texts: Adding Recessed Lighting to room with ceiling fan and a 4 way switch?

texts:
I am installing recessed lighting. There is currently a ceiling fan with a light already installed on the ceiling I am installing the lights. 3 switches all control power to the ceiling fan.

My goal is to have one dimmer switch for the recessed lighting and then one switch for the new fan I will install that doesn't have a light.

I am okay getting rid of the 4 way switch.

Here is a diagram of my current set up.

https://www.do-it-yourself-help.com/4_way_switch_diagram.html


texts: How to isolate dead animal odors in crawlspace?

texts:
Some animal, likely a squirrel or largish animal, obtained entrance to a crawlspace and died there. No one is able to isolate the location of the carcass.  The odor seems to be too ubiquitous in the area to be able to sense strength levels or the origin of the odor.

Are there any techniques that help to isolate odors of animal carcasses that are buried in insulation or otherwise hidden?

I've thought that perhaps if we employed a commercial ozone generator and then attempted to "smell it out" again after using this device, that it might reduce the odor enough to detect it based on vicinity, but I'm just taking guesses...


texts: Adding insulation to basement that already has vapor barrier

texts:
I have leftover insulation from doing my basement, little bits and pieces.

In between the joists on my basement ceiling it is insulated with vapour barrier already from when the house was built.

Will condensation form if I put all the extra pieces against the vapour barrier on the inside of the wall but do not put a second vapour barrier? Or will it be fine and help my house stay better insulated? Or is it a complete waste of time.

It just seems like such a shame for all these smaller pieces to go to waste.


texts:
Good day, I am just beginning to learn about egress in detail.  For example say I have a (150 by 40 foot building, a basic warehouse) with exit doors on each end.  Once a distance of "X" is exceeded you need to add sprinklers.  If I add extra doors along the long walls "here and there", since now exits are much closer, can I eliminate a sprinklered system?  It seems more cost effective, and no sprinkler maintenance/repair work to constantly be done over time?
Thanks for any input you have.
Matthew
Thanks, good advice from you all !!! I was just trying to get a "handle" of the concept use or not use, for "basic" UBC type rules.  As mentioned, I am just jumping into the game and have no experience yet on Fire sprinkler systems, so I am gathering info so I can create a Pros and Cons checklist of "all things to consider".  As I start to learn what's what.
All info above is great!  Thank you !!!  The idea of of cost savings/consequences from choosing (yes or No) in construction costs, maintenance upkeep costs, ongoing inspection testing over time costs, etc."

I did not think about insurance costs, or if they come into play?
It's more of a gated industrial complex area (all our property), 1/2 of our buildings are sprinklered 1/2 are not.
The concept I was using to see what the financial construction differences would be, was for a basic empty building This concept was just a building to park cars and trucks in to keep them safe and out of the weather.  I figured as mentioned above 150 by 40 (Arbitrary choice) was big enough to see cost differences.  I think travel distances greatly come into play? so instead of doors just on the ends as I have seen, I am playing with the Idea to see what happens if I add 3 or four doors along each long side of the building.  Changing the exit distance from center at 75 feet to about 30 feet?  I don't know yet if this even makes a difference... still learning.
Again, thanks for your advice!
Matthew


texts: Nest snow thermostat with a McLain PEG-45 boiler

texts: I have a similar problem . My R wire from the thermostat to the G terminal on boiler and the W wire from the thermostat to the Y terminal on the boiler. The picture is a bit confusing since the red and white from thermostat were connected to 2 black wires.


texts: How can I replace a long double vanity with two single vanities?

texts:
I have one long double vanity in my master bathroom. It is approx 122" with a 53" vanity on the left (butts up to soaker tub) and a 49" vanity on the right (butts up to wall when entering bathroom). In the middle is a 20" open section where you would sit on a stool to do makeup. It looks pretty outdated, so I'm thinking about switching it out for 2 furniture style single vanities as part of our remodel. My question is, how big can they be?  How much room should I leave on the left next to the tub, the right next to the wall and in between?

And depending on the answer to that question, I am trying to figure out if I need to move the plumbing as well. How many inches can I move the center of the vanity to the right or left of where it is currently before I have to also move the plumbing?


texts: Why does my freezer suddenly have more frost than it did?

texts: My freezer that attached to my fridge has all of a sudden and lot of frost on the top and on the items in it. Why would it has a lot of frost and what's the easiest way to get rid of the frost.


texts: Why is my hardwood splitting apart and how do I fix it?

texts:
I purchased a new home about 2 years ago (the home was built in 1968). I paid someone to resurface/stain my hardwood to be darker and to also get rid of my metal heating vents and replace them with hardwood heating vents that flow naturally. The outcome was wonderful.

The problem I'm running into is that this winter (not the prior winter) I started to notice that a lot of the hardwood is starting to come apart and leave large gaps between the boards. It's not every piece, but it's also enough pieces to be noticeable, with some pieces being very noticeable.

Even though I have hardwood throughout most of the house, it seems to be a problem in the dining room area for the most part; I have my dining room, family room, stairs, and all bedrooms upstairs with hardwood, but only the dining room seems to exhibiting issues.

I checked my heating unit and it has a built in humidifier, and I think that seems to be working (I opened it up and water was in the honeycomb item). I also am not sure why this seems to be only happening in the dining room (it's situated above the heating unit which is in the basement of course).

What is causing this?

Is this due to winter?
Do I have an infestation issue (termites perhaps); note that I have not noticed any critters like ants or anything else in the home?
Is this a humidity issue?

How do I fix it?

Do I have to do something to fix this?
Will it naturally fix itself when the weather warms up and wood expands?


texts: Safe to buy brass compression fitting/pipe transition?

texts:
I'm putting in a water line from a new well to my house.  I've purchased 250psi 1-1/4" CTS poly tubing, it's about a 230' run.  I plan on transitioning to PVC underground outside the pump house before the line goes into the building, and also transitioning to 1-1/4" PVC sleeved in 2" PVC where the line passes through my concrete foundation under my house.  I purchased these brass compression fittings to make the transition:

There's also a stainless steel sleeve that goes inside the pipe to help maintain stiffness.

Anyway, my question is if it's safe to bury these fittings underground, or if I should plan on putting a valve box over them to maintain accessibility.  The pipe will be 2' below ground, so even with the valve box it won't be easy to service it should it fail in the future.

Also, is my plan to transition to PVC sensible before it enters buildings on either end?  After the PVC enters my house there will be a further transition to PEX.


texts: White stuff coming out of my wall when dry

texts:
We painted my wall two times already first was a dark blue and some white powdery stuff was spreading after the paint dried, now we painted it again now in purple and it still has the white stuff when dried.

This is a picture that I took left side is the dry one and right side I sprayed water on it that's how it should look like but this white stuff keeps coming back when dried

Other pictures


texts: Choosing a grout color for a large brick patio

texts: I am install a large brick patio, about 500 sq. ft.   We are planning to use a sand grout but want to get a sand color rather than a grey color.  Is this possible and, if so, how?


texts: how to turn on the shower shut off valve in the shower wall

texts: My spout was leaking and the plumber shut off the hot water valve in the wall because we needed to find a spout replacement. We replaced the spout and cartridges in the wall and now my husband can't seem to open the hot water valve. It has a place to turn your screw driver. What can he try?


texts: Do I need a hammer drill to install brackets for drapes on a brick wall?

texts: I want to put up brackets for drapes. I have a masonry bit, but are using a simple (and possible cheap) cordless drill.  I can seem to penetrate the brick.  Do I need a hammer drill to do the job.


texts:
Received a relatively old black and decker bench grinder from a relative. It works, mostly. About 50% of the time it powers up but doesn't spin - hand cranking gets it going, whether it starts fine or not it makes a dreadful racket for the first 10-20 sec. of operation. WD40 helps. Also, it seems like the wheels are off-center, ie they seem to not move in a perfect circle.

Is the situation with the slow start likely to result in imminent failure of the unit?

Is the situation  with the uncentered wheels likely to result in damage to work?

Can any of this be fixed with some preexisting mechanical aptitude?


texts: How should I connect a new RF switch to replace two standard switches?

texts:
I have two light switches. Each runs three lights and has its own hot and neutral wires (so in total--2 hots and 2 neutrals).

I bought this remote switch which accept only one in and two out. The old one is a normal switch the new one is an RF switch. How should it be wired?


texts: My gutter is leaking at the corner. After some youtubing, it seems like I'd want to just re-seal the miter (essentially just caulk). However, mine seems to have a rubber-like substance along the whole bottom of the inside of the gutter (the red arrow in the picture points to the edge of the peeling material). I didn't see this in any of the gutter installation videos I watched - what is it called? Can I just pull this up (it's really stuck on there) so I can re-caulk the seam?


texts: Prevent cold air from coming in through bathroom vent

texts:
I am considering building a vent with a fan in my upstairs bathroom that would exit out of the roof. Since the bathroom is in the center of the house it cannot easily be vented to the side of the house, so the roof is the only option I am considering.

The problem is that it gets very cold in the winter here and I do not want freezing cold air blowing down on me through the vent when I am in the bathroom (naked sometimes).

How can construct the vent so that it will not admit cold air during the winter?


texts: Is there a reasonably priced dog door that allows dogs through but stops cats?

texts: I have two dogs and two cats. The cats are indoor only and I want the dogs to be able to come and go at will. I've researched online and found electronically keyed very expensive Star Trek style dog doors that are $500+, which is too pricey for me. Does anyone have an alternative or DIY method for achieving this?


texts: Required Cabinet Width for Apron (Farmhouse) Sink

texts:
Good afternoon. In the process of installing new cabinets this weekend, I discovered that I did not do enough research on how to install an apron front sink in a sink base cabinet, and how the two fit together. Here is the short list:

Sink must be supported by something besides just the cabinet box
This is generally 3/4" plywood spanning the full width of the cabinet, supported on each side
The installer must cut all apron sink bases on site, due to variation in apron sink size and design
It is preferred that the sink base cabinet is 3" wider than the sink itself

My problem is with the width. I have designed around and already installed a 36" wide sink base. I would like to put a 36" wide apron sink on top of it. There are photos online that show this situation, but I haven't had any luck finding a how-to for this exact situation - everyone else did their homework and got a narrower sink than cabinet. Does anyone have experience putting an apron sink on top of a cabinet of the same width?
(this is a photo from the web, not from the kitchen I am installing, but shows the width situation)


texts:
I am trying to join 2 pieces of Aluminum angles (6061, 90 degree, 1/16" thick) together using this self-driving screw:

Extra-Wide Rounded Head Drilling Screws for Metal
#8
1/2" length
From McMaster Carr (Part # 91515A100)

Problem: Since the 1/2" long screw is longer than two 1/16" thick Aluminum angles stack together, the sharp end of the screw will be protruding out and may injure someone.

