texts: Splitting off one leg of a 20A 220v circuit for a plug - Is this to code?

texts:
I want to avoid buying another breaker and using a slot up in my sub panel just for one plug.  I bought a plug\box kit which contains a 15A receptacle.  I assume this wouldn't be to code since the feed is 20A and the receptacle is rated for 15A.  If I get a 20A receptacle would I be able to wire in this manner?

I want to take one leg of the 220V feed to the pump motor, split it off, and go to a plug along with a neutral. Here is a diagram to explain.


texts:
I am about to paint a room with a water based enamel. Old coating is matt latex, I must be overly zealous when priming and painting it.

My main problem is finding a good primer, shopping around I have found and tested 2, both acrylic, one tinted (primer 1) and one not tinted (primer 2). Testing them on melamine (to simulate poor adhesion) I have found that:

Primer 1 is very thick, easy to apply, dries dead matt but is easy to wash off and strip with just water, even after 3 days.

Primer 2 is thick, calls for a 4:1 water/primer dilution (runs and drips like crazy) but when used undiluted on melamine is a tad easier to apply, covers well, dries slowly to a semi glossy sheen and cannot be removed with water, I have to use ethanol or scrape. Unlike primer 1 this one did have adhesion issues in one test (see attached photo, I have reproduced it with a paint).

My questions are:

Will the fact that Primer 1 can be removed with just water affect the adhesion and durability of it in a moist room? What about the paint's?
Will the gloss in Primer 2 affect the paint's adhesion? I know gloss surfaces do not stick as nicely, and I can't sand.
Those are all acrylic primers, Primer 2 has a decent solid content and high viscosity, would an acryl-styrene primer with an even higher solid content be better? Or is acrylic the way to go?

TIA


texts: How should I neutralize restored plaster walls?

texts:
I have made half a dozen plaster patches within my home remodeling, each about 30-40 sq ft.  The plaster goes over brick, so not lath.  It was a hell of a job but still simpler than framing walls and hanging drywall.

I used the old-fashioned plaster recipe:  for the inner two coats (it needed that many coats to be flush with the old plaster bordering it because the old plaster is 3/4" thick) I used 2.5x masonry sand and 1x hydraulic lime (by a company called Virginia Lime Works).  For the finish coat I used 1.5x really fine sand (by Quickrete) and 1x the same hydraulic lime.

In preparation for painting, I was told that before applying primer, the presence of lime in the plaster required neutralizing.  I am not sure about this so I am asking to confirm.  In addition, are there better solutions to neutralizing than vinegar?


texts: Toilet leaking at mounting bolts when flushed

texts:
I have replaced two wax rings and I still get an ounce of water up from the Johnny bolt on the right side.

I replaced the flange, had to chisel out an old rotten cast iron flange, inserted a plastic flange with triple gaskets to seal. Tried a few different wax/ring combinations and at last  , it still leaks a little when flushed.

All out of options,  any ideas?


texts: What would happen if I went over the wattage limit specified by my path lights?

texts: I have a set of path lights that specify 5 watt maximum for replacement.  What happens if I put a higher wattage bulb in there?  Can it burn my system up or cause a fire?


texts: Why won't a 5/8" compression fitting with a ferrule integrated in the nut fit onto 1/2” copper pipe?

texts:
I bought a coupling to transition from a brass 1/2” FIP (female iron pipe) to 1/2” copper pipe. The only compression fittings that the store had did not have the traditional independent ferrule that I am accustomed to. Instead, it had a long sleeve inside for use inside plastic pipe, and a compression ring integrated into the nut. The exact part can be seen here.

I had thought that I could simply not use the insert that fits inside plastic tubing, since the specs say this fitting can be used on copper, but this compression ring that is integrated into the nut will not fit into 1/2" copper pipe. The copper pipe has an outside diameter of almost exactly 5/8”, but the inside diameter of the compression ring is only .57 (9/16”).

There is no way that this will go on, and this fitting obviously won't work, but I don't understand why it is sized the way it is. Neither Lowe's nor Home Depot stock the more traditional 5/8 compression fitting that I would expect. I could imagine that the spec could be wrong in mentioning copper, and that this could be designed for plastic only, but even so, how would any 5/8 OD tube or pipe ever fit through this thing with the integrated ferrule ID of .57? Why is it even called a 5/8?


texts:
The gap between the latch area and striker is too wide. Makes it easy to shim the latch if someone wanted to.

Any ideas how to fix this issue?


texts:
I have a persistent problem with the upstairs ceiling lights in my house where they often run dim for a while and then return to full brightness a few seconds later (at most 1 minute). Sometimes turning on a light will cause another that is already on to dim as well.

Could this problem be attributed to faulty light bulbs (some of them are energy saving bulbs)? Or perhaps a loose connection in just one of the light fittings? I want to see if there's any troubleshooting I can do before calling someone out.


texts:
So we purchased a brand new home in June 2016 and found the builder put a heat vent under the dishwasher. He explained it's pretty normal but after asking HVAC pro's, it isn't.

My question is, should I have a toe kick vent installed? The builder didn't even cut the floor opening for it, but it is installed under the house.


texts: I am looking at purchasing an older home that is brick on concrete blocks on plaster (from the outside in).  I recently heard from someone else in the neighborhood that those homes were not constructed with insulation in the exterior walls and have inadequate insulation in the attic.  I will be talking with the home inspector about this during the upcoming inspection but am curious what kind of task it would be to take this on myself and what kind of cost I would be looking at.


texts: Can you power LED strips from both ends?

texts:
I want to get 2 of these 500W power supplies

I have several 5 metre reels of these 5050 LED strips (60 LED/m)

Calculations show 1A per metre = 12 watt per metre so about 60 watts every reel.

I was thinking of hooking up the LED strips like this, will it work?


texts: Adding GFCI to box with 2 hot (black and red) and 1 neutral with one wire

texts:
I moved into an older home and i am trying to add a GFCI in a kitchen outlet by the sink.  Its a two gang box with a switch and one outlet, it has 3 lines coming into the box, two go to the light switch and only one 14/3 wire connecting to the outlet.

On the 14/3 wire going to the outlet both the red and black wires are live.  the way it is connected currently the neutral is shared and jumped at the outlet (picture attached).

How can i install a GFCI if there are two hot lines?


texts:
I have a radon system in my recently purchased home which looks like this:

However, I have no idea how to interpret what it is telling me. Can anyone provide clear and easy to follow instructions?


texts: Question on toilet mounting; No visible bolts?

texts:
OK,In the early 80-81, My Aunt allowed her Husband to build in a dead Attic space over the Foyer that has 15-17 ft ceiling, a rather sizable Laboratory(I'm not quite sure what to call it.). the floor was on 3 or 4 different levels,highest part 8-10" from the lowest part. but the built in Ventilation, shelving, Commercial stainless counters and sink made it work. So the space was anything. but an easy space to work with.

In 06-07 my Aunt had her Late Husbands Laboratory(Amateur Perfume & Healing oil Blender, Later a Black room I think as well.) converted in to a 3rd bathroom in their 100+ year old home. In 2009-2010, she had the toilet painted/colored white to match the Walk in Bath/sauna tub she had installed.

So now you know this is not a simple room.  Now the issue. the foyer has a blue water marks in the ceiling. I suspect its the toilet. But the toilet has no floor mount nuts/bolts or covers or anything.

2 different flooring guys couldn't match the non-slip semi-clear Ceramic tiles that cover the bathroom floor and stairs to it.

I talked to the people who were supposed to have recolored the toilet. but their paper work says they refused the job because the toilet was unmovable. But they may have had one of their techs do such work off the books. because there is no insurance on it since they could not dry the color properly.

So are there any Toilets that mount up through the floor? bolts Bolting in to the bottom of the toilet??

I suspect its a Toto toilet 20" Height, This is matching up the lines and curves of the bowl. But the height of her bowl is to low for the measurements of the one i suspect it is or it's mounted 4 1/2" below the tiled floor.

Or any other suggestions? IDeas?


texts: I bought a home  back in August and the previous owner had a new 3-ton HVAC system installed. Basically right now the HVAC is located in the upstairs hallway, and the way the duct is set up is there is a central return vent right underneath it (12x24) that pulls air directly into it and another return duct in the master bedroom (16x24). I have noticed that the main return vent under the unit makes a loud whistling sound when the unit is running. If I open the vent I can see that the air filter is bowing inward because the unit is sucking air in so hard it causes a lot of pressure. This does not seem normal. I am wondering if there is not sufficient return. It could just be that there is a lot more air being pulled in at the main vent because that is the closest opening (path of least resistance). The upstairs bedrooms often get very hot during the summertime and especially when the doors are closed, since the gap under the door is not very big and the inspector said that creates positive pressure that prevents air from coming out the supply vent in there. I am wondering if it would be wise to have a new vent installed in one of the upstairs bedrooms in order to alleviate these problems. I reckon I will have to have a certified A/C guy come out and give me some advice. I was hoping that I could find someone on here.


texts: I am trying to detach a garden hose that is presently hooked to a dehumidifier. It spins freely but will not unscrew itself. Any idea what to do? Here is a picture:


texts: How to install an AC bracket without a windowsill

texts:
These instructions call for anchoring the AC bracket to the window sill, right where it meets the stool:

However, my windows don't have that layout, here's a picture of what mine looks like:

How should I attach this? The instructions don't help me with this type of window sill.


texts: Switching from a Mercury Switch Thermostat to a XT500C Thermostat

texts: I only have a white, red, green and yellow wires, from my old thermostat.  I see multiple Red wires... where does a single red wire go... to the R connection...


texts: Is my water pressure reducing valve faulty?

texts:
I have a water pressure reducing valve at the main water supply to my house.  When I put a pressure gauge on the water heater with no faucets running, I read 130 psi.  When I turn on the bathroom faucet, the pressure reading drops to between 20 and 130 psi, depending on how the reducer valve screw is adjusted.  However no matter what the setting, the pressure reading always climbs back to 130 psi within a minute after all water flow is turned off.

Is my PRV working correctly?  Should the static pressure with nothing running be adjustable by the PRV, or is it only for limiting the pressure while water flow is active?


texts: Grout recommendation and how to get at corners?

texts:
I have a shower where some grout has fallen out at the corners, where the walls meet the floor. I went to home depot and they sell a few types of sanded grout (the gaps are 1/8" or more).

