texts: Cancelling needless freeze protection on pool filter

texts:
For some reason the temperature sensor on my Paddock Aquatouch no longer reads the correct temperature.  It thinks my pool water temperature is in the range of 30F despite the fact that it is actually about 85F.  As a result, it keeps needlessly turning on my pump filter every 5 minutes!  How can I disable this?  I've Googled for my control system model but it is pretty old and all the results show newer models which have controls mine doesn't.  I assume there's a temp sensor somewhere I can disable it from listening to maybe?  How?

By playing around a bit with the buttons in all the combinations I could think of I did find that when I press "Program, Enter" I get the following message:

Press devices to activate for freeze protection - press enter when finished

Unfortunately, just hitting enter informed me that the filter pump was protected.  I tried adding and removing a couple other pumps, but while I was able to add them, I wasn't able to remove them!  When I hit enter it says:

Devices allocated to freeze protection are:
  Pump
  Aux7
  Pool Htr
  Spa Htr
Freeze protection is enabled

Implying there is a way to disable it.  But I haven't been able to find a combination to do that.

Update: Here is a picture of the controller.

I found what I think is the temperature sensor attached to the piping.

The circuit board (A Jandy Aqua Link 5574C) is shown here. I have circled in red where the temperature sensor wires appear to connect.  However, there are 4 wires instead of the expected two: green, yellow, red and black.

I have ohmed out these 4 wires with no power:

black and red: 1.2 ohms

black and green: 1.5k ohms

yellow and green: 1.5k ohms

Update: After I closed up the box and turned power back on after taking the bottom picture, the temperature reading went as high as 84F before dropping first to 75F and then 49F.


texts:
According to the boiler manual

  E37 Water pressure error - You must top up the water pressure for your system

When opening the fill loop valve to add water pressure, water flows out the exhaust pipe.

The boiler menu isn't interactive. Nothing happens when clicking the buttons, so I can't check the pressure via the display as suggested in several online videos.

We've contacted a boiler technician but we'd like to further troubleshoot until they arrive.

Attached images for visual reference:

Boiler display and menu

Piping below the boiler

Filling loop in hallway cabinet


texts: How can I paint aged wood trim that has been varnished?

texts: We have a 68 bungalow that have varnished baseboards and trim  not a really nice looking trim and no fancy profile  Believe it is only fir wood.  Would like to paint but not sure if paint will adhere to it.  What steps must I take.  Wood will split if removed from wall  Will eventually replace but for now just want to freshen up


texts:
I purchased a pre wired shed that has a small panel in it. The panel itself has a single bus bar for neutral and ground, and two hot rails.

Currently all the circuits in the shed have ground and neutral bonded on that bus bar with the hots for each circuit in the breakers as you would expect.

Coming into the panel is a 4 conductor wire coming out of the generator. It is 2 hots, 1 neutral and 1 ground. The hots are wired into a 220 breaker, however I am not sure what to do with the ground and neutral.

Should the ground and neutral from the generator be bonded together via the bus bar? Or something else?

Any help would be appreciated.


texts: Vaper barrier for kerdi lined shower walls

texts: I'm using kerdi membrane for my shower area with cement backerboard.  Should I still add a layer of plastic vapor barrier behind the backerboard.  Normally that's required to prevent the studs and insulations from wicking up water from the cement board, but I've seen discussion about water being trapped in the backerboard if the board is lined with Kerdi on one side and water vapor barrier on the other side.  What about the rest of the bathroom, vapor barrier behind greenboards? Any definitive answers?


texts: Electrical voltage is between box and wire, not between hot and neutral. Not OK?

texts:
I live in a house that has significant issues. Here's the current one I'm wondering about.
This electrical outlet box seems to be "live". There is 120v voltage running between one of the electrical lines and the box. No voltage exists between the two wires, or between the other wire and the box. What is going on here? Would this exist because it was originally knob and tube before an upgrade to BX-cable? (I don't see any lot of knob-and-tube though) Just how unsafe is this - can it be closed up and grandfathered in as this is all pre-existing?
How would I test for where the break in the insulation is (thereby causing the neutral or hot wire to run through the armored cable housing)?
Here's a full set of photos of the situation. https://photos.app.goo.gl/PDBPdcyjYsZ1gFh3A


texts: From what I can understand, code says any bath fan needs to be vented to the outside. I live in Denver, CO and have been told that I can use just a charcoal ductless fan in the half bath we are putting into our basement because it doesn't have a shower/tub. What is correct?


texts: Can I add a socket to my boiler power circuit?

texts:
I would like to add a socket for my daughter to charge her phone and tablet by her bed. her bed is against the cupboard which houses the boiler, inside the cupboard is a socket which the boiler is plugged into. Its not on the ring main its a dedicated cable straight from the consumer unit on its own trip, its a gas combi boiler.
Can i use this socket to get the power from to put a socket by her bed.
Im based in the uk


texts: How do I tell the difference between a small spring under a neighbor's slab and a leak from drain pipe?

texts: I have a French drain between my neighbor and our house. Water is always seeping out of the drain into the street. Upon inspection the water seems to be coming from the corner of the neighbors bathroom because the ground is always wet. I think it is a broken drain pipe under the slab foundation, but they think it is a possibly a natural spring or water seepage from further up the hill in our neighborhood. How do we tell the difference and what damage will this cause the slab?


texts: Does a ceiling fan switch make a ceiling fan slow with buzzing noise?

texts: I replace my 6 year old ceiling fan because of really weak speed in any setting and of course the noise but apparently the new one makes the same i just check the voltage when the fan is on speed off but the switch on and show 120v but  when i put speed 1,2, or 3 shows 138v and if i turn the switch all the way to max will show 185  just to be clear electrical connections have been same since we move 6 years ago and ceiling fan was good until this month please if someone will give me an advice i will really appreciate thank you everyone


texts:
I have been searching the internet and StackExchange for a couple of weeks now and have not found anything that fixed the issue.
I recently added a room in my basement, all new wireing, lights, switches.
when i turn the breaker on to that room all of my led lights glow when the switch is off. when i turn the switch on the light come on as expected. i have read where people say this is due to the minimal current that is usually in your circuits when off, and they said to put a regular light bulb in one of the sockets and it will act as a resistor and dissipate the remaining current. i just tried that tonight and the leds still glow( all 4 lights)
Below is how they are currently wired for reference. Any help or ideas is appreciated.


texts: Wires through conduit instead of drilling ceiling joists

texts:
I am moving the washer & dryer upstairs in my house and will have a contractor hook-up the 10-3 and 12-2 wires to my main panel, but I am running the wires across my attic.  Instead of drilling 23 joists and pulling both wire through, can I run the wire through 1-1/2 in PVC Schedule 40 conduit. The conduit would be located at the end of the joists where the roof joist attaches then down into a wall below where the washer dryer will be moved to.
Al


texts: Is it possible to install a ceiling fan without an electrical box?

texts:
A while ago I had some electricians install a ceiling fan mount. Now that I've finally gotten around to installing a fan I've discovered that they didn't install any sort of electrical box to house the wiring. The hole they cut in the ceiling fell on a joist, so evidently they just gave up and installed a round resin adapter plate that they screwed to the joist, which the ceiling fan mount can then be screwed to.

Is this arrangement up to code (in MN) at all? How should I go about fixing it?


texts: How should I fit cementboard underlayment around a supply pipe collar?

texts:
I am getting ready to put down Cement Board Underlayment (CBU) on the floor for a tile job, and the toilet water supply pipe that comes through the floor has a plastic collar around it.

It will interfere with the CBU.  How do the pros handle a situation like this?


texts: Breaker trips after electrical work, should I fit a bigger breaker?

texts: I took out 2 walls in my kitchen. Deleted 2 3way switches. Created a junction box in my crawl space. Flipped the power and everything worked. A few hours later I turned my garage light on and it tripped the breaker. It's the main line in from the breaker panel. It's also a 15 amp breaker. I've got 6 switches on the circuit. Should I change the breaker to a 20 amp?


texts: How to solve new condensation in bathroom exhaust fan ducts?

texts:
We live in New Orleans in a two story, 95 year old stucco house.  When we renovated 10 years ago, we put over 30 recessed can lights in the upstairs ceiling.  Those openings in an older leaky house—coupled with a poorly insulated attic—caused us to have terrible condensation problems upstairs in the hot humid months between May and October.

Every ceiling opening had moisture and mildew.  Our smoke alarms filled with water, and our hallway walls and ceiling would drip water in the early morning.

It took us some time (and the input of some smart people) to figure out the issue, but in the last year we have made several changes: our HVAC system has been completely redesigned and we made the decision to spray foam the attic (a fairly new option for Gulf coast states).  Our condensation problems have been resolved and we have a comfortable, dry house.  Going from consistent 65-75% relative humidity in the summer to the low 50s—which is low for New Orleans!  The attic is now pleasant as well, just a few degrees warmer than the house.

Just as we were ready to move back in, we discovered both bathroom fan exhaust ducts, as well as the gas dryer duct—all upstairs—have been filling with condensation.  (The exhaust vent in the powder room downstairs is fine.)  This is a new thing.

The guest bathroom duct and the dryer duct (both about 3-5' runs) travel horizontally and exhaust out the side of the house. The bath goes through the attic, the dryer through an inside closet.  The master bath exhausts go upward diagonally through the attic to the roof about 5-7'.  We then installed an additional damper within each bathroom duct (in addition to the damper that is part of the fan unit) and insulated the ducts.  The problem reduced somewhat (the bathroom ceiling no longer has condensation around the grill), but when the fans are turned on, water comes pouring out.

We have talked to a few HVAC companies and mechanical engineers and all acknowledge they are seeing more of this recently and are not sure what is causing it, nor how to solve it beyond what we have already done.  We definitely have a tighter, drier house.  But we have not really been able to achieve positive pressure.  Not without spray foaming the crawlspace under the house, an option with a lot of potential problems for us.

