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Why do single electrical receptacles exist? Given that the following are true. They are the same size. They take the same amount of work to install. Doubles are twice as useful. Double adapters are a thing. Why do single electrical receptacles even exist? I was looking at the plans for a house and some of the po... | Sometimes a single receptacle is installed to ensure that the circuit is dedicated to a single appliance. When you find one, it has a specific purpose for being there because of a Code requirement for its application.
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Can baseboard trim be used for window and door casing? Why baseboard trims can't be also used as door moldings in rooms? For example, floor molding of size 1/2" x 3-1/4" would perfectly fit as door molding. Are there special requirements for door casings that don't allow use the floor moldings? Thanks. <Q> There's n... | Door casing is designed so that you can use a smaller trim nail on the outside edge of the trim.
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How to keep buried deck posts from rotting This is related to a question I asked earlier regarding my deck footings. I had a pool deck built last fall. The footings are 4' deep and 12" diameter. There are metal post brackets attached to the concrete, and the PT 4x4s are attached to those brackets. The builder only p... | Cut off the bottom of the post at the desired height, 4" - 6" above grade, or in line with local best practice .
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Ideas for plugging a hole in granite vanity I got a nice piece of granite for cheap, and I am almost ready to mount it on the new vessel is actually smaller than the dimensions! See below: Any suggestions? Ideally I want to find a sink that will fully cover the hole, but so far my searches on Amazon.ca (I am in Ca... | I had a similar problem for a shop sink in my lab and came up with a odd solution, I used the sink I had but used spacers to raise it about an inch above the counter top, then I cut a 2 part plastic adapter fitting that made a sloped connection between the two.
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Will an outlet adapter installed in a motion sensor light be constantly hot? I am wanting to add a plug in outlet to one side of my dual motion light sensor. Is this outlet only gong to work when the sensor light comes on? Or will it have a constant electrical feed? <Q> If I understand correctly, you'd like to screw a ... | The outlet will only be live when the adjacent bulb is lit. Used with caution, it could work for a short run of holiday lights, for example, without issue.
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How to install a safety barrier-post in garage, between house and vehicle On the other side of the wall, in front of where my vehicle is parked, is my bedroom. Would like to install something similar to what you would see at store fronts that have parking spaces near the entrance. Usually looks like 4' high, round p... | Concrete versions of these can be secured in place with construction adhesive and if desired a couple of short lengths of re-bar drilled down into the garage slab. I do not think you want the possibility of this happening in your garage. You do not need a large core drilling rig if you get surface mounted bollards. Wou... |
What is the industry term for house wiring diagrams? I am doing electrical work in my own home. Primarily replacing old sockets and fixtures. Through the course of this work I am finding odd, but not unsafe, wiring paths. I want to document these paths so that I can develop a plan to improve them. I also want to docume... | There are a set of standard drawings to identify all elements of a system clearly that are universal at least in North American. An electrical plan or wiring plan would simply show how the cables run through the building and what each cable's specs are (14/3, 10/2, etc.), possibly along with device notes (outlets, swit... |
Building an exterior wall within an exterior wall for insulation I just purchased a 1925 beautiful home that is stucco on the outside and old plaster on the inside. I have some carpentry experience and am realizing the incredible loss f heat to the exterior walls. There is ample space in each of the rooms in the house ... | An insulation added to your walls from inside the rooms might cause big problems shifting the dew point to the inner side of the wall letting mold grow. Depending on where you live, vapor will travel from the inside out (northern climates) or from the outside in (southern climates) or both ways (middle climates). All f... |
Drywall Gap Too Big To Tape I am wondering if this gap is too big to tape and mud over. The house is over 100 years old and the walls are not quite straight to say the least. The opposite wall is relatively square btw. It gap is about an inch at the top and tapers to nothing. <Q> You'll need to trim the one flange t... | I'd lay some sort of filler strip that's the same thickness as the drywall and then put some sort of decorative strip on the unfinished edge of the tile. I think I'd lay in some half-inch filler and nail on a corner bead, 1/8" from the tile. It doesn't need to be perfect, just bring the gaps down to what you can fill w... |
If a living quarter is built in a basement, is 5/8 drywall required on that ceiling? I am constructing a home where the owner is having a complete living quarter installed in the basement for an older relative. Just needed to see if it required 5/8 drywall on ceiling. Also, wondering if the door going from basement ste... | A fire-rated door is also probably not required. I'd recommend that you take as many precautions to protect from fire as is practical. It was used historically because ceiling joists are often 24" on center, and 5/8 resists sag.
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Connect two thermostats in parallel I saw a thread about connecting two thermostats in parallel.I could not add comment to that thread, so I put question here. My tenants always shut off thermostat or reduce temp when they are not in their unit during winter time. It has caused several pipe to become frozen and cause ... | A "freeze protection outlet" will let you plug a small heater (and/or alarm) in, and will only activate if the temperature dips to a dangerous level. Electrically, there is no problem with it as long as you are using simple thermostats.
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Who should I call for a roof drain leak? We have a balcony above our garage attached to the house, that is surrounded by 3 stucco walls and has a drain in the middle that leads into our garage. Example of random balcony with drain similar to ours. The leak has created a hole in the dry wall below it. I cut a sqare ... | I would say a roofer if it is on the roof are decking.
