texts: How to connect fan coil (condo) wiring with Google Nest

texts:
My old thermostat wiring looks like this:

So its good I have a C wire and its running on 24v.  The hard thing is the fan control.  It's a proprietary 3 speed fan - where do I wire those 4 wires to?  What is Fan "Com"?
I plan to purchase a Google Nest Thermostat but the compatibility tool is not complete as I have MORE wires than they need for fan control.


texts: Laying Vinyl Flooring Over Uneven Poured Concrete

texts:
I am trying to give my basement floor an update, and I have purchased a click and lock vinyl floating floor.  The existing poured concrete has some raised areas (where the concrete was clumpy and not properly smoothed 50 years ago).  The floor is level, with the exception of these small bumps and divots every now and then.  I am not experienced enough to try a self-leveling compound, so I thought I would use a concrete patch to at least smooth out the surface in these few spots.

Is this a doable solution?  All I really care about is making sure the vinyl flooring doesn't have major pockets or gaps between it and the concrete sub-floor.  Any thoughts, recommendations, or warnings about this approach?


texts: I have a basement floor with lots of moisture, can I paint or seal it to make it waterproof?

texts:
My basement has a slight dampness issue, where if I leave things on the floor they will get wet.  There are no leaks and no standing water, the moisture seems to be wicking up through the concrete.
I conducted a simple test to make sure moisture in the air was not condensing on the cold floor, by taping a small square of 3mil poly to the floor. When I returned a day later there was moisture under the poly (between the plastic and the floor), so I figure the moisture is coming in from below.
I know they make products like DryLok for water proofing walls, but can it be used on the floor as well?  Are there better products available that are designed specifically for the floor?
I was also looking at Rust-Oleum EPOXY SHIELD Garage Floor Coating (since it looks nice and seems to be easy to clean), is this an appropriate product to use on a basement floor?  Will it prevent moisture from leaching in?
Update:

The basement already has a perimeter drain, and sump pump.
The basement will not be finished in any way, so I'm looking for a relatively simple and cheap solution.

Update:
I found a couple other products that may or may not work.

Home Seal from Endur-O-Seal.
Bone Dry Concrete Sealer

Can products like this really do what they say they can?
Update:
There was an area of the floor that had been painted (with an unidentified paint), so I did the plastic test there and there was no moisture under the plastic (even after a couple days of rain).  So now the question is what is this mysterious paint, that blocks moisture when no paint should apparently be able to do so?
I have determined that the moisture is caused by capillary action wicking moisture up slowly through the concrete, and is not caused by cracks or other sources of leaks in the slab.


texts: Are These Ceiling Stains From Cigarette Smoke?

texts: We purchased a home recently and there is a lot of discoloration on the ceiling of the living room. Can someone tell me based on the photo below, if you can tell what would have caused these stains? The prior residents were chain smokers so I'm figuring that's in but I don't understand why the staining wouldn't be consistent. I had planned to just paint over them but wanted to run it by, hopefully someone with more stain experience that could tell me it's not some kind of water stain or mold before I did so. Could someone out there help me based on this photo? Thanks!


texts: What are the different parts of a toilet seat called?

texts:
I know a toilet seat has two parts but what are they called?

Can someone find me a diagram, or just tell me what the two parts are called?  I think the top part is the lid...and the bottom part with the hole in it is the seat..am I right about this?


texts: How can you add a standard light fixture to a ceiling fan?

texts:
How can I take a regular old ceiling mount light fixture - such as the one below - and add it to a ceiling fan?

Example light fixture:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0135HNWBI?pf_rd_p=d1f45e03-8b73-4c9a-9beb-4819111bef9a&pf_rd_r=7FY04S0478FXCJA1SEXA

I can see in the customer reviews that someone has mounted it to a ceiling fan, but sadly the person gave no information, only a picture:

Any idea how I'd do something that?

Do you think they took a ceiling fan that already had a light similarly sized to the light fixture and simply replaced the lamp shade?

Or is there some way (assuming I could modify/physically mount the light fixture to the bottom of the ceiling fan) that you can pass wires for lighting up through the center of the ceiling fan into the ceiling?

I also see that there are Ceiling Fan Fitters - but none look like they'd really accommodate a lamp shade like this one (for example, they have pull chains at the bottom that can't be removed)


texts: How should I connect my new Fagor wall oven to the existing wiring?

texts:
I just picked up a Fagor wall oven off Craigslist to replace our existing and deteriorating (very old) 240/120V Tappan wall oven. The old home wiring from the wall is a metal encased 3 wire Black, Red, White combo.The new oven is rated 240v (60hz, 3600w.) The problem is the Fagor oven’s 3 wires do not match up - they are Black, White and Green. How do I connect these up?

The newer oven is from Europe - maybe explaining the white L2?

So I can connect the white (neutral) from the house to the green (ground) from the oven?


texts: Kohler k620 tank - which Tank-To-Bowl Connector Kit?

texts:
A toilet is leaking at a bolt that holds it to the bowl.  (See photo.)  It is a 1950's Kohler 2 piece with k620 stamped inside the tank.  (See photo.)  How do I find a suitable tank-to-bowl connector kit?  (Searching on Kohler and K620 and connector kit does not work for me.)  Should I replace the bolts and washers only or the flapper gasket also?  If the flapper gasket also, how do I know which kit to buy.
Thx.
P.S. The nut on the leaking bolt was loose and I tightened the nut a little more than hand tight.  It no longer leaks. But clearly the washer is starting to wear away.  So I want to buy the parts to be ready when I need them.


texts: Possible to ground-fault protect both legs of a MWBC with two single-pole breakers?

texts:
To get a MWBC working, with both legs GF protected, I installed 2 Single Pole GFI breakers, on adjacent slots, with a handle-tie. Since there are 2 lugs for Neutral wires, and only one neutral coming in, I used two pieces of white 12 awg to wire nut to the neutral coming in.

It doesn't work, trips as soon as it's flipped on.

I even opened the circuit at the first box, (so i kknow it's not an actual ground-fault) and it still trips, even though neither leg of the circuit could possible be conducting at all!

I was told I could use 2 single-pole breakers w/ handle tie to get both legs of the circuit GF protected, but this appears to not be the case. Am I wiring it wrong? Also, how is it possible for them to both trip when neither is conducting?


texts: URD Service entrance cable for tankless hot water heater

texts: I'm planning on running 2-2-4 URD service cable to a tankless hot water heater. It's a long story, but I have to run from an outside load center underground and through the subfloor of a building built on piers. The tankless water heater calls for #6 wire since it draws 55 amps. I have some 2-2-4 already, so was just going to use that since it's rated to (at least) 75 amps. My question is, I'll have to sleeve the cable as it exits the ground and runs up through the bottom plate of the wall. How do I figure the conduit fill for service entrance cable? Treat it like THHN/THWN/THWN-2?


texts: Is a junction box "accessible" if it is mounted behind/above a recessed light housing?

texts:
I am redoing our kitchen lighting. We currently have 1 fluorescent light fixture in the center with 2 T8 bulbs (ugly but a lot of light) and one decorative light fixture over the sink.

I am going to install recessed LED lighting and 2 pendant lights over the island. The switch controlling the light over the sink will end up controlling the pendant lights over the island, necessitating a longer wire run to get to the island. My plan is to install a junction box on the joist in the ceiling above the sink in order to splice in a longer wire run. The original light fixture below the junction box will be replaced with a recessed light (housing with built in junction box). This will make the junction box accessible by removing the recessed light housing. To me, this is equivalent to having the junction boxes for the recessed lights being "accessible" by removing the housing which makes them up to code.

Will this work code wise, and are there any better ways to extend the wiring to the island. (it's only going to be about 4 feet).

Would this product be an acceptable alternative, since it is still accessible by removing the recessed light housing?

http://www.te.com/catalog/cinf/en/c/11621/0?BML=10576,17560,17685&RQS=C~11621


texts: What sorts of appliances will malfunction on a reversed AC outlet?

texts:
The house I recently acquired had some wiring done in the basement by the previous owner. I've identified 3 outlets (all on the same circuit) where the live and neutral wires are reversed. I've switched off the breaker to that circuit so people don't use those until I've remedied the wiring. The few things that were plugged into those sockets worked fine. Obviously lamps and fans will have no issues, but I'm concerned. What sorts of appliances will malfunction or worse, potentially harm someone, if plugged into an outlet that is wired backwards?

Additional Info:

I apologize for not clarifying my locale and its specifics. Apparently, it does matter.

North American outlets are as shown here:

Many appliances have two equal sized vertical prongs and no ground prong so they can be reversed. Many appliances with a ground prong obviously go in one way only.

But there are also many appliances with two vertical prongs and no ground prong, but one vertical prong is slightly wider than the other and that is supposed to go into the taller slot (on the left in this diagram). Wiring codes, require that side of the plug to be wired to neutral, while the shorter side is to be wired to hot. It seems sensible to me to assume that one prong is wider for a purpose. It is those appliances in particular that I am concerned about. If one prong is intended to be hot, surely it would be a big deal if it is not?


texts:
I have a bathroom on my main floor with three switches: lights, fan and heat lamp. I am replacing the fan and do not need the heat lamp, however when I wired the two switches I want to use, the white wire on the fan side is hot and blew the circuit. I disconnected it, and now the lights do not work and the bathroom fan UPSTAIRS is not working. I really do not want to rewire my bathrooms, does anyone know why they would be wired this way? How can I keep the existing wiring and get my fans working?
Thanks,


texts: How can power drawn from one outlet cause another outlet to burn up?

texts: I had accidentally overloaded a circuit when I plugged something into an outlet but it caused another outlet in the same circuit (which had some, but not much power being drawn through it) to burn up. Fortunately, the circuit breaker tripped and nothing bad happened, but I'm wondering why this could have happened so I can prevent it form happening again.


texts: Hydrostatic mower drive belt - Troy Bilt Horse

texts:
I have a Troy Bilt horse that has 2 belts, one for the 2 blades on the deck and a drive belt that runs the hydrostatic transmission.

The transmission belt broke, and I can't figure out how to get to the rear portion of it that changes.  I have linked to 2 pictures:

The one with the fain in it is an overhead view below the battery and on top of the transmission on the back of the mower.

The second is the breakout of this section of the parts list.

