texts: Should the neutral and earth bars be connected in this situation?

texts:
This is in Guatemala, in a semi-rural area, so there are no codes as such to be followed. Also local electricians are mainly DIYers like me, so I haven't gotten much consistent help there.

I have the power connected to a meter on a post by the property edge, this was done by the power company and has the earth (copper bar) and neutral connected inside a small box in the post. There is a 50 amp breaker on the hot wire. From this post, there is a 22 meter run of #6 cable to the house, neutral and hot wires only. This is going underground, and can't be changed easily. At the house there is a panel with slots for four breakers only, which will do as it's a small weekend house.

I plan to connect a copper bar earth at the house, my question is should the earth bar be connected to the neutral bar? The panel has an aluminium jumper to connect the two, if I should. I have read that in the US sub panels must not have the earth & neutral connected, I'm not sure if this counts as a sub panel or not.

It's a single 120v supply, i.e. two wires only, but I want to put earthed sockets in the house. The earth from the house panel will be 20 meters away from the earth at the power supply post, if that makes a difference.

Thank you for your attention.


texts: What are the advantages and disadvantages of elastomeric coatings versus shingles?

texts: I'm ready to reroof my house and want to consider an elastomeric coating rather than replacing the existing shingles.  I'd use a local contractor either way


texts:
I'm going to install a cold air return (CAR) duct through an interior wall that has some electrical running through it.  The CAR duct will run vertically, but near the bottom third of the bay there is a single 14-3 electrical wire carrying 110 AC that is running horizontally.

Are there rules against or problems with having CAR ductwork and electrical wiring in the same bay?  Although I can probably route the wire around the duct (using what ever small amount of slack there is in the wire run), it will likely end up touching the duct with very little slack.


texts: Hoover upright vacuum, model UH70605. Brush roller does NOT shut off

texts: When either the handle is in the upright position or the manual on/off roller switch for hardwood floors is used, the roller brush continues to rotate.  The roller speed slows, or weakens, but does not stop.  It seems to be running at about 25 to 30% power.  After a few minutes of using the attachment hose with the handle upright, a smell like something getting too warm starts to become apparent.


texts: I'm installing an exterior junction box where I'm removing an old light fixture.  I have a gasket to seal the cover to the box.  But how do I seal the hole where the wire goes into the box?


texts: Are barrier terminal blocks or bus bars inside a junction or weather-proof box up to NEC code?

texts:
I'm going to be adding some Particle Photon relay control to some receptacles so I can remotely turn on and off appliances and lighting. I'm going to house the Photon board and relay in a weather-proof PVC box (the gray stuff at home depot). To that, I will connect another box via two weather-proof PVC pipes. Through one pipe, I will run the hot, neutral, and ground wires to bus bars or terminal blocks. Through the other pipe, I'll then run three leads from the hot bar back to the COM connections on the relays, then three leads from the NO connections on the relays to the three receptacles. I'll have the three pairs of hot leads shrink wrapped.

Electrically, it looks sound. But is doing this up to code? This particular contraption will be in a garage, out of the weather.

Schematic of proposed plan:

Bus bars (found in electrical service panels) and Terminal/Barrier blocks:


texts: What wires do I need to connect to get Aprilaire 600 working?

texts:
I just replaced an old Aprilaire with a new 600 model. I wired up all the previous wires to the corresponding spots on the new controller, but there are still open spots and when I turned power back on, the Aprilaire controller screen turned on, but it isn’t triggering the water when I turn on the test. Also the controller doesn’t say that the humidifier is on. I had the furnace running when testing.
Attached are the images of the new controller with the attached wires. You’ll see the extra wires that are wrapped around the white sheathing which is coming from the furnace. These weren’t connected to the last Aprilaire and I suspect need to be connected. Appreciate any direction.
Furnace wiring info:
There are two small wires coming in.  The yellow and white wires go to a “Y”.  Another white one goes to a W-1.  A red one goes to “R”.  Green wire goes to green.
Another white wire coming in goes to the Y and the red goes to C.


texts:
Ive  been coming across conflicting  information about wiring in the inside of the shed, or more specifically  where to attach the cable. I was under the impression  that you should always follow the framework.
So when it comes to going across the  studs, would you  drill holes in the studs and feed  it through there,or you could you run it across the top plate then bring it down the studs, and if is the case would you still need to drill through that top place to feed the wire through,or can you go over the framework.? ( this is going to be a unfinished shed)
Also.. my  power cable is coming  straight from the main  panel outside ( not inside the house),,  so do i still need a main cut off  switch at the shed?


texts: Contradictory theory with vapour barrier - basement bathroom

texts:
I know that it is necessary to have a continuous vapor barrier in basement exterior walls ( inside the walls, after the insulation). At the same time, it says that there should NOT be a vapour barrier in bathroom walls ( below the tiles), because there is another vapour barrier on top of the tile carrier board ( either backer board or cement board )to make the wall  water-proof.
Contradiction occurs when one of the bathroom wall in basement becomes exterior facing walls; should I install a vapour barrier in this case or should I "break" the "continuous" vapour barrier just across this bathroom wall ?

Thanks, NK.


texts: Why would an LED stop flickering when connected in series with an incandescent?

texts:
I recently bought some LED replacements for G4 base under cabinet light which has 3 sockets.  When I put the first bulb in I noticed it was very dim with a bad flicker.  Adding the next two made the light considerably brighter but the flicker showed no sign of improvement.

Curiously, when I accidentally connected one halogen bulb alongside one LED in the same fixture there was no flicker.  My very uneducated guess was that maybe there is some component of the fixture like a ballast that limits the amount of current and is expecting a certain amount of draw.

There is also a toggle switch which allows for a "dim" setting on the light but supposedly the LEDs are dimmable so I don't imagine this is related but may be worth mentioning.

My question is has anyone encountered this before and do you know if there it would be possible to modify the light fixture in order to eliminate the LED flicker?


texts: Does anyone know of a website with stud framing diagrams?

texts: Does anyone know of a website with stud framing diagrams for various example rooms e.g. bathroom showing fixtures, kitchen showing appliances, and other various rooms in a house? There are home improvement websites with text descriptions but they are  not quite as useful without diagrams. Obviously all diagrams will be with limitations but generalized ideas can be really helpful.


texts:
We've lost the key to our Novoferm garage door lock and as the company that installed it quoted over a hundred pounds to fit a replacement I thought I would get the lock and fit it myself.

I took the handle off by removing the screw that goes through on the internal side of the door, and removed the nut from the centre of the rectangular lock housing. I also took the small screw out from the side (foreground in the picture). However there did not seem to be any way of removing the lock cylinder without bending the metal tabs that held the 'lid' of the housing in place.

My first questions is, is it possible to remove the cylinder? Or do I need to buy an entire new lock - i.e. the whole rectangular block?

My second question is, can anyone tell me the name of this lock fitting, so that I can speak to suppliers or search for it online?

Regarding further pictures of the mechanism, that's about all there is to it. The other side looks identical to the photographed side except there is no slot-headed screw.

I'm guessing this is a fairly commonplace mechanism?


texts: Is it against code to splice wires inside of the load center?

texts:
So I was working on breaking a tandem 15A single-pole breaker into two 15A single pole breakers, one being a Combination AFCI.  After getting the panel open and moving one circuit to a new, 15A single pole (non-CAFCI), I discovered that my second circuit, the one I want on the CAFCI, has too short of a neutral wire to reach the CAFCI breaker's neutral screw.  It looks to have been shortened to be just long enough to reach the neutral bus bar.

Is it against code to splice/pigtail a new, short piece of romex onto the existing neutral (w/ a wire cap) so I can connect it to the CAFCI's neutral screw?

Edit: Just for completeness, this relates to this question.  I was replacing the AFCI receptacle with a CAFCI breaker, on the advice of an electrician, when I encountered this short neutral wire inside the panel.  The electronics and sensing apparatus inside of an actual CAFCI breaker have been around long enough that most of the kinks have been worked out.  The Leviton AFCI Receptacle, OTOH, is still fairly new and might not be usable in all wiring configurations yet.


texts: What are some tips for working with inaccessible power receptacles?

texts:
When a power receptacle is blocked by large or unwieldy furniture, but there is a small amount of clearance available, what are some good techniques for plugging in?   I'm looking for ways to solve this problem when the receptacle is inaccessible by hand - the furniture or other blocking object is large enough to prevent using one's hands to plug something in.  I'm also looking for solutions that presume that there is no choice about the placement of the furniture or the receptacle.

I have a specific case in mind, but I am also looking for general approach tips.

For example, I can guide a power strip with a low-profile plug to the receptacle, but if that receptacle is in the middle of a triple-wide bookcase, the final step of insertion requires leverage that is hard to come by.

I'm familiar with the technique of using snakes, string, etc. to guide a cable through an area and out the other side, but stopping in the middle of an inaccessible area and applying leverage to insert a plug is particularly tricky.

I thought about using two long bungees on either side to provide enough tension to orient and stabilize the plug, and then using some kind of long-handled calipers in reverse to guide the plug in, but this seems sub-optimal to me.

I am interested in hearing both about highly specialized tools for this purpose, and about solutions that only require relatively common tools or household objects (to enable improvisation in the field).


texts:
I had a construction company build my new home. It went quickly smoothly and I was happy with the process.
There were just a couple of minor fixes to be done after closing (two months ago) which have since been completed. The builder now wants me to sign off on the post-closing letter stating that the two items have been done.
However, I have since found more items to take care of. E.g., the fridge does not dispense water and there is no gap between a bathroom toilet seat and the adjacent wall. The toilet tank is essentially pressed against the back wall. So if you move on the seat, the movement generates noise as the tank rubs against the drywall. The model home had this done correctly.
Are these newly discovered items something that should be followed up on with the warranty department of the company or should I hold off on signing the post-closing letter and essentially do not let the builder get off the hook?
EDIT 1: picture of the toilet seat


texts:
I have an exsiting bathtub with a short shower hose for use when bathing. I want to add a longer hose and a wall attachment so that we can have stand-up showers. I'm curious whether baths with showers are specifically designed to take the weight of a standing person - or if any bath will be fine.

