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train · 95.7k rows

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Why don't my Radiators get hot? When I turn on my heat, the pump attached to the boiler comes on but the pipes don't get hot and the radiators never do either. I've bled them and believe they are hot water radiators (since there is a pump), so from what I understand sludge shouldn't be an issue. <Q> We ended up bleed...	I would check all the air bleeders on the radiators in the given area.
Why does my laptop charger make a spark when plugged in? From time to time (not always but often enough) when I plug my laptop's charger in the wall outlet it makes a spark (even if I use different outlets it's the same). Why does it do this? Is this a normal behavior? Is it not? Can this damage the charger, laptop o...	Sparking can erode the contacts (plug pins or outlet contacts) but this is a minor problem if it only happens when you initially push the plug in. The points at which the arc contacts do suffer a small amount of damage, but can typically withstand many arcs without failure. Sparks are a possible symptom of a bad contac...
What's wrong with my painting technique? I'm struggling with paint. I've been using a high-gloss Behr enamel for our trim work in our house. This photo shows a door on the left that was rolled on, and the casing on the right, which was brushed on. I don't mind brush strokes (not that they are intentional, but I do f...	My guess is the paint wasn't stirred well enough and this is caused by a separation of the paint in the can.
How can I cut a cinder block wall to run large round duct through it? When an addition was put onto the house that I own, the previous owner just ran the duct work into the crawl space through an old basement window. I want to re-route the duct work by actually cutting a hole through the neighboring cinder block wall....	Trace a duct end onto the blocks where you want the hole: Place sawzall into the hole and—if you haven't used one before, practice by cutting toward the center of the circle—cutting slowly to avoid fracturing the brittle material. It can be started in about half its full width.
How to move stacked washer/dryer from closet I'd like to replace the water hoses on my stacked washer/dryer set - the purchase records for the set show that they are 6 years old, and as far as I know the hoses have never been replaced. They are in a narrow closet that's only about 8 - 10" wider than the washer/dryer i...	If you have the furniture glides, lift the front end of the stacked units and slide in the glides under each leg. Work a large rope behind the washing machine below the water valves. The feet could be age-glued-in-place. Someone like a repairman who frequently has to move stuff like this would probably have an " Air Do...
What's the best way to hang this large picture on insulated plasterboard? I would like to hang this fairly large framed picture on my living room wall. The frame measures 167x75cm, and weighs roughly 8.5kg. Both top and bottom of the frame had snapped previously (while being transported from abroad), and have recently ...	I'd use picture wire between the two D-rings to hang the picture. Picture Ledge Picture ledges are also an option, and come in many shapes, sizes, and styles.
Nicely mounting 2x4s to wall I would like to make some bookshelves similar to what is seen here: My question is how to nicely mount these to the wall. Obviously I could simply angle some screws into the wall studs, however I think that'd look a bit messy and would like to hide the mounting method. <Q> I'd try a few...	You could also mount the plates to the wall at a stud, using sufficiently long screws, and then use smaller screws on the shelf to clip in.
How should I prepare a plywood subfloor for vinyl sheet flooring? I'm planning on replacing the carpet in my dining room with a vinyl sheet flooring. I know I need to get the carpet, padding and any staples/debris cleaned up before laying the vinyl, but do I need to do any other prep work on the plywood subfloor (ie. ...	After making sure the surface is clear of all miscellaneous stuff (staples, nails, tacks, etc.), inspect for dry rot or weak areas—hammering the surface to test strength every foot or two would not be overkill.
Why is my gas stove taking 30+ seconds to light? I have a gas cooktop that takes a really long time to ignite. You have to hold down the ignitor and it clicks for an absurd amount of time (30+ seconds) before the burner ignites. Everything after that works fine. After you have been cooking for a while, if you turn t...	The problem is caused by sticky gas pressure regulator.
Can I install windows into a concrete rough opening without wood buck? I recently cut two holes in my foundation and installed new windows. I lined my hole with 2x8 PT wood bucks that I attached to the masonry with Tapcon screws. Then I attached my window nailing flange to the wood buck. All seemed to work fine. Now I...	No use some round backer rod and place that around all four sides on the exterior and then caulk the window to the concrete with backer rod preventing three-way sealing or attaching of the caulking. And yes there is an edge distance for tapcons, more so in our area, they should be able to tell you depending on the diam...
How can I calculate the power consumption of an A/C unit? I have an AC unit with the following specs: Cooling Capacity: 1260 kcal/h, 1.47kW, 5000 Btu/hFan Motor Power: 0.034 kWCurrent: 0.155 A My question is how much power does this unit actually consume in an hour? Does it use 1.47kW constantly? Btw it's a York u...	Go to your electric meter and figure out how much power your house is using.
Anyone have an idea about unidentified constant noise/vibration in single-family house? I cannot find the source of a constant noise & vibration that have recently (month or so) been happening in our single-family house. I've asked 2 different people, including our handyman, who checked several things, but so far only ...	If you have (or the house ever had) a hardwired doorbell system, look around for the transformer it probably has. If you do get water from your city/town, try to find the main service entrance and put your hand on it, to see if the pipe is vibrating. It could very well be some mechanical sound coming from some distance...
