texts: Best tool for removing small area of thinset?

texts:
I need to do a temporary fix for a sinking toilet. I'm trying to find the right tool to remove a small area of tile, adhesive, and thinset. The layers of flooring are:

old floor
1/4" plywood
cement board (at least I think it is -- I can't really see it)
thinset
tile adhesive
9" square 1/4" ceramic tile

This only needs to last for about 6 months, so my plan is to:

take out the toilet
remove the 4 tiles around the waste pipe
chisel out the cement, thinset, and adhesive
cover the area with an 18" square piece of plywood
replace the toilet

My question is: what would you use to chisel out the cement, thinset, and adhesive? I'd rent a demolition hammer, but I'm pretty sure that will wreck more than just 4 tiles worth. I've considered a hammer drill, a rotary hammer, or a chisel and a drilling hammer (i.e. manual), but I'm not sure if those are strong enough.

And, of course, the other (implicit) question is always: is this even a good idea?

Thank you!


texts:
I have had a problem with 3 rooms and a bathroom all on one breaker. I originally thought I would need to split the circuit, but then decided to check the breaker first in case there were 2 wires connected to the same breaker. A neighbor had an electrician doing some work for him, so I asked the electrician if he would take a look at the breakers in my house when he finished with the neighbor. He came over and sure enough there were 2 wires on the same breaker-a wide breaker that took 2 slots. One black, One red. So, he installed 2 skinny breakers and put the black on one and the red on the other breaker. This seemed to work great and no longer needed to split a circuit. We ran into a problem today: The outside outlet has no power and no breakers were tripped. Is there anything else the Electrician should have done? This is the first time that this outlet has not worked.

Picture of box (bottom left-hand 2 breakers are what's in question here):


texts: Do I need to do anything at the base to support deck steps?

texts:
I want to add some wood steps off my wooden patio deck (which is in Iowa).  The deck surface is around 30 inches above the ground, in which the steps would go from the ground to the deck.  At the ground where the base of the steps would be, it is fairly level and currently grass and I plan on leaving it grass.

My question is, do I need to do anything at the base to support the steps, like either concrete footings or support posts under the steps that are buried below the frost line?  Or can I just put the steps right on the ground with nothing else supporting it?

One contractor I talked to said the steps need additional support (footings) at the base, while another contractor said the steps are so small that they don't need footings at the base of the steps and the base can just sit on the ground with no additional support (he said this is standard practice).

It would be nice to put the base of the steps directly on the ground with no footings or additional support, but I would like to get a second opinion on this and whether or not this is okay or if I should have additional support at the base of the steps.


texts: Is water pipe grounding achieved thru pipe or thru water?

texts: I've got a 1901 house, with copper (new) piping.  Some of the electrical (old knob and tube circuits) are grounded to the water pipes.  The copper pipe goes out to my shutoff valve located outside. so far so good.  However, the waterpipe from the shutoff valve to the ground has been replaced with PVC.  So, the contact with the ground is actually a PVC waterpipe for at least 1' above ground. My question - Is this considered to be safely grounded?    (or do I need to install a ground rod from the cu pipe?).


texts: Transparent cover on the water surface of a swimming pool

texts: could please anybody tell me how it is called ? The swim pool in one of the episode of Californication had it. People were walking on it, it looked like there were going on the water surface. Then Hank Moody broke it and fell into the water.


texts: How can I unjam a garbage disposal that the allen wrench doesn't fix?

texts:
I have a jammed garbage disposal that makes the humming noise and trips the breaker if I leave it on too long.  However, the manual unsticking method doesn't seem to help.

I've done some research and haven't found much beyond "use the allen wrench and try to unstick whatever is jamming the disposal," however I have done so and it seems to turn somewhat freely.

Every so often I can get it to spin by itself for a second, but then it immediately resumes humming.  I can't see anything trapped, and as I mentioned it seems to turn fairly freely when I use the wrench.

What else can I try, short of replacing the unit?


texts: Can having two expansion tanks above a boiler cause it to over pressurize?

texts: I have 2 expansion tanks on my hot water boiler. One tank is a newer model located above boiler. The second tank is hanging from rafters just above boiler. Is it possible that both tanks are filled with water, causing boiler to over pressurize?


texts: Are expansion joints required when running wire to an outbuilding?

texts:
I have a question very similar to How to attach to electrical subpanel?. I'm in Washington State, Jefferson County. PoCo is Mason PUD 1. AHJ is WA state L&I.
I want to run at least 70A, but future proof for 100A. Both panels are flush mounted, so their backs are against the exterior sheathing. I think for 100A, I want 3@2 AL XHHW-2 and 1@8 AWG bare copper. I think that fits (with spare room) in 1-1/2" Sched 40 PVC. I have (at least?) 4 90-degree elbows, as shown in the picture below. #1 is a transition from down from the main panel to run in the ground. #2 is a bend around the main building. #3 is a bend towards the outbuilding. #4 is a bend back up the wall of the outbuilding toward the panel.
First question: I've seen comments about expansion joints. Are those a must? A suggestion? We do get snow in WA, but not a lot.
Second question: I've seen comments about using Schedule 80 above grade? A must or a suggestion? There is foot traffic between the buildings (between angle 3 and 4), but that's about it. I had one inspector I talked to say 40 is fine. Might another inspector say something different?
Third question: I saw a comment in another question that XHHW-2 must be in a conduit. Does that mean I can't go straight from conduit into the panel boxes? If not, is there a wire I can use that can? I'd prefer no splices.
Fourth question: At each panel, I'll have a transition between the panel and the conduit. Is that included in the "bends"? If so, any thoughts on how I deal with the 360-degree bend limit? Moving panel placement isn't a viable option (if needed, I can go into details why).
Fifth question: What is the best transition fittings between the panels and conduit? In the question I referenced above, the suggestion was an LB (like https://www.homedepot.com/p/Carlon-1-1-2-in-Schedule-40-and-80-PVC-Type-LB-Conduit-Body-Case-of-6-E986HR/202380271). My concern with that is the building walls are thin (the outbuilding is probably 1/2" plywood - nothing else). With the panels flush-mounted inside, the back of the LB would extend maybe an inch into the box. I then saw a suggestion to add a nipple. Before I'm done, I am almost to the front of the box. And I still don't think I have a mechanical connection between this fitting and the box. Hence my question... Should I transition from PVC to metal and use something like https://www.mcmaster.com/rigid-conduit-fittings/shape~90-elbow/connectors-for-medium-wall-imc-and-thick-wall-rigid-steel-conduit/ or does that also push me over 360 degrees and again after adding a nipple, push me either far from the exterior wall or far into the box?


texts:
2 weeks ago I used some 5 min araldite epoxy on one of my projects that consists on pine and tolex / leatherette near one of the joints.

I've gone to bring it inside and in my small office there is still a very subtle epoxy smell that lingers. I'm not sure if this to do with the curing letting off small amounts of gas.

To clarify the smell is only there if the door is left closed overnight (no ventilation in a small room).

As it's winter here in Australia I know the lower temperature might be inhibiting a full cure (it feels hard). I have hit it with a fan heater to help the bond a few times.

Is there a way of testing if this smell is toxic or if it's just residual sitting in the wood? Cheers


texts: What to watch out for when using lithium grease?

texts:
I've only used machine oil compounds for lubrication previously, lithium grease is new to me. What do I watch out for?

I mean when using machine oil and similar stuff it should not be applied to plastic because many plastics get dissolved this way. Also machine oil will stain porous materials and those stains are nearly impossible to remove. Other than that machine oil is more or less fool proof - can be applied to any metal, doesn't damage it.

What are similar guidelines for lithium grease?


texts: Should I replace or repair my dead/dying garage door?

texts:
My garage door opener is on its last legs, should I replace it or try to fix it?

Symptoms:

The door does not initially move when the button is pushed, but after giving the door a boost it opens.
The door works fine on its own, it is definitely a problem with the motor.
The motor does not start when disconnected from the door, but giving it a boost makes it spin. So this has nothing to do with the door.

I have worked with electric motors in the past but am far from an expert, and in most cases when dealing with them it was a huge pain in the neck.  I'm guessing this is a problem with the brushes, but have never opened up a motor from a garage door opener before so I'm not sure what to expect.

Can these things be repaired, or is it cheaper and easier to buy a replacement?


texts: What causes a water heater's relief valve to discharge water?

texts:
I have a Gas Reliance Water Heater 1212. I found recently (in winter) there is a water dip through the relief valve into a 5 gallon bucket. Sometimes, it can fill the whole bucket. Sometimes, it has no water drip at all.

I can't find the reason why that happens. My two guesses are the usage of water or temperature in the basement. However, I have normal usage -- just laundry, or the dish washer. Nothing odd there. I checked the temperature, and it's sometimes hot, sometimes cold (I live in Pennsylvania). I can't find any pattern.

Can anyone help me on this?


texts: How to remove plastic film on window pane

texts:
We live in a late-70s condo in California with some windows a few inches above ground level. On one of them, the previous owners placed some plastic film which is now cracking and unsightly. Clearly not for insulation because there’s no plastic on the sash window above.

Was this an attempt to “kick-proof” the window? How can we remove the plastic and should we replace it?


texts:
After repairing some damage to a wall, I need to re-paint the repaired area to match the rest of the wall.

I have been given the wrong colour by a shop assistant and it has made it worse (See photo). The paint he's given me is British Standard white, which looks like cream and not white at all.

The one I got is no good either (pure brilliant white, gloss high sheen), because it's too "shiny" and you can see it's a different colour if you don't look straight at the wall.

I was hoping 1) to get some advice on the "gloss" or "sheen" issue (I don't even know what that means), 2) again, how do people figure out which shade of white without having somebody physically there?


texts: Individually addressable LED Strip lights

texts:
OK - in theory I have a BSEE degree from 1974 but in reality it was a Computer Science degree so I need help to make sure I wire (mostly in wall) this correctly and do not burn down my new house.

