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Reduce vibration by bench grinder I live on the 2nd story. I would like to reduce the vibration caused by the bench grinder. I bought the grinder at least 30 years ago. Everything is original equipment. I have some carpet padding under it, but a lot of vibration is still transmitted to my floor. Can you suggest some o... | You could then also place insulators or rubber mats under the legs of the table.
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3 wire outlet.i know white goes with silver and black with copper. Does the order they go matter? There's six wires plus a ground. Wich one goes where?1234?♂️ <Q> Pigtail <S> You have 3 sets of wires in cables. <S> One comes from the main panel (or from a previous device in the circuit). <S> The others go to 2 other... | Connect all 3 blacks together with a wire nut and an additional short length of black wire. In addition to avoiding the backstabs, using pigtails will allow this receptacle to be removed (provided you cap the pigtails with wire nuts) and still have the other devices on the circuit function properly. It does not mater h... |
Can I plug a washing machine requiring a 15A breaker into a 20A outlet? I am removing an old Asko washer that plugs into single outlet 20 amp box. The new Samsung washer requires "AC 120 V / 60 Hz / 15 AMP fuse or circuit breaker." Can I safely replace the 20 amp receptacle with a 15 amp configuration receptacle? <Q>... | Once you get past 20 Amp, the design of the sockets change so that you can't mix and match. Actually, you don't need to change anything.
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Would two 70 pint dehumidifiers work as well as one 140 pint unit? If so why are dehumidifiers above 70 pt so much more expensive? pros cons? Having two 70 pt in same room vs 1 140 pt? <Q> You crossed the line into industrial <S> I immediately noticed that a search for 70 pint dehumidifiers yielded the usual consumer... | So depending on the layout of your home I would suggest smaller units, even with open layout having smaller units at opposite ends of the area will function better , be quieter and less expensive, the con for 2 units now you have 2 water buckets to empty.
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150 volts at outlet? I tested my outlets the other day and found 148-152 volts at all my outlets. I then tested all my outlets with a commercial electric ms112h outlet tester and all tested good but still 150 volts. I then shut off all breakers except 1 outlet circuit still 150 volts. I then tried a different outlet ci... | You can also try the output of a device that takes a broad range of inputs and produces one stable output - e.g., a laptop charger will typically take 90V - 250V and output 18V or some other very specific value. The multimeter is a more reliable device when it comes to specifics. The likeliest explanation is a lost neu... |
Confusion over 220 and 230 volt outlets We have a 220 outlet for our A/C. We are shopping for a new unit and all I am see is 230 volts on the units. Will we have to rewire with a new outlet for a new A/C? <Q> Two issues: In the world of electrical power devices, there is a "Distribution Voltage" that your utility is... | 220/230/240 are the same thing, really US single phase line-to-line mains voltage is interchangeably referred to as 220V, 230V, and 240V. They are not the same values, because it is EXPECTED that there will be a "voltage drop" that takes place between the utility transformer and the point at which the device connects d... |
Loss of power when I remove item from the outlet I have this unusual electrical issue in our master bedroom. I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this. We have this $3 LED night light in our bedroom and when we take it out, the power/lights go out. Other things also trip it up (It doesn't shut off the circu... | If I had to guess, I'd say it is a "stab-in" wire connection on the back of the outlet (as opposed to the wire attaching with a screw), so that when you plug something into that outlet, it pushes the connector tighter onto the wire to complete the connection, but when you remove it, the wire gets loose and loses the co... |
House water supply "mystery branch" upstream from shutoff valve I have a 1953 ranch with daylight basement. Pictured below is the point where (I believe) the water main enters the house horizontally (water meter is out in front lawn at ground level, aligned with this entrance). Upon entering, there is a T branch. Upwar... | They made a horizontal cut into the pipe below the T, from behind. Since no valve is visible on the branch going through the wall, maybe there's also a stop-and-waste valve buried nearby outdoors.
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Device to switch between two light with a single wall switch first of all, sorry about to be asking that silly and newby question, I know, it is really lame. Is there a simple device, that I can build simply, or bought, that can switch between two lights ? I had a lamp, that has two many lamps, (7, six in a circle, a... | There probably is a switch out there that can do it - with three states - Off, A, B. Wire A to one light, B to the other lights. The solution could be to use a battery or supercap inside your gadget or to add a small capacitor in parallel to your wall switch so would allow you to harvest a small amount of power even wh... |
What kind of siding and install type is this? The siding looks like its not one flat piece but made of multiple flat layers? There are different siding installment methods. What does this one look like? If I was going to search home depot for a similar arrangement/type of siding, what would I look for? <Q> Normally th... | Your siding is shiplap, you can see that the grain pattern continues from the face of the board onto the lapped edge.
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Would this type of backsplash tile not require grout? I’m looking at this particular backsplash tile which is unusual in that there’s really no gaps between pieces: https://www.homedepot.com/p/MSI-Alaska-Gray-Splitface-12-in-x-12-in-x-10mm-Marble-Mesh-Mounted-Mosaic-Tile-ALGRY-SFIL10MM/206741880 I see no way that gr... | No you don't grout these period.
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Is it really a good idea to buy an old house which needs some rework? Long ago I read somewhere that it is best to buy houses that need some amount of rework rather than those in tip-top condition. The reasons given were: There is less competition from other buyers so can be be bought more easily Less money required... | It depends entirely on the way in which the house is run down.
