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Why do my outlets start working when something is plugged in? I am in an apartment and have a small bar between living room and kitchen. In that bar is an outlet. It is NOT on the same breaker as the living room lights, fan, or outlets. Recently my lights and outlets quit working in the living room area. We had 7 kid... | Pull out the bar outlet and inspect it for loose connections, especially on the white,neutral, wire. As for what it is, not our problem; only licensed electricians can work in a rental unit.
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Why don't electrical receptacles have more than one ground? All modern receptacles have places for additional hot/neutral wires so you can add more outlets in series, but they all have a single screw or hole for the ground wire. Why don't they have two ground holes?!? I see many receptacles wired where the installer s... | As a result, manufacturers only put one ground screw or terminal on wiring devices, so that you're required to do the right thing and When the ground wire gets disconnected somewhere you'll lose the ground protection and you'll realize it at the time of another failure, which is too late. There is nothing wrong if they... |
How can I build shelves that are 66" wide? I want to build a bookcase as part of a large built-in, and due to the geometry of the situation, it would be desirable to have one column of shelves be 66" wide. The problem is that even using hardwood boards, a shelf 66" will sag under the weight of heavy books. So, the nat... | If the flat bar must be taller than the thickness of the shelf it could be concealed by installing a thin false back sized to fit neatly between adjacent shelves.
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Do lag bolts need to be centered? I'm putting a 56lb TV on a 20lb wall mount and attaching it to two studs with 5 screws (3 on one stud, 2 on the other). Installing the plate so it is off center would make the rest of the installation easier. My gut tells me this is a bad idea for like three different reasons. Can any... | Yes, keeping lags centered in studs is important.
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Can Teflon thread tape be reused? I need to take off my shower head for cleaning and possible replacement. I can see there is Teflon tape on the fitting where the head connects to the arm. When I reconnect the head, can I reuse the existing tape? Do I wrap an extra layer around the existing tape? Or do I need to go ah... | If it's a shower head (as in this example) where a drip really won't make any difference, if you don't have new, go ahead and reuse.
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Separating a circuit with existing 12-3 wiring I have 12-3 electrical wire running from the main panel on one end of my ranch-style house to feed both the basement lights and the living room lights/outlets upstairs (opposite ends from the main panel). The red wire is connected to a breaker and used as the hot for the ... | The circuits must be positioned in the electrical panel so handle ties or a two-pole breaker can disconnect both live conductors simultaneously. This must not be a duplex/twin/tandem breaker, which does not have 240V across it! Yes, you can do that
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Setting tack strip in concrete I would like to have carpet installed in the bedroom of my basement apartment which now has a concrete floor. I don't trust the carpet guy with this part because he suggested cutting corners and just gluing it and I don't trust the glue for this application. I was thinking to drill small... | I have used a combination of construction adhesive and concrete nails. The few that do can be considered temporary if you use heavy-duty construction adhesive also and give it a day to cure.
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How to mount 18mm MDF Shelves on plasterboard/drywall hollow wall (no studs)? I have had some 18mm (0.7") MDF cut to make some shelving in an alcove between my shower room and main hallway. It's 18.5cm (7.2") deep by 196.5cm (77") long I have been considering the best way to mount these to the plasterboard/drywall - t... | At 77” long and only 7” deep I would consider L brackets that require 2 screws each this would provide ~100 lbs of support at each bracket l bracket is similar to your angle but one side is 3”
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What is the cheapest wood or wood-like material strong enough for books? I would like to create wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves in a room, to hold several thousand books. The shelves for the larger books is in a grid like this, with vertical columns like in this picture: Since it is many books, some bei... | Any 3/4" solid board (or 3/4" plywood) will work, as long as it's supported properly. If you want a 3 ft shelf which can carry heavy books, then the deciding factor will be material strength, and you'll likely end up with 20mm plywood.
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Washing machine: where to put laundry detergent? I noticed, that washing machines usually start with flushing the detergent from the dispenser drawer into the drum. So I wonder, what is the difference if I put the detergent into the dispenser, or into the drum? <Q> Putting the detergent into the dispenser drawer all... | If the detergent is absorbed in the clothes, not poured in the bottom of the drum, there's no difference.
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Tiling on Drywall in Shower I have a bathroom where water-resistant drywall was put up around and over the tub. Is it okay to put tile over the drywall around the tub or shower? If not, what can I do to be able to put tile? <Q> Tile over dry wall even water resistant will not last as long <S> but mat survive for up to... | Not only is it fine to do this, but some tile companies recommend tiling directly on drywall (plasterboard) because it can hold greater weight than plastered drywall.
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Mounting a sliding barn door without a header I have a hallway that leads into a group of bedrooms. I would like to install a sliding barn door to close these rooms off. There is not currently a header of any kind above this opening. I'm fine with leaving it open for air flow. But I need to span about 44" to mount ... | Use the correct length screws to get into the framing,set the screws far enough from the end of the new beam to insure good shear strength, about an 1 1/2" from the end. Your "sandwich" idea would work, but here's a simpler design that accomplishes the same thing:
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How to block a window with plywood for big wall to project a movie? I have a kids' playroom with a big wall and a center window. I want to use this wall as a home theater projector screen. I don't want to block the window permanently with a fixed screen, and my existing rolling screen is a smaller one. So I am trying ... | I would strongly recommend installing "stop" blocks at the top and bottom to keep the plywood from indenting too deeply into the window (keep it flush with the wall) but also to allow you to put screws through the plywood into the stop blocks to prevent the plywood accidentally falling. They look nicer when permanently... |
Windows the big heat loss? I am planning an addition and trying to compute the insulation design, and it seems like windows are where all the heat is lost. For example, thermal triple paned glass only has an R-value of about 2.3 compared to 18 for 6 inches of mineral wool. If you consider that that is just the R-Value ... | Depending on the amount of sun and quality of the windows, if you open and close them regularly as needed on the sunny side(s) they can help there too.