Our HVAC company thinks the bathrooms could exhaust into the HVAC system or even the attic itself without problems, but given our history with moisture issues, I am leery.  Another idea has been to install an electrically controlled damper that works in sync with the exhaust fan and is not dependent on the air flow. Any ideas would be appreciated.


texts: Heating System Premature CutOff / DIY Options?

texts:
I've collected all of the facts about my system and the problem we are seeing. We have two external air pump units outside the house and a Rheem furnace (GH36S, 36000 BTU) that appears to be working. One side of the house gets heated, the other doesn't. I'm hoping the details provided will help give some idea of the problem and some concrete steps that I could try next. I can also grab a voltmeter if needed.

Furnace

Motor Housing

I cleaned a lot of dirt off of the fan behind the motor housing.

Furnace Board

Cleaned and reseated the connectors on the furnace control board. BTW - The controller light is steady green and stays on when I use the front thermostat at high temperature but goes off if I set high temperature for the back of the house and leave the front thermostat at a lower temp.

Thermostats

There are two Honeywell thermostats controls when turned higher than the current room temperature will start the blowers (the one in the front can and does heat the house). With the thermostat in the back, the fan starts and within a min stops again (doesn't stay on long enough to get hot).

Honeywell #1

Honeywell #1 (Wall)

Honeywell #1 Faceplate

On the other side of the house, within a minute or two of changing the temperature, the fan sound will stop and the house will not heat up.

Honeywell #2

Honeywell #2 (Wall)

Honeywell #2 Faceplate

External Air Pumps

I've never actually seen these things spin up. The furnace is blowing a lot of air though.

Air Pump #1

Serves the front of the house. We have heat in that area (according to the thermostat). I also feel some air blowing, though not too hot but as noted the thermostat is rising.

Air Pump #2

Serves the back of the house and if I turn the front thermostat off or to a low room temp, the air does not blow consistently. It starts up for maybe a min or so then turns off. When I keep the front thermostat on, air blows through the front of the house but not the vents in the back.

Clicking Sound

A clicking sound appears to be near air pump #2 in the back of the house. I thought it might be from the unit itself so I opened the panel to see if we might have a failed capacitor. An additional (related) complaint is that in the winter the air conditioner is not blowing in the rear of the house.

Expected a Capacitor

On opening, the power panel of the air pump #2 shows some kind of transformer. I do see what is probably a capacitor for the unit inside the unit itself ~ if I look between the vent openings of the top (it's cylindrical and connected to wires from the relay).

Breaker Panel

I've checked the roof and garage for additional furnace as requested and I can confirm that we only have a single furnace. As requested please see the house panel.

Next Steps

I am considering popping off the top of the air pump #2 unit and seeing if I can get the part number for what appears to be the capacitor. Before I go that far, I'd be thankful to hear from the community about what these clues could indicate as the problem.

Would the capacitor be the large cylinder on the inside of the pumping unit? If so, can I assume that it's replaceable like all other capacitors? Please let me know if I may be missing anything or if the clicking sound might indicate a different issue. I am kind of focused on the problem being either at the pump or the thermostat.


texts: What is the purpose of these removable "collars" on ceramic light fixtures

texts: This fixture happens to be plastic, but all my ceiling juntion box mounted 600w rated light fixtures have a removable collar. I don't see the point in this extra part. Is there some sort of shade I can install? I assume if you had a heavy bulb that you'd just use an E39 size socket instead of the E26 socket.


texts:
I have a small garden and beside it there is a small toilet. There are always many drain flies stuck on the door and inside the toilet walls. Somebody gave me a suggestion to make soap water and spray it on them, but it did not work.

How can I make them fly away for ever? What solution or chemicals can work on them?


texts:
Is it better to paint door hinges when painting a door and frame or should I remove them so they keep a metal look?

I've hung a new door with new hinges and am about to paint. Most of the doors I see have painted hinges but is this just because someone hasn't gone to the effort of removing the door  to paint it or because it's considered better?


texts: What fabric is suitable for swing repair?

texts:
I have a swing where the fabric provides support for the users. I've looked up "outdoor fabric" but nothing seems strong or structurally supportive. I'm trying to avoid using the straps older furniture used.

What should I be looking for to inexpensively refurbish this furniture?


texts: Best way to source concrete for a long fence project

texts:
I've done several small fence projects before, and hand-mixed concrete in a wheelbarrow for each post as I set them in place.
However, I'm now looking to build a wood guardrail around a parking lot at work, that requires 73 6"x6" posts. I'm going to need about 1.8 yards of concrete for the job. Hand-mixing is definitely out of the question, and it seems that delivered, premixed concrete is substantially less expensive than bags anyway.
I've never worked with a concrete truck before. I know that trucks supply premixed concrete for large areas like slab foundations, but is out out of the norm to have a truck come and fill each hole as we set each post? Of course, I'd have all the holes ready to go with posts in them and a level line set up, but this would still require the truck driving up to and stopping at 73 different spots within the parking lot, to deliver a small amount of concrete to each hole. A lot more time and effort than delivering an equal amount of concrete to a slab.
I've seen rentals of concrete mixing trailers, and of course, the rentable concrete mixers from the big box stores. It seems like there are several ways to skin this cat. What is generally most cost effective, efficient, or both? What would you do?


texts: how can I attach screws perpendicularly to an aluminum sheet

texts: I do not own a drill press nor a welding machine; I do own a simple drill however it is not poweful enough to penetrate through the aluminum. are there any special glue types for aluminum that can help me with that?


texts: How to protect plumbing to an outbuilding from freezing?

texts:
I'm planning plumbing to an outbuilding.

When I splice in to the water line, I'm thinking I should insert a shutoff valve with a weep hole ("stop and waste"). Then, if I leave for the winter, I can drain the line to protect from freezing.

Is this sensible?

The water line is 1" HDPE. Are there stop-and-waste valves with barbs for poly line?

Or should I use a pair of regular valves - one for supply, one for draining the line?

EDIT: I should note that our specified frost depth is only 12". The valve won't be very farbelow grade. Of course, maybe such a mild climate means this is overkill.


texts: Efficiency of diesel generator running a geothermal heat pump

texts:
I'm looking at a 40KW (continuous) Kubota Diesel generator for whole house backup in a sustained power outage of a week or two.

Everything in my house is electric, including the heat, and the house is large. The heat is an efficient geothermal pump though, so I'm wondering if feeding this off the generator is more efficient than a secondary boiler. There's no natural gas available or propane on site.

By my calculations, running at half load:
20KW consumes 1.7GPH (per Kubota), $3/gallon = 25c/KWh (vs 12c/KWh electric)

1 gallon diesel = 137,452 Btu ~= 40KWH.
So I burn 3.4 gallons of diesel / gallon of diesel energy ~= 30% efficient

However, the heating COP of the Waterfurnace 5 ton heat pump is 4.5.

The way I understand this is approximately I'll get back 0.3 * 4.5 of energy for a total efficiency of 135%. I appreciate there are other small losses in the system, both manufacturers are probably exaggerating a little etc but still it seems better than running a diesel boiler (~90% efficient?) to heat the house.

Is my reasoning correct, or am I missing something?


texts: How to eliminate odor from the heavy cooking?

texts:
We live in a small space. And we cook a lot leaving our home smell like a spice box.
What are the ways to follow while cooking to not spread the odor.. And secondly get rid of the smell fast.


texts:
A power distribution box would be nice for connecting different loads to a generator at an off-grid job or camp site. But commercial units are big, heavy, and expensive, and they offer some features I don't need, while lacking some of the connections I'd like.
Here's an example of a commercial product.
Could I build a safe, simpler, cheaper version of this myself?
My generator is rated for 40 A peak, 30 A continuous. Its 240 V output is on a NEMA 14-50 receptacle with a 40 A breaker. Like the commercial products, my box would have a suitable generator inlet, and I'd connect the generator to the box with an extension cord.
I'd like a distribution box with another 14-50, a duplex 5-20, a 6-50, and maybe a 6-20. I anticipate using the box with other equipment that needs to be sheltered from weather, so while a weatherproof enclosure might be nice to have, I don't require it.
What would make a suitable enclosure?
What should I use as connectors internally? I've seen terminal blocks but not with insulated jumpers rated for this current. I've also seen set-screw connectors with a cover that looks like a wire nut.
My understanding is that the generator breaker will protect my box from overcurrent, but should I use GFCI outlets for the 5-20s? Is there other protection I should incorporate? Any opinions about the usefulness of a power switch at the box?
Should the components be rated for 50 A like the generator outlet, even though it's on a 40 A breaker? Is there some standard derating applied here?


texts:
Situation:

2 lugs on boiler control, one I'll call "red" or "R" that comes from the built-in transformer with ~14v and one I'll call "white" or "W" which, when jumpered to R, turns on the boiler. Very typical old system, except weird voltage (maybe?)
transformer nearby powering doorbells that reads ~20-22amps from either lug
old thermostat with 2 wires, red and white.

What I've tried:
- run new wire (I'll call "common" or "C") from doorbell transformer to thermostat location.

connect R from boiler to Rh on thermostat, W from boiler to W1 on thermostat, C from doorbell transformer to C on thermostat. NO POWER UP of thermostat
connect R from boiler to Rc on thermostat, W from boiler to W1 on thermostat, C from doorbell transformer to C on thermostat. NO POWER UP of thermostat

I am going to buy a 24v transformer locally and try the same as above swapping it for the doorbell transformer (which is cryptically marked, but may be 16v, since apparently that is a common voltage with doorbells).

My concern is that if the idea is that the 24v transformer is simply serving as the common, the 14v coming from the R lug on the boiler is not enough power to power the ecobee. On the other hand, I could:

run both wires from the separate transformer to the ecobee call them "R from separate transformer" and "C"
connect R from separate transformer to Rh on thermostat, connect W to W1 on thermostat, and C from separate transformer to C on thermostat

The concern I have is that the boiler W lug is currently only getting 14v from its own transformer when the thermostat turns on, would upping that to 24v from the external transformer be a problem?

This feels like a weird issue where my boiler switch requires one voltage and the thermostat requires a different voltage. Is it possible that the boiler's internal transformer is just old and weak? That using a new 24v transformer to signal the boiler to start would be ok?

Hope I've explained clearly. I can take and add pictures if needed.

edit: I've sifted through many similar questions, but couldn't figure out if this particular question had already been answered


texts: How can I prevent/divert rain water from dripping on a flat flashing?

texts:
I'm helping maintain a set of townhome units and the homeowners are reporting an annoying drip sound just outside their bedroom when it lightly rains (which is quite often). Apparently the sound is loud enough and at just the right frequency that it is quite audible with the windows closed.

