texts: I need to install some open shelving but the brackets they use are at a height that would interfere with the air return pictured. Would it be okay to relocate the return 4” higher or is there a reason (Kentucky code) that dictates how much distance it should be from the ceiling? The ceiling is 9’ high and the air is returned between two studs that are open all the way to top plate. There is no actual ductwork.


texts:
I need to install a toilet in a my house while it is being built. The floor isn't ready yet and won't be for at least a couple of months and right know it is a rough concrete slab.

Since the soil pipe goes down from the toilet I cannot cut the pipe to size now as it will be too short after the floor is done.

I thought about making a base about 10 cm tall using brick and mortar and install the toilet on top of it (later I can remove the toilet and break the base). Does that work? Should I put plywood over the brick to keep the toilet more level?


texts: In England: ground or air based heat pump?

texts: Weather is not too extreme in southern England, will not need a/c. Want to install central heating for the first time in an old Victorian house. There are no radiators, no base board units, no under-floor heating, nothing. Well, a lot of chimneys and wood/coal stoves in fireplaces. Will be doing all the right things re. insulation and windows.  Want to be as green as possible, also independent of net if possible. Looking into geo-thermal but am not sure if govt. incentives make it worthwhile. Any advice welcome.


texts: Main fuse blows, individual fuses do not

texts: Recently I moved into a 4 year old house. The house has two 40 amp board on separate systems. One of the system's main fuse switch has been blowing recently as a high power tool is inserted into any outlet. The tool turns on for 1 second and dies when the main, not the individual, fuse is triggered. This is odd as that this just happened recently, and any recent electrical changes were undone to trace the failure to no success.


texts: How to move nut that is corroded onto tap?

texts:
I'm trying to change a bath tap (faucet for our American friends).  On the hot tap side, the nut which holds the tap onto the bath is seriously corroded, and I can't unscrew it.
As always with bath taps, everything is made more difficult by having to work in a tiny cramped space between the bath and the wall.  I'm doing it all lying on my side on the floor with my arms fully extended, it's really awkward.
Here's a photo of the offending nut: I can wiggle the tap around and can see that it's not stuck to the bath itself, it's just stuck to the screw thread.

I've had a go with water pump pliers, and two different kinds of basin wrench:

With the first one of these, I managed to get a really good grip on it, but even pulling the two rods I wasn't able to shift it.  I even managed to repeatedly bash one of the rods with a hammer but still no luck.
I'm stuck now because the water is turned off for the house (because of course the isolating valves below the taps are corroded and jammed too so I can't turn them off properly).
Any ideas, anyone?  Should I just keep bashing the basin wrench with a hammer?
thanks
EDIT - it's hard to see where the nut ends in that picture, but it includes the flat part above - it's one of these basically:


texts: Are there fans for radiators to improve performance?

texts:
I lived all my life with forced air heating and cooling, but my house now has steam radiators.  They perform ok, I suppose, but I know from trying that just letting the convection cause the airflow leaves them very inefficient.

With a small 6 inch fan blowing at low speed on a radiator, the room temperature will go up 5-10 degrees F.

I would prefer not to have to run power and fans to every rad in the house.  I was wondering what the options were for fans to improve the radiators performance.

Standard round fans are the wrong shape, and only target a small portion of the radiator surface.

I would love something that could draw power from the heat difference, since all it needs is low speed fans to move air better than convection does.


texts: Black and Decker drill just started to lose power in clockwise direction. What could be worn off?

texts: It is an 800w corded drill and was working just fine till recently. Counter clockwise mode works full power but the clockwise mode is completely useless, drill starts at some decent speed and power(about 80-90% that of counter clockwise) but stops on the slightest contact or sometimes even before contact with anything and won't start until i switch the direction back and forth.


texts: Can I lay 1/2" plywood over existing subfloor that has some damage

texts: Due to water damage I am having to replace about 1200 sq ft of flooring which was all newly installed. However, the way my floor is I'm confused on how to do this without removing the bottom subfloor. Starting from under the house (its raised 5 ft) and going up there is closed cell foam which is adhered to the 3/4" subfloor, 1/2" plywood on top of that and then 1/4" plywood underlayment and finally luxury vinyl flooring. The bottom subfloor has some damage but with laying new 1/2" plywood over it it should be stable, but I'm not sure how to lay it for the best stability. Also how do you lay it correctly where the bottom subfloor is unlevel?


texts: Question about electrical service for subpanel in pool house

texts: I have a small existing pool house (built 1988) that has electrical service ran to it from the house distribution panel. Two breaker and two separate sets of wires go to the pool house, 240 single phase power for the pool pump (on one 20 amp breaker) and 120 single phase to provide electric to various outlets, fan, etc. (on 15 amp breaker). The services is buried. I would like to put a subpanel in the pool house to have more local control over the loads. So, if I put a subpanel in the pool house, can I combine (20 amp + 15 amp) the feed on the main bus bar and install breakers? I have never seen this before, but if you combined the hots, neutrals, ground, bare ground, in the subpanel, wouldn't this maintain the same current flow through each lead?


texts: I need a switch, 1 receptacle and 1 dual outlet receptacle on 1 circuit

texts:
I removed 2 fluorescent hard wired light fixtures from above my work bench.  I installed an outlet in the box (on ceiling) where the 2 fixtures were hard wired in.  There is a 4 way outlet box on the pegboard in front of me that has to stay hot.  This 4 way is hot always.

In the ceiling box there is a white wire connected to the black ones.(?)
There is 1 extra black wire in that box that I didn't hook up.  I didn't know where to put it.

I plugged in the new LED fixture into the outlet, that I installed on the ceiling.

The wall switch does not work the new light. Where does the "extra black wire go?"

All outlets were checked with a circuit tester (the 2 amber/1 red light kind).  All were good...2 amber lights.

I need to operate the new light with the wall switch.

Thank You one and all...


texts: How to ensure proper drainage in a back yard

texts: Most homes in the Phoenix Metro area have slump block walls around separating the side and back yards. My house has a small side yard with a grass area and the back area is red brick on half and a pool on the other half. When it rains, it seems like the brick area floods and there is no place for the water to go and I think it's because the grass area is higher than the brick area. Should I be worried? At least it's bricks and the water drains eventually but during "the big one" it could end up flooding the back patio area and 3 inches later it's in the house.


texts: My wall appears to be leaking. Can I fix it myself?

texts:
It was raining yesterday, and I noticed this wall on the upper floor of our house was leaking. The house is quiet old, built in 1886, but it was "flipped" within the past few years and almost everything on the interior appears to be brand new. The exterior is vinyl.

I peeled off the section of paint that had bubbled up to look underneath at the drywall:

I'm very comfortable putting up/mudding drywall, but I've never done anything to the exterior of the house before and it's on an upper level anyway. Is this likely something I can fix myself from inside, or does it need to be fixed from the outside and/or by a professional?


texts:
I have a dilemma. In my kitchen, there has always been an unused electrical box in the ceiling. On the wall in my kitchen, there has always been a switch that doesn't control anything. I always assumed that the switch controlled the ceiling box. (I know what happens when you assume, but hey...)

So I built a fixture that holds 5 pendant lights (led). I wired the fixture to the ceiling box yesterday and the lights worked perfectly. However, the switch doesn't control the lights.

I figured out that the ceiling box wire connects to a wall box that has two standard side-by-side plugs, and three lines coming into it. (See drawing)

My question is, what should I do? Can I replace one of the plugs with a switch? Is there a remote control that I could hook up to the wiring in the fixture itself?

Thank you so much.

Chris


texts: Useless soffit on on low ceiling. Cover-up or stupid aesthetic?

texts:
A little back story. My house was build in the early 40's.  The point at which builders threw away the idea of trying to build something that is architecturally significant and see how far they could push builder grade. As a result, among other things, I have low ceilings. 7.5'. Roughly 50 years later, the previous owner decided to throw money at the place and as best as I can tell cut corners in every way.

Fast forward to now. I've lived here for nearly three years and bought the place with the intention of fixing many of the problems.  I have already done quite a lot but now I plan on moving next year so I'm limiting projects that will have a return.  We are doing a very small kitchen upgrade.  Painting the cabinets (wife's idea, still not convinced) and retailing the back splash.

Here is the question. Not that I am looking to expand the scope but when the kitchen was redone in the 90's they did something architecturally stupid. They put in an 8" soffit above the 30" cabinets resulting in very small cabinets which are also too low.  What is even worse is that they were apparently so concerned with saving a few bucks by going with smaller cabinets that they cut off the top 8 inches of the kitchen window.  It looks really stupid.  I want to rip it out.  Maybe not the whole soffit because I'm not in the market to replace all of the cabinets, but the area over the sink where the window is.  So I guess my question is, has anyone ever seen this done to cover something up or is there some justifiable reason why what they did was a good idea?  I really hate it, but it seems like such a bad idea, that I cant imagine doing it unless I was covering something up.


texts: Wiring for an emergency generator interlock

texts: I want to use an interlock to have use of any breakers (if necessary) in my circuit panel.The problem is I have power from the utility meter feeding a service disconnect which, in turn, feeds the main lug breaker panel on the opposite wall of my garage.  There is no "main" circuit breaker in the panel otherwise I would put an interlock kit there.  I'm questioning whether I could place a "feed through" breaker panel in between the service disconnect and the main lug breaker panel. This feed through panel would have a main breaker and 50A breaker for the generator power and interlock kit as well as lugs to continue the main service to the breaker panel when not using generator power.  Am I completely off base with this or does someone out there have some different ideas? Thank you


texts: Use 220v appliances on Japan 200v: how to connect

texts:
I've posted this question in the electrical engineering and they have recommended to do over here, so here I am :)

I’m trying to understand how I can connect my European appliances to the 200v supplied here in Japan I’m sure is possible because, during the renovation, my electrician was able to connect a kitchen hood from Germany, but I don’t know how he did and I can’t connect with him anymore I’ve tried a simple 3 pins plug replacement (phase neutral ground) but didn’t worked out

Sorry for my lack of basic knowledge :)

Thanks to all in advance for share your knowledge with me

Cheers


texts: How do I best go about removing a chimney shrub?

texts: Do you have any top tips in removing a shrub growing out of a chimney? It must be a good 3-4 feet & still growing. It's growing out the side of the stack. Other than have it removed, repoint the brick work, and cap the chimney, is there anything else I can do to ensure it doesn't grow back. I'm hoping it does all come out! Expensive tree planting not of my choice!


texts:
I've used Billy book selves from Ikea to create a built-in unit along a wall. I am going to put the shelves up inline, then I need to fill the rest of the holes which are in the sides. After the holes are filled, it will be painted.

