texts: What can I do about a toilet flange that is 1/4" below the finished floor?

texts:
I used two wax seals to set my toilet since the flange is 1/4" below the new tile. At first it seemed to be water tight but after a few flushes I noticed water seeping and pulled it out. As can be seen in the photo, the wax ring slid off center. I couldn't use just one ring since it protrudes about 1/4" below the toilet so that would just barely touch the flange. I found the flange extender in another post and will try that. One of these

So to my question. Is this the correct approach? Should the flange be level with the floor prior to installation?

Edit: The correct height of the flange is sitting on top of the finished floor. Of course with a remodel this is almost never going to be the case after tiling. There seem to be various methods to raise the flange. Many say the double wax ring is problematic since it can collapse into the drain over time. This link discusses a number of products to solve the problem. In summary, the set-rite (~18 + shipping) is the most expensive and apparently the only code approved product. The cheapest option is flange extenders ~$3-5. The funny thing is neither the tiler or the plumber that worked on my bathroom mentioned anything about the height problem, which leads me to believe the common solution is the double wax ring.


texts: Furnace: pipe is leaking when switched to air-conditioning

texts:
I observed that when I enable air-conditioner, after awhile the valve (red one on the photo attached; correct me if it's called differently) starts leaking, the water drips from under the red "valve". The pipe which is next to "red valve" is fine, no leaks, it withdraws the water in to drain hole in the floor.

I wiggled it, but it looks it fits in quite tightly. I'm not sure if it is possible to replace it or put some rubber ring under it.

Is it common problem? What would you recommend to do?
Thanks.


texts:
One of the 4th zones on my heating systems is getting too hot true the return line making the room very hot and enableling the thermostat to do the job.

See the pics, hope this is enough, also 4 taco circulators


texts: How do I remove molding with out damaging the molding or the wall?

texts: I am installing wood flooring in my bathroom and want to remove the molding without damage.


texts: When installing rigid dryer vent and connecting pieces together do I use foil tape or those circle things you put on outside with a screw to tighten?  Also is it a good idea to use duct connectors between each piece of pipe?  Thank you


texts: Correct installation of a water expansion tank?

texts:
I am moving my 80 gal water heater to a better location in my basement to give shorter hot water plumbing runs and be next to my furnace.
The old expansion tank was installed in "series" with the tank at the end of a plumbing run:
HWT = HOT WATER TANK
OP = OTHER PLUMBING
EXP = EXPANSION TANK
CWM = COLD WATER MAIN

 CWM --- OP ---  EXP --- HWT

In the HWT's new location it would be more convenient for me to install them like this:
 CWM --- OP ----------------- OP -----
                |       |
               EXP     HWT

Is the above a satisfactory install? Or would the below design better isolate the HWT pressure variance?
 CWM --- OP ------------- OP -----
                  |
             EXP---
                  |
             HWT---

Put another way - does it matter where in the cold-water-system the Expansion Tank is installed?  For example, could I just put it next to the Main without any regard for where the hot water tank is located?


texts:
I'm building a marsh boardwalk behind my house. The marsh varies from muddy to perhaps 2 feet of water. I've trying to sink 4x6 posts for the main supports, but it's proving to be very difficult with a sledge. I believe I'll need to sink these at least 4 feet, and I've only managed perhaps 2.5 after 30+ minutes of hitting it with a sledge.

I can't seem to find a post driver that fits 4x6 posts. Most are meant for metal stakes or, at best, 2x4s.

I've seen some people recommend using a water jet to "dig" below the post, bur before I buy a $250 water pump, does anybody know of another, cheaper alternative?


texts: I'm having trouble getting a 6kw generator to power a sub panel that was installed by a licensed electrician.  I would like to be able to test the generator's output.  How do I do that?


texts:
I came here to seek a bit of guidance on using my humidistat. I've only owned my home for a few months and have never had a humidistat before.

I have a GeneralAire M3 humidistat and was trying to look up how to use it properly.

From my understanding, the winter months has very low humidity and by setting the humidistat to a certain level, it will help keep some moisture in the air of the home, which helps with retaining heat. And apparently keeps your skin from drying out so bad. But also doesn't create too much humidity to where you windows sweat and things like that.

Based on the operation instructions in the manual, I should adjust the humidity setting based on the difference of the outside temperature vs the inside temperature? So if I keep my house at 72F and it's 40F...or lower, I would set it to 10% humidity?

Am I understanding this right, or am I completely wrong? Also, was I supposed to keep the humidistat off all summer or does it have benefits in the summer too?

Here is the setup I have:


texts: Outlets not working after space heater was plugged in

texts:
So this all happened when someone plugged in a space heater into a bedroom outlet. it caused a breaker to blow and a few outlets to stop working aswell. At first i just thought it was a breaker that had blown so i flipped it back on and power was restored to the room but the outlets were still not functional.

Green Star: Working outlets

Red Star:   Non working outlets

Yellow Box: GFI outlets

Purple star: Where the heater was plugged in

Some things ive done to troubleshoot is first check voltages at outlets 2-8 and they are all reading under 120 volts usually around the 4-40 range. i thought it might have been an outlet that had failed internally and stopped working. So i replaced outlets 2-8 and 10 but the same issue persists i tried using a fluke tone generator to see if the space heater caused some degragation in the wire because of the wattage it required but i was able to succesfully trace the tone from 2-8 and from 1-2 and from 10-9 so im not really sure what the issue could be at this point the breaker seems solid, ive replaced all effected outlets, Double checked GFI's and replaced affected ones. Sort of at a loss here.

Note:Ive also firmly pushed all breakers on and off

Something interesting is the outlets are 2 pronged even though the breaker box is grounded


texts: How to tighten a swivel component on a shower head?

texts:
So here's the situation. I got a shower head:

Problem is that the swivel part is loose, so the shower head just kinda flops down. Is there any way to tighten that part?

Any help/suggestions/links is appreciated.


texts: What is the standard way to secure flex duct in an attic?

texts: I was in a house and noticed that flex duct (or what I think is flex duct) is being secured via a strap that's looped around the duct and then nailed to an attic truss (see picture below). Is this the proper way to secure flex duct?


texts: How to cover an open/exposed wire fast and safe for a long period?

texts:
I have a 3 pin socket on the wall that is broken and I'm going to fix it. And while at that, I also want to fix the wall (re-cement it and paint it again). After I dismantle the socket, the 3 wires will become exposed. Is there any special tool to cover it? I search in the web but found no such thing or even if there is I don't know what it is called. I'm imagining something like a non electrical-conducting clip that's sold cheaply so that I can buy as many as I want and cover every exposed wire when I'm working my thing. The reason I what such thing is:

I don't want to power off the whole house electricity because I
might need to use some of my electrical tool (corded drill etc from
another power outlet).
Using insulation tape (not sure if this is the right word) is time
consuming (wrap and unwrap it) and will lead to sticky hand.
There are kids/people in the house and I might need to get to the
store in case I need to buy something.

I'm thinking of creating it myself by getting an unused tyre tube. Cut 2 pieces of 1cm x 1cm from it. And then glued each of it to each of the jaw of a plastic clip used for clothes hanging.

So my question is, do such thing exist cheaply for mass/bulk buying? If it doesn't, is the one I'm trying to create myself is safe enough? I lack science understanding and I only know that rubber doesn't conduct electricity. Also I'm very scared when doing electrical stuff because even using a test pen to test for electrical current sometimes I can feel heat or static. Thanks.


texts:
The blade on my Skilsaw model 5150 wobbles quite a bit.  I can tell the wobble is coming from the shaft itself.  (I can grab the shaft and wiggle it around quite a bit --- the result of the "looseness" in the shaft is about a 3/16" wobble on the rim of a 7-1/4" blade.)

I found this diagram:  http://www.ereplacementparts.com/skil-5150-type-f012515000-714-circular-saw-parts-c-130_160_831.html, but I can't tell what part is supposed to keep the shaft from wobbling.

Any suggestions are appreciated.


texts: How do I remove wax or Mop-and-Glow from Pergo floors?


texts: Is there a set of specs and / distances to narrow down the choices or to know how to choose an HD antenna that could replace my cable provider for access to local channels?


texts: adding and removing studs to stairs for support

texts: I would like to remove the purple section so I may walk under the stairs. Behind that purple section has open space that I have to crawl under to get too. The red markings is the stairs behind the studs. Should I add 4x4 studs where the blue markings are?


texts: How to stop water seepage in an elevator pit?

texts:
I have a home with an elevator pit that sits below grade in an area with a high water table.  Whenever I get a heavy rain or high tide the elevator pit fills with about 30 gallons of water.  I did notice a crack in the concrete between the side wall and the pit floor.

Question:  What is the best way to seal the concrete and the crack to prevent continued water seepage?


texts: Use a concrete core drill (6") on plaster lath?

texts: I'm installing a range hood vent through a double brick wall, so I need to rent a core drill and 6" core bit. Would it be possible/advisable to use the same bit to cut through the plaster and lath (NOT drywall) on the interior wall? I would do it handheld (vs mounted as with the exterior wall) and go really slow.


texts:
I've read the answers on this site, and now I'm wondering, where is the aerator?

OP: noted there was no water from the Faucet or Dishwasher, in subsequent follow up, it was noted the dishwasher does work & use of the Hot or Cold produces no water flow.


texts: Can I place a bathroom vent fan lower on a wall if I increase the CFM?

texts:
I know it is ideal to mount a bathroom vent fan on the ceiling, or as high up the wall as possible (steam rises, right?). However, due to physical constraints of running the ductwork the only place I have to install it is about 2/3 of the way up the wall.

Will over-powering the fan, maybe with a 200+ CFM motor make up for this less than ideal placement?

If it matters, the run to the exterior is about 8-10 feet, possibly with a 1-2' drop across the run.

Also, if it matters. The main reason I am installing this now is that a member of my family likes to go in there and smoke with the door shut to keep the smoke away from the family. However, we just get hotboxed the second we open that door.  Humidity in that bathroom isn't really much of an issue.


texts:
I have three old window units in my house and they function as my A/C. I am concerned about the amount of heat seeping into the house and cool air leaking out around the A/C units themselves. They're not fitted to the windows, and we have to use the accordion style panels to prevent drafts, but they're not air tight or very good at insulating.