Why is my gas furnace vibrating when blowing hot air but not when blowing cold air? I have a gas furnace. I recently replaced a bad blower motor. At that time I also cleaned out the blower housing and squirrel cage. The AC runs fine with no vibrations or any symptoms of an off balance squirrel cage. However, when I tu...	As such, it could certainly be the case that there is some imbalance in your blower that excites a harmonic frequency of your furnace at low speed, but when the blower is turning faster at high speed, no sympathetic vibrations are excited; hence vibrations with heat, but not with A/C.
Why would a short cause the main breaker to trip instead of the branch circuit breaker? In our home, we have two electrical panels. One main panel (in the basement) and a sub panel on the first floor. The lights to the kitchen on the first floor run to a breaker in this sub panel. We installed a dimmer incorrectly and...	If your circuit had tripped because of a slight over current, such as too many appliances running at the same time, only the breaker for that individual circuit should have tripped.
How can I remove old paint from wooden door frames? There is paint in almost all door frames in my home. All of them were done because of clumsy paint job years ago. The paint is normal wall color (water soluble). I really need to get rid of the paint. What I am looking is a way to do it without hurting my hands for h...	It works best if you remove the molding, use a palm sander with 60 grit paper initially, then a 120 grit to finish sanding it, once the paint is off. There are specialty scrapers called cabinet scrapers that are especially suited to careful work like this. Try using a plastic scraper - use the edge of a credit card (no...
How can I fill gaps in wall plates on an uneven backsplash? We're having a new house built, and the kitchen backsplash that was just installed is a tumbled stone, which looks great, but isn't a flat surface. As a result, the wall plates for electrical outlets, switches and phone jacks don't sit quite flush. Is there so...	You could custom grind these down with a dremel-type tool to fit the highs and lows of the surface, but that would be a pretty time consuming task. While you probably could caulk the gaps, you should be careful to avoid getting any into the box and wiring itself. Again, I masked off rectangle + added a second coat of c...
What could be tripping multiple GFCI breakers? I have 14 ground fault circuits split 7 on each side of my panel. I have recently had 5 or six trip on the left side and 1 or 2 on the right. It happens at all hours. It appears I have some kind of problem mainly on the left. It is a Square D box with all square D breaker...	There could be issues with a faulty connection in the supply to the breaker panel. Especially, if there was recent wiring work, check that all those circuits have their neutrals properly run to the breaker, the "curly white wire" secure in the ground bus, and all the grounds securely in the ground bus. It's possible yo...
How should I remove a raised concrete pad on my basement floor? I have a raised square of concrete, about 42" by 42" by 6" in my basement.Its probably an "equipment pad" of some sort, not sure what it was originally for, but it is inconveniently placed.Its poured directly onto the slab. I'm sure I can just go down wit...	If it was poured onto an already existing slab, I would try separating it from the slab first to see if it can be broken away and leave the floor intact. Or use a hammer and cold chisel to chip out a notch right next to the floor
Why did insulation and vapor barrier cause mold in my storage shed? I recently installed insulation in my garden shed and covered it with a plastic vapor barrier. This was done in the summer when the weather was warm and sometime humid. Shortly after I'd finished this installation I removed the plastic from the walls...	Any wind/air that gets in from the exterior will carry moisture with it at some point. Because air circulation within the cavity is now severely restricted, such damp sheathing/etc would raise the humidity in the wall cavity sufficient for mildew/mold to grow on the damp surface.
Should I use a GFCI or AFCI circuit breaker with knob and tube wiring? My American house was built in 1942, and much of the wiring is still knob-and-tube wiring (2-wire, no ground). Over the years new modern wiring has been added to the house, but we still have some KnT wiring for the ceiling lights, and a few branch c...	Installing a combination AFCI breaker on a circuit containing knob and tube wiring would be a great idea, and could potentially prevent a fire.
Is it possible to use the ice maker on a refrigerator without a water supply line? Our department just moved physical locations. We were able to bring the fridge from our previous break room, but our new location does not have a water line anywhere nearby for the ice maker. The simple solution, of course, is to just ...	Just buy big plastic water 1-2 gallon container, place it above fridge, make sure containers outlet is at the bottom (rotate it upside down), and make a whole at the top (original bottom), so air can easily get in.
What should I do about excess flex in cement board that will be behind tile? This is around a tub/shower. The studs are spaced at 24in, cement board is 1/2in. We're surprised at how much flex there is between the sheets of cement board. I'm worried that tiles may pop off. We're planning to use 12in floor tiles on th...	Be sure to embed with a portland cement based thin set mortar. You may not want to do this near the plumbing valve, for replacement purposes. In my bathroom I went with mud, but not the stuff you buy pre-mixed.
Closing off Cold Storage Room We have a relatively new house (built in 2002) with a cold storage room under the poured concrete porch. There is a door with full weatherstripping leading to it. We'd really like to close it off (it has two vents to the outside) and turn it into a storage room (unheated), but not open t...	Since this is an unheated area, any moisture which makes its way down there would stay there and cause problems. You could put old palettes or pieces of wood on the floor.
How would I make a whiteboard for an odd sized space? I want to make a white board (or something that will work for dry erase markers) to go in a place that you can not really buy for. The space is only 10.5 inches high and 180 inches long. I was looking for a way that is not too expensive but still works well, One ...	You can buy dry erase wallpaper.
