Split (1)

train · 95.7k rows

source stringlengths 620 29.3k	target stringlengths 12 1.24k
Why does the transformer on my furnace keep burning up? Why does the transformer burn up, about 2 minutes after i turn on the power to the furnace? Nothing gets turned on at the thermostat. I just plug it in and push in the blower door switch and it burns up. I know after a lightning strike I heard a "slap" sound and t...	Your transformer is undoubtedly burning up because something in the rest of the transformer load circuit also got fried in the lightening strike and is placing a load on the transformer that greatly exceeds its normal operating specifications.
Can I glue a sleeve over a cracked dishwasher inlet line on my brand new garbage disposal unit? The disposal is brand new and I can't return it even though it was damaged in shipping, as I'm well outside the return window. I believe the inlet is ABS plastic, as it's stamped with a small number 2. The crack runs about ...	You could try opening the crack slightly with a screwdriver and putting ABS glue on the crack.
How can I change the final position of a threaded-in faucet? I installed a wall faucet and it got into the wrong direction because I had to tighten it well. How I can make it point in the right direction? <Q> Unscrew it and apply a bit more (or less) thread tape. <S> Or use thread compound, which is a bit more forgivi...	Unscrew it and note where you came off and try to get it to thread on sooner. or add a spacer coupling that you can manipulate a bit to give you a bit of play.
Cutting and repairing drywall ceiling above shower stall We just purchased a house and I want to run low-voltage cables (Cat6 + RG6) from the basement to the attic. I have a good route up a 10"x18" chase currently occupied by only a few water pipes, which leads to a second-floor utility closet from which I can run dire...	That said, fans are the only thing they normally do to circumvent moisture problems, other than using moisture resistant drywall, which is usually blue or green, and is only moisture resistant, not moisture proof. Basically run clear caulk around the rim and in the screw holes. BUT, it's possible, with the right guidan...
Is Teflon thread tape easily removable? I bought a couple of water timers for my sprinklers and they are leaking. I was wondering if I could put Teflon tape on them and this winter be able to remove the timer to be reused next year. Thank you. <Q> Teflon tape is easy to remove, but probably won't help in your situati...	The Teflon tape will not make the joints difficult to disassemble -- quite the opposite, as Teflon can prevent weathered joints from "seizing" and being difficult to get apart.
Electric Load Box - No Main Breaker? So I purchased a 2 bedroom/2 bathroom condo in Arizona not too long ago. It was built in 1984. I recently took a good look at my load center and I see there is no main breaker installed. The label on the door of the box says it is a 125amp service. Wouldn't a main breaker be require...	Or you may have a main breaker in a panel under the meter.
How can I get my lawnmower bolt off? I have a Ryobi electric lawnmower, and I want to get the blade sharpened for the first time. I have a 15mm ratchet wrench, just like the instructions say, and I'm immobilizing the blade with a brick. But no matter how hard I turn, the bolt just doesn't budge at all. I called Ryobi ...	Allowing for the inherent mechanical weaknesses of a ratchet wrench and the limited lever arm provided by such a short handle, consider to purchase or borrow a 15 mm box end wrench.
Can tile glue for wall tiles contain asbestos? I've got some ceramic tiles I removed for a bathroom remodel. Home was built in 1967 so asbestos was a concern, the floor tiles are vinyl 8x8" and possibly contain asbestos so I am leaving those there and laying over them, but the wall also had a different 4x4" ceramic til...	Asbestos is a well known carcinogen fiber that can only be seen under a microscope.
Is vintage rotary switch DPDT or DPST? I bought an Old porcelain round rotary switch which I thought was single pole i.e. every time I turned the knob on top, the light would go either ON or OFF. There are 4 terminals. When I connect 2 terminals (opposite each other) the switch behaves like single-pole as described ab...	This is a DPST switch, but with one of the contacts normally open , as you'd expect, and the other contact normally closed .
Holes in drywall slightly too wide for screws I drilled with 3/8" still bit as instructed, but the holes seem too large for the screws. I'm wondering what the best fix for this would be. Fill the holes up with wood glue and toothpicks and screw into that, or widen the holes to place anchors in and screw in there? Any s...	The drywall is not strong or firm enough to hold screws without hollow-wall anchors of some sort.
multiple homeruns for neutral only? I work in conduit and run single wires. I have a weird one. I have an always-hot (black) and neutral (white) pair that run from the panel passing through A to serve loads at B and C. At C, always-hot (black) continues to a switch loop at D. The switched-hot (blue) comes bac...	A neutral serving more than one circuit, the overcurrent device must be interlocked. If you split a neutral (return the outgoing current back to the source in a separate conduit) you will get inductive heating. No, if the entire circuit does not run grouped throughout the length of the circuit.
Wiring a 2 pole circuit Can I use a #8 and a #6 wire for a 40 amp circuit?I know individually the size is fine,just not sure about mixing them a#8 for one leg and #6 for the other <Q> Each circuit has a minimum wire size. <S> Other than that <S> , you can upsize wires anytime you want . <S> There's no restricti...	Then it is perfectly fine to use the wires as you have described.
What does "No Other Outlets" mean for a kitchen 20A branch circuit? I'm trying to wire my kitchen up to code, which means (based on the outlet spacing rules) I need 6 counter-top outlets. How many branch circuits do I need? When the NEC talks about the 2 "appliance" branch circuits required to be installed on kitchen ...	Remember you can install more than two small appliance circuits if you see the need. Generally I would never put more than 4 duplex receptacles on a small appliance circuit. You can only connect no more than 10 receptacles on a 20A circuit or 8 receptacles on a 15A circuit.
