texts: Do I need to fill in the gap between my wall and the laminate flooring?

texts: I just removed the baseboards in my room in order to put some closets flush against the wall. I noticed there is a gap under the wall and the floor/laminate and my instincts are telling me they need to be filled with caulk or something for insulation and pests. Is it necessary? If so, what should I use to fill the gap? I live on the bottom floor of a condo unit and there is concrete below the laminate.


texts:
My house was built in 1971.  All the toilets have these supposedly chrome supply pipes coming out from the wall and then a bendable probably aluminum pipe going up to the toilet.  No problem unless you have to turn off one of the valves, like when replacing the toilet fill mechanism.  When you turn the water back on they always leak.  Sometimes tightening the nut might work but they are all as tight as you can get them now.

I think the valves came permanently attached to the chrome-like pipe. No threads are visible anywhere.  I'd like to replace them all.  The one in the pictures is the worst.  I thought a compression fitting valve with a flexible line up to the toilet would be easiest.  I could just cut the chrome pipe behind the old valve (there is plenty of room) and then install the new valve with a compression fitting - BUT - I pulled the cover flange away from the wall and, as I suspected, this chrome pipe is soldered onto a copper pipe.  Way too close to the wall and in a tight space for any torch work if I wanted to get rid of the chrome pipe!  So, my dilemma is:  since this chrome pipe slid over the copper pipe, the chrome pipe is slightly larger and a standard compression fitting for a copper pipe would not work.  Correct?

Do they make compression fit valves that would work with this slightly larger chrome pipe?  I really don't want to do any torch work in this confined space.

You can see in the pictures there are no threads visible and you can see where the chrome pipe is slid over the copper line and soldered.


texts: I everyone, I have a complicated situation so please bare with me for a minute. Years ago our garage door started to go up by its self. I was thinking about replacing the opener but when I looked online at some of the reviews I decide to just pull the  emergency release cord and manually  pull the door up and down. I closed it with chains tied on the frame  on the inside   Anyway this morning i find my garage door pulled up about 4 inches  The door was so jammed up that I had to take the lock off the chain but I couldn't unroll the chain from where i had it tied  so I had to  use  the  claw part of the hammer to pull loose the chain. It was so pulled up the metal bar that the door slides up on was bending.   When I finally got the chains off the door it  went up a inch or so more and I couldn't get it back down. I pulled the   emergency release cord and the door could be pulled down a little but stoped so I had to pull the cord again, finally I pulled the cord and taped it  and used some clips to hold it in the  release position ,  Anyway my question is this could the  Emergency Cord some how reset its self and the motor malfunctioned again and the door tried to open but was stopped by the chains?


texts: My gas water heater's T&P relief valve is leaking. Can I safely close the heater's supply valve & leave the gas on?

texts: My gas water heater's pressure relief valve isn't sealing and releases ~3 gallons of water per hour outside the house. I'd like to shut the heater's water feed line OFF until I can buy and install a new valve. Is it safe to close  the heater's supply valve overnight w/o turning off the gas? Or would that be like a time bomb?


texts:
I've been learning a little bit about limecrete

And I thought it'd be fun to try a project with it (small one) but I can't seem to find it as a product in North America. Most (all?) references to 'limecrete' that I can find appear to be out of either Britain or in some cases, Australia.

Is it a product that is manufactured in the US at all? If so, does it go under a different common name? Is it something I could make myself using lime-based mortar perhaps?


texts: Does always-on safety lighting need a switch or other requirement?

texts:
With such low-power LED lights available, I've been setting up some of my lighting to simply be on all the time, 24x7, e.g. 1 of 6 downlights or 1 out of 4 LED "tube"s in a troffer.   Usually I just establish the convention of leaving the switch on. However I'd like to re-task those switches to other purposes, and simply hardwire the light into always-hot.

What does the National Electrical Code say about that?  Does it require a switch so the light can be turned off easily by people in the room?  Does it suffice that there's a circuit breaker in the panel? Does the light need to be marked with which breaker operates it?  Is there a serious user-interface/usability issue with lights that can't be turned off?  Is there anything I'm missing?


texts: Layered with crushed stone for concrete slab, but heavy rain came

texts:
We just got done compacting dirt, filling with 3/4" crushed stones and compacted it again ready to pour concrete. However, extremely heavy rain came.
These guys are telling me they really just need a couple of days to dry before pouring with concrete, but I just wanted to do some DD before I commit.
Firstly, has anything been ruined because of the rain timing? Will the heavy rain affect the integrity of the slab once it's in? Would I have to compact it again or start over?
Or does it actually benefit because the water might help settle the stones more? The dirt has a high clay content.
And how long should I wait until we pour concrete?


texts: Why does my utility sink faucet vibrate and pound loudly?

texts:
I have a water faucet in my utility room that is about 10 feet from the water heater. It is the only faucet in my house that makes any noise, but when I turn the hot water on even a little bit it will start to pound / bang / hammer loudly and also vibrate considerably. You can find a short video of the event on YouTube here. The laundry washer is right next to the faucet and utilizes the same copper pipe for hot water, and I have never seen it exhibit the same behavior.

What causes this and how can I fix it?

I did find this similar question on this site already, but I'm so green that I couldn't tell you if my situation is the same or different; so I'm assuming you all will tell me if it is a duplicate and I'll follow that advice: Why do my pipes bang when running hot water in my kitchen?


texts: How do you release the wires from a push-in wire connector?

texts: I would like to reposition some pot lights - before drywalling the ceiling.  They have been wired using push-in wire connectors.  How do you release the wires from a push-in wire connector ??


texts: Can a hot tub be placed over composite decking?

texts:
I am building a deck for a hot tub and I want to use composite decking.   Composite decking has many advantages as far as I see it.  I won't have to paint it and it's water resistant.  I have used it for other decks but I have never placed a load on it. I currently have joists at 16" on center. Would 12 inch on center be preferable in this case?
Can a hot tub be placed on composite decking?


texts: Can anyone explain what this pipe is in the basement?

texts: We just bought a house and are getting a new washer/dryer setup, but the old one is slightly confusing.  There is a switched pump to pump out the laundry water. I don't know if this open pipe above the washer is a vent or if it was just the old homeowners way of initially tying into the sewer line prior to the installation of the pump.  It looks like it has a P-trap, so I'm not sure if it is a vent or the initial drain attempt.  This is in a basement below grade and main line, so I know the water must be ejected upwards.  Does anyone have any ideas on this pipe and if I can get rid of it when rerunning the new drainage setup?  I am thinking of a laundry sink with an auto pump, a check valve to prevent backflow, and a ball valve to limit flow and prevent the pump from burning out.  Thanks so much for any help you can offer!


texts: square D QO 240V AC @ 30 Amp, 2-pole circuit breaker

texts: I am getting 1 volt across 2 poles of square D QOU 240V AC @ 30 Amp, 2-pole circuit breaker and 119/120 volts out of the individual lugs. What is wrong here?


texts: My maytag bravos intelidry dryer model # medx500xwo makes a load squeaking noise. I would like to inspect the rollers but not sure how to access them. This dryer has a toe panel.


texts: Is water based exterior paint meaningfully more breathable than pliolite?

texts:
I'm looking to repaint a rendered exterior (normal render not lime). Viable paints include

pliolite e.g. Leyland Pliolite
acrylic e.g. Dulux Weathershield

All paint manufacturers claim their paints are breathable to some extent, but I get the impression acrylic paints are more breathable than pliolite.  That said, are they meaningfully more breathable in this context? (I've never seen any actual numbers comparing the two).

Allowing the wall to dry when it's dry outside is obviously preferable, but if prevailing weather conditions mean painting in pliolite now or waiting until Spring for acrylic, is it worth waiting?


texts: What type of fastener should I use for a hollow wood door?

texts: I'm planning on putting a bathrobe/extra towel hook on the back of my bathroom door, but I'm pretty sure it's hollow wood. Can I just use the standard screws that come with the hook kit, or do I need something else?


texts: Is there a tool like a ratchet clamp but for pushing?

texts:
I am fixing a shelf in my closet.  The shelf rests along a piece of wood nailed to the wall.  That wood that is acting as a base for the shelf has separated from the wall.  Apparently whoever built this didn't secure it to the studs, but instead nailed it to the drywall and just got lucky that they never put any weight on the shelf.

I pulled/snipped all the nails and will be using screws to fasten the base back to the wall before replacing the shelf.

Anyway the wood is slightly warped.  I can press against it to flatten it, but I can't do that while also drilling new holes and adding the screws.  Since this is inside a closet, I figure I can find something like a Ratcheting Cargo Bar or the reverse of a ratchet clamp to press against the opposing wall to hold it in place.  The space is slightly less than 2 feet wide.

Does a tool like this exist and what is it called?


texts: Pros and cons of pouring detergent directly onto clothes vs. into detergent dispenser?

texts:
I'm assuming that the 4-sided blue component dispenses washer detergent.

Ought laundry detergent be poured into that detergent dispenser, or directly onto clothes in the washer?

What are the pros and cons of each method?


texts: Perimeter walls, ceilings and sound insulation

texts:
I'm currently planning on converting a basement into a school. It will have adjoining classrooms that need be very well sound insulated and also a reverberation problem that needs addressed.

Having had a builder quote for the work I was surprised at its price. He advised that to sound insulate adjoining rooms we should include acoustic blanket to prevent vibration travelling into and along the cement ceiling and subsequently noise entering neighbouring rooms. Also that this would solve the reverberation problem. Additionally he advises that we insulate the existing perimeter walls for the same reason.

The builder is reputable and was recommended by a family friend. He apparently has extensive experience in commercial and domestic projects. I don't really have a reason to doubt him but:

Is insulation of existing perimeter walls and ceilings more effective in insulating adjoining rooms?


texts:
So, I got a screw and things that look like rings (washers). One of them looks like incomplete ring (C-shaped), another is really a complete bigger ring.

The assembly instruction says I need to put both types of washers on the screw.

But on which side?

