texts: Can you insulate a brick veneer house by adding exterior layers of insulation?

texts:
In my neighborhood a guy is renovating his house and adding a floor to his bungalow. To my surprise this week all his walls are covered in some white sheets of something that seems to be insulation

Is this possible ? To add layers of insulation on top of something like brick?  (these are old houses, built into the 60s with a layer of brick outside, an air gap inside and then plywood and drywall (at least this I can remember, also there is probably some sheet that would prevent vapor or humidity circulation)


texts: Master bedroom switch must be on in order for spare bedroom lights to turn on

texts:
I just bought a house, had it inspected and everything but when I get Possesion I find the lights don't turn on in the spare room. I then find they do turn on but the master bedroom must be on at the same time.

Currently there is a black and red wire running to the switch in the MB with two white wires tied together seperately.

The spare room has one white and one black to the switch and that is all

Hopefully this is an easy fix as this is not something you want when you first move into a place..

Thanks a lot


texts: Does a General Electric washing machine have an automatic shut down function in cold environment?

texts:
I was using a General Electric washing machine when it suddenly stopped working.

I thought of everything and the most logical explanation was the factor of cold temperature, so I used a heater to blow hot air towards the washer. After a while it started working.

Does anyone know if a General Electric washing machine would have an automatic shut down function to shut the machine off in the event of the temperature being so low that water could freeze in the machine ?


texts: Are window air conditioner support brackets designed to support a window air conditioner by itself?

texts:
I have this air conditioner that is designed to be used with vertical sliding windows. The problem is that I have a horizontal sliding window. I understand that the air conditioner I have is designed to be held in place by the window sash holding the top of the unit. I have seen solutions such as this answer where a support frame is installed in lieu of the sash to hold the air conditioner in place. I am very inexperienced with carpentry so I was hoping there is another way to do this for my first project. My HOA requires that I install a air conditioner support bracket under the air conditioner. My question is: Can I install my air conditioner using ONLY the support bracket to hold it in place and keep it from falling?

The answer to this question seems to indicate that I can use only the support bracket to keep it in place. But it only has one up-vote and is not accepted so I wanted to make sure and get more concrete answers.

One of my concerns is that the support bracket that I bought seems to be too narrow compared to the air conditioner. The bracket is 5 inches wide and the air conditioner is 19 inches wide. It seems like the air conditioner could just tip over one side or the other. Also, the product summary for the bracket says that it transfers weight from the window sash for safety. But I'm not sure if that means that it works without a sash, or that it is supposed to complement the sash.

Here is the support bracket:

Here is the air conditioner:


texts: Why doesn't my door close properly after an earthquake?

texts:
After the earthquake I noticed our back door has gotten really hard to close. You have to slam it and give it a booty bump in order to get it shut. To open it, I have to use all my weight to yank it open. It's also the location I ran to when I started to feel the house shake. I basically stood in that door way wondering what was going on and if I should run back in the house to grab some valuables.

Originally we thought it was because of moisture, but we don't ever remember this happening before.

What are our options to fix this? Any and all suggestions are appreciated.


texts: What tools and techniques are available for sanding without machinery?

texts: I am planning on creating a table made out of recycled wood planks and I am wondering if it is too ambitious to hand sand the wood planks without the use of machinery.  I am on a budget and am wondering what types of tools would be best to hand sand wood?


texts: Baby proof 240V outlet(for air conditioning) in living room

texts:
I have a 240V outlet in living room. It is used for AC unit installed just above it. This outlet is very close to floor. Around 3 inches above floor. We have small baby in house and she has started crawling now. I need to baby proof this. I could not find any safety covers for 240V outlets anywhere. Amazon has many safety covers but all are for 120V standard two outlets. Here is the picture of this outlet and AC unit above it.

I cannot put anything in front of this as it would block AC. Any ideas on how I can block this part of wall from baby. Any idea is welcome.
Thanks, Sunil


texts: Acid Water Neutralizer - How To: AquaPure Neutralizer use and maintenance

texts:
I recently purchased a new home and it appears to have come equipped with an Aqua-Pure Acid Water Neutralizer system, model APUN100 (not APUN100-LW as that seems to be the only thing I can find searching Google and appears to possibly be a newer version?).

The previous owner did not leave behind any literature regarding this system and I'm not familiar with the usage, maintenance, or even truly the purpose.

I'm looking for some information on how to actually make use of this system; do I need to fill it with something like you would a Water Softener system? Does this do the same thing as a Water Softener system? Is there specific maintenance that I should be preforming regularly or is this more of a hands off system?

Our property does draw its water from a well, and I have noticed that the water appears to have a high iron content. I haven't officially tested this yet, but we did have to clean green stains out of all the bathroom fixtures, and when we boil water on the stove, there's a rusty brown ring left behind in the pots(it actually left a brown residue on a lot of our baby bottles when we tried to sterilize by boiling). The water appears clear from faucets but is a little cloudy(white) when filling bowls or pots. Would this Acid Water Neutralizer help reduce the iron content if I were able to get it operational again or should I be looking into something else entirely?


texts: What does it mean to drill holes "128mm on center"?

texts:
I am installing cabinets in our closet. As part of the installation, I need to install door handles. The instructions say to drill the holes 128mm on center. My question is, 128mm from what?

The relevant instructions are seen here:

Full instructions can be found in the EasyClosets instructions.


texts:
I am a total noob at woodworking. But I wanted to glue two pieces of pine wood together. After some research I realized that titebond (I,II, or III) might be what I want. I see here that the glues have an open time of 5 min or 10 min. From

What is open time, working time for adhesive?

it seems that open time is the amount of time that you need to wait before clamping the pieces of wood. So I would apply the glue to one (or both?) piece of wood, wait 5 (or 10) min, then make contact and clamp.

But from various Youtube videos it seems that the opentime is the same as working time. That is, the amount of time that it "allows" you do wait before clamping. (For example this video.)

At the end of the day, I would like to know how long I have to wait before making contact when using Titebond II.


texts: Trying to slowly replace all of the old switches in our 1980s home and having trouble getting the new Leviton switch to operate the ceiling fan and light.   The two switches operate a ceiling fan and the lights attached to fan.   I've attached a photo of old configuand 2 of the new config--box has 3 black wires and 1 red and of course a ground wire and white wire (never used) in box that are capped ...  tried a few different config with the wires with the new switch but it either turns the light on/no fan or turns the fan on and the hallway light ! Config help please? Thank you!


texts:
Have purchased an older home in Corinth, MS (No. Mississippi) and found that ALL the walls are T&G on the inside with shiplap on the exterior (the exterior has been resided with vinyl which will be replaced). Even the interior partitions are either T&G or wood boards (about 5" wide) including closets inside and out. The ceiling & floors are also all T&G and the roof is solid board as well.
The studs etc are full dimensional lumber and rough.

I can't seem to get info from the Tax man or County recorder etc.

Any idea on the age of this based on construction methods?

The plumbing has been redone some time ago, so no toilets etc to help ID age.
Zero insulation and wiring minimal and dangerous!

I plan on removing exterior Shiplap to wire and insulate in the spring and hopefully be able to save enough to at least utilize some for an accent section or something.

Any help/advice appreciated.


texts: There's a baseball sized hole in the aluminum siding on the back of my house left by the previous owners that's causing some water damage on the interior wall. The houses siding is old and beat up so I don't care about making this repair look good I just want to eliminate the elements, and birds, from getting inside it. Would it be sufficient to tape over it with some white gorilla tape (my house is white) or should I really be going a more legitimate route?


texts: Concrete Footing or Concrete Blocks For Footings

texts:
I'm thinking of building a new deck at my new home that I just moved into. It's going to be a two level one. The highest level will be about 3 feet high.

I'm not worried about code because its not enforced here but I do want to make things right rather then change or needing to upgrade it later.

My previous deck was code enforced and I had to make footing 48" below frost line I believe, fill it with concrete and put footing on it.

I've seen my neighbor have a much higher deck for his pool and he's using one of these on 2' x 2' sections of crushed rock / gravel.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_19070-1662-DEK-BLOCK+BRAND+PIER_0__?productId=3613302

I'm wondering if I can use those for the deck and attach my deck to the house using the ledger, vs going 48" down, concrete and ledger connect.

Suggestions are very welcome :)


texts: What are my options for refinishing these cabinets?

texts:
We have some old kitchen cabinets in poor shape.
I think they are stained wood, but I'm not certain.  I'm looking for an easy way to refinish these to make the kitchen look nicer.
Could they be cleaned and painted without being stripped to bare wood?


texts: My shower tile goes past the drywall on an outside corner

texts: The bullnose tile along the corner is just about flush with the drywall towards the floor but goes about a 1/2 inch past the drywall going up toward the ceiling.  I'm looking for the best way to fix this.


texts: Should I install an indoor or outdoor sump pump, or both?

texts: I have a full basement in a cold climate (North Dakota).   The previous owner had a raw hole broken out of the cement floor that must have served as an emergency sump pump hole.  We haven't had water in 8 years and did landscaping around the house to slope water away from house.  Due to Radon issues, we filled and sealed the hole and finished the installed a subfloor with Dry Core in the event of moisture in the basement.  This year we have a really high water table and water is in the basement - had to rip up carpet, etc.   Now I am wondering if I should break through the floor again to install a sump pump.  A contractor said he could do an outdoor sump pump for us, but I do not have an electrical source nearby, which will raise the costs and headache.  I am also uncertain if the cold climate will require me to remove the pump every year or what kind of hassles are associated with an outdoor sump pump.   What would you do?  Start over in the basement or put in an outdoor pump.  My Radon mitigation system is also a worry if we install a pump inside the house-- not sure how this will effect the deal.


texts: Why is one half of a subpanel not working?

texts: I have 12/3 wire running out to my garage. I have a double 20 amp breaker in main box and a subpanel with two single 20 amp breakers in the garage with black to one breaker and red to the other. The black works but the red keeps tripping. What  can I do?


texts: How can I repair a bump in a wooden desk?

texts:
I inserted a screw in the underside of my desk but it was a little bit too long.

Result: A small bump in the top side and flaws in lacquer.

