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The Objective: Run a combo Heat/Cool Window unit, 1 switched light and some outlets to a detached storage shed 140 ft from home. Temperature goal is 60F min in winter and 80F max in summer. Located in North Texas. One light and outlets are for rare use. This will 100% be climate controlled storage of personal items to be accessed maybe 2-3 times per month.

What I have: Home built in 2019 with 200a main panel which is 220 ft away from where the subpanel will go in the shed. Distance from main panel to exterior of the home is approx 80ft. Then I have 1 1/2 in. conduit from the house to the shed using sweeping 90 degree fittings buried at least 18 inches. This is 140 ft. Distances are as the wire runs, not the crow flies.

My plan: (Revised based on suggestions) Install XXX amp breaker in main panel. For 240V, run quantity of 4 XX gauge copper feeder wire: two live, one neutral, One ground, a distance of 220 ft to a disconnect at the shed. Disconnect goes to subpanel. Then two branch circuits: One 240v for HVAC. Other for outlets and light circuit (GFCI).

My Primary Question: What size copper wire should I use as the feeder?

I have read differing opinions on this. Some leaning on the very cautious side and some leaning on the "don't overcomplicate it" side.

If I plan for breaking amps (40) at <3% voltage drop, I'll need 2awg?
If I plan for normal operating amps (20? guessing) at <3% voltage drop, I'll need 4awg?
If I plan for breaking amps (40) at <8% voltage drop, I'll need 6awg?
If I plan for normal operating amps (20? guessing) at <8% voltage drop, I'll need 10awg?

Also, I'm fairly sure that shed will need it's own dedicated ground rod. But will it also need a ground feeder back to the main breaker? I have read that is a new requirement but don't understand why it requires both (if correct). If so, what size wire should I use to connect? Is it just naked ground like in romex?

Any other things I need to consider that I haven't will be appreciated. I have tried by best to research existing posts and books but I'm stuck currently on what to do. Thank you.


texts: In a cool damp climate, should I use hardwood or synthetic decking material for a deck that will be near a large tree?

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We're building a 12x24 deck in our south-facing backyard in Seattle (aka rainy Pacific NW). There's a very large willow tree in our backyard that doesn't directly hang over the deck, but certainly drops plenty of leaves that float down to the deck. The really wore out our previous (old) cedar deck.

We were considering Ipe, but our contractor cautioned that as a hardwood, it can get very slippery from the accumulation of pollen from leaves. He thought that a synthetic like Trex would provide more traction.

Anyone had experience with this? Or recommend decking material that's relatively low-maintenance (and looks good) that would work well in this situation?


texts: What can I use instead of a ducted range hood in my kitchen?

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I know this edges pretty close to a shopping recommendation, but I hope that I'll manage to stay on the good side. If not, please tell me and I'll delete the question myself.

My situation: I live in an (older) apartment block have a kitchen without a range hood. I also have no holes in the walls to put the duct into (technically a hole could be drilled, but for various reasons the proper paperwork is nearly impossible to do). There is a ventilation hole, but the local fire safety regulations forbid blocking it (since I have a gas stove/oven), explicitly mentioning that range hoods may not be connected to it. However I could put a fan in it, since that does not block it.

I've looked at various recirculating hoods, but they all seem to just filter out some odors and grease (which is nice), but not water vapor (which is not nice). The water vapor actually is a problem occasionally when we do some heavier cooking. I've had my kitchen walls slick with moisture on more than one occasion. What I'm surprised about is that I cannot find any hoods with a built-in dehumidifier. Sure, the device would get much heavier and bulkier, and need a connection to the plumbing, but so what? It'd work for me. :P Does anyone know if this exists, and if it does, what keywords I should look for?

Barring that, what other options do I have? What kind of device (or combination of devices) would provide the best kitchen exhaust solution while not requiring a dedicated hole in the wall?


texts: Do 240 volt dryers need to be AFCI protected

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Under 2014 NEC do 240 volt dryer sockets need to be AFCI protected?

I see paragraphs specifying that single phase 125 volt circuits must be protected, but I have not found specifications for two phase 240 volt circuits.


texts: Why does my receptacle tester read open ground in my new outlet in a plastic box?

texts: I live in Georgia. My new outlet is in a plastic box and  runs from a plastic junction box. The receptacle tester reads open ground even though I attached the copper ground wire to the ground screw. How do I find the ground problem with this outlet?


texts: Laminate flooring showing vertical gap when cabinet place on it

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Why would a laminate floor dip at the edge near an supporting wall when heavy item placed on it.

We are looking to buy a house but noticed where the laminate sits at wall edge next to a set of French doors the floor laminate splits down showing a 5/6 Mum gap around 1cm long. The grove seems to slip out on the lock and does this at both sides where the cabinet  stands.

Any ideas why this might be. Current owners didn’t lay the floor and are not sure if the floor is cement or suspended plus they do not know what underlay was used.

Any advice about what might be the cause and if it’s a problem to start clear or or something that won’t be costly to correct


texts: How can I waterproof this weak spot in my roof tile where pipe goes through it?

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This copper pipe goes in between 2 roof tiles (cement/hard tiles). Water constantly leaks through when it rains. The water clings to the pipe and then drips onto the ceiling.

As you can see from the images, multiple people have tried to plug this leak, including me. I used a product called Sikaflex 11FC sealant.

In this image, you'll notice that I've scraped away the sealant close to the pipe. When I did this, I noticed that it was all gummy, which makes me think that it never hardened properly.

The gap that you see is the gap between the 2 tiles. It's bigger than other gaps on the roof because of the pipe. I've also tried to plug this gap all the way and the sealant was much harder further away from the pipe, which makes me conclude that the weak point is close to the pipe itself.

Is this just a very bad installation that can't be saved, or is there something I can do to waterproof it properly?


texts: How can I prevent echo from footsteps on a hollow, temporary stage?

texts: I am working with a dance group who use a temporary stage that can be easily set up and broken down for shows. It stands between 2 and 3 feet off the ground. The only problem with this stage is that it is hollow underneath, so heavy footsteps and jumps, which are somewhat common in these dances, create a lot of noise. Are there any cheap solutions for baffling the underside of this stage to prevent this noise?


texts: Connect separate Heat / AC systems to a Nest E

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I have oil/hydro zoned heat, and a separate AC system. I have Honeywell ProSeries thermostats that have some 16 wire connectors (apparently designed to handle a nuclear power plant or something). I recently found an offer through my electric company to purchase Nest thermostats dirt cheap and they are the 'E' model. I decide to buy them to get the remote control/app features, but the Nest E has more limited wiring options compared to it's big brother (Y, G, R, W, C, O/B).
With separate systems I have separate wiring (Rc, G, Y for AC / R, W for Heat). I am quite comfortable with general electrical stuff and after reading several of the questions and answers here, I can understand that there are two separate 24v feeds (R & Rc) and since they are coming from separate transformers they should not be combined. The Nest E model doesn't support my system configuration according to their installation app, but it's just a switch, right? I could probably figure out this puzzle, but I'm looking for some confirmation so I don't fry anything.
I was thinking that perhaps I could wire the thermostat so that the transformer from the heater is driving all of the 24v power and use relays at the AC to complete the AC loops (Y/G) while isolating the two 24v sources. Is that sound thinking? I've heard of using a separate transformer for a 'C' connection (I have none now) but it's unclear to me how 24v at C relates to the R and Rc I have now.
If I just put both 24v (red) wires together in the Nest E (with power off of course) and then at the ac I cut the thermostat lines and run them into two relays; the red wire now has 24v coming from the heater so I run R/Y to one relay and hook the AC R/Y lines to the other side, and the same for the R/G combo. Perhaps there is an alternative related to the C line, but not sure what that would be. Is my thinking sound?
Updating with more details and photos:
I'm getting closer to making the changes based on my interpretation of the answer and diagram from @jwh20. My AC transformer is 40a and my heat is using dual transformers (unmarked) but lists the overall capacity at 80a. I have limited wiring and cross wiring capabilities as the boiler and control board is in the basement and the AC is in the attic, but it does appear that I have one free line in each.
AC Board:

Heater Board:

The heat board appears to wire the thermostat lines backwards (and I'm surprised this works ... seems that the thermostat doesn't care which is hot and which is neutral). I'll swap the wires on the first four zones to ensure consistent polarity since I'll be coupling the systems together.
Here is my plan:

adjust/correct heater thermostat polarity for consistency
use third wire from heat thermostat lines to connect to yellow (common) transformer line
disconnect 24v source (+/-) from AC board
connect 24v+ from heater (red) at thermostat to AC red line (to backfeed 24v power)
connect new common 24v (-) line from heater through extra line in AC thermostat bundle to the 24v (-/C) post on the AC board.

??. Thermostat currently works with no 'C' connection, is there a reason to connect C to the thermostat?


texts: I need to switch between two 240V 30A loads

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I've got a situation where I have a 240V 30A dryer line, and I want to power something else from the same circuit, but NEVER at the same time as the dryer. I'm looking for a switch to use, like a DPDT ON-ON break-before-make switch. There are tons of DPDT switches I've found, and most seem to be ON-OFF. Hardly any show their wiring diagrams, so if they don't give more details, I don't know if they'll work. Note: the second circuit will not use more than 15A, maybe just 12A.

I'm hoping someone can recommend specific switches that will do what I want. Manufacturer and exact part# is what I'm looking for.

Personally, I don't care if it's a knife switch, something that looks like a standard light switch, two buttons, has relays, I don't care. The breaker box is full, it's a long and difficult wire run, and I do not need a separate circuit because I'll NEVER need to run both devices at once.

I could resort to just using one plug and unplugging one then plugging the other one in, but I don't see the point of constantly exposing live wires (the plugs) where something could inadvertently fall on them or water could be sprayed, instead of keeping things all sealed in the wall with a safe, simple switch between two plugs.


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I just installed a Hubbel GFCI socket and when I turned the circuit breaker back on the GFCI green and red led lights went on and the reset button would not stay in.

The ground wires are pigtailed and connected to the ground screw on the metal box.

The line cable leads are connected to the appropriate colored line screws on the gfci

The existing load cable pair  are connected to the appropriate load screws on the gfci.

