texts: Why do microwaves run 3 extra seconds after timer ends?

texts:
So I think I know the answer to this but want to confirm and ask further questions.

Whenever you run most microwaves in timer mode, it stops the microwave operation at 0 seconds, but continues to leave the light on, the fan running and even the tray rotating for an extra 2 or 3 seconds. Why do they do this? One manufacturer's site mentions that its to cool down the elements inside.

But if this is the case, does that mean that if you manually stop the process by either hitting clear/stop or just opening the door, are the elements not being cooled down as they should? Because manually stopping the process prevents the cool down cycle from happening. Will manually stopping the microwave shorten the lifetime of the microwave?


texts: We had stairs installed in August, but the landing oak seems to be splitting at its glued joint and looks unsightly. The fabricators have been out, tried to reinforce from below and filled the joints. Now, two months later, two planks have opened up on the landing! The house was refurbished and of course central heating switched on, but should the landing be opening up like this? Shouldn't it be more rigid? It looks unsightly.


texts: Can i turn a light switch into an outlet?

texts: Ok so here's the deal, I have a light that is controlled by two switches. One is in my bathroom and the other is in my hallway where the light is located.  I would like to eliminate the switch in the bathroom and replace it with an outlet that is hot all the time.  First of all, can this even be done?  If so how do I go about doing this.


texts: Are there any alarm system panels, control boxes, etc. that have a kind of API for software to access?

texts:
I am basically looking to build an advanced alarm system for my home. I have previously used FrontPoint Security which offers a service through alarm.com. This basically gives me access to arming and disarming remotely and the ability to watch surveillance cameras remotely. It's pretty neat, but I want to take my system a step further.

Since I don't own the equipment and am just leasing it, I have no problem getting all new equipment.

What I want to do is set up a 32 IP camera system for the exterior, interior, and driveway. However, I want to know if one of the cameras goes offline and I want it to trip an alarm or at least put the system into a trouble state. I have not seen any control panel that has capabilities for putting cameras into the loop.

Since I already will be planning on taking the video from the cameras and streaming it in real-time to a remote computer for archival, I will be able to detect if a line goes dead. I would like to be able to interface the control panel with a piece of software I will build that allows me to programmatically trip the alarm or change the panel's state to trouble.

Of course the best option for this would be some web interface that lets me trip the alarm remotely and then the alarm company notifies the box that there is an alarm, similar to if a cellular device on the alarm system stops reporting back to the monitoring center.

So far my only thought has been to make a device that interfaces with the alarm system like any other alarm device, like a door sensor or motion sensor, and hard wire it into the panel and then simply break the circuit when the device receives a signal from the camera video processing computer. But this seems more complicated than it should be.

I'd prefer a control panel that has a cellular transceiver option that acts as a failover for if the phone line goes down. One of the GE panels I used in the past had such a feature.

I've tossed this on DIY because I don't know of any system that does this and am not tweaking any equipment as of yet, so it's not quite a programming question or an electrical engineering question.

If any of you folks have heard of such a flexible control panel, I'd love to know.


texts: In the 3 story townhouse I'm currently in, the contractor originally built the (stackable) dryer vent to go straight up from it's location (top floor), then when it gets above the ceiling, it angles up to vent out at the roof top.  needless to say, this is very problematic as it requires regular cleaning.  Is there anything I can do on the dryer itself to increase the amount of lint caught while drying so that I don't have to pull this thing out to clean the vent pipe behind it as often?


texts: Can I use the metal cladding of a cable as ground for this range installation?

texts:
I have a pre-existing #6-3 cable (without ground) with metal cladding on a 50-A two-pole circuit that was wired into a range. As shown in the photo, this cable has only black, red, and white conductors, plus a thin bonding wire.

I am replacing the range, and would like to provide a 4-wire connection, including ground (I'm aware that the 3-wire connection is legal, but the grounded option seems far safer to me).
Can I use the metal cable shield as the ground, even though it won't be nearly as conductive as a separate #6 (or at least #10) ground wire? If so, would I do that simply by making sure that the metal shield and bonding wire are securely attached to the metal box where the receptacle is installed? For easy installation of the 14-50R, I am hoping to use this product, which has a metal back with punchouts.

If not, what is the simplest way to safely install the range? Can I run a #10 ground from the subpanel along the outside of the existing BX? Or would I need to replace the breaker with a GFCI in order to achieve the appropriate protection?


texts: Easy way to mass map wires inside a wall

texts:
I am going to put some more wiring into some empty house (mostly CAT6 and audio) and want them to be in the walls. For that I borrowed some saw that can cut nice slits for them into the wall, but of course there is already some wiring in it.

Since the house is old (First built 19th century, burned down, restored, bombed out, restored etc.) the existing wiring can be quite funny sometimes (curves in weird ways, straight from top left to bottom right etc.) and I do not want to cut through it.

I have found a system that lets me detect if a spot has live wires quite nicely (and ignores non live wires) but for the amount of cable I am going to run, this would make the planning quite cumbersome: Think about where to put cables, check that way, find existing wiring, find detours, check those again etc.

Ideally I would want to paint at the walls where the wires are (and then take photos for later references) and then plan where to put the wires based on that.

Does anyone have an idea how to create such a map rather efficiently? Checking a matrix of points every few cm is going to take too long, and tracing from the beginning of known switches/outlets might make me miss cables popping in from another room...


texts: The clock and the oven light work but not the oven or burners.  I read it may be the thermal fuse but my stove was old so I replaced it and I am having the same problem.


texts: Can I safely spot seal drywall after sanding

texts:
I have recently removed wallpaper and sanded the walls in one of our bedrooms. I then applied an oil based pigmented sealer to 1 of the walls before realizing some other imperfections are present on that wall.

Will I run into any issues (color problems when applying top coat) if I sand back the affected area, apply filler, then sand and re apply pigmented sealer to that spot alone? Or will I need to re-seal the whole wall in 1 run


texts: How do I remove these bathroom faucet fittings with limited space?

texts:
I have a faucet I am trying to remove to replace, seen below. It appears there is a nut holding it to the bottom of the sink, but I can't get a basin wrench around the nut and plumbers sockets won't fit over the threaded fitting:

I'm at a loss as to how this was assembled in the first place. It looks like the flexible copper line was sweated into the threaded fitting, which seems strange.

Here's a photo from another angle:

Here is a photo from the top in case that is helpful:


texts: Good way to seal a large ceramic tile to a glass surface?

texts:
I complete glass reptile cages by attaching electric heat tape to part of two of the four walls and under about 1/3 of the floor to create a “hot spot.” There is a thermostat with a sensor probe typically set to keep temps around 78 to 82°F. The probe works best sandwiched against the heat tape in the walls, with hysteresis set to 3°F. The heat tape heats untils it warms the probe that 3° more than the setting on the thermostat, then is off until 3° below the setting, and so on. In a short time the desired average temp is reached this way and maintained.

The “hot spot” on the cage floor is just a bit warmer for various reasons and used by the animal for their thermal cycling: I put it there and maintain it and they choose how and when to use it. These animals aren’t always able to act for their own safety so I design a safety factor in. First, I try to not allow the floor they rest on to get too hot, but only have one probe for the thermostat, and it works better to keep the air at the design temp and try other methods for the floor. I keep floor heat reasonable by the amount and type of heat tape I use in proportion to the floor area and the overall temp desired. Experience helps. Second, I diffuse and distribute floor heat with ceramic  glazed-clay floor tiles. The adhesive used needs to attach the tiles directly to the enclosures’ glass floors. The adhesive should be permanent and last for the life of the enclosure. It needs to expand and contract and maintain the bond. The tile and the glass may have different temps based on the current state of the heating cycle, described above, and environmental conditions in the area, such as a warm cage in a cold room. Last and not least, the adhesive needs to seal the joint between tile and glass floor so animal waste can be cleaned out effectively and completely.

That’s a lot to ask of an adhesive. I’ve always used  ’pure silicone’, labeled as such. I wonder if anyone has a recommendation for any other material? Is there a particular silicone product (by type if asking for brands is not allowed), or is there a good flexible epoxy or polyurethane that might work with these materials and varying conditions? I know from experience that if the adhesive doesn’t flex enough the glass will break and possibly the tile too, or the joint may fail before the materials.  Thanks.


texts: How to hang a frame with a sawtooth hanger from a wall?

texts:
This might be a 2 part question so I can break it out into two parts if needed.

How do I hang a frame with a sawtooth hanger onto a wall with a nail?
Can I use a screw and anchor on the wall to hang the frame?

We got a framed picture as a gift and the frame had a sawtooth hanger installed on it.  I bought a picture hanging kit but after hammering some picture hooks into the wall, it seems like hooks are not the way to hang frames with a sawtooth hanger.
After doing some research on google, one webpage said I'm supposed to use a flat head nail to hang the frame on.  However, I'm having some trouble visualizing how to do it because the instructions on the page said to hammer it in at a 45 degree angle.  If I do that, I can't see how the frame can sit on the nail head since the nail head is at an angle but the sawtooth hanger is flush with the frame.
I was thinking of putting a screw and drywall anchor into the wall for the hanger to sit on but from searching online, I haven't found anyone suggesting this so my idea might be a stupid one.
So back to my original questions, what is the proper way to hang a frame with a sawtooth hanger, do it with a nail in the wall or do it with a screw and anchor?


texts: How can I make table legs from planks to support a heavy table top?

texts:
I plan on building a 9' by 5' table top using solid wood. My material is limited to 4/4 lumber (1 inch thick) and 8/4 lumber (2 inches thick). The widths and lengths are random (I haven't bought the wood yet).

Should I just mount the 4 legs to the table beneath it with a diagonal piece of wood meeting it? Should I glue pieces together to make 2 boards the width of the table and put those at the ends? I expect some of these ideas I come up with to have weak points, especially if the heavy table was bumped from the side.

Is there some way of doing the math to see how much weight this wood can support? I can figure out how heavy my table top is expected to be and how much weight I plan to put on top of it when it's finished.

EDIT: Now that I am thinking about it, is it feasible and realistic to just glue the wood pieces together on the flat sides? Like this: ||| Would this have any structural issues or leave concerns?


texts: Bathtub Drain leakage - recurring failures

texts:
I have had recurring problems with a bathtub drain leaking.