Photo:

Who knows how to fix this?


texts:
I have a question similar to (Cutting ceiling joist for attic ladder install) but plan on making a typical access hatch out of drywall and trim. The question differs in other ways too.

This may involve cutting one of the joists (Not anywhere near the current access hatch)

Essentially, I want to move the current access hatch (Picture Viewed from the attic) to somewhere more accessible (My brother's closet is really messy and getting a ladder in there is almost impossible.)

A notable difference from the previous question is that the boards appear to be 2x6's.

The current door (By the builders) doesn't appear to have been "doubled up like how (https://diy.stackexchange.com/a/146229/47146) suggests it should have been.

Also, there are several long 2x6's (Seen at the bottom of the frame that I'm standing on running the length of the entire attic already that are nailed to the joists.

Is this ok to cut one joist in another region to make a similar access hatch provided that I frame and secure it in a similar manner to the current one?

In the case of the builders, they decided to cut a joist and make the hatch a horizontal rectangle. Is it common to cut parallel to the joists to avoid cutting one to make such an access hatch?


texts: Strange clicking noise related to water supply

texts: I have experienced a strange clicking noise coming from under my house. Not the banging noise I read about in other posts - this is not the sound of a pipe hitting a wall. It's very hard to trace as it lasts only 3 seconds or so most of the time. One time I got lucky and was under the house while it was still going. It sounded like it was coming from the water pressure regulator and indeed there was a difference in vibration of the pipe on one side of the regulator vs the other. I tested the pressure and sure enough - it was at 125, which meant the pressure regular was no longer regulating the pressure. So I had it replaced. I thought the problem was solved. It did make a difference - the noise is no longer loud enough to wake me - but it does continue to happen now and then, albeit at a lower volume. Any ideas what could be causing this and how it's related to the pressure regulator or water pressure in general? The new pressure regulator is working fine - I have it tuned to about 75.


texts:
I'm in WA state. PoCo is Mason PUD #1. AHJ is WA L&I. I recently had my first inspection after upgrading meter box from 200A service to 400A service. Only flunked for 7 things. One of them was "add guy kit on service mast". The roof is metal. Inspector said since the mast is more than 2' above the roof (I wanted separation between service wires and metal roof. It's probably 3-3 1/2') and is a 3" mast and will have heavy wires attached, it needs a guy wire (or wires?).
I'm picking up an MK-3 from Platt: https://www.platt.com/platt-electric-supply/Mast-Guying-Kits-w-Wire/Nichols/MK-3/product.aspx?zpid=43927. I suspect it won't come with directions. I'm wondering if someone can provide guidance on how to install it. E.g., how high up should the wires be attached to the mast? What directions should the wires head away from the mast? Is there a distance away from mast or angle down I should aim for when determining where the roof attachments go?
I've attached a picture of the mast. If it'll help, I can get a better shot next time I'm on site (if the rain lets me). The power pole is currently about 15' beyond the right end of the house and about 10' in front of the front of the roof line. With that said, though, I hesitate to add guy wires based on that. PoCo wants to upgrade service wires in the neighborhood. They may move the pole elsewhere. They may even go underground (in which case, at some point, this all becomes moot). But, I should probably add the guy wires that make sense now, and worry about the future when it happens.


texts:
I have a freestanding bathtub to be installed on a bathroom with concrete floor that will be tilled.

There were no instructions with the bathtub and the company doesn't really care (Brazil has terrible customer service for some stuff). The drain points straight down and is 40mm in diameter.

I can't use a 90° bend because that would press against the floor because the height will be greater than that of the feet.

I can try to drain directly below, but I'm not sure what is the best course of action. Have a standing pipe just a bit larger than the bathtub drain pipe for the bathtub drain to slide into? Making it some what hard fixed into the floor.

Have a shorter standing pipe (some 30 mm above the floor) the same diameter of the bathtub drain and use a rubber union to join then? More flexible, less chance of some breakage.

Have a dry floor drain (100mm diameter and some 50 mm deep) just below the bathtub drain and make it drain to the shower trap? Greater flexibility on positioning, but will it overflow?

What do you suggest in this scenario?


texts: My neighbor's house sits 20ft from mine.  Their furnace exhausts out the side of their house about 3 ft above the ground.  The exhaust is blowing onto the side of my house and into the attic vent.  Their furnace is a newly installed unit.  Is this dangerous or can it damage my house?


texts:
Novice here.
The fill valve was leaking and causing the water to coming very very slow. Like 45 minutes to fill up tank. I bought a fill valve top and replaced it. Let me add that I did turn water off at the supply valve but water was still trickling up the fill valve. Like the water was not completely shutting off.

After replacement I turned the water back on and the water would not stop coming in the tank. Even when the float lifted on the fill valve. I flushed and same thing. Turned water off again and water would very slowly start filling the tank.

EDIT:
From comments I will have to replace the Fill Valve. My concern is the supply valve not completely shutting the water off. This is a older house so it would have to be shut off at the main. I don't know how to do this.

If there is very little water coming out from the supply valve could I still install/hook up the Fill Valve?

Thank you.


texts:
I live in a condo and I have a vertical crack in my foundation in my basement. A company came out twice to prime flex seal the crack which lasted for a year. unfortunately with recent rain it appears that the crack is letting in water again at a higher point in the wall than it was originally letting in water. The condo management company contracted out this foundation company who said that they planned to put a cover over the crack to divert the water coming through the foundation into a drain which will lead to my sump pump system. I was wondering is this the best solution to this problem? I figure that over time with water getting in through the crack, it is only a matter of time before the water continues to freeze and thaw in this cold climate and thereby make the crack worse and redirecting the water coming in my basement is putting a band aid on the problem.

What would be the best solution for this problem? I'm interested in knowing so i could make a suggestion to my condo management company so this doesn't get worse over time.


texts:
Trying to use a second-hand oven (bought in France) but it has this strange plug I've never seen before:

The wall sockets in the kitchen are just the usual EU one:

I searched the hardware store for an adapter, but could only find the inverse direction.  And if I search for "four monophase adaptateur" ("four" is oven in French) then I also only see pictures of adapters going the other direction.

What is the plug?  Is there such thing as an adapter to convert to a normal socket, or some practical reason why this only possible in the inverse?

If there is no such adapter, what will be involved to get this oven working - will it be as simple as wiring up the correct socket into the wall, or there may be more involved?


texts: Why is there a 2" step down into my bathroom?

texts: Why is there a 2 inch step down into my 1931 bathroom?  The bathroom floor is 2 inches below the floor just outside the bathroom door.  It is the original floor in the bathroom as well as the floor outside the bathroom.


texts: Why are my brand new, daylight led bulbs flickering?

texts:
I love the (specifically daylight) led light bulbs; however I couldn't afford to purchase them for my entire house, all at once... So, I have been changing each one, as I can (or as the current bulb burns out).
I do not have even one dimmer switch, in my entire house
Until recently, I have never had a problem with any of these new bulbs.
It seems as though all of the bulbs I have used out of the most recent boxes purchased start flickering, a very brief time after "installing" them.
At first, I thought that maybe the box that I most recently purchased just happened to be a "bad batch", or something... However... It isn't just the one box. Or even two boxes, of the same, that could have possibly been part of the same batch from the factory.
It is happening with "flood light" type bulbs, for the can lights, throughout my house; as well as regular bulbs that I have replaced in ceiling fans, etc.
All of the other ones, previously put into my house, are still going strong. But, each and every new bulb I put in, starts to flicker (MAJORLY flicker). Sometimes within the same day of placing it in the socket.
What could be the reason for this?? It is A LOT of money, in light bulbs. Not to mention,  very frustrating.
Thank you, in advance, for any insight you can give me!!


texts: Does MA require permit to replace old K&T and if no how do I know if work is done to code?

texts: Is it required to pull a permit in MA to replace knob and tube wiring? If no, how can one determine if the work done adheres the the proper codes? Who should be sought after to confirm this if no permit was used to do the work? I'm assuming the town inspector would not inspect if there was no permit. That said, would the town inspector come and inspect work if asked, regardless of no permit? Town is Plymouth MA.


texts: Adding hot receptacle from current light switch power?

texts: My current situation is power comes into light switch and then to receptacle controlled by light switch. I need to add a hot receptacle. I assume I can pig tail the incoming power wires inside the light switch box and have one set lead to the light switch and the other to lead to the new hot receptacle. Is this correct thinking?


texts: What does "8(3)A" mean on a relay spec sheet?

texts: In the specs for this heating controller (http://www.ecr-nederland.nl/files/lae_bediening_ac1-2w_en_de.pdf) the relays have a capacity of 8(3)A (top-right). What does this mean? 8A/3A?


texts:
My old Sanyo SAP-KRV123EHA had a noisy ball bearing in the indoor fan unit. Since Sanyo is no longer making these units I tried replacing the fan bearing with ceramic ones. After assembling the motor, it can spin freely when no power is on, but a humming sequence can be heard when powered by the control PCB. And the motor seems to be braked to stand still. My guesses are:

I broke a wire to the hall sensor
the capacitor is fried, but it shouldn't get firmly stuck because of that?

Any other ideas? Before I start chasing a new motor.

Motor disassembled:


texts:
I have a cedar fence stained with ready seal, an oil based stain. The end posts go pretty close to the house as expected.

I am putting a shed up, to store flamables and such, and I have an electrical circuit for swimming pool attached to fence post.

In the event of something catching the fence on fire, id imagine itd work its way to the home and catch the house.

What can be used to retard the fire without ruining the looks of the fence? Like some sort of clear drying spray?

I was looking at this:

No-Burn Original Fire Retardant https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003M8G39E/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_FetuAbFQ70D2S

But looks like some people complain of white resdue showing up when dried.


texts: How to know if a basement is dry enough to finish

texts: I am looking to finish/remodel my below grade basement. I am worried about moisture issues. I have owned the house for 2 years and there is no evidence of standing water in the basement. The floor is currently covered with very old (maybe 40 years) vinyl tile. How do I know if it the basement is dry enough to be able to refinish?


texts: What could be causing an orange flame on all appliances?

texts:
I have an orange flame in all my gas appliances (gas furnace, gas water heater, and gas stove) and cannot seem to determine the cause.

