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train · 95.7k rows

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What is the metal I have in my wall? I've been trying to mount a TV on my wall, and have encoutnered a problem locating and drilling into studs. I used a stud detector to look for studs in my wall, and proceeded to drill. Instead, I have just hit a metal plate. I did some searching and reading, and it does not appear...	When you run wires to outlets or switches, it's good practice (and required by code in many places) that you place protective plates on the wooden studs where electrical cable has been ran through it. I would assume if you went to the other side of the wall you would find studs there.
Did I ruin my bathroom faucet during descaling? I wanted to descale my bathroom faucet (for taking showers), so I put some vinegar on a tissue and put it on the faucet. I left it for 7-8 hours and when I wake up my faucet looks like this: It has indeed been descaled, but note how the color has vanished on the right ...	The Vinegar was the correct application, however you are left with some residual mineral deposit which was not removed by the acid wash (vinegar) It looks like the film has corroded badly.
wiring for an oldish house I have 4 wires (red,black,bare,white) from the ceiling. From my new light fixture I have 3 wires (black,green,white). Which two switches for the light. I wired it black and red to black from fixture, white to white, and green to bare. And my light will not turn off. What did I do wrong? Power...	Once you figure that out, connect only that wire to the black wire on the fixture. Look up three way switch wiring for examples.
Best tools for woodwork project I'm starting a project where I need to cut a 114mm diameter, 33mm deep hole into a piece of wood. My plan is to keep the circular piece, then to sand it. My question is, what would be the best piece of equipment to use in order to make a clean. straight cut? <Q> This can probably be done...	A circle can also be cut using a mill (or lathe) with a milling cutter in combination with a rotary table (or divider). I would suggest either using 2 thinner boards and gluing them together prior to sanding that way you can use an relatively inexpensive jigsaw or try it with a quality jigsaw going slowly with a long b...
Gas Dryer suddenly trips any GFCI Outlet immediately upon being plugged in, but works fine in non GFCI I have a Maytag Centennial gas clothes dryer in my laundry room. It is connected to a non-gfci outlet which is downstream of another outlet with built in gfci. It has been connected like this and working fine since I ...	Same problem here: plugging in gas dryer, with dryer off, immediately trips GFCI. I have a garage door opener that started causing this problem after the GFCI breaker it was connected to was replaced: the new breaker was more sensitive.
What could be causing a rumbling noise in our house? We bought our home in Dec. 2014, ten year old house. It started making a rumbling noises, as though it was thundering outside, and it seems to happen in the evening. However, sometimes during the day. We had the entire heating and air system checked out. We also just...	The air vents that are supposed to allow air in the heating system to escape are not working correctly, so there are pockets of air trapped throughout the piping system.
How do I wire a light switch and outlet in the same box? I have a single gang box in a bathroom with a GFCI outlet. I'd like to replace it with a 2-gang box containing a GFCI outlet and a light switch for the vanity light. The outlet will have both receptacles live (not switched). The vanity light currently is not swi...	So, the hot coming off the outlet, you'd wire up to the in on the light switch. You have the right idea.
Is this "ice damming"? The north-north-west side of our house has a 2 foot soffit/overhang. This morning we notice that the vinyl siding of this wall is covered with icicles. It looks like water is somehow getting into the bottom metal runs of the soffit and travelling from the gutter end towards the wall and then drip...	If there is no accumulation then it is not an ice dam, just an ordinary leak in the overhang somewhere. I am guessing that the water is getting pushed up and under the drip edge. This will stop the water from getting near the wall.
How do I remove painted knockdown texture? We scraped our popcorn ceilings and had somebody do knockdown texture in the whole house. Problem is, that when the guy went to prime over the texture, some of the texture started peeling off on the roller in the master bedroom and living room. There may have then several issu...	Renting a drywall jack is cheap and makes it a ton easier to hang. I completely got rid of the texture by scraping it off.
How would you fix this wooden cottage's leaky walls? I have an old prefab cottage made of wood. its walls have become leaky. When it rains sideways (happens a lot because we're so close to the sea), water seeps in from in between the beams, and through the knotholes. This is, of course, ruining the wood inside a...	I would suggest using a polyurethane caulk, maybe even with a primer to insure the caulk bonds to the wood well. Plaster, chinking, or something along those lines would be the easiest and most cost effective, but if your house is sitting on pallets it likely moves around a fair bit over the course of 4 seasons, which w...
How can I get a direct stream of water out of my kitchen sprayer hose? I fill up my humidifier tanks several times a day. The tanks don't fit under my kitchen sink, so I have to fill them partially in the sink and then the last 10% with the sprayer. The sink has a flow restrictor, and of course the sprayer is inhibited...	The best option is to replace the sprayer, so remove it from the faucet & screw a proper cap onto or a plug into (whatever you have) its outlet at the faucet. Sprayers don't last forever. The hose bib would have its own closure (I personally prefer the 1/4 turn ones), and you could put a short section of hose on it.
Why does my microwave trip my AFCI only when it's mostly empty? I live in a recently redone home and I'm having a very odd electrical issue. My microwave is intermittently tripping a combination arc fault breaker only when it is mostly empty, e.g. one slice of pizza. When the microwave is fuller, it works fine. The ...	Some older microwave ovens really need at least some minimal load to stabilize them.