I saw a brand named "fusion pro" which does not require any sealer, so it's just one application. Has anyone used this kind? link Or would you recommend sticking with more traditional types?

And lastly, can anyone recommend how to get the grout into these corners? All the videos I've watched are on the flat wall faces and use a float.

Thanks


texts:
I have a house under construction, and the electricians have installed a 1" conduit from the attic to the main panel.

I have also gotten 5 quotes to install a Solar PV system around 9kW. I can purchase the same components (panels, string inverter, racking) for about 1/3 of the cost in the quotes.

My Questions:

Has anyone installed panels on a roof their-selves? Was it challenging
Would I hire a roofer to make the penetration and install the racking?
What trade would install panels on the roof?
Any difficulties involved I should be aware of?

I am very comfortable with home circuits, breaker-box, panels and such.

Thank you


texts: Wire nut use safety/legality with dangling cord?

texts:
Im getting a new light fixture installed and the electrician has decided to use wire nuts from the fixture box on the roof, to the ground (with the cord dangling in the center of the room)to power work lights on the ground. Im located in Canada, I was wondering if someone could tell me about the legality of such a setup? It seems rather dangerous to me as the weight of the cable is hanging off the wire nuts and if they come loose it may short.
If not legal, pointing me to the appropriate electrical code/source of information would be appreciated


texts: Sewage water draining behind home below walk out deck?

texts:
At my girlfriend's mom's house she purchased last year. It's an older home built in the 50's. They are having drainage problems and flooding in the walk out area below grade (see pictures). We popped up some boards and the upstairs sewage is draining in the open under these boards. Is this normal? I thought sewage should be to a public sewer or septic hidden from open air.

Water is coming from under steps too, so i think it's bad drainage and we started pulling those boards and see crap water..

Pictures:


texts:
I live in a very old school (as in it was a high school) building turned condo.

I have four windows in the standard top pane, bottom pane double sash configuration. Each pane is about 3 feet wide, 4 feet tall and weights far more than it should. The bottom pane does tilt in towards the condo and the top has two securing locks in each top corner. In all of these windows, the locks are not both locked, and cold air is leaking in, increasing our heating bill.

So far, I've tried to lift the top sash on my own and was unable, as well as got 4 friends who were unable.

I'm wondering does anyone know of a good way to lift the top sash enough to lock it back in place? I'm thinking along the lines of a car jack system, but no jack is 4 feet tall (that I can get a hold of).


texts:
I am dealing with the fixture in the photo.  There are 2 water inlets, one for the washing machine, and one for a dish washer.  The bottom valve opens and closes the water flow to to the bottom pipe.  However, the top valve seems to have no effect whether open or closed and nothing but a drip comes out of this top pipe.  Everything was working a few days ago until i shut off the top valve to fit a new dishwasher.
The turning mechanism of the top valve seems very light and I am thinking perhaps it could have broken loose from the valve so that the valve is shut regardless of the position of the handle.  Is this feasible?
Would appreciate any pointers regarding the waterflow problem and how to resolve.
Thanks.


texts: Where can I get a switch for a 30A circuit?

texts:
I would like to add a switch to a 30A plug, but I am having trouble finding one (they are all rated at 15a/20a).  Is there a reason you can't buy 30A switches or is it called something different?

To be more specific, I have a wall ac/heat unit that has a problem where it sometimes kicks on even when the switch is off.  Right now I just unplug it when not using it, but I don't like leaving a plug and socket there.


texts:
My wall drain pipe clears the vanity, but there is not enough depth for trap. That's why I am thinking running a 90 degree bend out of the wall upward. My concern is losing the trap seal.

Since wall drain pipe clears the vanity, I am thinking running 90 degree going up and then attaching the rest to the p-trap.

Not sure if this matters. Within the wall, drain pipe doesn't go straight down. It turns left and goes towards toilet.


texts:
In an instruction booklet written in 2001 for a Boss guitar effects pedal it says:

Do not connect this unit to same [sic] electrical outlet that is being used by an electrical appliance that is controlled by an inverter (such as a refrigerator, washing machine, microwave oven, or air conditioner), or that contains a motor. Depending on the way in which the electrical appliance is used, power supply noise may cause this unit to malfunction or may produce audible noise. If it is not practical to use a separate electrical outlet, connect a power supply noise filter between this unit and the electrical outlet.

Since this effects pedal is a consumer unit, it follows that there must be consumer power supply noise filters available, but I cannot find anything with that name available. Do they exist?
Another question: does this mean that it's a bad idea to plug something into a multi-socket extension along with anything that contains a motor or inverter?


texts: I have a portable building about 50 ft away the house.  I had an electrician come run a feeder to a subpanel in the shed.  Looks like he tapped off of my Generac Transfer switch.  When I opened up the subpanel in the shed I noticed there are 2 hots and a small bare ground coming in.  Is there a reason why he did not run a Neutral?  I only paid him to run the feeder and I was going to run the 2 circuits in the shed to the subpanel (2 shop lights and 4 outlets).  Do I need to treat this subpanel as a Main?


texts: Ceiling Fan Toggle Switch No Longer Used - Can I do anything else with it?

texts:
I have a ceiling fan with a light kit in my house that USED to be controlled by two toggle switches. The light and ceiling fan used to be controlled separately - you flip one switch to turn on the light and the second switch to turn on the fan. I installed a new ceiling fan, and the entire unit is controlled only by the light toggle switch. The ceiling fan control is now operated by a remote control (and the ceiling fan can only be used if the light toggle switch is in the "On" position, but the light can also be turned off by the remote if you want to run the fan without the light on.)

So now I have a double wall plate with two switches on it, but only one of those switches actually does anything. Is there anything else that I can do with that second switch? I'm just OCD and can't stand knowing that there is a switch in the room that does not actually do anything (literally it's not connected to anything at this point.)


texts: How can I build an insert on a desk that adjusts the height of a sewing machine?

texts:
I'd like to take my executive desk ( now sewing table) and cut out a piece of it to use as a support for my sewing machine. I want the sewing machine support able to lower the machine to table height, which would enable me to have everything level and I'd be able to sew faster. I'd like it to be mechanical and not air powered. Support needs to be able to swing back up to table height when machine is not in use and must be able to lock in place.

All ideas and links appreciated


texts: Why does my painted wooden post have brush lines?

texts:
This wooden door frame (see photo below) was painted high-gloss white a month or two ago. Using cheap paint and a cheap paint brush. The surface was superficially sanded (previously painted a number of times before), but cleaned quite well.

If I remember correctly, the ambient temperature would have been around 11-15C/50-60F.

Unless you pay attention it's not super obvious, but when you look you can see this effect, and you can very definitely feel the ridges when you go over them with your finger nails. I took the picture while shining a harsh LED light on it to make it more visible.

What could be the reason for this paint effect? I can think of paint quality, brush quality or not enough prep, incorrect application (although I don't regularly pain, I have painted quite a bit, and never seen the before). Or something else. Or perhaps it's impossible to tell from just a picture.

Could this be buffed out with a very high grit sandpaper or abrasive gel? Without losing the gloss.


texts:
What wire size do I need to run to install a 240 volt-60amp sub-panel 250' from the 100 amp main panel in the garage?
Direct burial or conduit or both?


texts: using two light switches to control only a GFI (No light involved)

texts:
I have a 3 way light switch on the deck of my swimming pool and another under my deck. I want to control only the GFI (No lights, fans or or anything else involved).
In power has 3 wires: a Black, white and Ground. And I have 4 wires to control the switches and the GFI. A Black, white, Red and a Ground. Only one of the 3 way light switches is in the same box as the GFI under my deck. The other light switch on the Deck. How do I connect all the wiring to control the GFI?
Thank You
Bob


texts: How can I discourage mud dauber from nesting at my entrance?

texts:
I just learned that the wasp nest pictured is a mud dauber.

This is the second such nest I have on two edges of the same outside wall on adjacent years. I'm either inattentive, or they are particularly fast: the nest is built before I notice. One idea that worked with the first one was to spray shaving foam over it. Luckily the foam stayed there long enough, and the entrance was no longer menacing. The second one, pictured, seems to have served its function and is now empty.

The wikipedia page linked above suggests they might reuse a previous nest, and so I'll pull this off soon to avoid a recurrence.

Apparently they find something particularly attractive at this location. The color of the bricks? That the spot is shielded from rain? Is there a way to dissuade them from building in this particular spot?

I have also had yet another wasp nest below a layer of leaves in a bag near this entrance. Is this the same species? Might the presence of leaves act as an incentive to build the "organ pipe" mud dauber?


texts:
I am trying to fit a new light fitting. The connections on this fitting equates to a 4 pin plastic junction box with live, earth, and neutral in that order with the 4th blank.

I removed the old ceiling rose but forgot to take a picture. Nightmare.
I am left with 3 red wires, 2 black wires, and 3 earth wires. I cannot tell which cable is the switcher cable because none of the wires have insulation tape on them.

So far I have not wired directly into the junction box.

I have used the old ceiling rose and wired a neutral cable from the fitting directly into the left hand pin on the neutral. I picked one of the 2 black wires and wired that next to the fittings neutral.

I then wired the 3 reds into the 3 centre connections. Finally I wired the 2nd back into the left hand side of the 2 hole junction and finally the live cable from the plastic junction box of the fitting into the right hand side of the 2 hole junction.

All 3 earths then wired into earth terminal.

Power back on and nothing.

I swapped around the 2 black wires and power back on.

Light fitting bulbs on but very dim and no control with the switches.
This is as far as I have got because I really don't want to be guessing and I really thought one of the black wire would be the switcher.


texts: How can I stop this window from sliding down?

texts:
I have what I think is a single-hung window that keeps sliding down (when it's open).  I do not see any way to remove the sash (so that I can access the spring mechanism).  All instructions I see on the web claim that there is either a release mechanism on the top of the sash or take out clips on both sides of the window frame.  However, I see neither.  Additionally, I do not know my window manufacturer and cannot find any marking on the window.  Link to the pictures of my window is provided.

