texts: How can I block off my stairs while I repair the walls?

texts:
I have an epileptic son that I have to keep off of our stairs.  We have some great childproof stair gates installed currently.  I have redone all of the drywall in the house except the stairwell because I cannot think of a way to keep him off of the stairs for a few days while I mud, sand, mud, sand, texture, and paint the stairwell.  I don't mind reinstalling the gates after that.

As you can see, I cant even screw a piece of plywood over the whole thing because I need to do the drywall all the way around the corner.  I am using a hopper so doing it in two stages will not blend well.


texts:
I bought a couple of water timers for my sprinklers and they are leaking.  I was wondering if I could put Teflon tape on them and this winter be able to remove the timer to be reused next year.

Thank you.


texts:
I'm currently building an addition to our house and in the final phase of wiring - installing the switched, receptacles and fixtures. I am running into an issue and was hoping to get some help troubleshooting this. I have 3 light circuits - one for the garage and exterior lights, one for the lower level, and one for the upper level. These are all on 15 amp SquareD QO CAFI breakers.

I had the garage part already wired and working properly, as well as the upper level. Yesterday, I installed switches in the lower level. There is one pair of 3-way travelers going from a box on the garage circuit to a box on the lower level circuit. I am however not using this set, I am only switching those lights from the garage box currently (the cable - NM-B 14/3 with ground -  is just for future use if we decide to not use motion sensor lights).
I had by accident tied the neutral from that set in with the neutrals in the box for the lower level. When I went to turn the garage breaker on, it tripped immediately. I then figured out my mistake and removed the garage-circuit neutral from the lower level bundle. I could now turn on the garage breaker. But when I try to turn on the lower level breaker, it trips right away.

I went through the steps for the QO time saver diagnostics and it trips at 0 seconds, indicating one of the following:

Arcing to ground
Shared neutral
Grounded neutral
Ground fault

My plan now, instead of removing all my switches, I would start in the middle of the run, disconnect a set of load wires, and see if it still trips, indicating which half of the circuit the problem is, and continuing like that, inspecting all my previous work. I do have a DVOM, and a circuit traver available. My questions are:

What should I look for specifically? My theory is maybe a bare ground slipped and is touching a hot or neutral.
Does the diagnostics indication from the breaker make sense with the previous issue in mind (other breaker tripper when neutrals were connected)?
Is there a quicker/easier way to troubleshoot this then my idea?
Is my idea the "correct" way to troubleshoot this?


texts: Looking for a WATT-O-METER with specific features

texts:
Recently I bought an OWL+USB WATT-O-METER and got very disappointed. Making a long story short, I'm looking for a device that will give me:

accurate readings
good software for data management
a watt-hour counter for 24 hour cycle - on the display monitor, very important.

I want to know what my electricity consumption is in 24hr without calculating anything, so it should have a feature that shows this information on the monitor.

Can someone recommend a proper device?


texts: Should I use traditional 2x4 framing or 1x3 grid framing for a New England basement remodel?

texts:
I'm trying to decide which framing method to go with for a particular room while finishing a basement. I live in New England and I already have 2" foam board glued to the concrete using the correct foam adhesive. The concrete walls themselves are below grade. The room is roughly 11'x 19' with 2 of the 4 walls being the concrete/foam board side.

I'm planning on using this room as a home theater room with a large TV (>= 65") mounted on the side that has the 2 concrete wall/foam board. Furthermore, this wall will use sound proofing clips to mount the drywall to the frame.

Since I feel that space is at a small premium, I'm tempted to go with a 1x3 grid framing spaced at 16" on center vertically for the second layer. Would this support the weight of a TV? Would it be a good idea to use particular types of wood and not others? Are there are any other concerns I should take into account if I was to go with the 1x3 route as opposed to the traditional 2x4 route?


texts: What’s is the consequence of trimming too much of a wood door?

texts:
I’d like to have all matching doors downstairs in our house (link), but one of our door frames is shorter than all the others. The doors say the maximum you can trim off any given side is 5 mm, but I need to trim 12 mm off both top and bottom to get this particular one to fit. To my knowledge, this door only comes in one size.

What would be the consequence of trimming the extra 7 mm be and is there anything I can do to mitigate it?


texts: How do I troubleshoot and repair clanging pipes?

texts: I recently noticed that toilet supply pipes have started to "clang" when the tank is done filling and the water shuts off.  It started when the kitchen sink (opposite side of home) spray hose started leaking and I replaced it.  It had been making a cavitating noise and was shuddering, but replacing the spray hose eliminated that.  I am thinking that there is air in the lines, since it is not as pronounced upstairs.  Is there a way to bleed it out, or is it a symptom of something else like water hammer?  House was built in '72.


texts: The well cured concrete stamped driveway was lightly rained on one morning. I was late for work and proceeded to spin the tires.  Later I saw the repercussions of my haste. The spinning tire left a tread mark; not black from melting rubber, but a pale one. The release agent/dye  used to stamp the design into the cement had been lifted and removed. My question is: how can I remove or hide this mark? Can cured concrete be re-stained? will it fade eventually? It has been sealed once  before the tire mark.


texts: How do I keep drywall around a patch from crumbling?

texts:
While patching my kitchen ceiling, I cut the hole larger to get to the joists and install my drywall "normally".  On one of my edges the old drywall keeps crumbling away.  My plan is to make the hole bigger still and toenail in some furring (a board to screw the patch to).  However, every time I breathe near this edge it seems to crumble more.  The original drywall is probably 30 years old.  How do I keep this patch from growing?

The edge on the left is what keeps crumbling away.


texts: Why would an iMac computer cause lights on a circuit to flicker when it goes into sleep mode?

texts:
Background

My wife has an iMac computer that is approximately 3 years old.   When the computer goes into sleep mode the lights on the circuit the iMac is plugged into flicker.
My house was built in 1963 in Missouri.  The house has 100 amp service all wiring is copper and grounded properly.

What I have done

Originally I didn't realize the iMac was causing the lights to flicker.   So I looked at all the wiring on the circuit looking for a loose neutral.   Nothing was loose anywhere.
I looked at the breaker in the panel to see if it was loose.  It was not loose but I replaced the breaker anyway.
I tested the voltage on the panel and it appeared to be between 119 and 120 so I assumed the box was ok.
The flickering still persisted so I called an electrician.   Unfortunately the flickering was not happening we he arrived (at this point I still didn't know it was the iMac).   He looked for loose neutrals and checked the panel.  He said the panel and circuit looked fine.
One morning my wife walked into the office and started using her computer.  I was in the bathroom watching the lights flicker (and losing my mind) when the lights stopped flickering.  Alas,  I figured it out and could reproduce the issue.    Whenever the iMac when into sleep mode the lights flickered.    Typically my wife would be using the computer and let it sleep overnight.  This is why I notice the circuits flickering only at certain times!
I plugged the iMac into other circuits, set it to sleep and the lights on the other circuits flickered as well!  So it was definitely the iMac...
I take the iMac to the local Mac shop.   They think i'm crazy as they have never heard of such a thing.   The run it through all their tests and it passes w/ flying colors. They  contact apple.  apple declares it impossible and it must be something w/ my wiring.   They said they could replace the power supply in the iMac (around 150 or so, not steep) but it is probably not the issue.

I posted this question on apples forums and didn't hear anything. I found someone on google complain of the same issue but didn't see a resolution.

Any thoughts from the electrical experts?    I'm going to run the iMac over to the neighbors house and if his lights don't flicker i'm going to assume it is my panel, as it causes flickering on all my circuits in the house.

I do know that some of the circuits in my house have new copper wiring where another light fixture or two was added.    Newer copper wiring shouldn't have any problems with older copper wiring should it?


texts: Spark/Arc observing while connecting battery to charge controller

texts:
I have the solar system as shown in below diagram. When I connect my battery terminals to the MPPT charge controller, I am observing an arc immediately and due to which I am afraid to connect. Does this arc/spark is expected, is this because of some capacitor present inside the MPPT charge controller?
Also I have doubt on ratings of panel, charge controller and battery too.


texts:
My Bosch PSR 14.4V cordless drill doesn't work properly. It always run on full speed, it's not possible to control the speed by adjusting the pressure on the power button. This means it can only be used as drill, not a screw driver. The battery indicator LEDs which normally show the battery level are flashing. It's probably an error code or something.

I have dissambled the drill and found what appears to be a burned MOSFET, see these photos:

https://goo.gl/photos/w3ETVzq6xG9LtnLy9

The first photo shows the burned component, the other one shows a close up of what appears to be a similar component with the text 95 48 04NG.

My questions:

I believe it is a 04NG MOSFET, but what does the other numbers mean?
Is it likely that the burned component is identical to the one in photo #2?
Should this MOSFET from Ebay be okay?
It it likely that other components are dead too?


texts:
Currently I have:

Main breaker panel
Conduit to outdoor socket, GFCI protected
Onwards connection to next outdoor socket

I'm having a hot tub, currently 115v plugged into the GFCI socket, upgraded to 230v (new 230v pump, existing dual voltage controller/heater). The 115v GFCI socket will be replaced by a 230v GFCI disconnect for spas, with new 6awg 4-wire wiring to the breaker box.
I ordered a 115v spur breaker which (if I understand correctly) will be inside the GFCI disconnect as an optional extra. Can I use that spur to run to the next outdoor socket (#3 above)?
Pump is 10A, heater 22A, GFCI disconnect max 50A.
I know the hot tub has to be hard wired with a dedicated supply but I don't understand if that includes downstream. If not, that's fine, just more work to connect item #3 to a different outdoor circuit.
Side question: how high off the ground does the GFCI disconnect need to be? The current 115v one is only about 18". Distance wise it's about 6ft from the hot tub, line of sight.
It will be inspected; just want to get it right rather than need a repeat inspection.


texts: What flooring can be used for a gypcrete subfloor?

texts:
My question is about what to do after the malfunctioning washing machine flooded the basement. We tried an acid stain on the 'concrete' floor. It failed. We followed with two coats of epoxy pain. It failed. A 'concrete' expert examined the floor and found it was gypcrete. Also there are cracks in the subfloor and a coring showed no moisture barrier or gravel base. The discarded floorings showed no sign of moisture or mold.