After soaking the ceiling below the problem is noticed, and each time reapplying putty to the drain, seems to solve the problem.

Apparently the putty dries out in the "drain flange," but I also notice that it erodes away.

I would like to do a more permanent fix, and have considered using silicone rubber as opposed to plumber's putty.

It is hard to believe that every tub in the world needs new putty every several years to keep it from damaging the rest of the house with leakage.


texts: What height/ distance from ceiling or above surfaces would be good for uplighting/ scone wall lamp?

texts:
So in Houston, I had an Uplighting Floor lamp like this with a 3 way/ mode 110 W bulb. The lighting was not as jarring as a office CFL tube but perfectly bright for all that I needed to do in my room/ my desk.

Fast forward to here (Asia), there's no space for a floor lamp so to replicate the above I started looking for same or similar lighting but couldn't find conical uplight wall lamps.

The next best thing was this semi spherical / circular up lighting in subtle frosted look.

3rd too busy & don't like color

Question:

What kind of height positioning / distance range would be good for them? Man/ max. And why?

Room height; 10 ft Ceiling if I remember correctly.

5 inch x 1 ft false ceiling / PoP on Alum framing on all 4 sides of room, is to act as space for concealed wiring.


texts: Patch Hole In HardiPlank Fiber Cement Siding

texts:
I have a hole in the siding of my home. The siding is HardiPlank fiber cement. The hole size (diameter) is that of a cable line. A cable line was run through the siding when the previous home owners lived there but the cable line is no longer there. I want to patch the hole if possible. I really do not want to replace the board. However, I have not found a product specifically made for patching fiber cement siding. I did come across an all-purpose putty Bondo but I am not sure if this will do the trick or not.

Any suggestions on what material to use would be greatly appreciated!


texts: Why should a (non-dimming) light timer care about what's connected to it?

texts:
I am looking at the spec sheet for an Intermatic STW700W in-wall timer.
It says:

Switch Ratings:
General Purpose:         15 A, 120 VAC, 50/60 Hz
Tungsten:                 8 A, 120 VAC, 50/60 Hz
Inductive:               15 A, 120 VAC, 50/60 Hz
Electronic Ballast//LED:  5 A, 120 VAC, 50/60 Hz
LED Load:               600 W
Motor:                    1 HP, 120 VAC

I would understand if it had different load capacities for different types of lighting if it also had dimming capabilities, since dimming works differently for different types of fixtures.
Why should the type of load matter if all it is doing is turning the load on/off?
As an extension of the question, what kind of loads could the spec sheet mean when it says "general purpose"?
(In general, this spec sheet doesn't make much sense to me. For example, it says it can handle inductive loads up to 15A, but it also says it can handle motors up to 1 HP. 1 HP is approximately 750 watts which at 120V is just under 7A, less than half of the 15A rating. Why should a motor load be any different than any other inductive load?)


texts: Fixing Old Leaky Faucet - Handles won't budge

texts:
I've been tolerating a small leak for a while in our bathroom, but it's started to get bad enough that it needs fixing.

While I was hoping I could just pop out the handles and replace an old O-ring or set washer, I can't for the life of me figure out a safe way to remove the handles. The handles are missing the screws, & won't budge with force.

Here's a picture of the faucet type and a detailed pic of the handle:

There is no cold/hot shutoff in the room (I'm guessing it's under the house, not easily accessible), so I'm not really sure which handle I'd need to tighten up/replace parts for yet. I have easy access to shut off the main water supply in the event I need to start cutting things off.

Suggestions on how to proceed?


texts: I need help fixing my leaking shower valve

texts: I have an old shower valve that is from the 1940's that has a slow leak. I would like to repair it, but I can't find any of the typical screws to take it apart. Even after taking the handle off there are now visible screws. Has anyone seen this style before?


texts: How do I measure my screws to match how stores label them?

texts:
When I buy screws, the container often has measurement labels, e.g. : 50/4 or 20/2.5 and such. I'm pretty sure the first number is a length in millimeters, and the second number is a width in millimeters; and there's definitely a correlation, i.e. the 50/4's are longer than 40/4's or 40/5's, and the /4's are narrower than /5's and so on.
However, when I try to actually measure these screws - it doesn't quite fit. My 50/4 screws are around 43 or 44 mm long, including the head; and without the head it's about 40mm. Their width - well, with the threading, and at the widest point, I suppose you could argue it's 4, though I kind of have to squint to make it happen...
So, my question is: Given a screw, how am I supposed to measure its diameter and length so that the values end up matching how stores label it?
Notes:

I live in Palestine/Israel, which is a mostly-metric country (although some remnants of Imperial measurements remain.)
I realize the answer might be country-specific; but it can't be store-specific, since this "larger number/smaller number" scheme is ubiquitous in hardware stores here.


texts: Mounting to an old pan-style electric box

texts:
I did something slightly stupid when preparing to mount a new fixture to a very old unused ceiling pancake box in a 96-year old home: I unscrewed the bracket that attached the mounting nipple to the box, under the assumption that I would be able to either re-screw it back in, or attach alternate mounting hardware. Instead, it seems that there were nuts holding in those screws, which are no longer aligned with the screw holes, rendering them useless as attachment points. I see no other obvious way to attach any kind of hardware to the box.
Ripping out the box will mean doing some violence to an old plaster ceiling that I'm probably not up for in the near term. Wondering if I'm missing some other option?
(ps, I know it's controversial to attach fixtures to old two-wire circuits. If it helps, I plan on updating the circuit breakers to Arc Fault Interruptors, and only use LED lamps in this fixture.)


texts: What can I use to increase the height of my fence?

texts:
A fire just burnt the back of my hedge fence so that now people in the street behind can see the inside of my garden (where my little girl plays) and even enter it.

My landlord is about to install wooden fences, probably of that kind. But I'm afraid a tiptoeing man will still be able to look over the fence and see inside the garden (sidenote: they're also incredibly flimsy hence not good for security, I don't really understand how this type of fence is the norm but whatever)

Is there any way to somehow put things on top of the fence to increase their height (for privacy)? Bonus question: any idea to increase security too?


texts: Are there compatible bowls for a Mansfield tank, I have a Mansfield Model 148 tank and no bowl?


texts: How do I improve the soundproofing between two rooms?

texts:
I wamt to improve the soundproofing of a wall shared by 2 rooms. At the moment, I can hear the TV, conversations, etc, from my brother's room. The TV and conversations are extremely clear; I can make out exactly what's being said which is annoying and distracting when trying to sleep.

Some things to be aware of:

We live in a maisonette inside a block of flats (UK style).
We don't own the property but the rules about home improvements are fairly liberal as it's an ex-council property.
If anyone has any experience of getting landlords to do this kind of work, that'd be excellent (landlord is a housing association).
Knocking down and rebuilding the wall with soundproofing is not an option

I saw a YouTube video about making holes in the wall and then filling it with insulation, but don't remember what that technique is and can't find the video anymore

Any ideas would be welcome


texts: How to Wire 3 baseboard Heaters with 2 Thermostats

texts: I have one 20 amp double pole circuit that I am planning to run 3 baseboard heaters on with 2 line voltage thermostats. I have already made sure the watt consumption for the 3 heaters will not exceed 3,840 watts. I have run 12/2 wiring from the breaker to the first thermostat location which will control 2 baseboard heaters and from there to the other thermostat which will control the 3rd heater. I have uploaded a quick diagram for visual reference. I believe I know how to correctly wire this up but just want a sanity check before committing. I believe I can just pig tail at thermostat 1 to pass power through to the second thermostat location (bedroom) and for the thermostat that controls two baseboard heaters, it seems like the wiring is simple.  Any help is appreciated!


texts: Replacing Cam Nuts and Locks on Store Bought Furniture

texts:
Although I have no legitimate crafting or woodworking experience, I have put many a store bought shelf or piece of furniture together with little effort, as most of the directions are easy. I purchased a really nice looking desk from Home Depot for about $400, hoping to have a desk made with real wood and not particle board or the like. I was surprised when the very heavy desk assembly required cams toward the end of putting it together (to secure the heaviest pieces.)

As I was afraid of, some of the cams tightened with no real effort but most will not tighten fully. I DID follow the instructions and screwed the pins in to the shoulder and tried to readjust them to make the perfect fit to no avail. After spending literally 8 hours completely putting this desk together (no electric drill for me) I was exasperated and exhausted and left it together as is although it may literally fall apart if I ever tried to move it. I do not want to lose the time and effort I already spent on it and I rather like the design and quality of the wood. Is there a way I can replace the cams with other hardware? Is there a way I can just use nails to further secure the desk or screws? Any advice would be helpful. Thank you


texts: Electric water heater overheating very quickly

texts:
We have an electric water heat that recently started heating the water to about boiling. We heard a loud pop one night, not sure if that has anything to do with it.

So far we just replaced the heater's thermostats thinking that was it, but after turning it back on the water was super hot again within 20 minutes.

Could it be the elements? This is in my mother's house. She is leaving soon so would rather not spend 300 on a new one since we can take back the thermostats and get elements for 100.


texts: Fast, easy and simple construction of a log store

texts:
We've just bought a whopping great log burner, and so our thoughts have turned to keeping it fed over the winter. I've plenty of ash trees, some beech, and an old sycamore that over the last couple of years have provided logs, but they're scattered around the garden slowly rotting.

Before they become completely unusable I'd like to dry them (and the good logs) out under cover. I've space down at the bottom of our property that's sheltered under trees so I'm going to build a wood store there and over-winter logs for next autumn.

I don't want to make a drama of this and make something elegant and beautiful, not least as the space I've in mind is tucked away in a copse and therefore invisible! So I was just going to get some treated 3x3 fence posts, some pre-built fence panels, and roof over with ply and roofing felt. I'll most likely create a raised "floor" of longish bits of old timber propped up on old bricks. The front will be left open and I'll most likely leave the rear apex of the roof open too so everything can breathe but is dry.

