texts: How do I repair a garage door with a rusty bottom?

texts:
Was looking at my garage door as I pulled into home yesterday and noticed that the bottom panel is starting to rust slightly at the bottom. The rust looks like a small mountain range from one side to the other.

My question is: What is the best way to go about repairing this? I'm going to guess I'm looking at 3 steps

Remove the rust (how do I go about doing this?)
Prime/rustproof the metal
Repaint the door

Has anyone done rust removal/repainting on metal before and is it even worth it? I'm basing this on the assumption that the door isn't completely rusted through. If that's the case then I'll just replace the panel and be done with it.


texts: Can a 60" x 30" x 79" shower/tub fit through 36 door?

texts:
I am looking at tub showers from Aquatic.  I don't see a lot of choices that offer shelves...but I am also budget shopping.  I found a couple I think I'd be happy with.

I'd like to get a one piece unit if it fits. I have standard 36" doors in my house.  I don't know for sure tub measurements but is the size the exterior dimension or interior?  I know 30" will fit through a 36" door barely unless the door is completely hinged 180 degrees and out of the opening.

They also offer the same model in 76" height and I don't understand what the difference in those 3 inches for height is all about?  Thanks!


texts: Need drain for water heater pressure relief and HVAC condensation

texts:
I'm refinishing my basement and I don't want to place a drain in the floor. But I need a place for the HVAC condensation to drain to, and a place for the water heater pressure relief to drain to.

Option 1, there is a nearby soil stack. I'd like to Tee off of that and add a P-trap, but city says I can't because there's no vent.

Option 2, there is a sump (with a pump) nearby. I'd like to drain to that but the city says no (not an "approved" method whatever that means)

Suggestions?


texts: Is the gutter on the side of my roof dormer necessary?

texts: On each side of this dormer there is a small gutter which drips onto the roof and into the longer gutter and down the side of the house. If this short gutter wasn't there, wouldn't the water go to the same place anyway? Follow up, if the short gutter is a good idea, should I connect it to the longer gutter or leave it as is?


texts: Any suggestions for repairs of nasty cracks in my walls and the door?

texts: I have 1 day to finish all those repairs before a new person moves in. Is there any way I could fix them fast and reliably? The first one is a hole in a dry wall and the last one is a door which is not that solid (a kick or two and you have such cracks). I was considering using a mash tape and white paint for the wall holes, but not sure how good that idea is given that I have no experience. As for the door, I am really lost.


texts: I want to buy a new pump, were as my current one is 42 yrs old. With the new pump I would like to use my current 19 gallon tank, plus I want to if possible install a new 50 gallon tank tied together. Would the different in tank capacity be a problem??  The current 19 gallon tank is fine not that old, would like to have more draw down in between pump cycles.


texts: Why is my thermostat reading falsely high temperatures?

texts: Thermostat is reading crazy high temps when it is really 67. Furnace won't deliver heat. Fan works. Is it the thermostat (batteries replaced already) or the furnace?


texts:
We have 1 shower head that continually leaks and in another bathroom the tub faucet leaks. A pressure relief valve was placed on the house. We switched Moen cartridges twice. We tried adjusting PRV went all the way down to 20 psi and it still leaks.

Initially the house didn't have a PRV and when it was first installed, the leaking stopped but only for a few weeks and then came back in the same manner as it appeared. Slow drips that increase to a constant leak. What could be the problem?


texts: PIR Insulation installation between joists

texts:
UK based.

Looking to install PIR insulation between ceiling joists in our attic. Cold attic space. The ceiling is that immediately above bedrooms/stairs landing.

Joists are 100mm depth and 600mm centres.

We currently have sub-recommended depth fibreglass wool between the joists (only around 100mm thick as is a 1970's property) that I'd like to completely replace with the likes of Kingpass, Celotex etc. 100mm panels.

The ceiling plasterboard panels are directly attached to joists.

I'm looking at buying foiled PIR as it's got the vapour control built in.

My question:

Do I have to leave any air gap between the ceiling plasterboard and the PIR?

I.e. Can I simply take out the old wool -> cut the PIR -> push between joists so it is flush with top of joist -> aluminium tape where boards join -> done?


texts: Outlet drain hose of my washing machine must go all the way to the top of the machine?

texts:
I have just purchased a Samsung front load washing machine (7kg capacity).

So when I was studying its emplacement, I have decided that its drain hose would be over the floor to a avoid an obstacle (the cupboard wood wall). And then it would come up to be plugged to my kitchen siphon.

The problem is that apparently Samsung obliges that the drain hose goes all the way to the top of the machine by means of a security screw.

I have successfully removed it, but I am not sure if it could cause problems with my washing machine. Could it?


texts:
new guy here.
I am hoping you guys can help. We had a 2x6 built Wisconsin Homes modular placed on top of an ICF basement. Then, we had vertical vinyl board and batten siding installed, it was run down so the J Channel sits a half inch below the sheeting. This left the sill plate exposed.

The concrete contractor ran mel-rol waterproofing up to the top of the ICF. This shouldn't be exposed above grade, so my plan is to peel down the waterproofing barrier and cut it off to remove it before applying sticky mesh and synthetic stucco where the foundation will sit above grade.

My question is, how the heck do I hide the sill plate tastefully?

I contacted styro industries, the makers of Tuff II and FlexCoat synthetic stucco and they don't recommend covering the sill with this product.

I thought about running 1x4x16' lp trim board all around and nailing them to the sill then stucco below that, but not sure if that is a good idea or if there's a more economical solution?

Also, should I coat the bottom of the sheeting boards with something, rather than leave them exposed? See pics for reference.


texts: Correct transition for pvc conduit to liquid tight flexible conduit on a concrete slab

texts: I am installing conduit for a hot tub.  I have conduit coming up from underground at the edge of the slab and I wondering how to transition it to liquid tight flexible conduit on top of the slab.  The poorly drawn image below illustrates what I was thinking of doing.  Is this ok or would it be better to bend the conduit or use a 90 degree over the corner and use a straight connector to join the pvc to the liquid tight conduit?  I am planning on using 2' x 2' deck tiles to cover up the slab and the conduit after everything is installed. Thanks.


texts: What are pop-rivet aluminium security bars vulnerable to?

texts:
Our landlord is replacing our windows. They've proposed moving from:

wooden frame
steel security bars
screwed into frame

to:

metal frame
aluminium security bars
pop rivets

Assume we leave our windows open and a burglar attempts to break in (I appreciate that any bars are themselves a deterrent). Will a burglar have any easier time with the new windows than the old windows? Put another way, what attacks are pop-rivet aluminium security bars vulnerable to that screwed-in steel bars aren't?


texts: My fridge started to act strangely. It stopped whirring and the light does not work either. But it does work, it is cold actually. Could this be some ventilation issue?


texts: I want to add an outlet in the middle of a run in the garage.  The start of the run has a GFCI outlet with the proper line/load connections.  The 2nd outlet in the run is a regular 20A outlet.   Can I a new 20A outlet after this 2nd 20A outlet but before the 3rd 20A outlet  so that it becomes a 2nd ending point to this circuit?   This allows me to just run one set of romex to the new outlet instead of having to run two.  Thanks.


texts: Deciding whether to replace missing shingles or the entire roof

texts: There are missing shingles on the roof our garage.  How can I determine whether it is better to replace the missing shingles or replace the entire roof?


texts:
We have a basement flat and we suspect that the bathroom exhaust fans do not go anywhere, which causes a fair bit of damp in the flat which manifests itself as condensation on the windows in the winter.

I'd like to fit an extractor fan, or at least some sort of vent to allow the air to circulate (this should help with the condensation shouldn't it?), but don't want to drill through the wall as there is a damp proof membrane in there.  Can I fit something into the window, and how do I go about cutting a hole in the glass to accommodate it?  I've seen those cat-flaps that are in the windows so I assume it must be able to be done...


texts: Accepted electrical raceway material to residential detached garage

texts: When exiting a home with an electrical raceway to serve a detached garage, is PVC a generally accepted (code-worthy) raceway material to use? My feeders are carrying one 20A dedicated circuit. My plan is to use a 1" PVC LB condulet and schedule 40 pipe run underground and up into the garage.


texts: Materials needed to weld stainless steel to galvanized steel?

texts:
I have a welder that knows how to weld regular steel to regular steel. Now he's going to weld regular steel to stainless steel, but I'm sure he's never done this before.

Besides the welding machine, What specific materials does he need to do this correctly?

Thanks.


texts: Can I put an electrical conduit through this space above the wall to simplify future fishing?

texts:
Ok, I'll try to explain as best as I can.

Basically I have a space above my electrical box that leads into the unfinished section of the basement, with a bunch of electrical wire running through.

As it happens I periodically want to run a new cable through this space, and it's a pain in the butt every time to get the glow rod through.

Question: Can I put some flexible conduit up there to provide an easy raceway for future Romex runs? It wouldn't terminate in a box, it would just be there to be an easy pathway for rods or tape in the future and fully insulated Romex would go through it.


texts: GFCI issue with grounded protected receptacle

texts:
Trying to wire GFCI and a protected receptacle into the same box for 4 outlet set up.    When I wire protected receptacle to LOAD side and connect it to the ground, the GFCI test fails.   If I disconnect ground to protected receptacle, GFCI tests OK but protected receptacle tests “open ground”.

What am I doing wrong?


texts: How can I diagnose an intermittent furnace ignition failure?

texts:
I have been researching how to diagnose this intermittent lighting issue with my furnace but the common issues do not seem to apply.

Blower turns on
Ignition coil turns cherry red
Sound of gas blower starts
No ignition, ignition coil dims, and blower remains on

I've uploaded a video as well: https://youtu.be/Y9umhFh6_gc

I am trying to figure out a strategy for determining what part I may need to order and replace.


texts: Parallel connected LED lights -last one is dimmer, why?

texts:
I have 3 Lutron LED recessed lights (9W) with individual driver each(came with the lights) connected in parallel and wired to a Lutron dimmable compatible switch.

For some reason when switch is set to full dimm mode and turned on, the last LED is not coming on. When it's set to anything a bit brighter than full dimm it comes on but slightly dimmer. The first 2 lights are working great.

