texts: How can I adjust the depth to which a pneumatic toilet flush button must be pressed?

texts:
We have a toilet with the cistern built into a cabinet, with a button on the front to flush it.  However, it only seems to flush if you press the button right in (quite deep) and you have to do it quite swiftly at that.

I took the panel off and unscrewed the button to have a look at it, but there doesn't appear to be any movable part that would adjust this.  The button (it has two button for a dual flush type thing) is connected to the cistern by two long bits of flexible plastic tube.  I can't tell if they contain water or air from looking at them?

Someone suggested that shortening these pipes would fix it - but I obviously don't want to cut them and then have a problem.

Any ideas what actually causes this?  Should I just cut them shorter and reattach them?  If so do I need anything special to attach them (glue?) or should they just slide on/off.

Once the flush starts the flush works perfectly fine - this isn't a problem like other questions about having to hold the button down etc.  It literally just seems to be that the "trigger point" for the button is very deep.  I'd like to raise that to make it more sensitive so that you don't have to press it so far.

The reasoning for cutting them shorter is that it is a pneumatic link between the button and the cistern.  So when the button is pressed, this compresses the air in the tube, and applies pressure at the other end causing the flush.  If so, reducing the length of the pipe would reduce the volume and hence mean less compression needed to produce a response at the other end (and hence shallow press of the button).  I have no idea if this reasoning is gibberish or not.


texts: Transparent material like two-way mirror for specific colour

texts: I really like the idea of smart mirrors, using a two way mirror with a monitor behind it to provide information on the mirror and make it look like a regular mirror when the monitor is turned off. Are there any kind of materials that can be used for the same purpose that is a specific colour? I would like to have a “smart door” (for closets etc) where the door is white, but can turn into a monitor when turned on. Do such materials exist, or is this just for mirrors?


texts: Is this fluorescent light fixture a major electrical problem / fire hazard?

texts:
(I am a new homeowner.)

I went to replace a some fluorescent tubes that looked like they burned out, but after disassembling it a little to get the tubes out, I saw something a little alarming:

There was a black sticky substance on the inside cover of the housing:

Picture #1 of what looks like a "burned" wire and "melted" electrical tape

Picture #2 of the same

Closeup of the "melted" electrical tape:

So, my questions are:

What happened here?
Were things about to catch fire?
Now that the fluorescent tubes are out is it safe, since the circuit is not complete?
Is this something I can fix, keeping in mind that I have no experience with anything electrical?  If so, how do I fix it?

EDIT:

The electrical tape was not melted, and the wire was not burned.  The culprit was indeed the ballast.  Here are the leaks:

Thanks, lqlarry!


texts: Large concrete patio poured against the foundation - should it be tied to the foundation or not?

texts:
Over a year ago I had a large concrete patio (24' x 26') poured.

This concrete patio butts up against the foundation of our home.

I'm unsure if it was tied into the foundation of the house or not, but I strongly suspect it was. I wasn't around for the entire installation, only arrived home when the contractor was screeding (unsure if that's the correct term, bear with me) the slab.

I'm worried that if it is tied to the foundation, it'll crack my foundation and cause water to leak into the basement.

The home is 12 years old, proper drain tile setup.

The foundation is wrapped with the dimpled plastic for drainage.

There is no expansion joint or whatever between the foundation and patio because the contractor said the plastic wrap was good enough.

The slab has several control joints.

Slab has rebar and wire mesh in it.

The patio has a good slope away from the house, it has no puddling in heavy rain, etc.

House is built on a hill so drainage in the area overall is quite good.

I live in Vancouver area, Canada. Our average winters barely ever hit freezing.

With all that info, can anyone answer if the slab should be tied to the foundation or not? Thanks!


texts: Halogen vs. Incandescent - is one 'better' than the other for an oven light?

texts: Is there a 'better' choice between Halogen bulbs and Incandescent bulbs for an inside the oven light?  Is one more efficient or safer than the other?  Should I seriously consider which is used when choosing a new stove?  Thanks.


texts: Why do installers leave a gap between vinyl tiles?

texts:
I've seen professional installers leave a small gap 2-4mm  between vinyl tiles(Please see pic).

This would expose dried glue which would come into the air space(even if a little) and you could basically see the glue in the gaps.
Why do they do this?  Surely it's better to have the tiles as close together as possible so you can neither see, smell it or let it comes up into your air space?

I have done some reading and it seems these are referred to as seams
1.  Why leave a big gap when u can have them right close together?
2.  How should one fill them up?  Grout, caulk, silicone or some other way?  I’d want to use a method where off gassing chemicals expires sooner.

Thanks


texts: I'm trying to install a pendant light to my halo style track fixture. I purchased a pendant light from ikea and an adapter for the track light system. The name of the pendant is the nymane and I purchased a Nora lighting NT368 adapter. My question centers around the wiring of the pendant into the adapter. In the cable that attaches to the ceiling, there is only a live and neutral wire while the ground is attached to the mount. In the adapter, there is a live, neutral and ground wiring. Is there any way that I could attach the pendant without the ground and still not cause any safety issues or is it possible to just leave the wiring of the ground our altogether?


texts: I have periodic hot/cold water issues while showering & my landlord is giving me a hard time about solving it. What can I do?


texts: Do I use a wooden frame for a basement hopper window?

texts:
I am replacing a basement hopper window. The previous owners replaced an old hopper window with a too-small piece of storm window and piece of plywood:

I want to replace this with a correctly-fit hopper window. The question is: Should I

leave the existing wooden frame, and get a new hopper window that fits the frame opening,
tear out the existing framing and put in a new wooden frame, or
get a window that fits the rough opening in the concrete?

At some point we had water leaking in through the frame because the window well got filled up with dirt and other crap.

For what it's worth, it also seems like there is some additional wooden framing outside the window which the existing window is screwed into.


texts: I recently walked my roof. There are some low spots, like little depressions. What causes this and should I be concerned? It seems that the plywood underneath is good but it seems like the underlayment has degraded. Is this normal?


texts: 2 Bulb Chandelier not lighting up anymore

texts: I have a 2 light bulb chandelier that recently stopped working.  I thought it may be the bulbs so I put in new bulbs.  Still not working.  I then tried resetting the electrical breaker.  Still not working.  Any ideas?


texts: Can a modern washing machine pump high enough to reach a sewer line that's 43" above the ground?

texts: Our sewer line is 43" above the ground. Today, the washing machine drains into a washbasin, into an ejector pump, and into the sewer. I would like the washing machine to drain directly into the sewer line, bypassing the washbasin and pump. Can modern washers pump the water high enough to allow for a trap above the 43"?


texts:
I'm 99% sure this is a Kwikset 660 Smartkey deadbolt (has the rekey tool hole on the front).
I moved into an apartment complex and wanted to install an August lock (property management was ok with this after talking to them).
I've installed this lock before on a previous home, and I don't remember there be anything tricky about installing/uninstalling this lock.
I taped the outside lock so it wouldn't fall off.
Inside, I turned the lock to the unlocked position to expose the screws.
I removed both screws.
But when I pulled on the deadbolt, it didn't come off.  Still felt securely fastened in place.
I looked for a hex key hole in case there was some kind of set screw holding it in place.
On neither the deadbolt side or the outside lock side did I see anything like this.
I tried squirting some WD-40 in case it was stuck/wedged, but no luck.
I'm starting to suspect the deadbolt has been "glued" onto the "D" torque blade, but that just seems insane.
Before running off to maintenance, is there anything non-destructive I could try to get this removed?
I would supply images but there's not much I can get a picture of internally.


texts: I removed an electrical outlet by simply disconnecting three wires (ground, hot, and common) and isolating the end of each wire with electrical tape. I have covered the hole and finished the paint work. Now I noticed that a few switches and outlets on another floor of the house stopped working (my non contact voltage detector shows outlets are hot, but connected devices don't work). How can I tell if what I did caused the problem?


texts: Dim only certain lightbulbs on a circuit?

texts:
The builder built my house with multiple outdoor lights on a single circuit.  Most of the lights are non-dimmable LED wall fixtures, but 2 of them are dimmable 6" LED baffles under an overhang.  He put all of these onto a single dimmer switch, which has now broken 2 of the non-dimmable LED fixtures.  They will no longer light up at any current without blinking.  I have since replaced them and the dimmer switch with a normal on/off switch.

I'd like to power the non-dimmable LED fixtures at full current, but run the LED baffles at a ~10% or so dimmed setting since they're next to a bedroom.  I tried to find "lowest wattage equivalent" baffles for the 6" cans, but even the smallest I could find were still 13W and gave off 900 lumens.

I figure I could do this by cutting into the wall and installing an inline dimmer switch before the 2 dimmable LEDs, since they're at the end of the run.  But, I was hoping for a less invasive way to do this and since these are outside that's not a great solution.  Could I put some kind of inline resistor before the first LED to lower the current to the 2 LED fixtures or something else to permanently dim them?

Thanks.


texts: How to use CAT5e ethernet ports in house

texts: I noticed my house has Ethernet ports on all of our bedrooms and kitchen/living room. I would love to take advantage of these by using it to connect a lot of our devices instead of using WiFi but not sure how to do that. Currently our modem/router is connected to one of our cable/co-axial. See pictures below. There are a couple of ports colored blue and white so not sure what the difference in them would be and the box in our closet has 3 color cables hanging which I think where theses ports feed to?


texts: Is it code to have electrical wire going no where?

texts:
I have a wall open in the center of my house.  I am going to run some 14-2 up it and and to about 5 feet from my panel, leaving plenty of extra wire to hook up in a few months.  On the other end I am going to just leave about 30 extra feet in the attic.  Is this code?

I will be installing pot lights on the main floor in 2-3 months and want to run this before I close up the wall this week.


texts:
I bought a house that had been sitting for some time.  One of the the issues that I've discovered is that the flapper valve leaks.  I've come to this conclusion by turning off the water to the tank and combing back later to see that the water level is lower.

I have already replaced the flapper valve itself, and the leak remains.


texts:
I had recessed lights installed at my house a few years ago, using the Elco EL39ICA housings and Elco EL2688W trims. I love this trim because it looks extremely clean. However, as I've learnt recently after contacting the manufacturer, if you want to replace a light bulb, which is what I'm after, you need to access the light from the attic. The manufacturer recommends that an electrician does the job; but, c'mon, do you want me to call an electrician to replace a light bulb?

