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2 White Neutral Wires But Need Only One I'm trying to install this new Smart Switch I purchased from Amazon . According to the instructions, I need a neutral connection. A short white neutral wire is included in a box as well. The next photo shows the current configuration with my old switch.As you can see, there ar... | Connect the other end of that pigtail to the neutral terminal of the smart switch. Detailed, illustrated instructions should have been included with the device. It isn't rocket science, but you have to know what you're doing.
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Why does my food truck trip GFCI outlets only when a grounded cord is used? I have a food truck with a 60 amp service installed. When I plug into a GFCI with an ungrounded cord it works fine. But when I plug into GFCI with grounded plug it trips immediately. Please help. <Q> GFCI's work by measuring the current going o... | It could be that someone "helpfully" bonded neutral to ground in a junction box or at an appliance; that once was the official way to wire ranges and dryers. So, if it does not trip when you use the 2 wire cord and then trips with a grounded cord, that tells me your equipment or cord has a problem.
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Can I use a 15w LED bulb in a fixture that says max 40w incandescent or 11w CFL? I picked up a light fixture at a reuse store and it says max 40w incandescent or 11w CFL. It doesn't say anything about LEDs. Thoughts? <Q> I would be willing to bet you are all set. <S> but, err on the side of caution, and do not exceed t... | You can put anything in that socket that uses LESS than 40 Watts - so long as the heat of the unit does not exceed that of a 40 Watt Incandescent- if it says 11W CFL - 11W CFL is the rough equivalent wattage required to get the same level of light output as a 40 Watt incandescent bulb and you can be assured the heat of... |
Is it ok to use a ground rod at a subpanel instead of a fourth wire? I understand running the neutral wire back to the main service panel and not bonding the subpanel... but running the equipment ground back to the main panel seems to get conflicting answers. If code requires it, then I'm assuming it's because the m... | If you install the 4th wire (as you are supposed to), then it is also permissible to install a ground rod at the subpanel. Previously they were not required, but this is no longer legal or up to code for new installations.
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How can I hide an HVAC line on the blank face of house with a chimney? We have an exterior HVAC line running up the center of an exterior wall to a second floor unit. The face in question is the side of a colonial style, and has a two story chimney with a taper at the top of the first story. Currently the line is only ... | We ended up having the line rerouted to beside the chimney and will use a line-set cover to disguise the run and make it look similar to a downspout. If it holds it will hold for as long as you are alive providing you don’t put a nail through it.
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Depth of 4X4 Fence Post? I would like to repair a Florida wooden fence similar to: Is there a rule of thumb (ratio) for the amount of post exposed to the amount buried underground? Home Depot has the option for 8,10 & 12 foot posts . <Q> I always have used 2' underground so use an 8' post for a 6' fence. <S> I don'... | If you have a 6' fence with an open panel design (ie, not solid) then 2' in the ground is likely just fine.
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Hiding Ugly HVAC Outdoor Venting and Intake I have 3 HVAC pipes coming out of my house, by my entrance that are eye sores. One set (intake/exhaust) is for my furnace and the largest one is an exhaust for my hot water tank. They are directly beside my side entrance and I need a solution to hide them. I would like to ... | Take into consideration how easily the gaps you will create in the planter box could be restricted by plant growth or other debris and also if the box is exposed to prevailing winds that may push the exhaust back into the area of the intake. Different sides of the box for each inlet/outlet gap may be useful, as well. A... |
How much wooded land should be cleared around a new home site? I'm planning to build in a wooded lot, and want to leave as much woods as possible. What is the minimum buffer that is required or recommended to allow around the home's footprint, taking into account tree fall risk, fire risk, needs for construction equipm... | The law requires that homeowners do fuel modification to 100 feet (or the property line) around their buildings to create a defensible space for firefighters and to protect their homes from wildfires.
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Is voltage on the ground conductor a sign of short circuit? When we touch the ground wire(!) on some of our power outlets, the tester lights up. Not as bright as when touching the live wire and the circuit breaker doesn't tip, but there is definitely "something". On the search for the potential cause, we opened up a fe... | If your earth wires were really live, you'd be right to expect the circuit breakers to have tripped. From what I can see is that your splices are failing. A blue or blue-green colour can also be caused by some kinds of copper corrosion.
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Any ideas on how to remove the back part of this fire surround? I’m really struggling to remove the back part of my fireplace. It’s made of marble and stuck onto the wall, which is made of plasterboard as far as I can tell. It seems like it’s stuck on with a type of adhesive which are placed in big blobs in the corner... | Basically, you need to cut through the adhesive, remove the surface material, and then remove the remaining adhesive. You might consider investing in a Japanese style flexible pull saw (sometimes sold as a flush cut saw)
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Can I run a ground wire along the outside of conduit? I have a sub panel on back of house. From main in garage is three wire. 2 hot one neutral. NO GROUND WIRE. Sub has a single bar used as neutral and grounds. Its bonded to case (Screw in). I will add a ground only bar, a ground to earth rod and wire them togethe... | The grounds do not need to follow the same route as the original wiring. Normally if a neutral wire breaks, the neutral wire is pulled up toward 120V because power has nowhere to return, but we don't care because the grounding system still protects us. BONDING is for connecting ALL metal parts together to form a return... |
Should the meter base be installed before chink siding in new construction? I'm planning to do my own electrical for a new house that will have pine chink siding. Should I: A. Install the meter base on the OSB sheathing, and flash the Tyvek around it? B. Install the meter base on the sheathing over the Tyvek? C. Wai... | The reason all electricians will tell you to install the meter first is because it's not practical to temporarily install 200 amp service to a house and wait to install the meter once the siding is installed. Interior electrical work is already started after the shingles are put on. Either way you choose to do it, you'... |
Electrical shock when touching the water faucet in the shower Yesterday when I took a shower, I got a pretty bad jolt of electricity in my arm when I was done showering, and was about to switch off the water faucet. I immediately jumped out of the shower, grabbed a flashlight and shut off the main fuse. Grabbed a piec... | As others have mentioned the fault could be coming from an appliance in your unit or another.