I don't want to run the risk of breaking the bath if it wasn't designed to be stood in. (Unfortunately I don't know the make of the bath but it is fairly new).


texts: OK to drain humidifier into basement floor drain

texts:
What I have in my basement could loosely be called a drain.  It doesn't have a pipe.  Best I can tell, they just cut a 3 inch hole in the floor; all you see is the rocks under the floor.

I've been draining the dehumidifier into this but I wonder if it's really that great of an idea.  Before I did that, I would get a good 2 gallons every day.  That seems like a lot of water to be putting down that hole.  Am I making the dehumidifier work harder by keeping the water around?  Is that water just re-evaporating back into the basement?


texts: Can you hang a heavy punching bag where a ceiling fan mount is?

texts:
My apartment is newly refurbished with multiple pre-installed spots for lighting fixtures, including ceiling fans.

It would seem to me that a metal beam that can handle a ceiling fan can handle a punching bag. Am I missing something and, if not, any tips on how to pull it off?


texts:
Is the saw blade in the photo appropriate to cutout a window in HardyPanel?  Wood paneling?
https://www.homedepot.com/p/James-Hardie-HardiePanel-HZ10-5-16-in-x-48-in-x-96-in-Fiber-Cement-Sierra-8-Panel-Siding-9003080/305684630
What exactly is the nomenclature for this blade (if I wanted another I would ask for ????)?
The CDC recommends polycrystalline diamond tip (PCD) blades.


texts: Thorough removal of uncured silicone sealant

texts:
I have used silicone sealant to seal our toilet bowls's socket against the floor tiles. It turned out, the sealant was overaged and didn't cure anymore. So the socket and the bowl is contamined with uncured silicone. I fear that when I try to seal it with a fresh tube of sealant the residue of old silicone might either hamper the curing of the new one or may form a film preventing the proper contact of the new silicone with the bowl and the tiles.
Is my concern justified?
And if so, how do I remove the remnants properly? I think I could try "silicone remover" but those chemicals are usually meant to loosen cured silicone rubber not uncured one. I don't know if that will work.
What household chemicals or common cleaning agents can I use to properly remove any silicone residue?


texts: old gfci outlet manufactured with wires coming out of the back of it

texts: I have what looks to be a bad gfci outlet in my kitchen. My house was built in 1989, and this is the original outlet. The reset button doesn't stay in the reset position.  All the other outlets (standard outlets) in the circuit are dead.  When I pulled the outlet out of the wall box, I noticed a black and white wire coming out of a hole in the back of the outlet, obviously the way it was manufactured (this was in addition to connection points on the sides of the outlet).  Those wires are then connected to the circuit via wire nuts. My question is, would the wires coming from back of the the outlet be the load or the line side?  There seems to be no distinguishing markings to say so.  The new outlet I have purchased has all of the markings and yellow tape across a pair of the connection screws.


texts: How can I smooth an uneven concrete floor?

texts: I have had a extension built at the back of my house. It is almost complete now. I had a 6 ft. 6 in. patio door at the back of the house, and the builders left it till last to remove. This will leave my kitchen to be open plan into the extension. When they removed the door, they found that the floor was a different level. As a fix, the builders, working by hand, have put more concrete down in strips. I wanted to put a quality laminated floor down, but the strips have made the floor uneven. Would a floor leveler product be appropriate in this application?


texts: Hang blinds inside window frame on drywall only?

texts:
I need to hang some standard window blinds (blinds that you pull upward by pulling the strings down) inside a few of my windows, but my walls are concrete stucco, and there is about a 3/4" gap between the drywall and the concrete on all of my windows.

I know that one option to hang the blinds would be to use a hammer drill and a masonry drill bit and screws to screw into the concrete, but that seems awfully obtrusive into the structure of my house just for some blinds. I'm wondering if it would work if I just attach the blinds straight to the drywall, using a shorter screw and drywall anchors? Or might the drywall not be able to handle the force of pulling on the string to open up the blinds?

There are 4 screws that hold each bracket up (one bracket on either end of the blinds), and so there would be 8 screws total holding the blinds up. Also, the blinds are 34.5" long, so it's not too much weight...right?


texts: Is it safe to run power up to attic and back down to another outlet?

texts: I installed a behind tv wall hole so i can plug my tv in.  Now in trying to decide how to run power to it but I'm not an electrician.  I know that you can wire an outlet off of an existing one, but is it safe to run the cable up to the attic and back down a stud over?  The issue is that the closest existing outlet is one stud over from my new outlet.  I figured if i could just run it up and over, i could easily supply power to this new outlet.  Rather than running it to a junction or something (again, not an electrician).


texts:
I'm in the process of building out my basement (as I've been for the past 3 years). Finally got around to installing a shower head pipe (leading out from the wall) yesterday, and it looks like the bottom part of this leaks when I open the valve. This is a brand-new installation, and I have tried pretty much everything I could think of...

rolled teflon tape twice around the pipe, no difference
rolled teflon tape appx 5 times around the pipe, no difference
tried screwing the pipe in without any tape, no difference
checked for any warpage inside the wall, nope, everything looks round enough

I'm not sure what else I can do to fix this. Even opening the valve just a bit (10-20%) initially shoots water out from below the showerhead pipe, which then settles into a definite multi-drop drip (and leaks into the drywall around the opening).

Any thoughts? Should I replace the in-wall pipe? I think I can do that without much pain (it's drywall, after all), but would rather not.

Edited to add: it's not the showerhead-to-pipe connection that's leaking; instead, it's the pipe-to-wall connection.


texts: How can I mount a punching bag in a closet opening?

texts:
I need to hang a punching bag, and was thinking of putting it in a closet opening.  I assume that there's a header across the top of the opening that's at least a 2x4, but will that be enough to hang a 70 lb. Heavy Bag?

One other option would be to put a 2x4 (or even 4x4) across the opening on the outside, and bolt it through to another 2x4 on the inside, and attach the bag to that.


texts: Replace an electric baseboard heater safely?

texts:
Basement apt of a triplex with the original 1960's wiring  on a 15 watt fuse.
Question:
How do I replace my old double pole 240v electric baseboard heater safely?


texts: GFCI master works but others in chain aren’t

texts: The GFC outlet in the garage is linked to 5 outlets in the kitchen, as well as to the garage door. The outlet in the garage and the garage door works and it resets, etc as it should. The outlets it controls in the kitchen however, are dead. The breaker is fine for the master GCFI circuit. I am at a loss to why this GFCI receptacle isn’t powering the rest of the receptacles on the circuit.


texts: Why does pressure relief valve state 'Not for Use with Water Heaters'?

texts:
So I replaced my 6.5 year old electric hot water (installed with house built in 06') heater and used an identical plumbing setup as my previous install. My previous (and now current) install has a 3/4" pressure relief valve in the cold water inlet. As explained to me, this is a 1st fail-safe to allow the water heater to relief pressure and not wait for the 150 psi T&P valve to blow out water. Basically it's a '1st level backup'.

The relief valve in question, is this 3/4 in. Relief Valve.

All is good and the new water heater is working and flowing great. But I looked up the relief valve I bought and re-installed (identical to the previous valve installed) and there was the following note:

  Not for use with water heaters

OK this concerned me a bit because it was installed with the original hot water heater when the house was built. I see the another comment:

  The solid-brass design meets federal low lead regulation

OK so 'lead' makes me concerned even though it meets requirements. So here are my main questions:

Does it say 'Not for Use with Water Heaters' because it is not intended to be a replacement for a T&P valve which operates at a higher temperature and pressure along with a relief valve on the unit?
Is it not for use with hot water heaters because it has the potential to have a lead containment that will leak into the water?

I prefer a definitive answer as opposed to guesses obviously and responses from anyone who is familiar with that relief valve.


texts: Shower corner has grout covered in caulk

texts:
We just moved into a newly flipped house, and one thing we've noticed in the showers are that the vertical corners are filled with grout, and then covered by caulk. I've always been told that any tile joints that change planes should be caulk, not grout, so that the grout won't crack as things shift over time.

I was able to notice because the caulk doesn't cover the grout very well, so I probably should fix that regardless. Can I just put a new layer of caulk over what is already there, or do I need to remove the previous layer first? Do I also need to remove the grout and replace the whole joint with caulk?

To address some questions in comments: The whole bathroom is less than 6 months old, so it's all in good condition at this point. I ask my question because I understand this to be bad practice and so it should be fixed to prevent issues in the future (mold, cracks, leaks, etc). If people don't think this is a problem then I'm happy to leave it as-is.

Here's a close-up of the worst section. The grout is about 0.25" wide.


texts: Identifying strange 3 way / 4 way switch wires

texts:
I'm new to house wiring (not to electronics) so please forgive me if I'm using the wrong terms.

I am replacing three switches (with zwave) in my basement.  A pair of 3 way switches and one four way switch.  1x DZS15-1LZ and 2x VP0SR-1LZ for reference.

I found the line (hot) switch of the 3 way switches and installed the "smart" switch there.  No problem.  I am placing the "dumb" helper switches in the load 3 way and middle 4 way.

My problem is that my understanding of the "load 3 way" requires the use of two runs of 12-2/3 cable.  One run that serves as your traveler wires and another run that serves as your hot and neutral for the load.  My 3 way switch only seems to have one run of 12/3 wiring - this is not what I would have expected to see.

My 4 way box does not have the traditional 2 runs of 12/3 cable, it actually has two runs of 12/2 and two runs of 12/3.

There are additional switches in the same electrical box as the load 3 way but they are on a separate circuit and I'm hesitant to cross connect anything between them.

So my question - what's going on?  Am I out of luck?  Is there any debugging I can do?  Can I still install these switches?

