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train · 95.7k rows

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How to fix an electrical outlet where the threaded mounting hole is stripped? The threaded mounting hole in my electrical outlet is stripped; please refer to where the top flat-head screw is in the photo. As a result, the electrical outlet is not physically stable. How should I fix the problem without hiring an elect...	If that doesn't work or if the hole is actually cracked wide open, you could use glue to hold the screw in place. Epoxy is another good choice, but it can be a bit messy. Obviously, make sure the electricity to the outlet is turned off before doing any work.
Should I Add More Static Vents On My Roof I wanted to add insulation to an old ranch house. However, the insulation contractor wants to add static vents (2 turtles and 2 pipes). He says I don't have enough ventilation in my attic. The roof already has a ridge vent. It also has a gable vents but no soffit . The attic se...	There are plenty of calculation tables to be found indicating the amount of venting you need for a given attic space. I would not anything more to the roof.
Is it ok to run a 30A water heater circuit on #12 wire? I moved into a 50 year old home about 2 years ago and we’ve been using a (miraculously working) water heater from 1994. Yesterday, its life finally came to an end when I found it had sprung a leak in our laundry room. Since it’s a rental, we had a technician come ...	Gas dryers take very little power, and will be happy as a clam on 12 AWG wire; however they are not eligible for the special motor rule, which means the breaker on 12 AWG wire must be 15A or 20A. So if that existing wire is used then the breaker needs to be changed. But if the unit calls out a 15A breaker, then you mus...
Can I reduce the current/power consumption of an electrical heater by adding a resistor? I have a 2000W, 240V electrical heating element that I need to move. Connecting it to where it needs to be makes it draw, together with 2 other elements, more current than the fuse will allow (16A). Is there a way for me to add a r...	It could be complicated if a part of the heating wire is used as resistor for the motor. Let's explore what can be done with series combinations.
Mounting long pipe as curtain rod from ceiling between exposed beams. What are these hex bolt sleeves used for existing pipes / better alternative? I live in a loft space with exposed beams ~9ft apart and vaulted ceilings. I'm trying to cordon off part of the space with a divider curtain. I previously tried a tension r...	The clamp piece for the pipe is called a pipe hanger. To minimize sag, you'd probably want to use the largest size that will fit your hardware. You just have to trim the EMT to the right length before assembling everything.
Do I need to remove old adhesive residue before installing new self-adhesive flooring? I have an old peel and stick floor in my kitchen that's is getting replaced. I'm putting down a new peel and stick floor. I'm removing the old one because it's curling and lifting from age. The subfloor has the sticky residue in it. ...	In my experience, glues and adhesives don't stick well to old glues and adhesives or to the residue they leave. First off, check with the manufacturers of the tile you're putting down on surface preparation.
Attaching small, nearly zero weight cable clips directly to drywall without anchors My project runs about 30ft of ethernet cable along garage (interior) walls. I have 5mm plastic R-Style clips and I need to put about 1 per foot (at least 30 clips). I'm looking for something that I can attach these neatly without havi...	I'm not sure what your plastic R style clips are, but this style of clip is designed to have the wiring hung directly from it and don't require any other clip for the wiring.
(SOLVED) What is a whining, high pitch sound coming from my furnace when heat kicks in EDIT: SOLVED. IT WAS THE FLEX CONNECTOR. THANKS EVERYONE. My gas furnace makes a high-pitched whining sound when the burners turn on (when I can see fire). A repair man came and told me it may be that the “flex connector hose” that g...	It's unlikely that going from a larger pipe to a smaller pipe (which is essentially what the flex hose is) would cause that.
Can I repair this corroded shutoff valve on my own? I just noticed that this valve is corroded and slowly leaking (arrows point to the leaks): I started looking online for information and found this page , which discusses different types of valve, but I can't really tell whether this is a compression shutoff valve ...	In the UK you get special "repair couplers" that are longer than a normal coupler and only have a depth stop at one end, so you can slide them onto one pipe and then back onto the other one.
A 110V air purifier comes with a 100-240V adapter I have a 110V air purifier that comes with a 100-240V adapter. Can I still use the air purifier with power input 220-240V? Do I need a transformer or converter? Thank you. Edit: I can’t find the attachment option :(. This is what it’s written on the adapter 100-240V. 5...	If it's rated as 100-240V, you can plug into either 110 sockets or 220 sockets.
What's gentler on screw heads: a regular screwdriver/drill, or an impact? I'm going to be doing some screwing/unscrewing of screws that provide both a utilitarian and aesthetic function, so I'd like to protect the painted coating on the heads as best I can when I remove and re-insert them. These are Torx (T45) rather ...	But a t45 is large and if the bit is fully inserted and perpendicular there is really no difference as an impact only hits hard enough to get the screw moving. I will take an impact driver every single day.
How can an outlet with only 2 wires (hot and neutral) be grounded? I live in a home that was built in the late 1930s with some old electrical wiring and some new wiring. As I was identifying which outlets and lights are controlled by which wires I discovered a brainteaser : A garage outlet that my outlet tester ident...	As a result, the conduit is a serviceable grounding path in its own right, connecting the receptacle grounds and boxes to the grounded panel enclosure without any need to run an extra ground wire through it.
