texts: What is the best way to improve counter tops without completely replacing them?

texts:
I would like to re-do our counter tops in the kitchen.  We currently have the laminate on particle board type.  What is the best way to refinish this type of counter top to make it look higher quality, without replacing the whole counter top?

Overlay a higher quality laminate on top with adhesive?
Rip off the laminate and replace with a different material (stone, tile, etc?) This might require cutting or sanding the particle board which I don't mind doing.
Give in and rip it all out and spend the bucks on a higher quality finish?
Don't touch it, call a professional?


texts: the element on my 15 year old GE oven sparked and broke.  I ordered a new one to replace it.  Once i turned the breaker back on i tested it and it got hot.  However in making this repair i noticed on the back of the oven panel the white cotton-looking material that surrounds the wiring looks to be burnt, about the size of a small fist.  I dont know if it was caused by the element or just over time.  is this a hazard or normal?  not interested in a kitchen fire. thanks.


texts: Is there a good way to make a composting watering tank that won't clog 1/16th inch holes?

texts: I'm looking at building a hose attachment (chamber) that I can stuff with comfrey leaves, and some good compost to fertilize my garden some (force water through a pipe with small holes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOpvLFwjS1g), but not clog my watering stick (PVC pipe with lots of holes to distribute water pressure). How can I make a chamber that will prevent pipe clogging with hardware supply equipment? Is this even possible?


texts: why is there a 13 mm limit on hand drilling?

texts: Why are hand drilling tools (corder, cordless, pneumatic etc) limited to 13 mm (1/2 inch) in metal, but not in concrete or wood?


texts: How can I diagnose a power loss problem with a lawn mower?

texts:
My lawn mower runs, but seems to be weak and suffering from a loss of power. In general, it is acting as though it is not getting enough air. I replaced the air filter, but the problem remains the same.

Unfortunately, there are about 5 or 6 things that can cause a loss of power and I am not enthusiastic about just randomly trying to fix things that aren't broken in the hopes that the problem will be randomly solved.

Is there any way I can do a test that will positively tell me why I have a loss of power without having to try random maybe-this-will-work type fixes?

Note that I am experienced taking apart carburetors, so if your answer involves instrumenting the carburetor in some way, I can do that.

Note that the mower is a Honda GCV160 which has an "auto choke" system. I suspect that may be the problem.


texts: I recently had a big bathroom remodel done. We installed a new shower head and valve as well as a new universal multi choice cable body. Anyway, the shower used to heat up quickly and be able to get very hot and last a long time. But now, the water gets warm and dies out after maybe 10 minutes. The shower has been used for a week now.


texts: Are individual electric heaters more efficient to operate than an electric boiler?

texts:
(Edited to provide additional info)

My wife is looking to buy an old house (I'm guessing 19th century) that'll need a lot of renovating, including the heating system. Renovation works will include (some) insulation and modernisation of the electric system.
Actually the part in which we'll be living seems to have been a farm building; what appear to be the old living quarters are in a small attached house that hasn't seen occupation for at least 40y, from the looks of it. Both are built with local limestone (probably raw-hewn "stones" behind a layer of plaster), meaning there's only so much wall insulation you can install without losing precious internal space. But the obligatory energy-loss assessment is surprisingly good, despite the fact there are no double-glass windows except in the attic (thanks, Velux!).

Currently there is a central heating system that runs on fuel oil which also provides the hot water (except in the kitchen), backed up by a fireplace insert (one of those sealed things) in one of the rooms, plus an electric radiator here and there. We're currently in a rented house which also has individual electric heaters. We are used to in-house temperatures that peak at 20°C at most, 18°C being the more usual average; we wouldn't even want it hotter and having to put on 2 extra layers of clothing plus coat before going outside.

Most likely we will be wanting to get rid of the fuel boiler, either ASAP after getting the house or in the year or so following the acquisition. A single fuel delivery is around 1000€ which corresponds to about the number of individual electric heaters we'd need. It would also cover much of the price of an electric replacement for the fuel boiler, depending on whether we'd opt for a model that also provides hot sanitary water (we'd want a hot water boiler anyway).

I've been reading up on the topic and while electric boilers are clearly the least expensive to buy and install (and maintain) they're apparently the most expensive in use, compared to other energy sources for central heating.

I have not found a single text that compares them to a system with individual space heaters. Can anyone here help with that question? In particular, will a central heater burn more energy if you do not heat all rooms all the time (shut off radiators, manually or via a local thermostat)? Will individual heaters heat the room more efficiently for instance because they get hotter (e.g. oil-based ones that are safer and give less dry heat)?

Our budget doesn't really allow for other alternatives that are more economic in use (or greener), like those using wood pellets or a heat pump. I know running costs of such systems will be lower in the long run but you have to be able to finance the initial investment.

Thanks!


texts: I just bought this house. The toilet in the basement water jumps a d gurgles whenever the toilet upstairs is flushed. All fixtures, including the gurgling basement toilet flush/drain good. I also looked into the main cleanout into the main pipe leaving the house and the water is leaving fast and is not pooling up. This problem appears to have existed a long time because I can see the radiator by the basement toilet rusted from water splash.


texts:
I will be extending a GFCI-protected 15A, 120V circuit from my garage to a new plastic shed, just 6 ft away. I will be exiting the garage wall into a PVC service ell, down into the ground via 1/2" PVC conduit, and going underground to the shed via 14/2 UF cable direct-buried 12" deep (permitted by NEC 300.5 Column 4). I will enter the shed via similar means.
Inside the shed, the wiring needs are simple - a couple of outlets in convenient locations, one light, and a light switch. It will be used mostly for storage so I just need lighting and battery charging. All wiring and boxes will be surface mounted as there is no wall thickness to speak of.
Now the question. How should I wire inside the shed?

I know I cannot run exposed, surface mounted NM or UF. Can I simply use metal handy boxes and MC cable?
Or is the shed considered a damp location, and must I use all weatherproof boxes/switches, PVC jacketed MC cable, and threaded cord grips for all connections? (ref this question)

Photo of my shed and garage (new unconnected electrical service on the back of the garage is unrelated):


texts:
I just purchased this breaker box from Home Depot.  I'll be installing it in my RV.  Current will be supplied by a 12VDC to 120VAC, 3000W inverter.  I'll be using Single-Pole Type BR breakers.

Here's a picture of the box:

My current understanding is that I must install a grounding bar to the box.  This is my current understanding of how to connect the breaker to the main supply.:

Here is my understanding of how I would wire in new circuits:

Does this look right?  I would really appreciate your help -- I've been beating myself over the head about this.


texts: Adding an EV Charging Station to an AC Circuit

texts: We just had a air conditioner compressor installed last week. The contractor installed a new 240V 30Amp circuit to the compressor. We are also wanting to install a new EV Charging Station (which is also 240V 30A). Can we ask an electrician to install the EV Charging Station (or to add a 240V NEMA outlet) on the same circuit as the Air Conditioner or do we need to have an entirely new circuit run from the main box for the EV Charging Station?


texts:
I've been having continued problems with the pressure in my home oil boiler rising to 30psi over time (and then leaking out the pressure relief valve).  Technicians have examined it multiple times but have not addressed the issue.

The last technician indicated there were only two ways the pressure in the boiler could increase: through the water intake valve or a faulty expansion tank, and through backpressure from the external hot water heater (heated via a boiler zone).

To validate it wasn't the water intake valve/expansion tank, I shut down the system, closed all incoming and circulating water, then lowered the pressure to zero manually off the pressure release valve.  Once it was at 0, I opened the water intake to restore pressure (it climbed to 15), then shut that valve before turning the system back on.

After a few days, the pressure has again climbed to 30psi.  So, my questions are: was the technician correct that the leak must be coming from the water heater?  Is the only solution replacing the water heater in that case?  Or is there anything else that can cause a pressure build-up?


texts: Trash can 'repositories' in Luxembourg/Central Europe

texts:
We have a question on your collateral cousin's site: Travel. It was voted off-topic but still has interest. Perhaps you can entertain it here?

A traveller was on walk-about in Luxembourg and observed that there is an apparent uniformity with respect to the way rubbish bins are left outside for collection.  It is in a purpose built pit roughly 55 cm/25 inches deep. The photo is uploaded here as a matter of convenience...

We understand that there is practical merit to this arrangement...

Wind is less likely to knock them over;
Feral animals are less likely to knock them over;
They are less likely to fall upon and injure a toddler;

...but these reasons are speculation and not nailed down with the precision that would satisfy an interested person.  There has been other speculation that the placement of rubbish bins is a regulated activity and a different line of thought that it may be expensive (either to install or to place the bins there for collection). Part of a building code for Luxembourg?  I have suggested that there might be a cultural influence like "monkey see monkey do".

Have any of YOU contemplated having this type of rubbish bin 'repository'? What do you call it so as to help Googlers?

Question: is there something peculiar to Luxembourg to cause rubbish bins to be configured this way?  Or more generally, are there other locales where one can see the same uniformity?


texts: Harbor Breeze Ceiling fan lights flash after being on for about 10 minutes or so

texts: We have a Harbor Breeze ceiling fan that has been working perfectly for about 2-3 years. Now, whenever we turn the lights on they start to blink after approximately 10 minutes or so. We changed the bulbs to LED bulbs about a year ago, but it just started the "blinking" a couple months ago. Anyone have any suggestions?


texts: what type of pressure washer fitting is this

texts:
I am trying to fix an old hydro surge pressure washer- trying to cut off the detergent line as a replacement wand with two hoses is not available. The pressure washer works just fine. The attached image shows the 'splitter' on the machine- one input is the detergent, and the other the pressurized water.
what type of fitting should i be using, and how to remove the existing one ?


texts: How can we get the temperature balanced in a dual zone house?

texts: We just moved into a rental home.  There is one HVAC system, but 2 thermostats.  We noticed that when we are upstairs, it sounds like the unit is running constantly.  We cant seem to get the temperature right in this house.


texts:
I recently bought a pine tabletop from Ikea, unfinished but for a very thin layer of their BEHANDLA oil (which I think is just boiled linseed oil). It's going to be used as an office desk.

I bought a bottle of BLO and applied a thin coat over the underside of the desk - very pleased with how it looks. I'll probably apply another coat tonight and then flip it and do the top tomorrow.