How can I reduce heat transfer around my window unit air conditioners?


texts: What could be causing a steady tapping noise in a tankless water heater?

texts:
I have a Jacuzzi hot water heater, installed about 2 years ago. It works fine, however, when it is sitting idle (no making hot water) it has recently developed a steady tapping noise from within. When I shut off the incoming or outgoing water valves it stops.
I opened up the cover and blow out any dirt with compressed air. I cleaned the water filter.
Any ideas?


texts: Is air gap needed if dishwasher is connected directly to the sewer line?

texts: My dishwasher is in an island, across from the sink.  If I connect my dishwasher directly to the sewer line instead of to a garbage disposal, then does it still need an air gap?


texts:
Im trying to install a new thermostat but the wires dont really line up (not sure what to do about the blue). Which wires should be connected to which?

existing thermostat and the new wires next to it

instructions diagram

Update 1

dug a little deeper and found a white cable but still not sure what todo
not to mention there are 3 blacks as well coming from the wall

Here is what im guessing at?

Red (from thermostat) goes to black that is currently going to red cable on old thermostat

Black(from thermostat) goes to the 2black wires currently going to black on old thermostat

Blue(from thermostat) goes to all three whites?

did i get the wrong thermostat?  1 pole vs 2.


texts: Window Manufacturer - Anyone recognize this window?

texts: I am trying to find the manufacturer of this window or anyone that sells it.  I'm in the northeast (NY).  It's set in a poured concrete foundation.  The glass only has "strips" on either side (which is unusual), so the top/bottom actually fit into the tracks in the window frame.  Need to find the "strips" if possible, as the previous owner of my home broke the windows when they were locked-out and threw out the strips instead of trying to replace the glass.  I tried Home Depot, Lowe's...asked several concrete companies, construction supply stores, etc. with no luck.  window/glass


texts: Is unpainted drywall with mud/joint compound dangerous to be around?

texts:
I know very little about drywall/home improvement, but this question is more less due to my health anxiety, which often drives me to worry about obscure things around me. I moved into my current townhouse last fall, and it comes with a "basement" that is on the ground floor, that has unpainted walls, with mudding/whatever else they put on drywall normally. Today, I was moving things around in there, bumped up against the wall, and a lot of white paint/dust/mudding came off on my shirt. This got my brain going, and I'm just wondering, is it safe to be around unpainted drywall like this? I'm thinking along the lines of breathing in the dust, even though I normally am not disturbing the walls like I did today...

I know this question my seem silly, but often times when I'm anxious about this kind of stuff, asking questions like this to strangers helps put me at ease.

The walls look like this picture, for reference. The place is brand new, so I feel like I shouldn't have to worry too much about dangerous chemicals and the like, but I still worry from time to time.


texts: New LED flood lights give off quick flash when turned off

texts:
I just purchased 6 new LED Flood Lights for my kitchen, my kitchen has two light switches that turn the lights off and on and neither of them are dimmers so I purchased non dimmable LED lights.

One thing I've noticed and this doesn't happen every time but on ocassion when I turn the lights off they will provide a flicker once I hit the switch, I was wondering what is the cause of this and will it cause damage to the LED bulbs?


texts: Installed outlet for Tesla charger but get only 8 amps out and the breaker is 50 amps

texts:
We installed a 50 amp breaker and a new cable out to a new outlet, however only 8 amps come out, and the Tesla charges one-third as fast. The wire is 6 gauge, I’m in the US and the car is fine. The charger is the one which came with the car a Tesla model S 2014. and the car is showing 240V 8 amps, and charging 4 times slower than in my previous home
Does anybody know why we might be getting only 8 amps out?


texts: How can I prevent water buildup in a pit for a trampoline?

texts:
A friend of mine is looking in to purchasing a trampoline for her garden. So it doesn't change the look too much she wants it lowered in to the floor. I mentioned that it might collect water, especially if she bricks up the walls.

What should be done to prevent this?


texts: Can I safely exchange the positions of differently-sized gas range burners?

texts:
I have a Frigidaire Gallery dual fuel range. On the left side, the smaller burner is located in the front and I want the smaller burners in the back.
Is there any reason why I should not swap the jets and burners?


texts: Is it safe to store paint in a furnace room?

texts:
I currently store my paint cans, mostly latex but a few oil-based stains, in my furnace room.

I'm not certain if latex paints are dangerous to keep near flame sources, but I'm fairly certain that oil-based products are.

However, I'm unsure as to where else I can store them.  My alternate locations are my garage or attic, but both are unheated and the northern Ohio winters will almost certainly freeze the paint.

Where can I safely store paint?  Are latex based products safe to store in a furnace room?


texts: Floors squeak a lot since installing new carpet

texts: Our condo was built in 1989, and I moved in in 2005 with all new carpets. A few months ago (15 years later!), we had new wall-to-wall carpet installed. Now there's creaks and squeaks everywhere in the sub floor where there used to be only minimal or none. Even in the kitchen where we didn't have carpet in the past. Seems so strange. I think the carpet looks correctly installed, and we have good quality padding and carpet. Did removing the tension from the previous carpet cause the change? Is the solution to just use one of those tools that screws the sub floor to the joist through the carpet?


texts: self leveling layer with internal French drain

texts:
I am planning to pour a layer of self leveling sealant such as levelPro to level out my basement floor and cover / encase some possible problematic vinyl tiles.

It's an older house, and I believe it has an internal French drain, though I can't say for sure. It does have a sump pump/pit in the corner of the basement that occasional gets triggered and pumps some water out. I also think it has an internal French drain since the basement floor/ tiles go out to the basement walls, but there's a gap of 1-3 inches in which there are some stones. I think this is covering the French drain.

If this is the case, I want to pour the underlayment without it getting into the French drain. What is the best way to accomplish this? My current thought its that I might tape or adhere some 6 mil plastic sheeting on the edge of the floor right before it becomes stone, and tuck it into the corner where the wall meets the stones, and then run it up the wall a few inches and then adhere it to the wall. Does this seem reasonable, and does it seem like it would cause any issues with the setting of the poured leveling underlayment? If I go this route should I use a thicker plastic?

Please, let me know if this is the best course of action or if I should take another approach.

Thanks!


texts: How can I replace the circuit breaker for my dryer in an old panel?

texts: I was told to replace the circuit breaker for the dryer I have because it is not giving out enough power. Only problem is, I don't know what to replace it with. It looks very worn from age and I have no idea what to replace it with.  Do I need a 30A double pole breaker?


texts:
I now have a wonderful hole in a bathroom door, as a result of door-stop not being installed in the proper place, and the door being shoved up against a towel rail (picture attached).  As can be seen, this door is of the cheap variety and consists of plywood (right name?) front and back.

My options at this stage are:

Replace the entire door (expensive);
Replace the entire back of the door (big job, and possibly pricey);
Some "localised" fix (ugly, but maybe there's some "magic" of which I'm not aware).

Any advice would be appreciated.


texts: any possibility that I may have damaged a wire in the wall?

texts:
This is what happened a few hours back while I was installing a shelf in the bathroom.

The shelf requires three screws, but according to the stud finder, the screw locations I wanted didn't align with the studs. So I decided to use drywall anchors(a self-drilling type anchor about 1.5" long https://www.homedepot.com/p/E-Z-Ancor-Twist-N-Lock-75-lbs-Medium-Duty-Drywall-Anchors-50-Pack-25310/100040265) and pre-drill holes for the them. One of the hole locations was somewhat close to a gfci outlet, so I did AC scan using the stud finder and it didn't report anything.

So I went ahead and drilled a hole. However, when I manually screwed the anchor with a screw driver about one inch into the drywall, it felt like something was hit, so I took it out and pushed in my screw driver into the hole. To my horror, it hit something like rubber band inside wall, and I am pretty sure that it is a wire from that outlet, likely running horizontally since there was no stud.

I didn't notice anything abnormal - no sparks, no light out or flickering, no breaker tripping - and the outlet is working.

When drilling I believe I stopped as soon as the drill went through the drywall but the drill bit was likely pushed in a little further. Also, the tip of the anchor (plastic) is sharp. How likely is it that I damaged the wire? Should I worry and really open up the wall to check?

I think the chance is pretty slim, but I am being cautious and also a complete novice when it comes to diy and electric stuff, so will need some advice. Thanks in advance.


texts: Help identify wall & how to hang things on it

texts:
What are my walls made of?
I can’t screw or nail anything into it without it just immediately crumbling.
Anything hammered or screwed in just becomes loose and doesn’t stay in.
Almost my entire home has this type of wall.  I want to be able to hang things, even heavy stuff, but I’m forced to solely use some flimsy wood paneling that borders the upper walls of only some rooms. (Even they can’t take much weight).
PLEASE HELP!!!


texts: How can I safely increase the size of a door bolt?

texts:
I live in an apartment right near the garage of the apartment. Every time someone comes in or out of the garage, the change in air pressure causes my door to slam a bit and it sounds like someone is trying to break into my apartment (spoiler alert, they're not).

This bothers me and I haven't found a great way to fix it. I feel like the issue is that the bolt in my door is too small (either that, or the piece of the door that retracts when you turn the knob [I have no idea what it's called] is too small). I'm wondering if you guys had any clever ideas for how I might stop my door from slamming every time the air pressure changes? It's really annoying!


texts:
I have an old metal overhang from when my home was built back in the 60's. It has in integrated gutter and currently no downspouts to direct the water. I went to Lowes and purchased the smaller downspouts they had (2x3) and they seem to be too big.

My question is do they make gutters that are smaller than 2x3? Or am i missing something here? Thank you


texts: How do I mount this box without drilling or damaging the shelf?

texts:
I bought a network switch that I'd like to hang on the underside of a shelf immediately above my desk. The designers of the switch provides two screw holes on the underside of the box to mount it. Like this; I don't know what this is officially called:

I'd like to avoid having to permanently mar my shelves in the event I want to reorganize. This leaves mounting tape as an option, but between the weight of the box and the cables pulling down, I'm concerned that the strength of tape/adhesive that I'd need would destroy the finish of the (particleboard) shelf if I have to remove it. Are there any adhesives or ways to mount this box (perhaps a plastic piece that has a screwhead shape that sits flush on the shelf?) that come to mind? I want to avoid finding out the hard way.