Click for larger view

Pictures:

Top of sash
Frame above sash
Frame below (open) sash
Bottom of (open) sash connecting to the frame

My questions are:

What kind of a window is this? (e.g. single-hung?)
How can I fix it to stop sliding down?  If I need to remove the sash first, how do I do it?


texts: Why is my fuse board buzzing when I'm using the shower?

texts:
I have used an electric shower for years no problems, but all of a sudden my fuse board started buzzing when I use the shower. I replaced the shower with the same size unit and it still makes a buzzing noise.

I have checked all the wires and they are tight and well connected. I changed the old cartridge fuse for an mcb 40amp fuse, and still it makes a buzzing noise.

Is this a sign that my wylex fuse board needs changing?


texts: How to paint baseboard without painting the base shoe?

texts:
I'm painting a room that has hardwood floors and base shoe stained to match the floors. How can I paint the baseboard without painting the shoe? I haven't found any trim painting tutorials that have an unpainted base shoe.

Looks like this:

I'm debating between:

taping the base shoe.
freehand, and wiping up misses with a wet rag on a putty knife.
other ideas?


texts: How long does it take to add 1 lb. of refrigerant to an air conditioning unit?

texts:
My HVAC unit was running but not cooling properly. I called an HVAC guy who came to check. He came without a scale and told me he can fill the refrigerant and tell me how much he filled by just telling me the pressure.

After just about 5 minutes he told me he filled 1 lb. Did i got ripped off? How long does it take to add 1 lb? What is the best way to find how much did he add? is it possible to measure this by just looking at pressure gauges?


texts: How to restrain the arbor on a circular saw to change the blade

texts: Been trying to change blades on my B&D circular saw But as I try to fasten it the whole thing turns,Seems like the arbor is loose,What could be the problem and can it be fixed?.....Thanks guys.


texts:
I have a brick house and the bricks have what looks like mortar and paint marks on the brick.  I believe they call this a messy mortar look.

I do not like this, but I am wondering if I can have the bricks pressure washed without damaging the mortar.  I had a pressure washing company do a very small area to show that they could get the marks off, but I'm not sure if it would be OK to do this on the whole house.

Does pressure washing brick damage the mortar, or are they better ways to get rid of the paint and mortar marks?


texts: What fastener to use to attach 4" circular pan to steel stud?

texts: I need to attach a 4" circular pan circuit box to a steel stud in order to hang a bathroom vanity light fixture. The fixture weights less than 10 lbs, but assume some future homeowner will want to install a bigger fixture -- but maximum of 20 lbs.


texts: Can I replace an electric range with a cooktop and separate oven?

texts: I'm replacing an electric range with a cooktop and separate oven. I know an electric range runs off of one 220V power source. Do I have to run a separate 220V line from the fuse box to my kitchen for the oven since the cooktop already has one, or can they both run off of the same 220V power source? It seems to me that they should both be able to run off the same power source and be wired together. I don't see why they would have to be separate but I need to confirm this.


texts: Stamped concrete is dangerously slippery

texts:
We had a contractor put in a new walkway of stamped concrete. He applied a wax coating to protect it. Now, whenever it snows the combination of snow and wax makes it extremely slippery -- like walking on an ice rink.

Is there a way we can change the concrete surface? The contractor doesn't return my calls.


texts: What is this light? How can I replace / fix it?

texts:
I moved into a new house recently and one of the lights in my new bedroom stopped turning on. I was surprised to discover that unlike the other lights in the house, it wasn't powered by a bulb, but the LED grid (?) pictured below:

This is the only thing connected to the switch, so I'm not sure how to diagnose what part of the system failed: the switch, the black/white wires connecting the mount and the transparent panel, the LEDs themselves, or something else.

What I should do to get light back in my bedroom?


texts: Replacing an interconnected fire detector triggers the fire detectors in the rest of the house

texts:
I bought a Kidde KN-COSM-IBA to replace a 6 years old Firex i4618A detector that won't quit chirping even after battery replaced. Both the old and new detectors has the same wire quick connector that looks like below.

Since they have compatible connectors, I didn't re-wire the quick connect that comes with the new one.

Once I plug the connector into the new fire detector, the rest of the detectors in my whole house went off and won't stop.

Does anyone know what could be wrong?


texts: Does my LED replacement bulb need to screw in all the way?

texts:
This feels like a very dumb question, but I just bought some LED light bulbs for my chandelier. I'm looking to save energy and thought upgrading my light bulbs would be a simple task.

Well it seems that while the base of the LED bulbs are the same width, the length is not. Looking online, it seems a lot of LED replacement bulbs do not conform to the normal chandelier thread length like the incandescent counterpart. I've even come across some Amazon items that showed a side by side view of comparable LED bulb replacing an incandescent, and the thread lengths didn't match.

So now to my question. Screwing the LED bulb led to a small part of the thread exposed. Does this matter? It's almost as if it needed one more half turn, but it was as far as it would go in.

Here's an example LED I was looking at. Here's an example of an incandescent which matches my old bulb.


texts: Safety Cover for Decommissioned (Empty) Swimming Pool

texts:
I’m decommissioning my in-ground pool and wanted to cover it with a safety cover like Loop Loc. I called Loop Loc to help select the right type of cover — solid or mesh — but was told that their covers require the pool to be filled because otherwise it can collapse.

The question is if there is another safety cover that can be used for an empty pool? Decking it over would be expensive and am looking for less expensive approach.


texts: How to seal straight-thread faucet shank / nipple to the faucet?

texts:
I have a faucet which requires installation of a separate threaded 'shank' or nipple which acts as both the water supply inlet and also is used to anchor the faucet to the sink deck. These are supplied as separate parts to allow for varying thickness of countertops.

(Shown in the photo below - one male end of the shank goes into the faucet body, the other end protrudes through the sink and is fastened tight with the nut & washer).

These shanks have a 1/2" IPS straight thread. They are not NPT tapered. So I was expecting to use a rubber O-ring or washer when screwing them into the faucet. However there is no 'seat' or other surface in the faucet where such a part could go. It would literally just get lost inside the body of the faucet (before the valve).

I had thought the golden rule was that tapered threads require sealant (or tape) and straight threads require a washer/o-ring. But this faucet seems to allow for neither. The instructions with the faucet don't say.

I attempted to take apart some other old faucets to see how this was done, but the shanks were impossible to unscrew.

So - how can I seal these parts?

(Note - the faucet happens to be a Whitehaus WHFS9813-12-C.)


texts: Need Help with border for pavers, fence is too high!

texts:
I'm having to reset the pavers along the side yard of our house after putting in a french drain and sump pump. The issue I have is that after I dig out all of the dirt to allow for the 4" of gravel, 1" of sand and 2" pavers, the dirt is below the fence and open to my neighbor's yard. I bought some pressure treated 2x6 to nail to the bottom of the current fence, but the old concrete from the previous fence is going to cause problems with the 2x6 fitting evenly.

In the attached photo, the string you see is level from the backyard concrete to the front gate. This is only about 3/4" above the bottom of the fence. In this photo, I haven't even dug down the 7" necessary, so the gap under the fence will be larger than what you see.

What do you suggest I use for a border, to contain the gravel, sand and pavers, so they don't gradually slide under the fence in to my neighbors yard?

Thanks in advance!


texts: How do I place a terminal fence post next to my house?

texts:
I'm about to begin setting all of my terminal posts for a chain link fence.  However, upon digging the post hole for the terminal post that goes up against the house, I ran into a possible problem.  After digging about 12 inches down, I ran into concrete ( I assume this is from the garage's foundation and perhaps the basement as well), and it runs away from the house for about 11 inches.    That means between the terminal post and the house would be an eleven inch gap.  The fence is intended to keep the dogs inside, and that gap would be too much of a problem.

The fence fabric is 48" in height, and the post is 72".  The terminal post needs to be 50" above ground with the remaining 22" buried.  Do any of you have any suggestions on how to approach this situation?


texts: Should I use a GFCI or AFCI circuit breaker with knob and tube wiring?

texts:
My American house was built in 1942, and much of the wiring is still knob-and-tube wiring (2-wire, no ground). Over the years new modern wiring has been added to the house, but we still have some KnT wiring for the ceiling lights, and a few branch circuits, etc. We are planning to replace the KnT wiring when we have the budget to do so. I have replaced many of the receptacles on the KnT circuits with GFCI receptacles to provide added protection, which is recommended.

I have seen AFCI and GFCI circuit breakers which plug into the service panel, and they are reasonably priced at $30-50 per breaker). Would these AFCI or GFCI circuit breakers provide any protection on old, knob-and-tube wiring?


texts: Can Vent Flashing Nails Be Exposed On The Roof?

texts:
I am buying a home and as part of the contract we asked for a number of fixes by a certified contractor. For this fix, securing the loose flashing, the home owner said his friend was a contractor so he has no receipt for this specific fix.

The fix entailed 4 exposed nails to secure the flashing. Is this proper/up-to-code/won't-leak?


texts:
I am remodeling my bathroom and hopefully move my washer dryer. my goal is to share the new shower drain with the washing machine drain. do i need 2 separate p traps or can these 2 drains share a p trap.
thanks


texts:
Please see attached picture it appears that there is no caulking between the countertop & backsplash. I just noticed this area, it is right behind my faucet where water could drip down into the back of cabinet & cause mold & water damage.
Also, is this a real Quartz Countertop? The contractor who installed it won't provide any details or paperwork about it.


texts: How can I prevent glossy areas when using chalkboard paint?

texts:
We recently tried to make a chalkboard wall with not-great results, and I was wondering if anyone has any tips.

First I sanded down the existing latex paint to get rid of some of the texture, then applied two coats (first with a low nap roller, second with a foam roller when the first coat didn't look great). Used this stuff: https://www.rustoleum.com/product-catalog/consumer-brands/specialty/chalkboard-brush-on/

The roller marks are still very evident, and various parts of the wall appear to be matte, while others are glossy. I've painted a LOT of walls, and have never had this problem. Most other latex paints I've used seem thicker than this, and end up just drying much more evenly.

Any suggestions? Thank you!


texts: How does this power outlet configuration in my new home work?

texts:
I just moved in to a new home I'm renting to find this, near where a TV would usually be installed.

This is near TV height, under a TV mount that was installed by the homeowners.

And this is on the bottom near the baseboards.

When we arrived, the white power cable was plugged in to both ends.

I took off the faceplates, and it seems that BOTH outlets are wired to the mains, but I can't get power from the one on the top, and I don't have a multimeter with which to test them.

