texts: How should I run wiring for my above-fireplace mounted TV?

texts:
I'm going to mount my 47" LCD above my fireplace. I'm not looking for arguments against this decision. I'm looking for wiring solutions. The diagram below should help explain the situation.

 _________________________________________________
|     |     |    | |   |   |   | |    |     |     |
|     |     |    | |   |   |   | |    |     |     |
|     |     |    | |   |   |   | |    |     |     |
|     |     |    | | p |   | m | |    |     |     |
|     |     |    | |   |   |   | |    |     |     |
|     |     |    #################    |     |     |
|     |     |    ##             ##    |     |     |
|     |     |    ##             ##    |     |     |
|    P|     |    ##             ##  m |     |P C  |
|_____|_____|____##_____________##____|_____|_____|

| = stud
# = fireplace brick
P = existing power outlet
C = existing cable outlet
p = new power outlet
m = new media outlet

Essentially, there is an existing power outlet on either side of the fireplace and a cable outlet on the far right side of the fireplace. I'm intending to put my non-TV media equipment on the right side of the wall and the television above the fireplace. This means I need two things above the fireplace: power and HDMI. I don't want to just run an HDMI cable in the wall. I'd prefer to have some sort of conduit to simplify replacing the cable or having a second (with one of these on each end: http://amzn.to/xYaxMn). I only need to drill through two studs that are 6" apart above the right side of the fireplace in order to access the vertical space where I want the other end. For the power, I need to drill through two 6"-spaced studs above the left-side of the fireplace, but then another 2 full-height studs.

There are a couple of caveats:

This is an externally facing wall, which means there's insulation. I'm assuming this will make things more difficult.
I'd like to refrain from cutting more holes in the wall than is necessary for the outlets (to reduce drywall damage/repair).

I've considered a couple of options:

Cut the openings for the outlets above the fireplace, and use a flexible drill bit to drill through the studs above the fireplace. This minimizes dry-wall damage, but how difficult is this with insulation in the wall, how can I feed the conduit through those holes, and how would I drill through the full-height studs on the left for power?
Cut a wide section of dry-wall (4" high?) from the desired media outlet to the right until reaching the gap above the desired lower outlet. This results in some dry-wall damage, but would allow more control for drilling holes in the studs and running conduit. This still doesn't solve the problem of getting through the full-height stud for the power. For the power, I would need to extend the cut-out two studs further.

What should I do?


texts: Why wont the pull cord retract on my honda eu20i generator?

texts:
I had no issues with the pull cord recoil starter on my newly acquired used Honda eu20i.

Suddenly the  the pull cord stopped recoiling at all.  I figured the spring had just broke  but on removing the unit it seems there's at least some tension still in it. With a broken spring I would expect no tension.

Have you any ideas what's going on?

Also I cant see any center bolt or fixing so that I could remove the recoil mechanism and inspect the spring.

Is it possible to dismantle the recoil starter on an eu20i?


texts: Does anyone know of a website where you can given the dimensions of your bathroom and see how they would arrange your tub, shower, vanities and toliet?


texts: How to wire in an alternate light controller?

texts:
My townhouse complex has external lights on timed controller.  The controller only supports a single on and off time which means we need to keep adjusting the lights through out the year to avoid wasting power.  I have implemented an alternate controller that factors in sunrise and sunset times using a micro controller (GHI Fez Panda running .NET Microframework) and a relay.  I would like to wire it in so that it is possible to switch between the two controllers in case my controller dies or I want to pull it out to update the software etc.

I think I understand how to wire it in but just want to confirm with someone.  Can someone review the following two diagrams and tell me if my changes are correct?  Specifically I am not sure I am handling the common lines correctly.

Edit:  Thanks for the feedback.  Yes, new controller has external power supply.  With a DPDT for both the hot in and out it would look like the following.

DPDT 120v 30a switches (which is what the existing controller is rated for) are hard to find and expensive.  Here is one option I guess.  If anyone knows of a cheaper option please suggest it.


texts:
Our gas powered shower has been gradually needing an increase in temperature over the last few months in order to have a warm shower. Originally a 32 degree shower was perfect, but gradually we have had to increase this to have a normal warm shower. Currently the temperature gauge is at 50 degrees and won't go any further. Within a day or so, we will be having cold showers.

I've tried re-pressurising the boiler, and all seems normal there. Water coming from taps are normal temperatures.

What else could it be?


texts: Use Hampton Bay in wall ceiling fan remote with Harbor Breeze fan?

texts:
Edit

I have a Harbor Breeze fan that I lost the remote to. I bought a universal remote that Hampton Bay makes (advertised to work with any fan according to an employee) that can be mounted in a wall plate yet doesn't require wires to the fan and runs off of batteries. The issue is that the Hampton Bay remote uses dip switches and the Harbor Breeze fan uses "smart pairing" by hitting a learn button on a remote.  I looked through both of the manuals and I couldn't find anything helpful in either one.  Is there anyway to get this remote to work with my fan or do I have to find another one?
Fan: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Harbor-Breeze-Merrimack-52-in-Antique-Bronze-Indoor-Outdoor-Downrod-Mount-Ceiling-Fan-with-Light-Kit-and-Remote/4165863
Remote: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Hampton-Bay-Ceiling-Fan-Wall-Control-9050H/202801200?cm_mmc=Shopping%7CTHD%7CG%7C0%7CG-BASE-PLA-D27L-CeilingFans%7C&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2p_43OGR1gIVAotpCh06OQMQEAQYASABEgIcqfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CIuSn-DhkdYCFUa1swodBC4Ipg


texts: How can I remove a toilet brush that is deeply stuck in a shower drain?

texts:
I was trying to clean my shower drain with a toilet brush and the toilet brush broke inside the pipe. Now, the head of the toilet brush is stuck about 2 feet down in the pipe. Water will not pass, the head is stuck.

Any suggestions on how to pull this toilet brush head out? I was thinking a toilet snake, but not sure it will even get past the brush head to pull it out from the underneath.


texts: Garage Furnace Runs Only 45 seconds at a time

texts: I have an older Janitrol Moffat furnace in my garage. It was converted sometime in the past from propane to natural gas. It takes quite awhile for it to heat up enough for the fan to kick in and once it does, it runs only for 45 seconds then the fan quits.  It will cycle like this all day if I let it with the burners going full blast but the fan kicking in and out. I have to shut it off after a few hours because it smells like it is overheating. We installed a new control valve and a new high limit switch with no difference noted. Do I need to build a shield to protect the switch from the direct cold air blast from the fan? Do i have to junk this furnace and replace it with a new one?


texts: Better method for installing in-window air conditioner?

texts:
It's that time again, getting out the ladder and installing the in-window air conditioner. The accordion thingies that come with the unit are completely useless of course, unless you don't mind hot air, flies, mosquitoes, squirrels and anything else coming into the house through the gaps. Therefore, I have the problem of how to install the thing.

My normal method is the following:

Hold the thing in by screwing it to a wood lintel that is closely fitted to the window, so it is solidly held in.
Cut pieces of lexan or plexiglass to exactly fit the gaps on both sides.
Climb up the side of the house on a ladder and install the lexan panels using duct tape. Make sure there are no gaps at all (very important).
Cut insulation that fits the gaps. Go inside house and insert insulation pads on both sides.
Cut more lexan to fit gaps in window on inside.
Duct tape the inner panels to the window. Phew, finally done.

What a pain in the butt, and when October rolls around I have take the Jerry rig all apart again.

Anybody got an easier way of doing this?


texts: Can I connect a bathroom sink drain to a bathtub drain?

texts:
I am looking to move the bathroom sink across the bathroom. The only possibility of draining it would be by tying it to the adjacent bathtub / shower combo floor drain.
My question is whether this is allowed or not. I do not have access to the floor below.


texts: Repairing Hole Drilled Vertically in Joist

texts:
I'm remodeling my kitchen and pulled up the old flooring down to the joists. I discovered that a hole was drilled down into one of the joists, nearly 3/4 of the entire height of the joist. The joist is a 2x10, spanning 14 feet.

The options I'm considering are:

Add a new joist that runs the full length of this joist, glue and nailed to next to the original joist
Use a repair plate
Add a section of joist (3-4 ft) and connect with glue and lag bolts

What's my best course of action here? Is the full length joist overkill?


texts: How to reinsulate a water heater ignition wire?

texts: My water heater ignition wire's insulation melted off below the insulating base of the electrode, so now the spark gaps across to a nearby metal bracket instead of gapping across the electrode. I need to reinsulate the wire, but electrical tape does not have high enough heat resistance. I thought of using clear silicone caulk to fill in the space between the wire and the bracket but after googling I'm finding strong opinions both for and against this approach. I could also use a dremel to hollow out the metal bracket in the vicinity of the fray,  but would rather not. I suppose I could also fashion some kind of base plate to the bracket so that I can fill the space with glass beads. What would you do?


texts: Trying to design and build a system where water pump into multiple outlets (pvc) evenly

texts: I am trying to build a little irrigation system where my water pump distributes the water into multiple outlets.  I guess my question is how do I make sure the water flows evenly in all the pipes.  I am using Pvc for everything.  Any tips or suggestion would greatly be appreciated. Feel free to ask questions as my drawings are detailed. Thank you


texts: I live in a townhouse(built in 1971 with no privacy wall between my neighbors attic) Between the two units there are 4 static vents and no other source of venting. The attic space would be about 400 sq ft per unit. The bathroom fan vents directly into the attic and since I have no control over adding more vents is it ok to just keep as is, or should I hook up a line to the static vent?


texts: Taking Measurements for Driveway Project

texts: I'm a new DIYer and my first project is to cover my sand driveway with bluestone gravel. My question is how do I take measurements of driveway to determine how much gravel to buy? Thank you in advance for your help!


texts: Is it necessary to cement down parimeter pavers when laying a paver patio

texts: I'm going to be installing a paver patio over an existing poured slap patio. it is surrounded on two sides by brick wall, and a third side by pressure treat wood ( the side of a house build on concrete tubes ). The fourth side is the down hill side, and I would like to allow it to drain. Since there is something constraining on all sides, do I really have to cement the perimeter pavers down, or can I just install again existing surfaces.


texts:
When I bought my house everything was painted, trim, doors, baseboard etc.