However, I am reading of a few downsides to using BLO - lack of physical protection, drying out every few months, possible staining of items even after curing (?) being a few.

So I'm looking for a matte finish that I can apply over the BLO once it dries (maybe this weekend?) that will mitigate these downsides, provide better protection and longevity to the BLO but maintain the nice matte look and the colour of the BLO (without being too much of a burden to apply).

What are my options?


texts: How can I correct a gap between joists and a beam on a new construction deck?

texts:
I am building a new deck. It's a basic 16' by 20'. I installed the posts, ledger, and 2 beams. I am working on the joists. When I hung the joist hangers, I didn't check their contact with the beams from the joists, just for level. Now that all of the joist hangers are hung, some of the joists don't make contact with the center beam. Some of them are off by nearly 1/4".
I know I can pull the joist hangers off and install new ones slightly lower to solve the issue, but I'm trying to avoid that.
I thought about shimming under the joists but I didn't think that would be structurally sound.
Is there a way to fix this without having to take down the joist hangers or the outer beam?


texts: Is there any reason not to use the trap door ash receptacle in my fireplace?

texts:
I never used this trap door. Presumably, it's to dispose of ash on a regular basis.
Is there any particular reason that using this is a bad idea? There's a door/ access panel in the basement to clean out the accumulated ash, which makes me wonder what the benefit is of using this. I can just fill a bucket and carry ash away every fer fires.


texts:
I was dismantling a lamp to make sure everything was alright with it after two bulbs died very prematurely. Found it was a bad batch of bulbs thankfully, but now I'm unsure of how I rewire it together. I know I need to screw the cord on but I don't know which cord should go where. Should have taken photos as I dismantled it!
Any suggestions?
Thanks!


texts: I have a single pole switch that is hooked up the three lights.  The lights will work just fine for about 3 minutes then will flicker.  The first of 3 lights will turn off and the other two will flicker.  If I unhook the first light, the second and third will stay on no problem.  As soon as I hook the first back up the same problem occurs.   Any suggestions?


texts:
I need to turn off the water supply to this washing machine.

What kind of a valve is this? How do I operate it?

Furthermore, why are there three rubber wires that leave the hot and cold water pipes?

Thanks

EDIT:

Maybe these two steel nobs are opening/closing the valves? You see them? It's those two steel colored thingies, one on the right, one on the left.

Furthermore, what are those cylinders for? What the hell is that? I've never seen that before.


texts: How can I reduce drying time for alkyd paint?

texts:
Watching paint dry is a metaphor, but it is really true. It seems to take a long time for it to dry, especially in a humid climate.

I am trying to paint a piece of wood and I have literally been working on this for 3 days and I have just finished the primer, now I am facing at least two more days for the paint. Is there any way to hasten this process?

What happens is I apply the first layer of primer, it takes about day for it to dry. I then sand it, which causes bare spots, then I paint another layer of primer. I wait another day for it to dry. Then sand again, some more smaller bare spots. Paint another layer of primer. Wait another day. Sand again. Block is ok and ready for painting.

I tried putting the block in a microwave oven for 30 seconds. The block got hot, but it did not really dry. The paint was still tacky.

Is there any way to speed up the process?

BTW I am talking about alkyd paints, not latex.


texts: Is silicone caulk an appropriate sealant for keeping smoke out?

texts:
I livery in an old apartment building with neighbors who smoke. I am pretty confident that I have found where the smoke is getting into my apartment:a recessed closet that shared a very thin wall with a matching closet in their apartment. There are thin gaps along the top and bottom of this thin wall.

I have some silicone based caulk laying around and it matches the color of the closet. Is this an appropriate sealant for keeping smoke out?


texts:
What is the minimum width of an egress/entrance door?
Is it 32 or 36 inches?


texts: How can I have the water running to increase pressure on my boiler?

texts: I have just perform a radiator bleeding following youtube video but the pressure dropped to zero in my boiling system vaillant ecotec pro, have a permanent red light in addition to the normal green, displaying an error F22 and now I have no heating and no hot water. However I have checked additional youtube instruction to fix the error I found many but I can´t have the water running to fill the boiler, seen that there is no water running from the pipe loop. Can anyone help please? Thanks.


texts:
The other day, my washing machine produced an error code indicating it was not receiving water. I checked the water supply to the washer, and the hot water line was working but not the cold. It has been very cold the past few nights (-35C) so I thought it could have been a frozen Pex pipe. In the attached picture, you can see two lines running down behind the wall (hot and cold supply) and the gap on the top left between the joist and the drywall where a cold draft is coming in. I put a space heater in the room and was able to thaw.
My question is, is the cold air coming from the gap at the joist the most likely culprit causing my frozen pipe? The two pipes you can see in the picture are exposed to the above ground outside facing wall, and the pipes behind the wall are underground so I kind of thought that the pipe above would be frozen but then when I took the faucet plastic housing plate off I noticed a draft there too (the faucet housing is much lower than the ceiling, it is in line with the washer height). Which lead me to think the draft is coming down from the joist area and then sinking down behind the wall and freezing the pipe somewhere near the faucets or at a metal elbow near the faucets. If the cold air coming from the joist area is the most likely spot causing the freezing at the faucet, what is best to fill that gap (it is about 1 inch wide, approximately)?  I have done some research on the topic, and it sounds like there is supposed to be a gap at the joist to allow air movement and prevent mold. Is this true and, if so, what should I do about the frozen pipe? My other option could be to cut out the drywall and tape the two pipes together to allow radiant heat from the hot supply to keep the cold at a good temperature.
I put the towel there to block the draft temporarily.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts.


texts: Can I replace a drop-in sink with a counter-top mounted sink?

texts:
Would it work to remove a drop-in sink and replace it with a top mounted sink?

I'm thinking that now work would need to be done to the counters themselves besides attaching the new sink. The original hole for the drop-in sink would be covers by the new sink.

Are there any problems with this plan?

The final project would look something like this:


texts: What is the name of the metallic part in this image? (some sort of a brace for vertically connecting wooden blocks around the corner?)

texts: What do you call the metallic part in the image below? Looks like a type of brace for vertically connecting parts around the corner. I'm looking to buy parts like this for a DIY project.


texts: My dishwasher is too short for the counter

texts: We just remodeled our kitchen and the cabinet opening is 35 inches high but newly bought dishwasher is only 31.5 inches. How can I properly install it with the height difference?


texts: Shower without a door and something that could serve as a door and restraint waters

texts: In a shower that is open i.e. it has a glass panel on the side but no door, is there something sold that helps restraining the waters during the shower i.e. mimic a small door?


texts: Likelyhood of lead paint in 1970s build UK

texts:
I'm currently stripping some horrible old anaglypta wallpaper and noticed that under the lining paper there is a bright yellow paint underneath. Some of it is coming away, most of it is not and I'm trying not to disturb it as much as possible.

Next I will use a steamer to get the rest of the lining off but it dawned on me that I might not be taking the necessary precautions. I've heard that it would be extremely unlikely given the age of my property in the UK that the paint would contain lead.

Does anyone know if that might not be the case?


texts: Are there alternatives to a traditional dimmer switch?

texts:
I have just had some 230V GU10 LED downlights installed in my living room (by a professional) to replace a traditional pendant fitting.

At the same time, we added a (mechanical) dimmer, however it gives off a very audible buzz from the switch and the light fittings on anything but full.

The light fittings and bulbs are all rated as dimmable, and the dimmer is specifically designed for mains-voltage LEDs, I'm told that this is an unfortunate by-product of using a mechanical dimmer; every dimmer switch I've ever owned has given off an audible hum, but not to this extent and never from the light fittings as well as the switch. There is a second adjustment fine-tune pot on the back of the dimmer, however this is for adjusting in case of flicker, and does nothing but "shift" the hum to different brightnesses.

So, my question is twofold: is the above valid? Are there alternatives, like some kind of switch with 3 positions (e.g. off/low/hi) that may not give off the same hum?


texts: Tapping 100A feeder at meter for EV charger

texts:
I'd like to tap the feeder coming from my main breaker on the side of the house to supply power to an EV charger. I'd like to size the conductors to support 100A (I'm planning to upgrade my service to 200A or more in the future).

To connect the charger, I have:

100A main breaker + meter on the side of the house

supplying 1 feeder to a subpanel inside for the house circuits

45' of buried schedule 80 2" PVC conduit capped just below the meter leading to a detached garage
Another 45' through the wall cavity of the detached garage (I'd prefer concealing it in the wall if I can)
My AHJ has adopted a mostly  unmodified version of the 2014 NEC

I'm looking for advice on how to do this in a code compliant way. This will be a short-term thing until I can have a professional move/upgrade my service and install a proper subpanel in the garage.

Any help is greatly appreciated!


texts: Bosch Dishwasher (smv50c00gb/06) Seems To Stop At Random

texts:
My bosch dishwasher seems to be stopping at random points, and never starts again, it needs to be plugged out and plugged back in and then it continues as normal.

It's integrated so I pulled it out, checked all pipes and ran it. It started fine and made noise, then It went very quiet after about half an hour.

I left it for another half an hour and then opened the door. It was warm inside and there was water in the bottom. The control panel didn't light up. I pressed the power button and nothing happened. So control panel is dead.

I unplugged it and plugged it back in. Opened the door and the clean display light was blinking (this light indicates a wash is in progress)

I closed the door and the cycle started again!
That cycle finished.

I ran it again but when it stopped there was water in the bottom and the control panel was completely dead. I unplugged it and plugged it back in again and the drying process continued.

Dishwasher is 2013 model.

Any ideas?


texts: Use cement board without plywood for outdoor kitchen

texts:
For outdoor kitchen, do I need to use plywood on top of the framing, then cement board? Or can I put cement board directly mounting to the frame like this?

Source: http://www.homedit.com/how-to-build-outdoor-kitchen-cabinets/

The reason I am asking because cement board doesn't seem that strong to hold. It might crack. But I also rather not to use plywood and THEN cement board because that makes it too thick.


texts:
I had a pool pump motor given to us that isn't working right.
When the power is switched on the shaft jerks to a fixed position, and stays there unless i give it a manual turn.
Once the motor starts spinning it is labored and gets very hot.
It rotates freely when the power is off.