When I start on full power and then go all the way down to full dimm the third light stays on but also slightly dimmer.

When turning off on medium dimm level, the first 2 lights go off immediately and the last one takes a bit to turn off. As if it's continuing to use residual electricity or something :/

Lights are feeding from receptacle which is on 15A circuit.

The connection is as follows:

What could be the cause for this behavior?


texts: Can I install lower-rated fixture sockets to meet the rated current threshold for dimmer switches?

texts:
Our room currently has 53 18W bulbs, and 18 11W Bulbs (we recently transitioned down from 75W bulbs, to LED equivalents).
We are looking to put the room on a dimmer system, but some concerns have been raised regarding proper electrical safety.
The commercial dimming system we are looking at has 12 10A dimmers. However, the concerns are that we would be running 71 light socket fixtures on 12 10A channels, thus pushing the potential limit beyond safe limits for 10A.

We have no plan to change out the bulbs to anything but the equivalent LED's, but I want to stay within electrical code. some of the answers I've gotten when talking with people I know in regards to potential problems, are that we cant put more lights on circuits or combine circuits, because we need to protect the wiring.

I know basics of electrical, but when getting into the code aspects as described above I want to go to people more knowledgeable than me so that this gets done right.

Would changing out alllllll the fixtures with lower potential fixtures (aka 60W sockets instead of 100W) load keep us within guidelines? Is there another solution that can get things operational without MAJOR re-wiring? ....or should we just proceed anyways, seeing as we aren't using high wattage bulbs?

--side note: I hope to contact a local electrical contractor to give us some guidelines and pointers, but I wanted to reach out online and get the general feel for the situation.

Any pointers or help is greatly appreciated!


texts: Depth of hole when burying a 2 inch schedule 40 pole

texts: How deep of a hole do I need, and how much concrete is needed for 21 foot tall 2 inch steel pipe schedule 40 pole that will be free standing?  There will be a 19 foot tall antenna on top of it.vertical with lots of stuff spreading out in multiple directions? I do not wont guy wires. the antenna be sticking up another 19 feet from the top of the pipe. The soil is clay.


texts: How can I reduce how much a flat roof heats my house?

texts:
My flat roof is insulated with wool, but still it's heating up my room considerably. The situation is much better in the rest of the house.

Any ideas how to do a quick fix?

The roof is currently blackish so I think putting something white on that would help. But what ? (I don't want to paint it though)


texts:
We have heard scratching in the loft and I have caught two mice. The loft is boarded out pretty much fully and insulated beneath the boarding so it is impossible for me to get to the underneath and I can only put traps down, but I want to prevent anything getting in.
I can check for small holes where visible, I understand they can be tiny like a pencil size and the loft is not exactly tidily finished so that is also going to be impossible. Any thoughts on making mouse free zone?
I also notice that the walls at each end of the roof (adjoining the houses in terrace row) there is then the timber roof but a fair sized gap between the brick and wood - what is best to fill this gap? Lots of wire wool and some form of adhesive? I can't get to the outside as no ladder tall enough so need to try and do this from inside.


texts: Is low voltage resulting in overcharging me for electricity?

texts:
I notice I have low voltage in my home. I understand the standard is supposed to be 117 volts to the house and the nominal rating is 110 per pole or 220 total.

My house current consistently measures below this. My house is very close to the pole.

Is the meter only measuring actual current that I get, or does it assume a certain voltage and then measure a higher amount of current than was used if the voltage is different than the assumed voltage?


texts: I want to add a hot outlet to a light switch box. The power comes into the light and then down to the switch. How should I be adding the outlet in this scenario? This is also old wiring so it is not 3 wire cables.


texts: How do I mitigate large outgoing inductive spikes from home appliance?

texts:
I have an old ultrasonic air humidifier that sends out a big electrical spike every time it turns off, making lights flicker and computer monitors restart. I'm afraid of using it because of the risk of damaging sensitive electronics on the grid, especially since I need to have it on a timer, turning on and off many times a day.

Is there anything I can put in between the air humidifier and the grid preventing the spike from going out? I've been told that regular surge protectors aren't going to work.


texts: Is it normal for an air compressor's tank to have something inside it?

texts: I recently bought an air compressor for airbrushing and other uses.  I'm not familiar with air compressors so I was wondering if it was normal for the air tank to have sand/gravel inside it? When I tip it over from side to side, I can hear something like sand/gravel moving around inside.  The manual doesn't say anything about it.


texts:
I have a Whirlpool GR448LXPQ Electric Oven/Stove.

When the timer is set, it counts down to 0, then shows end, but it doesn't beep.  The beeper, however, does work when pressing the buttons.  I was wondering whether there is something I can do to fix it?

Thanks!


texts: How can I power a three phase AC motor with only 2 phases?

texts:
I have some AC motors with 6 wires each. I only have 2 out of 3 phases available. I will test these motors any way. I know the motors won't work in their best condition and I risk create a short circuit if I don't make the right choice. Suppose the internal wiring is like this

I'm planning to connect 2 and 5 together, phase A to 1 and 3, phase B to 4 and 6. Will it work?


texts: Should gloves be worn when working with concrete to prevent it from coming in contact with skin?

texts:
I was told recently that concrete is slightly corrosive.

Should gloves be worn when using concrete or is it fine to handle concrete as long as its not done on a regular basis?


texts: 240 Volts - No Neutral Required - How does Power Return to Earth?

texts:
I think this question is appropriate here in order to help DIYers (me) to understand why a neutral isn't needed on a 240 volt outlet.
I understand that two 120 volt power sources that are 180 degrees out of phase can be combined to provide 240 volts and I believe they accomplish this by using each others off phase to complete the circuit.
My Question
If all AC electrical power completes its circuit by returning to earth, how is that accomplished in a 240 volt circuit with no neutral?


texts: Toilet not always flushing fully, what could be wrong?

texts:
I have a toilet that about half of the time doesn't flush fully, but will always flush fine on the second attempt. It does this regardless of the "contents" in the bowl.

I first took a plunger to it, but it didn't help at all. I then came here and read How can I fix a toilet that flushes incompletely? and looked inside the tank while flushing and the flapper seems to be functioning normally. I then read Why do my toilets flush slowly and often incompletely? and cleaned up everything like Inkspeak mentioned in his answer, but still hit or miss. I am starting to wonder if my toilet is as bad as Inkspeak says one of his three toilets were.

I bought this house just a few months ago and it has been happening the whole time. The house was built in 2007 and this is the only toilet that is having the issue. Is there anything else that I could try before I just replace the whole toilet? It seems like the toilet is young enough that it shouldn't have too much build up in it, but I also know that we have rather hard water based off of how fast we see mineral build up in our shower that we didn't see in our previous house.


texts: matching paint color over different wall coverings

texts: I removed wallpaper from one wall due to moisture but am leaving it up on the other three walls since the removal damaged the wall and the wallpaper is still adhering well. I am now trying to find paint and I like the color on drywall but not over wallpaper.I used kilz but it did not change the fact the color over wallpaper was so much lighter. How do I get paint to match over both?


texts: Blocking up an unused door with timber / cladding. How to protect from weather and insulate?

texts:
I have a rotting backdoor that forms a side entrance to a conservatory. The door is never used. I plan to take out the door, build a timber frame where the door frame and sill was, and then install some good marine ply to do the bulk of the covering.

On the inside of the ply, I then want to fill behind with insulation board, and plasterboard over.

On the exterior side of the ply, I want to cover with exterior timber cladding and paint.

The questions are:

Is that a reasonable solution (if I want to avoid brick laying) and is there anything further I can do to weather protect the ply under the cladding?

Thanks


texts: Samsung dryer starts spinning after a few seconds with accompanying noise

texts:
When I turn on the dryer, I first hear a whirring noise for a few seconds, with the drum not moving, then a "bang" or a "bump" and the drum starts spinning. Clothes are still drying.

Do you think something is going to fail soon? I can order the part(s) in advance.


texts:
We have a kitchen sink hot water faucet that has a cap with "Hot" on it to go on the faucet.  We've tried several types of glue for it, but after a few days of usage, the heat the faucet absorbs from the water seems to make the glue useless.

If you look at the photo, you can see the screw that would be under the cap, so I don't want to use anything super-strong that would force us to break the cap to get to that screw.

What kind of glue can we use that will hold this cap in place that won't break down from the heat from the water and will let us, if needed, pry the cap off if we have to get to the screw under it?


texts: Shortening Roof Rafters for Flat Roof Addition

texts:
I'm in the early stages of planning an addition which will involve extending a flat roof out from a sloped roof. Are there reference sources/videos/etc out there discussing approaches to shortening and supporting the existing rafters to allow the flat roof to be raised to the height I'd like, as well as how to properly attach the flat roof to the sloped roof? Here's a rough mockup of the current rafter structure:

And an equally rough mockup of what I'd like to end up with:


texts: Leveling a 2x8 sill plate on top of a cmu wall

texts: What type of shim do I use to shim up a sill plate 1/4 inch on top of a cmu block wall?


texts: I am removing a switch that was not working and both wires that were connected are hot. Any ideas why?


texts:
I'm terribly new at this and have no idea what I'm doing so please do bear with me.
I have a submersible pump that I want to use in a small rainwater tank to water my garden either through your standard 12mm hose or a 13 - 15mm irrigation pipes (all working ok with our tap at home).
When I tried it on a sprinkler using a 12mm hose, the pressure is a fraction of what I normally get. This is currently how I have set it up. (which I have a feeling is the problem)
I replaced the connector that points upwards (see original photo from link) and replaced it with a 32mm to 20mm reducer (A) so I can fit my hose (B) which is ~10m long.
Any suggestions/thoughts on what I should be doing whether having a more powerful pump or correctly configuring the connectors and pipes etc?
I would highly appreciate the physics side of it as well so I can apply this knowledge elsewhere.


texts: How to automatically turn something off at 11pm and on at 6am?

texts:
I would like to find an electronic timer that can automatically turn my internet router off at exactly 11pm and on at 6am.

I would prefer a timer that is digital, so the time off and on is precise.

