texts: I have two T12 Rapid Start ballasts for a two light fixture. I need to change out one ballast because of one ballast was bad. I bought a 1 or 2 bulb ballast and have wired up the bulb different ways but cannot get the second bulb to come on entirely. I have capped off my yellow wires and have used the blue and red wires to wire up the tombstones on my bulb. The bulb lights (barely) and flickers. Any advice on how to get this wired up correctly? The old ballast that was used before is no longer made. So, I crossed it to one that Grainger had said that I could use. Hmmm.


texts: replacing a CFL dimmer with an LED dimmer for recessed lighting

texts:
I want to replace my old recessed lighting with new integrated LED recessed lighting.  My old dimmer switch specifically says for CFL.  The old dimmer has 2 black wires coming out of the back of it and they are hooked to 2 black wires in the wall.  My new dimmer (a Lutron)  has a green grounding wire and a copper and brass screws on the sides.  I have tried following instructions provided and there is power to the switch, but it does not go to the recessed lighting. (they do not work) - what am I missing?
The new dimmer I bought is a Lutron ACYL-153P-WH.  I had the ground connected and tried again with it disconnected and it the lights still don't work.


texts: Cheap power tools for large number of cuts of aluminium profile lengths

texts:
I need to make some 200 cuts of aluminium profiles. Examples of what I'll be cutting:

Hollow box profile, 40mm x 40mm x 3mm:

40 pieces of 400mm lengths
12 pieces of 1500mm lengths

Hollow box profile, 40mm x 40mm x 1.5mm:

40 pieces of 400mm lengths

U channel profile, 40mm x 40mm x 3mm:

80 pieces of 40mm length

I need the cuts to be within a few millimetres accuracy.

How could I do this without giving myself RSI or spending a lot of money on a tool?

Thanks


texts: Hi There i'm trying to change the light fitting in the living room from a single pendant white plastic Standard. To a multi light hanging fancy pendant. I have old UK Wiring, please can you advise and support how i'd go about getting the wires in the right place! The photos below show what i have and the new. ANy help would be appreciated]1


texts: I wired a 3 prong range outlet using 8/2 wire. I had a black insulated, white insulated, and a bare single strand copper wire. In the outlet I wired the black wire to one hot side and the white wire to the other hot side. I wired the bare copper wire to the neutral prong. For the breaker I used a 2 phase 40amp breaker and wire the black wire to one side and the white wire to the other side. I then wired the bare copper to the ground bar ( not the neutral). Is this correct or should I redo it in a different manner?


texts:
I have a single hole sink with the dishwasher drain going into the disposal

The wall plumbing has the P trap coming from the disposal into the wall drain. There is an air vent with a P trap entering the wall drain directly BELOW the disposal p trap in the wall drain.

I'm constantly getting back flow from the lower vent trap. Originally there was a double sink and the dishwasher  drain hooked into this vent trap. I'm wondering if this vent trap shouldn't be above the disposal trap since I now only have a single sink and there isn't a vent above the disposal trap. It seems it would have gotten air from the second sink before and now there is no air above.
Does this sound logical?

When I get back flow it's when I run the disposal and there is some water running.


texts: How to add 30A 240V circuit to an almost full panel

texts: I'm looking to add a 30A 240V circuit for solar.. but my main panel is almost full (pix below).  Is there any way to add the circuit without adding a subpanel?


texts: Can I use flexible tube to replace a segment of copper pipe?

texts:
I am installing 1/2" copper pipes to supply water to my own new gas heater.  The pipes need to pass around corners that are full of obstacles.  I am not a professional plumber but know that I normally would need to use various kinds of compression fittings to connect pipes in order to go around the obstacles.

However, I also notice that flexible tubes like the one shown in the pictures are available.  And actually, below the basin, these tubes are used to connect the faucet to the water supply valve.  Now, I am wondering if these flexible tubes can be used in the section that go around the corner instead of copper pipes connected by various kinds of fittings.

Is it a practical solution?  Copper pipes installed by professional plumbers rarely involve flexible tubes so I am wondering if there are some other concerns I'm not seeing.  Note, the pipes are installed indoor only.


texts: Do I have to use armored (MC) cable to connect to a pot (recessed) light fixture?

texts:
Most of the recessed lighting fixtures I see in stores have a metal junction box separate from the can.  There is an armored cable running from the junction box to the can already.  You connect your NMD90 wire to the junction box.  Makes sense.

However, I have two of these recessed lighting fixtures.  They have a junction box attached to the top of the can itself.

The junction box itself says I have to use wire rated to 90C, which NMD90 wire would be.  My question is, do I have to use metal clad (MC) wire from the power source to this light, or can I just use NMD90?

Edit

The back of the junction box says:

MAXIMUM OF 8 NO. 12 AWG
THROUGH BRANCH CIRCUIT
CONDUCTORS SUITABLE
FOR AT LEAST 90 C
PERMITTED IN A BOX (4 IN 4 OUT)
FOR FLEXIBLE CONDUIT ONLY

I'm not sure what that last line means: "for flexible conduit only".


texts: What (in the US) do you call the type of wrench that is made from a steel tube?

texts:
This is the sort of wrench I have in mind:

In the Wikipedia article (Socket Wrench) displaying this image, it is described as a spark plug wrench, but there are wrenches of this style in many other sizes, and for many other purposes - anywhere one has no access from the side and a long bolt or stem preventing even deep 'conventional' sockets (having a square socket for a drive on the other end) reaching the nut.
The image itself is labeled "box spanner", but if I search for that at Home Depot, Harbor Freight, etc., I get back the type of wrench that has a closed, 12-point ring on the end of a handle, and if I search for "spark plug wrench", I get tools specifically for that purpose. I suspect that "box spanner" is British usage; is there a term in American usage that picks out just this style of wrench, regardless of its purpose?
Update: Thanks to everyone for your help and advice. As it happens, I was able to make a suitable tool by cutting six notches in the end of a steel pipe. While this was not as good as a real wrench, it was sufficient to grab the points of the nut and stop it from turning, in the manner of a basket strainer wrench (as suggeseted by Jimmy James.).


texts: Should I dig a separate trench for CAT5e wire to shed?

texts:
I am renovating a shed which is going to require doing at least a 100' trench for power from the house. I also want internet via a hard wire out to a a WAP in the shed. My question:
To avoid EM interference, do I need to run a separate trench just for the network cable?
My intuition tells me dropping even a shielded cable in with the 60-100A power line will not end well. Maybe a wireless approach would be more cost effective?
Updated 10/13: thanks for all this great information...let me clarify the use case here. The shed/cottage is to be for peloton, yoga, tv; like a "she shed," but it's for "us" :) I walked off the likely path to get conduit from router in the basement to the shed and it is more like 200 feet. So I am thinking this is like $50 of cat5e stuff, $200 for fiber, or there are these long range wifi things I have seen on amazon that look like $150-200 or so. I would not want to spend much more than that.


texts: Is Advanced and Supreme silicone worth the extra cost over the All purpose silicone?

texts:
This is a general inquiry into silicone sealants that you buy at home improvement stores in 10oz tubes.
Many of us have fallen a victim to “Good/Better/Best” marketing strategy of manufacturer offerings. But when it comes to silicone, does more expensive really make a difference?
I mean the “All purpose” silicone is. 100% silicone, and no matter what additives it has that makes it set a little quicker, doesn’t it in the end end up being the same silicone as that “mold free” “10 year” silicone?
Is it a waste of money to pay as much as sometimes 25-30% more for the premium silicone?
Thanks!
EDIT: Just providing some more detail. Let's say it is for windows and door use, as it's probably most common next to bathroom use.
Features (skipping some fluff, such as lifetime limited warranty):
GE All Purpose Silicone $5.38

100% Waterproof and same-day water-ready
7-year mold-free protection
Permanently flexible
Meets ASTM C-920, class 25
Strong adhesion and durability
Same-day rain-ready
Shrink and crack-proof
Freeze and sun-proof

GE Advanced Silicone $6.78

100% waterproof seal and 30-minute water-ready
10-year mold-free protection
Excellent adhesion; will not blemish most high-end metal finishes
Meets ASTM C-920, Class 35
40% more flexibility than Class 25 sealants
5X stronger adhesion
30-minute water-ready
Shrink and crack-proof

GE Supreme Silicone $8.98

100% waterproof and weatherproof; 30-minute water-ready
lifetime mold-free product protection
Excellent adhesion and flexibility with 50% joint movement
Meets ASTM C-920, Class 50
100% silicone is permanently weatherproof
Caulk is permanently sun-proof, freeze proof and flexible
Typical uses include windows, doors, siding, trim, moulding, baseboards, vents, around wires/pipes and other attic/basement applications


texts:
I am about to attach some trim over some old trim to cover up a particularly ugly doorframe/wall joint. I think before I do this, it may be a good idea to fill it, since otherwise there will be a large-ish space behind my trim. What would be the best filler to use in this case? The gap is too wide for caulk in some cases, I think, but I am not sure what to use instead.

Here are some photos:


texts: My house was built in the 1950's and have plaster walls. I am in the process of repainting and have noticed that the plaster above the baseboard air vents has cracked above almost every vent in the house. What could cause this? Moisture in the air coming out the vents?


texts: Venting for a single exhaust Portable AC

texts: Ever since I got my Portable AC, I've been wondering how I can make this chunk of junk more efficient because till this day, I have never been able to drop the temperature lower than 25 degrees Celsius. This week I was making a few modifications to my room and realized the amount of air being sucked into the room but no wind was blowing in the corridor. It hit me right there that this Portable AC is venting air but I never considered where the air was coming from. This leads me to the conclusion that because It's pulling air from outside at 30 degrees Celsius and lowering it to 25 Celsius and it repeats this process. The door is on the opposite side of the room to the AC and the AC vents out a nearby window. My question is, Is there a proper way that the room is to be setup to allow this AC to pull air through the room efficiently. Any suggestion would be accepted at this point, because my room is basically a construction site to me lol. I'll add a diagram soon to better aid in seeing the air flow that is happening.


texts: The carpet on my stairs is worn. Should I repair it or just remove it?

texts:
In our house the second floor and the stairs to them have carpet over top of old hardwood floors (installed by previous owner).  The carpet is wearing out, particularly on the stairs where it has come untacked in a couple places so that when you go up or down them the carpet will at times slide forward creating a hazard we need to deal with. We can see under the carpet in a couple places and the floor looks okay, but not great.

