texts: Would adding ice to a ultrasonic humidifier help cooling in summer?

texts:
During summer it's way too hot for me to sleep well.

I currently use a fan, but it's so hot that it's not enough.

I had the idea of having a sonic humidifier in front of the fan as the fan would move the water particles into my body and then when the water evaporates it would cool me down.

Would adding ice to the humidifier water create a cooler mist?


texts: Can I remove the circuit breaker handle ties and treat them as individual circuits?

texts:
o.k., I get what handle ties will do, just not sure why you would use them?

in the panel of my new home, there are quite a few (7-8) and I would just as soon remove the ties and treat all individual 120v/15a circuits as just that - - individual 120v/15a circuits


texts:
This may be a bit of the beaten path but here goes.

I have a 150+ year old wine cellar in my yard with venting on the top. These vents are large, roughly 2x4 feet. They are also stone and rough hewn ending below ground level. Some are covered over with sticks and dirt, others open.

I'm concerned that these openings are a danger to kids and pets - it's a 20+ for drop.

How can I safely cap these off while still providing lighting / venting?


texts: How can I plane a half inch off the rough surface of a wooden table top?

texts: I have a 6'x 3' table made from old railway sleepers that is very pitted. I would like to remove approx 1/2" from the top to smooth the surface (we keep tipping over wine glasses!). Final surface doesn't need to be dead flat or level. I'm guessing that a block plane / scrub plane is the fastest way, but does anyone have any better suggestions?


texts: How to create detachable pull-up bars in my lawn?

texts:
All the references, questions, and videos I see are related to fixed pull up bars. However, it looks bad in the garden to always have a pull up bar all the time and my other family members will not approve of it so I was thinking to have it like a volleyball/badminton court where the poles are detachable.
However I have no experience with building structures like these so I am hoping to get leads on what materials are needed to build it.
Mainly I need a pull up bar that is a little bit higher than the usual pull up bar so I can have more room to move around when I have my gymnastic rings placed on them. My height is only 5 feet and 7 inches.
Usually I am concerned about building over soil/grass because I believe rains might be able to make the soil a little mushy and may make the poles unstable. Another concern that I have is that the holes where the poles will be placed, may get filled with soil/dust over time due to rains and etc. So there should also be covers in place to actually prevent this from happening.
So I am hoping for recommendations that may help build this and possibly avoid some accidents due to bad structural design.


texts: Could this cracked drywall be caused by a shifting house?

texts: We are in southern Illinois and last Sunday my wife noticed a crack above the kitchen cabinets. We started looking around and have found cracks all over the house in different areas that were not there before. We are starting to see seams in the drywall in different place and nail/screw heads through the drywall. The paint is pulled in many places along where the walls ceilings meet. The windows are out of square (were not before). And almost all the trim in the house is pulled away from the ceiling. We have paneling in one room and it has pulled away in the corners. The wall behind the fireplace has started to pull away from fireplace. Gap gets bigger as you go up. Would this be shifting? Worried because this has all happened in a weeks time. Here are some pics.


texts: Is it safe to stain some small wood pieces with Danish oil in my basement? Nobody uses the basement but I am concerned about fumes leaking up into the main house. It is Watco Danish oil.


texts:
Thinking of building a small one person dry sauna and just running a heat gun blowing into bricks or rocks inside the sauna to heat it to 180F.

Any reason this would be dangerous?  Like the plastic cord releases toxic fumes at 160F and up or something silly like that?


texts:
I'm thinking about finishing my basement but at the bottom of my stairs the plumber installed a very strange setup for my sump pump.  See attached picture.

Ive never seen this before so I wanted to know if I could shorten this.
My neighborhood is on a hill/rise and the house is about in the middle. There's a collection pond at the bottom.

Edit: the PVC pipe is connected to the storm drain on the left and to the sump pump in the pit on the right.  I want to make this setup smaller by shortening the black pvc pipe from the ceiling to the floor.  I don't even know why this setup is necessary since it's connected to a storm drain. This is in my basement which is underground.


texts: How can I mount a 2" mast to the side of a utility pole?

texts:
I need to mount a 2" diameter mast to the side of a utility/telephone pole and am having trouble locating a mounting solution/hardware that will work.

My big problem is that I'm not sure what the name of such hardware is and that is making it tough to find using Google. Searching for "pole mount" just returns hits about mounting the pole itself, not mounting TO a pole. I've thought about using some kind of clamps around both poles, but ideally I'd like something that provides a little bit of offset between the poles. Maybe there is come kind of adapter hardware that would allow for a flush mount against a pole?

Can anyone provide some advice for the name of the hardware you'd use for this, or just general advice on how to securely mount a mast to the side of a telephone pole with a bit of an offset and flushly?


texts:
We attached a PVC pipe to our main drain in the basement. We ran it along the basement wall and outside underground and a cleanout was placed.
Is there any code out that would keep us from passing a home inspection?


texts: Replace forced air heater with electric radiant floors

texts:
There are forced air in-wall heaters in my house which are quite noisy. I am considering to replace those with electric radiant floors. What would be the least invasive way to do it?

Current heater is 800W 240V. There are three rooms with such heaters all using the same circuit protected by 20A breaker. I presume I can go as high as 5A per room with this setup, i.e. 1200W. But again, if 800W forced air heater is enough to keep the room warm, equivalent power radiant floor should work just as well. Am I missing anything?

Anyway, my current idea is to reuse existing wiring: disconnect the in-wall heaters and use their wiring to power the radiant floors (installing additional junction boxes as needed). Is anything wrong with that plan? Would I be able to use existing thermostats that directly control power to the heater (i.e. no low voltage lines)?

Washington state, if that matters.


texts: Can you tile on finished plaster wall in a shower?

texts: My house was built in 1925, it has plaster walls. The area around the bathtub/shower is only tiled halfway up the wall. We recently hired someone to finish the tiling up to the showerhead, and he placed the tiles directly on the wall. I'd assumed he would cut out the wall and put in cement board or something. It appeared that he did no waterproofing before adhering the tiles. Is this ok? Is it ok to install tile directly on plaster walls in a shower? He also cut a hole into the wall to build a box for shampoo and whatnot, and he did this with wood. I am worried about having moisture problems as a result of this. I hired this tiler in a hurry, and did not do much research. I'm not sure what I was thinking.


texts: How can I replace a light switch with strange wiring?

texts:
Here's what we have in the box:

(2) Black wires
(1) Yellow wire
(1) Capped cluster of white wires.

Here's how it was wired:

As stated above, the three white wires were capped. One black wire was attached to one screw of the light switch. The other black wire was taped to an opening in the middle of the yellow wire. The yellow wire was then connected to the other screw of the light switch.

I was trying to replace a regular switch with a dimmer and knew I should've dropped when I saw this, but went ahead and things got mixed up. I tried to return the light switch to at least the originally goofiness and now other circuits are being controlled by this light switch.


texts: Is a flexible coupling okay to use on an ABS furnace exhaust pipe?

texts: I want to use a Fernco coupling for 2 inch furnace exhaust is it okay? The venting is ABS and runs low across a doorway. I want to be able to bring stuff by and replace the pipe 2 times a year.


texts: Can I run computer network wiring next to the furnace exhaust?

texts: I am in Ontario and I want to run computer networking wire from the basement to the second floor.  The most direct route is inside the box that carries the furnace exhaust to the chimney on the roof.  The wire would be outside the metal furnace exhaust but inside the wooden box that contains the metal pipe.


texts: When running through my check list to start the AC for the spring/summer I noticed the outdoor fan was not running, hence no cooling.  I'm using a basic digital multimeter to test a capacitor with the help of Youtube.  In the video, the meter set at 2000K ohm instantly displays a reading and jumps back to zero.  On my capacitor, the meter displays a multitude of readings and never goes to zero, for both the fan and herm terminals.  Is this an indication of a bad capacitor?


texts: Furnace C wire connected to condenser. Can it be used for thermostat?

texts:
I have a 20+ year old Lennox furnace and AC unit. I opened up the back of the furnace since I had a disconnected C wire.
Basically, it looks like the C wire from furnace is connected to to one of the wires going out to condenser outside the house. The other wire being the Y wire.
Question is can I still use this same C wire terminal for thermostat? Currently the C(blue) wire to thermostat is disconnected and I can connect it to the wire going to the condenser.
Update 11/22 - Looks like I messed up something. I realized today that I had connected the thermostat C wire to the Y wire.
There are 2 wire in the Y screw and one of them goes to the thermostat and other goes to the air-handler. The C wire from thermostat also goes out to the air handler with my non-smart thermostat. Accidentally I had connected the thermostat C wire to the Y wire-nut.
Now I connected it back to the C wire-nut and at some point the outside-condenser came on.
Did I screw up something or is this setup not compatible with C wire?


texts: Do I need to redo this deck or it would be OK to clean it and repaint it?

texts:
Do I need to redo this deck or it would be OK to clean it and repaint it ?
In my opinion the floor is in bad shape and so are the top rails

By law info


texts: How do I manage grounding when installing a metal extension on a plastic box?

texts:
I've been repairing an outlet that's not supposed to be recessed, but is, so I purchased a box extension from the local hardware store. When I tried to put it in, I realized it interferes with the grounding wire going to the grounding strip in the plastic box I was trying to install it in. I don't think there's any way to run a wire to that screw terminal with this metal ring installed.

The shape of the box extension is a continuous metal ring the shape of a box, with flanges on top and bottom. There are no holes on the sides. I intend to use shims to bring the receptacle level with the drywall with the longer screws included.

What is the code-compliant way of grounding this extension (and the box, if required)?

If it's of assistance, here's a photo of the interference:


texts: Trying to repair a leaking faucet handle, but can't determine the brand

texts: The hot/left handle leaks when you turn on hot OR cold.  I have pictures/video attached to show where the leak is coming from.  Hoping someone can identify the brand, so I can tell what part to replace?  Thanks in advance.leak in action


texts: Should I remove this carpet glue from basement concrete before laying a floating floor?

texts: I'm looking to remove my basement carpet and replace with a floating floor. Not sure if I need to scrap up this glue when I will be laying a 6 mil vapor barrier over the concrete anyways. The black part in the picture is where I tried scraping some of the glue.


texts: How do I secure "hanging" front facing pavers?

texts:
I have a stone walkway and steps up to my front door, and the front facing pavers/stones on the top step have come loose yet again.  When I put them back up, in order to have them flush at the top of the stair, there is about 1/2 in gap on the bottom.  It looks fine, but I think the lack of support on the bottom is causing these things to repeatedly fall down.