Thanks in advance.

edit: Here's pictures of the switch and shelf:

I'd like to mount it upside down between the two posts.


texts: New dryer makes concerning noise when drum spins

texts:
I bought a scratch and dent GE Dryer (model GTX42EASJWW) from AJMadison and had it professionally installed this morning.

It makes a concerning noise when I spin the drum - either by hand or in a cycle. I am trying to get a sense of how problematic this noise is, and/or how fixable I should expect it to be, so I can set my expectations when dealing with the company.  Customer service has been quite hard to deal with for more mundane things and returning a dryer sounds like a real pain.

Here are two short videos I took of the dryer making the noise:

https://vimeo.com/344399459

https://vimeo.com/344402142


texts: What type of home security system does not expose cameras to hackers?

texts:
All of the home security systems available at Walmart seem to rely on the Internet. Users can check their cameras via the Internet on their phones or work computers.

This seems to introduce a significant security problem, as one has to trust that: (1) employees at the company producing the product are not accessing the cameras; (2) employees to not leak passwords; and (3) there is no security breach at the company enabling anyone to access your camera feeds.

Is there any way to setup a home security system that can similarly notify me of intruders, while I am at work or traveling, but which does not rely on security cameras? Or is there another form of detection which avoids the problem above?


texts:
I'm trying to build a DIY ice bath (Wim Hof style ice baths) using a chest freezer.
I have a Magic Chef small size chest freezer (pic below). I need to drain the water in it every couple of months or so. There's a drain hole inside the freezer with a plug. And there's a small drain outlet to the side. The outside drain hole is smooth on the inside, and has no threading. I thought it was 1/2" wide and got a 1/2" pipe joint from the hardware store. However, the joint is too large for the hole. My question is:

How to I go about sizing it (I tried using a measuring tape last time but apparently that didn't work. Anyone got an easy hack to do this?)

Is there a name for the kind of joint I should be looking for?

The drainage outlet is to the bottom-left of the freezer in the pic below.

I've put my index finger tip near the hole to help understand its size better.


texts: If our Panasonic microwave shuts off after 2 seconds, is it likely a door latch or magnetron issue?

texts:
Need some help with our Panasonic Inverter NN-SD681S. Very light use and in perfect condition except that it suddenly started shutting off after 2 seconds.  All other functions are fine (lights/power fine, timer works, etc) After it turns off, power is still on, just goes back to the main "menu"

When I hold the door in tight and a minuscule bit "up" (maybe 1/16 of an inch movement, literally the tiniest visible amount) it works perfectly and does not shut down. The second I let go of the door it shuts off . The door closes and secures normally, but I guess is off by a tiny bit that makes the difference. Googling and looking on this site I see this likely means there is a door latch issue, or possibly the magnetron.

Is this accurate? If so, what exactly do I need to fix/replace and is safe to do? Wasn't sure if it's just securing/moving an internal part or actually replacing something. DH has some electrical experience so as long as nothing will blow up, he can probably do it.


texts: Pressure level in central heating system

texts:
Recently (since last week), the pressure in our heating system (as indicated by the pressure gauge on the boiler) is dropping rapidly.  We're having to top this up around once every two days.  As I understand it, this is caused by a leak somewhere in the system.

Are there any ways to identify where this leak may be.  I've been around all the radiators and visible pipes to check, and can't find anything.  Is it just a case of waiting until water starts dripping though the ceiling somewhere?


texts: Removing Wall with 2x4 roof supports attached

texts: I am working on a home remodeling project and would like to remove a wall. When investigating the structure. The wall runs parallel right between two rafters. On top of the wall there are 2 2x4's that go from the top of the wall to the roof. I was wondering if I could either remove or move these supports or do I need to install a beam to replace the wall for these supports. See Pictures. Any help is appreciated.


texts: Can I use a chest freezer in an unconditioned garage which often gets very hot and humid?

texts: Do I have to do anything special to use a chest freezer in a garage in Florida which often gets very hot and humid?


texts: Fiber vs STP vs UTP for underground conduit run to backyard office?

texts:
We're building a standalone structure in the backyard that will be used for a backyard office. There's already a trench with a conduit for electrical and a 3/4" conduit for some sort of networking. The trick is figuring out which type of networking cable to run through that conduit.
I was originally planning on pulling fiber out there due to concerns about the proximity of the electrical conduit (they're right on top of each other). I was also recently reading about various shielded forms of ethernet cable and thinking that might be a better/easier choice? The run from the networking cabinet is about 80-100' in total, with about 30' of that inside and about 50' outside via the conduit.
Is fiber the obvious right choice here? Should I bother pulling it myself? I had one local company come out and quote me for pulling the fiber and the price was way higher than I expected. Another local company told me they could run Cat8 through the conduit, but after reading about how to ground the shielding on STP cables I'm not at all sure that's a good idea.
For code purposes I'm in King County in western Washington State.


texts: Should I install exterior door of mudroom before or after tiling?

texts:
I have a doorway leading from my newly added mudroom to the new garage. The doorway currently does not have a door in place yet. I have the door already (it is in the old doorway from the kitchen to the garage and still needs to be moved) and it has an aluminum threshold that is flush with the door.

I want to tile the mudroom floor, but not sure if I should wait until I have the exterior door separating the garage from the mudroom installed.

I fear that if I install the jamb and threshold after the tile work is done, the gap between the threshold and tile will be too large to grout. If I install the door first, I can take some steps to custom fit the tile against the threshold.

The door already has a threshold in place, which is the kind that sits flush with the face of the door (e.g. it doesn't overhang the edge of the flooring).

How is this situation typically handled?


texts: What is the most 14 ga copper wires (hot/neutral) according to NEC should fit in a duplex receptacle standard(single gang)  outlet metal box? This number should also include piggybacks?


texts:
The lining around my tub is coming off, can anyone point me in the right direction on how to fix this myself?
I found a YouTube video on how to caulk a tub:  which I guess is what I will go with that,
but is there anything I should be extra careful with that comes to mind?


texts: How do I open my garage door without a remote from outside?

texts:
1993 Craftsman garage door opener; my wife must have put something up against the garage door keypad and inadvertently triggered the vacation mode button - now we're locked out.

The remote control is disabled; none of the buttons work. Checked the batteries - they're fine. Tried tripping the breaker; no change.

The problem is, the garage has no door (just the garage door) and just 2 small windows that we could fit through if i broke the glass.

Is there any way to disable the vacation mode from a remote control?

I'd really rather not break the glass for obvious reasons. If i have to do something like that, i'll cut a hole in the wall, get in, open the garage and put a door where i cut the hole.

Any other ideas?


texts: Should I block off the soffit vents in the vicinity of my bathroom exhaust vent which is in the soffit?

texts:
I've seen the other threads on here warning against venting a bathroom fan to a soffit:  People warn against the moist air heading right back up the surrounding soffit vents and into the attic (especially in a colder climate like mine--Wisconsin).  My plan to counteract this is to install non-vented soffit for a few feet on both sides of the bathroom soffit vent.

So now instead of being overly worried about moist warm air entering my attic via the vented soffit, I'm now worried that the 5 feet of venting that I'm choking off will result in decreased ventilation for my attic.

Can those who recommend against venting a bathroom fan to the soffit agree that, at the very least, my method of sealing off the soffit venting around the bathroom soffit vent is an improvement?

By the way, this is the vent I'm planning to go with


texts: Can I use a brighter bulb in a Harbor Breeze Caratuk fixture?

texts:
The house I'm living in has Harbor Breeze Caratuk ceiling fan fixtures installed in the bedrooms. The light bulb is a 60W equivalent LED bulb (6.5W). But the rooms are not lit brightly enough for me. The fixtures have a sticker that says "Max 6.5W" (yes: it does NOT say "65W"):

From what I've read online the max wattage is 7W. Is that really accurate? Am I stuck with the dim bulbs or can I replace them with something brighter? Or am I going to have to add lamps or replace the fixtures to get more light in the room?


texts:
I have an Inground pool and  I have 7 return jets in my pool. 6 of 7 are working flawlessly with excellent pressure coming out of them with no air bubbles. EXCEPT  my 7th jet that is right underneath my skimmer does not work. I have gone on many forums and troubleshooted many times and I still can't get the thing to work
Here's what I have tried so far
1. Covered all the other jets eyeballs up and hope the pressure builds to push out anything that is in there (no luck) also when I did do this, the pressure (18psi) remained the same
2. I've drained my pool twice and took off ALL the jet eyeballs and cleaned out the pipe with a wet vac (no luck)
3. I've bought expensive drain cleaner for the pool  (no luck)
4. I've checked my D.E filter and replaced with new filters (no luck)
5. Checked all my skimmer baskets and cleaned out the pump motor (no luck)
6. I've changed out all my o-rings (no luck)

I have visually checked for leaks everywhere and the only leak I had found was by my brominator but it isn't a continuous leak and I don't think this would be enough for a single return, to not work?
And the way they designed and put in the pool they didn't install separate manifolds for each return  so I'm out of the luck with that.
So at this point I'm pretty much all out of options unless someone else can point me in the right direction?


texts: Wiring in a Dusk/Dawn sensor to my porch light

texts: I am trying to wire a Dusk/Dawn sensor into my covered porch light.  My problem is the sensor has Black, Red, White wire and my light has Black, White and Ground wires.  Which wires connect?


texts:
I want to buy a mini fridge, not for food storage, but for storing stuff I don't want to evaporate (gets hot in my room during summers) or preserve.

I'm thinking maybe once in a while I want to make it extensible by putting a hole through it and then attach an insulated PVC pipe going to a cooler in the end.

I'm also playing around with the idea of being able to attach my PC water cooling system to the end of the pipe (though I haven't even set up my PC cooling system). As in the summer, my room gets almost as hot as the inside of my PC. Though I don't know if the fridge can handle that much heat being fed into it.


texts: Can I split a 60 amp split-phase circuit to multiple 15 or 20 ampere circuits?

texts:
I have two 60A (to my knowledge) split-phase outlets (14-50R) in a commercial building, which I'd like to break out semi-permanently to 120V outlets, ideally without having an electrician modify the building.

