texts: Sewer smell in basement - missing venting or other leak?

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I recently started detecting a sewer smell coming from the laundry room in my basement. I think I only trigger it (and not every time) when I run my whole-house fan. I've been running this fan (with plenty of windows open) for at least a month without this problem, so it seems like something may have changed.

Here is a figure of the plumbing in that room. It contains a waste line for the laundry and a laundry sink attached to the cleanout off of the main stack. There is also a floor drain (with its own trap), but it's off in it's own corner and doesn't seem to have the sewer smell around it.

I've been doing some research, and seen one or two related questions here. The closest is Install air admittance valve to solve musty smell (sewer gas)?, but I'm not seeing quite the same symptoms. I don't notice any issues with the drain speed (though I'm not sure I could tell there are issues from the washing machine, the sink is fine), and I've only noticed the smell accumulating slowly when running the whole-house fan.

I originally thought that the lack of venting on this line could be the issue, with one of the traps being siphoned dry by the other, but I don't notice anything after running the laundry. I also tried adding water to the traps when I start smelling sewer gas, but it's not clear that it helps (the seeping gas might be coming in too slow to tell - the basement is not well ventilated, so it takes a while for the smell to clear).

One other concern I've come across is corrosion in the black iron drain/vent pipe (100 year old house) may have opened up a small hole that I can pull out sewer gas from with the negative pressure of the whole-house fan, but I'm not sure how I can test this.

Any thoughts on what I can try are appreciated.


texts: Can I use aluminum or plastic sheeting between decking and joists to waterproof under a deck?

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I'm trying to build a deck where I can use the few feet under it as storage space.

I'm thinking of using 8mil (or 10mil, if nessacary) plastic sheet or vinyl sheet between the joists and the decking. Edit: 20" wide Aluminum flashing is also an option

The plastic or aluminum sheets would have to be cut in a way that one side is wider than the other, so when secured to the parallel joists, it would form a gradual slope of excess material.

I would custom bend some aluminum flashing at 90 degrees that would drain directly onto the plastic from under the siding. Vertically, where this deck attaches to the house would be at the last two runs of the siding, and the bottom of the ledger would be lined up with the top of the concrete foundation. The concrete is about 4 feet above ground, I shouldn't need any further drainage below the deck

I would either use an oversized rim joist with a gutter at the end to catch the runoff, or place a beam in a place where I can put a gutter on it.

Question 1: Does this setup seem sane, safe, and effective?

Question 2: I would prefer to use cedar decking, but I'm not sure if the wood on plastic would trap water and cause rot issues. Can I use real wood here, or must I use composite?

Question 3: What would maintenance be like for this system? Would there be potential ice issues in the winter?

Question 4: Would I be better off sandwiching the plastic between the joists and a layer of PT 1x2 instead of between the decking and joist?


texts:
I'm having several issues removing an old widespread faucet from my sink and could use a hand in naming a few pieces and trying to determine if I can remove this thing with existing tools or will i have to cut it out with a rotary tool.

Lets look at some pics shall we, top half of the photo is the faucet with the pfister marquis styled handle covers removed.

Bottom left of image is of stem underneath handle, I can't unscrew that rounded, bronze colored cap, have sprayed copious amounts of WD40 on there, not sure if loosening that nut will allow access to area that can help in removing handle from topside.

Bottom right of image is of down stem and brass fittings from underneath.  The basin nut is something I have never seen or heard of, can't find n image of it online.  Would be nice if someone could point me to the name of that thin threaded nut with the square notches in it:

Even if I had a tool to loose that nut (basin wrench will not grab ahold of it due to its slim profile), how would I remove that brass tee fitting there?  It doesn't look like that tee is section is attached to anything, looks like all one piece.   when I used the basin wrench the tee fitting, the whole thing spun around together. So I'm officially confused and a bit frustrated after looking at this situation for 3 hours.  Any help would be greatly appreciated!


texts: I have 2 entry doors I need to replace, sized 32"x84" and 36"x84".  Each door also has a storm door, also 84" in height so I either have to get custom doors or replace the storm doors with standard sizes as well.  Is it possible to replace an 84" door with a standard door?  What would be involved in reducing the size of the rough opening?  Lastly, how would I 'hide' the resulting gap on the exterior of the house?  Thanks for your help.


texts:
I am trying to move an Ikea Pax closet. And even though I tried to gently remove the backboard (put a stick against the edge from inside along the board and hit the stick so it would distribute the power), it still left all the nails in. I removed the nails but now I am not sure I can reuse the backboard.

It doesn't look like Ikea sells replacement backboards (so much for their promise of helping re-use). I am sure Home Depot- or Lowes-type stores sell some kind of hardboard, but is there anything specific I should think of / ask for when getting it?

Or if anyone knows an Ikea parts replacement place that has the backboards, that would be even better.


texts: How do I stop water from leaking through the bottom of my shed walls when it rains?

texts: I have a shed that was built on a low foundation so that when it rains water builds up against it and water tends to flow in between the concrete and the bottom of the wall and now there's mold growing inside. Is there something I can do? I've tried spraying expanding foam between the concrete and the frame but it still leaks.


texts: I'm trying to insert a motion switch and am not positive on the connections I need to make. I'm trying to replace SWITCH A. Switch A was previously part of a simple 3-way setup, but now is just a dumb switch directly to the light. The way the red line is used is definitely giving me pause. Please see the specs below:


texts:
What makes a home/building prone to bugs? Is it the type of walls used? Leaks in wiring and AC? Leaks in windows and doors? What does the age of the building have to do with it?

Edit: I'm interested in what makes a particular building prone to bugs, independent of things like food, geography, surroundings.

Related: What would you look for in choosing an apartment if you want to avoid encountering bugs?


texts: What is the method to seal a concrete roof?

texts: We are staying in a home which has a concrete roof. Now we are facing leakage in the roof during rainy seasons. What do we have to do? How do we protect the roof from leaks?


texts: How do I fix a broken microwave door hook latch?

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I accidentally snapped off one of the hook latches on my microwave door - the door will shut, since the other latch is still there, but the safety mechanism of the oven prevents it from operating (since the second latch is not engaged).

Does anyone have suggestions on how to fix this without taking apart the microwave door (which I find intimidating)?


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I have a set of 1927 french doors that are 18" wide and have a built-in astragal -- measuring ~7/8" wide and ~1/4" deep -- on both doors. The astragal narrows to about a 1/4" where the locks used to be, allowing room for the former lock.
I'm restoring the doors and I'd like to add a lockset to the active door (passive door is secured with slide bolts). I'm wondering if I should try and add a modern mortise lock to the door by removing whatever filler is in the old hole or attempt to add a modern deadbolt and knob in.
My concerns with using a modern deadblot/knob is that the distance between the base plate and the strike plate will be too great and the knob's latch won't be long enough to securely catch.
Here's a picture of the door edges. The original strike plate is still there, but the hole where the mortise lock used to be has been filled.
How would you proceed?
As a side note, I've considered replacing the doors with a new set, but no one stocks french doors in this size. When installers come out, they all suggest adding a full size entry door, but a full size door would open too far into the room and be awkward in the space. Also, I just like the look of the smaller doors. The only other replacement option I've thought of would be to use a pair of 18" sidelights and turn them into french doors.


texts: I have lost screws for a bookcase that looks like the IKEA Billy Bookcase?  The hardware store and big box stores don't have anything like it and say the screw I have is foreign.  I know it is 1.5" in length with a blunt end.  Does anyone know what kind of screw is needed?


texts: Groutable vinyl tile in a laundry room. Is it a bad idea?

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I'm going to put new vinyl tiles on top of old sheet vinyl floor, in a laundry room. My wife wants to use what's called Luxury Vinyl Tiles, which have a rounded edge and are groutable. There are grouts like Fusion Pro which specifically mention vinyl tiles as a suitable tile type.

However, my fear is, that because the floor does not have a cement board on it, and it is prone to frequent vibrations from the washing machine, the grout will fail quite soon (will crack, become loose, etc.) Do these polymer-based grouts have some flex in them, or is grouting vinyl a totally bad idea?

I know I can install these tiles without any grout, but my wife prefers the grouted look.


texts: How Can I Replace Our Leaking Outdoor Faucet?

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Our outdoor faucet is leaking. Here's a picture:

Here's another picture that more clearly shows from where I think it's leaking:

I think I need to replace the faucet. The online resources I've found warn that the pipe must be held fast when unscrewing the faucet to avoid damage. However, the pipe isn't exposed outside the wall. Unfortunately, I can't get to the pipe from the other side, either. What is the best strategy to replace the leaky faucet? Will I need to remove a section of stucco?


texts: How should I fill gaps between floorboards?

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We have a Girl Scout camp and I'm the new property manager. We have cabins that are on stilt-like legs, approximately 20 years old. The flooring in these cabins has large gaps in between each piece of wood plank; lots of debris gets in these cracks (a pencil fits nicely inside the cracks).

There are three cabins that need the gaps filled; what is the best solution to fill them?


texts: RTS in fire sprinkler rooms - normally-open or -closed? And its purpose?

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I'm on the Board of Directors of a townhouse association.  We have 15 buildings, each with a fire sprinkler room at one end, built into the last unit.  Rooms are ~4x3' and house fire alarm equipment.  The community was built 2007-2012 by the same developer, so [still surprisingly for me] the only similarity inside these rooms are the components.  Their placement and connections are all over, as if every time it was done from scratch with no blueprints by a new crew.
The management company does not give neither straight nor complete answers, at best offering to "hire a handy man to check things up".  We see it as just throwing money away, 'cause no explanation will be provided.  We'd like to get some deeper understanding of how and why certain things should be done, and what is the proper way - to be able to point out issues without depending on contractors suggested by management company.
The first thing I want to ask about are Potter RTS (Room Temperature Switches), operating at 40°F, commonly used to protect a dry-pipe-valve from freezing (to me that implies some kind of heating elements, which I couldn't identify).  They may be hard to see, but the leftmost setup has RTS-O (normally open) while the other two have RTS-C (normally closed) ones:

My thought is that even if the placement is not identical, still the same or very similar, interchangeable components would be used, and therefore electrical connections between them must be same.  At least all control panels are of one single model FireLite MS-4, all wireless transceivers are of one single model Keltron RF774F, all water meters and valves are same.