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Did unfinished attics serve a functional purpose in old houses? I do a lot of work with detached, wood-framed houses built in the United States between 1850 and 1920. Almost all of them have a walk-up attic that was not finished originally. In some cases the attics are now finished and used as living or working space, ... | Obviously there's some energy efficiency to be gained by having enclosed attics above a ceiling in an uninsulated home, but that's not the primary reason attics were built.
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Bridging Neutral and ground in a Light Switch I changed my bathroom light switch for a Occupancy Sensor Switch but it would not turn off. Since the package said Ground Wire Required I figured it was a ground issue. The location has wiring from 1962 so I tested the switch in a newer location and it worked fine. Instead ... | It would have been much wiser to choose a switch that requires neutral since you do indeed have neutral in that box. The problem is Neutral still is not Ground. I can't say that what you are doing is 100% ok, but it does seem to make the sensor work.
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Is There a DIY Way of Fitting This Attachment to My Bathroom Tap? I want to attach this shower hose attachment to my bathroom tap. It's a two-way system that lets you use the water through the tap or the shower head. Unfortunately the sizes don't match. The hose has M22 and M24 attachments, and the tap thread has a 2cm... | If you can determine the threads of the end of the faucet, that one piece of information will allow you to commission an adapter to be constructed.
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2 breakers - should they work as one? I have a circuit with 2 15 amp breakers. They don’t act, individually they both have to be shut off to shut off the circuits. Am I looking for an outlet with two devices? Example switch and outlet?The breakers used to break individually, but something happened in the circuit to jo... | If you have for example a power system where you derive your voltage across two legs and not a leg to neutral it could be the case where you fuse both legs to ensure no current flows in the event of a fault. But really they could be anywhere (including receptacles, lights, etc.)
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Is my plan for fixing my water heater leak bad? Here is the situation (with pics): See that pan on the bottom? The hole in it is covered by tape. So here is what I was gonna do. Is this a good idea? First. I've gone out and purchased a new pan for the bottom. I also purchased a round piece of wood exactly the same... | If the water on the floor is from the water heater I would fix that problem before I do anything else.
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Do my washing machine and dryer need to be close to the water heater? I just purchased a house and near the kitchen it has a location for the washing machine and dryer. The water heater is near by in a separate cabinet. I would like to move the washer and dryer into the garage to have more room in the house. As I was s... | Get a washer capable of heating water internally (a regular washing machine will be ok if you're elsewhere) and hook up only cold water.
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How to lift/raise/repair a segment of concrete slab? I have an 8-year old concrete slab around my pool. One slab has sunk by about 2 inches on the short side. The slab measures about 6 feet by 3 feet by 4 inches. It rests against the pool structure on the long side. The opposite long side is grass. The two short sides ... | This slab is small enough that you should be able to easily lift it out and repair the base soil.
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Heating basement floor with water heater Can I simply add a loop of pex from my water heater, under my flooring, and back into itself? Would I need some sort of pump? I haven't laid the tile yet and water heater is right on the outside wall of the bathroom I'm building. Would I need to put this between the backer and ... | If you have a hot air furnace you can heat the basement fairly well if you do it correctly To do a system for a bathroom running off of a domestic water tank, in operation for potable water requires all potable water components. Potable water components are expensive. This requires a little bit of electrical but is muc... |
How to fasten one end of a rope to multiple points so as to distribute load equally? I'd like to hang a cocoon-type hammock device from a few railings overhead. It hooks onto a single point and hangs vertically, as opposed to a traditional hammock that you'd see hung horizontally between two trees. It has to support ... | Other options would be a chain "quick link" or a load-rated carabiner (not the keychain type).
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Range hood - not powerful enough to clear smoke? Whenever I sear steak (or cook anything on high heat), despite having our range hood on the highest setting, the smoke alarms always go off and the entire house smells pretty bad for several hours. Aside from changing my cooking habits, I was wondering if there's anythin... | If your stove is on an exterior wall then you can upgrade to a much larger unit and also upgrade the size of the pipe to accommodate it.
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Coat hook rack above a wall with fuse boxes The plan I'm planning to build and put up a coat hook rack in my flat. My plan is to simply screw 5 hooks into a solid piece of wood and then mount it on the wall. It should look something like this: only a bit simpler. However, the wall on which I would like to mount the ... | While your coatrack-over-fusebox proposal may sound like a good idea to an interior designer who doesn't know squat about electrical codes, it's not.
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Can I solder 12/2 Romex to extend wire 5 ft? I'm sure this is going to be lambasted by the code gods, but is it SAFE to solder the wires in a Romex cable to extend it? Obviously I would ground the circuit as normal, just trying to avoid another junction box. Would I heat shrink each individual wire and then the outer s... | Well, they actually make an approved device to splice Romex outside a junction box. It turns out that in short-circuit high-current conditions, solder can melt or even evaporate very quickly, leaving you with no path to ground, or a high-resistance connection. The splice connection must be both mechanically and electri... |
Caulking a corner instead of taping with joint compound? Is it considered acceptable in drywall / sheetrock work to use caulk to finish an interior corner instead of using tape with joint compound? This is not my own DIY idea – this was suggested to me by a drywall contractor. In this specific instance it was a wal... | No matter if you use the most paintable caulk in the world, the caulked part will look off. So much easier to do. no, it is a bad idea. No normal contractor that does drywall would even have this thought in their head. Caulk might look great for a short time (if it doesn't shrink to oblivion right away), but it doesn't... |
Can I add another outlet to an existing load outlet? I have an existing outlet with four wires plus the ground. I want to add an outlet directly outside the house using the existing outlet as the feed. Can this be done? <Q> Back and side outlets have a clamp that will hold 2 wires under each screw or 4 blacks on the ho... | If the existing circuit is already protected (GFCI circuit breaker, or GFCI receptacle wired correctly ) then you will be fine. You may need a different outlet but yes it can be done.
