texts: Wrong installation of tandem breaker for 240V burn water tank

texts:
My contractor installed water tank

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Rheem-Performance-50-Gal-Tall-6-Year-4500-4500-Watt-Elements-Electric-Tank-Water-Heater-XE50T06ST45U1/205810674

and it ran for a short while (not sure how many days or weeks) before it’s dead. No hot water, no power in the tank, element burnt.

We replaced another new one but in the process we found out the circuit breaker was one leg burn

BEFORE:

My electrician said whoever installed it actually crossing the legs so they can get 240V.

The new one (red) looks like this after he replaced

AFTER:

My question is: How is it even “possible” to install the breaker like that to get 240V? Does it mean “someone” has to bend the breaker fitting and force it in? I asked because the evident were gone and I wasn’t home. What’s exactly behind the panel that allowing such installation to create 240V for a small 2-pole? Is it “legal”?

UPDATE 1

So my contractor said that the red double pole 20A now is 40A / 240V total. But does it mean "before" there were multiple circuits but now there is only ONE big circuit. Should I be concerned about overload?
There is a subpanel in the house. The photos above are the outside panel located in back of the house.
The wire is 10/2 but it is non-stranded. I don't know if 10 AWG Stranded is a MUST/REQUIRED here or 10/2 is enough.


texts: I need help with wiring my range hood fan. My challenge is I need precise instructions on how to connect the 3 wires. Please see new range hood wiring diagram attached. How do I connect wires 1, 2 & 3 to the Hot and Neutral wires?  The hood has one switch for the light and one for the fan. The light works fine with the current configuration. I’m assuming the black wire coming out of the range hood is from the light switch.


texts: I'm having a debate with my contractor about sloping our outdoor stairs. I hope to have 1% slope because we get a lot of rain. But because the steps are rounded, my contractor says the difficulties may result in rather dangerous rise discrepancies. Any advice how we can solve the sloping or should I just make them flat?


texts: What is the best way to seal a French drain board due to high levels of radon?

texts:
The Radon level in my crawl space is above the threshold (~5.5) and the level in my basement is around 4.  I'd like to install a radon mitigation fan that sucks air from the sump pump of a French drain system.

The problem is that the French drain has a black plastic drain board at the edge between the new concrete and the cinder block wall.  It's a few inches tall.  I was told I should seal that because the radon mitigation system's fan would basically just suck air through those gaps and wouldn't do much sucking from the soil.  Furthermore, a powerful fan would create some backdraft and I may get a CO problem.

It's a pity to have to seal that thing, but looks like I'd have to do it.  What is the best thing to do?

I have some ideas but they are probably not great:

duck tape the drain board
spray foam
polyurethane spray
cement

By the way, I'm finishing the basement and putting some rigid foam insulation (1 or 2 inch) on the wall so I'd have to take that into consideration too.


texts: Switch out a Dimmer Switch with 5 Black Wires

texts: I want to switch out a dimmer switch with a regular switch.  There are 5 black wires attached to this 2 wire dimmer switch - 1 to 1 and 4 to 1.  How do I install a regular switch with two screws?  4 black wires to 1 and 1 black wire to the other?


texts: What's the correct way to pass wire to exterior electrical box?

texts:
I'm doing some remodeling in our basement, and came across the following (see pictures).  It looks like the contractor simply wrapped tape around the conduit to secure the box to the wall.

How are exterior boxes usually secured to an exterior wall?  What is the "correct" way to prevent weather and/or critters from accessing the hole in the siding?  I saw a similar post that mentioned caulking the box to the exterior wall, but is that how it's usually done?  Are there any IBC codes that apply in this situation?


texts: Proper way to install subfloor in kitchen

texts:
I am remodeling my kitchen. I removed several layers of flooring.

At the bottom there is some 3/8" ply.  On top of that was tar paper and some 5/8" particle board.

I removed everything but the ply at the bottom due to glued flooring and 18000 staples.

To reassemble it I bought more 5/8" osb and 1/4" tile backer.

Questions:

Do I need to reapply the layer of tar paper between the two wood layers (or some other material)?
Are screws or nails generally recommended for fastening subfloor?
Should the subfloor panels have gaps where they meet or be flush?


texts: Soldering a Tee onto a Copper Pipe That Only Moves About 1cm?

texts:
I have a rigid 1" copper pipe that I'm trying to solder a tee onto.

It comes off the house and only moves about 1CM up or down. I've already cut it to test how rigid the two pipes were.

This isn't much of a problem since this water line won't be used for another few weeks.

How can I fit the Tee on if I can't get the upper pipe higher or the lower pipe lower though?

I thought about cutting the upper pipe more until it falls into the 1cm threshold and then solder it there, but I'm not sure if this is a good idea.

Edit 0:


texts: Should this elevated door have trim/casing at the bottom?

texts: This door separates a sunken rec room from a den.  It has always struck me as odd that there is trim/casing along the bottom. Is there a better way of handling the trim around the sides, but with no trim at the bottom? Perhaps a stair nose with notches on the sides so it extends to the width of the casing on the sides would be a better choice? I’m looking to either validate that this was already handled well with the trim, or to identify a more typical approach.


texts: How to dust proof and waterproof garage concrete screed?

texts:
I want to treat my single garage floor (15sqm) which is apparently made of soft concrete screed. It looks as being in good shape with no cracks and no signs of water coming but I just want to be sure I would block any future humidity.

The screed is has some small ridges on it as it was not polished and I exclude this step because it is very expensive, messy and labour intensive. I use the garage only for storage but I want to minimise humidity and dust in it.

I found two Sika solutions that should deal with the two issue dust proofing and waterproofing but i don’t know in which order I should lay them, or if I could just mix them and paint with the mix.

Common sense tells me that waterprofing would be last but I have to ask...

https://www.sealantsdirect.co.uk/sika-1-waterproofer-5l.html
https://www.sealantsdirect.co.uk/brands/sika/sikabond-pva-1l.htm
https://www.homebase.co.uk/sika-dustproofer-5l_p402670

I got these 3 above but I didn’t open them so I can return them if another better solution exists.


texts: Where should tile backer board go on a bathroom floor?

texts:
I am laying down 1/4 inch hardie board for tile in a bathroom. A shower will be built as well. My first question is do I cover the entire floor (including the shower area) with backer board, or do I stop where the shower curb or floor will be?

Also, due to some old house weirdness, I could extend the hardie board 2 inches or more under where the drywall will eventually hang. Is there any structural advantage to doing that, or should I just end the hardie board where I know the walls will end up?


texts: Can my new pressure switch's range be adjusted to match the original?

texts: I replaced my Pressure tank which had a leak. As I was putting the pluming back together I noticed the contacts in the 40/60 Square D switch.Can you use a 30/50 Square D pressure switch (a new on which I happen to have on hand) to replace a 40/60 pressure switch and raise the range to 40/60?


texts: Why does the pipe to my radiator get hot, but the radiator itself doesn't?

texts: I have multiple radiators in my apartment, and all except one work.  Unfortunately, it's the one in my bedroom!  Brrr!  The pipes to and from the radiator are hot to the touch, and I can hear water running through it.  However, the radiator itself is not even warm except for the one fin closest to the pipe.  Is there anything I can do to fix this?


texts: Can I vent a dryer from the same mechanical closet as a water heater.?

texts:
I'm currently looking at a condo to purchase and the existing "closet" that contains the plumbing and venting for a washer/dryer is a bit on the small side.  It's probably not that big of a renovation to expand that space given the layout, etc, but there's also a small room that holds units gas water heater.

I'm wondering if there's likely any SAFE way to house the washer/dryer in the same space as the gas water heater, being able to share the venting between them.  I'm not optimistic that it's doable, but figured it didn't hurt to see some opinions.


texts: Replacing hardwired dishwasher with existing wire

texts: I am replacing one Frigidaire gallery dishwasher with an new one. My old dishwasher only  had a black and white wires for hardwiring. So it was wired black to black and white to white with the power supply and the bare copper grounded to the frame.  My new dishwasher has black white and a green wire. I connected black to black and white to white. Do I hook the green from the washer to the bare copper from the power supply or do I hook the green to the the green terminal connected to the frame and then ground the copper to the frame


texts: How do I attach the cord from a pendant light to a nipple/threaded shaft?

texts:
I have a pendant light, it has a cord but no threaded shaft/nipple on it so it can be attached to a bracket on in a ceiling junction box.
I can feed the cord nicely through the shaft but how do I secure the shaft to the cord?
Is there a special piece of hardware I need?
I purchased a threaded shaft like this:

And my light fixture looks like this
Update: Here is the junction box where it will be hanging (I know I need a hickey for this style junction box which will allow me to connect the shaft).


texts: How to connect nest thermostat e for American standard heat pump 2005

texts:
current wining
We have a 2005 heat pump. I tried b wire to nest C wire but it is not working


texts: Ethernet Cables and Coax Cables running outside house? How to Modify to Home Distribution Panel

texts:
I want to build a Home Media Network for my new house that will have mass storage (probably about 16TB for movies and all that), that I can hardwire throughout the house using Ethernet ports, and then have separate Ethernet ports for my internet (wireless signal is not strong in our house as we have to use data from our cell phones thanks to a lack of other options).

I've basically went and mapped where I want things to go and how to get to those spots, but this is a new house build and unfortunately, my builder put the drywall up before structured cabling was able to go in, so here I am. Therein lies the issue because their electrician did the basic structured cabling of phone and TV, but I have no idea what goes where and how. See the attached picture of the various cables coming out the side of the house.

I figured this should've gone to a distribution panel and only had a single set of wires from each going outside, so

is what I have legitimate (for US Code),
if not, what can I do to correct it?
Can anyone tell me what it is thats coming out of the wall here? I figure that black is for TV, Blue is for Internet and White is phone, but I really have no idea.

Thanks for the input!


texts: I have an ac compressor, on my outside home ac unit, that is pulling 21 amps and the tag on compressor has a RL of 17.6.  Should I be worried?


texts: How can I reduce static electricity in my office?

texts:
Our company has moved in a new office recently.

The office is quite big space and our zone is separated with glass walls with metal frames:

Employees are sitting at tables that have cheap (ikea-like) wooden top and metal legs. My setup is iMac (metal body), external monitor (plastic), iMac connected to external monitor and also I have a metal dock station for iPhone (also metal).