Does it make more sense to remove the carpet and risk the condition of the floor underneath or try to tack the carpet back in place?  What would be involved with retacking it down? If the finish on the original floor is in poor shape, is it a problem just to leave it alone (assuming no splinter hazards)? Finally, if we remove the carpet, what will we need to do to remove the tacks and other carpet related things from the floors?


texts: Alternatives to wool pile weatherstripping for an aluminum frame door

texts:
The wool pile weatherstripping in my patio door frame is disintegrating. The bristles are just falling off on contact.  Parts of of it (most likely a section that deteriorated early) had previously been covered with a felt weatherstripping tape.

I've looked at instructions for how to replace it on a window and they all rely on being able to access an end of the strip to slide out the old one and slide in a new one.  That won't work for me because this is an aluminum door frame that cannot be disassembled.  The tracks run all of the way to the ends.

I have seen zipper pile products that look like they would work in this situation.

Is pile even the best solution in this situation?  This isn't a sliding door, it is a normal hinged door, so it does not require pile for motion.

Would I get a better seal by simply removing the remaining pile and replacing everything with 3/4" felt?

Or should I be looking at a high density foam or rubber product? Priorites and technology has changed since 1969...I'm not convinced the pile is still the best option, and the cost differences are marginal.

Here's what the bottom corner looks like.  The pile on the vertical is already gone, some is left on the bottom, but it falls off if you touch it.

Here's a section showing where the felt tape is still in place as well as a section where the tape adhesive and the worn down pile underneath is showing.


texts: Is it okay to protect NM Cable in an unfinished basement with ENT?

texts:
Adding a 20 amp subcircuit (120V) to furnace room to turn it into a workshop. Initially it will have one duplex and 2 fourplex receptacles, the fourplex receptacles will be on cement walls, the duplex will be on a stud.

I know that for the duplex I just need to staple the cable back far enough so that if someone ever puts drywall up there will be no danger of hitting the wire with a drywall screw.

Section 334.15.c of the NEC 2011(which the state of MI uses) says

  ...Nonmetallic-sheathed cable installed on the
  wall of an unfinished basement shall be permitted to be
  installed in a listed conduit or tubing or shall be protected
  in accordance with 300.4.

I'm assuming they mean UL Listed conduit or tubing, which the smurf tube I'm looking at is. Am I correct in this assumption? Also, is this common practice, using ENT on exposed walls to a metal box? I know that the metal box (and metal tubing if I used it) has to be grounded, just making sure I'm not being too unorthodox with solution, or going against code.


texts: Is 1/2" flexible gas pipe adequate for a 22000 BTU clothes dryer?

texts: I have 1” black iron pipe running just shy of 40’ to a manifold. The manifold then has one run of csst coming off it to my furnace. I then have 4 more ports I can run off for new appliances as I convert them to gas. My electric dryer just went up I would like to replace it with gas. The run would be about 30’. Is 1/2” csst big enough for that run the dryer is about 22000 btu. Thanks in advance.


texts: Is denim insulation more inviting to packrats?

texts:
I'm deciding what kind of insulation to use in a new detached home office.  Packrats are a major problem in my area.  It's a constant battle to keep them out of the floor insulation in my house.

Is denim insulation more inviting than fiberglass to packrats and other pests?  Or to put it another way, is fiberglass a deterrent?


texts: Wiring a quorum windmill fan with two wall switches no remote

texts: I am trying to wire a quorum windmill ceiling fan it has a wall switch with six speeds.  I have two outlets on the wall that makes the fan run.  I have a red wire black and white wire.  The switch has two wires  does the red wire that controls the two wall switches need to be capped only using the black and white


texts: Need guidance and advice for a mixing valve

texts:
I'm debating installing a mixing valve on my shower to hopefully eliminate the routine scalding associated with taking a shower. I've read a bit online but I have questions.

I haven't seen a P&ID of an installation. With a two valve system, should the mixing valve be installed upstream of the hot water valve and cold water be plumbed in like normal?
I have seen advice suggesting check valves. Do I need them on both sides or just the cold side?
Any recommended brands or styles?
Any other tips?


texts: Will using surge protectors with a two prong outlet adapter help against power fluctuations

texts:
I know that all surge protectors/upc's need outlets that have earth ground and be three pronged to safely protect against lightnings, but I would like to know if they can help against power fluctuations, even if just a little.

I have started unplugging my computer during rain and thunder storms but sometimes in my house the power fluctuates before any storm begins which causes my computer to shutdown or restart unexpectedly. If a surge protector can help in these situation then it would be worth using to to me.


texts: Can I split a circuit in the middle of a 3-wire cable?

texts:
I have an existing 14/3 romex that only has two standard lights on the run. I want to cut this wire, continue that run, but also I want a simple electric outlet in my basement. This is where the 14/2 would come into the picture.
I would tap into the existing 14/3, continue it, but then split off for a new outlet with the 14/2. I want to know if taking only one of the two hots is ok and continuing with two hots to the light switches. Thank you.
Please see picture.


texts: Would a paint stripper brush remove stain and varnish from a door frame?

texts: I wonder if anyone can help me? I have a wood door frame that had been previously stained and varnished, and I would like to strip this back to its original wood. Would a normal paint stripper do the job?


texts:
I am working on my first wood product. I am completely new to this. The following happened:

My question is: How do I stabilize this crack?

Can I fill something into the hole so that the crack doesn't get any worse?


texts: Can I use spackling to repair this damage between wall and celing?

texts:
This is the spackling I have:

http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1308097&KPID=961778&kpid=961778&pla=pla_961778


texts: I hope here I'll find an answer I'm looking for. Today I bought transformer from 220V to 12V, but the problem is that I have no Idea how to attached wires. Can somebody help me? here's the picture of device:


texts: I am working on tiling a small bathroom with vinyl floor tiles.  As I was measuring to ensure there are no unusual pieces in the corners and thresholds, I decided to check for an application to help with the layout.  Surprisingly I couldn't find anything.  It seems that I should be able to draw out the room dimensions and simply drag around a representation of the finished floor until I'm satisfied.  Maybe I'm over complicating the floor layout but this would greatly reduce the trial-and-error of layout.  Barring any sort of application, I've watched YouTube videos about snapping lines at the center of the room but, again, this relies on trial-and-error.  Is there a method that doesn't rely on experimentation?


texts: I wish to change my greenhouse fan from a 110 unit to 220.  I have the fan.  The price was right.  It was free.  The 220 is available.  Is there a way to use the 110v thermostat to power a switch (or whatever it would be called) to open and close the 220 power?  If so what would this "switch" be called?


texts: How to hang a projector screen (cloth) with a few inches away from the wall?

texts:
I have some odd fixture/design on the dry wall I want to hang the projector screen against, but if I were to fasten the screen on that wall, the crooked things on the wall will bulge through the screen causing breaks and distort the image.

Are there some sort of anchors that can extend an object away from the wall? I hope i'm making sense. Here's a scratch of what I mean:


texts:
UPDATE:
April 22 What I ended up doing was removing the trim non-destructively. Above the door frame, it was clearly not load bearing, so I continued and was not so non-destructive. The end-result are doorways that are standard height (and I can walk through them without ducking)

ORIGINAL POST:
The 3 door frames on my second floor are 6 ft tall. Myself, being a hair over 6 ft tall, often hit my head. Our ceilings are also 7 ft tall, and we have sloped ceilings upstairs, so it already feels cramped

We don't have doors upstairs right now anyway. Instead of getting custom height doors, I'd prefer to increase the height of the frame and use standard size prehungs.

How can I safely do this (or determine that it will be safe to do this)? I don't know how to determine if these frames help with load-bearing. My guess would be the remove the trim, cut away the plaster above the door, remove the cross piece of the frame and nail another one into the top-plate of the wall. What I'd hate to do (or whatever, what my wife will yell at me for doing) is destroying part of the wall and frame, and finding out I can't do it.


texts: 3-Wire 30A needs to be 4-wire 30A for new oven, can I run a ground from wall outlet?

texts: I'm replacing an oven that was wired with 240V 3-wire 30A (Black, White, Red) and the new oven is 240V 4-wire 30A.  Can I run a copper ground wire from a 15A grounded outlet two feet away?


texts: Why does my toilet pause and bubble when flushed?

texts:
The water in my toilet goes down pretty fast, but in an abnormal kind of way. It's hard to describe it in words. Instead of immediately rushing down the water waits a second and then goes down and empties the bowl completely. But at the end it makes the bubblying sounds and when everything stops there is no water in the bowl. I poured liquid plumber and plunged it repeatedly, but to no avail.
It is more or less functional, but I'm afraid this is a symptom of a bigger problem  and if I don't take care of it now, there is a disaster lurking down there.

Thanks,


texts: Brick house 20 years old has plaster that seems to have never been properly sealed.  Paint is coming off in large peeling patches. To repaint, after removing any loose paint, how can I seal surface where some is raw plaster and some is old paint?


texts: Laying vinyl over a floor with both particle board and tiles

texts:
In our laundry, I need to replace a section of the floor due to water damage. I am planning on putting a yellow-tongue 19mm thick particle board over the left-hand side of the photo to fix the floor. The right-hand side has tiles (area is about about 900mm wide).

Over the whole room, I want to put a vinyl floor or similar. I am worried about the unevenness of the tiles coming through the vinyl and being able to feel it underfoot. What are my options for making a smooth base (my guesses below):

Nail 6mm plywood sheets across the floor. This is straightforward on the wood, but how to attach it to the tiles?
A self-levelling compound. Does this just go over the whole floor, tiles and wood? Do I then need to waterproof it?


texts: How do I seal a leaky roof and repair the minor ceiling damage it caused?

texts:
We recently had some very heavy rains and during the worst of it we had some leaks. When I noticed the problem, I went into my attic and found out that the leak was coming from around a vent in the roof. The leak was not severe even when it was down-pouring. When the rain slowed down the leak went away. However, because it did leak some I have the following problems.