Research shows gypcrete lacks the chemicals for an acid stain reaction so we understand the failure (maybe). But, what are floor options now?


texts: How can I repair a 1/2" hole partially into one of the king studs of my bathroom door frame?

texts:
I was trying to mount a shelf above the door in my bathroom. I used a stud finder before starting but apparently wasn't able to locate any studs and decided that I could use a toggle bolt I had on hand from a previous project to securely mount this shelf, I wasn't really expecting for this shelf to have anything more than towels on it, the toggle bolt was just conveniently available.
A few minutes later, I found myself drilling a 1/2" hole partially into what I think is the King stud of this door frame. I was not expecting there to be a stud, I wouldn't have used a toggle bolt for that.
What do I do now? The only idea I've come to is some type of 1/2" plug to fill the hole.


texts:
I am hanging backer board for my shower and have a 5'x 3'2" tall space I need to cover. The backer board comes in 5' x 3' sheets.
My question is should I Use one full sheet and then cut another down to 5'x2" or should I cut two sheets into somewhat even increments so as not to be working with such a small piece of backer board towards the top of the shower near my ceiling.
For example I could cut them both down to 5'x1'7".


texts: I was reading a previous post and I have the same problem. Filling the tub and water comes from the shower head. Wife hates it. We used pex from the valve to both outlets with drop ear 90s. The tub spout was not set right so we used copper pipe with sweat on male adapters to get the right length, brass nipples were either too long or short. Walls are all sealed up and I'm not sure what to do to fix this, i need to make the wife happy


texts: What is the best way to drywall a basement staircase?

texts: We're going to be finishing our basement and one issue I have is how we will drywall the staircase.  Unfortunately the stairs are right against the concrete wall.  Should I simply put furring strips onto the concrete, hang the drywall against it, and use foam insulation between the strips?


texts:
I own a home in California and was emailed by my property manager about an electrical problem with an outlet. The outlet was fixed according to the tenant but the repair man through the manager thinks there is still a problem. Just wanted to know if this sounds right or if I'm being scammed. This is the email:

  "I installed a new outlet as needed in the upstairs guest bathroom. I also tested each of the bathroom GFI circuits and they are now operating properly. The old outlet failed on the inside and melted. The plastic covering on the wires were also meted. Because of that I also started checking some of the other circuits in the bedrooms. I'm extremely concerned based on the tests I did on a few random bedroom outlets. I found an amperage issue. Normal amperage is either 15 or 20 amps. The bedroom outlets that I tested were pulling 36-49 amps. This is very dangerous. I would need to test all of the outlets and switches in the home and outside the home to trace where the amperage issue starts. I will also need to go through the main electrical breakers one by one. The volts aren't an issue here, it's an electrical outlet, switch, breaker, or bad wires pulling a high level of amps. High amps like that will make the wires heat up and melt the plastic coating off. If that plastic coating is melted due to the wires heating up, it will allow the copper wires to touch each other and that can potentially cause a fire. Because I will need to open up each outlet and switch one by one and also test all the breakers. It will take several hours. The estimated cost of labor will be $340. If we need to replace more outlets or breakers or even wiring in the walls obviously the price will need to be revised to accommodate the cost of any new parts. Please let me know ASAP If you want me to proceed. I can move it to the top of my list because it's a life and safety issue. This issue is not only very dangerous, it can burn out any products that are plugged in to outlets, such as TVs, stereos, and any electronic devices. I told the tenants to unplug any high dollar items just to make sure nothing will get damaged due to a surge in amps. Again please let me know how to proceed as soon as you can. I'm afraid this problem may cause a fire. It also might be a good idea to replace all the smoke detector batteries if they haven't  been done for a while. That would cost $50 in labor and $40 for all the 9v batteries. The cost of the batteries are high because due to the new law when detector batteries are changed, they need to be replaced with the 10 year batteries and the date of install marked on each one. If you go online you can check the pricing of the batteries. Unfortunately the required 10 year batteries are twice as much as the regular 9v batteries. "


texts: March 15, 2018 -- I have lived in my tiny, 1 ½ story house in Boston since 1994, and I want to upgrade my electrical panel from 100 amps to 200 amps.  The current panel is located in my basement, which floods every few years.  In fact, the constant flooding became so vexing that I moved my washer and dryer upstairs to a small room off of my dining room.  I also got rid of my traditional water heater and replaced it with a tankless water heater that is also now located in the same room as the washer and dryer upstairs.  May I move my electrical panel to that room, too?  The only spot available would be on a wall that is about 3 feet wide between the door and a window that has pretty cotton curtains.  Would there be enough clearance?  Would the curtains be considered a fire hazard?  How about laundry detergent and bleach bottles about 4 to 5 feet away?  If not the laundry room, can I put an electrical panel outside?  Would I need to build a little side structure?  If so, how large would it have to be?


texts: What is the best option for hiding wires to wall mounted TV?

texts:
This is similar to this question, but in my case I'm not looking for the easiest solution but the most professional solution.

I am torn between modular wall plates, and the type that just have a hole and let you feed the cables through.

What is the preferred method the pros use? Is there a solution I have not thought of yet?


texts:
We are looking to add a door to a wall in our basement and wanted to see what was possible by figuring out what wall is the load bearing wall. Both walls are perpendicular to the joists. The wall on the right in the first pic extends the length of the house and is nearly dead in the center of the house. I would assume this is load bearing?

The second wall and the wall we want to put a door into only runs about 2/3rds of the length of the basement and is not centered.

The ceilings are short down there and there are not room for a beam to cover the spans where the wall isn't on the photo above. Am I right to think that this wall is not supporting our house?


texts: Running a standard receptacle on GFCI line

texts:
I am recently done with my kitchen renovation. I have L shaped kitchen where the smaller portion has refrigerator on it. The refrigerator has been moved from from the corner of the wall to the center, covered by cabinet frame. The refrigerator used to run from an outlet under the countertop line, it was not protected by gfci. Where as above counter lines is protected by gfci, where my refrigerator is connected now in the middle of the wall. As refrigerator has higher loads at times, gfci trips very often.

I am very novice at this but I am wondering if it is possible to jump just this receptacle which is used to connect refrigerator so that it is not protected by the gfci but still maintaining rest of the receptacles over the counter protected by gfci? If yes, how?

Thanks a ton in advance,

Bimal


texts:
We store bikes and other unsightly things under stairs.

How would you go about putting a curtain with a drawstring in front?

Here's someone who did something similar: diydiva.net/2010/03/how-to-easy-fabric-curtains but the curtain there is not easily drawn.


texts: I have both a natural gas burner with baseboard heat and 6 Mitsubishi Mr. Slim units. Which would be less expensive to use for heating my house?

texts:
I just purchased my house a few months ago. The house has both a 2 zone natural gas burner with baseboards for heat and 6 Mitsubishi Mr. Slim units that I can use for either A/C or heat. I am not sure which would be more efficient and less costly to use for heating my house this winter.

I started out using the Mr. Slims, but when it got colder I decided to shut them all down and use the gas burner. I just got my first bill since then and it was much higher than I was expecting. So I am now second guessing my decision.  Any insight that anyone could provide would be greatly appreciated.

EDIT: Thank you for your comment  Tester101. That partially answers my question. An HVAC professional that inspected my system told me that it would ALWAYS be better to use the Mr. Slims, and I found that hard to believe. So I was wondering if others would say the same on here.


texts: We backed a car (don't ask!) into the brick front wall of our porch. The porch is a waist-high brick enclosure built on a carport pad ages ago, with a framed and screened upper part, and a regular peaked roof on top. The brick wall runs from the corner of the porch to a doorway opening, about 6 ft. It separated at the corner, and slid 9 inches inward. There is a substantial brick shelf or seat on the inside side of the wall, adding to the bulk and weight of the wall. The only brick damage is at the corner, and most of that is simple separation. So, how do I move it back? I put a 4x4 against the base and whacked it 10 times or so with a 10-lb sledge, but it won't move that easily.


texts: Does a copper pipe need to be perfectly smooth to install a compression valve?

texts:
I had to remove the compression valve for the toilet during my bathroom floor install.  When I started out I did not know how compression valves worked and ended up putting a lot of power into tightening the nut when I was intending to loosen it :-P Once I finally got the valve off the correct way, I found that my misguided efforts had resulted in a noticeable impression/dent in the copper pipe where the collar (ferrule?) of the valve had sat.  The dent is small, I'd say about on the level of the creases at the joints on your fingers when you hold them straight (I didn't get a picture with the valve off, but including one before I finally got the collar off to give a sense of how I kind of banged it up).
I decided to have a go at simply re-installing a new valve to see if it would work - that was 3 weeks ago and there is just a verrrrrry small amount of moisture below the valve now to suggest that there is just a verrrrry small leak.
Now I'm trying to decide if:

I should remove the valve I installed and cut the pipe so that I have a PERFECTLY smooth surface for the new valve to seal against the pipe.  I've got a pipe cutting tool but am somewhat concerned that I won't have much pipe left protruding once its cut.  I can pull the pipe up a bit with very little force so this doesn't seem like a HUGE issue.

If I do cut the pipe, do I need to cut it all the way down to where that dent is, about an inch, or just enough so that the spot where the collar of the new valve will go will be clean pipe? that i think would require cutting at most 1/2 of the pipe

Can I re-use this "new" collar that I installed 3 weeks ago over the somewhat dented pipe, or should I start afresh with a new one?  I guess I might as well just go new since they're not expensive and that's just a bit of extra insurance for a successful seal.