Don’t know if I have a bad GFCI or something is wrong with my my wiring.

Could another unknown GFCI device on that came circuit be causing this problem

Any ideas what might be wrong?


texts: How to tell if my new, unfurnished apartment has bed bugs?

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I just signed the lease on a new apartment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I did so after looking up the address and seeing that it had been listed twice in the bed bug registry. In 2009, a tenant said a few units had been infested. In August 2010, a tenant said bed bugs had been seen in at least one of the top floor apartments (mine is on fl. 5 of 6). Nothing has been said about the building since.

I have not yet moved in, and I don't have to move in for several weeks -- maybe even a month. Currently, the apartment is empty of all furnishings except a refrigerator.

What can I do during the next few weeks to ensure the apartment is not infested?


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This shower under construction has a low ceiling of around 6.6 feet. Not an accurate measurement, but I'm like 5.7 feet and I can stand fine and can touch the ceiling with my arms slightly bent.  Will it be damaged by moisture since it's hanging low? Should I tear it down to stay on the safe side?  You can just barely fit a high shower head without it hitting the ceiling.

The bricks are new walls to make a room out of open space, no drywalls.


texts: Why does cold water leak when hot water is turned on in bathroom sink?

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Before I try to repair this, I want to understand what's going on so I don't fix the wrong thing or cause a larger leak in the bathroom sink.

Our house was built about 20 yrs ago so it's modern plumbing, not plumbing for a house from the 1940s.  When you turn on the hot water, for some reason, water starts leaking from the base of the cold water faucet.  Why would this happen?  I can understand if i turn on the cold water and it leaks from the faucet but not this.

I was going to change the cartridge in the cold water to see if this fixes it but I'd like to know why this funky behavior is occurring before I start doing something I shouldn't be doing and causing a bigger problem.


texts: Can plants be planted over a drain field?

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The previous owner of my house planted plants and small bushes where the drain field is.

I have a feeling that the roots will eventually damage the drains.

Is this okay or should I remove them?


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I have a ceiling fan that looks like the below:

I noticed that there's a round cap in the middle of the fan.

Can I take the cap off, get a light fixture from my local Home Depot, and install it there?


texts: Do vertical cracks in old plaster wall along studs indicate a structural problem

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My house was built in 1908 and still has its original plaster walls. One of the upstairs bedroom's wall has vertical cracks from floor to ceiling along the studs-3 studs in a row in the center of the room and another two studs from the corner. I had some plaster work done downstairs last summer and the plasterers were awesome-they showed me how to re anchor loose plaster so that's what I was going to do here. However, most of the other cracks I've had were diagonal and not so extensive. It makes me wonder what's going on behind the plaster to make cracks like these. I don't want to bother fixing them if there's a larger problem that should be addressed.

I'll add that our central air conditioner air handler is directly above this wall. Perhaps it's too heavy and is putting stress on the wall?

So, are the vertical cracks along the studs signs of a major problem or is it just a coincidence?


texts: 120v outdoor lighting, dual poser source 150w light

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So i was trying to think if there was a way to make a 120v  XOR or OR "device" to turn on a lamp. Perhaps with some relays or something to accomplish this general idea.

I want to accomplish this using maximum of 4 wires (not inc. ground).
and yes i mentioned TTL XOR / TTL OR gate like functionality  but in this case I'm talking 120V AC

see comment #2 for more details...

thoughts anyone?


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A couple of things.   I have two bathrooms and one of them, you cant really take a shower due to not enough hot water.  You can shower for about 5-10 mins and the water is now warm, even when the handle is all the way on hot.    Also a outdoor faucet has cool, then hot, then cold water coming out of it.  I have checked the pipes and they are ran correctly, (hot-hot, cold to cold).   My bathroom has no problem due to the kind of shower I have.
This a new build and the water is not "hot" anywhere.  I have the temp. on the tanks 130.
Help
Carolyn Stump


texts: what parameters should I look for when choosing an electric deadbolt?

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I am looking for electric deadbolts for external steel doors - to place several of them on a door - one on each side (top, bottom, left, right) for extra security.

I want to buy just the deadbolt which opens when electric current appears on the wire, the electronics which will apply to current when an authorized user is at the door will be designed separately.

I need the electric deadlocks to be secure enough to be the only locks on an external home door in a high burglary rate area. And on the other hand be highly reliable in the sense that it'll always open when applied current, because if it doesn't I'd have to sleep on the doorstep.

The lock should operate on DC (not mains AC power) - to be able to use battery backup.

What parameters which I should look for in such locks, and what kinds to avoid?


texts: How do I property tie a top plate that is bored instead of notched?

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IRC section R602.6.1 has this to say about "Drilling and notching of top plate:"

  When piping or ductwork is placed in or partly in an exterior wall or interior load-bearing wall, necessitating cutting, drilling, or notching of the top plate by more than 50 percent of its width, a galvanized metal tie not less than 0.054 inch thick (1.37 mm) (16 ga) and 1 ½ inches (38mm) wide shall be fastened across and to the plate at each side of the opening with not less than eight 10d (0.148 inch diameter) [nails] having a minimum length of 1 ½ niches at each side or equivalent. The metal tie must extend a minimum of 6 inches past the opening. See Figure R602.6.1.

The figure demonstrates only a notched top plate, and shows the metal tie on the side of the top plate that is notched, but not (apparently) the side of the top plate that isn't notched. It also shows only the topmost plate in the double top plate being tied. This left me with several questions that I don't feel were fully answered by this section:

Nonbearing walls are not mentioned at all. Does this mean that no reinforcement/tying is necessary? Seems like that would weaken the wall. I know it's not bearing weight from above, but people do lean on and occasionally fall against walls, both of which put lateral stress on the top plate. Scratching my head on why there would be no reinforcement, and assuming I'm missing a section somewhere.
This (especially the figure) seems fully-tailored to notching only, even though it says "drilling or notching." If I drill (instead of notching) a hole greater than 50% of the top plate's width, and that hole is centered on the top plate (assuming no sheathing on either side of the wall), on which side of the wall do I attach the metal tie? Should it be attached to both sides of the wall? Or do I just pick one side to which to attach it?
The figure only shows the tie on the topmost section of the top plate. So no reinforcement is required on the bottom section of the top plate? The text doesn't say. To add to the confusion, Simpson Strong Tie RPS (specifically listed for R602.6.1), one of the few SST connectors for which I can't an official installation instruction document, has pictures on the website showing the tie being installed on both plates, and says, "Only one strap may be necessary to meet IRC requirements" (emphasis mine). That's more than less than unhelpful.

(Even if the bottom tie strap, or straps on both sides, aren't required for structural purposes, I'm thinking that I'll need something to meet the nail/screw-penetration-prevention code requirements to protect the pipe, so maybe just using a second/third/fourth strap is the best approach.)

Anyone have any suggestions on what the best practices are here, and/or what the intent of the code is?


texts: Proper Setup for Water Heater Gas and T&P Relief Valve

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I will be replacing my water heater soon and want to get two clarifications.

First, is the only issue with the current gas line that a sediment trap is missing or is there anything else that needs to be done to bring it up to code?

My second question would be the piping for the T&P and what our the options. I have read the wording in the code, but I am unclear what should be done in a finished basement with limits options for draining. This is the setup that is currently there. The pipe exits the utility room and run behind the wall before dropping into our drain.


texts: I have a crack in my foundation that previous owners had filled with epoxy.  The crack has opened up slightly at some point in the last 8 years.  Is there anything I can do to determine (short of calling in a foundation company) if there are serious things going on with the foundation here?  What can I do to assess what is going on?


texts: Why is this panel like this and what should I do to fix this problem

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I'm trying to rewire my house and I found this in the attic. What tips could everybody help me with so I can replace this or I can make it better toward the wires or not I'll run in here like this.

Also I bought a sub panel that's 125 A. Am I able to use that amount of amps on the panel or is it better to get 100 amp breaker panel?


texts: Making a bookcase look perfectly flush with the wall when the wall is not a true 90 degrees

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How would one go about fixing this highlighted gap in the photo:

The bookcases are attached together and level (though the potato quality photo may not make it appear that way)

But as you can tell from the zoomed in version, since the wall is not a true 90 degrees, there's an annoying little gap.

What is the best way of remedying this?


texts: Furnace fan works properly intermittently

texts: My furnace fan sometimes stays on and runs continuously.  I can stop it by flipping the breaker for the furnace on and off.  It then stays off.  When heat is called for, the fan comes on again and sometimes stays on and sometimes will cut off as it should.  Is this the fan limiter switch (Honeywell L4064W 1106).  Could it be anything else?  The "fan on" control at the thermostat was disabled when the current fan limiter switch was installed.


texts: Is it common to layout sprinkler heads differently between front and back yards?

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Context: I'm looking into hiring a company to install a sprinkler system. In both the front yard and back yard, we have some shrubs and small plants bordering the edge of the lawn, with sod in the middle.

Question: In the front yard, the company plans to install heads along the outside edge for the plants and along the edge between the shrubs and grass. In the back yard, however, they're only planning to install heads along the edge between shrubs and grass. Is it common to layout heads differently between front and back yard?


texts: Can I put a "U" turn in my range hood exhaust duct?

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In the photo below The red arrow represents the direction of the exhaust, as you can see there is a load bearing joist in the middle which I can't cut. I'm planning to build a recessed ceiling on that spot, so I can bend the exhaust in a 'U', going down and then up again, using 4 elbows.
I have had somebody say it wasn't a good idea because the grease will accumulate there, and be a fire hazard. What are your opinions on this? I'm kind of running out of ideas here and this feels better that cutting any kind of hole in that joist.


texts: How much drywall should I cut to re-route some wires?

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I am just looking for advice on how much drywall to cut to move some wires.

There's a wire in the ceiling that has incoming power, and a switched leg for the light in the entry way, and another wire coming out of the wall (exterior light) that I'd like to put into a new 2-gang box on the wall. (I'll need to use a junction box high up on the wall because the wire is too short, and I think that is easier than getting in the attic to run a totally new wire.)

The lower wire goes to outlets in the room, which I need to get down into the crawlspace below. (From there I'm adding a new circuit, and relocating the switch to the wall in the foreground right. Will be nice to not have the entire front side of my house on one breaker..)