Would this work? Any suggestions, in particular for making sure the edifice is properly fixed to the ground?


texts: We have a sink and cabinet we like, but the sink has two spots, one on either side of the drain, where the porcelein has formed a bowl and collects water. So after the sink has "emptied" there are two little puddles of water, one on either side of the drain. They start to smell and stain the bowl. Is there any way to fill or level these divots in the sink bowl?


texts:
I'm installing a dry-laid patio covered with 24" square, 1.5" thick, geo-cut thermal bluestone slabs. These are the cuts I will need to make:

22 slabs will need a straight cut across the entire 24" length
4 slabs will need a straight cut at a 45 degree angle to the square
face (a few inches in length)
1 piece will need an inside corner cut (remove a small rectangle
from one corner)

The slabs will be placed with minimal joints so straight cuts are important.
The cut edge won't be visible so surface polish is not important.

It's a fairly large project (430 SF patio) so I'm open to purchasing or renting equipment if that speeds up the job or gives better results. I own a small angle grinder (4-1/2" blade, 8.5A motor) and a circular saw (7-1/4" blade, 15A non-worm drive motor) and a few basic stone-shaping hand tools.

Have any advice on making these cuts? I'm particularly unsure how to approach an inside corner cut.


texts:
The air quality in my basement is unpleasant. I don't know if I have mold. How to test for it? How is the smell of mold?

I know that we had a water problem in the basement, the walls were cracked so every rainy day, we had humidity and water in the basement. But I have never seen signs of mold. How to check for mold?


texts: HVAC / Furnace Evaporator unit in attic leaking cold air

texts:
We have an A/C (and heat) unit in the attic with force air ducts going to the ceilings in the rooms. I was in the attic today when the A/C turned on. I felt cold air come on my leg when I was near the unit. I looked carefully to see that air is leaking near the copper tubes coming out of the unit near the evaporator area.
I took pictures and marked the area where cold air seemed to be coming out in red. Is that normal? Should I somehow seal it with perhaps rubber seals sold in the market or improvise something?
Thanks for your help.


texts: What can I do about 2x4 wood expansion joints that are above the surface of the concrete?

texts: I have a lot of concrete in my yard that has several 2x4 6-10 foot wood expansions.  The 2x4's are now between a 1/2" and a full inch above my concrete.  What can I do to fix this? I thought about a hammer and chisel, but it would take me a year!  Can I take the 2x4s out?  I've had this concrete for about 15 years.  No cracks anywhere just expanding wood!


texts: how to unscrew faucet valve stem when it's stuck?

texts:
I'm trying to replace the valve stem of a 2-handle bathroom sink faucet. All the instructions I've found online say to unscrew the nut atop the valve stem.

But my nut, when it turns, also turns the entire assembly. I assume the stem has gotten stuck to its housing.

UPDATE: I ended up removing the entire valve assembly. Then I wire-brushed off lots of gunk to get a closer look at the parts. But I still can't remove the valve stem from the rest of the assembly. I'm starting to wonder whether it's supposed to be removable.

I don’t know the model number because the faucets were installed long before we moved into the house, but the markings on the outside of the valve assembly say this: "GROHE A 98 01 R 90".  A Google search yielded nothing useful about replacement parts or service info, nor did Grohe's website.

Question for anyone with experience with Grohe faucets-- are the valve stems removable?  Know any tricks for unsticking a stuck stem?

I attached a new picture.

Here's the old picture from before I removed the valve assembly from the sink:


texts: How can I replace electrical boxes with the least amount of collateral damage?

texts:
I'm looking at a 1970-era house in VA.  The outlet boxes are fed by 12/2, 12/3 NM cable.  I am planning to update some of the outlets, for example to be more modern, or to be GFCI.  Unfortunately,

many of the feeder wires do not have enough length inside the box to supply the outlet
the outlet boxes are too small in my view to safely hold, say, a chunky GFCI outlet block and the wires. There's no way I could get the outlet, three wires and a pigtail or two in there for example.
the feeder cables are stapled to the framing.

So my question is how to replace the box and potentially replace the wiring that feeds it.  My options seem to be

rip open the wall to the studs.  Remove the old wires.  Put a new box in and rewire.  Yikes. Now I have a 4ft or worse hole to drywall.
somehow destroy the old box in place, without opening up the wall, and put in a new, deeper work box.

Is there an elegant solution?  Or do I just take my lumps and rip the wall off?  It seems so... extreme.

EDIT: The advice here and some more research has got me to this: to switch boxes, prise the old box slightly away from the stud and then take a hacksaw/sawzall to the nails that hold it to the stud.  Then, replace with a new box.  I was also pointed to some box manufacturers that sell boxes that are screwed into the stud from the front (eg this one) which look to be very useful for those cases where the usual blue plastic with ears is not going to work.


texts: Light bulb stays on regardless of switch position after breaker flipped

texts:
A light bulb in my office died suddenly. When it happened I heard a loud click. This was the circuit breaker tripping.

I turned off the light switch, went down to the box, and closed the circuit breaker. Back in the room I turned on the light. This caused the circuit breaker to trip again. I repeated with the same outcome.

Came to the conclusion that the bulb was causing a problem. Bought a new one and started to insert it with the light switch turned OFF. To my surprise the light bulb lite up as I was inserting it.

I manually flipped the circuit breaker OFF and inserted the bulb. Then turned the circuit breaker back on. The light turned on in the room with the light switch set to OFF. But this time the circuit breaker did not flip.

I also noticed that the light switch is sensitive. Normally it'd take a firm press to switch between ON and OFF. Now it seems to be hair triggered.

What could cause this?


texts: One switch control two light (one light or both light ON)

texts:
I have a two paper lanterns (exactly I have 5 but lets say 2) used as bed lamps and decorative lights. The problem is that turning all of them ON is too bright for sleeping. But for decoration as well as lighting up the room, I want all of them to be turned ON. Is there any way for me to use just one switch (1, 2, 3 gangs, ways, whatever) to switching between 1 light ON and all of lights ON.

Thanks!


texts:
Trying to track down an odor that has once again shown up, now that weather is getting warmer. I believe it to be a sewer odor, but no water leaks in the sewer pipes. House was built in 1910...with basement, so plumbing is easy to see.

The bathtub, vanity, toilet, and kitchen sink all go into the old cast iron main vent stack, and none of them were vented. I put an AAV on both the kitchen and vanity.

This odor only happens when it gets warm out...70-75 or warmer. Odor seems to come through strong into my closet, which is the backside of where the tub hooks in, but there's definitely water in the trap. Also I can smell it in the basement, and of course the HVAC sucks it in from the basement spreading it around to the entire house.

Just looking for ideas. Maybe a crack in the sewer vent pipe? Just frustrated at this point. I hired a plumber to at least check it out last Summer. His comment, "Well I don't have a real good nose to smell the odor."  Ugh.  Thanks for any recommendations!


texts: subpanel location - proximity to in-wall heater and other junctions

texts:
We have a subpanel in the upstairs hallway. Other side of wall is bedroom. We need to install an in-wall heater (cadet), outlet, and wall light in the bedroom on that same wall.
I know about the 30" and 36" clearance rule, but this is more about have electrical boxes close to the subpanel. Is it ok to have the inwall heater in the same bay as the subpanel? If not, how far away should everything (especially the heater) be?


texts: I have unused live electrical wires coming out of wall in kitchen where new cabinets are going. How should I handle this?


texts: I need some type of ceiling in the downstairs bathroom that will allow me access to the pipes.

texts:
What would be the best way to go about this? It must be able to withstand moisture.
I have seen vinyl ceiling tiles for a drop ceiling but there is not really a lot of head room (90"). The over all area is 97 x 110 and there will be a jacuzzi tub there.


texts: I have a concrete ceiling in my basement and would like to cover it with drywall.  Specifically, I would like to take the flat surface concrete ceiling and put another ceiling under it so that I can install electrical, lighting, etc.  The entire basement will need to be framed and I would like to add interior soffits.  What is the best way to add the new ceiling?


texts: Why were these load bearing walls not stacked?

texts:
I was making a model of a house to help design a renovation and in my measuring I discovered that the center load bearing wall on the first floor was not centered over the load bearing beam and columns in the basement below by a difference of about 8". The cross section shown below is to scale and is the entire house; it's a 20' x 40' rectangle in plan. First floor joists are 2x8's and ceiling joists are 2x6's. Upper space is finished and is an occupied bedroom. It’s in the state of Wisconsin, USA. House was built in 1930, every framing member is douglas fir.

I found this to be so strange. Is there any reason to do this other than lending asymmetry to the floor plan? Is this legit? This seems like an unstable arrangement in the long term.


texts:
I plan to install a wooden fence using 8-foot 4x4 posts connected to wooden panels. All of the lumber is pressure-treated.

My plan is to set the posts in holes that are about 3 feet deep (below the frost line where I live).

My question is: Do I need to pour concrete into the holes when I install the posts, or can I simply set them in the soil? And if I use concrete, should I pour the concrete into the bottom of the post hole first, let it set and then install the posts on top of it? Or do I pour the concrete around the post within the hole?

I can't find a clear answer anywhere about whether you actually need concrete in post holes.


texts: How can I utilize a light switch for a specific outlet?

texts: I just moved into a new apartment and in one of the bedrooms, there is a light switch that switches one of the outlets on and off. Unfortunately, this outlet is placed in the opposite side of the room where I want the lamp to be. Would it be easy/possible for me to do the work and somehow tie the switch to the particular outlet that I want? Or should I hire a professional?


texts: What can I do to reduce cold infiltration by a direct-vent gas fire place?

texts:
My home has a direct-vent gas fire place on the ground floor, and each winter the area around the fire place inside the house becomes very cold (granite finish).  On colder days, the carpeted floor area near the fireplace is also cold.  The fire place is rarely used, but is insulated above and under its enclosure (I can't tell if the sides are insulated, but the adjacent drywall is).

I have researched this "cold air" problem and many other forum posts describe the issue as a draft, but none give solutions other than "call the contractor who installed it", or "that shouldn't happen".  To be clear, the problem is not a draft but rather heat loss via radiation and conduction; I can not detect a draft or airflow in the immediate area around the fire place.

Is this type of fire place inherently vulnerable to cold infiltration by its design?  It seems that since the venting pipe is always open and allowing outside air into the combustion chamber, then there is a always going to be some heat loss, especially when there is a large temperature difference between inside and outside the house.

If this isn't supposed to happen, then what can I do to rectify the problem?  I have already filled the control area below the fire place with towels and blankets (when not in use), but that isn't making a significant impact.