What is the purpose of an RTS here - what does it control (there's no heater near the valves)?
Is there a reasonable explanation why some RTSs are -O while others are -C?
Could this result in equipment failure due to a wrong part being used?

Let me know if more detailed pictures would be helpful.  And thank you, guys!
P.S. USA, Illinois, Niles


texts: I happened to be down in the basement a short while ago and heard the furnace turn on and off after just a few seconds. About a minute later it came on and this time it stayed on for about 15 seconds and then it shut off. This has happened before due to a dirty flame sensor, so I assumed it is probably due for a cleaning again. But, I went upstairs and checked the thermostat and it's set to heat at 73 degrees, and it's showing the air temp is 74 degrees! I'm pretty sure it normally has to drop down to 71 before the heat comes on, yet something triggered it somehow. Could this be a faulty thermostat, and if so could this explain the start and quick stop too?


texts: Replace old receptacle/switch combination with a GFCI/switch combination

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I'd like to replace an old receptacle/switch combination with a new GFCI/switch combination.  The old outlet was always hot, and the switch controlled power to a second (outdoor) receptacle.  I need that outdoor receptacle to be protected by the new GFCI.
There are only three wires in the gang box:

Black wire - was connected to the old Outlet/Switch on a screw labeled "Common".
Red wire - connected on the opposite side of the black wire, on the top (switch) half.
White wire - connected on the opposite side of the black wire, on the bottom (outlet) half.

With only these three wires, can I replace this old receptacle/switch combination with a "Leviton GFSW1-W Self-Test SmartlockPro Slim GFCI Combination Switch Tamper-Resistant Receptacle"?
If yes, how would it be wired?


texts: The joist are currently 2x10 spanning 21 ft with 16"oc. Will sistering 2x10s to current joist add enough strength for finished room?


texts: 200 amp service entrance to 200 amp sub panel?

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I have a 200 amp service entrance outdoor breaker box. I want to install an indoor breaker box with 200 amp service about 5' away so I can access breakers from inside the house. The actual wire run will be about 12' or less. Can I add a 200 amp indoor box and send 200 amps to it? I did an online load calculation of my appliances and it appears I could pull up to 125 amps. I'm not sure if this included wall outlets, lights, ceiling fans, etc. The kicker to this is would also want to have 100 amp service in my shop which is about a 120' run. Any guidance would be much appreciated. (recommended conductor sizes too)
Thanks,
Scott


texts: AFCI breaker tripped when there was no power to wire

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I was wiring a ceiling fan in my new home, and I am not used to working with some of the newer electrical devices.  I know very little about AFCI breakers, however I think I was somehow able to trip it when absolutely no power was on the line I was working with.

Both switches were off, for Black and Red.  They tested dead.  Just because I am a careful guy I tested neutral and ground for voltage as well and they were dead.  I also tested continuity between ground and neutral and infinite resistance between neutral and colored wires as well as ground and colored wires.  Everything is safe.

I was fishing the Black, Red, White and Neutral wires through the bracket when they all seemed to have made contact with the bracket at the same time.  Immediately after this happened the lights went dead in the bedroom.  The bedroom and smoke detectors were the only things on this circuit and their was only three lights on at the time.

I went to the breaker box to see the AFCI breaker in the middle tripped position, I turned it off, then back on and the ARC FAULT light as well as the GRND light came on.  The breaker stayed on and it never happened again.

Does the AFCI breaker somehow test for a bad ground?  Do you think somehow I triggered a bad ground fault when I accidentally touched all the wires to the bracket?

EDIT: So an AFCI breaker does have a neutral to the neutral block, and I imagine so that it can detect ground faults.  Is it possible that the AFCI ground fault protection is so sensitive that I had a static shock that triggered it?  I did get static shocked on my way into the bedroom earlier that morning.  Static discharges from your body typically are only a few milliamps, is that enough to trip an AFCI breaker?


texts: Accidentally splashed surgical alcohol on a plaster wall

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So I was using surgical alcohol in my bathroom when I splashed some of it on the wall. Now I have a pale blue alcohol stain on it. The wall is a plaster wall covered with white paint.
Any ideas on how to remove that stain?


texts: Can I have a 15 amp outlet on a 20 amp circuit with a 20 amp GFCI

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I'm installing a few new outlets in my unfinished basement and what I have currently is a 20 amp circuit and I have a 20 amp GFCI outlet hooked on to that. I'm looking to add another standard 15 amp outlet off the 20 amp GFCI.

I know you can do 15 amp outlets on a 20 amp circuit but what I'm wondering is it ok to have a 15 amp outlet along with a 20 amp outlet on the same 20 amp circuit as I would want the 20 amp GFCI outlet to provide protection to the 15 amp outlet.

Thanks


texts: How do I calculate the takeoff for a 45 degree elbow joint?

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I'm trying to install a 45° elbow joint in PVC. I've found several suggestions online, but frankly, they are incomprehensible to me and seem contradictory of one another:

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_you_fiqure_takeoff_for_45_degree_elbow
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_take_off_measurements_for_45_degree_pipe_fittings
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_you_calculate_a_45_degree_elbow_center

Is there a straightforward way to calculate the takeoff?


texts: How to keep brick face clean when applying fresh mortar?

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In the few times I have replaced bricks in my home, I always feel the end result is a little messy. Specifically, despite my best efforts, the brick face ends up a little "smeared" with mortar. What is the best way to avoid this problem?

I thought this would be a common issue and searched online. Maybe I searched the wrong terms, because I mostly found references on how to clean up cured mortar (Muriatic acid).

In my case, I am talking about fresh mortar as the brick is laid. I am curious how Masons end with a nice, clean finished wall. Is it just experience and ability to keep the bricks clean in the first place? Or is there a washing / finishing step?


texts: what is the best way to raise,my cement sidewalks level a couple of inches for better water drainage 2 1/2 feet W  X 20  ft length


texts: Can't get 3rd Gen Nest to power fan on Trane XR95 furnace

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I have a Trane XR95 furnace and I replaced my original Honeywell Pro 4000 thermostat with a 3rd gen. Nest.

I noticed, however, after installing the Nest that I can't get the fan to run on its own like it did with my Honeywell thermostat -- it only runs when it's heating the house. On my Honeywell, there was a 'Fan' switch that I could flip (from 'auto' to 'on') that would run just the fan (see the first picture below).

Now, on my Nest, if I take my 'G' wire and connect it to 'Y1', my Nest allows me to run the fan but it's temperature-controlled. So the fan will only kick on after a certain temperature is passed (e.g., if the house is hotter than 80 degrees, the fan will run). However, this is a bad hack because I don't have A/C so it could run a long time without really cooling the house down.

I've already spoken to a Nest representative and we went through a good 2 hr. troubleshooting where we checked voltages and what-not, which resulted in him sending me a replacement base saying the base might be faulty. But that didn't help.

I'm wondering if anyone has run into this problem before and if there are any suggestions. Thanks in advance!

Image of Honeywell Pro 4000
My Honeywell back plate wiring -- note the jumper between 'Rc' and 'R', which Nest apparently doesn't need because it's all internal.
My Nest wiring
My furnace's wiring (Trane XR95) -- The only thing I changed since this picture was taken is that I connected the blue wire to the top of the 'C' slot. This allowed constant power to be sent to the Nest.


texts: The fixtures are older T-12, 8', 2 lamp, single point ends.  There are many at this location but this one is not working for me.  First it wouldn't come on at all.  I replaced the ballast with a new one, from Loews, commercial instant on ballast that fit the requirement.  It would flash on and then shut down.  Tried a 2nd ballast.  Same result.  Have electric to the ballast and to the two sockets on the one end (both the red and blue wires).  But once it shuts down I still have juice at that red and blue ends, but nothing at the other end (the yellow wires).  What do I do next other than replace the entire fixture?


texts: Why does my new switch keep tripping the breaker?

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I am attempting to enable a light switch in a bedroom that had the wiring but had no ceiling light fixture and no switch (just a blank plate).  However, I am running into an issue and I want to seek some help from those more experienced.

In the ceiling I have 5 wires - 2 white, 2 black, 1 red (and, of course ground).  In the switch box there is a cable that goes up to the ceiling that has 1 white, 1 black and 1 red.  There is also another cable that goes down to an outlet.  It has 1 black and 1 white.  Currently the red is capped off, the two black wires are joined and two white wires are joined together.

I wired the switch by creating a rabbits ear for the black and connected it to switch.  I created a rabbits ear for white and connected it to the switch.

In the ceiling I added the white cable of the light to the grouping of 2 white cables and did the same for the black cables.  The light was on but would trip the breaker within seconds.

I am using a single-pole Lutron switch.


texts: There are many YouTube videos online that often deal with a part of the process of diagnosing and fixing a slow-running or stopped faucet. Is there a comprehensive series of troubleshooting steps to follow?


texts: Unable to remove shower handle due to stripped allen screw

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I have a shower handle similar to this one and need to replace the shower cartridge.
I'm using this video but am getting stuck on the first step trying to use my allen wrench to take off the handle. From what I can tell I think the screw is stripped (I shouldn't be surprised, from what I can tell the original builders did everything they could to make it impossible to replace/fix things)
Does anyone know of a way to remove that screw, preferably with the least amount of destruction possible and without having to buy too many new tools. I would say my general level of comfort for home improvement projects is pretty beginner still.
This is the best picture I was able to get. It almost looks like I need a special tool, but can't find anything on the Delta website saying that.


texts: This is for a shed.  I'm having problems finding enough support for either stringer and I can't find any close-up images of how this might be done.  My only choice seems to be to pull the lower staircase back from the upper.  Is there a way to make this work within this tighter space?


texts: Exterior air conditioning pipe insulation

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I live in the Southern California desert and am doing some renovations to my house. Our AC line runs on the roof from the center of the house 25' to the west side and down the wall to where the exterior unit sits. The insulation on the line is badly deteriorated black foam that has been painted white in some areas and has reflective silver foil tape on others. Which "finish" (plain black foam, white flexible paint, or reflective foil tape) is best where 110-115 degree days are common?