I am trying to figure out how to open the motor to see what kind of shape it's in.

Here's the label:

I don't see any fasteners or anything obvious, and I can't find any instructions or manuals online.

Edit:

There is no capacitor.
Here's a close-up of the front:

And the back:


texts: 15 amp line connects to -> 20 amp line -> 20 amp GFCI -> 15 amp outlet

texts:
Regular 15amp non-GFCI breaker, first circuit stop is outdoor 15amp GFCI outlet, second stop is bathroom 20amp GFCI outlet, last stop is bathroom plain 15amp outlet. Everything is correctly wired.
15a breaker -> 15a GFCI -> 20a GFCI -> 15a plain outlet.
Outside GFCI trips itself and the two downstream as normal. Bathroom GFCI in middle trips plain outlet, but not itself. Between the two GFCIs, there is an unused solid cover outlet box in bathroom above sink, about a foot away from the two bathroom outlets. Inside it a 14-gage (15amp) Romex enters (from outside GFCI), a 12-gage (20amp) romex exits, and their wires are connected correctly by colors. Then the 12-gage line continues to the 20amp bathroom GFCI, then plain wires connect the 20amp GFCI to the 15amp plain outlet.
15a breaker -> 14-gage romex -> 15a GFCI -> 14-gage romex -> 14-gage romex connects to 12-gage Romex -> 12-gage romex -> 20a GFCI -> wiring from 20a GFCI connects to 15a plain outlet.

Would replacing the 20amp bathroom GFCI with a 15amp GFCI solve this?
Is a 15amp GFCI effective / safe to use in bathroom on that 12-gage romex in the middle? I know it's legal for 15a outlets to be on 20a circuit, but will a 15A GFCI work correctly?
Will the outside GFCI be enough to trip bathroom outlets off if bad things happen?
Or do I have to color the air blue trying to fish 14-gage romex behind drywall to replace the 12-gage romex?
Or...?


texts: Electric (120),only getting 70 volts,after breaker box

texts: From pole to breaker box got 120 and 112,112 changes to only 70 volts,what causes this problem?


texts: How is the minimum conductor size (of some type) for a certain run determined?

texts:
I have a 200A service in a garage.  I would like to run cable from this to a 100A service in a house.  I would also like to run from this to a separate 50A service in the house which will supply generator-backed-up power.  Both runs will be single-phase 240V.  The run lengths are no greater than 160'.  The cables will run through buried PVC conduit.

How do I determine a suitable conductor size for these cables?

Considering ampacity alone, I would expect to be able to use #3 copper (SER or THHN) or #1 aluminum (SE) or #2 aluminum (THHN) for the 100A run.

By the same logic, for the 50A run, #6 copper (NM) or #8 copper (SE or THHN) or #6 aluminum (SE or THHN) or #8 aluminum (NM).

However, considering the voltage drop over 160', large conductors seem indicated.

To achieve a less than a 3% voltage drop for the 100A run, it seems like #2 copper (Vdrop 2.6%) or 1/0 aluminum (Vdrop 2.7%) will be required.  For the 50A run, #6 NM copper (Vdrop 3%) or #3 SE aluminum (Vdrop 2.7%).

Another factor I know matters but that I don't know how to evaluate is the temperature at the breaker terminals.  For example, will #2 copper in the 100A run remain below the required 60C or 75C when actual load approaches 100A?

I'm also not sure whether 3% is the right magic number to select for Vdrop.  It seems allowed (encouraged?) to accept a 5% Vdrop in situations like this one.  Yet allowing even 3% loss on a 100A line seems like a lot of wasted power.  Have I understood this part of the decision properly?

And, not being a professional, I wonder if there are further questions I should be asking that I'm not even aware of.

So, what are the proper conductors for this scenario and why?  I am interested in both code compliance as well as good performance of the resulting system (should those two not necessarily be the same).

Thanks.


texts:
I've got this going on. Can anyone take me through the steps on how to fix this situation?

Edit: Alright I got up there with a ladder and took this video. Can anyone take a look at the video and give me a prescription of what I need to do?

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvz3dsbG0a0&feature=youtu.be

Picture:


texts: Ring or radial circuit for garage workshop

texts:
I plan to run electricity to my detached garage workshop. The electrician I found had a look at the wiring in the garage and said I have to use ring circuit otherwise the fuse will trip.
My current wiring in the garage is the a 2.5 mm T&E cable going through a junction box which splits into two radial circuit of sockets (2 and 5 sockets respectively). The maximum load I calculated is around 3.5 KW. The electrician intends to use a 16 A MCB for the sockets. What I don't understand is why making it into a ring circuit will not trip the breaker but my current setup will, providing the load is the same and below the MCB.


texts: Replaced fluorescent tubes with LED tubes, the LEDs only turn on when tapped

texts:
I bought FEIT replacement LED tubes at Costco, item number T48/840/LED/2, and swapped them in for fluorescent tubes (the thinner style).  When I switch them on, the pairs of LEDs barely illuminate.  They have an faintly-imperceptible glow but are essentially off.

When I give a good tap with my fingers on the end of the fixture on just one of the tubes in a pair, the pair of bulbs immediately lights up and stays on until I switch the lights off.  Then it's back to the original state.

These are supposed to be plug-and-play bulbs with no need to bypass the fixture's ballast.  The ballast says 120V/0.80A 50/60Hz, it's made by Keystone, part number KTEB-232RIS-1-TP-SL.

What might be the problem such that it is fixed every time by tapping the end of the fixture?


texts: Need help to Determine the Size a Subpanel

texts:
The subpanel will have ac/spa/220v plug. 30+50+40=120 amp
Want would be the main breaker for amperage? 100 or 125 amperage?
I know the panel will be a 125 amp but I don't want a too big panel on the wall.
thanks for info


texts: Mounting a 23kg 55" tv to stud wall on full motion mount?? UK

texts:
I've read so many forums and advice pages about this but have seen nothing definitive!

I have a 23kg 55" tv and a full motion mount that claims it can hold 40kg+

I think my walls are plasterboard with studs but I'm not 100% certain... If I can confirm, through drilling little test holes, that there are studs are either or both of the following options ok:

1) if studs align perfectly with tv mount then just drill into wooden studs and mount on them with 4 x corner holes of tv mount, then the 2 middle holes of tv mount use heavy duty gripit plasterboard fixings.

2) if studs don't align, or just anyway, use something like 18mm ply/mdf to span all available studs behind tv, fix that in with numerous screws into wooden studs, then screw tv mount into the ply. < If I use this option should I go all the way through wood and plasterboard with the tv mount fixings or not?

Help hugely appreciated. I just want to avoid having to cut out the whole wall and but battens or additional studs in then replastering because that is waaay outside of my experience level. Thanks


texts: What is the impact of a backwards connected hot water radiator?

texts: When building a hot water heating system the plumber has connected one of the hot water radiators backwards, i.e., the loop comes in at the bottom of the radiator and leaves the radiator on the other side at the top. Unfortunately, this has been discovered only weeks after the installation and it's not easy to fix (there is no access to the pipes making up the loop anymore). What is the impact of such a backward installation? Does it affect the heating, efficiency or maintenance?


texts: AFCI Circuit Breaker trips after turn on any light on different circuit

texts:
The last week an electrical service person came to update the circuit breakers from regular to AFCI. But they could not find the root of the problem and they will come again in one week but I wanted to ask here for suggestions that maybe can help to that persons and avoid mistakes an check they make according the latest NEC.

With regular circuits there is no problem at all. Everything is working perfectly. Then what about they tested here are my questions:

1.-For example they replaced the kitchen circuit breaker to AFCI but making tests that persons they found that if you turn on any light or connect anything  in any outlet and you turn on, then the foyer trips the new kitchen AFCI. The AFCI does not trip unless you turn on anything on foyer.
2.-They made the opposite test. Connect the AFCI to the foyer and a regular circuit breaker in the kitchen and the same if you turn on anything in the kitchen then that trips now the foyer.
3.-The same between the dinning room and the garage lights. After put any AFCI circuit breaker on any circuit then the regular circuit will trip the AFCI. Like point 1 but now between garage and dining room.
4.-About the living room is more complex maybe because if they connect an AFCI circuit breaker in living room it trips always it never turns on. They disconnected all neutrals from main box panel and also they switched off all breakers at home leaving just on the living rooms and it trips. In point 1,2 and 3 the AFCI turns on and give power to the correspondent section of the home and trips only when you turn on any light or anything in the section of the regular circuit breaker but here in point 4 in living room is different because the AFCI trips since the beginning and including like I mentioned before they switched off each breaker and dissconected all neutrals on the main box in other word all the home without electricity except the living room AFCI circuit and it trips always.

What could be the root of the problems? For example in point 1,2 and 3 could be a shared neutral problem? They made a suggestion that maybe this could be the problem and maybe this could be solved with a siemens q220afc 2 pole AFCI circuit breaker to use with shared neutrals or what I need to inspect or suggest to that persons now they come to check?

In point 4 is strange because it trips always and including being the only circuit alive in the test.

I hope someone can help to give me tips here to have knowledge and supervise these persons do the right thing.

Thank you


texts: Removing Tuck Tape from an unfinished window frame

texts:
The builder taped the vapour barrier to the window frames in my basement.  Is this normal?  I attempted to peal it off but the glue residue is stuck to the wood.