Is a California corner as strong as 3 or 4 stud corner? I want to build the best exterior corners for a house in a high wind (wind not earthquake) area. I will not ever use a 2 stud corner with clips for multiple reasons. However I would like to use a California corner (2nd example) instead of a 3 or 4 stud (last exa...	The exterior sheathing is what will provide stiffness and stability to the entire structure. The easiest way to make the corner straight is to temporarily clamp the 1"x4" boards to a straight stud before nailing them together. The weak-link in a shear wall is not the nailing of corners together. If you live in a high w...
Do I really need 10 AWG wire for a AC condenser that says 15 AMP max? I'm buying a used AC condenser for a rental property. The unit says max amps = 15 (see below), however the HVAC guy tells me I want a 20AMP double pole breaker with 10 AWG? I would have though 15 AMP double pole with 12 AWG would be fine. Is he corre...	As for the 10AWG wire, I suspect he chose this not to meet code, but to eliminate voltage drop in your wire run and hopefully stop any nuisance tripping. The important thing is to have something that will trip at 15 amps to avoid damage to the air conditioner.
Hammering a rebar into the ground without bending it I want to hammer a rebar into semi-hard ground (about 2 feet in). What options do I have in order to hammer it in straight, without bending it in the process? EDIT: This is a 3/8″ diameter rebar. Tools I'm currently thinking of: Sledge Hammer - worried that there...	Depending on the size, you could see about renting a demolition hammer and a ground rod drive bit.
A proper tool for removing a PEX pipe from a fitting barb When a pinch crimp has to be removed and re-done, what is the proper tool to remove the PEX pipe from a barb after removing the clamp and cutting of the pipe? I thought of using the PEX pipe cutter's blade but am afraid it would mar the ribs on the barb and ca...	I would use a utility knife to score the pipe.
What paint for a tire swing? I just bought a big used tire and hung it as a tire swing. I pressure washed it, but it still sheds a little black residue. I'd love to seal it/paint it, but am not sure what would stick to a tire and not crack over time in the sun. Any recommendations? <Q> You can find this online by searc...	You could try the type of tire dressing like auto detailers use to spruce up the sidewalls of the tires on cars/trucks.
How do I mount a 70" TV to wall when the studs are in the wrong place? I want to mount a 70" tv (68lbs) to a wall, but all the wall mounts I find need to be mounted between studs. The studs above my fireplace are 16" apart, but there's one stud about 2" off center of the center of the fireplace. If I mount the bracket...	Most every mount I've seen has several holes through which it can be secured to studs.
How to remove the handle on my Delta faucet? One of my faucets is leaking in my bathroom sink. I have a double-handle faucet set from Delta. I removed the set screw from the cover but, for some reason, the cover still isn't coming off. I tried using a putty knife and screwdriver to pry the cover off but it's stuck. ...	If you have a rubber or plastic mallet, you could try giving it a gentle tap to free it up.
Bathroom GFCI outlet tripped after turning on my razor! Yesterday, I opened up my old "Racine" brand razor and cleaned out the whiskers that were in it. Afterwards, I turned it on and I noticed it was quieter. But a minute later I noticed that the familiar "buzz" came back, so I applied some machine oil on the blades. ...	Both of you answered that question to my satisfaction, declaring that my old razor did not get a ground fault because it only had a two-pronged plug. So in order to make sure your GFCI is working correctly I'd suggest plugging in a lamp or a circuit tester. I replaced my bathroom GFCI just recently, as my old one kept ...
How do I shut down power on my standalone generator so it doesn't backfeed while I put a 100 Amp panel in my polebarn? Hello to all of you folks this is probably going to sound like a stupid question and I'm kind of feeling stupid for asking it but I need to know?? Ok my dad has a stand alone generator and what I need...	Disconnect the starting battery cable on the generator.
Can I put a window a/c through the wall? Does anyone know the difference between a window and a wall air conditioner? The window unit is much cheaper. I see several units here that appear to be window units and through the wall...there is no "sleeve" on them. Thank you! <Q> Apparently window and wall a/c units are not...	EDIT Window units are designed to take advantage of the fact that a window is a thin partition; vents on the outside of the a/c case can be close to the inside part of the a/c unit, but still be outside (where they have to be).
How can I determine which is the neutral wire in an old house light box? I went to wire the replacement ceiling fan and discovered the colors of the house wiring to not be identifiable. They both look white. On the other hand they both look black. How can I determine which is the white common wire? I have access to a...	If so you could check to see if the wire has voltage when the switch is on and no voltage when you turn the switch off.
Using a window air conditioner outside and redirecting the cold air into room with ducts So I plan on using two ducts, one to take air from my room and move it to the cooling coils of the air conditioner, and another duct to redirect the cold air from the window air conditioner back into my room. The window air conditi...	Servicing this unit was extremely hard and very expensive since the duct had to be disassembled every service call. The part of the a/c unit which would normally be inside would have to be protected from weather because it is not designed to be rained on or otherwise exposed.
