texts: Do I need to replace water damage or just let it dry out?

texts:
I had a water leak under my kitchen sink. It happened pretty slowly over the course of perhaps 8 weeks. The bottom of the cupboard was saturated and about 6 " up the sides of the same cupboard unit. Also, I have old wood floors and some of the floorboards (maybe 8" in front and 2' off to one side) are a little tweaked. Looks like they separated a little and curled some.

If the aesthetics of the damage are something I can live with, can I just set up a dehumidifier and fan and dry the whole are out really well or is that inviting trouble in the form of mold or something. I'm wondering about avoiding the time, cost, and trouble of pulling out cupboards, pulling up floors, etc.

Mold is our main concern and I guess I'm wondering if mold is a problem in persistently wet areas or if a single incident can spark a mold infestation that self-perpetuates.


texts: What can I do about a low spot in my bathroom floor?

texts:
I have water standing on a specific area of my bathroom floor. The whole floor dries out except for this area. It has stagnant standing water.
What can be causing this problem, and is there a solution to this problem?


texts:
First question here.  Hope I get the terminology correct.

We have a three switch panel in our living room.  Position 1 is a 3-way switch that toggles lights on the underside of a covered patio.  Power is supplied by a circuit that controls the patio and a small nook off our kitchen.  The other 3-way switch is about 40 feet away in a bedroom off the kitchen.  We have never known what the switches at position 2 and 3 do, for years.

Clearing away some foliage in preparation for house painting, we discover an outdoor box with a screw in flood light receptacle.  I put a bulb in and discover that the switch on position 2 toggles the light.  I would like to put a timer on this light, so I decide to check out the switch to make sure it is a two-pole and to see whether I need a timer with a neutral.  I turn off the breaker that controls the patio lights, but the flood light stays on.  I basically have to go through the entire box to find the breaker for the floodlight.  It's the kitchen breaker, which is weird but I guess I can kind of see how they did it.

Ok, so I turn off both breakers and take off the cover.  I stick my voltage meter in and, surprise, position 3 is hot!  At this point, I turn off the house power at the panel.  I look behind the switches to see what I can see, but I decide I don't want to mess with it.  I put the cover back on.  After much experimentation, I find that position three toggles the bottom plug on a two-plug receptacle in the living room, which is fed by power on a different circuit.  The top plug has continuous power.  I have no need for a switched outlet in this room.

When I looked behind the switches, I couldn't see very well, but from what I could see, none of the switches are grounded.  The box is metal.  I don't think it is grounded.  It looks as though all 6 ground wires were capped under one nut.  I think the bundle is making contact with the box, but I could not see it screwed to the box.  Maybe it is.  It also looked as though there was a bundle of neutrals, presumably from more than one circuit.

What can I do with this mess?  I probably need a pro, but I'm curious what my options are.  In a three-gang metal box, do all three circuits need to be separately ground?  Is it ok to combine neutrals?  Is three circuits in one box even permitted?

If I decide to take out the switch for the plug in the room, can I simply splice the circuit back together and keep it in the box, or do I need to pull the romex and terminate in the box?  Or something else.  I haven't looked at the plug device to see what's going on back there.

I guess put more simply, all I care about having at the wall here is the 3-way for the patio lights and a timer for the newly-discovered flood.  What are my options?


texts: Almost no pressure in sprinkler system, slight vibration in pipes

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I just started setting up the sprinkler systems in a new house that I'm renting. The pressure in one of the systems is almost nonexistent, and the pipes that run to the irrigation system vibrate very slightly when the system is on.

The part that vibrates is the marked part in the photo below.

Any thoughts on what I need to do to get the pressure back? I've tried rotating the valve to the left of the circled part, and that shuts off all pressure. Same with the one below.


texts:
I've got some cables in my attic that run across the top of my trusses. This white one goes to my dryer and is stapled every few feet. (The green cable is currently not attached to anything at either end.) Is it a hazard to have cables running along the top my attic? Or is it safer because no one is stepping on it?
I'm considering moving my dryer outlet because it's too far away from the washer. I'd like to properly run the cable through the attic in the process if if this wrong.


texts: Why are homes wired using solid wire rather than stranded?

texts:
If stranded wire can carry more power for a given wire gauge, why are homes typically wired using solid?

If solid wire is less expensive to make, that provides a compelling reason why solid is used, but if an electrician or homeowner wanted to use stranded, is there any reason not to?

For this question I am mainly referring to legs of U.S. home wiring for 15 and 20 amp breakers carrying 120 volts on a single phase.


texts: Dual heat zones strongly connected vs setback thermostats

texts:
Similar to a question just asked, but i think it's different enough...

I have a two-zone forced-hot-water heating system, where each floor is its own zone. The zones are connected by an open stairwell.

It seems reasonable to me to set the downstairs back farther at night than upstairs, keeping the upstairs bedrooms a bit warmer.

The question is, given convection in that stairwell, does it really make sense to let the upstairs setting drop below downstairs during the day, or would I need to isolate that stairwell (or at least close all the upstairs doors) for this to really save energy?


texts:
I am changing some wiring in two rooms of my house. Room 1 had two switches that controlled an outlet. We have since taken one of those switches and installed a ceiling light. The other switch controls an outlet now (this is the one I want to work on). I want to make the outlet always hot and delete the switch. I attached a picture of the switch. What do I tie together and what do I cap off? There's 2 sets of wires coming in. White from A is top of the switch. Black from B is bottom of switch. Red from A is top left of switch. Black from A is tied to white from B.

Room 2 has a switch that controls an outlet. It is the only switch in the room that does this. I will be switching the switch out to a double switch and putting in two separate sets on lights (one set of recessed and another light). Again, I want to make the outlet always hot and have the switches control the sets of lights independent (one switch for recessed one for the other). How can I wire this? Current switch has two sets of wires coming in. Wire A and B have the blacks tied together and a pigtail to the top of the switch. Wire A and B have the whites tied together. Wire B has a red attached to the bottom of the switch.

Edit - picture of the second switch for room 1 that was asked for. The right switch is for this room. The left switch is for a completely different room. It has the new wire to the ceiling light (yellow sheath). Black from there goes to switch. Black and red from an old wire is wirenut together and pigtail to bottom of switch. White is nutted with 2 other old whites (3 total)


texts:
I am working on a bookshelf which, due to the way I am building it, requires some of the pieces to be exactly measured to within 1/64th over 4-5 foot lengths. Obviously no yardstick is so accurate.

What techniques can be recommended for making such an accurate measurement?

I have access to machinist's tools, such as a complete set of gage blocks and machinist's squares and rules, however the rules I have are at most 16 inches long.

The material is white oak.


texts: How can I repair a towel rack that was ripped out of the wall?

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The towel rod has been ripped out of the wall.  It looks like it was attached to the wall by two dry wall anchors which were not attached to the stud.  Basically a very junky installation in my opinion.

I would appreciate any advice on how I can go about fixing this.  I don't think that I can attach the anchors to any studs since the other side of the rod is already in a fixed location (and I would prefer to not move the rod).  Since the wall is covered in wallpaper, I would prefer to not move the rod.


texts: Should I attempt to save 4" cast iron DWV fittings and pipe?

texts:
I'm in the process of ripping out an old cast iron drainage stack that runs clear from the roof to the basement with a few elbows and wyes in the mix.

I'm in Portland, Oregon (west coast USA), and my question is basically "is this cast iron worth keeping intact?" If the answer is "no", then I can save myself some time and just go at it with a sledgehammer and bust it all up. But, since I'm on a tight budget with this remodel, if I can recoup some of my expenses by cleaning up and reselling the cast iron, I would like to do that. There is a total of perhaps 2 wyes, one cleanout wye, two closet elbows, and two 90" elbows, and about 18ft of straight pipe (HxS).


texts:
I am trying to find some ceiling joists to hang a punching bag from. I have hit one joist, I got it because the track from my garage on the same parallel. I drilled a hole, hit wood, and verified with a nail. I then went 12, 16, and 18 inches and got nothing. I drilled about 2" through the ceiling (cement) and then air.

I tried a stud finder and it seems to be useless.

Any suggestions? I know the pictures arent great but this is what it looks like:


texts: How can I repair the degraded surface of a concrete slab and wall?

texts:
I've never worked with concrete. Is there an easy way for a concrete newbie to repair this wall?

OR-

How do I fix it?

Here is another view, further back.

===================  Found these in a store ===============================

Will any of these products work for my issue?


texts: fencing under electrical transmission line

texts:
I'm a week from closing on a house (in Indiana, USA) which includes an adjacent undeveloped 1-acre lot.  Running above that lot is a high-voltage transmission line.  I don't know the voltage, but the lines are supported by huge lattice towers.  The towers are hundreds of feet away, not on the lot I'm buying; and the lines are 100+ feet high.
My hope is to immediately fence both lots together for my dogs, and later, to add a pool and detached garage.  I just realized today there are going to be some setback requirements from the power lines.
I have put in a request with the local power company (Duke Energy) for information about the building restrictions.  I also asked to see the title for this lot of land so I can understand the width of the easement.
I've read brochures I found online from other utilities which specified electrical grounding of metal fence posts, non-metallic fences, or similar, when fences are built under or near these high-voltage circuits.
I would appreciate any advice about fencing near these lines.  I want to build a typical black vinyl-coated chain link fence ranging from 4-feet height (front of lot) to 6-feet height (sides/rear.)  If that's not allowed or unusually complex due to the electricity, I can choose another type of material.
Google Earth screenshot of transmission line path and proposed fence


texts: I have a switch controlling two lights in hallway. I purchased the Lutron C-L DimmerScL-153PH-WH. I have 3 black wires and 1 copper wire coming out of wall.  The old switch was not connected to the copper wire. The 3 black were connected to the switch with just an on/off toggle.  How do I connect my new dimmer to the 3 black coming out of wall?


texts: What is the sheet metal behind the drywall in my condo ceiling?

texts:
I'm trying to install a new ceiling fan in my condo.  I've cut a whole in the drywall to find a broad metal sheets are in my ceiling.  I would appreciate help in figuring out what this is and if I can screw the fan fixture into it.