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Grandfather old code during renovations? During renovations of a residential house when does new code apply or can grandfather the old code in. I.e kitchen has awkward layout and not that practical to change. Context: Kitchen landing spacings on each side of oven <Q> It depends on the jurisdiction, my state I can m... | By rule of thumb here in GA whatever is existing it won't need to be to current code. Also if you have an older house you could possibly have asbestos in the flooring (and possibly walls). Depending on the amount of other work you are doing this could be costly (opening all the walls) or if you aren't planning on that ... |
How damaging can a 3 meter (10 feet) long drain hose be for the washing machine pump and microorganism growth? I have two washing machines and they are placed one next to each other (this is the only way I can position them due to the space). The first one is connected to the drain pipe under the sink normally with i... | If you are using the washing machine on anything like a regular basis (> 1/week) it shouldn't be any worse than the P-trap underneath any sink.
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Roofing choice for outdoor sandbox cover I built an outdoor sandbox for the kids that's about 4' x 5' but haven't had the time to put a real roof on it yet. To keep the rain (and the poo of roaming cats) out, we have thus far been using a piece of plastic sheeting held down with a bunch of bricks on the edges, but we h... | I like Dotes' Southern Yellow Pine idea and framing it for weight including the center cross brace.
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Can you attach more than one wire in a given hole on a bus in an electrical panel? Is it permissible to attach more than one neutral or ground wire to any terminal screw on the service panel bus? A home inspector says this is not allowed. THAT DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT, because all of these wires are being bonded to earth gr... | You CAN mix your grounds and neutrals in the service panel, you CANNOT You must use equipment according to its labeling and instructions .
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I hit a pipe with a mower and now it won't turn I was mowing the other day and there was a pipe sticking out of the ground. The pipe wasn't carrying any services, just a piece of metal sticking out of the ground (I've now removed it). The pipe was covered by the longish grass and I hit it with my mower, it made a loud... | It could be dangerous mowing with a bent or otherwise damaged blade. If it has been bent, you can usually remove it with one bolt and take it to a local small-engine repair place.
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How to cut copper pipes quickly (and cleanly) Are there tools for cutting copper pipes that work faster than manual tube cutters like this one ? I have the latter type of cutter, and it works fine, but it takes a fair amount of time and effort to cut a pipe with it. I'm assuming there must be tools that work faster bu... | A compact miter saw with an appropriate blade would make quick work of things.
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Breaker sometimes trips when Microwave turned on Is there a power strip circuit breaker I can use to stop having to go to the basement when the microwave sometimes trips the circuit breaker? <Q> No a power strip will likely not help. <S> If your electrical circuit is properly installed, undamaged and being properly use... | If you do get a power strip and it does trip before the electrical panel circuit breaker then it would likely be because the trip time-curve of the power strip is not designed to accommodate the power curve of the microwave, and you won't be fixing the problem, just delaying the inevitable, and possibly damaging the el... |
How to cheaply fix crooked looking tile? Is there any way of making the tiles on the back wall look straight? <Q> Trim baby, trim... <S> You will need some custom angled molding made to follow the straight lines of the tile joints, but "absorb" the crookedness of the wall in its internal angles. <S> It will not be an e... | If you were willing to replace the top course of tiles, you could swap in a mosaic (either regular or irregular), and the skew would be effectively hidden.
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Ensure that a closed door is a completely locked door? I live with a person with lock anxiety, and I'm looking for a DIY solution. I already have an alarm system that beeps if a certain door is closed, but how can I also make sure it's completely locked? The key word is "completely". The door already has a deadlatch a... | Given what info you have already provided us, you might want to consider adding an additional door switch to the door in question in series with the door
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How remove front bearing in dremel 398 rotary tool? My Dremel (model 398) has a jammed front bearing probably due to too much dry wall cutting and not enough cleaning. I was shocked happy when I found several of those bearings (used) in my toolbox. I'm wondering how to remove the front shaft (red arrow) and bearing (gr... | The shaft cannot be removed without total disassembly of the armature including windings and laminations.
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Bad smell on clothes caused by plumbing? I had a washing machine engineer out today to look over my machine and help me understand why my clothes smell bad after every wash. He said it is caused by the plumbing under the sink Can you help me understand if this is correct? Here is a photo, the left goes to drain, midd... | We once had bad-smelling clothes after washing, then discovered that it was caused by the washing machine filter, that wasn't flushing away dirt water properly, but running it back into the machine, causing the bad smell. If this is your issue you are going to have to buy some sort of filtration system.
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Rewire attic fan from switched to always-on I have an attic fan wired to a thermostat that I'd like to come on whenever it's hot enough. The problem is, the fan is wired to a circuit that's operated by the light switch for the stairs into the attic, which also controls the light at the top of the stairs, as well as a p... | Photo of the existing light wiring, both the light connections and a picture looking into the light junction box.
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How to fix drainage clog in the shower? Drainage in my bathroom is keep getting clogged. I tried using a snake by drilling manually ... poured at least 4 cans of Drain clog remover on different time period... in the last 3 days.. however, drainage is getting clogged .. it takes so much of time for water to drains throu... | Get a big kettle of hot water and bring it to near boiling then pour it in all at once.