I went up there, failed to open the housing. The whole housing looks like this (image from the manufacturer web site):

The housing has 4 screens on the top, and 4 on each side, which you may be able to see in the image below. I tried unscrewing those, but it didn't get me anywhere.

The whole housing is nailed (4 nails) and screwed (8 screws) to the beams:

Could it be that I would need to remove those screws and nails? The screws are not a problem, but the nails are more tricky to remove, and I thought that there must be a better way to open the housing. Maybe some parts slides out? Any idea or suggestion?


texts: Tile veneer cabinets / fix veener damage

texts:
My wife would like me to put in a tile backsplash for the kitchen.  She really didn't like the granite backer, so I had to pull it off.  Problem is, the granite was glued onto the cabinet, and when I was trying to scrape off the caulking, it obviously did some damage.

Is there any way to fix this damage?  If they were solid cabinets I'd just sand and re-stain, but since they're a thin veneer, not sure if this is possible.  Would I be able to cover it in chalkboard paint, or would it be possible to just tile over the veneer?


texts: Running ethernet cable from living room (main floor) to second floor office

texts:
I've seen some similar posts  but not necessarily addressing my particular situation.
Our house has an unfinished basement , main floor, and second floor.  We have our router set up next to our TV on the main floor.  There are outlets covered by face plates that all have CAT 3 wiring in all of the bedrooms on the second floor.
I would like to wire CAT 5e for my second floor office.  There is an existing plug in the perfect spot by my desk, but I would have to run the wire.  I'm not sure exactly how this would work.
The router on the first floor does have a PVC pipe in the wall right beside which leads to the basement.  I get that I could make use of that, but I'm not sure how the run would work from the basement to the second floor.
When I took the face plate off the office outlet, the CAT 3 wire looks like it is coming down from above, so I'm assuming it is in the attic.
How would one run the wire in this situation?


texts: Converting switched receptacle to overhead light

texts:
I am trying to convert a switched receptacle to be a constant on outlet, and add an overhead light that is controlled by the switch. I have shut off all the power in the room and tested each outlet to ensure they are off.

I hope the pictures provide enough detail but here is the current setup:

At switch:

2 white wires, wirenutted together
2 back wires, both going to the top right screw
1 red wire, going to the bottom right screw
Box is 2" deep

At the receptacle:

3 black wires, wirenutted together
1 red wire, going to bottom right screw
3 white wires, 2 going to the top left screw and 1 going to the bottom left screw
Box is 2" deep

I would like add two recessed lights in the ceiling. This is in a second floor bedroom and I do have access to the ceiling to run the wires, although I have not done so yet.

Any help would be appreciated, I searched for a bit but didn't see many diagrams that showed this wiring configuration. Thanks in advance!

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who helped with answers for my problem and explaining the answer in a simple and consice manner! I really do appreciate it.

Hello, I thought I had it figured out. I test fit all the wires and everything worked as planned. However, now that I have shortened the extra wires and put the switch into the box the overhead lights do not come on.

Above is the new configuration at the switch, I did not modify the wiring at the outlet that was previously controlled by the switch (it now works 100% of the time). I've double checked all my connections and everything appears good, any idea where I should start troubleshooting?

Thanks for all the help thus far.


texts: Does paint flashpoint have any thing to do with drying time?

texts:
I was looking at the specs for Kilz original and saw it had a flashpoint of 75 degrees Fahrenheit. I didn't know what flashpoint was, so I found the following definition:

  Flammable liquids have a flash point of less than 100°F. Liquids with lower flash points ignite easier. Combustible liquids have a flashpoint at or above 100°F. The vapor burns, not the liquid itself. The rate at which a liquid produces flammable vapors depends upon its vapor pressure.

Source: https://blink.ucsd.edu/safety/research-lab/chemical/liquids/

It's interesting that the dry time for this paint is cited at 77 degrees Fahrenheit, two degrees higher than its flash point.

  Dry Time at 77°F (25°C), 50% RH
  Dries to the touch in 30 minutes at 77°F (25°C) and 50% humidity.
  Recoat or topcoat after 1 hour.

Does drying at a temperature over have any beneficial effect such as less fumes or improved drying time?


texts: 2 outlets in kitchen have no power to them

texts: I have two outlets in my kitchen that have no power to them. I didn't change plugs because there is no power to them. I checked breakers and there is power coming out. I checked  bus bar and made sure wire was secure. I don't know what to do next?


texts: What can we do about previously filled holes so I can varnish wood?

texts: We have bought a house that has nice wooden doors, but holes in them have been filled ready for painting.  We would prefer to varnish the wood - what can we do about the white filling in the holes?


texts: How do I prevent a drop in flow in a system with a pressure tank, 40/60 pressure switch, filter and water softener?

texts:
I have a well with a 30/55 pressure switch, and I hate the shower pressure. I am redoing the main water appliances with a new pressure tank (going from 20 gallon to 35 gallon), new 40/60 pressure switch, a sediment filter, whole house filter and water softener.

Each appliance uses a 1" hookup and I'm worried about the flow. Should I use 1" PEX equivalent to 3/4 copper or go with 1" CPVC? I'm worried about all these appliances obstructing the flow.

From my well I have a pressure tank, then a sediment filter, then a whole house Morten filter, than a water softener.....with these appliances I don't want to lose flow....each has a 1" hookup on it and feed in is a 3/4 " copper......should I go with cpvc in between 1" or Pex 1"


texts: Should the panel in my mobile home be set up as a sub-panel?

texts:
My bobile home has a disconnect at meter and three 6 AWG wires leaving the outside disconnect. There are 3 wires coming up under the house into a 50amp cataleptic box and the panel in the home plugs in to that by a 6/4 cord.
What happened is the main sewer line backed up and the clean out flooded the under side of home and the box and plug got corrosion and I have lost one leg I have already examined the box it and the cord need replaced.
I don't see a ground wire any where in box or in my panel and the grounds and neutrals are mixed and bonded in the main panel in side. The is no ground to the water main as  the rest of the lines are plastic after the main incoming line.
The panel inside is a sec Panel with ground and neutrals mixed and bonded to the panel, this doesn't look right or sound good to me.
Should the box underneath be done away with as my home and outside disconnect are 100amp can that be spliced and ran directly to the panel inside.
Shouldn't the panel inside be treated as a sub panel having a disconnect 30ft away at the meter pole?
I don't know if somehow this mess got grandfather's in or what but it's doesn't sound up to code.
This has been that way long before I bought the home 9 years ago and was fine until the sewer backed up last year and the corrosion built up and I lost that leg.
I guess what I'm asking is:
Should the panel inside be changed to a sub panel and be grounded to a water pipe and that 50amp receptacle box done away with or just replaced?


texts: How to easily fix/replace central vacuum wall mount bracket?

texts:
I noticed one of my central vacuum plates was loose so I unscrewed it and took it off and found that both screw holes were broken. (see attached circled in red.)
Are there any easy tricks or ways to fix these?
I’ve found a replacement bracket online, but the problem is that these are cement glued in so I’d have to go to the basement, find the tube, cut it, re-glue, etc.


texts: Garage door won't open unless I hold the wall button down

texts:
My Genie garage door closes fine on all occasions but it won't open unless I hold the wall button down. This causes real hassle as I can't use my remote opener to open the door as well.

Here is what happening...

When it is fully open or close, left sensor - solid red, right sensor - solid green. If I block the sensors, left sensor blinks red, right sensor stays solid green.

If it is close and I press the wall button and let go, door would open an inch or so and stop. No flash on motor unit light bulb.

If the door is closing and I block the sensors, door stop immediately (does not bounce back up).

What could be the problem/s and how to fix? Thanks in advance.


texts:
Our new dryer has 3 prongs vs. 4. We are changing to the new 3 prong dryer outlet, but want to make sure we are grounding. The wires coming from the wall our white, red & black - the the copper wire.
Do I need to ground it??
Thank you!
Molly


texts:
I am considering   purchasing this towel warmer   Model AN-5309   for my bathroom.
I am setup to hard wire the device. I would like to attach this to a programmable wall thermostat.
Can anyone confirm if that is possible with this unit?


texts: Should a power drill or impact driver be used to drive screws?

texts: Pretty straight-forward. I thought it was absolutely normal and acceptable to use a power drill, with the appropriate bit(s), to drive a screw. However, there seem to be various opinions on the matter. Minus the possibility of laziness, should one only drive a screw with a screwdriver, or is a power drill or impact driver equally matched (and will they not be damaged)?


texts:
I want to build stairs in rectangular area of 6 feet by 9 feet to reach ceiling which is 8 feet high above ground floor. Is it possible build such stairs?

If yes, then what would be height of steps? I want to mention that step size of stairs should be between 6 to 7 inch.


texts: How should I seal a 2 inch gap between my driveway and garage slab?

texts:
First time posting. I was caulking the 2in wide x 16ft long gap between my driveway and garage yesterday and I screwed it up. I cleared most debris out then put play sand as a base. Then I put foam backer in there but I suppose it wasn't deep enough. It was taking a lot of bottles of caulk to fill the gap. Now the foam backer has risen to the top of most of it. Its basically a covered caulk rope.

Should I just rip out the foam backer and place a new one in there lower down as a I can? Then put new caulk on top. Will I even be able to do that at this point? I was trying to get away with not using as much caulk but it looks like that backfired.

Any advice is welcomed. Thanks!


texts: Is American Cherry wood flooring durable enough for a kitchen and living room?

texts:
We are wanting to replace the carpet in our living/dining room and the vinyl flooring in our kitchen with solid hardwood floor. It's about 500 square foot on a heated crawl space floor. We like the look of Mirage's American Cherry (It's on Mirage's spring sale), but we are concerned with how soft it is. We don't have any pets and we don't wear shoes in the house.

