texts: What type of fitting connection is this?

texts:
This fitting for a pressure washer seems to be straight-threaded. The OD of the threaded portion is 16.18mm according to my caliper. Thread pitch is approximately 1.5mm. I need to convert this to NPT.

I first thought of ORB, but it doesn't appear to be the right type. Based on prior history with this vendor, there's a chance its a German DIN fitting. But I don't know enough about those to make a good ID.


texts:
In my house, I have two whole house water filter housings in the basement, and then a third Point-Of-Use filter housing under each sink cabinet.

Currently both basement housings contain 20-micron sediment filters, and each POU housing contains an activated carbon filter.  I am satisfied with the taste of the water, but I notice particulates in my glass.

The plumbing in my house is rather old, and I was wondering if the particulates I see might be coming from some sort of buildup within the pipes themselves; rather than from the ground.  (Just a thought, as I have no plumbing experience.)  If that is the case, should I perhaps rearrange my filters so that the sediment filters are in each POU housing, and the carbon filter in the basement?  What do you think?  Also, should I get a smaller micron rating?


texts: What material does a door in your garage that leads outside need to be?

texts:
This question may seem trivial, but I want to be sure. I've gotten conflicting information thus far from a few different big box hardware stores.
We have a door that is in our garage that leads to the exterior of the house. I believe the previous owner installed a door that is not a solid door. From the parts of it that have degraded over time I can clearly see the border of the door to be solid wood and the inner area most likely be MDF? or something else, im not entirely sure. Regardless, the door needs to be replaced.
As I went to look at solid doors, I thought the doors that were completely solid were made out of pure wood. I guess I was wrong? So I guess there are 3 types of doors. The hollow interior doors. A door that has it's border made out of wood, but the entire is solid mdf. And doors that are made entirely out of wood.
Which type of door would I need for my garage door? Can anyone shed some light on the topic? The information you can give, the better.


texts: How do I smooth patio concrete for tile while maintaining slope?

texts: I just poured concrete for an outside patio that is roughly 21' long x 5' wide.  It has the appropriate slope for drainage.  Once it's fully cured I plan to lay 24" x 16" travertine stone tiles over it.  The stone pieces are roughly 1 1/2" thick.  Unfortunately I'm a concrete rookie and the surface is not smooth.  Is there a simply way for me to smooth the surface enough for the tile while maintaining the drainage slope?


texts: Is it safe to store a wheel/tire set in my garage loft area?

texts:
I'm not sure how much they weigh. I assume around 50lbs a piece. Here is the area I will store them in:

Any specific way I should arrange the load or am I worrying too much?


texts:
My carpenter installed a metal bulkhead to box in some plumbing. My question is, how can I effectively install a vapor barrier here? I was able to insulate behind the bulkhead, but now the top plate is inaccessible so I can't start my vapor barrier there.

Any advice? Should I wrap the barrier (poly) around the bulk head?


texts: How do i measure the shape of an irregular curved wall?

texts: I want to make a shelf which fits exactly. However the wall isn't straight, it's curved. How do I measure the shape so i can draw it and cut it on the wood for the shelf?


texts: Isolating water supply to replace basin tap with no local stop valve

texts:
I got a new tap for a pedestal basin. Looking at the existing fittings there is no local valve to shut off the water at the basin itself where the water pipes come out of the wall & connect to the mixer tap pipes.

All there appears to be is a brass male coupler visually identical this: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/22mm-Mlae-Thread-To-G-1-2-Male-Thread-Cooper-Straight-Connectors-Durable-Pure-Brass-Plants/32830027301.html

With no way to shut off the water at the tap itself, what can I do? I can turn off the internal stop cock, but what about the hot water? I've got a combi-boiler system ( 3 story house, the hot water tank & pressure tank are on the 1st floor - no tank in the loft - boiler in the kitchen ) & the house itself is a new build, ~2 years old.

My boss at work suggested that I should be able to turn off the internal stop cock & that should mean the pressurised hot water system will eventually stop flowing because it needs the mains water pressure to function? But I'd rather get the advice of people more in the know - I don't want to risk damage to the boiler system. E.g. the boiler in the kitchen explicitly states on the casing 'do not drain'.

Is my boss correct? Any other suggestions?

Thanks.


texts: Can anyone help with this leak under my kitchen sink? It randomly started a day ago for no reason. Do we just need to try to tighten the nut? The photo shows where it’s actively leaking without the faucet being turned on. Thank you! Not handy people but would love to not call out a plumber.


texts: I have a lot of plastic anchor bolts in the sheetrock walls. What is the best way to patch them?

texts: I am moving & after taking down many pictures, mirrors, etc., I have many plastic anchors left in the sheetrock.  What is the best way to patch them?


texts: What's this ceiling mounting system called?

texts:
I'm looking to suspend some Wi-Fi Equipment from a roof slab where there's no suspended ceiling grid to clip it to. The suspension is a cable loop that can hang from just about anything (the access points are ~300g) so where there's existing unistrut I can use that, but where there isn't, there's metal plating on the roof slab:

I think that's just a series of Unistrut channels that I can use channel nuts on, but I'm not sure. Can anyone confirm it?

Also, assuming it is, can anyone recommend a part that I can use to suspend a cable loop such as this from?


texts: How to deal with paint peel on normal wall

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  How do I prepare a chipped, peeling, deeply cracked wall for painting?

I notice that there are patches of paint that are peeling especially the area that is near computer & monitors.

May I know how do you deal with such peeling of paint?

Do you just paint a new coat of paint over?

Do you just remove all the peeling and apply anti-bacteria paint follow by a water proof paint?

Are there other ways to permanently deal with paint peelings?


texts: How do I stop the black sludge coming from our bathroom faucets?

texts:
I have a black looking sludge dripping from our bathroom faucets.

What can be done to stop this?


texts: How can I get the "new bed" smell out of my daughter's bedroom?

texts:
I bought one of those princess carriage beds for my daughter. You know, the kind that take seventeen hours and five allen wrenches to put together. Anyway, I get it together and honestly, it's gorgeous. But it smells like... chemical. I don't know if it's the paint or the treatment to the wood or what it is, but it smells distinctly like chemicals. I'm not a big fan of my 3 year old daughter sleeping in that kind of smell.

We've had the windows open for nearly a week now, and it's fine when they're open, but when they're closed it smells right up. I've never seen a piece of furniture emit a chemical smell for this long.

What can I do to make this smell go away?


texts:
I have a 75" TV that I want to mount above a wood burning fireplace (don't worry, the fireplace is not in use!) in a 1920s built house. I have bought this pulldown mount from Monoprice (https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=27773). The weight of the TV is 79lbs and the mount itself is about 33lbs.
The wall is plaster and wood lath with brick behind. The brick is about 2.5in behind the face of the wall (plaster and lath about 1.75in and 0.75in gap).
Since the wall bracket for the mount is I-shaped (i.e. bolted across the top and bottom, I'm thinking to cut out two parallel channels in the plaster the width of the mount to expose the brick, fasten 2x3 lumber using anchors into the brick so it is flush with the wall, then attach the mount to the 2x3 using lag bolts as if they are studs.
Requesting feedback or other suggestions. Hoping to limit intrusion into the plaster or face my wife's wrath. Thanks
EDIT: Slight setback during the installation...the adhesive started gelling in the nozzle in less than a minute and my caulk gun broke. I managed to get some in all the holes (don't think the last hole was fully filled) along the top row and get the rods in place. Hopefully it's enough. Need to go buy a new gun to finish the bottom!


texts: How can I control a 240v single phase with a separate 240v phase?

texts:
I don't have much understanding of phases. Basically there are 2  different power lines named A and B. When A is on I want B on. When A is off B turns off.  A should be used to control use of electricity via B.

I don't know whether such a device already exists. Or can I use logic gates to build one? Any idea how it can be done safely without mixing the phases? Is there any sensor out there that can sense whether a is on an then in turn open a relay for b and same when off?


texts:
Usually when the source of power in GFCIs were cut, the switching contacts remain shorted.

What kind of GFCIs can open the switching contacts when there is loss of power source?

This is useful for open service neutral faults detection/disconection, where the GFCI would disable the output when it happens.


texts: How do I run wired internet from a single router to several different rooms in an apartment?

texts:
Here is what my apartment layout looks like:

The router will be where the arrow points, the little jack icons are (shockingly enough) where I want ethernet jacks in each room.

The apartment is currently being renovated, and many of the walls have not yet been constructed, so I am planning to wire the house while I have the chance. I will be hiring someone to do it.

The largest distance between the router and a jack would be approximately 10 meters (including the length required to go up over the ceiling and down on the other side). The max speed I am intending to have for internet is 1 gigabit/s, so the cable should be able to transfer at that speed.

From my really basic research because I know nothing about this sort of thing it looks like Cat6 cable will work both for that length and for the speed I want.

Unfortunately in this country (Japan), the folks I have hired to do the work are not too knowledgeable about wiring for internet, and I want to make sure I can clearly tell them what I want/need so that I don't have to rely on wireless.

From my understanding I will need:

Enough cat6 cable to connect each of the rooms
LAN jacks for each room
I think I will also need 4 LAN jacks right next to the router, one for each room, so that I can connect my router to each jack separately?

For the sake of completeness, the internet provider will give me a router that will hook up to the telephone wire, and I will hook up a wireless router (with wired ports as well) to the router they provide. I think I need to hook up a different port for each room I want to use the internet in, but that's where I'm stuck.

Here is a digram on how I think this process should work:

I may be wrong on some/all of this. What I would like to know is what specifically do I need to ask for in order to have working wired internet in everyone room of my apartment from a single router coming out of a phone line connected to a wireless router?


texts: How do I build a corner bench for my deck?

texts:
I am totally new to DIY and wanted to take my first steps with a simple project - a corner bench.

I have decking outside already, and want to use the same decking wood for my bench. Something similar to this

I thought this would be a standard sort of newbie project and was expecting to find loads of plans, drawings, tutorials etc how to make one. Unfortunately an hour spent googling did not show anything useful.

Does anyone have some good resources that can help me learn the basics to allow me to complete this project? I'm not necessarily looking for a complete set of drawings/instruction for a corner bench (although that would help) but some basic instruction on building basic furniture.