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Does this violate electrical code? (UF run plugged into GFCI to use smart outlet) I built a deck on the back of my house last year and installed a new breaker and a handful of outdoor electrical outlets. I wanted one outdoor outlet to be switchable via a smart outlet, but my smart outlets aren't waterproof so it had to... | Wire the line side of the smart switch to the load side of the GFCI, and the load side of the smart switch to the UF cable feeding your outdoor outlet.
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Running EMT conduit through soffit into attic I am running a couple of new circuits to the bathroom which will involve running THHN wires through the emt conduit. The problem is that my panel is on the exterior wall and the conduit will need to enter the attic space. It was suggested that I bend the conduit in the ... | Instead you need to either transition from EMT to LFMC, Liquid Flexible Metallic Conduit (Sealtight) and run the it through the opening between the soffit and attic. You could also run the entire circuit in LFMC, but it requires a lot of strapping to make it look neat.
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Attaching swing bolts to sistered 2x10’s I have 2x10’s that I will be sandwiching together to make a big stiff beam for an adult swing set. I’m about to put it together, but then I thought “how do you drill the screws for swings into a sistered beam”? Because the boards are mated together, the screw will want to push... | You could use a pair of large clamps close to and flanking the screwhole to prevent the screws from pushing the plies apart.
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Bending bars of iron gate We just moved into a new house with some iron fencing around the backyard and a large double gate to allow access to the backyard. Unfortunately one side of the gate was damaged at some point in the past and the two sides don't meet anymore and the latch doesn't close. Even worse the gap is bi... | Believe it or not, we were able to fix the gate just by pulling on it. Small light duty ones are inexpensive or in many cases you can rent one from a rental yard.
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Convert Front Door Entry Mailbox to a Front & Rear Door Entry Mailbox I need to convert a regular MEDIUM size STEEL mailbox with only one streetside entry door to place mail in & to take mail out. I'm trying to figure out how to remove the backside of the mailbox so I can add a rear door facing the sidewalk. So far ... | Option 2 is to purchase a mailbox which is specifically designed with a double door, but the only available size is a LARGE and that is around $50 on amazon.com.
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How to repair large drywall section? I had to remove a relatively large section of the drywall, approximately 24x24 inches. There are two metal studs at the sides. Should I try to cut out so both the existing and the new drywall will touch half of the metal stud on each side? And put in screws on both sides? Or there ... | Screw the board in place through the old existing sheet rock, make sure your screw heads are counter sunk.
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Cheap way to make cardboard box waterproof? I will be attempting to make some concrete planters with two cardboard boxes. Below is the DIY that I will follow: As you can see, the interior of the outer box & the exterior of the inner box must be waterproof. So the instructions say to use duct tape for this, but duct... | Fill inner box with dirt to fortify it against collapse. You may be able to find scrap plywood at a construction site, but if not then head over to your local big box home improvement store. A more sustainable approach (perhaps depending on how many planters you, or you and your friends, want) is to go with properly sh... |
Should my mirror fog up when showering with a proper exhaust fan running? I run the exhaust fan when showering but even so, the mirror fogs up completely. Is this an indication that the fan is not sized or functioning correctly? Or is this expected behavior, as no exhaust fan could keep up with that amount of humidity ... | The mirror will fog when you're showering with hot water no matter how good your exhaust fan is.
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Stop Gravel from Washing Away My problem is that we have a long area of gravel used for parking for myself and several neighbors. When it rains really hard, the gravel alongside the road washes away and becomes a real danger for tires and probably the road itself. After googling (ducking, actually) the best way to avoi... | Or you could lay diagonals of concrete patch compound across the road to bring water across into the gravel in less concentrated amounts.
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Fan with Remote issue I just got a fan that came with a remote. I have one wall that has 2 switches 1 for the light and 1 for the fan. You can also turn that same light on from 2 other switches. I wired everything up, but for some reason the fan remote doesn’t work for the light. It works for the fan. What did I no... | If you want to forego having the light controlled by the remote, and just have the light controlled by the wall switch (to satisfy the code requirement), you could operate the fan with the remote, and have the line hot to the receiver be the switched hot from the fan wall switch.
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Help with meaning of symbols on switch for electrical blinds I have a difficulty of understanding what is the meaning of these symbols on the back of my switch for electrical blinds? I know that the symbol is for the switch but have a hard time understanding what does the "extra quarter of the circle" is for? Thanks i... | I think the "L" is actually a clock icon, indicating a time delay:
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Hail hit my roof. Do I need to replace it? We had a hail storm last night. Some of the pebbles were about an inch in diameter, although most were smaller. I went up and took some pictures of part of the roof. Most of the shingles look ok, but some appear to be missing granules and some also have small pieces of the shi... | Your roof has apparently taken damage, as you have documented.
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Ant proofing a wall For some reason yellow meadow ants have developed a fascination with a certain interior wall in our house. The usual gels, powders and sprays are having little effect. They do slow down for a while but just appear again further along the wall. In part this has been caused by the sealant coming away... | Some baits (aka poisons, like Terro liquid) take 3-4 weeks to work because the ants take the bait back to the nest a very little bit at a time.
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Will a shorter bar increase my chainsaw's power significantly? If I swap-on a 16", or 14", bar & chain onto my 42cc / 18"-OEM-bar chainaw, will I have a significant cut-power boost? I've been reading about everything related to chainsaws that I can find (and youtubing, especially Steve's Saloon series!) but haven't fo... | Reducing the bar length puts the saw more within the sweet spot of the saws capability.