Ideal Method: Quick, cheap and safe. Need to make thousands of connections in a day. Looks does not matter.

Is there a quick way to make the end less blunt?

Or will you suggest replacing the self-drilling screws with self-tapping screws which have a blunt end?

Background: I am using self drilling screws with a 20V cordless drill because it is quicker using than using rivets, and I need to make thousands of connections in a reasonable time frame. The rivet gun seems like it will tire me out real quick. I also have no experience using rivets.


texts: Replacing particle board underlayment and building up floor height to lay tile

texts:
We are in the middle of updating our guest bathroom and while removing the vinyl flooring we found that it was sitting on a 1/2" particle board underlayment. Given that particle board in a wet environment is a no-no and we are looking to put down a tile floor, we pulled up the particle board underlayment (staples, galore!). My question is, I now have about a 1" gap from the plywood subfloor and the start of the wall (as well as the carpet in the hall) and am debating on how to best build up the floor height. We did take off the baseboard trim around the floor and will be putting that back in place so we don't need to be completely flush with the wall.
I am interested in the Ditra underlayment, but given it's low profile (1/8"), I am thinking that I need to put down something between the Ditra and the subfloor. Would another layer of plywood be the best bet? I suppose I could also go with the Ditra XL, but that is still less than a 1/2" thick.
My other option is to use 1/2" backer board, but I don't love the thought of hauling and cutting the board when Ditra is so much easier to work with.

Thanks for any insight provided!


texts: Lubricating squeaky European cabinet hinges

texts: Our kitchen cabinets are about 5 years old now and starting to squeak, some of them awfully. They have European-style hinges (KraftMaid is the cabinet brand and I guess these are Blum hinges). I'm an old hand with good old WD-40 and the trusty straw, but not these sorts of hinges. For the life of me, I can't cure the squeak. I have squirted WD in every crevice where I think there are moving parts, but the squeak persists. What am I missing here? Could someone point out where to stick the straw in these darn hinges, please? I hope disassembly isn't required to be able to get at the right spot in these hinges!


texts: Does unthreaded portion of bolts fit through hole?

texts:
I'm getting replacement for some M5 x 30mm hex bolts. The original ones are fully threaded, i.e. the whole shank length. The ones I can find have an unthreaded portion (i.e. grip) but their overall length matches the original.

I wonder if the unthreaded portion can also fit through the hole because I need the whole length inside the wedge that the bolt goes into. Or does the bolt stop where the threaded portion ends?


texts:
Ok so i've googled and have read

https://www.thisoldhouse.com/ask-toh/troubleshoot-dripping-toilet
Why is there a continuous dripping sound coming from my toilet?

To stop the dripping sound I usually need to flush and 'jiggle' the flush handle.

Total plumbing noob and I'm also renting.

Going on vacation for a couple weeks soon.
My noob question
Is there any chance at all of flooding from a slow drip like this?

Will let landlord know but based on past experience expect a month or so before any maintenance is done.


texts: Washing Machine drains during wash cycle

texts:
Why does my washing machine drain water during the wash cycle?  It will fill up to specific level and then start to drain during the wash cycle.
When it gets too low, it starts to fill again and so on.


texts: What happens if I use the counterclockwise setting on my power drill to drill a hole?

texts:
I've learned that, "Almost all drilling bits have to be rotated clockwise to achieve drilling." - Source

What is wrong, exactly, with using the "L" setting (counterclockwise setting) on my cordless power drill to drill a hole (using a standard drill bit)?

Won't the hole still be created at the end of the day, regardless of the direction? I don't understand the "real-world" difference. Are you able to visually tell the difference between the two holes (the hole drilled on the clockwise setting vs. the hole drilled on the counterclockwise setting)?


texts: How can I light picture frames from the floor?

texts:
I would like to light up three picture frames with something from the floor. They will be behind a sofa so we wouldn't see them and the picture frames are about at 1.5 meter above the ground.

I have thought of using LEDs, but I think an LED strip wouldn't be enough to light them and also, it wouldn't be directional. I have also thought of using a strip for halogen lighting but I think it would be too hot and too near the sofa, so I do not like this idea.

How can I make a light setup to light 3 picture frames from the ground?


texts: How do you protect solar panels for storage during house rebuild?

texts: I am in the process of preparing to demolish my house so I can rebuild. We are taking the solar panels off the roof and plan to put them back on to the new house. Does anyone know the best way to store them in the meantime? Would heavy duty bubble wrap and being stacked in a corner of a garage be appropriate?


texts:
The top of this railing post is rotted and the post is not easy to replace. Luckily the rest of the post seems solid. What kind of wood filler product can I use to fill the rotted out holes before painting?

I understand that it won’t last forever. If it can last a couple of years, I’d be satisfied.


texts: What are the tools that every Do-it-Yourselfer must own?

texts:
What are the tools that every DIY'er should have? This is a community wiki as there is no one right answer.

Instructions:

One item per answer (so they can be voted on - answers with multiple items will be voted down)
Clear formatting like this:
[ITEM NAME]
[Reason why item is essential/useful/good]
[Photo / other info]


texts: Our Onduline roof is overdue for replacement and leaking, but what's the easiest way to remove the old roof?  Some of it has screws but most of it uses the capped Onduline nails.  They seem to be very resistant to pulling out with a claw hammer.  Left to my own devices I'd bolt-crop the top off them, remove the sheet, and then remove what's left of the nails one by one with some mole grips, but I feel there must be a better way...!


texts: Cold well water and high humidity cause serious moisture problems on wall pipes in this area of the country.  Would like to develop pipe-in-pipe system to carry cold water in the core pipe and hot in the jacket pipe.  Yes, there would be heat equalization, but not a problem. Where can I find such a product -- or is there a reader with experience in making such a device?


texts: Seeking Alarms Suggestions for open refridgerator

texts:
I plan to add this socket to the refridgerator light bulb to enable another device to signal when the refridgerator is open.  The fridge is in the garage and the kids seem to leave it open.

If you have created a similar alarm for your fridge, please state this in your response.  I am seeking ideas or hacking existing inexpensive devices to signal the fridge is open: that can be powered by the socket in the picture:


texts: Bringing unused chimney down below roof line?

texts:
I'm in the middle of renovating a balloon-framed house from the 1890's.  The house is currently gutted.  It originally had a standing-seam metal roof that was penetrated by a central chimney.  At some point a membrane roof was installed over the old metal roof.

The chimney has not been used for a long time, and the (four) fireplaces have been cemented over, except for a stovepipe hole in each one.  The chimney was last used to vent combustion gases from kerosene heaters, so I imagine it's pretty dirty inside.

Since the fireplaces are not useable, and the chimney has always been a source of moisture problems in the house, and I'm about to install a whole new roof, I was thinking it would be a good idea to knock the chimney down below the roofline, and simply roof over it.

Once I got the chimney below the roofline, I would seal up the top of the chimney with masonry tiles, and I would seal up the fireplaces with cement.

Is this the proper way to do such a thing?


texts:
I do not feel them, but the two females in the house complain of being bitten by the largely invisible mites. The bites itch and the overall situation disgusts them...

The pests are, probably, bird mites, though we aren't entirely sure. If they are, indeed, mites, then the products meant against flying insects may not work...

What sort of thing would you recommend to kill the suckers -- without injuring the human (and canine) residents of the same residence?


texts: Can an inspector enforce issues with existing plumbing outside the scope of a permit?

texts:
We have a contractor working a plumbing job for us in a bathroom. The inspection passed, however as he was walking out, he asked about where our washing machine drained to. I said it was to a dry well that was done by a plumbing company, it is not tied to the septic tank. We have plans to do that but not in the immediate future.
He said that wasn't legal and we'll want to fix that at some point. I couldn't tell, but can he take this to the county and issue us a fine or worse? The washer isn't part of the permit that was pulled for the work, JUST the bathroom stuff.
HOME: I wanted to provide an update. Turns out he can hold final inspection because I revealed the information. Maybe the General Contractor could have fought harder but in the end I revealed information that I probably shouldn't have. We ended up having to tie the washing to septic. It wasn't a huge deal, a morning of digging and and hour for the plumber to hook up the pipe.


texts: Does this CMU block wall on pool need rebar?

texts:
So I'm in the process of remodeling my backyard. One of the things I wanted to do was build a wall similar to the first picture I included (with the stacked stone). The red arrows point at the wall.

I had someone come out and build the small wall (it's 28" high from where the pool already ended (where the the white ends in the pictures below and it's 18 feet long) and will be putting stacked stone on it (real stone, so it's heavy). The stacked stone will go from just above the water level where the red tile ends in the pictures below and cover the whole front and sides of the wall.

My question is, should this small wall have rebar in it? I'm not sure the guy who built it put any reinforcement into the wall and it is a very long wall. Should he have drilled into the part of the pool already there and put rebar into it? (or is that dangerous/could cause leaks in the pool and crack the side) Or is rebar in just the new sections fine? Or does it not need rebar? The wall is obviously not very tall, but my concern is the stacked stone is super heavy and it's all on the front part of the wall, could it topple over without rebar? Should I tear it down and start all over again?

Or am I fine because it's so short? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I live in the Phoenix metro area in AZ.


texts: Why do some light bulbs remain on when the switch is off?

texts: We have a situation in our bathroom where we can’t turn the lights off fully. If the switch is on, bulbs 1&2 are on. If switched off, bulb 3 is on. We’ve taken bulb 3 out for now but would like to correct the problem. Any suggestions? Diagrams very helpful.


texts: Abandoned lamp post wire causing breaker to trip

texts:
We recently had a new lawn installed and the workers removed the lamp post and clipped the underground wire. Since then, a key breaker won't reset. That breaker is tied to our garage door, our front entry lights, our porch light and garage sconces and an outdoor receptacle, and a hall way light (don't ask me why they are all working off the same breaker). I've tried to find where the wire from the lamp post ties in, but no luck. No extra wires visible coming into the side receptacle or the porch light and not other obvious place where wires would pass through the wall.