I took an educated chance and wired up two branches of 120v (hot-neutral + ground) from one of these receptacles to power an LED screen array. The wiring was done inside the plug, so there are two three-wire cables coming out, terminated by "Powercon" connectors (but they could just as easily be 5-15 style). Each branch has an equal number of panels, and so the branches are about as close to balanced as possible (although there is always the possibility of some panels drawing more than others).

This has been working well, but a bit of self-doubt has set in; most importantly, is this safe? Would it be smarter to build a small sub panel which is fed through the 14-50 plug? If it is acceptable, can I safely do it again with the other circuit, without the guarantee of a mostly balanced load?


texts: Can I run electrical cable and sound cable in the same conduit?

texts:
In my house, I only have an underground conduit for electrical cable. I have a home theater system, but there is no separate underground conduit for home theater wiring. I want surround sound with front and rear speakers, so I need to pull underground cable for rear speakers.

My questions:

Should I pull my home theater wire for rear speakers through that electrical cable conduit?
If I do this, will I get sound distortion?
If yes, is there any specific cable which I can use that would allow the electrical cable and sound cable to be in the same conduit and not get any sound distortion?


texts: How do I replace a sink drain body when there isn't a trap?

texts:
I'm replacing the faucets in a master bath.  Each sink in the dual vanity is set up like this:

Presumably there is a trap down the line somewhere.  With no trap that can be disassembled under the sinks, I don't see how I can install the new drain body.


texts: Replacing gas burner in a vented glass 3 sided fireplave

texts:
Our fireplace, installed in mid 80's has a burner that is completly worn out. Is is possible to install a new burner that is not made by original maker? When I've asked at fireplace shops they claim that the entire unit, box and all must be torn out and replaced...really? I want to know if I can purchase a burner and replace, if so is there anything other than where the burner connects to gas line I need to know an
Bout? Thanks


texts: Correct way to attach 3 layers of subfloor?

texts:
I am putting new tile in bathroom  which has 1x6 planks diagonally across joists. I need to raise this floor  1 3/4" to match the toilet flange, door jambs etc.
What’s the best way?
Currently  I am thinking to double up 1 1/8 ply (in strips to save on cost) with 3/4 T&G ply on top.
What’s the best way to screw all this on top the existing planks?  First layer to joists second not? Both to joists?  Both not?
Having all these layers worries me but i need the height.
I am putting ditra + tile on top of this stack....


texts:
I have a 10 year old Viking gas stove/range, which use Direct Spark Ignition (DSI). The bake ignitor will not spark at all, however the Broiler ignitor will spark and light up just fine.

Things that I've done so far:

Replaced the DSI spark module. This did not make the bake ignitor spark.
Replaced the bake ignitor with two different replacements. No spark still. I thought the first ignitor was possibly cracked or defective, so I ordered a second one from a different vendor, but same issue.
Checked continuity on wire between DSI module and the ignitor. THe wire beeps on my digital multimeter just fine, indicating continuity is good.
Replaced the gas valve on the bake portion. Gas is coming out just fine out of the bake piping, but no spark on the ignitor.

I am wondering what else there is to check or replace? Could it be a thermostat issue? I have not replaced that, but I find that hard to accept as the cause because the broiler comes on just fine. Is there anything else I can check with my multimeter? How can I test that the replacement DSI spark module is not faulty?

Thanks!


texts: I am trying to install a metal light pendant with a ground wire, it is replacing a plastic pendant which has no metal box or grounding nut, do I just connect the ground wire to the earth along with the earth of the pendant, thanks


texts: What's best to use in a sawzall to cut steel pipe?

texts:
So our new place came with an old antiquated huge satellite dish in the yard. Getting it down wasn't much trouble, but I'm stuck trying to figure out how to get the big steel post it sat on out of the way.

The original plan was to just sawzall the thing down below ground level, cover it up, and forget about it. Except this thing pretty much just laughs at my sawzall while the blade just tickles it.

So without having to potentially dig multiple feet down to dig the whole thing out, can someone recommend a better blade? It's my first time trying some longer than usual Diablo steel cutting blades you see in the image.

Or would I need to find a buddy with welding gear? I could swear I've cut stuff worse than this before with the sawzall so I'd prefer to go that route if possible.

EDIT : So far I've found that the Diablo Steel Demon DS0908BFD AND The Diablo Diamond Grit "Cast Iron Cutting" blades were pretty much worthless against this thing. I sat there for about 15 minutes with the diamond grit blade expecting something and got nothing but disappointment. Pipe 1, Sawzall 0 :(


texts: How do I drill through a metal screw in my cabinet doors?

texts:
I'm in the process of adding hardware to my bathroom vanity and as I have gone to drill the holes in the doors, I am hitting metal. It's hard to see what it is, but I believe it's a screw or a piece of metal  on the joint where the wood comes together.

What do I need to do to get through it? OR can I just glue on the knobs and call it a day?![

enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/qj9Ja.jpg)


texts: What type of tape is used to seal vapor barrier seams?

texts:
If I was installing vapor barrier in Canada, I'd use Tuck® Contractors Sheathing Tape.  However, after a trip to the local Home Depot (USA), I came up empty in my search for Tuck Tape.

I did find Tyvek® Tape, which is used to seal the seams of Tyvek® HomeWrap®.

Can Tyvek tape be used as a stand in for Tuck tape, or are there more appropriate products available?


texts: Can I substitute furnace cement for high temperature epoxy?

texts: I am building a project in The Practical Pyromaniac, and I am wondering if for the Burning Ring of Fire, a simple cooktop, I can substitute furnace cement for high temperature epoxy? The furnace cement would need to be as air tight as high temp epoxy, as it will be used to keep burning gas in an inner chamber.


texts: How do I change/paint the color of a closet door floor guide

texts: I can only buy this from the store. I have made two pairs of Shoji doors, the frame is black, the screen is made of rice paper. I need the guides shown below to be black. Any idea what I need to do to have that color? I think that using paint for this might not work on long term.


texts:
Question 1. I am building myself a lamp and I am using a plastic 1 gang outlet box.  There are no ground wires.  How can I properly ground the lamp?

Question 2: Can I attach a metal bar and place it on the wood, then attach the ground wire?


texts:
Hello I'm looking to install a bathroom vent in a enclosed shower on a GFCI circuit breaker. I know its recommended to use something like a 4 inch vent to vent out the stated flow rate, but since it is not a very big space I would like to use a 2 inch pipe to vent it out and under my house where it is very ventilated.

I know I wont get the ventilation it says on the box but would there be any issues with using a smaller pipe?


texts: I have one middle bedroom second floor that virtually gets no forced air AC or heat. Placing you hand on the reister you don't feel no force, very little air push. I on more than one occasion have closed 50-70% on the tube dampers and registers ( on the first floor to push air to the second level and no help. I have also completely closed the first floor control damper in the basement. I have a fist floor and second floor split ventilation first floor tube and second floor large square ventilation.What is also odd is one BR on second floor has tube vent and that room is cold and the furthest from the split control. The size of the floor booth in the middle BR will not accept a booster fan. So the bottom line is that I tried all the balancing criteria that HVAC companies advised. My AC unit 3 ton is 2 weeks old and furnace 2 stage is 3 years old both Carrier. Basement family room is ice cold with all vents closed and first floor is cold, second floor low cool middle BR no action. Any ideas and recommendations that I missed will be very appreciated. Thanks


texts: How much dry calcium hypochlorite do I need to buy?

texts: I have read that I need to buy dry calcium hypochlorite to lighten wood stain. I have 2 drawer fronts I need to lighten. Each drawer front is 8" X 36". Is a 1lb bag of the dry calcium hypochlorite enough to lighten the stain on these 2 drawers? Approximately how much water and powder will I need to mix together to bleach each drawer ONCE. What kind of container is best and safe to make the mixture in?


texts:
I'm comfortable with the process of creating and joining wood with dowels, but I'm not sure what size dowels to use in which cases? Specifically, I'm working with 1" thick stock (3/4" actual), what size should I use?

What are the other sizes and lengths of dowels used for?

Are there any recommended grouping or spacing for wood dowels?


texts: Remove brown bicycle tire marks from vinyl floor

texts:
I'm trying to remove these brown bicycle tire marks from my kitchen floor (see pictures).  I've searched the internet and I have tried the following recommendations:

White spirit
Bike degreaser (Muc-off)
WD-40
Soda crystals
Scrubbed using abrasive scourer
Flash Magic Eraser
Rubbing alcohol
Bleach

However, nothing has worked at - not even slightly.  It looks like the stains may be permanent, but as I have nothing to lose (rented flat) I'm willing to try anything in order to reduce the stains and salvage some of my deposit.

I have two questions:

Is there anything/product that may help that I have not yet tried?
Is this actually vinyl flooring?  The floor seems to be a continuous material, where I have seen vinyl flooring on the internet as square blocks that are fitted together.


texts: I bought a house that has a lot of ceiling fans but none with lights. They're on dimmer switches as well. I decided to add light kits to two of the fans, a Hunter fan and a Hampton Bay fan (sorry don't know model numbers). I easily found and attached the white/white and blue/black on both fans, having to strip the wires inside the fans and using wire connector caps to attach the light kit wires. I was not able to get the lights to turn on after either install, and one of the fans now hums but doesn't spin. I checked the reverse switch to make sure it wasn't in a neutral position. Is it possible the motor broke during install? Is it a capacitor issue? Should I try to salvage the non working fan or replace the whole unit. Is there a secret step I missed when installing the light kits? I know almost nothing about this kind of thing except for what I just learned in this forum and from some YouTube videos. Appreciate the help!


texts: I want to remove these three small pieces of wall (Marked in yellow arrow) to combine dining and living room?   Since the house has a basement. I also attached the basement pic to show the structure those walls. Are they load bearing? can I remove them?


texts: What is this white powder on the walls and around the plumbing?

texts:
We have a bathroom in a detached structure from our house. We purchased it and have not used this for 6 months.

I just noticed this powder on the walls and I touched some of it on the wall and it just crumbled like baby powder.

It is also on an adjacent wall. There's also white stuff around a hole in the ceiling.

It is also under the sink...around the pipe.