Thanks!


texts: Should vinyl J-channel be mounted directly to concrete building or a wooden strip?

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A 30 year old building has existing aluminum J-channel screwed directly into the concrete building and may be replaced with vinyl J-channel.  I was told that a recent soffit update included vinyl J-channel that was mounted to thin wood strip, which in turn was fastened to the concrete.  Is there a good reason to spend the time and money to fasten J-channel to the wood strip?
Not sure what value a wood intermediary provides between the J-channel and the concrete


texts: Is it possible to use waterproof grout + sealer to fix shower room floor leaks?

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I believe the leakage is at the two corners near the curb. If I pour water to two corners, there will be leakage to first floor. My guess is when the remodeler tiled the shower room floor, they broke the shower pan.

My question is if I remove all the existing grout, and apply waterproof grout, then use grout sealer to treat several times, is that enough to stop water leakage?

Thank you for your time.


texts: Pella Pocket window replacement the sash Interlocking not engaging ! any suggestion?

texts: i ordered couple windows from Pella its a pocked replacement windows , i tested the window before i install it in the old frame but the locks is not engaging same for the interlocking thats located at the back of the sash ! i thought its because its not installed so i moved forward and i installed the window ( square and balanced ) still its almost impossible to make the window interlocking to engage making the lock ( its autolock hardware ) is not functional , can anyone help with this problem please ?


texts: Electrical socket working for washer but not sump pump

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My washing machine is below grade, so is dependent on a sump pump. both appliances have been plugged into the same 3 prong duplex outlet, for years.  The sump pump stopped working, and after cleaning it, and some basic trouble shooting I moved the sump pump to the outlet the washer had been in. Presto!  it powered right up.
 But then I tried the washer plugged into the outlet that no longer runs the sump pump, and was surprised that the washer runs fine, in either outlet.
Easy solution, swap them but no! Because the shape of one plug is elongated and can't fit in the configuration that would supply power to both.
I'm tempted to by a little extension and make it work but entirely unsure if the issue might indicate something dangerous, like the ground not working.
Any ideas? Should I replace the whole socket?
Thanks!


texts: What Are the Standard Thread Sizes Used in Faucet Aerators?

texts: I was thinking of attaching a sink spray hose to my faucet's (male) aerator threads, but I am not sure if I need a fitting for it or not. I've tried looking online to see what the standard sizes for faucet aerators are, but I keep getting different answers. Can I have a list of the sizes (In NPT) if I'm using a male-threaded bathroom faucet?


texts: When to use EPS instead of XPS (aka Styrodur [TM] and Styropor [TM]) for insulation?

texts:
What are the pros and cons of expanded polystyrene foam (EPS) (known as BASF Trademark Styropor) and extruded polystyrene foam (XPS) (known as BASF Trademark Styrodur) cards for thermal insulation between an cellar wall and the soil?

All I could find out yet was that EPS has larger pores and is softer and lighter than XPS. I could not find good sources for all other statements like "EPS can absorb more water".

Please add sources to your answer as there seem to be some legends around these materials.


texts: How can I eliminate a bad smell coming from under my dishwasher?

texts: Whirlpool Dishwasher smells bad when hot water starts. Not inside the dishwasher, outside/underneath. I detect no water leaks, it seems like it is coming from the pump underneath. The smell comes out from cracks under the dishwasher when it starts running, then lingers for the next 8 hours.


texts: Why don't my appliances work when my tester shows voltage at the outlets?

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I have a strange issue with my kitchen electrical.  The electric starter on the gas cook-top stopped working.  It is plugged into a socket under the cabinet. The toaster will also not turn on.  It is plugged into a socket at counter level near the other socket.  Both sockets show "hot" when I use a non-contact voltage tester.  I plug my toaster into a 3rd socket and it works fine.  Now the really strange part, when I plug the toaster back into the original socket it works again, and the starter on the cook-top works again.  This has happened twice so I don't think its a fluke.

Any ideas on what could be causing this and how to fix it?

UPDATE:  Thanks for everyone’s input.  The problem was a lose neutral (came out when I pulled the socket out of the box) on the load side of the third socket, as many suspected.  I replaced it with a new socket and everything is working great.


texts:
We just built a house and wanted to run 400 amp service to the house to keep options open down the road, but I fear my contractor didn't account for my future plans and did what easiest vs what I wanted. Part of our basement is finished, and the interior basement panel was placed about 15-20 feet from the outside meter, with all the wiring behind the finished walls. Getting to this interior panel will be tricky, so ideally I'd like to tap in directly outside if possible.
With 400 amp service to the home, they put 2, 200 amp panels in the home. One is about half full, the other about one third full. Again, no idea why they did this. Only now an I realizing what happened.
What options do I have to avoid running the outbuilding to my home panel? Can I downgrade one of these pabels to 100 amp to be able to run another 100 panel to the outbuilding?
Like I said, I would like to avoid coming inside the home if at all possible. If it's unavoidable, then I guess we'll have to find the best solution.
Thank you for any advice. Naturally, an electrician will be doing all the work, just trying to wrap my head around it all before I start asking for things and getting quotes.
Interior panels:

Exterior panel:

(Click images for full-size versions.)


texts: I have an adjustable wrench that is stuck on a bolt I was tightening.  normally there's a thumb piece where you can adjust the length of the wrench, however, when  i tightened it in order to tighten the bolt It got stuck and now I cannot get it out, and I don't want to force it out (because that will strip the threads on the bolt).


texts: I want to add a receptacle to a circuit with a traveler

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I'm adding a receptacle on the exterior wall and I'd like to power it from a very conveniently located gang box which on the interior side of the wall.  The existing box is covered with a blank plate, and since it is 5 1/2 feet off the floor, it must have been for a wall sconce.  Inside the box are three pieces of Romex:  two are three wire, but the third has a red traveler.  Everything is connected with wire nuts:  NUT 1 - all white.  NUT 2 - black from one romex, and red from the 4 wire.  NUT 3 - black from the last piece of romex, black from the 4 wire, and then a black wire that connects NUTS 2 and 3.

It seems to me that I can add my new romex to NUT 1 and NUT 3, and I should be ok.  I highly doubt this is to code, so I anticipate that any advice will come with the caveat that this isn't to code.   I'm in New Jersey, and thanks.


texts: How can I rewire half switched receptacles?

texts:
In my bedroom the bottom half of all receptacles are controlled by one switch. Is it possible to have just one receptacle with top and bottom hot all the time?

The top half is hot all the time the bottom half is controlled by one switch.  Keep in mind there are six other receptacles in this room that are the same way controlled by the same switch. When I took the receptacle out the right side tab had been removed.  The top right screw had a black wire, the bottom right had a red wire, the top and bottom left screws had separate white wires.  I changed the receptacle out as suggested, I capped off the red wire and I capped off the white wire that was attached to the bottom left screw. I attached the other white wire to the top left screw and attached the black wire to the top right screw. I now have none of the receptacles working at all. What did I do wrong?


texts: Pull chain fully retracted on ceiling fan

texts: The pull chain that turns the lights on/off on a ceiling fan has fully retracted into the housing. Is this fixable without installing a new pull chain switch?


texts: Should my A/C compressor come on when I turn only the fan on?

texts: I have a bog standard HVAC system with a Nest thermostat. When I tell the theromostat to turn the fan on for 15 minutes the A/C compressor also kicks on. Is this normal?


texts: Rating for #2 Aluminum XLPE underground utility feed

texts:
The utility feed to my duplex with two 100A meters on it, is an underground cable in conduit. The main panel is 200A, but the utility feed is only 2 AWG Aluminum. The cable marking is: ALCAN 2 AWG ALUM  600 VOLT   XLPE 1978. I think XLPE is Cross Linked Polyethylene, which I think has a higher temperature rating.

This document shows that a single conductor is good for 180A for direct burial. Is it appropriate to use that value in a conduit?

When I looked at the 90C rating for #2 Aluminum, I see 100A. Can someone explain why the other document shows it as 180A?

I'm assuming 180A is fine for two 100A breakers in a duplex, assuming some level of diversity. The cable going into the panel is a 2/0 Copper, but it is only 4 ft or so from the box you see into the panel


texts: How does hardwood floor acclimate to a location with variable humidity?

texts:
I've read in many places that hardwood flooring should be acclimated to the place it will be installed (e.g. Armstrong flooring).

The local humidity here (Northeast US) regularly varies by 50-70% over the course of a few days (from 40-90%).  The hardwood will be purchased from a box store, where temperature (and therefore humidity by way of A/C) are regulated.

Given the wide range of humidity conditions at home (where temp/humidity are not regulated) and the fact that the wood is currently in a temp/humidity controlled building, what purpose will acclimation serve?


texts: How can I trim 1/8 off the bottom of an installed cabinet?

texts:
I tried to replace an over the range microwave today. My kitchen has a cabinet over the microwave and a tile backsplash behind the range. Thus, I have a 16 1/4” vertical space for the new microwave. Unfortunately my new microwave is 16 3/8” tall. The mounting bracket is already installed flush with the top of the tile. The wall is brick, so I really don’t want to have to move the bracket.

Is there a relatively easy way to trim 1/8 inch off of the cabinet? The front face is oak and I’m good with both a plane and a chisel, so that’s easy. It’s the plywood sides and back I’m worried about.


texts: I have to pass the TV signal cable near the power cable for lighting in my room, and I observed noise in the TV. If power and signal cables are near each other, does the power cable have a magnetic effect on the TV signal cable?


texts: Cant I just use a 24v wall instead of a tranformer?

texts: I can just use a 24v wall transformer that I have plugged into my sprinkler system and use that in place of the transformer on my electric Central coleman furnace right?  I would connect the hot line to R thermastat wire then wire the other wires to the common wire.  If the transformer is in the unit is reducing the 120v to 24v then the wall outlet plug is essentially do the same thing.


texts:
I've got mold on my living room's wall under my window :

This part of the wall used to be behind some furniture, so I believe the mold was caused by lack of ventilation (we are on the 2nd floor and it is the only place we have mold).

