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Does Homeowner's Insurance Typically Cover A Broken Well? My well is horizontally fed through a wall in my foundation. It recently rained a lot and I believe the pipe that feeds my well has been cracked. I had to cut the power to my well pump in order to stop water rushing out of a basement wall. I am estimating this will be an extremely expensive fix; so my question is this, does homeowner's insurance often cover this type of situation? As a side note, in regards to the severity: my basement was completely flooded with water, but I've soaked most of it up and pushed the remainder down the sump. <Q> Best we could do is guess. <S> I honestly have no idea. <S> As far as the expense of repair, it depends on how much of the labor you can do yourself. <S> Excavators aren't exactly cheap to rent, but they aren't thousands of dollars either. <S> Pipe itself is usually fairly cheap, unless it's large diameter copper. <A> The flooding is most liklely covered. <S> Disappointing, though, that your sump pump didn't handle this. <S> The mechanical repairs, I would expect not, since it's maintenance like replacing a roof. <S> However you can always check, and also look into any home warranty that might have been part of the purchase. <S> Well work can indeed be insanely expensive, but that mainly applies to work that needs to go down hundreds of feet of well. <S> This seems like a pipe break not at the well but in the piping between well and house. <S> That may be much better. <S> I would start by digging it up and looking at what's going on. <S> You can hand dig it for free, and if you're careful you shouldn't do any damage to metal pipes. <S> That's the worst nightmare, someone "going to town" with a backhoe and shredding the pipe, the sewer tile, the cable TV lateral, etc. <A> It is covered if the event occurred suddenly and it is not covered if it occurred over time. <S> Be careful when describing what occurred to your insurance agent. <S> If they can prove (or at least contend) that it occurred over time, they will claim its maintenance. <S> If you convey to them that it occurred suddenly, then it’s not maintenance and is covered. <S> I would not tell them you turned the pump off. <S> I’d say, “The storm caused a crack in the conduit which apparently shut the pump off during the storm and then caused leaks into your basement.” <S> (I would not say the ground shifted, because that may be specifically excluded.) <S> P.S. <S> I hate insurance companies. <S> I’ve had to deal with them my whole career. <S> They will also tell you it should only cost “x” because they fixed one like that last year in a town a few miles away... <S> or something like that. <S> (I live in an area that is somewhat isolated and the cost of construction is 10% - 25% higher than nearby towns.) <S> Do not accept a lump sum payment. <S> Get bids and have the work completed. <S> (Unexpected problems can come up during construction so you won’t know the “final” cost until you’re finished.)
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The only person who will know for sure what your home owners policy covers will be your insurance agent.
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This fell out of my toilet when I unscrewed the supply line. What is it? I needed to replace my toilet’s tank to toilet gasket, and in the process disconnected the toilet’s supply line. The rubber “screw like” object shown above fell out when I did this. After finishing the gasket replacement, I forgot to put this back, and everything worked fine with no apparent leaks. But now I want to put it back, but I’m not sure what it does or what orientation it previously had. After researching and watching videos of flush valve and supply line replacements, it appears nobody else has a part like this in their toilets. I’m honestly beginning to think this object wasn’t supposed to be where it was. Here’s an image of the disconnected supply line: Here’s an image of the flush valve from inside the tank. Brand name: fluidmaster, probably installed ~2011. <Q> This appears to do a few things. <S> A backflow preventer. <S> Note the nub on the "top", that should actually go down. <S> Gravity and back pressure seats it on the inlet pipe to try to prevent tank water from backing up into the supply lines if there's a pressure loss or shutoff. <S> A flow limiter. <S> Without it the toilet will flow faster, but will be more susceptible to water hammer . <S> The automatic valve opens and closes quicker than humans, and flowing water has inertia. <S> Changes in inertia cause force. <S> That force can be destructive, which is what water hammer is. <S> A shock absorber, if it's made of rubber. <S> This adds some compressibility to an incompressible medium, to help with water hammer effects, especially acting on that valve. <A> Looks like a fill valve regulator . <S> Pretty sure the metal washer is at the top when you put it in. <S> Its actually an optional thing, and leaving it out might be just fine. <S> It's weird that it fell out though. <A> The cistern will have an overflow pipe in case the inlet valve fails. <S> In an area with particularly high feed pressure the rate of filling in such an event might exceed the rate of drainage through the overflow. <S> To prevent the resultant flooding the flow limiter can be fitted. <S> It's optional because if the feed pressure is poor you won't want to further inhibit the refill times. <S> All of the inserts I have encountered were simple plastic types. <S> I think the suggestions by @Harper justify that very well. <A> I have had the same problem and wasn't sure whether the nub and washer went face up or down. <S> Here is a picture of it as part of the larger fill valve assembly part <S> https://www.us.kohler.com/us//productDetail/serviceparts:619391/619391.htm?skuId=578118&brandId=empty&
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The device you've got is rather fancy, being in rubber and metal. It is a flow limiter. Based on experimentation and documentation, I can say the nub does go face up.
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grouting or caulking? bottom of tiled wall at tub rim At the tiled wall surrounding the tub, at the bottom of the tiles where the tiles end and intersect the tub rim, should it be grouted ( epoxy grout)? or leave it open and caulk with silicone caulking? Please advise! <Q> Caulking always! <S> Fill the tub 50% with water and caulk it. <S> Allow the caulking to dry then drain the tub. <S> If you caulk with no water in the tub poly, fiberglass and composite tubs stretch and tear the caulk when filled. <S> Cast tubs are usually solid enough to not make a difference. <A> Matching sanded or unsanded caulking is a must. <S> 9/10 times you can purchase a caulk that matches the grout. <S> By using the matching caulk, it creates a natural looking flow for all the tile and grout you just installed. <S> I recommend what one of the other members suggested and fill the tub half way with water, then use matching caulk around tub, then drain. <S> You’ll have a nice looking tiled shower/tub after <A> Most bathrooms I've been in seem to have silicone sealant in this area. <S> I think this may be an evolution of tile grout (and other sealant types) which (used to?) <S> be somewhat prone to developing black mould (or cracking, leaking etc), especially where there's a shower over the bath. <S> Some silicone specifically claims to have anti-mould features, although water-fastness is probably its main defense (eg. <S> https://www.amazon.co.uk/2079356-Anti-Mould-Silicone-Bathroom-Cartridge/dp/B01G3OCFVI ). <S> In my own bathroom, the tiler fitted the tiles, with grout to the top of the bath tub. <S> Then, they siliconed around the bath tub (with plenty of water in it at the time). <S> They didn't use a particularly large bead of silicone though, and in some places it's insufficiently covered the gaps, and so there is a tiny bit of water ingress where silicone meets tiles. <S> Over time, this goes black, which only seems 'solvable' by bleaching. <S> I believe the solution here would be to scalpel-cut out the existing silicone and replace with new (and use a slightly larger smoothing tool), whilst making sure that the silicone gets properly "pressed" into all the gaps between tub and tiles so that it adheres to all surfaces properly. <S> IMHO, silicone is both great and terrible. <S> Using a smoothing tool (eg. <S> https://www.diy.com/departments/diall-smoothing-sealant-tool/1642133_BQ.prd ) is a must, as is wearing gloves and having a selection of rags and whatnot available for wiping up excess (which needs white spirit). <S> You also don't seem to be able to buy silicone in small quantities (and you'll need a sealant gun too). <S> For the professionals, I'm sure none of this is a concern, but for DIYers, it takes a bit of practice to get it right (and probably a fair bit of waste afterwards). <A> <A> I've started using DAP 3.0 caulk. <S> Alcohol clean up and it REALY <S> sticks well to all surfaces. <S> Only in clear and white though. <A> I was always taught that you should use a flexible sealant at every change of direction or material. <S> So all intersections, angles etc. <S> plus where tile meets another material such as the tub or a non tiled part of the wall etc. <S> Obviously sometimes this means you'll need a paintable sealant (tile to wood or plastered wall/ceiling for example). <S> I always use a high quality sanitary silicone between the tile and tub.
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I always use a color match caulk on any right angle or edge of tile,silicone is not a good idea for too many reasons.
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matching max electrical load of count down timer to heated towel bar I am in Seattle and I have a count down timer I want to hook up to my heated towel bar so the towel bar will go off after an hour or so. the timer says max load is 15A/1875W resistive, 8A/1000W Tungsten. The heated towel bar says voltage: 120 VAC Rated Frequency 60Hz-115W and that it must be connected to a socket with at least 10A Are these compatible? in the Amazon description it said this timer could be used with heated appliances such as hair dryers and electric heaters. In the little booklet that came with it, it does not mention any appliances with heat. THANKS! <Q> These are compatible. <A> Your towel bar is comparable on a 15 amp circuit, I have one of these and can say I love it. <S> After my shower I am clean <S> so I toss the wet towel on the rack. <S> It takes a few hours to dry , and if you have it on a timer it will take a while to heat up. <S> I love my warm towel getting out of the shower, I do have it on a GFCI protected outlet. <S> These are great and will work with your smart relay but be sure to have it on prior to your normal shower time, and on long enough to dry it out if you are like me and my wife. <A> Electric heaters are resistive loads, so the 10A it requires is under the 15A maximum of the timer. <A> First, Jack is absolutely correct, the practical load of the towel eater will be about 1 amp, and that is typical of towel heaters. <S> 1 amp on a 15A or 20A circuit is, as you might guess, trivial. <S> It is also well within the 1875W(15A) limit of that switch. <S> However, 110.3b says you must follow labeling and instructions. <S> Those say that you must provision 10A of service to the towel heater. <S> That is a surprising requirement, and UL would not require that lightly . <S> It certainly puts a new wrinkle on things. <S> if the provisioning for a hardwired load accounts for greater than 50% of total circuit ampacity, no receptacles at all are allowed. <S> So there can't be any receptacles unless this is a 20A circuit. <S> If it's a 20A circuit and there are any other hardwired loads, we're over 50% for hardwired loads, so no receptacles. <S> If it's a 15A circuit, there is only 5A left to provision other hardwired loads. <S> If it's a 20A circuit, it has only 10A left to provision other hardwired loads. <S> Now we collide with the bathroom receptacle rules. <S> Quite likely your installation is grandfathered. <S> However, grandfathering is not exemption , and the rule of grandfathering is you can't make the situation worse . <S> For instance if you have outlets every 20' along every wall (12' now required), you can't remove one. <S> So... <S> This load cannot be put on a (20A) circuit with receptacles that serve more than one bathroom. <S> It can be on a 20A receptacle circuit that serves only this bathroom, but again, no other hardwired loads. <S> It can be on a 20A circuit that serves no receptacles in bathrooms. <S> It can be on any 15A or 20A circuit that serves only hardwired loads, providing this doesn't overprovision the circuit.
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Your towel bar will draw less than 1 Amp and that is much less than the max load of your timer. You'll likely want this on a dedicated circuit, or at least not one shared with any plugs in the bathroom as running a hair dryer (10 to 12A also) at the same time as the towel bar is on would trip the breaker.
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Should I bend my roof edge away from the fascia to prevent water wicking? Last year, I had a new fiberglass shingle roof installed by one of the better roofing companies in my area. Overall, I am happy, but I'm not sure that the drip-edge was done correctly. It seems that water will wick up under the edge and potentially cause rot (I live in a humid area). I am considering attempting to bend the edge up, so it is more like the previous drip-edge. I think that if I make a wood wedge on a table saw about a foot long, I can push it up under the edge and press another piece of wood at the existing crease to increase the bend. I know that it will flex enough to get a wedge in, since I put temporary spacers under the edge so I could get paint under the edge (roofer left any replacement fascia unpainted). Is this a good plan? I pointed out my concern to the roofing company owner, he disagreed. I wasn't sure enough to argue much. <Q> No. <S> Opening up the joint creates increased opportunity for bulk water entering the wall system driven by rain. <S> Capillary action is a less likely source of bulk water penetration. <S> The joint widens behind the metal, the wood’s rough surface lowers surface tension, and the depth of overlap gives gravity a lot to work with. <S> While a properly formed positive drip edge formed from a wider piece of metal would have been better, the improvement would be mostly the wider material. <S> Wider flashings simply provide more protection. <S> One reason drips are associated with wider flashings is complex profiles add stiffness. <S> The stiffness reduces oil canning of broader sheet metal surfaces. <S> The construction looks pretty typical for a reasonable residential roofing job and the roofer’s experience with local conditions and intact reputation count a lot more than lay roofing theories. <S> A good rule of thumb is don’t add holes to working roof systems (or enlarge existing holes). <A> This might technically be a valid concern, but millions of homes have drip edge installed exactly like yours. <S> In fact, I've never heard of it being installed with a gap. <S> The contact between the lower flange and the fascia actually supports the upper surface of the drip edge form. <S> Without that support you'd see sag, as the metal is quite flexible. <S> I wouldn't be surprised if it rattled in the wind. <S> If you want to satisfy your concern, I'd insert some plastic clips (think tiny clothes pin or paper clip) along the bottom edge at say 12 inch intervals. <S> This would serve to raise the metal off the wood while maintaining support as I've described. <S> Frankly, a better solution (if durability is your primary concern) would be to just install brown fascia wrap. <S> It's relatively inexpensive and easy to work with. <S> You already have maintenance-free soffit, so why not that as well? <S> Of course, I understand reluctance to do so if you have wooden siding. <S> I have cedar siding and fascia with steel soffits myself. <A> A good roof company should no this and be doing this. <S> A 1x2 furring strip should be attached at the top edge outer side of the fascia board. <S> Then the drip edge butted and secured against the furring strip and top of roof. <S> This will give a clearance so that water will drip and run off and away from the fascia. <S> I know lots of roofing companies will place the drip edge right against the fascia w/o the 1x2. <S> And that's the cause of most of my repairs <S> are from rotted fascia. <A> I like the idea of creating a “drip edge” so the flashing is not touching the fascia board, but I doubt you can make a “clean” break in the middle of the vertical leg of the flashing. <S> Typically there’s a “kicker” (out) near the bottom of the vertical leg of the flashing. <S> Trying to make one now (with the flashing in place) will be difficult to keep it straight and “clean”. <S> I’d guess there will be bumps, dents, etc. <S> from manually bending the flashing in place. <S> I think you could push a flat steel plate (perhaps about 36” long) up to the top edge and then pull the vertical leg away from the fascia. <S> The downside is that wind could blow rain up under the flashing. <S> Do you live in a high wind area?
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I’d try bending the flashing out where it bends over the roof edge. If a large volume of water is coming over the edge of the roof, gutters and downspouts might be warranted.
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Could a steel beam span 24 feet for a pergola? First time post here, thank you for such a great resource! I've done a lot of research but am hoping I can get some help building a pretty large pergola. I'm trying to be my own master contractor and hire subcontractors to build a long freestanding pergola with no post in the middle. My plan is to have an architect draw up plans, but before I started spending money I'm trying to see if this is even a viable project that a pretty handy person can manage. Basically am I crazy for attempting this? Property details- main structure is a duplex - there is a detached four car carport/garage 12' from the back of the main structure. - trying to cover the space between the garage and the house with a slight hang over both structures. Project details:- 24' L x 14' W. - I am hoping that a steel beam could span the length with no post. a) What's the max length span? It would be preferable to go greater than 24'L. b) Any guesstimates on what a beam this size would weigh?- Would 8" x 8" wood post be strong enough? a) how deep do footings need to go and how close can footing be to house foundation? <Q> I wouldn't bother with an architect. <S> Hire a structural engineer if anyone. <S> You want a 24' long beam, probably two? <S> with just some minimal loading from open air beams that sit on the two 24'L beams? <S> A quick diagram would help. <S> 24' is long <S> but I've done wood <S> PSLs 5.25"x11.75 <S> " that open air span more than that and support floor and roof loads. <A> That sounds like a good plan Steel can span hundreds of feet: they use it to make bridges and other large structures. <A> I would consider an "engineered wood " beam ; several 2 X 6 or 2 X 8 ,etc, glued together like plywood. <S> I have commonly seen these in modern ( since about 1960) churches . <S> Although often on a angle they are longer than 50 ft. <S> For steel you need to have transitions between steel and wood. <S> Of course a steel beam would be much smaller than laminated wood.
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You can either consult a structural engineer or use a framing handbook to determine the sizes of the structural members and footings needed for your project in your location. You can probably meet your goal with a cold formed steel beams (the cheapest kind of steel)
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Where to add a c-wire on my Goodman furnace? I'm looking to upgrade my old thermostat and need to run a c-wire. Where would be the best place to tap into? <Q> Where would be the best place to tap into? <S> whatever side of the transformer goes to Rh or Rc on the thermostat, the C (common) is the other side of the transformer. <S> From that other side of the transformer or tapping off the wire from that other side of transformer goes to the C terminal of your new thermostat. <A> You can see the transformer in your first picture, it has the white and black wires going into the top and the blue and red wires going into the bottom. <S> You want to tap into the blue wire. <S> Now you may have noticed the blue wire also goes to ground... <S> Do not take a short cut and attach your c wire to ground. <S> You can't use ground to carry load, so splice into the blue wire. <S> good luck. <A> Connect it to the junction of the fat blue wire and the skinny white wire <S> We know the fat blue wire in the foreground is a C wire, as it's currently returning current from the air conditioner compressor contactor (via chassis ground, which is odd, but it's what the wiring diagram on this unit calls out) already. <S> The easiest place to splice into it is at the existing wirenut junction, although it appears you may have to hunt around for a spare wire in your existing cable if one is present but not visible, or pull a new thermostat cable if your existing one has no spare wires in it.
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You would want to tap into the blue wire coming off the secondary side of the 24v transformer.
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What is this cast-iron device on my water supply pipe? This is on the water main for the house, just downstream of the main shutoff valve. Water is going up in the picture, as the arrow shows. Is it a strainer? A check valve? Pressure regulator? It appears to say "Parts No. 135CM2" but I couldn't find anything matching that on google. I cannot read any part of the logo so I can't search on that. <Q> The screw at the top turns in (clockwise) to increase the pressure, and turns out (counterclockwise/anticlockwise) to decrease the pressure. <S> The plug at the bottom (adjacent to the screw) can be where a pressure gauge goes for the low pressure side, but it's plugged off. <S> The other plug towards the input is where you can loop back into the high pressure side. <A> Definitely a water pressure regulator. <S> I had one of these installed when I bought my house because the water pressure in home was 100psi <S> and I was told by a licensed plumber that plumbing supply is engineered to sustain 80psi max before things like leaks begin to develop over time. <S> In my area building code dictates that a thermal expansion tank must also be added to the water heater when a regulator is installed. <S> The pressure regulator creates a closed water circuit whereas before it would have been an open water circuit regulated by whatever pressure I had delivered by my water company from their main line. <A> judging by the shape it's a pressure regulator, the screw at the tip of the cone section adjusts the pressure.
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It's a pressure regulator.
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What causes standard door hinges to close up to a certain amount automatically? Hopefully a relatively easy one to answer. :) My bathroom door has a standard hinge attached, that requires the door to physically be closed - this matches the setup of the other doors in my house. However, when fully opened, my bathroom door closes up to a certain point and then stops - this amount is consistent each time. What causes this to happen for certain doors, and not others? This is the only door to do this in this house, but I've seen others that have done something similar previously. <Q> The two hinges are not exactly one above each other, in 3D. <S> One of them is slightly left, right, front or back, relative to the other. <S> As such, the line going through both hinges forms a vector in space. <S> If this vector is not straight up, when the door rotates around it, the door will go higher or lower. <S> Gravity is pulling the door down. <S> As such, it will try to go to the position where the door is lower. <S> (following comments, I assumed passive hinges. <S> Do you have a hinge that is supposed to close automatically?) <A> The most likely causes are a tilt in the wall or a poorly hung jamb . <S> In either case the hinge jamb is out of plumb. <S> In your case it's leaning toward the center of the door swing. <S> The door slab is actually lower in that partially-open position, so that's where gravity puts it. <S> This is more common with solid-core doors, which are much heavier and therefore overcome hinge pin friction more easily. <S> An old hack is to pull the hinge pins one at a time and bend them. <S> Lay them between two blocks of wood and give them a pop with a hammer. <S> Start with about a 1/8" bend in each hinge. <S> This may introduce enough friction to counter gravity. <S> However, if the lean in the wall is severe enough, you won't be able to hang the door plumb and not have a substantial misalignment, which pays heck with the casing. <S> If you care to investigate with a 4' or longer level, report back and we'll address it further. <A> In the UK it's a rising butt hinge when you open the door it rises slightly when it opens and the weight of the door makes it close. <S> This looks like a normal hinge. <S> Note the slight wedge between the two parts of the hinge.
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The right fix is to actually re-hang the door.
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How to test hot tub grounding I'd like to test if my hot tub was connected to ground. The hot tub is underground and its electrical panel is not easily accessible. I'm trying to figure things out without access to the hot tub's panel. The hot tub is 240V single-phase (TT earthing system) and is connected to a 10mA GFCI in my house's main panel. I have verified this connection and it's definitely taking current from the GFCI. What I don't know is if the guy that installed it wired the ground properly. I tried taking a multimeter to test for continuity between the house's ground and the hot tub water, but it didn't show anything. If I test for voltage between a phase and the hot tub water, I get 240V. Is the hot tub water itself not supposed to be grounded? Any other test I could perform or that I could ask a licensed electrician to perform? The GFCI never tripped so far, so maybe no valid reason for concern. Just trying to make sure as there are 2-year-olds using the hot tub. <Q> I tried taking a multimeter to test for continuity between the house's ground and the hot tub water, but it didn't show anything. <S> Most of the time, the hot tub is fiberglass and the piping is plastic, so there should be no connection to ground, EXCEPT via the pump housing, assuming a metal volute (the chamber part of the pump) and a proper grounding conductor on that pump housing. <S> So showing no voltage between ground and the water means they are are the same potential, which is what you want. <S> If I test for voltage between a phase and the hot tub water, I get 240V. <S> As you should in your system, because the neutral of your 240V TT system is connected to ground somewhere and so is your water (again, through the pump volute and the pump body being properly grounded), so measuring between those two points should show as the full 240V. <A> If I test for voltage between a phase and the hot tub water, I get 240V. <S> I'm a bit concerned about that. <S> The big question is how much current is flowing during the test. <S> If it is > 10mA <S> then it should trip your GFCI, as you are leaking current through the hot tub water, which is exactly the hazard that a GFCI is supposed to prevent. <S> Is there anything else on this GFCI-protected circuit? <S> If the GFCI circuit goes to a subpanel and there is a convenience outlet there then you can test it with a GFCI tester. <S> If not, a little more work may be involved. <S> It also seems odd that The hot tub is underground and its electrical panel is not easily accessible . <S> There should be a relatively accessible junction box at the hot tub, even if the wires are coming through an underground conduit. <S> Essentially you want to place a small load between a hot wire and ground that will draw <S> a little more than 10mA. 240V x 10mA = 2.4W. <S> So, in theory, any load <S> > 3W to ground should trip the GFCI. <S> Be very careful doing this, as a problem (fumbling with the wires) combined with the GFCI not working properly, could result in a very shocking experience. <A> If you're in North America or Japan, I am very concerned about this 240V reading between a phase and the hot tub water. <S> It's possible that your grounding is messed up, and your house is accidentally grounding to a phase . <S> Generally, that happens with a combination of two things: A lost grounding electrode, so the system voltage ends up "floating" relative to ground. <S> A hot-ground fault somewhere, which is biasing the system so one leg is now near ground, instead of netural being near ground as intended. <S> You are then reading 240V from the other leg to ground. <S> So I would give your grounding electrode system a very thorough once-over, to make sure everything is in order. <S> Don't be surprised if fixing the ground causes a circuit to malfunction; that would be the aforementioned hot-ground fault. <S> Even though it seems like fixing ground broke the circuit, the circuit was already broken and you just improved the fault detection . <S> With that in good order, I would expect to measure 120V between either pole and the electrical wired ground at its location, and anything else associated with the hot tub. <S> Hot tub wiring is not to be trifled with - it can kill .
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See if you can trace where the wires go from the circuit breaker to the hot tub. You should not see anything if the ground were properly connected.
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How do I weigh a kitchen island to determine what size castors to get? I need castors for a kitchen island. I need to know what to get. Do all the castors need to carry full weight or do I divide by 4 to get say 4 50lb to hold a 200lb cabinet for example? <Q> I'd simplify your problem by estimating then doubling that. <S> If an average person can lift 50 lbs, is the kitchen island something 2 people can lift? <S> Get a set of 200 lb castors. <S> Would it take 4 people? <S> Get 400 lb castors. <S> The difference in cost of castors is small enough that I might just get <S> 1000 lb castors and call it a day. <A> How to weigh the kitchen island: <S> Get four bathroom scales. <S> You almost certainly have one already; borrow the rest from friends. <S> Position the scales under the island in the (approximate) position that you intend to fit the castors. <S> You may need to place blocks of wood on the scales so that the island doesn't hide the dial. <S> Read the weight that each castor needs to support off the scale. <S> At this point I would be very generous with the rating of the castors <S> (stronger castors are not that much more expensive, and if one breaks it will be a real pain).- Certainly use the highest load for all four castors- Allow for the "stuff" <S> you are going to put on the island (and in it if it has drawers)- Allow for a heavy man standing on one corner of the island (assume the castor they are standing over will have to take all their weight). <S> P.S. Sorry for your loss. <A> The problem is that your castors not only have static forces, they also have load forces (someone sitting on it) and dynamic forces of rolling it around . <S> If you've ever pushed a rolling cabinet around, you've experienced the "THUD" when it suddenly hits something and stops abruptly. <S> That creates dynamic forces on the cabinet that can be even more than the static loads. <S> So you need to upsize by several factors, e.g a factor of 3-4.
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When buying castors, they're generally marketed as a set that can carry a total load.ie a set of 4 '200 lb' castors are meant for an object that weighs under 200 lbs.
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Why did my sink drain blockage clear after several weeks? Recently I installed a new kitchen in a flat in a very old house (1830s) in a neighbourhood known for sagging pipes. The old pipes up to the soil stack were cleaned by a pro, after the kitchen was installed. Naturally the sink got blocked (only draining very slowly). Plungers were applied and as last resort some chemicals. Nothing worked. After doing dishes by hand for a while (2 weeks), rather than the dishwasher, the sink is magically free again. Is it possible that this is just delayed reaction to the chemical drain cleaner, or was it the increased flow from the manual washing that did the trick? I have never seen a sink unblock itself before. <Q> Happens here fairly frequently. <S> Stationary tub and washing machine share a drain line. <S> Tub isn't used much. <S> Side flow from the washing machine refills the tub trap with dirty water. <S> Eventually it gets enough crud that the drain slows. <S> Use the sink, and the first 3-4 inches of water drain slowly, then it flushes the crud out. <S> In your case, a slow response to the chemicals seems probable. <A> One possibility is that by filling the tub basin, the height of the water provided extra pressure to move the clog. <S> This can happen with slow draining: there's a constant stream of pressurized water flowing through the clog which starts to break it down. <S> Plunging a sink is tricky because you have to have an airtight block on the overflow. <S> It's probably your best method here if you can work that issue out. <S> I once cleaned out a waste pipe that was not pitched properly to find that the accumulated grease was actually what was making it watertight. <S> It was eroded by drain opening chemicals. <S> You could end up with a major plumbing problem if you keep using them. <S> You might want to consider an enzymatic treatment to break down grease. <S> Also try to avoid putting grease down the drain the first place. <S> I pour things like bacon fat into a jar and let it solidify and then put it in the garbage. <S> When you have to wash grease down the drain, use cold water, not hot. <S> It's a little counter-intuitive but the hot water will cool as it goes down the drain and the grease will coagulate. <S> It will not only clog things up but attract rats as well. <A> You said the plumber cleaned the pipes after the kitchen was installed. <S> So some of the crud from the cleaning probably built up around and in the smaller kitchen drain. <S> After a fe washes, the built up crud broke free and into the larger drain where more water would be traveling and washed it out. <S> the chemicals could have had an affect on it too. <S> you're one of the lucky ones... <S> Enjoy your new kitchen.
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You should avoid putting harsh chemicals down old pipes especially if they don't have a good pitch on them.
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Fix/Move Ethernet on Side of House The house I recently bought has the networking cables to each room (2-4 each) terminate at a junction box on the outside of the house. To hook up my Internet, the tech hooked up to one of the cables to my living room, where I hooked it into my router. However, that leaves several ports in my home useless because there is nothing connected to them on the outside to give them any sort of internet access. I'd like to have 4 Ethernet outlets per room to have all my devices wired and set up a couple APs for the devices that can't be wired. Basically I've considered doing the following. Find the internet-connected cable in my attic, disconnect and pull it from its outlet and hook up to my router->network switch. Then, run new cables to each room from that network switch. (This is overly simplified). Run a cable for each wireless AP to the wall/ceiling locations I want them. I'm not sure if this is the best way to do this. I'm not sure what to do with all the cables in the junction box (and through the brick and mortar, btw). Should I pull them all, leaving just the network connected line? I'd like a good home network, but it seems there will be a lot of extra work due to poor initial network wiring. I don't want to use powerline adapters either. Some notes: It's an FTTP/H connection, set up so I don't need a separate modem. The current wiring is as follows: Fiber->ONT->(over ethernet)Junction Box->Through Outside Wall->Living Room->Router. I think I'd prefer the following: Through Outside Wall->Router->Switch->Room Outlets/APs. Current setup: Proposed setup: Any help (including things to keep in mind and look out for) is greatly appreciated! Edit: Whatever setup I decide, I don't plan to leave it in the attic. The conditions are too variable and, I think, not good for networking equipment. <Q> Stated another way, your options are to make the best use possible of the cable that's already installed or install new cable that suits your need better. <S> Ethernet outdoors <S> There exist environmentally hardened Ethernet switches designed for outdoor use, but you won't find them on the shelf at the local big box electronics store and they'll cost more than consumer/SOHO indoor-rated gear. <S> Then again, indoor-rated gear might perform acceptably for you even outdoors. <S> So there's one option: install an Ethernet switch near enough to all those cables outdoors so that they can be patched into the switch. <S> You'd have to get power to it from somewhere <S> and it would require some kind of protection from water. <S> Turn cables indoors Think about what's on the interior side of the wall from that outdoor junction box. <S> Would it be acceptable to place a patch panel near that location? <S> Modify, abandon, or replace If all else fails you'll have to install some new cable. <S> Some of the existing cable might run through accessible areas like the attic. <S> Any existing cable you can find and re-route to the new patch panel location saves work in fishing new wire through walls. <S> Consider whether it's useful to have more than one patch (and switch) location to so that everything doesn't have to home-run to a single place. <S> Don't go to great pains to rip out wire <S> you're not using -- if it isn't hurting anything, just leave it in place. <S> Retrofitting cable is something of an art form, but it can be learned. <S> Things to consider as you plan a retrofit are which direction the floor joists go and <S> where there are mechanical chases (ie for duct work) that you might be able to push wire through. <A> I had a very similar situation in a house, but the difference is that all my ethernet cables from around the house terminated in the attic. <S> That made it a little easier to deal with than yours, but maybe my approach will give you an idea. <S> I had about loose cables in the attic, so I punched them all down on to a patch panel and ran patch cables to the closet. <S> Installed a wiring cabinet in the closet and rack mounted a switch, power supplies and a few PoE injectors in it <S> and this is where all the connections were made from room to room. <S> So, summary answer - leave existing cables alone and install new cables that run to a more convenient location for all your networking equipment. <A> This is normal. <S> The builder has run 4 cables to each room, and brought them all out to a junction box. <S> This work is not finished. <S> On purpose. <S> You are expected to finish it according to your preferences , which the builder cannot and should not guess at. <S> Presumably this involves fitting punchdown blocks to all the cables, (RJ11 or RJ45 depending on phone vs ethernet needs), then installing a switch in the junction box. <S> I gather there isn't mains power in the junction box, but that's what PoE is for. <S> If the junction box isn't big enough, change the junction box. <S> That is much easier than running new wires in the walls. <S> After all, the equipment will be powered up and making heat, which will preclude it freezing and prevent any condensation. <S> If you're going to power it down for an extended period, remove it. <S> As far as the box getting hot in the summer sun, you are talking about putting the switch/router in the attic , where heat would be a much bigger problem. <S> It can help greatly to paint the sunward sides of the box a snow white color (91%+ reflectivity) or better, fit some sort of shade sail to keep sun off it entirely.
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You could cut an opening in the interior wall, pull all the cables from the junction box into a new box inside, and repair the wall. Rather than worry about finding a router/switch that would survive in the 130F heat of the attic, I put a patch panel in the attic and ran new wires into a nearby closet. Equipment can work fine outdoors if the box is reasonably weather resistant. Maybe you or a future owner will think of something to use it for later.
