texts: How to cover up a gap in a badly installed cabinet?

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The apartment I moved into has a kitchen with cabinets as most kitchens do.
I noticed that in the mornings it has been especially cold in the kitchen, and I traced the cold air to a large gap in the corner of one of the cabinets.

The photo below was taken inside the corner cabinet. You can see a pipe exposed. A lot of cold air is seeping in through here.

What simple things can I do (without involving the slow-moving elderly landlord) to patch this up and minimize the amount of cold air that gets in?


texts: How to patch small anchor holes in plaster wall and potentially reinstall anchors?

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We had a hook next to the one that you see in the picture. There was a towel on the hook and someone grabbed the towel and hung all of their weight on it and basically the anchors pulled out of the plaster wall.

The two big holes above the two small holes are from the anchors that held the hooks. The existing anchors don’t fit in the holes anymore. I can use a bigger anchor because the screw that come with the hook will be too small for the anchors.

Is there a way for me to patch the existing holes and then drill into them again to install anchors?


texts:
I just finished replacing all of the switches and outlets in my apartment, after fighting a long war with a weird 3-way switch. Needless to say, I won, but I'm still trying to grasp the concept of how it works. I know how a single pole switch works, like so:

-->--HOT-WIRE-IN-->[/SWITCH/]-->--HOT-WIRE-OUT-->--

But how does a 3-way switch work? I know that we have 3 wires coming into the switch, 1) black hot in, 2) black hot out, and 3) red runner, but how does the switch actually work? What does it toggle? When I held up an electricity sensor to the wires, it seemed that wire 1 of course was always hot, but wire 2 and 3 were sometimes hot and sometimes not.

So, how does it actually work? What's being toggled and how?

  Also, if you're wondering how to wire a 3-way switch, here's how: connect the black hot in wire to the only black screw, then connect the red runner wire to the brass screw on the same side as the black screw, and the hot out goes on the opposite side on the only brass screw. Just a tip :)


texts: Can I add induction cooktop and electric wall oven to my kitchen with this panel?

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I will be remodeling kitchen and replacing gas oven/range with induction cooktop (220V, 20 amp) + electric wall oven (also 240V, 30amp)

I don't know much about electricity and need help to determine whether my electric panel will support it.

Some other notes:

I have ac/heat unit inside the apartment as well as water heater and both appear on the panel.
I also have pictures without front cover but I can't seem to upload more than one picture. Please let me know if you prefer to see inside of the panel
this panel is Siemens is G1224L1125(CU) and "Main Lug/Main Breaker Kit table on the panel label has the following:
100 AMP Main breaker
125 AMP Main breaker
100-125 Main Lug

Also, as per my comment below, I can remove jacuzzi and replace it with shower. Please let me know if that would help a lot or if I can accomplish what I need without removing it.


texts: I replaced the plug in the garage and arced. Now I some plug work and some do not?

texts: I changed a plug in the garage that the door opener is plugged into. While i arced the wires and now the light in the garage does not work, the attic does not work. The lights and fans in the master bedroom and the light in the utility room light are out as well.  Checked the breaker and the breaker seems fine and is actually good because the garage door still works. I am not sure what to do .  I changed out the breaker anyway and still nothing. I changed the light switches in the garage, utility room, and master bedroom?


texts:
I will need your help with something.
I have some strange voltages between the wires in an electrical panel in Uk (see below):

L-N = 120V
L-G = 240V
N-G = 80V

The voltage between N-G should be close to 0 but there is a voltage of 80V.
Why there is a voltage of only 120V between L and N when it should be 240V?

Thank you
Laurentiu


texts: How to remove water based wood stain splashed onto painted surface

texts: How do I remove the water based wood stain from my kitchen wall. I got some on my kitchen wall while I was staining my kitchen cabinets?  I tried to remove my using soap and water on a sponge. It did not work. My kitchen wall is painted with water based satin finished paint.


texts: Is it okay to leave circuit on when a bad GFI has tripped?

texts:
I have a very old GFI outlet in the kitchen that tripped. It apparently is connected to two other outlets, so all three have no power. Nothing is plugged into them now. I cannot reset the GFI, both the reset and the test button don't push in properly. I'm assuming the GFI is bad and needs replacing. The circuit breaker for this circuit has not tripped and there are some other outlets and lights on that circuit that I'd like to be able to remain working.

Is it okay to leave the circuit on until I can get somebody in to replace the GFI?


texts: Encountered two different kinds of dryer tape (metallic silver plastic vs actual foil)?

texts:
Up until now, I thought dryer tape and foil tape were the same thing. So when I bought the first roll I didn't think too much of it.
The first roll I bought was looked like silvery metallic coloured tape which I assumed was real metal, but while working with it I noticed it was a very slightly translucent if you looked carefully. And that's when I started noticing that it actually felt, handled, folded, crinkled, and cut just like clear packing tape. Except it had a metallic silver colour. It comes on a roll just like normal tape. Maybe it has an adhesive better suited for duct work, I'm not sure. It was labelled as dryer tape. I ended up finding the datasheet and it indeed appears to be plastic tape.
https://images.homedepot.ca/s7viewers/html5/eCatalogViewer.html?config=Scene7SharedAssets/Universal_HTML5_eCatalog&asset=homedepotcanada/TDS_DryerVent_EN_070119-pdf.pdf
Then later I encountered some tape that was clearly made of foil. It looks, feels, and tears like aluminum foil with an adhesive backing that you have to peel off.
Is there a functional difference between the two? Or maybe even a different purpose?


texts: Can a toilet get "too old" to the point where it can never be unclogged and must be replaced?

texts:
We had an issue where a toilet that worked fine since we moved in 6 years ago recently would not flush. I took a plunger to it and snaked from the roof and it helped in that the toilet would slowly drain out (15 seconds) but never give that typical "glug glug glug" one gets from a full flush. I called in a plumber and a week after we last tried, it fully flushed when he tried it. It was a weak flush but it was a full flush. I asked him to snake it anyway since I was already on the hook for a service call and he opted for a 6ft augur. This further increased the flush but it's not as strong as what we are used to.

He told me that best way to fix it is to install a new toilet. He mentioned that as toilets age, the trap "gets full of stuff" "that is like cement". I had a spare toilet we ended up getting stuck with after a renovation that was never used but had been sitting outside and asked (since I had him for an hour anyway) if he could use that but said that because it had been outside, there was too much "stuff" in the trap and it could be worse than the one already in the bathroom.

I'm no plumber but I get the sense that there is nothing from normal use with a city water supply and sewage that should cause a toilet's trap to "age" to the point where it can't be cleaned out to be good as new... especially if it is not yet installed and you can access it from both ends. Should I trust this plumber's opinion?


texts:
I would like to add lighting and an outlet to my attic. Very similar to this project here with the exception that I would like to have a hard wired light fixture rather than  a plug in.

The attic is accessed by a hole in a closet from a 2nd floor closet, with no permanent stairs or ladder. I have to disassemble my closet and put a ladder in the space to get to it. The only thing in the attic is the air conditioning air handler and duct work.

Currently, there is one single light near the access hole, which is a simple pull chain light, mounted vertically against a king post with an electrical box behind it.

For the outlet, I believe switching out the light fixture for an outlet would be simple enough. I would then connect another run of wire to the outlet for the lights.

What would be the best way to get wiring to the other side of the attic? I would have to cross a lot of trusses, perpendicularly. Is it enough to run it high above and out of the way and staple across the edge or should I put the wiring in conduit? Or something else entirely?

If I need to split the wiring to add more than one light fixture, does this change the suggested wiring paths? (i.e., lights on both halves of a truss. )


texts:
I'm looking for a simple watt meter where I can connect both lines of my split phase and get a reading of how many watts and amps are flowing through.

I've seen something similar for solar systems but it's only one phase.

Watt meter


texts: Can I put a higher amp fuse in a wall mounted fused connection unit?

texts:
I wasn't sure whether to ask this here or on https://electronics.stackexchange.com/ but this seemed the more appropriate place, please migrate it if not.

I'm in the UK and I've got a wall mounted connection unit (see picture below) with a 5 amp fuse in that leads to a socket outside and a lamp post in the garden.
The outside socket is used for plugging in a catering van to charge the battery, but also to use the sockets inside and power the 12v lighting when it's parked on the drive.

Now the fuse blows sometimes if you plug two things into the sockets in the van, but today I found it had blown sometime between last night and this morning (it was fine last night). When I went to change the fuse it blew the new one straight away. I had to unplug the van and remove the bulb from the outside lamppost before I could put a fresh fuse in and not have it blow.
I can still charge the van (which is the main use for the socket outside) but it would be nice not to have to worry about it.

So my question is, can I put a 13 amp fuse in the unit instead of a 5 amp one? Will this cause any problems (like short circuiting the houses fuse box instead of merely blowing the fuse in the unit) or be dangerous?


texts: Run full load in washing machine, find water on floor by drain

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It's a house new to us but 18 years old. We ran the washing machine for the first time with a full load and came back to find water around the drain pipe and on the floor. Makes sense that the drain is clogged and backed up but it hasn't happened since with three more loads.

Is it possible that that one load cleared the drain lines from lack of use over some period of time? We don't know how long the house was vacant but it couldn't have been more than three months as a guess.

EDIT: The potential answer to the problem involves how the washing machine was transported. According to Whirlpool, the machine was to have transport bolts installed to hold down the drum. Having taken a long trip from Houston to St. Louis could have cause the drum to jostle around enough to cause damage to some hoses or support. Worse, possibly, is that I had transported it from storage to the house on its backside, the only method I had available to me.

I hope to have a service guy out by the end of this week to view the bill. Potential cost to fix ranges from $150 to $450 but that's still cheaper than buying a new one which was what my son would have had to do if this wasn't given to him.


texts:
I have a kitchen with a tile floor.  In one corner, there's been a pedestal style garbage bin.  It seems that stepping on the foot pedal has caused the bin to shift slightly during each use, and over time this has resulted in a patch of surface scratches on the tile surface.  The damage is minimal, but is noticeable.  I'm assuming I should be able to remove or at least reduce the scratches through some simple polishing of the area, but it's something I've never tried before, so I wanted to see if anyone had any advice or a similar experience.  I'd rather leave it be than risk causing more harm than good.

