texts: How to fix a (bathroom) door that keeps swinging closed?

texts:
What is the best way of fixing a door that keeps swinging closed?

My bathroom door won't stay in the "full open position", which is becoming more than an annoyance.

The problem became worse recently. My 9-year-old nephew was going to use the bathroom and I could hear him slamming the door a couple times trying to get it to close. After that I found a small piece of wood on the floor. It was a thin piece of wood, like part of one of those paddle sticks used to stir pain. I don't know if that was put somewhere (maybe near the hinges?) by the contractors at some point to prevent the door to swing closed.

Regardless of that mysterious piece of wood, what would be the best (by Do-It-Yourself standards) way of fixing a door that keeps swinging closed?

To clarify, the door closes well and stays closed. But when you leave it open, no matter the angle (sometimes even with the "full opened" angle/position), it slowly goes almost to the "closed" position. It doesn't shut closed by itself. It remains ajar, which is what increases our chances of us bumping into it.


texts: Option for some light between broken fluorescent lights and new LED recessed lights

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I'm working to fix our our basement - nothing top of the line / dream basement - just some nice enough upgrades relative to our 1970's wood paneled basement, to enjoy a few years before we sell the home.

Anyway, about 5 of my 12 fluorescent lights (2 in each panel) are broken / lit very dimly.  I would assume the ballast.  I don't have much desire to fix them AND pay for new fluorescent tubes, only to rip them out in the next 3-6 months to put in the recessed lights.

BUT, I do need a little more lighting down here so I can see when I'm tiling, painting, etc.  Any ideas of how to get something going?  Even if I have to buy it an can repurpose it later is fine.

Could I buy one of those LED type light sets that you usually hang in a garage for one of the areas that's totally out? (something like this from home depot?)
Should I buy the recessed lights and wire them temporarily without mounting them, just to get some light out of them?
OH, I have some bright white LED strips with all proper converters, etc.  I could probably just stick those up until I'm ready to install proper lights?!
Other ideas?

Thanks in advance, here's a picture of a broken one


texts: setting post in quikrete in a plastic planter

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I would like to set a 4x4 post (10 ft) in a tall, heavy plastic planter. I am using 2 50 lb bags of Quikrete. It says to just pour the concrete in, set the post, and then pour about a gallon of water in per bag.  Then, directions say the water will simply saturate into the Quikrete.
I guess my question is: will the water actually reach all the way down to the bottom of the quikrete mix (maybe 10-12 inches down, at least)? if not, how much do I need to stir?  And if i don't stir it vigorously, am i gonna wind up with a bunch of dry concrete mix at the bottom and properly set concrete on top?
Any help for this DIY newbie is appreciated!


texts: Possible water hammer under kitchen sink

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My husband and I installed a new kitchen faucet a few days ago (we are not plumbers).  Ever since then, when you shut off the hot water (or when the dishwasher runs), it makes a banging noise. From our internet research, it sounds like a water hammer.  There seems to be all sorts of solutions on the net, but some even contradict each other.  We did try draining the air out of the pipes, but even that had very different methods for how to do it, so not sure if we did it correctly.

Note, before we installed the new faucet, there was never a sound when you shut the hot water off.

Any thoughts on what to do? THank you


texts: How can I locate a wall from a crawl space?

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I am needing to add RG6 cabling to a bedroom that currently does not have an outlet.  I have no problem connecting the RG6 to the splitter outside my home, feeding into my crawlspace and running the length of the home.  The question I have is, once I reach the room I need to add the cabling to, how do I knew exactly where in the floor to drill up?

Meaning - I don't want to drill through the floor, I want it to be a wallfish (which I have experience doing but from coming down the wall from say an attic), so how can I locate exactly where to drill up in order to not go through the floor or the baseboard?

I also have an attic and a crawlspace, is there anyway that connects the crawlspace straight up to the attic that I could possibly run a cable up to the attic then wall fish down to a room up there as well?  Maybe somehow follow the chimney up, is that possible?


texts: How can I cut off 1/8 inch from ceramic tile?

texts: I have a couple of 4"x4" ceramic tiles that are cut just slightly too wide.  I need to take off about an eighth of an inch.  I expect that's too little for the standard score-and-snap approach.  What's the easiest way, given that I don't have any tile cutting tools.


texts: We are occupying the second floor of a 4 story apartment complex. We have recently moved in and all 4 floors are now occupied. The occupant in the first floor says his bedroom ceiling is leaking with water drops forming especially in the morning when the bathrooms are most used. There are two bathrooms near the leaking area (in our 2nd floor house). Unable to pinpoint the source, the constructor has started removing the floor tile of one of the bathrooms in our house. He expects to find moist cement underneath if it is the source. The problem is the source can also be from one of the two wash basin drains or from a poorly fixed PVC pipe tracking along the concrete structure. The building has a concrete wall design with no bricks. How do we identify the source of the leak accurately without having to open up the roof or the wall one after another? Is there any technology that can pinpoint the source of the water accurately?


texts: Can copper pipe support minor bends and creases?

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I have a male threaded adapter for steel pipe on a 3/4" copper pipe. When twisting an extension steel pipe on the fitting, I applied a bit too much force and that slightly bent and creased the copper pipe, which I mostly reverted with channel locks.
I tested it and there was no leaks but the crease is still visible if you look hard. I was wondering if this compromises the pipe to be more succeptible to leaking in the future.


texts: I took apart an outlet for doing some drywall work. I have an outlet that has two black, two white and I believe four grounds. This is where I am confused. One ground should go to receptacle. Should it not? Or do I take the green screw in back of the box and run it into the wire nut with other two ground wires?


texts: What happens if I let my building permit expire?

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TLDR: I pulled a permit for my house, now the inspectors are looking for more things wrong with my house than the permit pertains to. I want them out. What are the repercussions to letting the permit expire? I plan to sell the house sometime in the future, but I don't believe I will have any issues with selling. I live in Clearwater, FL.

Originally pulled a permit to remodel a bathroom. Bathroom originally held the breaker box, so I rotated 180 to be with code. Had power company come out and kill power while I remodeled the breakers, then they claimed they would not return power unless I had it inspected. City inspector approved of my work, but said I needed to redo my home's wiring to come up to code (no grounds in any branch circuits) before he would sign off the rough-in.

Can the inspector even go looking for issues like this?

Now I've got all my walls torn off in my entire house down to studs. My scope-of-work at the permitting office still says "remodeling bathroom." I get the electrical all caught up and call the inspector -- I get a fill-in inspector because my regular inspector is on vacation. New inspector passes my electrical rough, then says he can also service my framing inspection after I update my scope-of-work with the permitting office. I explain to him I've done no work to the frame but he points out some draft points to the attic and says they need filled in (prevention of attic fire), again -

Can the inspector even go looking for issues?

So now I'm sitting with all my walls off, looking at getting 1) Framing inspections, 2) drywall inspections, and 3) final electrical inspections on all my wiring, and being asked to make it official in updating the scope-of-work. Kinda feel like I've been roped into some scheme...

So my final question is this: What happens if I just drop the permit? If I don't call out any more inspectors, just put my walls back up, and then someday somebody at the permitting office realizes my permit expired - what are the consequences? I live in Clearwater, FL.


texts: Whirlpool electric dryer works on 120 but not 240

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I am trying to fix my dryer but I have run into a problem I can't find the answer to.  I checked all the fuses with my multi meter and everything seems to be working.  Before I rewired a slot in my circuit breaker box for 240 volt slot I had to run my dryer on a 120 slot.  It worked and it would dry the clothes but take a lot longer to dry.   I rewired and installed a 240 volt plug right next to my 120 volt.  Now that I have my 240 volt plug no heat goes to the dryer. I checked and each side of the 3 slot outlet has 120 volts.  The plug going to my dryer also shows each side of the plug has `120 going to the dryer.  I also tried it with another wire and another outlet to see if that was the issue of why the 240 wasn't working.  When I plug the dryer back into the 120 volt outlet it works again but will not heat up as much as it should.  I am not sure why it is working on the 120 but not the 240.

**Update
I have changed it to a 4 wire 4 socket outlet and plug.  I am still only getting 120 from hot to neutral but not 240 from hot to hot. Here are some images of my setup.

***Update
I Measured the voltage on the screws near the factory installed as Nate asked.  When I did the the two screws next to factory installed it gave me nothing but when I did one screw at a time with the top neutral line coming in I got 120 Volts on each one.  Does that mean I am only getting 120 volts to the box?  I also noticed this on my meter that it says 120V 2W.  I wasn't sure if that meant 120 for each wire or the 2 wires equal 120V


texts: Why do only some drill bits slip out my drill chuck?

texts: I have an adored drill/driver that has always struggled with some cheap bits I had from another kit.  Drilling into wood goes as planned, but then when pulling the bit back out of the wood, the bit always slips out of the chuck, even when I turn the mode to reverse. I always assumed it was the cheap bits, but after I purchased a very nice set of hex bits, I am experiencing the same issue. The confusing part of the situation is that fastener bits never come out. I just compared the base of the drill vs fastener bits and the inner neck of them seem to be slightly larger on the drill bits.  Could the ball bearings in the chuck not be getting a good enough bite?  This is such a small issue, but it is extremely annoying.  I don't think I have used the drill enough for wear.


texts:
Yesterday I was outside to do lawn weed eater to cut the grasses around the garden. So I had to plug it into the outlet at the top and bottom. It doesn't work at all.
So, this morning I tried on one of these at a another place and different outlet. It was working. What might cause this jackwall not working?

I had a mouse trap equipment that is plugged earlier. I did smell something burned.. I have plugged in and check for the light to come on or not. It did not.
Your thoughts for me to get it fixed?
P.S. I am adding this electronic panel ...


texts: Light with Dimmer and LED bulbs blinks when on by itself

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I have a light and the switch is a Lutron LED/CFL compatible dimmer switch. If only that light is on it will blink a lot, 2-3 times every 5 seconds.  However, if I turn on another light that is on the same breaker then it stops blinking.  I do have one other light on that breaker that has a dimmer and that one is an incandescent and works fine with or without other lights on. The bulb is dimmable.
I thought maybe it was a bad dimmer so I replaced the dimmer and the same thing happens. Any ideas as to what the issue may be?
Dimmer model is Lutron CTCL-153PDH and it has 10 of the G40D-WW6DF bulbs on the fixture.


texts: I’m trying to change the cartridge on a Moen bathroom faucet but can’t get the handle off.  The handle base will turn counter-clockwise but reaches a certain point and stops.  You can also unscrew the part of the handle that sticks out and remove it but I don’t see a set screw to turn.  I’m the original owner but I don’t have a model number or instruction manual.