Background

So far, I have had the gas company come out. I had an appliance tech look at our stove, and tomorrow, I am having a guy check it out on the furnace.

When the gas company (XCel energy) checked it out yesterday, they measured the pressure on with appliances running and without. In both situations things measured fine. Our meter was making some noise, so the gas company put in a new one. They also measured Carbon Monoxide (CO) levels and found nothing wrong throughout the house.

Today, I had an appliance tech come check it out. He checked our stove and he said everything checks out fine. He also checked CO levels throughout the house. In any case, his tests revealed no cause for the issue.

Tomorrow, I am having a furnace guy come in, this is the big one, because the orange flame seems to be causing the furnace to short cycle.

My hypothesis

My hunch is that something must be entering the line elsewhere. No gas inside the house makes me think the natural gas lines coming into the house have the problem. However, the gas company says everything is fine.

What I am looking for

Anyway, I am seeking direction on the course of action to take here. From my perspective, I cannot see how all three appliances would have issues that cause an orange flame at the same time. This seems very clear that something is going on with the gas lines, but I am at a loss of who to call to actually fix the core issue.


texts: How can I use a pre-installed A/C unit for heat?

texts:
I just bought a house with a relatively two-year old A/C unit (installed 2018) and a natural gas furnace connected to central air. I'm interested in using the A/C unit as to heat the air in lieu of natural gas, but there are a few questions I'm stuck on before I can proceed.

How can I know if it has a heat pump? (i.e., if the heat pump in the A/C unit can be reverse to heat the house?)
If it has a heat pump, what do I need to do other than hooking it up to the thermostat?
If it doesn't have a heat pump, can I make it into one with a retrofit?

I'm hoping for a generic answer to benefit the community, since specific versions of this question have already been asked. But if it helps, I live in Dallas, Texas.

A/C: American Standard 4A7A6048J1000AA
Furnace: American Standard AUD1C080A9H41BC
Coil: 4TXCC009DS3HCAA
Thermostat: Nest (formerly an ACONT624AS42DA)

Update: I hope I didn't leave the impression that I'm set on using a heat pump instead of a furnace. Naturally, the question that goes side-by-side with this is, how can I project the relative costs of using the A/C as a heat pump versus a natural gas furnace. I figured that question would be more appropriate for a different thread.


texts:
We have central air in our house and with summer quickly approaching I am looking to address how hot our bedroom gets even with the AC running.

We keep our bedroom door closed and I am guessing that since there is no air return to the unit (air return for the whole house is located in the hallway off the living room) that this could be the issue.

Am I on the right track? If so, how best to try and address this other than sleeping with the bedroom door open?


texts: Can I use a CFL or LED bulb with a higher lumen output as long as I stay under the maximum wattage listed on the fixture?

texts: I have a light fixture that lists the maximum bulb wattage as 60W. Right now, I have a standard incandescent bulb in place. Since there is only one light in the room, a single bulb is not bright enough.  Can I safely switch to CFLs or LEDs with a greater Lumen output than the standard 60 incandescent as long as I don't go over the 60W draw?


texts: Is it safe to use screws in subfloor-to-joist connection to eliminate floor squeak

texts:
Getting ready to have some hardwood (12mm laminate, technically) installed in our dining room, and in preparation for this, I bought some 1.25" stainless steel screws that I'll be putting down through the 3/4" sub-floor to eliminate (hopefully) any squeaking.

Are these screws acceptable for this type of use?


texts: How to determine if drill is suitable for concrete?

texts: I've seen two drills - one 600W the other 700W. Both 0-3000 rpm. But for 600W some guy said it can't make it with concrete, while for 700W reviews say that it does it. Both are hammer drills. I'm not mentioning models as the site isn't about product recommendation and anyway I want to learn how to choose them.


texts: Can I raise an A/C Unit and platform up maybe 5 inches without disconnecting anything?

texts:
I know there is refrigerant in the a/c unit.  I know there is a copper wire connecting the unit to the house.  From what I am reading and from the videos I have watched, I can put a 4 by 4 under the concrete pad the ac unit currently sits on.   I can then work gravel under the concrete pad too.  I have a bunch of  gravel to go into this part of the side of the house to level it out so that it is as high as the concrete near it.
Sounds good?  Anybody recommend I NEED to have an AC expert out for this?


texts: How to wire three-way switches to light fixture with a fan?

texts:
I have a light fixture with a fan, and two switchboxes with space for two three-way switches each.

I would like each switch box to have two switches, one which operates the fan and the other which operates the light.   How can I wire this correctly so that two switches from different boxes operate the light, and the other two switches in different boxes operate the fan?


texts: What is a good adjustable ring hook for attaching resistance bands?

texts: I would like to have an adjustable ring on the wall for attaching ropes and other things. My gym has such a thing, but I can't find it online and could really use some help. Below is an image of the ring hook and it has a switch that allows you to hook it into some kind of wall mount structure. Any ideas?


texts: Do I need to sand oil-based lacquer before painting?

texts: Getting ready to paint fireplace surround, which currently has oil-based lacquer that turned yellow.  Do I need to sand it before applying latex paint, or can I use a brand name cleaning product to dull the finish before painting?  Also, if I dull the finish do I also need to prime it?


texts: How do I mount TV through 3 layers of drywall and into studs?

texts:
I have a 65lb 46" LCD television and a Sanus "flush" style wall mount. The mount instructions suggest that it shouldn't be mounted anywhere where there is more than the thickness of a single sheet of drywall between the mount and the stud.

However, the wall I want to put my TV on has three sheets of drywall (don't ask). I'm wondering of the instructions for the mount are just overprotective and I'll be ok as long as I just get longer screws.

I read another answer where someone claimed they had a 50" TV mount just in drywall, no studs!

The other option I considered (although am loathe to attempt) is to cut away the extra drywall, attach some more wood onto the stud (enough to make up why width of the drywall I removed) and attach the mount to that.

What would you do?


texts: Is there a way to prevent mildew/mold from forming on vinyl siding?

texts:
The back side of my garage is shadowed by branches from neighbors trees, which causes mold/mildew to grow on the vinyl siding.  Since removing the trees/branches is out of the question, is there some type of product that can be applied to the siding to prevent this growth?

Currently I power wash the siding once a year, but the chore has lost it's fun factor so I'd like to avoid doing it. Even if the product/procedure could reduce my maintenance to every other year or every few years, that would be a significant gain in my book.


texts: We have a 30in wide single door closet that we want to convert to sliding 60in closet, there is plenty of space to do this but how?

texts: We have a closet that has a single 30in hinged door that we want to open up and install a 60in wide sliding 2 panel door.  We have plenty of width and depth to remove the old door and open the wall to accommodate but how do I go about framing in the new open for the wider door frame?


texts: Circuit Breakers on and outlets not working

texts: I have multiple outlets and lights in different rooms not working and the circuit breakers have not popped. Also, the boiler circuit breaker has not popped and it is not working either. I have tested all the outlets and circuit breakers and GFCI's and the circuit breakers are showing only one light on my tester.


texts: How would one install a wall-mounted toilet when the original is on a concrete slab?

texts:
1973 framed townhome.  I can do whatever I want to the slab, which is 4" thick.  The current drain for the toilet is standard, but it travels through a 4" slab.
The wall behind the toilet(s) are 1/2" drywall with 2x3 studs @ 16" on center and the space between the drywall on either side of the wall is about 12" (room for dryer vent).
So, I have enough depth for a wall-mounted toilet.
What I don't have is a wide enough stud, so I imagine I would need to re-frame a section of the wall to widen it.
2nd, and more costly is going to be moving the drain for the toilet.
Since it runs through a slab, I foresee that I would need to bust through the slab far enough to be able to re-fit the drain such that it's centered on the wall plate below the new toilet tank.
Have I missed anything?


texts: Do I need the "flow control" component on my furnace

texts:
Context:
My furnace supplies tank-less domestic hot water to my small house. The cold water pipe going into the furnace has a "flow control" component that limits the flow to 3gpm. I understand that higher flow rates could result in my domestic hot water not being fully heated before it gets to a faucet because it went through the furnace too quickly.

Problem:
This "Flow Control" component has failed (from age), and only allows a small trickle of water though. (I am certain it is this component because I have way to vent water from either side of it.)

Question:
Since water flow is limited by my faucets and shower anyways, can I just remove the component instead of replacing it.


texts: Remove and re-insert female threaded insert?

texts: I have a metal rod with these threaded female connectors on each side. I'm hoping to cut the rod down a bit to shorten it but still keep the female connector on the side i cut. Is there a way to remove and reinsert this? I'm not sure how it's attached - I got it off amazon as a camera arm.


texts: How cut 4" wide, 2" deep hole in concrete floor

texts:
I'm looking for advice on how to efficiently cut a rough hole about 4" diameter and 2" deep in a concrete floor.  My tools are: a new 4.5" angle grinder with a diamond-cup grinding wheel and a diamond blade; a corded hammer drill with 1" masonry bit; an 8 lb. sledge hammer; cold chisels; and miscellaneous others.  I can buy additional tools if there's a good reason, but they wouldn't get much use beyond this one task.

Background: I'm shaving down some high spots on a concrete floor, as preparation to pouring self-leveling cement. I'm experimenting with using my self-leveling laser to continuously illuminate those high spots, so I know where to shave and when I can stop.  Unfortunately my laser device emits its horizontal beam several inches above the bottom of the device, so even placing the device at the lowest spot of the floor causes the beam to run about 1.5" above the desired elevation.

As a workaround to the beam-elevation issue, I'm experimenting with creating a hole in the existing concrete that's wide and deep enough to hold the laser device and for its laser to run along the desired elevation. (I'll either let the self-leveling cement fill these holes, or maybe pre-fill them with something like Quikrete.)

I've successfully done this in one part of the basement, using just the angle grinder and diamond cup. (This was my first time using an angle grinder.) It took about one hour to make a suitable hole, but once I had the hole the technique of using the laser continuously worked great.

