texts: In floor heating GFCI thermostat failure?

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Fifteen years ago, a contractor installed Easy Floor heating system under tiles in our lower level.  There are four GFCI programmable thermostats wired to 240v service.  About five months ago, one of the thermostats began to trip flashing a GFI fault.  Two or three months later (and almost simultaneously), two other thermostats began to trip.  They can be reset for short periods of time and even warm for up to 24 hours, and then trip again.  The fourth is on a section of floor in an adjacent room and does not trip. There has been no construction or other disturbance of floor or wall areas.

After fifteen years, is it reasonable to expect 3 of 4 GFCI thermostats to fail?
Are thermostats specific to the installed floor mat, e.g. can I install a Honeywell thermostat to replace the old Easy Floor thermostats?
What does FGS mean?  I can find no definition or description of this thermostat designation.


texts: How can I drill through rim joist/sheathing for a dryer vent?

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I want to vent dryer through the rim joist of this home but it looks like this home has some sort of stone sheathing underneath the cedar shake.  I can only see it from the basement.  I can't really tell from outside without some destructive testing.

I am trying to figure out what this is, poking it with a screwdriver it appears to be hard as stone and would quickly dull my hole saw.  The sill plate is atypical too. It looks to be more like a 4x6 with the floor joist notched and resting on it.  There is room above this beam for the dryer vent but I don't want to open a can of worms.

The foundation is 24" thick feild stone.

Any idea what I have? Could it just be plaster?

EDIT:
Picture attached.  I was wrong, there is no room above the beam. Above it you can see the hard material.  Either way, I'm not sure I want to drill through the thick sill plate beam now.


texts: Can a 1 hour fire wall be used as a finish wall?

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I am building what is referred to as an ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit), and will be required to install a 1-hour firewall which I understand to be a 2x4 wall with 5/8" gypsum on both sides.  It must go from the concrete slab to the roof substrate, and in this case that's easy as the other side is completely unfinished and it's only one story.  Note: it's 1-hour because I own the whole house, it's not a townhome.
My question is whether I can treat the fire wall as an interior wall as long as I don't have any electrical fixtures or the like breaking it up.  Thanks!


texts: 3 Way (4 Switch) Insteon Setup for Ceiling Fan Light

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We have been replacing all our light switches with Insteon Smart Switches (http://cache-m2.smarthome.com/manuals/2477d-en-03-26-2015.pdf page 11) to control them via our phones. Ultimately, they work they hookup the same way as regular switches except for 3 way and more switches rather than using a traveller to connect related switches that process is done wirelessly so travelers get capped line goes to hot, and load goes to cold. We've set everything up successfully except for one location.

It use to be a ceiling fan (light and fan) but we previously replaced it with just a light. It's 3 way, so one 2 gang has a switch for the light and previously connected fan, and the other gang also has a switch for the same light and the previously connected fan.

We hooked up the new switches, one works, the other does not, and ends up blowing the fuse. When hooking up neutral wire to either light or fan switch in Entry.

On the ceiling light there is a red capped off and a black attached. And of course neutral and ground.

Does anyone have any thoughts on what I can test or get to the bottom of this or more information I can provide? Thank you!


texts: How would I size a heating system that would only be used to warm the floors?

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I have a forced air heating system that works well, and I'm not looking to replace it. However, I'd like to get the "warm floors" effect of radiant floor heating. I've heard that with a lot less BTU/hr, you can still do "floor warming" by using a lower hydronic temperature. Since any energy put into the floor to warm it needs to go somewhere, I would expect that this will supplement my forced air heating.

Given that the desire is just to warm the floor, rather than heat the house, I don't think that figuring out how many BTU/hr I would need to supply to keep the floor toasty involves any sort of heat loss calculation for the house. Any heat lost is already replaced by the forced air system. As a result, how do I determine how much I need to just keep the floor warm?

Note: I am aware of the labor involved in installing hydronic radiant floor pipes, but I've just gutted my basement for a remodel and the first floor subfloor is accessible for a time. If I'm ever going to want to do floor warming or potentially future radiant heating, the time to install the pipes would be now. Eventually when we replace our second floor's finished floor, I'll probably rip up the subfloor and put in hydronic structural panels at that time too. For the purposes of this question, assume I already have unused radiant floor heating pipes under all of the floors.


texts: Do I need to sand my pressure-treated deck before staining?

texts: I just got a new deck built using pre-treated wood. Do I need to sand it down before staining? I was told it was already sanded since it was pre-treated and it looks smooth and feels smooth so I don't think it needs sanding, but I would appreciate any feedback.


texts: Could a circuit breaker ever be faulty in a way that prevents it from tripping?

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I know that sometimes a circuit breaker will be faulty and will not pass power, but I have a situation where I identified a wiring problem where I expected the breaker to trip but it didn't.  Is this possible? How can I test that my breakers will trip when a fault is detected?

To explain the situation a bit better: I had a circuit where three outlets worked, while one was faulty and a switched set of lights didn't operate from the switch. When I investigated the faulty outlet I found a stray wire that had pulled out from the back. I removed the outlet completely and rewired the broken electrical chain together. To my surprise, the lights started to operate correctly.

If there was a fault in that outlet, why didn't the breaker trip? What conditions must be met to trip the breaker? I'm pretty sure a live-to-neutral short would trip it, but what about live-to-ground or neutral-to-ground?

Maybe the fault was something other than a short?  I can't really fathom what the actual wiring could've been to have caused the symptoms that I observed. If memory serves correctly I believe it was a white neutral wire that was loose. My non-contact voltage sensor indicated that both slots of the outlet were hot.


texts:
I have a two-bulb F28T5 light fixture that went out and replacing the bulbs with new ones did not fix it. So I replaced the ballast with a new one. The lights come on but go out within  a second or so. I cleaned the prongs that hold the light with alcohol and a Q-Tip but that didn't help.

I bent the prongs inward slightly and then the bulbs stayed lit for at least five minutes, long enough that no one noticed when they went back out. I tried rotating the bulbs in their sockets again but, as before, they only stay on for a second and go out.

The only thing I can think is that, perhaps, one of the bulb holders is bad or loose but, with it staying on as long as it did before, I wonder if there's something I'm not thinking of.


texts: What is necessary to make my old 3-wire 30-A dryer connection compliant with current code?

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I have a 3-wire connection for the clothes dryer, and I would like to make it compliant with current code the simplest way consistent with reasonable safety. I haven't looked at the connection block but it must be that the neutral is bonded to the chassis because the chassis is grounded.

The heavy ground wire that leads to the panel is grounded to the cold water pipe supplying the clothes washer and is exposed right next to the dryer. I could connect a wire from the ground terminal of the dryer to that ground wire and not change to a 4-wire plug and cord. In the connection block of the dryer I would remove the neutral to chassis ground bond.

Code violation? Someone could later disconnect that ground and the chassis would not be grounded. I could change to a 4-wire receptacle and connect a ground wire inside the wall or outside to the nearby heavy ground wire going to the panel.


texts:
Just got a new house. In the house, I saw many blank patch panels and when I open them, hiding behind them are these two-strand wires (AWG 22).
Any idea what are these wires used for?
I'd like to hard-wire the house with CAT6 cables.


texts: My receptacle tester is giving confusing results, what should I do?

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I've recently put in a new electrical outlet, which was working at the time. Today I went and plugged the lamp and it was not working.

Tried the receptacle tester, and this is what I saw when plugged in :

By the looks of it it looks like the rightmost light indicator is lighting up and there is barely any light on the middle one.

And if I take a look at the receptacle legend:

There is no one and a half light on the legend, so I interpreted it as a open neutral. Then I went and removed the neutral all together from the outlet and this is that picture below

So in this one it's really just the rightmost light is on, no middle light. At this point I got confused, not sure what is wrong with this outlet.

This is how the correct lights look according to my tester:

What do I do next? How do I get to the bottom of this?


texts: I have a new steam boiler model uh1606hsid boiler, I recently bought a nest thermostat and battery keeps dying, is there a way to connect a c-wire to my boiler?


texts: What is the absolute minimum garage door size that will still fit a (small) car?

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Is 2.1 m enough?

I am constructing a set of outward-opening timber ledge-and-brace doors for a workshop, through which one day someone may wish to take a car. Vehicle-storage is not the current intended use of the room, but I don't want to completely exclude that use for someone later down the track.

So my question is, what is the narrowest door I can build that will still permit a car to pass through? I'm happy to exclude large vehicles (SUVs and the like), because it's not a huge workshop anyway, it's got a low ceiling, and this is a pretty built-up urban area where most people have smallish cars.

I've read on forums that an average car width is 1.6–1.9 m; I've no data to back that up though.

Oh, and I want to make a narrow door because they'll be lighter and cheaper, and because I don't want to give up too much internal wall-space to the door (to reserve space for shelves etc.).

Here's an example of (sort of) what I'm doing:

Thanks!

Update: this is how they ended up:


texts: My florescent lights need a shake or a hit to work

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I have a Wave Twin Fluorescent Ceiling Light that doesn't light up in general.
If I switch it on, it only lights up a very small part at one end.
I need to shake it or give it a hit a couple of times to light up, but it only keeps up until I switch it off again, then I need to hit it once more a couple of times for it to work for the next switch on.

Anybody knows what to do, what to change for it to work?
Before some time it worked well enough.

EDIT

I noted yesterday that it functions with an electronic ballast, so it doesn't have any starters

They look exactly like this:


texts:
I removed an old light-switch and the following appeared:

I went to Brico, showed them the old switch, and got the one below.

I am wondering a bit how to connect it.
I am a bit worried that I only see 2 metal screws.
(2 lower right ones)

(It is quite certainly not 3-phase, but perhaps ground)

(Probably basic, but is there some way I can measure if something is ground or not)


texts: Compression fit necessary for waste pipe

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Ive never done plumbing so im trying to learn some basics. I have this waste pipe (i believe thats what its called) sticking out of the wall. I believe its a 1.5" waste pipe.

I want to connect it to this p trap kit i put together.

I obviously cannot just stick them together as the waste pipe does not have a threaded connector.

What is it i need to connect the p trap to the waste pipe? I believe it maybe called a waste pipe compression fitting? If thats what i need what size do i need?