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Can't find anything that matches this particular issue on Google or here.

Our sink has a garbage disposal that is about 5 years old.  For about the last six months or so, the unit tends to propel its contents (water and waste) upward.  This sometimes happens immediately when it is turned on, but usually it will happen after a few seconds of grinding.

Is this a common symptom of a damaged/older disposal unit, or is this "normal" behavior?


texts: I cleaned my toilet and flushed all the blue cleaner down. The water barely went down. I purchased a 3' toilet snake which did nothing. I then used a much longer drain snake. Still nothing. I went to clean the toilet again due to all the splashing from snaking the drain. That's when I realized a large chunk of the toilet brush was gone which is obviously what clogged the toilet to begin with. I have no way of knowing how far in the obstruction is and can't afford $500 for a plumber. Any suggestions?


texts:
I'm looking for a saw to complete my fencing project.  I was using a circular saw to cut the fence rails but it went for a walk, if you know what I mean.

I'm now wondering if a jigsaw would be a worth getting instead of another circular saw because I have more uses around the house for a jigsaw than a circular saw.  However right now I need the saw to cut fence rails in half so I can finish my fence. These are 50x100mm SG8 KD treated pine and possibly laminated fence posts (112x112mm), although its fine if it can't do the posts.

I have found a number of jigsaws that claim to cut up to 80mm and one, a bosch, even up to 140mm.  I need the cuts to be flush and straight so my primary concern at is that the jigsaw blade will flex giving an uneven cut across my wood.

In saying that I have read the jigsaws can give really straight accurate cuts even in this wood or I'm a little confused.

Buy choosing a good quality saw and the right blade can I use a jigsaw for this purpose with results similar to that of a circular saw or even a mitre saw?

What should I be looking for in a jigsaw to meet my needs? or can I simply not use a jigsaw for this purpose?


texts: Puzzling leak in my 2nd floor tile shower

texts: I am looking for help.  I recently bought a home.  During the home inspection the inspector plugged the shower drain, filled the shower to test the shower for leaks.  Unfortunately, I believe he used water from the shower vs another source.  Within 20-30 minutes water began leaking into the kitchen below through the can lights. (Leak is being conservative, actually was a lot of water coming down). What's more, a puddle of water formed on the front porch, which is at the front of the house whereas the shower is at the back of the house. However, there was/is no evidence of water leakage or staining on the ceiling of the first floor.   After talking to several contractors/plumbers all thought it was the shower pan.  Well, upon removal of the tile floor and pan, there is absolutely no indication of water damage, stains, etc on the sub floor our surrounding framing material. The contractor is concerned, as he expected to see water stains at a minimum.  In addition, given the volume of water coming down and the size of the puddle on the front porch, a lot of water is escaping from somewhere. Anyone have any idea what the next step should be?  Could it be the drain?  Seems like if it were the supply pipes the leak would be constant.


texts: How do I add in-floor heating to a small area?

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I get extremely cold feet, and have radiant heating in some rooms of my house, and I love it.

I spend a few hours a day in a room without radiant heat.  Is there a way to heat about two square feet of floor space?


texts: Sizing Ground wire for 200AFeeder to House

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Im moving my service entrance from my house to a shop 75' away (in Tucson AZ, with TEP). The new service will be 400A (well 320/400) with the shop eating 200A and a backfeed to the house underground to its original panel (but moving the feed from overhead wire to underground).  This panel will have the ground bus and neutrals separated with 4 wires feeding the unit:
350 KCMIL AL for the HOTs, a 4/0 AL for the Neutral (using the 70% rule) and a #6 cu ground wire.
The wires are suitable for direct burial, but i'm encasing them in conduit anyways and burying at 36" depth.
So the question is:  the 6AWG Cu looks tiny compared to the massive current carrying conductors.  Did I interpret the NEC code incorrectly?
Here is the Result:  main Box with 4 wires for each feeder 350 350 4/0 and #6


texts: Hardwood floors cupping even after replacement

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Let me start off by saying that I am NOT a flooring expert or installer, I am a homeowner looking for answers.

About 3 years ago, my home was built in southern Louisiana with reclaimed/antique pine hardwood flooring (7" planks) glued to the concrete slab. The house has total encapsulation foam insulation and a combination AC/dehumidifier. The house stays around 45% humidity.

Within a few weeks of moving in, we started having cupping problems. It got so severe that some of the planks came unglued from the slab due to the pressure. Because the contractor did not use a moisture barrier over the concrete (even though the glue he used had a moisture barrier in it), he assumed that the problem was due to moisture coming up through the slab into the wood. So after ripping out the old floor, he laid Bostik's MVP as a moisture barrier and then glued the new planks on top of that.

Fast forward 5-6 months later, and we are having more cupping problems. They are not as severe, but still very bad. The contractor had no idea what was happening, so he had a technical rep from Bostik inspect the floors. The report from Bostik said:

  With the use of a Mini-Ligno DX/C Moisture Pin Meter, adjusted for
  species, readings were taken of the wood flooring. The results ranged
  from 5.00-5.40 %.

  With the use of a Mini-Ligno DX/C Moisture Pin Meter, adjusted for
  species, a reading was taken with long probes of the wood flooring.
  Moisture Content measured at a depth of approximately 5/8” were within
  the expected range. This floor shows signs of “dry cupping” as the
  face was significantly dryer than readings taken at depth.

  Cupping of solid wood flooring is a moisture differential within
  individual pieces of wood flooring. The moisture content was very low,
  dry on the surface. Readings taken within the flooring are consistent
  with what you would expect in your part of the country.

Can someone explain what this means? The contractor has no idea and will not install wood flooring in my home because of the liability. At this point, I would like to install engineered wood , but I am concerned we will continue to have this problem. What should I do?

edit: photos here: http://imgur.com/a/jWqwm


texts: Can I run a receptacle from a GFCI in the bathroom to another room?

texts:
Can I run a receptacle  from a gfci  in the bathroom to another room?
Is this allowed? I know it would work, just looking to see if this falls under the electrical code?


texts:
I disassembled this old outdoor spigot to replace the stem seal and stop the slow spout drip. I can't see any markings on it. But the seal refused to slide out and from pulling, popped off inside the unit! I can reinsert the stem and the screwhead will go into the seal again, but not pull it out. It leaks more now, of course.

The stem looks to be 14" long. Have no idea yet whether it is sweated or threaded to the copper pipe.

Close-up of the old stem seal, minus the seal...

What are the options here? I have no idea which make or model sillcock this is or even how old it is. Will the whole thing need replacing?

Edit: Well I tried getting the seal out using the water pressure itself, thinking it might blow it right out. That didn't work, but I did get shards of the old, deteriorated seal as it fell apart. Given where this seal is, even getting a replacement in there would be challenging. I'm not convinced it can even be removed externally. Tomorrow it's supposed to be very cold so the whole faucet must be replaced now.

Looking in the crawl, it was a 3/4" threaded fitting to 1/2" copper. I went to the local home improvement store and boggled at how few "wall hydrants" they had in this (apparently 12") size with 3/4" threads. The only frost-free faucet close to this was an inch shorter:

It took a lot longer than an hour. My propane torch was 20 miles away, so a proper copper alteration wasn't possible. A red brass 3/4" FIP to 3/4" close was used, making the whole thing about an inch longer than the original. The exterior mounting holes were also different, and I don't own a hammer drill and assorted carbide bits. I expanding-foamed the gaps and insulated the union. So yes, it's working and drip-free, but is not flush with the exterior brick. Now I have to go back down there in the spring and trim the 1/2" pipe so the faucet is flush outside.

Moral of this story: Just because you can do-it-yourself, doesn't always mean that you should. Yes, I saved money by doing it myself, but now I have to essentially re-do the job in the spring because I didn't have the proper tools.


texts: What are the IRC requirments for bracing/blocking in a load-bearing 2x6 stud wall that is 12' high?

texts: When building an exterior load bearing wall 12' high, using 2x6's, is there horizontal blocking/bracing required between the studs? If so, what are the requirements for that? ie. how many per cavity, do they stand on end or go flat, etc? IRC 2012.


texts: Can acrylic concrete patch be drilled into? I am using it to fill in some holes in a brick with holes in it where I need to drill into the brick itself and into the area where the patch will be. How long should I let it cure?


texts: Replace Old 200A Main Breaker with Newer Breaker

texts:
Going through warranty hell. Main breaker is crap, and alternating pairs of breakers are not getting power (so, 50% of appliances/outlets are out).

I've been fighting for a new panel because the panel is ancient with old Crouse Hinds breakers, but now I'm told my family will need to wait over a week before they can get it special ordered (the main breaker is an old Crouse Hinds MD-A 200A bubble breaker).

Can the MD-A 200A be replaced with a newer Murray MPD2200 safely? Downsides?

Comments/Reviews on Amazon seem to convey that it's no problem, however nobody provided a specific model they were upgrading from, aside from saying "old Crouse Hinds" breakers, and I'm not sure why electricians say to avoid using non-original parts.

I have experience replacing a breaker here and there, and I swapped out wiring within the last few days to sacrifice the disposal for the dishwasher, but I haven't replaced a main breaker before.

Edit: Photo of panel for (some) context


texts: How high should the siding be above ground level?

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To word the question another way, how much of the foundation wall needs to be exposed below the siding? My neighbor isn't the best at home projects and decided to install a brick pad so that the soil is above my siding. Obviously aluminum siding on top of fire rated drywall (don't get my started) is not an appropriate foundation material, causing a lot of water damage. So I'm having him dig it out so the foundation is exposed, but I need to know how far to tell him he needs to dig.

Location is in Virginia, we usually get a good 6" snow storm every year, sometimes a lot more. Other parts of the neighborhood seem to have at least 6" or so.


texts: Will standing topped off tree trunks work for holding up a building structure?

texts:
If I cut four trees off about 15' above the ground, and they are approximately in a parallelogram, Can I use them to support a building structure (say, a large shed)?
Would I have to treat against rot?


texts: Which plumbing adapter to join 3/4" FIP line to 3/4" Female NPT inlet port?

texts:
My main water line currently feeds into a water filter using a 3/4" FIP x 3/4" FIP x 24" braided stainless steel water heater connector line:

http://www.hardwareworld.com/Water-Heater-Connector-~-24-pRNH8OE.aspx

I'm replacing the water filter with a new filtering system that has a plastic 3/4" NPT female thread.  My understanding is that the 3/4" NPT female thread is really the same thread as a 3/4" FIP.  Please correct me if I'm wrong on that.