Update: Unfortunately, the tile was laid before I was the occupant, so if there are extra tiles, I haven't found them yet.  Perhaps my question should have been phrased "are there any options, short of removing/replacing a tile, to minimize scratch damage".


texts:
I have a wooden table, which I accidentally spilled water onto yesterday. I thought it would simply dry, but a couple of hours later I noticed that the water had pooled on the wood and the surface under the pool appeared discolored.

I dried it off and noticed that the gray discoloration was coming off, so I scrubbed all of the gray off, and afterward the color looked consistent. Unfortunately, a few hours later I found that the area under the pools now looks completely different from the rest of the table.

My guess is that I accidentally removed the stain from the wood. I know nothing about this topic though, so I wanted to ask the experts:

What do you think happened here? How can I fix it?
A picture of the current state of the table is attached.


texts:
I am working with the city to get the permits to build an outdoors kitchen with its own sub-panel. I decided to place it 100ft from the house. In my list[*] I have an electric tankless water heater, an induction range and a hot-tub/spa (all 240V), plus a bunch of occasional 120V devices (food processor etc) and LED lights. After some research on those loads I want to size the wiring for 150A, the great majority of which will be 240V loads.

So far my plan includes 2in sch40 PVC conduit to house the wiring in the trench. How do I calculate the (aluminum) wiring size and what cable is appropriate for buried conduit? Thank you

[*] The comments asked to provide a list of my desired loads for this load center as to validate my requirements. Keep in mind this outdoors kitchen is designed to feed parties of 40 people:

Induction cooktop https://products.geappliances.com/appliance/gea-specs/PHP9036BMTS 50A@240VAC
Water heater 18kW 2x40A@240VAC https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0047V0KSU
The water heater might be oversized but it needs to provide hot water to two large sinks, a dishwasher and a shower next to the pool. Maybe the smaller 11kW 60A@240VAC will work but I do not want to be limited by the wiring.
Hot-tub/SPA. I have not chosen the right model yet but one that might fit is: https://www.wayfair.com/outdoor/pdp/futura-spas-8-person-88-jet-hot-tub-with-stainless-jets-and-waterfall-futr1000.html 50A@220VAC
permanent 120V loads: dishwasher, refrigerator, ice machine, roof mount duct fan, lighting
a dozen of 20A outlets for occasional devices


texts: What kind of sealant can I use on my spray painted freezer?

texts:
I'm currently in the process of spray painting my freezer a matte black colour (I'm making a keezer). However, I would like to also apply a sealing coat on top of the black so that

My fingers don't get black over time
The wall doesn't get black
Paint will be less likely to chip

This is the paint I'm using (not sure if this is the exact can, but its very close look -- I'm at work):

It's a rust protecting paint.

What sealant should I use to protect this? I'm hoping it won't leave behind a shiny coat...


texts: Running two cables meant for different loads directly from 200Amp electric meter

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I am building a house in a 3rd world country and have run into a dilemma. We are installing a 200Amp meter and were initially planning to run one 4/0 aluminum cable to the main panel in the house.
Since then we have decided to build a shed, which has its own (smaller) panel that will feed the reserve water tank pump, pool pump, washer/dryer, some exterior lights, the gate and probably more things later.
The electrician was planning to run a 1/0 cable from the house panel to the sub-panel in the bodega. I would prefer to A) not take up any more spaces in the main panel, B) be able to run a decent size load on the shed panel. So I asked him to run another 4/0 aluminum cable (because it appears that's what's required for a 200Amp load) straight from the meter to the panel in the shed. He's saying that connecting 2 4/0 cables inside the meter is impossible because of the terminal size limitation. He's suggesting we run a 2/0 cable for the shed, as anything larger will not fit in the terminal alongside the 4/0 cable.
My question is: assuming the load on the shed panel never exceeds 50Amps as he says (let's say 100 to be on the safe side), is it safe to run an additional 2/0 aluminum cable on the same lug on the 200Amp meter? If it is safe to do that, would it be safe to run a 1/0 or thinner cable, as long as it is rated for the load the shed panel will need? Are there double lugs that would accommodate a 4/0 and a 2/0 (or smaller) cables? Would combining the 4/0 cable with the 2/0 cable under one lug be OK? If not with a 2/0 cable, with what size?
Some other information:
In this country a double terminal for the meter is not possible to purchase, and I wouldn't even know what to order on Amazon from the US. But if I could get one, and it allows us to connect 2 4/0 cables at the meter, would this be fine?
Copper is prohibitively expensive here, so running a 2/0 copper cable instead of a 4/0 aluminum cable is pretty much out of the question. Plus we already have the 4/0 cable to run to the house.
All of this is discussed in Spanish, and I'm translating this into English. And I'm not super savvy when it comes to this stuff. So I'm sorry if there are terminology mistakes in this question.


texts:
I'm trying to install an RO system and I have it 99% complete except the drain saddle. I don't see any room for me to install it.
There's not enough space in the elbow and the vertical black pipe is too thick. What are my options?


texts: Am I required to install expansion joints at all interior doorways for Pergo?

texts:
I am planning to install Pergo laminate floor. When I look up on installation guide, it recommends to use transition molding for doorways less than 4 ft or room larger than 40 ft.

My question is that is it necessary to really use transition molding on each doorway ?

My house got standard size room doors and they are all less than 4 ft. My master room has 3 doors. I don't want to install transition molding everywhere. Can I leave more expansion gap around the perimeter to avoid transition molding? They claim to void the warranty though if I don't follow the installation guide.


texts: Why does my central heating system comes on on its own accord?

texts: Can anyone tell me why my central heating comes on by itself: the radiators get hot and stay hot for around 1-3 minutes then the system turns back off again. This can happen any time throughout the day and night, and you can hear the system kicking in.


texts: Determining maximum total current able to be drawn through household electrical panel

texts:
Find below a picture of our USA house's electrical panel (There is a box enclosing the panel that for the time being can only be removed enough to get an angled look/shot of the panel, not straight on, sorry).

Adding up the amperages on all the breakers (even the double pole ones, which I presume are to get 240v at the amperage written on one of the two cream coloured plastic ?paddles?) comes to 450A (700A if both numbers on each double pole breaker are inserted into the calc). Just the single pole breakers adds up to a more expected (to me, given the house was built in the 70's) 200A.

Further complicating the self-determination of total allowable amperage of the feed into this panel is the top two banks of breakers have "Main Disconnects" next to them, but some are instead labeled with high amperage appliances (the rest aren't labeled (?any longer?) as to what they control power to). Lastly, there doesn't appear to be a ?easily accessible? main breaker to definitively determine amperage of our service.

Can anyone help with the question of total amperage able to be drawn through the panel with installed breakers, and/or if needed, debunk some of my assumptions?


texts: Is a cracked brick sign of a deeper problem

texts:
I've just noticed a cracked brick,  and wondered if I could just replace it and do some repointing,  or could suggest another problem?

The cracked brick appears to have a crack in the mortar moving diagonally up a 3 or 4 bricks to the right.  I've included a photo and the brick I'm talking about is 3 bricks up from the left window sill and then 3 in.

My house was built in 1910, and has had its wall ties replaced in the late 70s.

better quality picture download link


texts: What is the cheapest way to add texture to a wall

texts: The previous home owners used a perforating tool to remove wallpaper, and just painted over all the holes and lines.  I am in desperate need of some texture with no budget.  I need to put a new baby in the room.  I don't want to buy a hopper, and the cans of texture are way too expensive.  I don't think I have a steady enough hand to do skip trowel.  Is there another inexpensive way to texture my walls?


texts: What is the best time of year to remove bee nests?

texts:
Is there a season when it's easiest to remove bee nests?
I.E. The bees are dormant?


texts: I'm replacing an electric cooktop with downdraft ventilation. Does building code require that I keep this ventilation, or can it be removed?


texts:
Almost a month ago we had a new well tank installed, the brand is called Mainline. Immediately after installation we had lots of air in the lines. We have a small tenant house on the premises and a barn that shares the water lines from the house it is an old property, air was in all those lines .

There were some instances of some discoloration in the water at times in the cold lines. It did seem to improve over the next week or so but then five days ago I used our furnace because we had a cold snap and immediately the next day we had terrible air in the lines all over again, every time we flush the toilet to using the hydrant at the barn and even in my tenant house .

I do not know if it's related to turning on the furnace or it's still a continuing problem. We didn't have this issue until the well tank was replaced and would love some ideas as to what to do next as the plumber who installed it is not able to respond at this time.

Your thoughts are appreciated.


texts:
We've recently had exterior waterproofing applied our house. In the process, we removed an old cold room that was underneath our porch. They walled up the entrance to the old cold room, and then removed the walls and floors.

While they were removing the old cold room, they noted that the concrete block walls of that cold room were filled partially with water.  We haven't been exposed to heavy rain in the last few months really.

The interior of our unfinished basement concrete block foundation walls were painted with something black many years ago, probably as a waterproofing measure. So now, we have really good waterproofing outside, and some crappy waterproofing inside.

The trouble is, I'm convinced that if there was water in the concrete blocks of the old porch, that its likely that many other spots in the house have water in the foundation. Lots of it.

Is there a good way to find out, and possibly drain this water out?  Will a dehumidifier work in this situation?

Edit

Should we try to remove the black substance painted on to the inside of the concrete block, to help dry out the walls from the inside now that we have exterior waterproofing? if so, how?


texts: Hanging pictures/mirrors to drywalls without leaving big holes

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What are the best methods (screws, hooks, etc) to hang heavy objects (such as huge mirrors and framed pictures) on drywalls while doing the less possible damage?

I don't mind drilling holes in the drywalls, but since I have tons of stuff to hang, it would be nice to avoid leaving enormeous holes everywhere in the apartment.

For example, I got these two 17lbs & 10lbs framed paintings that I hanged using these hooks, but sadly this left a pretty big hole in the wall when I chose to move the paintings elsewhere.

