texts: How do I block this gap in door frame gasket/ weather stripping?

texts:
I found a small gap at the bottom non-hinge corner of my exterior door's weather stripping/ gasket, and found that ants are getting in through it.
The door is very new, I think less than a year old, as is the weather stripping.
Here is the door from the inside:

And in the lower left corner, just visible in the day due to some light leakage, is a small gap:

If I push on the door in that corner, the gap can be closed, but it takes probably 20-30 pounds of force:

Here is a view with the door open:

And another one:

From the outside, with the door closed then open, it appears that square beige piece is applying a little pressure to the long white strip gasket that runs vertically, keeping it from contacting the door face for the bottom couple of inches:

I don't know why that little square beige piece of weather stripping is there, or whether that's a standard thing.
What are my options for sealing that small gap to keep out ants and drafts?
Should I just remove the square beige gasket, or try to move it towards the inside by a few mm to take the pressure off the white gasket? If the white gasket doesn't spring back after that and close the gap, do I need to replace the entire white gasket or can I tuck a few inches long strip of low-density foam inside the white gasket (I think it's hollow) to puff it back out?
Or should I just put some clear silicone where the beige meets the white to bridge the gap and hope that that does it?
Thanks.
PS: Although I mentioned ants getting in, I'm not looking for help on ant control. Already did lots of research on that, and I'm now putting diatomaceous earth and borax baits around, etc. Also the ants in question are med-large carpenters, so the gap doesn't have to be reduced to zero, just small enough that bigger ants can't easily stroll through.
PPS: I wondered if the door was bent along the bottom edge, but it doesn't appear to be:


texts: Attaching Suspended Ceiling Angle to Drywall Only?

texts:
I'm finishing my basement, and made a mistake.

The wall in some portions was only framed in up to 84". I'm matching the height of my suspended ceiling to the bottom of a steel I-beam the crosses the whole basement at a height of - you guessed it - 85".

I've already insulated, drywalled, primed and painted.

I'm looking for a way to affix the angle to the drywall. It'll be 100ish inches long on the offending wall, bearing half the weight of four-ish half-tiles, so not terribly much. I'm wondering if drywall anchors should be stout enough.

I know the proper answer is to frame up behind the drywall, but I'm not gonna. There are reasons.


texts: Can a ceiling fan's speed be controlled with a light dimmer switch

texts:
I purchased a ceiling fan a while back which is one of those fancy ones that is operated with a remote control. However, for some reason, the remote broke, and the fan is stuck on maximum speed, I can turn it on/off by the wall switch and that's it.

Is it possible to manually control the fan speed by installing a light dimmer switch?


texts: Modifying electric water heater for easy temperature control

texts:
I have an electric water heater. It has a top and bottom thermostat. In the summer I turn these down and in the winter turn them up. It's a real hassle because I have to unscrew the plates and then adjust the thermostat. If I get it wrong I have to do it again and would like to do micro-adjustments until I get it right. There are 2 modifications that I want to consider for this tank and need your input for.

Is it possible to attach a knob on the outside of the tank that could control this thermostat without me having to unscrew that plate each time?

Is there a way to control this wirelessly? I would absolutely consider a Raspberry Pi or equivalent project to get this working.

The purpose of this question is to find a way to easily way to adjust the two thermostats on the tank so the answers aren't limited to 1 and 2 above.


texts: Where can I find a replacement faucet sprayer hose?

texts: My kitchen sink sprayer is broken and I need to replace the hose.  The hose has an unusual connection that clips into a plastic piece; but doesn't seem standard compared to what I've seen as replacements.  Anyone familiar with where I can get a replacement hose like this?


texts: What's the fastest way to remove/dissolve plaster from brick?

texts:
We want to expose our brick walls in a house that was built around the 1900's.  We're doing a complete demo, so hopefully we're not to restricted as to what we can use to remove the plaster.

What's the fastest way to remove the plaster? Is there a chemical we could use?


texts: Hot Water issues in entire apartment, How can I fix this?

texts:
We lease an apartment and the maintenance has been less than effective at fixing this issue so was wondering what other people think about it.

We've got 2 showers and 3 sinks, this issue is happening across all of them. The water 80% of the time is room temperature, it will then sometimes get hot after about 5-10 minutes. Then it will quickly run out.. but sometimes it doesn't and stays somewhat warm for about 30 minutes or so. In the winter it is freezing cold water instead of room temperature so you can see how that's an issue.

The temperature on the water heater itself was set to max 'VERY HOT' and it's still having the sames issues. I've decided to turn it down and nothing's really changed other than the water not being scalding when it does work.

I've taken a few pictures as well so we can look at what's going on.


texts:
I am feeding two 200 amp panels with a 32kw generator using an auto transfer switch. To prevent unsafe generator start up can I wire the utility sensing control using power from each panel to the sensing fuses making sure I have correctly phased each terminal?
 The utility is 400 amp single phase 240/120 volt service feeding the auto transfer switch. Transfer switch feeds each 200 amp panel with 3/0. If I feed the transfer switch utility 240 volt sensing circuit from say panel 1 and the panel is shut off it would cause the generator to start. Thus I need both panels to connect to this circuit. – Mike yesterday


texts: How can I determine whether I have moisture issues behind a brick facade

texts:
I removed a wall panel next to the window in my garage and removed the wall insulation to expose a particle board (think that's the right term) panel that's behind the exterior brick facade. The particle board looks darker than expected, as if it is or was damp at some point. How can I tell if it is damp or had moisture damage?

I don't see any blatant signs of fungal growth.

Updated: Added an image. This is to the right of a window. The entire length of the panel looks like this.


texts:
I'm trying to remove a light switch that was part of what I believe was a 4-way (possibly just 3-way) ceiling fan setup in the past. The switch is no longer serving any purpose (it didn't appear to control anything), so I've removed it and I'm now left with the below wiring. I've checked with a 2 prong voltage tester that only 1 of the wires has voltage running through it (with 1 prong touching the wire being tested and the other prong touching the GROUND wire). The remaining switch visible in the picture will be left as is for now.

The bare wire is the GROUND wire. The black wire with the exposed copper loop in it is the LIVE/HOT wire that lit up a light on the voltage tester. The other black (NO VOLTAGE 1) and red (NO VOLTAGE 2) wires didn't have any current running through them. There is also a neutral white wire visible in the back of the box, but that was already capped off when I removed the switch cover so I'm not concerned with it.

I now want to cap and seal off the exposed wiring with electrical nuts.

Do I need to do something special with the GROUND wire, or can I leave it as is?
Do I need to put a nut on the LIVE/HOT wire?
Should I cap the (NO VOLTAGE) wires with a single nut, or does each need its own nut? Out of curiosity, if they need to be separate, what would happen if they were to touch; or were to touch the LIVE/HOT wire?


texts: Why is my AFCI breaker tripping and my surge protector clicking?

texts:
I've really got two possibly related issues here. We have a basement office that we wired ourselves. Code required that we put in an AFCI breaker. From what I've read these can be pretty temperamental and that has been the case with us. The breaker will trip as often as once a day but it is usually less often. We replaced the original AFCI breaker and for about a month after we were good. However, now it has started tripping often again.

I have a surge protector hooked up on one outlet with a PC and monitor attached. It is the kind of surge protector with the master outlet that can control the other devices so they turn on/off when the master device turns on/off. I've noticed that anytime we run the garbage disposal upstairs and also at many random times throughout the day, the surge protector will make a clicking sound, like the power has come on/gone off of the main device (the PC). The PC isn't turned on.

Any ideas what might be going on here, both with the breaker flipping and/or the surge protector clicking? I know we have mixed wiring of 15A (14 gauge, white) and 20A (12 gauge, yellow). The AFCI breaker itself is 15A. Could either of those be a possible problem or does it sound like this is something else? Bad outlet(s) along the circuit?


texts:
I'm having an issue with my living room paint peeling off in thick sheets down to the plaster. I was in the process of removing door trim and unfortunately lifted off some of the paint. I tried to scrape off whatever was loose but it ended up coming off like wall paper.  The paint comes off in big hard sheets consisting of multiple layers of paint.
Now one of the walls is pretty much stripped down to what looks like a primer painted onto plaster   but the primer is very powdery and leaves a white cast on your finger.
I was planning to repaint the living room anyway but wasn't sure how to go about priming and painting this area.


texts: What’s preventing my drill from going though my wall?

texts:
I’m trying to drill holes for 3/16 screws in the walls of my room, but the drill is unable to penetrate through some parts of the wall. At first I thought I hit a nail, so I tried making another hole and got the same result, and repeat. I know it isn’t mechanical failure because I successfully went through one point in the wall. See the picture before for the one successful attempt at drilling a hole and two unsuccessful ones
Fwiw I’m drilling about one foot from the ceiling. I’ve tried this at multiple points in my room, and the drill still won’t go through. What could be behind the paint and plaster?
Edit: these are the drill bits I’m using:  https://www.target.com/p/blue-ridge-tools-8pc-hex-shank-drill-bit-set/-/A-78262232


texts: What could cause a temperature variance between our kitchen and the rest of the house?

texts: Our newly remodeled kitchen holds a temperature that averages about 5 degrees cooler than the remainder of the house. The house thermostat is set at 70 degrees, and the kitchen has been as low as 63. The furnace servicemen measured the temperature of the outside wall at 65 degrees. They believe that is a bit cool, even for an outside wall. They increased the furnace fan speed, but it has not helped. I am wondering if the drywall contractors neglected to install insulation before they attached the drywall. Could the lack of insulation on one outside wall and one wall between the kitchen and garage account for the temperature difference? I should add that we are new owners of this house and have no history or way to discovery if this was true of the house before we moved in or had the kitchen remodeled.


texts: Any ideas on how to keep a refrigerator from moving without wheel locks?

texts:
I've got a frig on a tile floor without any wheel locks, and it likes to slide forward every time I open a refrigerator door quickly.  So far I have tried:

toilet shims shoved under the wheels.  Since they are plastic on
ceramic tile, they kept sliding out.
I glued rubber toolbox liner to the toilet shims and tried again. They stayed longer this time, but still wind up coming out.