Here's a picture  .At the bottom of the picture is a ~1 inch tall I beam. Above that is a broad flat metal sheet with recessed strips perpendicular to the I beam. It looks like the sheet is several feet wide before another recessed strip on the other side.  There appear to be several of them running in parallel along the width of my condoceiling.  Also, when I knock on them, they don't sound hollow (but I could be wrong about that).

Please let me know if you have any questions.


texts: Do I need an egress window in a basement studio apartment with two doors?

texts:
I have a small studio apartment I want to rent in my basement. It has two exit doors, and block glass windows. First entry door is about 6 feet to the foot of the stairs (which leads to the main floor foyer/side door to the outdoors) and a second door straight into the laundry room(laundry room is adjacent to studio area). The studio's two doors that exit out of the studio are different escape routes, one facing north, the other west. The basement also has a family room for use to all units (upper, main, and basement), so I would like to put the egress window into the laundry room, so it can be utilized by the studio or anyone within the family room. Would this pass code to rent the studio, since each door leads to an exit area?

If I do need to put the egress window in the studio area, could it go into the studio bathroom? The bathroom already has a very large block glass window, so it would be more economically feasible than the old small windows in the open area of the studio.  I was also told that I might need an egress window for the family room as well ...so again, I thought the laundry room (which has a very large opening from the family room as well) is the best possibility to service both areas. House is in Detroit, Michigan.
Thank you!


texts:
The neutral bar is burnt in the breaker box of my mobile home. The kids hooked up a small window cooler and ran it a couple months ago, by morning we woke up smelling wires burning.  We traced it to the breaker box and at that point we lost all power to the mobile home.  We cut off the burnt wires and reinserted them into the Neutral Bar, with power restored we went on with life.

A couple weeks ago a neutral wire came loose in the breaker box and the mobile home went to half power, so we had to unplug all large appliances (Fridge, Window AC Cooler, my oxygen machine...).  As I said we found it was a loose neutral wire; we fixed it and power restored again, only this time the power only stayed on for a little over a hour and went back to half power (what I mean by half power is I can run computers and TV's but that's it).

I live on ssi disability so getting a electrician is out of the question so here I am trying to figure why the power won't come back on fully, I took the neutral bar out cleaned it up found no cracks but it is burnt badly a couple screws are melted together but no cracks I put it back in after cleaning it up and still I am at half power.

I am about to order a new neutral bar and try that come pay day but I am puzzled as to why its not coming back to full power it was working find until that wire came loose? The wire was sparking badly when I opened the power panel but as I said the bar has no cracks It's burnt melted but no cracks and I get 0 reading when I test it with the multi meter with power on!

Oh on the multi meter I get these readings: the big black ground wire and the big red wire 254, black to neutral i get 105, red to neutral 140 and I get the same reading to the ground bar 105 and 140. When measuring all the outlets I get 152 except the one in the bathroom that gives me a reading of 98 it is a GFCi outlet. As I wait for payday any input would be appreciated.


texts:
I have a rooftop deck and want to put up 4 posts for string lights and attaching a shade sail.
After consulting some YouTube videos and diy sites, I'm planning on purchasing post bases that accommodate 4x4's.  My question concerns how to anchor the post bases to the existing deck.
I know I must anchor them to a joist, however not all of the post base holes will hit a joist. From what I've read, the recommendation for this would be to remove the existing deck boards and block the joists with 2x8's.
I'm wondering if there's a way to do this without removing the deck boards.  It may not look as polished and seamless, but can I attach a block above the existing deck boards and lag bolt it to two adjacent joists, then anchor the posts on top of that?
Is that structurally sound for posts that will be holding up a shade sail?


texts:
During a heavy rain storm the chimney leaked from the base of the flue. In the picture you can see the drop as it fell. The crown and the chimney was rebuilt to just above the roof line 3 weeks ago.

Is there no way to seal the chimney and this is normal. The amount that came in was enough to wet the bricks below. If this is not normal is the leak at the cap and the water runs down around the flue and drops down which in my untrained eye it appears to be doing. Does this require the crown to be now sealed with a waterproof sealant? I thought the mortar would prove to be enough but it is not in this case.

Edit: @Lee: the cap is on there and the wash installed though I need to see the pitch. Can you explain the sealer. Does that go on the crown too?


texts: If a receptacle is added from a switch box, will the receptacle only work when the switch is off?

texts:
When I was a new electrician, one day I discovered I could read 120v across the terminals of an open switch. I was bothered by this thinking someone had wired it wrong, but I couldn't understand why it wasn't blowing up or tripping a breaker when I closed the switch until my boss explained I was reading the voltage through an incandescent light bulb on a switch loop (a cable with black and white wires between a light and switch, with the white being used as a hot, which should be properly marked to indicate its hot status but often is not, and the black being used as the switch leg). When the switch is closed the current passes through the switch, through the load, and returns on the neutral wire to the source.

My question is mainly for trouble shooting odd things out there. So here is my proposed scenario: If someone (an apprentice electrician, let's say) were to open a switch box, or seeing one with its switch missing, mistake the switch loop for a hot and neutral, then pigtail off to add a receptacle, and then if someone else was to return from lunch, not notice the addition and wire the switch back in on the new pigtails, and then, let's say the new receptacle really wasn't used for many years so no one noticed anything amiss, until one day when someone plugged something in...What would happen? What would this look like when the switch is off, when the switch is on? Let's say the item plugged in is another lamp, maybe LED that doesn't use much current. And let's say the original light circuit with the switch is a 100W lamp with system voltage at 122V. I'm curious if the LED would come on only when the light switch is off. I wonder if the LED would behave normally, even being in series with the other light, and what would plugging the LED in do to the original light?


texts: Can I attach floating shelves to the wall in this way?

texts:
I'm going to be putting up some floating shelving. They are about 4" deep and 24" in length and the wood is 1" walnut. In order to hide hardware I was going to get 6 inch bolts (1/2 inch diameter).  The bolt would go about 3 inches into the wall. The remaining 3" would be used to support the shelf. I would drill holes a bit larger than 1/2" in the wood.

Two questions:

Does this sound feasible?
If I get lag bolts, is it possible to cut
the head off? What would be the best way to do that?


texts: How can I safely cut this pipe with an angle grinder?

texts: I have a two inch cast iron pipe w/cup coming up from a concrete floor.  There used to be a connection at the cup for a sink drain.  That piece was broken by my handy man and subsequently removed by me.  Now I need to cut off the cup to facilitate repair using ABS part with rubber connections to drain and vent.  A chain break does not fit between the pipe and the wall; there is no room for a reciprocating saw; so I am considering a 9" angle grinder operated with the cutting wheel facing up.  How do I keep the cup from pinching the cutting wheel or flying out when it is cut through?  I don't even like  having the wheel facing up, so I might cut lower on the pipe to avoid the cup interfering with the grinder body.  Any help will  be appreciated.


texts: How do I re-wire this outlet (switched top, always-on lower)?

texts:
I wanted to replace this almond-colored outlet with a white one. Purely cosmetic. So far, huge mistake.

In any case, I took the outlet out, copied the way the old outlet was wired and … blew out my new $50 Wemo light switch.

Now I'm baffled. I checked the wires and can't make heads or tails of it. I'm handy, but no electrician.

I tested each wire with my multimeter—one lead on the wire, one on the ground—with the light switch on (pink) and off (blue). The results:

The old outlet was wired with:

two reds on the top as line
two whites on the top
black on the bottom as line
one white on the bottom
tab broken on line side, intact on neutral

I can't for the life of me see how this ever worked. Does this look right to anyone?


texts: How can I remove the ends of this tap spout?

texts: I'm trying to find a shower that fits these taps but with no success.I have seen showers with ends that screw into the tap spout but I don't know how to remove the black plastic ends that are already in there.


texts: Can a bathroom vanity be installed higher than 30 inches?

texts:
"Standard" bathroom vanities are 30", where as kitchen counter tops are typically 36".

For me (6' tall), the 30" vanity is rather low. Is there any reason to leave vanities that height, or can they be installed higher? Is there any practical downside to having a higher vanity (eg, kids)?


texts: How to insulate my garage walls using sheathing

texts: My garage is a pole building type with pressed wood walls and exterior siding. I want to put sheathing on the walls for some insulation. The girts that the exterior wall is attached to are 1.5" x 4" being attached flat and run the length of the garage and are attached to the poles. Should I install the sheathing between the studs letting the studs exposed? Or should I attach the sheathing to the studs letting the air space between the sheathing and the exterior wall?


texts: How long you can keep gas furnance heater bypassing thermostat

texts: Thermostat is broken but needed to heat the house. I decided to jump R and W wires to get some heat this cold night. The question is for how long I can run the heater (gas)? Is it Ok to leave it on for couple hours running? Is it OK to leave it burning gas over night?


texts: Can a 3-wire surge protective device be used on a single phase, 120V circuit?

texts:
I'm installing some surge protection for a radio installation, and I have a somewhat unusual requirement of installing the surge protection device (SPD) at an Earth ground where the antenna feedline enters, which is about 100' from the main panel. This is because the antenna by virtue of its design must be grounded, it's not feasible to run the feedline to the existing electrical service ground, and so effective surge protection requires limiting the surge voltage at another ground location, where the feedline enters the house.

Many of the SPD I find have three wires: one for neutral, and one for each phase. The presumption seems to be they are installed at the main panel where neutral and ground are bonded.

In a previous question I was told there are SPDs with four wires, separating neutral and ground. Thus, they can limit the voltage between ground and neutral without requiring a direct connection between them away from the main panel, which would be hazardous. However, I need to protect only one, 120V, single-phase circuit. Using one of these four-wire SPDs, one of the wires would go unused.