4 Way switch:

3 Way switch (load side)

3 Way switch (hot side).  There is an extra run of 12/2 which taps into this hot and provides constant power to my garage light switch outside (controls an entirely separate set of lights).


texts:
I purchased a washer and dryer from Best Buy and the guys came to install it in my home. They told me they couldn’t finish the installation because they said there’s typically only one drain outlet however my home has two drain outlets.

I spoke with the sales consultant of my neighborhood and she said she’s never been asked that question before and that Best Buy should know how to install it.

Has anyone ever dealt with this before? Does it matter which drain outlet hole I put the hose into?

Thank you!!


texts: Cabling for outdoor wireless access point

texts:
I'm investigating different options for mounting a wireless access point outdoors to cover my back yard better.

One of the options I'm considering is running a cable through the wall and along the outside of the house to the location the AP should be. It's not practical to go straight through the wall to the AP location. This would most likely involve having the cable come through the exterior wall on one side of the house, then go several feet and around a corner to where the AP would be mounted.

I want to do this in a way that is durable, as aesthetically pleasing as possible, and keeps potential for damage to the house to a minimum. I also want to retain as much flexibility as is practical for future upgrades, modifications, etc. I'm thinking that I probably want some sort of weatherproof junction box outside the house where the cable comes out, then run it through conduit to the AP location. Is that the proper way to do this? The instructions in this question seem like they'd work, but is there a better way to do this for my situation?


texts: Reviews on Nest Thermostat - That Learns

texts:
I am just wondering if anyone has used Nest | The Learning Thermostat. At $200 it is very expensive, and I wanted to know if it is worth the price!? Is it practicle, is it actually smart? How precise and accurate is it? What do you think of the price, and value?

http://www.nest.com/


texts: Replacement motion detector light only works with neutral connected to ground

texts:
I'm trying to figure out what is wrong with the wiring going to my replacement garage outdoor fixture. I'm replacing an old burned out fixture and i just moved in so I don't know if it was bad to begin with.  My issue is that the fixture only works when neutral is connected to ground which I know is wrong.  I have 120v to the hot wire. What do I need to check  to see how to fix it?

Thanks Ken


texts: Outlet side of my cast iron radiator is cold. What's wrong?

texts: Im in need of some immediate insight!!!! I have a 3 unit building with the old cast iron radiators which are fed by a circulatory pump which was just changed 2 weeks ago i drained the whole system replaced new bearings in the pump works fine, all radiators are working fine but one in the basement front room the inlet is hot to the touch but the radiator itself is cold as well as the outlet , what can be the problem? oh i did bleed the valves on these radiators.


texts: Any suggestions for how to unlock and open a door with this type of lock? A video on YouTube showed me how to remove the knobs since the push button lock would not release. I have tried using scissors to turn the latch, as well as a hanger to see if it could be jimmied, and small screwdrivers to see if the lock itself could be released. No luck. It does not pull left toward the hinges and only pushes a half centimeter toward the door jam.


texts: Why does our "granite" worktop mark so easily?

texts:
We had a new kitchen installed, supposedly by experts, but the "granite" worktop that was installed is really really fragile.  I had expected a granite worktop to be hard and durable, but this is almost not fit for purpose as a kitchen worktop.  You only need to put a mug or plate down slightly too hard and it leaves a clear white scratch.  I have an off cut and I can easily cut into the surface with a Stanley knife.

As for being marked by liquids, again it is a nightmare.  If you don't clean up any spillage straight away, then it is highly likely to leave a mark.  I did a test again on the off cut and blackcurrent cordial left on for just 5 minutes was enough to mark it.

I've had dark granite worktops in rented accommodation before and never given it a second thought, and they never marked at all.

This one is apparently called "Bianco perfecto" (it is a light grey, with lots of darker grey veins) and when I spoke to the installers they said it was actually a "quartzite" not a granite.  Is this the reason it is so rubbish?  We'd have never have gone for a stone worktop if we had known it was so fragile.  Would proper granite have been better?  Since this is the first time I've been told it was only quartzite and not granite can I get them to replace it?


texts: What type of garage heater should I connect to my 30A circuit?

texts:
i want to heat my garage with a garage heater.  My garage is already wired with a NEMA 6-30 plug on a dedicated 30 Amp breaker.  What can i use to heart my garage  using this existing set up?

What kind of heater, what do you think I should  buy?
i have seen three kinds for sale:

construction heaters which are 240v 30 amp breaker, wired to a receptacle with a NEMA 6-30 plug. but i am told that these are dangerous and do NOT conform to the construction code.  they sell for about $150
a wired in heater hanging from the ceiling (i would use the existing breaker and wire but remove the receptacle and hard wire it in) 240v 30 amp. These are expensive to buy (about $300) and i would need to hire an electrician to hard wire instead of using existing plug
240 V dimplex garage heater.  These take a 20 amp breaker. I would need to switch out the 30 amp breaker, and change the receptacle.

is there a better option?


texts: If the power is not working in a circuit , how do you determine which breaker controls it?

texts: If the power is not working in a circuit, how do you determine which breaker controls it?


texts: Use water heater water when input supply has been shut off

texts: The town has shut off water due to major water line break.  How can I use the water in my water heater to, for example, flush my toilet?


texts: Replacing through-the-wall air conditoner

texts:
My through the wall air conditioner is no longer working.  It is a Carrier GCA051B installed in 2001, with a sleeve.

Assuming the sleeve is ok, what do I replace it with?  It looks like the model is a window unit, used with a sleeve. Can I use another window unit of the same size?  It covers just a 12x15 bedroom.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.


texts: What is the name of the pump that goes in the drain between a washing machine and the sewer?

texts:
My washing machine drains to a pump that then goes to the sewer.

What is the name of that type of pump?


texts: Matching Concrete to Tile Floor Height (1")

texts:
We have a tiled dining room that transitions to carpet (carpet and pad on cement foundation slab). We'd like to tear out the carpet and level the concrete slab up to the tile flooring, about 3/4 - 1" difference.. and then stain and seal the new concrete 'overlay'. We plan to prime the existing concrete 'sub floor' that is under the carpet so the new overlay bonds well.

So. The 64k question: What do we use? A self-leveling cement? Do we need to do any special prep? Anything to watch out for with such a shallow pour? Any specific or special cement type needed??

Our living room is approx. 310 sq ft. - if that helps. We'd like to do our master (which is off the living room right now and would make for a seamless transition).. looking forward to your suggestions and experience.


texts: Electrical circuits mixed in same conduit

texts:
I've got an electrical wiring question.  I've got a 100 amp sub pannel close to the center of the house with an EXTERIOR 200 amp pannel of the west end near PSO FEED.  I  need to add a 30 amp recep  in garage on the east end of the house.  There isn't room in the sub pannel to add anything.  Question is..if I have to run full length of house to 200 amp EXTERIOR  main panel, can I run 10-2 w ground Romex in the same 10' of rigid conduit from the pannel to the attic, or do I have to add an additional conduit for this circuit....
Currently the only wiring in the exterior conduit is the feed to the sub panel.


texts: I have a Napoleon brand gas log fireplace set. It is turned on/off by means of a remote. A receiver is wired to the gas valve that takes the signal from the remote. The receiver operates on 4 batteries. The igniter is also activated via a 4 battery pack starter. We replace batteries often and want to rid of the remote and wire direct to a switch. My understanding is that the battery packs could be eliminated. There is also a blower in the lower compartment that can be turned on/off to help circulate warm air. I mention this as there is electricity to that compartment. The blower is plugged into an outlet within the lower compartment. The blower is not thermostatically controlled. Is it possible to add a wall switch (there is an unused wall switch in wall I am hoping to utilize). I realize low voltage wire is required. Below the floor is a drop ceiling in basement so access to wall outlet and running wire wouldn’t be a problem. Gas line is run in that same area.


texts: Backdraft issue w/bathroom exhaust and dryer connected to same air outlet

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I live in a condo where a dryer and bathroom exhaust both connect into a Y connector that flows into the same pipe and into the building air shaft.

I understand that these two appliances on the same connection is not proper, and I was not aware it had been done that way when I moved in.

Usually the dryer functions fine, but twice in the past year I have had backdraft of hot moist air into the bath, covering the walls and ceiling with moisture and ruining some paint.

Since these both have to connect to the airshaft pipe at this point, though, the only solution I have come up with is a backdraft preventer installed on the connection to the bathroom exhaust.

Alternatively, where the pipe connects to the building airshaft I can have a fan installed to guarantee constant negative pressure. I am thinking the inconsistency of the backdraft issue may be because the air flow from the building air shaft varied for some reason? This is a higher cost job I cannot do myself.

I appreciate any advice within the constraints prevented. Also the dryer is electric so I am not concerned about safety beyond lint buildup.

Thanks


texts: How to split a 200 Amp main feed betweena cabin and workshop?

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I currently have a meter loop on my cabin that feeds a 125a main breaker panel. I'm working with the the utility provider to move the meter to a pole ~75ft away from the cabin and run a new underground feed West to the cabin breaker panel. Additionally I need to run power to a workshop that is 55' to the South of the new pole location. The workshop will be a 70amp breaker box. (10a lights, 3@20a for tools).
My question is how do I configure the split? Is there a main disconnect panel set up for split feeds from the meter that I can use instead of the standard as shown in the diagram?
Also, I have to use 3 lengths of 2-0 in conduit for the cabin 125a feed, what gauge works for the 70a workshop?


texts: Hampton Bay ceiling fan doesn't work properly with wall dimmer switch?

texts: I recently installed a ceiling fan in our living room.  It's a Hampton Bay (68" without light kit).  The fan came with a remote control.  I don't like using the remote so I installed a wall dimmer switch (all other fans in home have dimmer switches and work fine).  I first installed a unlimited dimmer and got excessive motor hum.  I next installed a three position "fan" dimmer switch.  Fan would only work with dimmer in the highest position.  Replaced this dimmer switch with another brand of three position fan dimmer switch and same problem, will only work with dimmer switch in highest position.  While the fan will only work with the wall dimmer switch in the highest position, the fan is still variable speed with the remote.  However the goal is to eliminate the remote.  Any suggestions?


texts: What is the difference between "Input" and "Output" values on power adapters? Which one represents the amount of power being drawn from a circuit?