Does anyone have any tips on how to keep the refrigerator from moving forward when I open the door?


texts:
I can't find a straight answer to this, and my dad was the electrician, not me. I have a finished shed 65 feet from the house (8x12). Three receptacles run off of 14/2, one overhead light box, and (1)5000 BTU window ac unit that says it's pulling 4 amps.
Just finished off the building and ran temporary power with an extension cord, but now running juice to it. I will not be running much of anything in there but the ac unit, computer, stereo, maybe a lamp, but nothing major. I'm running 10/2 UF with a 20 amp shut off at the house(code), then into the attic and down into the panel. Will I need to run 10/3 with (2)20 amp breakers because of the ac unit, or will (1) 20 amp breaker handle it?

Edit: I am running conduit since it's code here for 18" burial. Was running 10/2 because of the 70 feet by the time I was done, and wanted to mitigate any line loss.
I never... ever, use 14 ga wire, but I had a roll. Walls are up and finished so I'm stuck there. I get the two 15 amp breakers, makes a bunch of sense, especially with the 14 ga in there. Don't need comm, so I'm good there. Non-fusible pull-out is a good Idea.
As the last response before yours stated, the two legs would be future proof if I need it a couple of years down the road. Both of you mentioned the THHN, good idea and didn't think of that.


texts: main two pole 32 amp breaker tripping problem

texts: my question is why every morning where i switch on geyser after some time main single phase 32 amp two pole breaker is tripping.if i use afternoon or evening its working properly and some time breaker was not tripping.i install new geyser then also i got same problem. sometime breaker trip and sometime working properly. electrician check lose connection but there no any lose connection at all.this issues of that 32amp MCB ?how can i find out this problem and solve?


texts: What's the intended usage scenario of the Cat5e runs in my new house?

texts:
We are buying a new house, and I was curious about this junction box. It has several lines of coax and cat5e in it.
Each room has a blank plate, and behind it is a coax and a cat5e drop.
I was assuming that when we get Comcast,I could put the modem in this closet, with a router and switch, put ends on each Ethernet cable, and have wired connection in most rooms.
But then I looked closer and realized that 6 of the Ethernet cables are wired to 2 other Ethernet cords, using only 2 wires from each cable.
Any ideas as to what this setup is?


texts: Frigidaire Electric Range trips arc-fault circuit breaker in another room

texts:
I have a problem that occurs intermittently in several different apartment units.  Kitchen has Frigidaire Electric Range.  Living room (LR) and bedroom (BR) have 15 Amp AFCI circuit breakers that control ceiling lights in the kitchen and LR & outlets in LR.

At times when one or more burners are in use on the range, the AFCI that controls Ceiling Lights in LR & Kitchen and outlets in LR will trip.  I am changing out the 15 Amp AFCI because I don't see anything wrong.  It doesn't do it all the time and it has done it in at least 5 different apartments.

All apartments are wired the same & all have the same range.  What the heck is causing this?


texts: Should I use underlay when tiling a bathroom?

texts:
Recently I had a water leak in the bathroom.
I noticed water spilling out from the tiles grouting and I removed them to prevent any more water penetration.

I noticed that the following layers have been used:

Ceramic tiles
glue/cement
3mm underlay
carpet glue (or some kind of glue)
plywood

The underlay did a remarkable job of absorbing many liters of water but I cannot find what kind of underlay it is.

I am about to redo the work and I am asking around for advice.
Some professionals strongly recomment AVOIDING the use of the underlay.

So.. My question is.. Should I use underlay? or should I simply glue the tiles on top of the plywood?


texts: What are possible environmental concerns that delay home construction/additions and why do they do so?

texts: I know that identifying wetlands or steep slopes on your property is important before you design and begin to build, but what other issues have people run into when trying to either start or finish an exterior project? I want to build an addition on my house, but I want to know what to expect or at least know where I can go to find this information. We are trying to determine a timeline for the project in order to make it easy for everyone involved. My contractor is looking into it as well, but I figured there was no harm in asking here!


texts:
My home has an old exterior door that used to be the front entrance. An addition has made it obsolete and we never use it anymore. I want to convert it into a window. How can I do this in a way that looks nice?

My home has 30 year old vinyl siding on it, so finding an exact match was a no-go.

A Google search only yielded me the opposite scenario, window-to-door. Ideas with pictures would be awesome.


texts: How much weight can you mount to a wall?

texts:
I would like to mount a fairly heavy shelving unit (~150lbs) to a wall with a number of L-brackets. It being a shelving unit, I would be putting all kinds of books and random stuff on it, thus increasing the weight.

This seems like a bad idea to me. I have no idea how heavy it could end up being with books, DVDs, art supplies, etc.

Is there a limit to how much weight should be mounted to a wall?


texts: Retain access to recessed electrical panel

texts:
I have an electrical panel that is surface mounted to a sheet of plywood in an unfinished section of my basement. I would like to finish that section. The panel is rated for either surface mount or recessed/flush mount, and I'd like to frame it in and make it recessed. However, there are already some connections made to the side knockouts and the top is already pretty full. I'd rather not do some rerouting.
The panel has two rows of knockouts on the sides. I measured, and if I framed it out with 2x2s or 2x4s on edge I'd be able to attach the panel at the side mounting points and leave the back row of knockouts uncovered, and have space for drywall. What I can't find anywhere is whether or not this would be permissible under the NEC. Ideally, I'd like to do this, and then use removable panels over the stud bay the panel is in and the bays to either side.


texts: How should I mount a rework box if it has to go through an MDF/wood panel and drywall?

texts:
I need to install a combination power and low voltage box in the ceiling of my finished basement for my home theater projector. I can't bolt the projector mount directly to the studs because of alignment issues so I have to first install a 3/4" MDF or wood panel across the joists on top of the drywall. The projector mount will then be attached to the panel which will have plenty of space available for me to add the required rework box.

My question is, should the rework box be installed through the panel and the drywall or should it be attached to the drywall with a simple cutout through the panel? I believe code says that the box can be no deeper than 1/4" from the surface so I may already have my answer. I'm in Canada so I'm not sure if code is different here. Also, I'm not sure if there is an issue installing the box in MDF to begin with. I can always go with a piece of oak or pine.

Any guidance would be appreciated! Thanks!


texts: Hanging a wooden venetian blind in a square bay

texts:
I have recently purchased some custom fit wooden blinds to fit to a square (or box) bay window. I followed the measuring guide diligently, and now the blinds have arrived it is time to fit them. What the measuring guide and fitting guide neglected to mention is what to mount the fitting brackets to. This is also something I should have thought about before purchasing them.
The blinds are to be fitted in the following arrangement:

The question is: What do I mount them to?
The ceiling of the bay is (I'm 95% sure) plasterboard. The largest of the three blinds is pretty heavy. I'm not convinced that the plaster board will support the weight of the blind even with a heavy duty plasterboard fixing.
Another option I've read about, is screwing a batten to the joists and mounting the blind to that. I believe the joists run towards the back blind. This shouldn't be a problem for the back blind, but might be a problem when mounting the side blinds as I'm not sure if there'll be anything to screw the batten to.
Mounting the blinds to the window frames is not an option as the windows have protruding handles.
I can't be the only person to have this problem, but there's a surprising lack of information on the internet.
Any help or guidance would be extremely appreciated.


texts: What is the required distance of electrical panel from a door?

texts:
How close can I place a main electrical panel from an interior or exterior door? Is there a difference in distance if the panel is placed on the hinged or non-hinged side, or if it is inward or outward swinging door?
The panel would be located in an attached garage.
I am only seeing 30" x 36" and clear above working space rule for an electrical panel.


texts: cleats vs. staples for hardwood flooring

texts: I'm installing a new hardwood floor, and I'm thinking about using cleats rather than staples.  Are there any advantages to using cleats over staples?


texts: Is 15 amp circuit sufficient for 14.8 amp load?

texts: I have an 8.1amp garbage disposal and a 6.7amp drinking water filter system under a sink - both 110V. Is one 15 amp circuit sufficient?


texts: Strange voltages from wires behind outlet, and smell from behind outlet

texts:
For the last month or so I've been getting a strange smell in my house that we bought 6 months ago. The smell is not obvious, but smells a little burnt to me, but my wife thinks it smells like a stink bug.

Today I found that the smell appears to be coming from an electrical outlet. So, I disconnected the outlet. The outlet that I disconnected doesn't smell anymore, but the smell still persists from the box that the outlet was in.

I measured the voltage using my volt meter of these wires, and got very strange readings. Note there are 2 white wires, a black wire, and a bare wire. (picture attached)

White1-White2: 118VAC

White1-bare: 118VAC

White1-black: 72VAC

White2-black: 14VAC

White2-bare: 0VAC

Black-bare: 14VAC

So that is very wierd. I would guess the 14VAC is just some stray capacitance. But why is there a 72VAC? the White1-White2 having a difference is also very strange, I wonder if whoever installed it a long time ago got the wrong colored wires.

The 2 whitewires were definitely wired to the same side of the outlet before. So, they must have been linked together before. So I touched the 2 white wires together, expecting the circuit breaker to trip if there is a short. But the circuit breaker didn't trip.

So, give these 3 pieces of information, any theories on what is going on?

Burnt/stink bug like smell from box behind outlet
Strange and unexpected voltage readings
Touching the 2 white wires together that
measured 118VAC between them did not trip the circuit breaker

Some more info:

There are 3 big sheathed "bundles" coming into this box. The black wire comes from the bundle in the top right. The 2 white wires each come out of a separate bundle (top left and bottom left).

Also, there is only one black wire, but 2 white wires. Previously, one of the attachment points on the outlet that should have been another black wire was left unattached to anything.


texts: Part P required? Changing Fixed Oven wiring to 13A FCU (UK)

texts:
I can't work out whether or not the following needs an electrician who can provide a Part P certificate under the 2005 Building Regulations (either by installing or approving).

I've got a 32A circuit to a fixed-connection oven that's broken (it's in a "special location", the kitchen). I've got a new oven with a 13A plug (and flex). What I'd like doing is replacing the fixed connection with a 13A fused FCU, to chop off the plug and wire it in.  I'd be confident doing this but don't know if I'd need it done by an electrician or checked by one.

I know there's exceptions for wiring an oven in the regs but can't work out if this is covered. The "special location" stuff is also confusing me.

