texts:
I am trying to install a standing bottle-less water filter in my house and the hoses beneath my sink are incompatible with the adapters that come with my filter. My fridge does not have a water dispenser (which is the other recommended way to connect the filter), but there is a pipe that carries water into the fridge. Since it neither has an ice machine nor a water dispenser it is effectively doing nothing.
The manual to the fridge explicitly says connecting water to the fridge does nothing if it doesn't have an ice maker, so I know removing the pipe from the fridge won't cause any issues on a theoretical level.
My hope is to be able to connect the 1/4 inch plastic tubing that comes with the filter to this copper tube. I got a 1/4 inch coupling in order to do this, however nothing I do seems to work. Neither the nut, the inner tube, nor the inner compression thing will go around the copper pipe. If I remove the nut from the coupling and use the compressor and the nut already on the pipe, this connects to the central coupling. This seems ok. The issue is when I connect the inner tube, compressor and nut to the plastic tube and screw that into the inner coupling, water just gushes out the side on the plastic tube.
The guys at Home Depot advised me to scrap the entire copper tube and replace it with a plastic one which at the minimum seems like overkill, but they were adamant that nothing else will work. Below is an image of the plastic tube with the nut and inner tube (I have 2 couplings at this point since once I assembled the side with the plastic tube it was impossible to take off and I got an extra coupling).
For clarity when I say the water gushes out the side, I believe the inner compressor and the nut is where the leaking water is coming from, not around the seams of the nuts. Water does come out of the end of the plastic tube the way I would want, but obviously due to the leaking this is not a workable situation. I don't know if there is some kind of glue or magic tape that I can use around the nut to prevent leaking, but that is the kind of advice I am looking for (or if I am doing something fundamentally wrong guidance in the correct direction would also be appreciated).
Does anyone have any suggestions for me?
.


texts: Gas stove whines/hums - is this a safety concern?

texts:
I am located in the United States and have a natural gas (not LP) range in my kitchen fed by a natural gas utility.

Sometimes when I turn on my range, the appliance makes a whining or humming noise. This only occurs when gas is actually flowing:

If I adjust the burner on the stove top, the volume of the noise increases and decreases with the flow of natural gas. That is, on setting 2 it is quiet, on 6 it is very loud.
If I am using the oven, the noise only occurs when the oven burner is actually lit.
If I am using the broiler, the noise is constantly loud because the broiler burner is always on full blast.
No other NG appliances (clothes dryer, water heater, furnace) make this this noise.
At no time do I smell natural gas anywhere in my house. I have checked all flexible hose connections on each gas appliance and several black iron connections with soap and it appears there are no leaks.

This led me to believe it has something to do with the flow of gas specifically in the gas range. Google was helpful enough to point out a few useful links:

we have a Kenmore gas stove, and its making a whining/humming noise

  Based upon the problem description, the most likely cause is air and
  fuel ratios. Either to much air or to much fuel into the top burners.
  Which will create a hum, whistle or whining sound. Generically
  referred to as "noise."

  Burner air ratio to fuel can be adjusted by slightly closing the air
  shutters on the burner tubes. One at a time close each shutter
  slightly and test. Flame must remain all blue. Listen to the burner
  while doing this adjustment. Noise should stop when properly adjusted.

My Stove Is Whining

  Based on your symptom and details the gas pressure regulator is most
  likely causing the whining noise as the gas flow is being regulated.
  Replacing the gas pressure regulator will likely resolve the whining
  noise.

It appears my range has no user-serviceable components: I am not able to adjust "air shutters" or anything else on this model of range. This leads me to believe the most likely culprit is its gas regulator.

I do not want to replace or fix this range unless there is a reasonable risk that it will leak natural gas or some other issue that could cause damage to my house.

Given the evidence presented in this question, is there an elevated risk of my range malfunctioning in such a way that it will create a risk of fire, explosion, or anything else that might damage my house or its occupants?


texts: Will switching to LED lightbulbs make a significant difference in my electric bill?

texts:
I asked Reliance Controls about a THP103 meter that I was having trouble with. Turns out that it's not a true RMS meter and thus is unable to give you accurate readings on a CFL or LED installation. See my other question: Why am I getting strange results when using a power meter to measure CFLs?
After explaining why I was testing a CFL (not seeing a noticeable difference in the cost of electricity being used) they replied with the following which I'm assuming isn't public knowledge because the average person doesn't have a degree in Electrical Engineering:

You may already have information on estimating the energy usage/utility charges, but here is a document that might assist in calculations if you are interested.   The difference between a 100W incandescent light and a 15W CFL is pretty minimal when related to monthly costs, but that's just a generalization and there are many factors.
If both lights are on 24 hours per day, for 30 days in a month, the 100W bulb might cost about 5-6$ more for that month than a 15W CFL. But if they are on only 12 hours per day, for 30 days, the difference is much less, maybe only 2-3$ per month.   Less than 12 hours per day will bring that difference closer as well.   Maybe some of the formulas will help learn more about what could be bringing the bill up or down.

So, I'm looking for a way to bring down my electric bill and I'm leaning on the age old principle of simply turning off the lights when you leave the room. However, I work long hours and light is somewhat of a necessity unless I work by the glow of my computer screen. Plus I need a light for my chickens which require 16 hrs of light during the day and winter is setting in, and the simple fact that I live with 3 other people who don't know how to turn off the lights. One's 3 so he's excused until he can reach the switch.
Does anyone know if LED bulbs make any difference in terms of lowering costs to a noticeable degree?


texts: How should I connect a steel I beam to the sill plate above it?

texts: I have a late 70s house, and I want to install a wall next to the middle I beam in the basement ceiling. If I put a 2x flush to the sill plate, it will be fire blocked as well. The problem is that bent over nails were used to secure the I beam laterally, so I can notch for each or them and use fire block spray foam or I can attach it a better way. What is the modern way to attach it? Drill and lag screws?


texts: How can I strip and repaint a concrete porch?

texts:
My porch is concrete and has been painted over several times, the last time by the previous owner using paint that is obviously not appropriate (it's very slick when it rains/snows).

It needs to be stripped and repainted as it's now started bubbling and flaking in places, and the porch has visible cracks that need repairing. The cracks I can (and have started fixing) by partly widening the crack, and filling with a tube-based concrete patch. The one I fixed last year has survived without issue.

So I have three questions:

What is the best way to strip it back down to the bare concrete? I've seen the stripper compounds in the home stores and wonder if this is the best method.
How can I treat the surface so that anything painted on it doesn't bubble up?
When repainting, what specifically should I look for at the home store so it will have a non-slip surface?

I can post pictures, but I don't think they'll show anything more than I've described.


texts: Bulbs for dusk to dawn outdoor light fixtures

texts:
I have 3 outdoor light fixtures controlled by a simple single pole switch in my garage. They had old incandescent light bulbs in them.

I replaced one with a CFL bulb and it worked fine - until the next morning when it would not go "off" even though daylight had come.

At first I thought the light fixture sensor was broken, but then I realized it was due to the bulb.

Is it true that CFL bulbs will not work well for this application?

Do LED bulbs have this same issue?

If I get dimmable bulbs will that solve it?

What is the suggested solution?


texts: What is the term for an adjustable spanner with the opening at the side?

texts:
I have in the past used (but do not currently own) adjustable spanners where the jaws are on the side of the handle so the nut enters from the side. Similar in layout to a pipe wrench but without the looseness and serrated jaws. I see these pop up in restoration videos which suggests they may be an older style.

These spanners can be handy because they often have a wide range of size adjustments and can sometimes get into tight spaces more easily than the current style of adjustable spanner that dominates nowdays.

Can anyone tell me if there is a specific name for this style of spanner and whether they are still made.


texts: What is the best way to calculate the angle at which crown moulding should be cut?

texts: What is the best way to calculate the angle that crown moulding should be cut in the compound miter saw to fit an inside corner?


texts: Can microwave with convection replace an actual oven?

texts:
Maybe this belongs on seasoned advice....

I live in a townhouse with a small kitchen and I am wondering if something like this KitchenAid item implies that it can be used as a microwave and as a conventional oven where you would bake things.

I understand the space inside it is limited but as my kitchen is very small if it can serve both roles, that would be a life saver.


texts: What should inside of a brick chimney look like?

texts: I want to clean my own chimney and I have never owned a house with one. Now I do and winter is coming. I want to know that it is done right and will be safe. I took a short video using my phone. I can see daylight about 20-25 feet I am guessing. The inside appears to be round and without obstructions. I just want some opinions on this subject. I called a chimney sweep and he is booking out to Oct. 2017. I don't want to wait that long to pay who knows how much if I can do it myself. Any ideas home improvers???


texts: Electric shock through laptop case and LEDs stay dim but on when switch is off

texts:
There is something wrong with the electrical wiring in my house.

A few LED lamps stay on (but dim, with the intensity depending on the location of the lamp) even when off.

In addition, I sometimes get shocked by my laptop case. The shocks seem to start every day at 7 PM. When my laptop case starts "leaking" electricity (that's how I interpret the shocks), the LEDs seem to be completely off. There is no equipment that I can think of in the house that would automatically turn on or off at 7 PM.

There's also a CFL that sometimes flashes with the switch off, if all this wasn't weird enough.

Can anyone explain what's going on and help fix it?

The ground rod was changed recently, I had the grounding tested and it works fine (though I'll admit I only tested one socket, so it's possible that the socket the laptop is usually connected to is not grounded properly).

Edit

I borrowed a socket tester earlier today and I found some interesting things. The socket I plug my laptop in has >20V between the ground and live. To get rid of that voltage and back to around 2/3V, I have to turn off the socket's breaker and that room's lights, which are on a different breaker! Turning just one off I still get the voltage (my tester can't be more precise when over 20V). Also the tester can't get the RCD to break on that socket. It works with other circuits in the house.

In the rest of the house I've measured between 2V and 4V between ground and live in most sockets, one had 10V. These measurements were made with all breakers switched on.

The grid provides 230V at 50hz if it matters.

Edit 2

An electrician will try to fix the issue with the two circuits being mixed up today.