Should they be on the different sides like this:

Or should they be on the same side like this:

However, the instruction says this:

According to this, it looks like

head, C, O, material, nut

But several people answered my previous question that it's

head, material, C, O, nut

I am confused at this point. Could you please explain?


texts: Is spraying peroxide on studs with mold enough?

texts: After removing some drywall in a basement that had mold on the bottom 1-2 inches, I was left with the base stud still black. Per the recommendation of a local company, I sprayed everything with hydrogen peroxide. I'm now trying to decide if I should have the framing removed and replaced, or if it is OK to drywall over this stud:


texts: Wiring 3 switches with only 1 hot wire and 6 common wires in single circuit

texts: There are 3 neutral (common) wires marked 1, 2 and 3 which are all the old cloth wrapped wires, and a white wire. All neural wires 1, 3x wire 3 and white wire from the light switch and white wire from the timer switch are connected. A dimmer switch for indoor light and a timer switch for outdoor light are connected in series, the dimmer switch to the hot wire 4, and the another black wire from the dimmer switch goes to the timer switch. The white wire from the timer switch is connected to all the neutral wires (total 5 wires), and the blue wire of the timer switch is connected to the wire 1 which is also neutral. There is a neutral wire marked 2 that is not connected. Currently the dimmer switch controls the timer switch. Where do I have to connect the wire 2 in order to make the serial connection of timer and dimmer switch into a parallel connection?


texts: How do I install a chain lock on a steel door?

texts: I'm tring to install a chain lock on the inside of my home. I've tried millions of things to get a hole in the steel door. Is a 12 volt drill not powerful enough?


texts: How to fix crack in slab foundation wall has 90 degree turn to horizontal below the surface?

texts:
First, is this 90 degree switch from the vertical wall to horizontal bottom a normal feature of slab foundations? This is a 1953 ranch in northern Ohio. Red arrow in photo indicates the turn to horizontal.
Second, until I dug down to find the crack extends into the horizontal area of foundation, I was going to use Loctite PL concrete polyurethane sealant. Is that still a reasonable solution, or is it time to call in the pros? The gap is easily 1/2" or more in some portions of the crack line.


texts: How to prevent incandescent light bulbs from heating up the room, safely?

texts:
Currently I have ten 60W incandescent light bulbs heating up my room, very little ventilation, and no ideas on how to stop them from making the room so very hot. If I had other lighting option, I would've switched to them by now, but I have to work with what I have.

How can I prevent the light bulbs from heating up my room, so that I don't lose too much light (at most 20% brightness loss is acceptable), and the lamps don't overheat, or otherwise become a danger?


texts: I'm wiring a new house and have installed a dedicated 15 amp circuit to the hood fan located over the range in the kitchen. Does this circuit need to be on a afci breaker?


texts: Can I use a junction box where a sub-panel feeder will exit my house?

texts:
I am planning to build a small pole barn about 150 - 200 feet from the front corner of my house.  The problem for getting power to it from the main panel in my house is that it is located on the opposite corner of the house.
I am in the process of finishing my basement and want to run at least a 100 amp line to the front corner of the house that would eventually feed the barn, before I close up the ceiling in the basement.
If I run the proper wire from the main to the front corner thru conduit in the ceiling do I have to have enough wire coiled up to reach the barn or can I put some sort of sub panel or junction box in that corner of the basement that I could eventually attach a wire to and run from there to the barn.
I would like to just have the wire in the house and not a bunch coiled up in the corner waiting to run to the barn.


texts: How do you clean a petrol smell off rubber?

texts:
Not sure if this is the right forum for this question, but I suspect the readers here will probably know.

I have a short length of rubber coated pipe used to provide some ventilation for a small enclosure. Unfortunately, it smells of petrol or perhaps some other hydrocarbon solvent. I can't replace it, unfortunately, as it's glued in place (nor can I get the installer back). But I can and have washed it with soap and water. This hasn't done much if anything to reduce the smell. What else can I try?


texts: Why would a CFL bulb dim by itself after 60 seconds?

texts:
I have some GE Energy Smart CFL bulbs which are advertised as "Bright from the Start". This is true, except within 60 seconds after I turn the bulbs on, they will dramatically and immeidately become much dimmer.

I assume that this is not the intended outcome, so...

... are the bulbs defective?
... is there something wrong with my wiring?
... is something else going on?

If this were a no-name brand I'd assume a defective bulb, but coming from GE I'd expect better.

FWIW, it's a regular switch on a regular circuit. No 3-way, no dimmer, etc.


texts: Where can we recycle washing machine and kitchen sink drain water?

texts:
I would like to know the best place or method to recycle drain water from the kitchen and washing machine.

Can we use it for gardening (as it contains soap and oil)? Or it can be added to a Biogas plant?


texts: Central Oil Heater only starts when fan is on

texts: My heater stopped working.  It started after I put the fan on.  Then it was running for days after I stopped the fan but suddenly stopped working.  Once again I had to put on the fan to start the heater.  Anyone know what this could be?


texts: How to seal the exposed top of glass block windows

texts:
My basement has some glass block windows, that seem to be improperly (or not-optimally) installed. See picture....

As I understand it, there should has been a perimeter channel attached to framing, and the glass blocks installed into that. As it is, I get a little cold air radiating (possibly leaking from outside) out the top.

I was thinking of using spray foam to cover the top, but I'm not sure how that will affect the gaps between the blocks. I'd like to seal it as best I can, and then possibly use XPS + foam on top.

I wonder if I can cut up a perimeter channel and use some caulk to glue/seal it to the top? I'd have to do it in several pieces (one strip between each set of joists).

Edit - In case it matters, here is the larger view; I might do something a little different where that cold air return duct is.


texts: Mount metal letters to a wall so that they are removable

texts:
I have to mount some metal letters to a concrete wall. Until now the plan was to ad pins to the letters and glue them into the wall. This would have required making some holes in the wall.

Now the idea has been raised to create a mounting that makes it possible to remove the letter from the wall if necessary. Is there a mounting that allows one to fix a pin with a screw to the wall or something similar?


texts: How to clean dryer ducts . Home is built on a slab

texts: My home sits on a slab, I can only assume that the dry duct runs from the wall and under the house ( no crawl space.). there is a large pipe that exits the house on the outside where the cap is located.. How on earth do I clean that duct out..It doesn't look like there are any curves.. but who know.. My dryer is taking much longer on high setting to dry clothes..


texts: What gauge fence post should I use for a 36" wide wooden gate?

texts:
I want to attach a gate to a fence where the fence will be attached to a 2 3/8 in. metal post.  What gauge should the post be for proper support?

The fence will be a six foot wooden fence, as will the gate.  The gate will be no more than 36 in. wide.


texts: Should it take a while to get supplies to rewire a 1100sq ft house?

texts:
I'm dealing with some contractor problems and I'm trying to get some information to figure out if the contractor is lying to me or just incompetent (or if I'm unreasonable).

We had a long delay of no work being done and they just started to do some work last week - and now they are saying they need another week to get materials.

This is a 1100 sq ft house. Nothing unusual about it. They are replacing all the existing knob and tube wires with up to code materials, including outlets and the main panel. This is something that was in the contract since day 1 so it's not something we just added. The electrician came over yesterday to look at the job and said he's waiting on materials before he can start.

The ONLY thing that's even remotely out of the ordinary - I asked him to run some ethernet cables as well.

Can't they pick up all of the materials from Home Depot or Lowe's? I even did a quick search on Amazon and I see they sell electrical panels which you can order with next day shipping.

Since they knew they had to do this when we first signed the contract, and there has already been over a month of no work being done, I think this delay is beyond unreasonable. I also don't think this delay is realistic since I just can't believe it's that hard to get very common materials for this type of job.


texts: Bathroom mirror fogging up even when bathtub is not in use

texts: What could possibly cause a bathroom mirror to fog up? Not the shower or bath, though, I'm sure about that. Because neither has been used for a month. So, what could cause that? And how should I fix that?


texts: How to open a lock without handle?(with pic)

texts:
I don't know how to open this, detail is shown in pic.
Plz tell me if you have a clue, thank you in advance.


texts: Why is my neglected circular saw smoking and screeching?

texts: I had this  Evolution Fury 1B circular saw that I bought to start my DIY wood repair. I barely used it, but it got soaked down as the garage leaked. Now when I use it it sparks at the end, it was sparking when new too - but i now feel it sparks more and it also smells, as if rubber burning. I want to repair myself. Please guide me. It is also making a bit of a screechy noise. Assuming I'd damage the armature further I haven't used it since then a year ago. Just to clarify, i did not use it while wet, i dried it thoroughly for a few days before turning it on.What would need fixing?


texts: How to identify type of 3-way switch wiring

texts:
Like many others here, I am looking to replace a 3-way switch with a "smart switch" that requires neutral.
As I inspect my wiring (home built in 2009) I note that I can't tell the difference between two wiring schematics by looking at the switches themselves.
In looking up diagrams of these to add to this post, neither of these arrangements seems very common. I would add pictures of my switch boxes but they're both multi-switch boxes, one of which is very full and hard to track in-person, I can only imagine it'd be more confusing from photos. The other is extremely simple, 14/3 connected straightforwardly. I narrowed down my situation to 2 possibilities based on what I see.
Can a voltmeter or non-contact voltage tester help determine which of these I have? Or is there another way to tell without opening up the lights themselves? I found diagrams with 2 lights but I actually have 4 connected somehow to these 2 3-way switches.
Possibility 1:

Possibility 2:

EDIT: Adding photos of switch wiring.
Switch 2, which I found straightforward:

And here are two of Switch 1 which looked straightforward at first, but eventually I saw the black wire from the 14/3 does NOT go directly to the switch, it's coming from the 14/2 I marked in green (mspaint). I lose track of the black from 14/3 and the white from 14/2 as they go off to the left side of the box. Short of stretching all the nutted wire bundles out of the box, I'm convinced they're connected to each other (unless that doesn't make sense). I don't know that I can get all the wire bundles crammed back in the box as neatly as they are now so I've tried not to move them so far.
Switch 1:


texts: How to install a ceiling light fixture to a light box that just has 2 white wires coming from the ceiling?

texts: The house was built in 1957. There was a ceiling fan installed but the fan and light stopped working. My  husband uninstalled the ceiling fan while I was buying the new light fixture. I came home I seen the 2 white wires and thought that wasn't right. After a google search and youtube video I went back out and bought a voltage meter. Video said place red lead to wire black lead to metal box one of the white wires should read 120 volts. I get nothing from either wire doing this. My husband placed red lead to one white wire and the black lead to the other white wire just to see what it would do and it lit up 120 volts but didn't help me to know what I need to do. He thinks we should just pick one and move on but I'm scared of doing that. How else can I find out which white wire might be the hot wire?


texts: Should I redo my bathroom shower or try to waterproof it?

texts:
We just had our bathroom redone (including built-in tiled shower). The shower tiles are now leaking through the wall into our living area.