Note this powdery material has build up on the wall so that it is 1/2" or so thick.

I don't know what all of this stuff is and whether it's the same substance in other places in this bathroom.


texts:
I am part way through completely refitting my bathroom and keep debating what the best approach is regarding tiling around the bathtub.
Most videos online suggest that you either fit the bath or at least mark on the wall and fit some wood to tile up from. I appreciate that this will save on cost but are there any other benefits to doing it this way over tiling the full wall? Could the tile sitting further out above the bath help to prevent water from sitting on the edge of the tub (see below)?
Tile above bath.       Tile full wall

..|                    ..|
..|                    ..|
---                    ..|---
   |                   ..|   |
   |                   ..|   |

I don't mind spending more money on tiles if it saves on cutting, etc. So long as it is either the better option or is not the worst option :).


texts:
We have clay soil so we had our landscaper/yard maintenance person come out to see what could be done for our drainage issues...there were many low spots in the yard & even when he stepped on them, he could feel the sogginess.

What he finally suggested might fix the problem is to just dig up our existing yard totally (backyard)...regrade it, then put down a layer of gravel/sand, put about 3 inches of topsoil on that, then put new grass seed in...He gave us an estimate of around $3750 to do this. But one of the issues I think we might have is that our gutters in the back come down & go into the concrete which is away from the house but could that be causing our soggy yard?

Where is that water going & how could that be tested to see? We want to the most cost effective thing we can do but still solve the problem...what should we be looking at and how do we know what to do?


texts:
I want to run a new 240V eletrical line to the garage as in the picture below. The dark blue one is the panel and the light blue is the garage. The problem is the roof is very sloped so it is almost impossible to get to that corner through the attic. I do have a hole going up from the panel to the house, but how could I fish something from that corner? do I have to open an area of ceiling from inside to do so? I really don't want to patch drywall (and painting)..

There is also an existing conduit that carries a 240V from the panel to the kitchen. It's about 1" in diameter. It does have space to have another 8/3 wire, so one option is to somehow break the conduit in the attic, and separate the two lines with a junction box. Is this something safe?

Alternatively, I considered to let the wire:

Go through crawlspace
Go directly through outside
Enter the attic from a vent, which is not far from the panel

They may work...but I still prefer to have it go through attic directly if possible. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

Edit: I measure the conduit using caliper - the OD reads 1 7/32. It's plastic. There are 3 wires in it - 2x hot 8 TW, 1 neutral 10 TW, no grounding)


texts: Why won't my toilet's water valve not turn off?

texts:
I need to replace my wax ring on my toilet.  To do that I need to turn the water off that fills the tank.

When I go to the valve that is by/under the toilet it will turn a bit more than a quarter turn.  That is all.  After that it is very stuck.  Trying to force it seems to put torque on the little pipe coming out of the wall (though I admit I have not tried too hard because I really don't want to have to open my wall up to fix a messed up copper pipe.)

I am the first owner of my home and this valve has never worked (though I did not think to check it till way after my warranty expired).

So, is this a cut the pipe and put on a new one kind of job, or is there a better way?


texts: Will a non-contact voltage detector find live wires in concrete walls?

texts:
I'm quite an amateur when it comes to home improvement type stuff but I now have my first home and starting to do small work around the house.  I kind of scared myself when I bought a drill and with the very first drill, I punctured a water pipe.  Yeah, not exactly a good intro to home improvement.

Anyway, I'm planning on doing some more drilling and want to be safe.  A water pipe is a PITA but at least the damage was minimal.  I'm much more concerned about electrical wiring.  I was going to buy one of those combined stud finders + live wire detectors but I don't need the stud finder part.  I live in Indonesia where no one builds with wood frame + drywall construction.  Everything here is concrete brick walls.

So, I saw these non-contact voltage detectors online and they look like they fit the bill but I wanted to check here first.  Would that allow me to find live wiring through about 1" of plaster + concrete?

This was the exact product I was considering: http://www.amazon.com/Fluke-1AC-A1-II-VoltAlert-Non-Contact-Voltage/dp/B000EJ332O


texts: Fixing constant humming from mechanical doorbell with video doorbell ringers (ring/skybell)

texts: We have an old house with a neat mechanical doorbell.  The bell is one of the hammer/bell kinds.  I've installed 2 video doorbells which have been powered by this just fine.  I tried to add a 3rd but it adds just too much power draw leading to a constant hum from the transformer and a low level ring from the bell.  I read on another forum that adding a 0.5-2 W resistor in parallel with the bell will eliminate this problem without causing damage to the transformer.  Would this work? Any alternatives?  I'm trying not to have to replace the mechanical doorbell part of the system.  It's neat and old and fits the house.  Thank you.


texts:
So there's a weird humming noise in my apartment that pops out for a few hours a day and would keep me awake. I was hoping you guys might have heard of it and can tell me what the hell is causing this. My oscilloscope tells me it's 120Hz so I recreated this audio that my flatmate and I agree is pretty spot on:

https://soundcloud.com/user-898083128/humming-noise-re-creation

This has been driving me crazy for months so thanks in advance for your help!

edit: I live in Boston, MA, and the AC is 60Hz if that's relevant at all


texts: How to fix 1/2 inch gap between shower drain pipe and flange?

texts:
I moved into a new place and when trying to unclog the shower drain, I found that the drain pipe is not touching the flange, there is about 1/2 inch gap. I am now concerned that water has been leaking into the house's foundation.

See photo:

Any thoughts on how to fix? Thanks!


texts:
I need to carry one 20 ft lumber from HomeDepot to my home. I don't have a truck but have a minivan (Odyssey). The minivan does not have a roof rack though. A friend of mine suggested that I could open the window of the front passenger seat and place the lumber diagonally, making it stick out the window. But, I am not sure about the method and haven't found anybody other than my friend who suggested this method. The HomeDepot is very close to my home (about 5 minutes local driving).

If anybody has an experience of carrying long lumbers with a minivan, can you please share the tip?

Thanks,

EDIT: I attached the photo below. The first two beams are connected to the roof structure to support it. They are 18-feet 2x4. The third beam (shown in the bottom right corner of the picture) does not provide any support even though it looks so.


texts: What are recommended clearances for a portable electrical generator?

texts: What are the recommended clearances for a gasoline or natural gas powered portable electrical generator, on all sides and top and bottom?  The generator is about 5,000 watts.


texts: How can I cut and cap a hot water supply line that has no shut-off after the HWT?

texts: I have an old hot water supply line that is no longer being used and I want to cut and cap it for later use. The problem I have is that it has no shut down after the hot water tank. My other hot water feeds have shutoffs. What should I do to cut and cap without a flood?


texts:
Well with pitless adapter.  Cold climate.  Water lines installed at 8 feet below grade.

Right now to irrigate my orchard, the water goes from the well, 200 feet to the house via 1" line, then 200 feet back out via 3/4" line, then 1500 feet via 1.5" line. Where the 3/4" line joins the 1.5" line is only 20 feet from the well head.  At about 1000 feet into the 1.5" line I've teed off to a 30 gallon pressure tank.

Can I drill out the top of the pitless adapter and attach a yard hydrant to the top of the pitless adapter? This would bypass the 400 foot round trip to the house. It would mean that the hydrant when it is closed, would drain back into the well.  This saves me 11.4 psi at 6 gpm in the 3/4 inch line, and 2.8 psi in the 1" line.

At present this valve would be operated twice a year -- in spring when I start the irrigation system, and in fall when I shut it down. All my piping to and in the orchard is done with sod level pipes: Dig a 2" deep trench, lay the pipe, and fill in the dirt. This protects the pipe from lawn mowers (but not rototillers...) and being close to the surface it thaws out about the time the buds break in spring.

(Yes, I would put a check valve in to keep the entire contents of the orchard plumbing from draining back.  I already have a valve in the surface line for draining in fall.)

The alternative is to patch into the line to the house. We are in a cold climate. That requires digging 8 feet.


texts: Taping drywall and cementboard butted together

texts: When taping cementboard butted against drywall, is it better to use drywall (paper/mesh) tape with joint compound or cementboard mesh tape with thinset?


texts: How to add a room in garage but keep garage door and add new ceiling that doesn't touch existing ceiling

texts:
I'm finishing part of my garage as an in-law suite. The garage is 24x24 ft with an 18ft wide garage door. I want to keep the garage door operable and still use it for storage, which mean the finished space would be 12x24 ft. This makes the finished space really tight for everything I want to fit.
I want to bump into one part of the unfinished garage space to create a 7x9 ft spot for a bed and nightstand. I would use one existing wall but need 2 new ones. However, the ceiling of this bump in can't be attached to my existing ceiling because it would block the garage door. I have 8 ft from the floor to under the garage door support brackets.
Will the ceiling of the bump in be able to be supported by the 1, the existing and 2, the new walls?


texts: Can a doorbell transformer be installed outdoors in a protected location?

texts:
We have an outdoor electrical outlet w/ two knockouts. I was going to add the doorbell transformer in there but I couldn't find out if it is code to have the transformer in a dry outdoor place. It is unlikely to get any rain or snow unless there is a really severe storm and knocks over furniture.

A basic Google search: "can a doorbell transformer be outdoor"
yields this from the home depot, really? I've never seen doorbell transformers outside.

"Doorbell transformers are usually located outside the home along the siding or on a wall in the garage. They may also be fixed to a wall in the basement or closet near the front door or entryway. If you don't see it in any of these places, check the walls in the attic. It may be tucked behind the insulation."

Update

thank you for your responses. I didn't see anything in the transformer's documentation about outdoor use.

In the before screenshot, I mounted the transformer for a couple of weeks to at least have a doorbell working. It rained a couple of times, and there was no moisture on it. Still, it looked terrible so I went ahead and used the LiquidTite PVC conduit to feed it under the deck. The transformer I moved to a weatherproof box under the deck, 2 gang. Now it is secure and away from the elements. I even power washed around the setup a few weeks after and no issues.


texts: This is similar to this question about metric measurements. In Australia, a common measurement is 90mm x 45mm for timber. A 4x2 would be (approx) 100mm x 50mm but, as I understand it, that is the milled rather than final measurement. Does the smaller metric size refer to the final measurement or does have nothing to do with a 4x2?


texts:
I have a Moen Banbury faucet in my bathroom. Over the last month or so I have noticed both reduced water pressure and no hot water. When I turn the hot handle, the water flow doesn't change all that much.