Additional exhaust vents needed for whole house fan I need ~8-10 sq ft of additional exhaust vents to accommodate a new 7600 cfm whole house fan. Uncertain if add'l soffit vents needed for adequate ventilation flow through attic. Planning to install 3 dormer vents near ridge. Two screened gable vents (2 ft x 1 ft) i...	If the TOTAL attic venting (ridge, soffit, gable, turbines, vent cans, etc. combined) is more than the fan requires, you're fine. If it’s not more than the fan rating divided by 750, you need more.
Do stair stringers need to be supported along their length? I want to open a space that's closed off under my stairs. There is framing under one stringer to support existing drywall, and possibly the stairs. (The other stringer in attached to a wall) Safe to remove the framing and have the stairs supported by a string...	Stair stringers are normally designed to be supported at the top and bottom, with no further support needed.
Can non-metallic cable go up a wall shaft for a furnace vent? Pictured is the exhaust for a gas furnace, using a 3x12 double-wall insulated stovepipe. It is running up a non-load-bearing 2x4 wall sheathed in drywall. Which is apparently legal as far as thermal risk to the walls. The hole is 14.5" wide, and that l...	The first test would be to verify the area is not hotter than the wiring can handle. Romex is rated for 90 deg C or 194F. The next check would be is the area being used as a plenum for the fresh air supply (some older homes used this airspace for environmental make up air ). You just have to derate for it.
applying varnish to wood in the sun I have some wood that I want to apply varnish to. My garage is exceptionally dusty and my house is pretty bad too. My question is, is it okay to apply varnish outside in the sunshine? Will it still cure properly because the sun is now quickly drying it off. Note: I'm actually using...	There's no problem applying urethane in the sun other than the challenges it poses to the actual application.
vent fan blowing into attic. Good or bad? I have a two story apartment with only one room upstairs and an access to a terrasse (it's kind of a closed mezzanine). I noticed that even when every window in the apartment is open, the room upstairs still feels stuffy. I believe it might be because there is only one window u...	Likewise, when you install an exhaust fan in the room, you need "make-up" air in order for it to bring in fresh air. Adding a relief grille (with backdraft damper) will work when the wind is blowing the right way. Currently, the problem is that when you open the windows the air has no way to blow into and through the r...
Can you put a whole house fan in an attic if you live in it? We live in the top two floors of an old brownstone in NYC. It gets CRAZY hot on our top floor, which is really the attic of the house, but where we have our three bedrooms and one bath. It's also poorly insulated. The front two rooms have dormer windows an...	You would be looking to place a fan (which might not be the typical large "whole house" fan, since you'll be limited by the window/skylight size) in one (or more - possibly all) of the 4th floor skylights or windows, blowing out, and open the 3rd floor windows for intake air.
How do I grip stainless steel pipes for threading? I am about to install a new central heating system powered by a wood pellet boiler. To obtain maximum corrosion resistance, I have chosen PEX pipes for the low temperature underfloor heating circuits and stainless steel pipes (AISI 304) for the remaining parts of the s...	With a vise grip or channel locks it might give you the purchase you need to turn the pipe for threading. If your vice is big enough , the other problem may be your cutter has slipped, hardening the SS.
Outlets are dead, but electricity is coming into the box I have three outlets in the bedroom that are not working. No breakers are tripped(all have been shut off and turned back on, just to see if something has been tripped someplace). No GFCI are involved. I took the cover off an outlet and used a tester. I have elec...	What you describe says that the neutral (white wire) is broken somewhere upstream from these outlets. It's also not a bad idea to do a quick check of all the plugs in the house to make sure none have swapped hot with neutral, have open grounds, and so on.
Skinny strip at end of room Laying vinyl plank flooring, and have ended up with the skinny strip problem at the end of the room. Don't want to tear the whole thing up and start again (economically impractical, apart from anything). Before anyone gets on me, I WAS aware of this possible problem and I did measure befo...	Or alternatively undercut the baseboard so that you could slip the piece under it like you would under doorjambs, etc.
Why does my clothes dryer make a rattling sound after 5 minutes? We have a new dryer just one year old. It's an Amana. Just the other day it suddenly started making loud rattling noise after running 5 min. It's so new I'm surprised. What could this be. Everything else working fine. Just really noisy. Any suggestions w...	Or, perhaps, "rattling" could mean you have lost a ball in one of the bearings.
Practicality of adding 3-phase power to residence? How practical is it to add 3-phase power to a residence (assuming that the street has 3-phase on the poles)? In my case I would be using it only for occasional use, such as for some heavy duty machine tools in a basement, and maybe a motor for a large gate or door. W...	If you have just a few three phase peices of equipment you can use VFD's as discussed above or you can use a motor generator either static (solid state) or rotary (mechanical). A quick search indicates that acquiring 3 phase power from a local utility may be prohibitively expensive.
How to remove strange looking strike plate I'm replacing my locks in my house and I can't get this strike plate removed. It had two pieces. I was able to remove the latch assist (curved piece to help slide in). Now I'm just stuck tugging at this thing. It curves into the trim on the door frame. What kind of strike pla...	In my case, I drilled holes from the inside of the jam and drove the screws out with a steel rod and hammer.
Drywall surrounding vent no longer supports screws; Screws that normally fix the vent in place can't do their job anymore. The drywall has crumbled to the point that the tapped hole for the screw lacks a boundary with the duct. (Picture attached.) Perhaps: The cutout for the original vent larger than necessary, for...	In this case I'd actually construct some "wings" using some sheet metal to wrap around and over top of the drywall, which the vent would then screw into. If that couldn't work, the next thing I would look at would be getting a new surface to screw into. I had the same problem in my basement, as well as for a few client...