I am worried about how much it will wear out in say 5-10 years of average usage from daily living. I am also considering Santos Mahogany, but it is almost 50% more than the American Cherry right now.


texts: Recommend attachment for a drill/driver for drywall screws

texts:
I know there exist special 'screw guns' which are used to install drywall sheets and ensure that the sheets won't be crushed when driving screws.
Do there exist special attachments which are installed in   drill/drivers that basically guarantee that screws won't run deeper?


texts: I have a Champion 120V generator, I want to use it to plug into a preinstalled/wired 240volt split phase outlet

texts:
I have a new champion generator, 120volt at 20 to 30amp. The previous home owner had  the same unit but 240 volt. The home has a professionally installed system for power backup but has a 4 pin 240 volt outlet as per photo.
My question is, can I adapt my unit to the 240 volt system which I think is split phase because it also runs a 1.5HP well pump motor?


texts: Can I use exterior paint over interior paint+primer?

texts:
Can I use an interior paint+primer as the primer/undercoat for an exterior paint?
I have an unfinished exterior wood door that I want to paint before installation.
I have some interior paint+primer that was used on my interior trim. I have some exterior paint that was used on the exterior trim. The interior is Valspar, the exterior is Dunn-Edwards Evershield. I'm pretty sure both are 100% acrylic-latex paint. Both are semi-gloss.
My plan is to paint the entire door with the interior paint+primer. Once I've applied a few coats and it has thoroughly dried, I'll then paint the exterior facing side with the exterior paint.
Will I run into any issues painting exterior paint over the interior paint+primer?


texts: I have a stacked stone fireplace in my dining room with a gas insert. It has two flat stone pieces that extend out further than the rest of the stones that you would use to sit something on. The two pieces are offset from each other and at different levels. I would like to get rid of these two stones by basically cutting off the part that protrudes out so that the whole fireplace face is flush. I this possible? If so, what is the best way to do it?


texts: Can you run a junction inside an outlet or recessed light

texts:
I have been working on finishing my basement and am starting my rough in electrical. I am learning as I go and have gotten most of the basics down.. calc load, box size, stapling, supports etc.

One thing I cant figure out is if you can have a junction within a live outlet or recessed light. Ideally I would like to run a Y from my last recessed light can with one line going right, to a receptecle and one going left, to the end switch. I am guessing this is against NEC code but have been unable to find out for sure, partly because I am unsure of the correct terminology for it.

Can someone point me in the right direction? Is this even called a junction? or is it called something else like a branch?

I am getting a pro to do some of the finish connections but I am doing all of the rough in.


texts: Need help wiring ceiling fan wall control to 3way switch

texts:
I am installing a parrot uncle ceiling fan F3504A that came with a wall control (remote). The directions are unclear
Basic wiring to ceiling fan with light white to neutral and blue black to hot.

The wall control says connect: ac to black (hot),
“light L” on fan to “for light L” on wall control,
and
“Fan L” on fan to “for fan L” on wall control

but there is no wires from fan to wall switch for that. The neutral and blue on wall control is looped into relay I need help


texts: How do I stop the ticking noise coming from my furnace duct?

texts:
I've had some HVAC people here to look at the ticking noise coming from our furnace duct. One of them installed a brace on the piece in question. This seemed to make the ticking less frequent, although the ticking still occurred. Another removed it and loosened the ductwork braces from the ceiling saying the furnace ducts need to "breathe", but this seemed to make things worse.

Any recommendations on getting the noise to permanently stop when running on auto heat?

Please see the video here on YouTube to see what I'm talking about.


texts:
So I have a 100A sub panel Box in my shop with its own 100A main breaker at the top of the box and has 5 240v
20A breakers and All together I'm only using 77A worth of equipment if all on at the same time and no 20A breaker has more than 18A if on all at the same time and all this is being fed by the main panel box with a 100A breaker for my shop  out side by the electric pole and this is a 200A box why does the 100A breaker outside pop
But not the  100A breaker in the sub panel box in my shop


texts: Can you really use 2 cables in place of /4 Romex?

texts:
I have always presumed that currents must be equal in the same cable or conduit, and one shouldn't use multiple cables for 4-5 conductors because of eddy current heating, induced vibration causing metal fatigue, etc.
However, then I closely examined the following Code:

300.3(B) Conductors of the Same Circuit. All conductors of the same circuit and, where used, the grounded conductor and all equipment grounding conductors and bonding conductors shall be contained within the same raceway, auxiliary gutter, cable tray, cablebus assembly, trench, cable, or cord, unless otherwise permitted in accordance with 300.3(B)(1) through (B)(4).
300.3(B)(3) Nonferrous Wiring Methods. Conductors in wiring methods with a nonmetallic or other nonmagnetic sheath, where run in different raceways, auxiliary gutters, cable trays, trenches, cables, or cords, shall comply with the provisions of 300.20(B).
300.20(B) Individual Conductors. Where a single conductor carrying alternating current passes through metal with magnetic properties, the inductive effect shall be minimized by (1) cutting slots in the metal between the individual holes through which the individual conductors pass or (2) passing all the conductors in the circuit through an insulating wall sufficiently large for all of the conductors of the circuit.

Provided that you either a) use a plastic box, b) enter both cables on the same cable clamp, or c) slot the box as discussed...
Is that authorizing the use of two /2 cables in lieu of a /4, e.g. in a 3-way switch loop where neutral is needed?

Edit: I've italicized the relevant snippets, and here they are alone:

300.3(B) Conductors of the Same Circuit. All conductors of the same circuit shall be contained within the same  cable, unless otherwise permitted in accordance with 300.3(B)(1) through (B)(4).
300.3(B)(3) Nonferrous Wiring Methods. Conductors in wiring methods with a nonmetallic sheath, where run in different cables, shall comply with the provisions of 300.20(B).


texts: Advice for building a Brick Rocket Stove

texts:
After watching video I'm really interested in building something similar. I see that most bricks have holes in them. I'm wondering whether you can use some sort of steel rods that you taper in these holes so that there is no chance of the bricks moving.

Also what sort of oil can you treat the red bricks with the make them look pretty. Obviously, I want to cook from this makeshift oven but if possible I also want to make it look pretty. I'm just concerned that some treatments may not like to be put on hot bricks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Adfq5E5d0-8


texts: I replaced old thermostat with Honeywell wifi and added C wire from furnace to new thermostat. I left the jumper wire on Rc and R in place and wifi would not come on line. Checked C wire and have 28vdc from C to R. The C wire is grounded to furnace just as it's supposed to be. The old thermostat does not have a C wire or Rc terminal. It is a Trane XT300C thermostat. What am I doing wrong?


texts: Inlet filter on washing machine clogging

texts:
I have a whirlpool front loading washing machine.

Model WFW9150ww00

Each inlet valve has an inserted filter with a very fine mesh.  The first couple of years were fine.  In the last 6 months I have twice had to take off the hose, extract the filter with a pair of pliers, and blow it free of invisible crud.  That is, I couldn't see anything blocking the holes.

The snit mode it gets into works like this:

It will abort a cycle and beep.  Decoding the beeps gives me a message like "Inadequate fill rate"  Looking for answers to this gave me the clean the filter tip.

On several occasions I have unplugged it, plugged it in, and was able to restart the cycle.  Sometimes this works.  Sometimes not.

Compounding this:  We have our own well.  Our water pressure fluctuates between 55 and 75 psi.  My current hypothesis:  When the power cycle fixes it, it occurred when the pressure was low, making the flow rate worse.  Cycling it allowed the well pump to kick in and at the higher pressure it was fine.

I don't think it is just the water.  We use the same well for irrigation and the water passes through a 200 mesh disc filter (different line).  That filter needs to cleaned about every 2 million liters.

so...

Can I replace the screen with a coarser mesh?  Internally what exactly  is dependent on such a fine mesh screen?
How does the flow sensor work? Can it be marginal?


texts: How high of a structure can I build for growing hops

texts: I would like to grow hops for home brewing and can't find any information on how high of an agricultural structure I can build without a permit, the people I am getting the rhizomes from say "16-18ft", Can I build something that high legaly? Safely? Would 2x4s anchored into the ground and set up in a tripod be smart?


texts: I hardwired a wall lamp (with its own on-board knob switch), to a wall switch elsewhere. When turned on, spark and pop

texts:
We received these very generic no-brand wall lamps. They came with a plug, and simple instructions to cut the plug and hard wire if desired.
We wired them from a wall switch, but that part is likely irrelevant. Desire is for switch capabilities on the lamp AND on the wall.
We wired it in two nuts: [incoming-black / knob-black / bulb-white] and [incoming-white / knob-white / bulb-black].
Turned on the circuit, turned the wall switch on, turned the knob on, and it worked fine. High-five! Turned the lamp knob off to test, and it sparked & died.
See attached for wired in the back of lamp. What did I miss?


texts: Kitchen faucet gives hot water when I close the cold tap

texts:
I have a faucet in the kitchen sink that is provided cold water. There is a pipe from the faucet to the electric water heater, and then a third pipe to feed the hot water back to the faucet.

When the water heater is full of hot water, I notice a problem. I open the cold water, then close it, and the faucet runs for an extra second. In that second, the cold water is totally cut-off and the faucet starts pulling hot water from the hot water tank. The next time I try to use the cold water, I first painfully burn my hands with the blistering hot water still in the faucet, and then get the cold water.

Why would this happen? If you are wondering, like me, why my faucet has 3 pipes, i have created another question for that.


texts: New garage door opener belt sags when opening

texts:
I recently replaced our chain driven garage door opener (which functioned fine for 9 years) with a Chamberlain MyQ opener which runs off of a belt, instead.  It was nearly a direct swap and all works as desired except... when opening the door, the belt on the non-pulling side is very loose.  So loose that it drags along the top of the door as it's pulling up.
It's been suggested from neighbors that this is not normal, and I'm not sure what/if there's a solution for it.

The door is a typical steel rollup with the addition of styrofoam insulation on the interior, and cedar veneer on the exterior.  The cedar is heavy.  Pulling the quick release to open the door by hand takes some effort, but is not too burdensome and it lifts without any dragging or catching. The majority of the cedar veneer is 5/8".  What is seen in the pictures below includes a 3"x5/8" border on top of the vertical planks.

The motor seems to show no signs of strain (and neither did the old-lower-powered one)

So, the cascading questions are:

Is this really abnormal?
Could it be due to the added weight of the cedar, thus is the belt not adequate?
Can/should the roller springs be adjusted or upgraded to accommodate the added weight
of the cedar?