How can I extend a shower curtain to close a gap at the floor? My shower curtains fall a little bit too short (like 4cm / couple of inches) and in consequence there is a lot of splash on the floor on the other side of the curtains. Sometimes, it's really wet. I have to mention that I'm talking about a Finnish shower ...	As far as I see it, you have 3 options: Buy a longer curtain, it may be too long, which is fine. You can bring this curtain to just about any seamstress and they will cut it down and hem the bottom for a "factory" look at whatever height you want.
When should an asphalt shingle roof be replaced? My shingle roof is 21 years old. However, it still looks good. My roof has aged well. Should I play it safe and just arbitrarily replace the roof based on time? Or, is it safe to hold off a few more years? I live in Massachusetts (NOT on the coast) and I've heard est...	25 years is a pretty typical rated life, and your costs for replacement go up a great deal if small leaks you don't notice inside the house cause the roof decking to rot before you replace the roof. If it looks in good shape (no missing or curled shingles), and there are no leaks, I would let it go.
Make a hole deeper than the drill bit is long The longest drill bit I have is 23.62 inches and apparently the thickness of the concrete I need to penetrate is 27.5 inches. I don't wish to buy another drill bit, is there a smart solution? The hole is for a gas pipe to go through, so the diameter of the bit is ~1.5 inch...	If it were brick or block, I'd look at buying a "longest" small diameter drill (cheaper) to drill a pilot hole, and then widen it with the fat drill from both ends meeting in the middle.
Tap Oven Electricity for Outlet I just purchased a new house that has the oven in the island in the middle of the kitchen. Not the stove, just the oven. But there are no electrical outlets on the island. Can the oven electrical be tapped to supply power to an outlet or will I have to run a new electrical line to its...	What 240.21(B)(2)(2) is telling you is that, on the load side, you must have one breaker within 25' of the tap to protect your range and one breaker to protect your receptacle. Assuming we are talking about the US/Canada, I'll make some basic assumptions: Not the stove just the oven would almost always mean electric ov...
how to take the sheen off baked high gloss surface I intend to paint my kitchen doors as they have faded into an almost cream colour I want to bring them back to brilliant white, however, as the kitchen doors are profiled sanding is not an option, and as the surfaces rejects any attempts of over painting, hence removin...	You would rub onto the surface of the item you want to take the sheen off of. If it's wood, sanding is always an option if you want professional results.
How to use a 100 amp sub panel for a 50 amp input I'm building a shed I want to add power to. To get power I'm planning to use the power that is going to my hot tub (50 amp). The hot tub has a 50 amp breaker from the main to a 50 amp breaker box that is mounted on the side of my house. I plan to disconnect the hot tu...	Using a larger sub panel will not be a problem but the breaker must stay a 50 AMP in the main panel. So size your panel for the spaces and make sure its busing is at least 50A Do remember to torque the connection to the panel correctly. There is no problem using a sub panel that can take more current than you will ever...
Is an ungrounded outlet for a gas stove a safety hazard? House was built in the 50's and there is a 3 prong outlet but no ground wire. I've tested it best of my knowledge, the metal casing is not ground either. 2 black and white wires. Basically, am I going to kill myself cooking dinner one day? Model# NX58H5600SS <...	As long as the ground comes from the same service panel your outlet is connected to this is legal and you would have a proper 3 wire outlet without the problematic tripping of a GFCI. Code recently changed and now allows a separate wire to be brought in as long as it is from the same service panel that the circuit orig...
How can I get this asbestos sheet removed? So I have just learned that the sheet embedded in the wall (see picture) is asbestos. We're going to get a new room made adjacent to this wall, and I need to get this sheet removed? Unfortunately, there is no regulation related to asbestos in my country, and most people don'...	Asbestos just being there releases carcinogenic particles relatively slowly. Painting it with something that would prevent dust will help. In my area it can be put in plastic bags and taken to a dump (not a transfer station). You should not do it yourself.
Is it ok to use joint compound for a thin or skim coat on new drywall? Is it ok to use ready mix joint compound on new drywall as a thin coat or skim coat ( if that means the same thing ). I just want to paint the walls or what is best to seal drywall for just painting. I’m just a DIY. Thanks <Q> .vs. <S> paper. <A> J...	Yes, it's fine to use a skim coat as a paint base, and it reduces the contrast between white dry compound and gray paper under the paint, as well as removing any difference in how the paint takes on compound In general if your drywalled walls have been finished - means the gaps are filled and sanded then no you should ...
How do I move my sheave pulley vertical with the bottom door bracket? I just recently purchased a house and the garage doors need some work (Replace wheels with silicon for less noise, etc..). While I'm at it I also want to change the stationary sheave pully so that the wire connecting the door to the pully is no longe...	Consider fabricating your own mounting brackets for the sensors.
Walls out of square, how to align base cabinet? Hello all. In the process of remodeling a kitchen, and the corner where this standalone base cabinet is going is quite out of square, to the tune of about 1/2" gap at each end of the cabinet. Next to it will be a fridge. We're doing granite or solid surface countertop wit...	Get a line on the back wall and follow it to the face of all cabinets to remain true or your fridge would have to sit at an angle to hid the gap on the right.