The leak itself. What is the best way to repair this leak? From the outside with some kind of sealant? From both the outside and inside with two different kinds of sealant?
Very minor water damage to drywall. When I moved the insulation away in the attic, you could see where it had dripped down onto the drywall, and because that part of the ceiling is angled, flowed to a crack in between two pieces of drywall and made it's way through. Do I need to do anything with the drywall itself? It does not appear warped, rotten or anything else.
The ceiling (pictured below). What is the best way to put this back together?


texts: Is there an adapter that would allow me to use an sds max chisel (or other) bit in a sds plus drill? The max bits are quite a bit longer and would lessen the amount i need to bend over :). Looking to use at least a 600mm long bit.


texts: Can I add foam board insulation to my tiny house to increase energy efficiency?

texts:
I have a new tiny home shell in east Texas. It's 16x40 shell with wood siding 4x8 sheets on the out side. The kind with a groove every 4 inches. The house has a weather wrap on it already.
Metal roof. 2x4 walls and ceiling. 2x6 floor joists. 5/8 Plywood flooring. Thinking of adding 1/2" on top of that just for extra measure. Walls an floor 16" center. Ceiling 24" enter Siding is 4x8 sheets rough siding with grooves every 4"
What's the best way to insulate?
#1....Can I use 1/2" EPS foam on exterior or so I need to use a foiled foam sheet?
#2.... can I put more foam between the studs on the inside for better protection with my fiberglass insulation (Or would I need a thicker foam sheet on the inside)? I would peel the thickness of the foam off the fiberglass faced insulation.
Thanks


texts: I have an 8 gallon compressor can I use for a small project or should I use an airless sprayer?

texts:
I have an 8 gallon compressor (3 cfm @ 40psi) and a small dresser to paint. Will this suffice or should I go with an airless sprayer?
Thanks!


texts: How should I mount relays in junction boxes?

texts: If one had a typical AC relay (120/240VAC contacts, 120VAC or 24VAC coil, chassis mount), how would they mount it inside a junction box (assume a blank faceplate) and attach wires to it in a way that's Code compliant?


texts:
I am installing 16' desktop to a concrete block wall.  The back wall and one side will sit on a 2x4 ledger.  The opposite short side will be a solid plywood panel to help support weight.

The top will likely be 3 hollow-core doors topped with laminate.

As this will be used like a desk for multiple people, I want the front of the unit to have no support legs to be in the way of chairs/legs. I do plan to have some angle supports cut from plywood to help distribute the load (think right triangles, but with a with a significant crescent removed from the hypotenuse to help for knees clear)

At the front, I could use a 2x4 on edge to make a rail to help stiffen the edge, but I thought that perhaps a piece of box steel or angle aluminum would do the job with less deflection and a lower profile.

What size angle or box tube would accommodate the 16' length with the smallest vertical profile and least deflection?


texts:
I'm a homeowner and renovating my 100 year old house.

The old pine stair treads are broken in several places and extremely ugly, and so they must be replaced. We also decided to open up the staircase, cut out the closed skirtboard and now the new stair treads will be longer and extend past the wall.

I went to HD yesterday and bought the new stair treads - we went with the pine. (Although I found the "made in china" tag only after cross cutting them to length, grrrr)

The treads are made up of 3 or 4 edge-glued 1x4s (true 1" thick) with a pine veneer glued on top and a bullnose routed into the front edge (I think it's a 9/16" radius).

I began cutting the treads to length and it occurred to me that I'm going to have to do something to exposed ends that stick out of the wall - either cut a matching bullnose into them or attach a piece of molding instead. (This is also known as the nosing I think).

Question is: should I cut a matching bullnose into the ends of the treads that will be exposed, or glue/nail on a piece of molding. The former will mean that the end-grain will exposed and this does not stain well. The later means that I will have to a fair amount of more work and I'm wondering if it's worth it.

This illustrate the piece of trim I'm talking about:

I can actually make the molding myself from the waste that I cut off the treads when cutting them to length - and it won't be edge grain either. I'll need to route a matching roundover into the flat edges though.

Problem is it's a lot more work, the joint between the tread and nosing will not be very strong unless I cut a tongue and groove joint into it or something (even more work), will require the cross cuts to be perfectly straight yet my table saw is too small so I've been using a hand-held circular saw which is not perfect.

UPDATE: The job is done and it looks great! Here's how I did it: http://dannix.net/lib/abode/stairs

Thank you!


texts: What gauge wire is typically used for the input to a home breaker box?

texts:
I have a moderately-sized home (~2400 sq. ft.) in the United States that was constructed in 1999. I am looking to build a home energy monitor to track my electricity usage versus time. Obviously, in order to do so, I need to get some reading of the current consumption of my home. To do so, I would like to use a device like this:

This is a current transformer that you clip around the outside of the (insulated) conductor. It outputs a voltage proportional to the current that passes through the conductor; that will then be monitored by some electronics that I'm building. What I haven't figured out yet is how best to install the sensor; I'm very comfortable with electronics, but I don't have much experience in building electrical wiring (beyond some very simple rerouting of existing circuits).

From what I gather, my home has two 120V phases that come into my breaker box like this:

I've been hesitant to open things up without knowing exactly what I'm doing, but I think it will be required to install the sensors (I believe I will need one on each phase). I've verified that the run from the outdoor meter to my breaker box is all conduit (which I've read is required by modern building codes), so I don't have a point where I can access the hot phases unless I install the sensors inside the box. I would likely then just route the signal wires up through one of the box ports and plug it into my electronics package nearby the breaker box.

Apart from my hesitance due to my lack of experience with the interior of my breaker box, the other detail that I'm not sure of is what thickness of wire is typically used for the inputs to the main breaker (labeled B in the above diagram). I need to ensure that the sensor I select has an opening large enough to accommodate the insulated conductor (for instance, the probe I linked indicates that its opening is 13x13 mm). I'm sure there isn't a single answer for all cases, but is there a good rule of thumb for what my home might have based on its characteristics?


texts: Any tricks to draining a tank-style water heater?

texts:
Are there any tricks to drain a tank-style water heater?

Or is it as simple as attaching a hose to the small drain pipe and then opening the valve?

Some web references have said you need to open up another valve somewhere so that air can enter in order to allow it to drain, whereas other web references make no mention of this.


texts: My husband installed a new Moen faucet.  The drain appears to be raised more than the old drain which is causing the water to stand around the drain. Is there any fix for this?


texts: Cub Cadet CCT-400 bump head component sequence on the shaft

texts:
Lookup Parts via Diagram for a Cub Cadet CCT-400 shows a high level exploded diagram.

It is the closest I can find on how to re-install my bump head. I am not sure if I have all of the needed parts nor the sequence to put them on the shaft. Is there any standard sequence for this kind of application?


texts:
I bought some rugs from walmart. I used one under an office chair. After a few  years I lifted up the rug and it had a ton of "powder" under neath it as if someone spiled a can of baby power under it. It was the rug backing, It seems the chair wheels pulverized the backing of the rug.
I want to buy a new rug but I do not want to have the same problem. I'm sure the dust was very unhealthy to breath too.
What is this backing called and is it just for very cheap rugs? It is hard to tell on some rugs if they have this backing from the limited pictures they give. I'm trying to find a good rug that isn't too expensive to protect the hardwood floor.
Best I can tell is that these types of rugs are called tufted rugs and the backing is latex and this is what the powder was.


texts: How can I paint over a ceiling after there's been a leak?

texts:
We had a leak in our upstairs bathroom, about 2 weeks after we had a new ceiling put up and painted in the room below. It wasn't a major leak, but it caused quite a wide line to show up on the ceiling.

I've painted over the line 3 times now, but it just keeps reappearing, is there anything I can do to stop the water mark from showing up?


texts: Can I transition from aluminum wiring to copper wiring at a CO/ALR receptacle?

texts:
It is my understanding that outlets can have wires connected on both sides. Example from another DIY.SE question here . If I have aluminum wiring. I want to add another downstream outlet. I will use an appropriate CO/ALR outlet. I will verify that the circuit can handle the additional load.

Can I have aluminum wiring on one side of a socket and copper on the other?

I am specifically asking if this AL to CU junction can be handled by the two sides of an outlet as opposed to an AlumiConn or Tyco connector.


texts: What size heat shrink tubing do I need to repair this wire?

texts: What size heat shrink tubing do I need to repair this wire on an electric range?


texts: Is insulation on 30cm concrete wall worth it?

texts:
It is for a house in Portugal (where temperatures during the day roughly vary from 15 degrees  celsius to 40 degrees celsius), where the walls of the house are 30 cm of concrete, with no insulation at all.
I am going to repaint one room, and I am wondering whether I should make the effort of insulating the outside-facing walls (from the inside) of this room.
30 cm of concrete feels quite big to me. While the walls are slightly cold to the touch right now (winter), I am wondering whether it is worth insulating for the summer. Will that make a noticeable difference?


texts: In a two storey house, is 5/8" drywall required on the ceiling of both the first floor ceiling and the upstairs ceiling? Or is it only required between the second floor ceiling and attic space as a fire separation?


texts: How to Insulate Drop Ceiling Above Tiled Shower?

texts:
First post so bear with me...

I am working on air sealing for my 1965 ranch style home in NJ, and noticed that the insulation in the attic above the tiled shower is black and brittle (kraft paper) and falling apart.  I want to remove the existing R-12 and add a significant increase in R value but not sure how to do it without creating a moisture sandwich?

I was debating between adding polyiso/Rmax sheets over the area in the attic and sealing them, or just stuffing unfaced batts all around the enclosure and trying to seal above with jointed and caulked plywood to also serve as an attic deck.

I can't really find any recommendations online after a few hours of searching...   Thanks for the help!


texts:
Does anyone have any experience with metal roofs and Christmas lights? I've got icicle lights and red C9 lights. The icicle lights I was able to use my shingle hooks and place between a foam padding under the metal roof, and the decking, so that's not a problem, but I'd like to get the red lights to be displayed along the outside edge, and along the ridges.

Some ideas I've seen are magnetic clips, or magnetic lights, but for $0.70/clip, or $1/light, I'd be spending at least $150 for my 200 ft of light clips. I may just have to eat the cost for this.