I need to take the nut on top of the fan off to get the belt around the pully (you can see the bracket that the pully sits "in" in the breakout.  I have 2 problems:

How do I get a wrench around the nut above the fan?  There's no room.
How do I keep that from turning?  I can turn the fan by hand if the brake is on or not, and if the transmission is engaged or not.  There is a pull-out lever that disengages the transmission, but that pully always freely turns so when I get a wrench around it I cannot stop the shaft and everything from turning.

How do I do this?  Pictures are here:

http://imgur.com/a/N2zA7  and inline


texts: How to shave down or flatten - surface concrete of garage - rain water leaking in under door

texts:
I have a garage floor - the floor in the garage has sunken leaving the area at the exterior foundation wall - Entrance - to sit up higher like a nice ramp which makes a perfect Rain Water collection scoop to wonderfully force the water under the door and into the garage (if anyone wanted to know how that was done - there is your answer.) So I am looking for a way to fix this problem - I thought about grinding and shaving at the Garage Floor to Drive way to even it out with the garage floor and prevent it from acting like a funnel - I have done all kinds of things to seal the door - they have helped reduce the pond in the garage but not end the flow..

Here is a drawing :

Actual Picture - May not show it correctly maybe I should have used a level or an angle gauge to display the angle of the slant..


texts: GFCI with a light switch off the load trips when switch is off

texts:
I'm at my troubleshooting limit, double checking all the grounds, caps are tight and no cross wires.
If it tripped as soon as I turned the light switch on it would make sense but it's not until 15+min after I switch the lights off that the GFCI trips.
Will a faulty GFCI outlet be the culprit or something else?


texts: Soundproofing windows against air traffic noise

texts:
We're currently renting an attic apartment under one of Heathrow's main flight paths and unfortunately have only double glazed velux windows. The aircraft noises are fairly loud and I'm looking to reduce this.

As it's rented accommodation I'm looking at fairly cheap and non destructive options (e.g. replacing windows).

Right now I'm thinking about how sound studios eliminate outside noise, so would Acoustic foam over the inside of the windows block some of the sound?
http://www.cutfoam.co.uk/acoustic.html as I would be able to just stick these up with sticky back tape.

Any ideas of how to eliminate some noise would be great.


texts:
I have a 4 year old 2 stroke line trimmer (Husqvarna 524L) which is working beautifully but has never been taken back to the store for a service. I have washed the filters a couple of times, but done no other maintenance I am not particularly knowledgeable about gas engines)

Labour is very expensive where I live in NZ but thanks to parellel imports and few.import taxes hardware is fairly cheap.

Getting the trimmer serviced will cost about 1/4 of the value of a new machine. How stupid would ot be to NOT get it serviced and wait for it to break or act up before getting it looked at (and if to expensive to fix simply replace)?

Other then cleaning/replacing the filters is there any simple maintenance I should be doing?


texts:
My wife and I have some field mice that have found refuge in our home through a gap between the foundation and the side of our house. We believe this point to be their only access, as they’ve made distinct paths through the yard leading to this gap, and lots of droppings immediately outside of it. There are no other signs of entry anywhere else.

We’re currently dealing with the mice via traditional spring traps with immediate success, and I plan to continue this treatment until we go about 48 hours with no sign of them (obviously, we wouldn’t want to trap them inside).

Once we’re in the clear, what can I use to block their entry to prevent others from moving in? Do I need to buy an entire bag of concrete and go through all of that hassle just to mend a very small hole, or is there an alternative that might be as effective?


texts:
I currently have a Honeywell T5 wifi thermostat in my workshop that works almost the way I need it to. The only shortcoming is that when the weather is -30C for an extended period the temps in there will fall well below freezing if I have it shut off. The T5 has the ability to adjust temp and also set mode to OFF / ON while still being able to see the actual temp remotely.
The T5 only goes down to +10C and I want the second stat to cut in if the temp in there falls below +2C to +3C regardless if the mode on the T5 is OFF. Most days it will stay above +4C as long as the sun is shining and the out door temp is above -10C.
I have a 120V / 20A baseboard stat that goes that low and would like to use it to over ride the T5 even if it is turned off. My concern is that if it is turned off or on and the second one over rides it will the voltage spike damage the T5?
Any ideas on protecting the T5?
I just wish the T5 would go down low enough.
Thanks in advance for any help.


texts:
My father-in-law handed down a fairly new Craftsman lawn vacuum that has a 6.75 Briggs and Stratton engine. When we put gas in it, it leaked all over the place.

We took off the air filter and the gas is coming out of the carburetor.


texts:
I currently have a spare phone battery that I am using to power my child's mobile. My question is how can I add a useful way of charging the battery without removing it? Is it possible that I could solder a female USB port to the battery and mount this inside the mobile and then using a typical USB mains charger, charge the battery up that way? The mains unit only outputs 5V at 2.1A.

I'd rather ask instead of blowing a Li-Ion battery!


texts: 20amp breaker trips with NO load...Continuity between black & white wire at electrical box

texts:
I have a 20 amp breaker that connects to one wall in my kitchen.  It operates 3 outlets, a microwave and two other outlets used for a toaster oven & the last a blender.  On the blender outlet there is a switch that operates an under the counter light.  On the toaster oven outlet there is a switch that operates the track lighting for 1/2 my kitchen.

I have disconnected all outlets & switches and even took out all the lights in the track lighting to create a complete open circuit.  The breaker still trips in the breaker box.  I was originally thinking a short and was convinced.

I replaced the breaker, it still trips.  I disconnected the breaker and used my multimeter to test the continuity of the black & white wire that feeds the breaker and I get continuity.  Inside the house I isolated all the wires and tested all black/white wires for each and I don't get continuity.  What am I missing?

Any information would be wonderful!  Thank you in advance!


texts: What are these droppings/dirt clods/mold clumps?

texts:
I removed a section of baseboard and found some unusual little blackish-brownish clumps on the back of it and the drywall that it was fastened to:

Anyone have any idea what these might be?

For context, this baseboard came off of an interior wall in a dark coat closet. There is some old termite damage nearby  (they ate the paper off some drywall) but no tubes or current activity. Maybe it's mold caused by the old water damage that attracted the termites?


texts:
What's the correct way to wire a multi-control rocker switch (e.g. Leviton 1755) that has three switches on one yoke with a common supply?  What wire(s) do I run from the switches to each of the loads?  Electricians must use something other than hard-to-find 14/4 NM-B, yes?

I'm installing a bathroom fan/light combo into a circuit with an existing vanity light.  My plan is to bring power to the switch first (14/2 NM-B), then to the existing vanity, then to the fan.  I can modify this arrangement if there's a compelling reason.


texts:
New pocket door installed by reputable company this spring.  After a few weeks, it was gouging the door.  They have been back 3-4x, even changed the door once.  Always goes perfect for awhile, then gouges in a new place!    Everything else on bathroom remodel works great.
Folks house and they’re at their wits end!!!


texts: Why isn't my dishwasher cleaning as well as it used to?

texts:
My dishwasher no longer cleans dishes as well as it did 5 years ago. Some info:

It is 10 years old, a low-end Frigidaire
we have hard water here (and no water softener)
I have cleaned the food trap at the bottom which helped

Any suggestions?


texts: how many outlets can you put on a 15amp breaker?

texts:
how many outlets can you put on a 15amp breaker
?


texts: Blocked sink, waste forced back when rodded

texts:
I drew a quick diagram here (you will have to forgive the crudeness):

What started as a small blockage with slow draining has grown to be a near complete blockage. We put some water down and over several hours it will eventually go down providing we leave it.

As you can see we have a small circular join that has both the washing machine and sink attached and then a final pipe that leads to outside. The distance between the washing machine and circular join is approx 3 meters of pipe. The washing machine drains fine directly to the outside.

The pipe from the sink however is not. I put a long electrical fish and was able to get to I believe the circular join, the total length was approx 5.5m. The fish passed with relative ease.

I then poured approx 2 litres of salfumant (hydrochloric acid) down the sink pipe and the blockage remained, I could not pour anymore as the pipe was near overflowing, according to some calculators with a width of approx 3.5cm this would mean the blockage is around the 2-3m mark. We left this a couple of days.

Today I bought a draining rod/spring rod like the one pictured, but thicker.

I managed to get this down and after rodding for a while, water and acid began to flow back. I collected this in a bucket. All the while there was a lot of gurgling going on. I am slightly perplexed as to how this could flow back and can only presume there is air pressure or something of the sort in the pipe. Clearly the vast majority of the acid we poured down a couple of days ago had come back.

Im going to try some hot water in a minute and see if it goes down. But does anyone have any experience with this and how would it flow back and up? Built up pressure?

I feel I need to mention, the pipe has a slight decline leading down to the join and has been functioning for approx 5 years with only minor issues. Also the pipe is embedded in concrete as it's the Spanish way. Solid concrete floor which makes it difficult to access any other part of the pipe.

I suppose my question is how did it flow back after being rodded and if anyone has any other suggestion.


texts: Effective way to attach hangables to brick veneer wall?

texts:
So awhile back I made a wall with brick veneer for a fake, lighter weight "brick wall" look:

Veneer Link

I have been trying to find effective ways to hang things from it such as picture frames, a theremostat, etc. I do not want to use screws or drill holes as the items may move in the future. I would rather use something semi permanent.

I have tried using the Command Hooks (removable hangers) but they just fall off since it doesn't stick to the veneer very well.
I have also tried using hot glue which I thought would be a slam dunk but the same thing, the items just fall off the wall easily.

Any other suggestions? Perhaps something exists out there that I am unaware of?


texts: Does one need to be certified in order to do residential electrical work?

texts: I have a Bachelor in electrical engineering, a lot of hands-on experience with electrical work, and I'm very familiar with NEC 2011 and electrical codes. Can I do residential electrical work without being certified? I heard that I only need to be certified if I work for a contractor. The certification seems to require 3-4 years apprenticeship and 8000 hours of training. Can anyone shed some light on this?


texts: Will a 3rd Generation Nest thermostat correctly adjust the humidity base on outdoor conditions?

texts: If I plug my whole house humidifier into a 3rd generation Nest, is it smart enough to track outdoor temperature and adjust indoor as needed to keep condensation off the inside of the windows?


texts: What to look for in a new water radiator?

texts:
The water radiators I have under each window are 50 years old, and I would like some new ones. They measure HxLxD 50x100x20 cm.

