texts: Help with creating a DIY low voltage garden pathway light?

texts:
I would like to create DIY garden pathway lights from complete scratch.

I have some very nice outdoor metal lanterns that I'd like to retrofit and use for my design. I really don't like most of the options available for a variety of reasons. One being that you have to spend so much just for something that will last for years. But secondly, even the very high end good quality light fixtures are not what I am looking for. Plus, for my specific needs I'd like these low voltage LED DIY lights to each have about the equivalent of a 40w incandescent bulb. Even the most high end bulbs seem to only have a 20w equivalent.

I know I will need a transformer to plug in, the correct wiring that will go under ground. But I will need to light sockets and the connections to make these lamps. I know this is a lot to ask but can someone direct me on how to learn how to do this? I don't expect someone to type out every detail as to how to do this DIY project. Has anyone ever attempted to do  something like this with long term success?


texts: How should I remove the paint to expose brickwork?

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My house is Georgian brick (about 1780). A garage was added and the part of the wall attached to the garage was painted white. I want to remove the paint and expose the brickwork. The garage is going to be converted into a conservatory.

The garage is totally empty so I was going to sandblast the wall, but is this the best option?

Speaking to a friend there seems to be variations on sandblasting, such as soda-blasting. What is the most effective method for totally removing paint and that will cause least damage to the brickwork?

The wall is about 4 metres by 3 metres.


texts: Should I run an extension cord or a new outlet for a fridge in my garage?

texts: I have a refrigerator stored in my garage. It can only be on one wall. The receptacle is on an adjacent wall. Maybe 15 feet away. The fridge tag lists 4.5 amps 115V source and single phase. Garage/Den breaker switch is a 15 amp. The dedicated kitchen refrigerator/GFI breaker switch is 20 amp. My first thought is to use a 10 or 12 gauge extension cord. Would this be OK? My second thought is to run surface mounted EMT conduit and a metal receptacle box to the wall by the fridge. Any thoughts on these two options?


texts:
I'm trying to mount a TV in our Edwardian (1906) building. The living room walls are (starting from the floor) 8" of solid wood molding, 7' of board-and-batten, 1' of plaster-and-lathe, and a box ceiling. From looking behind outlets on other walls the boards appear to be 1" thick pieces of some kind of soft wood (I can dent it with my nail). Given the era and the geography I'm thinking redwood.

I'm not having any luck finding studs or coming up with an alternative:

The plaster and lathe above the boards gives unreliable readings
The boards have 3" battens every 10-12 inches (yep, not evenly spaced) making it impossible to run a stud finder for any distance
The floor moldings are solid wood
The crown moldings are huge and flush to the plaster
The wall is an exterior wall and we're on the third floor
I have no access into the wall without cutting a hole
I need two studs 16" apart and I'm not convinced the studs are 16" apart (it's a short wall and I suspect at least one is placed irregularly)
The battens effectively make the wall uneven
I'm reasonably certain that mounting to the panels is a bad idea

So: does anyone have any good ideas for how to safely attach a 100lb mount to this wall?

I can attach pictures if you tell me what pictures would help.

Update (and decision): I ended up combining a few techniques here.

It turns out that there is a spot above the crown molding where the plaster and lathe can't be seen unless you are standing on a ladder. The painters didn't even bother painting the last 1/4" and there even are small gaps between the plaster and the molding.

I used a stud finder to get a rough idea of where the studs might be. It was kind of right but not really. I took a small bit and drilled some holes to find the studs. I drilled enough holes that I could get tell where the edge of the stud was within a half inch. I then put a hangar in the hole to tap on the stud to make sure it was where I thought it was. I marked that spot. Then, based on this answer, I marked a spot 3/4" into the stud.

If I was better with the hangar I could probably have drilled fewer holes, but the lathe is pretty thick and I was having trouble inserting the bend to spin it.

I'll update this thread if the TV falls off the wall or anything exciting happens when I'm putting in the bolts.


texts: Do I need to replace the water heater vent pipes if they have salt corrosion?

texts:
I was in my attic improving the insulation and I found that my exhaust pipe for the water heater has salt/corrosion all around the seams.

Based on what I found, this is either caused by inadequate intake ventilation or the roof vent was done improperly.  I'm wondering do I also need to replace the vent pipes, too?


texts: My thermostat will not start my air conditioner

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I remember the same thing last summer where occasionally it would take a number of hours for the ac to kick on after I switched to cool and the temperature was above the threshold.  The funny thing is that I have no problem in the past winter with heat.  The heater came on as expected right away.
Switch to this summer, my thermostat is above the threshold, my batteries fresh and my switch on cool and auto.  Neither auto nor fan will trigger any action from my air conditioner.  Even after waiting hours and days, no activity.  I tried to go to my fuse box and reset the power which is clearly labeled to my ac until, but nothing improved.
How can I get my ac running again?  I really don't want to mess with replacing the thermostat (which is a modern programmable one) and the wiring that goes with that.


texts: How does one identify the left-right adjustment screw on the lead door of a set of bifold doors?

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(Sorry for lengthy exposition of background: I don't really have a sense of which details are relevant and which can be safely omitted.)
I have a set of exterior bifold doors, on which I only ever use the lead door, effectively as a swing door; the remaining doors remain closed and with their locking mechanism engaged all the time.
Recently, when I attempt to close the lead door, the multipoint latch mechanism will not engage; when the door is in the closed position, I encounter insurmountable mechanical resistance on  attempting to raise the handle to engage the mechanism (when the door is in the open position, the handle raises and lowers and the bolts extend and retract without difficulty).
A Google search turned up very-similarly-worded adjustment instructions from various door manufacturers (e.g. here), from which I learned that my next move should be to try adjusting a hex-key-operated screw on the lead door's lower hinge in order to move the lead door from left to right.  The first hex-key-operated screw I found was tiny (about 2mm diameter and 3mm long), and aligned in the hinge's radial direction, about halfway along the length of the hinge.  I proceeded to try adjusting this screw alternately anticlockwise and clockwise, through gradually increasing numbers of turns (i.e. 2.5 turns anticlockwise, then 5 turns clockwise, then 7.5 turns anticlockwise...).  None of these operations improved the operation of the latch mechanism, and indeed it may have got slightly worse (in the sense that the insurmountable resistance arises earlier in the process of trying to raise the handle).
On my last set of anticlockwise turns, the screw reached the end of its travel and fell out of the hinge.  After several attempts, I've been able to put it back in, and I'm reasonably sure I don't have it cross-threaded (screw head looks parallel to local hinge surface on visual inspection, and I used the turn-backwards-a-little-while-under-axial-load-first trick); however, I now find that, long before the screw gets back to its original position, turning clockwise requires so much torque that I'm in serious danger of rounding the hexagonal socket on the screw head (indeed, I may have already filleted the corners of the hexagon somewhat).
After this, I noticed that there are actually some other hex-key-operated screws on the hinge: one of similar size to the one I've been adjusting, and also aligned in the hinge's radial direction, but near the top of the hinge; and one larger one aligned in the hinge's axial direction.
Hence, my main question is: how do I tell which screw I should have been turning to achieve the left-right adjustment of the door, please?  My secondary question is: what can (or should) I do about the screw that I now can't return to its original position?
Thanks very much.
As per @FreeMan's suggestion, here are some photos to illustrate this:
The full set of bifold doors:

The lead door:

The hinge on which I attempted adjustment, viewed from the side:

The hinge on which I attempted adjustment, viewed from above:


texts:
When I moved into my home, there was an ancient under-cabinet fluorescent light fixture over the kitchen sink, which I promptly removed. The fixture was just mounted to the cabinet, no electrical box, as you can see in the photo. (Based on what I've seen elsewhere in the house, I assume there is armored cable on the other side of that hole.)
I'd like to install new LED under-cabinet lights using this circuit. Given proximity to the sink, do I need to install a GFCI outlet here, and plug in to that, or is there safe, code-friendly way to hard-wire the new fixture using only an under-cabinet junction box and raceway conduit?


texts: Replace timer dimmer switch with dimmer switch

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I am replacing a lutron dimmer timer switch with just dimmer switch. The problem is the black wire that goes inside the current switch’s body. The new switch doesn’t have the need for this black wire so I’ll likely cap it but how will i take it out?

It seems integrated into the body of the switch.


texts: What type of block should I use for a small retaining wall?

texts:
I am just starting on a new project to build a small 10 x 10 patio in the front of my house.  The 10 x 10 area is not level with the front left corner sloping down about 8 to 10 inches compared to the back half which is mostly level.

I am assuming I would build a small retaining wall to build up the front by that 8 to 10 inches.  Any recommendations on the type of material or block to use?


texts: Removing metal tabs on Lutron dimmer switch in ganged box

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We have a two device switch box with a light switch (large switch style) and a dimmer switch. The dimmer switch stopped working, and so I plan to install a new Lutron dimmer switch instead. I haven't taken off the front cover plate yet, but I have a general question.
It says in the instructions that in a two-gang setup to remove the metal tabs on the side of the dimmer switch that will be next to the other switch so that it will fit. But I know that some switches are narrower than others. If there is room for me to install the new dimmer switch without removing the metal tabs, should I remove the tabs anyway or keep them on?


texts: can't find a 3uf.5uf,5uf 250vac 5 wire Ceiling Fan Capacitor what can I use instead?

texts: I've searched the internet and closet I've come to the 3uf,5uf,5uf is 4uf,5uf,5uf can I use it?


texts: How can I preserve 2" x 9" wood slabs in the Florida climate?

texts: I am using wood slabs ( 2" X 9") for wedding centerpieces. I have a friend who will cut them 6 months early. He says that unless I wax them that they will all crack badly. What would I use to preserve them? Is this necessary? How would I best store 20 of them? Sorry, I don't know the type of wood (from Missouri) that he will use. I will be bringing them to Florida.


texts:
What does a flanged inlet like the one in the picture mount on/attach too?