Any ideas on where the builders might have tied the lamp post into the house current? It was built in the 1990s. Would they have run it under the foundation or driveway? The side receptacle is on the same side as the lamp post and line of sight. Sees that would be the obvious choice.


texts:
So the question is really in the title.
My carrier air handlers fan will not shut off. I have done the following:

checked to make sure the fan was not set to on via the nest t stat.
pulled nest off the wall to see if the fan stopped, it didn’t
changed the only relay inside the air handler unit which was a T92P7F22-28 (I had tested the old one and it seemed to be functioning fine but at $10 why not).
Pulled the plug from the fan motor and put a lead to my multi meter at C and tested the leads marked N and L with the other end of the multi meter and read 120ish volts on each, so I assumed that means constant 240ish volts is being supplied to the fan motor.
breaker at the panel and of course breaker at the air handler unit will indeed finally kill power
ac condenser outside works fine, nest shuts it off when desired temperature is hit but fan never stops.
for kicks I got another nest, hooked it up, same issue
replaced the nest base that it snaps into on the wall, same issue
I also tested the fuse inside with the multimeter and visually it didn’t look fried, and the multimeter confirmed this.

I am somewhat out of ideas. There’s very few components inside the air handler it appears and anything  else modular looking just seems to be related to the electric heater inside of it. I am going to attach pics if they help.
Air handler model: FX4DNB or FXDNF


texts: Where do I attach the fixture grounding wire when no supply grounding wire is provided?

texts: I am replacing an undercounter light and I have a black, white and red supply wire but no green or bare copper supply wire.  Where do I attach the green ground wire attached to the fixture?


texts: Can I cut stringers on a closed stringer staircase without affecting the structural integrity?

texts:
My current stairs are built inside the stringers, I want to cut the stringers as shown in the picture on both sides in order to lay treads and have them overhang. Can I do this? Or will it weaken the stairs?

Current Stairs

Red lines indicate where I want to cut. I want to cut at every stair and on both sides.

Goal


texts: Can I add outlet outside by just running cable through the wall and installing a plug on it?

texts: I want to add a outlet outside but can I put a plug in adapter instead of tapping in into an existing outlet.


texts: Putting up my new ceiling fan into light fixture

texts:
I have 4 ceiling fans I ordered to put these up into 4 light fixture. This one is a bit different that I did put up into replace an old ceiling fan and it was easy for me.

I am not experience with the light fixture because it is different than the ceiling fan.

I have three pictures to attach for you all to look at. I am not entire sure if this is the proper way to install.

Before I started to remove it the picture looks like this

So after this I remove this to check what is behind the light so I can know what I need to buy to support the ceiling fan (Yes I did google but it lacks answer my questions). What I found is I have a wood that is behind the light.

Look at the picture here

So I remove the black plastic bracket and install this and then this  and it looks like this

My only question is would that be ok if I put up the ceiling fan even if the mental bracket ceiling fan box is under the wall ?

My gut feeling is maybe should I just take out the Ceiling Fan Box with Metal Cover and just leave the Fan Master Jr. Support Box and go ahead and mounting bracket that came from the ceiling fan box ?


texts: The ceiling I'm painting was never orinally undercoated and now my repaint is looking hideous.

texts:
I'm doing a repaint on a ceiling ATM and found it looks hideous. Can see every roll line not because of built up paint on the roller edge. I think I'm laying it off properly.  I have worked out after a bit of investigation that there wasn't prepped properly originally and they skipped the undercoating process. The original work was done with a spray gun.  Does anyone have any ideas how to sort this out?

It looks horrible.


texts: Is there aluminum wiring in my vent fan?

texts:
I just purchased and installed a new Panasonic FV-10NLF1 inline exhaust fan.  My house has copper wiring, but the wires on the fan appear to be aluminum (they are silver in color).  I didn't think anything was made with aluminum wire anymore.

What special considerations do I need to take when connecting the copper house wiring to the fan wires?


texts: How does a gas water heater thermostat and gas valve work?

texts:
I have a (fairly standard) natural gas water heater that is only hooked up to a water supply line and gas - no electric. I'm wondering how the thermostat is able to open/close the gas valve without electric?

Based on some Googling, I've found that the thermostat itself is a thermistor, which provides variable resistance based on temperature. That implies some electric current coming from somewhere. But where? And what provides the actual energy to open/close the gas valve?

Haven't been able to find this anywhere...


texts:
Anyone installed a video wall mount for non-commercial TV. I was thinking to purchase an MV70 Video Wall mount because it is fixed and easy to pull out and push back into the canvas.
Your thoughts and recommendations would be much appreciated.


texts: What are the substitutes for kitchen wall tiles above a kitchen counter?

texts: Can anyone let me know what are the various options that we can use in place of ceramic wall tiles in kitchen (just above the kitchen counter)?


texts:
I have a steel sheet metal cabinet that uses the pictured brackets to hold up shelves. It has a runner in each corner on the inside, with slots which the brackets fit into with a little tooth on the back, which is 3/8" wide (shown below). The shelf sits on top of them. Similar to a push in shelf bracket. I would like to install some more shelves, but do not know what the brackets are called, preventing me from getting some more. Can these be identified to assist in purchasing some?

brackets installed into slots

top of brackets

back of bracket showing tooth

bottom of bracket showing tooth


texts: Find Hidden Problems with Coax Cable in Walls

texts:
I am not sure if this is the correct site for this question, so let me know if it needs to be moved.

Through the coax network I have set up in my house I can't seem to propagate antenna signals for any channel above 21. I am a little clueless as to what my main issue is, so here are the steps I took:

The previous owner of my house dry-walled everything, so I have no idea what's hidden in the walls/ceilings. I have successfully determined that in 3 rooms of my house I have 2 coax outlets each. One outlet in each room runs to the output of a 3-out splitter in my basement that was historically connected to cable TV. The other outlet runs to 1 of 3 random locations outside of my house, annoyingly.

I have since discontinued my old cable service (I was tuning using the QAM tuners of the TVs as set-top-boxes annoy me).

I have a reasonably good, 4-bay antenna in an upper room (Room 1) in my house. It gets a good number of channels, a fairly thick sprinkling between channel 2 through 62. I wanted to try routing the signal from that antenna to my other 2 TVs. So... I temporarily disconnected my antenna from the TV, and instead plugged the antenna into the wall outlet. I routed the Room 1 cable to the input of the splitter, which splits the antenna to Rooms 2 and 3. The following bad diagram explains what I did.

See bad diagram below:

The result of this in Room 2 and 3 is that all the channels above 20 are cut completely, but I get no losses of any of the channels from 2 to 20.

The splitter should not be purposely stripping any channels, as it is the same splitter that was being used with analog and digital QAM cable TV, and I don't believe there is any directional filtering on my [Room 1 to Splitter] cable run.

Could cable run length alone be perfectly cutting channels above 20, but none of the channels below?

EDIT

Here are some specifics.
Before going through the wall I have channel 20 (506MHz) and channel 30 (566MHz).
After the wall I still have 20, but not 30.
So, I would say (as do the comments) that it is frequency related, as I get no channels above 506-ish MHz.

Having said that, could it be that 30 and 32 are just weak channels for me, and 56, 62 are being especially attenuated by my cabling? Would a signal booster do anything for me?

Could my wall cabling possibly be limiting the frequency like this? VHF cuts off at 215-ish MHz, so I would expect that if I had the wrong type of coax I would not have channel 20.


texts:
Is shimming a robust way of securing toilets and avoiding rocking, or is there a better way?
Is any distance between the water tank and the wall behind the toilet a problem that needs bracing?
Are 2 bolts enough for securing a toilet or should all 4 bolts be used when available?


texts: I have a mobile home furnace. This furnace only has a 4 wire connection terminal, G,W,R,Y. I also have a condensing unit outside with the 24 volt 2 wires coming to the furnace. I know I connect one to Y, but I don’t know what to connect the other wire to? Yes my furnace is AC ready.


texts: Dimmer Switch Installation in Multi Gang Box

texts: I want to install a smart dimmer switch in a 3 switch box (which requires neutral). However the one switch I need to replace is one of the simple toggle switches with 2 black wires connected inside the switch. The other 2 switches in the box have the neutral connections. The whole box is on the same circuit. Is it still possible to install this dimmer switch in this box?


texts: Can a Thermostat Common Wire (C-Wire) Be Added to a DNV40NB Heater?

texts:
During recent renovations, we had to move our existing thermostat. Instead of replacing it with the same dumb 2-wire knob (white/red), I'd like to get a smart thermostat like the ecobee3. All of these new thermostats require a C-line, yet my heater does not have one currently. Can I add one to it?

Details:

Ecobee3
Heater: DNV40NB
Board wiring schematics:

Lastly, if it is possible to add a C-wire to this board, is it something a licensed electrician would need to do, or is it safe for a tinkerer like myself to do?


texts: How can I control my furnace fan from a secondary thermostat?

texts:
I have a WaterFurnace geothermal system with upper and lower level zones.  I recently added an outdoor wood burner and my issue is that I want to use a secondary stat to run the furnace fan during the heating season. I was hoping that I can easily wire this to my furnace stat but that hasn't been the case.

When I piggyback the red and white wire from the heat only stat to the red and green on the furnace stat, I get a flashing E1 code and nothing works. If I remove the red and green from the stat and tie them together, the fan will not come on. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.


texts: Washing machine trips Gfi when rinse cycle starts

texts: Washing machine trips GFI as soon as rinse cycle starts.


texts: Replacing the track and the rollers for a sliding glass door (kitchen to patio)

texts:
The track that this door slides on is worn out beyond repair. I need to replace it and I would like to know if it is possible (from your experience) to totally replace the rollers and the track.
I have looked online for such kits but they don't seem to be available. i can't see how I can replace the track only as it is impossible to find one online so I am thinking about buying the whole thing (rollers and track). My questions to you: are these pretty much standard ? Is this type of replacement possible, do you foresee any issues?


texts: How can I create an enclosure that will protect an indoor camera outdoors?

texts:
My DropCam is an indoor camera and there's no outdoor version, so I would like to come up a way to have this camera outdoors.