I'm wondering, is it safe and permissible to use a 3-wire SPD (like the SDSA1175 I have in my hand) in this situation? The neutral connection would go to ground, one line connection to line, and the other line connection to neutral? Despite the naming clash, I can't imagine this is electrically different than the four-wire case, essentially a MOV between ground and each protected wire. Neutral isn't directly connected to ground, but in the event of a surge the MOV would clamp it within home hundreds of volts relative to ground.


texts:
I painted my hallway and it looks absolutely terrible, I really messed it up good.  It doesn't look too bad when looking at it face on but, when the sun is shining down the hallway, it looks terrible as you can see in the photos.  It really does depend on the light as to how bad it looks, but I'm really unhappy with it and would like to fix it.
I used Dulux once Jasmine White and I used a Harris Trade Micropoly 9" x 1.75" roller sleeve.
I'm wondering how I can fix it?  I'm not sure if I should paint over it, or sand all the paint off, water the paint down next time to make it easier to work with?
Honestly, I have read about it so much, and thought about it so much, over the last few days that I don't know what the answer is!
Hopefully someone can help me.


texts: Water being sucked into cold air return from humidifier pad

texts:
This is a brand new house and have had this problem from day 1.  There is so much suction, or negative pressure, in the cold air duct that the water from the humidifier pad is actually being sucked in the duct and then I get a puddle of water at the base of the furnace.  I have tried several pads hoping that one would be better than the other, but they all have the water sucked out of them.  I am able to hold the pad at slight angle and see this happen, if I let go of the pad, it is sucked back into place.  It is like they put too big of a fan in my furnace or the cold air ducts are plugged.
My water PSI is 60 and the requirement is that it be less than 125 so I am good there.  I have also cranked down the supply line valve to the humidifier so I just get a trickle, and that helps, but doesn't totally solve the problem.
Is there anything else I can do to fix this?


texts: How to prevent washing machine discharge from spraying out of drain?

texts:
Since moving into a new house, we've been battling with an issue with our washing machine. We've got it plumbed in beneath a sink (as the previous owners had done) as shown in the image below:

Above this image is the sink. The red box on the right of the image is where the drain from the washing machine enters the drain. Just above that is a black hose which is connected to the sink's overflow. The red box on the right is the problematic bit...
When we use the sink, this arrangement seems fine. Water drains quickly without any leaks. When we use the washing machine, however, we often find that there is water pooled on the floor. Having watched the washing machine during the "drain" part of its cycle, I found that the water was being forced up through the other arm of the "Y" (red box on the right).
As you can see in the image, I've applied some tape around the problematic fixture as temporary fix. Perhaps not surprisingly, this hasn't performed that well. In case it's relevant, the tape is covering a sort of tapered, stepped pipe. The sort that you might push a rubber hose onto.
One other thing I've tried is to detach the offending part from the "Y" and cap off the hole. From my local hardware store, I've purchased a range of "cap ends", but none of them seem to fit. I think I'd measured the wrong part - my measurements say 40mm dia, but both the 40mm or 32mm caps I purchased seem too large.
Finally, worth noting that I've detached the trap / "U" for inspection. It's not blocked or anything.
I'm now backing up a bit and wondering if I'm going about this all wrong. Is there a correct way to solve this problem?


texts: How to install a concrete subfloor indoors?

texts:
The previous owners of our house enclosed a sunroom with stucco walls. The floor is old cobblestone and brick pavers with dirt underneath but they covered it with a cheap carpet. We're planning to install porcelain tile and got a couple different methods proposed by contractors.
Option 1: drypack on top of the existing base
Option 2: demo the existing base completely, level and compact the dirt, add wire mesh, then pour concrete and let set for 4 weeks before tile install. (~4x the cost of option 1)
I'm mainly here to ask advice on how and if we should add a vapor barrier for Option 2? I'm wondering what the best way is to install it and if it will need to be attached to the studs and therefore require removing some portion of the stucco walls? is there is anything else important to know when installing the concrete in option #2?
I'm also wondering if anyone has any thoughts on the drypack method, its tempting as it is so much less expensive but I'm guessing we'll likely run into problems down the road?
We're in Zone 10 climate with minimal rain but the drainage outside does make the room prone to moisture and while we're planning to address the drainage issue with this project we did have one incident where water started to come in from outside in a heavy storm.
Any advice would be appreciated!
Thanks!


texts: Is there a name for thin (3/8") redwood/cedar boards for basketweave?

texts:
I have to replace a "basketweave" style fence section on my property.  The horizontal fence boards in the existing fence sections are 3/8" thick redwood boards (approximately 4" high, 3/8" thick, 8' long).  The thin boards are easy to weave in and out of the pickets, resulting in an opaque fence with a lovely basketweave effect.

I've tried all the lumber stores nearby (San Francisco Bay Area, north Peninsula) and nobody seems to have heard of anything like these.  I suspect this is a classic case of my not knowing exactly what I'm asking for.  I know I could produce them by ripping Redwood 2x4s, but the prospect of ripping down 100 or more of these on my poor little table saw just isn't very inviting.

Anyone know what this kind of board is called?


texts: How do I connect a light to a switch when the light receives power first?

texts: I have a power source running from the light how do I connect it to a switch?


texts: RV heating and cooling using multiple sources of fuel

texts:
I'm trying to design an all terrain/all weather RV for some extreme camping and I'm wondering if it's possible to have a multiple fuel source heating/cooling/refrigeration system.  I want to be able to heat and cool with wood/pellets, coal, #2 oil/K1/diesel, LPG/LNG.  I'm thinking I can build a multiple fuel firebox (with only one fuel running at a time) and use an ammonia based system for the cooling (like my propane fridge upta camp has).  Thoughts, ideas, things I should research/consider?  I'm expecting the living space of the vehicle to be roughly 30'×8'×8' = ≈2K ft³.
Additional information:

I'm planning a hull design cabin such as big orange or the Globecruiser.
Here is a cutout image of a firebox, for reference.  Other cutout images I've seen call it a combustion chamber.
I'm planning on having the furnace part on the exterior of the vehicle with no direct access to the inside.  I was thinking of building a heat exchanger that will pump water through the firebox/combustion chamber into some ½" PEX tubing in the floor and walls of the vehicle that will be sandwiched between two layers of metal and fill poured with a castable refractory cement.
Once I get my camper built, I'll be on a very limited retiree budget - so I don't want to buy propane or heating fuel any more than I have to.  I prefer to run mostly wood (chunk or pellet) or coal whenever possible.
Air conditioning is not a matter of living fancy, it's a matter of breathing with my lung issues. I'm expecting to go all kinds of places across north and south America and I might even make my way across the ice bridge in northern Alaska to hit Asia, Europe and Africa.  So, I will need both heat for the cold locations and air conditioning for the 120°F day in the shade places.
I do plan on having a couple different electric generation sources including solar, but I didn't want to have to build it to a size that would be required for air conditioning.
An absorption refrigerator is a refrigerator that uses a heat source (e.g., solar energy, a fossil-fueled flame, waste heat from factories, or district heating systems) to provide the energy needed to drive the cooling process. The system uses two coolants, the first of which performs evaporative cooling and is then absorbed into the second coolant; heat is needed to reset the two coolants to their initial states. The principle can also be used to air-condition buildings using the waste heat from a gas turbine or water heater. Using waste heat from a gas turbine makes the turbine very efficient because it first produces electricity, then hot water, and finally, air-conditioning—trigeneration. Absorption refrigerators are commonly used in recreational vehicles (RVs), campers, and caravans because they can be powered with propane fuel, rather than electricity. Unlike more common vapor-compression refrigeration systems, an absorption refrigerator can be produced with no moving parts other than the coolants. [1]


texts: How do I fix window jams that are not even with drywall?

texts:
We recently bought a house that was in the midst of a remodel. The PO had replaced 80% of the windows but had not gotten to the trim. The issue I have is the jam does not match with the drywall. In some places it is even but mostly it is 1/4-1/2" below the drywall grade. I can build and install jam extensions but on 1/2" of the windows, the grade varies from being even to 1/2 below from top-to-bottom of the window.

Do any contractors have any tricks to fixing this? What would you do?


texts: Can I add an outlet for electronics to a lighting circuit?

texts:
I'd like to install some speakers in my ceilings and I'm looking to run them with a Chromecast plugged into an amplifier. Would it be possible, legal and safe to get the power from the lighting circuit already in the ceiling?

Also, any tips on how I should go about it?


texts: Ceiling fan with light and remote issues

texts: We purchased and installed new ceiling fan/light with remote about three months ago. We have not had any problems with it since we installed it but the last 24 hours I have been quarantined to my room while waiting Covid test results. At least 3 times the light has shut off on its own. The last time about five minutes after I turned it back on the ceiling fan started on its own. Any ideas?


texts: How do you replace the plastic shower filter. I cannot get it to snap back into the black rubber gasket.


texts: How to efficiently trim 3mm polycarbonate with portable tool(s)?

texts:
I have a square of 3mm thick polycarbonate (aka "Lexan" after a common brand, though mine is a different brand) that is roughly 50cm along each edge.

I need to trim a few mm off one corner and part of one side, as viewed from the front, in order to fit this polycarbonate into an aperture that is not quite square:

         ~5mm ↴
              ↔
|------------\--|  ↑
|             \ |
|              \|
|               | 50cm
|               |
|               |
|---------------|  ↓
 ←    50cm     →

(Diagram not to scale.)

I tried using a small surform, but although my surform is sharp enough to work well on wood, it makes very slow progress in this polycarbonate sheet. Coarse sandpaper also makes very slow progress.

I am thinking of using a tenon saw to cut off the corner concerned, but I am concerned about cracking or otherwise irreparably damaging the sheet.

Bench tools aren't an option, unfortunately, both because they aren't available on-site, and because there wouldn't be room to deploy them even if they were available.

Question: does the tenon saw sound like a good bet, or is there a better tool to use? Either way, should I do any specific prep, such as applying masking tape where I will be cutting, to reduce splintering?


texts: I am trying to assemble a chair I bought online and cannot find a how-to video for it . The chair leg has a "cam stud" for the 2 screws and the instruction states "make sure the cam studs face out".  I'm not sure what "cam studs" are nor which way "out" is based on the diagram. The chair legs are being installed in the front 2 corners of the chair seat.  Can anyone help with this?


texts: In my sink pop-up stopper, the tip of the pivot rod is broken, how do I fix it?

texts:
In my bathroom, the tip of the pivot rod which is connected to the stopper is broken. When the stopper goes down, it has no rod to hook to. Is it possible to re-use and re-adjust the existing pivot rod?