Our contractor suggested to just apply a waterproofing solution to the grout lines (especially floor/wall join where we suspect the leak to be), but I am worried this is only a temporary solution.

So, will a waterproofing solution (such as UFIXX No Leak) work permenantly, or do I need to get the tiles re-installed with the waterproofing re-done?

The bathroom is only about a month old.

Click for larger view

The white marks are where the contractor drilled/dug to investigate.

We noticed the water marks above the skirting, and when we removed it, it was soaking wet and the plaster was soft and you could dig it with your fingernail.

The contractor assures me it is not the pipes, as they are higher off the floor so we would see damage higher up. The damage is the worst at floor level, pretty much opposite where the shower cubicle is (and where water pools during showering, soon drains and leaves just a thin film that will evaporate)

Edit: Questions from comments

  Do you have a basement? What is under the shower?

It's a low-rise apartment (2nd floor) so it's another unit below.

  Is that sheetrock or cement board? Is there any waterproof membrane
  (rubber, plastic or paint-on?) under the tile or board? Have you
  determined which side the water is coming from?

The floor (under the tiles) seems to be concrete, the wall between living and bathroom is solid but I am not sure of the material (he had drill/chisel the holes to investigate, brick or concrete or something similar).
  The water is coming from the bathroom, we have not used the shower in 2 days and the wall has dried up considerably.

  Also: water pooling when you shower = sign of really bad contractor.
  At this point, I'd start over. Gut and rebuild

I maybe was unclear, it doesn't pool for long, drains in 30-60 secs until there is just a thin film of water that will evaporate.

Final Edit: After much investigation (5 different contractors/plumbers) it was determined that there was a leak in the building column next to my bathroom that carries waste water from all the units (5 high, I was number 2). Although the below accepted answer would probably be considered correct for most cases, in this case it was nothing to do with the work done in my bathroom (just happened to occur just afterwards).

Everybody got distracted looking for what was wrong with the new bathroom work, not realising it was an issue with the common pipes in the building column. Perhaps others will learn from this, to think of other possible causes too.


texts: How to replace a chain pulley for garage door?

texts:
One of chain pulley for the garage door is broken. I need to replace it.
See the image. The white round pulley is broken. I tried to touch it and felt it is very tight.

I ordered the part from amazon. But I worry that I may be hurt if replace it by myself.

Questions:

How to uninstall it?
How to install a new one?
Tools?


texts: Wood filler or glue for small fracture after nailing?

texts:
I stupidly neglected to pre-drill a hole before nailing into a thin bit of wood, causing a small (hairline, inch each way) split.

I believe it needs only a cosmetic repair - and it would be hard to clamp, putting me off expanding glues.

The nail needs to stay in place, but not be glued in place.

Should I use filler, or glue?


texts: How do you properly install backup power delivery?

texts:
I have a backup power bank made of an inverter and car batteries. It charges when the grid power is on and turns on when the grid power turns off. However, my "electrician" repurposed the grounding wires from a switch to provide the power to select sockets and loads around the house, so that only they turn on — in an effort to converse energy.

I know how terrible an idea this is, but my "electrician" whose trade isn't regulated in my developing country does not. He doesn't understand the difference between AC and DC either, and believes that the grounding wire is redundant.

My question is: What is the right way to deliver backup power?

Should I install the output of the backup to where the mains power input is? If so, the backup is 2 car batteries, how do I protect appliances like my air-conditioner from being under-powered?


texts: Install outlet above fire place in 70's era stone wall

texts:
I'd like to install an outlet above my wood burning fireplace so that I can mount a tv.  Problem is the entire wall is a 70's era stone wall.  I thought I had a slick solution.  There is a smaller rock (circled in red) that I could remove and put an outlet in its place.  From what I could tell looking up the vent above the fireplace (circled in blue) there seems to be a 2x4 wall and insulation between the chimney and rock wall.  So I figured as long as I have the romex between the insulation and rock wall it should be fine.
Problem is I finally chiseled out the rock and was not prepared for what I found.  It was rock, like 3 inches of mortar, wire mesh, then drywall which was all expected.  Directly behind the drywall is a metal plate or something.  I dont know how thick it is.  It doesn't seem like it is the chimney.  My question is is it ok to drill through it to run the electrical?  What is it for?  I suspect it might be some kind of radiant barrier, but like I said it seems like there is insulation between the rock wall and the chimney so it seems odd a radiant barrier would be between insulation and drywall.  If I do drill through it and dont like what I find is there a way to patch that hole?


texts: I have an attic fan with an old (MH Rhodes 90015 /marktime) mechanical timer switch. I want to replace the timer with a thermostat (presumably a line-voltage thermostat).  To my surprise, in the switch box where I expected a line and load feed as in a typical light switch, the two wires that were attached to the timer are a line and a neutral with 120 volts.  Is there a thermostat that would connect to that? Or will I have to find the junction box and rewire to convert the switch feeds to typical line and load?


texts: Can I use old abandoned iron pipe as electrical conduit?

texts:
I have an older house (1920) and I have been planning on doing some rewiring to get rid of some k + t stuff.  Anyway, I just noticed today that there are some irons pipes that used to be part of the heating system. (they are no longer connected + filled with air).  Better yet, they run in a perfect vertical run from the basement (where the panel is) all the way up to the attic (where the k + t to be replaced is).

Would it be improper, or otherwise unsafe to just repurpose these unused pipes as electrical conduit ??


texts: Is gasoline usable after being stored in a Rubbermaid trash can?

texts:
I had a fuel leak in a generator gas tank.  To fix it I needed, quickly, to drain the gas and had no available cans (in Florida, all are full pending Irma). I had a clean Brute trash can I had used (but no longer) for mixing water for an aquarium, and used it.

Yes, it's outside, covered, away from anything, etc. No fire safety lecture please.

My question is: When I get the tank repaired, probably tomorrow - is the gas usable?

I can't find what they are made of.  They are food safe, and their site gives lots of "quality" comments, but nothing about what it tolerates.

I would far rather use that gas than try to transport it to be safely disposed, not for cost reasons but safety.  Plus I don't think I can get it transported before the storm hits (and will not move it inside) so it stands a good chance of spilling.  I just don't have other containers to transport in, and the trash can won't fit vertically in my vehicles.

And again, the can was clean and dry before, not worried about dirt or water. Worried about the gas dissolving some of the can and then ruining the generator if I use it.

Anyone know the chemistry of those cans, and whether gas will stay in them for 2-3 days without becoming corrupt in some way?

If it matters it's a 20hp Honda engine in which I would use it.

Thanks,

Linwood

PS. Please don't suggest I go buy more gas cans, as I mentioned we are days away from the hurricane and there's nothing like that to be had anywhere in S. Florida. I can probably find more gas, not an issue, but I have 10 gallons in a can and don't know what else to do with it before the wind hits.


texts: Is there any way to stop the air leak through my furnace without compromising its operation?

texts:
My house has an 80% efficiency gas furnace in an interior mechanical closet with the return air path below the furnace and through a grille under the closet. However, since the furnace is not a sealed combustion model, the whole mechanical closet itself requires combustion air for the furnace to use, which is provided via a huge duct connecting the closet to the attic above it. Last winter, I found that this was a major source of cold air infiltration when the furnace is off, and I weatherstripped the door and sealed the furnace to its platform to prevent the cold air entering the mechanical closet from leaking into the house.

However, while those measures prevented cold exterior air from entering the house through those channels, I've found that it's still entering the house through the unit itself: apparently down through the filter and out the return air grille. I can feel the cool breeze coming through the return air grille when the unit is off.

Is there any way for me to solve this problem without interfering with the furnace's operation or replacing it with a sealed combustion unit? That's eventually in the cards anyway, but I'd prefer to solve the problem now, if possible.


texts: If a plastic PVC pipe is totally covered with cement? Does a minor crack/s in the concrete will also crack PVC pipe or damage it? I mean cracks such as due to very minor seismic movements?


texts: Can a ceiling fan brace/box be in direct contact with insulation?

texts:
New work.

Installing a ceiling fan in unfinished basement room.

Can a ceiling fan brace/box be in direct contact with batt insulation? I know recessed light housings can't, unless they're IC rated.


texts: Safe way to terminate exposed electrical during remodel?

texts:
I have a few exposed electrical wires that were cut in order to remove wiring in the area being remodeled. Is there a safe alternative to terminating all these points inside boxes? I need them safely capped off with wire nuts for about 3 months, and adding boxes seems overkill.

Maybe I'm just wishing there was some sort of product that was a bit lighter duty for short-term applications. Before I go buy a bunch of boxes and spend a good number of hours, I just want to be sure I couldn't get away with something simpler. Any ideas?


texts: Neutrals from same circuit connected together...is this ok?

texts:
Just to demonstrate something, I wanted to connect a light socket to a switch, that is connected to an electrical cord that gets plugged into a wall outlet. The switch is a standard single-pole light switch.

The way I have it wired does work. The breaker doesn't trip and nothing seems to be getting hot (tested with thermal imaging camera).

I'm guessing this isn't up to code, but is this configuration relatively safe? The neutrals that are connected together are part of the same circuit.

Here's the actual wiring configuration...

The neutral from the electrical cord and neutral from the light socket are connected together with a wire nut.
The hot from the electrical cord and hot from the light socket are connected to the terminals on the switch.
The ground from the electrical cord is connected to the ground nut on the switch.
All wires are 14 AWG.

Thanks for the help!


texts: Can epoxy artistically fill gaps in old wood floors?

texts:
I have a small room with a 90-year-old hardwood floor.  I love the way that the old wood looks, but the large gaps between the boards are inconvenient.  Since it's a small area, I can go with a labor-intensive method of restoration, so I'm thinking of going for a kintsugi look with the gaps filled in but not hidden.  Would epoxy (dyed black) work as a filler material?  (As described here.)  Or is the wear and expansion/contraction of the floor too much for it?