The new ones I would like should be as thin as possible.

I live in an apartment, so a thermostat needs to be mounted on it.

Question

Are there things to be aware of when buying radiators?


texts: Is my plan for an air admittance valve ok?

texts: I am in the middle of finishing my basement and want to add a sink that will attach to an existing kitchen drain from above. I don't have a way to vent the sink easily unless I use a Air Admittance Valve. The drain will run about 5 feet, make a 90 degree and run another 4 feet. Would the attached diagram work correctly? Anything in blue is the new plumbing.


texts: What kind of wire would i need to carry 20 amps 100 feet underground

texts: Have an existing underground circuit that goes from the house to the end of the back yard. It's about 40 years old, and I have no idea what shape the wire is in, but it still works. I'm thinking about build a shed at the end of the yard to use as a woodshop. I don't want to actually wire the building up, but I was thinking of running a new line underground. What would I need to run a 20 amp line around 100 feet underground.


texts:
I have 2 bathroom sinks on the 2nd floor (not in the same room).
One of them produces a cloudy (almost milky) white hot water. The other was runs clear hot water. Could this be an issue?

This appears to be a similar issue.


texts: How can I tell if I have a variable speed HVAC or whether I need it?

texts:
I read a website that says, "Zoning a single-stage system is always going to be a sub-par design." They basically say a zoned HVAC system is inherently bad if it is single stage. That kind of scares me because I not only have a zoned system, I have a system where a zone was added. When the zone was added the HVAC company said that my system had the "capacity" to add a zone. We were basically dividing up an existing space and splitting it into two different zones, not adding new space. However, the website linked above says specifically that adding a zone to a single-stage system is an especially bad thing to do.
My system has 4 zones and 2 heat pumps and two outdoor condensers/exchangers. One heat pump has one zone and the other has 3 zones. It has a bypass damper on the return of the 3-zone heat pump.
How can I tell if I have a single stage system or a multistage system? If I have a single stage system, should I be analysing it to determine if I should convert it to a multi-stage system?


texts:
I have a 30 amp double-throw breaker in my main panel that feeds a sub-panel in my shop.  A few weeks ago, one of the 2 circuits in the shop stopped working.  Then, a few days ago, the breaker in the main panel to the shop tripped.  When I attempted to re-set it, it would hum for a few seconds and then trip again.

I shut off the sub-panel's main breaker and tried to re-set the breaker with the same result (loud hum then trip).  I replaced the breaker in the main to the same result.  I'm at a loss as to what to do next.  Replace the sub-panel main?  Replace sub-panel's individual breakers?  Replace the sub-panel?  As far as I can tell the wires to the sub-panel are intact (and the panel's ground is still connected to the grounding wire).


texts: Can a plug melt when unit is not turned on?

texts: My Skutt kiln was plugged into the socket (240 volts).  When I came in to check the kiln, the plug was completely melted. I was told the unit had not been turned on.  Is this possible?


texts: Calculating Stair Strings - Is 7.92" Too High of a Rise for Patio Stairs?

texts:
I'm adding steps from a house down to a patio and am trying to build the stringers:

23.75" Total Rise
12x2 nominal lumber for the stringers. Total of 4 stringers @ 48" wide
.92" composite treads
11.75" tread depth (including the riser)
1" nominal risers

With that rise including 3 steps, each step is 7.92" high.  This is above the recommended 7.75".  Will that be very difficult to use?
Also, does anyone have a good stair stringer calculator?  I've tried a few but am seeing different results for each.


texts: Is there such thing as short range only garage door opener?

texts:
Is there such thing as short range only garage door opener/remote? My opener can open the garage from the 3rd floor when I live and it bugs me that the opener might be pressed accidentally and it opens the garage without my knowledge. It's becoming something I have to worry about.

A remote that works only if it's in front and facing of the garage? I am looking for a solution to this issue other than putting the remote in a secure place. I still worry if I am carrying the remote safely on my way upstairs.


texts: Vacuum Breaker Valve on Hose Bib Humming / Noise

texts:
I have one of these vacuum breakers on my outdoor hose faucet.

Every time I turn it on, it creates a loud noise in the form of a hum or drone I can hear throughout the house. While I have been able to find many similar questions on the web, as good as my google-fu may be, I can't find any definitive answers to fix it...

I don't think it's "water-hammer" because the pipes aren't vibrating or shaking. So I believe it is just the valve itself. This just hooks up to a standard hose with a normal sprayer/wand on it.

Actual setup below:


texts: Does the pump for a water tank have to be next to the tank or some distance away?

texts: Does the pump of a water tank have to be next to the water tank or can it be further down the line?


texts: Difficulty (drain plumbing wise) in splitting a large bathroom on the second floor into two bathrooms?

texts:
We have a large main bathroom and we'd like to split it so we have a small master bath and a smaller main bath. Layout wise, door wise, etc, we think it will fit but we're trying to gauge the difficulty in adding two additional drain lines and moving the existing ones to new locations. We'll have to demo the entire subfloor but after that is it usually straight forward for a plumber to run drain lines like this? The new location is within 8' of the old one so it's not that far of a span.

Edit: Image.
Existing contains a double vanity in the larger portion with toilet and tub in smaller part.
New would remove everything except mayby the existing toilet and add single shower and vanity in small room with new tub/toilet and vanity in larger room. Closet would be removed from larger room.


texts: Can I plaster over metal lath without a backing material?

texts: One alternative to traditional drywall is plaster over metal lath. Most of the videos I've watched use some kind of backing (e.g. brick, OSB, or plywood) with a layer of tar paper over the top behind the metal lath. Can I plaster over metal lath over a wall cavity with the lath secured to 2x4 studs (16" on center)?


texts: Bath handles hanging and small chip in enamel

texts:
We let our house for 5 years to uncaring tenants. The bath (was new) now has the grip handles hanging off both sides and there is a small chip in the white enamel.

It was assumed the bath would need to be replaced but it is built in (with breeze block) and tiled all round, making it a big, expensive job!

I wonder if the handles might be removed? That would be OK by me. But how can the holes be filled? Are there stoppers I can buy? If so, where? I'm in the UK.

I know there are repair kits for the chip that I may be able to use.

We want to sell the house now and there are so many different jobs to do! Money has to be spent carefully.


texts: Hanging paintable wallpaper over paneling?

texts:
My 40 year old house has a LOT of old paneling in it.  I hate it, my spouse hates it and we both want it gone.  However I don't want to go through the time and expense of replacing all of it with drywall since I'd be replacing approximately 200 linear feet of paneling with drywall.  I have a friend that is telling me that he placed heavy paintable wallpaper over his paneling and it worked really well.  However he only did it 2 or 3 months ago, so neither of us know the long-term effectiveness of this process. I don't want to go through this and then have it falling off the wall in a year.

The paneling I have is the smooth surface with the minimal depth grooving (approximately 1/8" deep grooving)  I know I'll need to mud the grooving to smooth it out.  But do I need to sand the paneling prior to placing the wallpaper or just make sure that all oils are removed from the paneling prior to placement?


texts:
I'm planning to buy a space heater with the following electrical specifications:

Power : 2000 W
Operating Voltage : 220-240 V

Many of the reviews say that the heater requires a 15 A socket to work efficiently, whereas most of regular sockets have 5 A capacity.

In India, we get 230 V at 50 Hz.

I'm confused about the power specification. Is it root mean square (RMS) power or peak power?

P = V * I

If we assume 2000 W as peak power, the current capacity for socket comes out to be:

I = 2000 / 230 ~ 8.7 A

However, if you take 2000 W as RMS power, the current capacity for socket comes out to be:

I = 2000 / (230 * 0.707) ~ 12.3 A

What's the standard for specifying power and voltage characteristics of domestic appliances?

I'm sure that the voltage specified is peak voltage, but I'm not sure whether the power specified is peak power or RMS power.


texts: How can I restore this interior wooden siding?

texts:
I have a small entry way with wooden siding by my front door. It's not in great condition from the previous owners and I was hoping there would be a way to restore or just make it look better. Could it be sanded/refinished? Or does is there something else I should do? I'd be willing to stain it a darker brown if that would help hide some of the wear and tear.

Click on images for full size


texts: What would cause the bottom half of a radiator cool down after heating up?

texts: I have a one pipe system and just had a new Vertex vertical radiator fitted. It's the last radiator in the circuit. The radiator I had replaced for the vertical radiator worked like a dream for the past 11 years. The new radiator heats up when the system is first switched on and then the bottom half goes cold. The return pipe to the boiler also goes cold. It's like the flow stops. All the other radiators get hot. The plumber came back to bleed the system and flushed it clean. As soon as the system is switched back on the radiator heats up very nicely but then cools again. All the other radiators have been switched off and switched on again and pump has been checked. The plumber has no idea why this is happening and he has 40 years experience. Does anyone have  a clue why this is happening? A wild guess on my part is that there is some sort of blockage in the return pipe.


texts: Rigidity (and height) of drywall around outlet hole

texts:
We are dealing with a subpar contractor who has tried multiple times now to repair a small section of subway tile that they previously cracked. I suspect that their current strategy is going to lead to more of the same (poorly supported tile prone to cracking) and I would like to verify this suspicion before putting my foot down in what I request of them.
In the image    you can see the current strategy. The drywall "bridge" which is in place between the studs has very little height around the J-Box (less than 1/2" on the bottom), meaning it is very non-rigid. Here is a video of my pushing on it (too large to host on this site). You can also see how poorly that drywall bridge lines up depth-wise with the backs of the other tiles which are in place. It's also worth noting that the tops of most of the tiles below the drywall bridge can be wiggled in place noticeably. I suspect that in the future these tiles will be prone to cracking, as well as any tiles which are installed over this shoddy bridge. As well as all of the grout lines involved, if the tiles themselves somehow manage to hold.
Assuming my thoughts above are correct, I presume the best course of action is to request more tiles be removed above/below the outlet to allow a better drywall bridge to be installed, one which has taller strips surrounding the outlet (compared to the flimsy 1/2" currently below it). But how tall is tall enough?
I'm inclined to just ask for a 16" square drywall bridge, which would give a solid 6" above and below the outlet hole. Is this reasonable?


texts:
Hi Knowledgeable people,

I've just dug up old fence concrete bases etc as fence blew down. Re done concrete bases, put posts up etc.