Should I just find some slightly larger pavers?  Or should I build up the bottom layer with something to offer support?  If I did this I think I would only want it in the back so it was not visible.  Or should I try the same approach with some possibly better adhesive (any recommendations here?) and convince my 4 year old daughter to stop standing directly on these "hanging" stones?


texts:
I live in a Townhouse. I have no power except on one level upstairs.
Power Box is all good. I am a nurse not an electrician.
Thoughts please.


texts: Why were the ground wires in my light boxes either cut off or tucked away unused?

texts:
I live in a home built in 2006 in Delaware. There are a mixture of plastic and metal boxes for light fixtures throughout the house. I am in the process of replacing builder grade lights with better finishes.
Every single box I come to the ground wire for the fixture has been snipped to the base, and the ground wire from the cable is either curled up in the box or snipped back to the sheath cut. The metal boxes have ground screws with nothing attached to them,  Is there a reason for this or is it just bad work / laziness? It literally takes 30 seconds to connect the two wires much shorter time than tucking and trimming them in my opinion.
I am by no means an electrician, just looking for some education on this subject. I only ask because the plumbing work done here was also shoddy, missing putty, unglued joints, overflow on tub not connected... a real winner lol. Thanks in advance!


texts: Moisture from under the floor - is this bad?

texts:
I had a prefab shed installed, which I'm finishing as a detached office.  Since the floor got covered in drywall dust, it often looks like there's moisture seeping up between the floorboards.  I'm planning to lay down a vapor barrier and laminate flooring.  Should I be worried about this moisture?

The floor is built on metal joists set on a concrete slab.  I'm concerned that rain is flowing onto the slab.  Is there a product I can use to seal around the bottom of the joists?  I assume I shouldn't completely plug those rectangular holes, but I was thinking of covering them with wire mesh or something to keep critters out.


texts: How can I add a new light fixture off of a ceiling fan wired to two switches?

texts:
I have an existing ceiling fan rough in that is wired with 3 conductor wire to two switches, allowing the light and fan to be controlled independently.

The fan that I installed however uses a wireless controller for the fan and light control, and therefore only uses a single hot wire(one switch), the other conductor for the unused switch is just capped in the ceiling fan box.

I would like to add a separate ceiling light fixture in this room.  It has occurred to me that I have a switch that is not being used because the fan can only be controlled by a single switch.

Can I simply tap into the existing neutral, and unused hot in the ceiling fan to run to my new fixture?  This would save me from having to add a new switch.

In other words, I would run 14/2 from the ceiling fan fixture to the new light location.  I would tie the new hot to the unused hot in the ceiling fan fixture, tie neutral to neutral, and ground to ground.

This seems to be pretty straightforward, but I wanted to see if there was any reason this wouldn't be an acceptable approach.


texts: How should I support a large gate in a vinyl fence?

texts:
I'm adding a new gate in my vinyl fence; a full width (6') gate.

I'm concerned about support. The fence posts are decently moored, but there is still some wiggle.

Would it be better to dig out and add additional concrete around the outside of the posts and keep the posts hollow?

Or would it be better to add a 4"x 4" wood post insert and moor it with some interior concrete to moor it?

Or is there another approach?


texts: How can I use a Z-wave switch as a 3-way with no neutral?

texts:
I have two lights controlled by two light switches in a 3 way switch loop configuration with no neutral.  I would like to replace either one (if I can get away with it) or both of the switches with a Z-wave light switch. From my research, it appears that almost all Z-wave light switches require a neural wire.

I have found a couple of non Z-Wave dimmer switches which claim to not require a neutral.  This Lutron switch claims to work with a variety of bulbs and not require a neutral.

Do I have any Z-wave options given that I do not have a neutral?

Here is a picture of one of the switches


texts: Can I safely remove/reattach the back of a fitted wardrobe?

texts:
I've recently gotten a new flat, and the second room has fitted wardrobes along one wall (e.g second picture). I would like to put a TV and playstation in one of these as I don't need the storage space. However, the only accessible plugs are on the opposite wall of the room.

Along the opposite side-with the wardrobes- I do not know, but I suspect there could be a mains socket or several behind the wardrobes somewhere.

I would like to unscrew a fitted wardrobe from the wall (two screws along the top, below) to check for a plug, and if it is there, I will make a small hole in the back panel for mains access.

Can/Should I do this, would it be safe and will I be able to screw the wardrobe back into the wall (i.e through original holes)?

Alternatively, if you have a better suggestion for what I could do, I'm all ears.


texts: Should I install GFCI outlets or run new grounded cabling in my older home?

texts:
I am renovating an old home(90 years) that my wife and I just purchased. The electrical system in the house is outdated - some of the outlets appear to be knob and tube but most are the brass and silver; forgive me if this is incorrect info, I honestly know very little.
To the point - We do not have grounded outlets and I started replacing the 2 prong outlets with 3 prong outlets (without installing the ground). I realized this is a bad idea and decided to start researching. I am a little confused because I hear opposing arguments on whether or not the GFCI outlets are able to compensate, to some degree, for the inability to short circuit on demand.
I have read that the GFCI are good for nothing more than water running into the outlet whereas the actual ground would short circuit if there was a problem with too much electric output or metal coming into contact.
My question is: Could I replace the 2 prong outlets with GFCI and call it good, or should I be installing a ground? I prefer not to overhaul and install a ground but please tell me if this is a terrible idea or not.
Thanks in advance
-- UPDATE --
I see that some of the outlets are encased with a metal rectangular box and was wondering if I could ground the outlet(s) by running a bare copper wire to the metal rectangle box back to the ground screw on the outlet?
Pictures requested:
The Older Looking Outlet

The Newer Looking Outlet

On "The Newer Looking Outlet" above, you are not able to see it in the photograph but there is a green screw for grounding; it is on the bottom left hand side


texts: Are SharkBite plumbing connectors as reliable as soldered connectors?


texts: Why don't my fluorescent lights work after a nearby lightning strike?

texts: I was working in the basement during a thunderstorm, with two banks of fluorescent tube lights (like office lights) in two rooms on.  Thunder pealed, power went out.  Every so often there would be a flicker of light, then it was gone again.  Went upstairs, discovered power was on upstairs (although newly installed fluorescent bulbs are much dimmer in one room).  Returned to basement, checked the circuit board, which was fine.  Discovered the incandescent lights and the wall outlets all worked.  Hour later, and still can't get the fluorescent tubing to turn on.  What happened?


texts:
I would like to mount my television over a window. I identified this mount; Chief OB1U

It looks like it will do the trick, except that the opening of my window is approximately 60" high and the max length of the mount is approximately 66". It needs to be mounted in at least two studs but over the window I understand contains a header and I'm guessing it is taller than the range of the mount.

So my question is, can the header withstand the weight and force from this mount and 75lbs of television?

Here is a picture of the opening I will be placing the tv;


texts: How prevent the first bulb in a series of two LED ceiling bulbs from going out for 30 seconds once every ~5 minutes

texts:
Question

How do I prevent the first bulb in a series of two LED ceiling bulbs from going out for ~30 seconds once every ~5 minutes.

Background
Prior to a couple years ago, I had two working incandescent bulbs in the two BR30 ceiling light fixtures.  I replaced them with a pair of CREE LED 100W-equivalent BR30 bulbs a couple years ago.  I also obtained a new Lutron LED dimmer switch to go with them.

After installing the new bulbs, I quickly noticed that while the second bulb was working quite fine, the first bulb would go out for about 30 seconds, once every five minutes.

When weird things like this happen, it's usually due to an incompatibility between the bulbs and the dimmer switch.  Recently, I've swapped out the bulbs for a pair of 75W-equiv Ecosmart LEDs, and they had the same problem.  These bulbs are officially listed by Lutron as compatible with the dimmer.  Finally, I tried a pair of 65W-equiv Phillips bulbs.  They also had the issue.

I also bought another dimmer (of the same model) to see if maybe there was a defect in the first dimmer.  It also has the issue.  I plan to try a different name brand next (for reasons of form factor, my selection was limited, but I can change the form factor with more cost).

I'd be surprised if there was a transformer to make the bulbs low voltage, though it's a remote possibility.

What's causing the first bulb to go dark for ~30 seconds once per ~5 minutes?  How do I fix it beyond just going back to incandescents?


texts: Is this 6 circuits inside a Raceway that calls for 50% deratement?

texts:
Here is pic of the 3 panels. The third right most is a 2nd disconnect (150A going to the 125A main breaker at main panel at middle with 38mm^2 wire). I will need to downgrade the 150A breaker in 3rd stand alone panel as during overload, the 38mm^2 would melt first before the breaker trips. We have these mismatches because in the Philippines, all contractors apply at city hall using simple fake electrical plans (in the plan it's only 22mm^2 main feeder used and no aircons), then after permit released, the contractors change all details and since there is no inspection, they always get away with it).

This is permanent as I won't put any raceway so no problem about S bends, etc. isn't it? We never have inspection.

This is all covered in normal usage:

consider the following connections:

The above subpanel is connected to the right main panel only 3 inches away:

Do you consider it as 6 circuits inside a Raceway? Is it not a Raceway is when there is a PVC tube (with wires inside it). But when they just converge into an opening and diverse again. Then it is not technically called a Raceway right?


texts: ElectricalSub panel unequal legs. With all of the sub panel power is equal on both legs right at 1:20 apply power light switch in a small circuit the lights are down voltage one leg drops to 107 second leg goes up to 133


texts: How to stop acorn-head supply tube from leaking?

texts:
The purple highlighted rectangle shows the spot where the acorn-head supply tube connects to the faucet valve.  Ours is leaking, no matter how tight it is, and even after applying teflon to the grooves.