Any advice is much appreciated, thanks!!


texts: How do I tighten this adapter so it stops leaking?

texts:
I'm installing a new faucet and it's going fairly smoothly except I cannot seem to get this adapter (unsure that's the right word) to stop leaking.
I've managed to tighten the supply line (top green circle) and bottom nut (bottom green circle) enough where there are no leaks there, but this nut in the middle (red circle) will not stop leaking from underneath (see blue lines; I'm an MS Paint master).
I've taken the supply line off and tried tightening just the nut and it will get gradually tighter until it's loose and I can finger tighten it again
This adapter was installed with the old faucet which I tried to repair, failed miserably, and have since removed.
Do I need to replace this part or is there a way to tighten it I am just not getting?


texts: Should an interior non-load bearing wall stack up to a joist or stud?

texts: I am trying to add a partition in my garage and the ceiling joist does not line up with the wall studs. So my question is which one do I go by?


texts: Do open-back low voltage boxes have advantages over standard outlet boxes?

texts:
I will be running LV wiring in new construction.  I've seen the open backed Carlon boxes, but have read that they are difficult to insulate, and therefore should not be used on exterior walls.  I believe this is mainly due to the fact that spray foam can not be sprayed behind the boxes.  However, I would think fiberglass insulation could still be placed behind them.

This is the quote from Structured Home Wiring:

Open back electrical boxes cannot be sealed to prevent cold air from coming in through the outlets

I am running 2 cat-6 and 1 coax to a single box.

Is there any real benefit to these boxes, over the 120V types (displayed below), especially if I don't plan on running conduit to the boxes?


texts: I want to convert my room into sound proof room, as I watch movie on my PC. I want to have a theater like effect so that I can watch at high volume.


texts: How do I better secure a loose lag shield in concrete?

texts: I have a concrete hole that was drilled a little bit bigger and the lag shield anchor is a bit loose. How do you tighten it? Insert paper or wood?


texts: Can I use #10 wire for a 30A, 240V pump circuit?

texts:
I stand corrected, 240v not 220v so I hope my question now makes sense.

I have 2 30amp breakers connected together. I believe this gives me 240v. I plan to connect this circuit to a 240v irrigation pump. It looks like the original wire from the main circuit is 12 gauge. The pump will be around 160' from the breaker. can I use 10 gauge wire from the back of the house to the pump or must I use 12 gauge? The distance from the back of the house to the pump is around 100' I would like to mention that the wire will go from the house to a relay box then to the pump. The relay is going to be connected to the irrigation timer and the water pump. We live in Melbourne, FL.


texts: attaching floating shelves to solid wall with anchor screws

texts:
I'm currently attempting to install a couple of Ikea 'LACK' floating shelves, but am having difficulty with the screw fixings (metal anchors) not sitting securely in the wall, and could do with a bit of advice.

The shelves are intended to be fixed to the wall by securing a bracket to the wall with screws, with the shelf then slotting onto metal tubes projecting from the bracket.

The wall I have chosen is a dividing wall between two adjoining houses (i'd guess 1960s built, in London UK). It's clearly a solid wall, from the feel and sound when tapping it, however I'm not sure what the specific structure is. - it's covered in quite thick wallpaper, and seems to have a fair depth of plaster before encountering brickwork.

I bought some metal anchor screws (see images linked below), which I planned to secure the bracket into.

having drilled a small (4mm) pilot hole, I screwed in the anchor screws, and despite going in flush to the wallpaper, they never get even slightly tight and are both able to spin in the hole, as well as being easily pulled straight out.

it appears that what I'm screwing into is very soft plaster, which is just being torn apart by the screws. Drilling the holes was pretty easy most of the way, but I definitely hit brickwork at the back.

I'd be very grateful for some advice on:

are these the most appropriate fittings for this application?
if not, what should I use to attach something to this wall?
do I need to use something longer, and go deeper into the brickwork? (I'm not sure how easy this will be with the drill I have, which is not a hammer drill / ideal for proper masonry work)

I don't have a great deal of experience with this sort of thing, but I think the problem is the amount of 'soft' material in front of the solid wall - the red-ish plaster seems to be very crumbly and loose.
the opposite wall is clearly hollow (although I haven't drilled it yet, and am not sure of its exact composition) - might it be easier to fit these to that wall? - it's not my preference, but if it's infinitely easier I'd consider it.

If i need to give up on the current wall, any advice on filling and finishing it to get rid of the holes I've created is also very welcome!

The link below includes a few pictures of the screws, the wall and the hole they have created, which hopefully will help someone to work out what the composition of the wall is!

http://imgur.com/a/spwaV

Many thanks for any advice.

Paul.


texts: Both prongs of an outlet carries live electricity of a switched plug

texts:
I live in an old house which was build in 1920s.

On the hallway, there is an outlet and a ceiling light which are both control by one switch.

Recently I use contact pen style tester to check the outlet.

I found out both prongs of the outlet carries live electricity at the moment the switch is at it's OFF position. When the switch at the ON position, one side of the outlet is hot, the other side is neutral, or it carries no electricity.

I decide use a multimeter to measure it's voltage reading of the switched outlet.

when the switch is at its ON position:

I put red probe of the multimeter into Hot, the black probe into Neutral,
the voltage reading: 120 volts

when the switch is at its OFF position:

I put the red probe into Hot, the black probe into Neutral,
the voltage reads: 2.8 volt

I put red probe into Hot, black probe into D-shape prong(Ground)
the voltage reads: 0 volt

I put the red probe into Neutral, black probe into Ground
voltage reads: 0 volt

I believe the Ground is not grounded, and there is no neutral wire when the switch is at OFF position

I use a long extension cord, plug it into an outlet of another room, to bring the neutral wire next to the outlet for testing.

I put red probe into the Neutral prong of the extension power cord that pluged into  an outlet of another room

when the switch at its ON position:
Hot prong of the outlet: reads 120 Volts (hot to Neutral of a different outlet)
Neutral prong of the outlet: reads 0 Volt (Neutral to Neutral of a different outlet)

when switch at OFF position:
Hot prong of the outlet: reads 120 Volts (hot to Neutral of a different outlet)
Neutral prong of the outlet: reads 100 Volt (Neutral to Neutral of a different outlet)

The conclusion:
the switch, the outlet, and the ceiling light, work normally. The switch controls ON and OFF of the light and the plug.

BUT, when the switch is at OFF position,
Both prongs of the outlet carries live electricity, one prong with 120 Volts, an other prong with 100 Volts'

Is it normal? or is it dangerous?

edited as Harper suggest, thank you Harper.

Thank you, Retired Master Electrician
Thank you, Kris
Thank you, Ken

My problem is solved now.

Kris is right.
In old connection, the hot wire was not switch, instead, it switched the neutral.
I rewire the circuit, connect hot wire to the switch, twisted the neutral wires together and cap it.

After rewired the Outcome:
When switch OFF: Hot to Neutral reads: 0. with pen tester, both prongs unlit
When switch ON: Hot to Neutral reads: 120 volts, with pen tester, Hot prongs lit, Neutral prongs unlit

Thank you. All.


texts: what is best vapor barrier for second floor bathroom on a concrete slab?

texts: My question is about the separation of the bottom of the 2" concrete slab I'm installing as subfloor to my second floor bathroom, and protection of untreated wood beams and joists in 1876 house: I"ll put a moisture barrier between tiles and conrete atop the slab, but what's the best material to isolate the concrete subfloor (which will retain some moisture across its life) from the surrounding wood so essential to supporting my house!?! Thanks. John


texts: Is there spring tension on this garage door part?

texts:
We have bedrooms above the garage and I am trying to reduce the noise from the garage doors. I have installed a vibration isolation kit like this on the opener/motor, which already made a huge improvement. But I can still hear some noise from the door running in the track.

I was thinking of installing another set of these rubber dampers in between the track and the ceiling bracket, but I noticed that the screws holding the bracket on are orange, which, according to Google means that they are under tension. But I can't figure out how there could be tension on this part, since the spring is attached somewhere else completely, and the cable is attached to the bottom of the door.
Is there really tension here? If so, is there a way to install these in this spot without having to unwind the springs?


texts: Is it "normal" for a vacuum cleaner to trigger an arc fault breaker?

texts:
We recently had our main electric service panel upgraded (from a 50 year old 100 AMP panel to a 200 AMP panel).

As part of the upgrade, the electrician installed an arc fault breaker on the bedroom circuit (15 amp). I've noticed that when the Vacuum is running and plugged in on that circuit for extended periods of time (say, 5-10 minutes), it triggers the breaker.  This only happens when the vacuum is on and occurs regardless of what else is running on the circuit.  We've tried turning everything else off and it still occurs.

Is this indicative of some major electrical issues?  We have a variety of other electronic devices on the circuit (PCs, Piano Keyboard, TV, etc). This only happens when the vacuum is on.

This didn't happen before when the vacuum was running on that same circuit using a "normal" breaker.


texts: Do recessed light fixtures with local switches exist?

texts: Our home has original ugly square recessed lighting in the lower level.  There are two lines of lights, each operated by one switch, with 5 lights per switch.  We plan to remodel with new recessed lights. However, we will still only have two switches with lots of lights on each switch. Is there a recessed lighting product the has an individual switch integrated in the unit. Only some of the lights need be on, even if the main switch is on.


texts: I want light controlled by one switch, not two

texts: I have two switches that control one light. I would like to close one of the switches, so that the light is only turned on and off by one of them. I removed the light switch from one of them (pictured), but now the other light switch won't turn on the light (also pictured with connected wires. Do I need to close the circuit somehow by connecting the wires from the old switch?


texts:
I'm trying to install this hose reel below

onto my weatherboarded exterior wall.

Do I necessarily need to remove some boarding to find the inner studs?

Thank you.


texts: How do I disassemble this shower screen without damaging it?

texts:
I need to remove the shower screen so I can refit some tiles that have failed due to water getting behind them.

As I did not put up the screen I do not know how it fits together, can anyone give me some pointers on how I take it apart.   I can see some screws but it is not clear how I get to all of them with a screw driver.

Corner from top

Corner from inside

End with door

End with fixed glass


texts: How do I stop a rolling chair from rolling on a warped floor?

texts:
My floors are heavily warped. My desk and office chairs are in one of these warped areas. Since my office chair is on wheels that means it rolls down away from where I want it.