EDIT:

After further investigation, there is a draft originating from somewhere behind the fireplace installation.  In the control area (below the combustion chamber), air comes into my room from anywhere where there is a hole in the sheet metal.  I will have to start looking for cracks under the fireplace via the crawlspace, and outside of the home in the area that encloses the vent pipe.


texts:
I used the above GFCI/RCD (up to 250v) socket tester on the 240v black and red live wire of the US split phase ac power system. When I connect the ground, all indicator lights (3 red) got on indicating "Live/Grd Reverse, Missing GRD" although it is connected properly.

What is inside the socket tester? Does it have a live and neutral leg such that it should only be used for ac system with polarity? How about if you use it on the red and black 240v phase to phase? Why would all the indicators light become on (3 red lights)?

The following is the specs of it:

Specifications:
Brand Name: HABOTEST
Color: Black
Material: Flame Retardant ABS
Plug Type: US
Voltage: 48V-250V 45-65Hz
RCD Test: >30mA (EU/UK Plug)
RCD Working Voltage: 220V±20V
GFCI Test: >5mA (US Plug)
GFCI Working Voltage: 110V±20V
Voltage Measurement: 48V~250V / 45~65Hz

Accuracy: ±(2.0%+2)
Working Environment: 0°C ~ 40°C, 20% ~75%RH
Storage Environment: -10°C ~ 50°C, 20% ~80%RH
Safety Rating: EN61010-1,-2-030, EN61326-1,CAT II 300V
Item Size: 62 * 65 * 55mm / 2.4 * 2.6 * 2.2in
Item Weight: UK 64g/2.3oz, EU 59g/2.1oz, US 53g / 1.9oz
Package Size: 7.5 * 7.4 * 7.3cm / 3.0 * 2.9 * 2.9in
Package Weight: UK 90g/3.2oz, EU 86g/3.0oz, US 79g / 2.8oz


texts: I have a fan in one of the bathrooms of a 1930s house and there's a relatively low ceiling. The fan seems to work ok and it's in pretty decent shape(seems to be from 2013), but I think we need a bit more power as we're getting excessive condensation on the ceiling. If my wife and I shower back to back it looks like our ceiling has a leak. I can't seem to find this model (see below pictures) - ideally I'd like to be able to swap out the motor if possible (seems like the path of least resistance). I am decently handy with electrical work (and rapidly gaining more experience in this old house) and can generally figure things out using the good old scientific method. Am I getting in over my head here or is this worth doing myself? Also would that gap cause any problems? Would it help if I use a different paint on the ceiling? I assume it's a standard flat-white ceiling paint, but not sure.


texts: I am getting a house built, and it looks like one of my anchor bolt wasn't placed correctly (not inside the wood). I compared with a they dont all appear to be like mine. Should I be worried about this? I attached a picture of the bolt in question.


texts:
In my concrete basement floor, there is a rather large bolt and washer.  The washer is about 4 inches in diameter, and the bolt has a 1 inch head.  What is it?

All I can think of is that it's some device to keep this from happening:


texts: How can I find the source of a mysterious bad smell?

texts:
We have recently moved home, and all is fine appart from a mystery smell which I'm unable to track down. It's driving me crazy (actually, my wife thinks I am crazy as she can't smell it).  I'm hoping someone on here could offer some tips on how to track it down, or what it might be.  Here's some info:

Background: The house is a two floor (plus basement) block/concrete construction.  There is a wide hallway on the groundfloor connecting the rooms (including kitchen, toilet/shower room, stairwell).  The stairs are wood-board on concrete.  The floor in the hall and kitchen  is tiles over concrete, the rest woodblock/parquet over concrete.

Location of the smell: I usually smell it when coming down the stairs, seems to be strongest about half way down.  However sometimes it doesn't smell on the stairs at all, but rather in the ground floor hallway.  Seems to move around quite a lot. Occasionally I have felt it upstairs, but assume this is it drifting. The basement smells fine.

The Smell: The best description of the smell I can give is something like old rubbish.

What I've investigated so far:

1) Something died somewhere?  This was my initial thought, and since I usually notice the smell on the stairs I thought I'd try there first.  I've taken up some of the wood on the stairs (not all yet) but not looking promising, as there really isn't much space between the wood boards and the concrete.  Not really sure where else something could have gotten, as everything seems to be tight against the concrete.

2) Smell from kitchen moving into rest of house? I never really detected a bad smell in the kitchen, but thought I'd rule it out anyway. I thought maybe it was the bin under the kitchen sink that might be causing it.  So I moved the bin to a small storage room at the back of the kitchen (and kept the door closed) and thoroughly cleaned inside the cupboard under the sink. No change.  I also looked behind all of the cabinets for a problem, but could not see anything.

3) Gas from drains? The sink doesn't smell in the kitchen, and it's got a P-bend trap on the pipe - so I can't see a problem there.  Cant detect a smell from the plugholes in the bathroom either.  The bathroom sink waste pipe has a bottle-trap on it.   Don't know if there is a trap on the shower as it's a sealed unit, but I'm guessing yes (and can't smell anything).

Can any one think of something I might have missed, or give any advice?


texts: Voltage between Red and Copper; and Black an Copper, but not white

texts:
I have some 14/3 Romex coming out of the wall.  It used to power ceiling fans with a light on different switches (one turned on the light, another the fan).  I did some work down circuit and was looking to hook it all back up and am having trouble.

Coming out of the wall I measure 120v AC between the Red and bare copper wire and the black and bare copper wire.  I do not read any voltage between the Red and white; and the black and white.

Any ideas?

Update:
I did check for voltage between ground and white.  There was none.

The switch for the circuit in question shares location with two other switches.  All share a common black (hot) and white.  Both of the other two lights work perfect.

This switch was a combo dimmer/switch.  I disconnected it and hooked it up, each in turn of the red and black to the hot black.  I got no movement from my ceiling fans or lights that are further down the circuit.  I am 98% sure they are hooked up correctly at the junction box where I tested earlier.

This is leading me to believe that the wire between the switch box and junction box is bad.  While it may be possible that the white wire for this circuit worked its way out of the common tie in for all the whites, I just don't think that is feasible based upon a visual inspection.

Would you all tend to agree?


texts: What can I do to repair my metal gazebo frame?

texts:
My friend gave my his old gazebo frame as the canvas has worn out and replacing it was equivalent to the cost of getting a new one. It is 10x10 feet.

I bought a medium duty green brown tarp to cover the top of it. I used twine to affix it to the frame and it held up to the wind and water. There ended up being an issue with the latter. Light rains collected since the tarp was near impossible to keep taught. At least I thought it was taught enough.

Some heavy rains came over the last couple of days and I went out to check to see how it was holding up during just in case. I checked way too late.

I figure it is impossible to try and remove this with the hopes of putting it back together. Where the "roof" meets the rest of the frame is also bent in.

Any ideas on what I can do to try and fix this? Even if I could get almost good I should be able to improve the tarp taught-ness now and even put some holes in it on purpose to mitigate future water issues.


texts: Code question: Can electric range outlet with 6 Gage wire be exposed under surface mount box?

texts:
I am in the USA.
I want to change my propane stove to an electric stove.
I have read that I should put in a 50 amp outlet with 6 gauge wire.
The employee at the big-box store said I could make it easy on myself by using a surface mount box and run the wire up through the floor. Most likely, through the hole that will be left behind when I remove the gas line.
I asked if the wire needs to be protected in some fashion like with conduit.
He stated and it was not because it was not that far off the ground.
What is allowed via NEC codes?
Thanks
PS is 50 amp code on new construction for range rough in ?


texts: Can I install a ridge vent on simple truss shed roof (no ridge beam)?

texts:
I am building an 8x12 shed and leaning toward a ridge vent/soffit vents for my ventilation. The gable vents won't really work with the aesthetic on the sides.
I'm building simple trusses using 2x4s and gusset plates. This means that my roof peak is "sharp" (it's going to be 6/12, so I think that means my roof peak angle is 60º).
All of the videos I see for ridge vent installs are on roofs with ridge boards running down the peak. All of these ridge vents appear to be resting on a much "flatter" peak, as the ridge board rounds out the peak a bit.
Will I have any issues installing the ridge vent in this application? I realize I'll be cutting back 1" on each side of the peak for the ventilation, but the rafters will still create a sharp peak every 24".
Or is this just not the way to go for this type of simple shed build?


texts: Hot/Neutral reversed at receptacles after AFCI breaker was installed, can AFCI still work correctly?

texts:
Starting condition:
I have 3 outlets in a room and 2 of them have Hot and Neutral reversed.

Change:
The electrician came in an installed AFCI breakers
At my request, they also changed the outlets to white ones so that would match the trim

New condition:
Now all the outlets in that room has Hot/Neutral reversed.

My question is this: I can reverse the wiring in the outlets to fix the outlets.  But if the Hot and Neutral are reversed at the AFCI, will the AFCI still work correctly?


texts: What kind of screw is this? It's meant to be paired with a grommet

texts:
What kind of screw is this? And what characteristics are relevant when trying to locate a suitable replacement?

It's meant to be paired with a grommet.


texts: What is this white textured paint-looking stuff on my concrete floor?

texts:
Our home had carpet on the first floor, which is concrete slab, that we ripped up to hopefully restore to its former glory. However, about half of the floor has old laminate vinyl that's sealed down with tar, and the other half seems to be topped with some sort of white textured paint-looking stuff. It's also a bit discolored in places, but we can't tell if that's from the carpet padding that was laid down, or maybe an additional layer of something that's underneath the white paint-looking stuff.

As additional info, all that was between this material and the carpet was a layer of carpet padding and tack strip looked like this. The last image was where we tried to put some paint thinner (which we mistakenly got instead of paint remover) and scrubbed it for a bit.


texts: A hinge door stopper that won't break easily

texts:
I have a door which can only be controlled by a hinge mounted stopper. So far I've only used this kind:
but it is not sturdy enough and it breaks every so often.