How do I get rid of it ?


texts: What does R0/R1/R2/R3 stand for when referring to Robertson square screwdriver?

texts: I cannot find anywhere on the net what do these R0, R1, ... markings mean, sometimes they're referred as sizes, but then the detailed dimensions of an R1 and R2 screwdriver are listed as exactly the same.


texts: How to fix a through hole in a concrete step?

texts:
Here're two photos of a through hole in a step in an enforced concrete staircase in an apartment building. The step is about one inch thick, the hole is about three inches wide and appeared many years ago.

The hole axis is vertically oriented - it goes from the top horizontal surface to the bottom one - just to be clear.

The two main difficulties are that the hole walls got dirty over the years (you can see on the second photo that that the hole has even been painted over) and that the hole is wider near the bottom than it is near the top.

I've seen so-called "concrete repair mortars" on sale - they claim improved adhesion to concrete but I'm not really sure if anything will work out under the two complications listed above.

How can such damage be repaired?


texts: Will a shorter bar increase my chainsaw's power significantly?

texts:
If I swap-on a 16", or 14", bar & chain onto my 42cc / 18"-OEM-bar chainaw, will I have a significant cut-power boost?

I've been reading about everything related to chainsaws that I can find (and youtubing, especially Steve's Saloon series!) but haven't found a solid answer to this yet... If you're very very comfortable with a powerhead that came OEM with an 18" bar, but you never ever plan to use the thing in a manner that'd require >14" bar, wouldn't you get a serious power-boost by using the 14" bar (relative to the 18")?

Thanks for any answers/explanations on this one, am aware my 18" accommodates 14" and 16" bars (with specific drive-links at least) and wanting to down-grade the bar size (as I need more than this 18"s 42cc powerhead for my biggest saw) and just kinda hoping it's worthwhile to make the downgrade (instead of just buying another 18" chain for it, despite never using it on stuff over 1-2' wide!)

Also curious what type of chain(s) would be the most-aggressive that I could get, have read Oregon's manual and while it describes them it doesn't really say "this is the strongest"...I know I don't want a 'safety chain' (cut-link as every-other-link on the chain) but past that am unsure where to aim, bar/sprocket are generic 3/8" / 0.050"...actually I have a 14" with bad powerhead, may do some comparison-testing if the drive-links & pitch & gauge are appropriate for my 42cc's sprocket!


texts: Adjustable-height, side-mount, heavy duty casters? Need to move a heavy air compressor

texts:
I have this 900-lb air compressor on a wooden base I built. At the time I built it, I was able to move it around using a pallet jack. But now it's in a room that's too small to accommodate the pallet jack, and I'm looking for another way to maneuver it into position.

An ideal solution would be a heavy-duty adjustable caster I could side-mount to the platform. I imagine something with a long, threaded stem and a hex head, and a beefy bracket that can accommodate lag screws into the side of this base. Then I could just use a wrench to lower them (thereby raising the platform), push it into position, then raise them back up to lower the compressor. But after an hour of googling, I haven't found anything sufficiently sturdy to do the job.

In the photo you can just make out these three-wheeled dollies. I was going to try to jack it up onto those. They're only rated for 200 lb each, but I'm hoping they'll last long enough to let me put it in position.

Beyond that, what suggestions do you fine folks have?

(P.S.—I had a really hard time finding a tag for this post.)

Update:

I found something called a jacking caster. These are awfully expensive, but it's more-or-less what I was imagining.

Update 2:

Ah! Yes, searching for "jacking swivel caster" is yielding results: http://revvocaster.com/index.php/whats-your-application/40-jacking


texts:
I have a doorbell button that goes on a rectangular switch box that is outside my house. The rectangular switch box is inside concrete. Since the doorbell button is outside exposed to the weather, the plastic is brittle and is falling apart. The cover has gone a long time ago. Since the button itself is rectangular (a bit bigger than a light switch) I haven't been able to find anywhere. What is left on the doorbell says it was made in Costa Rica.

I am trying to find a replacement weatherproof (sun and rain) doorbell button and switch that will fit in a regular light switch box.


texts: Dryer Outlet - Two 120V's testing fine. No 240V

texts:
Have a seriously weird issue.

I have a  dryer outlet that is showing fine for both 120V's (checked against ground and common) but across them there is no 240.

My initial thought was that they were on the same hot leg but it is connected to a quad tandem breaker with the oven. The oven works fine.

Any ideas? Do you think the breaker might be bad? I know that's rare but I can't think of anything else.

Appreciate any ideas/insight.


texts: Why is my electrical circuit only 60 volts?

texts:
I uninstalled some fluorescent tube lighting in my living room because I didn't like the quality of the light. After uninstalling it I wired up a standard 15A outlet on the wires that previously went to the light fixture.
The problem: I tested the voltage at the fixture both on the terminals and in the slots with my multimeter and am only getting 60 volts.
I removed the transformer that was hooked into the lights so it is no longer on the circuit, so that can't be it. Also, it was a standard 3 wire (white/black + ground) configuration.
Am I missing something? How/why would an outlet in a home even be wired for 60 volts?
Additional Info:
It is on a circuit with two ceiling fans, both of which are operating normally. It is not switched.


texts:
I heard that in some places in US, such as NY, there are regulations of requiring repainting the walls of an apartment once in a number of years.

What is the purpose of repainting the walls of an apartment?

Does the paint prevent something unhealthy leaking from the wall, like lead?

Is the paint itself harmless to health?

Thanks.


texts: Latch won't retract into my door unless I turn the knob

texts:
Starting about a week ago, the latch on my back door knob won't retract into the doorknob unless I turn the doorknob. This means to close my door properly I have to unlock the doorknob, turn it, close the door, then lock it again.

If I try to just close it, the latch won't retract and just bangs against the door frame. If I try to push the latch closed with my hand, it (mostly) won't budge. If I fiddle with it enough, I am able to push it in, but usually this doesn't work.

Is this just a possible issue that lubrication will solve? Or am I looking at replacing my doorknob/lock?


texts:
I have split circuit outlets: the red hot wire goes to the outlets on the left, and the black hot wire goes to outlets on the right. The red/black probably-hot wires are controlled by different circuit breakers in the panel. Both outlets share the same white neutral wire, and ground wire.

1) If I turn both circuit breakers off, I measure 0V from both outlets.

2) When I turn on one of them, I get 117V from outlet and 24V from the other (and 65V between the 2 hot wires.)

Is 24V normal? Should I expect 0V, when one of the circuit breakers is off?


texts: How can I run cat6 from my basement to the second floor?

texts:
I was trying to get cat6 to an upstairs room on an exterior wall and was trying to follow along the outside of the air duct to give me a clear shot.  I've got the wall opened up on 2nd floor  a couple of 1/2" holes drilled through into the space below the floor.  The problem is that I'm centered over the air duct and can't get the snake to follow the downward turn of the duct so its getting stuck.   FYI, Its not clear if its the duct or the insulation

Don’t really want to open up wall on first floor
Some options:

1) find another cable snake that is more flexible that would be able to make turn from one of the exisitng holes.  Or get something into hole that can guide the snake so it goes horizontally first and get it between the outside of duct and exterior insulation.

2) drill (again) close to left stud within same space (electrical on right), thinking that this should give me a better chance by going between the edge of the opening and the actual duct.

3) open up the air vent so I can ‘pull’ the duct out of the way, using existing holes.  Concerned about screwing up the air vent and duct - making a bad situation worse.


texts: What size pocket hole screw for 1.5x1.5 miter?

texts: Im making a headboard framed with 1.5x1.5" pine. The joints at the top are mitered. What size screw should I use for pocket holes?


texts: Is an explicit ground wire required through steel conduit?

texts: We just bought a Chicago-area house and found that there's no ground wire in some of the recently re-wired areas.  I thought that the national electrical code requires a ground wire for new construction and remodels, as opposed to relying on the steel conduit as ground.  Is this correct?


texts: Best way to remove all-metal staples from NM wire?

texts:
Recently purchased an old home that has many different generations of wiring throughout it (K&T, cloth "romex", blue NM, modern NM, conduit-fed).

At various points they were fond of using all-metal staples to attach the romex runs to the studs/joists. There are times where I cannot re-run the full wire and would prefer to re-use the existing NM run (if it's in good condition), but sometimes that means removing these staples.

What's a good approach to removing them without damaging the cable?


texts: Power cycle needed for garage door to work

texts: Garage door stops working, lights work fine.  When opener is unplugged and plugged back in it starts working fine for a few days then stops working againg until power cycled.


texts: Rotating a staircase and making a new landing. How do I support it

texts:
I am looking to rotate this staircase. Instead of descending in a southerly direction, I would like them  to descend to the east. To do that my plan is to make the top step (step 5) into a landing and take move/rotate steps 1-4 to be toward the camera.

The thing I am concerned about is the fact that column A (the column supporting the handrail) is not particularly structural. It's just screwed into the floorboard.

Column A would need to be moved much farther east, and replaced with a "structural" column for the south east corner of the landing, as well as a new handrail column.
My question is about the new "structural" column. How should I make it structurally sound?
My initial thought was to cut a hole in the floor and lag bolt it to the joist, but the joists are engineered and I'm not sure if they are rated for that kind of attachment.
My second thought was to drop the column all the way to the floor of the crawl space and pour a small concrete pad in the crawlspace, have the column sit on that, but frankly that  sounds awful.
Is there an option I am not thinking of? Is there a safe way to attach a vertical column to an engineered joist? Is it legit to attach a column to a joist?
I have plans to move the intake or make the stairs "floating" and move the outlet.


texts: Blower kicks on early and will only run 1 cycle. Have to turn down thermostat and turn it back up again to get furnace to come back on. It is gas.


texts: Outlets not working, no GFCI issues, breaker problem?

texts:
We just moved into this house about 8 months ago. It was remodeled before we moved in, and a some outlets were added. Fast forward to now, some of those outlets added and possibly a few existing ones have stopped working. Unfortunately this affected outlets in both the kitchen and the garage, which prevented our two refrigerators from working in addition to lots of other trouble that isn't important right now.

I'll try to make this as simple as possible:

The breaker panel appears to be a Pushmatic panel. There are no labels of any sort on it.

It appears to be split bus.
I've pushed them all off and on firmly. From the outside they all seem fine.
I am not sure which breaker is for the circuit that is not working. On the lower bus, there are four 20A breakers and three 15A breakers, and I know I can rule out two of those 15A breakers.
In the past I have heard a faint buzz occasionally come from the panel's direction for a few seconds, but I am unsure if it was the panel making the sound.