However I've made a discovery. I used a tool that trips RCDs and measures the reaction time. During the day, it works fine around the house (except the above mentioned circuits, but that's a different matter). After 7 pm and until the morning, I cannot trip any RCD in the house with this tool. It's like there's no grounding at all, but only at night!


texts: Should I use tandem breakers or upgrade my panel?

texts: I am adding 5 20 amp circuits to this breaker box that will power different parts of my basement.  At first review I did not think there would be any issues seeing there were only 18 out of 24 slots being used. Once I opened the panel after roughing in the electrical for all of the outlets and I don't see how I can add any more than 2 switches to this box. The center bus ( I don't know if this is the correct term) only has prongs for 20 switches. How would I add 5 additional switches to this box?


texts: Are there masks that will reduce polyurethane's VOCs?

texts:
Cans of polyurethane state a number (250, 350, etc) of Volatile Organic Compound (VOC).

When sanding wood, a NIOSH N95 is required to safely avoid inhaling the small particles, but..

Does a NIOSH N95 stop VOCs? I am guessing that the airborne molecules are far smaller than the 0.3 micron size that such a mask is meant to prevent. Can you confirm that this guess is accurate? Are there other masks that will catch the VOCs, or is keeping the area well ventilated the best that one can do?


texts:
I am remodeling my fireplace, installing a vented gas fireplace unit.
I will hang a TV above the fireplace and use a stone mantel to deflect the heat from the fireplace away from the TV.  The mantel will be mounted 8 inches below the TV.
How far out from the TV does the mantel need to extend to be effective in protecting the TV from heat?


texts: How to repair the bottom wooden panel in an exterior glass door

texts: The door is in a very good shape, apart from the lower panel. It appears that the seal was not properly installed and caused water damage to the lower panel. There are multiple doors like this. Some panels are still solid, some have deteriorated more. Most have the covering layer still present (see bottom right of picture). How to best address this issue? Is it possible to repair the panel, or will it need to be replaced? Thank you for your suggestions.


texts: How to fight with mold on wall and ceiling connection on last floor

texts:
I live in a 4 store old (from about 1930's) building. Occasionally (in autumn, winter or spring) all gable walls have mold/mould/fungus in the wall and ceiling connection. Under my flat there's only roof (no other floors or attic).

Wall is facing east, it's standard brick wall with no special insulation. Plaster is partially already shattered and off.

How to fight with that mold?

EDIT: I bought hygrometer and it shows 70% @ 22°C, and i peak even 82% (at night in bedroom)


texts: How should I rebase a clothesline post on sloped property?

texts:
I live in Toronto, Canada. Our old clothesline was affixed atop a 14' post attached to the vehicle shed (the shed is too low, dug into the side of a slope), the bottom of the post was eventually cemented around as part of a pavement initiative in the back alley, before we bought the house.

And the second end of the clothesline is attached to the house - that's not a problem. (However because the back of the house is highest point, the base of the porch is about 5ft up, and then the clothesline about an additional 6ft above that for easy reach when standing on the porch, for a total of ~11ft.)

The old post itself has rotted out at top and bottom and has broken off at the bottom in the cement. It's also bolted to the side of the shed to be sturdy. I don't want to deal with recementing near the bottom of the post and/or breaking up cement that's there because I can't see how to easily stick another one there.

I'm  considering options (but the slant of the property is not necessarily condusive to using just the shed by itself for a point to affix the clothesline).

I'm entertinaing bringing putting a post in the back yard but don't know how its base should be placed in the lawn to stay sturdy.

Update 1 (slant of land, very low shed)
(this info also has also been worked into the above description).

The way the land slopes (house higher and vehicle shed lower) the side of the vehicle shed facing the house is only about 5.5 ft high -slightly dug into a slope. A clothesline affixed to the shed would either be very slanted or close to the ground. The post was there before to get the needed height.

Update: Diagram of situation (apologies for my "drawing skills")

Looking for ideas.


texts: Do I need to change the circuit breaker for a new stove with a lighter cord?

texts: The cord on the 40 amp new stove fits the 50 amp receptacle, but I don't know if the power will be too great for the new stove.


texts: Fix caulk along inground vinyl pool liner and plastic seat

texts:
I converted my inground pool to salt a month ago. Chemicals have been balanced and it’s great. About two weeks ago I noticed the water level going down more than usual.
I inspected the vinyl for any tears and found nothing. But I did notice today the caulk where the vinyl liner meets the walk in steps and the “seat” looks separated and in one spot the caulk pulled away.
Is this bc of the saltwater or is it just old caulk.


texts: Will a Dremel multipurpose bit cut through 1/2 inch polycarbonate?

texts: Would I be able to use the Dremel multipurpose cutting bit (561) to cut patterns out of 1/2 inch polycarbonate (Lexan)? Dremel "experts" said no but I want to hear other people's opinions. According to them, the bit will snap.


texts: Pulsating water and banging noise from pipes when hot water is on in the faucet or shower in the bathroom

texts:
Things I have done:

Replaced faucet, and its shut off valves
Put new shower cartridge (OEM)

Water is coming from the city supply, not well. This issue started happening for the past three weeks and I lived in the house for two years.

When I start the shower (hot water only OR mixing cold water), OR start faucet (hot water only OR mixing cold water) the pressure of hot water suddenly goes down and pipes start banging.

Note I do not run shower or faucet at the same time. This happens sporadically, not consistently, but very frequently. No banging noise or issues in the kitchen. Hot water is supplied by standard hot water heater bought from Home Depot. There are no arrestors in either shower, faucet, or kitchen and never been any.

When I replaced cartridge/faucet, issue went away for 5 days. It came back today after I took a long shower (?)

The noise is super loud and I'm afraid that the banging will literary rip off one of the connections somewhere.

*****UPDATE 12/13 - solution *****

I noticed there was a rust in the faucet aerator when I unscrewed it, and it was a brand new faucet. This prompted me to look at the pipes leading from hot water heater to the shower-- and found few feet line of galvanized pipe (I think that is how it is called?) (along with corroded unnecessary shut off valve in there) connected to the copper. I'm thinking the rust came from that pipe so water was not evenly flowing thus causing the pulse...

I replaced that few feet old pipe run with pex and it solved it! No more pipe banging for the past couple days and flow of the water is even and smooth. Thank you everyone for your input. Hopefully this post will help someone in the future.

I still need to deal with the pressure tank tiny leak but this issue has been solved.


texts:
I have a toilet paper holder that fell out recently. The holder looks like this:

What's the purpose of the alligator clips on the screws, and how should I go back reinstalling this? I can't seem to find a plate in the wall that the screws attach to.

Thanks very much for your help.


texts:
Building an outdoor kitchen out of 4" concrete block, it will be faced with natural stone veneer.

As I'm stacking the block, I'd like to add a few electric boxes, here's the 2-1/2" deep masonry box that's made for 4" block:

I assume the front of the box is flush with the outside of the block. But what about when the ~1" of natural stone gets added to the block, it wont' be flush anymore??

I havent' been able to find any type of plaster or tile rings that extend masonry boxes.

Please help, I'm a newbie!!

thanks.


texts: Is a new hand plane supposed to have a concave sole?

texts: Just got a block plane from Lowes (the only one on the display).  It has a cup on its sole. Is it supposed to be like that?


texts: Replacing Light fitting (too many cables?)

texts:
Note: I've searched here and elsewhere on the internet for some time. There are many tutorials and demos but none that seem to cover this.

I am swapping out my exiting lighting with some pendants that I picked up in Ikea.  The issue is that the ikea lights seem to take two cables (Live and Neutral) - see pic. I'm assuming I would connect 2 x Live and 2 x Neutral to this.

Note the three blue cables in existing fixture.

For the new lighting, it looks like this:

What is the correct way to wire such lighting and what should one do with the remaining cables?


texts: How can I mask water damaged ceiling drywall with faux painting?

texts:
My tub upstairs leaked a large portion of water directly above the middle of the kitchen ceiling. The ceiling drywall doesn't have a hole in it, and the paint isn't bubbling. However after I fixed the leak and dried the ceiling I noticed the drywall had bulged into a long elliptical shape. So I sanded the ceiling down to what looked like even with the rest of the ceiling, but after painting it the bulge was still noticeable. So I re-sanded, and painted but then noticed I had gone too far with the sanding and had a shallow curve into the ceiling. So I tried to fill it with plaster only to realize it was again bulging. I repeated this a few times and each time I had to increase the outline of the bulge as I needed to smooth the edges of the latest fix attempt.

SO... I have given up on trying to hide it( unless you guys have ideas) and wish to do a faux paint paint finish. What is the best way to faux paint a ceiling?


texts: What could be wrong with auto-defrost system in the fridge?

texts: Defrost system in my Whirpool french door fridge is not working. Cold area compartment gets warm a week after full defrost with the help of hair dryer while freezer keeps working normally. I checked the termostat, the heating element, they all have continuity. The only thing left to check is the control board but I have no idea how to test whether it sends voltage to heating element or not (it's supposed to do that at its own schedule). Any ideas? Could it be something other than CB?


texts: should i mount a tv on top of gas logs fireplace

texts: Is it okay to put a tv on top of a gas logs fireplace? I am concerned since the emitted gases must be making the walls hot?


texts: I'm replacing my thermostat in the home but my breaker box does not identify which breaker.  How can I locate the breaker? Thanks


texts:
I have this shower drain piece from 1970s, and can't budge at all.

Is there any smarter way to remove this?


texts: How should I fill in pits in a concrete floor so I can install laminate?

texts: I have these holes in the concrete floor, and I want to install laminate floor. What can I do to fill in these holes to get a nice level surface.


texts: I have started on the task of labeling all my breakers but in this process it has left me with one major issue, I have one breaker that doesn't kill anything in the house. During the checks every other outlet, ceiling fixtures, appliances are accounted for, but I still have a single 15 amp breaker that I can't figure out what it controls. Is there any advice on figuring out where this breaker goes to?


texts: How do I replace two split receptacles with GFCI receptacles?

texts:
I need to replace two receptacles in my kitchen with GFCI outlets. On each receptacle, the top and bottom outlet are on different breakers. I've replaced standard outlets before, but this seems a bit more complicated.