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Is this gap between foundation and siding supposed to be here? If not what should I fill it with? I have hundreds of crickets in my basement every fall. I see them crawling up my foundation so when I looked underneath the siding I see this. There is what looks like ripped plastic paper but then just a large gap into my... | That is 99.456% likely to be a plastic house wrapping such as Tyvek found in this picture: NOT seal the bottom with any sort of impermeable caulking nor spray foam. Albeit tedious, you can choose to install that mesh if you wish because it is permeable.
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advice re:ground connections inside a metal box When installing two switches in a double gang metal box, I mistakenly followed the directions for doing this in a plastic box. So I bundled the five ground wires with a marette, but failed to make a connection via pig tail to the metal box. Is this OK to leave? <Q> I just... | Switches don't need to be hard flush; they are allowed to ground via the screw threads even if the switch is not hard flush. Just grounded to the receptacle, which is hard flush against the box, so done.
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Are these pigtails inside the panel and outside a junction box allowed? I am concerned about a newer electrical panel's installation, where one of the older load wires, at the main electrical panel, appear to be shorter in length, appear not reaching the desired circuit breaker's location, as a result, the Electrician ... | Wire-splicing and pigtailing within a loadcenter cabinet (panel enclosure) is expressly permitted by NEC 312.8(A), and is quite safe (provided the splices are made up properly, of course): (A) Splices, Taps, and Feed-Through Conductors. All those cables and flexible metal conduit need to be appropriately connected to j... |
Why do I read 120v between the hots and neutral in a 240v circuit? I installed a 240v outlet for a new GE stove with its own 50 amp breaker. I ran a 50' section of 6/3 cable, 18' of it from breaker box to a vent in the foundation then I stapled the remaining to floor joist to my 240 outlet, plugged in the new stove and... | That breaker is what we call a "double-stuff" -- it is designed to fit 2 breakers where one normally goes. Double check the wiring your outlet as well. So you essentially have it on the single phase and need to adjust it Essentially, it's a "build your own quadplex" :) If you damaged or altered the breaker, throw it ou... |
Is it safe to mount a 65" TV to the wall using 1 and 1/2 inch lag bolts instead of 2 and 1/2 inch lag bolts? We are trying to mount a 65" TV in the basement. The studs in our wall are 1 and 1/2 inches deep, and behind that is concrete. The wall mount came with 2 and 1/2 inch lag bolts, but we really do not want to dril... | If you have a finished wall with a half inch of sheetrock then I would go for at least 1 3/4 inch lag bolts so that they grip as much wood as possible. Use washers big enough to cover the holes in the mount. I would not do this with an articulating mount - one that lets you pull the TV away from the wall and aim it a d... |
How large should a hole be for a bolt to go through? I am building a table and I have something like the following: I want to know if I have a 3/8 inch bolt, how large should the hole on the diagonal piece be? I already secured it on the table leg. <Q> It's important to remember the difference between a bolt and a s... | Your hole should be the size of the screw shaft .
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Possible to have wire mesh fencing plus a couple live wires for wild animals? We bought a small former horse farm a few years a ago. We reinforced the old horse pasture with wire mesh fencing to keep our dogs in. Now we want to fence in a wooded part of our property for the dogs. We want to continue to use the welde... | What you're trying to do is actually a standard way electric fences are installed.
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Lamp base out of wood, containing wires. Is there a safe way? I want to build a lamp socket base out of wood. In general I'd have a total of three lamps sockets hanging from it, which I'd feed through drill holes and would wire together in a hollowed out part of the wood. _________________|_________________| <- wo... | If each lamp will be just a socket, bulb, and featherweight shade, the wire, itself, may be enough to support it if you use appropriate wire, and mechanically secure both ends
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Water always coming out of my perimeter drain around my house I have a brand new energy efficient home that was built in 2019 as a part of a new development and of course it has a perimeter drain system with a pipe coming out to the edge of the street. I just noticed that water never stops coming out of my perimeter ... | You also could be the lucky owner of a home that is built on or near a natural spring.
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How can I repair a leak in a PVC water line without bringing down the system for an extended period of time? I have a small leak in 1" PVC pipe at a connection to a shutoff valve. It looks like not enough PVC cement was used. Taking this apart to repair it will require the entire household water system to be shut off. ... | If you're looking for a somewhat quick fix without much work, you can take a look at some plumbing epoxy putty such as this . A viable alternative to gluing would be a screw-tight compression coupling like this one .
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How do electric hot water heaters explode and what can be done to prevent that from happening? My neighbor and good friend is a union steamfitter, and general handyman. He had to replace his electric hot water heater last year and he did it himself. My wife and I have to replace ours now, and he says its a super simpl... | When installing a water heater, the most important thing is to make sure the pressure relief valve has a free-flowing connection to somewhere where the water can drain.