Thanks!


texts:
I am planning to build a "floating" platform that needs to be able to hold at least 200kg (440 lb), the problem is, I can't attach it to three walls, as there is an exit on the third wall. My question is: is this possible, or would it have to have a pillar on the unsupported corner?
Here is a birds eye view with dimensions
Thanks,
Ben
EDIT: It's basically a floating bed, strain wise.


texts: Is there a way to find out how often your furnace is running?

texts: With winter finally setting in, and being the first year in our new house I would like to put some sort of measurement on how often the furnace is working, before I get the bill.  Are there any known methods of measuring how much fuel furnace is consuming, other than monitoring the gas meter outside the house?  What is the best way?


texts: My wood expansion joints are fine, but the gaps between the wood and the concrete is very wide in spots. The driveway is cracking from the water getting underneath, I believe. Can I simply use clear caulk to fill between the concrete and the wood?


texts: Main Breaker Panel in Garage w/o Garage Doors

texts:
We have a recent second floor & garage addition, and the main panel was moved to the garage from its old location.
Due to COVID and our general contractor's procrastination (we have since fired him), we can't expect garage doors installed until at least January, but we would like to have our electrical inspected before the permit expires in a few months.
As it's a garage, I think it would generally be considered an indoor location, but without doors, I'm not so sure. So far, the only relevant portion of the 2017 NEC (what the WA L&I office currently uses for inspection) I can find is Section 110.26(E)(2)(a)(2):

a. Installation Requirements. Outdoor electrical equipment shall be the following:

Protected from accidental contact by unauthorized personnel or by vehicular traffic

Does "unauthorized personnel" mean we need a lock on the panel? Are there any other considerations that we need in order to pass inspection where the panel is located in a garage with no doors?


texts: Why is the ph of my hot water 2 points higher than my cold water?

texts:
I noticed in late February that even immediately after washing my hair, it felt and looked greasy and that my bath water felt as though it had a bit of bath oil in it.  The town water department thought that it might have to do with my water heater.

Before I got around to having it flushed,  I noticed that it was leaking from the bottom.  I had it replaced on March 17, but the problem persists.

The town tested my water on March 30.  Yesterday they told me that all was normal, except that the hot water was a few points higher in Ph level.  The cold water is 7.something, while the hot is 9.something.

I can't figure out what would be causing this, and it's a nuisance!  So, I'm trying to find out what would cause the ph level to be higher and what can be done about it.  Thanks!


texts: Wiring up a subpanel in attached workshop

texts:
I need to wire up my attached workshop, which is about 50' from the main panel. I don't want to make a bunch of homeruns and would rather install a workshop-specific panel for this task. I will be running the following:

5HP Planer - 30A 240V
5HP Shaper - 30A 240V
1HP Power feeder - 15A 240V
2x 1.5HP Shapers - 15A 240V

Down the line I will also be adding an air compressor and a dust collection system. Obviously I will not be running all of the equipment at once, but it's very likely that I might run my 5HP shaper, 1HP power feeder, and my dust collection system at the same time in the very near future.

Having said that, I'm trying to figure out how to make my life easiest. My main panel is located outside on the opposite side of the house, so the plan is to run in conduit down to my crawl space and then once inside, run through the joists without protection. Here are my questions:

I will feed my subpanel with 4 wire cable. 2 hots, a neutral, and a ground. Right?
In my subpanel, I will NOT bond my neutral and grounding blocks. Ground and neutral will be independent. Right?
What size subpanel should I get for these needs? I was thinking a 60A. Right?
What size wire? For 60A at that distance, my calculations say 6 gauge copper. Is that correct?
I don't intend on placing a ground rod anywhere, as this subpanel is attached to my main structure (And the subpanel is inside, it'd be very difficult to drive a ground rod anywhere near it). Is this OK?
I don't quite understand why I need to separate the ground and neutral at the subpanel. My main panel has the two bonded, so my neutral at my subpanel will still be grounded since it's grounded at the main panel. Can someone explain why this is necessary, just to satisfy my curiosity?
How many different circuits should I be considering for these needs? I was thinking 1 for the 5HP planer, 1 for the 5HP shaper, 1 for the power feeder (And future power feeders), and 1 15A for the 2 1.5HP shapers, as they will never run at the same time.
Is there anything else I'm missing or overlooking?

I'd like to start working on this expansion by the weekend, so your advice is very much appreciated.

UPDATE: I purchased https://www.lowes.com/pd/Eaton-40-Circuit-20-Space-100-Amp-Main-Breaker-Load-Center-Value-Pack/3027588 which comes with two neutral bars bonded together with a strap. Am I allowed to simply remove the strap and use one of the bus bars as a ground bar, or do I need to purchase a ground bar kit separately?  Additionally, the panel came with a small piece of bent metal that attaches one of the bars to the panel. Should this be connected so that the panel is grounded?


texts: Should I be concerned about my house settling?

texts:
I bought my home about a year ago (September 2011).  It's a split-level ranch built in the mid-70s.

I have a couple of spots, especially on a wall going perpindicular through the center of the house (basically from the front door to the back of the house) that has a lot of drywall nails starting to pop out.  I also  have some taping in the corners near this wall that is visibly wrinkling up.

In line with this wall, there is a section of what looks like two pieces of drywall that have pushed together and buckled up some right above a doorframe.  There is a visible separation from that split up to the ceiling through my hallway.  The portion on the ceiling just looks like where a join has come untaped though.

I only have one doorway with an actual CRACK from the corner (crack is in the drywall), a different doorway that is oriented lengthwise (the frame runs front to back along the house) which sticks, and everything else seems OK.  I checked all visible portions of the foundation and nothing seems amiss.

Should I be worried about this?

I have watched it very closely since we moved in and haven't seen much change, though I do feel like the nails popping are more prominent now.

I'll post pictures tonight.


texts:
One of my bedroom doors has gaps at the bottom and side. How can I close or seal these gaps. I would like to heat only this room and prevent loss of heat to other rooms.

The gap at the bottom is from 1/2 to 3/4 inch. The floor of the room has a carpet.

The gap on the side with the door knob is the largest.

Weather striping products and door sweeps seem to be for external doors.


texts: How are vapor barriers, moisture barriers, and house wrap different?

texts: I've read many discussions here and elsewhere talking about these three things with regard to insulation, energy efficiency, and siding installation. What are the differences and where are each used?


texts: What is this tiny ventilation mechanism in my window frame and how do I replace it?

texts:
I live in a building with wooden double-glazed window frames and have this tiny "ventilation" outlet installed into one of the larger windows in our apartment (see below).

What is its purpose, and most importantly, should it stay in its current position during the cold months of the year? I feel like it defeats the purpose of the insulated glazing, but I am a mere layman when it comes to windows, I am afraid.


texts: how to split phone line for internet without using a splitter?

texts:
ISP sent a technician to fix dropout issues, he split the phone line wires into two, one taped into the bare wire end of a normal splitter, the other into an unused  bare end of phone cable, and then in order to get phone to work alongside ADSL, the phone cable plugs into the splitter, still following? Here's a pic of what he did:

As you can see it hangs from under the wall plate because it bypasses the phone socket completely. I don't know why he did this but was adamant it was proper.

Anyway to fix it?, because it doesn't look right. People use splitters by plugging it into the socket like I used to, not by tapping wires and physically splitting them.

Its ADSL pppoe line, and I really had serious problems like dropout every half hour. O haven't gotten a chance to test what he did I doubt it solved it because the workaround o see is just same as adding a splitter, but its so strange.

Update: what he did didn't fix my initial dropout problem.


texts: What's the best way to cover my egress window (not soft plastic) where the window is above the window well?

texts:
What's the best way to cover an egress window where the cement for the window sticks 11" above the metal window well cover (the window itself is above 10" above the metal window well)? I'm looking for something that will be supportive of people standing or crawling onto the cover itself.

I've seen covers like this:

...but I'm not really sure the best way to do that for windows like mine:


texts: Generator tripping GFCI breakers in main panel

texts:
I recently had some electrical work done on my home to bring it up to code - there was no GFCI protection in the kitchen or bathroom when we bought the house, so our electrician fitted GFCI breakers at the panel. He did not use the GFCI outlets because he explained that our existing outlet boxes were too small to fit the extra size of a GFCI.

When I plugged in my generator to my transfer switch though, and flipped the main breakers in the transfer switch from LINE TO GEN, the GFCI breakers in my main service panel immediately tripped.

I have read that this may have something to do with the fact that most portable generators come with the ground + neutral bonded to the frame. Apparently, this makes the generator a SDS (separately derived system) compliant with OSHA for use on job sites. I can confirm that my generator is like this. It says so right on the power panel.

However, when connecting to the house, I have heard that the ground + neutral are actually already bonded together in the panel, so you should "float" (disconnect) the neutral wire at the generator. However, I have also heard this increases shock risk on the generator side.

I am not positive that this is why the GFCI breaker in my main panel is tripping, but it's a hunch. It could just be that the breaker doesn't like the power signal coming from the generator.

Regardless, I'd still like to have power to my kitchen from the gen.

Any suggestions as to why this could be happening?


texts: How do I reattach a hunter douglas clutch cable?

texts:
My hunter douglas clutch cable, for their shades, has ripped open at what appears to be a glue line.

Is there a way to repair it without replacing it? (ie, some sort of glue or kit i can use)?


texts: what causes a ceiling fan light to blink

texts: I dropped a new romex line down through the wall to provide power to a flat panel tv mounted on the wall.  The wall has K&T wiring in it. Everything seemed fine, until I noticed that the lights in a bedroom ceiling fan now blink.  The fan is on the same K&T circuit as two wall sconces in the wall where I dropped the Romex cable.  Did I damage the K&T wiring or is there some kind of current leakage or something else going on?  How can I trouble shoot the situation?


texts:
We are remodeling our kitchen in our older pier & beam house. We were looking at tile today and they said we would need to remove the existing linoleum, then put some type of cement board over the existing plywood sub-floor, then lay the tile.