Thanks for your assistance --

This is a Youtube link to a video demonstrating what I'm experiencing, and some closer pictures below


texts: Why did my garage door opener stop working?

texts: It didn't work, so I put a new battery in the remote.    Worked for several days, but then not today.    Motor of opener did not engage (not a problem w/rollers etc.)  I already checked the sensors and power source etc.


texts: Which side are these washers supposed to go?

texts:
I’m trying to assemble this trolly and the instructions are blatantly useless. Attempting to check it from the box picture, I was convinced that the washer goes on the nut side, but as I tried fitting one caster without even tightening it hard, I got a feeling that the railing got a bit crooked (it will be under load pressure) as the caster base isn’t wide enough and that if the washer goes to the inner side, it would provide more support to prevent the caster based wedge int the railing and bend it, but then the front and back heights won’t be the same, since the front side doesn’t have washers. I know we’re speaking about a few millimeters but still.

So which side do you think it should go?


texts: BASEMENT EMT CONDUIT + 12G THNN WIRES + NM-B

texts:
Sometime I started (slow pace) the rewiring process of a large mansonry house. Overall I intend to use EMT conduit inside walls, and in the attic mostly bx/mc conduit. Will mostly use 12G THNN and sometimes I will use romex (and will derate the conduit whenever required: 100% filling rate) The house has a small basement (which is a breeze to do for what there is no ton of insulation there) and I plan on using mostly EMT, THNN, and sporadically nm-b.

I understand that romex is required to be affixed/clamped 12" from a box and also in the box's knockout. I have a situation whereby the romex  travels a very short distance (about 4 feet) inside a partial wall which then makes it very difficult to clamp the wire at the box end or inside the wall cavity. The pic below depicts the situation:

The box below will contain a light switch and a dual receptacle, and the romex come from inside the wood joist and unless I drill a large bore there (or a special fitting exist) I don't see how to clamp the wire to the box itself:

The romex travels about 3 or 4 feet to the junction box (left of the switch box facing) inside the narrow wall cavity, thus making it difficult to clamp within the wall too.

By the way, most of the wire is thnn traveling in 1/2 emt conduit, as shown below:

So, I was wondering whether or not I could use the exception present on NEC 334.30(B) [see below exception] and thus do not use clamp at the box, at 12" of the box, and within the short section inside the narrow wall cavity.

334.30 Securing and Supporting Nonmetallic-sheathed cable shall be supported and secured by staples, cable ties, straps, hangers, or similar ﬁttings designed and installed so as not to damage the cable, at intervals not exceeding 1.4 m (4 1⁄2 ft) and within 300 mm (12 in.) of every outlet box. junction box, cabinet, or ﬁtting. Flat cables shall not be stapled on edge. Sections of cable protected from physical damage by raceway shall not be required to be secured within the raceway.
(A) Horizontal Runs Through Holes and Notches. In other than vertical runs, cables installed in accordance with 300.4 shall be considered to be supported and secured where such support does not exceed 1.4-m (4 1⁄2-ft) intervals and the nonmetallic-sheathed cable is securely fastened in place by an approved means within 300 mm (12 in.) of each box, cabinet, conduit body, or other nonmetallicsheathed cable termination.
FPN: See 314.17(C) for support where nonmetallic boxes are used
(B) Unsupported Cables. Nonmetallic-sheathed cable shall be permitted to be unsupported where the cable:
(1) Is ﬁshed between access points through concealed spaces in ﬁnished buildings or structures and supporting is impracticable.
(2) Is not more than 1.4 m (4 1 ⁄2 ft) from the last point of cable support to the point of connection to a luminaire or other piece of electrical equipment and the cable and point of connection are within an accessible ceiling


texts:
I'm over at my grandparents house and they have 2 large protruding cracks in what I guess is butt between two drywall pieces. I scraped the crack a bit with a paint scraper and to my surprise pieces of 'plaster' came off and behind it is what seems to be drywall but no tape and no butt.

They said there might have been wallpaper painted over, however that does not seem to be the case as I didn't 'see' any wallpaper in my scraping.

So to continue with the fix I widened the cracks to the point where none of the 'plaster' was falling off. In one location it was slightly less than the width of a piece of drywall tape, and in the other it was slightly more at one part.

I filled the cracks thus far with joint compound with a slight feather, and will most likely sand this so its entirely flat after it finishes drying so what we are left with is a filled crack area with no protrusions. Then I will most likely apply another coat of joint compound this time feathering it out wider so that it is not noticeable.

My question is, after I sand the first and currently drying coat, should I apply tape or mesh (normally I would do this if it were a small no protruding crack and I didn't have to widen it, or if there was a butt)? There is no seam in the drywall behind it, and I think with adequate feather I can hide the crack seams. I suppose if I did have to mesh or tape it on one I would have to use two pieces of mesh side by side to cover the entirety of the area.


texts: How do I use the rubber strap with my drill's chuck key?

texts:
The instructions are rather obtuse on the matter, so what do I do with this rubber strap that, I believe, is intended to keep the chuck key with my drill?

How do I apply it?

Is the slot at the bottom of the drill handle (see image) involved?


texts: For the last month, I have a vibrating sound low in volume, but strong enough to hear clearly sounding like a motor or a pump.  I turned off the power and also shut off the water, but to no avail...the sound continues.  It is so hard to sleep and ear plugs help.  I checked in the crawl space and did not hear it.  The sound is hard to locate, but may be coming from the garage.  I hear the sound in most of the home, but stronger nearer to the garage.  Right now late in night, it is really humming.  No signs of leaking pipes.  I am stumped and so wish to cut that sound out.  What to do, who to get (plumber or electrician) and how to  find the source of the sound?


texts:
I pulled out an old toilet and there wasn't a flange in the floor to use when installing the replacement. It looks like the bolts were drilled straight into the ground, although one of them I had to pull out to remove the toilet. I'm not sure what kind of pipe it is; it looks like concrete on the inside, but looking up at the pipe from the basement it's definitely some sort of metal; not sure if it's cast iron or if it's painted black.
Is there any way to add a flange to this without having to drill new holes through the floor?
Here are some photos of what I'm seeing. The first photo is of where the old toilet was removed. The second photo is the pipe underneath, in the basement. The pipe looks kinda grody, but it's been there for 90+ years.


texts: ceiling surface mount fluorescent light question

texts:
I just picked up a great deal on some 4' fluorescent ceiling mount lights for my garage.  Looking at the docs from the manufacturer, they state:

  MOUNTING Ceiling surface mount (HO and VHO units must
  be suspended at least 6” from ceiling for cooler operation
  and longer ballast life)

Does this mean that I can't surface mount my surface mount lights?


texts: Should I get a keyed chuck for cordless drill?

texts:
I am thinking of getting a Milwaukee M18 fuel drill/ driver combo.  The drill is insane with 750in-lbf of torque.  It comes with a hand tighten chuck though.  My other Milwaukee corded screwdriver has a key tighten chuck and I like how tight I can get it.

My current drill (very old 9.6v Ni-Cad drill) has a 3/8in hand-tighten chuck.  When I drill through steel with this chuck it comes loose.  I'm not sure if more modern hand tighten chucks like the one on the M18 are better or not.

If I do get this new drill would it be worth it to get a new chuck, or would the one it comes with be sufficient?


texts:
I have a 50 amp gfci spa panel need to make it 60 for new spa. Can I just change the breaker or do I have to change the entire box?

Thanks


texts: I have two bathrooms back to back.  one with a tub and shower and the other is a walk in shower.    Both have the same shower head.    One has super pressure, the other is eh.   What do you this causes this?


texts: Test outlets to see if knob and tube? (grounded?)

texts:
Considering a rewire in the future and want to figure out which outlets (and ideally fixtures) are knob and tube. I know many are, some are not. Probably all 2 prong outlets are k&t, possible some 3 prongs are as well.

Is this best done with a multimeter, an outlet tester or something else? What are the steps then? Thanks!


texts: How do I find the correct replacement parts for kohler toilet tank?

texts: I need to fix the tank of this kohler toilet -- It is slowly and constantly draining into the bowl (enough so that the city called about excessive water usage).  I'd like to replace the parts inside the tank, and was wondering if these were pretty standard parts, or how I would determine exactly which replacement parts I need.


texts: Placing stone over metal fireplace face. Is this possible?

texts:
let me start by saying I have seen mixed answers all over the web (and from professionals whom I have spoke to). At this point I wanted to hear thoughts from folks online.

As seen in my picture I am looking to tile the remaining black metal fireplace face with the same stone seen surrounding it. I have checked the installation instructions and the metal can be covered with a non combustible material. It is also worth noting the fireplace is gas, the metal is pretty solid (doesn’t expand when I push it) and even after running the fireplace for 2-3 hours it doesn’t get to hot to the touch. (But definitely heats up)

My question is: Is it possible to apply a tile or stone to this black metal fireplace using modern technology? If so how? I have been told the following solutions “could” work:

1.) use latapoxy 310 to set the stone directly on the metal face

2.) use latapoxy or a high tempature adhesive to glue concrete board to the metal face and tile as needed.

3.) screw the cement board directly to the metal box and tile as needed (could also glue and screw using high tempature adhesive)

4.) use some special mortar which handles high temps tires

5.) there were other options using lathes and what not but outside my realm of understanding :)

I would love to hear opinions on this, if anyone has done this? If it’s possible?

Thanks so much guys!


texts: running underground electric service to shed on concrete slab

texts:
I've been searching for information on how to bring electrical service underground to a shed that will be sitting on a concrete slab 12" thick at the perimeter. The shed will sit about 6" in from the edge of the slab. There is plenty of information available on how to run underground conduits but I'm specifically interested in how the conduit passes through the concrete slab so that it is code-compliant (US Uniform Code) and how to prepare for this before the concrete is poured.
Electrical Metallic Tubing can be buried 6" deep.  Can EMT that has been bent into an L exit the face of the slab and connect there to EMT coming from the house, and emerge from the slab inside the shed just beyond the sill plate? Or does the EMT have to emerge outside the shed and connect there to a box and from that box pass through the wall of the shed?


texts: Fiberous Material White Material below Plaster - Asbestos?

texts:
I am stripping off wallpaper from an old Scottish building. Some of the walls have damage, and some of the plaster has a white hairlike fiberous material below. I found this before it was in a whitey orange sheet that was exposed where a doorhandle had hit the wall too hard and exposed the fibers below the plaster, I didn't think twice about it, I plastered over it.