Is it alright to apply teflon to the head of the acorn/male portion of the supply tube?  I'm not sure what else to try.


texts:
I'm replacing an electrical box in my bathroom that connects to both a vanity light and a fan. The idea is to put in a GFCI outlet and a duplex switch for separate light/fan switching.

Right now I'm stuck on grounding:

I have three ground wires coming into the box (line, light, fan). Plus one to ground the box itself, plus one each to the GFCI and the switch. That's 6x12 AWG wires that all need to be connected.

How do I connect that many wires? The largest readily-available wire connector (red) is rated for 4x12 AWG.


texts: What are the best materials for non-toxic wooden blocks?

texts:
I want to make wooden blocks for my baby girl. If successful, I would like to sell wooden block sets online too.

Requirements: (by order of importance)

Non-toxic
Cheap & readily available
Durable (doesnt chip, can withstand baby's watery mouth)
Easy to work with

What are your suggestions for the best:

Wood type
Wood paint
Finish

for the job?


texts: New water pressure regulator doesn't change water pressure

texts:
I checked the water pressure to my home a few weeks ago, it read 120, and was unable to change the pressure when I adjusted the bolt. I figured the regulator went bad, so I bought a new one.

I installed it today, and I'm having the exact same problem. No matter if the bolt is all the way in, or all the way out, the pressure still reads 120 PSI.

As I turned the water off, I watched the meter drop, so I don't think it's a bad meter.

Anyone know what might be going on here?


texts: voltage draw differences on GE Spectra electric range/oven

texts: My wife tells me not to use the clock timer on our GE Spectra 220v range/oven, but rather use the Microwave timer since it's 110v.  She contends that everything on the GE 220v range/oven no matter the clock, timer, range top coils, or the oven uses 220v to operate.  I told her logically it would seem that even though the wattage/volts is 220v that it steps up or down depending if you use the timer, or rather it may take less volts to heat soup on the 6" or 8" coils versus the oven to bake something.  I through out a computer term....dynamic allocation....for the voltage it would take to run less demanding options on the GE Spectra. If your set the timer it has to be a very low draw, so much so that you would have a hard time comparing that to using the timer function on a microwave that runs on 110v.


texts:
I live in a tiny place. I recently found a dehumidifier that could be placed outside. It has sensors that can be placed inside and connect to the dehumidifier.

Does it make sense to put the dehumidifier outside (so it will suck outside potentially humid air) and send the dry air into my place through a ventilation pipe ? Will this actually dry my place, as opposed to placing the dehumidifier inside ?

The dehumidifier sorry I could not find the description in english.


texts: I have a 5 year old built-in natural gas fireplace.  It has electronic spark ignition and a wall thermostat.  I just tried to start it but noticed that there is no gas reaching the pilot so no flame, so no fire.  The igniter sparks and I confirmed that the main and service gas valves are ON.  I don't hear gas flowing and I can't smell any gas.  Nothing obviously obstructing the pilot opening itself (spider webs, dust, etc.).  Is it is possible that the pilot light gas valve is stuck shut?  If so, can this be fixed or is the whole gas valve (pilot and main burner) unit shot?  How to test this?  BTW, there is no "press-and-hold" button on the gas valve; it's all electronic. Thanks!


texts: Troubleshooting LED refresh rate or flicker

texts:
We bought a older home that had all the bulbs and fixtures replaced with LED lights of one kind or another. I have a ceiling fan light fixture and two pot lights in the living room that bother me. Particularly when I play with my dogs I can see the refresh rate of the bulbs. None of these lights are attached to a dimmer. Before I start buying up new bulbs, fixtures or switches I want to know exactly what I'm searching for.

I took these videos on my iPhone 6S Plus with the slow motion feature at 240 fps to clearly illustrate what I am seeing. Each video shows just a single light source being on at once. In the pot lights video the fan and fan light is off. I don't know what Youtube encoding would do to it.

Ceiling Fan light
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DddB_0QrV_8

Pot lights
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FFI1atKoLE

The question I have is what exactly am I looking at. What is the terminology I need to use to describe the issue and how do I identify a solution for it? I've spent a few hours over a few weeks now reading and searching on the subject but 99% of the results are for LED lights connected to dimmer switches. Again these are not on dimmer switches.


texts: Turn my heat on via the thermostat.  My oil fed burner kicks on and is lit up (heat is being made).  The system is sucking in air to feed the system.  Only problem is hot air never makes it out the vents?  It's blowing room temperature air even though the furnace is burning oil at full steam!  Any reason this would happen?


texts:
My question relates to a commercial building, but the theory I guess is common to all.

Can I safely use a 230v dimmer circuit to feed a general lighting rig? I need to drop a 32A Ceeform cable to a portable show stand and have been advised not to. I believe the person who has made the statement, but want why it would be a problem?  My logic says that a dimmer set at 230v should have no problem in supplying a 500w (2Amp) lighting circuit!


texts: can KY jelly be used in a pinch if no silicone plumbers lubricant is available? this is NO joke!

texts: The tub faucet is in pieces right now and wanted to have repaired before the man of the house returns from his daily labors. I've replaced before but used no lubricant. That may be why it needs repaired again after 5 years. Everything was put together right but the faucet handle is extremely tight. Referred to the good ole internet but that question has never come up! REALLY???


texts: Bathroom, dryer and central vac - Can any of the exhausts be combined, and can any use the same penetration?

texts:
I have these three units within 5 feet of eachother. The place where the bathroom vents to is the only place within reach to have a penetration to outside.

My options are to stack these three exhausts, or up the size, add some backflow preventers, combine them, or something else that you guys might know.

Also, I'm concerned the dryer vent may form a vapor trap or some sort, but I don't know enough about it to figure that out.


texts: Half the house has power - Stove, hotwater tank and dryer not working!

texts: I have a 5 unit apartment building, but one unit is having a problem - which is only one side of the panel is working.  My electrician has checked the electrical panel inside the unit for connections and they appear to be good.  Then he went to check the breaker outside next to the meter and turned it on and off.  Then everything worked for couple of days and afterwards the same problem started again.  Now he's saying the breaker next to the meter is most likely not making good contact and needs to be replaced.  I talked to the city light and they said after changing the breaker and if the problem still existed then to call them so that they can come out and check their connections.  Any thoughts?  Thanks.


texts: Need advice on replacing 100amp main lighting breaker in a pushmatic- live panel involved in diy

texts:
I have a push matic box, where over the years breakers will go bad. Luckily, they are after the main lighting breaker that shuts off the bottom of the buss bar.  I feel comfortable working on those and have replaced several over the years.
New item, the main lighting breaker is starting to fail. The problem is, of the four screws connecting it to the buss bar, 2 are connected to the upper part that cannot be switched off with out turning off the power at the meter; I am unable and unwilling if I could, to do that.
Question..
I have my class 0 insulating gloves, and my 1000v rated insulating drivers;  are experts here comfortable pulling that break without turning the main power off outside?  Is it completely irrational to do so?
I am selling the house in a year or so, and they are demoing these houses for bigger, so I’d rather not upgrade the panel.  The panel has been good to us the last 30 years.
All input is welcome.
Thank you.
Hahn


texts: In our RV trailer has wallboard wallpaper. I have splotches of and dried drips of gorilla glue. What can I do to remove with out ruining wallpaper ?


texts:
Is this normal and should I be concerned about square on my ceiling? Should I worry about any leaks? I felt the spot and it’s cold to the touch but not soft, no wet. Although I am wondering why it feels cooler compared to the rest of the ceiling when felt by hand.
Here’s a picture


texts: How to get outlets straight inside boxes?

texts:
I am replacing my outlets with tamper resistant outlets. After replacement, some of them are crooked in their boxes.

The old outlets were straight enough so I know the boxes are aligned appropriately. I have tried to remove them and get them in more straight, but I haven't had much success.

Any tips on how to best make sure the outlets are flush with the box/plate/wall?


texts: Integrating into knob-and-tube wiring: okay to borrow a ground

texts:
I have a mixture of knob-and-tube and NM-B.
If I'm extending from knob and tube, but I have a (different) an NM-B circuit nearby, is it technically allowable to ground via ground wire in the other cable?
If not, what is the right way to do it?  (Please don't tell me to replace all the knob and tube -- it's not going to happen.)


texts: How can I avoid dust and bubbles when installing window film?

texts:
I always get some kind of flaw when applying window film. Obviously I've read the instructions, watched diy videos, and even asked for advice before. I have changed up my technique as a result but I'm still getting flaws. Here are some pictures of my progress and current methodology. I’m getting better but the final results are still far from perfect.

The workspace (a rough cut piece of particle board covered in duct tape)

Glass onto film (picture was taken the day before when I hadn’t taped the particle board yet)

Ready to start smoothing!

Done (with flaws)

You can’t see it in the pictures but there are some flaws. Flaw type 1 is just regular air bubbles that you can press down on to eliminate. Flaw type 2 is a “hard” air bubble. I assume flaw type 2 is from a spec of dust but I don’t see any dust when I get my eye really close to it. …it just looks like an air bubble. Finally, flaw type 3 is the rainbow discoloration on the film. I had assumed this would go away when I wiped the mirror down with glass cleaner but it’s still there. You can actually see this a little bit in the picture. But in real life it’s unbearable, at least to me.

I have a USB microscope which I might use to try and get a better idea of what’s going on with flaw type 2. I will probably try poking the flaw type 2 that is on this mirror with a needle to see if I can remove it that way. But if/when that doesn’t work I guess I’m just going to keep trying?

I’m really not sure what to do if the problem is dust. I realized that when I was cutting the film around the glass that the razor knife was digging into the particle board and probably bringing up some particles. So on this mirror I used scissors to avoid bringing up particles from the particle board. Also, if you’ll notice all my blocks are 4x4s wrapped in duct tape. Before I began working I thoroughly swept every surface and hit the whole area with compressed air. …of course I could be attracting dust in some way that I’m not considering. IDK. I just feel REALLY bad at this. Any words of advice encouragement?

btw, I have been looking on Amazon and they want a TON of money for this. As much as $100 for a 12x24" sheet of two way glass! Of course there are cheaper options but I don't know if they look good enough. I’m basically looking for perfection. That is, no flaws or warping or discoloration at all. You know, like a mirror.


texts: Why does my house water pressure rise higher than the regulator setting?

texts: I have the water pressure regulator set at 60psi. I sometimes see the pressure at 70psi or higher. I have a new regulator but don’t know why the pressure rises.  I do have an expansion tank on the hot water heater that is less than a year old. Thought?


texts: Adding safety switch between meter and panel

texts:
I'm wanting to upgrade my 125A, 24 space panel to 200A, 40+ spaces.   I'm confident to work on the main panel, but not the main service entrance.   Would I be able to add a safety switch (pic below) between the meter and panel, so that I can disconnect and have a 100% dead panel?