So main problem is that we are constantly being zapped by static electricity by:

door knob (metal)
metal components of electric devices
whiteboard with metal frame (hanging on the wall)

Recently we tried to solve this with humidifier. It was a small relief. Not a huge progress.

Few cases:

Before humidifier even handshake literally every single time zapped
us with static electricity
Yesterday, I was alone in the office lately, I noticed lightning,
during attaching iPhone to the dock. Lightning appeared before actual
connection and had a length of 1cm estimately. After this, my
external monitor went black for about 3 seconds.

I checked the voltage in plugs. It's exactly 220 (standard in Russia).

Also I am not sure about grounding in the office building. Seems like it's absent.

So the question is what we can do, to avoid zapping everywhere and avoid spoilage of electrical appliance?


texts: Can I use concrete screws to mount storage racks through drywall into wall studs?

texts: I mistakenly brought concrete screws to hang my storage racks in the garage. Well, turns out my walls are drywall on wood, and not concrete. I don't supposed the concrete screws will work in drywall or in the wooden studs behind them would they?


texts: Any advice on the best ways to secure a shed door from intruders?  I'm considering interlocking hinges, and a bolt-cutter "proof" hasp lock.  Anything else I should consider?


texts: Unable to remove flush mount light fixture

texts:
I have a Satco CFL Ceiling light fixture which was installed when we purchased our condo. The fixture had a twist and screw style dome which got broken and I am unable to find a replacement, so I was going to replace the whole fixture.
I see two screws in the middle, and I had assumed that when I would unscrew them the fixture would come off. But even after unscrewing them it's just stuck really tight on the ceiling and it doesn't seem to budge.
I have tried twisting the fixture. I tried browsing the Satco product page but I wasn't able to find this model anywhere.
I was hoping that someone here may be able to shed some light on how I can remove the fixture.
I would also be happy to just get a replacement dome, but don't know where to look.
.


texts: Control individual bulbs in a 6-can dimmer series

texts:
This is a complicated question, and maybe there is no way to do it, BUT...
I currently have a 6-can series dimmer in my basement (home theater) aligned in 3 pairs.  I would like to be able to control pairs of cans individually.  For instance, when watching a movie, I would like to be able to completely turn off the bulbs in the first pair nearest to the screen, while allowing the middle pair immediately above my seating position to be dimmed to say 5-10%, and the last pair behind my seating position to be completely off. There are times though that I would want all the bulbs completely on.  I bought 6 dim-able smart bulbs and an Echo Dot thinking I could replace the current bulbs with these, set the dimmer switch to be completely on all the time, and configure the Echo to be able to do what I just described. However, it seems my Lutron dimmer switch won't stay in full mode with these bulbs, so I put back the old bulbs.

Does anyone know how I might accomplish what I'm trying to do?  Can I just replace the dimmer switch with a normal switch to turn all lights on/off and then use my smart bulbs and Echo to control the lighting? If so, is there anything special I have to do in the wiring to change over from dimmer to normal switch?  Is there such a thing as a smart dimmer switch that would allow me to control "zones" of lights in a single series of cans, somehow?

I know this is probably an oddball request, but am hoping someone out there would have a decent solution to my desire.

Thanks!


texts:
My hot water is working fine, boiler fires up OK.

The problem is that my heating won't switch on.

I have a wireless thermostat which appears to send and receive the correct signal as the receiver switches on and off when I change temp of the sender and I get all the right lights.

Every now and then I can get it to come on but I have to turn temp up and down until it switches in - sometimes I have to do this for an hour or more.

I have an Ideal/Icos boiler (not combi) about 8 years old.

Any suggestions please.


texts: Two A/C units are close to each other and turning one on turns the other on. How to fix?

texts:
I had an Air Con unit installed in the Living Room and another in a bedroom adjacent to the Living Room, both from the same brand.  The Air Con units are actually next to each other, and only separated by a wall that has a doorway just 3 feet from the Air Cons.

Most of the time, when I am on the couch and turn on the Air Con in the Living Room using the Remote Control, it also turns on the Air Con in the bedroom, which is a waste of energy.  Likewise, when I am in the bedroom and turn on the Air Con in the bedroom with its Remote Control, most of the time it also turns on the Air Con in the Living Room, which is also a waste of energy.

How can I fix this very frustrating problem without moving the units and without having to keep the door always closed between the bedroom and the Living Room?

EDIT:  As requested, the 2 indoor units that are interfering are the Daikin FTXS20K and the Daikin FTXS35K:  http://www.daikin.co.uk/products/index.jsp?singleprv=FTXS-K


texts: Z-Wave Dimmer Wiring in 3-Way Configuration

texts:
I have an existing dimmer and a toggle switch configured in 3-way configuration.

The toggle switch has a single 12/4 attached.

The dimmer has 2 12/3s (I guess).  Both of the grounds are wired to a common ground.  One of the 12/3s has the black wired to the dimmer and the white wired to common neutral.  The second has a white and a red wire wired to the two red wires coming out of the dimmer.

I'm a little befuddled by the configuration.  It seems like maybe the red/white pair are the travelers for the remote toggle switch, but I'm confused by the black wire coming out of the remote switch's 12/4.

It seems like maybe that's going to load (it's a light fixture).  But, if that's going to load, what's going on with the other 12/3 in the dimmer box?

If any of that makes sense to you, is there a ZWave dimmer I can put here?

Thanks!!

EDIT

I may be describing the wires incorrectly.  In my count, I'm including ground.


texts: What's the proper way to replace a wall switch with two black wires?

texts:
I have a wall switch with two black wires. How do I replace

with this new switch:


texts: How to force installation of standard-width blinds for window with nonstandard dimensions?

texts:
I want to install blinds on a window that has a 27.5-inch width. But it looks as though 27.5inches is not a standard width; it's easy to find widths of 23, 27, 29, 30, I don't see 27.5 inch blinds anywhere. I did just find these 27 inch blinds, however. Is there a DIY way to customize 27 inch blinds so that they can be installed on a 27.5-inch wide window?
Alternatively, would buying 28-29 inch blinds, and sawing them down to 27.5 inches work?

Please remember to keep answers specific to the problem at hand. Thanks.


texts: Should I install a vapor barrier before adding drywall to my garage?

texts:
I'm refinishing my attached garage, and part of the job will be to install drywall. Currently, the walls have faced installation installed are are covered with pegboard. I'll be removing the pegboard and replacing it with drywall. I'm in Ohio so will have to deal with a wide range of weather. The garage space will be heated and air conditioned when all is said and done (mini split).
Should I install a plastic vapor barrier between the studs and the new drywall? I have gotten mixed advice from my research so far. Some things I've read suggest that the plastic is necessary to prevent condensation from rotting out the drywall. Others seem to suggest that adding the plastic could actually cause a moisture issue by trapping condensation inside the wall cavity.
What's the best practice in this case? What are the considerations that inform whether or not I should use a vapor barrier?
Edit: I've attached a picture of the wall in question. I removed one of the pegboard panels to get a good look at the insulation. This will give a bit better idea of what I'm working with.


texts: A good way to tighten nuts in very close quarters?

texts:
Over time, the hexagonal nuts in my bed frame have loosened.  I'd like to tighten them, but the routed access is much too small for a socket head, crescent wrench or even needle-nosed pliers -- not that they would provide enough torque to actually turn the nut:

The opening is ~1-5/8" in both axes.

Has anyone found a good way to tighten nuts in such close quarters?

Note in particular that the bed came without washers as a stand-off, so these particular nuts tighten against the raw oak surface, which was routed with the curve shown.

The other end of the bolt seems to be sealed in the leg of the bed -- here's a photo showing the 1-5/8" bolt recess with what seems to be a decorative end cap glued in place:


texts: What is this device and what is wrong with it?

texts:
I have this device in my basement that is hooked up to the water system. I have no idea what it does or even if it works. Why is it covered in that stuff?

Sorry for the quality of the last photo.


texts: I want to mix indoor acrylic enamel paint with indoor acrylic paint

texts: I have interior Beauti-Tone enamel acrylic paint. It cleans up with water it says. And I have Beauti-Tone interior acrylic paint but it's a little too dark. Can I add a tiny bit of the white interior enamel acrylic paint to it to lighten it up a bit?


texts: Faults/current leak in an ungrounded electric setup (connected to a grounded setup)

texts:
I'm troubleshooting the wiring from our neighbor's house. His electric setup is ungrounded. Our house, pending an "official" installation, gets its electricity via a ~30M cable (3x1.5mm2) from his house (only hot and neutral connected). Our house has a separate ground rod and connection linked to its more proper wiring.
The main issue: I notice leaking current on my laptop body. (Found e.g. at the outer metal of its USB-C power connector.) Multimeter shows neutral-to-earth variably at between 5-11V (readings taken at different times); corresponding to hot@ground minus hot@neutral. We haven't had this before, suggesting a change/fluke at the neighbor's side.
When I plug in a three-wire ("grounded") extension cable into a socket over at the neighbor's house, even with everything else turned off / disconnected, the ground connector shows significant voltage: Hot@ground at 100V, neutral@ground at 65V. This occurs even if I mask the ground connector at the plug, and only disappears when I disconnect the ground cable from the extension sockets. Tested with three different cables. These are probably just ghost readings (as in this Q/A)?
I'm wondering if there's a neutral wire somewhere down the circuitry that's compromised, leading to a constant current on the neutral side. Other possible causes that explain the picture here? I'm struggling to find proper troubleshooting guides for ungrounded electric setups, given the modern day standard advice is "ground it".
Any insights on the situation would be much appreciated. All I really want to accomplish is get rid of the constant excess current on my ground. And ensure my neighbor's house doesn't burn down. From what I understand, it's not normal to have it over a couple of volts. (Creates glitches with my laptop's touchpad when I'm plugged in!)
--
P.S. This scenario is set in rural Indonesia, so please don't expect any standards compliance as the default state of affairs. To note, while I'm no professional, I've tinkered my fair bit, and given the sorts of bombs I've seen the average local electric clever-man come up with, going DIY is by far the sanest/safest way forward.


texts: Shower Hot Water Pipe (Pex to copper) Pulse/Knock when Off

texts:
I've been searching for days trying to find a solution or a similar discussion and haven't come across anything.