The Outlets

There are two GFCI outlets in the house. The one in the kitchen appears to be fine. The one in the bathroom is not working, but when I checked it there was no voltage on the hot wire, so the outlet is probably fine. There are also no load wires connected.
I think there are a total of six outlets not working. The one in the bathroom, two in the kitchen, three in the garage. The other two outlets in the kitchen are working along with an outlet in the garage.
I have unplugged everything from all the affected outlets, then reset all the breakers. No change.
I know at least two of these outlets were installed before we moved in, possibly more.
I ran an extension cord from a good outlet to a bad one. Testing with a multimeter, there was 120v with extension cord hot -> outlet neutral, but nothing on outlet hot -> extension cord neutral.

What could the issue be? Right now I'm feeling it's either the circuit breaker or the wiring, and I feel like it's probably the breaker. I could take the cover off the panel and carefully test the breaker, although some of you may caution against that since I'm not a licensed electrician, but it seems like the easiest thing to rule out right now.


texts: What comes first, window trim or stucco?

texts: We have some new windows in new construction with only lath around them and some existing windows with existing stucco around them. At what stage would be the best time to install wood window trim?


texts: How do I diagnose a hot water recirculation problem?

texts:
We have 2 ganged gas water heaters in a 10-year-old house. Professionals installed them last year to replace the 10-year-old pair. I'm pretty sure they are hooked up to a recirculating pump.

This setup has worked great until a couple weeks ago when the distant bathrooms started taking a full minute or so to produce hot water (suggesting a recirculation problem). After warming up, they also intermittently go back to cool water (suggesting running out of hot water), but after continuing to run for a while will return to hot water instead of getting colder (suggesting that it didn't run out of hot water after all).

I have unfortunately little plumbing knowledge but I want to know if there's something I can do to fix this problem before calling a plumber. I already tried the obvious solution of increasing the thermostat on the water heaters but that did nothing (again suggesting not a problem with running out of hot water). The water heaters themselves usually stay idle with a blinking light indicating the tank is at desired temperature.


texts: How to have a free-standing bathtub resurfaced

texts:
I have a nice free-standing claw-foot tub.  It was re-finished poorly by a previous homeowner and now we're getting white flakes in the water.  There are also rust spots in a couple of places.

There seem to be several techniques for refinishing tubs but I'd like to do it right.  What should I be looking for as I shop for contractors to do the job?  What questions do I need to be asking?


texts: How to adjust strike that’s too small for metal jam?

texts: I am installing new Schlage lock set. Problem is the included Schlage strike is much smaller/shorter than the drilled out rectangle space in the metal door jam. Only one screw hole matches other hole is about 1/2 inch too short. How do I adjust?


texts: I have an outlet in a bedroom and want to add a couple more outlets in the room adjacent... I'll be running 12/2 wire for the new outlets the problem is that the outlet in going to tap into has two white and two black do I simply make two complete pig tails one for the exiting outlet one white one black and then the second pig tail for the new outlet?


texts: Which diameter of pipe to be used from overhead reservoir to Outlet (1.5 bar pressure with 15 mm diameter pipe)..?

texts:
One outlet point having 15 mm diameter is required having pressure 1.5 Bar.
Dimension of overhead reservoir is 0.5 diameter and 0.3 height.
The head difference approximately 6 meters.
Which diameter of pipe to be used from overhead reservoir to Outlet...??? Advance thanks to all of you for your reply.


texts: Cover old ugly floor in a rented apartment?

texts:
We have to move to an old rented apartment, the floor looks terrible (it's green! and that's the original color!!). How can I hide the shame? I'm looking for the cheapest solution possible (ANYTHING would be better than that rotten floor), that can be taken off when we (happily) leave the place without damaging the original floor?

p.s. It should also be safe to our health, e.g. I've heard some opinions that PVC is not too healthy inside a house?


texts: How do I clean the drain in my bathroom?

texts: I used to be able to clean my drain by picking out the hair and fat from it but it has become worse and worse. Can I use hot water + draino (the chemical) + plunger to clean it up?


texts: how to replace surface conduit for a two-wire lighting circuit?

texts:
I have an old house with unswitched knob-and-tube running to a ceiling fixture. Previous owners ran surface conduit to a wall switch and to a second light fixture over the sink; none of this was grounded, needless to say. I recently had to replace part of the ceiling, so I took the opportunity to remove the surface conduit:

I Installed metal boxes with extensions for the original fixture and the one over the sink (I used expandable joist hangers to mount them)
Ran shielded metal cable above the ceiling to connect the fixtures, and down the wall to a newly-mounted metal switch box
Carefully routed the knob-and-tube wires through separate holes in the top of the box, secured them, flagged the neutral with white tape, then wired them to the fixtures and switch with wire nuts. (They originally just poked right through the ceiling and a surface plate)

I thought to route a three-wire lead up to the switch from the floor, but I still would have been left with a live knob-and-tube circuit in the ceiling. There are other fixtures upstream of the kitchen lights, so I couldn't just kill the whole circuit or easily terminate it upstream.

I'm pretty sure this is not to code, but it was the least disruptive method I could come up with. The wires are typically brittle, but they are essentially in the same position they have always been and connected the same way.

Here are my questions:

is this considered an extension of the circuit? I did not add fixtures or outlets. I only replaced wiring that was itself installed after the knob-and-tube.
What should I do with the ground wire? As it is, the wire sheaths, switch, and all three boxes are bonded together with the ground wires but don't connect to anything. Should I leave them unconnected, or otherwise signal that they aren't actually grounded? (This would be obvious in the main fixture box but not in the other fixture box or wall box.)

Thanks in advance.


texts: white termites - 2 orange oil treatments, building won't fumigate

texts:
I live in a condo in LA (3rd floor) and am seemingly the only resident with termite problems. Last summer (2020), I had 3 separate areas infested with winged drywood termites - the ones with a reddish head, black body, and wings (through a mud hole in master bedroom closet wood frame, coming out of living room wall by baseboard, flying into kitchen window), which eventually went away after an orange oil treatment. The area I am writing about is in one of my Office closets where little white ants (I'm assuming they're drywood termites nymphs as the other termites were drywood termites) keep appearing around and coming out of the floorboards of that area (see photo - the pink slips are post-its where I number each body as I was losing track of which bodies were new/old). They're about the size of 1-2 cm and almost look like lint sometimes.

I've spoken with my HOA numerous times and they put up flyers asking if other residents are having termite issues. The HOA told me that only one other unit said they had termite issues in the past, but it didn't sound recent. I also personally asked my neighbor above, below, and across from me and they said they didn't see any. The HOA won't fumigate the building as they said it's difficult to get all homeowners to agree to it and it's expensive. They helped to schedule the termite company to come and do a spot treatment (orange oil) and since the HOA CC&R documents don't have any explicit rules around pest control, they split the cost with me. In total, I've now had 2 orange oil treatments for this area and last time the termite guy also applied Cy-Kick as well. It is now January 2021 and I am still seeing new termites appear (1-3 per day) but they die on their own. Over the course of 2 months, around 35 termites have appeared. I do not see any frass (termite poop), there are no mud tunnels that I can see, nor does this area seem weak.
I have a 1 year warranty with the termite company who applied the 2 orange oil treatments and asked him what I can do. He said it's difficult because he does not know where the source is, but said he could apply "foam" this time.
I'm having another termite company come this weekend for another opinion. Oddly enough, I reached out to a 3rd termite company and sent them photos and they said that these were NOT termites. What the heck are they then?? If I can't fumigate, what are my options? I don't want to get lawyers involved. I just don't want to have these bugs anymore!


texts: Is it normal for my sump pump to run so often? If not, who should I call?

texts: My sump pit has water leaking into it, coming through the plastic wall. I circled the portion that has water coming through it in the picture below. I just noticed it's pumping water every few minutes but this is after we had a lot of rain. Is that normal?


texts: Can I use underlayment to increase thickness level of engineered flooring

texts: I need to increase the 1/2” thickness of the engineered flooring as much I can.  Is it ok to use 1/8” underlayment.  I plan to nail not float.


texts: What type of tool has hooked jaws and a threaded shaft with a T-handle?

texts: I found this tool and do not know what is called or used for.


texts: How can I cut metal roofing and siding into pieces during demolition?

texts: I'm tearing down an old single wide. What is an easy way of cutting the siding (aluminum) and roof (corrugated steel) into manageable pieces.


texts: Plank vinyl flooring , the glue will not dry

texts:
I decided to replace the entire house with a glue down plank vinyl flooring. I followed the instructions and used the recommended glue to put it in place.

Two days after putting the floor down, when moving the appliances in I could see wet glue coming through the cracks. I cleaned it up and assumed I placed too much glue in that area. That was just the beginning of cleaning up glue. Months have gone by and here and there in the kitchen I would see wet glue come through the seams. Everyday that went by I was hoping it would finally dry.

Well, it’s been over a year and decided to peal a tile up only to see the concrete slab and the glue I put down was as wet as the day I put it down. I don’t know why the glue never dried in the kitchen and the rest of the house is fine.
I don’t have any water pipes that run through the slab, so it’s not a water leak.
The house was built in the mid-60s. The common floor type that was the glue down sheet vinyl with cut back black glue. I still had a hit and miss of this old glue still on the concrete but, it was mostly in another room where the new floor is fine.
I don’t know where to start to fix this problem.
I can pull up these tiles and clean the glue off the slab and reuse the tiles, but what glue will adhere to the concrete and the tile.
 I’m looking for a solution to this mysterious problem.
Hope you can help me,


texts: Breaker to outdoor Sub panel keep tripping

texts:
Need help with my outdoor kitchen fridge.

A 20 amp fuse at the main box goes takes a 10/2 w/ground wire to a sub panel.
The sub panel has two 15 amp breakers circuit one goes to a storage shed via a 12/2 UF rated buried line that only has a 100 watt light, a GFCI outlet.
Circuit two has the same 12/2 w/ground UF buried attached to a GFCI that has the mini fridge, two outlets that are wired to the load side of the GFCI.