Now I am developing my basement and ordered trim and doors from the same supplier. They all came pre-primed so I assumed I can just use a finish paint.

I checked what the builder left behind and I found that the painter used this paint for the doors and trim: http://www.homedepot.ca/product/behr-premium-plusltsupgtreglt-supgt-interior-semi-gloss-enamel-paint-ultra-/938906

Which is a paint and primer in 1. As the reviews are good and I would like the colors to be the same, is it safe to use this paint and do everything just 1 coat?


texts: Installing a light+fan combo switch - red, black, white wires

texts:
I've started installing a fan that has me stumped. I'm not great at electrical, but have installed several fans. This is the first true combo switch I've tried though (the others being a remote-combo kit).

Here are some pictures (sorry for the size, not sure how to shrink them on here):

Things I've tried:

switch-blue -> red -> blue  |  switch-black -> black -> black (switches reversed, smelled burning electrical so flipped the breaker)
switch-blue -> black -> blue  |  switch-black -> red -> black (seems to work, but the fan control doesn't actually do anything, the fan just stays on)

Fan Model:  5DI52BSD-L

Switch:  ESSWC-5-WH

(both are Monte Carlo brand)

If I use a normal single switch, attach both the blue and black from the unit to the red from the ceiling, everything seems to work fine still.

Any ideas what's going on?


texts: Yesterday I replaced an old light fixture in my bathroom, and now the new light powers on with the breaker, but the wall switch does nothing. I'm not sure if the power is going to the switch first or the light box, but when I pulled the old light off, there were three wire bundles, all black. I made sure to leave the bundled wires together and used a voltage tester to figure out which were hot. One wire bundle was hot and one was cold, and the 3rd singular wire was also hot. So I put the hot wires together and paired them with the black wires on the new light and took the one cold bundle and paired it to the white wires on the new light. I'm confused as to which wire controls the switch and where it should go.


texts: 220v, 3-wire circuit, 4-wire cooktop: tying neutral & ground - variation on common question

texts:
220v, existing 3-wire circuit, new 4-wire cooktop (I understand that white and ground on cooktop get connected to bare ground on incoming line).

BUT, the 3-wire incoming line first goes into a junction box which feeds a 220v, 3-wire undersink tankless water heater.  That same 3-wire line then goes to the new cooktop where the white neutral and ground are tied together.  The cooktop has an integrated fan so I’m sure that the neutral and ground will be part of an active (i.e. “live”) 120v circuit.

QUESTION: is this dangerous?  Logically if it was dangerous, any instructions suggesting tying the neutral and ground together would also state that the neutral and ground can ONLY be tied together on a dedicated circuit, which the instructions did not state.

So logically, this setup should be safe.  Having said that, “logic” has gotten a lot of people killed!

Any comments would be greatly appreciated!


texts:
I am facing very strange issue in my power meter & wiring. i am residing in Group society. following is my setup.

electricity digital Meter is installed at bottom with a circuit breaker out of my house.
i have ELCB installed which acts as circuit breaker for electricity of my house
and other small MCBs are installed for regular electricity.
some MCBs are installed for high-Power switches which are actually for ACs and Geysers.

5) i have relay switch installed in main circuit box which switch between Main power and Gen-set power(in time of power cut), so high-Power switches ( point 4 above) are not relayed , they directly get power from phase as high-Power switches are not connected to Gen-set.

issue i am facing.

ELCB is always tripping when connected to home wiring. so my electrician has  separated that from ELCB and now ElCB only controlling high-Power switches & it does not trip.
if i switch off the all MCbs and ELCB my power meter show that i have consumed some electricity. 3 units in 12 hours, which is huge.
if i switch off the circuit breaker which is installed with meter (point 1 on top) at outside of my house. then meter stops and does not show any units.

I called electrician he is unable to find the fault :(

why it consume power when all the MCBs are down? also how can i troubleshoot why it trips?
i will share the picture of meter later.


texts: How can I maintain the water level in a toilet bowl during extended periods of disuse?

texts: I've got a toilet in an area that isn't used very often.  How can I add a slow leak to the tank or otherwise arrange to keep the water in the bowl from drying up?  I'm looking for an option that requires little to no maintenance on my part, and doesn't require any special action by someone who uses the toilet as a toilet (so, eliminating evaporation by floating a layer of oil on top isn't an option).


texts: I am looking to hang some blinds over the window on my front door.  Is ok to screw the mounting hardware directly into the door?


texts: Anatomy of a concrete wall – what are all these layers called?

texts:
So my partner and I are trying to resurface a concrete wall in an old house in Taiwan. Before I get into the nitty gritty of asking how, I just want to clarify my terminology first – I think I've got plaster and some other things confused.

This is what the room looked like after she and I finished scraping off all the loose material we could yesterday afternoon.

I used to think the top layer was plaster, but after watching some videos on YouTube, I'm beginning to think the plaster is the cracked, gray layer underneath, and the concrete is just below that. (I'm also hearing that ‘stucco’ is an alternative term for plaster, and that it's called ‘mud’ when wet?)

Is that right? If so, what is the (formerly white, powdery) layer on top?


texts: Is it OK to replace a 15A outlet with 20A outlet as long as it's already on a 20A breaker?

texts:
My circuit panel has a 20 amp breaker on the circuit that leads to the garage (I know this only by the little 20 on the head of the breaker switch). The garage has one 15A outlet, a few lights, and two garage doors.
I want to plug in a treadmill into the garage. The treadmill has a NEMA 5-20P plug on it and has a label that says it draws 18 amps at 120 V.
Is it safe to replace the 15A outlet with a 20A (NEMA 5-20R) outlet and plug the treadmill into it?  I imagine running the treadmill at full velocity and opening a garage door might trip the breaker, but are there any other downsides?


texts:
I'm planning on finishing my basement, and the wiring as-is is a mess, in the way of putting up a ceiling, and code deficient in several ways. So I'm looking at ways to rework the wiring, and I'd really like to avoid drilling several dozen holes in the joists.
To me, the obvious answer is to run everything from the panel, through the joist bay directly over it, to the central carrying beam, and then run wires in both directions along the carrier beam to their destinations. The beam has to be boxed in anyway, and will definitely provide support and mechanical protection. But I can't find any examples or talk of doing anything like this, which makes me wonder if there is something I'm missing that makes this undesirable or against code. The only thing I can think of is that it's not the most efficient path and contractors want to save copper.
Is there any reason not to do this? And if not, does anyone have suggestions on how to attach a running board/cable tray/cable stacker to a steel beam?


texts: What causes and how to fix lifting floorboard?

texts: It doesn't seem to want to lift up. I assume it is some sort of tongue and groove board because there are no nails or screws anywhere. When I press down on the lifted part with a lot of force it barely moves down. Not sure what to do here.


texts: does it make sense to replace plastic flex ducts with metal ducts?

texts:
Today I get my ducts cleaned. It's extremely dirty. And I noticed my house which was built at 2003 was using plastic flex ducts.

I just feel metal duct are stronger and easier to clean and never broke.

So does it make sense to replace the plastic ducts with metal? Can I do it by myself usually? I mean do I need permit or inspection? My plan is to slowly replace them by myself.

Any comment is appreciated.


texts:
We will be doing renovations shortly which will involve a lot of dust.  Whilst we are to try and keep this to a minimum, we are in need of respirators.

Looking around I can see there are filters marked HEPA, TH2P, P100 and the like. I assume they are different standards, but which would be appropriate for protecting ourselves during the renovations?


texts: I have a question about whether a GFCI outlet leaks power to the neutral contact. I have a 12 AWG (Black/White/Bare) wire coming straight off the panel directly to a GFCI. Prior to wiring the GFCI, the hot wire shows 120 VAC to ground and the neutral wire shows 0 VAC to ground (No surprise there). When I connect ONLY the hot wire to the line terminal on the GFCI, the neutral terminal (the one that is for the white wire) goes hot at about 20 VAC and about 0.02 maAC to ground. There is nothing plugged into the GFCI, the white and ground were not connected yet. After I finished wiring, the GFCI works fine and does not trip...was able to use drills, belt sanders, heaters, you name it. I searched numerous websites but could not find anything about why the neutral side of the GFCI would show hot when nothing is plugged into it. Is it normal for a GFCI to draw/leak power to operate?


texts: I'm installing CoreTec One vinyl plank flooring and I've had trouble finding directions on how to rip it to width.  Most of the "vinyl plank" installation guides I've found are for thinner, more flexible product which can be scored and snapped.  I've seen suggestions that one can use a circular saw but I can imagine the vinyl might gum up my table saw.  If not, that seems dead simple.


texts: Can I use a spare #6 aluminum cable with no neutral to supply a subpanel?

texts: I have a spare aluminum cable (#6 60amp with 2 hot and 1 ground but no neutral). I would like to use it to add a subpanel. Can I do this and where does the ground attach? Thanks for any help.


texts:
One of our wall switches was acting a bit flaky so I replaced it but I was surprised by how the old switch was wired. I was expecting to see a continuous white wire going through the box and two black wires connected to the switch. What I saw was a black and white wire connected to the switch. I wired the new switch the same way and all is well but would like to understand more.

I found this old thread where the issue of the white and black wires was explained: Simple light switch wiring upgrade to new switch - NO NEUTRAL

"The wiring in your wall is called a "traditional switch loop". The two wires present (besides ground) are always-hot (we hope, the white) and switched-hot (we hope, the black). Note that neutral is NOT present in this box.

This is a case of white being used as a hot wire because the cable only has 2 conductors. Modern Code requires a re-tasked white wire be marked with paint or tape to indicate it is not a neutral. "

Okay, but I was wondering what it looked like further down, say at an outlet (which this wall switch actually controls). Assuming there's a black and white wire, is the white there neutral and the black hot? And why use this type of switch wiring instead of just breaking the black line with the switch and continuing it on to the outlet?


texts: Repairing electrical oven - appears to be broekn thermostat, but is not

texts:
I have Whirlpool Bauknecht oven, bought via Ikea a few years back. Sadly I lost the receipt so the customer service won't help me ...

Following problem: The oven heats, but does not turn of the heating elements at the set temperature. The oven turns itself off at a highter temeprature, apparently some back up temp. switch. I assumed that the thermostat is broken and baught a replacement, with the same serial number as found on the old thermostat. However, after exchanging the old vs. the new thermostat (always removing the fuses before working on the oven!), the problem persists. I also since checked the old thermostat with a cup of hot water and a continuity tester, it appears to be working.