The problem I'm having started out of the blue. Been in my house for 3 years without any issues, all of a sudden the other day the master shower started making a knocking noise. It is a recurring noise that continues off and on all day and night. I've cut a hole in the wall and been in the rafters and can feel a "pulsing" in the pex pipe feeding into the wall where the shower fixture is.

It doesn't sound like water hammer at all. When I turn on the hot water it stops and I have no pulsing of water pressure. When I close the valve it sometimes knocks and other times doesn't but within seconds to minutes the recurring pulse comes back.

I'm at a loss as to what to do and any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.


texts:
MIS called me, as I'm a Bulidings and grounds TECH. Limited A/C knowledge.
 He said the server rooom was getting hot. Servers put out some heat.
There are 2 units in the room. A Reem and a Rudd unit. The room has no fresh air only room air. Each unit takes room air and for the bottom which blows over the evaporation coils. The condensers are on the roof 2 of them. The filters at bottom of the room units were very clean. I went to the roof and found on the Reem unit a frozen Suction line. As well as a frozen Evapoator coil. I live in syracuse NY. Where the nights get cold. I remember a Contracor many years ago when it was 29 degrees out went to the roof units and overrided something electronically. Because the same thing happened.Low refrigerant will do this i think. 410A


texts: Is a gravity or spring damper sufficient for a make up air vent?

texts: I am planning on installing a make up air vent in my cold air return. I don't want to install an electric system that I have to wire to 3-4 different appliances. Is a gravity or spring loaded damper sufficient to use in this scenario? I'm assuming it would just open and bring in the make up air when something is turned on that would cause negative air pressure.


texts: What to look for in a new/replacement toilet?

texts:
I have a slow/weak flushing toilet and it's not the tank or flapper, etc. Shirlock says in an answer to a related question, that it's "time to spring and spend 200 bucks for a new Class 5 toilet. Which toilet to buy is a whole new topic."

Well, then this is it: A whole new topic.

When looking at toilets, they range in price from $100 to $300 at the hardware store, and I'm sure I could find some fancy $10K units if I looked long enough. Obviously there are "round" and "oval" shapes, different heights, different water usage amounts, one vs two pieces, etc.

I am mostly confused by what a "Class 5" or "Class 6" toilet is. Attempting to search for this I wound up with an awful lot of "potty training" results!

I want to replace the faulty toilet with one that will freaking work. I am not opposed to spending a little more for quality and longevity, but I am tired of flushing 2-3 times, period. What do I need to look for to get a dependable, powerful one, without necessarily wasting a ton of water?


texts: AFCI/GFCI Combo Breaker Trips Daily Under No Load

texts:
I have a new house (about 9 months old) and recently the dishwasher circuit has started tripping.  It trips while the dishwasher isn't running.  I believe it's code that the dishwasher must be on its own circuit so I'm not sure what else could be causing the trip.

Some facts:

Dishwasher completes its cycle (with heated dry so pulling some current) no issue.  Sometime between then and the next time I go to start the dishwasher (typically 2 days), the circuit trips.
The dishwasher has a switch under the sink.  I've tried turning the switch off just after the cycle completes and I've verified that the power is still on.  Next time I go to start it I turn on the switch and the circuit is off.  So I don't think the dishwasher is doing anything to cause this.
The breaker that trips is labeled "Disposal".  The "Dishwasher" one is next to it and stays on.  The disposal has always had power.  The dishwasher circuit does not appear to trip related to when the disposal is run.  Not sure if this is a simple mislabel or a sign of something more sinister.
Last note and this may be completely unrelated or might not.  After a few months of running just fine, the fridge in my utility room started to trip the breaker daily, then getting more often and eventually tripping it every few hours.  It is also on a GFCI/AFCI combo circuit.  I plugged it into another circuit which had an AFCI-only breaker and it was fine.  After reading about the 2015 regulation changes and how many people were having trouble, I replaced the G/A combo breaker with an AFCI-only and it has run fine ever since.  A few weeks after this the dishwasher trouble started.

I'm stumped.  Before I start disconnecting things, monitoring currents, etc, does anyone have ideas as to why this could be happening?  The house is under warranty for another few months but I'm just not the type to call them in without some idea of whats wrong.

The breaker that trips is an Eaton type that has the diagnostic LED.  It does not blink after resetting.  Just in case that means anything to someone...


texts: How can I cover the unfinished edge of particle board?

texts:
I am new to this forum so please excuse if this is off topic. I am having trouble figuring out how to fix my entertainment center / TV stand. I recently bought it from Amazon and assembled it at home. I made a mistake while assembling and as a result, one of the unpolished edge which should be towards behind, is now in front and looks bad (please refer to the picture).

I realized this while adding the last few bits but since this is not great quality furniture, I was worried disassembling and reassembling it will make it wobbly / loose. Also, the back portion has nails put into the polished part that would come in front. So, it was already not an option.

Is there a way I can cover these unpolished edges so that it does not look bad? I was thinking of paining them but want to get suggestions. Also, where can I get options, I mean which stores (home depot?). Or if I can get that kind of surface coating / polish somewhere.

Any suggestions are welcome. Please help me fix this.


texts:
I came down this morning to see that a water pipe burst underneath my sink and there was an inch of water covering the whole of my kitchen floor. Oh no! I think it must have been spilling out water for at least a few hours before I came down in the morning.
After I turned off the water main the standing water drained into cracks in the tiled flooring after about 5-minutes, so there must now be a lot of water inside the flooring. I've opened all the doors and windows and turned on the central heating and put a fan heater down, and cleared out the remaining standing water.
I spoke to a local company for a quote for a professional drying service. They've told me they think I need a large industrial dehumidifier and an air mover for a week to dry everything out so I don't get damp, mould, rot etc. They quoted me £552 for this, and made clear that I pay for the electricity also! This was a lot more than I expected.
Any advice on whether this is a reasonable fee, how necessary this service is, whether I can do something myself (ie. if I keep the heating on and windows open for a couple of days and the fan heater is that likely to be enough?) etc. would be greatly appreciated.

(I notice you were lucky enough to get a sneaky peak of my toes in the last photo, haha)


texts:
I have an old conservatory that is white upvc. Along the joints across the roof it leaks. I want to know if I can stop these leaks by putting tape like this along the joins inside (not outside) (it would be stuck to the white upvc either side of the leak, across the join): "https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gorilla-Tape-Range-Black-Clear-Silver-Tough-Wide-Handy-White-Mounting/360993674393?var=630333846760&epid=1339840406&hash=item540ce65499:m:mRURLaUN70-STe0IQPIMrAg".

To be clear, I'm not concerned with how it looks, or how long it lasts, just so that it lasts for the rest of the winter. I have tried sealant in the past and all that does is redirect the leak further along. I'm hoping that tape will fully seal it. It's not a huge leak, just many pinprick leaks along a 3m join.


texts: How can I determine why my whirlpool refrigerator has stopped running water?

texts: We have a Whirlpool refrigerator that's 2 years old which suddenly stopped running water. What can I do?


texts: Very old, Coleman, through the wall (double sided) mounted gas heater not working

texts:
My home was built in 1957, I had a new heat pump system put in (which I now hate) 7 years ago. It works fine in the summer, but in winter it doesn't heat the house very well.

At the time, I kept the old Coleman, through the wall natural gas heater as emergency heat, as works without power to the house. It's old and inefficient, but it's done it's job for 50+ years. This year I replaced the old thermostat,with a new Honeywell round heat only mode. I haven't been able to get it fired up once this winter though. I've contacted a couple of local heat/air places, and noone has ever heard of this heater and don't know how to service it apparently.

So I'm trying to troubleshoot it myself and see if the problem is the thermostat, or the unit itself. Am I correct in thinking that if I manually touch the two wires together (red/white), sans thermostat, the unit should come on if it's going to?


texts: My furnace cycles once, then won't ignite again. What could be wrong?

texts: My furnace is not working properly. I shut down the whole electricity and also the switch on my furnice and waiting a few minutes to turn all back on. It will heat up the house and turns off automatically when it reaches my desired temperature setting. But when it needs to start back again it will lite up the fire and turn off about 3 times but never turn on. I have to keep resetting to get the heater to turn in. Changed the filter already and I did see a small light turn off and blink 7 times consecutively.


texts:
I am getting ready to build a 6' tall 80' long wooden fence, but instead of 4x4 wooden posts I am going to use metal fence posts. The fence will have 1 walk through gate and a larger gate that can be driven through. It will be attached to another fence on either side (one is sturdy, and another well is not so sturdy and I will probably replace it within a year). I think I remember reading before that I should put gravel at the bottom of the hole of each post to allow water to drain from the post.

I want to make sure the new fence I put up is done right, and that it will hold over time.
So how deep should I set the metal posts, and if I should put gravel at the bottom of the hole, how much?


texts:
From my A/C supply plenum, I will have a trunk (approx 20ft straight run) with 3 branches coming off (each about 2 ft runs). This 20ft straight run would be perfect for a large flexible duct, and ductwork wyes are available to create the smaller branches.

Thing is, I've always seen trunks being made from steel rigid-duct, or in very few instances fiberglass board. Is there a reason I don't see trunks made of flex, and would this be a viable application of flex?

(note: Calculations have already been made for CFM, pressures, and output velocities. This question pertains specifically to the usage of flex-duct as an appropriate trunk in an hvac system)


texts: Looking for suggestions on securing floor tiles

texts:
I have an 8"x8" ceramic tile floor in my kitchen.  It was not well installed.  There is no backer board.  A few months ago, the water supply to the ice maker in my fridge leaked, the plywood underlayment and subfloor expanded, a lot of grout cracked or separated from the tile, and a few tiles cracked, too.

Most of the broken tiles were in a group in front of the fridge.  I had someone replace them.  He chiseled out the old tiles, got up some of the old thin set, put down new, and fit in the new tiles.  Two weeks later, some of the grout in one small area is cracking and the tiles move up and down when I press on the edge.  I think these are tiles next to where he worked.