For example, how do I attach the legs without the screws showing? How do I complete the corner join of the benches etc.

Any hints or tips for this newbie will be hugely helpful


texts: Shower hot water valve still "leaking" after replacement of washers

texts:
Thank you beforehand for the help.

Issue we are experiencing is that we have a bathtub hot water valve that has started to leak again after replacing the washers about a month ago.  Mind you this could be because of the weather being more cold but not sure.

What could be the actual issue and would it possibly need professional assistance with replacing the main part of the valve in the wall?

We have separate hot and cold valves and the cold side is working/sealing fine -- we haven't had to replace that as of yet, however, the hot water side is a bugger.  This is the second time we've had to replace the washers.

Again, any help would be appreciated.


texts: Can an outdoor receptacle be supplied through a GFCI in a bathroom?

texts:
My parents just bought a house that is still under the original warranty.  There is a standard GFCI outlet in one of the bathrooms with outlets in the other two bathrooms connected to the load side of that GFCI.  So far so good.

On their back porch they have another GFCI outlet.  It is also connected to the load side of the bathroom GFCI.  They found this out when some contractors were working and managed to trip the GFCI in the bathroom with equipment plugged in to the GFCI on the porch.

They know the builder as he just completed other work for them.  I contend that it's wired incorrectly and should be fixed under warranty.  He admits that it seems odd but doesn't want to get it fixed, of course.

They just had other electricians doing work at the house last week who looked at it and said "that's strange, but it's not dangerous".  I'm not saying it's dangerous, just wrong.

I would like the builder to fix it, preferably by putting the outside outlets on a separate circuit.  Thoughts?


texts:
Question about  Smart Electrician® 3650 Lumens 46" LED Linkable Shop Light Model Number: 0053-0011 | Menards® SKU: 3481400

I bought several of these and am having the same glowing issue referenced in the link below. I wanted to not spend a lot of money and just need them for short term, maybe 2-3 years at most so wasn't worried about high, long term quality. However, I also don't want to burn the place down! Are these safe to use as is? Would it be worthwhile to rewire them? Thank you!

Please reference LED light fixture glows when not turned on


texts: How were 240V (split phase) appliances safely fused before 2 pole breakers?

texts:
With split phase - (2 x 120VAC)  - any 240VAC appliance makes use of a 2 pole circuit breaker such that if one phase trips the other phase is also disconnected.
When fuses were used - seems like only 1 phase would trip - either due to a short to ground or that differences between real world fuses.
Given the technology of the time - was this simply an acceptable risk?


texts: How to open this air return duct between joists

texts:
I got dead rodent in return duct, at least I hope I will find it there. My returns on bottom and supply on top. Strong smell from return in one bedroom. Attached is pictures how this duct look from a basement. One end is next to window (where it goes up to the room). Another picture is where sheet of metal meets another one. It's about 8ft long.

I need to take that section out, I believe this is where rodent will be.

How do I take this piece out? Never took ducts apart, need some guidance, don't want to break anything..


texts: Where can I buy a concrete gate post in the style of this 1930’s gate post?

texts: We are about to get a wall rebuilt and it would be great if we could have gate posts that where in the same style as the rest of the road.  As I don't know the same of the style I have nothing to start with on google.


texts: Replacing chandelier, I have 5 different colours of wires coming out of the ceiling

texts:
I took a chandelier off and didn't took pic of the wiring. I have 4 cables with red black and green and an extra 2 cables, one with yellow( with green stripe) and black. And one with red and white. When I connect only the red and black the light switch doesn't turn the light off and it stays on all the time.
How should I contact it?


texts:
Is getting hot and I tried to power on my AC unit, it only blows warm air and no sound from unit outside, fan is not moving, no noise.

Checked indoor fuses were on and reset them
Checked outdoor fuse was on and reset it
Just changed the capacitor and turn AC on and nothing same situation
tested old and new capacitor with meter looks good
tested current in contactor and is fine to 240v

Capacitor

Contactor

When I push the middle part of contactor, AC starts should I replace the contactor?


texts: Any US building codes about a door opening into a hallway near a stairway?

texts:
A while ago I changed a door out from my tiny bathroom so that it opens outside of the bathroom and into the hallway.  It looks attractive and provides a great deal more room in the bathroom making it feel much bigger now.  It was also a great deal of work since I reused the existing door frame, chiseled new hinge slots and used wood putty to cover up the old hinge slots in the existing door frame.

Now that we are going to sell the house, a friend of mine mentioned that perhaps the house was purposely built for the door to swing inside the bathroom because the door is close to the stairway and that it could be some kind of building code.  The house was built in 1958 so if it were a code decision so long ago then I am sure somebody might know something about this.  My father in law is pretty handy but has never heard of such a building code.

I am terrified now that this might get called out in a home inspection and that if it were a code issue that I will be required to replace the door before I can sell the house.  Is this indeed a code issue in the United States?

EDIT:

I included a rough diagram so that you can visualize this:

EDIT 2:

I realize that information this localized is not on topic for this forum, but I am a resident of Pennsylvania and according to the local building codes that user Sean Cheshire was so kind to give me (Thank you!), this was the only building codes in regards to stair landings that I could find:

  R311.5.4 Landings for stairways. There shall be a floor or
  landing at the top and bottom of each stairway.
  Exception: Afloor or landing is not required at the top of
  an interior flight of stairs, including stairs in an enclosed I
  garage, provided a door does not swing over the stairs.
  A flight of stairs shall not have a vertical rise larger than
  12 feet (3658 mm) between floor levels or landings.
  The width of each landing shall not be less than the width
  of the stairway served. Every landing shall have a minimum
  dimension of36 inches (914 mm) measured in the direction
  of travel.

It doesn't appear like the door swings over the stairway so I should be okay!  Thanks everyone!


texts: Towel bar above wall-mounted convection heater

texts:
I am building a cozy bathroom in my basement. Due to the limited space, I am planning to install a towel bar directly above a wall mounted convection heater.
Should I be worried of fire hazards of this installation?
How high above the heater should the towel bar be installed?


texts: How can i meet two uneven ends of plaster on ceiling?

texts: Remodeling my new home and took a wall out. Plaster was different thickness on different sides of the wall sometimes up to 3/8s. How do I patch it nice and even, is it even possible? Should I drywall and hire a plaster guy to plaster over drywall? What solutions do you recommend? Thank you!


texts:
We are removing our carpet to be replaced with locking laminate flooring.  I am pulling the baseboard molding because we want to replace it with 3 1/4" MDF baseboard to be painted.  Some of the reason we are doing this is to avoid having to stain to match and install hundreds of feet of shoe molding.  Now I am told this is necessary contrary to what I was initially. Our floors are level.

The contractor also wants to caulk the top of the baseboard which it wasn't before and believe is not necessary.  The baseboard is somewhat flexible and should bond to the wall so I can get a strait paint edge.


texts: Why does my kitten's urine clean my carpet?

texts: I have an old house with very old wall to wall carpets. The carpt by the front door is just awful, and I have been trying to clean it for a while, with poor results. Recently, however, my kitten, who is not yet house broken, peed on a spot on the carpet, and it was immediately cleaned of all the old dirt (the pee needed cleaning up, of course)! Since I have no plan to make the kitten pee everywhere, does anyone know exactly what in the pee cleaned the carpet, and maybe how to duplicate the effect in a more sanitary way?


texts:
I have an old-school intercom installed in the house that I am in the process of disconnecting. When I remove the master unit from the wall, I found 120v mains coming in directly to a transformer behind the unit, with absolutely no separation between the HV and the LV side (and all the wires to the various head units).
Given that I'm pulling the system out, I don't mind, as ultimately I'm going to put the 120v wire into a junction box and add a doorbell transformer into the cavity left by the master unit.
I'm having a hard time locating the breaker though. It isn't the light or outlet breakers that are near by in the kitchen, and it's un-labeled. There are a lot of breakers, so ideally I'd like to avoid going one-by-one. There is a 60-htz hum coming from it and my non-contact voltage detector confirms it is hot.
Is there an easier way to determine which breaker it's on than just trial-and-error for all of them? If there was an outlet, I'd use a tracer to find the breaker. But given this just goes into a pair of wire nuts and then the transformer, I don't want to touch it while live...


texts: How do I repair hairline cracks in stucco?

texts:
The exterior walls on my house which is made of stucco, are starting to get hairline cracks in them.

Can anyone suggest a simple, cheap solution for it that doesn't require painting the whole house exterior?


texts: Fire escape stairs leads right up to my window, how can I increase security?

texts:
I recently moved into a 3rd floor apartment in a relatively upscale, low-crime neighborhood in Boston. The only problem is that there is a fire escape that leads right up to my window. As a result, I am keeping the window locked at all times, but I am still disturbed by the fact that a person could walk up three flights of stairs, starting from the back alley, and have access to my window.

If I understand correctly, fire escapes usually dangle off at the very bottom so that someone can drop off, but no one can climb onto it. Either that, or access to the fire escape is restricted by a locked gate or something.

I recently emailed the landlord, asking if I could install one of those gratings on my window that open from the side (allowing me to use the fire escape if necessary) but prevents someone from say breaking my window from the outside), but he said that the fire escape complies with all regulations and they can't do anything about it. Am I out of luck? Should I just continue with just a locked window? I know I'm being a little paranoid, but this issues is literally kinda keeping me up at night.


texts: Lennox air conditioner capacitor and compressor ohm readings

texts:
I have a Lennox 2.5 ton a/c unit, model 13ACD-036-230-05, with a blown dual run capacitor (the run terminal for the compressor is burnt off the can, the fan and common terminals are still intact, fan still running).

I had the cap replaced a couple years ago when the fan quit working.  I remember the 5/45 uf, 440 volt cap that was installed was close to the original cap that failed, but not exactly the same.

I ohm'd out the compressor and got 1.4 ohms S-C, 0.9 ohms R-C, 2.3 ohms S-R.  These values seem possibly reasonable to me, but according to LennoxPros, "The resistance between start(S) to common(C) is typically three-to-five times higher than run to common winding..." but they didn't state what resistance is actually expected.