When exchanging the thermostat, I accidently pulled one of the wires from the little lamp (that's in series with the thermostat) and I had to reconnect it with a terminal strip. Since the issue is apparantly the same as before my 'repair' that does not appear to be it.

I also continuity tested the installed, new thermostat. This also appear to work. All in all, the oven bahaves as if the thermostat were short circuited.

I've looked for wiring diagrams to understand better where the problem could lie, but had no success.

My oven:
Manufacturer: Whirlpool/Bauknecht
Type: FXZM6
Series Number: 852315201500

What's likely wrong with my oven? How to confirm and fix?


texts: Should we contact a professional to handle our bathroom repair?

texts: Our upstairs bathroom is leaking to the ceiling drywall in our downstairs dining room.  The toilet and the tub need to be fixed. We need to take up the tile, floor board, maybe tub and fix it all. Then replace the flooring, retile and fix the ceiling. My husband thinks he can go it alone. I'm a little leery. Should we call a pro?


texts: Central heat doesn't always kick back on

texts: I have a York stellar forced hot air natural gas central heat. Many times if the thermostat is set to say 70 it will turn off after reaching that temp but then wont always kick back on when it drops below it. The only way I can get it to turn back on is to lower the thermostat below the room temperature, wait about 10 seconds and then raise the thermostat above the room temp and it usually will kick back on. I have tried 3 different thermostat and all have the same results. I;m now using a nest and its the same, Any idea why this keeps happening?


texts: How can I shave about 1/8" from a 8'x3/4"x1 1/2" strip of oak?

texts:
I attached a 8'x3/4"x1 1/2" strip of red oak to the edge of multiple layers of plywood in order to make the plywood more rigid.  Altogether, the three layers of plywood are 1 3/8" thick.  This means that the wood strip is 1/8" too thick, so I need to shave that off.

I came up with the idea to use my oscilating tool with wood blade, but this oak is tough to cut through.  I've only been able to shave off about 5" before I gave up.  In addition to being hard to cut, it burns the holy heck out of the wood to the point that I am wondering if it's actually going to catch fire or combust (although I do love the smell of burning wood).

I tried a chisel and it's a lot easier, but it doesn't do a very clean and even job.  I would like to shave off the edge of this so that it's flush to the surface of the plywood.  The oscilating tool seems to do the best job, but at the risk of burning my house down.

Feel free to edit this question's title if you think it's too localized.  I also couldn't find any other good tags, so feel free to add those, too.


texts: Does the ground bar on a subpanel need to be bonded to the subpanel?

texts:
I had a lightning strike near my house that damaged the electric in my shed and now I need to replace the subpanel.  I have a question about the groundbar.

In the subpanel I am replacing the grouond and neutral bars were isolated, but the ground bar was not bonded to the subpanel itself.  When I replace this subpanel should I attach a bonding screw from the ground bar to the subpanel?

Thanks,


texts: Can I use pressure-treated 2x2 posts as a base for an aluminum arbor?

texts:
I plan on building an arbor with 2" square, white, tubing ( the sort used for screen rooms).
I read that aluminum should not be set in concrete. What if is used 2" X 2" PT wood set in concrete and put the aluminum post over them?
Any comments appreciated


texts: Plumbers Silicone Grease vs Dielectric Grease

texts:
Can I use plumbers silicone grease as a substitute for silicone dielectric grease? They both appear to contain dimethypolysiloxane and silicone dioxide.
Is this the same product given different application names, one for plumbing, one for waterproofing electrical connections?

The plumbers grease is food grade, so maybe that's the distinction

The DANCO Waterproof Grease is designed for use as a lubricant for faucets and valve stems. It is NSF 61 approved and meets or exceeds the requirements of FDA regulation 21. This grease works well in temperatures between 0 - 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
https://www.jencowholesale.com/products/danco-waterproof-grease-lubricant-1oz-80360

And looking into NSF 61

If you manufacture, sell or distribute water treatment or distribution products in North America, your products are required to comply with NSF/ANSI/CAN 61: Drinking Water System Components – Health Effects by most governmental agencies that regulate drinking water supplies
https://www.nsf.org/services/by-industry/water-wastewater/municipal-water-treatment/nsf-ansi-can-standard-61

Given the above it's probably not a good idea to use dielectric grease where plumbers grease is called for, but going the other-way I'm curious if its suitable.


texts: Meaning of small patches of shallow water on the basement floor

texts:
They have been happening now for a couple of months, which may or may not be related to the humid summers in the Northeastern United States. They appear without rhyme or reason, taking up a maximum of 5 - 10 sq feet. They are very shallow, but enough to wet the carpet tiles. They dry up, and can go 4 or 5 days without reappearing.

These extremely shallow puddles are away from walls, plumbing system or appliances. Further, we live in a high part of town (near the top of a gentle hill), where the water table should not be an issue. It is true that we have a front yard with soil, because the house is in the suburbs, although the basement is not deep - less than 6 ft. below ground, and we have never had any flooding issues, or remotely similar problems in the more than ten years we have lived there. It may be important to point out that there is no sump pump. The ceiling is completely dry.

We have removable carpet tiles flooring on the basement, which is easy to dry up one piece at a time, so we keep on taking pieces out when wet, and putting them back down, only to find a wet spot in a different place a few days later.

We have had plumbers and HVAC contractors come and check, and the closer they have come to explaining what could possibly be happening is condensation; otherwise they express their consternation. One of the contractors, who actually sells and installs sump pumps and knows the area, was even honest enough to advise us against installing a sump pump for this.

I have a dehumidifier in the basement, and it's running constantly, except when the bucket fills up, and it has to be emptied - and we are usually diligent with that. I have tried changing the physical placement of the dehumidifier, thinking of convection currents: next door the air is cold and wet as it connects with crawling spaces, but the door is typically closed, so it's even hard to think of a connection. Unfortunately, I haven't come up with any patterns.

I don't know who to call, or what measures to take.

Here is a small patch (less than 25 sq in.) this morning (after a rainy night, which could be coincidental):

And here is a more extensive example from a couple of weeks ago:

in both cases with the carpet tiles already removed.

EDIT:

After the first answer...

It's clustered in one-half of the room, although in different spots. They are no lower than any other areas. I thought about the possibility of dense, cold air seeping in underneath the door that separates the livable area of the basement from the laundry room, which gets really cold b/c of the AC, and it's humid because of the crawling spaces. My idea was that the hot, and dry rising air of the dehumidifier in the living area of the basement would push down, or compress against the floor the cold, moist air, and lead to condensation. But moving the dehumidifier around doesn't prevent it.

Here is the drawing of the basement with the problem spots in blue, and the location of the dehumidifier, as well as the door to the laundry room:


texts: Can I provide low-voltage power for an HVAC humidifier from a standard outlet?

texts:
I recently bought an Aprilaire humidifier to replace an old one that came with the house, which I thought was broken.

After connecting the water (which does work and isn't clogged) and the wiring to the existing wiring that goes into the furnace control board it still doesn't work.

I believe that the old wiring that connected the humidifier to the furnace is probably faulty or possibly even that the humidifier part of the furnace control board is faulty.

Is there anyway that I can just rewire the red and white wires from the humidifier and humidifier thermostat through some kind of transformer and then have the whole thing just plug into a wall outlet?

If so what kind of transformer/wiring do I need to do that?

Thanks


texts: How do I connect 4 electrical wires to a 3-phase cooktop?

texts:
I need to connect the wires to my new IKEA cooktop. I learned from the website  that the wire colors normally mean, blue=N, brown=L, and yellow/green=PE.

However, I have a (3-phase) cable with 4 colored wires: white, brown, blue and yellow/green.

Should I connect the the brown wire to L2 (2), white wire to L1 (1), if there are 5 connecting points, from top to bottom are 1, 2, 3(no connecting screw), N, and PE.

From denmark


texts:
In our rented house there are old Jalousie windows (the kind with glass slats). When I was looking for ways to seal them better (it's getting cold here), I came across this:

http://www.amazon.com/Clear-Jalousie-Louver-Slat-Vinyl/dp/B000KZPB9K

However, the product matches 3/16" thick glass, whereas our windows are 1/4". Any chance it will fit anyway since it's Vinyl?

Any other suggestions for sealing Jalousie windows?


texts: Contractor cut joists short (followup to earlier question)

texts:
We are removing a couple of load bearing walls as part of renos in our home. The engineer specified a W8x21steel beam to replace the load bearing wall. The floor joists are 2x10. The joists are 2x10 and W Spruce. Their span is about 12' and are spaced 16" on center.

The space above the joists is comprised of two bedrooms and 2 bathrooms (shower in one and tub in the other). The upper area is being renovated and bedrooms will have hardwood flooring (carpet previously) and tile in bathrooms.

The contractor had originally put the bolts too close to the joists and ended up cutting some of the LUS210Z hangers to make them fit. Our engineer has since asked the contractor to move the bolt locations so that they no longer interfere with new hangers.

For the hangers the engineer has directed the contractor to use LRU28 hangers instead. We also checked with Simpson and they confirmed that LRU28 can be used but recommend that we use SD10x1½” screws into the face flanges and SD10x2½” screws through the double shear joist fasteners.

Questions:
As it turns out several of the joists are not sitting flush with the beam and have as much as a 1/2" gap at the top and 1/4" gap at the bottom between end of joist and steel beam.

We checked again with Simpson - they advised that they have test results with short cut joists for LUS hangers but not with LRU ones. They checked the test results and advised that even with the bottom two nails not really going into the header and short cut joists the LUS hangers would be fine when installed with SD9x2 ½ (SD9212) screws (as long as they are not cut of course). They are unable to comment on the LRU hangers as they don't have test results with short cut joists. To sum it up they recommend using the LUS for that reason but say ultimately it's the engineer's decision.

It is not clear if our engineer was aware of the short cut joists when he ok'd using LRU hangers and we are now very concerned about using LRU hangers given the feedback from Simpson.

Please note that only a couple of joists (shown in picture) are sistered so aware that a different hanger is needed for those. Picture is meant to show gap between joist and beam.