Can I connect to any neutral wire in the house? I have a Belkin Wemo switch that requires a neutral wire for installation. There is no neutral in the switch box. However, there is a neutral in the electrical outlet box below it, and a path from the switch to the outlet. Can I run a neutral wire from the switch to the n...	As well it may pose a danger using other neutral. Net necessarily, if the neutral is on a different circuit. You are adding load to a neutral wire witch may already be carrying it's full rated load.
how to repair large, uneven crack in concrete floor I have a really long (about 20') uneven crack in my cement garage floor. Not only is it jagged, but the sides of the crack range from flat to about 1/2" high. I want to level the sides of the crack, seal it, and end up with a flat floor. I'm not sure what the best way...	the best solution(and cheapest) is to break up the area around the crack and re-lay the slab section.
How to soundproof a wall between two apartments in a 1950s NYC structure? I'm hoping someone might have a suggestion about the best way to soundproof my bedroom wall that is adjacent to my neighbor's living room. It is an apartment that I own in a coop building in NYC that was built in the 1950s. I am pretty sensitive...	There is a company which makes heavy curtains specifically as an affordable sound isolation measure. But your next problem is likely flanking: sound coming through the floor, heating ducts, over the top plate of the wall, out and back in a window, etc. I'd do this: identify and mark stud locations, have a contractor dr...
What tool do I need to cut groove along edge of floorboard Very simple question really - I have a floating wooden floor and a raised stone hearth in front of the fireplace. I want to run some cables along the edge of the hearth and I need to lift the floor trim around the hearth and create a groove to hold the cables...	A multitool was exactly what was needed. While a router can cut channels, it needs several inches around its cutting bits for the base of the unit, and your cut would be too close to the raised hearth.
How can I repair the start button on my LG washing machine that is hard to press? The start button on my LG washine machine WD14700RD is very hard to press, and getting worse. I need to lean on it with my whole body weight in order for the program to start. All the other buttons work fine, so I am guessing it's a pro...	A little bit of tape on the end of the plastic arm did the trick. Remove the control panel: push down on the two arms on top of it so that it can pop out, and pull it out at the top and then lift it off the bottom hooks.
Can I install used carpet that's been removed from another home? My carpet is about 25 years old now and it's time to go. I know some people rip carpet out of new homes because they're laying down hardwood. Any issues I should be aware of? (I like the idea of recycling instead of buying new) Thanks! <Q> Technically,...	If it was just "ripped" up then there might be damage to the edges, or even the middle of the carpet, which might make it unusable. Make sure you steam clean the carpets (or use other industrial-strength cleaning processes), to make sure you aren't just transferring 25years of dust mites, hair and what-not somewhere el...
Can my rotary hammer act as a hammer drill? The concrete around my window is incredibly hard, too hard for my non-hammer drill. Somebody at Homebase advised me to buy this rotary hammer , which comes with special bits of 6, 8 and 10mm. He said I can use an adaptor for any smaller bits, forgetting to mention that in t...	For drilling holes into masonary, you need the roation and hammer mode (just like a "normal" hammer drill), along with a suitable bit.
Should I replace my mercury switch thermostat? We have an old mercury switch thermostat in our house, You know the type, gold ring, very common. We are in new England on a gas/steam system. There is no central AC. We have been told by more than one heating professional that there really aren't any decent alternatives...	Almost every thermostat on the market today is a better alternative than a mercury switch-type.
What is/are the proper method and tools for drilling into masonry? Related to this question , The blinds project has gone pretty smooth up until this point. It seems that some walls have plaster or masonry behind them. Probably not a big deal, but I've snapped a couple of quality drill bits in the process. Thus, I...	The job will be much easier with a hammer drill , or a drill with a hammer option.
What is the best way to clean a dryer vent? I posted this questions 6 months ago.. Why does it take my dryer 3 hours to dry a load of clothes? I checked the cycling thermostat and thermal fuse. They are operational. I have seen different ways professionals clean dryer vent ductwork. Coit services used a portable comp...	While cleaning out the duct work is a great idea, lint clogging the vent shouldn't be a frequent problem. I imagine the answer really depends on the particulars of your duct work. If a "full" load were split into two loads, I bet both "half" loads can be completed in 1.5 hours total, if not faster.
In what orientation should this L-bracket be when hanging shelves? I have a few L-brackets for hanging shelves. The brackets are asymmetric, where one L arm is longer than the other, just like a real "L" (similar to this ). Is there a preferred or recommended way for which arm, the longer or the shorter, goes on t...	The long part goes against the wall, under the shelf.
How to diagnose a broken Aprilaire humidifier (Model 600)? I have an Aprilaire Humidifier Model 600 (or maybe 600M) mounted on my furnace. The humidifier is not turning on (i.e. letting water flow over the filter) when the furnace is on. The below images show: The control dial with the faceplate on. The control ...	I just removed the solenoid from the line, used my air compressor to gently blow the diaphragm open and close a few times by placing the tip of air hose fitting into both ends of the solenoid.
What size breaker and wire do I need for central air conditioning? I am getting ready to hang drywall in my basement but before I do that, I need to run wire from the main panel upstairs to the future location of the central AC furnace through the basement ceiling joists. I do not know yet who will be installing my AC...	Breaker size depends on what is installed and length of wire. It's going to completely depend on the unit that's being installed, but commonly it'll be 30-60 amp with 10-4 AWG wire. Alternatively, leave a section of the drywall open for now, allowing for both cabling and refrigeration tubing to be run before you close ...