Are there any requirements to be aware of?

height/accessibility of safety switch
switch distance from meter and/or panel
proximity to gas meter

Is there a different option I should be considering, which gets me to my end goal of working on my own panel?

I'm in PG&E land if that matters.  I currently have a combo meter/panel, but as part of my upgrade I'll likely need to move the meter outside.  The safety switch would be inside.


texts:
I am replacing a 3 prong wall plug outlet receptacle with a new one that also has USB ports built in.  The old outlet had 2 black wires and 2 white wires attached and a ground wire.  The New outlet has only one screw for black and one for white.  Should i pigtail both blacks together and both whites together?
Thank you for your advice.


texts:
I have a pocket door that keeps falling off its track.  The metal track has become warped and bent down in just one or two areas.  When I slide the door along the track and the front wheel goes over these areas, the wheel falls out of the track and the door gets stuck.

I cannot see how I can remove the track because the door is always hanging off of some part of it and the track is screwed to the top inside of the pocket.

I've searched for a tool to do this, but have not found anything.  Is there such a tool designed specifically for it, or is there another technique to fix this annoying problem?


texts: Irrigation backflow preventer spigot location question.

texts:
I'm not sure if this is the right category to post this so here goes.
Long story short I am getting ready to install my backflow preventer, Zurn 34-720A Wilkins Pressure Vacuum, on my DIY irrigation system. The main water supply is the pipe coming out from under the storage shed. It tees off to the left for the water hose bib and the irrigation is on the right. The other two PVC pipes in the pictures go out to the yard irrigation. The second picture is a mockup of my plan. My question is should I move the water hose bib to the down leg (the outlet side) of the backflow preventer as demonstrated in the third picture? That way the water hose bib will be protected by the backflow preventer and the backflow will be installed 12 inches above the hose bib. You'll have to excuse the bad photoshop lol I attached pictures.


texts: How can I repair decking and a joist damaged by a small fire?

texts:
Whoops.

My deck caught fire and now I need to replace the burnt parts. From what I can tell, I need to pry up the deck boards to access the burnt joist. Then replace the decking that was damaged on top.

Is there a better way? From what I can tell the decking is nailed down every 16-18 inches and pulling the nails out far enough back to access the joist seems like it's going to be quite a chore.

No problem if that's the best solution, just want to be sure before I invest time and money. Also, want to prevent further damage where I can.


texts: Using strong magnets for hanging window blinds

texts:
I have a wide window a touch less than 6' across and I want to install a blind with 2" deep horizontals. The blind that was within my price range comes with five support brackets, which can either attach to a vertical, or a horizontal surface. The kit comes with two screws per bracket, (although the end "cap" brackets appear to be more load bearing, with the center 3 for stability).

I don't know the exact weight, but likely between 30 and 50 lb. [Edit: actually 20 lb.] That's before I've stripped out the unneeded horizontals from the bottom of the blind.

I cannot drill into the vertical surface, because that's the plastic window frame, and doesn't really have enough "meat" on it for supporting something this heavy.

The horizontal surface above is a thin (1/4") cake of old plasterwork, over a steel joist; possibly an I-beam.

The walls are adobe brick.

I've considered building a minimal plywood support frame, with a piece of steel angle to match the window frame. That's not outside my skill, but it's still a lot of work.

I found some magnets about 2" long, pack of 10, which say the breakaway force is 60 lb each. They have two screwholes each. I'm looking at using two magnets per bracket, with a piece of 3/8" plywood in between the magnet and bracket for their respective screws to attach. I'd check how strong they are before hanging, and possibly clean away the old plasterwork to achieve a direct contact between the magnet and the steel beam.

Does this sound reasonable? Other suggestions?


texts: how to fix damaged wall after peeling off hook?

texts:
How would I go on repairing damage caused by peeling off some "damage free" adhesive sticky hooks? Photos attached. It looks like a layer of paint came off completely. Would I need a layer of filler or primer or should I just paint over it?

Thank you and please be patient, I am absolutely useless with this.
I am also not sure about which shade of white my walls are painted in either.


texts: Ceiling drywall separating from trim sign of bigger issues or bad installation?

texts:
House built in 2008.  First noticed this problem in the kitchen a year or two ago.  Ceiling has wood trim along the top, but it looks like either the trim has shrunk (because its wood) and caused what appears to be a split in the drywall along the edges.  Have noticed this crack forming in other rooms too, along the line where the trim meets the drywall.
Just paint over it?


texts:
I am currently going through the process of replacing all the outdated cream colored outlets in my home with white ones. Recently I was doing the ones in the master bedroom, where there is no overhead light, and instead there are wall hung lamps attached to a half hot outlet controlled by the light switch. As I was replacing these I didn't think to make sure that the new one was wired any special way, and did it the way I believe the old one was set up. However, now the new outlet is not working off of the switch, it is acting just as any other outlet with both receptacles being hot, but not controlled by the switch. At first I did remember that I hadn't broken the gold tab on the outlet so I figured there's my problem. I went back and did that and still no dice, the light switch doesn't control the outlet, and I am at a loss of what to do. Here are some pictures of what I am working with:

Inside of switch box:

Right side of outlet:

Left side:

I've had the red wire on both top and bottom of the right side and it didn't seem to make a difference. Thank you so much for all of your help!

I am just about positive that the switch and outlet are wired properly, but it's not working. The outlet has two white, two black, a red, and a ground, which also confused me a bit since most others didn't have as many wires coming through to it. I apologize if this is a dumb question and the solution is something blatantly obvious, but I appreciate all the info and help you can provide!!


texts: Do I need conduit for an indoor sub-panel feeder line?

texts: I'm adding a 100A sub-panel to feed a stove and water heater. The sub panel is indoors and in the same building as the mains panel. Do I need to run the supply feeder in conduit? I'm in Michigan and want to make sure I'm following code on this modification. If it makes a difference I'm planning to use a 8-3 wire with ground for the sub-panel feeder.


texts: Septic system failed - should I try installing an aeration unit?

texts:
My septic system's leach field is not able to absorb the liquid that comes out of the septic tank any more. It flows out of the pipes in the leach field and surfaces in the grass. Based on the reading I have done (the "Septic System Owner's Manual" by Lloyd Kahn which is very good) there is a chance of recovering from this problem by installing an aeration system.

An aeration system pumps air into the septic tank, thereby encouraging the development of "aerobic bacteria". The aerobic bacteria need air to survive, and are more voracious eaters than the an-aerobic bacteria that are typically present in a septic tank without air pumped into it. The idea is that the aerobic bacteria will clean up the fluid in the septic tank and then they will also make their way into the lines of the leach field, clearing away the "bio-mat" that has formed over the years. This bio-mat is the thing that is clogging up the leach field, preventing it from doing its job.

Anyway, there are quite a few air pumping systems out there that are designed to be installed into an existing septic system. My question is, does anyone have experience with installing such a pump to deal with this type of problem, and if so how effective was it at clearing up the problem? Is it worth the investment? For some reason these systems seem to cost around $1,000, which seems a lot for what is basically just an electric air pump.

Update: I had the air pump system installed in April 2011, so let's see how it works..!  It is an aero-stream unit which sits near my outside electric outlet and there's a plastic tube that is buried a few inches and that goes into the septic system via the outlet riser and down into the liquid. It pumps a lot of air in, the liquid churns around and bubbles continually. So far, I can say that the septic liquid is no longer foul-smelling. It has almost no odor any more. The level of liquid varies, depending on rainfall and water usage. Sometimes it comes to the top of the riser, at other times it's about 10 inches below the top. If this system works, I'm expecting that the level of liquid will fall gradually. This means that the lines are being cleared of gunk. Time will tell... I'll try to report back periodically.

Update June 30 2011
The level of liquid in my tank is about 18 inches below the top now. Very encouraging so far. Mind you, the Spring wet season is behind us, so it could just be due to the water table being lower in the summertime. Also my family was just out for a couple of weeks on vacation which took all the load off the septic.

Update Aug 20 2015
The aeration unit helped a lot but by itself wasn't enough. I ended up digging (by hand) a new "overflow trench" from the tank outlet. I used 3/4" gravel plus a piece of perforated plastic drainage pipe at the bottom. The trench was about 2 foot deep and 30 foot long and ended at a large flower bed which is slightly downhill from the septic tank. With the aeration unit plus this new overflow trench my septic tank is working well enough to not need replacement. The aeration unit ensures that the effluent that sometimes drains into the overflow trench is not foul smelling. This has been working for a few years now. Overflow will happen during periods of high usage such as lots of showering/dishwashing. It's not perfect but it's good enough.


texts: Stick ceramic tile to outside brick wall

texts:
What's the best way to permanently stick a ceramic tile to an outside brick wall?

The back of the tile is unglazed, so I'm looking for a solution that will also help protect the tile from the wet British weather.

Options currently in mind are (but open to suggestions):

Mortar
Construction adhesive

There is the option to mask around the tile with clear bathroom sealant afterwards, however I'd rather avoid this as it will look unsightly.

Thanks.


texts:
Not sure on what size stone/gravel i should use, 10 mm or 20 mm in my cement mix
1 cement + 2 sharp sand + 3 gravel (10mm or 20mm) ?

I need to fill 4 gully's in an internal concrete floor, each about 4m length x 0.08m width x 0.18m depth

Thanks


texts: Recycle E12 sockets from a string of outdoor patio lights for Christmas decorations

texts:
I am wondering if it's possible to recycle a string of patio lights that have E12 sockets with new wiring for a Christmas project. As it stands now the string of lights has a socket about every eight inches. There are at least 50 sockets on this string. I bought it at Good Will for $4. I'd like to cut the cord about two inches from either side of each socket and use new electrical cord to extend them to be approximately 12" apart. Each decoration will contain no more than four LED bulbs and each bulb will only use 1.2 to 1.5 watts. So in other words, I'd like to buy an extension cord, cut it at the appropriate length, connect my first E12 socket and then daisy-chain three more lights at 12" intervals.