Edit: What I have in mind is something like this.


texts:
I have this irrigation caddy unit, and it requires 24VAC.

There's a location outside my house with one ethernet cable and another brown cable with four solid copper wires (black, red, yellow, green).  Both of these cables go back to the wiring panel in the closet.

I want to connect the brown cable to the power input on the device and connect the other end to the power supply/brick.

Would there be trouble powering the device?


texts: Is it safe from a structural standpoint to put small notches ( 1 inch deep x 3 1/2 in long at the deepest/longest point, not the whole area) in 5ea of the 2x6 bottom chords across attic area that run from front of house to back of house to allow wires running though the area to lay so i can put plywood pieces down and use area as storage and not have the plywood sitting on wires?


texts: The previous homeowners put tile approximately halfway up the bathroom wall, and there it goes right into the drywall/plaster.  Is it better to put a chair rail (composite?) between the two, or is it better to put tile at the border?  Unfortunately there isn't any gap above the last row of tile - the top of the tile is mostly flush with the wall.  There's also some vertical areas where the tile continues into the tub area as well.


texts: Water dripping out from freezer compartment onto floor. What do?

texts:
Once every few days, a puddle forms in front of my Kitchenaid KSR series refrigerator.  Kitchenaid support has been completely useless in resolving this issue, other than to say reports of this condition are "rare".

It appears to be the periodic defrost.  The tray below the fridge remains dry.
Ice builds up on the freezer floor by layer until the most recent defrost operation flows over onto the  floor.  Here with green food coloring for the picture:

I have a second fridge in a rental unit, where the water instead ends up on the top shelf of the refrigerator.

How can I clean what appears to be blockages in the drain lines leading from freezer to the under fridge drying tray?  What causes these tubes to clog?

Fridge temperature does not appear to be the direct problem:


texts: What kind of system carries both hot and cool water to my condominium?

texts:
I have an ancient furnace and air conditioner in my condo.  Basically the building supplies water to every unit.  In the winter it is warm water, the summer cool water.  Every condo has a blower unit which sucks are through something that looks like a radiator and out ducts in the condo.

What is this unit called?  I have to replace the blower motor and am not sure how to explain to the furnace company


texts: Floor joist splices appear inadequately reinforced

texts:
The following picture shows that the floor joists in this house are butt-spliced where they rest on top of a large beam.  These joists are 2" x 6" Douglas Fir, and the end of each floor joist is toenailed to the beam.  A pair of 1" x 4" x 24" Douglas fir cleats are nailed to span across the splice, one on each face of the joists, to reinforce it.  Four 10d nails are used per cleat (2 on each side of the splice).

This next photo shows the end of one cleat with a split where the nail was too close to the edge.

My concern is that these 1" x 4" cleats, even in pairs, are inadequate to ensure the joists remain connected during an earthquake (this is in California - Seismic Design Category D, I believe).  I've never heard of using 1" X for structural reinforcement like this.  Were the original builders in error, and if so what would be an adequate remedy?


texts:
We want to build a table with benches outside.

For this, we have a concrete base with vertical rebars (40cm out of the ground).

We want to build brick columns for the structure of the table/bench (50/80 cm high).

Inside the brick columns, we would pour concrete (so it would hold the rebars, bricks together).

The question:

Do we need to completely separate the concrete base from the brick columns/concrete in the columns?
OR: we just need to put bituminous plates under the bricks and not the concrete in the center of the brick columns?

Image is from Google, but related:


texts: Install outdoor power cable for Arlo Pro 2

texts:
Tired of going up and down to recharge battery for my arlo pro 2 in the front door, I am thinking to install a power cable for it, e.g., this. However, not sure what is the best way, here are two thoughts in mind:

drill hole into wall (stucco) and route cable to attic, install a receptacle in attic to power it. (please see pic 1)
route cable to garage, drill hole into ceiling (wood) so I can connect cable to a outlet in garage. Drawback is that there's ~10 ft to the hole and I don't know how to clip the cable to stucco (please see pic 2).
probably the most code compliant, is to install an outdoor outlet somewhere but unfortunately there isn't any good nearby location to install one without routing a 25ft cable. Also there is sprinkler in front yard so any outdoor outlet nearby will suffer from heavy moisture even though it has cover.

Any suggestion how I should proceed?


texts: How to hang a canvas wall art with wooden frame?

texts: My wife bought a canvas wall art with wooden frame online (pic below), and it was shipped without any metal string or hooks for hanging. How do I hang it? What accessories do I need to buy to do so?


texts: Ways to seal gaps around sliding glass door trim and wood floors?

texts: I have a sliding glass door with trim that has a minor gap beneath the shoe that is letting ants come and go freely (see photo).  I'm looking into doing something similar to this post but can I just remove the trim and run a bead of caulk?  According to this thread, there is disagreement between whether or not you should run caulk on wood floors.


texts: What is the name for a drill bit that makes conical holes?

texts:
What is the drill bit on the far left hand side of the machine in the first picture?

I believe it cuts holes shaped liked those in the second picture, which is something I'm trying to achieve. Is it a large countersink bit? I think the hole is about 24mm wide.


texts: need to connect a c wire to my furnace/air conditioner

texts:
I installed a nest with 5 wires, but the blue wire is not connected to anything on the 25-30 year old furnace. We tried connecting the blue wire to what we thought was a common terminal, but the furnace started making clicking noises when we turned the power on, and wouldn't respond to Heat tests from the Nest. So we figure we must have connected to the wrong spot. I can't seem to find a wiring diagram, and couldn't find documents online for our furnace.

Currently the nest is connected with just 4 wires (and all is working correctly), but we suspect in April when the furnace is not used, it will run out of power and start causing the furnace to turn on to get power, and the furnace is really old so it might not handle that very well.

These pictures are before we put in the blue wire. The wires from the thermostat are coming in at the top (green yellow red white, red and white wires go left at the top). The place we tried connecting the blue wire is the "C/COM" terminal on the circle-shaped component. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

The unit is a Magic-Pak HWC series.. Model number 38HWC122A-10A.

Photo 1 is the full wiring

Photo 2 is the component with the C/Com Terminal

Photo 3 is the component where the red thermostat wire goes to

Photo 4 is the ignition system terminals


texts: There is a 2 inch square where the paint ripped off above the shower.  Drywall underneath looks fine, so my plan is to scrape, prime, paint (just a patch job).  It's the only shower in that house and it's going to be used every day.  What steps can I take to speed up dry time and keep the paint from bubbling?  What is a reasonable dry time in an environment like that?


texts: What is my 3/8" concrete drill bit hitting in the basement wall and not penetrating when I try to mount a TV?

texts:
I have a 48" flat screen TV that I'm trying to mount into a pre-assembled  then-installed permanent basement shelves.  It appears that the back wall of the shelves was glued onto the cinder blocks.  Across the top of the shelves is a support beam and air-ducts.  I took the template that comes with the TV mounting kit, after centering the TV and removing the shelving in that area, and drilled the first two upper holes and they penetrated the cinder block for the 3" needed well.  It actually drilled into airspace after about 2 1/2" in.
 The 3rd hole will not let me drill farther than 1/2 ".  Even relocating the template higher or lower by a hole size, involves losing the ability to use one of the holes.  What could be about 3" wide around neck level behind the cinder block wall and impenetrable going horizontally across the wall?  House was built in 1984 and I'm certain is cinder block throughout the basement as it is visible anywhere support walls belong and the other 3 walls and areas that meander around the shape of the basement shape are cinder block.  There is a furnace room about 10 feet to the right and a separate cinder block room about 5 feet to the left.  The other side of the wall is simply the foundation outside.  So with all that, what gives?
Josh-U


texts: Is any of this plumbing work a code violation?

texts:
I've repaired plenty of pre-existing plumbing, but don't know enough to put all new plumbing in a house, so I hired it out.  Some of it it is fine, but I'm unhappy with the rest of it, and since I'm not a plumber, I don't know exactly what may be a code violation.

1) PEX was routed outside the wall and can't be sheetrocked.

2) Plastic tees and elbows were used instead of brass.

3) The best way to run PEX is with the smallest number of failure points possible.  It would be great to have home-runs to each fixture, but I knew that wasn't going to be the case here.  However, there are some runs of PEX that have 4-6 splices in them that are totally unnecessary.

4) Underneath the house (unconditioned crawl) none of the PEX is insulated, and some of it is lying on the ground.

5) The water supply was brought up through an exterior wall, right up against the exterior of the stud and sheathing.  Aren't they supposed to go through the center of the stud and install nailing plates?

I'm not a plumber and don't know codes, which is why I hired this out instead of doing it myself. Are any of these code violations?

EDIT: I should have added that a permit was pulled for this work, and it passed a rough-in inspection.


texts: Allen key bolts vs Phillips head make a difference?

texts:
I received a metal bed frame without the bolts. The directions have the sizes used in hardware list.
I went to hardware store but they didn’t have M6 bolts with hex head as shown. The sales associate suggested Phillips head. I can only screw them in so far. I thought maybe that’s why they use Allen wrench in directions for more leverage. I found Allen wrench shaped device with Phillips head but could only get one all the way in using it. The rest are stripping the head.
Do I need to find bolts with the hex head instead and use an Allen wrench, or do I need to drill the holes bigger, or is it the material of the screw?


texts: Why would my house be so humid even when the A/C is running?

texts:
I live in Florida which this year has been particularly hot and humid. However, a while back I noticed mold in my closet and a very musty smell in my living room.
Actually I even found mold growing on a wooden chair in my bedroom.

About 4 or 5 years ago I replace my central a/c with a hi efficiency SEER 18+.

Unable to locate any leaks which might be responsible I purchased a 70 pt dehumidifier which has run constantly.  when I first turned on the dehumidifier, I read that the  existing humidity was over 70%
Is this normal, or are their other factors at play?  My house is 1700 sf (with high ceilings and the a/c is 3 ton.


texts: I need to screw into my wall but halfway in, it hits something hard

texts: I tried in different spots on the wall but same thing. Is the whole wall like that? I live in a concrete building but not soundproof. I am able to use screws on other walls.


texts: How to override an attic thermostat with a wall switch?

texts:
I want to install a fan in my attic. I want the fan to be controlled by a thermostat in the attic, but I want the ability to bypass or override the fan from within my house. Ideally I would like to have a two-state switch in the house:

Fan is controlled by thermostat
Fan is on

I'm trying to figure out what type of thermostat (do they make them with bypasses built in?) and switch (numbers of poles and throws?) to buy. A wiring diagram would be helpful, but I haven't been able to find one.