And now I am looking at the concrete and am worried I've added too much SAND! Panic!!

I looked up the ratio online: aggregate, sand, cement, 4, 2 ,1 I think and bought ballast, sand and cement.

I followed the ratio, with 4 ballast, 2 sand, 1 cement etc. However, I'm worried that the ballast having various size clippings in down to sand, meant I didnt need to add the sand?

Will my concrete last?


texts: What is the proper way to convert a pair of three-way (SPDT) switches into a single two-way (SPST) switch?

texts:
I'm in the process of replacing some of the light switches in my house with smart switches, Wemo Light Switches in this case. I've had no problem with the replacement of my One-way switches (SPST I think), however I have a pair of Two-way switches (SPDT) that controls a single light fixture. As their documentation states

  Please note that the WeMo Light Switch is not compatible with lights controlled by more than one switch...

So it looks like my best option is to convert the Two-way switch into a One-way switch. I'm happy to lose one of the control points, however I'm not sure what the proper way to make this conversion is. I expect to a have a single smart switch controlling the system, that will replace both previous switches. Based on some wikipedia diagrams it looks like it is obvious path is to short circuit wires at the point where I remove one of the switches. However, seeminlty obvious isn't alwyas the right choice. How should a Single Pole Double Throw be converted to a Single Pull Single Throw?

Attaced are photos of the current wiring.

Switch "A" circled in to be removed

Wiring box "A"

Switch "B" to be replaced with smart switch


texts: Mystery Electrical Voltages in Duplex Junction Box

texts:
So I'm finally getting around to installing the ceiling to floor bookcase in my home office.  There is a single duplex outlet that I intend to reverse from facing into the office, to facing outwards to the hallway.  To do the drywall flip, I intended to:

Shut off the breaker to that outlet.
Carefully record the logic of what wires in the box go where.
Remove the duplex socket.
Remove all wire nuts and unwind all connected wires.
Carefully cut out the old plastic junction box.
Transfer the location to the hallway side of the wall (drill thru drywall from inside the office)
Add a new "old work" junction box on the hallway side of the wall.
Reinstall the duplex and all wiring to be fully functional from the hallway.
Repatch the drywall in the office, then install the new built-in bookcase.

Sounds easy, right?  I plugged in an incandescent lamp to the outlet, then started shutting off circuit breakers to find the circuit.  The house was built in 2007 and generally there are no markings to tell which breaker is which. The builder has been VERY unhelpful in obtaining a wiring diagram of the house.  I'm not the original owner.  I find a breaker that controls the lamp.  When I start taking things apart, I received an electrical shock.  Ugh.

Here's the original installation:

And here are the voltage readings, breaker #23 OFF, duplex socket removed.

So what's going on here?

How is it possible that two circuit breakers are required to be shut off to access a single junction box?
Is that even to code?
What in a home generates a 51 VAC reading?
Why am I seeing voltage on the four conductor line?
In fact, why is there a four conductor wire in this box in the first place?
I have no clue what's going on here.  Any ideas?

Note: In this office, there are two switches on the wall, one controls the ceiling lamp, the other I assume is for a ceiling fan (not present in this room.)  The rest of the rooms in the house do have ceiling lamps and fans (and two switch controls).

Oh, and by the way, thanks to the folks at DigiKey for their "Scheme-It" sketch tool.

Update, 10 Feb 2016

So it turns out that the entire house is wired with a whole bunch of these  Multi-Wire Branch Circuits (MWBC). Look at the junction box with the cover panel removed. (black-red, black-red, etc...)

Somebody did take the time to mark each of the red/black pairs inside the box (note the pink sleeves on the right hand side of the box.)  They also took time to ensure the pairs are adjacent in the breaker box.  That helps a little.

Oh, and one slight mis-step.  When I first turned off the adjacent circuit breaker, and went inside to measure residual voltages. I turned the multimeter to Volts AC, but left it in autorange mode.  When I looked at the reading I saw 200!  Ouch.  But it turns out that was 200 mV (or 0.2V AC) Dang but that mV icon is small.


texts: What drainage should I install under concrete slab in garage?

texts:
I have a concrete garage which is halfway inside the hill. Essentially the surface behind the garage is at garage's roof level. Garage's floor is concrete slab 3"-4" thick (at least it's best I could figure). I suspect that the base under the slab is in poor condition.

Some bright minds, presumably about 50 years ago, terminated drain holes inside the garage. So now I have water along garage sides year round. Also a bit of water sips through some cracks in the slab.

I don't want to dig around garage to install drainage because there is a large tree behind it which I don't want to kill. Plus it's very close to property line.

So what can I do to minimize the moisture inside the garage? I was thinking of removing the slab and putting drain pipes along garage walls. Then re-pouring the slab with proper base under it. The holes would then just drip directly into the drain pipe. Drain pipes can be terminated in sewer, then.

Does it make sense? Can someone recommend better option?


texts: How do I fix broken screw flange in shower drain?

texts:
On my shower drain, I have a broken screw flange, so only one of the screws is holding the drain cover in place.  This causes the drain cover to slide around easily when your foot hits it during a shower.  The other screw got lost a while back due to this issue.  Is there any easy way to reattach this flange?  Before it broke, the threads are stripped and the flange material is almost crumbling.

I thought about using some kind of silicone to just hold the drain cover in place on the broken flange side, but I need to be able to take the drain cover off from time to time to clean out hair, etc.

Another idea would be to put some JB weld or some kind of epoxy to reattach the flange, but then I still have the problem of the stripped threads.

I really don't want to replace the drain because this is an upstairs bathroom, so we'd have to cut the ceiling in the living room to access it.

I did try to use some plumbers putty, but it does not hold it in place and it makes quite a mess too.


texts: Repainting metal parapet on the balcony: should you remove the old paint?

texts:
I'm thinking of repainting the metal parapet on the balcony, paint has already mostly come off, or it is peeling off (and the metal is also starting to rust). Every description starts with scraping off rust and old paint which is fair enough.
Several years ago, I had repainted a smaller, similar parapet, and to get all the paint off was a long and painful process, because most of it was still stuck to the metal.
What I'm not sure about: are you supposed to get all the old paint off, or only the part which is peeling away, and hence is easy to remove?
(In other words: can you partly remove the old paint, and then paint over the remaining patches, which are still stuck to the metal? If yes, what are the disadvantages of doing so?)
Similar question, but about wooden frames. (Maybe answer is different for metal?)


texts: Should I caulk the gap between a wood threshold and concrete?

texts:
I want to sand down and paint the threshold to my front door, pictured below. The wood itself is fine (not rotten).
There is a small gap between where the wood sits on the concrete steps.
I assume I should seal this gap - can anyone please advise what I should use?
Should I seal it before or after painting?


texts: Well pump only works with on/off switch not control box

texts: My well pump is setup with an on/off switch that works fine as well as a control box that should be turning it on when activated.  Now it just makes a clicking sound and nothing happens.  I am attaching an image of the setup as well.  the  piece with the brown square moves out when the control box turns on and back when off.


texts:
OK..I have another sub-panel question.  My sub has a 50 amp gfci that powers (old) spa.  Currently this sub panel has a single neutral/ground bar.  This bar is bonded, (screw is in), to the metal enclosure.  There is an in-ground ground bar, of which a ground wire connects it to the neutral/ground bar.

There are three wires from the main, two hot and one neutral.  This is how the sub is configured and powered the (old) spa.  I have a new spa.  I know this configuration will work for the new spa.  I ask for your specific guidance on ensuring I end up with the correct/compliant configuration.

**If I need to run a ground wire from main to sub.  Can it be run separately outside of any conduit.


texts: I have a light fixture that no longer works after a space heater blew the circuit. I removed it from the ceiling and it looks like a few wires were burned. i was able to connect the black and white wires with the caps but now i have 2 blacks and a white i dont know what to do with. Can i cap them together??? the light does not come on still so i believe these 3 wires are important. see attached pic.


texts: Do I have to remove the old window jambs when installing new nail flange window?

texts: I am in the process of replacing an old single hung window with a new nail flange dual pane window. I have removed the old window but I do not know if I need to remove the 1 inch thick wood jamb frame. If I do, the new window will not have any material for the nail flange to nail in to. I am wondering if I need to remove them and expose the bare 2x4 framing studs or if I can just nail them into the existing 1inch thick jambs of the old window.


texts: No heat but fan and blower continuous run

texts: I have a Trane gas pack 1998 unit that heats with propane. The fan and blower are running, but there's no heat blowing in vents: just cold air. What is wrong?


texts: Where to pour bleach solution to unclog AC drain

texts: I don’t see the opening to pour a bleach solution into on my current system. Old ones had a cap that I could remove. Any ideas?  The pic shows the systems drain pipes.


texts: Furnace with no filter is drawing air from the basement which has black mould. I am looking at renting this house?

texts: The house I am looking at renting is old but nice. Problem furnace in the basement has had the outside air intake closed so only draws air from the basement. The filter has been taken away and parts of the pipes cut. There is mould in the basement ??help


texts: Water heater too hot, possibly caused by low water flow

texts:
I have a puzzle:

The water heater in a small building was too hot -- scalding.  Turning the thermostat down to warm or even vacation didn't seem to make a measurable difference.  We were about to have someone out to replace the thermostat.

The gas water heater is only one year old. This building is small.  Four bath sinks, one urinal, 3 toilets, one kitchen sink.

We turned off the hot water valves in the bathrooms sinks for safety.  We then observed that two sinks in ONE bathroom had just a trickle of cold water (each with their own shutoff valves).  Hot water (when it was enabled) seemed to have full flow.  Cold water in ALL other locations in the building seemed to have full flow.

I scratched my head and didn't put the two things together - asked someone else for their help and he noticed a hose bib outside had only a trickle and that it was part of the shut off valve for the building.  So he completely opened the shut off valve.

We regained cold pressure in the bathrooms.  We also saw a reduction in the hot water temperature.  (I also verified that when turning the thermostat that the thermostat clicked over at the low temperature as I passed it -- which is what one wants.)

