is an egregious code violation and I must install a fan-rated ceiling box.  But I'm not sure how to connect the fan to the box.  Its mounting system is very different than the usual ball-and-socket system I've see in recent years.  A pin between two brackets (sticking up from the fan housing) holds a rubber bushing of sorts.  A u-bolt type thing (kinda like an upside-down "omega") wraps under that bushing and is lagged to the wood.

I could:

Just screw the u-bolt into the fan box as usual, except the spacing between the lag screws is 2-1/2" which won't match holes on any fan box of which I'm aware (probably will use Raco #295 "pancake" box).
Remove the fan, screw the box to the wood, and then re-attach the fan just as it was before, with the lag screws passing through holes I'd drill in the box.  I believe that with metal boxes it may be acceptable to have metal passing from the inside to the outside of the box.   OTOH, I'm making a modification to a listed box.
Hope the manufacturer can help me with an old-stock mounting bracket of some kind.   But the fan is 30+ years old.  It's one of those old Hunter ones with a heavy cast-iron housing, so I hate to simply replace it.


texts: How should I reconnect my light fixture?

texts: I took my ceiling light down to paint it and when I put it back I connected the white wire to the 2 white wires in the pic. I connected the black wire to the black bundle in the pic. Now the light is on all the time no matter the switch position. I can't figure it out. I don't have a meter.


texts: How precise do I need to be when ordering a custom exterior door?

texts:
I want a new exterior door. I went to Lowe's, and the Jeld-Wens there had the hinges at the wrong heights for my jamb. They told me to measure my heights and they would custom order.
I've measured my hinge heights as well as I can, but I'm a little suspicious that my measurements are precise enough that the new door will fit perfectly. On the other hand, if door manufacturers always place them to the nearest 1/8" (say), then maybe I'm all right.
I measure (the tops of) my hinges at 6 3/4", 37 1/2", and 68 1/2". That makes the distance between the middle and top 30.75", and the middle and bottom 31". That seems a little odd to me.


texts: Steel basement columns have rusted and split open

texts:
I have basement columns that have rusted and split open. Do you think I need replace them? Thanks!

Thanks a lot for the quick answer, there are five columns in my basement and three of them had split open. the other two had little rust. basement is dry and no crackles on the floor at all. Seems to me it is the concrete inside the column attract some moisture and the column start rust from inside first. I think I need have someone replace at least three of them.Anyone have idea how much it cost? Also since those columns support the beam.I am little worried if the new column install little different. will the upstairs wall crack little bit since the shape of the support beam may change little bit?


texts:
So far, I've only seen other questions around here about galvanized pipe or duct, so here's a new one for you all!
I'm trying to patch up holes rusted through a telescope observatory's dome. The panels themselves are, according to documentation, Galvalume; the rest of the structure, g-90-grade galvanized steel.
I'm not a welder nor do I expect the community college has funds to hire one for this job, though I understand that would be the most ideal fix. I also never heard back after asking Facilities if anyone on staff had repaired galvanized metal before.
So, I think this is gonna be a "DIY" job. My thought is to repair by sanding/grinding away the rust, applying some sort of metal filler putty, and then painting over with a galvanized-approved paint. The dome is incredibly difficult to disassemble (i.e. we need to rent a crane), so I'll have to do this in-situ... so, products need to be OK with high humidity and possible rain (though I can cover with a tarp) while curing/drying.  This is in Hawaii, where there's equal part bright sunlight (read: intense UV) and rain exposure, salt breeze (one mile from ocean), and no chance of freezing.
Q.1 - what sort of filler putty to use?
Permatex makes a 25909 "Liquid Metal Filler", which claims excellent adhesion to galvanized.
3M Bondo Gold also claims adhesion to galvanized. Weirdly, I emailed 3M and they stated Bondo "is cosmetic only, not an adhesive" and that they "do not manufacture/market a product to meet your needs". Hmm.
I figure that I'll need a fiberglass or polycarbonate patch to reinforce the inside of the larger holes (well, definitely the couple of 3-inch totally-rusted joints that might just need to get chopped out).
Q.2 - how large of a hole can I get away just filling in, before needing a reinforcing patch? Half-inch? There are two spots that are just pinholes right now, but they're directly overhead (the sliding shutter tracks have foam insulation that's above these points), but once I sand them down I expect to have to patch a larger area.
Q.3 - Is there some reason to not use a "cold galvanizing" spray-can paint to finish over these repair areas? I am looking at Rust-Oleum 1685380, which states to not use another primer or topcoat when used on galvanized. It says it is an epoxy ester product.
Thanks for your time and any past experience!
Edit: Just found I could add pictures.  Here are a couple to help illustrate:
The bad seams, from inside:

The bad seams, from outside:

Pinholes, about 12 feet overhead:

The worst area, plus surface rust:


texts: Outlet tester results for open ground on mixed circuit

texts:
I have a US house built in 1958 that has been remodeled in many stages over the years. I recently tested a circuit that included ungrounded outlets in the old part of the house. A number of years ago, we remodeled a bathroom and had the electrician replace a couple of ungrounded outlets on that circuit with what were supposedly grounded outlets (with a GFCI thrown in). I checked both those outlets and there is a ground wire connected to the outlet and going into the wall.

My Sperry (plug-in) tester shows an open ground. Do these testers always show an open ground when a circuit doesn't have a ground back to the panel?

Another couple of notes/questions:

On one outlet, my Sperry non-contact tester lights up when I get close to it. This works as expected on other outlets (on other circuits). When I pull that outlet out of the wall and test the neutral and hot wires, hot lights up (as expected), neutral does not. Does this indicate a problem with that particular outlet unit or just the general unreliability of non-contact testers? My tester had the same result with two different outlets hooked up to these wires.
Going back to those "grounded" outlets mentioned above, a multimeter shows about 116V across hot/neutral, but zero from neutral/ground and hot/ground. That seems to indicate that despite the presence of a ground wire, that ground doesn't appear to actually be connected to anything. Is that a reasonable conclusion?


texts: How to remove wire from insert connector in recessed light fixture

texts:
I want to remove a wire from this connector inside a can light junction box. I tried pulling it but it doesn't come out. Am I missing something here?
Take a look at picture of similar can. I know that in this picture the wire is integral to the fixture. I want to remove incoming wire from another similar can in celling.


texts: Running Water through Air Injection Softener with no power

texts:
Im in no way a plumber so forgive me if this is a silly question.  I am on a well water system with an air injection softener.  Last night, the circuit breaker its on shorted out.  Im really at a loss as to why that is, because as far as I know there's only a few outside lights (none of which are on) and the softener itself on that breaker.  I suppose its possible that the breaker itself just went bad, but Im probably going to have someone out to look at it anyway.

My question is what to do about the plumbing situation in the meantime.  The reason I discovered the breaker was tripped in the first place was that the softener was making really loud sounds, and when I went into the crawlspace to try to figure out what was going on, the lightbulb wouldn't turn on, which caused me to check the breaker.  I have since turned off the water to the house, and the noise stopped, because no water is running through.  So here is my two-part question:

Im not sure how the pressure switch for the tank works and Im worried it might be on the same circuit as the softener.  The PSI on the tank is currently at about 60 (out of a 100 PSI tank).  Is this too high?  Should I turn off my well pump until the issue is fixed?