And a BIG THANK YOU in advance for reading this - I have tried to include everything in an orderly fashion but please let me know if I am unclear anywhere.

Please see the attached diagram

Q1 - Wire Guage Computation for the Orange Power wires - Each Side: 18 Amps, 90 Watts 16 ft (one way);  Total: 36 Amps, 180 Watts 32 ft (one way).

Q1a - Do I compute wire size based on each side: 18 Amps, 90 Watts 16 ft (one way)
Q1b - Do I compute wire size based on each side: 36 Amps, 180 Watts 16 ft (one way)

Q2 - Wire Gage Requirement - According to this web site:

Q1a requires 14ga at 1.0 drop multiplier or 12ga at 1.5 multiplier
Q1b requires  8ga at 1.0 drop multiplier and 8ga at 1.5 multiplier

Q3 Assuming I have not made a glaring mistake above it appears that it would be cheaper and easier for me to use two DC5V 20A 100W LED supplies instead of one DC5V 40A 200W LED as in the second diagram

Now I would not need anything larger than 16ga wiring?

Q3a Does the above make sense?
Q3b Given that I actually have four "sides" (rather than the two shown) I will need 4 power supplies (NOTE: I plan to be able to turn each pair of "sides" on and off by each of two wall switches which will control power to the supplies).  Is the brand/type of supply I am using overkill for this application?

Q4 I have assumed that within reason the length of the control circuit is not an issue - correct?
Q5 I would prefer to control all of this from one Arduino so I have shown the control wiring as a daisy chain including each "side" and the small 12 LED strip shown at the bottom of the diagrams.  I also would daisy chain in the second pair of sides mentioned just above.  Given that the strips I am using  have a dual pair of leads for the VCC and GND and that I am using different 6 power supplies total how do I wire this (I assume I can get polarity correct to prevent shorts).  Or am I simpling forgetting my EE training and I do not have to worry about parallel connections between DC connections?
Q6 I just realized I may have a problem if I turn off power to one Power supply will that set of leds try to power off of the control line?
Q7 Am I making this too complicated - do I really need a separate Arduino for each power supply?


texts: How to identify an old compression stem in order to find a replacement

texts:
I have an old (circa 1920s) bathroom faucet with a compression stem that started to leak unless tightened extremely tightly. When I took out the compression stem to replace it, I found that the screw attaching the seal at the bottom was seized and corroded. Replacing the faucet would be difficult because of limited access - I would need to remove the toilet cistern in order to get in there. So I am looking for a replacement compression stem for this faucet.

I am having a very hard time identifying it and finding a replacement. I have tried several local plumbing supply stores. I sent images to American Brass and American Standard - both told me they could not identify the part as theirs. I also contacted Tapco who is supposed to specialize in things of the sort. They told me they would need to know the product line in order to identify the part. I have no idea how to determine the product line though. How can I better identify this part?


texts: How far can I run a DC line to some LEDs

texts:
I'm working on a project where I want to mount an LED Light bar to the side of my house. The light bar will be closer to the peak of the roof, and the power supply ideally would be in the basement so all I'd have to do is flick a switch.

I'd like to run a wire down my wall, into the basement. I have an electrician friend that can help me with that part, but I'd like to know is if I can run a DC line that far (approx 30-40 feet)? And can I use Romex wire to do it, or would it have to be something else?

Here is my house with a very crude representation of what I'm  trying to accomplish:

Here is the light bar I'd like to use:

Light Bar

And here is the power supply that would be mounted to the wall in the basement:

Power Supply


texts: How can I prevent heat loss through heater/air conditioner wall units?

texts:
HVAC experts out there...

I live in Wisconsin and it gets mighty cold here!  I have a condo with 2 wall units that are used for both air conditioning and heat.  My heat bill in the cold winter months can get up to near $300 per month (normally my bill is about $100 +/- $10 during the spring/fall and is about $200ish in the summer with the air on).  If I keep one of the units on in the living room and turn the one in the bedroom off, my electricity bill is higher.  It seems strange but true.  If I have both running, they turn on and turn off every 10-15 minutes.  They work with my thermostat and whatever it's set to in each room.  Whether I have a unit turned off or not, and go next to it, I feel an extreme cold air coming in through it's vent.  I think when it turns off (when it heats the room up to the desired temp), that area cools down and it was like not heating it at all.  Seems to be a bad vicious cycle.

I guess I'm looking for advice to prevent that heat loss, or to prevent the cold air from coming in from outside.  It's about 2 degrees outside.  If you want pictures (or make/model numbers) let me know.


texts: Converting a timer switch to basic switch

texts: I'm replacing an old timer switch to our closets and there is a blue, black and white wire attached to the old switch.  Do I need a three way switch or do I get a normal switch and cap the blue off?


texts: how can I repair a leaking at the water main valve

texts: I noticed a leaking at the water main. idk if it's an easy fix. I wanted to ask the question before calling a plumber.


texts: Why do screw thread diameters vary from their nominal values?

texts:
I'm trying to identify several screws. Guides online are fairly straightforward - measure the diameter of the thread part, and pitch if possible. However, none of my screw measurements make any sense. I've ruled out my caliper as the cause.
Here's some of my measurements (Suspected screw: Expected -> Actual):

Known M2.5: 2.5mm -> 2.43 mm
M3: 3mm -> 3.38 mm, 0.5mm pitch
M4: 4mm -> 3.88 mm
Known 5/16": 0.3125" -> 0.305", 18 threads/inch

My measurements seem to be off my 2% to 10%. Am I missing something? Is my M3 screw actually M3.5 or M4? I can't find, say, 3.38mm on any screw charts (example)


texts: Metal or PVC Conduit in Metal Outbuilding?

texts: I'm running wiring under ground from main panel to 100 amp panel in metal garage. When installing lighting and receptacle circuits mounted against interior walls, does  it make any difference what kind of conduit is used?


texts: can this antique douglas fir floor be saved?

texts:
I bought a 100+ plus house and to my horror, under the carpet was not the strip hardwood floor we expected, but particleboard. Not OSB, not plywood - particleboard (which I just learned would need to be replaced anyways with plywood if new flooring going on top).

BUT! Under the particle board are very old wood planks! They're 5" t&g douglas fir (I think) and they look like they've never been sanded once. There's an old varnish or shellack finish (except for in the middle of the room where a rug must have been) so they where not installed as just subflooring.

They're awesome! But.. they're plenty soft, gaps as big as 1/4", plenty of damage and splinters, tons of nail holes, a large section by the front door was replaced with pine, etc. And here's the biggest problem maybe: there's no subfloor underneath them!

However I don't think they're worn badly at all and we're intent on restoring and using them, even if that means pulling them up and flipping them over to the unused side. It's only in one small room -- about 300 sq ft -- but it's the living room and the heart of the house. And we're on a major budget and new flooring is expensive, less sustainable than reclaimed, and not as cool :).

What do you recommend? Should I sand them with a drum sander or just a DA sander? Or would a DA sander catch splintered edges and rip out large sections? What finish do you recommend? Poly or a hard wax like rubio monocoat? What about wood filler? Any other tips??

Thanks! (BTW, I will NOT accept NO for an answer!)


texts: My wall is too thick for a 1/4 inch snap toggler

texts: I am trying to install a pot rack and it calls for two 1/4 inch snap toggler screws.  I used a 1/2 inch drill bit but the wall appears to be thicker then the drill bit and Im not sure what's beyond the drill bit point.  So my toggle screws will not open.  not sure what to do here.  can I just use a 1/2 inch anchor screw ?


texts:
My neighbor has offered me two panes of glass. They're about 40 x 100cm and stained in places by what I assume is some sort of oil (I haven't examined them closely).

I'm interested in making them into an enclosure for some of my indoor plants. I live pretty far up north, so it would allow me to grow some more interesting southerly species.

This would require cutting the panes several times and cleaning them.

I've seen glass-smiths (not sure what you call these dudes) cutting panes to size. They have a tool that looks a bit like a t-square, and once measured carefully they just run it once across and then sharply bend the end to crack it off.

Is cutting and cleaning your own glass worth the trouble? or should I pass on this offer?


texts:
I'm tackling a DIY renovation of my bathroom. I'm gonna replace everything (tub, fixtures, vanity, mirror, etc). I cut out some of the wall and got the tub removed. There's some minor mildew and mold when I pulled out the wall but I can fix that easily.
The issue I have is that the previous owner had one of those plastic/fiberglass shower surroundings that was merely glued to the wall and he also had some board trim glued to the wall also. I tried to remove it as carefully as I can but the outer paper of the drywall(?) peeled off with the trim and surrounding exposing that internal gypsum(?)/crumbling thing inside.
Can these walls be saved? Is there any way I can smooth them out so I can repaint them or lay tile when I'm ready to finish?
I was thinking of using joint compound to cover all that exposed area and the glue but I'm open to any suggestion. Here's some pictures below to see what I'm talking about.


texts:
So I have a 1.5 car garage that seems to be sealed off, airflow wise pretty well. Any moisture from rain or snow just seems to sit and not evaporate at all or extremely slowly. Also, I dry out my hockey equipment in there and I'd like a way to vent the smell and moisture if possible.

I was able to purchase a 100CFM multi-port in-line fan, which allows for four 4" vent/port lines to attach to it. I plan on using 3 of the lines and using 4" plastic diffusers in the ceiling to vent the garage space. I will bring in fresh air into the garage via a decorative shutter that was placed on the exterior wall where I can place a shutter vent behind it. The 4" diffusers are said to cover 60 sq ft. although I'm not so concerned with the proper measurements, just looking for an inexpensive way to vent the garage better. I'll be installing an hourly timer switch in the wall so it will run for 2-4 hours then shut off.