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Laminate Planking will not "Click-in" So, yesterday while trying to install some flooring (Pergo -Timbercraft). I have installed it in a previous room before and had no issue. However this time while trying to fit it into my bay window on piece (the second last one...) it will not click into place. I can't get it into ... | If that doesn't work, as a final resort, I would just cut the groove off the short end of the piece (but leave the finished surface intact, and leave the groove on the long edge intact, since it seems to be seating correctly) and slide it in place
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Would it be appropriate to sand a floor between coats of poly with a handheld orbital sander? Very closely related: How should I sand before the final coat of polyurethane? However, I'm not asking for a how-to or which is the preferred tool/method but rather one specific tool and if it's an "ok" approach to take. ... | As long as you have a semi-decent sander (connected to a vacuum) and decent sandpaper that doesn't clog all the time, you'll be done in no time.
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My copper pipe has a leak right at the basement slab surface Leak in pipe is barely above the concrete floor. If try to cut and solder will be too low. Any suggestions? Too close to concrete for SharkBite connections. <Q> It's basically just like a sleeve. <S> You don't have to cut the pipe near the concrete. <S> Sa... | If you decide to do this you must really clean all concrete that has adhered to the pipe and shine up the copper well so that the flux and solder will flow and adhere to the pipe and coupler. You can solder a copper repair coupler over the hole.
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What is the cause of wooden flooring gaps? We have gaps in our wooden birch floors. Some quite large. We are told that the cause of this was due to nail spacing and inadequate glue. I'm baffled as to why nailing and glue would prevent hardwood floors from shrinking and staying shrunk. We live in CO and had the floors a... | If they are real wood planks, they may not have been installed tightly enough next to each other with an appropriate expansion gap along the walls.
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Can water supply lines touch or rest on each other? I have 2 bathrooms that share a wall on our 2nd floor. Both have independent supply lines for hot and cold for each bathroom. One of the hot water supply lines was inoperable so I capped it and added a T from the other hot water supply as shown here: Of course the ... | Be sure that by doing so you don't create a tight spot against the lumber, which can also cause noise. But, to avoid heat loss, I would wrap the new pipe with an insulating sleeve, or, install one that was pre-insulated.
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Adjustable-height, side-mount, heavy duty casters? Need to move a heavy air compressor I have this 900-lb air compressor on a wooden base I built. At the time I built it, I was able to move it around using a pallet jack. But now it's in a room that's too small to accommodate the pallet jack, and I'm looking for another... | These Workbench casters from Rockler are what you need. Better answer from fred_dot_u, but if you wanted to blow the budget, you can get side mount trailer jacks with wheels.
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When refinishing a hardwood floor do you need to strip off all of the old varnish? I’m refinishing my hardwood floors and some of the old varnish isn’t coming off. Before we apply a water based polyurethane do we need to remove all the old varnish or can some of it stay? Our floors are oak. <Q> You can test to be sure,... | You probably can leave it, but you might not want to, depending on what you're going for.
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How to wire 3 hots / 3 neutrals into this new TR outlet with 2 screws? I'm redoing some of the outlets in our house, as they are pretty loose. Some of these have been really easy, but I came across one today where there were 3 hots and 3 neutrals. All 3 were going into the quick-connects in a outlet which looks like th... | A backwire outlet has small wire clamps on the sides of the outlet so the wire can be inserted straight in rather than looping around the screw.
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Is a ceiling fan box brace required? I am about to install a ceiling fan where there was only a simple light fixture before. The existing electrical box will be removed, and I will install this box in its place . This has me attaching the box directly to a single joist in the ceiling. I am not planning to use a brac... | The box on the brace might not be able to be positioned as close to the joist as the original box so you might have to cut away some drywall on the side of the existing hole away from the joist. However, I see two big bolts that appear to attach the box proper to its included bracket.
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What to use so concrete doesn't stick to plastic bucket? I'll be using regular plastic buckets to make some concrete planters, something like this. My goal is to reuse the buckets. The problem is that she sprayed each bucket (generously) with canola oil and non-stick oil, but the dry concrete stuck really well to th... | Using solid vegetable shortening on the sides should make it stay there, otherwise you could use a liquid or solid wax that dries to a film. I found using car wax was a great way to get concrete to release from plastic buckets, I wiped it in the buckets and made the rounds with the patterns my wife asked for.
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Solar Power System Circuit Breaker and fuse Amps So the question is kinda part 2 of my question about the DC Output Today I went to Hellweg (It's like an Electronics shop in Germany/Europe). To buy a Circuit Breaker or Fuse (idk what I am looking for) for my solar system because I saw this pictures below: an... | Some IEC-style breakers are DC rated, but not all , so you must check the specifications for the breakers you want to use.
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What should I do with leftover mud? I always find myself holding a pan with one inch of leftover mud when I need to stop and come back later. Once I just left my taping knives in the pan. Big mistake. When I came back 4 hours later in the afternoon, both of my new knives were rusted over. Now I try to wipe the knives c... | If it's premixed mud, just put it back in the bucket, put the lid back on, then clean your tools.