Im confused because the ptrap says its 1.5" but the waste pipe is thicker and also i think is 1.5".  I think the waste pipe is 1.5" because i can connect another pipe to it to that states its 1.5". And yet the waste pipe is thicker then the p trap. I.e. This image...

That t thing in the middle clearly says 1.5 on it (i presume inches).

As a bonus question what kind of adapters do i need to use if the waste drain is not center with where the sink drain will be?

Edit

The fourth picture is just for illustration purposes i dont plan to use the sanitary t. It was just to show what i meant about my confusion between the difference in sizing.


texts: Is there a safe way to check for a short in a motor (garbage disposal)?

texts:
Quick version:
Is there a way to reliably identify a short in a motor, such as a garbage disposal? Such as measuring resistance?

Less quick version:
My first thought was that since there shouldn't be any switches inside, and making the completely unsupported assumption, that there isn't any transformers or inverters, I thought:

I = E / R      (Thank you Physics I)

So I measured the resistance across the motor Hoping for 8 to 10 ohms, which is where it seemed it should be.  Instead, I got 1.8. Hardly open, but much lower than expected.  If my theory was right that would be a 67A draw.  Then I remembered that resistance was linearly temperature dependant and maybe I could justify the 1.8 ohms like this:

dR/dT = ⍺R => R=[1+⍺(T-Tref)]   (Grrrr.  I hated physics II)

Ultimately, math failed me. I'm glad I wasn't a physics major. Assuming the coefficient for copper I found on the internet of 0.007074 was correct, and plugging eq 2 into eq 1, If that motor is supposed to draw 15 amps, The temperature at the stator would have to be somewhere around 628 degrees celsius above room temperature. So I'm just going to assume that doesn't work. Math has failed me.

Heres the back story.  I bought this really nice garbage disposal.  Stupid expensive because it's a 1.5hp motor.  I was tired of my wife shoving remains of thanksgiving dinner down the drain and destroying the plumbing. It worked great for about a year,  then we decided to remodel.  Since the goal was to remodel in stages, so that for the most part the kitchen would stay in working order, and I knew I would have to take apart the sink more than once, I un-hard wired the garbage disposal.  Yes, I know this is illegal in most municipalities.  Yes I know there are many good reasons for not doing this but, well, I did it anyway.  At least I'm better with electricity than math.  In my defense, I have seem many professionally wired homes that do this.

Regardless, some moron stocking the shelves at Home Depot, put one of those stupid sideways 20A plugs that nobody uses in the wrong spot, and I accidentally bought it.  As a result, for a time, I had a working sink with a semi-working drain.  While I was at work, My wife, doing her thing as usual, crammed a bunch of food in the garbage disposal, and ran an extension cord from the plug I installed to a wall outlet.  Big surprise, it blew a breaker.  When I get home I tried a more controlled experiment, thinking that the long extension cord or the arc during the act of plugging it in could have been the problem.  I killed the breaker, ran a heavy gauge, shorter extension cord to an isolated outlet on a 20A breaker.  After all connections were made I flipped the breaker.  It blew again.

I removed the garbage disposal and checked the wiring.  After checking the resistance, I pulled out the wires and inspected for damage.  Everything looks good. Not sure what to try next.

UPDATE

Installed it last night after cleaning it out and it ran without issue.  It must have either been a blocked rotor or excessive draw due to the cable.


texts: Outdoor exhaust pipes from my heating system

texts: What happens if snow covers my outdoor exhaust pipes from my heating system in the winter?


texts: How do I add a level gauge for 100 lb propane tank?

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I just got this 100lb propane tank, and I also got this two stage regulator. I want to add a gauge so I can check the tank level, I only find gauges that convert POL LP Tank Valve to QCC1 and that's not what I want. I found this gauge with regulators on Amazon, but it has terrible reviews.
Does anyone know a good solution? Please link if possible.
Thank you!


texts: Hi I have a concrete porch with peeling and cracking paint. Do I need to sand it and then power-wash it before repainting. I tried using an orbital sander with 60 grit sandpaper but it just kept peeling and peeling. I was out there for an hour and no luck at all. I am desperate to find a solution and would rather not hire a painter? Some pictures are below:


texts: What is code for stair treads and risers in Georgia

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What are the codes in Georgia (the US state, not the country) regarding stair treads and risers in a townhome or condo? My daughter is looking to purchase and the stairs seem too steep. The condo was built in 2005.

I'm asking because my daughters house that she is signing a contract on today, the stairs are now tiled. It seems really steep and my shoe size is an eight. Putting my foot down on the "step" is 9".

I'm having a problem coming up with the correct building code that it must be. The condo was built in 2004. One realtor said to me the stairs are not up to code, but another has said differently. The stairs will be carpeted, but obviously will need to be fixed and I need to know what they should be before signing papers today. The seller does not want to fix anything, but I know you can't sell a house if doesn't comply with Georgia codes aren't in order.


texts: How could our sliding mirror doors have cracked so easily?

texts:
I purchased and installed a set of sliding mirror doors 2 weeks ago. In the space of two weeks all four of the doors have developed cracks in them. A couple of them are at least a foot long.

I have not been abusing them excessively. The one crack I was aware of causing was when I did open a door a little bit too hard and it caused it to knock into the adjacent door. Surely the doors should be built to withstand a little bit of a knock.

I can think of two possibilities - either I have installed thew in such an incorrect way that means they are incredibly fragile, or the doors are of very poor build quality. I did follow the instructions to the letter.

Before ranting at the manufacturer - is it possible that I have just missed something obvious when installing that could have caused them to crack so easily?

Edit

I forgot to add a conclusion. I contacted the manufacturers and they said they had never seen their doors crack so easily before. Without any argument they replaced the doors straight away. The replacements are still going strong without a crack > 6 months later.


texts: Will wooden fencing "age" inside a dark (but ventilated) garage?

texts:
Upstate New Yorker here (in case weather/geography matter).

This summer my big project was to put a (spruce) fence around our whole back yard. I got about 75% of the way and have to call it quits for the year (it's getting too cold). So I've got a big pile of 8ft long fence panels sitting in my driveway.

I've been told by numerous people, and confirmed online, that you need to wait 6 - 12 months before staining a wooden fence. Something to do with letting it "weather"/"age" and dry out. So the 75% of the fence that is already installed is good to go, and come Spring 2016 I should be able to stain it no problem.

But what to do with the ~25% of the panels that are sitting in my drive way?

Ideally I'd like to be able to install them next Spring, and then stain the whole fence in one fell swoop. This means that the ~25% pile needs to be aging/weathering right along-side the panels that are already installed.  My only options are:

Move the pile to the back yard; or
Move the pile into the garage

All that matters is that the pile needs to be in a place where the panels can age/weather the same way as the installed panels do.

Does this mean I'll need to store them a certain way? For instance, is it ok to just leave them in a stacked pile, or do I need to prop them upright and space them out, etc.?

What's my best option/strategy here?


texts:
My refrigerator (Frigidaire model #frt18b4aw8) is not refrigerating the refrigeration compartment, however the freezer compartment is freezing properly.
I opened the back panel in the freezer and saw that it, and the channel to the fridge, are clear from ice.
How do I fix my fridge that is not refrigerating?


texts: Interlock and backfeed setup with NEMA L6-20

texts:
Am starting to put a generator setup together.  I'm planning on setting up an interlock and backfeed breaker into my panel with an outdoor receptacle for the gen to plug into.  The issue is this.  My generator is older(its an old garden way with a cast kohler engine, 5500 and runs like a top), and is setup with a NEMA L6-20 for the 220 which I'm planning on using--it also has two standard nema 5 outlets.  This means it is straight 220...so, can I just wire the whole thing 3 wire, no problem?  meaning in the panel, the 2 hots to the backfeed breaker and the grd to the grd bus bar?  Am I missing something, or do I need the neutral?
Thanks in advance for any input!


texts: Replace evaporator coils when replacing R22 condenser with a 410a unit?

texts:
My outside unit has died after 10 years of loyal service and I have two quotes to replace the old unit with a new SEER 16 unit.  One quote is to replace just the condenser and the other quote from another HVAC co includes new evaporator coils.  The reasoning is that the pressure would double on the 10 year old coils and that it would likely to develop a leak in the near future.  The proposed new evaporator is the exact same model etc that is currently installed.  If I want to go beyond SEER 16 I would have to replace the furnace unit as well.  What is the best approach?  The total difference between the two quotes is $2,200.
Condenser Model: Lennox 13ACD-048-230-01
Evaporator Model: CH33-48C-2F
Furnace Model: G40UH(X)

I also have the exact same setup on the 3-ton unit for upstairs so I am sure I will have to replace that soon enough as well.


texts: How do I remove stuck GU24 adapter from A socket?

texts: I was able to remove one of them from a 2-socket fixture. The other is stuck (will only rotate a couple degrees with some force). Is there some trick to removing these?


texts: Electrical Wiring - New Circuits (Added pics)

texts:
I have run two 12/2 Romex “Home Runs” to a junction box, each for 120V to Circuits A and B.
T-off at the junction box, two 12/2 Romex lines split to one 2-gang box, and two more 12/2 Romex lines split to a second 2-gang box.  So each 2-gang receptacle box gets 2 Romex inputs, each feeds a 120V 20A GFCI receptacle. (40A available in each box on Circuits “A” and “B”).
Four GFCI’s (Line inputs only), leaving load outputs taped-off.
(NOTE: I understand I could have eliminated the junction box and daisy-chained the GFCI’s to downstream standard receptacles, but I didn’t because I’m feeding the 4x4x2 metal boxes through a single rear-hole and I didn’t have 12/3 Romex to run a MWBC and couldn’t evacuate another pair of Romex 12/2 from each box. The junction box also happens to be located between the two receptacle boxes which are in different opposite directions.)
Question 1:  Even though these are two distinct circuits, can I use a “2-Pole Breaker” to power the “HOT” conductors for each circuit such that opening the one breaker removes power at both receptacles in each box?
———————
In the (4x4x2) junction box, I intend to make the following connections:

Wire-nut 3 “Circuit A” Hot wires together
Wire-nut 3 “Circuit A” Neutral wires together
Wire-nut 3 “Circuit B” Hot wires together
Wire-nut 3 “Circuit B” Neutral wires together
Wire-nut 6 Ground Wires together; connected through-wire to junction box chassis

Question 2:  My Grounding Wire Nut connector is rated for 5 #12 wires but I need to join 6.  Can I use a greenie to reduce 3 wires from Circuit A to one wire, and another greenie to join the one reduction wire to the remaining 3 wires from Circuit B, and then connect to the chassis?  Or get a bigger wire nut that doesn’t have the hole in it and do a pigtail to chassis (7 #12’s)?