Assuming I can leave the well on, is there any harm that will be cause by running water through the softener while it is powered off? (other than the obnoxious noise)

Edit:
Seems like the water pressure is stabilized at 60 PSI, so its probably a 40/60 setting which is pretty common according to the internet.  It was lower this morning since I had been using the water, so I got worried when I saw it rising.  Just the question about the softener then.


texts: Can I replace the permanent filter in my furnace?

texts:
In my furnace (ruud ubhc-17j14sfa), there is a permanent, washable filter.  It was there when we moved in 2 years ago.  The house is about 10 years old now.  The filter is pretty simple, more like a strong mesh.  I don't just want to replace the filter as the it might effect the airflow going to the furnace and cause issues, or have the furnace work harder.

Does anyone have experience with this?  would it be ok to replace it with a higher MERV rating without causing any issues?

Thanks!


texts: Having some trouble with Sanding hardwood floors

texts:
I thought I sand my floors myself so last night I rented random orbit sander from home depot. Using the 36 grit sand paper. I did not get the result I was hoping to get. It is my first time using the sander. Upon closer look, I found that some of the planks are not even. Some planks are higher some are lower due to which I feel like the sander didn't do a good job. What do you recommend I do at this point? Should I rent the drum sander? Here is the result. Close up pictures show better result.

10/15/2017
UPDATE: I decided to hire someone to do this job. I found a lot of mix reviews. I personally didn't feel comfortable using the drum sander which is exactly what this floor needed. The drum sander that they used was 220 volts and was way more powerful than what I could rent. Here is the latest picture.


texts:
I live in Florida. I have noticed that in the Winter it seems that the cold air leaks through the windows and into the rooms. This, of course, raises my energy bill for heating (yes we have to turn on the heat in Florida sometimes!)

It seems like to me that the air is leaking through where the bottom of the window meets the aluminum frame.

I thought that I could use window frame weather stripping to place between where the window comes down to meet the frame and the frame itself. So essentially, the window would "squish" the insulation and make a good seal.

Is this the preferred method? I have checked the caulking in and around the window. It is definitely not leaking through there and in the Winter I can feel the cold air come through the sill.


texts: How do I attach a drywall corner bead to a wood door jamb?

texts: I am installing a door into a wall and I do not want to have casing on the door. I want to install corner bead directly to the door jamb to create a "hidden door". It seems that typical corner bead is too small.


texts:
According to the instructions, I have to make a 21.5 degree cut in a 2x4 piece of lumber.

Here’s a screenshot of the instructions:

My question: can this measurement be done without having to buy a protractor or any other specialized tool?

Or even better, can I print out a protractor from the web?


texts: We had vinyl floor installed a year ago that is now coming up.  The installer said he will replace with another floor as soon as we find out where the moisture is coming from.  We had a plumber do tests and he found no leaks and the foundation contractor said there were no drainage issues or cracks in the foundation.  I am at a loss as to who else to contact about this problem or what it could be.  The house is only 4 years old.


texts: Moved into house with only 2 prong outlets. What to do with fridge and other outlets?

texts:
First let me start by saying I know this question has been answered with various nuances, but when it comes to safety I want to make sure I have the most appropriate information for my situation.

We're in the process of moving into an old house (renting, currently on a 6 month lease). When I did the walkthrough I didn't notice that every outlet was a 2-prong; it just wasn't something I'd even considered. I have a number of 3 prong devices and I want to make sure I'm using them safely (both for me and the device).

The only place that there is a 3 prong is in the bathroom. It is not a GFCI (none in the whole house). However I tested it and with the neutral and hot connections I get 120Vrms. With the hot and ground I get  ~10-12Vrms and with neutral and ground I get ~1Vrms. I take it to mean that it is not actually grounded and a previous tenant replaced it so they could plug in a 3-prong device...

Also very concerning is the the fridge is plugged into one of those crappy 2->3 adapters and I think the ground pin is just floating and not actually connected to anything... this seems wrong at best and dangerous at worst.

I looked into adapters but the screws at least on the outlets' faceplates are not grounded. The house was built in 1921 and I have no idea how much wiring has been done since but I think it's safe to assume there probably isn't any grounding wiring. I am, however, able to get a clean 120Vrms signal from some of the pipes and various metal around the house, FWIW.

We've asked the landlord and they want nothing to do with replacing any of it and suggested we "buy some cheater plugs". Which, yes, will technically work but it doesn't feel like a good solution. If I were an owner I'd probably just pay to have it all redone. I'm in Seattle, if that affects any of the answers.

What should be done about the fridge? I was thinking a minimum of adding a GFCI for safety. I do worry that the fridge will trip it, which I've heard of happening.
What can be done for the other outlets to make them safer for me and my devices?
How much of a problem is this, really? Is it something that we should be concerned about to the point of moving in August? We were hoping to live here for a few years at least, but it isn't likely to be properly rewired any time soon.


texts: How can I install heat tape on a hard to reach PVC drain pipe?

texts: I need to install heat tape on the INSIDE of a 6" PVC drain pipe. The challenge is that it must be inserted from the bottom and pushed up about 4'. I'll also need a thermostat. How should I go about this?


texts: The supplier says I'll be lucky to get 8 years on my new water heater. Is this true? What's up?

texts: The water heater I just replaced (bought it new in '95 when I bought the house and started the remodeling) lasted 22 years. (I wish I had known to replace the anode) I purchased a new one from a local plumber/contractor that had done some work for me before and was a bit shocked to find out it would run $600 (vs $239 for the old one). The big shock, though, was when I read the warranty then asking him about it, was informed that I would be lucky to get 8 years service out of this new one. Is this true? If so, what has changed? This new unit does not say "glass lined" on the outside.


texts:
I'd like to be able to pipe some audio from a computer in my basement to some speakers upstairs. When thinking about the best way to do this, I realized that my house is already wired with coax cable, which I'm not currently using since I don't get cable. Would it be possible to use the coax cable system to send audio around my house?

A few details:

For the audio I'm sending, I wouldn't care if the audio signal were mono only
The audio would come out of the computer using a 3.5 mm plug, and the speakers I'd be using to listen to the audio would also have a 3.5 mm plug.

I'd be able to buy plugs and wire to create the needed cables myself; I'm just not sure if this system would even work, though.


texts: I want create some hanging shelves using zinc E-Z Drywall Anchors & Sisal rope. How much weight could this method bear?

texts: I recently bought a projector and am looking to build a shelf for it to sit on. I rent, so I really don't want to do anything with the ceiling. The configuration I'm currently using is just a standard bookshelf, but the thing is there is a window directly opposite my living room wall, so the projector is off-center. What I'd like to do, rather than placing the entire bookshelf in front of the window, is to place the anchors above the window, attach the sisal rope to those anchors, & then wrap the rope around a plank of wood. My projector weighs 5.5 pounds. Is this a decent set up? Is there a better method? I really don't want it falling, so if there's no way to be certain it'll be stable, what should I do instead?


texts: How can I replace the bulb in this ceiling fan?

texts:
So I moved into this house over a year ago, and upon moving in, there was a ceiling fan in the kitchen area that has continued to baffle me (and anybody I have look at it).  The core of it all seems to be 1 piece, the only thing that seems to have screws to be removed are the blades of the fan.  Here's some pictures:

*The little stump at the top of this picture that kind of looks like a screw is the switch to change the direction of the blades.