The oven's "installers" cheekily suggested I (but not they) just put the 13A flex into the fixed, fuseless connection unit but it's unfused back to the consumer unit where it's 32A and I'd rather not burn my house down or invalidate my insurance.


texts: Are there any rules of thumb for whether a concrete pad needs metal re-inforcement and if so, how much?

texts:
I may be doing some concrete work soon around the house and I'm somewhat of a novice at it. One thing that I am unsure about is when I need to reinforce the concrete with re-bar or other metal embedded in the pour.

I used to think it was absolutely essential on just about any concrete job, but have noticed that some people do it and others don't and I'm not sure what aspects of the job determine the need for it.

Can anyone give me some general guidelines about when it is necessary to install metal in a concrete pad and what type/size?


texts: Building an 18' x 8 foot free standing deck with pergola

texts:
My plan is to build an 18 x 8 foot free standing deck at the front entrance to my home. Then add a pergola over the entire deck.
My area is sandy soil. No underground utilities in the area I want to place the deck.
The plan was to extend my 8- 4 x 4 posts 8 feet over the deck. I'll only be able to extend 3 of the 4 posts, closest to the house, up the 8 feet. Too many windows and door close together. (see photo). Deck would be between door and right window moving left between the double windows, near satellite dish.
This house was built 19 years ago. There seems to be a concern among the forums that we should not place posts closer to the house, than 3 feet. There has not been any soil disturbed since the house was placed on it's foundation, 19 years ago.(per neighbors). This is a modular home (stick built in a factory, no steel framing).
The local code inspector was not concerned about the free standing deck, when I talked to him. He was more concerned about the potential lateral forces on the Pergola. I plan on bracing the pergola at the corners and notching the overhead 2x6's and 2x4's.
My question: would you think it safe to place my posts closer than 3 feet to the house?


texts: Humidistat Fans - Are they useful at all?

texts:
I have a humidistat which is basically connected to a blower and intake vents in each of my 3 restrooms and 1 in the kitchen.
In each restroom, there's additionally a switch to turn on the central blower.
The humidistat is in a hallway, by the thermostat.
What exactly is the utility of this?
I don't see how this could possibly remove humidity from the house at large.
In fact, if I set it to 55%, it'll never turn on, if I set it to 50%, it'll never turn off.
When I got the house the previous owner said it was to keep the humidity down for the wood floors, but I'm wondering if any people with experience can confirm my suspicion that it's largely a useless feature.
It could be venting air from elsewhere as well, but it appears to just be venting the restrooms and kitchen. Am I correct that a humidistat in a hallway is useless, and that turning on what's effectively a bathroom fan does absolutely nothing to my houses humidity level (outside of getting rid of water vapor from the shower)?


texts: How to remove bird droppings from woven patio furniture?

texts: We have a set of patio furniture with a steel frame, but a loosely woven cloth seating surface. Since we live in a very wooded area, a chair was recently dive-bombed. I have a bucket and scrub-brush - should I use laundry detergent, or something stronger or is there a preferred product or method?


texts: Repairing (Aesthetically) a rusty washing machine and dryer

texts:
I've recently purchased a home with a washer and dryer that were left on the basement floor without any padding underneath.

The washer and dryer have both rusted near their bases, and the dryer has even rusted on the top. It looks like it is afflicted with the plague.

What is the best way to make it look like new?


texts:
For my project I plan on controlling an off-the-shelve LED lamp using a relay board which is connected to my Raspberry Pi.

As can be seen from the Lamp image below, there is a power converter which changes the 230V/50Hz to something the LED's can work with. (There are 9x 1W LEDs, the lamp says 10 Watts in total).

My question is whether I should place the relay between the converter and the lamp or between the converter and the power socket.


texts: Two opposite phase circuits in one conduit... do i need 2 neutrals or an oversized neutral?

texts:
Im running two individual single pole 20A circuits though a single 1/2" EMT conduit and hanging a duplex outlet every 6'.  They will alternate which circuit (phase) is feeding them (im running black and red 12AWG for these to simplify hook up)  Ive also got 2x 12 AWG White neutrals... and everything gets  grounded through the metal conduit.
Do I need both neutrals (the sketch shows a common neutral)?
And if I can run a single neutral do I need to upsize it from 12guage?

Update:
I ended up running an additional neutral because all of the outlets needed to be GFCI protected.  The First box on the string contained two GFCI outlets, each with separate neutrals and a different hot leg.  The following string had one outlet from each GFCI LOAD side (also with labled paired neutrals)  Here is the final outlet in the string (the lower 120V one with 2 duplex 120s)  we kept the two phases on different color outlets (white and tan) but used a DUAL Pole 20A breaker with handle tie, so that when we shut off the box, both circuits were cut. (The Top outlet, NEMA 6-50 is on its own branch circuit in its own conduit).
The the shop now has Three of these 120V utility branch runs, with 2 independent hot and neutrals handle tied in three 20A 2pole breakers ( plus another 3 50A 2poles for the 240v circuits!).


texts: Wall air conditioner not operating with outlet

texts: I recently bought a Haier 12000 btu wall ac unit. When plugged into the wall outlet a 15A 125V, the unit turns on for a few second then cuts off with the units display lights flashing. This unit doesn't need a 220line so I plugged it into a surge protector strip then to the wall outlet. The unit fired up and began to operate with no problems. So, I'm confused with the wall outlet which the unit recommended the 15a 125v outlet. What should I try next???


texts: Extending Length of Air Conditioning Drain Pipe

texts:
I live in a multi apartment building. All the neighbors has AC.

Many AC's has condensation drainage pipes which descent into the common garden and are cut at about two meters above ground. Others are cut at much higher heights.

I want to extend those low hanging pipes to funnel the water to the trees we have in the garden.

There are two types of pipes. I have attached pictures of both. The pipes are cut in a rough way, no connectors at their ends.

My questions are,

How can I extend those pipes? What kind of connectors should I be looking in the store?
Can I extend it into a drip irrigation system? Is it possible without adding pressure?


texts: dimmer switch for both low voltage LED and leading edge at the same time?

texts:
I'm installing LED ceiling lights that come with analog low voltage control for dimming (i.e., 4 wire). However there is one existing sconce light that I hope to not replace. Would like it to also dim, but using 2 wire, leading edge control. I see a controller that offers all three types of controls but there appears to be toggle switches to select which. I'd like both simultaneously. Hoping the black is leading edge simultaneous with the low voltage. Basically don't know if the four wire control black is on continuously or leading edge switched.

The sconce is a standard screw in bulb socket. Currently with common CFI but the plan would be to switch to a dimmable LED bulb able to work on leading edge.

Yes, the analog low voltage is 0-10v (analog 4 wire).


texts: Can I install a 240v heater/air wall unit in my garage with the existing panel and wiring?

texts:
The unit says 230/208v model. It has a 20amp plug on it. 1st question My garage panel was put in 30+ years ago. It is fed from house panel with 12 gauge wire with 2 hots. Is that too weak to add a 240v, 20 amp receptacle?
2nd question: I had a 120v receptacle, for a kiln I no longer have. Can I use this 12 gauge wire and switch receptacle to accommodate the heater plug? I would change breaker to a double 20A.


texts: Improve HVAC in single upstairs room with vaulted ceiling

texts:
Setup:

Our house is a two-story built in 2011. We have zoned HVAC off a single unit with electronic dampers. The upstairs has three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The master bedroom is the only room that has a vaulted ceiling. The attic spans over all of the other upstairs rooms except for the master bedroom. The vents in all of the rooms are wide open and not blocked. The system's air filter is brand new. We have blackout curtains over the master bedroom window that are closed essentially all of the time.

Issue:

When the upstairs thermostat (Nest 3rd Gen. in the hallway) calls for AC, the master bedroom cools off much slower than the rest of the rooms. We installed a Nest Temperature Sensor in the master bedroom so that the master bedroom stays the desired temperature, but this results in all of the other rooms being much colder than desired (typically 5-8 degrees colder than what the thermostat is set to).

Question:

Are there any solutions that we can deploy to balance the cooling in the master bedroom better with the rest of the rooms? Our HVAC guy just said it was because the master bedroom does not have the attic to assist with insulation, but I am not willing to accept that there is no solution.

Thanks!


texts: Just put calcium carbonate rocks in my condensate water pump or buy a whole condensate kit?

texts: Can I just put some calcium carbonate rocks in my Beckett water pump (see photo of pump, below) to neutralize the HVAC condensate, or do I have to spring for a whole assembly, like this   (The refills are less expensive than the whole assembly, and just putting some rocks in the pump basin is easier than installing a whole kit.)  If so, how often would I have to change or replace the rocks?


texts: Junction box down-sizing when using oversized conduit

texts: I'm running 4 x 4AWG copper wires through 1-1/4"conduit. I have 6 elbows in the 125' run so I need to insert a junction box before the last two elbows. It will be a straight pull through the junction box. By code, I could have used 1" conduit (~38% fill) but chose to go up a size to 1-1/4" (resulting in ~22% fill). 314.28(A)(1) states that the junction box must be 8 times the size of the conduit for straight pulls, or 10" in this case. However, if I am interpreting 314.28(A)(3) correctly, I can use a smaller junction box if I am less than the maximum conduit fill (which I am). Since, I could have used 1" conduit does this imply that I could use an 8" junction box even though I used 1-1/4" conduit?


texts: Is it normal for the sight port of a water heater to ever have condensation in it?

texts:
Is condensation in the sight port ever a "normal" occurrence?  Or does that mean the pan at the bottom is flooded.  I only see condensation, and it won't stay lit.

I called plumber out, and he said because water had gotten into the bottom of it (from flooding in my crawlspace), he would not light it because if it rusts gas could escape and be a liability.  He told me if I kept drying it out, though, it would eventually light.  He was right, and it did eventually light.

He also said the condensation in the sight port was because of the water.  I don't know if this answers it or not, but I will put it as such or delete the question.  Not sure what to do for this question.  I think the answer is "sort of" or maybe "not really."


texts: Sealing gap between foundation and external wall

texts:
I'm trying to determine how to address a small gap between my foundation wall and the bottom of the house.  I believe this gap is being used by vermin to access a crawlspace and travel up the walls.

What would be the best filler for this gap?  I'm thinking perhaps caulk, but open to suggestions.


texts: Rinnai tankless water heater service cost

texts:
My tank-less water heater stopped working with an error code 11.

I had somebody out to take a look at it. relatively quickly we went through the troubleshooting steps and concluded the flame rods/sensors were the issue. We cleaned them and it started working again.