I need to mount it on a 1 or 2 gang standard receptacle box. Does it need a certain type of mounting plate?


texts: My stove vent is not pulling enough air but the exhaust on the outside of my house is flowing really good. The metal grease filters have been replaced (in fact with the grease filters removed it still doesnt pull good air). The fans both spin just fine and like I said the exhaust on the outside of the house is blowing plenty of air. Need help please?


texts: My garage door sticks on the way down, apparently when the bottom roller meets a bolt in the track (see photo). A shot of garage door lube on the bolt head helps it close for the first couple of times. After that I need to give it a little tug. I don't see any way to adjust the roller position. Suggestions?


texts: How does this axial-flow propeller pump work?

texts:
I am trying to repair my aquarium pump. It is an axial-flow (rotary) propeller pump. It accidentally drew air when I was refilling the aquarium after moving it.

After that it didn't pump anymore, but made an unhealthy noise.

As I had to work with (MUCH MUCH) bigger rotary pumps some time ago, I know that those pumps have a bearing that is lubricated using the water flowing through the pump (and not by some lube). When big pumps draw air, the heat melts the bearing. Fortunately, this didn't happen with my (small) pump.

I know that because I opened it.

Looking at the drawing, how is it possible that the magnetic cylinder, to which the propeller is attached, can rotate around its own axis (resulting in the propeller turning) and its tilt direction (resulting in a circular movement of the propellers center)

Do you have any idea how this is used to pump the water (I know how a rotary pump works, but am unsure here because of the complete open top. Is a circular movement of the propellers center necessary?) ?

And: What do you expect to be in the surrounding "black box"? I guess there must be some sort of electromagnet.

BUT: Even when the pump is turned off, there is some magnetic force on the cylinder (resistance against pulling it outside of the surounding box).

Any hints on this?

I am trying to understand how the pump is working, to then be able to locate the problem and fix it.


texts: How can I make an automatically closing cabinet door?

texts:
I have some kitchen cabinets with inset doors.  My kids are constantly leaving them open and it drives me nuts!  I'm trying to find a hinge to make them automatically close.  I found some "self-closing" hinges, but they apparently just go the "last 1 inch" after the door is pushed closed.  I then found "concealed spring hinges" that might do the trick.  I'd keep the existing hinges for aesthetics and to avoid the sag some reviews complained about.

Question: Are these type of hinges (concealed spring) strong enough to pull the door closed even from a fully opened position as soon as the kid lets go?


texts: I have just installed a used Modine PAH300 gas furnace in a commercial building. This is a three phase furnace, spark flame start, and has a control box that provides sequencing and spark. I am using a digital thermostat and connected the red and white wire to it. I 'think' the red wire gets 24 volt power from somewhere on the transformer. My main question is, where will the white wire get connected to? To be more clear, what device, switch or control does the white wire go to? I have read that in a pilot lit furnace, the white wire goes directly to the gas valve, but where will it go on this furnace? Thanks to all in advance.


texts:
I am attempting to build a privacy fence that will sit just behind a retaining wall (as in, on the ground behind the wall and not on the wall itself).

While digging today I realized that while the ground behind the retaining wall does have ~10" of soil on top, underneath the thin layer of soil seems to be gravel.

I assume that the retaining wall looks almost exactly like this underneath https://imgur.com/cYi6Jf4.

The good news is I only need to set two posts into this gravel, but I am a bit of a loss on how to create the hole for the post. A few questions for anyone who may have some knowledgeable advice

First and foremost, will setting two posts in concrete behind this wall create any structural risk to the wall?

How should I dig 2 foots deep holes into straight gravel? Will a rented auger even work through it? Will a post hole digger and a digging bar work any better?

Thanks in advance!


texts: How can I preserve paint and brushes between projects?

texts:
I'm painting up a project, where I don't have the space to place all the pieces in the open and paint them all at once. So it's

prime a piece (wait X hours)
lightly sand it
spackle/fill spots
topcoat one (wait)
topcoat two (wait)
install it
repeat

This procedure could easily take a couple of weeks. I'm using primarily short (4"/6") rollers and paint brushes for the project.  I'm using water borne paint and primer, which cleans up with soap and water.

My questions revolve around the concept of how do you manage the paint?

One way is to open paint can, stir it carefully, dip brush into can, and continue. The would get messy and would risk contaminating the paint. I gotta believe moving to a smaller easily sealable container would be MUCH easier.  Problem is, what kind of container works best here?

Every time I've used an old jar with screw on top as a paint storage container, it takes about three or four times before the lid is permanently sealed to the container because of dried paint.

Perhaps an old canning style jar would work?

Perhaps the new style inexpensive Tupperware containers? I'm not exactly sure what these are called. They appear to be vacuum formed containers that look like Tupperware stuff, but its the kind of thing you'd use four times then recycle. Besides Tupperware, I think Rubbermaid and other manufacturers have their own versions of these...

The thought is you'd use these two or three times, toss out as required.

What do you guys do?

Additionally, how do you pour from a large paint can into a smaller container without making a total mess?


texts: Grounding to the box and 3 Prong Receptacles

texts:
Recently bought a flip house. The flippers replaced every two prong receptacle with a three prong and a bootleg ground. In the process of undoing that unsafe practice, I've discovered that almost all the boxes in my house have "Boston back wraps". The NM cable ground is wrapped around the sheathing of the cable and clamped under the box's cable clamps.

Similar to the connection on the right in this picture.

I have a sneaking suspicion that grounding the receptacles to the box (like you would with old BX cable installs) is insufficient in this case. It just doesn't seem like these back wraps can offer a good ground all the way back to the panel.

So what would be your preferred way to address this?

I see two options:

Treat it like a two-wire circuit and GFCI protect everything (potentially with gfci/afci breakers). Potentially a whole home surge protector as well.
Carefully unwrap the Boston back wraps connect the grounds like a modern install, bonding the boxes with a pigtail or self bonding receptacle.

I'm tempted to go with route 1, as it seems to offer a high degree of safety with minimal work. Route 2 seems like a lot a additional trouble for arguably no additional or even less safety benefit. The only part that doesn't thrill me about route 1 is the receptacle labels (no equipment ground) might not look great to home buyers in the future.

Thoughts?


texts: Can I build a deck from reclaimed 2x4's?

texts:
As we've remodeled the house, I've replaced some of the structure with more modern woods (ie: 2nd floor ceiling joists that were 2x4's are now 2x6's)

Because of this, I have an excessive amount of old 2x4 lumber in my garage. It's either have 1 hell of a bonfire in the back yard or try to reuse them.

So I'm curious - I'd like to take this wood and build a deck out of it.

I'd build a frame 16 inches on center; use concrete corner posts I've seen that have a + channel in the top of them for the corners and center supports. Grade the ground, remove the grass, put some 6mil plastic down and put my frame over it on these posts. I'd give all the wood a quick sanding, maybe a coat of stain and a few coats of poly to try to protect it from the weather. More 2x4's as the deck planks and secure with galvanized screws (as I prefer screws to nails).

I know the wood is not pressure treated - is this a problem for outdoors if i protect it with a few coats of poly?

the deck would only be < 12 inches off of the ground. Do I need > 2x4 for the framing? I could probably afford to do the framing in 2x6's.


texts: Can I use horizontal 90 degree elbows to run a p trap along a wall?

texts: Off center vent stack (see picture). Can I use a 90 degree elbow out of the vent stack, run drain pipe along the wall, and then another 90 degree elbow so that the p track will point directly backwards (towards the wall)? The drain pipe and 90 degree elbows will be 100% level. Will this siphon the trap? Please post any problems with this idea.


texts: What's the effect of introducing bends into a primary-secondary heating loop?

texts:
I've been learning about primary-secondary boiler systems for my home, and have landed on a two-boiler system (two apartments), very much like Siegenthaler describes in his illuminating book and here in Radiant and Hydronics.

In order to save space I want to introduce a couple of bends into the primary loop, what's the effect?  The rails are intact but they don't feed directly into the separator as before.  Go/no-go?

In actuality these two boilers are installed along a basement wall with two manifolds extending several feet to the right of the hydraulic separator.  Why not use some of the Z-space?


texts: so i recently been gift with a pdu from APC is an AP7864 this thing says that works with 120v/208v.3~ now the connector is a L21-220 wich has 5wire 4 poles, this thing is rated for 3 phase and a neutral and ground, i only have and standart 2 phase 1 neutral installation at home, my question is this possible to turn on this thing somehow?


texts: Are fence posts sturdy enough to support an addition of a wooden cover?

texts:
Trying to figure out how bad of an idea is adding a ~3-4’x6-7’ pergola type ”roof” supported by pressure treated fence posts.

How to understand if it will hold or not? It's in the US PNW, so no severe weather, but strong winds are not uncommon a couple of times a year and, obviously, rain.


texts: Why are the LED lights in my ceiling fan suddenly dim?

texts: Installed ceiling fan with LED lights. Circuit has three way switches no dimmers. Lights worked fine for a 1-1/2 months, but then turned on one morning and lights are dim. Fan has a remote to turn on and off.


texts: How to feed wire to a 400 Amp meter base?

texts:
I'm in WA. PoCo is Mason PUD #1. AHJ is WA L&I. I'm wiring up a https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milbank-400-Amp-4-Terminal-Ring-Type-Link-Bypass-Overhead-Meter-Socket-R3548-X/202504185. I'm feeding 2 @ 600 MCM AL XHHW-2 and 1 @ 250 MCM AL XHHW-2 from overhead. I wish I could find pix of it wired, but all I find are unwired pix. I've included one of those pix.
Clearly the two hot lines come from the top and feed to the (outer) line lugs (after flipping them from the bottom to the top per instructions). My question is this. What is the best way to feed in the neutral line? Option1) Straight down the middle, then to the right side neutral lug. Option 2) Bend to the left, go the left of the line lug then a gentle curve to the right side neutral lug. Option 3) Bend to the right, go down, then make a sharp turn (more like an upside down question mark) to the right side neutral lug?
Also, do I need to feed any ground to the meter base? I have two 2" metal nipples at the bottom that will feed load to two 200A panels on the other side of the wall. Is that metal to metal to metal sufficient?