How do I eliminate the roll from the chair?


texts: How can I get rid of ants in an environmently friendly way?

texts: Is it enough to pour boiling water in their mount?


texts: How can I figure out cordless drill terminal polarities?

texts: I just got this Black and Decker SS18 drill and wanted to run it with my existing batteries but the drill has no polarity markings. Anyway to figure out which terminal is which?


texts: How can I drill a hole in tempered glass without shattering it? Is it even possible? The hole only needs to be around 1/4" in diameter, nothing crazy huge.


texts: How can I stop my lights dimming when my Air Conditioning turns on?

texts: I have no noticeable problems with my house's electricity, but when my Air Conditioner kicks in (and here in Central Texas, it kicks in year round) my lights dim for a second or so and then run normally. It doesn't seem to have any bad effects, except that it's annoying and makes me worry that something might be wearing out from the load. How can I change things so that my lights stay even when the A/C turns on?


texts: Do I really need this circuit vent if the sink vertical drain segment is 4' away from the vertical dry vent?

texts:
Here is the layout and I am questioning the need to have the purple segment
the green blue selected segment is already in place, the green segment between the shower vent and the sink is what I am building (still dry fitting the pieces but I did not drill the holes for the studs to the left of the vertical green segment
As mentioned the distance between the two green verticals is 4'
I am also considering an air admittance valve

Update: Here is why I need to go down and not horizontal with the drain


texts: Does water based polyurethane affect the color of paint?

texts:
I recently painted a dresser. I originally painted it a darker gray than I wanted so after putting the initial two coats on I took the paint back to Home Depot and had them lighten the rest of the gallon for me. The paint was not tacky at this point in the process. After applying the additional two coats the finish product is tacky. I'm pretty sure my mistake was too thick of an application on the last two coats. I thought the sheen was better with thicker coats...

Now that it is tacky I'm considering applying a water based polyurethane to help with the tackiness and give additional protection.

I'm just concerned with the polyurethane affecting the color of the dresser. What experience have you had with water based polyurethane over paint?


texts: Concrete casting: acrylic sheets inside styrofoam box to reuse form

texts:
I am looking into casting a few small concrete blocks to build some steps which I will reconfigure over time.

I've found a styrofoam box which gives me the shape I'm looking for, and I'd like to find a way to build a form which I can reuse in order to produce as many blocks as I would need.

Since styrofoam can be broken easily and all the examples I studied for casting concrete with styrofoam forms involve breaking the forms after casting only 1 object, I started thinking about using acrylic sheets to build a small box inside the stryrofoam, with the hope that I can slide out that acrylic form after casting, take it apart to retrieve the block, then put it together again inside the box.

I have 3 questions:

Is acrylic a good material to use for concrete casting?
What can I do to minimise the chances of the acrylic sheets sticking too much to the concrete object such that I might risk snapping them?
Might there be a better way to improve reusability of a styrofoam form?


texts:
How can I keep my faucet from twisting on it's center axis and becoming loose?

I have a Glacier Bay Keelia 8 in. Single-Handle Pull-Out Sprayer Kitchen Faucet, as you can see in the below photo. In the photo below that, you can see how it attaches to the sink.

The problem is that the sink pivots on it's center, and over time this makes the large nut loose. This causes the whole faucet to separate and wobble around a little bit.

Thus far, the solution has been to re-tighten the nuts and the screws. However I would like to avoid

making this a every 3-6 month task
purchasing a new sink

Completed Project Update

I took the advice of Fiasco Labs and used plumber's putty. I covered the bottom where the hard plastic piece meets the sink like in the picture below. After securing it I just removed the excess.

Additionally I realized that the top part of the faucet has interlocking pieces with the base plate. I removed the ring, pictured below, since it did not also have the interlocking pieces. This greatly improved stability. Another issue to be aware of is the large hollow screw in the center of the faucet screws into the top part of the faucet with plastic threads, make sure that this is securely fastened as well. However make sure that you don't strip the plastic threads.


texts: How to seal HVAC ducts running through old window to addition?

texts:
My house has a small addition that was added by the previous owners.  They ran the HVAC ducts through an old window and some of the block:

The rectangular section in the window should be easy enough to seal with some plywood, but how about around the ducts and the blocks?  My first thought was wood and spray foam, but I have read that spray foam is a no-no near HVAC ducts.

I need to seal this in a way that I can still get access to the crawlspace as this is the only way in.

Two other jobs that I already know about and are related to this problem:

The crawlspace walls and floor need to be sealed properly. This allows bad air and radon to enter the crawlspace area.
The ducts in the crawlspace need to be cleaned, sealed with mastic and insulated.  I'm working on this now.


texts: Is it reasonable to convert a general purpose motor and pump for a sump pump?

texts:
TLDR: I have a 120V 1/4 HP general purpose motor with pump head attached (with female threaded connections for input and output).  Could I keep this pump/motor above ground and run PVC from the pump head input to the bottom of a sump tank?

I have drainage issues in my unfinished, dirt-floor basement - it is so damp down there to the point that the red clay soil is ALWAYS damp unless we have >1-month of no rain. I have been converting this space to a workshop (drill press, mitre saw, dust collection, mini lathe, hydraulic press, and storage of wood/metal materials).

I'm thinking of installing a sump pump as part of a solution/prevention.  I am also looking at the grading/slope around the house, drainage from roof, etc., but this question is specific to the sump pump.  I have seen the pedestal vs. submersed sump pumps, but I have never seen a completely external sump pump and motor.  I have several 120V motors with attached pump heads that I picked up extremely cheaply.  The motors are 1/4 HP and they're rated at 18GPM (gallons-per-minute)  I'd rather put one of these to use if I can rather than purchase a new pump.  I am considering keeping the motor and pump above ground, with a section of piping running down to the bottom of the sump collection tank. Does this sound feasible?  I can't seem to find anyone else doing this and was wondering why.  I usually find people hacking almost anything into a solution.

The pumps I have are basically a lower-duty variation of this:


texts:
I have city water and here is St Louis it's pretty good (from what I hear). I do have some white calcium on faucets, etc.

Now I'm in a process of renovating bathrooms and installing new piping and valves/etc. Contractor recommended to isntall whole house filter to prevent potential damage to thermostatic valves and faucets/cartridges.

What kind of water filter do I need for this? Will something like this GE® Household Pre-Filtration System work for whole house water?

What kind of maintenance will it take? How often to replace and how do I know what I need?


texts: Is there anyway to prevent rust stains or staining of color on a house that has been German schmeared? (Thinset mortar applied to brick)

texts: We applied thinset white mortar on the brick of our house using the German schmear technique. After a very very hard rain, we had some rust stains show up down the brick in areas around older gutter downspouts and our chimney. We are replacing those areas with new downspouts and painting over the chimney cap with a rust-preventive paint to try and prevent this from happening again. Is there a way to seal mortar to prevent discoloration or rust stains from sticking to it in addition to our replacement of parts? We have tried removing the stains, but decided to just go over it with another layer of thinset mortar because it still showed stains after treatments. All advice appreciated.


texts: Pouring concrete countertops over lazy susan

texts:
Long story short, we are planning on putting in concrete countertops because our garbage disposal is broken (we were going to do it eventually, but this accelerated the timeline). In order to get the old countertops off, we had to bust open the corner lazy susan (There was a screw in the corner that we couldn't get to otherwise). I'm not sure what I was expecting, but we discovered that the cabinet isn't really complete. There is what looks like a 1x2 secured to one wall, which was holding up the counter on that end, with  nothing on the other wall. There is also about 6 inches of a 2x4 on the floor under the 1x2, presumably to old down that corner of the cabinet side. There is also no bottom to the cabinet (it goes right down to the concrete foundation) and the only sides are where it meets the adjacent cabinet on one side, and then where the space for the stove is on the other side.

The rest of the cabinets look they are mainly particle board with wood (not sure if it's solid, my guess is that it's maybe just a veneer over plywood or more particle board) in the front.

The question is in 2 parts:

Is there a diy way for us to make this space into a usable cabinet? We didn't like the lazy susan anyway, and would like to make better use of all that space.

and

Can we be sure that it will hold up under the concrete countertop?


texts: Should I run 1/2" pex from a manifold to each fixture or 3/4"?

texts:
Right now my setup is 3/4" cpvc pipe running from the water heater and then branching off into 1/2" cpvc pipe to each fixture. If I buy a manifold will there be a a pressure drop if I run 1/2" pex directly to each fixture?

Every manifold I've looked at has 1/2" outlets so not sure if that is a standard to use 1/2"  pipe to each fixture.


texts: How do I wire up a 4-wire dimmer switch when I only have two 2 wires from the wall?

texts: I'm replacing (yet again) my bathroom dimmer switch. The old switch had 3 wires: 2 black and one green. The two black wires were attached to the wires coming out of the wall and the green wire was attached to nothing. The new switch has 4 wires: black, red, red/white striped, and green. Can I attach the new switch somehow? If not, what would you recommend when I only have 2 wires (circa 1930) coming out of the wall (besides rewiring my house)?


texts:
How to bypass a switch that controls lights, keep outlet live 24/7?

I have a small office in the basement I need to alter wiring on so I can work from home.
There's a wall switch that controls two overhead lights and (at least) one outlet.

Computers+ will need to remain running even when I'm not in the office and lights are off.

I've rewired a condo w help of a super handy-friend & done many small wiring projects around the house without issue, but I could use some advice before moving forward.

Simply put: I'm looking to retain power to the outlet even when the lights are off.
Can anyone offer advice/guidance/tips on this?
I've now added images below! Think I'll at least have get a new switch & outlet.

Thanks!


texts: Potential danger installing longer strike plate screws?

texts:
Just changed the locks on my house today, and I noticed that the strike plate screws that came with my new deadbolts are much longer than the existing strike plate screws.
I'm using the old screws for now, but I assume the longer screws are more secure (and the color matches), so I'd like to use the new ones if possible.
I'm worried about drilling horizontally into something near the doors, so I was wondering if the area around a door is typically safe, or if I could use some tool to confirm before drilling anything.
Thanks!


texts:
Now that I have finally opened the water outside after the winter freeze, I'm encountering a drip.

I can foresee three levels, in increasing difficulty, of fixing this problem:

Squeeze some Teflon tape and keep turning the knob back and forth hoping that enough will be lodged inside to stop the drip.
Replace the "heart" of the conduit (the valve, essentially), but without replacing the soldered body.
Replace the entire valve (jacket/outside + inside part), which, as you can see in the picture, will require soldering.

I can handle 1 and 2.