Does anyone have any experience with tile in pier & beam?


texts: Is it safe to use stain and polyurethane on a wooden trivet

texts: I'm making wooden trivets (using hard woods) to sell. I would like to use stain & polyurethane but I'm not sure if it will melt or become damaged when a hot pan is placed on it. Will it be safe?


texts: How do I avoid injuries working with a table saw?

texts: What are the most common mistakes newcomers make? Is there a safer alternative to a table saw?


texts: Will these blinking LED lights cause a house fire?

texts: I recently replaced the some floodlamps with LED lights.  The problem is some of the LEDs are blinking or flashing even though the switch is off.   Some do not blink at all. It happens all the time. Is it harmful or can it cause a house fire?


texts: Maple leaf stains on new interlocking brick patio

texts: Our brand new natural stone interlocking pavers has been  stained by our maple leaves.  The stain is very dark and deep. Can anyone provide guidance in how to remove these stains?


texts: Running wire for new subpanel in garage, how to best utilize existing wiring considering the scope of my project?

texts:
I have a 200amp main panel in my home, and my garage has a subpanel fed by a two pole 50amp breaker by approximately 85' of 6/3 plus ground cable. I use my garage as a workshop, greenhouse, and office. I'm planning to install a ventilation system and add more power for my workshop on the lower level. I'm also going to install a ductless minisplit system on both levels of the building; hence, I'd like to update the panel.

When I first opened the existing subpanel, I noticed that the ground and neutral wires were bonded, so I purchased a ground bar and separated everything. All looks good now. There's a #6 ground wire attached to a grounding rod a foot or so away from the building.

My goal has been to replace the 50amp panel with a 100amp panel, running 2-2-2-4cu thhn inside 1.5" pvc conduit, buried 18" deep, from the main panel, 85' to the new 100amp panel in the garage. That said, I'd like to utilize the existing 6/3 cable and grounding rod. My question is, how would I do so appropriately and most gainfully? Does it make sense to have a second panel in the garage despite the redundancy? Honestly, I'd like to be able to utilize close to 90 or so amps in addition to the existing 50 amps in my garage, if possible. Currently, I figure I should play it safe since I spend most of my time out there, and I seem to like to use energy sucking devices for work and play.

Perhaps the old subpanel can be used for the minisplit and 3 fan ventilation system while the new panel can take over the duties of the existing circuits plus new ones I plan on running? I know that the minisplit will need a disconnect, so I'm wondering the best way to do this. Does the new grounding rod need to be 6' away from the existing one? Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance, Chris


texts:
Each of the two devices with yellow test buttons are marked '63A'. My assumptions:

The set of devices to the left of each of these are connected to them
The markings on each device in the form BNN denote rated current, e.g. B6 is 6 Amps.

The right-hand bank of devices goes 6 + 32 + 40 = 78A, which is clearly greater than 63A.

Furthermore, the sum of all the rated currents is 132A, which is clearly greater than the rated current on the main switch of 100A

1) Is this how the markings and the layout of this consumer unit are meant to be interpreted?

2) Is this a problem?


texts: engraving steel sheets with a punch set - what can go wrong?

texts:
I am planning to buy some small steel sheets (such as those) and a letter punch set (such as this one) to engrave some data for safekeeping. It is for a one-off job so I am not looking to spend to much - but enough to do a good job.

I am wondering:

whether a normal (500g?) metal hammer or rubber mallet will do
whether I will need any kind of support (e.g. special bench) or if I can improvise one easily - I assume I need a hard material
whether the steel sheets are appropriate for engraving - not too hard for the punch set?
Anything else I should know or haven't planned for?

I am probably overthinking it but I would not want to realise too late that this was a bad idea!


texts: How to troubleshoot heat that's always on?

texts:
My boiler (Weil Mclain CGA Gold ~2003 install) failed the other day. After some help from a plumber and reading the manual, I replaced a few parts (more below) to get it running again. Now one zone is always hot, about 10 degrees hotter then set on the thermostat. There's no advice in the manaul for troubleshooting this type of issue (all the led's on the boiler are normal). The boiler shuts off periodically, only to start up a few minutes later. What are my next steps?

My initial guess is to checkout the thermostat. how do I do this? Do you remove it and cap the white (heat) line, keeping it from contacting the red?

What parts of the boiler do I need to look into and what order to track down the cause?

I have a (different) plumber coming tomorrow to check it out, but I'd like to try to solve it on my own if I can.

History

Tuesday night I woke up to no heat, and the boiler was off with the 'damper' led flashing. While trying to wake up/figure what was going on, the transformer that powers the two thermostates (for two zones) died in a puff of smoke.

Not really knowing what I was doing, I bought a new transformer and a new damper, installed them and the boiler still sat idle.

My plumber inspected the wiring with a multimeter and concluded the main board was dead. So I replaced that (he was busy at another site, and I was happy to save a few bucks doing it myself). After that, still no luck, so I decided to read the manual.

Following the troubleshooting flowchart, I found that the transformer driving the damper was dead, so I replaced that and everything started fine.

It was late the next day by then, so I called it a night. The following day I found my basement 10 degrees hotter then the thermostat was set.

I've tried cutting the power, letting the boiler start up again. Both thermostats "click" as they've always done when set the temperature from above to below the current temp, which I take to mean they are turning off the heat.

Any advice is much appreciated.


texts: Extending an outlet in the middle of a run

texts: I would like to add an outlet to my back yard. In my basement there is a 20 amp circuit that runs from the breaker panel to my garage. Can I tap into the circuit in the middle of the run essentially forming a Y. The bottom part of the Y being at the breaker panel and one branch of the Y runs to the garage and the other branch runs to the backyard. I want to put a GFCI on the outside outlet and there is already one in the garage.


texts: Is it code-compliant to attach a patio to the roof like this?

texts:
I want to attach a patio cover to my house. Trouble is the clearance between the window and the roof rafters is too small for a ledger. I was considering the option of attaching to the roof top like this:

Is it ok to attach to the rafters like this to support and distribute the load?

If so, any reinforcement required to the roof skeleton?

Patio size would be ~25x12ft.


texts: GFCI in a 3-wire sub panel with bonded neutral and ground

texts: My detached garage has 100-amp 3-wire service from the main panel in my house, with a 100-amp breaker at each end of the feed. The grounds and neutrals are bonded inside the sub panel due to the lack of grounding conductor (garage was built pre-2008 so I understand it is grandfathered into code). I am setting up an electric brewing system in the garage that requires a 30-amp 2-pole GFCI breaker. Eventually, I certainly plan on running a grounding conductor back to the main panel (somehow... the live conductors run through underground conduit...). Until then, is there any way to install the GFCI breaker so it is functional? Breaker is an Eaton GFTCB230.


texts: Weather Stripping seal 1/2 inch kerf door gap

texts: It seems the doors in my home are "kerf" sealed, and the best option is the get a thicker seal? How are the widths of the seals measured?


texts: How should I build a skid foundation for my shed?

texts: I am planning a 14 x 20 shed, going to build on a 4x4 skid foundation, I can only get 16ft 4x4, what is the best method for the 4 feet left?  Should I make all the joints at one end or use 2, 10 ft 4x4 and double the joist in that section?


texts: How can I create a weather-proof pass-through connection between an outside vacuum and an inside hose?

texts:
I want to mount a fireplace vacuum on the outside of an exterior wall. I need some sort of pass-through device that would allow for connecting the vacuum hose on the exterior and the interior, but I also need some form of a hinged mechanism to keep out bugs and weather -- basically some form of insulation. Anyone know a good method to accomplish this type of application?

Thank you in advance for any info.


texts: How do I seal my shower escutcheon plate to prevent it from leaking?

texts:
I have a leak that's going from my upstairs bathroom tub/shower to my downstairs bathroom ceiling.  The leak occurs only when someone is using the shower or tub.  I had someone open up the ceiling and inspect was going on from below.  A PVC pipe was found to be leaking and was repaired.  I proceeded to re-grout all the tile where water may be wanted to go through the tile.  I also re-caulked, using silicone, the corners of the wall where the tile and the tub meet.

That pipe no longer leaks, but amazingly, I appear to still have some leak somewhere else in the ceiling.

My shower head is detachable like a wand.  I detached it and began applying water in various areas to see if I could reproduce the leak.  I think I found that when I apply it on my escutcheon plate, it appears to reproduce the leak.  I have a small hole there that I discovered in the grout, perhaps 2 mm thick.  I am thinking to apply silicone to seal the plate.  It is currently flush against the wall, and with the exception of the 2mm thick hole, I see no gaps.  There is no silicone however, I suppose this was never sealed.

When researching how to silicone seal this, I found that some people recommend opening it up and putting plumbers putty, something I'm not sure is necessary in my case.  I am planning to apply the silicone.

When applying silicone to the escutcheon plate, some people recommend putting it only on the top area where the plate meets the tile wall, where water would flow down into on top of the plate from the top of the shower.  I suppose the rationale is that if water gets stuck there, it may somehow escape into the shower down the tile, rather than behind the wall.  I'm not sure though.

Should I seal only the top 3/4 circumference of the plate, or should I seal the whole circumference of the plate?


texts: Why is turning down the heat during day and night considered more efficient?

texts:
I just want to point out right away that I am not sure if this stack exchange is the most appropriate for this question - perhaps Stack exchange Chemistry or Physics would be more suitable?
My Question
I live in Canada so our winters are pretty cold and I often hear that turning the temperature down in our house during the day (when we're away) and during the night (when we're sleeping) and only turning it back up when we need it saves energy. But I am wondering, is the following assumption correct? :
The total heat dissipated by a house will be the same regardless of the interior temperature.
This makes sense to me, the same house (same isolation, same emplacement etc...) will lose the same energy no matter if it's interior temperature is 21°C or 23°C.
Note : For this question, I am only interested by electric heating (no gas, no wood ...)
My explanation
I have a few theories as to why turning down the heat when we don't need it might be true but I would love for someone to confirm them.

The efficiency of electric heaters depends on the intensity at which it's running (letting it run all day at 50% might be less efficient than letting it run for a few hours at 100%) This could perhaps be related to how the metal elements resist to electricity at different temperatures?
The sun in the morning helps heat the house quicker and gives the illusion that it takes less energy to heat the house in the morning?