I've outlined the general layout of the garage and where I'll be placing the vents in the ceiling. I just want to make sure I'll be placing the vents in the most optimal location to take advantage of the ventilation. I came up with a crude schematic and images of the fan and vents to give you an idea. Not sure if I should use the 4th port/vent in the fan or not with the setup I'm doing.


texts: How to install a ceiling lamp that doesn't have holes

texts:
I bought a floating lamp,

I started building everything, when I noted that the holder doesn't had any holes to fix it on the roof.

This are the "instructions":

Here you can see my issue :(

This is a close up to the PLASTIC holder, only a small hole which is to keep a cable floating

This is a picture from the inside of the holder

This is the hole of the cables:


texts: How is my house's foundation constructed?

texts:
I would have thought I'd be able to do an image search for help figuring this out, but so far I've been unable to put together a set of keywords that looks like my situation.

I have a two-story house with a crawlspace, built in 1985. The foundation, viewed from the outside, is 8x2" bricks. From inside the crawlspace, the foundation is 16x8" cinderblock. The total thickness of the foundation wall seems to be about 7" or 8". For the life of me, I can't figure out how this wall was constructed. Every common brick and cinderblock I see in raw form has 4" and 8" of depth, respectively, meaning this wall should be at least a foot thick. Is one (or both) of the surfaces a facade? What's holding my house up?


texts: How do I wire a new range to old wiring?

texts:
I am replacing an in-wall oven with a oven/stove. The wiring in the wall is a 2 wire #6, and a ground wire. One of the wires has red arrows on it, the other solid black. (obviously 220V) and I traced them to the breaker box. Both the solid black and the black with red arrow both go into a 50 amp double breaker, and the ground wire goes to the grounding bar.

My stove has a three prong plug: red, black white and ground. With only two hot wires and no neutral coming from the wall, how do I wire the 2 hot and neutral?


texts: Is it necessary to discharge the capacitors on an AC condensor?

texts:
I intend to replace the capacitors on my house air conditioner condenser.  This video claims that discharging the capacitors is not necessary, because the circuitry will discharge through the fan motor if you unplug while it is running.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jz3DyCSKGB4

Will using this technique really discharge the
capacitor?
Is this a best practice, and is it safe?
What is
the best way to handle capacitor discharge for an AC condenser?


texts: leaky bathtub not sure where the leak is

texts: We had drips from ceiling right below bathtub upstairs. It only happened  when the tub was filled with water(even small amount, so probably not overflow issue). I don't see any bathtub crack. What can be the root cause ?  Thanks!!


texts:
Clogged disposal, used draino, didn't work.
Can I pour vinegar or baking soda in disposal, or will it have a chemical reaction?
Other side of sink is draining fine.


texts: How to change inline water filter on whole home humidifier system?

texts:
We have a whole home humidifier as part of the furnace system, but have never really used it since we bought the house.  I'd like to get it up and running and am trying to figure out some update maintenance before using it.

There is a copper water line that goes through an inline water filter, which then goes to the humidifier evaporator pad filter, also through copper piping.  I figured I needed to change the water filter since it was there when we originally got the house.  The problem I'm running into is if I can just "unscrew" the inline filter and replace it, or if I'm going to have to cut the copper line or something. It appears that there is a coupling that goes into the filter, and it has that piping tape applied or something.  I tried twisting it a little to see if I could force it to unscrew and it felt like the copper tubing was going to start shearing so I backed off.

Below are some pics of the filter.

The filter

Bottom coupling of filter

Top coupling of filter

I guess what I'm looking for is what do I need to do to replace this filter? Should it be able to just unscrew and screw a new one in?  Is it just a matter of a couple wrenches and getting the filter to move?

It doesn't feel that easy, but I don't know if that's because it's pretty old or if it was installed in a more "permanent" fashion that what it should have been in the first place.  Once I get the filter replaced getting the rest up and running should be pretty straightforward.


texts: How is a Phillips screwdriver size determined?

texts:
I have two different sized Phillips screwdrivers that both say they are 00 sized (click here for full-sized image):

The green screwdriver came from an iPhone 3/4 disassembly kit, and on the package it says "Phillips#00".  The tip is about 1.5mm wide.

The screwdriver on the bottom is a Craftsman and it says "P-00" on it.  The tip is about 2mm wide.

One of these screwdrivers cannot be 00 sized.  Which one is 00, and what size is the other one?


texts: Water meter still spinning even after shutting off water to house?

texts: Our water meter is continuously spinning even after shutting off all the water to the house. We do have 2 different toilets that run about 4 times an hour on their own. I was wondering if the spinning meter could be that, or if it's definitely something else after shutting off house water? I would GREATLY appreciate any advice you may have as we are currently trying to sell and have absolutely no money for major repairs, thank you so much!


texts: How to determine why an AFIC or GFIC breaker tripped?

texts:
GFCI and AFCI breakers trip under specific conditions, unbalanced current, and a detected arc, respectively. However, they also trip under ordinary overcurrent conditions in the same way that ordinary breakers do.

When one does trip, how can you determine whether the cause was just plain old excess current or the special case for which the breaker was designed?

If you know that the toaster-and-the-teakettle-and-the-microwave were all on the same circuit at once, you have a good clue, and if you are standing in a puddle running a power tool when your GFCI breaker trips you may survive to have a clue, and possibly if you are powering a device with a non-linear load.

However, even in these cases you don't really know for certain that there was no arc or that there actually was a current imbalance.

Especially since the tripping may appear random and not intentionally repeatable, short of sophisticated analysis of your residential wiring, is there a way to at least narrow down the possibilities?


texts: How do I find the water main entry point to my house?

texts:
My house has no apparent main water line shut off valve. Usually one would find a shut off valve right near where the water main entered the house structure. At my current house I have never been able to determine where the water main entry point is located.

I have a house that has a lower level that is on a slab level with my garage. The other 2/3 or the house is built over a crawl space. I have checked the crawl space and found no water line entry points there. It is not possible to see where the water lines are routed in my house because they are all embedded in walls and ceilings that are covered over with drywall. Even my garage area, furnace area, water heater area and laundry room are all finished over with drywall. Thus I have no idea where the source point for my water lines is located.

It is possible the water main comes up through the slab of the lower level of the house and immediately goes up into a wall where it is hidden away from view. It is equally possible that the line enters below ground level at the periphery of the house and not findable unless I decided to dig a deep moat all around my house.

Currently if I want to shut off all the water in my house I have to use a T-bar handle to shut it off by the street near the water meter. This would be a less than ideal situation in the case of a water leak emergency. It is just not feasible to expect family members to be able to find the T-bar handle and run out to the street to turn off the water. For this reason I want to find the water main entry point and install a proper shut-off valve.

I am looking for suggestions about how to go about finding the water main entry point to the house. And hopefully there is a suitable method that works without having to rip down tons of drywall.

* Some Added Comments *

The water meter is out by the street under a concrete cover about six inches from the curb.

The water meter is at the extreme corner of the lot to the side of the driveway away from the house.

The water company's input ends about about six inches over the edge of the curb!!

The house was built in ~1987.

* UPDATE *
I have found the water main entry point!! This was located a few weeks ago when I replaced some iron pipe risers out of the top of the water heater that had corroded so bad that a small leak had started. The gas fired water heater sits in the back corner of an alcove off the side of the garage. (The forced air furnace is also in this alcove). As you can imagine it is a rather tight fit in this alcove. I found that the water main is a 3/4" copper pipe that comes up through the concrete slab floor under the rear part of the water heater. It has an immediate 90 degree elbow that aims the water line toward an inside wall where it pokes into the wall through drywall.

Here is a rough diagram of the layout.

I will be working at opening the wall behind the water heater and installing a shut off valve there. Unfortunately it has to wait till a day when I can stay home from work and have the city utility folks come out and shut off the water main. I tried to shut off the water main with my T-bar handle but something is clearly wrong with the valve because it does not turn the water off when rotated either direction. I was able to move the valve through 90 degrees of rotation but no luck stopping the flow of the water.


texts: What is this hinged metal hardware with an eyelet?

texts:
Does anyone know what this is? I think its something related to picture hanging, but not sure.

Its about 4-5cm long


texts: What is the proper hole size to drill through joists for wiring?

texts: I am running CAT6a wire around my house and I was wondering what the maximum hole size I can drill to run cable across the joists in my basement to various rooms. I should measure but the joists are 2 x 8's I believe.


texts: Your info on replacing hose bib washer was very helpful.  Can I replace the entire stem arrangement along with the handle.  My hose bibb is probably from 1981 and very corroded.  I tried HD and Lowes they do not handle the stem.  Local Plumbing supply just carries the washers.  Please advise where I can locate the entire stem if it is possible to replace.


texts: I replaced my old builder's grade utility sink with a standard Lowes cabinet sink combo. After installing I have problems with the water flow. If you turn the water (hot or cold) on fast it will not flow. If you turn them on slowly it works just fine. Any idea what could be causing this? Thanks.


texts: My sliding patio door will no longer move. It was working fine for the best couple months since we've moved into this house. However, today, when I tried unlocking my patio sliding door, the unlock sound was slightly different than normal. I then tried opening/sliding the door and the door will not budge. I've tried locking and unlocking multiple times and the door will not move. The lock in the frame seems jammed and isn't fully unlocking the door. As of now, I'm unable to move the door at all. I tried changing the position of the wheels on the bottom right of the door, but that didn't make any difference. Has anyone ever run into this? Any help is appreciated so I can open my sliding door again.


texts:
I had the fireplace removed in my house but the back wall bricks are in bad condition. The surface is crumbly around the area behind the opening, but seem to be ok higher up. Although the quick job would be just to cover it, i want to ensure the structure is still strong it may make sense to replace these bricks as suggested by my plasterer. I’ve lost about 2cm of brick depth in some places. Behind the fireplace is the wall adjoining the next property, although I’m not sure about thicknesses. It’s a Victorian property.

Any insight or next step advice would be appreciated.


texts: AC Capacitor Or Another Problem? (And What Type Of Capacitor?)