Do powerline adaptors need to be plugged into outlets that are on the same leg I used a powerline adapter like this to connect my security camera receiver to my router. This allows me to access the cameras from my cell phone which was working but now it doesn't. There's two things that may have caused this. 1. The re...	Relocate one of the devices in hopes of randomly choosing an outlet on the same phase as the other device Re-arrange circuit locations in the breaker panel so that the chosen outlets are on the same phase Install a cross-phase coupling device (if you can find one). In conclusion, the answer appears to be a big "Maybe"....
Can I improve the water pressure by changing from 1/2" to 3/4" pipe? My water heater is 40' from my shower. Would replacing 1/2" pipe to 3/4" help increase my water pressure? <Q> Do you have a pressure reducing shower head? <S> my impression is the effect wouldn't be large. <S> How much more pressure are you hop...	Increasing the size of the pipe will reduce friction losses and result in slightly more pressure -
What is the significance that "no blade is involved" in threading pipe? Lowe's (a big US chain home improvement store) offers black iron pipe cutting and threading services to customers. Basically they sell the pipe & will alter it for you. From their website in the "We Cut It" section says that they offer: ... pip...	Saying no blade may mean that if the end of a pipe thread is not filed it can slice you open as fast as a cutco knife from the factory.
luxury vinyl flooring under gas stove I want to install luxury vinyl floor in my kitchen. If I don't want to move my gas stove, can I install it up to first couple of inches under front side of stove? Is that OK with a floating floor (tongue and groove)? Can it be left like this? <Q> This is actually done quite often, ...	If you choose to do this, do yourself a favor and save a few lengths of the flooring in case you decide later to correct this.
Outdoor Outlet Non-GFCI Downstream of GFCI Can I run a non-gfci outlet outside if it is downstream from a GFCI outlet on the same circuit? <Q> Yes, you can do that, using the LOAD side of the GFCI. <S> But not only can <S> you do it, it is actually a very good idea . <S> That is because GFCI includes sensitive el...	If it's fed from the GFCI recep's LOAD terminals, it will have GFCI protection.
What alternatives are there for basement post footings besides concrete? House is cabin construction 2x4's. Dirt floor. Main support piers in the center of the house are sunk concrete, but the beams are sagging all over. Center support piers are reasonable. I used jackposts on concrete blocks between the center supp...	The Building Code allows for alternate footing designs other than concrete and allows for treated wood piles, steel piers, etc. A bed of gravel under 3' 6x6 sleepers or a triple stack of 2x10s should do fine.
How to remove sheared woodscrew behind a 5mm hole? I'm looking for a way of removing a sheared-off stainless steel woodscrew embedded in a hardwood plank that is accessible only via a 5.5mm diameter circular hole in a metal panel. The screw is secured fast, so will need a good amount of torque to remove. The hole is ...	I think the easiest solution would be to remove the plate, use a hole saw to remove the screw and the wood around the screw, and then plug the hole after with a dowel and glue.
Is there a measuring method for determining of the real thermal conductivity of a building component? We would like to determine which elements of building are to be renewed or changed. Among other things, we want know which elements are subject to a specific heat transfer. Does exist a measuring method to determine ...	There are books and papers which have generic values for single, double and triple glazed windows, this is also available for all types of insulation used in the roof and walls..
Old single pane House window has a crack, can I fix it using a resin? Old single pane House window has a crack, can I fix it using a resin? Sort of like how a windshield crack can be repaired with resin? <Q> I'm going to say no on this because of how a windshield is made. <S> They are a layered construction with gl...	If you were very careful, you may be able to just dab some resin on the surface of the crack and possibly reduce its visibility and give it a little extra strength, but it won't be the same fix as a car window.
Why do LED Lights Flicker on Low Dimmer Setting I just wired up the following schematic and both sets of LED recessed lights will flicker when dimmed below full power. It doesn't matter what the other dimmer is set to (full power, low power, off). The flicker is very quick, it is sporadic and doesn't follow a pattern. ...	Essentially, the LED light has to figure out that the chopped up bits of power are not a deliberate attempt at flickering the lights but rather intended to dim the lights.
GFCI vs. 40v 5ah battery for water safety My wife has recently taken to running a cord out near our pool to watch TV. She's very careful, but I was thinking of doing what I can to make it safer, since the outlet in question is NOT a GFCI outlet (It's a standard US 110v outlet). One obvious solution is an inline GFCI (...	If the TV is mounted to the wall, for instance, and connected via a short cord to a GFCI outlet mounted high on the wall with a tamper evident cover and lock (to discourage others plugging in extension cords which could reach to the water) then you'll achieve a reasonable level of safety. Besides, now that TV tubes are...
Attaching drywall to cracked/sagging plaster ceiling? I have a plaster & lath ceiling in a bedroom that is in need of repair - it's intact for the most part, but it's pretty unsightly. Since the entire ceiling is full of cracks, I'd rather simply cover it with a layer of 1/2" sheet rock. Would the drywall be sufficien...	Depending on the existing ceiling plaster’s condition, anchoring to the plaster could be a problem. My advice is knock out the ceiling. If you are quick you can get drywall up with first coat of mud in day 1. It was old and poorly constructed.
Adding an outlet to the dishwasher/disposer circuit I have switched garbage disposal, like many people do. The switch is on a wall w/o any outlets. I'd like to convert the switch to a switch/outlet combo. I read that you shouldn't add an outlet to the dishwasher or disposal circuit so I figured I'd ask y'all. Here ...	If the disposal is on it's own or already shared with other kitchen outlets, you are fine to add an outlet.