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Main panel mounted directly to cinderblock wall My main electrical panel is mounted directly to my basement wall, and I noticed last night while I had it open that it is starting to show signs of rust/oxidation around the mounting screws. What is the correct and safe way to get a piece of plywood in between the panel ... | You may be able to pull the panel off the wall and attach the plywood then screw into the plywood. Use pressure treated so it won't rot.
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Furnace: pipe is leaking when switched to air-conditioning I observed that when I enable air-conditioner , after awhile the valve (red one on the photo attached; correct me if it's called differently) starts leaking, the water drips from under the red "valve". The pipe which is next to "red valve" is fine, no leaks, i... | The point is when you see that dripping, you know the main drain is clogged.
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capacity of my electric panel I see a 100 Amp breaker in the mains, which means my electric panel is 100 Amps.I see may arrays of circuit breakers on it, as many as 18. When I add the total amps on them, it adds upto 375 Amps. Although, I use 1 dishwasher, 1 microwave, 1 dryer, 1 washer, 3-4 Ac's and lights, 1 sauna, ... | Overall adding breakers to empty slots is not an issue. Ideally you want some safety room as well, at least twenty amps to spare.
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Does a storm door help prevent heat loss? One person advised me that I'll cut down on the heat loss in my kitchen by installing a storm door. Another said I'd get better results by replacing the door itself, and then I can either install a storm or not, it doesn't really make any difference. I'm confused. My existin... | If wind and a poorly sealed main door are big concerns, a storm door might be worthwhile, but for general "insulation" purposes... Probably not.
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Would triple pane give me better results than double pane in a key location (bathroom)? I am ordering replacement windows. I'm going to go with double-hung in the bedrooms and bathroom, and casement above the kitchen sink. Double-hung vinyl with added foam insulation in the frames. But in the bathroom I want the bes... | A triple-pane is not necessarily a better insulator than a double-pane. You need to check the specific ratings of the windows you are considering. In New York, windows below 0.25 are recommended by Energy Star, and you can get windows going all the way down to 0.20 and below.
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How can I increase the friction on the surface of PVC pipe? So, I have sort of an odd question - I need a coating (or something) that will increase the friction on a CPVC pipe as much as possible. Specifically, I rigged some CPVC pipe to mount a light from my bicycle rack (I am a commuter.) However, the PVC pipe is a... | Wrapping some inner tube, duct tape, or just about anything else around it should work just fine.
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How to hang wood letters I have cut out a word made of 1/2" poplar and would like to hang it in the wall. I originally thought of using my (non plunge) router with a keyhole bit to cut two keyholes, but I'm afraid that the wood would be too thin. Is there any way to do this nice other than picture hangers? Edit:I don'... | Hang it on picture frame hooks
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how to remove some small rocks at the bottom of a 4' vertical water pipe 2 1/2" diameter? Two small rocks about 1" are blocking access to main water shutoff valve in 4-5' vertical pipe about 2 1/2" in diameter. Need to snag them! pipe is outside residence. <Q> Try sucking them out with a vacuum cleaner, preferably a we... | If they are not able to remove the stones, the only other alternative would be for them to dig down to the main valve and replace the shutoff riser. Tape or otherwise affix the pipe cap to the end of a length of rod, dowel or other convenient material.
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Light switch no power when on I have this bathroom light switch, when I turned it on, I tested power between red and black wire, there is no power If I turned it off, there is power red/black line How does it work exactly? I don’t understand this UPDATE 1 According to answers below, this is a 3-way switch but it u... | This and one other switch should be operating whatever is being switched. When the switch is “on”, it is effectively a short circuit between the terminals (allowing current to flow to the load). You can't just assume those are going to exist in any given location. In the future, don't buy anything or pull the wire unti... |
Connect two lamps to the same ceiling socket, controlled by two three-way switches Apologies if this is a stupid question, but my google fu is failing me. I have a ceiling socket for a lamp. I want to use it to power two lamps, controlled by the same two three-way switches. How do I achieve that? I thought there'd be ... | On the lugs are the switched-hot and neutral that you need to provide to the other lamp. Connect the wires in the same way the wires top and bottom on the right connect in 2 of the openings of 1 lever lock .
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How can I unscrew the faucet nuts in the tight space behind my sink basin? My bathroom faucet is dripping, and I would like to change the washers in it. The problem I am running into is the placement of the nuts holding the faucet valves in place: This is the underside of the sink, the hot and cold valves are on eith... | Another option (much more work) is to disconnect the pipes lower down (where they join the hard lines), disconnect the drain, and pull up the whole sink.
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Electric Boiler System won't get warm I moved into a new rented property about 3 weeks ago in the UK. I put on the heat, which is water-filled radiators supplied by an Electric Boiler, a Range Senator 6W, and a medium-sized water cylinder. I have never had this type of system only ever a gas/electric mix so I wasn't re... | If there's no diverter valve, and the HW and radiator loops are run in parallel, you're going to find that the temperature that the radiators get up to is not very warm, as the boiler thermostat will be set to a value that is safe for the hot water - probably 40-50C.
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How should I connect my dimmer switch? I'm trying to change my light switch to a Leviton dimmer switch (4). I checked with a voltage detector pen... Both bottom two wires connected with my old switch has power when switch is off. Does that mean there are 2 hot wires? How do I connect it with the dimmer? The upper ... | That simply means the screw is also being used as a splice between those two wires.