If needed, I can throw some pics of my roof up once it's day time, but I'm running out of time for this season, so I thought I'd ask.

Here's the C9 bulbs.


texts:
I have a circuit on a 15 amp breaker. It was working fine yesterday and then suddenly everything stopped working. The breaker was not tripped. My non contact voltage detector goes crazy as soon as it gets near any of the outlets. Using a digital multimeter the outlets show 31 volts with the breaker on and 0 volts with the breaker off. At the breaker in the panel there is 120 breaker to neutral bus. Removed a couple of outlets and hot to neutral shows 31 volts(with breaker on, 0 with breaker off) 2 wire ungrounded circuit (house built in the 60s). There are two lights that are on this same circuit and they work just fine. I disconnected the lights from the circuit and still only 50 volts on the outlets. I continued to disassemble all of the outlets on the circuit with the same result, 50 volts hit to neutral. I believe the outlets are pig tailed out of the wall as each outlet( so far) only has one set of wires to it. This is not in a kitchen/bathroom and has no gfci on it.
This is not the same as having induced/phantom voltage. The circuit only shows the 31 volts with the power on to it at the breaker. If it were induced, it would show this when the breaker was off. However when the breaker is off it shows 0 voltage.

UPDATE: after disassembling all of the outlets, I still had the same problem. I found the main feed line and was getting 118 to it at the wall outlet it went to. The rest of the outlets on the circuit are fed from this point. I made a jumper using 12/3 from the feed to the last outlet on the circuit. Using wire buts to connect everything I then have 118.2 volts on the entire circuit, except the point where the circuit is fed from, 108 volts there. I believe I have a bad connection in the wall. This houses junction boxes are not easily accessible and have been hidden over the years. Proceeding to open the wall a bit and see what I can find.

I appreciate all of the input and help.

Outlet that feeds 2 lights and into a junction box also pictured. Hidden in the ceiling in the middle of the room.


texts: Trenching and running power to outside shed

texts:
I'll require power for the use of a window unit heat pump (8,000 to 12,000 BTU 120 volt), a treadmill, 5 or 6 outlets, and lighting. It's an 80 foot run and will be burying the supply underground.  I've decided to go with a 60 amp breaker at the main to supply power.  A few questions:

A little unsure with the size of the wire (6 or 4 AWG).
My main breaker box is pretty much full so needed to create some space for said breaker: Ideas?
Am I required to put in grounding rods. I've already run all of the electric inside and was going to have an electrician do the rest.  But after being quoted $4200(!), I just decided to do it myself.


texts: Will it cause problems to shower without the exhaust fan and only turn it on afterwards?

texts:
If the exhaust fan was not turned on until after the shower is complete (say, 30 min. after the water is first turned on), is that enough to cause mold/mildew/paint issues?  The mirror is foggy during these 30 minutes.

Or is 30 minutes of humidity per day a short enough period to avoid any negative effects?


texts: Are foundation cracks something to be concerned with?

texts:
I bought a house in 2017 that was built in 1998.
The previous owner had notified me of two foundation cracks that he had repaired from the interior (epoxy injection).
In February 2019 (second winter in the home) both foundation cracks ended up leaking (water in the basement).
I had both cracks repaired again from the outside this time with a water proof membrane.

I spoke with the old owner and he claims the epoxy injection was done 6 years ago.

Is it normal for foundation cracks to continue after so many years?
I’m concerned that there are more serious issues with the house.
I’ve looked online for other symptoms and do not see any other symptoms with the house(i.e. sagging floors, stuck windows or doors).

Do foundation cracks automatically mean we have a foundation issue, or is it normal for a house to have a couple of foundation cracks? If they are repaired with a waterproof membrane is this the end of it or is it possible that they continue to crack wider and wider creating more problems? If the house was 19 years old when we bought it, would it have already been identified if there were serious foundation issues (i.e if the house’s footing was broken)?


texts: What could be causing intermittent flush issues?

texts: I have looked at several similar questions, but I'm unable to determine the cause of this problem. Basically, when the toilet is flushing fine, after the flush, the level of water in the bowl is very, very low. When we flush and after flushing, see the water level in the bowl is close to the mark where it would normally be, we know we are going to have a problem with flushing. When it's flushed the next time, the water rises right to the top and does not go down. HERE IS THE WEIRD THING- The way we are able to get it to go down, is to run a large amount of water down the kitchen sink. We fill a bucket, dump it down the sink, and then let the water keep running. In a few minutes, we hear a gurgle and the toilet has returned to the "normal" low water level. Any ideas what this could be?


texts: How much larger than the fireplace opening should a door kit be?

texts:
I have a dilemma with sizing my gas fireplace box to fit a new glass door.

The firebox is 40-in W x 23-in H

Medium glass door: 30-37-Inch width of firebox opening and 22.5-32.5-Inch height of firebox opening, with 37.5-33-Inch overall frame dimensions.

Large glass door: 36-43-Inch width of firebox opening and 25.5-32.5-Inch height of firebox opening, with 43.5-33-Inch overall frame dimensions.

So look like my firebox width is OK for Medium but the height of 40-in is higher than the Medium. Is that OK?

Or should I pick Large where both width and height is larger than my current firebox?

What is safe?

Thanks.


texts: I am replacing a rotted out light pole in my yard.  The underground feeder that runs to the light pole is only long enough to run halfway up the new light pole.  Is it acceptable to splice an extra length of cable to run to the top of the light pole?  I don't know if this is acceptable since there will be a splice hidden inside the light pole.


texts: How worried should I be about mold/mildew in my water softener tank?

texts:
My wife and I moved into a home that had been rented for a while. Looks like lots of maintenance has been deferred to us, including the water softening system.

We noticed some mold in the tank during inspection. The inspector did not seem too concerned with it. Is this something that will be harmful if left untreated? How aggressive should I be getting about cleaning the tank? Will household cleaning solution (e.g. bleach) be worse for us than the mold if it enters the tank?


texts: Repairing hollowed out hole in hardwood floor

texts:
I have a house that is roughly 100 years old with hardwood floors. We purchased the house about 5 years ago and immediately got the floors resurfaced. Even before resurfacing the floors I noticed that there was a small hole on one of the boards that didn't go all the way through but seemed to be getting larger overtime. I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations on how to repair this hole. It seems that the hardwood is almost hollow where the hole is happening. Is it possible to fill it in with wood glue or another product such as a sawdust mixture? I would prefer not to replace the board. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Here's the hollow area:

Here's a general view of the floor (the damage is elsewhere):


texts: How do I remove a lead stain from my windows?

texts:
I have lead around my windows and after a new lead installation there has been a stain there for over a year. I have tried window cleaner and multi-surface cleaner but no success.

I had an 'easy clean' treatment applied to the windows when I bought them and wonder if the fix to remove this stain then will also affect the treatment.


texts: How do I find the studs on my ceiling through 4.5" of polyiso?

texts:
I am starting to install  polyiso on the interior of my slanted cathedral roof assembly and am having trouble finding the studs through the 4.5" of polyiso that I have.
Things working against me:

not all studs are perfectly 16" OC.
The ceiling deck is at an angle.
When I place the screws in it's hard to get them into the studs or even find the studs with the angle of the ceiling.

Are there any videos or techniques that can help me find the studs...I'm at a loss here!


texts: Is it possible to convert a truss attic into living space?

texts:
What are some options for converting a trussed roof into living space?

My understanding (please correct me if I am wrong) is that the following needs to be taken into consideration:

proper floor joists need to be installed/sistered.
Knee wall supports need to sufficiently replace the webbings of the truss to support the roof
space needs to be considered to accommodate proper insulation between the living space and the roof where it contacts

I've seen a lot of systems/contractors that seem to specialize in this in the UK, but I can't seem to find much information for North America. Not sure why that is.

Has anyone done this? Is it at all a DIY proposition (providing proper engineering documents are approved)?

UPDATE:

My purely hypothetical method at this point (how far off base am I?):

install 12" floor joists 16" OC
install kneewall between current 2x4 truss 'rafters' and new floor joists.
install top cross-bracing/collar tie (not sure how much/spacing)
cut joist webbing (!?)
between knee wall peak, install 12" 'rafters'...these wouldn't be load bearing but act as spacers for insulation and interior ceiling.
leave gap between original 2x4 rafters and sheathing for ventilation
insulate remainder 10" of rafters and knee wall

It seems that the above plan would basically be converting the current truss system into a box storage truss, albeit with larger floor joists.

Am I in the ballpark? Again, I'd definitely be consulting with an engineer to do it right. Just trying to get an idea of what it would take.

With the above, I think I'd need to pull off the first layer of sheathing on one side of the roof to bring in the joists. If I had a load-bearing wall mid-span, could one bring up half-joists into the attic directly (since these joists are purely for floor support while the original 2x4's are acting as the ties?)

UPDATE 2:

Some more details of this particular example:

The attic space is 22' on the side parallel to the trusses (28' on the other side). It's a 12/12 roof, so that's a good 11' at the ridge, which even with new floor joists and a 5' knee wall should be plenty of room for a nice space.

The trusses are double cantilever style:

I also came across this in Fine Homebuilding on using welded steel as part of the rafter structure. More applicable for creating cathedral ceilings but thought it was interesting:

http://www.finehomebuilding.com/how-to/articles/framing-cathedral-ceilings-with-steel-sandwich.aspx?ac=ts&ra=fp


texts: 6 days ago, I saw a mouse run down my hall and I almost had a heart attack! It was 2:30am and I just got home from work. I knew I wouldn’t sleep if I didn’t set traps, which I had none, so I drove to Walmart at 2:30 in the morning and bought 16 snap traps! Placed 8 of them with peanut butter in the kitchen, dining room, bathroom, my bedroom, my daughters bedroom and our spare room. Yet have caught nothing and none of the traps have been touched, so I know this mouse isn’t going near them!!! Well, just a little while ago, I saw it going from my living room to my dining room! I need to catch this thing before I have a break down lol I am terribly afraid, yes, even of a little mouse! Does anyone have any idea why this is not working or what else I can do?? Please help, just want it gone and not think about this anymore!! Thank you in advance


texts: Installing a strong-tie post anchor on unlevel concrete

texts:
I'm building a short (3.5 ft) fence in my front yard. I have most of the posts sunk in dirt holes, but two of them will need to be mounted on a concrete slab.
The problem is that the slab has a slight slope to it and the post brackets I have will cause the posts to not be completely vertical.
These are the brackets I bought.
Is there something I can put under this bracket/anchor to make it sit level?


texts: What could cause tap water to become smelly after a while?

texts:
I keep two glass bottles filled with tap water in a small fridge in my bedroom. The tap water smells fine out of the spout. A few days ago I noticed that the tap water begins to smell bad after sitting in the bottles for a few hours (in the fridge or at room temperature, it doesn't seem to matter). This is a brand new behavior.