All supply lines in the basement are in good order and valves are open (the hot supply run also supplies our kitchen faucet with no issue).

What could be causing the issue?

If I turn on just the hot it is low pressure and cool.


texts: What's the best/official way to draw a building's electrical system?

texts:
We are installing home automation systems, and we have serious problems with electricians. Short: they are stupid and lazy. So, we have to do something.

There're some stories:

We have a spreadsheet with a numbered list of all the wallets, lamps, switches, and also a layout map of the house, all wallets/lamps/buttons/etc. signed on it with these ID numbers. With this list in his hand, our electrician just marked all wires with his own words instead of numbers, e.g. "sleeping room lamp switch". He has made no checklist at all.
We're working at the rack, wiring relays. There are cca. 200 wires coming from the rooms for input/outputs installed by electrician, but after a while we found that about 50 wires are missing, there are plenty of relays left empty. We call electrician, he says: "I have had no more space for wires".
(Not my story.) We mark all swith places on the wall with small sticky papers, writing ID numbers on it. Checking wires, it appears that there is a wire numbered "4" at the place "14". Electrician says "oh, I did not see the '1' before the '4'...".

And so on. Electricians don't do any documentation. The pen and paper is missing from electricians' toolbox.

We're enough. Legendary hard times arrives for electricians. We will don't pay if they don't do their job immaculate (we will ask customers to do so). Sorry, guys.

So, what we need is a simple, easy-to-understand graphical markup system which we can push into the hands of the electrician, and say: that's the job, brother, do it, no more, no else, no less, otherwise you will be surprised at payment.

Is there any standard for it? We should draw it into the layout plan. We should put separate rooms to separate pages, if it helps. Any ideas are welcome, e.g. "make two drawings, one for wallets and another for lamps", "use only prime numbers for IDs", "don't draw, use detailed textual instruction list with checkboxes", "ask him to sign that he understands the plan and the conditions" etc.

The drawing system should contain the following item types:

pushbutton,
shutter pushbutton (two-way, 3 wires: common + up/dn),
wallet 220V,
IR/move sensor,
shutter motor (3 wires),
lamp 220V,
wallet 220V,
CAT5 ethernet cable (both for computer network and buttons),
other power wire (e.g. 12V),
etc.

(I will update the question if you have other important requirements I forgot.)


texts: Chimney cleanout full of water. Basement leaking

texts:
My basement takes on water from time to time. Usually during/after rain, and sometimes snow. It's a slow trickle, but it can last for days.

It appears to be coming through the wall, right under the chimney cleanout door.

With heavy rain, I can sometimes vacuum 2-3 gallons of water out at once!

It's worth noting that I removed all water in the chimney and the basement yesterday evening. Then it rained this morning. Yet when I got home this afternoon, the basement had lots of water, but the cleanout had only a half-inch of water. Either the chimney completely emptied into my basement, or the water actually came in from somewhere else.

I've only been here for a few months, I don't know how long this has been happening.

The chimney clean-out door is in the upper left corner of this photo:

Yes, I'm 100% sure it's not coming from the water heater. If I keep wiping the water up, it only comes from the chimney wall.

Close-up:

Here's the bottom after emptying the water:

I can't pin-point the exact place the water is coming in the basement. It may be where the wall meets the floor, or perhaps the wall itself? But the wall doesn't seem as wet as I would expect for this much water. The water level in the cleanout when I go to vacuum it is typically halfway to the bottom of the door, so I don't think it's just spilling out through there.

There is no fireplace. I am not sure if there ever was... There is just a bedroom there on the first floor, just drywall, no sign of there ever being a fireplace. The house is from the early 60's.

I especially don't think there was a fireplace because the chimney seems to be a straight shot:

There is no chimney cap. Everyone else on the block seems to have one.

Below is a diagram I found and modified for my chimney removing the fireplace and making it straight, then adding a furnace.

What could cause this, and how can it be fixed?
Could the lack of a chimney cap actually cause gallons of water to fill in the cleanout?  Would it be more likely that water is actually seeping into the cleanout from below the ground? If so, is that something an inexperienced person should attempt to fix?

Note that I can't really go on the roof yet, as it is still icy. I was going to wait for spring, but the leaking worries me about further damage.


texts: What tool to tighten nut on kitchen faucet?

texts:
I'm not sure what the name of this nut is, but it has come loose.  I have a "basin wrench ratchet head" that goes on my socket set ratchet with a long arm but it can't get purchase because it is too bulky.  I have had some success with my thin vise grips but it eventually comes loose again and the nut is starting to get scratched up from it all.

What is the correct tool for this job?


texts: For Christmas Lights, is it safe to run extension cord under garage door?

texts:
For Christmas Lights over the garage, the nearest outlet is inside my garage. Is it safe to run an extension cord under the garage door to the outlet? Is there anything I should bear in mind while doing so (like specific types of outdoor cords)?

The garage type is one that has wheels on the side, attached to a metal track. It has a rubber seal at the bottom, which looks kinda like this.


texts: Figuring out the correct way to connect a duct fan (europe)

texts:
I found a new old duct fan in a garage sale, the seller said he bought it around 10 years ago, never used it. Anyways, it was in pristine condition inside its plastic wrap but came without a box and with a tiny instruction leaflet, the only markings I found as to what it is is just stylized "CATA" written on the leaflet.

Anyways, on the backside its got 3 electrical connector marked N, L and SL. The leaflet explains(in german) that blue wire -> N, brown wire -> L and black wire -> SL.

So that's what's confusing me. There is no black wire here and while N would probably be neutral, I have no clue as to what the L or SL are. I think the L should be the hot wire (being brown) but I can't be sure.

Anybody got any insight into this?

EDIT:

I found this diagram while looking for "CATA" duct fans, it also has the N L and SL markings and I think sticking the blue wire in N and brown into both L and SL should make it work?

Still strange though, if they wanted the hot wire in SL for a switch, why also have it also permanently connected to the L? Might have something to do with the "TIMER" potentiometer on its backside..


texts: Thread extender/nut for basin waste with gap in thread

texts:
I just took my basin apart to replace the broken waste only to find the replacement I bought (the only unslotted waste with the click clack mechanism I wanted at a length the same as the old one to reduce the plumbing required)

Is there a part/nut I can buy to deal with the fact that the thread stops 2 inches from the top? (My basin is a about a 0.5 inch thick.


texts: How can I check for drywall behind wood panelling?

texts:
What's the best way for me to know whether there is drywall behind wood panelling walls?

The wood panelling looks inexpensive, and it's in a big room (a converted garage).


texts:
So I'm a recent home owner (2 months now). I live in Massachusetts and given the storm that just rolled through, I found water in my basement. Not a scary amount. I was able to mop most of it up. I have a fieldstone basement which I know if susceptible to water but this was more than normal and all on 1 side of the foundation.

After looking at the ground outside next to the foundation, I found water pooling. It looks like the prior owners tried to cover up what looks like a stone walkway with top soil. My house is raise from street level, so I know this is fixable.

My first approach is going to remove the old stones that may be causing water to pool. You would think the water would naturally travel down the driveway and into the street just by looking at that side of the house on a dry day

Once I have that area clear, does anyone have suggestions on improving water leakage. French drains?


texts: Recommendation for cutting corner of tile?

texts:
I need to take out about a half inch from the top right of the tile in the bottom left of the opening for this outlet.

I’m upgrading it from an old outlet to a gfci outlet and it needs a bit more clearance.

Would the dremel tile cutting attachment be the best bet or should I use a type of grinder?

Thanks in advance for any tips.


texts: Can I temporarily connect a dishwasher with hoses running along the floor?

texts: I currently live in an in-laws suite with my wife in the in-laws house.  We love it and have plenty of room.  Look at the attached picture for what we have for a space.  My question is if I wanted to add a dishwasher.  I'm looking at getting a cheap scratch and dent Bosch at a store foreclosure this weekend. Can it be set up about 6 feet from the sink and the water lines be ran along the floor possibly as this will not be a permanent setup and can not be too destructive as there is no plumbing where I have space for the dishwasher.  In the picture I want to put the washer next to the fridge in the corner.


texts: Replacing 2 wire switch with 4 wire switch, box has 3 wires. Help?

texts:
I’m trying to replace a light switch that has 2(Red & Black) wires directly connected to the switch itself with a 3rd(White) wire that’s capped off in the box with a new smart switch that has 4(Red- Load out, Black- Line, White- Neutral, &  Green- Ground)wires. Is the white in the box neutral? The old light switch has a ground screw and the white wires aren’t connected to it so I think they’re neutral. And if that’s the case what do I do with the ground wire from the new switch?  Do I connect it to the screen in the back on the box? Help. Thanks!!!

Is this screw for grounding the green wire from new switch?


texts: Amana refrigerator controls change to coldest setting and freeze food

texts:
A couple weeks ago we noticed our Amana (Aff2534FEW3) refrigerator started freezing food. We found that the temperature settings for the refrigerator and for the freezer were at 7 which is the coldest setting.

Initially neither of the controls would let us change the setting to lower it. After cycling power to the unit I was able to turn down the setting on the freezer and I can sometimes turn it down on the refrigerator but it will either immediately go back up or will go back up after a few minutes. I push the down arrow a few times and the setting will say 4, for instance, a I can watch as it goes to 5->6->7.

I've even pushed the temperature down below 1 so it changed to - and turned the cooling off entirely. Then it just started climbing backup up again after a couple seconds until both controls showed 7.

We're currently planning to schedule a repair person to come out to fix it. It's out of warranty as far as I know. I thought I'd see if anyone here has any ideas.

Are there service manuals available anywhere? I work for an electronics company and we know our way around circuit boards so if I knew what to look for I suspect we could fix it. To me it seems like something is wrong with the circuit board for the controls.


texts: We've removed damaged drywall on our bathroom walls, and would like the walls to be thin tongue-and-groove planks. Is anything material except the tongue and groove required on the studs?


texts: What are the allowable ways to wire a kitchen range hood? (USA)

texts:
What are the allowable options for wiring a kitchen range hood?