Here's a pic of where I am so far...


texts:
Our house was built a little over 20 years ago.  The person who paved the asphalt driveway didn't grade it right, so in addition to the slight downward slope towards the road, it has alternating slopes between the left and right sides.  The driveway immediately abuts grass at the same level -- no curbs.  When it rains hard, water sheets across the driveway, then courses along one side, killing the grass and creating lots of mud and soggy ground.  It then crosses over to the other side of the driveway and does the same thing further down, before it ends up at an extremely soggy patch at the end of the driveway.

We'd love to add curbs or something to the driveway, but we don't want to have to build the grass up on the sides.  We were wondering if there would be some way to create gutters for the driveway -- perhaps poured concrete or clay channels that would sit below driveway level on either side and carry the water down to the end of the driveway.  Is there a common way to do this?  Are there pre-made channels that we could put in?  I'd appreciate any input here.

We live in New England, so whatever is put in has to be able to deal with freezing and thawing, as well as moderate amounts of snow, ice, rain, and baking sunshine at different parts of the year.  Plowing isn't an issue as we always shovel/snowblow the driveway.


texts: Both reusable and disposable furnace filter?

texts:
I recently discovered that my furnaces (Rheems) have reusable "permanent" filters, but they also have a disposable filter tray. Are they intended to both be used simultaneously, or are homeowners expected to choose only one?

The disposable filters are in a slide-out tray that's easy to access and are first to take in air. The washable filter (see photo) comes next after the disposable and requires unscrewing and taking the cover off the furnace. It's not an electronic air cleaner unit, just part of the furnace. I didn't actually discover/notice that there was a reusable filter until a year or two after having bought our house. Incidentally, there was a crazy amount of lint caked onto the reusable filter.

So, does using both filters cause unnecessary strain on the motors, or is this an intended design?


texts: Was changing the two dead light bulbs and a piece fell off than noticed the wire became exposed. Is this something I can fix as a diy and how dangerous to use the light.


texts: How can I add two bathroom receptacles behind and above a vanity?

texts:
Background

I'm in the middle of a bathroom remodel, and had to take off some drywall to get the tub in, then thought I may as well take all the drywall on that side off to give me an easier taping job. Also I wanted to replace another section of the polybutylene pipe while I had the chance.

The Goal

Then I thought now would be a good opportunity to add a few extra receptacles around our (new) vanity. We bought a 36" vanity, and would like to put one receptacle above the left side of the vanity, and another lower down for charging devices in the vanity (there's no back to the vanity).

The Details

I'd like to tap off the receptacle shown in the upper right. This receptacle is on the same circuit as three others in each of the three other bathrooms in the house, all four protected by one GFCI receptacle in the adjacent bathroom. I'd like to avoid cutting out the drywall around the receptacle itself, and instead cut out a section towards the bottom and tap off there so I don't have to be as concerned about doing a fantastic taping job since it will be hidden by the vanity (the strong glancing light from the vanity light would make the receptacle tape job very difficult I think).

If I tee off the wire towards the bottom of the floor, I believe I'd have to put a box in with a blank plate to make the connection accessible. Since the vanity would be covering it, would this not be acceptable? In that case I could put a plate on the other side of the wall in our bedroom.

Is there anything wrong with my plan?


texts: Is it against code to secure junction box using Liquid Nails?

texts: I need to extend a 14/2 WG wire a few feet. To do this I want to add the extra wire using a junction box. The problem is that I can't get a good angle to nail the junction box down so I was wondering if using Liquid Nails would be against code?


texts: Can I vent my dryer into the crawl space without creating mold and moisture problems?

texts: We have a crawl space with a combination of sandy and clay soil in it.  The crawl space is about 3' deep.  To eliminate a long dryer vent run, I'd like to vent the dryer directly into the crawl space.  We have vents built into the foundation that I open each spring and close in the fall.  Will this help dissipate the moisture enough to prevent mold?


texts: How can I prevent objects from falling into the gap behind my freestanding range?

texts:
We just had a new freestanding electric range installed at our house this morning. My wife called me after it was installed and told me that the new power cord plug is thicker than our old one, causing a gap of 2 to 3 inches between the range and the wall. This post on another forum has photos of a similar situation.

We keep several small items on the counter right by the range. We are worried they may get knocked into the gap. Is anyone aware of a way to prevent objects from falling into this gap?


texts: How to fill a gap behind plastic baseboard

texts: I’ve added a waterproof plastic baseboard. Cut the angle at the door join at 45 deg which shows a predominant gap. I could just caulk it, but it would look terrible. What would be a good filler that wont crack and can be sanded and painted?


texts: Can fig trees endanger neighbouring buildings?

texts:
Can a fig tree be damaging the foundations of a neighboring building?

We have several fig trees growing very close to a number of small buildings.

Recently it came to light that one of those trees' roots has entered a massive underground cistern that we use to store rainwater: there are dozens of tiny roots growing inside the tank along a seam (not a crack) in the concrete, apparently that was the weakness they used to get through.

We've been advised to fell the fig tree to prevent further damage to the tank,  and possibly even all the others to prevent damage to buildings. We're not keen on doing that at all - we treasure the trees, which are all more than thirty years old.

We can risk the water tank's wellbeing, it is used only for garden irrigation.

What we can't afford, however, is structural damage to the buildings. There's a number of mysterious cracks in walls that could just be the earth moving (we're on the foot of a mountain) but we're of course worried now that it's the trees' roots causing the damage.

If this could be the case - is there anything that can be done about it, short of felling the tree?

It is probably worth noting we live in an arid desert area with little natural irrigation.


texts: Feeders wires to sub panel in garage with generator wires to main breaker box in the house in same conduit

texts:
I want to run feeder wires from the main breaker in the house to the sub panel in my garage, also at the same time I want to run another pair of wires from my generator located in the garage to back feed the main breaker box when the power goes off. I already have an interlock kit installed and just want to see what the codes are the in and outs of doing it this way.
I already know that you can have a branch circuit in the same conduit as the feeders, but can I put the genny's wires in the same conduit as the sub panel feeder's or do I need to run seperate conduit for the genny or not.
Also I am aware of derating and conduit fill but want to know if derating can be offset by going to the next larger wire size.
The genny will require 60 amp breaker and #6 wire


texts:
A nine-floor brick building. Since around Feb. 2020 the entire stack get very hot water in the toilets (when flushing). Additionally - when someone takes a shower, he/she gets extremely hot water for 5-6 minutes and only then the water cools down and it is possible to take a shower normally.
Note that once the water in the shower cools down (during the shower), flushing the toilets yields cold water as normally. Once the shower is over, if you flush the toilets then again - very hot water comes into it.
Could it be that someone at the stack installed some device? Like a water heater or a small laundry machine? Not all unit owners cooperate to allow a plumber to check that. What do you think could it be? Any ideas to know if someone installed a certain device that causing that?


texts:
Can I replace a 4 wire ballast with a 5 wire one?

The new ballast has an extra blue wire.


texts: I just recently had to do some work on my main sprinkler shut off. All went well but when I turned my house water back on (had it off from the street and in the house) our pressure is low. It's a bit down everywhere but it's very noticeable on our fridge dispenser. I tried disconnecting the line and letting it drain in case there was air in the line. Any ideas?


texts: Can I run cable through a junction box in a cabinet and then to the dishwasher?

texts:
My electrical wire to my dishwasher comes up through a hole in the subfloor wired right to the dishwasher.  I wanted to replace it (too much to go into here, just know the subfloor got wet, and I really don't like the wire there sitting in water when something goes wrong.).  Can I rerun 14/2 NM Romex from the panel to the sink cabinet next to the dishwasher and then run wire from that new junction box to the dishwasher?  I don't think it should simply come through the floor like that.  Maybe it could 40+ years ago (maybe today too), but I want it moved.
I hate pulling the dishwasher out super far to check things.  I thought the electrical would be easier to troubleshoot in the future, if I took this opportunity to rewire it.  I would still have to pull the dishwasher out a little bit to look at the small junction box built into the dishwasher where you hardwire it.  I'm only talking about the main line from the main panel box.
There is no garbage disposal if it matters.
It is 15A, but of course I will double-check.


texts: Ecobee install with AC system disconnected

texts:
My house which was purchased from a bank (foreclosure) was originally wired with both central air and heater (forced air). But when the previous owner left, he took the air conditioning unit. The heating unit (a furnace forced air in the attic) stayed. No modification was made to the wiring as far as I know.  Currently the existing thermostat has difficulty with some settings especially cool/fan (ends up blowing hot air) and heating up the house.

I am ready to switch the existing thermostat to Ecobee 3 lite and wonder if there is anything I should change in the thermostat wiring now that the AC unit is no longer connected.


texts: How can I finish the concrete block wall along my basement steps with drywall?

texts:
I'm finishing my 50 year old basement and need advice on finishing the wall by the stairs.   There's only 2 inches to the inside edge of the stringer so no room for 2x4s. Would strapping backed with a gasket and the stair stringer as the baseplate work? I could replace the moulding along the top for something thicker and use that as a top plate.
I'm open to alternatives!


texts: Zone Controller T-Stat Wiring w/ 24V transformer, isolation relays for 2 zones

texts:
I have a new Navien SmartZone+ 6-Zone Control for my boiler-based heating system.   It is great, except it provides no power on C.

I realize the internet has researched the heck out of adding a C wire.  There are lots of solutions for different situations.

My case is a little different:  I have a 24V transformer and two isolation relays.  They were used previously to provide 2 Nests with C wires, so this worked before... but my plumber disassembled the old zone controller and I'm left a bit baffled by how this worked...

Wiring an isolation relay with a 24-V transformer is well explained by ecobee:

But I'm not sure based on this whether the following will work:

Split the L side of the 24V transformer and connect it to C for both thermostats and one side of each of the isolation relays
Split the N side of the 24V transformer and connect it to R for both thermostats
Wire the W from each thermostat back to their respective isolation relays

Do I have this right?  Thanks


texts: installing a keyed-entry door handle without switching latches?

texts:
I have an internal door that currently has regular passage door handles without a lock and key, which I'd like to replace with keyed-entry door handles. Is it possible to replace just the handles and spindle without replacing the latch as well?
I’m aware that keyed-entry door handles are frequently used with a latch with a guardbolt, but is there an alternative which allows for use with a spring latch typical of passage door handles, like this one:
Image courtesy of Amazon.com
Is the guardbolt even needed for the functioning of the lock, or is it just added protection against bypassing the lock by moving the latch some other way?
This question previously referred to an issue regarding removal of a latch. That was resolved in the comments, so the question has been rephrased to exclude that.


texts:
I'll start with, I'm not an electrician. I have wired several different outlets and switches successfully though. Every one of these boxes seemingly have different wiring and this one has me perplexed.