Can I buy a standard extension cord to do this? I've done something similar with E26 sockets and LED bulbs in the past but wasn't sure if E12 lights were different.


texts: How do I loosen nuts on bottom side of faucet are connected to each other

texts: I am replacing a 4-inch spread faucet. The hot and cold water taps each have a big brass nut threaded under the sink (in addition to the basin nuts). These nuts are connected to each other by something I’ve never seen (I’ve only done about a half dozen sinks in houses I’ve had). I don’t know how to remove the piece connecting those nuts so that I can remove the nuts.


texts:
A cabinet door in my kitchen detached from the cabinet- the screws are about 1/2" long and weren't enough to hold the door in place. The screws are short to keep them from poking out the back side of the wood and into the cabinet space.

My concern is that simply reattaching the door with the same screws in the same holes does nothing to keep the same thing from happening again. Is there something I can do to reinforce the holes or otherwise help increase the bite of the screws in the wood?


texts: How can I connect a receptacle to a two wire extension cord?

texts: How do I hook up a wall outlet to a 2 wire extension cord? My cord broke and I want to put a regular 110 outlet on it.


texts: How two install hardwood floors in a long room with a subfloor that has a plane change in the middle?

texts:
I'm installing 3/4 oak hardwood floors in a long room (45') and the floor is flat, with one exception. The house is a 100+ year old brick townhome with the back half built at a later date. Midway through the room (where the "extension" starts) the plane of the subfloor changes such that a slight crown is created running perpendicular to the direction of the intended hardwood install. There are no signs of recent settlement in the house.

While the angle is relatively slight, due to its position in the middle of the floor, I'm wondering what the best way to approach this is. My current thought is to sand the crown to take the edge off and lay a row of shingles on each side to make the change more gradual. I'm leaning in this direction because previously there were hardwood floors laid in the room and I never noticed a crown in the floor. I thought about adding sleepers, but I worry that fixing the angle over 20+ feet would make the sleepers way too large at the far wall. Does my approach seem reasonable?


texts: This in an old (1955) GE panel that was formerly the only panel for a house with 3 phase 100A four wire service (yes, three phase).  I had the service updated to 200A standard three wire and new main panel.  This is now a sub panel with no separate ground.  I had the breakers replaced because one of the old breakers was found to not trip on a short.  Much of the circuits have now been replaced by new home runs to the new panel.  The last circuit to go will be the water heater when the new plumbing is done.  OK to keep this as a sub with existing SquareD breakers? Pix of panel


texts: Can I drill extra holes in entrance panel

texts: I am replacing my entrance panel combo with a larger 200 amp service. The panel I am installing is a surface mount, the existing panel is a flush mount. I am using surface mount because I can't drill a 2 1/2 inch hole in my top plate and I want it surface mount to make installing grid tie solar easier. The panel has all the knockouts on the back bottom and bottom.  My wires enter the existing panel from the top so I need to either lengthen the wires or drill holes on the inside top area of the panel so they will reach. Is it ok to drill the extra holes I need and can I just drill one or two large holes and run all the wires through them using the romex clamps and bushings. Any thoughts appreciated.


texts:
I have 2 space heaters at opposite sides of my bathroom walls (facing into guest rooms).  There is a wire that is easily accessible going between them thru the bathroom wall, which I have opened up right now.  the space heaters are on a double 30 amp breakers (two 30amps tied together in the panel).
I would like to put a 15 amp (but I could use a 20amp or 30 amp if necessary) GFCI on the open wall to run hair appliances (not at the same time).  Can I splice into that wire from one heater, to the GFCI and then back onto the 2nd heater?
The heaters are rarely used and haven't been turned on at all in a year or two.


texts: What's causing the rumbling sound when my furnace kicks on?

texts: I have a new, 3-year old, high-efficiency furnace in my home.  Last year it started making a slight whining noise that was audible during the very first stage, before the blower motor started.  No problems.  Some weeks ago I started to hear a rumbling noise when the furnace kicks on--again, first stage, it's not the blower.  The rumbling sounds a bit like the noise my fridge fan makes when its a little off balance.  What might be causing this?


texts: How to remove a couple tiles BEFORE grouting

texts:
Long story short - I installed a subway tile backsplash and 95% of it looks good, but there is a 1 foot by 1 foot area that came out wavy.

I want to remove just this small area and redo it before I grout. What’s the best way to remove these 7 or so subway tiles without affecting the ones around it?


texts: Buying an old house. What NOT to "modernize?"

texts:
I'm buying my first house. It's an old early 1900's Edwardian-style semi-detached. In its present form, It is "livable" (hvac is new, roof is still good). I have $50,000 to fix everything (hopefully, only for cosmetics!).

I have a few questions:

I'm accustomed to "modern" living as a condo/apartment dweller through the years and liked the "open concept"; no walls to divide the kitchen/living room area. Can I tear down all the dividing floors on the main floor? They are not load bearing of any sort, right?
The exterior stone walls of this house are THICK as an old church's. There's currently an outer and inner window (made of rotten wood and broken glass). I like the functionality of modern-day plastic framed, double glass windows, but won't they look "blasphemous" on a classic house, especially from the outside?
Under the old filthy carpet, the floor (main floor/second floor/attic) are made of wood planks (maybe 3 or 4-inch wide each). They are not perfectly even and are very old. Will I "waste" the real wood if I install laminate wood on top? I love laminate floors, they're too easy to clean and are cheap to buy and install, but will refinishing the wood floor cost similar?
Unfinished basement (crawlspace) headroom is 5'10" without a ceiling. I am 5'8" so I can walk upright down there, but I should forget about excavating the concrete floor or raising the house, even in the future and given more money, because that is a serious hassle, correct?


texts: should concrete block wall be sealed on top?

texts:
I have a 2 story + basement townhome with 8" concrete blocks walls between my neighbors. At the top of each shared wall is a sheet metal cap. Some of the cavities have concrete in them but many are completely open from the basement to the roof.

Was this a cost savings approach by the original builder in the 1970s or is there a reason to keep some of the cavities open?
Assuming it's safe to seal these up, what materials can be used to seal them? e.g. concrete, or a boat load of closed cell foam.


texts: Accessory for connecting a manual scissor jack to a drill to lift it faster

texts:
I have a scissor jack and I was wondering if rather spinning it manually, if it is possible engaging it to my drill.

I'm pretty sure that there is an accessory like a hook for drills, or something similar, however I'm struggling to find it.

If there is no such accessory, maybe there is a combination of pieces which might sort my problem.


texts:
I have a desk lamp that uses G4 bi-pin light bulbs.

The socket is marked "JC G4 12V max 20W". I was wondering what the "JC" means, so I googled "JC G4" and indeed a lot of results show up, some with "JC type bi-pin" in the name.

However, I can't find what exactly is a "JC type" light bulb. I thought the "G4" already mechanically describes the light bulb.


texts: I bought this house with phone cable wiring though PVC pipes all over but no Ethernet at all. I'm wondering if there's a way for me to fishing Cat6 cable through those pipes. Note that it's concrete house, there's no way i can drill through it. And it has five floors...


texts: What is the correct way to attach two grounding sources to my electrical panel?

texts: I replaced my existing electrical panel with this electrical panel in order to have more available slots to redo my kitchen. I have one 6# copper wire ran & attached the water main and one 6# copper ran outside & attached to two grounding rods. What is the correct way to attach these two grounding sources to my panel? (If it matters, I'm in Minnesota, USA.)


texts: what type of sheet metal screws are harder than stainless steel?

texts:
I am trying to repair my dishwasher that has a stainless interior. I need to use stainless sheet metal screws so they wont corrode. I've got holes drilled and the screws go into the thin stainless just fine. The problem I'm having is that in the place I'm repairing the stainless is welded to a hard metal bracket. The stainless screws will not tap through the hard metal. The head just strips out trying. Here's a pic

I've tried drilling a bigger hole through the hard metal, but I can't control my drill that well. (I started with #4 screws, and through error and frustration I'm up to having to use #8 screws, which might stick up too far. This project is getting frustrating.)

Can I buy a harder screw to tap the treads through the hard steel then replace them with the stainless screws? If anybody has any other suggestions I'm open.


texts: Building Concrete patio against the house with sunken family room for proper drainage

texts:
Just acquired this house with challenging problems.
When the house was built, the builder didn't care for grading the lot appropriately. One of the rooms in the back of the house is below grade and it floods when it rains. The previous owner installed a sump pump in the backyard (green drum close to 2nd stake) to drain but it is clogged up with dirt.
The concrete patio is also incorrectly installed covering the stucco siding in part of the house. The circled location points to where there is 6" level difference between rooms.
I am thinking of re-grading the backyard part of the lot to divert water away from the property and digging a trench on one side of the house and run solid pipe french drain in it.
Secondly, how to slope the (12'x41') patio from one end to the other while addressing the drop in floor level of 6" inside the house?

Seeking expert advice on the best way to handle the rear of the lot grading and sloping of the slab.

Note:
The first stake point on the side image with round pavers is 18" higher than the street, the second 19" but both are higher than the floor of the room the right side.


texts: Will water tank pressure vary by tank platform height?

texts:
We have a water tank (1000 liters) in our slab with extra 5 feet height and want to connect another tank of same quantity in slab(no extra height), like this:

Water pump input > tank1 > tank2 > output

Will the pressure change in output or will it be the same as the original tank?


texts: just tonight we upgraded our ceiling fan to a ceiling fan/light so can finally have good room-fill in our living-room. However just now (like 2 hours after install) I realized I may have forgotten to install the suport hook so it is only being held up with the 3 screws and the hinge hook on the outside. How critical is it that I pull the screws out and attach that hook if I did in fact forget it?


texts:
My brother and his family live in an older house. It's old enough to have metal pipes as electrical conduits, quite uncommon nowadays in The Netherlands.