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Is a stack of steel plate as strong as a single plate of the sum thickness? I'd like to put a 4'x8' steel plate across my driveway gutter, so cars don't bottom out in the dip. I've seen 1/2" plates used for this, but at 650+ lbs. ( https://www.chapelsteel.com/weight-steel-plate.html ), it will be a beast transport. Will a stack of two 1/4" pieces have roughly the same bearing capacity? <Q> Not unless you can bond them together into a single piece so they won't flex independently. <S> Otherwise it will act like a leaf spring. <S> But bonding them together defeats the goal of trying to reduce the weight of a 1/2" piece because they would just become one 1/2" piece. <A> No. <S> When you stack sheets of thin material, their strengths merely add. <S> And a thin sheet is exponentially weaker in bending than a thick one, so added up they are still quite poor. <S> The reason is they are free to slip past each other. <S> Think about how a wrapped 500-sheet pack of paper is fairly rigid, <S> but once you break the package, the 500 sheets are a wet noodle. <S> The strength is actually in the vertical sides of the package wrapper - and in turn, that vertical is being kept from twisting by the horizontal sheets. <S> It's like the material has an internal truss. <S> The material doesn't even need to be solid, it just needs to be braced - the vertical element carries the weight, and horizontal elements keep the vertical from twisting or buckling. <S> For instance, you might use a stack of C-channel or Unistrut, with each segment bolted to the next. <S> The reason to bolt is both to distribute the weight and allow them to mutually reinforce each other. <S> Bolts should be well chosen, of comparable material/stretch (e.g. don't use Grade 8 bolts to bolt mild steel), and of suitable interval. <A> I'm with @GregHill here. <S> You'd find it easiest and simplest to put down something analogous to a bunch of "12 by 4" lumber sheets. <S> So if you use half-inch, or even 3/4-inch, plates 6 feet long and 1 foot wide (8 pieces) , <S> that gives you plenty of footing space at both ends. <S> But really, I'd look into similarly sized grating plates rated for the kind of vehicle weights of interest. <S> THey'll be much lighter, will drain & stay clean more easily, and so on.
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What makes a thick sheet so much stronger is having vertical sides inside the material itself . If they're well seated at both ends you don't absolutely have to bolt them together at all, or just mount the equivalent of a couple bar-clamps on the underside to keep the assembly aligned.
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Is it common to see building wire used for a doorbell? I'm trying to install a new video doorbell. Found the transformer in the attic, attached to the attic outlet. There are two 2-wire bell wiring runs from the transformer - one to the chime and the other to the front door. Well, almost. The front door bell is connected to a Romex cable - and somewhere there is a short... so, probably at the connection? I traced the bell wire though the attic to the front of the house where it disappears into the wall cavity. It's a two-story drop, then exists as a cable. So, do I have to cut up 2 stories of wall looking for the connection? <Q> but it’s also not uncommon. <S> I agree with Harper if I have a broken bell wire I would use something on the truck to repair the wires. <S> Since it was repaired you may get lucky and be able to use the existing wires as a pull. <S> I would use a pull string , but you may have some stout fishing line that could work. <S> The trick here is figuring out where the break or short is. <S> At the chime disconnect the door bell button and verify you have 24v , some transformers have a bridge that converts to dc <S> so you need to know what you are trying to measure unless your meter automatically checks for both. <S> If there is voltage at the chime <S> we know the problem is probably at the splice. <S> I would use the wires as a pull. <S> I would tie a pull string to the bell wires and pull that direction because the bell wires are smaller and if it will pull small wires following a large cable will work easier than trying to pull the other way. <S> If the wires are stapled and I now know I will have to open the wall sometimes I will pull to the breaking point and the splice may pull free <S> then I would measure the length go up to that point and open the wall, it may save a lot of repair work if you can fish the new wires down the wall. <S> Pulling the wires out at the button location , hopefully until the string or fishing line arrives at the button location. <S> Standard pull string is rated at over 100 pounds. <A> No, it is not common. <S> But if it works, it certainly isn't unsafe if done right. <S> You're real interest is how to get your new video bell working. <S> You said the circuit has a short, but suspect <S> you mean it is open. <S> You should measure 24 volts AC across the two wires at the door. <S> Using the DC position will cause it to read zero and give a false indication of open circuit. <S> If you find 24 VAC, your chore is to figure out how to install the video bell. <S> If you really do have an open (or short), then you have to disassemble your house to an extent that you can repair the problem. <S> If you don't have a solid carpentry background, it may seem like these components are all one piece or impossible to work on without lots of destruction, but a skilled carpenter / handyman could work magic. <A> The alternative to repairing the wire is to use a wireless door-bell. <S> That might get expensive in batteries if you have a video door bell - <S> but it's certainly worth considering.
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Just to clarify the string or fishing line is used to pull new wires from the button to the chime. It is not common because of cost Often, there are components that can be removed and you can find the splice (connection) and maybe even the problem. Make sure your volt-meter is set in the AC position.
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AC wire hanging out by itself in receptacle, safe? I am replacing my smoke detector with a Nest one (battery powered) and no longer need this AC connection -- is it okay to tuck it into the wall as it is or should there be a cap or something? Not sure how safe or unsafe either route is (and whether a cap exists here to place on the plug). Thanks in advance. <Q> To your question on the plugs, yes you can just stuff them into the hole and leave them there, there are no exposed wires ( <S> no more than any switch or receptacle would have anyway). <S> If you are overly cautious you could put some electrical tape over them, but I didn't bother when I swapped mine out. <S> One thing to be aware of, many of these older "hard wired" smoke detectors would "talk" to other units on the same wires, so if one goes off, they all go off, but also they would learn what other units were on the connections. <S> So when you remove only one of them then, you get the others eventually start "chirping" at you to tell you that one of their pals is not responding. <S> So if you remove one, you should remove and replace them all. <S> Also, some local fire codes REQUIRE <S> that you have hard wired smoke detectors with battery backup. <S> While living in the house it's up to you, but when you go to sell the house some day (or you are a renter and move out), you may be required to replace them with hard wired versions again. <A> There probably isn't a cap to fit over the plug. <S> If you gently pull the plug out of the box you'll see some wire nuts that you can just unscrew, remove the plug wire and then screw back up. <S> Remember to turn off the power when you do this. <A> You can't do that! <S> That type of hardwired smoke detector system system is generally required by Code . <S> You're not allowed to tear them all out, and stick in a couple of common $20 solitary bolt-up smoke detectors. <S> There are two aspects to this: Mains power <S> A hardwired detector means you don't need to change batteries. <S> That's a Code requirement for a couple of reasons. <S> First, people aren't good at changing batteries. <S> Second, available power means the ability to use sensing methods that require more power. <S> You mustn't downgrade except with fire marshal approval. <S> Interconnection <S> Sure, Nest does some neat thing with interconnecting your Nests . <S> But what it cannot do is interconnect with a "burglar alarm" type system, or in a multi-unit structure, the building's master fire alarm <S> so the alarm can be sounded in other units. <S> Again, the Nest functionality needs to fully replace what the wired system is doing now, and it doesn't (unless engineering confirms that it does). <S> Because WiFi goes down, especially if the fire starts in the electrical service to the WiFi equipment.
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You currently have a hardwired smoke detector system that connects to other smoke detectors in the unit, and possibly in the rest of the building, and possibly to alarms. Be careful not to disconnect any of the other wires. The other question that needs to be examined is if Nests can do their "intercommunication-among-Nests" job if the WIFi is down. Further, you can't do that even if the $20 solitary costs $200 . So again, this type of system change needs fire marshal approval.
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How can I cut a metal pipe while preserving the wires inside? I need to install a dishwasher with a solid bottom into this space, where this solid pipe (green rectangle above) is in the way. How would I remove the pipe, or at least make it level with the floor, while not damaging the wires inside the pipe? <Q> You have to pull the wire out. <S> Period. <S> What you're looking at here is the conduit wiring method . <S> It's actually a very excellent way to run wiring, <S> but I gather it's completely alien and unfamiliar to you . <S> The gist is that you build the pipe route, then you run the wires through it, in that order . <S> Now, Code requires every junction box cover remain accessible without tools, forever. <S> It can't be covered with drywall, wallpaper, carpet, a screwed down plywood panel, not anything like that. <S> So <S> Wherever the other end of that conduit is, you should be able to access it . <S> That is where you pull the wires back from. <S> Expect them to be individual wires, not the cable you are familar with. <S> You also see a transition from EMT metal conduit to some sort of flexible conduit system such as AC. <S> I don't know what's going on with the tape, but <S> I assume/hope there is an appropriate coupler there. <S> Also, I don't see what's happening with the ground wire. <S> The right solution is to add a ground wire to the inside of that conduit the entire run. <S> Don't be bashful about getting more EMT or flexible conduit to extend. <S> They sell pre-bent sections and they also have conduit benders. <S> Do not exit the conduit with bare wires. <S> Honestly I think the metal conduit is a good idea due to the exposure to damage there (from the washer being installed and removed). <S> You are generally allowed to exit conduit with Romex cable, but not here, because it would be subject to damage. <S> However pulling stiff, balky cable through conduit is a major pain, and is often not practical for a DIYer. <S> So find the other end of this conduit. <S> Bind a rope to your wires at the end. <S> Then do your work, then use the rope to pull wires back in. <A> This is a tough one. <S> However if you feel that cutting the pipe is the best path forward I would first ensure that the wires inside the conduit aren't live before doing anything else. <S> I recommend using one of <S> these as a final check that the wires aren't live. <S> Electricity can kill. <S> I'd encourage you to seek professional assistance if you feel unsafe or unsure. <S> As for cutting the conduit I would probably use a plumbing style pipe cutter <S> If I was able to get a finger all the way around the conduit. <S> If that proved unworkable I would try a hack saw . <S> Both of these options should give you a very fine degree of control and minimize the chance of damaging the wires. <S> Once the conduit has been cut I would visually inspect the wires for any damage. <S> If the wires are damaged it could pose a fire hazard. <S> Once that was done I would make sure everything on that circuit was properly grounded. <S> I don't know what you plan to do once the conduit is cut <S> however I would think seriously about if your planned solution is safe and/or up to code. <S> Good luck. <S> P.S. <S> This is my first answer on this site and would welcome formatting, style, or any other notes <S> anyone feels I should have. <A> You can't cut the conduit (pipe) without risking damage to the wires, cutting it will involve sharp things, or high heat, or both. <S> you could cut the floor and try to bend it out of the wayor <S> you could build a false floor above itor find the other end of the conduit and draw the wires back and then cut it.
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Then pull the wires to pull the rope into the conduit. The answer is to reroute that EMT and flexible conduit so it uses a different path. Perhaps this flexible conduit is not allowed to carry ground (EMT is), and that was their fix. The wires can be any color and size you want. My first inclination would be to encourage you to re-think your approach either by using some material to elevate the dishwasher or by re-routing the wires if your experience would allow that. Another option could be to remove some of the flooring material using drills or chisels.
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Sewer smell in basement - missing venting or other leak? I recently started detecting a sewer smell coming from the laundry room in my basement. I think I only trigger it (and not every time) when I run my whole-house fan. I've been running this fan (with plenty of windows open) for at least a month without this problem, so it seems like something may have changed. Here is a figure of the plumbing in that room. It contains a waste line for the laundry and a laundry sink attached to the cleanout off of the main stack. There is also a floor drain (with its own trap), but it's off in it's own corner and doesn't seem to have the sewer smell around it. I've been doing some research, and seen one or two related questions here. The closest is Install air admittance valve to solve musty smell (sewer gas)? , but I'm not seeing quite the same symptoms. I don't notice any issues with the drain speed (though I'm not sure I could tell there are issues from the washing machine, the sink is fine), and I've only noticed the smell accumulating slowly when running the whole-house fan. I originally thought that the lack of venting on this line could be the issue, with one of the traps being siphoned dry by the other, but I don't notice anything after running the laundry. I also tried adding water to the traps when I start smelling sewer gas, but it's not clear that it helps (the seeping gas might be coming in too slow to tell - the basement is not well ventilated, so it takes a while for the smell to clear). One other concern I've come across is corrosion in the black iron drain/vent pipe (100 year old house) may have opened up a small hole that I can pull out sewer gas from with the negative pressure of the whole-house fan, but I'm not sure how I can test this. Any thoughts on what I can try are appreciated. <Q> Didn’t read entire article. <S> Did you poor water down the floor drain. <S> The water evaporates over time, I fill my monthly with a 1/2 gallon of water. <A> tough situation. <S> I had an old house and ran into a plumbing issue one with a bubbling toilet. <S> After trying everything a normal person could I ended up getting my line scoped and found the actual drain pipe leading from the house to the sewer had been over run by tree roots. <S> My blockage was on the outside of the home <S> so it made it a bit easier to resolve, but what I remember about that situation that is relevant to your problem is that the plumber said these old pipes eventually break down and then the water/sewage will just pool in the area of the breakage, sometimes for years before people notice depending on how the soil is etc. <S> It’ll cost you about 300$ to get a plumber in there with a proper scope <S> but it might save you a lot of money in the long run and give you an idea of what’s going on. <A> If there is such damage. <S> Its not uncommon that smells start to appear once the basement gets properly ventilated.
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If the basement is poorly ventilated and contains organic materials, it could be that you have some rot caused by moisture.
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What are we doing wrong? Just trying to hang a picture ☹️ My husband and I have some serious issues with the walls in our house. It was built in 1996; we live in CT. This is the 2nd time we’ve tried to hang something on a wall, and it has turned disastrous. We bought the self drilling drywall anchors recommended to us at Home Depot (TOGGLER SnapSkru). We used a philips screwdriver and once it gets to the threaded section of the anchor, it just chews up the Sheetrock. We are now left with a hole that we need to patch and try again but I’m afraid. We made sure there was no stud behind the Sheetrock. This is the second spot in this house that this has happened. Ace Hardware and Home Depot were no help. They recommended the same anchors again. I don’t know what to do and we’re having a screaming match over this. This should be easy, shouldn’t it?! <Q> The Toggler SnapScru product you used is decent, with two cautions: 1, you need to maintain solid pressure while driving it in. <S> Doing this with a screwdriver is somewhere between tough and really hard -- you want to use a drill or an impact. <S> 2. <S> If you hit something solid, you'll just chew up the drywall. <S> If you did hit something solid, (and you know it's not electrical cable or plumbing), just use a regular screw. <S> Probe with more than a finish nail to be sure that you aren't just getting minor pushback from insulation. <S> It goes into a 1/2" hole and you pull it back on itself for a solid mount. <S> (As solid as drywall, that is. <S> Don't do chinups off this.) <A> Technique I've used with this type of anchor: Put a #3 phillips bit into my drill. <S> Drill at the location I want. <S> Stop when the screw is just flush with the surface. <S> Swap bits for a #2 robertson. <S> Throw way the slot screw that comes with the anchor, and use a robertson of equal or shorter length. <S> If you are in the part of the world where robertson screws are unavailable, use a phillips. <S> Pressing firmly, slowly drive the screw in. <A> I see you used something similar to this Wall anchor link to Google Images <S> Except it looks like you were trying to do it by hand <S> , that's rough... <S> you definitely need a power tool for both the anchor and the screw that would go in the center. <S> You dont need to have anything behind the drywall for it to attach to, they were designed to make an empty drywall space that's missing a stud sturdy enough to hang or hold something like a picture or shelf If you hit something behind the wall <S> and it wasnt detected by the stud finder <S> , then your stud finder might not be calibrated correctly or theres thermal insulation between the finder and the drywall, either way the best and safest solution to proceed any further would be to purchase an endoscope to see what's lurking behind the wall. <S> You might be able to determine what it is just by sticking a long nail in there to see if it moves at all, because the last thing you want to do is run a screw into an electrical wire. <S> If you jam a screw in there by hand does it feel different or does it feel like a solid piece of wood. <A> There is likely a beam and additional framing over the door providing load support for the upper portion of wall and roof. <S> You should be able to screw or nail into wood with no need for fancy anchors here.
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If you have air behind your existing hole, go back to your favorite big box store and get the "Toggler Snaptoggle".
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Help with hot/neutral outlet - false reading? I recently bought an older house and on one of the circuits every outlet (7 outlets spread out over two rooms) gives a "hot/neutral reverse" reading when I use a circuit tester. I looked at each outlet and each one has the correct wiring colors (black to brass, white to silver, and copper to green). Then I measured the voltages using a DMM, and I get the following results (on every outlet): hot to neutral: 120V, hot to ground: 0V (!) and neutral to ground: 120V (!). Then lastly I used a non-contact voltage reader and on every outlet it lights up on BOTH the ground and the hot wires, but not on the neutral wires. Why would the ground wires be live? Update: thanks for all your responses so far. I used a circuit analyzer and found some more details 1) analyzer also says it's a hot neutral reverse 2) ground to neutral shows 33.5 volts rms 3) ground to hot shows 121V RMS 4) ELL (estimated line load) is weirdly high, 20 amps when there's nothing plugged into any of the outlets (no fans or anything similar on the circuit either). 5) voltage drop is higher than it should be, highest reading was 11% drop for 20 amps 6) impedance is high too, hot reading impedance was 0.67 ohms. I scheduled an appointment with a professional electrician since the knowledge from my college circuits course and some googling is feeling tapped out. I'll update this post with whatever the pro finds. <Q> Then find every other device on that breaker and check the wiring there. <S> the bad connection could be behind a light switch or in a ceiling box. <A> I was also thinking you were checking outlets downstream from one that was incorrectly wired, just as @Mattman944 had suggested. <S> I would definitely try to identify where the power is coming into the room from the panel i.e. the "home run" and ensure the hot is coming off the appropriate breaker (size & type for the room) and the neutral is tied to ground bar ( <S> if this if the main panel), and all those colors are in fact correct. <S> How old of a house are we talking? <S> Is this all copper Romex, or old 2-conductor knob&tube? <A> First lets ignore the non-contact voltage readings. <S> The most common reason for reading "hot to neutral: <S> 120V, hot to ground: <S> 0V (!) <S> and neutral to ground: 120V". <S> Would be a broken ground, and since you live in an older dwelling this may be an addition or repair and whom ever installed it has not run the ground back to the panel. <S> Your neutral to ground reading is probably a reference voltage being read through a remote piece of equipment like a motor. <S> Or more plainly a difference of potential between the neutral connected to the panel bus and the ground which is not. <S> As everyone else has already stated. <S> Check the polarity all the way back to the panel and run through the circuit to see if you can find the broken ground. <S> I have in my lifetime, seen houses wired with the white conductor attached to the breaker and <S> the black connected to the neutral bus. <S> Rare but not impossible. <S> Good luck
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Find the breaker for those outlets and check that the neutral live and ground are correctly connected in the panel.
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How can I prevent a shower curtain from drifting into the shower's occupant? The problem to be resolved When taking a shower, the curtain sneaks closer and closer to my body and finally, it bites my butt, which is immensely unpleasant. One person in the household lacks balance due to medical issues and can fall to the floor on occasion. Special restriction Due to medical considerations, it's not possible to mount a rail on the floor. Whatever solution there is, it has to be above-floor concept. If absolutely nothing else works, it might be something that doesn't create a threshold or significant elevation. Solutions that won't work Installing a rail on the floor will stop someone in the household from accessing the shower. Fixed wall over a part of the access way and/or partial rail will create a too narrow access path heavily impacting on the ease of use. Schematics of the facility The bathroom has the shower part by the far-end wall, across the whole wall, not in the corner. The person stands/sits with the back to the wall opposite to the wall with the faucet. On the right side, there's a wall with a window then. On the left, open space with toilet and sink. Ideas for solution I was thinking about a much heavier curtain but I fear that it will still sneak up my donkey. Another idea would be a magnet in the wall that the curtain connects to. I suspect that the middle part would still "baloon inwards". The request/question What would be a nifty way to approach this matter? Can any of my ideas be set up in a functioning way? Anything else that I should consider? I'm trusting that there's a nice way to resolve it because people generally have butts and most of them shower. <Q> This is at least easy to try: Go to a place that makes vertical blinds. <S> Pick up some 3/4" diameter disk magnets. <S> Put plate on one side of curtain, and a magnet on the other. <S> If this works, then buy a can of that vinyl goop <S> that you dip tool handles in. <S> Dip the plates into the goup. <S> This will keep them from rusting, and if they swing against the wall tile they won't leave a mark. <S> The weights are easily transferred when you install a new curtain. <S> If you have a delicate finish on your tub, you may want to change the style of your weights to reduce the chance of scratching: <S> Weights have beads of silicon seal on them. <S> Or use rubber drawer bumpers <S> (See Lee Valley Tools) <A> Curved curtain rods virtually eliminate this problem. <S> I installed one in each of my last two homes and consider them a standard thing now. <S> Note that you need good backing due to the potential for significant torque on the brackets. <S> I wouldn't trust a mounting with just hollow wall anchors on both ends. <S> One, maybe. <A> Shower curtain weights <S> The weights for your shower curtain can help prevent from billowing on and keep it in place to get more shower space for you. <S> You can position them on bottom or further up depending on what works best for you. <S> Features & details <S> • <S> Shower Curtain Magnets <S> : The magnet is glued on the crystal glass, total 3 pairs (6 packs) <S> • <S> N40 Super Strong Magnets: <S> Stick into each other to keep curtain in place by added weights, no sliding down even if used for double curtains <S> • <S> Fit in all Tubs <S> : Place one on each other side of curtain and provide a strong grip to hold well, fitted in any tubs <S> no matter what is metal or not(e.g. porcelain) <S> • <S> Portable & Reusable: Cary easily to use in hotel, home and others outside <S> • <S> No Sticking Together <S> : Don't need to place them at different heights, no sticking together when closing or opening the curtain/liner <A> As another suggestion, you might look at converting the entire bathroom into a shower, in essence (aka doorless shower or walk-in shower). <S> This would involve a couple of things: you'd need to make sure that water coming from the shower would go down the drain, so you'd need a very slight incline towards the drain. <S> You'd also need to make sure that everything in the bathroom could handle getting wet. <S> You'd also probably need to heat the area more. <S> There's also a lack of privacy, potentially. <S> But you remove the need for a curtain, and make it more accessible.
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To prevent the curtain from falling out and leaving you with a wet mess: Horizontally align the brackets roughly with the inner face of the tub Vertically position the brackets so that, with your choice of curtain rings, the bottom edge of the curtain falls just above the tub floor Buy a handful of the steel plates they use to keep them hanging straight.
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Can you "refresh" half-dried concrete just by mixing in water? I mixed a wheelbarrow load of concrete (sand, cement, water) this morning, but before I could use most of it, I got called away and didn't get back until this evening, like 7-8 hours later. By now the concrete is half set - very stiff and dry and has to be almost scraped out so it can't really be used. But I find if I add a little water and mix, it's back to the same consistency as when I first mixed it this morning. This saves a bit of work and cement / sand. My question is, is it any good at this stage (being used for laying patio slabs) or I should I just dump it and mix a new batch? <Q> Depends on what it will be used for as the reaction has already started. <S> If it is for fence posts it will be fine, if it is for a smooth drive then not. <A> The water is part of a chemical reaction that hardens the mixture over time. <S> Once the concrete starts to get thick and lumpy, that chemical reaction is well under way. <S> Adding more water and mixing will possibly make it smooth again, but all those bonds that have started to form will be broken apart and will not form again. <S> Of course many new bonds will form and the concrete will get hard again, but once it is over-watered it will never be as strong as it could have been. <S> Does that matter? <S> Well if you really need the strength of the concrete it matters a lot. <S> When pouring structural concrete there are well defined limits of how much water can be added and how long the mix can sit in a truck. <S> After that point, the whole load is ruined and won't be strong enough. <S> For a back-yard job of setting pavers, it's probably fine. <S> Just thought I'd give you some background of what was really going on. <A> In a variety of materials, you have two different things happening on two separate tracks. <S> Drying, reducer (e.g. Water) evaporating, soaking into the substrate or being consumed by curing, and Curing, the chemical reaction turning it from materials X and Y, into material Z. Wetness of concrete does need to be carefully managed during the curing process, just look at Blancolirio's reportage of the Oroville dam reconstruction and all the backflips they had to do to get reliable cure in the high heat and low humidity. <S> The problem is you reset the drying process, but the concrete is already well on its way through the curing process, and now there's a mismatch. <S> Concrete is sensitive to that. <S> Expect poor binding and the stuff to not act more like packed earth than concrete. <S> In the future, don't ever expect that to work!
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One thing to consider is that concrete doesn't really "dry" like mud.
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Should window headers be set against the top plate or at rough opening height? I've been building load bearing walls with the header located at the top of the desired window or door opening, but have had a couple people comment on how I should be putting the header directly below the top plate to save time. I find it actually takes more time to come back later and toenail a horizontal 2x6 exactly where I want the window or door opening to be and then later curse myself when I want to attach j channel or 5/4 trim on the top portion of the window since the window flange uses up most of the 2x6 I have used for the opening. It seems this doesn't matter in terms of structural support as long as people put in the cripples below the plate and above the header to connect the load transfer. Is there any other reason I should consider keeping the headers at the very top of the walls? I did read that span ratings vary if the header is connected to the top plate vs only connected to the king stud and cripples. <Q> I was taught to put them slightly above the opening and blocking between the header and top plate. <S> But have seen others do it at the top. <S> For a small opening I doubt that it matters but for larger windows I would want my header close to the window for stability especially in a windy area. <A> This is entirely a matter of personal preference in most cases, coming down to your workflow and jobsite conditions. <S> Potential benefits to low headers: <S> Better lateral stability for long openings (wind flex, door slam wiggle) <S> Better backing for curtains, etc. <S> Easier wall lifting (lower center of gravity) <S> Less lumber used (long openings call for doubled plates at top of R.O. if header is high) Potential benefits to high headers: <S> Flexibility in rough-opening size and height when specs aren't yet known Better lateral stability (and therefore higher load limits) due to anchorage into floor or roof system <A> If you're doing temporary work or just know that down the line you might have other plans for the space. <S> Raising a header would be much more work than adjusting some jack studs.
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Another potential benefit to a higher header is greater ease if you ever need to change the window under it.
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Easy way of generating a 50-150W load @12V I need to test a battery for its remaining capacity and to do that, I need to generate a constant load to be able to measure how long it can sustain that load. I tried using a 330W load (290W shoe heater + 85%-ish efficient inverter), but I found out that it couldn't sustain that load for more than half an hour before the voltage was too low. Lower loads seemed to work, though, so I'll need to find a way of creating something that has constant load, but at a lower wattage. Now, this seems silly-stupid simple, right? Just find something that draws, say 100W and see if that works. Or 50W if that should fail. The problem is, I have a hard time finding anything with a constant power draw in the range 15W-300W. It's impossible to find light bulbs that are not LEDs anymore (1-2W instead of 50W), and my vacuum starts at 350W at the minimum setting. Nothing inbetween. So I guess I could hack my own? I'm not that great at electro-physics, but I understand it's possible to make some kind of super-basic heater: something with a high resistance causing a lot of thermal heat. I have no idea, though, how to make it work at 12V. Is this something I could hack together? Alternatively, are there common household appliances that can generate a constant load at 50-150W for hours without inducing mechanical failure of some sort? <Q> If you ask the right folks you can often get dual-filament bulbs (high/low beam) with one filament broken for free. <A> You don't need to step up to mains voltage, in fact for experimenting it's best not to. <S> There are such things as 12V car fan heaters that are typically 120-150W. <S> Or you can buy wire-wound load resistors . <S> A 3 Ω resistor would dissipate 48 W at 12 V, so wiring 3 in parallel would work and allow you to adjust the load. <S> I'd buy 100 W-rated models <S> rather than 50 W, which would get rather hot. <S> Either way they should be screwed to a big heatsink or lump of metal, and connected using cables/connectors/switches rated for the current. <S> If you really want to use an inverter, halogen floodlights are still available. <S> The one I've linked is 120W 230V. <S> Another mains option is one or more low power tube heaters. <S> They range from 40 W up to about 150 W and are typically used to provide background heat against freezing in outbuildings etc. <S> Halogen lamps would be cheaper though. <S> (UK links because that's what Google assumes I want) <A> For 12V DC, you are probably looking for halogen bulbs, not incandescent. <S> You should be able to get a few hundred watts of 12v halogen bulbs for about $10 online, and you could even get them in units of 20W <S> or so if you want to refine your testing. <A> As you know the battery voltage will fall as its charge depletes. <S> Depending on how constant you want the load to be it may need to self-adjust to hold a steady load (wattage). <S> Ham radio enthusiasts routinely require a "dummy load" for testing radio transmitters without actually transmitting anything. <S> These are basically high-power 50 ohm resistors. <S> On its own a 50 ohm resistor won't do much for you. <S> Connected directly to the 12 V supply it'll consume only V^2/R=2.9 watts. <S> However, if you put a dc-dc boost converter between the battery and the dummy load, then you can push some serious power into it. <S> The power level can be adjusted indirectly by adjusting the output voltage of the boost converter. <S> A search for '100 v dc boost converter' on eBay or Amazon yields many options. <A> Officially what you are actually asking for is a constant current sink: something which uses the same current even if the voltage drops. <S> A light-bulb does that somewhat as it has a PTC thermistor characteristic <S> (The resistance increases when it gets hot). <S> If you really want constant current you would need to build something electronically. <S> That is probably beyond what you want (too complex and too expensive) but I am mentioning it anyway as there <S> maybe others who want/need a top-notch solution. <S> Two solutions spring to mind: <S> 1/ <S> Build a real constant current circuit. <S> This is the most accurate and most complex. <S> You can find electronic diagrams using the search term "constant current load" and select images. <S> You probably have to build your own as complete ones are only uses in electronic labs and thus will cost waaaay too much. <S> Also it will have to burn away <S> 150Watts <S> * <S> so think big! <S> 2/ <S> Build/buy a linear 150W 5Volt (which is about 150/5=30Amps) supply. <S> They are a lot more common. <S> To draw a current of X ampere you connect a resistor of 5/X Ohm. <S> Thus for 5V and 1A you use a 5 ohm 5 Watt resistor. <S> The trick is that the supply will use up the rest of the wattage * and adapt if the input voltage drops. <S> It behaves like a constant current load until the input voltage gets too low, probably around 6V at which point your battery voltage is too low to be any use. <S> * and will get very, very hot. <S> You will need a fan and/or a big heat-sink. <A> There are 'off the shelf' battery tester/electronic loads which handle up to 20 A/150 W at a fairly nominal price (considering that they have some degree of monitoring built in) - assuming that you are not really interested in designing your own here. <S> These use some sort of power FET coupled with a fan/heatsink and constant current control. <S> For clarity, this is exactly the sort of device where I would buy a low cost, bare PCB style product and import directly (for ~€20) rather than look for a traditional lab instrument. <A> $855-watt https://www.harborfreight.com/12-volt-halogen-vehicle-work-light-93904.html <S> $11130-watt <S> https://www.amazon.com/HELLA-H3-130W-High-Wattage/dp/B00IKMCEEU stay away from LED. <S> I think halogen bulbs will be the most power consuming buy many wire in parallel for higher load. <A> For testing, you can use normal 120V bulbs, just make sure they are the old incandescent kind. <S> I would just connect a 60 watt bulb or two.
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A boost converter that can reach 100 V output from 12 V input will do two things for you: it'll pump 100^2/50=200 watts into the load, and it'll maintain that power as the battery voltage falls. Automotive headlamps are the obvious, easy 12V choice, being typically in the 45-55W range (don't get LED headlamps.)
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Why does a single pole tandem breaker allow connecting the switch handles? Specifically I am looking at a QOTO2020: You can see what seem to be holes in the handles for a connection pin. On a single pole breaker I can't think of an application where you would want both independent circuits to switch off in the event of a fault on one of them. Unlike a 2 pole (USA) breaker where you would want both legs to go off in unison. What use would be pinning the two handles together? Or are those holes not for that purpose? <Q> The question isn't whether the breakers are able to accept a connecting pin. <S> The question is whether the manufacturer makes a UL-listed handle tie for those pins. <S> I would bet they do not . <S> There might be a reason to handle-tie the inner breakers of two adjacent duplex breakers; i.e. In an A1 A2 B1 B2 arrangement, tying A2 to B1. <S> That would be for the normal uses of handle-ties, e.g. Multi-wire branch circuits and 240V-only loads. <S> Also keep in mind, handle ties <S> do not assure common trip; multi-pole breakers have an internal mechanism which does that. <S> (Which also means a multi-pole breaker is much more than two singles bolted together). <A> You need to tie breakers together in certain scenarios. <S> One common scenario was 15 amp kitchen plugs in certain jurisdictions where on a single device you have severed the outlet tie and have two circuits powering the single device. <A> It's to make what are called "quad" breakers, where you have two twins side-by-side, creating 2 two-pole breakers out of 2 slots instead of 4 (or, as in the photo below, one 2 pole + two 1 pole). <A> if you put it next to another similar breaker you can have a 240V circuit where they abut. <S> That is, you can join one handle to the neighbor breakers handle to make a two pole breaker
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The purpose of handle ties is common maintenance shutoff, needed for 240V loads (which can have each leg separately fused), MWBCs (so you don't get nailed by the other leg), and 2 circuits on 1 yoke (ditto). When working on the outlet you want to flip the breaker and not be able to have half of the device live. YOU cannot do this on you own, you would have to buy them AS quad breakers, but when they make the twins, they make them all the same.