The A outlets are on one breaker, and B is on a different.

An electrician once told me (several months ago before i was ready to do this project) that I could just cap the red wire on the left and the black wire on the right. Not sure I quite remember what that means.

These load to other outlets as well. Any thoughts on how I can replace these with GFCI? Thanks!


texts: Craftsman framing nailer, does nail collation type matter?

texts:
I have a Craftsman #351.181790 Clipped Head 28 Angle Framing Nailer (2"-3 1/2" nails) which is no longer sold.  Original nails are no longer available.

I have read the manual, but it does not specify the collation type for the nails.  There is another question on HI about comparable nails and those nails are wire weld. The original nails for gun were paper tape. The nailer drives straight, screw and ring shank nails.

Do the nails have to be collated a certain way for this nailer?

Does it matter if I use paper, plastic, or wire weld collated nails?


texts: Multiple recepticles in a circuit which covers multiple rooms, all controlled by a single GFCI receptacle

texts: I have a 120VAC 15 AMP Circuit that powers 2 receptacles on a back porch and 5 receptacles in a garage on the opposite end of the house. The first receptacle in the circuit is a GFCI on the back porch. This is very inconvenient it one is working in the garage and trips the GFCI on the back porch. Is there any way I can install another GFCI on the same circuit in the garage that will just protect the receptacles in the garage. I could put the garage receptacles on a separate breaker from the back porch but would be more costly.


texts: How can I refinish an interior chimney pipe to make it appear rounded?

texts:
Right now my interior chimney pipe is hidden behind a wall and I want to remove that wall and expose the pipe, but the pipe itself is not so pretty.

My fireplace is a wood fireplace with a double isolated chimney pipe of about 10 inchs in diameter.

I'm looking to do something like this :

Those pictures comes from my neighbor's house. He said to me that it was done with plaster.

This is exactly my fireplace, but the chimney pipe is behind a wall right now.
How can I achieve this rounded chimney pipe ?


texts: How can I put the shine back on my wood floor - just one spot.

texts: I used a Mr.Clean Scrubber on my wood floor to remove a black heel mark.  It took the shine off the floor.  It is a small spot and I would like to somehow put something on it to mask the dullness.  The flooring is real wood that came prefinished in the box. Any suggestions?


texts: Dryer vent passing through two wooden beams. Is it safe?

texts:
I have a dryer vent that exits the house wall through two wooden beams. The vent is built using two corner rigid pieces and one long rigid aluminum piece. The long rigid piece is the one that passes through the two wooden beams. Both beams are touching the rigid duct. Beyond that there is exterior brick wall.

Is it safe if the aluminum touches the wooden beams? I know that rigid is the safest in terms of not gathering lint and containing a fire in it.


texts: Should my light fixture be grounded through the box?

texts:
I’m trying to install a new light fixture in Chicagoland. From what I’ve read, junction boxes here do not have a grounding wire and are instead grounded through the junction box. Is there an easy way to confirm this? From what I’ve read it sounds like the threads and locknut in the junction box are telltale signs the box is grounded.
If so, is simply mounting the fixture enough (ie not connecting the light fixture’s grounding wire to anything). This seems to be what the previous fixture was doing. Is there any benefit to adding a grounding screw and tail?


texts: 240 v 15 amp instant hot water heater no neutral

texts:
I recently purchased an instant hot water heater. They get around using 10ga wire by utilizing two hots and a ground on a dual pole 15amp breaker over standard 14/2

I was advised to use a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter breaker. However those breakers normally require you to connect a neutral directly to it and have a small neutral pigtail that goes to the main neutral bus.

An electrician I spoke with stated to simply connect the two hots, the ground, the neutral pigtail, and not to worry about the direct neutral connection on the breaker.

Is this correct and if so will it still offer GFCI protection? If not I may as well save some money and use a regular 2 pole breaker.

Thanks in advance for your input.

Cheers


texts: I built my house in 1995 with a Heat & Glow fireplace that is controlled with a wall switch. I flipped the switch off and it did not cut the fireplace off. I replaced it and it worked for a day. Now I can't cut it off again from the switch. I threw the original switch away. Is there more of an issue than the switch? What should i do?


texts: I took a old ceiling light out and when I unscrewed it it fell,I have 2 switches and a red wire,where does the red wire go to


texts: Can I demolish in a home with asbestos while tenants are living there?

texts:
I have a situation here with asbestos.

I have a residential home that I'm renting out. Because of water damage inside the drywall I called my homeowner's insurance company and made a claim to fix the wet drywall to avoid potential mold there.

The insurance company referred me to some company that would dry the water damage and fix it.

The water damage company told us that they will do inspection holes to be able to dry the interior. That company did an asbestos test because the building was built before 1980 and might have any asbestos in the house interior, and they found 2% of chrysotile asbestos

After that the company cut 3 holes (of 1 square meter) in the wall and cleaned up everything and left the inspection holes uncovered.

I am in the State of Nevada.

My questions are:

What are the particular standards for removing asbestos from a rental home while tenants are inside? Are there any state codes that they have to use?
Who has liability for the tenants?
Can the tenants sue the landlord or the insurance company or the company that did the drywall cuts, if there was any deviation from the process of the drywall demolition?


texts:
Our complex winter-summer boiler control unit for an oil-fired forced water heating system frequently calls for a temperature that the boiler never achieves on a cold day. The burner will turn off even though the temperature in the boiler is 20 degrees colder than the target that the controller shows on its display.

Is something broken?


texts: Is it ok to re-slope one of my gutters to another gutter?

texts:
Right now, on one side of my roof, I have two gutters that come together at an inside corner. Each gutter goes to the edge of the house with a downspout, which would mean that the inside corner is the highest spot of the two gutters.

I would like to remove one of the downspouts and re-slope that gutter to feed into the other gutter. So then one end of the gutter would be the highest spot as opposed to the inside corner.

Would this be feasible? Could my gutters hold that amount of water?


texts: Can someone explaing what is going on here and how easy it is to fix please?

texts:
I am a total newbie to this forum and relative newbie DIY in general so apologies in advance for any blunders in this post.
I noticed a bulge at the top of one of my walls where it meets the ceiling. To hold my hands up I first noticed this issue about a year ago and did nothing about it. I know, I am an idiot. I recently spotted some damp spots on the celing in the same room (not at the same location) so went up to the attic to investigate. I found there was water coming in where the damp spots were, so that solved that. I also noticed that there was water trickling down the shared wall that corresponded to the location of the bulge. I got a roofer in who has fixed these issues (replaced tiles, replaced felt and replaced/repaired flashings). After he fixed it I thought I better take alook at this bulge, so I gave it a pull and the plaster has ripped out easily from the top to the bottom of of the wall. Now where this happens corresponds with where my block of flats joins onto the next. The flats are staggered (see diagram below, top down view).

I am kinda confused as to what the setup is here and whether it is and easy fix that I can do or whether I need a pro. What is confusing me is that there is a piece of what looks like plywood/chipboard sandwiched in the wall, running perpendicular to it (see next crude diagram below).

Due to the water damage, this has expanded (which I guess is what has caused the bulge) and in some places seems to have disintergrated completely, at least at the edge where I can see.
I have included a couple of photos of the crack. Photos take from inside the room

What is the purpose of this chipboard? Will it need replaced? Is that a big job?
Thanks in advance
** amended first diagram to show angle photos were taken and added a full size picture of crack. **


texts: Adding a spacer block between king stud and switch box

texts: I'm framing a small wall to create some closet space. If I mount the light switch box directly to the king stud of the doorway, the door trim will interfere with the switch plate, so I wanted to bump the box out by putting a short scrap of 2x4 between the box and the king stud. Is there anything in the NEC that prohibits that?


texts: Wiring Help Needed to replace Ceiling Fan w/light to light only (see pictures)

texts:
I am in the middle of replacing a kitchen fan w/light to only be a light.  The current wiring configuration of the switch is as follows.  The switch face, has two sliders, one for the fan, another for the light.  The picture shown here is the back of that switch.

Wall Wires (from old fan)

Black - to Fan
Black/White to Hot
White to Light

Fan Wires

Black
Blue
White
Green

Ceiling Wires

Black
White

My questions are which switch do I need and how do I wire it up?  Single pole? It would be great if I could use a dimmer as well, but not necessary.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you!


texts: Can you add a cable connector in knockouts in a breaker box after the wires are already in place?

texts: A sub-panel has a cable of three 12 gauge wires for HVAC coming into the box through a big knock out hole.  The HVAC people did not put a connector on the cable.  Is there a connector designed to be added after the fact which would snap around the wires and get pushed into the hole from the inside of the panel?  The panel is in a wall with no good way to get to the outside of the box at this point.


texts: Home Inspector reported two 20 amp breakers not allowed in panel per manufacturer?

texts:
Home Inspector reported two 20 amp breakers are not allowed in electrical panel per manufacturer (Eaton MB1212L200BTSA).  He said there must be single bar over  both breaker to connect together?  Is there a clip that I can attach to make both breakers trip at same time?
Here is pic from inspection report.

See the red arrows, he said these two 20 amps must be tandem and a clip connecting both switches?

One 20 amp powers a GFI receptacle the other 20 amp powers a platform lift.  I need to keep power separate for 110 volt.  I do not want 220 volt.  Do I need a double-pole 20 amp that has handle ties?

The electrical panel was installed in 2012.  Is it correct to install a BR220 and use it for two 110 volt circuits?
Going out to purchase BR220 breaker, anything special to know about attaching wires from the two single points to double poles?


texts: How do I equalize the oscillating cold and hot water pressure in shower?

texts:
Background

Hi there. Newbie here from South Africa.
A couple of years back we moved into our first home. We have this problem where the water in our shower keeps oscillating between too hot and too cold.
Adjusting the water requires very slight adjustments on the taps to correct. The correction is delayed and overshooting is common. The hot water tap needs to be opened up a lot and the cold water tap only needs slight cranking.
The geyser is a low pressure keyser with a pressure regulating valve (Latco Valve) on the input of the geyser only.
The cold water is feed directly from the water main line.