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I'm wondering if anyone can help me identify the issue here:

My AC went out. I'm positive there's a capacitor problem since I can actually kickstart the fan motor but it doesn't have any effect on cooling, which made me think that the capacitor (or another one) may also be required to start the compressor. That brings two questions:

Is there anyway I can identify the capacitor (or capacitors) from the label without having to open up the casing? (it's raining, not due pure laziness)
Anyway that I can diagnose a bad compressor, or leak knowing that the capacitor is bad, without changing the capacitor? (I don't hear the compressor humming after I kickstart the fan or before.)

Here's the only label I could find:


texts: Can this drain pipe service two bathroom sinks?

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we are in the process of modifying some rooms and we have an existing 3" pipe with a 1 1/5" drain pipe as shown here:

We're trying to add a sink on the side currently not serviced by the drain pipe and as far as I can tell we have a few options:

The most difficult option, but probably best, would be to cut it all out and at the bottom, use a wye with a 2" coming off it do service two sinks but that would be really difficult at this stage of the project.
Outlined in red below: 1 1/2" pipe for all connections, add a double sanitary tee at the top of the pipe, optional mechanical valve.
Outlined in blue below: 1 1/2" pipe for all connections, replace the top tee with a double sanitary tee.

We're in Michigan, is any of this is good or up to code.

additional diagram from comment:


texts: Should I use concrete for a 2" square metal fence post?

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I recently moved into a new home in upstate New York which has a fence around the backyard. The fence is made out of some kind of metal and the fence posts are about 2" square. One of the fence posts had risen a few inches since it was first installed due to frost heave. It had been set in a concrete footing and the whole footing had risen. I have dug out and removed the concrete (by my estimates it had gone down 33±3") and now have a roughly 40" deep hole approximately 9" in diameter. The fence post itself only goes about 20" into the ground.

I haven't been able to find a solid answer on the frost line up here, but my plan was to dig down to around 42", place an 8" cardboard tube form, and fill it with four 50lb bags of quickrete and set the post in the footing.

My concerns are:

1) is this enough? I never want to have to dig out this concrete footing again, so if I'm going to use concrete, I want to make sure this is the right way to go. I'm using a clamshell post hole digger and at 40" deep it's getting harder to go any further.

2) is this overkill? Given it's only a 2" post going ~20" into the ground, would I be better off just setting it in gravel or crushed rock or something and tamping some dirt on top? Even if it heaves out of the ground again, it would be much easier to dig down and fix than if I had to dig out the 42" concrete footing.

Here are a couple pictures of the fence and post:


texts: What are my options when replacing all house trim / molding / baseboards?

texts:
When we bought our house in 2008, we opted for the cheapest oak trim. Around doors, windows, baseboards, cabinets, behind the clothes dryer, fireplace surround and mantel, absolutely everywhere.

We're slowly tiring of the stained oak look, and are interested in something a little higher-end, like maple or cherry. I do realize that replacing a couple thousand linear feet of trim is possible with a lot of work. Painting is doable, but we prefer being able to see wood grain.

Are there  any other options to cover oak trim and cabinets with a different type of wood?


texts: Can small supply pipes be combined into a larger supply?

texts:
we are installing a shower where two sinks used to be. Is it possible to combine the inbound water (1/2") from each sink into one 3/4" line for hot & cold to feed the Moen U valve we want to use to distribute water throughout the shower?

We will have the following in the shower:

2 or 4 body jets
1  10" jaclo showerhead
1  12" jaclo rainshower
1  handheld wand

Thanks for your help.


texts: Recommendations for drilling a lot of small holes in various plastics (ABS/PVC/Acryl)

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I need to drill a large series of 2 millimeter holes (several 100) in pieces of plastic that vary in thickness between 16 and 22 millimeter.
The plastic will be ABS, PVC and acryl (not sure if that is the correct English term, I mean the clear stuff they make aquarium walls from).
I've got several pieces of each material and I need to do it one-handed standing on a ladder. The pieces of plastic are mounted on a frame high up on a wall. (One hand for the ladder, the other for the cordless power-drill.)
Luckily for me neatness isn't important. The holes don't need to be at a very exact angle as long as they are more or less straight in and go all the way through.
Some raggedness of the holes, even a bit of melting at the edges due to the drill-bit getting warm is OK as the holes won't be visible from up close.
Splintering the plastic however is NOT OK and I only have one go at this. The pieces of plastic can not be easily replaced if they crack or splinter...

I intend to use a 2 mm drill for steel, set the power-drill for high-speed and apply little pressure when drilling. I think the acryl and the ABS would be a bit to hard/brittle for a wood-drill (For the PVC it would probably be OK).
Obviously I need to let the drill-bit cool a bit between holes and maybe drill each hole through in 2-3 phases, possibly having to clean plastic residue from the drill each time.
Am I on the right track with this or will I be making a big mistake somewhere?

EDIT in response to various comments.
The plastic pieces are mostly horizontal inserts of a (much larger) company logo mounted on the roof/wall of a company building. It can't be disassembled without breakage (lot's of glue and some pieces were molded in place and wrap around the frame).
The horizontal parts of the construct gather rain-water which leads to moss-growth (eye-sore) and which provide ideal nesting-places for pigeons and sea-gulls (bird-shit and the noise of the gulls).
Management contacted the artist who designed the whole thing and he came up with the brilliant idea of drilling the holes. About half of them to let water run of and the other half to insert 12-15 cm transparent (so they are invisible from the ground) plastic rods to deny the birds access.
The artist is a cousin of the CEO. The CEO is heavily impressed by him and basically orders us to follow the artists every whim.
Access to the panels with a ladder is pretty good. I'm not worried about dangerous working conditions. Scaffolding only works for the lower panels. The upper panels are mostly located in recesses that are wide enough to get a ladder in, but to narrow for a scaffold. (For the lower part I will use a cherry-picker. That is a lot easier than a scaffold and gives me the same access.)


texts: Is it normal for there to be tar showing from under some shingles on a roof?

texts: I just had a new roof put on and my wife and I noticed that there are some sections of shingle that show tar like if too much tar was used. Can this be fixed?


texts: I'm looking for a long term solution to my squeaky doors.  Our home is fitted with brass hinges on all doors and lately they have all been starting to squeak.  I've tried several silicone based lubricants but none have solved this issue permanently.


texts: Can I move this drain line from the wall to the floor?

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Here is my kitchen sink drain configuration:

(The horizontal run after the trap is actually pitched correctly, not as drawn.) The portions inside the wall are galvanized steel pipe. Under the sink, the galvanized pipe transitions to white plastic trap and tailpiece. Under the floor, the steel pipe is coupled to cellular ABS drain pipe.

While I am replacing kitchen cabinets, it would be convenient to move this drain line to the floor. Is it kosher to cap the existing line inside the wall, then join a new vertical leg to the existing horizontal run under the floor, as drawn below?


texts: Lawn mower runs for a few seconds then stops

texts:
I have a Briggs and Stratton mower that runs for a few seconds after being primed and then stops. If I continue to press the primer button it will keep running.

I've tried to change fuels, clean carb, keep nut with the little hole, replaced spark plugs and air filter.  Still no luck.

Any suggestions?

EDIT:

So it turns out that a few of the gaskets on the carb were stuffed (I also thought the fuel bowl was the carb originally, my bad).  I bought the carb rebuild kit and replaced everything I could. The carb itself was pretty clean as well.

Here is a photo of the carb when I took it off

Mower is working awesome now. Thanks for your help!!


texts:
I'm renovating a 2nd floor bathroom and I made the mistake of cutting out the subfloor flush with the wall shared by the doorway. The problem is that this wall sits between 2 joists so my new and existing subfloor butts up against one another in unsupported space.

My original solution was to install blocking but the issue is that there is round duct work that runs directly under the wall between the joists. I've considered adding another joist but there is only 5 inches of space between the joist and the duct work. What is the best solution given this situation?


texts: Is this base idea sufficient for a ground level, not attached to the house wooden patio?

texts:
I have a rough plan for a ground level deck.  The deck will not be attached to anything though it will sit under and extend a bit from a free standing pergola.

My plan is to bury most of a cinder block underground as a base.  The hole will be filled with a little gravel to level, the block placed on top and then filled with dirt.

On top of the blocks I plan to run AC2 2x4's.  The outer most (the picture is off) 2x4's will be two screwed together and then a single 2x4 for the inner joists.

So the joists would look like this:

|||-----||-----||-----||-----||-----|||

Is this a sufficient base for decking?
How far should the joists be spaced?


texts: Wiring requirements for garage and bedroom addition

texts:
I've just added a new garage and bedroom and am about to wire them.
I've done a lot of wiring in my house, know all the basic requirements for how wiring is run, etc, never had a problem with inspection.  But I've never done a garage or bedroom.   I also haven't carefully explored which circuit I can easily splice into yet.
I want to check the following assumptions.

Garage: going to splice into a circuit that has some outlets elsewhere.   I will wire for 20A but use 15A outlets.

One circuit in garage for outlets, wired for 20A, GFCI'ed, shared with other power in some other rooms at my discretion.   I will make sure I'm not worried about so much shared that I will blow the circuit using power tools in the garage.
Garage lighting to be run at 15A, most likely shared with some other lighting circuits in the house.
Bedroom:  Is it the case that I need an AFCI circuit breaker for any circuit (including lights and outlets) in the bedroom?
Is is allowed to shared the circuits in the bedroom with the garage?   Is it a bad idea to have the garage AFCI'ed and GFCI'ed?


texts: How do I care for the land area directly above a septic tank?

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Any suggestions for how to care for the land area directly above a septic tank?  I'm a first-time home buyer with a septic tank in my front yard.  I'd like it to be aesthetically pleasing and consistent with the rest of the yard but didn't know if there was any special considerations to be aware of (e.g. don't water, mow, seed, etc).