How do I make a table drawer child-proof? I want to build a drawer into a table that is held shut by an unseen lock (probably magnetic). The drawer front would have two small holes in it. The handle for the drawer would fit into the two holes, when inserted the handle effectively releases the lock allowing you to ope...	Answering the original question: the off-the-shelf answer a locksmith would give you is probably an electric strike or electric deadbolt, of the same sort used on doors.
Missing front of cabinet drawer, need to sell my house One of the drawer front panels for a kitchen cabinet broke a while ago and I need to somehow get it replaced but I don't know where to look or who I should contact. I don't have the panel anymore at all. The main issue is that I am trying to sell my house so I ne...	There are many websites online that sell drawer faces and cabinet doors for re-facing, when people change the look of their kitchens without changing out the actual cabinet boxes.
Small geyser coming out of the basement floor My house is 40 years old. I have had basement flooding issues for years. With heavy rain, water comes out of my floors. I have a sump pump that takes care of it. Despite knowing better, Ive been able to ignore it. It hasn't caused any problems. My washer and dryer are the o...	The concrete was poured right on the dirt with no stone; the sump was concrete and INTEGRATED into the floor (requiring water to be on the floor to make it to sump); the floor was cracked and allow moisture up in many places; the soil is clay and rock and doesn't drain. You can bandaid it and get certain things in plac...
What is this kind bracket called? I am looking for a bracket that will attach a 2x2 support to the underside of a bed. The support needs to be attached to the headboard and footboard with this bracket at each end. What is this called and where can I find one? <Q> The closest you're going to get is joist hanger brackets...	What you could do is look in the "joist hanger/framing tie/framing bracket" section of your local supply store and, with a bit of ingenuity, adapt or alter a bracket to serve your needs.
Do I have to GFCI protect a range plug if it's within 6 feet of a sink? I am installing a range plug within 6 feet of a sink, do I need a GFCI? I do not have a 2014 NEC code book so I don't know if the code has changed. It has not been required in the past but things can change. <Q> No in any case. <A> While GFCI p...	Electric range circuits and receptacles do not require GFI protection, and if this is a regular receptacle for a gas range it is behind the range and not serving the counter, so again ,no GFI required.
Need a new roof but have2 gable ends and no overhang for soffit vents I have about a 1400 square foot roof with a 6/12 pitch. The house was built in the 50's and there are no soffit vents, but there are 2 Gable ends. I need to have a new roof installed and am adding a ridge vent. Is it ok to leave the gable ends wit...	Good soffit ventilation with a ridge vent is usually a perfect scenario.
How to cut aluminium chequer plate (with a jigsaw)? I have a nice sheet aly I bought for my project. It is 2.5~mm chequer plate that needs to be cut into 7 pieces (straight across the sheet, no curves needed), and I tried to cut it with a metal blade in a jigsaw - I only got ¾ of the way through cutting the first piece...	I have cut these with both a table/circular saw and an angle grinder.
why is my led bulb running dim? I have five LED bulbs outdoors near the Twin Cities in Minnesota, all of the same brand (Feit 800 lumens, if that matters), which have been installed somewhere around mid-summer 2013. We don't have dimmers, just a bog-standard on/off switch. Four of them work perfectly fine, but the fif...	It seems very likely that the bulb is just faulty. Electrical gremlins don't need to be caused by faulty installation, sometimes things that you don't expect to break (like immobile wirenuts) also loosen up due to mechanical vibrations.
How to change compact fluorescent 4 pin bulb at 22 feet I have compact fluorescent 4 pin bulbs that in the ceiling at 22 feet. I cannot find any bulb changing tools which I can use to reach the height using a pole. Any suggestions would be appreciated. (As a side note: Running out of luck finding a rental place that h...	I'll tell you exactly: "the last guy" installed that bulb from a boom lift or the top of the ladder and declared mission accomplished.
How can I fasten nuts in narrow places when installing a faucet? Recently I replaced a faucet in the kitchen, but there is not enough room to fasten two nuts. These are not the nuts on the end of the supply lines; they thread onto studs to hold the faucet down. They're too close to the supply lines to be able to grab. ...	A basin wrench is NOT the correct tool to try to tighten the faucet mount nuts that you show in your pictures.
Is Duck/Duct tape safe to use to insulate mains wires? Question says it all really. Based in the UK so mains is 240v and 20 amps. It's a lighting circuit. <Q> Of course, if you can use heat-shrink tubing or some sort of wire connector (wirenut or push-lock) instead, that's a much better solution -- electrical tape does...	Use an appropriately listed and labeled electrical tape instead if you must use tape -- duck tape is an unknown quantity when it comes to insulating properties, and also is more likely to combust if hit with sparks than a proper electrical tape would. No it is not an appropriate use. If you're trying to cap the exposed...
Can I paint and polyurethane my plyfloor or does it have to be covered? On a new build, our subfloor is going to be 18mm plyfloor. I like the idea of painting it with a whitewash and then coating it with polyurethane to keep it as our main floor, rather than covering it with vinyl or laminate planks. Is that a possib...	Cons: Potential for nasty splinters; plywood splinters are miserable. One potential con is that you can't resand and refinish plywood floors more than once or twice. No real cons other than style taste No way I could get a house passed with exposed subfloor in a lot of areas.