I am replacing two switches in the same box. There are three black wires and three white. Previously, all three whites were 'capped' with tape. The hot wire and another black wire were connected to the left switch. They then had a - I'll say an 'independent' wire - attached to the hot which was then attached to the switch on the right. The switch on the left operates my porch light and right operates a light post in my yard.

I'm asking how I can get the right switch to operate without doing what they did with the extra wire.


texts: un-installing a microwave that does not have any visible top cabinet attachment

texts:
I want to uninstall a Hotpoint model RVM1335 over-the-range microwave.  I thought I'd take it easy; so, I purchased installation and cart-away.  When the Home Depot delivered the replacement, they didn't know how to uninstall the old microwave; so now, the new one sits on my living room floor.

I found the installation instructions online for the existing oven. There is a paragraph on uninstalling it; but, they assume that the microwave was attached to both the back wall and the upper cabinet [like most.]

There are no [visible] screws or bolts either to the upper cabinet or to the cabinets on each side; only a hole for the power cord.  I "inherited" this in a home purchase; so, there's no one to ask.

Has anybody seen this before?


texts: Get rid of squirrels without poison or bb gun?

texts:
The squirrels around my house keep getting in stuff, chewing stuff up, and in general are just causing a mess.

What's the best way to get rid of them? Looking for solutions online it seems I can get either poison or some automated sprinklers.  There has to be more options out there. Any suggestions?


texts: 3 wire cooktop, 4 wire stove, 4 wire supply - what to do about neutral and ground?

texts:
The supply has black, red, white and ground. So does the stove. The cooktop only has black, red and ground. What do I do with the white wire from the stove? Connect it to the white on the supply, or combine it with the ground?

Thanks,

Frank


texts: Can I reduce the current/power consumption of an electrical heater by adding a resistor?

texts:
I have a 2000W, 240V electrical heating element that I need to move. Connecting it to where it needs to be makes it draw, together with 2 other elements, more current than the fuse will allow (16A). Is there a way for me to add a resistor somewhere such that the heating element will draw less current?

Edit: The two other elements have a wattage of 1200W and 800W. The three elements are used to heat a large room. I don't mean to put two of these elements in series, just to reduce the heat produced by the 2000W element by making it consume less, if possible.

Ideally, I'd like to cut the power of the 2000W element about by half. Yes, I could disconnect the small 800W element, but I like it, it's the nicer one and it's close to the couch :)


texts: Best method for sealing underneath basement window sill?

texts:
There is a large gap underneath the bottom sill of the window, that is currently caulked when the house was built.

I would like to strengthen the waterproofing here. I'm thinking backer rod with Vulkem 116 caulking.

Would this be the best way?

Here is a picture of the window, it's the channel underneath the sill.


texts: Why is one mounting screw left behind each electrical panel's cover?

texts: I have three electrical panels in the house and with each one, one of the face screws is under the cover as seen in the picture. So it's clearly intentional. What's the purpose of it?


texts: Is it okay for one curtain hanging bracket to be screwed into drywall with no anchors?

texts:
I'm trying to hang curtains from near the ceiling. I have 5 brackets. 4 of them have successfully been screwed into wood, at least with the top screw (the bottom screw was as a wall anchor into drywall, because the wood runs near the top of the wall). However, in one location (2nd from the left-most), there is metal instead of wood covering the part I want to screw into. It is very likely the metal is from our air shaft for air conditioning so I probably shouldn't mess with it. In the end I opted just to use two very short screws which only reach into the drywall. Of course an anchor is also impossible because the metal is just beyond the drywall. So on the 2nd-left bracket the only thing supporting it are screws into drywall. I was hoping maybe the 1st and 3rd brackets will cover for it. But I'm not so sure about this, because the curtains will be really heavy (14 feet across, with heavy end finials and 4 curtains total). The distance between 1st and 3rd brackets is about 7 feet and spans two curtains total.

Will it help to drip superglue onto the 2nd bracket?

How about a hackneyed improvised apparatus where I find a super long metal strip that extends to either side wood studs, and screw that in, in such a way that it presses the top of the bracket into the wall?

Is there such thing as a "shallow wall anchor" that is only 3/8-inch long and doesn't have to poke beyond the dry-wall? Because immediately beyond the dry-wall is metal.

Do I even need this 2nd bracket? (There's 7 feet and two curtains between brackets 1 and 3)


texts: How can I stop my Geberit flushing system from hissing?

texts:
Our toilet will often go into a mood and start hissing. This will go on until I manually operate the filling mechanism to fill the tank higher.

I suspect that it is somehow not filling enough and then slowly leaking until a point where it just triggers the filling mechanism to create the hiss. However, there is no leak into the bowl, and I do not know why the top of the post (as seen in the video) is spurting water.

Video: Hiss is about 4-seconds in.

Any ideas?


texts: Close up drafty gap between wood beam and concrete wall?

texts:
Lots of cold air coming through a variable narrow - about 1-2 cm (0.5 in) - gap between a wooden beam and the concrete wall in the basement (image 1 below).

What can I fill it with? Worried about moisture collecting and eventually ruining the beam.
Noticed that on another beam a similar spot was treated with something (picture 2); there is even a solidified translucent amber-like drop clearly visible on the picture. What can this material be?
Right next to it there's aluminum ducting going into the same wall treated with expanding foam; there is a layer of wood on top of the wall so concrete itself is not visible (picture 3). Can I just fill the gap with similar stuff?


texts: How to install door security guard on metal door jamb?

texts:
I bought a door security guard that looks like this

The instruction coming with it says I need to drill a 1/8‘’hole first on the door jamb and put the screws in it, but I am not sure it would work for my metal jamb. All the videos I found online are about installing it on wood jamb (for example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWLZVH83FlU)

I am a complete newbie on home projects. I have a driller that should be able to drill holes into metal jamb. Can anyone give me an advice how I should approach this project?


texts: Why is water running into my water heater when cold water inlet is turned off?

texts:
I'm installing a new water heater. The cold water inlet is turned off and no water is running in the house.

After attaching the hot water outlet to the water heater I can hear water flowing/dribbling into the water heater.

Does this mean I have a bad valve that is allowing cold water to back-flow to my water heater? I can't hear water flowing at any of my sinks, tubs, etc.
How could I find the bad valve.

Additional information: This has been running for over an hour and even with water heater off a small stream of cold water runs from all my faucets when I turn on the hot water side of the faucet.


texts: Is it possible to install a low voltage motion sensor on 110v lighting?

texts: I am having a problem with my shop lights being kept on due to multiple people using the area. I want to install a low voltage motion sensor from an old security system but am unsure how. If it is not possible I will "bite the bullet" and buy one but am trying to do it without expenses. Thanks for your input.


texts: What could be causing a leaky p trap under my bathroom sink?

texts:
Recently, the bottom of our bathroom sink has started to leak just slightly. Little drips come out of the nuts. The leaking part seems to be more toward the end where the pipe meets the wall and the end of the curve where the p trap ends.

What are some common issues with a leaking p trap under the sink?


texts: How to remove and re-insert wires into socket?

texts:
I'm replacing ballast on a lamp and need to connect wires to 4-pin socket.

I tried to pull the wires gently and it did not work. What is the safe way (in terms not breaking) to do so?


texts: Is there a simple way that does not involve adding more end to end wires to make this a two way switching?

texts:
Below it is the wireing diagram that shows you how my garage lights are powered.
I intend to add the power outlet and the switch that are to the right of that brown dotted line, they are not there yet, just the lights are there The garage door lights are already there. The receptacle will have a ground wire, I missed to add that.

The initial idea was to be able to use the receptacle without having the lights on in the middle of the day.

After thinking more about it, I would like to be able to switch the entire circuit on either from the garage or from inside. Is this possible without adding more wiring? (I am ok to add any wires to the right of the dotted line) If yes, how?

Edit: the alternative that I have right now is to use home automation and switch the circuit on using my cell :-) That implies adding a 20-40CAD circuit in that box where the indoor switch is


texts: How do I fix/fill this void left by previously tiling around a bathroom vanity

texts:
Previous home owners tiled around a vanity, then the vanity needed to come out. Now this void approximately one inch deep is left, and we want to fill it and retile so we can use a wider variety of vanities. How do we level the floor under the tile, then what do we use immediately under the tile?

Bonus question: what is the best way to hide this new install? I was thinking a single row of rectangular tile, and then some of the same hex tile (I think we have some of the original, uninstalled, but unknown how much).


texts: Are these integrated diagonal wall braces structurally important?

texts:
I was helping a friend expand the width of a closet door, and when we pulled the drywall off the interior wall frame, we noticed some 45-degree wall braces in the interior wall.

I am pretty sure they are just for convenience during construction (e.g. a bother to remove once the frames are fully built or just there for drywall to be nailed into).

However, I am not an expert, so I wasn't sure if these were structural (maybe some type of shear wall support?) or not. In case it matters, the house was built in 1951 and is in western Georgia. All the wooden beams, including the angled ones, are held in place with 4inch nails.

Are these angle braces safe to remove and leave out? The entire cutaway area (sans drywall) would be a closet door with a frame of two 2x4s above and a vertical 2x4 on either side.


texts: 3 Handle Shower Cold Water Turns On Shower

texts:
I have a 3 Handle Shower/Tub where the left is Hot, middle is shower, and right is cold.  The Hot knob works exactly as expected, the shower knob turns the shower on and off, BUT the cold knob will turn on cold water, and also turns the shower on!

What must I do to repair this issue? -- Seat or Stem issue?  I feel confident it's just the diverter the middle knob but am not 100% certain.

This is an image of what my set-up looks like(note this is a stock google image not my exact set-up)

EDIT
I thought I could remove the knob but I am having issues....