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Adhesive for PVC-glass in a high temp situation I am making a steam condenser for my chemistry project, as our lab is not equipped with one. The materials I am working with are a 0.5 litre glass jar (was a honey jar) and some plastic pipe I bought from a hardware store (not sure about the material, but it is see throug... | Vinyl tubing isn't the best conductor of heat and may leach solvents when it's heated. There may be specialty adhesives available for industrial use that would work, but it will not be easy to find. If you go with copper tubing, I'll recommend soldering as your first joining method.
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Can a leak in a drainage pipe cause an increase in water bill? I am wondering if something like an intermittently clogged shower drain can cause an increase in water usage. The problem might be that the clog in a drain causes waste water from our showers leak into the floor and not the drainage pipe, causing an increas... | Yes, a wasteline that leaks COULD cause an increase in your water supply line if the wasteline has a “primer”.
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Supporting foam board melts when cutting plywood First time cutting plywood using foam board as support, and it burns, melts, and produces enough smoke that I have to open the garage to ventilate it after every cut. There is no damage to plywood, but burning foam does not support the cut, thus leading to chip out. Here... | Ignoring the option of using a blade that causes less problems, a supporting material that costs less and does not melt would be appropriate.
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Cheap digital thermostat turns off furnace when cold? I woke up this morning and my thermostat which looks like a pocket calculator was just turned along with my furnace. I pressed both buttons and it turned back on, but my house was freezing cold. When it turned back on all of the segments on the display lit up fir... | If new batteries don't solve it, then it probably is new thermostat time (had that happen with one of them after 20 odd years of trouble-free service...)
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Can I replace my range cord with one having larger conductors? I want to move my 40A range. The cable is 2-8 + 2-10 on a 40A circuit with a 40A breaker. Problem is the 4ft cord is too short. Can I replace the cord with a 50A one (2-6/2-8 10ft)? <Q> You can use a 50A rated cord for a 40A appliance with a 50A receptacle ... | Check to make sure your new cable plug will fit into your existing outlet.
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Cast iron pipe is too low to a use gasketed toilet flange replacement While removing the toilet the The previous flange came off with it. We suspect that is what was causing a leaking issue on the ceiling below. So we went to replace it with an extender flange but the 4 inch extender flange is not getting a tight seal ... | Then you can put a regular PVC pipe flange up there and avoid the problem of depth entirely.
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Does Rosemary repel mosquitoes from home? Setting out the mosquito repellent plants in your home is the best option to keep mosquitos away. Plants not only avoid mosquitoes away but also provide you fresh air to breathe. <Q> Here is a published source, USA Today, that has published an article discussing rosemary as wel... | To keep mosquitos out of your home, use screens.
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How to use a side by side refrigerator in a cold garage? During the summer months, the fridge in my not insulated garage works fine, and has for some time. During the cold winter months (below freezing) the KitchenAid KSRS25Q (old) side by side fridge won't cycle the compressor, unless I position space heaters around i... | I know of is: Put the spare refrigerator or freezer in your basement (if you have one) or in an area (e.g., mudroom or similar) between the garage and the house so that it gets at least some climate control.
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What kind of electrical connector is this and how do I remove it? I am replacing a bathroom ceiling light fixture. The house is pretty old and has cloth covered wire. The fixture I'm replacing is relatively updated but when I went to remove it, I noticed it was connected to the wires out of the ceiling using some kind ... | To get the wires out one at a time, hold the wire in place, steady light pull on the connector, and twist the connector back and forth. As already stated by other this is a push-in type connector and/
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How to fix smashed wires in washing machine? I believe the motor capacitor with its bracket fell down and pinched two wires going to the motor. I spliced them back with two blue wire nuts. The motor works again. However, this made me thinking, can I leave this as permanent solution or is there disaster going to happe... | If a wire nuts did come off, which would be no different than a wire coming off the capacitor, and come in contact with the frame, it would trip the breaker because the machine is grounded (should be).
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What’s the best way to connect my 3/4” gas line to my 3/8” grill hose? I just had a natural gas line installed in the outside wall of my house. It has a valve and a female 3/4” connector. My natural gas grill has a hose with a 3/8” connector. How can I best connect these? I saw silver male-to-male fittings going... | Your first stop should be to contact the grill manufacturer, explain what you want to do, and see if they can provide such a kit. This is where big box stores don’t help but plumbing and electrical specialty stores May have the correct fitting and the gas rated tape or dope.
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Have a weird light switch issue happening Trying to set up a new pantry light. I want to tie this into the outlet that is controlled in the switch in the pantry. However when I rigged it like in this image it's all reversed. When I turn the switch off the light goes on and when the switch is on the outlet goes off. I t... | If the is no neutral with the switch, sorry, you cannot connect your light here. Remove the dotted black line between the two solid lines.
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How to overwinter a roof during construction? I am building a new detached garage, and the forecast this weekend is just warm enough that I plan to get my trusses and roof sheathing up. My sheathing is 5/8" plywood ( not OSB). It's a single car garage, 12' by 20'. However, the weather won't be above 40F / 4C until t... | In my opinion I would try to get drip edge on then the ice and water shield with staples in the top part that gets overlapped and then a heavier felt than normal or double felt with ample cap staples so the wind won't rip it off. I would think your biggest problem will be the wind and moisture.