How should I run power wiring and Cat-5 to the perimeter of my huge yard? I have a house that sits on about 4 acres of land. There is a very large front yard and an even bigger one in the back. I want to get both power and Ethernet (for security cameras) located at various points in both the front and the back. Does ...	You do need wet-rated outdoor wire - all conduits outside are assumed by code to be wet, and the assumption is usually correct - condensate will do it if nothing else does.
can I use a thick coating to fill the gaps between planks on wood deck? I want to use the space under my deck for entertaining when its raining. What would happen if I used one of the thick bed liner type wood coatings and simply applied it to the decking and also into the gaps, After a rainstorm I was thinking the wat...	You most likely would have issues with water pooling on the deck boards and causing them to stain, warp, and eventually rot. You don't want to completely seal up the spaces in between your boards.
Can multiple 2-way occupancy motion sensor switches be used together? Can multiple 2-way occupancy (AKA motion) sensor switches be used together? For the top and bottom of a staircase, I want the lights to be on if either switch senses motion and the lights stay on until both switches time out after not sensing mo...	Have successfully wired 3 Lutron motion sensors to control a common light fixture so that light would be activated regardless of point of entry into room, hall, etc. Your best bet is to mark the wires directly . To avoid that , use shrink tubing (the hair dryer will need power, don't use a match, it doesn't shrink even...
Will galvanized metal conduit balusters resist rust? I'd like to use galvanized metal conduit as deck balusters with pressure-treated lumber. Will the bare metal resist rust? If not, is there an inexpensive way to improve its rust resistance? <Q> It is however inevitable that it will rust. <S> The most likely place for...	Typical EMT Type conduit will resist rust for a few years. Go to The Rust Store and get a gallon of their rust converter.
Using half of a 240v dual-phase circuit as a 120v single-phase circuit (US) Usually when I see a 240v device, it is wired to its own double-pole circuit breaker, with each pole connected to a different 120v phase (to provide 240v total). If there is a 120v device in the same location, it is wired to a separate single-p...	The issue is loading Generally when you see a 2-pole 240V breaker dedicated to an appliance, the appliance is intentionally sized to use the entire circuit . There's no way to do it, besides a subpanel.
attic access to the outside If i build in my attic 2 bedrooms do I need to have a access door to the outside or some kind of ladder. The attic is the 2nd story of my home and has normal stairs going up from the main floor living space. <Q> They are literally $30 for a drop ladder. <S> I won't recommend any because I ...	You don't have to have a ladder for a second story window. Luckily inspector noticed this during rough-in (I had already bought window but still). Depending on your location, there may be requirements for ladders from any egress However I would buy one and keep it in a well known place. There should, however, be window...
Retaining wall: footing or no footing? I'm looking to build a retaining wall on my sloped backyard . I'll be using cinder blocks (with mortar to join them together and rebar for added stability). (added info: at the lowest point the wall is going to be close to 4 feet tall, not counting how deep I have to dig and h...	Blocks work because they are tied to very solid, heavy things at the top and bottom that run the length of the wall, and have regular supports at a right angle to the length of the brick.
Is there any benefit to upsizing to 3/4" pipe off a 1/2" main supply? I have a half inch main supply coming from the street (house built in 1954). Is there any benefit if I run 3/4 PEX from the water meter to the various feeds and then branch off 1/2" PEX to the faucets? Does it increase the flow or will it reduce it? ...	Running 3/4" piping from the 1/2" feed will slightly decrease the pressure loss, meaning you'll get more pressure at your fixtures, but the difference will probably be very small. As a matter of fact you would be greatly extending your pressure tank capacity greatly.
How can I vent a portable air conditioner when there's no window? My shop does not have central air and does not have operable windows. There is a steel door in the back and cinderblock walls. My landlord is against me cutting a venting hole in either the steel door or the wall...any wonderful ideas, anyone, for how ...	If they don't go for a roof vent, you could use an under-eave vent depending on how the structure is designed. Then ask the landlord if you can replace it with your own door, and cut a hole in that.
Why is my gas heater shutting down the flame and pilot? I have a KINGSMAN gas heater, Model FV-5000N, quits working. After I relight pilot, turn switch to on, the flame lights and begins to heat, then after about 30 seconds, there is an audible click from the valve body and the flame goes out including pilot light. <Q>...	Also, there may be a pilot adjustment valve on your gas valve.
Some ideas on how to block a wheel on a metallic rod? I manage somehow to put some old inline roller wheel to some old trolleys I use in my house for shopping (and trekking). The average weight is about 20-30 kg. I am looking for a way to fix those wheels knowing that, I only have some basic tools (no electric ones). I...	If you had a small electric grinder (Dremel or similar) that would also be an option, but the hacksaw will work and is a hand tool. If you cannot find the e-clips (as presented in @Ecnerwal answer), use some bailing wire (or some type of form-able, solid wire which can be wrapped around the axle at the groove.
What's the strongest anchor for something heavy in double drywall? I have a party-wall in my apartment-née-condo that seems to have two sheets of drywall installed against eachother. All attempts to find some sort of stud or resilient channel / furring strip have failed miserably; short of going Hulk and tearing out a ...	Structural shelves need to be supported by proper framing...namely the studs within the wall. All you would have to do is buy a longer bolt for the double thick dry wall.