He wants to rewire some parts, to move some switches, and to fix a hotel switch that doesn't work. He has no idea what wires were used; for all he knows there may still be some textile-wrapped wires in there.

I'm worried about the new electrical wires getting scraped when pulling them, having exposed wire which can come in contact with the conduit.

What can we do to prevent that? Is there any sheating we can apply? Should we use YMVK cable where possible?

Is there anything else we should know about metal conduit vs pvc?

Please note that this is in The Netherlands, where building codes may differ from the USA.

Replacing all metal conduit by pvc conduit is not an option, as they run in his ceilings as well, between the upper level floor and the lower level plaster on metal wire mesh ceilings with ornaments.

Note that metal conduits are unusual in The Netherlands, as the standard has been pvc for over half a century. My guess is that wires available in home improvement stores will be tailored towards that.

My understanding is that metal conduit is allowed in existing installations, but not for new ones. My brother doesn't want to replace the metal conduits per se, but any new instalments (for instance when relocating a switch) will have to be pvc.


texts: How can I add a 30 amp breaker for an RV connection?

texts:
I am trying to determine the most cost effective way to add a 30 amp breaker so that I can plug in and run the air conditioner unit on my RV.  Currently my panel is full and I don't have space to put in a whole new panel. I do have a 40 amp hot tub breaker box located outside but don't think I can add anything to it.  So is it possible to just add another 30 amp breaker to a full panel and then wire a 10 gauge plug to it?

I like the idea of adding something to the hottub box if I could just wire a plug in right off of that box.  This is a picture of the hottub box. It is a Beachcomber GFCI box.  It looks like it has an open spot.  I would just have to turn the hottub off to run the RV I assume

Hot tub breaker outside

Picture of hottub box information


texts: Can white bread be used to temporarily plug pipes for repair?

texts:
I've been digging on the Internet, for a solution to soldering a dribbling pipe.
It seams logical, but I wanted to check if anyone has tried this, and if they had any problems getting the bread out.
Or is it a known urban myth?


texts: Is a ballast required, or merely acceptable, for this Philips InstantFit LED tube?

texts:
Rather than replace a dead ballast in a fluorescent fixture, I've decided to simply bypass and move to LEDs. However, I think I may have grabbed the wrong kind of replacement tubes the other day in Home Depot. They are in the Philips "InstantFit" range, and are specifically intended to be used without having to remove the ballast. But my question is the following. Is it merely that you don't have to remove the ballast (i.e. but you can if you want)? Ot is it the case that you must not remove the ballast?†

I ask because all the instructions I've been able to find are a tiny bit ambiguous (to me). In the "Warnings and Safety" section on page two of the data sheet it says††:

  Philips LED T8 InstantFit lamps will only operate properly on compatible instant-start ballasts.

However, there are two ways to read that. One, which I now think is the intent, is:

  Philips LED T8 InstantFit lamps will operate properly only if used with a ballast, and it must be of a compatible, instant-start type.

But the other is:

  Philips LED T8 InstantFit lamps will operate properly with or without a ballast. However, if a ballast is used, then it must be of a compatible, instant-start type.

Anyone know definitively which it is?

Various numbers (from the box):

Model: 9290012265
Ordering Code: 20T12 EM LEF/48-4000 IF G 10/1

thanks.

† If so, that's fine. But then I need to replace them and get the kind intended for ballast bypass, of which there are several.

†† That link is to the "global" version. Curiously, the almost-but-not-quite-identical US version does not make the same explicit point.


texts: Could treated water backflow into my RO system?

texts:
This may be a bit of an odd question, but where I live, the well water is extremely bad.  The amount of sulfer in the water makes it unusable for anything other than washing dishes and laundry.  I had a chlorine injection system installed shortly after buying my home and it does a great job removing the odor.  In 6 years I have not drank the water or cooked with the water, or let my pets drink it.  It's disgusting to be honest.

I installed a  reverse osmosis (RO) system that is now tapped in (using a saddle valve on the PVC) before my softener and my chlorine system, whereas up until recently, was AFTER both the softener and chlorine systems.  This RO system will soon fill (I am still working on this) two 55 gallon potable water barrels to have on hand to top of my tanks after cleaning/partial water changes.

Previously(when the RO was installed after the softener and chlorine), I would disable my softener and chlorine system, and run the water until it stinks to make sure all the chlorine and treated water passes.  I would then turn on my RO system to top off my tanks (125g and 180g tanks).  This takes an incredibly long period of time.  The RO system does roughly 5 gallons an hour optimally.  I could need 30-50 gallons of water to top of the tank(s) after a quick cleaning, which means ~10 hours of having my softener and chlorine systems disabled.  During this time, I can't take a shower, flush the toilet, run any water during this time, or else my house will smell of rotten flesh and rotten eggs.  It's VERY inconvenient.

With the old setup (RO after the softener and chlorine), If I leave the softener and chlorine systems enabled, the RO water is very high in nitrates, ammonia, and basically the levels are bad enough to kill my fish.  This just happened recently.  I had 10+ freshwater fish die from a water change.

I want to know if my treated water could backflow into my RO system.  I only thought of this after I tapped into the water just after the well pressure tank.

My water system is currently setup like this:

Well to 27 gal pressure tank,
pressure tank to chlorine system (pressure tank injected by a stenner pump),
chlorine pressure tank to softener,
then onto the house plumbing and hot water tank

The softener is after the chlorine system because previously, when the softener would run, my whole house would smell INCREDIBLY horrid(softener was before the chlorine).  The place that installed a NEW softener(and also did my chlorine system) said it would have to be installed after the chlorine system to avoid this.

So now, for my RO system's water supply, I tapped into the main water line just after the well pressure tank thinking that since it was before the softener, chlorine, etc, it would be feeding my RO system with un-treated water.  But after thinking about it, I am concerned that treated water could backflow into my RO system's intake.

I hope this makes sense.  I've searched and searched and haven't been able to decide one way or another.

Sorry if my terminology is off, but I am not a plumber (you guys are WAY underpaid).


texts:
I recently wired a new laundry room for a family member's renovation project. He already had the electrical materials on hand and all of his boxes attached to the studs, so I ended up installing the electric clothes dryer receptacle (NEMA 14-30 using 10/3 NM-B) in a "deep" 1-gang wall box (22 cu in).

I'm not used to seeing this type of setup done using anything smaller than a 2-gang box, but the receptacle's screw holes were configured for use with either 1-gang or 2-gang. This family member is also a flooring/walling contractor and insisted he'd seen them installed in 1-gangs in new construction on numerous occasions.

The box fill calculations I did show that a single termination of 10/3 + ground is more than fine in a 22 cu in. box, but the receptacle itself takes up an impressive amount of space in the box (not sure if this actually affects box fill requirements, though).

Are there any formal requirements for box size/type for the installation of these receptacles aside from normal box fill requirements?


texts: Do I need to upgrade other circuits if I only plan to change one?

texts:
(San Francisco, California)

I plan to run a new dedicated circuit for a kitchen appliance, and to get up to code also move the bathroom to its dedicated circuit as well. This is an old house.

The other 10 circuits in the house are not afci protected. I do not plan to touch them. I have a permit for the scope of work I wrote on the application.

When the inspector comes, will they expect me to upgrade the breakers for the other circuits so the whole house is compliant, or just the two that is in my scope of work?


texts: What could have caused an electrical shock from a concrete patio?

texts: I didn't feel it myself, but my son-in-law and my own son said they were shocked when they touched the cemented ground in our backyard. We bought a new metal fire pit which we had set up and both men were picking up some wood off the cement when they were shocked. They said it felt like stinging and when they touched it repeatedly(don't ask me why)they could still feel it. It was just their hand and the cement. They were not touching water or anything else to create a flow.A few minutes later it was gone. It's been about a month and has not happened again.What could it have been? I'm a renter and I'm wondering if I should bother my landlord with this information when it's not happened again. This is a pretty old house.


texts: Can XPS foam support the weight of a bath?

texts:
For a design project, we're looking to use XPS foam boards that are 5cm thick (15 cm wide strips) to support the underside of a bath without legs or wall fixtures, but a supportive frame at each end.

The bath is steel enamel with a slightly curved underside and will be supported by 4 layers of XPS.

Will the XPS foam be able to withstand this kind of pressure with regular use?

Intuitively, we were thinking several thicker boards would be superior in terms of pressure resistance rather than many thinner boards, but please advise otherwise if this is incorrect.


texts: What kind of adhesive should be used to install marble tile?

texts: Looking to have large 24x24 Marble tiles put around and under a new cast iron pedestal tub.  What adhesive should the contractor use? Is there a problem putting these under the very heavy tub?


texts:
I am trying to fix tap that has a leaky hose that leaks where 3/8 nut is. It leaks only when I move the nut. Presumably because I over-tightened it last time.

I went to Lowe's and Home Depot and they did not have a replacement hose because of the unconventional 1/8 brass pipe fitting end that goes into tap.

The questions I have:

Is it possible to repair such hoses by replacing just the rubber seal on the 3/8 compression fitting end? If yes, what part do I need to fix it?
Any other tricks to try so that I could avoid to replace the tap?
Home depot plumber told me it is 1/8 brass pipe fitting, but is it really true? On amazon I found visually similar hose where other end was called M10 connector. So which one of these two is it?

Update#1: Here  is close up. It leaks just behind the nut where arrow points. Leak gets worse if I wiggle the hose.


texts: Hang 20lb projector screen on Hardieplank

texts:
The siding on my house is Hardieplank cement fiber board.

I have a 20lb manual pull down projector screen that I would like to hang onto the side of my house to create an outdoor theater.