So far I thought about creating a casing using:

an empty 2 liter soda bottle
Dry Silica Gel
Silicone Caulk

As you can see, this casing might work in keeping the camera dry, but I still don't know how to weatherproof the power cord. Does this sound doable? Figured I'd ask here in case anyone has ever been able to make a weatherproof case.


texts: Advice on Furnace water leak, should I worry?

texts:
A week back we noticed our rug in front of the Furnace was soaked. Upon investigation I found that the leak appeared to be coming from a Vent Coupling (Vent Elbow) that leads out to our roof.
I tightened the clamps on the Vent Coupling and the leak appeared to be resolved. From the rust and damage at the bottom of the Furnace it appears that the leak had been occurring for a long time.
The leak appeared to be worse following a rain (cold weather and water coming in from the vent leading to the roof perhaps?), and when we were running the Furnace (extra condensation occurring?).
One big question is: Did the HVAC installers leave the vent coupling loose on purpose? In order to release some water so it didn't clog the exhaust for example? Upon removing the Vent Coupling there was a little water, but less than expected -- there was still plenty of ventilation room to exhaust to the roof.
The unit appears to be using more gas than I would expect, is the extra condensation filtering into that Vent Coupling something I should be concerned with from a security/safety standpoint? Is it safe to wait until June/July to have the furnace inspected?
Here are some details to help: Unit is a Bryant 2 Stage PWM 96 - Model number 926TA42060V17A-B.
Photos for reference are: Vent Coupling, with loosened clamps
Roof exhaust


texts:
We ordered a brand new washer and dryer. To start the dryer's power cord was wired wrong. It should have been hot-neutral-hot, but instead the installer connected it in hot-hot-neutral. We have it connected to a 3 prong 220v outlet. My girlfriend turned it on and walked away. About 10-15 minutes into she heard a loud POP and come to find out the case shocked her and the light inside the dryer exploded. When we connect the washer to our 110v and turn it on, when we rub our hand on the case it tickles and we feel a pulsing.

When I used my multimeter to test ground-to-hot I was only getting 8v.

1) After having a tech swap the dryer cables, it turns on and seems to work fine. Could there be unseen damage caused by the installer screwing up?

2) Is there a fault inside the washer that's causing it to short, and because the outlet doesn't have a full ground it's electrifying the case?

3) Did I test ground properly?


texts: Will an inline tankless heater help my 50 gallon water heater fill my 70 gallon tub?

texts:
I've been working on an issue with my remolding plan. I want to get a 70 gallon tub, but I currently only have a 50 gallon water heater. The water heater is only 2 years old and is fairly nice, but I'm worried that 50 Gallons @ 140 degrees and 20 gallons at ground water temp (~50 degrees) is not a very hot bath any more.

My first thought was to add an inline point of use heater to the hot water line of the bathroom. It would ideally provide instant hot water to the bathroom, and then scale back when the hot water from the tank in the basement started to arrive. If I was drawing my large bath, and began to run out of water, the heater could take back over.
After thinking this plan through some more however I can see that it might not be practical. First, how smooth would the transitions from the inline heater to the basement hot water be? I don't want scalding hot water coming out. Further more, after doing my research, I'm worried about an inline heater limiting my throughput. If I have to fill up my 70 gallon bathtub @ 2 gal/min, it's going to take a long time! Ideally I'd like to keep the water flowing at 4-5+ gal/min.

The only other solutions I could think of:
A. Get a 70 gallon tank water heater and replace the 50 (Would hate to do this)
B. Get a 30 gallon tank water heater and plumb it in as a supplement when I need it in the basement. Turn it on 30 minutes before I want a bath. (Seems like a PITA).
C. Get a large Inline water heater for the bathroom and attach it to the cold line, completely divorcing it from the hot water of the rest of the house.

Thoughts?


texts: Trim for floor transition where tile is LOWER than adjacent hardwood

texts:
I have yet to find a product or a question addressing this. The issue is quite simple. I am installing a tile floor in the bathroom, and the finished tile floor at the doorway will sit significantly lower than the adjacent hardwood floor. This is mainly due to the fact that it is two layers of hardwood / laminate flooring.

There are lots of products from schluter to address the reverse (tile is higher), and plenty of wood trim options for when the two floors are in the same plane. However, I have yet to find the proper trim type to transition from the tile UP to the hardwood. I assume this must exist. What type of trim is this. I would prefer a metal type trim, but am unsure what the options are. Does this exist? What is it referred to as and where would it be found?


texts: The door has been sanded and works for the summer season. When it rains the wood swells and the door drags. Does the door need to be rehung?


texts: what are the different sizes of copper pipe for gas or water

texts: I'mcurrently fixing a water leak under the house and cant find SharkBite, coupling, or anything to fit.  Could the copper pipe under the house be gas pipe used as water pipe.  It is about an eighth of inch larger in diameter.


texts: What are the pros/cons to installing fence posts using expanding foam instead of concrete?

texts:
I just found a product that basically takes the place of pouring concrete to secure fence posts.

This is the first time that I'm hearing of this product.

I know from their website that one of the pros is convenience.  You don't have to lug around heavy bags of concrete mix. All you have are two bottles...part A and part B. You mix them when you're ready to pour into the hole.

How durable is this method? Supposedly you don't have to worry about moisture damage to the 'foundation' of the posts because the foam insulates it from moisture.


texts: Thermostatic Control of Simple Apartment Heater

texts:
My daughter's apartment has a very simple heater. As shown in the pictures below, it is an heater-coil unit with only a fan control. There is no temperature control or thermostatic feedback. So, for example, the heater cannot be left running unattended for extended periods of time, like overnight.

I'm wondering if there are any solutions that can attach to a heater like this to provide automated thermostatic control. Since this is in a rental unit, replacing the heater is the last thing she would want to do. In my mind, a simple mechanical attachment to the fan control would be ideal. Has anyone seen a solution to a problem like this?

I found a link to the product line for this heater (SeasonMaker ThinLine Fan-Coil Units), and it shows that there are thermostats available for some configurations. I can't decipher the catalog to understand how this might work with this particular unit, or if it can work at all.


texts: Removing Seized Anode Rod From Water Heater

texts:
We have an electric hot water heater (GE branded Rheem) that may date from the mid-90s (based on the energy usage tag). It was boxed in and I was finally prompted to open up the wall concealing it when we noticed an "electrical" odor. I found an overheating terminal on the upper thermostat.

After burning an effigy of the previous owner I set about cleaning up the installation and giving the heater a bit of TLC. Which brings me to the anode rod…

I can see through the top water and T&P valve openings that the anode rod is still there but it is clearly corroded - but I don't think I'm seeing the central core of the rod. Since the water heater is installed in a location where there isn't adequate clearance to remove the rod I'd like to replace it while I've got the heater removed. So far I've tried:

A 24" breaker bar - it rod rolled its eyes.
Soaking overnight with Kroil penetrating oil then the breaker bar - the rod laughed.
Heating the head of the rod - smoke, charing, but it would not relent.
An impact wrench - now the rod is openly mocking me.

Any suggestions?


texts: Is a rigid gazebo roof less likely to be damaged by wind than a fabric roof?

texts:
Issue Summary

Had a fabric canopy topped gazebo.
It was strapped to the railing and seemed very secure for 2 years.
One very bad wind storm (like a parachute) it tore off the straps and flew into the yard.

I am going to buy a new one.  Is a hard-top canopy more or less likely to act like a sail in high winds?


texts: How important is it to completely insulate bare wire in outlet?

texts: When i tried replacing a receptacle, I first found the wires sticking out of the back holes, not completely insulated. As in, insulation was stripped 1 cm too much. So I did the same thinking its the way its supposed to be. Is it imperative I redo it and cut the wire to the proper length so the insulation can go into the hole?


texts: 2 ceiling fans. 1 dims fully and other doesnt dim enough

texts: I had 2 ceiling fans installed in kids rooms. Same exact fan in both rooms. 2 switches control them. One on off for the fan. And one dimmer switch for the lights. One fan works perfect amd the lights dim down to almost off like 95% off. The other fan lights dim down to about only 75% off. How can i get the other lights to dim more? Same exact fans, bulbs, wiring and switches in the wall.


texts: Rearguard vent issue on Kenmore gas range

texts: Vent in rearguard of gas range is outputting too much heat on top of stove; can we adjust this? it was changed when range was moved recently.


texts: What is the best way to polish an old brass bed?

texts: I have an old brass bed frame with 15 years of tarnish and I've been trying to use Brasso, but the process is long and tedious. Does anyone know of an easier way to remove tough tarnish from brass?


texts: Securing a backyard animal / cat shelter fence from escape?

texts:
I need to secure some pets, namely a few kitties, from escaping an enclosed area. My thought is to use some form of standoffs that can attach to the wire fence in order to attach a top arch of lightweight chicken wire fencing. Here is the current fence:

Everything I've seen so far needs either a wood fence or a substantial stake. Example:

Are there any forms of standoffs available, or buildable, that would work on a wire fence with these less substantial metal stakes?


texts: Can ultrasonic humidifiers be used in a bypass setup for a whole house humidifier?

texts:
My home is about 3000sqft, with lots of high ceilings.

I'm having trouble keeping the relative humidity up in the winter. When it gets down to 10F outside, the RH drops down as low as 25%. This is WITH a bypass humidifier installed. (filter new, water flow seems good).

Have read that many people have similar experiences with evaporative bypass humidifiers. They just can't add enough humidity to keep up.

The only solution so far is either 1) Honeywell TrueSTEAM, 2) Aprilaire 800 steam humidifier.

I understand that these steam humidifiers use quite a bit of energy in generating the steam. They also seem expensive and some of them unreliable.

My proposed setup is this: 1) Reverse Osmosis water filtration system ($150-200), 2) High output ultrasonic fogger/humidifier ($50-100), 3) Small fan ($10). The output of this would be piped into the current bypass humidifier housing.