What is this pipe coming up out of our driveway? Bought a house last week, which -- Canadian winter -- had been mightily surrounded by snow, including in the driveway. Today, with the snow melting, I saw this in front of the garage door. It extends about 2" up past the driveway surface. The cap on the pipe is black ...	If it's a sewer cleanout you should be able to detect noxious gasses emanating from the pipe once the cap is removed. I wouldn't go any further than shortening it slightly without first actually figuring out what it is - where local inspection is going to have significant advantages over the ponderings of the internet....
Will the original ceiling box in my 1939 home support a new 45lb chandelier? I recently purchased in a house built in 1939. The electrical boxes and wiring have been replaced, but the ceiling support bar holding up the box looks original (i.e., flat steel bar attached to the joists). Can this support the new 45 lbs cha...	If your box has a ceiling stud present, then it should support the weight it is listed for (often 50lbs, but check the markings on the box!) I wouldn't rely on nailed up box to support 45 pounds for an extended time
Shower floods behind the wall. on pre-formed shower/bath and ONLY when the shower is turned on No previous leaks were found, but one morning the kitchen floor (on the other side of the bathroom wall) flooded when the shower was turned on. It's a high-usage shower, used for a minimum of 2-3 showers a day. Suddenly it ju...	The easiest and first thing to check is the trim pieces around your valve knob(s). Look for source of water.
Is there a way to deal with mold built up on the washer bellow tub? It looks like people who used to live in the house before us would keep the washer closed for extended periods of time and here's the result. I suspect it also contributes to odor issues the house sometimes has when not ventilated for a couple of days...	You can also buy hydrochloric acid at some hardware stores.
Is it legal to wire a bath fan using load from top of GFI outlet? Purchased a place and we are re-wiring the bathroom and putting in a standing shower. The bathroom is quite small so there is just enough room for this. There is a dedicated circuit, a round box above the medicine cabinet for a bar light, and a shower fa...	Outlets in the bathroom need to be protected with a GFCI, but the lights and fan do not need to be.
Second toilet runs after first one flushed? When our one toilet is flushed, the other toilet will run for a short time? II have drained the tank and cleaned around the flap. <Q> Sounds like a problem unrelated to the flapper. <S> The "running" you hear is likely the fill valve. <S> I have seen this happen before and a ...	Perhaps the fluctuation of your water supply pressure when one toilet's fill valve opens is causing the other toilet fill valve to momentarily leak-by or open.
Locating buried electrical cable/conduit in yard Our house, which we purchased about a year ago, has a shed in the back of the yard which has electricity and is roughly 100 ft away from the main house. From what I can tell the previous owner had cable run to the shed through a conduit that exits the house at the closes...	You can track the signal over the ground surface if you stay right above the cable and it is not buried to deep. Alternate step one - hire a private contractor to trace the line, or try renting equipment to do the same yourself. You can use a metal detector, but find someone who knows how to use it.
Should I use a timer or motion sensor in my hot water recirculation system? I want to get a hot water recirculation line added to a house. plumber is proposing a timer to turn on/off the pump. I'm thinking a motion sensor method would be better. are these even common and how do most people install them in terms of whe...	Most common (in my area) is a thermostat control that mounts on a pipe of your choosing, with a "vacation" switch to shut down the pump during extended absences.
How to handle ground and neutral in multi gang box containing both branch and traveler further down on same branch? I have a 15 amp branch circuit where the first box from the breaker contains a switch for a ceiling light at the door leading to the garage. This box supplies the rest of the branch. On the same branch a...	However, as ThreePhaseEel points out, paralleling conductors in this way would be a code violation. Also, in boxes B4 and B5, keep the neutrals separated from each other as per Tester101's revised illustration -- again, NEC 310.10(H) applies.
Attaching non-load bearing walls to steel I-beams I'm preparing to remodel my basement. A steel I-beam runs the length the of the basement with vertical steel columns spaced periodically across the span. The beam is 5" wide and 8" tall. I'm considering constructing a 2x4, non-load bearing wall directly under the bea...	Weld studs to the beam You could, of course, build the whole wall out of 2x6, and that resolves all the above issues.
How can I attach structure via oval holes in panel struts in a panel van? I am trying to build storage for a panel van. My problem is how to make use of pre-existing holes for attaching bolts to. The loading space in the van has vertical structural beams which have holes that I would like to use to secure the storage. ...	If you find that the bolt still moves without a wrench on the other end, you can put a lock washer between the bolt head and the flat washer, but I've found on blind holes like this, if you just hold the threaded end of the bolt with your fingers and use an open ended wrench to turn the nut, the bolt will tighten down ...
Is it advisable to paint interior walls with a sprayer? We just purchased a house and before moving in we want to paint all the rooms: 4 bedrooms, living room, kitchen, and family room (2000 sft home). Being we want to be as efficient as possible I had looked into using a power sprayer. I've read both pros and cons on ...	If was going to repaint a room now, I would go with a brush and roller. Con: you have to mask everything, but EVERYTHING, you don't want covered in paint.