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Saw metal conduit even with the floor? I need to remove this metal conduit or at least bring it even with the floor. I don't need to worry about preserving the wires inside the conduit. I only have a little hacksaw, but I'm open to buying other tools if needed. What's the best way to get rid of this conduit so that it's even with or below the floor? <Q> If you did, you would just disassemble it - find the nearest coupler, uncouple it, and remove the pipe. <S> You're not supposed to leave orphan wires, though. <A> Try a reciprocating saw with a blade designed for metal. <S> Big brand name is Sawzall but all the major tool companies have them. <S> They are available both corded and battery powered. <A> maybe you can get the hackaw blade (without the handle) into the hole beside the pipe and then saw through it holding the blade in you hand, in locking pliers, or in a special blade handle. <A> <A> 4.5" angle grinder. <S> Pick one up at harbor freight for $15. <S> They are so cheap I just keep 3 around with different thickness discs attached instead of fumbling to change them. <S> If one dies you have spares. <S> The other tools - oscillating/reciprocating/ <S> dremel generally are going to be more expensive, slower, and harder to get a flush cut. <S> While I tend to buy cheap grinders I don't recommend cheaping out on the other tools.
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A dremel with a metal cutting wheel will work. Remember to remove these orphan wires entirely; all the way back to the previous junction box (or past it, if they go past it). I'm assuming you don't have access to the backside of this conduit.
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Can I add handle ties to QO tandem breakers? This is a follow up to Why does a single pole tandem breaker allow connecting the switch handles? which was asking what circumstances handle-tied tandem breakers would ever be useful. (There are some good reasons.) Some answers to that question raised the issue: is it actually "permissible" to tie two QO tandem breakers together yourself? Such as a QOTO2020. By permissible I mean: strictly allowed by the manufacturer & therefore to code. (I'm sure you could rig something up but if you want to do it by the book & know that it is safe, that may not cut it.) <Q> This is OK, as the manufacturer has a specific part for this job Handle-tying the two inner half-breakers in a pair of (modern style) <S> QO tandem breakers is legal, no different than handle-tying two full-size breakers save for a change in part number: instead of a QO1HT (the normal QO handle tie), you need a QOTHT instead (image from Square-D's product page): <A> The information I have been able to find seems inconsistent / incomplete. <S> (Square D / Schneider Electric), which is part QO1HT . <S> However the documentation is sparse and doesn't state which specific breakers this is meant for. <S> I was expecting an exact listing, much like you would see for a panel calling out which breakers you could use. <S> A catalog document does state <S> " Converts any two adjacent 120/240 Vac 1P QO circuit breakers to independent trip 2P. <S> " Based on that you might assume its OK to use their handle tie with any single pole QO breaker. <S> But there is contradictory information. <S> At least I found a comment posted by the manufacturer to a customer question stating: From SchneiderCustomerCare: April 27, 2016 ... <S> the QO1HTCP is only for the QO load centers. <S> We offer the HOM1HT for the Homeline. <S> However neither will tie Tandem breakers together. <S> We do not offer a breaker tie for your requested application . <S> ( source ) <S> (Not sure why they use a slightly different product # in that comment, though it seems like the same thing. <S> Might be because it is sold in a qty > 1). <S> So if in doubt, probably a call to the manufacturer would be in order. <S> And though this is just about QO breakers <S> I'd be circumspect about any brand / model unless the instructions are crystal clear. <A> By permissible <S> I mean: strictly allowed by the manufacturer & therefore to code. <S> Code has no problem with handle-tying. <S> The issue is whether the manufacturer will offer it and will UL list it. <S> Those two processes do the vetting as to whether it is safe. <S> (I'm sure you could rig something up <S> but if you want to do it by the book & know that it is safe, that may not cut it.) <S> Exactly... <S> If the manufacturer doesn't offer it, there's a fair chance it cannot be made safe. <S> They wouldn't put themselves at a market disadvantage if they didn't have to. <S> If they do offer it, shrug, might as well use it. <S> You can also try a "Classified" breaker, for instance if QO won't offer it, try Siemens QD or Eaton CHQ.
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For QO breakers there is a handle tie from the manufacturer
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Pros and cons of plastic/gravel shed bases vs concrete base I'm going to have a 10x8ft shed installed in my back garden. I'm wondering if I should pay someone to put in a concrete slab base or use one of those interlocking gravel filled bases you can get. I've searched around the web and can't seem to find much information about the pros and cons of using one of the plastic bases - the pros are that I can install this myself and it'll probably be cheaper. Obviously concrete will be stronger, but would it make much difference? I'm not going to putting any really heavy equipment in the shed, but at the same time I want it to last at least 15 years (same as shed warranty). Perhaps someone with some experience can help here (I have none). Plastic base example product <Q> I would definitely recommend gravel for the primary reason that it will drain moisture away from the shed more quickly than concrete. <S> As far as the plastic grid+gravel method, I don't really have firsthand experience with that style of foundation; I'm more familiar with installing a treated wood perimeter filled with compacted gravel to place the shed on. <S> There's a pretty good how-to guide at https://www.siteprep.com/how-to-install-a-gravel-shed-foundation/ <S> and they have a video guide embedded as well. <A> Concrete is impervious to insects and other critters, it is very clean once fully cured, and will not warp or buckle if installed correctly. <S> Of course, concrete is also very expensive and can be upwards of $10 a sqft and should normally be professionally installed unless you're a pretty advanced DIY'er. <S> It's easier for moisture to get in. <S> Gravel will keep out larger pests, but insects can find their way in. <S> Dust will be a lingering issue but if you start with clean gravel it shouldn't be terrible. <S> It will be more likely to move since it's not one solid panel of material. <S> The plastic panels can be a good choice for a light-duty shed and will give it a more natural feel. <S> Which should you choose? <S> Well, I can't tell you that, but hopefully this info helps. <A> One alternative to concrete would be soil cement. <S> The basic principle is that you mix 5-10% of portland cement with the soil, add water then compact it. <S> This reduces both cost and environmental impact. <S> Depending on the use case and type of soil, you could probably get away with just compacting the soil. <S> To get around the moisture problem you could use concrete plinth's in the corners and mount the shed on those to elevate it off the ground. <S> If you have a small gap between the ground and shed, there should be sufficient ventilation to counter any moisture issues. <S> You would add gravel in the places where the shed walls meet the ground. <A> I did something similar awhile a back <S> but I used concrete piers instead. <S> Since I live in an area where the ground never freezes <S> I didn't have to think about frost lines <S> so I didn't have to very deep. <S> This was kind of a go between the costs. <S> The slab is nice as you'll have your floor already. <S> With a pier system you have to build the floor as well. <A> I have used 1-inch-thick flagstones under plastic sheds before; I find the flagstones secondhand at a good price on some neighborhood trading website, I can transport and place them myself with moderate labor, and they fit tightly together and give a pretty good feel under the shed's built-in plastic floor. <S> I rake the ground bare and adjust the dirt for level/flatness before placing the flagstones.
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Gravel bases and gravel filled plastic can be a good alternative, but they have a few downsides. I dislike making permanent things unnecessarily, and the flagstones can easily be taken up and sold or given away when the shed is eventually removed.
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How much weight can a 2 by 4 support in this configuration? I'm using dimensional lumber ( whitewood ) from Home Depot. https://www.homedepot.com/b/Lumber-Composites-Dimensional-Lumber/N-5yc1vZc3tc It is just a 4 foot by 8 foot rectangle with a center vertical piece and a center horizontal piece. I am hoping to put a 1/4" plywood on top to make a small structure to hold 500 to 1000 lbs. If 2 by 4s are not strong enough I could used 2 by 6 or 2 by 8. I'm trying to keep the design very simple. There will be a caster/wheel at each corner were the weight is transferred to. <Q> The 2x4's are also the problem. <S> You want to support this from casters only on the corners. <S> That means you need an 8 foot span, as well as a 4 foot cross-span, and you need to keep all this rigid so it doesn't spread and lose strength. <S> Half of the structure is the wood to carry the weight. <S> The other half is to keep the first half from twisting or spreading when the weight is applied. <S> 2 <S> by anything isn't going to work lain flat. <S> You'll need to stand these tall <S> and I would go with 2x6 myself. <S> I would create two box structures on either side of the frame running the long way. <S> How do I describe this? <S> Start with two 2x6's <S> that are 7'9" long, set on edge and parallel to each other, and about 8" gap between them. <S> Got it? <S> Under load, these beams will want to twist, spread or lay over. <S> We don't want that. <S> So we put stuff between them. <S> Spacers made out of more 2x6 material 8" long. <S> In the middle we set those vertically, making a tall "H", except we need more than one cross-spacer. <S> Near the ends, different deal. <S> We lay the spacers horizontally - and this is what we attach the casters to. <S> We can position these spacers up or down as needed to set the desired height for the platform. <S> Got it? <S> We build two of these. <S> Now we get two 4' 2x6's. <S> These will become the end caps. <S> Lay the box structures parallel <S> so their outsides are 4' apart, and attach them to the end caps. <S> That leaves a big, thin 2 foot by 8 foot rectangle in the middle with no support whatsoever. <S> Another 2x6 joist would suffice there, or even a 2x4 if weight is a worry. <S> Now the framing is done. <S> The top plywood is very important. <S> It's not just a hole filler. <S> It also provides structural stiffness to keep the whole thing from skewing or spreading. <S> So 1/4" will certainly not cut it. <S> Given that we now have joist support every 12" or so, 1/2" will probably do. <A> The 2x4s are not the problem. <S> The plywood is the problem. <S> That will make it a lot heavier - but also a lot sturdier. <S> Since you are putting it on casters, the weight of the plywood should not be a big deal but also make sure the casters are rated for the total weight (1,000 lbs+). <A> http://www.pacificwoodlaminates.com/img/PDFs/APA/APA_LoadSpanTables.pdf Table 2 Face grain PARALLEL to supports <S> At 1000#/32sf = 31.25 psf (pounds/square foot)Therefore, you will require at least 5/8 (Bending = 37) <S> Note: <S> Bending means how much it can support if you don't care how much it will sag. <S> L/360 - L/180 are measure of stiffness used if you were going to use it as flooring vs. roofing. <S> @isherwood is correct in saying if the load is structural enough to be able to transmit the weight directly to the 2x4s without bearing on the plywood (e.g. a cabinet), then all the plywood is doing is holding the 2x4s square. <S> However, I would still use 5/8" just in case anybody stepped on this thing. <S> BTW going to 2x6s will not help in this situation. <S> Also I believe you will need six casters. <S> one at each end of the bottom 2x4s. <A> I would use two 4x4s in the long dimension, or maybe 2x6s if you can stand the height. <S> The 4x4s have more width and will be easier to attach casters to. <S> Definitely not 1/4" plywood <S> , it has no structural strength at all. <S> It is used for cabinet backs and similar applications. <S> You want at least 5/8". <S> Unless your floor is really smooth, there will be a lot of stress between the lower and upper structural members when you roll it and hit a bump. <S> They need to be connected very well. <S> Edit <S> : calculation for one 2x6 flat. <S> I wouldn't want much more than 1 inch of deflection, you can decide how much is acceptable to you. <S> I am an Electrical Engineer, not a structural engineer, never risk your life based on what I say. <S> My qualifications (besides general DIY): I got an "A" in Statics 40 years ago. <S> I strongly recommend measuring the deflection yourself as others have said in the other question.
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I would go for a minimum 1/2" plywood, possibly even 3/4". 8' is a long way for three 2x4s to span without sagging a lot.
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Is wiring laying alongside an attic access opening a code violation or safety concern? I have a new house nearing completion in Manning, South Carolina, with all non-metallic jacket wire. However, the scuttle holes for two retractable stairs and attic lift had wires blocking access until I pointed it out, so the electrical sub just pulled the wires drum-tight to the edge of the opening. This means it's always the first thing you step on going up, and likely what someone will snag their foot on for a 15-foot free-fall to the concrete floor on the way down. This includes the primary service to the house with a pair of jacketed 4-4-4 cables for the 400-amp service under your feet in the first step into the attic. The entire attic storage space is completely covered with a massive web of 8-3 and 12-2 wire where subs have slid the walkway and storage area OSB under the wires, meaning that the only place to walk or store anything is on top of the wiring. Because of the size of the larger wires, it becomes a fall hazard if the floor is raised to clear them due to the increased step height of the top step to the attic floor. I just don't see how this could possibly meet any electrical or fire safety code. Nothing in the house was immune to this level of incompetency from the ground, up. Any ideas? <Q> This sounds like an issue from a physical damage standpoint While the NM cable only needs to be protected by guard strips if it's within 6' of a scuttle hole in your case, as per NEC 320.23(A) (referred to by NEC 334.23): <S> (A) <S> Cables <S> Run <S> Across the Top of Floor Joists. <S> Where run across the top of floor joists, or within 2.1 m (7 ft) of the floor or floor joists across the face of rafters or studding, the cable shall be protected by guard strips that are at least as high as the cable. <S> Where this space is not accessible by permanent stairs or ladders, protection shall only be required within 1.8 m (6 ft) of the nearest edge of the scuttle hole or attic entrance. <S> your attic seems to be intended as a storage space. <S> As a result of this, the exposed cabling you describe in your OP would be subject to physical damage, which would require protection from physical damage as per NEC 300.4: 300.4 Protection Against Physical Damage. <S> and 334.15(B): <S> (B) Protection from Physical Damage. <S> Cable shall be protected from physical damage where necessary by rigid metal conduit, intermediate metal conduit, electrical metallic tubing, Schedule 80 PVC conduit, Type RTRC marked with the suffix -XW, or other approved means. <S> Where passing through a floor, the cable shall be enclosed in rigid metal conduit, intermediate metal conduit, electrical metallic tubing, Schedule 80 PVC conduit, Type RTRC marked with the suffix -XW, or other approved means extending at least 150 mm (6 in.) <S> above the floor. <S> Type NMC cable installed in shallow chases or grooves in masonry, concrete, or adobe shall be protected in accordance with the requirements in 300.4(F) and covered with plaster, adobe, or similar finish. <A> Easiest way to protect them is to fasten a board to the floor <S> /joists on either side. <S> I would paint the boards a contrasting colour so they are highly visible. <S> Slightly harder, but probably even safer would be to split 1.5" waste pipe in half <S> lay it over the pipe, and secure it with pipe hanger tape (metal pipe with a hole per inch)on either side. <A> Technically I don't believe these violate the codes as they are written but they do seem to in spirit. <S> If any of these are bothering you, it is up to you to make them safer. <S> Add runways or shields to protect them or case them with split pipes - anything to get them out of harms way and keep you from tangling with them. <S> The codes are meant to provide guidelines for builders and it depends how the various contractors view their roles in the process but money talks
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Where subject to physical damage, conductors, raceways, and cables shall be protected.
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1AWG with a smaller breaker? I am thinking about having an electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) installed.In the interest of future proofing for an electric pickup truck coming on the market about a year from now, i would like to have 1 AWG wire installed for 100 amps @ 240 Volts (residential).But my EVSE today is only supposed to draw 32 amps @ 240 Volts, so would it be safe to have wiring installed that is intended for up to 100 amps, and use a 40 amp breaker today incase the current 32 amp evse decides to malfunction, the smaller circuit breaker would trip at 40 amps, and switch out the breaker to 100 amps when the time comes ? Thank You. <Q> However, a dramatic upsize introduces two complications. <S> the much-larger wire will not fit on the device. <S> It will need to be pigtailed to a suitably sized wire, such as a 6 AWG. <S> When dealing with #1 wire, it's not as simple as using a giant orange wire-nut the size of a salt shaker. <S> You have to use a connector such as a Polaris, which is an insulated lug terminal. <S> You could also use uninsulated lug terminals or split bolts, if you don't mind lashing it under unbelievable amounts of electrical tape. <S> You do need to insulate neutrals. <S> You are probably dealing with aluminum wire (I hope) <S> You just have to take care to use terminations rated for aluminum; a Polaris is fine, however I would not use a split bolt unless the smaller wire is also aluminum. <S> Aluminum is fine to use at these sizes. <S> But yes, definitely lay the heavier wire. <S> In that case, the pigtail adapters for the larger wire might be more expensive than just doing the whole run in the smaller wire. <S> It could be changed for the larger wire later. <A> You can run larger cable and use a smaller breaker but not the other way around. <S> If your planning on 1 AWG for 100 Amps then you're talking about aluminum cable. <S> You'll have to pigtail at both ends to a 8 AWG because the 1 AWG won't fit in the 40 Amp breaker or receptacle. <S> That future 100 Amp load could be a strain on your panel so check into that along with your other planning. <A> Yes, having larger wire is always fine. <S> You should consider using aluminum wire for a run this big, if you are presently looking at copper.
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Sure, you can always upsize the wire. Depending what size wire the terminals on the 40 amp breaker are listed for you might need a pigtail of wire that fits that breaker connected to your 1 AWG, but that's a common problem with a straightforward solution. Generally all terminations sized for #1 wire are aluminum friendly; why wouldn't they, since aluminum is normal and expected at these sizes. The only case where I wouldn't is if the wire was in conduit, and the run is very short.
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Disposal container for muriatic acid I need to do work with muriatic acid and was wondering if storing the waste (12 Oz of acid per gallon of water) is okay to do in a regular plastic 5 gal bucket. My concern is whether the acid could melt the plastic then spill out. Should I get a metal bucket just in case? <Q> As it's "waste acid" throw in a box or two of baking soda <S> and you'll neutralize it <S> right then and there. <S> Preferably outside due to the release of carbon dioxide. <S> Or use marble/limestone chips or dust. <A> Do not use metal! <S> That goes for any acid. <S> Generally its pretty easy to find good resources on plastic manufacturers websites. <S> Try here. <S> (muriatic acid = <S> Hydrochloric acid) <S> https://www.plasticsintl.com/chemical-resistance-chart <S> This chart gives data for 0.4M and 4M. <S> If this is waste acid, you are probably more in the range of 0.4 <S> but you might as well not take any chances. <S> Home depot buckets are most likely HDPE which is pretty good according to this chart, but you should verify. <S> It should have a #2 recycling symbol if it's HDPE. <S> You may also find PVC (#3), or polypropylene(#5) containers which also do well. <S> Pretty much everything else on the list is either not suitable for acids, not generally used for containers or high weight polymers used in more specialized applications and you aren't likely to find them at a local hardware store. <S> NUTRALIZATION (read me, keep your eyes) <S> I also wanted to add that if you are dealing with a reasonably concentrated acid, neutralization may not be as safe and straightforward as you might think. <S> If you must neutralize, do it slowly, with googles and gloves. <A> Plastic vessel. <S> Add a base, easiest is barn lime (white is better), garden lime. <S> Both have fine particles. <S> Dilute your liquid with water, at least to 2/3 of the vessel. <S> SLOWLY add lime. <S> This process releases CO CO2? <S> and H use good ventilation! <S> Add a bit more lime after percolation stops. <S> Now you have Lime water. <S> Add to your garden!
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A metal bucket is much MORE prone to be attacked by acids in general than most plastics, especially those commonly used for buckets.
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Any Way To Run A New 3" Pipe INSIDE An Existing 6" Pipe & Have The 3" Pipe In A Fixed Position Inside Is there any way to run a brand new 3" water line pipe through the inside of an existing 6" water line pipe. I want to make sure that the 3" pipe is not rattling around inside the 6" pipe. Any way to keep it in a fixed position as well? <Q> There are products called "pipe casing spacers" which can be used for such a purpose. <S> I'm not meaning to endorse this particular brand <S> but this is an example of such a device: Pipe Casing Spacer <S> A drawback, however, is that the original line will be significantly blocked by the combination of the new pipe plus the spacers, so if you need to maintain flow in it, what you get will be quite a bit less than what you currently have. <A> It would not be important that it is suspended evenly in the larger pipe, it would only matter than it can't move in there. <A> Depending on your very vaguely specified needs, there are plastic products made to keep well water lines (typically 1 or 1.25 inch) <S> (roughly) centered in the bore of a drilled well, fairly inexpensively. <S> Few are sized for a 3 inch pipe, though.
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If the only reason to do this is to prevent "rattling" of the smaller pipe inside, meaning you are NOT going to use the 6" pipe for anything else, then you can just fill the annular space with expanding foam.
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How can I seal 8 inch round holes in my siding? There is a nor'Easter coming today. What's a quick fix? My first home and just closed a few days ago! Help please. The hole is 8 inches in diameter or so. <Q> I would procure a sheet of aluminum or steel (available at home improvement and hardware stores), fold a suitable hem at the bottom, and slide it up behind both courses of siding (above and below the holes). <S> Friction will probably keep it in place for the short term, but you could dab some silicone behind to lock it in. <S> | |<-- upper siding <S> course| <S> | __| ||| ||__||| |<-- lower siding course <S> || <S> | <S> ||x <S> | ||x <S> | < <S> -- hole location ||x | <S> || <S> | <S> ||__|| <S> |____|<-- hemmed sheet <S> If you fit this well and paint it it could actually be a finished repair. <S> Insulate behind first. <S> Keep in mind that the top edge of the sheet will be exposed in the siding gap above, so you might seal that with caulk or lap another sheet all the way up to and behind the course above. <A> If you don’t have a binder or a thin piece of plastic , cover a piece of card board with a trash bag and slip it under the upper shingle. <S> These are both quick fixes that should act like a shingle until you can replace that one. <S> Not trying to scare you but is that asbestos shingles? <S> If a newer home mid 70’s or newer it may be a cement type product it did not look like wood to me. <A> I would buy the similar 8 inch vents that were removed, insulate them properly to match wall insulation, and install as dummy vents. <A> For the smaller holes you could buy a piece of PVC and stick it in there and then glue a cap to it. <S> Then exterior caulk and you're done. <S> This way, if you need the holes afterward, you just cut the caulk back and pull the pipe out. <S> They look small enough you might be able to make do with one of the 2' sections they sell at your local hardware store. <S> The larger hole could be temporarily covered with 6 mil plastic. <S> I wouldn't try a trash bag against strong winds. <A> I would clean the surface and just use enough powertape (the silver one that's 5cm/2in wide) to cover the holes. <S> That should withstand the wind and percipation if you get a quality one. <S> At the same time, insulate from heat losses from the inside by any clothy material (if heat sinking could be an issue e.g. because of beds or office desks close to the hole on the inside. <A> Lol, get shingles from a lumber yard, match the paint <S> Oh, noreaster today. <S> Yeah, slide a sheet of plastic under the upper shingle, duct tape it down <A> <A> I would stuff a kitchen towel in the hole, then take a flat piece of plastic, like a gallon size zip-lock bag and duct tape it around the hole. <S> The duct tape will leave a residue when you remove it, so if you can use a lower strength that would be idea.
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I would use a pice of plastic like from a binder and slip it up under the upper shingle and tape it for a temporary quick fix. Spray foam hole piece of aluminum for outside and a piece of drywall on the inside or repair patch Home Depot sells it all. I would not use a towel as any moisture that gets on the towel will be wicked inside. 6 mil plastic sheeting is fairly easy to find in most areas.
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How to cut a perfect shape out of 4cm oak? I need to mount an undermount copper sink to our new kitchen surface. The surface is 4cm oak, which will be varnished with 12 coats of marine lacquer to protect the oak from water. What I want to achieve is to cut out a very precise hole for the sink (I should add the sink is rectangular with curved corners), such that the cut out wood can be reinserted as a lid over the sink for additional workspace. Elsewhere I cut out some rougher holes for domino hobs with a jigsaw but found it nigh on impossible to maintain straight and vertical edges. I guess a cut width of about 4 mm will be necessary. What tool or technique can I use to achieve my goal? <Q> Use a router with a centering bar. <S> A really fine finish can be achieved. <S> If you need a square or rectangular or different hole then bits of batten secured down can give you that shape... <A> If the sink is a drop in sink, you have about 1/2" to 3/4" (1-2 cm) rim that fits over the edge of the counter. <S> This makes the problem fairly easy, as 1/8" (3 mm) wanderings with your jig saw aren't a big deal. <S> If the sink is an undermount one, then you need a really precise hole, and if you are going to reuse the cutout as a lid you need a narrow kerf. <S> Make battens that are the router's baseplate radius away from the edges. <S> E,g, If your router as a 6" diameter base plate, the battens are placed 3" outside the marks for the cut out. <S> Don't forget to account for the diameter of the drill bit. <S> If you use a 1/8" bit this may mean the battens are 3 1/16" outsdie or 2 15/16 depending on whether your line is for the opening for the cutout. <S> You can hold the battens in place with double sided carpet tape. <S> You can't take the entire 4 cm in one pass. <S> I would suggest taking out half a cm per pass. <S> The inside should be supported too <S> so it doesn't tilt and tear as you do the last edge. <S> If the shape is other than a rectangle, then make a template. <S> You can can router bits with a bearing on them. <S> The bearing rolls along the edge of the template (so the template is bearing radius too small or too large for a centered line. <A> Continuing on the laser idea, consider water jets. <S> These are commonly used for cutting thick stacks of fabric without distortion to the material. <S> The trick here is finding a suitable machine. <S> Best of luck.
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To cut a rectangular hole, use a plunge router and a 1/8" bit.
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Cutting a 4.5m long 2x6 in half with a circular saw My question is about cutting 2x6 boards in half with a circular saw ("Skil"-saw). Now, I've looked around, and there are many sites describing how to cut off a small piece from a larger piece, the latter you want to keep. Most of them point out that you want to clamp the longer piece to a table or a sawhorse and let the small piece drop, to avoid the piece buckling down on the saw as the cut progresses, causing it to catch and kick back. Fair enough. However, I would like to cut a rather long piece (4.5m, or about 15') in half right in the middle, and keep both ends. I haven't seen anything that addresses this type of situation. I can't imagine I'll be able to keep half of that long piece floating in mid air, probably ripping the wood as the cut advances and less material is left between the two parts. On the other hand, if I hold it with a support, how do I avoid the weight of the saw from causing the cut to buckle in? <Q> My normal way to deal with this is to put 3 scraps of 2x4 on the floor. <S> One is on the longer board near the cut point. <S> One is at the end of the longer board, or at least halfway. <S> The third is not quit halfway down the short end. <S> This gives you 1.5" clearance. <S> When you make the cut, the short piece is trying to pivot upward at the saw, but the sole plate keeps it down. <S> If you support it at the end, it will try to drop instead, and the back end of the cut will twist. <S> No big deal with dimesion lumber, but can be a problem with 4x8 sheet goods. <S> So example: You are cutting a 16 foot board at 11 feet. <S> Make your mark. <S> One 2x4 goes on the 11 foot side of the mark. <S> No terrible accuracy required. <S> Leave an inch or so of clearance. <S> One 2x4 goes anywhere between 2 and 6 feet from the far end of the 11 foot section. <S> On 2x4 goes about 2 feet from the cut on the 5 foot section. <S> You make your cut with the bulk of the saw on the 11 foot section. <S> If you cut a board to length with too heavy and unsupported end, you will usually get a triangular splinter coming off the supported board as you finish the cut. <S> For structural purposes this doesn't matter. <S> If you are making something that shows, you will care. <S> A chop saw often is on a support with entendible supports. <S> The supports don't have to be at the ends. <A> Have extra supports either side of the saw, with the one not clamped to the machine slightly lower to allow it to drop a small amount - again to stop it binding. <A> There are two approaches I'd recommend. <S> Use three or four support points. <S> If you have four saw horses, and cut in the center space, both cut boards are supported. <S> There's no issue. <S> Even three support points is adequate since you can have one hand on one end of one cut board. <S> Catch the cut board with your "off" hand. <S> I'm right-handed, so <S> I'd have the full board extending off of two saw horses to my left (horses to the right). <S> Support the board with your left hand. <S> With your right hand, use a two-finger grip on the saw (middle finger on the trigger, index finger up front, for extra leverage). <S> Make your cut and keep the cutoff board in position with your left hand. <S> You can also use your hip or thigh to add another support point. <S> For a 4.5m board you can effectively support the cutoff half at mid-point, so balance isn't really a problem. <A> Put the 2x6's on a flat surface, like the garage floor or deck or another long board, and set the depth of the saw just enough to go through the wood but no further. <S> You can weight down the ends if you need to. <S> Make the cut... the wood will not bind the blade and you'll get a straight, clean cut, and you won't have to be lifting 15' 2x6's. <S> This works! <S> Good luck. <A> Use a table saw if possible. <S> Otherwise: The basic idea is to keep the board either flat or in some tension with the ends lower than the center. <S> Assuming a 15' 2x6 <S> With 2 saw horses, you can put them 3 feet from either side of the cut. <S> When you cut the board, the two sides will slowly rotate upwards, but if you get the saw horses reasonably close to the center of mass of each remaining side, you'll be fine. <S> With a bench and a saw horse, clamp one side to the bench. <S> Put the saw horse slightly closer to the center, and proceed as above. <S> When cutting it on the floor, use small scrap pieces under the center (easiest), or 2 small scrap pieces in the same spots that the saw horses would have been. <S> With multiple saw horses, the idea is put a small bow it, clamp to the saw horses. <S> This keeps it from falling at the end. <A> A few tips I have on this Measure, mark, and then snap a chalk line. <S> For long rips like this <S> you <S> really really need a guide line or <S> you'll think you were drunk in cutting. <S> Even still, you may have some wobble. <S> Have another person help. <S> There's some ways to make this work solo, but you might break something (the board or a body part) without an extra set of hands. <S> if this were a shorter rip, I'd say let the weight of the saw hold the board in place <S> Use spare wood to prop the board up. <S> Support in multiple places or you may get some sagging (or possibly binding) in the middle.
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If you must have a straight edge, use a table saw
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How can I darken a bedroom yet let air in as much as possible? Of course one could use a vent but this is not feasible for me. Is there a low-tech solution, like some kind of a specific curtain? I could also cover my window with an opaque board, letting some space but this lowers dramatically the quality of the air (mainly CO2 wise). <Q> 3 layers of pegboard (pierced hardboard), internal surfaces painted black, with the middle layer offset, and spacers between the layers. <S> This should provide little or no straight path for light, but allow ventilation. <A> Awning over the window. <S> This keeps sunlight from striking the window at least at mid day. <S> The wider the awning is, the more time it shades the window. <S> Exterior bamboo rollup blind. <S> This will block about 90% of the light. <S> If you mount it so that it stands a few inches out from the wall, it won't impede the air much at all. <S> Miniblinds. <S> The cellular ones block too much air flow. <S> (Dark blue?) <S> In use angle the blinds so that light must reflect upward to get in. <S> Double drapes. <S> You can get nested curtain rods, with the inner set being about 2" from the wall, and the outer set about 4". <S> (Good windows are a recent invention) <S> But there is no reason you couldn't use some breathable fabric that was dark. <S> Screen. <S> A folding screen that stands a foot from the window with the back side painted flat black, or if you can afford it, vanta black. <S> Light reduction is multiplicative. <S> But the human eye is sensitive to a huge variation in light. <S> Normal office lighting is about 1/10,000 that of sunlight. <S> Have you considered a sleeping mask? <A> A black painted louvre, if you still get too much light, add another behind it with the slats slanted the other way. <A> but it's really effective.
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This still allows good airflow, but no direct light at all. Consider a combination of options: Traditionally they are used with sheers on the inner layer to let in light and air, but still give privacy, and a heavier drape used at night in winter and made for reducing drafts. Get the blinds is as dark a colour as you can. Of course you could just roll down the shutters letting just the air gaps open, just like . Won't be vanta-black
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Repair drywall and protect wires on back of electrical panel My electrician had to cut drywall on the back side of a wall that has a new electrical panel mounted. The back side is the kitchen (the panel is facing into the living room). The feeder and a bunch of existing circuits came from above. The electrician wanted to notch it out of a structural beam, but I didn't want that much damage to the beam. See pictures below for what it looks like right now. I don't want to just put some drywall over here, because somebody in the future could screw into it and hit the 100A feeder or any of the other circuits. I'm thinking of putting a wood cover over the vertical wall piece, and some drywall to cover the ceiling. I figured if I leave the screws exposed it might be clear that this is an access panel with something behind it, and they shouldn't screw into it. I also thought about putting some sheet metal behind it, but I'm not sure how thick it would have to be to prevent nails and screws from penetrating it and hitting the wires. Two questions:- what should I do for the vertical part of the wall- How can I make a good transition from the drywall in the ceiling to the vertical access door. <Q> I think your idea of a wood panel isn't bad, but I would go the extra mile here: <S> Buy a nicer board, a couple of basic hinges, and a knob Paint the mounted opening white and fix your drywall <S> Cut your board to be large enough to cover the opening and paint it white <S> Attach the knob and hinges <S> , then mount to the opening on the side closest to the wall <S> It looks like a cabinet, but if you slap a simple label of "Electrical" on it, nobody will attempt to use it to hang things, etc. <S> A mere board may be confused for a bulkhead. <A> Victorian construcion typically puts a cabinet style door behind tub faucets, so they can be easily changed. <S> But then, tub faucets came to exist in the Victorian age. <S> They would fit a lovely little cabinet door on the vertical, with a latch. <S> The hinge would be on the left, to permit this door to swing open and allow the ceiling hole to be accessed. <S> Quite likely they would do the same with the ceiling hole. <A> The rule for steel plates is 1/16" (1.6mm) <S> The general rule in the NEC for steel plates used to protect wiring from damage <S> is that they need to be 1/16" (1.6mm) or thicker. <S> In other words, you need a piece of sheet steel 15 gauge or thicker in order to provide adequate protection to these cables. <S> This rule is set out in NEC 300.4, specifically 300.4(D) in your case (exceptions omitted as they are not relevant here): <S> (D) Cables and Raceways Parallel to Framing Members and Furring Strips. <S> In both exposed and concealed locations, where a cable- or raceway-type wiring method is installed parallel to framing members, such as joists, rafters, or studs, or is installed parallel to furring strips, the cable or raceway shall be installed and supported so that the nearest outside surface of the cable or raceway is not less than 32 mm (1¼ in.) <S> from the nearest edge of the framing member or furring strips where nails or screws are likely to penetrate. <S> at least 1.6 mm (¹⁄₁₆ in.) <S> thick. <A> I don't suppose you want to remove the first layer of 1x2's, fix the ceiling as you would normally to and then add a register (yes, another one) vent to cover up the wall portion? <S> Just like the one I showed you yesterday... <S> lol: <A> You can Frame it out of light gage steel or just stick with 2x4. <S> This way you also avoid the need to repair the ceiling.