What would work better in this case to fill the holes? Painter's caulk or joint compound. I'm heavily leaning towards joint compound because it is sandable. I just want to ensure I'm not doing the wrong thing.


texts: The valve stem is broken off. I would like to find a replacement valve stem because removing the entire faucet is impossible without replumbing.


texts:
I have a water distiller which the electric fan suddenly just stopped working (thankfully I was near by to shutdown everything, otherwise ...). Prior to the failure everything was working fine, there was no warnings. And just after the failure there was a burning smell.

I've removed the electric motor to do some testing:

It is not jammed or stuck since I can spin it fine with my fingers.
There is no visual damage in it.
It doesn't work even if connected directly into the power outlet.

There is a teardown video of a similar model that might be useful for the discussion.

Question

I've tried to find some DIY repair for this kind of electric motor but could not find.
Is it possible to fix it? How?


texts: Can I warm up a swimming pool by submerging black-painted milk jugs in it?

texts:
I know they make solar covers for pools, but I that is a bit of a pain to put on and take off all the time and my cover (from a well known manufacturer) from last year was easy to rip and became brittle and fell apart in a few thousand pieces at the end of the summer.

I was thinking about taking milk jugs, pouring a bit of black paint in them to coat the inside, letting them dry, and then submerging them in the pool. This sounds like it would be more effort than the solar cover, but I don't think I would need to remove them every time. Also, they could double as weights to keep the normal cover on when it storms.

Are there any DIY solutions that work well to really warm up a pool?

I live in Ohio, USA if that matters/helps.


texts: garbage disposal unit sinktop flange is being very stubborn and won't come away

texts:
I am replacing a garbage disposal unit in the kitchen. Everything is off but the flange, and I am getting very frustrated. I need to replace the sink flange as it doesn't fit the new unit I'm replacing the old unit with. But ... I cannot get the sink flange to loosen up, the plumbers putty is being very stubborn. Is there any way I can get that flange to come off without damaging the sink?
Thanks for your time.


texts: I want to install a metal roof over my single layer shingle one on my unheated garage. It has mold and MOSS and lichens. Can I put a metal roof over mold and moss and lichens?


texts: What type of insulation can be used near knob and tube wiring?

texts: I have a house build in the 1920's.  I recently had a HVAC system installed, and i have to insulate my actic (Unfinished).  The three bedrooms and one bath on the floor below have a center ceiling electric light, wired with the original knob and tube electric.  What would be the best form of insulation around this area of the attic?


texts: hi there! We bought an old condo, and it has a built-in cupboard of sorts, but it looks like this: (see photo). Any ideas on how to clean up all these scratches would be greatly appreciated! Thanks


texts: Why does my house heat up, even when it's cool outside?

texts:
Summary
The question pretty much says it all.  It's probably a ridiculously easy one to answer.  It's cool outside but I know that my house is heating up because my AC kicks on periodically.  I've had this experience in multiple houses, so I presume it's not just caused by some sort of one-off issue with an AC or thermostat.  It seems strange and I'd like to understand why it happens so that perhaps in the future I can make my house more energy efficient.
More Details
I'm a life-long Florida resident and have had this experience in a few houses.  I've noticed that even when it is cooler outside than in (say the AC is set to 80°F (27°C) and the weather is 76-78°F (24–26°C) outside), my AC still runs periodically throughout the day.  Note that the obvious answer is "Just open the windows", but for those not familiar it is usually 80%-90% humidity outside, and even 76°F (24°C) isn't pleasant at 80% humidity (it's also a recipe for mold, which has been a problem for me).  Basically, there are only 1 or 2 months of the year when it is both cool and dry enough to open your windows in Florida (IMO).
In that sense having the AC run periodically is not actually crazy, mainly just to keep the humidity down.  However, it still seems strange to me that if the AC should kick on (aka the house is warming up) at all if it is 2-5°F (1-3°C) cooler outside than the temperature I have the AC set to.
I realize this is likely house-dependent, but I've lived in more or less the same "kind" of house for the past decade or so: wood frame, insulation-in-attic, single pane windows, and a few trees around providing shade for the house (although certainly not enough to shade the entire roof).
I presume this is a sign of some general inefficiencies in my house's thermal-insulation-design.  Why might my house be heating up even when its cool outside?


texts: How to stop water running down shower tube and under the bath

texts: We've got a corner jacuzzi bath tub with a shower attachment. The shower tube goes through a hole and via a spring so that the tube retracts automatically. The problem is that water collects on the floor under the bath tub when it runs down the shower hose, through the hole where the shower tube retracts and onto the floor below. Does anyone know of any solution for this problem? Is there some sort of circular rubber flange that you can put the shower tube through to stop this happening. Thanks for your help.


texts: How can I join two solid surface vanity tops for a seamless appearance?

texts:
I purchased two Swanstone solid surface vanity tops for my double-bowl sink.  I trimmed them to site side-by-side and planned to use white silicone caulk between them to fill any very small gaps.  They looked fine going in but the caulk sunk some after it dried and so I am thinking I need to take one out and fill the gap with something else that will have the following properties:

Non-porouos
Easy to clean
Same or similar color as my tops
Will bond to solid surface

I have considered epoxy of some sort, but I'd like to know if there is anything that is commonly used to this effect.  I have seen granite tops lined up with little noticeable seam so I think it should be possible.  Of course, I should have picked a darker color to hide the seam better but... live and learn I guess.

UPDATE:
I received a response from Swanstone:

  Hi, Corian can be chemically bonded but Swanstone cannot. We do a
  mechanical  bond and then fill seams with an acrylic glue. These
  products are only available to certified swanstone fabricators. If you
  would like information on that, give me your location and I can tell
  you who to get in touch with.

I already have a mechanical fastening system in place, not pictured are three 1/4"x20 bolts in the front, back, and middle of the sink spanning the vertical supports of the two halves, which happen to butt against each other.

Addendum: Good info in general re: swanstone fabrication: http://www.jlconline.com/countertops/working-with-thin-solid-surfacing_1.aspx

Update: I followed Jack's advice and used glacier white SeamIt brand solid surface adhesive (2 part epoxy).  The results are not bad, the only downside is that the adhesive itself has a different sheen than the swanstone so I think I'll try to rough it up later to cut down on reflections off of the adhesive line.  The finished product is pictured below.


texts: Do I need to turn off my Water Heater when changing my hot and cold bathroom sink flexible water pipes?

texts:
I need to change the hot and cold flexible water pipes feeding my bathroom sink as they are rusty and ready to burst. The problem is there are no shutoff valves under my sink so I'm wondering what the best course of action is.

I've read all the blogs I could find and found the information to be confusing as everyone had a different piece of advice.

Some people say that shutting the main valve at the meter and draining the hot/cold water pipes is sufficient as long as the water heater is lower than the lowest hot tap that will be drained (hard to say for me as my water heater is on the ground floor)
Some people say that the water heater cold water feeding pipe valve should be shut off
Some people say the water  heater should be turned off (gas, electricity) as a precaution
Some people say the water heater might get siphoned out and therefore present a hazard, etc.

Can someone help me knowing that my bathroom is on the first floor and my water heater is on the ground floor? I realize I need a better understanding of the theory so if someone knows where to find some good information please let me know.


texts: Puppies chewed through the cord on airconditioner in the window. I rewired color to color. It still is popping in wire fuse

texts: I have rewired things before. And this isn't new. I have never encountered this before!


texts: Main stack is 3" ABS inside the house replacing the original cast iron.  At the top, the cast iron going through the roof was left in place for convenience and the ABS was run through it.  The roof at that point is flat and is torch-on/torch-down.  The roof leaks at this point every couple of years and causes internal damage. There was no boot installed there and just a piece of torch-down around the cast iron stack.  My suspicion is that the cast iron gets very hot in summer time and expands and contracts, creating the cracks through which standing water leaks through in winter.  My question is: should I get a boot installed on the cast iron vent, or, have the cast iron removed (it is accessible inside the attic space) and then a boot installed on the ABS?


texts: Unconventional thermostat wire labels on boiler

texts:
I have inherited an electric boiler for heating water in pipes running through the house.

The existing thermostat is a very old and very simple mechanical one. I want to install a more recent thermostat, ideally a 'smart' model that 'learns' over time.

Here's a picture of the wires going into the boiler from the thermostat (the bottom 4).

The two TH + S1 + S2 are the 4 wires that appear to go up to the thermostat.
Edit: TH wires go to the thermostat, S1 + S2 are going to an outside sensor.

The only one I recognize is the unconnected 'C' ('common'), which means I need to run it up to the thermostat in order to install a newer "smart" thermostat model. Is this assumption correct?

Also what are all the unconventional wire labels? None of them are what I commonly see in articles on the net (R, C, W, W2, G, Y/Y2). How do I reconcile them with labels in instruction manuals for recent thermostats?

Update 1: Boiler model is Dettson HYDRA15-E2401M-C (manual PDF). Turns out TH stand for "thermostat", that's the first 2 wires. The other 2 (S1 and S2) refer to "modulation" outdoor sensor in manual and are also going up to the thermostat.

Update 2: after opening the Honeywell thermostat. The 2 wires are hooked up directly to the boiler TH connections. Wire colours are not continuous (white and red at the boiler vs. white and black at the thermostat). What do the W and R mean on the thermostat screws?


texts: Can I replace 15 amp spiral CFL lights in garage with fluorescent lights?

texts:
1978 house. Garage has two crappy spiral CFL ceiling lights on 15amp ciruit, horrible lighting in cool spectrum. Can I replace them with big fluorescent or led shop lights? I need to better lighting everywhere in the garage. Are there other good garage lighting products, like on wall so workbenches get illuminated?
Thanks ahead of time!


texts: Worth it to add footing insulation if there's already a thermal break?

texts:
I've been considering insulating the outside perimeter footings of my 1972 ranch house in northern New Mexico. The slab-on-grade it's built on (that constitutes the subfloor) reaches a temperature equilibrium that's always colder than the interior temperature, making me think that it's a drag on thermal performance by sucking away interior heat and releasing it as easily to the surrounding subsoil as to the interior. So I've been thinking that I'd remedy this by insulating the footings to make it only release heat to the interior.