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Can you run a ground wire from stove directly to ground pole in the ground Directly to ground pole outside drove into ground <Q> It won't do a thing for human safety, though. <S> To protect humans from electric shocks, you can go one of two ways. <S> GFCI protection <S> You replace the oven's breaker with a 2-po... | A ground rod or connecting to a metal pipe that extends into the ground accomplishes this. If your goal is to protect the oven from ESD (static electricity) damage or lightning-strike damage, or help it receive radio signals, then going out to a ground spike can help you with that. Assuming there is an actual short cir... |
A running toilet that stops itself I have a toilet that will start running as if the flapper is bad. (I’m confident it is not. I’ve replaced it twice.) It doesn’t drain much, just enough to trigger a fill every 20 - 30 minutes. The strange thing is the tank only drains slightly and then stops. If I turn the water off ... | You have some sort of problem with the fill valve and/or the overflow pipe .
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Furnace can’t keep up when set to ON but keeps up fine on AUTO. Is this normal? I’m in a pretty cold state. It’s been below zero F quite often this winter. My furnace has not been keeping up and my house has gotten pretty cold. I got some space heaters to supplement. Furnace is about eight years old. But I started ... | In a house with no insulation the exterior walls lose heat much faster than the heat can be replaced from the ambient air within the house.
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Are an outlet and a light bulb at the main electrical panel required? I've heard that the main electrical panel needs a GFCI outlet right next to it, and it also needs a switch to an overhead light. But I can't find anything on the net to confirm. <Q> Indeed, some outdoor installations would make that impractical. ... | For attics and underfloor spaces, utility rooms, and basements, at least one lighting outlet containing a switch or controlled by a wall switch shall be installed where these spaces are used for storage or contain equipment requiring servicing. No There's nothing in the NEC that demands a power outlet or switched light... |
How can I dehumidify the bathroom while I shower, without using the ceiling fan? My grandparents live in a condo in Toronto. Whenever they shower, they open the bathroom door fully, but this still fails to remove most of the steam. They must turn on their ceiling vent fan. If the weather is cold, does turning on the... | It also feels cold when water evaporates off your body and if you are removing the humidity from the bathroom moisture evaporation on your body increases thus making you loose heat. With this type of unit additional wiring may need to be added.
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Nest thermostat E74 error - no power to Rh Wire It was working with no issues for last 3 years. Today it suddenly showing this error. Any help appreciated. <Q> Bit of Nest history Nest often has a sub base issue. <S> Usually the issue is contained to the cooling side. <S> Rh is power input for the heating side. <S> So... | If it's not running you will need to identify the issue it may be a breaker, the furnace switch is off, the fuse in the furnace is blown, or one of many other power related issues.
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Correct circuit breakers for 4-wire connected Maytag dryer? The panel in the house we just bought has the 30-amp dryer is connected by 4 wires (#10) to the panel where the black wire is on a 30-amp circuit breaker and the red wire is on another 30-amp circuit breaker. Is that correct? To me that totals 60 amps of cur... | You could connect separate wires to two different breakers which are on the same leg of the bus (i.e., zero volts between them) and then connect those wires together with a third wire to go to a load. This has both common trip and common maintenance shutoff . So one does not add the current flowing in the two breakers;... |
Cleaning an interior Brick Wall I had a fridge that I moved out of the way exposing another section of my brick wall, but there is a noticeable difference between the newly exposed brick and the rest. I'm not sure what this stuff is on the surface & how to get rid of it. Any help would be much appreciated. <Q> That bri... | It may be possible to attempt to clean the original brick faces with a good scrub brush and hot soapy water. Either way, be sure to rinse the surface with plain water.
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Which bolt pattern to sister a ceiling joist? I need to sister a ceiling joist — put a2x6 8ft piece next to existing joist, and fasten with 1/2 inch bolts. It will be supported by a stud wall on one end (but not other end) Anybody knows what are the rules about bolt pattern for such repair?Is this described in any bui... | There is nothing in the Code that explains how to sister members or fix notched members, except that loads shall be transferred to solid members.
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Moisture is leaking through my basement walls, but the house is surrounded by concrete. Worth fixing? I'm in Minneapolis, in a house built in 1886, fully renovated a few years ago. The basement is finished. This has been an extremely wet winter, with lots of snow and ice that is now melting. Some guests pointed out a ... | This is normally prevented by a footing drain just above the footing that has holes in it to gather the water and then drains somewhere away from the house. A dehumidifier could further speed the drying.
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Is all copper pipe pretty much the same? Is there different levels of quality in copper plumbing pipe? I see copper pipe at Home Depot and I assume plumbing supply stores sell it too. Does pretty much everybody sell the same quality of copper pipe, or are there differences I should be aware of? By copper pipe, I mean ... | There are different grades and types of copper pipe that you of course should be aware of. It's very possible that in some cases the same product from the same manufacturer is identical quality whether purchased in a big box store or in a specialty supply house.