The studs are 16 inches apart, and the length of the screen is 92". How do I go about hanging something this heavy on the Hardieplank when the studs don't line up with the hooks on the screen?
Should I just return the screen and opt for one that can be hung on a stand?


texts: Are there issues with venting a bathroom fan through the roof soffit?

texts:
When I purchased my house, during the home inspection it was indicated that the bathroom vent is simply discharging directly into the attic space. Because we were concerned about mold in the attic, we've simply not used the fan. The inspector indicated that we'd need a vent pipe that went straight up through the roof.
My attempts to hire someone to do this work continue to fall flat, but in speaking with a contractor the other day, he'd indicated that the vent could instead go through the roof soffit instead of through the roof itself. Is this accurate? I wasn't sure if this would create condensation issues either in the vent line or along the side of the house where it vents out.
I saw several other questions relating to this which all seem to indicate this is a bad idea, but they're several years old and I'm not sure if there have been any changes in technology that would make this more viable (maybe modifications to the soffits around the discharge point to prevent the humid air from being pulled back in and preferred pipe slopes to prevent condensation buildup).
If it's relevant, we're located in South Jersey, which sees a lot of temperature fluctuations throughout the year (and often throughout the day).


texts: I have a guitar hanger that I didn't put together tightly enough so it loosened over time, and I want to tighten it and hang it again. It was put into a stud and I was wondering if I could reuse the existing holes, possibly with just a larger diameter screw.


texts: Proper technique to adding a wire to existing pigtail

texts:
This seems like a pretty straight forward question and hoping not a poor question but here we go.
If you have a pigtail for three wires (say # 14 AWG if that makes a difference) together in a wire nut but you want to add another wire to the mix. Is the proper method to undo the wire nut and untwist them and try to straighten out all three as best as possible? (In IT there was a tool to straighten ethernet wire but haven’t seen such a thing for Romex). Then line up all four wires (new one included) so they're parallel and retwist again from scratch and wire nut it with a fresh new wire nut? Seems like a commonsense answer but with all things in life you can never be too sure and curious if professional electricians had a technique of their own to share.


texts:
Our below-grade, painted poured concrete garage wall is showing some efflorescence and mild spalling (see image). I would like to cover it with one or two coats of stucco. I am made to understand I may need to do all of the following, but am a little uncertain of the order:

Wire brush away any loose concrete.
Treat efflorescence with acid.
Wash wall (with TSP, say. A power wash is not going to work here).
Maybe fill in those 'tie holes' with something?
Coat the wall with a bonding agent (like Weld-crete), as it is painted.
Wet the wall prior to applying stucco.
Apply stucco (OK, this is certainly last).

I don't understand if the wall is to be sprayed down prior to stucco if it has bonding agent on it--will this wash off the bonding agent? How do I fill in the tie holes? My goal is to prevent further spalling, do I really need two coats of stucco, or would one do? Am I crazy to attempt this myself?


texts: In my new addition I'll be adding a subpanel due to lack of space in existing box.  The issue I've got right now is the walls that I could add a panel in, have a truss directly above the top place, and a floor joist directly below.  Is it code to make some sort of offset on the wall to run the conduit and romex through?


texts:
I want to remove a Schlage deadbolt so I can re-key it.  I don't have the key (previous owner lost it).  The deadbolt has keyholes on both sides.  Here's a view of the inside face:

The outside face is the same except it doesn't have the "rivet heads" on either side of the keyhole.  Here's a pic of the bolt itself:


texts:
I'm building a shed that will be housing a washer, dryer, hot water heater, and a freezer.   The dryer and water heater both require 220V 30A and will be used concurrently.
The washer and freezer use 120V 15A connections (not sure how much they actually draw), the freezer will run continuously.  I'd also like a light fixture and a 3rd 120V outlet.
The main is 200A service.  I have an existing subpanel (100A) that supplies my camper.
For the shed, I'm considering another 100A subpanel.  The shed is 30 feet away from the main, and I'm going to bury the cable underground (with or without pvc conduit depending on recommendations here.)
Is 100A sufficient?  Or overkill?
What wire size would I need from the main panel to the subpanel?
I think I need to run 4 wires (two hot, a neutral, and an equipment ground).
Is this correct?


texts:
I lost my stud finder. I read where you can detect nails using a magnet suspended from a piece of string. It does not work. It does detect the metal strips where the walls intersect. Is there another method?

Thanks


texts: Replacing 2 inch vertical cast iron pipe going through concrete

texts:
I have a 2 inch cast iron pipe that is leaking at the cement line of a second floor condominium. The common line connects 3 stacked bathrooms.

My plan is to remove the concrete around the pipe that is leaking and if it is small and isolated using bondo to repair it, place an access panel where we cut the drywall in case we need to access that area again. Is using bondo to repair a 2 inch crack in cast iron a plausable repair?

If the crack is more extensive, my question relates to the best way to remove the 35 feet of cast iron piping. Should I open the ceiling in the garage; disconnect the plumbing on the first floor and slide the pipe through the open concrete; then cutting the concrete on the second floor disconnecting the second floor and sliding the pipe down to the garage and so on? Or as we slide the pipe down for second to first floor cut the pipe in small sections. And replacing the cast iron pipe, how would you proceed?  Should I put a sleeve around the pipe that goes through the concrete? What material sleeve do you reccommend.

I can do the work with a friend, just need to know the logistics. Thank you.


texts:
In Oregon:

I am remodeling our master bedroom/bathroom, and moving the location of the bathroom, hence I need to rewire everything.

The house was built in 1989 in the following manner:

20 amp circuit supplying bathroom GFis for two bathrooms (including master)
15 amp circuit providing bedroom receptacles and lighting, and bathroom lighting and fan (no heater).

I want to keep this same design, but I am uncertain if the fan will need a separate circuit from the bedroom receptacles?

Also, I want to add an outdoor receptacle and outdoor light to the bedroom receptacle circuit with the GFI outlet in the receptacle.  Is this allowed to tee into this circuit?


texts: Can I use a generator with a bonded neutral with my interlock switch?

texts: My house has a separate electrical panel w/interlock switch for my generator that was installed by an electrician.  I've used my current generator fine but am looking at a new one. I'm confused by the bonded vs neutral discussion and GFI protection on the generator. I'm pretty sure the one now has GFI protection and I've never had an issue with it tripping. If I'm using the 4 prong twist outlet from the generator can I use a model that has a bonded neutral?


texts: Is it common for a chimney to separate from the outside wall?

texts:
The chimney has separated from the wooden outside wall of a pier and beam wooden home. It is 7 years old.  The chimney is mortared with rock and a couple have fallen from the top.

The gap is about 3 inches or so.  We are 7 inches below normal rain fall.  The poles supporting the house are in 4 feet of concrete.

Is this normal?  I have contacted the mason, but he avoided me.


texts: What can I do about water runoff that is damaging soil around my house?

texts:
Just purchased my first home, it's on a slab and isn't on a flood/water tile of any sort. I've noticed that area's around the Gutter Drains where the Rain Slant thingies (im not sure what they are actually called, I believe they are called a downspout?)

Anyways, my house has around 4 of them, the back 2 towards the rear of the house have soil thats been worn away near them (where the rain has gotten around the downspout I presume). So needless to say I probably should find a solutions to this since I don't want a lot of water getting near the slab of the house (the house is only 2-3 years old.....so hopefully this hasn't caused any damage). Im in Ky so it's not like it rains a TON here. The erosion around the gutters isn't "bad" but it's probably worth filling them in regardless.

Anyways what should I do about filling the soil around these gutter/downspouts around the house, where erosion has occured. Just any old soil?

As far as dispersing the water away from the house. I've looked into those invisaflow systems and those seem pretty nice, however im not really sure "where" to direct the water? The home needs some Outdoor Garden makeovers for sure, so I thought perhaps making the water direct to a very soil heavy/raised plant bed might work? (with high drainage?) Maybe some sort of "Rain Garden" (although im not sure what plants would work ahha). But we have a Slope of ground that goes down towards the rear of the house (so more water collection anyways).

I figured that'd be a good place to place some sort of garden). I would however not like to dig a TON into the ground (Our HOA is a PITA).
I also looked at rain barrels...but eh, they are kinda rather unsightly

Any ideas?

P.S. Since the house is only 2-3 years old and I haven't seen any water puddles or anything forming near the rear of the house (where the slight slope is) do you think much damage has occured? the only place I see soil erosion is where the downspouts are.


texts: How can I run a DC fan and ultrasonic fogger on one cord?

texts:
I want to build a humidifier for our tree frog terrarium by putting a ultrasonic fogger in a container of water and then attaching a computer fan on the lid. I'd like to combine the power for both the fan and the fogger so there is just one plug that goes in the wall.

Any ideas how to combine the fogger and fan so together there is only 1 power cord?


texts: How can I stop interior doors from opening when exterior doors are opened?

texts: In our church every time someone comes into the building through the main entrance, the interior main sanctuary doors come open and make it possible to hear noise from the hallway.  Is there some piece of hardware that can be installed on the sanctuary doors to prevent them from opening from the exchange of air flow but still allow entrance into the sanctuary?


texts: What do I need to do to finish a roof with exposed rafters on a shed

texts:
I have a shed as pictured that had never been finished completely.  As such the shed has a lot of dust debris, etc getting in that should not be. What do I need to do to finish the shed. Should I be concerned about the exposed wood / rafters?

Far as I can tell I am going to need to add:

Facia Board
Soffit board
Drip Edge

Is there anything else I need to add or be concerned about?


texts:
We've just removed the Gyprock (drywall) from our walls to install acoustic/thermal insulation and new acoustic plaster. In doing so, we've found that our 1969 home has nothing at all against the outer wall between the brick veneer and the plaster. We can see into the ceiling space above the eaves and down under the house in the gap between the timber frame and floor boards. Additionally, sheets of Gyprock were covered in ants and there were mouse droppings on the noggins.

Before we install the acoustic insulation batts and new plaster is there something we can do to seal and separate the outer wall (bricks) from the inner part (considering the insulation batts as inner)?


texts: How do I temporarily remove section of vinyl fence?

texts:
I am repairing a shed that's next to a vinyl fence.  I would like to temporarily remove a section of the vinyl fence, but I can't find a good way to remove it.

Here's the picture of the fence, and a picture of inside of the fence post.  I notice the plastic is molded so it goes easily into the post but not out of it.  Is it simple as squeezing the plastic and pulling out?  I face a lot of resistance when I try this, which makes me question if there's a better way or a tool to help.


texts: How can I split my rg6 cable runs without losing my signal?

texts:
So I've been working on this for months as I finish my basement.  We don't have cable tv or satellite.  We just get broadcast tv using a digital roofmount antenna and then in the house a digital converter box on the old Analog TV.  We are finishing the basement and I'd like to add a jack for a TV we have down in the planned family room and office.  Whenever I put in a splitter, I lose the signal (not completely though, just poor) on the main TV.  I decided to put in a junction box/4way splitter with amplifier to bump up the signal and get the same results.