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I'm trying to get a rough idea for how much electricity I consume in my home office.

I understand that there are a lot of ways to measure this kind of thing:

Turn everything else off in all other rooms.  Turn off other circuit breakers, and monitor power usage meter.
Measure with a device (e.g. Kill-a-watt)

In the absence of that, I'd like to get a rough idea by checking the power adapters for various devices.   When I check power adapters, I see things like "input" and "output".  Which one is the one actually drawing from my house?

For example:

Does this mean the device is drawing 0.24 amps? Or 1.5 amps?

I suspect that "output" is in terms of DC and not actually drawing that much power so I should probably be looking at "input".


texts: Can I clean my vinyl fence with a pressure washer?

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I have a fence that I believe to be made out of vinyl. I'm not exactly sure what it is made out of though. I'm interested in possibly pressure washing it, due to a large buildup of material on the surface of it. Is this ok to perform without damaging it?

I would imagine that the pressure setting used matters. Are there any fence types that I wouldn't be able to pressure wash?


texts:
I just installed a new GFCI and it keeps shutting off even though I connected it properly.
I traced the wires and found that the neutral was connected to the same Circuit Breaker as the hot. WHY? And how can I fix this so my GFCI will work?


texts: How To Cut/Shave Existing Drop In Sink To Fit New Faucets

texts: Old but very customized Master bathroom remodel (circa 1992)included twin drop-in sinks & exclusive use of Hardin polish brass fixtures. Hardin now long out of business. Want to replace with new bathroom fixtures. When installed over tile in 1992, the rear rims were installed such that there is just a 2 inch space between the sink rears & the tile back splash---which worked then & left just enough space (the 2 inch gap) for the Harden spouts to fit in. Today's replacement hardware requires more. Have found suitable faucets with a circular base that are 2 1/8 inches in diameter. Is there a way to cut/shave/sand paper (or any idea) the rears of the existing sink overlaps to create space to fit in the new faucets? Trying to keep this a low cost project and do not want to replace existing sinks, counter & backsplash tile


texts: Best method for rear venting a microwave on an interior wall?

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I am installing a new over-range microwave in my kitchen and would like to vent to the outside rather than recirculate.  It will be mounted to an interior wall, so I either have to go up or down.  There's a second floor above me and a basement below me, so I want to go down through the basement.

Do you see any problem with installing a rectangular stack duct pipe in the wall behind the range and venting through it?  I'm not sure how to make the initial connection from the microwave to the stack.  Does anyone have any suggestions or warnings?


texts: Compression fitting with copper nut and plastic pipe keeps leaking

texts: I have a problem with a compression fitting leaking for the water supply of my new humidifier. The connection includes a copper nut and ferrule and plastic tubing. There is a slow drip at the connection that I cannot get to stop. I’m afraid of over tightening. After the first try did the same thing and I DID over tighten, I cut the plastic tube square, used a new ferrule and tried again tightening very slowly. At this point I’m not sure I’d i need to continue tightening or if there’s another problem. Help!


texts: How can you reverse a sliding glass door?

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We have a sliding glass door to our patio. The opening side is jammed up against a wall, meaning you have to scrape against that wall unless you throw the door all the way open. On the other side there's plenty of room.

I had the thought to reverse the door so that the left side slid, instead of the right side. Now, given that glass doors are sold in left- and right-handed, I imagine this is a bit involved. But can it be done without replacing the entire unit? If so, what's involved?


texts: Building a 'Concrete' Ramp, Concrete Mix

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I'm trying to build a ramp as shown in the picture below.

It will be above a concrete floor connecting to another concrete floor, so I suppose it doesn't have to be very strong as it will not be load bearing. Using it for trolley and it will not be heavier than 30kg.

Here are however some questions which I need some help with.
The country I'm in doesn't sell any pre-mixed concrete, so I'll have to mix them myself.
Can I use only cement and sand without any gravels? From some googling I guess I will be using a ratio of 1:4. Will it be feasible? Will also be using a wire mesh to prevent cracks.

Would appreciate some tips on making the ramp stay adhered to the floor, most probably I'll be chiseling out the flat surface so it could adhere better.


texts:
I am doing my first home repainting and I'd like to ask a question.

I need to repaint my kitchen cabinets. They are currently painted with a glossy ugly shade of green (don't ask). Moreover, it wasn't painted on well, so if you put tape on the door, the paint comes off with the tape.

What type of paint should I use? Is it better to sand it or should I use a "sticky" paint?
Can I just use standard "white" paint or do I need primers?

Can I use this paint to paint the insides of the cabinets?

Thanks.


texts:
I have a Euro cylinder lock like below and it has got rather sticky - the key turn isn't as smooth as other locks.

Does anyone know how to lubricate it to make it less sticky? I've read about graphite powder for other lock types, but are they suitable for Euro cylinder locks as well?

Any help appreciated.


texts:
I am running a wire from my attic, through second story wall, down to first story. I cut a small hole in the second story wall to drill through the floor but I am hitting something about 10 inches down. Any idea what this is? It sounds like wood.
Should I get a longer bit and keep drilling?
 There is a set of stairs on the other side of the wall as well.


texts:
I want to build a large deck in the south (TN specifically). I have a friend with a large forested property and a mill who will allow me access to affordable wood, should I mill it myself.

I understand there is a long drying process involved, but my question is which type of wood should I look to mill for the project. I know he has black walnut, pine, and birch for sure. What wood should I be using for this project that will hold up in my local climate?


texts: Which Product to Use for Repairing My Drywall

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Can someone recommend which product I should use in this case?... I removed the backsplash tile in my kitchen and, in doing so, some of the tiles also pulled the top layer of drywall off along with the glue adhesive, resulting in patches of the exposed brown paper layer of the drywall.

I read online to seal those areas with a product that would coat it while preventing it from bubbling up, and prevent it from anything water-based that would cause it to bubble up. So I have done that. But now I need to even out the wall before installing new tile. Should I use joint compound, drywall mud {are those the same thing?}, spackle, a Sherwin Williams product mentioned in an answer to a question on this site about drywall repair, general purpose compound, etc.?

There seem to be a lot of products that work similarly, but I want to use what would be best and most stable/sturdy for this situation.

Basically, I have lots of patches that are significantly lower {or deeper} than the areas where the top drywall layer did not come off, because between the thickness in the top layer of drywall and the paint that had previously been on the drywall, together, those two layers create quite a height difference between the torn drywall patches and the rest of the wall where the drywall remained in tact.

I need to even everything out {or make it a flat surface}, and I am wondering what the best product would be to fill the patches up to be level with the good layer of the wall and even up all the areas for a relatively flat surface that my new tiles can lay flat on. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!


texts: Is this mold on my room's ceiling? Is it dangerous?

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We have a room that has been unused for a while. We noticed some faint spots appearing on the ceiling a couple years ago. The spots have slightly darkened over time but haven't changed in size or shape. I was not sure if it was mold or something else. We couldn't see any obvious signs of water damage or moisture in that area. We even looked in the attic. Other than these spots isolated in one corner, the ceiling and other walls look fine. We ignored it for all these years as the spots haven't really changed in size, shape or color but now we want to use the room and were planning on painting it when we noticed these spots again. Could this be mold? If so, is it dangerous or we can just put a good primer and paint it over?

Ceiling picture without flash:

Ceiling picture with flash:


texts: Can I cover a high efficiency HVAC vent?

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Just moved into a house with a High efficiency HVAC (heating and air conditioning) which vents to the outside ( with a booster fan). the outside pvc pipe is just " open" . no cap, no screen.. i know this is because of the concern of freezing condensation, blockages, etc.. but my concern is bee/hornet nests, bird nest, squirrels, etc....
Can I cover it with something?


texts: How should I reconnect an outlet where a ceiling fan circuit comes in?

texts: I’ve been replacing the receptacles in my house with new ones after I paint each room and so far it hasn’t been a problem. Today I went to replace the three in the living room and now I can’t get the power to work to any of the outlets on this circuit. Two were normal black and white wires so I’m assuming those were done properly, but this one powers a ceiling fan, and it has a red and three white plus three black wires tied off. I can’t figure out how to connect it all to the receptacle for the power to work. I would think the power would still work at the other outlets but clearly this one connects the whole circuit and I don’t know how to wire it


texts: How to release tombstone wire without cutting? And why won't it turn?

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Small light with T8 bulb. Tombstone was almost impossible to twist to get the bulb out. Why?
Can the wires be removed from this style without cutting them? Tried poking small flat screwdriver around.
Saw another answer but completely different than mine.


texts: What's the proper way to bond metallic signal wiring raceway?

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I have a stud cavity through which I need to run some signal wiring that's sensitive to ingress noise. An industry-standard recommendation is to run the wiring in properly bonded metal conduit (raceway, per the NEC, right?).

There are plenty of 110V metal junction boxes in the same stud cavity. However, I can't mix signal and control wiring in the same junction box (or compartment of the junction box) with 110V wiring. Nor can I put it in the same raceway, right?

Supposing that I run new RMC and metal junction boxes for the signal wiring, how should I bond the boxes (or at least one box if the RMC provides electrical continuity to the other)? Do I use a bonding jumper from the signal wire box to one of the 110V boxes?

The signal wires are going to be electrically isolated from the boxes (i.e. they pass through brush plates and aren't terminated at the boxes).


texts: I have a log home with no bathroom fans.  In a low humidity climate this is not a mildew problem, but it would be a nice to vent the other unwanted gas.  The easiest place to install one is in the tub skirt and duct thru the floor joists.  I think having the blower near the tub is probably a bad idea, so I am thinking of having an in-line fan somewhere in the crawlspace.  Are there any issues with this setup?  Is it a bad idea to have the intake down low?  Is it bad to have negative pressure in the vent ducts?


texts: What to do when door air gap is too small for corner seal?