Then... I tried to make my second hole more quickly / efficiently.  I first tried using my hammer drill and 1" masonry bit, but that was pretty slow-going, perhaps because the bit diameter was ambitious for that drill.  So I switched to my first angle-grinder and diamond cup. I tried to be more aggressive by pressing down harder, and by coming in at an angle (as though I was cutting rather than grinding).  Unfortunately I asked too much of the angle grinder, and about 10 minutes into this approach it emitted the smoke-puff-of-death from its vent.

I made sure my replacement angle grinder has a beefier motor (11 vs. 7.5 amp), and now I know better about how to avoid cooking an angle grinder.  But this could potentially add time to the task of creating these holes in the floor, since I may need occasional breaks to let the motor cool.


texts: I need to upsize a short 1/2" run to 3/4" (it splits from the main line using a tee). This is about 4-5ft long and goes into an appliance directly. Would it be OK to remove just the pipe and keep the 1/2" tee? I'm thinking not, since the restriction is still there, but not sure if flow would be actually noticeably impacted. Any suggestions?


texts: Why is my Bosch drill working intermittently?

texts: My cordless Bosch drill/driver will only work the first time the switch is pressed after attaching the battery. As soon as I release the pressure, it won’t work again until I remove the battery and replace it. Then, once again, it only works the first time the switch is pressed, and then... Nothing. Highly infuriating! It’s exactly the same with different batteries, so I don’t think it’s a battery problem. The problem is the same in forward and reverse, and in drill and screwdriver functions. Please can anyone help diagnose the fault? I’d be really grateful! Thank you.


texts:
I need some advice. My shower stall in my house has a crack in the base. I'm worried about the potential water damage below the unit. I've tried sealing it with Real Seal, but it wears away after a couple of days/weeks. I visited Home Depot today and the guy there recommended Homax Tub and Sink Refinishing Kit. But that looked like it was for porcelain and not whatever my shower is made of. Beyond that, he said the only thing left is to replace the shower which would be at least $400 plus labor.

My next step is to call out somebody for an estimate of some sort. But I thought I'd ask here for any recommendations first. Does anybody have any advise before I drop over $1000 on this? I have to imagine that this is a common problem so surely there is a simple solution.


texts:
I have a linear high bay that is 240 watts putting out about 27,000 lumens, we have added a bi-level sensor to the fixture and what's happening is that when the fixture times out the fixture goes off except for about 6" of one board, after about 6 seconds the fixture does go completely off.
The other thing we have noticed is that in one application we had a ghosting issue the fixture's went to about 10%  and did not shut off at all.
HELP !!


texts: Tongue & groove, solid hardwood flooring by Bruce. Glued down to concrete slab as suggested by Home Depot. One large area of floor now buckling, with several other hollow sounding areas. How can this be repaired?


texts: Three-way switches to control top outlet of multiple receptacles

texts:
I am in the process of renovating the livingroom in my 1930's era house which only has two non-switched outlets in one 12x12 room. I would like some receptacles to have one switched and one non-switched outlet so I can plug a lamp into the bottom outlet controlled from the wall.

My plan is to run 14/3 to each of these boxes with the Black wire as Hot and the Red wire as switched using two three-way switches and connecting the red as a switched wire through a junction box.

On the input-side switch box, I will run a 14/2 romex from the breaker (via junction box) and then use a 14/3 as a traveler to the outside switch box. 14/2 Black wire to common and black/red of the 14/3 for travelers. White wires I will connect together with a nut. Ground wires I will connect together with a nut.

On the output-side switch box, I will run that 14/3 with the travelers and a 14/2 romex to a junction box. Red/black of the 14/3 to the traveler screws. Black of the 14/2 to common. White wires I will connect together with a nut. Ground wires I will connect together with a nut.

At the junction box I will connect a 14/2 romex back to the same junction box that goes back to the breaker panel, the 14/2 romex from the output-side switch, and a 14/3 romex that will go to my outlet receptacles. The black from the 14/2 feed line I will connect to the black of the 14/3. The black from the 14/2 output-side switch box I will connect to the red of the 14/3. White wires I will connect together with a nut. Ground wires I will connect together with a nut.

I believe this circuit will work, but is my use of a junction box to connect switched and non-switched feeds to one 14/3 up to code? Or do I need to rethink my solution / give up and use one switch?


texts:
NOTE: As someone gently told me, it's not neon tubes but fluorescent ones. So I let your replace it while reading it.
I have a setup with two neons, in « U » shape, controlled by a ballast that has... failed or something. Now, both neon flicks and, kind of a black oil sort of thing sunk from the ballast.

So I went to the store with a picture of the setup

and he gave me the ballast
.
I'm not quite sure on how to connect existing fixture to new electronic ballast. As once I'll remove old ballast, fixture still have 1 yellow, 1 white and 1 black plus 2 reds and 2 blues wires. And, the electronic balast, 1 black, 1 white, 2 blues and 1 red wires.
What is the good setup?
I kind of feel like if it's not the good ballast for my installation.


texts:
I have a Moen single handle shower control with push in diverter.
I replaced  the cartridge less than 2 yrs ago.
Sometimes I have   to  pull the diverter out by hand due to it sticking.
All of a sudden the water continues to run out of the spout when the handle is turned off.
Do I need to remove diverter also.


texts: Can a conical form for pouring shorter concrete footers be used for fence posts?

texts:
The frost line is 1.2m deep in my area. That seems like a lot of concrete to pour for a fence post.

I'm wondering if a better way is to make a shorter footer following the suggestion that's used in wooden posts shown below, but with concrete footers:

Digging a hole like this seems tricky, so a concrete form seems like a better way. I found a patent for this kind of forms, but don't know where they can be purchased.

So, my questions:

Would a shallower conical post resolve the issue of frost heaving?
If so, how shallow? Wind load is a factor, so assuming a 2m high privacy fence, perhaps all of this is moot.
Where can one buy conical forms?


texts: Testing 3-wire receptacles indicates no ground even though 12/2 w/ground wire is connected

texts:
I have an interesting question. I have a hundred-year-old house with electrical panel updated a few years ago by a professional electrician. I went around last week with a circuit tester just to make sure all the outlets were wired correctly. The former homeowner had added several outlets herself and some had reversed polarity, mixed-up ground/hot etc., which I was able to fix pretty easily.

However, most of the outlets are showing no ground. I opened the service panel and it is 60A service, Square D breakers, and two neutral bus bars. I'm not sure if one is a ground bus and one a neutral though. I assume they go to the same place anyway, since this is the only service panel (no sub-boxes).

The wires going into the buses are both neutral and ground.

So, assuming the neutral and ground bus bars are bonded (so, electrically the same), would this fact cause the tester to show no ground to a receptacle?

What I mean is, if a box had separate neutral bus and ground bus, would the tester show a good ground, whereas a shared bus would show open ground?

If the shared buses are not the issue, What other ideas do you have which may be causing the open ground reading?

Thank you.


texts: How can I remove pencil marks from a painted wall ...?

texts:
... without damaging the wall.  My first inclination was to just use an eraser but I imagine this would remove much of the paint.

If this is the only way..., how do I repair the eraser mark?

Here is a pic of the pencil marks on a wall painted off white which obviously has some texture to it.


texts: How to cleanly remove, and reuse, an area of plasterboard (drywall)

texts:
Has anyone been able to cleanly remove, and then reuse in its original area, a piece of plasterboard (or 'drywall')?
My plan is to remove an area of plasterboard in my walk-in-wardrobe, which is the same wall that is behind my bathroom sink, in order to check if pipes are unloose. [The house was built in 2008, in Melbourne, Australia. This would be a non-load bearing, timber-framed wall.]. I would like to reuse and put back as much of the housing matter as possible

Firstly, I guess I have to remove the skirting board (or 'base board'). I thought this answer on the forum was pretty good at explaining how to do this. However, my problem here is that the ends of the skirting board inside my walk-in-wardrobe are cut diagonally (Please find a photo of the area attached) This means that the adjoining skirting board, at 90 degrees to it, would prevent me from pulling this out horizontally. Additionally, it would be hard to pull it out vertically, because it would have been nailed in. I guess I would have to make a cut in my skirting board towards the ends, so that I can pull it out horizontally?

Secondly, I would like to only remove as much plasterboard as needed for the job. The actual water outlets for the bathroom sink are only about 650mm (~2.13 ft) off the floor (Please find a photo of the area attached). As such, I don't think we need to remove plasterboard from the whole 2.4 m (~7.87 ft) of wall? Given that my wall is 2.4 m high, I am guessing the builders used two pieces of 1.2 m plasterboard.
Would you recommend I try to find the middle section, where these two ends meet, and use this as the upper limit where I cut until? However, during construction, the wall's plasterboards would have been installed first, and then the timber floor boards. The timber floor boards are about 18mm (0.7 in) deep. As such, would this make it difficult to pull out the bottom bit of the plasterboard?