If not, should I get a new one?  Which name should I use to describe the hardware that I need when I go to the hardware store?


texts:
How do I correctly install ceramic floor tile? There's lots of talk about using backerboard and waterproofing membranes, what an acceptable floor deflection is, different grout and thinset additives, ect...

Starting from subfloor-less 16"oc joists, what are the proper materials to use for a professional tile job and in what order are the steps for installing them accomplished? Are there any differences that need be taken into account when doing my kitchen, bathroom and entrance-way floors?


texts: Can nonworking half of light set be removed?

texts:
I have a set of regular Christmas lights, and one half of the set doesn't work.

Can the half that doesn't work be removed and somehow join or solder the two remaining wire ends?

The last working lightbulb has two wires going in, and only one wire going out. There's a third wire, but it goes past the lightbulb.


texts: Can I use pavers as a cheap solution to stop rain water erosion?

texts:
After over a decade of rain water running down from the roof, I have a small 'moat' around the house, where the water has eroded away the grass and sand (this is Florida, soil is sandy) - see Picture 1. Also, water gets splattered against the house wall, keeping it wet throughout rainy season, which is not a good thing long-term - this is the main concern now.

Adding gutters would cost significantly, so I came up with a cheaper solution:
Simply place a row of pavers with a slight outward tilt along the house, which will catch the falling water's impact, and run it off in the grass or splatter it outwards (hence the slight tilt) - see picture 2.

The question is - will that work as expected?

it took the water over a decade to erode through the grass and about two inches deep, so it's not that bad
nobody will ever walk on them, so the pavers do not need to support that. Therefore, I plan to simple place them in the sandy dirt, next to each other.


texts: Replacing two 2" x 12" - 24 (span) with comparable strength LVL beam

texts: I'm the GC for my home palapa (covered patio) project.  No walls, with 4 posts to support a 20' x 24'roof (metal roof).  My framer gave me a B.O.M. of 4 each 2"x 12"-24 feet and 4 each 2"x12"-20 feet, plus many other pcs.  I'm sure his experience he knows what is needed.  2 12" together for each of the 20 foot and 24 foot roof beams.  My question is I prefer to use LVL.  It's straighter, resists twist, and stronger.  Since it's stronger, can't I use smaller? verses using two at 1.5lvl at standard 1.75" x 11.87"?  Seems like an overkill.  Where can I find load tables so I can compare two 2"x 12" at 20' and at 24' spans to lvl beams?  Point me to links and data so I can review with him and make him comfortable as well.  I'm buying the materials and paying him for the labor to frame the roof.  thanks,


texts:
I have just hired a young mason for a few projects, one of which was to patch a hole in the brick wall and the other to build a low garden wall. I hired him on the basis of pictures that he texted me and one reference for whom he had laid a patio.

All digging was completed on day one. On day two, the hole was patched and the first few stones of the wall have been laid down. First, it seems to me that tamping the crushed stone and laying a few stones down is very slow progress for a crew of three people. Second, the stones that were set seem to form vertical seams that doesn't look right to me. The mason explained that the challenge is the obtuse angle that the wall makes. Finally, it seems that the hole in the brick was patched relatively poorly as you can see by the gap on the right in the bottom pair of pictures.

The guy is nice, hard-working and responsive. But am I right that I'm seeing evidence that he may not have sufficient experience for this job?


texts: What kinds of wood are suitable for laser cutting?

texts:
I want to know what kind of wood material should be used for a 60W laser cutter?
I would want to cut and engrave woods for my project. Looking for effects like these


texts: How to electrically hook up my humidifier to my furnace and have it run when furnace is running and not A/C in summer

texts: How do I hook up my humidifier to my furnace so it only runs when furnace heats my house.  Just want to make sure it does not turn on when A/C in summer goes on.  The person who installed my furnace did not hook it up and is not answering my calls.  Thanks


texts: Why does my shower keep alternating between freezing and boiling by itself?

texts:
A little while ago our totally fine bath/shower tap unit broke in our bath. Our landlord's plumber installed a new one and since then we've had big problems. Steps to reproduce:

We get in the shower, and turn the hot tap to the 'on' position.
After a minute, the water is scalding (as expected).
We turn the cold tap as little as a quarter turn.
The boiler switches off. Shower is now freezing.
We turn the cold tap back 1/8th of a turn.
The boiler is now on and the water is boiling.
Turning the cold tap even slightly makes the boiler turn off again.
Doing nothing causes the the boiler to turn off again after a minute.
The water is now freezing.
Doing nothing causes the boiler to turn on again after a minute.
The water is now too hot to be used safely.

This has happened only since the new tap was installed. It is new, but its also probably the cheapest in the shop. The plumber commented that our pipes are very old and not of a standard size so I know there is a converter to convert from the old size of our houses' plumbing to the new size used by the modern tap. Is it possible that turning on the cold tap causes a pressure change which the boiler just somehow can't deal with? What could be causing this problem? And what steps could we take to make our landlord fix it?


texts: 3 white wires and 1 black wire in ceiling fixture

texts: I recently moved into a home that had one of the light fixtures missing in the bedroom, I'm going to assume that it was a ceiling fan due to the bracket that was left behind. I'm trying to put up light fixture that has 1 white,1black and a ground wire. The wires in the ceiling have 3 white wires bundled together with a wire nut black wire with wire nut and the ground wire. How do I know which white wire to use and when I separate the white wires do they need to be wire nut  separately or can two white wires go together


texts: What could cause my recessed light to not work?

texts: I replaced a flood light lightbulb in recessed light fixture, thinking the previous bulb had burned out, but that new bulb isn't working either. I've tried a regular lamp bulb to ensure my new floodlight bulb was actually "good" and I checked the fuse board to make sure that outlet hadn't been tripped. What other reasons would the light not turn on? the house is only 10 years old and there's no evident damage or anything wrong with the wiring in the recessed lighting.


texts:
I am being bothered by airplane noise in my home and was thinking to put mass loaded vinyl in the attic to help shield some of the noise. The attic has old fiberglass that is also covered in a layer of loose fill insulation.

Is it acceptable to just lay the vinyl on top of the insulation? I saw this video where the contractor supports the vinyl with metal channel but the amount of loose fill insulation doesn't allow for that in my home.

An alternative approach would be do staple to the roof (on the wooden underside).

Wondering if either of these approaches are acceptable.


texts: Do I need to replace this water pressure valve?

texts: We recently bought a house built in 1976. The property is relatively rural but does get city water. The water pressure in the whole house is less than desirable, so we had a plumber come out to tell us what was going on. In addition to two clogged water filters (which we replaced,) this valve  was installed between the main and the filters, so he removed it altogether. None of these "repairs" seems to have affected the water pressure for better or worse. So my question is, would my water pressure improve if I installed a valve downstream of the filters? The water is very hard and has lots of sediment, so I can't realistically remove the filters. What else could possibly improve the pressure otherwise? All of the faucet screens, etc. have been cleaned...


texts: Is it okay to staple romex to a floor joist when running it perpendicular behind a finished basement ceiling?

texts:
Taking down my ceiling to run some wire to new outlets. The outlets are going in an area with an unfinished ceiling, so I know the romex there will need to be ran through the joists when going perpendicular, to get to its destination.

On the way to the breaker box though, it's going through a finished ceiling. In that portion of finished ceiling, I noticed someone basically took nails, turned them sideways, and used that to secure the romex (home made staple).

That got me thinking if I didn't have to bore through the joists in the finished area, and save me a ton of labor. I know the code is probably to prevent people from hanging stuff on the romex when it comes to unfinished ceilings, but still. I would use insulated staples instead of nails, but the concept is my question.

I also came across this on a separate site, but more confirmation doesn't hurt.


texts:
The valve won't turn so I'm looking to replace it.
I think it's a sweat type but I'm looking for confirmation.
Is this a sweat or threaded valve?

Edit: Scraped pipe

Edit 2:


texts: What's a reasonable expectation for efficiency in modern solar panels?

texts:
I recently had a solar array installed on my roof with four different sections connected to three inverters - the total array includes 56 panels for a total of 13.44 kW.

However, I'm not seeing anywhere near that much production, even during the peak of the day. I obviously wouldn't expect to product 13 kW, as the panels aren't 100% efficient, there are clouds, the inverters lose 10% or so, etc. However, what's a reasonable expectation for the system production or an array that size?

What I'm seeing is that production will rise pretty quickly in mid-morning to 6.68 kW, and then sit there (at that exact number) until late morning. Then it will jump pretty quickly to 7.38 kW, hang for a while, and then up to 7.7 kW once all banks of panels are in the sunlight, and then it will sit there until early afternoon - however, that's only 57% efficiency for the system, and that seems a bit low.

Here are some questions I have:

Maybe I mis-understand how the panels work. I'd thought that they'd produce more power when the sun is directly over them, as opposed to at an angle, but the production numbers don't seem to support that. Is that correct?
Obviously the panels have a maximum production level, but could my inverters be limiting total production? If my panels are making 10 kW but the inverters can only process 8 kW of it, is that something I can see happening?

I realize there a lot of variables to get my exact number of reasonable production, but I'm just wondering what's reasonable and if it's something I should dig into a bit more to ensure that they were set up correctly.


texts:
Right outside of my house there are vents (for sewage?) that look like this:

These are ugly, take up space and a trip hazard. These can be easily pulled out (I just did with my hands) and below them there are pipes going towards the house. All other houses in the neighbourhood have these as well, but some of these been replaced by a flatter version - i.e. grills that take a lot less space and can be driven over. I'd like to do the same, so I can walk there or park my car over them.

Now the question - what are these called? So I can search for them online or explain in a shop without going into a lengthy tirade.

Also, could there be any problems with replacing these with just grill-covers? As I understand, these are for pressure relieve and there should be no problems.