Can someone confirm whether or not it is true that turning the temperature down in our home when we don't need it is more energy efficient and also maybe confirm or deny my hypothesis?


texts:
I want to make a few concrete pavers, so I started looking for a few tutorials, and found this youtube video.

In the tutorial, he uses a plastic mold where he pours the concrete. Something like this:

Do these plastic molds exist? I searched amazon and home depot, but didn’t find anything.


texts: How can I seal doors and windows to keep air out?

texts: My problem is that my door has a wide crack under it. It lets in insects and lets out the air or heat. I know you can use a foam seal but need something to go all around the door. I haven't tried any thing yet because I dont know what to start. Can anyone provide a suggestion for the method I should use?


texts: How hard is it to replace a broken-off toilet seat?

texts:
This toilet seat and lid attach to the base with a couple of big plastic screws. The plastic of the seat assembly has torn away from one of the attaching screws.

It looks very easy to replace, but is it? Can I just go to the hardware store and ask for a standard seat and lid? Do I need to determine which of several standard kinds I have? Or is every toilet different, so that I'd have to replace the whole toilet?

Can I buy a replacement for this broken seat and lid?

Note: I'm in the southeastern United States.


texts: Using steel conduit as a ground intermitantly. Any problems with this?

texts:
Small back story:
This is a Philly row home, so the long wall are solid brick.  original outlets were non-existant or embedded in baseboards.  While most of the home is being wired with romex, I am chiseling out boxes and conduit paths for switches and boxes which need to be in these walls.  I have much less experience with conduit.

One of these is a three gang box, with 1 1/2" piece of conduit extending through the floor to the basement and a second to interstitial space between floors.  My concern is not overloading the conduit.  My supplier couldn't get three gangs with 3/4" so it was the best I could do.

The three circuits are two lights and a 3-way switch.  They are on the same leg coming from the floor.  So far I have been running grounds in the conduit.  I'm pretty sure I do not have to but I was just being cautious.  With this setup, I would have 10 wires (14 ga) going through a piece of 1/2 If I didn't omit the grounding wires.

What is the best way to do this?  Can I just bond everything to the boxes in the floor and ceiling and omit the grounds?


texts:
I would like to somehow saw out a wood board that fits into the corner as seen on the picture below. The problem is that both walls are only 2cm thin. The shelf needs to be able to hold a pair of shoes.

Are there way to hang a shelf/wood board between two walls without screws?


texts: 100A sub panel from 150A Service at Body shop

texts: I'm running 100' away from 150A main Service panel to 100A sub panel, my question is: what wire gage shoul I use? Thanks


texts:
I’d like to run the wire into the octagon box from the “top” (in the knock out with the pencil in it). However, the way the wire clamps on the inside are designed would suggest it is not ideal ie, does not secure it well and has a rather “sharper” edge. Having at knockout designed on the top would suggest this is acceptable. Am I missing something?
Thanks!

Example of how the octagon will be mounted:

Thanks!


texts:
Suppose someone has a 240V 50A plug at a rental house. It is wired to a 10-50 receptical. My understanding is that this is a deprecated standard, and my guess is that it is 6-50 wiring that was put into a 10-50 receptical.

Suppose they want to change the receptical to 6-50.

There are three wires which I will call (G)reen, (R)ed, and (B)lack. The heavy duty wire is in a metal sheath that is earthed (E)

Using a multimeter I detect:
E-G: 0
E-R: ~120V
E-B: ~120V
G-R: ~120V
G-B: ~120V
R-B: ~240V

My read of this is that I can simply change the receptical to 6-50.

Is there any specific risk to this? It's a relatively modern house.
Are there any other tests that I can perform to determine whether this is 10-50 wiring or 6-50 wiring?
Does this matter? The difference seems rather subtle.

Aside: It's not particularly relevant, but the wire I referred to as red was actually white. It's clearly live, so this is the "typical" I've-only-got-three-wires-and-don't-want-to-cap-a-white-wire-so-I-declare-white-equals-red. I have put black tape on it to make this clear.

I haven't opened the distribution box to look at the wiring, but am hoping that the multimeter can give me enough information.

As requested, here is a photo of the junction box internals, showing the white wire (with a bit of black tape on it), black wire (these are both hot and 180 degrees out of phase), and green wire (it is 0V from the earth and electrically connected to it presumably at the distribution board).

Further thought: According to this discussion board which agrees with my other reading, 10-50 is hot-hot-neutral and 6-50 is hot-hot-earth. Since my green wire is in continuity with the box, my wires are hot-hot-earth.


texts: Painting fiberglass repair on kitchen sink

texts: I recently did a fiberglass repair on my fiberglass kitchen sink. Now it's ready for paint. So I have a can of Rust-Oleum gloss white. Now it's been awhile but I'm pretty sure I should prime it first. Since we are moving we have some gallon cans of house paint and primers. But I know the Rust-Oleum needs to go over a sanded surface. So my question is what will send better,stick to the fiberglass, and be as glossy as the sink? I have latex  flat,satin,semi gloss, and maybe a can of acrylic, and one can of 100% acrylic latex. What is that?


texts:
My house was built in 1976. I recently replaced the range hood and discovered that the piece of rectangular ducting that runs inside the cabinet is not connected to the outlet vent on the outside of the house. It effectively vents into the attic space under the roof. That attic space is not used for anything, and in fact it is not even accessible.

My contractor quoted 650$ to install the duct, which is not surprising given the difficulty accessing that space.

What are the pros and cons to installing the duct vs. leaving it as is? Out of curiosity, was it considered a standard practice in the 70's to skip a 10-foot section of ducting and let the cooking fumes dissipate in an attic space?


texts:
I just had the shingles on my roof replaced with BP Everest 42 shingles. The old shingles were removed, new flashing, waterproof underlaying, etc was installed. My concern is really in the final product: it just doesn't look that great to me (or my wife, who actually thought this was the old roof still and they hadn't finished).

You'll probably have to view the zoomed in images to see it, but to me it looks kind of uneven and wavy, with the edges butted together at strange places.

Is this actually a poor job, and poor enough that I should bring it up as an issue, or am I just being overly critical? I haven't talked to anyone from the company yet as they just finished; I just want some other opinions first as I'll be a non-roofer arguing with a professional.


texts: Does the lighting fixture size change the number of allowed wires in a junction box?

texts:
In am working on a 1920s era home. The electrical system in the house has been updated several times in a very hodge-podge way. Originally the house had conduit in the attic going from light receptacle to light receptacle. At a later date, romex was run from those light receptacles to plugs in the walls. Now I am replacing all the old rubber and cloth wire because it is disintegrated.

I recently checked the conductor limits for these boxes in the NEC and found that nearly every fixture is way over the limit. For example, the bathroom fixture has 13 "wires" (a mix of 12 and 14 gauge!) in it and each box is only a 4.5"x1.5" round box. The wire limit for this size box is 5.

The lights in use before I removed them were the type that are flush with the ceiling and thus didn't allow for much extra room. I am wondering if the light fixture size changes the number of allowed wires. For example, if the light fixture has a big ceiling mounted box like this one:

Does that change the allowable wire limit?

And, if not, is the only answer to get rid of the current boxes and put in much bigger ones? Is there a better way of addressing this issue?


texts: Troubleshooting a garage door/opener that "catches" and re-opens when wet

texts:
My garage door and opener work reasonably well most of the time -- hot weather or cold.

Sometimes when it rains, though, the door "catches" a little bit, at about 2 feet from the ground, and it is enough to cause the opener to stop and re-raise the door.

If I stand next to the door and pull down while it is closing, it will close successfully.

I can't seem to identify the source of the problem, and am asking for any general tips as to what I might look for or try in order to improve the situation.


texts: Why does my dishwasher back up into the sink, but running the disposal allows it to drain?

texts:
When my dishwasher runs the kitchen sink backs up. I have a two tub sink and only the side nearest the dishwasher with the garbage disposer backs up. Running the disposal for a few seconds causes the sink to drain.

I'm not sure what to look at to address this problem. It doesn't strike me as a clog because if it was the sink would drain poorly.


texts:
I'm building a wooden fence and have a number of 4x4 pressure treated lumber stacked neatly in my garage. I've been pulling posts from the stack as I work on the fence over the last 4 weeks. When I removed a post today, I noticed a white fungus or mold growing on the posts in the center of the stack. I didn't get a picture of it, but just scraped it off and sprayed the affected areas with a 10% bleach solution.
Now that I'm thinking about it I'm concerned the posts may be defective. Should pressure treated lumber support fungus or mold growth?


texts: Duct tape + spackle to fix hole under window ledge?

texts: In one of the bedrooms in my apartment under the window, part of the bottom of the ledge has collapsed. Not sure what caused it. Not sure what it is made of either, probably concrete or something similar. At its widest the hole is about 3 cm, which is a little too wide to fill with just spackle. I was wondering if I could patch the hole with duct tape and then add the spackle over it so it has something to adhere to?


texts: Is it possible to mount a 65in tv on a 1.5in thick plaster wall over a fireplace? there are no studs, and about a 3in air space before its solid again. probably insde brick chimney wall. i never use the fireplace


texts: How can I estimate costs for a renovation project?

texts:
This is a general question about estimating costs that a contractor might charge for a job.

I have a large renovation project that I am considering. This project is clearly beyond my abilities. Before I start calling contractors for estimates I want to come up with an approximate estimate on my own.

Is there anything like a common worksheet, standard hourly rate, or comparison shopping tool that might help me?

I am intentionally not describing my project as I am seeking a general tool, guide, or process rather than something for just this job.

My goal is to find out if this is a $1000 job, a $5000 job, or a $15000 job so that I can have my finances somewhat in order before I get professional estimates. I do not want to waste my time or a contractors time if the job is an order of magnitude more expensive than I think it is!


texts: How many "layers" of surge protection is considered useful?

texts:
I want to make my whole house surge protected, there are several solutions available

You can install MOV based surge protection on the entire house in line entry point - first line of defense
You can use socket surge protection, MOV based as well - third defense line, protecting individual appliance
Junction box SPD if such a thing exists - second line of defense.