Is there a chance for 1 to be enough?

Is 2 doable, or will I have to replace the entire thing, along with the soldering required?


texts: What to mask space between panel floor and balcony with?

texts:
We have put the floors on our own. They're not perfect and we have left too much space
between the floor and the window. And a standard finishing element like this:

is too small.

Here are pictures of how it looks:

What can we use to mask the space?


texts: Is a 2.5 Ampere relay sufficient for 24V thermostat AC only application?

texts:
The goal is to 24V control signal YEL (cooling) and GRN (fan) for a Florida storage building, with three AC units.  A single board computer (Raspberry Pi) is outfitted with 2.5 Ampere relays.

Is there any reason to believe that higher Amperage relays are needed?

Perhaps the better question is: What is the maximum current for thermostat wiring?


texts: Is there a way to extend electrical wire where the splices can be finished over?

texts:
I want to extend some wires to relocate some switches. Normally one might do this by splicing new wires in and covering the junction box with a cover plate.

Is there a way to permanently splice wires together such that the splices don't need to be accessible?


texts:
I am newbie here but been reading a lot of your comments through this website and thought to finally ask my question.
I am looking for the right type of tile to go on top of my underfloor heat pump heating (Hitachi Yutaki S). I am leaning towards LVT but needed to know if that would be a wise move and what thermal resistance and thermal conductivity values I should be looking for, be it LVT, Laminate or Cermic Tiles.
Really appreciate your feedback.
Thanks!


texts: How to get lighting in the shower like this?

texts: I'm remodeling my bathroom and I'd like to know how to get a lighting effect as seen in these photos. To get this, do you basically drop the ceiling to create a soffit over the shower, with a rope light or recessed light in the non-soffited part? How would you do this?


texts: When powered Ring Pro won’t stop chiming.

texts: When Ring Pro is connected to power, doorbell rings constantly. What can I do to correct this?


texts: Best way to add low voltage outlet to wall that has blown in insulation on the other side?

texts:
I want to add a wireless AP and plop it on top of the cabinets in my kitchen; thing is the wall I want to add the low voltage outlet to had blown in insulation on the other side. (The ceiling is vaulted in the kitchen, and the ajoining room it is not, so this is still a vertical wall in the kitchen side) Problem is, low voltage "boxes" are just plastic rectangles to hold the wall-plate, I basically am knocking a 2"x3" hole in a quasi-external wall.

I want to minimize heat loss, and I'd also, if possible, like to make it so I don't spill insulation into the house every time I have to take off the plate.

What is the ideal solution for this problem?


texts: Just curious as to the reasoning, is it a spec, or is it simply 'backwards compatibility'?


texts: GFCI wall outlets that also provide surge protection & USB ports

texts:
Does any vendor make a wall receptacle for bathroom use that provides GFCI, surge protection, and USB ports?
Can you plug a surge protection strip into a GFCI?

If I am understanding the inherent capabilities of each, it may not be possible to do GFCI and surge protection simultaneously, but i wanted to ask the experts.


texts: How can I repair these cracks in my balcony wall?

texts:
I have recently purchased a flat which around three years old. The house is on 11th floor and has vertical cracks on balcony walls. Some of them are across the wall. Here are some pictures

Wall crack pictures

I am more worried about the one in the picture below. This appears to be across the wall.

Question is is it a safety issue? And what is the best way to repair this.


texts: How should I install laminate without removing the baseboard?

texts: I will be installing the laminate with the baseboard intact, do I lay the laminate right next to the baseboard? Or do I still need to use the spacers?


texts: What's the best fastener for a carpet that won't cause unraveling?

texts:
Last time I tried this, the drywall screws I was using snagged and started unraveling the carpet.

Is there a particular kind of screw that won't snag carpets? It's a loop/pile carpet so snagging is pretty likely.

Nails unfortunately aren't going to suffice unless they are maybe resistant to being pulled out like a screw would be.

And yeah... I'm putting it into drywall.


texts: Drywall/Cement board transition for a tub surround

texts:
I am remodeling my bathroom, and intend to replace my bathtub and surround. I have started ripping the 5/8 in. drywall from around the bathtub, and I intend to install a cement board and tile all the way to the ceiling.

However, the cement board, Hardiebacker, is only 0.42 in. thick, so I will have almost a 1/4 in. difference in thickness between the cement board and the drywall adjacent to the tub. What can I do to transition properly between the 0.42 in. Hardiebacker cement wall and the 5/8 drywall so that my tiling will look good and smooth?

I have not done a tub surround before, so I am not really sure what the smartest way to handle this.


texts: How is it possible to get an electric shock even with mains power off?

texts:
I was changing a socket outlet yesterday. I switched off the mains power at the consumer unit (the big red switch) so thought all was safe. I disconnected the old socket, but when I went to fit the new one, I got a quite powerful electric shock from the wires coming out the wall. I didn't flip the other contact breakers in the consumer unit as I assumed (wrongly) that everything would be isolated.

The house is in the UK, built 1992, and has a consumer unit with built in RCD and 4 contact breakers (lights up/down, sockets, cooker).

Any ideas how this could have possibly happened? Any help would be appreciated.


texts: Rheem Heat Pump A/C Mode Delay Cycle In Hot Weather

texts:
I have a Rheem 15PJL48A01 heat pump which has been working correctly for years, and is maintained properly. It is hot here currently and so it is operating in cooling mode.

Yesterday and today, it has been very hot out. 105 °F yesterday and 103 °F today. The outdoor pump's fan has been cutting off every 20 minutes or so during the day. When it cuts off, it goes into a 5 minute delay cycle, then fires back up. During this time, the air handler (Rheem RHLLHM6024JA) keeps blowing air. There is power to the heat pump outdoor unit at all times. I removed the panel to investigate the shutdown code and it codes "5 min delay" and no other issue. Interestingly, at night when the ambient temperature cools off, the fan will run for hours without issue, blowing cold air through the home until the desired temperature is reached.

Here's the heat pump manual, specs, and troubleshooting guide

Here's a photo that shows the daytime shutoffs yesterday (Tuesday) between noon and 6pm as compared to the days prior. Notice that in the night and early morning it operates normally.

So what's happening? Is it overheating?


texts: How often should I clean the drains in my house?

texts: we moved into our house three years ago. The drains were new, and now three years after I'm interested if we should cleen them.


texts:
We recently just moved. A week in. It's been raining on and off for the past few days. This morning I noticed a huge puddle in my laundry/half bath. Couldnt find the source. An hour ago I heard a gushing of water and ran into the bathroom and notice water coming from the washer drain pipe behind drywall. Currently we don't even have a washer hooked up. Haven't since we moved in. Has anyone had this happen or know what it could possible from???

** the pipe comes from the the wall to the basement where the water tank is. That's a bit damp too.


texts: Why must I hold the start button for my dryer to work?

texts:
I moved into an apartment with an old dryer that had issues starting and getting the clothes very hot. I had to hold the start button in and the dryer would "ramp up" before it would start. Anyway, I bought a new dryer and hooked it up and it too requires the button to be held in until it ramps up and will then run. When a load of clothes is put in it, it tries to turn very slowly and will not start. Now for the voltage measurements:

at the 3 prong outlet:
240vac from leg to leg
120vac from each leg to neutral

at the breaker:
same measurements leg to leg
120vac from each leg to ground

The only other thing I noticed is that on one side of the breaker, the voltage jumped up to @180vac when I had someone hold in the start button on the dryer until it got started. Since V=IR, wouldn't that increase in voltage indicate that the current would decrease (assuming a steady resistance)? If the current going to the motor is decreasing, could that be the cause of the difficulty getting the motor to start and, if so, what could be causing this to happen?


texts: Precautions necessary when removing toilet and sink for extended period of time?

texts:
I'm in the process of remodeling one of the bathrooms. The remodel includes removing tile from walls, installing a new shower, toilet and sink, refinishing the walls, new linoleum, etc. I would like to take the toilet and sink out now to make the tile removal easier (and to give more room for when I bring the new shower in). Thus, the toilet and sink will probably be out of the bathroom for some time (a few weeks as I'm doing this almost exculsively on weekends).

What precautions should I take to ensure safety, etc? For example, I've heard I should plug up the sewer line to the toilet so sewer gases don't come into the bathroom. How do I do this? Is there a similar concern with the sink?


texts: Can you help me identify the maker of this shower door roller?

texts:
I've a broken roller on my shower door. I'm looking for replacement parts but I can't identify the maker of the piece so it makes the search a bit harder. I post a picture of the intact piece. Any of you have an idea of the maker ?

Thanks


texts: I'm replacing old 2x2 fluorescent drop ceiling lights with LED panels. The space provided to contain the wire nuts and connections is super small. Its a 10Lbs in a 2Lb bag kind of situation. In total, I've over 100 panels to replace. I don't know if I should just add a junction box for each panel and drop one feed down to each one. or look for another LED panel with a larger enclosure.


texts: How can I tell if a given roof vent is still active, connected?

texts:
I'm doing roofing, and looking at a roof vent pipe (e.g. a plumbing drain waste plumbing penetration). It is 1.5" galvanized pipe original to the construction. I see it emerge from the top plates and up to the roof.

I can match up all the other roof vent pipes with their fixtures below, but not this one.  I think it might be abandoned.

How can I determine reliably where it goes, and if it's still part of the home's plumbing system?  All I can think of is to smell for sewer gases.


texts: What is this grill-like thing on my chain link fence?

texts: New house, just found this in far backyard, behind a tree and under a jungle of vine weeds I ripped out. Seems like an odd place. What might it be, or used for?


texts: I am trying to replace a old dimmer that stopped working and when I took off the light switch I could not back trace my work. The light switch it use to have was a dimmer. I am trying to connect single switches to control the light. I am a new home owner and just trying to figure this out thanks for the help


texts: building garage what is proper way to frame an 8 ft garage door

texts: concrete base is 6" high and is 8 Ft wide. I am in the process of framing a 16 ft X 18 ft garage


texts: Relocating central air conditioner coolant supply line

texts: I have a central air conditioner installed in the attic with the supply line running down the back of the house and into the condenser. What I wanted to know if I can move the condenser onto the side of the house and have the  supply line ran from the basement and into the unit.


texts: Filling 2" gap between a tub and existing floor tiles for 30" bathtub in 32" tub opening

texts:
As the title suggests, I have a 30" tub in a 32" tub opening.  When the tub is centered, there is an inevitable 2" gap between the tub skirt and the existing floor tiles.  The 2" gap excludes the 3/8" end grout line, which used to butt against the old tub.  The existing tiles are laid on top of another layer of (old) tiles, thereby raising the tiled part of the floor by about an 1".