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I live in central Texas hill country which many of you may know has its fair share of bugs and small critters. There's also a creek just outside my back yard which makes the area an especially pleasant home for all the things I don't want in my home. We've had small (garter) snakes, geckos, and an abundance of spiders, millipedes, silverfish.

The good news for me is that I was able to fix the biggest problem area: I replaced the door bottom and weather stripping on our back door, and put door corner seals wherever any light gaps remained. I know this is working well because I keep sticky traps by this door (Bug lovers, I'm sorry... the goal is to eliminate the need for these): It's been more than two weeks and I've had no new visitors at this entrance.

My front door has always had a tighter seal, and so I get fewer bugs there, but I still get some. I'm guessing the bugs are coming through the one (very) small air gap this door has. The problem here is that standard corner seals are too big, and get immediately destroyed by closing the door. Here's a picture:

What would be a good way to seal this air gap? Does anyone manufacturer a slimmer version of corner seals?


texts: Sizing a #2 pine beam to span 13 feet 6 inches

texts: I want to remove a portion of a center wall in a single story house that is a trussed roof with load carried on exterior walls.  Snow load would be 30 ppf.  The section of wall measures 13 feet 6 inches.  Will a 14 foot beam constructed of two 2 by 12's sandwiched around 3/4 inch plywood support the center of the trusses?  The wall should not be load bearing but I also want to avoid any sag in the spanned ceiling.


texts: Toilet running constantly after replacing parts

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I'm looking for any thoughts or guidance on this as I am officially out of patience:) Here's what I have done, step by step (sorry, this is long...):

Our toilet was running a bit, so we replaced the very old fill valve. All was great, but occasionally we were having some issues with the flapper chain getting caught up and causing the toilet to run A LOT, so I thought I would also replace the flush valve since that part was also really old. I bought an all-in-one repair kit (which for the record claimed to be a simple installation, and was most definitely not:) The all in one kit had a new fill valve, new flush valve, flapper, gasket, etc. The whole rig.

When I removed the tank and replaced everything, the new kit came with a single round rubber gasket, but the gasket that I removed from the old flush valve was a different style- it had three rubber 'stoppers' that inserted into the bolt holes for the tank in addition to the gasket that went around the flush valve. Since the kit said it was 'universal', I didn't think it would matter and installed everything as per the instructions. Once I did that, the toilet leaked horribly out of the bolt holes onto the floor. After trying everything, I found out that our toilet being a Kohler meant that it should have had the same style gasket with the rubber stoppers inserted into the bolt holes. So I went and bought a replacement Kohler gasket, removed the tank (again), installed the new gasket onto the flush valve that came in the universal kit (which meant that I had to use the lock nut that came with the universal kit, not the one that came with the Kohler gasket b/c that didn't fit the shaft of the flush valve), used the new bolts/washers, reattached the tank, cut on the water and YES- no more leaking on the floor.

But, now the tank fills to the correct level, runs water into the bowl until it hits the refill level, and fills. CONSTANTLY. I've checked the overflow pipe, and it's not so low that the water level is above it. I also tried replacing the fill valve with the previous one we had that was new a couple months ago, and it's doing the same thing. I don't think it's a flapper issue because when I push down on the flapper it still runs.

SO... is it possible that using the rubber gasket that didn't come with the kit is causing it to run? It's definitely not leaking onto the floor, just into my tank. Is there anything else I can try? I've spent 2 days and about 6 hours trying to fix this thing, and I'm on the verge of just buying a new toilet, but I really don't want to let this thing defeat me...


texts:
Can I use 600W electric kettle in a circuit which has a MCB rated as C2?

The power supply voltage is 220V.


texts:
Hi I have a 1950s house in Indiana that has the original wiring to a detached garage. The garage is about 25-30 feet from the main panel. It currently only has a switch for the light.

I am planning to run a welder, and air compressor at some point so I would like to install a 110v and maybe a 220V  since I am going to run the wiring.

Should I run a subpanel to the garage or can I run two dedicated circuit arms to the garage with a shutoff in the garage?

Any other suggestions are appreciated. Here is a picture of my main panel.


texts: Do I need to relocate the shower and open the floor again if I rotate by basement bathtub 90 degree around the drain point?

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In the picture below (current layout) the shower heads will be located in the corner on the exterior wall.
As you can see in the new layout I would like to install a new bath tub but this time along the exterior wall AND keep the shower head and the water pipes/ and the tap in the same position/
Are there any pros and cons for this plan?
Can I expect to have to open the floor again to reposition the drain IF the drain is off a couple of inches (2-3in)? Is there a solution to avoid that?
As you can guess I am trying to not to have to redo the plumbing
Here is the current layout

and here is the new layout


texts: Air Compressor Quick Connect Coupler Won't Latch

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Background: I just purchased a new air compressor. I was surprised to see that the collar on the quick connect coupling is retracted (I'm used to pulling the collar back to insert the male fitting), but figured that it would latch when the male fitting was placed inside.

Question: When placing the appropriate-size male fitting into the quick connect, I cannot get the collar to move. The air compressor came with two of the quick connect couplings, and both have the same behavior. What am I doing wrong? Cheers.


texts: shower installation with pipes coming from the floor

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I bought a house with a strange shower installation and am trying to make the best of it.

In all bathrooms, the shower pipes come from the floor, not the wall. From the previous owners we inherited these all-in-one shower cabins standing there, and I suspect there is electricity as well nearby, which strikes me as even more odd if not unsafe.

I want to replace these shower cabins with ordinary showers. But since the pipes are not in the walls as normally, but coming from the floor, I'm trying to figure out if there is a way to bring the pipes up to the normal shower level without breaking tiles on the walls. I just don't have many replacement tiles.

Maybe there is a shower head panel that goes all the way to the floor and could hide the pipes inside? I'm ok with drilling into the wall for screws, but if possible would want to avoid breaking open the wall in order to put the pipes there.

Update: bad pictures added


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I want to change my over stove microwave single outlet to a 2 outlet plug. When pulling out the old outlet, I see that the white wire is attached to the green screw and the bare copper wire is attached to the silver screw. Is this a mistake? Should I install the new plug like it is supposed to be , or like they did it? This is a newly built house.

Larry


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Three wire system.   Twenty years ago i installed 50 amp Sub panel at the garage connected to house panel.  It supplies 3 circuits at 15 amps, 1 at 20, a double 20.  There is no ground rod at the garage.  Yesterday the circuits from the sub panel went dead.  I measure 220 volts across the main lugs, but zero from each lug to the ground cable/bus.  T garage.  The cable from the house panel to the house penetration is aluminum and it then connects to copper.  I am thinking of driving a ground rod at the garage to connect to the ground bus in the sub panel.  Am also thinking that corrosion at the Al to Cu connection has essentially opened that connection.

Install the ground rod and connect to the ground bus or to just the supply cable ground?  Install it but disconnect the supply cable ground from the ground bus. Open and clean the Al to Cu connection.


texts: Any ideas how to replace bulb in this bathroom ceiling fan?

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This is an old bathroom ceiling fan & light fixture. The bulb has gone out, now I cannot find away to open it and replace the bulb.

There are no screws that I can see. I played around with glass and managed to pooped it up but now its just sitting in the frame stuck but I can rotate it. But again its not sitting on any grove, its loose now.

How can I open this fixture to replace the bulb? Thanks


texts: Transitioning between foam insulation and foam board in basement

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In our unfinished basement we had floor to ceiling blanket/roll insulation from the builder. Now that we are finishing it, in order to meet R20, we are removing the bulky blanket insulation and going to a 1.5" rigid foam that is R6, plus the addition of R14 Roxul batts on a 2x4 wall which will be built in front. The foam will give us the thermal break by keeping the studs from touching the concrete wall.

Where the electrical panel is, we want to leave that small area with the blanket insulation intact since the electrical panel and all the wiring is mounted on top, and I don't want to relocate or move the panel to get rid of the insulation.

What is the best way to keep it intact without creating any mold issues?

My thought was to cut back the insulation as much as I can, and install my foam as close as I can. In the process I will leave some excess vapour barrier. Then frame around the panel, and when I add my vapour barrier on top of the studs, I use tuck tape to seal the existing vapour barrier to the new one?


texts: Abutting brick or paver stones to foundation

texts:
I have a little area between our deck and garage that would be perfect for the grill.
Right now it is dirt, with nothing but dandelions thriving.

         +---HOUSE----------
         |       {---------
GARAGE   |  ??   {-- DECK --
         |       {----------

My thought was to throw down some bricks or pavers and plop the grill down right there.
However I want to make sure I do not cause any future foundation issues.  Or encourage any issues abutting stone or brick (wife has not decided yet) to the concrete foundation.

Do I need to be concerned with how close I put the brick up to the concrete foundation?  Do I need to leave an inch or 12 or something or just dirt?

Thanks for input!


texts:
What can I do to bare (painted) wall behind a trash can to protect it from, well, trash?! Would like it to be washable, obviously, and only semi-permanent as we will not live in this house forever and I don't want it to look too tacky. I considered tile, but that is too permanent. Also considered sheet metal, but I thought that might look too weird.

Suggestions?


texts: How can I disable cooling with a White Rodgers thermostat?

texts:
1F56W-444 White Rodgers Thermostat

I am fairly sure this is the thermostat that I have. How do I disconnect the cooler/air-conditioner as to avoid my penguin visiting relative waking me to 55°F chills.


texts:
Can I just hardwire microwave and leave
the connected 2 wires with nuts and the
gound connected in the cabinet resessed
space under bottom of cabinet?  And because the electrician who the owner of our building just paid to rewire the entire place, put all the fuse boxes, for each unit together, mine being 2 places over , outside in another persons back yard who has the gate locked, I hope I can do this hot.


texts: New 4 prong dryer but have a 3 prong outlet

texts: Can I wire the four wire cord to a three wire plug so it works for the three prong outlet?


texts: Why is it OK to bond the neutral and ground in an appliance?

texts:
I am installing a new built-in oven, and while it has both neutral and ground pigtails, the manual states that they are "twisted together." I am interpreting this as "electrically connected."