I'd like to know what other options I have of more solid hinge stoppers.
I thought of the possibility of using more than one, but I would like a better one.
Also, has anyone used this other type? If so, what do you think of it?


texts: Replacing switched two prong outlet to a no switched gfci

texts: Please help. I'm trying to replace an outlet. The one I'm talking off is a two prong outlet and the bottom is switched. There is no ground, there is a white, a black, and a red. I think I'm right that it's a line outlet, right? I'm trying to put in a GFCI and I don't know where to put the red. I hope that's clear enough. Thanks in advance!


texts:
So… i’ve decided to go with a walmount but ended up saving a lot of money by NOT having an in-wall tank. I instead went the flush-o-meter route and discovered there’s nothing wrong with having a 5 gallon pressure tank to feed it in order to get your 25gpm flow for a few seconds so long as that tank has a back flow prevention fitting so it only supplies the toilet (all info from an engineer who does this commercially for a living). Also, my static pressure is about 90 psi. So I'm good there as well.

My question: Since I don’t need the carrier for the in-wall tank, is it OK to just beef up my 2x4 wall with pressure treated wood and mount the toilet on that? Or, do I need to make something out of steel? Or, is this all such a huge code violation that i’m out of my mind?

Keep in mind, the back side of the bathroom is a boiler room with unfinished walls. If there's a bunch of exposed steel or wood sticking into that room to support a toilet, I don't care so long as I'm not violating a lot of codes.


texts: What is a good depth for putting bark around a playset?

texts: What is a good depth for putting bark in a playset?  Here's a link to a picture of the project so far:


texts: How should I connect a ceiling fan with four 12/2 cables coming in?

texts:
I had a detached garage built. The guy who ran the electrical is not available and I am having some trouble with how he ran the wiring for two ceiling fans in the loft area.

There is one switch (single pole). There are two fans supposedly controlled by this switch. In one ceiling fan box, there are 4 cables coming in (all 12/2). Two line hot bundles (both same circuit), and two other bundles, one labeled FAN and one labeled LIGHT.

In the other ceiling fan box, there are two cables--one labeled FAN and one labeled LIGHT (both 12/2 as well). The fans I intend to install do not have separate light/fan switches. They are on a remote and just have white/black/ground each.

Any ideas on how this needs to be wired up? I am thrown off by the fact that one fan box has 2 line hots. I assume they are wired in series but not sure?

The switch on the far right is intended to control the fan.


texts:
The outer case is not rusted, and once the reset button is pushed it will "hum", so pretty sure it's just rusted where the blades are, and not a motor issue. (I hardly ever used it over the course of 12 years).
Can a garbage disposal that has been rusted over for years be "cleared" using Naval Jelly rust remover?


texts: Connecting the motor to 12/2 wire and a 6 position dial in an evaporative swamp cooler

texts:
I'm connecting a new evaporation cooler to an existing 6 position wall dial using the existing wiring. The idiot owner who wired the original cooler put in 12/2 Romex, intead of 12/3 for the motor (the pump also has 12/2 Romex, and that is wired and working).

Coming out of the motor is a Red(Lo), Black(hi), White(Com) and Green(Ground).

Coming out of the switch is a black(hi), White(com) and green(Ground). The Red(lo) isn't connected.

I'm ok-ish with having the cooler only work on one setting (hi), so I wired the black to black, white to white, and ground to ground, and capped the Red.

Tried the switch, and the motor isn't turning on at any of the settings.

Do I have to run a new 12/3 Romex and connect the red, or, in theory, should this work? I'm not excited about fishing wires down from the roof if I can avoid it.

The other idea I had, is to combine the red (lo) and Black(hi) into one connector, and connect that to the black house wire, but I'm worried that tI'm going to overload the motor.

It's possible there is something else going on (it's an old house and old wiring). I just want to make sure this is likely not the problem before I start looking at other things, or pay to get an electrician in.


texts: What should the ohm, resistance, reading of a dishwasher thermostat be?

texts:
The schematic doesn't say that I can see.  What should a "normal" resistance reading be for a dishwasher thermostat?  I do have continuity.  I read 1.3 or thereabouts.
It is a Kenmore, but Whirlpool part, WPW10195091.  High-Limit thermostat.  It was a room temperature when I took the reading.
The actual dishwasher is 665.14529N610.
I believe this is original manufacturer, but I can't see where it tells me a "normal" reading,
http://www.wako-clinac.co.jp/product_en/cs-7_en/index.html
CS-7SA


texts: Should I add GFCI outlets in my bathrooms if those circuits already have a GFCI remote on them?

texts:
I just purchased my first house and when the inspector was taking us through it he showed us that there are two or three remote GFCI outlets that control a number of outlets across the house. Example: There is a GFCI outlet in the kitchen with a gigantic button in the middle that is the remote for the master bedroom.

I have a friend that loves to talk like he knows everything, but I have known him long enough to know to take anything he says with a grain of salt. Anyway, his paranoid ass told me that I should replace all of the outlets in my bathrooms with GFCI outlets. I explained to him that they already have GFCI remote outlets that will trip pretty easily as demonstrated by the inspector.

My friend, of course, said that the remotes are not enough. That sometimes they don't trip when they should and that all of the outlets in the bathroom should be GFCI. I rolled my eyes at him, but figured I should at least look into it.

So which is it? Will having multiple GFCI outlets on the same circuit cause problems? Or are the remotes perfectly fine for protecting the bathrooms?

Thanks!


texts:
Most of my furniture has been in an unheated house for 6 months (extension and rewire).  Most of it has now developed mould - one of the worst affected pieces is pictured but most of it has patches here and there.

Is there any way of treating this so as to prevent it coming back?  I know from past experience that once this takes hold it tends to keep recurring.


texts: Dishwasher fault when directly wired but not when on an extension cord

texts: My dishwasher which is on a spur from the kitchen ring after some minutes will trip the main switch on the CU. However running the dishwasher on the ring from an extension plug works fine. The wiring in the sockets seems fine. How can I check the spur cable if that is where the problem lies as it seems it must


texts: How do I put on siding above a slanted roof?

texts: We're replacing siding on our two-story house currently. We can do most of it okay, but our two-car garage has a slanted roof, which mean you can't just put a ladder up there. We're thinking about just hiring it done, but it'd be a lot nicer it we could do it ourselves somehow. How could you do this? Could you maybe make some kind of scaffolding? How would you do that? Would buying some step ladder with different length legs work? Here's a pic:


texts: Can dried out joint compound be rehydrated?

texts: I have a container of dried out drywall mud and I wondered if there is anything I can do to make it usable again.


texts: Where can I find a cover for this external breaker box (1961 SFH in CA)?

texts:
Just moved into a house built in 1961 (Bay Area, CA) and saw this box on the outside of the house in the back yard.  I'd like to secure it somehow but haven't been able to locate anything that fits from either Home Depot or Lowes.
Any suggestions on where to find the make/model and where to find a replacement?


texts: Can I exchange a chimney flue for a larger diameter flue?

texts:
Thank you for the advice in advance.
I have a 1 1/2 story home with a central chimney that has two flues installed.  The main level has a gas log fireplace and the other flue runs to the basement where there are concrete footings from floor to ceiling underneath the main level fireplace to support the weight of the stone and hearth above.  The flue that runs to the basement is a 5" inner diameter with an air-cooled outer diameter of 7".  I am assuming this runs to the top of the chimney 35' up.  I was hoping to install a wood-burning fireplace in the basement; however, it looks like this will require an 8" insulated flue at the least and more likely a 10" ID insulated flue with the size of fireplace we would like to use.

My question is - how hard is it to exchange the 5" ID for a 10" ID insulated flue?  It appears that the opening in the chimney is at least 12" for this flue.  Who would be best to do the job if I need help?  thanks again


texts:
I'm having a shower tiled and I noticed that the tiler didn't put thinset over the entire area, just on the back of individual tiles.

The tiles are heavy stone 3/8x6x12. He used a 1/2 x 1/2 trowel to apply the thinset. It looks like he put just enough in the middle of the back of the tile to keep it from smooshing out to the edges instead of applying it to the Durock® and pressing the tile into it.

Is this normal?


texts:
I'm planning on plumbing my shop for compressed air and I think I want to use nylon tubing, like what comes in the RapidAir kits. I don't want to use PVC for obvious reasons, and though I think PEX could technically work, its temeperature derating curve concerns me given the pressures and temperatures the material would see.

My question is this: has anyone ever used PEX barbed fittings and crimp rings with nylon tube? I'm not a fan of push-to-connect fittings and compression fittings are expensive and difficult to install in tight spaces. I'm sure brass PEX fittings could handle at least 160 psi (what I believe is PEX's maximum rating) and I think the dimensions are compatible with nylon tubing. What do you think? Thanks!


texts: How can I locate and eliminate mysterious water hammer related to humidifier?

texts:
In the morning, early, when my thermostat kicks back up, I hear a banging/rattle sound that I've determined is related to my humidifier. It only lasts about 10 seconds so by the time I get down to the basement it's gone. Turning on/off the humidifier doesn't recreate it either. When I turn off the humidifier completely it doesn't happen at all. I thought it may be the solenoid but still scratching my head. Currently I've been turning off the humidifier at night since it's super annoying to wake up to. Any ideas on how to troubleshoot/fix? The humidifier is the basic bypass type. The humidistat is also basic mechanical.

update Solved with a Sioux Chief 660-TC0 1/4' Icemaker Water Hammer Arrestor Tee from Amazon. Thanks to suggestion from user19919 below


texts: Why are water heaters generally installed on a pedestal?

texts: Why are tank-style water heaters generally installed on a 2-3 foot (~0.6-0.7 meter) tall pedestal?


texts: Replacing recessed lights with pendant lights

texts: I bought "conversion kits" which supposedly do the job in 5 minutes, but the I discovered that the kit is designed for the current type of can, and is not suitable for the ones that are up there (22 years old).  So I decided to remove the cans completely and patch the drywall.  After removing the can there is still a mounting bracket up there, which seems to be firmly stapled to the adjacent 2x4, and looks as if it is too wide to go through the 6-inch hole.  Do I have to cut a much larger hole to get it out, or is there a secret way to collapse the bracket in some way?  I cannot access these from above.


texts: Hose for bleeder valve on baseboard heater

texts: Is there an hose attachment I can buy to help bleed a single baseboard heater valve?


texts: high voltage cable in attic has damaged sheath cover

texts:
I was up in my attic doing a repair.  I noticed the main high voltage line sheath has been damaged on the outside.  You can see the red copper inside.  It is covered by some clear lacquer.  The damage is still around the 4 inch section. The sheath looks to be made of some sort of black tarp material.