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Connect neutrals together in 3-gang box (load side) with 3x 3-way switches? I have 2x 3-gang boxes, each with 3x 3-way switches in each box. All are on the same 15A breaker. I have wired them together and I'm just connecting the switches now. I have: -------- ---------BREAKER --14/2-- ... | If you have an electrical box at the second switch bank location with enough cubic inch volume you should really keep each circuit separate (i.e. not inter tie the neutrals). In your case, I would take that 1/2" ENT and run in it a 14AWG bare ground, a 14AWG white neutral, and 3 14AWG traveler pairs, with both traveler... |
How to cut stainless steel sheet without burning it? I need to cut out a small section of 1.5mm Stainless steel. Before, when I've made cuts I have used an angle grinder and its resulted in thr stainless becoming scorched/burnt and I can't remove it. What can i do to cut stainless steel and not have scorch marks? <Q> ... | You may be able to sand off the surface of the metal near the cuts to remove the discolored metal on the surface, but this will lead to a cut that doesn't look very clean and some discoloration may remain.
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Can I split the feed to a duplex 20 amp receptacle from different capacity circuits? Is it possible to split-feed a 20 Amp receptacle with one receptacle using 15amp and the other 20amp circuits? <Q> That way, the outlet will be safe to work on. <S> source: <S> The Spruce <S> To my knowledge, handle-tied double br... | Or you could reduce the 20A circuit to 15 Amps and use the same wire. No, you can't feed a split receptacle from circuits with differently-sized breakers. Here's why: You can, but you have to meet certain conditions: The National Electrical Code now requires that the two hot wires in a split receptacle must be connecte... |
Rafter above location for light, exterior light box choice Retrofitting from knob and tube. One location has a rafter directly above where the light should go (and currently is). The ceiling is 3/4 in beadboard. Can I use a 4 inch pan box cut in to the beadboard, and then a junction box above and next to the rafter for... | The pancake box is low volume but it has enough volume for a single cable to connect to a light fixture. So each light box will have power coming and going and the wire to the light. I'd use a saddle box instead Instead of trying to cobble together something out of two different boxes, raising issues of access to the u... |
Does unblocking power bar outlets through short extension cords increase fire risk? Power supply units are often large relative to the outlet and block access to adjacent outlets in a power bar. A simple solution is to use 1/2 ft or 1 ft (15cm, 30cm) power extension cords to keep all outlets in a power bar available. ... | The problems of 'greedy' power supplies can be resolved by using power bars which have proper individual sockets for each position. Any connection increases fire risk by increasing the chance of heat buildup due to resistance, sparks due to arcing, etc.
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Is it safe to daisy-chain power bars (power strips)? So, is it safe to plug a power bar in to another power bar that is connected to a power source? I don't really want to try it, as if it is unsafe, then I don't really want to try it. <Q> Yes but only if the total power drawn is less than the rated capacity of the... | It really, really depends on the loads involved (in amps), and you shouldn't be anywhere near the nameplate rating of these power strips, because they are oh, so very cheaply made. Additionally, you shouldn't daisy chain them with extension cords, either, because that is also a risk.
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Connecting water tankers at different levels I have 2 water tanks installed in my 3 story building. 1st one is on top of the 3rd floor, the other one is on top of 2nd. The pump is installed at Ground Floor. Now I made one outlet at 800 lts of 3rd Floor tank of 1000 lts capacity as inlet for 2nd floor tank. However the... | Another mitigation is to restrict the pump flow to something the drain can handle.
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Suggestions on where to start hardwood flooring I will soon be ready to start laying hardwood in a bedroom - outlined below. The boards will run parallel to the walls with the doors (joists run perpendicular to those walls). The hallway outside the "door to hall" (and adjoining room) will have the same hardwood insta... | This would then allow you to add on to the flooring to make it look like one solid floor surface, you may still want a threshold at the doors, again to "form" rooms. Hardwood floors either have click-lock grooves or basic tongue and groove, but they all share that same basic idea. Looking at my own room, the boards wer... |
How often should alkaline batteries be checked when they are in a device? I have the problem of leaving alkaline batteries in various devices, and have lost some I could not clean with vinegar. If I don't use the device, I take the batteries out. But a lot of devices are used frequently. To avoid leakages, how often... | You can't tell that a battery is about to leak, so the only way to prevent it is to cycle them out.
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Should I put a surge protector on a washer or dryer? I think the question title says it all, but is there a reason that I should or should not put a surge protector on my washer or dryer? Growing up, I don't recall ever seeing them in my parents' house nor at laundromats. But given that this is a several hundred dollar... | However, it is also quite possible that the heavy electrical loads, particularly from an electric dryer, may stress the protective electronics in a surge protector quite a bit.
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How much water for mixing with concrete? I bought a bag of quikrete mason mix for creating some planters from molds. The wood panel molds look something like this, but the spacing is a bit narrower and they're smaller: Since I'll be pouring the mixture into a mold, I would prefer the mixture to be as "liquid" as poss... | Once the concrete has set, all the water you can supply is ideal, with the best option being to submerge it.
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Breaker keeps tripping even when nothing plugged in My bedroom breaker keeps tripping even when nothing is plugged in to any of the outlet linked to this breaker. Sometimes it will keep tripping when I try to push it back up and after 10-20 min' turn back on just fine. Sometimes it won't trip for couple of days and som... | There could be a loose conductor attached to a device or a splice, causing an arc thus tripping your breaker. You have a fault in the wiring in your wall, not the breaker Most AFCIs, including your Homeline unit, also contain a ground fault trip in order to help them catch firestarting arc-to-ground type faults (note, ... |
Proper way of permanently fixing a heavy utensils drawer with "hanger" rail? In my kitchen, all our drawers appear to use a wooden rail "hanger" (at the top of the drawer) to slide in and out: The problem is our utensil drawer is probably one of the heaviest, and it finally gave out, so I replaced it with a new rail ... | If you have a makerspace in your area, you may also find you can have a modified hanger created on a 3D printer.