As an experiment I boiled some tap water and put that into the (clean) bottles for a few hours. Previously-boiled tap water begins to smell bad after a few hours too.

I have a well and everything's been swell for the past four years. I have a water softener which seems to be working fine. My pressure tank is fairly recent (a few years old). It has been (quite) a while since I've had the well checked or the water tested.

Any ideas?


texts: I have a toilet at my house that once every 1-2 hours will run for maybe 5 or 6 seconds but then stops and acts normally. I have checked and nothing seems to be getting under the flapper. The float is the type that travels up and down the tube (not a ball on an arm). What could be causing this?


texts:
I am planning to self-manage a construction project (single-story extension), with the work being done by independent tradespeople who I will contract individually on a job-by-job basis, completing different parts of the project as funds become available, while keeping overall costs low and under control. I have got full plans and permissions already in place. I am far from an expert in construction, but I have some experience, and I am mostly confident in my ability to do this self-management (although I'm sure I'll learn a lot along the way.)

Occasionally, during this process, I would like to pay a professional to come on site and survey overall progress, answer any general questions I may have, and warn me about any important features of the build that I may be overlooking. I would of course be prepared to pay by the hour for this service. I have asked some local architects if they would be able to do this for me, and they are not interested (perhaps unsurprisingly, since they want to be managing the whole project.)

What sort of professional can I engage to provide me this service? Perhaps some sort of independent chartered surveyor? The problem is I'm not really sure who else to ask, apart from an architect. There must be someone qualified who's prepared to take my money.

I am in the UK.


texts: Treating a crack in a concrete patio before resurfacing

texts:
I am resurfacing a covered outdoor concrete patio. The original slab has a crack in it due to some heave. I am not particularly worried about this crack, however. The soil below is hard clay, and the crack has not grown in many years.

However, I know that this crack will eventually make it through the resurfaced layer eventually. My question is what should I do to slow this process? The way I see it, I have a couple options:

Fill the crack with some treatment material and resurface over;
Install an expansion joint in the resurfaced layer that follows the crack as best as possible;
Cut out around the crack, re-set concrete in that area with expansion joints on either side.

The final option is obviously the most work. But I'm not sure it's totally necessary. Are there good products available for crack treatment prior to resurfacing?


texts: Sink tailpiece doesn't line up with trap

texts:
After installing a new bathroom sink, the drain tailpiece doesn't line up with the trap coming out of the wall.  I've seen flexible accordion hoses for this, but I think that violates code (P3002.3.1).  I live in California.  My tailpiece is 1.25" (OD) without threads.  The trap is 1.5" (ID) with male threads.  What's the best way to do this?

By the way, I have a flexible accordion piece from the old sink, which fits on the trap, but it has male threads on top, so it connect to the tailpiece.  So I don't understand how those flexible pieces are supposed to work anyway.


texts: How do I install a washing maching in my condo?

texts:
My condo has a closet design for a washing machine/dryer set up and I want to make sure everything is wired correctly

It has connections for hot and cold water on the wall.  It also has two other hookups that I'm trying to identify.

One hookup is beside the water valves but is larger around than most pipes I've seen(maybe 1.5"-2" across) and has a draft of cold air that smells of laundry.  Is this for the water drain from the washer or is the vent for the dryer?

Another connection is about 0.5" above the floor and has a more typical hose connection.  Is this the water drain or is for draining spilled water?

Photos here:
Water Connection

Fitted Pipe.  That connection has a screw fitting and would likely connect well to a garden hose.


texts: How can I test a household LED light bulb?

texts:
Something is wrong with my GU10 base LED light bulb or with the light fixture but I don't know what's at fault. The fixture/bulb doesn't work and has never worked (new install). The fixture was professionally installed. Now I've removed the light fixture from the mains and am trouble-shooting.

Trouble-shooting is challenging because I have only one fixture and one bulb with a GU10 connection.

With incandescent bulbs I could easily check to see if a bulb was damaged. A visual check of the filament was an easy initial check to see if the filament was burnt out and a test for (lack of) resistance with a multimeter would confirm whether the bulb had a complete circuit.

My multimeter doesn't report a complete circuit, even for a known good bulb of a different type ('regular' screw base) and I have only one fixture that accepts GU10 light bulbs.

I've checked the terminals on the base of light fixture and a complete circuit exists between the incoming (and outgoing) wires and the base in which the light sits.

My gut says that it's the light but I am not sure.

How can I easily confirm that the LED light bulb works the way I used to be able to with incandescent bulbs?

FYI this is a similar bulb as sold by Amazon.


texts: What is the name of ducting I am looking for if they even make it?

texts:
I am looking for something like this but with an additional hole.

Do they make this part, and if so what would it be called?


texts: Electrical outlet popping sound when plugging in anything?

texts:
So a lot of the questions asked about outlets here indicate that the circuit breaker trips when the outlet pops, but mine does not.
When I connect even low power stuff like my HomePod or phone charger to most outlets, nothing happens: they just plug in like normal. But with a couple of outlets in my office there is a visible pop/spark when I plug anything in. I thought just buying a new outlet would solve the issue, but it did not which concerns me. One thing to note: I did not adjust the wiring on the outlet. Right now I’m not plugging anything into it. Am I right to be concerned? Any thoughts on what the issue could be?


texts: Can stranded wire handle the same high voltage as solid core?

texts:
Two 10 AWG wires for an electric fence were cut by the lawn mowers. I read that electric fences have very low amperage. So a 30 A rating is well above the call of duty: 10-2 type UF-B cable with ground wire (stranded).

That is what's available locally. There is no voltage rating. Although, looking online, I find that similar stranded wires have 1000 VDC (TÜV). Does that mean they're rated only up to 1000 VDC? Or is this just something to do with solar panels?

Edit - This wire is between the energizer and the fence, no man's land.

Aside, why does our electric fence have two wires? To create an open circuit, wouldn't you only need one?


texts: How to replicate holes in a wooden cabinet?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  How do I drill additional holes for adjustable-height shelving?

I would like to modify the vertical position of a shelf inside a wood cabinet. The dowel pins are glued on the shelf only. How can I replicate the holes on the cabinet? I already have the transfer plugs, and I feel they could be useful in this situation.


texts: I am planning on putting down laminate flooring on a 3/4" plywood original subfloor where there is carpeting now. I also want to put the same laminate flooring where it leads into the kitchen area from the above area, but there is already a luan subflooring over the 3/4' original subfloor,that has 12'X12' stick down tile floor tiling. Do I need to rip up the luan underneath the tile flooring??? Or is there a way to transition this area without a trim piece that will no doubt get kicked on due to the differing heights????


texts: Electrical shock when touching the water faucet in the shower

texts:
Yesterday when I took a shower, I got a pretty bad jolt of electricity in my arm when I was done showering, and was about to switch off the water faucet.
I immediately jumped out of the shower, grabbed a flashlight and shut off the main fuse. Grabbed a piece of insulated pliers, and managed to close the faucet without another shock.

The day after, I got a hold of the landlord to tell him about this issue. I borrowed a multimeter from him to check the faucet again today. I connected the ground cable of the multimeter to a ground pin in an outlet, and probed the faucet: And sure enough, it's live! However, the voltage is not constant. It seems to oscillate between 100mV and 82V, in a sort of random phase-pattern.
Next, I tried to disconnect the fuse for the water heater and probed again. It's still live and nothing different. So I then tried to disconnect the fuse for the bathroom as well: And it's still live! (I didn't try with main fuse off, sorry, The landlord had to run and I had to return the multimeter before I could finish)

So here is my question:
What could this be? Is there a bad ground connection somewhere, or a leak somewhere to a neutral connection in the pipes? Why is there still voltage on it despite the fuse being shut off?
I live in Norway, So the mains voltage is around 230-240V @50Hz. The house is roughly 30 years old, and the electricity and plumbing system appears to be well maintained.

I am somewhat familiar with electricity and how it works, however, I am no professional. So I won't try to diagnose this issue too deeply unless the clues I give here tell some of you something that could be obvious and potentially easy to fix.

I was shocked so badly I had to go to the emergency room an hour later because I still felt pain in my arm. I was released roughly an hour later, with no diagnosis. My arm is fine today.
I am showering at my mother's house until the problem is rectified.

Update:
The landlord just called me and informed me that an electrician will come tomorrow to look at this problem. I will post an answer with the update on what caused this as soon as I know.


texts:
Our home has one dishwasher.  I would like to add another dishwasher; total 2 dishwasher hooked up to the same sink.

Reading online it seems that there is a possibility for "back pressure".  Is this correct and what exactly is that?  Also, would there be a reason that I could not run both dishwashers at the same time?  Are there any other possible problems to having a second dishwasher installed?

Thanks for any guidance!


texts: Will a integrated dimmable light fixture work with a regular switch instead of an dimmable light switch? I installed one and it doesn't work.


texts: What should I consider when buying a USB inspection camera?

texts:
I have a slow leak in a stud wall; I know it is coming from 1 of 3 pipes.   I can replace any of the pipes without breaking into the wall; however I need a way to find out which pipe is leaking.   I can access the wall from the loft, or under the shower tray.     There are no cross timbers in the area of interest, so access is easy.