What is the original cap rating (uf and voltage) for this a/c unit and what are the normal compressor resistance measurements?


texts: How to Drywall Around Wood Extending From Ceiling

texts: Curious what I need to drywall around the 2x4 that is extending out of the ceiling in the photo.  There used to be a wall where the 2x4 is, but we are joining the two rooms that were previously separated by the wall. Since the 2x4 is not flush with the ceiling, I'm wondering what is the proper way to drywall over that piece of wood.


texts: Can I run a single 12 guage wire outside of 12-2 to provide power to a fan?

texts: I have regular 12-2 wire going to a bathroom fan.  Tell me about code issues with just running an extra 12 gauge shielded wire up to the fan so I can do the fan and light separate.  Any restrictions, is it supposed to run with the existing cable... whatever.


texts:
What is the process a DIYer has to go through to become a skilled tradesperson?  Are the only options apprenticeships, or are there other paths to follow to learn a trade/become licensed?

What type of training does it take to become a general contractor?  Are there apprentice contractors?

A guy I know is a contractor, but his only qualifications were that he had a van and the money to print up some business cards.  Is this all it takes to be a contractor?


texts: Why my baseboard heater won’t turn with new thermostat?

texts:
I have a pair of electromod basement heater. The label on each of them show them show 750/1000W. Power supply to this is 240V

I am trying to replace the old manual thermostat with a progrmabale one. I bought Aube TH106 and installed it. It turns on fine and set the target temperature around 6 degrees more than the current temperature.

However the heater is not turning on. The thermostat is supposed to work with minimum 2Amp.

Now thinking baseboard heater may not be working, I put the old thermostat back and the heater runs fine.  With the new thermostat I also checked if power is coming to the heater with a voltage tester and it’s positive. I don’t have a multimeter right now with me

What could be wrong here? Any idea ?


texts:
I’m a newbie homeowner who continues to experience a minor plumbing issue.

My toilet has a slight leak where the water supply line connects to the toilet fill valve. I replaced the gasket inside the tank, as well as the connector pipe itself from a plastic one to brass one, but nothing has changed. I tried tightening the nut a little more, and that slightly slowed down the water drop, but it still leaks. Since it doesn’t leak at all when I turn off the valve, I was confident that replacing the pipe would fix the problem and now I'm kind of lost.

The following image found on the internet illustrates the location of the leak:

The water is leaking between the nut and that flat white plastic part that is screwed right below the tank.

Note: This is not an actual photo of my toilet. I’m using the photo to clarify where the leak is.

The actual supply line I purchased is this:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/BrassCraft-3-8-in-Compression-x-7-8-in-Ballcock-Nut-x-9-in-Braided-Polymer-Toilet-Connector-B1-9DL-F/100535528


texts: Replace or clean stained carpet after mold issues?

texts:
I moved into a new build just over a year ago, and a few months in mold issues occurred in the nearby closet. The main cause of this was an exterior concrete wall which was still drying, and led to moisture which particularly built up in the closet.
The builder eventually completed mold remediation, which included adding an intermediary wall between the unit and the concrete, and replacing the carpet in the closet where the mold was the worst. However, they did not replace the carpet in the master bedroom.
The carpet in the master bedroom is stained, and I think it is due to mold spreading from the closet. I have tried everything to remove it, including getting a high temperature steamer (Dupray Neat Steamer). On occasions I have managed to remove the visible stains, though it seems to come back and now looks the worst it has ever looked.
What should I do to address the carpet?
The options I have thought of include:

Getting a professional carpet cleaner to attempt to clean it
Replacing the carpet
Chemicals for cleaning carpet
Covering it with a rug


texts: Can I install a light switch/GFCI outlet combo?

texts:
Hi I'm trying to see if I can install a light switch/ GFCI outlet combo here.

If not what are other options or alternatives.

This is the current situation:

This is what I want to use

Thanks


texts: Best practice for making headers for deep (2x8) walls

texts:
So I am working out a framing plan for an exterior wall made from 2x8s and I want to put a door in it.   I plan on using two 2x12s for the header.

The question is, what is the best practice for building the 2x12 header in this deep of a wall?

The width of the header would ideally be 7 1/4" so that the cripple studs above the header are flush with both sides of the header.   But that means filling in with 4 1/4" of material, which seems strange.

Do I just make a box out of 2x12s (two the length of the header, plus two at 4 1/4" making the short end of the box)?

Edit:  And perhaps would it be best practice to add one 4 1/4" 'header spacer' in the box under each cripple?


texts:
I'm starting to get into some woodwork for building a desk for my home and I need to purchase some tools, but I'm not really sure of what to look for to determine if a tool is of good quality.

I don't want superb top of the line tools as I won't be using them that often but I need something that will not hinder my work, and I definitely want something that will at least be good for a couple years (maybe).

I'll probably be needing

a power drill
a circular saw
a jig saw
orbital sander or belt sander


texts: Why do windows generally open to the outside in Ireland but not in the rest of continental Europe?

texts:
See title.

I see the reason for having it outside is being able to always have them open for ventilation. Since Ireland has a mild but humid climate.

Opening to the inside inteferes with having plants on the window sills.

Why not have a combination of both?


texts: Is using a thermal camera an effective method to locate mold & moisture behind finished walls in a basement?

texts:
My basement is finished and there are signs that I have leaks or some mold.
The smell is not very strong but I can feel it for the first few seconds when I enter the basement, after that it instantly disappears in the sense that I can not smell it anymore.

I am planning to rent a infrared thermal camera to see if this can help with locating the problem.
Is such a camera effective in these situations ?

PS: I have also seen some DIY or consumer grade cameras which can be attached to an android phone in order to get the infrared picture. Has anyone tested these ? Any links to what you tested would be much appreciated

Here is one such a camera http://obtain.thermal.com/product-p/uw-aaa.htm


texts: Why does the relief valve leak on my new water heater?

texts: This is the second heater I have installed in a two month period and the same problem exists. This is an electric heater. The original heater was taken out because it rusted out. Does anyone have any idea why the relief valve leaks when the water get hot. Its happened now on two new GSW6 water heaters. Maybe there is an adjustment on the the relief valve that I can do or something but its not normal for it to happen on two brand new heaters.


texts: Why does my drill stop and start working when it feels like it?

texts: I have a makita drill that still works but sometimes stops working then starts working again. Any ideas what it could be?


texts: very confused on the wiring for recessed lighting

texts:
Trying to retrofit LED can lights by bypassing the ballast. First light I retrofitted had 1 white, 1 black, and one green ground wire in the junction box, along with 2 red and 2 blue leading to the fixture. wired 1 blue and 1 red to the black and white and the light worked perfectly!!!

Next light however, was a problem. the 2 lines coming into the junction box had 2 lines coming out of each; both black AND white. The black from one line was connected to the white of the other and vise versa.

At first I connected both whites together and both blacks, but when I turned the breaker back on it immediately tripped.

Then I connected 1 black and one white from each similar to how it looked before I started messing with it and the breaker still tripped. So I separated all lines and capped them off so I could use the rest of the lights in the kitchen and the breaker works fine. I have no idea what to do, and I don't really know anything about electrical work.

Any ideas?


texts:
Is it ok to put polyurethane as a protective coating on a marble countertop?

I want to protect the marble from scratches and staining by foods and other kitchen hazards.


texts: How can I project a clear light shape on the wall with an LED lamp?

texts:
I'd like to build an installation which projects a star sky on the ceiling. The picture will explain the concept and the problem I've encountered:

As you can see, there is plenty factors that I would need to take into account which I don't know. I'm looking for suggestions on how to approach this problem and would be grateful for some buzzwords on what to google for similar projects (light projecting and similar didn't yield results).


texts: Well water system - chlorine tank remains full

texts: We have a well water system. The level in the chlorine tank used to gradually lower and we used to refill. Since the last maintenance guys were here, it remains full. Why would this be?


texts: Why little holes/dots when I apply joint compound?

texts:
I can't find answer anywhere, can somebody tell me why and how to avoid these little dots/holes when I spackle.

I also including the pic of the compound I'm using.


texts: How can I run a coaxial cable into an existing single gang electrical outlet?

texts:
The cable outlet in my girlfriend's living room is in a strange place.  She wants to move her TV to a different wall but the landlord doesn't want any new holes in the wall or floor.  If the wall was just painted drywall I'd just put a hole in the wall and patch it later when she moves out but the wall is covered with a strange fabric wall paper and I don't think I could patch it.

Essentially, anything I do I need to be able to undo.  I'm thinking of running the coaxial cable from the basement into an existing electrical outlet.  What is the best way to do this?  I couldn't find any coaxial/electrical duplex combos that can fit into a single gang box.  Essentially what I'm looking for is a single gang outlet that has coaxial on the top and power on the bottom.  I guess I could try and modify a single outlet and a coaxial outlet with a divider between them into the existing box.  Any suggestions?


texts:
My attic has reached the point of no return with storage. I must use it for that purpose.
So now I have to find a way to insulate the attic's roof.
For this DIY handyman dad, does anyone know of a step by step guide on how to convert an attic to a storage attic? I can imagine the steps, but I know I'm going to miss something crucial. I live in a normally cold area (New York State). Mentioning this since all articles I've read say I should aim to get R-60 if possible.

What I have:

since a bedroom was added above the garage, I have two attics (original + new) and they are connected.
the attic is triangular in shape (from outside), but rectagular attic floor (if that matters)
there is a ceiling vent (at the middle of the attic roof) to vent hot air?
there is an attic fan near the top of one side + a "window" cutout, where I guess its used for moisture ventilation.
the 'new' attic is for a cathedral ceiling, so I cannot walk on it, but I can see there is R-19 insulation (looks small in thickness, so R-value is an estimate).
There is insulation on the 'original' attic, but there are 2x6 planks used to hold all the storage
I'm fairly positive there are side vents since that area seems very dirty (wind?)
The 'original' attic roof does show nail points, so you can see there's nothing but lumber that I can physically touch.

My guess on what I would need to do:

Put hard foam (pink stuff) in between the beams - Im just not sure how to keep it on the roof?
close the 'window' + attic vent - somehow, since Im not sure.
close the connection between attics with a door, since I may still need access to that 'new' attic. And insulate that attic door Im putting in.
cover up all the pink foam with some vapor barrier, say 6mil plastic since it needs to face the 'living'/storage area. This is to keep an air seal.