Location is North East of Scotland if that matters.


texts: "Clip" projector directly to ceiling without "arm-mount"

texts: I would like to install a projector to my living room ceiling. As the ceiling is relatively low, however, I'd like 1) to have the projector "standing" there upside down (in contrast to a mount that takes up another 20cm or so of room height). I held it there and the projection is pretty perfect this way. Heat and air circulation are not an issue. Also, 2) I'd like to use some sort of clip system to slide the projector into and out of if I don't use it. There have to be be some sort of metal plates that can be screwed onto projector and ceiling which fit snugly into each other... some help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!


texts: how strong is 4x6 Pressure Treated wood laid flat on top of drain rock?

texts:
I'm in the process of building a 60'x12' bocce ball court and need to create the borders. I'm debating between using 4x6 PT, stacked two tall on its widest side, or using 6x6.
the layers would be as such: 4" compacted drain rock, drain rock fabric, 4x6 PT with another 4x6 PT over it to have the height be a total of 7" on top of the drain rock. on top of this and on the inside of the bocce ball court would be heart redwood just for cosmetic purposes. the top part would be 2x8 redwood and the inside bumper 2x6 vertically. once finished, i would fill the first inch of the court with base rock, followed by 3" of decomposed granite.
would two 4x6 stacked on top of each other over the length and sides of the court be strong enough to withstand stepping on it, as well as not twist? I plan to secure the two 4x6's to each other with construction adhesive and also Spax or GRK 5 5/8 screws every foot or two. the corners would overlap and  i'd also drive some rebar every 7 feet or so along the entire length to hold it to the ground
i'm concerned with the PT flexing as you step on it and also twisting over time.
thanks!


texts: Is it best practice to paint bath walls before before installing vanity, tile and sink?

texts: Should I paint the drywall walls, before installing tile, sink and vanity?


texts: Fixing substantially warped table top planks

texts:
I'm fixing up a wooden table that has sat in a warm attic for about 10 years. It's got pretty substantial bow and twist across the planks. I'm a beginner and want some advice on how best to get rid of the warp.

There were three pieces of wood perpendicular to the main planks across the underside holding them together. Before I took them off, I noticed the staples holding them to the planks were partially out, i.e. the warping of the main planks was strong enough to pull them out.
There are also these thin, wavy pieces of metal (what are these called?) hammered across each plank pair (see photo below), holding the them close together. Some of the planks are offset vertically from each other, and hammering hard with a mallet I can't shift these back to being level. The warping has also been strong enough that on one edge the wood around where a wavy metal piece was present has broken under the force of the warp. This has meant the edge plank is no longer flush against its neighbour, and the wavy metal piece is now holding it in a new location. Should I just use a hammer or strong clamp to "crush" this metal piece slightly to make the plank flush again, or must I remove it and reinsert it or replace it?

What I plan to try next, unless someone has better advice, is to replace the staples I removed from the three perpendicular planks with proper screws and drill them in tightly to the underside of the main planks. I hope this will have enough force to undo the bow across the planks. Then attaching the leg structure (left of the first photo) with the same screws I hope the remaining twist will come out. I have not considered using water, steam or other techniques yet - I have no experience with those - but any ideas would be appreciated.
Photo of the whole setup. The three perpendicular planks and staples I removed are visible at the top.


texts: Is an electrical box fill classified by wires, cables or conductors?

texts:
Is a 12-2 NM cable counted as "3" (THREE) wires/cables/conductors since it has 3 wires in it or "1" (ONE) wires/cables/conductors?

According to 370-16 with this 3 X 3.5 X 2 box, I can put "8" (EIGHT) wires in the box (actually it's stamped 20.3 in^3), whatever a wire is defined as.

But, as pictured below, I have 9 (as per NEC I'm not counting the pigtails as they never leave the box). The outlet adds "2" (TWO), and how many do I add for each twist-cap?

Seems to me even the biggest box I can buy won't accommodate a simple 3-NM connection.

The picture below is just something I slapped together in the shop so I could visualize, IT IS NOT INTENDED FOR ACTUAL INSTALLATION! As you can see, I stripped all of the NM.


texts: How can I figure out what mystery wall switches might do?

texts:
I have a two-story house with blown-in insulation in the attic. There are at least four wall switches in my house (some on the ground floor, some upstairs) that seem to serve no discernible function. I have asked the previous owners of the house and the owners before that, but none of them know the function of these switches. The first family to occupy the house is no longer alive.

What techniques might I use to figure out what these mystery wall switches are for? I've tried all the outlets, and they don't seem to turn any of them on and off, and I can't find any mounted lights controlled by the switches.


texts: Is it kosher to splice wiring in the "can" portion of recessed LED lighting?

texts: I've recently installed some 4" recessed fixtures (IC rated if it makes any difference) that had an incompatible plug for the lights I bought.  The cans came with a two-pin orange colored plastic connector/harness, and the lights (Cree branded) came with an Edison style screw in connector.  In order to make this work, I bought a female edison-style screw-in adapter (with a rubber shroud), cut off the orange connector on the cans, and used wire nuts to splice the female screw-in adapter into the can's wiring  (see photo).  The photo makes this apparatus look huge but it fits very easily into the cavity above the light.  Can I get thoughts on whether this passes muster with the electrical code?  Or is it a bad idea for any other reason?


texts: Are all wall-switch dimmers created equal? If not, what are the differences?

texts:
I just switched from incandescent to LED in my kitchen fixture. This thing is 16 60 watt bulbs. The switch is rated for 1000 watts. The bulbs are Phillips.

The light flicker at certain spots. Even on the highest setting I get some strobing.

So I'm going to upgrade to a better switch. Is there anything I should look for? Is brand name the best guide?


texts: What to do with gap between cut baseboard/shoe moulding and new wider door trim

texts: I put in new door moulding around a door. The new moulding was a little bigger than older moulding which resulted in my cutting the baseboard/shoe moulding with oscillating saw. I am left with a small gap less than a 1/4-1/2 inch. What is best way to fill the gap so that new door moulding is flush with baseboard/shoe moulding?


texts: How do I fix a coarse paint job on interior doors?

texts:
It starts with one mistake and compounds to several other.

Number one, the plan was to spray the interior doors and since we did not have a good inside place to do it, we had to do it outside. It was hot and humid but that did not seem to be a problem as the day before I sprayed one of the doors and it turned out fine.

However, the next day I had one of the employees do the spraying and another grabbed a 3/8" nap roller and started back-rolling to prevent drips. By the time I caught it they had all the doors done (13 in all). I was worried about it but the paint was initially laying down and leveling out and looked as good as the previous day's door.

Then it all went horribly wrong. About two hours later it started to create a stipple effect but overly exaggerated. It has been several days since and it shows signs of leveling but not enough to create a smooth finish that the customer wants. The paint is still tacky a week later and I need a solution to fix the doors. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. By the way the paint is Valspar premium.


texts:
My home is a 1100sqft, single story home and it carries sound very far and clearly.  It make the house 'loud'.  When I sneeze loud I hear a high pitch echo.  Voices seem to be amplified and with a slight echo.  Are there tools to verify what I am experiencing and what can be done?

The floor is tile.  The ceiling does not have 'popcorn'.
The house's layout is like this:

_ = walls
. = hallway
M = master bedroom
B = bathroom
R = bedroom
K = kitchen + dinning room
L = living room
G = garage

[    ][B1][        ]
[ M  ][B2][_   K   ]
[___]......._______]
[R1 ].[R2 ].[      ]
[___].[___].[   L  ]
[         ] [______]
[    G    ]
[_________]


texts: How do I connect this Hansgrohe kitchen faucet to my water supply?

texts:
See the end of the supply lines in the photos. These are not threaded, so I guess this done by compression? I've used compression fittings before on 1/2 copper, but I've never seen this before on a supply line hose.
Do I just use one of the crimp rings and nut that typically comes with a 3/8" supply valve (with some pipe dope)?


texts: Can I bleach Sapele wood? I want it much lighter & less red. I have tried rubbing down with coarse wire wool & applying lime wax unsuccessfully.


texts: Can I use exposed UF instead of THHN in conduit to outdoor AC disconnect?

texts:
I'm installing a mini-split and need to run power outside to the disconnect box, then an additional line from the disconnect to the compressor unit. In most installs I've seen, power to the the disconnect (in circumstances where the line is not coming through the wall directly into the back of the disconnect--which is not an available option to me) comes through a conduit; in this case, I expect I'd use THHN in the conduit. Then, a whip is used from the disconnect to the compressor.
So, my questions:

Since UF cable is OK for use outdoors in exposed conditions, can I run UF (not in conduit) to the disconnect? (FWIW, I'll be using 12/2 UF on a dedicated 20A 240V circuit, although I don't think that detail is necessary for the question.)

A secondary question to #1: The lineset for the minisplit will be run in a decorative PVC cover secured to the outside wall. With the lineset inside the decorative cover will be the 14/3 communication wire between the compressor and the indoor air handler. Can I run the UF to the disconnect inside the decorative cover?

Instead of a whip (which is essentially a waterproof flexible conduit with THHN or such inside) can I use UF from the disconnect to the compressor unit?

Thanks,
AEP


texts: Water leaking when we are away for a few days

texts:
our water system at home works perfectly when we are at home, but when we leave for more than a couple of days the bathroom starts leaking water that goes dripping right on the kitchen that is downstairs.

If we close the mains valve when we leave for few days the drip obviously doesn't occur.

Above the spot where we get the drip there's both the WC and the bathtub, both work fine when we are at home, but as soon as we don't use the water system for a few days, the leak comes back. (it's also quite a big leak, with many drops per minute)

The pipes have been assembled by the previous owner of the house, and he wasn't an expert. He used copper pipes, with plastic connectors similar to this: http://www.diy.com/departments/jg-speedfit-plastic-elbow-dia15-mm/34372_BQ.prd

Someone suggested me that it could be that the connectors are not sufficient for the pressure that we get from the mains, and the pressure gradually increases if we don't open the faucets when we are away, so eventually one of the connectors will start leaking.

Others say that the pressure from the mains is constant and this is not the case, but are actually unable to offer an alternative explanation.

Does anyone have any experience with similar problems?

Thanks,


texts: How can I disconnect power to an ADT alarm system?

texts:
I recently bought a house where the previous owner had an ADT alarm system.  Since home alarms are next to useless, I didn't continue the service.  Recently, I had a power outage due to hurricane Matthew.  I left the house and came home a few hours later to the alarm system beeping like crazy.  It had to go.