Where can I buy such a device?


texts:
What locations should I look in to find the water pressure regulator for my home?
It is a townhouse in NY state, with crawlspace. My section is maybe 8 units connected together.
So far I’ve found about 5-6 pipes traversing my crawlspace between units. One pipe  enters into my crawlspace and promptly makes a turn towards the rear of my unit for the furnace room on my first floor.
I believe this is my main line and there is a shutoff in the furnace room for the whole unit.
Have an issue with a shower that goes all hot or cold as you turn the handle; it makes a banging/clunking sound when the water goes all hot or cold. Moen 1222 cartridge. Plumber felt the water pressure was too high; told me to call him back when i located the regulator.


texts: Should drywall with 'non-friable' asbestos be replaced?

texts:
I'm in the process of purchasing a home, and was just informed that the drywall likely contains asbestos. However, this asbestos is non-friable.

One room needs a lot of sanding/patching/repainting, most others can just be painted and called good. I'm guessing I need to be pretty careful with that room -- likely have a professional handle it, or perhaps even replace the drywall entirely.

Do I have anything to worry about for the other rooms? Sounds like I can just put a new coat of paint on them and call them good?

I've seen other questions on here about asbestos, but none of them refer to the non-friable kind.

What dangers are there with disturbed asbestos drywall?

This is all new to me, so I need some help. Also, please mention your credentials in your answer... i.e. why I should trust your response.


texts: Why is there water build up in my soffits?

texts: We just had our windows, gutters, soffits and siding done a year and a half ago. We never had issues with our old soffits with leakage. Last winter we had a little bit of an issue with water and rust stains on our new soffits. The guy came back and said he wasn't sure but scrubbed off the rust looking stain. Now its worse and the ice is coming through the pots lights on our soffits. We have a bungalow home with a slight pitch. We have a membrane rolled out roof and never had issues with it. Like I said, only issues since we have had the gutters and soffits installed. We also have a drip from under the top board on the siding. After the gutters were installed, I did notice that the flashing from the gutter that goes up inside the drip edge was not fully sealed. They did caulk most of it but seemed like a bad job and had some openings. When water melts from the ice build up, can it go up behind the drip edge into the soffit?


texts: Why would a metal file have a cancer warning?

texts: Every metal file at the hardware store bears a California Prop. 65 warning on the label.  What could possibly be the cancer-causing agent in a solid metal file?


texts: Why would turning off a ceiling fan via a wall switch causes 3 seconds of TV signal loss?

texts:
Wall "A" has a switch that controls the light on the ceiling fan.
Wall "B" has an outlet used by TV and cable box.
Wall "C" has a switch that controls the light on the ceiling fan - alongside a switch controlling just the ceiling fan.

(There are other outlets in the room and, at least, two other rooms on this circuit but I haven't noticed any connection between those and this issue.)

When TV and ceiling fan are on, turning OFF the fan causes the TV to go black and silent for about three seconds before recovering. The TV's power indicator light stays on during the outage.

The house is 18 yrs. old. I've lived here 15 and this just started in the last 2-3 months.

If anyone recognizes the problem and can offer a remedy, I would be very appreciative.


texts: What is longest distance without attaching a top plate of interior wall

texts: I have an interior wall in a building with metal roof trusses and drop ceilings.  There are no wooden truss members or joists to attach the top plate of the wall.  The interior wall will attach to an exterior wall on one end and end in a corner on the other end, but I must build something to attach the top plate to down from the steel roof truss members.  Just wondering how often I need to do this.  I am guessing 8 feet would be ok?


texts: How to remove a screw from electrical box?

texts: I am replacing one of the light switches at home. The bottom screw that fastens the switch to the electrical box is half way out, but refuses to come out any more, no matter how hard I rotate the screw driver. My guess is that either the screw or the hole in the electrical box is stripped. Is there any way I can get it out?


texts: Would two thermostats be possible if a master control switch was in place. For example I leave one end  of the house, throw the control switch, and set the  thermostat at the other end of the house. (Living room is freezing while bedroom is warm.)


texts: Why do I have clumps of grass in my bathtub after a sewage overflow?

texts:
The washer drained and two bathroom toilets violently overflowed. Nasty, stinky, sewage and water came up in both bathroom tubs, the shower drain and both sinks as well. I could hear water gurgling in the kitchen sink. The water has finally drained from the bathtubs and there is dirt and clumps of grass in the bottom of the tubs.

What is going on?


texts: How should I choose between a pegwall or slatwall as a tool storage solution?

texts:
I'm interested in putting up a tool wall in my garage/workshop.

Taking into consideration the price, strength, ease of use and versatility. Which of the two boards will be best for the job and what material (wood, metal, plastic...) would suite the enviroment?

Links: Pegwall, Slatwall


texts: How do I stop my under cabinet light plastic covers from falling down

texts: In our kitchen, we have under cabinet lights. The  plastic covers keep falling down.  The covers click into place just fine.  But after a few days they fall down.  Is there a way to secure them?  Obviously, I don't want to use super glue.


texts: Must I remove all mortar between tiles before grouting?

texts:
I'm just getting ready to lay down the grout after successfully tiling our master bathroom. I've been told in no uncertain terms that I must remove the spacers between tiles (or else grouting over them can result in cracking of the grout). That makes sense -- however, I'm also reading on the box that I should "clean the grout joints". They show a tool that appears to be scraping excess mortar from the joints.

Do I need to be worried about scraping down the hardened mortar so that the joints can be completely filled with grout or are they talking about simply removing any loose mortar? Although none of my joints have mortar that rises above the grout, many of the tiles have some sections where the mortar is higher than others. I'm reading elsewhere that it's ideal to get rid of all excess mortar between tiles before it hardens (whoops).

How important is this?

Update:

As of September, 2011, it's been 9 months since I completed this job and things have been solid. I scraped only the areas that were high (close to or slightly above the tile). From this purely anecdotal evidence, it seems logical to conclude that it isn't necessary to be too much of a purist about clearing out all mortar between tiles before laying down your grout.

Update 2:

As of April, 2012 I've found only one tile that may have a slight issue. On one of the center tiles that gets a lot of traffic, I must not have put down a perfectly smooth layer underneath because I can hear an occasional slight shift. The joints along the edge still look great though.


texts: Grounding branch circuits in gutter instead of in panel

texts:
Replacing a sub panel (with neutral from main panel and local ground rod).  The branch circuits will come in via a Wiegmann gutter above the subpanel.
Is there an issue having a grounding bar in the gutter, and terminating all the grounds there?
Intent is just to keep the panel itself neat and tidy by only bringing the lines/neutral into it.
Follow on question - if that is ok, can the grounding conductor (from the rod) just pass through the panel (from below) to the gutter above? Or should it also bond to the panel itself.
Hope that’s clear!


texts: I have t9 flourescent bulbs, what ballasts can I use?

texts:
I have a bank of 12 t9 bulbs. I would like to purchase some ballasts, however, t9 ballasts are no where to be found except for circline bulbs. I have straight tubes. I would like to know if I can use instant start t8 or instant start t10 ballasts. Or if anyone knows where to find instant start T9 ballasts that would be helpful as well

Thanks
-J


texts: Install interior camera on an exterior wall.

texts: I am installing a Camera system, 2 story house, However I need to install one of the cameras on an exterior wall on the inside of the house. I have no way to gain access to the attic space at the wall. My question is, is there a way to mount this camera any way and fish the wire up to the attic without removing sheetrock or will I need to drill all the way through the outside of the house and go up through the eaves that way. By the way the location of the camera is on a one story side of the house. So there is attic space above wall.


texts:
I want a motorized appliance switch that turns on only when I am depressing a button then turns off when I let go.
I know about air switches I do not want those as they do not go in an electrical box.
Are there any switches that fit in an existing electrical box next to a light switch that do this?
Are there any parts that I can put together to make something like this?


texts: Are 5" thick filters for furnace/Central AC still available?

texts:
My furnace/AC was installed about three years ago. It uses 16" X 25" X 5" filters. The problem is when I try to find a replacement at my local home center: at Lowe's, Home Depot, (you name it), I found only 1" or 2" thick filters (mostly 3M Filtrete). I looked in many stores around my area, not just one. I also checked at my local Costco and Walmart but they have none: the associates told me that they didn't carry the filters anymore and that I may need to order them online.

So, the question is: Are 5" thick filters still in use and available? Is it an uncommon size filter? Or do the thin filters have better performance?

Additional Information: the filer that we are talking about is Honeywell FC100A1029.


texts: Are the grounds and neutrals in this electrical subpanel reversed?

texts:
I would appreciate your feed back to help me understand the logic behind Bonding the Neutral and Isolating Ground as shown in the attached pics.  Subject sub panel is dedicated to one of four residential units / FourPlex. each unit is about 500 Sq Ft of living space with not significant load.  Each unit has own sub panel, wired exactly in the same manner.
The electrical work is newer, completed in late 2019 in southern California. I had no access to view the main disconnect.


texts: Removing Caulk from Quartz bathroom countertop

texts: My contractor used white silicon caulk on my quartz tri-colored brand new bathroom countertop, smearing it in a wide swath on all the seams where backsplash meets the countertop. My quartz countertop is black, brown, and tan spots on a vanilla background. This pure white caulk looks hideous. Want to know how to remove the caulk and does it even need caulking since the backsplash was sealed underneath where it sits on the countertop - there are no gaps. The new bathroom sink was caulked with a clear silicon that doesn't show. Shouldn't the quartz seams look nearly invisible? The countertop has only been in a week. I don't want to scratch the quartz. What can I do to take off the caulk and remedy this?


texts:
[hope this isn't off topic for this board]

I'm doing a DIY electric board for my terrarium: in case something goes wrong at least the whole electric circuit won't switch off.

My current setup is a C10 breaker followed by a main on/off switch, and then an on/off switch for every power outlet. All switches have a light to show if it's on or off.

Red is "phase", Black is "phase" returning from switch, Blue neutral and green/yellow is earth. The light for switches have a black cable. (*) These are the French standards, and the board will be plugged in a French power outlet (230V AC, 50 Hz).

Question:
I think that a C10 breaker is too much. I'm thinking of putting either a C6 or a C2 breaker.
From where to where do I mesure the current total instensity when all appliances are on?