Why hasn't something like this been done yet? It seems like the biggest hurdle for ultrasonic humidifiers is the white dust / vaporized minerals in the water. Any HVAC professionals that could comment on this sort of setup? I surely don't want to ruin my furnace.


texts: Does arcing with fluorescent lights indicate an open neutral?

texts:
i recently did some work on my house and had to disconnect the ground wire  from the water pipe before the water meter. I saw some arcing. I understand that it might be a open neutral.

I have three panel boxes one in my house and one in each one of my garages. I turned all breakers off and started to narrow it down. The fluorescent  lights in my garage were one that  made it spark. If I unplug the lights from the receptacle's the spark stops. I looked at all the grounds in the lights and there all appear good.

Also my boiler was a problem. I looked at the neutral in the box and they all seem tight.


texts:
I have some auto-light switches in my home. The one in the image below has nothing in the LCD display and is non-operational. How do I fix that? Manual operation does not work either.

Below the buttons is what looks like a battery compartment. Gentle prying with a screwdriver was unable to open it.

At the top of the switch is another slide-button. I can move that to the right but not the left. The light doesn't work in either position.

Does anyone recognize the brand of this light switch and if there's an operator's PDF around? (In addition to any ideas on how to fix this...)

The other light switches in the house that are like this operate normally.


texts:
I need suggestions on how to fix my retaining wall.
Is there a quick and cheap way to fix it? Unfortunately, I don't have the money right now to spend on replacing everything.
You will notice that there is rot and a hole in the lumber:

You will see that above my retaining wall is our fence:


texts: Upstairs bedrooms are too hot. Would like to put in another thermostat.

texts:
I've been searching for an answer to this question but have yet to find one that applies. I'm looking to put in a new thermostat on the 2nd floor where the bedrooms are that would take over in the summer to keep the rooms cool enough to sleep. The original thermostat is on the first floor and keeps the whole house warm enough in the winter. I'd prefer not to have to go into the walls and do crazy new duct work/rewiring. The house is my first home and was a foreclosure so I already have my work cut out for me and would like to get as simple of a fix as possible.

I would love for the new thermostat to be wireless and just able to communicate with the old already wired thermostat to tell the AC when to turn off and on again. Is this type of product out there? Or do I need to bite the bullet and re-wire/re-duct the whole house? I've looked into covering the registers but I've heard that can make the furnace/AC unit less efficient so would like to avoid that as well. There are no ducts towards the ceilings on the 2nd story. I've already ordered a new high-efficient roof in order to help with the heating/cooling issue, and am planning on putting new insulation in the attic when I get the chance. But with summer coming on I'd really like a quick fix if it's available.

Thank you all for your help!


texts: Locating a leak, water on top of kitchen cabinents, under two bathrooms and drain stack

texts:
I am trying to locate a leak that has reappeared.

The leak appears on my kitchen countertops, it actually is leaking on top of one of my corner cabinets. Theres a bit of a gap between the cabinet and the soffet and I can see it.

Immediately above the cabinet there is:

master bathroom - Original to 1970s house.
guest bath - redone this century
associated drain/vent stacks

The original 'fix' for this leak was a year ago under my home warranty. Plumber determined that the tub, drain, etc. were sealed but there was a leak/gap in the linoleum floor in the master bath. The leak was not leak, rather just people being wet or splashing in the bathroom. This was not covered by the warranty (different topic), so I got a tube of silicone caulk and sealed the gap and the entire edge of the linoleum floor.

This leak reappeared today. I pulled the tub drain and overflow cover and resealed with plubmers putty. Its raining, so I went in the attic and checked that the vent stack was dry. I also filled and drained the guest bath tub.

My primary suspect is this unsealed floor again. What else should I investigate?

I could care less about the master bath, I do care about the nearly new cabinets in my kitchen and inside-the-wall water damage.


texts: I just finished making a standing desk, the top board is 4x2 feet and is about 45 inches high. I am having a problem with the desk rocking back and forth. Here is a picture of it: As you can see at the bottom of the left leg there is a 2x4 (there is another one on the right side, that help stop some of the rocking, but not all it. And the bar going across the middle is there to help add weight on the bottom of the desk to help stop the rocking but nothing is completely stopping it.


texts: I have a two handle shower that is very hard to completely turn off. From what I've found, it appears the washer on the back of the stems needs to be replaced. Watched some videos and it all looks pretty easy. I removed the knob with no issue. But when I went to remove the stem, the nut is back behind the tile of the shower wall. Even if I could manage to unscrew it, I don't know if it would come out of the hole in the tile. Any suggestions aside from either calling a plumber or cutting the tile? No access panel on the other side, just drywall there.


texts: How do you (safely) test a GFCI circuit breaker from the outlet when the circuit has no ground?

texts:
I know I can press the "test" button on the breaker in the panel.
But I want to double-check that there isn't some strange wiring situation hidden in the walls that could prevent the GFCI from tripping properly. I have used an outlet GFCI tester but it tests by using ground, which I don't have (hence new GFCI breakers).
Theoretically I could test by sticking a fork in the socket, but even if I had a controlled way to do that (e.g. plug with wires tied together and insulated well), I am nervous about a situation like that causing a rapid heat build-up and damaging/melting things, or starting a fire.
One idea I had was to take my GFCI tester and wire it to an outlet so that the tester's ground goes to the outlet neutral. Then pressing the button on the tester would do the normal test, but using hot/neutral. Would that work and be safe?


texts: How can I repair a nicked wire without adding a junction box?

texts: I had to open up a wall for a plumbing repair and accidentally nicked the jacket of a NM electrical wire with my drywall saw. From what I can see, only the outer jacket was affected, but I admittedly can't see much. It's 12/2 wire, and it runs to an outlet 6 feet away or so. There is no other junction box near that I can tell, and I would prefer not to put in a new box. How can I repair this while covering it back up? Or do I even need to worry?


texts: What happens when you can't make something code-legal?

texts:
I suppose this is a bit more general, but I would like to know how inspectors and jurisdictions have handled cases where there's nothing that can be done to bring something up to code.

As an example, I have a bathroom that's 4x7'. Pretty much everything about bathrooms has the width at 5' minimum, so there's one problem already. The bigger issue is that in order to place a sink, toilet, and shower, I have to violate the regulations around one of them because of where the door (and a window) are placed. I can't install a shower that inscribed a 30" circle because then I'd have no space left for a toilet (which should have a 30" total width clearance), especially if I wanted to give it appropriate clearance in front of it.

I could go on, but what tends to happen in these types of situations? Does it become a case of, "Well, you did the best you could do"?


texts:
Can anyone tell me what this might be used for? I found it in a box with some other electrical things, but I don't recall when I got it. It might have come with another tool like a soldering iron.

It's definitely injection molded, and appears to be glass filled nylon as far as I can tell. There are no markings on it.


texts: Do 2 bulbs with 500 lumens provide the same illumination as one with 1000 lumens?

texts: When calculating the illumination in a room, do I simply add up the lumen value of the individual bulbs, or is the equation more complicated?


texts: I have one of those cheap Mapp gas + nozzle torches I'm using for sweat sodering and the tip clogged up today.  How do I go about cleaning it?


texts: Electric Power comes back when I open up warm tap water and then goes when I close the tap

texts:
I've run into a electric power problem today that I can't seem to explain it.

The problem began when I opened up the warm tap water and I heared a sudden loud noise coming from the instantaneous water heater; I realised afterwards that power went out.

I noticed then that the kitchen (fridge + electric plates) still have power but everything else can't have it anymore even when I reset the breaker.

Surprisingly, I noticed that when I turn on the warm tap water, power comes back again as long as the warm water is running (when I close the warm tap, power goes out).

Is there a reason that could explain how power only functions normally when I switch on warm water?


texts: How can I repair a circular drywall patch seam?

texts:
I hope someone would be kind enough to help me.

We recently had a bathroom cabinet fitted. As it required wiring to the light switch an electrician used a tool to cut holes into the wall so he could feed the cable through and connect it.

He then replaced the holes somehow (they seemingly went in and out in one piece, I have no idea how they were stuck back in) and said that all I would need to do is sand the edges and paint over them.

My problem is that I have tried sanding them (with a fairly fine sandpaper), but there is still a slight circular ridge that is still bound to be prominent and unlikely to be hidden by even a couple of coats of paint. .

I doubt I have the skill to skim the wall myself, and currently really can't afford to get someone in to do it, however I've seen a few options online that I think might be worth giving a go myself, including using a base coat, or a product such as "Everbuild Filler Coat".

I'm hoping that someone might have experience of a similar issue and be able to advise me please.

Best regards


texts:
I have a home pottery studio which has its own 100A sub panel, properly permitted and installed.  There is one 240v 50A circuit that runs to the kiln room and powers a kiln. Plus a handful of other circuits which power lights, plugs, etc
We are adding a second smaller kiln to that same room, which requires 240v 30A.  We will NEVER run both kilns simultaneously.  As the subpanel is a couple rooms away, with no crawl space or attic, pulling a new circuit from the subpanel to the kiln room is difficult/expensive.
Can I /should I:

Add a subpanel to the kiln room with a 50A circuit for the old kiln and 30A circuit and 14-30 receptacle for the new kiln.
Simply unplug the old and plug the new small kiln into the existing 14-50 receptacle when needed (using a 14-50 to 14-30 adapter as necessary)
Add a DPDT switch ( like a manual generator transfer switch) which would power the 50A receptacle or the 30A receptacle (but not both at the same time)
Other suggestions?


texts:
I noticed a lot of corrosion around the connection between the nipples coming out of my water heater and the flex connectors.