The exterior walls are 24" OC, and have either kraft-faced insulation or there is kraft paper used as vapour barrier.

How much of this wall should I open up to minimize disruption of the vapour barrier, insulation, and make it easier to repair later? Should I go right over to the stud, top-to-bottom (so I have a 24"x8' section) or should I cut holes and try to fish wires?

Edit: I cut over to the stud, got the wires run, put new vapour barrier and sealed it with acoustic caulk, and then screwed down the drywall. Having the wall all the way open definitely made running the wires way easier, and of course I had something to screw the drywall down to.


texts: Dewalt DCS391 - Can't change blade on circular saw because of stuck blade clamping screw

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I need to change the blade on my Dewalt DCS391 circular saw for the first time. The blade clamping screw is for an hex key left-hand threads, but I can't unfreeze it no matter how much lever of pressure I put on it, I'm starting to eat the screw head.

I'm following instructions from the manual with no luck.

Suggestions?


texts: Can't find 1-inch to 1.25-inch flexible coupling

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After mice chewed through my stock thin plastic dishwasher drain line, (ruining our kitchen floor, leading to a homeowners claim), I'm replacing that line. I refuse to use the cheap, stock dishwasher drain lines. Besides being too short, mice could chew through them again. We have extra cabinetry between the dishwasher and sink, making this a longer-than-usual run.

I have some new, black, thick, reinforced hose that mice will not chew through. This new hose is 1 inch OD, and 5/8 inch ID which will slip onto the sink garbage disposal perfectly.

The dishwasher drain outlet is unthreaded, and 1.25 inch (1-1/4") diameter. Thus, it is larger than the OD of the hose I'm using. Connecting the hose to that drain outlet is the trick.

What I wish for is a 1-inch to 1.25-inch flexible coupling, since that plus two hose clamps would render this job complete. But despite many attempts (both online and at multiple plumbing supply places), I've found no such part. This is close, but is the wrong size:

https://www.amazon.com/Fernco-PDTC-150-2-Inch-Drain-Connector/dp/B000BQL17Y

As a further constraint, I do not want to insert anything into the new hose that would reduce the ID. I've already burned out one pump in this dishwasher due to debris clogging at the drain hose connections.

So the question I have is this: how can I create a solid connection between this hose (1" OD) and the dishwasher drain outlet (1.25" OD)?


texts: Why would a sprinkler increase water pressure to house?

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Update:  Overnight, the pressure gauge spiked back up to 200.  I tried testing the sprinkler system again.  I ran the #7 valve (the one I noticed it was on when noise started happening) manually and nothing happened.  I took #7 out of the system control. Ran it and nothing happened as far as noise in the house but the gauge did show a spike to 160.  I added #7 back and when the system got to #7, the noise began, the red needle on the gauge dropped to 80 and the black needle went crazy between 35 and 45 psi.  Turning the sprinkler system off didn’t make a difference.  I turned main off and the noise stopped.  Turned main back on and the gauge is fine.  #7 is the same as the other valves. Do you think the pressure reducing valve is going out?  I don’t know what kind of pressure that sprinkler valve is adding that is different from any of the other ones.

Original Post:
Lately, there has been a loud noise in the house.  It seems to coincide when a particular sprinker valve starts running.  I cleared air out of the house pipes.  I added a pressure gauge to check whether the water pressure reducing valve is working properly.  It measured 50 psi.  Then I ran the sprinklers again and when the 7th sprinkler valve started (the same as before), the noise came back.  I turned off the sprinkler system and the noise was still going.  I checked the pressure gauge and the black needle was fluctuating and the red needle was at the highest position which is 200 psi.  I turned off the main water and the noise went away.  I turned on the main water and everything is fine.  Why would one sprinkler valve cause havoc and since it did, does this mean the water pressure reducing valve is bad?


texts: How can I break up a small boulder without power tools?

texts: I have a boulder/rock that is about 2 feet long and 1.5 feet in diameter. It is too heavy to lift and I would like to break it into smaller pieces. Without power tools, are there any good methods besides going at it with a sledgehammer?


texts: What caused my toilet's flapper valve to become spongy and disintegrate (see pictures)?

texts:
I just had the flapper valve fail one of my home's toilets.  The rubber had become spongy, sticky, and was beginning to disintegrate.  It's so soft now that it rubs off with the slightest touch.

The valve was installed by the previous homeowner, so I don't know its history.  However, since I've moved in, this toilet has been very seldom used.  It's in the "guest" bathroom, and unfortunately have guests over now who are inconvenienced.

I'd like to understand what happened here, so I can avoid something like this happening again.


texts: Are the sink and washer vented correctly?

texts: I want to avoid cutting through the studs supporting the window header above the sink.  Many of the plumbing diagrams I've seen cut through multiple studs.  This layout would only require holes for the 2" washer drain and 1.5" sink vent in one stud, but I'm not sure if it's laid out correctly.  I think I may need a clean out for the washer too, but not sure where.


texts: I just installed a new sink and faucet and get really bad water hammer when I run the faucet. I never had this trouble before. I made sure the water supplies from the copper to the faucet is as short as possible. How can I fix it?


texts:
What is the best way to hang a 45lbs mirror (Ikea Hovet) to the wall?
I'm   new to this and attempted to use a flip toggle but I had the wrong size screw. I've since figured out that I need a #8 screw but I'm wondering if it needs to be a particular length?
I have #8 that is 1 1/4" with some screw in anchors that sat 25lbs horizontally 63lbs vertically. Would this anchor and screw combo work for me?
Ideally how long of a screw would I need for this weight?
thank you!


texts: How do I fix a counterweighted accordion blind that is stuck?

texts:
We have accordion style blinds.

These are assisted...meaning that we can raise and lower the blinds just by lifting or pulling down. No need to pull any strings directly.

Now the assist mechanism is not working anymore. The mechanism is at the top of the blinds.

A string enters the mechanism from the right and the left.

I tried to pull on the string to see if I can get the mechanism to release/unwind the string but I had no luck.

Any suggestion from people that know this mechanism? How can I fix it?


texts:
I'm looking to move my FAU in a few months to the attic, but right now I need it moved out of my basement for a remodel. Can an FAU be stored in this manner for short term? Logic leads me to think so, but want to know:

Risks?
Storage best practices
Things to look at for when removing an FAU

I'll ask a qualified tech as well, but want to bring this question up since I struggled to find answers online.


texts: How do I roughly cut linoleum to room width?

texts:
So far I had to replace linoleum twice and each time it was a room of something like slightly-more-than 3 meters by slightly-less-than 3 meters.

Linoleum is usually cut to length at a shop and then rolled up. Of course there's only a set of typical widths - and 3 meters is among those. So if a room is 3.2 meters by 2.8 meters one has to buy 3.2 meters of linoleum that is 3 meters wide and the roll is too wide for the room and won't unroll along the longer wall - it simply gets stuck. Unrolling it along the shorter wall introduces a new problem - rotating such a huge sheet without tearing it looks risky.

One solution is to cut the roll before bringing it into the room and unrolling. So far I used a plain old wood saber saw. Cuts well, rather fast and the cut is clean enough, but this just feels dumb - as if I was doing something completely wrong.

What other ways are there to conveniently cut a huge piece of linoleum to width before unrolling it?


texts: ceiling box has 2 black wires 2 white 1 ground

texts: I took old light fixture off. So I didn't take a picture of connections and had to replace junction box so i forgot how wire were connected. I know which white wire is hot. So I connected black on light fixture to white wire, capped other black wire,capped white wire from fixture and other white together. The light fixture is controlled by a switch which seems to be controlling bathroom and part of a bedroom. When switch is in on position bathroom,bedroom work. when switch is in off position ceiling light comes on and bathroom,bedroom power is off.


texts: How to re-insert a single-hung window into the frame over the guide rods?

texts:
UPDATE: window is fixed! The solution is here: youtube.com/watch?v=-TAjm4X8ubI

I have a single-hung Madison window. The moving part has come loose and disassembled and I can't get it back in.

There are two rods that fit into spaces at the sides of the window frame. (See links to images below, but I will try to describe them.)

These rods are notched and there is a combination of a spring and a cord inside the notch. At the top ,the cord is fastened to a a little doo-dad that inserts into a hole in the larger window frame and anchors it there.

These rods act like rails when the window slides up and down.

I can fit the window into place if the rods are not there. And I can put the rods in place if the window is not there. But I can't get them both in at the same time. Do the rods go in first? Does the window? Do I put the rods in the window slots first?
There's no give in the jamb and with the rods in place the window is too big.


texts: Replacing old wires stuck on pipes inside concrete walls with new Cat6 cable

texts:
My question is similar to this. But in my case, the wires are stuck. Tried pulling one (my bad) and it broke. There's still some wire that I can pull but pulling it again won't do any good. So I was thinking if I can pour some oil there for lubricating purposes but not sure how it will work or what effect will it have to the ethernet cable.
Appreciate any advise on this.


texts: My home air conditioner that's inside the house, seems to be sputtering when coming on. What could this be?

texts: My home air conditioner inside the house; when it's going thru its normal cycle of off and on, it seems to be sputtering and/or hesitating to come on. It's like or similar to a car that having a hard time staying running. Once it's doing this, it eventually stays on and is still cooling the house. The fan outside is fine and we don't hear any other noises. Please help soon as possible.


texts: How do I remove a stubborn element from a water heater?

texts: I need to pull and replace the elements in my water heater.  The problem is, I can't get the old ones out.   My Channellock pliers can get a grip, but slips off pretty easily.  Is there something better for removing these?


texts: How can I thaw a frozen exterior drain quickly?

texts:
I have a driveway that is angled down slightly towards my house. About two feet before the garage there are two long drains that cover most of the drive way. Right now one is 100% frozen and the other is 1/2 frozen.  I am getting so much water build up that it's going into my garage. Does any one have any idea on either:

How I can remove the water from my driveway (I said wet vac it but I can't seem to find anyone with a wet vac in my area), or
How to thaw the drains?

The drain that is fully frozen I think is also frozen under part of the driveway where it would travel to exit so I'm not sure how anyone would thaw that. Also any advice on how to get rid of 3 inch thick ice really fast would be very helpful as well.


texts: Generator transfer switch manufacturer compatibility?

texts:
I am in the process of trying to finalize selection and installation of a standby generator for my house.