I can get a lot of the grout out from around these tiles but to save them I need to get something rigid underneath, filling the gap and supporting the side of the tile.  Any thoughts for something I can inject at the edge and force under the tile?  Epoxy and thin set are too viscous and/or grainy.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_217371-68-37584_4294729418__?productId=3024887 seems worth a shot.


texts: How do I know if my high limit and low limit are set correctly on my aquastat?

texts: I have a boiler that is only providing heat for my heated water baseboard system with 4 zones.  I've always thought that the high limit on the aquastat was set too low. The temperature on the boiler reads around 145 when the heat cycle ends.  Most of what I've seen on heating sites recommends 180 or higher.


texts:
So some background, converting from an oil to a gas furnace and was looking at adding a smart thermostat. Two things that kind of raised questions and I cant seem to find much answers too. One is the thermostat, the original one only has a red and white which seems typical, what I couldnt find an answer to is that they seemed to be connected to 12/2. Where the thermostat location almost feels like the previous owner replaced a switch with the thermostat. Another question is, where do I add the common wire in the furnace? I tried following the old wire connected to it and it doesnt look like there is a spot for a common wire or it is called something else.
So I guess my two questions are:

Why would the old thermostat wires be connected to 12/2?

If possible where do I connect the common wire inside the furnace?


texts: Shower diverter turns but doesn't divert (v2)

texts:
I posted Shower diverter turns but doesn't divert a while back about a diverter that turns but won't divert. Thanks to the community I learned some terminology and that I needed to open up the hole to get a wrench in there.
Well I used a dremel bit made for ceramic to open the whole enough to get a nice wide (1-9/32) wrench in there. And I turned and got this nut out
Behind the nut seems to be just a single piece. Is there something I can take out and replace here or do I need to remove the entire valve? (which screws in 4 ways and would require removing quite a bit of tile I think)
update: i've now lost the nut inside the wall :-(. i turned the water back on and it's not leaking (yet?) so i guess that's good...


texts: Why are my appliances failing and the breaker tripping?

texts: 10 yr old washer would not come on so it wash replaced with a working 4yr old one. I did 3 loads of laundry not on same day then tonight it would not come on. The breaker was off. I flipped it on and washer got wispy smoke from the back near the top. Outlet started to hiss. Unplugged it and the freezer which are plugged to same outlet. When I turned the breaker back on the freezer does not hiss in either outlet but the washer does. Only 2 things that have ever been plugged into it and only things on that breaker. I wonder if the fist dryer was broken after all but that's not the question. Can it be the outlet?


texts: What was this doing on my return air vent and why did it prevent installation of a filter?

texts:
We purchased a new home a little over three months ago. It had a rooftop AC unit installed in probably the late 90s/early 2000s. We were unable to have this tested during our inspection because the outside air temperature was below the threshold the inspection company allows.
Now that spring is arriving, I planned to replace the air return filter to get a fresh start. The return vent is located in the ceiling of our third floor, not far from the unit installed on the roof.

When I took it down (which was annoying since it's screwed in ... no hinges or thumbscrews!), I discovered there was no filter installed! On top of that, the following device (grill?) was screwed to the vent cover (photo is after removal). It seems to have been acting as a filter of sorts based on the amount of nastiness on it.

This grill took up all the available space for a 14x30 filter in the vent cavity. Since I was able to, I removed it from the vent cover and reinstalled the vent cover with a new 14x30 filter in place. The filter is "held" in place by the insulation within the duct. I'm not sure if this was the intent, but it seems secure.
So, a few questions:

What is this grill for?
Is it OK that I removed it so I can use a filter?
Do I need a thorough duct cleaning done, assuming no one has used a filter in here in a long time? I tested the system by turning on the fan (but not the cooling) and feeling air coming out of the vents in every room (single zone system).


texts: Can I replace my bathroom's floor tile before replacing the tub?

texts:
I am doing a complete upgrade in a bathroom. Money is a huge factor. But, I'd rather hire a contractor to rr the tub surround (currently one piece). I'll do everything else myself.
Can I put a tile floor BEFORE the old tub/shower is taken out and replaced? Then do the tub surround months later?
Or should I have the shower/tub (4 pc) installed before I do the floor?


texts: Chamberlain Internet Gateway connected to MyQ Garage Opener, but doesn't appear in app

texts:
My Liftmaster Garage Door Motor has the MyQ logo on it. I wanted to control it from my iPhone and found that I needed to buy a Chamberlain or Liftmaster Internet Gateway to do that.

I bought the gateway (Chamberlain brand) and wired it to my router and power.

I created an account on their website, https://www.mychamberlain.com

I was able to add the Internet Gateway.

I clicked Add Device -> Garage Door -> non-WiFi. It said to press the Learn button. I did so. After ~5 seconds the lights on my motor flashed. Seemed promising except one problem - my iPhone said it was still waiting to hear from the device.

A few minutes later my iPhone had a popup saying that waiting for the device had timed out. As far as I can tell, the device isn't associated with my account at all. I looked through the help section and found this page on what the LED lights mean:
http://www.chamberlain.com/CatalogResourcesV3/en-us/ccv3/support/myq/2_2/en/mobile/advanced/Content/CIGBU/CIGBULEDs.htm

I currently have a solid green light and a solid blue light. The solid green means it has an internet connection and IP address and everything. The solid blue means it has been programmed with at least one device.

So that suggests to me that the Internet Gateway was completely set up properly... just for some reason the Garage isn't showing up either on the app, or online.

So... what do I do now? How do I go about actually getting the device to show up? Should I just repeat the steps for programming? Is there some way to undo whatever it is that I've already done?

If it's important, the Internet Gateway is sitting right next to my Router, which is located on the main floor directly above my garage. My iPhone's wifi signal is fine in the garage... although I suppose that might be irrelevant since the gateway probably communicated with the motor on some completely different frequency...

(I already tried calling tech support, but they're closed right now... they open in 13 hours... but maybe someone on this website knows the answer... and no matter what, in the future the answer can be online and people won't have to call tech support at all...)


texts: Water coming in through the walls of an old concrete garage

texts:
I recent bought a house with a detached garage, made of old concrete (high aggregate content) reinforced with steel rods and set into a hill. Built in 1938 or so; no waterproofing.

Now that Boston has turned into a rain-forest, water is seeping / leeching through the walls of the garage, making the whole thing very damp and smelly. There are no obvious drips, but the bottom 3-4 feet of concrete is discolored and damp, and there are patches of dampness on the (newer) floor.

The concrete is degrading, and I was thinking of parging over it with new concrete to smooth the walls, but I want to address the leaking first. Or would a parge coat help? What else can I do to seal up the concrete, short of digging up the foundation (15' of dirt with a garden on top!) and painting the outside surface?


texts: Will old flats always have a crack and holes problem?

texts:
I'm currently filling a lot of cracks and holes in my very old flat.  Once I'm done I'm hoping I won't have to be doing any more filling.
As I have a lot of sensitivities I've been advised to move to a new build flat which tend to have less problems.  Someone advised me that I'm going to continue to have problems whilst I stay in older buildings.  However once Im done filling and sealing I dont expect there will be any more issues.
Is there anything about an old flat that predisposes it to develop more cracks and holes such that after I finish my work, more issues will arise?
Thanks.


texts: Fitting newer metal exterior door to older (50's) door frame

texts: The new door fits in the frame but #1 is very tight side to side and figure if I could shave 1/8" off the latch side it would be enough to open and close properly and #2 the metal door is thicker by about 1/4" than the old hollow core door and if I could shave 1/4" off the stop part of the frame it would fit fine and be able to have some weather stripping. I'm just not sure how to make these adjustments (cuts) and still have it look decent.  I do not want to replace or remove the frame itself since this one has the inset for the exterior storm door and being an older (50's) home don't want to disturb anything possibly hazardous. Looking for suggestions. I have circular saws and a router but corners would be an issue.


texts: Is it ok to wire light switches and lights with 12/2 cable?

texts: It sounds like light switches and lights are usually wired with 14/2 cable. Is it okay to use 12/2 cable instead? Would I need special switches?


texts: How should I replace these pressure reducing valves?

texts:
At my church, we have a fairly old boiler system. The system was just passed for annual inspection, but it is failing to refill after having been drained. There is absolutely no water flowing past the reducing valves (yes, plural), and the one with a fast-fill handle on it is rusted solid.

So the way these are connected is:

Water Main
|
|
Shut-off valve
|
|
One-way Check Valve
|
|
Pressure reducing valve #1
|
Pressure reducing valve #2 -----------------------
|                                                 |
|                                                 |
"Backflow preventer" (Per the church janitor)     |
                                            |-----Expansion Tank

Reducing valve #1 is a simple 1/2" valve with a jam nut on top. Reducing valve #2 is similar, but has a fast-fill handle on top as well and instead of just being a pass-through style, there's a third fitting on the bottom that goes over to a big brass valve on the expansion tank.

My questions are thus:

Is there really a need for 2 valves?
When purchasing a replacement, do I need to match anything specific?
Once the new valve(s) is(are) installed, how would I go about adjusting them?


texts:
I paid a contractor to take out a light fixture and replace with a ceiling fan/light combo about 2 years ago. The fan has a remote that includes a dimmer for the light.

Here is the issue-at night, there is like a night light on it, which is not mentioned in the manual or anywhere else I’ve looked. When I turn it off from the wall switch, the light goes off, but so does the fan. I had the fan on during the day today and there was no light on.  I figure that there has to be some sort of sensor. Any suggestions?


texts:
I am planning to insulate my walk-in attic to turn it into a storage room(closet for the wife), but I am having some issue understanding the process.

The ceiling of this attic is at 45 degree. It has a 32 inch door to it. The attic above has old insulation, but that's another project.

I live in Connecticut and I believe I am in zone 5. How do I achieve the 38 r value with only 5.5x2 ceiling trusses?

I am planing of course to put rafter vents (baffles), and then use unfaced batts and then a dry wall. But the only batts I can use is 21 r-value with thickness of 5.5 in.

EDIT: I am NOT looking to use foam in this project.