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Can I install a switch on my overhead door opener's circuit for added security? Garage doors in our neighborhood are being opened by a master code. Can an electrician wire the light switch to shut off power to the garage, so the door doesn't open at night or when we are away? I have seen the locks you can install on th... | Another option, aside from replacing the whole opener with a new model that is more secure, might be to get an aftermarket remote kit and replace the built-in remote system.
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Why does a furnace need a fuse? Rural USA. We just had a gas furnace installed. The new furnace has a 1-gang junction box with a switch and a fuse . It's the 21st century, here, I swear. And not England. The furnace circuit is tip-top. It's punched down into a modern service panel with perfectly typical 15A bre... | If someone were to put too many accessories on the existing transformer the fuse should protect it.
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Can anyone identify this old wiring in my walls? In several of the rooms of the house I moved into last year (built 1973, USA), there are blank wall plates. I've removed a few to investigate and found somehting similar to the below pictures each time: a loop of what appears to be thick brown electrical cable, accompani... | Conductors may be identified by a color tracer on the insulation, or by a ridge molded into the insulation of one wire, or by a colored tracer thread inside the insulation. The signal wires wouldn't carry any voltage without units installed and the power wires were likely disconnected at the breaker when the units were... |
Is the maximum load of my circuit panel split evenly between the two legs? I’ve been curious about the max load of the home. I have a 200 amp service coming into my home. My question is, is it 200 amps per phase or 100 amps per phase 200 amps total? I couldn’t seem to find an answer simply my searching. We’ve bought... | If you fully load it, you will pull 200A down the L1 pole and necessarily by the nature of current flowing in loops, 200A down the L2 pole.
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Can I combine two power lines from power company My house used to have two residents. So there are two 110v power sources from power company. Now I want to combine them into one so I can have bigger current. Is it possible and how? <Q> There are 2 questions here: <S> Can you convert one panel to a sub panel so that ... | Can you connect the wires before the meter to get twice as much service capacity Possibly, but it's pointless You should be able to get an electrician to do this.
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60 Hz home appliances on 50 Hz electricity (both 220 volt) I am not an electrical engineer, and I want a simple language answer to a question that I think covered elsewhere, but I didn't understand. If I get a washing machine designed to work on 220 V 60 Hz, can it run safely on a 220 V 50 Hz electricity source? The ... | If it just says 60 Hz, then don't try to run it at 50 Hz.
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Installing hardwire EVSE from existing NEMA 14-50? I'm looking to install a hardwired EVSE, but currently I have the necessary wiring going into a NEMA 14-50 outlet. Can I splice the wiring going into the outlet and run new wire to the EVSE? The EVSE would go above the outlet in the picture. Advice on what's needed wo... | You run either a whip or EMT conduit from the charger to the junction box through one of the knockouts. It depends on what version, if any, of the National Electrical Code is being enforced in your area. You may not need neutral; if not, just put a wire nut cap on it and tape it The cover plate on that junction box is ... |
Can I or Should I Sand Drywall? We're re-doing our kitchen that was built in 1980. The old countertops were cement & tile with the tile continuing into the backsplash on the wall. We've removed the old counters, backsplash, and cabinets which has given us a better look at the current drywall situation: As you can se... | Sanding is not a good idea as the material you are trying to sand off is known as thinset or mastic ; it is a mortar like cement by the time you sand it off you will most likely damage the dry wall.
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Pinched a wire, is this an electical danger? I was swapping out the gears in my garage door opener and when I plugged it back in I heard a pop and some smoke, unplugged it immediately and realized that I had pinched a wire with a screw that I had totally not noticed. I can see on the circuit board that something blew ... | If you damaged the wire then it is possible it is no longer capable of safely operating under the load that is called for.
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Where is American Wire Gauge (AWG) used? European standards I live in Italy. I would like to know whether American Wire Gauge (AWG) is used in Europe for electrical wires that run within homes, or whether Europe usea different standards. Does each country in Europe use its own standards for home electrical wiring or is... | As far as I know, Europe (or pretty much the whole world other than USA/perhaps Canada) uses the wire cross sectional area in square millimeters as the standard for wire sizing.
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Adding a circuit breaker to stop a constant tripping breaker I have a panel in this two story house that has a weird wiring setup. The outlets around the house have been divided into 4 breakers of 15AMP each, which normally work however there is a single one of the four that takes a majority of them (living room, dinin... | You would have to run a separate wire from one or more of those outlets and fixtures to the panel box, and then you could add a new breaker. The fact that this one breaker is regularly tripping could mean that that breaker is worn out. In the short term analyze what the loads are in those rooms.