I know there's something I've not considered. Does this look right to those that have done this? If there's any documentation with pictures I'd love to see it.


texts: How can I identify the manufacturer of my windows?

texts:
So, the seals on one of the double pane windows in my parent's home have failed (moisture and mold between panes).  I want to contact the manufacturer to see if there is a possibility of warranty replacement.  However, the name is nowhere to be found on the window, only the S/N (Googling turns up nothing) and a sticker from NAMI, with the codes;

  Code:ALS Series:280 MST:6060

I can post pictures of the stickers/window itself if that would prove helpful.


texts: How do I determine why a sealed central heating system is losing pressure?

texts:
I'm currently trying to deal with a sealed central heating system in which the pressure is dropping by 0.2–0.3 bar per day (this is obviously far too fast, because the intended pressure for this system is 1 bar). Although I intend to call in a plumber to fix the issue, it seems important to find out the location of the problem first, so that the plumber can access the appropriate place to fix it (e.g. if the problem is under the floor, there's a need to move floorboards to provide access).

One common cause of this appears to be a malfunction in the pressure release valve. However, on one occasion after a loss of pressure, the circulating pump in the system was running continuously and (based on the sound it was making) failing to pump water; this was almost certainly because the water level had fallen below the location of the pump. The pressure release valve is higher than the pump is; does that mean that the pressure release valve can't be responsible (on the basis that the pump should be underwater even if the pressure release valve were opened entirely), or is it possible that the water in the system could fail to reach the pump despite the only issue being with the pressure release valve?

The other possible issue is a leak, but I haven't been able to locate the leak, if indeed there is one. Is there any technique that can be used to determine where the leak is? One thing I tried was to leave the system off for several days and then attempt to bleed an upstairs radiator – on the basis that a leak below the radiator should make it impossible to bleed due to the lack of pressure – but air still seems to be coming out. Would that test automatically rule out a leak below the radiator, or might it still be bleedable even with a leak below it?

One piece of information would be helpful would be the approximate rate (in terms of volume/time) at which I can expect the water to be leaking out; this would aid both in identifying a leak (because it would predict what the leak would look like), and in determining how long to wait before testing to see if the radiators were still bleedable.


texts: Is it okay to connect two In and Out neutral cables to the same relay point?

texts:
Bought a timer for my water heater.
It has 4 entries (2 entries each) (left to right): L-in, Lout2, Lout1 and N
I am used to having the N for each L. Does it matter if I connect both IN and OUT N to the same entry (one to each hole)?
Adding photo:

Edit #2:
I do live in Israel
Edit #3:
The manufacturer is Omega, model number OM-TIS45-B - but I have been unable to find any info online on this model.


texts: Need to calculate load ratings for DIY wooden storage shelving

texts:
I'm trying to figure out the max load ratings for some shelving at our shop.

It is 2x4's pine that spans 4 feet across and 30" deep with 2x4's as joists and angled 2x4's for support for each section. Then the 4 foot sections are fastened together in succession. They aren't currently mounted to anything, they can't be to a wall where they currently are sitting (electrical room and needs spacing in front of electrical panels) but will be fasted to the floor.

Thanks, Matt.


texts: Replacing SPST light switch with Occupancy sensor

texts: I have a standard single pole single throw switch and I am installing an occupancy sensor. The existing switch only uses  black wires on the switch, one on top one on bottom and the ground. The occupancy switch has one green for ground, one Red for Load and one black for line. Do I just put one black on RED one black on Black and green to ground?


texts: Can I use a 60 watt Halogen bulb instead of a 100 watt incandescent bulb?

texts: I have a new pendant fixture that calls for up to 100 watt bulb. Can I use a 60 watt Halogen bulb for a brighter effect?


texts: Putting a plug socket on a cable which was previously wired into a heater?

texts:
Can someone please tell me if the following is safe?
I have a faulty electrical heater which is wired into a switch on the wall. I am trying to replace the heater as simply as possible. Is it possible to simply fit a plug socket to the cable,then plug a heater into this? This option seems simpler than wiring the cable into a new heater? Thanks for any advice.


texts: I bought and installed a Trueway thermostat before 2 years. It was working well for the past years. But then a twist! the thermostat started to go nuts, the tempeature would race over 60 degree, even though I had set it 40 degree or bellow!! Do you know what is the problem? and also I would to know about the normal life period of a thermostat.


texts: how to get 240V to 4 wire 240V thermostat

texts:
I have a 2 pole circuit breaker in the panel with a 2/12 cable connected to it. Black wire is connected to one pole, white wire is connected to other pole and  bare wire is connected to ground bar. This cable runs to a wall mounted box where a 4 wire 240V dpst thermostat will be installed.

Testing, at wall box, black wire is 120V and white wire is 120V. The thermostat has two load wires and two line wires and it seems that connecting the 120V black wire to one of the line wires and the 120V white wire to the other line wire is how 240V gets to the baseboard heater via the two load wires. Is that correct?


texts: Replacing kitchen faucet hose in tight space with nonstandard plumbing?

texts:
I can't remove the hose from underneath...
What sort of faucet house connection is this, and how do I remove it?

Looking up at base of faucet:


texts: Do fluorescent fixtures rated for "Through Wiring" exist?

texts:
I'd like to span a lighting circuit and an appliance circuit across a steel I-beam in a low ceiling garage using a fluorescent fixture:

Lighting + Appliance Circuit ------\   I   /-------- Appliance Circuit
                             ______|___I___|_________
                                 '-----------'

The fluorescent fixture is shown in the above ASCII art attached to the ceiling below the "I" beam.

In a previous question I confirmed that given a light fixture "identified for through-wiring", this is up to code. However, I haven't been able to find any fluorescent fixtures "identified for through-wiring". None of the product literature mentions anything like that. I've seen some that are indicated for end-to-end connection, but I don't think I can put an appliance circuit through one like that.

I don't want this to be a "shopping" post, but can anyone point me to some example product literature for a fluorescent fixture so I and others know what kind of wording to look for?


texts: Adding a C wire and fixing White vs Red on my Furnace

texts:
TLDR: I think I need to flip R and W wires, and to splice the blue (C) wire to the brown wire coming of the transformer. Is this correct?

Long version:

Like many others on here, I'm trying to add a C wire to my thermostat, and to my furnace so that I can use a smarter thermostat.

The thermostat has the red and white wires connected to their respective R and W terminals.  The blue wire is present, but not connected.

According to my understanding of how thermostats are supposed to work, the R wire is supposed to be connected to 24v, while the W wire is energized only when the thermostat is calling for heat.

On my furnace, however, P3-9, the always-energized 24v wire, which is white, connects to T2, which is connected to the W terminal on the thermostat, and P3-7, the 'energized with heat wire' is red, but is connected to the R terminal.

Shouldn't these be switched?

Using battery power it doesn't matter, but I'm concerned that if I add a smart thermostat I'll need this to be correct.

Similarly, I believe that I can splice the Brown wire that goes from opposite the white wire on the transformer to P2-2 to the terminal block and then to the B wire going to the thermostat.

Is this correct?

I've annotated the wiring diagram with what I think are the correct fixes.


texts: How do I remove the front panel of my refrigerator to replace the water line?

texts:
I have a Whirlpool Gold Conquest side by side refrigerator, Model #GS2SHEXNB00. Here's the tag:

It has a line that runs through the freezer door to the water dispenser in the front. Water has started to slowly drip down the line and pool at the bottom. I am guessing there is a crack in the line somewhere inside the door, but I can't figure out how to get at it.

I'm fairly certain that I need to remove the ice/water dispenser to get at the line:

I've managed to remove the faceplate and there are four screws at the corners of the dispenser, but after removing them, it still doesn't budge. I think there may be some sort of glue holding it in. I've worked a knife around the edges and loosened them up, but it's still pretty firmly in there.

How can I get that thing out of there? Or is that even the right place to replace the water line?


texts:
I found the following chair I'd like to mount in my small hall:

However, it costs a lot. I wonder whether constructing such a chair myself would be hard?

Any suggestions how to start and what things should I take care of?


texts: How to attach a new sill to an existing concrete foundation

texts:
I have a foundation of block wall. To get it to the correct height I need to put 4" solid block top cap on it and my sill plate on top of the 4" solid top cap. I can fill in the voids in the block wall where I'm going to need to bolt it down with cement.

My question is how best to secure the walls. If I bury a J bolt in there I'll have to drill a hole through the 4" solid top course that won't be serving any purpose for securing the walls so it's just a bolt going through a hole. I can't even seem to find a bolt long enough that would bury the J bolt in the cement under the 4" solid block in the cement filled blocked wall more than a few inches.

I'm thinking I'd fill in the block wall with cement where  I need to anchor the walls and then go in from the top and put in a 1/2" x 6" tapcon (or longer if I can find it like 10") or something so that it uses the 4" solid block and a bit of the cement underneath for grip. Can't tell if this meets code or is even a good idea though.


texts: Does a software-controlled central heating programmer and thermostat exist?

texts:
I have a central heating programmer in the airing cupboard (where the hot water tank is).  It allows a couple of separate schedules for water and heating separately, and also for manual override when needed.

The thermostat is in the hallway by the front door.

I'd like to replace this kit with a basic bare-bones system that would allow an application on my Windows PC to control it.  I'm a software developer, so it's a hobby project and I don't necessarily need a totally complete solution from a single vendor.

I'm thinking of something which is little more than relays on a TCP/IP-enabled PCB.

Anyone have any recommendations?


texts: How Do I Connect 00 AWG Wire to a 100A breaker?

texts: I'm hooking a 100A service panel to my meter pan. There is the 100A disconnect panel on the right side that feeds the little house, I'm installing another panel on the left side to service my barn, an approximate 150' run. Feed to the barn is 3 conductor direct burial cable. Two of them look like 00 AWG, guessing, but the wire is a good solid 1/2 inch across. The 100A breaker terminal will fit, looks like, #4 at best. Is there is "reducing" type terminal that will allow me to tight fit the 00 AWG wire and then insert into the breaker?


texts: Will this TV mount holds LG OLED C8 65"?

texts:
I have 24inches stud and bought a LG OLED C8 65 inches.
Looking at this TV mount: https://www.amazon.com.au/Bracket-Articulating-MD2380-24-Mounting-Dream/dp/B06XZ6S9VG/ref=pd_sbs_504_1

It says it only supports up to 55" but it does support LG OLED C8 65" VESA size 300m x 200m. It also supports up to 45kg which should be fine cause C8 65" Net Weight without stand is only 21kg. LG OLED C8 specs: https://www.lg.com/au/support/products/documents/OLED%20C8%20Product%20Spec%20Sheet.pdf

I could get a bigger frame but I don't want the bigger frame to block the cable inputs on the backside since it looks quite wide and C8 has some cable input on the right of backside.