I managed to recreate the problem with a hose and found that when water trickles down the rooftop patio railing, it drips onto a flashing that rests flat on top of a brick finish (see picture below).

What is the ideal way to fix this? And what is a quick fix we could do to fix this in the short-term?


texts: I replaced both cartridges on my moen bathroom faucet and it still appears to be a slow leak at the base, I'm not sure what to do next?


texts: How can I improve efficiency of my home? Geothermal not saving money

texts:
I've been getting very high electric bills since moving in last August. My winter months have averaged $350/mo and so far this spring has been the same. I live alone, work 8 hours a day, do 2 loads of laundry per week, rarely use the stove for baking, and my temperature in winter months is set at 68-69 deg, and in summer 72-73 degrees. The house remains comfortable for me. I don't watch a lot of TV or have a lot of appliances going regularly.

About the house:

Built in early 1990s
1480 sq ft
2x6 exterior walls
crawl space
geothermal heating, closed loop (unit is 2 years old, piping is over 10 years)
loose insulation in attic, about 10-12" thick (not the roll out type)
insulated garage
front entrance has vestibule (exterior door and interior door into living area)
laminate flooring, tile in bathrooms
high efficiency washer/dryer (new this year)
all electric appliances
rarely use the oven, just stove top, microwave

I was told geothermal systems were very efficient and people with 2k sqft homes were paying $80-100 for heating/cooling costs. I also leave the temperate the same throughout the day as told by the geothermal company and previous owners as its most efficient.

My neighbor has a similar sized house, with natural gas heating, and his total utility is half of what I pay. He also keeps his house a bit warmer (wife complains) in the winter months. This really ticked me off so I contacted my geo company and they came out to inspect the unit. Nothing was found wrong with it and the flow rate/psi/etc was all tested fine. I'm not seeing the savings with geothermal at all.

As I've mentioned, my house does not get a draft at the front door because of having a vestibule. My garage is insulated and I feel no draft coming in at the garage door or interior garage door. My two exterior doors in the rear both go into a sun room, so again, no cold/hot draft coming in. My windows are all sealed and I feel no cold/hot air coming in. Even using a thermal sensor, it was very efficient. I'm not seeing any leaks on the exterior walls. The three weak spots are - my hallway has an attic fan and the other hallway has the attic stair pull down. The fan area seems to be letting heat pass through, but not as bad as the flaps are closed. The crawl space has no insulation, but I can't see that being a big factor in the winter months as heat rises.

Majority of lighting in the house uses LED. I have a few CFLs but they are hallway lighting and set on a 1 minute timer.

Water heater is in the conditioned area of my house. Only the water pump is in the crawl space.

Other than possibly insulating the crawl space and sealing up the attic entrance better, I can't see how much more I can seal up the inside of the house.

What else can I do to with the house to be more efficient? Is it worth investing in a standard HVAC system?

Kansas City Metro Area

Last bill:

Avg Temp - mid 60s
2701 kWh Used = $231.92
Customer Charge = 10.71
ECA 64.76
ECA 1.91
EER 0.43
PTS 2.48
Taxes 23.92
Surge Protection 8.83

(Edited for more information)


texts: What can I do to differentiate the switched receptacle from the unswitched receptacle on a duplex receptacle?

texts: I have some duplex outlets where one of the two receptacles is on a switch. I wanted to install the one on the switch upside down (ground up) so that it's easy to tell which one is on the switch.  Unfortunately, I'm not sure a device like this exists. How can I make the switched receptacle different?


texts: Light trips circuit breaker when connected to box

texts:
I'm replacing conventional lights with Model CLL56-2WW LED fixtures and all went well on first 3 installs.

The 4th is wired just like the rest- white to white, black to black, ground to ground and works fine when the light is unmounted (hanging from wires).

However, when I connected it to the box, the Cbreaker tripped- I imagined I had somehow damaged or inverted a wire, however when I dropped the fixture all looked well and the light worked after the circuit breaker reset.

So I imagined that maybe a surge had taken place and tried the whole thing over again- This time there was a spark at the screw that connects the light base to the box before the breaker flipped. Light still works fine when unattached to box.

So I stopped and can't imagine what is going on-

I was thinking that since this is an old house, maybe black and white are reversed- However, if this was true, why didn't the previous fixture short and why did the other new installs work?

I do have a nice LCR multi-meter and I would really appreciate any thoughts to diagnose and fix!

Thanks in advance!

Adding photos:

Also note that image 2 is much simpler than it looks- The black wire is wrapped around white wire near white wire nut (from being pushed up into box) and then runs behind the ground nut. He should have pulled down more and they would have pulled away from each other for a clearer photo- all 3 wires are totally independent and appear to be in good condition.

And note singe mark in photo 3 where bolt sparked.


texts: How could one insulate sill plate from the outside?

texts:
My house has a gap between the Basement wall and Sill Plate (location best shown in this picture). While there are several question and answers here, I have not found any that deals with a fix from the outside.

I started looking into this since even with the fire place going, there is still a draft of cold air coming in, and from the direction of the fire place.

Questions:

Does anyone have any guidance on the correct way to address something like this?
Could I use Great Stuff on the exterior between the Sill plate and the basement wall?

Asking this since I do not know if there are any consequences. I live in a Zone 5 climate.

The gap is shown here with the spot light from the flash light.

Here's the view when I took a step back.
This is the exterior wall, underneath the natural gas fire place.

Fireplace thermal - comparing the heat from fire to the stone base.
Obviously, this is a picture from inside the house.

Fireplace thermal - zoomed in showing where the air leak is coming from.
That dark blue line is, I suspect, the air leak.

Here is a thermal image of the exterior of the house.
You can clearly see the heat loss from the basement wall and sill plate.
(I'm referring to the yellow heat spots to the right of the steps.

Just a bit closer. Heat loss right of the steps.

And even closer.


texts: Gravel inside concrete form or form on top of gravel?

texts: I am pouring a 5 inch concrete pad for a hot tub.  I am planning on putting down 4 inches of compacted gravel under the concrete with rebar mesh in the center.  My concrete pad will be 9 feet by 9 feet.  Should I clear an area a few inches larger than 9 feet and compact the stone and place the form on top of that for my concrete (5 inch tall form) or should I use a 9 inch tall form and compact the stone inside the form and pour the concrete on top?  I have seen a few videos of it done both ways and I was wondering which was better.  Thanks.


texts: How do I mount a TV on a solid wood wall?

texts:
I have a 51.8lb Sharp Aquos LC46D85U that I'd like to mount above my fireplace.

The problem is that there aren't any studs (at least none that I can find) behind my wood walls.  My walls are not wood paneling; they're solid tongue-in-groove wood (see picture).

The only structure I can find behind the walls is a few horizontal bars of wood at intervals.  The wood walls are nailed into these horizontal braces.  The intervals are too widely spaced for me to get all mounting bracket screws into them.  I could get either the top or bottom mounting screws into them, but not both.

Given that the walls are wood (not just paneling), do you think they would be able to bear a 52lb TV mounted to it?  If not, how should I safely mount my TV given my lack of studs?


texts: What is this plastic strip inside my laminate flooring?

texts:
I'm installing this laminate flooring and noticed a plastic stirp in the groove of each plank. What is it for and should it stay where it is or be removed during the installation?
Laminate brand: Kronotex Raven Ridge Estate Grey Oak


texts: First Co Air handler + Gas Hot Water boiler: Connect thermostat for gas or electric?

texts:
My apartment's mid-90s heating system consists of a gas-fired hot water heater feeding a First Co TAQ1824 air handler. The air handler has a fan and blows hot air through air ducts. The system is described in detail in my previous post.

I recently swapped out the old Honeywell basic digital thermostat for a Nest. With the Honeywell, anytime the system was heating or cooling, the fan ran full blast and you could hear it loud and clear and feel a strong rush of air from the vents throughout the apartment, including cool air in the first 1-2 minutes it takes the air handler radiator to heat up.

With the Nest, when it calls for heat, the air handler's fan runs at a different speed - specifically, VERY SLOW. Like, inaudible unless you're right by the air handler, and you can barely feel air coming out of the vents.

After some research, I learned that typically, for gas fired furnaces, the thermostat only calls for heat (connects +24V to W), leaving it up to the furnace to decide when to turn on the fan. For electric furnaces, the thermostat calls Heat and Fan (W+G). After reconfiguring the Nest for electric heat, it now behaves like the Honeywell: anytime it's trying to heat, the fan is going full blast. I also found that the Honeywell could be configured to run in 'gas' mode the same way.

When the Nest was in 'gas' mode and the fan was running slowly, it did still heat the apartment in about the same amount of time. There was less air blowing around (more pleasant, really), but the air slowly coming out of the vents was much hotter (spending more time in the radiator), so it kind of balanced out.

Now I've got a handful of questions about this:

Does it makes sense that the First Co air handler has two fan speeds: one for gently pushing hotter air out, and one for more forcibly circulating air? I thought multi-speed fans in HVACs was a recent higher-end feature.
If #1 doesn't make sense, what explain the slow feed of hot air when the Nest is only connecting W? Is there some electrical leakage path that makes the fan spin slightly? If that's the case, I'm assuming it's unsafe to run in 'gas' mode.
Ultimately, how should I have this system set up? As 'gas' so the air handler determines what speed to run the fan, i.e. very slow as described above? Or should I configure it as electric so it's always running the fan full blast? I don't have any particular reason to think the Honeywell's previous setup should be authoritative.

Note that although the hot water is gas-fired, the air handler does not use gas and doesn't really need time to heat up. It's always got hot water on tap right next to it.

Also I have not been able to find an owner's manual for the First Co air handler.