What are the possible lasting, preferably the least time consuming, ways to close this gap?


texts: Can I use existing wiring for installing an OTR Microwave?

texts:
We are looking at installing an over the range microwave in our house but I have a few questions concerning the electrical hookup before we pull the trigger and get one.

Currently there is a range hood above our stove. I took it down and there is an electrical cable coming directly out of the wall into the hood. I know that it is advised that an OTR microwave be on its own dedicated circuit (or something like that) from anything else.

However, I’m not entirely sure if it is or not. I’ve narrowed down which breaker it’s on and I’ve attached an image below. The stove is on the same one. Does that mean I will not be able to use that wiring? I’m mainly confused by the circle with two slashes in it afterward, does that mean anything specific?

Edit: sorry for the sideways image. Stack exchange rotates the image when I upload it for some reason.


texts: Convert gas wall heater to inset fireplace

texts:
This wall heater is running on gas and has an electrical control. It is actually in front of the brick vent behind

This is in the attic as the vent connecting on top

Obviously this wall heater is very ugly so I want to change it to something more modern looking.

What are my options?

I am thinking:

Create a hole in wall and buy some gas in-wall fireplace. But I don't if this product exists and how the venting works.
Make this a regular gas fireplace without electrical control. But then the fire has to be turned on manually via some handle to turn on the gas. This is a big hassle.
Put in a furnace in the middle of the house and cover with a box and access door. Then run duct all around the house. This is the most expensive option and also take space right in the middle of the living room.


texts: Can hardwood flooring be floated over concrete with a moisture barrier and underlayment?

texts:
I'm looking to do a hardwood floor in my second floor condo in Santa Fe, NM. Since it's not below grade or anything, I'm wondering if I could float an interlocking solid wood floor, or if I have to put down a plywood subfloor on top of the concrete. I have to lay down at least 6mm cork anyway (even considering 12mm), for the sake of my downstairs neighbor. With that plus a moisture barrier directly on top of the concrete, should I be safe?

Follow up: would the answer be different with bamboo flooring?


texts: Is it more effective to insulate the walls, or ceiling of an unheated basement?

texts: We have a new house, well built, spray foam insulation, tight seals.  My daughter's room is over an unfinished area of the basement and is COLD this winter.  There are vents in the unfinished area, but we have them closed because we don't want to heat that area.  We probably wouldn't ever finish that room because it is our main storage space.  The whole unfinished space is below ground.  My husband and I are having a debate.  Do we install foam board insulation on the walls in the un finished area or do we spray foam or use other insulation in the ceiling of the unfinished area?  Or both?  Our HVAC is not the issue, we have checked that out.


texts: What are the things to look out for when buying a motion detector?

texts: I was looking at portable motion detector that can detect motion within 0 meter to 50 meter. It can either sound an alarm or flash light when it detect motion. So, what are the things that I need to look out for when buying such motion detector?


texts: Glow Worm Flexicom HX boiler F11, F22, F25 Error codes

texts:
This is less of a question, but more of a list of things we tried to stop the frequent F11, F22 and F25 error codes appearing on our Glow Worm Flexicom HX boiler which would stop it from functioning. We have some big (for UK) rooms with three large radiators in the reception rooms.

Symtoms:

F11, F22 and F25 error codes
Really noisy central heating pump, runnning flat out
Cold radiators, especially downstairs, even if upstairs were really hot.
Moderately hot tap water
Generally a very cold house especially when outside temps approach zero °C

Solutions we tried which DID NOT work

Turning up the boiler temp
Turning up the thermostatic valves for the radiators
Reducing flow for upstairs radiators to increase flow in downstairs radiators
Replacing the thermostatic valves with new for the radiators which would not heat up


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I'm planning a reconfiguration of my basement and want to move both the powder room and w/d to new locations.

The powder room would be close enough to the stack not to worry me, but I'm looking at a potential run of about 35 feet from what would be the washing machine's drain back to the main stack.

First question - from a drainage perspective, is that just too long for a laundry drain?

Secondly - for venting, can I tap into the main stack?  Say, something like this?
Disregard venting question - found my answer which is "no"


texts: Why do some spaces in my electrical panel not provide any power?

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I am experiencing an electrical issue with my 200 amp 42 space Eaton panel. There seem to be 7 random "dead spaces" where no power is being supplied to the breaker resulting in dead circuits. I have eliminated bad breakers or faulty wiring. Replaced old breakers with known working breakers, still nothing. Swapped circuits (breakers stay in place, only swapping hot wire) and still no power from the dead space, but previously dead circuit now functional showing 124 volts connected to a different breaker in a different space.

These 7 "dead space" show between 6-7 volts when breaker is flipped on and nothing when breaker is off.

Did not detect any open grounds or neutrals.

I do not believe I have lost a leg as the "dead spaces" are random and not isolated to one side.

No physical damage observed to hot bus bar.

Anyone have any ideas? This ones got me stumped!


texts: Setting up makeup lights on this rotating jewelry cabinet

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I want to buy this jewelry cabinet for my wife  (white one).
Now to ensure her face is sufficiently illuminated while getting prepared, I want to setup some lights along the wooden frame around the mirror. Could anyone suggest a better light setup for this?
Here are some challenges:

The item is rotatable, hence risky to install something connected to the power outlet.
Preferred to have at least 900 lumen or more in total. Please suggest if you have other opinion.
When not in use, the lights must remain subtle and nearly unseeable state.

I'm considering this one but it does not seem to have enough lumens. Other options are like either corded or separate lights will be extremely hard to build it nice and strong.


texts: circuit breaker that trips when there is a loss of power

texts: Is there such an animal that would trip a circuit breaker when there is a loss of input power?  Similarly with the relay system which energized to close the main contact to apply main/grid power to the service panel, but when there is a loss of grid power = loss power to the relay which disengage the main contacts which isolate the grid to the service panel.  I am wondering as to is there such a compact plug and play device to do just that.  Many thanks in advance and hope to hear your great insights...


texts: How to prevent concrete roof from Absorbing water

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It's winter again and rainwater still collects on my flat roof due to it's bad tilt, Because of that the concrete absorbs a lot of that water into the second floors roof and it's really visible on the roof and the walls. I try to move the water to the gutter when I'm in the house but I don't have time to keep doing that.

My question is : Is there anyway to stop the concrete from absorbing this water, and what are the possible fixes to my my problem ?

and also is there any way to dry the water that got already in the walls ...etc ?


texts: Is my plan for wiring ethernet reasonable?

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I would first of all like to start off by saying that I am a software developer by profession, so my networking knowledge is relatively basic.  My question is therefore aimed at figuring out if I am on the right track, or if there are better alternatives to what I want to accomplish.

I am about to set up a home network for a new place that I bought.  I have been giving it a lot of thought and would like to be connected in a wired manner as much as possible (I want wifi throughout the house, but only for mobile deviced - my PCs must be wired).

I have identified that I have 3 rooms in total which require ethernet jacks in them.  The first room is a study which will have 2 PCs and a network printer.  So as a minimum, I require 3 points in that room to be able to connect an ethernet cable directly into PC 1, PC2 and the printer.

I then want 2 other points in the spare bedroom, and one more in the main bedroom (incase I would like to put a wireless router in that room just incase the wifi from the source will not reach there). So the point in the main bedroom will be plugged into a wireless router for wireless devices to connect.

So my reasoning is the following (please correct me if I am wrong):

The source of the internet from my ISP is in my living room, where this will go into the WAN port of my router.  From the router I will then connect a network switch into one of the available LAN ports (with around 8 ports or so).  The other ports in the router will be kept free for any network TV devices I may need in the living room.

The network switch will then have an ethernet cable plugged into each ports, where each cable runs to the points in the other rooms.  I am assuming that each point in a room will be connected directly to the switch with one long cat5e cable.  So when I plug the ethernet cable in the study into PC 1, that will be a very long cable running all the way to the switch.  Same applies to PC 2 and the printer - these are two separate very long cables.

So in total, I would be having around 6 very long ethernet cables running from the switch into the other rooms, where one cable is used for just one device.

Is this all valid reasoning? Am I doing something fundamentally wrong? My electrician who is wiring the place suggested that I use one ethernet cable and loop it for all devices, but he said he does not know anything about networking so has instructed me to seek professional advice.  What I am writing here is basically what I have come up with.

Any advice is appreciated!


texts: How do you frame a wall more than 8-10 feet tall?

texts: I am capable of framing a "simple" 8' wide 8' tall 4" thick wall out of 2x4 lumber, then attaching plywood or drywall or OSB or any other sheet material to the frame. Making the wall wider is a trivial change. Making it significantly taller, however, seems not. Should I build multiple 'copies' of this frame and stack them, or build a single tall frame with 2x4x16' studs, or something else?


texts: Drilled holes too wide for drywall anchors- how to fix?

texts: I drilled holes for drywall anchors too wide - so now the anchor and the screw is loose. How do I fix this?


texts: Panamax Surge Protector says outlet is faulty; Radioshack tester says its AOK

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I have a surge protector / line conditioner for my AV equipment. I just moved it to a new receptacle and the unit is indicating there's a problem (see attached image).

However, when I test with my ancient outlet tester, it comes up "Correct" and everything seems peachy. I'd love to get a sense of what's amiss before I invest in a visit from an electrician. Any ideas?


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I appreciate any help with my problem below.
I have a PVC drain pipe that is leaking. The drain pipe is from a tiled shower floor. It looks like the joist is pressed up against the pipe elbow and caused it to start leaking. The joist is a 2x10 and the preexisting notch is ~2" from one end of the joist. The joist spans about 10-12' (I didn't measure it when I was down there).