Given the myriad of excellent explanations here on why the ground and neutral should only ever be bonded at the main panel, how does this not circumvent the protections offered by the single bonding location?

I understand that this isn't really my problem since the oven is UL listed and not really subject to NEC wiring practices, but I am curious because I have a subpanel, and if the ground between the main and the subpanel failed, it would seem all my grounds can now run through the neutral back to the main panel and I'd never know the ground wire was broken.


texts: Are there any ductless mini split systems that offer standard HVAC wiring controls?

texts:
Have been looking for in the US a ductless mini split heat pump system something like the Mitsubishi Electric Mr. Slim that uses a non proprietary wiring scheme for its wall mounted thermostats. Ideally it would be the standard 24VAC wiring scheme something like  (R,G,W,Y,C) that would allow the system to be controlled by a internet connected thermostat such as the Nest, EcoBee, etc...

Most of the ductless mini split systems I have observed come with either fairly complex non internet connected programmable wall thermostat or come with a dumb to complex remote control to mange its operation.

Does anyone know of any ductless systems that offer standardized HVAC controls, remote internet management or other smart home automation capabilities?


texts: does the NEC allow conduit attached to my house to an outbuilding or does it have to be buried?

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I have a shed im running electrical to, which is detached. the subpanel in the shed is being powered by a 40amp double pole from the main service with THHN/THWN 8 gauge wire.

I am going to attach PVC conduit along side of the house (about 30 feet) to bypass some digging because some cables are in the way in the ground.

when I am at the end of the house, thats when I will go into the ground and bring it back up in the shed.

so I am just trying to figure out if I am allowed to run conduit along my house to power up my shed or am I only allowed up to a certain feet?

Like, if im allowed to go straight conduit attached to the house to feed the shed vs burying it, am I alloweD?


texts: Light switch shorted; can't figure out why

texts:
I swapped out a dimmer switch for another one. This was fairly standard, only two wires to connect, no ground (old condo). Turned the breaker back on, tried things out, the on/off switch worked, the dimmer worked, but playing with the dimmer, there was a short, a brief flash of light, then the breaker tripped. I swapped out the light bulb but I still have no light, so I'm inclined to conclude that the dimmer is fried.

I'm about to get a voltage tester to confirm that the wire is still live, then will try putting on a new dimmer switch.

question: what should I check to make sure this doesn't happen again? could it be debris? I'm really puzzled as to why this happened and would love to make sure I'm not overlooking something as I rewire this.

my wiring:


texts: Why does my light box have 2 cables for this one switch?

texts: Took down a ceiling fixture and discovered what looks like a possible switch loop, except I don’t understand how the connection gets completed with the current set up. Basically, 2 lines coming into the fixture box. The black from line A is wired to the fixture, and the white from line A is essentially “capped off” (is cut short and contained within the insulated portion of line A). The white from line B is wired to the fixture, and the black from line B is capped off. Over at the single pole switch there is a black wire and white wire attached. This would make sense to me as a switch loop if the 2 capped off wires were joined together, but they’re not.


texts: What is the maximum load for EACH of the standard US 120V electrical outlets?

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I've searched the answer which seems to be 1800W (120V x 15a) but it's not clear to me whether the rating is for each of the two outlets or the pair together.

So I would like to know: what is the maximum for each outlet and what is the maximum if both are in use simultaneously?


texts: Removing knockouts in old work metal boxes

texts:
I recently had an existing old work box (metallic, installed with the supports that look like 'F') where there was a cable coming in from the top and another from the bottom. I wanted to add a third cable from the back of the box. So I took my trusty hammer and screwdriver, aimed the screwdriver at the part of the back knockout away from the tab, smacked it, and broke the box tabs right through the drywall... :(.
Once the box was out of the wall, it was still pretty much impossible to knock out the knockout from the inside of the box. I then flipped it around and tried from the back and it came out super easily.

Are knockouts typically "one direction only"?
Is there a different way to get them out in a situation like this? Or is it standard to have to take the existing cables out, the box out, punch them out, then put everything back together?


texts: Retain rim around floor when drywalling? If not how to fill/insulate. . .

texts:
Remodeling a vintage two-flat, tore down lath and plaster, now approaching drywall phase.

The exterior walls have a wooden rim around perimeter of the floor--what was this for?  I suppose it just set a boundary for the plaster and lath.

Should I rip this wooden rim out, or leave it?

When drywalling I'll be leaving the prescribed 1/2" gap between the bottom of the sheet and the floor.  I'm concerned about sound traveling between floors--with what should I seal this gap?


texts:
We've recently noticed what looks like leaks in our roof.

In one room:

And in another room:

We have a cathedral ceiling, very little roof space, and a tin roof. We're in Melbourne, Australia, which is in the middle of winter and we've been getting a lot of cold and wet weather recently.

The thing is, I'm not at all a handyperson, and am a new homeowner, so I'm pretty new to not only knowing how to investigate and fix this, but even knowing what sort of professional to call.

It's unlikely I have the skills to fix this myself, so my question is more - what sort of tradesperson should I be calling? And if I need to investigate it first to provide more information to them, what exactly should I be looking for?


texts: Which wires go where in this non-standard GET dimmer switch?

texts:
I am replacing some touch sensitive dimmers - where the touch doesn't work half the time - with another unit made my GET, I think.

The manufacturer has decided on making up their own naming and hieroglyphics for the terminals; L, Sw and a wavy line with an arrow through it.

The old switch has L1, L2 and COM which is fairly standard.

How do I wire this? Thanks.


texts: routing hoses in the duff, 5/8" garden hose, or 3/4" garden hose, or 3/4" polyethylene?

texts:
A related question is here: Buried hose through PVC to outdoor hose bibb

Should I route 5/8" garden hoses, or 3/4"?

We're trying a new watering set up this year.  I've collected about a dozen garden hoses, mostly 5/8" ID but some 3/4" ID.

For a long length of garden hose, there is nearly no difference in flow rate:

5 gallon bucket fill times:

a)  76 seconds, for 75' 3/4" ID with cutoff male end
b)  80 seconds, for 80' 5/8" ID terminated with a $1.50 plastic inline valve
c)  71 seconds, for  2' 5/8" ID with cutoff male end

other 5-gal fill times:

d)  82 seconds, same as (b) but with plastic fan sprayer
e)  81 seconds, same as (b) but with plastic quick connect stop with male stub
f) 102 seconds, same as (b) extended with ~30' of 3/8" ID rubber air hose.

Accuracy is probably +-2 seconds

Our only pattern of use will be one outlet at a time.

The idea is to route garden hoses to various locations in the yard to supply fixed spigots with attached quick connects.  Watering will be done by turning on the house faucet, then using a short length of 3/8" ID rubber air hose carried from spigot to spigot as needed, then turning off the house faucet.  The hoses will be buried in the duff, or under a few inches in the dirt.  A short length of garden hose from an outside faucet will supply a nearby manifold which will in turn supply the various buried hoses.

We're not concerned about draining for winter freezes. We've had one hose attached continuously for 8 years without a freeze problem.  Our outside faucets are the $5 kind and we don't insulate them in the winter.

We're not worried about rodents chewing the hoses.

From the measurements of flow rates, for example (a) versus (b), it seems not to matter which hose ID's I choose to bury, and the connectors and cutoffs don't matter either. I also have a long roll of 3/4" polyethelene I could use.

Is there something I am not considering in choosing 5/8" hoses over 3/4" hoses or the 3/4" polyethylene?


texts: What o-ring can I use for my Omnibasic water filter?

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I just bought a house that has an Omnibasic water filter. I don't know when the filter cartridge was last replaced, but it's starting to drip water so I want to replace the cartridge and the o-ring. The cartridges seem to be pretty standard and easy to find, but I'm not sure about the o-ring.

The site recommends their U24 o-ring (http://www.h2owarehouse.com/u24-oring.htm). I could order this from this website, but I'd like to do it soon without waiting for shipping. I'm looking at local hardware stores (Home Depot, Lowes, and Menards) but not seeing this exact model. Does anyone know if this is a standard size, or any other names it might go under?


texts: What are the best practices for a low deck built half on a concrete slab?

texts:
In our current place, we moved the main access door from going into the kitchen, to entering an old laundry room converted to a mud room.  In order to do so, the front door was moved over about 4', and off the existing concrete patio.  The bottom of the door sill is ~11 1/2" above the existing slab, and ~12" above grade.  You can see a plan view of the existing concrete patio and proposed deck below.

The plan is to make a 10'x12' deck.  Why so big for an entry way?  Well, it is next to the kitchen, and it would be a great spot to grill.  Also, I plan on building a bench or two on the deck for kids to take off shoes, boots, etc.. before entering the house.

Since the deck is so low to the ground, I plan on building it directly on the slab, and having it free-standing (i.e.- not connected to the house, thus no ledger board).  By "directly on the slab" I mean to also shim it up, say, 1/2" to allow for circulation and water flow.  I plan on using 12' 2x8 joists, spaced at 12".  First question- does this all seem like a sane idea?

For my second question- obviously this deck will hang over an area where there is no concrete slab.  Would it be enough to place an 8" diameter, 4'deep footer at the two outside corners and in the middle of the 12' span, one joist in from the outside, at the same level as the slab?  (see dotted circles in the drawing).

Any other thoughts?  Am I out of my mind?


texts: What type of control joint is best for my concrete project?

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I'm looking at getting a lot of concrete work done and am looking to educate myself past the minimal anecdotal information I posses so that I can have a better conversation with prospective contractors.

Expansion joints, saw cut or hand troweled - is this just preference or is there a good reason to go for one over another? From an aesthetic perspective I like hand troweled but I've been told that the saw cut can leave the concrete stronger as you are interacting with the wet concrete less.

Google doesn't seem to provide much info by way of POV on this, just that there are options, so I look to the community here to see if there is a collective wisdom.