Can I use bolts to attach a bed to the walls of my room? I plan on mounting my bed to the walls of my room. You can say that it will look like a loft bed without the legs. To make it look like it really is floating, I won't be using angle brackets. Instead, I plan on mounting the frame using multiple relatively long an...	The benefit of this type of anchor is that it will anchor in the wall and as you tighten the bolt, will press the frame securely to the wall (this will mitigate the risk of frame buckle) Obviously a wedge piece, as you surmised, would be the best as a full length backer. The project is 100% feasible as described.
How can I trace an electrical cable? I'm installing a wall mount over an existing electrical socket - so I want to remove the socket I've read that just capping off the Hot and Neutral wires is not the best approach and that disconnecting from the power source is best. I don't want to disconnect from the breaker panel ...	Once you find its power source, you can turn the power off and disconnect the socket’s wires there. Maybe you can find a decorative cover plate online. I have and use the Sperry LAN Tracker for this type of thing and it works well.
How can I insulate my fireplace when it's not in use? I have a wood burning fireplace insert, that is not currently being used. Now that it's cold in my area (27F), I've noticed that there is quite a draft coming from the fireplace. How can I cover/insulate the fireplace to stop the draft? Rules: Must be wife appr...	If the worst part of the draft is coming from the vents above and below your insert, you can block the draft with some magnetic vent covers:
How to repair garage ceiling? The attic of my house is unfinished. My son accidentally fell to the filing and caused the garage ceiling broken. Please see the images. Can you advise me how to repair this? <Q> I would: <S> Clean out the hole and all the broken drywall. <S> Use drywall screws and screw 2 or 3 c...	If you don't care about having a completely finished appearance then you can just buy a sheet of drywall and cut it to size to fit the hole.
What underlayment should I use to reduce traffic noise under a hardwood or bamboo floor? I'm in the process of renovating the 2nd story of my New England 1.5 story cape-style home. New OSB subfloors are down with Liquid Nails and deck screws over 5 weeks ago. I'm on to flooring now. I don't have much experience with ...	Your next-best option would be to blow in insulation from below.
Can I run water lines through the attic? I recently had a Slab leak in my home in Indianapolis,IN. This is the 4th Slab leak since I've owned the home. I decided it was time to reroute all the Water lines. I thought this was best so I wouldn't have to deal with anymore slab issues. We had pex lines run through our atti...	The simple solution is to dig up the insulation, run the pipes along the top of the ceiling drywall (ie, just above the ceiling, rather than just below it), and put the insulation back on top of them, which puts them on the warm side of the insulation, "inside the home (thermally speaking)." If done carefully, you can ...
Can mortise and tenon joints be strong without glue? I'm designing a loft bed (here's a rough picture without the cross supports and other details). Right now, most joints will be mortise and tenon. I'd like to be able to take the loft down to parts, and the simplest thing to do would be to disassemble it at the M&T...	Mortise and tenon joints do not need glue to be strong. To use the same joint for the attachment of the legs would produce a weak joint in my opinion, I have seen it fail in pedestal table legs.
How do I cut drywall on the ceiling accurately? I want to cut the drywall on the ceiling accurately. The thing is that the drywall is thick and it is on the top. I have to stand on the ladder; one hand use utility knife and the other hand hold the drywall. The expected shape is supposed to be rectangle. Cut drywall on...	These saws have a sharp pointy tip, which makes plunging through the drywall easy. With a helper, a T-support fabricated from lumber is often adequate and a lot cheaper.
How do I secure a copper pipe going through a wall? What kind of clamp would be appropriate for securing a 1/2" copper pipe that's run through a wall to the outside to a hose bib? I'll accept a general answer. In my particular case it's a stucco wall out there. I want something strong so it does not stress the caulki...	Use a stainless steel hose clamp (sometimes called a worm clamp becasue of the screw it uses) and a couple of L-brackets - clamp the L-brackets to the pipe using the hose clamp, screw them into the wall with wood screws.
I have flies after painters came I had painters here about 6 weeks ago. After closing all windows, etc. I had to kill numerous flies - 50? I am still seeing flies, though not nearly as many in my house. I don't know how they are coming in. I asked the painter to come back and he cannot find that they left an openin...	Flies are only coming in because they're coming for the fresh paint, then flying through open doors / windows.
How to apply wallpaper over styrofoam? I live in an attic, and the head part of my bed is in a corner where the roof slope, an outer wall and the wall to the neighbour's unheated attic meet. After a few winters of waking up to the feeling of the roof slope sucking the warmth out of me, I got a pack of polystyrol inner ...	The correct "solution" is to drywall on top of the foam (using furring strips, or long screws into the studs), mud/tape the drywall, prime, and then apply wall paper using standard wall paper adhesives.
Why would my Goodman gas furnace start but not stay on for more than 2-3 minutes? I've got a problem with my 15 year old Goodman furnace. It starts w/o problem, inductor begins working, hot surface ignitor lights up and ignites the gas. Then the main blower starts working and the whole thing stays on for 2-3 minutes. T...	There are a couple of things that it might be:It could be the flame sensor. The problem is either a dirty filter that hasn't been changed in a couple years, or you have to clean off A - coil Finns to get better air flow due to running a system without a filter for a long period of time.