However, while doing other renovations, I just discovered that there does appear to be a thermal break of some sort separating the part of the slab that's exposed to the interior from the part of it that's outside:

So now I'm thinking that either this thermal break/thin strip of insulation either isn't very effective, or else it is effective, and adding more insulation isn't going to do me much more good than I've already got.

So I'm torn. If it's effective, then the biggest loss will be under the slab where I can't insulate, right? But if it's not very effective, then I can add more insulation to the outside of the footings and see a performance gain.

I've never seen something like this and would appreciate the opinion of a professional. Is this the kind of detail that's not helping at all and that was later discarded as people discovered the truth? Or is it doing anything?


texts:
I want to know the use scenario of both, I have a 40 mm drain pipe in the ground and 40 mm shower trap pipe so I want to connect them both. I guess for my use scenario it might not matter much due to low pressure, however that raised the question if I should nearly always choose compression instead of push-fits?

Also why do compression joints sometimes come with the additional hard/flat washer along side the coned rubber one, sometimes they don't?


texts: Why are my cabinets peeling and how do I fix it?

texts:
I have a new apartment, but I noticed that my kitchen cabinets are suffering from what I can only call, "peeling". Here's an image to illustrate:

Why are my cabinets peeling? And, how do I fix this?


texts:
I wanted to repair a dripping in-shower valve, and as the first step searched for a shut-off valve to the shower, only to discover there is apparently none. Similarly, I cannot find a valve for the second bathroom's tub supply only. All other fixtures have their shutoff valves.

My unit is a condo in a 3-story building located in the Los Angeles county, California. According to the LA county FAQ, state and county plumbing codes are based on the 2000 Uniform Plumbing Code, and the latter, if I am understanding it correctly (version on the Watt's site, PDF, page 29), seems to require that all fixtures could be shut off without shutting off other units:

  605.3 In multi-dwelling units, one (1) or more shutoff valves shall be provided in each dwelling unit so that the water supply to any plumbing fixture or group of fixtures in that dwelling unit can be shut off without stopping water supply to fixtures in other dwelling units. These valves shall be accessible in the dwelling unit that they control.

The building was built around 1985. Hot water is heated centrally in the building, so I am looking for a pair of valves, not a small setup to overlook easily. How likely it is there is no such valve installed for the showers/tubs? What could be a less obvious location for the valve (inside the wall is very unlikely, is it?). It would not be a very big deal to arrange a time to shut off water with the neighbors, and the valves that shut off 3 units on one floor each are accessible with a step ladder in the underground garage, but I would avoid that if possible.


texts: prevent kitchen aspirator exhale from other condominium kitchens

texts:
first of all sorry my bad english.
I live in a condominium in a rented house and the owner installed very cheap appliances in the kitchen.
The condominium has the kitchen aspirator pipe for the exhaust in common with my neighbours. Now when the neighbous cook i het from the aspirator the smell of what they're cooking and that very unconfortable. Is there any electric option to close the aspirator pipe and open it when i turn my aspirator on?


texts: Would a drain line being too low cause a problem for the washing machine pump to run dry and damage the machine?

texts: The drain line is the standard height, and is the height of the original one when the house was built. Is there a regulation stating it has to be a certain height? If so what is it.


texts: How do I clean a Moen kitchen faucet diverter?

texts:
I have the Moen Chateau kitchen faucet pictured below and am having the following issues:

the button on the sprayer hose is sticking, it will not release easily when i push on it
the faucet water supply does not fully switch over to the sprayer hose.

After doing to some research I think I need to clean out the diverter on it, but I don't know how to get to it.  I tried looking online, but I have not found anything helpful.  Could issue #1 be a result of not getting enough pressure?


texts: Why does water randomly come out of the kitchen tap every now and then

texts: Sometimes the taps have a little bit of water come out for a few seconds while I'm just sat around not doing anything with the sink


texts: What does this button on my Electrolux refrigerator do?

texts: On my Electrolux refrigerator (model: ER8029B), what does this button do?


texts:
I want to build this shed like the picture below (I got from someone else) using my leftover cedar fence pickets:

However I don't know if it will leak water from the side. There isn't much protection from water to the inside. What about the edges around the shed on the roof? How to seal everything inside?


texts: How can I replace a sliding glass door with a broken seal?

texts: I have a sliding glass door and the glass is etched around side; the seal broke and dust has come in and I don't know how to fix it.


texts:
I accidentally got coconut oil on my wall a few months ago. At the time I tried everything to get it off but it wouldn't budge.

I live in rented accommodation so I will be buying paint to do touch-ups. The wall space isnt huge so I am open to painting more than just that spot if needed.

Can anyone give advice on the process or things I need to do, to prevent the oil coming through the fresh paint? (Total novice here)


texts: Holes through plumbers box (double header in floor joist)

texts:
A joist is right where the drain is for the bathtub and I am looking for a solution to do the plumbing. Currently, the plan is to do a 'Plumbers Box' in the floor joists which solves the initial issue.

Now, I also plan to have the plumbing for the tub run through the joists. Is this still possible or am I now limited?

My joist are 2x10s and 16in on center, the holes through the joists will be 3". They would follow the guidelines defined here. https://www.familyhandyman.com/floor/how-to-drill-through-floor-joists/view-all, however again, not sure if I can still put holes in the double header.

The image below is not what I have, its just to show what I would like to do. Is this possible?


texts: What is this insect that seems to hatch from OSB?

texts:
These insects are everywhere in the house and they seem to hatch inside. New construction, frame structure with Oriented Stand Boards. Country side located, lowland fields, temperate climate (Romania).
I'm wondering if the boards were infested and now the larva worms are going through adult stage.
Do they pose any risk to the boards?  I.E. Are they feeding on it?


texts: How do I install an old work junction box around fire blocking?

texts:
I have an interior wall with a one-gang light switch; it contains a dual dimmer.  I'm trying to change this to a single dimmer, and to add a new switch (to drive the other load) on the opposite side of the wall.
Here's a sketch(-up) of what it looks like now:

Some feeling around (as much as I can) seems to show the following geometry:

In other words, the existing new-work box seems to be cut into the horizontal stud.
The other side (where I want to install a new switch) looks something like this:

So, finally, to get to my question: I want to install an old-work box about here:

Is it feasible to remove some of the horizontal stud, ideally without having to do drywall repair?  For example, I have a Sawzall; can I just use that to carve through the front part of the horizontal?  Any other tips?


texts:
I'm renovating my kitchen.  The current cabinets were screwed into 2x2s and in some cases directly into a cinder block wall.  I'm not a fan - it makes it difficult to run my electrical.  However, framing the wall with 2x4s will push the wall out just enough where it makes the refrigerator opening awkward.  Not impossible, just close enough to a window where opening the refrigerator would be awkward.
Any issue (other than code requiring 2x4s?) with using 2x3s to frame the wall?  It is not load bearing (for the house; obviously it will bear the load of the cabinets plus contents).  The 1" saved on the depth of the wall will really help.  To be clear, I'm not exactly sure how much it will save me as I haven't demo'd the existing kitchen yet to confirm the exact size of the lumber currently used; I'm basing it off of what I can barely see through a hole under my sink.  but I know it is not 2x4s.
Regardless, if 2x3s are just fine it will save me some space.  I plan on using blocking between the studs to make hanging the cabinets easier.


texts: Is a #14 pigtail to a receptacle on a 20A circuit actually an issue?

texts:
I recently had a 15A receptacle in my kitchen partially melt while my wife had our vacuum cleaner plugged into it.

We knew something was up when we smelled the telltale hot plastic smell. I felt the wall-plate and it was hot. I turned off the breaker, took everything apart, and found that the outlet was being used as a pass-through to power two of the counter-top outlets in our kitchen and our very large kitchen refrigerator/freezer.

Supposedly even a 15A outlet is rated for 20A pass-through, but something wasn't right if it melted, so I went and found a replacement duplex outlet, some #14 wire, and re-wired it using pigtails so the outlet wasn't passing through any current.

I wrongly assumed that the circuit was 15A. When I went back to turn on the breaker, I discovered that it was a 20A circuit. Uh oh. My pigtails were under-rated for the circuit.

I also used a take-out receptacle that I had lying around, and it was ivory rather than white.

I told my wife not to plug 2 heavy-duty loads into that outlet until the weekend, and today went out and bought a new white duplex receptacle, found some #12 Romex from which I could cut new pigtails, and rewired it properly, both with the correctly colored receptacle, and with the proper gauge of wire.

I got to thinking, though. Resistance is measured in ohms per foot. A 14 gauge wire carrying a 20 amp load introduces too much resistance over the length of the wire run, causing a significant voltage drop and heating up the wiring and risking a fire.

However, a pigtail is typically less than 4 inches long. I'm not advocating it, but couldn't you use 14-gauge wire for such a short piece of wire and not generate enough of a voltage drop to cause a problem, even if you were to plug 2 devices into the receptacle that drew a total of 20 amps? (Again, I understand that that would be a violation of code, and I'm not about to do it in my house. This is a theoretical question.)


texts: What benefit do plasterboard/drywall screws have?

texts:
I have some plasterboard screws like this:

However, without a drill I have a job getting them into the wall. Am I safe to use normal screws on hangings that aren't going to be taking a great deal of weight? In this case it is a rack of coat hooks.


texts: Why does the second light go out when the first bulb is removed?

texts: I have recently added another light fixture to a switch that used to just control 1 entry light. Now that switch controls both of them & have found out that they are both dependent on having working bulbs in them to both work. If one is removed, or burned out, both will not work. My problem is I have 1 light that is working and the second light is either extremely dim or not even lit up at all. What can I do?


texts: Where does the blue wire in my fan go to?

texts: I took my fan down because it was not working..... I cleaned it thoroughly, and recut all the wires.  I checked everything and it worked fine.  Next, I went to fully assemble it, (knowing that the motor was working now) and a blue wire fell out of the fan motor itself.  I know where to connect it to the ceiling, However I do not know where this blue wire goes to the fan box itself....


texts: Anyone know if there are any large chains that carry HT Armaflex?

texts:
Grainger doesn't have it, Northern Tool doesn't have it, and Lowes doesn't have it.  Home Depot has a lower temperature (200F) Armaflex, but doesn't have HT Armaflex.  (HT Armaflex, by the way, is a high-temperature rubberized pipe insulation.)