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Need some help with wall patch I’ve sanded down to where the wall feels even but now the patch’s showing what should I do next? <Q> Part of the problem may be sanding technique. <S> It appears that you have used a soft pad or bare sheet. <S> You need to use a rigid block to prevent sinking into soft spots. <S> Apply ... | Your best bet is to take some spackle and layer it around the sides.
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Main Breaker Gets tripped every 1-2 hours but last longer in the night Our home is located in India. We have an individual circuit breakers for all the 7 rooms in our home. And wrapping them whole is the main breaker. Earlier there used to be short circuit in certain rooms due to water leakage. When short-circuit occur... | Ordinary breakers only care about the current on the hot -- the neutral's assumed to be carrying the same current, so it's not going to overheat if the hot's fine barring a wiring error. Beyond the whole-house RCD, you then have branch circuits with circuit breakers. However, you can have your electrician bring to bear... |
Garbage disposal spins manually, but not on its own. There are all kinds of garbage disposal questions and answers on the internet but none of them seem to address my issue. My garbage disposal seems to be jammed, but not in the usual way. If I go to run it and look down into the hole with a light it tries to start b... | You'd have to take it apart to find out what's wrong with it.
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Electric sockets directly under water pipes under the sink - Safety I am in the process of buying a new bungalow. However I have noticed that there is a standard double 13a socket below the plumbing under the sink which is giving me cause for concern. The builder advises it is fine as it has a cut out switch. There is ... | A socket with integrated RCD is merely a hack to retrofit RCD to a house with old wiring that can't support a "real" RCD in the fusebox. You could easily check this by inspection. You can pay for an independent inspection and electrical installation condition report (EICR) I am not an electrician and do not have access... |
Discovered 10/2 wired 3-prong receptacle for dryer. Is it ok to leave as is? We removed a drop ceiling in our 2nd bathroom and discovered that some previous homeowner/DIYer had run wiring for a new dryer through the drywall ceiling into the wall, and hid it with the drop ceiling - rather than drill through the top plat... | What to do Replace the wiring with 10/3 obviously. Exception: For existing branch-circuit installations only, where an equipment grounding conductor is not present in the outlet or junction box, the frames of electric ranges, wall-mounted ovens, counter-mounted cooking units, clothes dryers, and outlet or junction boxe... |
Can I build my own walk-in meat cooler? A family member is building a brand new barn and she's amenable to my idea of makeshift-ing a 4'x4' (or so) closet that would be used primarily for meat ageing (I like to hunt) but also pickling and other similar stuff that a regular fridge is too small for and a restaurant-grade... | The room needs to be completely sealed with a vapor barrier or you will have condensation issues.
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Relay before or after power transformer For my project I plan on controlling an off-the-shelve LED lamp using a relay board which is connected to my Raspberry Pi. As can be seen from the Lamp image below, there is a power converter which changes the 230V/50Hz to something the LED's can work with. (There are 9x 1W LE... | However, if the converter uses any power at all in standby mode, then it would be more efficient to control the AC side and prevent the converter from drawing power while the light is off.
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Can anyone help me identify this old audio cable? I have this old Bang & Olufsen vinyl record player, with a old connector for the speakers. Do anyone know what type of connector this is? And if there exist some converters? Looks like DMX, but it can't be that? Would love to get this to work again. <Q> From the photo... | This was enabled by having control signals passed between receiver and turntable over the additional pins in the connector. Those are 5-pin male DIN connectors. Same as used in the original IBM-PC keyboard cables. This is common on old audio equipment in Europe:
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Running power to an outside shed In my house I have a main panel with 3-50 amp breakers feeding a subpanel right next to it. The main panel has an opening for a double breaker. I plan on adding a 50 amp 2 pole breaker to the main panel that will feed a second subpanel in a building that will have a 30, 20, and 15 amp ... | Whatever the sub-panel is rated for, you should feed it with larger wire rated for that amperage from a breaker sized for that panel. Your conductors need to be sized for the breaker size. Make sure your feeder is 4 wires since it is a new installation.
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Should I replace this 4" furnace filter with a 5" one? I got a new furnace this year, and want to replace the filter. It's 4" (actually 3 5/8), but the cabinet looks like it would easily take 5. Would a 5" replacement be better? Or should I just get another 4"? <Q> It looks as if a certain type filter should be insta... | I would caution about increasing the density of the filter as this may affect the efficiency of the unit. Call the furnace installer and ask what size, type, and specs for the filter to fit the rack he installed.
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Samsung RF266 refrigerator not cooling - Fan making noise We have a Samsung RF266 refrigerator that has started on make funny noises. More like fan noise. It has something called to twin cooling technology similar this image. There is evidence of ice buildup inside the refrigerator particularity around vent holes in... | If the fan has slipped on its shaft or the motor is not spinning at full speed, the cooling coils would get too cold (and form ice), and the rest of the fridge would not cool properly because of the lack of airflow. The best solution to try first is to do a complete defrost (unplug the fridge and leave the doors open f... |
Weight a foundation can hold Would a 6" slab with mesh, rebar and fiber hold a 2 story log home made from hemlock logs that are 16" wide? The mesh will be doubled up on the outer edges and rebar will run both ways. It's 32x40. <Q> Log homes are designed to distribute the weight of the house fairly evenly around the per... | Six inches is not considered adequate to support the weight of the structure.