At first I assumed there must be two water entrances to the building, which would explain the full flow in some locations but not others (need to confirm there isn't a 2nd entrance.  It seems so odd I'm having doubts about that theory.)

Note, this shutoff valve is also right next to the bathroom sinks in question.

I'm trying to come up with a model in my head how all of these things could be related.

Pressure built up in the water heater which pressurized part of the system?    Why only part?  Air in the water heater?  But I never get any popping at the taps.  The pressure release valve works fine.

Is there a coherent explanation of this behavior?


texts:
I had a space to put my workspace that is kind of unusual, very long, I had a desk built, but the finish on it is a joke. I went to Ikea to see if I could buy one of their custom desktops (prefinished) and just drop it in, but the max size was not long enough.

Here are some potential solutions:

Get 2 pieces and connect them with dowels or something, then I will have a seam
Get an IKEA piece and just have it end and then the top of the file cabinet would be exposed
Have someone refinish this top, taking the time to build up a more durable version
Have a new custom top done using prefinished material

The setup itself is a really good one.

The desk is like 80" wide I think? and max at IKEA was 72 or something like that, misses by 6 inches or so.


texts: Should I install radiant-barrier insulation in a walk-up attic roof in Pennsylvania?

texts:
I have a walk-up unfinished attic in an old ranch house in Pennsylvania, where we see summer temperatures over 100F and winter temperatures well below freezing.  Because there is planking over the joists the in-joist insulation over most of the living space is realistically limited to R-25.

The attic/roof is ventilated with soffit and ridge vents.

Right now (it's still 100F outside!) I'm thinking of ways to reduce the cooling load on the central HVAC.  I wouldn't mind moderating the temperature in the attic itself year-round either.

I have a roll of AtticFoil-like radiant barrier.  If I staple that to the exposed roof rafters (without blocking the soffit-to-ridge vent circulation) I understand it will reduce the heat gain on sunny days.

But given that the house also goes through a cold season during which heat gain would be a bonus, should I avoid such radiant barrier insulation in this location and application?  (I'm not sure how to balance the seasonality, especially given that there is less sun exposure during the winter due to shorter days and lower sun transit.)


texts:
I am trying to troubleshoot two light switches near each other that are not working. None of the wires to the switches have power. None of the circuit breakers are tripped so I am not sure where to go next.

These switches are not near any GFCI outlets, but before I go crazy looking for one that doesn't exist, is there anything I can do at the switch to determine if it is on a GFCI circuit that has tripped? I saw somewhere that if there is no continuity between ground and neutral that means a tripped GFCI, is there any truth to that, should I test for it?

Anything else I can do to troubleshoot further?

Thank you!

-more details-

A few more notes as I was able to tinker with this some more over the weekend.
One - this line has no GFCI outlets, so GFCI is not breaking the circuit. Two, I don't understand how these switches are wired, maybe someone can opine. Also whatever I said before about the neutral wire is irrelevant because there are no neutrals connected to any of the three switches.

There are three switches altogether in two separate electrical boxes - one standalone, and two as a pair. Neither of the two boxes housing these switches sets off a voltage detector pen. All three switches appear to be bog standard single pole switches.

1) Standalone switch has TWO BLACK wires coming into the single LINE connection and a SINGLE BLACK wire going out the LOAD connection. There are two ground wires attached to this switch. It seems like there are three cables in this box. 2 photos below.

2) The box with two switches has switch one with BLACK wire going into LINE connection and RED wire going out of LOAD, then ground. The second switch on the right has TWO BLACK LINES tapping into LINE, one black line coming out of LOAD and then also ground wire.

Starting with the single switch, is it typical to have so many cables going into a single switch box? Is this switch splitting the circuit? Are these switches of correct type (they all seem to be regular single pole switches). Any ideas of what to look for? thank you


texts: The reliability of inverter air conditioners in humid climates with salty sea air

texts:
I'm considering buying a new split unit air conditioner for my
home. Actually, this will be for a room that is planned as a
short-term rental. I'm located in Bombay, India, now referred to as
Mumbai.

One question I am facing is whether an inverter or a regular
air-conditioner is a better choice. I was told by one dealer that
inverter air-conditioners can be problematic choices, especially in
humid climates near the sea. This pretty much describes my home, which
is less than a kilometer from the shores of the Arabian Sea. I checked
this out on the web a bit. While I did not find much information, I
did find some supporting evidence. Notably,
Daikin Inverter AC Unit Fail - Moisture / Salts Damage to PCB.

Basically, the issue is that an inverter is rather more complex
electronically than a regular air-conditioner, because it is doing
more. This manifests itself in more complex circuitry and more circuit
boards. These are referred to here as PCBs (presumably Printed Circuit
boards), Given salty damp air, these circuits corrode over time. And
in an inverter, there are more of these circuits. And they apparently
cost more to repair. The bottom line, then, is that if you are near
the sea, don't use an inverter, because you will have more frequent
breakdowns and higher maintenance costs.

What is puzzling is, if this is true, why isn't there more discussion
about this on the net? And other dealers I asked disagreed about this.

I'll also mention parenthetically that I have tentatively settled on
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries machines. This is not directly relevant to
this question, so I'll leave out the details of that - it is specific
to my specific buying environment. One dealer I talked to said the
PCBs in MHI machines were silicone-coated, so it wasn't an issue. I'm
sceptical.

UPDATE/ADDENDUM: I eventually bought a normal A/C for the rental mentioned above. But now I'm considering buying an A/C for my own room. The difference here is that I run the A/C in my own room most of the time, so maybe it would make sense to buy an inverter for it even if it doesn't last as long as a regular A/C. Thoughts?


texts: How to check the power capabilities of a house?

texts:
I'm planning a wedding, and the current plan is to have it at my fiancée's aunt's house, which has a large avocado orchard in the back.  We love the space, but it just occurred to me: I'm not entirely sure her house can handle the power drain of the DJ, lights, decorations, rented bathrooms, etc.

I have basically zero experience with this sort of thing, but I find myself needing to check the power capabilities of this house.  I have a vague notion that the information I need will be near the breaker box, but what specifically should I be looking for?  And what information (wattage, voltage, etc) will I need to get from my DJ and such, to total up and compare to the house's capability?


texts:
I just moved into a new house.  I have never had wooden floors until now.  Today, we moved a box and saw a strange waxy looking white gunk on the floor after moving a box.  Unknowingly, I scraped it off with my fingernails.  Now, I am pretty sure I scraped off the top layer of my wood floors finish.

I read about wood floor finishes.  Some say I should try to match the floor's finish, but I don't know what it is.  Others have said polyurathane can just be brushed on.

The wood and stain appear to be fine, but this waxy stuff on top I destroyed.  Its about a 36sq in area that I destroyed.

Damaged Floor

Good Floor

What can I do to fix this?  Do I need a professional?


texts:
I'd like to build a largish (6' x 7' x 4') structure that can be assembled and disassembled on-site with only hand tools. I'm thinking about things like insert nuts, cam lock nuts, mortise/tenon joints locked in by Ikea-style nut sleeves. But generally, I can't tell whether "disassemblable" just means "not sturdy" or "will only last for one or two assemblies."

Is this a realistic goal? Are there fittings that fit this bill, or do I have to choose between permanent and not sturdy?

I mean the question generally, but right now I'm thinking about the various joints needed for the structure below (loft platform for king sized bed, basically slats on joists on 4x4s):


texts: I am planning a rooftop HVAC upgrade. My current HVAC frame (leg) has cracked one of the 2 x 6 roof rafters that I have repaired with wood glue and anchor screws, so it is good now, but it served as a lesson. The new unit is 100 pounds heavier (about 550), and I need to know load specs on my roof. Here is what I did after the repair. I carefully cut and installed two sister 2 x 6 rafters. One to each of the adjacent rafters on each side of the HVAC frame. Each one is buttered with wood glue, bolted (1/2" bolts) at the top, middle and bottom, with a three inch screw every twelve inches to insure the sister-ed rafters are bonded together. So now I have effectively one 4 x 6 rafter under both sides of the HVAC frame. The rafter span is 13.5 feet and the unit is located 48 inches from the top side of the rafter at the ridge board (hip). Can anyone help estimate the load capacity of this scenario. Either absolute failure or code recommendation or whatever seemed relevant. I just don't want in invest a small fortune just to have it damage the roof and cause problems that I can avoid with some preventative measures before hand.


texts: Possible to salvage bowed sandstone slabs for porch steps?

texts:
Are there are any techniques to flatten out bowed sandstone slabs in a relatively short period of time (e.g. laying them out in a flat spot of the driveway and keeping them wet for a few weeks)? Or, would I be looking at high potential for cracking and/or years of weathering to undo the years it took to get them to bow in the first place? None of my Google searches have turned up any results with related discussions or theory on how to correct for bowing in sandstone (I mostly get hits on flattening sharpening stones by grinding them down or straightening bowed wood).

Background:

I have sandstone steps supported by brick (above grade, cinderblock for the foundation below grade) that are original to my 1950's home.

Since no one seems to even believe it's possible to have warped sandstone slabs, my hopes that there will be tips on how to salvage these slabs have diminished. Below are pictures of the warped sandstone slabs with (the bottom slab is shown in reference to a straight piece of 1 1/4" EMT with close up measurements to show that the slab is still approximately 2 1/4" at the edges and the middle with a roughly 1/4" bow):

The brickwork has been patched poorly over the years by previous owner(s) and as a result, the 2 1/4" x 16" x 72" sandstone slabs that are the surface of the steps have been unsupported in the center at different points in time and have significant U-shaped bowing (about 1/2" difference between the lowest point in the center compared to the outer edges in the top slab with the worst bowing). As you can see, the rest of the steps are also in rough shape and I have them blocked off with caution tape until I can get them structurally sound again. I am hoping to reuse the slabs if possible as part of the step rebuild if it can be done easily by a home owner and in a relatively short period of time (maximum of a month or two).


texts: How do I remove the T shaped metal device that is holding my fluorescent ballast cover on?

texts: I'm trying to take the cover off of my fluorescent fixture, but I can't seem to figure out this fastener. I've tried rotating it to no effect.


texts: Are power outlets for window A/C units likely to support 220V?

texts:
The windows in my apartment have single power outlets next to them like the one pictured below, presumably for use with window A/C units. Are these likely to be 220V outlets, suitable for use with larger units like this one? One point of evidence against is that I have used these outlets successfully with smaller window units (which I do not know to have voltage transformers) in the past.