I removed the screw from the knob itself like this image

But I am unable to twist off the knob itself.  If I twist the ring behind it that is against the wall, that will loosen up until it is flush against the knob but then it will not move any further like this image.

EDIT 2
After a few mighty taps with a hammer this way and that way I got the knob off and used my valve stem socket set to get the valve stem out. Now, I have the replacement, but floating around in the packaging was an extra O-Ring washer and a "bolt" that was not attached to the valve stem.Where do I attach these two parts? Here is an image

EDIT 3
Last Question and I'm all set! The "pieces" were caulked into the wall, most of the work was spent removing the caulk so that I could actually remove the valve stem. As you scan see in the image below, I removed the caulking from the diverter but it remains on the hot/cold. Is this a necessary evil? Or will it be okay if I do not re-caulk the diverter?


texts: Can I move my washer and dryer 10 feet to the right?

texts:
My basement is being renovated, and I'd like to have my washer and dryer moved about 10 feet to the right of their current location.  They would still be against the same wall, just further down.  The laundry sink that was originally there was removed as it was not needed (plus that room is now going to be a guest room), but the plumbing for the laundry sink is still there.

Is it possible to use that plumbing from the laundry sink, and extend the water pipes and drainage ten feet over?  Currently there are no walls.


texts: Can’t find handles to replace for Square stem

texts: cannot find brand on knobs (https://i.stack.imgur.com/qD6xM.jpg)


texts: How do you remove a really stuck shower diverter spout?

texts: My bathtub's shower diverter spout leaks when it's in shower mode, so I'd like to replace it. It's the screw-on type. Trouble is, it's stuck tight. I've applied a lot of torque (counter-clockwise) with a pair of channel-locks and it simply won't budge. I'm worried about snapping the copper pipe if I go any harder. The actual joint is deep inside the spout so there's no access to spray penetrating oil or something in there. Am I gonna have to grind it off with an angle grinder or something to access the threads?


texts: How do I turn off this two-pipe steam radiator?

texts:
We live in an NYC apartment with steam heat. The noise of this radiator is driving us crazy because it's in the bedroom. We want to turn it off. The solution seems to be to shut the intake, the same way you would if you wanted to separate this unit from the system to service it. However, this set-up doesn't look quite like any of the instructions on turning off radiators that I've found online.

My question is: How do I close the intake on this radiator?

What I tried

I tried turning the screw on the right hand side clockwise, and it appeared to tighten, but did not shut off the intake. I tried taking a pair of pliers and turning the nut underneath the screw clockwise (very stiff), but I stopped when it seemed to start leaking steam around the top of the nut (and turned it counter clockwise a turn or so to undo).

Photos

Here's the whole radiator. I'm assuming intake is on the right & outflow on the left.

Close-up of the intake: there's a screw on top, then a long narrow bit, and then the nut I tried to tighten.

Close-up of the outflow: there's also a nut over here (on the right), but I figure this is the output, so I'd just be trapping steam/water in the radiator if I managed to shut this.


texts: The example, from another posting, shows radiator corrosion.  My heat pump's radiator is so corroded that it is unable to radiate heat and now the heat pump must be replaced.  What preventative maintenance can be done to protect \ slow the deterioration (oxidation) of the radiator?  Is it appropriate to coat the radiator with 'liquid silicon'?


texts: Garbage disposal replacement: how much to replace?

texts:
I'm replacing an Insinkerator Badger 1 garbage disposal with the same model.  The original leaks.  One leak is internal, and water comes out holes in the bottom cover only when it is actually operating,  But there is also some dripping higher up on the outside of the body.  It's in the vicinity of the outlet pipe connection, but I can't be sure if it's coming from that connection or higher up.  The sink flange seems to be water tight.

The new unit was advertised as "quick change", which I assume means you can just lock it onto the old sink flange and mounting ring.  However, the original unit was in place for about 12 years, so there's a good chance the original plumber's putty is brittle.  I'm not sure if the torque and banging around of removing the old unit and locking on the new one will disturb things and create leaks at the sink.

There is also a dishwasher connection.  There's a corrugated plastic tube that goes into a rubber sleeve that is secured with a compression clamp to a barbed inlet tube on the disposal.  That rubber sleeve is also 12 yrs old.  I have no idea of the extent that those deform over time or become brittle (how reliably they can be reused).

The instructions don't discuss quick replacement, they just show how to install everything from scratch.  It isn't clear whether that's meant to imply that everything should be replaced, or that common sense would tell someone to just skip ahead to the part where you lock on the new unit.  It's also silent about reusing the dishwasher connection, it just show how to connect one.

So my question is for people who have replaced a lot of garbage disposals.

Is the sink flange designed to last "forever" once installed, and normal practice is to just leave it in place and attach to it, or is that unreliable, and best practice is to always just replace it?
Is normal practice to just reattach the old dishwasher connection, or is that unreliable and the sleeve should be replaced?


texts:
I have a newly installed exterior metal paneled door that was still dirty when painted. Also embedded in the paint job are bits of foam rubber from the brush, lint from a paint roller and hair from an exuberant dog. Oil paint was used because this is a southwest facing door that gets a lot of heat and we were told that latex based paint would not perform well in those conditions.

Two questions:

Was oil based paint the proper choice?
What is the best way to go about fixing the foam, lint, dirt, and dog hair in the current paint job?


texts: Is it usual/desirable for main supply pipe to be larger than radiator pipes

texts:
I have been looking at the layout of my central heating. Because my house is old it has solid ground floor and solid internal walls. Boiler is on ground floor but supply and return pipes go into ceiling void and there is a pump. These pipes run left to right through the middle of the house, and then there are radiator loops of the supply and back on the return, radiators for ground floor drop down on inverted loops. The main supply/return pipes are bigger than the pipes connecting to the radiators. At the right end of the house the supply pipes narrows, connects to radiator which then connects to return where the pipe then widens again.

Is it good or a bad that the main supply/return is wider than the radiator pipes?

I read a paragraph in my Collins Complete Diy Manual book that mentions outdated one-pipe systems, not clear if my system is that or a regular open-vented system


texts: Technique or tool to properly expose LED strip wires?

texts:
So I have cuttable, weatherproof led strips with the flexible silicone coating domed over the strip.  I just have cut a correct length piece of a strip. Now both ends has four copper connectors. I want to expose those copper wires in one end.

So I first cut:

...____________________________
        ___    ___   |         | <-- rubber/silicon or other transparent material
...____|LED|__|LED|__|__ wires_|
   ^Adhesive tape    ^ *Cut here*

First possible problem here is cutting too deep and cutting off one of the wires.

Next is trying to get rid off the top material on the wires. Problems here are that:

If the initial cut started a small tear that now when you pull that tiny piece off it can tear some or all wires off
If the cut was too deep then you're just ripping the whole wire part right off
If the transparent material is very well stuck to the strip and whole wire part just comes right off when trying to pull the material on top off the wires

Next is that there's a very thin film on top of the wires or some wire(s).

I've tried to burn it off with soldering iron and sometimes it just smears the material over the wires or damages the strip so that the whole strip won't work or one color won't work anymore. I've also tried scraping it with sharp knife and the problems are the same (damaging wires or just smearing).

Is there tools such as the RJ45 ethernet crimping tool used with ethernet cables but for LED strips, or proper technique to expose those wires properly?

It's costly to try and fail and then cut yet another 10-30 cm off the strip and try again.


texts: I am looking at replacing my doorbell (original to the house, circa 1978) with something more modern looking. Now, the problem I have is that most of the modern doorbells are wireless. Mine is wired...and I can't find any information about terminating the power to the doorbell and ideally burying it in the wall to be forgotten about. Is this possible? Or if it isn't what are feasible, ethical and non-burn my house down options?


texts: When should I seal fir deck boards on my porch?

texts:
I'm replacing my rotted out deck that's old tongue and groove fir planks. I'm treating them with Borate mix today and tomorrow and would like a natural finish in the end. It's a covered deck.
I've seen some competing advice here on when to seal: should I seal before I install the planks? Or seal after when they're all in place?
Appreciate the input!


texts: How do change the wall switch for my ceiling fan from a variable fan/light combination to a single on/off switch?

texts:
I used to have a ceiling fan/light combination that was controlled by a wall switch the controlled both the fan speed and dimmed the light.

I bought a new fan/light that is controlled by a remote control device. Therefore, the wall switch must be converted to an on off switch only.  I am having a tough time determining which wires to use.

In the box behind the wall switch I have the following wires:

One set of wires has a black wire, white wire, and ground.
The second set of wires has a black wire, white wire, red wire and ground.
currently, the two white wires are connected and capped together. In addition, the two ground wires are connected and turned into one ground wire.
up at the ceiling, I have a set of four wires coming out… Red, black, white and green.   The remote transmitter can only except two wires, because it has the hole type connector, not the screw type connector.

Is anyone able to help me determine which wires to use at the wall switch, and which wires to use in the ceiling?  Do I cap off the unused wire at each end, or do I connect it to another wire somehow?

Thanks.


texts: How many heating watts can I draw from a pair of tied 15A breakers?

texts: Currently there are 3 baseboard heaters (750, 1000 and 1500) 3250 watts total running on  2 tied 15 amp breakers.  I want to change all three heaters.  What is the maximum number of combined watts I can install?


texts: Rental equipment selection for digging 52" deck footings?

texts:
I need to put in about 20 concrete footings for several deck-related projects. The footing base should be 12-18" (but see note below). Frost depth in my area requires footings to be 52" below grade (local building official has stated this).

Soil is clay with rocks, mostly 4-5" across (softballs). Based on past septic excavation, this seems to be pretty consistent.

I'm weighing how to best dig holes that deep. Local equipment rental options are:

Towable post-hole digger (up to 16" auger + extensions):

Mini skid-steer (Dingo) with auger attachment (up to 16" auger + extensions):

Mini-backhoe which claims 6' digging depth:

In theory / "on paper" all of these could do the task. But it is hard to assess which will be the most effective at digging holes. By effective I mean:

Will work well in the soil
Dig a reasonably neat hole to requirements
Not take excessive time or labor

The rental cost for all is roughly the same or at least not a enough to be a primary concern.