Any suggestions on how I can remove it?  Is it possible to prime over the tape?


texts: I want to run a small kiln off a living room circuit with ext cord out to the yard.

texts: I want to run a small kiln. The specs say 115V, 15A, Amp fuse size 20, wire 12, plug type 5-20P. Can I plug into a regular household circuit?


texts: Looking to see if I'm wiring a multiwire branch circuit correctly

texts:
Currently working on running power from my house out to my shed.  Planning on running four THWN conductors (B,W,G,R) for two 20A circuits with no subpanel, which is my understanding of the maximum of what is allowed without doing a panel (and will be plenty for me).
The electrician I was using to help me kept telling me things that didn't match the code so I've been trying to do the necessary research to complete the project by myself.  I have very little electrical experience prior to this.
Here's an expertly drawn diagram of what I think I need to do:

Just in case my stellar art skills aren't enough, I'll try to explain my plan/questions:
I do know I need a disconnect in the shed. I plan to use a double pole switch right after the junction box but didn't draw it to make things a little less confusing.
Power coming into the shed via THWN conductors will transition to 12/3 cable running to a three-way switch, as well as 12/2 cable running to a single pole switch, both in the same location.  Again I didn't draw the separate ground/neutrals from the JB to reduce clutter.
I understand that anything in this circuit needs to be GFCI protected so I plan on making (at least) the first receptacle in each leg GFCI.  The shed is split into two parts, so essentially each side will have a total of 4 outlets, each with a 20A feed. I plan to run everything I need, including lights out of these outlets.  Each separate circuit has the first GFCI feeding a regular receptacle off of its "LOAD" terminals.
My questions are:
Since there is only one neutral wire coming in, is it essentially connected together throughout the whole circuit?  Will running it in different directions from where everything is connected at the two switches cause any faults with the GFCI receptacles?
Also I know that on shared ground systems that the neutrals have to be pigtailed to receptacles down the line.  If that is the case and the neutral is considered shared, do I instead need to use all GFCI outlets and pigtail the connections to the "LINE" side of each pair?


texts: Covering a 30-in x 7ft space that's suited for a door?

texts:
We have a bedroom with 30-inch x 7-ft opening that takes me to a bathroom and a closet. This opening is ideal for a door, but it's solid concrete and very difficult to drill.

So I was thinking of putting something that would cover this hole, but is easy to install. I was thinking of an accordion door or something very simple, but I don't know if these exist for this type of application. I prefer not having to drill a frame into the concrete.

This connects to a bathroom, so there's no need for something as sophisticated as a door. The only reason I wanted to cover it is because the bedroom has an A/C so the air escapes to the bathroom and closet, and it becomes very inefficient.

Any suggestions are appreciated.


texts: What are Safe Allowances for Drilling into Rafters?

texts:
I plan to drill a hole for a screw into one of my (oversized) rafters near its bottom end where it meets the wall, into the narrow face pointing in towards the house. It will hold a negligible amount of weight but will mostly have transverse forces applied to it via pulleys.

Is there a basic formula or standard to determine how wide the screw can be and how deep it is allowed to penetrate the wood to not compromise the integrity of the rafter?

In my case I have pine rafters that are 3 3/8" x 9". They each have a collar tie but no ceiling joists as there is no 2nd floor. They are about 12' long.


texts: Can you create wood conditioner from DIY wood sealant?

texts:
I'm working on staining an old bookshelf, and I've worked on creating my own DIY wood stain and sealant (save money + no VOCs + Feels good). I created my own wood stain already by using steel wool and vinegar and I'm now working on the sealant/conditioner. I'm planning to go with this recipe (Canola oil and vinegar).

My problem is the pre-stain conditioner. I'm working with a wood that blotches (I found out the hard way). I've seen that you can thin out regular wood sealants with a variety of substances.

I have a few ideas and I wonder if someone more experienced could tell me the best way to get a good wood conditioner. Should I:

Gently apply a low amount of the oil/vinegar sealant than I would for the finishing seal?
Adjust the ratio of oil-to-vinegar to make it a more suitable conditioner? It's current 3:1 oil-to-vinegar, with oil being more of a conditioner and vinegar being for stain removal (Source)
Add water to the mixture to dilute it? Something else maybe?


texts: Using just cement to plug a narrow channel/hole

texts:
I know that ideal thing is to use concrete, a mix of cement and aggregate (usually sand and gravel/rocks. However I have a bag of cement that's not going to go to any use, and my aim is just to cover a hole or channel that exists between concrete ground and a fence. The channel is only about 15 cm (6 inches) wide and will most likely not have any weight placed on it. The channel is about half a foot deep, so what I thought of doing is to fill the channel as high as possible with dirt and rocks, and then mix up cement with water just to smoothly cover the surface.

My main aim here is to basically plug the gap were things can fall between the fence and concrete ground, such as rubbish. Will cement and water be satisfactory for this job? I don't have any sand, but I can (if it's advisable) try to mix up some small rocks with the cement, so that the mix will basically be 1 part gravel to one part cement. Or do I even need the gravel? As I said, I'm just trying to plug a hole/channel in the ground, and I intend to fill most of it with medium sized rocks before I apply the cement anyway.

I don't know much about concrete/cement/aggregate. I only know that the cement by itself is useless in most applications because the strength comes from the aggregate, not the cement, which I understand is just a binder. However in this case where I'm just plugging a gap I'm wondering if this is OK.


texts: Why is my fire extinguisher emptied after one use?

texts:
I'm planning to make a small DIY gas tank and I saw people using old or used fire extinguishers but I don't understand why my fire extinguisher can't hold pressure after one use.

I have this fire extinguisher about 3 years and it was holding pressure but few weeks ago my home workshop caught fire from a lithium ion battery explosion. I used my fire extinguisher to control fire but I only used a little bit. After I used it the pressure gauge showed half of the pressure remained but after few weeks pressure slowly leaked to zero.

Do all fire extinguishers do that or is mine just a cheap one?

Also I must add: My fire extinguisher is refillable (instructions say it can be refilled by the manufacturer). I'm thinking maybe they have a special method for locking the mechanism? Because leakage happened after I removed the safety pin. Maybe the company added a mechanism so people have to send their fire extinguisher to the company after use?


texts: How to install a chandelier onto a pancake box?

texts: We removed a ceiling fan that was installed on a pancake box that is mounted directly to the joists in the ceiling/attic. The bolt on the new chandelier is too long to be fit inside the pancake box and have the canopy rest flush to the ceiling. We considered cutting the threaded bolt that the wires pull through but we'd have to cut it so short it felt like there may be another option?


texts: What is causing the minor leak in flex supply line under sink?

texts:
I had new shutoffs and new flex supply lines installed by a professional plumber a few months ago.  Today, I installed a new faucet because mine was very old and starting to fail.  I installed everything successfuly however I am now noticing an extremely minor leak in my cold water supply line.  Basically, I can run the water for 5 minutes and nothing would happen but when I shut off the water at the faucet, a few seconds later, I get a tiny drop of water build and drip from the area I outlined below.

I didn't disconnect the supply lines from the shutoff values when installing the new facuet so I figured that maybe I losened it slightly by mistake during installation.  I tightened it as much as I could, just to be safe, but the problem seems to still be happening.

Any ideas?


texts: Trying to replace the stuff behind a bathroom knob, nothing was as expected from how-to's. Here's what we pulled out. What do we replace it with?

texts:
We had a great deal of trouble with what seems to have been a stripped screw, eventually we were able to pull out the mechanism with pliers. Here is what we pulled out. It is unlike anything expected per any how to articles or videos we watched first. In particular, there is no hex nut that needed unscrewing to pull out a thing behind it using the shower valve socket wrench we'd bought.

We are just not sure what this is, what vocabulary to use to find out what we need to buy to replace it. We go to Lowes and ask for a... what?
Meanwhile, related issue, even though we have shut down the water in the house, there is still a constant drip coming through where this was attached to the plumbing system. So we believe we cannot turn the water back on or it will simply gush freely. Any idea why the water seems to be slowed to a trickle rather than shut completely off? We've got that thing shut tight as seems humanly possible. Is there likely to be anything we can do about it?


texts: Light switch with power to the light first

texts: Can I get power from the switch when power goes into the light first? I would like to add another light with a separate switch.


texts: My porch was just built today.  They stained it, but don't like the seams.  Can I caulk with regular wood filler, or silicone, since it is outside?  I guess I will paint over the stain.


texts: How do I reconnect a ceiling fan light chain?

texts: A recent pull of a ceiling fan light chain caused the chain and its connector to came completely out.  Is there an easy way to reconnect the chain?  Does the electricity need to be turned off completely to avoid a risk of electrical shock?


texts:
Got a new Honeywell WiFi thermostat and need to add a common.  Currently the 3 common wires per the diagram (BL, BK, GY) are wired to one side of the AC Unit.  Is there an issue if I piggy back a common off those wires (add a new wire to the wire nutted bundle).

Thanks!


texts: Replacing receptacle, ground and neutral are connected

texts:
My house was built in 1974. I have doubts the wiring has changed since then (aluminum everywhere) and have already noticed some bad things (downstairs potlights on same breaker as upstairs living room!?!?)

I bought some tamper/USB sockets to install in my bedroom, two to be exact. I installed the first one with success. Then I proceeded to remove the second outlet, to replace it, and noticed it was a split receptacle (at least I thought). It was a 3 prong, and had two hot and two neutral connections. I figured someone just put this on two circuits for some reason, so I decided to just use one.

So I safely marretted one neutral and one hot (not together of course!) which appeared to be coming from the same sheath, and used the other two for the new receptacle. I flipped on the breaker and not only did the new receptacle not turn on, but the other one I had just installed was now off.

This lead me to believe that the second receptacle was daisy-chained off the first one. But it was really confusing. I then discovered some stuff and having gone from electrical college to programming, I forget what is good and bad here, but I am sure there is a lot of bad.

My Hot 1 has 120VAC between everything. Hot1 to Hot2, Netural1, Neutral2, and yes, ground.

My Neutral 1 is also shorted to ground.

These are all confirmed via my DVM. What do I do? I googled this and someone said

  It's called a bootlegged ground. This is commonly done in older houses that had a two prong receptacle and was updated to a three prong receptacle. The old house didn't have a ground and this tricks the inspector's electric checker, so your house passes inspection.


texts: Railing placement and removable railing systems

texts:
I need a removable railing on my bottom basement steps.  There is currently no railing but in order to move furniture or anything large downstairs I'm gonna need a removable railing.

It doesn't need to be pretty but I'm fairly certain I need one on the non-foundation wall side.

1) per the UDC, can I have a railing on the foundation wall and avoid having one where the drop off is (see picture)

2) if I need to have one opposite the foundation wall is there a "kit" that I can install vs building one?


texts: Stuck plastic tile to basement concrete floor

texts:
I have a basement with some plastic or vinyl tile. The tile is cemented onto the floor. I need to remove it all.