So it looks to me like the base of it is glued to the ceiling, and other than that I don't see anything.  To make matters worse, the bulb inside is very dim, and I can't for the life of me figure out how to replace the bulb, none of the pieces seem to come apart, I've tried several times and had a few other people look at it.

Has anybody seen a ceiling fan like this?  I'd like to either figure out how to change the bulb, or figure out how to just get rid of it entirely and put up one that makes a little more sense.


texts:
My ~1 year old (edit: 1yr 3months, so past warranty) Whirlpool bottom freezer fridge has stopped cooling. These are the things I've checked...I let it warm up for a while and then ran it overnight.

Compressor is running (making sound/vibration), and after running overnight the body gets to about 130F, tubing to about 100F.
Evap and condensor fans both running
Evap and condensor coils are both at room temperature.

Since the compressor's "running" I thought that the problem would have to be be a freon leak, but with such a new fridge that seemed so unlikely? It hasn't been moved or messed with so no chance of accidentally puncturing something.

But then I read here that a normal temperature for a fridge compressor is 300F. If that's the case, is it possible that the compressor start relay is faulty and somehow the compressor is in the wrong "state?"


texts: Is there a program or system which will tell me what length (8' or 10') 1x3 lumber to get for making storm windows?

texts:
I am going to make some storm windows. 13 of them. The windows will be simple 1x3 frames with a 1x3 horizontal stretcher midway up. Mitered corners. I am including the measurements at the bottom of the question.

The question is - is there software or a trick that I can use to determine if I should get 8' or 10' or a combination of the two? Of course the system should also help determine which pieces to cut out of which board to maximize the wood use, aka minimize waste?

62.5" x 31.5"

62.5" x 31.5"

62.5" x 31.5"

62.5" x 33.5"

62.5" x 26"

62.5" x 26"

62.5" x 28"

62.5" x 24"

62.5" x 24"

62.5" x 24"

63" x 26.5"

63" x 26.5"

63" x 27.25"


texts:
We called out the contractor who did our crawlspace encapsulation because the GFCI receptacle that serves the crawlspace loads (dehumidifier, sump pump, and two humidistat controlled fans) trips occasionally - I think this happens during the rainy season when humidity is high during the rainy season, but since the battery backed pump sounds an alarm when it loses power we disconnected one of the fans which stopped the tripping.

The contractor is putting forth the theory that since it is a 15 A circuit (14 AWG NM cable and a 15 A breaker) there may be an overload if all of the devices startup at about the same time and this may cause the GFCI to trip. That makes no sense to me because I don't think GFCIs work that way - but he is adamant that he has seen this happen.

I'm thinking that we must be seeing some leakage from one of the fans or the humidistat - but I don't want to be going off half-cocked, my years as an electrician are long past and I never did residential work.

Could startup loads from the motors down there be the cause of the GFCI tripping?


texts: Is it OK to liquid nail drywall in a hard-to-reach corner?

texts:
I need to drywall around an 8" air spiral pipe coming out of a wall at a 45 deg angle and there is very little room on the side between it and the wall the pipe runs parallel to.  So it is very very hard to screw or nail the drywall because there is simply no room to reach with a screwdriver/hammer/drill.

Are there any issues with affixing that piece with liquid nails?  I was going to apply some liquid nail on the framing behind and basically glue the drywall.


texts: Adding Aquastat for hydronics to existing steam boiler

texts:
I have a steam boiler in a residential home of a friend of mine.  He asked me if I would take a look at his system. Someone added a circulator to his steam boiler so that he could get heat in his finished basement.
On examination I noticed that the pump was set up properly (pulling away from boiler) and  it was attached to the return-loop; not directly into boiler. I redirected the return from the hydronic system directly to boiler: I also added a supply pipe and a shut of valve directly to the loop so that he could flush the hydronic system properly: it was filled with sediment and he had change multiple pumps over the last few years.
My next goal is to add an aquastat to the system so that the thermostat in the basement could heat up the water just enough for the baseboard.  My plan was to simply add the aquastat relay, but my concern is that adding another source (24 volt) might damage the gas regulator, being that it already is controlled by the LWCO and thermostat control.  If I added another source wouldn't that increase the volts to the regulator, doubling the current OR shorting out the circuit?
I was considering adding a low limiter to system, but that would keep the boiler at the proper temp for baseboard, but would activate at all times and not just when required for the baseboard.


texts: Why is my cottage wall bulging outwards?

texts:
Purchasing a cottage and trying to figure out how much work/money it'll be to repair an odd bulge in the wall.
The south side wood wall is bulging out near the center. Although not clearly visible in the photos it is certainly visible in person. Check the pink arrow and the photo with the level. Anyone ever come across this kind of thing before?
From our inspection report:

Depending on how the 2nd floor floor joists are tied into the sloped
roof there could potentially be a lot of diagonal pressure being
exerted on top of the short vertical wall. Clearly, it was not able to
withstand these forces and bulged outwards. One option might be to
straighten the wall out and simply add a concrete pilaster at the
exterior to prevent recurrence - although this might not be the most
cosmetically pleasing option.


texts: All 120v outlets and lights are not working in a detatched garage

texts:
I have a separate garage that was built in 2001. It has a 100 amp sub panel that is fed from the main panel in the garage of my house. The panels are about 50' apart and the wire is in conduit. The sub was bonded between the ground and neutral bars but I have separated them and there is also a separate ground rod for it. There are only 3 wires between the two panels and not a 4th grounding wire.

I have a low voltage PLT license that I use for the trade I am in and have done quite a bit of high voltage wiring in houses that I have lived in.

A couple of weeks ago I was going to use a craftsman skill saw to cut a board and when I tried to start it, the saw didn't start just hummed like the brushes were bad. The strangest part is that the light on the garage door opener flashed on and off when I attempted to start the saw. Now all 7 120v circuits in my garage don't work. I have a 220v compressor that does work but none of the 120v circuits do including ceiling lights.

I have a digital multi meter and have checked voltage at the main breakers. It is consistent at 120v at both breakers. As I have investigated the situation I have found that 3 of the circuits when energized will cause the voltage to drop from 120v to 110v and the other leg goes up to 130v. Even after I have disconnected the wiring on those circuits I cannot get power to the other outlets or lights. With the power off, I have also checked with an ohm meter between the neutral and hot wire at the breakers and it shows open on all circuits. When I have the light switches on and plug in my irrigation controller the transformer hums loudly and the lights do seem to go on.

What am I missing? Where do I check next?


texts: Options for mounting a ceiling fan box directly to interior wooden Ridge Beam

texts:
I am tasked with mounting a ceiling fan w/ light in an interior master bedroom that has a wooden ridge beam (covered with textured drywall) going down the center of the vaulted ceiling.  Since the customer wants the fan mounted directly in the center of the room (OCD reasons among other things....) I am looking for solutions for mounting the light and staying within electrical code.  This means somehow mounting the ceiling fan junction box in the center of the beam and attaching the light to it.

Problem is -- since the junction box will be face-mounted to the bottom of the beam, the light, and its shroud will be offset and no longer be flush with the beam itself.