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Can an outlet for a dishwasher be located below the floor? I am not a handy person, so I had family members install a new dishwasher. When they finished, I noticed that this was how the electrical was installed. The dishwasher was plugged into a new outlet installed in the garage level below it. The plug runs through a... | You are correct, the issue here is the cord and plug for the dishwasher running through the floor. If you installed that from the garage then I would consider it quite possibly not readily accessible. If you convert to a junction box you would need to install a GFCI breaker or feed from load terminals of a GFCI recepta... |
Why is part of my home electric going out? At times my thermostat in another room, oven, clothes washer, dishwasher, and two outlets in the kitchen go out for no apparent reason. The breakers don't trip. The GFI receptacle doesnt trip. We have a coffee pot plugged into one outlet, and humidifier plugged into the oth... | If every 240v device goes out but some 120v circuits still work then its almost always a bad connection at the service or pole on one leg of power. Providing us with a photo of the panel and model number we may come up with additional possibilities if the utility comes up with nothing, but most of these failures I have... |
Weatherstripping for inswing exterior door with clearance problems. Clearance door sweep? How would you weatherstrip this gap under an inswing exterior door? The door threshold is not very high, and the door already drags a bit on the interior carpet, so many styles of door threshold are out. The gap ranges from 1/4"... | Another alternative is to cut the door bottom off for clearance, rout a groove in the bottom of the door and set a drop threshold, but those are rather particular to set and get to work good.
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Is it better to splice outlets into a run, or to run a branch? I have an electrical line running through the joists of a basement storage room. It runs near an area where I’d like to put a couple of 2-gang outlets, but not immediately past. I was thinking about rerouting the line to go past where I want the outlets, ... | That said, there is no real difference as long as the wires are well anchored, the boxes are accessible. I tend to make splices in places that makes the best use of the wire and the least number of “junction only” boxes.
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Adding an outlet above this metal box I'm trying to install a new outlet about 3 feet above an existing outlet (for a wall-mounted TV). It appears that the existing outlet is in the middle of the run, so I'm not sure how I would add the existing outlet. Can I connect the new outlet to what I believe is the plastic push... | You could connect your new cable to the extra screws on the outlet if the existing connectors won't hold an additional wire. Note how there are no grounds in the box; those are on the AC cable and secured by the AC cable's clamps. It also looks like stranded wire, do not wrap stranded around any screws, you would have ... |
120 volt timer passes small amount of current when off 120 volt timer passes small amount of current when off. It's on Christmas outdoor LED lighting. The lights glow real dim when the timer goes to the off position. Does it on two different timers. Do I have a short in the lights or what might cause this? <Q> This... | A timer that only uses a coin cell is probably just using that battery for a timer backup and might still steal power from the lights.
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Using a heater and toaster oven trips the breaker. Can an electrician fix this? Using a heater and a toaster oven together, both about 1500w each, trips the breaker. It seems both are on the same circuit. Moving either appliance to a different location is not really an option.Can an electrician do something so that thi... | Since you said toaster oven (in a kitchen) there should be 2 20 amp circuits for the small appliances already. The only thing that can be done will involve running a new wire, which is typically a more expensive job (compared to just switching out some light switches or an outlet). There is something you can do: Do not... |
Outlet turning on ceiling fan I have two switches in my kitchen for the ceiling fan. One red, white, black and ground wire. It was replaced with a receptacle but the fan and other lights on that circuit only work when you plug something into the outlet and turn it on.... What gives <Q> Fire your electrician <S> That ... | One way is that power comes in to the switch box on one cable and the switched power leaves the box in another cable and connects to the light/fan/whatever.
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air-compressor size for continuous duty What size air-compressor is needed for continuous duty ? I'm trying to use a 90psi needle scaler to remove paint layers from an outdoor wrought-iron trellis that has lots of nooks and crannies an abrasive pad and angle-grinder cannot reach. My brand-name 6-gallon air-compresso... | For continuous tool use what you need is a compressor which provides a higher CFM than the tool requires.
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How do we add structurally sound faux stud for a single stud TV mount? We are preparing to install a single stud TV mount, (Kanto PS300). However the ideal place to put it (visually for the room), lies between two studs. We want to open up the wall and frame in a faux 24" vertical stud, securely suspended between the ... | Note that with a single stud mount, you need to have attachment points that are spaced along a vertical line. But if you are going to open up the wall to put in a stud, you are going to need to do drywall patching and then painting, so this will actually be a lot less work. But if you want to use a single-stud style mo... |
Is this mold on my room's ceiling? Is it dangerous? We have a room that has been unused for a while. We noticed some faint spots appearing on the ceiling a couple years ago. The spots have slightly darkened over time but haven't changed in size or shape. I was not sure if it was mold or something else. We couldn't see ... | They look like water stains. It's difficult to look at a picture to determine if dark spots on a ceiling are mold. If you do paint, get a stain blocker and apply it per instructions before painting.
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Is there a simple way to make these rough sawn, exposed joists level and flat? I am renovating the kitchen in my 100+ year old American Four Square home. I was unfortunately not able to salvage the original longleaf pine flooring, so it has all been pulled up. I'm left with original rough sawn 2x8 joists (spanning abou... | Therefore, you can shim each joist to get the joists level, but I’d keep the added weight (shims) to a minimum and I would not add a ceiling finish under the joists. The shim strips can just be scored and snapped off at the needed lengths.