I had my rough-in inspection this week and was intending to have the range hood plug into receptacle behind it. This recep would have been on the same circuit as the other kitchen countertop receptacles.

The inspector said that I either needed to be move it to a dedicated circuit OR put it on the lighting circuit. However he may not have realized I was going to have it plugged in vs. hardwired.

Trying to systematically understand the rules, of the following what is (not) permissible?

Range hood hardwired ...

on dedicated circuit
on same circuit with other kitchen receps
on some other circuit such as kitchen lights

Range hood with cord & plug ...

on dedicated circuit
on same circuit with other kitchen receps

Any options I have missed?

Also: among the valid choices if there are important considerations to decide among them that would be good to know also. I've read about potential future usage being one concern, such as adding a microwave to the same wiring point later (though in my case we have a separate spot for that).

Many thanks!


texts: What is this orange clip my ground wire is connected to?

texts:
I am trying to replace a dome light with a nice small ceiling fan. When disassembling the old light, I notice an odd orange/clear clip connecting the lights ground to the house. What is this called, and how can I get it off? Can I reuse it, or do I need to cut the wires and get a new one?
The other wires were twisted together with one of the plastic twisty thing (bonus points if you can tell me the name of that twisty thing). I have a few extras, can I just use it to splice the new ground wire to the house?
Basically, what do I do here?

Notice that from the ceiling two copper wires are coming down and hooked in, and a very small (bottom left of black) is going from the light to the clip.


texts: 2-pole 30 amp breaker into two individual 120 receptacles?

texts:
So i have a single 30 amp 240 volt dryer plug that is fed from this 2 pole 30 amp breaker. It has a breaker tie so it throws together. If i wanted to remove the plug and put quad 20 amp receptacles (two different circuits using each hot that I currently have in the box.) is this possible? I can remove the breaker tie, so it wouldn’t throw together, but with it sharing a neutral and being 30 amp breakers, I’m not sure if i can put the 20 amp receptacles.

Also the wire ran to the current box with the 30 amp plug is 10 guage, not sure if that would be fine with 20 amp receptacles?


texts: Best way to close gap around a fire place?

texts: Along my fire place I have pretty good gaps that allows a lot of draft into he house during winter. I was thinking of just using foam backer rods and then caulking over that to seal the gaps nicely. I assume there wouldn't be any fire hazard since the fire place does not get hot on the side of it, even though there is a heat vent. Any better suggestions on how to fix the gap?


texts:
I am considering renovating my house, that will be turned into a small student housing (approx 10  - 15 people).

I would like to know what is the most efficient way to build a septic tank to dispose all excrement.

Ideally, the tank should be:

Relatively cheap
Simple and Easy to build
Easy to be emptied (pumped out)
Able to contain the smell
Should there be any leakages, it should be easy to repair.
Easy to inspect (to check if it needs to be pumped out)
Does not contaminate ground water, as I also use ground water as the source of water (Where I live, clean water pipeline is not an option. So I have to drill a well myself to extract the water. Thankfully, I live in the area that has a high rainfall).

Can any one give me advise or perhaps a reference on this? I've been looking on the web and these are some of the ideas that i have so far:

This one has a calculator on how big the tank should be depending on the # of occupants.
Is this a good design reference? Can anyone explain what is the purpose of each label


texts: Do high-efficiency furnaces work well in older homes with restrictive ducting?

texts: I was told that a high efficiency furnace needs a certain amount of airflow to work properly. And that in an older home if you don't have enough duct work that a high efficiency furnace is actually a bad idea.  Do others agree with that?


texts:
After throwing a thermometer in my freezer, it is around 15-20 degrees Fahrenheit. Things that have been in there and frozen are staying frozen, but anything new that needs to freeze is not.

For example, 24 hours ago I put some of those "colored ice pops" in there and maybe 3 or 4 froze, the rest are just cold.

It is a Freezer/Refrigerator combo with the freezer on top.

What could be causing this and how would I go about fixing it?
EDIT

It looks like the back panel of my freezer is popping off for some reason. I think that this what causes it to not stay cold. Is it possible to pop it back on?

EDIT TWO
The fridge is still warm, even though it is dialed to the max. The freezer is running heavy and is around 15 degrees.


texts: IP Camera suddenly stopped transmitting outside of the network

texts:
I have an IP Camera linked to AngelCam it has been running for over a year. Last night it suddenly went off and I can't understand why. The internal port is 192.168.0.42:80 I have forwarded this port to [external ip]:80 this has run fine until last night.

I bought the camera for about £15 on amazon the device ID is C6F0SeZ3N0P5L0 (According to the device information on the dashboard) and it uses HiCam software.

If I type the local IP into the browser I enter my credentials and I see the camera dashboard, then I have 2 options Web View or Mobile view. Both work fine and transmit videos on the local IP.

What is strange though is if I type the external IP and port I see the dashboard (this says the port forwarding is working fine.) However, the camera feed does not work. However if I click mobile view I can see the feed.

Has anybody experienced anything like this before and does it sound like I have missed something.


texts: Is this a drain cover or an electrical outlet cover?

texts: Can anyone tell whether this is a drain cover or an electrical outlet cover? Former homeowners converted a garage to a family room ~20 years ago including extensive water drainage reorientation.  The room appears to have been carpeted at one time.  Photo shows a 5+11/16" circular brittle plastic cover with a 4" capsule-shaped recess holding two metal screws (rusted and stripped) on either side of a large 4-sided phillips-shaped indentation (shallow, stripped).  Original color (grey? or white) obscured by cement treatment. It rises 3/8" above cement floor level.  If it's an outlet, we want to use it; whereas, if it's a drain, we want to leave it alone.


texts: why did my mower suddenly start running slower?

texts:
This mower has an odd history, but appeared to be in good shape. It was given to me by a friend, who picked it up from the curb in his neighborhood (it's a nice neighborhood). I don't know if he found out why it was being tossed out. He just picked it up as a repair project to do with his son, and then found out I was looking for one, and offered it to me.

It's a Briggs & Stratton 6.5 Hp engine. Looks to be only a few years old and in good condition. Friend put in a new air filter, spark plug, and I think also changed the oil. I checked the oil and it looks cleaner and new-ish.

I've used it several times this year. It's been running great, starts right on the first pull.  Suddenly at the end of my last session, the rpms dropped but it kept running. When I turned it off I could smell gas a bit. Next time it started fine, but is still running slow. I managed to finish the yard with it running slow.

I've check the air filter and spark plug. Both look clean. There was a little oil or gas residue at the bottom of the air filter. There was a little oil on the threads of the spark plug screw, but the sparky end was clean.

I'm just trying to see if there's anything else I can do or check before getting into the carburetor.

Any ideas?


texts:
I have 3 panels
1) Main Breaker
2) Sub Panel
3) Sub Panel serviced/fed from (2)

Can I ground Panel (3) to Panel (1)?

The reason why I want to is I can use one size smaller conduit between (2) and (3) [1 and 3 are located beside each-other], which for this installation would be a HUGE advantage!!


texts: above ground pool on slightly sloped driveway

texts: We are wanting to get an above ground pool that is approx 20'w x52"deep.  Our yard is not really level enough to use so we are thinking we could possibly set it up in our driveway.  It seems level to the eye but of course it is sloped enough to allow water to drain to the back yard. Is there some kind of platform that could be built or what do you suggest??


texts: How Should I Fill In a Hole in Slab Around Floor Drain

texts:
I think I have a good idea about how to go about this, but wanted to throw it out here to make sure I don't wander down the wrong path.  I recently installed a new floor drain.  I broke up the concrete in a circle around the old drain, maybe 14-18 inches in diameter.  Under 2-3 inches of concrete was gravel and a few more inches down was the clay dirt under the house.  Below is a picture generally representing this.  There was a 4" PVC pipe running up from the ground where the old drain was attached.  I cut off the old drain and solvent welded the new drain (also PVC) onto the end of the pipe.  Now I want to fill the hole back in and finish the concrete level with the new drain.

I have a pile of gravel, broken up concrete chunks and dirt which I excavated from the hole to access the pipe.  I could put some of this material back in, maybe fill in around it with sand, building up layers of that until I'm about where the concrete begins in the surrounding slab, and then fill that area in with concrete.  Does this sound about right?  Am I way off?

Also, I welcome any suggestions on what kind of concrete to use (or what to specifically avoid).  Once it's dry, I'll be grinding the surface of it (and the entire floor) in order to lay down a sealer or epoxy or something.


texts:
Two receptacles and a sconce -- all sharing a wall -- stopped working the other day. I took everything apart looking for loose connections and found the following:

The two receptacles only have one pair of wires coming in; the sconce has two pairs coming in and one going out.
When connecting a voltage meter to the black bundle in the sconce and the ground bundle (or box), the circuit completes, but connecting the meter to the black bundle and white bundle, the circuit does not complete.
I can't see any obvious crossed wires or anything else amiss.

Any thoughts of where I should go from here? Is the problem likely to be in this box or somewhere else between here and the breaker?

Description: Four wires enter the box from the top (old sheathing); two exit from the bottom (new / rubber white + black sheathing). White bundle at top; black bundle at lower left; ground is inside box at right side, soldered to box. Circuit completes (only) when connecting black bundle to ground.

Update: If I touch the white bundle in this box to the ground, both of the downstream receptacles work, as I expected, but as per this answer, that seems like a dangerous and unsatisfactory solution.