Does anyone know where I can get this stuff?  :(

PS: I'm in DFW, TX.


texts:
I have a bump out in front of the house with a sloped metal roof on it that is rusting.  I want to fix this before it becomes a problem but I can not find reliable advice for my particular situation.  The roof is sloped, painted white and made up of many 1.5 x 3 foot flat metal sheets whose seams are covered in some substance, not welded, that looks like thickly laid caulk but not soft like caulk.  The roof is starting to rust bad, maybe 40% is now rusted, and I don't know if I can just sand the rust off without disturbing whatever the seams are covered with or if removing the rust is even necessary.

My question is, what should I use to "repaint" the roof and how should I prep the roof for said "paint"?

Edit 1 here is a pic of the roof:


texts: Cheap system to keep mice from drowning in a pool?

texts: Sometimes small mice end up jumping into my pool and drowning. I should install a cover, but in the meantime does anyone have an easier system? I have one of those off-ramps for small animals already, but maybe there is a better version. Also maybe there is some kind of motion detector or image analysis software to alert me?


texts: Replaced breaker, and still no power to outlets, but at circuit test 110

texts:
I hope you can answer my question.

I recently replaced the circuit breaker because it would not reset the power to the outlets thinking it was the problem.  I tested with a volt meter and it reads 110 V at the circuit breaker.  I got no power to the outlets (all were checked with a volt meter) or the wiring on the back.  I went out of town for 2 days and left the breaker in the off position for safety reasons.  I returned last night and turned the breaker back on so that I could trouble shot it some more, and the lights came on.  Also, we did a load of laundry as the washer machine is also on the same circuit.  Don't ask me why, it is a 100 year home with an updated (15 years ago) panel and wiring.  My wife this morning put the hair dryer into the new outlet (used the screws and not the plug in the back) and it tripped the breaker again.  That was the only thing on the circuit.  And she used the hair dryer in out middle bathroom with no troubles.  The outlet that my wife used this morning that threw the breaker is the first in the daisy chain of outlets and switches.

I have checked all of the GFCI outlets and they are all good.

I am thinking it is a short in the wire between the first outlet and the breaker box.

Any other thoughts? I appreciate any help!


texts: I'm building a cedar fence and I want it to turn gray, but we also want it to be sealed so it will last longer.  If I seal the cedar, will it age to the gray color?  If not, how can we get a gray cedar fence that will last a reasonable amount of time? This is in Southern California.


texts: How do you identify a metric pipe thread?

texts:
I have a fitting that I think is a metric pipe thread. It is tapered.
I have seen some charts on the web, but they are just for identifying parallel threads, not tapered threads. For example, these charts just have one "outer diameter" listed for the thread, but obviously each thread has a different diameter if the thread is tapered.
In the case of my fitting, it has 5 threads in 9mm or 11/32" which does match the pitch of any pipe thread that I know of.


texts:
I have a Gledhill pressurised system and it has started to vibrate when the cistern and pressure valve was changed after failing through the winter.
I have had 3 different plumbers in and they don’t really know.
It happens when the hot water is being used. The pressure is initially good and then sort pf settles but between those 2 events, that’s where the vibration occurs. All my taps are mostly mixers.
I have watched it happen and the vibration occurs between the hot water pipe (taking hot water from the cylinder) to the white cistern which I believe is the overflow?!
Both cistern and pressure valve (in red) have been checked and all fine.
Yet, still vibrating!
See photos.


texts: Do I need to cut stone countertop for kitchen sink?

texts:
I am looking to replace my top mount kitchen sink with another top mount sink that is 5cm bigger on the left-hand side, this only really affects the drying area, and the sink and waste disposal fit into the current void.
My question is can I install the sink (extra 5cm) directly onto the countertop,
or is there some requirement that means I need to cut more of the countertop out?
I feel like it should be okay but wanted some advice as I cannot see people online doing it this way, everyone has perfectly cut holes...


texts: My laminate floor looks like the top layer has "bubbled" at the seam in a couple of places.Can this be repaired?


texts:
I have two wall switches side-by-side.  There appears to be only one neutral wire.
I'm trying to install WEMO wifi enabled wall switches.  My WEMO switches require a neutral wire.  Can I wire both WEMO switches to the same neutral wire?


texts: Dirt or concrete for Aluminum fence posts?

texts: Should I use concrete, dirt, or gravel to set aluminum fence post is disturbed soil?  The soil was backfilled 9 months ago, and it may not be fully settled.


texts: Is there any way to disable the steam fresh function on my LG all in one washer/dryer? It builds up steam during the dry cycle and I am constantly burning myself.


texts: Do I need blocking between 2x8 joists with an 8-foot span in a kid's fort?

texts:
About to embark on a DIY project to build my kids a fort.
It will be a deck using 4x4's for legs, holding up a box of 2x8's. Three interior joists for a total of 7 2x8's will make up the frame for the floor. The 2x8's will be attached to each other using 3 1/2" long, either 3/8" or 1/2" thick galvanized lag screws.
On top of this, I will be building walls 5' high out of 2x4's and cedar fence boards, with a simple gable roof.

My question is: should I use blocking between the floor joists? I know this prevents cupping, but is there a structural need, or is this overkill?


texts: How can I replace particle board overlayment installed under interior walls?

texts:
Just bought a house built in 1980 from the original owner. The bathrooms are carpeted, the master bath carpet had been soaked in urine over the years. So we immediately ripped it out and found the overlayment (also soaked in urine and growing mold) is 3/4" particle board, which the interior walls, shower, and cabinets all sit on top of the overlayment. The shower and cabinets aren't a problem (although it will be a pain), however the walls are an issue. How can I safely replace the particle board with plywood under these interior walls?

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated!


texts: What type and size plywood is appropriate to reinforce a box spring for 425 lb user?

texts: My boxspring is crumpled in pretty bad in one section and its causing back issues but i can't afford a new bed. i was told by the physical therapist to get plywood to stick between the mattress and box spring but i have zero clue what kind to buy. it needs to support the weight of the mattress but also me (425lbs) its a full size standard mattress and box spring on a regular metal frame where its open underneath.


texts:
I live on the 2nd story. I would like to reduce the vibration caused by the bench grinder. I bought the grinder at least 30 years ago. Everything is original equipment. I have some carpet padding under it, but a lot of vibration is still transmitted to my floor.

Can you suggest some other ideas that will preferably cost the least.

Thanks.


texts:
New houses have been built at the back of my house and they are very noisy.
I want to build an outside wall to get some sort of protection.

I currently have a standard fence panel and a Hawthorn hedge behind it but it makes very little difference.

I live in the UK, in the Cotswold region and these are the stones I am likely to use:

Will I be more soundproof?


texts: I'm new at plumbing, working on installing a master bath in our house. Pictured is the room with the shower pan in place, a vanity drawn where that will go and you can see the toilet flange sitting in between where the toilet will sit. Does the setup I've drawn look correct? Are there any mistakes that I need to change or a better way of doing anything. Under the room is unfinished basement. My cleanout needs to be pretty close to the toilet. I can't move it further left past the shower as there is a block wall there.


texts: How to get storm door to close properly when door open or closed

texts:
So I have a nice solid front door, fitted well against the insulation. The storm door, however, has problems closing depending on the open/close position of the main door. The storm door currently has 2 dampers (one on top and bottom) and both are nearly fully open.

When the door is open, the storm door ends up slamming shut because the damper is wide open.
When the door is shut, the storm door won't close all the way because a pocket of air is trapped between the doors and slows the door down enough it doesn't have enough force to fully close.

How do I fix the doors such that the storm door will fully and softly close no matter which position the front door is in?


texts: Load distribution panel, type of wood and thickness?

texts:
I have a 1m2 (10ft2) object. This object weighs 400kg (880 pounds). I would like to spread the load over 2.5m2 (25ft2).

I'm wondering what type of wood/panel and how thick should that wood be. Are there any calculators?

I've been thinking about plywood or laminated wood, but don't know how thick these should be!


texts:
Our water heater (gas) is located in the garage. It is 25 to 30 feet away from the closest faucet, which I'm guessing is the main reason it takes so long -- a minute or longer -- to get hot water flowing into my house.

What can I do to reduce the time it takes to get hot water flowing?


texts:
I'm installing a Marvin Integrity "bow" window, kind of like a bay window except it's multiple casements set in a smooth arc.  These are installed in a rectangular rough opening like any window; however, the outward bulging load cannot be cantilevered, instead needing add'l support.

There are two methods: angle or 45-degree braces underneath, or a "cable system".   No one seems to know much about the latter, including local dealers, so I'm not sure exactly how it works - sounds like it suspends the load from the overhanging rafter tails.

The window I'm getting is 5 panels, about 80" wide, and projects out 10"; my roof overhang is about 2ft.  Can anyone tell me about this cable system, and which method do you recommend ?   I'd prefer the cable - not liking the way the bracing underneath might look - if only I understood it.


texts: Why is the white wire hot in my switch box?

texts:
I have been replacing my light switches with zwave switches but some of them are wired a bit differently and am having some difficulty understanding them.

This one is a single light switch to control one light in the room. The white wire seems to be the hot one.

This one is a two-way light switch. The second switch controlling this switch is in the other room. The red and white seem to be running hot all the time while there are two wires (black and white) in the black connected with a wire nut.

Could someone please help me understand what's going on here?


texts: Can I tap into the kitchen / dishwasher drain pipe with my washing machine?

texts:
I am moving my washing machine as a part of finishing my basement. Can I tap into a kitchen drain pipe (draining my sink and dishwasher) for my washing machine drain? How would this be done?

