texts: Questions about shower wall tile install

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I'm getting ready to install 12x12 ceramic tile on our tub walls. What type of thinset should I use?

Ancillary to that is the type of grout to use? Sanded or unsanded?

While researching the background for this question a bit, I learned that the 12x12 tiles we're considering are Semi-vitreous, and aren't recommended for wet areas like showers. If I thoroughly water proof the Durarock wall (using RedGard as recommended here), can I use those tiles? If so, what grout?

I'm interested in using these tiles specifically to cut material costs. This was an unexpected repair, not a remodel, so our budget isn't the greatest. We have approximately 56 sq feet to tile, plus materials and needed tools.

Edit: If I went with this tile, what thinset and grout would I need? This is not a good choice, as it's not impervious. It's not even semi-vitreous.

Edit: OK, I think I'm figuring out the choices. Home Depot has a 12x12 porcelain tile that's rated impervious. It's also $0.99/sq. But, with porcelain, do I use a sanded or non-sanded grout to avoid scratching the surface?

The bottom line is that I'm going with a porcelain tile that's rated impervious with less than 0.5% absorption. I'm prepping the walls by covering the seams with a kerdi band, then painting the wall with Redgard waterproofing. I'm using a fortified white thinset and then finishing with a sanded grout, the only determining factor there is the color. Thanks everyone for the answers, and I hope future readers find this helpful.

Thanks for the feedback and help. I did this job over the weekend (what I thought would take a few hours turned into two days -- mostly due to prep and cutting the tiles), and I'll be doing grout sometime today. I'll post the final picture once I get the grout in and the tiles cleaned.


texts: Requirement for splicing neutrals in a switch

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I am going to install 4 LED downlights on a 3-way switch.   My plan is to do panel-switch-switch-lights...  similar to this image

I will be using THHN inside conduit from panel to first switch, and from first switch to second switch.   My question is do I need to splice the neutral in the first switch box, or can I just make it a continuous run from panel - through first switch box - spliced to NM-B in second switch box?
Alternatively, is it good practice to splice here (provides future capability) or bad practice (unnecessary point of failure)?


texts: Can I add a dimmer switch for lighting to a GFI circuit in Kitchen?

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Goal:  I want to add some under cabinet lights in my kitchen and control them all from an in wall dimmer switch.

Problem: I have 3 outlets in my kitchen.  One is a GFI outlet, but the other two are on the same circuit.  I was assuming I could just add the dimmer switch by tapping off one of the normal outlets for power.  I have done this before (in a bedroom) and in that case, the outlet had an empty set of top lugs  that I could use to tap off of.  However, in the kitchen all the outlets (GFI and normal) have connections at all 4 lugs (white and black on bottom lugs - white and black on top lugs).

Question:  Can I/ How do I tap off of one of the normal outlets to add my dimmer?


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I'm tiling my bathroom floor with some large ceramic tiles (33cm x 33cm aka 13" x 13") and I'm having difficulty cutting them. I'm using a simple glass cutter, because the tile cutter for such large tiles is too expensive, and an angle grinder with a diamond disk gave a pretty dismal result (not to mention an absurd amount of noise).

The glass cutter worked like a miracle - for the first tile that I tried to cut diagonally (corner to corner). After that, it's the same problem over and over again:

I've scratched a pretty deep line with the glass cutter (even faintly visible in the picture), and I've positioned the tile-to-be-cut on top of an already glued tile on the floor. The scratch line matches the tile edge. Then I hit the corner with my fist to break it. And the result is in the picture.

In the middle it breaks as it should, but closer to the edges it ignores the lines. This is still salvageable with tile nippers (I need the big piece), but it's annoying. What am I doing wrong?


texts: I just bought a new TV for my bedroom, and I want to mount it on the wall. The only problem is that the walls of the house are made of sandstone and if i mount it directly to it, it won't hold. I was thinking of making a hole, filling it with mortar, and inserting an anchor. Will this hold ?


texts: How do I know if my windows are energy efficient?

texts: Hope this is a known one. New double glazing should be labelled, shouldn't it? But rather than getting new windows, are my uPVC windows fine? What checks? To elaborate - what should I look at on the windows as a means of checking they are adequately energy efficient so I don't need to buy replacements.


texts: How should grounding be handled for multiple RV pad feeds?

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Trailer pads were wired at my deer camp over 15 years ago.  The main power pole has meter with 200 amp disconnect.  From the meter a 3 wire service was run overhead to each pad.  At the first breaker box it is grounded with ground rod.  All the other breaker boxes just have the 3 wire service to them.  All breaker boxes past the first one only have 1 ground neutral bar in them.  The ground and neutral wires are all bonded to this single bar. I need add a new breaker box so I can add an RV 50 amp 4 wire plug in.

Should I separate the ground neutral wires in the new box and do I need to put in a ground rod?


texts: Does my vented septic tank even require traps and vents near the actual fixture connections?

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My home has a septic system with a vented lid to let the sewer gasses escape from the tank itself. As a result, it seems like far less gas (if any) would travel up the waste plumbing and exit through the vents downstream of the P-traps. So I've been wondering: given the vented septic tank, is there any actual technical reason why my home plumbing needs to have traps and vents?

CYA provision: I'm not asking this because I'm planning to remove all the traps and vents or anything wacky and illegal and pointless like that. There would be no benefit at all to anyone, and it might even hurt future owners if the house is ever put on the city sewer or something. I'm just curious and I want to understand the systems a little bit better. Because it sure seems like traps and vents are designed to solve a problem that my septic tank solves on its own.


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Does this picture look like a burnt out LED lighting or is something wrong with the fixture itself? The apartment was built a year and a half ago with these types of fixtures put in.

Is this just the LED (consumable) or is something wrong with the fixture itself (warranty)?

In the picture, the light switch is on and looks like half the LEDs are off completely and the other half is dim.

EDIT:

I took the cover off and below is what I found. It looks like one single LED is burnt out.

The question now is:

1) Does this look like a normal burnout, or is something wrong with the driver/capacitor that may have caused this?

2) It also looks like I need to replace at least one of these panels. However, there is one driver/capacitor (out-of-view) that runs four of these separate panels. The panels are all connected in a single circuit all soldered together. Is this a DIY replacement, or an electrician one?


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I have an old noisy ceiling fan that I plan to replace. Can I install a ceiling fan with a light fixture regardless of the wiring, or do I need to open it up to see what I'm working with before buying the new fan?

There's only one switch that controls the ceiling fan, I'm not sure if there's wiring for a second switch in the box or not. Regardless, I don't particularly mind if there's only a single switch for the fan/light - I can always use the pull cord to turn the fan on/off.


texts: What causes hammering from a new diverter when other faucets are quickly turned on and off?

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We're doing a minor remodel of our master bathroom, and I have replaced the 30+ year old diverter and nearby pipe with a new one from Delta. Now when any faucet in the house is turned on and off quickly, there is a hammering or banging sound coming from the diverter (2 or 3 bangs). Trying to hold the diverter and nearby pipes firmly still does not reduce the noise, though the diverter is certainly well secured to the brace. The photo below shows the extent of the plumbing I had to do. (Note the wonderful polybutylene at the right which transitions via a Sharkbite to the CPVC.)

Are newer pressure balancing valves subject to this kind of hammering? That seems like a possibility since the old valve certainly did not balance the pressure.

The only other thing I can think of is that I knocked some pipe strap/hanger loose somewhere, but why would it cause the sound to come from the diverter area?


texts: Can I handle-tie two 120V CH breakers for a 240V load?

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Due to an ordering error a long time ago, I have too many 30A 1-pole "CH" brand breakers.  (these are single breakers, not tandem/double-stuff).  As you probably realize, there isn't much call for 120V/30A circuits, so these breakers are a dunsel.

However I have need for 30A 2-pole breakers for 240V and 120/240V circuits.

Can I use a handle-tie listed for these breakers to combine two 1-pole breakers into a 240V 2-pole breaker?  I am under NEC 2014.


texts: What kind of tubing should I use for draining condensate from a furnace / boiler?

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"High efficiency" & condensing boilers or furnaces produce an acidic water byproduct called condensate that has to be drained away.

My boiler has an outlet fitting for this condensate water but the manual doesn't say what kind of of tubing should be used to drain it. The other tubing attached to my boiler is copper (for the water in/out) and steel or iron for the gas connection.

The fitting for the condensate is plastic, however, which I'm sure is for a good reason. But I'm still not sure what kind of tubing to use.


texts: Newer style of faucet handle removal with no screw and hole

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I need to repair the dripping faucet, but have no idea how to remove the handle, as it shows on the pic, there is no screw or tap or hole on it, any suggestions? or seen this type?  It seems there is only one way to do it by pulling it up?

I thought removing the handle is the hard part, I was wrong, now I can't take the cartridge out, as it shows on the pic, the cartridge seated too deep, and my wrench can't have a good grab, is there a special tool for this kind of cartridge?


texts: Should I add insulation to basement ceiling?

texts: Currently doing a reno on our basement.  After roughing everything out, I have insulated the outside walls with R13 (2x4).  The house has never had insulation in the basement.  Should I insulate the ceiling as well?   The ceiling is 2x6 and I think R19/R22 should do.  Is this practical/good benefit or am I just wasting my time/money.  The house is in New England, basement is dry, standard poured cement style.


texts: Mystery constant, fast, and barely audible vibration in private home

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I recently moved to the top floor of a three story home that is near an infrequently used express track (primarily on weekends during construction on the local line/once or so an hour). A train passing under causes the  house to rumble hard and generally wakes me. It's an old home, and it seems prone to vibration.

To minimize the train vibration in my bed (metal frame with four legs on risers, wooden slats, foam mattress), I put folded-in-two yoga mats beneath each pair of risers. Each riser also has two dense hockey pucks beneath the bed legs. I added a fully inflated air mattress between my bed and foam mattress. Beneath my bed are boxes of books for added weight; two ten-pound weights are on the bed-frame. No part of the bed is touching the wall.

It's helped with the train vibration, but it hasn't helped with what seems to be the entire upper floor shaking very rapidly and constantly. It tends to start in the evenings during the weekdays. This past weekend, it was on the entire time. My landlord (lives on the first floor; I'm on the third) said he's never heard of nor experienced something like that in the years he's been there.