The nipples are regular galvanized steel. Is this corrosion of dialectric nature because the other end of the flex connectors goes into copper pipe? Do I need to use special (dialectric) nipples to prevent this and could this be the cause of a spot leak I just got in one of those (cold inlet) flex connectors? There is no corrosion on the water heater side of the nipples.


texts:
I need to run some network cabling for a camera but I’m very close to a corner and I don’t want to do more damage than good. It’s very tight so I can’t get there in the attic, but if I could drill up through, I have fish tape and rods to get it where I need it.
I’m trying to drill up into the corner (or close to it) of the soffit into the attic. This “valley” at the front is extremely tight and shallow, so I can’t get anywhere near it in the attic. If this was going through any other straight run of the soffit I could do it in a flash, but the cam needs to go in the corner I indicated by arrow. My biggest obstacle is that I don’t know what I’m going through to get there. I generally know that there are valley and jack rafters, but I don’t want to drill blindly and do damage. Looking for beat practice to drill there.


texts: Can you do a dual flush conversion on a pull chain toilet?

texts:
I am in the process of purchasing a new house that has a pull chain toilet. It is well water with city sewage. I really like the overhead tank pull chain style toilets as I had on in my house as a kid. I also have always wanted to be environmentally conscious and liked the idea of the dual flush toilets that have two flushes one is full tank the other is partial tank so you can choose which flush to use based on the type of waste you deposited.

Since there are many dual flush converters for most toilets I was wondering if there were any conversion kits to convert a pull chain style toilet to a dual flush one. Perhaps with two chains? Would a normal conversion kit allow this with some DIY modifications?


texts: How to wire a 3-way switch with 4 wires?

texts:
Switch location 1.

Switch location 2

Switch trying to wire


texts:
I have a 3" drain running horizontal. I will have a new 2" drain running horizontal to just above the 3" drain at an angle and need to connect them together.

I assume I shouldn't use a regular T here, but should i be using a wye, sanitary tee, long sweep, something else? I'm a little confused on what connector is proper. If I have any options, something that leaves the up spout part as low as possible would be best, as I'm going to be pushing the drain slope requirements as it is.


texts: How do I measure a standard sliding glass door?

texts:
We are going to hire somebody to replace our sliding glass patio door. Its a standard sliding glass patio door, similar looking to this:

I am going to buy the replacement door at auction, but first I need to know exactly what size door I need. I searched how to measure this online, but there appears to be contradictory advice on what the proper way to measure a patio door is.

Is there a proper way to measure the size door I need without removing the existing door first? Please include pictures if possible and define your terms if they are not terms a layman could understand.


texts: removing handles from a moen 6010 bathroom faucet and install 1224 cartridge

texts: I have a moen 6010 bathroom faucet assmbly. No screws visible to remove the cartridge. How do I get the handles off to gain access to the cartdridge?


texts: What's wrong with my painting technique?

texts:
I'm struggling with paint. I've been using a high-gloss Behr enamel for our trim work in our house.

This photo shows a door on the left that was rolled on, and the casing on the right, which was brushed on.

I don't mind brush strokes (not that they are intentional, but I do find they give a bit of interest) but rather it's the light/dark spottiness I get everywhere.

I can't tell what causes it. I don't think it's coverage, as all surfaces were primed (white) and then got two coats. It's as if the paint, as it dries, splotches like this. I'm about to apply a 3rd coat, but it's frustrating to paint trim with 3 coats.

It seem like every coat I give it, the problem persists.

Any ideas as to what the issue is? Can I improve my technique? Lousy paint? Something else?

(Ignore the blue tinge...that's just a side effect of the iPhone's camera).


texts: Do we need to rewire our house after a major power surge?

texts:
A squirrel got into the transformer infront of our house.  It blew the transformer and one of the main power lines from the pole fell on our supply line to the house.  It sent a major surge into the house.  It caught the breaker panel on fire, some outlets, switches and light socket on fire too.  The police, firefighters and electric company guys all said the whole house would need to be rewired.  We have an electrician looking at it (who had just replace the electric panel the week before)  he is trying to decide if the house will need to rewired or not.  I've been trying to find something on the internet like this but have had no luck.  Do you think the whole house will need to be rewired?

Thank you!!!


texts: Wiring toggle switch (on/off/on) to PIR motion sensor and led strip

texts:
I would like to set this up so the first on position goes through the motion sensor and the second on position would be for just turning the led strip light on and bypass the motion sensor.
When I set this up the motion doesn’t work. Both on’s create a circuit though.
It seems that it may be due to the (-) black wire may be what the PIR uses to cut the circuit.
Does anyone have an idea how to wire this?


texts:
My house was built in 1975 and I pretty obviously have a "Rule of 6" GE main panel (the meter is above this)

My father-in-law (who has taught me a great many DIY things) swears that the neutral bus here is done wrong. (I didn't dare open the top where the meter is, but the bus extends above so I presume the service neutral connects up there.) I won't say he's outright wrong, but with this being the main panel, it looks acceptable to me (inasmuch as a panel of this age can be). I suspect the thick bare ground goes to a rod inside the slab, but I can't open the wall either to check, and I have no ground rods outside the box.
Is this passable, or is the only acceptable way to bond through a binding screw?


texts:
It has been raining a lot and I noticed this evening the screen door track on our patio sliding door looked wet. I have noticed the water is leaching on to the floor also. The wall is dry and it is only in a certain area.

I have never noticed this before in the 15 months living here. What could be causing this and is there a repair or do I just have to ride it out?

I spoke to the gutter guys and they indicated a problem so they could try and sell me a deck washing package. Still wondering why/how the water came in. I also looked out on the deck and didn't see a sealing issues. I will go look under the deck later.


texts: What should I do about water filling the excavation for a house's foundation?

texts:
I live in Duluth, Minnesota. As stated, I am putting a new foundation on my house. When the contractor was excavating, they hit water. They are constantly pumping this water out. I now have 2 new walls already done, and am working on the third.

I am concerned about the amount of water. I do have a sump pump. My contractor told me my drain tiles were not working at all and this water has been there for a long time, but this water keeps filling up. I have had the inspector there of course when the footings were poured, and he seems like he is OK with this.

I am concerned. Is this OK?


texts: Some advice about reconstructing a design on a kitchen wardrobe

texts:
Good day everyone!

I am a novice when it comes to home improvement and therefore I am looking for a (cheap )solution for the following problem.

In the house that I rent there are some kitchen wardrobes which have some kind of design engraved on their doors (image 1 and image 2-profile). Some of them have the design intact, while some of them have it destroyed (see image 3).

My question to you is to advice me some kind of method which can help me reconstruct the design to look as good as the doors which have the one intact.

Tried with some woodfiller but it did not yield the expected results.

Thank you in advance:

Files:

Door with intact design: http://i.imgur.com/VpP1us7.jpg

Door with destroyed design: http://i.imgur.com/Sq1b5c1.jpg

Profile drawing:


texts: samsung range (fe710drs) is tripping the circuit breaker

texts:
My samsung fe710drs electric range is tripping the circuit breaker any time more than two burners are on, or trying to set the oven for more than 350 degrees.
What's going on?

Circuit breaker has "40" on each of the two circuits for the double pole. No test button.
What is odd is that the circuit usually doesn't short until a few minutes after oven or range is on.  We cant figure out if the oven is the problem, or the circuit.

Circuit breaker has "40" on each of the two circuits for the double pole. No test button.
What is odd is that the circuit usually doesn't short until a few minutes after oven or range is on.  We cant figure out if the oven is the problem, or the circuit.
Wanted to add, its a 7 year old range and same circuit breaker. Just a new problem.
***any combo of 3 burners does it.  Or two burners and the oven.  Sometimes just the oven itself will flip the breaker, but only after a few minutes of it being on.


texts: GFI reset is behind refrigerator, need to remove refrigerator from circuit and relocate GFI

texts:
I am looking at purchasing a home in Florida, built in 2005.

Our home inspector was not the smartest cookie in the jar, but accidently discovered some strange things.  So far, this is what I have figured out:

All of the kitchen outlets and exterior outlets are wired into one GFI circuit, and the reset is the actual refrigerator outlet, located, of course, behind the refrigerator.

First, is there a code requirement that could help me have the seller fix this problem?  I am thinking that there are probably 8 outlets wired together, and one of the has the fridge load.  Seems like a pretty high number?

Second, what is the simplest way to rewire this?  I don't know which side of the fridge is load, but in this case am assuming it is in line since is it located between the kitchen outlets and the exterior outlets.  If I can find the outlet directly upstream, and the next one downstream, can I rewire to put GFI protection on either side of the fridge but remove it from the fridge itself?

Thank you


texts: Replacing my light/fan/heater/timer with a light/fan/nightlight in the bathroom, with another light just to make things interesting

texts:
I have a 3-gang box which I will label A, B, and C, and Timer that I will label D.

A operates a light over the sink.

B operates the light on another fixture that includes a light, fan, and heater.

C operates the fan.

D operates the heater.

I am replacing the light/fan/heater unit with a light/fan/nightlight. I have no use for the timer. Since A controls an entirely different fixture, I am only concerned with B, C, and D for the new fixture.

This is the link provided in the instructions, however the instructions speak to a multi-function switch. There's probably a couple of different ways to do this, but what I would prefer is that B remains controlling the Light, C remains for the fan, and D gets dedicated to the Night light.  I am not married to this set-up, but thought keep the switches arranged in deference to habit seems best.

Update: forgot to mention (duh!) that I have four (4) cables running into the 3-Gang.  As I said, I am open to suggestions, so if you think it is best to purchase a multi-function switch, I can run out and get one, and I am not opposed to throwing in a GFCI as one of the 3-Gang.  I am attaching a couple of images, but my apologies, as there is poor lighting with the breakers off.


texts: Epoxy / Urethane grout - double membrane?

texts:
I'm getting started on a bathroom remodel, going to make a "wet room" with Redguard waterproofing membrane painted up the walls and floor to "tank" the entire room. I've also settled on using a Urethane-based grout, a 1-part premixed grout that is similar to Epoxy in that it is water-impermeable and needs little to no maintenance.

However, I'm concerned that by using an impermeable grout and a waterproof membrane behind it, I'm creating an environment where moisture could remain trapped indefinitely between the two with no way to escape. Is this a valid concern? If so, is there a way to mitigate the issue without sacrificing the benefits that a urethane or epoxy grout provides?


texts: Bathroom Shelving with Sliding Mirrors - Best method and weight limit?

texts:
https://imgur.com/R2Pxs0B

https://imgur.com/1W11TL6

I'm wondering what might be the best method of installing 71" wide by 7.25" deep wood shelving that will be supporting 3 sliding mirrors (about 8 pounds each) via an embedded track, along with some other bathroom supplies / cleaning products (I'm not sure of total weight).