He is recommending that we replace them, do a dry cleaning and move the gas line because the regulator is only 6 inches from the bottom of the unit.

He claims that a new building code now requires it to be at least 3 feet away. I have no idea if this is true or if it needs to be done. I do believe the rods needs to be replaced (sorry if this is the wrong name for the three small metal rods that light the flame and detect if it is working.)  The house is only 4 years old.

All said, he wants to come back and do all of this for $600. The parts are under warranty, so Rinnai is shipping them free. I don't know if I should just pay for him coming out and just install the new parts myself, or actually let him do the extra work that is needed.. and if so, if $600 is reasonable? If it is I don't mind paying him, I just hate the idea of being up sold.

Thanks


texts:
Is adding a large lean-to roof for a large shed going to exceed the limits for the IBC definition of a shed?  The shed (details below) is already at the IBC limits for shed area and height.

The lean-to would be along the long edge of the shed and be approximately 33.5 x 12 feet, no higher than 9.5', with a pitch of 2/12 to 3/12.  Posts would support it on the low side.

The shed has a footprint of 28.5 x 14' (399sf).  The eave height is 9.5' (IBC definition of shed as I understand it),  The shed also has 3' overhangs on all sizes and a dual slope roof (7/12 and 10/3) that results in a total height of about 20'.  The projection of the roof is currently 33.5 x 20.


texts: how to cut multiple 2x4 to a same length with a circular saw

texts: I need to cut three 2x4 pieces (about 2 feet) and their size should be exactly identical. What would be a good way for doing that with a circular saw? The articles I found recommend using a miter saw and a stop block but I have only a circular saw. I am thinking of clamping three lumbers, making the ends of them flush and cutting them at once. But, I am wondering if there is any other better way.


texts: How do I waterproof old hardwood floors in my bathroom?

texts:
My wife and I have a home built in 1912.  We love the house and its character, but sometimes it presents a challenge to the way modernity was retrofitted.  In this case, I have a bathroom with a wood floor.  Usually this is no problem - the shower is mounted on a clawfoot tub and it has curtains to contain the spray.  Incidental water gets on the floor, but that's really no problem.

The problem is when the toilet overflows.  When that happens, the flood of water seeps through the floor and through the ceiling of the room below and causes water damage in the ceiling as well as making a mess.  Is there a way to seal this wood floor so that water can't get through, while still preserving the character of the floor (i.e., not just covering it in vinyl)?


texts: Where Should the Sub Panel Go? What Size Wire?

texts:
Been lurking for awhile getting ready to install a 60 amp sub-panel for my back yard.

I have everything I need figured out except for three important items as I get conflicting stories depending on who I ask or what I look up:

Where should I place the sub-panel?  As close to the main box as possible or at the end of the garage where the hole will be drilled for the outside runs?  Does one method have more advantage than the other?
What size wire should I run from the main to the sub?  Some say 6 is fine since it's under 50 ft, others are telling me for 60 amps you have to use 4.
What size wire is adequate coming from the sub-panel breakers to the individual circuits?  I was going to use 10 AWG, but was told that was over kill and I should use 12.

The images below show what the runs will look like and also the breakers I am planning on putting in the sub-panel.

There may be a few location changes if I can't access the area under my deck like I think I can, and yes I will be burying the wire running to the batting cage and pool equipment.

I will be hiring an electrician for some of the work, but the more I can save doing myself the better.  I am handy and have messed with power before, just not this much at once.  Normally it's just running inside stuff.


texts: Do I need conduit for the exposed portion of a sub-panel feeder?

texts: I am trying to install a 60 amp sub panel in my house to power my wife's saltwater tanks. I know I need 6/3 to go from main panel to sub panel. My question is I have to run it along the wall to get to the ceiling then down the wall to get to sub panel. What type of wire and do I need conduit? The sub panel will be just outside the backdoor under the porch.


texts: Can I use a 5 mil blue tarp as a moisture barrier over a dirt floor in a crawl space instead of poly sheeting?


texts: How to hang exhaust fan with limited amount of space?

texts: Ive added a small bathroom in my basement with a drop ceiling. I have limited amount of space to work with. Is it ok to use chain to hang my exhaust fan?


texts:
We purchased a Miele Oven (H6880BP) which has a NEMA 14-30 plug standard. The manual specifies 120/240V, 30A, 60Hz but does not have any instructions for a three wire connection.

Our supply is 10 gauge copper wire with three conductors (one is bare ground wire). It is 240V across the two hot legs and is a 30A double pole breaker.

It seems like I have the right power requirements, but am not sure how to connect the oven. I don't think I should use a pigtail to connect ground and neutral so what are my options? Running new four conductor cable would require ripping out plenty of drywall and cabinets. No go.

Thanks.


texts: Shutting off water during extra-long term vacancy

texts: If vacating a condo (for context, high floor apartment-style unit in hi-rise) that will not be used for quite a while, is it ok to shut off it's water for as long as TWO YEARS?


texts: Why is the bathroom ventilator constantly running?

texts:
Recently due to an outdoor smell which is making me ill I've had to close all my windows in my small 1 bedroom flat.
I now notice the bathroom ventilator is constantly running whereas before it used to run intermittently.  I am opening my front door often for ventilation however I am in an internal block so ventilation is not very good.
I'm just wondering do ventilators run based on sensing humidity in the flat?  If I were to continue to leave the windows closed would the bathroom ventilator be sufficient to prevent any damp and mold developing, or would the ventilator and front door be sufficient?


texts:
So I took out Kenmore Power Miser 9 burner assembly and want to root cause why the pilot light kept going off whenever I released the RESET button during ignition procedure.

Here is the test I did:

I put the fire for 10 seconds below the thermocouple and saw that voltage ramps up only to 30mV.

I believe I was supposed to see more, like 400mV? Does this mean that thermocouple is bad?


texts:
I have a new construction home with a gas fireplace (Copreci VCS-ECOMOD) that won't stay on when lit. If I leave the pilot on, the pilot is stable and stays lit indefinitely. Once I light the fireplace, the fireplace will come on and run for about 5-10 minutes then shut off. When this happens, the pilot also shuts off. After 3-5 seconds the pilot will come back on, and then I can light fireplace again. After a few cycles of this, I get a double beep, which looking at the manual is telling me there is unstable pilot. The fireplace is turned on manually through a control panel or via a simple remote. The fireplace has only a thermocouple (no thermopile). Visually, the flame touching the thermacouple when only pilot is lit, or when fireplace is lit looks blue and healthy and largely covering the thermacoupler.
Trouble shooting steps I've taken so far:

Cleaned out the holes use air compressor where flames come out, including at igniter and thermocouple.
Used sand paper to clean the thermocouple thoroughly.
Used a voltmeter to measure a healthy 18mA from the thermocouple.
Ensured there are new batteries (although not needed) in the power backup box.
Adjusted flame so that it is blue coming out with yellow tips - does not have the "soot" appearance.

Any help of what to try next would be highly appreciated!


texts:
I’m doing a remodel and found these brackets attached to some of the studs. The home was built in 1902.
What are these brackets?


texts: How can I support drywall with a steel post on an outside corner?

texts: I have a steel support post right on the corner of a wall, which protrudes on one wall about 1/4". I am getting ready to look at drywall and wondering is there any other option than to build around this post?


texts: A few days ago I scraped out all of the old caulk around our bath, cleaned and dried the area then applied an anti-mould bathroom sealant (neutral silicone). I don't think I applied a thick enough layer. There are no gaps but if you look closely you can see a few cracks in the sealant. Would I be able to apply another layer over the top or do I need to scrape it out and start again?


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

texts: My bedroom has a very nice looking flush mounted ceiling light with a glass dome. However, the bulb has gone out and I cannot get the glass out to replace it. I have tried rotating the whole thing but it barely moves!! Is there another way I should be approaching this?


texts: Electric oven in the same plug as a microwave

texts: Can I have an electric oven in the same plug as a microwave, and if not how hard is it to change a single plug to a double?


texts: What is the difference between mold in air duct and mold that grows in crawl space?

texts: Specifically, are they both dangerous to human health?


texts: Help deciphering breaker box diagram (where can tandem breakers be installed?)

texts:
I'm doing some research ahead of a tankless water heater installation, and wanted to check which breaker slots will take tandem breakers. (I won't be doing the install myself).

I think it's telling me that every slot will take a tandem breaker. However the diagram doesn't match the real life layout (there's actually 10 slots per side), and the text is a little cryptic & confusing.

Can anyone help decipher the text & diagrams to confirm where tandem breakers can be installed?


texts: hole in drywall too big for old-construction electrical box - what to do?

texts:
We cut the holes in the drywall for the electrical outlet boxes too big and now the wings on the old-construction boxes can't clamp the wall.

What are my options?

We just finished painting yesterday after weeks of hanging, taping and sanding the drywall. I new this was going to be a problem but I pushed it aside and said I'll cross that bridge when we get there, but now I'm thinking that was a mistake..

Thanks!!


texts: Where can I find straps or hangers to secure/support FMC?

texts: I am looking for products to secure FMC (flexible metal conduit). I am having trouble finding any straps or hangers larger than trade size 3/8" that are labeled for anything other than EMT (electric metallic tubing) and RMC (rigid metal conduit)--typically they seem to be combination listed for both RMC/EMT.


texts: My child flushed a flashlight down the toilet, how do I get it out?

texts: My 2 year old flushed flashlight down the toilet a couple weeks ago, and now its starting to clog. It worked fine at first, so I thought that maybe it went all the way down, but I've been having to plunge it fairly regularly for the past couple of days after a few "solid" flushes. After I plunge it, it works fine, but I have a feeling the flashlight didn't go all the way down as originally assumed. Do I have to remove the toilet off the floor to get it out?


texts: Can I replace broken clips in a recessed light fixture?

texts: I have discovered some of the remodel cans (Halo/Elite) that I had an electrician install have broken clips (the clips that hold the can to the drywall). Are these easy to replace or does the entire can need to be replaced? What would cause them to break? (e.g. sloppy installation, defective). Is it easy to unclip and remove the cans? I'd like to get my facts straight before I go back to the electrician.


texts: Advice on hanging gymnastic rings in garage rafters?

texts:
I have ordered this metal bracket for hanging gymnastic rings in my garage to add to my home gym ( https://www.roguefitness.com/rogue-ring-hanger ). My garage does not have a second story above it, only the roof.