A couple of years ago, while the house was under construction, the electrical contractor on the project installed a Kohler brand automatic transfer switch. The model number of the switch is RDT-CFNC-0400ASE. It's a lot like the one here on Kohler's web site. The only difference is that on the inside of the front panel of mine, the "Material" number is "RDT-CFNC-400ASE -QS2", while the Kohler web site's product page shows the number ending is "-QS3". I'm assuming that that part of the number is just some sort of revision code, and that the switch is fundamentally identical.

While I had told the electrical contractor that we would be buying a Generac generator before they installed the switch, they told me after they'd installed the Kohler switch that it didn't matter, and that the Kohler switch would work fine with a Generac generator.

Now, the dealer I've talked to about the generator itself, who sells both Generac and Kohler products, has told me that the transfer switch manufactured by Kohler can work only with Kohler generators, and so now I'm stuck having to buy a Kohler generator instead of a Generac.

Is this correct?  If so, is there any practical way to adapt the switch so it would work with Generac equipment?

I could of course get into an argument with the electrical contractor and make them rectify their error, but at this point it's going to be "he said, she said". That's a lot of headache for a very uncertain outcome.

I could also of course pay to have a different switch installed, but given that my only real reason for preferring Generac over Kohler is that their price/generated-kW is better, that extra work would more than consume whatever monetary savings I might have gotten by purchasing a Generac model.

So I'd like to know if there's some way to allow for a Generac option in a way that would be acceptable to all parties involved, but without involving some huge expense.


texts: Basement shower with Redgard & Kerdi drain

texts: We're adding a shower to an existing basement bath rough-in. Space is tight and we are planning to use a combo of Redgard and a Kerdi shower drain to save money/space/time.  Trying to use only a single course of 4" brick as the kerb, and the shower is only 30" wide so dont need much slope. Is the pic below workable? With a Kerdi-drain would it be better to chisel into the concrete subfloor to recess the top of the drain closer to the existing concrete?  With the sandmix sloped bed what's the minimum thickness advised at the drain?  Basically not sure what all the detailing should be. Thanks for any and all suggestions!!


texts: Do I need a permit to renovate a porch in NYC?

texts:
I want to renovate my 2nd floor porch, but I don't know if NYC requires a permit. My house was built in 1901, and I believe a CO is not needed because of the grandfather clause. But if I make any alterations, will it be an issue if I want to sell my house and don't have a CO?

Does changing the size of the porch also require an engineer or architect be involved? If I kept it the same size, but made slight improvements, would that help me circumvent needing the city's approval?

I've never been through the process of applying for a permit, and I don't know what it all entails. Any help is appreciated.


texts: Least invasive way to find foundation footings under basement slab?

texts:
For a 100-year-old brick house (two-flat) in Chicago, I'd like to find my foundation footings so that I can plan in-floor heating.

What's the least invasive way to do so?

I'm imagining drilling holes in the concrete floor slab at intervals until I go deeper than the slab, sampling along a wall and then drawing a chalk line.

How do the pros find foundation footings in preparation for a basement dig-out?  Also is there a standard size for a foundation rim of this vintage?


texts: Why is my electric hot water heater producing lukewarm/cold water?

texts: Yesterday after returning home from work I discovered my hot water is not working. When you turn on the faucet (any in the house) just a little warm water comes out and then it turns cold. I checked the fusebox. It was not tripped. I'm going to buy a multimeter today to test the fusebox. Please, any help or suggestions as to what I should do???


texts: House built in 1922. Never had central air. Heated with hot water boiler and rads. 2 stories, 1569 sq ft. Salesman recommended split sys upstairs and packaged sys down. Only appx 22 inch clearance in crawl. Unable to put in ducts downstairs, so recommended ductless mini splits.(unacceptable to me). Is there an alternative?


texts: How do remove agitator from Electrolux Fftw4120sw1

texts: I have unscrewed the top of agitator but I am unable to remove base. Is there a nut in the center of the agitator?


texts: Light socket to outlet adapter not working

texts: I typically use two socket to outlet adaptors with a light bulb socket to put the bulb back in to the fixture to light two holiday wreaths with a small strand of lights each. They have always worked but this year when I plug in the light strand neither the bulb or the strand goes on. I replaced the adaptors and still have the same issue, not sure why all the sudden they do not work.


texts: Small nick on power cord from an electric alarm clock, and copper wiring exposed but intact

texts:
I bought a vintage alarm clock and radio. It works perfectly, but it took me a day to discover that along the length of the cord, there is a small nick, which revealed a small bit of copper wire, which doesn't seem frayed at all.

The cord is unpolarized, and plugs into 120V AC without any transformer "box".

Before the nick was discovered, the clock ran perfectly for a day and a half before unplugging.

I bought a spool of 3M Super 88 electrical tape and thinking of wrapping it up.

Would that be enough, or would it be still unsafe?


texts: Running 6/2 cable to garage for NEMA 6-50 outlet

texts:
I plan to install a NEMA 6-50 outlet in my garage, from a 50A breaker in the main panel. I plan to use 6/2 cable, unless there is a better recommendation. The run is about 50 feet, planned as follows:

a.  about 20' along joist in basement

b.  drill through block basement wall, exiting just above the floor of the garage

c.  up wall of garage, through drywall ceiling into garage attic

d.  across ceiling joists in attic

e. straight down through ceiling to outlet.

My questions pertain to steps b, d, and c/e.

b:  When passing the wire through the block wall, is conduit required? I don't believe so, but please advise.

d:  I under stand that the NEC permits the wire to run across the ceiling joists unsecured, provided that the attic is inaccessible (no permanent stairs, which is the case here--I have to use a ladder and climb up) and the wire is run at least 6' from the opening, which will also be the case here.

c and e: I assume conduit IS required for runs up and down the garage wall, otherwise the cable would be exposed to damage. So, I'm planning to use 3/4 PVC conduit, based on these factors:

NEC requires that cable take up no more than 53% of the space inside the conduit;
Outside diameter 6/2 cable = .3664; Inside diameter 3/4 PVC conduit = .824 (Link to home depot 3/4 Conduit for specs); Thus, cable will occupy only 44% of the conduit.

Please let me know your thoughts on these plans.


texts: Any obvious problems with this DIY home automation?

texts:
I'd like to know if anyone sees big issues with this system I want to implement in my home. The software is in beta, I will start doing the hardware side of things in a few weeks.

Current Home Status

almost all lights are temporary push-buttons connected to a 220V relay
two locations in the house where all the wires are connected

Since an image is worth a thousand words... (the items there are example, not the real ones I will use (different 220V relay, Arduino-connected relay but the main idea is well represented)

adding a 220V relay in series with the normal light switches, connecting it to an Arduino
a 30 amp current sensor is used for detecting the state of the light switch
each Arduino (or at least one in a pack of many Arduinos - where one won't be enough) Ethernet shield is used to send/receive data over a closed network (not accessible from LAN/internet)
a mini-itx atom board running Linux and some node.js software listens for UDP packets on the network (the controller)
each Arduino sends every x minutes the on/off state as a UDP packet
each Arduino send a UDP packet when the state changes
each Arduino listens for UDP packets addressed to it and can turn on/off a relay
the controller receives and stores all data on a network card, using a second for providing web interfaces with authentification for lan
other Arduino devices will be embedded in switches, sensor arrays, and can send UDP commands to turn on/off lights
the controller has event-driven and schedule-driven actions, state changes, and can send commands to the Arduino

Advantages

preserving the normal light switches in the house
if the system goes down the normal switches still work
modular - I can add more nodes as I need them
the controller is needed only for advanced operation
relative
future-proof - I can't imagine UDP protocol becoming obsolete anytime soon
secure web access from outside the home

Disadvantages

a lot of Arduinos and Ethernet shields might be needed

Optional items

Raspberry Pi's with thermal webcams to detect presence, using a modified zoneminder install to send UDP packets based occupancy
a couple of Android phones with broken GSM and weak batteries used as touch-screen interfaces inside the home
a Nokia phone used with Gammu to provide the ability to command the home via SMS

Clarification

The 220v relay that are set up right now were put into place to allow lights to be opened or closed from multiple places from a room. Think of the relay as a 3-sided control circuit

one side has the 220v mains coming in
one side has the push buttons that work on 220v
one side has the output to the light bulb

The 220v is an on/off relay. Each time any button is pushed, it toggles it's state, as long as you press a button more than 0.1 seconds (so it said in the relay manual).

My electrician installed the 220v relay, it is not 'normally open' or 'normally closed'. If powers goes down and then comes back the lights return to their previous states.

To trigger the 220v mains relay all i have to do is use a normally-open arduino-relay and trigger the closed state for more than 0.1 seconds. I just need to send a 220v "pulse" to the 220v relay.
This is the main reason that the lights will still work as long as power is kepy. All the arduino can fail and the normal lights will work as usual, I will only lose the remote-controll posibility and advanced scheduling/scripting.

As for pricing I am sourcing arduino+ethernet or mega+ethernet (and a few other arduino replicas) at around 15-25$ per pair, so the cost is relatively low. In the main controller software I estimate 40 hours of work, and then a few hundreds of hours over a few years refining the user interface and adding events and so on.

All the items will be placed in 2 boxes inside the house, one for each floor, and a third box will be controlling the garden,patio and watering.

--- Later edit ---
Built the schematic, you can see it in action on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmsdXMbd2vo


texts: Track lighting connectors - brass? Aluminum? Tinned copper?

texts:
I have a mix of lightly used track lighting pieces that I got second-hand. The connectors seem to different brands, but all fit with each other. (Same profile.)

My question is about the contacts on the connectors, that connect the bus bars of one piece of track to another piece. Some appear to be bare copper, others brass, others appear to be aluminum, or maybe tinned copper? Do I need to be concerned about long-term compatibility here?


texts:
I have a device (a popcorn popper) that has an L14-20P plug.
I would like to use it with my stove's 14-50R receptacle.
Since the device is rated for 20 Amp, and the receptacle for 50, this should be ok, or am I overlooking something?
And if it is ok, would the following be the correct wiring:


texts:
I have oiled my decking for the 1st time yesterday and on checking it today there are patches where I have applied too much and these patches are shiny and sticky. Whats the best approach for removing the patches and reapplying?