I have some experience with small 3-point equipment on tractors and feel confident to safely learn & use these machines.

It is an option to do a larger # of smaller footings (meaning, smaller footprint & less load-bearing) if that makes any difference here. Though all things considered I'd think fewer, larger footings would be less overall work.


texts:
The previous owners of our house tiled around the toilet, rather than removing the toilet and placing it on top of the new tile.

I would like to replace the toilet, but I don't want to have to re-tile the entire bathroom.  A couple possible solutions I'm thinking are:

Find a toilet that has the exact same size (or bigger) on the floor.
Put down the new toilet, and find something to put in the gap between the toilet and the tile.
Put something above the tile, but underneath the toilet.

What is generally the best solution here?  For #1, is there an easy way of finding a toilet with the right size?  Are there any common ways of doing #2 or #3, and what material should be used?

Thanks in advance.


texts:
Can someone help me out and let me know what these are called?

I'm looking on a DIY site to order one but can't work out what these are called to be able to find them.

As you can see in the picture, it's loosened over the years and now doesn't pull the door tight (it also looks broken to me as the bottom part is 'inside' the top - can someone confirm?), so I need to get a replacement.


texts:
I am looking for some feedback on a floor tile mural that I recently had installed.

My contractor used some fairly thick grout lines, and I am questioning whether or not this was the proper thing to do for this sort of tile.

After questioning him, he claimed that this is industry standard. And that using a linen color sanded grout would be just fine, and refused to pop the tile back up and re-align it. I tried to search around the ANSI for tile standards and couldn't find anything that talked about this sort of tile.

I did some research and understand the need for at least a 1/32 grout line, but it seems impossible to make this tile look good with the large gaps that he used.

See the photos for more context.

EDIT:

1/8" inch were used, tile is 32"x32"

The question here is, is this a standard practice for a tile of this format? Since this tile is portraying an image, is there a specific standard for that sort of thing?

Thoughts?


texts: How to repair hole that the chair leg screws into

texts:
My upholstered chair has one leg that will not screw into the chair base because the hole is too big and it looks as though the screw that was in the chair base is gone, making it impossible to screw the foot back into chair.
The other onion-shaped feet have a female screw inserted into the chair base so that the onion feet, with a screw sticking out of it, can screw directly into the base of the chair.
Every time I move the chair the foot falls out.
Is there a way for me to fix this?


texts: Connecting portable generator with L6-20P to house with L14-30R

texts:
I have been spinning my wheels reading on this trying to figure out what to do.

I have a 5000W Portal generator that is NG bonded
The generator has a 250V output with a L6-20R connector.

I have a Square D generator interlock installed by an licensed electrician
The power inlet on my house is an L14-30R.

I bought a generator cable but both ends are L14-30 (4 prong).
I bought a L6-20P connector and plan on installing this on Plug side of the generator cable (i'd cut off the 4 prong).

The question is how I wire the new L6-20P on the cable:
The L14-30R has X,Y,Neutral and a Ground.
The L6-20P has X,Y and G.

When I put the L6-20P on the end of the generator cable, should I hook G of L6-20P up to G of L14-30R? This would give me two NG points in the system since the generator is NG bound.

The other option is to not connect the G to anything and just hook up X/Y?

Thanks for any help,

- Mike


texts: How to properly link 2 phone cables with different diameter?

texts:
I'm thinking about how to link 2 cables .

I have the phone line from my provider that comes in with a cable made of 2 internal strands, each of this strands is 0.75mm on average along all the length of the wire ( just the copper section, of course each strand has white or red insulation ) . The cable has open heads .

I would like to rewire my phone and data lines inside my house and use ethernet / rj45 / FTP cabling for everything .

The main problem is that the phone cable from the provider is basically 21-20 AWG, the internal strands of an FTP cable are way smaller in diameter, basically half of that: how I can link the 2 ?

The first thought was about LSA cabling, but 0.7-0.8mm are too much for most LSA systems, I haven't tried yet in practice, but basically all the most reputable brands produce networking plugs and junction box around the 26-22 AWG mark .

A patch panel is the same thing since all the patch panels I know of are based on LSA style type of internal wiring .

On this line I have both data and voice and I would like to use something made of copper, with a really good insulation / shielding , possibly with IP67/IP68 protection .

tl;dr

the provider's cable is 2x thicker than a single strand of your typical FTP cable and I want to do a good job with it

PS

I don't want to fiddle with the provider's cable, I just want to plug it in somewhere and forget about it, so I can't just crimp an rj11 plug on it .


texts: Is it acceptable to drill a hole in the cabinet 'floor' underneath the sink to put a dishwasher hose through?

texts: We are installing a dishwasher into an old house that has never had one, and want to know if it would be acceptable to drill a hole in the cabinet floor underneath the sink to run the hose through?  We originally drilled the hole in the side wall of the cabinet, with the hose coming up the back of the DW, but the hose is blocking our ability to push DW all the way back.  We thought if we ran the hose underneath the DW and up through the under-sink cabinet floor we could alleviate this problem. Are there any potential water/mold-related pitfalls in placing the hole in the 'floor' as opposed to the sidewall?


texts: How to add insulation to ducts in hot uninsulated attic?

texts:
I have central air with ducts running through the hot, uninsulated attic (there is blown-in insulation between the joists to insulate the rooms below). Fortunately it's only about 25 feet of ductwork, but it's a super key length!
The ducts are the standard insulated ducts--about R-8--which seems far too little insulation for the temperature differential between the cold air inside and the hot air outside. So I want to add more insulation to the ducts.
They run across the top of the ceiling joists (perpendicular) which makes it slightly more tricky.
What I'm struggling with is how to balance the importance of an air-tight seal vs. a thick, circular seal--let me explain with two contrasting approaches.
Approach 1
Buy fiberglass insulation batts and wrap them like a spiral around the ducts. There will be a lot of gaps.
Approach 2
Use rigid foamboard to create a box around the ducts, and tape the corners airtight. This will be more airtight but will leave an air-gap between the duct and the insulation.
I suppose another approach would be to buy some pre-insulated ductwork that is large enough to completely envelop the smaller ducts, so I'd get a perfect air seal plus a circular insulation, but this would lead to a lot of potential confusion for future contractors, and would probably be needlessly expensive.


texts: How can I remove a potent smell from leather?

texts:
We just bought two used leather chairs.  They are in great condition, but they have a very distinct (rather unpleasant) smell to them.... Is there any safe way to remove this smell without damaging the leather?

It smells like smoke from cigarettes.


texts: Is there any reason testing the neutral line on a dimmer light socket wouldn't work?

texts:
I am repairing a vintage lamp and replacing the socket with a dimmer socket.

When I do a continuity test on the old socket, both the hot and neutral lines work. That is, they make a high-pitch noise telling me the circuit is closed.

Now, when I try this same test with the new dimmer socket, the continuity test only works on the hot line. I don't get any indication of a closed socket when testing the neutral line. Conventional wisdom tells me that there is something wrong with this socket, but I actually went back to the store and tested another socket, and experienced the same thing.

The old socket is dead-simple -- there are no special electronics in it. The new dimmer socket is a lot more complicated with a potentiometer, capacitors, resistors, etc:

My question is, is there a logical/electrical reason that this socket works correctly, but doesn't give me a successful continuity test on the neutral line?


texts:
I was planning to add an outlet here but came across an unexpected wall setup. Wood walls, with drywall, with stone over it?

Anyone know what this is called? It’s above a fireplace if that gives any additional clues.


texts: How high to seal vapor retarder in open ceiling basement

texts: I'm finishing my basement with an open ceiling am trying to figure out how high the vapor retarder needs to go. The wall will be insulated with mineral wool and the rim joists with 2" XPS + 3.5" mineral wool. A vapor retarder will be used for the wall, but I'm unsure about the space between rim joists. Does it need vapor retarder? If so, what is the best way to do so? Doing each cavity separately seems like a pain.


texts: where the fresh air comes from in garage with gas furnace and heater?

texts:
I know burning gas need oxygen -- means fresh air. However, I checked my furnace and heater I didn't see any fresh air supply around....  They seems just get fresh air from the garage.

I am asking the question because I am going to seal my garage door...

My home was built at 2003. It shouldn't be too old....


texts: Is there a minimum height regulation for emt conduit in a garage?

texts:
My garage doesn't have any wallboard. The EMT conduit is open and not hidden.

Is there a height minimum from the floor for running emt conduit from the switch box (normally 48") to a fluorescent light fixture over a workbench in the garage?

In short, what is the minimum distance a fluorescent light fixture or EMT conduit can be  over a workbench from the floor?

Also, should I have the emt conduit that affixes to the light fixture run toward the ceiling first (upwards) instead of parallel the way I have it directly to the outlet?

This in case if plaster board would be attached in the future. This is my second fixture being added in another location. The loose garage opener door will be reattached later.

 Thank you again.


texts: How can I drill holes less than 1" from a wall?

texts:
I need to drill pilot holes through 1x1 and into a stud, with the 1x1 flush with the wall. I figure the hole has to be no more than 5/8" from the wall. My drill is too wide to drill a perpendicular hole that close to the wall.
For reference, this is a follow up to a different question Can I safely hang pegboard between studs, rather than across them?, where a user recommended I attach 1x1 to the studs. I didn't think of it at the time,  but the closest my drill bit can get to the wall while remaining perpendicular to the 1x1 and stud is a little over an inch.
I tried Googling, but that kept bringing me to right angle adapters and flexible extenders - but every time I looked at one, they were clearly meant for driving, not for drilling. They also seemed focused on solving the problem of having insufficient space between the drilling surface and some other parallel obstruction, not the distance from the desired hole to a plane perpendicular to the drilling surface - because they don't give a specification for the diameter of the chuck and its clearance from the top edge of the tool.
How do I drill a hole that close to the wall?


texts:
I left a 10ltr tin of smooth masonry paint outside last year I went to open it yesterday and discovered a crack in the lid,and when I opened it it was full of foul smelling water sitting  on top of the paint I poured off as much as I could but needless to say some went into the paint, if I paint my walls,will the smell go away or is this paint beyond saving?look forward to your advice.
I have heard white vinegar could help but not sure..


texts: New wire to the old receptacle, using the receptacle like junction box and outlet box?

texts:
I want to add some old outlet to a new circuit to release some stress (breaker keep going off). I want to fish a new wire thru the attic to the existing receptacle box (so i dont need to find the old wire thru the wall) and just splice the old wire and keep it in receptacle box with the new wire, I was wondering if that cause a problem?
It a old house (1920)


texts: Firewall / Hearth thickness - Building Fireplace for Gel Fuel

texts:
I am planning on building a "faux" fireplace in my basement that I can burn gel fuel canisters. I was looking at buying an electric heater, or pre-made gel fireplace, but I like the idea of a real flame, and the affordable commercial options are either fake looking, or small / cheap looking.