Masonry bits dulling after 3-4 holes I'm using an 18v makita hammer drill with a 3/16" Bosch blue granite turbo concrete bit to drill 2" deep holes into concrete-filled cinder blocks. With a fresh bit, it takes about 15 seconds to drill a hole. By the 4th hole, it slows to a crawl and it takes 2-3 minutes to drill ...	If you're setting the dial to hammer and exerting decent pressure, it's the drill that's the problem. So the bit is overheating due to friction.
2-pole 30 amp breaker into two individual 120 receptacles? So i have a single 30 amp 240 volt dryer plug that is fed from this 2 pole 30 amp breaker. It has a breaker tie so it throws together. If i wanted to remove the plug and put quad 20 amp receptacles (two different circuits using each hot that I currently have in...	Again you need to change it to a two pole 20 amp breaker Regardless of whether you ever power something else here, the best thing you can do is search for an existing ground, and if absent, retrofit a #10 ground wire to this receptacle and change it to a NEMA 14-30 type recep (and the dryer to a NEMA 14-30 cord, while ...
Simplest solution for hanging 50lb frame with welded hooks I have a 50lb mirror I'd like to hang. It has an iron frame with two hangers welded onto the curved top edge on the back. Here's a close-up of one of them: The hangers are about 17" apart on center, and the keyhole cutouts are 3/4" wide. The wall is standard ...	Remove from the mirror and attach a length of suitable chain or wire to the bar so it bridges this centre point on the bar by maybe an inch either way.
What type of fuse should I use for my GFCI kitchen receptacle? I have a countertop 15 amp GFCI receptacle in my kitchen and I would like to replace the fuse for it. It's currently on a time-delay 30 amp fuse (it's a cartridge/capsule style fuse), which is too much, since the wire going to the receptacle is 12 gauge al...	Not sure what type of fuse is used in your country, in the US a FRN15 fuse would have a similar 500%/10 second delay that a typical thermal magnetic breaker would trip. Remember when terminating aluminum wire, you must use CO-ALR rated receptacles.
Oven tripping after aluminium foil touched element I was just using the grill part of our electric oven. It tripped the main fuse box. I think tin foil touched the heating element.Now every time we switch on the oven...it trips the whole house.Where do we look for the short circuit?Which part needs repairing? It's a h...	The heat rod it self was probably damaged by overheating and it probably needs to be replaced. It is likely a coincidence and not caused by the aluminum foil .
Why aren't AFCI breakers required for bathrooms/lavatories? Why doesn't NEC require AFCI breakers for bathrooms/lavatories? Is there a good reason NOT to install AFCI protection on a 15A/20A 120V bathroom outlet? (I.e., use GFCI only.) <Q> We're reading tea leaves here to guess at NFPA's intent. <S> NFPA writes th...	A combination protection device could be installed in the bathroom, but some people say the combo's don't work quite as well as single purpose GFCI, and arcing fires are generally not a risk in a room filled with tile and other hard surfaces. No, assuming there is a GFCI and a correct earthing.
Can I use a 2-wire NM cable staple on 3-wire cable? I have a package of Gardner 1/2 inch staples and the package shows that they are good for 2-wire, see below: I am running some 14/3 wire (flat) wire for AC hardwired smoke detectors but these staples are all I have on hand. I've stapled the 14/3 using these and th...	Your picture looks like 14/2 NM cable (or pre-2001 12/2), if that is what you have then as indicated on the package should work fine. If your cable is actually 4 wire 14/3 cable the staple package bears a UL label, listing is only valid when installed as approved, and would not be acceptable to NEC standards. It comes ...
Can a handrail with a baluster channel be used with wall brackets? Can the type of handrail shown in the photo be mounted onto a wall using brackets for use in a stairwell? As you can see it has a groove cut out of the bottom. <Q> Yes, that is a Type 1 handrail and is legal if: 1) it’s at least 1 1/4” in diameter and n...	The hand rail you chose will work with practically any handrail wall brackets on the market, if you choose to use that type.
Twisting 6 feet of solid 14 gauge wire? I need to twist nicely a 6-foot pair of insulated solid electrical wire. It can be 14 gauge or slightly thinner. The insulation can be nylon or PVC. Two wires must be at 90 degrees to each other while being twisted. I’ve tried this by hand, but the result is inconsistent. Is ther...	Put the two ends of the wire into the drill chuck; fasten the other ends of the wires to something; step back until the wires are taut, then turn on the drill.
Replacing Shut Off Valve I changed out our kitchen faucet over the weekend and after getting everything hooked up, I'm only getting hot water. Our cold water valve's handle broke off a while back so I just use the screw to open and close the valve. I've unscrewed it all the way and even used pliers to turn the white pa...	As long as you can get the existing valve fully open you can leave it in place. You could probably do a sharkbite fitting on the pipe if you cut it below the expansion ring.
Wiring 240v where 12/2 wire using a 20 amp circuit breaker is present I have a 20 amp breaker that is providing juice to the new outlets I installed in my basement. I would like to put a space heater in the three rooms. The space heater allows for (1000/1500/1600W, 120/208/240V) but I am concerned that 1000/120v will n...	Converting the existing circuit to 240V would leave you without any 120V receptacles at all. As such, running a new dedicated wire for the heater (if even needed) would appear to make the most sense, as you probably don't have many things with 240V plugs to plug in. Other than the keying, it looks and installs like a n...