We would greatly appreciate any feedback based on the above. Thx

(edited for clarity)
First image is view from directly below the beam and looking up. You can see the gap between bottom of double joists and beam...the gap is more like 1/2" at the top of the joist.


texts: Why am I getting 24 volts in kitchen outlets, unless TWO breakers are on?

texts:
I have 6 power outlets in my kitchen. Two 20amp breakers in my panel supply power to them.

I wanted to update my GFCI outlets, with new ones (old ones were installed when the house was built, 1994).  Cut off both breakers marked "kitchen outlets" in my panel.  I pulled all six outlets, and thought I'd measure voltages at each junction box feeding the outlets.

I turned on the FIRST breaker, thinking the circuits were isolated.  Measured the voltages with my multi-meter.  Three registered 120v, and 3 registered 24 volts.

I turned on the SECOND breaker, and all 6 outlets now register 129v.

I turned OFF the FIRST breaker, and the the three that were 24v the first time, now had 120v reading, while the ones that had 120v, now had only 24v (the readings flipped).

Does this make sense? What's going on here?


texts:
Yesterday I installed a new light over our dining table. At first everything seemed to work fine, but last night I turned on the light and it sparked and the light went out. I turned off the power and left trouble shooting for this morning.

Here's what I've discovered this morning -

-The breaker wasn't thrown and appears visually fine.
-The black wire may have grounded against the mounting plate - it looks like there is a small cut in the wire insulation. This probably occurred when I was shoving the wires back inside.
-After wrapping the wire in electrical tape and hooking up the light again, it's still not working - no light.
-When testing the wires coming from the ceiling (using multimeter), there is 120V between power and ground and 120V between power and neutral.
I checked the light fixture by connecting the wires to an extension cord and it works (so the light fixture or bulbs aren't the problem).
-The light switch looks fine as do all the connections.
-Using an extension cord, I tried to hook-up a desk lamp the ceiling wires and also got no light.
-As far as I can tell, this light/switch is the only outlet on the breaker.

I'm stumped. Any suggestions as to what the problem might be?

Thanks,

-Ryan


texts:
I am trying to build a custom cabinet with a trash drawer that is dog proof.   I don't like the two-handed operation of the baby latches, so I was thinking something like a door knob.   I would want it to work just like a door knob except no knob on the inside and a thinner latching mechanism so I don't have to build my cabinet door 1.5" thick.
Since I am building it myself, I could just build out the frame where the latch is going to be to 1.5" and then modify the knob hardware to eliminate the inside knob.
Open to other suggestions.


texts: Right-Angle Adapters and Plug for Air Conditioner Exhaust

texts:
Full picture of AC with exhaust tube.

Exhaust port through window.

As shown, I have an air conditioner which has an exhaust hose which moves out hot air through the window and outside. I did a fairly good job weather-sealing it, and after some recent heavy rains, the weather-proofing has worked extremely well :)
I've been trying to look for a couple things, for which I have been unsuccessful.
First, it would be really nice to have a sort of "cap" or "plug" that I can use to close the port when the air conditioner tube is not connected. During the winter, I could attach the plug and move the air conditioner into the closet, freeing up some floor space.
Second, I've also been looking for a set of right-angle slim adapters to make it possible to put the air conditioner itself much closer to the wall. The hose currently doesn't turn enough to make this possible.
I've tried searching with a lot of different terms. Do right angle adapters and plugs/caps exist, and what are they called?


texts: How do I stop water entering from where the stack meets the wall in the basment?

texts: I just bought a house and everything in it is fine. Untill the other day when there was water in the basment. I initially thought it was related to the washer but I found out it was coming from the wall. It was coming from where the stack went out of the basment. It was letting water in from the ground outside the basment. What should I do?


texts: Breaker trips when both switches on circuit are on

texts:
I've got a ceiling fan/light wired to a double switch (like this: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Leviton-15-Amp-Combination-Double-Switch-White-R62-05224-2WS/202027008)

The source is at the switch and it's wired like this image:

I can turn either switch on, but when I turn both on, the breaker trips.

In trouble shooting, I tried this on the same line, but the same thing happened (each switch worked individually, but when both were on the breaker tripped):


texts: cleaning mold with bleach - residue from previous cleaning

texts: A bathroom wall is covered in mold. I have a foam spray cleaner that contains bleach to remove mold. I have previously cleaned the wall multiple times with various wipes and a vinegar mixture. I want to use the spray cleaner but I am nervous about toxic fumes which can result from mixing bleach with other chemicals. For how long is the previous cleaning considered active enough to mix with the current cleaning ingredients? For example, if I cleaned with vinegar a week ago, has enough time elapsed to use the bleach? Please provide some source with your answer. Thanks.


texts: Proper way to run and fish electrical wire in Canada?

texts:
This is my first DIY electrical project, so I am looking for some advise about the proper way to run the following 3 new circuits that I'll need for a basement kitchen that I am building:

I am currently reading the "Canadian Electrical Code, Part 1" in preparation for this DIY electrical work, but it creates a lot of questions that I am hoping someone with experience can help me with.

Most of my ceilings in the basement is drop-ceiling, covering exposed joists above. All the existing wiring is stapled to the bottom face of the joists, which according to CEC is not allowed anymore, so I cannot do it that way, correct? I am basing this on Rule 12-514-b:

Cables shall not be run on or across the lower faces of basement
joists, unless suitably protected from mechanical damage.

So I guess that means that my only option is to drill holes through all the joist and run the cables that way. This creates 2 questions:

Q1) What do I do when joists have HVAC ducts taking up the space between the joists that I need to cross? I know that cables require a minimum separation of 25mm from heating ducts, so what are my options? What kind of "mechanical protection" do I need to use, if I do need to staple to the bottom of the joist?

Q2) I have one 3-wire circuit and two 2-wire circuits to run. Can they all be run in the same hole? I can't find any info in the code about how many NMD90 wires are allowed in one joist hole...

Next, there's the question of how to run the wire over the part of the ceiling that is not accessible to me. There's a dry-walled, dropped section of the ceiling running along the entire length of the basement, and that I need to cross before I can get from the panel to the side of the house where the drop-ceiling is. What are my options for crossing that space, considering that I cannot support the cable every 1.5m as per Rule 12-510-1-a, without completely opening up the ceiling?

I found this rule about fishing wire:

== 12-520 Fished cable installation ==

Where the cable is used in concealed wiring and it is impracticable to
provide the supports required by Rule 12-510, and where metal sheeting
or cladding, metal joists, metal top or bottom plates, or metal studs
are not used, the cable shall be permitted to be fished.

So my last question is:

Q3) Did I understand correctly that I can simply fish the wire over the obstruction w/o any sort of conduit? What if that space contains metal HVAC ducts? Do I need to use some sort of conduit then? Is NMD90 wire even allowed to be run through conduits? What are my options?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!


texts: Water Release Valve that doesn't look like a Pressure Release Valve

texts: This "valve" started spewing water this AM and the only way to stop it was to turn off the main water and then turn it back on.   Any idea what this is and what would've happened if we weren't home?  Would it have reset on it's own?


texts:
My ceiling fan stopped working and I want to remove the light box from the fan so that I can replace an in-line fuse holder.  In order to separate the light box from the fan rotation device, I need to unhook/disconnect/unsnap these wires from each other.  I don't know what these are called otherwise I would have performed some more thought out searches online.

Does anyone have any idea how to separate these wires?  It looks like there's a little snapping piece that locked them in, but before I start messing with it too much I thought I'd ask.  Help.


texts: Is a 4 Ohm reading on a dryer heating element bad?

texts:
My electric dryer will run but wont heat. I'm not very good at electrical work, so I've spent a lot of time researching and did some testing last night.

My High-Level thermostat basically fell apart in my hand with the slightest touch. My Thermal cut-off also seemed to be tripped (reading open with my Ohm meter). I checked the lint in my vent piping and it didn't seem bad, so that was a little concerning because I figure these parts wouldn't just fail without a reason.

So I also checked my element, wondering if maybe that was burned out as well. The reading I got on it was 4 ohms. The things that I read vary wildly, but most of them say look for a 10 ohm reading. I removed the element and inspected it and there are no cracks or breaks visible in the coil. What does 4 Ohms tell me? Do you think my element is OK, or should I replace that too?

Basically I don't want to replace the high-limit thermostat and the thermal cut off only to have them blow again right away because the element is the culprit.


texts: Remove drilled out venturi tube from base in thermador gas range?

texts:
When this stove was serviced a few years ago, the tech had to drill out one or two venturi tubes.

I just had to drill out 2 of 4 in order to remove the top of the stove. They were completely siezed up.

So... the top of the stove is off... but how do I get the remains of these venturi tubes out of the threaded base?


texts: Should fan on heat pump be delayed turning off when system stops?

texts:
I have a heat pump system with emergency heat.  I have a Honeywell RTH7600D thermostat.  When the heat is running and I turn the temperature down, the system immediately stops.  Isn't this inefficient in that it is wasting heat transfer that could otherwise be reaped?  Shouldn't the fan keep running for a few seconds to capture that heat and shouldn't the coolant keep running for a few seconds as well too?

If this is the case, do I need to correct the setup programming of my thermostat?  I think I have it correct for heat-pump with emergency heat, but this behavior seems wrong to me.


texts: Metal drainage grate, available off the shelf, or will need to have it custom made?

texts:
I need a metal drainage grate that will be at the foot of some stairs leading into a basement.
Is this something I will need to specially order or have fabricated, or can it be bought standard?
I did talk to a drainage grate company, but they said all their grates only come in 2 foot sections, so if I wanted a continuous 48" grate they would not have that.


texts: Can I transition a 12 mm to a 8 mm laminate wood floor in an adjacent room?

texts: Is there a way to transition a 12 mm laminate floor to a 8 mm laminate floor in an adjacent room?  We have had trouble finding the same color flooring to replace the floor in an adjacent room except for one in an 8 mm size.  Would a reducer 1/2 in. Thick x 1-3/4 in. Wide x 72 in. Length work?  Any suggestions?


texts:
I've heard mixed reviews about bucket mud (All Purpose, Plus3), so I thought I'd look at bags.
However, there is no bagged All Purpose at any big box near me, so I am left with EasySand 45/90. Since this is a setting compound, I'm not sure if it has the same retention properties of All Purpose for taping. The Plus3 page says it can also be used for all stages of finishing (tape, fill and top).
I'm fine using the bucket Plus3 for the finish coat, lightweight and easy to sand, but for taping and fill coats, should I use bucket All Purpose or mix up some EasySand 45/90?
Time isn't really an issue, but ideally if using the setting compound works just as good as All Purpose, can make my small project a 1-2 day job, rather than waiting 24 hours between coats.


texts:
I recently bought a house and the bedroom has a wooden floor. I have attached a picture of the floor, after it has been sanded. I have sanded the floor level and finished it with a P120 grain.