If I wanted to use them correctly, how would I?


texts:
I have 2 125 amp breakers for my main breakers.they are next to my meter.
What would my main breaker box be for amps?


texts: I want to remove the pony wall, the floor to ceiling column that separates the kitchen from the family room. I have oodles of original plans, and I don't see any obvious-to-me indicators that this column is load bearing, however at the same token I don't see anything that tells me it is NOT load bearing. Help?


texts:
I have an Ikea Kallax bookshelf which has these insert doors. I bumped the door and ripped it off.

What would be a good way to fix it?

It looks like this happened before
From the other side

Is there some kind of putty I should try to stuff in the holes. Basically once busted out the cheap Ikea particle board is stripped and the screws have nothing to grab on. Should I take the door off and then use glue with some kind of clamp until it dries? Is the some other solution I should consider?


texts: We have a buried electrical copper cables (about 35 feet to the garage or so)  that has a 15 amp breaker with 14 gauge wired to the garage.  Basically, since Im changing my old double duplex receptacles, I still can use a 15 amp GFCI receptacles since my home is over 40 yrs. old. Correct!! Just want to make sure that I'm in compliance with NEC standards. I don't want to have to reburied 12 gauge wire. Thank you again!


texts: What is a suitable filter cage to guard a wet pump from leaves?

texts:
If I use a submersible 1/2 HP pump to empty standing water that is full of leaves, the pump's intake gets clogged so often that the process is considerably slowed down.

Two ideas can solve this problem.

Build—or better yet, buy—some kind of filter cage. I'm thinking of putting a mosquito net around a small plastic crate. Do I really have to DIY this, or is something similar available on the market? If it is, please provide a search keyword.
Built—or better yet, buy—some kind of hose filter. A hose submerged gets clogged in no time from the leaves. I built a small trinket that does this trick, but it's fiddly and needs fixing often. I wrapped mosquito net around the opening of a small plastic box and shoved one end of the hose in the base of the box. Is something of this sort available commercially?


texts:
I have an old chimney from a long-gone oil furnace. It does not go through the roof, just cut flat at the floor of the attic.

I was hoping I could remove it brick by brick, starting from the top however it seems to be made of concrete.

What tools can I use to break the chimney up in a slow and controlled manner for removal? Definitely no room for a jackhammer in here.


texts: Is it possible that two apartments' electricity could be unknowingly linked? How to lower unknown electrical increases?

texts:
I live in a 2 bedroom apartment but one of the bedrooms is totally unused. My electric bill is very high. It got even higher as my usage declined. For example, my last bill was over $200 for a 2-week period of usage at around 1500 kWh (I was out of state for the other 2 weeks) in which my thermometers, 1 for each bedroom and the living area, (electric baseboard heaters) were set to 55. To save on costs, I've only kept the living area at 55 (I was told this was the minimum to keep the pipes from freezing) and the bedroom at 60 when I get home from work when I've been around. Regular usage of electronics. And the most recent bill was higher than the bill before that, which was $179 for 4 weeks of similarly controlled heating. It should be said that I'm in the Midwest in a cold winter so far.

I called the electric company and they agreed that my usage shouldn't be as high as it is. They didn't even give me spiel about costs going up in winter etc. They suggested that either the water heater was affected somehow and causing surges, or that by looking at the other apartments' bills (5 in my building, 2 others with relatively similar costs but in bigger apartments and 2 with very low costs) that maybe there was some funkiness going on where my electric was tied in with someone else's.

Is this possible? Am I being ripped off somehow? It's really frustrating because I forced myself to live in less than ideal temps in order to save money but my bills keep going up for no understandable reason. I was told by the rep to flip my breakers and see if it affected anyone else's power, but I realized when trying to do this that my breakers were mislabeled and I'm afraid to poke around in it. Is this a bad sign? I contacted my landlord but I don't know how far it'll get.

Any suggestions for how to deal with this issue? I don't have any real electrical knowledge so I'm just trying to understand what's going on, and so far I've got nothing. Ideally, I'd like a fix that is totally DIY if there actually is some bad business at play. If it is just the water heater, can I just turn off that breaker occasionally when not needed? (If I can identify it). I've had it up to here with the bills, so please help!!

*Edit: A lot of interesting information here, thank you! The electric company has a function where you can publicly check the rates of residences, and there are 2 residences in my building that have similar bills to mine (highs over 200) but one whose highest bill was only 59. Is this meaningful? Is that one guy benefiting maybe without knowing? I heard back from my landlord but didn't get much helpful info. Says he'll contact the owner and let me know when he can come by to check things out. I'll try to fix the breaker labels before then.

*Also, I live in a building that I think was a renovated home, not a typical apartment building. I'm in a rural town, so there aren't many prototypical apartment buildings or complexes.


texts: Do I need to replace this sub floor after bad tub installation?

texts: I bought this house ~6 months ago and I noticed then that the caulk around this tub was not installed properly. I just barely got around to opening it up and seeing what was underneath and I found very moist wood that breaks away very easily. It looks like the sub floor is destroyed. Am I right about that? What should my next steps be?


texts: Do thermostat-controlled, auto-adjust HVAC vents exist?

texts: The residential forced-air HVAC systems I have seen are controlled by a single thermostat in one room.  One has to manually adjust the vents in order to adjust the temperature in other rooms.  Is there such a think as thermostat-controlled, automatically-adjustable vents so that one can have multiple heating/cooling zones without having multiple furnaces and air-conditioners?


texts: Is using a 4 inch - 5/8 hinge where a 4 inch 1/4 hinge used to go... doable?

texts:
I have a door with 3 hinges that are 4 inches - 1/4 inch radius on the corners. Finding a specific hinge with the same hole pattern seems to be impossible to find or extremely expensive.
Is there any issue with using a 4 inch 5/8 radius radius instead? Obviously it would fit. But the reverse would situation would not fit.
Why exactly are their 2 or 3 different sizes corner radius's? Is it a structural thing or simply esthetics?


texts:
I bought Ecobee Lite thermostat last summer and connected it properly to the furnace using C wire. Air conditioner worked without any issues. But no luck with the heat. When the furnace gets the call from thermostat the exhaust fan starts but no glowing on HSI. Asked my neighbor (HVAC certified) to take a look into this problem. He measured all voltages and resistance but did not give me any answers. Installed the jumper between R and W wires and furnace gets heat right away. After he installed the brand new thermostat with C wire - no luck.
I called another tech and he said my thermostat (Ecobee) is broken. He installed the thermostat( simple one with batteries inside) without C wire (Rh and Rc have jumper) and furnace has heat. So I realized, before I switched to Ecobee my old LUX thermostat was operated without C wire.
The furnace is 19 years old and the brand is HEIL.

Can someone give me some directions how to trace the problem?
Would be possible even to resolve the issue and use smart thermostat?

I tried to eliminate C wire and even installed ecobee with the PEK - no luck.

Thank you.


texts:
I replaced my furnace filter (every 30 days) but upon Googling, I've found it has to go certain way. It's suppose to go the way where the arrow points for the airflow. But my filters have no arrows on them.

How would I tell which way it faces?


texts: Is there a dimmer to control both incandescents and LEDs at the same time?

texts: My church has the Sanctuary lights on a dimmer switch. The fixtures currently have 200 Watt incandescent bulbs. As those bulbs burn out, we would like to replace them with the equivalent in an LED bulb. We know we will need a new dimmer switch, but is there a dimmer that will work with both types of bulbs throughout the fixtures at the same time?


texts: Why would a door be installed without all the hinge screws?

texts: Our contractor installed this door without using all the screws (or perhaps the door came without enough screws). Every hinge on each side of these double doors is missing one screw on the frame side. Is there some hidden wisdom here?


texts: How do I fix a leaking ceramic mono sink mixer?

texts:
We have a kitchen mixer tap something like the one below. It's white and has 1/4 turn ceramic taps (so not like the taps in the one below in that respect). The taps are not leaking, the mixer is leaking where the neck of the mixer meets the body of the block.

Is this serviceable, and if so, how to I remove the neck/arm part that swings left and right from the main body of the mixer block to repair the seal or replace a washer?


texts: Would an electric furnace prevent outside air from coming inside my house?

texts:
I have an old oil furnace that is vented to a chimney flue, with a damper.
I live in Maryland in a county where burning yard waste is legal. This can cause me to have an asthma attack when my furnace or air conditioning is on, and now my young son has also started to develop asthma.
I am fine if the furnace or AC are off or if my neighbor is not burning. But as soon as she starts, I have an asthma attack.
I have a little air monitoring device that shows air pollutants going up in my basement room where the furnace is installed as soon as the burning starts - the pollution outside is much higher but I also get some of that pollution inside my basement at the same time it goes up outside when it is full of smoke.
It can only come from the furnace - I only use the dryer on the morning when she is at work and not burning crap.
Currently I am debating between installing an electric furnace which does not require venting outside or moving (but prices have gone through the roof and my options are limited).
Would an electric furnace still draw air from outside (knowing most of my windows are sealed with tape now)?


texts: Height of garage with planning or without planning

texts:
Currently replacing a garage and seeking clarification on the maximum eaves height of 2.5m without planning.

As it stand my eaves will be 2.65m at front elevation (rear is higher as the land slopes away from house). Interior wall height 2.4m with a one block course of block for damp course.

Would you advise to lower the interior height or apply for retrospective planning?

If planning applied for what is the then maximum height of the eaves?

Thanks,

Ben


texts: Is it correct to put plywood outside front door?

texts:
The plywood on my front door is rotten as you can see here (there are few stair steps)

There is a roof on top of it covering the front door area

I suspect water still can get in and sit on top

Is it correct that plywood supposed to be used here? Should it be decking board? To let water running down?


texts: Ryobi 18v. Lithium says fully charged but no energy

texts:
Recently I was using a Ryobi cordless drill to work on some drainage equipment. Unfortunately it caused a spill and a little water got on me and the drill. I did not think it was a lot of water (and I thought the battery had stayed dry), but after that the drill's battery stopped working. When I place it on the charger, the charger says that the battery is fully charged, but the battery's power indicator button doesn't cause it to light up and I can't get it to run a flashlight.