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Frame it out and build a small bulkhead then add a access door where it would please you. This way even if someone were to screw into the drywall they would be nowhere near the electrical stuff. Where this distance cannot be maintained, the cable or raceway shall be protected from penetration by nails or screws by a steel plate, sleeve, or equivalent
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How to replace a manual timer by a simple on/off switch on a home appliance Case On a simple 220 V home appliance equipped with a manual timer switch ( a knob that you can turn clockwise up to the desired position -time- and will then automatically turn counterclockwise for the chosen time period ), I would like to either bridge the switch with an additional on/off switch, or replace the timer by an on/off switch. Goal The goal is to bypass the 1 hour limitation imposed by the manual timer itself by adding an "always-on / always-off" capability. QCan I do it "just like that" and if not, how could I easily do it at home with basic electronic tools ? Alternative : What if I intend to replace the manual timer by a digital timer ? I guess it might itself have to be powered somehow. Thank you for your help. <Q> Get a slightly different timer <S> You are correct; a programmed electronic timer is a bad plan because it will need to power itself , and that will require additional wires (e.g. Neutral) that may not be present. <S> What I recommend, instead, is a different mechanical timer with a stay-on zone . <S> This looks exactly like the timer you have, but for an additional zone past the maximum duration, which says "Hold" or "Remain on". <S> Wound to this position, it will not unwind. <S> I generally don't use that type <S> , my users are idiots, so I use the type that makes it impossible to stick the thing on continuously. <S> That is why they market both types . <S> For instance, in the States, the standard brand is Intermatic and is available in both types in a variety of durations. <S> If you're unhappy with the choice of duration range, this is also a good time to solve it. <S> Abuse the one you've got One thing about those mechanical timers: you can't put "just a tiny amount" of time on them. <S> If you have a 1 hour timer, it's clearly labeled that you need to wind it past 12 minutes (and then you can wind it back to 3 minutes). <S> If you only wind it to 3 minutes, haven't put enough preload force into it for the snap-off mechanism to work, and it will stick there and never shut off. <S> Feature :) <A> Yes. <S> Identify the live in and out on your timer switch and wire a switch rated for the supply voltage and load current across the timer terminals. <A> You can add a DPST switch wired in parallel to your existing timer <S> and you'll have an "always on/always off" and the timer. <S> If you do this you'll need a 2 gang box, for the two switches. <S> You can also replace the timer switch with just a DPST toggle switch. <S> Then you'll just have an "always on/ always off". <S> but you might need a neutral. <S> Just remember to turn off all power before doing any work and take pictures before you disconnect any wires.
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You can also just replace the manual timer with a programmable one that will get it's power from the 220v line side
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Diagnosing instant circuit breaker tripping, with nothing connected I had a previous question regarding an AC, but now that I have disconnected the AC and the problem remains, I want to diagnose this problem a bit more. First step was seeing if this specific breaker trips by itself. With all other breakers opened on the main panel, this one lone breaker trips. I then turned off the main power, the breaker closes fine. The moment I flip on the main breaker (with all others opened), this one trips. With main breaker opened , along with all other breakers opened (off), here are the measurements: Specific breaker opened: Live-Neutral: 20,000 ΩLive-Ground: 4,000 ΩNeutral-Ground: 20,000 Ω Specific breaker closed: Live-Neutral: 400 ΩLive-Ground: 4,000 ΩNeutral-Ground: 4,000 Ω For the sake of learning about electrical problems, what would be the potential problems that can cause this? Or is my diagnosis not enough? This circuit dedicated to an A/C has been working for about 3 months. It tripped one time before and I just reset it, not sure what the problem was, but now it has tripped a second time and does not reset. EDIT1: @JACK: "Remove the two wires going to the circuit breaker. Now try to reset the breaker....." I unplugged the live from the breaker to the circuit, doesn't trip. @Ilmari Karonen: "where along the circuit you took those measurements?" I took the measurements at where the AC connects to the junction box, while the circuit is still connected to the breaker. Regarding the circuit, it should have no other sources of problem, because it goes from the AC junction box straight to the main panel. It is buried inside a concrete wall straight down into the ground, then runs along the ground to the main panel, so very minimal chance for renovation damage. It has been working for about 3 months. My next test is to connect this circuit to an adjacent breaker and see if it'll trip. It has 3 dedicated breaker to 3 separate AC units, so I have a confirmed functioning breaker right beside it. I'll update the question when that's done. Need to wait for the weekend when I have light and can shut off the power to the apartment. One possible source of problem is that the wiring to the main panel was not long enough for some of the wires, so the electrician had to extend it a bit. It's a lot of work so I'll want to confirm it is 100% the wiring there before I take them apart and potentially cause other problems. EDIT 2019-11-04:Breakers aren't tripping when completely disconnected from the circuit. I've confirmed that the wiring is a bit messed up. Somewhere in the extended connection to the panel there is induced current (non-infinite resistance; 200k to 500k Ω). I'm also getting a hot neutral on another circuit now... so that's kind of messed up. I highly suspect the extension was done incorrectly, since it is wires twisted together with electrical tap (no wire nut, no pig tails, etc). I'll have to take my time and properly deal with this... so that'll be a completely separate question. <Q> Here's what you're supposed to have. <S> Live to neutral: some value of resistance depending on your load. <S> Don't be surprised if the figure doesn't strictly follow Ohm's Law; many devices have their effective resistance change after they warm up. <S> If there are no loads on the circuit, hot-neutral should be infinity ohms. <S> Live to ground/earth: this should always be infinity ohms if the breaker is switched off. <S> If it is not, you have a ground fault on either hot or neutral. <S> If hot-neutral is infinity ohms, then a lesser reading is definitely a ground fault. <S> Neutral to ground/earth: should be zero ohms if the proper neutral-ground bond is connected, and should be infinity ohms if the hot and neutral wire are lifted off the breaker or neutral bus. <S> Non-infinite resistance (conductivity) between hot and neutral is normal if any loads are attached. <S> However, if you disconnect hot/neutral from the panel, there must always be infinity ohms/zero conductance between hot/neutral and ground. <S> If there is conductance between hot/neutral and ground, then you have a problem that you must fix . <A> I'm assuming you made your measurements with nothing connected to the affected outlet. <S> In that case there is a fault somewhere on that circuit and the Live-Neutral reading <S> shows that. <S> The next step is to remove the outlet itself from the load-end of the circuit and see if anything changes. <S> If so, you should replace the outlet itself. <S> If not, then the fault is in the wiring <S> and you'll need to trace the circuit from end to end and find the problem. <S> Have you done any construction lately where a fastener might have been driven through the wire? <S> Are there any junction boxes on that circuit where a fault might have developed? <S> Pay particular attention to where the wire enters and exits boxes and bends around obstructions. <S> It's uncommon for a wire to just develop a fault all on its own unless it was sized improperly and was overloaded. <S> Check that the wire size matches the load and the breaker rating. <S> In answer to your point in the comment, I may have misunderstood where you were taking your measurements. <S> But it's also possible that the breaker itself is defective. <S> You might try another one and see if that resolves the issue. <A> You normally use an insulation tester or megger for this. <S> The values should be in the 10's of megaohms at least. <S> If the insulation measures OK, replace the breaker. <A> My suggestion is to replace the RCBO: if with disconnected AC motor it still trip, it's higly probable that the faulty thing is the breaker itself. <S> Also I suggest you to upgrade to "A" class [sinusoidal and pulsing currents] instead of your outdated "AC"[only sinusoidal currents] because it is more suitable for inductive loads. <S> Also check how it is wired: <S> both neutral and live from the AC line should be connected DIRECTLY to the RCD, you absolutely don't have to connect anything coming directly from that circuit to the neutral bar if not the breaker itself. <S> If you feel safe ding so, please post a picture of the open consumer unit, so we could see if something has been badly wired. <S> Otherweise just call an electrician.
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You need to measure the resistance of the wiring with the breaker disconnected, not just open.
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Mounting Screws in Stucco Does anyone here have experience putting mounting screws into stucco? I want to mount a light plastic box to the exterior of my home to protect a coax junction. My house's exterior is stucco. The box is not heavy but I want it to be secure and not come loose over time. Also, I want to minimize the damage to the stucco. I'm thinking I should use mounting screws, pre-drill the holes using a masonry bit (i read a hammer drill is better but i don't have one and read a regular drill should work for smaller holes), and put some type of sealant into the hole. But I'm not sure if a masonry screw or masonry anchor is best. Also, I'm drilling blind as I don't know where the studs are. Any other tips welcome. <Q> For stucco I would consider using plastic expansion anchors. <S> For a smallish screw these should work well and minimize the size of hole you have to drill into the stucco. <S> You have to be rather careful when drilling in stucco in that it is rather easy to find your hole getting larger diameter than you want. <S> This happens when the carbide cutting tips on the masonry drill hit the wire embedded in the stucco. <S> The stucco material is rather soft and the drill bit likes to walk to the side instead of going through the wire. <S> Plastic anchors use regular pan head type sheet metal style screws. <S> This can be an advantage if you need to re-work a mount point at some point. <S> Using a masonry specific type of screw tends to be a one shot deal and they also require a drill hole with very close tolerances (review comment above regarding the wire in stucco). <A> Have you considered other ways of fastening? <S> My limited experience with stucco is that you really don't want to put holes in it. <S> Bolt and nut comes to mind. <S> Sanding and scratching the back of the box might work. <S> Rig up a way to hold the box in position. <S> Meanwhile, mix up a small quantity of thin set mortar, and make a neat square slightly larger than the box on the stucco wall. <S> Get it as flat as you can. <S> Let set overnight. <S> Now mix up another small batch, and butter the patch on the wall, and apply with a notched trowel to the back of the box. <S> The combined thickness of the mortar on the wall and on the box must be thicker than any protrusions you made to anchor into the mortar. <S> Press in. <S> Prop up. <S> Variations on a theme: <S> Can you stick the box onto the wall with silicon seal? <S> Construction adhesive? <A> First off, buy a good studfinder. <S> They should be able to detect the stud even through a layer of stucco. <S> You probably won't need a mason bit and certainly not a hammer drill. <S> When you mount the box, use a blob of silicone sealant between each screw hole and the box and use a good stainless screw, phillips or torx, with a wide washer, like a pan washer. <S> This will maximize the surface contact if you can only get two screws into a stud. <S> Once the box is mounted run a bead of clear silicone around it, if you feel the need to smooth out the bead dip your gloved finger in mineral spirits or rubbing alcohol and do it that way. <S> Silicone doesn't like to be smoothed with a dry finger and will make a mess of the project.
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When you do find a stud, put on your safety glasses and pre-drill the locations of your screws with a standard bit, use just enough force to gently go through the stucco, it's not as hard as cement and this should be fairly easy with a standard bit. Alternatives: Create some form of protrusions on the box.
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Possible electrical wiring paths are blocked *everywhere* by glulam posts. What to do? The extension to our house is built to earthquake standards, so there are 10x10 posts and beams everywhere. We can't find a path to feed the 12AWG to the subpanel. If we go down, we just run into the same problem on the ground floor. Can't go up because it's a flat roof. Any ideas? <Q> Also look into the Conduit wiring method . <S> This allows you to put up to four circuits (or even more with a wire size bump) into a single hole/pipe, instead of only one or two cables. <S> This works because you are fitting individual wires into a pipe, instead of a sheathed cable containing multiple wires <S> , so you don't have the bulk of the sheath, packing and grounds. <S> All the circuits in a pipe can share a ground, and if the pipe is metal, it can be the ground. <A> <A> This is worth confirming, but in my experiences, all makers of engineered lumber has install guides to direct where and how big holes can be made in their products. <S> These are available on line at the manufacturers website. <S> If I knew the brand and the material in question I could look it up, but....
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Put a Crown Molding, Decorative Strip or Cornice around the ceiling and run a cable behind that. Conversely, the baseboard(s) can be removed and any wiring can be run behind that, at the bottom of the wall(s).
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Wattage of adapter for LED strip I have LED strip lighting under my cabinets in the kitchen. Recently, they started flickering with noise. Worked fine for a couple of years. I believe it was the adapter that was faulty. Unfortunately, I lost the adapter somewhere so I'm unable to order another without knowing how much wattage should it have. My LED strip configuration is: 3528 (18/foot). I have 11 feet of strip. I know the wattage would depend upon the lumen. Here are my queries: Am I right that the adapter caused the flickering and the noise or it could be the LEDs? (My previous experience with LEDs is that if they failed, all of them fail) Is there an average rating that I can use to determine the total wattage for the adapter? I have come across 0.08-1W on the internet <Q> The problem with today’s led’s <S> Is they can be just about any voltage. <S> For instance I have some 4’ strips that fire at ~40v but need ~60v for full brightness, so you really need to find the specs to get the proper driver for your lights. <S> But yes flickering is a sign of the driver overheating and or starting to fail. <S> I did look closer at your strips and they show 12v <S> so then you would need a supply large enough in watts or amps at 12vdc to light them up. <A> Unfortunately 3528 is simply an industry standard package name. <S> It means the LED components are 3.5 by 2.8 mm with a specific "footprint" that describes where the terminals and solder should go on a printed circuit board. <S> We can see in your photo that the polarity and voltage are specified and there are markings where the tape could be cut. <S> There are three LEDs and one resistor (the black component) in each section. <S> That makes sense: white LEDs often have a forward voltage around 3.4. <S> Three of them in series should require 10.2 volts; the resistor performs the role of limiting the current. <S> A regulated 12V supply is all you'll need. <S> The supply doesn't need to control the current for this type of LED tape. <S> As to the current or wattage capacity you'll need.. <S> If you have an ammeter you could measure the current drawn by one or more sections and multiply up to accommodate the whole setup -- if not, then make a guess. <S> This site claims LEDs in the 3528 package are typically operated about 20 mA per series string. <S> You mentioned your strip has 18 LEDs per foot. <S> We see they're in groups of 3, so there are 18/3=6 groups, or series strings, per foot. <S> Then each foot of tape might need 20*6=120 mA, and the whole 11 feet would need 120*11=1320 mA=1.3 amps. <S> Get at least a 2 amp (24 watt) supply and you should be fine. <A> Your LED strip has one resistor per 3 LEDs, which is the standard for a 12V strip. <S> Each group of 3 LEDs is wired in series, with the resistor setting the appropriate current. <S> All groups of 3 LEDs plus resistors are then wired in parallel. <S> White LEDs take about 3-3.6V each, so 3 in series mean 9-10.8V, with the resistor taking the rest of the voltage up to 12V. For a strip, the resistors set the current, so you don't need a constant current driver. <S> You need a standard 12V constant voltage power supply. <S> So, 18 LEDs/foot means 120mA/foot, so 1.3 Amps total or 16 Watts. <S> If you don't fancy getting electrocuted, an enclosed power supply is better than an open frame or naked PCB. <S> I like Meanwell <S> so I'll shill for it. <S> They also make IP68 waterproof models. <S> Am I right that the adapter caused the flickering and the noise or it could be the LEDs? <S> If a group of 3 LEDs fail on the strip, perhaps one LED is dead in that group, or a solder joint cracked. <S> If one half of the strip fails but the rest works, then the copper trace which carries 12V is broken somewhere around the transition between "works" and "doesn't work." <S> If all the LEDs are off, or all blinking, then it's either the power supply, wires, or connection between wires and strip. <S> (My previous experience with LEDs is that if they failed, all of them fail) <S> If they are all wired in series like in some lightbulbs then yes, one single LED failing open will open the whole circuit, but this is not how strips are wired. <A> This appears to be a fairly standard monochrome LED strip using 3528s. <S> And I apologize, but I'm going to use Metric units because that's how they're specced. <S> The standard/common strip has 300 LEDs per 5 metres. <S> This comes down to 3 LED per 2" segment. <S> There are double density (600/5m) or half-density (150/5m) strips also. <S> This one is a "standard 300" using 3528s. <S> Of these types: A full 5 metre (16 foot) strip of these uses 24 watts per channel. <S> It has 1 channel, being a monochrome strip. <S> As you might infer, that is 1.5 watts per foot. <S> Wow, that was easier than I expected . <S> As always, when dealing with Chinese stuff, you should overspec your power supply by a factor of 2 or 3. <S> So if you figure out 20 watts, get a 50-60W unit. <S> Meanwell is a good brand that you can drive closer to spec.
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3528 LEDs should run at about 20mA each, but remember they are wired in series in groups of 3, so each group of 3 LEDs will use 20mA on your 12V supply. Flickering is caused by the voltage conversion “driver” The driver sets the correct voltage and current level. If you have a 12V DC wall wart lying around somewhere, that can also work well.
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Can a larger joist be trimmed and have it perform as a smaller joist? I've got a lot of 7x2 joists left over from a previous project. Now I have a new ceiling to put up but they require only 5x2 joists, so I'm thinking of trimming the 7x2 so as not to have them go to waste. Would trimming a 7x2 to a 5x2 (or reducing the height by whatever amount) give the same structural performance as off-the-shelf 5x2s? <Q> <A> I would not trim the lumber down. <S> Your ceiling joists that call for 5x2 are just that, ceiling joists. <S> If there was a floor above they would be floor joists from above <S> and then they would have a greater dimension. <S> Given that we've established that this ceiling will not have a floor above it <S> I see no reason for cutting - <S> just leave them as 7x2 and set them so that the bottom edge is where you want ceiling to be. <S> If the extra height of the ceiling joists interferes with the top of say the rafters (i.e. underside of the roof sheathing) <S> then you simply need to trim off the top corners accordingly. <A> I agree with Isherwood that lumber custom trimmed to a smaller size will have the same strength as lumber milled at a mill site...generally. <S> There is a limit to this method in size and location of use, but probably doesn’t affect you in this location or size of material. <S> (I’d be careful not to leave a large knot on the edge of the member after trimming it down.) <S> However, I also agree with @Michael Karas that you could use the slightly larger lumber (if space allows) and just trim the members where necessary to fit, (as long as they are not trimmed smaller than the matching members).
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Yes, lumber cut to a smaller dimension is essentially the same as lumber cut to that size at the mill.
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Any tips for using an open hearth fireplace? I will be taking a trip this winter and staying in a rustic basically 1 room log cabin where the main source of heat is a fireplace. Just a stone hearth and chimney. I believe it doesn't even have a damper. My only experience has been with wood stoves. I've seen it said numerous times that fireplace don't heat the interior they suck the warm air out. Obviously they must do something since for hundreds or thousands of years this was the main source of heat for many. Considering I can't make any modifications to the structure, what can I do to increase comfort and conserve fuel? Is there any hope of walking up to a somewhat comfortable temperature without having to feed the fire in the middle of the night? <Q> It is correct that the fireplace draws all its input air from the room (tho' some modern fireplaces are designed with separate input feeds thru the brickwork, which means only that they burn just fine with a sealed glass door in front). <S> If you can find one, get a log support which includes a row of "C" - shaped tubes which take in air, heat the air due to proximity to the flames&logs, and exhaust that air back into the room rather than up the chimney. <S> Here is one example. <S> Sadly, not cheap enough (probably) to be worth buying just for your short stay. grate heater <A> As other have mentioned: Use reflectors, or even frying pans around the back of the fireplace to reflect heat. <S> Keep your fire small. <S> Big fire with big flames sends lots of heat up the chimney. <S> A small fire will transfer heat to the brickwork more efficiently, and will radiate better.3.To the extent that you can, pre-heat and dry your logs by putting them at the edges of your fireplace. <S> Don't burn wet wood. <S> Keep the door closed whenever possible. <S> The C shaped heat exchangers are great, but even large hunks of metal in there do well to transfer and re-radiate heat. <S> You also want to emphasize heat transfer to the surrounding area. <A> The air required to burn a log is constant. <S> The problem is that the draft takes a lot of extra air with it. <S> You may get some relief by picking up an aluminum edged slider window pane, placing it in front of the fireplace. <S> (Often free when people upgrade windows) <S> You may also break the glass either from heat, or from handling to move wood in and out. <S> Don't use a vinyl edged window. <S> The plastic will melt. <S> Use paper backed fiberglass bats and double sided carpet tape to get a reasonable fit <S> Rig up something to keep the window from flopping down into the room. <S> Keep the glass clean. <S> This reduces the chance of it breaking by uneven heat distribution.
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Basically: you want to keep the fire big enough to burn the wood, but not so big that it burns with large flames which will send a huge amount of hot air up the chimney, and draw interior air up with it .
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Moisture leaking out of chip in floor tile I dropped something heavy and mildly pointed onto the bathroom floor. The Bathroom is tiled with ~30cm square black "slate like" tiles, but where I dropped this thing, the surface has been badly (2-3 cm radius, ?1-2mm deep?) chipped, and underneath the tile is pale brown. Since I chipped it, there has been moisture welling up, through the chip. Initially I assumed it was just from the object dropped (it was wet), but the chip is still wet, and if I pat it thoroughly dry with toilet roll, then it 'spontaneously' becomes wet enough to mark a mark on toilet roll again, in <10 seconds. The rest of the chipped tile, the other tiles, and the grout between the tiles all seem fine; no darkness, claminess, or any other sign of dampness. What have I done, and what do I need to do now? I know nothing about the tiles in question and don't (to my knowledge) have any spares. <Q> I think your cracking the floor is a blessing in disguise. <S> Clearly there is water under the tile that needs to be dealt with. <S> I'd start by checking the obvious things like the toilet seal and the bathtub and/or shower drains. <S> But ultimately you're going to want to pull that tile up, dry it out thoroughly, replace any water-damaged materials, and replace the flooring. <S> There is no way it will dry out on its own at this point. <A> It’s highly unlikely that “failed” grout would create the refill rate of wet flooring you describe. <S> Most shower failures are generated by leaky or failing plumbing in the wall, behind the tile. <S> I have often seen the water damage extend to the framing, which necessitates cutting out and replacing that portion of framing. <S> Your wet floor problem needs to be addressed ASAP. <S> Turn off the water to the shower and/or bathroom plumbing <S> Pull up all damaged tiles and as mentioned, check toilet plumbing and seals. <S> Allow all wet areas to dry out. <S> The wet source must be identified and repaired or risk of much great damage can occur. <S> This is probably a job for a professional who does bathroom remodeling. <S> I did it for 12 years. <A> Call a plumber immediately! <S> This is uncomfortably close to my recent experiences.. <S> We thought it might have been absorbed by water seeping into the damaged area, so it wasn't a huge issue, it would dry out, then it would become wet again inexplicably and we assumed water was just being spilled on it. <S> Then my neighbour in the flat below let us know that there was water coming through their kitchen ceiling (small amounts, but a steady dripping) <S> After some investigation we found that there was a slow drip from the new kitchen faucet that we'd had installed recently. <S> That water was flowing into a hole in the wall behind and under the kitchen sink, straight down into the neighbour's ceiling, soaking into the lining under the tiles as it went. <S> I got it fixed, the water stopped. <S> As far as I know, problem solved with no permanent damage to the flat below. <S> At any rate. <S> Just a guess, one of your pipes is leaking <S> and it's getting under your bathroom floor-tiles. <S> Call the plumber, be prepared to spend lots on fixing it. <A> Get a dehumidifier running in there and see if you can dry it out, you’ll have to stop using the bathroom (if you can) and it might take a while (possibly days) <S> Once it’s completely dry try using one fixture at a time and see if you can isolate the cause. <S> The other posts have given you some good advice and you might end up paying someone to rip up that tile etc, but if you’re desperate to avoid doing that you might be able to avoid it and the dehumidifier will help prevent/slow down any mould growth that might be happening anyway.
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My kitchen floor had a damaged tile (similar story, something got dropped on it) and water was welling up from under it when it was stepped on. We were lucky to catch it relatively quickly because the tile was damaged.
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How do I get rid of water streaks on my bathroom wall? So the walls in my bathroom have streaks all over them. They've been building up over time and is getting worse. The wall over the shower in particular looks pretty bad. Does anyone know how I can get rid of them? I tried spraying Clorox Bleach spray but it doesn't seem to be doing anything. Anyways, I'm open to suggestions. <Q> If the paint comes off because it is old or because it is no longer durable enough to survive a good scrubbing... then it needed repainting anyway. <A> The streaks are actually strips of "clean" or at least cleaner than the surroundings. <S> Unless adjacent to a kitchen, or the room used by smokers the dirt is unlikely to have an oil component. <S> Try the following: <S> Hot water (as hot as you can stand with kitchen gloves on) and laundry detergent. <S> This is generally good for the mix of dust and water that is the usual problem with walls. <S> Hot water and TSP if the surface is greasy or smoke stained. <S> If these don't work Warm water and ammonia. <S> Tough on eyes and nose while working with it. <A> Bleach works the best. <S> I use bleach all the time. <S> Spray and leave it, do not scrub or wipe off.
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What that needs is a good scrubbing with warm soapy water. Use a high quality gloss or semi-gloss paint if you do it.
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What is the best process for a first-timer doing a small drywall finishing job? As part of some home renovations I recently hung the equivalent of nine sheets of drywall -- eight on the walls (including a basement staircase) and one on the ceiling. I've done small patch jobs on drywall before and it's something I loathe. I got some quotes to have the finishing done, but apparently business is good for drywall finishers -- the quotes are four times what I anticipated, are scheduling almost a month out, and will take up to 10 business days to complete. So I guess I'll be learning to finish drywall. As this will be my first time finishing more than just a patch job, I'm looking for a process that will be straightforward and give me a high probability of success. Time is not a concern. Here are my questions: Paper tape or mesh tape? From what I've read, mesh tape is easier to install (good) but not as strong (bad) and requires compound that I'd have to mix up myself (bad-- another thing to figure out). It seems like paper would be a bit harder to position and install, but otherwise is a better choice. So the question here is which is more challenging -- getting the compound mix right, or getting the paper tape installed properly? Pre-mixed vs setting-type compound . Pre-mixed eliminates a step that I could mess up (good), and the main disadvantage seems to be that it takes longer to dry. Since I'm going to be slow, and will do most of this weeknights after work, that doesn't seem like a big deal. Are there other reasons why I should consider setting-type compound? Dust control compound? Home Depot sells this stuff , which sounds like snake oil to me. It costs $2 more per bucket. Is it worth it? Are there disadvantages? Oh my god the dust. This is what I remember about patch jobs, and what everybody complains about. Any pro-tips for dealing with the dust? Do these things actually work? In all of these considerations, I'm not paying for someone else's time so I don't need the most convenient option -- I need the most fool-proof (the fool being myself). Since this is a small job, cost isn't too much of a concern either -- at least not compared to the outrageous quotes I got. <Q> Paper tape or mesh tape? <S> It comes down to preference. <S> As a "beginner" (but not for long... haha) <S> I feel that mesh tape will be easier for you. <S> No, you do not have to use any special mud; premix will work just fine. <S> Some say that paper tape is stronger; some say that it is less likely to form hairline joint cracks over time. <S> Pre-mixed vs setting-type compound. <S> You should absolutely use pre-mix joint compound to bed and cover your tape, and pre-mix topping compound for subsequent applications. <S> Setting-type compound takes some special skill gained with experience, must be troweled/worked rapidly, and is harder to sand. <S> You have time, take advantage of that to make this difficult work easier for you. <S> Dust control compound? <S> Yes, it applies just like regular pre-mix but is less dusty when sanding. <S> If money is an issue and dust not so much, don't bother with it. <S> dust <S> Tips: <S> Buy quality knives/trowels and set aside plenty of time to clean and dry them after each use. <S> Buy 3" (for scooping mud from bucket), 6", 10", and 12" knives. <S> Cover unused mud in buckets with plastic cling wrap (Saran Wrap) pressed tight to the mud, then snap the lid back on the bucket. <S> Get a strong worklight and shine it from the side, oblique to the wall, when finishing and sanding. <S> This will highlight uneven areas and imperfections with shadows. <A> I agree with Jimmy Fix-It's answer and would elaborate on a couple issues. <S> Go with the pre-mix compound, otherwise you'll also be buying amixing attachment for your heavy-duty drill and experimenting on theconsistency. <S> If you were planning on changing to a career indrywall that would be different but as a DIY who may do occasionalhanging/taping jobs its much easier to use the pre-mix. <S> Plus, youcan buy a 5 gallon bucket and store it for a long time inanticipation of the next job. <S> Joint cracks are almost exclusively a factor of the drywall placement and movement, not the mud or the tape. <S> Make sure to attachthe drywall solidly to the studs on all sides and the middle ofthe sheet, you can't use too many screws! <S> I've seen it as close as8" apart and as far as 16" - go for 8". <S> Also, there should be noedges without backing, as it can allow flex in the drywall whichtranslates into cracks. <S> Apply the mud in thin layers, allowing it to dry between coats. <S> Ifyou apply the mud too thick it can shrink and crack as it dries. <S> Shortcuts will almost always result in a problem that you need tomitigate later on. <S> I usually put an initial coat on that <S> is enoughto encapsulate the tape and fill the screw holes. <S> This typicallywill dry fairly quickly and requires almost zero sanding. <S> Next, Icome back and do an initial leveling but nothing thicker than 3/16". <S> I might do a light sanding on this one if needed, but as pointed outby someone else, take your time and try to get it as close aspossible. <S> Finally, I go over it with a final coat, bringing it alllevel and tapering joints where needed. <S> Buy good tools - your saving a ton of money doing it yourself, sobuy the tools that in 5 years you will say to yourself, "I'm glad <S> Ibought this tool". <A> I won't even try to compete with the excellent advice already given, which I entirely agree with.. except that I don't like mesh; I find it difficult to make mesh stay bedded in the mud in corners or uneven joints. <S> But I'm merely an advanced novice in this specialty. <S> Start work in a closet or other place that will be poorly lit when the job is done. <S> You'll feel a little more free to experiment with technique if you're working in a place where you can easily say "meh, it's good enough for a closet <S> and I'll do better out in the main room. <S> " <S> The best way to minimize dust is to avoid the temptation to put on too much mud. <S> It saves time to put on too little and do another coat rather than overdoing it, sanding it, and cleaning up more dust.
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The vacuum dust collecting sanding pads do work, but you are talking about significant expense, the vacuum is loud, and they only work with drywall sanding mesh/screens which I do not recommend for anything except the initial mud knock-down.
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How smooth is parquetry? Can you feel the texture of the wood in a parquetry floor? I'm writing a novel and describing someone feeling the floor, but don't know if in a parquetry floor you would be able to feel the wood's texture. <Q> Yes, in most cases you can feel the texture of the pattern with feet and fingers. <S> Parquet floors tend to present slight differences in height among the individual wood components, and slight gaps between them, varying in width on a seasonal basis. <S> Depending on the age and type, they can be rather creaky, since some are floating (not adhered to a substrate). <S> The grain of the wood (usually oak) is also apparent in many cases. <S> It's more rare that the wood is bonded so well to a substrate that no variation in height occurs. <S> This would generally indicate a simulated parquet floor. <A> Hardwood floors often have rounded edges on the boards so that slight irregularities in the subfloor don't result in a 'micro cliff' between adjacent boards. <S> The locking system between planks helps with this. <S> The result is a bunch of 1/32" deep grooves that excel at collecting dirt. <S> This comes and goes with fashion but <S> the milled edge can be used to disguise poor quality control. <S> Parquetry generally is cemented down. <S> If done well on a smooth subfloor, it will be as smooth as a basketball court. <S> Done by an amateur, on a lumpy or non perfectly flat floor, it will have gaps and ripples, glue squeeze out. <S> Parquetry, like hardwood, can be bought pre-finished or ready for final finish sanding then varnishing. <S> The latter can mask some of the earlier mentioned defects. <S> The quality of the sanding, the use of filler on woods such as oak, the type of varnish, the number of coats, the use of a final wax coating all will affect the appearance and texture. <S> Could I identify a parquetry floor by touch in the dark? <S> Probably not. <A> I have a parquet floor in my living room & kitchen. <S> The only parts which I would be able to identify by touch are in the kitchen where they've suffered some (as yet unrepaired) water damage. <S> The rest is all still smooth and flat, so based on my experience <S> no you would not be able to feel the texture in the wood in a parquet floor.