The problem is that the breaker to leg two, and the breaker in the main box keep tripping.  But, they don't trip when I reset them.  They both trip, later, hours later.  I reset both last night at about 9:00 checked to make sure it was live at 10:30, this morning BOTH had tripped.  I have checked one of the outlets, it had a wire that had been nicked.  I rewired the outlet and reinstalled the outlet.

I have a GFCI tester and the GFCI appears to be wired correctly, I tested the gfci with the tester ad it trips the gfci.

So:

Why  is this happening?
Why doesn't the GFCI trip?
How do I fix this?


texts: Can I use hydraulic cement as a top surface to fill in gaps in cement board in a cold/ hot outdoor weather area? This will be under the tile.


texts:
Could you please advise how is it called when shower gives just a portion of water like for 10 seconds and then stops until you push the big button again. They often have such showers in public places to save water like in swimming pool etc. I need to buy something that would do the same - do I need to buy some automatic mixer valse or how is t called? I don't need it to be sensor triggered or infrared. Just by manually pushing the "button".

Thanks!!!


texts: Two GFCI outlets on the same circuit, just for code?

texts:
I have a condo that hasn't been updated in probably decades, and I am looking to sell it in the near future. As part of my updates, I am installing GFCI outlets in the bathrooms and in the kitchen countertop areas.

However, there is perhaps a situation with my bathrooms. The first floor half-bath and the second-floor full bathroom outlets are on the same circuit. The lights and fans of both bathrooms are on another circuit entirely. This line appears to run just up the wall and power the both bathroom outlets only.

This NEC set of rules says that all bathroom outlets must be GFCI. However, I'm looking at some questions on this site, and it appears that having two on the same circuit might cause some inconvenient, if not unexpected, behavior. This answer seems to indicate that two on the same circuit will cause one to not function properly if the second trips, while this answer says that finding which outlet tripped is an annoyance, when you're not expecting two on the same circuit.

In any case, it seems that one GFCI outlet on the circuit is all that is necessary, strictly speaking, to provide adequate protection.

However, in terms of salability, I would like any potential buyers to look at the bathrooms, see GFCI outlets in both, and not give it a second thought. If they see a regular outlet in the bathroom, they may balk, or have concerns about the property, even if the circuit is adequately wired and protected. I don't want the realtor to say "Don't worry, the owner assures me this is perfectly fine"-- I want it to be a non-issue.

Is there a way to wire two GFCIs on the same circuit, and not have any issue in functionality? It seems like this would be addressed, either in code, or in the hardware itself-- I can't be the only person who has a legitimate, code-driven need for two GFCIs on the same circuit, can I?


texts: I have a 1938 home which was rewired with cloth covered wires.  We have changed all outlets and switches but one circuit will shut off sometimes repeatedly and sometimes will stay on for 6 hours.  This has T.V. connected to it in living room,  dining room (ceiling fan flickers), bathroom, and another bedroom.  Small house and we were only running T.V. when it does this.  Could it be a bad wire heating and cooling at that one area.  Should I have house rewired? Is this a fire hazard?


texts: The 3amp fuse blows when set to heat. I replaced it and it doesn't blow when set to cool. I'm not an electrician but looked on the web and have changed the transformer a capacitor and a contactor on the inside furnace and one contactor on the outside ac unit. The outside unit is 4yrs old and inside is 8yrs old. Need some help. Thanks


texts: Regrouting countertop/backspash joint - masking tape to simplify cleanup?

texts:
I have a granite kitchen countertop with a tile backspash.  The grout in the joint where the tile abuts the countertop is crumbling, and I'm planning to scrape out as much as I can and replace it with sanded caulk.

I'm thinking of putting down masking tape on the countertop and the tile leaving only the joint exposed, to make cleanup easier.  Is there any reason NOT to do this?


texts: Can I run drainage pipe a short distance above the frost line

texts:
I live in SE Michigan where the frost line is between 3 and 4 feet. I have a house with a basement I'd like to finish and would like to run the water as far away from the house as I can. Clay soil. However, while I have a decent lot of 1/2 acre, the available slope is minimal and there are no storm sewers or culverts in the lot where I can easily send water. Max drop over about 40 feet to the road is 2-3 feet at best. I was hoping to run the water about 20 feet away into a dry well, but most dry well discussion online puts them at least 3 or 4 feet tall, which puts total depth of the well at some 8 feet deep if the line entering it is 4 feet. My question is, do I need to run the whole line from start to finish at 4 feet deep, or if I get sufficient grade, can it finish (after a 20-30 foot run) at about 2-3 feet deep (i.e. water has a fast flow), with an opening to below the frost line, at 4-5 feet bottom. I'm trying to find a way to get the water away with minimal available grade.

This is roughly what I have to work with:


texts: Is it possible to make my own solar water heater?

texts:
After blowing (what I consider) a lot of money on 2 residential solar water heaters, over the last 6 years, dealing with 3 set of rather expensive inner-tank replacements, evacuation pipe changes I am considering a DIY approach, using good quality materials to make one on my own. The water we use is underground water, and it is hard water.

Having never attempted something of this sort, I was wondering if anyone has tried to make a Solar water-heater, successfully that would work (almost) as well as the factory produced ones ?

My requirements are about 100 liters per day, of hot water. What I am thinking of doing is buying a good quality parts (casing, PUF insulation material, inner steel/copper tank etc.) of regular electric water heater, of about 100L capacity (which costs about a third or fourth of what a solar-heater costs), remove the electricals, and make my own heat-collector using copper pipes, painted black, within a suitable enclosure (perhaps wooden), with glass top and 3 inner sides painted black, to trap heat. The hard part, for me, would be the copper pipes, i.e. cutting and fitting the collector arrangement.

Could this be something that might work ? I expect this DIY to cost about half of a factory made Solar water heater.

EDIT:

Here's some material I found on the subject here. Looks like it is doable and other have done it before, though not necessarily using the regular electric water-heater parts.


texts:
So, yesterday while trying to install some flooring (Pergo -Timbercraft). I have installed it in a previous room before and had no issue. However this time while trying to fit it into my bay window on piece (the second last one...) it will not click into place. I can't get it into place no matter how hard I try. Below are some pictures. Sorry the orientation on the flooring shows it as vertical, not horizontal which would be correct - I don't know how to change it on here.

As you can see, the angle against the wall is quite small meaning as I am hammering it in (to close the gap) most of the force is just going into the pieces behind it (not to the right as it should be). Any ideas I can try?

Added picture to show the angle.


texts: how to repair holes left by expanding anchor bolts in concrete

texts:
I have a large workbench which I inherited with my current home, and I'd like to replace it with one I'm currently building, mainly since the current one is pretty small, and the top of the bench has a massive crack, so it wouldn't be safe to bolt down my heavier tools to it.

I've removed the bench, but there are four large floor expanding anchor bolts stuck in the concrete, and they won't budge. What is the best way to deal with them?

I've read some blog entries on other sites recommending I just pound them down into the hole if there is extra space (there is), and just patch it with some quick-set cement. My concern with this is:

There will be gaps between the hole radius and the anchor, and if water gets in there, floor damage in the future.
The anchor is still there, and I just cover it up, I don't want someone else in the future (new owner if I sell, contractor, etc) drilling straight down into it and facing a potential injury from hitting the anchor.

I could chisel around them and patch up a much larger, cone shaped hole I'd be creating, but I'm trying to see if there are better alternatives.


texts: How to fill in hinge and door handle mortises?

texts:
Replaced an interior hollow core hinge door with a bi-folding one and now need to fill in the mortises in jambs.

I've read people recommending all sorts of things and got a bit confused. There's Bondo, there're all kinds of putties, spackling etc.

Is there an easy (and preferably cheap) solution to fill those in? The door is white, so would be great not having to paint the filling afterwards if possible.


texts: Can a problem with heater stack liner cause outside chimney mortar to crack and fall out

texts: I had "high-efficiency" furnace installed in 2009. In 2011 chimney required full grind-out and repoint job, and chimney saver solution was applied to prevent water damage. Service lasted only 18 months. Company now informs me that they missed identifying a faulty furnace liner, as mortar is coming away from chimney, although there are cracks throughout including front of the chimney alongside the fireplace stack. Is this likely, or is it possible that previous pointing work did not cure because of rain following day? They state that the new furnace is creating moisture and liner is in need of replacement.


texts: What should be done about this concrete retaining wall?

texts:
At the back of my property there's a concrete retaining wall that separates my back yard from my neighbor's. The wall has several enormous cracks and is leaning, especially toward one side. I'd guess the wall has been here since the house was built in the mid 1950s

To my novice eye, the leaning/cracking seems due to a larger tree in the corner of my neighbor's lot. Since we moved in to the house about 7 months ago the wall has been stable and went through winter and Oregon rains just fine. No idea how long it's been like this. There is evidence that a fence used to be against this wall but it has been removed.

What's the right course of action? Replacing the wall entirely seems like it'd be very expensive. Is there a sensible alternative? Is there a danger of the wall failing and taking some of my neighbor's yard and the tree down with it?

Pictures of the wall are here:
https://imgur.com/a/gMAdd


texts:
I am Looking for ideas to keep water from pooling under a new ground-level deck.

The frame in the photo  was dug 8-10inches below the ground. I'm using composite decking so I need minimum 6 inches clearance from the dirt.

Do I go with French drain trenches diverting water out from under the deck ?


texts: Clips for holes where wire rope goes through?

texts:
For simplicity's sake, let's say I'm building a small square fence like the one below. It has four 2" pipes that are secured to the concrete. The wire rope will go through each tube, like in the picture. The wire has to be tight enough so that the wire is straight, but that's it.

Few questions:

What clips (if any) should I put in each hole to secure the wire? If clips are needed, would the holes need to be a certain size? These clips would also prevent water from going in. How are these clips called?
How do I tie the two loose ends of the wire rope to each other?

Thanks.


texts:
I discovered a very tiny hole/scratch in a copper pipe in my basement this morning. It looks like the scratch was caused by a screw that was holding up some wood paneling. The hole is in the middle of a run (not at a joint) and drips only once every 5 or 10 seconds. The pipe carries water from the boiler, so ideally the less surgery the better to repair it.