My second floor neighbor doesn't seem to be experiencing anything (but he also mentioned that his family's encounters with the trains seems to be far milder than mine). He also mentioned that he doesn't have any vibrating machines in use (fan, AC, etc.)

We had some boiler repairs recently (I don't know what was done), but the vibration continues even when the radiators aren't fussing about. It's still active when our refrigerator dies down. I tried recording it with the VibSensor app and got rates of 9.7-10hz, but I'm not sure if that's the app just picking up itself. No music, broadcasted or performed.

The room's former occupant (who I don't think spent much time in the apartment during the winter) doesn't recall any such vibrations.

Is this something new? Is something broken? Could it be something 'normal' and otherwise present but now accentuated because it's colder outside? How do I stop it? I'm very sensitive to my environment, but my landlord is at least in his late fifties, so I'm concerned he might not pick up on the vibrations.


texts: What is a 'grounded neutral' and how bad is it?

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I bought an electrical device a few months ago.  A few weeks ago, it failed, complete with the release of magic smoke.  I contacted the company, and they've had me mail it to them and have been investigating the failure.

Today they contacted me asking to have an electrician come to my house and take some measurements; they said that they've talked to experts and they "...have indicated that a grounded neutral in a house with wiring like yours may create a scenario that could cause something like this."

My house was built in 1959, and while some circuits are grounded, the room where the device was plugged in has two-prong outlets, and the cable going to the receptacles is ungrounded.  The device used a two-prong plug.

I'm inclined to let them do the measurements, but before I do, I'd like to know:

What is a 'grounded neutral'?  My main breaker panel only has two breakers, one 30-amp for the A/C and one 100-amp breaker for the subpanel that powers the rest of the house; I'm pretty sure that Neutral and Ground don't touch inside the subpanel, but I haven't looked inside it for a couple of years.

Is there anything else I should know?


texts: How to unpack the base of a refrigerator?

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How does one unpack the thick foam base of a Bosch refrigerator? It is sitting on a 4” thick foam slab. The goal is to get it down to floor level without damaging, and I only have one helper.
Thanks.


texts: Can I add a small stud on top of a plaster wall?

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I am covering an old room that has ugly wavy, bumpy, stylized plaster walls. I've looked into all of the options to remove the bumps and it will be simpler to cover it with wallboard.

The issue: One wall in the room has a 2 inch jog in it. Meaning, the right half of the room is 2 inches deeper than the left half.

I'm wondering if I can screw "surface studs" on top of the plaster wall inline with the studs behind the wall to line it up with the left half? Adding those "surface studs" would even out the full length of that wall for a single smooth surface.
Does anyone see an issue with this? Or any other suggestions?


texts: How much cheaper is it to buy nuts and bolts by the pound?

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I have heard that buying nuts/bolts/lag screws by the pound is cheaper than buying them individually. In my town, Tractor Supply sells them by the pound, whereas Lowes sells them individually.

Is this true? I know the answer is "It depends on how much each charges," but wondered if anyone actually tried buying a pound of something from each place and looked at the cost.


texts:
What is the best way to fill a pothole in asphalt?

There are some huge potholes in an alley used by 5 homes that I would like to repair - meaning it gets a fair bit of traffic each day.

Would gravel be a sustainable filler into the holes?

Does it have to be more asphalt?


texts: We have newly got these bugs at home and want to get rid of them. They are about 1 cm long. They live under a laminated "floating" floor and they are only active at night - they run around our washroom and one can easily step on them... Is there a way how to get rid of these without removing the floor?


texts: Are there drawbacks to installing GFCI outlets in sequence?

texts: Are there any big downsides to Daisy chaining GFCI outlets? I understand that protection would be redundant. I have an outside outlet that's protected by an upstream GFCI that's located inside the house. I am replacing the outside outlet and am thinking of replacing it with a GFCI. My thinking is that when it trips I'll be able to reset it outside rather than inside. I understand that if the inside outlet trips I won't be able to use the outside one until the inside is reset.


texts: What are "alternative absorption field products" and are they a good choice?

texts: My county's application for a septic tank permit asks if I want to use "alternative absorption field products" instead of pipe and gravel. They won't make any recommendation of one type of absorption field over the other. It could be that they are using a weird phrasing, or I'm not using the right search terms, but I'm not finding any information on what an "alternative absorption field product" is, or why I would want one instead of traditional pipe and gravel. Can someone please explain what they mean, and why someone would or would not want this?


texts:
I have a bathroom cabinet drawer that needs to be removed so I can repair the bottom. I can't figure out how to remove it. What do I push or pull to get it out?

This is the drawer fully extended:

A close up, fully extended:

A close up, pushed in a bit. Note the pointy black plastic piece is now inside the slide. Note also the button at the left edge of the T. No amount of pushing in the button while sliding the drawer in and out unlatched it:

The pointy thing does go up and down, but I couldn't get anything to release by moving it.


texts: Running irrigation pipes under a large concrete pad

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I'm planning on redoing the irrigation system in the back yard and considering extending it to cover the front yard as well.  My only problem, the house is completely surrounded by a concrete patio.  My best run would be from the rear beds to the front beds under about 30' of concrete.  But the front beds are only 2 feet wide, so the target is pretty small.

Is it even possible to bore that distance under the concrete and get it in the front bed?  Both beds are in a line and 2 feet deep.  The soil is loamy with with no rocks.  My method of attempting to do this would be with a water hose attached to the pipe i'm sending under the concrete.  If it is not possible to hit the target with pvc pipe, would galvanized fair better?


texts: Toilet gurgling/ bubbling and backing up on septic

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OK...had my cleanouts inspected and cleared and septic pumped....all fine. So, it has to be from the septic to the drain fields. Have a probe and know where my line is from the septic the fields and plan on checking the line myself. If that line is cleared then it has to be the fields...right? I dont have any soft spots anywhere around the line or the fields. If I dig out that line, what do I expect? Ahuge clog? Is this line under pressure when I take it off? What does the connection look like at the line/field junction? How will I know I have to replace my drain fields?

TY
RMerritt


texts: Washing Machine door locking/lights working, but no power to solenoid or motor

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My machine is turning on with the led's lighting, allowing me to select and start a program, doors locking and then the counter starts to countdown as normal. But nothing else happens, no water and no motor. I have tried spin modes etc, but they are all the same.
I have checked that the solenoids work when powered from an external source, But they are not receiving power from the control unit.
There is still meat on the motor bushes and the drum spins freely.
This is my first time looking at fixing a washing machine so I don't really know what else I can check, If there are fusees or other safety 'trips' etc? That said, I would have thought that if that was the issue there would be an Error message showing?
is there maybe a relay I can replace? or..?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Ash
Machine: Electrolux / Zanussi ZWF12280W
EDIT: inspired by jwh20's comment bellow, I took a closer look at the control board. I think it might be something to do with the 'chard' section.


texts: Is there a visible way to turn off this Wedgewood pilot light?

texts: I would like to turn off this pilot light on my 1930's Wedgewood stove, to use less gas. I can't see any obvious way to turn it off; am I missing something? Like I don't know if that nut or what seems to be an airflow controller below it would do anything. Figured I'd ask before trying it, before moving the stove out to look for other valves.


texts: Please check out attached picture of corner of my double hung window. I feel cold air there during winter time when it is too much windy. Can anyone tell me which area of window requires weatheratripping and what kind of ?


texts: Why does main breaker trips before the smaller one?

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I have 6 x 20A breakers that stayed ON while the main 63A tripped. I turned the smaller breakers OFF and then turned the main one ON.

One by one, I started turning ON the smaller ones, till the main tripped again. The thing is when I woke up and there was no power in the sockets circuit, all 20A breakers were ON and only the main was tripped. Shouldn't the smaller 20A culprit go first? Is it broken and should I replace it?


texts: I'm installing a new dishwasher.  I would like to go with a plug and outlet even though the old one was hardwired into the house.  What do I do to take care of the hardwire line?


texts: Sill Plate not Lining up with Foundation Wall

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I am in the process of building a one level home in PA. After the formed concrete walls were poured and the framing began, I noticed that on one side of the house that the sill plate was flush with the edge of the foundation wall in the rear, but, by the time the sill plate got to the front it was 2 1/2" away from the edge of the foundation wall. In summary, the sill plate walks from flush with the foundation wall at the rear to 2 1/2" at the front. This happens over about a 50' run.

Any thoughts or concerns would be appreciated. Any recommendations on what sorts of questions to ask when I meet the site supervisor on Monday?


texts:
We had our house re-roofed a few weeks ago and I noticed that my attic is more drafty.

I live in the UK and my house was built in the 1960s.  It is a semi-detached bungalow.

I'm not sure what the old underlay was, but it was pretty heavy duty looking.  It was a black rubber / plastic kind of material.

The roofer installed Protect VP400 Roofing Underlay with Redland Double Roman 50 tiles and semi round Redland ridge tiles.  He replaced all the battens.

It's quite stormy here at the moment and I noticed more of a draft in the attic.  More so than before the new roof.  I checked around for light coming through but there was none.  No leaks that I could detect.

Any ideas if this is normal and the result of a more modern roofing system or is there a problem with maybe some loose tiles and the underlay is preventing rain from getting in?


texts: Why is the pressure valve repeatedly tripping on my water heater?

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The pressure valve tripped on my water heater, which is about 2 years old. I put a new one on, and about 24 hours later it tripped again.

I turned the power off but 10 hours later it still tripped again. What would cause this even with the power off?


texts: How can I run an unswitched receptacle from a three-way switch box?

texts: I am trying to add an unswitched receptacle in my basement by tapping into a wall switch. There are 2 other switches that control the basement lights also. The wires into this particular switch are black white and red + ground. What wires do I run to the receptacle?


texts: Thoughts on furnace generator transfer switch install

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I'm replacing my cast iron boiler for hydronic heating and domestic hot water in Massachusetts. Plans are to install a new Viessmann gas fired condensing boiler. Living in New England, it's not out of the question that we could lose power during a winter storm. I'd like to be able to keep the house warm during an extended power outage. The power requirements of the boiler and circulating pumps is going to be relatively low, so I'm looking at installing a furnace transfer switch to be able to power the furnace off a portable inverter generator that I own.