(I know I'm not supposed to want an attic fan, but I have an uncommon situation and do want it.)


texts: Is it ok to use the brass rod grounding at a subpanel as long as the ground and the neutral bars are isolated at the sub panel from each other?


texts:
Our bath spout wasn't producing any water, so I took it off to take a look. Turns out there was a lot of grit in the little mesh filter in it - totally blocked. I cleaned it out, and now we have water. That's great.

Less great is my total inability to put it back together again properly. Given the amount of caulk and crap behind the cover (now scraped off), and the other tiling, I'm sure it's bit of a botched job to start with. Just need to fix it up.

I have the piping in the wall, into which I think I push the adaptor, using the nipple to screw it in. That all pretty much works, then the face plate goes over it, and the spout goes onto the adaptor, using a little grub screw to sit in place.

However, whenever I try to screw in the nipple, I can't because it's recessed into the wall, behind the tile, and I have no idea how to actually screw it fully in.

What tool can I use? Can't use an internal/nipple wrench, because the adaptor is inside the nipple. Can't use a regular socket, none seem to fit around it properly.

Is there something specific to fit it?

Parts are shown in the pics here: https://imgur.com/a/05UoE

In short -

How do I screw in the nipple tightly?
Am I thinking about this correctly?

Note, the chrome collar can screw to the nipple, but then it protrudes too much for the plate to sit flush on the wall, and it's too fat to go through the plate hole, so seems to just sit flush with it as a spacer.


texts: All Outlets on Breaker Randomly Give ~8V

texts:
All the devices on one of my breakers randomly stop working, and when checked with a multimeter, I see that the outlets are giving a voltage of ~8V rather than the ~125V I usually get. When I check that breaker at the panel, I get ~125V as I should.

What's extra strange is that this seems to be associated with my dryer, but I can't imagine how. The dryer is on a totally separate breaker from the one that keeps dying. But when this happens, I have to flip the dryer breaker and the other one, and then turn on the dryer, and then boom all the other devices power up again the second I turn start the dryer. I've done this three times now, so I really doubt that it's just coincidence.

Note: My dryer is ghetto rigged. It has two dials: an on-off dial and a timer dial. A while back, the on-off dial stopped working. I opened up the dryer, and hardwired past on-off button so that it just starts as soon as you move the timer dial. In doing so I left a third wire that was connected to the on-off button just hanging out - unconnected with electrical tape covering it. I did check to make sure that the chasis was still grounded. That "fix" has been working for 7 months before issue started. I'm not sure if its related, but I just want to give as much info as possible.

Any thoughts or ideas are appreciated - Thanks!


texts: Blower Fan Comes on and runs cold air and then shuts off before the gas and heat actually come on

texts: I noticed on our Carrier furnace that the blower motor and fan come on when the heat is called for like a minute, then it shuts completely off before the gas and heat and blower motor take off to heat the house.  What is the purpose of the blower motor and fan coming on and shutting off before the heating starts?  I am replacing my shot blower motor and feel this function is causing the motor to wear out prematurely.


texts:
My fridge won’t stop running. (Model #596.69272990, noted below)
This has been ongoing for a week and I have not tried to do anything other than unplug it and plug it back in.
Is it the relay and if so how do I change it?


texts: How is expansion and contraction affected when screwing a solid wood floor to the subfloor?

texts:
I'm installing 20 mm thick solid oak flooring (180 mm wide, 2000+ mm length) on the second floor of my farmhouse in northern Germany.  Tongue and groove.  "Blind screwing"; same as blind nailing, but special flooring screws with reduced head diameter.  37 square meters.  The subfloor is 15 mm OSB tongue and groove over 24 mm pine or larch planks over substantial beams.  Boards will be laid parallel to the 5+ meter wall, cross wall is 4.4 meter, then expansion gap, then continue into a walk-in closet (room).  Northern Germany is pretty wet, and I'm worried about the natural expansion and contraction of the wood over the seasons.

I did a floating solid oak floor over concrete some years back in a nearby home, also second floor.  Glued the tongues and floated on underlayment.  Despite the small rooms, I'm not too happy with the seasonal gaps.  I suspect I glued badly on some joints.  Heavy furniture probably also comes into play.

I've built table tops from hand made planks, and seen how they can tear if not given room for expansion.

So what I don't understand is; how can the screw method work for solid wood flooring?  The screws leave no allowance for expansion or contraction.  Please explain what happens in this scenario.


texts: I just replaced a broken belt in our Maytag dryer, it was the right belt, identical to the old one, but it's not working so good... It's properly installed, but it's like the belt is slipping when we put a full load in it, we never had this issue with the old belt. Do new belts need some time to break in?


texts: Re-wiring plugged shop lights to LED panels

texts:
DISCLAIMER: I am NOT even close to an electrician, but I like to think I am fairly intelligent and can follow directions well...

I am in the process of remodeling my basement. I have a suspended/drop ceiling and I plan on replacing the ceiling panels in it, track system covers, etc. The basement currently uses 4 fluorescent bulb shop lights (see picture). Each shop light is plugged in to an outlet in the ceiling joist and all are controlled by a single lightswitch.

I would like to replace these with 2x4 LED panel lights that will actually hang in the suspended ceiling. They are Cortelco 2x4ft LED Troffer Panels.

My Question: Should I just wire a plug onto the LED panels and be done with it or do I rewire to get rid of the outlets and make the lights hardwired?


texts: Do I have to remove all caulk before reapplication?

texts:
I re-caulked my bathroom a few months previous and there are a couple of gaps that have appeared. I have been caulking my own bathroom for about 7 years now but have never had damage this soon into it.  My kids just started having showers and are now standing more than sitting so I am guessing that is a contributing factor.

So there are two spots of about an inch in length that need to be fixed. My understanding has always been that the whole length of the caulk would need to be reapplied. I heave a sigh at that notion since I really don't want to do it again right now.

An answer to a related question Can I apply caulk over caulk? talks about doing just that with the caveat of...

  Your caulk needs to attach to both the tub and tile

Knowing that I could remove the damaged areas and caulk again with larger applications over existing good caulk to get contact to the tub and the surround.

There is also a very similar question about How to fix small holes/separation in caulk around bathtub? but the answers focus more on the tub installation itself rather than the caulking. While, at least one, recommends redoing the whole thing in that case I wonder if it is related more to the installation rather than the actual title of the question.

Can I re-patch small sections of damaged caulk or is it just smarter to redo the entire thing? I think from reading I might be able to get away with small patches but I have a nagging feeling that I would just be postponing a whole re-caulk.


texts: Can my house support a bathroom addition?

texts:
When I bought the house, it was a 4 bedroom, 1 bath rancher with basement laundry.  We have since "converted" the smallest of the 4 bedrooms to an upstairs laundry, and took the closet out to accomodate a larger master bath on the other side of the wall.

In the very near future, we would like to split the current laundry room into a second bathroom, with tub, and a small laundry space.  I am confident in doing all of the work DIY, but am unsure about the structural side of things.  My floor joists are 2x8 beams 16 inches on center.  What do I need to consider from a structural standpoint before proceeding with this plan?

Thanks in advance.


texts: Why is silicone caulk "falling" or peeling away from new bath countertop and wall?

texts:
About 6 months ago, we hired a remodeler/carpenter to install a new bathroom vanity top. They caulked around the vanity and it looked good until a couple of months ago, when it started to gap and tear away from the wall. The wall, which we painted before the vanity was installed, is a glossy paint. I called the remodeler who said that it could be dry and hot air that affects the silicon. So, today, he came back and put some new silicone over the old. It looked ok when he left, but now is buckling again! Here are my questions:

Why is this happening?
Can I simply pick away the silicon and can we reinstall?
Is silicone the best caulk for a bathroom vanity (to fill in the gaps between vanity and wall)?enter image description here

UPDATE: thanks to good suggestions, I used a "level" on both the countertop and the floor. The "bubble" in the level is the same -- slightly off-center to the left -- on both the countertop and floor, leading me to believe that the settling of the house is to blame. Ok, so I can't fix that settling, but how can I at least fill in the gap between the countertop and wall?


texts: Proper craftsmanship to mount Wi-Fi AP and ethernet cable to ceiling?

texts:
I'd like to add a ceiling-mounted Wi-Fi Access Point to the upper floor of an already existing house (USA, wood studs, built 1998).

I have access to the attic above and would run Category 6 ethernet (UTP, CMR or CMP) to this location.

If I use an AP like the Unifi AP Lite, which can be ceiling mounted, what's the best way to handle the "appearance" of the ethernet cable in the ceiling?   I believe the choices are:

(a) hole in ceiling,  push the cable through the hole from above, and terminate the cable with a plastic 'RJ45' plug, or a fancy Category 6 version.  Cover the hole with the AP.  Mount  the AP with screws and drywall anchors to the drywall ceiling.  (The
UBNT community doesn't seem to worry about the weight of the
AP.)
(b) wall plate on the ceiling with keystone-style punchdown jack
and a very short 6" patch cable to the AP (I believe it has a recess
to stow the cable)
(c) old-work box mounted to a ceiling stud (attic joist).  Bore a hole
in the ceiling the size of the old-work box. Terminate the ethernet
cable inside the old-work box.  (This seems like overkill).

Is a plain-old hole ("a") an okay way to go here--  Any concerns about losing the cable up into the hole?