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Slow spinning ceiling fan that won't turn off: dangerous? Our ceiling fan spins very slowly, and constantly, no matter how many times I pull the chain to try and turn it off. I've tried leaving it for several minutes between chain yanks, to give it time to spin down (even though it's spinning at about a revolution per... | An electric appliance/device that isn’t working correctly should not be used and should be unplugged or disconnected even if it won’t turn on.
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Are there any special tools, materials or techniques required for building a staircase door? I have recently moved to a house that has a converted attic. It isn't a huge space but would make a reasonable den or man-cave were it not for the fact that the staircase cuts the room almost in half and restricts the use of th... | Staircase doors are only really suitable for areas that don't see much use.
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How to approach insulating my rim joist I'm working on finishing my 1924 home's basement in Minnesota and am currently working on insulation. My rim-joists look like this: 2x8 Joists with a board between each joist. Behind that board is a bit of concrete and a bunch of sand, rocks, construction debris from when the ... | Better way is to buy a sheet of foam board insulation, like the blue or pink stuff, a can of spray foam insulation, and a roll of fiber insulation. I simply cut 16 in fiberglass batts into roughly two foot lengths and folded them into the space to create something like an R-30 thickness.
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Do clothes dryers have heat insulation that could be mistaken as lint? My friend's dryer leaves partially wet clothes. I plan to clean it and remove any lint. My question is - Do dryers have heat insulation that looks like lint and should not be removed? Here are few pictures: While this dryer looks different than... | However the more likely culprit is a blocked or kinked vent pipe. Anything that looks like lint is lint and has to go. Use a vacuum cleaner!
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Sealing Terminals on 150w Garden Transformer I bought a garden transformer to power 2x 12v 50w Halogen lights near the pool. https://www.bunnings.com.au/hpm-12v-150w-garden-light-transformer_p4396752 Should I be concerned that the terminals on the transformer aren't weather sealed? What can I seal these with to ens... | The clear flavor of caulk would be my preference so that one can see what is being protected.
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Combine/merge 2 light switches into 1 I have two light switches that I would like to combine to one. See image. On the left is my existing setup, on the right is what I am thinking of doing (apologies, I never learned proper electrical diagramming). Both light switches are on the same circuit breaker. What I gather f... | Now with one single device you can switch two items. Your diagram looks just fine to me. I tested which wires were hot and it turns out that only the black wire in A was hot . Make sure your dimmer switch is designed to handle the amount of current (watts) and design (incandescent, florescent, etc) of whatever it is yo... |
Is the toilet bowl's coating the secret to a clean flush? Note: I am in Australia, which has very different toilet systems to the USA, which is why this similar question was no help to me. I have two bathrooms, which are both being renovated, and I will be replacing the toilet suites. One of the toilets has problem... | It is true that the smoothness of the porcelain is a factor; a newer bowl or a higher quality one will have less of a problem.
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Is it ok that a hot wire connects to two separate switches? I recently tried to replace my light switch with some smart switches but when I open it, the wiring was a bit odd to me. The top of wire of the first switch was piggy tailed/connected to the bottom of the second light switch. Is that correct? I have include... | However, most smart switches require a neutral conductor in the switch box so there can be an always-on connection for the "smart" circuitry.
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Multiple layers of roofing shingles? I am replacing some flashing on a roof and therefore need to take up some shingles. Unfortunately, there appears to be four layers of shingles, so I will have remove quite a mass of shingling. Is this normal to have four layers of shingles on a roof? I thought when a new roof is ad... | It's rare to come across lingering roofs with multiple layers aside from the odd neglected outbuilding, for example.
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Tankless point of use water heater that only heats when inlet is cold There are other questions such as this that ask about a point of use heater to provide quicker hot water, but they don't seem to fit what I want. Our kitchen sink takes a while to get hot, and I would like this to be more immediate. If I use a sm... | I have thought about what you are proposing, but at no expense and installation trouble I just use a kettle on the stove.
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How to open a door that has the insides of a door handle inside without a door knob Currently this is what my doorknob looks like below I was trying to change out my doorknob and left both sides inside of the room but the AC kicked on and shut the door on me and now I am stuck outside of the room. I was wondering how ... | Turn a knob either way, and the top or bottom edge of the bar pushes against that sliding piece to open the latch.
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How do I connect a subpanel with neutral and ground to the same bus bar in main panel? My main panel has the neutral and ground to the same bus bar and I am planning to connect a subpanel for a detached garage. So I have a few questions. When I connect the subpanel to the main panel, does it matter which bus bar I c... | In the sub-panel grounds and neutrals must be only on their corresponding bus bars. Yes, you will need to separate them for the subpanel. They can (and should) only be tied together at the main panel. In the main panel it doesn't matter on which us bar
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Comparing American 240VAC equipment to European 230VAC This is more a question for curiosity, as I don't have a 240 volt appliance nor do I plan on visiting Europe. As far as I have been able to tell, much of Europe uses the CEE 7 standard for household receptacles, which (I think) consists of 1 hot leg at 230 volts... | European plugs also aren't very good at being polarized, so a Euro device must have 230V of insulation value from each conductor to ground.
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Installing European outlets in American kitchen for heat-based appliances I'm interested in using European kitchen appliances to heat things faster. My house is a 2014 construction in America, split-phase power. My understanding is that their 230V toasters, kettles, and toaster ovens cook faster because they have mor... | As long as it's a resistive load (toaster, Kettle or oven you can use any 240 volt european appliance but, if there is any digital display. For microwaves and other motorized appliances, your best option in the US will be heavy duty commercial products that are typically used in food service/restaurants.