Thanks, Rich


texts: 20A Bathroom Circuit including lights/fan, add outlet for 1300w(max) bidet

texts:
Pretty sure I'm okay here
20A=2400w, 1300w bidet, ~160w fan, ~100w LED lights=~1500w which is less than 80%. Only possible hiccup is it is in a master bath with dual vanity so slight chance my partner and I will be sharing the room and they would be using a hair dryer at the same time I'm flushing.
To make life a bit easier I'd like to tap into the line in the attic prior to where the circuit first connects to the lights/outlets where there is already a junction box and run a new GFCI in parallel rather than extending from the last outlet in line in the bathroom already behind drywall that will likely require drilling through some studs.
This also leaves open the posibility to run a new dedicated circuit for this plug in the future if it ends up becoming a problem.
Anything I'm missing?


texts: Do under-cabinet outlets need to be provided above a window?

texts: We just had our kitchen remodel project inspected and the inspector told us we needed to install outlets on a wall that is essentially one long (10') window directly under one long cabinet. We have plenty of outlets on the adjoining two walls. The bottom of this long window butts up to the countertop with a half-inch reveal, for a clean modern look. The only place to put any outlets would be under the cabinets, using those outlet strips (a solution we're not wild about), but my question is this: should the inspector be looking at this wall as a wall, which would need the requisite number of outlets, or as a window, which might be except from this requirement. It seems to me that this space, taken up as it is by a large window, not a wall that would allow outlets to be installed, should be exempt from the outlet-every-two-feet requirement. Are there any electricians or inspectors out there who can offer some informed opinions on this situation? Thank you.


texts: Removable wall panels as alternative to drywall

texts:
I have a wall in a basement utility area that is currently unfinished and I would like to cover it up. Right now the wall is just drywall on one side, open on the other, stuffed with fiberglass insulation.

I would like to have removable wall panels, however, rather than drywall because there is a lot of electrical wire and stuff in that wall that might be changed later and I do not want to have to rip out drywall and be replastering every time I change some electrical in that wall.

Are there wall panel systems of some kind that are made for this purpose?


texts: How would I create a curved floating desk and shelving unit?

texts:
I want to create a modern desk that also works as a shelving unit such as the one below:

The idea is that I will have a corner desk which at one end has the desk curved under the computer tower (also acts as a support) and then it bends around over to the other side of the room to the floor (support) and then every 20cm it raises by 20cm 4 times to create a holder for books and DVDs. It then curves back on itself to create a full shelf. This is repeates until it reaches almost the ceiling and then bends around the next wall opposite to the computer and stretches along the wall by a couple of meters to create further storage space (similar to at the top of the image above.

The wall at which the PC is placed is not a solid wall (ie plaster board I assume; 15cm thick) and so the support of the desk bending will be needed as well as wall supports. But the wall it bends around to is an outside wall. The long shelf wall is also an outside wall.

Is this even possible and how would I achieve it?


texts: Replaced an outlet and a switch. Switch works but outlet doesn’t. No voltage measured

texts:
I replaced an outlet and a light switch that are on the same breaker. Before replacing them I tested the voltage and got around 120 as expected and everything seemed to work. I replaced the outlet then I replaced the light/fan switch. The black wires, white wires and the ground are connected correctly. The light switch had 2 hot black wires and ground and everything is working with the light switch. I have tried redoing the wiring for the outlet, with a new outlet with no success. I have also tried testing for some voltage at the outlet and light switch. The switch shows 90-110V over the two black wires. The outlet shows nothing along any path where previously it did. I have a Leviton T5325-W at the outlet and can find no GFCI inside or outside my house connected to it.
Edit: Here are some photos of the wiring. It seems that I have 2 more lights connected to that breaker and another outlet. The lights and outlet work.


texts: Can my current electrical service support adding an electric water heater?

texts:
Here's the scenario: Main panel is a 100A service (GE PowerMark Gold LoadCenter) with all slots filled. A 60A breaker runs to a sub-panel that currently contains breakers for the electric stove (50A), electric dryer (30A), washer (20A), and a room with a light and a few outlets (15A). There are open slots in the sub-panel.

My propane water heater needs replacing and I am looking at around a grand just for the replacement. I need to know if I can add a two-pole 30A breaker and run 10-2 wire to an electric water heater (4500 watt). The electric water heater is less than half the price even for a larger tank. As best I can tell I might be spending more on propane ($3.50+/unit) compared to what electric would cost to run (9c/kwh).

There have been no issues with tripped breakers under the current configuration. I just need to know if my setup can accommodate an electric water heater. IF I have to upgrade the electrical service on the main panel to do it I might as well stick with propane. I appreciate any knowledgeable wisdom sent my way.

I think some of the labels are inaccurate as the washer is clearly running off the sub-panel at this point.


texts: Carrier Furnace Pilot light and Main Burner Flames out when main blower kicks in

texts:
Carrier furnace runs for about 3 minutes. Hot air comes out from vent for a minute or so it then turns off and kicks back on after 1 minute or so.
I cannot find the model of the unit as the tag is so old. But here is a picture of the unit.

Image of inside

Image of electric pilot

Wiring Diagram

Opened up the furnace cover to observe and here is the sequence of the ignition:

Thermostat calls for heat.
Induction blower turns on. Pilot gas ignites. Last for 1 minute.
Main burner ignites. Both Pilot and main burner stays on. Last for 2 minutes.
Main blower turns on. Both Pilot light and Main burner turn off immediately.
Main blower turns off.
Repeat cycle from Step 2.

Video of when both pilot and main burner flames out.
https://imgur.com/a/TUTBb8p


texts: Will GFCI curcuit breaker operate properly with neutral pigtail wire not connected?

texts:
I recently installed a GFCI breaker due to a recessed floor outlet wiring burning out due flooding from storms.

When the  electrician connected the GFCI's white pigtail wire to the neutral block the GFCI breaker would trip.  He checked all the wiring and said something about the neutral used for another circuit, so he left the white pigtail unconnected and said the GFCI will still work properly, just the test button will not function.
Is this correct? as I find it hard to believe the circuit is really protected without the white pigtail wire connected.


texts: Lag bolts vs wood screws for reinforcing garage door header

texts:
I am about to install the garage door header bracket and I have almost everything figured out. There is a ~1 inch gap between the ceiling and  joist I'm screwing into but I need every millimeter I can get to clear the rail and the door. I want to attach a 2x4 against the ceiling to add more working space. Originally I was just going to use a 4-6 inch scrap piece secured vertically with some 2.5" wood screws and then lag bolt the bracket into that as instructed. Now, I think I am going to remove the strap securing the wire and run the wire for about 12 inches so that I can fit a 12 inch 2x4 section horizontally across the top.
Should I attach the 2x4 with wood screws or lag screws? I'm worried that lag screws will require too big of holes that they will need to be positioned so low they might negate any reinforcement I might have had. What are your opinions?
Just so we are all clear with what we're working with here is a picture:


texts: Why not always use a stronger mix ratio for concrete?

texts:
A lower ratio of sand and aggregate to cement will lead to a stronger concrete.
What are the reasons for using a 'weaker' higher ratio mix?
Is it just cost?


texts: How can I fasten a low-voltage plate to drywall?

texts:
I do not have much experience with home improvement related things. I moved into my first apartment and I saw that the internet coaxial cable was pushed inside the outlet. I loosened the screws and using a knife I cut the thin paint layer around the cover and removed the cover

I pulled the coax cable out and fixed the position but when I try to screw the cover back it won't go in. What do I need to fix this outlet cover?


texts: Unknown wire in septic tank pump installation

texts:
I have a septic lift pump station. When I open the outdoor control box I find one wire-nut connection connecting the 12V 14-2 wire from indoor low voltage alarm box with wire to high level float that goes inside tank.This seems normal.
There is a second wire-nut connection with 3ea. 14-2 wires connected together. One 14-2 wire comes from 110V breaker panel switch #7 and is supply. One 14-2 wire goes to a plug inside weather proof box and is what the pump and piggyback on/ off float plug into to make septic pump work. I cannot figure what the third 14-2 wire goes to? It does however have a short piece of electricians tape wrapped around white lead and a short piece or electricians tape wrapped around black lead as a clue.
Any ideas where this last 14-2 pair might go to?


texts: Converting dryer from 3 to 4 prong cord but it doesn't have a grounding screw / wire

texts: I'm trying to convert a recently purchased dryer from a three prong cord to a four prong cord to match my outlet. However, it doesn't have a green screw for the ground line. Where do I connect the green cord?


texts: Why is my Water Heater Leaking only when I open the Pressure valve?

texts:
I woke up today to a full drip pan under the gas water heater and my utility room slowly flooding with water. Of course the drip pan was never connected to a drain and overflowing.

After shutting off the water to the water heater the flooding stopped completely. I did some investigation and noticed whenever I manually open the top mounted pressure valve I can tell that some water is discharged through the connected pipe, but I can also hear an amount of water flowing down somewhere inside the water heater. I cannot see any water or wetness when looking closely at the valve connection at the top. I am not sure where the water could be leaking inside the unit. The relief valve is connected to pipe that does not drain into the pan btw. It leaves the room through the wall behind the water heater and does not show any signs of leakage.

Could it help to replace the pressure valve? Is it likely there is a hole in the tank somewhere, but if so why doesn't it leak all the time but only when I open the pressure valve?

I am planning to buy a pressure meter today and check the house water pressure as well as test the pressure on the heater when I reopen the water supply. Will update later with readings.