Questions:
1. What's the best way to cut the joist so it doesn't rub against the pipe? Can I just expand the existing cutout?
 1. What is the best tool to use for this?
2. What's the best method to repair the PVC pipe? I've been reading about epoxy putty or silicone tape.
Thank you


texts: Central Air Unit not Sending Enough Power to Thermostat

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Right now I don't have specifics on my central air unit (make, model, etc) but hopefully the info I provide will help.

I have a Second Generation (and Third Generation) Nest Thermostat hooked up to the Central Air Unit.  I receive intermittent messages of "not enough power" being sent to the thermostat.   (The reason I mentioned both Nests is that I've tried both units).

The wire contains one hot wire (Rh), one for the fan (G), and one for the cool/compressor (Y1).

I used a multimeter to test the voltage, and when I touch the positive probe (red wire) to the Rh wire and the negative probe to the G1 wire,  I get a strong enough reading (between 27-28 volts).  But when I do the same to the Y1 wire I get next to nothing.

After some research, I found people recommending changing the fuse in the unit itself... but when I lifted the panel, I didn't see any fuses that could be replaced.  Moreover, the power drain doesn't seem to be consistent (i.e. today it is showing a poor voltage reading and tomorrow it will be fine).

I don't believe its the Nest because I've tried different ones and get the same results.  Sorry for the long question, but I wanted to be specific.  Any ideas on what is causing the power generation problem?


texts: Kitchen Light Toggle Switch Replaced, Now tripping

texts: The house I live in was built back in the 1960's. Most of the electric had been updated before home was purchased but still have some of the old light switches. I changed out the toggle switch in the kitchen with a brand new one. I replaced it with the exact same type, 15A 120V. The old one did not have a ground as the new one does. I attached the wires exactly the same way they came off and added the ground. The white neutral was on top and the black hot on bottom. The light would work for awhile then trip. I switched the white and black to see if it made a difference and it still trips, but takes longer to do so. So figuring it might be the switch I put the old one back on and it is now still is tripping regardless of which switch I put on. I even tried with the ground on and off. I also made sure that no wires were touching or that any wires were in contact with the ground. I have hit up every youtube video to figure out why this is now happening with replacing an old toggle switch with the exact same one but new. I'm boggled. I had done my research before I did anything so I wasn't going in blind. I have replaced other switches in the house and never had an issue before. Inside the breaker box above the switch that keeps tripping is a white reset button. Could anything in the box be the culprit? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!


texts: Proper wiring for GFCI given switched circuit

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So I've added the 3-prong plug to my garbage disposal, and now I'm on to the GFCI outlet installation. The breaker was not GFCI protected, nor is there a GFCI outlet on the loop. I've gotten to the point where I need to know which is my line, and which is my load given this was a switched box.

Given the following was what I found, I'm pretty certain the LINE is coming off the left and the LOAD heads off to the right. Updated the drawing to reflect the actual situation.

Am I right or should I try each pair on the GFCI as the line on their own before wiring it up as I believe it should?


texts: Refrigerator fail due to adjacent chest freezer

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I recently moved into a rental property and within the first week the refrigerator stopped keeping things under 50ºF.  When the guy came out to look, he said it was due to my chest freezer being near the refrigerator and it caused the compressor to burn out in it.  The refrigerator has wood on both sides, going up to the cabinet above it, creating a little nook for it to reside in.  There is about an inch gap on both sides between it and the wood. The chest freezer was on one side, next to the wood, with the stove being on the other.  The chest freezer's compressor and other parts are in the back corner, away from the refrigerator.

If any other information is needed, ask and I will provide if I can.

I'm highly skeptical about this, but don't want to just take the blame of it being broken. I have no real knowledge if it is possible or not.
So, is it possible that the refrigerator is failing due to it's proximity to the freezer?

Update
They have replaced the refrigerator at no cost to us.  The guy mentioned that he was going to have it written into the lease to not allow chest freezers at all so I'm thinking he may have something personal against them.  Thanks for all the input and help.


texts: Can a gas dryer be converted into an electric dryer?

texts: I am moving to an all electric apartment and have a gas dryer. It is 3 years old. Can it be converted to an electric dryer? How would I find someone to do this?


texts: Which technique of wood joining is the best for joining these boards of a small table?

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I want to join these four 1.8 cm thick beechwood boards as one can see on the picture. My idea is to join at the B points with biscuits but I’m not sure what to do about the A points. It needs to be a very firm join so that the table is not wiggly. Besides that I’m not sure at which height (the questionmark) the middle board between the A points would provide best solidity.

Update

Photo

There it is! Thanks for your advices.


texts: three way switching with a dimmer and timer

texts: On a three way switch, can I have a timer at one switch and a dimmer on the other so I can set the dimmer and have the timer control the on/off ?


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I have a chandelier that takes 5 25w candelabra based bulbs. It does not put out enough lumens based on using incandescent bulbs. I figured I would then purchase LEDs that use much less wattage but put out a lot more lumens. I bought two different brands to compare the light quality/ color. I like a bulb that is soft white in the 3000k region and not another brand that was at 2700k. My problem arises that when I install the 3000k bulbs only 3 sockets work. I can install an incandescent in the other two and they work fine. It's not the bulbs I've rotated and it's always the same 2 sockets. When trying the 2700k bulbs if I install all 5 they barely turn on at all. Incredibly dim, if I remove one, and it doesn't matter which the remaining 4 come on at full brightness.  I am currently running the 4 2700k with a 25w incandescent and not a fan of the warm color. Is there any way to get all 5 LEDs working?

Thanks

Scott


texts: In what situation is a slant top register boot the preferred choice?

texts: I see them sold all over the place but when I search for information on them it is almost like they don't exist. In what situation does it make sense to choose that style of register boot?


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Right, I've recently moved into a new flat in London and it's time the drain was unblocked but I just cannot figure out how to take the drain cover off. If someone could let me know so I don't end trying to force it out and possibly breaking it in the process, that would be great.

I've Googled 'how to remove a drain cover' but there seems like so many types and I have no idea which mine is.

Here's a couple of pictures of the type of drain cover in question.


texts: Thoughts on how to go about this half wall on all the exterior walls in my basement? I have framed 2x4 walls up to the height of the half cinder block wall and installed installation. Above the half wall was insulated with a vapor barrier over by the builder. I do not need a vapor barrier on the half wall as this was done on the exterior of the home below grade. I am planning on installing a wood shelf at this area but should I be cautious of the 2" span of the top of the cinder blocks and moisture? Should this area be drywalled to make for easier shelf installation? Advice on how to handle the top of the cinder block wall and possible moisture issues in the future?


texts: How do I switch the furnace to heat mode?

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I have an older good Sears furnace.  It was on cool mode this summer and the fan could come on.  I can't find how to switch it back to heat mode!

Thanks.
Linda


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I am looking for the easiest, fastest way to replace siding in a wall where the outside gas pipe is coming into the home.

My assumption is that I'll need to turn off the gas, replace the pipe, replace the siding, cut the correct sized hole for the gas pipe and reassemble; however, this seems expensive. Is there an easier, pro way of replacing siding like this?

Thank you!!!


texts: How Does A Refrigerator Determine When The Water Filter Needs To Be Replaced?

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I have a new GE refrigerator with a water filter with a capacity of 170 gallons.  I use less than 0.5 pints of water per day.  At this rate, the filter should last at least 2720 days.  However, after about six months of use the water filter replacement indicator light shows that I need to replace the filter.  This is my first refrigerator with a water filter.
EDIT
Prior to this refrigerator water filter, I have never used any kind of water filter.
I have never had a problem with odor or taste of the water.  The water has a light brown color for a few hours after water is flushed through the fire hydrant near my house.
END EDIT
How does the refrigerator determine when the water filter needs to be replaced?
What issues could I encounter if I do not replace the filter?
Refrigerator model GSE25GGHKCC
Filter XWF


texts: I live in a condo building, and the sump pump in the basement was running water constantly for several days. When the plumber was contacted, he said to call the Village and have the water tested for flouride to determine if there is a leak in a pipe. When the representatives from the Village came, they said we need a new sump pump. So, the plumber installed a new sump pump, and then, I was told that he poured oil in the sump water, and said that we need to pour oil in the water every six months. A Village representative  came after the sump pump was installed, and when he discovered there was oil in the sump water, he was furious, and said that they don't want oil in the pipes. Before we call the plumber to tell him that the Village said not to pour oil in the water, has anyone else heard that this is a recommended practice?


texts: drawer face connector name - ikea part number 126888 - blum drawer face

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I need to buy a couple of these connectors.  They come from ikea in the godmorgon sets with drawer fronts.  Here is the image.  Any idea of the name so I could search and possibly just buy a couple of these?  I think they are from blum originally as the slides are blum slides.

My custom cabinet guy bought a ninka recycle bin unit for my custom kitchen.  He couldn't figure out how to install it so I ended up putting it together.  The face of the ninka is a panel from the kitchen company it installs using this connector to the ninka hardware (which is blum).  The kitchen company didn't provide these connectors to me or they were lost.  Since the hardware looked the same as the ikea blum godmorgon and I had hacked an ikea godmorgon unit as a sink cabinet and I had an extra draw with a couple of these connectors I salvaged them from the drawer and they worked.  Now I have an ikea drawer that I may use in the future sometime but I don't have the connectors.  Since these seem to be blum connectors or maybe even something more generic to the cabinet world I thought someone might have a name for them such that I could just purchase some.


texts: When I plug in a dimmable lamp on the other side of the house, a GFCI outlet in my kitchen starts humming. What gives?

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The GFCI outlet in the kitchen ONLY buzzes when the following two conditions are met:

(1) Microwave is plugged in
(2) Dimmable lamp on other side of house is turned on

Any idea what could be causing this?  Never had any issues with this outlet until relocating the lamp to a new outlet and turning it out, which leads me to believe the issue is either with the lamp, or with the outlet that the lamp is plugged into.

I have read all other questions pertaining to GFCI issues but cannot find any that seem to pertain to this strange issue.

Thank you for any assistance in this matter!


texts: What could be causing the delay in the start up of my air conditioner?