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Could using an orifice for the wrong gas type damage a water heater? Question...Over the past 18 months, after our home was built, we learned our two tankless water heaters have been running propane through a natural gas orifice. We discovered the issue after hearing a loud noise coming from one of the water heaters... | Nat gas orifice is significantly larger than propane orifice , so the heaters have been exposed to more heat /flame than design ; that could be a problem.
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Double sink with disposal - water shoots up when disposal runs I have a double sink with a disposal on the right side. The disposal joins the left sink drain via a slip joint baffle tee below the left sink then the drain goes to the P-trap and out. It was installed by a licensed plumber. Every time the disposal is t... | It might also help to lower the tee to make it further from the sink.
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How to hook up a new gas range with mismatched fittings, and meet all code requirements? The connection on the stove appears to be female 1/2" NPT. The 3' long yellow flexible connector has a female flare connection with a 15/16-16 thread at both ends. At the stove end there is a male/male adaptor that converts the fla... | I normally install the shutoff directly on the incoming gas line this way there is less chance of an issue.after the valve I install a flair adapter to match my flex gas tube . I have a theory: The flex lines to the appliance are rated different than copper in the wall to withstand occasional flexing if the appliance i... |
How to get this finish on a ceiling? The ceiling in this image is very typical of houses built in the 90s in the UK. Wondering if this type of finish is still available and what it would be called? I'm guessing its a kind of wallpaper that was put over the ceiling boards. It also has a flat border around the edges nex... | The purpose is to roughen the surface to conceal lack of parallelness in the ceiling panels, drywall taping lines, hole patches, and other surface defects. My father used to produce the edge feature simply by running a paint brush along the edge after the main texturing was completed.
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Replacing a power outlet safely I want to replace some power outlets in my condo with ones that have built-in USB ports. The condo was built in 2008. My thinking is I can simply turn off the breaker for those outlets and get to work. But then I thought... what if those outlets are mis-wired? Should I use an outlet tes... | An outlet tester is a great way to determine that an outlet is wired correctly.
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Can I run CAT6 FTP cables parallel to electrical cable in the same conduit? Can I run CAT6 FTP cables beside to electrical cable (220v 1 amp) in same PVC Trunking ? <Q> Absolutely not. <S> Low voltage (LV) and mains cannot share a conduit. <S> Further, you cannot attach anything else to the outside of the electrica... | Not in the same conduit as 120 or 220 - 240VAC, no.
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Safe to use a 16 amp motor on a 20 amp circuit with a 15 amp outlet? I have a 1.5 hp table saw motor rated at 115v/16amp. My garage has all 20 amp breakers but all outlets are 15 amp. Does the 15 amp outlet present a hazard if the wiring and circuit are all rated at 20 amps? <Q> Just change out the receptacle I bet yo... | Also, if the existing receptacle is a 15A GFCI, it'll need to be replaced with a 20A GFCI, not a regular receptacle. If your table saw motor gets pinned down and is pulling > 15 amps, you've exceeded the specs for the outlet and it will get nice and warm.
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Repair frayed electrical wire with strain-relief stopper I am shocked at the condition of this wire on a Crane humidifier. Would like to repair the wire to return the device to being 100% safe. With there being plenty of "spare" wire in the 6ft length, I am thinking to cut the wire at the fray, and then route insid... | I then feed a little too much cable through the strain relief, add a couple of drops of cyanoacrylate glue (super glue, krazy glue etc) behind the strain relief, then pull the cable (and glue) back into the final position. As far as a special ‘ crimping tool , if you don’t know how to use common sense in your crimping ... |
Rewiring for doorbell, is idea up to code? Behind my doorbell panel, a 24VAC transformer is currently wired into mains (USA) using wire nuts. I am interested in tapping into mains to power an IoT device that would integrate with the doorbell (similar to this implementation ). I wish to continue allowing the existing... | Wire it up in the usual, Code-legal way, so both the receptacle and doorbell box get power. This concept of "metal curtain" must be respected.
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circuit breaker that trips when there is a loss of power Is there such an animal that would trip a circuit breaker when there is a loss of input power? Similarly with the relay system which energized to close the main contact to apply main/grid power to the service panel, but when there is a loss of grid power = loss ... | Smart switches have various behaviors on power cycle.
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20 amp circuit breaker failed to trip I had an electrician install a dedicated 20 amp GFCI duplex outlet and 20 amp circuit breaker (both customer supplied) two years ago. The outlet is directly below the panel box. Just this month, I mistakenly operated a 12 amp vacuum cleaner, a 12.5 amp space heater (on max heat), ... | If the total load was about 10-15% over the circuit breaker rating, it is expected that it would not trip. Also, thermal trip is influenced by panel temperature. Your 12 amp vacuum cleaner is probably labeled according to the maximum current it can draw (to be sure, look at its electrical specifications rather than the... |
How to cut many shallow grooves on the side of a square aluminium tube? I would like to craft a slatted ventilation panel/grill like this: The frame will be made of square aluminium tubes (25 mm side, 3 mm thick). The slanting panes will be cut of 4 mm thick aluminium sheet. The main challenge here is to affix the p... | I think the best approach would be to construct a sled with the required angle and create a stop-block that is secured to the angled portion of the sled with indexed holes into which you'd thread a bolt or screw for more precision. Creating a jig that will hold everything securely at the point of the cutting is crucial... |
How to fix stripped screw holes in drywall? (Without using drywall anchors) Where drywall anchors can't be used (for example, where only the screw holes themselves are visible through holes in a panel covering the drywall). I've seen questions covering stripped screw holes in wood, metal or plaster, but nothing specif... | You could also use a larger screw which would cut into new drywall.