Bigger mount:
https://www.amazon.com.au/Articulating-600x400mm-MD2298-Mounting-Dream/dp/B00UT3O46E/ref=sr_1_3

C8 backside:
https://www.lg.com/uk/images/tvs/MD05933200/gallery/medium05.jpg

just wanna ask it should be fine to purchase to mount the C8 65" ?? Seems to tick all the boxes: https://www.amazon.com.au/Bracket-Articulating-MD2380-24-Mounting-Dream/dp/B06XZ6S9VG/ref=pd_sbs_504_1


texts:
I recently lost power to half of a circuit. Before that happened every once in a while the lights would dim or flash for a minute and then everything was fine again. That was going on sporadically for a month and now half of the circuit lost power completely.

There are 4 outlets 1 ceiling fan 1 outside light and a switch for fan and a switch for outside light. 1 outlet, the fan and outside light do not work. If tested with multimeter they all show 118 volts until I flip 1 of the switches or plug something in to dead outlet. When I do that it shows very little to no voltage. Replaced all outlets and switches on that circuit and still no luck. Checked connections to fan also. Every wire but has been retightened and can't find any hidden junction boxes. Any ideas?


texts: What breaker size and wire gauge should I use for a new garage outlet circuit?

texts:
I would like to add some much-needed electrical outlets in my garage. As of right now it seems like the power that's going to the garage door opener and the garage light is also on the same line as some kitchen lights and some bedroom lights and Outlets. I feel like that circuit is already pushed to its maximum and would like to install a new circuit breaker and run a new line and pull the Garage items off of their old line and attach them onto a new one including my four new Outlets. I have pretty good electrical skills although that is not my profession. Just wondering what size breaker I need to install as well as is there a specific Gauge that I need to use from the breaker out. I'm using 14 2 on my Outlets that I'm adding.

For reference I've moved my washer and dryer about 3 months ago and I rewired a new wire to the breaker myself so I have a pretty good idea of how to do it just not sure of the specific sizes to use. I have several open areas for new circuit breakers.


texts: Unbundling Ground Wire make unconnected wires show hot

texts:
A light that has a 2 wires (and a ground) coming in from an outlet. The 2 wires are unused.

From the other side there are two wires coming up to the box. 1 of these wires connects to the light and the other connected to the ground wire from the first bundle. A third wire connects the bundle to the other side of the light.

I understand what is going on here - the people who setup the light (for whatever reason) used the ground as the neutral, not sure why since they had 2 other wires they could have used.

Anyway, when I was trying to figure out what was going on I disconnected all the wires at the switch & up in the light box. When I disconnected the ground coming from the outlet the 2 wires from the switch box showed hot from my cheap voltage meter - they were not connected to anything on the other side...

Why were they hot?


texts:
I have Anderson casement windows I want to rehang because some sashes are rubbing up against the bottom or side.  I think the rubbing is just from the sash sagging over time, they were installed in 1970. I'm having a hard time keeping the sash centered while I screw the hinges in.

Any tips or methods for hanging a sash?  Should I replace any parts while I'm at it?


texts: Apparently stripped holes in dryer door hinges

texts:
I removed  the door of an OLD Maytag dryer(DG408) to repair the latching mechanism. I followed Youtube repair video (that was linked to the repair part on order site) step by step, worked like a charm.
However, when I went to go reinstall door, ALL FOUR of the hinge screws just spin in the holes. I can take screws with my hand and push in and out - nothing grabs whatsoever. They were the only screws removed so I know I didn't mix them up.
Initially removed screws easily with a manual screwdriver, supporting door to be sure I didn't bend anything. Holes and screws are tiny, can detect nothing behind them or see any threads, though holes are so tiny I'm not sure. (Photos below)
I am wondering if the previously posted solution,  by "Fred" I think,  to a similar question asked by "Tiffany  in 2019 would work? Here's what it said:

take the good screws to a local hardware store and ask for a matching
tap to clean or re-tap the threads in the door. The hardware store
person should find a nut to fit the screw, identifying the thread as
metric or SAE and then match the tap tool accordingly.
For a one-off task such as this, you can get away without a tap
handle. Use an adjustable wrench set to match the flats on the tap,
place the tap in the hole and attempt to start the cutting threads to
match the probably-damaged threads in the dryer wall. Because the
threads were there previously, you won't have to use the forward
half-turn, backwards quarter-turn practice used for tapping a drilled
hole. A bit of lubricant would be useful, a light oil or even motor
oil.

Any help GREATLY appreciated.

(


texts: How should I treat a rusty corner bead in the bathroom before covering it again?

texts: The paint got scraped off the corner bead in my bathroom, and now it's rusty.  How can I treat it before spackling and repainting?


texts: Ceiling fan gets voltage but lights do not turn on

texts: I just connected a new ceiling fan with lights and the lights and fan won't turn on. I tried to hunt down the problem and used a non contact voltage detector and the voltage does flow to the wires on the light kit but the lights do not turn on. The switch should be fine, since it's brand new and was working with a different fixture before. Any suggestions?


texts: How Can I Install A "Main" in my Distribution Box, such that I could turn the main switch to allow all power to be off while I'm away?

texts:
My box doesn't have a main, but it has a slot for it (it says, punch out here for main). I'd like to know how I can put a main switch in, so that I can turn everything off at once while I'm away.

Such as shown at the top in this picture:


texts: New oven/microwave combination unit with 4 wire pigtail

texts: I have a new oven/micro unit just delivered. It has a 4 wire pigtail and the old unit had a 3 prong 30a plug to a 3 prong female wall plug. Can I use the same wall outlet and plug or do I need to change out the wall outlet to a four prong receptacle? Anyone?


texts: I am getting a 4 blink indicator saying my limit switch is bad. I tested the switch and it is good. What else could it be?


texts: Looking for drill bit tapered to match pencil sharpener

texts:
I saw this once years ago, but can't find it now. It's a drill bit that drills a conical hole whose taper matches the cone left by a pencil sharpener.

The idea is that you can repair stripped screw holes by reaming them out with this drill bit, and then plugging them with a dowel sharpened with a pencil sharpener.

This seems like a really elegant way to repair a stripped screw hole.


texts: What could cause excessive condensation drainage from my heat pump?

texts:
I have a one-year-old heat pump in my attic that is producing substantially more condensate this summer than it did last summer (and last summer was hotter!).

There is a drain pan that is often full of water, and very frequently drains right onto my front porch two stories down.  We didn't have any problems like this at all last summer, or any time this summer until about a month ago.

The floor is dry underneath the heat pump and the drainage line, and it doesn't look like there are any leaks anywhere.

I would have thought a full drain pan would indicate a clogged drainage line, but the symptom that made me notice the problem at all is the excessive drainage from that drainage line, so it looks like that's not the case either.


texts:
does anyone know what the minimum exterior door to landing height is in MA. I know the max is 7 3/4 but I dont know the minimum. I'm getting conflicting information that it can't be less than 6 inches, ideally I wanted to go 4 inches.
TIA, P


texts: What size LVL beam to replace 17 foot load bearing wall (marriage wall) on first floor of two story colonial modular home

texts:
We are currently in the process of opening up the space between the living room and family room on the first floor. The house is a 2 story, 2600 square foot colonial modular house.
The wall we would like to replace with a LVL beam is the marriage wall between the rooms that is 2- 2x4's and 2-  1/2" pieces of OSB. We have a full poured concrete basement with steel support beams spread. From the left the spacing is 7' from wall, then the next one is 9'from that beam then 5'from that beam. The section of wall would have to be replaced with a 17 foot beam. The LVL beam would between the red squares are in the photo. We want to keep the existing post where the red square is between the morning room and the foyer which is roughly 8"x8".
The house was designed with a 40 psf live load and a 12 psf dead load for the floor.  Attempts be in contact with the manufacture/builder of the house have been unsuccessful.
Initial research has shown 3-14" LVL beams to cover that span but we would like to keep the drop to a minimum but maintain the full structural integrity of the house built which is very high.
Please let me know if you need any other information to provide.


texts: I have a strange smell (somewhat like decomp but its not) that has presented its self every August since 2009 and stays for 14 days. It comes on strong the second day and stays the same smell level for 12-13 days and goes away until the next year. I have had the plumbing inspected twice with a camera and 2 pest control companies that say its not rodents. I have bored holes in walls and used video scope to inspect inside walls looking for any signs of pests and have found nothing. The house is 2 story built in 2007 on concrete slab with no drainage issues around the house.


texts: Wiring Help Replacing a Two Switch Ceiling Fan and Light with Only a Single Light Fixture--See Photos

texts:
At the ceiling box where the ceiling fan/light there is:
White Wire
Black Wire
Red Wire
Ground Wire
The 2 wall switches.
The Left switch powered the fan.
The right switch powered the light.
I am installing a single light fixture that has Black, White, and Ground Wire.
How do I re-wire at the switches? What do I need to do to run the new light fixture off of one of the wall switches? How do I properly/safely "Cap-Off" the switch not in use?
Also both of the wall switches the black plastic housings are both cracked pretty good. What types of switches are these so I can replace? Especially the one that will be actually in use.


texts: What is the optimal screw drive hole shape to get the maximum torque for a steel screw?

texts:
What is the optimal screw drive shape (such as philips, internal hex socket, or slot) that will allow the maximum amount of torque to be applied without having the drive hole stripped? The torque can be applied to the drive hole like in a philips head or to the head itself such has a hex head bolt. The screw in question would be made of heat-treated steel. The screw would be inserted into a threaded hole but it would be nice to know about a screw that is self tapping.