On it's own, the bracket will span 2 of my rafters and it appears many mount it directly to the rafters or joists without a stringer. However I'm likely going to mount a 2x4 or 2x6 stringer across 4 different rafters (it's a drywalled ceiling), to double down since I'll be hanging on these as will my kids. For what it's worth, I weigh about 170lbs.

I would like a gut check and any feedback on the following approach:

Cut a 2x to span 4 of the rafters
Use stud finder to mark off the rafters
Mark and predrill for lag screws
Mount the 2x to the outermost rafters with 6'' 3/8 stainless steel
lags (advice on smaller or shorter?)
Mount the ring hanger bracket inthe center of the 2x with the same
6'' 3/8 stainless steel lags, this time going through the bracket,
the 2x, and into the rafter
Victory?

I would appreciate any feedback or help in making sure I get a very strong and secure mount for this ring hanger. I received some feedback on Reddit that this may significantly weaken the rafters that got me concerned?

Thanks!


texts: What is the official name for this metal bracket that sits on top of a concrete pier?


texts: Why is there sand/gravel under clay tile In a toilet room rather than concrete slab?

texts: I am repairing flood damage in a friend’s home in Houston and upon removing the clay tile from the floor of a toilet room off of the master bath, I found it lacked the concrete slab underneath which the rest of the house has.  The rest of the bathroom had been carpeted.  It doesn’t look like the concrete had been removed, rather, it was never poured. I’ve not seen anything like this, does anyone know why? The plan is to tile the complete master bath area but it seems like we will have to pour concrete in this particular area.


texts: What is the Best mixture ratio of Portland cement Quartz sand and bonding agent for under water application

texts: I'm installing a ceramic mosaic in the bottom of my concrete pool and wondering what is the best mixture of white Portland cement Quartz sand and a bonding agent to apply this mosaic.  Can I just use white pool plaster to install?


texts: Low voltage on circuit after breaker turned off - induced or backfed voltage?

texts:
I was planning on installing a programmable timer on one of the 4 single-pole switches on a circuit. All of the 4 switches control various lights towards the front of the house, one of which is a pair (2 pairs actually) of motion-sensor lights.

After turning off the breaker for the circuit that controls these 4 switches, I used a non-contact voltage tester to make sure everything was cold, but to my surprise I found that the live wire still made my tester chirp and alert me of a low voltage presence (i.e.2 out of the 6 leds on the tester lit up). I then proceeded to switch off more circuits at the breaker, and eventually the tester stayed silent when I tested the live wire again.

I'm obviously a novice but have done a bit of reading up before posting here. I've read a bit about "induced voltages" that show up as a result of other live wires being in proximity to the wires in the circuit in question. I've also read about "backfed voltages" that are a result of equipment on the circuit (I know some motion sensor light have capictors in them..) or are the result of other circuits.

Since the low voltage disappears when I turn off some of the other circuits, I'm still left questioning what the culprit is...and if I need to be worried at all? The reason I'm worried, is because my timer requires a neutral. So, if the culprit is of the backfed variant (specifically from other circuits) I don't know if that impacts tying into a neutral (or does it not matter in any case)?

I'm not sure the image helps at all...but I figured people always like pictures.
Am I overthinking this all, or can I just tie into the bundle of neutrals (circled) regardless of why there's low voltage on live (yellow highlight) with the circuit breaker off.

Thanks in advance - and please go easy on me if I've said (many) stupid things.


texts: Fixing up a 1920 rowhouse - front wall - to insulate or not

texts: I tore down some 70s wood paneling in my front bedroom of a 1920 rowhouse and there is no insulation except for the plaster on top of brick.  Someone told me just to put on sheet rock(the plaster looks pretty back) and others are saying to put up the 2x4 frame and batt it down.  Problem is that I am going to lose 4" to do so..?  Being I am in between 2 attached row house, is the efficiency gained outweigh losing 4" off the front wall?  Also, I would have to re do the window framing not sure how to go about that as well.  I know sheet rock is the easiest way to go, but I want to make sure I am doing the right thing for a home I plan to stay in for many years.  Advice please before I move forward.


texts: Light Frame Structure Ceramic Floor Installation

texts:
I hired a contractor who made a big mistake. He installed a ceramic floor onto 1"inch cement board (that is screw into welded beam constructed subfloor). He did not use thin set or tape over the seams in the cement board. I was able to take out all the ceramic pieces however the mortar is completely glued to the cement board. It would take a month to take out the mortar. I see small cracks in the mortar where the cement board seams are.
What would be the best way to reinstall the ceramic without have to spend a month or more chipping away the mortar?


texts: What is the purpose of these holes on my wire stripper?

texts: I have been using this wire stripper for a while, but I have always wondered what was the purpose of those holes in the center and above LOOP, and those teeth on the handles.


texts: Advice for swapping out my gas dryer myself

texts:
My (rather old) washer blew up on me a few weeks ago (Apparently it's been unbalanced for a while. Came with the place and I never thought too much of the vibration until it was too late.) and am getting a brand new set delivered on my new set (Washer HERE, GAS Dryer HERE) from Sears on Thursday.

They wanted about $80 plus parts to install them (I forget if it was each or for both) and I declined having just disconnected everything myself, I figured it would be easy enough to set up the new ones. I'm not particularly handy but I'm at about replace-my-own-ceiling-fan, remove-and-reinstall-my-own-garbage-disposal level.

I'm not overly concerned about the washer, but I was reviewing the manual for the dryer online and it's got me a little nervous. It talks about needing to purge the gas line of air twice, using teflon tape (I didn't see any evidence of that on the old install), etc.

So I wanted to pose the question- is this something that someone at my level can handle myself or are there enough gotchas that I should cough up the money?

EDIT: I succeeded today thanks in large part to the answer here- thank you.

I wound up buying 'yellow' gas-approved teflon tape and a new flexible gas line (to be safe... It was $30 though!). And a new dryer vent hose (also pricey) since apparently I needed a metal one and the existing one was foil.

It was about as easy as I hoped.

To recap:

I connected the (new) exhaust vent hose using the pressure coupling rings (not sure the correct term) that came with it on both sides- wall and appliance. The manual demanded not to use a foil vent, so I used a metal one. (Unfortunately, the most flexible metal one I found pushes the dryer out too far from the wall for my needs- I can't close the door to my laundry cabinet now!... Subject of another post I guess. I'm going to try a "periscope" dryer vent.)
I connected the new gas line to the valve on the wall, using a layer of yellow teflon tape on the threads (although the Home Depot guy seemed to think I'd only need it on the appliance side)
I connected one of the removable couplings from the gas line to the back of the dryer (again, used tape even though perhaps not necessary)
Turned on the gas for a moment to purge the line
Loosely threaded the gas line into this coupling, also using tape as recommended; purged again
Tightened with a (newly purchased) pipe wrench.
Turned on the gas and listened & smelled for gas at both connections - silent and odorless :)

Took maybe 30 minutes, most of that time was spent wrestling the pressure couplings and trying to get the threads to take- was trying to be very gentle.

Dryer started right up no problems and it (and we!) survived two test loads.

So, went well, I found it relatively easy and would do it again. Thanks for helping me build my skillset!

(Adding the requested photo here although it's a bit late. Note that I covered the hard-gas-line's opening with painter's tape and stuck it on/around the valve so you can't see it, but it's there. Wanted to protect it from all the lint and dust floating around down there.)


texts: Installing Gutter Leaf Guard Under Shingle

texts:
This may be a simple question, but I just want to make sure I am doing it right. When installing a leaf guard on a gutter under shingles, which layer is best to put it under? I do not know much about roofs so I thought I would ask.

As you can see, there seems to be two layers. Should the guard go under the first or second layer? Thank you.


texts: How do I fix my double tapped outside electric panel?

texts:
I recently had a 4 point inspection and the inspector detected an electric hazard.

As shown on the picture the power line goes from the meter to the panel with the main switch and from there into the house.

Underneath is a second panel that "hooks" into the first panel causing the double tap.

Currently only my sprinkler system is connected to the second panel but I am planning to get a pool so ideally I would like to add the pool pump, lighting and a current generator (Endless Pool) to that panel.

My house is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Edit: Here are additional details from the inspection report

What should I do?


texts: Which cylinder door lock shield design is most secure?

texts:
I'm planning to place a shield on my front door and would like to know which of the 3 shield designs is the most secure option and why.

Basic design characteristics:

Top Left:

the outside part of the cylinder is covered with a black steel covering

Bottom:

the outside part of the cylinder is covered with a black steel covering
it has another fastening screw on the top part

Top Right:

the cylinder is completely "invisible" (covered) from the outside


texts: How to remove/prevent mold from forming in bathroom

texts:
I just bought a rental property and one of the tenants bathrooms seems to have a mold issue. In the shower, around the toilet, and around the perimeter of the room there seems to be mold/dirt build up. I've added pictures below for context.

There is a fan in the center of the room and the motor was replaced in it a few months back, however, I have not verified how well it actually ventilates. The walls are made of a plastic paneling made to look like ceramic tiles.

My current explanation for the problem is either the fan is not ventilating enough or the material used within the shower and walls is not moisture resistant, however, I'm inexperienced in this area, so I'm not sure how much a fan will help with mold and the material seems like it should be moisture resistant.

As for the dirt/mold in the perimeter of the room and around the toilet, I have no idea how that would form.


texts: Can I remove this plastic elbow inside my kitchen tap?

texts:
Context:

I want to replace the tap nozzle of my kitchen tap to use an water-saving aerator. I have bought one and tried to install it. However, it doesn't fit due to a plastic elbow inside my tap. I am wondering whether I could get rid of this elbow.

Problem:

The aerator I bought has a convex plastic part (picture A, blue arrow) that protects the ball joint. When I try to mount the aerator, this ball joint protection hits a plastic elbow inside the tap hollow (picture B, yellow). The elbow is itself connected to a soft pipe (picture B, green). So there is a pipe inside the tap.

A/
B/

As far as I've understood/tested it, the pipe carries hot water, while the rest of the tap hollow is where cold water runs. It's the first time I see such "mechanism" (and the first time I'm living in the UK, as it may be correlated). The original nose (picture C) has two specific areas: the inner circle fitting the end of the elbow (same diameters: see red arrows in pictures B and C), and the outside - for hot and cold water, respectively.