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How do I connect a Class B vent to this heater When I moved in a two years ago this heater wasn't working. Turns out the tree roots crushed the gas line. When I did my patio I had a new gas line put in. The heater fires up and runs good. The prior owner removed the vent when he replaced the roof. I can't find an oval v... | The fitting you show may work but you have to squeeze the round end to get it installed. The heater looks very old.
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When installing a three way dimmer switch, does it matter which switch is the dimmer? My grandmother called me the other day to troubleshoot from half way accross the country. She installed a three way dimmer switch in her dinning room at the location most used. It turns the light on and off, but does not dim. It is an... | If that works, but the lights do not dim, it's either because the bulbs/light fixture are not dimmable, not compatible with the dimmer you selected, or in rare cases, the new dimmer could be bad. She needs a professional electrician to troubleshoot the problem and not some handyman and make the necessary corrections.
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What is this and how can I remove it? I have a very small combination bathtub/shower. There is not much room to begin with and I am already bumping and banging into things. There are two what I'll call "racks" on the wall inside the shower/tub. Here is the first one, which we use to keep towels on: Then, there is ano... | You can, if you're careful, chip them out without breaking the surrounding tile. The previous poster is correct that they are ceramic towel bat posts.
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Replaced light fixture, now 3 way switch doesn’t work I replaced an old lighting fixture with a remodel can and led trim, but in doing so the three way switches no longer work. I didn’t touch either switch’s wiring, but now the switch with the circuit running to it has to be on for the other switch to function. If th... | The problem you are describing is a classic miswired three way switch scenario where one of your carriers is connected to the common terminal and the load or switch wire is connected to the carrier terminal.
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Should I install house wrap under board-and-batten siding on a heated shed? I just bought a new home and I would like to board and batten a very ugly shed that is on the property. It's a large shed with a concrete floor that I plan to use as a work shop. It will have a wood stove in it for heat. Should I wrap the ou... | If you live in a cold climate in winters, I’d use a VAPOR BARRIER on the batt insulation but don’t install plastic sheeting on the walls.
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Why are light fixture wires allowed to be lighter gauge than house wiring on the same circuit? why do cables joining the wall sockets in a house need to be thicker than the cables joining the light fittings? I don't understand and I need to know before I buy it. <Q> The wires to the light fixture will only carry the cu... | Because house wiring must be capable of carrying the load that the breaker allows (typically 15 or 20 amps), whereas a light fixture has a specific load limit related to the bulbs it is rated for (maybe just an amp or two). The primary factor limiting the amount of current wires can carry is the amount of heat that wir... |
Why should we replace smoke alarms every 10 years? I'm having a hard time understanding a requirement to replace smoke detectors every 10 years (or whatever the manufacturer suggests). With previous generations of ionization based detectors, I understand that the radioactive substance would decay over time, reducing it... | So the manufacturer certifies the device will work for only 10 years, and then (in some modern units) sets a hard sunset by using an unreplacable battery. The technology limitation of the ionization is that a small amount of a radioactive isotope is used to ionize the air/particle near the electrostatic detector plates... |
Analog multimeter won't calibrate to zero I have a multimeter that I haven't used in many years. I wanted to recalibrate it, so I touched the two probes and tried to adjust the reading to zero, but 500 ohms was as low as it would go. Is the meter bad? <Q> I assume, since it has a zero-ohms adjustment at all, that thi... | If turning it has no effect, then the meter may be damaged, or the linkage between the adjustment screw and internal parts may have become disconnected in which case careful disassembly and reassembly may fix it.
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Would drilling a small hole through joist / sole plate cause structural problems? New home owner. I need to wire some ethernet and coax across the basement up into to the first floor wall. The perimeter wall is cinderblock, it is a twin and this is the shared wall. It looks framed. I believe I would want to go up throu... | Ideally the hole would be in the center third of the joist, but since it's so small it can go anywhere. Heck, you could have knots that large at any location in your framing. Ideally don't put any notches in the top 2" or bottom 2" of the middle third of the joist span.
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How to remove a shelf fastener with a round head and no slot I have some shelving in my closet and it's screwed into the wall with fasteners that look like this (see image). It's a smooth circle and doesn't have any type of hole of slot on top. Is this a screw? If so, what kind of screw is this and how do i get it out?... | If the OP doesn't happen to have a pair of vise grips on hand, a pair of screw pliers is in order: These are a bit of luxury, but work like a champ, and are the perfect tool here. That's an expanding plug anchor as is commonly supplied by closet system manufacturers. Another option is to file flats on it and use an adj... |
What type of screws would work best for hanging a projector from the ceiling? I installed a projector and a screen a few days using toggle bolts in my drywall ceiling. One of the anchors didn't open all the way up, and the screen fell. So, I searched here, and quickly came to a realization that hanging anything heavy f... | Any wood screw that goes into the full thickness of the mounting board should be fine to hold up the projector mount.
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Light fixture mounting bracket too small to attach to junction box Installing a ceiling fixture. With the other fixtures I installed the bracket just screwed into the box. This one the bracket width is too small to screw in, the box is too big. What kind of adapter do I need, or should I just replace the whole box with... | If you're lucky, it should all fit in the same hole and the fixture will cover the remaining parts. You can install a 4/0 or 3/0 mud/plaster ring, but the 4 sq box has to be recessed back into the wall at around 1/2 inch since the mud ring has a raise anywhere from 1/2 and up to 2" in 1/4 inch increments.