*Update: I did test the pressure and the house pressure was a little high (75psi, which I now lowered to 65). I also found where the water comes into the drip pan. It is right from the burning chamber, but again, it only flows when I open the pressure relief valve on top of the unit. I can also hear air bubbles moving up while having the relief valve open, so the outflow is replaced by air. (See new photo with markings)

Added photos:

Original Photos:


texts: How can I remove mold that cannot be detected by human eye?

texts:
We live in an apartment (we own it, but it is co-op) and believe there may be mold in bathroom.

Mold can be invisible to the human eye.

How to get rid of mold in bathroom? Can we do it ourselves? We don't want to include building co-op at this point (lot of red tape and low quality from past experiences).


texts: Does a bad screw require changing the tap itself?

texts:
The guardian doesn't quite show the internals of a traditional tap, and the plumber I usually call, couldn't come today. The new plumber says that since the drive of the screw on the tap is ruined, I'd require to buy a new tap (pic below).

I didn't believe him, and would like to confirm if the entire tap really needs to be replaced or just some washers or spindle inside? Basically, if I turn the tap in any direction, water keeps flowing. The only way to stop it is to press it hard from above and wrap insulation tape around the tap while keeping it pressed.

ps: Dad says he suspects the tap is a washerless type which might have to be replaced completely.

The tap:


texts: What should I do with a 3-way light switch that is no longer needed?

texts: How do I get rid of a 3-way switch?  I am rewiring some lights in an older home and found that one of the switches is a 3-way.  However, the light it was originally for was removed years ago.  So we have switches that are hot but we do not need.  The wires for the light were put into a base plug high up on the wall.  However, the switch in that room can remain to work the plug.  The one I am trying to remove is the other end of the 3-way in the kitchen.


texts: In what year did venting bathroom exhaust out of the house become a code requirement?

texts:
what was the year for code for vented bathroom exhaust fan?
What is the code for vented bathroom exhaust fan?


texts: What to insulate first? Attic, walls, kneewalls?

texts:
I know a number of people in a similar situation that want to add insulation to older, poorly insulated homes. Homes are similar. Poorly insulated attics (6" of fiberglass batts), no insulation in exterior walls. The attic square footage is relatively small compared to the roof area because of high pitched roofs and kneewalls.

Doing this as a DIY project that would be completed in stages maybe one weekend every couple of months or so.

What order would you tackle each project the following insulation/air sealing projects to get the most cost savings early?

A) Add R-30 unfaced fiberglass batts over existing attic insulation. Attic floor sq footage is I'd say roughly 75% or less of the 2nd floor sq footage due to kneewalls on most of the exterior walls on the 2nd floor.

B) Get access to back of kneewalls on 2nd floor and add insulation to back of interior wall and over interior ceiling. Studs are only 2x4 but since there's plenty of space may use R19 or greater kraft faced insulation for walls, R30 for over ceiling. About 60% or so of the 2nd floor exterior walls are kneewalls with conditioned living space underneath.

C) Add fiberglass batt insulation and those foam insulation vent boards to allow airflow to the sloped ceiling space over the kneewall. This would be done at the same time as either A or B.

D) Blow in fiberglass insulation to exterior 2x4 framed walls from interior that are not knee walls. All the exterior walls on the 1st floor and about 40% of the 2nd floor exterior walls.


texts: What are these 'cabochon' tiles called in English

texts: I'm looking to source some of these tiles which alternate large and small tiles in a matrix. The French name is cabochon, but that is not proving useful in the UK to shop for this style of alternating big/small square/octagon arrangement. Obviously the size can vary, I'm looking for about 20-30cm for the larger part of the pattern rather than a small mosaic.


texts: Do I need a slope in drain lines under sink?

texts: I'm connecting the drains for a double basin sink something like the one in this picture. My question is, do I need any slope in the horizontal line between the two basins or after the p-trap in the section leading to the vertical?


texts: My front door frame doesn't appear to support installing a storm door; is there anything I can do?

texts:
I bought a storm door to for the front of my house, and realized too late that there's no inset in the front door frame to install one.

My options at this point appear to be to A) Forget it and return the door, or B) replace/modify the door frame. Replacing the door frame sounds like a moderate-level difficulty project, something I'd probably be more comfortable having a contractor do. I'm guessing this would cost a couple thousand dollars.

Am I understanding my situation properly? Are there any options I haven't considered?


texts: Why does my washing machine leak only during the tumble dry cycle?

texts:
My Bosch Washer/Dryer WVF2402GB/01 Has started leaking a lot of water when tumble drying.
If dryer is left off it works normally.
Any ideas?


texts:
Our garage faces nearly directly west, meaning it gets full afternoon sun. It also has no attic above it - meaning it has a fair bit of roof. There is batt insulation along the roof but the garage door is not insulated. I suspect the exterior drywalled wall is not insulated.

We also have a bedroom above the back half of the garage. Now that it is consistently hot outside we have noticed this bedroom is warm. Our garage interior temperature stays warm late into the night, so we basically are "heating" our house at night because of this (while running the AC).

Is there a standard way to vent a garage in the evenings in summers like this? We have a whole house fan, which allows us to vent the house - perhaps something similar specifically for the garage?

Another option I guess is leaving the garage door open in the evenings... but this feels unreliable as I have to remember to open/shut it and I've already had to chase a rabbit out of our garage once this year...


texts: Low voltage circuits inside mains conduit

texts:
I have a situation (USA) where there's no practical alternative except run some low voltage wiring in the same conduit as 120/240V power.

The good news is, my situation calls for using entirely mains-type cable (THWN-2, 12/3 NM, etc.) for the low voltage stuff, and all the hardware will be enclosed in junction boxes listed for mains electrical service.

It's for relay circuits; the relay coil is tapped for 24V or 240V (I'm using the 24V tap) and the 120-24V transformer is obviously insulated for 120V (though it is not made to have 120V across its secondary).

What do I need to do in order for this to be allowable and safe?


texts: How do combi boilers with built-in hot water tanks work?

texts:
A number of combi boilers on the market in the UK have small (approx. 20 litres) internal hot-water tanks. These boilers are commonly marketed as being suitable for households with high hot-water demand. Sales literature typically claims reduced delivery time and increased initial flow rate of hot-water. I understand these benefits but would like to know how these boilers behave during low-demand periods.

Specifically, when a hot water tap is opened for less than 5 seconds or an appliance repeatedly draws small amounts of hot water.

My current boiler immediately fires-up in these situations and shuts down again before any meaningful amount of hot water can be generated, let alone reach the tap. I realise that there is scope for more efficient user behaviour but do combi boilers with in-built hot-water storage help to overcome this particular user inefficiency, by delaying fire-up until a given amount of stored hot-water is discharged, for example? Or do they fire-up immediately, just like their none-storage counterparts, in order to replenish their internal storage?

Many thanks.


texts: 14-2 Tap Branched From 12-2 Feed on 20amp Circuit...What To Do?

texts:
I have a switch by my front door that supplied power to a receptacle.  I want to wire that switch to an existing ceiling fan/light combo in the same room.  I've already made the outlet constantly hot.  The switch currently controls nothing.  I inspected the wiring situation in the attic to see how the fan was getting power and what my options were for running 14-3 from the fan to the switch.  Here is what I found.

The person who installed the fan tapped into a 12-2 wire that feeds a dining room outlet with 14-2 cable to the fan.  This outlet is on a 20amp circuit, which also supplies another dining room outlet and 3 kitchen backsplash outlets.  The splice was just out in the open in my attic.  I fixed that by containing the entire splice in a properly grounded metal box mounted to a ceiling joist, but now I'm wondering if I should replace the tap wire that runs to the fan with 12-2, since it is on a 20amp circuit and then run 12-3 from the fan to the switch.  Would there be any issues with the fan unit wiring not being 12g wire on this circuit?  I haven't had any issues with the fan wired this way in the 10 years I've lived in this house, but now that I've seen how this is wired, I want to make sure it's all up to code.  The person who wired the fan didn't even contain those connections in a fixture box.  They are also just out in the open in the attic.  I'll have to install a proper ceiling fan mounting box.

Thanks for any help.

Josh


texts: changing 60 amp outlet to two 30 amp outlets?

texts: I have a small brewery in my basement that currently plugs into an outlet (I don't know the name of) on a 60 Amp 240 vac GFCI breaker, wire is 6 AWG. I want to upgrade my system with one that has two L6-30 plugs, not the same as I have now. Is this as simple as taking out the old outlet and replacing it with two of the new outlets or do the new outlets need to be on separate 30 amp breakers? I only have 1 empty spot in my panel. When I searched for an answer to this I found something similar involving wall ovens but seemed specific to them.


texts: Can I use paint stripper in my basement workshop?

texts:
I am looking to refinish a pool table that I purchased.  Since it is winter and too cold to do it in my garage, I would like to do it in my basement workshop but I'm worried about the fumes.

I have an air exchanger in the workshop which is designed for a 3000+ sq. ft. home.  I was thinking that I could disconnect the vents from going through the house, then use them to basically filter out the air from the workshop.

Do you think this would be strong enough to keep the room well enough ventilated?

Also, is a respirator necessary with this system?

Please advise, I would appreciate the help.


texts: How do I get even temperatures in my two-story house?

texts:
There is only one A/C system in the house. I noticed there is at least several degrees difference between the two stories.

How do I get both stories to have the same temperature?


texts: Installing reverse board and batten plywood siding

texts:
When you install plywood board and batten (or in my case, reverse board and batten) siding, how do you seal the vertically-running seam of two sheets?

For example, I know the horizontally-running seam you use z flashing, so that any water running down the upper sheet will fall onto the flashing and in front of (not behind) the lower sheet.


texts: Just installed a Wayne WLS150 water sprinkler pump in addition to a 20 gallon pressure tank on our boat dock. The tank has a 40-60 pressure switch on it. Pump works well and pumps an enormous amount of water through a 1 inch poly discharge pipe. The problem is the tank never fills. The pressure gauge reads a constant 40 PSI. and runs constantly even if I shut the valve just beyond the tank. My research shows the pump specified discharge is 30 PSI @ 2700 gallons an hour. I'm thinking the pump does not supply enough pressure to fill the tank and is designed to operate on demand for sprinkler system.


texts: What is causing a wet patch on an internal wall?

texts:
We recently bought and moved in to a house. It's 16 years old. One of our walls has developed a patch of wetness. This wall is part of what was once the garage, and has since been converted into a dining room.