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Breaker tripped under no load? Came home tonight and found my hall light didn't work when I flipped the switch. Went to the panel and found the breaker had tripped. The only things on this circuit that I know of, based on what stopped working, are:- hallway light - closet light- half bath lights and fan All of these ... | When switch components break off inside of old worn out fixtures, they can sometimes land in places that cause short circuits, in which case your breaker did EXACTLY what it was supposed to do, prevent a fire.
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LED bulb replacement in Dusk-Dawn Outdoor 175W light My old metal halide bulb finally died after 30 yrs use. Considering switch to LED corn bulb. However, the seller website states "Connects directly into E39 Mogul Bases. Just screw in. Please note that in some cases the ballast may have to be bypassed when changing to... | So to use your LED replacement, someone will need to remove the ballast and run the wires directly to your mogul base socket (you can leave the old ballast in place if you want to, just wire around it). If you go with a corncob LED, you won't save any money unless the LED is less bright : this is a common con-job when ... |
What's this bolt head type and how can I open it? There is a bolt screwed inside a long hole: I don't know the bolt head type. Is there a trick to open it? <Q> It looks like a spanner tamper-proof security bolt. <S> Either buy a set of tamper-proof security bits, or modify a cheap standard slotted screwdriver with a ... | It is a simple security slot headed screw.
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Can "bending" screwdrivers really apply enough torque? I was uncomfortably driving a screw to affix a ceiling lighting fixture - either with my knuckles grazing at the ceiling or angling the screwdriver and having it occasionally slip. So, somehow I got the idea to look for a slightly bending screwdriver. I'm not much ... | With phillips or flathead tips, no; getting full torque with these depend on you pushing the tip of the driver into the screw to keep the driver tip from camming out.
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How do I replace an old ladder's anti-scratch strip? An acquaintance of mine an old aluminum ladder, sort of like this one: The ladder used to have some kind of rubbery strip at the forward edge of its top platform, to prevent it from scratching the wall when it's leaning against it. But - that strip is all worn out.... | I use a scrap of unbound carpet like the marine carpet found at big box stores Cut a strip to size needed and use a contact type adhesive like Follow directions that say apply to both the rug scrap and the ladder with a cheap paint brush.
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Should my carbon monoxide detector be reporting zero PPM? I've got a Carbon monoxide detector hanging in my kitchen for a few years now. Lately I've noticed it reads a PPM of 0 (zero). Is this right? Doesn't the air contains around 400 ppm? In other words, is my detector even working? I'm getting the feeling I should ... | You can do a crude test by making some smoke with an incense stick or a cigarette or something and flooding the sensor with smoke. As stated in @jwh20 's answer, the question is incorrect - 400ppm isn't a commonly occurring level - but it's a great question in that it brings up testing your alarm.
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Can I install heat mat and backer board over cork flooring? I am installing a new bathroom floor. I plan on getting an electric underfloor heating mat, 2 backer boards for under the heating, screed the mat and tile over this. My question is can I place the back boards on the cork vinyl(even though it's got glue on top... | All these layers together will add up to a reasonably thick floor, if the all original flooring is not removed, you will have a potentially sizable rise in height from one floor to another But I don't think that cork is a good underlay for tile. Then it might work.
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How should I eliminate an unused switch in a two gang box? Florida, USA We bought a house with five ceiling fans, each with a light fixture installed. Each fan is controlled by a pair of wall switches in a two-gang box, one for the fan motor and one for the light housing. Simple enough. We are replacing the fans with... | So the usual answer is: Cap the "extra" wire on both ends Install a single switch + blank plate :
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How do I know if this switch box has a neutral wire? This outlet is two rocker switches. Left controls my bathroom light (4), right controls my bathroom fan (3). I am trying to install a timer switch so the fan is only on for ~30 min at a time. The instructions insist a neutral wire is connected to the switch. My hou... | You can identify those by checking if a live wire is enetering the switch and a neutral colored wire is coming out of it. I would guess that there is no neutral in the box. Yes, #1 is your group of neutrals and you would need to pigtail into that connector with a piece #14. I believe that up until the NEC 2017 version,... |
Why does my old table saw power switch cut both hot and neutral? I am refurbishing an old Craftsman 10" table saw that has been collecting dust in the back of my shop for years. I don't remember exactly how I acquired it, but to my recollection the one time I tried to start it sparks flew from the on/off switch. The s... | According to this article , on AC equipment the technique is used to avoid dangerous conditions when hot and neutral are reversed, as often happens with outlets that have been improperly wired.
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Tabletop saw stops midway through chipboard I am new to woodworking and I tried my ''new'' secondhand table saw (General LR63420 Model D) today. It cut through the first few chipboard boards just fine but then had a lot of trouble going through the middle of a 4 x 8 chipboard board. I am pretty sure I did not squeeze t... | If the saw is not new the blade may be quite worn and need replacement.