Furnace transfer switch:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Reliance-Controls-Furnace-Transfer-Switch-TF151/202216476
Champion 2000W inverter generator: https://www.championpowerequipment.com/product/73536i-2000-watt-inverter-generator/

Am I risking my boiler equipment? I understand that a standard job-site generator kicks out some really dirty power, and I shouldn't plug in anything with a chip in it. But everything I've read about inverters is that they're electronics and computer safe. I'd like some thoughts if there's any thoughts or experience on this that I've missed.

I've also heard the advice, install a whole house system or an installed system serving only a couple of breakers. That's really overkill for what I'm looking for. There's nothing else in the house that I'm worried about running that can't be fed off the second outlet of the generator (an LED light and maybe a phone/laptop charger). I own the generator already, and we don't lose power frequently enough to justify an installed system.

Are there any issues with powering on/off the Viessmann boiler system. I understand the recommended sequence for plugging into a generator are to 1) get the genset started, 2) plug in the equipment. Then on the shutdown 3) unplug the equipment, 4) shutdown the genset. Is pulling power from the Viessmann going to be bad for it in some form? Again, this is not going to be a standard operating mode, but hopefully coasting through an emergency couple of days. But last thing I want is to damage my boiler during a couple of hour power outage, requiring an emergency service call once power comes back on.

Finally, I'm aware of carbon monoxide risks, and I have the requisite 50ft extension cord to put the genset outside, 20ft from the house.

Thoughts, hand-holding?
Thanks.


texts: Can previously stained pine logs be stained darker later?

texts: Can you stain a lighter stain on a white pine log a darker color at a later date?  We are in the process of building a log cabin.


texts: What ceramic tile base can I use over solid wood subfloor that's not too thick?

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I am renovating my kitchen and bathroom. My house was built in 1952. I will be installing ceramic floors in both. I have 5-1/2 x 3/4 tongue and groove boards running diagonally and nailed to the floor joists.

If I use 3/4" t&g plywood followed by 7/16" cement board and then tile my floor will be too high. What is the best method to prep for tile?


texts: What moisture content of wood is desirable for building an open veranda?

texts: My family is planning on building an open veranda in Europe in a climate with the average annual percentage of relative humidity of 76.0% and the standard deviation of 8.5%. The framing will be done using 6in x 6in timbers of Scots pine (typical wood there). What is recommended moisture content for materials upon delivery? The construction is supposed to begin in a few weeks when the relative humidity level is about 65%. In addition, when is the best to paint the wood: immediately after the construction or later?


texts: Can I reduce the size of a chase, to more closely fit the ducts within it?

texts: I have a framed in rectangle in my kitchen. I recently opened up a section of it and can see that there is only a 7" round duct in the roughly 22" x 30"box. I am wondering if I can possibly re frame the cavity to fit more closely to the duct so it won't be so bulky. I'm located in the Detroit area.


texts:
I want to install a 40A electric vehicle charger (probably a ClipperCreek HCS-50) in my unfinished attached garage in the Puget Sound area of Washington State. I intend to have this inspected and permitted, but it's been a good learning experience in a variety of ways already.

I haven't installed a branch circuit before, but this seems about as dirt-simple as it could get: the location I'd like to put the EVSE is about 20 feet away from my service panel, which has open slots on it and sufficient extra capacity in the 200A mains breaker.

To do the install, I've purchased 25 feet of 6/3 NM-B (ampacity 55A) and a 240V 50A breaker that matches my panel brand. I will run the 6/3 along the same path of already drilled holes in the exposed studs to the point where I'll put a NEMA 6-50 receptacle.

I'm not clear on whether it's necessary to have a bushing on the entrance to the box where the receptacle will go, but intend to add one to err on the side of caution.
I believe the routing through the studs means that I shouldn't need any further protection from physical damage. I think the hole bored through the stud counts as supports, but the cable will still need to be secured within 12" of each end. I'm not sure how proscriptive this is, but I'd like to use screw-in cable guides similar to this:

The path of the cable is near EPS insulation, but there's only one cable there now, so 310.15(B)(3)(a)'s adjustments shouldn't apply.
It's indoors, it's a dry location, so normal NM-B is sufficient.

Are there any major obstacles I haven't accounted for, or any likely gotchas that I'll hit during an inspection?

This is similar to the question Questions regarding my plan for new 50A circuit (with pictures), but I believe it's sufficiently different to merit its own question.


texts: Do I need to remove tub to fix the subfloor?

texts:
I had hired a flooring company to replace vinyl with new tiles. When they removed the underlayment, it turned out there was some mold on the subfloor near the tub (see pics). The flooring guy said that they cannot fix it because the tub needs to be removed.
Should I find someone to fix it or just lay new tiles on top without fixing it?
Do I need to remove the tub to fix this?


texts:
I am preparing to improve a building in a cold climate zone. Since it does not seem to be properly insulated, I am reading a book about insulating and weatherizing. That teaches me that I should create an airtight thermal boundary. I have many questions about that, but this one is about the airtight aspect in particular.

Although the exterior of the building has largely been neglected, the interior has new drywall installed almost everywhere. Can that drywall act as an air barrier? I have found an article about the airtight drywall approach, but it is not clear to me whether this will be a feasible approach for a situation like mine, where the drywall has already been installed. Somewhere else, I read that "air does not move through most solid objects (concrete blocks and masonry in general are notable exceptions)", so since drywall is not mentioned as exception, that seems to confirm that it should work fine.

In order for a drywall to act as the air barrier, does it need to be a special kind of drywall? Or does it need to be treated with special paint at all? Does anybody have experience with the airtight drywall approach?


texts: Why doesn't my furnace fan run in cool mode?

texts:
Ok, the blower unit will run on heat and fan on. However when I switch to auto and cool the blower unit doesn't run. When I have the blower in the "on" position it will run until I switch the thermostat to cool. As soon as the unit outside comes on, then the blower shuts off and the outside unit keeps running. The blower will work on the heat setting also. I've never seen this happen like this. It is a Lennox brand outside unit and inside blower unit.

What could be the problem?


texts:
~floor safe ~ 24"width X 19"depth @350 lbs, including contents
~ position ~ centered @ 30" (12" either side of this point) from outside concrete
            foundation wall, the 19" depth is sitting 1/3 over a joist 2/3 over
            plywood sub floor
          ~ the 24" width will be parallel with the direction of the floor joist
            underneath
          ~ floor composition ~ 5/8 plywood over 2"X10"X 14" spruce joist 16" on
                               center.
Is additional joist reinforcement required ??


texts: How do I connect underground PVC pipe holding wire to rigid conduit?

texts:
I am planning to add a (GFCI) receptacle on a fence post, which is 45m from the garage (power feed).  I plan to use NMWU 12/2 cable run in a PVC water pipe (or flexible cable protector) and the risers at both ends will be rigid PVC conduit.  I plan to use 12ga to allow for future extension down the laneway (100m or so).  The 45cm-deep trench will be dug with a mini-ex in an area with no vehicle traffic.  I live in southern Ontario.
Question: How is the wire from the ends of the pipe to the conduit to be protected?  (Do I leave it with a small loop or wrap it in something?)
Edit: I found a source of flexible PVC electrical conduit, so I can use it and connect the ends to rigid conduit.  (This sort of obviates my question, though.)


texts:
Is it practical to wax an article that has been finished with spar urethane?
This item will be exposed to the weather for 4 - 6 hours on occasion.
If waxing is practical, how long should the urethane cure before waxing?
Thanks,


texts: I'm using a stud finder to find studs behind dry wall and so far I've found 2 and they are 16" apart. Does that mean that there will be a stud every 16" or might the distance change between studs? Is 16" the standard for stud centers?


texts: Why are there tiny air bubbles in the water of my toilet tank?

texts:
Why there are there tiny air bubbles in my toilet water tank? Is it a sign of leaking?
What causes these bubbles and how can it be fixed?


texts: What size chain is typically used when hanging a porch swing?


texts: Why do I hear water flowing in a floor drain near commercial bathroom fixtures?

texts:
I work in a government agency building, less than 10 years old, built to some kind of 'green' standards.
When I am in a men's bathroom, either at a urinal or a commode, when someone flushes a toilet, either in the men's, or even in the women's next door, it sounds as if water is being flushed down the floor drain at the same time. (In fact, it sounds like the flushed waste is going down a drain, although that is (obviously) not true.)
Why is this, and what is happening to cause this?
Per a comment: Yes, the sound is coming from a floor drain
(It happens in all bathrooms on all floors of the building. The audible whoosh/splash sounds immediately following hearing a toilet flush. It's easier to hear in 'our' bathroom when a person in the other bathroom flushes, but it also happens when our toilets/urinals are flushed.)


texts: Boiler not responding to external wired switch

texts:
My boiler has suddenly stopped receiving signals from the external switch. (models listed below).
I'm trying to isolate the faulty component. There is no fault code on the boiler. It seems to be simply waiting for a demand. Water heating is fine and not operated by the switch. I'm able to get emergency heat (by pressing +/- buttons together).
The external unit is a wired, wall-mounted time switch. It appears to be functioning, in so far as it has power and lights up when the switch is supposedly asking the  boiler to fire. (CH ON)
I tried to eliminate a fault in the switch by manually jumping it. I removed it from the wall and connected the live to the "CH ON" terminal. No change. Did I do this correctly? The wiring looks like below. I connected 4 -> L (1 and 2 are not connected)

Further to the switch there are two motorised zone valves operated by remote thermostats. The remotes appear to be paired and working.
I tried to eliminate the valves by manually opening them. This works with the emergency heat boost, but doesn't affect the lack of signal from the switch.
I'm now contemplating whether to restore the control wiring to its factory state which the manual says was a link between two terminals on the PCB. Does this sound like a good idea?
What other things can I try to identify the fault?

Boiler: Valliant EcoTEC plus 937
Timer/Switch: Siemens RWB29
Thermostats: Siemens RDH100RF with RCR100/433 receivers.
Motorised values: Honeywell V4043H1056


texts: Which 50 amp breaker do I need for my old Eaton panel?

texts:
I have an old Eaton panel in my house with a 200amp supply. I need to install a breaker for a 14-50R receptacle for a car charger.
The breakers in the panel look different from anything I see in the stores.
Here's a couple pics. What kind of breaker do I need ? Will a Square D work ?