The wet patch is shaped like a sand timer, and is at eye level (so not near the ceiling or at ground level). I don't think there are pipes behind it.

What could this be? And how do I go about fixing it if there's a problem?


texts: How deep to place a deadman anchor for a slackline?

texts:
I want to place a permanent anchor for a slackline in my parents' backyard. I looked around at the different options, but I don't have access to some of them (e.g. no duckbill anchors), so I think I will go for the deadman anchor option as in this video.

I also found a diagram for what it should look like, but I am taken aback at the suggested trench depth of 3-4 foot.

I will be digging with a hoe and my own two hands. The soil where we live gets quickly into compacted clay, after maybe only 2 feet of something more humuslike - my father tells me he once rented an excavator to make a posthole and it needed over half an hour for that hole (operated by somebody experienced, not by my father).

So, I wonder if the diagram I found is not overly sturdy, and if I could get away with a shallower trench. Especially since this diagram also foresees getting concrete poured into the ground, and the person in that video gets away with just a buried length of pipe.

I found a slackline calculator and it says that the normal load will be in the 7-8 kN range, and possibly up to 11 kN under some circumstances (e.g. if it gets tightened a lot and somebody heavy tries to walk on it). So let's say I want the whole line to hold up to 15-17 kN just in case (that's breaking load, not nominal load). There is a tree to hold one side up. For the second side, if I bury a 3 feet long pipe with maybe 2 inches diameter, what depth should I choose?


texts: How can I remove a granite countertop from a wooden vanity?

texts:
I recently purchased an inexpensive bath vanity from the Home Labyrinth. It included a low-end granite top that is not properly sized for my bathroom. Unexpectedly, out of the box, the granite is sealed to the wooden top of the unassembled vanity. I really like this vanity's wooden cabinets, but I need to replace the granite with a custom cut size and color.

Is there a good way to separate the granite from the wooden vanity without damaging the wood or the granite? The two pieces are very tightly fitted together. I can't seem to squeeze a utility knife between them. Is there a good strategy for separating granite away from a wooden cabinet? Is this something that a granite specialist could handle easily?

I'm starting to think that a sledge hammer might be the only way.


texts: How do I get my pool heater up and running?

texts:
Anyone know how I can turn on the pool heater? I provided a video of everything here:
https://youtu.be/s8bLVnTt5dk
Model is a Purex triton minimax 400
Note: when I turned the pool heater on in the video at around the last 2 seconds of the video you can hear that whistling that resembles the sound of a hot tea kettle. The smell was gassy and almost like burning. Is this normal for a pool heater? Also any steps I should take too ensure a safe pool warm up if possible?
(Ignore the plastic that lays on top of it I know too take that off when actually attempting)
Thank you for reading and taking the time out too help


texts:
Accidentally left grill grates outside during the winter and rust built up.

Tried to search online and ask at Lowe's, but didn't find a good solution.

What worked for you?


texts:
I'm trying to figure out the right questions to ask. I've not had good luck with a HVAC service company when we first purchased the house. As I don't think I have any urgent risks given the 3x Nest sensors are working (i.e. they would have to fail on different floors), I'd like to try and get an understanding of potential root-causes before trying my luck with a service company. Appreciate all advice.
Issues:

Our Nest Protect CO alarm has gone off twice since it got cold - 90
days apart, in the basement only. Opening the windows cleared the
gas and the issue did not re-occur.

Separately, near the air-filter area, a strange smell of
post-processed gas(if that makes sense) is lingering in the air.
Again, opening a window clears this right up.

While I think the air-filter might be old(?) and changed it for issue #2, could I have a more generic issue of an exhaust valve being clogged that might be causing things to linger? I'm not aware of any physical trauma to the HVAC system between the last two winters - so it's perhaps some natural build-up?
Thank you.


texts: A type of compartment that rises out of a desk

texts:
I'm building a computer desk and I had the idea to hide some speakers in a compartment towards the back. I'd like the speakers to pop up out of the desk on some kind of mechanism that rises up, kind of like an old top loading VCR, maybe something hinged at the back. I'm fairly mechanically minded, but I'm struggling to imagine a way to make something like this that doesn't need visible handles and I'd love it if I could open the compartments by pressing on the top and having it open at least a small amount.
I know this is a long shot, but are there any products out there that could help me achieve this?
I genuinely have no idea what search terms to use.


texts: What should I do immediately after a clean water flood to minimize damage?

texts:
Today, we went out of the house for about an hour and when we came back the whole kitchen was flooded.  Turned out the cold water soft connection for the kitchen sink had somehow disconnected (?).

We have a finished basement underneath which was flooded too.

I immediately shut off the water and got rid of it but the question is whether I can do anything else to help the situation.

The floor is red oak and is not finished with polyurethane but with OSMO polyx oil (natural oil and wax).  As far as I remember it has the subfloor underneath and that black tar paper or whatever it is on top of it below the hardwood floor.

There's sound insulation (ROXUL Safe'n'Sound) between the joists.

The dry wall everywhere (including the basement ceiling) is the green mold resistant drywall.  The paint is Benjamine Moore Aura Bath & Spa.

The basement ceiling shows only slight signs of damage (you can now kinda tell where the sheets meet).  The kitchen floor was OK initially but after a few hours the edges between the pieces of wood raised a bit and became black.  Overall, the damages are minor and almost invisible.

What I worry about is that water is probably still trapped in the floor b/n the hardwood floor and the drywall below.  I worry about developing mold and health issues more than the visible damages.  What should I do?


texts:
Paid a visit to my attic earlier today to see if there was any winter damage.  Looking all good except for a small piece of truss that has a black stain on it (see picture).   I would have said mold but the symmetry of the stain is odd.   Could this be a rust stain or something else that was already present when roof was built?  If you look at roof sheathing nearby and cardboard piece preventing blow-in insulation from reaching soffit, it does not look like there was water infiltration anywhere nearby.
Looking for any input that you guys may provide.


texts:
Beginning of the story was here - Is RC2040M150CH MSP upgradable to 200amps main circuit breaker

So now I got QOM2200VH main circuit breaker (200amps) and ready to install it later this week.

The only question I have is Neutral.

Notice that the current service breaker (QOM2150VH) has a bar which reads "N" on it :

The new one doesn't have this part (there is no plastic bar which reads "N" on it):

This a little worries me. Unfortunately I can't disconnect and check in details until the scheduled time with my electric service company to make the disconnect later this week.

Both circuit breakers are two-phase circuit breakers.
But the existing circuit breaker supposedly has a connection to Neutral!?
And the new circuit breaker doesn't have it!?

Thanks for any leads on this topic.


texts: What kind of concrete finish was used in this Tulum treehouse?

texts:
I'm remodeling my house and would like to finish the walls and floors as done in this Tulum treehouse. Who can tell me what kind of concrete finishing technique was used here?
In the linked Dezeen article they talk about "polished white concrete" but that is not very specific. The walls and floors have these beautiful shadows and swipe patterns in them that create a lively but natural look. How did they achieve this?
.


texts: Should I scrape off firmly-attached, cracked exterior paint before repainting?

texts: When preparing to paint the exterior, there are some shingles that appear to show cracks but the paint seems to be firm. Should I still scrape it off?


texts: I just got a bandsaw with the 5hp motor that requires a 220v 30amp single phase connection. I have it up and running with a three wire dryer cable to my dryer receptacle. When researching requirements for a new circuit I found out the NEMA 10-30 receptacles have been deprecated. I ordered a 14-30r and 14-30p along with a four wire cable. A video on wiring the cord to the saw showed two loads wires and a green ground. Am I ok leaving the white neutral unconnected?


texts: How can I paint over mold to prevent it from coming back again?

texts: The source of the leak has been fixed, however the old mold keeps showing though the new paint.


texts: How to prevent leaving hot tap/faucet running?

texts:
Occasionally one of us in our house leaves the hot tap/faucet running, and sometimes this can be overnight, which is costly.

Any good ideas on how to prevent this?

So far I've thought of these:

Set up some kind of electronic alarm which detects heat or running
water and sounds after a few minutes.  But this could be quite hard
for me to set up, and would probably use batteries all the time - more cost and work to monitor and change occasionally.
Set up some kind of simple alarm which detects heat or running water without much electronics (e.g. a rubber band on the hot water pipe, or the waste pipe, which should tighten as it heats up, thus triggering a switch which completes a circuit and sounds an alarm).  I like this kind of idea, but my tests so far show no noticable change in length of a rubber band after running the hot tap for a while, when wrapped around these pipes, so I'm not sure I can get this to work.  An alternative could be to use metal which bends in one direction when heated (I think this has 2 strips of different types of metal which expand at different rates with heat, glued together size-by-side).
Install some kind of whistle on the taps, so they make a noise when they run.  But aside from the irritating noise (especially at night), I doubt these would work with very slow water flows (e.g. which could even be a fast drip).
Prevent people from using the hot tap (e.g. duct tape the hot tap    handle).  Not very user-friendly, and then they'll probably leave the cold tap    running, which is also not ideal.

Thoughts?


texts: Why is my sprinkler system backflow leaking after being winterized?

texts:
After having my sprinkler system winterized, I noticed water leaking from the spigot. I thought it would stop once all the extra water came out but it is still leaking after 1 week.
I turned the spigot to the off position and after about 30 minutes I noticed a slow leak coming from somewhere on top around the back flow area. Right now I have the spigot turned back on so the leak will come out from the spigot instead.
The main water shut off to the sprinkler system has been shut off from inside.