[A brief history:
There has been a ticking/tapping sound, behind my bathroom wall for the past two years, which has gotten louder over the years. It happens during and intermittently after I switch off the tap. My bedroom is behind the wall of my bathroom (the same wall that the sink is against). I can also hear the tapping sound when other taps are opened/closed around the house, for example, when a sink in the other bathroom is used or when the kitchen sink downstairs is used. The tapping occurs intermittently, for many minutes, after the last spigot in the house is closed. I usually can only have complete peace in the middle of the night, when no one has turned on a tap for a long time.
My bathroom is on the 2nd floor. This area is about the furthest in the house from the water mains. (I noticed the sound started shortly after doing some plumbing work where I had drained the pipes in the house. Unfortunately, not knowing at the time, instead of slowly turning the taps on starting from the closest to the water mains, the first tap I opened was my bathroom tap. There was that loud, water sputtering. I noticed the ticking sound started in my wall 2-3 weeks later.)
I had previously diagnosed the problem as air in the pipes. I have tried various, unintrusive, means of trying the get rid of the air, for example, draining the pipes and then slowly turning the taps back on starting from the closest to the water mains, all the way back to my bathroom. However, these have not worked to get rid of the noise. So I have concluded that the initial incident 2 years ago must have loosened some pipe fixture behind my bathroom sink.]


texts: What is the advantage of PEX pinch clamp vs. crimp rings?

texts:
I just saw these for the first time today at Lowe's:

The advantages I can see over the crimp style are:

A single tool can work with multiple PEX sizes
That single tool is cheaper than a single-size crimp tool (~$40 vs ~$80)
The tool grabs and pinches the raised segment of the clamp, so it doesn't need to wrap around the tube which should make it easier to use in confined spaces

Has anyone used this type of ring for PEX work and have any thoughts on them?


texts: 3-way light circuit controls another room, how can I disconnect it?

texts:
I have spent hours troubleshooting this wiring problem we have in our home and can't find anything wrong, but I am sure I am missing something.
We recently discovered that the 3-way light switch for our basement lights is somehow connected to the wall receptacles and ceiling light in the first floor dining room.  Shut off either 3-way basement light switch and it shuts off the power and lights for the dining room. We only recently discovered this glitch, but think it's been a problem since before we bought the house a few years ago and we never noticed it because 1) we almost always have the basement lights on and 2) we never use the room at night and only have ever used AC in there periodically for a laptop, which has a working battery.
The feed power for the basement light service comes in at the upper basement light switch. From there it uses a 3-way wire going to a junction box in the basement where it connects to the lower basement 3-way wire and the receiving loop for the basement lights. The lower basement light switch has only the 3-way wire incoming; I could identify the wire all the way through and could see no intercepts on the path.
I have traced most of the upper 3-way switch wire until it disappears into the ceiling directly beneath the upper stairway 3-way switch. I have no reason to believe it's intercepted in the wall, but I suppose it could be.
If I disconnect either side (black or white) of the basement light loop in the junction box, only those lights go out while the dining room stays on (when switched on via either basement light switch).
A strange thing happens when I bypass half of the lower 3-way switch circuit by connecting the black wire from the upper 3-way to the black wire of the basement light loop, but keep the red wire connected through to the lower 3-way switch: the basement lights go on in the up position, but in the down position, the dining room circuit comes on! This is with no black or white wire connected to the lower 3-way switch circuit. If I disconnect the red wires in the junction box, completely disconnecting the lower 3-way wire and switch, the dining circuit then turns off.
How can this be?
If I disconnect the white (rail) passthrough at the upper switch, the basement lights go off, but the dining circuit stays on. This is how the entire circuit should behave when switched. But I don't understand why disconnecting white wire from the main feed for the basement circuit still allows the dining circuit to stay on.
I decided something is up with the upper 3-way wire that seems to be coming directly from the upper 3-way switch, so I disconnected all leads in the junction box and took a live power reading with the upper switch in the off position:
red - white - 120 VAC,
red - black - 35 VAC,
black - white - 78 VAC
I don't understand why I am seeing any voltage on the red-black or black-white loops, esp. when one of them should just be off/open. I am completely baffled how an upstairs circuit could be interrupted without intercepting the basement light circuit somehow.
FTR, I have inspected wiring in four of the the six most likely dining room wall receptacles to see if I can find an obvious merge or intercept, but didn't find any. Using an AC circuit tester on all the upstairs outlets shows proper wiring, no ground shorts or anything. All the wiring here is very tidy, for the most part.
If anyone knows why this might be happening, or other things to test to come to a solution, I would love to figure this out and get the dining room circuit off of our basement light circuit!
Upstairs 3-way, where power feed comes in:

junction box where 3-way lines are merged with basement light loop:

no point in posting downstairs switch, it's just a single 3-way red, white, black wire connected to the 3 poles on the switch.
Updated also to state I traced the basement lights loop: it's singular; there are no taps off of it.


texts: Is the light quality of halogen/LED low-voltage recessed light actually better than an equivalent line voltage light?

texts:
When it comes to deciding whether to go with low voltage or line voltage, a number of sites are in essence saying: your initial installation cost for low voltage will be higher, but you'll get a nicer light. (Other benefits, like lower consumption, are often mentioned, but now I'll leave those aside.)

The claims of nicer light seem fairly vague to me, and I am wondering if they are applicable to halogen MR16 and LED MR16 bulbs. Specifically:

Should I expect a nicer light from a halogen MR16 bulb low voltage than its equivalent line voltage?
Should I expect a nicer light from an LED MR16 bulb low voltage than its equivalent line voltage?


texts: General procedure for replacing load-bearing wall with truss on top

texts:
What is a general procedure for replacement of an external load bearing wall wherin the wall is bearing the load of the upstairs floor joists, but also has roof trusts which land directly onto the wall.

I would assume the geral procedure if the trusses weren't there would be to build a temporary wall to support the floor joists and then do the work. However, in this case the trusses also need suppported. The trusses are not anchored in any way to the joists and in most cases there is even an inch or a few inches of seperation from where the joists sit and where the trusses land on the bearing wall.


texts: Is there an easy way to re-attach the end part of a bathroom pull light switch?

texts: In my bathroom, I have a light switch; pulling the string that is attached either turns the light on or off respectively. When doing this yesterday, the very end of the pull switch came off - the string is still attached and works without issue, but the very end part (the bit that people usually use to turn the light on/off without pulling the string directly) detached itself. Is there an easy way of either re-attaching the original, or will a new end part need to be purchased?


texts: Why do decks and porches have cracks between the boards?

texts:
Is there a functional reason, like helping with rainfall or snow, or is it more of a cost issue?

Are there decks that are solid pieces of bonded wood?


texts:
Something is leaving scars in my drywall and deposits on the outside that I presume to be wood. These deposits are flat, stick out from the wall, an inch or more square, with a gap between the top and bottom layers.

The 1st picture is of a groove about 4 inches long in the drywall.

2nd is of the same area with some drywall removed (showing 1/4" gap between drywall and frame).

3rd photo is of one of the fan-like deposits that stuck out from the groove.

4th is a dead bug that i found nearby, may or may not be related to the damage.

I live in North Texas

Click for full size


texts: Duct work 'pushed' drywall from ceiling, can I jack it up?

texts:
Edited original question: Horizontal heating supply stack (4X15) runs between 2x8 joists under bathroom. The take off for the above bathroom register is located 4" from a rectangle to round connection (round to downstream register).
When installed, the 'rectangle to round' connection point sits below the plane of the ceiling - one corner is 3/8" lower than the joist. The original drywall was installed 'around' this. The ceiling was coming down. I removed a section of ceiling to see why. It showed no signs of having been wet. Just force over time - and the quarry blasting every day - pushed the drywall away.
I asked if it would be safe to jack the duct work up - deform it without affecting anything else. Would the force of the jack cause the take off connection for the bathroom register to fail? The corner of the 'rectangle to round' connection would need to be moved up 1/2".
If the take off to the bathroom register failed, I'd have to remove a recently tiled floor.


texts:
I plan to build a raised planter from 2 courses of concrete blocks. The long dimension is about 9 meters. I staked the corners, and then stretched a string the entire length as taut as I could without pulling up the stakes. The string is horizontal according to the bubble of a line level hanging from any point along the string. How much sag should I assume is in the string compared with e.g. a laser line?

I was hoping to get a practical answer instead of an academic exercise, but assume the modulus of elasticity for cotton is 7.9 GPa, assume the string cross-sectional area is 1E-6 m^2, and assume tension is 80 N.


texts: Bermuda grass is invading my Kentucky Blue? Any solutions that don't involve Roundup?

texts: I live in the mountain west, where my neighbor's lawn and the mountains nearby allow Bermuda grass to infiltrate my lawn. My neighbor says the only real solution is Roundup; but I'm sure that's not the case. What can I do to discourage growth of the one grass type while promoting growth of the other?


texts: Bathtub valve that changes flow to shower head leaks

texts: My bathtub has a pull up valve that’s supposed to channel the water from the bathtub faucet to the shower head but it leaks a lot of water out of the tub faucet when the shower is on. What’s wrong and how do I fix it?


texts: Is it possible that my coated gas pipes have developed multiple leaks?

texts: My plumber is telling me my gas black pipes all have to be replace cause there are multiple leaks. Home was build in 1920s. There's a coating around the pipes, so is it still possible to get pin holes? Is it harder to redope/tape the joints? Or is the plumber just a con?


texts: Trying to not use wood in basement walls

texts: I am doing a basement project and trying to keep wood/organic products out of the wall to prevent potential wood rot or mold. There are metal studs in place, but these are not good for mounting trim work or cabinets. I am curious if composite decking, mounted horizontally between the studs, would be effective as a way to mount cabinets and trim once the drywall has been installed?  Is there any better technique?


texts: How to remove plastic supply line to dishwasher?

texts:
I am trying to remove my current dishwasher and would like some advice on disconnecting the supply line.
The supply line to my dishwasher is connected to the shut-off valve with some sort of plastic coupler; the valve itself is connected similarly to the junction (picture below). I tried to undo the plastic coupler with a pair of pliers and it would not budge; I have avoided prying or cutting the coupler to avoid damage to the threading.
What is the best way to undo this type coupler?
Is it possible to keep the valve where it is and connect a conventional stainless steel supply line directly to it for the new dishwasher?
Thanks for any advice out there.


texts: Adding an Outlet downstream from a switched outlet

texts:
I'm getting a gas insert installed into a formerly wood burning fireplace. The workmen intend to install an outlet to plug in a blower fan. The closest source of power is an exterior outlet in the driveway on the other side of the wall. That outlet is controlled by a switch inside, in another room. I know if they just tap off that outlet, the switch will control both the old and the new. I want the new fireplace outlet to be hot (no pun intended) all the time. I'm sure step one is to replace the 2 wire + ground from the switch to the existing outlet with a 3 wire + ground. Beyond that I could use some help. The power source hits the switch first.
Thanks in advance.


texts:
I just bought a house and this is my first experience with using a heat pump. I have put in several hours of research and understand how it works but I need someone that has experience to give me some insight on what the problems could be.

Issue is that the AC does not always work and when it does it is not very cold.