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How do I calculate my monthly water usage? In terms of water usage, how much is 10 cubic meters of water? I ask this because I live in a small apartment with another person and our monthly water bill is now over 6 times higher. When I called the water company, they tell me that they give me 10 cubic meters of water pe... | 10 cubic metres is 10,000 litres.
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Plywood subfloor won't screw down in a trailer home I'm remodeling my mom's bathroom and I'm putting 1/4 inch plywood down on top of the floor to get a smooth surface. The existing floor is strong but there was some deflection in it and it's not as smooth as I would like for stick-down tile. My question is when screwi... | Consider using a shorter screw so you are not piercing the underside of the floor. Regardless, I would definitely suggest priming the surface to help ensure a dust-free, clean surface so the tiles will have a better stick-to-it-ness This could potentially allow moister to wick in from the underside and rot out the expo... |
Want to switch to tankless, but can I use my existing wiring? The tankless water heaters I am looking at require 8 AWG wire but the existing wiring is 12 AWG. Can I do this without having to rerun new wire? <Q> If a heater requires 8 AWG wire, <S> it's because it requires more electricity than a smaller wire <S> is... | You cannot use an electric tankless water heater in place of an electric tank without a significant upgrade in wiring and most probably adding new breakers to make a total of two or three breakers.
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I need to drive a 7/16" nut but am unsure how to use the socket I bought for my screwdriver I have this 7/16" hex nut (in front) and I tried to order in amazon an adapter that can make my 1/4 hex bit torque screwdriver drive it. When I received the package. It was all wrong. The 7/16" was the size of the hex bit and th... | There are some one piece cheapos on the market that do work, but you have to buy all new kits when either the shank or socket portion wears down or breaks.
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Possible Leak In Concrete I recently noticed that our outside wall has a wet looking spot around the faucet. I tried looking in the wall at the pipe (from the unfinished basement), but I couldn’t see very far because the hole is small (maybe could see an inch into the wall) and I couldn’t see any condensation fr... | Though the dampness all the way up to your siding would indicate that the faucet itself may not be the culprit, especially if you don't see any direct signs of water either on the inside or outside, and dampness might not typically run against gravity that far unless it's really flowing. If your pipe is copper and in c... |
When cutting wood do you add the width of the blade after the line mark? Im new to using a circular saw and would like to improve my accuracy, If I have a blade that is 2mm thick do I add this on after the current line that I have marked and then cut down that? Thanks <Q> A circular saw isn't a super precise cutting to... | What matters is that you cut at the measured point, I use the notch on my saws to get close but actually look at the blade in relation to the cut if it needs to be close. It really dosenot matter, we all may do it slightly different, one answer says make the arrow on the good side
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Turning a hard to access nut? Working on the propane conversion of my gas stove. One of the orifices to be changed is in a very hard to access location - shown in the photo. The orifice is the "nut" I'm referring to, which you can fit a wrench onto. Although it is possible to get a wrench on it there is a very limite... | If this is a problem, start with a standard wrench to loosen the nut a little.
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What is an efficient way of moving home? I have been moving so many times in the past few years, usually on my own without any help. It’s exhausting and painful. I’ve probably become more efficient over time but I’m still trying to figure things out and the fear of next move scared me to death while I’m unpacking in th... | On your first question, it's real simple: hoard quality knockdown boxes, like Bankers Boxes or better. Do what the professionals do; Get moving boxes. Rent a bigger truck or trailer than you think you need, you will fill it. We keep one drawer in the laundry room that has the manual for everything.
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Two black wires into same terminal on light switch I've replaced a number of switches in my house following the Lutron instructions, but the wiring below is not covered. My question is: on my new Lutron switch (one is already visible in the picture), would I cap wires "A" and "B" together with the black wire on the Lu... | It looks like A is a pigtail from the wirenut to the switch. It looks like wire B is your hot lead.
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Small Drywall Tiles for Ceiling Im finishing my basement and I don't trust little drywall screws to hold a big and heavy sheet of drywall on the ceiling. Even when professionally installed and it's said to be conpletey safe statistically. So that said, since I dont want a suspended ceiling tile system I was wondering i... | Normally wooden furring strips would be to provide nailers for ceiling tile or drywall, but in this case it will be using the strength of wood and long wood screws to provide extra holding power to lock the drywall in place. You are more likely to have a chunk fall, although it would be a smaller chunk. You will have a... |
Is this saw blade faulty? This may be the stupidest DIY question ever, but I want to make sure before I return it: is this non-ferrous metals saw blade faulty? In the picture, see where one of the titanium carbide teeth seems to be too large and to extend into the expansion slot. BTW, I had made 4 cuts of 9-15" or so,... | Aluminum is really good at gumming up blades.
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What kind of four wire connector is this? Would someone be able to identify this four wire connector (red/black/green/white)? It's behind a blank panel on a wall adjacent to a light switch. I believe there's a second one in the wall cavity. My guess would be that it's some proprietary connector for a 3-way switch wher... | Audio would make sense since the wires are white-black-white-black. Splice blocks don't require color codes. Any line-voltage wires for switches or dimmers would have to be in an electrical box, so that leaves us with low-voltage and media cables as options (or a very bad electrician!).