Currently i mostly use philips head or hex head screws for drywall, wood, metal and plastic (abs). Of coarse my drill starts cam out and occasionally starts to strip my screw. Recently i used a square holed screw and the bit was so secure that the drill started to twist violently. This was not something i was used to as iv mostly used philips. So i was wondering based on the material strength what hole size would be optimal for high torque situation?


texts: What screws to use to hang bathroom mirror cabinet?

texts:
I have bought a bathroom mirror cabinet which has a mirror on the front door. The door has hinges on its left. There are 4 screw holes on the back near the corners. The box did not come with any screws.
What size screws do I buy to hang this and how do I ensure that the cabinet is levelled when I try to hang it? I guess I will have to drill holes that are about the size of the screws and put in some plastic stuff to hold the screws in place as well right?
I really don't know where to start with this.


texts: Electric power and wired ethernet to desk in basement not against wall

texts: What's my best option for running electric and ethernet to my desk in the basement without having the desk against a wall? My ceiling is a bit low (79") so I don't want to do anything that significantly raises the floor and I worry about the possibility of water if the sump pump goes out in the midst of a storm. Is there an aesthetically pleasing drop from the ceiling possible or should I just do something with cord conduit on the floor?


texts:
One of my bathroom faucet recently started leaking.  If I push it all the way to the back, it starts dripping, if I turn it ccw a bit, then the leaking almost stops.  I'm thinking it may be a washer issue.
I remember buying this faucet from Home Deport about 15 years ago.  However, I don't have the installation guide, I went to HD recently, but couldn't find it.
I checked every part of the knob, but can't find any screw.
I'd really appreciate your help in letting me know how to remove the knob to reveal the stem and washer.  Also appreciate any tips on what may have caused the leak.
Thanks.


texts: A friend of mine's house has a plate like this on one of the exterior walls. What is it and what purpose does it serve?


texts: Remove black residue/mold on bathroom caulking

texts:
I have black residue developing along the seams in my bathroom (standing shower). The residue seems to be growing on the white caulking done along the seams. I tried to remove it using the "Scrubbing Bubbles Bathroom Cleaner" but it did not work.

Is there another way to remove it without damaging the caulking?

I do have similar black spots appearing near my kitchen sink and bathroom sinks, but not as big as in the shower area.


texts: Leaking drain joint in reconstructed pipes under new kitchen sink

texts:
We recently installed a new countertop and kitchen sink (which is built into the island). The sink is 2 inches deeper than the old sink, so we had to redo the plumbing to make everything fit. We used ABS pipes, a new out of package p-trap and ABS cement. Currently we have ONE joint that will not stop leaking. It is the joint right off of the disposal (see picture).
Things we have tried after initial installation:

New /different pipe
New / different washer (right now we have a Polyethylene washer designed for a slip nut)
Teflon putty (TFE paste)

At first it only leaked when there was a rush of water (like if the sink was full and I released the drain stopper).
After we applied the TFE paste, it leaks whenever we turn on the water. Just a drop every 5 minutes or so.
I am out of ideas. What advice can you offer?


texts: Joining 2x4 to 4x4 base: angles or regular wood screws?

texts:
I'm building a wall-mounted pergola. It will look something like below.
As you can see, the two horizontal 2x4s will be attached to the 4x4 bases. I was considering using these types of angles (one on each side of the 4x4 - they don't have the Simpson) to hold the 2x4. But I can also use regular wood screws.
What would you recommend?
The weight of the four 2x4s will be divided between the concrete structure (the gray) and the two horizontal 2x4s attached to the 4x4.


texts: How can I install a J-Trap for a bathroom sink with limited space?

texts:
Well, it was my first difficult handman project and I got this far...

Below is a photo of my installation right now. Every single diagram I've seen has the J-Trap facing down. Is there any way around moving the drainage outlet?


texts:
This is in the basement and I want to install a two gang outlet just under a currrenlty run wire.  I am trying to figure out the correct components that I need.

I know I need

a two gang outlet box (does metal vs plastic matter?)
two outlets  (does it have to be GFCI?)
romex wire

Should I get a junction box to use to splice off of the wire that is already there and run it over to the outlet?


texts: Attaching guide wire to guide wire for patio string lights

texts:
I am looking to start installing string lights on my patio, and my current plan is to zig-zag the lights between two runs of wire rope. Here's a picture:

The brown squares are going to be posts set in concrete (~100lbs) in planters. The brown line at the bottom is the side of the house, with eyebolts on each end. The green lines are the supporting guide wire lines, and the blue lines are the string lights themselves.
I'm planning on running guide wire along the blue lines with the string lights as well to ensure they are properly supported, but my question is about connecting the zigzagging guide wires to the green support wires (at the red circles).
What's the best way to fix those points in place along the guide wire? Use a turnbuckle for the blue lines and place wire rope clips on either side of that to keep it in place? Or am I looking at this completely wrong?


texts: Can a natural stone wall be made waterproof without defacing it?

texts:
I have a cottage with a natural stone wall in an arid climate that sees rain only in the winter.

The wall is really nice to look at:

The stones were collected from the area, and attached to the wall with cement. However, it appears that when the cement dried, it shrunk, and left many small holes in between the stones.

Apparently as a consequence, there is water damage on that wall inside:

It appears that the wall isn't completely watertight, and rainwater is coming through.

I bought the house only recently, so I do not know whether this is the damage from one winter, or from ten.

Still, something needs to be done because this corner is the only one that can house the wardrobe.

The only way to fix this that I can see right now is to plaster the wall. However, the thought breaks my heart because I'd of course be destroying its beauty.

Is there a way to water-proof a natural stone wall while preserving its look?


texts: So I want to run a Raspberry Pi 3 off of thermostat wire.  My question is, will the thermostat wire supply enough current for the raspberry pi (2.5 amps)?


texts: What is the best way to check the wires in your house?

texts:
Wires wear down eventually. This presumably can pose a fire hazard. But there are so many wires in a house and many of them are not easily accessible.

In order to maintain as safe a house as possible,

How can I check all the wires in my house?
How often should this be done?


texts:
While finishing the assembly of a basketball hoop from a kit, I ran into a case where the provided screws are too large in diameter to fit into the mating holes, let alone screw in all the way.

I then decided to look through the huge fasteners aisle at the local home improvement superstore to try to find a similar screw in a smaller diameter. I was unsuccessful, and couldn’t even locate anything that had a similar threading pattern.

They look like this:

The head is a slotted hex shape, approximately #12, and the screw is 1.25 inches in length, but I’m not sure what “type” of screw I should be looking for as a replacement. Can anyone identify it from its appearance?


texts:
I have a Danby mini fridge I bought used off Craigslist about 9 months ago. It's worked great until about a week ago when it suddenly stopped cooling at all (both fridge and freezer compartments). Now when I plug it in, it clicks every minute or two, and I don't hear any humming like I would expect from a fridge. Also, the compressor gets uncomfortably hot to the touch after being plugged in for a couple hours.

I pulled the relay off the compressor and shook it; I didn't hear any noise from it. It hasn't been laid down recently. I have a multimeter and can test different parts if I need to. I haven't taken off the interior rear panel to inspect anything yet.

What is the most likely cause of these symptoms?


texts: Need help wiring a 3-way Honeywell digital timer switch

texts: I recently posted a request for help to wire a Woods 59018 digital timer switch, which I learned was not a three way switch but could be used an override-ON. Unfortunately the directions I followed for the override ON option did not work, maybe because the switch is defective. So I got a multi-mode Honeywell RPLS530A, which has only three wires and comes with a jumper cable. Again, I'm hoping someone can complete the attached diagram, telling me which wires to connect.


texts:
When a low voltage HVAC unit cools a home do both W1 and Y1 circuits activate?

I've tested voltages when heating and cooling.

my brown wire is always cold but heat and cool work.
my y1 is hot on heat.
my y1 and w1 are hot on cool.

I'm trying to figure out what's happening.

Handler, Thermostat, and Outside Unit junction angle #1:

Handler, Thermostat, and Outside Unit junction angle #2:

Between Outside Unit and 3-Way junction (note reversing valve color change):

Thermostat:


texts: How to screw the edge of a sheet of drywall where there is no stud directly behind it?

texts:
wall A
old wall ________________ edge of frame
new wall ________________|
                         |
                         | Wall B
                         |

I recently floated a new wall over wall A which brought out the wall by about 3 1/2 inches.  I am now about to put a second layer of drywall over wall B.  Normally, you'd just screw the edge of the drywall into the frame of wall B, but, because wall A has come out further from the frame, I can't reach the edge of the frame so I can screw in the new drywall on wall B.

My first guess is to use a very long screw and drive it in diagonally so that it goes into the edge of the frame.  However, do they make 4-5" drywall screws?  I can't use adhesive on the drywall because I am using Green Glue between the layers.  Green Glue is not so much an adhesive as is it a soundproofing compound.  I've already installed the second layer and am just looking for a way to screw in the edge.


texts: Timber Retaining Wall - Beam Replacement

texts: I need to replace a rotted beam in a wood retaining wall (bottom beam in picture).  Is it possible to simply slide a replacement beam in place?  Also, what about inserting a plastic lining (to the extent possible) to further protect.


texts: How do I upgrade a conventional switch to a dimmer?

texts:
I have a single pole light switch (I guess that means 1 switch controls the light?).  The top switch turns the light on, the bottom switch turns the fan on.

I bought a dimmer, that has a black screw, a gold screw, and a ground.

Coming out of my wall is:

Several white wires all tied together
Several Black wires tied together and 2 going into the existing switch.
A red wire going into the existing switch.

How do I get these all wired up? I'm fine using the pull string on the fan.  Also, what is the danger if it's hooked up incorrectly? Will it just flip the breaker or will all hell break lose.


texts: Burning Rubber Smell From Drill Press Belts

texts:
After 20+ years my drill press finally ate a belt. Before the belt failed there was a burning rubber smell. Now after replacing both belts, the smell is still there.

I don't see anything obvious and the pulley alignment seems reasonable. Could this be a normal "break in" smell or is something wrong?


texts:
Just replaced the old honeywell thermostat to a Nest. But the thermostat hole is a bit more emptier than it's supposed to be. Some small rocks fell out. Now the new thermostat is a bit wobbly.