And, I know they say "it's just as easy to pull two cables as one" but do I really need to pull two cables to this location? I can't imagine needing a second ethernet cable in the ceiling at this exact location!


texts: The pump is 115v 9 amp draw. The run length from breaker box to outlet is between 70 and 75'. I have a coil of 14/2 left over from my barn wiring project. I've done some online checking and think I am ok with this setup but you can never have too much info. Thanks for the help.


texts: How to remove cover/surrounding area of button

texts:
I want to replace the button encircled red
But i don't know how to remove the cover/surrounding area
Where should i insert my flat screw driver to remove the cover?


texts: Can I slow an air cooler's fan speed with an additional regulator?

texts:
I recently got an air cooler which has a fan speed regulator. Still, the lowest setting gives high airflow.
Can I wire it to a fan regulator to limit the air flow without damaging the cooler's electricals?
I understand that the cooler water pump will also receive less electricity.
Edit: It's a swamp cooler
I believe the fan speed regulator controls voltage output. So I am planning to add additional voltage regulator in board.
Like this, instead of fan in image , it will be cooler


texts:
I have a problem with water run off causing some dark staining on light coloured brick. The water is dripping down from the canopy and running along the brickwork all the way down to the ground.

I plan to fix the root cause of this with a bit of guttering. What I'm not so sure on is if there is a way of cleaning the staining off the brickwork? Since the brickwork is a light colour, is there anything extra I should be wary of when attempting cleaning?


texts: How to cut floor joist for stairway headroom?

texts:
I live in an antique cape and we are having the stairs to the 2nd floor rebuilt so we will need more headroom. There is a floor joist that will need to be cut to make that possible.
I'm trying to figure out the best looking way to do it. Should the newel post go from the floor to the ceiling and act as a support for the floor joist? I'm not even sure that would be possible since the joist sits about 6 inches out from the newel.
Or should there be a completely separate post to support the joist? Or is there a way I'm not thinking of to support the joist without a post?
I've attached a photo of the stairs showing the plan. The black area would be removed. The red line is the floor joist.
EDIT: There is nothing above the ceiling being removed. It is "dead space" that is not part of any rooms above.


texts: So recently, my mother purchased a new house. Upon inspection, it was deemed that some electrical work needed to be done. The work happened and everything is all hunky dory till the other day when a breaker was tripped. That breaker controls half of the entire house. This includes the upstairs living room and bedrooms (2x) and then the downstairs living area and two more bedrooms. They are all on the same breaker. Is this up to code? It seems completely ridiculous to me and the electrical worker said everything was all good. Thoughts?


texts:
If you use a 1/2" CPVC push fit ball valve as a cap on a 1/2" copper pipe, is it possible that the water pressure could eventually send the valve flying off the end of the pipe? That'd result in a lot more serious water problem than just a mere leak. I'm thinking more in terms of a few months or years rather than 15-20 years into the future.

I looked but haven't found any reports of anything like that actually happening.


texts: Should I replace all the copper pipe in my heating system with PEX?

texts:
I am replacing my existing faucet plumbing with red / blue PEX all over the house. Everything that goes to the sink, dishwasher, washer, bathroom sink and so on will be color coded and installed correctly.

Although, I was pondering on changing my water heating system with PEX while I was at it. Of course, I would leave my baseboards with a copper pipe so that it gives off more heat. What I would like to do is to have quick-connects from the PEX to the copper, so that if ever I need to remove the baseboards (redoing flooring, walls, etc), I just disconnect the whole thing and pop out the baseboard.

PEX is better at keeping the heat in the pipe compared to copper so I would be losing less heat if I go from the boiler to the baseboard with PEX. Then I'd have copper inside the baseboard which would feed into the other PEX that would go to another baseboard...

Is this recommended in 2014? I feel like copper is old and out dated.

My boiler is powered by bi-energy electrical elements, which then gets pumped through the whole system with approximately 12-15 psi.

Will I eventually regret putting PEX? Should I keep going through this old house and fixing the copper whenever there's a leak?


texts: Is there any way to reduce UV fading on a hardwood floor?

texts: I've seen a lot of old hardwood floors where the owner moved a rug that had been there for years, and the wood under the rug was noticeably brighter, having been shielded from UV degradation. Is there any way to prevent this phenomenon? Will modern Low-E windows that block UV radiation do the job? Are there any stains or sealants that are UV-blocking?


texts: Pillar in the ground that can support a hammock

texts:
I'd like to hang a hammock in a small garden. There is one wall that can carry it, but on the other side it would have to be a stand-alone pillar.

What's the most efficient technique to erect a pillar that would not be toppled by the lateral pull just so in the ground?

I thought about a metal rod with a large-enough flat foot that would be buried under the ground, but the garden is small, so I think it might not fit or disrupt the whole place.
The other thought I had was a metal rod standing in a hole filled with concrete, but I fear the hole and concrete would have to be huge.

Is there an elegant, light-weight way how to have a strong enough stand-alone pillar in the ground?


texts: Using 12-3 with ground to wire a new light

texts: What I would like to do is use 12-3 with ground to wire new lights in my house. I have ran 12-2 with ground to the electrical box to a 20 amp breaker. In the attic I have a junction box where I begin my question. Here I connect the 12-3 with ground to the wire coming from the box by black to black, white to white, ground to ground and so far not working with the red wire. In the switch box I will leave  the white wire nutted and not use. Then attach the black, red and ground wires to the switch. Back to the junction box in the attic, pig tail a 12-2 with ground that will run to the 1st light. This will look like red to black. White to white and ground to ground. Are there any problems?


texts: Can my panel support a 60A circuit for EV charging?

texts:
I’m awaiting an EV I ordered, and in order to prepare for it, need to install a 240V outlet in my garage.
The circuit would be for a 'Ford Connected Charge Station':

60A breaker (240V, 2 pole, 60 Hz) with a 4-wire configuration

I currently have 100A service—however we have a gas stove, gas water heater, gas dryer, and gas range. Considering the EV would charge overnight, other than refrigerator, lights, alarm clocks, phone charging, etc., the total potential loads during that time would be:

EV charger 60A (nominal current 48A)
Central A/C 240V/30A
5,000 BTU Room A/C 120V (7A on 15A circuit)
Dishwasher 120V/20A

Currently my panel includes a 240V/20A circuit (outlet pictured) that I'm removing, as it's no longer used. Based on these factors, should I add a sub panel in order to add this circuit, or can the 60A safely replace the 20A?
Thanks in advance!


texts: Can I attach drop ceiling molding to a brick chimney?

texts:
I have a drop ceiling in most areas of my basement. The previous owners did not complete the job over top of where the wood stove is, and around the brick chimney behind the stove. I don't think this looks nice, plus I am sure a lot of heat ends up going between the drop ceiling and the floor above, and gets trapped there.

If installed, the drop ceiling would be further than the minimum clearance to combustibles relative to the stove pipe connecting into the chimney (8" vertically above the stove pipe).

If it matters, the chimney flue has a inner SS liner, wrapped in a ceramic blanket. I am fairly sure there are concrete blocks around that, and decorative bricks around that.

Question: Is there a safety/codes reason why this job was not completed? Can I just run the track for the drop ceiling around and mounted to the brick chimney?

Only reason that I can imagine is that there is a small risk that a drop ceiling tile falls down on the operating stove...?


texts:
I would like to check basic thermal leaks of the house heating system (and perhaps the house thermal insulation as well). As the professional services or equipment (thermocamera) are very expensive, I would like to check if there is perhaps some DIY solution, e.g. using a digital camera, using IR webcam, using a thermometer or any other cheap or commonly used equipment.

If the tools are not something I already have at home, I am willing to pay at most USD 200 (EUR 150) for the required tools.

And as a bonus:

what is the difference which makes the thermocamera so expensive (USD 6000 and more) compared to a webcam or a normal digital camera? Does it have some special properties, like broad input spectrum, or what?


texts: Will blown in insulation help in this situation?

texts: I'm in the process of renovation of a 1945 house. Originally built with a flat roof, tar and gravel. At some point a gable roof was constructed over the original flat roof. Space between the ceilings and flat roof is 10  inches, there is insulation in that space ,about 2 inches of paper backed fiberglass. I would like to add more insulation with out removing the existing ceilings. My plan was to blow in cellulose on top of the tar/gravel roof. Does this make sense.


texts: Is there any harm in caulking the bottom of this electrical conduit plate or should it be left unsealed?

texts:
There is a small leak into the interior that I’m wondering if it is getting in from the bottom not being sealed.
Also, should the gap in the conduit where you can see the white wire be fixed?


texts: How can I repair slices in fibercement siding?

texts: In the process of removing caulk between butt joints, the contractor sliced down into the planks below the joint.  Now that the house has been repainted it's extremely obvious.  I'm not sure what my options are to minimize the look or having it repaired.


texts: What do I do with the neutral and ground when wiring a transfer switch?

texts:
I know there are a lot of questions about wiring a generator to a home electrical panel, but I can't find the answer to the questions that I have.

I would like to wire a generator that has the neutral bonded to the frame, to my main panel. The GE panel that I have has no "MAIN", It has four 240 volt breakers that are labeled "MAIN SECTION", and eight 120 volt breakers labeled "LIGHTING SECTION". One 60 amp breaker from the MAIN SECTION feeds the LIGHTING SECTION.

I have a manual two pole 60 amp transfer switch that I would like to use and wire the 60 amp MAIN SECTION breaker to the switch, then back to the LIGHTING SECTION buss.
What's confusing me is how to run the ground and neutral wires. I wanted to included a wiring diagram with this, but I can't figure out how.

Do I bond the neutral to the transfer switch with the bonding screw?
How do I run the neutral and ground from the generator to the main panel with a bonded generator?
Do I wire the generator frame to a ground bar?


texts: On a QO breaker, how do I distinguish GFCI from overcurrent trip?

texts:
I have a 1-pole Square D "QO" type 1-pole, 20A GFCI breaker (not AFCI).  Plugged into it are:

Twenty-five CFL lights averaging ~15W each, so 375W nominal
A 1500W-nominal heater-fan, though, I suspect with the 100' of #14 extension cord, probably running a bit shy of 1500W

If the heater is on, and I plug in the lights, I get a breaker trip.  Often I get a breaker trip just with the lights.  I have tried splitting up and powering only sections of lights, with varying and inconclusive results.

It's not unheard of for CFLs to have a pretty serious inrush current, but I am mystified.

I really need to know whether this is a GFCI trip, or an overcurrent trip. The QO breaker has no lights whatsoever.  Can I get the breaker to tell me somehow?  Or should I dump this and go with GFCI receptacles?


texts: Name for a T-shaped piece of hardware with a screw hole in a "shaft"

texts:
What is the name of a hardware piece like on the drawing, with a thread in the hole?