The instructions for the new filter state that I should only use plastic fittings to connect the water supply to the filter.  Using a metal fitting may damage the plastic threads of the filter inlet port.

So, what kind of fitting should I use to connect the stainless steel 3/4" FIP to the plastic female 3/4" inlet port.  It would seem somewhat obvious that I need a 3/4" MIP to 3/4" MIP fitting.  But, I'm not sure what material it would be.  The filter instructions just say plastic, but I'm not sure which type of plastic I should be using.  I'm also having a problem locating a fitting like this online regardless of material type.  Where would I buy something like this?

This is a picture of my filter and I can tell that they have some type of fitting there to make the connection between the copper and the filter.  I'm looking for something similar, but as described above, to connect to the water heater connector line:

Thank you in advance.


texts: How can I smooth a seam between cement board?

texts: I have a joint between two sheets of cement board that forms a small ridge elevated maybe 1/8" relative to the centers of either board.  I was wondering if extra thinset on both sides can be used to even it out or is it better to use self-leveling compound beforehand.  I am using expensive marble tiles and don't want them to break to an unevenness.


texts: enough electrical knowledge to get me in trouble

texts: I have an Arc welder and just picked up a spot welder.  Checking the Arc welder cord I found it has 4 wires.  The green is cut off and the white is used.  Do I need to have the neutral (white) and the ground hooked up also?  The arc welder has worked but it does blow my duel 60 Amp breaker sometimes.  Is that because the Green ground line is not hooked up? the white and green go to the same location.


texts: How to change compact fluorescent 4 pin bulb at 22 feet

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I have compact fluorescent 4 pin bulbs that in the ceiling at 22 feet. I cannot find any bulb changing tools which I can use to reach the height using a pole. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

(As a side note: Running out of luck finding a rental place that has 18 foot ladder. )


texts: how to close curved interior finished drywall opening with window or glass block?

texts: We have a curved opening between the entrance and bedroom/study. Since we would like to use this room as a bedroom and the opening is in the main entryway, does anyone have suggestions for closing this opening? It is large and curved, finished drywall with paint.


texts:
I plan to use a tandem(AKA duplex, slimline, twin, half-height, half-inch, double or wafer breakers) circuit breaker for kitchen.

The 20 Amp Tandem Single Pole Type QT Circuit Breaker ( here is the link to it ) will feed 2 GFCI outlets for countertop.

Now, I ask if is OK this setup. Inspector says that is OK as long the breaker is on dual phases.

Here is her answer: "You can use the slimline product, but it must be on dual phases.They each need a neutral."

What does it means? I couldn't find some info about twin breakers for dual or single phase.


texts: Can I install a LED Transformer in a junction box?

texts:
I want to put a series of LED tape lights under the bathroom medicine cabinet.

My bathroom has a series of lights above the medicine cabinet that are controlled by a switch, and I'd like to tie the under-cabinet lights into this circuit.

The thought I had was to tie a small transformer into the line voltage and stuff it into the junction box that holds the light fixture, and run low voltage wires down and behind the medicine cabinet to the LED tape.  I only need a watt or two.

Questions:

Are there transformers that are small enough to put in junction boxes?
Is this against the electrical code, and if so, how do most people deal with this?


texts: How to turn off water to replace main shutoff on private well

texts:
My mother is on well water. Her main shutoff vale is quite old and nearly impossible to turn. I'd be comfortable replacing it (probably soldering a new one, or for sure a compression fitting) but don't know what to do to stop the water before this main shutoff valve.

I read something about turning off power to the well pump? Assuming I can figure out what breaker that is, is that all I do, and then drain the lines at a low faucet?


texts: What reasons could cause my Bosch dishwasher to periodically fail to fully clean dishes?

texts:
I have a Bosch dishwasher (model SHX46A05UC/43) that occasionally fails to get all the soap scum off of the dishes. It seems like it fails to fully finish cleaning once every five to ten cycles.

I feel like it might be something to do with the heater. The cycles the dishes do get fully clean, the dishes are almost too hot to touch at cycle end, while following cycles where the dishes are not fully clean, the dishes are only warm.

The heater is capable of working, as during testing I observed water temperatures around 150°F mid-cycle.

Things I have confirmed:

Pump: Opening the dishwasher while it's running shows the arms
spinning and spraying. Water fully is removed from basin after the
cycle is finished
Arms: I have removed and cleaned the arms and they
    don't seem to be clogged.
Traps and drains: appear to be cleaned are not gunked up.

Can anyone suggest what might be wrong? The inconsistency in the issue is making it hard to track down.


texts: How can I reduce a tool's shaft size to fit a drill chuck?

texts: I am trying to build a 12" disk sander salvaging a metal disk with an attached 3/4" shaft, and electric hand drill that has 1/2 inch chuck. What is the best way to reduce the diameter of the shaft? Is there a compatible adapter- sleeve/reducer that is available?


texts: Is it acceptable to run 10-3 wire to a 110V 20A junction box?

texts:
I have leftover 10/3 wire from a 220V outlet installation.

I need to install a 110V outlet and splice to an existing junction box. Using the existing 10/3 wire will save me a trip to the store. At most, there will be 10 ft of wire from the junction box to the outlet.

Can I do it, or do I need buy 12/2?


texts: Plumbing - what is this bag for? Moisture collection?

texts:
I bought a rehab house and looking at the plumbing.
Some weird bag was hanging off one of the pipes.
When I touched it - these pink beads spilled.
Does it have any purpose?


texts: Can I replace an improperly supported tub easily?

texts:
I have a fiberglass garden tub in the home I just bought that wasn't installed right. The far side has no support under the lip and as a result it likes to loose its seal to the tiles above. My current solution has been to recaulk it every time it cracks but this has gotten rather annoying over the past few months.

Is it possible for me to rip out the tub and either replace it or fix the supports without redoing the whole shower area? (ie tile and plumbing). Does anyone have any recommendations on howto do it?


texts: Will a bryant compatible 60amp breaker fit a #2 wire?

texts:
I looked up size for #2 and it says just over a quarter inch.   I'm concerned a 60amp breaker won't fit a #2.  I have an older Bryant panel.  Maybe breaker manufacturer makes a difference or I must order a special one?

I have along run 100+ft which has forced me to use aluminium and a #2.


texts:
My garage door is very loud. I sprayed all of the metal-on-metal moving portions of the garage door (except the Genie screw drive track) with WD-40 as they all have some small degree of rust. This helped quite a bit, but I would like to do more.

I know WD-40 is probably not the right lubricant, so my question is: what is the correct lubricant for the various parts of a garage door, including the screw drive in my Genie garage door opener?


texts: Is tung oil a good product for natural oak cabinets?

texts:
In my new house, all the cabinetry is natural bare oak. The house is about 8 years old. Chances are the cabinetry is original and doesn't appear to be finished with anything.

I'm considering using tung oil to help liven it up a bit and protect it. However, I've never used tung oil and honestly, rarely, if ever, do projects such as this.

Is using tung oil on oak cabinets a good option?

Are there better alternatives than tung oil? Such as a clear polyurethane?

I don't really want to paint or stain the cabinets because color will change. I merely want to protect the cabinetry at this point.


texts: Soft vs hard plywood vs two-by lumber for bed headrest

texts: Using plans to build a bed headboard which calls for 3/4" hardwood plywood (34" x 60 1/2"), which is quite pricey for a sheet. What would the main purpose of hardwood specifically be, besides being more solid? I'm wondering if I can get away with pine plywood 1/2". Will that bend too much or something? I was wondering if I could even get away with 1/4" with some horizontal 2x2's for support behind it. The cheapest option may be to instead use 2x6's for the entire headboard but I'm wondering if that will be way too heavy.


texts: What would be involved in moving electrical panel a few inches?

texts:
My reading on the Building Science Corporation's website has convinced me I ought to remove the shoddy fiberglass+vapor barrier that the contractors put in my basement and place XPS directly against the concrete. The one hitch in doing this is the electrical panel.

If it weren't for the rigid conduit enclosing the feeders I'd think maybe I could add some temporary bracing, cut that section of wall loose, and incorporate it into a new wall a few inches further away from the concrete wall. Since it is there, what would I need to do to move the panel forward a bit? I won't be surprised if it ends up being impractical but I'd like to know what it would take anyway, if only so I can learn something.


texts: I am removing some Knob and Tube wiring. Can I leave the NEUTRAL wires hanging in the walls?

texts:
I am renovating my bathroom.  I am bringing in new circuits for all the electrical, and replacing the boxes.

I will have no problem capping off/removing the live (black) knob and tube wires in boxes.

However, I won't be able to cut the neutral/white wires back to boxes easily (they drop down from distribution boxes that are inaccessible in the 4" "crawlspace" between the ceiling joists and the roof rafters.  Thank you, 1938).

Since they aren't carrying any power/voltage, is it OK to just cut them and leave them in place?  Possibly adding a note so that the next guy knows what's happening?  It's not ideal, but I have no other idea how to cut them back to a box without ripping out a lot of original plaster.


texts: Will hex shank drill bit fit a 3 jaw chuck?

texts: Is it possible to fit a hex shank drill bit (masonry) onto a 3 jaw chuck ?


texts:
I can understand the supplier fuse and meter being in a communal area of a block of flats but was there anything in the UK wiring regs in the 1970s that would explain why the consumer unit is also located in a communal area of the block of flats.

Purpose built block of flats - not converted from a large pre-existing building


texts: Is it safe to use a blower to clean debris off a shingle roof?

texts:
I would like to routinely (once a month) clean the debris (leaves, sticks, pollen, etc.) that collects on my shingle roof because of the shallow pitch:

Rather than use a soft broom to brush the debris off, it would be less work to use a leaf blower.  Is it safe to do so, or will a leaf blower be too powerful and damage the shingles?


texts: Should a buzzing circuit breaker be replaced for safety?

texts:
I recently begin noticing a loud humming noise coming from my circuit breaker panel in my basement when I use a 1500 watt space heater on high in my living room in addition to the other electronics using a minimal amount of power. While I hear the loud humming, the circuit does not trip not matter how long I leave the heater running. When the heater is off the humming stops.