I removed the keypad with no issues.  I unscrewed everything in the control box and removed it.  Unfortunately, nothing was labeled.  There are eight sets of 22/4 wires (not 100% sure on gauge, but it doesn't matter).  I'm sure one set went to the keypad, one set to the motion sensor, one set to the front door.  But that leaves, 5 sets for... who knows?  Obviously, one is for power.  While removing the control box, a red and black touched and I saw a small spark.  Its getting power from somewhere.  Where do I look to disconnect the power?


texts: I  Have a tool for measuring the sizes of holes and screws but I don’t know what size is listed as 10 in the image below.  Across from it the row in question is listed as INCH.


texts: I have a NuTone model QTN130LE1 ventilation fan/light. I have 2 switches on the wall. One is for the light,the other is for the fan.im not sure how to wire it up properly. I don't think I can use the nightlight because I don't have consistent power to the unit,unless a switch is on. I have a black,white,red and a bare ground wire for power. From what I can see,the red wire is coming from the fan switch.  The unit has a green,taped red and white,taped white and blue,and a taped together black and white wires. Any help would be much appreciated.


texts: installed new disposal and now dishwasher will not drain

texts: We have a new dishwasher that was installed by the retailer.  A month later we installed a disposal our selves.  Now the dishwasher is not draining.  Any suggestions?


texts: What are these 3 thin lines draining into my sump well?

texts: There are 3 thin lines draining constantly into my sump well.  The lines are coming through the concrete to the best of my knowledge because i can't trace them on the walls or ceiling.  I am having a constant pumping through the line in the upper left of the well, every 30 seconds of a fair amount of water, causing my sump pump to run every 20 minutes.  This is creating an issue with drainage in my yard.  I'm assuming that the french drain installed doesn't have anything to do with these lines, but could they be from the wall mounted inline water heater?  Or even the refrigerator line?   I also have a water treatment system, but i have bypassed this to remove it from the equation.    Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated as i have been dealing with this issue for quite some time.


texts: Why do the water pipes around my water meter vibrate when water is flowing?

texts: I have a problem where there is a vibration in the cold water pipes whenever water is flowing (i.e. a tap is running, just after the toilet has been flushed etc.). The vibration appears to be focused around the water meter, although it's not clear if it is the water meter causing the vibrations or the pipes. As a rough guess the vibration is around the 2-4Hz range, and is fairly constant whilst water is flowing, gradually getting quieter once the water has stopped flowing. It also doesn't start when there are either small or constant low flows. Can anyone tell me what might be causing the vibrations and if this is something that could be fixed myself (i.e. turn the water off and on again) or if this is something that I will need a plumber to look at?


texts: Can I close the garage vent on my furnace?

texts:
My furnace duct system has a vent in the garage, right over the furnace. Is it necessary for the proper operation of the furnace to keep that open? I'd hate to waste the money heating up my garage, but I don't want to close the vent if it means damage to the furnace.

In the picture below, I have the vent closed, to increase the pressure going into the house.


texts: Does the mold on this bathroom panel look like it can be washed off?

texts:
I previously asked this question
Is this mold or some other substance?
Anybody know what material the bathrooom side panel is and does it look like the moldor whatever substances can simply be washed off or does the affected area/whole part need to be removed\replaced?
Thanks.


texts: When I came home from vacation I found electrical outlets on one wall not working, so tested them. Found no neutral situation. I pulled them out but they looked good. I found a j-box in attic, opened it and found neutral wires wire nut completely melted. The hot wires and ground wires looked good. What happened?


texts: Replacing a PIR light switch with a timer switch

texts:
I thought I'd try to be all helpful around the house and replace the PIR light switch in my dad's room with a simpler timer switch.  After flipping the breaker, I pulled out the PIR and found that there were four wires.  I was only expecting black, white, and green, but it had a red wire like a 3-way switch.  Except that this switch isn't supposed to be 3-way and there isn't any other switch in the house that controls this light.

I looked up the manual for another manufacturer's PIR light switch, and for 2-way operation it says to cap off the red wire.  I'm wondering if I should do just that -- cap off the red wire in the wall, and just connect the other three wires as I normally would.  Can anyone offer me their advice?


texts: Earlier today the a/c unit tripped the breaker.  I reset the breaker but the outside unit will not kick on. Please advise.


texts: I paid someone to sand and restain an oak table, when I wipe it with a paper towel stain comes off, how do I fix it

texts:
I paid someone to sand and refinish my kitchen table. The table is rubbing off stain when wipped with a dry paper towel. I don't trust their ability to fix it so I am trying to fix it myself.

They claimed they used min wax colonial maple stain, and then general finishes poly both oil based.

I am not sure how to fix this especially with stain wipping off. They have had it completed, drying, for a week. I am hoping to not have to strip and start all over as the color is fine I just want to seal it and make it a functional table again.

Thanks for your help


texts: What's best to stick granite backsplash to granite countertop?

texts:
Forgive my lack of knowledge here.

New bathroom vanity. Black granite countertop and 3" tall backsplash.
Countertop, and will-be-visible faces of backsplash, are polished and factory sealed.

** Backsplash will be about 2" from wall **

What specific product is best to use to "glue" the backsplash to the countertop?
(googling seems to suggest some sort of epoxy, but wondering if that might be too brittle, or discolour...?)

Do I need to sand the polished & sealed countertop where the backsplash will sit?

Do I need to caulk when the "glue" is set, and with any specific caulk?

Here's the relevant bit of the "installation guide". There is no text...

Thanks in advance...

**** EDIT ****
For clarification, the backsplash won't be against a wall but it will be near it. About 2 inches away. And we have little kids so I'd like to use the backsplash to stop stuff running down the back of the cabinet where it will be hard to clean.


texts: Should I use a vapor retarder in Missouri?

texts:
I'm constructing a small house in southern Missouri, climate zone 4. My question about vapor barriers is multifold:

Should I install a vapor barrier at all?
Should it be on the interior (warm-in-winter) or exterior (warm-in summer) side?
What permeability/material is advisable?

As highlighted in existing answers on this site, this depends on where I am - however, having researched the recommended approach in my climate area, authoritative sources are giving me directly contradictory information, and I'm not sure which one to trust - the MO DoE, US DoE or the University of Missouri?

The University of Missouri extension and the MO Department of Energy say I should install one, and that it should be on the warm-in-winter side:

  Vapor barriers are installed over the face of the studs or joists on the side closest to the inside surface of the home.

http://extension.missouri.edu/p/GH4881

  A vapor barrier should be placed on the "warm-in-winter" side of the insulation.

https://energy.mo.gov/resources/insulation

The Craftsman blog says I should install one, and that it should be on the exterior, warm-in-summer side:

  if you live in a hot climate like I do here in Florida the vapor barrier should be on the outside of the wall assembly

http://thecraftsmanblog.com/vapor-barriers-101/

And, finally, the US Dept. of Energy says I should not install any vapor barrier at all when building in Missouri:

  Building scientists generally do not recommend putting a vapor
  retarder in walls in the mixed-humid climate. In the mixed-humid
  climate, walls should be able to dry to both the interior and exterior.

https://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2013/11/f5/40percent_mixed_humid.pdf


texts: What should be used to insulate around the interior brick of chimney that is next to drywall?

texts: There is a center ledger, covered in painted drywall - next to the centered brick chimney(in the center of the house).  There's a gap between the ledger and the chimney.  Is "Great Stuff" safe to use to insulate this?  Isn't there a "Great Stuff" of similar product that is fire retardant?  The chimney doesn't get hot, but it can get warm when temperatures get extreme.


texts: Nailing a joist hanger to ledger with concrete behind

texts: So I've got a 2x10 Ledger attached to a concrete wall. I have a double 2x10 joist that needs to connect to the ledger. I have a joist hanger for this but the installation requirements say to use 16d nails (which are typically 3 1/2" long) to connect to the ledger. How can I do that if the ledger is only 1 1/2" thick? Will the nail go into the concrete? Are there shorter nails?


texts: Replacing a cfl tube light with a led wiring help

texts: So I was given the task of replacing old cfl tube lights in my room for brighter led (120 cm long) ones. Never done this before so I'd appreciate a walkthrough. I already took down the old tube light fixtures and all but can't tackle how to get the led put up. My first issue is wiring. Led has 2x0.75mm2 wire in it. Cables from wall are about just the same if not smaller. How do I connect those two? Mix and tape? Or a screw box connector thing? Is there any to dos with the ballast? Appreciate any pointers. Thanks!


texts: Installing windows - screws laterally into studs vs nailing flange?

texts: I've been installing replacement windows in my house and see the instructions to drill through the outer inside face of the trim to put screws laterally into the studs and sill and top header.  The windows come with caps to cover the holes after the screws are put in.  These windows come with nailing flange with holes every 4 or so inches and that's what I've used to secure the window.  Before installing the windows I've added 2" of EPS foam-board insulation and on top of that 5/8 sheet of OSB.  The nailing flange is screwed (4" screws) into the OSB (and finding the studs and sill).  Is there a problem with not using lateral screws from inside the window trim to the studs?  Seems cleaner not doing this, the window isin't going anywhere with all the nailing-flange screws.  The lateral screws likely wouldn't hit wood - instead they'd likely hit the EPS insulation.


texts: How does a soft-start autotransformer compare to a regular autotransformer?

texts:
I'm using some commercial kitchen appliances from the U.S. in Europe, so I need to transform the voltage from 230v to 115v. I have been learning about different autotransformers, and came across some that have 'soft-start' and those that don't.

As I understand it, soft-start ramps up the voltage as it is needed by the device instead of just giving the full voltage at once. Is that true?