If these are not 220V outlets, what is specially about them that requires them to be different from standard, two plug outlets?


texts: I've gone thru 3 thermostats in the last 6 months, and the temperature on them goes wacky.  I've tried everything except call someone.  is there a trick or solution.  this is the third honeywell thermostat I've gone through


texts: Controlling multiple banks of LED bulbs with one dimmer switch

texts:
Just had the contractor install some recessed LED lighting in some of the rooms of the house. Due to building codes we can't have one location with enough switches to control the lights as we have them set up, at least in the living room anyhow.

There are 3 rows of lights. I'd like to be able to dim each row independently. The contractor who did the wiring doesn't seem to up on the more high end dimmer switches, and the electrician who's going to wire everything into the panel isn't due to show up for a few more days.

So i'd like to know what my options are now before they finish all the wiring and install the switches.

I looked at some of the LED dimmer switches from Lutron and they have some called single pole/multi location. Does this mean the one switch can control more then one bank of lights? Other than purchasing the switch itself, is there anything else that needs to be purchased/installed?

Is there some other brand I should look at as far as one switch controlling multiple banks of dimmable LEDs?

Appreciate any advice in this area. Thanks


texts: How to fill a narrow crevice around my toilet waste pipe with concrete?

texts:
When I replaced a toilet, I discovered that my toilet flange was not actually secured to my concrete subfloor at all and had come out of level, causing a leak between the bowl and the floor on the side that sunk beneath the finished floor. I removed the old flange and discovered that the original builder likely used too much padding around my 4" PVC waste pipe when they poured the slab, leaving approximately 3/4" distance between the waste pipe and the slab. The gap is much wider than that at the top of the pipe where the flange would be secured, but then narrows considerably. Any flange won't be able to rest on surrounding subfloor without pouring new concrete down there.

I plan to wrap the pipe to prevent anything from entering, then pour some sand as backfill down there and ultimately finish it with at least 4-6" of concrete at the top to bring it level with the finished floor (like these videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Szlhjn1Hfe0, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKxYSOoiGe8, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzPmmN6DAZY)

The problem I see is that the crevice is deeper than in those vids and it becomes so narrow, that if my concrete mix is at its ideal consistency, it's doubtful that I'll be able to work it into the crevice without significant air pockets. Ideally, I'd like something relatively soupy that can just be poured down there, but I realize that a soupy/pourable consistency may compromise the integrity of the mounting surface.

Quikrete makes a product (see vid here) that can be dry poured, which I think may be a good option, but I'm concerned that it could expand while curing and crack my waste pipe.

Whatever I use, I plan to then secure the new flange to the surface using Tapcons.

What's the best way to fill in a gap like this?


texts: Why am I reading less than nominal voltage on my receptacle?

texts: My master bathroom receptacle is showing the following voltages: Ground to Phase = 120.9V,  Ground to Neutral = 17.2V, and Phase to Neutral 94.6V. My question is why am I getting only 94.6 volts between Phase and Neutral?


texts: How should I transition between cement board floor and alcove tub?

texts:
Remodeling a bathroom and about to put in the floor. I have a plywood subfloor, and I'm about to install 1/2-in cement board on top, bedded in modified thinset spread with a quarter inch notched trowel. I plan to leave a 1/8-in in gap between all cement board sheets on the floor, with a 1/4-in gap at the walls. I'll be using a mosaic floor tile, and a subway tile on the walls with a cove base transition.
My tub is a porcelain enameled steel tub. It is solidly installed with the flange anchored on top of a ledge at the back of the wall. It is set into a bed of mortar which supports the entire base.
I have looked everywhere, but I can't seem to find any information as to how to properly transition the cement board on the floor with the skirt/apron/decorative panel of the tub. I have small kids that will definitely create splashes. Ideally I'll wipe them up quickly, but there will certainly be situations where the chaos of life leaves small puddles on the bathroom floor every now and then. I know of several people that have had issues with leaks from standing water at this transition point.
My thought is to leave an 1/8-in gap, and then fill that with thinset right up against the edge of the tub. Because I will be using Mapei Aqua Defense under the tile inside of the shower/tub enclosure, I could also apply a coat of this up against the edge of the tub at least, if not the entire bathroom floor (very small, 4x6 ft). I would then install tile as normal, leaving a 1/8-in gap, and caulking with 100% silicone or a siliconized grout matching caulk.
Does this make sense? Should I be doing anything different here? Another idea was leaving the 1/8-in gap open (cement board and tile), and filling the entire gap with silicone after installing tile.


texts: Can electrical cables in wall cause the wallpaint to change color?

texts:
I live in an old house and I painted my kitchen light blue. After several years I noticed that there are strange white line-like patterns on the wall. They always run in right angles and seem to align with electrical wires behind the wall.

I am wondering, is it possible that somehow the electrical wires have caused the wall paint to pale? If so, what is the underlying mechanism? The only thing I am aware of is heat, since each imperfect conductor emits heat with passing current.

One other possibility would be an electro-magnetic field generated by the current interacting with iron particles in the paint, but I am not competent enough to tell if this is plausible.

EDIT

The walls are made of brick and the wires are covered by plaster. I am not sure what kind of wiring is inside.


texts: Does IR remote work through acrylic glass?

texts:
My little kid likes to press buttons too much, so I'd like to protect a shelf with my HiFi equipment with a door from acrylic glass (PMMA).
My only concern is: Would I be able to practically use IR remote when the sensors are behind acrylic glass?

I've found this information on Wikipedia:

  PMMA passes infrared light of up to 2,800 nm and blocks IR of longer wavelengths up to 25,000 nm. Colored PMMA varieties allow specific IR wavelengths to pass while blocking visible light (for remote control or heat sensor applications, for example).

Does it mean that plain transparent PMMA will pass beam from IR remote or I need some special coloured variation?
I don't know what is the typical wavelength or IR remotes and I don't have any spare acrylic glass pane to just try it.


texts: Flickering started: All 4 LED bulbs on dimmer switch flicker in unison

texts:
All 4 LED Recessed lights on dimmer switch #1 just started flickering in sync (sometimes) starting 2 days ago.

4 years with no problem
4 other LED's on a DIFFERENT dimmer switch #2 (but same circuit) also flicker sometimes, whether the dimmer switch #1 is on or not.
It doesn't matter how bright I have the dimmer

We've had bad weather for the past few days. Maybe the solar panels are not giving off enough power during rain/clouds?

Or maybe Edison is having to send power since solar is not netting enough power - and Edison delivery is not strong because of the bad weather/rain?

Is it dangerous if the lights are on? If they are off?

Thanks in advance for any help!


texts:
I am trying to ground a TV aerial.
Is it accepted to add the ground wire to the electrical earth wire in my home? Or should I attach the ground wire to my copper water pipe?


texts: What is better for a roof, plywood or OSB?

texts:
While watching the builders next door do their thing, I became curious with their technique to install plywood on edges neighboring the next townhouse, and OSB for the rest (which for these narrow interior units is a single panel in the middle, but they use OSB all the way to the non-attached side on the end units). What's the reason to pick one over another?

Follow up: I'm guessing this is related to OSB's tendency to expand on the edges when wet, possibly for the flashing and the plywood side of the firewall that would rest on top of this edge of the roof. Here are some links that I came across when doing a bit of research:

Comparison from home inspectors

Comparison from UMass


texts: Ceiling box has 2 black wires and 1 white wire

texts:
I just moved into a newly built condo, and there wasn't a light fixture installed before.

This is what it looks like right now:

There are two wires, black and white, marette'd(?) together, and there is a lone black wire, which had not been stripped.

Ground wire is just bare copper and it's not touching anything.

The LED light fixture I'm trying to install is pretty standard, it has one black and one white wire, and a bare copper ground wire.

I'm not sure which wire goes where!

Here's what I've tried:

WHITE 1 with WHITE (light fixture, lf) and BLACK 1 with BLACK (lf)
WHITE 1, BLACK 1, with WHITE (lf) altogether and BLACK 2 with BLACK (lf)

In both of these cases, when I turned the circuit breaker back on, the LED lights were very dimly lit, and they did not respond to the light switch at all. They stayed on, very very dim. Did the diodes break?! :'(

Thanks!


texts: I soldered 1/2 inch drop ear elbow to the copper pipe coming out of my shower valve that I just installed. Everything has been tight but it is leaking at the threaded female connection of the drop ear where my shower arm is threaded in. I put plenty of Teflon tape and tightened it all the way down where the shower arm is angled downwards. Is there any other fitting that should be used here or is it probable that I just have a bad drop ear?


texts: How to confirm screw is attached to stud through wood plank and dry wall?

texts:
Vaulted drywalled angled half ceiling (15'X13') and would like to attach barn wood planks.

It's an aesthetic ceiling - meaning it does not actually follow the roof. Rather, it is an angled "box" inside the attic, over that room, with a 2 foot gap between the top of the box and the inside of the actual roof.

The "ceiling box" does have seven 1.5" joists running down it, however, they are not very straight, they slightly curve all over the place.

The plan is to attach 3/4" thick by 6" wide reclaimed barn wood planks to the inside ceiling (as shown here) with wood screws (and construction adhesive), perpendicular to the joists of course. The wood all together is very heavy.

As a quick test, I held the plank up to the ceiling and checked for a known joist with the Zircon 740 - and NO reading, it is too dense I suppose ?

So, started marking the drywall with the center stud finder looks like this so far (not too good):

Next, when I place the 6 inch wood plank on the ceiling to attach it, it will obviously cover the line made for those 6 inches, so I will have to "project" where the line is for each plank as it goes up.

Between these two issues, I have less confidence that I will be drilling into the ceiling joist.

Given the situation and plank install - is there a way to confirm I have actually screwed the wood plank into the joist?