What i need to know is how to get it repaired.  Can it be retaped to put a new cover or comperly replaced.  It is the main lihe to my ac going to the box.

The house was built in 61.  Dont know long it was damaged.  It is sitting in top of a floor stud.

Any suggestions?


texts:
So, when my air handler was installed, it seems like they didn't even bother properly connecting the drip tray. While the blower is on, I can feel air blowing out around the drip tray (downstream/after blower) and also air sucking in (upstream/before blower). It looks like they didn't even bother lining it up correctly, let alone taping it up.

Aside from the IAQ problems associated with mixing attic air and indoor air, this is a massive waste of energy. It probably wastes more energy than just keeping a window open year round. How do I fix this?

The air handler (I think) is too heavy to move by myself, so I can't just realign it. Is there an easy way to realign the drip tray?

It was installed many years ago, so I can't just call (the installer) back and tell them to fix it.

Taping it up is possible, but I ran out of tape after taping less than 1/4 of the way around.


texts: Best way(s) to soundproof interior wall between rooms?

texts:
I had a few ideas in mind to keep our newborn from waking up our light sleeping toddler sleeping in the adjacent room.  I'm open to new suggestions. :-)

1) Blow cellulose from above (unfinished area).  I don't know if there is a firewall in the interior wall though so can't tell if the blown in will be blocked by it

2) Rigid foam boards, R-5 stuff available in my hardware store in the newborn's room, painted in something matching the room.

3) Egg crate foam stuck to the wall (seems very unattractive)


texts: How to make dish drainer board from plywood shelf

texts:
I'm making a shelf above my kitchen sink with intention of putting glasses there to dry off.

How can I treat plywood surface to make it into drainer board?
The sink and the shelf are inside oblique corner, so I can't just buy a dish rack.

Something like  would work for me, but I need it trapezium-shaped.


texts: What do you call this plastic paneling on the outside of garage?

texts:
My garage has the white plastic paneling that looks like wood.

Some of it broke off during a storm and I need to replace it. I'm having some trouble finding it online because I don't know what you call it. It snaps on.

I have been calling it plastic paneling and plastic siding in my searches, but that brings up unrelated products only so far.

update: is it "cladding"? I still haven't found an exact match but now I am thinking that's the general term for it.


texts: What can I do about a phone jack protruding from the wall?

texts:
I just moved into a home built in 1962 and so there are still a bunch of land-lines connected. I just removed a telephone from my kitchen that had a phone jack behind it. See the picture below:

What can I do to remove this?


texts: Can a house with moldy, flooded basement be a likely fixer upper?

texts:
I recently viewed a vacant house for sale that was nice except that the partially finished basement got flooded just enough to saturate the carpets and cover every piece of drywall, door, and trim with nasty black mold.  It was even on the concrete on the unfinished side.

It's clear the sump backed up from the recent storm and no one knew the pump quit.  I was considering what it would take to bring this house back into shape.  If I bought it, I'd certainly have a mold abatement specialist look at it.  If the report shows the mold didn't spread beyond the basement, would I expect to run into any issues by simply demolishing the finished area's carpet, drywall and framing and then bleaching all the remaining surfaces?

In other words, assuming no further flooding the house may become livable but will the basement always smell funny?  What are the chances mold can come back in the bad way?  Would there be any long term health risks after the cleanup?


texts: Can I set a 2 3/8 metal post into a 4x4 hole?

texts:
I removed a rotten 4x4 post that was used for a fence.  The concrete hole seems sound.  I was thinking of putting a 2 3/8 metal pole in this 4x4 hole and then filling with concrete.

I am not sure if there would be enough new concrete around the metal post to make a secure fit.

If this works I will probably replace all the 4x4 wood posts with metal posts.

Any ideas or previous experience around this would be appreciated.


texts: How to handle expansion of wood when attaching a bed to the walls of a room

texts:
I would like to carry out a similar project as the one described in this thread(Can I use bolts to attach a bed to the walls of my room?).

I have seen several similar projects but they do not seem concerned about the expansion of the 2meter long beams of wood against the wall.

I have considered leaving an expansion gab at the end of the beam but have not worked out how to hold it securely to the perpendicular beam bolted to the wall.

Would 2meter long support beams not expand in length sufficiently to cause the wall to bend/crack? Can they be securely bolted to the beams bolted to the wall and thus make a solid frame?


texts: Installing NEMA 14-50 by use of NM-B in a Metal Flex conduit (dry location) code compliant?

texts:
Goal: Replace existing 10-30 (8/3 Al on 30A breaker) receptacle with a 14-50 (6/3 Cu on 50A breaker). Receptacle will be used to charge an EV (at 32A, but I think its only right to actually make sure the 14-50 is capable of doing what its supposed to, who knows what next owner of the house may use it for).
Reasons I want to avoid using THHN, location is a 2 car garage, the run starts in wall (behind drywall, about 10 feet), run ends in a wall (behind drywall about 20 feet). The space between these two walls is an existing 3/4in metal flex conduit (length is width of 2 car garage). To use THHN Id have to rip up two walls to install conduit. So NM-B is much more convenient for me. I have to use some sort of conduit (i think) because the ceiling of the garage is unfinished (exposed beams), so there is no drywall or anything to put the NM-B behind.
The conduit is existing (its what the 8/3 Al on 30A breaker is running to the existing NEMA 10-30 receptacle).
Now the questions. Please correct me if I am reading something incorrectly.
From reading NEC it appears that NM-B is not allowed in wet locations. Conduits outdoors are considered wet locations. My entire run is in a dry location, all indoors and more than 8ft off the ground.
Two other concerns that may come up.

Derating - being NM-B it is automatically derated in NEC table to 60C and 50A (individual conductors are rated 90C but dertaed as a whole to 60C). So since I am putting it on a 50A breaker and using 14-50, it seems like derating is a moot debate (since its already done automatically).
Fill table calculation. NEC specifically says to treat NM-B as one conductor when calculating fill table. I measured my NM-B (it is round not oval) and it is 0.5in diameter. I used Southwire's fill calculator - https://www.southwire.com/calculator-conduit with the following settings:

Conduit - Flex FMC 3/4
Conductors - 0.5in x 1

Calculation gives 37% fill rate. Within NEC spec.
So, what am I missing? Based on this it should be to code for me to run NM-B 6/3 through a 3/4in metal Flex conduit across the ceiling from one wall to another?
Thanks for any feedback!


texts: Pipes behind Vent Grates - Safe to Remove?

texts:
In the bedrooms of a home we just purchased, there are vertical pipes behind vent grates (see picture). Each bedroom has an upper and lower grate, both with visible pipes behind them.

The pipe is about 2" diameter.

I'm thinking these pipes are part of an older heating system, but thought it was weird that they're only in the 2 bedrooms and no other rooms in the house.

House previously had oil heating (not sure on the specifics), and has been upgraded to natural gas forced air (utilizing other ceiling vents).

My questions are:

Does anyone know what these pipes might be?
Would they be safe to remove? (pondering opening the channel and creating a built-in book case).

Thanks!


texts:
Is it possible to get a skylight to fit an irregular space on the roof?  I'd like to fit a skylight into the location shown below, but extending all the way down to the bend in the roof.  This would basically add a right triangle to the bottom of the rectangle.

If it's possible, would there be any concerns regarding water drainage in an arrangement like this?


texts: Do tile floors have transition joints at the entry to each room?

texts: Hello I have a question regarding setting down some tiles.  I tried researching the topic but I was unsuccessful. I posted a picture of the rooms that i will be setting down tiles.  Which consist of 4 rooms and 2 bath rooms. I was wondering, when you start a room do you only lay the tiles down in that room and cut it off at the door way Or do you allow it to transitions in to the hallways/rooms?


texts: How can I efficiently dig small footing holes?

texts:
I am trying to dig holes that are 18" square, and 12"+ deep.

The site is mostly undisturbed soil, although there is a thin layer of topsoil or fill in some areas. The soil is glacial till, so a mix of sizes. Plenty of rocks.

I use a mattock to loosen the ground, then a shovel to, err, shovel it out and clean up the sides. I have trouble when I get close to the 12" mark, because I can no longer swing the mattock into the hole. If I need to go deeper (because I hit soft fill dirt) then I'm kinda stuck.

It's also taking a while, and I have 30 holes to dig, so I'd like to think about ways to speed things up.

For context: I'm going to fill with gravel and set pre-cast pier blocks on top.

Any suggestions?


texts: Would a chunky mantel allow me to mount my TV above a wood burner?

texts:
I would like a woodburner with a twin flue install to take the flue outside. If I put a chunky mantel above it, can I then safely mount my TV on the wall without heat killing it?

When I say chunky I mean 2-3 railway sleepers depth from wall.


texts: Ceiling fan and light work with pull chain only, not light switch

texts:
My ceiling fan and light will only work with the chain and not the switch. When I tested the wires with the switch off one still came back hot. My house is a very old house. A picture is posted, as I’m so lost on what to do. Please help!!!
[![enter image description here][2]][2]
[2]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/XeA3U.jpg![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/UxmFn.jpg)


texts: What is the best way to cut railway sleepers

texts:
Is it possible? Is the wood treatment of the sleepers affecting my equipment
Tools in my possession: electric chainsaw, circular saw and an handsaw.


texts: How can I repair suction cups on grab bars?

texts:
They stay fixed for a time but then lose suction on one side or both, then moves or drops off the shower wall at any time.

It appears to be the spring compresses over time. Can it be adjusted and made to be 'tighter'?


texts: Plumbing supplies and california prop 65

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Are there any plumbing supplies which do not contain any chemicals known to the state of California under proposition 65? If yes, where can I buy them? If not, why?

EDIT: by "plumbing supplies" I meant mostly pipes, push-to-fit connectors, gaskets and the likes, for application to drinking water. To be even more explicit, I recently bought and installed a reverse osmosis system, to have safer drinking water for my family. Looking at most of the pipes and push-to-connect fittings, all of them have the prop 65 warning This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. Now you may dismiss this with "those paranoid Californians, the other authorities know better", yet maybe a small amount of truth can be in that. Moreover, tell to the people of Flint, MI about trusting the authority.

Therefore, I would like to use products known to not contain any of the prop 65 chemicals. I could not find any, hence my question (which is not purchasing advice): do such things exist? If not, there must be a reason, so why?