I've checked several YouTube videos about this but they only show ideal situations. My situation is terrible! The tiles are cemented onto the concrete so strongly that the only way I can get them up is by ramming a scraper (razor blade type) at the edges, over and over. It takes about ten minutes for each 12"x12" tile. It's incredibly slow and tiring (and monotonous).

There must be a better way. Chemical? Heat? I tried a heat gun but it did nothing to help. This adhesive is very strong and stubborn.

Does anyone know a trick for this?

BTW I sent in a sample to a lab and luckily it is not asbestos.


texts: Is it common and possible to slightly reroute a drain/ vent in order to conceal it in the exterior wall?

texts:
As you can see in the picture I am changing the position of the bath tub and the position of the sink.
After asking around here I have come to the conclusion that I probably have a drain and a vent somewhere in a wall that I was planning to remove (shown replaced with a pane of glass in the second picture)
The third picture shows what I am assuming is the drain that I would like to reroute in order to conceal it in the wall for its basement portion. Is it possible to install a fitting that would push the lower segment of the drain into the exterior wall? so I can hide it ?
Here is the current layout

and here is the new layout

and here is how I believe that the drain is positioned
it also explains the existing wall between the toilet and the bath tub
this wall is blocking the light and it uselessly segments the space in the room

Update after demolishing the wall between the toilet and the sink
Existing route for the pipes

New route for the pipes


texts: Is this a "fill" valve and how do I use it?

texts: Is the valve in the picture a fill valve? And if so, does its use require loosening the screw at the top?


texts: High humidity in bedroom and condensation

texts:
I have a Bungalow build 1950s cavity walls not sure if they have insulation in the cavity.

Suffering from really high humidity in main bedroom 74% overnight dropping to 59/60 in day. Window and external wall is dripping in the morning with moisture. Also for the first time in 5 years had mold in the 2 bottom corners. Not too sure how to combat this.

Tried sleeping with window open even though its freezing in UK at this time but still have the issue.

There is an old fire place that has been boarded over thinking of adding a vent into that to help with airflow?

Also maybe adding thermal wallpaper wallrock to that wall to keep it warm?

Dont suffer with this anywhere else in the house? Any ideas appreciated!


texts: What exactly is a PAR type LED lamp, how does it differ from R/BR type LED & CFL lamps?

texts:
I am in the process of replacing my incandescent bulbs with more efficient alternatives. My home is about 14 years old, I've owned it for a little over three years. It seems most of the bulbs that it "came with" are original, and since I purchased the house almost every tungsten bulb in a built-in fixture ended up burning out. In particular were the R40 ceiling floods, of which I have 16 in total in the interior. I'd ignored many of them, as I rarely turned most of them on, however when three in my kitchen burned out within a weeks period, I up and replaced the whole lot with EcoSmart (made by Lighting Science) R30 CFL's that offer around 800 lumens.

The initial difference was HUGE. The 14 year old bulbs were extremely dim and VERY orange in color. The CFLs, when fully warmed up, are very nice and bright. I chose cooler colors (3500k and 5000k) which light the place much more naturally (at least to my eyes). The caveat with CFL, as I am learning, is they do not perform well in cooler temperatures. I try to use my heater as little as possible in the winter, generally only heating when the interior temperature drops below 60-64 degrees. All of the CFL R30s I purchased have a common problem, which seems to be common across brands as I've tried TCP, Phillips, and others: Very long warmup time, very low lumens during warmup, and an extreme magenta hue during warmup. The bulbs also do not seem to reach full brightness, and the way the reflectors are designed, the shape of the spiral inside the R30 "can" is clearly visible and appears rather dark.

I've decided to switch to LED, despite the cost. In trying out a few from the local store, they seem far superior to CFL. They start instantly, always produce the same color, are fully dimmable (and seem to dim smoothly unlike CFL), and don't seem to be affected by temperature. I've only ever used R or BR type, however all of the ones at the local store in the color temperatures I prefer are PAR type. The BR type LED floods seem to produce similar quality and diffused light to the CFL's, but the only color I can find are 2700K. What exactly is the difference between an R/BR type flood and a PAR type flood? Additionally, what are the differences between PAR30, PAR38, etc? Are PAR type good for indoor use (in the past, I'd only ever seen a few mentions that PAR type were required for outdoor scenarios, indicating they were better sealed against weather)?


texts: Do I need to get an engineer for badly poured conctrete basement floor?

texts: I am having a new home built on Cape Cod. The day they poured the concrete floor a storm was predicted and it rained and snowed that night. The floors are a mess, pitted, uneven etc. The builder finally looked at them after the house is framed and enclosed and said they were not acceptable and they would have them fixed but probably not for several months. I am enclosing pictures (the best I could do). I am very concerned that they might do some quick fix that will not last more than a couple of years. I don't know how I should proceed.! Should I get an engineer to look at them? Ever since there has been standing water in the basement and I'm not sure what harm that has done.


texts: GFCI equipped machines into GFCI receptacle

texts:
I have a personal bowling ball cleaning machine that states "plug to a non-GFCI outlet" which means it has built-in GFCI however, in the area I am living, all receptacles must be GFCI protected and this comes from the main breaker board to every receptacle in the facility.  So whenever the machine is plugged in, the breaker goes off.

Firstly, are GFCI equipped machines supposed to work when plugged into GFCI protected circuit?  If not, is there a way to connect GFCI equipment to GFCI receptacle by by-passing through, say a transformer, between the cleaning machine and the receptacle?  I want to stay away from doing tricks at the receptacle level as I would think the circuit itself will detect and will not work.

I really need help here, thank you so much for any help you can give me in advance!


texts:
MY bathroom vent goes directly into the attic space,no pipe. It is getting warmer outside and my attic is very hot. When the Air conditioning is turned on the vent fan drips.
How can I fix this?


texts: How should I drain water from a basement dehumidifier?

texts:
Our basement has had difficulty with water in the past, from intrusions through the side (fixed by gutters) and chimneys (fixed by chimney caps). Most recently, however, water has been collecting on and dripping from cold water pipes and the basement refrigerator on to the concrete floor below. The amount of water isn't massive, but it's significant enough to cause a problem in and around the affected areas.

The problem, obviously, is humidity. We have placed a 30 pint Frigidaire dehumidifier in the basement, but the problem is that on humid days 30 pints doesn't go very far. We have to empty it some days twice, other days three or four times in a 24 hour period.

Update: Sorry, part of my description got cut off. The dehumidifier can be hooked up to a drain unit, but I'm not sure where or how to drain the water safely. We don't have a basement drain, the sump area lacks a pump and also is where the radon remediation system works, and so the only thing I can think of is to put the dehumidifier on a shelf and gravity drain it with a garden hose out a window, which obviously isn't ideal from an aesthetic standpoint.

So, suggestions welcome.


texts: I have a small propane bbq. My last home had a propane tank for home use (mainly fireplace), so I had a line installed from the home tank to my deck so I could utilize the unlimited propane supply. I remember having to change out a valve in the bbq, and I believe also use a different hose. I now live in a house with natural gas with a line to the deck. My question is will I need to make further changes to the bbq for this to work? My sense is that, even though it was a "home supply" of propane, it's still not the same as a home supply of natural gas but I've tried pretty extensive googling and all I can find is in relation to switching a small propane tank bbq to gas ... I can find nothing about the difference between home propane tank hook-up and natural gas.


texts: what could cause my gfci to randomly trip?

texts:
I'm in the process of finishing my basement, and am almost done with the electrical rough-in. The whole thing is open studs at this time, so any sort of reconfiguration is easily possible.

I have a 20amp AFCI circuit breaker supplying the bathroom's GFCI receptacle, all with 12 gauge wires. This receptacle then supplies power to the light and fan via a double gang box.

Intermittently and randomly, the GFCI trips itself, but only when either the fan or light switches are toggled. It can go several dozen toggles with no issue, and then suddenly trip. This can happen either with the fan or light switch; I haven't had any luck identifying exactly why this happens.

The GFCI outlet is around 7 years old (came with the house; I repurposed it in the bathroom). Load and line are set correctly, and the switches are also wired correctly.

Is there anything I need to specifically look for, to help identify why this happens, and to avoid it in the future?


texts: Solving poor upstairs airflow with a fan-powered vent

texts:
In my 100+ year old 2-story house, it's quite warm upstairs.  One bedroom has a duct blowing in up from the air handler in the basement, and a return on the opposite side of the room.  The second bedroom has a duct blowing in, but no return.  The upstairs bathroom across the hall has a return, but no duct blowing in.  There is a third room some 15 ft. down the hall from the bedrooms, 10 ft. down the hall from the bathroom, which is open on one side as a loft above a downstairs room.

Neither bedroom upstairs has sufficient airflow.  We've tried closing all the vents downstairs, but this didn't help much.  I don't believe it's reasonably possible to run additional duct work.  The second bedroom I'm assuming is a lost cause.  Fortunately, it's the guest room and isn't regularly occupied.  The first bedroom however, we need to fix.

As sort of a bandaid on the situation, I'm considering building some small wooden boxes with fans which will slide into the duct work, replacing the existing vents. I plan to suck more air upstairs this way.  If this isn't sufficient, I plan to build some into the return vents as well, blowing back down into the duct.

Other than that, "this may not work", do you see any issues with trying?  I'm also open to other crafty ideas that don't involve ripping out walls at this time.  :-)  Thanks.


texts: I need to anchor a standard where there is a one-inch hole in the drywall

texts: While I was putting in anchors to hold a shelf standard I had one that didn't install right and I was left with a one-inch hole. Some kind of anchor or support absolutely has to go there. It's too small for me to go inserting a piece of lumber behind it (not a good place for it either) and I can't find an anchor that would hold to a hole that size.


texts: What should I do to increase the dimming range of LED bulbs?

texts:
We  started doing most of our homes in LED last year.  I am a big dimmer fan and would pretty much put a dimmer on any light switch.  One thing that I haven't gotten down is the dimming range of the LED vs what I am used to with the incandescent lights.  To me when I have LEDs all the way at the lowest setting they are still at 60-70%.

I understand that most new dimmers have an adjustable switch for the dimming range and I have tried setting these to low.