Here is what has been done:

AC Company has come out and determined that the dual run capacitor on the compressor is just out side of tolerance.
AC Company charged the system with 2 lb of R-22
Replaced electrical disconnect inside at the air handler
Replaced the thermostat with a nest thermostat

Details of issue:

Sometimes the whole system runs fine except the compressor does not turn on but the outdoor fan does. I have then turned the system on and off and the compressor starts working and the system cools fine. I have not been able to determine a pattern. There have been a few times that I think the compressor is running but the air is not very cold then there are times that the air is very cold. The AC company has been out 2 times and has not been able to figure out what is wrong.

FYI the issue occurred before and after the install of the nest.

I plan on replacing the capacitor my self tomorrow and taking a closer look at the contacts and circuitry.

System Details:

Heat pump model Goodman GSH130361CB
Air handler Trane TWE036p130B0

If anyone has any ideas please let me know.

Thanks


texts: What is the cause of this discoloration on stucco siding?

texts:
I was wondering what this greenish discoloration is on my stucco. I think it might be water related since there’s some wood rot I’ve felt under that area (a whole other can of worms, I know). I Was wondering if this could be related to the rot since I’ve noticed it on a few other places but not as dark as here.

Edit: more details: there are studs behind the stucco, They are soft enough for a flathead screw driver to penetrate a half inch through. The wall is hard to the touch mad doesn’t feel wet or spongy


texts: Do I need to remove peanut butter/oil stain from unfinished wood before staining?

texts: all:  We've installed hardwood stairs in our new home.  Before we've been able to get them stained and finished, my son left peanut butter hand prints on them.  There are now oil stains on some of the stairs.  We plan on staining the stairs a dark brown anyway; should I bother trying to remove the stains before finishing?  If so, what do you recommend?  I've read about various techniques from using mineral spirits to light sanding, and they all sound they'll make the stairs look worse.  Thanks much!


texts:
Picture shows corner of opening between kitchen (on left) and living room (on right). You can see that edge of laminate floor in living room doesn't go under base board(blue) but hidden by quarter round(red). I recently installed new floor (yellow) in kitchen area.

I am going to be installing new baseboard on top of kitchen floor, my question is, height of new  baseboard won't match with height of living room baseboard. Is that ok ? I am looking for suggestions.


texts:
I have never used an HVLP gun before and am trying to figure out what compressor I need. I will be spraying small, metallic parts. The paint I am using recommends an HVLP gun with a 0.8mm tip running at no more than 25 PSI.

What size of air compressor (in terms of gallons and horsepower) should I be considering for this type of project?


texts: Only cold water on my Bravo washing machine

texts: We have a top loading Bravo washing machine. When we start a load the water comes out very cold no matter what setting the machine is on. I have tried running a load on hot and still only get cold water. What would cause this?


texts: need help installing bathroom solid surface countertop that does not sit flush on vanity

texts:
I bought a new bathroom countertop that is a solid surface.  It's called a "stonetek solid surface".  The bottom surface of the vanity top has all sorts of groves in it.  So I don't know how to attach the top to the vanity because there is nothing to screw to, or put adhesive on.  Any help you can provide would be really appreciated!
Thanks, Jeannie


texts: What could cause my sink to drain slowly?

texts:
Sometimes our bathroom sink will drain so slowly (with the water running) that the water will fill it faster than it can drain.

However, after shutting the water off and letting it completely subside, it will typically drain properly the rest of the day and for the next several.

Then after a few days it will repeat its previous behavior.

Running Drano through the pipes has not seemed to have made a difference.

What could cause this behavior?


texts: new railings - should I use cedar or treated pine?

texts:
I'm replacing the railings on a balcony and have a choice between using cedar or a pressure treated pine. The railings will be painted, so will end up looking the same in either case.

I'm looking for advice on which will last longer and give me fewer headaches in the future.

The railings are in an area that gets a lot of full, southern California sun.

The pine is less expensive, but not enough for the size of the job to matter relative to the labor involved.

The cedar looks like it has a better finish -- the pine will have to be sanded before painting.


texts:
I'm not an AC Technician. I bought a new window type air-conditioner. My friend lifted it upside down.

Is it okay to lift or carry a window type air-conditioner upside down?


texts: my box has been upgraded to AFCI breakers Tennessee?

texts: I have an old house, my box has been upgraded to AFCI breakers. Can I replace the 2 prong plugs with GFCI plugs & the "GFCI PROTECTED / NO EQUIPT GROUND" labels & meet code requirements for Tennessee?


texts: What is the proper concrete ingredient ratio for a patio?

texts: I am pouring a 10X20X6 patio pad.  It has been 15 years since I mixed a mass amount of concrete and the cement that I got is a little vague on the instructions. What is the ratio for cement:sand:aggregate? Is it 1:2:1 or 1:2:2? I know the water is a relative thing and I know what consistency I need, but the mix ratios have me confused. A bit rusty.  Thanks!


texts: I have voltage leaking between two wires!

texts: I have a home run coming into my master bedroom.   When I checked the voltage it showed 85v instead of 120 and the I checked a power wire in the same box feeding a plug and it showed 15v and when I checked their voltage together it showed 98v.  Could there be a small nail through those two wired at some point?


texts: 1920’s 2 story brick home sagging ceilings down the middle

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I am not sure if I should sister joists for both the 1st floor ceiling and then the second story floor or can I jack up just the 1st floor ceiling and take care of it that way. Its a hip roof with no walls in attic so it would only lift 1st floor ceiling, floor 2’s floor and walls and 2nd floor ceiling. Not worried about 2nd floor cracks in walls as they need fixed anyways. Any advice or knowledge passed would really be appreciated. Thanks!

Some added info.. the 1st floor had all the floors leveled, by sistering the joists, so I’m unable to jack from the basement. The ceiling sagged 2 1/2 inches on the load bearing wall running in the center of the house.


texts: Drywall screws snap off when trying to fix squeaky subfloor

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I am using 1 1/2 drywall screws from the top of the floor, to stop the squeak. Using screw gun and collated screws. The gun is snapping the heads off the screws, is this OK? And will it stop the squeaking with the heads broken off? There is flooring going down afterwards, so screw head indention is not an issue.
    Thanks


texts:
Around 4 years ago, we painted a chalkboard for our 1-year-old kid. She loved it and did all sorts of artwork on it. Now she is 5 years old and doesn't want the chalkboard anymore in her room.
I tried to scrape it off using sandpaper and a Dremel power tool (MM 50) to powersand it.
On a suggestion from a home improvement store, I painted the Killz Latex based Primer over the blackboard. I cleaned the blackboard with a wet rag dipped in Dish Detergent and water, before applying the primer. I let the primer dry overnight. Now it looks like this.
I am planning to paint the entire wall with VALSPAR https://www.valspar.com/en/products/interior-paints-primers/signature-interior-paint-primer
Should I do a few more coats of the primer before applying the paint? How can I hide the blackboard completely?


texts:
There's a few droopy-looking sections of drywall where the ceiling meets the wall (see album: http://imgur.com/a/P77xF) that have existed since I bought the house more than a year ago and haven't gotten any worse in that period of time.

My home inspector never said anything about them and they don't feel soft/soggy or cool to the touch (which I assume water damage would feel like one or all of these things). So what could be the reason for the droops?


texts: What do the 32 elements in a "32 element digital aerial" refer to?

texts:
I'm trying to make sense of the mess of TV aerials (all shapes and sizes) and cabling on the (shared) roof of our tenement.

One potentially useful cross-checking piece of information I have is that the aerial I'm looking for is a "32 element digital" - it's also a "wideband" - put in ~5 years ago (in anticipation of the transition to digital; I'm in the UK).  But what does the "32" actually refer to ?  If I count the number of metal struts, should there be 32 ?  Or does it refer to something hidden away out of sight in the "hub" the cable goes into, or a more abstract concept like the number of channels receivable ?


texts: How to excavate hole when only 30% of perimeter is accessible to tractor?

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I need to dig a circular hole, 20 ft in diameter, and approximately 4 ft deep. The shape is important, it shouldn't be approximately a circle, but a nice clean circle. The bottom can be flat or round, doesn't matter. I can clean it up with a hand shovel afterwards, but want to minimize manual labor as it is a big hole.

If I use a backhoe like this in the picture, the backhoe can only park in a couple of places.
In the illustration below, I've marked red areas where there is something in the way preventing the tractor to park. Mostly these are short stone walls, fencing, swimming pool, etc. I tried hiring a contractor to dig the hole, but he said he'd smash down my stone walls and break many things to get the job done, so I want to try myself and be more careful.

(illustration not to scale)
Basically I can only park the backhoe along 1/3 of the perimeter of the hole. Dirt will be piled nearby and taken care of later with a skid steer.
Is it possible to complete the project, being only able to park the backhoe along this limited angle?


texts: Why is my toilet backing up and bubbling after replacing an ejector pump?

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About two weeks ago my sewage ejector pump died and had a massive overflow in the basement. I replaced the pump but I am now noticing that the toilet backs up. I am also noticing that when I take a shower the toilet bubbles.

Any clue???


texts: When installing new tile around a tub what items do I need to be sure and have done?

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I am having my tile replaced around my tub.  When installing new tile what do I need to be sure and check for? Is there a standard size or type for small bathrooms( about 5 ft x 8 ft bathroom)?  What are the most common tile layouts for small bathrooms?

Below is a list of a couple of things I came up with:
1. Waterproof board needed durock/demshield/hardyboard
2. Waterproof board not required but nice
3. Place tile
4. The grout should be manufacturers recommended with about 3/16 of inch average
5. The finish would be a slutter, or bull nose if available.