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How do I fix this 3 way switch mess? I just moved into my house and replacing switches and receptacles when I come across a 3 way circuit not working correctly. I pulled the 2 switches to find someone had replaced one with a single pole switch. Unfortunately they did a sloppy job and didnt pigtail their hot wires prope... | The white wire is likely your hot (hooked to other black wires in the fixture junction box) and the black will be your switched hot (hooked to the fixture hot).
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Replacing tongue and groove floorboards: but can't find a match A room in an old farmhouse, formerly a porch, now enclosed, has floors made of tongue and groove lumber. I need to repair those floors by replacing at least some sections of floorboards - somewhere between 10-30 linear feet. Each original floorboard ha... | If the repair is sufficiently small to need just one length of new board, you're fine because you then use whatever wider board of the correct thickness you can get and saw it off to the appropriate width.
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Issue with loss of pressure in shower There's an issue with our en suite shower that is currently puzzling us, and our plumber. Our en suite shower is making a high pitched 'squealing' sound after about a minute of operation, this is accompanied by an apparent loss of pressure, as the water comes out at a slower rate.... | The mixing valve or anti-scald protection of the valve is the extremely usual cause of what you describe very well.
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Repairing a broken screw hole on a plastic junction ceiling box? One of the screw holes on a junction box on my ceiling has fallen apart, leaving a hole that is too big to fix a screw into (see top of picture). As a result, I cannot hang my smoke detector from the junction box, since the detector hangs from the heads o... | If you can drill small holes through the sides, then the insert of a nail or brad for the filler to stuff around will really help durability. No need to patch or replace the box if the outer shell is intact.
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Base for refrigerator wine shelf I have a wine refrigerator that has shelves for wine bottles - image on this question. I want to use this refrigerator and its shelves as a regular refrigerator. So I need to put something on the shelf to make it flat so it can hold anything. The inner (usable) part of this shelf is 23... | Plastic would work but will eventually get scratched up somewhat, but is also a common refrigerator interior suface.
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How to store my pliers and wire cutters on my desk? I have a set of tools I use on my desk that are bulky and never seem to store well. These include my wirecutters, pliers, ruler, and snips. At the moment, the best way I've found to store them is in this pencil holder with half the leg inside and the other hanging ou... | In lean manufacturing circles as well as aerospace vehicle maintenance an accepted way to deal with tools is with foam cutout tool trays, either canted near the work surface or hanging on the wall. Typical is a wall rack with holes in which one part of the handle is inserted.
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Reinforcing water damaged wooden fence posts, will it last, will it be strong enough? Backgound On a wooden fence I have several posts that are water damaged at ground level and the fence isn't holding strong anymore. The remainder of the fence is in very good condition. I believe I can stabilise the fence with the ... | The best fix is to replace the posts with new posts correctly set in concrete.
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Can a surge protector prevent electrocution? My pet keeps chewing cords, and I haven't found a good solution. Will getting surge protectors help keep the pet safe from electrocution if they chew through the coating into the wire? <Q> No, a surge protector will not. <S> An RCD (Residual Current Device) or GFCI (Ground... | No, a surge protector definitely doesn't do that. Installation of an AFCI circuit breaker, if you don't have one already, would add an additional level of protection, but not a guarantee, for your situation.
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Do braided stainless steel hoses with surface corrosion require replacement? I'd be grateful if someone would resolve some conflicting advice I've been given on this topic. Some argue that the braiding does not contribute to the pressure rating of these hoses, and that surface corrosion does not indicate urgent replac... | Unless your hoses are in a garage where the cost of a leak is zero, replace the hoses.
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changing toilet seat on wall mounted toilet I can access the screws underneath the toilet but they are placed horizontally like as if they are screws holding the toilet bowl to the wall instead of downward facing screws holding a toilet seat to the bowl. Does this look right to anyone? How best to proceed?Any advice/re... | You might find that you will have to take the toilet off the wall as the seat hinges are fixed through the porcelain and usually just start rotating once they are loose, at least that has been my experience.
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Is it safe if the neutral lead is exposed and disconnected? I think I’ve found a potential design flaw in an extension cord. It allows you to plug in the hot blade, while leaving the neutral blade out and exposed. Obviously you shouldn’t try and use the cord like this, but is this actually safe, as in you won’t get a s... | If you have a GFCI/RCD device somewhere protecting this load, that will intervene to prevent injury in this case. But a tamper resistant receptacle prevents you from inserting only hot or neutral - you have to insert them both at the same time.
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Patio gate not at right angle to the house I am currently building a fenced in patio, and the entrance gate will not be at a right angle to the corner of the house. My question: should I angle the post that sits beside the house to be square with the gate, or square with the house? I intend to have a header above the ... | If a square post is set close to the house wall, it will look wrong unless it is parallel with the wall. Something that might be an alternative option: don't use square gate posts, but triangular ones, or octagonal ones or whatever shape you need to get the angle right.