I imagine a 45° pipe fitting would suffice:

but, would that cause a smell from the kitchen in my laundry room?

Since you asked, I live in Virginia, USA.


texts: Ungrounded outlets, what are my options?

texts:
I'm currently in a lease on an apartment as a tenant.

I've done quite a lot of small-time electrical work on places I've lived in the past: changing out outlets, switches, two-way switches, etc. I'm not uncomfortable at all with opening up a wall outlet and changing it out.

At my current apartment after changing some of the outlets due to old age/weak springs in the outlets, I discovered (unfortunately) that none of the 10 outlets I replaced are grounded. It's not likely that any of the outlets are grounded.

For my expensive equipment, I'll likely run a UPS with a really good surge protector in front of it to prevent it from damage in the case of a fault.

However, what are my options for fixing the problem at the source? Is it possible that the breaker box itself is grounded with the outlets and switches ungrounded? Does being ungrounded mean that the only solution is to run wires and hire an experienced electrician to install a ground rod? Would replacing all outlets with GFCI adapters help?

Update

I have just tested an outlet using a wiring tester and things look okay:

The lights indicate that the wiring is correct. This tester is a bit old and decrepit so I'm going to order another one and try it again to be sure. Would something like this be able to tell me that I am, in fact, grounded?

Update 2

Many of the outlets were wired in this way:

Both the hot and neutral wires are wired in this way on many of the outlets, which I thought was really strange.

Typically, I've seen wire endings attached to the outlets, not the middle of a wire stripped and wrapped around the screw on the side of the outlet.


texts:
While installing a new floor in my living room I had to remove the baseboards (finished wood, not painted), now that the job is done and the baseboards have been replaced what is the best way to fill the nail holes?

What steps should I take to fill the holes, add stain (to match), and polyurethane so the holes are not noticeable.


texts: does this look like an up to code support beam?

texts:
we had an entry way widened a bit which required them to install a longer support beam. I'm absolutely not a professional. But the 2x4's supporting the larger beam don't seem very substantial to me. There's just one under each end of the cross beam.

Does anyone who is more knowledgeable about building practices/codes know if this is up to snuff? The width is about 8.5 feet


texts: Paint got ripped off when trying to remove double-sided foam tape

texts:
I was trying to remove a picture frame which was adhered to the wall with some double-sided foam tape.

Unfortunately, the foam tape was so sticky and ripped some of the paint off the wall (see pictures below).

I would like to know how should I fix this? Should I just repaint the small area where the paint is off or do I have to paint the entire wall? Would that be noticeable if I just repaint the small area? The original paint on the wall is about 1.5 years old.

Also, would like to know some suggestions on how to remove double-sided foam tape easily without ripping off the paint?


texts: Does composite decking hold more solar heat than wood decking?

texts:
In the Virginia townhouse I'm renting, there's a deck out back made out of composite decking material (or rather, topped with it; the underlying structure is wood). Stepping out onto the deck after it has been in the sun for several hours, I find it's quite hot in bare feet - painful to stay out for too long even. I don't recall the cedar deck in my old house being that hot, even in the Texas summer sun.

Is this my mind playing tricks on me, or does the composite decking hold more heat than wood decking? The composite deck is a light brown color, similar in color to the cedar deck at my old house.


texts: How often should I spray a fresh concrete slab for it to cure properly?

texts: I plan on water-curing a concrete slab (4' x 8' x 4"). I figured I would just spray it with some water to keep it wet. How often do I need to spray water on the slab? When should I start spraying it?


texts: Why do my pipes bang when running hot water in my kitchen?

texts:
After a minute or so of hot water running in my kitchen the pipes start to knock, and water doesn't come out in a stream. It is like there is air getting in.

What is happening, and how can I fix it?


texts: How can I eliminate some of the switches in a 4-way circuit?

texts:
We have a situation like the following:

The only difference is the wire on the far right switch going from the switch up to the light is red instead of black.

All of those switches are powered and control each other but don't control an actual light. My thought is one of the two main living lights may previously had been a fan or something that are no longer there.

We want to remove the  2 switches on the outsides and make the middle 4 way just a single pole.

To note, the two we want to remove are each part of gang boxes with other switches so the cables would still be fully accessible later on by taking the switch face plate off for future owners.

I feel like I've tried everything. I have pulled all 3 switches out and capped off every wire individually and somehow there is still power coming in? Please help.

Also for clarity, my goal is to add a wink relay on that middle switch.


texts: Why are both elements on in my new water heater?

texts: Recently installed a new water heater. Both elements are on at the same time. Checked with the manufacturer to make sure this is not normal(it's not). Any idea what could cause this? Thanks!


texts: Refrigerator cycles off/on, comes on fully when condenser fan is unplugged

texts:
I have a refrigerator which cycles off and on fairly rapidly, about once every two seconds. This has been occurring intermittently for some time. Today it finally failed to come on.

I finally got it to come on by unplugging the condenser fan for 30-45 seconds. The compressor comes on then I can plug the fan back in. The fridge appears to run fine after that. It did shut off but I had the doors open to do some cleaning.

I have taken the additional triage steps based on advice from around the internet:

tested compressor for open windings by checking for resistance between each pair of three terminals. They came out at ~4, ~6, and ~11 ohms.
tested the starter relay, this unit has a combined starter + overload. One pair of terminals had continuity, the other two pairs did not.
inspected for loose terminals and connections
examined the controller board for loose components, swollen capacitors, or missing electrical smoke (carbon scoring)

I suspect there is an electrical issue with this fridge because of the behavior seen in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dw-W7UabD1E

Using the water dispenser would cause the compressor to shut off and no water was dispensed. When taking the burnt out bulb out of the water dispenser, water is issued and the compressor does not shut off. This does not appear to fix the issue but is clearly related.

What components should I test further or replace to fix my fridge?

I believe this is generic to many models but mine is a GE PSC23MSTCSS.

Update: Fridge ran overnight and cooled down to normal temperature. The ice cube dispenser does not work and causes the compressor to click off. It is as if any additional electrical load causes the compressor to turn off. Removing a load by unplugging the fan allows it to start.

Update 2: I found a diagnostic process. During normal operation, this shows everything as passing. During the failure mode it fails at least the fan test. This leads me to believe that the condenser fan needs a detailed cleaning or replacement. The other electrical gremlins, such as fault modes occurring when dispensing still makes me suspect the board.


texts: Is a 150 watt LED suitable for a pendant fixture?

texts:
I want to replace a 150 watt incandescent bulb with a 150-200 watt LED bulb in my kitchen fixture which is a hanging 12-inch diameter fully enclosed glass ball. The guideline for the LED say it is not suitable for fully enclosed fixtures but one of the product details also stipulates the LED is suitable for use in a pendant fixture which is what this glass globe is.

The manufacturers info (manufactured by XMprimo) seems contradictory and I would like to know if this LED bulb is suitable for a 12" diam. glass globe fixture.


texts: Was hoping to get some advice. we had our windows replaced and the shower window now needs to be repaired as it was outside the scope of work for the installers. I am a home improvement novice and was looking for some guidance. See the attached picture.


texts: Where does the electricity induced in the shield flow from a CAT6a S/FTP cable?

texts: I was wondering, when an S/FTP cable has some outer noise and there is electricity induced in its shielding, where does it go? I have a keystone wall outlet which is metal (with plastic cover), and the keystone modules are metal as well. Does the electricity flow through these metallic elements and go to the wall by the outlet, or does it go to the grounding of the router? If the second option is true, can it cause any problem in the system when I don't have a grounded router?


texts: I live in a condo with flexicore ceilings. I would like to install another light fixture in my family room. Can I cut into the core of the flexicore and install greenfield or BX in the channel to the location of the new ceiling fixture?


texts: Fridge started intermittently tripping GFCI after fan motor replacement

texts:
Our fridge showed symptoms of evaporator fan motor dying. The bottom of the fridge was cold but the air was not circulating in the freezer and fridge. Then the water dispenser stopped working. I was about to give up but after an overnight shutdown, the water dispenser started working. I realized that the cold bottom of the freezer must have frozen the water lines. I had more confidence that the evaporator fan motor is faulty.

The fridge is side-by-side Fisher & Paykel that came with the house, never again! When I opened inside of the freezer, I realized that there has been a previous repair of the evaporator fan motor. It was one of those hermetically sealed ones with no ground connection. When I opened sealed plastic casing, the circuitry inside was burned with a terrible smell!

The replacement fan motor has three connections including a ground connection tab. Before putting in the new motor, I measured the resistance between the two terminals and then the ground vs two terminals. The ground connection was open as expected. Since the previous motor had no ground connection, I split the green ground wire going to the chassis of the freezer and connected that to the ground of the motor. The fridge is working now in terms of cooling but it has tripped the GFCI twice within the last 16 hours. We had no GFCI issues before. Some current must be leaking to the ground possibly from inductive loading from the fan. Any suggestions? How critical is to ground the fan motor? The fan motor chassis is practically isolated, it's not touching any metal parts. Thanks.

Update: It's been ~30 hours since the fridge last tripped the GFCI! It tripped the GFCI twice before after five and twelve hours after the fix. The fridge was at room temperature after the fix. So maybe there was something related to the fan motor while the fridge was working continually to get to the target temperature. Maybe condensation build up created a path for some charges find their way to the ground connection.


texts:
I have a Castaldi Lighting D06K/MH150G-AL industrial lamp. It is fitted with an Osram Powerball HCI-T 150W bulb that has a flux of around 15,000 lumen. I find this to be too much and I would like to replace the bulb with something producing less intense light.

Doing a bit of research I have discovered that metal halide lamps are more complicated than the usual household lamps I am used to where a bulb replacement mostly involves figuring out the socket being used. Here is a photo of the label on the circuit inside the lamp:

Is it possible for me to replace the bulb with a similar bulb with a lower power rating (e.g. 70W or even 50W)?