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Can I extend a 220 V line? I have a 220 V line in my kitchen for an oven. We are remodeling the kitchen and moving the oven and, thus, need to move the 220 V outlet. Can I extend the line by joining cables in a junction box and moving the outlet where it needs to be? Can I just have a long cord (6–10 feet) from the ... | You should splice it in a box and extend to floor level behind range. Part of this will be converting the range to a 4-wire plug. Leaving that on would be bad. The junction box cover must be accessible without the use of any tools . For instance, the best way to conceal such a junction box is to use a large, deep 4-11/... |
Can you have neutrals on ground bar only bonded through main panel body I have just added a circuit to my main panel and saw something I wanted clarification on. For reference, my main panel is a Homeline 30 space panel with 2 extra grounding bars on the sides. Picture for reference. I know that in a main panel, you... | It's not a good idea to run the neutrals to the enclosure attached ground bars for reasons other have mentioned.
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What is the most efficient method for heating of rooms on working days? It is to decide between two possibilities for heating of rooms during the absence in the building: heating constantly to 20 °C (68 °F) or heating 1 hour before coming home with 25 °C (77 °F) with the same effect that the room temperature is 20 °... | The house should reach target temperature the moment you walk in the door, and not one minute sooner . The engineering theory is that a greater differential in temperature causes a faster loss of energy, so maintaining a constant temperature is more costly.
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Is having all locks with the same key a bad idea? My partner and I have recently bought a house. I'm going to get new door lock cylinders for the front and back door. I'm not sure whether to get them keyed alike. Is it a bad idea to get them so that they use the same key? <Q> If you lose the keys, or need to give th... | Since you're dealing with a real locksmith , it's a simple matter to have 2 tiers of key.
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Should lintels above wall portals be considered for smoke alarm placement? I need to place a smoke alarm on my first floor (no sleeping areas). There is a wall portal with a 15" lintel (see image) between the living room and the dining room. I am unsure whether one alarm is adequate for both of these areas. My underst... | Therefore, I absolutely agree with Jack that you need to place the detector closer (the lintel side that's closer to the threat) to the known threat area or even just within the shortest path from that area. Both ceilings could have a smoke detector, but if a fire only has a possibility of starting by itself in one are... |
Is a reciprocating saw the right tool to saw 2cm/0.8" hardened steel? I have a bicycle that's locked with a 2 cm/0.8" hardened steel lock that I have unfortunately lost the key to. I would very much like to get the bike operational again, but all I have is a 900W reciprocating saw. I had some moderate success with it a... | For cutting locks, nothing beats an angle grinder.
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Good way to remove something from a bathroom sink overflow drain? My wife dropped an earring down the overflow drain of her bathroom sink. The earring is about 1" in diameter, so the hole which goes from the overflow to the main drain is too small for it to pass through. The earring is silver, so it's non-magnetic (I... | Try getting a few pipe cleaners and bend a hook on the ends and go fishing. All you need to do is connect the endoscope to a phone or a laptop and use it like a webcam. A simple and cheap solution is a flexible drain unclog stick
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Water dripping from soffit - problem with the gutter, roof, or something else? We recently bought a house that has gutter guards installed. I noticed during heavy rain storms, water drips from the front of parts of the gutters, and ends up dripping onto the porch underneath as well. There is a gap in the soffit area th... | It was coming from water spilling over the gutters onto the ground, which resulted in water splashing off of the ground and railings and onto the porch from there.
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What is this attaching my toilet seat and how can I unscrew it? I’m trying to unscrew my toilet seat but it seems to have been fitted with this plastic mechanism, which doesn't seem to want to be unscrewed. Do I need a special tool to remove it? <Q> That is called a blind jack nut, jack nut, blind collapsing nut, etc.... | There are usually caps covering the bolt that can be gently popped off/open using a small screwdriver.
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Outlet screwed directly into stud I was replacing old outlet in my house and came across an outlet that is screwed directly into the studs. Also the stud and the junction box were cut to fit the outlet. The new outlet is too big to fit in this space. I am afraid to put a new outlet in here as it could be a fire risk.... | Cut the wall in front of the box and patch the wall over the stud. Otherwise I would find a shallow box and cut the stud back so that the box can sit partially or completely in front of it. The connection also has to be contained in the box - so the way it's partially covered by drywall is not to code and a fire hazard... |
How to effectively and efficiently remove varnish from wood I have been restoring an old staircase. I started sanding it with fine sandpaper and then tried rougher paper. It seems that the varnish layer on the wood is melting when sanding over it and sticking to the sandpaper, rendering it useless in a matter of second... | I've had great results using Citristrip, (see below).
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Considerations for installing a high efficiency furnace in my attic? I live in Upstate NY and in the winter it gets below 0° F. I currently have baseboard water heating throughout my home. Prior to this I believe there was a gravity furnace which supplied the house with heat. I am hoping to switch to a regular furnac... | It may be best to install the ductwork first, then build walls, then install the furnace, but based on your situation, a different order might be better. Also, install isolators between the ducts (supply and return) and the unit. Keep the condensate drain plumbing within the insulated areas to keep it from freezing.
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Can I wire a one-way parallel light switch? I have some switched lights in my attic, which is accessible via scuttle in a pantry, which also has lights. Sometimes the attic light gets left on and forgot about.The attic and pantry lights are on the same breaker, served from the same junction box. The attic switch is no... | Otherwise you will can use a double pole switch for the attic and wire the second pole in parallel with the pantry light. The fixture MUST provide an independent hot and neutral for each bulb. It use two ways switches, the only kind of switch available in France.
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