My attic looks similar to the picture here.


texts: Waterproofing a basement before finishing it

texts:
So I currently own a home to which I would like to finish off the basement in the near future. Currently the basement is just concrete with cinder block walls on the outside.  I have a normal sump pump in the corner like most places.  I know in the past, the previous owner had light cracks in the cinder block walls, as there is evidence of patching the walls with cement. For the time that I have lived in this house (about half a year only) I have never had any water problems at all. The only thing noticed during the home inspection was that the moisture was a little high on one side of the basement, but not an actual leak.

Anyways, my question is what is the most recommended way to solve this to prevent future problems? I do know there are channel type systems like the squidgee (http:\www.waterproof.com) but I have heard mixed reviews about drilling holes into your walls, similar to drilling holes into a boat to better protect it.  I do know that I will need to build my walls about a foot or so away from the cinder block walls. So should I invest into a system like the one I showed? If I haven't had any water problems, should I do nothing? Or are there outside options I should look into? I would definitely not like to tear up my yard.

I am not asking for specific brands or anything as I imagine that is off topic, but just general methods that are recommended and reasoning as to why.


texts: Is it a bad idea to shower with the bathroom door open?

texts:
I live in an apartment alone and wonder if there are any dangers of taking hotish showers with the bathroom door open? I know that humidity is an enemy of electronics, but I am not sure if showering can even create enough humidity (unless maybe I put the electronics in the bathroom).

Before I used to shower with the door closed and then let the fan run after showering.


texts: Swedish Crown Molding KS. Would this be useful? Are there better tools?

texts:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/onecut/onecut-crown-molding-tool-patented-technology/description

This tools that gives a template for half the measured angle looks simple and reasonable, but does it already exist?

I've seen a video advocating a 90 degree join and coping the outline of one piece into the other. That looks really hard, but I have seen a lot of bad 45 degree joins

Opinions?


texts: One side of my kitchen cabinet that typically includes the knob hardware is  missing. I went to Armstrong Cabinets and they no longer carry this cabinet. How do I repair this? Thanks! (I’m experiening difficulty with photo upload)


texts: I have a marble vanity that needs to be trimmed off

texts: We need to replace the toilet but the small counter top is in the way. Is there an easier way to cut this piece off without removing the mirror and entire sink top?


texts: Water dripping from soffit - problem with the gutter, roof, or something else?

texts:
We recently bought a house that has gutter guards installed. I noticed during heavy rain storms, water drips from the front of parts of the gutters, and ends up dripping onto the porch underneath as well. There is a gap in the soffit area that the water drips from that lines up with a darkened area on the front of the gutters.

We had a roofing person look over the roof recently who didn't see any obvious issues with it, and based on experience in past houses I'm guessing there might be a clog in the gutter, as opposed to something else causing this leak.

Does this seem likely to be an issue with the gutters, or might there be more going on here?


texts: Whole front wall of house, outlets not working / no power

texts: []Moved into our house 4 years ago. None of the outlets/lights that are currently not working ever worked from day 1. 4 outlets and 2 front porch lights do not work. My outlet plug checking tool has no readings from any of the outlets. They seem to be all in a line or "on the same circuit or whatever. There is a gfci immediately after one of the final outlets that does not work. I have taken it (and the wires behind it in wire nuts) apart and the connections seem quality. The gfic outlet works just fine. There are 2 more gfci outlets within "earshot" of the down outlets. They don't seem to be "in line" with the other downed plugs. I have pulled out each plug that is not working and reattached the ALUMINUM wires to the screw in attachments. They all seem like good connections. HELP!


texts: Why can't an encapsulated and dehumidified crawl space have vents sealed off?

texts:
I found SECTION R408.3 of the International Residential Code which says that unvented crawl spaces are only allowed if one of the following is true:

There is exhaust ventilation fan running continually
The crawl space is air conditioned along with the rest of the house

Notably, this means that if you have a fully dehumidified crawl space, code would not allow it to be sealed off completely! This goes against a lot of recommendations, for example this one from buildingscience.com:

The crawlspace is either “vented” and “not conditioned” and connected to the “outside”…or…the crawlspace is “not vented” and “conditioned” and connected to the “inside”.

And by "conditioned" later it is clarified that dehumidification counts:

You have to provide air change between the crawlspace and the house or you have to provide dehumidification.

If conditioning crawlspaces with air from the house is not desirable install a dehumidifier. The dehumidifier handles the moisture control.


texts:
I have an electric fence/wire around the top of my split-rail fence surrounding about 1 acre of land.

I keep finding dead birds right next to/under the fence wire.  Not just one or two, but actually have found 6 birds so far this summer (small sparrows of something similar).

There is a wire going from a copper ground rod to the unit.  Then from the unit around the 1 acre fence.  For the last ~100ft or so, the wire splits down and goes along the bottom (the area where the dogs kept digging out).

I'm not SURE it's only in the area where the bottom split exists, but so far, that's the only area I've found birds.

There are weeds/grass growing that touch the fence at the bottom, which is my guess as to why this is happening (grounding the whole thing, even if only slightly?), but I don't know for sure or really understand why.  Are my two options really to either keep the fence from touching ANY weeds/grass or have it kill birds?

I actually have this same scenario in two locations, one with this Fi-Shock 5-acre fence charger, and one with this Fi-Shock 10-acre fence charger.  Both with dead birds.

Other than the dead birds, is this an issue for my dogs?  Neighborhood kids? ...etc?


texts: We have a natural gas furnace that currently heats our entire 2400 square foot home. We plan on putting in a rental suite in the basement which will require closing up all the duct work into the suite space. That means that the furnace will be heating up 36% less space. Is there anything we can do to keep our furnace from self-destructing?


texts: How can I verify that the protective earth/ground is separate from the neutral wire in an electrical AC installation?

texts:
It's easy to verify which wire is the phase without relying on wire colors. But I'm not sure if I'm able to determine which wire is the ground and which is the neutral.

I have heard that using a multimeter it will show a higher voltage between the phase and the neutral than between the phase and the ground.

Is that method correct? Is there any other way to determine if the wire colors are correct and the installation was done properly?


texts: Will my DIY wood and PVC cat cage hold up?

texts:
I'm a total amateur, looking for feedback on my plan for a DIY wood-and-PVC cat cage before I build it.
CONTEXT:
My cat injured his spine and needs cage rest.
However, he anxiously scratches the mesh sides of his current cage whenever I'm not around, hurting himself.
Therefore, I need to build him a cage/playpen:

Whose walls are only vertical bars. Because he will scratch any mesh or horizontal crossbars, hurting his spine.
Whose vertical bars are 1" apart so there's no risk of him getting his head stuck between them.
As low cost as possible.

MY IDEA:
Above is a crude sketch I made.
My idea is simple:

Build 4' square frames out of 2x4s (laid flat)
Drill 3/4" holes (using a spade bit) in both frames
Place 3/4" PVC pipe, 25 inches tall, in each of the holes
Attach the top frame (also with holes drilled to fit the other ends of the PVC pipes)
Once it's built, and sturdy enough, adding a ceiling is easy. (I'm not worried about this part of the project. As long as the frame is sturdy, there's any number of objects I can zip-tie to the top for a ceiling.)

MY CONCERNS:
Here's where I need feedback -- I'm a total amateur, and I'm afraid I'm missing something.
Some concerns off the top of my head:

Will this work?
Will the PVC support the weight of the top frame?
Will 3/4" PVC pipe fit into holes drilled with a 3/4" spade bit?
If I drill the holes halfway through the flat side of a 2x4, is that deep enough to secure the PVC pipes?

Thanks in advance.


texts: What could cause low water pressure in tub and no water coming out of shower head?

texts: Water pressure in tub has suddenly dropped and water will not come out of shower head at all. I can hear what sounds like water running up the pipe to the shower head when I have the tub faucets on, but when I pull up the diverter for the shower, no water comes out of the shower head.  Fixtures are about 20 years old. Will I have to tear out the tub surround to find the problem?


texts: Can Home AC Electrical Whip Cause Compressor Failure?

texts:
I have an 11 year old Arcoaire ac unit. The other day we heard a pop sound and noticed a little smoking coming from the electrical whip casing. The part of the casing with the issue is about half between the cutoff box and the actual ac unit.
We noticed a small split in the casing, and this is where more popping and little smoke was coming from. Fearing an electrical fire, I quickly shot off power at the breaker.
My question is, does this sound like an issue that can damage or break the compressor? I don't want to replace the compressor, or likely the whole unit, if it's just an issue of replacing the wiring and electrical whip.
Any knowledge or advice would be most welcomed. Thanks.


texts: Which type of weather stripping is best for keeping smoke out of my house?

texts:
I'm currently in process of figuring out what I can do to prevent my neighbor's cigarette smoke from entering my home (I'm open to any recommendations). One measure I am taking is weatherproofing my door; however as I visited Home Depot today, I realized there are a plethora of options: types of materials, different shapes, different groove patterns, etc. I asked the employee there, but he didn't seem too well-informed. Some of the materials I came across were rubber, silicone, foam. Shapes included a half-circle or half cylindrical shape, a rectangular shape. The rectangular one came with or without grooves. This is, of course, not a comprehensive list.

What would be the best shape, pattern, and material?


texts: ADSL + Ethernet Surge Protection. What is chaining?

texts:
I would like to protect my home network setup with surge protectors.

The products I am looking at are:
APC Essential SurgeArrest 5 outlets 230V
APC ProtectNet standalone surge protector for 10/100/1000 Base-T Ethernet lines
APC ProtectNet standalone surge protector for analog/DSL phone lines (2 lines, 4 wires)

Here is the suggested configuration:

Here is the configuration I want to use:

As you can see I want to use one protector on the phone line (ADSL internet) and one protector on the ethernet network. All of this will be powered from the 5-way power strip indicated above.

In my research I've read that "chaining" surge protectors is not recommended due to the devices interfering with each other. As you can see below the fault ratings and mode of protection differ between the devices, so I'm not sure if this is an issue?