Is the battery kaput? Or is there something I can do to salvage it?


texts: How can I shade my garage door opener keypad?

texts: My genie garage door opener keypad bakes in the afternoon sun, fades, blisters and delaminates.  Any visually acceptable ideas on a fix? Genie does not offer a weather or sunshield for the KEP-1 keypad


texts:
I have a house from 1960s. I need to extend a cloth covered wire (contains hot, neutral and ground wire). Can it be safely done with a romex 12/2? This is for a light bulb.

So I just wire the respective wires together (hot-hot, neutral-neutral, ground-ground) with wirenut and that's it? This will be in my attic so I'm not sure if I should leave connecting wires exposed like this and in contact with insulation. Electric tape the wires/wire items too?


texts: Help wiring new overhead light that uses SPT wire

texts:
I am wiring a new overhead light fixture in my study. I have done lots of light fixtures before but the wires of the new fixtures I have done in the past have always matched the black and white wires of the ceiling wires.This new fixture has SPT-1 or SPT-2 wire (It just says in the instructions that it is one of the other but I do not see an identification on the actual wire). I understand that this new fixture is 'lamp wire' but I want to double check that I am hooking the right wire up to the hot and neutral wires in the ceiling.
Here are the specifics:
The new fixture wire is brown with both sides having copper wire. There are no grooves or stripes on either side but one side has writing on it. Am I correct in thinking the side with the writing is the 'hot' wire and should connect to the black wire in the ceiling and the side without writing is the 'neutral' side and should hook to the white wire?


texts: Mounting bat house on cedar siding - too heavy?

texts:
I have built a pair of bat houses using these plans at Bat Conservation International.

A finished house
weighs about 25 lbs (11 kg) and I would like to attach it to the
outside of my house, over horizontal 3/4" cedar plank siding.
Here's what I have in mind.
I made some wedge mounting plates that
fit into the natural slope of the siding and provide a flat surface.

I plan to attach the plates to the siding (liberally caulked) with 4"
construction screws and then attach two horizontal "french" cleats
(upper and lower) on which the bat house will rest. The top and bottom
halves of each cleat will be secured to each other at the exposed ends
with a metal bracket so the bat house
cannot be lifted off the cleats in strong winds.
My question: Will the siding tolerate this load if the plates are
screwed into the siding?
Based on recent work replacing gable siding, I expect there's a gap
between the siding and the OSB sheathing, so reaching a framing stud is
unlikely, and I'm not sure I would want to put a screw through the
Tyvek anyway.
Also, assuming this will work, is there anything else I need to be aware of?


texts: Should I caulk over grout where the bathtub meets the tiles

texts:
We have an old house, (170 years).
The last owners grouted the bath to the wall and then caulked over it.
It's now black and mouldy.  If I remove the caulk and bleach the grout is it ok to caulk over or should I completely remove the grout before caulking it again?


texts: Why would a water fountain pump make a lot of noise before it is submerged in water?

texts:
When I was really little, our family got a gentle rains fountain. It had a horseshoe-like  hole in the back, and a somewhat round hole in front. It came with the pump the one we’re supposed to plug into the wall.
 However, we didn’t know what to do with the pump. Only plugged it in, it made a really awful noise, but after we figured out that we needed to put it inside the water, the noise thought of   Wound down. It was a really loud, high pitch noise, around 520 Hz, or something like that.
 Surprisingly, it didn’t sound like that again, even when we took it out of the water. Instead, it just made a 60 Hz hum.


texts: Lately, our Toto toilet flushes weakly and makes a bubbly sound—unless we hold the lever down a bit (longer than before) to be sure it flushes completely and normally. Then, the tank refills, stops for a few seconds when it is almost full, and then refills again for about a second or two before it stops completely. Any idea what is happening? Have I got a problem?


texts: How do I attach a ledger board if I have no interior access?

texts:
I would like to build a small, 24" high deck, for a new entry door to the house.  I have the deck plans all laid out, and am in need of a 2x10 ledger board under the door to attach the deck to.  Most of what I have read on attaching a ledger board, suggests using large carriage-bolts through the ledger board and rim joist, with a nut/washer on the back side.  Unfortunately, this section of the house has a finished basement, and it would be quite difficult if not impossible to access the back side of the rim joist.

What other options do I have?  Would some hefty lag-screws work?


texts: Our toilet valve and the pipe behind the bathtub burst. We had those repaired and when we turned the water back on, we have low hot water pressure and no cold water upstairs. We can't find any more leaks. At first, we thought air was in the lines so we waited. Our basement then flooded, so we turned the water off. Every time we turn the water on now, the basement stays dry but we have no cold water upstairs and low hot water pressure. My adult son turned off several water vales when trying to locate the main shut off valve. Could he have shut off incorrectly?


texts: How to identify which wire is associated with switch?

texts:
I have two ceiling boxes in my kitchen, when I moved in one was already hooked up to a light and a switch. When I opened up the second box I saw 4 cables in the box, all of which passed though box without any cuts or terminations.
- 2x white (long)
- 2x black (long)
- 1x red   (taught)

I want to install a light in the 2nd ceiling box and have it run by the same switch as the first box. I tried using a non-contact voltage tester with switch on and off and both black wires indicated voltage regardless of switch state. Is it safe to assume that this means neither of those wires are attached to the switch?

Thanks


texts:
I recently purchased a Honeywell portable AC unit for my apartment but there's two competing issues:

I only have a sliding door in my apartment (no windows), and the adapter kit to vent through the window obviously isn't long enough for the height of the door.

There is a portable AC port in the wall (which I would prefer to use), but the diameter of the Honeywell tubing is 6", and the interior diameter of the wall port is about 5.5". There is also a gradual extrusion away from the wall port with a diameter about 6".

I have been going insane trying to find any information on standardized apartment wall AC ports, and literally any search I try gives me results that are either "10 best AC units to buy for apartments" or imply that I would drill a hole myself to match the size of the tubing. For example, I tried searching "apartment portable ac wall vent". I have been searching for at least 3-4 hours.
So, I have three questions:

What is the wall AC port called so I can search it correctly?

How do I attach the portable AC tube to the wall port? Do I just use duct tape? I literally have no idea how to safely attach it otherwise and the unit did not come with instructions for wall ports.

Should I just give up and purchase a sliding door adapter kit?

I appreciate any help as I am slowly melting!
Here's a picture also.


texts: How to seal hole from bundle of ethernet cables running through wall/floor?

texts:
I'm setting up a home ethernet network in a spare bedroom. I envision running up to two dozen ethernet cables out of a patch panel in this room to the rest of the house. I'll likely bundle these cables, punch through an interior wall and down into our crawl space.

How do folks recommend getting this many cables out of the room and down to the crawl space?

When I've previously run single ethernet cables between rooms, I've drilled small holes in bottom plates and sealed up these holes with caulk.

But, to make a hole large enough for 24 cables, I'm picturing having to make a much bigger hole. Sealing a hole this big with caulk seems like a mess, particularly if I have to run new cables in the future. But, if I don't seal the hole, I worry we'll get vermin coming up from the crawl space into the house (we've got a mouse problem).

I've also seen recommendations to place the cables in a pipe or conduit running down to the crawl space. But, it seems you'd have the same problem at the end -- how do you seal the end of the conduit where the cables come out?


texts:
I'm designing the kitchen (renovating a 100+ year old house) and I would really really like to make it a "G layout" kitchen (like a U shape but with breakfast bar peninsula) but in order to achieve this the fridge would need to be INSIDE the wall with the door flush with the wall! The back wall is already filled with cabinets and the sink so that is why I wouldn't want to put the fridge there. See my 3d model I made with ikea.com:

My question is:

What could go wrong? I'm basically just doing a sanity check and making sure this isn't a terrible idea. (I'm having a hard time googling this as this is not a common thing to do I guess)

Alright in order for you guys to answer the question you'll need much more info. Here's what I can tell you:

The room that the fridge will go into is the laundry room. There is nothing in the way! It's an ugly, utilitarian room and we don't care if the back of the fridge is facing the washing machine) though boxing in the fidge would be nice).
The laundry room in which the fridge will go into is a bump-out extension of the house.

When they added the extension, it's like they left the exterior of the house exactly as it was and made that the interior of the new laundry room. The old asbestos shingles are still there on the wall, the soffit from the old roof is right where it always has been, and there is a big window right where the fridge will go! In fact it is almost tall and wide enough to fit the fridge in it, but it's a few inches too far to the right.
the floors between laundry room and kitchen are not on the same level. And the corner of the floor (concrete) on the kitchen where the fridge will be nearest, there is an obvious rise in height making a concave shape in the floor. (I mean, its maybe an inch total, like you wouldn't notice it but it could screw with stuff).
the wall is a load bearing wall. However I don't think there'll be any problems installing a header or just moving the window header up a little bit.

the ceiling in the kitchen is low! 7 feet to be exact.
the electrical circuit breaker is in the laundry room. Thankfully its a couple inches to the right of the fridge so that won't be a problem however there may be wires running bellow the window frame but I suspect that there is not.
the door to the laundry room will be to the right of the fridge, as shown in the 3d model.
the whole kitchen is 11 feet wide and 21 feet long but we intent to use much of that space for a dining area. The other kitchen layout option we are considering is making it an L shaped kitchen by loosing the breakfast bar and puting the fridge there (to the right of the window) but we don't like that layout as much. Too open.

So, is this doable? How would YOU tackle this project? Are there any restrictions or code requirements? Would it be just like a cased opening? Thanks!


texts: I accidently flushed a rolled up maxi pad down the toilet 14 days ago at a friend's house while on vacation. We stayed at their house for 7 days and it was clogged with the pad the first day we stayed there. It got unclogged with a plunger moments after it was flushed and hasn't clogged for the rest of the vacation. Does that mean the pad made it through or should I still be worried about it? People have been using the toilet too and it's flushing fine. I'm worried it might back up everyone's waste and flood or something if it's still in the pipe.


texts: Can I use coaxial cable for audio over 30 feet?

texts: Want to buy a mid range AV Reciever model, but my concern is that can I provide input audio from another room(away from 30feet) by coaxial cable (or only RCA audio cable required). 2nd, for output can I use coaxial cable (30 feet) for bathroom (without amplifier) without any qauality compromise.


texts: Tiled surfaces in kitchen and bathroom...how do I refresh it to make it look better and/or newer?

texts:
Please refer to the following photos.