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Depends on the quality of the parquetry, and the quality of the installation.
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THHN through EMT - then convert to Romex? I want to wire outlets and light in my unfinished attic. There is a light switch at the bottom of the stairs, cable (I think THHN?) that runs through EMT through the wall and comes out upstairs and then connects to the light. Since the attic will eventually be finished, I don't want to add any more conduit (and will probably get rid of the EMT that is exposed upstairs). How do I convert the THHN to Romex? I'm confused about what to connect to what. Also, I'm trying to wire a three way switch (one switch at the bottom and one at the top of the stairs). Is this going to be possible with the current wiring that's in the EMT or do I need to switch it out for something else? <Q> You can transition wiring methods at a junction box . <S> Use the EMT wiring method up to the junction box (whole nine yards with fittings and clamps). <S> Then use the NM wiring method beyond it. <S> The junction box must remain accessible without screws, nails or demolition (other than the ones on the junction box lid, of course). <S> If you don't like the aesthetics of a blank junction box cover, then stick a receptacle there lol, or better, extend the conduit a little bit to a place you want a receptacle, and use an extra-large box so you have room for the splices. <S> Then put a receptacle there fed off one of the circuits. <S> You simply splice wire to wire , except for grounds. <S> Normally there isn't a ground in the EMT conduit, the conduit is the ground. <S> Any junction box will have a #10-32 tapped hole and you fit a cute little green ground screw there with a pigtail. <S> You tie the pigtail to the Romex grounds. <S> I get where you're a Romex guy and EMT/THHN <S> feels alien to you. <S> I strongly recommend you "get acquainted with" this new wiring method. <S> For instance, a conduit can take up to 4 circuits - or 8 with multi-wire branch circuits! <S> All circuits can share 1 ground wire, and if the route is entirely metal conduit and metal boxes, the conduit is the ground! <S> It's a fantastic system. <S> That the attic will be finished is precisely why to think about extending conduit. <S> Conduit lets you alter the wiring later depending on your usage. <S> Find <S> it's too hot and want a window air conditioner, but a 120V one would overload the circuit with your PC/laser, and you'd prefer a 240V unit anyway? <S> Easy peasy - pop a few box covers off, pull two more wires, instant dedicated circuit. <S> With stranded wire, pulling is easy. <A> The advice to keep the EMT is good and makes sense, but I can think of a factor that might motivate its removal. <S> It would make a lot of sense that you'd want to convert to NM cables installed inside the wood framing. <S> The transition between discrete conductors (THHN in EMT method) and NM cable is easy. <S> Feed the NM cable into a junction box and connect the conductors with appropriate connectors. <S> The NM ground would connect to the ground wire already in the box, if any, as well as to the box itself. <S> Also keep in mind that all the conductors for a given circuit must be in the same cable -- four <S> For the 3-way light keep in mind that all the conductors must be in the same cable or conduit -- you can't use a mix of the two methods for the one circuit. <S> Pull more conductor(s) into the conduit, or if the conduit must be removed to accommodate wall finishes, you'd most likely replace it with a "/3 <S> with ground" NM cable going between the switch locations. <A> I agree with the comments suggesting that you keep the conduit, but in general you'd do the conversion at a junction box. <S> (All junctions need to remain accessible.) <S> Just bring your conduit into a suitable box and convert to cable with wire nuts of the appropriate size. <S> Use a strain relief for the cable and begin stapling it within a foot of the box.
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The NM needs to go through an appropriate cable clamp and the box needs to be sized according to the number of conductors and other devices (light switch/receptacle) that might also share the box. It is actually rather versatile . If the EMT is surface mounted in the attic then it'll be in the way of any kind of wall finishing you might be planning for the future. I do it all the time. If there's a conveniently-located outlet, do it there to avoid having a blank box plate forever.
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Insulating small area in attic-like space I recently moved into (am renting) a new place and have set up a desk in an attic like space. It's overall not an ideal setup but I have limited financial resources. The issue I am facing right now is that, because this is an attic like space, it is getting rather cold in here and I fear that this may make the desk unusable in the winter months. My goal is to insulate the small area around the desk so that I can continue to use it during the winter. I mentioned that the space I am in is an attic like space because, although having many of the features of an attic, is really an entire additional floor of the house together with what would typically be an attic (maybe whoever constructed it ran out of money to finish). That is there are no interior walls or ceilings and the space is only separated by the exterior walls from the outside. The exterior walls are also not properly insulated (some parts are, but most aren't). Because of this it is already getting rather cold up here despite the outside temperature only dropping into the 40s. What I am looking to do is to insulate the area around my desk, about 10x10 feet. I have a 1500 Watt radiator and plan on using that to provide heat, but doing this without trapping the air and separating it from the rest of the space has proven to be pointless. Important aspects of a solution to this problem are that: it be cheap. Although I can potentially throw a few hundred dollars at this I would prefer not to. Again, I have limited financial resources. it not be excessively permanent. As I mentioned, I am renting this place so I pretty much have to run this solution by my landlord anyway and I have a feeling they'll not be too happy at the idea of me making significant changes to this space. I will also have to completely remove the thing next spring, as I will likely have the opposite problem during the summer. it be simple. This only needs to trap the air enough that a simple heater will be more effective. More information about the space in question: Two adjacent walls of the space feature vertical wooden beams about a foot and a half apart. From what I can tell the space between the beams should have insulation, but does not. About eight feet above the space are similar horizontal wooden beams, also about 18 inches apart. I assume this is where a ceiling would be been built had the space ever been finished. My initial idea was to simply get blue tarps and attach them to the various beams using cable ties or something similar. This would be rather cheap and simple, but I am unconvinced that it would provide the necessary insulation. Maybe someone with more knowledge on this can correct me. What is the best way to keep this small area warm? <Q> One possible solution maybe to construct walls from 2" thick, R-10, foam insulation board. <S> You might be able to make it rigid enough using 3" drywall screws and duct tape. <S> (and perhaps Gorilla glue(?)). <S> The foam board is NOT cheap however. <S> It'll probably cost you around $250-300 for that (10 sheets 4x8 @ <S> ~$25-30ea.). <S> You might can even use one of the sheets as a door--with duct tape 'hinges'. <S> (if that doesn't work well, you can just fashion some handles to it and remove/replace as a door entry way.). <S> It you are running computer equipment in the area <S> , that will reduce your heating needs if you leave the equipment running. <S> Good luck. <A> I would look into buying a low cost "garden shed" of the type that you assemble yourself and assemble it in your attic-like space. <S> Not sure where in the world you are, but if you are in North America, you can go to someplace like Home Depot, Lowes, etc. <S> and look at them. <S> It would cost you more, but you could easily disassemble it and move it (or sell it) if you ever leave and would not need to be permanently attached to the structure of the house, keeping your landlord out of it. <A> Your best bet is to build a small "room" out of plaster board in the space, and heat just that space. <S> If you build a 10x10 room that is 7'6 high, you will probably find that 1500W continuously will make it uncomfortable warm. <S> (Don't get rid of the radiator though - you will want it to warm up the room when you get started.) <S> (Freecycle is often good for this sort of thing.)
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If you can put some insulation on the plasterboard, that will be even better - but just confining the heat to a small space is the most important thing. If this proves not to be strong enough, you can use some cheap strip furring to add strength. R-10 will certainly not be sufficient if your low outside temps drop and remain in the 20s or worse. The biggest expense will be getting a door for the room - try and find someone who is throwing out a door as part of renovations.
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How to weigh down a plastic shower base while recaulking? I'm recaulking a shower which has a plastic base that flexes a bit when stepped on in certain spots. This caused the caulking to pull away the last time I recaulked. If this was a tub, I'd fill it with water to weigh it down while caulking/curing. But it's a shower. Any ideas on items to use to achieve the same effect? The best I've come up with so far is bags of water softener salt. I don't have a set of weight plates or anything like that. What could I use to weigh down the shower? <Q> There's no need to go buy, haul, move and store heavy, scratchy things. <S> Find some buckets or totes or jugs and fill them with water. <S> They won't risk damage to your tub, are free, and can be easily handled. <A> Pick up 5 or 6 8"x <S> 8" x 16" cinder blocks at your home store. <S> They weigh about 35 pounds each. <S> Position them around the shower on top of a towel and caulk with a quality silicone caulk after removing all the old caulk. <S> Afterwards, you can always find some use around the house for the blocks. <S> Good luck. <A> Since you have water, the easiest would be a big bucket full of water. <S> That said, if your plastic shower base flexes, this means it was installed incorrectly. <S> These shower bases are quite flexible, so normal practice is to put something between the bottom of the shower base and the floor, for example plaster or mortar, then set the shower base on it. <S> It is then well supported from the bottom. <S> Another reason for your issue may be that the floor itself flexes, but that's less common. <S> You should first investigate why it flexes. <S> You can do that by kneeling in the shower, setting your weight on the shower base, and looking at the joint between the base and the wall tile. <S> If the entire shower base lowers by a few mm (ie, it moves vertically and down) INCLUDING THE EDGES <S> then there is a problem with the floor, or the edges are not touching the floor. <S> Since the shower base's edges are its lowermost part, they normally rest either on the floor or on some mortar. <S> If they don't, you have a problem. <S> If the edges of the shower base do not move DOWN but instead retract towards the inside of the tub, widening the joint gap when you step inside, then the shower base's edges are properly set on the floor but whoever installed it did not put support material below the center of the tub. <S> So it flexes and that pulls the edges in, cracking your caulk. <S> In this latter case, there is an easy fix: <S> Don't drill from the top, of course... that would cause a leak. <S> And don't forget to leave something heavy in the tub while the foam expands... <S> otherwise it will probably lift itself off. <S> Mortar would of course be better, but it's much harder to inject through a tiny hole. <A> It sounds from your description that the floor is not straight. <S> Thefore a weight helps temporarily to cauke it <S> but later you have the tension to the other way when there is no weight and the cauke will crack. <S> I would recommend to make the floor perfectly straight first .
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if the empty volume under the shower base isn't too large, you can drill a small hole in the side and inject a can of expanding foam, which will harden and support the shower base from below.
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Why would a new switch come with aluminum wires? I just bought a dimmer switch from Lowe's, and it came with aluminum connection wires (I believe). Our house wiring is copper. I understand that connecting aluminum to copper isn't recommended, and requires some special connectors in order to be safe. I also have read that aluminum wiring in general isn't recommended anymore (for the last several decades). So I'm trying to understand, why would Lutron sell dimmer switches with aluminum connecting wires, when most houses today have copper wiring, and connecting copper to aluminum causes special issues? The instructions that came with the dimmer say nothing about the copper-aluminum issue; they just say to use the (not special) wire nuts that came with the switch. Similarly, this seemingly reputable article from FamilyHandyman.com shows a dimmer switch with apparently aluminum wiring, being connected directly to copper wiring, with no caveats. Strangely, it cautions "Also, if you have aluminum [house] wiring, don’t mess with it! Call in a licensed pro who is certified to work with it." They caution the user about aluminum house wiring, but show no concern about the wiring from the dimmer, which looks like aluminum. So that makes me wonder ... are these wires on the dimmer actually not aluminum, even though it looks like it? Here's a photo I took: I searched online for information on identifying wire, but what I found didn't really answer my question. Some articles online mentioned tinned copper, that looks like aluminum; but (a) it sounds like tinned copper hasn't been used since the 1960's or so; and (b) I see no sign of copper on the end of the wire (though I didn't try cutting it). So to sum it up: If these wires are aluminum, why do Lutron and FamilyHandyman.com not say anything about connecting them to copper? If they're not aluminum, what are they, and how can I tell? <Q> I would guess that that's tin, or some other solder alloy. <S> Coating copper in tin makes a surface that wont oxidize as much (or in the same way, I'm not sure). <S> This is good when you're expecting to need a surface contact later. <S> You can tell if that's what you're seeing, by snipping the end off with some (sharp) clippers. <S> If the cut is clean, you should be able to see whatever metal is in the middle. <S> I don't know of any reason not to do this, but that doesn't mean you should . <A> This is tinned copper, for sure Device pigtails, for flexibility reasons, are often made from a finer-stranded copper that is tinned to protect it from corrosion, and may have its ends soldered to allow it to be easily terminated into wirenuts and push-in type connectors. <S> (While tinning wire ends is not a recommended practice due to fatigue issues, it can be made to work in a low-flex application such as building wiring; the proper practice would be to use a crimped-on wire ferrule to consolidate the strands, but that's a bit more expensive than tinning.) <A> The problems which plagued aluminum are about small branch circuits, and terminations/splice methods that were made for copper only and hastily rubberstamped for aluminum without proper testing. <S> These problems have been fixed in a feeding frenzy of overkill - a new termination rating (CO-ALR rather than Cu-Al), the old aluminum alloy (1350) being entirely banned and replaced by AA-8000, and voluntary shunning of aluminum on <= <S> 30A branch circuits. <S> (On the other hand, aluminum wire in heavy feeder, such as between a service and a panel, is perfectly fine, and this has never been in doubt. <S> Quite often, the lugs are aluminum. <S> It's a waste of money to use #3 copper for a long run to a 100A subpanel.) <S> No one. <S> No one. <S> Would use aluminum wire on a dimmer. <S> They certainly would, should, and do use stranded wire , however. <S> In small wire sizes like this, stranded guarantees copper. <S> Aluminum wire at the #10-12 sizes are always solid core, and smaller sizes are not allowed. <S> Further, these leads are likely #16-18. <S> One problem with stranded wire, especially in fine sizes, is it can get a serious case of the frizzies. <S> The cure there is to tin <S> the wires with tin/zinc-based solder <S> so the strands stay together. <S> Zinc plays well with copper. <A> I called Lutron, and their answer was as follows. <S> It's not aluminum; they don't use aluminum wiring on their switches. <S> They were a bit puzzled by my description of the wire, but said the silvery color may be the solder used to solder the stranded wire together. <S> I asked, for future reference, how can I tell soldered copper wire from aluminum wire (since I can't see any copper color at all)? <S> The technician on the phone said, you can't; but they don't use aluminum wire. <A> That is tinned copper <S> and I see it in about one quarter of the switches I install. <S> I usually cut off the tinning because of the stress on the wire. <S> You can tell if it's tinned by stripping off more insulation... <S> the tinning doesn't go that far into the insulation.
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You aren't quite right about aluminum.
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Why don't my appliances work when my tester shows voltage at the outlets? I have a strange issue with my kitchen electrical. The electric starter on the gas cook-top stopped working. It is plugged into a socket under the cabinet. The toaster will also not turn on. It is plugged into a socket at counter level near the other socket. Both sockets show "hot" when I use a non-contact voltage tester. I plug my toaster into a 3rd socket and it works fine. Now the really strange part, when I plug the toaster back into the original socket it works again, and the starter on the cook-top works again. This has happened twice so I don't think its a fluke. Any ideas on what could be causing this and how to fix it? UPDATE: Thanks for everyone’s input. The problem was a lose neutral (came out when I pulled the socket out of the box) on the load side of the third socket, as many suspected. I replaced it with a new socket and everything is working great. <Q> Most commonly if you are getting power to the receptacles is a loose neutral. <S> Especially if you are only using a non contact voltage tester. <S> It will show power but there is no return. <S> Good luck <A> Often times, outlets are wired sequentially, with the wires from the power source going into one side of an outlet and the wires to the next coming out the other side (or top and bottom). <S> It sounds like the problem is that the neutral wire coming into to the outlet for the toaster is loose. <S> When it loses contact, the neutral opens for both outlets, thus your non-contact tester still shows hot. <S> When you bang on the first outlet (plugging the toaster in seems to be enough), that neutral makes contact again. <S> Do not continue to use the outlets. <S> The loose connection could heat up, causing a fire! <S> You need to pull out the toaster’s outlet and check that the wires are tight. <S> If the back-stab terminals are being used, you should disconnect these and use the screw terminals instead. <S> If anything looks discolored or blackened, replace the outlet. <A> This could also be failing back stab connections on one or more out the outlets. <S> If you have backstab connections the best course of action is to cut power at the breaker panel and replace with new outlets that have screw terminals. <S> Do not reuse the old outlets an new ones are not expensive. <S> I do suggest to buy the better grade that are a few dollars each instead on the cheap ones that are 49 cents each in boxes of ten. <A> Current flows in loops. <S> If hot is testing hot, then it's probably a neutral wire break. <S> You can test that by plugging an appliance into the dead zone, turning it on even though it doesn't work, and measuring the neutral in another dead zone outlet. <S> Circuits are typically daisy-chained from outlet to outlet, sorta like Christmas lights. <S> Wire problems are either at the last working outlet in the chain, or first defective outlet. <S> I do not recommend arbitrarily replacing outlets without a positive diagnosis, no matter how cheap they are . <S> Replacing outlets invites several mistakes , and then you have bigger problems.
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If it suddenly lights up hot because the other appliance is on, that confirms broken neutral wire.
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How to insulate exterior walls with electrical wiring As part of renovations to our home we chose to replace existing aluminium electrical wiring with Copper wiring. We also wanted to replace the original R7 insulation with something better (R14 or 15) to minimize heat loss. The issue we have now is that with the walls open the contractor has run a whole bunch of wiring through the wall studs. This poses a challenge with how to properly insulate the walls. We are concerned the insulation may not properly fit into the space and I understand we need to be careful that the insulation does not get compressed which will compromise the R value. Hoping the experts from the forum can suggest how best to handle this scenario. Thanks for all the help with our questions! EDIT - updated photos below. Not sure if this addresses some of the concerns about wires not being properly secured. <Q> That's... artsy-looking wiring. <S> We should give due credit though for not jamming all those cables through as few holes as possible. <S> In any case, you asked about installing fiberglass insulation around the wiring. <S> In the case of cables that fit neat and tidy against a wall stud, as do the three white and one yellow starting at the top left, simply install the batts and don't worry about it. <S> Cut away insulation so that it fits neatly around junction boxes. <S> Where cables pass through the middle of the depth of a bay separate the batt halfway through its thickness. <S> Slide part of it behind the wiring and lay the other part in front. <S> This minimizes the compression of the batt. <A> Gosh! <S> That sure is a lot of wires. <S> Several ideas come to mind: Spray foam, extended wall, and work around them. <S> Assuming that is an exterior wall in a cold or warm climate where insulating is of great value, first secure the wires per NEC (within 8 inches of a box or hole and at least every 4.5 feet), then (probably via a contractor) spray insulating foam to bring it up to the desired insulating value. <S> Increase the wall thickness in that area (or the whole length of the wall for better uniformity), such as adding another 2x4 thickness to bring the wall thickness to 7 inches (2 times 3.5 inches) which would nicely accept R-19 with a little TLC around the wires. <S> Or if R-11 <S> (or R-13) is acceptable, split the batts as Greg Hill mentions and install semi-normally. <A> That. <S> That would be 8 pipes in my world (3-4 circuits per pipe for a little expansion room without esceeding the 310.15B3A derates). <S> Remember you must have that wire be roughly centered on the 2x4 walls. <S> You must not have a situation where driving a 1-5/8" fastener from either finished surface <S> has a chance of nicking a wire.
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It would also be possible to make cuts in the batt so that the batt can expand around the cable, but if you're using faced insulation it's best to avoid cutting the facing. That is why I do EMT conduit. I believe the stapling or lack thereof doesn't meet code.
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Sealing metal siding against window j/c channel? We're going to use metal siding on our house. We're using a corrugated profile. Where the siding meets walls/corners/windows, it will run into a strip of C-channel (or J-channel). Visually, that looks great, but doesn't seem to be much of an actual weatherproof seal. I've searched quite a bit and even asked our siding provider if that is sufficient but there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of info out there on installing metal siding horizontally like this--at least not at the residential level. Is it OK just to have the siding run into the J-channel? Or should there be more of a seal between the two? The only possible viable option I've found is expandable foam tape. The idea would be we'd run that along the inside of the C-channel, and then when the siding is inserted that'd create a bit more of a seal. Any other thoughts/suggestions? Here's a rendering of the issue. The orange(inside)/blue(outside) is the J channel along the side of the window. The corrugated siding then is inserted into the channel. <Q> I'm not a professional <S> but I've replaced a few siding panels. <S> In all the houses I've lived in (US), there wasn't any insulation or seal in the J or C channel. <S> The one thing I wonder about is the colors. <S> All of them I've seen the color matched the siding making gaps even less noticeable, I don't know if your channel actually has an orange interior. <S> If there were a seal to be concerned about, it would be between the channel and the wall. <A> The weather proofing and sealing should be done prior to installing the siding. <S> Good luck <A> It is a fair question. <S> My experience is the panels just rest inside the J trim. <S> If water does wick into the back side of the J trim <S> then it will just be on top of your WRB and assuming you have rainscreen/air gap behind your siding then that water will either evaporate or drain out to your bottom flashing or a mixture of the two. <S> It shouldn't be that much water. <S> Really a building is pretty tight with just WRB if installed properly. <S> What is your siding contractor doing about the j-trim to window frame interface. <S> Do you caulk this everywhere except the bottom or do nothing about it?
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I've never seen any sealing inside the channel. The "J" channel will be installed against he window trim which should be sealed. The siding will expand and contract so any sealing, like caulk for foam tape, wouldn't be effective for long.
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Should I paint over this wallpaper? I’m having a bit of a decision making battle with myself. I’m looking to paint my living room and as I was laying tape down on the trim I saw a piece of wallpaper coming up in a very tucked away spot. I figured not much harm done in pulling it off. Underneath is what I’m assuming is both another layer of wallpaper (the lower vertical stripes) and something else entirely that doesn’t appear to go all the way up. My question for you all is, should I risk removing this for the whole room? I heard it might be a pain to remove and it might damage the wall underneath which could make it become expensive. However you can see seams under the current paint layer in spots so I don’t want this to all peel off over time. The house was built in 1950 and I’m planning on painting with Sherwin Williams Emerald type Matte finish. <Q> Oh boy!!! <S> You definitely want to remove the wallpaper. <S> Paint over wallpaper just doesn't work. <S> You'll never know when it will just start to bubble up. <S> I just removed all the wallpaper in my living room and used hot water in a spray bottle with some "DAWN" dishwater soap squirted into the bottle. <S> Sprayed the walls, let it soak for 5-10 minutes and peeled it off the walls. <S> I had no damage to the walls. <S> Then had to go over it a few times to get all the paste off the walls. <S> It's a messy job <S> but you really need to do it. <S> You really need to soak down the walls. <A> I have experienced the trials of removing painted wallpaper. <S> It is an absolute pain. <S> The general principal of wallpaper removal is to get the paste wet. <S> As use can imagine paint makes a very good water repellant. <S> There is a handy tool (wallpaper tiger) that perforates the paper allowing the liquid to soften the paste. <S> But it is still a pain. <S> I mention all this because eventually the paper is going to peel, bubble or lift under the paint. <S> It is easier to remove 3 or 4 layers of plain paper than 2 layers, one of which is covered in paint. <S> Patch or repair any loose or damaged spots, then paint. <S> As far as what to use for a liquid there are products you can buy. <S> As @Jack has stated there are home mixed products that claim to work. <S> These include water and fabric softener, water and vinegar, and plain steamers are available for rent at hardware and home centers. <A> Let it dry and paint the entire room.
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I would strip the walls as clean as you can. I would buy wallpaper which is matching the texture of the top layer and glue over it from corner to corner of the damaged area to have a nice new surface.
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Feasibility (and cost) of swapping wires on circuit breaker panel I'm going to be finishing the basement in my 28 year old house. Currently the entire basement (~1700 sqft) is going through a single 15a breaker, which isn't ideal. There's no room on the existing panel for additional breakers, but for some reason the (gas only) range is on a 50a circuit by itself. My question - would it be fairly easy for an electrician to swap out the wires so that more current is available to the basement? If it's feasible, any ideas on the ballpark cost I should expect? Sorry if this isn't enough info - I stay away from plumbing & electricity work so I don't have much knowledge here. Edits---------- The range only requires 15A per the specs. Regarding the current main panel, I've added links to some pictures - it looks to me like it's a 150A panel, but if I'm counting right the total of the breakers on the branches is 315A (which is 15A over what is allowed right?) https://photos.app.goo.gl/UCt6uBvDAgc4umGd7 https://photos.app.goo.gl/uh2zTgKQHJqi58rS8 https://photos.app.goo.gl/VJChF2CGiUME3jtJ6 I think the utility box is 200A, so could I just replace the main 150A breaker w/ a 200A breaker & then run 60A to a subpanel? <Q> However, you really, really ought to address the "electrical panel full" situation <S> Right Now because it will be much cheaper dealing with this now than later. <S> But yes, not terrible expense relative to professional work. <S> Further, if you want to save a lot of money, you can school up and do the bulk of the work yourself, then have an electrician finish. <S> This has the advantage of you working on entirely cold wiring. <S> My entre into this work was needing to rewire a 20,000 sf factory building. <S> Cleaned out every 480VAC drop, 100% rewired both 120/240 services, etc. <S> Paid the 480 guy $3000 to walk the floor, megger-test everything (all passed) then hook up the 1000A 480V service. <S> He was "now you can start working on the 120V" and I turned the lights on. <S> Already done. <A> The gas range is likely on a 50A circuit by itself because the kitchen was wired up in case a future owner wanted to use an electric range instead. <S> It is even possible that a previous owner had an electric range that was later replaced with a gas range. <S> Can you switch that to a 15A or 20A circuit? <S> That depends on: <S> Practical: <S> Specifications of the gas range (model # would help) <S> Legal: <S> Local building code <S> might require a 50A (or similar) circuit in the kitchen for installation of a range/cooktop/oven. <S> But if those conditions are met (i.e., the range only needs a 15A or 20A circuit and there is no requirement for a larger circuit to be installed), then you can: <S> Install a subpanel next to your main panel and connect it to the 50A breaker. <S> You may even be able to upsize (with appropriate size wire) <S> the breaker to 60A or more, but that depends on the specifics of your main panel (pictures would help). <S> Install a 15A or 20A breaker, as specified for the gas range, and connect the existing range wires to that breaker. <S> Install additional breakers for receptacles and lights in the basement and/or for other locations in your house. <S> Depending on actual usage, a 50A subpanel could easily serve several circuits, so a larger panel is better than a smaller panel for future expansion. <S> The subpanel could even be a large panel designed as a main panel, as long as it is installed correctly (e.g., ground and neutral separate). <A> So I'm guessing that this was a late addition from a prior owner & they just used what was easily available. <S> Unfortunately, the label on the A/C unit says that the breaker should be 15A max (I presume for the protection of the electronics). <S> I'm going to order a replacement that's 15A & hope it's an easy swap. <S> Regardless, the bottom line is that the 50a branch circuit isn't available like I thought it was.
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Further investigation revealed that the 50A breaker labeled as going to the gas range is actually going to the outdoor A/C unit for the (upstairs) bonus room. If the basement is unfinished, this is easy work for an electrician. Note that if the gas range is connected to a plug/receptacle rather than hardwired then you will need to change the plug & receptacle to match the circuit.
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Making of durable plywood frame I am making a custom camera rig for the kite aerial photography and I need a ┏┓-shaped frame like this: (depth × width × height = 40 × 200 × 100 mm, thickness ~5 mm). I cannot use bent aluminum as it is pretty dense (2.7 g/cm³) and I do not have any bending machines. I cannot use 3D-printing as I don't have an easy access to a 3D printer. The plastic seems to be dense too: 1 – 1.4 g/cm³. So, my choice is old-school wood. Plywood. As a bonus, it is very lightweight: about 0.6 g/cm³! I could probably cut tree ▌-shaped plates and glue them together at 90°. But I am afraid that the whole frame would not be rigid enough if forces applied to like this: Just get me right: I am pretty sure that it would not break, but I am just uncomfortable with that feeling. Moreover, as the plywood is pretty thin, I would probably need extra plinths to glue the surfaces: So, I am thinking about CNC-cutting ~ten ┏┓-shaped parts and gluing them together: It seems for me, that the resulting frame would be much stronger to forces applied in all the directions, compared to the three plates versions above. Question is: am I right? Or should I just make the frame of three plywood plates? Any nuances in assembling together such a stack of parts? <Q> Of all your designs, the last one certainly has much to its credit. <S> Consider a combination of the design previous (with the gussets) and cut your shapes to include an arc to the inside of each leg. <S> This provides for contiguous transfer of forces as well as looking good. <S> Alignment is unlikely to be critical in your application, but you'd want to have as clean alignment as possible. <S> Drilling holes in each plate in the same location, then pinning the layers with a dowel rod will make for ease of assembly. <S> Once glued together, you can glue the dowels in place or remove them as you like. <S> If your plywood source is recycled skateboard planks, your work will resemble the last image that much more! <A> I agree with fred_dot_u, and I'd add a few points: <S> The grade and type of plywood is important. <S> CDX will have 3-4 plies, gaps, knots, etc. <S> that could dramatically weaken the critical corner areas of your piece. <S> Better plywood has no voids, many thin plies, and higher-quality veneer. <S> A bias might be the best approach. <S> If you cut square with the sheet, half of the plies will be aligned in the weak direction. <S> If you were to go with a 45 degree bias, every ply would lend strength (though none would provide full-length grain). <S> Cutting a series of fairly large circles out of the center area of the panels could dramatically lighten the structure without undue weakening. <S> All that said, a few pine boards with a small block inside each corner <S> (cut from the same boards, in lieu of the plinths) and high-quality adhesive would save you a whole lot of cutting. <S> ____________________________________________| * * <-- top board||___________________________________________| | || <S> * | <S> | <-- block| |_____| * screw locations| || <S> | <S> <-- side board| <S> | <A> If you CNC cut 10 U-shaped pieces from 1/2" plywood then glue it up, as you show in your last image, you essentially have one U-shape cut from a piece of 5" thick plywood, except that you don't have the pressure and heat used in manufacturing plywood. <S> By cutting flat shapes, you would have some increased strength on the corners, but I'd still want to have corner braces on them. <S> If you're going to the trouble of cutting & gluing all those pieces and adding the corner braces, you may as well go with 3 flat pieces glued & screwed with corner braces added. <S> It would be much simpler construction, and likely just as strong. <S> I'd go with solid wood instead of plywood in this case, since solid wood will take and hold screws much better than the edge of a piece of plywood will.
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If you use sheets of plywood to create the individual inverted-U shapes, you'll gain that much more strength.
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Ideas on how to fix a void at the bottom edge of my concrete steps? I was recently pulling weeds and I noticed that there is a hole at the bottom of my concrete stoop. I'm not quite sure on how to address it. I'm pretty handy so I'm sure that this can be tackled without professional help (and prices). Can anyone point me in the correct direction? <Q> That's not a hole. <S> That's just the bottom. <S> Steps like this are poured on the dirt, and while the dirt level probably should have been flatter and lower (for aesthetic reasons), this isn't a structural flaw. <S> Attempting to patch it will make things worse, visually speaking. <S> Put some mulch over the bottom edge or raise the soil level a bit and be happy. <A> Plant grass! <S> Just get a section of sod (dirt plus grass) and plant. <A> If that was mine, it would bug me every time I saw it. <S> Good luck!
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I would dig it out a bit, cut a piece of plywood to act as a forming piece, stuff in a little gravel and pack in some concrete in two stages, using the plywood as a form and a few bricks to hold it in place.
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How to cut round hole in aluminum soffit after installation Related question After having our roof re-configured and larger overhangs added, I noticed that the contractor placed the bathroom exhaust vent that used to go out the side wall just under the eaves just inside the overhang of the roof. I think they meant for it to vent out through the vent holes in the aluminum soffit material, but I am concerned that instead, moisture will accumulate on the underside of the roof sheathing. I know I should have the contractor come and fix it, but they have been slow to respond and I would just like to take care of this. I would like to address this, and I am aware the most proper way would be to go out the roof. But I am not comfortable cutting the hole there and trying to manipulate the shingles to fit a new vent pass-through piece, so instead I would like to set it up like shown in the related question. The vent pipe already terminates underneath the soffit I believe, so I would just need to make a round hole in the soffit material, pull the flexible ducting through, attach the vent piece, and mount it with screws. I am just not sure what the best way to cut a round hole into the soffit material that is already installed, without taking it down. I am thinking I would mark a template, then drill a small-ish hole in the middle and use tin snips to try to make a round cutout. Alternatively, maybe I could use a Dremel with a cutting wheel. Is there a better way? I am not opposed to buying tools if that's necessary. <Q> This old house has an excellent video on why the soffit location is bad, and how to vent through a common shingle roof. <S> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqrZWd_CQIE <S> How to Vent a Bath Fan Through the Roof, August 2014. <S> The homeowner installed the same way your contractor did, and in just one season there was mold under the roof. <S> Your contractor should pay for this: the soffit installation was incorrect and hazardous to your health. <S> You certainly don't want the vent inside the soffit, nor do you want it under the soffit. <A> You would want to use a bi metal hole saw. <S> You are right to not want to use a wood <S> only hole saw, the teeth tend to grab, not cut. <S> Try something like this: Good luck. <A> I would try one of two ways: a) use a small drill bit 1/4" perhaps, and drill holes just inside the edge of the desired circle. <S> Cutting the entire thing with Dremel isn't going to work unless you have a LOT of cutting wheels at your disposal. <S> or b) just drill one 3/8-1/2" bit at the edge. <S> The use a jigsaw with metal cutting blade to make the cut out. <S> a) might be more time consuming, but also may be easier than trying to hold a jigsaw upside-down to make the cut- depending on the diameter, the height of the soffit, etc. <S> Of course Jack's suggestion is good too, but may be too costly to justify for a one-time use. <S> (assuming, of course you already have a jigsaw).