Thanks in advance


texts: Feedback on ideas for stopping water from coming under garage door

texts:
I have two garage doors that both occasionally experience water coming in. This happens on rainy days, but only when the wind is against the door. The grade is OK, except there is an inch or less of depression right in front of the door - it's like the door fits down into a groove. So water doesn't run from the ground into the garage, however water runs down the door itself, pools in the depression, and eventually gets inside. My actual problem seems similar to the one in this question, however I would like to ask for review of my own remedy idea:

I would like to put something like flashing to extend a lip out along the bottom front of the garage door(s), to direct the water running down the face of the door away to the graded slope (less than an inch away).

What materials might work for this? Metal flashing is obviously a possibility (not sure I have the skills for this). Being DIY-minded, I'm thinking about experimenting with a stiff waterproof canvas - if not stiff enough, glue two layers together. I could glue a thin strip of wood or some kind of small profile moulding along the bottom of the garage door, then after it is firm, glue a strip of canvas, held tight at a 90 deg angle above and along the top of the wood strip, so it would make it stick out. Think it would work, or would I just be messing up my door?


texts: What is the grey wire dangling from my ceiling?

texts:
We recently moved into a new apartment in Berlin. We are the first occupants and thus there are no existing lighting fixtures. In the living room there are 4 light switches (1 & 2 on the left of the room, 3 & 4 on the right) and 5 cables dangling from the ceiling:

Green/Yellow: Earth
Blue: Neutral
Brown: Live when switches 1 or 3 are on
Black: Live when switches 2 or 4 are on
Grey: Gets a "small" current when switches 2/4 are on.

By small current I mean - the only tool I have is a simple test light. When the Brown/Black wires are active the test light glows very brightly, but when the Grey wire is active the test light is very dim.

I get that there are two sets of three way switches here, but what is the Grey wire for then?

According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_wiring#Colour_code Black, Grey, Brown are colour codes for 3 phase, but I don't know what that means as far as installing a ceiling light goes here.

Any help much appreciated!


texts: Wiring circuit breaker directly to telephone pole?

texts:
I want to add an 30 amp RV connection to the telephone pole where my power comes in.
I've wired outlets before, but always by attaching to my main circuit breaker box. But this RV outlet isn't going to go through the circuit breaker box. It's an exterior box that'll contain its own circuit breaker, a 30 amp outlet, and likely a 20 amp outlet.
(Note: it won't bypass the electrical meter, obviously, as that'd be illegal, and my electrical meter has a power cutoff, so I can kill power before wiring up my box)
I haven't ordered one yet, but something like this:

I have two questions:

Can I just wire a circuit breaker directly into the powerline running out of the electrical meter?

I never wired up a new circuit breaker box before, so I don't know if circuit breaker boxes contain any electrical component between the power from the meter and individual circuit breakers.

What do I do for ground? I assume what's coming off the telephone pole is two phases and a common. Do I just drive a copper grounding rod anywhere into the dirt to ground my RV outlet?


texts:
i recently bought a very old house and wanted to start renovating asap.

I want to take out this wall but i am unsure if its load bearing.


texts: How do I remove mold seeping from under the toilet?

texts:
I'm  not sure if this is the right forum to ask this question. If not could you point me in the right direction?

How do we get rid of orange mold under the toilet?

 We've tried scraping it off with a knife and putting bleach where we can, but it still comes back weekly.

There are also calcium deposits in some of the grooves in the tile surrounding our toilet.

UPDATE: The "mold" in the picture ended up being that the plumber installed wood shims when our house was built only about 1.5 years ago. The wood shims were removed.

SECOND UPDATE: The builder came back again because it really was mild (happened again with plastic shims). A piece on the toilet (not sure of its name) was defective--the part of the toilet that connects to the flange. Builder said they had never seen this before.


texts: What are the pros and cons of two AC systems vs a dual zone system?

texts:
I have a Cape Cod with 1000 ft2 on the first floor and an apartment in the attic.  In a few years I may get rid of the apartment and build up a second story + attic.  Both the first floor and the attic currently have window AC units.  The heat is hot water radiators and the boiler is on gas.

Does it make sense to install high-velocity AC in the crawl space for the first floor and later, when I build up the second floor, add another AC system in the new attic to cool it?

Or is that going to be too expensive?

I'm thinking that a dual zone system would be nice anyway.  Are two AC systems twice as expensive than a single dual-zone one?  Or what is the ratio?  Also, what are the prices of such systems?


texts: My dryer heating element broke in two: Can I just wrap the ends together?

texts:
I have a Whirlpool Estate dryer that recently quit drying. I narrowed the problem down to the heating element, then removed the element assembly and found a clean break in the coil at one end. A replacement element is 50 bucks online, which isn't a problem, but I wonder: Can I fix the element myself?

I don't have a lot of tools, but I do have a wrench and some 18 gauge aluminum wire. I thought maybe I could scrape the soot off of the element near the break, then wrap the ends together with the wire. I'm not much of a handyman and I'm certainly not an electrician. But I'd like to fix something for a change, rather than just throwing it away. Can the element be salvaged?

Edit: Thanks for the informative answers, guys. I ordered a replacement from Amazon.


texts: GFCI seding low voltage to downstream devices

texts:
We just purchased a cabin and suddenly several lights stopped working. Initially I thought it was just the light over the kitchen sink. So I replaced the bulb and it still didn't work. I then checked the power panel for a tripped breaker and I didn't find one. I also discovered none of the receptacles and lighting circuits were labeled. Then I found other lights in the room were not working. So I pulled the switch plate on the sink light and inspected the wires. The wires were tight and it appeared the other lights must be feed from the kitchen light.  When I tested the circuit for power at the switch my meter displayed 10 to 12 volts on both sides of the switch.  Upon further investigation I found all the lights were on the same circuit and controlled from a GFI outlet in one of the bathrooms. When I reset the GFI in the bathroom all the lights worked. This must be why the GFI breaker was not tripped.
So my questions are;
one why was there a low voltage reading switch and down stream from a GFI that was tripped? (breaker not tripped)
My second question is why does my voltage light pen pick up voltage outside a wall within two radius of the last switch in the circuit when the GFI was tripped and doesn't light up when it is reset and the light works.  Usually the light pen has to be pretty close to a power source but not in this case.
Before this happened we did hear noises in the outside wall near the switch and thought a squirrel or a chipmunk may have chewed into cable.
Sorry for being so winded in the explanation.


texts:
I have a garage and I'm planning to buy a new car. The problem is that the width of car is 5 feet and 6 inches and my garage door width is 6 feet.

So I want to know that what can I do to broaden the width of my garage door.

I called an architect. He told me to trim both the walls around 4 inches each side. But my wall is only 10.5 inches each side so can I trim the wall?

My house is double story, so can I trim my walls and my house will be still be OK?


texts: I have a large ceramic plate that I wanted to hang in my kitchen.  It is 22" in diameter and it's circular.  It weighs almost 15 lbs.  Is this a possibility?  I don't see any plate hangers out on the internet that can accommodate the circumference and handle the weight.  Any suggestions?


texts:
Replaced 15v outlet with another basic one. All seemed to go well during install, but after it was over, the gfci outlet trips when I place a reasonable load to it.

When left alone, power flows though the outlet to the rest of the devices. When I plug a lamp in it, it's fine. When I plug my surge protector in it with only a modem and router on it, it trips. It was on the old outlet.

When it trips, it's only the gfci before it and everything before gfci works when tripped.

There are four main wires. Two white and two black. Then my green ground. I placed two live wires on top. On mine, it didn't really specify where so I left as old ones in the past. It did say the white and black side. I did separate and verify ground was on top to make sure.

Any help would be great!


texts: What is the name for the brush to clean this humidifier valve on my HVAC

texts:
(Context) The previous owners put a humidifier on the HVAC and I could have sworn that the red wire thing attached to the valve had a brush on the end of it when I was with the inspector months ago. It is getting close to winter and I thought I'd try out the humidifier, but there is all that gunk in the valve.

(Question 1) Can I find a brush to clean to it out at Home Depot? I am not sure what to look for.

(Question 2) I am also not sure of how to clean it out. Do I open that red cap and push it out the other end? Do I need a cleaning solution or water? I am not sure what that thing with the wires does :/

(Question 3) Do I need to cover the valve that is holding my busted trap brush? It is exposed to air, I can't find a cap anywhere, and pictures online show that valve without a cap.

(Question 4) My trap is very dirty, I just shined a flashlight on it, is it safe to flush it with a bleach/water mixture? What about isopropyl alcohol?


texts: Replacing interior wall sconce in old house - how to mount

texts: I have an old house with black metal boxes on which there were old wall scones.  All of the boxes have a threaded nipple in them which held the previous sconces.  I am able to use a hickey to attach the new sconce via a threaded rod which works but there is nothing to counter rotation of the sconce around the thread.  I could probably screw in some small "anchor" screws to help secure it better but I was wondering if these old style boxes have any kind of mounting holes that a universal mounting plate might work with.  Thank you.


texts: I am replacing a vanity light in my condo. I removed the old fixture, which was a cheap long shallow box with five round bulbs. Lo and behold, there was no junction box behind the fixture, as all wires were contained inside the metal body of the unit and apparently one wasn't necessary. No studs behind the fixture either, so the old light was screwed into the wallboard. There was a hole in the wall and a thick white plastic coated cable encasing the three wires, ground, black and white. I added a shallow junction box that had to be installed directly over a ventilation pipe inside the wall (see photo) which came with a grounding wire attached to a screw. The light fixture has a grounding wire too. How do all three grounding wires get attached?


texts: Is there ever a reason for reversing hot and neutral on a receptacle?

texts:
I moved into a new home and several receptacles have the hot and neutral reversed.  I confirmed this with a basic receptacle tester.  I opened one up and found the white wire on the brass terminal, and the black wire on the silver terminal.

Is there any scenario where this would have been done on purpose?  Perhaps as a workaround for some other issue?  If not, then I would assume I could safely correct it myself.


texts: Can I run a #12 outlet branch and a #14 light branch off a 30A breaker?

texts: Was wondering if i can feed an entire room with one 30 amp breaker, 10/2 to an attic junction box, then break out 12/2 for outlet daisy chain (four 15 amp-type outlets) and 14/2 for a light circuit.


texts:
I am wanting to install an attic fan over the gable vent and had a couple questions.