I'm brainstorming, and all I can think to do is trace the junction box on the bottom of the beam and route out enough space for it INSIDE the beam itself, but then I would have to feed the electrical wire somehow into the box.

What are other professional ways to solve this problem?


texts: Cold upper interior and exterior walls, moisture forms when showering

texts:
The house is 3 years old. Exterior walls have bat insulation. The interior walls have no insulation. One interior wall in the top corner where it meets the exterior wall, particularly is very cold.

When someone showers the upper part of the wall show moisture, wet spots all around half the bathroom. The visible moisture areas will go away after an hour or two.

One wall has plumbing.

Above the bathroom is the attic with blown in insulation.
House is 1 story on a slab.

Please help!


texts:
I'm buying a home and had a building inspection yesterday. The only major defect the inspector found was two split/broken rafters inside the roof. Can anyone tell me if these are a major conern?

Thanks


texts:
I have a ceiling light (boob light) in my kitchen that started going on and off. When turned on the two light bulbs in the light fixture go on then a while later one of them goes off. If left on it eventually comes back on on its own. The House is 7 years old and we never had that issue before. I've changed the light bulb but the problem persist. I have put lower wattage (CFL) bulbs instead in case there were overheating, then again to no avail. I changed the light fixture and there again same result.There is no flickering.

Since the problem persists with new bulb and new fixture, what is the next thing that I can fix?

Anyone had that before and found the source of the issue?

Thanks in advance.


texts: How can I trace cable through floors and walls?

texts:
How can I work out where an electrical cable runs through walls/floors?

I am building a circuit map of a 1941 house with unfinished basement. I shut off all circuits at the main service panel, switch on the circuit I wish to trace, and track the cable from the panel and through the basement till it disappears into the floor above, then run upstairs and see what's powered and tag it. 2 cable runs I have tracked to where they disappear into the wall/floor leaving the basement and lost there. Checking outlets (switches/receptacles/luminaires) throughout the house indicated none were powered by the circuit.

Is the only option to start cutting holes in the wall and hope I can pick up the path of the cable run from there?

EDIT: Would an analog tone and probe kit work? I guess I would switch off main breaker, pop the service panel, and hook up the probe directly to the start of the circuit within the panel, then chase the tone through the walls?


texts: Should I wait for my inverter alarm to know when my battery is discharging beyond safe level or should I shut down the loads sooner?

texts: I am using a flooded deep cycle lead acid 24v 450ah battery bank. I don't want to discharge them beyond safe levels so they can last longer. I don't know how to check the state of charge. I have a 3000 watt 24 volt 120v reliable electric pure sine wave inverter.


texts: I move an outlet 12" and rewired it the exact same; now the AFCI trips immediately, when turning the power back on.  It's a 14/ wire in sequence with a pig tail to the outlet.  Any help would be appreciated


texts: What should be on my pre-purchase house self-inspection checklist?

texts:
I’m looking at several homes and may purchase one, but realized that I’m probably missing important details when trying to identify potential money-pits. I have a simple checklist so I can save the time and money of hiring an inspector if there are obvious issues. I’ve filtered out a couple of options due to very blatant issues such as cracked foundations and mold, but know I’m missing others.

This is my simple checklist so far and what I currently look for:

Critical:

Roof - Damage / age
Foundation - Cracks
Electrical - Age
Termites/pests - Better ways to identify pests aside from nibbled corners and droppings?
Water damage / mold - residue on ceilings, baseboards, basement
Siding - peeling, gaps
Heating & Air - Does it work?
Pipes - Any obvious leaks
Gas lines - ?

Important, but less concerning:

Paint / Finishes - peeling, chips,
Appliances - Does it work?
Garage - None, covered, closed

Other considerations affecting home value

Crime
Schools
Shopping
Restaurants
Industrial

Questions:

What else am I missing and what should I look for?
What’s the expected cost-range to repair/replace professionally or can I reasonably DIY it for less in a worst case?

I’m a DIYer when able (and appropriate), but would like to know as much as possible when performing a preliminary inspection before spending resources on a professional who would tell me something I could have found out prior to inspection.


texts: How to get my exterior door to close when the interior door is also shut? Air pressure problem.

texts: We have a new porch and new composite front door which fits well and shuts without difficulty when the inner door is open. If the inner door is shut, the outer door will not close without great difficulty and a lot of pulling and banging. This is putting a strain on the handle and so we have resorted to having to leave the inner door open to be able to leave the house. The inner door is not a particularly air tight. I removed the draught proof tape on the inner door, to see if an increased gap would help but no improvement. I do not want to put a hole in my new exterior door. Can anyone suggest anything that might help? We are planning to replace the inner door soon as the existing inner door is damaged, so if there's anything we might be able to do with this door please could you let me know? Any helpful suggestions appreciated


texts: How can I add "smart" functionality to an old thermostat?

texts: I recently moved to an apartment, and my roommate and I were talking about how much better it would be if we had a smart thermostat. We're going to ask the landlord about an upgrade, but I thought I remembered seeing systems somewhere that allowed you to smart-ify a traditional thermostat (very technical term, I know). It's one of the ones with just an up and a down button, nothing else.


texts:
A few months ago we installed slate tiles around our bathtub/shower and we sealed them with 511 Seal & Enhance (by Miracle Sealants) .

Since then we started to notice notice some areas of the slate greyer than others (attached pictures).  Should we apply more sealer over the whole tile again ? or we should clean the whole tile and re-apply sealer?

We are worried that we may mess up the tiles more than what they currently are.


texts:
My family has a property in Portugal with a broken old solar water heater mounted on the roof. We've been using the immersion heater instead of the solar panel for a while now, but rising energy costs mean we're now looking into replacing the solar panel.

So, my question is: would it be possible (or is there already some precedent here) to install piping under the baking hot terrace on the roof of the building with the dual purpose of heating water and cooling the property below? I'm thinking of something like underfloor heating in reverse - using hot flooring to heat water pipes.


texts: Can I disconnect a neutral whose hot is disconnected?

texts:
I was replacing a light switch, and in the junction box there is a romex that comes in where the hot was cut and shoved back in the back. The neutral from the same romex wire is connected to the other neutrals. In our attic there is 3 feet of blown in insulation so it's impossible to see where that line goes, but I was wondering if there would be any reason that this neutral being disconnected would cause any harm, any danger, or affect anything else? If the hot wire is not connected, I don't know why they would have the neutral still connected. (We just moved into this house and there are countless electrical jerry rigging done throughout.
Can I safely disconnect the neutral that matches with the disconnected hot wire?


texts: How level is 'good enough' for a 8x14' shed's gravel foundation?

texts:
I built a gravel foundation for an 8x14' prebuilt wooden shed. I spent a lot of time addressing drainage and most aspects of the foundation. Now it is finished, I think, but I want more experienced opinions on leveling it.
Here is the shed foundation nearly finished with rough leveling and compacting:

The core of the pad is mostly crusher run which my local quarry had as more sand than stone, meaning it compacted well but may not drain as well. The perimeter has a french drain-style trench filled with #2 stone and much less sand, so drainage should be okay.
The way I leveled it is using a long 1"x8' board and a 2' level. I roughly leveled the subsoil to have a slight grade for drainage, tamped it. Roughly leveled a central 4"-deep pad of crusher run with a slight consistent grade for drainage, tamped it. Then more carefully did iterations of filling edges with #2 stone and topping it all off with another few inches of crusher run. I raked, scraped, tamped, leveled using the board, and repeated, aiming for a completely level surface. Board and level shown below:

I am asking about how to check if it is good enough now. I put the board down with the level in the middle of it, and I checked level in 9 location with the board east-west (16+ft length) and another set of spots north-south (8ft length). In each location the bubble is either balanced, or has only a slight dip on either side (I can pick the low side up 1 inch or less and get the bubble balanced).
I figure the bubble does not need to be perfectly balanced everywhere, it is good enough to be mostly balanced or within an inch of balance in all locations. My reasoning is that the shed will sit on long skids thus distributing its weight and 'averaging out' the slight (0-2 inch max) dips or rises that might remain over the whole area. Also, even if I got it perfectly level at this point, settling may not be perfectly even, so level within an inch seems good.
Is this foundation level enough to receive a shed? If not, what steps should be taken to get it even more level, or what measurements should be made to ensure it is good enough?
The shed will be used for garden tools, as a workshop, and as a small weekend cabin. Most buildings I've lived in are not perfectly level, so being slightly off doesn't seem too troubling to me, but I also have never built or worked in such a small building.


texts:
I'm planning on building a wood planter box for some edible herbs. (Similar to this; in Maple and a bit more squarish.)  I already plan to glue the wood with Tidebond III as it is waterproof.  My question is how to seal the wood itself from the water.

So far I've seen the following suggestions :

Roof cement; doesn't sound too edible to me...
Liquid rubber
A thick layer of beeswax.

What would be the best? Should I consider Cedar instead of Maple?


texts: Gap between top mount sink and new counter

texts: Is there anything that can be done about this gap? This is a fire clay sink and it seems to be warped a little.


texts: Must I upgrade this bathroom circuit from 15 amps to 20 amps?

texts:
I have long known that the electricians who originally wired my house did some questionable things, one of which is putting every GFCI-protected outlet in the whole house (besides the kitchen) on one circuit protected by one GFCI outlet; this includes two outdoor outlets, one outlet in the guest bath, and two outlets in the master bath.  And it's a 15 amp circuit.

I'm now replacing the recessed light in the walk-in shower (in the master bath) with a fan/light combo. Naturally, the electricians did not GFCI-protect that light, so I want to move it to the GFCI-protected line coming into the master bath (the most "downstream" end of that GFCI-protected string).   While I'm at it, I want to create a new branch circuit for the master bath (leaving the two outdoor outlets and the other bath's outlet on the original circuit).

My question: does code require that I make that new circuit 20 amps?  "Yes" because current code wants 20 amps circuits to baths and I'm doing new work, or "no" because I'm simply splitting an old circuit that (apparently) was compliant at 15 amps?


texts: How to switch 40A timer used for outdoor lighting and direct 120V outdoor lighting

texts: I am redoing my outdoor lighting and need to move 3 wall switches used for outdoor 120V lighting to a different place within the house. The issue is that the inground wire is 10/2 UF but the inside wires going to the wall switches and a timer is 12/2 on a 20A breaker. Should I keep as it is, if so what will be the pros and cons. Or should I rewire it through with 10 gauge wire on a 30A breaker. If so, what type of wall switch should be used and can I still use regular 15A lighting switches?


texts: Upgrade kitchen gfci outlets - wiring question

texts:
We are redoing our old kitchen and  I have the chance to upgrade the two light switches to a switch and gfci outlet. The two lights have the incoming power so the switches are at the end.
However there is a line coming up from the oven counter area I can extend as power for the 2 gfci outlets.
My question is if the current switch locations are close enough or if it doesn’t matter bc it’s an old kitchen and won’t need to be up to code.


texts:
I have two in ground trash cans that are missing the neck where the hinge attaches to the lid. When it rains, water gets in and fills the hole. I have a 32 gallon plastic trash can that I put in and when it rains hard it starts floating with the lid on top.

Is there a way I can fix this myself?


texts: Junction box in closet partially covered by wall

texts:
As seen in the picture, I have a live junction box that is partially covered by a wall in a closet.  There is no light in this closet, so would be a great opportunity to add one.  Was thinking I could add a simple round ceramic pull cord fixture, but don't think it will work given the obstruction.  Also, would be ideal, to somehow relocate the fixture (higher) given the box is only 5 feet off the ground.  Thoughts?

UPDATE and FURTHER CLARITY:
There is both BX wire (metal conduit containing hot/neutral) and NM going to the box with corresponding wires nutted. I'm not sure how responder is certain the ground wire is ungrounded, so that is first question.  Other questions:

It looks like the BX armor is not in contact with the box, so ground would need to be the ground wire in the NM bundle?
Is there a way to add a light fixture to this box by perhaps cutting part of the drywall to allow to physically fit?  Would this be a good idea?  There would certainly be a bumping hazard.
As mentioned, ideally I would want to move the light above closet door or to the ceiling.  I believe sufficient information has been provided to this end for now.
If I choose to simply cover, why does it need to be a metal cover?  Added strength given it extends out from wall?

UPDATE #2: New picture attached showing wires heading to box.

UPDATE #3: For now, I have covered the box and will be adding a battery-powered light (if anything).


texts:
I recently replaced my home's load center.  As part of that surgery, my breakers were also updated to (combination) AFCI breakers.  My house has many Multi-wire branch circuits, so I also got a couple double-pole AFCI breakers to accomodate this wiring.  I'll be re-wiring my house in the near future as part of a more comprehensive renovation that I'm planning, but I'm hoping to not have to do any re-writing currently since it'll be throwaway work.

My basement lights are on one of these multi-wire circuits.  There is a three-way switch in the hall that, when turned on, immediately trips the (double pole) AFCI breaker.  Are there any specific troubleshooting steps that I should take, or do I just investigate it like any other AFCI trip?  All the other lights/outlets on the circuit are OK -- the breaker only trips (and will always trip) if the hallway light is turned on.

Here's the first switch.  The problematic one is the bottom switch of the tandem switch.

The second of the switches is the one on the right.  I removed the switch on the left, it's not related (it controls a different light).


texts: Is it safe to use an old fridge after 14 years of non use?

texts:
Recently our fridge broke. We have a working one in the kitchen, standing upright in the same position in the kitchen for 14 years, it just hasn't been plugged in during that amount of time. It's clean inside and out and was working fine last time it was on 14 years ago. I live in Britain so it never really gets that humid here except for a month or so every year in the summer.

Is it safe to use and should I expect any problems with it?


texts: Installing new thermostat without a C wire. Can I use my heater/R wire instead? Random 13V as well

texts:
I'm installing a thermostat, but I don't appear to have a C wire. My old thermostat had R/RH,Y,G,and W. It's an AC system that was setup before I got here. The actual AC unit is a long way away and inaccessible because of how the community was built.

I never use my heater and when I measured the voltage, it was 24V (the same as C), so can I use that instead? I read that you can use the fan wire, but I turn my fan to 'ON' at night. I thought if I never use my heater, why not use that? Or am I missing something.