Thanks.


texts: I had to dig up part of my patio to move electrical conduit. So I removed it all and re-compacted the stone - amazingly it is not as 'level' as it was before I started... Only dug up about 20 sq ft of stone. Any way, waiting for more than a day without rain or cold. I have 130 square feet. Picked up 21 bags of sand - turns out to be half of what I need as the undulations etc. in the stone surface seems to be a bit off. It poured yesterday and even though they were in plastic, the sand is like mud. So I just spread some out to dry. I'm worried that if I start with mud-sand, by the time I get around to finishing, I will have dry sand for the next half. Will it matter if I start putting down the square cement 2" blocks on very wet sand and then later using dry sand? A hot tub is going over a section of this.If not for all the snow in March I wouldn't be asking this now... I'm using that bagged stuff from blue store in the purple bags.


texts: How to soundproof a window trickle vent?

texts: Is it possible to soundproof this window by sealing this ventilation hole in way that is reversible without damage (it's a rented property).


texts: What do I have to get to cut the small ceramic tile for a back splash?

texts: What do I have to get to cut small ceramic tile for a kitchen back splash ?


texts: Why is an AFCI tripping when a particular light on a different circuit is turned on?

texts:
I have 4 GE AFCIs in a GE subpanel in my basement.  Occasionally, when I turn on a bank of dimmable CFL lights via a CFL-rated dimmer switch, I get a trip in a particular AFCI breaker that's on the other phase.  This doesn't happen every time, and it seems to happen more when the dimmer isn't set to full brightness.  Resetting the breaker gets the power back on with no issues, but I'm tired of this.

I'm at a loss as to why a different circuit on a different phase is tripping, and even more confused why it happens only some of the time.  These are not MWBCs, but obviously share the neutral in the panel feeder.  Nothing else causes any other trips anywhere else in the house that aren't obvious, like 4 hair driers on a 15A circuit.

What's going on here?  How can I find the cause of this?


texts: Replaced fluorescent tubes and starters - now lights are getting triggered by other light switches. How to identify the cause?

texts:
I have two fluorescent tubes in the kitchen. Having been buzzing, flickering and turning themselves off for a while I replaced both the tubes and the respective starters, assuming this would eliminate all variables.

However, now when the lights are on they turn off when flicking light switches in nearby rooms.

Also, the kitchen lightswitch itself gets a bit warm when the lights have been on a few hours.

This never happened before. How can I identify the cause?


texts: What the heck is the backset of this tubular latch?

texts:
I have a number of original interior passage knobs in my late 1940s house that would greatly benefit from tubular latch replacements. They have friction in them and often stick with the latch retracted into the door. No amount of cleaning or graphite seems to help.

I'm looking to purchase replacements, but am stuck on the first step: trying to determine what the backset is. Seems the usual sizes are 2 3/8" and 2 3/4", neither which seem close to the measurement from the front plate to the middle of the door knob hub. In reality, 2 17/32" seems to be the measurement.

Can anyone provide some clarity?


texts:
I have a project for which I need to cut a groove in 44x44mm wooden plank. The groove is supposed to be 15mm deep and about 3-4mm wide, as well as no less than 150mm long. It is supposed to be positioned in the middle of one of the sides, aligned in the centre of the plank's face. The purpose of this groove is to retain a slide-in plexi piece and hold it in place - I intend to place some cushioning in the groove to prevent rattling. The most important feature for me is straightness - if it's not straight I will not be able to hold the plexi firmly and aesthetically in place.

This is a home project and I do not have a lot of tools. Specifically, I have no power tools apart from a drill/. I can't afford to buy a table saw (other than having a place to keep it) but could possibly buy a cheap angle grinder if need be - but I don't do a lot of DIY so I don't want the tool to be wasted.

What is the best way of creating such a groove, without splurging on single-use equipment?


texts: Why are our toilets not flushing correctly after our septic system was cleaned?

texts:
We just our septic tanks cleaned.  The lines had suction applied. Now neither of our toilets will flush correctly. The water will drain out but the paper will not go down.

Any suggestions as to our next move?


texts: Do I need to prepare my boiler for the water being shut off at mains?

texts: We have a brand new boiler and hot water heater.  The city is turning our water off at the main for approximately 6+ hours for maintenance.  Do I have to do anything?  They’re both run on natural gas.  Thanks


texts: What is this old 1/16" thick floor-covering, and how do I remove it?

texts:
We recently pulled up the carpet in our bedroom, and found this gray covering over the wood subfloor, which seems to be adhered to the wood with a black adhesive (some previous owner scraped away a small portion of the gray/black stuff off the wood, but it covers most of the floor). We are going to install new hardwood in this room, and we were told that we should remove the gray covering due to moisture getting trapped there.

First, any idea of what this might be, and what kind of adhesive? The house is older (built in 1928), but we don't have any idea when it was installed or what it is. It doesn't seem to feel quite like linoleum, and it's not that thick, maybe 1/16 of an inch. It appears to have stained with water spots in places.

Second, how should we go about removing it? Given the age of the house, I assume that it is likely that this substance contains asbestos; is there a safe way to remove it? Or, if it is too risky or too difficult to remove, is it possible to install hardwood flooring over this?

Like I said, some previous owner did try removing some of it, but only removed maybe 10 square feet, and may have given up after that. The lines around the removed spot are rough and jagged, looking like pulling up that portion wasn't easy.


texts: I would like to add an additional zone to my 4 zone irrigation system. I wondering if I can just add another manifold to my current setup. Below is what it looks like. The problem I think I will run into is that this valve box doesn't have room for an additional manifold. Do I have enough PVC to cut and add an additional zone? I do have a spare power wire for an additional zone.


texts: I have a shower only setup with an handheld shower head. I find that it sometimes drains water from the shower head long after the water has been turned off. It doesn't happen all the time but just randomly. Any ideas why?


texts: Can I reset Vanity Top onto particle board with residue caulk?

texts:
I bought a big box vanity with sink etc already attached. It was 1/4" off from being flush at the back so I decided to reseat it. Knifed and sawed the thing off then scraped the silicone off the sink/counter top.

Problem is, the wood sides are particle board and I can't get the silicone off. Nor can I cut or sand it without ruining the base. The majority of the lumpy caulk was on the sink side, so the remaining caulk on the base is fairly flat.

Is there anything I can use to simply reattach the vanity top with this residue silicone?


texts:
I'll be moving the bathroom to another room. By bathroom I mean a bathtub, a shower over the bathtub, a sink. Plumbing is already in place since the other room already had water fixtures.
I think what I need to worry about are:

Framing under the bathtub.
Moisture/steam in the room.

For framing I saw other posts discussing this and feel comfortable dealing with this.
Moisture and steam are of greater concern:
I was going to replace current standard drywall with the one designed for wet areas. This is were my knowledge ends.
Steam will turn into water on all walls, do I need drywall for wet areas on all walls and ceiling?
Drywall needs to be covered by something, one option is tiles. What are other options?
In my current bathroom some sort of wall paper was used that doesn't get effected by moisture/steam, but I do not know what it is.
Is it possible to have a storage cupboard in the bathroom?
At the moment I am making a list of things I need to consider, know and do. I'll have more specific questions once I have the full picture, at the moment I would appreciate any comments on waterproofing the bathroom.


texts:
We just moved into a rental and will only be there 4 months. The dryer plug is three prong and our dryer is 4. Our landlord is kind of useless so we're not sure if he'll make an effort to do anything for us because it's such a short stay.
Is there an adapter or plug we can use temporarily instead doing electrical work?


texts: How can I improve the cold floor in my ground-floor unit?

texts:
My home is a ground-floor unit in a condominium. The floor is really quite cold and I'd like to do something about that. I saw in another question  the suggestion to use Platon. Would I be able to put laminate on top of that? Or is there something else I should be using?

The floor is currently laminate, I'm not sure what's underneath but I suspect it's probably just the bare concrete, perhaps with a thin layer of foam, but I'm not really counting on it. Maybe laying down some thicker foam underneath would help?

Update:
Some more details. I live on the west coast of British Columbia, near Vancouver. I'd like to avoid installing anything that requires power to operate, so some sort of passive solution would be best. I could probably spend up to $10k on the project, but of course less is better. My unit is about 1000 sq ft.


texts: In electric system where is neutral line present?is it visible?

texts: In electric system is neutral point connected ground?If yes how it is connected to ground i cant see any such kind of connection?where it will be?


texts: How can I cut off the rusted closet bolts holding my toilet?

texts:
I need to change the wax ring on my toilet. The closet bolts that hold it in place are rusted so I need to cut them in order to remove the nuts.

I thought of trying bolt cutters. The bolt cutters I have are, I believe, 24 inches, but they are too big to fit into the space I need to fit them in order to cut the bolts.

What is the smallest size of bolt cutters that can reliably cut those closet bolts holding down the toilet to the floor? Or is there another tool I can use?


texts: What's the best way to get rid of ants inside my home?

texts: I have ants occasionally in the summer come through the cracks in my garage floor. What is the best way to eliminate them?


texts: Water line pressure slowly drops & well kicks in every 20 minutes. Replaced Check Valve Worked for 2 days & then same problem

texts:
My Well Pump was kicking on & off every 20 minutes (like clockwork) because of a slow drop in water pressure. I had a Well Contractor come out who found no leaks in the pipe and replaced all of the couplings and also replaced the Check Valve  on the well pump which corrected the problem for 2 or 3 days but now we have exactly the same problem.
 I Have three Questions:

If the check valve is good on a well pump, & no leaks in the pipe going down to the check valve on the pump will there be water in the pipe as you pull it up.
If a bad check valve has been replaced and the water pressure was good for two or three days after replacing the Check Valve and then had the same problem as before the Check Valve was replaced. Then is it more likely that the pressure rating for the check valve was less than for the water pump or is it more likely that the new check valve was defective or could there be another issue that is causing losing water pressure and having the water pump kick on every 20 minutes like clockwork.
How critical is it for the well pump to cycle off & on every 20 minutes?  Is it an immediate problem that has to be fixed or is a week or two not a big issue.

Also to answer the Question from "HoneyDo" "Did the Contractor test the pump" I did not see him test it, although he did check the Check Valve and thought that it was best to replace because of the wear and tear on the spring although he said that he was surprised that externally it did not look that bad.


texts: can I turn a spa panel box into a circuit breaker box

texts:
I got rid of the hot tub and have 60A spa panel.  Can I purchase guts that would make it a breaker box?

Or should I just replace it with a circuit breaker box?

I want to run power to my shed.