The kitchen counter looks a bit weathered/worn and the finish is matte.
The bathroom floor also looks a bit weathered/worn and the finish is also matte.
The bathroom counter is actually not bad, but could use a touchup.

What are some things that I can do to clean up and refinish the kitchen countertop, the bathroom floor and the bathroom countertop?
Do I need to re-glaze tiles?

Should I give all the tiled surfaces a scrub down as a starting point?


texts: OK, I have a main panel 200amp in the house.  Then in my shop out back I have a 200amp sub panel.  I want to install a 100 amp sub panel in the upstairs of the shop for a one bedroom apartment.  I have a 100 amp sub panel. I have 25ft of #2 wire and I have 3 20 amp breakers for lights and outlets and a double pole 30 amp breaker for the electric stove.  one of the 20 amp breakers will be dedicated to a ac/heat unit.  Does all of this sound correct?


texts: Switching to LEDs: 12v LEDs on existing transformer or remove transformer and use 240v LEDs - Which is better?

texts:
I have +/- 50 10w halogen lights running on transformers at 12v.  I want to switch these to LEDs.

Some quotes are coming in with keeping the 12v transformers and getting 12v LEDs and some are on removing the transformers and installing 240v LEDs.

Mains is 240v here.  I also plan to possibly go off the grid with solar electricity in future.

Which is better from an energy efficiency perspective?  Other things I should consider?


texts: Can I paint the top of a glass top stove?

texts:
Our previous stove had white speckles over the top.  This helped hide the streaks of casually done wipe ups.

Our present stove is a classic illustration that 'black attracts light coloured dirt'  I am investigating whether it's practical to paint the top of the stove outside the burner areas, either in patterns, with a stencil, a tromp d'oeil sponge.

Such a paint would have to bond to the glass and would need to dry with a smooth finish so that it too was scrub tolerant.


texts:
It is acceptable to vent a bathroom exhaust fan into a crawlspace?
The crawlspace in question is uninsulated, has a dirt floor, and varies in height between 5' and 7'.
The vent would enter roughly in the middle of about 1000 sq ft or floor area.
The furnace and water heater (both gas) are located fairly close.


texts: Fixing a kitchen sink pipe that is leaking

texts:
I have a pipe on the kitchen sink that is leaking as shown in the picture below:

Would it be enough to just tighten the bold from where the leak starts (in which case I need to buy a pipe wrench) or call a plumber to replace the brass pipe which look to be rusted on top?


texts: Priming plywood for better adhesion of flooring tiles

texts:
I've had problems in the past with gluing commercial flooring tiles to OSB subfloor using the standard adhesive that looks and feels like contact cement. I followed the instructions and let the glue cure for about 30 min before setting the tiles but some tiles eventually came unglued. May have been partly because the OSB surface is rough so the contact surface wasn't evenly distributed (just a guess).

In the project I'm doing now, I actually set 1/2" plywood (smoother than OSB) over the OSB and I plan to put tiles on top. My question is, is there something I can prime the plywood before applying the adhesive so that I can achieve a better and more durable grip than I did in the previous application.


texts: What is an estimated paint to primer ratio on exterior bare wood?

texts: I've used 3 gallons of KILZ Premium Primer (2 coats plus touch ups) and will top it with Behr's Premium Plus, Paint & Primer All in One, Exterior Satin Enamel in a Medium Base. Please don't tell me that many coats of primer is not necessary and that the Paint & Primer combo is overkill, because my goal is not to finish the job asap, but to get GREAT coverage that will last as long as possible.  It's worked very well for me in the past, just can't remember the approx. ratio. Thanks.


texts: How to remove stubborn paint spots from natural stone

texts:
My upstate NY porch floor was built with stone quarried from northern PA.  The previous owner got some white paint drips on it which I would like to remove.  What I've tried so far:

mineral spirits
Sealkrete Clean-N-Etch concrete 2-in-1 cleaner & etcher

Neither of these made ANY difference whatsoever.  I even tried the Sealkrete undiluted.

The only other thing I can think of is straight muriatic acid.


texts: How do I fix sagging sofa back and seat cushions on a leather couch?

texts:
Around 18 months ago, I purchased a VRETA sofa bed - Mjuk black from IKEA for $1000.

I have used this couch quite a bit either for watching TV, playing on my laptop or reading a book. As a result, the back and seat cushions are quite saggy and it's not as comfortable leaning back. Same thing with the seat cushions. Both sets of cushions have noticeable wrinkles. Fortunately, there is no tearing of that sort.

I also have two leather care products from IKEA (A leather cleaner and a leather cream bottle). I'm not sure how much either of them would help though.

Is there anything I can do to fix this?

Here is a link to the couch

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20109805/


texts: Pipe length confusions when replacing tub/shower diverter

texts:
I'm a new homeowner trying to replace a shower diverter. Not a plumber, so forgive any incorrect terms.

I have a female 1/2 inch connector inside the wall about 2 1/4 deep from the tub wall. The builders used a non-standard(?) 6.5inch PVC pipe going from that connector to a screw on type diverter. The old diverter is hopelessly clogged with deposits.

I'd like to replace this setup with an all metal option. Basically afraid of the PVC pipe breaking at the metal connection point, and flooding the inside of our walls. There's also an optional decorative spout ring, but preferred since there's some minor wall damage.

Option 1

Find a 6.75 inch brass nipple. (6.75 since the decorative ring adds .25in to the length of the diverter.)

Option 2

4-ish inches of brass nipple to get out of the wall, then a PVC slip connector and glue the rest of the way to the end of the diverter.
Nice since I can control the size of the PVC with a slip connector and PVC glue
But here's the pipe length confusion part - how do I know how much PVC to add? How many turns of the spout are good?

Option 3

Use existing PVC pipe, since oddly 6.5in PVC can't be bought new at my local stores. Also no decorative ring. The current setup lasted this long...

Option 4 - anything you can suggest. Copper tube is not an option, since the hole to access inside the wall in barely 1.25 in wide.


texts: Is it safe to convert a candelabra base in my ceiling fan to a medium base for use with larger CFL's?

texts:
I have a ceiling fan with 3 candelabra sockets.

The lighting from the incandescent bulbs is terrible.

I have these 27 watt bulbs that fit a medium socket.

I want to use this type of adapter.

Given the following images, is it safe to use 3 x 27 watt bulbs with this fixture? (Can I use up to 40w per socket?)

I am also OK with removing the glass bowl to make this work, I just want to make sure this is safe!

The Caution reads as follows:
Caution: To reduce the risk of fire re-lamp 40wx3 TYPE B 10.5 MAX.

The individual sockets say MAX 40W on a sticker but the other side of the socket it says 75W 125V (Why the discrepancy?) :


texts: Is it required to use AFCI/GFCI breaker when replacing subpanel?

texts:
I'm replacing my subpanel at home. My jurisdiction adopts NEC 2017.

When replacing a subpanel, is it required to have CAFCI on all circuit breakers for all 120V circuits?
When replacing a subpanel, is it required to have GFCI on all kitchen, bath, garage, etc 120/240V circuits?


texts:
I am looking to build a  desk that will be 220cm x 55cm  (86 inches x 21 inches).
It'll need to hold at least a PC a games console, and three Monitors.
How thick does it need to be?


texts: Water damaged wood floor butting up to tub. Small hole has rotted through. 2 boards next to it are ever so slightly raised/off. This is all confined to a small location, approximately 6x6. The rest of the floor is in great shape. What are my best options?


texts: How to remove a stuck flexible installer bit?

texts:
While attempting to add an Ethernet run to a exterior wall (no crawlspace access beneath the wall - oops) I have managed to get my flexible installer bit (example in link) completely stuck. I have a 6A corded drill and it can't budge it; I've also tried vice grips and yanking on it as hard as I can.

I'd really rather not just cut the rod off the bit - it was pretty expensive. Does anyone know of any tricks on how to remove a bit that has become stuck?


texts: I am repairing a wood deck and what to know why you would use cleats instead of wood screws?

texts: I am repairing my wooden deck and I read that someone was using cleats and nails instead of steel wood screws. What is difference and how do I know what will work for me?


texts: How to drill a hole in the wood without an electric drill?

texts:
During a travel in Laos, I need to drill some holes into a double-door's wood to install a locker. The wood is rather hard, and I don't have an electric drill (and can't find it).

I only have 2 small screwdrivers ( - and + ), a small hammer, but I can find screws, nails, and other basic tools. The wood is hard (so much that I can't even make enter a small srew), screwdrivers are not good quality ones and screws are even worst.

Any recommendation for locking a door from the inside would be interesting if it's not possible.


texts: Concealing PEX indoors with a metal hat channel

texts:
I'm replacing the galvanized incoming cold line with PEX.  The incoming line runs into the exterior wall of the home about a foot from the ground, then goes down the wall, through the sill plate into the slab.  We discovered a leak in part of it under the slab in the adjacent bathroom; that's what's leading to this replacement.

Where the cold line comes in is in a lower cabinet unit next to the kitchen sink cabinet.  I have a hole in the plaster, exposing the incoming galvanized.  I'd like to do a transition to PEX, and then run it on the back wall inside the cabinets over to the kitchen sink, about 2 1/2 feet. Obviously, I'd rather do this than either run plumbing outside the hous, or tear open the entire wall under these kitchen cabinets.  It is totally dark under there, so I don't think UV exposure is an issue.

To keep anyone from damaging it, I was thinking of covering it with a metal hat channel like this one: 7/8" metal hat channel

Does anyone have any other ideas?

Thanks for your thoughts!


texts: How to put electrical wires and boxes in insulated (but not drywalled) walls?

texts:
I have a basement, with concrete exterior walls which are framed with wood studs, and pink fiberglass insulation between them, all covered with a vapor barrier. I'm going to finish the basement, and need to add electrical receptacles to these walls.

I've read several conflicting advises about how to proceed in this situation: wires on top of insulation, wires behind, or buried inside it, just cut the insulation, or remove it altogether, etc., etc... So I'd like to know what is the best way to proceed in this situation? I'd like to make it right, but with the least amount of effort.


texts:
I would like to add a second, remote thermostat to my exiting HVAC system so that I can choose which area of the house will control the heating/cooling. I think I can do this by placing a simple on/off switch into the wiring to the remote thermostat. When 'off' the main thermostat will remain unaware of its remote partner and will function as a stand alone device. When 'on' the main thermostat will defer to the signal from the remote thermostat.