Today I came across it again, and it suddenly occurred to me that this could be asbestos. Has anyone seen anything like this before? Note this is a very small section, so it is largely undisturbed.

Does this look like abestos, and if it is, for small sections like this, is it safe to plaster over it?

I clipped off part of it with a scissors and took it outside. Then at arms length I set fire to it with a lighter holding it with tweezers with a mask on. It fizzled. It didn't melt, nor did it catch fire, but the strands disappeared very quickly.

I then took a small sample of fibers and brushed them with tweezers bending them to see if they broke off, they did not, the fibers were springy and no amount of bending them caused the fibers to snap off.

I then inspected the fibers carefully and saw that all the fibers were of the same thickness. I tried to tug at the fibers using two tweezers and there was a very high tensile strength - the fibres didn't break under strain.

Has anyone see this stuff before? Does it look like asbestos? Is it safe to plaster over?


texts: I have house numbers on my stucco there are no screws. They seem to be glued on in someway. How can I remove them? I want to put new floating more modern numbers on. Any help would be greatly appreciated


texts: Repurpose light switch to control surge protector?

texts:
I have a lone light switch lying around and thought it would be cool to use this switch to turn on/off a surge protector instead of the smaller switch on the surge protector. Can this be done?

The benefit of doing this is that I can separate the outlets and the switch; the surge protector is hidden underneath a desk, and the light switch is on top of the desk, for example.


texts: Why is there white crust on my dishes after they are washed in the dish washer?

texts:
Recently my dishes have been coming out of the dish-washer with a lot of white powdery-crust all over them. It's extremely hard to scrub off and often the only way to remove it is to soak them in vinegar.

What could be causing this and how do I fix it? My dishwasher is less than 6 months old.

I have tried jet-dry and have been using the little two-pack tablet things that dissolve in the dishwasher (seems to give me the best of all the bad outcomes).


texts: What length of finishing nail should I use?

texts:
I just re-tiled my master bathroom and plan to put wood trim back up around the perimeter soon. How do I know what length of finishing nails to use?

I see 2" and 1.5" nails - does it really matter?


texts: Old single pane House window has a crack, can I fix it using a resin?   Sort of like how a windshield crack can be repaired with resin?


texts: How can I replace a pressure gauge on a well pump?

texts: The gauge on my well pump is shot (reads 0, even when there is good pressure).  I've purchased a replacement, so what are the steps I should follow to replace it?


texts: LED MR16 replacement bulbs: How to evaluate brightness and color temp?

texts:
The main area of my house uses MR16 exclusively, mostly 50W bulbs.

I have tried a few LED replacements over the years (none for the past 2 years), and have not been happy with brightness (not bright enough) and color temp (narrow spectrum, and cold).

Where can I find truly impartial reviews on bulbs so I can migrate to LED?


texts: Trying to fix leaky faucet but can’t find set screw

texts: This hole is in the back and impossible to see what’s inside???


texts: Should I expect a level ceiling when my kitchen was completely gutted?

texts: My contractor is giving me the runaround. I really like the guy, but I feel like this is unacceptable. My new cabinets look off because of it. What should I do?


texts:
I need to drill 2 holes in a concrete wall, about 1.5m apart and I need the line between them to be as horizontal as possible.

I have a level, not that big, and few other basic tools.

How can I align them properly?


texts:
I inherited one of those nifty hose winder reel things that make storing your hoses really easy. However, this one seems slightly broken. There's a black plastic part that you screw your input hose into that fits onto the reel, like so:

However, it pulls right out; there doesn't seem to be anything actually holding it in place.

The black plastic thing that you connect the hose to says to "pull tabs on out tube" but I don't see any tabs anywhere to pull.

Here's the thing the black plastic part fits into:

Is it just broken? Would it be the end of the world if I superglued or epoxied the black plastic thing into the unit itself to prevent it from coming out?


texts: Why has my hardwood floor buckled 10 years after installation?

texts: So I installed hardwood flooring in my dining room about 10 years ago and in the last week, it buckled on one side of the room (about 4 inches high!). When I pulled the flooring up to cut down the last row, there was no moisture in the subfloor. I had left room for expansion/contraction when I installed it but again, this was 10 years ago and I haven’t had ANY problems with buckling until last week. The only thing I can think of is that I got a new AC unit last year, but if anything I would think that would decreases the humidity in my home.


texts: Install plastic between drywall ceilings and rafters?

texts:
We are building a new house and are getting ready to install the drywall on the ceilings. We have installed a 6 mil plastic barrier on the underside of the rafters to act as an air & moisture barrier. The barrier will be sandwiched between the drywall and the rafters and under the blow-in insulation. I talked with another insulation guy that said he thinks it might trap moisture in the house and cause problems with the ceilings. He thinks we should tear out the plastic before we install the drywall ceilings.

Does anyone know if the plastic barrier will help or hurt us?


texts: Can Wet and Forget be used in a basement?

texts:
Can Wet and Forget (or similar product) be used in an unfinished basement? This style of spray connects to a garden hose and mixes as it is sprayed on affected areas.

I am wondering if the additional moisture is just going to cause further mold problems if it's unable to dry as it would when used outdoors.


texts: Are my trusses capable of carrying the load of insulation and drywall?

texts:
We are insulating our garage and need to build a ceiling to separate the attic and the main garage area. The span of the bottom chord of our trusses is 22 feet. Will our truss system support the weight of the drywall and insulation?
Here are some pictures of our garage roof, which was built in 1970.


texts: How can I prevent water from remaining in a flexible shower hose?

texts:
installing a handheld shower over tub, all new plumbing.  diverter valve on tub spout.  pressure-balancing control and no fixed shower head.

I want to make sure water will not sit in the handheld hose between uses.  It seems that it should siphon out thru the tub spout when the flow is turned off, please confirm?


texts: Can I convert a 240v plug serving a stacked washer/dryer to 120v plug to serve the washer only?

texts:
I have a stackable washer dryer combo with one 240V plug. The dryer works on 240V and the washer works 120V, but they have 1 control panel. The dryer died and the room only has one 120v and one 240v plug socket. Can I switch out the 240v plug for a 120v plug and get the washer to work? or are my only options either get a new 120v washer and a 240v dryer or add another 240v plug to the wall with a 30amp breaker?

Is this as simple as:

getting a 3 wire 120 cord-set of at least 14 gauge.
connect neutral to neutral terminal
black to black terminal
ground to ground terminal

I have experience with 120v power and I'd like to do this myself if its easy.


texts:
What I am looking for is some kind of software to store ideas (links, images, text) for an upcoming renovation. When the renovation starts, schedules could be kept to the same item to know when work commences on it, when it should be done, etc.

I have researched the internet and haven't exactly found what I am looking for. Being in a renovation at this moment, I am trying to use 3 pieces of software to manage everything;

Pinterest for storing images and ideas to incorporate in the renovation. Also used to store different types of finishing touches (colors/brands/etc.).
Evernote for storing lists of required materials, lists of suppliers, tenders, important notes during the renovation.
Google Calendar is used to keep the schedules of arriving materials, POC's (Points Of Completion), schedules contractors need to keep, etc.

My problem is that there is no way I can have a comprehensive overview on all this information. This is why I was wondering if someone could point me to some software which could help me keep this overview.


texts: IKEA Billy DIY bookcases without bolting in a wall. Is it a good idea/safe?

texts:
Is it a good idea to buy a bookcase that is a DIY assembly for a large collection of big and heavy books?
Is it safe?
To be clear I am interested if the Billy bookcases of IKEA can be safely used for heavy books without bolting (L brackets or similar) it to the wall.
Does it depend on the height? Would something like bookshelf shims be needed/help?


texts: Why is a neutral wire needed for most 'smart' light switches?

texts: Why do most smart light switches need a neutral wire?


texts: Painted sample areas have different sheen than the rest of the wall

texts: I recently finished my basement.  Had the drywall textured.  Painted three sample areas of different paint colors I was trying to decide on.  I decided on one and got the paint from a different paint store than the samples.  I primed over the samples with two coats and then painted three coats of paint on the walls.  When dried I could see the areas that I painted the samples were shinier than the rest of the wall.  Any one know why this is or how to fix it.  Thanks!


texts: Is it possible to collect rain water from a roof for drinking use?

texts:
For a re-roofing or new build, I was pondering the possibility of capturing and purifying water for drinking use.  Are there good examples of this?  What roofing materials should be used or avoided?

This could be relaxed to vegetable gardening gray water, so long as the roofing material didn't introduce something that would end up in the produce (unless it was practical to filter out before reaching the produce).


texts: Replacing Load-Bearing 2x4 wall with beam and posts - Basement

texts:
I would like replace a 64" section of a load bearing wall with a beam and 2 support posts. The current wall is 2x4 pressure treated sill plate on top of poured concrete, 5 2x4 vertical supports and double 2x4 header.

I am looking for advice on materials to use. I am thinking about using 4x4 p/t supports, and doubled 2x8 for the beam. On one the left end of the new beam I would probably just nail the support beam the existing 2x4 on the other end I'm not really sure, but it will be perpendicular to a another wall that will be built (see proposed design below). Will this work?

If there are any major structural concerns, I could make the span shorter, but I would like to keep it as wide as possible. How should the beam be attached to the supports? Finally, any considerations for distributing the weight at the base? Thanks!


texts: Insulating against brick in rim joist bay

texts:
I was hoping to air seal and insulate the rim joist in my basement. This is a balloon-framed house in zone 5, so the bays are open to the floor above. At some point brick and mortar were put in the bays as firestop.

This is what a typical bay looks like:

And here it is with the insulation peeled back (about 14" x 7", and you can see a stud about 1/3 from the left):

Everything I read online about regular joist bays says to put rigid foil-faced foam against the rim board and then spray-foam it in place (and maybe with Roxul or drywall facing the interior for firestop). I am uncomfortable with this approach here because I fear trapping moisture between the rigid foam and the brick for several reasons:

The foam will not be tight to the mortar/brick due to surface irregularities
Mortar/brick can crack and let moist air in
Mortar/brick can wick moisture

I can't find a definitive answer. What can I do safely, if anything? I don't really want to mess with 2-part spray foam because I have about 6 bays to do so I don't feel it will be cost-effective or worth the setup/cleanup time, but if that's the only way, fine. And I really don't want to hammer the bricks out. What about using regular canned foam (which is super flammable) and then covering it with Roxul or caulked drywall? Should I just try to air seal the holes and leave them uninsulated?


texts: How should I hang racks from the garage ceiling with trusses?

texts:
During installation of the 4' x 8' SafeRacks, I discovered that the ceiling joists in my garage are 2x4 trusses, instead of solid joists.  Unfortunately, the product comes with 3" lag bolts, and after consulting with their customer service, they insist that I need at least 2" of solid wood penetration (the ceiling truss would only provide 1.5").