The box also says Cutler Hammer and the breaker mounts are metal hooks


texts: Clicking noise from fridge, and won't hold temp anymore

texts:
I have a ~10 y/o (predates my purchase of the house) built-in Sub Zero 700TC. A day or two ago it started clicking every few minutes and showed codes 24 and 50, both of which reference the compressor running too much. I cleaned the coil with no effect, and the clicking noise is atypical and loud - I had never heard it before and I generally notice things like this.

Visually, it's coming from what I think is the start capacitor(?):

Or is that a relay too? I don't understand why a capacitor would make noise (they generally don't).

Either way, before I call a tech I want to see if I can fix it myself. Can this be a source of the clicking / issue? Also - the refrigerant line was still hot to the touch, so I feel like it's working at least somewhat?

Any ideas?


texts: What is causing these water heater pipes to rust/corrode?

texts:
This water heater was replaced by a plumber 4-5 years ago.  Within about a year, all the new connections were rusting/corroding.
Did the plumber not sufficiently tighten the fittings?
Is this perhaps an electrolysis problem?
Notes:

Water here is quite hard
Pipes in the house are a mix of copper, galvanized, and pex.


texts: What is the best way to remove cigarette smoke smell from a house?

texts: We're buying a house from previous owners that were smokers. The house still smells of smoke even with no furniture or upholstery in it. We plan to replace all the carpet with wood flooring. We're hoping that will do the trick. But our realtor indicated that it might also need to be repainted and possibly primed with something like Kilz too. I'm just trying to get an idea of what we're in for.


texts: Utility sink continues to dribble from hot faucet after closing hot water line

texts:
I have a utility sink in the basement. The previous owner had a habit of installing all the water fixtures backwards, so the "cold" line connected to hot and vice versa. Overtime, all the washers in the cold shut offs have started to fail. After replacing a few elsewhere, I'm stumped by the utility sink.
I have shutoff the hot water heater's hot line supplying the house. No other fixture can supply hot water, just a "shoosh" sound as I open it up.
However, at the utility sink, cold water continues to drain slowly, but never draining, from the faucet as I have the hot tap open wide and cold closed. I even closed the cold shutoff thinking the mixer in the faucet is failing to no avail.
It's run for over 30 minutes and drained several gallons of water, surely several times more than all the hot water piping in this house. This fixture is closest to the hot water heater at the bottom of the house.
Why do I get a continuous stream from the hot water only at this sink and nowhere else?


texts: How do I fix a faucet that turns all the way around?

texts:
The hot water faucet in my bathroom sink turns in circles instead of stopping at the fully closed/open positions. It gives slight resistance at some points.

This annoying as I can't tell where the shutoff point is and it inevitably ends up dripping.

I haven't delved into plumbing at all so I'm not sure what to do or how bad this is.


texts:
I'm adding some lighting to the attic and am running wires parallel to rafters. I need to go down the hip rafter and then down another rafter to get to where I need to go. Am I allowed to run the wire underneath the rafter to cross from the hip rafter to the other rafter or does it have to be drilled and through a hole to be up to code?
This is in the attic. Here is a picture of what it looks like. I'd be happy to add any more info if necessary. Thank you.


texts: Can I increase the length of LED RGB 5050 tape?

texts:
I see that there are a lot of experts on this forum, so I believe that someone will be able to help me with small LED lightning project (I have bought/will buy all components on eBay).

Currently I have the following parts:

5m LED RGB 5050 Strip, 60 LED/meter
LED Controller (with 44 key remote) 6A Max. output
Power supply DC 12V, 5A

I'm quite satisfied with it (brightness, colors, etc.), but I would like to extend the overall length to 9 meters. I have seen on forums that for bigger lengths of LED tape it is necessary to add amplifiers to compensate voltage drop on the end of tape. As far as I have seen, each LED consumes max. 0,24W. If there are 60 LEDs per meter, it means that maximum power consumption of complete tape is 5*60*0,24=72W.

So, to add additional 4 meters I need to buy several things

Additional 4 m LED RGB 5050 Strip, 60 LED/m
Amplifier For 5050 RGB, 6A Max. output.
Power supply DC 12V, 8A (I plan to buy a bit stronger power supply).

At the end I plan to connect averything according to schema below.

My questions are:

Do you think it will work ok (no overheating on any place in schema) if I connect it this way?
Could there be any problems if I put a bit stronger power supply for first tape (I have read that the power supoply should be 10% stornger than the maximum possible power consumption)?
If I connect power supply which has max. output 8A to controller which has 6A max output, could there be any problems with it?
Generally speaking, is it a problem if you have weaker power supply than the max. possible consumption on connected component? I suppose that everything is ok if you have stronger power supply than max. possible consumption on connected component.


texts: Carrier Central Air Conditioner Model 38CKC042-340 with 35/5 instead of 40/5

texts:
I have this unit
Carrier Central Air Conditioner Model 38CKC042-340

I was looking at http://www.repairclinic.com/Shop-For-Parts/a41b370d1182307/Model-38CKC042340-Carrier-Central-Air-Conditioner-Parts and it says i need "Capacitor Dual 40 + 5 mfd 440 volt Round"

My existing Capacitor was 35/5 so i replaced with another TRCFD355 35/5 MFD Round Dual Motor Run Capacitor

Questions
1. Is there any issue with running 35/5 instead of 40/5 as suggested by Repair clinic


texts: Why do these outlets appear to be "hot"?

texts: Using an analog voltmeter, with the fuse removed at the subpanel and no voltage indicated across the 2 wires of the outlet (1928-era ungrounded outlets in the US), several outlets showed exactly 120 volts from EITHER wire to a ground. Is something wrong? They function normally.


texts: Whirlpool Duet front loader door won't unlock

texts: I have a Whirlpool Duet front loading washer.  It finished its cycle, all the lights are off, no error codes, but the door won't unlock.  I unplugged it and let it sit.  Then I found a manual online that said to remove the toe panel and pull a manual release.  I think I found it but the lock still won't open.  I tried running through the diagnostic cycle and didn't get any error codes and it makes the usual sound it makes when it locks and unlocks.  Any other ideas?  I belive it's one of these 2 models: GHW9100L or GHW9200L


texts: Can I put fresh grout over grout that was done less than 48 hours ago?

texts: We had bad light when rinsing last night and today the grout seems uneven in the lines. If I mix grout tonight can I fill in some of the problem areas? Or do I have to dig out all the grout first?


texts: Can I place a vessel sink over integral sink without cutting out existing sink. I

texts: If I bring counter top to level can I place a vessel sink over existing one?


texts:
Does anyone know what this is?
My best guesses are either some type of mold or something insect related. This is on drywall in a finished basement connected to an exterior wall. I live in Chicago, in case it matters.  This wall is also adjacent to, and the "thing" is just below, a venting duct cased in drywall. It also seems that this hapoens at either corner of where the drywall duct intersects with this wall.
The back yard water spigot is also in this vicinity of the exterior wall.
I bought this frame house with vinyl siding last year and shortly after had mold remediated in this room. A few months later we noticed this on the wall. Knocking off the puffy black substance and treating with bleach seemed to take care of it until now. It's back! Yuck! It seems to appear at this quickly and at this stage.
I need an idea of what it is so I'll know who to call; a mold specialist, exterminator or some other specialist.


texts: The gas connection into my new house (less than a year old) was heavily painted but the paint is peeling revealing rusted and pitted pipe, especially the elbow pipe.  Also, the gas pipe connection for a gas barbeque is not painted and is very rusted and pitted.  What should I do about this?  Should I contact the builder and require a replacement of the rusted pipes?


texts:
These holes appeared about a week ago. Two holes had been there when I moved in, but I thought nothing of it. I noticed more of them this morning after I removed a painting from the wall.

I have found no wings or droppings.

My house is 15 years old and it had a flood in it some years ago because of something I think in the attic, it's unclear but their was a flood, which ive had people say it's just eating at the wall?????


texts: "Walk/Don't Walk" street sign wired into bathroom light

texts: I have a game room type area that has it's own bathroom.  Above the door to the bathroom I would like to place one of those "Walk/Don't Walk" street signs.  I would like the "Don't Walk" to be wired so that it comes on with the light in the bathroom.  I would like the "Walk" to come on when the light in the bathroom goes off.  I was thinking a two way switch could do this ... but now I'm thinking that it wouldn't work.  Do you know which kind of switch I would need?


texts: Remove tile adhesive to get to screws on cement board

texts:
Looking to remove thinset / tile adhesive from the backer cement board in the tub area.  I want to replace the cement board as it got damaged while removing the tiles.  The problem is, the tile adhesive is left on the backerboard, making screw removal a bit of a pain.  How can I remove this to get to the screws?

Pictures:

I've heard grinding it off works, but if that's the case, what's an ideal tool to grind?

I did some more searching, and found a similar (ish) post to mine.  It recomends one of the following:

http://www.homedepot.com/b/Tools-Hardware-Power-Tool-Accessories-Abrasives-Grinding-Wire-Wheels-Brushes/N-5yc1vZc8y0
http://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-4-in-Double-Row-Diamond-Cup-Wheel-HD-AWD40/202884364
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-5-5-Amp-4-1-2-in-Angle-Grinder-AG452K/100529101

Which is good and could be used again in the future?

Thanks,
Justin W.


texts:
Several of my nice dry fit shirts have come out of the dryer with snags on them recently. Upon inspection, there are many sharp edges on the inside of my dryer. I think what happened was that a pocketknife recently was in my pants during a dryer cycle and it caused all kinds of dings and scratches to the inside of my dryer, which makes total sense.

So the question is how do I fix this? The drum/inner tub is all scratched up, on the back and probably the front door as well. But otherwise the dryer works perfectly well. I would prefer to not have to purchase a new dryer but I also cannot keep putting my clothes through torture and at least partially ruining several of them just to get them dry.  Please help!!!

Thanks!


texts: Why can't mortise locks be installed upside down?

texts:
I purchased a mortise lock for a gate today and the person at the shop told me to make sure I install it right side up — lock on top and handle on bottom — and that a lot of customers install them upside down then complain that they don't work correctly.
I believe them because this shop existed for the sole purpose of making custom doors and selling parts, but I can't really figure out why and didn't think to ask when I was there (and also I don't have any pressing need to install one with the lock on the bottom).
My question is: Why don't mortise locks work correctly if installed upside down (handle on top, lock on bottom)?


texts: why does my main service electrical panel not have a ground? or is it bonded already?

texts: So im in the middle of installing a mini split in my home and i was about to start the wiring but when i opened up my main panel i realized that i dont have any grounds anywhere.So i started doing my research online and i saw that maybe my grounds are bonded with my neutrals but i dont see a  green bonding screw nor is there a stranded ground wire coming to it.I know the home is old so maybe they didnt add a ground to them back then.So do i just add a ground? or just leave the ground out and just put a cap on it


texts: Replacing old 60's junction box with recessed lighting

texts:
I want to replace a light fixture that was put in the 60s with recessed light.