Should I be calling a plumber or someone from my water supply company to test for contaminents in my water? I have one bathroom where the hot shower water has a sulfur-like odor to it on most days and I'd like to have someone come and check it out but I'm not positive on who to call. <Q> If you are on a public water su...	If it's ONLY the one bathroom, it's more likely something in your pipes than in the general water supply.
2 15 amp breakers to 1 30 amp I have a wired garage that has 3 wire 10 gauge going in to it. In the panel this wire is hooked up to 2 individual 15 amp breakers. I want to know if i can put in a 30 amp breaker in that spot. The Garage has a 240V heater and 115V plugs and lighting. <Q> I just want to clarify what you'r...	It is only safe for said 240v breaker to be a 30 amp breaker if all wires and outlets on the entire circuit are 10 gauge.
Which parts are missing from this vintage lockset? I'd like to get this lockset back into working order on a vintage 1-3/8" interior door with 2-3/8" backset, but do not know which parts are missing. Here is what I do have: Also, either the door has twisted, or the walls have leaned. The door matches the stop fine o...	Frankly, I'd rescue the knobs and the decorative escutcheon plates, and obtain a new mortise knobset or lockset for them to operate.
How noticeable should the seam be on a quartz counter install? This is my first question on the DIY stack so be gentle with me! Background We just had new quartz counters installed in our kitchen renovation. We have done everything else our selves, but we figured we would use professionals for the counter top since w...	There should only be 1 join per "corner" of a bench.
Can I mix latex paint into concrete would like to color concrete mix can I use outdoor latex paint to mix in with the concrete? <Q> While you probably could , this wouldn't be a good way to try and match a color. <S> It would likely effect the setting performance of the concrete and you'd never match the color of th...	For coloring concrete it is much better to use products that are specifically designed for this - either a concrete dye mixed into the concrete itself, or a concrete stain applied afterwards.
How to connect 6x12 AWG wires? I'm replacing an electrical box in my bathroom that connects to both a vanity light and a fan. The idea is to put in a GFCI outlet and a duplex switch for separate light/fan switching. Right now I'm stuck on grounding: I have three ground wires coming into the box (line, light, fan). Pl...	Typically we'll wrap one of the grounds around the box grounding screw then on to the splice. The Wall-Nuts gadgets are a handy option. Now each device has its own tail and the spice is nice and neat and small. If you search the IDEAL Connector UL Listed Wire Combinations (pdf) document for "6 #12", you'll find they of...
Our hot water heater is gas, and it only has low med. and high temperature settings. Which setting is the safest to use for our home? Our hot water tank is gas, and only has high, med, and low temperature settings. Which one is the safest setting for our single home? <Q> Start at medium, or at the current setting, if y...	if you have children and do have an anti scald temperature mixing valve then go with hot.
removing glue from felt pads on chair legs I am trying to remove old glue from chair felt pads. I have tried GooGone, sanding and paint thinner. Does anyone have a remedy for this problem? <Q> If the glue is a hard type glue such as Elmer's or a Wood glue, your best bet is to try to chip off as much as possible with ...	If the glue is still tacky at all (or ever was), Laquer Thinner or "Goof Off" may be a good solvent.
How to measure and cut square tiles to make a herringbone pattern? I have 18x18 inch square travertine tiles. I would like to know if it is feasible to cut each tile in half and make a herringbone pattern for our bathroom floor. I was planning on using 1/8" grout lines and I'm not sure how to make everything fit nicely...	It's all in the setup on the saw, make sure you get the sawcut exactly centered, cut in one smooth stroke and make sure the tile is secured so it won't move during the cutting operation.
How can I calculate the effects a floor coverings thermal conductivity will have on my heating costs? We are choosing between laminate and plastic flooring over water based underfloor heating (heat pipes laid in the screed floor over thick concrete). Laminate floorings have a thermal resistance of app. 0.06 m^2K/W, pla...	If your floor has a very low thermal resistance - you would be able to feel the path of the heating pipes/elements. Thermal conductivity is just how fast it takes the heat to get to you.
Nailing down hardibacker on walls I'm in the middle of a bathroom renovation, which will be tiled with large format porcelain tiles on both the floor and walls. I put 1/4" HardiBacker on the floor, laid on top of a bed of thinset as per the installation instructions. I used the "BackerOn" coated screws that home depot...	Depending on what is behind your backer you need long roofing nails.
Is it dangerous if the ground pin of a 3 prong plug breaks off in the outlet? The grounding prong of a 3 prong plug broke off in an outlet. Could this be an electrical hazard should a child touch it? <Q> It could be bad if other things go wrong as well, or if the circuit/device is miswired. <S> It also prevents you ...	However, if the outlet were miswired, for example, the outlet ground actually connected to neutral (because there was no ground in the box) and there was a wiring fault disconnecting the circuit's neutral, the neutral prong, as well as the ground, could become hot. If you're unable to remove it, have the receptacle rep...
What are the differences between these two receptacles? Residential duplex outlets come in a variety of styles. The two most common seem to be: and Does it matter? Is the difference purely aesthetics, or is there any technical difference? <Q> The outlet on the left will accept both 15 amp and 20 and compatible Th...	The shape of the 'Square' vs. the 'Double D' outline is cosmetic only The square shape is typically called 'Decora' - When choosing, cost and aesthetics are your typical consideration (assuming the plates are purchased at the same time as the outlet they are used with when you put one device in a box (single gang). Dup...