Do tool cross-manufacturer battery adapters work without damaging battery or tool? I'm talking about something like this which allows you to use a Dewalt battery in a Makita tool. Since this is just a question of connecting pins and so on, and no change of current or voltage is taking place, this should logically be...	The only difference between the different manufacturers products is the connection interface that allows the DC current to be transferred from the battery to the tool.
Locating CAT3 wire with Transmitter and Receiver We are looking to convert the phone lines in our house over to network connections. The house is wired with CAT3 for both phone and DSL. The problem we are faced with is locating the end of the wire where it terminates at the patch panel. When I connect a transmitter to ...	Short two pins together on the phone end and then test all the patch panel ends for that short via an ohmmeter or continuity checker.
Moving a circuit from one panel too another I have 4 sub panels in my home and I want to move two 20amp breakers from one into another. I want to run #12 Romex from the one panel too the other and use the original panel and just splice each circuit. My question if the neutral stays in the original box can I just move t...	This is safe, because neutral only handles current for its partner hot wire(s), so they handle the same current and the "hot" breaker protects the neutral. You MUST move both the hot and neutral together! You can't have a situation where current flows on the hot wire from panel 4 to panel 2, but neutral just ends at pa...
How should I deal with lumber size differences when replacing floor joists? I am in the process of replacing 4 floor joists and the new 2x10s are 1/4" taller than what was previously there. I understand that as the lumber dries out it will shrink but how do i handle the 1/4" difference to have a level subfloor and not ...	I doubt your lumber will shrink 1/4" in width; it might shrink that much in length, but that won't affect your floor.
Why did water come up through my basement drain instead of out the sump? I recently moved into a home in Illinois that has a basement. I’m coming from Arizona and have never had a basement or actually knew about sump pumps until I started searching for a home. Me and my wife were out of town a few weeks ago and there ...	In your case, however, is sounds like the floor drain is connected to a separate drain going who-knows-where and at the discharge point it's possible for water to backup and cause a backflow into your basement. If your home has some configuration like this, you should correct it and it should help somewhat.
How to attach to electrical subpanel? So I'm having some problems planning the last step of my electric run to my detached garage subpanel. I'm using 2 inch pvc buried with individual 1 gauge aluminum conductors (and a 2 gauge ground). The garage was just built, so open walls and such. I'd kinda like to mount the subp...	You could mount a NEMA type 1 enclosure inside the wall down low. The question seems to imply a desire to keep the outdoor conduit as low to the ground as possible. Conductors can't be spliced in a conduit body because bodies aren't sized large enough to allow that (fill rules).
Risk of Using 3 amp fuse for 2.5 amp plug I have a small portable fan that, for reasons beyond my understanding, has a fuse inside of the plug. The fan stopped working because the fuse broke. At the store, I couldn’t find a fuse nearly as tiny as the one in the plug, but a colleague suggested I look in my Christmas lig...	I don't think the difference would cause any significant issue, as any hard failure would blow the 3 Amp fuse just as fast as it would a 2.5 Amp fuse, for most practical purposes. Exceeding recommended safety ratings always comes with some amount of risk. Fuse selection at a local hardware store is often limited to the...
Can sewage smell penetrate indoors because of inadequate venting? I have a basement toilet that is connected to a 4" buried sewer pipe but its vent that goes three stories up to the roof is only 2". The toilet seems to have a permanent smell of urine which starts even very soon after I clean it with Ajax and before any...	Vents generally do not smell like just pee, based upon my plumbing experience.
how to install 1 single pole and 1 2 pole GFCI breakers with common #12 neutral I have a 15 amp breaker to my pool light and a 20 amp 2 pole breaker to the pool pump both using a common #12 neutral. How do I wire GFCI breakers to replace existing breakers? Wires are underground and can not be changed/added. #12 wire...	Two different circuits from two different GFCI breakers should NEVER share the same neutral wire.
Safe to screw on a paper towel holder way above socket? I'm probably overthinking it, but I'm trying to mount the SimpleHuman horizontal paper towel holder. It turns out that the best place for it is in the middle of the inner wall (5.1 inch wide) but above a socket which is located on the bottom of the wall. The three...	If you are concerned about the presence of wiring near where you are installing this, grab yourself a stud finder with "live wire" detection from your local hardware store. A related risk could be handling a plug with wet hands, more likely to occur near the source of paper towels. As pointed out by another poster, gen...
Can I reuse the garage door rail when replacing the garage door opener? I have a chain drive garage door opener. The sprocket on top of the garage door opener broke off so the chain isn't connected to the garage door opener anymore. I want to re-use the garage door rail I have because it's one piece that's 6 or 7 ft ...	You could possibly re-use the shuttle and possibly the chain.
Wire AC Condensor fan motor to three prong plug for shop fan Here is the wiring schematic on the motor: How would I wire these wires safely to a plug like this: <Q> Mains wiring is dangerous <S> You're not allowed to just barf a bunch of wires and call it done. <S> The fan, I assume you scrounged this from an old ...	That capacitor will need to be wired onto the cord, and will need to be protected by a box of some sort to prevent anyone/thing from touching the exposed terminals (which are high voltage). The temptation for the novice cheapie is to hork this up in some non-code-compliant way.