The junction box looks to be held in place by a metal 'u' shaped bar, with the 'u' bend going over the junction box.

Would I have to cut in to the drywall (this is a basement ceiling) and remove from below?

If I don't want to do that, is there any recessed lighting that would be compatible with a 4" junction box?

Thanks.


texts: Mounting TV to wall with multiple light switches/outlets

texts:
I am looking for advice on safety precautions to take while mounting a TV to an interior wall with multiple light switches and outlets.

The wall is standard wood/drywall and I have located two studs 16" apart that the mounting plate will be secured to.

My concern is that on the other side of the wall there are two light switch boxes (secured to each of the studs I need to mount to). There are also two floor outlet boxes in the middle of the studs (one on the TV side of the wall, one opposite on the other side).

The TV is 49" and weighs 29 pounds. The mounting kit I purchased contains 2 1/4" long lag bolts meant for securing the wall plate to studs.

If I have identified the centre stud locations correctly, am I right to assume there is little chance of hitting wire running vertically (which would be stapled to side of the stud)?

Similarly, am I right to assume that, if using these bolts, there is a chance of hitting live wire running horizontally through the studs (which would be at minimum 1 1/4" into the stud + 1/2" drywall = 1 3/4" deep)?

In this case, would it be OK to use a shorter bolt (1 1/2" long or 1 3/4" long) for this size/weight TV? That way I don't have to worry as much about the longer bolts hitting horizontal wire.

Any other safety precautions to take? I plan on shutting all power off at the breaker prior to any drilling.

Thanks

EDIT: I found a photo of the house during renos which shows the wall framed & wired. After this photo was taken we did have our contractor extend the wall by another couple feet, but I doubt that would have changed the existing wiring configuration. From the photo, I see horizontal wiring running roughly a foot above the floor outlet. There doesn't appear to be any metal plates on studs with horizontal wires (unless they were added at a later date...)


texts: Fiberglass batts: how to cover the exposed paper?

texts: I need to install fiberglass batts under my (raised) house. I have read that the paper should generally face the warm side, so it depends on where one lives. I live in South Louisiana, so I plan to place the batts with the paper facing outside. But there are clear instructions on the cover of the insulation packs that say that the paper should not be left exposed, so it will need to be covered, but with what?


texts:
I am trying to replace my bathroom fan. The old fan had a light, but I am replacing it with a basic fan with no light (Hampton Bay #BPT13-14MG).

The ceiling has two pipes that each have one white wire and one yellow wire. The new fan has two green, one white, and one black. I am not sure how to proceed at this point.

There is one switch on the wall that controlled both the fan and the light on the old unit.

Any help would be appreciated.


texts: Do I need to increase my HVAC trunk line size?

texts:
I'm thinking of finishing my basement. I currently have a main trunk coming off my furnace that measures 20" wide by 6" tall. I'm trying to future proof my home in the event my current furnace can't keep up with my heating needs. I have a number of options:

Add a second furnace. (I don't like this idea because it will eat up a lot of ceiling space running more ducts)
Upgrading my current furnace to meet the needs of the additional SQFT. (My current furnace is only a couple years old. I've been told by a couple contractors that it's just barely under powered for the SQFT in the total house, so I'm leaning away from this to avoid the cost of replacing my current furnace.)
Upgrade my main trunk to accommodate a bigger furnace in the future. This way I don't have to tear my ceiling apart if I decide I need a new furnace. This is where my question lies, do I really need to upgrade my trunk to a 24" by 6" which is what the contractor recommended?
Do nothing and hope for the best? (With my current furnace being "just under powered" for my SQFT, my plan is to put a nice fire place in the basement to hopefully pick up the slack.

I'm looking for advice on any of my options.


texts:
I'm adding a built-in dining nook, something like http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wZ_anvQj-Y4/UIJGonO14dI/AAAAAAAAGsc/70ULoHUcjvw/s640/kitchen_nook.jpg but with cabinets as base.

It covers an electrical outlet on the wall and I'm thinking to move it up a foot, so it sits on the wall higher than the bench. It's relatively an easy relocation, but I'm concerned if there's any hazards as this is a seating area and it will be right behind their back.

I can alternatively move it to the bottom or side, but this has its own complications, and if just moving it up is ok from a safety/regulations concern, I'd rather do that.


texts: Can I use a regular electric box for a control panel?

texts: I am currently planning an industrial-style automated workbench and I need to have some 22mm controls mounted. I want to use a regular metal enclosure. (Specific model here) My entire electrical system mainly runs on 12v or 24v DC. Is this okay to do? Or do I need to buy a proper industrial control box?


texts: do i need a vent for my new home basement plumbing rough-ins

texts: I have a new home with rough-in plumbing in basement and I was wondering if I need a vent down there. I do plan on putting in bathroom


texts: I am going to build a set of shelves for my wall to hold my bead jars.  The shelves are narrow 4" nominal and very close together 3" is the farthest apart they will be.  I'm using quality pine 1"x4"x3'.  I'm extremely new at this, but am assuming I should use screws instead of nails.  Any help would be fabulous.


texts: What is the best practice for grounding a shielded cat 7 ethernet cable?

texts:
I'm in the process of ducting the aforementioned cable through a conduit that I've "trenched" between my house and my office which is in an outbuilding 30m away.

Since buying the cable and starting this project I've learnt about the worries of lightning strikes and ground loops, but I don't fully understand what I should be doing to mitigate these issues.

I'm in the UK (where we have three-prong mains sockets that TEND to have an earth wire connected), and plan to put an rj45 faceplate on each end of the cable. In the house I will connect my router (or maybe a switch if I'm running short of router ethernet ports) and in the office I'll connect a second router (with DHCP off, running just as an access point).

Firstly I don't even know how you ground a cat 7 cable. Do you have to connect all of the shieldings together somehow, or is that what the drain wire does?

Am I right in thinking that I should be earthing one end of the cable, and very definitely NOT the other? How do I go about doing this? And does it make more sense to ground the house end or the outbuilding end?

Any help appreciated... I've spent more time than I care to admit digging a trench and drilling through stone walls, and have spent £200+ on the access point, 40m of cable, various tools, etc etc.

Should I be aborting the ethernet and running fibre instead? If so what does that look like, cost wise, for a 40m run with converters at both end? Is fibre "easy" to set up, just plug and play, or is it a steep learning curve?

Thank you, all help appreciated!


texts: Does it matter what kind of pipe is used for a sink drain?

texts:
The drainpipe in our sink broke (corroded right through in several places). Not having the time to find my pipe wrench (much less actually replace the pipe) we called a plumber. The plumber replaced the drainpipe with PVC (under the theory it would be immune from corrosion).

So I got to wondering: Is there any reason to prefer one kind of drainpipe to another? I know that for blackwater lines you need to make sure the urine won't corrode the pipe, but for a kitchen sink does it matter at all? I could even use lead pipes since that water will be treated before anyone drinks it, right?


texts: Is it safe to use a fan control with any ceiling fan as long as you wire it properly?

texts:
A lot of modern ceiling fans seem to come with remote control units.  Several of the new units even come with plastic plugs on the wiring to make it easier for the installer.  These fans all say "Do not install this fan with variable speed wall control."  However, it says that it will damage the remote control receiver.

Is it reasonable to assume that if you remove the remote control unit and wire the fan directly to the variable speed wall control, this installation is safe?  My understanding is that a proper variable speed fan control (not a dimmer) would operate in exactly the same manner as the remote control unit.

In the case of the fans with the plastic plugs, this would involve cutting the plug off the end and wiring the fan directly into the wires in the ceiling.

Here is an example manual from a fan sold by Lowes:
http://pdf.lowes.com/installationguides/836071007989_install.pdf

Page 3:
ELECTRIC SHOCK HAZARD - Do not install this fan with variable speed wall control or wall-mounted dimmer switch. It will permanently damage the fan’s remote control receiver and cause the fan’s functions to fail.


texts: Lampshade With Dimmer Causing Electric Shock?

texts: I bought a lampshade from a market. I live in a country with 220V supply. It gave me an electric shock when I touched the dimmer control while plugged in, but I'm not sure if it was a static shock. Please help me look at these photos to determine if the wiring is faulty, and what I can do to fix it? Or if the design itself is faulty?


texts: I have used an in wall splice with Romex 14/2 that has 3 ports (hot, neutral, ground) but i would now like to use the same method to splice a 12/3 cable. I'm unable to find a splice with 4 ports. Can I just use two regular 3 port splices and divide it 2-2 or 3-1?


texts: Is it normal for water to drip from a shower head for a bit after a shower?

texts: Water drips from new large shower head for a while after shutoff. Is that normal?


texts: Does the NEC have a table for oversizing wire for extended lengths?

texts:
I have a very long property with no power at the back.  I'm trying to get a 13A reciprocating saw out there to do some demo work.  The cable would need to be ~250'. Does the NEC have a table that would specifically address this?  I found 310.15b online.  It looks old and I'm not sure if it is still accurate.  Also, I assume this is copper wire but I am not certain.  What I concluded is 12ga @ 250', roughly 77m would have right about 0.4 ohms of resistance.  Seems pretty high to me.  I don't know what the standard is, but I think most of my extension cords are in the 0.15 to 0.2.  If my math is correct, 10ga would drop the resistance to 0.25 ohms and 8ga would drop it to 0.16.  Is this correct, or is there a more precise table for something like this?

https://i.pinimg.com/564x/55/c0/94/55c09494b62a662d1ae240a6a90cddec.jpg


texts:
Mounting a tv on a brick wood fireplace.  Been debating a few options regarding wiring.  The room has a brick facade (hearth, mantel, and up to the ceiling).  Removing a brick from that, I noticed about a 4 inch gap between it and the chimney brick.