Apologies for the not great image...hopefully you can see the small scratch on the left side along with the water pooling on the pipe in the middle.

I have a plumber coming out this afternoon but this seems like something I should be able to fix myself with a little solder or something else. Any recommendations?


texts: Porter Cable NiCd 18V batteries - Lithium replacements?

texts:
Does anyone here have any experience with these tools and battery options? What about chargers? I understand the need for a different charger; my specific question is whether anyone has experience with these (apparently after-market) PC18B replacements.

I have a [rather old now] kit of Porter Cable circular saw, drill/driver, reciprocating saw, flashlight that uses the PC18B batteries - which have become officially discontinued (besides suffering from all the problems of NiCd batteries in the first place.)

I see Lithium options listed on various sites as PC18BL and PC18BLX; Porter Cable customer service says that there are no Li options for PC18B tools.

Many thanks in advance,
Donald.


texts: Vintage Bosch impact drill suddenly lost motor function

texts:
I was drilling a hole in the wall with my 1984 vintage Bosch CSB 470-RLE impact drill, when it suddenly gave out. I figured the stone was too hard, increased the power on the potmeter and it worked for a couple of seconds until finally stopping. I didn't smell any 'electrons' or other burning scents.

Now I can't get it to rotate again.

I've watched some youtube instructions for fixing common failure mechanisms, such as failure of the electrical switch as well as expiration of the coal brushes.
However, I find a voltage on the commutator as well as on the coal brushes (i.e. electrical contact is sufficient) when I press the electrical switch (i.e. switch not broken). I took out the coal brushes and they are still about ~2 cm or 0.75" long, more than sufficient I would think.

Does anybody have a suggestion on a possible root cause for the motor no longer working?


texts: How do I connect or secure this 2.22 cm water filter pipe to my 2 cm faucet spigot?

texts:
I live in Ontario, Canada, with Home Depot, Home Hardware, and Lowe's near me.

Before my family buys this water filter, I must verify that its pipe (photographed in 3 under) can be connected or joined to 1. How can I? The filter company suggested some adapter, but which? I know nothing about housework or home repair.


texts: How do I choose the correct size pump and pressure tank?

texts:
I'll have a 3000 gallon water tank (around 8 feet tall) located at the same elevation as my house.
The distance between my house and the tank will be about 90 feet, with the water traveling through a 2" line.
I use about 10000 gallons per month, or 323 gallons a day.
My house (1700 sq. ft.) has a total of 14 'water outlets' (spigots, faucets, toilets, showers etc).
The water tank is filled through the top, and water will travel to the pump through an aperture located at the bottom of the tank.
The placement of the pump in relation to the tank is show below:

How should I choose the correct size pump and airbag?
I won't have access to the inside of the tank, and I would rather have the pump located outside of the tank.

I'm looking for a formula, or some general guidelines.


texts: Can insulation batts run on top of wall studs?

texts:
Our house has vaulted ceilings, and the attic space contains three walls that are shared with living space (bedroom and living room). The attic sides of these walls have batts of insulation on them, which makes sense, but the way it's installed seems odd. The lengths of insulation are run horizontally across the studs, and the paper backing is stapled to the studs. In all cases there is a gap at the top which would let cold air in (i.e. between the insulation and the drywall), so I don't understand how this arrangement is doing much good. Is this is a reasonable installation, or should I change it?

(In addition to wanting this to be done properly if it's not already, I'm interested in reducing a low frequency hum from the whole-house fan. One of the walls seems to resonate. My hope was that insulation running vertically between the studs, right up against the wall, would help in that regard. The fan is hanging from the rafters, as shown below.)


texts: How can I open my bottom-hung windows for cleaning?

texts:
I have smaller bottom-hung windows above my regular ones. They open just a little and are held in place with this mechanism:

https://i.stack.imgur.com/Dbc9Y.jpg
https://i.stack.imgur.com/zNAtx.jpg

What is the best way to open them a bit further so that they can be cleaned?

Edit: I succeeded in unhinging one of them at the bottom, to be able to better access the mechanism on the right. Second pic is of unhinged, now bottom-opened, window.


texts: What is that burning smell in transformer?

texts:
When I plugged in a 250VA load to the left transformer. I can smell something burning and the case is super hot.

What causes the burning smell? What part of transformer can produce burning smell?

And does it mean the transformer is already ruined? If one would continue using it.. maybe it can fail suddenly or does the burning not produce permanent damage?

Both are rated 500VA.. but I think the small one that has smell is not a real 500VA capacity transformer. It is inside a voltage regulator. Maybe a voltage regulator especially boost buck type doesn't need a full capacity transformer because it's only adding or subtracting some voltage?


texts: How much extra decking to order to allow for offcuts

texts: I'm ordering decking for my deck and I'm wondering how much extra I should order to allow for the variation in length of the supplied decking? For example my deck is 4100 x 4500 and the decking timber is 90mm wide. So if all lengths of the decking timber were exactly 4500 I would need 207 lineal metres. Should I add 10% to this or 15%? The timber is being milled for me so it's important I order enough.


texts: What to do with old connections when moving outlet to dedicated circuit?

texts:
I would like to remove one of the outlets from a circuit, and run a dedicated wire to it from a separate breaker, placing it on it's own circuit.

When I disconnect the existing circuit from the receptical, that will leave pigtails for the old circuit.

What do I do with the pigtails from the old circuit that the outlet will no longer be wired to?

-Do they need to stay in the box(which would mean they would be pigtailed in the box, but not connected to the outlet, and new wiring would also run into the box for the new circuit connected to the outlet)?

-Get pushed into the wall?

-What seems the safest thing: Remove the outlet, leave the pigtails in the box, and put a blank over it. Then cut a new hole for a new box for the receptacle and new wiring to go into.


texts: What is the term for a gambrel roof with an extra angle on each side?

texts:
What is the this roof style? Can it even be done with timber! Its not Mansard or Gambrel.

Though similar to Gambrel notice the extra pitch.

Any pictures, design, sketches of where this has been implemented would be good plus its name of course!

I've updated the question to emphasive that the diagram shows the shape not the design as I thought that was obvious but just in case!

I am not intending to actually design one I just want to know if its done and preferably a picture or design example like one can easily find for a Gambrel roof with a simple search.


texts: what to do if tile of shower is 58.5 at top and 57.5" at bottom for door?

texts:
I need to install a door but the tile is off by 1" from the top to the bottom?     Is there an easy workaround for this?

thanks,
Dean


texts: Knob/handle to turn shower diverter valve

texts:
Handle for diverter valve.
The plastic has split and will no longer turn the spindle which is 5 mm in diameter with a flat. The handle/ knob does not need to look like this one. I just want to be able to turn the spindle. Can anyone help to find a replacement?


texts: Pipe in ceiling behind old light fixture

texts:
There is a pipe behind the old ceiling fixture.  When I took off the cap air / has came out. Quickly recapped it. Not sure if it was natural gas.. didn't smell bad, but I'm concerned what this could be. It's an old house (1908). Could this be a gas line in the ceiling?

Thanks

T


texts: Why is the small white box near my fridge's compressor making an incessant clicking sound?

texts:
I have a small Frigidaire (model FRT045GB) ~9 months old (but shockingly outside of warranty) which recently started clicking. Actually it almost sounds like a small water pump?

I have been able to determine that the noise is related to the fridge (not the freezer). When I turn the fridge temp down the noise will stop for a while, but start again when the cooling system starts up again.

It seems to be coming from this white box near the compressor. When I touch it I can feel the vibration. The white box has a recycle symbol and 'ABS' on the front. It also has Y-shaped notch in the screws which hold it on so taking it apart will be a pain.

Anyone know what this box is for, what would make that noise, or how I might fix it?

The fridge is still working, just making noise. maybe ~4 clicks/second? not too loud but I am sure it is not normal.


texts:
I've started my first home renovation project and I've stained this floor, after doing this I was told (by an amateur home renovator) that I'm not supposed to stain that kind of wood. Could anyone tell me what kind of wood they think it is so that I can verify?

Thanks in advance.


texts: Does anyone know how to remove the wires from this light socket, does anyone know how I find information about this type of socket?

texts: The socket is from a wall mounted light fixture, the side of the socket says AI YACHT AT578 4/250. I've tried googling this product information but all I get is advertisements for yachts. Does anyone know how to find information about this product and also how to remove the wires from the socket. I need to repair the light fixture and in order to put it back on the wall I need to remove this light socket.


texts: I'm looking for a spray paint that can simulate the look of black anodized aluminum. I will be doing this on wood, the wood is already primed so that there is no wood grain showing. The main problem I have is that black anodized aluminum is not really flat black and it is not really a satin black either, it's somewhere in between. I don't have the equipment to do custom color mixing , any suggestions? Thank you !


texts: Trying to identify this type of insulation and maybe some alternatives I can use to replace it with. It looks like foam to me. House was built in 1950s or so:


texts:
I have read a number of other articles related to sheathing and the use of rigid foam panels for insulation and was wondering; is it possible to place a 1" to 2" rigid foam panel against the wall studs and then use OSB on top of that as the exterior of the building?

The foam could be temporarily attached with glue and the OSB can be fastened to the studs with nails or screws thus securing everything.  Correct me if I am wrong but the OSB would provide the sheer strength while the foam panel on the inside would allow for spray foam between the studs against the foam panels without having to worry about moisture issues or an additional vapor barrier.  This also allows for easy attachment of exterior siding.