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How to bypass this component to a Tetco Heat Pump I have Tetco Heat Pump system that came with my house when it was purchased. About a year ago, I started hearing a water hammer in my pipes that I traced back to the solenoid(?) in the picture below. It would continually "click" and cause a small hammer to travel back... | That does not look like a solenoid to me - it actually looks like a water hammer arrestor! What you are dealing with here is a water cooled heat pump. Safest solution is to add a water hammer arrester to your cold water line near this thing that is causing the water hammer.
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how to avoid tiny gaps in end joints of hardwood floor install I am installing my first ever hardwood floor. It's pre-finished 3/4" solid wood, and it's been pretty fun. I've noticed that some of my end joints have some very tiny gaps on one side of the joint (flush on the other side). I often have to look closely t... | For a solid (or even multi-ply) wood, sanding is sometimes an option, but for a beveled (v-groove) edges like yours it will probably look a little odd anyway It would be a good idea just to check them real quick before you install them.
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94V at an outlet in GFCI Circuit I am having the following problem.A few months ago I finished my basement (1 Bedroom and 1 Bathroom).I had an existing GFCI outlet down there to which I connected a couple more outlets, an exhaust fan in the bathroom and some LED lighting.Everything worked just fine until 2 days ago. No... | You picture shows a T where the wire goes to the outlet and garage. Somehow you have lost the neutral to the basement outlet.
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How to remove these nails (no access to head)? Installing closet doors. Had to knock these guys out of the way (first image). Realized after doing that the magical hidden nails are sticking out. Didn't expect that. Thoughts on how to get rid of that without having to remove the whole framing situation going on? <Q> Gra... | If you have a rotary tool such as a Dremel, an abrasive blade will make short work of cutting the nails at or slightly below the surface. I've done similar work, gouging a bit into the wood, then covering it with wood putty/filler to make an invisible repair.
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No screws on drywall near top plate? I was reading some tips from a pro-drywaller and he stated to not screw within 7" of the top plate when attaching wall rock. Do not screw into the top plate. Fasten walls about seven inches below the top plate. On the rare occasions that I have had screw pop problems, they wer... | In my house, I used drywall clips to fasten the edges of the ceiling panels to the top plate to mitigate the potential risk of truss chord uplift.
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Power a 20A device from 15A circuits? If I need ~20A to power a device, but all the available circuits in the building are 15A tops, would I be able to power said device? Perhaps using a UPS and some tomfoolery? <Q> [Can I power a 20A load when available circuits are 15A] <S> There is no way to provide a continous ... | There's no UPS battery that I know of that provides 20A off a 15A plug. The correct way to deal with this is to run a new circuit back to the main panel using wire sized for the load.
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What size circuit breaker is required for a GE model JBP68HKWW range? What size circuit breaker is required for a GE model JBP68HKWW range? <Q> It depends on the wire going to the range. <S> If the wire is 8 AWG you can only use a 40A breaker, regardless of what the range's instructions may tell you. <S> While... | If it is 6 AWG, you should use 40A or 50A depending on what the range's instructions say to use.
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What is this cement structure under ground? I had a fence. It was destroyed in a hurricane. I thought I just would need to put new posts in an existing 2 feet hole. But the holes there were not 2 feet. So I started digging holes around where the posts were. And I noticed cement structures going deep into the ground. Co... | If you have the right tools (hammer drill,long chisel ) you can remove the rotten wood ,using the same pocket to set your new 4x4 post,I've done this and it takes a little time but it works and you can maintain your same spacing and maybe reuse some fence sections It looks like a standard 4×4 post with concrete poured ... |
Why does my freezer get a little warmer every 14 hours? I equipped my fridge-freezer (Bosch KGN 33X48/13, bought around 2013) with a self-made temperature monitoring system to warn me whenever the internal temperature of the freezer rises above a certain level. Looking at the resulting curve I'd expect the temperature... | The other answers are correct that you are seeing the normal defrost cycle of your freezer.
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Ground-level electrical wiring to shed outdoors possible? I was telling an uncle about the concern of digging a conduit trench in my heavily planted garden (trying not to disturb the plants) to run electricity from the house to the shed about 35 feet away. He said that you could run conduit on the ground (or barely ... | Do it in spring or fall when the plants are less active and they probably won't mind the disturbance. With rigid or intermediate metal conduit ($$) you can follow code without going very deep - 6" under dirt, 4" under a concrete cover of at least 4" thickness extending at least 6" to either side. However , I would bury... |
How do I prevent ice dams from forming on the eaves of an addition? I added an addition several years age and now have eaves that form ice dams I understand that ventilating the attic may help but that is not an option. I have tried heated wires on the lower edge of the shingles but they are not durable and very shor... | The way to prevent ice damning is to prevent the snow on the roof from melting in the first place and that means adequate insulation and venting in the attic. Alternative solutions for adding intake vents in places other than at the soffit are vented drip edge and shingle-over edge vent .
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Rust and ash in my AC/furnace - should I be concerned? TL;DR - Furnace/AC generates a lot of rust flakes and ash, not sure what this means. UPDATE - An inspector came by to look at the furnace. While the inspector didn't find anything broken, he said it was nearing its end of days, and that it was only a matter of tim... | It looks like the drain is clogged or the drain pan leaking on your AC condenser coil which is usually directly above the furnace burners. If your landlord is honest, and not a slumlord, you have a good chance to get at least some work done to it, if not replaced. I think the engineering term is "worn out".