-M


texts: Damp exterior bricks near the roof and windows

texts:
I been looking everywhere.
Some say it could be a drainage issue or mold.
Would anyone know what could cause this discoloration?


texts: How can I floor my loft without compressing the insulation?

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I want to board over my loft for storage, but before I do I ought to improve the insulation which is very old and thin. My UK house is 105yrs old so the rafters are not as high as the recommended thickness of fibreglass insulation.

Adding chipboard direct to the rafters will compress the insulation and reduce it's effectiveness. Do I really have to faff around with yet more bits of wood to raise the boards up further?

How much heat is lost through a double layer of cardboard boxes full of junk, anyway?!


texts:
I'm planning a replacement for my deck and ran into a question that I cannot find an answer to anywhere.  Why does everyone place deck joists at either 16" or 24" OC (or sometimes 12"), but not 18" or 20" or 16.75" centers?

In my case, I have a setup where 24" centers would be within code, but I don't like the feeling of decking with joists that far apart.  16" centers are what I'm after, more or less, but that would leave me with a final space of about 4".  Why not just space out the rest of the joists to 16 1/2" spacing and save a joist?  I could leave a 20" space at the end, but again, why not space all of the boards evenly?

I can see why you wouldn't want to do this in an enclosed floor or wall inside a house, but for something like a deck where the framing is actually visible between the decking boards, why does it matter?  Or does it matter?

To state the question(s) clearly: Are atypical, but regular, joist spacings within code?  If so, why are they not used?  If not, why not?


texts: Putting together a tool set for children 8-11

texts:
One of the many hats I wear is the hat of Bagheera, assistant cub scout leader.

I'd like to introduce a project where we build a wooden tool box.  But I'd also like to provide the cub scouts with a minimal set of tools they can take home.

What would you suggest I shop for to make it actually useful?


texts: Should I cover a skylight well from the inside?

texts:
I made the mistake of having a Velux skylight installed in my bedroom. The installation was done by pros, both inside and out, and it has never leaked through 2 hurricanes.  The installation was done along with a new roof about 10 years ago.

However, I hate the condensation and mildew in the wintertime.  I am very handy and am considering cutting out the drywall light shaft, insulating, and patching the ceiling.  Then I would just leave the skylight in the roof deck until the next roofing job (or until it leaks...)

I am very handy and this type of job, but am wondering if it is a good idea.  The only downside I can think of is if the skylight develops a leak, I may not know it until significant damange is done.


texts: What is the best way to clean your clothes dryer exhaust?

texts:
My dryer exhaust goes out of my laundry room, into my attic, and runs for about 15 feet before it gets outside. Over time the lent has built up quite a bit. What is the best way to clean this? The sections in the attic are connected via duct tape.

If this isn't an easy task, what type of local places would do this service. Would heating and air conditioning places have this type of service?


texts: my house is 43 years old and has a 15 amp gfci outlet and a switch to a light in a double gang box.  When I bought the house, nothing was said, but now i heard the code has change to 20 amp gfci.  does the gfci also have to be separate in a single gang box as well? What is the rule for preexisting homes before NEC codes change


texts:
Is it better to insulate in between the slanted ceiling joist Or floor joists in the attic if you have a whole house attic fan?

Or both?

In long: Out of budget reasons I was thinking of leaving the old insulation between the floor joist for now and add insulation in the ceiling joist. Or is it wiser to replace the old floor insulation and not bother with the ceiling (leave for later).

Don't think it will be a bed room someday (ceiling to low), but used for storage, maybe the kids can sleep in there sometimes - camping style...

Do I also need to get a cover for the fan during the winter? Or do they normally stay 'open'?

Thanks


texts: How do I replace my faucet with these connectors?

texts: My laundry tub has been leaking for weeks...sometimes at 3 gallons a day. I bought a new faucet to install but these co


texts: How can I temporarily repair a lengthwise crack in an ABS drain pipe?

texts:
I have a 3" diameter by 4 ft long, vertical ABS sewer drain pipe (unpressurized), in my wall that has a crack running lengthwise for around two feet and slowly getting longer.  I've called a plumber to replace it, but he won't be able to do so for 2 weeks.
Since this pipe drains the kitchen sink and the dishwasher, in the meantime it's dripping a lot.  I'd like to put a temporary fix in place to reduce the dripping until the plumber comes.
The two main things I can see to use are silicone wrap tape (around the pipe), or epoxy putty (in the crack).  Which would you use, and why?  Or would you use something else entirely?
Photo of the dripping section of black ABS pipe below.  I believe that a much larger section of pipe will need replacement to make it leak-free, which is why I'm having a professional do the permanent fix.  Yes, the pipe there does look like an amateur install; I suspect it was.


texts: How do I put together an Avid Outdoor Gazebo / Sun Shade

texts: I've lost the instructions to my Avid Outdoor Gazebo / Sun Shade, Model #1083. Avid has gone out of business, and the instructions are not available anywhere on the internet (though there are many questions on several other question-related sites).


texts: Air conditioner works in an outlet but not a timer

texts:
I have a wall unit air conditioner that works fine when I plug it into any outlet or power strip. However, when I plug it into a timer or a thermostat timer, which is then plugged into an outlet, the unit won't work. I've tried various timers nada.

The end of the air conditioner plug has a box thing with a light that is normally green. It never turns green when in the setup I described, and pressing the test button does nothing.


texts:
Is there huge benefits to having the water pressure regulator immediately after the main shutoff in terms of length of pipe?

My main shut off is deep in the recesses of my very low crawl space and I'd rather have access to the pressure regulator in my utility room.  It would still be the first connection after the shutoff but now instead of 20 inches of pipe between shutoff and regulator there would be 20 feet.


texts: There is no GFCI outlet in my basement, and circuit breaker reset won't work

texts:
Half of our basement outlets went out, and flipping the switch at the circuit breaker (multiple times) did not work. The affected rooms are fully underground and the likelihood of moisture is high. There is no GFCI outlet on this circuit (the basement was wired by a handyman who did not have it professionally inspected/certified/whatever).

How do we fix this? Obviously we need to install a GFCI outlet, but what will get the electricity back on in the meantime? I'm a clueless housewife, so please go easy on me.


texts: How can I extend my deck posts to support a pergola?

texts:
I am looking to extend my 4x4 corner posts on a deck to build a Pergola over top of the deck.  I also plan on sleeving those 4x4's with a composite sleeve for the full length from the 4x4.  So the extensions need to be flush, so plates and other things protuding cannot be sticking out of the sides.

So what is my best and strongest option to join these 4x4s?

This is my preliminary Pergola design.  The deck where I'm adding the pergola is not huge.  It is basically a 10x12 Pergola design.

Please note the 2 posts on the left side away from the large square deck section. That is the old deck section that I sleeved the old posts. As alignment wasn't perfect, the post in the center is actually a "floppy post" to make the steps more aesthetic on each side of the steps. But with the composite sleeves make them look like 6x6's and adds structure to the 4x4 posts.

22" 4-way angle supports?


texts: How can I join 20“x20”x1" panels into a one-end-open box?

texts:
This is an attempt to ask a more-focused version of a prior question (How best to join (in reversible manner) 5 20"x20"x1" panels (4 air filters, 1 plywood) into open-ended box?), that was closed with the suggestion to "focus on one problem only".
I have 5 20in x 20in x 1in panels of lightweight material. (You can think of it as identical to the foam-insulation boards, sold in nominal 8ft x 4ft x 1in panels - as one or more of the panels will actually be cut out of such a board.)
I'd like to join them along the edges to make a cube that's open on top. Of course something like tape is one sloppy option, but I'm hoping to find a superior option that holds them rigidly and tightly in relation to each other, but is reversible, so sides can be individually replaced.
(More specifics about the intended home-air-improvement application of this box are in the original closed question, but my focused need here is to solve the home-insulation-materials joining problem.)
Is there a solution meeting the above parameters?


texts: Electrical outlet in low voltage bracket?

texts:
I generally do my own electrical work but needed to upgrade my service from 100A to 200A so I hired someone. I had them add some outlets to my garage while they were at it because I was feeling lazy.

Today I decided to add more outlets and noticed they used low voltage brackets rather than the enclosed junction boxes I always use. I am assuming this is a code violation, but before I complain I wanted to ask here. I live in California if that matters.


texts: Why are 99% of the LED bulbs in stores either 2600K or 5000-5200K? I prefer 3000K - 4200K but have only found 1 option in all of my searching. Is there a technical reason, a marketing reason, or a legal reason for the limited options with LED light bulb color temperature?


texts:
I bought a home about 3 months back, and recently discovered a slow leak under a wall in my utility room.

I ended up removing that part of the wall to get to it, and the leak is coming from the feed pipe from my well.  This is the pipe that comes in from the outside.

The section in question is basically two elbows, and it leads to a diaphragm pump that ups the pressure inside the house.

Long term, I am going to hire a plumber to repair this.  Short term, I need to get it fixed to stop the leak.

The leak is coming from where the elbow fits into the other pipe (picture below, it's on the left of the elbow).  If you look closely you can see the elbow is a little bit smaller where it's coming out of the pipe.

Whoever did this initially basically just got some hard rubber piping and hose clamps and crammed it all together.  My problem now is, I can't get the elbow to go any further into that black piping (I obviously loosened the hose clamp).  I even tried using a long vise on it, but it wouldn't go any deeper.

Since I have messed with it the leak has gotten noticeably worse, so I had to turn off the well to kill water to the house.

Is there some product or technique I can use to temporarily (say for a few weeks) seal this up?  I really don't want to take all the pipes apart for this. It's already sort of jury-rigged so I'm afraid if I take it all apart I will need to just replace all the piping.

If the solution is something that needs to be reapplied say weekly that would be OK as well, as this is in a corner of the utility room and I plan to leave the wall open until we can get a pro to come in and fix it the right way.

Let me know if any other pics or info are needed.


texts: Can I keep my outbuilding's 10a classificaton

texts:
This question is specific to Victoria, Australia.