I also have a random blue wire bundled behind my wall, but it didn't power on my thermostat. It read 13V in my multimeter.


texts: Question about a bathroom wiring I do not understand

texts:
I just bought an old condo and am doing a renovation. At the hallway ceiling just out of the bathroom door, there is an exposed junction box with no covering, and I try to figure out what it can be used for.

There are three wires from the box, with the color white, black and purple, all covered with twist-on connectors. The white one is always hot, the purple and black ones are neutral. It seems that no existing switch control this junction box.

However, later I notice that this junction box can somewhat control bathroom light in a weird way. The bathroom light has its own switch in the bathroom. When I turn on the light switch, and use a screwdriver to touch the purple wire, the light can be turned on and off. That means, no wires are connected or disconnected. I just touch the exposed copper of the purple wire, and the light can be turned on and off.

My question is:

how does this happen?
Does anyone have an idea what this junction box can be used for?

Thanks!


texts: I am installing a 125A sub panel (fed with 60A breaker from main panel). Am I allowed to install it directly below the existing panel? Are there minimum height requirements for a sub panel? Is there a minimum distance between sub panels?


texts: How do I clean oil stains in yellow marble?

texts: How to clean oil stains from yellow (its natural color) marble?


texts: is it expensive or necessary to relocate the sub panel from my bathroom to another room in my small condo?

texts: My inspector stated it was an area of concern that my sub panel is located in my bathroom and should have it relocated to another room due to possible moisture getting in; Is this something I should worry about?


texts: can someone confirm that the blue wire is the "C wire"? What are the other wires (yellow, light pink, brown, and orange) that are not connected to anything?


texts: Troubleshooting sprinkler system pressure

texts:
Just moved into a new house and am trying to figure out the sprinkler system. The house was built in the 60's and it appears (Found the manual for the pump) the irrigation system was installed then as well. The heads don't pop up, but a small stream of water flows out and puddles up around them. If I take the heads off and run the system there isn't really any pressure coming out of the pipe. However, we took the pressure tank off and we're getting a lot of pressure from there. - Not sure how much exactly, the pressure gauge looks to be not working as well.

Here are some details about the system:

Runs on well water with a submersible pump. Don't know where the well is though.
Single zone for front and back yards (as far as I can tell)
7 heads in back yard and 5 heads in the front (that we've found so far, most were covered in the grass)
The house was unoccupied for ~3 years, I'm assuming the sprinklers haven't been ran for at least that long.

I'm thinking there is a broken pipe somewhere or an obstruction. But where? How can I track down why and where we're losing pressure? Is there anything I can do other than digging up the entire yard?


texts: How to find type of wall separating flats in same building

texts:
I'm trying to work out the construction of a wall that partitions two flats (maisonette).
Most things on the internet deal with internal walls (with wood studs, found with a stud finder), or solid external walls. However this is kind of both, as it's internal, but partitions two separate residences.

The odd thing is that the stud finder (a powerful magnet in this case) finds nothing. But does find studs easily on the adjacent internal wall.
Using the tapping technique I can find parts that sound solid, but not in vertical runs. As I tap across, I can find a solid sound, but then as I tap upwards the sound changes to hollow, and then solid again, alternating.
I've drilled into the "solid" part, and couldn't discern wood, and appears to be just powder coming out. Unfortunately there's no wall sockets to inspect either.
Construction was in 2013 in the UK (if that helps).

Anyone got an idea what's behind this wall? I'm trying to put up a heavy load bracket. Any help greatly appreciated!

Edit: I'm starting to think it may be a "Dot and Dab" fixing of plasterboard over a solid wall. This would explain what I'm seeing/hearing.


texts: Installing Ceiling Fan, Weird Double Switch Install

texts:
EDIT: Nevermind, I figured it out.  I just rewired the switches to that one isn't even connected and the other is connected properly and it works great.

My house was built back in the 70's and has had some renovations but we are new owners.  I am trying to replace the ceiling fan (something I have done multiple times previously with no issues) but I hit a bit of a snag due to the dual switch.  In this room there is a switch for the fan and another for the light.  The fan I am installing only has black, white, and ground wires because it is controlled via a remote control.  In the ceiling, there are only three wires, white, black, and ground.  Apparently these are not functioning as I would imagine due to the dual switch since when I installed things normally (white to white, black to black, green to ground) nothing happened.

I tried installing just a basic light that I have that only has white and black wires to diagnose the issue and finally I got it to turn on when I put the white to white and black to the ground.  This makes me guess whoever wired the switches did so in a way that the ground wire is essentially being used as a neutral which I imagine is not the proper way to do things. Since I have no need for a dual switch I assume it would be best to just go back to a single but this is about the extent of my electrician knowledge and it isn't something I want to just guess with.

Here are some pictures of the switches, I will explain everything that is happening with the wires below but sometimes a picture is a lot better.

[![][1]][1]

So the three wires coming from the ceiling are coming in on the right side.  The black ceiling wire is going to the top right spot on the right switch.  The white ceiling wire is going to the top right spot on the left switch.  The ceiling ground is connected to two white wires going behind the left switch (goes to a spot where one says + and the other says N).

The bottom right spots on both switches are connected by a small black wire.  On the bottom right spot of the right switch there is another black wire going to two other black wires and a red one that go behind the left switch same as the two white wires that accompany the ground from the ceiling.

Any ideas?  Can I install the fan as is or is that a bad situation?  Is the best solution to just get rid of one switch and convert things to how it should be setup with one switch in the first place?  If so how would I correct the wiring?


texts: I am unable to find the model # and I was wondering if anyone could tell me where to get parts? The arm has broken off.


texts: Is it possible to add a ground to a vacuum?

texts: I have an electronics vacuum that is not grounded. I feel this keeps it from adequately performing its primary function in a desirable way. Can I replace the cord with a grounded cord, and tap the cord to a case ground or something similar?


texts: Rotating fitting for copper/steampunk faucet?

texts:
Update 3 Years Later: A Shark Bite expansion joint/coupling is working great. Been using it many times a day for 3 years and no problems. Firm, rotates easily, and doesn't leak.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/nfRxwakV6ib7BKwG7
I'm trying to build an exposed copper (think steampunk) kitchen faucet. Everything is easy except the ability to rotate the faucet side to side, like to reach the left sink or right sink.
See the image below. This one does not rotate left and right. How could one make it rotate (and not leak of course)?
Ordinary "swivel" fittings/couplings only swivel until they are tight. Once tight they cannot be rotated easily by hand. And if they're not tight, they leak.
Thanks!


texts: How can I prevent a shower curtain from drifting into the shower's occupant?

texts:
The problem to be resolved

When taking a shower, the curtain sneaks closer and closer to my body and finally, it bites my butt, which is immensely unpleasant. One person in the household lacks balance due to medical issues and can fall to the floor on occasion.

Special restriction

Due to medical considerations, it's not possible to mount a rail on the floor. Whatever solution there is, it has to be above-floor concept. If absolutely nothing else works, it might be something that doesn't create a threshold or significant elevation.

Solutions that won't work

Installing a rail on the floor will stop someone in the household from accessing the shower. Fixed wall over a part of the access way and/or partial rail will create a too narrow access path heavily impacting on the ease of use.