Would it be acceptable to substitute the 3" lag bolt with 2x 2" lag bolts per location?  The product is rated to hold 600lb, and I doubt I would utilize the full weight capacity.  At the same time, I don't want to put my family at any safety risks.

EDIT: Thank you for your comments so far.  I really appreciate your responses!  Here is a picture of my garage ceiling, prior to drywall being installed.

8/27 EDIT: Given the expert advice here, I have decided to return the racks.  I'm going to look for shelving that are mounted on the sidewalls.  I'm very glad that I found this site.  Thank you - you guys rock!


texts:
I'm building a new partition wall in a space where the existing ceiling is drywall attached to the sloped underside of studio-vault roof trusses. The new wall will be perpendicular to the trusses.

My question relates to the top plate: if I nail it directly to the trusses and angle-cut the tops of the studs, the faces of the top plate will not be flush with the faces of the studs, which will cause problems when installing the drywall.

What's the best way to handle this?


texts: What's the name of the "tongue" of a mortise lock?

texts:
A mortise lock has one or two "tongues" that enter into the frame of the door to keep the door closed, one that is pushed by a spring and moved using the handle, and the other is moved by the key. Like for example the mortise lock in this image, featuring two "tongues":

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Einbausich-u-schl-3.jpg

I didn't know what other word to use, so I was using "tongue", but I notice that's not a complete alien word for such products, some vendors include the word "tongue", for example this one: Double Tongue Shift Door Lock Furniture Cabinet Door Drawer Lock


texts: Does wire running up an exterior wall require conduit?

texts:
I plan on running wire from a nearby exterior GFCI AC Box to the soffits on my house for soffit lighting.

Behind the GFCI box is the garage. I was thinking about running the romex along the bottom of the siding -> In the channel of the 90 degree vertical siding "corner" and then into the soffit.

What would be the best way to run the wire from the exterior box to the soffit? Should I use conduit or is running the wire bare but in the channels of the siding good enough?


texts: Which NEC code sections deal with outdoor junction boxes?

texts: We had a neighbor move our junction box that is in a utility easement over our neighbors property. When he moved it, he used up all of the slack in the box and he also buried it under 4' of soil. Additionally, he built a garage where the foundation is about 6" away from the box. I was hoping someone here could help me reference applicable National Electrical Code that we can use in our defense as we try to get our box restored .I really can thank you enough for any help, and if you need any additional information, please let me know.


texts: Can I remove ceiling joists without risking the integrity of my roof system?

texts:
We have a 23x12ft room that we are looking at opening up the flat ceiling. The 2x6 rafters are parallel with the long side the the room and there is one beam (3 2x6s) that seems to be a rafter tie running this long length of the room. Looks to have a 2x6 coming down from the peak of the roof at the ridge board down to the beam.

The ceiling joist 2x4s are running at right angles to the beam and rafters across the 12ft span of the room. These joists are below the beam and are tied to it by 2x4. We were told that the joists are not providing structural support and were merely for affixing the flat ceiling.

We had hoped to remove these joists and wonder if the 23 ft beam of 3 sandwiched 2x6s (board seams are staggered) will have any sagging/structural issues if we did. Are there structural concerns with removing these perpendicular ceiling joists?

There are collar ties at in the top third but no other rafter ties besides this beam.


texts:
I'm trying to purchase a new build by a small builder. My home inspector was impressed with his build saying he did a lot of silent upgrades that were not necessary but a regular home owner would not know.

Anyhow, around the white clean out line for plumbing, the ground is soft. We've had 100 degree days and it's still soft. Not mud, just soft. The cap was broken and maybe sewage got out as there was a smell for a while but we assumed it was neighbor's dogs. The smell is gone now but wondered if having a broken cap could have made it soft for a while until it fully dries. Or if there could be a leak and something I should check for.


texts: How to seal floor under built in closet?

texts:
We have a built in closet. When we removed the bottom drawers we saw the exposed subfloor (diagonals on top of joists).

There are two drawers. They are side by side Each drawer is about 3' wide. 7" high. About 3' deep. The picture shows the right drawer removed.

It's hard for me to reach and work in there. What is the best way to seal it so that I won't get cold air, hot air, bugs etc. ?

I have a crawl space underneath.


texts: How would I fit both a dishwasher and a washing machine with this plumbing?

texts: What parts do I need to hook both units to this sink?


texts: How to compute minimum bend radious of NM wire?

texts:
The general rule for computing the minimum band radious states "8 x the overall cable diameter" for single or multiple conductor cables - no metallic shielding.
What does the "overall cable diameter mean" for a NM multi conductor wire?
I have AL 1/0 1/0 1/0 NM cable that seems to be about 1" thick overall. Would it mean 8" MBR?.
If the outside sheething was removed, each separate conductor is about 3/8" so that woud make a 3" bend for eaches?


texts:
I need to purchase a new faucet for kitchen. The house is pretty old, built in 1994, so I'd like to make sure that the new faucet will fit in pipes exactly. What do I have to pay attention at when buying a faucet? Are they pretty much standard these days?

Attached is the faucet's underneath picture

Thanks.


texts: What is involved in ripping out carpets and put in fake wood floors for an apartment floor overhaul?

texts:
I'm caught between living very frugally and hating cheapo, dirty carpets that spread wall-to-wall in every apartment I've ever leased. I'm probably handy enough to put in vinyl flooring myself, but was wondering how much work is involved in:

Ripping out the old carpets.
Prepping the floor.
Setting the vinyl "fake" hardwood flooring panels.
Removing the vinyl flooring after I move out.
Reinstalling the wall-to-wall carpets.


texts: Space requirements for first subpanel and wiring preference

texts:
I would like to install two subpanels and my main panel is full of breakers. Would it be better to feed both subpanels directly from main or have 1st subpanel off main and 2nd subpanel off 1st subpanel?

1st subpanel will hold the breakers that are moved out of main to make room for subpanel breakers and any future electrical expansion. The 2nd subpanel will feed four 20 amp duplex receptacles about 17 feet away. A E-mon Class 1000 meter will be installed on the feed to 2nd subpanel.

Looking at the picture can I put both subpanels side-by-side along the green line using 2005 NEC? The subpanels are 14" wide.

I plan for 1st subpanel to have a 100 amp breaker and 2nd panel 80 amp breaker. Current plans do not exceed 40 amps to either.


texts:
In at least two different contexts now (installing shower handrails, installing gate on fence) I've found myself stripping the head of the screw beyond all use. I must be doing something wrong, so what is it?

The screws I'm driving are two or three inches long with a Phillips head. I'm using a cordless drill with a Phillips bit. I find that no matter how hard I push from behind the drill (even with all the body weight I can muster) and no matter what speed I drive at, the drill bit jumps out of the head of the screw. When that happens repeatedly (either because I think I can make it if I just push it harder, or I get frustrated), the head ends up getting stripped and then I've got multiple problems (getting the screw out, replacing it, and getting the replacement in without stripping it) that set the project back. What am I doing wrong?

UPDATE: Thanks to all who contributed to the great answers below! After checking my screws and bits (Phillips, not Pozidriv; right size, not worn), drilling wider pilot holes and then being careful with the speed and torque, I decided I wasn't using the right tool for the job (what's that they say about bad workmen?) and I went and got an impact driver. Then the first few screws went in like magic --- it was incredible! And then it sheared off the heads of the next couple of screws. Grrr! I couldn't manage to get the remnants out, and ended up drilling new holes in which I tried some new store-bought screws --- same result. Double grrr! So I drilled some new holes and tried some hex-head screws, which went in just fine with a socket on my cordless drill. Hurray!

Conclusion: I hate Phillips heads for high-torque situations; I much prefer hex heads. That's how I settled this particular matter, but there are some very important and useful answers below that were not "accepted" that nevertheless may help people in slightly different circumstances.


texts: Does the pilot flame of a gas furnace stay on for the duration of a heating cycle?

texts:
I was looking at my furnace a couple of days ago and I notice one thing: there is something red hot there where the spark igniter and the thermocouple assembly is. I can hardly see it and I am not sure what component is that but I was just wondering if this is normal.

This is what I have for thermocouple and spark igniter

here is what is hot red. I looked again from a different angle. I think that the pilot light stays on for as long as the thermostat asks for heat. After that it turns off, that does happen I am not concerned about that. I am just wondering if, after the burners are lit, the pilot light should still stay on. I see no sense in that.

Here is the electrical scheme for my igniter


texts: I have a brass spigot connected to a PVC pipe near the pump of my saltwater pool.  There is a small leak and I was wondering if I can redo the connection using plumber's putty or tape.  Would either of these be defeated by the saltwater?


texts: plumbing two sinks into one drain kitchen and bathroom vanity and have one vent

texts: can I tie my  kitchen sink  into my bathroom vanity sink drain, use same drain for both sinks, they both align on same wall on opposite sides thanks open wall construction, everything is new, and its the only two inch drain available of course there is a vent , this is all that will be tied into this drain, the two sinks, kitchen and bathroom sink, back to back thanks.. monty


texts: How do I turn off my water heater drain?

texts:
I read that draining the water heater is general good practice. The problem is that I don't know how to turn off the draining plug. It kept draining water through the night.

Here is a picture of the vent.


texts:
I would like to add a diverter valve to my washer's drain line to facilitate a graywater system. I'm thinking of shortening the washer drain so I can relocate the P-trap higher up and add the diverter valve beneath it on the main stack. If I were to do this, what's the shortest that I could make the washer drain? What does the code say, and what does sanity say? If necessary, I can just move the washer box higher up; it's a little low as it is. Here's a picture to show my thoughts:

The dryer ducting is all going to be removed, and the 220v outlet is going to be relocated, so ignore those. And needless to say, that cast iron is going to be replaced with ABS.


texts: Removing fibreboard plinth from concrete floor

texts:
A previous owner of our property fixed a fibreboard plinth to the concrete floor under our kitchen worktop to raise the height of the dishwasher there; I'd like to remove that plinth to fit a taller dishwasher, but I'm struggling to find a way to actually get it up.