I am wondering with what kind of varnish I should treat it. The floor is certainly not oak. It's rather soft wood. All the information I can find is about oak or parquet hardwood floors. But that kind of wood is much harder so my guess is I would need something very tough.

Color-wise I think I would like it to be a bit darker than it is now. But whatever product is recommended for this kind of floor will probably come in colors?

Any input is appreciated.


texts: Is this real wood or veneer, on this table top?

texts: I can't tell.  Each plank looks like a near-mirror image of the previous one, which suggest veneer.  But if I look under the table top, the planks seem to appear similar (just unfinished).  Which is it, and how did you tell?


texts:
This dual kitchen sink is causing a bunch of problems, mainly clogging up at the S bend.
I am a complete noob when it comes to plumbing, have never plumbed anything before and have no knowledge about pathing pipes etc. I hope someone can suggest a better path or an easy-ish fix to get better flow and not have the thing clog every 6 months.
The distance of the long dark gray pipe is around 50cm (~20in). Due to how far the outlet (?) is I'm guessing that's why the S bend (?) is all the way at the back so that it's easier to fit stuff underneath the sink. Is it possible to re-plumb the S bend and have it less prone to clogging, or does the entire path need to be redone?
Previously this sink had a garbage disposal system that eventually died and was converted to just be a dual sink. The left side apparently has missing hardware that prevents it from being connected to the sink itself, but that's a problem for a later time..
As I have no institutional knowledge, if you suggest something please provide a link to parts or a drawing so I have a visual reference, I really have no idea what I'm doing. With COVID still rampant getting a plumber to fix something this "trivial" is almost impossible from calling a dozen or so plumbers :(


texts: 1920s stove pipe walled off behind kitchen

texts:
I have a giant metal pipe filled with concrete or something, it doesn't go anywhere, it's just taking up space in my closet.

I assume there used to be a big wood burning stove in the kitchen, and this is where the pipe led to. They removed the stove but left the pipe, and walled it off. I'm no archaeologist but this is my best guess.

The pipe doesn't go anywhere. The top is open, the bottom is open, and the side is walled off. It's freestanding.

I'm not sure how I can even get started in removing it safely. I have a reciprocating saw, an angle grinder, and lots of patience. But I don't know what material I'm dealing with or how to properly and legally dispose of it. Any ideas?

Here's a picture of my kitchen wall.

On the other side of this wall is the hallway closet. Here's the view from that angle. Same wall, different side.

Inside this closet and to the left, there's this giant hunk of metal encasing concrete or clay or ... something.

Here's the top view.

Here's the bottom view.


texts: How can I remove studs and screws from the inside of drywall when installing a pocket door without needing to do paint and patch work on both sides?

texts:
I'm planning on taking a few weeks off to do some DIY in the fall, and one of those things is replacing the standard-hinged door in my walk-in closet with a pocket door. This is a non-load bearing wall, so I don't have to worry about that at least!

I'm researching how to do this, and most of it seems pretty straightforward. Cut out the drywall on one side, cut out the studs, put the pocket door frame in place, liquid nail the inside wall to the pocket door frame, hang the door, liquid nail the drywall patch to the door frame, mud, paint.

I'm familiar with most of this, however I'm stuck at cutting out the studs. I know I can use a circular saw set to a very specific depth to cut the studs, but the opposing  wall should be screwed to the ~6' section of the studs I want to pull out. Am I just supposed to rip out the screws and patch the other side as well? Is there some other way I can cut the screws without damaging the opposing wall?


texts: How should I go about leveling my bathroom subfloor?

texts:
Over years, after replacing gaskets, replacing the toilet, and using shims under the toilet, I finally began the subfloor replacement in the area beneath the toilet to resolve the toilet not sitting flush and water accumulating outside the toilet base.
However, I learned that a layer of the subfloor is particle board (7/8" actual depth).
The area to drill in screws to toenail bracing against the joists is tight so it's awkward and almost impossible to get the bracing installed level with the joists. Then, cutting and placing the subfloor plywood layers to build it up so it's flush with the surrounding subfloor is resulting in them not being level. It's 1/8" - 1/4" uneven in some spots the floor levels off again ~1ft in front of the toilet.
What's the wisest way and most efficient way to proceed with leveling this so this new subfloor is level with the existing subfloor?


texts: What size wire to use from house to wood shop?

texts:
What type/size of wire should I use for running power from the 200Amp service panel at my house to a subpanel at my wood shop? The length of the run is 300 feet. I need 220V service at the shop and would like to run a 70 amp circuit. I would like the wire to be direct burial, +/- 2 ft deep. Voltage drop limit is 3%.

I was told that I could use #1 THHN copper wire in conduit OR aluminum wire rated for a 100 amp circuit, but was not given a gauge/type of aluminum wire.

What size wire should I use?


texts: Should We Put our Washer and Dryer Outside?

texts: We have very limited space in our home for a washer & dryer. We are thinking about putting them outside. We have an outdoor patio where 3 sides are part of the structure (the house). There is also a roof which is part of the house. The fourth side is open. The cement is a step up, elevated from the rest of the patio. We live in Southern California, in the high desert near Mojave. The winters get as low as 20 degrees and the summers up to 115 degrees. We have a lot of wind and some rainfall but not a lot. When it rains, it rains hard. Also the yard is mostly dirt so the dirt blows around a lot. Would this work? Would we still need the air vent? Should we wrap the gas line, wires, etc. What about putting them on a platform, off the ground?


texts: This gutter is overflowing during heavy rain and Id like to add an additional downspout to help, however im not sure if i should add it all the way at the far left and then adjust the gutter so it slopes from the middle down to each side, or if i should add a downspout in the middle and leave the slope alone. Any help would be appreciated


texts: How can I seal a below-grade window permanently?

texts: I purchased my home a couple of years ago and this year I am going to replace the deck and build a fence.  The deck was in terrible condition so I completely took it down.  To my surprise I found 2 below grade windows under my deck that had been dry walled over on the inside.  In fact the previous owner even left the glass panes in the windows.  I want to fix this permanently and fill it in so it won't ever be a problem again.  What is the  best way to do this?


texts:
I was doing some work for a customer and I installed two recessed lights in her living room.

She called back and said she wanted two more.

I added the two and it was a slight delay on the two new ones.

What’s the problem ?


texts:
HVAC system stopped blowing cold air today. Last time it did this, we gave it a 2-3 hour break, in case it was over-heated, and it came back. Today, same deal, but no cold air after a few hours. I went out and didn't hear the compressor or fan going.

After opening the unit to have a look, I noticed that 1) the capacitor had "goop" over it (see circled sections of pictures below) 2) the electronics "bay" looked a bit wet, which was odd (see top of picture #1 below). I suspect this is a sign of a blown capacitor, but GoogleBing image searches aren't conclusive. Suggestions? Opinions? Conclusions?

Exhibit 1

Exhibit 2


texts: What is the max MERV or MPR air filter that a 13 SEER HVAC can handle?

texts:
I want to determine the maximum MPR (or MERV) rating that our HVAC/furnace can safely handle.

We have allergic rhinitis that worsened after moving to this high-pollution, dusty city.  There is extensive information on the internet about the MERV or MPR rating that is recommended for allergies - most from sites selling filters, but also from more impartial sites like the EPA.

Ideally we would get a HEPA filter, but after reading, I learned that it can place too great a burden on the HVAC system, and that I need to find out what my specific HVAC unit can handle.

I went through the manual for our Carrier 24ABA3 48A 300 (the model # on the machine has "100 300 1A" instead of the "300"), and it does not specify.  I have extensively searched online, but cannot find a correlation between its SEER rating and MPR/MERV, either.  I saw this question, but the answer was for a different unit, and the link is broken.

How can I find out what MERV or MPR rating to use for this HVAC?


texts: Continuity on hot/neutral at dead outlet

texts:
I have an outlet that has stopped working.
When it used to work I previously labeled which circuit it was on at the breaker. I'm rather certain I know which breaker supplies it. It also supplies other lights, which continue to work.

Turned off breaker, removed outlet from wall and disconnected from wires. Powered on breaker, and confirm with multimeter no AC measured on bare wires at outlet. (Proving that this is not a faulty outlet.)

Have a continuity tester (part of a tone generator). I am getting continuity across hot and neutral on these wires.
(Edit:  also getting continuity between neutral and ground wire, as well. 20 ohms hot/neutral, 1 ohm neutral/ground,  20 ohms hot/ground. WTF??) What does this imply? How could I have done this?

I'm still trying to use the tone generator to trace where the wires feeding this outlet come from, but the continuity is making the signal very weak.


texts: How can I mount a TV when I can't find studs inside my wall?

texts:
WARNING: I'm not the greatest handyman.

I bought a TV mount the other day, expecting to hang my heavy 40" TV above the fireplace. However, the instructions specifically say to first screw the mount into the studs in the wall. Unfortunately, I don't seem to have any (according to my brand-new seemingly-functional stud finder).

Installing studs into the wall is not an option, and the TV is relatively heavy. My question is: What other options do I have? Could plugs possibly do the trick?


texts: Crack in joint between molding and ceiling

texts: I have a very old house with plaster walls. After getting a new roof, a large crack opened up between the molding and the ceiling where the wall is pulling away, but only along the one outside wall. The rest of the walls are fine. The molding used to be a picture rail but a previous owner filled in the 1/2" gap between the molding and the ceiling; that is where it's cracked and the old plaster is falling out. The crack going down the side I can fix, but I'm not sure how to deal with the missing molding in the corner there.  I really don't want to remove and replace all the molding. Any suggestions on fixing?


texts: How to fix a racked/sagging exterior wood entry door?

texts:
My old 3-unit condo has a nice old wooden entry door, with 3 horizontal rails and 2 vertical stiles, with a single large pane of beveled glass as the top panel. The door is very similar to the one shown below.