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Installing expansion tank at washing machine valve? I own a condo with a terribly cramped water heater closet (it sits underneath the air handler with about 6 inches of clearance). I need an expansion tank, but it really will not fit in that closet (not to mention I really don't want to have to touch that again after h... | So long as you do not have any check valves between the hot and cold supply, an expansion tank can be located anywhere in the system.
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Electrical wiring capped with wire connectors exposed to weather: bad idea? I noticed what appears to be electrical wiring exposed at the peak of the gable end of our office. I don't have any way to know if there's current flowing to those wires. Is that a problem? I assume that it isn't a good long-term thing, but... | FYI any exposed conductors should be protected and covered no matter where they occur.
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Insulation foam inside PVC sleeve for silcock I just installed an outdoor silcock outside my basement. To avoid direct contact with the brick in the hole I drilled in a foot thick brick wall, I put a 1-1/4" PVC pipe and then the silcock inside it (it also makes it easy to replace and service). Should I put insulation... | I would not fill with expanding foam or similar as that will glue the pipe in place. Another option would be rock wool and a cap in front of it.
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How to remove rebar passing through an inaccessible pipe My maintenance crew recently discovered that someone drove a rebar through a sewer pipe during construction. Obviously this causes problems. The rebar in nearly dead center of the pipe which is encased in a concrete floor. Any ideas to remove the rebar with out b... | Overall, it will probably be the best and cheapest option to cut the concrete around the pipe, fix it properly, and replace the floor.
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Protect a 6 inch air hose from physical damage I've got this 6 inch air duct coming out of my clothes dryer: As you can see, we use that space for storing all kinds of junk, and every time I move things around over there, I'm afraid I'll puncture the hose. Can you think of a good solution for protecting that section... | Hopefully with rigid duct you can rearrange things so that you don't have ducts sitting right on top of the dryer (or other appliances). That's the answer to the question, but not the answer to your problem.
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Do I need a 3 wire cable between light fixtures? I am wiring up my unfinished basement for rough-in inspection. My understanding is that to wire 30 recessed lights (9w each), I can wire with regular 14/2, in the image below. However, my PS Knight code book shows me a diagram with a 3 wire cable between fixtures. Is t... | You only need three wire between the fixtures if the switch is on a branch off from the lamps I'm thinking it's a typo and should be 2 wire cable as it is from the panel and to the switch. Or to be more precise: Neutral (white) must go to every location including the switch .
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How long should I wait to plug in my refrigerator after unplugging it? I just had a strange recommendation when I wanted to move the fridge inside my house to a new position. It's just about 2 feet away. I was told that I should wait 30-40 minutes after I unplug the fridge before plugging it in again. How is it so and... | It is usually said to wait an hour after moving an appliance like a fridge or freezer so that the fluid will settle.
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How can I bring more light into this shower? Consider this shower alcove: The curtain is partially-transparent. It can't be made much more transparent for privacy reasons; so, it blocks a lot of the light. Also, hanging a towel on that rail further reduces light flow. Thus even despite the light fixture being install... | Another suggestion is to replace your exiting fixture outside of the shower with a track lighting system or some other form of aimable spotlights wherein you can aim some of the light beams directly into the shower over the top of the curtain.
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What is the intended plan with this basement rough-in plumbing? I am currently planning out the framing portion of my project and I am trying to figure out what is what with the rough in plumbing you see in the picture. I don’t have any plumbing experience and plan to hire someone for that part but I want to know what... | I would expect the vent to be in the wall, and the 1-1/2" or 2” pvc to be a sink drain.
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Using Forstner bits instead of hole saws I have been having problems using hole saws when removing the plug of material after use. Looking at What is the right way to clear the drilled plug out of a hole saw? it is still awkward and I have considered spending the extra on buying Forstner bits as an alternative. Bu... | When drilling all the way through, a Forstner bit will splinter the back side considerably worse than a standard hole saw.
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In-Cabinet (sink base) electrical box - Metal or Plastic? I'm planning on putting an electrical box in my sink base with a split outlet, one for the dishwasher, the other for the garbage disposal. I was thinking of running 12/3 MC from the wall gangbox (metal box + metal cover with knockout) to another metal box in th... | One other problem exists the dishwasher circuit requires GFCI protection and the disposal doesn't. So if you do not have GFCI protection for this circuit you cannot put a split receptacle in under the cabinet. Metal is both grounded and a good heat conductor, so it will do a much, much better job of containing a variet... |
Any idea what this is? We have this in the washer dryer area of our Mother-In-Law. When we moved in no washer dryer was present. I sort of suspect it's some sort of drain hookup because there is no drain. Does anyone know? Can't make out text clearly Drain on water hookup is sealed. <Q> It looks like a drain clean o... | Most likely it could be used as a drain for the washer. Install a male adaptor into the threaded opening then plumb a proper stand pipe drain with a p trap.