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I have an air conditioner that is probably 15 years old now.  The problem is when I turn it on after it has been off for a long period of time (several hours) it takes a long time for the outdoor unit (compressor?) to start running.

The outdoor unit has a large fan in the middle with cooling coils around the perimeter and cooling fins.  It had been running just fine up until three summers ago.  Two winters ago, my heater went out and I had it replaced.  The following summer (last summer) I went to turn on the air conditioner for the first time and it took so long (30 minutes) to come on that I thought it was broken or not wired up or a fuse blew.  I checked all the obvious things like the set temp was below the room temp. (72 < 90).  The wall unit has a red light that glows when either the heater or air conditioner unit is operating.  I figured the heating & cooling guys forgot to hook something up.  Having a bit of electrical know-how, I went and checked the outside fuses and other things and could see the outdoor unit had voltage going to the outdoor unit.

Just today, first time turning on the air conditioner for the year and same behavior.  Here is the interesting thing though.  Once the unit kicks on, it cycles normally.  I can hear a small click (relay closing) on the inside thermostat unit each time the termostat cycles on/off.  I can then hear the outside unit kick on within a few seconds of hearing that click (normal).

On mild days, I turn the air conditioner off and it may be off for a day or two but then turning it on for the first time, I can hear the thermostat click but the outdoor unit takes 30 minutes on average to come on for the first time.

I don't have a schematic for the unit but I can't imagine an outdoor relay taking that long to engage if it's a relay problem.  Also the outdoor unit has this blanket around the motor.  I tried removing it when this problem first began but the unit seems sealed up.

The guys that put in my new furnace insist they did nothing that would have caused this but want $85 to come look at it.

Anyone recognize this behavior?


texts: Replace with Copper and "mixing" with Old Galvanized Pipe health concerns

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I have a 1940s house located in Indiana (no hard water). I'm doing a tub/tile replacement with 100% Dreamline Shower Kit, and Delta Single Trim T17255 hookup with shower head ONLY. This house is like 95% galvanized with a spatter of copper replacements lines.

I would like to join the bathroom shower with new copper at the trim valve hot/cold/riser, and run the same straight down to basement. Where it joins in the basement, a spider web of galvanized pipes (7/8") engulf my basement, starting from the water heater. Is it healthy and advisable to replace galvanized and  connect NEW copper?(Yes, I STILL have the Cast Iron FUGLY pipes in Basement!)

I DO NOT have the money to do an entire sweep of replacement galvanized. I plan on using "L" copper for horizontal and vertical lines from the valve down to connect to galvanized.


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We have a curved wall framed with steel studs 16"o.c. that will be finished with hardwood planks (running vertically on the wall).

For the hardwoods substrate, they recommended plywood and normal plywood does not conform to the curve.  Our lumber supplier suggested snakeply (wiggle wood, a.k.a flexible plywood) which conforms to the wall easily, but it is still very soft in between the studs.

Is there a way to stiffen up the snakeply?


texts: Square D qo service panel with neutral and ground bars bonded. Any problem with adding ground only bar?

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my parents purchased a townhome with a qo panel that has neutral and ground bars bonded. Unfortunately for them, previous owners or service people did a rather shoddy job electrically speaking over the years. When repairing a leaky drain, I came across wires spliced in a wall without a junction box, which led me to opening other walls and ceilings to find junction boxes hidden in ceilings, inexplicable shared neutrals, and to top it all off, the panel is a mess, as you might imagine.

Because so many of the screws on the bonded neutral ground bus bars have 3 to 4 grounds and neutrals under them, I'm wondering if there's any problem with mounting a ground-only bar to the panel's raised points. I'm thinking no, but I just want to be sure that nothing is different since I would still have the neutrals running to the bonded bars

Thanks in advance, and if it's helpful, I can add a picture when I'm back at the house tonight.

Chris


texts: What should I do about a central air duct leaking above my ceiling?

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My closet ceiling is leaking a brown liquid. Right above it is an air duct for my central air. I think the liquid is dirty or rusty water that has accumulated in the duct. I can hear it dripping inside the duct.

I live in a rented apartment so they will come check it out soon. I would like to know what I can do immediately to alleviate the problem. I have my A/C set to 75 °F-- the temperature outside reaches 90 °F most days. If I shut it off completely, will the leak dry up? Is there anything else I can do?


texts:
I need to hang up a track in my garage that will be used to hang bikes. The track is from The Container Store and looks like this.

It has holes every 8 inches so that it lines up with studs. I'm not sure why but the area where I'm hanging the track has two studs right next to each other which causes the track only to line up with 2 studs. I originally had the track hanging with drywall studs but the track had started to come off the wall a bit with just a couple things hanging from it like a ladder. Since I want to hang bikes I'd like to strengthen the track.
Can I just attach a 2x4 that is screwed into the studs and then mount the track on the 2x4? Would that provide the strength I need provided I use the correct screws to mount the board to the wall.
Here is what the wall looks like. You can see the studs next to each other along with the original mounting location of the track.


texts: Video / audio ground on ungrounded equipment

texts:
There is a great question regarding reversed polarity wall outlets which gives me pause. I recently moved my mother-in-law's television and DVD player, and I noticed that both use ungrounded C-style plugs. The two devices are connected by three RCA cables.

How is the cable ground handled on these two ungrounded devices? Additionally, how dangerous is it to connect one 'backwards' in the socket? I am concerned that the C-style plug is not directional.


texts: Should I install a floor drain in my laundry room?

texts: I am relocating my laundry to a room over my garage.  I have an opportunity to put in a floor drain.  My old laundry has a floor drain (not sure why -- it is carpet and subfloor with only crawlspace below).  Putting in the new drain will not be easy.  It requires finding space for the trap and crossing a couple of 2x10 joists (12-OC) with 2 inch pipe.  I do not intend to slope the floor towards the drain, but do intend to have Marmoleum or vinyl flooring.  Again, it is only garage/shop below.  So at worst I would lose drywall and insulation and maybe some tools(!).  My previous home did not have a drain in the laundry room, but drains/pans seem to be common practice these days?


texts: King wall heater - fan works but no heat

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The other day our King wall heater stopped working.  The fan spins but no heat.  I took it apart and cleaned it, I also reset the breaker and the unit itself (via the instructions to turn off the thermostat for 10seconds).  However nothing has fixed it.

During cleaning there seemed to be some bits of the heating coil so Im thinking that somehow that broke.

Is there any way to replace just the coils?  I couldn't find them anywhere.

Barring replacement of just the coil I need to replace the whole unit, but I dont understand these stickers and what model I actually have installed.

This seems like the right replacement model but the measurements dont line up (am I missing something)?
Amazon replacement

damaged coils:

the measurements I read are 11.5" x 8.75"


texts: How to fit curtain poles so they won't be pulled down by children?

texts:
I am putting up a curtain across a large gap, to separate two rooms in my open plan house. I'm concerned about the weight of the curtains combined with children passing through it everyday and don't want to see it pulled down.

It's 4.6kg for the curtain + pole.  Walls are brick and plaster board.

What type of fixing will a strong enough?
Will normal screws + rawl plugs be strong enough or they will just get pulled out once some weight is put on them?


texts: How to handle unattached ground wires in boiler fusebox/control panel (sub-panel?)?

texts:
I don't have enough of an understanding of HVAC to know if the pictured boiler fuse box is considered a control panel or a sub-panel - but some wiring issues there lead me to needing to understand more about this setup - and how to handle the unattached ground wires.

Notice at the mid-left and mid-right there are two grounding wires that are not bonded to anything. One is the NM cable with bare copper that runs to the boiler on-off metal switch box - where it is bonded at that end in the cable clamp. The other is the green wire coming out of the block-like device [transformer].

That same unidentified device [transformer] seems to have it's hot and neutral wires reversed at the ceramic fuse block: the white wire tests "hot" with tick tester, same as another black wire terminated there.

Both the cables that feed this fuse box (20 A), and the devices below it (pump relays?)(15 A), are old "BX" and do not appear to contain any bonding strip. The junction boxes they originate from are bonded to grounding wires that run back to the main panel box.

That ceramic block that holds two 15 A fuses appears to isolate the neutrals from any ground connections in the box - if they'd been connected. As it is, it appears the only grounding means is via the armor of the BX cables.

So how should I handle the unattached ground wires?

If anyone is open to discussing the control panel at the bottom of the box I'd love to add some more pictures and also ask about that. Even a link to a resource that educates about a setup like this would be appreciated.


texts:
I'm having a few issues with my softener, I'm sure it's an older Culligan, I'm just not sure what model number it is.

The problem's I am having are a leak just started from the two entries for the two gears in the pictures below. This should be easily fixable with an ORing replacement. This leaks only seems to happen while it's cycling through it's flush.

However, my bigger problem is the past week since this minor leak started, I've been smelling sulfur from my shower for the first few minutes of a shower. The blue salt tub isn't super full, but it's almost full, being about 6 inches short of the top of the white tube in the tub. I can't see any brine in the tub when I open the lid, so I don't see how that could cause it being low, I could be wrong.

I have noticed I am using a lot less salt the past few weeks, however, this could also be caused by a new whole house water filter I put in 4 or so weeks ago, I don't know.

Is there anything I should check, and is this worth trying to fix? Also where could I even begin to find it's model number, and then parts?

What else might be causing the sulfur if not the salt?


texts: Range Vent Hood Ducting - Can two 5" ducts work in place of one 10" for a range vent hood?

texts:
Purchased a Kitchenaid Range Hood Vent that has a 1200 CFM blower.  Instructions say to install a 10" duct vent.  My existing venting duct was a rigid but small 6 inch duct.

Unfortunately at demo realized that sewer line and other utilities are right in the middle of the ceiling cavity perpendicular to the exit point, 10 feet away = cannot move (cost prohibitive).

A.   Can I used TWO 5" rigid ducts instead of the 10" one required?  How?  I'd think the biggest challenge will be the multiple reducers needed to go from 10-8, 8-6, for both lines.  And a Y-joint somewhere...

B.   What if I used the existing 6" duct and merely added a 4 inch line?  Or two-6 inch ducts?

(I will also be adding some mineral wool insulation for sound absorption right above the range but the goal is not to have to tear down the ceiling either.)