I feel that an inspection camera would help, as I own a laptop I see no point in paying for a screen so am thinking of a USB based camera.


texts: Different wirings on 2 thermostats controlled by a 2 minizone system

texts: I was replacing my 2 thermostats controlled by a 2 mini zone system (Trol-A-Temp).  One of the thermostat has 6 wires/terminals (Y,W,R,G,O,B). The other one has 3 wires/terminals (Y,W,R).  I was planning to use an ecobee thermostats but don’t know where to connect the terminals O and B of the first thermostat.  Also if I will only connect the 3 wires of the second thermostat, will it be able to access the fan when there’s no wiring provided for it?  Thanks.


texts: I need to fasten a 3/4 inch PVC trim board to a poured concrete basement wall.  Since this will be on the exterior of the house I want to avoid rusting of the fastener.  The previous pressure treated board fell off when the concrete nails rusted and broke off.  I was considering using Tapcon screws and counter sinking the heads and filling with a paintable epoxy.  I know the Tapcons will rust at some point. Does anyone know of a stainless steel concrete fastener?


texts: Darker areas on paint where I previously applied filler

texts:
Recently I painted walls in bathroom with latex water-dispersion paint. The walls were quite even, except some minor defects and a few major ones. I applied "acrylate" filler (that's what the can says) on those defects. In case of major defects I appiled about 4 millimeters of filler. I let the filler dry out, sanded it and applied two layers of paint.

Now I see that the paint coating is slightly darker where I applied a thick layer of filler. I suppose the filler hasn't dried completely and now releases moisture and this propagates through paint.

Do I take any special measures or just wait till it dries up? How long should I wait? Have I screwed it?


texts: can i stick 6ga wire directly in earth instead of using grounding rod?

texts: can I stick a 6 or 8 ga copper wire directly into the ground a couple of feet deep then run it into the house to an earthing mat to ground it ?


texts: Why is my HVAC system not turning on the A/C compressor?

texts:
My AC stop cooling. Here's what I found. Inside blower is working, outside compressor/fan does not turn on. I manually push the contacts in the outside relay and the compressor and fan worked, used multi-meter in cable coming from home but no power, checked the terminals inside and no power in the terminals from the board when "call for cool".

The transformer is working fine, with 24 volts. Heater and manual fan are ok, and the interior blower turns on on AC, not the outside compressor/fan, unless done manually pushing the contacts at the relay. Also the thermostat control (digital) turns on.

I'm guessing I should have 24v when turning the AC on, so I'm thinking maybe the electronic board (Honeywell ST9160B1084) is bad. If so, I was thinking to replace it, but since is kinda old, I will need to get the universal ST9120U1011 board. Am I on the right path? Thank you.


texts:
I'm trying to shut off the hot water supply to repair the kitchen tap. Unfortunately I can't see any isolator valves near the tap, so I'm puzzling over how to shut off hot water for the whole house.
I tried to do a bit of research into how our heating & hot water system works, but I may be getting this wrong, and to be honest I'm kind of tempted to just post the question "What the heck do all these pipes do?", but I shall try to be more specific.
It's a F&E system with two tanks in the loft and hot water cylinder in the first floor airing cupboard, which looks like this:

So according to these instructions I need to close a valve which feeds cold water into the bottom of the cylinder. "This valve should be easily recognisible as a valve with a red, wheel-shaped handle on a pipe that runs from the ceiling of the airing cupboard to the bottom of the cylinder."
The valve in the top-right (just above the top shelf) seemed to fit that description, so I tried closing that.
Then I noticed valve in the bottom left could also fit that description, so I've tried closing that too (although I may be misunderstanding the direction of flow there)
I notice there's three pipes leading into the bottom of the cylinder. The third one slightly higher on the left is hopefully shut off by the motorised valve (I have the heating and hot water switched off)
I then try running the hot tap for a minute or two, but it's showing no signs of stopping. Do I just need to wait longer for pipes to drain out? I tried the same on the 2nd floor bathroom because I thought it might stop flowing quicker there, but ...no sign of stopping.


texts: I need to replace a regular 3 prong outlet to one of these for a tool. I have tried multiple arrangements but none turn the tool on. The tool needs 15 amps, I have a 20 amp outlet and 15 amp fuse. Yes I know the fuse will need replacing but in the fuse is not being overloaded/break


texts:
Why do manufactures distinguish whether a blade is for a circular saw or miter saw? Is there difference that I'm not seeing?

One of the reasons I'm asking this is that I'm determining the safest way to cut aluminum while not ruining the tool or consumable. It seems the only blade designed for metal cutting available at my local big box store is a segmented diamond blade LENOX METALMAX 1972924. The diameter, arbor hole, kerf or max speed parameters should work for my DeWalt 7-1/4" miter saw. The biggest risk seems to be the lack of protection on the lower guard given a 1/4" blade diameter difference, which seems like a marginal risk since it seems designed for circular saw.

I know carbide blades, likely the more teeth the better should work as detailed in this question, nevertheless I'm looking for the best option, not one that will work.


texts: Round or half-round files sold by radius?

texts:
I'm trying to find a half or full-round file of a particular diameter, but it seems to be rarely mentioned (and when it has been, they've been much smaller than I'm looking for).

Are they just not made/advertised/sold this way because they're not expected to be used for such precision - or is there a different term for similar large instruments that might be available in a range of diameters?


texts: Could running two 15 amp circuits of NM wire in parallel cause interference?

texts: I'm running some NM romex wire through conduit in a couple 20 ft. runs, two different 15 amp circuits - one for lights, one for outlets. Could running them parallel to each other in the same conduit cause interference or is this fine?


texts: New junction box, or pigtail within receptacle?

texts:
I need to add a wall receptacle in a bedroom. (There aren't enough outlets as is.) The bedroom is on the main floor of a 1-story house, with an unfinished attic and an unfinished basement. Walls are old, plaster and lathe. The receptacle would essentially get added on to the end of the circuit that powers the other receptacles in the room.

The NM cable for that circuit already runs under the floor, easily accessible via the basement, and then up through the floor to each receptacle. (This was done when replacing old knob & tube wiring, which is why the cable doesn't just run through the walls from receptacle to receptacle, which would have required a whole lot of damage to the walls.) The cable to the new receptacle will also need to run under the floor, and then up through the wall to the new receptacle.

Is it better to:

Tie into the cable in the basement, under what is currently the last receptacle, using a junction box (and then over and up to the new receptacle)? or
Tie into the cable in what is currently the last receptacle (daisy-chain), and then run the new cable back down into the basement (and then over and up to the new receptacle)?

On a general level, the question is: when adding a new receptacle, is it better to daisy-chain when possible, or just use a junction box?

My assumption would be that it doesn't matter. As long as the receptacle is large enough to accommodate the additional wiring, then go with daisy-chain; otherwise, use a junction box. But maybe there's something else I need to consider? The daisy-chain method in this case would require an extra 2ft or so of cable, but I can't imagine that's an important factor.


texts: I want to improve my concrete basement floor, but not too much

texts:
Our 100-year-old home's basement floor is very thin (1/2"?) concrete. A friend once called it a "rabbit floor", only intended to keep critters from burrowing up into the basement :)  It is uneven, cracked in places,  and it appears to have been poured directly onto the dirt.

The basement walls are also concrete, about 7' tall (5.5' under grade, 1.5' above). They aren't perfectly smooth and flat; it looks like they may have been poured into trenches dug into the ground, without forms, or perhaps someone simply did a very rough job of skim-coating them in the past...

The basement walls seem strong: the house doesn't show any signs of settling problems over the years.

I want to smooth out the floor and make it nicer.  I'm envisioning covering it up with more concrete and/or leveling overlay.  I don't intend to finish the basement because it sometimes gets wet in the winter and taking care of the water intrusion is far down on my list of home improvements :)

The water issue is seepage from the joints between the basement walls and the floor. It usually is just dampness, but some years I'll get small puddles (a foot or two long) that last a day before drying.  As far as I can tell, these puddles are formed by the joint seepage and not from water coming up through the floor.  There is a drain along one wall, but never enough standing water to make use of it.

So, my questions:

Is it OK to pour new concrete over old?  Do I need to prep the existing stuff first?
What thickness of concrete would be appropriate as an overlayer?  I don't want the new concrete to break away from the old...
Should I put some sort of water barrier between them?
How do I interface the new concrete to the walls? (Expansion joint, etc)
Is this just a bad idea??

Oh, I forgot to add:

There's a washer/dryer in the basement.  Other than that, I'll use it as a shop and for storage.


texts: Is it beneficial to point a fan at the intake of a portable air conditioner?

texts:
Unfortunately for the time being, my whole first floor is cooled by a single portable air conditioner and "cleverly" (if that word can even be used here...) placed fans to help move the cool air around the floor space.

I don't know the specifications of the air conditioner right now but I'm sure it's not meant for the square footage of the floor.

But that aside, I'm trying to keep the air conditioner centralized in the house by keeping it in my dining room.  Because the exhaust hose is short (about 4 ft), it's anchored close to my window and the AC doesn't have much wiggle room from the walls.  I also have my dining room table sitting right next to it which I'm sure doesn't help.

What I'd like to know is if I can place another fan about a foot behind the AC unit to help push warmer air into the fans intake.  Is this helpful?  Is it dangerous?  Will it even do a dang thing?  Any advice is appreciated...it's hot!  =(


texts: Install wall or ceiling light in room with concrete walls

texts:
I have a bedroom with no ceiling light. The main switch controls a power outlet to be used probably with a floor lamp.
I need to install a wall or ceiling light from the power outlet controlled by the switch that doesn't involve loose wires on the wall (as I have young kids). A large LED light bar on the wall would be good.
What is the best way to do this ?


texts: Can I run #10 and #12 cables through the same hole in framing lumber?

texts:
I'll begin by saying that I'm no electrician. I was just wondering about the following:

TLDR: Is it ok to have two 12/2 cables and a 10/3 cable going through the same 3/4" hole?

For a washer and dryer there are currently two blue boxes with two yellow cables, which I suspect to be 12/2 cables, going through a hole (through wood, but not a floor joist) maybe 3/4" wide. Turns out a gas dryer wasn't possible so I needed a larger wire, so I ran an orange 10/3 cable through the same hole as the 2 12/2 cables.

My question is whether or not this is OK? The reason I did this is because the ceiling is going to be boarded up and now is the time to do it. The 10/3 cable going to the panel has a drop ceiling so I am going to let the electrician handle the wiring of that (though for now I did just run it along the joists and to the panel).