How can I run wiring around an inside corner? I am working in a garage and need to run electrical wire through a corner. I cannot go over the corner through the ceiling (a long story), and going through the studs at a right angle will be a significant challenge. Since this is a garage, I'm ok if the wire comes out ...	Have you considered running the wire down to the baseboard, temporarily removing it, then running the wire just above the sole plate, around the corner, and to up to your destination.
What's going on with this lightswitch (two wires to bottom connect, not connected on top) My parents inherited a house and I'm just kind of cleaning it up. It's old -- Edison fuses and other things that I have to puzzle over. Replacing a damaged beige four-outlet thing in a bathroom, one of the switches is weird. Be...	The hole in the top of the switch is an alternative to the screw at the top. I realized that it's a single wire, stripped in the middle as a loop. Some have these, some don't. I don't see anything out of the ordinary here. Standard wire size for most US circuits is either 14 gauge or 12 gauge (heavier).
How do I seal around an outdoor rated wall mounted luminary? What's the proper way to seal a exterior wall mounted luminary from water entry? I was unable to find one for purchase with any sort of gasket, and it appears that any water sheeting down the wall will simply pass through the fixture: The pictured fixture ...	I applied a bead of paintable silicone caulk directly to the stucco, tooled it for good adhesion, and smoothed it with a soapy finger.
What glue to bond metal and plastic in cold weather? I have a small plastic torch (flashlight) with a magnet on the back. I use it to provide light in a small metal trailer. Recently I pulled the torch off the metal wall, and the magnet came away from the torch. I've fixed this problem before, but the glue I used se...	Besides epoxies, polyurethane based adhesives work well also. If you don't own a soldering iron, you could try using a nail held in pliers and heating with a flame device like a cigarette lighter.
Help with Garbage Disposal install and high drain pipe The drain pipe for my sink sits pretty high, and then the sink-bowels holes are pretty close to each other. Below is the best my friend and I could do to make this work, and I just realized we need to baffle T to keep the pressure of the disposal from spurting out...	The drain into the wall needs to be below that of the disposal and sink, there's no way to beat gravity with this.
What could cause a temperature variance between our kitchen and the rest of the house? Our newly remodeled kitchen holds a temperature that averages about 5 degrees cooler than the remainder of the house. The house thermostat is set at 70 degrees, and the kitchen has been as low as 63. The furnace servicemen measured t...	You can sometimes add floor insulation to bring up a particular room's perceived temperature.
How do I stop my in-cabinet lights from falling out? I bought a house three months ago and I'm slowly getting around to different projects. We have beautiful halogen in-cabinet lights above our kitchen sink but the light fixtures seem to fall out every three weeks. I haven't gotten around to pushing the last batch in j...	I agree, this fitting is missing a casing, an alternative to the staple (which is a good idea btw) is to reduce the space with a piece of wire...
Why does my bathroom door make a cracking sound when opening it? My bathroom door makes a cracking sound whenever I open it. When the screws are tight against the hinges, it makes the cracking sound when I open the door. But when I loosen each screw, the cracking sound stops. Is there a better solution than just loo...	Loosening the hinge screws would allow the door a little play to fit in the opening better, causing less friction. The solution would be better ventilation, letting the door dry and sealing it (including top and bottom), or even planing down the edge a little.
Water seeping out of grout in exterior corner of tiled shower curb I have a two year old tiled shower with glass enclosure. The grout is sanded grout. The exterior corner of the shower curb is leaking a small bit of water after every shower. Over time it has corroded the paint and molding that butts up to the tiled ...	If pitched or has shifted towards a corner water can drip out of shower, behind glass, track, door and tile where it is soaked up by the drywall, baseboard or subfloor.
Can I blow dryer exhaust into a pillow case or sheet? Go ahead and laugh. It's okay. Before you do, though, hear me out. My dryer has been drying less and less lately. Today, it stopped drying. Now I have a full load of wet laundry and it's all the clothes I got. I just tried cleaning my exhaust duct/vent/whateve...	Then you won't need the pillowcase at all, which might cause some other problems due to back pressure/poor airflow (e.g., it might take longer for your clothes to dry, and it might cause the dryer to run hotter). The first pic is of my pillow case experiment. After a couple loads, this makes the room really, really, RE...
Why does my dishwasher detergent get stuck? My dishwasher isn't working like it's supposed to. Everything seems to be working fine, but then after the machine stops, I open the door and see that my glasses and plates are suspiciously grimy. When I expose the detergent cup, I see this: Clearly the detergent (I've trie...	The reason the cover does not open usually is the solenoid fails and needs replacement, though it's possible something else is at fault. The cover of the detergent cup is not opening when its supposed to.
How do I ground my replacement outside porch light? I am attempting to replace an outside porch light. After removing the old light, I found the metal electrial box had the ground supply attached to a screw. The new light has a green ground wire and I was wondering if attaching it to the green screw on the bracket woul...	You're going to want to connect the fixture grounding conductor directly to the supply grounding conductor, using either a twist-on wire connector or crimp connector.