I was wondering is this a sign of a circuit not tripping when it should? Is it a fire hazard or does it pose a risk of damaging any electrical components? If I do need to replace a circuit, is that something I could do just by shutting off the main circuit to the house, testing with a voltage tester pen and replace it myself?

Thank you.


texts:
I'm re-surfacing our deck. On one section where it meets the house, this piece of 1x12 trim had rotted a way on the bottom where it met the deck. I believe it is cedar, which is what the rest of the deck is. I'm replacing the deck with TimberTech composite. Also was planning on replacing this trim board with a PVC composite, due to this piece rotting. But now I'm stuck because I can't get this trim out. I've pulled out the nails, but it seems to be somehow anchored within this piece of metal above it that it is tucked in to. I tried bending it and even tore out a small section. But that didn't loosen the trim board at all. I also wonder if it's tied in to the trim on the right. That's the trim on a screened in porch. Where this trim meets that trim, that trim is somewhat rotted as well.

One of the installers from the deck store came out to give me some tips. On this rotted trim board that I'm trying to remove, he said that piece of metal above it might be some kind of flashing or rain guard, to try to keep the water out, and that I might want to keep it, if I can.

It looks like this 'rain guard'/flashing, is tied in or secured by the vertical cedar siding above it. I hope that's not the case, because I don't want this to turn into an even bigger job. Any ideas or suggestions?


texts: Feedback on creative ways to sound proof - insulate existing finished ceiling

texts:
Without going into details on the, well, lets call them 'domestic political restraints' inhibiting me from tearing down the existing ceiling or blowing in insulation, I'd be curious to get some feedback on a 'novel' approach to insulate an existing ceiling.
Granted, this approach would require a fair amount of drywall patchwork, but this is the best I can come with at the moment...
I'd start roughly in the middle of the room and cut a 1 foot wide hole in the ceiling perpendicular to the joists. Effectively just take a drywall knife and cut across the entire ceiling.
Within the hole, begin stuffing insulation batts (perhaps mineral wool) down each side of the joints until I can't press any more in. Granted this wouldn't be air-tight but would drive some r-value and create soundproofing.
I was also thinking of using an extendable stick (e.g. pointer stick or hiking stick) that I can  insert into ceiling small and then lengthen within the joist to give some extra pushing power if needed.
Is this just ridiculous?
(Per a question from a commenter, note that primary goal is sound isolation over adding r-value. Would be curious if someone would recommend just adding a 1/2 drywall w/ Green Glue sheet on top of existing rock for a reasonable STC gain)


texts:
My contractor notched a wall stud to turn the elbow of the gas line and i don't think he reinforced it.
The wall above it holds a 21 inch wide by 36 inch height wall cabinet. There is also an over the range microwave that is partly supported by that stud. Is this fine?
Did he cut into it too much?


texts: What to try next when pipe joints leak with both thread sealant and with teflon tape?

texts:
I am plumbing a couple fixtures (a water heater and a shower) with pex and a few threaded fittings (at the heater and shower fixtures only). At first I used teflon tape (3-5 turns in direction of thread), but all the threaded joints were leaking. So I removed all the tape and replaced it with some T2 thread sealant I had laying around. Again, all the joints leaked and some worse than before.

I've also played with different levels of tightness to no luck. Am I missing an essential step in my joins?

What other solutions exist to seal threaded iron pipe or brass joins?


texts: How should I attach the grounding conductor for a replacement switch?

texts:
I'm attempting to replace an old Leviton light switch with a new Lutron dimmer switch that connects to our house's Wink system. The old switch had 3 black wires attached to the light switch and no ground wire.

Old switch:

New switch:

Other reference picture:

Upon further investigation, the box appears to be grounded itself. There is a bare copper wire screwed to the back of the box.

Pictures:

Since it appears the old switch was grounded via the box, can I just ignore the grounding wire on the new switch and let it work the same way?

All the pics are hosted in an album here for easy viewing as well.


texts: How and can you increase the flow volume for a tub faucet?

texts:
We recently built an addition onto our house of approximately a 1000 sq ft. The existing home had one or two prior additions to it  since the main part was built in 1930 something. The plumbing is the regular yellowish piping but for everything we added we used the newer pex piping.

In the new bathroom we have a stand up shower and a separate big soaking tub. My problem is the flow  or volume for the tub seems really low, like to the point that I gave up on the faucet and when my wife was ready to try out our new bathroom I pretty much filled the tub with a bucket line consisting of me and my four kiddos, haha...

Any helpful advice or something to try to increase the flow is very much appreciated.


texts: How do I run a dock circuit and what size breaker will be needed?

texts: I am running 10 gauge wire to my dock which will be about 100 ft from the disconnect box on the house to the dock.  I will be providing electricity to a 1/2 hp hoist, which runs on 110, that will only run a few minutes at a time, a 75 watt light bulb, and a ceiling fan to be used occasionally.  What size breaker do I need to use?  I was told I could run 220 to the dock.  If I do that will I have to have a breaker box on the dock to split into two separate 110 circuits?  Florida location.


texts: What kind of screws are used for plywood subflooring?

texts:
I have removed the old bathroom lino and cleaned the parts that adhered to the floor. I want to screw down the existing plywood subfloor because the nails are old (45yrs) and sparse.

What kind of screws should I use and how close together should they be?


texts: How do I properly install underlayment and a modified bitumen roof on a flat garage roof with concrete walls?

texts:
My project is to replace 18'x10' flat roof on my concrete garage. So far I installed 16" oc framing and 3/4" plywood over it. Now I am planning to install some fiberglass based underlayment (#30, presumably) and 2-ply self adhering modified bitumen (like SBS Liberty from Home Depot).

Plywood sits about 3" below the top edge of concrete walls (there is a drainage hole at the low point).

So I am figuring how to properly attach underlayment, MB roofing and flashing to the whole structure. I assume that underlayment will have to be nailed or stapled to the plywood. But what size nails do I choose? If I take anything longer than 3/4" it will protrude from beneath the sheathing. Is it ok? How do I properly space it? It surely will not be nice to have this roof covered in spikes from inside.

Do I need to fasten base sheet in addition to it self-adhering to underlayment? What is the best way to attach it to concrete walls? The only way I see is to use some kind of concrete screws. Do I need flashing along all sides of the roof?

I could not find any consistent information on internet so far, so some expert advice would be highly appreciated.


texts: Hanging Internal Doors - is a frame made from 2 x 2's strong enough

texts:
I have recently removed some light hollow wardrobe doors from a frame made of 2 x 2's and have just had delivered some reclaimed pine doors to put in their place.
I want to know if the frame made of 2x2's will be strong enough to hold the doors.
They are 78" x 27" and both doors would be hanging off one of the 2 x 2's. The frame is attached to the ceiling, floor and walls at both sides.


texts: Changing plug switch to fan and making plug constant hot

texts:
I have a bit of a cluster going on.

There is (A) stair light with (A) up and (A) down switches.
There is a (B) switch that goes to (B) outlet controlling one plug.
(A) & (B) switches are in the same box where four wires are entering in, two 3 wire and two 4 wire, in the diagram I omitted the grounds for clarity.
I want to install (C) fan (a Kichler Barrington #35170) and have it controlled with (B) switch and make (B) outlet normal to always hot for both plugs.
The (B) line is easily accessible from the attic.

Can I:

cut the (B) line,
run it from (B) switch to (C) fan,
exit the fan without the red wire,
reconnect to the cut (B) wire going to (B) outlet?

I've never tried exiting a fan and continuing. Is it better to just cut, piggy the black to the fan, have the red go to the fan, and no red going to (B) plug?
Or since the fan had a wireless remote, can I just cut the (B) wire, splice another (C) wire in, run the black and white to the fan, reconnect the red as it was? This will make the fan always hot and used by remote?


texts: How do you change baseboard heater to cast iron radiator

texts: All my heat is from cast iron radiators e xcept for one room ( third story loft).  How do I change from baseboard to cast iron radiators?


texts: Replacing light switch with dimmer - can't identify wire colours; no ground

texts:
I'm trying to do a straight replacement of a single pole light switch from a regular rocker switch to a dimmer.

I pulled the old switch out of the box and found the following:

two wires coming out of the top, one red and one blue. I can't find anything online that tells me which of these wires is which so I'm not sure which one to attach as hot in the new switch.
there isn't a ground wire. I've read that the switch will be grounded just by attaching it to the metal box, but is this true? Should I attach a ground wire to the box?

I'm in Canada, if that helps. It's an older apartment too (which may explain the lack of ground wire?)


texts: I have a sidewalk where one of the sections that was repaired by a previous homeowner is raised up above the surrounding sections.  I've seen some sites on the internet talking about shaving down the sidewalk rather than breaking it up and replacing it.  Is this something I can do myself?  If so, how?


texts:
I'm designing my new home. I live in the desert southwest (Nevada). The house will have an adobe style, i.e. it will be 8" cmu's covered with stucco.

I will have an essentially flat roof (1/2:12). I would like to use 6x6 yellow pine beams as joists for the roof with about 18" of each beam protruding from the walls.

The floor plan is rectangular. with the rooms being 12x12, 16x16, 12x16, 8x12.... I'd like to place these 6x6 roof joists 48" OC with spans of 12' and 16'.

From an engineering perspective, is this feasible?  The county I live in goes by the 2006 IRC, which does allow for unconventional spacing IF properly engineered.


texts: Fix localized wooden parquet floor scratches

texts:
I just noticed that there are some scratches on our wooden parquet floor. They are very localized and the remaining of the floor is in very good condition. Is there a way to make these invisible? They just bother the heck out of me every time I see them...

Thanks in advance!


texts:
i built a RV pad for my brother.  I also built a small laundry/storage room next to pad.  I wanted him to pay for his own electricity so I ran 4 wires (2 hots, neutral, ground) from a 200 amp outside main panel (already bonded) to a meter box then to an outside 125 amp sub-panel. Both mounted to outside of storage room. The ground wire runs from 200 to 125. The sub-panel will be used as main disconnect.

Do I install the bonding screw in the sub-panel?