The 10/3 cable is pretty thick so I did have to tug a little bit to get it through the hole, but it appeared to be undamaged and fine. I'll add by saying that the 10/3 and 12/2 cables are not running parallel once through the hole. In fact they diverge (something like below)

                              ^
                              |
                              |
                              |
                              |
                              |
                              |
                              |
                              |
                              |
                            12/2
                              v
<---------10/3 cable ------>  *


texts: What is causing clicking sound after light switches off?

texts:
After switching off my kitchen lights, there is a somewhat loud "click" almost exactly 7 minutes later. Infinitely reproducible, with no other discernible symptoms, and it seems to be otherwise harmless. The house is new construction, only about a year old, and the sound has been happening from the start. I originally thought it might have been coming from one of the GFCI outlets, but the outlet works fine and after listening to it a hundred times I now think the sound is actually in the wall somewhat above the outlet.

I have found a few posts online (e.g. from a DIY forum) but the advice seems to always be, "replace the receptacle" or "don't worry about it." I am not worried about the sound, and honestly don't really even care to stop it, I just want to know (because of naturally scientific curiosity) what causes it.


texts: How do I find the source of the water leaking through the ceiling?

texts:
I live in Minnesota in a single story rambler with full basement.  In an upstairs corner bedroom I started noticing some water leaking in the closet ceiling a week or two ago (picture is current, it started much smaller).

We've had a record amount of snow fall this year.  When I first saw the leak, I realized that my roof vents were covered with snow.  On Christmas day, I shoveled off the entire roof.  Since then we've had a few light snows and warm days too, so there's been some accumulation then melting.  Right now there's nearly no snow on the roof, and the gutters still have some ice in them.

But the leaking is getting worse.  Now has spread across the entire edge of the wall.

There's also water dripping into the inside of that window, and there's a stalagmite icicle in one of the windows about 6-8" tall.

Today I went into the attic to look for a leak.  I was unable to find one, however.

There were a couple spots under vents or pipes were a little frost came through and melted, and underneath the insulation was slightly damp (and frozen).

But, as best as I could see, near the edge of the house above the ceiling in the pictures, there was no evidence of wetness or frozen water.  Not any amount I would expect to see based on the damage.  Now, on the roof above there is a thin layer of frost - across much of the length of the house actually.  Could that be melting on warm days and dripping down?  But yet I don't see any wet spots, if I push the insulation away I can see the wet ceiling board, but the insulation isn't really wet and there's no signs of where it's running down from and dripping from.

There were also a a spots where the insulation was contacting the roof at the edge of the house, directly above where the leaks appear.  I thought perhaps moisture was being wicked down.  I've moved the insulation so that it doesn't contact, but again it wasn't wet indicating that it was the source of the leak.

How do I figure out what needs fixing here?


texts: What is the cloth around my dishwasher and do I need it?

texts:
I have a slight bug problem in my kitchen, so today I'm doing a big cleanup. I've gotten to my dishwasher and as expected there are a ton of bugs there. I noticed it was wrapped in a large cloth, and that thing was pretty nasty and infested so I've thrown it out.

But that piece doesn't seem to be directly used by my dishwasher. Is it necessary? Do I need to go out and buy a new one before I use my dishwasher again or can I live without it?


texts: How can I make my hard stone entrance staircase softer and more kid friendly?

texts:
I live on the top floor of 3 storey housing unit. When you walk into our house, you are immediately faced with a staircase that takes you up to the third floor.

The stairs are made of stone slabs and are extremely hard. Our child is getting better at walking and more independent and wants to go up and down the stairs by herself. However we are worried about this since even a small fall on such hard and sharp edged stairs would be painful and possibly catastrophic.

What can I do to make the stairs softer and more child friendly, while also taking into account that this is an entrance staircase and will encounter snowy boots during the winter and wet shoes in the summer?


texts: How do I attach a gate where the swing end is 90 degrees to the wall?

texts:
I have a gate which fits neatly between two walls running between my house and the next door neighbour.

For now, I have tethered the swing end with a simple loop of rope which tags onto a hook screwed into the wall.

Unfortunately, it's not too secure and easily slips off.  I'd prefer to have some kind of latch which is more secure and is able to withstand the weight of an excited fully grown dog.

Pictured here is the swing end of the gate, which is about 1.5 inches away from the wall.  Frustratingly, it's too narrow a gap for me to insert a post wide enough for a traditional latch.

Full context view:

Swing end to the left, hinge to the right - the gate swings away.  My wall is the one to the left.

I'm sure there's probably a simple solution to this one, but I can't figure it out...


texts: Correcting Navien Tankless Hot Water Heater Installation

texts:
A while ago we had a plumber/friend install a Navien tankless water heater.  We trusted him and thought everything was just fine as we were getting hot water throughout the house. There is a circulator pump, but it still takes a long time for hot water to reach the upstairs bathrooms. Also, as I'm taking a closer look at it, I'm concerned that some key things may be amiss.

The cold water pipe coming from the wall goes into the domestic water inlet on the tankless heater, as it should. However, the plumber branched this off into the circulation water inlet. Is this correct for the function of the system?
When attempting a flush of the system, I shut off the hot and cold valves that lead into the heater.  When I hooked hoses to the service pipes, the system still produced a strong, steady flow of water, seeming to not drain. This made me suspicious that water was coming from the mains. Is there a way to tell if the cold pipe is circulatory/return line or cold water from the mains?
You will see in the photo that the cold water valve shuts off water into the domestic water inlet but doesn't have a shut off into the circulation water inlet.  Therefore, I can't drain the system. Is this incorrectly installed?
Any tips on where to verify if I have a dedicated return line? House was built in late 1990s and is 2 story, built on a slab foundation.

I'm fairly handy with DIY plumbing, but not and expert and I know when I am out of my league.  If pointed in the right direction, though, I might be able to solve this. I would appreciate any help and insight you can offer.


texts: How do I turn a seized SS screw in a brass fixture?

texts:
I need to repair the seals of the automated water valve on my Aquastar, on-demand water heater. However, two very difficult to reach stainless steel screws have seized up and I cannot turn them without further stripping the Philips head. The location prevents me from grabbing the head with vise-grips or other pliers.

Can I, over time, apply lubricant to the few exposed threads in the hope that it unlocks the threads? Should I grind down the head into a square that I can fit some socket over? Is there some other way to get this screw out?

I am planning on waiting until the summer to effect these repairs, when hot water isn't so critical!


texts: Looped air conditioner condensate line not draining?

texts:
Using our split air conditioner for the first time, the wall unit started dripping water. Its condensate tube runs through the wall into an adjacent attic and then into the DWV vent stack.

The tubing had a trap formed as a simple  loop with a radius of about 4". When I inspected the tube I could see that some water had accumulated in the bottom of the loop but hadn't reached the top where it would actually drain out into the DWV. Strangely it was not backed up vertically above that point into the pan - there was actually air in that section also.

I took the loop out making it a straight run and the whole thing started draining properly after that. The loop was ~12" below the drip pan height, and everything slopes downwards or almost vertically.

The tubing itself is about 3/4", its a lightweight plastic translucent corrugated type. There was no blockage, the tube was not kinked, etc. No obvious visible reason why it wouldn't drain. The DWV vent stack is about 2' away. Could there be some kind of air lock?

Obviously I want to get it back to having a trap, but need to understand the problem first.

Thanks


texts: Why is my AC blowing from this pipe and freezing up periodically?

texts: I looked under my mobile home and found a hose coming from the flooring. It is blowing cold air out, and it also looks like water has been dripping out. I think that this is normal, but why is all that cold air coming out. From time to time my AC freezes up, and every day about 3:00 it gets hotter in my house. I am afraid they hooked my AC up wrong.


texts: Do coal stoves lead to creosote buildup/chimney fire risk?

texts:
One of the reasons we put in a coal stove as an alternative heat source was because several sources said coal stoves don't have creosote buildup, reducing the risk of chimney fire.

The instructions that came with the stove, however, state that we have to inspect the chimney for creosote buildup and clean it out once a year.

So do coal stoves have buildup leading to chimney fire risk, or don't they?


texts: How would I go about leveling a sagging floor?

texts:
I had all my kitchen cabinets refaced last year.  I than decided to replace the counters with granite.  When the guy from the counter company came out he did some leveling test. I am putting counters on three sections of counters.  It seem that one side of my kitchen is higher than the rest.  He suspects the floor is unlevel and it is out of the 3/4 variance he can correct by shims. Two sides of the cabinets are on outside walls.

My basement is finished was remodeled a couple years back. I am really wanting to know what my options are how I would level the floor without tearing up what I already finished. What is the average and what type of skill set should I reaching out to get this solved?


texts: How long do I need to wait before painting an interior PT plywood floor?

texts: I recently had my basement floor replaced due to termite infestation.  The floor is concrete and the floor joists are made of pressure treated wood.  The contractor removed the carpeting and pressed wood and replaced it with pressure treated plywood.  The plywood was laid down 6 weeks ago.  I have been running a fan, heater and dehumidifier in my daylight basement and opening windows.    I would like to paint the floor as soon as possible as I am concerned about the harmful effects of the pressure treatment but have received varied answers as to how long I must wait.  Some say 2 weeks, and some say 6 months.  Please advise.


texts: Is it a good idea to pass a oven range hood exit duct in the roofs' ventilator?

texts:
I've just had a oven range hood installed, but now I have to install the ducts for the air to exit my house.
My roof ventilator is pretty much right above where the oven is in my attic (its in quebec, its an unused attic, just for isolation)
So is it a good idea to run the ducts to the roof ventilator for the air exit, or its something that sounds good on paper, but is a terrible idea in practice?
PS: No idea if I'm using the right words since i'm french canadian, and so the terms i'm used to are different.
So here's what I mean by a oven range hood https://www.homedepot.com/b/Appliances-Range-Hoods/N-5yc1vZc3nk (in french we call it a 'hotte de four')
And here is what I mean by a roof ventilator https://www.rona.ca/en/ventilation-maximum-roof-ventilator-12-in-x-12-in-301-12-b-6467005 (mostly heard it referred to as a 'maximum')


texts: How to  remove dried spackle from between the edge of a cabinet and the wall? I’ve tried using a screwdriver and a spackle knife but the spackle is very hard.


texts: Cooking stove is causing a short circuit, how do I diagnose it further?

texts:
There was a problem that caused my circuit breaker to reset over and over again. I isolated this problem to my cooking stove.