What devices prefer an adjusted voltage to begin with? From what I've seen, soft-start autotransformers appear to be more expensive, so I'm guessing they are probably better all around, but I don't know. Perhaps the device wants the full power straight away. How would I decide whether to get a soft-start or not?


texts: Samsung dishwasher dispenser doesn't open until partway through rinse cycle

texts:
We have a Samsung DMR57LFB dishwasher that is about 6 years old. The past two weeks or so we noticed a new problem -- soap on the glasses after the dishwasher was finished. So I watched during the 2 hour 14 minute complete cycle. During the 1 hour 30 minute wash the soap dispenser stayed closed. It then opened about 5 minutes into the rinse, with 40 minutes remaining in the complete cycle. That left unrinsed soap on the dishes.

My understanding is that when a dishwasher starts a complete cycle it first rinses the dishes, drains,and then starts to wash, at which point the soap dispenser opens. I guess we could manually open the dispenser at that point but I'd like to fix this if I could. The soap dispenser seems to operate fine, but just get the control signal late.

Any suggestions on what to try to find and fix the problem? I'll try pulling the plug on the dishwasher to see if that resets the control board.


texts: Is the laundry room floor drain connected to the water heater?

texts: My home is built on a slab foundation. When I turn on the hot water valve I get no hot water. Instead it backs up from the floor drain under my washing machine. One person told me I had to re-plumb my home. This doesn't make sense to me. I can use cold water all day long with no problem in shower, toilet, washing machine, sinks, etc. How would turning on the hot water cause the drain to back up? I am a 69 year old single woman and don't know if I am getting the correct information. A total re-plumb is very costly.


texts: What is the feasibility of an elevated home extension - versus adding a floor inside a 16-foot high basement?

texts:
Following on from my previous question: Can I have two storeys in a 16 foot space?

It looks like the "best" use of that crawlspace area would be to build a new floor inside the 16-foot crawlspace/basement - a large livable/usable finished day-basement room with a somewhat unfinished storage area underneath. But I'm wary of the cost involved in inserting a new floor into the existing house structure.

Another option for adding more square-footage to the house that I'm looking at is extending the top floor of the house by having an elevated extension (on legs/stilts). It would not surprise me if it did end-up costing the same because while more "new" work is needed (i.e. adding new exterior walls) I believe it would be less hassle - "greenfield vs brownfield".

Here's what I'm proposing, via MSPaint:

So the top-floor would be extended northwards by about 2-3m, greatly increasing the floor-area of the two bedrooms, as well as adding a walk-in closet for Bedroom 3 and a Jack & Jill shower-room (or two separate shower-rooms). I think adding a deck/balcony that stretches the length of the house would be nice (as the north face of the house faces a wooded area) - it could be covered too, and then the bedrooms would both have their own french-door access to the deck/balcony.

Of course, note the problem is that it's essentially 30-feet from the west-end down to the ground below. I'm assuming a builder can source structural timbers long enough for that.

But an advantage is that the entire foundations don't need to be massively-extended, a set of pile-driven single foundations would be all that's necessary (would you even need a pile-driver?).

Is my proposal feasible? And if so, how much is this likely to cost in comparison to installing a floor into, and finishing, the basement?


texts: Ground and neutral bus considerations when wiring a gfci breaker

texts:
Hello all,
I am adding a gfci breaker to my main breaker panel. By the looks of my panel I think the ground bus and neutral bus are bonded but not certain of this. It looks like my right bus bar is the neutral bus and the left is the ground bus. The copper wires coming in from the bottom and going to the right/neutral bus are bonded to ground rods. There is a flat metal strip running from the center of each bus bar to the center of the panel and I am thinking this is connecting both the neutral and ground bus bars together. I am wanting to check the following.

Since my ground and neutral bars are connected I can treat them interchangeably when choosing where to place ground wires and neutral wires.
Since I can treat the two bars interchangeably I can place the gfci pigtail and the incoming ground wire from the circuit I will hook it up to onto the same bus bar.

Thank you for your support and advice in this matter.
Ben


texts: Pros and cons of walling off window from inside only or removing window and sealing wall totally

texts:
We live in Florida. To gain additional wall space we are considering using wallboard on the inside only and leaving the window as is to the outside.

What are the pros and cons?

Does this increase the mold factor?


texts:
We have a half bath that has a switch outside the door and another switch near the mirror/vanity inside.  The switch outside turns on a light at the ceiling and a (very loud) fan, and the switch inside turns on the lights above the mirror.

At a minimum, I want the inside switch to control the fan. Ideally, I want to exchange the wiring completely (outside switch controls vanity lights which are bright, inside switch controls ceiling light and fan).

Is this doable?  I'm very new to DIY, and have only recently purchased my first house. I can provide a picture if it helps.


texts:
I'm in a house where the plaster was done in an old style. Not lath-and-plaster as one of the tags suggests but simply plaster mixed in with hay or something fibrous on top of brick.

With the humidity this has gradually started to turn to dust in two places. Downstairs this is happening in the corner of a wall and, upstairs, a piece of ceiling just under the attic has practically fallen. This can become a problem downstairs as the red bricks underneath could also soak up humidity and falling to eventually degrade too.

It was suggested that I use some tinfoil (?) then replaster but this sounds weird. How could I redo this properly? Get rid of all the plaster that's loose and put some new plaster in or use gyproc panels instead?


texts: How to protect this foundation sill from elements, rodents?

texts:
This is a pre-fab panel house, which means the walls were delivered to a team on site that had built the foundation and floor. It's fascinating to learn how this approach impacts the final project (TLDR, it's a classic "throw it over the wall to the next team on the line" situation).
One issue we've discovered is at the connection between foundation and sill. The sill plate sits on tarpaper, on top of the foundation. The rim joist has a layer of wood fiber insulation on the outside. The siding (hardiboard) runs to approximately the top of the foundation, but there's a gap. The backfill is up to approximately the top of the foundation.
The gap between the siding, the rim joist, and the top of the foundation is a great place for critters to go in, chew that insulation, get in between furring strips and siding, and find holes into the crawlspace. I've seen wasps flying in and out. I've seen voles going in and out.
In an effort to protect the interior, I've foamed around the inside of the sill. And in a couple places I've foamed on the outside, just to plug a wasp nest. But most of the base of the walls on the outside is still exposed to the elements and creatures. Appx. 50% of it is under a deck.
I'm wondering if anyone has suggestions for making this better.
In the attached photo, you can see all of these elements: On the left, the siding comes down to the ground. On the right, the wood fiber insulation and furring strips. Under the wall, the tarpaper comes from the sill.


texts:
Building a root cellar in corner of full basement.  No water issues. Humidity is relatively low in winter (SW Montana).

Details:
The root cellar will be located inside a full basement . The basement is poured concrete and is heated. The root cellar is going to be placed in a corner where 2 sides will remain bare concrete walls. The two adjoining walls that complete the room are 2x4 construction. It will be cooled by cool air from outside via duct work dropping cold air to bottom of room. There will be a warm air “exhaust” near top allowing warmer air to exit to the outside. I don’t think moisture will be an issue as humidity is typically low even in winter and there is no water in the basement (bathrooms, etc)

For insulation, is it best to use XPS panels or are batts ok?


texts: How to fix leaks in concrete and steel bulkhead

texts:
I have a bit of an urgent situation forming. I recently purchased a house that's 55 years old, with "no history of basement leaks." Long story short - my basement flooded yesterday during a small rain storm. There was damage to stored boxes and it was quite a mess to clean up. Today is Tuesday, and we are expected to get major rain for four days starting Saturday. That gives me four days to find and fix the issue. I didn't see the water coming in, so I'm not 100% certain where it's leaking, but I have a few likely suspects.

I have time to do this job only once, and need to get it right. Correct product, procedure, and application the first time - or more flooding will occur. I've taken and marked several photos and I'm hoping for some advice.

I think the majority of the water is coming in though this old buried wire that's below grade. The outside end got snagged on a trencher last fall, and I think it may have pulled and broke previously applied sealant.

There are also several long cracks that have been previously sealed by the former owner. They are much deeper below grade, so I'm not sure if they'll leak once the higher holes are plugged. Some of the sealant seems to have come away from the foundation, as there are openings behind it. I've highlighted the location.

Finally, when we look outside there are issues too. The previous homeowner installed some edging bricks, and I just noticed that sit about 1/2" proud of the grade. There is an inch of stone in the middle with some landscape cloth underneath. I suspect this only serves to keep water from running away from the foundation. My land slopes away from the house slightly, so it's graded well. I think this is becoming basically a swimming-pool when it rains.

This is my current plan, but I'm open to any and all suggestions.

Tonight, I'm going to flood that area with my hose and mark where water in infiltrating.
I need to find and buy product to seal both the foundation and/or bulkhead.
Friday, I plan to remove the edging bricks and remove the stone and fabric. Dig down to expose the wire and remove it. Plug the hole and seal.
Scrape away loose sealant from the foundation and reseal. I'm hoping I can do this from the inside only, since digging down that far on the outside will be a huge chore.
Build up the area around the bulkhead with topsoil to run water away from the area, and extend the gutter discharge about 18" away.

Does this sound like a plan that will work? I basically have one shot here before I'm in sump-pump territory.


texts: Redoing my roof: how should I redo my insulation?

texts:
I live in Denver. My 60 year old house is 1.5 stories. The upstairs has a highly sloped roof and definitely has insulation in the relatively narrow attic and I believe has insulation at the angled portions of the second story and in the hip walls. However, that insulation is not updated since 60 years ago and was found by a home energy audit to be insufficient.

I have to have my roof redone this year due to hail damage. The roof is asphalt shingles. Most of the attic space is tiny, like 4 feet tall. There are currently vents on the sides of the house, but no vents in the top nor any vents in the soffit. There is an attic-fan which draws are in through the vents on the side of the house - the fan runs on on a thermostat.

Should I have the roofers take off all the shingles and plywood in the roof, redo the insulation in the attic/walls, and then reinstall the roof?
If not, what strategy is the best in terms of cost, improved comfort, energy savings?

A picture may be worth a thousand words? Here's a cross-section focused on where we have insulation, of what quality, and where we have access.


texts: How do I stop a creek from eroding my steep embankment?

texts:
Behind my house there is a very steep bank/slope that leads down to a decent-sized, slow moving creek about 10 - 12 ft wide. Unfortunately it meanders right behind my property at the base of this steep embankment:

When we bought our house almost ten years ago, it had not meandered nearly as much and we had significantly more embankment/real estate than we do now. Over the last decade the creek has cut deeper and deeper into the embankment and we now have lost about 8 - 10 feet of property at the top of the slope due to erosion of the embankment. We are now about to lose our fence which runs along the top of the embankment and I think this is finally the year that I need to do something to stop the erosion of loss of real estate (and our fence).