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Why do my lightbulbs keep breaking in the fixtures? I moved into an apartment maybe a year ago, and noticed many lightbulbs were out. When I went to unscrew them, they simply broke off (not shattered) in my hand. It was like someone had scored the glass right where it connects to the metal. In addition, there was a sig... | Depending on the fixture you may have a lamp with too much wattage. Look for bulbs with brass threads.
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Will a thin or thick cutoff angle grinder wheel last longer? If size of cut didn’t matter (not in a confined area), wouldn’t a thicker cutoff wheel last longer? I was comparing mainly between a 1/16 and 1/8 width wheel. I was trying to compare between cutoff wheels that you can get at Harbour Freight vs what you would ... | Diamond blades also are usually coated on a metal disk so they do not fly apart like a fiber blade.
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How to extend existing circuit 5 ft I would like to use my garage lighting circuit for my garage door opener but I need to extend it 5 feet. The lighting circuit is 14/2 wire but I have 12/2 wire. Should I buy a 6 foot piece of 14/2 wire or could I use the 12/2 wire for that length? <Q> You can use #12 to extend a 15... | If your receptacle uses back-stab connections, those are not compatible with 12AWG wire, so you'll need to use the screws.
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Mixing 18awg wire and 16awg wire on a ceiling fan installation I am moving a minkaire ceiling fan from a flat kithen ceiling to a sloped family room ceiling. The slope of the fm rm ceiling requires that a 1 foot extension be added to the fan to avoid having the blades touch the ceiling. The fan has a receiving unit o... | If it is truly a low voltage system (control circuit - like a garage door opener wall switch or door bell switch) going up from 18(smaller) to 16(thicker wire) should not be an issue.
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Voltage detected on gas pipe The gas company technician has turned gas off to the gas meter because he detected .4 volts coming off the gas pipe leading to our furnace. The meter was disconnected when he tested the pipe. He stuck a screw driver in the soil to use as a ground and then put the multi meters red lead on ... | A millivolt signal to a screwdriver stuck in the ground is not a reliable way to do earth ground testing . If installed in or attached to a building or structure, a metal piping system(s), including gas piping, that is likely to become energized shall be bonded to any of the following: (1) Equipment grounding conductor... |
How can I find out what a switch does? I have a switch that's part of a three switch panel, and it doesn't seem to do anything. The other two switches go to a ceiling light in the same room, and a ceiling light in an adjacent room. I've checked most, if not all of the plugs in this and adjacent rooms by plugging a lamp... | So one switch could be just going to a ceiling enclosure (where there might be just a light) It may control one or more of those. If the controlled thing also has motion sensors, this could be messy.
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Mounting 65” tv on panel construction wall with metal studs 24” on center The wall is Sheetrock over styrofoam panel no clearance under Sheetrock. Is there a way to mount this without opening the wall. Reading has indicated steel studs do not hold screws well <Q> Depending on your TV mount style, I would simply drill e... | You can on the other hand build a mount strip across the 24 inch centers for a total of 48 inches width with 3 stud mounting points and you could even add drywall anchors if you were a little freaked and wanted to do over kill - your TV mount would then mount to the two strips (which can be simple flat bar or the shelv... |
Will fasteners straighten a pressure treated bottom plate? I am framing a basement and have been working at my own pace. Because of this some of the pressure treated boards I purchased have developed a twist to them. I don't want to go through all the trouble of framing a portion and securing it and having it not come... | However depending on how bad the lumber has warped, sometimes you can't. Typically if you're trying to secure a board to concrete, you can usually fasten the board down on one end, and then work your way to the other end, putting fasteners in as you go, also bending your board to line up with your chalk line as you go.... |
How to manage water pooling at a particular spot in my lawn? Per the picture, I have an interesting draining issue where some rain water will drain along my roof's edge to a spot on my lawn. Problem is that the water is pooling in heavier rains (see picture below) Are there recommended ways to handle water pooling due... | Place a rain diverter on your roof to cause the water that runs down the edge of it to run into the gutter that you have.
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Why is home heating wiring so low tech? Having recently had to struggle with the wiring on my home heating (y plan) to get it working with a nest, I would like to know why central heating systems are not more modern: Why isn't there a central controller that receives information from all sensors (tank temp, boiler tem... | The system is simple, modular and failsafe.
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Fridgidaire Gallery Powers off for several hours and sometimes days I have a Fridgidaire Gallery Model: FGHN2866PF0. The issue I have is that the fridge powers off for hours at a time and sometimes days at a time. No cooling, no lights in fridge. Only the door control panel stays alive. The inner door control panel s... | By all appearances you are either loosing the power leg or neutral leg intermittently to the frig. The vast majority of the time this type of problem is caused by a bad wiring connection in a kitchen receptacle, possible the one the frig is plugged in to.
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Securing rubber mats to garage floor I'm renting a house in which I have some gym equipment in the garage. I'm anticipating buying some 3'x4'x3/4" rubber stall mats to protect the floor and deaden noise from dropped weights. I would be lying the mats side by side in a tiling fashion but I have some concern about the m... | You could put down a plywood floor layer and screw/glue the mats to that, would reduce the number of "mats" but still have the same fastening problem, or could use angle brackets to fasten the wooden subfloor to the garage wall bottom plates.