What type of hose should be used when flushing a water heater? I know that a hot water heater should be flushed yearly to mitigate sediment buildup. What kind of hose should be used? Is a simple garden hose sufficient, or will the hot water melt or damage the rubber? Are there heavy-duty or heat-resistant hoses for ho...	While there are "hot water hoses" and you'll pay a pretty penny for them if you want more than the standard 5 feet or so that washing machine hoses are, you can use an ordinary garden hose.
Why would two circuit breakers be connected inside the service panel? I was trying to locate the circuit breaker for an outlet in my garage and found a truly baffling setup. Two breakers control the same outlet (both plugs). After some head scratching, I opened the breaker box and found (see pic) breaker 4 (20 amp) wir...	Wherever possible you should inspect the wiring, including all outlets on that circuit, to see if there are any signs of melted insulation or other damage. As @Ecnerwall says, definitely not safe / legal / advisable.
How can I eliminate one 3-way switch to leave just one switch on the lighting circuit it's on? I have two sets of lights in my kitchen. At one end of the kitchen, I have a 2 Gang light switch which operates both sets of lights, and at the other end I have a single light switch which operates the lights at that end of t...	Referring to the diagram below: if the switch with the incoming "hot" is the one you want single control from (shown at left)- 1) replace that switch with a single-pole switch 2) connect either of the "traveler" wires to the load side 3) remove the other (unwanted) switch and connect the traveler wire used in step-2 to...
What do volts and amps imply for angle grinders? I have several home improvement projects that would be made enormously easier if I had a decent angle grinder with both grinding and cutting wheels to attach to it. But I've never used or bought one before. Arbitrarily, going to Lowes (not that I am endorsing Lowes in ...	Electric angle grinders are very useful tools, they can also be extremely dangerous. Models that list volts as a primary specification are battery operated.
Is this wall load bearing? I want to remove these three small pieces of wall (Marked in yellow arrow) to combine dining and living room? Since the house has a basement. I also attached the basement pic to show the structure those walls. Are they load bearing? can I remove them? <Q> Your house plans (blueprints) would...	If the joists pass across the top of the wall (or beam) unbroken, then the wall is possibly not load-bearing, depending on your joists, the length of the span after you remove the wall, and the load on the floor above. When I had two walls opened up, I paid the relatively small amount to bring in a structural engineer ...
Why are the lights flickering when the a/c is on? The lights flick on and off when the a/c is on and the sound of a/c is too noisy and look like it's going to blow. I already checked the connection if they have a short circuit. Did not found any trouble <Q> Im going to assume you are talking about either a window air...	The voltage is dropping because of a large current draw. Its part of the reason for having a dedicated circuit for such appliances.
Why are there sewer odors coming from my shower drain? I have random sewer odors coming from my tub and shower drains. They are separate in my bathroom. I have had plumbers come and clean the drain, but that is not fixing the problem. <Q> You have sewer gas. <S> Water in your plumbing traps is supposed to prevent that....	Another common possibility for an older house is that an old drum trap has failed, and is not functioning as a trap at all anymore.
How do I remove a double-ended T3 R7S bulb that isn't spring loaded? A fixture using this type of bulb burned out of me. All of my searching seems to indicate that these are often spring-loaded but I applied significant force to both sides with no give. I feel so ashamed being defeated by a lightbulb.... how to I repla...	A little pulling and the bulb came out.
What are these blue and yellow cables coming out of my house for? I recently purchased a house built in 2007. All houses in the area have those cables on the side of the house. The white cable on the picture is for cable/tv. But what about the blue/yellow cables? Are they safe to remove? <Q> As best one can see from th...	It could also be speaker wiring or some other low voltage wiring. The blue is probably a Cat5e or Cat6, for ethernet, and the yellow is probably Cat3/VG for phone. If your area has or is scheduled to receive fiber-optic com utilities then some vendors (like FIOS) put the fiber terminal outside and split off the various...
Why does my stove vent fan take time to turn on The vent hood is quite old. For some reason when I flip the switch to turn it on it takes 10-30 seconds to actually turn on. I've checked it and there's no power flowing for those 10-30 seconds. There's no sound during that time or any indication of what's going on. At fi...	It may be that your start capacitor is dying out. Again you might have a ton of gunk in there. If your fan still works after start-up, it's almost certainly not the windings.
How should I remove the water from my pool cover? Winter is finally over, and it's time to remove the cover from my above ground pool. However, snow and rain have left quite a bit of water on the cover. I see three options Pull the cover off, and let the water go into the pool. Use a garden hose, and try to sipho...	I used to pump the water off my cover, at least as much as I could.
How can I fix a door that is leaning into my bathroom? My bathroom door is leaning into the bathroom. The bottom of the door will touch the frame before the top does. Not sure what is causing it. It looks like a 2-3 degree tilt into the bathroom from the bottom to the top of the door. <Q> If it's a wooden door, the do...	You can shim it back up and screw it back in once again remembering to let the door frame relax. Check plumb on the latch side of the jamb, perpendicular to the wall (into and out of the room).