One thought I had was to see if I could (as impossible as it sounds) redirect the creek to flow straight rather than to meander. This would prevent the creek from cutting into the embankment any further. But it wouldn't stop erosion from rain which is now just as much a problem as the creek.

To fix the erosion issue, I'm wondering if there is any material I could apply/spray/whatever to the entire embankment? I know on the side of highways I often see rocky cliffs with some kind of retaining netting that helps "pack" in the rocks and loose debris from falling onto the road.

At this stage I'm just looking to review my options so I can weigh them and only then drill down into their logistics so I can figure out which way we're going to go.

So, options-wise, what are some solutions out there that could help with both problems (that is: preventing the creek from meandering any further, and erosion of the embankment due to the creek and rainfall)?


texts: How do I keep old 1 pane glas from blowing out by high wind?

texts: Renting in old house with a couple of old 1 pane glass windows which need to be secure for hurricanes.  I am a senior female and need an easy reassuring fix.  The owner doesn't care, so I must do it myself.  Do you have any ideas on how to secure the windows?


texts: Electric stopped working after I moved my microwave?

texts:
"We moved the microwave to a different spot in the kitchen and didn't realize the circuit wasn't large enough to support it. The whole wall quit working. We changed out the actual breaker in the breaker box but nothing happened.

When the breaker is on, our tester shows that there is electricity going to each outlet but nothing will come on when we plug it in.


texts: How to deal with drain pipe sticking out of bathroom wall

texts:
This is the picture of a wall behind the toilet. You can see the black pipe sticking out of the drywall about 1"

The previous owner decided to build a box around it. I didn't know what was inside and it looks odd so I broke it down. This is the "before" picture:

So my question is: Is there a better way to hide this pipe?

I am thinking:

Put back the box with drywall. It was a mistake to remove.
Do smaller box around that black pipe only.
Paint the pipe white, same wall color, and caulk around the gaps between the pipe and the drywall. Basically it will be a part of the wall.

I prefer Option 3 but I don't know how it would look.

I hate Option 1 though because it is still very obvious (now that I notice) even behind the toilet.


texts:
We recently moved into a small flat in the UK. For hot water we have an electric water tank with a main switch and electric timer:

I made the following experiments:

Main switch on / Timer on  – There is hot water
Main switch on / Timer off (by removing pins and setting manual mode to off) – There is hot water
Main switch off / Timer on – No hot water
Main switch off / Timer off – No hot water

It seems that the timer is not working or I don’t understand how it is supposed to work. We are on Economy 7 tariff (cheaper night energy) and I am looking for a ways to reduce our bill. For the first week with the hot water tank constantly on we had 84 kWh day energy. This seems a lot since we hadn’t yet used the electric heaters.

My questions are:

Is the electric timer supposed to work and the water to be heated
when the main switch is off?
Will it be more effective to keep the main switch always on (i.e.
the water tank constantly working, i guess it has a thermostat) or
it would be better to turn it on only for 2-3 hours per day?


texts: What is the name of extremely porous concrete for water runoff solutions?

texts: I have seen extremely porous concrete that water drains through very well.  Narrow strips of this may be put across a driveway to limit excess water runoff.  What is the name of extremely porous concrete?  How does one make it?  Where would one buy it?


texts:
I have an outlet I am going to move up the wall.  The outlet has two cables running to it.  My question is, if I run a new straight down from my new outlet location, do I just tie together all three cables together at bottom, cap them, same color, and wire up the new outlet at top with the other end of the new cable?

I will be putting a blank face plate at the bottom where the tie in will be per code so it is accessible.  Please let me know if this is correct, I have some electrical knowledge just have not done this before and want to make sure it is acceptable.

Update:

The tabs appear to be intact, so am I safe to assume if I wire this up like I spoke of I will be ok?


texts: Light bulb keeps going out, but isn't burned out.

texts: Recessed light (can) in living room ceiling went out. When I touched it to replace it, it went back on, only to go out again the next day. I screwed it in tighter and it went on, only to go out again the next day. If it were a heat issue, it should come back on after it goes out, but it doesn't. Is this indicating a loose connection to the lighting fixture and is it dangerous? (Living in Oregon)


texts: Is an ungrounded GFCI outlet safer than a plumbing-grounded non-GFCI outlet?

texts:
I'm in the United States. I have a handful of three-prong outlets that have been grounded to the underground water main just as it enters the crawlspace. All of the ground wires are home runs to the same clamp on the water main. This rules out ground-to-ground potential differences but maybe not ground-to-neutral differences, since I believe the panel is coupled to the water main only through dirt.

It's my understanding (correct me if I'm wrong) that the ground terminal on GFCI outlets can safely be left unconnected as long as the cover plate is marked "NO EQUIPMENT GROUND." Is this safer than the existing plumbing-ground situation I described?

I realize that neither choice is ideal, but replacing all of the 14-2 NM with modern 14-2/WG isn't an option at the moment.


texts: It is OK to use a surge protector with 15 amp breaker on a 20 AMP circuit?   I then have a remote 15 AMP wifi switch plugged into the surge protector with breaker.   I know I would need a 20 AMP switch if not protected by the 15 amp breaker in the surge protector.  Thx.


texts: Moving light fixture- what are these extra wires?

texts:
I have a small kitchen with a single light fixture that I am wanting to remove, and replace with 6 recessed can lights. My plan was to remove the existing fixture, disconnect the wire and just pull that wire over to the first can. However, when I opened up the box, I was greeted with this:

It's hard to see, but there are two white wires on the top, and two black ones coming in from the bottom. To make sense of it, I've sketched it out:

Which brings me to my question(s):

A) What is going on here? Top right must go to my wall switch, but what's the rest doing?

B) Since I'm no longer wanting a light here, could this mess be stuffed in a junction box in the ceiling, accessible from pulling out a recessed light? (There is a second floor above this ceiling)


texts: Complete Waterproof Service Panel AWG 1 Splice

texts:
We need to splice or extend existing AWG 1 main service panel wires and the splice would be left open to rain. What kind of connectors that would create watertight waterproof splice?

I have this (but putting tape all over it would not create waterproof splice because water can leak in:


texts: Is it possible to patch a crack in a toilet?

texts:
We have a medicine cabinet placed above the toilet. Not the best place but not a lot of choice. Anyway, while fumbling for some Sudafed in the dark, I managed to knock a cough mixture bottle out of the cabinet.

CRACK

Takes a chunk about three inches long one wide out of the rim of the bowl, and I think caused a crack down the side as well. EDIT: definite cracks on the outside, can feel a slightly raised edge.

So, I know we need a new toilet but it will be awhile  till we can sort one. Is there  anything I can patch it with in the meantime. As it's the only toilet in the house.

EDIT: One thought was to duct tape the side,would hope that could a least hold it together for a little while.


texts: How to prevent thermal cracks between PVC panels

texts:
I have a roughly 40' by 20' roof, with the overhang that's about 2' deep. My builder suggested using PVC panels for the eaves (instead of plywood) for lower maintenance and higher longevity of the PVC. I agreed, and he built it. My understanding is that the material he actually used was 4x8 sheets of 3/4" PVC, made by Kleer (this is pretty much the same stuff as Azek trim boards, but sold in 4x8 sheets like plywood). He basically cut the pieces to size, and nailed them to the joists. It looked like a good job. Recently he prepped and painted the PVC, and it looked great for a few days. But then the temperature dropped from 70F to 45F, all the joints between the panels have opened up, and now it's quite unsightly. I would greatly appreciate any advice on how to fix the situation.

Just to clarify what "fixing it" means. :) Ideally, I'd like to see a smooth painted surface, without cracks in either summer or winter (house is in the North-Eastern US). Is it possible to install PVC in such a way that pieces don't break away from one another as temperature changes? If it's not possible to prevent the separation, should all joints be made slightly larger and filled with some sort of expandable paintable caulk?


texts: What is this pipe coming from the basement wall?

texts:
Trying to figure out what this pipe is for coming out of our basement wall. House was built around 1980. We purchased about 4 years ago. Home has well and septic. Well pump and pressure tank is nearby.
This pipe has never had anything connected to it since we purchased the home. When it rains, water drains out of the lower pipe. Last night it rained about 2” and filled the ice cream pail.
The upper pipe remains bone dry. I pushed a rod in the top pipe around 30” and didn’t feel a ridge or anything.
Trying to figure out what it is, where it may go and can I cap both the upper and lower pipes and let it fill with water so it stops draining into the house?
Any thoughts?
Thanks everyone
Joe


texts:
I am renovating my house. I've come to the drywall stage. I would require around 40 sheets of sheetrock to be hung.

Each sheet is 58.8 lb and I'll be buying them together. I'm planning to store them by stacking them on four 2x4's in my living room (on the first floor) , which has a hard-wood floor. That's a total weight of 2352 lbs. Is this safe? Would there be any damage caused by this ?


texts:
I see this kind of connectors at the bottom of each my modem but I cannot use them for anything because the package is not provided with particular screws and I cannot find those screws anywhere etc AliExpress by searching modem connector wall and the biggest electronic store in Finland, Verkkokauppa.com with ruuvi (=screw) -search where the customer service also says and confirms (19/8-2016) that they do not have any screws suitable for the attachment. It would be great to find specific names for such screws.

Screws are from the standard Ikea's screw package in the figures.
Fig. 1 connectors are the right-hand-side, Fig. 2 Screw unstably in the key slot, Fig. 3 Two bigger screws there which cannot completely fit the plastic but may be sufficient

You can put two screws in the keyhole slot but I cannot find anything that just fits there so the screws are in little angle and unstably there in Fig. 2. I think big screws are not the right ones for the task. Perphaps, something specific could be found.

Factors

length of screws
size of necks in the screws

Modem/router in the picture: TP-Link Archer MR-200