I need it to mount a guide wheel for a sliding door, like on the picture below:

UPD: replaced the picture with a drawing.


texts: Will wood glue hold two pieces of wood with a polyurethane finish?

texts: I have a piece of stained red oak plywood that is 1/4" thick and ~ 1 square foot in area.  I will be gluing it to a 1" x 2" red oak board.  Both the plywood and board have been stained and finished with polyurethane and there will be no weight attached to the glued on section of plywood.  I'm using Titebond III Ultimate Wood Glue.  Can I expect the glue to bond tight enough to hold the plywood to the board?


texts: What is best practice for tying in grounds on a metal box?

texts: Had electric inspected today and only thing inspector said was that my grounds were messy on a metal box (still code but messy).  3-gang box with three light switches running in different directions.  How would you tie them in together to both look neat and have room for everything?


texts: Will powerline networking work in my home?

texts: I'm thinking of starting to use powerline networking for my pc, but I heard that if the outlet near my modem and the outlet near my pc are on different breakers, powerline networking won't work. How do I see if powerline networking will work for me? Thanks in advance.


texts: Can I mount an electrical box on a non-stationary surface?

texts:
I am setting up a small rack panel and I'm mounting it to 1" ply on a piano hinge to make it easier to get behind.
I'd like to attach the electrical box on the same board. This means that the electric box could move but it won't be very often.
I was thinking I would use a stranded whip to connect the one on the board to a stationary box nearby.
Can I mount an electrical box to something that moves? In CA, USA.


texts: Why does my Paloma tankless water heater turn off randomly without errors?

texts:
We have a Paloma Tankless water heater, model: PTG-74PVN that shuts down when in use for a few minutes. There is no code displayed on the screen, it just powers down. This started happening a few weeks ago after 5 or 10 minutes, but now it happens after around 1 or 2 minutes, making for some brisk showers. In the past when we've had issues, there's always been an error code displayed that has helped when troubleshooting.

Does anyone know what might be causing this?


texts: Patch small holes in an internal stucco wall

texts:
In a room that was added on to the house (many years ago), two of the internal walls (that used to be external walls) are stucco.  There are a couple of approx. 1 inch diameter holes in the stucco that I want to patch, and several smaller screw and anchor holes.

The other walls in the room also have some holes and I already purchased the mud (powder) to patch these with.  (The other walls are ordinary painted drywall.)

Given that the stucco walls aren't exposed to the elements, how important is it to patch them with a compound designed for stucco patching versus just using ordinary mud?  (Mud = drywall joint compound.)

I am interested to know:

The correct, professional way to patch the stucco;
Any drawbacks (especially in appearance or longevity) associated with doing it a different way;
Whether it's really possible to get the texture to match if I do use a compound designed for stucco patching.

(I'm patching the walls in preparation for repainting the whole room.)


texts: "Plastifying" rusty integrated dish drying rack (food contact)

texts:
I have a dish drying rack integrated inside a slot above my sink. It is now rusty but I haven't been able to find a new one with the right size, despite searching in many stores.

Since the rusting seems to be only superficial, I have been thinking I might remove the rust then "plastify" it somehow so that it does not start rusting again immediately.

I have found spray products like "Plasti Dip" and "Rust-oleum" but they seem to be for cars and floors, so I am not sure about how safe they are for contact with wet plates and glasses. A person used such a spray on a dish rack but then used the dish rack to store non-alimentary things.

I can't use the solution at How to repair (and is it worth the trouble to) a rusty dishwasher rack? since my rack is totally rusty, I can't just "repair" it with the suggested product that bonds to the remaining vinyl.

How can I avoid rust while ensuring food safety?


texts: Can a Paver Sitting wall be put on a Paver Patio

texts:
I have a paver patio that was put in my backyard 16x20.  I was wondering if I would be okay to install a sitting wall made out of pavers on top of the paver patio that is already there?  I know it is custom to build a wall on the ground with a standard paver base (gravel, stone) but since that was already done for the patio can I install the walls directly on the existing pavers?  Would I need to create any support for the wall other than adhesive?

FYI I live in Ohio so I will be experiencing freeze/thaw.


texts: Why is my granite still retaining a lot of water after sealing?

texts: I bought a new batch of beige granite countertops and they look great, have a good shine, but they are retaining moisture easily after sealing 3-4 times.  I use Aquamix Gold on all my other granite but doesn't seem to be doing the job here.  I am thinking since it is breathable that it is letting the water seep in and I am guessing my granite is pretty porous.  Does anyone have suggestions?


texts: How can I clean hard water buildup from pipes?

texts:
I've basically confirmed that my overall plumbing problems are down to hard water buildup. My softener has been out of action for about a month or two (waiting on a part), so I have at least that much buildup to contend with. In case anybody cares, I have concluded this because major blockage issues began around the time the softener died, and because around that time efficiency of my water heater dropped drastically as well..

I'm told that a strong white vinegar solution is the best option, however my sources say that this needs to be followed up with heavy-duty mechanical cleaning, up to and including breaking down the plumbing system and mechanically cleaning the pipes individually. The intermediate plastic system eventually connects to an ancient metal system, so while I can conceivably do this for the plastic there's no way that I'm pulling metal pipes out of a concrete floor.

Is white vinegar really the best option? If not, what is?

Does it really require the mechanical cleaning I  described?


texts:
I don't know if this question belongs here but I can't find anywhere else to put it.

In recent weeks, ants have decided to move into my bathroom. At first, there were a couple in the shower stall and I would just wash them down. Last week, they started to appear in more and more numbers. It isn't apparent what they are going after as there is nothing in the bathroom. After constantly washing them down the drain, they are now avoiding the shower stall and crowding all around the shower stall and just piling up, doing nothing. It may be that they are building a nest there but why in such an open place? Anyways, I'm just asking for how to get rid of them safely so that they won't return again.

I haven't used any bug sprays to try and get rid of them as I don't feel comfortable using that in my bathroom.

I'm in Australia and these are tiny black ants if it helps.


texts: What's the minimum vent diameter required for my drain line?

texts:
I'm adding a secondary bar sink in a kitchen area, which will extend the waste pipe to it's farthest length, so I need to put in a waste drain vent pipe up the wall and through the roof.

The drain pipe is 1-1/2" diameter and I'm wondering if the vent pipe going up the wall can be a smaller diameter, like 1" or 3/4", so I don't need to cut such a wide channel in the drywall and fight with fiberglass insulation.


texts:
I'm redoing wiring during a remodel and am reading about burying boxes behind drywall, and how it's a fire hazard and not up to code etc.
My question -
Are wire splices actually a fire hazard in and of themselves?

A lot of responses regarding why to not bury a junction box include that it's a fire hazard. Is it really though?
Lots of light fixture, switch boxes, and outlets have the same type of splices with wirenuts going on, but I don't hear these being referred to as hazards?

I understand burying the box is bad (had this discussion in a different thread), but I want to know specifically if burying a junction box with wire splices is a fire hazard and why?
Is it just that if something did go wrong, you wouldn't have visibility to see that it was going wrong, vs a box that you can see?


texts: Can AVR or loose speaker wires cause AFCI to trip?

texts: I have a newly constructed ADU and the AFCI breaker for the plug my AV system is in keeps tripping.  We've replaced the breaker twice with no change and checked all the internal wiring.  I had a Denon AVR plugged into the wall which sometimes makes a popping sound when it turns on. I removed the unit and now the AFCI never trips. So I see two possible issues: (1) the Denon AVR itself is arcing or (2) one or more speaker wires was loose and arcing.  Is #2 even possible -- would a loose speaker wire cause an AFCI breaker to trip?  I can't find an answer anywhere online.


texts: What could explain a large hole above water heater vent pipe?

texts:
An inspector found the following anomaly during home inspection on a home built in 2007.

When homeowner was queried about the cause, he said it came like that when it was built (homeowner is the original owner).

Personally, I doubt a homeowner would buy a new home in that condition. Assuming that the new home was not purchased in that condition, what would cause such a hole over the water heater where the vent pipe enters the ceiling (aside from someone vandalizing the home or falling through the ceiling)?

I could understand a hole under a water heater if it were on the second floor and leaked. But, what about a hole above a water heater located on the first floor in the garage?


texts:
Just moved to a new house and plumbed in the washer drier. (Candy Grand Vita)

Seemed fine but it gave me error code E03 which suggests a blockage on the waste.

I took the machine out and disconnected the waste pipe and ran the same cycle with the waste pipe going into the sink and there was no problem.

So I assumed there is a problem with the disposal pipework under the sink, but when I connect to the waste without putting the washing machine back in the space the cycle also competes fine.

When I slide the machine into the space I get the same error.

I've checked to make sure I'm not restricting the pipe in any of way when putting the machine back into the space.

Thanks in advance


texts:
I need to change some light bulbs and the process has become tremendous because I cannot find detailed size and type charts to compare against what I already have.

Where could I find such a chart that would give me the bulb type (i.e. R14), the base type (i.e. E26), and their dimensions (preferably in mm).

EDIT

I'm interested in US type bulbs.


texts: Installing DIY Solar, I need help bringing the power into my home

texts: I'm going to disconnect my home from the grid (I will not be grid tied). I plan to remove all 240v appliances. My question is would I still need a split inverter 120v/240v to run the whole house?


texts: LG washing machine start button quit working

texts: I have an LG washing machine and the power button works fine but it’s the start button and I’ve taken it apart in the reserve of like a mesh sensor under the start button I don’t know what to do to fix it it’s driving me nuts help me please


texts: How do I find a replacement for this light fixture enclosure?

texts:
I recently moved into a new place and I was able to pull off the glass enclosure attached to this light fixture:

However, when I pulled it off a second time, the enclosure shattered in my hands from the pressure of pulling. I've tried searching for light fixtures but it's almost impossible to find one that attaches in the same way as this one does. How can I find a replacement? Also interested in knowing how to take the enclosure off again in the future without shattering it.


texts: Do vanity lights require a junction box?

texts: We have an electrician at our new home in Utah installing some new lights, after removing some of the installed lights we are noticing that above the vanities there are no junction boxes behind our current light setup. The lights that are currently installed look similar to this - I'm curious if it is code for these to have a box installed? the lights that we are adding now look like this. The electrician wants to charge us $25 a box to fix it to "get it up to code". Thanks in advance for any advice.


texts: Should the contractor be able to drill holes in a quartz countertop?

texts:
Sometime in the future I'll be having quartz countertops installed in a new kitchen. They'll be silestone's eco line of countertops. Should the contractor doing the install, assuming he's a professional, be able to cut small holes in the counter top to install things like the faucet or a soap dispenser? Or are those sorts of things normally done at the factory/manufacturer etc?