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How can I remove old tile mortar from a concrete floor? I'm about to tile my bathroom floor but the floor is concrete and it is not flat. It still has the thinset trowel markings on certain areas and they are not in the same direction. How do I even out the floor? <Q> Thinset mortar is usually fairly soft. <S> For that... | Be sure to use a decent shop vacuum and it'll be less dusty than scraping it or sanding it. It'll be a bit more difficult to apply the mortar than on fresh concrete, but no big deal.
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Hit wire on concrete wall while drilling a hole - problem? Hit a wire while drilling a hole on a concrete wall. Didn't feel like hitting anything, except there was a short, spark, and tripped the breaker. With the breaker back on, haven't noticed any problems. If the wires stay apart, can any issues arise from this? O... | The circuit might seem to work for now, but when a higher load is placed on it or anything moves the wires just a little bit, they can arc, short out against the conduit and melt/burn/damage other nearby wires.
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How do I fill a hole surrounding a boiler flue? The flue for my boiler has a large hole around it, presumably from when it was put in. I'd like to fill it in because it's unsightly, but in not sure of the best way to do it, as it's a large hole and near a boiler. Would expanding foam and a layer of plaster/filler wor... | I find non-shrink grout tools well and obviously doesn't really shrink or crack
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Are there timers to limit the hours a shower can be used? I have a autistic son who tends to sleep walk. I have found him a few times sound asleep in the bathtub with the shower running. I'm looking for some type of timer that limits the hours a shower can be used, like say between midnight and 5:30am. <Q> You could pl... | You may want to use a valve on both the hot water and cold water lines to the shower.
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How should I fasten strips of 15mm plywood to a sheet of the same? I've got a sheet of 15mm plywood which I need to build a door out of. Basically I want to cut the door in one sheet and use the leftover for reinforcing the edges by adding a layer on each side. Will this work? How should I affix the frame? Screws or ... | Strong adhesive should be good enough, but you have to clamp it together, so you might as well use glues and screws.
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Heat transfer to adjacent solder joints If I want to remove a soldered joint in a shower valve by heating it and pulling it, would that heat cause damage to the other soldered joints about 2-3" away on the valve? <Q> Not really, the key is to be directed in the application of heat to the required joint, Almost certainl... | Try to reduce the heat transferred to the adjacent joint.
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Cut part of the baseboard without removing it I need to cut part of my baseboard so I can push the wardrobe all the way against the wall. Ideally, I'd like to cut it installed, and pull only the part that needs to be removed. I have patience, I know it is required as I'll have to cut slowly to prevent damaging the si... | If I had to cut a notch or section out of a baseboard, and I had to do it with hand tools, then I'd use a utility knife and/or a chisel. Something great for this is an "oscillating multi tool" .
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Is it wrong to install both a whole house humidifier and a whole house de-humidifier? I live nearish Pittsburgh. Our summers can get pretty hot and humid and our winters can get pretty cold. We have been planning to get a whole house humidifier because the house gets really dry in the winter. Recently, I watched a v... | I lived in Ohio for a few years and I found in the winter we did need need to have a humidifier in the winter because of the extreme cold dry conditions but the humid summers we had a dehumidifier in the basement to keep the moisture down, we did not install a humidifier but used an old school trick of keeping a kettle... |
Should I install hardwood flooring or cabinets first? I am installing 3/4 hardwood oak nailed down to plywood sub-flooring. If hardwood flooring is installed first, wouldn't buckling of the floor be a issue since hardwood expands and contracts? <Q> There are several factors to consider. <S> Buckling would be the least ... | I would lay the floors first and then install the cabinets.
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How Can Wind Chimes Be Mounted On The Second Story? I have some Japanese cast iron chimes (Small, they fit in the palm of your hand and are about 0.5kg) Can these be mounted against the vinyl siding outside my room on the second story of my house? How would I do this? (I've done roofing work before, so I know all th... | Another option is to use a plant hanger
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What are the best practice in drilling anchor screw holes in right locations? I am setting up several stations side by side that look like this: For each station I have to install a mirror that has two hooks behind it and look like this: Those hooks are supposed to hang on anchor screws heads that have to be instal... | If the mirrors are all the same, and the mounting location is the same, you could use a template based on the location from the ceiling down.
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Add T fitting to pipe I was going to remove my toilet angular shut off valve to add a 1/2 inch PVC T fitting. When removing it I noticed that it is a what I believe a compression fitting. What would you recommend I do to be able to attach a 1/2 fitting; one for a PVC pipe and the other for the toilet shut off valve. ... | I have used a dremel to cut the nut off in the past then sweated new fittings and valves in tight or places like this without much of a stub out.
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What is the easiest way to get rid of a very large patio door? We have an 8'x14' patio door at a house we are doing. Dumpster is gone. We are going to reframe for windows. The door is has a metal frame and it is in 3 panels - made in 60s. Breaking it outside would be hard to clean up. Just seeing what unique/c... | I got rid of my old sliding glass doors by putting them on Craigslist for free.
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How can I get bulk riser cable back into the box? I recently ran a cat-6 cable from inside my house to the office, and I bought a bulk box of 500 feet. I pulled lots more out of the box than I ended up needing, and so now I have about 100 feet of cable outside the box. Is there an electrician’s secret trick to gettin... | But if you can't put it back, leave a couple of feet of cable out of the box and tie them in a simple knot to prevent the end of the cable from slipping into the box. Then when you are ready to use it, just pull it out.