Is it feasible to leave the spa panel in place and run a sub panel inside the shed?

I would like to not burn down the house/shed/neighborhood.....

Thanks!


texts: Is wolmanized wood different that just treated wood?

texts: The title says it all, is wolmanized wood different that just treated wood?


texts: On a Marley baseboard electric heater 2500 does it matter what wire connects to what wire of a dial thermostat?

texts:
An electrician friend of mine told me to get a Marley 2500 heater, and I was wondering if there's any specific order to connect wires to outside of no crossing color paths outside of the heater itself?

The manual can be found here: http://www.marleymep.com/en/assets/pdf/5200-2194-010.pdf

We're wiring the left side with a switch.


texts: What leveling precautions should one take with plywood subfloor for engineered hardwood nail down installation?

texts:
I installed the nail down engineered hardwood downstairs and did an OK job as far as leveling the subfloor is concerned. I sanded a few high spots down and even used a planer on an especially stubborn spot.

I'm now moving on to the upstairs and I am weary of the same situation. Is there anything else I can do to ensure the subfloor is level?

What are leveling compounds? Are they worth it -or- more of a mess?


texts: How much grease accidentally going down a drain is a concern?

texts:
I always try to dispose of my cooking grease safely, but I'm curious as to how grease actually causes a clog in a drain.  For example, if a bit of cooking grease gets down the drain one time, will it expand and clog the drain almost instantaneously?  Or does clogging a drain with grease require repeated abuse / grease and oil constantly being run down the drain?

Edit: Let's assume the grease is a small amount of bacon grease (>1/8 cup), and the pipes are standard 1.5" in diameter pipes.  If accidentally poured down the drain in the morning, what are the odds it would stop up the whole drain?


texts: Can a new ceiling be build directly onto an old one

texts:
I would like to build a new ceiling on to an old slightly sagging and poorly finished ceiling (peeling paint and no joint plaster used). I see this way as more convenient and less messy than ripping off the old ceiling. I intend to screw 70mm or 90mm x 35mm (3" or 4" x "1.5") battens onto the existing ceiling joists through the old plaster. I guess this is equivalent to a false ceiling.

Although old, inadequately rated ceiling insulation already exists above the 'old' plaster I want to add newer and better rated insulation between the two ceilings. This will be held in place with metal strapping attached on the downside of the battens before the new ceiling plaster is attached.

Are there any negative aspects to having the insulation enclosed like this? - such as the creation of a moisture trap, for example.


texts: Is sanding hardwood floors really necessary?

texts:
I bought my house a couple of years ago and I was told that there are beautiful hardwood floors under the carpet.  I decided to rip up the carpets and find out (actually my dog decided that for me when she ate some of my carpet for dinner).

I see a lot of articles on how to refinish hardwood floors, so I can figure that out myself.

My question is if sanding is ALWAYS required when bringing hardwood back to life.  The old woman I bought the house from kept the house in pristine condition, and I can't imagine the floors under the carpet are any different.

I'm hoping that I can remove the carpet and any adhesive and just apply the stain and protective coating without sanding.  Is this a completely unrealistic expectation?  Or do people sometimes get lucky and have hardwood under carpet that doesn't need sanded?


texts: Can this european sauna heater be installed in the US?

texts:
I am the proud almost-owner of the Huum Drop 9kw heater.

I purchased a GE 3 pole, 16A breaker and am planning on installing it into my breaker box.

Will this work?

Thanks


texts: What are my options for transitions between Linoleum and tile?

texts:
I just completed building a bathroom in the basement. The last piece is installing some sort of transition between ceramic tile bathroom floor and linoleum tile outside. The tile in the bathroom is about 1/2 to 5/8 inch higher than the linoleum. Linoleum is glued directly onto a concrete slab.
What are my options as far as transition pieces?


texts: Would covering walls with a sound absorbing foam reduce the transmission of medium-high frequency fan noise?

texts:
I have recently purchased a server-grade computer, which works great, however, it is now audible even through a closed door.

It is in a separate room, so I am thinking what are the best ways of sound-proofing it.

Does covering the walls with a sound-absorbing foam make sense?

My plan is to cover the area around the server, potentially also adding another partition of the sound-proof foam around the machine to further dampen the noise.

Any recommendations? The room is approx 2m by 1m, so quite a small one.

EDIT1&2:

Further advice suggests that a sound-dampening box around the server may be a good solution - what would be a good material to use? The noise producing machine is Dell 2950 (see link for example of the sound)

EDIT3:

I've taken a sample of the noise using my phone see image: noise spectrum. From what I can see, after the fans initially spin up, they settle down at just below 1kHz. Then, at the bottom is most likely the PSU fan, which spins normally at 4kRPM, half speed of the main fans. Hard to read the scale but I guess the main band is just over 0.1kHz. Although the colour may indicate similar pressure, the PSU fans are much less audible.


texts: What is the best strategy for this layout if I want/need to remove copper plumbing and move to PEX? (two bathrooms connected by the same supply pipes)

texts:
This is a basement bathroom completely gutted out
In the picture below
1 -the pipes are coming from the adjacent room (kitchen) Main valve is there as well
2 shower end -from there it splits horizontally toward 5 (sink) and 6 (toilet)
3 upstairs sink
4 bath tub shower upstairs
you can also see where the upstairs toilet drain is joining the vertical purple drain
Everything is copper and I am not sure if it needs to be replaces and if I can do it myself
I have never done plumbing but I am handy

Here are some reasons why I would replace this

I want to move the drain and the vent (vertical purple and grey pipes) near the wall
as you can see in the pictures below there is some corrosion going on (nothing leaked and I would have not known about this if I did not open the ceiling)
the 1/2" supply pipes are in bad shape in certain areas but not sure how bad they are
if I leave the supply pipes longer they will complete the corrosion and they will leak causing more problems

My question is this: how do I move from copper to pex in this situation ? After I finish the basement I will do the reno for the upstairs bathroom and I need to understand how I can do the basement bathroom and finish it and them move to upstairs.
A plan I am thinking of would be to make a copper to pex transition at ❶ and then find a way to leave pex ends accessible for when I open the floor upstairs What do the plumbers do in such situations when you can't shut down all the bathrooms in the house for an extended period ? (the upstream bathroom will also be opened and gutted out )

Bottom side of the vent and drain that I want to move near wall


texts: Minimum distance from receptacle terminal to conduit connector

texts: Is there a minimum distance required from a receptacle terminal to a conduit connector?  Surely this is defined in the NEC somewhere right?


texts: 2 x Wire Lines in Ceiling Electrical Box - 2 White/2 Black - 3 of them are always hot

texts:
I took down an old large chandelier to replace it with a new smaller one. It took a few weeks to repair the ceiling and find a new chandelier and I didn't take a photo of the original wiring setup.

Now that I am ready to put our new chandelier up, I noticed that there are two lines in the box, each with a white, black and ground cable. I tried connecting both blacks to the chandelier black and both whites to the chandelier white, but that just kept the light on all the time, and the switch did nothing.

Using a line tester, I noticed that both blacks and one of the whites are always hot, whether the switch is on or not.

Can anyone help me figure out the proper connections?

I opened up the light switch and now I'm even more confused. There are two switches connected to what seems to be one three pole line. One switch (right) is for the chandelier and the other switch is for two adjacent recessed lights.


texts: How to repair the voids in this stone wall

texts:
I have a stone wall and steps in my yard that have voids that need patching
What is the best way to fill these holes
Is there some type of cement that can be used or some other material to fill the cracks and voids that may have once had stones in them
Thanks for your help

enter image description here

]4


texts: What are these connectors on UK plug socket internal wiring?

texts:
My friend is renovating an old house in the UK.  I was interested to notice that all of the (removed) mains sockets had these plastic terminals on the ends of the wiring coming out of the wall.  I've never seen these before - I would have expected bare wires, to attach to screw terminals on the socket fixtures.

I understand that the wiring is pre-2004 standard, with red live and black neutral.

What are these plastic connectors for?  Are they intended to plug in to some particular design of socket fixture?  To fit to a normal screw terminal socket, would these just be removed?


texts: I have a Quadra-fire topaz direct vent gas fireplace, what type thermostat is needed

texts: I'm looking to run a thermostat to my gas fireplace, it's a millivolt system, how do I wire the thermostat correctly


texts: Switching between two appliances on a single power socket

texts:
Is there a device on which I can plug in 2 appliances, however with a button/switch, I can switch between these two appliances so only one is active at a time?
I don’t want to plug and unplug appliances multiple times.


texts:
How long does each composite hold given that the structures are built in the northern hemisphere e.g scandinavia. If not known, perhaps a prediction could be made.

Rebar cage + concrete: 100 years.

Rebar cage + stone* + poured concrete: ?

Stone* + poured concrete: ?

Stone* + mortar: ?

Rebar cage + stone* + mortar: ?

*stone = Granite, quartzite or sandstone

Motivation

Imagine I want to build a structure/house that will last for a thousand years, or close to it. Why? Because given the effort and the amount of money spent on the building I want it to last, even if I sell it.


texts: How do I remove 1 out of 4 light fixtures from a two way switch arrangement?

texts:
I have 4 light fixtures on the exterior of the house (pictured blue=lights, green=switches). 2 of them are on a wall along the stairs, 2 are at installed on the ceiling of an overhang in front of the garage.

All 4 of these fixtures are controlled by two light switches, one upstairs in the main level of the house, and one in the garage right inside the door.