(*) Sorry for my lack of lingo, but google translate didn't help much.


texts: Wrap vertical wooden column with drywall

texts:
I want to wrap this vertical wooden beam with drywall so that it blends in with drywall near chilling area as you can see in picture.

I have done some drywall repairs in wall but haven't done something like this. I know that I just have to screw drywall pieces on all 4 sides and use joint compound followed by some sanding. But not sure how can I achieve straight 4 corner edges. any tips or links to online articles will be appreciated.


texts: Correct way to remove a red wire from a circuit

texts:
Reference: Can I convert a 3-way switch that switches half duplex outlets into an outlet?

My answer to the referenced question involves removing the red wire between two 3-way switches and converting the bundle to an always hot bundle.  Essentially making a 14-3 bundle do the job of a 14-2.

What is the proper way to deal with the extra wire?


texts: How do I attach gutters to a french drain, does the perforated pipe need to run entire distance?

texts:
We have an ongoing problem with water pooling in a pseudo gulley between my house and my neighbors house. We have water that drains from the backyards to this area, along with two gutter roof drainage pipes on each house draining to this little area. The distance from the top of the proposed drain pipe to the sidewalk is roughly 70 feet. The green dots on each house are the gutter points.

Every time we run the sprinkler system, or get a minute amount of rain, this area between the two homes turns into a lake. We cannot mow the yard for at least 3 days after because of the poor drainage and tearing up the grass. We want to route this water away and figured the best way to do so would be using a French drain system. The bulk of the collection/pooling area is in the box framed by the 4 green dots (the gutter spouts from the roofs of the homes). There really is not much of an issue with drainage in the area between the sidewalk and the front of the homes (the general area where the CATV box is).

When this lake system develops, our home (which is on a slab), starts getting moisture at the edges inside. In order to prevent mold, this really is a must-do.

I have the following layout of my house in my subdivision.

I am exploring the possibility of installing the prefabricated pipe with the styrofoam peanuts with the sock around it to basically do it all for me.

My main questions are:

If I were to run the pipe (the blue thing in the picture) the distance from the top edge of the houses to the sidewalk (~70ft), do I need to run this prefabricated stuff the whole way? This stuff runs like $45-50 per 10ft, so i would be looking at around 300-350 at least for just the pipe. Would it be possible to run it through the area that needs to have the water collected and then connect it to a standard pipe that runs the rest of the way to the sidewalk, where it can empty down to the storm drain?
I would [prefer] to have the gutter systems dump directly into the drain pipe. Is that doable? What would I need in order to do that?
I have heard of people using PVC pipe for this, is that really much better? I imagine the pipe inside is a lot smoother so it is easier for crud that builds up to get flushed out - but once again, not sure if the tradeoff is worth it.

I don't want to be a cheapskate on this, as i want to do it the right way. However, if I can save $200 by skipping running the prefab perforated tubing the entire run, I would like to!


texts: How to attach beadboard to plaster walls without blowing out nails?

texts: I am replacing old beadboard on our plaster walls. Around the windows there seems to be cement under the plaster. No matter if I use a nail gun, panel screws, nothing will penetrate the cement. The nails bend and blowout and the screws just won't penetrate. What are the best options to attach the beadboard to the plaster along the windows? I am not having this issue other places.


texts: Polesaw: electric v. gas? battery v. corded?

texts:
The Home Depot site indicates there are two classes of pole saws:

1) Electric powered
2) Gas powered

Within electric, there is battery-powered vs corded.  This is light duty (palm trees) and small (3/4 inch) branches.  This will be for home use and NOT professional use.

Electric powered devices seem more cost effective and corded devices are simpler.  The maintenance fellow will operate the device.  What other considerations should drive the decision making between electric vs gas  and corded vs batter?

If you have purchased and used a polesaw please indicate this in your response and any lessons learned.


texts:
One small section of our roof's parapet looks like this. We will be installing one 3/8" x 3" havy-duty concrete screw anchor in that area.

The ideal solution is to remove and replace with new concrete. But we can't do that at the moment, so we need to find another way.

That piece of concrete is not loose, but I think it's not strong enough to withstand drilling and screwing in one of these huge screws.

So my question is: is there a product that I can use/pour that will reinforce that piece of concrete to withstand drilling and installing a 3/8" x 3" anchor?

Thanks.


texts: Home Security Camera that is easy to turn off

texts:
I live in an apartment and want to install security cameras. However, I want the cameras to be activated (ON) only when no one is at the home (or when I want it to be ON). I do not want it to monitor (and possibly broadcast) me.

I am sure this is a feature lot of other people would be interested in and the cameras might be providing this. I just do not know what to search for? Or what is this feature called?


texts: Is there HVAC system to maintain air temperature, humidity and carbon dioxide level in the house?

texts:
I'm looking for a HVAC system or device which can maintain predefined air temperature, humidity and CO2 level in the house. It would be nice if such a system can be upgraded to scale it for more rooms/zones with independent sensors in each zone. Both commercially available systems and custom projects are considered.

UPD: Some clarification is really needed:

I want such a system for a normal residental house.
Humidity control is important during winter, usually it is hard to get 20% in-door humidity without extra device.
High concentration of CO2 level is not really healthy for people, and I'd like to keep it lower than that. The idea is increase ventilation flowrate when CO2 level rises.


texts: What's the recommended order for completing these bathroom remodel tasks?

texts:
I realize that this question is similar to What is the order of tasks when refitting a bathroom? but since I have some different projects, I thought it would be appropriate to ask in a separate question.

I'm getting ready to remodel a bathroom and it'll involve a few sub-projects:

installing subfloor
installing tile
installing bathroom fan/light/vent (for the first time - which will require roof vent)
replacing drywall on walls (possibly on ceiling too)
replacing vanity and sink fixtures
replacing toilet
replacing bathtub
replacing lighting fixtures
painting

My original plan was to demolish everything... then start on the subfloor... and then work on electrical while the walls are open. I don't know where things like painting fall in though... because I don't want to paint walls too early but it might be difficult to paint around fixtures once they're in.


texts: So I bought a roll of the ditra membrane to lay ceramic tile over. I rolled it out and I am about 2 feet short of reaching the back wall with it. the area that it is not covering will be mostly covered by the vanity so I'm not too worried about that but will this affect how my tile sits if it goes from membrane down to concrete? The stuff is so thin I wasn't sure if it will make a difference. I really don't want to pick up another $100 roll for 6 square feet.


texts: Can someone verify my wiring for Trane XE90 with Aprilair 600

texts:
I received my unit this morning and there was a diagram that says its better to wire the humidifier to the EAC, this way I run run the humidifier without running heat, which makes sense. Unit also came with a 24 VAC Transformer.

Given the diagram above, am I wiring this correctly?

And am I wiring the transformer to humidistat correctly?


texts: Commercial pest control vs. DIY chemical solutions

texts:
I can see plenty of pest-specific topics on here, including an at-home solution. However, my question relates to general pest control, and when to know to call in the big guns.

I maintain rental properties which currently have a pest control schedule. Due to pricing discounts, I also group my own home into this as well. None of the homes seem to have a real infestation issue; all are mostly preventative.

Are the chemicals used in most pest control available over the counter? Are there any good resources for mixing your own? The only resources I know of is big box home stores, and their options can seem limiting at times (Or at least brand-name expensive).

If I were to start to do this for the majority of pest control options; I'd save a lot of money, but was unsure if chemical potency could be matched.


texts:
I am wondering which heat lamps work with what bulbs. In particular

If I have a heat lamp with a rated wattage of x, can I use it with a
heat lamp bulb with a rated wattage significantly less than x (and
if so, will it waste a lot of energy or stress the bulb a lot)?
If I have a heat lamp with a rated wattage of x, can I use it with a heat lamp bulb with a rated wattage significantly greater
than x (and if so, will it waste a lot of energy or stress the bulb a lot)?
If I have a "normal" lamp or wall fixture with a rated wattage of x, can I use it with a heat lamp bulb with a rated wattage of x (and
what would be the side effects)?
If I have a "ceramic heat emitter" like this, can I use it in a heat lamp? A normal lamp? What's the difference between these
ceramic ones and more "normal" ones like this?


texts: What type of screws and anchors are used for concrete?

texts:
I have cinder block walls along one side of the garage and hang a lot of 'tool storage' hangers and such. Often what I buy comes with screws and anchors so I use that but I have some hangers I just got for hanging lawn equipment that did not.

I already know a different type of drill bit is used for concrete, and I have those. However if I need to buy some screws and anchors for concrete, and wondered are they different than ones used for drywall? For example if I go to the hardware store and get one of those '150 piece' screw + anchor variety set, are they OK to use in concrete or are there any differences for screws and anchors used in concrete?


texts: Mold in my bathroom is spraying bleach and painting over with Kilz enough?

texts:
I live in an apartment and I noticed what I believe to be mold growing on my bathroom ceiling. I have a daughter with asthma and I now know it's the cause of her constant coughing since we moved here. The maintenance guys came in said they fixed the leak from upstairs, treated the wall/ceiling, painted over with Kilz, and stated nothing further was needed.

Am I wrong in feeling like this didn't solve the issue? I went myself and bought a moisture tester at Lowes to monitor the leak from an overflowing toilet from upstairs. This was two weeks prior to seeing the mold, because they shrugged it off as no big deal. I'm seeing mixed answers here on what to clean with and I was told the black mold is the worst and can cause a lot of respiratory issues. The way I see it it's in the drywall and if it's black it's been there awhile we've lived here for just at a month. To me they are not solving the issue only painting over it just to cover it. Help this single mom of 3 to know what's best for her 3 kids, one with asthma that can't stop coughing.


texts: Adapt a 3prong dryer outlet for other use

texts:
First post here, I have a practical understanding of basic electronics, but my problem is way out of my depths.

I come from the UK, just moved to Ecuador, and with me I brought a coffee machine (220-240v, 50/60Hz). Knowing it’s possible to have 240v installed in houses over here, we figured it was a good idea. That’s for the future...

Currently staying on my wife’s mother’s house whilst we house hunt. Discovered a 3-prong 250v dryer outlet in the kitchen, so decided to try and make coffee machine work here...

The UK plug is standard type G (earth/ground, neutral and live). Is there any way of fashioning some form of rewiring solution without getting into changing the mains wiring, to make this work?