I added linked images showing what the studs looked like when the bathroom was being re-finished and we considered creating a recessed cabinet (the wall is now closed, but I can access it all via a 2nd bathroom behind this wall, which I'll have re-modeled in the future).

Originally I was contemplating floating shelving that would slide onto metal rods drilled into the studs (.5" x 10" bolts, rebar, pre-made brackets, or something similar). I could drill a hole from the opposite side of the back wall, through some of the studs to be used as a support rods.

I could just use 3 wood pieces screwed into the studs (1 at back and 1 per side wall), while the shelf sits on top of them.
Or use a combo of these methods - since I'd think there needs to be some additional depth support in the center of the 71" wide shelving. I'd prefer not to use L brackets that would be visible under the shelving.

I would paint the wood white, or stain it.
Since it is in a bathroom (has a fan and window, but can get humid), is there a specific wood or other material that I should be considering? I was going to use 2x8s

Thanks for any help!


texts:
We were using the hose to clean a patio and because we needed the whole length we pulled its full length out of the reel. It did not feel like anything clicked or broke when doing so, it was done in a fairly gentle way.
The problem is that the reel does not rewind the hose anymore. There is a lever button on the side to switch locked and unlocked positions but toggling it has no effect.
When trying to spin the wheel manually with the fingertips, it does not move. As if the spring is maintaining it in locked position.
What can we try?
Images here https://imgur.com/a/z9AZtxd


texts: Is there a way to change this circuit so that the receptacles are not controlled by switches?

texts:
I have this one outlet in my house that, when exposed, has three wires protruding from it (while there are two wrapped in a nut).  As far as I can test, two are feeding power and one is acting as a feed/neutral.  One of the power source wires is controlled by a two-way switch, while the other one is controlled by a three-way switch.  That three-way switch (along with the other three-way switch) controls the chandelier in the house.  There is also a light outside our front porch that is controlled by a two-way switch and is somehow tied to the outlet because when the outlet isn't wired correctly, neither the chandelier nor the outside lights work.

Right now, the outlet is wired so that one hot wire (black coating) is connected to the hot side (right side) of the outlet, while the other two (both in white coating) are connected to the neutral side (left side).  With this configuration, the outside lights work, the chandelier works only when one three-way switch is on and the top outlet works on and off with the two-way switch but the bottom part of the outlet doesn't work at all.  I really do apologize for the VERY long-winded question but there are so many nuances that I don't know how to be more succinct.

With this configuration, is there any way to not have both outlets feed off switches?


texts: Concrete block water wall footing requirements

texts:
My wife and I would like to build a 6 foot high, 8 foot long fountain wall, using concrete cinder block that will then be covered with stone veneer.
My question is regarding the footing. We obviously don't want it to fall over.
Our yard is expansive clay soil.
How large and deep does our footing need to be? Would something like 2 foot wide and 12 inches deep be sufficient for this purpose?
And how far underground should the footing be buried?


texts: RO reverse osmosis filters need replacing?

texts:
I tested the water & there's copper in it (about 1.0) but everything else is good. Is it possible that used filters might fail to filter only one contaminate & still filter others?

If this is unlikely then perhaps I need a better model? Ours is a membrane plus 3 filters from Culligan.

There is no decrease in water flow so I believe the membrane is still good. We only use about 1 gal. a day so I don't go by the recommended "replace every 6-9 months".


texts: Reverse osmosis water filter installation

texts:
I am currently attempting to install a reverse osmosis water filtration system in the cabinet underneath my kitchen sink next to a refrigerator. The system comes with a faucet which appears to get it's water supply from the blue 1/4 inch plastic tubing. I am not too fond of the idea of having a second water faucet on our kitchen sink and would much rather have the reverse osmosis water system feed the refrigerator so that our ice and and water from the fridge are filtered.

I looked underneath my kitchen sink and found that on the main cold water pipe, there is what appears to be a self piercing T-tap and that one of the lines goes through the cabinet and likely behind a dishwasher. I do not see any other water lines leading there besides the hot water line. I'm assuming that the cold water line feeds the dishwasher and there might be another T-tap splitting the water going to the dishwasher and another line that will feed the 1/4 inch water supply line that goes to my refrigerator.

I was wondering would it be possible to just run a much longer blue 1/4 inch tube from the RO system to my refrigerator? (G to H in the below diagram containing the filtered water). I think I would rather just have the filtered water go straight to the refrigerator.

UPDATE: I pulled my refrigerator out and found that the tap on the cold water pipe goes directly to the refrigerator. What would be the best way to connect a 1/4 inch plastic tubing from the filtered water directly to the refrigerator? Is there a way for me to just directly shut off the T-tap on the cold water valve and just wire the 1/4 inch line directly from the end of the water filtration system directly to my refrigerator?

EDIT #2 - I think what would solve my issue is if I could somehow cut the water supply to that line and then use that angle stop valve to feed the RO filter and then use the blue line at the end of my RO filter to be wired directly into my refrigerator.

Is there a way for me to cut the water to braided line with a red line through it and then have the water from the saddle valve travel exclusively through the 1/4 inch plastic line? Or is there a better solution than that?

Also, could I just take out that blue 1/4 inch plastic line from the top of the refrigerator even though it is powered by the steel braided hose on the bottom of the refrigerator?

(rear of refrigerator)

Cold water tap for refrigerator water dispenser and possibly dishwasher

Reverse Osmosis diagram

Top of dishwasher


texts: New washing machine using the same valve as the sink, water smells and tastes like plastic

texts:
So I have been using the same valve for actually two washing machines and a sink, and when I got the new washing machine the problem started appearing. I am guessing this is because of the new washer hose, it is an LG front load washing machine with its original new hose, yet it makes the whole water coming out taste bad and smelly, even if I run it for over a minute - the taste gets minimal after a while though.

So obviously my best bet is to change the hose, but I wanna know if I wait out if this can be hazardous at all, is this a normal thing to happen? I had a few washes but not many, I am guessing it is supposed to be gone at some point of time, but I am not sure if its dangerous in the meanwhile had two other hoses changed in the past and they did not cause this problem.


texts: Removing basketball hoop from asphalt driveway

texts:
I've got an old basketball hoop pole sunk in my asphalt driveway, about an inch away from a concrete pad. I want to get it out, at least enough to cover over with an asphalt patch kit. I don't want to leave any of the pole exposed. What would be the best way to do this? I could get it mostly flush with an angle grinder, but not sure how to best break up the asphalt to get below the surface?

Thanks!


texts:
We have two skylights in our master bedroom that get quite a bit of light during the day.  Normally this wouldn't bother us, but we have a one-month old now sharing the room with us that gets enamored with the light coming from it at 6 AM, making it very difficult to get her back to sleep.  I picked up two black foam boards from CVS and put them up to block the sun.  It works, but I wanted to make sure this is not a fire hazard.  I'm open to other affordable suggestions.  Just fyi: the house is 40' high, so getting to the roof and doing something on the outside of the skylight is a little beyond my capabilities right now as I don't have the appropriate equipment.

Question is: are these foam boards a fire hazard if they see sunlight for long periods of time?  Pics below.

The make shift sun-block using black foam boards:

Skylight without the boards


texts: Extending or increasing volume of a quiet doorbell

texts:
I have an old analog doorbell - there is a button for my apartment outside, and two wires come to where the chime is. When someone presses the button, a solenoid pulls back a little metal thingy with a piece of rubber at the end, and then releases it and it springs back and hits the chime. But the chime isn't very loud so it can only be heard in part of the apartment.

In order to remedy this, I decided to purchase a doorbell extender. Unfortunately, the existing chime is not loud enough to trigger the microphone on the doorbell extender, even on its most sensitive setting.

I'm looking for one or more of:

a product that I can wire directly to the existing doorbell situation and cause something across the apartment to go off
recommendations on how to make my existing analog chime louder
recommendations for a replacement product for the analog chime, that will be loud enough to be heard across the apartment or at least loud enough to trigger the extender
or something else that will solve my problem


texts: What power tool is the best and fastest to take up floor tile?

texts:
I need to pull up the floor tile in my kitchen. i've tried using a hammer and chisel and the tile pops up easily, but it's too slow.
what power tool is the best and fastest to take up floor tile?
is there something with a spade that works well?


texts: Design guidelines for walk-in shower sizing?

texts: I'm renovating my bath and am interested in a walk-in shower area (i.e. no doors).  How can I calculate a "safe" distance from the shower head for the door area?  Are there design guidelines for distance (and perhaps direction) that water is expected to splash?


texts:
My backyard is relatively flat and I like that but we get a lot of water running toward our house after heavy rains and filling up the window wells and making a swamp in the backyard. Some landscapers have suggested regrading and putting a swale there with a french drain running down the middle but I would hate to lose the flatness and the distance from the back of the house to the fence isn't that big.

The run would be something close to 100 feet to cover the whole back of the house and I'm wondering if we can still have the french drain but without adding the swale. Keep the flat yard but let the drain slowly drop over that distance. Or is that not practical?

EDIT:

There is a storm sewer in the front of the house which is the east side. The west side gets water pushing up against that side of the house and it comes from the rest of the subdivision which sits slightly higher. I'm at the end. The north side has adequate slope toward the storm sewer. So they want to put a swale in the middle of the yard on the west side sloping toward the north side.


texts: Help identifying American Standard cartridge

texts: Loosing hot water pressure, going to change the cartridge out but I am having a hard time finding the correct replacement. Pictures are attached.


texts: was in attic for an hour without mask. could this cause issue?

texts:
my bathroom fan was dropping water so i went up to the attic and applied fiberglass insulation to the bare metal vent pipt from the fan out to the roof.

i was up in the attic for an hour wearing short sleeve t-shirts and no mask.
When i came down, i started coughing (4~5 times an hour) and my arm felt very itch even after shower.

I did some research and learned that i should have been wearing long sleeve to protect my skin and wear dust mask to get protection from fiberglass.
All similar posts online were about being exposed 10 minutes or less.