I would like to install a Ring Floodlight Cam on the garage light closest to the door, how would I take that one fixture off the circuit so that it always receives power?


texts: I have a popcorn ceiling in my bathroom that has a tendency to collect mold. I clean it off with bleach but it always comes back. There was no mold prior to remodeling the bathroom a few years ago, which is strange since the remodeling removed wallpaper and leaky tiles that I would've thought would increase mold production. There is a vent in the bathroom in addition to the recently upgraded bath fan, so it has plenty of ventilation. What is making the ceiling such a cozy place for mold in the otherwise clean and well-ventilated room?


texts: How can I install a Honeywell RTH65800WF Wifi thermostat?

texts:
I am having some difficulty figuring out the correct wiring for my new wifi thermostat. Before I bring out the A/C technician, I was wondering if anyone here might be able to help? Searched other threads and did not see one that applied to my situation...
It is a Honeywell RTH65800WF, watched all of their videos and spoke with their support department and still no luck, so here it goes:
Existing Thermostat Terminals:

G - Green Wire,
Y - Blue Wire (previous owner wrote a B next to Y label),
W - White Wire,
RH - Red Wire (with jumper to RC terminal) (previous owner appears to have highlighted the R),
B - Empty,
O - Empty,
RC - Jumper to RH terminal

Existing AHU Terminals:

C - Blue Wire,
R - Red Wire,
G - Green Wire,
Y/Y2 - Yellow and Gray Wires (not sure where these lead to , but I think to outside unit),
O - Empty,
W1 - White Wire,
W2 - Empty,
Y1 - Empty

New Thermostat Terminals (need to connect to):
C, G, Y, W, R
So it appears the C terminal at the Air handling unit (AHU) block is currently connected to the Y terminal at the existing thermostat? Is that possible?
I will attempt to include photos of the AHU and Existing Thermostat terminal blocks:
AHU:

Ex. Thermostat


texts:
I decided a few months back to remodel a guest bathroom, and went with a fiberglass/acrylic shower pan.  The pan was put in place on top of a mortar base, and then sealed to it with liquid nails.  At this stage there is now tile on top of shower pan as well, so removing the shower pan would require taking out that row of tile, and likely cutting it out.  The rest of the bathroom however is unfinished.

Unfortunately the pan creaks, and I know if that isn't fixed it will drive me crazy.  It's a brand new bathroom, the tiled wall looks beautiful, and everything else will look like a million dollars, but a creaking acrylic shower pan is going to ruin it aesthetically for me.

What are my options at this point?  Try to salvage the pan with techniques to stop it from creaking (I've read about foam, etc.) or just take it on the chin and rip it out and go with a tiled base?  It'll definitely add to the cost of the project and time, but if I'm not going to enjoy the end product, the money is beside the point.

Thoughts and advice are welcome.


texts: I am getting ready to spray the trim in my house using a 211 tip.  How much of each room needs to be masked or do I just need to mask everything (except the trim)?


texts: What size wrench do I need to remove home water heater TPRV?

texts:
I'm trying to remove the temperature and pressure relief valve of a water heater.

The problem I'm having at this point is the actual removal of the valve from the heater unit.

I've removed the copper outflow pipe, and am left with only the brass valve itself. I've unloaded nearly an entire 4oz of PB-blaster (per the suggestion of someone at the big box home store), and still nothing. I've even tapped around the entire area with a soft mallet. I have managed to shear off half of the female outlet stem from the side of the valve.

My main issue is that I cannot grip the valve. I've tried flat and angled beaks, screw and slip-adjust (pardon my lack of technical names) wrenches, but nothing will grip the brass valve to allow me to gain any traction -- they all just slip off.

I think I need something with a longer beak, or maybe I need to wrap the valve itself in something so I can grip it. I've considered the self-tightening rubber wrap wrenches, but I'm not sure that's going to provide any help, especially with the outlet stem still partially there.

I've also read I could wrap the stem area directly against the heater unit with a wet rag, and then apply some brief flame to the end area of the valve, and that this should help loosen things.

This is supposed to be easy enough to do w/o calling in a plumber, and I suspect it is if I'm using the proper tools.  Can you please provide some assistance?   Specific names/sizes/models are more useful than "get a big wrench".

Thank you for any help you can send my way!


texts: Adding a mechanical part to a lock insert

texts:
After some cases of vandalism (objects inserted in the lock from outside) I would like to get rid of this single point of failure by adding, on the internal side of the lock, an electro-mechanical mechanism to turn the lock from the inside. It would be powered by an Arduino.

I know that there are electronic locks (the ones I saw had various issues) or anti-vandalism ones (no electronic parts) but I would like to try to roll out my own.

The problem I am having is that I could not find anywhere an insert which would be

normal on the outside part of the door (a classical hole for the key)
hackable on the inside part of the door,

probably something like this

where I could attach something (a motor for instance) instead of the knob.

Do such inserts (cylinders) exist?


texts: Where does the E wire go on a Nest thermostat?

texts: Have Honeywell Pro 3000 TH3210D thermostat.  It has 7 wires hooked up to a 2 heat/1 cool system.  E Aux Y G O R C.  Where does the E wire go on the Nest?Does the Aux wire go on W1 or W2?


texts: Is the unused hot water line cooling all the other hot water lines?

texts:
We are having an addition done, and they just ran the hot and cold water lines to the addition. The lines are not used yet, so the water in the hot water line is cold because hot water never moves through it.

Whenever we run hot water anywhere else in the house it is hot at first and then only lukewarm.

Here's a picture showing where they connected the new PEX line to our existing copper hot water line. When we don't run the water for a while that copper T connection is warm. As soon as we turn on a hot water tap the copper becomes very cold there - so it must be mixing in the cold water from the new PEX line.

What could be going on? Is it just that there is cold water in the unused line that is mixing with the hot water and making it cool? Even after running hot water for 20 minutes that connection is really cold. Or could there be a hot/cold crossover in the addition?

Update:  I found a hot cold crossover at the shower mixing valve in the addition.


texts: How can I fix/polish a slate tile imperfection after it has been laid down and grouted?

texts:
Our contractor laid down a tile on our renovated bathroom and somehow did not realized that it was defective (see picture).  The defect is some sort of metal mineral (kind of rough) the kind that would hurt if you are walking barefoot and step on it. We noticed it before it was groutted but told the contractor the following day but by then it was already grouted.

Can anyone suggest a solution to how to polish/remove that mineral part without making too much damage to the tile? We have not yet put the sealant solution onto the tiles.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.


texts: Is it possible to replace just the garage door opener console?

texts:
My old house has a garage door system that must have been 20 years old. It has been working fine for many years. But recently my car got broken into and the remote is stolen. I have no way to re-program the currently one as it's the only one I have and I don't know if it's taking a new code or not. Also there seems to be no replacement in the market. My model is Sears 139.654021

Photos below:

Question: The whole system including motor and chain are working fine. How can I just replace ONLY the console and its remotes?


texts: Can someone what kin of audio input that is

texts: Can someone tell me what kind of audio connection that is.


texts: Plumbing two sinks on opposite sides of a wall

texts: I had a small bathroom remodel done after flooding last month. I found out I had a contractor in over his head too late. My situation now is I have a bathroom sink on one side of the wall and the opposing side had him install a utility sink. He put a "T" in the wall parallel and both openings are at the same height. Is that correct? The other issue is he had 1 1/2" lines just ran into the 2 1/2"-3" T and not supported.Each end goes in almost to down drain hole. I see a potential issue of water flowing back into opposing sink as a possibility. Am I incorrect there? Shouldn't the drain lines from each sink be firmly mounted to the "T"? Would I use reducers with threads? Extremely discouraged I got screwed by this guy that unfortunately are the type that give construction workers a bad name when most are honest and hard working. Both sides now have p-traps.


texts:
I have recently purchased a Clarke (SPP15) Swimming Pool Pump, to help me clean out my garden pond.
Similar Item Here: https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke-spp15-swimming-pool-pump/
The pump is apparently self-priming, but after filling the strainer basket area with water, attaching flexi-pipe to the inlet and outlet of the pump with the other ends in the pond water, not a lot happens when I switch it on.

Can it take quite a long time to automatically remove air from the system? - Am I turning the pump off too soon, thinking that nothing is happening?
It doesn't seem right to me to keep the pump running if no water is being pumped.

I have noticed that after prefilling the inlet pump with water, the pump then begins pumping, but isn't this manual priming?
What am I doing wrong?


texts: exposed doorbell transformer inside a walk in closet

texts:
We recently moved into an apartment with the doorbell transformer exposed. The concern is that the transformer has been mounted in a walk-in closet, directly between shelving where clothing should be placed. Is there potential danger here? Is there a "box" or covering that can be used to protect the transformer and clothing?  Could this be considered a fire hazard? This does not seem to be appropriately placed.

Thank you for any advice.


texts:
My beloved bedside lamp fell down, on the carpet, so it wasn't a big hit, and stopped working. Now, I tried to replace the bulb, but it doesn't change anything. Since this had happened to me another time in the recent past, I thought it would be useful to ask here a few things:

What is the best way to make my lamp re-usable not spending more than the cost of a new lamp?


texts: How to fix uneven central heating and air?

texts: My central heating and air conditioning system does not heat my home evenly. Half of the house gets significantly warmer / cooler than the other half. I have tried adjusting the registers, but to no avail. It just seems like some of the vents blow harder than the others. What else would I need to adjust to make the house temperature more even?


texts: In a conventional boiler setup, is hot water usually dispensed from the hot water tank quicker than it refills?

texts:
In homes that I've visited that have a conventional boiler setup (where hot water is stored in a tank usually contained within the airing cupboard), I've noticed that after the hot water has been used continuously for several minutes, the tank appears to then take several minutes more to refill. As an example, if a shower is used for 15 minutes, the sound of the tank being refilled is audible for around 10 minutes afterwards.

Taking this into account, does this then mean that the tank is typically filled slower than hot water is taken from it? If a shower was to stay on continuously for several hours, for example, could the hot water tank then run out of water completely (including cold water that is yet to be heated)?


texts: Grounding a Ballast for wood enclosure when there is no metal?

texts:
I have a big 6'x4'x3' enclosure (glass and wood) for my Tegu monitor. The external magnetic ballast for my fluorescent light broke and I would like to replace it with an electronic ballast. The external magnetic ballast plugged into an outlet, was not grounded, and did not require a ground. The electronic instant start ballast I would like to purchase requires a ground, but my fixture has no metal hood or any metal at all. If I attach the ground wire from 12/3 electrical wire, coming from an outlet, to the ballast metal housing with a screw, would that provide a proper ground? I would have a 15A 125V ground plug on the end so I can plug it into the wall. The electronic ballast would not be mounted and would be external to the fixture due to heat. Thank you!

Edit: I went ahead and purchased an extension cord and electric instant-start ballast. I hooked everything up but the light won't come on. I tried 3 different new bulbs and ran continuity checks with the wires and internal connection points. I'm not sure why it's not working. Here are some connection pics. Thanks.