Here are the fault ratings:

| ProtectNet Model |          Mode         | Standoff voltage | Breakover voltage |  Let-through voltage | Peak surge current |
|:----------------:|:---------------------:|:----------------:|:-----------------:|:--------------------:|:------------------:|
| PNET1GB          | Line-line Line-ground | 6 Vdc 1,500 Vrms | 60 Vdc 1,800 Vrms | < 50 Vpk < 4,000 Vpk | 6,500 A 250 A      |
| PTel2            | metallic longitudinal | 220 Vdc 200 Vdc  | 260 Vdc 260 Vdc   | < 325 Vpk < 325 Vpk  | 150 A 150 A        |

Does my configuration count as chaining? Will I get better protection using both devices or should I just pick one?


texts:
I have a folding bathroom door with two ugly frosted glass panels.  My other half would prefer them opaque.

I wondering what quick wins I can do here.  Will some sort of glass paint work?


texts: Commissioned to build a row of lights, want to make sure I'm doing it right/ no easier way

texts:
I'm building a set for a theater group and they want me to build a row of lights to go along with it.

They want it to look as though a row of Edison lights, 5' high and sitting atop 1/2" black pipe, were sprouting out of a wooden base.

After researching, I have a few ideas of how to do it with rattle canned RMC (see attached picture), but I've been having problems finding cross style Rigid Conduit Bodies... most seem to be (at most) Tees.

Otherwise, my plan was to use Leviton lamp holders fitted into a 1-1/4"x1/2 bell reducer, connect that to the 1/2" RMC, and through the wood base. Below, I'd connect each pipe to the rigid bodies, a short nipple down to a floor flange, and 6" gal pipe connecting it to the rigid body next in line.

I hope this makes sense.

Please let me know if I'm on the right track or if there's an easier or safer method.

Thank you in advance for any assistance you can give.


texts: Adding a 120V circuit to a 240V 3-wire water well service

texts: I would like to add a 120V 15A service at the well head to run a charcoal filtration system. The well area is remote from the house and is 3-wire 240V without a neutral. Can I use one of the 120V legs and existing ground wire as the neutral for the outlet? Installing the filter at the house poses space limitations.


texts: When tub/shower is on in bathroom #1 a shower other side of house turns on in bathroom #2

texts: When the tub/shower in #1 bathroom is running water another shower stall in #2 bathroom turns on.  What is causing this to happen?  How is this fixed?


texts: Tacky Danish oil surface on stained Tasmanian Oak

texts:
I'm a newbie to woodwork and surprised myself by successfully creating an even Black Japan stain on some Tasmanian Oak. I then decided to finish it with Danish Oil. Somehow I arrived at the decision to brush on a heavy coat of the oil and leave it until it dries. A week later the wood has an inconsistent tacky/ gummy and shiny finish and the grain seems to have risen. I've read that wiping down the surface daily with mineral turpentine or methylated spirits will eventually remove the tacky surface. The issue is that the wood is also stained and in the small section I tried this on the turps stripped about 25% of the stain.

TLDR: What can I do to remove the tacky/ gummy Danish Oil finish from Oak without removing the stain?

Stained:

Stained and Oiled:


texts: Fix garage door sitting on asphalt driveway

texts:
My garage doors sit on the asphalt driveway when closed and I'm not sure why this is. In the photo I attached you can see the line/indentation in the asphalt where the door sits. I'm not sure if the house was built this way or a driveway job was done wrong.
I am thinking of using a diamond blade on a circular saw to cut back a few inches of asphalt and then fill the gap in with some kind of concrete. How should I tackle this?
I am aware of the drop from right to left as this area of the garage has sunk and I hope to repair it with a self-leveler in the future. Thanks!


texts: What chemicals and what amount is used to start up a 3300 gallon 14'x42" summer wave pool

texts: Just bought a summer wave pool cz need to know what and how much pool chemicals to add


texts: Is it okay two breakers are controlling the same outlets and appliances?

texts: To be specific, we recently had some electrical work done. The electrician added a second panel. He left without labeling anything. So today I've been testing outlets and switches trying to figure out what controls what. I learned that a number of things in the kitchen are controlled by a breaker in both the old panel and one in the new panel. I have zero electrical experience and am wondering if someone can advise as to whether or not this might be okay?


texts: Why does only one light burn out constantly

texts: I have recessed lights and the light on one of them only lasts around 2-3 weeks all the other lights on the same circuit works just fine


texts: What type of subfloor should be used for on grade for nail down engineered hardwood?

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I am ripping up tiles on the ground floor of my home and would like to install 1/2 inch engineered hardwood. It is over a concrete slab on grade. What is the best and most economical way to do this once the tiles are removed and the concrete is cleaned and leveled?

-Can I float a plywood subfloor and then nail the hardwood to it? If so should I leave expansion gaps between the plywood and the walls? I have seen this suggested on other forums but doesn't seems to make sense to me. Shouldn't the subfloor be screwed down if the flooring is to be nailed to it?

-Or should I secure the subfloor to the concrete and then nail the wood flooring to that? What is the best way to go about doing this?

-A modular subfloor like Dricore seems great but expensive and maybe overkill for an on grade floor?

What is the best recommendation for this type of project? What subfloor should I use, how should it be installed, where should the vapor barrier be placed and what is the best way to secure the engineered hardwood flooring to the subfloor?


texts: Can I use hydraulic water-stop cement to fix foundation leak?

texts:
We moved into our house about a year ago and quickly found that we have a leaking issue into our basement. The slab near our basement window has sunken so the water pools up against the house on big rain storms and eventually seeps in. I have sealed the crack along this problem area twice, which has slowed the issue but it still leaks. Jacking is not an option for several reasons. We had several contractors give us that opinion. We could tear up the concrete and have someone pour new slabs that are graded away, but we are well under any concrete contractor's minimum. We know this would solve the problem, hopefully, but we would be looking at spending around $1,500 to meet their minimums.
My question is, can I use hydraulic water-stop cement to build a better seal between my sidewalk and foundation? We are looking for a solution that won't break our bank and at least get us through the winter since this is only an issue with big rain storms and doesn't leak with minor storms.

The wet area is where we had a towel that lays there to stop the leaking. The water pools from the stair corner to the edge of the window. The water is not flowing up and over the window sail.


texts: How can I allow guests to manually control lamps under wifi control?

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I have a few lamps in the house that are now wifi control enabled. I use google home to control them.  So far, I have been using wifi plugs - but the issue is that some guests who are not comfortable with google home are unable to control the lamps.

So, I want to install a physical override in parallel. Most of the examples I am seeing are for wall mountings. For a floor lamp, this is my plan:
 - Use the Sonoff wifi switch
 - House it in a plastic unit where at the top, I can install a push button or on/off switch

My question:
 - Anyone who has done this and can give me some inputs.
 - Any downsides to what I am proposing or a better way or better products to achieve this?
 - Is there a readymade product that is a closed module that has wifi and a physical switch together?

Thanks


texts: patch small leaks in ceramic sewage line running through basement

texts: Have a ceramic (I think?) sewage line that runs from under the bathroom across the top of the basement and goes out the wall into the yard. Have very small drips in a couple of places on this line. Would like to know if there is a way to seal these leaks so I don't have to replace the whole line at this time.


texts: What are the differences between hot and cold roof systems?

texts:
Can someone explain the differences, pros and cons of a hot roof vs a cold roof?

I would like to vault a ceiling in an addition off of our family room, taking the drywall all the way up to the roof rafters.

I do not believe this addition has soffit vents nor ridge vents. Do I already have a hot roof because of this lack of air circulation?

Can rigid foam be used for a hot roof or must it be sprayed?


texts: Does Pex tubing have any advantages over copper?

texts: What are the advantages/disadvantages of Pex tubing? How does it compare to copper?


texts: How can I reduce noise from plumbing in a kitchen soffit?

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I am getting ready to close up my new kitchen soffit and I was wondering what would be a good option to try and soundproof the DWV pipes in the soffit.
Should I try to wrap them?
Or should I try to stuff in some Rockwool?
Or should I try to build some kind of box with acoustic foam?
Or do nothing and just accept some of that noise?


texts: Our toilet American Standard installed in 1988 is not flushing completely.If we were to change the entire guts of the tank would it run like new or should it be replaced since its  17 years old.


texts:
My toilet has started running on after flushing - water continues to enter the cistern from the top of the fill tower, and flow out through the overflow. It's not a "perfect" failure; if I depress the ball-float and let it bounce back up, sometimes that shuts off the valve and the water stops - but it doesn't shut off every time. I don't seem to be able to stop the water by manually lifting the float (to exert more pressure on the valve).

I'm guessing I need to replace the valve that the float controls, but I can't find a definitive answer or instructions - largely because I'm not 100% clear what that specific valve is called (so this might be a duplicate for the same reason - sorry!)

I've attached a picture of the cistern, with the valve I think is faulty marked, in case this helps diagnosis.


texts: How much weight can a piece of 5/8" drywall hold on a hinge?

texts:
I am creating a window shutter to go over my window; the shutter is made out of drywall (the purpose is soundproofing fyi). The shutters will be hinged so they can open.

Each shutter will have 2 hinges vertically and will weigh approximately 17.5 pounds. It will be about 2 feet wide and about 4.5 feet tall.

In general, when open it will be opened all the way so it is not hanging outwards.

Moreover, on the outer side under the hinge, I will have a 1/8" piece of plywood that runs the vertical length, maybe 2-3 includes wide.

On the inner side, instead of it only going into the drywall, there will be a 1x2 piece of wood running the height of it.

So, the screws for the hinges will go through like this (bird's eye view, from above):

Screw
..... ⬇
──╫── Hinge
──╫── 1/8 plywood
══╬════════════════ 5/8" drywall
──╨── 1x2" lumber

So, the drywall is sandwiched in between 1/8" plywood and 1x2 lumber. I thought this way on both sides it is reinforced.

To be clear, although not shown in picture, the 1x2 is a free-floating strip that is separate from the studs. It is attached to the underside of the shutters only.

The other side of the hinge is screwed directly to the studs on the frame.

Here is a quick photoshop demonstrating intent.

Will this work, or how much weight can a piece of 5/8" drywall hold?


texts: Metal spike with heavy metal cord found in front lawn

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While raking my front lawn I came across this metal stake in the ground, wrapped in a thick metal wire/cord. I could not pull the stake up. I dug around and found the wire, pulling up on it and it seems to go quite a ways, so I stopped before messing up more of the lawn. It is obviously not a live wire, as I touched it albeit through gloves.