It was connected to the main so that it could generate a spark to ignite the natural gas.

I have disconnected it from the main and anyone has seen a problem like this before? How do I investigate further regarding why it is causing a short circuit?

Thanks


texts: Why are some light switches giving shocks?

texts: Some of our light switches are giving  light shocks and sometimes you can see a spark. What


texts: Hello I have a two switch with three black wires all connected on one side. The three black wires are all connected on the side with the three screws (two gold and one black). Pictures are below. I’ve seen two black wires on a single switch and a similar scenario (for an outside light) and understand why both the wires are black there, but this involves two separate lights. I haven’t seen a switch quite like this either although I imagine it’s an older version of a single pole? Any idea what’s going on here?


texts: I bought 12-foot-long 5/4 x 6 in pressure-treated pine deck board from Home Depot.  Not until I laid them down did I notice that the boards' width tapers significantly toward the ends of each board.  See the picture below.  My deck is finished (as of last night—yay!), but just so I know for next time: is this kind of variation in width something I have to expect?  Or was I just unlucky with what Home Depot had this week?  Or can I avoid this buy shopping elsewhere?


texts: Why does my gas fireplace shutdown when fan starts up?

texts: My gas fireplace lights and runs fine but will shut down totally including pilot light two minutes after the fan blower turns on..what could be wrong..is it electrical.


texts: Can the Harbor Freight Air Impact Hammar be Run from a 6 Gallon Air Compressor?

texts: I was looking at the Harbor Freight Medium Impact Air Hammar, (Air Hammar), but I'm not sure if it's a good match for my 6 gallon pancake compressor. I'm not looking to use it for very long, more for occasional DIY stuff, but I don't know if it can be run off of it. Would there be any obvious problems with this set up?


texts:
I have a strange problem : when it's raining heavily, the RCD breaks on one line. It is quite large a differential : 0.3 A.
This is in a country where effective voltage is 230 V.
There are quite a few lights on the offending cable. But they are all internal except 2 that are outside, but well sheltered (they are not getting wet):

As you can see, it is exposed wires, outside, so it seemed a reasonable guess that these were the offenders.
I took my multimeter, and measured the voltage. I was surprised to see that even when I turn the switch off, I still have a voltage of 1.2 V in these cables. This surprised me.
Is it normal for these to have a low voltage even when switch is off? Could that be what causes my RCD to break? If this is abnormal, how do I go about fixing it?
Thanks!
PS: (I have read other questions about phantom voltage, but my question pertains to the RCD breaking in that context)


texts: Why does an expansion tank need to be pressurized with the same pressure as the water supply?

texts:
Why does your expansion tank when installing have to be pressurized with the same PSI as the home?

I've heard to pressurize it equal with the home PSI I've also heard to pressurize at 5 lb under the PSI of the home


texts: How can I determine whether a home with common walls has good soundproofing?

texts:
I'm looking to buy a new house in England. It's not likely to be detached. I like a quiet life and would like to choose one where neighbour noise isn't an issue.

I have read that during the 1980s, the building regulations were quite good on this but they deteriorated in the 1990s and may have improved in 2003

Does anyone have definitive information about "good/bad" years for house construction in this regard?

Alternatively, does anyone know ways of measuring/estimating this when viewing a house?

Thanks!


texts: How can I have the output from hot/cold water handles go to two different spigots?

texts:
I am doing a renovation that will add a laundry sink to the basement and also allow an additional spigot on the exterior of the house. The new spigot will be in a convenient location for washing the car so I would like to be able to deliver warm water to this spigot.
Is there a way to hook up the laundry sink, so I can adjust the temperature at the sink and then flip a lever and the water to the faucet will turn off and go instead to the outdoor spigot? So, it would work a little bit like a bath where you can direct the water to the tub or to the shower.


texts:
I just had FIOS installed today to replace Comcast. Everything went great but I didn't pay attention to how they installed the connector to my router. I thought they would add a port for the Ethernet right next to the cable, but instead the Ethernet cable is routed out from behind the faceplate awkwardly.

Is this what I need? Amazon back-plate product with coax and cat-6

I am not sure if that back-plate would connect to the left-side of that Ethernet connection. What is that called?

Result:

Much better than before. It was really jammed up behind the faceplate, so I couldn't keep the coax connected. I think I need to cut out a bigger hole and get a bigger faceplate for that. At least for now the look is improved. Thank you everyone for your help!


texts:
The quarter bend is threaded and has, at the threaded end, an exterior diameter of approximately 2.5" while the pipe itself is more like 2.375" OD, so I believe this is 2" PVC.  It is cemented to the pipe coming from the wall.
I have been looking online and have not seen J-traps that are made to fit this pipe.  Do I need to do something custom here?  Is there a product that can help?
My best guess is to just cut the pipe closer to the wall, then install a reducer with a compression fitting, and then an off the shelf P-trap kit.


texts: Replacing lighting in a 3 way switched hallway with motion detected lights

texts: I have a hallway that makes a 90` turn and there is a wall switch at each end of the hallway.  There are 2 ceiling lights, one in each section of the hallway.  They are not visible from each other.  The existing lights are controlled by 2 3-way switches.  I want to replace the 2 lights with motion activated lighting.  Once installed, I rarely would use the actual wall switches and just let the MA lights do the work.  What options do I have to do this and what issues could I encounter?  Would the existing wiring work if I don't plan to alter the switches once installed?   Thanks.


texts: How can I repair damaged vinyl flooring over gypsum subfloor?

texts:
While moving a new washer and dryer through our bathroom and into the attach laundry room, the moving guys made several silver-dollar sized chunks of damage to the bathroom floor.  The damage is pretty clean, but I was surprised to find what looks like drywall under it and clinging to the bottom of the flap of vinyl.

How can I repair this?  Is there a particular glue I should be using?


texts:
I am replacing a ceiling fan in one room and when I took the old one down I found 2 black wires tied together(one of which is hot), one white ground wire, one hot white wire, and one red wire, and a copper ground coming from the ceiling. I only have one switch in the room to operate the light. The fan was wired hot and turned on and off by the pull chain.

I know the red switch wire attaches to the blue wire in the new fan.
I know the two white ground wires connect
I know the green wire in the fan connects to the ground.

I cannot figure out what to do with the remaining three wires. As a side note - disconnecting the fan in here has also caused power going to the other sections of the room on this breaker loose power.


texts: Why does single pole light switch have 3 wire cable when source is at the switch?

texts: I'm moving a light switch to a different wall and have found that the cable from the switch to the light has 3 wires but I don't know why. The 2 wire source feeds to an adjacent switch for a different light which then feeds this switch with 2 wires. The switch in question is a single pole. From it, there is 3 wire cable that leads to a light which then connects to other lights controlled by their own switches. There's no three way set up and this isn't a switch loop either. Plus, The two black wires are using the same terminal.  What's going on here?


texts:
I know just the basics of electricity and am trying to replace an older dimmer switch that broke with a new very similar switch.

The old switch is not connected to ground. The new switch has the green ground wire. I also see a couple of additional connections inside the junction box but can't tell what they are for.

I would appreciate help with (see pictures below):
1. Any idea what the other connections are for (black is for the switch, what are the white and copper colored ones for)?
2. Do I need to connect the ground wire to anything? If yes, to what?

Thanks!

Old connections:

New switch:


texts: Vertical cracks on newly poured foundation

texts: The builder just poured concrete for the foundation of my house. One week later I saw a vertical crack on the back side of the slab. The crack is thin but it goes vertical and also horizontal. It is about 2 feet long. I am so worry that the crack will get bigger later on. Please see attached pictures and give advises.


texts: Can sunpanel be mounted to horizontal 2x4?

texts: I read that subpanels should be mounted to a 3/4" backer board or secured directly to a stud.  Can I nail two 2x4s horizontally between two studs and secure the panel to those?


texts: How can I make trapezoid-shaped wood board (beveled edges)?

texts:
The reason why I want this is somewhat difficult to explain.  I basically am looking for moulding-sized planks that have a trapezoid shape like this:

That's the best trapezoid shape I could find, but it's going to be as slim as the moulding/trim you'd find around your door or along your floor and wall.  Is there a tool that can create such beveled edges on a plank of wood as thin as a plank of moulding?

Edit: I wasn't clear on this, but I am looking for lengths up to 7 feet long, 2 1/2 inches wide, and 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.  I want to miter the edges so that, looking at it dead center, it will look like the below.  Look at it as if it's a moulding profile.  I am basically going to be creating my own moulding for a project.


texts: How to mount 18mm MDF Shelves on plasterboard/drywall hollow wall (no studs)?

texts:
I have had some 18mm (0.7") MDF cut to make some shelving in an alcove between my shower room and main hallway. It's 18.5cm (7.2") deep by 196.5cm (77") long

I have been considering the best way to mount these to the plasterboard/drywall - there's a few screw options and i'm inclined to go with this type https://www.diy.com/departments/diall-steel-self-drilling-metal-plug-pack-of-100/1511938_BQ.prd

but I'm not sure what to actually use to mount the shelves.

Watched a lot of videos where people screw wooden batten supports against the wall and simply rest the wooden shelf on that, but not sure that will work with the .5" think MDF

Thoughts?

p.s. found this pretty good guide - but I'm limited with my abilities and tools. https://www.practicaldiy.com/carpentry/shelving/shelving_alcove.php#metal


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I recently moved into this place and this is the setup of the washing machine and its drain hose.

The clothes come out of the wash still pretty wet, particularly on the bottom. My girl thinks the washing machine is broken and needs to be replaced. I think, even with a new washer, this kind of setup, where the drain hose goes above our head into the drain pipe, means the water is running back into the washer and a new machine won't help.
My main questions regarding this are as such:

Can a washer drain hose go up just over 6 feet vertical?
The hose seems too long. Would shortening it help or solve the problem?
If this setup just won't work, what kind of additions/modifications do we need.

Please note this is a rental unit, so we cannot make any major changes to the piping or building. This is in the basement also.