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Drain under the kitchen sink check Today I inspected the drain and trap under the kitchen sink. I haven't really had any specific problem but I guess the drain could be faster. Sometimes I start the disposer to make it drain quicker. I have spotted some sort of grease leaking out of the trap and I will clean that up bu... | This is the ideal configuration but if you look at the trap outflow you can see it is lower than the bottom of the garburator:
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Can I use my receptacle multi-tap on both ends of an extension cord? I have a Voltec three way adapter, it converts a 5-15 plug into a (3) 5-15 receptacles. Is it safe to use this adapter at either end of the extension cord? So three way adapter to extension cords then tools or extension cord to three way adapter then ... | The biggest concern is that you can now have three high draw devices pulling power at once; you need to make sure this is never the case as you can over load the circuit. They can be used at either end but make sure if at the end of an extension cord the cord is at least 14awg.
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Wiring a light switch that only has one cable when the new switch (with neon indicator) has live and neutral both in and out I am replacing a light switch with one including a neon indicator. There is only one cable to the switch but the new switch has live and neutral terminals for both 'in' and 'out'. Which terminals... | You'll need to call an electrician to change the cable between lamp and switch.
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2018 IBC code requirement for tempered glass windows (safety glass) I'm trying to figure out if I can bypass requirement for tempered glass. I have 3 windows 40x69 ea, installed in a row separated by 1 1/2 inch material (2x8), all of this is installed in a rough opening in the front of the house. (most people have a... | Your windows do NOT have to be changed to meet new codes for tempering. You also have the option of installing an oriel single hung so that the bottom sash is smaller than the top sash and falls under the 9 sq ft rule. (There are 2 items in the Code that require the homeowner to up grade immediately: 1) tempered glass,... |
How can I waterproof this weak spot in my roof tile where pipe goes through it? This copper pipe goes in between 2 roof tiles (cement/hard tiles). Water constantly leaks through when it rains. The water clings to the pipe and then drips onto the ceiling. As you can see from the images, multiple people have tried to ... | Lastly, coat the whole top of the rubber sheet with a thick film of caulking and spread with a cheap paint brush to coat the whole rubber sheet out past the edges. Most roofers will make a copper (or lead) tile with a tube soldered to it that sticks up and the other tiles go around and above that to hide it.
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How should I support this large drywall patch? after the installation of a new water heater and a relatively extensive plumbing fix, I wanted to save a buck trying to patch the drywall myself. It's the very first time I buy a piece of drywall or anything related to this activity. I re-created a map of the pipes on the ... | This backing doesn't really need to be attached to the studs in all cases (doing so can make it difficult to keep everything flush), but should be fastened well to the surrounding drywall. This will result in all edges being surported. For something like this I would go to next stud for sure. Also I would build a littl... |
If I blow insulation everywhere in my attic except the door trap, will heat escape through it? I want to blow insulation into my attic. The door into my attic is on the floor and made up of a large board which doesn't have hinges. I have to push the door up and slide it over in order to gain access to the attic. That m... | But to answer your question build a wall around your attic access to prevent the blown in insulation from falling through, put a seal on the attic access frame (kinda like a door seal) and adhere bats of insulation to the door itself.
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How to add tiny 0.5A 120V load to very remote split phase 240v 3 wire well house Given that I don't have neutral, sounds like, even for just running a simple irrigation controller, that I don't want to use the ground wire for my neutral and simply pull 120v off the split phase 240V since a potential short would energiz... | The 240V primary goes to the 240V main via a 1 amp fuse. As it happens, 40VA thermostat transformers are cheap and common as dirt, typically around $13.
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Can a breaker be added to the main disconnect panel? I know nothing about electrical code or wiring. I want to add a breaker to my main disconnect panel. Reason being it is super close to my garage compared to my panel inside my home. The main disconnect panel is a full size panel with a main switch at the top then spo... | It's also good to note, there are specific height requirement, panel types, and grounding requirements that must be considered. Not an electrician, but after reviewing your photos I would say go for it.
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Toilet constantly making a noise https://youtu.be/sI0OCBpdwXk For the last little while my toilet has been constantly been making a noise as you can hear in the video. I looked it up and it seems like there are two common causes of noise. It seems like the float and fill valve are working as intended. And I thought th... | Check the water fill tube which fits into the upper end of the vertical pipe. Could be a crack in the fill tube near the base of it, or like others said the 'flapper' may have a nick/crack/bump in it preventing perfect seal.
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Drilling in concrete and hitting something hard - what are my options? I drilling somewhat deep holes (inch and a half) into concrete and I'm hitting something hard in two out of my four holes. I'm fairly sure it's not metal I'm hitting and I'm wondering how to proceed. It's a new building (finished half a year ago - i... | In some cases, for example concrete beams, cutting the steel in the concrete can weaken the beam. Basically you shouldn't drill through it, and so you need to find another place to put your hole.