Adding 10KW capacity to existing house I apologize in advanced for my poor technical lingo. I have a spare house which is strictly using electricity to power some servers. I'm slowly building out a cluster, but before I move it to a warehouse I want to have everything up and running and profitable. Right now I use ab...	This all depends on the draw of your server power supplies.
Strange mud-like formation on ceiling I live on 4th floor of a seven-storey building. It's been a month since I noticed these strange things growing on my ceiling. It looks like mud when observed closely. At first I cleared it with brush which can be seen in the picture as light stains. But it grew again. The darker o...	It may not be termites but it looks likes some kind of insect infestation. For sure call an exterminator for a full evaluation. What ever the tunnels are made of is likely building material. They search for food during the day and go back into the ground at night, then start the process all over again the next day.
HVAC drip line sweats during heavy AC use in summer Our HVAC unit is in the attic. It has a PVC pipe that goes down the wall to the bathroom sink, draining into the P-trap under the bathroom sink. Since last year, during the summer when the AC is used heavily, the drain hose under the sink from the HVAC unit is icy co...	One more thing, the drip line should have it's own trap close to the unit to keep cold air from blowing down the pipe causing the pipe to become cold which in turn coupled with a high humidity in the house If you live in a high humidity area the A/C unit will not remove enough of the humidity in your house to allow you...
Outlet installation in metal electrical box I am replacing some receptacles that are contained within metal electrical boxes in my shop. Is it proper technique to wrap the outlet with electrical tape to prevent shorts with the grounded box (See New receptacle tripped/sparked for example)? If wrapping the outlet i...	Depending on the size of the box, this can put the terminal screw quite close to the wall of the box. The receptacle should be rigidly attached, so that it does not move during normal use. You could also use a GFCI receptacle for the GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupt), but it is normally limited to the number of rec...
Who is the right type of person to create construction drawings for a home I've already designed? As the ultimate DIY project, I want to owner-build a home. I've already "designed" the house, meaning I have a 1/2" scale floor plan, roofing ridge line, and elevations for all interior and exterior wall treatments. These ...	I suggest going to one or more architects and looking through their plans; for a price they will make changes( elevation changes are easy.) Check references, find other people who have used them, make sure you build a level of trust, and if you have any reservations make sure you resolve it before signing any contract ...
Can a GFCI outlet intentionally and explicitly be used as a switch without violating code? I'm working on adding several outdoor outlets in the eaves of my roof for holiday lighting. I have a switch in my garage for these outlets right next to the garage light switch. Thing is, I keep flipping the switch for the holida...	The NEC doesn't say I can't. Leviton actually makes a GFCI switch that may meet your needs. You have to consider the intent of the code. It's not a code violation, since code typically deals with installation, not usage. So the "intent of the code" is that if it isn't defined in 404 that it can be used as a switch, the...
Why is there a live and a neutral in a wall connector? I get the ground. Since you can plug the plug in either way there is no way for the appliance to know what's in what wire, right? <Q> Hot and neutral are the supply and return lines. <S> What defines a neutral is that some effort has been made to keep it near e...	Some appliances use both windings and require a neutral (240/120) like a dryer or oven because of non pure resistive loads like electronics may create minor imbalances. Ground/earth is a safety line and does not normally handle current flow.
How can I conceal interior camera wiring? I'm trying to install 4 cameras, but from other people's place it look not that good that cable can be seen along the wall. is there anyway to hide it? its going to be from left wall to all the way to end of right side of wall and go all the way to ceiling. any ideas? <Q> This ...	Like any wiring, you need to learn to put it in the walls/ceiling if you don't want to see it. They also have two-way speakers, so you can monitor from anywhere and can listen and speak to someone in the room, if necessary.
GFCI outlet shape for 20 amp vs 15 amp circuit - what does the little line on the outlet mean? My contractor recently added a 20-Amp circuit to my kitchen while he was remodeling it. He explained that the circuit was 20-Amp, and the non-GFCI outlets he installed all have the little horizontal line on the side, which I ...	You cannot plug a 20 amp device directly into any receptacle without that horizontal bar, be it a regular receptacle, or a GFCI.
What happens if I use the counterclockwise setting on my power drill to drill a hole? I've learned that, "Almost all drilling bits have to be rotated clockwise to achieve drilling." - Source What is wrong, exactly, with using the "L" setting (counterclockwise setting) on my cordless power drill to drill a hole (using...	If used in the reverse direction, the cutting edge will drag and become dull in short order.
Upstairs wooden floor, covered in glue after removing tiles. Advice? For some reason, my mother-in-law had awful wood effect floor tiles nailed and glued onto the floor boards in her bedroom (she has passed away and we have inherrited the house). 3/4 of the room is glued, 1/4 isnt, and that was the bit i took up first....	If the glue is hard and dry it is sometimes not that problematic to remove with wide sharp chisel to get the biggest parts off and then use a scraper to remove the rest. Lo and behold, the wetted tiles came up easily.
Why is my cooker tripping circuit breakers? I have a four burner stove with an oven. I would like to know why it keeps tripping the power when in use.It has a six position cam switch, and two of the four plates trip the circuit breaker at all positions 1 to 6. The remaining two start tripping at position 4 up to 6. I ...	Attempting to reset a breaker and continued tripping will cause further damage to your circuit and breaker. It's possible it has a single ground fault somewhere in the stove's wiring, possibly in the return (neutral) wiring.