As an alternative, is it possible for me to replace the bulb with a LED bulb? I have seen these being manufactured and sold in China. However, I have no idea what specs to look for to ensure that they will work with my lamp. If the LED bulb requires 230V AC I can bypass the circuit in the lamp. However, a casual search only seems to produce LED bulbs rated at around 1,000 lumen which may be too little.


texts: How can I repair a shattered clay pot lid?

texts:
I dropped a clay lid and it broke cleanly in two pieces. Is there a way to glue it back together? I don't mind it that the break will be visible, while the pot looks good too, I mostly use it for practical reasons.

This pot is used in an oven at 200°C for long times (sometimes up to 2 hours), and then washed per hand, sometimes soaked in water. Whatever repair method I use, it should hold in these conditions. It is a rather porous clay/earthenware, I don't know if there is a glue which will work in this situation.

Sorry for the bad lighting, but if you look just below the handle in the second picture (the part which is slightly turned away from the camera), you can see the clay structure better.


texts: Just installed aprileaire 700 whole house humidifier. Furnace takes air from outside

texts:
I installed the humidifier on the supply plenum and digital guage on return as instructions showed.

I have a furnace that draws outside air into the return duct. This is a new construction home and is pretty air tight. Will the outside air coming in effect the rh reading?

Is there a special configuration for this? I connected the thermostat g wire to the digital meter g wire as instructed.. everything works fine,  just the rh is higher than i imagined and i don't think my thermostat does anything with humidity.. maybe i need to upgrade the thermostat?


texts: Flickering lights, sometimes no power to some

texts:
For the past few weeks some of our lights have occasionally flickered. Yesterday the power went out for those lights. At the circuit breaker box I didn't see any in the flipped position, but I went through them all, flipping each one off and back on, and when I was done, the lights were back on.

Today it went out again for those lights. This time I started by taking stock of what didn't have power, and saw that the oven, microwave, and garage door did not. But the oven clock was on even though the oven itself had no power. There is no battery for the oven clock. I thought that was strange.

While looking at the oven I turned the oven power switch off and on a couple times. Suddenly the lights went back on. The Microwave got power too. And then when I turned the oven off, the lights, and microwave display, went back off. I went back and forth like that several times. With the oven on, the lights and microwave display went on. With the oven off, the lights and microwave display went off. But always the oven clock stayed on.

It's a wall oven, wired into the wall wiring (not a plug). The house was built in 1962.

I recently had to replace the oven when the old one (very old, circa about 1980) died. That was maybe half a year ago. The new oven is a Magic Chef MCSWOE24S.

Any suggestions on troubleshooting? Any thoughts about what the problem is likely to be?

UPDATE:

Following advice given below, I called the power company this morning and they came by. They said they weren't sure what the problem was but replaced something that they suspected, referring to it as "old-style". They said to call them again if the problem kept happening and they'd put a volt meter on to monitor it.

I had previously unplugged the (over-the-range) microwave because it had triggered the problem a couple times. I plugged it back in and tested it and all seems well so far.

UPDATE 2:

Hours after they left, the power went out briefly, and later we saw lights flickering a couple times. So I doubt the saga is over yet.

UPDATE 3:

The problem is in the breaker box. A screw got loose and the connection has been burning up. If I can find an old used 1960s GE TRX2012S or TRX2012F box, the tech can replace the part. Otherwise $2,000+ for a new breaker box and getting up to code. Any idea where I can find that old breaker box?


texts:
I have a ceiling fan fixture with lights.  The fan runs fine for a few hours or so and then suddenly seems to lose power and slow to a stop.  The switch stays on and the circuit breakers are not tripped.  I have to toggle the switch repeatedly to get the fan to work again.  The fan worked fine for several years so I don't think it's a wiring issue.  Any ideas what could be wrong?

In case it's relevant, the fan switch is on a wall panel of three switches.  There is one switch for the fan lights, one for the fan itself, and one for a wall outlet in the room.  The outlet switch stays on 24/7 and both the outlet and the lights work properly.


texts:
I installed a new toilet and after I finished the installation there is a slight wiggle when I grip the side to check if it will rock. It’s definitely not a rock or a wobble but the smallest wiggle. Is that ok? I don’t want to tighten the bolts anymore as I fear I might have gone too far already, though nothing cracked.

Here is what I did
- removed old toilet and wax ring. Cleaned up old wax as best as possible.
- put new bolts in flange and placed new wax ring (standard thickness not extra thick) on bottom of new toilet bowl.
- set new bowl in place, pressed down
- put nuts on the bolts and tightened
- tested bowl by trying to manually wobble the bowl and noticed a small wiggle. Tightened bolts a bit more
- assembled tank onto bowl and connected water
- turned on water, checked for water leaks from tank/bowl connection, supply line or under toilet and no water was seen.

Is it ok for a toilet to wiggle a little bit? Again it’s not rocking off the floor or even wobbling. Just need some peace of mind as I am not a plumber by any stretch of the imagination.


texts: When installing a three way dimmer switch, does it matter which switch is the dimmer?

texts:
My grandmother called me the other day to troubleshoot from half way accross the country. She installed a three way dimmer switch in her dinning room at the location most used. It turns the light on and off, but does not dim. It is an incandescent fixture and it has incandescent candelabra lamps. Even as a wireman I have been racking my brain to figure out what else it could be. After reading some other Q&As, I noticed some people suggested that a dimmer should be on the line side, doesn't the power need to go through both switches? And, therefore, shouldn't it dim regardless? I suggested she try to find dimmable bulbs as the first, easiest, and cheapest attempt to solve the issue. If it does matter which side the dimmer is on, would it help at all to have a dimmer on each end?
TIA


texts: Can I put a fine mesh metal screen on my chimney cap. The current cap has a screen but the mesh is large enough to let stink bugs in. I'd like to put a finer metal screen over the existing screen. Does anyone even make such a product? The chimney is for a gas fireplace which is never used.


texts: Envi Heater and safe distance to hang art

texts:
We just moved into a place that has an Envi wall heater. I am concerned that I can't hang art above the unit. A search on their FAQ does not indicate what is a safe distance to hang art above the unit.

Does anyone have any experience with this type of heater and hanging electronics or art above it?

https://www.eheat.com/envi-high-efficiency-whole-room-plug-in-electric-panel-heater-hh1012t/


texts: Why is my Lennox g40uh series furnace not turning on?

texts:
I have a Lennox g40uh series furnace and it just stopped working today. I can reset the furnace and can see that on the control board both LEDs (green and red) are blinking together which indicates the furnace is operating correctly. I can also hear a small click when I reset it as well. After a minute or so the red LED turns off and the green LED blinks. That's it. Nothing else is happening, no inducer fan, igniter or blower is turning on. The diagnostic sheet gives the following for the blink pattern:

(A) Pressure switch open or,
(B) Blocked inlet/exhaust vent or,
(C) Condensate line blocked or,
(D) Pressure switch closed prior to activation of combustion air inducer.

The inlet and exhaust vents look good, nothing seems to be blocked. I can take off the small rubber tube going from the inducer to the pressure switch and use a straw by blowing/sucking to open/close the switch manually, that should eliminate (D). Normally the inducer will start up first and will create a negative pressure to close the pressure switch but since this isn't happening I am assuming this is the problem since the control board doesn't detect the pressure switch being closed, the igniter and blower won't turn on.

Does anyone have any other ideas I can try?  My guess is possibly a bad control board that is not turning the inducer motor on.

UPDATE
The furnace was off all night but sporadically came on around 6:00 AM this morning.


texts: I live in the UK and have never heard of cinderblock, what is it?


texts: Can I splice wires in an old ceiling light box and should I add a ground conductor?

texts:
We have a beautiful house built in the 1920s.  I was changing over a light fixture when I found that the ceiling of the room is wired with rubber wrapped 12(?)gauge wire that goes into a metal pancake box attached to what I believe is a ceiling joist.  Based on current code I think it's overfilled as it has one pass through common wire (that goes in and out without any termination), the common line, and 2 load wires that are spliced together (I'm not sure why there are 2 loads).  The visible insulation appears to be in good condition.  If I'm just changing a fixture I know I'm not required to make this code compliant.

My understanding with the reason for the code is excess heat causing damage to the conductors leading to insulation failure --> fire.  The fixture is a chandelier that will be 3 feet lower with LED bulbs so heat and wattage should be much better than it ever was before.

My questions are:

Can I cut the pass through wire and wire-nut it? I figure yes but I wanted to make sure.
The box covering the ceiling has ample room to leave wires in it, to my mind that would be safer from a heat standpoint.  I don't know if that's code compliant or stupid for a reason I'm not aware of.
Replacing the pancake is possibly doable but I'd then have to cut into the wood rafter to make room.  I'd prefer not to do that out of concern for opening up a can of worms.  I'm wondering if I need to replace the box.
Current wiring does not have a ground line. If I attach a ground to the metal box does that provide any safety gain?

Thanks for your help.
Elmo


texts: Standard height for kitchen sink drain exit from wall?

texts:
I am in the process of a kitchen remodel and now have come to the plumbing.  My original kitchen had a 2-bowl sink and my new kitchen will have a 30" wide sink base with a 27" wide single bowl.  There also will be a garbage disposal with the new single bowl.

It is my intention to remove all the in-wall copper pipe and replace it with ABS, and somewhere in my basement I'll switch from ABS back to the original copper with a fernco coupling.  In the wall will be a simple tee that will give me a through-wall flange for the outlet of my garbage disposal.

My question is, how high off the floor should I make my drain?  I'm thinking the lower the better, that gives me more clearance for my garbage disposal, however it needs to at least be high enough that the trap is still above the floor of the base cabinet.  I have no dimensions of the base cabinet, but I'm guessing the floor above the toe-kick is ~4", and I'd need another 8" for the trap to clear, so I was guessing around 12"?

My only research brought me here, however it makes no mention of the garbage disposal and how to plan for that.


texts: What's a workable low hassle privacy latch for the inside of an interior door (against the jamb)

texts:
I need to add a privacy latch on this side of this interior door. (Photo #1)
I looked through an extensive set of latches at a local hardware store and none of them had the right strike plate or receiver for this situation Except for a sliding barrel bolt, which I don't want because they tend to slide when not wanted and will eventually bash into the door frame.
Nearby (Photo #2) I used a barrel bolt but there I embedded the receiver behind new trim, not an option for the door in photo #1.
What is a workable latch for this type of situation, something that stays out of the way when not needed?


texts: Is hand nailing more stable than power nailing for rough framing?

texts:
Hand nailing seems to “draw” boards together tight, while power nailing seems to “shoot” the nail through one board into another with the possibility of leaving a small gap between framing members.