I plan on putting this against a drywall wall, on a carpeted floor, and I am concerned about protecting these surfaces/my entire house. I was hoping to find some guidelines on firewall / hearth thicknesses. This document outlining guidelines for permanent, wood/gas burning recommends at least 2" of firebrick, backed by 4-6" minimum of brick/stone/concrete. This seams overkill for a gel fireplace that puts out only 3000 BTU per gel fuel canister (I plan to burn 2 at a time).

I was initially looking to purchase an old, used, metal fireplace on Craigslist and build around it, but I have a whole bunch of unused brick (3-5/8" x 2-1/4") laying around, and was thinking I could use that instead. Is this feasible? Do I also need a sheet of metal to reflect the heat, or an air gap between the brick and the wall? I would assume 3-5/8" of brick should be sufficient, right? Or should I am I over-thinking this and should just find some cheap 1/8" sheet metal and use that?


texts: How to use fiber optics to illuminate glass tiles?

texts:
Just a cool idea I've been kicking around for about an hour, I'm trying to figure out how it could work. I'm considering doing this with backslpash tiles and maybe even some shower tiles.

Ideas:

Side illuminated fiber optic cable that's just the size of the gap between the tiles, then covering that in grout. I'd put it in every other grout line, because each line should illuminate tiles on both sides of the cable. Maybe if the cable is undersized, I can use some optical glue to attach the fiber to the glass
Using casting resin as a surrogate fiber. I saw a few people making their own fiber optic cables (for decoration quality, not data) by injecting it into a PVC tube. I figure if I attach all my tiles using ditra or some other membrane that'll prevent cracking, I can just "bridge" all the tiles using casting resin and then cover the resin with grout. Alternatively caulking or hot glue. Similarly, solid core 2mm fiber cut to the width of the tiles, glued face to face in the grout line between tiles. This would use the tiles as a pass-through. This would have to be vertically or vertically and horizontally as the brightness would definitely fade as it goes.
Regular fiber run along the sides of the tiles, glued or caulked down to the side of the tile. Maybe run it straight down the center of the grout line if the glue or silicone is conductive enough.

Bad ideas:

LEDs on the underside of the tiles. This will cast a shadow with the backing web, and this will cause a bright spot
I was considering drilling/grinding a 1mm hole in the back of the tiles, then securing a 1mm fiberoptic cable with optical glue. Except the hole would be ugly and clearly visible as the tiles get their colors from the backing. Drilling from the side would be time consuming and run the high risk of nicking one of the finish surfaces.

You guys have any other neat ideas on how to implement this, words of wisdom?


texts: Is it an offence if my landlord has no GFI's in the house and outside of the house?

texts: I live in Gloucester Ottawa and there is no GFI's in our townhouses. I have general knowledge of electrical codes. Winter is approaching and I don't feel like getting electrocuted when I plug in my car or my Christmas lights. Also I don't think any units in my complex have GFI's.


texts: What are the code regulations for stairs off an exterior french door?

texts:
Do the stairs off my french doors need to be the width of both doors or can they be just the width of the most used side?

How big does the landing have to be at the top and bottom?

Can I just attach a guardrail to the exterior and forgo the stairs?


texts:
I am in the middle of replacing a drain in the concrete floor of my basement.  I'm replacing it because the current drain is terribly rusted, and was quite crooked in terms of not being flush with the floor.  I'm getting ready to seal the concrete and figured I might as well put in a nicer drain.  Now that I've broken out the concrete around it, I can see that it's a St. Louis style drain, and I'm assuming it's cast iron.

I had been thinking "Why on Earth do they make these water-channeling fixtures out of cast iron when cast iron rusts so easily?  I thought maybe that was just how it was done in the old days, but that now you wouldn't see iron being used for plumbing.  However, now I'm looking for fixtures to replace the rusted drain with, and I notice a lot of these are made of ductile iron.  I know that ductile iron is a different alloy, but does it not rust?  I'm looking to install something that won't rust, so I need to figure out if ductile iron is off limits.


texts: How can I determine what size main water meter is required?

texts:
The main water pipe into our house is only a 1" ID pipe, but the city decided to install a 2" water meter for us, which has a significantly higher monthly service charge than a 1" meter (over $1000 more per year).

I found a couple of websites (like this one) that calculate the required water-meter-size  based on the number of showers, toilets, sinks, and such in the house. They all place us solidly into the 1" size range. But we live on a hill and the incoming water pressure into our house is only 35psi. So I'm trying to understand the following things:

Do I need to correct the required water meter size for the lower pressure? If so, by how much?
If the main pipe to the house is only 1" ID, would a water meter bigger than 1" even help at all?
Is a 1" water meter equivalent in "size" (as far as flow impedance goes) to a 1" water pipe?

One of our neighbors with an identical floorplan said he got the city to swap his meter out for a 1.5" at no charge and is not noticing any difference other than the $600 annual savings. I'm trying to figure out if it makes sense to be even more "aggressive" and have them down-size us to a 1" meter.

Note: This question is purely about things to consider when determining the right size of our water meter. I'm not looking for any off-topic policy advice on how to deal with the city.


texts: Condensing furnace in garage or attic safe for winter?

texts: Is it ok to have high efficiency condensing furnace in the garage or attic of a house in an area that experiences below-freezing temperatures? I've heard that having a furnace in a spot without "conditioned air" can lead to frozen components that somehow break the furnace.


texts: I've just bought a 20x10 and can't afford all concrete base but I'm a scaffolder and have the materials to build a scaffold deck with all the legs cemented into the ground what would I need to do before I pour cement in for the cement to latch onto


texts:
I need to drill 4 10mm holes through 50mm thick HDPE and then countersink with a larger diameter (ca 20mm) hole to a depth of 20mm.  The material in question is in fact a step made out of recycled soft drink bottles.  I have often drilled through thin (6mm) sheets of acrylic but this is a while new ball game.  Off my own bat I would probably do the following

Use a blunted twist drill bit or a step drill bit to make the 10mm hole
Use a 20mm forstener bit to make the countersink

However, before I embark on the job and ruin the step for good - or worse - I thought I would seek a few ideas here.  I should mention that I do not have a drill press.


texts: Transitioning between conduit sizes and types using a threaded bushing

texts:
US, Southern CA, NEC 2017
I need to transition from 1" PVC to 3/4" LFxC to connect to a weatherproof junction box with 3/4" NPT hubs.
My first thought was to glue on a socket x 1" NPT female fitting to the end of the PVC, and use a threaded adapter to connect to the 3/4" NPT male fitting on the end of the LFxC. I have seen plumbing versions of PVC bushings to go between 1" NPT to 3/4" NPT, but I assume using those is not allowed because they're not UL listed for conduit use.
Questions

Does code allow use of a UL listed aluminum bushing like  McMaster #7864T23 with non-aluminum fittings?
If using LFMC instead of LFNC, the fittings I've found are steel - is there going to be a corrosion issue due to dissimilar metals?
If I need to stay within the existing conduit types, is there a simple way to get from the 1" PVC to the 3/4" flex conduit fittings?


texts: "Attic stairs" equivelent in an attic "hatch" size hole?

texts:
The new place I'm moving into has a hatch size hole for the attic. It is roughly square and has no stairs or anything, its just a hatch that can be accessed by ladder.

I'd really like to make more use of the attic, and I'd love attic stairs, but I don't want to modify the ceiling to accommodate it. Is there any sort of product that will fit into the hatch (or possibly screw into it, etc.) that provides the convenience of attic stairs without the added footprint?


texts: I have a weak signal at the TV cable that the cable company thinks is the source cable for the condo, but they are not sure. I would like to trace the path of this cable in the wall to see if there is a faulty splitter higher upstream or if someone put a nail through the cable upstream. What would I use to do this?


texts: New Furnace won't turn on after trying to install thermostat

texts:
I had a furnace installed about a year ago in my basement.  The installer left the wires sticking out of the wall for me to install a thermostat.  He said if you want to turn the furnace on, just touch the red and white wire together.  This has worked for me for the last year when I wanted to warm  up the basement I would just hook the two wires together.

The day came when I was ready to install a thermostat, I hooked up the 5 wires to the thermostat the way I thought it should be installed.  When that didn't work, I tried many other configurations.  When none of them worked, I decided to go back and check the red and white wire test by holding them together.  Now the furnace won't turn on at all when I do this.

Things I've tired

I made sure my furnace was all closed up and the safety switch on the furnace cover was pushed in.
I made sure the furnace power switch was on.
I made sure the main breaker was on for the furnace

I am wondering if some of my wiring configuration might have tripped something in the furnace control board.  I noticed a small button on the control board and was wondering if this might be some sort of "Reset" button.  I haven't tried it yet, because I didn't know what it did.

Any advice would be appreciated on getting my furnace working again and hooking up my thermostat.


texts: What is the difference between dimmable and non-dimmable CFL bulbs?

texts:
I have a dimmable ceiling light fixture in the Dining room. I put in CFL bulbs a few months ago. It all seems to work fine, no problem. I went to a hardware store yesterday and saw that there were CFL bulbs that were labeled as "dimmable". They were ~$10 for a bulb that puts out light equivalent to 100 W incandescent bulb.