C/

Question:

Can I safely remove the black elbow (yellow arrow, in picture B) from the tap?

As it is the first time I see such "mechanism", I am not so sure about the do's and don't's of it and why it exists. I am notably think of health issues (hot water contaminating cold water?), as well as preventing future leaks.


texts: after power cut - fuses all on and no power? (to pool filter)

texts:
We had a power cut last night due to a thunderstrom and this morning our pool filter wouldn't turn on.

I checked all fuses in the fuse box, and everything appears to be switched on.

I have a continuity tester that shows no electric getting to the box with the pool filter timer.... but i don't see any fuses or anything on the actual pool filter.

I'm thinking if there was water (from last nights storm) that somehow had gotten into the electrical box next to the filter it would still have power from the continuity tester; leading me to believe it's a fuse issue.  But again, no out-door fuse to be found.

Any ideas on what else it may be?  I'd hate to call the electrician and find out there was a fuse i didn't know about somewhere.

any tips appreciated,


texts: I would like to install a shaver socket in my bathroom and the closest power supply is the bathroom light switch.  Instead of lifting all of the loft insulation to find the lighting junction box, is it permissible to take a spur from the bathroom light switch to power a shaving socket, which is fitted with a transformer?


texts: What tools should I use for hand carving and whittling?

texts:
I have been hand-carving hunting bows (ie: simple selfbows, straight backed
bows, steamed static recurve tips, etc) for a couple years. I used to do all of
my carving with a set of nice drawknives and push knives. I've moved into a new
place where I no longer have a set of vises to hold my timber so that I can
rapidly do a rough carving with the draw knives. I am sadly reduced to whittling
on my tiny sundeck, and there are no coop/public shops where I can get bench
space in this neighborhood.

What tools would be recommended for the following:

Rapidly shaving down a wooden stave to a bow shape
Fine removal of tiny amounts of wood during the tillering process

The only knife that holds up against these oak, osage, and especially hickory
boards, is my USMC utility/combat knife. I've bought a few nice whittling knives
from Lee Valley Tools, and while they work nice, they don't seem strong enough
to shave off large chunks without risking damage to the knife, especially the hickory, which seems to hold a blood grudge against keen edges. I'd like
something more efficient than this big knife though.

Another important factor is the ability to create a flat, consistent cut/scrape.
This was very easy using the draw blades or a jack plane, but much harder with
just a big knife. This is even harder now that I have to hold onto the wood rather than clamp it down in a vise or with some C-clamps.

Also, for the fine removal parts, I'd need something with a very hard blade,
especially when trimming around knots. I'm considering a cabinet scraper, but
they seem to remove too little.


texts: Taco SR503 switching relay and common wire?

texts:
I just bought a home with a three-zone radiant heat system controlled by Nest thermostats. There's only two wires (red and white) going to each thermostat. This works, but is problematic — in the past two days, I've had to charge two of the three thermostats via USB in order to get them back on the wifi. It's going to be a long winter if I have to keep doing that!

It looks like the wires straight drops through the wall to the basement, so pulling a new one shouldn't be hard. I'm worried about where to hook it up, though. I found this article from Ecobee support: Taco SR503-4 Three Zone Switching Relay which.. is not encouraging. It suggests that I need a separate transformer and then should control the actual switch with an isolation relay.

  But with the power requirements of one or more ecobee3 thermostats this transformer will be insufficient in capacity. As a result another external transformer will be needed to power the thermostats and an isolation relay per zone to connect to the R & W terminals of each zone.

However, I found this newer diagram directly from Taco, which has  a common terminal clearly marked (where the old one just says "24 VAC Power"). And it doesn't have any warnings about capacity. So........

Maybe this was a problem with older SR503s but not newer ones? If so, how do I tell?
Is this a problem particular to Ecobee? Will I be okay with Nest?
Currently these are gen 1 and gen 2 Nest thermostats. If the current ones okay, might future ones not be?

Anything else I need to be aware of?


texts: Using a Light Bulb Socket Switch to Control a Buzzer

texts:
I am currently using a turn knob switch for light bulbs to enable and disable a buzzer. I think the buzzer runs at 12 volts and draws a few amps. Is this safe?

Unless I'm told otherwise my basic understanding is that at that voltage and current I am within the wattage range of typical bulbs. I'm open to being told I'm wrong.


texts: How can I replace a kitchen cabinet hinge with no visible screws?

texts: My kitchen cabinet hinge is broken. I want to replace it, but not really sure how because it is attached to the cabinet door without any screw (1). Anyone know a proper way to detach the hinge?


texts: I am trying to search for the in ground trashcan hinge. I've tried searching online for the part but don't know the correct name of it. Very hard to come by locally. The lid where it attached is about 4 inches wide. It has a spring so it doesn't remain open. I may have to engineer one myself since I don't have the cement ring shown in the following picture, but not sure what parts to get.


texts: Is there a way to have only two posts holding a 20ft wide main cross-beam of a pergola?

texts:
Thinking of building a pergola to hold my jasmine up, and to create a shaded area outside our newly built extension.

The problem is the patio door opening is around 5m wide, so ideally I don't want any posts in front of that, in fact the further to the side it is the better. the total width I would like is 20ft wide by 5ft deep.
Is there a way to have only 2 beams holding a 20ft wide main cross-beam?


texts:
I have damaged the paint on my door a little and decided to repaint:

I ended up painting with the wrong paint:

How do I fix that? Can I simply go buy white paint with a primer in it and repaint over the creme? Will it show?

Thanks for you kind help in advance.

By the way, if you're interested to know how I ended up painting with the wrong paint... long story short, on the can that I had from the original paint job it said "Ultra pure white...". But on the top, on the sticker it said "creme". I didn't know you're supposed to look on the damn sticker and not on the can!!!!

[


texts: How do I cap a T junction on a roof ridge?

texts: My house's roof-ridge joins a small barn at the center of the barn's roof-ridge forming a "T".  The barn does not have a vent cap.  Metal flashing was used on both valleys where the house roof meets the barn and the flashing runs all the way to the junction of the T.  I have just reshingled the barn and am at the point of capping the ridge.  Can anyone tell me how to install the cap at the junction point where the cross of the T meets the stem?


texts: Glass cooktop stove with scratches on it

texts:
Yesterday my exhaust hood broke (short circuit, I guess) and all of the plastic melted on top of the stove... I got it cleaned and the exhaust hood removed.

Now my stove has scratches on the glass (caused by heating or cleaning, I don't know) and I was wondering if it has to be replaced entirely or they wouldn't cause any problems when the stove is being used.

Here's an image of the scratches


texts:
I have a built in Viking microwave that works but does not heat. I took it apart and tested the door switches and sure enough one of them is no good.

My question is the following: the part listed for Viking costs $25.00, I have seen the part (switch) for as little as $3.00. How do I find out if these switches are compatible?

We paid close to $1000.00 in 2004/05 but did not install it until 2007, once the kitchen was finished. Also, Viking discontinued this model, vmos200. Absolutely not worth to pay hundreds of dollars to fix it, but because it was so expensive I can't just give up on it.


texts:
I have a light switch that controls the light on my front porch.   It was clearly designed for incandescent bulbs as CFLs always flicker when installed outside when the light is off as if a small current is running through.  This was apparently a common design with older timer switches if a "pilot light" style was not used.  The timer is shot as well, so I thought it might as well be time to replace the whole thing.

I have an additional switch across the house that is a one-way switch to turn on the light over the garage door.  I would like to be able to control both lights from both locations without having to redo any wiring.  Do any of the "Works with Nest" light switches on the market allow such a configuration whereby you could link the two switches together to remotely control each other?


texts:
I came across ceramic wall tiles that I really want to use for my bathroom, but I can't find the perfect floor tile that matches. Can I use the wall tile as a floor tile? Here's a  link (might be a blurry) picture of it: http://i.imgur.com/aBlxVwE.jpg

I want to use the grey one (top one) on the floor. The tiles are not smooth, so I don't think they'll be slippery. Are there other factors? Can wall tiles generally be used as floor tiles?


texts:
I need 240VAC, single phase, 27 kW at 113 amps. Required breaker is 3 x 40 Amp

I don't have enough space for (3) 40 Amp in my panel.

Question is: can I kill 30 Amp  (hot water heater) breaker and put in this place
150 Amp breaker and from this 150 Amp make sub panel?
In sub panel I planning put (3) 40 Amp


texts: Inlet valve for dishwasher came off. - Can I use JB weld on the compression fitting?

texts:
Good Afternoon,
About six weeks ago I installed a compression fitting to a copper pipe, which was to be used for the dishwasher inlet.
The nut at the back was  leaking a bit, so I  put silicone around it, worked for six weeks and no noticeable leaking.
Today it just burst off, water everywhere.
This is the compression fitting that came off. You can see the white silicone on the right side of the nut.

Instead of getting another compression fitting, can I just put JB Weld on the back end?
The blue part is where the silicone was, I want to remove it and put JB Weld there.


texts:
Why do lag screws have the unthreaded body between the head and the threads?
And why is that 'Body' the same diameter as the outer 'Thread' diameter?
Why doesn't the transition immediately abut the head, letting the threads run down a greater portion of the bolt?


texts: Can’t shut off power to heat-only (hydronic baseboard) thermostat

texts: I have no AC in my condo, only hydronic baseboard heat, currently controlled by an old mercury thermostat. I have a new smart thermostat with a c-wire adapter I want to replace it. Trouble is, I’ve switched every darn switch on the panel (as far as having every breaker switch off at the same time), and the thermostat is still getting power/able to control the heaters. I live in a condo with a common boiler, and there are no zones within my unit, so all baseboards are either on or off, in case that’s relevant. Can I move forward and replace this thing without shutting it off first? This is a little outside my DIY realm of experience so any advice is appreciated!


texts: What could cause my hot water to run out quickly... but only in the bath/shower?

texts:
My (London, UK) apartment building's hot water comes from a district heating system and is delivered to my apartment via a "Heat Interface Unit" within the property, owned and maintained by the energy company. Water from the main and the HIU is piped to the separate rooms in the property from a central closet.

While running a bath a couple of months ago, I noticed the hot water run out before the bath was even half full (previously the hot water supply seemed endless). A few weeks ago, I replaced a split shower hose in the same bathroom with one which happened to allow a higher flow rate. The next morning with the shower turned up to full flow I noticed it start to get cold after only a couple of minutes. Prior to this the shower would run seemingly endlessly with no loss of temperature.