How much of such defensive layers of surge protection makes sense to install from economical and technical point of view?


texts: How can I disconnect rusted tail piece mount from popup flange?

texts:
I am experiencing a water leak from some sort of waste trap piece below my bathroom sink. This piece sits directly above the U trap.
Here's a photo.

This trap looks unusual, in that it seems a bit different from most of the wider traps. Any pointers on what the name/make of this piece is, or where what replacement part to look for?
UPDATE:
I've unscrewed and detached mostly everything but am having a hell of a time trying to actually remove the popup drain assembly. I've updated my post above to show whats going on. I've tried the pliers trick to stop the pop up flange from moving but no luck so far.

Am I doing something wrong?
Should i be trying to unscrew the tail piece mount or the tail piece itself?
If not, are there any tools/strategies that I may not be using that would help loosen the gridlock?

I feel like I must be doing something wrong. The channel lock pliers I cannot hold fast enough and are stripping the grooves a bit.
Is this the correct strategy?


texts: Can a low-flow shower head cause a leak behind the wall?

texts:
The short question is this: would a low-flow shower head cause some kind of increase in pressure to the water supply pipes that would cause a rupture and leak?

The longer story is this: I removed a previous stationary shower head and replaced it with this hand-held shower head (http://www.homedepot.com/p/MOEN-Propel-5-Spray-4-5-in-Hand-Shower-in-Chrome-26040/300676251). There was nothing unusual about the installation, it worked fine and there were no visible leaks.

About two weeks of daily use later the hot water to that bathtub faucet and only that bathtub faucet stopped working. A plumber came out and replaced the cartridge inside the handle (http://www.homedepot.com/p/MOEN-Posi-Temp-Pressure-Balanced-Shower-Cartridge-1222/202059049) saying that sometimes the temperature regulator inside the cartridge stops working, just one of those things.

Hot water had returned, we went back to daily use. About 4 days later we heard water behind the wall and found our downstairs bathroom below the shower in question was flooding from the ceiling. We turned off the main water and waited for the plumber to come back out.

He found that the cold water supply line to the shower handle was leaking significantly at a solder point. His initial diagnosis was whoever installed the line had done a bad job soldering the pipe and it had finally given out. He cut out the pipe and replaced it with his own, presumably superior, soldering job.

After he was done, as he was using the shower head to clean out the tub he mentioned how much he hated these kinds of shower heads because they restrict the flow of water so much, and that since "that pressure has to go somewhere" the new shower head was likely the cause of both the cartridge replacement issue and the later leak.

I would agree the shower head does not put out the most impressive pressure, but it doesn't seem anemic or problematic. I can't understand how a restrictive shower head could ruin a scald protector or supply line. Is this actually a thing? Should I look to replace my shower head, or was he just looking for something to be the cause that wasn't him? If not the shower head, could the cartridge be doing something that would cause the pipe to leak?


texts: Why did my RCD trip when I was working on my de-energised lighting ring?

texts:
I'm replacing a light in my hallway.  Before starting, I turned the light on, turned off the lighting-ring breaker, confirmed the light went out, and then turned off the light-switch for good measure.

Once I had removed the conductors from the terminal-block, I started pulling the bare wires back through the housing of the old light.  At this point, presumably two of the three wires touched, or shorted through the light housing, and the RCD for the whole property went off.

I don't understand why this happened.  Could the Neutral conductor still have been energised, and that is what flipped the RCD?  Or, could it be that the breaker for my lighting ring and the light-switch for this outlet are on the Neutral rather than the Live?  Is this expected behaviour on a UK installation, or is it time for me to get my friendly local electrician in to investigate further?


texts: How can I determine why my A/C runs all day?

texts:
I have a Bryant AC/Furnace unit.  My house is 10 years old.  A heat wave hit this weekend & temps got up to 95°F outside.  I had my thermostat set to 75°, and it ran all day.  The thermostat never dropped below 80° during the day & eventually cooled down towards the evening.  How can I tell if it's a problem with my AC or with the insulation in the house?  The attic has insulation "blown" in it, and from what I can tell, was done recently before we bought the house 5 years ago.

Does the "blown" insulation have to be re-blown every so often?  Or is it more likely a problem with the AC unit?  I've never had it serviced since I bought the house, but I have changed the air filters monthly.

Edit

Something else I remembered:  my house is bi-level.  I keep the downstairs vents closed because if they're all open, it gets pretty cold down there.  With them closed, it's maybe a little warmer than upstairs.  We're upstairs most of the time anyway.  Would that affect anything?


texts: Light dims when plugged in, doesn't dim when hard wired to feed

texts: I have a peculiar situation.  My LED light is fully dimmable down to 10% per manufacturer spec (this light).  To test its function, I hardwired the light to a plug (like this Plug) via a dimmer switch (this ), and plugged into a wall receptacle.  It dimmed nicely. So I then hardwired the switch to a 15amp feed in a box.  The light turns on and off, but doesn't dim.  What could be the cause?


texts: The principle of an MWBC is that two hots can share a neutral if they're on opposite phases, since the current on the neutral will cancel instead of adding. But isn't this only true for loads with reasonable power factors? Consider if one phase of an MWBC had a load that was nearly purely capacitive, and the other phase had a load that was nearly purely inductive. The voltages are 180 degrees out of phase, but the capacitive load's current is pushed almost 90 degrees ahead of its voltage, and the inductive load's current is pushed almost 90 degrees behind its voltage. Wouldn't this situation result in the currents adding up after all, and potentially overloading the neutral wire? Are MWBCs considered safe just because loads with such low power factors are nearly nonexistent in practice, or is there something else that prevents this from being a problem?


texts: How do you interlock 2 pieces of plywood

texts: What is it called when you cut 2 grooves in plywood so that they will interlock with each other perpendicular?  What is the best tool for the job?  Just a circular saw?  A router?


texts: If one wanted more basement ceiling height

texts:
... is it more insane to try to stabilize a brick foundation, break up a concrete floor, and dig down... Or to levitate the house as if one was going to relocate it, and build the foundation upward (or pour a new foundation in place under it)?

No, I don't think I'm serious about either. Headroom is about 6' in the 1890's section of the basement (probably originally dirt-floor cellar?) but I'm 5'8" so that isn't intolerable. But every now and then I wonder what it would take to change that.

(Given that I'm within the hundred-year-flood zone I suspect the bias might be toward going up, but I'd be really interested in knowing just how bad either would be.)

Footnote: one website claims "The cost of moving a house starts at about $12 to $16 per square foot but can quickly rise if the home is heavier, bigger or has farther to go." So figure the levitation alone at around $20k. That's actually not completely unreasonable, especially if one wanted to do all the "ideal" ground-water, insulation, and radon measures and bundled them into the cost of the new foundation.


texts: How does one carryout a thermal survey of one's house?

texts:
House built in the 1940's, Pacific Northwest, generally snowless climate, now with several generations of additions, such as a dormer, all in all at least twice as much living space compared to 1940s.

How do I carry out a survey of heat loss to identify and prioritized weak spots for limited dollars for improvements?

Is it as simple a matter as getting an thermometer gun from a box store like Home Depot or Lowes or Harbor Freight, then mapping out the doors and skylight glass and window glass and various walls and ceilings?

How do those examples of conductive/convective heat loss compare to mass losses such as faulty sealing around doors and sashes?

Lastly, are there any online estimator calculators or tables for major projects? for example adding thickness to a 250 sqft 2x6 cathedraled shed dormer to make it more like 2x8 or 2x10? or more simple projects like replacing an old single-pane exterior door with a thermalpane door?


texts: I have had problems with mold in my kitchen behind the sink cabinet a couple of times. I have gutted the sink cabinet, the drywall behind it and the lazy susan area, leaving the countertop in place. The countertop is new and I don't want to break it. I want to replace the drywall  with a mold retardant surface. That is why I want to know what greenboard is before I rebuild the cabinet under the sink.


texts:
My new entry door uses a Baldwin La Jolla handle set with interior lever. After the pro installer completed their work I was disappointed to find that the interior lever likes to stick in the down position. You have to force it back to level. It does not stick in the up position. (This is not a multipoint lock so there’s no particular reason to pull up on the lever but that’s the observation.) there’s no sticking when using the thumb lever on the outside.
Any idea what might be causing this?


texts: I recently had my windows and trim replaced and the contractor was very sloppy filling in the nail holes on the trim. There are big globs of whatever he use left on the wood any ideas on what I can use to safely remove the substance without damaging the wood?


texts: Partially finished basement needing dehumidification

texts: I have a partially finished basement with a wall and door separating the two spaces. I'd like to keep the door between them shut but need both areas dehumidified. If I run two separate but identical dehumidifiers in those two spaces is that much different energy usage than one unit running with the door open?


texts:
I've wired a new induction hob in and looking for confirmation on cabling.

Instructions state you can wire it as follows:

A)3 x 4 mm² three-core L1 N G (bridge L1,L2,L3 inside on hob terminal if using 3 core cable)
or
B)5 x 2.5 mm² five-core L1 L2 L3 N G
http://productdocs.smeg.it/st/PI964X/userManual/GB

It came pre wired with a 5 core cable. I have 3 terminals available on a 45A outlet.

I have connected L1 L2 L3 into L terminal on the 45A outlet. All appears to work well. Is this ok?

Alternatively I have a 3 core cable from old hob I could use but would prefer not to unscrew terminal box on the new hob. Not sure if there are bridge connectors for L1 L2 L3 which I would need with a 3 core cable, as it already has a pre wired 5 core cable.

Thanks


texts: Shower mixing valve right next to outlet boxes?

texts: I am rebuilding a leaky shower, and now that I have the wall taken out, I’m noticing that the shower valve is right next to two outlet boxes. That just looks like it’s too close. Is that okay, or is that a disaster waiting to happen?


texts: Bosch Drawer Microwave causes ARC Faults

texts:
I have a brand new Bosch Microwave (model: hmd8451uc) installed as the only device on the entire circuit. Anytime I use the Microwave on this circuit, it triggers the breaker's ARC Fault. Breaker (Murray MP-GAT2 20AMP).
I bought one of these guys (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PMDRHXB) and pushed it into the socket where the microwave is plugged in, and everything passed. I was also able to test the ARC Fault mechanism, which seemed to work just fine.
After some research, I found the following Q&A Why does my microwave trip my AFCI only when it's mostly empty? So I tried the method that was described adding a full glass of water, it improves the problem slightly, (the microwave will last longer on), but sometimes it'll still trigger the breaker.
Seems like some people in that Q&A above had luck switching out the breaker to a different model or brand. Everyone in that thread had Siemens + Panasonic, I have Murray + Bosch so I'm wondering if my issue would be fixed by switching out the breaker.