Edit: Using Wickes decking oil (image attached).


texts: How to lay concrete block without squishing all the mortar?

texts:
I'm laying a small retaining wall for a garden and I'm having a lot if trouble getting a proper mortar joint.

If it is on the soft side it is squished out of the joint with the weight of the block.

If it is drier it crumbles and doesn't seem to have a good adhesion.

I'm using course sand (concrete sand) mixed with fine sand. I tried to sieve to get something like a medium sand (I think you call that boulder's sand) but it didn't seem to make a difference.


texts: Shaving off wood in 4"x4" to fit ez base?

texts:
I bought several of these 4x4 Simpson EZ bases, but most of the 4"x4" pieces of wood don't fit. Some of them are a very tight fit, but most of them are a tad wide.

What tool can I use to easily shave off the additional millimeters from the lumber?


texts: Mysterious black dots appearing on carpet

texts:
We purchased our house last August and I don't know how old the carpet is but it's definitely been around for a while.
Earlier this year, these little black dots started showing up in one specific area of the carpet. The area is near the door to our patio so of course it could be from the dog... but they are almost identical in size and color.
We don't wear shoes in the house (if that matters), and it seems like they show up after it has rained. I wipe the dog's paws before she comes in if it's wet out and I haven't seen anything come off on the towel that could be the culprit of the black spots.
We had the carpet cleaned six months ago and the spots came up, but they have started to return in new areas over the last week.
I'm wondering if they are some sort of mold spores that are coming up from the carpet padding? Is that even possible?
Has anyone had any spots like this appear on their carpet? We are going to get the carpet replaced with hardwood soon but I would still like to figure out what is possibly causing this.


texts: Should we glue above and below our rubber underlayment for wooden floors?

texts:
We have received our delivery of 3/4 inch thick engineered wood planks.

They are 8 inches wide, random lengths, and the white oak layer on top is about 3/16 thick.  Subfloor is very good and solid and is 3/4 plywood.

We have decided to install a 1/4 inch thick rubber underlayment to reduce sound movement through the house.

The manufacturer of the flooring is happy with that (rubber) decision and has no issues, but they insist that we first glue the rubber to the subfloor and then glue the planks to the rubber.

Further, they have specifically recommended Bostik greenforce which is not only a glue, but a VAPOR BARRIER as well.

So, some very specific (glue both sides, use this very specific glue) recommendations from the manufacturer.

My question:

Isn't it ill-advised to install two vapor barriers (the two glue layers) with a gap between them ?  I thought we always wanted to avoid that situation, wherein vapor can get between the two glue layers and can never get out because they are vapor barriers.

I don't want to go against the manufacturers advice, but this was a red flag because I know, for instance, you don't want to stack two layers of densshield on top of one another because you create a vapor "sandwich" between the two barriers ...

Thanks.


texts: A/C Fan won't turn on outside after replacing capacitor

texts:
I know this is a DIY stack exchange, and to be forthright, I did not DIY this initial repair because I was intimidated by replacing a capacitor, so I called a recommended technician who did the job and got the A/C running immediately. I am posting to this forum because we have a new problem and I'm trying to understand how it might be related to the initial one.

So, the initial problem was that I noticed the air blowing was not cold, and the fan was not running outside although the compressor was on. I guessed it was the capacitor based on research but didn't want to mess with that because I don't do a lot of electrical work and my dad was visiting  in town, so I needed the A/C fixed quickly. The tech came out, tested our dual capacitor and found that the fan side was not responding, and replaced it with a new capacitor. The a/c was up and running again. It cooled just fine that evening, and I raised the thermostat a bit to 76 so it would shut off and went to bed.

Then early the next morning, I heard the a/c making an intermittent buzzing noise (it's outside our bedroom window) and could hear the air blowing in our house. It sounded like the unit was trying to turn on the fan but couldn't. My husband went out there and tried to spin the blade but couldn't get it to start and noticed it was hot. So I turned off everything and put in a call to the tech - I'm waiting for him to call back right now.

My question is: what could the problem be? Is it related to the new capacitor? My hunch is the fan motor, but I don't know why it would be working just fine up until last night and then suddenly fail. Thanks for any help or insight you can provide.


texts: affordable metal tubing longer than 10ft?

texts: I am working on a project where I require several lengths of metal tubing in lengths of 12ft or so, 1.25-2" diameter.  The rub is, I need it to be affordable, perhaps no more than double the cost of 2" EMT conduit.   Any suggestions for what materials to pursue ? Thanks.


texts:
A lot of outdoor concrete slabs / patios have a slope for drainage. If you put a hot tub in such a location obviously it would also be out of level.

Is there any standard or recommended way to level the slab base prior to installing the hot tub?

I have scanned around and there are numerous internet suggestions - but ideally I'd like to know if there is either a standard "best practice" method and/or something recommended by hot tub manufacturers.

Examples of suggestions I've read each of which has some obvious potential but maybe avoidable problems:

Shim with angled bits of wood (susceptible to rot, movement)
Sand (could move/erode)
Build up additional concrete (poor bonding, spalling, etc.)

Thanks


texts: ( bathroom van fan ) which wire goes where?

texts:
I bought a basic bathroom van fan, its Vents 100 S L. So I unmounted the old one and replaced the new one on the wall I noticed the cables in the old fan and the new fan are opposite as below :

old fan

new fan

I am not expert in electrical stuff, so didn't want to risk plugging the wire cables. so my questions is :
if the 2 black cables attached the fan are connected in opposite way with the white connector, do you need to change the order of the blue and the brown cables coming from the wall ? so in my new fan, the brown cable should be on the top and the the blue cable on the bottom ?

If you are expert, please advise me. Thank you very much.


texts: Will keeping a GFCI tripped increase its lifespan?

texts:
[USA] I have recently replaced the receptacles in my house with tamper-resistant ones, including the GFCIs.

The GFCIs are the new auto-self-test type (Pass & Seymour 1597TR and 2097TR models). Some of these are in places where they will rarely be used.

I have read on here that GFCIs have a limited lifespan, and will eventually fail a self-test and need replacing. My question is: would keeping those rarely-used GFCIs in a “tripped” state keep them from aging, so that they last longer?

Note that the circuits would still be live, so the red LED would be lit. They would be reset only when it is necessary to use them.


texts: Basement cinderblock wall tops - cover or fill

texts:
A few spots on the top of my basement wall have had their tops hacked off for projects (ducts/plumbing/unknown). We had a mouse issue and I'm looking to close these spots up in case they are finding their way in somehow that way.

My main question is should I cap/cover them off again with some sort of tile/adhesive or do I need to fill them?

The first two locations are against the back of the house but there is another room/slab further out above it and it looks pretty dry down in the "void" of blocks. They don't appear to be filled or reinforced. I was planning to just cover these up.

The third location which is on the side of the house is where I'm unsure if I should also fill it in with rocks/mortar/anything recommended? or also just cover it up on the top. It's a difficult spot to get access to but the pics show the outside walls mortar and further into the gap there is some dirt. If you're looking at the first of these "3rd location" pics the wall to the right is where the garage would be.

Loc 1

Loc 2

Loc 3


texts: Finding nails and staples all over yard after roof replacement

texts:
I just had the roof of my house replaced.
The roofers had tarps spread around the house and swept the yard after the work with what looked like a magnet after they finished but I'm finding a lot of nails and staples in our yard and driveway now.
Is this normal, or did I have a sloppy roofer?
.


texts: I had a painter round my one bedroom flat where I live with my cat, he say's he will use paint spray as it is quicker, is it safe, the fumes? on google it says not safe to breathe in, but others say its okay?  now I am needing some advice as I know nothing about painting, he will be using dulux magnolia on all rooms, any advice would be appreciated thanks.


texts: How can I tell if my two-pronged outlets have ground wires behind them?

texts:
I have two-pronged outlets in my apartment. They look like this:

Is there a way to check whether they have a ground or not? Some guides talk about use a circuit tester and touching the screw, but I don't even see a screw? It seems like they've been painted over. Maybe I need to chip away at the paint?

On top of that, how would I even remove these?


texts: Ok, changed out the pivot rod, old one was broken. Put new one in, But. By the time I have the retaining nut tight enough to stop leaks. The pivot rod won't move? Loosen it to help movement, but starts leaking again. I bought the full kit, the bigger ball doesn't fit into hole, has to be the little one.. what am I doing wrong??


texts: Is it okay that a Leviton 9860-LHG CFL lampholder has no ground wire?

texts:
For code-compliance reasons, I'm planning to replace an old-school porcelain bare-bulb light fixture in a closet with a Leviton 9860-LHG lampholder that I bought a few years ago but never got around to installing until today. It's a CFL fixture with an enclosed plastic top. (In closets it's a code no-no to have bare-bulb fixtures.)

But when I opened the 9860-LHG box, I noticed that the lampholder has only 2 wires-- hot and neutral-- but no ground wire. That said, the entire lampholder is plastic, so perhaps it's OK there's no ground wire since there's no other metal anywhere?

But before I install a fixture which is different from all other fixture in the house which have ground wires, I thought I'd check with the experts here.

Is a not-present ground wire OK in an all-plastic fixture like the 9860-LHG?  Or should I go find another lampholder?  If the answer varies based on local codes, I'm in Berkeley, CA.


texts: I'm not an interior designer, but I'm going to do the home design myself. I don't know how to read the scale of this floor plan. I'm going to put this into a floor planner website and design, but I don't know what the parameter of 13300 is. If I'm going to draw a plan on the website (they use meters as a parameter), I need to know what to enter.


texts: Should access to original concrete be considered when framing a basement?

texts: I'm just wondering when I frame the basement is there a convenient way to allow access to the original concrete walls and floor. I've never noticed anybody ever having much concern for this, but basements settle and cracks can form. Wouldn't it be wise to allow some way to easily fix any problems that might arise in the future which is bound to happen eventually as the house ages? Is this not something I should be concerned with?


texts: I have very old Wadsworth circuit breakers that almost never trip. An electrician told me that sometimes these breakers aren't tripping when they should. There's very little online about this company since it went under in 1990. How do I make sure they still work without potentially damaging the wiring? Or doing something dangerous like shorting out a circuit?


texts: How to fix paint after patching holes in the wall?

texts:
My wife and I are first time homeowners and are doing a lot of stuff for the first time. We removed some shelves from a wall that left some larger holes, so we got spackle and sealed them up. We painted once over the spots, then again to try to get a consistent color, but even after that, we have two problems:

1) I don't think we sanded enough spackle down, leaving bumps on the wall.