:)


texts: I am looking to wire a pole barn. To avoid trenching from the box at the meter. I am wondering if I can put a 100 amp breaker in my 200 amp box in my house and pull from there. If so, what size of copper or aluminum wire would I need to use for a run of 120-150'. Can I even use aluminum wire from a breaker box inside of my home to output to another building? I do understand that I would not be able to run everything in the barn and the house at the same time, but I don't plan on running that much in the pole barn. Mainly lights and a fan in the summer. Worst case, I would be running a welder that requires around 40 amps. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!


texts: I've heard that there are some safety and building code issues involved with using extension cords or power strips (surge protectors) for anything other than temporary use. What are the issues, and how can extension cords be used safely?


texts: Can I insulate PEX pipe in a crawlspace with fiberglass insulation?

texts: I have PEX pipe hung under the floor joists in my crawl space. I am inclined to cut fiberglass wall insulation R-14 into strips and run it under the pipe.That will encase it as the floors are well insulated. (R-19 above the PEX & R-14 below) Would that be as effective - less effective - more effective than putting foam insulation around the exposed sections of PEX ?( I really don't want to pull the hangers that attach the pipe to the joists)  The cost of insulating this was would be negligible but I don't want to create any moisture problems? The crawl space has a good vapor barrier on the ground. the insulation in the joists has no paper backing.


texts: What could cause a ceiling fan to lose rotation speed?

texts:
I have two identical ceiling fans in my house that were installed around 4 years ago. One no longer rotates as fast as it used to at top speed. At a guess I would say it has lost 30 or 40% of its speed.

All other electrical items in the room and house seem fine and the fan is not making any unusual noises, nor does it seem to be restrained or struggling to spin.

Could anyone suggest what could be causing this?


texts: Metal Running Horizontally Through Center of 2x4 Bracing?

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I am trying to drill a wider hole through horizontal bracing in our wall in order to run some low voltage wire. Using a flexible installer bit, am able to get about 1/2 way through what I think is a 2x4. However, then end up running into what seems to be metal.
As far as apparent mechanicals, there are no HVAC ducts, wiring, or plumbing fixtures nearby.
Got my scope out and it appears this is some form of metal in the center of the 2x4. I don't think it is sandwiched between two 2x4s.

Sorry for poor quality, phone photo of scope screen. You can see what looks to be the metal as the darker, shiney part below the existing hole:

Any ideas on what this is? Can I safely drill through it? Thoughts on how to proceed?


texts:
When replacing wood windows of a brick house do you just insert them into the old frame or do you gut the frame out and replace the whole thing?

What are the pros and cons of each method?

Edit: I have double hang windows at the moment and the replacement would be the same type.  FWIS, I've been looking at different materials and would probably go with fiberglass rather than vinyl or wood.


texts: Suggestion for bedroom furniture for a small home?

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I have a very small home ( about 50 m2 ).  Currently in my bedroom I have 2 desks and 3 bookshelves, but there is no space for a bed ( my wife wants to kill me :D ). The bedroom size is about 12 m2 and the public room is about 18 m2.

What can I do for my bed?


texts: Bracket to lay 3× 2x6 on top a 4x4 post?

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I am trying to re-purpose existing 4x4 exterior posts to install a swinging seat.

The kit that we are using calls for the top beam to be composed of at least 3x 2x6 pieces.

Does anyone know of an exterior use approved, metal bracket that would be good for my use case ?


texts: LED Backlight Strips on TV Causing External Speaker Interference

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I'm not sure if this is the correct place to post a question like this, but here we go.
I recently purchased some LED strips for some backlight on my TV. Admittedly, these backlights are of the "cheap Amazon purchase" variety (although not the absolute cheapest out there). The LED lights are powered by USB, which I have plugged in to the back of the television.
I also had some old-ish Klipsch speakers (two satellites and a subwoofer) that I decided to try to hook up to the TV as well. The speakers connect to the TV through an 3.5 mm AUX cord. However when the speakers are powered on and connected to the TV, I noticed that there is a high pitched buzzing coming from both satellite speakers. I can make the buzzing stop if I disconnect the LED lights from their USB power. Also, If I connect the LED strips to some USB power source other than the TV, I can have the lights on with no speaker interference. The problem with that however is that then the LED lights are always on - as opposed to when they are powered by the TV USB outlet, in which case the lights only turn on when the TV is powered on. Obviously the latter is much preferable.
And I'm not sure if this is relevant, but the TV and speakers are currently powered by different wall outlets.
Here is the spec sheet for the speakers
Any suggestions?


texts: Is it wrong to use 2 GFIC breakers on 12/3, sharing the neutral, even if the breakers are on different phases?

texts:
First, I am using 12/3 romex feeding 2 new circuits to a pool area, for fans and ceiling lighting. Because of the rule, under 10ft from the pool water, you must use GFI's, I installed 2 GFI breakers.
With 2 GFIC breakers in a small 220volt  sub panel, when I turn on either breaker by itself, the breaker stays on. But when I switch the 2nd breaker on, they both trip. Doesn't matter which breaker is turned on first, the 2nd breaker will trip both. Because the fans today, draw such small power, and the ceiling lighting is all LED's, I am going to load every thing to one #12 wire and check the amp draw. If the amps are within a safe margin, I will then just use 1 GFI to protect the whole new install. I am not to crazy about running a new romex 12/4 or 12/2/2, as its sometimes marked, with 2-hots and 2-neutrals plus ground. Is there a way to share a neutral with 2 GFI's on different phases??


texts: How can I reseal a shower drain on a pre-formed shower base?

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The shower drain in my first-floor bathroom leaks. Based on looking from the basement below, it seems the leak is at the point where the drain assembly should clamp to the shower base (which is pre-formed fiberglass/plastic). This is confirmed by the ability to wiggle the drain assembly a bit relative to the shower base, and by the fact that the pieces of putty that remain seem to be coming loose from on top.

So to fix this I'd like to loosen the drain from the shower base, insert new putty, and re-tighten.

Here are the views from above and below:

I think that what I need to do is loosen the large hex nut visible from the bottom. If I understand correctly, this should loosen the drain from the shower base, and possibly also loosen the compression fitting of the drain around the PVC drain pipe.

Unfortunately, I don't seem to be able to get the nut to budge! Because it is only reachable through the hole in the subfloor, I can't really get a normal wrench around it. Trying to move it with my hands or with screwdrivers inserted into the slots in the nut doesn't seem to work either. Maybe the nut was made harder to move by use of PVC cement, or the spray foam that used to fill this area.

So, how can I move this nut so I can reseal the drain?


texts: letting-in two-ply 2x12 girder to 6x6 beam

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I am doing a project where I'm supporting a girder made of two 2x12s with a 6x6 post.  (But this question really applies to 2-by-anything).   For added strength, I want to "let in" the girder to the 6x6, that is, cut a notch out of the top of the 6x6 for the girder to sit in; this is superior, because the girder is supported directly by the 6x6, not just by the fasteners.

I will also add a diagonal brace, probably 2x6.

Several questions:

What is the best way to notch the 6x6 ?   In the past, with one 2-by, I've made a series of kerfs with my circular saw, and then cleaned it out with chisel/hammer/etc.   But my circular saw can only cut to 2-1/4".   How well would it work to make cuts down both sides of the 6x6, which would leave about 1" of material in the 6x6 (actual thickness 5-1/2"), and finish up with a sawzall, which would be guided pretty accurately by the previous two 2-1/4" deep cuts ?
Should I consider making the notch less than 3" deep, perhaps the 2-1/4" my circular saw could manage with the kerf & cleanout method ?  I intend to thoroughly bolt the two 2x12s together, and the notch would still support half of the second one, so no worries on strength there.   In fact, I fear that by making the notch 3" deep, I would leave only 2-1/2" of the 6x6 where the girder is bolted, which would weaken the connection a good bit.
If I decide to make the notch only 2-1/4" deep, how do I make my diagonal brace lay nicely ?  The girder would stick out 3/4" from the side of the post, so there will be a 3/4" gap between the brace and the side of the post.   Maybe just put a "washer" of 3/4" thick wood between the brace and the 6x6 ?

ADDIITONAL CONTEXT:

This will be outdoors, so the wood will be treated, probably using MCA (micronized copper azole), which is supposedly gentler on metal fasteners and non-toxic.

This is for a ground-mount solar array.   The girders will support aluminum rails to which the solar panels are clamped.   I believe this means that the strongest forces will be wind uplift, not downwards.  I had to get a PE to stamp some drawings for the permit (below).   I am deviating a bit (with AHJ's blessing), using metal rails instead of the 2x8 purlins shown in the drawings.   But I will do the footings/piers, posts, and girders as shown in the drawings, except possibly making the notches only 2-1/4" deep as mentioned above.


texts:
I chipped the cement on my wall by accident.

What product can I use to easily fix that?

Do you think I can use Quikrete? It's going to be about 0F (or -17C) tonight. What do you think? Will the colors match too?

Thanks


texts: Drainage fix: Flat concrete slab up over my vinyl siding by 2 inches. Is this acceptable?

texts:
I am a new home owner.

The concrete on my front porch sloped towards the house so every time it rained water drained between the porch and the house.

Last week after 8 months the builder took out the concrete and place new concrete. They had to placed it about 2 inches on the vinyl siding.

Is this acceptable?? It is now flat and still does not slope away from the house.

PLEASE ADVISE!


texts: What electrical work can I do legally in New Brunswick, Canada?

texts:
I've just moved in my first house a few weeks ago, a new construction, and there is a couple  outlets that I want to add and some that I want to move. I'm located in New Brunswick, Canada. There doesn't seem to be any electrical by-laws in my municipality/city, so I assume that I can follow the provincial laws. The provincial act can be found here: http://laws.gnb.ca/en/showpdf/cr/84-165.pdf

First question, there's a couple of data outlets that are not exactly where I need them, that I assume that I don't need any permit/license. They're Cat3/Cat5/Coax combo. I also want to add in an HDMI outlet at the back of the TV mount in the living room that goes down where my amp/HDMI switch is. Since these are all data outlets, I assume I don't need a permit or a license to do that work?

I also have two places where I'd like to add electrical outlets. For example, there's an electrical outlet behind the TV mount, but none down where I'd like my amp, can I just cut out a hole in the drywall, add a box, and fish a wire down from the existing outlet? Is this considered changing/modifying the circuits?

The the provincial act, near the bottom of the document, there's a section for "qualified persons". So it sounds like if you kinda know what you're doing, you can maintain your circuits. However, adding outlets sounds more like modifying the circuits.

According to the wiring permit laws, it seems like you only need a permit if you're going to change more than 10 outlets and/or you're dealing with more than 5kw of load.