Seem like the afci breaker you have right now affected by the microwave frequency ,try to replace the afci breaker.

But before I spend more money on switching the breaker, I want to understand how a certain "Microwave Frequency" can trigger an Arc Fault and if there is any safety issues with ignoring this issue and just switching a breaker to a different brand? Also, it's unclear from the previous Q&A, is this specific breaker faulty or is the breaker brand not meshing with my microwave.
I've been eying the Leviton Smart Load Center, to just replace my entire panel, which I don't mind doing, but want to be sure it'll fix this issue in the process.

Edit: image of breaker:


texts: Measuring amps phase to phase vs neutral and getting odd readings

texts:
Details: 240/120V split phase

Using my clamp on amp meter the readings on leg A was 3.2. on leg B 2.6 ( a .6 difference ). The neutral read 1.9 ( a 1.3 difference ).

Is the 1.3 Amps something to be alarmed about?  If not, what would be considered reasonably alarming?


texts: Why is one light staying on when the switch is off?

texts:
Can anyone help,

I have a lighting/wiring problem, I have two lights in front room controlled by one dimmer switch, the problem is one stays on permanently and one switches on and off and dims.

The switch wire goes to the light that goes on and off, then the second light (the one staying on) is fed from that light by a single 3 core 1.5m cable.

The light staying on only has the one cable entering it, the other has 4 cables entering.

The configuration in the light staying on is one single earth (green/yellow), one single neutral (black) and one single live (red), each seperated into the light fitting in seperate terminals.

The configuration in the light switching off is currently all four live wires (red) bundled together into a seperate terminal block (not connected to light fitting), three neutral wires (black) all bundled together going into the neutral of this light, all four earth wires (green/yellow) bundled together going into the earth of this light and one neutral wire (black with a red sleeve) going into the live of this light, something is obviously wrong but I can't figure out what it is, any help would be much appreciated


texts:
After taking down one of those cantilever "invisible fixing" Ikea LACK shelves, I discovered that there were twice as many holes in the wall as required and all of them were enlarged and ruined (the wallplugs were very small and cheap). The wall is an interior one and it is a fairly thin coat of plaster over what appears to be fairly soft cement-like material. The underlying material around and between the holes is so damaged you can pick it out with a finger.

This means that at each end there are eight very closely spaced holes and a group of 4 in the middle. The wall is now unusable for shelf fixing in this area as there's hardly any plaster left, and the plaster around the area is flaking off:

I know I could clean the holes out, fill them with filler, sand and paint (the room will be repainted anyway soon), but I am concerned that this will leave fairly large hidden weak spots in the wall. Is it better to chop out the affected areas of wall, back to solid material and fill in with something stronger than filler?

EDIT: It's a 1930's house, and I suspect the wall is original. I haven't found any brick so far but there is some hard grey cement-like material behind the plaster that seems pretty solid. This is the best photo I can get down the hole after raking out the worst of the loose material (the "island" between the four leftmost holes collapsed, leaving one big one!)


texts: Is updating/avoiding this splice worth it, and if so, what's the easiest way to plug the hole?

texts:
An outlet was discovered to be midway through a segment of unsafe (too thin gauge for circuit, no ground) wiring. Let's refer to point A as a junction to the rest of the circuit (which is all good to go), point B as this outlet, and point C as an important outlet at the end of this branch. There's nothing else on the branch between A & C.

Because the outlet at point B was hidden by furniture and not used, and there's already ~8 other outlets on this circuit (maybe more), it's been decided that this outlet could simply be removed. To most rapidly get rid of the unsafe wiring between point A & C, new wire was pulled through each end of the gang box and spliced, thus completing the circuit with new wiring. However, this leaves an unnecessary splice in a gang box at point B, and the box itself seems a little unsafe to me (it is a not very secure/stable, old work box).

To reduce electrical risks, it seems to me it's worth it (though not high priority) to re-run a length of wire from point A to C directly with no splice, and in the process remove the old work box. This is not that difficult and since splices and rickety junction boxes are some of the major electrical hazards as I understand it, it's worth upgrading: it will take 10 feet of 12/2 NM, pull part way through from point C to B and then pull the rest of the way through from B to A and get it all hooked up.

When all that is said and done, the rickety gang box will be empty and unneeded. Easy enough to remove if that's best, it's practically falling out of place now. What's the easiest way to plug the hole? Do I need to add drywall + joint compound + paint, or can I just put a gang box cover on the empty box? Guess I'm trying to confirm if it makes sense to rewire the splice out of existence, and if there's any problem putting a cover on an empty box or even somehow putting a cover on an otherwise open but discrete hole in the wall.


texts: What is this old plumbing fixture and can it go?

texts: I'm looking to do some DIY plumbing work, but this fixture confounds me.  It looks like the biggest water hammer arrester, I've ever seen; but it can't be that simple.  What is it, and what will I lose if I remove it?


texts: Sound proof my guest unit carved out of main house

texts:
It seems that when they carved out this guest unit they failed to insulate the walls. I've read up on spray foam insulation, adding drywall over existing drywall with green glue in between.
Both sound like quite a project for a lay person. Although, I do have a friend in construction who has agreed to help with another layer of drywall. I am just not sure what will add maximum sound barrier.
Do I need to drywall the closet ceiling too since it's the closet through which I hear the most noise. (Help! It's like living in the same room with the tenants in the main house).


texts: What can I do about a Rough opening that is REALLY out of square?

texts:
The house I am living in has a rather interesting problem.  Due to what I suspect was Jack Daniels building inspections in this town in the 80's, the footing wall under the second floor dining room looses about an inch across 9 ft.  The kitchen to the left is pretty level. If I jump down into the 8 ft crawlspace, I can actually see the crappy pour on which the builders just slapped up stub walls in which the first and second floors are built.  To boot, the house settled while being constructed so the sag in that section of the wall was drywalled out of square.  There are NO drywall cracks at the dining room window header corners so the builders knew this was a screwed up footing and stub wall.  The house was also sheathed with that aluminum coated cardboard and then finished with aluminum siding that one can no longer buy.

Now with all that being said, I want to somehow figure out how to replace the 6'0" x 4'0" dining room window which is 1" out of square.  If I run a level across the sill, the left side is 1" lower than the right.  As you can imagine, the left to right slider has a pretty nice gap at the top when closed under which I have, for years, been propping a yardstick under in the winter to cut the draft.  There has been some slight settling in the window frame at the left pane, held in with double face tape, is slightly askew which tells me that the entire footing foible is being transferred up through the framing under the right half of the window.

The exterior aluminum siding is the most problematic in my mind...  I won't be able to find anything to match it or the lipped edging that the siding fits under that the window is wrapped in on the outside.

Is there a way to get, maybe, a 6'0 by 3'10" window and then figure out how to trim out the window?  I can't see trying to readjust the entire house on the footing and fixing that.  Leveling the entire corner of the house now seems like it would really screw a lot of other stuff up.

Thoughts?


texts: How can I determine what grade air filter is appropriate?

texts:
I'm trying to figure out what kind of air filter is appropriate for my house. My local home warehouse store stocks over a dozen options. The primary difference between them seems to be Microparticle Performance Rating, but there are also differences in material (fiberglass vs. composite), shape (pleated vs. flat) and Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value.

This is a two-part question. First, what factors about my home and/or environment should I consider? For example, I've heard that people who smoke, have pets or live in humid areas may, broadly speaking, want higher quality filters.

Second, once I've figured out what factors to look at, what filter characteristics do they correspond to? To extend my previous example (assuming that smoking really does matter and that MPR is legit, not just a number made up for marketing purposes), is there a minimum MPR value that a smoker should get?


texts: Trying to remove a single handle shower faucet with stripped out set screw

texts: I'm trying to remove a shower faucet handle, but the set screw seems to be stripped out. Honestly, it looks to me like there isn't much if any of the screw left for an extractor bit to grab hold of, but I'm not entirely sure if I'm seeing things correctly (see pictures below). Any advice?


texts:
Im trying to wire a sauna heater. Im using #12 wire as directed in the instruction manual (directions say 3x12awg 12.5 amp). The wire I purchased has 4 wires in it, two hots, a neutral, and a ground.

Here's the diagram, which confuses me:

Is the neutral not required for this application? One hot in L1, one hot in L2, and the bare ground into slot 1 with the ground symbol? If this is the case, do i just leave the neutral wire not connected to anything?


texts: Red reclaimed victorian tiles (outdoor) crumbling after only 6 months

texts:
About 6 months ago we had red/blue reclaimed Victorian tiles laid in a checkerboard pattern outside the front of our house.  Red dust seems to be constantly coming off the red tiles, so that the grout looks pink, and it will even tread indoors.  Now on one of the tiles the smooth surface seems to have come away about the size of a 50p piece.

Does any one know what might be causing this (wrong bed? wrong grout? need treating?), these tile must be a hundred years old, and seemed in fine condition before laid.

Perhaps unrelated, but might be:  we frequently find a white salt-like deposit on the surface of the tiles - almost like you might expect after the snow melts in winter and the gritting salt is left behind.  There hasn't been any salt around, and so I don't know where this is coming from.  It brushes off by hand easily.

Edit:

I had an "expert" come and look at them, and he thinks the efflorescence and crumbling are not related.  He wonders if they are particularly soft, and are not sealed and so they are simply wearing away because of that.  He is also suspicious that the glaze/surface may have been missing on some of them when they were laid, and so we are simply just picking up on it now.  I had a couple that were left over from laying and they are ok, but not all the tiles may be identical.  He noted that not all the red tiles seem to have faired as badly as each other.