What I would like is a recommendation on the type of bulb (or what to look for in dimmable LEDs) and the type of dimmer switch?   The end game is to get the LEDs to react more like the traditional dimmed bulb so that you can go from mood lighting to flood lighting.

Note:  I have done an array of testing over the past week with 3 different dimmers and 6 different bulbs.  I found that the dimmers made little to no difference.  The bulbs made a bit of a difference but not close to an incandescent.  What is funny with the bulbs that did the best... they blinked when turned all the way up.


texts: How do I remove dried paint from ceramic tiles and the bathtub?

texts:
The previous owner didn't bother to lay down a dropcloth when painting the bathroom, and there are multiple, small paint stains on the ceramic tile and bathtub.  What is the best way to remove them?

The only thing I can think of is to scrape it off with a razor blade, but I am afraid that it will leave scratches that are uglier than the paint stains.

Edit: Note that the stains are several years old.


texts: 60 amp sub panel, 100 ft away from main panel. Grounding rod or not?

texts:
Adding a 60amp sub panel (4breakers) on the 2nd floor for a dehumidification  system and some misc.  Running 100 feet of 6/3 wire.  I am assuming that I can use the ground wire in the 6/3 from that sub panel ground bar to the main panel ground bar. This is not in a separate building so I don’t think NEC requires grounding rods.
And if so does anyone know the limitation on the length of a ground wire if indeed a separate one is required for the panel itself.  Washington country Maryland.


texts: How do I know when my wooden floor has fully dried out post-flood?

texts:
So I had a bit of a flood (tap overflowing) and the wooden floor in my house was under an inch of water for a few hours. It's drying out now, and is a bit warped but otherwise fine.  I need to wait until it's dry to assess the damage and move the furniture back downstairs, but what I don't know is how to tell when it's dried out.  What moisture content should the floor have?  What should I measure it with?

If I need to provide more details etc. then let me know.  All answers/links to relevant info will be much appreciated!


texts: I am attempting to replace a single pole light switch for the outside garage light with a digital timer as there no street lights. It is located in a two gang box which has another switch that operates a  two way.  there are five cables in the box. One is a four wire cable that connects the two way switch. I've isolated the wires that operate the single pole switch for the outside light.  The digital timer has four wires, black, red, white and ground. The directions state it will not work properly if not connected to a four wire cable.  Any idea how to wire the digital timer?  The timer is a Utilitech #0141224, model #UTDT9IW7.


texts: How do I prevent ice dams from forming on the eaves of an addition?

texts:
I added an addition several years age and now have eaves that form ice dams   I understand that ventilating the attic may help but that is not an option. I have tried heated wires on the lower edge of the shingles but they are not durable and very short life.

I am looking for ways to do something from the exterior side of the roof and considering galvanized or aluminum flashing at the lower 18" of the shingles.
Any thoughts or ideas?


texts:
New homeowner of a 1944 house here. My AC is assaulting some of my house and is barely leaking out of the vents in other rooms. Particularly one bedroom is not getting any cooling. I took off the vent and can't feel any obstructions.

I found some strange levers on the ceiling in my basement on the ducts that come from the boiler unit and they are turned all which ways:

I tried having someone stand near various vents and turning them all which ways, but she couldn't really tell an effect for most of them. The one labeled MBR definitely controls the master bedroom and when I turn it the airflow drops out of the bedroom, but it doesn't show up in the other two bedrooms.

What direction should these levers be in? Is it "closed or not closed" or is it finer grained than that? How can I deterministically tell what these do?


texts: Has anyone ever mixed fiberglas strands into drywall mud?

texts: Has anyone mixed 3/8" loose fiberglass strands into drywall mud. I restore boats for a living and we commonly mix these fiberglass strands into the resin to produce a workable paste.  This can then be worked with a putty knife. These fiberglass strands are commonly called "chop" and are the same fiberglass which is being put into concrete.  I see no reason why they would not reinforce drywall mud also. I am doing some test pieces with 1/2" drywall to determine if this is a good idea or if I am out is left field. Please comment.


texts: How do I get leftover tape stickiness off of plastic surfaces?

texts:
Okay...there's kind of a long story behind it, but I have left-over stickiness on the front of my alarm clock because it was bright, and I didn't notice a switch on it. It's from scotch tape that's been removed, and it's making the alarm clock rather hard to read.

I've tried cleaning it with a wet cloth, but it wouldn't get it off. I also tried scrapping it off with various things, but I couldn't get stuff flat enough so it only took off little strips. (Some things took off some of the alarm clock's plastic too...)

Any tips would be appreciated, and the easier/cheaper, the better.


texts: Can one hinge allow for a flat 180° without a gap and an offset at 90° (see drawing)?

texts:
I cannot visualize how a hinge can have two pieces of wood butted together with no gap and allow one piece to sit inside the other when at 90°

Note that the underside of the wood cannot have any protrusions, so the hinge cannot go there. Also, this is 1/4"|6mm boards, so I'm planning on gluing the hinge to the wood

This feels like a solved problem, but I don't know what to look for

Cheers

UPDATE: I'm going with Jasen's answer: making the planks themselves the hinge


texts: New bathroom fan has a 2 prong plug. Old fan was straight wired. How do I convert?

texts: My new exhaust fan has a 2 prong plug, my old fan was straight wired so I don't have a receiver. How do I convert to straight wire?


texts: Are there any DIY polyurethane foam insulation options available?

texts:
I recently had a leak (hurricane Sandy) in an "eave"-like space that required the removal of a part of my drywall ceiling. All of the insulation that was above the ceiling was drenched. To replace it, I was wondering if it would be better to use the poly spray foam insulation instead of the fiberglass stuff.

I've seen "Great Stuff" advertised as an insulator, but it doesn't seem like it would cover much surface area.

What are my options here?


texts: How to close a doorway between two apartments?

texts:
I own two adjacent condo units and I opened a small doorway (24"x80") on the common wall for convenience.

Now I've sold one of the units and need to close the doorway. I recall the wall was simply double drywall on both sides.

My question is: How to close such a large opening? If I can still use drywall, how to secure the pieces to the rest of the wall?

One extra bit of info: one side of the wall was covered by large mirror glasses, and I can easily reattached one glass piece to conceal whatever I do with the doorway (I won't leave it open, of course). But other side of the wall is simply wall-papered so I have to come up with a good way.


texts: Can an old-cement garage floor be painted in sections?

texts:
This question is related to our other question about relocation of our hot water heater. The current plan is to put the new water heater in the garage on the cement floor, so our concern is how to prepare the area where the new water heater will reside. So, initially, we may only paint the area under the tank. There's too much stuff in the garage to paint the whole floor all at once.
So this question results from the confluence of two projects. The garage floor as it is, is abysmal, so we want to make it better. It has not been painted. The cement must be several decades old. (The house was built in 1977, but the cement floor was added later. We believe that the area was initially a carport with crushed rock.)
I am having a difficult time thinking of how I could make the question more focused--probably because I don't know anything about painting cement. Web searches mostly return hype from vendors. I sincerely appreciate the help from those who don't mind assisting a confessed novice.


texts: Electricity power off in some bed rooms and back again regularly each night but breakers are still on

texts: Electricity power is off in some bed rooms regularly each night for about 20-60 minutes. Switches are still on. Our neighbors do not have this problem. I am not sure what causes this problem. Thanks!


texts: Is it OK to run NM-B cable from outlet behind TV to surge protector?

texts:
I already know that I can't run a TV's actual power cord behind the wall to a surge protector.

Here's what I'm thinking about doing instead.  Mount a recessed outlet behind the TV, run the cable behind the wall from that outlet down to a recessed multimedia wall plate where it would come out and be terminated with a 15 amp plug and then plugged into a UPS surge protector.

Is this OK and if not what could be done that would allow the TV to be plugged into surge protector?


texts: Should there be bubbles after a new Linoleum installation?

texts: I recently had new Linoleum installed in my kitchen and bathroom. They had to peice the Linoleum together in the bathroom and now I have bubbles forming at the seams where it was put together. The contractor has specified the Linoleum needs time to settle, but it does not seem correct. It was installed over a new subfloor (Greenboard) type of flooring. Is this correct for needing to settle?


texts: Wiring for 3 switch in a 3 gang box (1 switch is a switch with fan speed control)

texts:
I have a similar situation to wire as mentioned in this post. Mine is different in the fact that 1 switch is for a light, another switch is for another light, and finally, there is a ceiling fan that I have a switch with a fan speed control. I have 12/2 wire coming into the 3 gang box from the breaker to power everything. I have 12/3 available if needed for anything. Would this diagram mentioned in the above post change much and if so, how should it be wired?

This is the drawing that came with the fan speed control:

Anyway, there are two separate lights and 1 light/fan that I want to control from this 3 gang box, so all switches are going to be there in that 1 box.


texts: house built in 1972, changed the screw off shower head for a screw on hand held shower head.  Since then every time someone turns water on in kitchen it effects the water temperature in the shower.  Its like someone turned off the hot water.  Can someone tell me what i need to fix this problem?


texts: How would I mount opposing knobs on a bifold door?

texts:
This is for a bifold door. I want to have front and back knobs using the same screw.
I can’t recall what this assembly is called nor the screw name.


texts: What size breaker and wire do I need for central air conditioning?

texts:
I am getting ready to hang drywall in my basement but before I do that, I need to run wire from the main panel upstairs to the future location of the central AC furnace through the basement ceiling joists.  I do not know yet who will be installing my AC but I will probably outsource it.  At this point I just need to know what the electrical requirements for AC are so that I can bring the cable and hang the drywall.  The house has three bedrooms and two living rooms, 1800 sq ft, two floors.

What amperage/AWG am I looking at?  The wire distance from the panel to the furnace is only about 20' +/- and then I plan to sit the condenser on the roof (it is a low pitched mod bit roof so I can do this, many of my neighbors with similar homes do) directly above the furnace, two floors above (so another 16-20' total).  It also may be worth mentioning that I plan to use this for just AC and not heat -- I have already a radiator system in place and I love radiant heat.


texts: Does every light within a fixture need to be grounded or just the fixture itself?

texts:
I'm building a chandelier that is around 10 feet tall that will look similar to the picture below. The chandelier is made entirely out of malleable galvanized iron pipe.