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The use tin snips or a dremel tool.
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Can I reuse old electrical wire? I'm adding new lights to my basement ceiling. I pulled out the old messy tangle of wires and ran new romex, but was missing the 4ft needed to reach the last box. I reused the old wire. Will this pass inspection? Both old and new wire is 14/2 copper with ground. New wire has plastic sheathing (NMD90), old wire appears to have paper strands wrapped around the conductors with a dark/black outer coating (NMD-7). <Q> You can reuse old cable if a physical inspection reveals all of it to be in good condition. <S> It's inside walls, so <S> it's not like it's had 30 years of sunlight baking it. <S> However if it's roached anywhere, into the trash <S> cash-for-scrap bin <S> it goes. <S> Shiny copper is worth over $1/pound. <S> It can be behind a cabinet door that opens, but it can't be under a screwed-down plywood access panel or anything that would require tools or destruction to get to. <S> (the junction box cover doesn't apply, obviously). <S> I for one don't have any problems with splices properly executed in a grounded steel junction box. <A> There are two types of NMD-7. <S> We cannot vouch for the shape <S> the cable is in without being on site. <S> I am not saying you can't use it, but may cause a few problems. <S> First, obviously, it is used therefore <S> it does not have the same life as the new cable so it is likely to cause a problem before the rest of the system. <S> Second, how are you handling the splice? <S> It needs to be maintained, meaning it needs to be protected and available for maintenance, usually in a box and cover. <S> In short if you are installing a new circuit, and to insure a quality installation, you should install all new components with a minimum of splices. <S> It usually pays off in the long run. <S> As far as passing inspection, I don't believe any of us can give you an answer since that is a decision of the AHJ, and we don't know their way of thinking. <S> I would suggest you contact them and discuss it. <S> Believe it or not they are there to help you. <S> You pay their salary and they work for you as well as the community they serve. <A> One thing I'd be cautious about: copper alloys typically work-harden and become brittle. <S> These cracks will have increased resistance and become hot spots when current is flowing. <S> If you handled the wire carefully during removal and re-installation, it should be fine, but any sections that have been repeatedly bent and straightened should be suspect.
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If it's been bent around a lot in the course of installation and removal, there is the possibility of hidden cracks forming where you'll never see them. However, you can't splice except at a junction box which must remain directly accessible. From a contractor's point of view it would not be allowed since it would pose too much of a liability. I am assuming the NMD-7 you are referring to is a vinyl-coated cable and not the cloth-covered cable.
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How to finish concrete ceiling - beam span calculation I have a room below my garage (suspended slab). I want to finish the room/ceiling. The room's dimensions are approximately 24' x 23.5' (this is to the walls, which are already framed/dry-walled). I don't know if I can drill into the concrete ceiling, and would prefer to avoid that if at all possible. I would like to do 2 inches of closed cell spray foam insulation. What I'm hoping to be able to do is span the 24' length with 2-4 beams, then anchor 2x4s perpendicular to the beams to create a suitable backing for something like drywall or another lightweight finish (lightweight shiplap, etc). How do I calculate a beam size that only carries its own weight, plus the weight of the ceiling materials? Height is a concern, it is a pretty low ceiling. I really only have about 9" (7 after the spray foam insulation) to work with since that is the top of the entrance/doorway. I may need to hire out an engineer, but I figure its worth a shot asking here first for ideas. Thanks. <Q> I would consider a simpler, cheaper, easier solution--such as furring/ceiling tile, suspended ceiling tile, or furring/drywall. <S> You don't have to drill. <S> You can use a powder-load nailer to attach the furring. <S> Much easier and will leave you more headroom. <A> Don’t forget that the minimum ceiling height is 7’, unless you have a sloped ceiling. <S> (See ICC R305 of the code) <S> There is an exception for basements and it’s 6’-8” with beams that can be 6’-4” from the finish floor. <S> (See ICC R305.4, exception 5.) <S> If you have a ceiling height issue, I’d recommend you glue (not nail or screw) <S> the insulation and then the finish (wood or gypsum board) to the concrete ceiling. <S> Do not damage the rebar or the bonding of the concrete to the rebar, especially with a car overhead. <A> Something like this .
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You'll need a panel lifter to lift the panel into place. Rather than spray-on insulation, I would just glue dry-wall + insulation boards straight on to the concrete.
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Why do gas water heater exhausts have an air gap before the chimney? Every conventional (i.e., non-direct-vent) gas water heater I have seen has a roughly 1" vertical gap between its exhaust port and the exhaust vent (or "chimney"). See photo below. What function does that gap serve? How does the gap not pose a danger? I assume that we never want combustion byproducts potentially venting into indoor spaces. But if the chimney were to become blocked, or during any air pressure imbalance between the exterior and interior, this gap seems guaranteed to vent CO 2 into the living space. (And if the burner is not functioning properly, the exhaust could include carbon monoxide.) <Q> The actual amount of combustion air - i.e., air flowing past the burner to provide oxygen and leave with less oxygen but more CO2 and possibly other combustion byproducts - is very little. <S> The gap allows additional air to flow in and the combined air, if the ductwork is designed and installed properly, flows through the ductwork and out of the house. <S> If you did not have the gap, the amount of air naturally flowing through would often be too little to flow at a decent speed and would instead be more likely to sit in the ductwork. <S> Hard to explain, but it just wouldn't work right. <S> A few additional points: <S> CO2 is not the biggest enemy - CO (Carbon Monoxide) is. <S> Yes, if you have too much CO2 you will have problems (think Apollo 13). <S> But any house, even without any combustion equipment, needs to get makeup air with more oxygen to offset CO2 produced by people. <S> But CO is incredibly dangerous and even low levels can cause a problem. <S> CO is primarily produced by incomplete combustion which can happen easily in any combustion equipment if air flow is too low or there are impurities in the fuel or if a burner is clogged or many other problems. <S> Therefore, you should have CO detectors near any area with combustion equipment. <S> Temperature of the output is actually a different problem than it used to be. <S> It used to be that furnaces and hot water heaters were relatively inefficient and the exhaust would be hot and you would want to make sure it all got out <S> so you wouldn't burn your house down. <S> But since it was hot, and hot air rises, that was easy to do. <S> Now furnaces and hot water heaters are so efficient that there is a different problem - the exhaust air, which you still want to get rid of because of CO2 and other potential problems, is too cold ! <S> So it doesn't rise as well on its own. <S> That places a lot more rules on how to vent the exhaust, to the extent that where in the good 'ol days you would replace a furnace or hot water heater and reuse almost all the exhaust ductwork, now there is often a lot of work involved. <S> But I digress. <A> This is a draft diverter. <S> If the heater was connected directly to the chimney, the hot flue gas would rise, creating draft in the heater. <S> While that is a good thing, the amount of draft would depend on the particular chimney configuration in that installation, amongst other things. <S> In extreme cases it could even blow the flame out. <S> The air gap avoids such problems, because the pressure at the outlet of the heater only depends on the heater itself, and is independent of the particular chimney configuration. <S> So long as the chimney is at least a couple of times larger than it needs to be, the system will find a natural balance, where amount of air drawn in increases until the frictional pressure drop matches the bouyancy draft of the chimney. <S> It also allows for an occasional downdraft, which could occur if a gust of wind hits the chimney. <S> Yes, you'd get a small puff of combustion products into the room, but a cleanly-burning heater doesn't emit much if any CO, and that's better than blowing the flame out. <S> https://www.rinnai-uk.co.uk/hotechnology/system-design-considerations/flueing/ <A> manassehkatz covered a lot , but the simple answer is constant air flow The draft will change in the chimney as exhaust vents towards it – especially when going from cold air to hot. <S> A draft hood is placed above the upper most part of the gas furnace to draw air into the chimney and makes it possible to draw more or less air through the chimney as necessary to create a constant flow. <S> This makes it possible for the burner to enjoy consistent air flow without any wind gusts or sudden temperature spikes or drops. <S> Hot air, if not put through a draft hood would create a strong air flow through the burners. <S> A draft hood cools the air as it is released by the burners from 500 degrees F <S> (260 °C) to between 300 degrees F and 350 degrees F (150 °C - 180 °C). <S> The cooling needs to be carefully calibrated to avoid condensation build up in the chimney however – a problem that occurs when the temperature gets too low.
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Excessive draft can cause problems, such as too much air being drawn through the heater by a tall chimney, which would lead to dilute combustion causing lower efficiency.
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Can you add a separate switch (different light) to a 4 way switch? Can I add a circuit (new Light separate from existing) to a 4-way switch set up? I used what I thought was hot from a switch and the new light only works when certain switches are activated. The 4-way light can be on or off and the new circuit may work or may not. I think I connected it to a traveler. <Q> I think I connected it to a traveler. <S> That is the key right there. <S> If you pulled power from a traveler then the new light will only work ~ 1/2 the time, depending on the position of the switches. <S> Keep in mind with any solution that you may need a larger box to install a 2nd switch due to box fill requirements. <S> There are 3 possible solutions: Switch at the source of power <S> Power typically takes one of two paths: <S> Panel -> <S> Switch 1 - <S> > <S> Switch 2 - <S> > <S> Switch 3... <S> n - <S> > <S> Lights Panel - <S> > <S> Lights -> <S> Switch 1 - <S> > <S> Switch 2 - <S> > <S> Switch 3... <S> n <S> If you have the first setup then you can pull power from the always hot at Switch 1. <S> You can't get it anywhere else because everywhere else is either traveler or switched hot . <S> New cable <S> You can run a new cable from the panel or some other always hot location to the same box that has one of the existing switches. <S> You must pull hot & neutral together - you can't piggyback on another neutral even if it is part of the same circuit (breaker), and you must make sure that the neutrals don't get mixed up in the switch box . <S> Smart switches <S> You can replace the existing switches with smart switches that only need one wire instead of two travelers, freeing up a traveler to be used to power another set of switch(es)/lights. <S> That works because smart switches use some variant of power line signaling or wireless signaling to do their job. <S> No new wires to run, but more equipment costs, unless you were considering moving to smart switches anyway. <A> You can't add a new circuit to a 4-way switch and expect it to work correctly. <S> If you find the feed to the existing circuit, you could tap that to a new switch and light as long as the neutral is present and you have an extra gang in the box, <A> Here is how 4-way switches are wired. <S> Those are the ones you need to branch off another switch.
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If you have the second setup then you can pull power at the light fixture, but that would typically require running a new cable to get to the new switch. The 4-way works along side two 3-way switches. As you can see, you may have always-hot or neutral at a switch location, but you usually don't have both.
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Are there clips or "cotter pins" which can't get knocked out by accident? My tractor has several R-clips , like this one: These are used in various places. The problem is that they tend to get knocked off by branches or longer grass / brush and get lost . I've tried orienting them both ways (or multiple ways if the pin they attach to can rotate) but to no apparent benefit. Is there some other kind of clip or pin which would be available in a similar range of sizes (varied... but all are 2" / 5 cm or less, roughly) but be more resistant to coming off? I've looked around my local hardware store and the options don't obviously seem any better. They have something like this: which seems to me just as likely to have the same problem. As a backup I may replace some of them with bolts, but obviously this sacrifices the convenience of adjustment that these removable clips are meant to provide. <Q> Our lawnmower shipped with pins that look like this. <S> I took them off because I thought they were used because they were cheap (somebody at Sears was laughing all the way to the bank over the 1" less of spring steel rod they use per fastener. <S> I switched to the proper kind, the ones you show in OP. <S> They fell off at such a rate that I soon ran out of them, and was forced to go back to the original (here above) kind. <S> They have been reliable. <S> Hard to take off, <S> but that appears to be the necessary compromise. <A> I have a few trailers I rent out which use the pin with the snap-down ring -- the latter type pictured in the question. <S> To avoid the pins being lost I made tethers from a length of 1/16" wire rope and crimp bands. <S> Each tether fastens the ring part of the pin to the body of the trailer or door where the pin is used. <S> Most are about 4-6 inches long. <S> It's a balance between being long enough to make the pin easy to install or remove, yet short enough to keep it from being caught. <A> When you install the R clip, turn the pin so the R clip is parallel to the cross-member and wrap the strap around. <A> I spent some time driving tractors as a contractor and also repairing them, most of the agricultural suppliers had clips like both that you show with loops or chains to stop them getting lost. <S> We also used to use zip ties aka cable ties to hold the free ends.
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Get some Velcro cable ties and attach them to the looped end of the R clip.
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How should I conceal gaps between laminate flooring and wall trim? I am looking for the best way to fill some small gaps left between flooring and wall in new house, see image. Guessing the previous owners installed the flooring themselves hence why the finish is not always right against corners and walls. The floor is still close to new so definitely don't want to be relaying it. Gaps are no bigger than 1cm. Was thinking of either caulk or silicone but have read that silicone is easy to do badly and very difficult to cleanup and correct. Caulk easier to install but less flexible and liable to crack. Any tips greatly appreciated. <Q> Wood flooring is usually installed with a gap to the actual wall - this is important, because it allows for differences in expansion/contraction between the flooring and the materials used to frame the building. <S> If you tried to make a perfect tight fit, the floor would either buckle, crack, or pull away from the wall. <S> The gap is typically covered with trim (molding) when finishing the room after installing the flooring. <S> Problems arise when people try to install new flooring without replacing the trim. <S> It looks like that's what has happened here, since it appears that your flooring is butted up against the trim, not the actual wall itself. <S> The most common method of dealing with this is to install more trim, up against the existing trim - typically, a piece of quarter round molding as seen in this photo: <S> It appears that the photo you've posted shows a door frame. <S> Here's a photo of a piece of flooring slipped under an undercut door jamb: <S> Of course, in your case, it's too late to undercut the jamb. <S> Unless you're willing to rework the door there may not be much you can do <S> that won't run the risk of looking like a hack-job. <S> I would be tempted to cut small pieces of the floor material and lay them in the gaps (leaving them free-floating so they can move with the floor). <S> Or, you could use small pieces of flooring cork (or any cork, really) or even foam rubber. <S> Once the gap is filled, your eye won't pick up on it as easily. <S> If you do try to fill the gap, make sure it's with a material that can still allow for movement of the flooring. <A> What I would do is take up and replace that area. <S> You should have some wood left over from install--check your attic or garage. <S> Installers usually leave a box for repair because the color dye lot will never be the same over time. <S> Replace that area with plywood or a flooring of your choice. <S> No caulk will work. <S> Caulking doesn't cover gaps that wide and it appears there is a never ending hole, as in no subfloor there. <S> If not, wood putty and stain or paint. <A> Then I took a piece of the laminate to Lowes and had them color match with a sample size paint. <S> I sanded the wood putty and painted. <S> I am struggling to add a picture <A> You should be able to buy some rectangular strips of cork from the shops that sell laminate flooring. <S> Cut some squares and put it in the holes. <S> This also allows the floor to expand. <S> I had to do this when I put some flooring up to a banister and had no neat way of putting edging over the space. <S> Cork expansion strips: <A> Very simple. <S> If is a door frame? <S> Get a dremel tool and cut the bottom of the frame carefully so you can place the flooring and around the walls remove the old baseboard or place a brand new one like it was mention before to cover the small gap left by the flooring. <A> Baseboard for the areas where it won't interfere with any door. <S> but it will look loads better than caulk. <S> I would use caulking instead of putty because the caulk can flex.
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For cases like this, where a quarter round would block the operation of the door, it's typical to undercut the existing molding so the new flooring can be slipped under it. I got some wood putty. Unsanded grout caulking where baseboard is not possible. You can't even tell unless you are right up to it. Caulk won't be easy to get a good looking finish with, and will likely shrink or pull away in a gap that large anyways. It looks like you'll have to do a couple of miters If you don't have any then remove some from a closet or under staircase or pantry.
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Insulation from electric meter to panel is rotting The electric line in from my meter to my panel is rotting, or rather the insulation is. See this picture (below). Is there some product I can purchase to temporarily wrap it until I can get it completely replaced by an actual electrician? I thought I had found a 3M product, Scotch cable jacket repair. But not sure if that applies. Any advice is appreciated. <Q> I'd echo the previous suggestions. <S> To directly answer, either electrical tape, or they make a butyl tape that is 4" wide and would cover faster (Gorilla makes an Outdoor tape). <S> The purpose there is to protect from further UV degradation and moisture incursion, with minimal abrasion protection of the conductors and insulation inside. <S> For long term, yeah, that should be in a conduit to protect from damage and inadvertent contact, I'm surprised that is passed code. <S> The sheathing isn't meant for UV exposure outside and needs to be minimally protected from that, but because it's technically in a traffic area, should have a conduit from the structure to the box. <S> Not expensive on parts, PVC would likely be acceptable, but even rigid would be meager for that length of run. <S> You should pull new wire, but as it will be enclosed in a conduit, you would use separate connectors rather than a bundle. <S> (Technically you could reuse the wires if they reach once separated from the sheathing, if they pass code requirements.) <S> The expense and time is having it inspected, as it would likely involve a meter pull and the inspect before popping your meter back in, and power company would likely need to re-tag the meter. <S> (Hard to tell from the pic. <S> If that is off of a sub-panel off the side of the meter, with a main in-between, then you may be able to avoid the above.) <S> And in some municipalities, once you modify in any way, you could lose the grandfathering of the prior NEC under which it was installed. <S> A licensed electrician for your area would be the best source of info on this, this is only unlicensed opinion from vary stale experience in electrical contracting. <A> Have to open it out at the bottom though. <A> If it were mine, I would: <S> Enclose the cable in 2" or larger galvanized conduit. <S> Of course, to do that you will have to call the power company and have the meter base pulled temporarily. <S> I cannot tell from the photo, but this appears to be going into a basement/crawlspace and therefore at vegetation level. <S> Would hate for someone to hurt themselves getting into it with a weedeater or other tool accidentally.
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A 3” (or so) pipe (personally I would use a UV resistant pvc or plastic pipe, even painted to match) sliced open lengthwise that would clip over it and give excellent protection...
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Installing a sliding patio door...why does the entire frame have to be square, level and plumb? It has been raining cats and dogs for two days (fall wet season). I am looking at my newly installed but but not sealed patio door that is not screwed, not plumb-ed and not leveled and I am trying to understand why you need the entire door to be level plumb and square. From what I understand the fixed door does not care much unless there is too much tension or pressure on it which could make it crack in time The sliding door is more sensitive to level and plumb and square issues since: -if will not close (if it is not parallel with the vertical side that it rests against, when closed) -it will wear and tear the track if the track is not level The door gets shims and it has around 1/4" space all around excepting the bottom side. The shims are used to fix it in position and to make it square and plumb but there is little tension that is transmitted from the structure to the door from the adjacent walls. So my question is, why do you have to be so careful to make the entire frame square and plumb/level on all the edges ? Edit: here is an example, exaggerated for the sake of argument <Q> Out of square doors/door frames either do not close (if really bad) or seal properly; a 1/4" can create a significant gap in between the door and weather stripping allowing significant heat/AC loss. <S> Out of plumb doors either open or close from gravity which is simply annoying. <A> Doors are made in rectangular shapes with nice right angle corners. <S> When the door's frame sides are plumb and the top and bottom are level that defines a rectangular shape of the frame. <S> Having both door and frame rectangular ensures that the two will fit properly with even margins. <A> I'm thinking that you have answered most of your questions. <S> under normal installations, plumb, level and square are needed. <S> the most important one is square since that is the only way the sliding door will seal against the weather stripping and also be able to lock in the closed position. <S> Think about it, the frame could be installed at an angle but as long as it was square it would function. <A> If you buy ready-made doors, each individual door will be flat and square to a close tolerance. <S> So if you want to fit two such doors neatly into one frame, you have to make sure free edges of the doors fit together neatly when they are closed, both closed doors are in the same plane, and that all the other edges fit neatly against the frame. <S> There are ways to achieve that when the frame is not plumb and square, but by far the easiest way is to make the frame plumb and square, and everything else will then "just fit properly".
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You also need to ensure the doors don't swing open or shut under their own weight, the bottom of the doors doesn't contact the floor when they are open, the hinges are aligned properly so they operate freely, etc.
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Inaccessible outdoor PEX piping lost its insulation - what to do? We have an outdoor counter and sink, and a family of squirrels decided that it was a good place to live. Unfortunately they ripped off a good portion of the PEX piping insulation. (Pretty sure it's PEX...) Now that temperatures are getting colder, I'm worried about freezing. Unfortunately the counter base is made of masonry, and the entry points to it are too small for me for me to get at the damaged area. I imagine a small adult might be able to squeeze in there. Thoughts on the best course of action? I'd guess there are 20 feet of piping and about 6 feet are exposed. Is it worth fixing? If so, what are my options? Hire a small plumber to reinsulate? Or rerun the damaged section. (There is access before and after the damage, and PEX is flexible, so this is doable.) This is in central TX, where we get a couple freezes a year, and the lowest temp in the last ten years was 17 Fahrenheit, which was exceptional. <Q> As Michael Karas' answer said, cost will be minimal and it will be easier just to run a new pipe. <S> Additionally, do you use the outdoor sink in the winter? <S> Insulated or not, you should probably winterize that plumbing if it's susceptible to freezing. <A> The cost of materials should not be so much as to break the bank account <S> and it would be far far easier than trying to save what is tunneled into that narrow area. <A> I just had an idea that I'll experiment with since I don't know where one end of the PEX terminates - whether it works depends, I imagine, on the friction between the piping and the insulation, so feedback on that is welcome. <S> :) <S> If the insulation slides back and forth fairly easily along the length of the pipe, I could install new sections at the point of access and then push them down a couple feet at a time. <S> After doing that 6 or so times, the pipe would be fully insulated.
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Since you say there is access on both ends it seems that the best course of action is to just pull in some new PEX line with insulation sleeve installed.
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How can I remove this ceiling light glass? I cannot manage to get this light off. I've tried twisting, pushing, pulling, and a combination of those and nothing has worked. It moves about a centimeter in each direction but won't loosen any further. Any suggestions? <Q> Hey all thanks for the help. <S> Ended up using a hammer. <S> It was very secure in there and wasn't budging. <S> The movement I felt before was the actual mount. <S> I put a nice new light on there and we are good to go! <A> It usually attaches via set of three thumb screws slightly below the rim of the glass. <S> Try looking and feeling around the edge. <S> Also beware <S> when removing it -- you can remove one screw, but you have to be careful on the second to avoid dropping it <A> This answer will not immediately help you get the glass part off the light fixture but may guide toward an answer. <S> Something like this would be useful: <S> Picture Source <S> You could even consider getting someone to hold the mirror and then take a photo of the image in the mirror to post back here if there is a retainer detail that is not obvious to you.
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Place a mirror against the ceiling so that you can see over the rim of the glass part. This thing must have warped over time as it was just a twist off.
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How do I fix this toilet flange? Basically there is a PVC flange that was glued to the inside of the pipe. The problem was that the metal flange that was on the outside was so completely bent that the bolts no longer stayed inside. So I wanted to remove the metal flange and replace it with a new one, but I didn't know the PVC was glued in and long story short wound up breaking it. What is the correct way to fix this? I have replaced several toilets before but never had this problem before. Picture of toilet flange now (note - that metal ring is the NEW one): Will a wax ring like this just go over it and seal the hole? Or do I need some kind of gasket? Something more? <Q> The metal ring (in fact the whole flange unit) looks like it was perfectly fine... until you got to it. <S> The exception is that it does not appear to have been screwed to the floor, which is necessary for stability. <S> I think your problem of "the bolts no longer stayed inside" may have had to do with misunderstanding how closet bolts attach, rather than a damaged ring. <S> It will be very difficult, at this point to remove the remains. <S> I strongly recommend that you screw the ring directly to the floor, as it should have been originally, and go ahead and install the toilet using that wax ring you have. <S> Make sure you understand how to properly use those bolts to attach the toilet. <S> If the floor beneath is ceramic tile on concrete you would need to drill into it and use appropriate anchors for the screws (I would use lead anchors and stainless-steel screws). <S> If it is vinyl tile (or ceramic tile on plywood or backer-board) you could drill through it to the wood subfloor and screw into that. <S> If I were doing it, I would buy an extra wax ring and pack wax into the voids between the plastic flange body and your new ring (warm the wax in the sun or with a hair dryer). <A> Since the PVC flange is glued to the inside of the pipe I'd try to remove it. <S> Shove a rag down the pipe to prevent the pieces from going down the drain. <S> Then you could just install a whole new flange that would make for a great seal with the wax ring. <A> I see the original poster resolved his issue, but no one mentioned how this repair should happened. <S> It’s common for the steel ring in the toilet flange to be damaged by rust. <S> The minimally invasive repair is to removed just the steel ring and replace it with a split repair flange made for this purpose. <S> Obviously you’ll need one that can fit the PVC portion left, but at least in the US, there are dominant brands where they’re similar. <S> Often, the original is rusted enough to be easily removed. <S> Sometimes it’s rusted a lot but needs to be carefully cut away. <S> A dremel tool with a cutoff blade works well here. <S> Then you clean out the grooves in the pvc for the new ring, and attach the two pieces around the pvc, securing with the new closet bolts. <S> (Note that on each side of the flange you end up with one nut holding the flange ring together, under the toilet, and another on top, holding the toilet itself.) <S> And just as was done with the one piece ring above, you screw through it into the subfloor before mounting the toilet.
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Cut some slits into the flange pipe the depth of the pipe and about a half inch apart with a hacksaw blade and try to break out the pieces.
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DIY Installation of 220v for spa I'm thinking of installing a spa at my house but the additional wiring for 220v is going to cost around $1k and I was wondering whether it's something I could attempt to do myself? <Q> A 220/240 GFCI supply for a spa is not difficult. <S> There are several ways to accomplish this. <S> These usually cost under $120, plus the feeder wiring. <S> Many home DIY books cover the requirements, but it is a good idea to read up and ask questions first. <S> A few states require licensed electricians. <S> So it is best to read up and find out what your local rules are. <S> Call your local permitting office and ask what they require. <S> Asking additional questions here can also help you out. <S> Yes this is something that is good to know, and it can save you hundreds in most cases and over a lifetime possibly many thousands. <A> We all attempted to do it ourselves at one point or another, and without this site. <S> So, yes you could. <A> Before getting started, do you know what the safety procedures are? <S> You need to know how to not get killed. <S> Working on AC can very much make you dead. <S> This is the basic starting point: what can kill me at this phase of the DIY? <S> Double and triple check everything, and don't skip any safety equipment. <S> If you are familiar with DIY projects, then this should be pretty standard, but the motivating factor should not be money. <S> It should be your own satisfaction and comfort in doing this. <S> $1,000 is not worth killing yourself over.
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One of the more common is to get a "spa panel" that can be located close to the spa and serve as the disconnect and GFCI. Do your homework and ask questions before you get into trouble. Many states allow a homeowner to pull permits and do the work themselves. You would be smart to get some professional help when doing work inside your main electrical panel. Once you are knowledgeable about the safety, do it at a pace that you're comfortable with, and without skipping any steps.
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Snapped off screw on sewer vent cover The city recently told me I need a new cover for a sewer vent on the sidewalk. The cover looks like this: https://www.homedepot.com/p/NDS-4-88-in-x-4-88-in-Perforated-Sidewalk-Grate-BSB-CP-RTL/203262583 However I noticed the screw holding the previous cover in place has snapped off in the holder, as seen at bottom here: Is there any hope of getting that screw out or am I going to have to take out the entire holder? <Q> Rather than pliers, you can try to use a screw extractor bit (easy-out), but that almost looks too small for that to work. <S> If that fails, the screw can be drilled out and the hole can be rethreaded. <S> Really what you would be doing is drilling with the proper size bit for that hole and threading with the same sized tap to remove the remaining screw rather than cutting new threads. <S> If that fails you can simply rethread the hole for the next largest screw. <S> The main point is you have a few options here, and you really shouldn't need to replace that piece. <A> You should be able to grab it with a pair of Vise-Grip (locking) pliers and twist it out. <A> My preferred technique for removing a rusted and snapped-off fastener is extreme heat. <S> I accomplish this by welding a new nut to the top of the stud. <S> The heat causes the metal to expand which breaks the corrosion bond between the stud and the surrounding metal. <S> (Why doesn't heating the stud cause it to expand and bind in the surrounding fixture? <S> I don't know. <S> Maybe the expansion isn't so much as to cause binding.) <S> The newly attached nut gives a shape that's easy to grab with a wrench -- much less chance of slipping as compared to locking pliers on the broken stud. <S> Choose a nut that's big enough to slide easily over the stud. <S> There's no scale in the photo <S> but I'm going to guess 5/16" or 3/8 <S> " would do for this job. <S> Position it so that the stud rises no more than half way through the nut. <S> Build a molten pool on top of the stud, then pull the weld pool over into the nut and fill until it's plugged. <S> I use a MIG for this because it's what I have. <S> I think TIG or oxy-fuel would work but stick welding would be challenging at this scale. <S> Helpful tips <S> : Bring several nuts. <S> It's easy to get the nut filled with weld but have poor penetration/fusion with the stud, so it may take a few tries. <S> Pre-soaking with a penetrating oil could help, but if you do, you'll have to clean the surface with water and detergent, alcohol, etc so that the oil residue doesn't spoil the weld.
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First, you can try to douse the area liberally with a penetrant to remove any rust and corrosion then grab the screw with a pair of locking pliers and twist it out.
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Is it unsafe to remove one stud from a load bearing wall? I need to cut a hole for a recessed medicine cabinet. This wall is at the end of the house. I only need to cut one stud to make a frame for the cabinet. Will this damage the integrity of the bearing wall? <Q> The opening you want to create has to be framed like a window as shown <S> * . <S> Notice <S> the addition of a header to carry the load of the cut stud (cripple stud) to the sides, and the added jack studs which support the header. <S> Because you're only supporting a light weight cabinet rather than a window, you probably don't need the double sill (single will do). <S> As pointed out in the comments, you can't simply cut a load bearing stud without any issues. <A> It is absolutely UNSAFE! - <S> this will damage the structural integrity of the wall! <S> The load in a load-bearing stud wall is carried by the studs. <S> Your options are: Surface mount the cabinet <S> Flush mount the cabinet between studs Cut the stud and insert a beam to carry the load from the stud to the two studs either side. <S> You will need to reinforce each side stud with a trimmer stud to support the additional load. <S> For the latter, you will need to consult someone who knows the codes in your area. <A> Can I safely remove one stud from a load bearing wall? <S> Yes, but you need to properly support the gap with a header. <S> If you aren't willing to do this then don't remove the stud, period. <S> Will this damage the integrity of the bearing wall? <S> Without a header you are technically compromising the integrity of whatever the wall is holding up. <S> At best the floor will sag, you will see new cracks in your wall every year, and your medicine cabinet will be slowly crushed by the partial studs which I assume you plan to leave above and below the medicine cabinet. <S> At worst, someone could die when top plate fails completely and you'll have a gaping hole in your heart, home, and wallet. <S> Look at the image below, see how one floor joist ends and the other one starts? <S> Well if you remove a stud then the only thing supporting your floor would be those lateral boards (top plate) which are oriented in their weakest position. <S> Red circle added to image from https://images.app.goo.gl/QWGrkMo3WAhtNVR4A <A> Just a note that shoring the ceiling while you make the wall/stud modifications is non-trivial business in itself. <S> From Litchfield's Renovation , you have a couple of options, using screw jacks or even an entire temporary stud wall, parallel to the one you're hacking. <S> The latter is probably overkill for what you're doing, so I'm only illustrating the screw jack method: You may end up having to repaint the ceiling and/or even fix its drywall due to the potential damage to the ceiling finish from the jacks. <S> Litchfield also discusses the tradeoff between solid (and structurally overengineered) headers, which have the downside of worse thermal insulation and sandwich alternatives, which are a bit more difficult to size/calculate. <S> It usually matters only if it's an exterior wall. <A> The responses have been superb so far, however just to complete the breadth of understanding you should have prior to putting large openings into timber load bearing stud walls: <S> Indeed, bearing is one key issue to be aware of when removing studs. <S> (There are some situations where you may not need to do anything at all to the wall - if you consider that the joists or trusses bearing onto the header plate are: on or outside the adjacent studs. <S> Of course, this depends on the spacing of the studs and joists). <S> There are, at least two further issues worth bearing (excuse the pun) in mind. <S> The first is racking . <S> Timber frame structures typically deduce their global lateral stability from the ability of the timber panels to resist lateral movements through transfer of shear to the floor below / ground slab / foundations. <S> The inclusion of additional openings in racking walls will impair the walls capacity to resist longitudinal loads (that is, loads in the directory of the panel). <S> The second, was brought to mind by you explaining that this is an end wall. <S> As you can imagine, this isn't a particularly great thing to remove if your masonry is being laterally supported by it. <S> (Not impossible to overcome <S> but this would have to be a very important (and expensive) cabinet!) <S> Second point (part 2), if this is an external wall. <S> It's likely (not guaranteed) that your insulation will be within the depth of the timber panel, between studs. <S> I don't suggest this is a good idea from an environmental point of view. <S> This may lead to an accumulation of condensation and subsequently mould on the inside of your building.