I’m aware that the three prongs carry two hot wires, and the UK plug only one - any way around this? Similarly, the three prong doesn’t have a dedicated ground, but the coffee machine requires it. Any way around that?

Thanks in advance for help/advice!


texts: How to visualize air circulation between rooms?

texts:
My house  gets very hot on some days. I don't have a central AC system, and cannot install it because the house is a rental. I have to make do with various floor fans and portable AC units. There are several doors to the backyard with shady, cool spots. However because the layout is a bit complicated, I am having trouble about the optimal arrangement of my fans (and what additional fans to budget for).
I have some ideas about how I would like the air to move, but I need to have a way to see how it is actually moving so I can optimize my fan placement. What is a low cost way of measuring this?

Searching online has turned up many guides about measuring airflow through ducts of a centralized AC system. If only I had that problem! :)
Simply trying one fan setup and seeing what parts get cooler is not precise enough. There's not enough temperature differential across my house for me to feel it precisely, it would take too long and besides the temperature is not stable over time.
I tried walking around with a strip of toilet paper, but it doesn't have enough precision for a good measurement.
I could throw some kind of confetti in the air, which would solve my problem, but my wife would kill me when she sees the mess.
I have a room scenter that vaporizes an oil/water mixture. It looks like thick white smoke coming out of the machine, and goes about 1-3 ft before dissipating. In theory I could try to turn it on and carry it around, but it seems a bit of a hassle. Didn't work -- the smoke it makes is too faint and too turbulent.
I could purchase some kind of anemometer. However my fans are cheap and it's not like I have high winds blowing through my house either way, so I don't know if I will have trouble finding a sensitive enough anemometer that is not very expensive.
I could purchase a pressure meter, but I suspect that the pressure differential will be too small for a cheap one to work.
I could purchase a smoke machine, which apparently start at $30. Then try putting it in different rooms. Among other things though, would this trigger the fire alarm or stain the walls in any way?

Surely this must be a common enough problem, that there is some standard method or technique to see where the air is going?


texts:
I have a covered electrical box high up on my wall in my kitchen. I removed the cover and it’s telephone lines spliced together.  There’s no telephone jack just the splice.

I know you cannot bury normal house electrical wires behind drywall per code, But does that apply to phone wires too?   I’d like to just cover it up with drywall.


texts:
My heater stops pushing hot water through the heating loop. The symptoms can be addressed by bleeding the system which always produces a lot of air coming out. The heating works for about 24 hours until air block is developed again. The heater pushes water from a basement to 3rd floor. The pressure shows about 24psi.

So far I've done:

replaced air vent assembly and installed two additional small
Caleffi air vent on radiators upstairs.
replaced old 007-F5 circulation pump with a new one.

without any sign of improvement. I wonder if anyone could point me to the right direction.


texts:
Looks like WD-40 can be used for lubricating just about any metal parts.

Are there non-obvious cases where using WD-40 will be harmful to the stuff lubricated?


texts: Dryer Outlet Splitter - Buy or Make? 10-30

texts:
I need to splitter for my 10-30r dryer outlet. I use that for my planner, jointer, table, and dryer. I’m over having to unplug them and don’t want to wait much longer to have my dad wire in some 220s and a subpanel. Been waiting 1 year now. I will only use one device as a time as it's just me and my wife here.

I almost bought the first one shown on amazon for $70 but feel I can make one. However, I’m kind of lost how the two boxes are connected to the single plug. Any tips would be helpful.

Anyone have tips on wiring the two 10-30 females with the single male plug similar to either photo? I've wired a VFD and other things but haven't 'tied' two outlet together like this before. I think I can make this for like $30 as I have spare 10awg wire. Plus I can make it this weekend and not wait a week for something to be shipped.

I'm finding out but don't quote me, the dryer 3 prong uses a neutral BUT the 3 prong for my tools is like a grounded and not neutral. I've been plugging and unplugging them without issues.

Would an issue arise if/when the dryer and a tool are plugged in together? Wouldnt that only be an issue if they are used at the same time? That wont happen because it's a 30amp breaker and I can't run two tools or the dryer and tool at the same time.


texts: How can I protect wood and preserve its natural beauty?

texts:
I've had to repair a split in our dining table and, as part of that, decided to sand it all down to refinish.

I'm not entirely sure of the species. It's a hardwood, and I'm guessing tropical. It has a slight pinkish hue to it.

It was originally stained dark and, while it looked nice, we actually really like the look of the bare, non-glossy, much lighter wood now that we've sanded it.

As such, I'd like to finish it in a way that doesn't alter the color much. Would simply be applying polyurethane be enough? Are there any oils that wouldn't alter the color much and be considered food safe that you'd recommend?


texts: The interior of my stone basement foundation wall has been mortared it is starting to sand off. What is the best way to seal it off so I can paint it again? The home was built in the 20's and has no water problems.


texts: How to identify make/model of a wardrobe?

texts:
We moved into a new flat which was sold to us with some wardrobes. We thought: "Cool! Less furniture to buy." After some time, we realised we wanted an extra shelf here, an extra hanger there, etc. Sound simple: Just go to the local furniture shop (e.g., IKEA, Jysk, Mio, whatever) and buy the furniture component you need.

Soon we realised that furniture is like phone charger plugs: Even for a simple item like a shelf, there are endless variations of width, depth, side hole placement, which makes it impossible to mix furniture components, even coming from the same make, unless they are part of the exact same system.

We could just dump all wardrobes and start anew, but that would be super-wasteful.

Is there a way to identify what make/model a wardrobe is?


texts: How to install a wall-safe in a concrete wall?

texts:
Our walls are made of poured concrete.

If I wanted to install a wall-safe, what would be the most efficient way to do that?

When I added a vent to the bathroom I simply drilled a lot of holes next to each other in a circular shape with a long drill-bit. That and a hammer and I was done.

But for the size of a wall-safe, that will take me many man-years to do.

What tools or techniques do I need?

I do not want outsiders to install the safe; security by obscurity is a safety feature I hope to gain.


texts: Why is there whitish gunk in my fridge water even after changing the filter

texts: Why is there white filaments like in the water coming out of our fridge? We have changed the water filter 2 weeks ago, still no improvement.


texts: How can I isolate an indoor water pipe to prevent freezing?

texts:
In my basement I have a 1/2" copper water pipe that goes to an outdoor faucet for a garden hose/sprinkler. This line has its own shutoff, so during the winter it is turned off and emptied.

The problem is that about 15 feet from the exterior wall the pipe reaches a critical junction in the water lines. If it gets really cold outside, below 10F, the pipe will transmit the cold all the way to this junction and freeze it and then the water supply to the whole house is cut off. I have used heat tapes, propane torches etc to solve the problem when it crops up, which is once every 5 years or so.

However, what I would really like to do is install a passive (non-energy-using) solution to get rid of the problem permanently.

What I envision doing is installing some kind of thermal isolator in the line to the faucet. So, for example, if I replaced say a 12" length of the pipe with a PVC pipe it would probably solve the problem because the PVC will not conduct the cold nearly so well as the copper, so basically the PVC should "thermally isolate" the faucet. That's my theory at least. Another option would be to create a removable link or section in the pipe. The section would be removed/disconnected in the winter, then connected back up again in the spring.

Is there a way to do either of these things?


texts:
So after hosing down the bathroom, I started to hear some cracking. I looked at the tiles and they were bulging out from the center. I guess water got into the top and loosened the tiles.

I started to gently remove the very loose tiles by hand, so they wouldn't fall and break. The wall is concrete and the remaining adhesive is pretty rock hard. Not sure if I should remove it all and re tile or is this fixable?


texts: Do I install my green board before I install my shower pan?

texts: I have had to take my old corner unit shower out and about to install a bigger shower.  What I'm going back with is Cultured Marble.  This will be the pan and the walls.  I was told I needed to install the pan and prep the walls with the green board prior to them making and installing my walls.  My question is do I install the green board first or the shower pan?


texts: Replacing bathroom switch from single to double switch

texts: I tried to replace my bathroom switch so the light and the fan would run on a seperate switch.  One of the wires has 3 wires.  What do I do with the red one?


texts:
I’m adding a sub-panel to my house about 30 feet from the service panel.  There will be two 240 volt circuits in the sub-panel.  One will be a 240 v - 20 amp circuit and the other a 240v 30 amp circuit.  What size breaker should I use in the service panel to power the sub-panel?

The line running from the main service panel will be a #8/3 w/ground stranded.  At the subpanel one of the circuits will be powering an A/C unit with 240v which calls for a 20amp line.  That 20 amp line runs about 10' from the subpanel to the A/C unit and is a #10/2 w/ground solid.  The other circuit in the subpanel, will be running about 75' under the house to an outdoor sauna which requires a 240v 30amps.  That line is a #10/3 w/a ground solid.  I'm planning on splitting the line at the sauna to accommodate a 120volt for a light in the sauna.
Here is a picture of the service panel;

The red, black pair is currently powering the A/C.  They will be removed and replaced with the aforementioned 8/2 line to the subpanel.


texts: What could cause the water from melting snow off a roof to be yellow?

texts: I noticed today that there is a nice long yellow line of snow below my eaves.  It stretches for several yards, and seems to have been caused by the melt coming from our roof.  Aside from thousands of squirrels having urinated on my roof (doubtful) what could be causing it?


texts: How to make outbuilding remains look aesthetically pleasing

texts:
We had to knock our outbuilding down as the asbestos tiled roof had fallen in and was in a bad state of repair. We are unable to knock the wall down due to stability issues of the neighbouring structure. Any ideas on how we can make the remaining structure pleasing in our garden. Would love to remove the concrete base but afraid the vibrations will not do the wall any good?

Any ideas?

Before we knocked it down


texts: What does blinking LEDs mean for GE DFCI AFCI/GFCI Breaker

texts:
Breaker in question: http://www.geindustrial.com/products/circuit-breakers/dual-function-circuit-interrupter-dfci

When I press the test button both LEDs blink continuously (blinking does not stop) and the breaker does not trip.
The manual does not mention anything anything about continuous blinking LEDs and GE support has been no help.