2) The color of the repainting does not match the rest of the wall, even though it's the exact same paint as when the wall was painted 4 years ago.

So...
 - Should we sand down again to try to get rid of excess spackle, or is this too late now that we've repainted?
- How do we get a color match here? Should we try to repaint a third time? Or should we repaint the whole wall? How do we ensure when we repaint it's all a consistent color (do we need to paint white or prime first)?

See pics:


texts: Frigidaire gas range - first use. Is it packing material?

texts:
Just got a Frigidaire gas range and the neighbor said when she used hers (same one) fire started because the packing material wasn't removed from the inside of the stove.

I opened stove's door, unscrewed two screws from the back and removedvthe bottom cover. The only thing I see is this insulation material. Is it insulation? Packaging material? Does it need to be removed?


texts:
Are non-GFCI outlets that are downstream of a GFCI outlet ground fault protected if they are fed from the GFCI outlet's load side?

If those non-GFCI downstream outlets were not fed from the GFCI outlet's load side but rather just had their hot, neutral and ground wires spliced to those feeding the GFCI outlet, would the effect be the same as if there was no GFCI outlet on the circuit at all?


texts:
Although our house build is still several years away, we’ve started making decisions about it. I live in a tropical climate and have always felt a subterranean level makes great sense in terms of thermal insulation.
With zero experience building houses, I had not given it much thought. Structures here are built with concrete for the most part, and I was just told that I’d need to make sure I’d put in moisture protection for the subterranean part. And that this would not be cheap as nobody here builds such levels.
I’m just curious .... what’s involved in this!? How do you protect your structure from moisture when it’s all underground? And why is it different for subterranean levels than it is for above-ground levels that are exposed to the elements?
Some additional research said termites could come up through the concrete (!!!!?) and eat my (planned) wooden floor?
So now I’m wondering what other considerations there are in building underground. Any comments, links, etc are most welcome.


texts:
Here is the issue, my basement wall facing south is trapping moisture. Removed the drywall and found a layer of poly and rigid insulation on the lower wall and batting insulation on the top side. The 2x4 framing studs are built above the footing blocks but on the inside they put 1x6 furring strips and drywall over that The exterior brick wall under the window shows efflorescence. Btw, my footing is above grade.
Would this have been caused by water/moisture from the exterior brick wall/ window or internally from the vapor barrier?
I've read too much information about basement wall insulation and some say to insulate it some say don't.

any help or information greatly appreciated.


texts: Did I ruin my bathroom faucet during descaling?

texts:
I wanted to descale my bathroom faucet (for taking showers), so I put some vinegar on a tissue and put it on the faucet.

I left it for 7-8 hours and when I wake up my faucet looks like this:

It has indeed been descaled, but note how the color has vanished on the right part that controls the cold water. How is it possible that vinegar can do that? I think it is made of chrome, I thought vinegar should be OK for that?


texts: Foundation concerns with 40 year old home

texts:
I just purchased a home built in 1978 (I literally moved in last weekend.) This is my first home purchase, and I tried to do as much research as I could -- I had it inspected, and the inspector found some cracks and mentioned they were probably just settling with a home this age. The appraiser hired by the organization financing my loan rated the condition of the home as C4/Q4 as "some minor deffered maintenance" and "meeting or exceeding applicable building codes", and also marked "no" for all the of the "has settlement/foundation problems" boxes.

When I moved in, I noticed the hardwood floors in my office (downstairs, east corner) and the linoleum ones in the kitchen (downstairs, west corner) were bouncier/shakier than I'm used to. I braced the one in my office by adding a beam made of 2x4s across the joists with a small jack post in the middle (Not super tight, I wasn't trying to raise anything up, just make it feel stiffer.)

I've inspected the floor joists as well as I can, and I've found no rot, cracking, etc. They all seem solid.

My concerns increased greatly when I set up my washing machine -- on the concrete slab in the basement, which is under my office -- when it went into it's spin cycle, my entire office began to shake. This felt wrong to me, as the concrete slab should not carry that much vibration up and into the house, should it?

There are a few doors in the home that are slightly sagging on one side, maybe by 1/8th to 1/4th of an inch, and there are a couple of small cracks in the drywall extending from the corner of two doors -- one in my office closet, and one in the upstairs bedroom -- the bedroom on the same side/corner of my house as my office.

The slab in the basement has some cracking that has been repaired, and I know there was some minor water infiltration issues in the past, but they were fixed and the inspector found no evidence of recent water issues in the basement. It has been the wettest year in probably the past 10 where I live, so I feel like if the basement were going to leak, it would have done so already.

I've attached some images of the concerns I mentioned above -- I don't know what to do here. I'm extremely concerned because I just bought the place, so I have no equity to fall back on if I need an expensive foundation repair.

Should I start looking for a structural engineer, or am I being paranoid?

Update:
So, I wanted to add an update here for anyone else who may have similar problems. I had a contractor with years of experience that I trust come in and look at everything. We discovered a couple things, firstly, at some point there was a load bearing wall in the basement that someone removed -- and replaced with a couple of inadequate and poorly-positioned posts. This caused the center of the house to sag slightly -- but the foundation seems okay. I got a few more posts, put them in better locations along the beam that runs along the center of the house, and I plan to eventually rebuild the wall that was there at one point. I likely won't try to jack anything back up -- because the contractor said that could cause things to crack more since it's settled how it is -- but it should be fine and stable now with the added support. As for the cracking in the cement wall -- we discovered it was three blocks -- not the whole wall, that are pushed in very slightly near/just under the ground line outside -- he suspected that our two very wet past winters resulted in water seeping into the ground, freezing, and pushing those block in a bit. He said that as long as I don't start having water come in there (which so far there has been none despite very heavy rains lately and a high water table), and they don't continue to push in, it's nothing to worry about.


texts: What is this threaded lamp(?) piece called?

texts:
I'm fixing a custom pendant, and one of the pieces has been damaged and needs to be replaced. Trouble is, I can't figure out what this piece is called or where to find one similar. It is the silver metal threaded piece in the photo.

It is (almost exactly) the same diameter as an E26 light bulb base—I measure it at 1 3/32" diameter, 27.7mm. However, it has tighter threads than an E26; I measure them at 12-13 threads per inch.
It is 1.6" / 41mm tall.
The upper hole is 3/8" diameter, which is important as it needs to fit over "1/8 iron pipe" (3/8" diameter) and be clamped to it with nuts on either side.

The entire piece slides through a 1.25" (32mm) hole in the glass shade, and then a threaded nut/washer (like the black plastic one in the picture) screws on to support the 3-4 pound glass.


texts: Just bought a home and the only pool light is not working. If the GFCI breaker is not tripped and there is no outdoor switch or GFCI, does that mean it’s probably the bulb itself thats dead? Or could it be something else? Not sure what to check. Thanks


texts: How to locate the fuse of this FAAC automatic gate controller?

texts:
I have tried to locate a manual (as seen in the picture) on FAAC's website. The model number XF 433 turns out to be the code of the radio module.

At the moment the a swing leaf gate it controls is not responding. I suspect it is caused by a blown fuse due to a recent storm.
Where is the fuse and how can I replace it? Do I need to remove the radio module (XF 433) before I take of the frosty plastic cover?


texts:
I currently have a heavy steel window well cover and frequently get frogs and other small animals falling through. I'm looking for a simple solution to attach to the metal grate to prevent debris and animals from falling in.

The plastic safety covers sell for $125; is there a plastic I can purchase and cut to shape and attach with zip ties?


texts:
I have been using a powerline adapter without a hitch for a few years now, but I am moving from a ground floor bungalow, to a 3 floored house.

Will the powerline adapters still work over the different floors, or is it likely they are on a separate loop?


texts: Nomenclature for water management objects

texts:
Building roofs and parking lots cause prevent rain from naturally entering the ground.   A bird's eye view of a building shows a footprint where water can not drain into the ground and must drain into non-footprint areas.  Other objects such as tiled patios can effectively increase the footprint of roofs and parking lots.

A larger 'object footprint' reduces the area for natural draining.

What is the correct term for 'object footprint', which prevents natural draining and its complement: land that permits natural draining of water?


texts: Is there a proven technique for removing grout joints without chipping porcelain tiles?

texts: Because of effloresence appearing on my porcelain tiled deck after rain events, I am planning to replace the existing grout with epoxy grout which will create a waterproof barrier.  But I first need to remove the existing grout joints, which are < 1/8" width.  It's my understanding that porcelain tiles can be susceptible to chipping so I'm not certain which method would be most appropriate to perform this work.  I was considering using a grout blade on my oscillating tool, but I wanted to get some feedback before proceeding.


texts:
I am confused with the types of blades for my chop saw

I am looking at mitring the joints on my new oat parquet floor and have read that crosscut is better however they are expensive and can get a much cheaper non cross cut blade,

So do I need a cross cut blade if I get an 80tooth non crosscut?

Thank you

Iain


texts: Have Shed/Man Cave & Need Unground Power Advice

texts:
I have a shed which is a little less than 100 feet from my home breaker box. I currently am poor-manning it running a 100 foot extension cord out there. I have already purchased a branch electrical box and wired the shed. I am about to rent a trencher to trench for the electrical cable.

I would like to run 240v out there just in case I ever need it so I do not have to redo the job in the future. However, at this point I want 2x 20 amp circuits running out there for saws and things on one breaker & lights, tv, receiver etc on the other. I am going 20 amp vs 15 amp just to have some extra capability. If your opinion on this differs, I would like to know more.