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If your building has an external masonry cladding then you will find that that cavity wall ties are nailed or screwed through the external boarding into the vertical studs. With a properly spec'd beam you could remove all of the load bearing studs in your house but that could get expensive. I can't quite tell if you mean this is an external wall. Some sort of temporary support must be put in place to carry the load before you cut into existing structure and not removed until the new structure is in place. You may need to remove it to install your cabinet. The suggestions for overcoming these in other comments are adequate, and following this should result in success.
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Add outlet to existing outdoor UF cable I'm looking to add an outdoor outlet to the back of my house. There's an existing UF cable line that runs from the exterior basement wall to the exterior first floor wall, entering directly behind a large switch panel that controls the first floor lights. I assume this is an unswitched line carrying power to that panel. Can I add an outlet to this line? Is it safe/can it be waterproofed to cut the line, then connect the two ends inside a junction box? Obviously, I'm tempted to add an outlet directly to the line (that is, have an outlet sitting in the junction box where I splice). I've read this is against code, and I'll need to run more cable to a separate outlet. Is this correct? <Q> This should be fine. <S> A couple caveats: You'll need at least a foot of slack. <S> Think it through before you cut so you don't end up short anyway. <S> All junction boxes need to remain accessible (not buried behind drywall). <S> Use pigtails rather than receptacle passthrough (or, <S> worse, the backstab ports). <S> Doing so adds extra points of failure for the downstream portion of the circuit. <S> Bring the source wire, the downstream wire, and a jumper for the outlet together in a suitable connector, such as a yellow or red nut. <S> Use a large enough box for the outlet and those pigtail connections. <S> A full-depth (17 c.i.?) <S> single-gang box would be fine. <A> It depends on the size of the cable/ breaker size going up the side of the house. <S> If that cable is protected by a 15 or 20 amp breaker it is possible to splice into the cable, as previously mentioned you do need additional wire length 1 foot minimum.you need 6” on the supply and 6” on the run upstairs to have enough slack. <S> With that cable running from basement to the upper floor it needs to be protected up to 8’ above ground in most cases So that needs to be done correctly if you add a box and WR rated GFCI with a extreme duty or in use cover. <S> UF wire is usually protected from UV but below 8’ requires conduit for protection and some locations all the way back into the house requires conduit. <S> If the breaker is larger than 20 amp it cannot be done without adding a sub panel, And breaker as taping into a large feeder would require. <A> GFCI <S> All this should be OK - given constraints of sufficient slack in the cable, etc. <S> But if the circuit is not already GFCI protected at the breaker or some other location prior to the new outdoor location, then you need to either: <S> Install a GFCI-protected receptacle in the outdoor location or <S> Install GFCI protection in the breaker panel (replace the regular breaker with a GFCI breaker) or splice in GFCI protection somewhere before the outdoor location
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One trick is to use two junction boxes--the first to extend the cable, adding slack, and the second for the outlet. You don't want to run a potentially heavy current between the same-side screws on an outlet if you can help it.
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Will there always be studs in the corner of two walls? My stud finder seems to have trouble when I'm in the corner of two sheets of plaster/drywall. Can I just assume there will be studs behind each wall in the corner? And what about where the wall meets the roof, is it safe to assume there will be a top plate behind the highest part of the wall plaster/drywall? <Q> Those are all reasonable assumptions. <S> But, you never know for certain whether anything was built by someone who knew what they were doing. <S> Or whether it was inspected. <S> I'd guess those assumptions are accurate 90% of the time? <S> Safe? <S> Well, that depends on what you are doing in those areas. <A> In the corner of the home? <S> It's very likely. <S> You should hammer in a finishing nail and find out. <A> You can generally assume at least half a stud at corners (5/8" to 3/4" will be covered by drywall), but there are quite a few exceptions. <S> Your best bet is to put a very small bit in your drill and gently feel for backing. <S> A 1/16" bit is much less destructive than a nail. <S> An exception would be an old home with balloon framing, where studs pass from lower to upper floors. <S> In those cases you may see a horizontal one-by ribbon several inches tall below the ceiling line.
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I wouldn't hang anything heavy that could fall and hurt someone if the assumption were not true (without 1st verifying the assumption). If the corner is on a wall which separates one room from another then that wall could be dead-smack in the middle of an open bay. You can usually assume either half a plate or one and a half plates at the ceiling, depending on whether you're in a basement or on upper levels.
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Converting Nema 10-50 receptacle for car charging I might be buying an electric car soon and i was wondering if I could use my current nema 10-50 dryer plug for my 240v evse? The plug is not used since I have a gas dryer. The receptacle was installed by the previous owners, it was run through 1/2 inch emt conduit from the main panel to the dryer (roughly 25 feet total run). I read nema 10-50 is supposed to have hot-hot-neutral, but it looks like this has hot-hot-ground since there is a red, black, and green wire (also verified at the main panel). Can i safely convert this to a nema 6-50 receptacle since i've read nema 6-50 should be hot-hot-neutral anyways? The current circuit has a 30amp breaker with 10 awg cable for the two conductor wires and 12 awg for the neutral (green) wire. Is this wire gauge safe/code for 30 amps? Should the ground cable also have been 10 awg vs 12 awg? The evse is only 16 amps but i'd want to know the plug is safe for 30amps. Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance! <Q> That socket is wrong, and was wrong at the time of installation. <S> The person probably had a leftover socket lying around and went "whatever". <S> I myself had a NEMA 10-50 in my stocks; I threw it in the trash rather than risk someone installing it. <S> You cannot ever use NEMA 10 except to repair a broken outlet in dryer or range circuits which predate 1989. <S> The proper procedure is to change the plug to NEMA 14. <S> Your all-metal EMT pipe has two #10 hot wires, a perfectly acceptable ground (The pipe itself) and a useless dunsel of a ground in the #12 green wire. <S> Can't hurt, might help. <S> Your wiring can support any of the following connectors: NEMA. <S> 6-15, NEMA 6-20, and NEMA 6-30, however you must change the breaker to the corresponding amperage. <S> (Due to a special exception a 20A breaker is allowed on a dual NEMA 6-15 socket; however it's illegal to put a 6-15 plug on a 16A charger.) <S> Your charger, at 16A, is right on the line between needing a 20A plug or a 30A plug. <S> Consult the instructions. <A> You could connect a NEMA 6-30 (not a 6-50) to the #10 hot conductors, but the Equipment Grounding Conductor needs to be minimum #10 also. <S> If the conduit is intact and not connected to a co-centric knockout then it may satisfy the ECG, but it would be better to use the #12 as a pull wire to pull in a #10. <S> The receptacle ground will need to be pigtailed to the box, the cover screws do not satisfy the requirement. <S> Also note installation of new NEMA 10 circuits has not been code compliant for more than 20 years, and that NEMA XX-50 receptacles require 40 or 50 amp circuit. <A> You should not need to modify the existing connector. <S> If your car's manufacturer does not have an adapter to fit your charging cable to the existing NEMA 6-50, look around Amazon and/or electric car supply websites.
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Anytime you see a grounded with neutral location with NEMA 10, it was installed NEMA 14 and foolishly rolled back to NEMA 10 socket because an appliance arrived with a NEMA 10 plug. Set your socket and breaker to match. I own a Tesla and was able to find any number of plug-converters compatible with the Tesla cable. Fortunately, redundant grounds are not illegal, so you can just ground it to the box and the panel and forget about it.
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How can I securely hang a hammock on trailer framing? I want to hang a hammock indoors, but my trailer has dry wall ceilings and walls, you know, thin trailer walls. I am scared that it will not be able to hold my weight in the hammock, since I weigh 148 lbs. Also I believe the wall would be too flimsy to keep the screw in it. Any advice or tips? Or better ways of setting up a hammock to where it won't collapse, or where I don't have to use a screw? <Q> Not from the ceiling and not from walls. <S> The solution is a hammock stand. <S> These are readily available online. <A> In a regular house you could just screw into studs. <S> Just a simple eyebolt into a stud on each end should hold you. <S> I'm uncertain <S> what's behind your walls, though, as "trailer" covers a large variety of construction techniques, many of them more concerned with cost than strength. <S> With that in mind, unless you know how your walls are constructed, I would recommend a stand. <A> Many trailers (such as RV campers) are constructed with 2x2 wood studs sandwiched between the aluminum skin and some interior wallboard (usually 1/4" paneling). <S> I believe that these would hold your weight (perhaps with some flex), but you must use suitable anchors. <S> If you can reliably set 3/8" lag screw eyebolts to a depth of at least 1", properly piloted, they won't pull out at your weight. <S> You'd want to pilot with a 3/16" bit marked for depth (1" plus the thickness of the wallboard). <S> Try to avoid hanging at the center of long walls where no intersecting walls lend support. <S> Points near wall and ceiling corners will be most stable. <S> Once the hammock is in place, load it slowly and observe any movement or sound that could indicate failure. <S> Leave adequate sag in the hammock, as the straighter it is the more tension it places on the walls and hardware.
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I am afraid a trailer is not structurally able to support a hammock even for a small person. .
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Is a grommet needed for romex into this metal junction box? I bought a 6-pack of these LED downlights. The metal junction box has knockout holes to run my 14-2 (with ground) wire. I was surprised that the J-box didn't come with grommets after knocking out the hole. Are they required in this application and where does one buy them? Should the grommets fit the romex cable tightly as it enters the box. <Q> You don't use a grommet in this application but rather an appropriate clamp. <S> The correct type depends on what you are connecting here <S> but the usual thing for non-metallic cable is something like this: https://images.homedepot-static.com/productImages/7b668807-9db0-42c3-86b1-e9ec7481045c/svn/halex-conduit-fittings-20511-64_1000.jpg <A> I have the same lights myself. <S> NM clamps are easier to find in most cases. <S> You need 1/2" clamps, but they may be labeled 3/8". <S> Remember to only remove the knockouts you need, or you'll need to plug one at the end of your run. <S> Be sure to screw the box down before attaching the clamps, as the clamps will make it impossible to do it after. <S> Incidentally, I bought a nicer one from a big box last year and it had no clamps either. <S> They don't know if you need 1 or 2, so it's easier not to include them. <A> Use a NM clamp <S> The correct thing to use is not a grommet , but a NM clamp , as the latter grabs the cable's jacket and strain-relieves it to the box. <S> They are available in a few different types (some are metal, others are plastic), and install into a standard 1/2" knockout, either using a locknut (for metal and some plastic types), or simply by snapping into the KO (for some of the inexpensive plastic types available). <A> As all of the other answers indicate, you must use a proper NM clamp. <S> To the best of my knowledge national and local electrical codes always require a clamp for any cable entering any kind of device box. <S> One of the reasons for a box in the first place is to facilitate replacement and repair.
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You either need a NM clamp or some sort of plastic grommet to secure the wire. If the cable were not clamped while you were then fiddling with the connections inside the box, it might be damaged on the raw edges of the box, or you could inadvertently pull it loose from something beyond the box.
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how to vent an electric dryer when outdoors isn't option We have a building on the 3rd floor of a 4 floor building that we are building a loft in, It is in an historic area, we are in the middle of the block downtown. size 21'wide x 180'long, left and right walls are 18" of brick with plaster overlay. venting through the roof isn't an option. do they make a ul rated dryer lint box or can a vented electric dryer be vented to a converter of sorts to stay in code for indoors. I am at a cross roads I have a brand new electric washer and dryer I bought a year ago. I cannot take it back and I am trying to find a way to complete this project so the building inspector will let us move in. Do you have any info or options. Thanks so much <Q> This is a special dryer with a dehumidifier built in, which then overboards the recovered moisture into the drain intended for the washer. <S> I suppose you could do the same thing with an actual dehumdifier. <S> If you can find a way to install it above the washer drain, almost any model will let you route a hose from its output, so the bucket never fills up. <S> Some dehumidifiers also have a water pump to push the drain water uphill if needed. <A> Although 18" of brick would be difficult to drill thru, it can be done. <S> I have had a local company drill thru 12" of concrete block with 6" of natural stone veneer. <S> My 4" hole cost me $300, but it was money <S> well spent. <S> Trying to chisel and break thru would have been near impossible and would have looked terrible. <S> Good luck! <A> You can use a lint trap/condensing box if you want to. <S> Dryer lint trap picture <S> It is messy, and doesn't work particularly well, and you'll wind up heating up your apartment in the summer, but it does work. <S> I used one for 8+ years. <S> Condensing dryers work much better. <A> Window <S> My dryer originally vented indoors, which was OK (except for the lint) in winter and horrible in the summer. <S> I moved the dryer in order to be able to vent it out through a window. <S> I cut a piece of plywood to replace a section of the window and cut a hole in that for the vent. <S> Obviously if there is no window in that room then it gets a little harder to do this, but according to this web site on dryer vent safety , you can potentially go as far as 35 feet.
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The proper answer for this, and certainly the one the building was built for, is to use a condensing dryer . With the proper bits and drills, it should be doable for a pro; however, it will NOT be cheap. Check your local listings for a company which cuts/drills concrete.
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Insulating an attic ceiling I am planning to insulate my walk-in attic to turn it into a storage room(closet for the wife), but I am having some issue understanding the process. The ceiling of this attic is at 45 degree. It has a 32 inch door to it. The attic above has old insulation, but that's another project. I live in Connecticut and I believe I am in zone 5. How do I achieve the 38 r value with only 5.5x2 ceiling trusses? I am planing of course to put rafter vents (baffles), and then use unfaced batts and then a dry wall. But the only batts I can use is 21 r-value with thickness of 5.5 in. EDIT: I am NOT looking to use foam in this project. My attic looks similar to the picture here. <Q> You cannot achieve R38 in only 5 1/2 inches. <S> One of the highest rated insulations is spray foam, and it is around R6 per inch, which would require 6 3/8 inches at least. <S> If you did fur out the rafters with 2x2s (1.5 x 1.5) then you would have 7 inches total to use and could install 1/2 inch baffles and have closed cell spray foam installed. <S> It would be expensive, but would give you a thickness of 6.5 inches, and provide R38. <A> I can't tell for sure based on the picture, but it looks to me like you have the roof deck on the left, and a knee wall on the right that separates an already finished portion of the attic from the area pictured, like this: <S> and you are considering utilizing one of the areas labeled Attic 1 as the closet. <S> If that is correct, you may already have a slight problem: with this type of attic, and in areas where significant snow can accumulate and cold winters are the norm (like Connecticut), it is usually better to have what is referred to as a cold roof . <S> This means placing insulation on the walls that are green in the diagram, and leaving the roof deck un-insulated. <S> Combined with good ventilation, this allows the attic to more closely match the outside temperature. <S> In turn, a cooler attic reduces the amount of melt that occurs after a snowfall, which prevents ice dams from forming when all that melt water reaches the exposed eves and refreezes. <S> The alternative, a hot roof (which it looks like you might already have) greatly increases the likelyhood of quick snow melt and ice dams. <S> There is just no way you can put enough batted insulation in there to keep the heat from warming the roof. <S> I suppose it would be possible to combine the two (insulating the green walls and the roof), but ultimately, any increase in temperature in that attic space is going to warm the roof deck. <S> Would it be possible to remove the roof deck insulation completely, and instead insulate the wall on the right in your photo? <S> You can still build a closet in there, but it might be best if you left it unheated and well ventilated (as much as your wife may not like a cold closet, it still beats a leaking and damaged roof). <S> If you totally finish that space and increase the heat loss through the roof, you might end up growing some record-seting icicles once winter sets in. <S> Source: I live in Minneapolis, and I have this type of attic setup with the hot roof (not my doing). <S> My eves are lined with the most fantastic icicles in the neighborhood. <A> You can use something like a Larsen truss (non-structural) to make more space for insulation.
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Similarly, if you block off the air curculation from the attic vents, the result will be a warmer roof. Basically attach thin plywood to the existing rafter / truss members and attach a 2x2 to hold the face of the insulation / drywall at the appropriate spacing below the roof sheathing.
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Low Voltage between Neutral and Ground wires in Dishwasher Junction Box My Bosch 800 series Dishwasher will not function. I plan on swapping the control module. In the junction box, at the terminals, I'm reading 120V between Hot and Ground, and between Hot and Neutral. Between Neutral and Ground, I am reading almost zero to 1V. Is this a normal reading between these two terminals, or should I consider swapping the junction box, as well? <Q> Yes, because of voltage drop <S> If you've ever done a voltage drop calculation, let's say you want to run a 12A well pump load. <S> You do the calculations and it says you'll have 6 volts of voltage drop, <S> so 114V. OK. <S> Well, how does that happen? <S> There are TWO wires - hot and neutral. <S> Is the voltage drop shared across both? <S> Yes. <S> Each one drops 3 volts. <S> Well, how does "dropping" voltage on a neutral work? <S> Certainly the hot sags to 117V, no question there. <S> Obviously if the neutral sags to -3 volts, there'd still be 120 across hot and neutral, so that can't be it. <S> Actually, the neutral "drops" the other direction - it rises to +3 volts. <S> So with neutral at 3V, and hot at 117, you have the expected 114V. <S> Why doesn't ground move also? <S> E=IR . <S> Since there is no current on ground, it doesn't drop. <S> So you measure 3V between neutral and ground in that case. <S> It's rather like the small rod on a beam-type torque wrench. <S> Your strength is bending the big rod, but the small rod is unaffected and indicates your torque on the scale. <A> if the voltage gets above 2.5 volts I have seen switching supplies have problems. <S> But your measurements would point to the controller not the junction box. <S> Having a motor load like a garbage disposal on the same circuit as the dishwasher can create failures as the disposal motor creates large voltage spikes starting and stoping. <S> Adding a surge suppressor to your dishwasher may extend the life of the electronics. <A> Yes a small induced voltage difference is often present, particularly with a flat cord where the ground and neutral are different distance from the hot.
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A small voltage neutral to ground is also very common. Voltage drop is proportional to current; that's literally what Ohm's Law is saying. The voltage measurements are normal any reading from ~112 to 125 vac hot to neutral is normal throughout the US.
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Fit a door in a tight space I have a garage with an odd size entry (not bay) door. The old door, which recently broke, was only 24" x 70". Time to put in a new door. My intent is to enlarge the opening for a more standard size. I expect this will be cheaper while also improving the structure. In fact, I can see the space where there was once a wider opening... it measures at 36" rough, which would have fit a 34" door. It should be very easy to restore this old opening, and I can get a 34" x 80" prehung door at a reasonable price. No word yet on why a previous owner put in such a weird door ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ The problem is the height. My understanding is a 34" x 80" door needs a 36" x 82" rough opening. The entire height of the garage wall from the concrete to the bottom of the beam is only 81 3/4". Will I be able to make the standard door fit, or will I need to do something custom? If it will fit, will I need to do anything extra to make it work? <Q> Checking online there are the actual unit dimensions for these doors on the "Big Box" websites. <S> I am finding the actual sizes are 81 5/8" in many cases. <S> Tight for your opening but a little off the header will get it in. <S> As a note, this is for an exterior door. <S> Typically interior doors are perhaps a 1/2 shorter. <S> If the header needs a 1/4" taken out of the bottom, and you have a 2x6 header for a 36" rough opening, there will be no issue. <S> The sheathing on the wall outside aids in supporting the surrounding framing. <A> I would not cut the header, as this is far more work than cutting an 1" off the bottom of the pre-Hung door frame. <S> Edited to clarify: The above is based on standard residential wood frame door, not a steel security or commercial door. <S> Link to HD exterial door, which comes in 34x80 size, to the installation manual, which in Step 17, figure 11, states to cut the bottom of the sides to fit into the opening. <S> Per the HD installation manual, "Measure the hinge rail, starting at the top and then marking the bottom with the measurement that you took of the door opening (Figure 11). <S> Using the hacksaw, cut the hinge rail to its proper length". <S> This is an easy cut, which I have done, replacing my garage side door. <S> If the door is too long at the bottom, just trim the bottom a little. <S> Link to HD Door installation here: <S> Installation manual for prehung door Check the HD online <S> , there are several doors that can be order with width of 34". <S> After looking at the door in person, you can order and pick up at the store later. <S> Yes, another trip, but you have more choices than what's in stock. <S> The storm door is also adjustable to accommodate threshold, uneven floor, etc. <S> What's strange is that a 36" door cost $109, but the 34" cost $158. <S> My assumption was that this was for an exterior door. <S> Interior doors are cheaper, all wood, etc. <S> This is the door off the Lowes website. <A> I installed the same size door in a hallway to isolate a second bedroom and bathroom. <S> The actual frame needed 82 inches but the door is 1 inch shorter than the frame. <S> I guess it's to allow for carpet, threshold, etc. <S> You can easily saw off 1/4"+- from the bottom of the frame to get your 81 3/4" height. <S> You'll still have room for a threshold. <S> Good luck. <A> Go to your local big-box home-improvement store. <S> Wander back to the doors & windows department. <S> Find a nice 34x80 door <S> Use the tape measure, still in its factory packaging, to measure the outside dimensions of the door you've picked. <S> Return the door to the rack <S> * Return the tape measure to the tool section <S> * <S> Odds are it will fit just fine. <S> I have to admit <S> , I've heard of 32" & 36" as standard door sizes. <S> 34" is a bit unusual to me . <S> * <S> Unless, of course, you need a tape measure and you happen to really like the door you pulled off the shelf.
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If Lowes is available, they have a door that cost a little more than the HD door, but the sides are expandable/retractable. Head to the tool section an pick up a nice tape measure.
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Removal of light switch. Power only to front light, no power to outlets or anything else We wanted to install a security camera in the front porch and as a component of that we needed constant power to the front door which is currently controlled by a light switch. That light switch was 1 of 3 and was the right most. The middle was a 3 pole switch and the third was a regular light switch. We removed the first switch by connecting the hot and line switched to each other. There was what we think is a ground attached to the side of the switch but when it was all completed. Only the front light had power. All the rest of the outlets and switches in the circuit had none. Any ideas where we could have gone wrong? Image of the switch we removed and its wiring Back of the switch we removed with what i think is the ground wire disconnected Wiring of the adjacent switch <Q> Your problem is that you didn't get all the wires <S> Your issue is that there was more wiring branching off from the always-hot feed using the switch itself as a junction point; not only was there an always-hot wire coming into the switch via the backstab, the matching screw played host to two always-hots that fed other things by using a middle-looped wire. <S> When you removed the switch, you left that onward feed unconnected, which is why stuff stopped working. <S> Fixing it is as simple as cutting that onward-wire in half at the stripped portion, stripping the ends sufficiently <S> so it can be nutted in with the other two wires that went to the switch, and incorporating the two ends into the wirenut junction that replaced the switch, all with the circuit turned off at the breaker of course. <A> OK, about grounds The most basic thing you should know is grounds <S> are always green, yellow/green, or bare . <S> Any such colored wires are always grounds. <S> And any wires not colored that are not. <S> So that trick of treating some black wires like grounds "because grounds must be there" was definitely a thing you don't ever need to do again. <S> There are often more wires than you expect <S> It is very common to have so-called "extra" wires from what you might expect. <S> Because the switch designs, and all the diagrams on the Web, assume that your project is the only thing in that box. <S> Whereas many projects involve wires carrying power to onward loads, not least, other switches. <S> So you must look at each switch carefully. <S> Count the number of screws (other than ground screws, which are which color? <S> Green.) <S> Any time you see backstabs, look closely at which screw it is nearest. <S> So when you see multiple wires on a terminal, convert that arrangement to a pigtail . <S> Pull all the wires off that screw and adjacent backstab, and join them to a jumper wire going to that <S> switch location - so you now have 1 wire going to that terminal, as you expect. <A> That wire that you think is a ground is the feed to the other switches. <S> The screw terminal and the backstab are the same connection. <S> You need to turn off the power, cut that loop wire and strip both ends and hook them to the other two wires you have already connected. <S> Use a red wire nut. <S> You could probably simplify the black wiring but the pictures don't show all of it. <S> Good luck
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Backstabs are almost always wired electrically to that nearest screw.
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How can I test the maximum current an outlet will provide? I want to know how much power is still available on a circuit.I went to the electric supply store but they could not locate the device I described...I want to plug a device into an outlet and slowly increase the draw until the breaker pops so I know how many more things I can plug into the outlet. <Q> It's called a Kill-A-Watt A testing instrument that tells you what your appliances are currently drawing. <S> But you don't load up the circuit to breaker trip, because that would be reckless and unsafe. <S> You use it (or them) measure the actual current draw of the other loads and add them up. <S> You must also multiply any continuous loads by 125% when factoring. <S> Example: You have a 20A circuit. <S> 1 amp of floor lamp 5 amps (a 4 amp PC, on continuously so rated 125%) <S> 8 amps of air conditioner <S> That leaves 6 amps usable for a non-continuous load, or 4.8A for a continuous load. <A> What you can do is add up the wattage on the circuit and divide by the circuit voltage. <S> A 20 Amp breaker will handle 2400 watts at 120 volts; a 15 Amp breaker will handle 1800 watts at 120 Volts. <S> You can also buy an AMPROBE which is a meter to measure current. <S> You clamp it on to a single wire in the circuit and it measures the current being drawn. <A> I think the safer way to go about this is to determine what else is connected to that breaker. <S> Then total up the amps of everything. <S> (Don't forget about the potential unused outlets that could consume current someday). <S> I believe Harper's derating (125%) is important as well. <S> Many things will tell you the maximum current they consume (printed somewhere). <S> The meter Harper mentions will tell you what it is consuming at a point in time (similar for Jack's amp meter/probe).
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Use a meter if a device's current consumption is unknown, but be aware it's possible it could consume more at times (for example, have current peaks like a motor has when starting up). Intentionally overloading breakers isn't a good thing to do and I don't know of any device that does that.
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Safe, sensible to turn off BRANCH circuit breaker for range, every day when house is empty? After one oven turned itself on middle night, everyone in my family is now scared stiff silly of ranges!!! We always turn off all Branch Circuit Breakers ("BCB") except for fridge, before we leave condo to vacation. We livein Toronto Canada. Certified ON technician found nothing wrong . Still we want turn off BCB for range EVERY TIME WE LEAVE HOUSE – ALMOST EVERY DAY – this is how much we distrust ovens! But this website discourages it. golden23 Mar 2017 You are right, katiekate. They are not for regular flipping. A switch installed by an electrician would be better or remove all the knobs before you leave the house. Katiekate Mar 2017 I would not be flipping the circuit breaker off and on. They are not designed to act like a light switch...they will not stand up to the wear involved. As you request I picture my Circuit Breakers and range details. <Q> I can’t quite make out the brand of breaker or the age. <S> Many modern breakers are listed for switch duty but not stamped. <A> Leaving circuit breakers on during vacation like holiday trips, except for essential devices like heating system for freezing protection and refrigerators, may be a problem in some insurance contracts . <S> There were cases in Europe where appartments were left only for a 2 hours' shopping without switching off all electric items, and the laptop's power supply plugged into the 230V outlet started a fire. <S> The insurance refused to pay the damage and won in court. <S> A look into the insurance contract(s) may help. <S> In Europe, most domestic fires start in the kitchens .As <S> mentioned in other comments, pets and non-pet animals, sleep walkers, older people with Alzheimer, a long emotional telephone call - normal ovens and plates have a certain risk. <S> One way to reduce the risk is to replace normal electric oven and hotplates with a combined microwave oven <S> (MW + grill + oven) and induction plates .A <S> MW oven can only operate if the door is closed, and the time is automatically limited . <S> Induction plates do only operate if a pot or pan is put on the plate, and the time is limited, too. <S> The plates do not get hot by itself, but only indirectly by the contact with the pot - the temperature will be much lower compared to ceramic or convection plates. <S> Both devices can be each operated by a standard inexpensive switch - f.e. <S> a plug- <S> in adapter switch with indicator lamp -, since the wattage is less enough (f.e. 16A @ 230V). <S> The low temperature of the plate is saving time and energy in multiple ways - f.e. <S> the danger of burning-ins in the plates or their surrounding from over-boilings is much less saving again energy/chemical detergents and time. <S> So by saving energy costs, the investment should be returned in a couple of years. <S> And of course, it is more environment-friendly . <A> If you don't trust the switches on your range, why should you trust your circuit breakers? <S> Do they just seem more robust? <S> The "fast" way to disconnect power to your range is the switch that comes pre-installed. <S> In answer to your actual question, though - would something like this work for you? <S> It's a "Smart Circuit Breaker", features are listed as follows: <S> Features: <S> Offers Remote Control Capability with Overload and Short-Circuit Protection of Your Electrical System, Accessory That Enables Remote Control of The Connected Device, Allows Devices to Be Managed Without Sacrificing Convenience or Comfort
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The one advantage you have is the oven s not on when you throw the breaker off or on, this helps but constantly flipping the breaker not rated for switch duty damages the hammers and can cause early failure. If you are using the circuit breaker like a switch it should be switch rated “SWD” stamped on the breaker or the breaker is listed for switch duty.
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What is this rubber tubing called? What is this rubber looking elbow here called and where can it be purchased? It's the black part that is fastened to the 3/4" pvc using hose clamps. For some context, this is a condensate drain on an air conditioner. It was very helpful to be able to take it apart while troubleshooting a clog. I'm trying to add an auxiliary drain and need a piece that will do the right angle. I need to the name to find out where to buy it though. I'd prefer to have a way to take it apart rather than gluing the 3/4" pvc together. I'm not a condensate or hvac expert so I may want to redo it later as well. <Q> This is a low-pressure application, so almost any rubber hose of the correct diameter should work. <S> Measure the plastic tubing outside diameter and look in an auto parts shop for heater hose or radiator hose of that inside diameter. <A> Using the search terms "one inch flexible rubber elbow," I find a number of items that match, mostly for one and one-half inch sizes but a few as small as one inch. <S> There doesn't seem to be anything smaller. <S> The photo doesn't show scale very well, but I based my search on my air conditioner drain pipe of 1.5 inch diameter. <S> I suspect you'll find more results without the size constraint. <S> Amazon has a selection online as well. <A> Condensate drip lines do not strictly need to be glued together. <S> In some places it makes sense to glue them together to prevent the fitting from separating, but in others it makes sense to not use glue for ease of maintenance. <S> If this is the drip line that enters the pump (and not the discharge side of the pump) then an unglued elbow will be just fine. <A> Feel free to use a hard elbow or tee with an intentional 1-2" gap, and bridge the gap with straight rubber couplers. <S> That would provide the ease of maintenance you wisely want to retain. <S> For instance if you need to add an additional drain, that would be a good way to change the elbow to a tee.
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Some radiator hoses have a right-angle bend, and smaller diameter heater hose should be flexible enough to bend without kinking.
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Cutting stud in load bearing wall to create vent opening for cooktop hood We are installing a wall mounted cooktop hood over a gas cooktop as part of our renos. We have centered the cooktop along the kitchen wall but unfortunately that places the center line right in front of a stud (labeled #2 in the pictures) that is holding up an exterior wall. Shifting the cooktop position by 4-5 inches is problematic as it throws the cabinet configurations out of whack. We checked with the manufacturer of the hood and they advised that the vent should be 6" and of rigid material by code for gas cooktops. There is wiring running through the lower portion of these studs which also limits what we can do. Please refer to the first picture below which shows the stud locations and the wiring. We are considering an option where we cut the top part of the middle stud to allow us to create the vent opening for the hood. We then want to add framing members to provide support. This option is sketched in the second picture and shows the following: cut top portion of the middle stud #2 above the wiring insert 2x4s of same length as remainder of stud #2 but turned on their side behind and in front of wires on either side of stud #2. These are #7 and #8. NOTE: there will be a bit of space between the front and back studs so the studs should not press against the wiring. We can also create a small notch in the stud around the wiring if the space in between the studs is limited install a new 2x4 stud #4 horizontally to sit on top of the turned studs #7, 8 and stud #2 and nailed to stud #1 and stud #3 install new 2x4 studs #5, 6 that sit on stud #4 and support the top plate where the top part of stud #2 was cut ideally studs #5, 6 are positioned such that the hood can hang directly off these two studs. We would like feedback from the forum experts. We are located in Toronto, Canada. Is this an adequate way of providing support once the top portion of the middle stud is cut? If not is there an alternate approach you can suggest? <Q> See image below for reference. <S> The header is typically made of two pieces of 2x lumber face nailed together, sometimes with a piece of 1/2” plywood between the two to make the depth of the header match the depth of the studs. <S> You can probably use 2x6’s for such a short span. <S> You can locate the trimmers and king studs to hang the vent hood on, while the cripples below the sill of the opening should be located 16” on center (or whatever the existing stud spacing currently is) in relation to all other studs in the wall. <S> Of course, all of that wiring makes doing it the correct way difficult... <A> Thanks to everyone for the feedback. <S> At the end we had the electrician rewire that section so we could add new studs on either side of the one that would had been cut. <S> Took a couple hours and turned out to be a better and simpler solution. <A> | <S> * <S> | | <S> *** <S> | | <S> * <S> | | | <S> ======= \|/ <S> | || - vertical stud <S> * - cutout for hood exhaust= - horizontal beam\/ - brackets <S> That is: cut the troublesome stud (after putting in some props of course) <S> attach a horizontal beam (I'd use a couple of 2x4's about 12" long) <S> fix this with brackets (wood or metal) <S> fix a pair of short studs going up to the beam across the top. <S> This may not be exactly to code, but it seems to me that the load on the two replacement short studs are unlikely to be much more than the load on the original stud, so the remainder of the remaining stud can take it. <S> The biggest concern is if the loads on the two are very uneven, so the horizontal beam tends to turn. <S> Doing it this way, avoids having to interfere with the mess of wiring below.