Edit: Everything works perfectly now. I did not know that electronic ballasts do not use a starter even after all of my research. I clipped and capped the ends where the starter was connected and the light worked perfectly.


texts: Can I join two switched circuits into one circuit?

texts:
I have a circuit for the kitchen lights w/two 3-way switches.

I also have a circuit for the adjoining room w/three 4-way switches.

Is there any way to safely join the two circuits and just use perhaps three 4-way switches that control all the lights without a big overhaul of the wiring?

Both circuits I believe are on their own 20amp breakers.

All lights are being replaced with low wattage LEDs if that makes any difference.


texts:
I was asked to mount a bar to suspend cookware from in a kitchen. The plan was to use toggle bolts and mount it above another suspended cookware bar.

I began drilling my 5/8" hole through the drywall, and I hit the stud.  I switched to a 5/8" wood drill bit ( paddle style ), and drilled about 4 inches through the stud, when my worst fears were realized - there's no gap on the other end, just more drywall.

So now i have two 5/8" diameter, 4" ( inch ) deep holes where I want to mount this bar, and I'm not sure the best way to proceed.  Ideally sink some kind of anchor in there, probably meant for block or concrete, and mount the bar using the tension of the anchor?

Please advise, home improvement gumshoes.  I'm trying to look good for my girlfriend on this one.


texts: How to change waste pipe fitting with a small amount of male pipe to work with?

texts:
I'm adding a 4th bathroom to my home and need to update the waste pipe going to the septic tank from 3" to 4". The pipe coming out of the foundation immediately transitions from 4" to 3" leaving < 1" of pipe between the foundation and the clean out fitting.
What would be the best way to cut off the 3" clean out so I can attach a 4" clean out fitting with such little room?
How much 4" pipe do I need to insert into a 4" fitting?


texts: Wire Line to GFCI Switch Combo to Outlet

texts:
I currently have a 12/3 Line providing power to a paddle switch that then provides power to an outlet where the pull tab has been removed. I would like to add a GFCI switch combo to replace the regular switch and provide power to the outlet.
The outlet currently powers my dishwasher and garbage disposal. The wires I have are currently setup to have the black line power the bottom outlet for the disposal and the red wire (that bypasses the switch) to power the top outlet for constant power to the dishwasher.
Any ideas on how to properly achieve this?


texts: How do I finish the area around my furnace so it looks nice and isolates noise, but is still accessible?

texts:
I want to put a TV right in front of my furnace and water heater. I'd like it to look reasonably finished and keep noise from the systems as low as reasonably possible.

I would love to just drywall them in, but obviously need to retain access and air flow.

Is there some way to finish the surface that would look like a wall but be reasonably easy to remove when I need to get at them? The finish level doesn't have to be perfect, but I would love it to be more than an accordion/folding door.


texts: What is this metal roof trim that was torn loose by a storm?

texts:
Heard a banging, couldn’t put my finger on it while I was up in the attic but I found out where in the house it was. Walked outside and found the culprit.

It’s the metal trim, perhaps this is the fascia? I’m not too roomy savvy but I’ll be able to take a better look at it in a day or two.
So what is it? Just some aluminum trip piece that attaches to the end trusses?


texts:
I have a dryer plugged into a (seemingly modified) 10-30 nema outlet.

Instead of the ends of the prongs having a short 45 degree angle before the end of the prong, the dryer prongs seem to have been shaved down so that the width of the end of the prong is a centimeter short than the base of the prong.

When I try to plug a new 10-30 nema plug into this outlet, it stops half way.

Is there a name for this type of plug? Can I get an adapter for my new plug? Would I risk breaking anything (or burning my house) if I shaved down the ends of the new plug to match the dryer plug so that it fits?


texts: Why would a 120v circuit work without a neutral?

texts:
My home has a relatively typical (in America) 100 amp 240v feed accomplished via three conductors - two 120v "hot" wires and one neutral.  This gives me my 240v circuits (the two hots) and my 120v circuits (one of the hots plus the neutral).

Recently my neighbor severed two of those feeder wires while digging a trench.  The two severed wires were one of the two hots and the neutral.  Therefore, my home was only receiving one 120v hot wire and nothing else.

Doing an inventory of my home, I discovered the following:

None of the dedicated 240v appliances worked at all (oven, HVAC, table saw, etc)
Some of the standard 120v outlets and lights worked perfectly (and verified as stable with a multimeter)
Some of the standard outlets and lights fluctuated with voltages ranging from 0v to 60v (rising and falling; not static).

My questions are:

How did those 120v outlets work at all, much less perfectly, when there was no neutral?  How was there any circuit with only one hot and no "return path"?
Why did some of the 120v circuits exhibit a varying voltage between 0v and 60v?  What could cause that?


texts: Adding C-Wire for Nest to Triple Aquastat Relay L8148J

texts:
Need some extra eyes and advice on how to add a common wire to our current boiler setup. We have a Triple Aquastat L8148E that has 2 wire that connect to our thermostat. Like many before me, I'm trying to figure out how to connect a Nest to our boiler; I've already attempted with the 2 wires and the Nest is not holding a charge.

From what I've read, it sounds like I might need to add a 24v transformer and then a separate relay between the Aquastat and Nest. If I do this, do I just splice in the transformer on the power coming to the boiler (pictured).

Before I do all this, I'm wondering if I can add a c-wire on the Aquastat to the "TP" terminal since currently there is nothing connected to it? Does this terminal need to have 24v for a C-wire?

The "W" and "T" are the wires that run to our thermostat currently. The previous owner or HVAC person used 18/5, but cut the extra wires.

Here is the schematic that is under the lid for the Aquastat...not much of this makes sense to me so not sure if it's helpful for this question or not. Would appreciate any insight or explanations on what to do, thank you!


texts:
I bought a house from an older lady last summer with a pretty elaborate backyard. I noticed in the evenings, lights would turn on around the perimeter and shine on some of the trees. Then after a few months I noticed they stopped coming on. I recently went out to investigate and found all the lights lead to a few boxes mounted to the fence with an extension cord powering the boxes. I followed the extension cords to an outlet that was by this time completely buried. I dug it up:

There was no protective sheath around the outlet so I presume rain water made its way in and tripped the GFCI breaker but I don't really know. So my questions are:

How do I determine exactly what happened and fix it?
How do I protect the outlet so it's safe and this doesn't happen again?

Thanks!


texts: Laundry standpipe overflow when separate sink pump runs at same time only

texts:
My Laundry standpipe and a separate sink pump are connected to the same branch drain drain line.  My laundry room is in the basement.  I can do laundry no problem by itself, but if the sink is used (and sink pump runs) at the same time as doing laundry the laundry standpipe overflows.

  This has always happened but looking to finally fix it now.

My plumbing is as follows (all using 2" PVC, except for main drain line connecting to sewer):

Main House Drain Line <-------Branch Drain (3 feet) <-------"T"  connects to Sink Pump and separately to Laundry Stand Pipe Trap with a Check Valve in between Sink Pump and Trap.

I was thinking that I could add an Air Admittance Valve to the Stand-Pipe, but not sure if that will help.  I am guessing the pressure from the Sink Pump will not allow the standpipe water to flow through the check valve.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

There are pictures and diagrams located here:

https://www.ridgidforum.com/forum/mechanical-trades/ask-the-plumbing-experts/743879-laundry-stand-pipe-oveflow-when-sink-pump-and-washing-machine-runs-at-same-time


texts: Damaged my garage - how should I repair?

texts:
I did a stupid thing today, and clipped the side of my garage with my car pulling in from work. The house is only a month old, which compounds my frustration.

Anyway, it looks like the vinyl trim along the siding and the metal trim along the garage were dented, but I reached behind and couldn't feel anything else out of whack, so I don't think I need to be worried about structural damage.

That said, what should I do to repair this damage - do I replace the vinyl trim, patch it, or just paint it and call it a day? What about the metal? Do I nail it in the middle to work out the bend and adhere it back to the wall, caulk it, or just paint it and move on?


texts: Old Craftsman Table Saw Additional Load as Blade is Raised

texts: I have an old used Craftsman table saw. It works fine most of the time, but will start to seize up when cutting boards when the blade is raised more than an inch and a quarter. My assumption was that as the blade rose the path of the center of the blades rotation would stay a fairly constant distance from the motor. However, as the blade rises, the tension on drive belt keep increasing and is adding load to the motor. I'm concerned I'm missing a part that keeps the correct tension or would correct the path of the blade relative to the motor or is this functioning as designed.


texts:
I have a quick question. My parents just finished getting their double wide mobile home set, and opted out of the finish installation. (They did all but the finish drywall at the marriage line, and a couple of door frames). I am 100% comfortable doing the drywall, and the door frames, but want to make sure that it's done correctly first.

In looking, they provided extra wide laminated particle board 'filler strips' that go inside the door casings where the marriage line is. The thickness on both sides is varied. Meaning, it doesn't sit flush on both sides. It looks like one side needs to be scribed and cut so that it's even, however I have concerns with doing that because one side of the board will have wood exposed, while all other sides have the white laminate on them. Is this normal, or are we not installing these correctly?

Our original thought was that after you scribe it, you paint the end that's exposed and once the door trim is put on you won't notice it, but something seems off about that type of finish work. It seems 'hacky' and doesn't seem like something a contractor would normally do on a job site (especially since the scribe isn't always a straight cut and can lead to slightly jagged edges). We also attempted to pull back the laminate so we could 'rewrap' the exposed end once we trim it, but the laminate is glued and was tearing when trying to take it off.

I've never seen or done this type of finish work before (except the drywall), but once I understand how it's supposed to be done will have no problem doing it.

Any advice/help?


texts: Do you have to pull up vinyl flooring before tiling bathroom floor?

texts: Do you have to remove old single layer of vinyl flooring before tiling?  What is best to use for under lay would it be backer board over vinyl?


texts: I live in a 90 yr old house. The basement lights are all on 1 switch at the top of the stairs. I would like to change this to a 3 way switch and add a switch at the bottom of the stairs. Am I right that all I need to do is run 14/3 from the new box/3 way switch to the current box and add a 3 way switch?


texts: How can I make sure a shed is hurricane rated?

texts:
I need to build a metal shed about 10' high and 6x6 in floor space which must be able to withstand 175 MPH winds.