When a 15-amp breaker switch seems to be sending too much power I am doing some wiring from a subpanel. The main panel is sending power via 3-way wiring (3 plus a ground) to the subpanel. This subpanel is intended for both 220 and 110 volt add-ons. I have a 110 line from the subpanel via a 15-amp breaker switch. It...	No, the job of the breaker is not to block too much voltage but to disconnect the circuit when too much current is flowing. You may also have a problem with your neutral wire.
Why would both switches on a 3-way switch fail simultaneously? My kitchen has six canister lights controlled by a pair of 3-way switches. Yesterday, I flipped one of the switches on and nothing happened. I tried the other with the same result. When I check the voltage, I get 92V on one switch for both pairs of wir...	The wiring down wind from the switches to the lights may have open circuited. These are prone to failure more often than one cares to think.
What should be done before using a fireplace that has not been used in decades? We are moving into a house with a fire-place.The current tenants (friends of ours),have been living there just short of 2 decades, and have never used it once. The house is about 90 years old, so it certainly saw a lot of use once upon a ti...	If you want this to be a working fireplace you will need to first have it inspected and swept by a chimney sweep.
dark brown stains in the bottom of a toilet a rental toilet has a dark clay looking stain in the bottom of a toilet that the renter was unable to remove. At first I thought it was very hard water, however, there was no evidence of stains in a second bathroom or any other fixture. There is evidence of cat litter in th...	Cat litter is typically bentonite clay, so even if it has settled to the bottom & stuck to the surface it should be possible to remove it as it won't harden & set while under water (unlike cement).
wiring the Air Conditioner plug Did I wire this correctly? My understanding is that strapped wire (green/yellow) is ground, so I connected it to the middle. And blue/brown doesn't really matter which way they go, since for alternating current positive/negative doesn't really matter. The flip side of the plug above ...	A good webpage to follow would be this one: https://www.rospa.com/home-safety/uk/northern-ireland/electricity/plugs-fuses/wiring-plugs/ Normally we do care about hot vs neutral, even though they are AC.
Tree growing into gutter. What's a good strategy? I'm wondering what is a good long-lasting strategy to deal with it in a way that is respectful of the environment, i.e. the city does not allow cutting any trees. <Q> It's hard to say from that photo, but it looks like that bulge is the stump of a limb that could be tri...	Talk to your city about your options, and get an expert to deal with the tree, sooner rather than later, as the more damage it does
Making a small drain/vent/hole in a glass box I've got a glass box that measures 900mm x 450mm x 450mm. The width of the glass is about 6mm thick. If I drill, cut, or grind a small hole in/through one of the faces; will it significantly affect the structural integrity of that piece of glass? I'm concerned it might...	Drilling a tiny hole will not cause any cracking - So on a 24" pane of glass, trying to drill exactly 3" or 6" in could be trouble. The box you describe is not suitable for carrying any kind of load anyway, and as you state above it's for display purposes. Granted aviation glass is different than what you've got but st...
Concealing led strip light power supplies in a porch ceiling I live in Ohio in a home built in the 50's. A very large back porch was added onto the home years later with a roof. It has the typical vinyl ceing. It has one light in the center of the ceiling controlled by a switch inside the home. I wish to remove the lig...	A corded device hardwired in the access hole would not be legal.
How do I stop a door from swinging open without taking out the pins? I have a door that swings open. If I open it a crack it will swing open the entire way. I want to be able to leave it at a certain angle and have it stay there. Here is the problem, I cannot take out the pins (this is a door to my office I use sever...	Get the office superintendent to fix it right with an adjustable industrial closer, and have a toe-operated flip-down stop installed to let you set the door where you like. You can install something that drags on the floor, but that'll wear out or cause damage.
New deck pops and creaks after 2 winters. Water seal applied to top side. Can it be fixed? We bought a brand new house in 2015. Fall of 2015, we put Thompson's water seal on the top of the deck. I am learning that this was a mistake and it should have been applied to ALL sides of the deck apparently (according to a D...	The only problem is the steel deck screws are rusting away .
How do I mitigate large outgoing inductive spikes from home appliance? I have an old ultrasonic air humidifier that sends out a big electrical spike every time it turns off, making lights flicker and computer monitors restart. I'm afraid of using it because of the risk of damaging sensitive electronics on the grid, esp...	You can try a large capacitor at the proper rated voltage, at least 250 if your device operates at 120 volts. Get a better surge protector/UPS for your computer. You will have to spend a significant amount of money to just try various means of filtering out these spikes. If you can't bear to get rid of it, at least sto...
what would cause a breaker box enclosure to be electrified? I was working installing a 2 pole 50A 240V GFCI breaker and trying to debug an appliance. I turned off the GFCI breaker I was working on, but the main breaker was on. About the time I had one of the wires undone I put my hand on the metal enclosure of the bre...	Re-check all the wiring involved check the enclosure to a known ground with a volt meter to see if it is indeed energized.
How can I install a grounding rod with bedrock four feet down? I have an 8 foot ground that hits solid rock at 4 feet. How can I meet the safety requirements for the 8 foot into the ground rule? Can it be cut in half and have two 4 foot rods driven into the ground? <Q> You can drive at an angle. <S> If I remember corre...	Or you could use grounding plates that are buried 2x2 plates of copper.