Best Way to Extend 30A 120v circuit over 300 feet? I have an old barn to which i'd like to provide electricity. The problem is that the barn is about 300 feet away. I understand that voltage drop over 300 feet is fairly significant. Buying thicker wire to accomodate voltage drop of that magnitude may be very costly, a...	Concentric-Neutral cable is relatively inexpensive and is intended for direct-burial. Personally, I'd be getting the 2 AWG stuff but that may be more money than you want to spend. Using Table 8 in chapter 9 of the NEC along with Ohm's Law (the max drop generally permitted by good practice on a branch circuit is 5% or 6...
How to determine if hardwoods are under cabinets? I'm house shopping and some homes have built-ins or kitchen cabinets that I'd like to remove. I was wondering, first, is it possible to determine without taking the cabinets apart whether there are hardwood floors underneath? Also, if there are not hardwoods underneat...	Remove a piece of trim and see if you see the bottom of the cabinets. If you will change footprint and there is a section missing, you often can weave in new wood and refinish the room.
Why do I have shiny patches where I touched up paint on my walls? We recently had some remodeling done and the walls were all freshly painted with Behr Premium Plus Ultra Matte paint. A lot of the walls got marked up from the workers still coming in and out, so I used the EXACT paint, from the SAME container that was ...	The first coat of paint is simply absorbed by the wall differently than the next coat of paint. The sheen between the different application techniques will be different and noticeable.
What to use to cut large roots I have a big Sycamore tree in my front yard and the roots are growing towards the foundation of my house. One of the roots is about a foot from the foundation. My husband is not able to do the work, so I will have to try and cut the roots myself. We can't afford to hire someone to do t...	If you are comfortable using power tools a Sawz-all also called a reciprocating saw will do the job.
Is there such a thing as a horizontal tension rod shelf? I want to put up a shelf going the width of a narrow hallway, but cant do any drilling in the walls (our walls are terrible and I rent so I don't want to do any damage). I thought about suspending a few pull up bars and then putting a plank of wood on them, but ...	But if this is a dead space in a hallway that would never really serve a better purpose than having a shelf, consider installing a real shelf mounted with brackets; one that you'll leave when you move out.
How do I remove a stuck kitchen aerator tip? I recently moved into a new apartment and need to remove the aerator tip on the Moen kitchen faucet to set up the countertop dishwasher I brought with me from my previous apartment. It was missing the aerator inside and had a bunch of mineral build up to begin with. I've tri...	Otherwise you could try wrapping it in a few layers of tinfoil and using a candle or a LIGHT dose of flame from a blowtorch.
Continue with Back Wire on GFCI when the wire keeps coming out? Having trouble with the back wire on GFCI's popping free. 20amp, 12 gauge wire. When I fold the wires into the box, they like to come free of the back wire hole. I suspect this is due to the difficulty bending the 20 gauge wire to fit into the box. I've...	If you're having trouble using the back wire terminals, it's probably safer for you to not use them (unless of course the device requires it).
I drilled holes in my brick too big for my anchors. How can I fix this? I am mounting some bike racks to a brick wall (basically, a special hook that you hang your bike on). The holes in the metal bike racks are big enough for #8 screws. I purchased some lead plugs which were supposed to accommodate #8 screws, drille...	Use larger anchors/screws.
What's a high R-value insulation material alternative to dimensional lumber Years ago I read somewhere about a building material described like this : a composite/synthetic material (not wood) available in traditional dimensional lumber sizes (e.g. 2x4) rigid enough to have roughly the load bearing capabilities of ...	It's called HDPS (high density polystyrene)
Does a fluorescent light fixture use more energy than an incandescent? Help me save a friend's marriage! :-) They have 2 light fixtures in their bathroom. One is incandescent with 6 75W bulbs, and the other is a fluorescent fixture with a 22W bulb that looks like it probably a type T9 bulb. Whenever she goes into t...	If your fluorescent fixture is frequently turned on-off, the tubes will fail sooner .
Best way to locate a specific neutral? How can I determine which neutral in a sub-panel is for a particular (tripped) breaker?We have a sub-panel in the basement for circuits that are supplied by an automatic generator. There are eight breakers in that box, and seven neutral wires on the bar, none of them labeled. (I t...	Do a continuity check between the hot on the breaker and the neutral bar. First disconnect all power to the panel (including the generator, like you mentioned).
Ok to roof-over in the rain? A buddy and I will be installing a second layer of composite shingles over the old ones already on my roof. Should we consider doing any of this in the rain? <Q> It is quite possible to slide off a wet roof even if it's not that steep. <S> Shingles over shingles are not remotely close to ...	And removing the old roofing is not something you want to be doing in the rain.
Are there special pocket hole screws? I purchased a pocket hole jig and it comes with screws. Are these special pocket hole screws? Is there a type of screw I should be using with pocket holes, or would any wood screw work just as well? <Q> Yes, those are special pocket hole screws. <S> Standard wood screws may w...	They're basically just self drilling wood screws (which is why they have the fluted tips).
How can I make my garage door quieter? My garage door is loud. I didn't realize this until I visited a friend who has a garage door that's nearly silent. He says he has a belt-driven door opener and nylon door wheels, while I have chain-driven opener with metal wheels. Are these really making his garage door quieter, ...	You are going to notice a big difference if you change your opener/operator to a belt drive though.