The plinth appears to be made out of some sort of fibreboard with a solid, matt veneer, and it appears to be very well affixed (possibly using cement?) to the concrete floor. It's about 2–3cm thick, and about 45cm square.

I've attempted to take a crowbar to it, but I've not managed to get the end of the crowbar sufficiently under the plinth to get any useful leverage. I was able to get a chisel into the fibreboard, but it was very hard work, and attempting to lift the entire thing up like that seems like it'd be many hours of miserable work.

This is going to be out of sight, and the new dishwasher has adjustable feet, so it doesn't need to be particularly pretty or perfectly level. How can I get rid of this plinth?


texts:
I'm looking to upgrade my programmable thermostat to a wifi thermostat.  I purchased a basic Honeywell wifi thermostat but upon installation could not find a 'C' wire.  I started to investigate more closely to see if I had an extra wire or if I had to run a new one.

From the pictures attached, I investigated further and at the furnace there is a 'C' wire hookup with a wire, but I can't seem to tell where it ends on the thermostat.  if the 'red' 'C' wire from the furnace is the same 'red' wire down at the furnace that is split with the 'white' wire, you'll see that it connects:

Thermostat:
red -> blue
white -> black

Its a bit confusing since I would think the red wire is the 'C' wire but I don't know if I should disconnect it or run another wire to hook up to the thermostat.

help!


texts: I am trying to install a ceiling fan that had 2 separate switches to a dual control lutron dimmer switch . I blue wire (hot) directly wired to the blue fan wires. I have a red wire that is in the junction box and one wire that was attached to the switch. the red wires are connected in the ceiling box and wired off. I have the white wires all connected in the wall junction box and 1 whits wire from the fan attached. Black wires from both switches attached to the switch.my problem is wherever i put the black wire the light works but the fan works but not controlled by the switch. as crazy as this sounds if i did this right the white wire is hot.enter image description here


texts: Given the variance in the depth of drive of a nail, how stringent are codes for length of nail when framing?

texts: Related to Do the nails stick out at all when toe-nailing studs?, given the variance in the depth of drive of the nail, how stringent are codes for framing? For example, the code for toe-nailing a stud to a top plate requires 4-8D box (2-1/2 x 0.113") nails. It's hard if not impossible to find those nails for 21degree nailers, but you can easily find 2-3/8" nails. Does that 1/8" really matter, given that there is so much variance in dept of drive?


texts: Led, light replacement to ABB 1062UC-84 dimmer switch?

texts:
I am trying to find a part to the switch ABB 1062UC-84. Unfortunately, ABB does not seem to have stocks for them.

What is the preferred way to replace burnout switch with dimmer light when they burn out?


texts: Remote Switch wiring for a gas log fire place

texts:
I have a remote switch outside my gas log fireplace to turn the fireplace  burner on and off. I've been having problems with the standard thermostat wiring that was supplied with my remote switch. The wiring is melting. Should I be using a "heat resistant" wiring to run from my wall switch thru my fire place to control the ignition of the burners?  The answer seem obviously "yes" but do you have a recommended type of wire for this application?

Again the wall switch simply "jumpers" two terminals on my gas valve, thus allowing the gas valve to open and thus the burners to ignite off the pilot. I was thinking of going to my local electrical supply house for some "heat/temperature" resistant low voltage capable wiring and trying that. Also should I run that wiring under the burner pan or behind the burner pan and under the sand/stones provided for aesthetics for the fire place?  .


texts: Would hot air above a fireplace distort the view of a television picture?

texts: I’m considering purchasing a wood burning hearth fireplace stove that would extend about 21 inches in front of the fireplace. Presently there is no issue with my widescreen LCD TV when the fireplace is in use. My concern is that the top of the stove could be used to heat something placed on top of it so would the heat generated from the top of the stove without anything on it, distort the air enough as it rises in front of the TV to impede viewing the TV. The bottom of the TV would be above the top of the stove about 26 inches and there is a mantel above the fireplace so the TV is not directly above the stove.


texts: Are transition strips necessary in doorway for laminate?

texts:
I all installing laminate flooring in my basement. The basement is a simple layout. The stairs lead down to a 6'x6' landing. Turn left into a rectangular room, no door but the entrance is 5' or so. I started in this room on the far wall.

Turn right from the stairs and it is an identical room but there is a door from the landing into the room.

This is the snap together laminate.

Unless I'm missing something, I don't see how you would snap it together if you ended up in the middle of the doorway in the right side room. It requires a transition strip.

Is there some trick I'm missing?  Also I'd be pushing the max run length for the product. So I think the transition strip world be a good idea.

Thoughts?


texts: Cold water frozen, hot drips but does not improve

texts:
Very cold weather and a mobile home; last week both shower supply lines froze, then thawed a few days later. Since that time we've run a light drip (cold water only, unfortunately) and every few hours run the hot water on full for a minute or so.

Last night at 4 AM or so I ran the hot water for a minute with normal pressure (hot and cold behaved properly). I then cut it down to a drip and went back to bed. At 6:30 (and zero with a windchill to -15 or so) I had no cold water and the hot water was merely dripping at full throttle. I assume that I must have positioned the handle just a bit too far towards 'off' so as to have no drip at all, and that the cold water supply line fully froze and the hot water line partially froze.

I let the hot water run, thinking that it was NEARLY frozen and running it would melt the partial blockage. It remained at the same drip for over an hour. Cold water still does not work.

Should I assume a sediment problem in the controller at this point? We have had pump work done recently and had some dirt in the lines at one point. I will disassemble the controller this evening, but would appreciate a judgment call from someone who knows what they're talking about. Thanks in advance.


texts: I installed an exhaust fan in the attic. I want to power the fan from one or two separate bathrooms

texts:
Can I see the wiring schematic for option 0
above


texts: What's with the whole window thing? Why am I bothering with windows?

texts:
I am looking at building an addition for a study and one issue is the need for windows. Frankly, I don't need to look out a window at a tree when I am working in my study and much of my work is at night, so the whole "natural light" thing is irrelevant.

Windows add a lot of expense and heat loss to the building, so why do people even build windows? So they can look at the ugly bushes or the blind alley or the siding of the house next to them? Let's face facts: most windows do not look out on beautiful ocean vistas, or the Grand Tetons, so why even bother with them?


texts: How should I insulate my partially finished, currently uninsulated basement?

texts:
I am in Alabama, climate zone 3. Half of my basement is finished, well at least it has a dropped ceiling, wood panel walls, an air supply and return, but no insulation. There is an uninsulated partition wall with some gaps near the AC ductwork dividing the basement roughly in half. On the other side is an incidentally heated space containing a water heater, furnace, and dryer. It also has a single car roll up garage door. All the flooring above is hardwood or tile.

The basement is roughly 20'*60' using cinderblock construction. One of the long walls is completely below grade while the other is completely above grade. All the below grade walls have some sort of vapor barrier installed.

How should I go about insulating this space? I'm thinking foam board would be the best way to go. Should I insulate the section of wall that's below grade? And what should I do about the vapor barrier? Also, is there any good way to insulate the garage door? And finally should I add insulation to the ceiling of the incidentally heated unfinished side of the basement? The side of the house above that part of the basement gets noticably colder.

Pics of everything:
https://imgur.com/gallery/6Mc8Oxa


texts:
I have an unfinished basement and do not have any experience with plumbing a bathroom. I assume the two pipes protruding from the floor are toilet (on the left) and either sink or shower (on the right).

Where am I supposed to connect the toilet, shower and sink?


texts: How can I add more insulation to my finished attic walls without trapping moisture

texts:
I have a finished attic that has a kneewall insulated with fiberglass batts, insulation facing in. The batts fill the depth of the wall cavity completely to the end of the stud, there's no more room for batts between the studs.
I want to glue rigid foam board (R-10) to the wall studs in a continuous, tight, taped air barrier to add both additional insulation and address air gaps.
However! Foamboard is a vapor barrier, and since the insulation already has the kraft facing on the inner side, doing this would create two vapor barriers, and I'm worried that this would trap moisture in between them and cause serious problems.
Using additional unfaced fiberglass batts would avoid this problem, but it creates three questions for me:

How do I put fiberglass batts on a wall over the studs (again, no more room in the stud bay).
How can I do so in a way that helps with air gaps since there will be major slices between the batts for air to get in?
How can I do this without an insane amount of effort to install?

Using foam board would be so much better and so much easier than more fiberglass for those reasons. But I don't want to ruin my house with moisture.
One thought I had was to flip the batts so that the kraft paper is facing out instead of in... but there would still be an air gap (though much smaller) between the facing and the foam for moisture to get trapped in.


texts: Which elements should I buy for my hot water heater?

texts:
I have a GE50M06AAG water heater and likely need to replace my elements. I've read the manual and looked on the tag on the water heater itself but am a bit confused as to which elements I need to buy at Home Depot.

Here's a picture of the tag:

I noticed that the UPPER/LOWER says "4500/3380" but wasn't sure if that meant use a dual watt element or I could use only use a 4500 watt element at 240 volts and a 3380 on 208 volts?


texts: There is a log for a number for copper wire  to the neutral lug is that connected to the ground? The number 4 is going to the grounding electrode outside


texts: Retaining wall on a sloped backyard won't dry

texts: I have a sloped back yard. The ground is saturated in front of the retaining wall. I used rock landscaping material and the water is not leaking from the wall. We have had a lot of rain and I've got sod down in this area but it is mushy and muddy. It doesn't seem to dry.


texts:
I am having a hard time trying to remove this shower handle. I am not sure what model it is (although it looks similar to some Kohler designs I saw on their website).

There is a hole under the handle but none of my allen keys or screwdrivers seem to be working in unscrewing this set screw. I tried wd40 as well, but to no avail. I am starting to wonder whether there is one at all, but if there wasn't why would there be a hole?

I tried removing the large screws holding the square to the wall, in case it was just one big piece, but the square seems to be a separate part from the handle itself.

FYI

I would like to remove it in order to adjust the rotational limit stop: the water coming out is either cold or scalding hot.