Was wondering whether it was okay to run electrical wiring in this gap.  I'm guessing since it isn't in the chimney, heat shouldn't be an issue, but chimneys are not my area of expertise.

Any advice other than contact an electrician helpful.  Thanks!

MRD


texts: What type of underlayment should be used when installing engineered floors?

texts:
I'm going to install floating engineered wood floor in a 3rd floor condo. It has plywood subfloor. My biggest concern is the noise of walking on the floor that people below me will suffer.

My question is, does a good/premium underlayment help reduce or deaden the sound? How about foam vs cork underlayment?


texts: Other options for an air admittance valve besides underneath the sink?

texts:
I am re-doing the plumbing in my 1950's house and the ventilation is really poor.  I have replaced the entire cast iron stack from the basement sewer up until the beginning of my second floor with PVC.  Two bathrooms are on top of each other, however, my downstairs toilet gets tons of air bubbles and empties the bowl when the upstairs toilet is flushed.  I have not tackled the plumbing for the 2nd story fixtures, yet, but I will.  There are a nightmare of Y's and T's embedded in concrete mud bath and even with the 1st story bathroom's ceiling open up, I can't see where the pipes run and connect to my vent stack in the attic. I am fairly certain there they are clogged. For now, I am hoping to put a air admittance valve somewhere for the first story fixtures to help with ventilation for now.  I am trying to put it in a place easily accessible in case I need to replace it.

Below is a underneath view of how the plumbing is set up on the first floor:

That bathroom sink line is where I am contemplating putting a AAV. Below is a dry-fit of what I am thinking after it comes out of the wall...

I see that this is a common placement for AAV's, but, it doesn't allow for very much room to hook my P-trap up to my sink drain.  I'm wondering if I can put this AAV somewhere else underneath my first floor and if that will be effective.  For example, could I put it somewhere between the bathroom sink drain line and my main stack... does it matter where it goes?  So long as it is above where the water flows high enough, is that enough?

Could I put it like the picture down below?  Could I branch off the sewer drain after it goes through the wall and down in the basement like what I've shown?  Would that be better? Worse?


texts: Can a wood cabin be laid directly on a existing concrete foundation if a DPC is added?

texts:
I am figuring out the foundation for a small wood cabin for my back garden, due to height being a premium I was wondering if I could put the wood directly on an existing garage foundation. Providing I add a DPC under the log cabin?
The foundation would consist of (in reverse order)

Existing concrete slab
Damp proof course sheet larger than the cabin
The cabin base wood and insulation
The foil backing of the insulation as well as aluminium tape for a vapour barrier
OSB deck

The sides will be later covered with a house wrap which would go over the top of the DPC.
My concern is that there could be condensation but I am not sure


texts:
I am having my Delta kitchen faucet leak from the very bottom (image attached, marked red). I checked, it's not the hose connection itself, but from the faucet body itself, above the sink. Any ide how could I stop it?

Also adding a picture about the faucet itself, if anyone knows how can I remove the middle part (spout), please let me know, since I want to check the O-rings.


texts: Need standard naming description of shape of mirrors on wardrobe

texts:
Is there a standard naming convention for this type of mirror on a wardrobe, as this pic shows?

This standard name will help me use search engines to find similar mirrors to buy.
Google Lens search on this photo wasn't useful.
Thank you.


texts: Can I salvage this broken toilet flange that's embedded in concrete?

texts: The flange is about 7" OD. As you can see both slots where the closet bolts would go are broken. Can I salvage this flange somehow, instead of having to rip it out of the concrete and installing a new one?


texts: Use a sump pump for a low spot on driveway during El Nino?

texts:
I live in Los Angeles, where generally we don't get much rain, but maybe a good rain storm once or twice a year.  (Usually a short one, under 30 minutes.)

We purchased a house a few years ago & found there's a low spot where water will pool (to an inch or two) during a good storm.  It's half on the driveway, half on the yard.

It's not a huge problem as typically the yard is able to absorb it after a few hours.

However, this year's El Nino is supposed to bring us a lot of rain.

I was considering getting a sump pump that I could just put on the driveway in the low spot area & run a house to the back of the yard.

So stupid question time:

1) Is this a stupid idea for some reason?

2) Do sump pump typically run only when they detect water?  Or am I likely to burn the motor out if I just leave it raining?  (Or do I have to be out there, turning it on & off as needed?)


texts: Need help with wiring a new fan. Wire colors don't match instructions and I am a bit of a novice

texts:
I purchased a new fan that I am trying to install. However, the wire colors do not match the instructions and I am a bit of a novice. The instructions say to connect
- green-->bare/green,
- white-->white, and
- black and blue -->black.

What I see when I've removed the old fan (I should've paid more attention when removing it, but it was quite difficult) is a clear red wire and a bare? off-white? wire.

There is a thick, thick black wire but it is very different than the others, so I"m not sure it is one I am to connect to. Deep tucked away I think I see a green one, but it obviously wasn't connected to the old fan, so I'm not sure that is one that I need? Could definitely use some help!


texts: Aprilaire 56 Humidistat not getting power

texts:
I have an Aprialaire 56 humidistat that is connected to an Aprialaire 560 humidifier. Currently the humidifier is not turning on and after testing the wiring with a multimeter, the wires going in to the humidistat are not getting a current.

This system was installed by the previous homeowner and was tested and working previously to my knowledge.

The humidistat is wired into the furnace control panel in the C and W2 terminals. From my research, W2 is "stage 2" of the furnace heating cycle. My thought is to move the wire from W2 to W1 in order to draw power to the humidistat.

Are there any other remedies to troubleshoot why the humidistat and in return the humidifier are not powering on?


texts:
I discovered two broken roof struts in my attic, adjacent to each other on the same strut. See the pictures. For perspective, you can see a yellow-gloved hand in the first picture. It's resting on the broken strut shown in the second picture.

All of the other struts and trusses look just fine to me. Clearly one of these has been hastily patched at some point, so at least one of these is not a recent break. I have owned the home for a little more than three years.

My plan is to slap a 24" 2x4 on both sides and screw in every 6 inches (I'll just do this on one side for the one that was already patched). Similar to the advice in this thread (OP there was not me).

Does this seem like a reasonable plan? I'm not too concerned by this, but should I be?


texts: Could my drain be backing up in to my A/C condensate drain?

texts:
I own a late 90's double wide trailer house, manufactured in the USA. The furnace is a 6 year old forced-air, natural gas and does not have a humidifier. The house has been unoccupied for about 6 months while the AC was set to on, at about 75°F, for the whole summer.

The pan at the bottom of the furnace has a line that is connected to a drain pipe with a 'Y' fitting that has been sized down to clamp the smaller line to it. It looks like they tried to form a P-trap in the small flex tube by making a U bend, held by a zip tie.  The drain line is also for the washing machine just before the 'Y' connection.

I found that the flex duct that connects the furnace to the duct work on the opposite side of the house is full of water and collapsing from the weight.

After I check the flex drain line to see if it is plugged-up, how can I tell if this is condensate in the duct or could it have backed up from the drain? This looks like a poor design how can I improve it or is it okay as is?


texts: Ideas for improving old concrete patio on the river?

texts:
My parent's place in NH has this 30+ year old concrete 12x26 patio jutting out into the water. There has been some settling. Off the end of the patio the water is about 10 feet deep.

So I'd like some ideas on how to blend in the settling (looks like my father tried it at one time) and making the surface look nice. I'm not too concerned with leveling. I've read about acid staining but I don't want those chemicals in the water.


texts: Pilot lights, but main burners don't on furnace with no flame sensor

texts:
I have a Rheem furnace in my house. It recently stopped working.

It is the type where the pilot is not always on. Anyways, the ignition will kick in, and the pilot lights just fine. However, the spark ignition just keeps going and the main burners never turn on.

Unless I am mistaken, this furnace does not have a flame sensor, so I'm at a loss for what could be the problem. Any help is appreciated!


texts: How should I wire for a security system during construction?

texts:
I would like to run wires in anticipation of a future hard-wired security system.  However, I have yet to find any information that pulls everything together regarding what is required.

From what I understand 22/4 wire should be run to each window and door where a sensor of some type with be placed.  These wires should all be run to a central location where the alarm control panel will be installed (in my case, most likely the basement).

What I have yet to find a solid answer on is what is typically run to the keypads.  Do I run cat5/6, or use the same security wire (or both)?

Once I run the wires to each window, where do I leave the wire?  Do I just leave a coil of wire stapled to the stud?  Should I drill a small hole in the rough window frame, and pull the wire through?  If I do drill a hole, where should the hole be positioned?

I guess I'm questioning the workflow more than anything.  For instance, do those putting up the sheetrock, installing windows, or those installing the molding around the window typically know how to deal with these wire?

I will not be installing the system for months after we move in, so would prefer not to have cables sticking out of the window frame until the install is complete.  Do I have any chance of fishing the wire out if I drill a small hole in a window frame?  I'm assuming not, and thinking in would be easiest to just have it pulled through.


texts:
I'm preparing to install luxury vinyl plank in the living area of the second floor condo I just bought (carpet was installed previously). It's a woodframe condo with a wooden subfloor built in 1985, and there are several places where there are drops and dips in the subfloor. I'm trying to figure out what level of "level" I need to bring the subfloor to and what's the best way to do it. I'm hoping to DIY but understand I may need to hire a professional if it's bad enough.
I'm attaching a photo with a map of the problem areas. The worst is near the entrance to the room where there's a drop of roughly 1" over 4 feet, which from my understanding is quite substantial. The second biggest issue is a local low spot in the middle of the room.
I have had both Henry 549 "feather finish" recommended for filling in the low spots, or self leveling underlayment. Also gotten some recommendations for 1/4 plywood all around to even things out. The low spot in the middle of the room seems like a very straightforward fix with the Henry's 549, but I'm wondering if that 1" drop is over my head.
So far I've had 3 contractors take a look, and every one said that this is the nature of the beast with wood-frame construction and that they wouldn't recommend doing too much since the building will continue to shift over time.  They all said everything seemed to be structurally sound (I even took one to the unit below and confirmed that the ceiling looks normal there), so I should only repair to the extent necessary for the LVP install.
I'm wondering if it would it make sense to fill in the local low spot (and other more minor low spots) with Henry's 549 patch, and then add some 1/4" plywood everywhere except for the area marked high, up until say a couple feet out from the drop, then ramp up to the high area using the 549, so that the incline is less extreme? Or if anyone has other suggestions for how to approach this they would be quite welcome!  One of the contractors also mentioned using the underlayment that you roll out, but the installation instructions for my LVP mentioned only "APA rated" underlayment which I think is just the plywood.
Thank you!!


texts: What type of hardware do I need for a heavy fence gate?

texts:
I am fencing in my back yard ('dog-ear' wooden picket fence) and am planning to make a large gate, say 10 ft wide, so that vehicles will be able to access the back yard if need be.