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The correct way is to frame the opening with a header, jack studs(aka trimmers) and king studs in the same manner that window and door openings are framed. The problem you have, is that two 2x4 turned on side (as you propose) will be exactly 4" thick - which is the thickness of the other 2x4 studs - which means there is no space for the wiring. Given that you only need to create room for a 6" exhaust, I think you can go for a much simpler approach: | | What you are suggesting will work, but it is technically incorrect.
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Frigidaire oven smells smoky and turned itself on to bake. Safe to use cook top? My brother's wife is working in remote Canadian town – just her in condo, no pets. Condo has electric Frigidare Model No. CFES3025LW4 with 4 element induction cook top. I can't find pic on Google Image. This morning 6 AM, she felt the house got too stuffy. Then she saw the oven turned itself on. She never pushed 'Bake' button this past week! She didn't use range yesterday. She turned them off by pushing "Bake" again. For more safety, she turned off branch circuit breaker for whole range (cook top and oven) . She never used oven, but it smells burnt and smoky. Anyways repair person can't come until Nov 20 (next Wed). He needs order parts. Undeniably she must cook herself before then. She can't eat out every day! Thus is it safe for her to use just the cooktop? She will turn off branch circuit breaker after each use! <Q> I would say it is safe to use both the induction rings and the oven provided <S> your in-law is in the kitchen. <S> I would not use any timer function on the oven. <S> The main risk is the cooker starting a fire. <S> If your in-law is in the kitchen, she will probably smell burning insulation, and be able to turn the power off, before an actual fire breaks out. <S> I would continue to turn the breaker power off when the cooker is not in use, particularly when she is out or asleep. <A> In your several other questions , you discussed turning the range circuit breaker off while the range is not in use. <S> For the short term, i.e. a couple of weeks, that strategy is fine . <S> Can you use them thousands of times (daily for 20 years)? <S> Maybe. <S> It depends on the breaker's rating. <S> A long time ago, certain models of breakers were rated for switching (commonly used in industry to switch all-day lighting). <S> Today, most breakers are rated for switching. <S> I would expect it in a new breaker. <S> Which costs $10, by the way. <S> (and obviously don't put flammables in bad places, Dad, Dad, do not put the coffee maker on a burner "but it's off" <S> still don't do it ) <S> Keep in mind <S> there are other range dangers I cannot vouch for; particularly if the range has a 3-wire connection and the neutral has a problem, it will electrify the chassis of the oven with lethal voltage. <S> I can't promise you the problems aren't related; maybe a voltage spike from a lost neutral is what made the oven controller glitch. <A> Does your in-law have a cat by any chance? <S> My mother's cats have managed to mess with the touch controls of her range more than once! <S> It's hard to say with this because you don't know the cause, however if it is just an oven control issue <S> then there should be no problem using the induction rings. <A> I wouldn't use the oven if I were you <S> The most likely failure situation that could cause an electronically-controlled oven to get "stuck on" is if the relay on the control board that switches power to the bake element failed due to the contacts being stuck shut. <S> This sort of failure, even if it appears to straighten itself out when the oven is left alone for a while, will not get better, and can progress to the oven being unable to be shut off save for by the breaker, so I would avoid using the oven until the control board is replaced by a competent person, lest the malfunctions become more severe. <S> However, the cooktop should be fine <S> Generally speaking, the oven control is separate from the cooktop control on an electric range; this is partly because it's harder to replace a simmerstat with electronics vs. a simple oven control timer, and partly because the two modules have different requirements as well. <S> I would be OK with using the cooktop under these circumstances still, provided it is attended of course.
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As long as the oven is attended while the breaker is on , then you shouldn't have a problem from that . Breakers are definitely safe to use dozens of times.
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What are my options for grab bar blocking when pipes are in the way? As part of my master bathroom remodel I'm adding blocking for grab bars. In most areas where I need blocking, I can just use 2-by-something blocking without any problem. There's a corner though where I cannot just do this, due to pipes in the wall. Here is what it looks like: All that you see in this image is work that was done prior to this renovation (probably going back to when the house was built). I've merely taken the drywall down. There's no way to redo the design to avoid the need for grab bars in that area. I'd like to avoid having to move pipes around. A 2-by-something piece of wood won't clear the water pipe closest to the face of the stud, or the plumbing vent. 3/4" plywood can be used in place of a 2-by-something but it won't clear the water pipe or the plumbing vent either. I had thought of adding a stud to the right of the water pipes. A piece of plywood could then run from that new stud to the stud on the right of the plumbing vent but the plywood won't clear the vent. (And I don't know about the wisdom of sandwiching water pipes between two studs.) The only solution I'm aware of that would clear the pipes is to use a 16 gauge galvanized metal sheet to attach to the front of the studs. I'd have to notch the surface of the studs to the depth of the metal sheet so that the metal sheet is flush with the rest of the studs. I'm not very keen on the metal alternative because in my world when my drill bit hits metal in a wall it usually means STOP AND REASSESS. But if I go with the metal sheet, I'd be putting in the wall metal that is meant to be drilled into (except for where the pipes are). Is there some other non-metal-based solution that I've missed? <Q> Consider simply double lining the wall. <S> A sheet of plywood over the studs, then drywall on top. <S> This will narrow the room by 1/2-3/4" depending on the ply, but this may not be a problem for you. <S> You could also use thinner drywall as it doesn't have to span any gaps. <A> You could cut lumber to float in the space between the pipes and secure it inside the wall with sheet metal. <S> There could be several variations on the idea, but here is one. <S> Cut a piece of plywood to a width that fits between the copper and the plastic pipes with whatever height you prefer. <S> Mount two metal strips to the studs on either side of the cavity corresponding to the top and bottom edges of the plywood. <S> Secure the plywood to the metal strips. <S> If you browse the "Simpson aisle" of joist hangers, earthquake straps, etc at a building supply store with a creative eye you may find a bracket that works as-is or with simple modifications. <A> Put a doubled up stud in each spot where your grab bar's bases need to go. <S> This will solve your problem with minimal work or cost and make the installation of the grab bars very simple and secure. <S> (This is mentioned in the comments but it really should be an answer.)
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You could get fancy with the steel if you want to: fold legs so it can mount flush to the face of the studs rather than being surface mounted on top of them, make it support the back side of the plywood rather than the front side, etc.
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How can I fasten pink polystyrene wall insulation into a structure? I got a big polystyrene board from Home Depot (you know, the kind with Pink Panther on it). I want to glue it together with Liquid Nails to make a house for feral cats in my neighborhood. However, I noticed that it's laminated on both sides. Should I remove the lamination so that the actual foam adheres and not the laminate? Will giving it a few coats of paint make it waterproof? If not, should I try something else? <Q> Firstly, as has been said, that material will not hold up to either the cats or the weather. <S> You need an actual siding over it. <S> The solvent in the heavy duty type dissolves polystyrene. <S> I built a similar "hot box" for my dog using the same stuff. <S> I assembled six panels by creating a frame of 2x2, fitting 1-1/2" foam inside, and screwing 1/4" BC plywood to both faces. <S> I strategically extended the plywood 2" on one face as needed to create the lap necessary to screw the other panels in place. <S> It's extremely solid and comfortable. <S> I have it mounted off the ground by just the front panel, and I can stand on it with no movement whatsoever. <A> Yellow gorilla glue works well on foam, and won't melt it. <S> It needs a little moisture to work so apply a light mist of water to one side, and a thin bead of glue to the other. <S> (Wood normally has sufficient moisture already, but foam has none). <S> Hold it together with tape while the glue sets, and wipe up the extra every 10 minutes for about an hour - it expands a lot, foaming up to fill gaps and making a mess if you're not careful. <S> Epoxy works too, but is expensive and requires mixing. <S> UHU POR is a specialist glue for foam, but it's designed for craft work and small pieces, not construction. <S> I use it when gorilla glue is too messy. <S> If the laminate is a polythene sheet, you should remove it in the areas you want to glue, as almost no glues stick to polythene. <S> Keep the laminate for waterproofing, and use parcel tape to cover any gaps. <S> Or you could just use parcel tape to hold it together <S> , it can be as good as glue. <A> Loctite PL300 Foamboard is one. <S> The foamboard will be waterproof (at least as far as your needs are concerned) as it is. <S> It is not fireproof, however. <S> It's also very light, so unless you're also building some sort of structure to hold it in place, the first wind will send it flying. <S> No comment on the material being cat-proof. <A> Loctite PL300 Foamboard is good, but Loctite PL Premium also says it glues XPS (Pink) foam - Product page, see tech data sheet – I have used both in the past few days (Foamboard to glue pieces to each other, and PL to glue foam to wood) – but I didn't remove any laminate. <S> Both glues seem OK, but "mechanical" fasteners are often called for. <S> In other words, while PL glue is stronger than wood fibers themselves, I don't think you're gluing foam into a singular unit, and most instructions are about attaching foam to something, not making a crate. <S> Also, I know from experience that animals don't mind ripping the pink foam to pieces (mice, rats, racoons, groundhogs) if they decide that's important to them. <S> Also, that stuff is EXPENSIVE compared to a sheet of even high-quality OSB, which you could nail and glue into something really strong – but maybe you're trying to make something simple. <S> Here the PL glue would come in more handy because it glues lots of things together, you could even glue the box to concrete. <S> Costwise, thinner insulation and OSB together might be stronger, and not blow away. <S> I guess you're trying to add some insulation, but you could just get old clothes or blankets – I'm sure feral cats aren't picky.
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The construction adhesive you mentioned will eat the foam unless it's the water-based "panel" or "project" variety. Several companies make a foamboard adhesive.
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Hanging string lights from stone I have several solid stone pillars (approx 4' high) running along the edge of my patio. I would like to hang string lights along the stones using something like Q-Hanger hooks . But I do not know how to go about securing these hooks into the stone itself. I see online some plastic anchors that look like the kind that I would use in drywall but I'm not sure if that is the best option or if those anchors would work with the hooks I have planned. Any advice would be appreciated. <Q> I would only drill that stone as an absolute last resort. <S> That not only damages it in an unrecoverable way but opens it up to faster degradation from weather, especially if you're in a frost zone. <S> Get some aluminum wire for bonsai ( example ). <S> It's anodized in a suitable color and very easy to work with. <S> You could also use coated steel gardening wire (per Tonny's comment) or even coated copper electrical wire. <S> Wrap it around the stone and twist it at the light location, then use the tails to attach the lighting. <S> As Criggie suggests in a comment, you could use a wiring strategy similar to how sparkling wine bottle caps are done: You could also use decorative metal strapping ( examples ). <S> Wrap it around the post, folding at corners, and use a bolt to cinch it on the outside corner. <S> If you leave a gap between the straps you could attach S-hooks or similar to the bolt <S> shank. <S> Whatever route you choose, protect the wire well from chafing to prevent damage and shorts. <S> (Thanks, Chloe.) <A> There are many plastic concrete anchors you can use for this. <S> The one I like best it the one pictured below. <S> They come in a variety of sizes and will match the screw hooks you'd like to use. <S> Your hooks are stainless steel so they'll last a long time and so will the anchors. <S> You'd need a masonry drill bit to drill the hole but many packages of these anchors include the bit. <S> Good luck <A> Personally I wouldn't drill it. <S> I'd get some adhesive hooks, then throw away the adhesive part and use construction adhesive instead. <S> That should be plenty strong to hold some outdoor string lights. <A> [Updated, since the target is the tall stone pillars, not the stone wall] <S> I would be reluctant to drill into the stone, not least because it may open the way to water penetration and frost-shattering. <S> With pillars that tall it could be downright dangerous if they got frost-shattered and then broke. <S> It may also be very hard work. <S> So look to methods that don't damage the stone and are reasonably inconspicuous. <S> String or non-ferrous wire around the pillars (string can be dyed, unvarnished brass tarnishes to a brown that may be similar to the stone). <A> After reading the given answers (as now), let me add mine : <S> If you plan to draw long lines for hanging your lights between pillars , the following is for you, else @isherwood answer should be the good way. <S> As a father, I always think about "where will this dam' child find a way to hang/climb ?". <S> So, in order to let my daughter climb everywhere without risking some installation to fall, i tend to build really solid things. <S> Long lines will pull on the stone (traction force). <S> You need to convert this into compression in order to avoid the rock to split. <S> This is achievable e.g. by adding a steel stripe (section e.g. 30x8mm) in the back of your stone, with a steel strapping. <S> These stripes must be strongly tightened to the ground and reaching the back of the strapping, facing the traction point. <S> By doing this, the bending on the steel will try to "crush" the stone pillar, thus creating a compression force instead of a traction one. <S> I Hope i did explain that in an understandable way. <A> Assuming the below-ground portions of these stone pillars are in pretty solidly: <S> Get a rough piece of rope (e.g. manila rope, not something slippery) and tie a clove hitch or similar knot around the top of the post. <S> With the ends of rope coming off the clove hitch, you can either make them short tie up the lights right there, or make them long and have them reach to the next post and the next one and the next one, as a support line for the light strings. <S> You can wrap the light strings around the support rope. <S> There are plenty of additional details and photographs about how to do this in various places online. <S> Without copying in copyrighted materials, I'll link you to this article discussing the knot in a filmmaking and lighting context, and this one in a Scouting context.
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Or, what I think I'd do, is to epoxy-glue some small cable tie bases to the stone.
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Furnace not turning on, and can anyone identify these sensors? My home has a gas furnace with electronic ignition (intermittent pilot). Sometimes it doesn't want to start up, even with the thermostat turned up, and it indicating heat should be on. The fan-only mode works fine, as does the A/C. Yesterday I shut off power to they system and opened the side panel where the gas valve, burner and ignition system live. I noticed these three sensors all wired in series (see photo below). The "upward" facing sensor had a lot of dust on it, so I brushed it off. I then turned on power to the system and it started right up. I thought that was the culprit until this morning when again the furnace would not come on. So I repeated the sensor cleaning, but this time I used a bit of isopropyl alcohol to gently clean the face of each sensor, and again the furnace kicked on as soon as I restored power. But I'm still not convinced that the sensor cleaning was the trick; maybe it was just having it powered off for 5-10 minutes did some sort of system reset, and this problem may come back. So, can anyone identify these sensors, and what is their purpose? Maybe one of them is faulty? And better yet, can anyone give me any other troubleshooting ideas if the problem does indeed come back. Update: Thanks to all who have contributed. As Ed Beal, JPhi1618 and others mentioned, the sensors are snap sensors, designed to "snap" when the temperature reaches a certain point, which opens up a safety circuit and likely shuts off the system. I was able to push one in, then use the little red tab to push it back out (reset). Must be some sort of bi-metallic thing. And as I suspected (and others have eluded to), these sensors are not the problem. The non-start-up problem has happened again, but I wasn't home so I instructed my wife to cycle power so she could get the house warm. Next time it happens though I will hopefully be home so I can look for a blinking LED on the control board (which I found last night in an adjacent box). I will also try to clean off the flame sensors too since they are reasonably accessible. If/when I solve this I will report back so others can learn, and accept an answer if applicable. Update 2: Woke up this morning to the heater not starting up again. The access panel has a small plastic window which allowed me to see the control board, and the flashing LED. A troubleshooting sticker on the panel told me the pattern of the flashing LED indicated "pressure switch closed" (it must be opened in order to startup, therefore likely got stuck in the closed pos after the previous cycle). Googling shows this to be a common issue, and solved by either cleaning out the pneumatic lines that attach to the sensor, cleaning out the sensor itself (gently!), or else replacing the sensor since it is likely bad. I'm just happy it is not the control board or something like that. Thanks again to all who replied, and I hope this update helps others (also, here's a good video of diagnosing this problem) <Q> I don't have enough rep to comment <S> so I have to post as an answer. <S> With that said, I ran into this issue myself a few years ago, I cleaned off all of my sensors just like you did. <S> This did not fix my issue so I went over my flame sensor with some fine grit sandpaper. <S> (pic of flame sensor) <S> It has worked since I did this. <S> Question, when your tstat sends the heat signal, does your heater go through the motions like it will start up but shuts itself down after a few seconds? <S> If so that's very indicative of a sensor issue. <S> For future troubleshooting, basically all residential heaters (that I've seen) will have an LED indicator that will flash in a pattern representing the trouble code. <S> Look up your make/model online <S> and you can find what the trouble code means. <S> Hope this helps. <S> For full disclosure I'm a licensed electrician and not HVAC. <S> Hope this helps. <A> All three of those, I believe, are temperature limit switches. <S> Them being dirty should not matter. <S> They check the temperature in a few important places and will cut power/ignition if an over-the-limit temperature is sensed. <S> The other type of sensor you might find in a furnace is a pressure sensor, but they are normally larger because they have to detect slight pressure changes <S> so they know if the fan cuts out or if the filter is clogged. <S> This is such a new looking furnace... <S> You have checked the filters right? <S> When one sensor trips, the circuit is broken and it doesn't matter witch sensor it is. <S> That's another reason they are all probably the same type. <S> Your control board should have a trouble LED that blinks or maybe even a number that displays when there is a problem that causes it to stop. <S> They do this because a temperature switch is hard to debug. <S> The trouble indicator should let you know what type of sensor (temp, pressure, flame) caused the shutdown. <S> At that point, you need to know why the sensor tripped. <S> Don't assume it's a bad sensor without some additional troubleshooting. <A> I believe you cleared the error on the control board when you powered down the unit, those are thermal snap switches used for safety’s, the one with the red button is a manual reset (normally on the firebox overtemp). <S> Next time it won’t start turn the power off for 1 minute then restore power and it will probably start. <S> You need to find the control board when it won’t start their are usually a series of LED’s or flashing LED’s if flashing count the number of flash’s like it may flash 7 times pause and then flash 3 times this would indicate error code 73. <S> Once you identify the code the cause can be found in the owner’s manual or googling the make and model and the specific error. <S> Give the power cycle a try as it sounds like it is regularly failing at this time. <S> It could also be a vane switch that is dirty. <S> Most enclosures are electrically interlocked if you remove the cover with the power on it may shut down, in this case the switch usually has an over ride feature the pin that normally pushes in can be pulled out and it will return power so the system can be worked on. <S> It doesn’t take much force to pull them out and they only move about 1/4” <S> this is normal for maintaining a modern furnace. <S> Let it run with the cover off in over ride mode if removing the cover clears the error.
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The furnace must be closed up to operate so if the unit stops, in the time it takes for you to pull off the cover and take a measurement, the sensor would have cooled off and reset. When several sensors are wired in series, the "normal" behavior will be for voltage to pass through the entire circuit.
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Is there a building material that can be cut and glued, can be used outside, and provides good insulation? I'm trying to make a pet house but I'd rather deal with something warmer than wood. Bonus points if it's light and easy to cut. See this question for project details. <Q> They usually have about 6 inches of foam on the bottom and 2 inches sides and top. <S> All of the materials are salvaged (except the electric floor warmer). <S> I like to keep the bottom off the ground so that snow melt can't get things wet. <S> SIPs are a sandwich of plywood-foam-plywood (or OSB). <S> Making custom SIPs for a dog house takes some basic carpentry skills, and a of couple week-ends. <S> One of the most common mistakes, in my opinion, is making the shelter to large for the animal. <S> Another is inadequate insulation and/or water proofing, especially the roof and floor. <S> Good small dog or cat shelters can be made from old insulated Coleman type picnic coolers. <S> Line the interior with carpet and cut an entrance hole in one end. <S> Even the very best pet shelters need to be monitored for temp and moisture. <S> I am glad to share detailed thoughts with anyone interested in the topic of pet shelters. <A> "Is there a building material that can be cut and glued, can be used outside, and provides good insulation? <S> " <S> The practical answer is: No, there isn't such a building material. <A> I've found that Azek board/PVC board often fills these criteria, but they can sometimes be hard to get ahold of in the right quantities. <A> One option that I've seen some rescues use is to stack two storage totes. <S> The idea is to take a large tote line it with rigid insulation and insert a smaller tote inside. <S> Cut an access hole through all the layers and you've got yourself an instant cat shelter.
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I've built some dog houses using SIPs (structural insulated panels).
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How to install a timer next to thermostat to control/limit the length of time the thermostat operates? What if you want to put the thermostat pre-set at 74 degrees in a clear wall mount tamper-proof enclosure and install a 6 hour timer next to it so the knuckleheads don’t leave the a/c on when they leave? Should I just break the G wire to the timer and back or what? Will that affect the delays the thermostat has for pumping out the ventilation system before it shuts off? <Q> No one would ever do that. <S> They would get a programmable thermostat. <S> It is trivial to set up programs that do exactly what you want to do. <S> Further, many thermostats have mechanical gating so <S> the up and down (temperature) buttons are readily accessible and changeable right now, but will reset at the next program time. <S> Access to program is gated by a special door. <S> You can then put a cage over top of it so they can access the buttons, but not the door. <S> They typically allow 4 program changes per day. <S> This is a $50 solution, and you can't homebrew a thing like that for so little. <A> I've personally never seen a programmable thermostat that you can turn on whenever you want and have it automatically turn off after a certain amount of time. <S> A programmable that I'm used to seeing would, for instance, always turn the A/C off at 6:00pm or 9:00pm, but not "6 hours from when it was last turned on". <S> If anyone knows of a thermostat that has the specific function ask for, please post a comment. <S> The Y wire calls for cooling and G calls for fan. <S> If you only put the Y wire on a timer, the fan will still run all the time. <S> If G is on a timer you could potentially run the compressor with no fan and it would freeze up and maybe cause some damage. <S> The good news is that it's acceptable to just wire Y and G together. <S> You loose the ability to control the fan separately and you will not get any fan "after run". <A> I've seen something like you're asking used in hotels before. <S> They would have a regular thermostat that allowed the guest to adjust the temperature to their liking, but there was also a keycard reader tied in. <S> In order for the A/C to operate, the guest would have to insert their room key into this device and leave it in. <S> After removing the key (which tends to be a requirement when you leave a hotel room, as you can't get back in without it), the A/C would shut off. <S> An example I found by Googling would be here <S> This is a similar system, but it uses occupancy sensors instead of the keycard.
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Using a programmable thermostat would be the best option, but if you really want what you have described (like a hot tub timer at a public pool - turn on any time, always turn off 20 min later), then you can wire the Y and G wires together and pass those through a timer.
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My shower grout is cracked. How can I fix it? Noticed this because the piece outside the shower was lifting and there was some water around the edge. Is this as simple as getting a grout saw/knife and scraping out the old and putting in new grout? Do I need to worry about any moisture underneath? Didn't own the home when it was installed so not sure what's going on underneath. <Q> You can order it in different colors to fit your grout ( amazon link ). <S> I also recommend getting a caulk gun . <S> I didn't get one the first time and it was a pain. <S> It is doable without though but caulk guns are cheap and actually pretty useful in other situations as well with different types of caulk. <S> Dry time is pretty long though. <S> It was annoying to keep the family out of the shower. <S> Grout versus caulk : I can't really speak to that. <S> I assume caulking is easier but less durable. <S> Maybe someone else can comment on that. <A> Grout is more an aesthetic here. <S> It's porous, so it's not a prevention against water intrusion. <S> Water will penetrate your grout. <S> It's the stuff underneath the tile that should prevent water intrusion to the things that cannot get wet. <S> I would scrape or grout saw the old grout out. <S> Ideally, you want to do this to the whole bathroom, as this new grout is unlikely to match the tone of the old. <S> The other answer mentioned caulk. <S> The catch with caulk in an application like this is that caulk tends to be less durable than grout, especially if you use a simple latex caulk. <S> I would grout rather than caulk in this case. <A> I would carefully remove old grout do not use anything too sharp in case where waterproof membrane has been used … when replacing the grout make sure it is adequate for some of the larger gaps as some grouts can do up to 1/8"gaps only...after all that is done … use a good grout sealer approx 1 week after grout application
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I used caulk to fix issues like this.
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Can I use pavers as a cheap solution to stop rain water erosion? After over a decade of rain water running down from the roof, I have a small 'moat' around the house, where the water has eroded away the grass and sand (this is Florida, soil is sandy) - see Picture 1. Also, water gets splattered against the house wall, keeping it wet throughout rainy season, which is not a good thing long-term - this is the main concern now. Adding gutters would cost significantly, so I came up with a cheaper solution: Simply place a row of pavers with a slight outward tilt along the house, which will catch the falling water's impact, and run it off in the grass or splatter it outwards (hence the slight tilt) - see picture 2. The question is - will that work as expected? it took the water over a decade to erode through the grass and about two inches deep, so it's not that bad nobody will ever walk on them, so the pavers do not need to support that. Therefore, I plan to simple place them in the sandy dirt, next to each other. <Q> However, you will still get some rain from the roof hitting the pavers and splashing against your wall. <S> Don't forget about the wind, rain doesn't usually fall straight down <S> so you'll get that wetness too. <S> Long term solution would be gutters. <A> I did this years ago along one side of my home <S> and it's worked well. <S> The area between the pavers and the house <S> you'll want to turn into a little flower bed or mulch it over as trying to mow it can be a pain (was for me anyway). <S> I also put some pavers at the end of my downspouts to prevent erosion there. <S> A few on the ground then one on top <S> so the water coming out of the spout will hit the top one to slow it down then run off the bottom ones into the ground. <A> I like the pavers scheme. <S> How about this addition: between every 3-4 pavers plant a bush or one of those big agaves, or alternate them for variety. <S> You are in Florida and so if you amend the soil you can grow anything. <S> When the plants grow in, their leaves will slow the force of the descending water and big agaves would be perfect for this. <S> Their leaves are strong. <S> If you get the right kind of plants (or agaves) they will obscure the pavers underneath in case anyone thinks they are ugly. <S> Keep plants trimmed back from the wall of the house so it can breathe.
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The pavers will definitely take care of the moat and deflect the rain water.
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Is it legal and safe to have an electrical breaker panel installed outside of an external wall of a single family home in Ontario Canada? Searched multiple sites but could not find the answer to the question if it is legal and safe to have an electrical breaker panel installed outside of an external wall of a single family home in Ontario Canada. <Q> There are plenty of panels which are UL listed for outdoor use; that's what NEMA 3R is. <S> However, the outdoor environment is tougher on panel components. <S> For instance GFCI and AFCI breakers will have a much shorter service life outside. <S> The threats are dust and moisture (mostly via condensation). <S> It has been suggested to me that placing a rather small heater inside a panel can help drive off condensation, but of course will cost a small amount of money (typically $1 per watt per year) and will alarm anyone who looks at your panel with an infrared camera (normally warm panels are a BAD thing). <S> One option is to put the main breaker outside and the rest of the service panel(s) inside. <S> If this is part of a recent trend to eradicate all utility spaces from a home, I think that trend will backfire. <S> Houses have utilities (unless you're Amish). <S> Utilities need maintenance. <A> As to whether or not it is against code in Ontario Canada, you would have to ask a local inspector. <A> As others have stated, if it is rated for the location and work done to the Ontario electrical code standard then it is okay. <S> Farms in Ontario might have their main service mounted on a hydro pole( meter and main panel). <S> From there it branches to sub panels in the house and in the barn. <S> You didn't include pictures or specifics about location so further details might sway my opinion.
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There are perfectly legal outdoor rated breaker panels, if that is your question.
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Using a sealant to stop a toilet tank leak The toilet tank is leaking through the bolts, but the bolts are so rusted I can't remove them. I can't afford a plumber right now, but would like to stop using bucket-fulls of water to flush. My husband wants to use a sealant to stop the leaking. Is this feasible? <Q> You can cut the bolts off with a mini hacksaw. <S> The rubber washers inside the tank are shot, and that's what's causing your leak. <S> You can fix it for $10. <S> Turn off water <S> (I think you're already here). <S> Flush and sop up the remaining water in the tank with a sponge (or use a shop vac if you have one). <S> Cut off the bolts and remove them. <S> Replace with new bolts and washers. <S> Refill tank and check for leaks. <S> Mini hacksaw: <S> https://www.harborfreight.com/6-inch-mini-hacksaw-65341.html Tank bolts: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Keeney-2-Pack-Bolts/1001094052 <A> Ultimately, the "correct" way to fix this is a new bolt kit, with stainless bolts and new sealing washers. <S> Most hardware stores or big box stores will carry bolt kits for all major brands of toilets, plus generic kits. <S> The kits include new bolts, nuts, washers, and rubber sealing washers, which are the part that's likely causing your leak. <S> Write down the make of your toilet and snap a few pics of the bolts to bring with you to the hardware store to make sure you get the right parts. <S> Old rusted bolts are usually very weak. <S> It's usually fairly easy to just snap the heads off them with a big enough wrench or pair of pliers or vice grips. <S> The only potential issue with doing this is you need to be careful to not put pressure on the porcelain, as it's fairly brittle. <S> Once the old bolts are out, it's somewhat trivial to put the new parts in, and there are plenty of youtube videos showing the process if it's not obvious. <S> Again, the only real caveat is making sure you don't really over-tighten the bolts and put stress on the porcelain. <S> Replacing the bolts is preferable to trying sealant for a few reasons. <S> Applying sealant may prove harder than it sounds, since the parts really need to be very clean and dry for the silicone to stick well. <S> And if the bolts are rusted, getting a good stable clean surface is going to be challenging. <S> Plus, there's the potential for down the road issues. <S> If the fitting gets gunked up with silicone, and someone does decide to actually apply a correct fix, you're going to be making their life very difficult. <S> When people ask "how do I do X <S> " I don't like to generally say "do Y instead" unless it's easy to justify, but in this case, I think it is. <S> Plus, it's pretty much guaranteed to work and won't cause headaches down the road. <A> Billy Mays here for Flex Seal. <A> Rather than using silicone as suggested by Michael Karas, I would use something like Fernox LS-X which is actually designed as a leak sealant. <S> In particular, it does not need to be applied to a dry substrate. <S> If you empty the cistern and apply from the inside, you don't even need to wait for it to set. <A> If you are looking to use a product under water then you can try a wet patch for roofs. <S> https://www.homedepot.com/p/Henry-10-1-oz-209XR-Elastomeric-Sealant-HE209004/100001308 <A> A sealant like silicone would work as a temporary fix but there are some things to consider: <S> The silicone would need to be spread fully across the bolt heads and onto the adjacent porcelain on the inside of the water closet (tank). <S> Thick layer over the rusty bolt heads would be a must. <S> The whole area where you apply the silicone will have to be clean and very dry. <S> The silicone will not adhere well to wet surfaces. <S> You would need to apply the patch over the whole bolt head all in one go. <S> A secondary application of the silicone will not adhere well to a cured first layer. <S> Make sure to let the silicone material fully cure before trying to put the water closet back into service. <S> Removal of the silicone from any surfaces that it decides to really stick to can be a pain to get it all off. <S> This would be especially true for many toilet tanks that do not have a fully glazed interior. <S> When you are eventually able to address getting this repaired properly do endeavor to use stainless steel bolts to avoid the rust problem in the future. <A> I'm really surprised nobody has mentioned the truly superior product here: plumber's putty. <S> It's easy to remove, doesn't crack, and you can mold it around your bolt, where the rubber gasket used to go. <S> The one place you can't use it would be a custom gasket that covers all the bolts (some newer toilets use them). <S> In those cases, the gaskets perform a leveling function on the tank as well. <S> You'll have to buy a new gasket for those no matter what. <A> Everything Michael said is a must. <S> I would think about using a few PVC caps for the patch. <S> See photo below. <S> You'd have to rough up the outside, inside and bottom with some sandpaper so the silicone adheres to the caps. <S> Apply a ring of caulk around the bolt areas and also around the bottom of the caps. <S> Then just press the caps over the bolts and let it fully cure. <S> Just a thought. <S> By the time you do all this and wait 24 hours+ for the caulk to cure, you could hacksaw off the bolts and replace them and be done with it.. <S> either way, good luck.
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Replacing the bolts may be easier than getting a good leak-free seal with sealant, and it will be about the same cost to buy the bolt kit as it would be to buy a tube of silicone.
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