Each light socket on this chandelier is an Edison style socket. And that socket has an small opening for a grounded connection.

Questions

Does each of the 6 light sockets need individually grounded? Meaning each light socket would have a ground wire connected to it and run back to the fixture's Junction box in the ceiling.
Or does just the fixture itself need grounded? Meaning one ground wire would be clipped, somewhere, onto the fixture's iron pipe and run back to the Junction Box? If the fixture itself just needs grounded, what is the proper way to tie the ground into the fixture itself?


texts: A/C blower does not work after a power surge

texts: My outside unit works but my inside unit does nit turn on, its a bryant a/c system. On the unit it says the circuit board is built into the blower motor. The transformer buzzes. Can I replace the circuit board without replacing the blower motor?


texts: What is this Lead (Pb, metal) cable called and why is it used?

texts:
The kitchen ceiling is being replaced and has uncovered some curios.  The most interesting being the 1' lump of cast-iron bath that fell on the plasterer, but the other...

... is this Lead (the metal, Pb) cable that is running through the ground floor ceiling of a UK home from around 1920's.  Photo is taken below 15mm pipework for scale.

Can anyone identify it and explain its use?  I've tried to google for an answer, but as lead is a homograph for a type of cabe, I've had little luck.

Thanks,
James


texts: We are adding a soundproof wall over an existing wall.  We have an electrical outlet that we want to extend.  This will be about four inches or more as we are also adding residual channeling then half inch drywall.  How do we extend the outlet to be secure and safe?


texts:
I've recently placed a new light fixture in a room. The metal box from the wall had a black, white, and ground wire, along with a metal plate.

The light fixture came with the same wires and I've connected them all successfully. My only problem is:

The ground wire from the fixture is really long (about 4") and is bare with no covering. Should I cut the ground wire or place wiring tape over them, or is it fine to leave the wires long and exposed in the box? What happens when the bare wire touches the other (black/white) cables?

I'm a new homeowner, so I appreciate any feedback.


texts: What can I use to seal section of concrete roof?

texts:
We have a rough concrete roof, and it's leaking in a particular section. In that particular section, there's very little pooling and there's some leaking. It's very sunny here, so the water ends up evaporating after a few hours.

The section to be painted is about 8x8ft, and the pooling's in the middle. I'm looking for a product that I can use to seal that section of the roof. There will still be some pooling but it won't leak. I'm not going to fix the roof; I will just paint it and hope for the best. Please don't suggest anything beyond that.

I went to the hardware store, and I found all these products. Unfortunately, nobody over there knew which I should use.

What's the difference between an Ultra Siliconizer, a Fiber Reinforced Elastomeric Urethane Roof Sealer, traditional or Siliconized Acrylic Elastomeric Coating, regular Elastomeric sealer? There are so many options, and it seems nobody at the store could tell me what I could use.

There's very little traffic in that section of the roof. The only thing it needs to withstand is the little pooling, just until it evaporates when the sun's up.

Any help is appreciated.


texts: Adding always hot outlet to switch controlling fan

texts:
I ran into a wiring issue while trying to help someone wire a new outlet...
He wants to add an outlet (to be always hot) to a switch that controls a ceiling fan (most convenient location). The power source comes in at the ceiling fan fixture.  The only wires running from the ceiling fan to the switch is a single set of 14/2.
Question is: without changing any of the existing wires, can we add an outlet to the single set of switch wires to be always hot?  Can this be done by perhaps using 14/3 and rewiring the setup from the switch box to the outlet box? The box for the new outlet has already been added below the switch box, we just need to know how to wire it if it can be done.
Thanks in advance to everyone that takes the time to read this and help us out!


texts: What's the right size of gravel for fence posts?

texts: I am going to put up a compost bay system with 125 x 125mm (5"x5") square posts. The plan is to not use concrete, but backfill the post hole with gravel. What's the best size gravel for the job? 10mm or 20mm?


texts: How can I find an appropriate replacement air filter for my furnace?

texts:
Background: I got a Bryant 915SA furnace with my new house and it's time to replace the air filter.

Problems:

The filter is not branded so I don't know what company made it.
The filter is not a standard size; it's approx. 24.5" x 15.5" x 3.75"
I haven't found a data source indicating who made it.
I suspect the furnace installer (who's happy to sell them) is overcharging for replacements.
The furnace manual lacks details on recommended air filter suppliers.

Suspicions: I suspect the air filter is by GlasFloss based on comparing the Amazon picture to my actual filter (image attached)

Question:
How can I determine which brands and models are appropriate replacements for this air filter?


texts: 20 amp circuit and GFCI outlets everywhere

texts: Except for money saving is there any reason why you would not put 20 amp wiring and 20 amp GFCI receptacle (=1 per circuit) everywhere?


texts: How to backfill trench under slab in Los Angeles

texts:
I am converting my music studio, with no utilities, to a studio apartment. With that said I am having to cut the slab to install the sewer. I am in Los Angeles and am wondering what is the correct procedure to backfill the trench to avoid settling in the long run.
Thanks for your help!!
Best,
Matt


texts:
I am in a newly rented house around 1 week and I don't know a thing about plumbing (not yet and I love projects for DIY).

So my question is regarding this:   I find this attached to the outdoor pipe where I connect my hose. I bought a water gun hose attachment; when I connect it to the pipe and "turn it on", water starts to come from the small holes on the vacuum breaker. Is it normal? Or do I have to fix it myself or contact my landlord!


texts: Is a multi wire shared neutral circuit a 220 volt circuit

texts:
I am wondering if a multi wire shared neutral circuit is considered a 240v circuit.

I ask because in the code it says that AFCI breakers are not required on 240v circuits.  A 240 20amp breaker costs 16 dollars, a 240v 20amp afci costs 216 dollars. Is a 220 breaker safe on a multi wire circuit, will it trip as quickly as two single breakers?

I would just add a new wire and split the circuits (my first choice) but my attic is full of insulation and I can't see how I can remove enough to put a raceway on the rafter tops.  The problem is I have a 4 in 12 roof and have added insulation 4 times over the years to keep up with new standards so I have insulation batts going two directions and one layer of blown in insulation. Does anyone have any tricks on how to work around the insulation?

Would I have to de rate the wires in conduit in the attic?


texts: How can I securely hang a very heavy object on wall made of hollow bricks?

texts:
I would like to hang a blackboard (it could weigh 160 - 190lbs) on an interior wall made of hollow terracotta brick like this.

In the case of solid bricks I see there are a number of solutions readily available, but I'm not sure how to proceed in the case of hollow bricks.

Thanks in advance for any guidance.


texts: I had a custom Reliabilt window built by Lowes a couple weeks ago.  I installed it and made sure everything was level and square but I noticed the rails are not in alignment.  I took the window out to see if there was a way to adjust it but I could not see any.  Is there a way to fix this?  Is it a problem with the installation or possibly a manufacturer defect?  This was my first install so it's possible I messed something up during install.  Any guidance would be appreciated


texts: How can I modify a flooring transition so that perfectly fits the two surfaces?

texts:
I have several instances where two different types of flooring are bordering one another and almost always they are not even (e.g. 1/4" offset, give or take).  A typical example is commercial flooring tiles on one side and regular ceramic tile on the other side or commercial flooring tile on one side and hardwood on the other.

Is it possible to modify a store-bought transition so that it exactly matches the offset?  E.g. take an aluminum top of the divider and then add a different number or padding/shimming strips on either side to reflect the offset.


texts: Drywall over irregularly spaced studs - how do I secure edges?

texts:
I'm diy-ing on an 80-year old+ house, putting drywall over damaged lath and plaster (can't save the plaster because reasons).

The wood lath is too weak/damaged to serve as effective backing, so I'm trying to nail off only to studs. Problem is, they're 17-19" on center

So, should I cut the drywall down so the edges of each piece are on the studs like new construction? Or can I nail off with edges off-center?

The plan is a thick skimcoat and maybe a knife finish to try to get back a little of the plaster charm, but I'm afraid of the taped seams cracking.


texts: Is it safe to have power cables dangling outside the house?

texts:
The bedroom split air conditioner gets it's power cable from the switches in the kitchen and goes under the tile floor to the bedroom. Problem is, it leads to an old switch fuse box thing that is far away from where the air conditioner. So previous occupants resorted to routing the cable from the outside in. So it starts from kitchen to bedroom then to outside then to bedroom again to connect to AC unit.

I asked electricians and they said to do it so it doesn't go outside, would be to tear up tiled floor. I asked for another way and he couldn't see an alternative because there is a beam through the wall that sits between the AC power source connection and the AC.

update with pic:


texts: Minimum distance between main panel and feeder?

texts:
I'm running very short on space in my main panel.  And I'm adding a second mini split air conditioner right now that needs another 240v breaker, and would eat the last space in my panel.
Rather than perpetuate the issue, I'd like to add a feeder panel and move both mini splits to it.  The main panel and both the AC units are wall mounted on the same side of the house.  Add a couple windows and a slope and I'm really tight on space.
Either I need to squeeze the feeder in between the main and a radon exhaust tube or take it out to the far side of the house where there's a fairly aggressive slope.
I couldn't find anything in wiring simplified that specifies a minimum distance between the main and a feeder.  Did I miss it or is there really no minimum?
If I go the other way, and take it over the slope, I assume there is a maximum height from the ground, and I would measure that directly down to where the ground is below the feeder panel?
Either way it's a really short run, thinking 125 amp breaker with 1 awg copper to allow for future growth.  I also imagine this might be close enough to the panel that I don't need a main breaker at the feeder panel?  But I'll probably just choose a panel with one anyway, so I didn't look into whether it's necessary.


texts: Are there alternatives to Shutter-lok fasteners?

texts:
I have this kind of fastener on my shutters and it seems that every 3-5 years I am buying a new shutter because they break off and the shutter gets torn up in a storm or I am trying to liquid nail them back in the brick facade of my house.

I hate the idea of putting them back up knowing that in 3 years I will be drilling yet another hole in my brick.