Question:

What can I do to fix this oscillation?

What I have tried:

From Google I have seen a drawing where the "Latco" low pressure regulating valve is installed before the geyser input AND before the cold water that goes to the showers and rest of the systems in the house.
I am however not sure if this is a good or correct way to install the pressure regulating valve.  All the previous installations I have seen the valve was only installed on the geyser input.

Any help will be highly appreciated.


texts: Can I run a sub-panel with only 3 conductors?

texts:
I am going to be adding a 3-wire fed subpanel to a dwelling. My understanding of the plan of attack is attached below (Please forgive my crappy, minimalistic MS-Paint schematics).

As you'll notice, the ground and neutral are bonded in both the subpanel and service panel. My concern with this is any power on the neutral bar of the sub panel will also be carried by the ground bar, and my fear is that could cause current to flow to anything that's connected to ground, such as the electric stove chassis, any computer cases, light switches, etc.

My plan, attached below (Again, MS-Paint), isolates the ground and neutral bars, and adds a ground electrode at the sub panel. My thought is that this will keep power that is on the neutral off of the ground lines, and off of any metal objects attached to ground(stove chassis, computer cases, etc).

Do my concerns with Plan A have any merit, and if so, would Plan B solve the issues I am worried about?

If Plan B doesn't address my concerns, what can be done to prevent anyone from getting shocked when they touch something that's connected to ground?

I should mention that I am aware that a 3-wire setup is not code. Adding a 4th conductor is not an option, as the person in charge doesn't have the money for that.He has been assured by a trusted, old-school electrician that a 3-wire setup will work, but will not be up to current codes. As such, code compliance isn't my goal, so much as base-line safety is.


texts: I am having a lot of problems with the voltage where I live, having both brownouts and surges. One of the receptacles started to smoke so I replaced it. What I noticed was that contrary to other outlets in the house, this one has two black and two white wires but I did not find a ground wire. What I did find were two additional black wires taped together at the back of the outlet. After I replaced the receptacle I decided to install a surge protector. It has two green lights. One says Protected and the other Grounded. Of course, it is not grounded. Could one of those two black wires in the back be a ground wire? Why are there two? Why would someone just twist them together like that? How can I know for sure? I have a voltage tester and those two black wires seem to have current.


texts: 4 way circuit, need to reduce it to 3 way

texts: I have a 4 way circuit (two 3way switches and one 4way ) controlling one light in my back patio. I would like to add a second light and use one of the 3 existing switches to control it, turning the original light into a 3 way circuit . Thanks for the help .


texts: I'm working on rewiring a basement/shop area. The problem I am having is figuring out how to wire it all together using the least amount of wire as possible. I have installed 2x 30 amp breakers already. I began wiring up the first of twelve double gang boxes and quickly realized i was in over my head. In the attached picture i need the 4 black circles to be powered by the black switch, and the same thing for the blue and green ones. I need the red circles to be always hot though. my power source is on the left and the 3 switches are located about 50 foot away from that. I was planning on using one of the 30 amp breakers to power the black, blue, and green outlets. And the other 30 amp breaker to power the remainder red circles. The black, blue and green outlets are for the overhead LED fluorescent lights. Thank you in advance for your help.


texts: How can I reduce the sound of water moving through a pipe?

texts:
Introduction

I am re-purposing a room from a kitchen to bedroom. The room has a concrete-block built wall through which cast iron water pipes pass.

Here is the approximate schematic

neighbor | p | my room

|  | is a single concrete block, and the p is the pipe located inside it.

Whenever the neighbor uses the kitchen pipe, there is a hissing noise in the pipes. Closing the pipe produces a distinct "thud" sound.

I was considering:

demolishing a part of the wall (one side of a single block) to allow better inspection
acoustically insulating the pipe with some wrapping material
green gluing the entire wall

The problem with step 3 is that I don't have much space for the additional layer on top of green glue because I have windows to go up to the wall, leaving very little space on the window frame. 2 cm would perhaps be possible.

Even if the window would not present a problem, I would also not like to lose too much space of the room.

============ <- wall with pipes
w <- window
w
w

The wall concrete blocks are covered with 10-sand:4-lime:1-cement mixture (type K mortar equivalent), looking something like this:

I might be able to get additional space for green glue by ripping that layer off.

I have a good neighbor and it might be cheaper to arrange changing the pipes. However, demolishing his kitchen tiles to get to the installations is most likely out of the question.

Question

How can I acoustically insulate the cast iron pipe with some kind of wrapping material?
How can I acoustically insulate the room wall through which the pipes pass efficiently with just an inch or inch and a half to spare?


texts:
How to eliminate bed bugs from flat?
I have tried pest control etc.
After a few days they come back due to moisture.


texts: How do I stop water coming in under a level access door?

texts: When you have an outside door with level access (for wheelchairs etc), how do you stop water coming in under the door?


texts: What are my options for multi-room audio?

texts:
Multi-Room Audio

I've been tasked by the wife with setting up a multi-room audio system.  We've broken the house down into the following zones:

Kitchen (Stereo)
Office (Stereo)
Master Bed/Bath (Stereo x2)
Son's Bedroom (Stereo)
Daughter's Bedroom (Stereo)
Guest Bedroom (Stereo)
Hall/Laundry (Mono x3)

For inputs we have the following:

Whatever the TV is on
Bluetooth from either of our phones
Radio
Computer

Bonus features would include:

Intercom between rooms
Touchscreen Control Panels
Central control
Input from the room (like for the kids' computers)
Other cool stuff

I've been trying to research everything and here are the options I've come up with:

Stack of Receivers

One receiver per zone, with all inputs split between all receivers.  This seems to have a lot of ability without a horrible price, but it would be hard to get everything working from a central control, and the wife isn't a fan of a stack of 7 receivers somewhere.  Also may not be very power-friendly

Multi-zone Receiver with Selectors

I'm not too familiar with selectors, but we could get a decent mix of features with a three zone receiver, and 3 selectors capable of 7 zones apiece.  I'm not clear on how volume control would work, and it might be a pain to get everything controllable.

8x8 Matrix Switcher

Again, not too familiar, but not sure where the amplification goes.  Also sort of difficult to find these with remote control and I don't want in-wall knobs or something.

Multi-Room Intercom System

I haven't found one that'll integrate with external speakers, extra inputs, or looks attractive.

Sonos

Pretty pricey (~$500/room just for the amps), kind of confusing about what I need and how it works.  Also not sure if I can use IR remotes or I need phones everywhere to control everything.

Homebrew Tablets & Amps

This would be kind of fragile, but for less than a lot of the other alternatives I could get a Nexus 7 for each room, mount a cradle on the wall and wire that in with a fixed level amp, controlling volume from the tablet.  Then I can stream anything to each room (including tons of online content) plus be able to set up things like video intercom (via skype) and other cool features.  The downside is this is pretty homebrew and probably fragile.  Also it's highly likely that audio in different rooms will not be synchronized, so rooms may be off by a second or two which would be irritating.

Am I missing any other options?


texts: Why is my furnace leaking, and what is it leaking?

texts:
I have a Honeywell Beckett oil burner/furnace that is less than 8 years old. We've lived in our home for 6 years now, and it has been running like a champ the whole time (no problems whatsoever). Most years I turn the furnace off in May once the weather warms up seeing that we have electric for our hot water and don't need to burn fuel oil during the warmer months. This past fall (September 2015) I had it maintenanced/cleaned just to tune it up and make sure it was still in good working order.

This past spring (Mar 2016) we had a flood in our basement and the water got several inches deep. Within hours I was able to pump it out and the furnance continued to run like a champ (again, no problems at all).

The last several weeks have been very hot (mid-90s) during the day, but fairly cold (low-40s) at night, and so I have not yet turned the furnace off like most years.

I just went down into my basement and see/smell this:

What is going on here?!? What do?!

CRITICAL UPDATE

So things just elevated by several orders of magnitude (in between my posting this question last night and this morning).

This morning I just happened to get up early. I was downstairs on the computer and heard the furnace kick on. I figured I would go down into the basement and see if I could see anything visibly leaking.

Instead, what I saw was far more horrific. Billows or dark grey smoke were pouring out of the vents and piping of my furance. I quickly flipped the kill switch for my furnace, turning it off, but the smoke kept pouring out.

I readied pitchers of water in the event flames broke out, and began the procedure of evacuating my family from our home.

Luckily, after about 10 minutes the smoke cleared out, and I am continuously monitoring it every 10 mins or so. I think we're out of the "woods", as far as house fires go. Had I not woken up to do make some open source contributions, I likely would have woken up with the entire house on fire, or perhaps not woken up at all. Thank you GitHub.

From what little I've been able to research so far, I think what happened here was a "puffback" (I don't have enough rep to post more than 2 links - just Google "oil burner puffbacks"). I think I have an oil leak somewhere, which explains the oil sitting around the base of my furnace (in the photos above). And when the furnace kicked in just 30 mins ago, some of that pooled fuel started to ignite. So I guess, now, I'm looking for someone to help me confirm my suspicions.


texts: Calculating Tie Plate loading and double shear

texts:
I am considering the use of L strap ties from Strong Tie. I will be connecting two 4x4's in an L-configuration. The image at the very bottom-right corner of the below PDF illustrates exactly the configuration I will use.

http://www.strongtie.com/ftp/catalogs/c-c-2015/C-C-2015-p194.pdf

The lower 4x4 will be vertical and the upper 4x4 will be cantilevered from the top of the vertical 4x4, exactly as in the illustration.

The PDF states that the hangers:

  are to be installed in pairs with machine bolts in double shear. A
  single part with machine bolts in single shear is not load-rated.

What does "installed in pairs" mean? I assume this means that there will be one tie on each side of the 4x4s?
What does "in double shear" mean in this context?