I am a new owner, and I spoke with a neighbor to see if previous owners had a dog as I though it could be part of an invisible fence, and they said there has not been a dog in the house for at least 30 years. The stake is within 5 feet of the house, and is close to some utility boxes including electricity, old phone, and cable. However, I previously had the utility lines marked and nothing was in this specific area (though could be old, or they could have incorrectly marked it). The main wire running away from the stake is going in the opposite direction of the utility boxes.

Any thoughts? My concern is that it is protruding close to a half inch above the surface

EDIT: I was able to push the rod further into the ground after a good rain and persistent hammering.


texts: How to wire Minivector control relay for Honeywell Wifi Thermostat to control 240v baseboard heater

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new here, and just a "homeowner electrician". When I bought the house there was a low voltage thermostat controlling a 240v Cadet baseboard heater. Upon investigation, there is a Minivector Delay Controller downstairs that is running the baseboard. There are only two wires running to the thermostat from the controller. One leg on the baseboard is hot all the time. If I twist the two thermostat wires together, after a delay the other leg becomes hot and the baseboard heats up. Here is my dilemma... I am trying to install a Honeywell Wifi thermostat and I am not sure how to plug in one or both of the thermostat wires to get the second leg to become hot. I have bought a "C" wire transformer and have the thermostat powered up, just not sure about getting the Minivector to activate that second leg. I have plugged each one of the two wires into the "W" connection, individually, on the thermostat, waited and tested. Either time, only the one leg had power.
Sorry if I left out any I fo needed as I am trying to be as specific as possible. Thank you for any help you would be able to provide me.


texts: I have a trip lever drain in my bathtub. Thought it was the problem, but it's completely out and the tub still won't drain. Any ideas?


texts: Is there a hinge which will move both connected doors when just a single door is moved?

texts:
I'm about to finish setting up a new IKEA kitchen, and I'm now trying to fit a non-IKEA integrated dishwasher into it. As many apparently before me have discovered, this is not "plug and play" (unless you've got one of a few special models that fit IKEA kitchens). The wooden IKEA kitchen door fronts are simply too high to be fitted on my dishwasher.

If you look at the drawing below, the front (A + B) will go too far down towards the floor and consequently hit the dishwasher when opening it.

So, I've been thinking. I could split the front into two sections, so that I have a section A and section B. Section A would be attached to the dishwasher, and section B would be "hanging" / attached to section A via some sort of hinge connecting the bottom of section A to the top of section B. That's the easy part.

Now, when opening the dishwasher I would like section B to move towards section A in an outward direction (see section position 2 in the drawing).

Does such a hinge (or similar mechanism) exists? One that, when section A moves, section B will move as well in an outward direction?

It doesn't have to be a hinge though. It could be a mechanism where the default position of B was - say - 45 degrees outwards towards section A.
The more section A would go towards an upright position, the more it would pull section B "back" towards an upright position as well.

I'm open to all ideas. The only limitations are :

Section B must be attached to section A because the bottom of section A is 15mm lower towards the floor when opened than when closed. I don't want to fit section B with such a large gap below section A. I can eliminate this gap if i attach section B to section A.
I'd rather not have section B just "hanging" in a normal hinge under section A, as section B then would become a 90 degrees tilted saloon door going back and forth with the slightest touch.


texts: How do I finish off a silicone sealant like a professional?

texts:
I have patched a couple of places at the base of my shower with silicone rubber sealant, using a caulking gun and it has worked well. The water no longer escapes from the shower. However, where I have done the patching, it is lumpy. Where the original sealant is there is a smooth continuous finish.

Two questions:
1. Can the existing lumpiness (now dry) be made to look smooth?
2. What should I have done to make the finish look smooth and professional?


texts:
Our shower handle recently became wiggly to the sides. The part sitting on the stem/broach seems to be stripped, causing it not to turn the stem when I turn the handle.
However, this stem doesn't show up in any of my searches.


texts: How do I remove a bolt that's stuck in a ceiling junction box?

texts: I cannot get the bolt off the screw in a ceiling junction box. The junction box is damaged and I need to replace it to be able to put in a new one so I can rehang the ceiling fan. It's time for summer here in Arizona and I really need to replace this fan that fell!


texts: Whats the easiest way to fix sticky painted furniture so that it's no longer sticky?

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I sanded and painted a dresser with several coats of 100% acrylic paint, namely, these paints:

The paint job turned out good, with one issue. After 4-6 weeks of drying, the paint is still slightly tacky. That is a problem, because when I put a significantly weighted object on top of the dresser and leave it on for a while, it 'peels' off. If I leave it for long enough, I am sure the paint will completely peel off along with the object.

The reason for the tackiness could be for a variety of reasons (I probably didn't allow enough time to dry between coats, and I probably put the coats on too thick) but I am more concerned about how to fix it so that the top of the dresser is not sticky anymore. Short of restripping it and starting over, what are my options?


texts: Can I use weather stripping inside a shower?

texts: We are installing a shower base and there is a little gap between the drywall and the shower base. I did some research and the TrimLux from Sealux is perfect for our problem. The only problem is that I can't get it. But I saw a similar profile on a weather stripping. Is it possible to use weather stripping to cover the gap?


texts:
I'm looking to add an outdoor outlet to the back of my house.  There's an existing UF cable line that runs from the exterior basement wall to the exterior first floor wall, entering directly behind a large switch panel that controls the first floor lights.  I assume this is an unswitched line carrying power to that panel.

Can I add an outlet to this line?  Is it safe/can it be waterproofed to cut the line, then connect the two ends inside a junction box?

Obviously, I'm tempted to add an outlet directly to the line (that is, have an outlet sitting in the junction box where I splice).  I've read this is against code, and I'll need to run more cable to a separate outlet.  Is this correct?


texts:
Over the past year I've been converting our integrated garage so that it's a usage space.

I've painted the walls, got lighting, power and water connected (To allow for a washing machine to be installed) plus floor is now carpeted using tiles. Also I've installed lots of shelving and storage.

It's become a really useful space in the house now, that we use for projects, storage and lots of other tasks.

However being early December the weather is quite cold, which means the garage gets pretty chilling. The garage door at one end of the garage takes up the entire end and is a large metal door. So basically one end of the garage is a giant heatsink!

In order to prevent so much heat loss I'm thinking of doing the following:

Attaching loft insulation to the inside of the door
Installing draft excluders at the bottom (and possibly) sides of the door

Thoughts, suggestions, feedback?


texts: Can I have two pressure tanks on my system?

texts: I have a 3000 gallon water storage tank that my 4 inch well pump (800 feet down) fills up and the water tank then gravity feeds about 5 feet into a shallow well pump that pumps water into a 60 gallon pressure pump about one foot away.  The pressure pump sends water to the house about 300 feet through one-inch pvc pipe into the house.  The shallow well pump and pressure tank are located inside my pump house.  The water pressure inside the house is OK but I would like it to be much higher than it is.  Can I cut into my one-inch water line right before it goes into the house and install a second pressure tank and then connect the out pipe to the water line going into the house and if so, will it raise the water pressure substantially so that the showers have more pressure and etc. or would I have to install another shallow well pump before the second pressure tank or am I wasting time and money on all of the above. I can live with it the way it is but it would be nice to have greater water pressure coming out of my spigots and shower heads.  Thanks for any advice.


texts: what is this electrical component in my thermocouple?

texts:
I have a 14 year old has water heater which i believe needs a new thermocouple. I can relight the pilot but it will not stay lit.
I've bought a new thermocouple, and I'm prepared to replace the old one, but I'm a bit hesitant due to the part picture here.

My new thermocouple doesn't have this. Is it some sort of resistor? Would it be dangerous to install the new thermocouple without this piece?
Any advice is much appreciated.
Update: this is a closeup of the thing, it fell off


texts: Gas fire place main burner stays on low flame

texts: I have a gas fire place.  The pilot light stays on and the main burner comes on, but the flame is not even close to what it was when it was first put in. What is wrong?


texts: How to attach mounted flat-screen TV to the wall so that it lines up perfectly?

texts:
As you can see the TV in the following pictures has been attached to the wall behind it but it does not line up in a straight manner with the furniture below it (the piece of furniture is perfectly lined up with the room's floor which is also level). In this case, the TV screen is slightly tilted upwards on right-hand side. I would like to know, what can I do to get the edges of the TV square with the furniture and room's floor?

Thanks!!!


texts: My house was built in the 50's.  In my master bedroom I need to replace the fan, so I disassembled it, bought the new fan and am looking at the wiring with a serious question here.  There are three cables coming in, black and white only.  All three blacks are wired together.  Two of the whites are wired together with a pigtail hanging down and the other white as my two connectors.  Is this even remotely normal or am I missing something here?  The fan / light combo was fully functional, but it just doesn't look right.  I hooked a normal/plain light to it and it works, but am still concerned.  Any help is greatly appreciated.


texts: Subfloor and hardwood floor installation:leveling and squeaking

texts:
I am installing a wooden subfloor and hardwood floor as part of a project to finish our attic.
How do I level the subfloor? And should anything be added between subfloor and hardwood floor to help with squeaks? I was advised it was more trouble than its worth, and to just staple the hardwood to the subfloor using the right tooling (and to be careful with alignment!).


texts: How can I wire this replacement bathroom extractor fan?

texts:
My old bathroom extractor fan motor burned out, so I got a new one to replace it, I was trying to wire it up earlier and I've hit a bit of a snag... I don't seem to have enough cables.

The old extractor fan appears to be a Vent-Axia Solo Low Voltage Ventilation Fan (had to google image search as I couldn't find a model number on it), but it only had 2 cables going into it, a brown and a blue.

The new fan that was bought to replace it is a MANROSE VXF100H from B&Q which appears to require 3 cables to work (Neutral, Switched Live & Permanent Live). Does anyone know how to wire it up with only two cables? or what I can do to add a third cable and make this thing work?


texts: Should I bond neutral to ground in a three-wire service when adding new branch circuits?

texts:
I'm adding 2x20 Amp circuits to a main panel outside, but the main has 3 wire system. Also the main has 6 spaces for circuits, which allows me to add this circuits. The problem is the 3 wire system.

My question is, it's ok to run the circuits and bond the neutral and the ground in the main panel?