What can be causing this slow leak?
What can I do to stop the leak just for winter without having to do any crazy repairs?
In the picture its leaking from the red circle because originally the spigot was open to release leftover water. But the slow leak never went away. So I shut off the spigot and notice slow leaking coming either from the yellow area or blue area. It is hard to tell since my wall is wet. But to me it looks like leak from the blue circle.
So right now I have my spigot (red circle) leaking . And hasn't stop for a few days now.
[1]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/73ixC.jpg![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/cbOMx.jpg)

Another key note is  the main sprinkler water valve inside the house is shut off and well as another valve closest to the wall of the sprinkler pipe is shut off as well. So two valves on the same pipe inside the house. Those don't have any leaks but I'm hoping  they don't need any repairs?? I thought those would be preventing any water from going outside to the system.
Inside shut off valves are both off and not leaking. Another member mention this might be the issue.  They are both not leaking. Since being shut off for winterizing.
.


texts: How do I temporarily protect a flat roof until a permanent fix can be made?

texts:
I recently discovered there's a corner of my flat roof that was poorly installed and has lead to a leak and some rotting. So far there are no signs of interior damage but it will likely be several weeks to a couple months until I can get a proper repair done.
Any thoughts on the best way to temporarily cover the problem area in a way that can be easily removed later?
I've considered getting some plastic sheeting and taping it to the vinyl siding, but I'm not sure what tape I could use that will stick and also not be a pain to get off.


texts: Will adding a second sink in a bathroom with only one sink currently reduce the water pressure?

texts:
We have two bathrooms that have plenty of space to each add a second sink on the vanity. So essentially:

Master Bathroom currently has 1 sink, we want to turn it into a Jack&Jill
Guest Bathroom currently has 1 sink, we want to turn it into a Jack&Jill

I looked up all the connections necessary, so the install isn't an issue. But: Would that essentially reduce the water pressure in each sink to half of that of before?


texts: I am working on a garage cabinet project and I used MDF as the material. I used a white primer for 2 coats and I like the result already. Can I leave it like this or I have to paint it with a proper paint? Basically can primer be used as paint?


texts: Will this plumbing setup result in galvanic corrosion?

texts:
When I moved in two years ago, the plumbing in this area showed significant corrosion. There was no galvanic isolation between the steel pipes leading to the upstairs bath, and the copper piping in the basement. I updated the entire thing to what is shown below (cold water stack is labeled -- the hot water stack to the left is identical).
The two valves at the bottom (shutoff for laundry sink) failed last month, the cold one broke off in my hand when I needed to close it to work on the laundry sink. When I replaced it I noticed that the hot water side was leaking, this one failed when I went to remove it (luckily water was off). Both valves failed at a joint in the valve that appeared pressed together, and showed some signs of corrosion inside.
In the photos below you can see that the threaded nipples below the valves show some corrosion. I assumed this was due to the leaking valves. I also assumed the valves failed due to a faulty design of the pressed joint. But to avoid having to do this repair again in the future, I want to confirm if this set-up did/will result in galvanic corrosion, or if I was just unlucky in choosing a poorly designed valve.
If it's relevant, I am in Wisconsin on city water, and both hot and cold water are softened.


texts: Can I cool 540 sq. ft. with a single A/C unit?

texts:
I have a small apartment - about 540sq ft.
The layout:

Click for larger view
The red square would be the internal unit, and to the left and right I have 2 rooms.
I also have a 6 month old little girl, so I wouldn't want a unit in her room. I'm thinking that I could have a single unit, that would reasonably cool both rooms indirectly.
Will it be pointless? Should I go for a multi-split?
More info:
The doors stay open most of the time, and the windows are only on the right side of the building (as you see it in the picture). Each room also has a balcony, and that takes most of the sunlight. The sun enters the room usually after 4 pm during the summer.
The average temperature in the summer is around 90F, but can go up to 105F for stretches of 4-5 days.


texts: Drilling, hit metal running vertical floor to ceiling

texts:
Background
Condo/Apt building (28? floors)
Built 1993
Seattle, WA
Wall facing neighbor's wall

Need to drill into stud to mount Murphy bed.

I drilled into same area that were used for the old Murphy bed (3" screws minus 3/4" from thickness of bed frame), but hit METAL

Metal runs vertical floor to ceiling
Runs ~16" apart horizontally
Tried about 5 spots - all hit metal

Originally, I use the old school finger tap method that always worked in the past, but then hit metal 2x

Bought magnet stud finder and confirmed using that it runs vertical

Also bought Zircon e50 (http://smile.amazon.com/Zircon-StudSensor-e50-Electronic-Finder/dp/B002R5AVVY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1454125433&sr=8-2&keywords=Zircon+StudSensor+e50+Electronic+Stud+Finder) that supposedly detects electrical outlet.  Tested it around plug and it did detect from there.  No electrical warning where I drilled, so I used a small bit and drilled through, hoping it was a plate over wood.  Nope, drilled through to emptiness.

Zircon stud finder suggests stud is about 4" wide, with the magnetic stud finder sticking right in the middle.  Interestingly, magnetic stud finder is not sticking to where I drilled into metal.

So, any ideas?

Metal studs?
Pipes (nothing leaking AFAIK - liquid or gas)?

Sorry if this is a repeated question.  I did search but didn't find an exact match to this question.

Thank you for your time and advice! (I REALLY don't want the murphy bed slamming shut on me, esp if "with a guest"!)

Cheers


texts: WDT710PAYM4 Whirlpool Dishwasher part needed

texts: I am looking to replace a part on my dishwasher. It's called the cover latch in the manual. I can't seem to find the part number listed anywhere.


texts: Do I need to get these vents re-sealed? Is roofing cement the wrong thing to seal them with?

texts:
I bought a home about a year ago, and one of the things that came up in the inspection was that the inspector thought that certain areas on the roof were sealed incorrectly.  Not that the seals wouldn't work - he seemed to imply that the way they were sealed was an older way of sealing these things and that we should look into getting the seals re done using a more modern technique/materials/what have you.
To quote the inspection report verbatim:

This is a good installation although the flashings around the plumbing
vents have been heavily sealed with roofing cement. These areas are
especially susceptible to leaking and a qualified contractor should be
enlisted to the flashings replaced.

And here are some photos of the seals in question, from the inspection report:

I asked a friend of mine who is more knowledgable than I am about these things for a referral to a roofer to get the work done, and when I showed him the pictures and told him what the inspector said, he said he thought it "looked legit" to him, and was wondering if the inspector was making that recommendation just to be able to have something to say in the report, and thought that getting the seals re-done would be overkill.
Can anyone else weigh in on this?  Is the inspector right, and we should get the seals re-done?  Or is my friend right, and the seals are fine and getting them re-done would be overkill?


texts: What's the best way to fill in some uneven cracks in my garage and level it out so that I can paint over it?

texts: I have a big crack on my garage floor.  I need to fill it and level it out so that I can paint over it using that garage floor epoxy paint.  Basically, I'm selling the house and I want to make the house look as presentable as I can.  So, what product(s) should I use to fill the crack?  Just a concrete repair kit?  Cement?


texts: i installed the nest thermostat as instruction say i get the e74 code i checked fuse.turned power off an on  now what is happening is when i attach the thermostat tothe base my relays flash quickly making a clicking noise; it is a zoned set up with two thermostats the other one works fine and its not a nest its still my original one its just the new nest. would appreciate any suggestions thank you and this is just heat unit i have no air


texts: I have a newer home about year old, ever since we moved in we have had this problem. its a two bath home single level with the master at the far end of the garage were the hot water tank is in the garage. We have a Grundfos UP10-16A pump just for the master bathroom. The plumber installed the pump at the hot water tank return the water into the bottom of the tank were the drain was I looked at the installation direction on line at Grundfos and this one way the show it to be done. The problem is the two lav's sinks in the master work great instant hot and stay hot but the shower which has a Moen shower mixer valve, comes on gets hot fairly quickly but then gets cold and then gets hot again so your adjusting temperature the whole time you are trying to shower. I have rebuilt the shower valve with new cartridge and limit set and handle stop and etc.... but that didn't help like I said its only year old. The pump has three settings   Auto, Temperature, or 100% I have tried all of them makes no difference. Any Suggestions


texts: Ceiling lamp makes clicking sound after switching on lights?

texts:
I turn it on, it right away makes a metalic click coming from ceiling. It then at times continues to make that same sound irregularly, even after turning off the lights. I can't sleep because of it. It stops after an hour.

Facts about the ceiling lamp:

it's not sitting flush on the ceiling, because an old metalic hook pokes out of the ceiling right where the lamp is. The   flat plate can be tipped from side to side because it's resting on the hook. The flat plate is screwed to ceiling but  not flush all the way because of the hook.
it's cheap Chinese lamp
the power cable feed to the switch outlet is only 1mm size, but the cable going to the ceiling is bigger.
3 ikea led lights (600lm each)


texts: I have just changed my horrible brass wall lights for a couple of led lights. One works and one doesn't. Tester is showing power is there when I switch it on but still no light. both LEDs work fine any ideas?


texts:
I have an 8 year old RUUD and this year I have had to reset my heater numerous times?
My fault code only says to reset "power cycle" the unit? I have cleaned the flame sensor as well.


texts:
I'm finishing a custom mahogany wood sill for an interior wall opening and have stained and finished it-- lightly sanding with 220 between four polyurethane coats.

In the first two coats a couple bubbles and particles dried into the finish, but light sanding managed those. The third coat had two small imperfections which I lightly sanded down leaving a whitish haze that should have disappeared in the next coat. However, they didn't. They are not major imperfections and only can be seen when light reflects in just the right way, but I would like input on the best fix for these areas.

Will more poly coats work or do I have to get down to the sanded level and fix it there?


texts: How effective to use zinc strip to prevent roof moss

texts:
I live in Seattle.  My 6 years old composite shingles start to grow moss this year.

I read one post on YouTube that you can use a long zinc strip placed on top of your roof to prevent moss. I am wondering how effective it is.  Another post mentioned that one strip can stop moss growing for about 15 feed down, so I need a few more strips to make whole roof protected.

Any thoughts and experiences?


texts: Should I use pressure-treated wood for a firewood shed?

texts:
Should I use treated wood or not?  Is it preferred to use treated lumber for the studs and plywood for a firewood shed?

Is there a reason not to use treated wood?


texts: What's the name of a heavy duty square cap plate I can order from home depot to support a temporary lally column on a bottle jack

texts:
I'm thinking of using a 4x4 and a bottle jack to lift a loose joist in my basement and wondering what I should use as a top plate on top of the bottle jack and between the 4x4.  Thinking a small piece of flat strong square metal would do the trick, but not sure what to search for in the home depot website.
Seems like something like this Lally Colum Cap works, but it's not available in any stores near me.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/4-in-Lally-Column-Cap-and-Base-Jack-Post-340876/202090322
It doesn't have to have any screw holes or anything, just strong square metal piece that can handle being the bottle jack pressure and spread it out to the 4x4.
Is there a simple term I can search in home depot?  The flat bar metal seems like just long bars that I don't have the means to cut.


texts: Is there a safe, ethical, way to get rid of old gas?

texts:
Normally I'm pretty good about buying just enough at the beginning of the spring.  Last year my grass continued to grow into December so I ended up with nearly a gallon of extra gas.  I don't feel like clogging my 1 year old lawn mower carburetor, but I'm not sure what do do with it.