I also did manage to get hold of the person who laid them, and he is also planning a visit.  He thinks they probably need sealing.


texts: Is it OK to drill through a jack stud/full stud pair to cut a hole for water heater drain pipe?

texts:
I just had a new water heater installed in my garage. My city building / plumbing codes require that the water heater overflow drain be drained to the outside of the house.
Situation:
The heater stands next to a wall separating garage and house that is about 10 feet from the garage outside wall.  There is a door in the garage wall to outside right at the corner of the wall the heater is next to.
To run a drain pipe from the water heater to outside, the plumber simply ran the pipe along the wall and supported it with braces.  BUT - to get to outside, a hole needs to be drilled along the long side of the jack stud and king stud framing the door.  BUT the plumber stopped short of going through the outside wall because of reluctance to cut a hole through the long side of the studs.  The city inspector has failed the installation.
Question:
Is it really OK to drill through the jack stud/king stud and it won't weaken the wall?


texts: Can I swap out this 20A breaker for a 15A breaker?

texts:
I'm wiring my shed.  There is a sub panel out back with a 20A breaker that supplies power to my pool light.  I tapped that line to run the power to my shed because it's already ran about 3/4 of the distance.  I used 12 gauge wire from the junction box near the pool to the shed, but 14 gauge wire in the shed.  I didn't realize it was a 20A breaker until about half the wiring in the shed was done.

Rather than redo what I've already done in the shed, I thought about just swapping out the 20A breaker for a 15A breaker.  The load will be:

The pool light (2.5 amps)
Five lights on the shed (3 outside, 2 inside)
Four outlets

The alternative would be to rewire the shed and keep the 20A breaker, but I don't want to do that since I really don't need 20A of power out there.


texts: Keypads of home security devices from Ademco and Honeywell

texts:
When I bought my house there were two home security devices installed, one was Ademco and the other, Honeywell (see pics below). I didn't pay attention to them and didn't ask the former owner questions (now he is no longer available).
Recently both devices start beeping unexpectedly, two times from Honeywell devices last night when everyone sleeps, for example. It becomes annoying. I can stop the beeping by pressing the "chime" button on Honeywell's keypad but it's not a permanent disabling. It would start again.
From the LED panel I did notice that it might be low battery issue.
Now my questions are:
How can I factory-reset the devices w/o knowing the passwords?
How can I change the battery for these devices?
Thanks


texts:
I've dug a trench around the perimeter of my crawl space.  Then I planned the next steps.  I took a week off but I'd like to finish this project next weekend.  I am going to glue 2" R-10 FOAMULAR 250 Rigid Foam Insulation to the cinder block using Liquid Nails FRP.

Is this a good choice of materials?

The Liquid Nails instructions say that I should cover the whole area of the panels and 1 gallon is going to cover about 50 sq.ft.  How important is to really do that?  Do I really have to cover the panels or is it going to be OK to put less liquid nails material, perhaps just lines at the edges or even just a few spots at the corners?  I'm asking because the glue is not that cheap and I don't want to overdo this.


texts: I'm laying down new laminate flooring in a small condo and the current baseboards have got to go. They're old, ugly, dirty, and installed plain wrong. My question is: Do new baseboards go on before the laminate flooring? Or lay laminate planks first, then baseboards? It will eventually be a rental property, so I am thinking of baseboards, laminate planks, then quarter round to hide the gap. This way in the future it'll be easier to change out the floors if necessary. What do you guys think?


texts: Can an outlet on a three-way circuit be made live full-time?

texts:
I'm in the process of fixing up my 30+ year old garage. The current set up for power in the garage begins with a 12-3 cable running from a 3 way switch in the house, under ground through conduit, into the garage and directly into another 3 way switch. The switches control the lighting in the garage, an exterior garage light, and 1 20 amp outlet. They can be turned on and off from either the garage or house.
The outlet only has power when the switches are on, meaning the lights are also on. Ideally, I'm looking to separate the two so that the outlet always has power for purposes of charging tool batteries, or operating tools in daylight when lights aren't needed.
Being able to turn the lights on and off from the house isn't a must have. My initial thought was to install a junction box in the garage, run the 12-3 directly into it from the house, capping off the traveler, then from there run wire to the outlet, and to the switch that controls the interior lighting. Any input is appreciated


texts: Is this water pressure tank gauge working?

texts: I feel like our pressure tank is running constantly lately.  I just took a look at it and am puzzled by the gauge on the side.  This isn't zero - it's maxed out.  Broken?  ..or is there a bomb growing in my basement?


texts: Can I put a right inswing front door with a left outswing screen

texts: Can I put a right hand swing door (Exterior) with a left out swing screen door??


texts: Spot prime indoors with shellac-base primer?

texts:
I need to block some wood knots that bled through the finish of the door trim. The knots have been previously painted with latex paint and acrylic primer/sealer. It took just a month for the knots to become visible again. This time I am going with the shellac-based stain blocker (B-I-N ultimate stain blocker).

Here's what it says on the back of the can:

B-I-N is great for exterior spot priming and is the only primer that effectively seals knots and sap streaks. Note: prime only under high hiding paints. Otherwise, prime the whole surface with Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 after spot priming.

Also, the front of the can says Interior & Spot Exterior.

I am painting indoors, and the paint is white latex paint - probably not a high hiding one. What is the reason the label tells me to prime the whole surface - and what will happen if I spot prime? Do I need to apply a coat of regular primer over this shellac-base primer before painting it?


texts: There’s a 12/3 existing wiring in my hallway that runs up to the light fixtures. I want to extend the 12/3 wiring to a bedroom to add a smart switch and recessed lighting. If I pigtail 12/3 from the power in going to the light switch in the hallway and send the cable to the bedroom to a smart switch would that work?


texts: How to fill holes in Hardwood Floor, Large, Medium, and Small

texts:
The floors in this home are likely original from the 1920's. The lovely owners of the house before me did not care much as it was a rental, and we now have tons of paint and holes on and in the floors.

I'm going to refinish the floors because of the excess of scratches and paint marks. I'd love to be able to fix the holes as well.

From what I understand, the two options are to 1) use wood fill, 2) let poly fill the holes.

What is the best way to make holes such as the ones below look good?

Large:

Medium:

Small:


texts: What's the best way to attach a hook to the back of my metal gutters? The hooks will be holding some Christmas lights.


texts: Why do I need batteries to use solar when the grid is down?

texts:
I am considering a home solar photovoltaic installation, probably 5 kW or so.   The usual configuration around here is with a grid-tie inverter and net metering.  But when the grid goes down, the inverter shuts off (to avoid back-feeding into the power grid and electrocuting linemen).
We are interested in being able to use the solar when the power goes down (not infrequent in this rural area).   According to the solar installer, the only way it is possible to do this is to also install a battery system like Tesla PowerWall.   The idea is that when the inverter loses the 60 Hz sinewave from the grid it shuts off; the inverter in the PowerWall supplies this sinewave, so the inverter doesn't shut off, and there's also a mechanism to disconnect from the grid.
That sounds reasonable.   But the cost is not.  Two PowerWalls would roughy double the cost of the installation.  During outages, we would be satisfied to only have power when the sun shines; this would keep food safe, allow us to draw water, etc.  Electrically, there is no reason this can't be done without the expensive battery system.  All that is necessary is to generate the 60Hz reference for the solar system's inverter, and to disconnect from the grid.
Has anyone been able to manage such an installation? Would it be strictly DIY (perhaps feasible as I'm a electrical engineer)?


texts: Wiring Confusion - 3 Phase Line to a Water Level Controller?

texts:
I have a borewell with a 3-phase submersible pump that I want to control with a water level controller (when the overhead tank is empty, it should start the motor and when the tank is full it should stop the pump, automatically).

On the advice of the sales staff, I purchased a controller rated for 415 volt which (according to the staff) was the most suitable for my 3 phase pump. (Technical info of the GIC Water Level Controller here - PDF file).

Now, I am confused as to how to connect the mains to the controller. The circuit diagram for my requirement shows -

Neutral being connected to A2 terminal and Line to A1 and 15 terminal in the controller.

But since my controller is rated for 415 volts, should I instead connect the 3 Lines (RYB of 3-phase) individually to the A2, A1 and 15 terminal, as otherwise the single phase (neutral and line) will provide only 230 volts?

FYI: Single phase supply in my country is 230 volts and three phase is 240 / 415 volts at 50 hz.

(The service engineer who can clarify my doubts is not reachable for a few days and hence my post here).

MORE INFO:

Page 186 of the technical sheet of the controller has this connection diagram:

which clearly shows that the input supply should be 110v / 240v / 400 volt (+ or - 20%) depending on what the controller is rated for. As I said before, the sales person insisted that the 415v rated controller is what I need for a 3-phase pump.

The controller has this printed on its side:

This input supply of 415 volt is the source of my confusion as residential single phase supply in my country is 230 volts only. (And that is why I assumed that I have to use more than one phase as input to provide the 415v).

Am I misunderstanding something very obvious or did the sales person give the wrong advise and I should have got the 240v rated controller?

Since some of you have asked about the motor controller - the unit has a contactor, relay and single phasing protection relay (SPPR - SZ5). Circuit Diagram:

I was advised to remove the loop between D1 and D2, and connect terminal 18 (of the water level controller) to D1 and connect terminal 16 (of the water level controller) to D2. This would ensure the water level controller would automatically start or stop the pump through the motor controller.


texts: How do you correctly use EMT conduit terminated into a female-threaded raintight hub atop a 3R outdoor panel?

texts:
What is an NEC-accepted way of using EMT pipe with this female-threaded hub?
(The picture is an Eaton DS200H2 2" Rainproof Hub/Conduit/Plate to be used atop of a Eaton NEMA 3R BRP20B200R.)


texts: I have a trane heat pump in my attic, do I replace the filter in the air handler AND return grill? Not sure if I can use just the return grill which is in my hallway ceiling


texts: Is it possible to wire up multiple 4 way switches with power coming into one 4 way and the lights connected to the other

texts: Attached is a picture of how we currently have things wired. Is this possible? How would you go about connecting the wires together. Do I need to move the light output wire to the same box that the power is coming into. United States. Blue is used for white.