Is a vertical crack in a wall stud okay as long as the wall isn't load bearing? In the photo above you can see that a pipe was put through a 2x4 and that the 2x4 splintered/cracked somewhat as well. This is framing a bathroom in the basement. On the Framing perpendicular there is a steel beam support the house. I don...	Drill and screw it above and below as prep, then if you coat the surface with epoxy glue and screw it back, the glue will be stronger than the wood when it has set. You want the pipe resting on the hangar, not the wood, so the pipe doesn't chatter on the wood with temperature changes. On the bathroom floor job we used ...
how to wire two switches in one box with three wires , two of the go to different lights, which one is hot If somebody could help me with this, please! There are two switches in a box. I wanted to put a timer on one switch, so I disconnected it. Then I realized that the timer needs a neutral and there is no neutral in ...	It sounds like the WHITE is the hot wire (common feeding both switches) and the BLACK and RED are the switch legs for the lights (loads).
Should insulation batts in my attic be lifted off the ceiling, leaving a gap? I have what appears to be R-30 unfaced fiberglass insulation batts between my ceiling joists. The installation looks like I would expect, except that the batts appear to have been pulled away from the ceiling drywall such that there is an ai...	If this was some sort of intentional air gap there would also be an air barrier over the insulation (out of necessity).
How can I remove a cable from a junction box? I have a ceiling junction box in my garage that has four armored cables coming into it. I want to remove one of the cables as I'm not using it. I don't have access to the back side of the box, because the ceiling is finished (metal lath and plaster). I'm thinking I could r...	NEC officially says abandoned wire/cable should be removed altogether from the box, and the walls, and if that is not practicable, then utterly destroy it where it is reachable. The best option is to wire nut each wire separately, don't cut the copper piece, and then wrap with some electrical tape and just leave them i...
How can I run voice over existing coaxial cable? I've been doing home improvement projects for a while and one thing that I've made use of the most is taking advantage of existing cabling in the walls that isn't being used. The project that did this the most was my "video-over-coax" setup, which uses a composite-video-...	You can get an ethernet to coax adapter which will allow you to use the cable to connect between two adapters.
How wasteful is a voltage transformer? If an appliance that is rated for 220V is used with a 110v-to-220v transformer in a 110v country, or an appliance that is rated for 110V is used with a 220v-to-110v transformer in a 220v country, how much of the electricity is wasted? That is, how much more will it consume compare...	For reasonable quality transformers, figure a loss of about 3%.
How can I seal up this gap on top to make it smellproof As you can see, at the top of my door there's an open panel with fixed glass panes attached to allow airflow through. How should I best seal that giant gap up so that I can install air-conditioning in this room? <Q> Tape plastic over it. <S> If you tape the perime...	If visual appeal is not a concern, you could also get a piece of closed-cell foam-board insulation, and cut it to fit. Cut the plexiglass to fit, Measure and mark your PG and use a straight edge to run the cutter against, this scores the PG
Torque delivered by a hand ratchet with 1/2" socket How much (maximum) torque can a normal 150 lbs. man deliver manually with a hand-ratchet wrench (say 8" ratchet arm and a 1/2" socket) assuming no rust-resistance, direct/easy access etc? <Q> Okay my curiosity was piqued. <S> I am an average 60 something year old guy ...	Many light high-torque power tools don't really have a suitable grip to resist that torque, at least not more than briefly, and can be quite harsh on your wrist if used to give maximum torque for long periods, especially single-handed. If you can apply upwards force using your leg muscles to supply the force and just h...
What is happening to the surface of this shutoff valve? Yes, I know it's rust, but should I be concerned? In the third picture you can see the complete layout, to the right is where the water enters the house with the first valve (green) before the meter, then the red is the primary shutoff. This is in a house we mov...	If there is moisture the valve should be replaced. The actual valve and stem it is on is brass and not rusting. Who ever originally installed the valve should have known to check the packing nut to be sure it was tight.
How could I attach a face plate to a broken Appleby dry lining box? An electrician has installed a dry lining box for a cat6 network terminal. These boxes are supposed to have a metal insert inside each of the yellow parts, which accepts the type of screw that is standard for attaching UK electrical switches, socket...	or seeing as the box is not needed for safety, cut a square of plywood the same size as the opening and put holes for the two mounting screws along one diagonal, cut a round hole in the middle of the square to accomodate the network jack. Insert a couple toothpicks in those holes and snap them off flush. There are lots...
Should this 3 ply LVL bear on a single 2x4? My engineer has designed a 6'6" beam to carry my load and this would consist of 3 LVL glued and screwed together. 7 1/2" LVL. Like most LVL, a single ply is 1 3/4" deep. So, as he has it specified 3 of those will be put together and that'll be 5 1/4" deep. However he has spec...	A single trimmer stud is apparently adequate for the load on the beam (though it wouldn't hurt to ask the engineer rather than us), and the attached full-height (king) stud provides the stiffness that I was concerned about in my comment above.
How to test voltage between neutral and ground I'm not an electrician. Per, https://www.apc.com/us/en/faqs/FA158817/ , I want to test the outlets in a room for the following: Overloaded neutral wire (>5 Volts AC measured between Neutral and Ground). Reversed polarity (hot and neutral wires are reversed). Missing...	You're going to need a volt meter with test leads and read between the ground point and the neutral point.