I rang the energy company and they asked me to try my heating, which uses hot water from the same system. They said the HIU would only be at fault if the heating was also not working correctly – I tried it and it was fine, with all four of my radiators heating up quickly (worth noting that I normally never use the heating as the building's ambient temperature is high). I ran hot water in the bathroom sink and in the kitchen, and these seemed fine as well. Their policy is to only send an engineer if the fault can be demonstrated to be with the HIU, so I've sat on the issue for a bit.

On subsequent showers I found that if I kept the flow turned low – around 60%, the water would stay warm for the duration of my shower.

This evening I tried to run a bath and the same thing happened – the hot water ran cold (24ºC) after only a short time. The kitchen tap ran hot (46ºC) without issue. In the bathroom, I found that if I switched the bath tap off for a minute, then back on, it would run very hot very briefly, then back to cold. The tap over the sink seems unaffected – running hot for as long as I care to test. If I run the bath tap at the same time, both go cold. However if I switch off the bath tap, the sink will return to hot, but not the other way around. I note that the flow through the bath tap is much higher than the sink, in case this is relevant.

I am struggling to come up with a mental model of the plumbing that explains why the hot water supply (seemingly to these two appliances only) is being affected in this way, given all the hot water pipes seem to branch from the same point in the system. Can you think of anything that could cause this; is there any sensible further investigation I should do; could the HIU be at fault, or am I best off calling a plumber?

I attach summary photos of the submarine-control-panel-like HIU and the point of distribution of the water pipes. Also a floorplan of the apartment with the HIU closet marked with a red dot.

Thanks for your time and please let me know if I can clarify any of the above points!

Edited to clarify detail around the bathroom sink tap after further experimentation today.


texts:
I replaced a damaged hose's end with the brass and chrome-plated clamp you see in the figure.

Since I wasn't able to get a direct grip with the clamp, I added a second layer of the hose, pictured.

I have two problems with this solution:

It leaks.
The sharp end of the chrome part is just waiting to cut someone's skin.

I could experiment with layers of teflon between the hose and the brass to stop the leak, but I can't think of a reasonable solution for the exposed sharp clamp right where the hose would be held.

What else should I be doing?


texts: What is the consequence of using lag bolts without pilot holes?

texts: I recently had a contractor to help me install a TV mount. The mount is fixed to the wall and studs behind it using four 5/16x2-3/4 lag bolts. Later I found out you are supposed to drill pilot holes before putting in lag bolts, but the contractor did not do this. How likely are the 2x4 studs behind the wall damaged?


texts: Can anyone identify this shower door rubber gasket?

texts:
Can anyone identify this rubber seal or recommend an alternative? Its old and mildewy and needs replacing
https://imgur.com/a/eejjQrW
https://imgur.com/a/MogzFD3
sincerely,
overwhelmed first time homeowner


texts: Can I vent a portable airco exhaust in the wall cavity?

texts:
I'm renting an appartment in a small appartment block, which got very hot last summer, and very moist in winter when hanging our laundry. The obvious solution would be to place a protable airco unit,but the problem is that we live near a very busy road, so opening a window even slightly makes conversation quite difficult.

However, there is an air vent, that is basically a hole with a vent cover through the 'inside' wall; when the vent is opened, there is a noticeable airflow of outside air entering the room, suggesting that there are also some holes in the 'outside' wall (visual inspection seems to confirm this, although it's difficult to see).

I was wondering if I could vent the airco in that hole, or whether venting in the wall cavity is a Bad Idea ©.


texts:
We came home last night to find one of our powerboards (outlet strips) had melted/caught fire. Pretty scary!

Now I'm not 100% sure on what happened but I believe that there was an oil column heater (2000w or 2400w, we're in Australia so max 240V/10A on a circuit) plugged in to the powerboard. The heater had been on all day and then turned off when people went out. We came home a few hours later to find the powerboard looking like that. None of the house circuit breakers had tripped.

I wanted to find out what happened so I opened up a similar powerboard and found that it was obviously the black box in this photo that was the issue:

I guess I'm wondering what happened? I was wondering if one of the live wires came loose from the overload switch (black box) and touched the other, causing a short circuit; this should have tripped the house circuit breakers shouldn't it? Could the overload switch have just failed on it's own? Would having the heater running all day have had an effect? The heater running at full power will draw the max allowed from the circuit but there should be no problem running it.


texts: Running Electrical Wires exterior to interior

texts:
I need a new line placed in a certain area of my house, (for a fish tank) but running it inside isn't a super realistic option, as it's a good distance and the joists run perpendicular to where I would need to run the wire. So I am planning on running it outside around the house.
The total distance is  60-100 ft depending on which direction I run it, but I am a little confused on how i should do it.
Do I need to use conduit if I am running outdoor grade wire (not sure how to really waterproof the run inside from the outside wall without conduit either)?
If I do use conduit then is it okay to use NM or THHN in it, or do I need to still run outdoor grade wire? Also is Schedule 40 conduit suitable, or does it have to be EMT?
I am having a hard time finding some of the answers to this in the code. Burying it isn't an option, as there's too much concrete and pipes/electrical in the way.


texts:
I just got a fan that came with a remote.  I have one wall that has 2 switches 1 for the light and 1 for the fan.  You can also turn that same light on from 2 other switches.  I wired everything up, but for some reason the fan remote doesn’t work for the light.  It works for the fan. What did I not wire correctly?  Please help and thanks!

My ceiling has white black red and ground coming out.

This is what I used as a reference to wire

(C) Ceiling / ac supply: white, black & Red

(RI) Receiver In: white, blue & black

(RO) Receiver out: white & black

(F) Fan: white, black & blue

Connections

C white & RO white
RI white & F white
RI black & F black
RI blue (alone)
RO white & C white
RO black & C black
C red & F blue


texts: How often should heat strip turn on for a heat pump unit?

texts:
I have noticed my heating bill is higher than my cooling bill now that I have installed a Heat Pump. I am trying to find a way to reduce this winter cost but am not sure how often electrical heat strips should run, if at all.

I have never selected the "emergency heating" setting for my unit, its always in standard heating when in operation. I am in a CA climate which rarely ever drops below freezing so I was expecting the heat strips to never come on. Was hoping to find a way to permanently turn off the heat strips but don't want to risk damaging the unit.

I heard from a
source that
"it is best to increase your heat setting by only two degrees at a time to prevent your auxiliary heat from operating." But unless your coil is in danger of freezing, why would your heat strips ever need to come on? Basically, even during ideal conditions where outside temperature is above freezing, "emergency heat" is NOT used, and your only heating by two degrees F, should the heat strips still run for X hours a day during the heating season to maintain proper HP operation?


texts: Can this pull down attic ladder be fixed?

texts:
Looks like the rivet/flange thing popped out of the square piece.  I don't know how I would get the rivet back in there with the ridge/flange whatever you call it on the end, which I assume is what holds it in there. It also looks like I would have to be in the attic with the ladder pulled to have any hope of connecting that J-shaped bolt back to the spring.

Here are some pics

The last pic is the way it should look.


texts:
I am building a rectangular coffee table and want to build it with two legs  The table top will be 120cm x 100cm (approx 47x39inches).  The table height will be 40cm (approx. 16 inches)  the idea is to use two legs made of 18mm (3/4inch) plywood sheets with widths of 50 cm and 40 cm (20 inches / 16 inches)

The legs will be mounted perpendicular to one another.  ( think T)

What is the ideal position of the legs to maximise stability?


texts: Can I use a 4-pole breaker in place of a Gould 200 amp main breaker?

texts: I have a 200 amp gould ITE 2 pole main breaker that keeps tripping, I've checked around and they are no longer produced, but I did find a 4 pole breaker. can I use this in its place?


texts: How to smooth out/repair non-flat surfaces...and getting ready for paint

texts:
I'm preparing to paint our new 'old house'.  There are areas that have paint that is chipping off, etc.
For example...baseboard molding with paint chipping off, window sills with paint chipping off, etc.

I've read that for normal walls, you can use joint compound to fill in holes, blemishes and the smooth it out.

My question is how do you smooth out or restore to the original details if the surface is not flat.

In my case, the chipped off paint is at the front edge of the sill.
The baseboard molding is not flat, how do I use 'mud' (aka joint compound), to make the mold look nice?
(Note that I don't want to remove the old paint b/c there's most likely lead in the layers of old paint.


texts: How can this mirror be mounted on a wall?

texts: I have this lead light mirror, how would I go about wall mounting it?  It presently has no backing of any sort.


texts: Can I replace just the knob of this outside spigot to fix this leak?

texts: This spigot leaks from the place where the handle attaches. Would I be lucky enough to be able to just need to replace the handle? Or would I need to also replace that brass piece it's connected to? All I can tell you about the faucet itself is that it's an anti-siphon one.


texts: What lasts longer under the elements: polyester rope or galvanized wire?

texts:
We live in the Caribbean, so we get tons sun, extremely hot days (at least 85F during these weeks), and lots of rain. We also live next to the ocean, so there's rust everywhere.

If I were to place a stretched piece of 1/4" galvanized wire and a stretched piece  of 3/8" polyester rope in my rooftop, which would last longer under these elements?

I understand the galvanized rope is stronger; my concern is the rust. Anything made out of iron will have signs of rust in two weeks.


texts: Finishing reclaimed wood floor. Need to fill some holes with epoxy. Can I do this after a couple coats of water based poly?

texts: I’m going to use water based polyurethane on this floor but I want to fill some holes. This floor will probably take six+ thin coats. Can I put a few coats down before I fill the holes, or should holes get filled first? Reason being is that I have the poly but not the filler and I can get a couple of coats down while I wait for the filler to come in.


texts: How to wire an entire room / kitchen with LED light strips?

texts:
As the question suggests, I'm looking into adding LED light strips throughout the kitchen (over cabinet, under cabinet, and kick -- I think under the countertop would be neat, but harder to hide). From what I have been reading, I realize that to more accurately determine what is needed that I would need to know specifics about the lights (like wattage, amperage, run lengths, LEDs per foot/meter).