For perspective, this is for a standard 4" thick driveway, 6" thick apron, and garage floor.


texts: Re-Routing my sump discharge piping inside the house

texts:
I am thinking about changing the route my sump pump discharge pipetakes to get to the exterior wall.  What are some things to consider for the inside route from pump to exterior wall?

I know distance is one. How can I determine what my pump can handle?

Do more 90 degree turns in the route increase load on pump?

How much vertical can I do? How can I determine what my pump can handle?

Right now, the discharges comes up about 8 feet from pump, takes a 90 and runs straight to the exterior wall about 25 feet.

My future plan is to have it come up 8 feet, make a few lefts and rights to get around A/C unit, and then travel about 25 feet to a new exterior wall.

I have a “ProFlo PF92341 - 3/10 HP Cast Iron Submersible Sump Pump w/ Vertical Float Switch”

Any advice would be great. Any other considerations?


texts: What's the name for a bar connecting two parts for reinforcement?

texts:
This shelf bracket has an oblique bar connecting the two arms, to make it stronger. That bar makes it a 'Heavy duty shelf bracket'. Does that bar have a name? Like 'reinforcing bar' for example.

I checked the definition of 'crossbar' and it doesn't fit into it because it's not a horizontal bar.


texts: How to wire a relay for an evaporative cooler to a thermostat?

texts:
I have an evaporative cooler with 120VAC control that I want to switch on and off using a relay that is activated when the cool call comes from my thermostat. I plan on just using 1 relay to activate the whole cooler control (rather than multiple relays to control the different aspects of the cooler), so this is a simple on/off when cooling call comes from the thermostat.

All of the wiring for the thermostat goes to the air handler and then heat, fan, etc. kick on from there. I have a C wire running to the thermostat. My thought was that I just put the relay in line with the Y wire (run Y from thermostat to relay, then out from relay to the air handler). This puts 24VAC across the relay (which is what the relay is rated for), but does not throw the switch.


texts: How do I add a switch/light and two outlet from a single power source?

texts: I have access to a hot line in the attic that I can cut and add a junction box to power a light through a switch as well as two outlets that are needed.  How do I proceed?


texts: Who makes this shower faucet handle (logo identification)?

texts:
Who makes this shower faucet handle?

It's slightly broken, I'd like to get a replacement part, but I have no idea what company this is. Does anyone recognize this logo, or know how I might go about finding the answer myself?

I've done image searches, I've asked a few relatively knowledgeable vendors (who are searching on my behalf but haven't found it yet), and I can't find any more concrete information on either handle (although I may yet dig further behind the faceplate to look for more branding information).


texts:
My submersible pump stopped working suddenly. It's a 1.5hp pump 3 wire with a Franklin Electric control box and Irritrol pump start relay. I've measured across all 3 pump leads while out of circuit and they test fine (low resistance). On the control box, I have 230V in(red and black are both hot) and the start line is also hot. However, on the pump out, only the black leg is hot. Red has nothing. At the relay, the control line is hot but there is no voltage at either input or output. So, I replaced run and start capacitors (put a meter on it and they didn't appear to charge). I still have nothing at the red.

What's next in my troubleshooting?


texts: How do I make the connection for 2 lights with a power source between them?

texts: I have 2 sensor activated lights with the power source in between the two lights. It is run with 14/3 romex wire from each light source to the power source. How do I make the connection?


texts: How to seal a pipe pass-through in a basement wall

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My house is 15 years old, and ground water has suddenly started to leak into the basement around a pipe that passes through the poured concrete foundation.  The method of installation complicates the repair.
Situation
An iron pipe sleeve (roughly 4"D), is sealed to the wall with spray foam.  A 3" PVC drain pipe passes through the sleeve, with more foam sealing between it and the sleeve.
Leakage
There aren't signs of leakage between the two pipes, it's all between the sleeve and the wall.  There appear to be small leaks between the foam and the concrete.  However, much of the water enters around the sleeve, between it and the foam.
I cut away most of the foam to find the source.  Some pieces cleanly separated from the concrete, indicating that it wasn't bonded.  Around the sleeve, all the foam cleanly pulled off.
Embedded in the foam was a layer of black.  It looks like water rusted its way down the sleeve.  The surface of the pipe remained bonded to the foam, and water leaked under that.  There is some powdery residue on the pipe that's a mixture of black and some rust color.  The sleeve otherwise seems virtually intact.
Issues

I can try to remove the rust in the exposed area, but the sleeve will rust again, making it hard to do a permanent repair.
The foam didn't make a permanent seal with some of the concrete, making me wonder whether it's suitable for this application.
Trying to seal with hydraulic cement will require grinding away all traces of foam for it to bond well with the concrete wall.  The area doesn't have great work access, so this would be difficult, messy, and involve risk of damaging surrounding plumbing.  Also, can you even use cement on iron (thinking rebar issues)?
My understanding is that the purpose of the sleeve is to facilitate servicing the pipe if needed.  An approach like encapsulating the opening with epoxy would require bonding to the PVC pipe to be permanent.
The exterior of the wall is inaccessible; all work must be done on the inside.

Solution?
Is there a good, permanent solution?  What I've considered:

I could just clean it up and apply new foam.  Hopefully it would hold for another 10-15 years (and maybe become someone else's problem).
I could clean it up and use hydraulic cement to seal it.  That would be a lot more work, and also temporary because of new rust.
I could encapsulate the opening in epoxy.  If I ever need to service the pipe, just deal with it then.
I could try to seal the hole by injecting Gorilla Glue around the sleeve as far as possible into the hole (syringe with long needle).  That expands as it hardens, after which foam (or cement?) could be added to further seal it.  That might prolong the time until another repair is needed.
Wrap the pipe with self-fusing silicone repair tape, and then fill around it with hydraulic cement (no idea whether it would work).
I can't think of another material that is waterproof and permanent, cures in the presence of water, stays put while curing under pressure, and bonds with wet surfaces.

Pictures
The location is blocked by a utility sink and a water heater, so it's difficult to get at the pipe, to see what you're doing or work on it, and to take pictures.

There are actually two pipes running through the wall in this location.  To the left of the subject pipe is the water line.  Some of the concrete around the two pipes was broken away at construction time; that was all filled with foam before I removed it.  There's still some remaining above each pipe sleeve.  There's also some leakage around the water line sleeve due to gaps in the sealing foam; that one isn't an issue because the sleeve is PVC and sealing that one is straightforward.

This view is the right side of the problem pipe.


texts: anchoring a beam made from dimensional lumber to concrete piers

texts:
The rim joists of a shed will sit on two horizontal beams. The beams need to be secured to concrete piers with some kind of galvanized tie. Something like the one in the picture.
The beams will be created by flipping three (US nominal) 2x6 on edge and "laminating" them together, so to speak. A nominal 2x6 is approximately 1½ by 5½. So the beam is 4½ inches thick.
Are any such ties specifically designed to work with dimensional (2x) lumber, that is, such that the actual width of the tie is a multiple of ~1½ inches? If so, is there a term of art for such ties?
A tie with a 4" actual space, for example, is too small to accommodate three 2x6.


texts:
After finally resolving a leak at the connection of the wall tube to the stub out (see the brass waste adapter), I installed a new p-trap to resolve a leak connecting the j-bend to the wall tube. However, the new PVC p-trap leaks at this same spot (see below) as well. I've tried "resetting" it several times. The threads are not crossed. There is no washer (it's built in), but again, it's a p-trap so it should be in good shape.

What am I doing wrong? The leak is very slow. There will be only one or two drops after and hour or so but it seems no matter what I do, I can never get a complete water tight seal. I've only hand tightened, but I've tightened it pretty damn hard for hand tight. Should I take a pipe wrench to it? Is the trap just junk? I realize the flexible traps are frowned upon in the plumbing community but after installing the waste adapter, the rigid trap no longer aligned well with the sink tail pipe.


texts: What do you call a cover for outdoor main sewage cleanout and where can I find one?

texts:
I am looking for something like this:

It is for my home after adding a new clean out. Here is what it looks like:

I searched the web high and low but I can't seem to find where to buy it. Maybe because I don't even know what it is called. Can someone help?


texts: Installing a dual switch from a single switch which powers two wall sconces

texts:
My living room has one wall switch that feeds two different lights/  sconces . The switch has only two black wires on the side of the switch. one on the top and one to the bottom .

I would like to install a dual switch where one of the black wires, instead of feeding a wall sconce, feeds a ceiling fan, and use the other black wire to continue to feed the other wall sconce . The sconce that I want to rewire to feed the ceiling fan has only a white wire and a black wire powering that light. However, there is no white wire coming off the switch, there are only two black wires.

Must I make adjustments to other wires that are in the box behind the switch ?

It looks like a mess in that box behind the switch , with white wires joined and two black wires joined to white and black wires .

Pictures upon request . Thank you in advance .


texts: My furnace is tripping the high limit.  It is a Downflow Payne 90+ have replaced the limit switch. I pulled the blower door off and checked all vents to ensure they are open and it still short cycles.  I also changed the speed on the blower and checked gas pressure.  I'm stumped!  Does anyone have any ideas as to what's going on?


texts:
See related question here:
Using portable generator with transfer switch
I live on a property with 600 AMP service (2x200AMP service to home, 1x200AMP service to workshop / barn). The home and barn are new construction, and due to the rural location, standby generator transfer switch for the property was provisioned (Without the generator being purchased).
The home has 2 200amp panels, and the barn has a single 200amp panel.
Due to the property being serviced with 600amps, but my transfer switch equipment is only rated for 200amps, I assume that transfer switch is only setup to service partial loads within my home.
How can I determine which loads will be serviced by the generator (Once I have one setup).  With my existing setup, is there any possibility to service the full property (Home and barn)?


texts: How to cut a rectangular notch out of a timber beam?

texts:
Let's say I've got a length of 6x2 (150*50mm) and I want to cut a 2x2 notch to inset another timber perpendicular.

How can I make a neat square notch accurately? Two vertical cuts are easy but how to make the final cut to get the piece out?