I'm replacing old dishwasher but the connectors are different Ok so the white is the piece comming out of dishwasher and other copper one is comming from water supply under sink. How do I connect the two together when the white is threaded and two big to fit the copper fitting. I don't want to have to replace the copp...	The other fitting going to the dishwasher is also an adapter that will allow you to connect the flexible hose to the dishwasher.
Efficient whole house heating on a budget. Electric baseboard? Here's the question, read below for the back story and details. 1100SF row home shell. LNG and 200A Electric service but at the moment leaning towards all electric. Considering upfront capital, long term efficiency and long term maintenance, I'm looking f...	Unless you are in a rare part of the country where electricity is cheap, operating electric baseboard heat will be very expensive.
Drywall repair with cut wall studs We've just had a french drain installed around our basement. In a couple of places, it was necessary to open a hole in a (non-load-bearing) wall, leaving both a hole in the drywall and a cut stud: I think we know how to handle the drywall repair ourselves, but first we need to repai...	Given what looks like black mold on the lower portion of the other drywall I'd be tempted to cut a large rectangle. Adhesive probably won't work terribly well, but if you get a couple of screws in on an angle on the right (connecting to the old plate) plus lots of screws elsewhere, everything should hold together well ...
Why does this pipe feeding a hot water heater dip down like this? This is a cold water pipe just in front of the hot water heater it is feeding. Why is it shaped that way? What is its function? <Q> A water softener will have a need to accept a pipe with incoming hard water and another for the outflow of conditioned wat...	It is highly likely that that piping arrangement is made that way to facilitate the installation of a water softener.
Lifting 200-300 LBS with 2x8 wood - design question I want to lift the body off my 66 VW (not the whole car). Since I already have a 450 lb rated hoist, I decided to take an advantage of it and use it for lifting. This comes handy specially when try to put the body back on the frame. Question I have if my design can ha...	The safety margin on the hoist is marginal.
What is this thing in the entryway of some houses? What is this thing, made of wood, in the entrance of this house in front of the mirror and under the light switch? What is it called? What is it for? Is it there for people to put their keys on? <Q> Yep. <S> Just a key/purse/phone shelf. <S> You'd rest your items there...	The shelf is probably just a place to put down keys or purse while you access whatever is in the wall. It is also a cheap way to break up an otherwise boring flat wall, and being thinner will save on framing/construction materials while providing a way to use up lining offcuts during construction.
Strapping down a copper pipe with little access I installed a new tub faucet because the old one had a terrible diverter. Because the pipe moves in and out (about 1.5inches), it’s impossible to get the new faucet to fit tight against the tub. I also can’t caulk any gap because the movement will break the seal. I ha...	No, I don't think you're over-complicating it.
Concrete floor "too thin" for bolt and sleeve anchor In our 100-year-old co-op building in NYC, I'm replacing a failed door stop with a heavier one to prevent our (very) hefty entrance door from smashing the doorway's marble. The door stop is intended to be bolted into the floor with a sleeve anchor very similar to ...	Another option is to improvise an extra large (i.e. 6"x 6") block that you can molly-bolt onto the 2" slab.
Crooked (Not Parallel with Wall) Electrical Receptacle I recently replaced an electrical receptacle. It was old and the device box was also recessed. So, I added the 1-Gang Outlet Box Spacer Extenders from Home Depot. Now, the receptacle is held tightly in place by the device box rather than against the drywall with...	i find that is often the result of the wires not having a proper z bend in them and are pushing the socket out on one side. I find that i can usually manipulate them into alignment.
How to disconnect air conditioner lines from outdoor unit? I need to temporarily move the outdoor unit to one side to access the wall behind it. Is it possible to do this with basic tools? I just need to disconnect the copper pipes as there's enough slack in the power supply so I can keep the wires connected. <Q> Absol...	Please have a licensed service person remove the lines and purge the system in a legal and safe manner, it will save you money in the long run. If you're very careful with it you can spin it 90 degrees making sure that the refrigerant lines are your axis and they don't move very much but the whole other end of the unit...
How to install a Wemo Three-way light switch in this configuration? I currently have this configuration in my home and I would like to replace the left switch with a wemo three-way Smart light switch. I'm not able to find any information online on how to do this with the smart switch. It works with 2 regular three-way ...	You cannot install the smart 3-way switch in the box at the right because there is no neutral there.
Is the electrical outlet by my kitchen sink supposed to be protected by a GFCI? Aren't all electrical outlets near sinks supposed to have a safety reset switch? This one is for the garbage disposal but also has outlets for electrical equipment. Should I call an electrician or just unplug the night light and can opener?...	The whole circuit could be protected by a circuit breaker, or the wires feeding a location could be fed from the "load" terminals of another GFCI receptacle. I do install GFCI’s in cases like this as it makes sense even though code does not require older houses to be updated. Pressing the test buttons on local receptac...
Fitting add on blinds to rear door I am trying to fit add on, enclosed blinds ( like these ) to the rear door of my new home. I have not been able to find a set of blinds that fit appropriately and I am not sure why. I've returned 2 sets so far. Is this a non-standard door? Using the measurements below where can I p...	Some higher end blinds actually have rails that contain the blind and bottom and keep it in place.