I have an old (1945) 6m by 7m outbuilding (basically, a small barn) on my property, and I would like to run mains electricity and water down to it so I can use it as an art studio. It has bare timber walls and floor, some windows, and that's about it. I like it that way, and I want to keep it that way, just with some lights, a power point or two, and a sink in the corner.

I am concerned that, in the process of installing water and electricity, I will be required to change the building classification from "non-habitable" (10a) to "habitable" (1a). (Class 8 might be an issue down the road if ever sell anything, but right now I'm just a hobbyist). That, presumably, would open the floodgates for all sorts of other "improvements" to bring it in line with the building regulations for a habitable building, which I do not want and certainly don't want to pay for. For example, the structure is fine (according to a building inspector) for a class 10a building, but I'm not sure it would be considered okay for 1a.

From what I can tell, there shouldn't be any question about this... apart from some vague notion that non-habitable spaces are those "that are not occupied frequently or for extended periods". I would hope to use it most days, for a few hours (a hobbyist, but perhaps a "serious" hobbyist). Does simply being in a building mean you need to get it reclassified?

I just spoke to someone from the council who seemed to think that it should be reclassified if I wanted to go ahead with the electricity and plumbing. I disagreed, but I wasn't sure how to convince them that it wasn't a space that could reasonably be said to be "habitable".

How can I go about this so that I don't end up paying for a "habitable" building that I didn't want in the first place. How can I convince the council that it really should remain just as a "barn that has electricity and water that I paint in"? Or will my usage push it over the threshold?

EDIT (in response to @Harper's comment): I have not been able to locate an actual legal document defining "habitable". I found a number of blog posts and forum discussions that talk about it, but nothing definitive. The council person spoke to suggested I call one of their surveyors -- who are more well-versed in those technicalities -- but I wanted to go into that conversation well-armed with a better idea of what I'm talking about so I don't end up saying something stupid. Hence this question.


texts: How to cut off and insulate live 3-phase power?

texts:
I need to disconnect my 3-phase cables from the power pole to my house. I'm building directly under it and though the contractors say they are okay with it, I would prefer to disconnect for a week or two to be 100% safe.

There is at least one spot where the cable has perished a bit and I can see copper showing through.

This is my plan:

Wear rubber gloves, rubber shoes; make sure power can't go to ground through me and use a 1000V cable shear.
Tie the cable on both sides of the cut so that the live end doesn't drop away.
Cut the cable.
Run a 6 inch tube of plastic pipe over the live end, and bend it over before taping it closed with plastic electrical tape.
Coil and hang up the loose end safely away from the building.
Repeat this process with all 4 cables, keeping them separate.

I am located in South Africa.


texts: Gas furnace kicks on then off frequently

texts:
A few times in the past week I will wake up to my furnace turning on, hearing a click when it tries to ignite, then turn off. This will happen for a couple minutes before the furnace quits trying.

However, after a certain period of time, it will turn on again with no issues.

What should I do so it doesn't happen ever?


texts:
I am trying to upgrade to a programmable thermostat.  I bought the Honeywell RTH9580 with WiFi.  I can get power to the new thermostat and get the fan running.  However, it will not work when the fan is set to automatic, or get the AC or Heat going.

The furnace board has the following wires

A jumper from Y to G
White wire into W1, with jumper to W2
Red wire to R
Green wire to G
Blue wire to C

I set up the Honeywell as follows:

White wire to W1
Red wire to Rc with jumper left in place to R
Green wire to Y (and also tried G)
Blue wire to C

Like I said the fan will run when set to run but not auto and neither AC nor Heat kicks in.


texts: Which caulk around the sink in kitchen is a health-safe?

texts:
I need to glue a metal sink within the hole in the countertop - a gap has appeared in one place of contact-edge between the sink and top-counter. Many people have recommend silicone. My question is not about its strength and waterproof features.

I ask is the silicon based glue (or 100% silicon) SAFE to my health (being next to my plates and cups)?

Looking for your help, Michael.


texts: TV cables getting stuck in conduit after mounting TV on fireplace

texts:
We are first time home owners and trying to learn basic things. We mounted our TV ourselves yesterday. I'm now trying to hide the wires. There is already a rugged conduit (something like this) behind the wall to pass the cables to the other end where the switchboard can be seen (bottom right in image)

I took a 6 feet long HDMI cable. First, I tried to put it down from the top of the pipe. The entrance to the pipe can be seen right below the TV.The cable goes in about 4 feet and then gets stuck. After that, I tried same thing from bottom. I pushed the cable up and after about 4-5 feet, it again got stuck. I'm not sure how to get the cable through other end. I tried with another TV cable as well that wasn't as sturdy as HDMI and that got stuck at the same point. Thanks.

Update: I already tried the vacuum approach.
I cannot put a vacuum cleaner pipe on either side. On top, the vacuum cleaner pipe wouldn't go because the conduit is vertical and my Vacuum cleaner is a longer end, unable to tilt into that tiny opening of pipe. On the bottom end, there are other wires and insulation and I'm worried that would be damaged by the suction of vacuum..and also same problem of longer vacuum end. This is my vacuum cleaner and the black solid pipe at the end isn't detachable or flexible.


texts: Can you mount a plastic junction box to metal studs?

texts:
Inspired by this answer

  Forget about plastic boxes, they are a wild misfit. They are generally kitted up to nail to wood joists. Can't nail to a steel joist.

For a standard "new work" box, I expect this is largely true. They expect to be nailed and come with regular wood nails to do the job. But the question has this image (cropped to show the box in question)

That appears to be a plastic box with a metal bracket side clamp (example). In addition, there's boxes with a plastic side-tab

Can junction boxes with side tabs/brackets be used in conjunction with metal studs, or must the junction boxes be metal as well?


texts: Adding pool heater to bonding of pump, salt generator, and timer

texts:
I just recently  installed a heater and on the bonding lug my installer ran a green wire back inside the heater to the metal.

I could have sworn that they were supposed to run a wire from the bonding lug to join the other wire that is hooked to my pump, generator, and timer/thermostat. There is an existing bare copper wire ran from the ground through pump, to Salt generator, and back through my timer/thermostat.

Can someone look at these photos and tell me how this is usually done to give me an idea?

I know for a fact when building the pool there was copper wire ran all the way arond the pool, the hand rails, ladder, and light niche so that part should be fine.

Just wanted to make sure i am tying into this with the heater and being safe.


texts: Can I use my oven without a light bulb cover?

texts: I was trying to replace the light bulb in my oven. When I removed the light bulb cover (made of very thick glass)I dropped it and it broke. My question is..can I use my oven without a light bulb cover over the light bulb ?


texts: Why would hot water pipes be smaller than cold water pipes?

texts: Just bought a house and am finding the hot water pipes are smaller than the cold water pipes. Why?


texts: I have problem with my front doors. I feel little pressure during key turning and after closing them when I pull the doors towards frame I can hear clicking noise coming from lock (like it turns a little bit more). I would probably try repair it by myself but I don't know what could be cause of this. Does anyone know what is wrong with them?


texts: What Hinge Should I Use For Heavy Swinging Shoe Cupboard?

texts:
I am doing up my really tiny apartment, in which we have had to make many compromises to deal with limited space. One of these is a shoe cupboard which will double up as a door between two rooms. I've attached a picture to make it easy to understand .

The shoe cupboard will be around 6 feet tall, 2.5 feet broad, and 1-1.5 feet deep. My decorator wants to put rollers under the cupboard, to support the weight. I would prefer not to use rollers, as I've noticed they tend to pick up dirt and hair over time and get stuck, make scratchy sounds, mark the floor etc. I think the ideal situation would be if the shoe cupboard could be supported solely on hinges.

So the question: What kind of hinges would do the best duty for a setup like this, where the load could be in the region of 40-70 lbs? Piano? Pivot? Something else?

Thanks!


texts:
My wife put some heavy clothes on this closet rod and it broke. It's not really a standard closet rod that goes the length of the closet opening. It's one of those 'half' ones that allow you shelves in the middle.

I need to add some support to this closet rod. The weakness mainly stems from the fact that the shelf side is very thin wood (Fake wood at that), and the bracket uses very short screws.

In my pictures, I'm thinking the red dots are where I need to add some wood support and use a longer screw in the bracket.

I have two main questions:

1) Is this the best way to go about the solution?

2) Should I use fake (Like this whole closet insert) or real wood?


texts: Do I need to do anything for my external spigots during a short hard freeze?

texts: Like the questioner in Do I need to do anything to protect my pool during a rare freeze? I live in central florida and its going to be a hard freeze tonight. Do I need to let the spigots drip or cover them for a short period of time? It is much less water volume than a pool, but there is also much less exposure since it goes right into a cinder block wall.


texts:
Recently I have been considering the economics and feasability of building a house versus buying a used one. In my design I settled on a hexagon as the logical shape for the frame, which I am considering for masonry construction. This would be a big house, each side being at least 30 feet wide (footprint 2340 sq ft). The advantages of a hexagon are obvious: simple roof shape, no valleys, space efficient, heat efficient (this would be in New England and subject to cold winters), good wind resistance.

What I can't understand is why there seems to be no-one building hexagonal houses? The only notable building I could find at all was the Supreme Court.

Possible explanations would be that the shape is expensive for small houses due to the 6 corners, but for a large house like mine the room shapes work out fine, in fact they are better than a box house. Maybe its just tradition? People don't like it because it looks like church? Builders have some objection to 60-degree angles?