Over time, this door has become racked, i.e. not square; the latch side is sagging below the hinge side. At one point, it appears that someone shortened the door, attached a triangular filler strip at the top and re-hung the door to get it to fit in the still-square doorframe.

It appears the sagging has not stopped, as the bottom of the door is beginning to scrape the threshold, and I've snugged all the hinges. The stiles and rails seem to have a little play in their joints, i'm pretty sure this is where the sagging is coming from.

How can I re-square this door, or at least stop the racking from getting any worse?

I don't want to mount a big ugly turnbuckle on the door--the reason for keeping the old door is primarily aesthetic, rather than cost-related.


texts: Window Tempering Rules and Interior Doors

texts: Are interior doors included in the discussion of the 24/60 rule?  In other words, if I have a pane of glass that is within 24 inches of an interior door, does that mean it must be tempered?


texts:
These are the wires I found in my ceiling :

I couldn't identify the color code (we live in the UAE, so there is no "natural" convention, and I'm used to EU convention).

There is tension (voltage) between the yellow wire and the other ones, but not between the blacks and green-yellow, so I assume yellow = phase.

Q1: Is it safe to assume that yellow-green = earth and black = neutral? If not, is there a way to check?

Q2: Why two earth and two neutral wires?

Q3: How should I connect my (very basic) roof light?

Thanks


texts: Sanding between boards for smooth finish

texts:
I was following the guide at http://www.familyhandyman.com/walls/how-to-build-a-wainscoted-wall/view-all

Basically, my issue is that the vertical stiles don't match up exactly with the horizontal beams.  Wondering if I should use a sander to sand them down and feather it in, or some other method...


texts: Vertical centering with a subway tile backsplash

texts: People always talk about horizontal spacing , but I never hear much about vertical.  I'm installing 3X6 subway tile today in an area with a vertical spacing between the cabinet and the counter lip of 15 1/8".  Should I be cutting a quarter inch off the tops and bottoms so I get three full tiles in the center and 3/4 of a tile at the top and bottom, or should I just start with full tiles at the bottom?


texts: Can vent plumbing be behind a double wye?

texts:
I am trying to figure out how to lay out my basement plumbing, and I wanted to use a double wye to connect my shower, toilet, and sink to the existing waste system in the house.

My question is, am I allowed to have the vent plumbing be behind a double wye since all 3 fixtures combine at this one point? Or am I required to have each fixture individually vented and then join the vents later into one common vent?

All of this work will be under the concrete slab. I am connecting to the existing waste system that runs under the concrete slab.

The existing waste system is connected to all the fixtures on the 1st floor (toilet, tub, sink, kitchen sink) of the house and then travels down into the basement, under the slab, and out to the road. This system is vented through the ceiling.

I should probably also ask if I even need to vent this new basement bathroom separately, or if the current venting system would be sufficient.


texts: Is it possible to sanitize leather without damaging it?

texts: I am wondering if it is possible to sanitize leather (primarily leather couches and car seats) to avoid potential risk of coronavirus. I know rubbing alcohol is a common option but I recently read that especially applying to to a big area will dry out the leather and potentially strip away leather dye. Are there any other options?


texts:
My house built 1970, is built on 6X6 piers. The four Piers along the back of the house are okay but the next row of four piers are slightly settled lower and the front three piers are considerably lower by at least six inches from the back of the home. The grade on the property slopes as well in the same direction. And one side of the front of the home is lower on the left then it is on the right.
Each pier is concreted into the ground and has two unmilled 2x10’s bolted to each side of the piers, which the floor joists are set on. The 2x10’s run from back of house to the front.
How can I level the home so I can renovate the interior of the home?  The floor noticeably slopes inside the house as well.


texts: Front load washer - white stuff around drum bearing

texts: I have an approximately 10 year old Whirlpool front load washer. Today, after washing a load that possibly had some grit in it, there is some white stuff around where the drum spins. Also, when turning the drum, it sounds like something is grinding. Could grit have destroyed the front drum bearing? Any recommendations on what to do next?


texts: Why won't my new refrigerator water line valve turn?

texts:
We recently purchased a side-by-side refrigerator. Prior to product delivery which took a while, a plumber installed the required water line kit and valve, and told us we just need to turn the valve on after connecting the line to the fridge. The problem now that the fridge is delivered and the line connected, is that the valve does not turn at all.
I have taken a picture of the valve, hoping someone could shed some light on the issue.


texts: Do I need a rain\snow cover on this furnace vent?

texts:
Just bought a house that had a new furnace installed this summer. Vent number 1 in the image is for the furnace (2 is the water heater and 3 is sump). As you can see in the image, 2 and 3 both would require water (rain/snow/whatever) to travel up before getting into the pipe, but the vent for the furnace doesn't. I am worried that a winding raint or snowy day, and moisture could blow right into this vent. From there is a straight and down path into the furnace.

Can I (or should I) install some type of flap or add another bend to the PVC to point it down?

I did notice that both neighbors seem to have the exact same setup as mine, and this is the first house I have owned so I just am not sure.


texts:
While building the foundation of a house, the concrete columns were built 15cm (6 inches) from the planned position, which is reducing the space for a door.

So we need to shift the column by 6 inches. How to do it? It's built upto the ground level only yet, and beam isn't  built over it.

Please point me to an appropriate place to ask this, if this is not one for civil engineering questions. Thanks.

Edit: Adding pic. The position that should have been there is shown below. But, C2 is shifted to left by 6 inches, and the column shown at the bottom of pic is shifted 6 inches to right. This leaves no space for the door to be placed as expected. Need a workaround.

Edit 2: In below pic, the upper column is shifted to left by 6", and lower 6" to right, leaving just 2'6" for door rather than required 3'6".


texts: Repair PricePfister WL2-23 Classic Lavatory Faucet?

texts:
I have a faucet that closely resembles the one found at http://bit.ly/bTTr8z the WL2-23 near the bottom right of the list.  I am having trouble removing the faucet handles in order to look at the internals/change the washer.

Has anyone ever dealt with a faucet like this?  It has no obvious access area except for the hole near the bend of the curve of the handle.  It doesn't seem to have a screw or anything in there, but I might be missing something.


texts: Sealing Off Gravity Pipe from Crawl Space

texts:
I currently have a 6" clay pipe for eliminating water from my crawlspace.  The pipe exits my crawlspace about a foot from a corner wall, travels 15', and opens to air in a ditch (for now).  It is about 1.5-2' down from the crawlspace soil.

Due to some work being performed on my property, the ditch where the gravity discharge pipe currently exits will be covered up (about 3' of soil).  There is no easy way to get around that.  Preparing for this, I hired some folks to install a sump pump to catch water and pump it out.  We've had a rain or two since the installation, and it worked beautifully.

Now, because the pipe exit was too close to the concrete footers of the house, the sump basin had to be installed out of the main drainage trench path.  Therefore, when I seal the pipe from the inside, the current path the interior trenches follow will be directly into my footers. That cannot be good...

While the sump is definitely doing its job, it needs the full burden of ALL of the water that should be exiting my crawlspace.  How would you all recommend I divert this water into the sump and not against my footers.  Also, is there any particular way you would recommend I seal off the current gravity pipe?  Concrete? Clay? Some kind of plug handmade from foam-board and spray foam?


texts: How do I temporarily remove a Côr WiFi thermostat by Carrier to repair a plaster wall?

texts:
The model number is TP-WEM01-A, installed with the "large backplate", as pictured below.

There are no visible screws, etc. I have the manual but it is no help.


texts: Shower Head Threading: International Perspective

texts: I've got a great shower head here in China, and want to bring it back to the US with me. The threading looks about the same, just eyeballing it. Does anyone know if this is something that has an international standard?


texts: Can I sweep blown insulation to one side and replace with fiberglass batts?

texts:
I noticed my attic blown in insulation is rather thin on one side. Rather than buying enough to cover the whole area, I was thinking of just pushing or brooming the blown in insulation toward the soffit to fill it to the top of the joists, and then laying some batts into the cleared space.

Is there any reason I shouldn't do that?

EDIT: Please note: Adding more blown in insulation is NOT an option and I wish people would quit mentioning it. I KNOW the differences. I want to know if there are any TECHNICAL REASONS why I don't want to do this ONLY!


texts: Can I run NM wire through this type of flex legally

texts: This flex is sold along other types of NM wire molding, but I can't find anywhere where this product explicitly allows NM or not.


texts: Are the drawers in dual drawer dishwashers swappable?

texts:
We have an integrated dual drawer dishwasher made by Fisher & Paykel which is about 14 years old now.  As is usual for these drawers, the top one gets used all the time, and the bottom one rarely.

The top one has been repaired once already, and now it's no longer draining water after a wash cycle.  The repair man says we should replace the whole unit with a standard dishwasher.

I'm wondering if we can swap the bottom unit for the top, or are they different designs?  I'm told the whole thing is a single unit so I can't just replace the top unit with a new one.

I"m sorry but I don't have the exact model to hand just right now.


texts: What is a good exterior wall composition for a wood frame house with pine chink siding in a moderate climate?

texts:
I'm designing a house for myself that will be built in northern Georgia (USA). The climate is moderate, with lows in the 20's during the coldest part of winter.

The house will be framed with 2x6's, and have stained pine chink siding on the exterior. I plan to use fiberglass batts in the cavities between 2x6 studs, which will have an R rating of 18-21.

In between the pine chink siding and the framing, however, there are lots of options, and lots of conflicting information about what is or isn't good practice.

Can someone please advise me on what a good "stack" of materials should be for an exterior wall in this type of construction and climate?