Sash window design / security - parting bead vulnerable to attack? I'm currently trying to design a timber box sash window. I've had a look at both "traditional" designs from books, and more modern double-glazed window designs, and most have the same general arrangement: There are two sashes in the frame, the top/...	As long as the sashes are locked together, then they are reasonable secure.
How do I find a replacement door lock for this? I moved into a newly built home and am trying to replace the deadbolt and the lever below. But I'm not able to find a replacement lock that replaces my existing locks. All locks I've looked at have rectangular plates that need to be screwed onto the side of the door (see ...	You can also get a lock/lever combination, as well as new doorknobs -- in many cases you can re-use the existing deadbolt and striker latch and just change the visible hardware.
Is there a simple way to convert from a pull switch to a toggle switched light fixture? I would like to replace a bathroom vanity light fixture in 100 year old house. It currently has a pull string on/off switch. Is there a simple way to convert to a switched light fixture? The switch can be located fixture. How can...	If you have attic access you can drill into the wall cavities from above and fish cable down to the fixture and to a new switch.
How can I repair a poor drywall taping job? For my first-ever drywall taping attempt, I (predictably) messed up. Taped the walls (three coats), then added primer (two coats) and semi-gloss Behr paint (two coats). Reinstalled my lighting and decided everything looks terrible. I've been told I should either sand the pai...	That patch just needs touch-up spackle, sanded correctly. Use a swirling motion to reduce any deviation to a nominal profile. Do not sand or scuff up anything.
how to blackout a large bedroom window on a budget? I am renting an apartment that comes with blinds - that I can not remove or replace - but they are not very effective at blocking the light in the morning. I can not remove the existing blindsI want to keep the room light during day so no sticker or dark foilmy budg...	A sheet of cardboard cut to fit the window frame tightly. Adding that behind a cheap set of drapes,or getting a more attractive face fabric to sandwich it with, will do a pretty good job of blocking outside light; not completely I'm still using a set of blackout drapes my mother made 40 years ago.
How can I align 2 holes 1.5m apart? I need to drill 2 holes in a concrete wall, about 1.5m apart and I need the line between them to be as horizontal as possible. I have a level, not that big, and few other basic tools. How can I align them properly? <Q> Borrow a laser level Borrow a 4 foot mason's level <S> Now ...	If you have a shorter level than the distance between two hole positions you can find yourself a piece of wood that is say 2 meters long that can be seen to be nice and straight. Don't use a level -- use a plumb bob and HS geometry Make a plumb bob by hanging a heavy and centered weight from a chalk line and snap it in...
How can I speed up the removal of stubborn tile? I am trying to remove tile from the bathroom floor. It was installed in the 70s, and the pieces are tiny, 1 in x 1 in. I've been hammering away but they're not coming up very easily. Is there a product I can use to loosen them up? <Q> With these types of tiles you do not...	If you try to use a scraper (even power) what inevitably ends up happening is the top of the tile comes off, leaving the much harder to remove bottom on. The hardest part about this type of demo is on your knees (I would pick hammer/knee pads over compressor/hammer bit).
Should I lock the door between my garage and my house? My house has a garage. The garage has a "garage opener" - so when I leave home, I press a button and the gate lowers. There's a door between the garage and house. What level of security do people usually give this door? What kind of lock do I need. Is the external ...	Most garage door mechanisms can be forced open with very little noise, so locking the inside door does provide some additional safety.
Is it acceptable to use a ground wire from one outlet to ground another? I live in a condo/apt. Two of my three prong electrical outlets were not showing up grounded when I plugged my surge protector in. I think from lightning or something. I need to plug computers and an air conditioner in, so we called the superinten...	I'm not as concerned about whether he was allowed to do it this way as much as I am how it can be corrected.
Can I connect laundry tub drain directly into floor drain? I would like to install a laundry room tub directly over the floor drain. Can I simply have the tub drain directly into the top of the floor drain? <Q> You most likely will overflow the floor drain and damage your surrounding walls/floors. <A> This is simple to...	Regardless of your floor drain's capacity (to handle the flow rate from your sink, tub or whatever), consider placing a ball valve in the piping between your tub and floor drain and keep it partially closed if you have any concerns.
Install floor tile or tile-board first? We are updating a small basement bathroom. We agree on the style and materials, but not exactly on the method of installation. The idea is to put tile down on the floor, and use tile-board for the walls. Do we install the floor tile first, or the tile-board first? Thanks for ...	The general consensus is that for the purpose of quality, it's best to do the floor first.
How to fix a warped parquet floor? Less than one year ago my parquet floor was sanded and about 50% of it was replaced with new wood strips, sealed, and then buffed. Now, if my lovely cats happen to knock over their water and it spills on the floor, I end up with a few warped strips. It makes sense that water seepin...	Your other option if the wood is just bulging is to sand it down.
Is there code that states there must be a sheet of plastic between vinyl siding and the house sheathing? I'm the president of a 20-condo association and several residents have been complaining of water coming in and destroying their drywall. The water is coming in at the exact same place in all units and the residents...	You might want to call a local building inspector and ask what the code requirement in your area is. The solution to this problem would be to make sure the wall's WRB is properly integrated into the windows' nailing flanges. Vinyl siding is designed to allow the material underneath it to breathe; therefore, it is not a...

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