Should i go see a doctor?


texts: Converting two three-way switches to a single dimmer

texts:
I recently replaced my kitchen lights to dimmable LEDs. Right now there are two 1 gang 3-way switches, so I can control the same lights from two switches.
I wanted to replace one of the switches with a dimmer, so I bought a dimmer switch and turns out it's only two-way.

Both switches look like this :

While the dimmer looks like this :

How can I wire this dimmer?
I don't mind getting rid of one of the switches.


texts: How can I detect the total ground fault leakage current in my home?

texts:
In Europe, houses often have all breakers chained beneath one or more RCDs (their word for GFCI).  I would not want the nuisance of multiple circuits shutting off at once, so I'm glad in the US we have GFCI on individual breakers or outlets.  But, I would like to have some sort of alarm sound when leakage current of my home as a whole exceeds some level or increases rapidly.

At first thought a CT around the grounding conductor in the main panel would do this. But this would not detect leakage through Earth/water/communications cables.  Paths to ground are essentially unlimited, and impossible to enumerate.

So what about measuring the utility conductors?  With a single hot like they have in Europe this would be easy because there's only one path current should be taking for each customer.  If the current on their utility's hot != the current on their utility's neutral, then the difference is leakage.

But with the NorthAmerican split-phase system you can't assume L1=L2 or L1+L2=N can you?

Is there mathematically, a way to detect the amount of leakage current by measuring only L1, L2, and N in a standard North American residence?  I'm guessing not, but I'm hoping someone here can blow my mind.


texts: Hot water heater is leaking, how much longer will it last?

texts:
This question was asked before but the title question was not specifically answered: "Hot water tank leaking at bottom could it go from a trickle to a gush?"

I have a old hot-water heater (tank) that is starting to leak.  I knew this was likely in that the anode is completely consumed and un-serviceble (i.e. I torque the head off this summer and can see it is completely oxidized).  I've since put an electronic leak monitor device.

I want to replace the house hot-water system to tankless as well as overhaul the entire basement plumbing, but I need to wait a few months to pull the trigger, and I don't want to replace hot-water tank only to do it again a few months later.

The question is, typically, does a leak increase quickly or slowly over time?  More specifically, will that leak turn into a gusher in a matter of hours or days or weeks or months?  Is there anyway to prognosticate the likelihood of catastrophic failure?  What should I look for?

I realize the safest solution is to simply replace the heater now ("pennywise, pound foolish" was used to describe what I want to do), but I want to know if I can monitor weekly and replace if/once leak is unsustainable.

UPDATE:  I haven't found the actual leak, but lets assume it is corroded wall.


texts: Can I convert a 12 volt DC device that uses a 240v transformer, back to 12 volt?

texts:
I have a small snack bar/kitchen trailer that I need to convert partly to 12 volt.
There is a 12 volt dc water pump 5.2amp and an LED strip light 12volt 5.2 amp - both of these devices currently have transformers attached to the 240volt AC supply.

I have a deep cycle battery and a 50w 12 volt solar panel. I have 12ga copper wire. (I will add another panel & battery so I can run another light strip and some small power outlets for charging phones & minirigs etc and one day I hope to cover the whole roof of trailer and vehicle in adjustable solar panel/roof racks, so I can also run a fridge and freezer)

What do I need to do to right now make the current match the 5.2 amps needed for my pump and led lights?


texts: When my primer flakes off easily how will it help hold the paint

texts: I'm painting an iron structure to save it from corrosion and make it look nice. I was advised to apply a layer of primer which I did, it contains iron oxide and is supposed to prevent oxidation. Now I find that the primer itself is not very good in holding on to the iron. It can be easily scraped off with a light use of emery paper. If the layer beneath the paint is this weak how can I expect the paint to hold on and stay put on the metal. Could anyone experienced in this area please advise me. When painting how does the layer of primer feel after application and how does the paint applied with the primer work. Thanks a million.


texts: Why is half of the house without power with no visible blown fuses?

texts:
So I had a small gathering last night at a house that wasn't mine, and someone decided it would be a great idea to plug two space heaters into the same outlet.... the power not only went out in that room, but also in the entire downstairs area and the garage. However, I know very little about fuses and all that stuff so I am at a standstill on what to do.  I went down to the fuse box, but the entire thing was switched off. I turned it on and held the reset button down and it made a noise, but the power didn't return. The fuse box is obviously very old and it says "class 2 transformer and 7870 lighting". I can't call an electrician because it's not my house and I honestly don't have the money.

What to do?


texts: Can I disconnect a Corian Sink Overflow tube?

texts:
We have noticed a foul odor from our sink which has the corian overflow tube (made out of plastic) that sits outside the bowl.  As soon as we turn the water on, the odor appears.  I have taken it apart, cleaned it and poured chemicals down the tube and drain.  The odor occurs again and again.  There is water in the p-trap so I know it is not sewer gas.  It is simply a poor design.

I have a pfister faucet with a pop-up drain stopper.  The Overflow tube fits right below the drain on the under mounted sink.  We know that we will never have water reach the overflow.

Question...Can I seal the overflow tube and the connection at the pipe so that these smells don’t occur and no water becomes stagnant?

Just looking for ideas before my wife wants a new sink.


texts: What is the best way of plumbing a bathroom so as to avoid temperature fluctuations in the shower?

texts:
Everyone has been in a shower where you can tell when someone flushes a toilet, opens a kitchen tap, etc, as the temperature rapidly changes. There's also other places where the shower is virtually unaffected by anything else.

Is there a way of plumbing in lines (either using a certain size pipe, or certain order of branches) to minimize the sensitivity? Do pro plumbers ever pay attention to this, or do they just do whatever is the shortest run?

In my current house, the shower never changes temperature, despite use of dishwasher, laundry, toilets or other taps. There is a 3/4" line that runs one direction for cold, and another 3/4" line running the opposite direction for hot (the hot water tank is on the exact opposite side of the house from where the cold water comes in). On the cold side, there is the kitchen sink first, and then the bathroom (and I'm 99% sure based on positioning that the shower is first, followed by toilet, then sink). On the hot side, there is a 1/2" line that comes off first for the laundry and downstairs half-bath, and then the bathroom in the same order as before.


texts: Is there a moisture barrier I can apply between drywall and paint?

texts:
We are going to paint a small bathroom.  Over the years the Sheetrock looks as if water has been exposed to the walls.
Is there a moisture barrier that you can put on Sheetrock before painting?


texts: The plug for my laptop is slowly changing colour, is it still safe to use until I get a new one?

texts:
So, right now my charger plug, that connects into the extension cord is slowly changing colour and it looks like it has small bumps, I can’t really tell though.

Is it because i’m using an extension cord or is it something else?

I use an extension cord instead of the actual outlet because, the outlet is too far from where I’m situated with the laptop. I know I can move but there isn’t much room in my apartment to move furniture around.

I’ve never had this problem with my older laptop and that was also plugged into an extension cord, but it was one of the bigger multiple outlet ones, with the ability to turn it on or off.

I just want to know is it still safe to use until I get a new one, or do I need to change my extension cord?

Laptop is - Acer Spin5
Input - 100-240V-50-80hz 1.2A
Output- 19V-2.37A

Extension - 16 gauge calibre
Wire type: SPT-3
6’7”/6pi 7po(2m)
Length 0-50ft/pi(0-15m)
       51-100ft/pi(16-30m)
Max.Amperage: 13-10
I got this extension cord at Canadian tire

Thank you

UPDATE:
I want to thank everyone for there suggestions as to what the problem could be. Sorry for not getting back quick enough it’s been an insane month.
When I first posted this, I decided I would leave my laptop alone until I got a new extension cord and new plug. If anyone has any recommendations on a new extensions cord, that would be greatly appreciated.

Before I continue into that, I do want to thank everyone here who is, at this point in time and when it all started, an essential worker. Really thank you so much for all that you’ve done!

So back to the plug; I got the extension cord, maybe a couple months after the laptop, and that was at the beginning of January 2018. So from what I could remember it started to change colour around the end of 2018-beginning of 2019.
It started small but slowly started to change over time. I suppose with being home now a lot more than before I’m really noticing it. The plug won’t heat up but, when I do pull it out of the ext. cord, it will be warm, not like warm-hot but cold-warm, if that makes sense?
Someone did suggest that it could be the extension cord, this has never happened other extension cords before, so I hope it’s only that.
Edit: Then again, I’ve plugged other things into the extension cord, like; my portable charger, hair dryer, stuff like that, and none of there prongs have ever started to change colour.

So about the laptop, it does heat up when it’s plugged in and I’m using it, but it’s always done that, since I first got it. I do put it down to let it rest for a couple hours until I’m back in again.

The outlets in the apartment are pretty old, maybe as old as me, I’m not sure? When I asked my parents they said that they don’t remember when the outlets were last changed. Some of the outlets I did notice are a lot stronger, most of them could handle objects that need to stay plugged in for a long time without causing a fire. Others have at this point become loose, so using them is a no go. Once I do get a new extension and plug, I’ll probably move into the living room.

Here’s the thing I would love to have them all replaced, but it would only give the new owners of the building more incentive to add onto the rent we already pay. Even if we had someone, not in a contract with the buildings, to come do it, they would still probably add onto our rent anyway. Trust me they’ll do that to just about anyone in the apartment, no matter what.

Thank you though for reading this, if you did get down here, again if you have any good extension cord recommendations, it would be appreciated. Also I think I’ll start using it again for a short while, I’m back to work (New Job!), so I think I would be ok to use it for 3hrs and then stop for about an hour or two and then go back? This is just until the new extension cord and charger come in.

I hope some of the new information on both the laptop and plug for it was helpful, if you do need more info just ask. Again thank you! I hope you and your families stay safe during this time!


texts: Do the nails stick out at all when toe-nailing studs?

texts:
So I'm attempting to do the "stick framing" method of building a non-bearing wall.  I've got pnumatic nailer and I'm toe-nailing nails on each side.  The problem is, because of the angle the nail doesn't get completely sunk into the wood.  Is this a problem, or is it to be expected?

Edit: Added pictures for clarity.  Is it ok that the stud developed hair line cracks from where the nails entered?  This seems to happen every time.  If I shake the stud it seems solid, but not sure if it's really a problem