Are there any serious dangers to using manual tools? Recently, I had to fix some things around the house, without access to my usual electric tools. I found that the manual tools, such as a crank drill and a handsaw, are quite efficient, and I can no longer see much of an advantage to using their electric equivalents, ...	While hand tools are in general somewhat safer (since you'll stop when you cut yourself) it's quite possible to damage yourself to a hospital-visit-required extent (before you stop) through mis-use of hand tools, especially if you think they are magically safe since there's no motor.
Non-Permanent Plastic Pipe Sealant or Join Improvement? Brief: Looking for recommendations on a product to improve the seal of 2 joined plastic pipes (narrower pipe wedged into wider one) that is non-permanent + water and hot/cold resistant? Details: I have two plastic pipes (similar to PVC pipe) which is part of an...	Theres a product called [seal all] comes in a tube,gas,oil,water,far as I no resistant to pretty much everything.
Reservoir tank continues to slowly fill and won't stop Sometime recently my toilet reservoir tank would not stop filling. It fill the tank to its normal capacity until the float is raised. Once that is done it continues to fill really slow . You probably wouldn't notice it unless it was really quiet and then you could...	Your fill valve has become worn out or compromised.
Can a window A/C unit be installed without the side panels? I really like this A/C unit and its width is exactly the width of my window panel (21.5"), but the "Window opening minimum width" in the specs is 23". From what I've seen in the Q&A for this Frigidaire unit , is that The side panels, fully compressed, add ...	The reason may be that the side louvers are so close to the front of the unit that the extra clearance is necessary unless the window is in the plane of the outside surface of the wall.
What kind of ventilation do I need in my workshop? I have a roughly 2.5 by 5 meter workshop with 2.5m high ceilings in which I work on electronics (so lots of soldering), do some occasional painting, and which houses a 3D printer. I want to add some ventilation in the ceiling, but I'm unsure what kind to put in. How mu...	If you are doing a lot of soldering then a dedicated soldering fume extraction unit would be a good idea. What is needed would be based on your personal wants and how much you want to spend. If you're a hobbyist and not spraying anything (especially wood finish), you can probably get away with a good bathroom fan, duct...
Why doesn't my air conditioner's drip pan drain properly? My AC Unit in my attic is roughly 10 years old, still heats/cools exactly as it should, but I noticed yesterday that the drip pan is overflowing. What do I need to do to get the drip pan to drain? And what is causing the drip pan to fill? <Q> First - why is y...	Sounds like your drip drain is clogged. I found if I disconnected the condensate drain pipe, the water would flow out of the A/C without restriction.
How can I lower an attic ladder by remote control? We have just put in an attic ladder in a shop. The problem is that we have a 10 ft ceiling and I can't reach it. What can I put on it to make it come down automatically with a remote control or switch? My problem is not opening the hatch, but reaching the ladder itse...	There are kits you can buy , where you attach a metal ring to the door and then have a pole you store nearby to reach the ring and pull down on to extend the ladder There are electric ladders exactly for this purpose.
Can a white neutral wire be used as a three pole traveler wire? I live in a 1977 vintage apartment building in the US. I have two 3-pole switches for my bedroom entry light, which are not working correctly. The one switch must be left in the "up" position all the time in order for the other switch to be able to turn th...	So yes, you would re-mark a white wire as another color. It sounds like someone has replaced the switch in the past and mixed up a common for a traveler ( in This case common is the switch contact that toggles from 1 traveler terminal to the other) The main point, however, is that 14/3 is okay for the scenario posted. ...
How to cover up ripped drywall with minimal effort? My basement has many ripped drywall areas like in this picture. How can I cover these areas up with minimal effort and cost. It doesn't need to be permanent or look extremely good, as I see this as semi-permanent solution to make it less ugly for the time being. Co...	If you've got more than one of these areas to do, you'll only need more drywall making it cheaper overall.
How can I determine the color / temperature of my current fluorescent bulbs? I intend to replace an old and large population of T12 flourescent lights with T8 LEDs: direct wiring. The ballasts are $15 a piece (2 required per fixture) and it would seem that a 4 X $10 direct wire LED bulb is a better choice because of...	Shop carefully for LED "tubes" which take hot+neutral on opposite ends of the tube . The temperature will likely be printed on the bulb somewhere.
Road noise reduction in the balcony I am living in an apartment which has a balcony right next to the small road. Even thought the road is quite small, cars are still driving there and it makes a lot of sound if the doors to the balcony are open. The balcony has no solid vertical wall toward the road, but only iron b...	Thick vegetation does a surprisingly good job of cutting road noise. You could also make your own. Note that since this is an apartment and you are most likely just a renter you want to be very careful to not do anything that is permanent or modifies the basic structure.
Assessing the cause of freezer coils icing up We have a 6 year old Frigidaire upright freezer (around 17 cu ft). It suddenly stopped cooling, even though the compressor was running, and it was producing puddles of water on the floor. I thought it might be just icing up, so I unplugged it for a day and eventually, the...	There is also a slight chance that it could be cause by a bad door gasket
Where does the voltage in a circuit go from 120v down to 0v? I've always wondered where precisely the voltage on a circuit drops from 120v down to 0v. It's "somewhere" inside of the load (a lightbulb or whatever), but doesn't exactly make sense, because if it's just "It drops to 0 when there's resistance in the circuit...	For a uniform resistive wire the voltage along the length will drop linearly.