I will be supporting a 96-inch long shelf with 1200lbs of evenly distributed dead load. There will be a set of 4x4s and L-ties spaced every 24 inches under the shelf, for a total of four, meaning each 4x4 and L-tie configuration will be supporting 1200/4 = 300lbs. If the L-ties are used in pairs, each tie will be loaded at 150lbs.

Do I meet the allowable loading for the L-ties? Is this considered "tension", "uplift" or "F1" per the PDF document?


texts: How can I find bath faucet handles that will connect to these stems?

texts:
I repaired a section of the tile around my shower putting in new hardiebacker and resetting the tiles.  I had to remove the old shower faucet and handles to do this project.  Now that I've finished the tile, I started looking for new handles (the old ones were in bad shape and one broke when I took it off).

I now realize that the stems are not standard.  I'd really prefer not to rip out all my work to replace the plumbing behind the wall.  How can I find faucet handles that will work with those stems?  I can't find any marks on the old handles indicating the manufacturer.


texts: What to do about a rotten top plate in the wall of old home addition?

texts:
This week's rainstorms brought a leak in my roof above a set of windows that are at the low end of a single-story addition with a shallow roof.

Our search for the source of the leak (which turned out to be a small hole in the EPDM membrane roof) revealed rot in the framing of the house, probably mostly from a previous leak from before we acquired the house. That leak was shoddily fixed — the owner sistered the rotting roof beams (see photo) but did not deal with the top plate, which is in pretty bad shape.

What can we do about the top plate?


texts: How can I secure wire fished between two plastic switch boxes?

texts:
I have two light switches in two separate plastic switch boxes.  The upper box controls the motor of a fan, and the bottom switch controls some outlets.  I want to change the wiring so that the bottom switch controls the light on the fan.

Since the wiring for the fan came into the upper box, I plan to fish new wire from the light in the upper box to the lower box, and connect that to the lower switch.

However, this post says that the new wire must be clamped to the switch box, since it is nonmetallic.  Unlike the box in that question, my switch box does not have clamps, and looks like this:

How can I secure the wiring to the switch box?

Edit: Just to be clear, the switch boxes are already in the wall and are connected as described above.  I am just trying to modify the wiring.  I would rather not remove or replace the boxes if possible.


texts: Ceiling fan light flickers whenever fan is turned off

texts:
I recently remodeled my room and added in a ceiling fan. The room only had a dimmer switch installed which I didn't think would be a big deal because it would either be on or off. However, I'm now having a weird issue. When the fan is on and the light is on everything works fine. The different fan speeds are fine and it turns off when it's supposed to.

The issue is when the fan is off and the light is still on it flickers at a very annoying frequency and dims quite a bit. It's becoming a real issue because now it's getting colder and I can't have the light on in my room without the fan!

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!!


texts: How should I connect my new light fixture to green and yellow wires?

texts: I am replacing a pull chain light fixture in my closet. The new ceramic fixture has a black, white and thin ground copper wire. The wires coming out of the ceiling are green and yellow. should the yellow be wired to the white and the green to the black wire?


texts: What to look for when buying recessed lights?

texts:
I'm finishing two rooms in my basement (13x10 bedroom, and a 19x8 living area), and I've come to the point where I want to install recessed lights.  When shopping for the lights what are the things I should look at to decide which lights to purchase?

At the moment the ceiling is open, so I'm looking at both new and old work fixtures. The main selling points I'm looking for are "green" (so they should accept low wattage bulbs), and cost (I don't want to blow the budget on lighting, so price is important).

I'm currently looking at a contractor pack of fixtures from Home Depot ($58.97), but I'm not sure if this is the best course of action.

What factors are important when comparing and purchasing recessed lights?


texts: What areas of a home are required to be AFCI protected?

texts: I've got a Crouse Hinds panel with the majority of the breakers being of the ridiculous side connecting type. The panel and breakers are old and beginning to arc due to the lose connection. I've found replacement breakers for the panel but I need to know what areas of the house need to be protected by AFCI type breakers per NEC 2015.


texts: Cold water intake corroded on hot water heater

texts:
Our hot water heater is just over a year old. I am sure it is under warranty, but I'd like to get ideas why this happened. It is currently dry, but you tell water was leaking. We didn't notice this because the heater is behind a screwed in piece of drywall.

We are on a well.


texts: it is a good idea to turn on heating at the end of every air conditioning cycle at home for keeping filters clean against molds?

texts:
The question is:
it is a good idea to turn on heating at the end of every air conditioning cycle at home for keeping filters clean against mold?
Or is there any other way keeping filters clean due to condensation? I think that heating will kill them.


texts: Water seepage around the water main pipe's underground entry hole thru concrete foundation

texts: So lately with all the hurricane rainstorms, I noticed that some ground water was seeping in from around the pipe where the water main pipe comes into the house's basement. I think this seems to happen only when there's really prolonged heavy rain, and the soil gets saturated enough with water. Unfortunately, the exterior of where the main water pipe comes in is like 6-7 feet underground. How/can I go about fixing this from the interior?


texts:
I have a DSC 832 control panel that I see installed in a house I moved to recently.
However, I am not sure where to begin to take control of the system. Could someone point me to a starting point?
Questions;

How do I check what devices are currently connected and monitored by the system?

How do I get alarm notifications on my mobile device?

EDIT
I could trace at least three of them going to a - DVR system, motion sensor, and smoke alarm in the basement. I also see a large number of wires into the control panel. Is there usually a user interface to control such systems?
Attached how the control panel looks from inside


texts: Is there such a thing as a combination floor nailer and finish nailer?

texts:
Last time I installed engineered hardwood, the subfloor was concrete and I floated the floor. For my current project, there's a plywood subfloor so I'd like to nail it down. However I don't have a flooring nailer. They seem quite expensive for a single-purpose tool, and while I could rent one, I'd prefer to own a multipurpose tool I'll be able to use for more than just flooring installation. So now I'm wondering if there are any models that can act as both a flooring nailer and a finish nailer--for example, with the use of a 45 degree adapter for flooring use or something. Do any such a combination tools exist? And if so, are they any good?

Or is this a terrible idea and I should just bite the bullet and rent a flooring nailer?


texts:
I want to replace my existing carpeted living room with a wooden/laminate floor - as part of this project, I was also considering putting under-floor heating in.

Currently, the floor consist of carpet, underlay (8mm), T&G chipboard (18mm), polystyrene (45mm) which all sits on a concrete floor, which is part of the building structure (I live in a top floor flat).

So, I can either throw away the existing layers and start from scratch, or I can keep everything and just lay the new wooden floor over the underlay, but I'm worried that this won't be stiff enough for wooden floor, and it might flex.

Bearing in mind that the existing distance between the structural floor and the carpet is about 75mm, what options do I have if I want to install under-floor heating?

I'm not really sure what my options are for putting in under-floor heating, I was thinking that if it was something I could hook up to my existing central heating system, then it could be controlled with the existing thermostat, but maybe an electric one would be more efficient?

My initial guess (uneducated) is that I would keep the chipboard, and screed over it (and maybe the heating element) then put a thin layer of underlay, then put the wooden floor on top of this.


texts: How can I fix this furnace filter slot to prevent filters bending?

texts:
I noticed a problem with my furnace filter.  In the vertical slot where it gets installed, there is a channel along the bottom but not along the top.  As a result, the top corner of the filter furthest away from the opening will bend toward the blower motor and allow air to rush past the filter.  How can I fix that without taking apart the whole intake duct?

Dumb idea #1: Put a series of machine screws along the duct opposite of the filter slot.  The filter should push against them when air is flowing and no longer be able to bend.  The bad part: Would then be even more of PITA to line up the filter and get it in.


texts: How to remove the knobs from this faucet

texts: Any suggestions for how to remove the knobs so that I can replace the cartridges (Lasco S-180-1NL 4001)? There are no screws. I am able to loosen the knob from the counter top by unscrewing from underneath the sink, which allows me to raise the knob up a bit so that I can unscrew the silver disk you see in the photo that is below the gold part of the knob, but I don't get further than that. The knob stays attached to the fixture and I can't get to the cartridge. Thank you]1


texts: How to calculate maximum demand charge from appliance wattage

texts:
My roommate and I are planning to switch to the Terms of Use - Residential Plan that Georgia Power offers (see link below).

The one item on this plan where I'm not sure of my calculations is the Demand Charge.

The demand charge is a $6.64 fee per KW of Maximum kW.

Where Maximum kW is defined as:

  Maximum kW shall be the highest 30-minute kW measurement during the current month.

Assume my Maximum kW is caused sometime during the month by my dryer being on.

If my dryer is rated at 2790 watts, does this mean the contribution by the dryer to the maximum wattage is going to be 1.395 kW or is it going to be 2.790 kW?

If it helps, the "30-minute kW measurement" is what is confusing me.

Link to plan rate sheet: https://www.georgiapower.com/docs/rates-schedules/residential-rates/2.40_TOU-RD-3.pdf


texts: Connecting to small clock battery terminals

texts: I want to connect wire leads to small battery terminals. This is a battery terminal for a 1.5V AG13 battery in a small clock. My question is how to connect leads to it in an easy and non-destructive way. I’m considering soldering as well as some sort of clip. Any ideas?


texts: Do solid hardwood floors have top laminate layers--or is this engineered?

texts: I am looking to refinish or replace an existing wood floor. The previous owner says the floor is solid hardwood. A contractor came to look and said he thinks it is solid, too. However, we had a dishwasher leak, and where there was water, a "laminate" looking layer of the floor has curled up and away from the rest of one plank. I've checked the air registers and I can't see an edge of a plank anywhere on the floor. Is is possible for a solid wood floor to have a thin layer on top? Or is this engineered?


texts: Can I just triple check to get your views on whether the indicated wall in this house floor plan (between kitchen and diner on ground floor) is a load-bearing wall or not? Very much appreciated.


texts: How can I finish the edges of recessed boxes in a drywall stair wall?

texts:
I'm going to cut into the double drywall on the sidewall as you walk down our basement stairs and build some shoe storage out of plywood to attach to the wall, so it's like a cutout into the wall.