If the suggestion is the same as any of these, It's probably not something I would put under the category of safe or ethical.

http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=190269


texts: Filter water in a tank without a whole house filter

texts:
We have come to a vacation home on a remote destination for a few months. We notice that when we use the water for bathing it leaves our skin dry and feeling like there was some dust in water that's now left over on our skin.

This is noticeably damaging for hair as it is causing considerable hair fall to make us worried, specially for our kid. Our hair feels like bristles of a brush.

When you inspect the water tank or a bucket full of that water you can't really tell if its dirty, it doesn't smell either and looks clean but I'm absolutely sure its not as clean as ordinary tap water usually is (for bathroom use), obviously we don't drink it.

Is there any DIY technique that we can use to make that mud/sand in that water settle down in the tank so it doesn't get picked up by the motor when water is pumped to the rooftop tank?

I know that the right thing to do here would be to get a water filter installed but this is not our home and we are living here temporarily on a vacation and getting that filter is not an option. Maybe we could use some spot filter that goes on the shower cap at the very least?

People here say that this water is dug from underground wells but is not cleaned enough, but they don't seem to care much about it.


texts: How do I flatten out a small, localized bump on a concrete subfloor?

texts:
I am laying some laminate flooring in my basement and after I ripped up the carpet I found a rather large bump on the concrete subfloor.  I need to flatten this thing out so I can lay laminate on top of it.

Note that I am not trying to level the floor - I'm just trying to make it have no bumps.

What's the best way to remove this concrete bump?  Should I chisel it out?

Tried to upload a picture, but imgur keeps rejecting it (yes, it's under the size limit, by a lot).  I'll try again later.  Just imagine a concrete floor with a little acne.


texts: Why does my new light fixture trip the circuit breaker?

texts:
I have a ceiling light fixture that trips the circuit breaker every
time the single pole switch is flipped. It has three white wires and three black wires. Before installing this light fixture, which works just fine in another location, in the house this switch/old light fixture worked just fine. What are we doing wrong?


texts:
It has been couple of weeks now that the water pressure in the second floor - two sinks, toilet tank and shower is very low/dripping, but the first floor kitchen and bathroom water pressure is fine. If it was only a shower head, it might have been related to scaling etc, but wondering why overall floor has this issue.
Water leak was another possibility, but in three weeks, I would have imagined leak stains to start appearing on my ceiling.
any ideas before a plumber opens up everything!


texts: What is the best way to seal caulk tube?

texts: What are some effective ways of sealing an opened tube of caulk so that the contents do not dry out? In the past I've used a large nail and some tape, but that doesn't seem to last for more than a few weeks.


texts: Why are my shower valves shutting off mid-stream?

texts:
I recently fixed my bathtub handle valve stems (Repairing a leaky valve stem), and all of the leaks stopped - but a new issue came up.

Now, whenever I turn on either handle (hot or cold), the water coming out of that pipe will stop abruptly. For example, if I turn the hot handle for 2-3 rotations, the water will come rushing out, but after a couple of seconds there will be a thud and the water will stop coming out. This can happen on either the hot or the cold. I can then continue rotating the handle and the water will eventually resume. Currently, I avoid this by just turning the handle 6-8 rotations, but this is obviously an annoying problem. As far as I can tell, there are no leaks anywhere (even inside the wall).

For context, the valve stems were some very old Gerber stems (the house was built in the 1960s, and these are the original valves). I could not locate replacement valve stems, so I ended up taking them out and replacing the bonnet packing (sometimes called a packing washer), o-rings, seat washer, and seat washer screw on each. This problem did not occur before, but does occur now.

One possibility I've read about is an anti-scald mechanism, but this problem didn't occur before and also occurs on the cold side. Another possibility is a loose piece of sediment flowing up and jamming the valve, but it seems too coincidental that that issue would happen on both the hot and the cold valves, and I don't know why turning the handle more would resolve it.

What is causing this and how can I fix it?


texts: I'm trying to replace my halogen downlighter in my bathroom. It was installed around 2009 and I'm in the UK. The downlighter is in a waterproof cover because it is directly above the shower. I can't work out how to access the bulb. I can pull the unit down from the ceiling about an inch, and I can twist the bottom of the unit about 1/8 turn, but nothing seems to come apart, and there are no visible screws. I've attached a photo. Can anyone advise on how to proceed? Thank you.


texts: Why do I sometimes get noise and no water from my kitchen faucet?

texts:
Kitchen faucet sometimes water comes out and then sometimes it trickles out or nothing comes out at all.  Took off aerator and water came out without any noise.Put in new aerator and now have same problem with no water sometimes or
very little water flow.

Anyone have an idea of what the issue is?  This faucet is a one handle

faucet


texts: How do I install drywall when the door is too close to a concrete wall?

texts:
I'm looking for suggestions to finish one of the walls in my basement. I've included the pictures of the wall below. As you can see the doors are right up against the wall on both sides. There's absolutely no way I can build any type of framing to hand the drywall on. I was thinking about just plastering over concrete, but this wall is quite uneven, you can see with a naked eye that in the middle the wall curves in. Installing drywall over the concrete directly, probably wouldn't work for the same exact reason.

Unfortunately I can't move the doors, on one side (bottom image) there are stairs right up against the door and I can't move them because of the ceiling clearance. On the other side, the wall is concrete as well, and I don't feel like trying to remove concrete to move the door.

Any suggestions at all?


texts:
What is the purpose of this hose valve on my well pump? It is standard garden hose shutoff valve. I do have a pressure vessel that sits on top of the pump that feeds my irrigation system as well as an outside hose bib.

-----
     |
     |    Pipe 1 (centered on pump)
Jet  |--------------------------------- To well
Pump |
     |---------------------------|----- To well
     |    Pipe 2                 |
------                          Hose
                                Valve


texts: How to stop a door from banging while closing

texts: Besides closing it very slowly, any good tricks / gadgets that will slow down the door so it doesn't close with a thud?


texts: Should I open the top or bottom of double hung windows?

texts:
I'm a new home owner and was wondering if there is a "right" way to use the double hung windows in the house. Should I open the top or bottom?  Is there a seasonality to it?  Does it even matter at all?

I've looked around and haven't seen this answered well or with most anything other than a "try and see."

Generally, is there anything special I should know to maintain the windows?

Can anyone shed some light?


texts: What is the difference between a lacquer polish and a varnish

texts: I have got this bottle of wood polish (an Indian brand called sheenlac). I also later got Varnish (PU). Are both required to be applied after sanding or just the wood polish would do ?


texts: What could have caused the hot and cold water to stop running in one sink, while all others are fine?

texts:
I have two knobs, and one faucet, in my bathroom sink. Both hot and cold slowed to a dribble at the same time. I was brushing my teeth, hot water running, then heard a "pop" sound and the water immediately slowed to a very small stream. I turned it off then on, and tried the cold water, but both seem to have been affected. No other sinks/faucets in the house seem to be affected. We have two sinks and faucets in our master bath...only mine was affected.

Filter screen is clear. And it's not like it slowed gradually over time, but all at once after the pop sound I heard.

Thoughts?


texts: How can I make a sturdy lightweight box?

texts:
I want to build a box that is lightweight, but sturdy. At my disposal I have a laser-cutter, which I want to do the cutting.

My plan is as follows, but I have never done this. I have no idea if this will work, so I'm looking for some advice.

I want to cut the box sides out of wood with a laser cutter using notched edges. However, this wood will be thin and therefore will not be able to hold much weight. To improve the weight bearing capacity of this box I propose to add a layer of honeycomb polypropylene to the base and then add another layer of wood to maintain a rigid bottom surface, thus creating a sandwich of sorts. Does anyone think this will work?

Does anyone have an alternative idea?


texts: Is underlayment necessary in a room over a garage?

texts:
It is my understanding that underlayment beneath laminate flooring reduces sound between floors, i.e. for the room below. Is there a functional purpose beyond reducing noise in the room below?

I'm installing laminate in a room over a garage, and I'm not sure whether I should install underlayment in this situation. Will it make the flooring quieter in the room itself, or is there another compelling reason to use it?

Thanks!


texts:
When running a portable generator to provide power to my furnace, sump pumps and television etc during an extended power outage, can I simply run a ground wire in alongside the extension cord(s), from the grounding terminal on the generator, to a water pipe grounding clamp?

The furnace has an individual transfer switch (it goes by the name "EZ Generator Switch") that receives the female side of the extension cord. The Sump Pump, TV, etc. get unplugged from the home outlets, and plugged into the other extension cords coming from the generator.


texts: Is there a way to completely turn off this timer?


texts: I want to hang the tv above the fireplace. I was able to remove the paneling on the side of the fireplace what I found was the 2 out side 2x4 were mounted on edge but the other 3 were mounted flat, this is over a 6' span. Will the flat 2x4 be able to hold the tv


texts:
I'm trying to open this Geberit flush button in order to put anti calcarium tabs inside it, but I don't know how to.
It slides a little bit to both sides and up and down, but there's no demonstration it will open and I'm afraid to break it. How can I open it in order to have access to the water?
Thank you!


texts: Is this a threaded tap? If so, what is the best way to unscrew it without damaging it?

texts: So this is the tap I have and I’d like to attach an accessory to it. I believe it is threaded and I should be able to unscrew the existing head to be able to use the threads, but I don’t know how to remove it. The plier (correct word?) tool that I have has sharp teeth and it’s scratching and damaging the tap. I’ve tried several grippy, nonslip layers between them to avoid damage but it’s still slipping or scratching the tap. Any suggestions?


texts: Can I use the old and not used anymore furnace chimney to vent out my basement?

texts:
My chimney is not used anymore.
Would it be possible or recommended to use it to vent the basement ?
I would clean it and install a fan at the basement end.

thanks


texts: Direct buried service wire from house to shop

texts: what type of wired i need to wire my shop for 120/240 single phase buried about 200' from the house? I plan a 60amp main breaker in the shop. Will 2-2-4 stephens aluminum urd cable be okay?


texts: Can I build a temporary driveway ramp over a new concrete curb?

texts:
My street is being redone and the road crew poured the new curbs yesterday and the bossman says I can't get out.