Specifically the fencing I will be buying is this. The gate itself will just be the same fence material, just raised off the ground and affixed with the proper "gate hardware" (hinges, handles, locks, etc.).

I am looking for the correct "gate hardware" that will be needed to make the gate functional as well as to be heavy-duty enough to support the weight of a 10 ft wide gate.

Features required:

Hardware must support the weight of a 10 ft wide gate
Hardware must allow the gate to swing one-way (to the outside)
Hardware must provide a lockable handle mechanism so we can shut the gate and lock it (even if the lock mechanism is a separate unit altogether, such as a padlock)
Inside outside openability (meaning I can open the gate from inside or outside the fence)
Hardware must be black & metallic

I've never purchased anything like this before, and am hoping to find a simple kit that does everything I need above, but doubt such a kit exists.

Any ideas as to what hardware I should be using, particularly for the size/weight of the gate?


texts: Attach partition wall to lath and plaster wall

texts: I am looking to add a small closet (2×4 ft) in the corner of a room with lath and plaster walls. I would like to frame in two sides and attach it to the existing wall. Do I have to limit myself to the existing stud locations to anchor the new walls or is there a way to add another stud without destroying the existing wall?


texts: Why does my sink disposal come loose from the locking ring?

texts:
I am having a hard time installing a new insinkerator in a new sink.
I followed all the steps in installation manual and set the flange. When I try to mount the motor to the flange, it basically wont set firmly. The locking ring does engage and rides up the ramps but the unit is loose and falls. It’s almost as if some part is missing.
I’m not even sure how is this supposed to work. The mounting ring diameter is larger than the black plastic neck of the garbage disposal. It slides right out as shown on last photo. So how is it supposed to hold it in place? On the old unit (last photo), the mounting ring is already on the unit and won’t slide out as the neck is thicker. On new unit, the mounting ring slides on and off the neck freely.


texts: What can I do about water leaking behind the shower tray?

texts:
Background:
I've moved into a house 3 months ago that I have been renovating for a while. I have done a lot of the work myself but I left my builder to do the plumbing and tiling while I was away for work.

If I spray the tiles in the shower for 5 mintues, water starts tricking out from behind the shower tray.

If I just run the shower into multiple buckets then no leak occurs so it can't be the pipes or the waste.
I have uploaded pictures here
(You can see the shower tray is not flush with the wall)
I re-siliconed around the tray / tile boundary and I tried a grout sealer which seemed to stop the problem for a few weeks but now the issue is back again.

I know he tiled straight onto green plasterboard and used Bal Micromax 2 grout.

Do you think the grout has failed? Would this happen if we did not let the grout cure for long enough? How long is not long enough?
Should I expect the grout to be waterproof? If not is their waterproof gout on the market?
Would removing the grout and re-grouting fix the problem?

I also thought about removing the bottom row of tiles and trying to reseat the try against the wall but I am not sure that will help either...

He was a nice guy so I am sure this is how he always does it and I know he has done 50+ jobs without issue (unfortunately he has moved country so I have lost contact with him and cant even bounce some ideas off him to troubleshoot)


texts: Is there such a thing as a closet door three way. In other words, I have two large closet doors that close one to the right and one to the left. I have power inside the closet and would like to turn on a light either by opening the right or left door. Instead of a "three way, I also thought of a toggle type switch that could be mounted above the doors that would trip on if opened either way. Any suggestions?


texts:
I am planning the install of a new half bathroom in an existing space in my home.  There is currently one full bathroom, that is on the second story of the house.  The soil/vent stack runs vertically down from the second floor, has a small horizontal section around grade, and then drops down below grade into the basement.  Once in the basement there is a final horizontal run before a 90 down to below the basement foundation, and tie in to the sewer service line.

I am trying to determine the the most efficient way to plumb the new half bathroom, and if additional vents are required.  Below is an isometric drawing of the scenario.  Red lines are existing plumbing, green dotted lines are just to represent the plane that is the 1st floor grade, and blue is the new plumbing.  Since the new plumbing lines (blue) will be less than 6' in length, do they need a vent?  I was hoping to make my ties in(s) for the new plumbing horizontal because of a lack of vertical distance between the horizontal run in the basement and 1st floor grade.  Tie in fittings would be 45 and Wye, or combo wyes. Install is in the Allegheny County, PA.

Red pipe (existing) is 3".  3D sketch proposed interpretation to Fresh Codemonger


texts: Can I repaint and seal a window sill that has fungus growing out of it?

texts:
I have a long-neglected window sill that now has fungus (not mold) growing out of it.  We are pretty sure that the wood is not rotten, as the wood feels firm to the touch.

Can I still salvage the sill by scraping away the old paint, killing the fungus, and painting and sealing it?  Or is it too late?  If it's not too late, what's the best way forward?


texts: How to manage one heat zone with two thermostats?

texts:
Main house: forced steam/radiators with a simple programmable thermostat.
Addition (large family room): forced hot water baseboard with an old-school dial thermostat.

But there is only one zone. When you turn up the heat in the addition, all of the house radiators heat up and heat the rest of the house. It's absurd.

Having just moved into this house and do not have money to burn, I'm looking to determine what - if anything - I should do to make this arrangement the most efficient. Just put a programmable thermostat in the addition to time things correctly with the main thermostat? Just accept the fact that I need to crank the heat in the addition for warmth and that the rest of the house will be warmer than I need or want?

Thoughts? Thanks


texts: Can I increase the size of my AC compressor with the same refrigerant lines?

texts: Friend wants to give me their puron systems 13 sear 2.5 ton AC that they replaced.  It was still working fine but 10 years old they wanted to change it out.  I currently have a York 2 ton unit that was installed in 1992.  It works but I have to add Freon every 6 months or so.  Can you change out the sizes without changing the pipes and duct work, etc


texts: Why is water leaking out of wall-side of tub diverter?

texts:
I have a tub spout with diverter, the type you pull up on a knob/rod at the outflow end of the faucet to turn on the shower. The gate/pull-rod assembly was recently sticky so I uninstalled the spout to soak and clean it. It is a press-on type faucet with a set screw near the wall.
After reinstalling it, it now leaks water out the back, the wall-side -- out the hole where the set screw sits -- when the faucet is on and the diverter is open, i.e. when the tub is filling. (It's as though water is making it out of the supply, down the length of the faucet, then leaking back in the faucet housing and draining out where the set screw is). It does not look like this is the case when the shower is in use.
It seems like water could get back into the wall via this route, so I'd like to address it. Why is this happening (reinstalled incorrectly?), and how do I stop it?


texts: Problem connection C wire into Lennox Furnace

texts:
I would like to connect my new Honeywell WiFi thermostat (RTH6580WF1001) to a Lennox Elite dual Heater and Cooler system.
I don’t have a C wire in my old thermostat. I have read online that I can connect the G wire into the C terminal, at the thermostat and heater cooler system. In the terminal block I already have a wire connected (see photo) in the C terminal, Is it OK if connect the G wire in the same in the C terminal given that there is already a red wire in the C terminal at the furnace?  thank you


texts: Is there a standard height for wall mounting flatscreen TVs?


texts: What kind of electrical fixture is this?

texts: The fixture is near the ceiling in the closet of master bedroom.


texts: Can two different circuits go through the same junction box?  That is, two cables enter from different breakers and they tie to cables exiting, but the two circuits aren't connected except for the grounds if that is required.


texts: How do we convert our drop-in sink to an undermount one?

texts:
We are in the process of remodeling our kitchen and are trying to narrow in on our sink for our new granite counters. We like the Kohler Staccato with unequal bowls and would like to have it undermount. However, there is a HUGE difference in price: drop-in is $250 vs. undercounter is $630. I know that there are some differences between the two, but not $380 worth, and if anything, the undercounter probably has less metal. I'm sure it is a premium tax for the undercounter option.

I ran across this post that mentions that they used converted a drop-in to undermount.

Does anyone know what is involved with that type of change? What are the things I need to be aware of?


texts:
I installed a new gas heater with a condensing unit in 2019 winter.
Here is the detail.

My question is...
Every year, I'd better pour some vinegar after opening the cap of the picture? If yes, how much?

Here is what I found regarding my question.
https://todayshomeowner.com/video/how-to-clean-an-ac-condensation-drain-line/
(I am thinking of vinegar instead of bleach. Please check the video at 40s.)
https://aplusairconditioning.com/clean-ac-condensate-drain-line-vinegar/
Thank you so much for your advice. :)


texts: How to build a toilet under the sewer level?

texts:
I have an old garage that I am recovering. Among other fixes I want to build a toilet. The issue here is that it's under the sewer level.

Is it still possible to build it? What do I need?


texts: If we get a timber-framed single-storey extension, can we later (in a few years) add another storey on top?

texts: We probably can't afford to get 2 storeys built at the moment but don't want to close off that option for future years (when we may want an extra bedroom). We are thinking of a timber-framed extension for environmental reasons: trying to avoid too much concrete. Thanks.


texts: What are these wire connectors and where can I get replacements?

texts:
The closest name I found from searching online is "crimp terminals", specifically the first I believe would be "female round crimp terminal" and the second "female right angle crimp terminal", however I am not sure if that is descriptive enough to ensure I can find and order the proper replacements.
These are from a Dyson vacuum if it helps. The wire itself is severed, so I was planning to purchase same gauge wire (AWG22) and the 2 terminals.


texts:
I need to wire 4 220 Volt Inverter ACs, a 220 Volt Water Heater, and a 220 Volt well pump. I'd like to have at least 2 empty spares.
What type of BR Breaker box should I look for? Is something like a 12 space, 24 circuit 125 amp box ok?