All the boxes are bonded, so I figure it out if the neutral gets severed then I have the ground to allow the current take that path.  I'm not sure if it's ok to do it. Maybe I should bond the boxes to the iron from the foundation. Thanks in advance.


texts: Can I remove accumulated sawdust from fiberglass insulation?

texts: I have an unfinished basement with framed and insulated (the yellow fiberglass stuff) walls, but no sheet rock. Over time there has been a lot of accumulation of sawdust on the insulation as the area is a workshop. I'm now planning to finish the room. I want to remove the sawdust but I don't see a practical way to vacuum the dust without continually sucking in insulation. Is there a practical way to do this or should I replace the insulation?


texts: Add new main load center for EV charging

texts:
I need to add an EV level 2 charger. Among other reasons, I just overloaded the garage circuit, frying a GFCI outlet when charging my BMW i3 and golf cart at the same time.

I'd like the wiring to be non-visible, so no surface conduit.  After some deliberation, the seemingly best solution I've came up with is to add a new load center onto my main feed from the transfer switch.  The load center (shown in yellow below) would be located directly below the transfer switch in a wall void where I'd have easy access to wire everything up.  2x 6-50 outlets would be beside the load center.

The would avoid wiring through the exterior wall, tearing up insulation, notching studs, drywall repairs, etc.  Also, the existing panels are generally full, so I'd have to decommission a circuit (possible), add a subpanel, or do some other trickery to make room regardless.

I'm generally familiar with wire sizing, grounding, conduit requirements, etc.  Stepping down to 4awg feed to the new panel off the 500 mcm main wire is a little concerning, but I read this is just how these things are done, as the feeds to the other panels are also stepped down in conductor size from the 500 mcm.

The main issue I believe to be facing is adding a 100 amp branch off the 400 amp service when two 200 amp branches already exist.  Does the service wire being fused make this OK?  Is the generator wire not protected? (it's a 75kw generator)

What all am I missing here?


texts: Where exactly does backer board need to reside in a bathroom?

texts: I'm a little confused on where exactly backer board needs to reside in a bathroom.  I know it needs to immediately cover the walls that the shower/bathtub face, but what about the rest of the walls in the bathroom? Is backer board needed everywhere in a bathroom?


texts: My first jig saw; is this blade fitted right? Black & Decker BDEJS600C

texts:
Just purchased a jig saw for minor renovation work, Black & Decker BDEJS600C. Came with a single blade (116-1 HCS), trying to fit the darn thing in its holder, but something doesn't look right. Followed these instructions (right from manual)

Push locking lever away from shoe
insert shank of blade into holder (teeth facing forward)
release lever

I've done this 10 times; the blade appears to be fitted and locked (I cannot remove it by hand), but the lower part of the blade is angled forward, and the quick release latch is pointing up, not too far from its "release" position. I'm concerned because these conditions are not consistent with the photo on the box or the instruction manual; in those photos, the saw blade is perpendicular with the shoe (it's not angled), and the release latch is in a much safer position, pointing down, not up.

Question

Is the position of the stock blade normal?


texts: How do I drill a hole flush (or nearly flush) against another surface? (eg. in a tight corner; a 90 degree angle.) The power drill bit is offset a little by design, and I don't want to drill at an angle. What kind of tool or attachment should I be using?


texts: Replacing an oddly sized French Patio Door

texts:
Purchased a new home and working through the litany of issues with the place. Nothing undisclosed but just a royal pain in the ass. I have a leaky exterior door that needs to be replaced. It is a french door that only opens on one side. I wanted to switch to a double door in the process.

I pulled the molding off and took a measurement 66 1/2" by 81. So I hop on Lowes and Home Depot it is not even a filter option. Additional searching yielded nothing. I brought a contractor in and basically I have no wiggle room in term of size due to the exterior siding. I have other things to attend to and I do not want to spend a lot of money on this. How can I get a door that fits that opening. I want a pre-hung double door unit.

Any ideas?


texts: Do I need both AFCI breaker and receptacle for run over 70 feet?

texts:
I am installing 120v wiring for a dorm-type setting, and some of the rooms are over 70 feet from the breaker panel. The NEC says that the home run may not exceed 50 feet for 14 AWG and 70 feet for 12 AWG conductors. If it does the first receptacle in the branch circuit has to be an AFCI receptacle.

So, in the case where the 1st receptacle is more than 70 feet from the panel do I need both (an AFCI breaker and an ACFI Receptacle)?


texts: Span calculator using arbitrary spacing?

texts:
My "new" 72-y/o house is... interesting. The garage is much younger but still I just raise my eyebrows at some things.

One of them is the loft/attic area in the garage. I wanted to move all my computer hardware up there, of which there is a LOT. But just walking down the middle of the floor got me uncomfortable. It deflects too much.

The previous owner used 2x6 as joists, nailed (3x) to the side of the 10' stud ~8' up. The span is 15.5' ... since the ends are not on a sill and nailed IDK if the full 16' would be considered as the span. Regardless, SPF 2x6 with 16" spacing are rated for about a 9.5' span.

I'm trying to avoid removing  and reinstalling the floor if possible. My intention was to double up the joists in 5 evenly spaced spots (every 3 stud spaces)... I'll do everyone if needed though. I can't find a span calculator with arbitrary spacing or joist dimensions.

Would this work? What is the resulting span from doing this?

My intention is 2x6 joist - 2x4 stud - 2x6 joist. I'm using it for business purposes but want it to remain usable as a garage whenever I leave this place.... so no beams and posts down the center.... if the thought had occurred to you. :)

Update - Picture


texts: Better screws to mount shelving standards

texts:
I really REALLY love the John Sterling Fast Mount Shelving system. I use it all over my house.
Presently I have been using #8 2-1/2" drywall Screws to attach the wall standards to the wall.
As of yet, I have had zero issues. I use these shelving systems for everything. My desk, bookshelves for my roleplaying book collection, wood storage, everything.
As I said, no issues... However, I have recently learned that these are not the best screws to use for this application considering the amount of shearing forces that this system places on the screws.
What would be a better alternative? I know that John Sterling sells a screw pack for these standards but they are overpriced and nearly impossible to find. I would like whatever suggestion I can get.
Also, learned that these standards use #10 screws not #8. So yeah Thank you in advance.
Here is a link to the standards on Menards so you can see what I am talking about.
John Sterling Fast Mount Wall Standards
And here are the screws that John Sterling sells for them.
John Sterling Fast Mount Wall Standard Wall Mounting Screws
Basically, I am looking for a readily available alternative to these screws to replace the drywall screws I am currently using.
EDIT: I am driving the screws into the studs. Just a clarification.


texts: Nest Hello Has Power but Doesn't (Often) Ring Indoor Chime?

texts:
I recently installed a Nest Hello doorbell and have run into an issue where the interior chime almost never rings. I say almost because exactly once in all my testing did it ring on the interior.

I wired it according to the instructions for my doorbell and have checked the voltage from the transformer (16.4V AC).

Here are some pictures of the wiring:

Initial Wiring Before Installation:

Wiring After Installation:

Location of the Camera Relative to the Chime Box:

The Doorbell Has Enough Power:

What exactly is causing the issue? Why did it ring once but not any more? Is 16.4V too close to the 16V minimum? Changing the settings from physical to electronic doorbell in the app didn't change anything, and adjusting the duration higher didn't do the trick either.

I also moved everything as far away from the chimebox as I could do prevent them from dampening the vibrations (Assuming there were any), but this didn't help.

There was something else that was strange, the voltage measurement for both the AC voltage and Battery voltage were both 0V in the app under "technical info":

The unusual thing is that it most certainly has power from the doorbell AC wires. I can verify this by opening the breaker. When this happens, the Nest Hello shuts off and no longer recognizes me when I approach it's FOV.

The internal battery may be dead, I have no idea and didn't charge it when I got it. I assumed that it charges by the AC current.

How can I make the chimebox ring when someone presses the doorbell?


texts: U.S. NEC on adding wires in a finished ceiling

texts:
I want to add a second outlet to my finished garage ceiling, about 14 feet from the existing box. The DIY info I found has all been about adding wires to finished walls.

The question is how to get past joists in the ceiling. If these were studs, then I would put a pumpkin cut in the wallboard next to the stud and drill a pass-through hole in the stud. I wouldn't expect any significant weakness to be added. But I think the ceiling joist may be different, since these joists appear to be part of a truss and are under tension. (Probably not a lot, but I want to be code compliant when I make holes.) I don't know the dimensions of the joists, but I'm guessing 2x10 or 2x12. The picture below shows construction over a much smaller room, where I had a pinhole leak in the pipe.

If I were to do this so it complies with construction and electrical codes, what codes would I be looking for? Apart from that, what is the recommended method for passing the wire through or around the joist in a finished ceiling?


texts: Which soffit vent should I install (size and angle)?

texts:
Two part question: big or small vent size, and parallel or perpendicular to house?

I'm going to install almost 40 of these soffit vents around my house. All the vents at my Home Depot are 16" wide, so when I hang them parallel to the house (traditional), the corners all fall over a groove. Not ideal.

The 16" vent width matches the 16" 3-panel metal sheet width, so I can offset them and have vents overlapping panels. I'm concerned I'll be forced to make more and smaller size cuts with this strategy.

Another option is to install them perpendicular to house. It looks kind of funny, but both sizes vents would fit out of grooves better. But I'm afraid it'll scream "doesn't know jack" to everyone, especially potential buyers.

Also, should I use the bigger or smaller size, since I'm installing them under every other 16" attic bay? Bigger vent costs about 90% more.

I'm might use the smaller vents perpendicular to house, but what do you think? Thanks in advance.

BTW, I can get the smaller vents in white also.
BBTW, I forgot pic of bigger size perpendicular to house, but it covers two of the "bay" sections, with a groove running down the middle so the middle screws might be a hassle.


texts: lights off in one room, other rooms in the same circuit are fine, no GFCI, breaker not tripped

texts: It was caused by a short circuit, I think I heard a "pop" sound, so I thought it might be the dimmer got blown up. But the lights are still off even with new dimmer and new switch. 100% sure no GFCI, mcb didn't not turn off since other rooms are doing fine. Could please someone help?