Schematics of the facility

The bathroom has the shower part by the far-end wall, across the whole wall, not in the corner. The person stands/sits with the back to the wall opposite to the wall with the faucet. On the right side, there's a wall with a window then. On the left, open space with toilet and sink.

Ideas for solution

I was thinking about a much heavier curtain but I fear that it will still sneak up my donkey. Another idea would be a magnet in the wall that the curtain connects to. I suspect that the middle part would still "baloon inwards".

The request/question

What would be a nifty way to approach this matter? Can any of my ideas be set up in a functioning way? Anything else that I should consider? I'm trusting that there's a nice way to resolve it because people generally have butts and most of them shower.


texts: 15-year-old fridge goes "clunk" at end of cycle

texts:
Started happening a few years ago, unclear whether it has gotten any louder or whether there's anything that makes it better or worse. I don't think it was this bad when new, though.

Functionally, fridge still seems fine. It was off-the-scale efficient when I bought it in 2000; it's probably average or below by today's standards.

I've gotten used to this clunk/thunk/thud noise and mostly don't notice it. I've assumed that it's the compressor being pushed back a bit as power is removed, or something like that. But it occurs to me that one of you might know what it is and whether it can be quieted at all; I now have a guest bedroom next to the kitchen and I'm sure visitors would appreciate not having to hear it hiccup quite so loudly.


texts:
My refrigerator uses EveryDrop water filters like these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VBP8QPO/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The refrigerator is brand new, and I am already on the 2nd filter. The one that came with the fridge was already really slow flowing when I first hooked it up. The 2nd filter is pictured below. It lasted for a few weeks flowing OK before the fridge then started saying the filter was clogged. My whole house is already on a central filter: https://www.whirlpoolwatersolutions.com/products/central-water-filtration-system/

So I have a hard time believing that the filter is actually clogging up. Does this looked clogged to you all? I broke the housing so I could inspect what was inside the filter. Is the refrigerator lying to me about the filter needing to be replaced (A kitchenaid)?


texts: Making sure this wall is just a partition and not load bearing

texts:
We are considering widening this existing opening and installing double doors.  Is there any chance that this wall is load bearing?
I was going to be overly cautious and put up temporary supports for the trusses above.  But I'm wondering if I'm being paranoid.
Except for a small angle brace toward one end of the opening, the trusses aren't directly connected to the top plate of the, 6' wall below .  There is a gap the same thickness as the ceiling drywall between them.  One of the trusses above the wall is blocked (if that's the correct term) with the next one down.
Construction of the wall is with 2x6s.  I believe there is a double top plate.  A portion of an adjacent wall runs outside.
If this short, 6' wall is indeed load bearing, what is the best way to support the ceiling/roof until the new framing is in place?


texts: Electrical Removal/Dead-End of Wires for Old Intercom

texts:
Below you will see pictures of the "setup" I am wanting to remove. What I want to do, one room at a time, is remove the intercom system from throughout my house. The first room I am doing that has this system has the main box, and an 8-Track player, both still work by the way.
What I plan to do is kill the power to the room, ensure that the boxes have no power as well. Remove them from the wall, dead-end the wires using caps, and place them back in the wall before patching the holes with drywall. I found instructions here. But one of the steps, reads as:

Remove the cover of the main intercom unit using the screwdriver. Locate the two wires that supply power to the unit, usually a red wire and a black wire connected to the unit via a terminal. Use the voltmeter's red lead to touch the red wire's terminal while the voltmeter's black lead is touching the black wire's terminal to check if there is still power being supplied to the unit...Cut the intercom unit's electrical wires using the electrical pliers. Cap the wires with the wire caps. Tuck the capped wires inside the hole on the wall where the intercom unit was previously mounted.

My question is - If I turn off the power to the room, and the power turns off the player and the voltmeter reads zero...how do I know I have safely dead-ended the wires? Additionally, does anyone have any safety tips for this kind of thing.
This is a not duplicate of this question as that one deals with the patching of the hole, while mine asks about the wiring. Two different parts of the same dilemma.


texts: Need help with wiring of in-line ventilation fan

texts:
I've got this fan to install as part of a heat transfer system. The fan is controlled by a touch-screen thermostat/control unit and has three speeds.

I understand the supplied wiring diagram, but I'm wondering how best to implement it.

Should I find 4-conductor cable and join the neutral back by the control unit, or run a separate wire for the neutral?

So basically, whats the best way to physically run the wires?

Thanks


texts: Should I use a GFCI breaker or receptacles for my shed run?

texts:
In my question about running a circuit to my backyard shed, a discussion arose in the comments about whether I should use a GFCI breaker or have the convenience outlet be a GFCI. Instead of debating it in comments, I thought I'd ask a new question where the answer will be more obvious and findable for future generations.
To recap the situation: I'm running a single circuit out of my sub-panel to my backyard shed for lighting and 1 convenience outlet. This is a storage shed, not a workshop, so there will be only the 1 outlet and loads will be minimal.
My plan was to use a GFCI breaker which will allow me to run conduit with only 12" of cover according to Row 1, Column 4 of table 300.5.
However, it was suggested that I not use the GFCI breaker since that would put all the lighting under GFCI protection. Instead, as I understand it, the recommendation is to use a standard breaker and use a GFCI outlet for the convenience outlet. As I understand it that would put me in Row 1, Column 3 of table 300.5 and require 18" of cover over my conduit. I'm not certain that this suggestion was made with the full recognition that the lights are plug-in, not hard-wired or if that would make a difference.
Obviously, less digging is better than more digging, so I'm all about needing only 12" of cover over my conduit. I'm pretty sure a GFCI receptacle is cheaper than a GFCI breaker and saving cash isn't a bad thing either. However, if there are repercussions of running the lights with GFCI protection that I'm not aware of, the extra work and money saved is worth it.
Bearing in mind that the lights I'm planning on using are plug-in and are not hard-wired, the question is:
What is the reason for not running the lighting in the shed off of a GFCI breaker?
If the reason is simply "that's what code states" then I'll meet code. If there are preferences, concerns, and considerations but lighting on GFCI protection is allowed, I'd like to know what things I need to consider before I determine which route to take.
Note, I'm looking for reasons for/against, code implications, general concerns, etc. i.e., it appears that I can spend a few extra bucks to do less digging and that would be my preference, but if there are significant concerns, I'll dig a deeper trench and throw the few bucks at the kid to have him put his back into it.


texts: Does the ledger board for a bathtub go under the flange or level with it?

texts:
Replacing a bathtub with a new one pictured.  It will go into a 3-walled space.  Durock and tile will be attached to wall to finish the job.

I've been reading many articles and they mention a ledger board for tub support.

I drew a picture.  Is the ledger board supposed to be under the flange side (as pictured in black) or do you nail the flange to the ledger board (which means I'd have to shim all the studs to be flush)?


texts: How do i connect a Commmon wire to Heat Controller Inc air handler?

texts:
I swapped out a 24v Honeywell Thermostat for a NEST Thermostat. I followed the Manufacturer instructions for install. Everything was working for a week or so. I recieved an error(pictured below) regarding the Y1. NEST indicated I must need a "C" Common Wire run from the air handler.

Can I Tap any of the wires, going to the outdoor unit?