I'm not sure about what to do where the plywood box meets the drywall wall. I could have either be the exposed edge. All I can think of is to have the plywood be the exposed edge and then cover with moulding.

Other ideas appreciated.


texts: After repointing a fieldstone foundation, should I backfill with gravel?

texts:
I've repointed a fieldstone foundation wall, but now I'm not sure how to backfill around the wall.  Everyone I've asked has said I should now backfill with 3/4 gravel, so water drains quickly down below the frostline. Then finish with 6" of topsoil pitched away from building.

Is this the proper way to do this?


texts: Placed Fire Place Insert Wood Stove into Fire Place; how to minimize heat loss through former chimney damper opening?

texts:
The chimney damper for our fireplace is the standard dimensions of 24" x 5.5".  I removed the metal damper when I bought the fire place insert wood stove so there is just the damper opening with said dimensions that the wood stove exhaust must go through to reach the chimney.

I was surprised to learn that there is no standardized "out of the box" black duct fitting or adapter or solution for the 6 or 8 inch diameter duct output from wood stoves.  The fire place store suggested squeezing the 6" round black duct into an ellipse to fit the 5.5" width opening of the former damper.

I cut some stone to fill in the rest of the gap in the damper opening but there are still small gaps that I tried to close the best I could with furnace cement.

After inserting the wood stove into the fireplace and connecting the exhaust black ducting to the hacked damping opening adapter, I lit a lighter near the wood stove (not lit) and found the flame still bending toward the chimney indicating air flow from indoors out through the damper opening through the chimney.  The damper opening is still leaky.  I know I'm not the first to convert a fireplace to fire place insert wood stove.  What am I missing here?  How do I seal the damper opening so only the exhaust from wood stove leaves through black duct in damper opening and not other air flow?


texts: Why do many construction projects leave so many nails behind?

texts:
I just had a significant amount of work done on my house and the contractors left lots of nails scattered around my yard.

I have a two-part question:

Is this typical?
If it's typical, why is it the case? Is it just the cost of doing business? Or could contractors be more careful?


texts: Remove Trim/Baseboards Installed Prior to Hardwood Floors (No Leverage)

texts:
I am having a difficult time trying to remove the trim/baseboard in my walk-in closet. We have painters coming and a custom closet install in a few weeks. Neither of those teams can/will remove the baseboards for us. I purchase a trim puller and have the standard DIY kit for pulling round moulding and trim. However, I discovered that the trim must have been installed prior to the hardwood floor installation when the home was built. The trim is slightly sunk below the floor boards. The trim is also not nailed just at the middle or top. It is nailed toward the top AND bottom of the trim, horizontal with the floor. The bottom nail is actually slightly below floor level. I cannot get leverage to pry the top nails out because of this. I get zero movement on the bottom nails either. We were trying to keep the trim in one piece, but I don't even know how to remove it even if I were to break it given that the bottom nail is below the top of the floor boards. I've heard that a jamb saw would be useful to cut it at the floor level and then an oscillating blade to cut the bottom nail from the walls. I'm not competent enough to use a jamb saw.
I've attached a few images showing the problem. Any suggestions? I really don't want to bring a carpenter in. We're already paying a ton for the customer closet and painters. When something simple becomes complicated...

************* EDIT ****************
You've all been extremely helpful. I was able to get the trim off using a combination of suggestions provided and a lot of cursing and sigh breathing. I've discovered what I feel might have been a shoddy installation job. Perhaps one of you can educate me on whether or not the floor was installed correctly.
So I pulled the quarter round off of another section of wall and discovered HUGE gaps between the wall and end of the hardwood floor boards. I realize wood expands but I always assumed wood typically is installed right up to the drywall itself, or has a minimum gap for expansion. The gaps I'm seeing are .75, 1, 1.5, 1.75 inches from the wall to the end of the floor board. Does this look like a skimp job by the builders or is this pretty typical? Here's a few more pics.
Gap 1
Gap 2
Gap 3


texts: Noise transmission characteristics of dome structures?

texts: Is a dome structure (e.g. geodome or binishell) more or less likely to transmit inside noise to the outside world, compared to the usual parallelepiped structure, at equal other conditions (same building materials, same volume, etc)?


texts: Are large radiators supposed to be colder?

texts:
I have a radiator in my room which is downstairs. It is a large radiators, almost 2 meters across.

It is 10 degrees colder than the other radiators in the house (mine is 37 others are 47, tested with an infrared thermometer).

I'm trying to make it hotter, any ideas? Are larger radiators colder?

Extra information:

Radiator is colder at bottom than top (so I don't think it needs
bleeding)
The in and out valves are both turned up all the way
It is downstairs so I wouldn't have thought it was the pressure?


texts: I bought a new thermostat that needs the c wire. Old thermostat wasnt using the blue c and was stuffed back in the wall. Come to find out the blue c wire is not connected to the furnace. Trying to connect the blue c wire to my furnace. As you can see all the wires are connect except the blue c which is wrapped at the bottom of the picture.


texts: How to hardwire combined HVAC system for cooling?

texts:
I had to borrow the Nest thermostat from one of my units for another one where it was more needed, while a replacement is on the way. The unit from which I borrowed is combined HVAC (heat+cool) with an electric furnace/handler and heat pump outside. Here is how it was wired before I took the Nest out:

As you can see, there is only one of the R wires and it goes into Rh.

While I am waiting for a replacement, I would like to have AC accessible by hardwiring the adequate wires and turn it on and off using the handler's breaker on the main panel. I thought I would just hardwire

R (power)
Y (compressor)
G (fan)

which worked but started blowing warm air, no AC. The equipment worked fine until I removed the thermostat. In fact, that is exactly how I had it hardwired in my other property where the system does cooling only (heat coming from a radiator hydronic system). Do I need to wire differently here in order to get cool air because this system is combined, unlike in the other unit?


texts: How messed up are these window installs and do I need to fix them?

texts:
I have andersen 400-series windows throughout the house.  I'm renovating the attic so the trim and wallboard are off revealing this situation:

The window is not attached to the rough opening on the sides or top.  It just sits on that stack of 2x4s at the bottom and the flange is nailed to the sheathing on the outside.  I checked Andersen install instructions and they don't specify that you have to nail to the rough opening but they do say to shim them; no shims anywhere (the thing on the left is a cut strap).  If I push on the window frame, the whole thing moves a bit as the flange flexes.  The stack of 2x4s that it's sitting on seems to be nailed together top to bottom but not toe-nailed to the sides of the rough opening so that rocks slightly too.
Fiberglass insulation tucked in on the sides but not the top.  This window has maybe 1/2" space there but the other one (other side of house, same situation) has about 1-1/2" of empty gap.  I see some sunlight through the gap and flange but I don't see any signs of leakage.  I had some of the other windows replaced and I don't think there's flashing tape over the flanges on the outside.  No flashing over sill.  Wimpy looking header, and those are collar ties above, not joists, so there's only a few feet between the top of that window and the ridge of the roof.
All the windows were installed at once around 2000 under previous owners so it survived like this for nearly 20 years.  My guess all the windows are installed about the same.  I'll toe-nail that stack of 2x's to the trimmers on the sides and foam the gap around the windows.  Should I be concerned or is this ok?  Does the window need to be attach the inside of the rough opening somehow?  Does there need to be a proper header above the window?
Edit:  The house was built in the early 50s.  These windows were installed around 2000.  The dark brown wood (full studs and top header board) are original construction, old growth douglas fir lumber, generally very solid.  The lighter wood inside that was added during the window replacement.  Reasonably certain the frames originally held larger windows.  They built up the sides of the rough opening to hold smaller flanged replacement units.  The outside was wood shakes originally and vinyl siding was installed over that at the same time as these windows went in.


texts:
I'm going to be replacing many hollow core interior doors with solid core doors and I want to replace the jambs with VGDF (vertical grain doug fir) to match the doors, so I'm going with pre-hung doors to make it easier and faster.

I see these metal bracket kits, like EZ-Hang door installation kits. There are several brands and they all look the same. These kits look really easy to use and they are about $4-$5 a door.

Is there a down-side to these kits? I don't see anything negative about them. Anybody have any experience with these? Any tips to share? thx


texts: Do I need common trip breakers for a house wired with shared neutrals?

texts:
My home inspector stated that my home is wired with shared neutrals for most circuits. I guess this makes sense, as long as the safety ground is present. He also said that most of the circuits with shared neutral do not have common trip breakers. He said I should replace them with common trip breakers.

For some reason the installer stripped the insulation on the romex back so far you can't identify what wires are part of what circuit. This complicates things quite a bit.

What type of breakers do I need to buy for my breaker box? What breakers in my box need to be replaced?


texts: Do I need to remove a lead riser from my toilet flange area to install a PVC flange?

texts: I am replacing my toilet and after researching I found the flange is covered by a lead riser that is bent, folded, over the flange to hold it down.  I unbent it so I could remove the flange before I read what that was.  Should I put the flange back and peen down the lead?  Can I cut the lead down to the floor with a Sawzall and put a PVC Oatey that has the expanding ring flange?  Or, do I really have to remove the whole thing down to the cast iron pipe, add new PVC pipe insert, etc.?


texts: What is the maximum distance a trap can be installed from a shower drain?

texts: I am installing a new shower in an upstairs attic.  I am taking part of a downstairs closet for a chase wall to run the plumbing and electrical. The closet is 10' from where the shower drain will be located.  Rather than pull up good hardwood floor or tear out a plaster ceiling, I plan to push the drain line under the floor from the attic space near the closet.  I would like to locate the trap in the closet as that would be easier than pushing the trap assembly the 10' to the shower; not to mention that I am limited in the space between the floor and ceiling below.


texts: GFCI not triggered after installing AFCI / GFCI breaker

texts:
I have replaced a traditional breaker with dual function AFCI / GFCI breaker hoping to make the outlets up to code (3 prongs with no ground). However, when testing with GFCI tester, outlets with no ground do not trip the breaker (not expected). There is 1 outlet which has its ground connected to water pipe would trip during test (expected). All outlets source from the same breaker.