I want to get some advice on how to secure the thermostat. My initial plan is

Step 1- patch the hole around the wire with joint compound.
Step 2- drill the nail into the plaster wall. But I don't have an electrical drill. Maybe it's time to invest one?


texts: How to determine depth of foundation on existing detached garage

texts:
I have a house that was built in 1954 in a suburb of Chicago with a detached garage and am considering converting it to a living space.  To determine depth of foundation and whether footers are in place, we need to excavate next to the foundation until we find the footers or bottom of the foundation.

What is the best way to do this?  I have a bid from a foundation repair firm for $650 to dig it out, but that seems expensive.  Any other suggestions?


texts: Wiring a C (common) wire to a Triangle Tube Prestige Excellence 110?

texts:
Wiring noob here. Can someone give me step-by-step instructions for where and how I should attach a C (common) wire to a Triangle Tube Prestige Excellence 110 boiler for a ecobee3 thermostat?
I think the gray box on top (pictured below) with the blue, brown, red and white wires is the 24VAC transformer, but I'm not sure.
Also I'm not sure where or how I should connect a C wire.


texts: How often to replace thermostatic mixing valve

texts:
To start off, I absolutely hate idea behind thermostatic mixing valve, but that's not a question.

The water in my house runs hot for about 10 minutes and then turns icy cold, and I have to turn it off and wait for an hour for the hot water to come back for ten minutes again. I assumed problem was with my boiler. So I called a repairman and he told me that boiler is functioning properly and that issue is with my thermostatic mixing valve. He explained to me that they have to be replaced once every 3 years or so and told me that it will cost 400$ to do so. His explanation was that government in Canada uses chemicals that break thermostatic mixing valve.

I am extremely broke, and can't dish out 400$, however I have kids that need to take a bath, and having hot water for only 10 minutes makes it really hard. Does my thermostatic mixing valve need replacing or is there any way I can fix this issue with water turning cold after ten minutes?


texts: I am trying to find out what breaker size to use for a 600' run to my wellpump(2 horse)------I am using #4 wire-also do I need breakers at both ends-maybe one in the middle??   thanks


texts: I have this small 2 inch concrete footing under my bottom plate that I am going to drywall over shortly. The concrete protrudes past the plate a half inch in some places, making it very uneven at the bottom. Should I just screw the sheetrock to the bottom plate, nearly 2 inches off the floor, then use large molding? Or is there a better way to do this?


texts: Will an outlet adapter installed in a motion sensor light be constantly hot?

texts: I am wanting to add a plug in outlet to one side of my dual motion light sensor. Is this outlet only gong to work when the sensor light comes on? Or will it have a constant electrical feed?


texts: Low Faucet Flow Both Hot and Cold -- Aerator Clogged

texts:
The water just trickles out of my bathroom faucet regardless if I turn on the hot or cold water.

It looks like this:

https://youtu.be/McQUTBu9RM8

I took out the aerator, and this black stuff came out:

It was like black sand. When I took out and cleaned the aerator, I still get low flow.

It looks like this:

https://youtu.be/A_CvX9NefZo

I'm thinking that replacing the faucet is the quickest way to fix this. Any tips appreciated.


texts: Repairing Broken Slider Inside Bosch Dishwasher

texts:
The left-hand drawer slide that holds the upper rack of my circa 2003 Bosch dishwasher has completely broken off. It looks like it was spot-welded to the stainless interior in two places, and both welds have failed.

The rear weld failed a few weeks ago, and I attempted to fix it with JB Weld, but that didn't even hold for a single washing. The front weld broke yesterday and we're now stuck with a single-rack dishwasher.

I don't have access to a welder, which is probably a good thing because I would probably end up attempting to weld the slider back on, and end up melting the plastic shell on the outside of the dishwasher. I assume it has a plastic exterior shell.

Should I drill the side walls and screw the slider back in place? I assume I can seal the screw holes relatively well, I saw someone mention in another thread  that red RTV Silicone Sealant works for dishwashers. However, I would still be worried that about puncturing any exterior plastic shell with the drill or screws. I should probably pull it out and take a look.

Anyway, I guess I'm just looking for ideas on how to fix this.


texts:
I'm fixing up a bathroom, and have run into a  couple of puzzles.
In removing a ceiling light fixture, I  had a short. (Yes,I'd left the power on.  Tsk, Tsk.)
Now I get no current at the wires; no breakers tripped, switch on or off.
Breakers are ~40 years old. Would a short "kill" a breaker without tripping it?
Also, (similar problem, power on, and spark) with a GFCI, same result: no power, breaker not tripped. I deduced I'd ruined the GFCI breaker, so bought a matching brand CAFCI, and installed it. Now I have no power with breaker energized. What am I missing? I am about ready to admit that I am no longer qualified for home electrical work. Does anyone have answers for me, besides cutting the power before my next attempt?


texts: How do I wire three smart Wifi switches to toggle one another?

texts: I have three Wifi switches that will be wired into the mains. Is it possible to have them act as a toggle for a set of lights? Ie, one switch turns on, they other two switches also turn on. Similarly, turn another switch off, and they all turn off.


texts:
I live in a condo with a back doorwall, but no patio. The doorwall opens directly onto lawn.
In summer, the grounds crew comes through with a weed trimmer and (since no patio) trims right up the to house.
In doing so, they repeatedly cut a slit in the bottom of the screen door, allowing bugs and dirt to enter the house. I've repaired the screen twice, but they just cut through again.
Short of installing a patio that I probably won't use very much, is there any cheap way to fix/prevent this problem?
I've googled for this problem, but it returns no references at all. I find it hard to believe that I have encountered something completely unique.


texts: What are some tips for installing a small shed?

texts:
I want to put in a small shed to store my push lawn mower and perhaps a few other things.  Our village's website states we need a permit:

SHEDS – Must be either anchored to a concrete slab or have footers 42” deep
Inspections Required for Sheds: Footers (prior to pouring concrete) rough
framing and a final inspection.

Which is easier/cheaper?  concrete slab or footers?  How do I go about buying a shed?  Would I need to do the concrete/footers myself and then have home depot deliver it?  We live in upstate NY if that matters (lots of snow in the winter).


texts: Detecting mail in the mailbox, too far for WIFI

texts:
Our house is pretty far away from our mailbox, and we need to walk uphill to go check the mail. The mailman has very variable hours, so we often find ourselves going 3-4 times to the mailbox during the day. My dad is an avid DIYer, and has given himself a challenge: find a way to know when the mailman drops mail in our mailbox. He has thought about a lot of different solutions and none really fit our use case. We looked up online for other people who have done that, but every one seems to use WIFI. Our WIFI unfortunately doesn't reach that far, as the mailbox is quite distant from the house (we measured 50 meters / 164 feet).
He first thought about putting a WIFI camera in the mailbox. However, WIFI doesn't reach that far (the router is in his office, I put it on the diagram).
He also thought about running a cable from the house to the mailbox, attached to a sensor or a camera. However, a part of the path is made out of concrete, and burying the cable would be super hard. He could also run it through the garage, there is a little space between the roof and walls so a cable would probably fit. However, he would then have to drill through the house's walls and having done it in the past, it is a real pain.
He thought about buying a camera or sensor that uses a SIM card to connect to a network that will be picked up by his phone. However, our country forbids the use of SIM cards for communication that is not person-to-person. He would have to get a more expensive kind of card.
He thought about putting a WIFI repeater in the garage, but finds this solution a bit overkill and expensive.
This is a diagram I made of our house configuration using a map:

We are looking for a solution that is not too expensive and doesn't involve a lot of wall drilling. I have read about people using radio sensors (for instance a tilt sensor on the letterbox door), but knowing nothing about radio waves, we are a bit lost.
What would be an ideal solution to remotely check if the mailman has dropped mail today?


texts: Recessed beam where joists meet in center of room

texts:
First. I am getting a contractor. I like to have a good idea what I am dealing with so I can understand what 1,2,3 contractors with estimates propose to me.

Ranch house with Cape Cod roof sitting on a slab with brick exterior walls.

There are 2 rooms I want to make into 1 by removing the load bearing center wall. The joists above rest on this wall like the picture below. The load is transfered to the slab.

There is no living space above this load bearing wall. Any tips on how I can recess a beam into the attic and transfer the load on this wall to

A. The brick exterior wall and
B. To a center post on the slab.

This load bearing wall is basically just supporting the weight of the ceiling which is drywall. The joists in the ceiling as pictured above obviously also help with keeping the exterior walls from spreading.

Any tips on how to recess a beam in the ceiling (attic)? Will the post on the slab be ok for support or will footers need to be dug? I feel like there is not a lot of weight being transfered down the post to the slab.

Thanks!


texts: Name of Part That Connects Blinds Wand With Blinds Roller and How to Replace It?

texts:
I have blinds where the part connecting the blinds roller and the blinds wand is broken.  The part looks like:

What's the name of this part?  How do I go about fixing / replacing it?


texts:
I would like to have carpet installed in the bedroom of my basement apartment which now has a concrete floor. I don't trust the carpet guy with this part because he suggested cutting corners and just gluing it and I don't trust the glue for this application.

I was thinking to drill small holes in the strip, use it as stencil to project spots in the concrete, then drill holes with my jackhammer, set lead anchors and then attach the strip with screws into the anchors. That way the strip is as firm as it would be against an OSB subfloor.

But it also seems a bit labor intensive. Is there a better way to attach carpet tack strip to a concrete floor? Like maybe drilling holes and filling them with some kind of epoxy that nails can be hammered into? That's a little easier but not much.


texts: Can I re-use the housing/wiring from a Nutone 669 bathroom exhaust fan (w light) when installing a Nutone 769?

texts:
I don't have easy access to the attic to remove the existing housing, but the dimensions are identical and the wiring is already done (two switches - one for fan, one for light).

769 fan specs are here:
http://www.nutone.com/products/product/767f914f-2ee6-4f40-965c-7d859b8583ce

I didn't have luck finding 669 fan specs online but the housing says:
"120V 60Hz 1.6 Amps MAX"

Can I go ahead with the existing housing / power outlets or would it be better to wade through the insulation in the attic and re-wire / use the newer housing?


texts: Built in closet drawers falling off track

texts:
I have built in closets in my daughters room in our new home and the bottom 2 drawers are consistently falling off the track.  I suspect that the left and right walls of the drawer are flaring out making the runners too wide for the drawers to catch (forgive me if I'm using the wrong words to describe these things).