If I unplug my PC and surge protector from the circuit the test button does function normally, however I'm not sure why those devices would cause the test function to stop working.


texts: What could cause my Craftsman push mower to die after running for a few minutes?

texts:
I received a Craftsman push mower (Model 917.377543) from my sister. She had left it outside all winter in the snow/rain.

I have got to the point where the mower will run for 15-20 minutes initially before dying (it runs good when it does). After that, I have to let it sit for 5-10 minutes before it will start again, and it will only last 5-10 minutes, and eventually will stop starting.

Heres a list of things that I have done (the mower wouldn't start at all at first)

Replaced the air filter
Removed old gas & oil and replaced
Took the carb apart (the bottom tin can part) and cleaned with carb cleaner. This is what got the mower running in the first place.
Replaced rotted gasket in the carb
Mixed some cleaner into the gas to help clean the engine out as well
WD-40'd necessary spots

Is there anything else I can try to get this thing running? I am about to just go buy a new mower, but I am no mechanic so there may be something else little I can try out.

The only other part visible on the mower that may be the culprit is this black tube that i believe is hooked up to the oil tank, and it runs near the carb, it is rotted at the end and it seems air may be able to get in. Looking at the engine parts here, it may be the 'breather tube' (part #12). Would this make sense with what is happening (shutting off after some use)

Another thing I notice when it shuts off, is that if I remove the oil cap white smoke comes out. Is this normal?

(I can try to get some pics of the tube that is rotted when I go home)


texts: How are attached buildings air sealed together?

texts:
I am a condo owner in a building that is structurally independent but abuts directly against another building. As a result the 2 buildings move somewhat as they settle or have changes in temperature.
Unfortunately there is also a gap on one side of the building.
This is the exterior of the building:

I also took photos from within the back wall of my apartment:

How can I seal this gap? Should I use something like butyl flashing tape to seal our building to theirs and then replace the wood trim back over it? Or should I just spray foam it and hope that the buildings don't move too much?


texts: What could be causing a dripping sound inside the wall?

texts: We have the problem with the dripping sound. Whenever we turn on the hot or cold water on in bathroom on the first or second floor, we can hear the dripping sound behind the wall. Usually lasts 5 min after we turn off the water. We checked all walls. Couldn't find anything. Not sure if should we spend money for plumbing inspection. What could the reason be for this dripping sound?


texts: standalone pump options for leaky below-grade room

texts:
A friend of mine runs a martial arts studio where his concrete-floored office in the back is slightly below grade and floods every time it rains.

I assume that a proper solution would presumably involve re-leveling the floor to slope towards a central point, and then placing a drain at that low point. But the chance of this happening is zero-- it's a rental space and very low-budget and the landlord is not going to do anything. So it's up to my friend to figure out a solution. Today the solution is mop and bucket. Not good.

Are there standalone pumps that can be left on the floor that will suck up standing water?  I assume a big difference between a standalone pump and a "drop in a hole" sump pump is that the standalone one has to be heavy enough on the bottom so that it won't tip over easily.

There's not that much water-- probably 10 gallons/hr in the heaviest storms, much less under normal conditions.

It doesn't need to be perfect, just needs to prevent flooding so he can get through a 90-minute class without mop duty.

Got ideas?


texts: How to open the lid of this toilet water tank?

texts:
Water is contantly leaking so I want to open the lid of the tank and fix the leak. However, I can't open up the lid! Any ideas?

Picture 1: The water tank from above. The two buttons lifted out from their places.

Picture 2: The lid pushed up as high as possible. A vertical plastic cylinder seems to be under the buttons.

Update after the comment of Wayfaring Stranger.
Picture 3: the lid lifted up as much as possible and slid aside as much as possible. The plastic structure under the buttons keeps the lid near its central position.

Update after the answer from Michael Karas.
Sqeezing in a compact camera on the left then on the right (at the cost of some crepitating noise) I managed to make Picture 4 and 5 of the inside.


texts:
I live in a home built in the late 60s. The old set up for the washer was draining into a utility sink (1 1/2 trap that connects to a 2in main) I wanted to move the washing machine to the other side of the wall and remove the utility sink by including standpipe. So far, I connect a 2 in stand pipe, with a 2in trap. When the washer drains, is backing up into the utility sink. Is there any way to fix this mess I created (I don’t mind starting over) or should I just move the sink and have the washer drain into the sink (like before)?
Thanks for the help!


texts: Momentary switch - press once needs to give 5 seconds of power

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Electronics is not my forte, so bear with me on the nomenclature.
Backstory
We have an old house and my wife bought me some old butler bells to get going as our door bell.

I found a motor which turns a handle to throw the bell left and right and when it's on, it needs to be on for a few seconds for the momentum to build up and ring properly.
Now, I can have a door bell button and if I hold it on for 4-5 seconds, the bell rings nicely. However, I have this old door bell puller.  I have a momentary switch installed at the back of it so, at rest, the switch is pressed and no power flows (momentary off??).  When you pull the handle, the switch is open and power flows while you pull it. This works, but I've found most people when they pull it, they just let it go.  So I want to do something that allows power to flow for a minimum of 5 seconds, whether I pull it once and let it go or for longer. Obviously if I pull and hold for 10 seconds, it should ring for 10 seconds.
Question
What can I add to a momentary off switch, to allow it to run for a minimum of 5 seconds on one press/release?
Thank you.
Update from the comments.  This is all about 12v from a normal doorbell transformer.


texts: How can I remove or cover thick, crackled paint on drywall?

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The guest bathroom in the apartment I recently rented has what appears to be a custom paint job that originally I thought was wall paper. The paint is in vertical stripes, with half the stripes consisting of a very thick application of paint that has a crackled appearance I assume is deliberate.
I have approval from the management company to repaint, but this doesn't seem like the type of treatment that I can just prime and cover up. How do I repaint this bathroom?
Because I rent, replacing the drywall isn't a DIY option. I can certainly request this from the owner, but I don't expect to get very far.


texts: Looking for a large pull-down hinge mechanism

texts:
I have a large skylight, and currently have a shelf installed in it for indoor seed-starting. I would like to turn it into a pull-down shelf. I have found a clever design for hinges that might work, but none of the products I've seen are large enough for my use case.

Does anyone know of a product like this one that is larger - preferably with a 2-foot extension, rather than 9inches? My intention would be to use it upside-down, and push the shelf up into the skylight. amazon product link

I could probably buy the hydraulic pistons separately, but I don't have access to metal fabrication tools. Do you have any other ideas for how a DIYer could build these kind of hinges themselves with standard tools?
Do you have an idea for a different design that could also work?


texts: I have the pictured "knob" beside my gas fireplace. Can anybody tell me what its purpose is? I also have an on/off switch beside the fireplace. I'm guessing this is for the gas. Is there any harm in turning the switch off while the fireplace is on to test my theory?


texts: Thicker epoxy rather than grinding concrete substrate to achieve smoothness

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I am covering my basement apartment's concrete floors with epoxy. The concrete is very well done (self done, been several years, no cracks, reinforced, 2-3" thick).

In order to test the epoxy, I designated my washer/dryer bay as a trial area because it is really the only part of the floor that will be covered, IOW low consequence for messing up. During the extensive conversations with a relatively helpful associate from the epoxy company, I was told that prepping/cleaning concrete is critical to the outcome. There are essentially two (as it turns out, not mutually exclusive) techniques to prepping the substrate: mechanical (grinding with a diamond blade) and chemical (muriatic acid OR a less invasive/hazardous etching solution). I opted for the concrete etch, to avoid the dust of grinding and the toxicity of acid.

So I first scrubbed the concrete really well with a rub brick and then treated it with the etch. The results were good and the removal of concrete cream (the objective of the etch) was successful. That, however, made the substrate rougher as it exposed the concrete gravel parts by removing what was in between. The epoxy company people told me that was a good thing because the epoxy needs roughness to catch on. Essentially, the substrate after the prep had the texture of laminated grains of rice.

The epoxy application, excluding the prep, consists of three layers: water based primer, solids (mid coat, the 'meat' of it all), and urethane top coat for gloss and texture. When I applied the solids in the trial area, using a 3/8" nap roller, the 'laminated grains of rice' texture remained but to a lesser degree. I understand that in a final implementation, a flooring squeegee should be used to accurately distribute a proper amount of epoxy but I didn't have a squeegee so I just used a roller. I do plan to get a squeegee for doing the final job. In order to see the difference between a thicker and thinner layer of the solids epoxy, I then applied a second coat with the roller on just one half of the trial area, so that I have something to compare it to. The results were better (less rough with the 2nd coat) but still not perfect.

When I discussed the results with the epoxy company guy, he said that I was getting such results because I didn't grind the concrete. I told him I was under the impression the whole time that etching was alternative to grinding, which I was trying to avoid by all means.

Questions:

Is it possible that I was not simply getting the epoxy level above the tips of the tips of gravel particles because the 3/8" roller wasn't applying enough epoxy? Would I be getting thicker coverage if I had used a squeegee?
The product documentation mentions a (nominal) thickeness of 3 mil. Let's say I need a little more than that to "drown" my roughness. What size squeegee notch should I use? (e.g. I think they come in 1/8 and 1/4").
MOST IMPORTANTLY: Is it "drowning" the roughness with more epoxy a feasible strategy to achieve smoothness, IOW a viable alternative to the hellishly messy job of grinding concrete? I don't mind buying more epoxy to avoid grinding.

I did get some answers from the company guy but I am reaching out to get some second opinions.


texts: Why is double plate necessary in this case?

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I'm creating a 10'8" opening to my kitchen.
The architect proposed a double top plate with king stud, jack stud and (3) 2x12 header but would not explain why. The existing framing does not have the plate, it's just a 2x6 that sits inside a notch on the column.
What's purposed of having double plate and king stud when you can just have an LVL beam header with post that carries the load to the foundation wall?


texts: Electrical Code for wiring multiple outlets

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Is there a code that states whether a pigtail is required for each outlet or if the second screw on each outlet can be used to continue current to the next outlet in the series?  Since the only connection is that thin metal clip I was wondering if that is considered a proper connection versus wiring a pigtail into the connection for each outlet so that all wires are interconnected at each box.