Any ideas?


texts: Bury empty conduit next to electrical conduit for future tech?

texts: Is it a good idea to use the same trench dug for electrical conduit to also use for future lines (internet, cable, xyz tech, etc) inside a NEW conduit or should that conduit be in a separate trench altogether?


texts: Is it possible to fit skirting boards with screws into the wall

texts:
I've been redoing my room (walls and floor) but now I am stuck on the skirting boards. Here is the room at the moment

The walls are uneven and also I wanted to put the laminate floor under the skirting boards so it looks neater. However, I am told that skirting boards are usually fit with glue and nails and that means if I have to replace the floor or some part of the floor (if damaged), it will be a big mess taking out the skirting boards.

So the question is, is it even recommended to fit them using screws directly into the walls (they are brickwork with a big layer of plaster/filler? not plasterboard).

The house is early 1900s i believe (Morden, London, UK)

Thanks


texts: CSA Approval for use in New York State sufficient?

texts:
After extensive research, I'm interested in using a specific product for roof ventilation (http://www.ventilation-maximum.com/English/product-model303.html). All conditions for installation as per the manufacturer's installation requirements are satisfied.

The manufacturer is based in Canada and the description says it is CSA approved. Now my question is if that CSA approval is enough so that I can use it here in New York state.


texts: How can I repair small holes in vinyl siding?

texts: Can I caulk small holes in vinyl siding? The holes were made by the installation of an old antennae. If so, what type(s) of caulk would be suitable?


texts: What is the cause of a shower diverter valve becoming stuck?

texts:
When I tried to shower today, when I pulled the shower diverter, it didn't divert most of the water to the shower (most of the water kept coming out of the faucet). I tried to push the diverter back down with the water running, and it became stuck. Now I can't pull or push it.

Was it because I tried to push it back that it got stuck?


texts: What is this thing that holds widespread bathroom faucet handle to sink? How do I tighten it?

texts:
I have a Pfister widespread bathroom faucet.

As I was working on a leak and replacing the cartridge in one of the handles, I managed to loosen the other handle completely to where this part fell off:

It seems that it attaches to the bottom of the handle where the little metal pieces protrude as shown here from the top:

When I google, I find a lot of talk about using a basin wrench to tighten plastic nuts, but it seems like this contraption is something else entirely.

Can anyone enlighten me on (i) the names of the pieces and (ii) how I can re-attach the metal part from below the sink and then tighten it somehow?

Thanks!!!

UPDATE: Based on @JPhi1618's assistance below, you have to remove the handle (there is a cap which you can remove with your fingers or a flat-topped screwdriver, then a Phillips screw that you have to unscrew, THEN the plastic piece unscrews but for me this required quite a bunch of WD-40). Then, I made it to this:

Ended up buying two of these https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-10-in-Heavy-Duty-Straight-Pipe-Wrench-31010/100075882 RIDGID
10 in. Heavy-Duty Straight Pipe Wrenches. One is placed on flat portion of washer (?) shown by red arrow, other is placed on flat portion shown with yellow arrow.

Now, turn the wrench attached to the yellow arrow COUNTERCLOCKWISE while turning the washer shown with the red arrow CLOCKWISE. After some elbow grease, the washer started to turn, and I was then able to continue turning with my hand only. This lowered the carrier and I was able to re-attached the "gravity toggle" that fell off, then lower it under the sink, and turn the washer shown with the red arrow by hand COUNTERCLOCKWISE until it was tight.

Hope that helps someone! Still waiting for Pfister to tell me exact model of the faucet (I submitted a few tickets to them, haven't called yet).


texts: I am installing laminate flooring over the course of several days. Do I need to use the standard 48 hour acclimitization period?

texts:
I am installing laminate flooring. Due to work and household schedules a relatively small installation job is likely to stretch out over 3 to 4 days. Given this slow installation pace do I need to let the flooring acclimate for the typical 48 hours or can I start installing early and let it acclimate in place?

My thinking is that any expansion or contraction which occurs will happen on the pieces which are installed first when they have no weight and lots of open edges. The remaining pieces will acclimate normally over the duration of the project sitting in their boxes.


texts: What is the cheapest way to stiffen a tube/pipe?

texts:
I have some steel tubes (18 mm OD) which I wish to use as horizontal members in a storage rack (a bit like shelves). However, the tube flex and bend quite a bit when I put heavier boxes on them. The tubes flex about 40 mm over a 1000 mm span. Ideally I would like the flex to be <5 mm.

Is there any cheap(~$0) & readily available material I can put into the tubes which would stiffen them significantly.

I was thinking about filling them with concrete, but that seems a bit messy and I don't have cement/sand to hand. Would concrete work?


texts:
I recently had some plumbing work done on my house but still need to install a toilet after I finish tiling the floor.

We were left with the following flange and a toilet drain pipe sticking about 3 inches above the floor. http://www.ipscorp.com/plumbing/watertite/closetflanges/technoflange

How do you install this type of flange? The drain pipe fits inside the flange, is that the way it should be?

Also, the flange should ideally sit on top of the tile, correct?

Anything else I should know? Thank you!


texts: Installing new 2-wire (Single Pole) Thermostats - how to install when there are 3 wires in wall?

texts:
I am changing the old analog thermostats around my home with new "smart" thermostats. More specifically, I am installing some Sinope TH1124ZB thermostats. Everything was going swimmingly until I popped open my bathroom thermostat to find the 2 wire thermostat connected to 3 wires in the wall. I don't know the proper terms, but the thermostat red wire was connected to 2 black wires from the wall, and the black thermostat wire was connected to another black wire coming from the wall.
I assumed that the extra 3rd wire controlled the fan for the heater in the bathroom. When I turned up knob in the old thermostat, a fan would turn on. I think I have a fan forced convecting baseboard heater in the bathroom.
Is it safe to replicate this connection with my new thermostat? The very sparse installation guide only shows how to replace existing 2 wire thermostats connecting to 2 wires, and I can't find the right search terms to google to find an example with 2-wire single pole thermostats connecting to 3 wires.


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

texts: I am living in a house where most electrical outlets are two prong.  There are a smattering of three prong, in particular where an addition was put on.  Am I hosed when it comes to where I can plug in electrical appliances that have three prong plugs?


texts: I have a thermostat in my house that seems to have a very narrow temperature band. This causes it to cycle on and off more frequently that it probably should. I have noticed that when I set the temperature, the digital readout never shows any temperature change which leads me to believe it's temperature range is < 1 degree. I would like to replace thermostat and need some help deciding which one to buy. Do any of the digital thermostats enable the temperature range to be set? Also, what name is commonly used to describe this parameter.


texts: Why does water pressure spike when sprinkler is winterized?

texts:
We are getting spikes in water pressure, measured at the main feed to the house, starting yesterday when the outdoor sprinkler was shut and winterized.  I have a backflow preventer that is tested annually.
Similar spikes happened last winter, but I didn't see the link until now.
The pressure gets reset when a toilet or other appliance runs, causing pipes to rattle, then the pressure builds again.
I can't understand why shutting the sprinkler would affect pressure in the house.


texts: What is the function of a check valve on the inlet of a household macerator pump?

texts:
Macerators sometimes require check valves on the inlet for shower waste. I'm thinking the low rate of flow from a shower might not be enough to trigger macerators activated by air switches, so the valve creates lets water from the shower through without letting air out, triggering the pump.

Would that be correct?


texts:
While trying to remove the child safety cover from my tub spigot I managed to shear off the plug mechanism that activates the shower.

The guy at the hardware store sold me a new spigot and now I need to remove the old one. I've tried twisting it, but it is stuck quite solidly and I can't seem to get it off. I don't care about the condition of the spigot when it is removed, just that is comes off without damaging the pipe underneath so that the new one can be screwed on.


texts: Are there any QO boxes with the neutral screws along the breakers like the Homeline?

texts:
I am having my panel replaced with a panel that has more real estate as well as having my Knob and Tube replaced.

Currently I have an older 24 Circuit/Spot Square D QO box. I would like to reuse some of the newer breakers in this box in the new box.

I would like to go with Square D again as from what I have read their reputation is very good and I like the plug on neutral.

I have read the QO boxes are more the Cadillac of boxes and the Homelines are not as good.

The issue I see though is, the Homeline boxes have the screw terminal for the neutral bus along the height of the box next to the breakers. This seems like a great feature for wire management and trace-ability.

The other advantage I see with this neutral bus is that circuit can easily be switched to CAFI as the neutral is already there and can just be moved to the breaker without having to splice the shortened neutral at the top neutral bus and extend it down.

The one feature I have seen in the QO line is the Qwik Grip. Again this seems like an amazing feature for adding circuits and manageability.

My question is:
Are there any QO boxes out there that have the neutral screws along the breakers like the Homeline?
From any experience, is having the neutral bus run along the breakers an advantage as I mentioned above?

Can anyone point me to a QO box with Qwik Grip and neutral bus along the breakers?


texts: How to remediate a coal stain cement and cinder block wall

texts: I have a room in my basement that was used to store coal. The walls (cement and cinder block) are badly stained and still smell of coal.  I have tried power washing and scrubbing with a wire bush to no avail.  I was wondering if I can seal it with Kilz paint or another product.  Any suggestions are welcomed.


texts: One Outlet in Circuit Briefly Losing Power

texts:
There is a 20 amp circuit in my house which includes 5 outlets: 2 in the kitchen (on the wall towards the floor, no appliances plugged in, just a small water fountain for the cat) and 3 in the office. One of the outlets in the office has a power strip attached with a laptop dock, 2 computer monitors, and an internet router plugged in.

Here’s the problem we’re having: when we plug something into the first outlet in the circuit, which is in the kitchen, the outlet in the office momentarily loses power. This only lasts about 30 seconds and then the power is back. The circuit doesn’t trip or anything like that. None of the other outlets are affected, we have checked and they all have power during this event.