Note: the only other thing the main panel runs is the well and a booster pump. The wires were run underground in non-metallic electrical pipe.


texts: Does a bathtub spout with a diverter have to be on the same side as the valve, or can I move it over to the side of the tub?

texts: I'm putting in a shower/tub unit and we want to have the tub spout on the side of the tub in the middle.  The valve unit will be in the usual place on the end of the tub, with the shower head above it.  The diverter is in the tub spout.  Will this work, or would it screw up the diverter if we put it on the side?


texts:
I have a number of large aluminium signs (4ft x 3ft) that I need to fix flush to pre-cast concrete slabs.  Ideally I would like the fixings to be invisible rather than screw heads which will be visible and have been trying to source some kind of solution to no avail - Can anyone advise please?
Many thanks


texts: 4-Way light system controled by just one dimmer

texts: On a 4-way light system can just one of the 3-way or 4-way switches be replaced with a 3-way or 4-way dimmer switch to dim the lights that will maintain the setting of dimness when the other switches are turned on? Just one master dimmer that maintains its setting regardless of which switch turn on the lights.


texts: What could cause my outlets to not have enough power?

texts: Four outlets won't work right unless a lamp is plugged in then everything works fine. Unplug lamp it's like not enough power. Plug lamp back in outlets work fine. Why is this happening?


texts: Can ground shock me? It's bonded to neutral in my panel

texts:
I have no outdoor outlets. I want to install a GFCI outlet underneath my main service panel.

Inside the panel there is only one bar with both ground and neutral wires connected to it. If I connect the ground wire for the outlet to that bar wouldn't that make the ground wire hot since neutral wires are also connected to the bar?

Also, since the ground wire must be connected to my new metal outlet box wouldn't that cause a shock if you touch the box?


texts: How much can hardware to manage for cantilever load & sheer weight on a built out faux beam that will support barn door bookcase?

texts:
Situtation & Context
Plan to hand a bookcase on a barn door in front of this opening. It will open in front of a sliding door that has a vertical blind that sits ~4.25" from drywall face.
To do this I need to sister/build out a "beam" that is 14' long from wall to wall that can support the material and the bookcase.
questions at end

Idea

remove drywall in front of headers (fireplace & slider)
reinforce/fill in the fireplace headers with more supports

I need 5" to create enough overhang in front of the sliding doors blind

I will countersink 6" Grade 5 Lag Bolts &

Use strap iron or twist straps to attach the layers to ceiling joists (24" on center)

I have 3/4" strap iron, I'm considering wrapping each of the layers if I can figure how to hold them tight to the ceiling.

layer:

two 2x6 kiln-dried pine + 1.75 LVL engineered beam + then a TBD veneer  (likely rough-cut 4x8x3/4 sheet of fir)

Additionally, instead, of lag bolts, I'll likely use full bolt & nuts w/ washers to the fireplace 2x10 header

in the picture below none of these materials are what will be used but were scraps I had to at hand to show the layering idea... two 2x6 + 1.75 LVL + 3/4 sheet

Questions

Number of lag bolts to go across the 14' expanse?

I figured two every two feet with ~8" between them vertically.

size of lag bolts?  6" grade 5, but... 1/4" or 3/8"

Referenced this How much weight can lagbolts hold, or how can I support this piece of slate on a wall? and https://askinglot.com/how-much-weight-can-a-lag-bolt-in-a-stud-hold

examples of how to strap a beam tight to trusses in the ceiling?


texts: Why are kitchen base cabinets usually screwed to the wall?

texts:
I can see a few reasons, but so far none are compelling.

Depending on how large plumbing access holes are you may want to ensure that
 it doesn't shift. (I did mine with 1.5" holes for water lines, and 3" for drain, and installed a larger piece of vinyl tile as a mouse arrestor.

if you don't have a cabinet with a built in back splash, being able to run a bead of caulk along the back edge keeps crud from making a bid for a life of obscurity.

On the other hand:

Free cabinets allow you to shift one over 3 inches to do the side of the stove and the floor.

Free cabinets allow you to pull them away from the wall at painting time.

Free cabinets make life a bunch simpler when it's reflooring time.


texts: I have to grind down my garage floor. Can I use a hand held grinder with a diamond blade? I saw a grinder for $80.00, 11 amps 4 1/2, I think might work. I don't know where to rent one.


texts: Do I need to remove the adhesive from peel & stick vinyl when putting hardwood with rosin paper?

texts: I am removing peel and stick vinyl from plywood and will be putting nailed 3/4 in  hardwood in its place. Do I need to get all of the adhesive up or is it ok to just put my rosin paper or other underlayment down, then nail in my 3/4 in oak pieces? I am having problems getting the adhesive up and be not sticky.


texts:
I would like to put a TV stand like this on the wood of a closet.

The TV is 20 kg weight. The weight is relatively small, but as the support allows an arm extension up to 50 cm, that means an important pair of forces (momentum) of 20*9.8*0.5 = 98 N*m.

The system would be reinforced by a rear stainless steel foil. That is, an steel plane at the back of the wood (2 mm thick, 4 cm wide, 75 cm long), 2 cm thick wood (from a piece of furniture 1 meter wide by 2 meters high) and the support, all that bolted together forming a "sandwich" steel-wood-support.

The furniture would be screwed to the wall, to avoid its overturning.

For the wood I think we can assume a resistance of 7 N * mm2. Steel, 240 N * mm2.

Any suggestions on how to make an evaluation about this structure ? Will wood break ?

This is a draft of the structure and detail of the anchor:


texts: Hall light flickers when bedroom ceiling fan is on

texts:
I came across a house today, that someone installed new ceiling fans in. Before, they were fans with dimmer switches for the lights. The new ceiling fans are led non-dimmable.
The power is shared with the room lighting and the hall light.
The hall light is a recessed can light. It works fine until the ceiling fan in the bedroom is turned on, then it begins to lightly flicker.
Any ideas?
All ideas and support would be greatly appreciated.


texts: How to investigate occasional water-pressure problems?

texts:
After living in the house for about 10 years, a few weeks ago we started noticing occasional drops of water-pressure in the showers and faucets.

It is not consistent -- after one person struggled with a shower, the next to use it would be happy. The house has four bathrooms and multiple showers are in contemporaneous use some times, but that was always the case. Besides, some of the pressure-drops would occur even when no other shower were in use...

When this happens, it seems to affect the whole house -- even the stream refilling a toilet-tank is match-thin.

Suspecting external factors, we asked the neighbors, but they say, they don't experience any such problem.

The plumbing is "new" -- same 10 years old -- and the pipes are all 3/4". There is a house-wide water-softener in the basement.

I could understand some piece of debris getting into a pipe -- or the water-softener deteriorating -- but that would make the problem constant. Yet, it strikes only occasionally.

The water-heater and -boiler -- the same device -- is also 10 years-old. Mid-summer I had to replace a leaking backup valve under one of the kitchen sinks, which required shutting off the hot water pipe at the heater. But that was months ago and I turned all the valves back.

Any suggestions? Thank you!


texts:
We have a Consolidated Industries All Purpose upflow furnace which is not kicking on. We have replaced circuit boards, capacitor and the inducer motor. We also put a new thermostat in. It works fine when running and is very quiet.
After we replaced the thermostat and capacitor, it ran perfectle for about a week, then it kicked off and will not kick back on unless we power it off and back on.
The thermostat still showed heat on.


texts: What are options for finishing cement block walls?

texts:
Our basement and foundation is cement blocks. What are my options for finishing the walls? I can't put drywall directly on the wall correct? Would i have to fur out the wall?

Its a cabin, so is wood paneling an option? just not sure with the cement block walls what the moisture situation would be with covering them.


texts:
We just moved into our new place and our new dryer is making strange rattling noises that sounds as if a small screw or other metal part is stuck somewhere in the machine. We checked all the accessible spaces and found no loose items.

It was suggested to me that this could be caused by transit bolts that were not removed. So before calling an engineer to come and check the dryer, I wanted to ensure this was not the case. Based on internet-research I found that these bolts are normally clearly indicated, and I can't seem to find any.

I included a picture of the back of the dryer and was wondering if anyone can confirm there are no transit bolts left?


texts:
My current set up is that I have a switch on the kitchen wall with power from the panel at the switch.  Then a 12-3 runs to a box under the sink, where there is a half hot for the plugged disposal.  The switched (red wire) feeds the top of the half hot.  The always hot wire (black) from the 12-3 feeds the bottom (always on) of the half hot and also is spliced to a GFCI that is on the end of a kitchen island.  (The sink is in the island.)  (Neutral is also spliced too at the under sink box to connect to the unbroken side of the half hot and the white wire leading to the GFCI.)

So, at the switch box, there's a 12-2 from the service panel, and then leading out there's a 12-3 to the box under the sink.  And then from the under-sink box there's a 12-2 to a current GFCI that I want to replace with USB/duplex.

I want to replace the GFCI in the island with a GFCI-protected outlet that has USB chargers in it.  I can see a couple of ways to do this.  I could probably just put a two-gang box in under the sink and install a GFCI outlet after the half hot and and then put the 12-2 running to the box that will hold the USB on the load from the GFCI.  Then I don't need to touch the switch box.

What I'm wondering though is whether there's a way to put a combo GFCI/Switch device at the switch and then be able to run to a switched outlet (for the disposal) and to feed the USB on the load side.  I've read a bunch of old questions and have read the Leviton instructions for the combo devices and I'm very confused.  I'm ok with the switched receptacle being GFCI, or, as I understand the code, it doesn't need to be for a disposal.

I need help with the wiring both at the switch box and at the box under the sink.  To recap, existing wiring is:  12-2 going into the switch box.  12-3 leaving the switch box and going into the under sink box.  12-2 (housed in FMC if it matters) leaving the under sink box to the box where I would like to put the USB receptacle.

Edit:  Still confused about how to wire using existing wiring with a switch gfci combo and the 3-wire romex leaving the wall box.  A picture of my best guess here with ground wires omitted:


texts: How to bring solar panel wires inside house?

texts:
I have a pretty simple solar panel setup in the backyard which links to the charge controller to the batteries.

I wanted to run wires inside the house so I can use it for smaller stuff like charging phones and laptops since I have to go in the backyard everytime.

I saw a tutorial on drilling through the wall for cable wires but this is electrical so I'm hesitating. How do most people get their power inside the house? Want to stay off grid since the power is not much.


texts: Wiring existing 3 Way Switch in basement stairs that was cut

texts:
Edit: So after reading more up on 3 way switches I may think I know how they originally wired it though, I just haven't seen any diagrams done this way. It looks like they passed the 2 traveler lines through the first light and then to the second switch then the power would be coming from the second switch to the other lights. Not sure if this is accurate but maybe someone can shed some light on it as I haven't seen it done like this.