But without knowing those specifics yet, to try to better understand how feasible this is, here is my intended setup. The kitchen has cabinets on opposite walls, with an island in the middle, something like this (where the square brackets represent cabinets and the island):

[]  []  []
[]  []  []
[]  []  []
[]______[]

Is it possible to have everything wired together on one circuit, even though there's about 15' from one side of the kitchen to the other? Am I able to run a wire (maybe 16/5 -- thinking of using RGBW) under the floor/ceiling to get to the other side and then hook up the strips without worrying about voltage drop? I'm sure this is possible, I just don't want to spend a fortune to make it work.

As a side question, if anyone knows, is there such thing as a on/off/motion switch, that also works with wifi (for use with Google Assistant / Alexa)? The thought would be I could turn the lights on or off, or to a motion mode that detects presence in the room.


texts:
I used a Graco ProX7 Hi-Boy airless sprayer set to 3000 psi (max) to paint ceilings in a rental property. Used Kilz ceiling paint from Home Depot which supposedly dries flat white. I overlapped roughly 50% on each pass. Not sure what I did wrong. Unlike my primary residence paint job, I did not back roll on this rental property and would like to find a technique where I can avoid back rolling ceilings as I've seen from painters on YouTube.

Initially, I thought the streaks were original paint showing through from under the Kilz  so did a second coat which did not help. In the past, I've sprayed smooth wooden doors with great results after 3 coats of Behr semi gloss white so I feel comfortable using this sprayer. Also, this isn't a case where the tip was clogged or the pressure was too low giving those signature "tails."


texts: When installing a CO/ALR outlet is there a recommended torque specification for the mounting screws? Unfortunately, I have some aluminum wiring in my home.


texts: Lightswitch to Outside Light/GCFI Issues

texts:
Novice.. but have figured out most of my house lighting issues to date without much help. This one is baffling me though..

I have a lightswitch that turns off/on an outdoor light. I purchased a new outdoor light that has a GCFI outlet and my hope was to plug in a security camera and leave the lightswitch turned on at all times to power both the light and the camera... but it's not working as expected so seeking some help.

The light switch gang has the following wires (see first pic):
- Ground Wires
- White wires (pretty sure these are neutral as a newer home - they are pigtailed off and not currently used)
- Two black wires (I've attached them both to the lightswitch)

The outside gang has three wires (see second pic):
- Black (Hot)
- White (not sure if this is a neutral or 'load' wire)
- Ground

The outside GCFI light has the following wires (see third and fourth pic):
- one black, one white and one ground cable going to the bottom of the outlet
- one black, one white cable going from the outlet to the light

How do I wire this all up? I initially had it as follows but its not working:
- for lightswitch, I just had the two black wires and ground connect to the lightswitch itself (I tried swapping the nut that each black cable was on but didn't seem to fix anything)
- for outside light, I connected the ground/black/white cables from the bottom of the gcfi switch to the same colored cables coming from the outside gang.

Thanks!

You can see the pics here:
https://www.doityourself.com/forum/electrical-ac-dc/616391-lightswitch-outside-light-gcfi-issues.html#post2834393


texts:
We've converted our kitchen to an open plan by tearing out the wall separating kitchen from dining area, so that the sink and dishwasher are now in an island.  The wall that I tore out, of course, contained the kitchen sink's vent to the roof.  After a good deal of research, I settled on a Studor Mini-Vent AAV under the counter; it's mounted as high as I could manage without scraping the underside of the countertop, so it's 20 inches above the P-trap and about 15 inches above the bottom of the sink.  (The minimum requirement is 4 inches; I think I've got that covered!)

The problem is that - with the faucet running full-blast - the sink simply fills up until there's about an inch of water in the bottom; at that point the drain rate catches up to the fill rate, and the sink doesn't fill any further unless it's plugged.  If the water is turned off, the sink will drain, but it takes several minutes to empty.

If I unscrew the AAV, the sink drains almost instantly.  If I then put my hand over the top of the pipe - sealing it - the sink again fills to about an inch.  I've tested the AAV by trying to breathe in through it - there's no noticeable resistance - and breathe out through it - it plugs, as I would expect.  As far as I can tell, it's working properly - but it won't let the sink drain.

Random facts that may or may not be pertinent:

The old sink had two basins; the new sink only has one deep basin.
The drain riser that comes up through the floor connects to a 10-foot, nearly-horizontal run of 2" pipe along the ceiling of the garage below.  That run used to be nearly flat, and I used to have to snake it every few months; it's been replaced with a new section of pipe and the slope has been increased slightly.  The pipe is brand new, and has never had anything but clear water run through it.
That horizontal run dumps into a much larger 5" vertical riser that's shared with our next-door neighbor's kitchen (we live in a townhouse complex).

As requested, here's a picture of the top of the stack:

I took pictures of the whole run, from sink to sewer pipe; they're available here if needed for clarity.

How can I get the sink to drain normally?

Update:
The problem appears to have resolved itself, and it appears to have been some sort of very minor obstruction - not in the drain, but in the garbage disposal.  At the time I posted the question, I had finished the plumbing but not the electrical wiring for the island; the first time I ran the garbage disposal, the drain ran freely and hasn't had an issue since.  I still don't understand the physics - why would removing the AAV have had an effect when the garbage disposal was the issue? - but I'm satisfied that the problem isn't/wasn't a venting issue.


texts:
I'm in the planning stage of a cabin with a ~16'x16' footprint and I'm spec'ing out some of the structural elements. Looking for some second opinions or thoughts.
It's going to be a single-story with a gable roof and shed dormers (like the image below, but NOT on a trailer). In the rear half there will be a 8' depth loft spanning the full width (~15' from wall to wall on the inside).

At the moment, I'm a bit stuck on the "compromise" of designing around the fact that half the structure can be horizontally "tied" (i.e. the loft's floor joists effectively double as rafter ties) and the remaining half will be open/cathedral.
If the structure were completely open, I'd have to rely on a structural ridge beam and/or collar ties to keep the side walls from pushing out. The ridge beam would need to bear the tributary area (~16'x8' at 60psf for snow/dead load = 40lbf/in). On the other hand, if the design had a full attic and ceiling joists, I could use a non-structural ridge board which, in principle, carries nothing. Given that the horizontal members are the only difference between those two extremes, it's clear that the loft joists are significant in reducing the load on the ridge beam.
This "half-and-half" design allows me to reduce the size of the ridge beam. However, to cover all my bases I am still planning to use a post at the midpoint of the ridge beam. That post would land on the joist that makes the front edge of the loft space (like the sketch below).The post goes a long way in terms of reducing bending stress and deflection of the ridge and can also help as a place to nail a loft railing for safety. I consider it a very simple solution to ensuring my ridge beam is VERY safe.

The question:
If I assume a uniform loading on one half and none on the other, we have a situation that can be calculated like here: https://structx.com/Beam_Formulas_029.html. When I plug numbers into that (e.g. 40lb/in loading, L=180", est. E=1.2e6 psi for softwood), I end up with a 2400 lbf load on the post. From there, I can appropriately size to stay under L/360 (e.g. a 6x12 spanning 180" results in 0.07" from the uniform load and 0.28" from the point load). Forget the bending stress for the moment.
Does this "back of the envelope" calc seem reasonable? Am I missing other considerations? A 6x12 beam seems a bit "extreme" but I can't just ignore the calculations. (FWIW, I don't want to use a LVL for aesthetic reasons).
Thanks!


texts: Massive reduction in air flow in furnance with air filters

texts:
After I put in a 3M filter into my furnace the air flow was massively reduced.

So, does that mean the filter is wrong or something is wrong with my furnace.


texts:
I am trying to find a way to add a pullup bar to my home gym. Ordinarily the pullup bar contraption goes over and through the door frame, but the door frames we have go all the way up to the ceiling so this does not work. I am looking for a way to add a 2 x 4 or something similar to the door frame in order to make this work. Obviously I have no clue how to do this. As I am a renter I do not want to cut out a piece of the door frame in order to notch the bar (or 2 x 4) in. Does anyone have any recommendations on what I should do? Note the door does not actually close so I would entertain anything up to and including the removal of the door.

I googled online and cannot find anything that gives me any ideas.

Example pull up
https://www.target.com/p/perfect-fitness-multi-gym/-/A-79786741?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&fndsrc=tgtao&CPNG=PLA_Sports%2BShopping&adgroup=SC_Sports&LID=700000001170770pgs&network=g&device=c&location=9003433&ds_rl=1246978&ds_rl=1248099&ds_rl=1246978&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIne6EzqXI6AIVxZ6zCh3WdQ69EAQYAyABEgI3lvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds


texts: What kinds of gloves should be used for working with mortar?

texts: I am currently working on my eagle scout project, and I will be using mortar to put together part of my project (I know this doesn't completely apply to home improvement so if this is the wrong place I'm sorry!).  I want to make sure that nobody gets hurt, so I bought work gloves for everybody.  They also had gloves meant specifically for working with mortar.  Is using normal work gloves fine for mixing mortar, and using it to build a fire pit, or should we use gloves meant for masonry specifically?


texts: When buying an older home that has recently been renovated, what should I look for in the home inspection?

texts: I'm in the process of buying a house built in the mid 80's.  It was foreclosed about a year ago and has since undergone a large number of renovations (roof, HVAC, windows, doors, plumbing, etc).  What are some specific things I should look for when doing an inspection on a house that has been flipped like this?


texts: Honeywell thermostat doesn't seem to be connected to standby generator

texts: Honeywell thermometer doesn't seem to be connected to standby generator. Heater is linked to generator panel, but thermostat loses power with outage. Ideas??Thanks


texts: Do small, modern LED lightbulbs require external heatsinks?

texts:
Circa 2012, I bought an IKEA "Stockholm" LED floor lamp (product info). Its bulb recently burnt out.1 While the product was advertised as non-serviceable, I disassembled the lamp. The lamp's components seem straightforward, except for the heatsink.

The product features a large aluminum heatsink (approx. 3" diameter, 1.5" deep) around the LED bulb. (The lightbulb looks to be PAR16.)

My question is: In repairing this lamp, do I need to replace the heatsink or do newer LED lightbulbs not require an external heatsink? The product's heatsink was glued (or otherwise permanently affixed) to the now-dead bulb, and it seems like I'll have a lot of trouble finding a replacement part.

1 While its light bulb was estimated to last 20,000 hours, I suspect it lasted less than a tenth of that.