Pictures below including a wooden support they built in to allow the drawers to not hit the side of the closet when they open.

Can anyone please offer me any advice or suggestions on how to potentially get this issue resolved?  Thank you in advance!


texts: Can I mix waterbase Behr wall paint with waterbase deck stain/sealer?

texts: I had some clear Waterguard exterior deck stain/sealer which is water-based. I got them a while ago so I cannot return them. The problem is I like to cover the deck with opaque color. Is it possible and a good idea to mix the Waterguard sealer with Behr water-based wall paint?


texts:
Could someone help me wire this light fixture? I've attached two pictures for reference. The outlet box contains three wire cables: two 2-wire cables and one 3-wire cable. Only one of the cables is live. There was a fan installed but I decided to remove it for a light. The new light fixture has two black wires and two white wires (+ ground). I'm not an electrician by any means. If someone can help me out, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks,
slkern


texts: Is radiant heat in a concrete floor unpleasant in a super-insulated house?

texts:
While reading about superinsulation, I came across the idea that a radiant concrete floor is a poor choice if you have really good insulation. The reasoning goes like this:

In a regular house you heat through walls, ceiling, windows, etc., so the floor is kept warm enough to keep bringing in more heat. This is one of the selling points of radiant floors: that warm floors feel good.

In a super-insulated house, if the thermostat is set for a comfortable air temperature, the radiant floor will rarely turn on, so the floor will always be cool. Walking barefoot on a cool concrete floor is unpleasant. On the other hand, if you turn up the thermostat to warm up the floor, then the air temperature will be too high.

Is this correct?

(I suspect this means that if you're going to super-insulate, especially in a mild climate, you should choose a floor material with low thermal mass and low heat conductivity, like wood or carpet.)


texts:
I am putting 4 inch Philips hue LED lights in my den that is 260 inches by 248 inches with 8 foot tall ceilings. I am putting 9 lights in (from scratch). The way I have it mapped out to avoid the beams and stay symmetrical it is roughly 41 inches from the walls vertical, and 47 inches from the walls horizontal. From light to light it is roughly 82 inches between (all measurements taken from the center of the light). I drew a crappy MSPaint drawing to try and help visualize:

Is this an adequate layout? From the websites I see it says they should be about 4 foot from each other and 3 foot from the walls. The layout I have is almost 4 foot from the walls and over 6 foot from each other. Should I bring them closer together and farther from the walls? This is our main living space and I want to make sure the lighting is adequate and there is correct coverage.


texts: Do I need to add a circuit breaker to the outdoor panel that powers my RV?

texts:
I purchased wooded undeveloped property and there is a box mounted on a pole with 200 amp service.  The person before me tapped in to the box for his RV with 10-2 wire with the hot going directly to the lug coming off the main breakers.  The neutral is also wired to a lug and the ground goes to a bus bar.
There hot wire is not going to a 30 amp circuit breaker (for the RV).
I believe I need to add a 30 amp breaker.
Also I would like to add an outdoor outlet (110 v) from the box and would therefore need to add another 15 amp breaker. Is that correct?

I purchased a small bus bar from Home Depot. If I remove the Neutral lug, does this just screw in?

It looks as though if I flip the breaker bar off, everything below the breakers should not have current.

I appreciate the assistance and help from this more knowledgeable community.


texts:
This is a follow up question to How long does caulk need to dry in a 1" gap?

Some additional background information is that this is in China and bathrooms are not designed for contained bathtubs/showers but generally slant all the floor tiles towards a single drain. Many households have no shower stall and allow shower water to spray everywhere in the bathroom. After a shower they mop or squeegee the water towards the drain.

We have a glass shower stall but because of the slope of the floor it doesn't lie flat. There is a large gap on one side where the floor slants to allow water from the entire bathroom to flow towards the drain. I've been having trouble keeping the shower water from washing away the caulk placed over this gap (see previous question for a picture and details).

I'm pretty sure now that the solution is to fix the floor slope so that water doesn't pool up and wash away the caulk. How should I do that?

Here's a picture of the water pooling area:


texts: What is this dryer part, and how do i fix it?

texts:
This happened a couple days ago to my dryer. It's soft and goes around completely.

What happened, and how can I fix it?


texts: What is the best way to mount a tankless water heater to a concrete wall?

texts:
I am planning to replace my hot water tank with a Noritz NRC98-DV tankless hot water heater.  The best location to mount the new heater is in the basement on an outside concrete wall.  The heater will be at a height that puts it half above grade and half below.   The climate here includes severe winter weather.

The instructions with the heater assume I'm mounting it via screws to a wooden wall (e.g. "...be sure to hit a stud..."). Rather than building a full wall with studs, it would be more convenient for me to mount either directly to the concrete wall or perhaps to, say, a piece of plywood that is mounted directly to the concrete wall.

Will the plywood method or the direct mount method work for me?  Is one or the other preferred?  Are there moisture/condensation considerations with either method?  Are masonry screws (e.g. Tapcons) the preferred method for attaching?


texts: Repairing lath & plaster wall- structural elements

texts:
I'm repairing/replacing a lath & plaster external wall in a tenement flat. It has been very badly mould damaged by long term damp, the source of which has now been fixed. The plaster was in very poor condition and most of this has now been removed, however the laths are also rotten. I'm not sure yet if the studs are too.

I'm concerned that if I continue removing all the damaged material, that I might bring the cornicing down (which actually is also damaged) - would that affect how the ceiling is held up? Also the window frame- is that held in place by the material I'm removing?

If so I think I might have to get someone more qualified in.. but would be much better to continue doing it myself. As long as the window frame will hold in place, and the ceiling, then I can continue. Advice much appreciated..


texts: How do I remove an underground paper hornets nest?

texts:
I have this huge (paper plate sized) hornets' (I think they are hornets) nest. The property has many vole holes and is about 30-40 feet from our drinking well.

What is the most appropriate way to handle this? My concerns are escape passages / tunnels and chemicals making their way to our drinking water. We also have a dog who plays in that yard.


texts: Rebar required for 24 ft tall 4x4 square steel tube 1/4 inch thickness, 4ft deep in a concrete base, horizontal load of up to 1,000 lbs at the top

texts:
I am installing a 24 ft 4x4 square quarter inch thick steel tube 4 ft into the ground with a concrete base of 28 inch diameter and just over 48 inches deep, so 20 ft of the post is above the ground. This post will be have heavy horizontal loads pulling it from the top of the post. I`m curious if the concrete base is deep enough and if reinforcement is required to keep the concrete from failing.

Thank you,


texts: I have an old house with lath and plaster walls.  When I moved in a year ago I fixed dozens of cracks in the plaster with spackling, but many of them have opened back up again.  What is the best way to solve this with a more permanent solution?


texts: How to connect low voltage track lighting to line voltage?

texts:
I want to connect lo-voltage track lighting to the wiring in an
existing wall outlet. Can I do that? Is there enough "power" in that wall
outlet circuit to handle the track heads?


texts:
I have a nice chandelier that I'd like to keep, however the light sockets are deteriorating and the light bulbs don't always connect properly which causes flickering.

Any ideas on how to replace the socket?


texts: How can I repair this unusual joint that leaks?

texts:
Got a leaking drain at the back end of the P-trap.

When I pulled the PVC trap apart, there was no washer.  Also, the male 90 pipe has flanges that keep the metal nut on the pipe.  Haven't seen this type of joint before.  Those flanges will defeat the standard PVC joint washer.

How can I stop this leak?

Here are 4 photos of the drain setup with a close up of the strange 90 & its nut & flanges.

Kitchen Drain From Disposer

P Trap

Loosened Nut At Back Of P Trap - No Washer

Male 90 That Slips Into Back Of P-Trap


texts:
A typical bus bar has this design:

and connecting a solid wire to it is more or less easy. But how do I connect a stranded wire? I expect the following to happen: when I drive the screw in, the screw splits the strands and so I end up with the screw driven in and the strands all around the screw instead of being pressed to the bus bar. I'd like to avoid this and get a good connection capable of carrying many amperes of current.

How do I connect a stranded wire to a bus bar?


texts:
I have a hole in a wooden floor as shown on the picture below.

There are different bumps on the underfloor beneath. There used to be and old furnace installed here before so it's possible that the underfloor has been additionally reinforced.

I've managed to find some leftover wood lying around that is thick enough to fill the hole to the level which the primary floor boards take.

However, at some places the holes in the underfloor are to big, so the the new boards would either bend or float.

Here is a conceptual drawing of the situation:

1. This is how it currently looks.

2. and 3. are the approaches I would choose to take.

Is there a established best practice on how one would approach this problem and what could be the pitfalls?

Making a stable support for the frame is turning into more work that I have anticipated. Some of the boards of the underfloor are having almost 1cm hight differences.

So far, the simples way I found to stabilize the boards was to use wedges and flatten the pointing edge so it serves as a touch point for the neighbor board.


texts: Sink Angle Valve: Fully Open or closed Tiny Bit

texts:
I have a bathroom sink with angled faucet shutoff valves (they are around quarter turns). I closed them for repairs yesterday. After repairs,

(1) should I leave the valves Fully Open,

(2) or "Open it all way, then close it just a Little bit, That will allow plumbers work both directions if it gets stuck in future"

Interesting debate, I was reading on the internet. Not Sure,

Resources:

https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/how-far-to-turn-sink-tub-or-toilet-shutoff-valves-to-turn-on-water.16568/

https://www.diychatroom.com/f7/how-far-open-toilet-valve-177531/

https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/5119619/how-far-open-should-sink-toilet-shut-off-valves-be


texts:
I've ruined a wooden, varnished table by putting a hot mug of tea down on it. In case that’s relevant, the cup was also slightly wet (only water). Now at the place where the mug stood is a milky-whitish blemish in the lacquer. On the first try it looked as though it could be scraped off with a sharp object but that doesn’t seem to be the case after all, and no amount of scrubbing with a wet cloth has any visible effect.

Is there a way of fixing this, short of repainting the whole table? I’m hoping that maybe the damage is only superficial after all; are there special cleaning products for this?