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reducing light reflection on a wall I have a wall across from the doorways of a bedroom and "office." It reflects light into the bedroom which bothers people trying to sleep with the other door open. What would be a good way to reduce the light reflection? Ideally we could keep both the doors open to hear each other... | You could also apply a flat black/dark paint, but that might not be a viable option (did not specify, but you were asking about "preferably a wall hanging.") An option which might take a little work is to reverse the hinges on one or both doors so there is no direct visual path from the bed to the wall area illuminated... |
Joining two areas of tongue and groove flooring in a room - disguising the join I have an old 1960's tongue and groove floor that, after some renovations (removing an internal half-height wall), will be joining (butt end-to-end) some new tongue and groove (85mm x 22mm matai) I had initially hoped to match the old/new ... | You could then patch the hole in the closet/pantry or whatever with new wood where nobody will see it. I'd fit in a flush transition piece and deal with any expansion later if it should happen. What I did was to remove a section in a bedroom to use in the Parlor and dining room
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Crawlspace Post to beam lumber grade Recently we replaced some of the rotten and cracked true size 4 in x 6 in. posts under the house in crawlspace. The old posts were resting on concrete pads 24 in. x 24 in. and supporting a true size beam 4 in x 8 in. The lumber we used is 4 in. x 6 in. x 8 ft. Pressure-Treated Lan... | Not using graded lumber can get you in trouble. Or what I mean is using a lower grade than allowed for a residence. If you ever have an earthquake this could be an area that the insurance company says they won’t cover your loss.
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Lowest height accepted for 30A Outdoor Fused Safety Switch for water well? I'm getting a new well drilled and was trying to make everything as least noticeable as possible. According to the well driller I need a disconnect right by the well head, yet I see many home wells with no visible panel box. Assuming this is a ... | While your disconnect need not be in sight of the motor , and can't be for a submersible pump motor, you do need a disconnect in sight of the controller (in your case, the pressure switch), as per NEC 430.102(A), as the exceptions to that rule do not apply to us at all: (A) Controller. I did find a panel board in a mob... |
Why are the inside diameters of some pipe larger than the stated size? I'm looking over some specifications for black pipe. I understand why dimensional lumber is smaller than the stated dimensions, but why would the pipe manufacturers give you more volume than what is expected? Does anyone know the history on this? ... | "Black iron" refers to a dark mill varnish ( may be a derivative of tar and/or asphalt ), the steel mill applies to pipe to prevent rust while in storage ; nobody wants to buy new pipe and have it delivered covered with rust.
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How to identify the wires on the dimmer to convert it to Conventional on/off switch I have a dimmer switch that I need to convert to a conventional on/off switch. I have checked this link for guidance already: How do I replace this dimmer switch to a conventional switch? It seems like I will need a 3-way switch do ... | You could use a double pole switch but one of the screws would be not used I have done that when I had a extra 3 way and not enough single poles it will work fine and would not violate code, switch down when on turn it over or swap to the other traveler. The bundle of black wires includes the source, a connection to yo... |
Can you use aluminum foil around gap at floor of hot water tank then seal? Fairly big gap at floor around pipes of hot water tank. For mice prevention I read some where you could fill gap with aluminum foil then seal. Is this correct. If so what kind of sealant should be used? Need help right away. Not sure but I... | If you use humane traps you must release the mice very far from houses so they don't become a recurring problem to you or your neighbors. You can seal and insulate gaps and cracks with expanding foam as JACK suggested, but keep in mind this stuff is not for exposed exterior use, and should not be used inside outlet box... |
Adapting 1/2 hose to sink Im building a simple low pressure foot pump operated sink. What adaptor should I be looking for to go from typical (USA) male faucet threads to 1/2 hose barb? I'm new to plumbing and have found surprisingly little info on this online. <Q> Just Googling around a bit, it looks like there's som... | In my area it is easiest to adapt your faucet to pipe thread , because many pipe thread to barb adapters are available: example of faucet thread to pipe thread adapter:
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Removing cap from box/turtle style roof vent I have a vent on a shed roof: that has a huge wasp nest inside (though no wasps (at the moment), thankfully!). I can see it from the inside of the shed (not pictured). I thought it would be easy to pop the cap off of the vent, clean out the nest, then pop it back on. Howev... | I may add my own mesh on the inside of the roof, which would keep out the bugs but also allow me to remove the mesh to fix a problem like this in the future. Replacing the vent would be the last thing I'd want to do.
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What are the black spots on my basement ceiling? My house is one year new construction. I didn't use the dehumidifier at the basement until one month ago I realized the basement was damp and there were some mold on the wood frame on the basement ceiling(not serious, already cleaned). I also noticed there are many black... | The only way to prevent it from returning or getting worse is to remove the moisture as you have found your dehumidifier will remove the moisture, I have also found sealing the floor with epoxy paint really helped reduce the moisture I tested them with a mold test kit and it turned out to be a black green mold.
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Can I use existing wiring for installing an OTR Microwave? We are looking at installing an over the range microwave in our house but I have a few questions concerning the electrical hookup before we pull the trigger and get one. Currently there is a range hood above our stove. I took it down and there is an electrical... | If this breaker truly is only serving the hood (I'd double check that with a plug-in radio in each of the kitchen outlets with this breaker off), then you'll be fine with putting the microwave/hood on there. This might not be the best answer, but personally I'd just go ahead and do it.
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Sprinkler valves are surrounded by tree roots I discovered that I have 3 valves that are wrapped around a gigantic tree root; see picture. I noticed the dirt was moist. And I know that at least 1 valve is bad. Possibly 2 in this physical area. I am getting a little worried that this is a job that may be require som... | Before you dive into the roots or replacing valves, consider just checking the valves for simple issues and troubleshooting around those principles. Obviously, laying pipe next to tree roots is asking to have a problem later; don't do that at all.
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