Any thoughts or experiences would be appreciated.


texts: 3-way switch replacement mystery: can I solve it without a meter?

texts:
3-way switch replacement mystery:
I wanted to replace the old, beige toggle switches in our kitchen and hall with Leviton Decora white paddle switches.
The kitchen was easy, just removed the wire from the old switch and immediately put it on the corresponding terminal on the new switch. Dark terminal is common, the 2 brass ones are travelers, ground is ground. Easy peasy worked like a charm.
The hallway: the switches are identical to each other but not like the kitchen, they are older. They don't have ground terminals - what's up with that? There are ground wires passing through each box so I tied into them. The terminals on the switches are all alike - dull brass slotted screw head. I figured if I moved old wires to corresponding position on the new switch the odds would be at least 50:50 it would be correct, Nope. One switch has 1 red, 1 white, 1 black - the other switch 1 white, 2 black. AND inside the box that has 1 white, 2 black, I can see a white wire connected to a red wire, and not connected to anything else. That doesn't seem right... I have not looked inside the light fixture to see what's going on there.
Any explanation for the red and white wires tied together?
Can I find the solution without a meter?
My switches are now wired this way (sorry, no pictures, I put the switches back in the wall and DW won't let me turn the power off to troubleshoot.)
Switch right, looking at switch as installed:

top right terminal: traveler, black

bottom right terminal: common, white

bottom left terminal: traveler, black

(this box has a red and white wire connected together tucked away in the back)
Switch left, looking at switch as installed:

top right terminal: traveler, black

bottom right terminal: common, white

bottom left terminal: traveler, RED

My guess: put the white on traveler, put the black on common.


texts: How do you calculate the weight capacity of a shelf?

texts: I have a shelf that is about 4 feet long 2 feet wide and 1 1/2 inch thick. I would like to place an item on it that weighs about 90 pounds. I want to know if it will hold that and I don't know how to calculate it.


texts:
My heatings system is based on 80mm inox tubes. The air is warmed at a central location and distributed through these ducts.t

The issue is that the air pump is a bit noisy. This noise is transported through the tubes and heard in the rooms.

Can I do something on the tubes to attenuate the noise propagation?


texts: How to choose the correct bit for a screwdriver

texts:
I'm constantly using a screw driver for small electronics and around the house, but I find that multiple bits seem to work. Of course, something bigger or something small requires diferrent amounts of pressure when screwing or unscrewing something, but do any of you guys use a specific method when finding the right bit for a particular screw. Mostly interested for the use of small electronics because stripping the head seems to be like the worst thing that can happen.

Not sure if I'm using the correct terminology


texts: How can I expand a fireplace box in a framed wall?

texts:
We're creating a bumped-out wall with an inset fireplace (ventless, bioethanol), similar to this to give you an idea.

One notable difference however is that the bottom of the fireplace will be about 12 inches off the floor.

I framed out the wall with 2x6's, leaving a box to insert the fireplace into, only in my attempts to be as exact as possible, I didn't leave quite enough clearance to get the box in.  I'm sure the box isn't exactly plumb and square, and additionally, the fireplace box itself has domed screws that stick out farther than the listed dimensions in the instruction manual.

Is there a good way to "shave" down the insides of the lumber to allow the fireplace to go in? At this point, the wall is already in-place and has been ramset-nailed into the floor, so any advice to avoid having to bring the wall down would be great.


texts: Can I have a clothes dryer and room heater on one circuit?

texts:
I currently have a 100 amp panel (square D) with no free slots. I'm looking at adding an electric heater (1000 watts, 240V) to the washroom.

I'm wondering if I can replace the 30 amp breaker for the dryer (24 amp, 3 wire + ground) with a 40 amp breaker and run wiring from the dryer receptacle to the heater. I would use 8 ga. wire for both lengths (from breaker to dryer receptacle and from dryer receptacle to heater).


texts: How can I repair a radiator bleed valve that fell out?

texts:
I over-tightened the bleed valve on the radiator and it fell out! It seems to look like a screw but I can't seem to get it re-attached, luckily it's locked so not leaking.

I can't see well enough to try and get it back on as a big cabinet is in the way. But I was wondering if it does actually screw back on or if I've snapped it off and it's permanently broken?


texts: How to change recessed lighting with GU10 light bulb

texts:
How do I go about changing this lightbulb?
The frame won't come out and there's no spring to pop out the bulb?
Any and all help is greatly aplreciated!


texts: Can I replace Velux flexible tubes with rigid after installation?

texts: My roofer has just installed three Velux sun tunnels.  One will have a rigid tube, once the parts are delivered (it was broken in the box).  The other two are flexible and I have pulled the tubing as taut as possible and find the amount of light, even with the sun out, to be very negligible.  They are certainly not worth the cost of installation and product.  I bought Velux as I am happy with their roof windows and did not research other than their website, where the difference in amount of light between rigid and flexible is not quantified.  I have since found the amount of light can range from 3x to 10x more with rigid tubes.  My question: can I switch out the flexible tubes for rigid and does Velux make elbows that allow for between 90 and 120 degree turns, as does Solatube?


texts: I have an old house (built in the 1940s) that is structural brick. I want to add a small window on the wall to the upstairs to let in a bit more light. Is it possible to add a window to a structural brick house? What special considerations would I have to take?


texts:
I am making a hole for a bracket to support a floating shelf. It’s Sheetrock. After I pass through the Sheetrock I hit something hard that even with a Hammer drill I cannot pierce.
Could it be a steel support beam? Could it be I need a special drill bit for the hammer drill? Could it be I’m not pushing hard enough?
I’m in a condominium by the way. Also, the stud buddy doesn’t show anything at that point.


texts:
I'm installing a new dedicated 20 amp circuit for an existing bathroom (new fixture). NEC recommends 12 AWG wiring. But ALL the wires (regardless of amperage) in the main service panel are a much heavier gauge (I'd say in the neighborhood of 6 or 8 AWG). In comparison, my 12 AWG looks pretty small when wired to the 20 amp breaker. Should I be using a different (lower) gauge in the main service panel (to match the others) and then change to 12 AWG in a junction box?

The two photos (one, a closeup) shows the difference.


texts:
I want to buy land in the Alameda County in California.  The land I saw on the market has lots of trees.   I am not looking for big development but just a small parcel <.5 acre for a single family house.
 - What are the general procedure for tree cleaning?
 - Does contractor also do tree cleaning?
 - What else should I keep an eye out other than zoning?

Thanks


texts: Hot water is coming out of all faucets brown

texts:
I live on the second floor in a condominium and had my direct vent hot water heater replaced approximately 8 years ago.  At the time I recall having various vendors out to give me an estimate and very faintly remember being denied service because I'm on the second floor and because my hot water heater unit is 'special.'  This could be incorrect, but I remember having to go with a plumbing company in my community that specializes in units for our community (I'm sure this was BS now that I look back).

Today, after the first really cold night we have had all winter, we woke up to brown water coming out of all of the faucets (hot side only).  I have never done any routine maintenance on the hot water heater because I was never instructed to do so.

I called the same vendor who did the installation for us 8 years ago and charged me $1,350.00 and asked what that would cost today.  They told me the unit alone is now $2,800.00 bucks.

I'm wondering if I was ripped off and being upsold?  Our unit is 50 gallons for an 1100 square feet condo with 2 full bedrooms.

Any ideas on what could be wrong and is this something a regular plumber should be able to resolve for us?

Edit

I also now understand that my aquatherm unit also works in conjunction with my hot water heater.  So I imagine this also is what inflates the cost of the unit I need to purchase?


texts: When tiling a shower surround, how do you transition from backer board to greenrock?

texts:
I am remodeling a bathroom and have done demo down to bare studs. I am going to tile the bath tub (with shower) up to about 6 ft, and one wall will have tile up the wall 4 ft high. I am planning on using backer board behind the tile in the bath area, and as underlayment on the floor, but I am unsure of two things:

Should I run backer board behind tile that is on a normal wall? The wall with the toilet and vanity will have tile 4 ft high, but this won't be a wet area generally. Is greenrock acceptable here?
How do I transition from backer board to greenrock? Should the tile overlap onto the greenrock in the not-wet areas? And around the shower? Or should the backer stick out past the tile and get taped and bedded like sheetrock?


texts: How effective is a heat pump for AC and a heat pump/furnace for heating in New England?

texts:
We currently have a central AC unit and oil furnace. The AC is broken and the furnace is old, so we are thinking of replacing both sometime in the next year.

We are considering replacing the AC with a heat pump and the oil furnace with a gas furnace in the hopes that the gas company will bring a line down our street from the main road sometime before the furnace needs to be replaced.

From my understanding, the heat pump could also be used to heat the house up to a certain point in the winter.

I don't know a whole lot about heat pumps, so I'm wondering how effective a heat pump would be at cooling and heating the house (currently just the first floor, about 800 sq ft, and basement), both in terms of cost effectiveness and actual comfort level of the house. Should a pump be able to cool our house on 100+ degree days to, say, 70-75 degrees? Will it be able to get our house warm enough in the winter in a reasonable amount of time?

I'm told the units will somehow be set so that the furnace kicks in automatically when needed, but I'm wondering how that is actually determined. I don't want to be sitting in a cold house for hours waiting for the furnace to realize the heat pump isn't going to do the job.

I've also heard the pump is cheaper for heating, but I am wondering about the specifics. How much cheaper would a heat pump be to run? Both run on electricity to some extent, but does the heat pump use more electricity to warm the house than the furnace, and, if so, is it enough to make up for the cost difference?

Any other pros/cons I should be thinking about?


texts:
The shower head broke off, and there's nothing to grab onto to unscrew it. I plan to replace the shower head, but do I have to replace the hose as well? Or is there a way to get the plastic bit out?

EDIT: I was reluctant to replace the hose because if something went wrong (e.g. a connector broke), I would no longer have a functional shower and would instead have an urgent plumbing problem. So I spent a lot of time trying to find reverse pliers, to no avail. I experimented with using a utility knife (dangerous!) to get the plastic out, but had no success with that either. After living with the problem for about a year (I am lazy, but I've also had bad experiences with DIY plumbing), I finally got the courage to gently try unscrewing the hose. It was easy, and I was able to replace the hose and shower head.


texts: How can I reconnect home ethernet that has been terminated outside?

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I recently moved into a newly re-wired house where the electrician terminated the ethernet wiring outside of the house.  Wires are coiled/zip tied into a box on the exterior wall.  The same box that the cable company patches their coax into.

What is the best way to activate this wiring?  There isn't currently power available outside, so patching them all into a switch seems like it is going to be a, well, challenge... :-)


texts: How do you level 1/2" x 6" flooring planks?

texts: We have a 1920's house with some 1/2" X 6" planks. Unfortunately the floor is in quite rough shape with finger wide gaps in some spots, I started to attempt to sand and flatten it but I think it will be too much work. That said, would the proper course of action be to put down some 1/2" subflooring (particle board or plywood tongue and groove) first. Screw it down then lay the laminate over top? If not what would be the correct thing to