Blue/ Brown- Going to TACO sr503 controller
Yellow/Green/ White /Red- Going to NEST
GREY SHEATHED (Not Pictured) - Going to Outdoor Unit


texts: Are the positions of the vertical clamps for the fixed shower glass panels adjustable?

texts:
I am in doubt about where to position (at what level) an 1.5" ABS pipe in the wall as the wall will support of fixed shower glass panel, so where you see the question mark in the picture I need to know if that quote is standard (? depending on the manufacturer) or it is adjustable for most of the models
I have tried a couple of suppliers but none of them has technical drawings or videos showing how to install and adjust these


texts: I have a secondary transformer already which is supplying power to my 2 zone zoning board.  Can I tap off of this to provide my WiFi thermostat with power or does it have to come off the furnace board?


texts: Is it OK to have heating registers and returns near the ceiling?

texts:
I've got a question about a new house - a friend of my mother's is buying a new place and when she did a walkthrough (before the drywall was up), she noticed that all the heating registers and returns are near the tops of the walls (on both floors of a 2 story). When quizzed about this the builder (foreman?) claimed it 'worked better this way'.

The registers don't have any directional control (so you can't really aim the heat downwards or anything).

This seems more than a little odd to me - I'd have assumed that you'd want heat registers near the floor with cold air returns at floor level, but some distance away (to give hot air ability to rise, cool to fall). Is this some kind of compromise position for central air? Does it actually work well?

Added: The house is in Maryland, not too far from Baltimore, so both heating and cooling are important. I'm informed also that the house is built over a crawlspace, if that matters.


texts: Sistering 2x8 joists to existing 2x6 under pitched roof

texts:
We are going to be remodeling our attic to create 2 extra bedrooms and a living space.

Currently there are only 2x6 joist in the attic.  We are being told that we should sister 2x8s against the existing 2x6 to give more strength.  There is a ceiling with plaster under those 2x6 joists.  So our extra 2" would be coming out of the top of the joist.  Is it ok to cut the ends of the joists to match the roof pitch so the joist can slide under and rest on the sill?


texts: How to get a "wide" shim instead of a long shim

texts:
So I have a long gap between a joist and floorboards on one half of 6 foot joist that I'd like to close.
I'm toying with the idea of just adding shims to the top of the joist rather than lifting up one end of the joist from the sill and adding shims to one end.  (There were already 1/2" shims on both ends since we had to bring a nominal 8" joist up to an actual 8").  We already tried to jam and lever up the one end of the joist and it doesn't seem to budge.
My question is how can I get an extra wide shim?  I've seen shims online but they all seem to be "long" rather than "wide".  I'd like to get a shim across 3 feet of the joist with a bigger gap on the end vs the middle.  Something like this "floor board" sliver that these Irish carpenters talk about seems ideal.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prvQRhagLjI

If I cut it myself, can I just chisel a piece of wood out and then sand one edge to a taper?  I don't own any power tools or a table saw :(  Just a chisel, sandpaper and a Japanese saw.


texts:
Can I correct 2 wire supply by adding a bare copper wire buried to sub-panels?

I have two out-buildings with sub-panels fed by 6/2 wire w/ground.

The main is 100 amp The sub-panels each has a 50 amp breaker in the main panel and uses two hots and the copper attached to the bonded ground bar in the sub-panels.

Both panels have a bonded ground bar and one 6' ground rod with a #6 wire from ground bar to a 6' ground rod. This wire does not go back to the main

Thanks to Stack Exchange I know I need to add another ground rod 6' away at each sub-panel and incorporate. I know I need to add another ground bar to use for the ground rods and to float/disconnect the other ground bar to use for the neutrals.

Question: Is this true? I was told I did not need to have a ground wire running back to the main panel because a lightning strike would use the ground rod at the sub-panel and it might not be good to have the lightning run back to the main panel.

If I do have to have another wire back to the main (I want 240 at the sub-panels) can I just bury a #6? copper wire a few inches in the soil above the buried conduit to use as the neutral or ground and if so which should I use it for.

Thank you


texts: Our toilet is refilling every few hours. The bowl is dry, so its not leaking there. Plumber has been but the problem is still there.


texts: Is this gas line not suitable for direct burial?

texts:
One of the homeowners (who is also a gas fireplace installer) in my subdivision sent an alarming email to everyone stating that the gas line between the meter and the house is not of the correct type to be buried. He says that this arrangement will lead to leaks.

Nearly every house in the area has the same arrangement: the pipe exiting the gas meter goes down in to the ground, then comes back up about 4 feet away and enters the house through the wall.

And here's a close-up of the only writing I can find on any of this piping:

So, is this guy right? Should I be worried about a leak?


texts: Wood laminate floor wont snap together can I just nail it down

texts:
I bought a whole lot of this snap together wood flooring, thinking I would just snap it together and be done. The store was closing out all different styles and colors.
I was going to just mix and match. they are all the same height but the lips don't all match up so I can't get them to snap together.
Can I use it as wood flooring, just cut the lip off and butt the sides together and nail or screw it down. I guess I could even just use liquid nails. I just need to get it done.


texts:
When I moved in the old owner told me there was another well in addition to the one the house uses. He said they drilled it and it didn't provide enough flow so they abandoned it and drilled a new one.

It looks like a metal pipe sticking out of the ground, about 6" diameter, open to the world.

I want to have a backup hand powered well, but I want to make sure I can use this well. I dropped a weight on a string and hit water about 32', the weight went down another foot or so before it stopped. When I pulled it up it stank. I'm pretty sure there is enough water down there for my use. I'm sure they wouldn't have given up until they drilled at least 200 feet.

Question: For 40 years of the well being open let leaves and debris in. Could that have ruined the well? I know I can pour bleach in but will that be enough? Could the well be too blocked up to use?


texts: Appreciate if someone can tell by not providing good sealing of the toilet bowl "s" trap pipe going into the floor affects the flushing strength / clogging or just leads to escape of gases


texts:
I'm upgrading my kitchen and after endless deliberating, feel that the kitchen is best laid out having the stove directly beneath a window (the window is about 8" above the stove).

I was wondering whether there are any huge reasons why i should avoid doing this.


texts:
My fridge water line is leaking, not the line running from the wall to the fridge, but the line that is inside the fridge.  The issue is the connection where the inside line meets the outside line.  This is an image of where the issue is, the white tubing where it connects to the green is not connected very well anymore and water just sprays everywhere when the water goes through the line.

What piece(s) are needed to repair this?

EDIT
No fridge guru's around here that can assist in the name of this part?  Or what else can I provide so that we can track down exactly what this is?


texts:
Just moved into a new apartment and one of the doors is mounted with these fasteners I’ve never seen. I’d like to take this door out, but I’m struggling to figure out how to remove these without breaking them.

Any help would be much appreciated.


texts: Concerned about the outcome of insulation fibers

texts: I was working in an attic ,an exhaust fan was turned on I immiedetly breathed and was choked with the insulation to the point I couldn't breath ,I now feel it in my lungs as uncomfortable ,any idea if fibers might have lodged in my lungs and what dangers I might encounter?


texts: Can 2 stage furnace be forced to stay in low? My airflow noise (and duct pops) is loud enough to wake me up, so I want to test if low reduces this problem enough before I rip into the finished spaces to quiet the ductwork (with flex, or insulation, or...)