I checked and the wires are 12 gauge. It is a 20 amp circuit with 20 amp outlets. I checked all the outlets and the wires are secure.


texts: How do I repair a broken polystyrene part?

texts:
I have a speaker whose mount broke. I previously tried to fix it using a common 2-part "5 minute" epoxy (I believe I did 2 or 3 separate applications, trying to get some thickness on it), but after a few months that repair failed (if I remember correctly, it was being picked up to clean underneath, as had been done many times before, and it simply gave way).

The base (light gray, right side of photo) is polystyrene and I'm almost certain this piece is as well.

It originally broke on a bit of an irregular slice, going through some of the reinforced ridges on the part: it is 3.2mm at the narrowest to to 6.5mm at the widest. The break is also right where it sits in the base, so there's not a ton of lateral area to work with.

What can I use to reliably glue this part back together again?


texts:
I have a homemade 8 light lamp I need to wire.  I had a class in Electricity in the 10th grade when Nixon was still in office.  I do remember that I will wire the lamps in a parallel circuit.

Each socket will host a 6 watt LED, which 8 of them put AMPs at .4 by my calculation on 110 v.

The lamp is made of metal, and I plan on running a ground from the lamp to the ground wire in the outlet box.

For the wiring harness, I'm challenged with balancing cosmetic appeal and not burning my house down.   I'm thinking about MIL22759/12 in 20 AWG, which is a flame resistant wire rated for 600V, and operating conditions of -65°C to +200°C.  The insulation on this wire is PTFE.

My reading of 20 AWG is that it can carry 1.5 AMPs, which I'm well under.  For safety I'm thinking about a 1 AMP in-line fuse.

The wires will be put into heat shrink tubing to prevent chafing.

Will this lamp burn my house down?


texts: How big a hole in drywall can be fixed by spackle alone?

texts:
How big of a hole in drywall can be fixed by spackle alone?

The previous owners left numerous holes in the drywall. Each with the diameter of a coaxial cable, which I want to patch up. Can I use spackle to bridge the gap? Or Can I press fit a piece of wooden dowel to form a firm base for the spackle?


texts: Kitchen installation plumbing and electricity preparation

texts:
Hi when I install a new kitchen, should I first take care that the electric wires that are behind the base cabinets will be hidden inside the walls? Is it ok if they will be inside a plastic "tunnel" outside the wall?
The plastic tunnel outside the wall is shallow enough so it won't interfere with the cabinets (no need to cut the cabinets back walls)

Thanks.


texts: correct tightening torque for a noname single lever mixer tap

texts:
Some days ago, i have checked the ceramic cartridge of my sink mixer tap.

I opened and cleaned it and I now have a leak from under the lever. I think I'm not tightening enough the nut, so the water is leaking (only when the lever is actionned).

I don't want to over tighten it. What is the correct tightening torque for that kind of single lever mixer tap? (For information, the tightening nut is 32 mm large.)


texts: Why won't a NEST that shares control of a furnace with a conventional thermostat turn on the heat?

texts:
I have three floors in my home. The bottom floor has its own gas furnace and the 2nd and 3rd floors share another gas furnace.  Everything was working great until I added a NEST to the first and second floors.

The NEST works wonderfully on the first floor (own furnace).

The NEST won't turn the heat on on the second floor (shared furnace.)  When I use the Honeywell thermostat on the third floor, the heat turns on just fine.

Can anybody point me in the right direction?  Does this sound like a wiring issue?  I've ruled out fuses because the heat works fine on the third floor.  Is that a terrible assumption?


texts:
I installed four 4-ft. LED shop lights on the ceiling of my garage and linked them together. Currently, they receive power by plugging in one of the shop lights into the duplex electrical outlet where the garage door opener also plugs into. The problem with that is that the outlet is not switched.

There is currently a light fixture by the garage door opener, in the middle of the ceiling. It has switched power, controlled by a switch near the entry door to the garage. I would like to convert that light fixture into a duplex GFCI outlet. When I removed the light fixture from the ceiling box, I saw this:

and this:

I used a Fluke non-contact voltage tester. The black wires are always hot, whether the the door switch is on or off. The red wire is only hot when the door switch is on. The white wires are neutrals (unless I am mistaken).

I am wondering why I see a red wire here. I was only expecting black, white, and ground. Now, being that the garage door opener is nearby, and that duplex outlet is always hot, might these black wires be providing power to that duplex outlet that the garage door opener plugs into? Did the electrician use 14-3 wire here so the red wire can provide switched power while the black wire would provided constant power for the garage door in the adjacent duplex outlet?

When I install this GFCI outlet, I assume I should treat the red wire as if it were a black wire, connecting it to the LINE (brass) terminal, then connect both white wires to white (silver) terminal, and finally pigtail a ground strap and connect it to the ground terminal on the GFCI outlet?


texts:
Long story short: Live in an apartment building, top floor. Balcony overrun with pigeons. Literally a quarter inch of bird feces covering the floor.

I bought a bird net and want to hang it up. Unfortunately, I am not sure how I can attach it to the ceiling of the balcony.

Cross section looks like this:

 __
|
|_|

The gap is where I want to put the net, with the hooks of some sort attached to the ceiling. My initial idea was to use eyelet screws; however, I've tried the following to no avail:

Drill(hammer drill) with masonry and metal drill bits of various
sizes. Can't even make a dent.
Hammer in nail (RIP nail)
Tape (Used
double-sided, cause that was the strongest I had. Still peeled off)

My next attempt might be to buy regular adhesive hooks (from a dollar store) and then use cement glue or sorts to try and keep them on the ceiling. If anyone has any advice on what I can do to attach the net to the ceiling (that doesn't require a big investment), please let me know.

Thank you


texts: Should I be using wire nuts to connect my light socket?

texts:
I am replacing a light socket in a ceiling lamp.

The old socket had two short wires permanently attached to the socket, which were then connected to the wires coming out of the ceiling with wire nuts (neat looking ceramic ones actually, I think it was done in the forties or fifties).

My new socket has screw terminals, so I am thinking I can just connect the wires from the ceiling directly to the screw terminals.

These are all copper wires.

Is there some reason I should instead attach a new wire to the screw terminals and then use a wire nut to connect that?

It looks like this (although the mounting bracket is a different shape):


texts: How to prepare my floor to install engineered hardwood?

texts:
I currently have linoleum flooring in my kitchen, bathroom and laundry room and carpet everywhere else. I would like to install engineered hardwood flooring throughout my home with the exception of the bathroom and laundry; these areas will likely be tile, but are out of scope for this question.

My home was built in 1956 and has some history, which I'll describe and show with some pictures as background information for my question(s).

The kitchen's 5/8" thick, plywood floor is lower than the rest of my floor by roughly 3/16" and is roughly 14' x 10.5'.
The home's old floor was 3/4" solid oak. When the home was renovated before my time, the carpet and a hallway's worth of engineered hardwood was installed on top of the oak floor.
The oak flooring and plywood subfloor in the kitchen look to rest on top of very thick, tongue and groove boards; probably the original floor of the home. When I inspected the crawlspace beneath these boards, there are no joists (to my surprise). Instead, the boards span large support beams.

Questions

Can I install my new engineered hardwood on top of the existing solid oak hardwood?

If no, please help me understand why.
If yes,

What methods are acceptable? Nail, glue, float?
What precautions should I take? I plan to check for levelness / flatness and clean the surface of the carpet tacks and any underlayment. Anything else I should do to prepare?

Assuming I can do #1 above, then I'd like to raise my kitchen floor to the same level as the oak, so there is no transition. What is the recommended way of raising my kitchen floor 3/16"? My initial research indicates I cannot use self-leveling compound for engineered hardwood because it will crack and generally not be a stable base.
Given all of the information here, any tips or pitfalls I should watch out for?

Pictures


texts: What could be the sources of humidity that build up in a house in an arid environment? Outside RH: 10%; Inside RH: 40% +

texts:
We open our window at night at the temps get down to 70F @20% RH.   The temp in the house drops to 75F and the RH is 33%.    We close our windows when we go to work.

When mid day comes, outside, the temp is 95F and the RH is 10%.  Inside the temp is 76F and  RH is 40%.  How is this possible?

we have no water leaking into the house... with water off... usage is 0.
Cement slab.
Nobody is home.  We have a couple dogs but they can't contribute that much water.
There is a temperature difference in the house one side is 74F and another side of the house is 78F.
We are waiting on a manual J to be completed, the guy thinks our AC is oversized.  But that explains why moisture isn't leaving.  But it doesn't explain where the moisture came from to begin with.
We had a pressure test done on the house... -0.1 pascals.  So we are in good shape there.
It seems to me the only way water could get in, if no leaks, is condensation some where.  The air handler is in the attic, attic get hot during the day...

In most building calculations... if we recycled 60% or our air and used 40% from outside at 95F at 10% humidity, we would have to add a quart of water every hour to the air to MAINTAIN 40% RH.  THIS IS NUTS!!!!  So much for the idea that we are breathing air through a leak... as a problem.

https://www.lenntech.com/calculators/humidity/relative-humidity.htm


texts:
I am using Transtint dye mixed at the correct ratio with denatured alcohol, and applying it to surfaced red oak. This is what it looks like:

Its incredibly blotchy, much more than I would expect from oak which is known for its great stain/dye acceptance. What can I do differently to cause it to more evenly apply?

Here's some close-ups:


texts: We bought a 3rd floor apartment in Italy (highest floor) a few years ago and use it as a holiday home. We've had no issues for about 3 years and suddenly we started getting the smell of rotten eggs at the entrance to the apartment. We've got someone coming in regularly and ensuring the water traps are full every week. The smell just doesn't seem to go and peaks at about 4am in the morning. I can't localise it to any bathroom or the kitchen or the HVAC system. we've had an army of plumbers come and go and no one seems to have a solution. As mentioned the smell is at it's worst at the entrance to the apartment and maybe this is because we detect it coming in from outside the house. Any help is appreciated.


texts: Can I use old style individual faucets on a bathroom vanity?

texts: We have an old home and would like to keep with the period where possible. I have a marble vanity top with individual faucets for hot and cold rather than a single spigot for both. I can buy brand new replacement faucets that look exactly correct. Does anyone know if that is allowed by current plumbing code?