Why does my central heating unit continue to run after reaching its set temperature? Why will the central heating unit continue to run after reaching the set temperature? It does not read that it is reaching a higher temperature, it just continues to run at the reached temperature set. <Q> If this is a forced air syst...	Most units run for a set amount of time after reaching desired temp.
extra thermostat, electric dampers and 1 furnace I have a problem similar to others that have posted: balancing heating/cooling throughout the house. I have already played with adjusting the vent's air flow as well as the manual dampers in the basement runs.... nothing seems to work sufficiently. So I am trying to fi...	But when just the bedroom thermostat calls for heat and the main doesn't, the dampers close to redirect the heat to those rooms only. If the problem is that the bedrooms are always cold (assuming winter), and you want them warmer, another shot at balancing the system is probably in order. Do this on the vents in the wa...
Are extension cords safe for permanent use? I recently learned (via a rant from an electrician's son and some internet research) that the standard buy-anywhere cheapo extension cords are a big cause of electrical fires and are not recommended to be left plugged in. So say I DO want to leave an extension cord plugged i...	Extension cords that are not listed, labeled, or rated for permanent (long term) use are all temporary wiring devices.
Can I use particle board over wood plank flooring to smooth it out for laminate flooring? I need some help! I live in a prewar building, I am looking for a cheap and easy way to install a 10mm floating laminate floor. I ripped up the old carpet to find 1inch wood plank subfloor. The floor boards are squeaky and loose. ...	When particle board is wet long term, it basically dissolves. When you consider things this way it can often help to leading toward the better materials than the "cheapest right now" selection. Particle board would be normally be low on my list of choices.
Which end of an Allen Wrench should I be using? When using Allen Wrenches (Hex Keys), I've always held onto the long end because I figured it gave me better leverage and torque. Sometimes, in hard to reach places, I would hold the short end. Then I saw these ball end hex keys . They claim that: The advantage is t...	The ball end permits the tool to be used to tighten or loosen the fastener without having to be axially aligned with the hex slot.
Is using the light switch screw OK to ground a wire? My house was built in 1950 and several light switches do not have ground wires. I believe there is no ground wire since I cannot find a wire that's bare - they are all coated. I want to install a Lutron Motion Sensor , but it requires to connect to a ground wire....	It is possible that the switch box if metal is grounded by an armored cable connected to it, in which case you could install a jumper wire from a ground screw in the back of the switch box to your control. Get a different switch that's designed to run itstiny control current through the attached light bulb filiment.
LG Dishwasher, no power at all So I have a relatively new dishwasher that just completely stopped working the other day. It's still under warranty but before going though all the hassle I want to check if there is nothing simple it could be. I have checked all the basics such as fuses in the plug and if the socket act...	The little sticky pads that connect the internal buttons to the plastic shell (Panel Assembly) had simply slipped off. I've read elsewhere that the power switches are themselves prone to failure, but I didn't touch any of the panel switches -- just latched and unlatched the door several times while the power was off, a...
Provisioning for a hypothetical electric car I'm doing a remodel on my house which involves building a new garage. I have no plans to get a new car soon but presumably will in 1-5 years. How should I wire for an undetermined electric vehicle (Leaf? Tesla?). What current should I wire for? What gauge? Should it be ...	Tesla's "High Power Wall Connector" option should have a 90 amp/240 volt breaker to serve 70 amps for a 4 hour recharge time. Until you actually have an electric car it may be best to leave that circuit terminated in a junction box of some sort and leave the fitting of a charging-unit until later.
How can I repair cracks in a sports court? I have some cracks in my sport court - see images. What can I use to repair them? I imagine that I would use some kind of filler that would then set hard. This is in the Phoenix area which means that it gets extreme heat but the temperature rarely drops below freezing. <Q> In ...	You could patch up these cracks with an epoxy filler or a cement product type filler.
How do I replace this toilet shutoff valve? I need to replace a toilet shutoff valve (does not completely stop water flow) as part of process of fixing a leak I saw around the base of my toilet (suspect i need new wax ring??). I bought a new 1/4 turn shut off valve and turned off the main supply, but was not able to r...	A copper pipe cutter is cheap and easy to use:
How do I add grounding to my old electrical wiring? This old house is (50's) is wired with cloth covered 12/2 Romex with no ground and all metal boxes. Can I just run a 12 ga or 14 ga solid wire between boxes and then to the ground bus of my service panel or do I have to replace all the wiring with new Romex? <Q> The r...	Depending just how ungrounded your system is, you may also need to install a ground rod (or two, or three) so that your service panel ground bus is actually tied to ground. The ground wires can follow any feasible route, they don't need to travel with the conductors.
Best solution to protect the floor while painting the walls For painting work I usually protect the floor using big sheets (like 4 x 4 meters) of transparent plastic sold in Asda that I spread around the room. However it can move a lot while I walk on it and then there are spaces left exposed. Also it's not very flat....	You can use Pre-taped masking film covering floor for painting.
How do I remove this stuck faucet valve cartridge? It's still in the casing, as I didn't want to remove the whole faucet. I tried lots of WD-40 and trying to tighten a little and then loosen. Someone told me to use a hair-dryer on it to heat it up a little. The thing just won't budge. I think I may have ruined the "n...	I would use a channel-lock wrench for this but a small pipe wrench will make the job a bit easier only because you won't have to squeeze the wrench while turning.