I notice that the level of the earth of my lawn is above the level of the poured curb. Would i be able to use two separate 2x6 boards and lean them over the curb against the lawn and use them as a makeshift ramp to get my vehicle out?


texts: Mould removal - how bad does it need to be before cleaning isn't enough?

texts:
The kitchen faucet in my apartment has been leaking above the counter for years, but every time I complained to management about it nothing happened and it wasn't enough of an annoyance to make me push them since I could just wipe down the counter afterwards. What I didn't realise was that there wasn't a proper seal to stop water running through the faucet fixture and into the exposed ~2" thick MDF on the underside of the counter, at least until there was an unidentifiable lingering odour that made me investigate things thoroughly. Now there's a pretty nasty mould infestation around the whole faucet/sink area.

I've redoubled my efforts to make management actually do something about this, which will remove the source of moisture, but I'm unsure whether I'll be able to get them to take care of the mould properly. I'm concerned that the mould is fully permeating the bulk of the counter and any surface cleaning isn't going to accomplish much.

How much work should I expect to be done to fix this? Is anything less than replacing the whole countertop going to be effective?


texts: Attach receptacle box to baseboard via screws through plaster ears?

texts:
The plaster ears on old work metal receptacle boxes (see example) each have two holes on the face of them. Is it ok to put screws through these holes to secure the box to baseboard?

In this particular case, I'm replacing an old receptacle and box that's located on the baseboard. The hole for the receptacle box is sized such that the box itself fits through cleanly, but not the plaster ears, which lie flat against the baseboard. I can use a set of those thin metal switch box supports (see example), but it seems the easiest and most secure thing to do would be just to drive 4 screws through the holes in the plaster ears into the baseboard. Is that allowed?

Thanks for your help!

* Image added*
(note that I would snap the removable ears off the receptacle so that they don't block the holes on the receptacle box's plaster ears)


texts: Could wind be causing my high efficiency furnace exhaust to back up into the house?

texts:
I am Toronto based, and just installed a new high efficiency furnace (York YP9C 080 model) in November. Later on I smell odor in my house when the heat started. It is more apparent when it is a gusty windy night. I have called Enbridge to come and investigate if there is gas leaking from the pipe. But it isn't. the odor makes my eye dry and my throat feels bitter sometimes. I have checked my vent termination outside of my house; tried to do some diagnostic myself with advice from some friends.

I realize my back yard environmental conditions have been changed since the snow storm last year. My two neighbors have cut their trees down after the ice storm last year. My house is situated at the end of a crescent. The back yard looks as if it is the end of a tunnel. I am not sure if the vent termination is affected by wind gust factor. If is the case, a technician recommended me to move the vent to the other direction inside the house. It can be costly. Will you recommend I use a tee vent so the wind cannot directly impact the force back to the exhaust pipe. I had two nights ago when the wind was really strong, in the middle of the night, I even smell gas but it went away a few minutes later. I am not sure if the strong wind create the force that pressure the exhaust back to the furnace and caused this gas smell.

Please advise if a tee can put on the exhaust pipe can help? or other recommendations can be made?


texts: Anyone know of a knot to tie two wires together under strain?

texts:
I'm putting up a wind turbine.  The turbine will be at the top of a 30' 1-1/2" pipe tower.  I have a 30' RV extension cord (10ga/3 conductor) that I'm going to cut the ends off of and use as my down-pipe wiring.  The wind turbine itself has a foot or so of 10ga stranded wire hanging down on the inside of the tube from the bottom of the turbine (three wires).  They say that this wire can support 55# of downtube wiring (total, on the three wires), which is probably right, but I have my doubts that a crimped connector will hold that weight.  The extension cord supposedly weighs 12# at its full 36' length, including the ends I'm going to remove, which are probably a pound of the total.  Full weight of the 30' that will be dangling will be about 10#, but it has to be able to deal with twisting forces a bit too.

So, I know about the underwriter's knot, and how to tie that for three conductors.  But I won't have any kind of stop in the pipe to hold the weight.  The best I can do is tie the two sets of three conductors in a way that the wire is holding the weight, not the connector - like an underwriter's knot does.  But what I'm looking for would be some kind of knot that's like an underwriter's on top of another underwriter's.  Anyone heard of something like that?


texts: How can I level and finish a slanted deck that was enclosed?

texts:
Hello everyone I am new to this so I apologize if I seem a little slow mentally.

I have a 104 yr old home that at one point had a deck that was completely enclosed. my issue is that the floor was built at a slope for run off but was never corrected after the room was built. the floor itself is 3/4 tounge and groove. So here is the other issue. I only have about a 1/4 of an inch to work with at most on top of the sloped subfloor at the threshold. to be honest I believe the finished floor and the sub floor were meant to be the same in this room. I would like some suggestions on how to not only level the floor but also be able to add a finished floor on top of it.


texts:
I woke up this morning to find a trickle of water pressure to my cold bathroom taps, and no water pressure to my hot water bathroom taps.  The water was fine in the rest of the house. Since we're in the middle of an unusual cold snap (20 degrees) in Portland and this bathroom is always the coldest in the house (old, weird insulation), I immediately assumed froze pipes.

So far I shut off the water main because I'd read it's actually the water pressure that will cause a pipe to burst. My plan was to wait it out until tomorrow (the temperature is supposed to climb and stay above freezing)

Is this a sane plan?  Is there anything else I could do to fix this short cutting a hold in the drywall and taking steps to preemptively defrost the pipes? Anything else I should know?

Update: Good information below, adding this illustration I found that cuts through some of the confusing language people use w/r/t the bursting problem.

illustration of bursting problem http://www.portlandoregon.gov/shared/cfm/image.cfm?id=338768


texts: I need to make some spacers on a 5/8" axle shaft and I'm thinking if I could just buy a steel or even pvc pipe with 5/8" ID or slightly over that will be the easiest solution.  Is there a standard steel/pvc/conduit size that I can get from the getting spot what has a 5/8" ID?


texts: Toliet won't stop making a noise from the tank

texts: For the past two days, the toliet has been making a noise. I thought it was a leak, but the water isn't moving. Once toliet is flushed, the water in the tank rises all the way to the top of the overfill tube, and nearly over floater. I have watched a couple videos on youTube, but nothing they have suggested is the cause of the noise. The flapper is fairly new, and sealed. I have slide floater down to lower water line, and it doesn't work. The noise is almost like a suction sound, or water draining into a hollow spot?


texts: Can I use a junction box to splice together wires that are on a different circuit?

texts:
I'm doing some work inside a wall that has some 12/2 NM cable running through where I need to put something. The cable doesn't have any additional slack for me to route it around the obstruction. I initially contemplated using a wire splice kit to add some slack, but am worried about the longevity of the device, so I want to do it right and splice it in a junction box.

However (and I'm sure this is common) I don't really want an ugly cover plate in the middle of the finished wall. Fortunately, there's an existing electrical box very close by that's used for a switched light on a different circuit.

My question is this: can I use the existing electrical box to splice cables that are on a different circuit? Or does each box have to only contain cables on the same circuit?


texts: Low hot water pressure at kitchen faucet and first floor bathroom faucets.  Small ba thromm on first floor and upstairs faucets oressure is good.  I replaced the shut valve on kitchen faucet,  thinking it may be plugged, but that did;t make any difference.  Help!


texts: Can I paint polyethylene shade fabric for outdoor use?

texts:
I have a sprayer and am wondering if I can spray this fabric that I'm looking to install as a privacy panel between me and my neighbors. Once it is installed it will be permanently in place. I'm never going to roll it up and down like a roller shade. It will be stapled in place and attached with pan screws and stabilized.
This is the fabric I bought just to be clear:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0778TYDCM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I have it in the beige color and want to do an off-white or very pale gray to match the house better.
Can I get some recommendations for the best type of paint to use? I live in the desert and in the summer it can get up to 120°F now and then. Would the paint just peel off over time due to the extreme heat?
I know we're not allowed to promote certain brands but any sound advice would greatly be appreciated.


texts: What kind of foundation paint/sealant is this, and how do I replace it?

texts:
It appears that the paint near the base of our house that meets the sidewalk outside is peeling and chipping away.

What kind of paint/sealant is this?
How should I go about repairing it?
Should I look to caulk the crack between the wall and sidewalk?


texts: Problem with getting handrail flange bracket tight to post

texts:
I am mounting a handrail to some steps and the bottom concrete area below the steps. I am having an issue with getting the set screws to tighten to the metal post that goes into the flange bracket. I have included a picture of the flange bracket. It will tighten but with very little back and forth movement it becomes loose again. Two set screws to flange.Only on side seen.  Any suggestions?

Here is what the bracket itself looks like including the two corner set screws:


texts: How to repair/replace old tongue and groove plank subfloor in bathroom?

texts:
After my bathroom was demoed, I discovered that the subfloor is in bad shape. The home was built in the 1960s and the subfloor consists of 3/4" thick tongue and groove planks running diagonal to the joists. I do not know if it was poorly constructed or if this naturally happened over time, but the tongues and grooves of the planks across much of the floor are no longer nesting within each other. As such, the floor does not have much structural integrity.

As you can see in the photo below, a section of the floor broke away easily during demo. There are other sections that flex so much that I feel like I'd break through if I attempted to put my full weight on it.

This is a bathroom that will have a tile floor so the goal is to properly support the tile, a bathtub, etc.. Outside the bathroom is 3/4" hardwood and I'd prefer not having too much of a differential with this.

I have had a few contractors present some different approaches that include cutting out the old floor and completely replacing it or simply adding a thin layer of new plywood on top of the old floor. The thin layer on top seems like the simplest approach but I have concerns with both building on top of a questionable old floor as well as about the extra height (what would be the minimum acceptable thickness for the new layer in this case?).

What is the proper way to repair this floor?