What is the reason there are no hexagonal houses?


texts: What do you mount an outdoor electric box to when it's not near your house?

texts:
We'll be laying out several new driveway slabs for our daughters to park on when commuting to college, and need a couple of NEMA 14-50 outlets near those slabs as they both want Nissan Leafs.  We will be laying conduit under the 19' of driveway, and popping it up beside the new slabs (approximately 24' from the house).  I was going to purchase a couple of weatherproof outdoor boxes from Amazon that look like this:

Obviously, I can't just connect the wires and lay this box on the ground.  I assumed I could search Amazon or google for "outdoor electric box post" and find a bunch of affordable metal posts with standard mounting brackets for boxes like the one above, but I just keep seeing garden light posts.  Amazon did show this, but it's designed for standard 120 outlets and I'm unclear how/if I could mount the box above:

I've searched for installation videos and articles for outdoor outlets, but gave up after over 20 in a row showed them being installed against the side of a house.
I could, of course, cement a 2x4 into the ground to attach the box to, but besides being ugly I feel like nailing a high voltage electrical device to a flammable stick may be a bad idea.  I suspect code would agree with that.
What is the appropriate way to 'mount' a box like the one I show above so that it is held securely away from the ground?  What, specifically is that type of post called?  Or is the box above the wrong product for my application?


texts: Post and Beam sizing for 10x10 shed workshop?

texts:
This is probably a common question, but trying to sort it out has my head spinning....

I'm trying to work out the size of a post and beam foundation for a 10x10 shed I plan to use as a workshop. Shed will have 2x6 floor joists, 2x4 wall construction.

What I think I know:

I need 3 beams, as a 2x6 has a max span of +/-8ft. Three beams will also deal with any flexing issues in the 2x6 floor joists. Posts will be set 48" deep (yay, Canadian frost line!).

What I'd like to do:

Sink 2 rows of 3 posts each to support a double 2x8 beam, with posts set 8ft apart, creating a 1 ft cantilever on each end of each beam. Outside beams will be set 1ft inside the 10x10 shed perimeter to facilitate skirting foundation.

Here's a crappy pic of the foundation plan.

Questions:

Is a double 2x8 beam sufficient or should I upsize to triple 2x8 or double 2x10s?
4x4 posts or 6x6 posts?
The roof ridge runs parallel to the beams. Should the outside beams
be directly under the bearing walls or is the small offset ok?

Thanks in advance.


texts: Replacement of light switch connected by wires of 5 different colours

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My light switch is connected by wires of 5 colours. After breaking the original one, I tried to replace but no idea about the colours, no label on the connector.
Black and white were twisted together.
Orange and grey were twisted together.
Yellow was on its own.
Any help on how to connect the new switch would be helpful.
Thanks


texts: What's this furniture component called? Metal dowel pin with hole?

texts:
I have a set of mid-century modern dining chairs. The seat is supported in four corners by four metal dowel pins that insert into the legs, but have a hole in them for a screw to pull the seat down against the metal dowel pins. We're missing several of them and I'd like to repair each chair with similar parts if possible. They're about 8mm in diameter and maybe a few centimetres long.

I've added an image of the part, but I have no idea what it's called to search for replacements. I've tried searching for metal dowel pins, but none seem to have any holes in them through which a screw could pass. Is there a special name for this part? I'd love some links to a place where I could buy them online (in Canada if possible!).


texts: how to fix a 1/4 inch gap between the tub spout and the wall

texts:
I have an issue with the tub spout not being flush with the tile wall. I've attached a picture that shows the problem. The spout is a slip on with a hex nut for tightening. The copper pipe coming out of the wall is 2 7/8 inches so I don't think it needs to be shortened. I've tried a different spout, but still have the gap. Also tried using a collar and spout, but still have the gap. Can anyone offer a suggestion, aside from a whole lot of caulk?

Thanks]1
[]2


texts: Repair Ceiling Hole for Round old work ceiling box

texts: I am replacing an old light that was above my sink and the box was so brittle it broke and I could not mount the new light. I removed the "new work" box and the drywall around it crumbled. Now the hole is too large for a new work box. Any ways to fix this? Really hoping I do not have to have someone come and repair a large section of drywall in my ceiling. Thank you


texts: Why is the fridge water line popping out of the connection when under pressure?

texts:
I am trying to run a water line for my fridge.  I put the saddle valve into the sink cold water copper pipe.  That seemed to work fine - no link from the valve.  But, when I screw the plastic tubing into the fridge, and then turn on the water, the plastic tube pops out of one end or the other when the water reaches full pressure.  Only takes a few seconds for it to pop out.

Each end of the tube connection has a copper insert for the plastic tube, and then a copper nut that the tube goes through.  I run the plastic tube through the nut through the tube, then put the insert in, and then screw it on as tight as I can with a wrench.  No dice.

What am I doing wrong?


texts: When refinishing a hardwood floor do you need to strip off all of the old varnish?

texts:
I’m refinishing my hardwood floors and some of the old varnish isn’t coming off.
Before we apply a water based polyurethane do we need to remove all the old varnish or can some of it stay? Our floors are oak.


texts: When is a bath fan considered to be "over a tub or shower"?

texts:
I'm going to add a fan to my currently unvented bathroom.  The fan installation instructions include the text "if this unit is to be installed over a tub or shower, it must be marked as appropriate for the application and be conencted to a GFCI-protected branch circuit."

The fan is marked as such, but my question is: what is technically "over" the bath?  The fan is not directly above the bath.  If I were to draw an imaginary line from the top of the shower curtain rod to the ceiling, the fan would be about 4" outside of this line.  Does that mean I do not have to put the fan on a GFCI circuit?


texts: The faucets in the laundry (basement) and kitchen (main floor above the laundry) has hot water, however, all other faucets including shower on the main floor and 2nd floor have no hot water.  When you turn ON the faucet to HOT, no water comes out.  And this all happened at the same time.  Is it possible that the faucets broke at the same time?


texts: 16-year old Trane central AC one package unit is not cooling well?

texts:
My central AC is a 16-year old Trane one package unit on the roof top. However, it is not cooling  very well. I brought contractors in and it seems that R22 freon is leaking. However, every contractor gave me a different number of freon that I need to fill.

My question is 1) is it possible to test freon level for a one-package unit? If so, how? 2) do I need to replace it? Trane has solid quality and I thought it can last longer than 16 years. Replacement for a roof top central AC is so expansive since we will probably need a crane.

Many thanks in advance!


texts: Changing a Dimmer to Single Pole with Three Black and Three White Wires

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I have done basic electrical work in my house. I am trying to replace a dimmer with a single pole switch. The setup, as I know it, is this dimmer controls the fan and light. Why the previous owners did this is beyond me. It actually hummed when turned on and if the dimmer was adjusted it would hum oddly. It never felt safe to me.

I figured this was going to be simple, but once I opened the the switch up to expose the wiring I became confused.

It is unclear to me how this should map on to a single pole switch. I don't believe this is a three-way as I've never seen it control more than just the fan/light. Perhaps I could control the fan from the light, but I installed the fan several months ago and don't recall that kind of wiring there.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!


texts: Is it possible (and safe) to adapt a 4-prong dryer outlet to a NEMA 6-20?

texts:
I'm considering an appliance that is 240V 16A 3500 Watt with a NEMA 6-20P plug. Is it possible and safe to create an adapter for this so that it can be plugged into a standard 4-prong 14-30R dryer outlet? The adapter would be a typical 4-prong dryer cord with a NEMA 6-20R receptacle.

Would this be possible? NEMA 14 is hot/hot/neutral/ground. Could this be wired to a 6-20 receptacle that is hot/hot/ground? What is done with the neutral? If possible, would it be unsafe because of the 30A circuit and 20A receptacle (or other reasons)?

EDIT:
To add some more info, the appliance is an an Avantco IC3500 induction cooktop. It is ETL listed and the label on the bottom states that it complies with UL Std 197, which I cannot find details on with respect to amperage.


texts: Can I power a lamp from both the switched and unswitched halves of a split outlet?

texts: I have a split socket power source(upper is on a wall switched and lower is full time power). My desire is to have a reading lamp come on and off with the other lights in the room with the wall switch, which would be as simple as plugging into the top socket. HOWEVER, ADDITIONALLY, I'd like to be able to use the reading light when the wall switch is off with an inline switch which would need to be plugged into the lower socket.  As a matter of fact, I can wire the 2 plugs to the lamp in the correct sequence to accomplish both desires.  MY QUESTION IS how much trouble am I in, if the lamp is powered on from the lower full time socket AND the switch on the wall gets turned on as well?????


texts:
I have some frost on the back wall of my old GE side by side. I've attached two pictures. Is a hair dryer the best method of removal for this case? Thank you.Picture: frost inside freezer ;
Picture: Old GE side by side


texts: What are these vents in the foundation mortar for?

texts:
Throughout the interior side of my 1925 brick foundation are little metal vents embedded in the mortar at irregular intervals.  Neither our home inspector nor our real estate agent knew exactly what they were for.  The vents are about the size of a quarter.

They seem to simply allow moisture in through the wall, despite the waterproof paint on the bricks.  I can't imagine this is the intended purpose.

Has anyone seen these before?  Any idea what these are for?