How can I make sure that the shed and its anchors can hold up under those conditions?


texts: How should I clean stone surfaces prior to applying sealer?

texts:
I apply impregnating sealer to all my tile and stone surfaces annually.

I had been cleaning it with just soap and water, then letting the surface dry for a few minutes before applying the sealer. It occurred to me that perhaps introducing water to the stone prior to sealing was a bad idea and that perhaps I should use a more volatile liquid to clean it?

How should I clean my natural stone surfaces before applying an impregnating sealer?


texts: Is it normal to have a light switch setup using only the hot wire?

texts:
I was changing the light switches around the house when I came upon this setup.

The two switches to the right are all wired using the hot wire (black) from the two electrical wires on the back panel. All neutral wires (white) are tied together and are left unused.

I am no expert and not even an amateur, but I find this setup strange.

If I change the light switches, should I follow the same connection setup in the picture or try using a standard black-white setup?

The switch on the left (not visible) is a three-way switch.


texts: Replaced 2 prong with gfci--power--but not working

texts:
I recently switched out a two prong outlet with a gfci outlet, but when the power is turned on, the volt meter reads current exists but the outlet doesn't work. I've double checked the wiring and it's correct. I also used pig tails due to the old wire being so short. How can I find what's wrong?

Update: thank you all for your responses! I double checked the wiring of the gfci outlet and it was correct.  I did not install any wires into the load screws. The voltage meter didn't indicate any power coming through the outlet. I ended up checking all of the wires in the circuit and the culprit ended up being a porcelain light fixture that was wired improperly and thus stopping the circuit from completing. I pigtailed all the connections and once that was reinstalled the right way, my outlet worked!


texts: I have a single socket and I would like to know if I can run four more from it

texts: Can I add four more sockets from a single socket


texts: My humidifier is supplied from a saddle valve.   I don't think that there is much flow to the humidifier. What is the best way to rectify this problem


texts: Can I tie into a three-phase #10 circuit with #12 wire?

texts:
I'm working on an existing structure that was fitted to be a grocery store, so a majority of the junction boxes are 3 phase and above 240 volt service or higher. My problem is that there are two 120 volt junction boxes that connect to all the 120 volt outlets throughout the store.

There are already about 5 receptacles tied together in one box using 10 gauge wire. Do I need 10 gauge wire to tie into this pre-existing circuit or can I use 12 gauge cable or will it carry too much load?


texts: Heating zone only partially working for gas boiler

texts:
I did all of these things:

Checked the pressure and temperature, which looked OK
Attempted to "purge" the area. The zone (let's call it Zone 2), was purged by opening the valve on the return. I had incorrectly completed this by opening the valve on the supply return. It didn't seem to make a difference, assuming I did it right (I opened a 5 gallon bucket worth).

What I did notice is that Zone 2 was in a loop/split. Zone 2 split into two pipes, "Back" and "Front". It seems that the baseboard that doesn't work is in "Back" and what did work was in "Front". When I checked the plumbing I also noticed that pipe immediately coming out of the split for Zone 2 was hot, but once the water got to "Front" and "Back" it was only "Back" that was lukewarm.

Here's a diagram (more or less)

                                                 (1) There appears to
                                                     a ball lever here.
                                                     The left of this lever
 +                                                   is significantly hotter
 |                                                   than the right. It's green
 +-----------------------------------------+
 |     Unindentified Pipe                  |     (2) This appears to be some sort
 |                                         |         of outlet/drain. I've tried
 |  +(2)                +                  |         draining this. This is red
 +------------+-----------------+          |
 |  +  Zone 2 - Front   +(1)    |          |     (3) This is a ball lever. Each
 |                              |          |         side of this is scorching hot.
 |                              |          |         Hotter than Zone 2 - Front.
 |           +                  |          |         Turning this off doesn't appear
 +---------------------+        |          |         to do much.
 |   Zone 1  +(3)      |        |          |
 |                     |        |          |     (4) This is a ball le^er. Turning this
+-+ (4)                |        |          |         off makes Zone 2 - Front hotter
 |                     |        |          |         but only the right. This effect,
 |Z                    |        |          |         seems to only be temporary, though.
 |o                    +        +          +
 |n
 |e
 |
 +|
 |
 |2
 |
 +

                                                              lever

I'm probably going to call a plumber, but feel like this may have a really simple resolution that someone's experience and familiarity could easily solve by simply saying: "Oh hey, just twist this thingy." (I hope.)

One thing I've read on various forums is that it's possible due to the length of pipe that even though I purged the air via the return valve it's not fully out of the system. One suggestion was the temporarily increase the pressure to force everything out. I'm not sure how to do this, however. This is the boiler I have. Going to take a look at the manual online.

One thing I noticed several months ago was a gurgling noise coming from the boiler. In retrospect these two issues may be related as apparently gurgling is a loss of water pressure in some cases. That lack of pressure may explain why two zones are cold (air blockage with combination of low pressure).

Here are some pictures:
https://imgur.com/a/gXnkGi7

I tried to be as detailed as I can. If information is needed please let me know :D.


texts: Why is the neutral tied to ground in my home's electrical panel?

texts:
What keeps the Electric from shorting to ground?  On my electric panel the Neutral is tied to the ground. The ground is a bare copper wire run back to my water main.
a.  Electricity chooses the path of least resistance.  Is the current happier to go back to the power supply rather then ground which is right there in the house basement?
Why does the AC that comes into the house have 2 wires for the Hot leg and 1 un-shielded wire for the Neutral Leg? If it’s tired to ground I guess it doesn’t need to be shielded. But it will still have the same amount of current flow on it as the Hot leg. The Neutral wire is live wire...
Is neutral supposed to be wired/bonded to ground ?


texts: How do I convert a double 60 amp breaker(hot tub box) to run 15 amp breaker powering an outside light and GFI receptacle?

texts:
I am trying to run an outside light with a switch and GFI receptacle from a former hot tub panel that was double 60 amp breaker. My problem is that the switch does not function as normal. As soon as I turn on the breaker the light is on with the switch off. As soon as I turn the switch on, the breaker trips.  Is it because the 60 amp has 2 hots feeding it(red and black)?  If so what would be my best way to remove one of my hot feeds? Remove at the main panel?  Any suggestions would be quite appreciated. Thanks.

Here goes. From the main panel in the house is a double 60 amp breaker ran to a hot tub box with double 60s. The hot tub is gone and I replaced the 60s in the hot tub box with a 15 amp breaker. Then I ran it out to a pole with a light switch a GFI receptacle. I think the problem is 2 legs or 220v powering a 110v. Does this help?


texts:
The structural floor system on the 4th and top floor of a house in Rotterdam that was built in 1906 consists of 20cm x 7.5cm wooden joists which are spaced at 67cm center to center. There is nothing between the plaster ceiling and the wooden floorboards.

After removing the floorboards (already done in the photo above Note, the insulation in the photo above was just added, it is part of the reason I am removing the floorboards) and inspecting the floor joist I found some white spots on them. I believe these spots is white rot. This white rot occurs at the same location on the two floor joists which are visible. It is directly above a 12cm x 7cm wooden beam girder which was installed in the early 2000s.

In the early 2000s the house was renovated. A mason wall on the 3rd floor was partially removed to allow for a more open kitchen. The 12cm x 7cm wooden beam girder was installed to replace the mason wall’s role of supporting the floor joists. Note: Wooden beam girder covered by drywall in these images below.

After brushing the wooden beam with a wire brush the white rot was able to be removed, it does not seem to have caused any structural damage.

What do you think caused the white rot?
I’m hoping the white rot was caused by the 12cm x 7cm wooden girder beam having a bit too high of moisture content when it was installed. The moisture from the girder beam got into the dry floor joists and caused some white rot. This rot wasn’t able to grow any further since there was adequate airflow in the 20cm tall cavity between the floorboards and ceiling.


texts:
I've bought a timer switch for my bathroom that requires a neutral wire.

On opening the switch box, I see a white wire screwed to a copper ground that is screwed to the back of the box.

Is that my neutral wire?

The other wires are black (hot/in, split between the two switches), gray (load to lights from the right switch), and white (load to fan from left switch).

Thanks in advance!


texts: How can I boost the water pressure in my shower? I found a few shower heads online that say they can boost water pressure.  Is this possible?


texts: What are my options for hiding/removing service panels from the outside of a house?

texts:
I'm trying to improve my curb appeal and I have several utility panels on the side of my house in full view, including cables running up and down the outside wall. Those were installed before I purchased the house. I can identify the electric, and the FIOS. I can see 2 other panels and I'm not 100% sure what they are.

(click for full size)

I would venture a guess that the grey box is an old telephone service? And I have no clue what the little black box is.

Now I would like to eliminate all I can. I use the electricity and FIOS. I don't need anything else. For telephone I exclusively use cell phones and FIOS includes phone service anyway. I don't see anybody going back to the old copper lines.

How can I get rid of this panel entirely, and also how can I get rid of the landline coming from the pole? Do I need to call the utility or can I ask an electrician?

Same question about the little black box, if someone can actually figure out what this is?


texts: Should I turn the water off to my home during a winter absence?

texts:
I will be leaving my home for three months, during winter, where I can expect the weather to go below freezing.

My question is if I should turn off the main water valve in my house or just to the sinks, toilets, etc?  If I should turn of the main valve, should I also turn of the hot water heater, and if so, are there any precautions I need to take (i.e. drain the tank)?

I plan to keep the heat on while away.  My last extended trip, I came home to find my toilet drain had sprung a leak and my downstairs kitchen was flooded.  I would like to avoid this issue in the future.  But, I have also been told to prevent freezing of pipes, I should keep the water on and slowly dripping.  Not sure if it matters, but I think most of my pipes are PVC.  I also have no sump pump.


texts: Type of screw / fastener should one use to attach veneer covered particle board bookcases together?

texts:
I have 8 Ikea Billy bookcases and I would like to attach them together to make the seam betwen them as narrow as possible.

What sort of screw or fastener is appropriate for particle board?