For what it's worth...if pig tailing, are Wago or similar push in connectors allowed or must it be an actual wirenut?


texts:
I recently had the old windows on my house replaced. The old windows had cranks to open and close the windows that looked similar to this:

The new windows do not have a crank and now I have a spot (or two depending on the window) where the crank used to be that is missing paint. It looks like this:

What's a good way to paint these patches? The paint is latex and I have a sprayer. Ideally I'd like to only paint the missing spot and not the entire windowsill but I'd rather have to look good than go quickly.


texts: Can a mini-widespread 3-hole sink faucet with 4-inch spread be replaced by centerset or widespread?

texts:
We have bathroom sink faucets where the centers of the hot and cold handles are 4 inches apart, which means it is a mini widespread faucet. They need to be replaced. There are fewer good choices for affordable mini widespread faucets, so can they be replaced alternatively by a regular widespread or a centerset faucet instead? Centersets are made with both handles and the spout all mounted on the same flat bottom metal piece, and the sink the holes are cut into is slightly curved (see photo), however we do have another similar sink which does have a centerset faucet working fine.
Alternatively we may be interested in a widespread fixture. They typically say to use them for a range of 6 to 12 inches (sometimes explicitly saying not to use it for a 4-inch spread). But would it still work? The sink is over a cabinet, and the hoses are typically flexible, so I don't know what the reason would be that it couldn't work, but I'd like to check before ending up with an unusable faucet.
I found that according to a post on Faucet Shower Guide:

[Y]ou can replace a centerset faucet with widespread faucet. If you have proper space in the bathroom sink then do three holes for the widespread faucet and now you can easily replace the faucet. At the time of replacement measure faucet size, it is 4-inch or 8-inch. Replace it with the same so you don’t need to do any extra work for installation.

However I was confused by that and am not sure what it's saying.


texts: How to change old electrical box with conduits

texts:
I am working on removing an old wall electrical box, as it is too small for a dimmer, and replace it with a new bigger blue colour box. Is it a good idea?
I checked that wires in the old box come through the conduit and I would need to remove the connector.
I think removing the connector would be fine but the I am worried about the conduit being so close to the new box and how wires would be entering the new plastic blue box?
Any thought on that?
Do I need to cut the conduit a little bit for a free movement of wires as well?
Thank you!


texts:
I need to connect my dishwasher to an electrical box in the wall under the sink but it is recessed so the cable must come out through the front plate and not side knockouts. Out of the same box will also be coming a similar cable but for the garbage disposal. The wall box is a regular metal handy box, 2.5x4 or something like that.

Is it okay to have two 14/2 NM cables coming out of the front plate of an electrical box and be basically exposed inside an enclosure (sink cabinet) on its way to the appliance? Should I get a coverplate that has two knockouts through which I would fit two NM cables fitted with clamp connectors?


texts: LED Flat panel wiring — Type NM/Romex or Lamp Cord

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I purchased several LED flat panel fixtures that came without wiring instructions.

I’m using suspension cable kits to hang the lamps from an open basement ceiling with fiberglass insulation and TJI-type joists.

The lamps have Junction Boxes (pictured) with what look like type NM (romex) inputs — to the LED driver — and tiny, maybe 18-20 gauge lines to the LEDs themselves.

The fixtures draw a rated 40 watts.  I have a junction box in the ceiling currently with a bare bulb fixture.

Is it necessary or required by NEC to use  type NM-B/Romex to wire these fixtures?  It doesn’t seem very useful to use solid NM rather than stranded lamp cord, since I’ve seen simple lamp cord  provide power safely to 150-watt floor lamp bulbs all my life.


texts: What's the best way to repair this hardwood floor damage? (Part 2)

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This project is quickly becoming a series on diy.SE. For more background, read the previous question.

Strip dimensions: 2.5" wide x 1/8" thick (cross section)
Videos I watched: here and here.

I'm trying to repair my water damaged hardwood floor. I've started removing the planks (which I will now begin calling "strips" because they are so thin, only 1/8" thick) individually using the hammer and chisel approach recommended in the answers to the first question.

The new information I have for this question is as follows.

The damage appears to go beyond and beneath the first layer of wood. (The planks are only about 1/8"). Should I just keep digging out strips going deeper and deeper into the floor until I get all the damaged ones out? I am concerned about how deep the water damage appears to go. It might go all the way to the bottom of the floor into crawl space. Should I just keep digging out planks/strips? Or should I stop at some point and just patch over it. Patching over the damage just seems wrong somehow. But if it goes all the way thru, it seems like the complexity of the repair might grow exponentially.

What new advice can you give?

Fig. 1. The work area and the tools I'm currently using. Hammer, chisel, safety glasses.

Fig 2. Cross section of a strip.

Fig 3. Another strip cross section.

Fig 4. Close up view of the work area. Notice the blue cord and the vinyl material coming out and up from the floor. Is this because I am getting close to the crawl space?

Fig 5. Another close up.

Fig 6. Another close up.

Fig 7. Another close up.


texts: What Solutions are Available for Marble Floor Etching / Corrosion

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Below is a picture of what some of the tiles that have corroded over the past 25 years of use, look like in the our house.

I read this QA post, however, am not comfortable with the solutions provided, it would be expensive & they would have to remove each slap (they are big stones placed on the floor), resurface then put back in. Is there such a thing as marble filler or even transparent fillers which can fill these
corrosions?


texts: What's the safest way to do electrical when forced to stand in water?

texts: I'm working under a house and it isn't an option for a few reasons (time, equipment, etc) to drain the small 'pool' under it. Are rubber boots and gloves enough or is there other things I can do for safety?


texts:
I installed these bases about 3 months ago, but as you can see from the pictures, the screws and washers already have rust spots. A few of the bases have rust spots also.

What can I do to reduce rust? I can't remove the bases. Maybe some coating?


texts: Is there a good rule of thumb for how many lights you need in a room?

texts: I want to use ceiling recessed wall washers in a 13 ft by 24 ft room. Any advice on light spacing so I don't create dark spots? How far from the wall vs how far apart from each other should they be?


texts: Washer stand pipe and floor drain question

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I imagine this is a common setup. My questions concern how the standpipe and the floor drain are trapped and connected to the sewer line. Can I know with any certain how these are connected under the slab?
I can see that the current standpipe empties into the floor drain just under slab.  I suspect that the floor drain trap acts as the trap for standpipe and the standpipe does not have a trap.
I am moving the washer and dryer upstairs and the horizontal pipe emptying into the stack will be rerouted. It currently is used for a toilet. I was originally planning on using this horizontal run to empty the new standpipe into the stack but I am wondering if that will prevent the floor drain trap from being primed with water. Instead, can I run the new stand pipe line into the old one? If so, do I still need a trap at the new laundry room above floor level?  If there is a trap under the current standpipe, I would think that two traps in the line would not work.


texts:
I'd like to obtain a smooth, seamless, a bit shiny, white floor in an apartment. Something similar to this:

How can I achieve this? I was thinking about epoxy flooring. Is that the correct route to take in an apartment, or is there something else I should consider?

I would like to avoid applied sheets such as linoleum if possible.


texts: Can 18/2 CL2 barostat cable be used for speakers?

texts:
We're wiring our kitchen for a stereo speaker system.  There was only enough 18 gauge speaker wire for one speaker, so the electricians used 18/2 barostat wire for the other.  The speaker cable seems to have a thicker wrapping than the barostat cable, but both are 18 gauge and have 2 conductors.  Is it ok to use this?  Experiments show that a coat hanger sounds as good as fancy speaker cable, so maybe this doesn't matter at all.

If they are the same, what makes barostat wire different than speaker wire?  Coloring of the jacket?  Thickness of the wrapping?  Marketing?


texts: Can the dishwasher inlet on the tailpipe be lower than the drain's exit in the wall?

texts:
I'm installing a new dishwasher and there is very little vertical space between the bottom of the sink and the drain exit through the wall. I need to squeeze in a dishwasher tailpipe, but as things are I think that needs to happen with the inlet (facing camera in below photo) below the drain exit.
Ignoring the obvious gap in pipe, is this an acceptable setup assuming I include either a very high-loop for the dishwasher tube or an airgap? Or do I have to move the exit pipe down in order to prevent backflow into the dishwasher, even if the tube/gap is above it?


texts: Does tar roof patch on EDPM rubber roof cause damage?

texts:
I applied Henry 208 roof patch on my EDPM rubber roof. It looks fine and seems to be holding up, however I'm concerned that it may react with the EDPM chemicals. I have heard this can happen with certain materials, and I'm wondering if I should cut out the patches I did (1x1 foot or so...8 of them...), or if I will be fine with these patches.
Thanks for any advice!


texts: shop vac operation - is the filter required if you bag?

texts:
I just watched this video... and have a question as a result

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brJ7CQgQs4U

Based on what you see in the video, no matter the type of debris you vacuum -- isn't the filter basically useless if you always use a bag?


texts: What type of lattice should I use for a privacy screen?

texts:
I'm building a privacy screen for a terrace. I'm using 3/4 mahogany for the frame. I've made grooves (dado cuts?) in which I am going  to place the lattice. The depth of the grooves is about a half an inch. The question-- what lattice to use? It was suggested that I use cedar lattice. Does that sound like a good choice? Also, are there standard openings for this lattice? I recall seeing openings of around 2.5" x 2.5". Is that the standard?

I'm making several panels. Each are 16" thick. I would like the lattice to be sturdy. I'm going to use some screws to screw the lattice into the frame.

So my basic question I guess-- Is what type of lattice would you recommend? I've also seen spruce-- not sure how this stacks up against cedar.


texts: Hot water tank issue (rust or other buildup?)

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I recently noticed the water coming out of my hot water has taken on an orange/dirty colour so decided to do some maintenance on the hot water tank. Below is what I’ve tried so far over the span of 2 weeks, the water has kept the same discolouration - some improvement but not clear like when I compare to water out of my cold water tap. It’s certainly not as bad as when is started but still there. I’m at a loss as to what to try next, do I have any other options or is next step to replace the tank?? Thanks!