How to finish wide gap in drywall at edge of ceiling I have a long narrow gap in the ceiling where it meets the wall. It is too big for plaster and tape, but too small (and uneven) to cut a piece of drywall. Furthermore, unlike in this question , there is no wood to fill with plaster. What is the best approach to fi...	The other method is to make a larger, more regular gap by cutting the present drywall and patching it with new drywall cut to fit the new gap. However quickset hot mud sets up hard and can do the job if done correctly... Although I up voted other answers, the correct thing to do as others have pointed out is to take it...
Electrical wire to use w/ 240V outlet for Tesla charger? I'm buying the material needed for an electrician to install a 240V outlet in my garage for a Tesla charger. I need to buy wiring that has to go through an underground conduit, and I was wondering what type I need to buy? <Q> THWN is the stuff you need <S> You'...	A ground wire which is natively green, green/yellow stripe, or bare wire. You don't want to pull a multiconductor cable through conduit. You will be using a 50A receptacle even though the Tesla charger only wants 40A. If you run 6 AWG copper or 4 AWG aluminum, you can make it a 50A circuit just by changing the breaker,...
Ungrounded GFCI Outlet with 3 pronged connection I have a GFCI outlet on top of my pergola outside that had solid 3-conductor wire ran from there to an outlet on the other side of my patio when my parents built the house. My Mom wants me to put some decorative exterior lights on top of the pergola, so we bought a stra...	If your wire size is too large to install on a receptacle you can simply pigtail a smaller wire onto the larger wire and connect to the receptacle. Within most parts of the US, it is legal to install a GFCI without a ground connection They are not simply another pair of screws like on a common outlet.
Is there any advantage to pouring a thicker concrete slab for the basement? I'm working on designing a new house and trying to determine how thick the basement slab should be. This home will have poured basement walls over the footings, so the basement slab isn't bearing the weight of the house walls. The Internationa...	Thicker slabs also provide a greater margin for error because any sections that are slightly thinner won't be an issue. Minimum thickness is fine.
Vent a portable air conditioner with a 6 inch hose through a 3 inch hole in the wall I bought a new portable air conditioner for my condo. I bought this one: a/c . I want to use it to cool either my living room or my bedroom. My apartment is 1100 sq. ft. so I believe this should be more than enough to cool down either...	So if the length of the 3" diameter hole is short compared to the length of the 6" hose, then the constriction to 3" may work OK. Anyways the AC worked fine for a few weeks, but then it would click off and just pump out warm air. This would prevent the creation of turbulence which could restrict flow.
Grounding for surge protection I'm running a long Ethernet cable between my garage and home (50m). How do you guys protect your long cable runs (and thus your equipment) from lightning surges?House is separate from the garage. About a 15m 20mm PVC ducting section underground between garage and house, and then the rest ...	I would put an expendable electronic device on each end of the run, like a hub or ethernet amplifier. So your first step is to bring your current grounding system up to current code.
Is it OK to use motor oil instead of household oil for hardware lubrication? I was about to buy a bottle of 3-in-1 for random stuff around the house, but I realized I have motor oil in the garage already. Is there any harm in using, say, 5W30, for door hinges or whatever? <Q> I use regular oil as well for things like ...	Personally I would use 3-in-1 or other light machine oil.
Does true wireless 3-way switch exist? I currently have a 3-way switch setup which is made up of two 3-way switches to control a hallway light. Due to oversight, an additional (4-way) light switch is much desired in the middle of the hallway. The cost of opening up the wall and rewiring the 3-way circuit to accommodat...	Initial set-up (specifically linking ) is slightly confusing if you've never before used Insteon products, wiring is however straight-forward. Instead, I would suggest replacing your existing three-ways with a vacancy type switch such as this . You also need a standard USB cable and perhaps an adapter to charge the wir...
Powering a 240V 15A air compressor with a 6-20 plug I have an air compressor with a 240V 15A power requirement and a 6-20 plug (looks like normal US plug but with one of the flat ends turned at a 90 degree angle). Instruction manual can be found [here][1] (pdf hyperlink, 1MB). I'm trying to figure out the best way to ...	I'm not sure if it's legal with a generator, it is certainly more common to hork things up with cheater cords. Either way, all you have to do is make up a cord with #10 wire that is rated for 30 amps with a male plug on one and a female plug on the other to transition between the different plugs. The rules for 240V rec...
Detect central vac pvc piping in walls I need to detect the in-wall PVC pipes for a central vac system. Apparently one port was covered up with drywall, so the vacuum is broken and the entire system is useless. I cannot find anything for sale or any method that detects PVC pipes with no water in them. <Q> Can you snake...	If this construction exists in your case it should be possible to locate the wall branch pipes in the basement or attic.
Incorrect voltage at light sockets Light bulbs on our kitchen lighting circuit need frequent replacing (lasting only a few months.) All other circuits in the house behave normally. There are three switch legs on this circuit: 6 recessed lights, on a 3-way switch, with LED bulbs. Distance from switch to first light is...	Check each ground for rust, corrosion or loose connection Many LED lights are not equipped to deal with dimmers and those that are need dimmers rated for LED loads. Dimmers will affect the voltages on the load side.