So here is my main question. With a 3% voltage drop in mind, what wire do I need to run out there given the distance (100 ft) to obtain a max 20 amp 240v capability and/or 2x 20 amp 120v capability? Can I go with a smaller gauge electrical wire to achieve this or is 6/3 what I need to go with? I do realize that the most important part of the equation are the breakers installed on the home side. Those must be at or below whatever electrical cable I run out there. Would it be possible to run 1x 10AWG/3 UF-B electrical cable out there with 2x 20 amp breakers in the house?

The online electrical wire calculators are confusing me... I guess what I do not get on the 3 conductor cable is if the cable is capable of supporting 20 amp per hot wire or a total of 20 amp across all 3 conductors.

Is it reasonable to assume that a 100 foot 10AWG/3 Conductor wire is capable of carrying 2x 15 amp loads @ 120v or 1x 30 amp load @ 240v?

I do not plan on welding (due to wood shed/wood shed floor) or anything like that. I can also probably step down to two 120v 15 amp circuits as I can only operate a tool at once. i may want to install an a/c unit out there though at some point. probably 120v. the shed size is 12x20.

This install location is in east north Dallas. Lots of clay and rocks. If i can avoid digging an 18" ditch, I would definitely prefer it. I will not permit the install but do want to follow code and do so with the cheapest trenching method and electrical cable possible.


texts: Is it possible to varnish a section of of wooden floor?

texts:
We have three small areas on our floor that needs to be varnished

Everything i have read is to get an electric sander and remove the varnish from the entire floor.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2008/mar/01/diy.homes24

Is it possible to varnish a single small section of the flooring and if so is there a way to blend in the colors?


texts: Do receptacles require a 20 ampere breaker?

texts: I thought wall receptacles required a 20 amp breaker.  Am I wrong?


texts: What is the best material for an indoor wood heater

texts:
When buying or making an indoor heater, I have noticed that you get really nice internal combustion heaters, which either come in Cast Iron, Steel, Ceramic etc.

I struggle to grasp the best properties of the construction material. Would a metal with good conductivity be more effective in heating a room, or would thicker material be better?

What are the principles at play with effective heaters how would i know what things to look for in heater purchase, and what material is best


texts: What kind of cylinder do I need for this type of lock?

texts:
I have a Fleetwood Archetype door lock for sliding doors that I want to improve by adding an external locking mechanism. It looks as following:

The lock is described in more detail in its patent application (US 8186189B2). I need some sort of a cylinder attachment that would let me rotate the T-shaped slot - is there a generic product on the market that would let me do that?
I've tried emailing the manufacturer about this, but didn't get a response yet so I was hoping to solve the problem on my own.


texts:
I will be redoing my room lights for 24 VDC LEDs, with multiway switches.
I'm located in Poland.
Should I put the switches on the 24V side or the 230V side of the circuit? What are the points to consider?
230V will be done by a qualified electrician, but 24V I'll do myself.
Having the PSU always on doesn't bother me as it's no-load draw is only 0.5w.
Is there anything else I should take into account?
Data dump:

one of the switches will be placed on my bed's headboard
cable length will be about the same
the no-load power draw on those is only 0.5W
this will be dumb white LEDs, no dimmer either
going by the spec the current draw is 1.8A (3 meters of a 14.4W/m strip, 24V)
power supply used is FTPC50V24
the only common point with the existing lighting will be the location of one of the switches - old lighting is not multiway and the fixture is in a completely different place


texts: Repairing/patching concrete foundation of house

texts: What's the best (or maybe easiest and most affordable would be more accurate) route to patch the concrete of our house foundation? It's kind of crumbling in places and needs a facelift. Ideas/options?


texts:
I had to repair a corner joint between my kitchen and living ceiling (kitchen is ceiling lower than living room) by scraping the popcorn off of the kitchen ceiling and replacing a metal corner bead.
The repair seems to have taken and held.  Now, what should I do with the kitchen ceiling?  Many have advised not to try to apply popcorn to that small section of kitchen ceiling - that they will never match.  Should I just scrape the rest of the popcorn off of the kitchen ceiling?  Then what?  Re-apply popcorn, some other texture or leave flat and paint?


texts: Make 16 square meter room operable for two persons

texts:
I have really serious question to me.
We have flat with two rooms. One is beeing used by me and my brother. It is 16 square meter room. There are two beds and two desks and some old shelfs. I have only old bed which i use to operate computer and sleep. Unfortunately to the late night brother is sitting one meter away from me and talking through skype, playing games which imply there is no calm for me to sleep which i need to be well and study well. There is a lot space where there is old wardobes with unused things, my desk is also not beeing used.

Is there any way to cheaply change this room so we both have some private and soundproof space?


texts: Light switch not working; both outlets are always hot

texts:
I have a single pole light switch with a hot red wire secured at the top and a hot black wire at the bottom.  I then have a handful of outlets wired with the metal tab broken separating the hot red and black wires.

However, all of the top and bottom outlets are always hot.  The switch isn't doing anything.  I tried swapping the switch (on the off chance the receptacle wasn't working) with a different one in the house that is working, but that didn't work either.

What could be causing the switch to not terminate?

A few (mediocre) photos below:

Switch:

Hot wires with broken tab:

Neutral (top) with tab connected and ground:


texts:
The other day I noticed that our drywall was saturated and having removed it found an open ended pipe above it was leaking. The thing is I have absolutely no idea what this pipe is or why it has just started leaking. I can cap it but I don't want to until I have some idea as to why it is there and where the water is coming from. I can't see where the other end goes (due to its location) but it appears to go into the wall of the house. However there is nothing on the exterior of the house on the other side of the pipe. Has anyone got any ideas of what this pipe could be for?

It does look like somebody may have "capped" the pipe before as there is some residue on the end of it. Is it likely that somebody did a poor job and the "cap" that they put there has now failed? Still, if this is the case why does the pipe exist and where would the water be coming from?

I should mention the house was rebuilt about 5 years ago on the top of a basement of a 40 year old house that was knocked down.

Thank you very much in advance for your help.

Shows the pipe

Shows the end of the pipe and the possible "cap"

Shows where the pipe goes into the (wall)


texts: What do I do with a sewer pipe (toilet rough-in) full of cement?

texts:
I have a problem that is mind boggling. I bought a house and am now just getting ready to put a toilet in the basement, which has a cement slab. I just took the cover off the rough-in expecting the sewer smell, but to my surprise I got a drain full of poured cement, YES IN THE DRAIN.

What do I do with that? Why anyone would fill the drain with cement is boggling my mind!


texts:
I live in the northeast US and recently bought a home with an attached solarium facing south.  Roof is composed of reflective double-pane Anderson windows.  Sides are nearly floor to ceiling double-pane Anderson windows.  All the floor to ceiling windows open.  The room is completely connected to the rest of the house, though it does have its own AC system and zoned baseboard heat.

On days where it's cool enough to open the windows, the room is generally comfortable.  It does get warm in the spring (maybe 80 degrees) but it feels fine with the windows open.

On hotter days where we seal the house up to turn the AC on, the room bakes.  Until 2 o'clock or so where the sun starts to be on the other side of the house, the AC barely makes a dent.  Yesterday it hit 94 and the AC was on all day and couldn't get the room below 85 until 4 o'clock or so.  Since the room is attached to the rest of the house, the main AC obviously has to work harder too.  The only saving grace there is the thermostat for the rest of the house is upstairs; it means downstairs will always be warmer but at least we aren't going to freeze in the bedrooms.

I've done a little research but I'm a bit overwhelmed by the options at reducing the solar heat gain:

install all new tinted windows ($$$)
install tinted window film (less costly but worried about how it will look)
install shades on the interior (worried about how it will look and confused about how much heat that will block as the heat has already come in through the window; or perhaps that understanding is wrong)
install exterior shades

My current leaning is installing exterior motorized shades.  This is also a pretty expensive option but I prefer this option as I want the solar heat gain in the winter.  If I tint the windows (either through film or new windows), I will solve my problem in summer, but won't I make the room colder in the winter?


texts: How do I calculate how much sand, cement and water I need for a specific volume of concrete?

texts:
I am using forms to build a decorative wall. The instructions say I need 38 liters total per form. The form ends up producing a wall section 200 centimeters long x 50 centimeters high.

How do I calculate how much sand, cement and water will produce 38 liters of concrete?


texts: Am I installing the drain saddle for a single bowl sink in the right location?

texts: I’m trying to install a drain saddle for my reverse osmosis system and only have a single bowl and the instructions are written for a dual sink. Is B the proper location for me to install the drain saddle? The instructions said to install it as low as possible on the vertical tailpiece.


texts: How do I ground a new overhead light fixture?  I'm replacing a 2 wire fixture with no grounding wire with a new 3 wire fixture which includes a ground wire.  The new fixture is suspended not flush mounted, per the instructions.


texts: half of the electricity is out in my house. Breakers not tripped. Reset Main breaker...nothing happened.

texts: What can be the problem? None of the breakers are tripped. halft of my house has no power. I reset the main breaker but it did not help.


texts:
I just noticed this crack that has formed along an exterior window. Does this seem like something that needs repair, or just some caulking?

I noticed that for some reason the bricks were not alternated in direction along this window like all of the other windows around my house (see second picture). This is the only issue I see with cracks in the bricks.


texts:
Yesterday I posted a question concerning a pressure tank and Boyle's Law. I understand the concept of P1×V1=P2×V2. Now, there is a website claiming to use Boyle's Law to determine the drawdown of a pressure tank (the amount of water it can provide before the well pump starts). It goes a little something like this...