Some specific questions:

Plywood Sheathing - Should a plywood sheathing be used over the studs? If so, CDX or OSB and what thickness? Some sources say when using horizontal wood siding, the siding provides the lateral support and wood sheathing is not necessary. Some say CDX is a waste of money, while others say OSB will rot.
Solid Foam Insulation - Should solid foam insulation sheets be used in addition to the fiberglass batts? Over the studs or over the wood sheathing? Does it glue on? How thick should it be?
House Wrap - (Or similar) does this go over the studs, over the wood sheathing, over the foam insulation, or over the standoffs?
Stand offs - Some websites recommend using 1x3 standoffs between the wall and the outer siding layer to allow air flow from bottom to top inside the wall. Does these standoffs attach through the solid foam and through the sheathing? Should this be done over every stud (16" oc), or less frequently?
Ventilation - If using standoffs to allow ventilation, what do you do at the bottom to finish off the wall so there's not a hole underneath? What does the opening at the top vent into, the attic?


texts: What height concrete gate posts do I need for a 4 foot high gate?

texts: The gate is 4ft high by 4ft wide for a garden path and is a standard quality metal gate, so not very heavy.


texts: How do I pre-treat and stain my hardwood floors a dark color?

texts:
I'm about to embark on my first floor-refinishing adventure and I'm jumping in the deep end — not just refinishing, but also staining. And not just staining, but staining a light wood pretty dang dark.

I've read that, after sanding, I should hit the floors with some water to help them absorb the dark stain and prevent blotches. Do you recommend that? Any other tips?


texts: I have 240V cable on a 120V circuit. Should I be worried?

texts:
I'm reconfiguring my kitchen and moving some stuff around, which necessitates moving some outlets and switches. This is my first attempt at any kind of electrical work, so finding weird things makes me nervous.

It appears that my house (built in 1905 and remodeled several times before I bought it in 2004) used to have an electric oven. It now has a gas oven and a 110V 20 amp circuit that is supposed to power the electrical part of the oven (a clock and the ignition for the burners and oven) and a microwave/hood combo.

When I took off the oven faceplate, I found a 240V box behind it with big white and black multi-stranded wires (and a ground). It appears that someone used one strand of each of the big wires and attached that to the outlet's terminal screws. Then they used wire nuts and pigtails to run normal 12/2 (w/ ground) wire up to the microwave/hood.

How should I deal with the 240V cable that runs from the breaker box to the outlet? Do I need to pull it out and replace it? Is there a way to wire nut a 240V stranded wire to a 120V wire, and is that an okay thing to do? I realize that as long as the breaker is only 120V, the wire is just bigger than it needs to be, but I worry that someone might see the 240V wire at the breaker and try connecting a 240V circuit without checking for smaller gauge wire downstream. Best I can tell, the 240V cable runs in one piece from the breaker box all the way to the outlet.

Pictures:


texts: Is vertical siding more durable than horizontal siding, all things being equal?

texts:
I'm looking into choosing the siding for a new construction and I'm finding that blogs and websites seem to be suggesting batt & board is better than horizontal siding (e.g. vinyl, hardiplank, etc) for shedding rain water.

This seems counter intuitive:

In horizontal siding, gravity would be pulling the water away from the seams. In vertical siding, gravity would be pulling the water along the seams.
I would expect some amount of warping/twisting in either setup (or at least expansion/contraction with the heat of the day), which would seem to affect the vertical siding more. If horizontal siding sags, twists, or separates 1/4" from the piece above or below it, no problem, right? If a batt separates 1/4" from the board, I wouldn't be surprised if water gets sucked into the crack from surface tension.

I think I must be missing something, either in one of my above assumptions or in a lack of understanding of batt & board construction.

Reference Articles from Google search batt and board siding vs horizontal siding:

"One downside to horizontal siding, in terms of durability, is the potential for rainwater to leak underneath the siding strips. This risk is relatively high, especially if you opt for wooden siding panels that will warp over time and can lead to mold and mildew growth, as well as expensive water damage. Vertical siding panels have far fewer instances of this kind of water damage, because any water that hits the surface of the panels drops immediately to the ground." https://modernize.com/home-ideas/33834/choosing-between-vertical-and-horizontal-siding
"For starters, horizontal siding can be less durable than vertical siding. That's because it's more prone to water damage over time." https://www.exteriormedics.com/blog/picking-sides-vertical-versus-horizontal-siding-installation
"durable, weathers well" http://farhas.com/which-siding-style-is-right-for-your-home/


texts: What are these things that appeared in my backyard and front lawn?

texts: These things appeared all around my house. It was done while I was away. I live in The Woodlands, TX


texts: Vaulting ceiling and removing ceiling joists without risking the integrity of my roof system?

texts: I have a large space without walls and when I looked in the attic, it seems like there is a possibility to vault my ceiling. Checking if anyone here could help me to figure it out. What are my options for vaulting this thing?


texts: How could I extend a baby gate at the bottom?

texts: Our 11 month old is starting to crawl, and it is beyond time to put a baby gate at the top of the stairs. We received a baby gate, along with instructions, which clearly state that the maximum acceptable gap on the sides and along the bottom is 3 inches. Due to the weird moldings opposite the gate and at the bannister post, we would have to mount this particular gate somewhat higher that we would like. The gap at the bottom would be approximately 4 inches. My wife, the mama lion and stickler for details, is uneasy about this, and wants to extend the gate downwards, somehow, to achieve a sub 3 inch gap. I am not ashamed to have two pieces of scrap plywood bolted to each other, but was looking for other ideas.


texts: Electric outlet causes a light to go off (but can be flipped back on)

texts:
I have a very weird situation here... I have an outlet and a switch on the same wall. The ceiling light controlled by the switch works fine on its own. However, when the switch is on, if I try to plug in anything (I tried two different LED lamps) into the outlet, the ceiling light will turn off immediately (the switch is still “on”), but the lamp connected to the outlet works fine and the breaker also doesn’t trip. Now comes the weirdest thing - I can turn the switch off, then on, and then the ceiling light is on again.

What could have caused this? Note that the ceiling light is an integrated LED light. My suspicion is that “plugging a load to the outlet” triggered whatever protection mechanism the ceiling light has. Is my guess correct? Or could this be a more serious issue? Thanks!


texts: Why am I getting shocked by a water heater?

texts:
Background:

I live in Metro Manila, Philippines where the electric distribution company, Meralco, delivers split-phase power to residential buildings. Our old (1980s) Meralco service drop consists only of 2 conductors, both phase conductors, and no neutral conductor. Phase-to-phase voltage is 240V, while phase-to-ground (measured with the help of an existing ground rod) is 120V.

We recently started the construction of a new house and wired it according to the Philippine Electrical Code (PEC). Based on my research, the PEC is very similar to the NEC. That said, the new house uses three-prong receptacles: 2 for the phases and one for ground. The grounding conductor is connected to a ground rod.

Since Meralco still hasn't energized the new house, it is temporarily connected to the old two-wire service drop, leaving the grounding conductor connected to the ground rod only (i.e. no connection to the load-side neutral yet).

Problem:

The heater in question is a Panasonic Shower Heater DH-3JL2P (rated at 3.5 kW). Its terminals are labeled Line (L), Neutral (N), and Ground (G). When I tested this heater initially, I had no idea that Meralco's supply is split-phase, not single phase. So I just operated it under the assumption that the line and neutral conductors are connected correctly at the receptacle (which actually doesn't matter now knowing that the supply is split-phase, i.e. both are line conductors, there's no neutral conductor).

Upon testing, the heater functioned properly as far as heating the water is concerned. However, I felt a significant electric shock when I touched the shower head where the heated water was coming from.

What could cause this shock to happen? I have a couple of ideas on why this happened, but can't really say for sure:

Grounding conductor is disconnected to the load-size neutral (of the transformer).
Heater is expecting a single-phase supply, not split-phase.

I can post a picture of the heater internals later.


texts: How to level two different floor heights to prepare for carpet?

texts:
We have a second floor bedroom that was added onto the old house a long time ago and it is 1.25" lower than the hallway.  The bedroom currently has hardwoods.

What is the best way to raise the floor to meet the hallway hardwoods and install carpet?
--- 2 layers of OSB plywood? is there a weight issue with this?
--- Install sleepers and then a layer of OSB?
--- leave the hardwoods and install a transition piece


texts: What kind of license to check for when hiring a builder?

texts:
This question is a follow-up to this earlier question.
I found someone with a license to do excavating. They have the license that allows them to operate the equipment. I can confirm that in a database for the state. It seems to me kind of like having a driver's license, shows they can operate the vehicle.
Is that the correct kind of license I need to confirm someone has before hiring them?
Or do I need to hire someone with a business license too? Or is the operating license sufficient that my insurance company, mortgage company, wouldn't cause me the issues described in the answer to the linked question?
...note the person does work as an excavator operator, but the company doesn't hire him out, they use him on their own facilities, so he would do this work on the side, outside his normal company.


texts: How to fix deadbolt lever that doesn't lock or unlock the deadbolt

texts:
I have a Bold deadlock on the front door of my apartment (I'm not sure exactly which model it is but it looks basically like this: http://boldlocksupply.com/premium-cylinder-deadbolt-d-8-gold/). A few days ago, all of a sudden the lever for the deadbolt stopped locking or unlocking the deadbolt- the lever turns (seemingly without any resistance) but doesn't actually move the bolt. I have tried tightening and loosening all the screws on the deadbolt but they don't seem to have an effect. The key still moves the deadbolt just fine (but if someone locked the deadbolt from the outside I would be trapped inside) as the lever on the inside is not working.
What is actually happening inside the lock to cause this? Is this something I can fix myself?


texts: Lights flickering on lamps connected to non grounded outlets?

texts: What could cause lights to flicker plugged in non grounded outlets but the breaker not to trip? How would I proceed in troubleshooting the issue before raising the issue to electrician?


texts: What if the furnace doesn't have a C wire connection

texts:
I have a 25+ year old York Forced Air electric furnace, want to hook up the new Honeywell WIFI stat, there is no C wire connection in the Furnace itself, and some instructions have indicated using the B terminal - which has the 24V wire from the Transformer connected to it.  The confusing part of the Furnace wiring diagram shows that the R terminal is also connected to the secondary side of the transformer to what looks like the Common wire, and here's where it's confusing me, that wire is going to Ground as well? So can the B terminal be used as the C wire to the stat?
Here's the wiring diagram. There's no AC or Heat Pump, purely used for heating.


texts: What rooms or loads require AFCI protection?

texts: Do I need AFCI for dedicated circuits like sump pumps, furnaces, microwave, refrigerator etc.


texts:
I have a Kohler toilet with a canister flush valve (part 1084017-6-A).

The top of the "guide" piece in the flush valve assembly (where the hose attaches) broke off, so the toilet functions but very little water goes into the bowl when it refills (almost all goes into the tank).