If I have 60 feet of cable with one double female link about in the middle between the antenna and TV all is fine.  Once I take out the double female and hook into the "amplifier" my signal quality decreases immensely.  I am trying my second amplifer/splitter combination and getting the same results.  I've talked to several people including RadioShak tech and everyone is scratching their head.


texts: Can I extend SER service cable to accommodate a new breaker box?

texts:
I'm planning on replacing a 100A stab-lok (house burner) sub panel with a QO Mains box  but I may need about 6 more inches of SER to get connected comfortably. The original box is already about 12 in from ceiling (I know, too high, but it's neigh impossible to run a new service feed). Can the SER conductors be extended, inside the box, with a butt connector and shrink tubing? Or other thoughts?
This is a sub panel in the basement fed off 100A breaker at main box in garage. It's not my first box conversion, but the first time I've worried about service cable length.
Thanks in advance..


texts: Light Switch Problem - all Reds and Whites

texts:
I have a light switch that I wanted to replace with a timer switch (to control outdoor lights).  When I pulled the old light switch out of the wall, there were 4 wires connected to it:  Two White Wires connected to the two top screws on each side, and 2 red wires connected to the two bottom screws on each side.  What the?  I've never seen a light switch with only red and white wires.  The new timer switch as a black, red, blue and green wire.

(Also, the old switch also did not have a ground wire connected at the bottom of the switch.)

I JUST realized that the outdoor lights have 2 light switches that control them.  (Second question... can I replace one of the switches with a timer switch?)

Help!  (Thanks very much!)


texts: How to wire my ceiling fan remote with top and bottom lights

texts: There is a black, white and bare wire coming from the ceiling. I have a black and a white wire from one side of the receiver and a black, white, blue, red wire coming out of the other side of the receiver. There is a black, white, blue, red and green wires coming out of the fan. Nothing works.


texts:
Curious if anyone can tell what this is?  Not sure if it's mold or if it is something else.

The yellow in the closeup is sap I believe but the black stuff almost looks like super small poppy seeds.


texts: How to determine the location of the clogged spot in floor drain using a powered drain auger, and auger tip suggestion?

texts:
I have a basement floor drain that clogs and backs up a bit (but do slowly drain all the water). I used a powered auger attempting to clear it but without total success (it drains better but not as good as when it's working perfectly). I pulled out some black grease like substance and hair. I wonder if I can determine how far along the opening of the floor drain the clog is located?

And also, is there a auger tip I should use to better clear the clog?


texts: What primer should I use to paint over nicotine stained walls?

texts: What primer should be used before painting over nicotine stained walls?


texts: How can I 'share' lights between multiple circuits?

texts:
I am installing a rectangle of 3 x 4 recessed can lights in the ceiling and would like to have 4 separate circuits where each individual row of lights can be illuminated by its own switch.

This means that the lamp in each corner would be lit if either or both of the switches for those rows are closed. Four possible combinations are shown here:

I looked at relays and multi-way switches but could not find an example of how the corner lights can be wired and still only use four switches.

If anybody could point me in the right direction, that would be great.  Thanks.


texts: How can I build a partition wall in room without damaging marble floor

texts:
I have large room size in my home, 12'x 22'. Now I want to rent it and therefore, want to divide the room in two with a partition wall.
Is there any way to build a permanent partition wall on marble flooring without cutting or damaging it?


texts: Is it worthwhile to replace evaporator coil?

texts:
My AC condenser is done for and needs to be replaced. The evaporator coil is 15 years old and still working. I could get both replaced at once, or just replace the AC condenser. Doing both will cost around $2300 more than doing just the condenser. Is it worthwhile to do both, or better to just do the condenser.
Another option might be to install a heat pump to replace both, but I'm not sure if that's how these things work. I'm a layman and don't know much about these topics.


texts: Help me open my thermostatic shower mixer to replace cartridge

texts:
So the thermostatic dial has ceased up and I want to open it to order and replace the cartridge. Trouble is I can't get it open!

What I have done:

Top handle

Unscrewed the nipple with pliars and rag

Unscrewed the hex screw behind it(and it fell in)

Pulled / jimmy'd and twisted but the handle wouldn't come off.

Bottom handle

Removed the screw cover and hex screw which is opposite the nipple

Tried and failed to unscrew the nipple and scratched it a bit (it is sprung loaded so maybe it isn't supposed to unscrew)

Pulled / jimmy'd and twisted but the handle wouldn't come off.

What am I missing?! Am I fighting rust? If I just need more force then how can I do it without damaging the chrome?
Thanks for the help!


texts: How to repair a beam of structured 2x10s

texts:
My house has a beam of 5 sistered 2x10s that are uneven.

The beam has joists resting on top of it to support the floor, and joist hangers on one side to support a lowered room.

Many of the members of this beam have fallen out (see pictures), and the joists resting on top of the fallen sections are causing the floor above to be uneven.

Is there a way to repair this beam?


texts: So I am putting in a basic 60x30 shower base in my basement.  Shower sits on my basement slab, connects to the drain.  All square and level.  The instructions say I can put a felt pad down instead of mortar.  Is this just a 60x30 pad that I would get in the flooring section of a store just so the base isn't sitting on the hard floor?enter image description here


texts: How can I remove a stuck screw that will still turn?

texts: I put a too short screw into the screw hole.  I thought this would sort things out.  It didn't.  Now I cannot get the screw out even though it will turn quite freely with a Phillips screwdriver.  Any ideas?  Could I superglue another similar sized screw to it, head to head?


texts: Why are my outlets dead after replacing a light switch?

texts:
On one of my circuits I have a fluorescent light (laundry area with two bulbs), a plug and receptacle in the kitchen and a dining room light.  The laundry light stopped working so I replaced the bulbs.  Still didn’t work so I replaced the light fixture with a new one.  That still didn’t work either.  Replaced the switch that controls the laundry light and that worked.  However, the dining room light and the kitchen plug that was on that circuit no longer work.
I verified and reset all GFCI plugs in the house, and verified that the breaker does not trip.  I took apart the kitchen plug that wasn’t working and verified there was no power going to that box using my voltage reader.  The new laundry light and switch continues to work perfectly.
Thought? I’m at a loss

src


texts: Washer & dryer lost power after the main breaker tripped

texts:
Some background. I am in a mobile home trailer type thing (not RV, this is stationary) in a mobile home park.  Yesterday the main breaker tripped. This house has one on the inside in the electrical panel, and one on the outside rated 100A - the 100A tripped.

I'm not sure what caused it, we had our dryer going, swamp cooler and TV/lights, etc.  Nothing we haven't done before.  Anyway, it tripped and I reset it, things were fine, except our washer & dryer aren't getting power.  They are on two different circuits, which I have tried resetting the breakers for with no luck.

The dryer has the special plug that I can't actually test, but the washer runs off of a normal outlet that I confirmed wasn't powering anything else, so for the washer at least I have ruled out a mechanical failure.  I have also reset the 100A breaker outside the house again with no luck.

Please let me know if there is anything else I can tell you to help diagnose this problem.

I have another album with some detailed pictures with the panel off, maybe someone can spot some damage?


texts: How can I unscrew this nut with little clearance?

texts:
I am trying to replace my kitchen faucet and have encountered a nut that I don’t know how to get at. As you can see the nut is bounded by counter (green) on one side and sink (red) on the other. I’ve tried various wrenches but can’t seem to get them in there. What’s the right way to get this thing off?

The pipe that it’s on is about 2.5 inches long.


texts: What is this sealant on my basement waterproofing system?

texts:
I'm redoing my basement floor and have a plastic channel system protecting against water intrusion around the edge of my basement (I believe it's an "All-Dry Basement Systems" product, but not sure; it predates my tenancy).  Some of the sealant was damaged during removal of the old flooring.
I can't tell what the sealant is in order to replace it, though.  The material is hard and looks almost clay-like, unlike any caulk I've ever seen.
What is this sealant, and where can I get it?


texts: Restoring my deck: is washing necessary if I sand?

texts:
I'm restoring my untreated/unsealed cedar wood deck. It was left with no care for 12 years old before we bought it.

I changed the damaged board and I'm now at the sanding stage. I saw all the how-to guides, but the only question that I have is: is it necessary to clean (either w/ high water pressure or with washing product) the wood if I'm going to sand it anyway?

The surface will be a mix of old (12 YO) and new cedar.


texts:
Wasps have made 2 holes beside the foundation of the house:

My dad wants to wait until winter, but I rather destroy both nests before they start stinging people. How should I go around destroying these?


texts: What is the formula used to determine blower fan size given total air volume and system BTU capacity?

texts:
I've completed a Manual J calculation for a new house and determined the BTU requirements for heating and cooling (35,352 and 15,772 respectively). In attempting to determine the turnover rate and blower size, I'm finding two unsatisfactory answers. The first is, "just use 400 CFM per ton". This is a rule of thumb and many sources say it's not super accurate. The other answer is "buy several hundred dollars worth of books and become a rocket scientist because there are too many variables to understand".

I don't buy either of these, since the optimal air flow rate over a heating or cooling coil of a certain size should be easily determined by a simple formula. You probably just need the BTU value of the heating/cooling element, the volume of the air being heated/cooled and perhaps a constant or two.

What is the proper formula used to determine blower fan size given total air volume and system BTU capacity?


texts:
I just bought a front load washing machine and installed it. The plumbers in our bldg. installed the incoming water hose and the drain hose to the wall. Problem is that when the washing machine drains, the water overflows or comes out of the hole where the drain hose is inserted. Do I really need a high drainage pipe to connect my drain hose into?

This is the instruction I got from the internet for my washer's brand.

And here is the wall that has the drain hole in my kitchen and also my hose inserted into it.
You can see how low the hole in the wall is and the bending of my hose.

I tried inserting the hose as much as i could into the hole but still overflows or water comes back out and floods my kitchen.