What's the difference between a dimmable and a regular CFL bulb? Do I really need a dimmable one? My regular CFL bulb seems to work fine right now.


texts: Why don't programmable thermostats automatically switch between "Cool" and "Heat"?

texts: While I can set my house to be a particular temperature, I still have to manually switch it between "Heat" and "Cool" mode, and this seems to be true of every thermostat (programmable or not) that I've seen. Is there a reason for this?


texts: How to stop a leak of water through a concrete floor

texts:
I live in an apartment building. Each house has a bathroom with a concrete floor covered in tiles. In the corner of the floor is a drain with its pipe going all the way through. However, I have noticed water leaking into my roof space from the upstairs neighbor's bathroom. The leak seems to be through the join between the drain pipe and the concrete.

What is the best way to seal this floor so that the water will stop leaking through?

Edit: Added a view of the pipe from above as people are clearly miss understanding the situation.


texts: Can I replace an existing receptacle with a Leviton USB receptacle?

texts:
I have this Leviton USB product, which contains 1 hot terminal; 1 neutral terminal and 1 ground terminal.

I want it to replace a receptacle that has 2 hot terminals and 2 neutral terminals (along with the ground).  Can the new USB receptacle replace the existing one?


texts: Can a GFCI plug on the same circuit as a range cause a fault for power getting to the range plug?

texts: I have a standard 220v plug for an electric range. There is also a GFCI plug along the same circuit but it is tripped and I cannot get it to reset. If the GFCI plug is tripped could that cause a reduction in the current to the 220 for the range?


texts: 120/240 home generator interlock/transfer outlet/adapter setup

texts:
So I'm wondering what sort of inlet / adapters I need to accomplish the following.
Suppose I own the following generators:
Honda EU2200: 2x 120V-15A (Standard home outlets)
Honda EU2200 Companion: 1x 30A 125V Locking Plug (NMEA L5-30), 1x 120V-15A
Honda EU7000: 30A 125/250V Locking Plug (NMEA L14-30)
What I'd like to do is setup an inlet and cables so I can use any of the above combinations. (I'm aware I can't power any 240V devices w/ the 2200/2200 companions. Also I have the manual transfer switch installed already that disables the main before allowing the generator breakers to turn on.)
My guess is the following:
In the wall, install a NMEA L14-30R inlet and wire it to both sides of the panel. This will naturally fit the EU7000 in 250V mode.
What I'm less sure about is this:
For the 2200 companion: Order a cable that uses a NMEA L5-30P (to plug into 2200 companion) w/ a L14-30R (To plug into the above wall inlet). It would bridge the single hot on the L5-30 to both hots on the 14-30. Like this, I think: https://www.amazon.com/Generator-adapter-L14-30-female-voltage/dp/B07GMVJV7X
For the 2200 solo: 5-15P Male to L5-30R Female adapter, to plug into the above adapter... (I realize this is bad form)
Does this all make sense? I think its right but would love someone who is more familiar to confirm. Thank you!


texts: Is bathroom sink pipe configuration up to code and does it have a trap?

texts: We recently renovated our bathroom in our apartment building and noticed the bathroom sink wasn't draining poorly. Our contractor said it just needed to be unclogged, which he said he did and now it appears to be draining properly. However, upon inspection of the pipes underneath the sink and enclosed in the vanity, we noticed the configuration of the pipes looks strange, like a roller coaster with multiple loops. We were told they did it that way to accommodate the drawers so the bottom drawer would close since it didn't have a cutout to accommodate the pipes. We are concerned that the pipes may not be be up to code and have recently heard about P trap drain and was wondering if our pipes have that trap or any trap for that matter. Any possibility of this configuration causing blockage/backups again in the future and possible leaks/burst pipes also?


texts: Does getting live/neutral the right way round actually matter?

texts:
I was replacing an electrical socket in my (UK) house, and I noticed that the previous occupant had wired live and neutral backwards.  However, I've used a variety of appliances and devices on that socket in the past without any issue.

So - does it actually matter which way around they are connected?  As long as you obviously don't connect live from one part of the ring with neutral from the other, what difference does it make?


texts: What should I use to prime an old plaster wall before skim-coating with new plaster?

texts: Should I use oil-based primer on an old plaster wall (as a bonding agent) before skim-coating new plaster over it?


texts: Removing or re-using doorbell from home alarm system

texts:
My home has an alarm system inside that I've never used and don't have much interest in.  I don't know if there's a password needed for the panels, and I haven't tried to program them.

At some point, the main control box inside the house started beeping.  The battery had failed, so I disconnected it and unplugged the system.  That's fine, except the doorbell no longer works.  If I plug it back in (without any battery now), it stays silent for 24 hours and then the panels start beeping (I presume to let me know that there's no battery installed).  At that point I unplug it, disabling the doorbell.

The system is an Arrowhead CT61.  There's no marking on the control board for the doorbell.  I was hoping I could just purchase a normal transformer and wire the door directly, but I can't find the specific wires.

If I can't find the wires on the control board side, I was thinking maybe I could put a tracer on the chime side.  On the inside of the wall next to the door is a painted-over NuTone frame.  I tried a knife around some of the mold lines, hoping that I could pop out a panel.  But I couldn't find a separation.  Is there supposed to be a way to access the rear of this type of chime without patching the wall?

Is there a way to identify the doorbell wires that run to the alarm panel?
Should I be able to open the NuTone chime box?

I could just put in a wireless bell, but if I've already got wires run to the door, was hoping that reusing them is better.


texts:
I have this damaged drywall corner. I saw a couple of videos, some recommend to remove old loose mud over the cracked area and put on a new mud, wait till it dry, sand and put more if necessary, dry, sand etc. Other videos suggest to tape the area before putting a new mud.
My questions:

Is it important to tape it, or more a matter of taste?
Does the tape add extra force to hold the new mud?


texts: Bathroom exhaust fan issue after new switch install

texts:
I just installed a new Leviton Switch for my bathroom exaust fan/light. After turning the power back on the fan is now on all the time and the switch only controls the light, all available wires are connected, not sure what's going on. I have 2 cables coming into the box where the switch is.  One carries red, black, white and ground, the other is just black, white and ground. The switch i bought has only one black, red and white wire coming off of it. I assume connected one too many wires?

I have not connected the yellow wire to anything


texts: How do I determine the amount of paint needed for a room?

texts:
I'm not very handy; thus I'm very new to this. Forgive my ignorance.

Is there a proper method or means of determine how much paint is needed to paint an entire room?

Or there isn't a way because paint viscosity is very different from paint to paint?


texts:
I recently moved into a unit of a 4 plex in Ontario, Canada. This thing scares me:

Is an electrical outlet allowed to be above the sink like that?  Was it ever allowed?  It it something that absolutely must be fixed, or something that is grandfathered in because it's old, and allowed to stay until work is being done on it?  Am I worrying over nothing, or risking my life to wash the dishes?

Some important facts:

It's clearly not a GFCI outlet. Nor are there any other GFCI outlets in the kitchen.  I think this may have been installed before those were required?
It's a split outlet, with 3 wires going back to a double breaker.  This is I believe required in kitchen circuits here.
The breaker is not a GFCI breaker.  The electrical panel is an FPL Stab-lok, the sticker on it says it was inspected in 1987.
I haven't pulled out the outlet to confirm, but I'm pretty sure this outlet feeds the rest of the outlets in the kitchen, so simply disconnecting it and leaving the box dead isn't an (easy) option.

How would one go about fixing this?  I'm just a tenant, so I need to either have the landlord fix it, or get permission to do it myself first.  But in either case, I want to know what should be done.

Some things I've thought of:

Weatherproof cover like outdoor outlets have?  I'm sure that doesn't meet any sort of code, and still isn't safe, but would it be safer?  It's something I can do in 5 minutes without permission until a real fix could be done.
Replace with GFCI outlet.  Do GFCI outlets even exist for split outlets?
Remove the outlet, cover with blank face panel - but it would still be live, and not exactly water proof.  You can't just tile over a live junction box.
Replace the breaker with a GFCI breaker.  I know there are 20amp ones, not sure about 15 amp ones.  I do know they are stupidly expensive, and something I'd have to convince the landlord to do.  I'd be perfectly comfortable doing it myself - but I sure don't want to foot the bill for that breaker.


texts: What is this ridge inside my toilet flange? Do I need to replace it?

texts: Does this toilet flange need to be replaced? There is a weird gap within the pipe and I can't tell if its because the flange needs replacement or normal.


texts: Can I use a 40 lb propane tank just for my central heating?

texts:
I want to know if I can use a 40 lb propane tank for my central heating.

I have not tried anything.  I don't want to put natural gas in, just want the propane gas. If someone can answer that, I want to know if is dangerous to connect my 40 lb propane gas tank just for my central heating.


texts: How do I raise my garage ceiling after spray foaming?

texts:
I'm starting to add central vac to my house, which mostly involves pipes in the garage. I cut a hole in the garage ceiling (drywalled) to check things out, and found there's an 18" up to the bottom of the joists on the second floor (There is a room above 80% of the garage).

My garage ceiling is 9', so having nearly 18" more space would make a huge difference (eg, I could walk underneath bikes, winter tires, etc, stored up near the ceiling, whereas now I can't).

The existing ceiling 2x4's that are hung from the joists above, and then covered with drywall.

I would like to spray foam, and then drywall the ceiling up as high as possible. With the space now, there is a fairly effective thermal break between the garage and the second floor. If I were to just spray foam between the joist bays, the joists themselves would not have that thermal break anymore.

What's the best way to spray foam, and then drywall below while maintaining the best insulation? Should I get the joists spray-foamed, and then put strapping below that for the drywall, and if so, how do I connect the strapping after spray-foam and keep it level?

Note, I'm in South-Eastern Ontario, Canada, which means we go from -30C to +30C (-22 to 86F), so having a good thermal break and vapour barrier is very important. Since this is a garage, keeping the exhaust fumes out of the house is also important.

The hole I cut is right next to the brick wall, in the far corner:

Looking up into the hole, opposite the bricks.

In the above picture (looking towards the back of the garage) you can see a heating vent that runs across. There are two vents in the front of this room (next to the brick wall from the first picture), and more vents that run through the ducts themselves. Presumably I'll have to build a bulkhead at the back of the garage for this, but the rest of the ceiling can still be raised.

The electrical you can see is for two lights and a plug on the ceiling for the garage door opener -- all easily moved.