Replacement for Ikea backboard I am trying to move an Ikea Pax closet . And even though I tried to gently remove the backboard (put a stick against the edge from inside along the board and hit the stick so it would distribute the power), it still left all the nails in. I removed the nails but now I am not sure I can r...	You could use a variety of hardboards, luaun plywood (which you stain to suit first) or even a clear or translucent polycarbonate and backlight it.
Should I use uncoupling membrane for tile on concrete floor? One flooring company said they would install an uncoupling membrane when installing tile over my 100-year-old basement laundry room's concrete floor. OIs there a good reason to do use a membrane? It strikes me as overkill. There are no cracks in the concr...	The fact that your concrete has no cracks doesn't mean it doesn't contract and expand. Eventually the tiles will delaminate or the grout will crack. The moisture coming up through the concrete basement floor is a key component of efflorescence. Keep in mind that the substrate is only one side of the equation.
Drilling a 1-1/8" hole in plastic with a Dremel Forgive me for being a complete beginner to this; I have a Dremel 3000 with the standard complement of attachments, and it's been useful to sand some items and brush up others. I have a piece of plastic in which I need to cut a 1-1/8" hole, preferably as accurately as p...	While this can be done with a Dremel (I've done it), you'll get a much better result picking up a paddle bit or hole saw and a hand drill.
Does shear strength increase with the number of fasteners? Let's say I have screws with 1,000 lbs shear strength. If I add more screws, does the total shear strength of the joint increase? If I use 3 screws, then put a 2,000 lbs shear load on the joint, will all the fasteners fail? I guess I should have been more c...	There was a study of the shear strength of a connection for various numbers of fasteners of different types, which can be downloaded here . Generally, if you have the spacing for three bolts, it will be stronger than one, if there is no slop or play or similar poor construction. One big screw or a dozen small screws wi...
How to clean rusty grill grates? Accidentally left grill grates outside during the winter and rust built up. Tried to search online and ask at Lowe's, but didn't find a good solution. What worked for you? <Q> Put them in the grill and get them HOT! <S> Then use a wire brush and scrub the scale and rust off. <S> Aft...	Just as another option, you can use lemon juice and salt as a scouring scrub for the rust (this is a technique borrowed from cast-iron skillet maintenance) that is (obviously) food-safe. A no labor solution is electrolysis, which will pull the rust off.
Running wire to ceiling with double joist parallel to wall I'm finishing my basement, done the framing and starting wiring for lights. One wall runs parallel to the joists, and has a double joist (two 2x8) above the top plate (the wall is right next to the stairs, running between several existing posts). I want to put...	With the EMT option, some cleverness with a conduit bender could even get you to sweep 45deg out of the wall down a little ways from the molding then 45deg as it enters the ceiling finish.
What is the proper way to start sheathing an exterior wall? On new construction, what is the proper way to install the exterior OSB wall sheathing? Should I go for a perfectly level sheet install, and then level each corresponding sheet or is it better to just follow the edge of the sill plate and end up with potent...	The key is squaring your wall very carefully before you begin.
Are there any QO boxes with the neutral screws along the breakers like the Homeline? I am having my panel replaced with a panel that has more real estate as well as having my Knob and Tube replaced. Currently I have an older 24 Circuit/Spot Square D QO box. I would like to reuse some of the newer breakers in this box ...	QO breaker panels are available with plug on neutral bars so you can add a GFCI AFCI breaker without a pigtail.
20 amp circuit and GFCI outlets everywhere Except for money saving is there any reason why you would not put 20 amp wiring and 20 amp GFCI receptacle (=1 per circuit) everywhere? <Q> It's wasteful. <S> I realize that most folks think with their wallets and not much further, but #12 wire contains 59% more copper than...	As far as waste of materials, the real waste would be owning twice as many spools of wire, everything in two sizes, the money tied up, the wire just sitting around, all that manufacturing totally unnecessary. multiple GFCI'S may cause false trips I have seen this more than a few times.
No water from certain taps I do not have either cold or hot water from my tap in the kitchen and the one in the bathroom. The shower and the tub both have water but these two have nothing .... possibly an airlock? tried my thumb over it but heard that if your tank has a check valve or something like that that this meth...	Without being there to see the problem its hard to give a sure fire "here's the problem answer" but Tubs do not have aerators.
Can I "flip" a light switch (top/bottom position) I have a Decora 3 way switch, on the metal part it clearly label one side as the top. It is installed correctly right now. So right now, if both switches are on the "off" (down) position, the light is on. Functionally there is nothing wrong about it, but the position...	if you flip one switch up to turn the light off and then go to the other switch and flip up to turn the light back on, then both switches will look the way you want. If you insist on changing the on-off operation of a three-way switch, you should not move the physical device.
transition between hardwood plank and molding on stairs I just got hardwood stairs installed. [The installer left a gap between the end of the hardwood plank and the molding and filled it with putty—and it looks terrible.][3] What can I do to cover that gap? I hate it. <Q> Maybe a stained or painted quarter round or s...	Decorative moulding is one option, though you may have difficulty making it look good as it curves around the nosing.
Should my security cameras be raised up under the soffit for weather protection? I installed 2 outdoor security cameras. But now that I've look at them, I wonder if I should move them under up higher to where the roof meets the wall in order to shield them from the elements. I've attached pictures. Thanks for the help...	It seems like these cameras are rated for outdoor, so it's okay.

Subsets and Splits

No community queries yet

The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.