How do safety labels on light fittings work with energy saving bulbs? My lamp says "Max 40W or Energy Saving 8W". I have a halogen bulb which says "28W = 36W". Is it safe to use with the lamp? Why / why not? (Sorry if the answer is easily available on the web - I did search before posting here!) <Q> The safety conc...	You're using a 28W appliance in a 40W fitting, which is within recommended specifications.
Do I need an egress window in a basement room not used as a bedroom? Do I need an egress window in a basement family room when the basement has two viable exits? There are garage doors on one end and an exterior person door leading to exterior stairs on the other. <Q> As long as one of the "viable exits" meets the sta...	Where basements contain one or more sleeping rooms, emergency egress and rescue openings shall be required in each sleeping room. The minimum net clear opening width shall be 20 inches (508 mm). Depends on where you live and what your local code and code inspectors say. Since you have 2 walkable paths, you are covered....
Why does this switch throw the breaker when turned on? I volunteered to help a friend with an electrical problem she was having - two of the receptacles in her bedroom did not work. All the receptacles that I looked at had two black wires and two white wires, which I interpret as they are all in the middle of a run. ...	If your hypothesis is correct, which it most likely is, that the switch controls one of the outlets, then the extra pair of wires in that outlet have to do with the switch.
How is the alternating current in your home a complete circuit? Here's what I'm asking: if the electricity flows from the hot wire to device X, then to the neutral wire which ultimately carries the signal to ground/earth at the panel then how does electricity "get back to" hot? Like, what "bridges the gap" between gro...	You can think of it as a remote generator pushing the current through your house, but in actuality there are several transformers isolating the current between generation and your house.
Can the blanket Insulation in my basement be left in place when refinishing? I'm thinking about finishing my basement. It currently has the blanket insulation that the builder installed when we built the house last year. I'm unfamiliar with this product. Is it meant to be used behind my framing or should I take it out ...	If the exterior of the foundation has the black waterproofing membrane, you're fine to build your framed wall right up to the vinyl blanket insulation in the basement.
Is it possible to reuse a copper pipe's compression fitting? I removed what I didn't realize was a compression fitting on a copper pipe for my kitchen cold water supply. Is it possible to reuse the compression fitting or do I need to buy a new one to replace it? It looks like it's some kind of plastic. It took a t...	As others have stated, the ferrule is usually scored during the initial fitting and that scoring will likely make it leak during reuse, the teflon tape workes by filling the fills the scored area of the ferrule.
Why is my emergency generator hard to pull for starting? My portable generator ran fine for 5 hours, then ran out of gas. I refilled the tank but now the pull is excessively hard and the unit will not start. I removed the spark plug and the pull was normal. What next? <Q> Mine is doing the same. <S> I fully disass...	Could have been a compression problem which got worse because there was no ignition. The tech said it creates something along the lines of a "electromagnetic gate" the resistance in pulling starting is created from parts of the generator acting like a magnet.
How can I solder/braze thin stainless steel wire? I've been attempting to practice torch brazing/soldering and am currently attempting to join a ring of stainless steel wire shut like a wrist sized 'o'. Unfortunately the results have been pretty bad. The silver solder I'm using just does not want to stick, it keeps dr...	Spot welding might be another approach, but that will also work better on stainless in an oxygen-free atmosphere (glovebox, etc.)
Why would my TV turn off/on when connected to a surge suppressor? I have a very strange problem which may or may not be the TV. The TV is plugged in to a surge suppressor with the rest of my home theater. Satellite box is also plugged in to the suppressor, including the coaxial input/output, so my system "should" be c...	The first thing I would try in this situation, is to disconnect the cable from the surge suppressor and connect it using a simple coaxial cable connector.
Why do my LED Christmas lights glow when plugged into a light fixture via an adapter? I have an outside light that is controlled by a light switch inside. I took the light out and put a adapter to plug in an extension cord to run LED Christmas lights. When I turn the switch off, just the first strand of lights glows ve...	When I turn my Christmas lights off outside by an outdoor multi plug switch they glow very faintly.
What is the standard distance a closet rod should be from the back wall? Is there a standard distance that a closet rod should be from the back wall of the closet? Is there also a minimum? If so, will all standard closet rod brackets conform to this depth? <Q> As far as I know, there is no "standard" for this. <S> I'...	A common convention is 12" from the back wall to the center of the rod.
how to remove a tiny screw that won't spin? A friend asked me to have at a look at his 'broken' laptop and here's a picture of one of the screws. Click for larger view I've been trying to remove it for about 15 minutes. It's in a 'hole' of 2~3mm deep and surrounded by the black plastic part Any helpful ideas ? <Q>...	It looks like you should be able to use a small flathead screwdriver (or an awl, or any flat bit of metal, really) to push up on the plastic surround while unscrewing the screw. If it's plastic, you might as well not attempt to reinstall it later (specially if it's already turning freely).
Would a failing igniter cause my furnace to blow cold air? I noticed tonight my furnace was firing up, but not actually blowing out heat. I turned the thermostat down so it was no longer triggering it, let it sit for a couple of minutes, and then turned it back up: it ran fine and started blowing warm air. This lasted ...	Could be an issue with a power vent, or a power vent sensor (again, since no details provided, may or may not apply to your furnace.)