Update, 30 August 2013: I finally got around to pulling some of these vents out.  Behind them is... nothing.  Just mortar.  No tubing of any kind, just an approximately ping pong ball-sized divot in the mortar.


texts: Is 20' of 2" PVC with 2 45 degree elbows too restrictive for a 92% furnace?

texts:
I have a Goodman furnace, 92% efficient, GKS91155DXAF.
The exhaust vent flue was previously 2 inch PVC with one 45 degree elbow about 6 feet long overall, and it was routed directly into a piece of 6" round metal chimney vent that also provided exhaust for a gas water heater. The fumes from both went out the roof of my home. It was a terrible design, probably not to code and the moisture dripped out of the chimney vent through a drilled hole into a bucket instead of draining back through the furnace flue as designed. The combustion air intake was also 2 inch PVC about 4 feet long with a 90° elbow and a small screen to prevent blockage.
Based on instructions in the owners manual, I converted the exhaust flue to a 20' vertical/horizontal run of 2 inch PVC that exits through the side of my home. The PVC exhaust flu rises about 4' above the furnace and uses two 45 degree elbows to transition to a horizontal run of about 16 feet with correct slope backwards into the furnace to keep the moisture from collecting in the horizontal pipe.
After changing to this set up, the furnace would not light and the failure indicator was three flashes, which suggested a problem with pressure sensor air intake, exhaust, inducer blower motor, etc. It's a fairly new unit and all of the above parts and systems appear correct or functional plus the moisture is draining correctly thru/past the inducer blower.
It seemed as if I changed the pressure inside the unit so if I disconnect the exhaust vent from the top of the furnace, the furnace lights immediately. If I remove the 4' of combustion intake vent PVC from the top of the furnace, it lights as well. The owners manual suggest that 20 feet of 2 inch PVC with two 45° elbows is absolutely within the parameters of correct exhaust flue.
My thoughts are:

do I need a different pressure switch?
Do I need a higher flow inducer blower?
Is there a possibility the apparently correctly functioning inducer blower is simply not producing enough air for the pressure switch?
What other things should I consider in order to keep the new 20' 2" PVC exhaust system that I've installed and ensure the correct pressure in the unit at start up and when running?


texts:
I have recently found in a box these two tools:

I do not have any knowledge on whether these tools are for wood or metal.
The second tool can be winded and unwinded in order to form some kind of tooth bite like shape to a material.

Many thanks on the feedback.


texts: Can I replace the insulation in an LG oven?

texts: Something has gotten between insulation and metal of oven.  Whatever it was, it was cremated and the smell is bad when oven is turned on.  Can the insulation blanket be replaced?


texts: What should I do with an old, unused septic tank in my yard?

texts: I have a septic tank in my yard that is no longer used.  Can I leave it there?  Should I remove it?  Fill it with something?  I'm not entirely sure of the building material used to construct it; I assume whatever was the customary materials in the pacific NW in the mid to late 50's.


texts:
I'm adding a window in my kitchen and found this metal cable between two pipes in the corner.  Slab home.
Can someone please let me know what it is?


texts: Can I use diaphragm accumulators to maintain consistent water pressure?

texts: This is needed for a place where there's a high pressure water but not always available.


texts: Beeswax for lubricating hinges. How does it compare to other lubricants?

texts:
As per title. I've recently discovered the amazing properties of beeswax and its multiplicity of uses from rust prevention, to food preservation, to lubricating/threadlocking wood screws.

https://matteroftrust.org/101-uses-for-beeswax/

It's also non-toxic with an agreeable odor compared to other lubricants.

Aside from cost and availability, are there any disadvantages, contraindications or cautions to using natural beeswax for lubricating door hinges? Does anyone have useful practical experience?


texts: Standard water heater outside the house?

texts:
A guest house built with one bedroom also had a nice sized portion left unfinished for storage and freezer space. We have decided to finish this area, making a second bedroom.

Currently the 50 gal water heater is installed in this space.
The home is total electric no gas.
We don’t want an electric tankless water heater because of the expensive upgrades to the electrical system.

I have seen the little water heater enclosures sold at big box stores.
I am considering moving the 50gal tank heater outside into one of these.
We are in South Carolina with pretty mild winters.
What drawbacks are there to this type installation and what considerations should be taken to insure that I don’t have problems with such a project?


texts:
I have a "closet" that was originally designed for a stackable washer/dryer. It's currently a poorly utilized junk storage closet. I want to turn it into an efficient and easy to use storage area.
The floor area is 52" x 43". The inside is 108" high. The door is 80" high. In other words there's 28" of storage space above the top of the door frame if I can design something that will allow access to that as well.
The best idea that I've been able to come up with so far is a hang track with standards on it and shelves hooked into those on either left and right wall (and possibly back wall as well) and then custom size cut plywood as the shelves. The upper shelves would be half shelves so that they could be reached from the inside given the door height.
Are there any well know or open source designs that would provide a more efficient way of turning this into a storage closet?


texts:
Hoping for some help after trying to get this setup to work. I’ve purchased a smart switch that requires two load wires, one neutral wire, and one ground wire.

When I took out my existing light switch I found it having the two load wires but also two neutral (white wires) connected to a ground wire (green). I unwrapped all the wires and hooked it into the smart switch but it didn’t work.

After some investigation it seems that the green wire must be touching one of the white wires for even the normal switch to work. Does anyone have any idea what’s going on here and what the right setup should be?

What’s very odd is that my white wires must be connected to green ones. If they are disconnected the switch doesn’t work.

Thank you.

Here is a wiring that does seem to work (note the white and green are touching):

The following wiring doesn’t work (white and green not touching):

UPDATES:

Thank you all for the advice and help, it works great:


texts: How long should refrigerator defrosting take?

texts: How long does it take for the tubing between the freezer and the refrigerator to thaw? My freezer works just fine, but my refrigerator isn't keeping items cold.  I unplugged it so it can thaw the tubing that blows the cold air from the freezer to the refrigerator.  Just need to know approximately how long it needs to be kept unplugged.


texts: Does a return air cavity in a wall need to be lined?

texts:
What material do I need to place on both side of the wall to return air before I put drywall on top of it?
The return register will be install close to floor level and the wall is made of 2x4 lumber.
Thanks!


texts: Possible to Use Different Neutral for Separate Runs of Same Circuit

texts:
I am in the process of wiring a new bathroom circuit that includes normal lighting in addition to a fan/light combo.  There is a three-way switch that will control the light in the bath fan (as well as the other lights.)

Another switch controls the fan.  The three-way switch (lighting) is serviced by a 12/3 run, and the outlets and fan switch are serviced by a 12/2 run, both on the same circuit (notice the single "source power".)

The light part of the fan/light combo is served by the hot on the 3-way switch.  The fan is served by the hot from the "outlet" run switched by the fan switch.  The neutral for both is from the "lighting" run.  Notice the neutral from the "3-way run" connected to the "light" and on to the light/fan.

Boiled down: is it allowed to use a single neutral on the 12/3 for two "hots" that are served from separate runs of the same circuit?  Possibly similar to this answer.

Picture of the circuit:


texts: Water leaking from sprinkler system (by house) after opening up this spring

texts: I have my system winterized every year, when I started it back up this year, I noticed a pretty significant leak coming from under the circled black circular thing on top of the system (see picture attached).  This happened when I opened up the water valve in my house and then opened both valves outside.  I haven't noticed this in the past so I think this is the first time. I am not sure where to begin.  Each time I open up the right valve, which I believe is the one that allows water to go to the sprinklers, it leaks.  I have posted a picture and not sure what other info you need.  Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks!!


texts:
I change the capacitor and cleaned all of the coils inside the interior unit and outside along with the fins and the blades with a professional solution. I had the HVAC refrigerant filled. I cleaned the water pump which circulates the outgoing water  which was filthy. I also replaced the thermostat I don’t know what else it could be but the compressor.

Why would the unit still be running with a compressor that is not working? And also is there a way to check it without replacing it to see if it actually bad?

By the way the electric dryer vent is located directly above the outside unit. Why would anybody put it there is beyond my comprehension?


texts: When installing a 14-30R dryer receptacle, do I need an additional ground connection to the box?

texts:
Thanks to Stackexchange's Hot Network Questions, I found out that my 3-prong dryer outlet was a safety hazard and I'm replacing it with a 4-conductor 14-30R receptacle and matching cord. I've replaced the dryer cord and now I'm working on the receptacle. The circuit feeding the dryer has a 4-wire cable, with the ground wire screwed to the old 3-prong surface-mount receptacle.
I had been thinking that in addition to connecting the ground wire to the new receptacle, I would also need to run a ground wire from the ground terminal on the new receptacle to a ground screw in the metal box I'm mounting the receptacle in. However, the new receptacle seems to have a built-in solution to this problem: the ground terminal has a metal strap connecting it to the mounting plate. So it seems to me that once the receptacle is screwed into the box cover, and the box cover to the box, the box is grounded and therefore I don't need a separate ground wire. Is that correct?
A few other details:

The new receptacle is a Utilitech 2105S.
I am planning to mount it in a RACO #8232 4-inch steel box, surface-mounted on a concrete wall, using a RACO #810C steel box cover.

Here's the metal strap connecting the ground terminal to the outlet's built-in mounting plate, which in turn is screwed into the box cover:


texts: What might be wrong with my sewage ejector pump?

texts:
I'm trying to get my sewage ejector pump in my basement working as it used to.

The problem is when it runs water pumped from it gushes up the water softener's outlet drain. I thought the vent was clogged (a dedicated vent ran out of the side of the house, with an elbow on top to curve it down) but I ran water down it yesterday with the hose and the water seemed to make it all the way to the pit, didn't back out of the vent or anything.

Here's a picture of the drain setup:

I didn't include a picture of the line from the pump because it is between the concrete and interior wall seen at the left of the picture, and I couldn't get a very good picture.

As far as viewing the actual pump, it is underneath a wooden platform that is screwed in the basement bathroom, and I haven't accessed it. It really shouldn't be clogged though, the bathroom hardly gets used, and this has happened in the past week or so. However the pump does run occasionally because some water from the sink/dishwasher above makes it into the pit despite the bathroom it not being used, which is another, less pressing issue but it might be relevant.

The pump is an Everbilt ESE50W-HD if relevant, not giving us trouble until recently, came with the house we bought a year ago. Any advice is appreciated, really thought it was just an issue with the vent.

Edit:

Is it possible that it also relies on the main vent stack that extends out of the roof starting at the right of the picture? I would think an issue with that would present problems with drains in general so I expected it to be localized to this one vent or if not the vent the pump itself. Also the septic tank should not be full as it was emptied last year and there are no other indications of this such as the upstairs toilet backing up (there is no alarm).


texts: How can I secure windows which have been bypassed in my security system because they're open?

texts: I have noticed that I cannot activate my home security system when a window(s) is/are open without bypassing the window(s) which is/are open. If I keep the window open and bypass it, how can I better secure that or those window(s)?


texts: I need help attaching these two wires. Do I just connect black and white? And then to black?