EDIT Adding a pic, not the best shot, sorry but I don't have a torch and had to rely on flash.

EDIT Managed to get it off and fix the issue. What did it was a torx key T10. Had to buy a set, but was worth it. Thanks so much for your help!


texts: My son is moving into campus housing and needs a portable a/c for health reasons.  Is there a way to vent this unit without access to a window?  I read that you can vent into a large pot of water, is


texts:
I recently lost the use of all of the 220v appliances in my house

The fan motor still comes on, but no condensing unit functions.
The light inside the dryer comes on, but no heat,
The oven light and stove top lights come on, but no heat at the burners.

Can someone please help me.


texts: Who should I call to look at clothes washer that fills with water after it has drained?

texts: Who do you call to fix this problem, a plumber or the Whirlpool guy? Water backs into the forum after it has trained.  it takes a while after the drum is empty.


texts: Water meter to a PVC pipe to a metal pipe. Why?

texts:
I just looked at my water meter, and noticed something weird. The water goes into the meter (i.e., city water supply line) using a metal pipe. But then, the output of the meter is a PVC pipe, which goes into the ground. About 2 feet down the hill (my house is built on a downward hill), there is a metal pipe coming straight up out of the ground, which connects to a pressure reducing valve and then goes into the house.

I'm confused as to why a PVC pipe is used for that short distance between the water meter and the pressure reducing valve. My house uses copper pipes. Any thoughts why anyone might have done this? Thanks!


texts:
I've ordered 5/8" x 4" Strong-Tie Titen HD Screw Anchors to secure a pull-up rig to a brick wall.  See photos.
The brick wall is actually a solid 1 foot thick!
What's the best way to drill holes for these kinds of anchors?
I want the roundest and closest possible to 5/8" hole.
I've considered:

SDS-plus

Rotary Percussion

Double Flute or

Standard rotary masonry bits.

Great if answers could also explain the differences and advantages of the various ways to do this.


texts: Is it okay to insulate some but not all steam pipes coming from boiler?

texts:
I have a Slant/Fin boiler with un-insulated pipes in the basement. The previous owners of the house finished part of the basement and covered some of the pipes behind drywall in the ceiling.

Is it okay to only insulate only the pipes that are not behind drywall? Also, must I insulate the elbows and tee intersections in the piping?


texts: How do I make my room stop smelling so bad?

texts:
My parents keep on complaining about the smell, but I don't smell anything at all.

I've put in two odor-maskers, but they're not helping at all.

I also try to ventilate, but it's almost always way too cold to open the windows here (yes, even in the middle of summer right now - Seattle has been unusually cool this summer)

The other thing is that it smells even after I leave the room for months on end (for college). So it's not me.

They've tried to aggressively identify the source, but to no avail.


texts: Is mortar necessary for a single-row tile baseboard?

texts:
We recently remodeled our bathroom using tile to replace the former vinyl floors.  For reasons of timing and indecision, the baseboard was not completed at the time.  We have now decided to just use ceramic tile similar to the floor tiles as the baseboard.  Since it's been about 5 months since the rest of the bathroom was completed, I no longer have any mortar/mastic left for adhering the tile baseboard to the wall.

My question is, since this is mostly just decoration for the room (not structural or weight bearing), is it really necessary to use proper mortar to attach the tiles?  I know I'll need to put grout between them still, but I'm wondering if I could get away with a couple tubes of construction adhesive rather than going through all the effort of mixing and applying mortar again.


texts:
The bathroom includes a GFCI outlet that will not reset.  Research revealed that such outlets do seem to stop working sometimes.  So I am attempting to replace the outlet.

After pulling the faceplate off, I found an unexpected situation in the junction box.  3 wires come into the box, and the same 3 wires leave.  There are black, red and white leads.

The black lead comes in and is directly spliced to the outgoing black lead with a wire nut.  It is not connected to the GFCI at all.

The red lead is wired to hot on BOTH the load and lead terminals of the GFCI.  Likewise, the white lead is wired to neutral of both the load and lead terminals.

The red and white wires are both continuous in that they come into the box and leave the box without a break or splice.  In each case, the insulation was stripped in the middle of the wire to allow it to wrap around the terminals of the outlet.

Now, questions...

Is this wired correctly, and if not, how do I rewire it so that it is?

My instinct says that I should wire it so the incoming red and white leads are wired to the hot and neutral on the lead side, and that the outgoing red and white leads should be connected only to the hot and neutral load terminals.  I don't know what is downstream, but I believe whatever it is would be GFCI protected at that point.

Is it okay to strip insulation in the middle of a wire this way?  I mean it works, but is it code compliant?

If it's important to know where the hot and neutral wires eventually terminate, that will require more investigation...  who knows what's been done.  Not a single thing in this house has ever been done correctly as far as I can tell (e.g. built-in microwave is powered from a lighting circuit instead of having a dedicated 20 amp branch).


texts: Can a bathtub work without a drain waste or removal shoe?

texts: I guess the drain waste or removal shoe was missing which I saw after trying to change out bathtub drain. Is this a really important part and is it difficult to install?


texts: how to stop the smell of cigarette from other units coming into our bathroom air vent

texts:
Few months ago, I bought a unit in a new mid-rise condominium and we live on the top floor. When the owner of the units below me moved in after 2 months, I started to smell cigarette smoke in our bathroom when it is not in use as our ventilation switch is connected to our light switch. Me and my husband does not smoke and he also complained about it. I complained it to the building management and they told me that the ventilation pipe is shared with the other 3 floors below me. So it explains why we are getting different smells in our bathroom such as the smell of a viand, which I don't mind. I don't mind the other smells penetrating into our bathroom but what I hate the most is the smell of the cigarette smoke.It is strong and sometimes it reaches our kitchen and living room. I have allergy rhinitis and the smell of cigarette triggers this and oftentimes, I have an asthma attack due to the allergy rhinitis. I've also seen my doctor about  this. I've complained this again to our bldg management and they already talked to the unit owners below me but they don't seem to listen as we still smell the cigarettes.

What should I do to stop these smell from coming in? Is there a way to reverse the flow back to their units and prevent it from coming to ours when we don't use our ventilation/bathroom? Please help me please.


texts:
I’m Installing a new slide in GE Gas oven and the gas line is located higher on the wall than usual.
This is forcing the oven forward an extra inch.
Can I remove back plate so the oven sits more flush with  the wall and safely operate the oven?


texts:
I'm wiring in a new dishwasher.  Now that everything is done, I find out that the breakers for my box are not made anymore.  I'm direct wiring it so it will be a dedicated circuit except the garbage disposal will be piggy backing on it.

When my breaker box was designed they didn't have GFCI.  I was able to get a 15amp circuit breaker on Ebay.

MY Q is can I run the dishwasher direct without a GFCI, or should I direct wire an outlet box and then put in a GFCI outlet and plug in the dishwaser and disposal.

PS: The wiring is buried behind the dishwasher and only accessable by pulling out the dishwasher.

If I did have to do an outlet, does the outlet have to be exposed or can I bury it behind the dishwasher.


texts: In 2/3/4 gang box, should you combine all grounds using crimp connectors?

texts:
When I have multiple lines going in/out of a 1 gang box (with an outlet/receptacle or switch), I typically combine all the grounds into a single wire using crimp connectors:

However, when working with a 2/3/4 gang box with multiple outlets, should I be combining all the grounds into a single wire using crimp connectors? Because this would leave one of the outlets without any ground attached to it.

Or should I add in an extra loose ground wire into the crimp connector, so that the crimp connector now has 2 wires coming out  of it? Then connect each one of those ground wires to the 2 outlets. That seems to make more sense but I'm not sure if it's the proper way to do it.

What is the proper, code-appropriate approach to dealing with multiple ground wires in a 2/3/4 gang box scenario?


texts: How can I know if I damaged any electrical wire while drilling a hole in my wall?

texts:
I have a relatively new house (built 2014) with circuit breakers etc.  I just drilled a couple of holes at around the same level as the electrical outlets and I put 1 5/8 inch screws in them. I probably should have drilled the holes below or above the level where the electrical outlets are. If I use a stud finder (with electrical charge detector) I do see the detection.

I just want to make sure that I did not damage any electrical wires behind the wall.  How can I do that?


texts: Remove knob from this door handle (F605-245)

texts:
I have, what I believe, is a Schlage interior door handle with a privacy lock (you engage a push pin with a narrow wire or whatever fits to disengage the lock from outside the door).
The push button knob end is marked F605-238 and the knob I’m concerned with is marked F605-245.
The issue I’m having is I’m trying to remove the knob from the handle assembly, but the knob actually looks crimped on (I’m not seeing any release mechanism to allow the knob to slide off) and I am not seeing an obvious way to get behind the rosette.
I’ve had no luck finding this particular handle anywhere online so I’m hoping someone here has come up against this before and can give me a few pointers before I ruin this thing.


texts: How can I achieve a randomized cedar shake shingle placement?

texts:
Other than the obvious (just eyeballing as you go, shingle by shingle), what is a good way to achieve a random-looking shingle placement on a cedar shake roof? (This particular project happens to be a play house.)

I've considered laying out a course on the ground (eyeballing & tweaking the "random" placement), snapping a chalk line across that lineup, then using that line as a reference when installing them.

Any other suggestions?  I've never installed cedar shake before, so any guidance is appreciated.


texts:
My gas dryer (Samsung DV520AGP/XAA-0002) won't heat. I've done pretty extensive testing and I'm stumped.  Here's what I know:

When I start a cycle, the igniter turns on, ignition occurs, and then after ~10 seconds, the flame goes out.  After ~1 minute, the same thing repeats.
I tested the thermal fuse, the high limit thermostat, the igniter, and the radiant sensor for continuity -- all pass
I tested the resistance on gas valve coils and the thermistor -- all are within specs
Best clue -- when I bypass the high limit thermostat using a short bit of copper wire, the dryer works normally
I replaced the high limit thermostat, thinking it was tripping at a too-low temperature.  No change
I then replaced the gas valve coils, thinking that those were worn and leading to improperly high temperatures. No change

I'm sort of stumped on what to try next. Any ideas?

(For easy reference, here is a link to the parts list: https://www.appliancepartspros.com/parts-for-samsung-dv520agp-xaa-0002.html)