Drawdown = P1V / P2 – P1V / P3 where,

P1 is the pre-charge pressure. (typically 38psi)
P2 is the cut-in pressure. (when the well pump starts, typically 40psi)
P3 is the cut-out pressure. (when the pump stops, typically 60psi)
V is the total tank volume.

or restated as Drawdown = (P1 / P2 – P1 / P3) × V

What I don't understand is the third pressure value in the equation. Is this derived from Boyle's Law? I'm not seeing the relationship.


texts: How do I plumb this kitchen sink to stop the leak and improve drainage

texts:
I'm trying to stop this setup from leaking and improve the drainage.
The sink is a bit low, and the basket strainer drops a few inches.  Below that, I have a tailpiece with a dishwasher connection, and a horizontal waste line followed by an elbow into what is called a NY Trap.
The issues are that:
a) the horizontal piece seems to leak -- possibly fro the right side compression fitting, and from the tailpiece-horizontal connection.
b) the horizontal piece actually has a negative slope.  This causes it to be something like a second p trap , and when full, the water seems to back up a bit into the sink until the air bubble gets out.  This seems like it would increase the chances of having leaks.
I haven't been able to find a good way to plumb this -- only tailpieces with dishwasher attachements are too long  to make the next pipe go horizontal.  Also can't seem to get a good seal between the tailpiece and the horizontal  piece.
What should I do to stop the leaks?
(Note: water in tub was there from before -- previous horizontal piece corroded so badly that it actually started leaking at the turn.)


texts: What adhesive to use with EPDM rubber sheet roofing (shed project)

texts:
I want to install EPDM rubber (1/16 thk) on my shed. I need about 10'x10'.
But I cannot get an answer on what adhesive to use. I talked to 2 roofing companies, but they never gave me an answer. I was told that asphalt based adhesive will destroy the rubber.
Can you help me to figure out what to use?


texts: How can I affix this wood transition piece?

texts:
I made a perfect looking transition to go from wood floating floor to tile for a bathroom.  Problem is that this is where the old marble transition was.  Can I set the transition with mortar?  If not what can I use?  Right now there is a one inch deep hole.

New Edit - in picture i have tile to the right, then gap, then floated maple.  In the gap there used to be a marble transition that had about 1.5 inches of mortar under it.  The concrete under this mortar is in very bad shape - probably the reason why the thick bed of mortar.  I scraped some mortar over while tiling - i could remove this easily but not sure it helps.  It is too deep to just adhere wood L transition to the floor.


texts: Lighting in the hall: How to substitute a missing wire?

texts:
I have a problem with the lights in my appartement. The current setup is below (and photos further down):

There are two switches: one is at the kitchen door frame, the other one is in the electricity box by the entrance door. It works well, however, it takes the electricity from the switch for kitchen's (and all other rooms') lighting and not from the circuit breaker marked "HALL LIGHTING", which is bad because when the breaker goes off, I'm in the darkness (this has already happened to me recently when a bulb broke).

The problem is that there are only 2 wires connecting the door frame box with the main.
I see a solution in re-wiring SW1 so that it either connects the two wires or not. Then I would need some sort of a relay in place of SW2. Is such thing possible? Of course, I would like it to be low consumption and silent (I know some relays are pretty noisy).

Now the photos: Top: Door switch SW1 + the kitchen switch providing "wrong source". Bottom: Detail of the door switch and the Electricity box, it is large enough to fit some device there if needed.

Any help or suggestion is appreciated. Just for clarity: I'm in Czechia, 220V/50Hz AC


texts: How to cut wide shallow grooves in existing driveway slab

texts: I want to create look of giant poured in place pavers on my driveway, using the existing concrete slab. Other than cutting all the way thru the slab and removing giant lines of concrete, then refilling it to desired depth, is there an easier way to do this? I want 3-4” grooves between pavers for that fake turf grass. Don’t think I need more than 1” depth for that. My question is: is there a tool or grinder blade that can cut a wide, shallow channel in concrete that DOESN’T have to be chipped out?


texts: Can 12/2/2 cable be used with two circuits on the same leg with the neutrals tied together?

texts: I'm rewiring an old house. It has a mix of knob and tube and Romex cable. I'm planning to remove all the knob and tube. In the basement I found 12-4 cable (Black, Red, White, White W/Red Stripe and ground) all in one junction box, neutrals all wired together and supplying different branch 120 v circuits.   Inspecting it at the breaker box, it looks like both the black and red wires have been used as branch circuits on the same bus, but different breakers. From past experience I've learned 12-3 wire can share the same neutral but need to be on opposite bus. Is this the case with 12-4 wire?


texts: How do I ground my LED retrofit in a ceiling can?

texts:
I've got what appears to be a low height 5" can above the kitchen sink.  There is a 60W IC bulb in there.  It looks really trashy since the cover is missing.  So, I picked up one of those ceiling LED retrofit kits to put in there for the power savings and to make it look decent.

It looks like it's going to be a very tight squeeze, but should barely fit.  My issue though is that the LED kit says it must be grounded to the can.  They list 3 methods:

Attach supplied ground to stud in can.

Well, no stud in my can.  No go there.
Attach supplied ground with supplied screw to existing ground hole in can.

There is a hole in the can, but it's MUCH bigger around than the supplied screw and it's not anywhere deep enough for the supplied screw either.  In addition, it's so low in the can that I don't know that the assembly will even go into place with a screwhead there.  Presumably it was designed for a safety wire to be attached there to keep a cover from falling to the ground and shattering.  Probably not a good idea.
Attach supplied ground to one of the can height adjustment screws.

This sounds promising.  Except the ground is ring connector...  If I pull one of those can height adjustment screws all the way out, will I be able to put it back into place, or is there a nut on the back that will fall down and cause me grief?  I've considered cutting a notch in the ring connector to avoid that situation, but I don't want to hack up the kit any in case of a warranty issue.

So how can I properly ground the fixture?


texts: Is it ok to use push-in connectors for testing?

texts: Soon I am going to replace my 2 prong outlet with a 3 prong GFCI that will protect downstream devices. I am wondering to test the line and load if it is ok to use Push-In connectors Gauge 22-12. I just want to use them while testing. I appreciate any help.


texts: Are dedicated neutrals required in conduit?

texts:
I am wiring a new screened in porch to include a receptacle, ceiling fan and 2 light fixtures.  I am tapping into an existing 20A circuit.  The starting point is 12/2 coming into a 3 gang box.  The physical layout is

3 gang box -> light 1
           -> [[(receptacle) -> fan -> 2 gang box -> light 2]]

In other words, the 3 gang box contains switches for the ceiling fan (regular on/off switch) and two 3-way switches for the two lights.  From this box, one of the lights (light 1) is connected with 12/2.  The rest go through 3/4 PVC conduit outside into the screened in porch.  The receptacle is un-switched.

First on this conduit run is the un-switched receptacle.  Next comes the fan.  At the other end of the porch is a 2 gang box with 3 way switches for the two lights (so I can turn them on from inside or outside).  After this 2 gang box we end the run with the last light.

Since I am in conduit is it legal to do this (all 12g wire):

1 Hot (un-switched) to receptacle
1 Hot (switched) to fan
4 travelers between the 2 2-way switches in each box
1 switched hot from 2 gang box back to light1
1 switched hot from 2 gang box to light2
1 neutral that connects to receptacle/fan/light
1 ground that connects to receptacle/fan/light.

This needs to pass inspection since it all falls under a building permit.  My main question is the neutral - Do I need to run dedicated neutral wires for the receptacle, fan and light through the conduit?  Or can I have them "share" one?  I heard a rule that "each hot must have a neutral" but that that it didn't apply with conduit?

Thanks


texts: How big a hole can I drill in a top plate?

texts:
I've got a 2nd story home theater room under construction. The framing has been done, but I'm going to be doing the wiring myself. I want to pass some conduit up into the attic space over the room for speaker and network cable.

I've been reading the IRC 2015, and the wording for drilling into top-plates isn't clear. Seemingly all it references is if the hole is over 50% in width, then I need a galvanized metal tie on the side (both sides?) for support.

It's a double top-plate, and I don't think it's load bearing, but will have to double check.

Can I run a 1 1/8" hole through the top-plate without the tie?
How close can I get to the side of the top-plate?
Do the R602.6 rules rules for drilling/notching studs apply to top-plates?
If yes, does that mean I can go up to 2" hole for conduit as that's under the 60% limit as the top-plate is doubled (obviously needing a tie)?

Edit: I read elsewhere that NEC 2017 would also apply and they state holes should not be drilled closer than 1 1/4" from the nearest edge, unless a metal plate is installed OR the cable is housed in rigid nonmetallic conduit. I'm using PVC so it sounds like I can safely go over the 1" max size (3.5" - 2 x 1.25") without any extra plating. I don't know if this even applies though as it's all low-voltage cable I'm pushing through.

Found an image and it does look like it might be load bearing, although the space to the left of that picture is completely open to the attic with the same roofline for another 15 feet, so I don't know.

Architectural plans:


texts: Drain Hose - Reverse Water Pressure in Standby

texts:
I have 5 drain hoses from various appliances (dishwasher, laundry washer, AC condensate,
water softener, water filter) that all have the standard regulated air gap to a sink.
I imagine drain pumps on these appliances could create enough pressure to blow their drain
hoses completely clear of water, but in looking at a few examples, it seems that this is
never done.  In other words, it seems each of my 5 appliances leaves its hose full of
water (from the appliance's pump) to the highest hose point.
That heightened water then creates a reverse pressure when the pump is turned off (i.e.,
when the appliance goes into standby mode).  For example, my dishwasher needs to hold
off 3-feet-elevated water after the drain with some sort of drain seal.  A slight seal
leak would retake the water over days and potentially stink up my dishwasher.  Even if
the seal holds perfectly, I worry that the water left in the dishwasher's drain hose
could get stinky...I wonder if I'm misunderstanding this, so please correct me if I'm
wrong...maybe there is no real problem (stink or otherwise) from leaving still water
in these hoses for weeks.
Finally, my question:
Is any appliance, especially a dishwasher, designed instead to leave its drain hose empty?
Maybe a sump pump?


texts: How can I repair a puncture in a hollow-core wooden door?

texts:
Someone punched my wooden door. Now it has a giant dent in it.

The dent is similar to this one. Fortunately, it's a bit less severe than this. How can I "pop" the dent back out?


texts: Why is all the plumbing draining slowly in my old farmhouse?

texts: I have just purchased an old farm house that has a septic tank.  The tub drains slowly and the toilet will not flush toilet paper or waste.  The toilet will flush if you pour about a quart of water in the bowl as it's going down; then it will empty out.


texts: What's the proper adjustment to prevent this toilet from running?

texts:
I have a toilet that is constantly running. Here's a photo of the inside of the tank:

It's hard to tell from the picture, but the water level is even with the height of the drain in the center of the tank, causing water to continually drain out (and then subsequently refill). If I pull up on the float a bit, then the filling stops as desired. However, it often gets back to the running state after a flush.

Is there an adjustment I should make to this setup, or is there a part I should replace to fix this issue?