Thank You.


texts: We have a gas fireplace. My dad said that the pilot wouldn't stay lit, however that would mean that it needed to be cleaned. I tried to clean it and relight it. However, every time I've tried to turn it on I don't smell even a little gas like you usually would when you turn it on. What am I doing wrong? How do I check to see if there is gas?


texts: Why doesn't my water pressure change when I adjust the water pressure regulator?

texts:
My water pressure in the house is 130psi. This is way too high and is causing my appliances to fail. I have a water pressure regulator but when I adjust it, all the way up or all the way down, the water pressure remains at 130 psi. I have tried to adjust it with the main valve from the city on as well as turning it off. Neither seems to have an effect. What am I doing wrong?

THese are the steps I am taking to adjust the water pressure regulator:
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/adjust-psi-water-pressure-reducing-valve-75198.html


texts: Wiring a switch/outlet combo device and GFCI

texts:
I have a two-gang box where the first device is a GFCI and the other is a switch/outlet combo.  (switch on top controls a fixture elsewhere, and a standard outlet at bottom which should be always on.)

There are two pairs of wires coming into the box. Can anyone point me toward a diagram of the correct wiring in this situation?


texts: Prevent *minor* leak from kitchen faucet base

texts:
I noticed a small amount of mold (or mildew) on the dry wall under my kitchen sink.  I don't know how long it's been there, or how long it's taken it to get there, but I cleaned it up with some disinfecting clorox wipes.  Is it possible some tiny amount of water go through the part where my faucet meets the counter top?  If so, is there anything I can put there to stop it?  See photo.
Thanks!


texts: How can I fix a toilet that is backing up with sink water?

texts:
I need help. I would like to avoid calling a plumber. The toilet in our downstairs bathroom keeps backing up.

Here is what I have tried and/or observed:

I tried using a good plunger. I cannot even get a little bit of the
water to drain with the plunger.
I tried using a good toilet auger.  I can get the toilet auger all the way through. I did that a couple of times. But no change.
When I turn on the faucet to the sink that is next to the toilet, the water gets rerouted back up the toilet.
I turned on all of the faucets and the shower and bathtubs upstairs and flushed the other two toilets upstairs. They all are all fine and do not impact the downstairs toilet at all.

I do not have a lot of home improvement experience. I did have to remove a toilet once before to get a toy out. It was a pain in the butt for me to do since it took me like three hours from start to caulking. But I'll try just about anything before calling a plumber.

What advice can you give me to help me fix this myself? Is it even worth removing the toilet given #3 above?


texts: Adding whole-house surge protection to main panel

texts:
I'm looking to install a Schneider surge protector at the main breaker, likely this one:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CONA1OQ/

The key things in the instructions which I'm trying to resolve:

Install it as close to the top (main feed) of the panel as possible
Use an empty 20A 240V breaker
In some jurisdictions (I'm in FL) you can piggyback it onto a used breaker by wiring it in the same hole as the existing wiring, but otherwise, you can consider adding a new breaker.

My panel looks like this:

So, my questions:

The breakers at the top are 60A, will it matter if I use one of these?
If I do, can I piggyback it in with the wires in that 60A breaker?
It looks like there's a spare 30A breaker near the bottom.  Does that look right?  If so, will it matter that it's not 20A, and also that it's not closer to the feed?
Is adding a new breaker at the bottom feasible?

Closeup of that empty breaker and the current space at the bottom:

Background:

I have an older house which doesn't have grounding throughout, and I'm wanting to put some surge protection in.  I've read mixed info on whether a ground is required for surge protection at each socket, and in the end decided it's just going to be easier to do it at the main breaker.


texts: Wall in middle of tile floor: grout lines don't match

texts: A contractor is installing tile in the first floor of my house. The floor plan is open, with the living room and kitchen separated by a wall that spans a portion of the floor. The installer laid tile in courses on the 'north' end of the wall, then continued to lay going 'south,' where the wall divided the area into two rooms. At the 'south' end of the wall, the grout lines don't line up. (See diagram.)  Is this acceptable, or should I tell my installer to do it over?


texts: my hayward electric spa heater isn't heating as well

texts: The 2 elements when taken out, test at 10 ohms each, but when one is inserted in heater and wired, it still tests 10 ohms at screws, but when 2nd in also inserted and wired to thermostat, the ohms reading at screws on both elements only reads 5 ohms.  Does the thermostat need to be replaced?


texts: Beefing up deck joists: Decrease spacing or increase joist width?

texts:
I'm looking for an expert opinion from builders that have been there done that:

I am laying out a 5' x 90' deck that is 40" above the ground.  I'd like to meet 100 psf live + 10 psf dead load.  This span card says that I should be able to run the 2x6 at 24 o.c. up to 5'2".  That's just over my 5' run for the joists (actually 4' 7 1/2" after you subtract the width of the beams and ledgers they will be hanging off of).

The question is:  I know that's a minimum spec, and I don't want this deck to feel bouncy at all, so what's the most economical way to build this so that it's super solid feeling but can meet 110psf load?

I could go to 2x6 at 16 o.c. to make it beefier, or I could go with 2x8 at 24 o.c. (or even 16 o.c. if necessary).

For you guys with experience, if you wanted to beef it up more than minimum spec to make sure it's not bouncy, what direction would you go?

Thanks!


texts: Identifying function of electrical fittings

texts:
I'm trying to identify what everything around my fuse box does, whether or not some of it might be redundant/could be made more compact, and who would be allowed to do the work if so (electrician or power company). This is in the United Kingdom. The reason being that I want to put a new kitchen in this room and would like this to take up less wall space.

I can see I have the consumer units on the left, and the meter in the middle, I'm mostly wondering what the other two boxes do. One looks like it has an RCD in it, but also two large '400v' switches alongside it - what would be the purpose of these? The big green thing I think is the main house fuse, but I don't understand why both this and the RCD box have lines going into the floor, where would the RCD be wired to externally to this equipment?


texts: How should pressure treated wood post foundations be protected?

texts:
I am planning on building a 3.5 by 4m garden shed/workshop, and I am thinking that I'll construct it on pressure treated wood post foundations.

I have some 100x100mm pressure treated pine posts. My plan is to paint on some end grain protection, and dig them into a hole lined and backfilled with crushed stone. My thinking being that the crushed stone will prevent moisture from pooling next to the wood. What are people's thoughts on that? Is the gravel idea even necessary with pressure treated wood? Would I be better with concrete in the hole? Is there anything else I might not have thought of? (Well, the answer to that is yes!)

Some background: I'm on the east coast of Scotland so it's not the driest, I've never seen water pooling in my intended location but my reason for building is that an existing shed has rotted away to nothing. It had been built on untreated timber placed straight on the ground, so far as I can tell.


texts: Can I add insulation on the outside of a bedroom wall adjacent to garage attic?

texts: I have a new construction home, and one of the bedrooms is adjacent to the attic above the garage. The room is always a couple degrees cooler than the other rooms, so was wondering if I could spray foam insulate the other side of the room. As you can see from the image from inside the attic, the builder insulated along the footing of the room, but not the header or the wall. Would it be bad to cover that vapor barrier?


texts: How to smooth cement trim/moulding on pillars?

texts: I'm getting my house painted and have about 20 decorative concrete pillars with cement trim/moulding (see pics below). The first contractor turned out to be a rookie and basically slathered paint on the trim making it looks ugly (pic 1st and 3rd). The second contractor hand sanded another pillar for 2 days (pic 2nd and 4th) and said that's about as good as it's gonna get. Is there any tool/method that I can use to speed up the sanding process and improve the end result? I'd really like a nice/smooth finish with clean/sharp design elements.


texts: How to remove chemical stain from granite composite?

texts:
I've left a sponge soaked in alkaline anti grease cleaner on a granite composite sink AND on worktop that is covered in plastic (?) laminate, and now there are two white burn marks.
Is there any way to remove or mask them?


texts: What is an appropriate log cabin base depth?

texts:
I'm currently in the process of building the foundations for a 5m x 3m log cabin, using sand/cement with a 32mm layer of paving slabs. In accordance with the Tiger Sheds website I am laying down 40mm of sand/cement with the 32mm paving slabs on top of that.
Having searched around at other sites I can see that there seem to be a wide array of recommended base depths for log cabins, ranging from 200mm depth down to the 63mm depth quoted by Tiger Sheds. I am a little concerned that the 40mm of sand/cement is not enough.
The ground where I am laying the foundations seems to me to be pretty hard, can anyone advise if the 40mm  depth is adequate?


texts: Over the Range Microwave not bolted from cupboard above

texts: My over the range microwave that came with the home I purchased 18 months ago blew up.  I purchased a new one, however, I can not figure out for the life of me how the old one was installed as it isn't bolted to the cupboards above??  I am completely stuck and need to get this old one out so that I can install the new one.  Any suggestions on how I may be able to get the old one out and how it may be installed, if not bolted from above?


texts: How can I get the insulation batts back up above the finished attic ceiling?

texts:
I have a finished attic. The finished room has drywall screwed directly to the roof rafters. There were insulation batts installed between rafters initially, but it's a steep slope and most of them have now slid down into a pile behind the knee wall.
I tried pushing them back up but they jam.
Even if I do manage to get them up, I not sure how I will prevent them from falling again.


texts: Fixing patch up that has gotten 1st coat of paint

texts: I tried to do my first diy patch job before painting and it did not turn out well.  The first coat of paint was applied and I wanted to know how to fix it.  Any guidance is appreciated and please keep in mind I’m a newbie.


texts: Toggle Light Switch - Two Lights, One Electrical Source

texts:
I want to create/buy a switch like this:

(this is a two wheeler turn indicator switch)

My needs:

I've got one electrical source
If I move the switch to the left side, then the left bulb
should glow and if its on the right, then right bulb should
glow.
If the switch is in the central position, then both the lights
should be off

My doubts:

What's the name of this kind of electrical switch for household use?
How can I wire this?

Please advice.

Thanks in advance.


texts: Will insulating attached garage walls create a moisture problem?

texts:
I live in Chicago and have 50 yrs old house that has attached garage. I found out that the walls in garage does not have insulation. I am planning to open the drywall, put batt insulation and drywall it back.
My concern is moisture here. The reason I am concerned is that the garage walls are built in such a way that half of it is concrete wall and framing rests on this concrete wall. So if I insulate 'til the framing only will it create moisture issue? Or should it be fine?
The reason I want to insulate is because I have room above the garage which stay colder than other rooms in the house. I have checked the garage ceiling and attic and they both are insulated. The only part in garage which is not insulated are the walls. So I am thinking insulating the walls will keep the garage little warmer and in turn the room above will be little warmer than what it is currently now. And by the way on cold day my garage temp goes to 35-40F.


texts: Attic ventilation - intake:exhaust ratio vs total ventilation area?

texts:
I have decided to go ahead and install a ridge vent in my house. The only current attic ventilation is soffit venting on one side of the house.