I've seen diamond coated drills bits that are supposed to be used for things like this so I'm guessing any reasonable contractor that does this for a living should be able to drill some holes.

Thanks


texts: What tools and techniques are required to bend wood?

texts: I am trying to achieve this curved wood look as pictured below. I am interested in knowing what tools I need or if I need a particular kind of wood. (I am referring to the white curved section)


texts: Is it ok to run a new a power line under the roof as opposed to the ceiling?

texts:
I am planning to run a new circuit to install ceiling lights, fan, etc. My attic is very low (approx 3 feet), and there is insulation between the joists (B in picture), so it is going to be a hassle to drill a hole in each one to run the cable through and under the insulation. I have a roof joist (A in picture) that is under the peak of the roof. I would rather run the cable along that, but I'm not sure if there are any issues with doing this. Is this a good idea?

P.S. I am in Seattle, so almost no lightening storms.

P.P.S. This is not my roof, but it is very similar. Except it isn't insulated.


texts: I recently installed track lighting, and upon turning on the power switch, none of the lights turned on. I went back, checked all of my connections, tested the power, checked each lightbulb, but that was to no avail. Each socket is getting electricity and all of the bulbs work, but the fixture won't turn on. Any ideas?


texts: Type of insulation for flexible aluminum duct?

texts:
I’m replacing an undersized bathroom exhaust fan with a larger one that has a higher CFM.
When switching the fan out, I want to add insulation to the flexible aluminum duct that goes from the fan to the roof. The duct is roughly 3 11/32” in diameter and 10’ long.
All the articles and videos I’ve seen online on insulating ducts tends to show a plastic-like flexible duct with a fiberglass insulation wrap, which makes me wonder whether there is some issue I haven’t thought about related to adding the same kind of insulation to a flexible aluminum duct.
I was hoping someone could confirm that the same methods apply for flexible aluminum ducts, and also any recommendations for insulation to use.


texts:
I have a 10x13 first-floor room which used to be a porch but at some point was closed in by the previous owners, and sheet linoleum was glued down to the plywood subfloor. Unfortunately they didn't correct for the built in slope of the original porch when the closed it in, so the room has a consistent 1-inch slope towards the outside of the house (e.g. it's not an intermittent 'sag,' 'warp,' or 'dip,' the whole floor slopes out relatively consistently). I need to level the floor in order to put down hardwood as I will be using the space for my business. I have been advised (by 3 different people) to solve the problem in 3 different ways:

Screw down wire mesh straight to the existing linoleum and pour Self Leveling Compound to bring the slope level.
Pull up the subfloor and sister new 2x8s to the joists but leveled instead of at an angle
Pull up the subfloor and then attach custom-cut wedges to lay on top of the joists correcting them to level.

Now, option 1 has a certain amount of appeal simply because I don't have to pull up the linoleum, rip up the subfloor, or engage in any cutting, nailing, bolting, screwing, gluing, or replacing of subfloor to accomplish the leveling task. On the other hand, the notion of a large quantity of self leveling compound drying on me as I'm desperately attempting to mix it, pour it, feather it, etc. makes me nervous (a 10x13 room with a constant slope- thus the entire 130 sq. ft. floor will end up with at least some SLC on it- 1 inch deep on one side of the room, and feathered to nearly nothing on the other). So my questions are as follows:

Am I missing any major options for leveling my floor?
Are any of the options above not realistically viable (e.g. I have a friend who doesn't know what they're talking about in recommending one or more of the above options)
Is SLC really 'a breeze' to use (as I have been told it is), or are my fears of not being able to get the entire 10x13 room poured and feathered inside of the ~20 minute setting window well founded? I will have volunteer help, but there will be no 'pros,' so if it's not actually a 'breeze' this could be an issue...
Which option would you choose, and why?


texts: Half wall supporting 18" overhanging counter -- can this be done?

texts: As part of an upcoming kitchen remodel we plan on knocking down a (non-load bearing) wall between the dining room and kitchen. We are thinking of converting a portion of the existing wall to a half wall and placing an overhanging quartz countertop on it to create a peninsula. See attached Sketchup screenshot. This layout was suggested to us by a professional designer and my question is whether it makes sense structurally. Normally there would be a row of cabinets on the other side of the half wall, and the total amount of overhang would be ~1/3rd the overall width of the slab. Unfortunately there is no room for this in our 1950's-era, 10'x10' kitchen so the entire piece would need to be supported by the 4" half wall. I could perhaps see this working with enough reinforcing but I wanted to see whether anyone else has attempted such a feat and what the outcome was.


texts: Joining MDF shelf to extend length of spare pieces

texts:
I have some spare MDF Bullnose Shelving that are 39" combined. I need to build a 32" shelf in a closet space. I will use MDF cleats to support the shelf. Is it possible to combine these for building the closet shelf?
I don't have a biscuit tool. I have a handheld router (if that helps). I think I could use a support bracket in the middle (made with MDF), but I do not like this option because it would consume space that could be used for storage.
Please advise!


texts: How can I divert wind which is flowing parallel to the wall into the house?

texts:
Situation:

The house is surrounded by other structures in a way that the the wind direction remains parallel-horizontal to the wall. There are a couple of windows on that wall, but amount of air passing through those two windows is very small. If an obstacle could be placed to divert the wind into the house then the air passing through the windows would be greater.

Questions:

How can I divert the wind (air) which is flowing parallel to the wall into the house?
Is there any design for a wind catcher which can be mounted on an exterior wall?


texts: What's the difference between LPG and natural gas cooktops?

texts:
I've seen a lot of cooktops, some rated to be used with LPG (liquid gas or propane) and others with natural gas. Some companies have 2 models of the same design (one for LPG and one for natural gas).

What is the difference between the two? is it just the connector type or is it a different design of the cooktop burner itself? Is it possible to 'convert' an LPG cooktop to natural gas (and vise versa) or is it a completely different design and there is no point in trying to convert?


texts: How can I determine what the minimum working pressure is for a gas range?

texts:
I have recently purchased a range top, converted it to propane and am planning to use it with a 5 gallon propane tank.

When I connected it to my tank, I got a second worth of gas flow and then it stopped.

After my plumber troubleshooted with the manufacture for a while, it turns out that new ranges seem to have a minimum working pressure in order to operate.

How is this minimum pressure feature called- so I can look for a different range that doesn't have it?


texts: Is deckover or a simple stain more appropriate for this deck

texts:
I spent a couple of days sanding this deck and aside from a few boards that need to be partially replaced it is in good condition. I also plan to fill in a few holes with wood putty.

But I'm confused about whether I need to use a deckover or just a stain.


texts: Any issue with running 240v and 120v THHN in the same conduit and can they share a ground?

texts: Im running electrical for a mini split which requires a 240 line and there has to be a GFCI outlet near by so I'm running that too. The only way to get it there is through conduit (not buried) so I want to run both lines from the panel to the location and then probably a junction box to split them outside. Everything I've read says this is fine as long as I don't go over the capacity of the conduit which I'll probably do 1" for future proofing. Any issues, can they share a ground?


texts: Possibly Asbestos Contaminated Washer! What do I do?

texts:
So a while back, while my mom and I were moving out of our last place, I may have stowed a bunch of stuff from the attic away in plastic trash bags, as the attic was apparently insulated with asbestos, and I was worried some might’ve gotten into them.
Among these were 2 Australian flag baking aprons and one old fluffy Santa hat.
Now, just a little while ago, I tried putting them in the washer at my apartment, thinking it aught time to finally clean them off. What I didn’t realize at the time was that apparently this can get the asbestos into the washing machine and possibly the water.
I don’t know if I have the money to replace this. I’ve wiped the whole inside of the thing down as much as I can without dissembling it using a wet cloth and stored everything in plastic bags.
Is there any way for me to decontaminate my machine, or flush out the particles?
Note: I haven’t run them through the dryer yet. It’s just the washer that got used.
Note 2: I don’t actually know if there’s any asbestos on the garments, but apparently asbestos attic insulation can break down into asbestos dust via natural wear and tear, so I’m just assuming they are.


texts: Suction Side vs. Pressure Side Pool Cleaner

texts: What is the difference/advantages/disadvantage of pressure side vs. suction side pool cleaners, and which one to get for a concrete pool?


texts: Repairing 1000W wall heater: Burnt cable, serious issue?

texts:
European here. I'm repairing a simple 1000W wall heater (brand: BEHA) - about 10 years old. The heater itself is in good condition, but the thermostat panel (completely detachable) and its connections, less so. There is a power problem in which we have to wiggle the cables somewhat for it to power on. Taking a closer look, it seems one of the cables (the brown cable pictured below) has been having some heat issues. Notice the black, burnt color, and its oxidized (?) attachment.

My question; does this burnt cable suggest some serious issue, or is this normal for a 10 year old wall heater?

I'm suspecting it is causing the power problem, and plan to replace it and its attachment.

Thanks.


texts: Uneven/big gap between door and stop trim weatherstip will not seal

texts:
When closed, the gap between the outside face of my garage entry door and the stop trim built into the door jamb/frame is very uneven. The door opens into the house. On the hinge side and the top, it's a pretty even one quarter inch, but on the latch side, the gap varies from about 5/16" at the top to 9/16" at the bottom. The gap is so large I cannot find weatherstripping "tall enough" to seal.

Note that I am not talking about the gap between the sides of the door and the frame. This problem refers to the gap between the garage side face of the door and the stop trim. The gap around the edges of the door is uneven, but the door closes and latches without issue.

5/16" gap at top of door

9/16" gap at bottom of door

Is prying off the door stop trim and re-setting it with an even gap the solution? Or is there some clever way to adjust how the door is sitting in the frame?