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What kind of tool can I use to tighten a faucet bolt in a tight place? I am trying to tighten a kitchen faucet bolt (7/16 inch) in a very tight spot. Please refer to the picture. Standard size wrenches don't fit well enough for me to turn it. I've used a stubby wrench but I can't get any leverage because of the tight... | I think your options are either a Basin Wrench or an extra deep socket
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How do I remove the T shaped metal device that is holding my fluorescent ballast cover on? I'm trying to take the cover off of my fluorescent fixture, but I can't seem to figure out this fastener. I've tried rotating it to no effect. <Q> Turn it 90 degrees and it will release same with the one at the other end if it ha... | It may take some rattling to get it to let loose, or possibly prying.
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Is it code to nut off a ground wire instead of connecting it? I was replacing a standard light switch and noticed that the current light switch’s ground wire (green) was not being connected to anything. It was connected to the switch on one end and to a wirenut on the opposite end, however no other wires were included... | In this case, the metallic connection between the dimmer mounting ears and the box provides the safety ground and RF shield connections. The electrician, not knowing which outlets the inspector is going to test, is therefore "enticed" to do them all the same way. The code in your area may indicate it is not necessary, ... |
How do I soundproof a room behind an open doorway with little room for a proper door? I've got a laundry room immediately behind a kitchen that will soon be doing double duty as a server room of sorts - a rack with a decent amount of computer gear is going into it. If you know anything about rackmount equipment, you s... | You need something to stop the echo affect in that laundry room and hallway. The cloth can be stretched over the plywood and stapled to the back for a nice finished look. If you do not have enough wall space maybe you could use two solid pine folding doors but take off the hinges and add top slides. A number of panels ... |
How should I reconnect my light fixture? I took my ceiling light down to paint it and when I put it back I connected the white wire to the 2 white wires in the pic. I connected the black wire to the black bundle in the pic. Now the light is on all the time no matter the switch position. I can't figure it out. I don't h... | So you probably only have a 2 wire cable going to the switch and as the Electrical Code requires, the white wire feeds the switch hot and the return from the switch back to the light is a black wire. If you had just found it like the picture, I would say that one white is neutral and the other white was switched-hot.
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Will a fire pit damage my patio's ceiling? I just got a portable fire pit and some new furniture for my back porch. The fire pit is 3' in diameter, and the porch is 10'×10', with a 9' ceiling. It would be nice to be able to have a small fire with the fire pit sitting at the far edge of the patio without having to move... | Having an unvented fire in a confined space and that near your house is simply unwise.
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Recommended way to bolt toilet tank I've read variations on what hardware to use in bolting the toilet tank to the bowl. From a top down sequence with optional/variation items indicated in parentheses: bolt (metal washer) rubber washer tank (rubber washer) (metal washer) (nut) bowl (rubber washer) metal washe... | I have seen installations with metal washers under the bolt head and the nut, as well as without.
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How to attach an appliance bracket to a stainless steel table? I need to attach this base plate to a stainless steel table in a commercial kitchen. It'd be attached to the top surface off to the side. It's for a commercial size can-opener . How do I go about that? Drill holes and then use bolts? Use some special... | I have found that drilling stainless steel is a challenge.
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Should I replace this cracked bathroom wall tile? Just had someone install ceramic tiles for bathroom. But to my surprise one tile on the shower walls, appears to have a hairline crack. I asked him about it and he said it was a manufacturing cosmetic defect and it's not a real crack more like a harmless scratch. I don'... | You should have the tile replaced.
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Shut off tub water behind wall How can I shut off water to shower only? Or is it bkr possible? I don't see a shut off valve, am I missing it? This picture is the back of my tub where wall was remixed. I want to cut off only shower water as of right now, the hot water coming into water heater is off. We need it on ... | Get some pliers and try to shut the hot water valve on the tub/shower.
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Determining minimum dimensions for circular driveway What should be the minimum dimensions for a circular driveway on a 100' wide property, including the radius? The property is flat, and the house will be wherever we want to place it relative to the circular driveway. Largest vehicles using it will be Ford Explorer, ... | They recommend a minimum OUTSIDE radius of 22’ for sedans, 29’ for SUVs and Cadillacs and 41’ for pickup trucks with small boat trailers.
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Why is turning down the heat during day and night considered more efficient? I just want to point out right away that I am not sure if this stack exchange is the most appropriate for this question - perhaps Stack exchange Chemistry or Physics would be more suitable? My Question I live in Canada so our winters are pre... | The efficiency of electric heaters depends on the intensity at which it's running
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Resting joist hanger on top plate? I'm building a lumber-framed office inside a commercial warehouse. It's essentially an 8' x 30' x 9' box with a ceiling and "second floor" made of 2x6" joists, with 2x6" rim joists resting on top of the two 2x4" walls. Note that the second floor will only be used for light storage. B... | Resting the joists on the double top plate works great for vertical loading and using hangers to keep them aligned until the loft floor sheathing is installed is a great idea, because you can’t end nail them through the rim joist. I’d thing gypsum board would work.
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Living near a highway in SoCal with no standard windows - how to install A/C? I have an air purifier and keeping all windows/doors closed is going to be a must. But the humidity and temperature are issues now. I can get a dehumidifier but then I'm left with the temperature problem - I like a cool 68F. It seems like ... | You can buy air conditioners that are made to install in a permanent wall penetration, search for "through-wall air conditioner" - they usually have a sheet metal box that stays in place year round.
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