Update 2: There's another sconce and another receptacle that work correctly (without crossing ground and neutral in the faulty one). It's hard for me to understand how both legs of these seem to be functional while the other three devices have some problem in the neutral line. Perhaps the ground and neutral are crossed in one of the two functioning devices?


texts: Will a backdraft damper in a air return duct cause issues with the gas furnace?

texts:
In our attic is a gas furnace for the 2nd floor. The attic is not insulated (except for the attic floor which is the 2nd floor ceiling). The air return for this furnance is in the 2nd floor ceiling on the hallway (looks like a rectangle, approx. 20ish inches in diameter). Cold air is leaking out of this air return vent. I assume it's not attic air that leaks into the 2nd floor through this return duct, but the hot air rises into this duct, cools down and then sinks into the 2nd floor. I insulated the return duct in the attic with HVAC insulation which made things better. Now I am wondering if a backdraft damper would improve the situation. The flexible hose from the damper has 13 inch diameter and I bought a fitting backdraft damper. It opens easily and shouldn't put too much pressure on the system. Could this damper cause any other issues than putting more load on the fan? The gas heater is 3 years old and a high efficency unit.
Edit - some more information:
The cold air from the return duct is more than 10 degrees cooler than the 2nd floor temperature. Right now it's around 40 degrees in the attic, 70 degrees on the 2nd floor and the air from the vent is around 59 degrees.
You can't feel much of an airflow from the duct. My guess is, that there's no attic air entering the duct, but the hot air from the 2nd floor is rising into the return duct, cooling down and falling into the 2nd floor again.
My hope is, that the backdraft damper keeps the rising air in the duct itself, so it won't travel through the round hose to the furnace. This hopefully keeps the air in the duct quite warm. The hose that goes from the return duct in the attic to the furnace is insulated and is around 12 inches in diameter and maybe 8 feet long.
Since the damper opens easily my hope is that the system won't even notice the additional resistance.


texts: What is the best way to cut metal siding for soffit vents accurately?

texts:
I need to add a bunch of soffit vents to my eves, and I have (decorative?) metal siding such as in the picture. I need to do this quickly in the next few weeks before winter. What's the best way to make these metal cuts accurately and screen the vent panels into the metal sheeting?

I think my question is mostly about tools and any techniques, but please alert me to any considerations or wisdom I may be overlooking.


texts: Why are almost all of my house's HVAC floor registers placed near exterior windows?

texts:
My current house is a single story built over a crawlspace and all the HVAC registers are in the floor. In all of the larger rooms, at least one (and usually more) register was placed near an exterior wall and almost always near a window. Looking throughout the house, it seems intentional. I've noticed this before in other houses, and I've talked a few friends and the informal poll tells me that for houses with floor registers built in different states built decades apart, it appears the registers were intentionally placed near exterior windows. In my case, given the layout of the crawl space, it seems like it would have been easy to place them them in other locations.

My amateur intuition tells me that for both heating and cooling, having registers near a window is going to lead to a lot of waste. Is this layout actually common? If so, why?


texts: Hot water recirculation pump suggestion in home with return hot water line

texts:
We had a hot water re-circulation pump by water heater before and had it removed last December when we detected leaks around it. This is our setup:

We have a return hot water line coming back to the closet where water heater is located. Currently this is capped. We also have a power connection box in this closet for a re-circulator.

I am looking for one that turns on when the temperature on the return line is below a threshold value (say 80 Fahrenheit). I also want this unit to turn on a timer say once in the morning and once in the evening. Plus it should have check valve to allow water from return line to heater ONLY.

Given these requirements, I looked at couple of brands that make circulators. I am confused. They have lot of mumbo jumbo about GPM, pressure ratings kinda details, but don't answer if they have temperature sensitive on/off support included or not. Nor do they specify if the unit comes with check valve.

Can someone who had gone through this exercise before point out any pitfalls when it comes to these sorts of systems?

This is for a rental home and I want to help my tenant.


texts: How should I mount a TV stand on a wall covered in drywall?  Should I trenail it to the wall?


texts: Studs 16 inches on center, but extra one between two of the studs with electrical outlet?

texts:
Is it normal for there to be "extra" studs for electrical outlets? My house is 16in spacing but on this particular stud the next stud is 4 inches. And then the next one is back to 16inches.

It's as if they were complete with 16 in spacing and someone was like, we need an outlet RIGHT HERE let's add a stud, rather than just putting it a few inches over on the next stud.

When I do home projects I ALWAYS run into stud issues like this and it makes it really confusing.

Here is a very fast crude drawing of what I have:

Edit: Thanks all for your replies. It's not a huge issue was just trying to wrap my head around reasons. I am not a builder just a homeowner and I occasionally do smaller projects and was trying to get more understanding behind things that don't make sense to me :)

There is a laundry room behind this so maybe they added it for something there, although that wall is blank, there's no light switches or plugs on it (it's the side wall not the plumbing side of the wall)

This is a long 20 foot room and wall so the only thing I could think of is they did not way that plug all the way to the left although putting it over 4 inches doesn't seem like it would make much diff :)

Oh well - I will just run with it and just assume there was a good reason :)

Do you guys think it would be safe to cut out about 1 foot on stud #2. Since three are studs every 16 inches except this one particular one added in between, wonder if I could get away with it? I am trying to add a in wall shelf here but the spacing is too narrow due to the extra stud and I was wondering if I could cut it out.

I think the stud is near one of the ceiling beams (not sure what it is called, the one going from the joists all the way up to a ceiling point)


texts: Movable kitchen island on glueless vinyl

texts:
My kitchen island is a 66" x 36" countertop supported by two 33" x 24" base cabinets, leaving a 12" overhang on the long side.

The island weighs at least 300lbs empty.  Contents will add another 150-200 pounds, for a total of 500-600 lbs.

The flooring is loose lay vinyl.

I'm working on making the island mobile by creating two caster bases made out of 3/4" or 1" plywood with 4 casters attached to each one, and then to place them under each cabinet base.  This is honestly the cleanest look I can think of so that the majority of the casters are hidden, and so that the island does not sit too high.

I am finding 4" casters to be the most common size online, and find some that seem to be a rubber or plastic that is non marring.  I believe these are the way to go for the vinyl flooring, but I am not sure if I will run into a problem with the vinyl wanting to "catch" when trying to move the island?  Secondly, I am not sure if the island will want to move too easily?  I can not imagine 500 to 600 pounds, with 8 casters, moving without being intentional.

Anyone have some experience with this or have something more to add?  I'm trying to keep this simple, and not so complicated that it never gets done!  I also am not sure how else to get casters under the island without them being an eye sore.


texts: Converting switched outlet with 2 black and 1 red for a smart switch

texts:
At present we have a switched outlet for a floor lamp. I would like to replace this with a Kasa smart switch.
When I pulled the switch out I noticed it had 2 black wires and 1 red wire:

The red wire is back-stabbed into the switch, and one of the black wires is back-stabbed while the other is attached to the screw terminal.
Looking at some threads (e.g. Changing old light switch 2 black wires and 1 red) and some other research, it looks like for that use case the recommendation was to create a pigtail.  But because this is a switch for an outlet I'm not sure if the same approach would apply.
The smart switch I have calls for 1 neutral (white), 1 green (ground), and two black wires.  But I have 1 red, 2 blacks, a neutral (not shown), and a ground (not shown; wired to the box).  What the approach for this be to cap the two blacks and create a pigtail, and connect that pigtail to one of the black wires for the smart switch?  And then connect the red to the other black wire on the smart switch?
old switch                new switch
=================         =================
black --+
        |---pigtail-----> black wire
black --+
white            -------> white
red              -------> black wire
copper (ground)  -------> green (ground)

Thank you.


texts: Procedure for waterproofing exterior basement

texts:
1960's well has groundwater entering

Is channel in basement standard design?

What should I be concerned about on this house?

There have been no known problems since, but the sump pump hasn't died either.

Plan is to have contractor dig down outside and either tar or waterproof the exterior.  Also I see I can consider a drain tile.  But the issue there is the slope and depth, no where to put the water...might have to pump it from drain tile.

Best I can understand, the house is in an agricultural area and as time has gone by more people are on city water as well as less agricultural pumping of aquifer.  This has caused the water table to rise.  I believe the house is sitting on the water table - even on dry days, water is coming in the first course in basement into the channel or up through the floor.  You could see a stream running in the former well hole around the pipe (now fixed with extension).

Is it as simple as dig down to footers and waterproof?  presumably one side at a time.  What are the pitfalls here?  What if the trench fills up with water?   I have some concerns the first three courses of cinderblock are in poor shape due to the water.  Don't want to disturb things and make it worse.

I think I can make a case that this is at the higher end of technical difficulty for correcting this problem.

Thanks.


texts: All toilets in my house flush slowly, afraid that there is a clog in the main line

texts:
I have 4 toilets, and all of them appear to flush slowly.  They are older toilets (huge tanks), so there is definitely plenty of water going in (the bowl itself almost fills with water).  It swirls around for a definite long period of time, until it finally flushes.  I just got the house, and at first I shrugged it off; but now I'm starting to really notice it and I'm getting paranoid.

Is there any way for me to confirm that this is a backup in the mainline?
If so, what would be my best recourse to fix this problem?

I don't think I need to hire a plumber, but I'm just afraid there is a big clog in the mainline.  I had a friend who's sister kept flushing her feminine products down the toilet, and one day the mainline just burst in the basement and they had a bunch of sewage in the basement... which is really what I'm the most paranoid of.  I am living with 3 other guys, so if this clog is building up, I'm really afraid of just a lot of crap exploding somewhere...

Another possibility is just that all of my toilets release water too slowly into the bowl-- I read somewhere that I should get a 2-3 gallon bucket and just dump that water all at once into the toilet bowl to see if that's the problem.  I plan on doing that today probably, but I just figured I'd get this question posted first in case anybody had some anecdotes or advice for me


texts: color match the nosing and the floor with correct stain color

texts:
How can identify the stain color I need to get for the nosing that I've installed to match it with the color of the floor on the left side. As you can see in the photo, I've stained the nosing with a Walnut stain, but the color does not match the floor.
The floor wood is: Fuzion Engineered hardwood Northern Retreat Bronco


texts: how to attach furring strips to drywall (for pegboard installation)

texts:
I am planning to attach 4'x6' pegboard to drywall in my garage. One vertical end of the frame will be directly screwed into a stud but the other end can't be. I am wondering what kind of screws should be used for the hollow part.

Most drywall anchors or the toggle bolts seem to have a round head which would prevent the pegboard from butting against the frame. Unless the screws attaching the frame to the drywall are completely countersunken, there would be a gap between the pegboard and the frame.

What would be a right way of attaching the furring strip to the drywall?


texts: What should I do about the insect larvae found on my ceiling?

texts: Found 10 or so of these things on our ceiling this morning. I live in Central Oregon. Not sure what they are--is this an indication of worse things to come? Anything I need to inspect my house for, or shall I just throw them out?