This tiny gap can shrink when the framing is “loaded”. Because the glue on the nail will heat up when shot into the framing, it tends to glue the boards instantly together. If the boards are not “set” tight together and already perfectly fitting together, they remain that way until loaded.

After the initial construction and wall finishes are installed, the framing could move when loaded, (i.e.: wind, earthquake, etc.) When this load causes the board to move, it 1) causes nails, etc. to move in finish wall material, 2) weakens the structure by allowing greater movement than anticipated.

Does hand nailing eliminate this possibility and make the framing stronger and more stable?


texts: Which comes first - Flooring or Kitchen Remodel?

texts:
My wife and I are going to upgrade multiple parts of our house but we really want two key areas completed first, but we're not sure where to start or if we should do then at the same time, which is why I'm here.

We want to install hardwood flooring throughout our house, but we also want to upgrade our kitchen (where hardwood will also be). The kitchen is a galley kitchen that will be remodeled with a new IKEA organization cabinet system/etc and we will also want that new hardwood floor in the kitchen.

Being that I'm a construction noob, which should come first? Hardwood flooring or kitchen? Or does it not matter? Or, is it best done at the same time?

Any tips or help would be appreciated. I just want to make sure I don't open Pandora's box unknowingly by attempting one without doing the other first.


texts: Why would a dryer receptacle trigger another receptacle to quit working

texts: I have my dryer plugged in in my laundry room (Circuit Breaker 5).  I have my T.V. plugged in in my living room (Circuit Breaker 7).  The dryer is tumbling, but no heat and timer not working. Power in house is flickering, I turn dryer off, my tv turns off.  I turn dryer on my tv turns back on.  I live in an old house with old wiring.


texts: I have an overhead service wire set going from my house to the shop. It looks like (2) 2/0 insulated aluminum wires and (1) bare aluminum. I have been looking for the breaker for it and could not find a wire this thick going into the electrical service panel. I finally found a junction box in the attic. The large service wires go into the attic junction box and two sets of 12/3 Romex carry the load between this box and the service panel through a 30 amp fuse located in the service panel. Obviously, I need to change this. Was thinking of adding 2/0 from the service panel to this junction box (approx 15 ft) and changing the breaker to 100 amp. Can I make a splice this large in the attic or do I need to purchase the expensive service entry wire and run all the way to the shop, approx 300 ft?


texts:
I am trying to determine the most effective way to cool my bedroom which runs about 5 degrees warmer than the rest of the living space:

Questions:

What is the most effective way to bring the bedroom temperature more inline with the rest of the living space utilizing only the devices shown in the illustration above (central A/C would be awesome but isn't going to happen)?
Should the Honeywell fan blow cool air into the bedroom or blow air out of it? If out, should the fan be positioned on the floor or elevated?

Thank you for your help.


texts: How can I fix/replace this cracked step?

texts:
My 1960 Massachusetts home has red oak flooring, and one of the treads on the first to second floor staircase has started splitting:

The crack is almost unnoticeable, and I'd love to fix it by just reinforcing the bottom. Unfortunately, to get there I'd have to cut through the popcorn-finished plaster ceiling of the basement stairs, and it would be tough for me to patch that without looking bad.

I could replace the tread, but I'm concerned about matching the finish. I could remove, repair and reinstall it, but it's nailed down so I don't see how I could get it out without damaging it.

Any suggestions about the best path forward? Am I overly-concerned about matching the (pretty generic polyurethane) finish? Am I overly optimistic about repairing the tread? Should I just go in through the popcorn and plaster?

Here's some more info. A side view of the stairway (with cat):

And, I believe the basement stairs have the same construction as the stairs with the cracked step (they certainly look the same from the top), so here's a wide view under the basement stairs:

and here's a closer view from the other side:

Edit: I just drilled a 5/8" hole through the stringer under the split tread, and slid in an inspection camera. I saw just what I expected: the bottom of the step, the center stringer, and the plaster boards for the ceiling over the basement stairs. (And, the webs of various disappointed spiders.)

Edit 2: The surface on the basement stair ceiling isn't stucco, it's popcorn (with a bit of swirly texture), which given my home age seems likely to contain asbestos. I'd test before I do any work on it, but that's yet another concern. (I've corrected the rest of my text.)

Edit 3: As Michael Karas noticed, the basement steps seem to be pine, although the upstairs steps are oak. I measured, and the visible tread thickness on both stairs is 3/4", and the basement stairs do NOT have a second board under the visible tread. (This isn't exactly a high-end building...)


texts: How to connect secondary distribution panels in series? 3 Phase Germany

texts:
Mine is a 3-phase German household.  Main panel serves the kitchen and a 5 conductor 10 mm^2 with each phase fused 16A (w/ Hager FS) to the secondary panel upstairs.  This services 6 rooms, a bath, and attic w/ 10A FS and a 3 phase CDA440D FI (RCD).

How should I make the connection at this secondary panel to another secondary panel servicing the garage?  Specifically, what is the right device or connector to bridge two service lines?  The panel is a Hager Volta 1P30 3-row, 36 unit.  The 5 conductor 10 mm2 input from main panel must feed the 5 conductor 6 mm2 output to the next secondary panel.

The ground/PE/green-yellow should just share the PE bus.

I assume each RCD servicing the upstairs rooms should have its own neutral/null/blue bus.  Thus, I need a separate neutral connector.

The 3 phases (L1,L2,L3) could be connected via switch (Hager SH363N), or Hager KC325?  Or is another series fuse better (Hager MBN316A)?


texts: I have a slow-filling toilet, and it looks like a common fix is to clean out the fill valve. For some types of fill valve you just push down and turn to take it apart; this one, apparently an R&T A1250 or similar, I don't know how to take apart. I'm on the verge of giving in and calling the plumber, but if one of you fine folk happen to know what to do I may try doing it myself. Here's a picture of it.


texts:
I would like to work out how to mix paint using the RGB or HEX etc information.
I have inherited a commercial paint tinting machine that uses liquid tints eg, yellow oxide-axx, fast violet-j, black-b.
I can use my computer to get the basic information about a colour I'd like to recreate, but have no idea how to convert this information.
As an example, I would like to make a 'yellow' paint. The information I have for it is R=253, G=255, B=112.
I understand that the yellow colour I'm looking at on my computer screen, will look different on my cellfone screen and that there is also variants in the base white/clear I will use to add the tints to.
Hopefully someone out there can help?
Thanks
Marieah


texts: Dryer Has 220 at outlet, checked each leg to ground and have 110. Checked other end of electric cord  on the dryer, no 220 across hot but have 110 to ground off each leg. Dryer turns but won't heat. Replaced dryer cord, same issue.


texts:
My old honeywell thermostat did not have a C wire as it was ran on batteries. I did find a light blue wire when removing the old thermostat that was not being used. Looking at the furnace circuit board, there is a dark blue wire connected to C, but another group of wires that run to the thermostat with the light blue wire is not being used. My question is can I connect the light blue to the C terminal that already has the dark blue to see if I get power to my thermostat? I am guessing maybe the other set of wires are from the AC unit outside?

Furnace:

I tried to upload the wiring for the thermostat but it was too large. But it is a white, red, yellow, green and light blue.


texts: How can I identify what is causing my GCFI to short

texts:
I have a GCFI outlet with another outlet and an extractor fan coming off it. It seems to randomly get tripped every week or so.

How can I diagnose what is causing it to trip? If it is thinning insulation on the wires are there any electricians tools that can identify this so that I don't have to tear open all the walls?

Thanks in advance.

Chema


texts: Does this bracket exist to hold two tiles together?

texts:
I don't think it's the best title, but I don't know what else to use.

I have several of these large tiles, and I want to make a planter out of them. Is there a bracket (like the image below) that I can put in each corner that will hold these five tiles together so that they stay together?

If not, how can I attach five tiles so that they stay together and remain together?

It will be used as a planter. The brackets could be on the inside or the outside.


texts: Resealing or repolishing interior concrete floor?

texts:
I have a concrete floor in my apartment. It is somewhat shiny. When cleaning up after a pet, I used an abrasive scouring pad on it, and looks like I took off whatever layer is giving it shine:

How do I fix this? I did some research on concrete floors, but I can’t tell whether my floor is stained, polished, or what. Any ideas?


texts: Can I replace the knob and tube wiring in the ceiling but not the walls?

texts: We are planning to replace the K&T in the attic so we can put in some insulation.  Is it possible to leave the K&T in the walls by hooking them up to the new wiring at the ceiling/wall edge?  Are we taking too much of a chance to save money and prevent knocking holes in the plaster?


texts: Can I take a 220 line and convert it to a regular house outlet what would be the damage?

texts: I have a electric 220 dryer hook up in my kitchen now I want to convert it over to use for a higher grade power supply for my microwave blender and toaster without converting Any wires or touching the  fuse box, is this possible ?


texts: How to repair wood rot on exterior (decorative) exposed beam?

texts:
I have a split level mid-century built in 1969. It has protruding exterior beams that have been painted. I noticed that one has rotted internally and was sloppily repaired with foam backer and spackle that has fallen off. I'm going to craft aluminum flashing to install on top to shed water off of all beams, but what is the best way to repair this beam? I'm thinking about removing the rotten wood and filling the void that is probably 4-5" wide and and inch deep.  What is the best filler to use?  Or should I try something else?

[


texts: Is 1/2" plywood standard and appropriate for a roof replacement?

texts: A local roofer submitted a proposal to me for a roof placement that included replacing rotten plywood with 1/2" CDX.  The existing plywood on my roof is only 3/8".   I thought perhaps he made a mistake, but no, this is what he is proposing.  He said it's only a difference of 1/8" thickness.  Is it customary to mix the thickness of existing and new plywood on a roof?


texts: Something to catch exhaust particles made by bench grinder

texts:
I am looking for something to attach to the exhaust of this bench grinder to catch the particles, especially the side with the grinding wheel.

It's making a big mess of particles.