I ordered a new valve assembly, but in the meantime I thought I'd try gluing the thing as a temporary fix before the part arrives.  Does anyone know what kind of plastic that kind of product might be made of?


texts: Attaching Pergola posts to lumber on ground

texts:
I'm a new homeowner with DIY enthusiasm to improve the outdoor living space. Recently completed build my fence now planning to do a pergola first and then add deck to it so we can enjoy some outdoor space. I have a question about pergola post where instead of concrete footings can I lay 6x6 or 4x6 lumber on the ground with gravel underneath and secure them by driving 12 or 24 inches rebar through wood into the ground and attach the 4 pergola posts to them using bolts. Our winters temperatures generally get down to -5f maximum and we see winds with maximum speeds to 60mph. I have seen videos on YouTube doing this using some fancy connection hardware but I thought using bolts should work. I ask this question as later when I do the deck after pergola it would be a bit easier to build deck. The size of pergola will be 10x10. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Here is a link to one of the videos I saw on Youtube
Pergola Post attached to ground lumber


texts: Can I install porcelain tile without grout joints on a fireplace?

texts:
I understand the need of grout lines and I did have grout lines for bathroom and kitchen project. But as a DIY with request from the spouse (who hates seeing the grout lines), we plan to cover the raised concrete fireplace hearth with porcelain tiles and no grout.

Something like this (picture shown tiles fitting closed to each other - Not fireplace specific):

Obviously I have never done tile without grout before. I did some research and people said two things about grout:

Tiles can move --> But it's a fireplace hearth only 70x10x10 and we won't even turn on the fire. So it's less likely the concrete expanding itself from inside out to cause cracking.
Dirt getting inside, hard to clean --> But it's way closed, the gap is not visible to see. Plus I can put non-sanded grout and run through after things done.

Will I regret doing this without grout? Please advise


texts: Will a magnetic flashlight attached to a metal junction box cause problems?

texts: I have a metal light switch box that is mounted on the outside of a wall and I would like to set a magnetic flashlight on it. Is electricity adversely affected by having a magnet near it?


texts: Gaps created by cement-board being further that the bathtub-lip when tiling?

texts:
My installation: Cement-board = over the bathtup lip.

There's one-two spots where the cement-board is not not flush with the bathtub lip creating gaps behind few tiles are supposed to be.
Can i just apply more Thinset mortar at those spots to compensate ?
It's not huge, but just enough to bother me because it ain't flat.
Thank you

Andrew


texts: Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle wires on Furnace Pressure Switch makes it work -- should I replace Switch?

texts:
My Furnace (a Rheem Criterion II Gas Furnace - model RGLH-07EAMGR) has had a problem for a while that we've just been living with but I can finally afford to do something about it.

What happens is that it will run fine for a while (hours, days, even weeks -- pretty random), and then it will stop running.  I go out and check and the 'OK' LED is flashing 3 times and then off, 3 times and then off.  The troubleshooting guide says this means "The limit switch is open".

What I have figured out is that if I wiggle the wires that attach to the pressure switch  just a little bit (picture below), then put the covers back on, the furnace will turn on again and run normally for a while.  Then, at some random time in the future, it will shut off and be back on the 'OK' LED flashing.

Based on my research, it sounds like Pressure Switches are usually an indicator of a problem rather than being the problem itself.  But since wiggling that wire seems to reset things, I wonder if in this case it is the Pressure Switch?  Or is it possibly actually the Limit Switch that needs replacing (I've never actually tried wiggling those wires)?  What's the best way to troubleshoot this?

I will probably end up calling in a pro to take care of this, but I mostly want to understand so I can make sure I'm not getting ripped off..


texts: Does lowering the blower speed of a forced-air furnace lower its efficiency?

texts: My gas furnace has two options for the blower speed: MED, and MED-HI. It had been set on the higher speed, but that was too harsh, so I lowered it to the slower speed. Does that have any impact on the efficiency of the unit?


texts: Understanding ground to earth and neutral, trying to make my home safe

texts:
I've been reading for hours and still confused in regards to my situation.  I'm trying to improve electrical safety in my house, especially with a growing family.

Any help would be great.

I'm in Pakistan, where electricians are basically uneducated and there are no codes or regulations.

Current situation:

3 phase meter, 220V.
All phases go to a big breaker in the panel, then onwards to  smaller individual breakers.
All neutral wires come into the panel, are joined together and connected with the neutral wire coming from the transformer (neutral wire is not connected to the breaker panel box in anyway).
Ground wires all meet up in the breaker panel and are joined together where then it is run outside and goes into the earth (again not connected to the breaker panel.) So this setup is NOT equipment grounding conductor (EGC,) if I understand correctly.

If ground is not present and I take a voltage tester screwdriver and check the metal case of the desktop case or camera NVR case, for example, I can see the tester light up. There is small leakage of current. This was the sole reason for taking ground wire to earth, tester does not light up then.

Q1. If the hot wire touches a metal case (say desktop), ground is currently only going to earth. What happens then? I am assuming that I would get shocked and breaker cannot trip as the circuit is not complete (no EGC).

Q2. My router for example, only has a 2 plug power adapter (so no ground plug.) With the tester screwdriver I see some power leakage if I touch any metal part. If the neutral wire and ground wire (that goes into the earth) are connected (at breaker panel,) will it prevent this small leakage happening in the router?

PS: I don't understand why such small power leakages occur.


texts: How are electricity cables taken up on the roofs of tho high apartment buildings?

texts:
Not sure this is the site to ask this question, but here it goes anyway:

The other day I saw an electricity cable hanging in an unusually wide curve. That got my attention and I looked out of the window to find out that that cable was in the process of installation by two guys on top of two very high apartment buildings about 70 meters away from each other. There were no cranes in vicinity, so naturally I started wondering how in the world they got one end of the cable to the other roof. It isn't likely that one guy just threw a cable's end to the other guy. How is this done in cities without the use of cranes?


texts: Is a 2x4 strong enough to hold up a porch swing?

texts:
I'm hanging a porch swing, but the beams run the wrong direction for the support hooks.  I've looked up in the attic, and there's a 2x4, lying flat, that runs the correct direction.  Will that be strong enough to support, say, 500 lbs?  Due to the angle of my roof, I can't actually reach the board so there's no hope of supporting it from above.

There's really nothing stopping me from getting a different style of support hook (one that drills into the wood at a single spot instead of two), but if possible, I'd like to use what I've got.


texts: How to properly bond metal junction box with 6 AWG conductors

texts:
What is the appropriate way to bond a metal junction box containing a receptacle wired with 6 AWG wire? It seems that most metal junction boxes have a 10-32 tapped hole to accept a ground screw but almost all of the pre-built pigtails that I've seen that attach to this screw are 12 AWG. Using some sort of ginormous wire nut to connect 2-6 and 1-12 AWG wires doesn't seem like the right move.

Is there some sort of ground lug that attaches to the 10-32 hold and then accepts the two 6 gauge wires? How is this normally done?


texts: Need help designing an oversized pergola

texts: Looking to build a pergola for my back patio. I’d love to cover the whole area (30’ wide x 24’ deep) without any posts in the center. I’ve attached a picture of the space, sorry it’s dark and a mess. Just bought the place and looking to lessen some of the sun without fully roofing it. I also attached a couple pictures of what I’m thinking. I’d love the arched roof, but I’m assuming that would be even tougher.


texts: Windows won't close and have broken locks -- how to fix?

texts:
I've got a lot of windows that won't close all the way, and that have broken locks.  Not sure if they're crappy windows or not -- the previous owner cheaped-out a lot of things.

Anyway, how can I fix this?  It seems like it should be easy to replace the locks, but a lot of the windows won't close enough for the locks to work, and I think that's why they broke.

Another question:  what do I even call this problem?  Not sure what to google.  Are these "sagging"?

Pic below:


texts: Washing machine: where to put laundry detergent?

texts:
I noticed, that washing machines usually start with flushing the detergent from the dispenser drawer into the drum. So I wonder, what is the difference if I put the detergent

into the dispenser, or
into the drum?


texts:
We're trying to fix the uneven floors in our 850 sqft, 80 year-old house in San Jose. Our contractor opened up the floors and the problem appears to be that the floor joists rest on a skid, while the rim joist rests on the foundation, and there's ~1" difference between the surface of the skid and the surface of the foundation. See photo below.

Any ideas on the right way to level the rim joist with the floor joists? How expensive would you expect a good solution to be? Is inserting shims around the rim joist an option? (I think that would require jacking up the wall...)

Thank you for your thoughts!


texts:
If i am running my panel board with the 60Amps MCB.
Does my RCD needs to be also rated at 60A?


texts: Floor frame for 8' wide shed is 3" too wide on either side

texts:
I'm currently building an 8' x 13.5' shed with a loft. Here is what it is supposed to look like (according to the plan):

For a few reasons, the floor frame is too wide. I poured the piers slightly wide, and I couldn't find post-to-beam connectors for 6" posts to double 2x, so I used 6" to triple 2x.
I have already installed joists and blocking as shown in the picture above.
The 13.5'-long beams are each composed of three built-up 2xs. The distance between the outer edges of the innermost 2xs is 8':

I assumed I'd be fine to build my 8'-wide shed on that red space and have a two-2x "lip" running along the sides of the shed. My next step would therefore be to screw 4x8 plywood subfloor so that it covered the innermost 2xs only.
However I'm wondering if this is safe. As I build up, will the load still be distributed laterally across the beam?
I'm hesitant to build to the full width because my materials were ordered with the 8' dimension in mind. I think building to the outer edge of the second 2x on both sides (total width 8'3") would be as far as I could go without pieces coming up short.
I don't need a building permit for something of this size, so I'm not worried about an inspection, just about structural integrity.


texts:
I’ll start by saying I know saddle valves are evil, but am trying to avoid replacing it right now.
Our fridge has had poor pressure since we moved in. I just found the saddle valve for the water supply in the basement ceiling, and was going to try to close and reopen it in case of a small clog. I feel like I’ve been turning forever and it is not stopping. There is no leaking water, and the distance from T Bar to pipe doesn’t seem to be getting smaller.
Can a saddle valve break where the valve stem keeps turning, but it doesn’t open or close any further?


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