The main thermostat is a Honeywell Visionary TH88320U1008 which has connections for a remote thermostat.

Will this work as I intend?


texts: Can you use a heat pump for hydronic radiant?

texts:
I want to electrify the heating in my house.
It's heated by a hydronic radiant system, fed by a propane boiler. Another loop from the boiler  heats a hot water storage tank. The total floor surface area covered by the radiant heat is about 1000 sqft. Is it reasonable to do all this with a heat pump instead? (I'd rule out an electric resistance boiler as too inefficient -- electricity is relatively expensive in my area.)
I also have a mini-split AC system already installed. Would it be feasible to run that off the same outdoor unit as the heating equipment? (I don't want to use the mini-split itself for heat -- I have high ceilings, and the hot air from the indoor units doesn't really reach the lower half of the room.)
The climate is hardiness zone 5b, although in practice it doesn't go below 10 °F. I have no idea whether a ground-source heat pump is feasible on my site.
Note, I'm not planning on doing any of this work myself. I just want to be well-informed about what my options are as I start looking for installers.


texts: Did unfinished attics serve a functional purpose in old houses?

texts:
I do a lot of work with detached, wood-framed houses built in the United States between 1850 and 1920. Almost all of them have a walk-up attic that was not finished originally. In some cases the attics are now finished and used as living or working space, but it's clear (based on the finishing materials and styles) that the finishing was done well after the house was originally built.

Most of these attics offer significant floorspace (usually at least 500 square feet), they were built using rafters (so there is plenty of open space inside the attic) and the attics are easily accessible from the other levels of the houses using staircases.

This leaves me wondering why the original builders/homeowners would not have finished their attics in order to make them spaces that you could use for living. If you have all that space sitting at the top of your house, why would you not have spent a little more time or money to make it a conditioned, finished space like the rest of the house?

Is there a functional reason why attics were not finished in old houses? Maybe it has to do with lack of insulation, for instance, so they needed the attic as a buffer zone between finished spaces and the roof? Or was it purely a cultural thing (maybe they wanted the attic as storage space)?

I'm asking this mostly out of curiosity, but also because I'm thinking of finishing the still-unfinished attic in my 1903 house, so I'm wondering if I'd be creating any functional issues by turning it into finished space.


texts: replacing ductwork in a mobile home with round duct?

texts:
I know that most mobile homes use a single trunk duct that is 14" x 4" and all use a special furnace due to that size being used. , how easy is that to replace? I found out most of my duct work in my 1979 mobile home is bad , for some reason most of it is completely crushed and has a whole bunch of holes it it. Its in very good shape except for the duct work.
I want to replace it with round duct since I've been told that round duct is more efficient , the equivalent round duct sizing is about 8" to 9" , I was also told I could install slightly larger duct work and that would fix the high static issue with the small duct work , which is the reason why mobile homes use a special furnace with a higher RPM blower.


texts: Outside Sauna Build Moisture control any suggestions?

texts:
I am currently building an Octagon sauna that will double as a mobile bug out shelter that will be mounted on a trailer.

I'm putting the octagon on edge if you can imagine so that when viewed from the front or back the octagon shape will be apparent.

The design will be 2x4 construction and I was thinking about cedar on the inside with a plastic vapor barrier then foil backed foam 1 1/2" foil facing in then a second layer foil facing out then 1/2 inch air gap then plastic vapor barrier then pine t&g outside. The 1/2 air gap will be vented to outside air. With vents both top and bottom

I was considering rock wool or fiberglass but I'm not a carpenter so I need some advice.


texts: Garage door torsion spring popping and warping. Tension or defect?

texts:
Background

A day or so after the garage door, track and torsion spring were professionally replaced, popping sounds are heard from the torsion spring during operation. This sound is emitted when the spring "pops" back into place after warping/ bending.

It occurs opening and closing when the garage door is closest to shut. Other than this issue, it seems to operate normally.

Question

Is this behavior typical, or a result of something like the tension requiring adjustment, or maybe a defective spring? While we are waiting to contact the installer (holiday weekend), is there any risk of it worsening if it continues to be used in the meantime?

Thank you.


texts: Weather barrier for concrete block to wood transition

texts: I have a concrete block garage with a single-car-size door that I've framed in.  The goal is to cover the whole area with siding.  I've applied housewrap to the wood portion but I'm not certain how to attach the Tyvek to the block to seal it's edge.


texts:
I'm posting this here hoping that other DIY'ers might be able to help - not sure if Home Improvement is the right place, but this seems the closest on Stack Exchange.

I'm constructing an antique radio out of scraps I can find on the Internet. I'm not sure what to make the dials do in the Philco 90.

Top dial - radio channel tuning

Right dial - volume

Middle dial - tone(?)

Left dial - not sure at all.. AM/FM? FM didn't come about until mid-1930s. Anachronism?


texts: Wall furnace material - could it be asbestos?

texts:
Found it on a shelf in my wall furnace, hence the burnt look... looking for input on its origin.

Thanks


texts: Will replacing filament light bulbs with non-dimmable LED bulbs damage the bulbs and/or a dimmer?

texts: I have replaced filament light bulbs with non-dimmable led bulbs using existing dimmer switch. This combination seams to work well. Will this damage the bulbs or the circuit.


texts: Redoing an old bathroom with cast pipe. As is fairly common in old houses the floor joist was cut when the toilet was installed. If the soil pipe had dropped another 6" to clear the joist would it create venting problems? Is there a standard for the total amount of drop before the vent? I intend to replace it with 4" ABS.


texts: Water pressure low due to small pipes - any options?

texts:
I bought a house and found out too late that it appears the entire upper floor is supplied from one small pipe. So if you flush the toilet or wash your hands while someone is in the shower, they get burnt (cold water pressure drops, only hot water is left coming).

I know nothing about plumbing, but I was wondering if I have any options to fix this. Replacing the piping seems out of the question as it would require opening walls, floors, the lot.

My main concern is the shower. If the sink flows slightly less, or the toilet needs longer to fill back up - that's fine with me. But I'd like to take a shower without warning everyone not to use the toilet.

But what, exactly, are my options?

Edit: Additional information:
I'm on city water. The house is about 5 years old, so pipes aren't old. The previous owners simply put in too small pipes.


texts: How should holes in a crawlspace liner be fixed?

texts: I had a company encapsulate my crawlspace with 20 mil liner. The liner installed has 3 dime size holes as well as a 4-5 inch gash they covered with tape. They now would like to cover the holes with tape as a fix. They also mentioned they are going to foam then since they have to come back. Is the only real fix for them to reinstall a new liner or is there an actual fix to this? What issues can I have in the future?


texts: 3-Way dimmer switch, dimming both locations?

texts: So I have two 3-Way dimmer switches.  I am able to switching the lights on or off from each location, but I can only dim from one of the switches.  Did I do something wrong, or is it only possible to dim from one dimmer switch or can I dim from both dimmer switches.


texts: How to drive a wood screw to get a precise screw-thread fit

texts:
How does one drive a wood screw to a get a perfect-fit thread, as in the first image?

Note the difference between first and second images.

The 'bite marks' that would have been made in the upper part of the thread during driving look like they have disappeared, as if the wood has tightened around the unthreaded portion of the screw.

Edited (11/4/2020):

I've noted comments regarding different wood species, and end grain vs transverse grain. However, I'm still puzzled by the appearance of the first image, examined by itself.

Is the wood grain around screw threads dynamic enough to stabilize a screw over time?

My only guess how this would happen is that there was compression of the wood while driving, then subsequent re-expansion over time (under the influence of internal moisture flows).


texts:
I know that it will be difficult to impossible to fish anything through it later, but can I close up emt in the wall with a 90-degree ell (uncurved)?

It's easier for me to use rigid conduit for this run but there is a section where I don't have the clearance for a curve. I can get wiring in now but I don't want to leave the elbow accessible after I put in drywall.

Something like this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000VYGZWM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Y4vjCbJ2PPE1P

I'm in California.


texts: Why is my Australian light fixture wired this way?

texts: I just want to replace it with a new light fitting philips tcg701 but there's way too many wires and I don't know why it was done this way.


texts: I cleaned a cast iron bath tub with a toilet bowl cleaner

texts: The toilet bowl cleaner cleaned it beautiful, but then it stated turning brown or rust colored and I want to know something to clean it with, that will clean it and the brown won't come back.


texts:
I just acquired a double door Amana refrigerator. I'm not sure when it was manufactured but from the design and the dates on referenced patent numbers on the back, it seems to be from the late 70s/early 80s.
It seems to be working although it's giving off some cool air from the bottom.
Is it safe to use it?


texts:
Not sure if it's the right place to ask, and I must be missing something really simple.
Anyway, I'm trying to open this electric plug. Normally you just need to unscrew the screw and thats all, but on this one the screw seems to do nothing!!
Here are a few images:

Any idea?
Cheers!


texts: What replacement florescent lamps can I use?

texts:
One of the lamps has gone on the under cabinet lighting in our kitchen. I did have a big stack of spare florescent tubes I bought some years ago.

But now looking on the internet I can't find any replacements?

The only markings I have on the lamps are LT 15W/530-030 made by Narva.

We have quite a big kitchen and a total of 6 of these lights.

What should I be looking for in a replacement bulb?


texts: removing a exterior wall below a floor joist of the second floor

texts:
I would like to remove an exterior wall (15' long) under a floor joist (14x2) that supports a second floor and house roof edge. I was wondering if the joist itself could be used as a beam to support the new opening. Or maybe it (the floor joist) will need a reinforcement by adding a 2x12?!

Better explained in the attached images. The first is the original wall, and the second is what I think I could do.

I will really appreciate any help.

Thanks!


texts: Why does my Aprilaire 560 make clicking noises before starting?

texts: My Aprilaire 560 humidifier will do a bang click many times before it turns the blower on. I  replaced the solenoid valve with a new factory part and it still does the same thing. What next?


texts: How to wire lighting fixture with two sets of hot, neutral, and ground?

texts:
I'm installing a light fixture in my crawl space. The fixture has a set of hot, neutral, and ground wires coming into the fixture from utilities as well as a set of hot, neutral, and ground wires coming into the fixture from our radon system (see image below).