Is there an alternative that will last longer and still keep this look?


texts: Why won't my furnace run on the generator?

texts:
I have a portable generator for my standby power connected to a sub panel through a manual transfer switch supplied by a breaker in the main panel. I have separated the neutral and the ground at the sub panel and the transfer switch--they are only bound at the main panel. The problem I'm having is the furnace will not operate on the generator but works fine on normal power.
The furnace model is a GOODMAN GMVC950905DXAB. The generator is a GENERAC XG8000. The thermostat is a Honeywell RTH5160 which uses batter power and only one 15AMP circuit to the furnace, which measures 115.7 volts.
There is a circuit board on the furnace with a 2 digit readout on it that puts out an 88 code that has no definition on the troubleshooting area, but there are two LEDs at the top of the circuit board. One is marked RX and the other is marked status. The RX blinks on generator power but not on normal power. The status LED blinks ounce and then goes out. Normal operation then OP comes on in the readout and the furnace starts to run.


texts: Is it easier to paint straight lines with a smaller brush?

texts: I was curious if it makes sense acquiring a 1" angled Purdy brush just for cutting lines.  Currently, I use a standard 2.5" angled brush for corners and I'm not too good at cutting lines with it.


texts: Can I have a junction box AFTER a GFCI outlet and retain the GFCI protection on each branch?

texts: I'm just finishing up adding outlets to the front and back of my house.  I have it arranged such that a new line runs from the panel to a junction box, where it T's off to feed the new outlets.  I understand that I need GFCI protection on this circuit, but I'm not really familiar with the ground fault application.  If I were to add a GFCI outlet at some point between the panel and the junction box, would the two branches coming out of the junction box both be GFCI protected?


texts: How do I repair a marble floor corroded by acid?

texts:
I recently got some contractors over to repair a section of my house and they unknowingly spilt a small amount of acid on my marble floor.

They did not attend to it immediately and the acid corroded the surface of the marble floor.

How do I repair it?


texts: Can cement backer board be used to support bluestone or slate outdoor raised patio?

texts:
We are designing a multi-level stone patio.  To exit the kitchen directly onto the stone patio, the highest part of that patio would be 12 inches above the foundation. The next level would be flush with foundation, supported by a poured concrete slab (elevated with cinderblock, reinforced with rebar, filled with crushed gravel and another layer, etc.).

What is the best way to elevate the upper patio to meet the level of the exterior door?

One idea was to pour a slab to the level of the current foundation, create the necessary elevation from there, (16" center joists?), install cement board over joists, then lay stone or outdoor tile directly onto cement board. The area is not covered so the manufacturer warranty is less than when using for an indoor application.  Any better ideas?

Has anyone used cement board outside on a floor (not wall) and had it hold up 10 years? 15 years?

(There was a question about this with an outdoor bbq about 4 years ago, but no update on final solution and results of that project.)

I don't know how to link to another question, but it was from Ronnie, titled
What cement board do I use for an outdoor bbq?


texts: Why do i get Hot water during the shower every time the pump kicks on? Every time I am in the shower and the pump kicks in to build pressure, the water gets very hot and stays that way until the pressure is built up and the pump tuns off.


texts: Why is a 250 Watt heat lamp over a shower going out after a few minutes?

texts:
Heat Lamp goes out after approx 12-15 minutes, obviously getting hot.

could be lamp have a thermal coupling?

Seems I should be able to add a 250 watt on any circuit without damage.

Why is the light going out?


texts: What could have caused CFL bulbs to glow during a power outage?

texts:
Recently during a storm, I lost power to my whole house.  For ~30-60 seconds after losing power, 3-4 CFL bulbs continued to glow faintly.  The bulbs were on different circuits, and legs of the 120/240V residential electrical system. One of the bulbs was even part of a multi-bulb fixture, where the other bulbs in the fixture all turned off.

I suspected possible backfeeding. But I wouldn't expect single bulbs in multiple bulb fixtures to get power while the others did not, if this was caused by backfeeding.

What could have caused these bulbs to continue to glow after power was lost?


texts: Any suggestions for incorrectly-wired thermostat?

texts:
I foolishly got myself into this mess. Any suggestions?

1923 house with original steam heat (gas). The addition (~1998), has hot water (baseboards). I tried to replace the addition's thermostat, and got myself into a situation...

The addition had one of those old dial Honeywell mercury thermostats. After removing it, I was left with 4 wires (here) - black, red, yellow, green.

My new thermostat is a Honeywell RTH2300B, and calls for this wiring, which is white, red, yellow, green. After much discussion with Honeywell's support and some online research, I decided to take a chance and see if the black would substitute for the white. Here's what I did: photo. Yes, I'm an idiot and don't know what I'm doing.

Anyway, I clicked the front of the thermostat on (with the power switch off), and my heat turns on. The only way for me to turn the heat off is to take off the front of the thermostat, so it's like this.

So, my question is: other than trying to get an electrician here on a Sunday of a long weekend, should I try another wiring configuration?

Any suggestions?
Thanks. It's going to get down to 18 deg F tonight.


texts:
Here is a site with exploded diagrams of the unit. If I need to oil the main bearing on the on the drum or one of the roller guide wheels of the drum, do I need to undo the back assembly, or can I access it from the front somehow?

I am worried about any disassembly involving undoing the seals (as I don't  want to disturb them if they are still working), but if it would be possible to go through the front it might be simpler.


texts: How to mount header bracket for garage door opener to concrete wall?

texts:
The anchor of the header bracket securing the garage door opener's rail to the concrete wall above the garage door came loose over time and with vibrations (details in a previous question).

What is a good long-term solution for mounting the header bracket, and allowing for future changes (in case of changing door openers, etc)?

One suggestion is to anchor a ~24" length of a 2x6" beam to the concrete, then screw the header bracket to the beam. Other suggestions are welcomed as well.

For concrete anchors for the above idea, what 1) type, 2) embedment depth, 3) diameter, and 4) spacing/number/pattern should be used, appropriate for the vibrating load of a garage door opener?

I believe the wall is poured concrete, with 1-2 cm of parging on the surface. I already have on hand some lead anchors / lag shields, #16-18 x 1-1/2". I have rotating drills, but not hammer drills.


texts: How can I attach a garden hose to my sink faucet?

texts:
I would like to attach a garden-hose adapter to my sink faucet. Currently there is an aerator on the end that I like.

Is there some solution that anyone knows of that will allow both the garden hose adapter and aerator to function simultaneously on the faucet. I just don't want to have to attach the adapter each time I use a hose.

I was thinking either an adapter with an aerator built in, or an adapter with aerator threads on the inside of the hose end. Any other suggestions are appreciated.


texts: I need to relocate our dryer vent. It goes behind the wall and to the roof. With our new stacking machine, we need to move a few feet. For the life if me, I can't figure out who to hire to do it. I want to make sure it's to code. Any ideas?


texts:
I have a 10 y/o trane xv80. It’s -3F in Chicago, and the furnace is struggling to keep 64F in the house, while set for 72. I don’t remember it being this bad in years past.

I had the furnace taken out this summer to repair a wall behind it, and it’s obvious from other signs that they did a poor job of reinstalling it. Given that, what are things that I can check that would result in poorer performance than years past? To be clear- it works, just not well enough or as well as in the past.


texts:
I've read a lot about "not every LED bulb can be dimmed, always look for a "dimmable" feature".
The truth is none of the LED bulb here do have the "dimmable" feature written down in the packaging.
I have a cheap LED dimmer made by Philips, and I am wondering if I could dim an ordinary LED bulb with it. I don't know about how it works or whatever inside, there is 4 connection from there, 2 from mains and 2 to lamp. It only says 300W max, 230v.
Since LED bulbs is way expensive I am wondering if they could be dimmed just fine. Or will they buzz or don't work at all?


texts: What kind of freestanding lamps can I use for > 6000 lumen up-light?

texts:
I'm renting an apartment whose living room I need to light up. I currently has one lamp hanging from the ceiling, for a 4.5m x 7.5m room, and that's ridiculously insufficient (even after using an E27 splitter and two 36W CFLs for a total of estimated 4320 lumens).

My landlord is not willing to invest in/commit to ceiling- or wall-mounted lighting fixtures and the drilling and wiring they would require, so we settled on getting several freestanding lamps. Mostly they'll have to be on the floor, with one possibly on top of a sort-of-a closet.

Now, I'm a lots-of-light kind of person; but I don't want it to be in my face; I want to shine the light on the ceiling and the walls and have it reflect. I think I can use about 4 or 5 lamps overall (plus the ceiling lamp), to minimize the, shall we say, aesthetic/spatial damage (i.e. place them at various corners); and I'm thinking something like 30,000 lumens (500W of CFL power draw) should be enough (not "500W equivalent"; remember it's being covered by a shade an reflected off the ceiling). This is just a guesstimate; and I can't say anything in terms of lumens since I have no idea how much is X lumens nor how many lumens my current bulbs produce. Also, I don't mind it being LED lights instead of CFLs as long as I get my wattage.

Thus I need lamps which:

Support >= 6000 lumens (100W draw in CFL)
Either support multiple more-regular-size E27 bulbs (which mostly means a long and wide shade, so I can use an E27 socket splitter), or fit very large CFL bulbs (again, large shade); or some super-powerful LED layout.
Are freestanding (= floor-supported)
Have a fully or almost-fully opaque shade
Are aimed upwards, or better yet can be adjusted to aim mostly upwards but slanting to some direction (as I'll aim them away from the middle of the room).
Are high enough so that with the combination with the shade, I'll never catch a direct glance of their bulbs
(Preferably) have their wiring attached to the base rather than the middle of the lamp (ech, why do they do that?)

I'm having trouble figuring out which kinds lamps would fit my bill - so I can know what I'm looking for. I've been looking at Torcheres, but almost all of them fail to meet criteria 2 and 4 and most don't even meet 6 (unless you use a flat/small bulb). Here's a typical invalid one:

it violates 2, 4, 6, 7.

There are task floor lamps; they often have opaque shades, but the shades are usually too narrow and sometimes not long enough. I'm also not sure how well they'll handle the larger wattage. Here's an example:

this violates 2, 6, 7 and very often 1.

Finally, for the on-the-closet lamp, I thought maybe one of those floor flood lights; these seem to come with the right wattages, but they seem designed for outdoor use, and I wouldn't want them to stand out so much.

So, any suggestions/ideas about the kinds of lamps I should be looking for are very welcome.