I flushed the tank two weekends in a row now trying to get the water coming out to be as clear as possible. Tank continues to have small particulate flowing out when I flush but nothing I would consider excessive (probably rust as it was attracted to a magnet when I ran one through the water)

I replaced the anode with a new one, the previous anode was completely gone to the core (probably never replaced before). Water tank is 7 years old and I live in a very hard water area + have a water softener. I’m suspecting the tank has probably started rusting inside but not sure how bad.

There are no leaks or dripping water around the tank that I can tell.

As a last ditch effort I bought an endoscopic camera to see what’s going on in the tank itself. Below are the best pictures I could produce given the conditions (fed through the hot water inlet when tank was empty)

first 2 pictures are where tank walls meets bottom - you can see sediment that looks like small rust particles, second picture is of the wall, there’s lots of buildup like this at the top of the tank? Is this rust or something else and is this what’s causing my water discolouration? Anything to be done?


texts: I do not have a main breaker in my breaker box

texts: My house was built in the late 1970's.  The breaker box does not have a main breaker but it does have a double throw with two 60 amp breakers which kills power to everything in the house except for the electric stovetop.  The stove top is controlled by a double throw with two 30 amp breakers.  It this normal or do I have a problem?


texts:
I want to move my router from my office to the hall, directly through the drywall on both sides, and then run the router power cable (low-voltage because it is post-transformer) and two Cat6 cables (one to cable modem and one to switch) straight through the pair of holes. I'd like some sort of plug or bushing (PVC?) to be put into the holes in the drywall so it doesn't just look like a hole in the drywall. It would need to be 3/4" outside diameter. Any ideas?

Happy holidays,
Lud Nom


texts: Do brass ball valves have to be oriented with the flow of water?

texts:
I bought this brass ball valve from Home Depot and installed it in the orientation of what I would consider "backwards". I'm not sure if it actually matters and before I close up the wall I would like to make sure orientation isn't an issue with these.

My use of the term "backwards" in this case is when the handle points against the flow of water in the open state.

Model: NSF61-8?


texts: How can I prevent water pooling on a windowsill from getting behind wall tiles in a shower?

texts:
I have a windowsill in a shower which had regular 6" ceramic wall tiles over drywall.

Some water had obviously pooled on this, got under the joint at the lip of the tiles and rotted the drywall. So I removed the drywall, left it to dry for a month and now I have to repair it.

I have some waterproof, for bathrooms, grout some special bathroom grade drywall and the same tiles.
Is there anything else I can do to prevent it happening again?


texts: Adding lights to a 3-way switched circuit

texts:
I currently have a circuit that goes like this:

Panel -> 3-Way switch -> 3-Way switch -> light

I have the wiring run through 2 additional boxes between the switches and I'd like to add lights in there to be controlled by both switches so that it looks like this:

Panel -> 3-Way -> Light -> Light -> 3-Way -> Light

I've got 12/3 running between the switches and the existing light, but I'm not sure if it's possible to add the lights in the middle, and if so, how to wire them in.

I can, if necessary, add 14/2 from the 3-Way -> light end of the chain, but, of course, would prefer to use my brilliantly planned ahead wiring (from 25 years ago).

I can add in a drawing of the exact wiring connections if that will be necessary.


texts: How do I prepare this exterior concrete wall for paint?

texts:
I have a an exterior concrete wall that had some loose paint and started scraping away. The paint in some sections was so loose that I went all the way to the bare concrete, peeling away over 6 layers of paint. I'm worried that If I paint the wall, it will still show the deep areas.

What should I do to cover this properly and what paint should I use?
Should I use some heavy primer coats on the bare concrete areas first then paint as normal or just use paint with included primer and paint it?

This is a portion of the exterior wall scraped to the bare cement.

More Pics


texts:
I need to waterproof my bathroom wall

The tiles only go half way up and when taking a shower -
There’s usually quite a lot of splash back

I was wondering if I could just put stick back plastic on the surface closest to the shower head ?

If your from the uk it’s the type of stuff you were made to put on your work books


texts: How to wire a 3 way switch that was a light fan and now only a light. Way to many may wires in one box, not sure how to connect

texts: I know how to wire a normal 3 way switch but this one has be baffled.  One of the boxes is basic red/black/white but the other one has TWO red/black/white wires coming in and a black/white wire coming in the bottom.  I assume the black/white bottom wires are the source and that I should connect that black to the dark screw.  I have not idea how to connect the remaining combination of wires.  Do I piggy back?  Help?


texts: Which is better - epoxy or polyurethane to fix the hairline cracks on the basement wall that is leaking? Thank you for your help in advance.


texts: How to fix a vanity mold built up as a result of valve leak?

texts: I noticed a valve leak too late and now part of the vanity has built up some mold. I would like to avoid replacing the entire thing obviously. So I would like to understand how (un)safe it is to keep it as is or is there a way to somehow fix it without replacing the vanity.


texts:
I need to run a gas (LP) line from outside the house to a cooktop in the kitchen. Here's what I think I need to do:

drill a hole in the exterior wall and the header (from the attic) of the same wall
connect a 90° joint to Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing (CSST), drop it through the hole drilled in the header and fish it through the hole in the exterior wall
connect a short piece of black pipe to the elbow, and connect it to the regulator installed by the propane supplier
the other end of the CSST would run through the attic and down through another hole in the header of the kitchen wall
connect to cooktop (I will, of course, use the supplied conversion kit)

This is the plan I've assimilated from research, much of it conflicting. So I'm sure it needs some adjustments. Here are my questions:

from what I've read CSST is the way to go, but how do you protect it from fasteners going into the wall?
I assumed short legs of black pipe should be used at the ends, since it probably looks better coming out of the wall, unless...is there some kind of wall plate/jack that could be used?

Is this approach generally sound? Anything else I should consider?


texts: How Can I Make This Indirect Cove Lighting Look?

texts:
Just moved in to new house and would love some indirect cove lighting like this in the bedroom I'm decorating...but I'm not sure where to start. I want the box section to protrude around 1ft from the wall and be around 4" high. It can be L-Shaped, no need for top cover. Only needs to support weight of LED strip light and a few down lights.

Any advice on frame structure, timber size, general design greatly appreciated.


texts: We recently moved into a house that had chipping drywall in a doorway between the living room and kitchen. The chipping seems to be getting worse and now has brown spots in some spots. We live in a ranch style house with an unfinished attic. Any ideas what could be causing this? I wasn’t to  concerned until the brown spots showed up.


texts: Bathroom sink occassionally backs up into tub

texts:
My bathroom sink and tub are directly adjacent. The tub drain appears to connect to the sink drain line. Photos follow.

Under normal use, there is no problem and both the sink and tub seem to work normally. However, if the sink is allowed to drain from full (for example after shaving), water backs up into the tub.

This has occurred for as long as I have lived in this house, which is only for about the past 3 months.

I have read a number of posts indicating that backflow of this type could indicate a blockage in the line. But I thought a blockage would cause backflow all the time. So could it be a partial blockage? Or is it a problem with slope on the drain line? Inadequate venting?

The tub drains from a horizontal line, under the vanity. It then connects in with the sink drain.

Fixture Layout

Sink Drain

Tub Drain (under vanity, at tub end)


texts:
Any idea how I can fill a standard, airtight plastic storage box (45 litres) with Argon? The naive solution would probably to "pour" Argon into the box since it is heavier than air, but there must be a better way. Maybe punch two holes into the lid and place a valve in each one? If so, how would I install these valves without compromising the air-tightness of the box?

Any ideas are greatly appreciated. Also, please move my question to another board if this is not the right board; however, I couldn't find a better fit.

Edit: Follow-up-questions: IIRC winegrowers use candles to determine whether there is enough oxygen available to breathe in their cellars. What if I put an open box in a cellar deprived of oxygen, leave it there for a day and then put a lid on? Can I expect the box to be filled mostly with CO or CO2 or whatever is down there?

Edit 2: Consensus seems to favour the vacuum bag solution. Thank you for all the great answers so far!


texts: Is there a device that will allow a bathroom fan to run for 5 minutes after it is switched off?

texts:
There is one switch that controls the lights and fan in the bathroom.  Users turn the light/fan on when they enter, and off when they leave.

I'd like for the bathroom fan to run for a time after they leave, after turning off the lights.

Is there a device, some sort of delay relay perhaps, that would help me do this without altering user behavior?


texts: Anchor drywall edge to ceiling next to a wall running along joist?

texts:
I am working on a wall that will separate the main basement area from the storage area (with a door). This new wall will run along the above floor joist which removes the possibility for drywall anchors. I cannot add blocking there either because it is covered for an air return from the main floor.

The attached image shows a basic view of the proposed wall and where it would run along the joist.

Can I still put drywall up without anchoring this edge? Will the wall's future drywall butting up against the loose ceiling edge be sufficient to anchor it?


texts:
I have a few 3/8" double expansion concrete anchors and noticed that on one side it is threaded and on the other it is not.

Which side goes into the hole?


texts: Unable to properly wire timer to old light switch with one “white?” Wire on top and one looped black wire

texts:
Top wire is painted white. bottom wire is looped. Timer has screws for line, load, neutral and ground. What goes where?

I am getting power but only half the light output with one part of black loop in line and the other in load and the “White’ In neutral. I have tried every combination i think. This is in a 3 switch box and one black wire runs to the next Boxswitch. That light works!


texts: How do I fix stain after sanding drips in polyurethane?

texts: I applied the first coat of polyurethane after staining and the polyurethane ran. I sanded the runs and it is slightly lighter in color. Should I reapply stain at this point?


texts: Re pointing large patio slabs,sand &a cement mixture has not set at all in some parts,is this caused by not enough warter to the mixture

texts: I am re pointing between large patio blocks using a sand cement mixture with water.There are a few areas that have not set at all,and when scraped out are still a dry sand cement mix.Presumeably this is caused by not enough water to the mixture,if so what is the correct amount of water to add before the mixture becomes too weak?


texts: Is this large exhaust fan in bathroom installed right?

texts:
This window is right where the shower is. Can't have any fan but there. It opens upwards. Hired someone to install this fan but his idea was what you see in the picture. It's not sitting flush on the window and not connected to any outlet. Also the glass doesn't hold it.

What's the best way to getting that fan on the window if at all? I don't need a window that opens when I have a fan, just that the fan is stable.