It was a "flea market special" I bought about 40 years ago.

I am willing to make something if need be.

Thanks.


texts: How do I remove this cover? It turns a little bit but doesn't screw off. There isn't much give for me to try pry an edge out. I'm in the verge of smashing it lol


texts: Lights start flickering on Luminous inverter when I connect my Desktop CPU

texts: I am using luminous solar nxg 1100 solar inverter. At my home, I have 4 fans, one tv, 10 led lights, 3 laptops and a desktop. All the equipments work fine when there is main supply. If there is no main power, everything works fine if I do not connect the destop . But as soon as I connect my desktop ,all led light starts flickering.First I thought, it may be the overload problem of the inverter. But later I see if I switch off all the lights,disconnect all laptops & Tv, after that if I connect only an LED of 12 watt and the cpu, the led starts flickering. The flickering only starts when desktop is powered by inverter.


texts: Detached Garage rafter weight load of drywall and insulation

texts:
Okay, I made a previous post about this and have determined my original plan is no bueno.  For light backstory, I've got a 3 car detached garage 40' x 25' with rafters every 4'OC (pictured below). I've been told I can't just hang drywall and insulation on them because of the fear they cannot hold the weight and will bow.  I contacted the builder and they do not have LL/DL specs for the build since it was built in 2000.
My newest crazy plan is to install support beams in the center of the rafters that run to the cement garage floor. It would be a bit unconventional because there would be a support pole in the middle of the room every 4 feet, but we think that we will be able to make it work.
If I did this, the plan is to run 2x4 perpendicular to the rafters 16" OC and then hang 1/2" lite drywall and R-30 insulation above that.  I've done the weight calculations and it would be adding 2.7 lbs/sqft not counting drywall mud.
Do ya'll think this will work?


texts: fast fill faucets and fast drain for 70 gallon walk-in tub

texts:
Is there a size requirement for a fast-fill faucet? 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch supply pipe?

Will it work with a 1/2 inch line?

Also, what size drain for a fast empty of said tub of 70 gallons?


texts:
I'm putting in a drainage system on my property including 12" drain basins in low spots on one side of the house and under downspouts.  Probably going to use a light weight solid drainage pipe like,
 http://m.homedepot.com/p/4-in-x-10-ft-Triplewall-Pipe-Solid-4550010/100135310

I often see people laying a gravel need under the pipe and over.  Is that only useful for perforated pipe or is there a reason to do it on solid pipe as well?  Buried PVC for instance doesn't require a gravel bed?  Should the drain boxes be on a gravel bed too?


texts: What is this sensor/device located near the master bath tub?

texts:
This thing was in my old house and the new owner is asking me what it is. I never knew, and asked a few people. It is the size of a standard electrical outlet socket, and it is located near the master bath tub.

Another detail of note is that the master closet is behind it, and it contains the alarm and ethernet/coaxial wiring boxes.


texts: How do I lubricate these spring loaded hinges?

texts:
Some of my cupboards have these spring loaded hinges, and they have started making an horrendous noise.

They look like this:

How do I lubricate these hinges? Do I need to open them up? I'm afraid that if I open the wrong screw, putting them back together would be difficult.


texts: What is the difference between LVL 1.9 and 2.0?

texts: A structural engineer gave me a header design using beams made from LVL 1.9.  Looking around, I'm seeing more LVL 2.0 available locally.  What is the difference?


texts:
I have a closet in the middle of my house on the first floor I would like to get rid of. I am concerned it could be load bearing since it is in the middle of the house. But there isn't only that closet there is also a half-bath. I am removing just the closet and keep the half bath where it is.
In my picture the part I wanna remove is marked in red. I have also attached more pics to give you fuller ideas of the layout.


texts: How can I determine circuit breaker requirements for an electric range?

texts:
I recently had a new range installed and when an electrician was visiting, he pointed out that the circuit was over capacity because the range was rated at 12.2KW at 240V.  He said 12,200 W / 240 V = 51A minimum.

However, I told him that the specs and installation guide state that the range only needs a 40A circuit and the manufacturer confirmed that this isn't a mistake.

So what gives?  Is the equation the electrician is using incorrect?


texts: What sort of driver works the center screw in this hinge?

texts: This door does not like to latch; to latch it I must pull sharply up on the doorknob. So I see a shim in my future. I suppose I need to unscrew the bottom hinge, but what sort of screw-driver does that strange square hole? (Alternatively, would I just shim on the door side?)


texts: How can I get my entry door to stay closed?

texts: Our entry door opens and closes fine but it won't engage the latch when it's closed. It almost seems like it's too small for the frame. The wind just howls through the opening and the strike plate on the frame will develop a frost layer on it. I have to use the deadbolt to keep it closed all the time.


texts: Black wire x3, white wire x3, ground wire x3.

texts: I took out a ceiling fan in a bedroom. I didn't pay much attention to how it was wired up because I've replaced 5 ceiling lights in the house previously and they've been without issue. My issue on this one is I have 3 black, whites, and grounds coming out. So I figured I'd hook them all together to the single black, white and ground in my ceiling light and they would work. So I do this, restore power at the breaker and go to the bedroom,  flip the switch and blow the breaker. I've also noticed if I throw the switch to the ceiling fan in my master it will also blow the breaker.  I've has no previous problems until removing this ceiling fan. Electrical is not my strong suite. I do have an ohm meter, but not exactly sure what to do with it...


texts: How can I keep a metal post from rusting?

texts: I'm replacing a mailbox post that rusted at the ground level


texts: Why are hanging icicles on my home yellow?

texts: The icicles hanging on the front of my house are yellow on the tips. I also noticed a yellow line in the snow beneath the icicles. We moved into this home recently and I know they had the roof replaced due to hail damage. Any idea what would cause the yellow? Is this glue from the overhanging shingles?


texts: My new dimmer for LED lighting has four wires: one black, one red, one red/white and a green ground. The old dimmer only has three wires: a single red, single black and green ground. This is also going to be a three way. How do I install?


texts: How can I drill into cinder blocks and attack brackets?

texts:
I want to affix some shelves to some cinder block walls. The shelves would be 3000 x 400mm. I have been eyeing up these brackets as supports. The shelves will be to hold power tools and toolboxes and will need to support a decent weight.

I'm completely in the dark about how to fasten the brackets to the cinder block walls. I'm eyeing up these fasteners but I feel like something that long would just be hanging loosely in the hollow cavity of the cinder blocks. Likewise I don't know if a shorter screw would support the weight involved and I don't know if the width of the screw holes in the brackets is big enough for these screws.

Normally I would just ask someone at the hardware store but quarantine means I need to pre-order and then go collect it.

Any advice would be gratefully received.


texts:
I am replacing a thermostat with a basic single line break thermostat and my electrical box has only has two hot wires each carrying 120 V.  The wiring diagram of the thermostat calls for connecting the hot wire to L1 marked on the thermostat.  Since I have two hot wires is it ok to wire either one to either of the thermostat wires?
The thermostat I am replacing was already wired this way but I am wondering if it was done right.


texts:
I'm looking to build a pergola like this one.

Would a connector such as the concealed Simpson StrongTie CPTZ work for the posts?

The specs seem fine, what I'm worried is the footnote "Post bases do not provide adequate resistance to prevent members from rotating about the base and therefore are not recommended for non-braced, or non-top-supported installations.", though it seems this is the same for most of their connectors.


texts:
I have a Bryant furnace model #355CAV060100 when the thermostat is set in heat mode and on auto the heat comes on but the blower fan runs in low speed. If i switch the selector on evolution thermostat to fan on either low, med., or high the blower fan operates just fine .
My thoughts are that control board is not working correctly, was looking for some advice on what can be the cause?


texts: Should we sand and prime holes in our walls or pay someone to do it?

texts:
We just had our 1,000-square-foot house insulated with blown-in insulation. Now we have 180 patched-up holes in our interior walls that need be sanded and primed before we repaint. The holes themselves are about two inches in diameter; the plaster goes out anywhere from six inches to a foot.

How difficult and time-consuming would it be to sand and prime the holes ourselves? If I estimate five minutes per hole, I get 15 hours; is that realistic?

We have one estimate for $1200. That seems like a lot for something we could theoretically do ourselves, especially when we have other upcoming projects that will require professional work.

Should we get another estimate, pay the $1200, or do it ourselves?


texts: I want to replace a faulty dimmer switch with a new one, but the new switch has 3 wires and the old switch was connected by a yellow wire and a black wire.  How do I connect the red, black and green wires from the new switch to them?


texts: How to treat joist that has wet rot before sistering a new joist to it

texts:
I'm currently in the beginning stage of a bathroom remodel. All the flooring and subfloor has been removed, and I'm at the point where I am getting ready to replace some joists and sister one.

The first question I have is about the joist that I'm sistering to (video 0:50 to 2:00). I don't want to replace that joist because it is under a load bearing wall, and it is already up against several other 2x8s.  It doesn't have much damage or deterioration, but there has definitely been water on it, and the top of it may be slightly rotted in a few places.  Since I'm planning on leaving it in and just sistering a new joist on to it, is there something I should do to treat the existing joist to keep any mold/mildew/rot from spreading?
Second (related) question: For all the joists I'm replacing, and the one I'm sistering, I plan to use pressure treated 2x8s, since this is going in a bathroom.  I just want to make sure that I never have to worry about water damage again, and one way to do that is to use pressure treated lumber for the joists as well as the sheathing/subfloor.  Is there any reason I shouldn't use pressure treated lumber?
Any other tips or ideas for how I should go about this are appreciated.


texts:
I am trying to replace an old ceiling light fixture.  The old chandelier could be turned on from three different places:  a light switch near the door, one near the kitchen, and another at the top of the stairs.

In the ceiling junction box are 2 red, 2 white, 2 black and 1 ground wires.

The new light fixture only has two wires - both black.  One is ribbed - which I am assuming is the "white" wire.

I have tried multiple combinations - and can only get the light switch near the kitchen to turn on the light.

Please help!


texts: How much clearance do we need for side-loading garage

texts: When we build our house we will have a 16' clearance between our property-line and the garage. Is this enough distance for turning into a side-loading garage without making it too tight to pull in and out?