==============

I bought a house and the basement was gutted and I'm trying to rewire the 3 way switch on the basement stairs, although I can't find any diagram that comes close to the existing wiring that is setup.

What I have is a light switch at the top of the stairs that has power coming into it. From that switch it then has a 3 wire running up to a light above the switch, which has never worked since i bought the house.

From that light at the top of the stairs there are two wires one 2-wire and one 3-wire running down to the bottom of the stairs that are both just sitting in a Junction box.

What I believe is that the junction box with the 3-wire was the secondary switch and the 2 wire was the light at the bottom of the stairs.

Here is a diagram of the current wire setup.

Blue = White Wire
Green = Ground

As you can see in the diagram from the light at the top of the stairs it then has 2 wires running to 2 junction boxes at the bottom of the stairs.

I tried adding another switch to the 3-wire junction box 1 but the light at the top of the stairs still didn't work.

I can't really find any diagrams for 3-way switches that has this same wiring.

Edit: Here are some secondary pics

This is of the light switch at the top of the stairs.

Here is the light above the light switch at the top of the stairs.


texts: Can I paint plain particle board shelves?

texts: I recently purchased a house and the kitchen cabinets have particle board shelves with no vaneer or vinyl wrap. Can I just paint them or will this cause future issues?


texts: Can you change a PRV by isolating the radiator at both ends?

texts:
I've been changing the thermostatic radiator valves on my radiators.
My understanding (obviously wrong) is that if the PRV is turned off and the lock shield is off, that at that stage no water is getting put through the radiator, so by taking off the PRV you'll have to catch the entire contents of the radiator and then change the PRV.
In my house there is a pipe from the floor into the PRV , and then the TRV goes into the radiator. Is this the reason why it needs draining first - because the pipe from the floor will still pump water?
I had a leak earlier at the tail and was able to isolate at both ends, bleed the radiator (then tighten back up) and unscrew the tail. It obviously leaked while I applied PTFE tape but in this instance I didn't need to drain the radiator. It did, however, continue to leak more than I was expecting (one radiators worth).
Could someone clear this up for me please?


texts: Can I run wire along a finished wall/ceiling in a basement?

texts:
I want to add a light in the stairway to my basement:

Left side is a garage, right side is the basement with the other lights I'll need to tie into.  However, I don't see how I could run a wire up the right wall since the bottom of that wall is a steel beam with a duct next to it running along the wall:

Since this is a basement, I don't care about the solution being somewhat ugly.  Can I just run a wire from the ceiling, down the wall, through where the other wires are, above the beam?  Is that against code to run wire outside of a wall like that?  If I can't do that, what options do I have?  The light switch is right there (under the fire extinguisher) but I don't want to have to rip open drywall to run to it.

Here's where I will be connecting it:


texts: Do I have enough amperage in my service?

texts:
I'm renovating a small house and want to install an electric tankless water heater to save space. A local store offers one that requires 2 50-amp breakers; the house has 200-amp service. The house also has:

an oven (40 amp breaker)
maybe a stackable washer/dryer unit (30 amp)
heat pump (2 ton - not yet installed, I'm guessing needs 25 amp breaker)

Will the 200-amp service be enough to handle all this?


texts: How to stack a portable countertop / tabletop Dishwasher on top of a front load washing machine?

texts:
I have limited space because all the cabinets were already setup long back. A Bosch front load washing machine (60cm (d) x 60cm (b) x 85 cm (h) is placed in this space. There is a gap of 60.5 cm from the top of the washing machine free as of now.

Can a portable countertop / tabletop dishwasher (http://levant.beko.com/dishwashers/dtc36810w/) of dimensions 59.5cm (h) x 55cm (b) x 50cm(d) be stacked on top of the front load washing machine?
What's the best way to go about it and any precautionary measures needed?

Updated/Edited:

The dishwasher is not a Full size one but a table top dishwasher designed to be placed on countertops. Example below.

As there is limited clearance and only 1 cm gap left considering both the appliances height, am planning to place a plywood top of 10 mm thickness and size 60 mm by 60 mm on top of the washing machine with an anti slip map.
Is this a feasible option or some other material will work?
Will the washing machine be able to take the weight and handle any vibrations the countertop dishwasher may have?

Image of what i am planning:


texts: Do modern washers heat the water if below cycle temp?

texts:
As my house is currently without hot water (heater broken), I am curious if my washer has a heating element to regulate the water temp if what comes out of the pipes is below the cycle required temperature.

I would like to wash some underwear as I have no clean left but would like to use a warm cycle.

I was told that it is OK to use my dishwasher with incoming cold water because the DW has a heating element to regulate the water temp, it will just take longer.  But I was wondering if a modern clothes washer will do the same.


texts: What kind of material do I need above the tile line in my shower?

texts:
I have a shower with original, 100-year-old tile.

The tile and the drywall-like material above the tile line has survived well, but we're planning to replace it in the entire bathroom due to significant cracks from settling and leveling.

My plan for most of the bathroom is simple: barrier plastic, moisture-resistant drywall and replacing the ancient exhaust fan.

But I don't feel confident about putting moisture-resistant drywall in the shower. The tile line is only around 5 feet off the ground, so splashing and steam are significant. This will only get worse because I plan to move the shower head up another 6 inches to be more comfortable for me (it's installed with the head around about 5'6" now, and I'm 5'10").

Matching, replacing, or adding more tile to bring the tile line higher isn't an option.

What sort of material can I install above the tile line that meets the following requirements:

Does not aesthetically compete with the vintage tile.
Will be reasonably steam-and-splash-proof.
Ideally, can be painted to match the rest of the bathroom.

I've been considering Kerdiboard, but don't know if it can be floated and painted like drywall. The only other option I've seen are the plastic sheets, but I don't expect I'd be able to paint them, even if I find one that doesn't have some faux-tile or other ugly texture to it.

Any ideas?


texts: how to remove these screws without taking a huge chunk of wall with them

texts:
I'm not sure what these screws are called so I'm not sure what to search for.

On mobile having trouble tagging, so feel free to edit.

Below are pictures of the screw in its deployed and non deployed state

Basically it's a wide head screw that screws into the wall in a non stud area, and a normal screw is screwed into that. The screw in question (that goes into the wall) has a "flap" or piece/hinge that deployed in the wall to balance the weight I'm assuming.

I can't figure out how to get them out of the wall when the hinge is deployed. Any ideas?
I'll try to upload a picture of I can


texts: Can I fill space in junction box wire clamp?

texts:
After removing some unneeded circuits from a subpanel the wires are not as tightly clamped at the box entry as I would like.

They're not loose, but I would prefer zero wiggles.

Is there an approved way I can fill space in the existing clamp or must I remove everything and replace it with a smaller clamp + reducer?


texts: How to make custom stringers for wooden/picket fence?

texts:
I am building a wooden picket fence for my backyard, and have decided to go with a pressure-treated dog ear fence available here.

The problem is my back yard has a lot of uneven terrain, and so there are several fence sections that I will need to construct myself. Lowes sells individual pickets, but (very surprisingly) does not sell the wooden stringers that run horizontally and hold the pickets together.

As you can see in that link, the panels each have 3 rows of stringers that are 1.25" wide, 2.5" tall and 8 feet long. This dimension (1.25" x 2.5") seemed curious to me and didn't ring any bells. I thought that it might be a 1x3, but it turns out 1x3 is actually 0.75" by 2.5". So these stringers are half an inch thicker.

I tried looking up standard lumber sizes and have not found anything that is 1.25" x 2.5".

So I ask:

Do pressure-treated stringers like this exist somewhere? If so, where?!?
If not, what is the best (and hopefully, cheapest or at least cost-effective!) way to construct stringers with these dimensions? It has to be exact otherwise my wife will nag and I'll never hear the end of it...


texts: Suggestion to "Networkify" a dumb USB Security Camera

texts:
Some background:

I live in a small condo complex where we're having an issue with our collective back yard getting an unsightly amount of uncollected dog turds. The HOA board decided to put up a camera to help catch the "pooper-no-scoopers". One of the members went out and got a camera that's USB powered & stores its video on a 32gb micro SD card. (THIS) and I installed it for them as a favour.

Where we're at now:

It's been a few days and turns out, it is a significant chore to manually plug it in to computer and check it every day. Basically, someone has to unplug the camera from the USB-wall-plug adapter and stick it into his laptop, grab the files, and plug it back in to power.

Extra hassle since it only retains about 8 hours' worth of video.

Where we want to be:

I'm thinking we can potentially put something between the power and the camera to let it act like a network drive, potentially allowing us to access it from the internet (password protected of course). I'd like to just hook it in to the wifi of the unit that's powering the camera itself.

Would like some suggestions of maybe a device that could do this, bonus points if it could survive being on a (covered) patio?

(And before anyone asks/lectures, we have signs up already informing the general public that CCTV is in use :) ).


texts: Plywood over rigid foam over concrete: will I have moisture issues?

texts:
Short version: If I install 3" of rigid foam over a poured concrete foundation wall that has been sealed with Xypex, will I have any moisture issues if I install plywood directly over the rigid?

Longer version:
I'm finishing a basement space as an eventual bedroom.  To be code-compliant, I'll need to bring the walls up to R-15 (and address egress as well, but that's another subject).  My basement walls are comprised of 4 feet of poured concrete with 3.5 feet of framing on top.  I'd like to save as much square footage as possible, and therefore not build a 2x4 interior wall after installing rigid.

The plan I've devised is to tackle the upper, framed portion of the wall and the lower, poured concrete portion of the wall separately (see image).

Upper, framed portion: air seal the stud bays (exterior sheathing is butted board), stuff bays with rock wool, and install 1/2" drywall.
Lower, concrete portion: seal concrete with Xypex, install 3" rigid foam (polyiso?) with adhesive, install 3/4" plywood

Electrical will be installed with surface-mounted conduit to the plywood.

No foundation sealer is perfect, but will my wall still breathe enough that I won't experience any moisture issues?

My contingency plan would be to add 1" furring strips to the rigid, then install the plywood over that.


texts: How to quantify the extent of this water damage?

texts:
I caused my washer to leak over the weekend by not replacing the filter tight enough after removing it for cleaning. Lucky for me, I was home, noticed water building up in the washer pan, and was able to stop the leak and suck it up with a wet/dry vac. Unlucky for me, we still ended up with the pictured water damage in the kitchen ceiling below the washer.