As part of this project, I am attempting to determine the appropriate ratio between intake and exhaust venting. From what I have read the things I am aiming for are:

1:150 ratio of vent area (in or out) : attic square feet - This is important so that there is sufficient ventilation for heat/moisture to escape
50:50 ratio of intake : exhaust (or if one is more, more intake than exhaust). - This is important so that your soffits remain "intakes" and ridge vent "exhaust" and not the other way around.

In doing my calculations I have found that even if all soffits are vented, and there is a matching amount of vent in the ridge vent, I have just enough venting to meet 1:150.  For reasons outlined in the previous referenced question below (concern for snow coming in through soffits), I am considering limiting the amount of soffit venting on the side of house with prevailing wind. If I do that, then it becomes impossible to achieve the rule of thumb 1:150 (can you tell I am adverse to the risk of snow coming into my attic??)

Questions:

If one of these "rules" must be sacrified, which seems like the better of the two? Less total ventilation, or more ridge ventilation than soffit ventilation?
Is having a ridge vent for only a short portion of the ridge effective or normal? (say 18' out of 46')

For reference:

28' * 46' = 1288 sq ft attic floor
1:150 = 8.58 sq ft total ventilation required (1235 sq in)
Soffit area: 100 sq ft (max), would like to minimize exposure of side with prevailing wind, so as low as 75 sq ft (note: soffit width = 15")
Ridge length: 46'
Ridge vent: 18 sq in net free area / linear foot
Soffit vent: 6.4 sq in net free area / square foot
Please see also my previous question: How to properly vent attic in windy/snowy areas to avoid snow infiltration?

Sample Calculation:

Soffit: 75 sq ft * 6.4 sq in/sq ft = 480 sq in free area soffit
Assume 40:60 split exhaust:intake, so 320 sq in required ridge vent
Corresponds to only ~18 ft of ridge vent
Total vent = 800 sq in; Required (by 1:150 rule) = 1235 sq in. Effective = 1:231


texts: How to remove this plastic pipe connector?

texts: How do I remove this kind of white plastic connector attached to the metal pipe?


texts:
We've inherited a house with several gas (petrol) containers in the garage. I haven't tried using them because

I don't know how old they are.
I don't know what oil/gas mixture they have.

They've been sitting around for over a year now, and I want to get rid of them. What's the responsible way of disposing of them?


texts: Connecting a pump to wall socket using a transformer

texts:
I'd like to connect following components:

From the wall socket
.. to a cable
.. to a pressure switch
.. to a transformer
Use the outer wires on the transformer to get 24V (2x12V) to the pump

Question is, how? I've no idea how to actually connect these components. I'm a complete and utter noob and I've no experience whatsoever with these things.

I've made a picture of the components.

First off, the cable is unearthed (should it be?) but there are only two connects (in/out) to the pressure switch, where should the earthed wire go?

Two wires to the in/out on the pressure switch to the transformer - does it matter which one?

From the transformer to the pump, should I put those blue wires together in the same place? Does it matter which ones I connect to what on the pump (+ / -).

I'd appreciate some help!

P.S I dont want to get fried.

Edit: I need 10 reps to post more than 2 links.
Link to the transformer: http://www.electrokit.com/en/transformer-48va-2x12v-2a.45714

Edit: Info on the pressure switch


texts: what flooring can be installed over existing vinyl?

texts:
Bathroom remodel; plumber doesn't do flooring. Husband and I have limited talents but will need to do it ourselves before new vanity and toilet can be installed. Existing floor is linoleum from 80s but could be as old as the 60s. Glued down and also as baseboard 4" up on wall.

Not sure about trying to remove it and tear up floor and wall. Is there a vinyl we can install over existing vinyl?


texts:
I need some advice that I'm having problems finding any conclusive answers for.

We are moving an electric water heater that is on a 20amp circuit outdoors (we live in South Florida)

I plan on running 10/2 UF cable from the box, under the house about 30ft in a dry crawl space. Then exit and go up 8ft to the water heater.

The water heater will go into a galvanized steel enclosure against the house.

My issues is that I would like to protect the UF cable from where it exits the crawl space to where it enters the water heater enclosure. About 8ft (2ft from inside the crawlspace 6ft up to the top of the water heater enclosure). I believe 8" of protection is required by code anyways to protect against vermits and weed wackers...

I know UF CAN be ran through conduit, but I'm having a hard time determining the correct size and determining the easiest/best conduit to use...

Does anyone have any suggestions or see an flaws in this plan?
Any help is greatly appreciated.


texts:
Anyone ever had this done? What does this kind of thing typically cost if I have to pay for it? The utility cooperative here won't tell me anything without first paying hundreds of dollars for a "tech to review it". That was their immediate answer with zero research - they weren't even interested in what address / where I was talking about and would not give me a ball park within even "$10k dollars".

We just purchased this small farm property we live on in Montana. We are actively haying the property as was the previous owner. We are surrounded by a few small housing developments and other rural small farms. While it's easy to get a car around this pole, the farming operation requires that we bring a semi in at least 3 times a season + other large equipment on occasion. It has to go through major detours of multiple miles and through a small rural housing development, finally doing a complicated turn-around in a Cul-de-sac nearby all due to this pole being in the way on the main entrance. Ie. People have to deal with us driving our equipment through their neighborhoods. The previous owners have always done this, and while the community is understanding, it's not ideal and gets more complex as the area develops / fills up with more homes. There is also a very popular camping / river entrance that we have to drive through to do this and sometimes it's a nightmare. The sole reason for this is the pole. It's literally about 15 minutes extra + the nuisance to everyone.

Any pointers? Any typical state departments which regulate how the utilities right-of-ways are used / abused? Again, this is my residence as well and I am planning a lot of DIY improvements including improving / paving the long driveway. Would rather get this pole moved before I do that.


texts: Fixing a timer control knob on a microwave

texts: The timer control does not  register the proper time when we turn the knob. Can this be "home" fixed or not? Thanks for your help.


texts:
I have a two 3-way switch switched outlet.

I want to remove both switches and replace both with blanks, thus capping the wires in the box so that the outlet is always on and there is no switch in between.

My house was built in 2001.

United States electrical code.

Using the diagram below... Someone on another site suggested capping the Black/Red/White of Switch A together, and then capping the Black/White/Black of Switch B together to remove both switches but keep outlets powered all the time.

UPDATE:

I capped all three wires (Red/Black/White) of Switch A but left Switch B alone for now. This resulted in the outlet always being on regardless of Switch B's On/Off position.

Tomorrow I will try the same with Switch B, and I assume this will work. Would be nice to have clarification to make sure this is not going to cause a fire.


texts: How do I seal the bottom of this door to be waterproof?

texts:
I'm going to be replacing this front door with a new prehung exterior steel frame door (pic available upon request).

This door leads to a concrete porch and water tends to flow towards the door.  The door leaks around the bottom, and water drains into the basement area below the door.  This has caused 3 joists to completely rot through (already replaced) and when I replace the door I want to prevent this from happening again - at least as much as possible.

This is the bottom of the door from the inside

and outside

with closeups (L to R)

I have pictures of the basement area as well but I doubt those are useful.  I was thinking of replacing the wood and simply generously applying a LOT of sealant caulk (maybe something like used for sealing between concrete and patios rather than just plain silicon)... but I'm not sure.

Recommendations?


texts: Is it permissible to have exposed mains conductors in holiday lights?

texts:
I've just had a holiday lights company install some outside tree lights, and I found they had done it so that at several places the prongs of mains cable plugs had been left exposed, and carrying mains voltage. I've put a couple of pictures here: https://tinyurl.com/tk-wiring-pics (In the one with the voltmeter, that plug is just as it was left lying on the grass by the installer -- I didn't have to unplug it to get to the pins.)

Is that permitted under the US NEC?

I know there is provision in the NEC for temporary (up to 90 days) installations, and the installer has told me that their setup is fine because of that. But that sounds a bit dubious if it implies you can leave 100V+ lying around in the grass for some kid to stand on.

Also, I think I found the reason it has happened, and that is that the installer has made up some of their own cables, and one of them has a plug at both ends (i.e. instead of a plug at one, and a socket at the other). As a result they have in a sense "reversed the direction" of plug-to-socket, and so instead of the usual power going into plugs and out of sockets, they have a big section of our yard lights where power is going into sockets and out of plugs (several of which are then exposed to the outside).

Seems very unsafe to me but, again, is that actually allowed by NEC under the temporary installation allowances?


texts: 1910's vintage stone and motar foundation wall crumbles along its base

texts:
My Project goal: prevent crumbling of a parged and painted stone foundation, which is not an 'exterior' wall.

Means to attain goal: coat the wall.

My basement walls, which are parged and painted, shed dust, mortar sand, and lumps along the lower 18- to 24-inches of the wall.  The shedding is uniform along the bottom of two long opposing walls, while their upper portions are stable and don't shed.  The house is Baltimore row home with units on either side, so that the shedding walls are not 'exterior' in the sense of contacting moisture and soil, but rather are foundation walls shared by adjacent units.  At the time of construction, the cellars had dirt floors and a concrete floor was added afterwards.

Can anyone explain the shedding at the lower 18-inches, while the upper part of the walls are stable.  On the upper portion, the paint doesn't flake and the parged surface underneath the paint remains adherent and does not drop off.

Should I assume that moisture is rising from the ground and reaches only as far as those 18-inches?

Are there any techniques and products which you might suggest for dealing with the lower portion of the wall -
 * removal of weakened surface (wire brush, etching, etc)
 * promoting binding ( binding agents, primers, sealers)
 * coating ( re-parging with what materials, or simply coating, painting, or
   sealing)?

Is there any harm to coating the lower portion with a sealant and simply re-coating as often as required, when the sealant ages and starts to allow shedding again?

I'm inclined not to parge, since prior parging failed to adhere and shed off the wall.  Any thoughts on parging the moist wall?