I'm more worried about my insurances than anything else. I know what I'm doing, but if I do make a mistake, and there's an electrical fire, I don't want to void my insurance claim.

Can anyone enlight me?


texts:
My home is older, and while 1st floor is grounded, basement has older 2-prong outlets. I decided that at a minimum I should put in a gfci in the laundry room. Inside box there are 3 wires however it does not appear the the ground wire is actually grounded. Test wires, black is hot, white is neutral as they should. Hook up black wire to the HOT LINE side GFCI, and hook up white wire to the other. But it says hot and neutral are reversed on my tester.

If I flip them around, which I can tell is wrong from the screw colors and directions, tester shows it's technically correct with open ground. That just seems off to me.

What could cause that false polarity reversal reading? Dont think it's the tester, I've tried it on other outlets and it's fine. Would no ground throw off the reading? Or just a bad GFCI?


texts: AC unit (turned on year round) leaves so much ice in the blower causing no cooling (pic included)

texts:
My mother has asthma and tells me she needs the AC on almost year round.  The AC unit is outside the condo we own, and it connects to the coils in the heater/ventilation system.

We are experiencing poor cooling, (not enough cold air circulating - temp is not low enough) and ice where the coils are:

Question:

What should I do to fix this situation now, and in the long term?

Since she is home alone often I need to understand what causes this so I can perform proactive maintenance, rather than responding to emergencies and giving her unnecessary distress and anxiety.

Much appreciated


texts: Correct grit and sander for sanding a cedar railing?

texts:
We have a cedar railing around a deck. The railing needs to be sanded prior to applying a water sealer. Two questions:

What is the best grit of sandpaper to use? I read that using too fine of a grit might make it more difficult to seal, but the article did not provide much guidance after that suggestion.
What type of sander should I use? Is a random orbital sander OK, or is there a different preferred type?

Thank you for your input!


texts: City water connection - can they make a connection at a hose bib?

texts: I'm converting from well system to city water. My well pump and water inlet are in the back. I have a hose bib on the front of the house which would save money using less pipe/digging. So couldn't they just make connection at the hose bib? Or, is it typical to make connection at the current house water inlet location, which would be by the pump in this case all the way in the back? My basic understanding is that they could technically tap in anywhere in the cold water line and it will pressurize the whole house, both hot and cold. Is that accurate or am I missing something? I would like to know before giving instructions to the city utility crew.


texts: How to connect primer tubing to non-laundry faucet?

texts: The previous owner of my house didn't know what the trap primer tubing was when he installed an expensive kitchen faucet and stainless sink in the laundry room, so left the tubing dangling. Is there a trick to connect it without replacing the faucet?


texts: How can I fasten a threshold to concrete?

texts:
BACKGROUND

A threshold was purchased from HomeDepot:

The item comes with screws and needs to be fixed into concrete slab.  I would like to understand how to properly screw the threshold into the slab.  If it were a wood surface I might drill a pilot hole or use a wood screw, however, given that this is concrete, I get one shot at getting this installed correctly.  If not then, it creates a whole new set of problems.

QUESTIONS

What is the correct procedure to screw the threshold into a concrete floor?
Is it necessary to drill a pilot hole?  The screws are not wide.

UPDATE: screws were misplaced so maybe tapcons may be used


texts: How do I change a switched outlet to a half-hot outlet?

texts:
I am trying to change a switched outlet to a half-hot outlet. If you can see the picture, the outlet currently only has a white, black, and ground wire coming to it.

The switch is on the other side of the wall and it would be eextremely difficult and ugly to run another wire to it. (no crawl or attic space). So my question is, can I change the current outlet/wiring within the outlet to make it a half-hot? My understanding is that removing the brass connector will just make half of it dead.


texts: Is there any easy way to mount multiple single gang low voltage panels in a multi-gang box?

texts:
So, a combination of AT&T, Comcast, and the previous owner of my house and made an absolute mess out of the area I'm wanting to use as the network hub of my house. There are five outlets, one for AT&T's modem (it's branded), one for Comcast's modem (the previous owner went with comcast), two for network connections, and one for power. None of them are spaced evenly, and the plates are all different colors.

I have access to the back of the wall, and am considering a single gang box for the outlet, and one large multigang box for all the lower voltage connections. The problem is, these others are of course all single gang plates, so they won't fit well into a multigang box. Googling reveals no quick and easy cutting method. I'm considering a few possibilities of how to make this work, but was wondering if there was a tried and true method that anyone knew of before I head into uncharted waters. Anyone have any ideas?


texts: Legal to leave electrical boxes open and hanging by contractor

texts:
My contractor (fired) left electrical boxes open with components no longer screwed into the boxes. Is this illegal?

I discovered after I fired the contractor that he is unlicensed. I am compiling a list of issues for arbitration and maybe litigation.

I hired a general contractor that hires subcontractors. The subcontractor in this instance is the GC's son. This is supposed to be a company and not DIY.

I guess the questions are:

Should this be reported to the electrical board?
Is it normal to leave the receptacles like this for weeks?
Does this need an electrician to allow me to utilize the room until I
can hire another company who uses licensed contractors?

The list is quite long as to why we fired the contractor. I've noted some reasons as a comment to a below comment.


texts:
What is the top pipe connected to my Gledhill Torrent 450 RE thermal store?

It comes out of the very top of the tank. Not on the side but right on the top in the centre?


texts: What is the size of light bulb for my ceiling fan, socket number E307185?

texts: My ceiling fan has an unusual size fixture. It's larger than candelabra, but smaller than a standard medium. I suspect it might be intermediate, but I'm not quite willing to buy a converter with a huge shipping cost until I can get it confirmed. The brand is Hampton Bay. The fixture has a number E307185. Bonus points if you can find a method to convert the light bulb to a standard medium light bulb.


texts: I put 2-stroke fuel in my 4-stroke mower and now it won't start

texts: My first time doing the lawn. Trying to help. Now I can't get it to start.


texts: Should I overlay or replace 3/8 inch drywall during my room update?

texts:
I have a living room that I am looking to update.  It currently has 1/4" Wall Paneling over 3/8" drywall.  The drywall is in very good shape, but has not been taped.  The house is from the 50's, so they used nails to attach the drywall to the studs.  Those now have a layer of rust on them.

I could just tape and mud, but I am worried about the drywall being too thin.  My other consideration is to put another layer or 1/4" over it.  This would cover over the rusted nails, which have a tendency to pop, and give me a cleaner wall.  If this is the recommendation I was also considering what attachment method: drywall adhesive or screws?

P.S.  The room is getting new windows, so those will be adjusted as needed.


texts: How can I brace a bathtub faucet without tearing out the tile wall?

texts:
I pulled the trim off of my bathtub faucet to grease a sticky cartridge and I saw that the plastic brackets that were used to secure the pipes to the studs were broken. My shower is tile, so I don't want to tear anything out to re-brace the pipes. My shower trim is fairly large so I might have enough room to get in there and re-brace the pipes somehow. I was thinking maybe bailing wire, or maybe some kind of flexible drill bit to get in there and screw in a new bracket. Worst case, I guess I can tear out the wall behind the plumbing to get to it. Has anyone successfully installed pipe brackets with so little access?!

I'm not a member here, so I guess I can't post pictures, but the pipes were previously mounted to a 2x4 that goes between two studs. The top of the 2x4 is about 4" from the bottom edge of the hole in the wall.

I could get to it from behind,but I'd have to cut a hole in my master bathroom wall

Click for larger view


texts: How do I change a bulb in this flush mounted light fixture?

texts:
I need to replace the bulb in this flush mounted ceiling light with a glass dome but cannot open it. There are two handles (springs?) that I assume should be used to achieve that but I could not figure the system out. I tried pushing on them upwards or pulling to the side but no luck. I have tried rotating the glass dome but that does not loosen it.
Any ideas?


texts: Installing WiFi Light Switch - No Neutral

texts:
Hello I am trying to install a WiFi light switch that requires a neutral line. I could look at the Lutron but I figured I would ask about this possible solution as I have these switches elsewhere. I have read many threads and I think I can resolve this on my own. I’m fairly competent but certainly not a professional.

From my front door I control the driveway light pole. There is a junction box in the garage that the light pole comes into. From what I can tell the junction box is also tied into by the garage interior and exterior lights. There is a large bundled group of neutral lines in this junction box as well.

My problem is that the from the junction box to the switch they ran a line and with no neutral. I don’t know if there was a specific reason. So my question is can I replace this line from the junction box to the switch with a new one with a neutral line? And can I connect the new line to the bundle of neutrals in the junction box? I have read that it’s better to go back to the panel but I think I am good to connect to neutrals in the junction box in the garage?

Again, I am fairly competent but also know that something like this can be a borderline call an electrician task.

Thanks,
JDW


texts: How do I secure wiring in an exterior electrical box?

texts:
When I replaced the GFCI in one of my exterior receptacles, I found that the installer had simply drilled a 3/4" hole through the house's wall and fed the cable through it and through the threaded opening in the back of the electrical box:

What should I use to secure the cable where it enters the electrical box?  I'll be re-applying caulk around the electrical box when I'm done; is there anything else I need to do to seal the hole in the wall (3/4" seems excessive for a single 12/2 cable)?


texts: Is there an online tool for designing kitchen layout?

texts:
I am looking at having my kitchen replaced. It is a tiny room no bigger than 6ft by 6ft.

I would like to find an online tool that will let me drag and drop appliences and fittings into the room so I can see what it will look like.

The reason is that I am useless at drawing and would like to take something with me to shops etc.

We will not be having a designer come over or a builder install it as my partners dad is capable of doing a good job.


texts: I have an old light fixture in my bathroom with no visible screws; how do I remove it from the ceiling?

texts: I'd like to replace an old, rusted light fixture on the bathroom ceiling.  Unfortunately, I have no idea how it's actually held up to the ceiling.  There are no screws on the sides, but there are holes.  When I put my finger in to feel for a screw, it seems to only be insulation.  I read that it may be spring-loaded?  The whole thing does move; I can spin it counter-clockwise and clockwise, but I'm afraid to keep spinning.  Is this how it comes down?  Any tips are appreciated!