I plan to pull out the washer and inspect the pan this weekend. I suspect is it cracked, or possibly -- since it was installed by the seller as one of the items required by our home inspector -- the drain may not actually be connected to anything?

But in the meantime, should I be worried about the resulting damage? It consists of the long stained line and the stained "splat", and several shorter stained lines outside the picture. I can't imagine that much water got in there, but I have no way to tell that without removing part of the ceiling. Should I be concerned about mold, or just apply a stain blocker, repaint and forget about it?


texts: After installing GFCI outlet in bathroom, why won't my light fixture turn on?

texts:
I recently installed an updated light fixture in my bathroom and swapped a standard outlet for a GFCI. Both are seemingly running through a single light switch.
Once everything was installed the light fixture stopped working.
Currently the GFCI is wired on the LOAD ends and has a green light and power.The bathroom has a second light switch that controls the fan and that works without a problem.
I’ve tried the following,

Replaced bulbs
Installed different light fixture
Pulled tabs up in bulb housing
Switched GFCI to LINE
Installed standard power outlet
Checked all connections

None of these made the light come.
Note: The light fixtures has current running to it.
I feel like I’ve run out of options!


texts: How should I go about installing a 12 volt DC residential circuit?

texts:
I have a couple deep cycle batteries that trickle charge from a solar panel, for emergency use. Right now the only way I get useful power from them is to use a 12VDC -> 120VAC inverter, e.g. the type that can hook up to a car battery.

I'd like to semi-permanently install the batteries in the basement and set up a couple 12-volt circuits for daily off-grid use. E.g. maybe installing some 12 volt LED lamps, or removing the wall warts on some of my electronics.

Is there any standard for wiring residential 12 volt circuits? Is it even legal? I can't find anything on wire gauge recommendations, outlet and plug shapes, etc. I've seen some generators, e.g. this one, have a 12VDC receptacle with two angled blades, but I can't find anything like that at the usual retailers and I'm not sure if that's a standard receptacle shape or not.

Does anyone have any experience or guidance on where to get started for 12-volt DC residential circuits?

(This is more a side project to help reduce my electric usage and take advantage of the solar panel I already have than a serious source of emergency power. I'm not interested in a generator.)


texts: How do I make my gas furnace throw out warmer air?

texts:
I just bought a new house. It has a 2007 gas furnace. The make is a 2007 heil furnace .

I would like to know how to adjust the furnace to make it throw warmer air out of the ducts.


texts:
I installed a sliding glass door recently and recently noticed this.

There seems to be a hole in the bottom small portion of the door between the sliding door and the static portion of the door. This leads right into the house and creates a huge space for air and other things to get in. What would be the best solution to fix this? I have called the manufacturer but it will take a while for them to get back.


texts: Ways to Safely Repair 45 Degree Pitched Roof without Jacks?

texts: What methods can a person use to safely repair a roof that is slanted at a 45 degree (or greater) angle without using Roof Jacks?  Is there anyway it is possible for a person to safely walk on such a roof or would the chance of a fall be too great?


texts: What could cause circuit breakers to trip when power is restored after an outage?

texts: What causes circuit breakers to trip after my power comes back on from an outage?


texts: How to tighten an optical fiber to the wall?

texts:
I would like to lengthen my optical fiber so I can put my Internet box on a proper shelf. That's quite easy, I'll just have to buy a longer fiber.

The problem is that I don't want it to hang everywhere ! What is the best way to tighten a cable (well an optical fiber in my case) against the wall ? I want it to be discrete, and I want it to hold.


texts: How urgent is it to resolve two-prong problems?

texts:
I have read How do I use three-prong appliances when my outlets are mostly two-prong?.

I have recently moved into a house that has some two-prong and some three-prong outlets.

The place in the kitchen where the refrigerator fits has a two-prong outlet.  The house had no refrigerator in it when we moved in.  When the new refrigerator was delivered, the delivery person said to go to the DIY store and buy a little adapter.  The first couple of days, I ran a heavy duty extension cord over to a three-prong outlet, but when I had time to go buy some adapters, I switched to that method, because I was concerned about the cord being a tripping hazard, as it had to cross the kitchen floor right where the door to the basement and garage opens.

We also have a microwave oven, a chest freezer, and a computer running on adapters.  They are all on different circuits except the microwave and the fridge which share a circuit.  I know this because yesterday we mapped the circuits by turning on all the lights and then flipping the circuits one at a time and observing the results.

We are planning to resolve the problem at some point.  How quickly should we do that?  Within one week or one month?


texts:
I have a Bryant CNPV3017ALAAAAA furnace. There is a 28' duct run to a front bedroom that does not provide sufficient airflow in either heat or much more noticeably in cooling mode.
On the furnace board the blue wire is on heat and the grey wire is on cool.
Could I switch the blue wire to the orange wire to provide more heated airflow during the heating season and switch the grey wire to the black wire on the cool terminal during the cooling season?
Or could anyone recommend an inline duct boost fan.
Any advice would be appreciated.


texts: What could be causing my garbage disposal to be so noisy after unjamming it?

texts:
Our garbage disposal first went quiet and didn't work.  It appeared to be jammed, as it didn't turn freely with a hex wrench.  Using a hex wrench and turning it on and off, it now appears to be unjammed, in that it turns freely.

However, now it is very noisy.  I'd describe it as a constant grinding, rather than rattling or clunking.  Both the impellers and freewheel move freely.  I don't detect any obstructions, either by feel or by sight.  I've tried cleaning it with ice.

The unit is a 9-year-old 3/4 HP KitchenAid.

I haven't seen any reports of this combination of behaviors, and I've run out of possible solutions.  Any ideas?


texts:
I smell a dark heavy musky smell that comes and goes. It will travel around in my apartment, but it is also always in one spot...right in front of my ac closet when it does come about.

Although, whenever I stick my head underneath the compartment or in the AC closet I don't smell it. Just right in front of it a few feet away.

I took some pictures of the AC air in take.

Is the grey stuff on the wood mold?


texts:
I haven't been able to find an inexpensive drop-in utility sink base that has an overflow drain.

What steps/hardware would it take to add an overflow drain to a standard utility sink?

Would this be a reasonable thing to do?

Example sink: https://www.lowes.com/pd/KOHLER-22-in-x-25-in-1-Basin-White-Self-Rimming-Composite-Tub-Utility-Sink/1000012352


texts: Outlets in bedroom, top outlet is working, bottom outlet is not

texts: I have 4 outlets in one of my bedrooms.  One of the outlets is working with no problem at all both the top and bottom plug work.  The other three outlets in the bedroom, the top outlet works but there is no power going to the bottom outlet.  This has occurred on all 3 separate outlets.  What could be the cause of this, should I be concerned.  I tried resetting the breaker just in case, but that did not work.  Thanks in advance


texts: When wiring a wall plug is the common wire white or black?

texts: Switch says common wire. Is that white or black wire?


texts: Adding a indoor concrete ramp to existing concrete

texts:
My plan is to build a mold (by building a shallow wooden box, made to support putting a sheet of aluminum inside to create the curve) and fill it (upside down of course) with concrete to create what is shown in this image:

The idea is to install it (flat side down) in a doorway, adhering it to the existing concrete floor as well as filling in any gaps on the sides between the ramp and the doorway with concrete (the walls are stone covered in concrete).
The purpose being to stop any water from flooding from one part of our basement (laundry room) to the other (where we have our home theater)
Any advice would be very helpful as every part of this process is pretty new to me! Thanks in advance!


texts:
Considering a home theater "upgrade" for the house. When I was thinking about placement for the projector, I realized that the back wall of my living room is actually the wall to the Kitchen Pantry. Wife would not mind having a small rack for a projector in the pantry, and so I wanted to ask how you might go about having a hole in the wall with a glass optic to shine the projector through to the other room.

Through avsforums, I found that Edmunds non reflective glass would run me about $30-$40. However I'm concerned how I would finish up the hole, so that I don't end up having a literal hole in my wall!

Are there any ready to use items I could use to fashion a hole grommet/housing for the optic? (I was thinking a 3-4" diameter hole would be more than OK).

Considering this hole is going in the living room, it can't look too weird too. I welcome your suggestions!

UPDATE: In addition to the answers below, I found this product which is probably made for finishing a "hole": http://www.amazon.com/FastCap-Dually-Double-Sided-Plastic-Grommet/dp/B007CI3XL6

Also, cord grommets will work: http://www.amazon.com/Black-Desk-Grommet-Pack/dp/B000MM7PXG


texts: What to do about gap under outside bath exhaust vent?

texts:
The exhaust vent was broken so I installed a new one. After I finished, the previous homeowner apparently cut the siding too tall, or my new vent is shorter, but I'm left with this raggedy gap at the bottom along the edge of the new vent (ignoring the dirt).

I don't have any siding to match it so any ideas on how to cover that and make it look decent?


texts:
I am a renter and my house often smells overbearing of sewers  gas. I guess this is a two part question. The smell cures up from all the drains and I’ve made the landlord aware of this, she has not  sent  anyone to look at the plumbing or drainage. The plumbing is septic. She did however schedule someone to “clean out the tank” but as I’ve said has not sent anyone to assess the issue.

Will/could that solve the problem?

The other issue is shown in the picture. Is it acceptable for venting to vent directly into a room within the apartment rather than venting outside?


texts: Connecting a ground wire (SER cable) to a main disconnect that has no lug for it?

texts: These 3 wires connect this main disconnect to my sub panel in the back of the garage that powers the whole house. It runs in a conduit that serves as the ground between the sub panel and the enclosure in this picture. I am replacing the cable/conduit with a 4 wire SER cable (separate ground). How would the ground in that new cable attach to this enclosure? Neutral and ground can be bonded since this is a main panel but there is no lug available and no space on the tiny bar that’s there. Can I drill and tap a lug to the enclosure? Doesn’t seem right...


texts: Where to attach the c-wire inside Goodman GMP100-4 Furnace

texts:
As a relatively new home-owner, I recently came across the whole C-wire issue for the first time, having had to recently replace an old thermostat, and there is no C-wire connected inside the furnace.

The furnace we have is the Goodman GMP100-4 and is 25 years old, but the last homeowners replaced the circuit board in 2015. There are two unused (black and blue) wires in the 18/6 wire that goes from the thermostat to the furnace, and I wish to use one as a C-wire.

Please could you help me out with where this would go in the furnace? The circuit board is visible in the attached pictures along with the whole set up. I'm fairly handy in general but new to this particular situation/electronics.