There is a 2x4 running through the center of the vent. Can I cut this in the middle so it doesn’t block the fan? I will be mounting the fan on a plywood frame attached to the studs next to the vent.
The fan comes with a 15’ cord but the attic outlet is maybe 25, away. Can I simply use an extension cord or do I need to tap into the attic lights and run wire to the fan location?

The side studs are 51” apart and the opening is 10”x15”. I was planning on putting a 17” fan over top.

Thanks for the advice!


texts: How can I determine if moisture in a basement is due to condenstation vs intrusion through walls?

texts:
I have a 1902 house built upon a limestone foundation, and I am interesting in finishing a portion of the basement to build a home office. Before I build anything though, I want to make sure I do it right.

The basement, and the walls in particular, seem to be perpetually damp. There has never been standing water anywhere, nor dripping off the walls, and despite one spring having the yard flooded with standing water, I haven't had any flooding in the basement.

So while the dampness could be condensation, reading online has stated the limestone can often be porous and water will come into the basement in miniscule amounts, which was not a problem in 1902 because people thought of the spaces as cellars rather than working spaces.

Other reading says not to worry about it, and to spray a generous amount of closed cell foam in the space between the block wall the finished interior wall, and call it a day.

If the dampness is just from condensation, that seems like a reasonable course of action, but if there is water wicking through the stone, that seems like a ticking time bomb of problems.

Of course, an option would be to further insulate the wall from the exterior, but excavating around the foundation would incur serious expense and hassle that I'd prefer to avoid considering the purpose of all this is for an "elective" operation.

So, how can I accurately determine if the dampness is condensation vs wicking? And, if closed cell and XPS foam is used from the interior, does it even matter? Or is exterior insulation the only solution and anything else is just a time-delayed money waste.

edit: I have seen a description of a test consisting of taping a plastic sheet to a surface, but the walls have far too much texture to get a reasonable seal.


texts: Can I remove the GFCI protection from a final outlet in a series of three GFCI protected outlets?

texts: My refrigerator is plugged into an outlet that is on the end of a series of three GFCI protected outlets that uses the first outlet to protect all three. The refrigerator manual says it should not be plugged into a GFCI outlet. Can I remove the GFCI protection from that last outlet?


texts: How can I remove a Carpet from concrete stuck down with black mastic/bitumen

texts:
I'm currently on restoring a property in the UK. The house was originally a Care Home built in 1987, and was built using standard commercial techniques at the time.

The issue I'm having is, at the time they laid this non-slip, easy clean carpet down directly onto the concrete floor and have stuck it using black mastic (believe its bitumen). Everything I've read is people struggling to get the glue off the floor after removing the carpet. The problem I'm having is even getting the carpet to budge. Currently we are using a hammer and chisel to get the stuff up. You can see below what this is like.

Does anyone have a better suggestion for trying to get this up? Will using chemicals work with the carpet still down?


texts: 1.5hr is normal drying time for condenser dryer? Miele

texts:
I have a Miele W3033 washer and a Miele T8013C condenser dryer.
T8013C is a 24 inch, electric, ventless, condenser dryer, that vents into the room through the front, looks like this: https://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/ajmadison/T8013C.html.
For a load of clothes (filled to 80% full in the washer) washed using "Normal" program on W3033, it take 1.5hrs to dry using "Normal" program on T8013C.
If I touch the dryer door, it doesn't feel warm at all, just the same as when the dryer is off. The exhaust air feels warm, but not hot... Is the 1.5hr drying time normal?
BTW, I just cleaned all the lint traps and the condenser filter, they are as closed to being "factory clean" as I can get it.


texts: Is insulating basement ceiling or first-floor walls more effective?

texts:
In an old house with plaster walls there is a large room on the first floor with wood floor.  The walls are not insulated.  The basement has no ceiling, so you just directly see the subfloor of the first floor.  There is no insulation.

What is more effective, insulating the walls on the first floor (with blown-in insulation from outside holes), or attaching some insulation under the subfloor?


texts: Can you use an outdoor paving stone for indoors?

texts:
I want to tile my kitchen with a tile that continues outside to a patio. I have seen a nice 25 mm thick lime stone tile (outdoor) that would look good, but I'm not sure about using an outdoor tile indoors.

We are going to have underfloor heating (water system) under the tiles. I realise that it might take a bit longer, but that's okay.

Are there any disadvantages or anything that I should be aware of?


texts: Two Electric Ranges with the Same Issues

texts: I live in an apartment building that is 100 years old.  My electric range burners don't all work the same way and they have hot spots on the elements. I only use one element as the others can't be trusted. Even on the element I use, food has to be watched carefully as it will burn in one spot even on a medium setting. The oven is unpredictable even after calibrating the temperature as best I can.  I have been trying to figure this out.  The landlord replaced the very old electric range with another used range.  The problems are are the same on both ranges. The outlet for the range is hanging out from the wall.  I have no access to the circuit breakers or power box.  I tried to explain to the landlord that it is very unlikely that 2 ranges would have the same problem unless it is related to the power source.  Any electricians out there who knows the answer to this?  Thanks!


texts: Cutting Wall Tile with Oscillating tool?

texts: Installing a bathroom vanity cabinet.  It fits fine, but I need to cut a half inch of the base board tile (tile along the wall, where it meets floor tile) to have the cabinet flush to the wall.  I recently bought a Bosch 2608661757 Grout and Mortar Remover for my Oscillating tool to remove a layer of grout to regrout floor.  Will I be able to use this accessory to cut this tile on the wall?  Trying not to go buy another saw.  I also have other saw bits, but would like some advice.


texts: How to wear eye protection if you already wear glasses?

texts:
I wear glasses with relatively large frames (due to the shape of my face, smaller frames don't really work). I'm nearsighted and can't see without them. Unfortunately many safety goggles don't fit at all on top of my glasses, and the few that do are still offset too much from my face and allow debris to come in easily from the bottom.

Is there a better solution for eye protection, if you already have to wear glasses?

Pretending that my prescription glasses are eye protection won't work. See slide 8 in this presentation.
Most safety glasses that do fit over glasses protect inadequate protection from debris flying up from below.
Contacts are probably a bad idea, because they create additional risks from chemical fumes and getting dust in your contacts is really not fun.


texts: Can I use fiberglass shower drain for tile base?

texts:
I pulled out my fiberglass shower enclosure and replace with a tile base.
I only found this drain in stock

Is it OK just to use that? This is basement shower and concrete foundation. So basically I will remove the white nut and plastic/paper gasket and tile up to the lip of the threaded pipe inside. I guess it will be hard to make adjustment up and down on the cover, right?

OR do I use this kinda of shower drain?

There is also a round version but none are available in stock and I have to wait few weeks...

UPDATE 1

This is the plumbing with 1.5" pipe with male threaded

NOTE: I know 1.5" is not up to code as 2" is required. But this is in basement concrete foundation and I am not planning to make a big mess. 1.5" works fine for me many years.

This is the piece that screw in the male pipe before when there was a fiberglass shower pan

That white piece is basically a female 1.5" to 2" male.

That piece is already raising the level like 1". So the less height, the better for me. "That" is why I was thinking about using the thinner version of another fiberglass drain assembly.


texts: How dangerous is to repair a stopcock without closing the main water entrance?

texts:
I have, more or less, the situation bellow. I have simplified the scheme. It's a bathroom, (A) is a shower, (B) is a tap.
I would like to repair both A and B. The main stopcock doesn't work anymore.
Assuming I keep both A and B open while repairing one of them to alleviate the pressure, is it still too dangerous?

I'm trying to anticipate as much as possible problems that can occur before trying anything.

In another bathroom where the main stopcock works and have a similar layout, I was able to hold the water with the finger while simulating a repair. Not without lots of water in my chest.


texts: I have carpet in a bedroom that I am thinking of replacing with a hardwood floor, but the bed has big wooden feet and they might scuff the floor. Is there a standard way to protect the floor? Maybe a rubber pad or cup?


texts: How to figure out wire types while replacing old switches with new ones

texts:
Trying to replace these old switches (1990 build) to new Leviton z-wave switches DZS15-1BZ.

The Leviton manual for new switches expect 3 (BL, WH and RD wires) + 1 ground. But when I opened the old switch, I see 2 BL wires and 1 ground (which is no plugged to the switch).

Now how do I figure out where these 2 BL will go in the new switch?

Old switch:

New switch:


texts: Why do my three-way switches only work in one configuration?

texts: I replaced a switch with a 3 way dimmer. There are 3 switches plus the dimmer to control 1 light. The only way the switches work is if the dimmer is in the on position then I can put the light on and off with the other switches. Why is that?


texts: Mounting plumbing to existing outdoor deck. What kind of pipes and fittings should I use?

texts:
I'd like to install some plumbing underneath my deck to facilitate running a hose on the deck via quick disconnect couplers.

My preference is to run schedule 40 PVC pipes underneath the deck. There will be 4 outlets including a drain. I intend to drain the system in the winter and disconnect it from the water supply.

Will I have a problem mounting quick disconnect couplers to the PVC pipe?

Is running PVC pipe outside a problem or bad idea?

Can anyone suggest a design that is better than this for my intended purpose?


texts: How do I stain a pressure treated pine fence?

texts: I am putting up a pine PT post fence in front of my home. The fencing is new and green and I would like to stain it a natural wood color.I don't want to put it up green or wait for it to dry or turn a more natural color for a year. Any ideas?


texts: Possible to fill in porcelain sink depression so that water stops pooling?

texts:
My porcelain kitchen sink somehow got a slight depression in it, causing water to pool in a roughly 7" x 7" area. I'm considering replacing the sink to solve this, but I'm hoping there's instead a cheap, quick hack I can do on the current sink. I don't really care about aesthetics, and I use a sink grid in case that makes a difference. I was thinking I could fill in the depression with some kind of waterproof substance that can adhere to porcelain.
EDIT
Using a level app, I confirmed that the sink is itself perfectly level. The depression rises upwards towards the drain at an angle of about 0.5°, while the non-indented side slopes downwards towards the drain at an angle of 1°.
Here are pictures showing the water pooling. In the second picture you can actually see a dark part of the reflection curving upwards from the bottom, cutting across the lighter reflection to its right. That's the edge of the depression.