How can I waterproof walls that are not shower or basement walls? Have a room, ~10x10 that I want walls to be waterproofed and durable. This room will have parrots in cages. Cages will be periodically hosed off (have concrete floors, floor drain). There wont be intense water on the walls every day, like a shower, but t...	Seal the floor with a penetrating sealer or an epoxy floor paint. Tile CAN be quite reasonable IF you install it yourself and shop around. The cement board is then covered with the liquid membrane used for showers that in now available at tile stores and even Home Depot if you like red. Using the wall panels that were ...
How do I mount a TV on a solid wood wall? I have a 51.8lb Sharp Aquos LC46D85U that I'd like to mount above my fireplace. The problem is that there aren't any studs (at least none that I can find) behind my wood walls. My walls are not wood paneling; they're solid tongue-in-groove wood (see picture). The only stru...	You might want to try a Bosch GMS120 Wall Scanner instead of a regular stud finder. I agree with BMitch that there's horizontal strapping over the studs. The wood is too soft and will probably not hold. That wall is Single Wall Construction.
What makes water condense on the interior of the windows at night when it's cold? While staying with some relatives, I noticed that all their windows experience terrible interior condensation at night and am wondering about what they can do to prevent it. The house is kept to 70 degrees with gas-powered hot water base...	If there are only a couple of windows with serious condensation issues, a space heater directed toward those windows should heat the windows enough to lessen or eliminate the condensation. Perhaps they have single pane or old windows.
Can I sweep blown insulation to one side and replace with fiberglass batts? I noticed my attic blown in insulation is rather thin on one side. Rather than buying enough to cover the whole area, I was thinking of just pushing or brooming the blown in insulation toward the soffit to fill it to the top of the joists, and ...	Blowing insulation is usually easier and cheaper than laying batts.
How do I prevent harmonic resonance hum in PVC vent of newly installed hot water heater? I just had a new power vented water heater installed (HTProducts Phoenix Light Duty) in our crawlspace. The contractor that put it in used part of the existing 3" concentric vent from the furnace we removed used. The issue is as ...	With some prompting, my contractor did a combustion analysis on the unit, made some adjustments to the gas valve, and now the noise is gone. Couple options come to mind: Change the fan.
How can I replace a tilt up garage door, with near zero clearance, low overhead? I have a 'tilt up' garage door with an past-end-of-life track. I'm told by several local garage door companies that tilt up hardware is not made any more. Yet even the low clearance roll-up overhead doors can't match the headroom of the ...	Get friendly with a local door company, not a chain company, and see if they could come up with some used track or hardware (whatever is causing you problems) from a door they take out.
How do you calculate the safe working load of chains? Say for instance you have a chain that has a safe working load of 200 lbs. If I wanted to hang an item from 4 corners, each with its own chain would I be able to hang 800 lbs? Or is there some other variable to factor? <Q> Another thing to consider is that the eff...	Multiply the chain's working load limit by the cosine of the angle between the chain and vertical to get the adjusted limit.
How do I replace this switch with a timer? I was trying to wire in a timer switch for a vent fan. When I went to replace the switch (which I knew was a 3 pole) I was baffled by the way it was wire. 4 wires run into the box, two of the hot wires go straight to a switch and the other are marred with 2 other black wires t...	In my understanding these would be the wires that actually go from the switch to either the lightbulb or the fan, so they should only become live when the switch is on. Another of the four goes straight back to the wall, presumably to power other switches (connected to the same breaker of course).
How to fix a window, keeping rain out but allowing wind in? It's always raining heavily here at my place and I had to keep the room windows shut due to the electrical appliances near the window inside the room. However, the room quickly becomes ill-ventilated. What's the best solution to this dilemna? Is there a win...	You can get a Tilt and Turn window - a window that tilts inwards slightly (and locks in place so that it doesn't tip back anymore) to let air circulate, but can also be opened as a traditional window too (albeit one that typically opens inwards instead of outwards). Two years ago I found what I call window baffles, by ...
How do I remove plastic shelving molly clips? I have some closet shelving clips I need to remove to paint a wall. The problem is that they are molly bolts. These are the exact clips/mollys. The question is similar to this one , but in my case, I am dealing with molly bolts, instead of simple wall anchors, and they...	Since this uses a bolt, rather than a pin, you can screw out the bolt until it's loose, then gently pry on the plastic hanger until you can get a pry bar/claw hammer/something between it and the wall.
How can I stop kitchen sink caulking from peeling off after a few weeks? We recently had a new metal kitchen sink and Formica counter-tops professionally installed, but the installer did not apply any caulking around the sink. During a follow-up call with the counter-top company, we were told that their installers do n...	A solvent can be used just before caulking to improve performance.
Can I modify the vent from my high efficiency furnace to prevent possible damage to the exterior of my home? is my high efficiency furnace vent installed properly? I'm based in Toronto, Canada. In some recent cold winter weather, the exhaust is causing a lot of ice buildup on the surrounding brick. To my limited knowle...	Another issue i see is that any exhaust for a high efficiency gas appliance must be insulated when being run in an unconditioned space (such as in a garage or running under a deck). My solution would be to cut off the tee at the end of the termination, slide on armaflex pipe insulation around the exhaust. There is no s...
How to drill a hole in the wood without an electric drill? During a travel in Laos, I need to drill some holes into a double-door's wood to install a locker. The wood is rather hard, and I don't have an electric drill (and can't find it). I only have 2 small screwdrivers ( - and + ), a small hammer, but I can find...	Make a bow drill:

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