What tools and techniques are used?


texts: Is it better to fill up the space between rafters with insulation, or put baffles on top and add soffit vents? (inland Los Angeles, cathedral ceiling)

texts:
I have 5.25" tall rafters, about 30" on center, with roof planks directly on top of them. I would like to keep the rafters visible, but add insulation between them. So I only have a few inches to work with. The work will not be inspected. I will finish with drywall for fire protection. There are no vents--just the central HVAC.

Is it better to fill all of the space with insulation, or put baffles on top and add soffit vents?


texts: Can I place a subpanel next to a water pipe?

texts:
My main panel is full so I need to install a sub panel, the issue is the water main comes in right next to it:

I don't think I can install a panel directly to the left (subpanel A) because the water pipe below would restrict access to it, but that would be the most convenient location.  Alternatively, could it be installed to the right of the pex pipe (subpanel B) if I put a wall similar to the one the main panel is on?


texts:
I just bought a storm door for my house's front door (HD custom order).  Of course, I followed directions measuring the door opening, but without considering that I have an old house, and the door frame itself is a little odd.  I've attached photos because that's much easier.

The door itself measures 36x80.  As you can see, the door is deeply set back.  There are two pairs of 'lips' on the sides.  One set is small, protruding  1/2'' on the middle of the side.  The other set, which are sealed to the brick, is about 1'' wide and faces the exterior.  Additionally, the top of the door has a header 4-5'' tall that is inset 1'' from the exterior.  And the bottom aluminum piece has an upward slope that gains about 1 from the cement bottom.

Naturally, the 36x80 storm door I bought won't fit.  The door itself wants to sit flush on the cement, and on the sides with the 1'' lips.  I'm looking for solutions to attach the door.

Is it safe to drill the door into the 1'' wide trim on the sides?  Is the door meant to sit close to the cement bottom or should I try to elevate it when installing it?

And most importantly, what to do about that header?  Is my door simply too short and I should try to track down a 36x84 door to cover the header?  Can I fill in the header by attaching another piece of wood to make it flush with the exterior lips, painted to match the storm door color, and screw the door into that?


texts:
We have just moved into a house with a Lennox XP17 heat pump.  It has two stages of electric heat strips in addition to the heat pump.

In observing the power bill, I have been astonished at the rate we are going through kWh.  I did some more research last night to see if everything is working right, and in the process I discovered that the outdoor unit wasn't running, at all.  Yet the air coming out of the vents was very warm, which explained the power consumption.  It was about 20 degrees outside last night.

The thermostat (a plain Jane Honeywell non-programmable) only shows "Heat on" and gives no indication that the aux stages are running.  Emergency Heat is not on.

I suspected a wiring issue but when I switch to emergency heat, same result.

I checked the thermostat setups too, it is set correctly as a heat pump.  Surely HVAC manufacturers and installers don't still think that heat pumps are not efficient below 35 F.  Is this a setting on the heat pump or on the air handler, or is this a thermostat problem?


texts: Water-resistant, easily removable "putty or glue" recommendation?

texts:
I need to erect a barrier in an aqueous environment. Basically I need to erect vertical "guards" at the side of my kitchen sink, since the water faucet is high up, water splashes onto the counters, but I must keep the counters basically completely dry. I have a shelf above the sink that makes it fairly easy to secure the top of the barrier, but the bottom is hard.

Of course the bottom of the barrier should be completely flush with the countertop, but just securing the top isn't enough because water will seep through (just imagine the water splashed on to the barrier just running down and pooling at the base, then seeping through to the other side!

Therefore I need some kind of like... glue to secure the bottom that also renders it impermeable. The trick is, because this is a tenant improvement, this glue also needs to be pretty easily removable, which is why I ruled out caulk.

In my mind I'm imagining some kind of clay or putty that almost acts like a "rubber"-ish barrier at the bottom that I could stick the barrier into (the barrier will likely just be a thin sheet of plastic).

Keep in mind the bottom can be more about water proofing, less about securing the barrier, since again I have a top shelf for that. But of course if there's a magical substance that will do both, maybe it will save me time and I won't have to secure the top at all.


texts: Hot water isolating valve, when try to close the stem comes out

texts: I have a valve on a hot water line that "appears" to be stuck just a little bit open. I don't want to risk breaking it so want to turn off the water earlier on the line. The problem is that when I tried to close THAT valve (CW) the stem just about popped out and into my hand. The line was full pressure (and HOT) but I managed to reverse the direction (CCW) and get the stem to go back in. Googling this doesn't come up with anything. I can't believe this is a unique situation. I don't have an earlier valve on the line I can turn off so I need to work out a handling.


texts: The wood is newly stained, no varnish or shellac.  Do I need to do anything before I paint, or can I just go with primer?  I am spraying the wood white.


texts: Help identify wiring adapter involving Cat 5e cable?

texts:
We recently moved into a 1960's house. 4 of the bedrooms have dual RJ-45 and RJ-11 receptacles. When I got cable installed, they had to run a new wire from the telephone pole out front. I was told the coax in the house was really old and wasn't being used. I was also informed the previous owners must have had DSL.

Our network is working great with the new cable setup, but I wanted to make use of the Ethernet that has already been ran throughout our house (it is Cat 5e). I found out one of the Ethernet cables runs all the way to the garage, then out of the crawl space, up to this adapter thing.  I just wanted to see if someone could shed some light on what might be going on here?  What might this adapter be for?


texts: Washing-Dryer machine installation (rotate)

texts:
I would like to know if it is possible to setup a washing machine (or a washing machine with integrated dryer) such that the installation pipes are on the side.
NOTE: I don't know anything about washing machines.
Whenever I see a washing machine, the installation pipes are typically on the back. See figure (a).
What I want is to rotate the washing machine 90 degrees clockwise such that is looks as in figure (b). This is because in setting (a) I would not be able to open the door because the shower is there.
To me, it would be only a matter of putting the machine in the desired position and connecting the hoses to the installation pipe but maybe there are more considerations to take into account?
There are some horizontal pipes close to the floor as shown in the picture and two pies in a vertical position (only one shown in the figure). One of the vertical pipes seems to be for the waste and the other one for the water.


texts: Replace load bearing studs with 4x4 posts

texts:
I would like to open up our dining room to our living room, but don't want to install an LVL due to a limited budget.

We decided to get creative. By simply removing the sheetrock, and using the existing studs as a frame for a built in open bookshelf, the rooms will feel connected but we will not alter the structure of our home.

My studs are 16" apart. I am wondering if I can safely increase this span slightly (say to 20"-24"), by replacing the studs with evenly spaced 4x4 posts.

Is this reasonable?


texts: How should I wire a ceiling fan when there's only three wires in the box?

texts:
I'm replacing a ceiling fan and it has three wires as is common: black, white, and bare ground. I have a two-toggle wall switch. One switch makes the black wire hot (for the motor), and the other switch makes the white wire hot (for the integrated light). So it looks as if the white wire in the ceiling is used as a hot for the light rather than a neutral wire as is common.

From the main power, there are three wires:

Black wire has nut that is spliced to both the Dual Switch (that controls the ceiling fan) and the other switch which operates the upsidedown wall outlet.

White Wire is spliced to just the upsidedown wall outlet. (no connection to Ceiling Fan)

All three bare ground wires are connected together.

So the Dual switch that controls the ceiling fan has The Black Wire from the main power to the top of the switch, The other top wire at the ceiling fan Dual switch is the BLack wire that runs to the Ceiling Fan (assuming to run the fan light, and the Bottom wire is the White wire which appears to operate with the bottom switch (of the dual switch) when it is turned assumed for the fan motor.

Crazy thing is this is how the home builder (Beezer Homes) wired the home when new in 95). I remember the builder was originally suppose to install 3-toggle switches in two bedrooms.  They only installed 2-toggle switches.  They corrected the problem by install the dual switch in place of one of the single toggle switches.

The fan was wired with the House bare ground wire being utilized as the Fan's neutral White Wire (and that being connected to the mount ground wire. The houses Neutral is the hot wire for the fan motor. Black wires are connected as normal and for power to the fan's light.


texts: How do I find the switch plates behind the plasterboard walls?

texts:
We were having a house built and the builders have gone bankrupt so we have been left to finish everything off ourselves.
The plasterboard walls have been put in and the wires are behind the walls for the electrical sockets etc but they haven't been pulled through externally.
Can anyone tell me how we locate these wires?
We know that we can use a stud finder to locate the beams etc but not sure how to find the switch plates for the plugs etc.  Someone suggested we use a magnet and pass it along the wall and we've tried this with a very strong magnet but it didn't work.
We really don't want to start knocking holes in the plasterboard unless we're sure that the switch plates will be behind it and we have about 70 to locate.
Any help would be appreciated - thank you.


texts: I have a Kitchenaid cooktop model KECC567 (5 burner model) with a 2 element burner that will not cycle on or off no matter what control switch setting is used. The 2 elements of the burner stay on continuously when the dual side is selected as does the single element when it is selected on the switch. I have replaced the infinite switch but the problem still exists. Appreciate some suggestions on resolution of this problem. Has to be a temperature sensor but don't know where to look for it.  Thanks


texts:
I'm not sure what this may be, so I would really appreciate your help and specialism towards this. Recently, I found that my cabinet containing the fuse-box, electrical meter and other components began giving off the smell of burning tobacco.
Although, after closer inspection I found that a component is melting, and I'm not sure how serious this is? And what exactly is the function of the thing that is melting, and what may be causing this?
Here are some photos:


texts:
I got a 10/3 wire for my Dryer/Washer stacked.
There is a Ground attached to the Dryer/Washer.
Can I attache the ground wire from my 10/3 directly to the ground on my Dryer/Washer?


texts: How can I mount a window fan in a very tall slider?

texts: I am looking for a way to mount a window fan like this one in my apartment.  The only windows my unit has measure 70" x 58" (H x W) with 29" wide slider panel which opens horizontally.  This is too tall to mount most window fans as the extenders don't usually stretch past 3-4'.