I was recommended a GE 125 Amp outdoor copper bus 12 spaces 24 circuits model TLM1212RCU. One of the breakers recommended was a 50 amp 1 inch double pole model BR2GETHQP250.


texts: Need Sprinkler Cracked PVC Pipe Repair Suggestions

texts:
The issue is this sprinkler was placed in a very bad location. It's next to a large stone and 1 foot away from a 40 foot tall tree.

Over the years, the tree grew on top of the sprinkler pipes. I had to spend 4-5 days figuring out where the leak was coming from. And finally found it. But it's LITERALLY between a rock and a hard place!

I've watched tons of videos on PVC pipe repair, but all the examples are shown in a much more workable and open area. So you can cut the pipe, get new fittings and glue everything together again. Here we can see that I only have this much space to work with. I'm thinking my best bet is repair the cracked pipe somehow and seal the leak. I know the pipe is being bent, but I don't have many options without removing the tree. Which isn't going to happen, I simple can't afford doing that right now.

Large Size image: http://imgur.com/a/zLQaZ

If you guys have any legitimate long term solutions, I would love to hear them. I'm thinking about leaving this hole open for the forseeable future, because it's literally in the back corner of the properity and no one will ever see it. That way I check on the pipe from time to time.


texts:
It seems that if I want to properly insulate our windows, I need to choose a full-frame window replacement vs an insert.    Since our house has stucco siding, I fell this may quickly get more expensive than I anticipate.

Why is it more difficult to properly insulate a window if we replace with an insert instead of full frame?


texts: Just lost electrical power to 1/2 of two rooms, on separate circuits?

texts:
Flipped the light switch for my laundry room, bulb flashed and now I lost partial power in that room and in the garage. No breakers tripped. Cycling them doesn't help. Panel and all switches is 2 years old. There are no GFCIs involved anywhere.

My laundry room is sort of a "bonus room," with a light switch in an adjacent room. When you flip the light switch it turns on the light for the laundry room and the garage. The laundry room has x3 wall outlets, the garage has a couple as well. Power to the wall outlets is not controlled by the light switch.

However, now the laundry room light, garage light and one laundry room outlet no longer have power. Just to repeat, this outlet is not controlled by the light switch. The other outlets in the laundry room still have power, as do the ones in the garage. None of the breakers in the box have tripped. I've cycled every single one anyway, with no effect, still not getting power to the lights or that single outlet.

What happened here? Some sort of a short? Why wouldn't the breaker have tripped? Why would it be affecting an outlet not tied to the switch?


texts: How do I channel a cable behind a skirting board when fitting a back box?

texts:
I have a 1930s British house with skirting boards, I want to run Ethernet from some points around the house, I have got the cable under the floorboards, but I now need to cut out some back boxes, I have managed to re-purpose an existing satellite port that I wont ever use to be ethernet, but the other rooms do not have any spare wall sockets.

I think I understand how to cut the hole for the back box by drilling and chiselling out. What im struggling to find advice on, is how do I channel a hole behind the skirting board without damaging it or the wall? A long drill bit I would still be at an angle?

I don't want to take off the skirting board as I would 100% damage it and its already painted.

This is the one I re-purposed in the front room.


texts: Rapid loud tapping in wall adjacent to radiator- when tenant above adjusts

texts:
Hello and thank you for your reply.

I have a very loud and at times rapid tapping noise in the wall.  The apt building is 2 stories high, I am located on the bottom floor (end of the plumbing line).  1 year ago the tenant (manager) moved above me - started adjusting radiator 4-5 times a day with a heavy tool often leading to some clanging.  These are not large cast iron radiators they are built into the wall (tube-and-fin convector radiators ?)

Check out the sound: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEGlqRcmPTI&feature=youtu.be - this is low sounding tapping and not as rapid as it gets...  having issues posting new videos will update when I figure out Mac.

We have the same room layout, same radiator locations … 2 radiators located on the same wall, one in BR, one in DR .  Hot water heating.  I do not know if this is water-circulating-heating - I did not know what advertising/search tags to use -  radiator tapping was not available.  Main boiler in basement - plumber said it is hot water heating - no steam in pipes.

The tapping noise is located on the adjacent wall to the radiator.  Tapping varies in location of wall, mid-wall or close to the ceiling and in decibel.  When the manager adjusts radiators and I get tapping or no tapping.  I have recorded the times of adjustment - that within 5 minutes of adjustment the tapping will either stop or start.   Recently the plumber has had to fix a radiator leak in the managers apt.  I went 18 hours without tapping – weather was freezing, she was not here to adjust the radiator.  I do not have a decibel tester or a smart phone to record how loud it is but recorded it by video recorder.

Is the mid-wall tap or ceiling tap caused by different radiators?

If you turn the radiator part way do can you create tapping? I was told that partial radiator adjustment can lead to tapping and leakage.

Does turning on the radiator heat create the tapping?

Or, turning off the radiator heat create the tapping?  The wall gets very hot making me think that it builds up in the wall.

Is there another fix besides opening up the wall?

The building owner does not want to fix expanding pipes which seems to be the issue – open up the wall.  I have lived here for 24 years and this is a new issue since the manager moved in 1yr ago.  The manager has flat out denied turning the radiator on and off and owner will not investigate.    If the tapping can be caused by partial opening and closing of radiator it is an easy fix.

I have logged the time, dates, circumstances of tapping start and stop over the last 2 weeks.  There is a lot of window opening and closing along with the adjustment I have no idea if she turns the heat on or off to get the tapping.

thank you.


texts: What is the expected GPM water flow for outdoor garden hose?

texts:
The outdoor spigot of my backyard is 3 GPM (gallons per minute), without a hose attached. I filled 8 cups in 10 seconds.  Is this low, expected or high?  It seems low to me.
Looking at the plumbing under the house (everything is copper), I noticed that it switches from 3/4" to 1/2" before it gets to the kitchen, and proceeding to backyard.  Would this transition be a cause of a reduced flow rate?  I was under the impression that pipe should be 3/4" the whole way until it finally gets to the fixture (sink, spigot, toilet, etc).   The pipe run from front-of-house/sidewalk (water entrance) to backyard spigot is about 55', so I guess maybe 25' is 1/2" pipe.


texts:
I'm having some very weird issues with the water pressure in my house.

When nothing is running, the pressure reads 110 PSI. Obviously I want this to be lower.
When the toilet is flushed, the pressure crawls to 10PSI. Same thing happens when the bathtub is on. At this point, sinks quit working.
When only a sink is on, it goes to 100PSI.
No matter what, when all the water turns off, it jumps back to 110PSI.

Why is this happening? Is it normal for a pressure reducing valve to read a very high pressure when nothing is running?


texts: Raising internal floor - to screed or not to screed?

texts:
The porch of our home has been made part of the interior. We now need to raise the floor to meet the level of the existing floor internally.

The total height of the step is 5cm. So the floor needs to be raised 5cm.

I am not sure if the floor needs to be screeded. The carpenter says he can lay some celotex thermal insulation and then pack it out. He says if we do this, he can install the new wooden floor straight away.

The other option is that we have to wait for the floor to be screeded, and wait for the screed to dry. That means we have to wait 1 - 2 months for the new wood floor can be fitted.

Should I just wait longer and wait for a plasterer to screed the floor, or is the carpenter's suggestion is an acceptable solution? I am particularly worried about damp.


texts: I am installing a laminate hardwood floor.  When I hung my drywall I left a half inch gap off the concrete to allow my flooring room to go under the drywall to cover.  My question is, how do I allow for the appropriate gap between my laminate and the wall when it will be under the drywall.  I won't be able to get a spacer in the crack?  Do I need to leave a gap?  Can I try to just let the flooring slide under the drywall with no spacer and try to keep it slightly off the wall?  I'm just not sure how to get the appropriate space.


texts: Can I notch the end of a piece of fire blocking to accommodate a wire?

texts:
I'm framing a partition wall and a lowered ceiling on one side of that wall. The space above the new, lower ceiling will essentially be attic space, so the inspector said I need fire blocking in the new wall at the new ceiling line.

The electrical work is already done, so I'm wondering if I can notch an end of the blocking to accommodate a wire or two. The alternative would be to remove the wiring, install the blocking, drill a hole, and pull the wiring through. I'd prefer to avoid that extra work, assuming that it's legal and won't compromise safety.

I'm in Clark County, NV if that helps.


texts: How do I remove the cistern lid that has been grouted in?

texts: My tiler grouted the cistern lid against the wall a few months back. Only realized when the toilet started leaking and I couldn't open it. What is the best way to get rid of the grout and try and release the cistern from the wall? I'm hoping there's no more cement behind the grout...


texts: Easiest, fastest, and most precise way to cut Ceramic Tile

texts:
I'm looking for a fast and precise way to cut precise pieces of ceramic tile.  Any recommendations on tools with pros and cons would be appreciated.

Thanks!


texts: Natural Gas Furnace: Lights but shuts off occasionally

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Situation: Nest thermostat shows that the furnace is running, but its not and no error codes are displayed on the furnace.  This happens about once per day where it seems the furnace doesn't ignite properly.  I finally saw the behavior first hand... The furnace actually lit on the first or second try but then went out after about 3 seconds.
If i turn down the heat, the Nest app shows that the heater isn't running, then I wait 10 seconds and turn the heat back up and the heater ignites successfully.  Any ideas why it would light, then turn off and not throw an error code?


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I'm in my first apartment and it's a bit colder than I'd like it. Can I tweak the settings on my radiator so that it's warmer? I'm motivated to learn more about my radiator and it's hard to find information because I can't find the specific valves.

From what I can see, I have two valves:

This replaced another valve that was spewing water. This one shot water into the air out the top until maintenance "adjusted" this or the other valve. Since then it's been colder in my apartment. This is why I would prefer learning what the valves do before experimenting with different settings.

The second:

And finally the big picture:


texts: I have a Bosch SMV53M integrated dishwasher that has stopped running.  When I press start I here drain start for a couple of seconds like normal but then tap symbol and sunshine symbols flash up and nothing happens.  I have cleaned filter at tap end and filled up rinse aid but still the same.  A y ideas please?


texts: Installing  new bathroom heater/fan combo which requires a dedicated 20amp circuit. I got that 12/2 wire ran direct to the breaker.... the problem is the fan that was existing had a switch that I was planning on reusing for this new one. Only it is 14/2 wire, is it ok to run from the junction box in the new heater/fan the main power which will be the 12/2 AND the 14/2 for the existing switch?