I really appreciate any time you can give. Thanks!


texts:
My home was constructed in 2003 and has a natural gas furnace. Do I need to install carbon monoxide detectors to be up to code? It seems confusing since the first code IRC 315.1 is only for new construction, but the second code IRC 315.3 loops back on .1 for "Existing dwellings" with fuel-burning appliances.

  International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings 2012

  Chapter 3 Building Planning

  Section R315 Carbon Monoxide Alarms

  R315.1 Carbon monoxide alarms.
  For new construction, an approved carbon monoxide alarm shall be installed outside of each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms in dwelling units within which fuel-fired appliances are installed and in dwelling units that have attached garages.

  R315.3 Where required in existing dwellings.
  Where work requiring a permit occurs in existing dwellings that have attached garages or in existing dwellings within which fuel-fired appliances exist, carbon monoxide alarms shall be provided in accordance with Section R315.1.


texts: lennox AC condenser Fan running backwards

texts: I have been trying to figure this out for a little while and about to check into the nutty house!! The Condenser fan went bad in my AC Unit. It was a 3 wire motor. I got a Universal replacment motor and installed it. The orginal Motor was a emerson 1/10 HP 1 Phase. The AC unit has a 35+5 Capacitor with a Extra Start Capacitor. The replacement motor is a mars 10468 multi-HP 2 speed reversible. Here is the noodle cooker. I have the white wire hooked to line. The black and red wires from the fan determine the speed of the fan, red for LOW and black for HIGH. I am only using the black because i need the motor to run on high to match the RPM of the original motor. I have the brown wire connected to the fan side of the duel CAP, with the brown\white strip wire unhooked and wire nutted. When I manually start the unit by pushing the contactor down, everything starts and the fan runs in the correct direction. when I turn the thermostat to cool and it kicks on, the fan runs backwards. HELP!!!!!


texts:
Devices exist that claim to be able to splice nonmetallic sheathed cables together outside of a box, and in concealed locations. Are these types of devices allowed by National Electrical Code?

Here's one example device.

Tyco Electronics Romex® Splice Kit


texts: Replacing pavers with grass, what do I do with the sand?

texts: My backyard was pretty much entirely paver stones and I'm pulling them out to put in grass. I've pulled up many of the stones and underneath them is sand (fortunately they did that right). My question is, do I need to get rid of the sand before planting grass (presumably) or can I just till the sand into the dirt underneath it?


texts: Range Hood Transformer Replacement to LED

texts:
I have an Anacona Chef Range Hood. The two Halogen lights are not working. I suspect the transformer. I would like to replace it with the LED transformer.
Is it possible? If possible, what type to install?

The user installation manual for the hood is here; the circuit diagram from the manual is below:

One more question, as per the diagram, the transformer has 3 wire (GYW) as output, what are these. Are they for the three setting on the push type switch (High, Low, Off), If they are, can I bypass 1 wire (Low) as most transformers come with 2 output wires. The Input is 2 wire connected to power control on/off switch is this 110/120v?

Any suggestions or answers would be highly appreciated. Thanks


texts: I just hung a ceiling fan with light fixture.  I wired black to black and white to white.  The fan and light are operated by a remote.  The light will go on, motor hums, but the fan won't turn.  I have installed many fans before and never had this problem.


texts: Why is water flowing into my hot water tank from the output pipe?

texts: When I was replacing the hot water heater and the shut off valve I found this issue. Once I turned on my main water I kept the shut off valve closed to the input so I could ensure there was no leak from the replacement. I noticed during this time that the tank was still filling through the output pipe. I turned on the valve for the input pipe and it allowed water to come through (like it should). I did some trouble shooting to make sure it wasn't crossed in installation. So where is the water coming from on the output side? Why is it also filling the tank? Do I have a bad mixer at a shower or sink that is causing a loop?


texts: What type of adhesive should I use to attach metal to vertical tile?

texts:
I'd like to attach a magnetic, metal knife rack to a tile splashback in my kitchen. The tile is glazed white and the attachment points on the rack are small (about 0.9 sq in of metal). The rack weighs 2.5lb and with the knives and a margin for error, we're looking at about 5.25lbs total weight.

I've been looking at Loctite, Gorilla Glue, and everything Henkel makes, but I'm having trouble hitting:

Works on metal & glazed tile
Water resistant enough to be behind the sink
Sets up quickly enough for a vertical application
Removable (this is a rental)

I've looked at:

Cyanoacrylate gel adhesives, but I can't tell if they can handle being sprayed with water.
Epoxies, but they aren't removable.
Polyurethane adhesives, but they don't work vertically.

Thoughts?


texts:
I am a renter, so I cannot change the locks or drill an additional deadbolt. I came across August Smart Lock today (https://www.amazon.com/August-Smart-Lock-Pro-generation/dp/B0765LFNM7), which sits on top of the handle of the existing deadbolt. I don't need (or want) any smart functionality, however, a device to lock the existing deadbolt from being turned with a key would be ideal.

Are there any purpose-built solutions for this? If not, any other contraptions I could build?

Thank you!


texts: Hvac fan runs and shuts off in a cycle when in heat mode

texts: I have a Heil hvac model. N44336336GKE100, The system works ok when in cool mode but when in heat mode the outside fan runs for 30 sec then shuts off for 20 sec and continually repeats the cycle. I changed the defrost sensor which seem to work but the following morning it went back into the same cycle . I checked  the capacitor and the reading was same as the specifications. Can you point me the way before I do anything foolish. thanks.


texts: Drafts coming from all floor Heating system ducts. Gaps between sheetmetal and floor have been sealed

texts:
I had my heating system, crawl space furnace and leaky poorly insulated sheet metal duct work, replaced a couple years ago with a 96% efficient system. The system was independently tested and certified. Flexible plastic wrapped duct work was installed.

Over the last year rats got into the crawl space, probably through a scupper damaged when the contractor installed the system condensate drain line. For some time my wife noticed drafts from the floor vents. I inspected the system and duct work and found a spot where a rat had chewed through one of 12 ducts. I taped the hole with aluminum duct tape and set out bait which dispatched the rats. I believe the duct work is adequately sealed because there are no musty damp crawl space odors emanating from the vents.  The crawl space has always been wet due to ground water.

However, when I looked for and sealed gaps between the duct outlets and the floor there were still drafts coming from the ducts feeding each of floor registers . I plan to blow warm outside air into the crawl space to help dry it out and reduce the odor before I install scupper exhaust fans to keep it dry.

What are the possible reasons I'm still seeing the drafts from the duct openings?

If the drafts are due to other openings that I could not see, how can I find them?


texts: Where do I connect the C wire in my furnace?

texts:
I am upgrading my thermostat to a Nest, and would like to add a common wire. My current furnace controller doesn't have a C terminal, but the current thermostat wire has 2 unused wires (black and blue)

what's the best way to do this?

On the 24V side of the transformer there is:
1 Red Wire
3 Blue Wire
- 1 Blue is ground
- 1 Blue goes to gas valve
- 1 Blue goes to furnace controller

Can I cut one of the blue wires, lets say the one to the controller, strip the ends and connect both ends to the c-wire on my thermostat wire?


texts: Can I warm up "cold patch" in a microwave?

texts: I found two asphalt patching products online that are designed to be heated in the microwave.  Both are out of stock.  Can I heat up ordinary "cold patch" or "trowel patch" in the microwave?


texts:
We’ve been having some trouble with brown spots on a (freshly) painted wall.
Background info:

Moved in a few months ago and had decorator repaint guest bedroom (Dulux primer then Leylands trade waterbased emulsion)
Brown spots and damp started to emerge in the corner of the room - this wall/arch faces the outside. Had a roofer treat the outside wall to make sure no water leaks through.
Treated stains on inside wall with Zinsser stain blocker spray. Stains are gone but stain blocker is visible.
Few hours after fully dried, a new coat of the water based emulsion was applied. Shortly after, brown spots started to emerge again? They appear randomly and not consistently, have attached some pictures.

Possible explanations that I have come up with:

Outside wall was treated poorly and root cause has not been fixed. Less likely in my opinion because it hasn’t rained in over a week.
Wall emulsion doesn’t react well with Zinsser stain blocker and causes paint bleed? Not sure how likely this is because the spots emerged at placed where I didn’t use the Zinsser.
Underlying plaster is damaged/wet/has mould?

Possible solution:

Repaint entire wall with non-permeable and stain blocking paint. Possibly the Zinsser spray was not enough.

Any thoughts, ideas and tips would be greatly appreciated. I am not sure how best to proceed or what the actual issue is.
Also note: I’m an amateur and not a professional.


texts: I just installed a ceiling fan and light and not sure how to wire it.  The wall switch box has 2 switches, one for a closet ceiling light and the other is to operate my new ceiling fan.  In the picture with the 6 wires, the black wire to the right is the only hot one.  The two wires to the left, when tested with my ohm meter showed it was for the closet light switch. So the middle 2 wires must be for the new ceilin fan. enter image description hereIn the second picture are the white/black/ground wires that appear to operate the nonworking wall outlets that are in the room. The ground wires are all hooked up and taped in the box Can someone tell me how to wire this correctly please?


texts: Why does my ceiling fan turn off when I turn on the lights?

texts:
I just installed a new ceiling fan in my kids room earlier today.  There are two switches on the wall.  I started the day with a dimmer switch and a regular switch.  Once everything was installed I turned the power back on and the fan worked, but as soon as I turned on the light (on the dimmer switch) the fan would start making a humming noise and would start slowing down.

I couldn't get it to work right so I thought maybe the dimmer switch was the issue.  I had a regular switch laying around so I swapped it out for the dimmer so now I have two regular single pole switches.  I turn on the fan at the switch, works like a charm.  I then turn on the light (at the newly installed regular switch) and the light turns on BUT the fan turns off!  No humming any more from the motor, but it just turns off.  As soon as I turn the light back off the fan turns back on.

What gives?


texts: How do I get the Nest Thermostat to warm up my house prior to arrival

texts:
I have a Nest Thermostat and live in the UK. I have a radiator based heating system.

When I leave the house, some time later the Nest realises this and sets my house to Away. From this point onwards the thermostat does not obey any of my schedules. I have a schedule set to change the temperature at 5pm, but the nest ignores this because I don't arrive home until 5:30pm. At this point the house is cold.

I know that I can set the Nest to Home manually before I start my Journey, but is there any way to automatically have the Nest warm my home prior to arrival without disabling the Home/Away Assist or manually intervening?