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Is "14 AWG" NM-B allowed by the newest NEC for new residential construction? Is "14 AWG" NM-B allowed by the newest NEC for new residential construction? My concern is what the NEC says concerning 14 AWG NM-B for new residential construction. I have been told that the "NEC 2014 & 2017" codes do not allow it for new re... | There is nothing in the NEC that forbids 15A circuits with 14AWG wire in new work
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Water is pouring out of our Aprilaire humidifier We had an Aprilaire humidifier (600 model) installed in a new house 2.9 years ago. About a year ago, the humidifier began leaking water all over the basement floor. This has happened 3 times with 3 visits from a heating a cooling company tech to fix the problem. We ju... | Also, check the main water outlet where the tube connects to the bottom of the pan to make sure drainage isn't restricted. First crack open the humidifier housing so that it turns off while the HVAC fan is on.
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Is fine stranded wire ok for main supply line? I’m changing the load panel in a mobile home with additions to gain additional circuits. Outside a few feet from home is the service pole with meter and a 100 amp disconnect. I became concerned about the entrance wire because it is a fine stranded wire like automotive b... | A terminal problem Beyond the potential labeling/marking (or lack thereof) issues with this wire, there is a serious problem with this setup: equipment terminal lugs are not suited for fine stranded wire
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Small nick on power cord from an electric alarm clock, and copper wiring exposed but intact I bought a vintage alarm clock and radio. It works perfectly, but it took me a day to discover that along the length of the cord, there is a small nick, which revealed a small bit of copper wire, which doesn't seem frayed at all... | If you're sure the wiring inside the cord isn't damaged, you can probably make a simple repair to the insulation. Zipper heat shrink tube without glue will provide a lasting insulation. Rather, it's a safety issue. Someone made a comment about the tape being able to be pulled off. None of this is advising whether these... |
How do I secure a TV wall mount? I have a built in area that is 21.5" deep (see attached picture). I'd like to mount a TV, but I've tried finding studs in the back wall and I think there might be one around the center, does not appear to be studs anywhere else as far as I can tell (and the wall seems pretty thin to t... | You could even screw a 2x4 along the back wall into the stud, and then attach a VESA mounting kit to that. Buy any one of 1000's of VESA mounting kits from a store. This saves money and results in a more stable setup.
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Do we need steel beams when installing an Egress Window Our contractor suggests that we use steel beams restraints when we implement our egress window his explanation is: "Because your foundation is so tall, I don't want to cut the egress without putting a vertical steel beam restraint on each side of the new window... | From my experience, if the contractor is worried about the strength of something, there is probably good reason to have it reviewed by an engineer. In order to pick up the load of the brick or concrete above the opening steel lintels are installed. Some things that will effect or pressure basement walls - The dry and w... |
How to unfasten electrical subpanel attached with ramset I'm getting ready to frame out a wall in my basement that has an electrical subpanel. I would like to move the panel out an inch or so, so I can frame around it and it will be flush with the finished wall. There is plenty of room and extra cable above so that I... | Bracing your hands well against the box, carefully grind away just the heads of the nails. Obviously, take all necessary precautions when working around electrical current, and use eye and ear protection. Caveat: Be sure that you have enough length available on your primary conductors to make the move you have planned.... |
Furnance Drain Line Not Draining Recently had a new furnace/ac/ductwork installed in our home. The furnace/air handler are located in the attic on the second floor of the home. A drain line is run from the unit to the utility room on the first floor where it feeds into a floor drain. About a month after the system wa... | You'll more likely have leakage/blockage problems at the A/C air handler itself; you should probably think about what happens if the drain gets blocked there. For attic installations I always (if possible) run a full vented and trapped drain up to the attic. If it's draining from the second floor to the first floor it ... |
My air conditioner sparks, but only sometimes, even with a new cable I am not sure if this question fits here. But it's important and it's about troubleshooting and electric problem. So I will try... My air conditioner shows from time to time electric sparks for the past two days. Today the air con electrician came an... | Interrupting the current while the compressor is running creates the spark. You'll probably find a loose connection somewhere along the way. Someone may have added an electrostatic air filter because they were smokers.
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Tailpipe of sink not aligning with P trap The tailpipe of the sink is about 1" behind the P-trap. It's also too long. If I try to jury-rig it and force the connection, it throws everything off including the vanity top. I can probably cut the tail pipe, but hope it's not necessary to cut the P-trap/drain because it... | You can glue this convertor on and then buy a PVC P-trap kit (you will likely need an extension pipe cut to size to make the trap reach the existing drain).
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Is adding a Time Delay/Dual Element Fuse a good idea for pump motor install I have 240v circuit with 12awg wire that will service a 3/4hp motor (about 5amps max at 240v). That circuit is protected by a standard 20amp breaker. I was wondering if it is a good idea/warranted to put in a 10amp time-delay fuse at the moto... | the wiring is sized appropriately: there is no need for a fuse or a downsized breaker to protect the motor from overload.
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How can I prevent a humidifier from getting moldy? I have a small cool mist humidifier. It has a water tank and ejects a mist and does not have a filter or anything. It is "TaoTronics" brand in case anyone wants to find it. I've noticed pink streaks accumulating where the mist ejects, and also where the water collects... | Silver has known antibacterial effects and a cap full of solution into boiled water doesn't sound too unreasonable.