The hot and neutral wires had wirenuts connecting them together for the radon system to operate. The radon system was installed as part of our purchase for the home, so this is the first time I'm looking at this light fixture. Would it be OK to tighten both wires of the same type (hot, neutral, ground) under the relevant screws of the light fixture? I've started to connect the light fixture with one wire of each, as shown below.

If both wires under each screw is not OK, would I need to cut a wire section in order to pigtail three ends of each wire type together, like in the image from this blog?
UPDATE Taking advice to pigtail (thanks, @nobody !), I'm assuming that the wiring diagram would look something like this. Would I still want to have one ground wire under a light housing screw, like in the first picture?


texts: What kind of thermometer do I use to check dryer temperature? Can same one be used to check stove temperature?

texts: Is there a thermometer that can be used to check dryer temperature, and if so, what kind should be used?  Should only a multimeter be used on the dryer's thermostat instead?  I'm just wanting to doublecheck that a dryer is heating to proper temperature.  I would like to know if there is one that can be used both on a dryer and a stove, like maybe a thermometer that is just used for appliance repair.


texts: Does keeping downstairs air off at night force the upstairs hvac to work harder?

texts:
We live in a two-story home in Florida, about 3,000 sqft. We have an HVAC for downstairs, and one for upstairs.

We typically will leave downstairs pretty warm at night (~80), and when we're ready for bed have the upstairs unit at ~74. Since warm air rises, is this actually making our upstairs unit work longer than it should?

I think the answer has to be "yes", but my question then becomes, is this any less energy efficient than keeping both units at the same temperature? It seems likely that my upstairs unit probably only has to compensate for the amount of warm air that makes it to the 2nd floor, where leaving both on would have both units accounting for the warm air throughout the entire house. Is this correct?


texts: How to Remove This Bathroom Faucet Spout

texts: I am replacing the faucet in my guest bathroom but I am having a difficult time removing the center spout of a widespread setup (I think it is an old Moen). I have loosened the nut underneath the counter but the T just spins which leads me to believe the spout should spin off but it doesn't. How should go about getting this off?


texts:
Good afternoon,
First time here so I sincerely appreciate any help..
House background, built in 1907. Only electrical ever permitted was in late 70s. All else added etc done by previous owner was all done without permits. Mainly an illegal 45 foot trailer he had in backyard. I've cleaned some up but this is above me as I'm still learning electrical and while I'm getting there, and since affording an electrician is out, I bend to you...
Ok, by the pics, the double switch is what I want in the box with the gfi outlet. Gfi is as you see wired separate. The regular wall switch you see is outside the bathroom on my outside wall. Basically a 3 foot run. No idea what that outlet is fed off of but do know it in fact supplies the bathroom lighting. Originally, (I should have photographed) there was a single pole switch there beside the gfi outlet. If you can see the wiring ok, the hot from that outlet in the hallway was middle stripped and wrapped around the top common screw then either run directly to other common terminal and other wires nutted together or it was nutted with one light and other light was run into other common screw. Whew,
My goal is to have this double switch control 2 lights. One on wall (loose wires) and one to new fan light combo which I've already installed and wired to switch on together. When I hooked this all up first time, the top switch turns fan on, the other switch simply turned off that hall outlet. Power to the wires for light above mirror but not sure if its right till my light is delivered. But seems to have constant power regardless. What are my options here?
Thanks again [
[![hallway outlet


texts:
Recently, my water heater started leaking from the top edges. I can see rust lined up all along the outer rim on the top, and water is very slowly trickling out. I've made an appointment with a local water heater company to come repair it, but it will be three days before they can come. So now, I'm trying to shut down the water heater safely.

Since it's an electric heater, I've turned off the electricity on the breaker panel, and I've shut off the cold water valve on the top of the heater. I heard that I also need to drain the heater through the outlet near the bottom of the heater.

Questions:
1. Is draining the heater through the bottom outlet necessary?
2. If I do drain the heater via the bottom outlet, will the water be scalding hot?
3. Why can't I drain the heater via my bathroom faucet? Will turning on the hot water in the bathroom cause any issues (besides not getting hot water of course)?


texts:
I have a Skilsaw SHD 77 we bought new in 2015. We used it to build a 6' work bench and a chicken coupe. After sitting in a storage box for 2 years, I pulled it out to use and internal Sparks were higher than I remembered. Upon pulling the trigger again nothing/.

This is what I do know,

Brushes are clean, new and properly emplaced.

Power to and from the switch is proper via Multimeter

Blade turns by hand freely (unplugged)

no dust, grease or debri internally

Oil levels are good.

IT'S Basically NEW


texts: How can I route the cables for my TV in a basement with a "half wall"?

texts: I would like to hang my new television on the wall in the basement, and run the cables through the wall to the entertainment center. My issue, is that the wall is a "half wall" because I have a split level home. So the top half of the wall is fully framed but the bottom half is part cinder block. Now, the bottom half is covered and framed. My issue is, how do I run my wires from the top to the bottom?


texts: Does water hardness affect the life of copper pipes?

texts: We have just completed the renovation works of our old home in Toronto. A short while later the pipes in bathrooms began to leak. The plumber may have used lower quality materials or lower class copper pipes for the work. Does  the hardness or softness of water actually  matter in the life of pipes?


texts: My power strip has (what appears to be) a burn mark. What do I do?

texts:
I got an power strip from IKEA around 12 months back.  I used it for at my desk with the laptop, pc, printer and light plugged in simultaneously. Now I discovered when I was moving that there's a burn mark midway covering around a sixth of the circumference and around 0.5 cm long. There's clearly heating since it's deformed/bent but it's hard to judge the extent of the damage.

Since it's only a year old, is it reasonable to go back to IKEA and ask for a replacement?
Could the fact that I used the extension cord on a non-earthed wall socket have contributed to the problem (old dutch houses just don't come with them...) and if so, I am liable to see this problem again?
Is it safe to continue using this one?

pic http://www.ikea.com/nl/nl/images/products/koppla-contactdoos-schakelaar--contact__0293166_PE425719_S4.JPG


texts: Garage Door Operation Inconsistent (But ONLY with the Universal Remote)

texts:
I have the problem that many others have had here except that my door has stopped working with the universal remote (roof of the GM car) ONLY.  The Lift-Master remotes work well.  Initially, it was just the Buick, but now the Chevy is having the same problem.  On occasion, it will open after 10+ tries.

I'm stumped both cars were able to open the unit when they were set-up.  About 6 months later the Buick quit; then the Chevy.  There are no CFL bulbs in close proximity.  Nothing has changed in the garage since we moved in the house 5 years ago. And nothing changed in either auto.

Any ideas?  My thanks to you all!


texts: 1902 house. Really cold winters. Insulation question

texts: Ive got a 1902 house in montreal where it gets down to -30C during winter. Usually its about -15C. Its also very humid here. I just bought this place and noticed there is no insulation in the walls which is no surprise. The walls are shiplap cedar. It all looks to be in pretty good shape. The exterior is very old stucco. Might as well be concrete because its so hard. Its never coming off. On top of that is vinyl siding. I wanted to insulate from the outside since the wall cavity is tiny and some places non existant. I was thinking removing the vinyl, then 2inches or maybe more of rock wool then putting up some real cedar siding. I dont think theres an air gap between the wood walls and the stucco siding so that cant be left exposed. I think ill just leave the walls alone from the inside. Anybody know of a problem with this idea?


texts: Bathroom light switch inoperative, but fan swith okay

texts: My light switch in the bathroom just stopped working, but the switch right next to it for the vent is okay. The light switch turns on an array of six bulbs and I checked them and they seem fine. All other electrical switches in the house work. I opened up and looked in the housing and nothing seems out of he ordinary. Any ideas what could be going on?


texts: Why does the overflow pipe on a water heater open to the floor?

texts:
See here, in a standard home water heater, how there's an overflow pipe which would just dump the extra water on the floor if activated.

Why is this? Why does it not go the same way as the drain on a sink or bathtub, or a toilet? (I am not sure what those output pipes for drains are actually called....waste pipes? drain pipes?)

Why would you ever want it to pour out onto the floor?


texts: Different joist spacing of extended deck

texts:
I have an old deck with 16" joist spacing but that was because they used 2x8 joists and span 9 ft with 3 ft overhang.

I am planning to extend the deck but won't go further than 9 ft. So with short joist span, I am thinking using Hem-fir 2x8 with 24" spacing according to this

http://www.decks.com/how-to/41/deck-joist-sizing-and-spacing

Do you think it's reasonable? Or do I have to follow the same pattern of joist spacing when I extend the deck? The beam is 4x8x16.


texts:
My garage door opens very abruptly and it's only a year old. Does it need oil or wd-40 and where?

Everything shakes like it's going to fall off the ceiling or come off rails.

Brand: Chamberlin
Lift master pro
1/3 hp


texts: How do I install a wall mount lighting fixture when there are 2 black 2 white and 2 ground wires from the wall

texts: I'm installing 2 wall mount light fixtures, the first one was easy it was just one for one with black,white, and ground.  The second box in the wall though is pre-wired with 2 black, 2 white, and 2 ground.  My question is, do I connect all 3 of each together.  Attached is a picture of the wiring coming out of the box.


texts:
Here are both the builder blue prints and foundation plans.  According to the plans all external walls and garage are load bearing and internal walls are not. There is no built up foundation/headers internally, only thickened on external walls.

I want to completely take down the wall running horizontal from the garage to the kitchen which includes closet, kitchen wall, half walls (lv rm) and where pantry (no longer there) are indicated.  Since the trusses run perpendicular and the middle of the truss (middle of the A) is where the wall is, my S/O is arguing it is load bearing.  Full disclosure: I removed a quarter of that wall (next to the closet) more than 10 years ago based on these plans—no sagging to date.


texts: Hanging a heavy edgeless mirror so that it tilts down

texts:
I have a mirror similar to this:

I'd like to hang it like this:

...where the angle can be easily adjusted whenever I'd like.

I'd like to figure out how to simply, cheaply, and securely (living in CA - earthquakes may strike again) achieve this.  I was considering using french cleats like this on the bottom edge of the mirror:

... and then some D-rings up top to control the angle.  But I don't know if the "lean" of the cleat will damage the wall at the bottom if I do this.

Another alternative is to just build a thin shelf with a small lip, but I'm trying to go as minimal / unobtrusive as possible here.  I'd prefer not to see any hardware.