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Green Glue with wall tiles for soundproofing? Wall Tiles https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B016UPADF0/ I'm thinking of adding soundproofing to my home's bedroom using these tiles and Green Glue. There is only 1 shared wall + door between this bedroom and the rest of the house. My hope is the soundproofing comes from the Green... | I mention this because as another poster said you will need to add another layer of drywall for the green glue so you might as well do it right. You can soundproof a wall, but, if there is space beneath the floor (crawl space or another story) or above the ceiling (attic space), sound could flank below and above the wa... |
How can I remove the service cover on my refrigerator when the process stub is in the way? I would like to replace the power cord of an Electrolux refrigerator. Besides the compressor ( HTK70AA ) there is a small black plastic cover that needs to be removed to access the electrical connections (see page 2 of the li... | Given the risk mentioned in other answers and comments, I would play it safe and splice the wire a few inches away from the box. If you can get in there with some heavy pliers, you may be able to bend those tabs back straight and pull the whole unit off the compressor. It's then pinched off very tightly, the line is cu... |
How to connect 4” PVC to broken sewer line? I have a piece of broken cast iron pipe with almost no overhang. Wondering what are my options here? <Q> You would need to remove material aound the pipe to provide sufficient connection. <S> I am not aware if they make an internal plastic version - but that would mean clea... | I know that plastic convertors exist(ed) as the plumber used one for us...
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How can I fix this gap between bookcases I made? I just built two bookcases to line the wall of a room in my house and apparently didn't build them square enough so, when I put them next to each other, I get this giant gap. (I think the one on the right is pretty square but the one on the left appears to lean to the le... | If the other side of the left bookcase is more square, or slants to the right, this will fix your problem. If the shelves are sturdy, just get some molding and cover the junction of the two units.
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Switch Between Paint and Sealer for Sprayer I have a Graco Magnum x9 airless paint sprayer. I have only used it for latex paint. I am planning to refinish my deck this spring with a sealer of some sort. Can I switch back and forth between type of product as long I wash the sprayer out or should I stick to latex only? <... | Switching between water-based and solvent-based materials can also make the insides of the pump gummy and sticky.
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Need ideas on putting drywall on old walls with plywood I have old walls with plywood and on top of it there are wood battens. I want to put the drywall to make it look nice, since currently to me it looks more of old style. I have taken off one of the wood batten to see what is underneath. I need suggestions on Can ... | Yes you can drywall over plywood, mark on floor were all studs are and try to screw into studs.
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Safe to put nail into drywall when stud finder finds "live voltage"? I'm trying to hang a calendar on the drywall. Tried 3M small Command hook, but it falls off after a few days.Now I'm considering to use a nail or a drywall hook like this . I used a stud finder with live voltage detection feature (like this ), and... | Nail isn't exactly safe if you are directly nailing. Monkey hooks should be about as safe as it gets. It is also possible the wire is running down the stud in that case it would be on the side.
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Adding 2 X GFCIs to protect Switched and Unswitched Hot sharing same Neutral and Ground I currently have a switched and un-switched hot running underground in conduit sharing the same neutral and ground. Its important to note that they are both on the same circuit. Basically I have 4 wires (switched Hot, UnSwitched H... | Your options pretty much all require fitting the GFCI before the circuit splits at the first switch.
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Prime joint compound before latex paint? I'm painting a room that had previously been wallpapered. The walls are veneer plaster coated, so the paper was easy to remove and clean the plaster.However there are patches for wiring, dings and other artifacts of sloppy plastering that I've covered with regular joint compoun... | Using a primer seals the mud and actually uses less paint with a even finish in the long run. A primer is recommended for joint compound.
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Is my Outdoor Mini Fridge Doomed? Wont get cold I'm having issues getting my Bull Mini Fridge to cool. It was not working when we bought the house, but we never really needed to use it. I have been trying to figure out why it doesn't cool. The lights come on when the door opens, but the wiring in the back is kind of a ... | In theory you could take it to an appliance service shop to be recharged, but if the seals are already gone, it's not worth fixing because the repair labor would cost you more than a new one.
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Right tool to dig six foot holes? I would like to dig some 6-12 inch diameter dry wells (any diameter in that range will work). The holes need to be at least 6 feet deep to reach the permeable layer of the soil. However, the equipment the local rental agency has will only dig 4-foot deep holes. What is the right equip... | My tool of choice for loosening soil is a "digging bar.
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Is this wall load bearing? Blueprints and photos attached I would like to remove the highlighted wall on the second floor of my house in order to create a loft area. Please help me identify if I'm dealing with a load bearing wall. <Q> Contact a local structural engineer to take a look so you don't bring the house down... | There is a beam in the open bit next to the wall. , I also wanna add, and this may or may not actually be applicable here, but that it's common to hatch shear walls diagonally like the drawings show, so not only is that wall a part of your load bearing system, it may also be a part of your lateral system. But definitel... |
Do GFCI protected devices need to be labeled as such, if they are protected from another location? I'm doing a fairly substantial rewire of about half my house. In many places, like kitchen, bath, and outside/garage, I've replaced circuit breakers in my box with GFCI or dual function breakers. Now I have outlets in d... | Plus, part of code requires that you install devices according to the manufacturer's instructions, and the instructions for GFCI outlets, at least, require you to place stickers on protected outlets further on the circuit. Some very dull home inspectors will insist that nothing less than a GFCI receptacle will do, beca... |
What to do with post with dry rot? We’re getting ready to paint and I was checking around my porch. There are three columns that support the roof over my porch. One of them had a decorative cross member that was dislodged because of dry rot at the location where the cross member was nailed to the column. I saw some dry... | Anyway either replace the post completely or make a replacement bottom section and support the rest of the structure - acrow jacks work well for this type of thing.
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