Hot water without hot water supply and electricity I have a tap in a room where I only have a cold water supply. Also I don't have current electricity nearby. Is there any way to provide at least lukewarm water there? <Q> Install a holding tank or a coil of supply line, hidden under the sink. <S> It wouldn't last lon...	Alternatively, rooftop solar water heaters can generate electricity enough to heat water.
Can heat cause a GFCI to trip? I have a GFCI in the garage. There are several outlets downstream of it, most of which are outside, with covers on. Despite the covers, sometimes the rain can get in and trip the GFCI. Strangely enough, this pattern only happens in the summer. It rains in the winter too, so why is my GF...	In summer with higher humidity non WR GFCI receptacle’s May trip from moisture but not heat.
How to fit curtain poles so they won't be pulled down by children? I am putting up a curtain across a large gap, to separate two rooms in my open plan house. I'm concerned about the weight of the curtains combined with children passing through it everyday and don't want to see it pulled down. It's 4.6kg for the curta...	The variables are the width of the gap, the surface you are attaching to, the weight of the curtain (4.6kg) and your ability to keep the kids from swinging on them. If you're going into drywall within the door frame the 2x door framing behind the drywall will give you sufficient support with normal wood screws.
Pulling Wires Through a Plastic Tube I have a 2 meters long plastic tube with 8 mm inner diameter, and I need to pull 5 wires with a 6 mm diameter silicone tube through it. But all the different ways I tried were unsuccessful and It made me really frustrated. What is the best way you propose for doing this? I have l...	It's helpful to loosely tie some knots on the start of the string to give the vacuum something to "grab on to". We have rules for this The silicone has a fairly high friction, against the wires and the plastic tube but as it stretches its diameter reduces so it should pull in ok.
Can I use 12-2 wire on a 20amp breaker to power an entire bathroom? I have a half bathroom I was going to power with a dedicated 20 amp circuit breaker. I was going to use the 20 amp breaker to power: vanity light shelf light (Phillips hue light strip) outlet bathroom fan I was curious if this is frowned upon...	In addition to the number of branch circuits required by other parts of this section, at least one 120-volt, 20-ampere branch circuit shall be provided to supply the bathroom(s) receptacle outlet(s). Unless you have one of those fancy heated bath fans, you shouldn't have any problem meeting this rule, as an ordinary ba...
Three way switch with two common wires? Im currently trying to upgrade two three-way light switches in the kitchen to some new smart three-way switches. The issue I have run into though is that there appears to be two common wires on one of the switches? The other switch has just one common but this one appears to have...	Every 3-way switch configuration is different. You'll save yourself a world of confusion if you get a 5-color pack of electrical tape and mark the traveler wires yellow. The bottom black screw is the common terminal along with two backstabs for continuing the feed if needed.
Can you build a retaining wall vertically with no angle? I am planning to redo our front steps in stone and my plan is to essentially have two stone walls on each side of the steps coming down from the entrance. For appearances it would be definitely ideal to keep these walls completely vertical for the aesthetic, but ...	Vertical concrete walls are common but require reinforcing (due to tension forces) and an adequate footing that resists both overturning and sliding.
Does unthreaded portion of bolts fit through hole? I'm getting replacement for some M5 x 30mm hex bolts. The original ones are fully threaded, i.e. the whole shank length. The ones I can find have an unthreaded portion (i.e. grip) but their overall length matches the original. I wonder if the unthreaded portion can al...	So if your piece is fully threaded then you need fully threaded bolts or bolts with a turned down shank.
Why don't HVAC service people want to use outdoor temperature sensors to increase efficiency? Here in central Virginia, most houses use heat pumps with electric auxiliary heat. I have inquired with several different contractors about installing outdoor thermostats on my units to 1) disable the use of auxiliary heat ab...	The one place that I lived at where it had a heat pump did have a auto-stop on the compressor so that it would not run below freezing temps.
Does anyone know the name of this tool? Can any one name this tool? Found it online and haven't found anything yet. <Q> You asked, Does anyone know the name of this tool? <S> That tool is called a scorp. <S> Specifically, that scorp looks like it is designed for block print carving, the act of cutting an image ...	It could be a windshield locking strip tool.
Identifying live and neutral wire of an old lamp So I have this old wall lamp with a different color code that I'm used to: There are 2 brown wires welded together and a separate dark brown wire. As seen on the picture the 2 brown wires leads to the light bulbs and at the connector / switch it says "2A / 250V" meanwhil...	The switched hot wires should connect to the center contact in the bottom of the socket. You could /should verify this as ratchet freak suggests. Ideally, get a qualified electrician to install it for you. Installing this will be tricky.
Name for a T-shaped piece of hardware with a screw hole in a "shaft" What is the name of a hardware piece like on the drawing, with a thread in the hole? I need it to mount a guide wheel for a sliding door, like on the picture below: UPD: replaced the picture with a drawing. <Q> There is no common name for what you...	Product and equipment manufacturers custom make all types of unique and specific parts, not all of them have common names.
I want to install generic capability for future car charging. What 240v outlet on the outside of the house is acceptable? I am wiring an old house with new wires and want to have an outlet outside for charging a potential electric car. There is no carport or roof overhang, so weather resistance is important. The wall i...	Every socket is generic when you have the right adapter. Most likely the EV charger will want a NEMA 6-30 or 6-50. If you try to look at how to install a stove or dryer connection, you'll get the wiring right, but might not find the right enclosures, conduit, etc. You can certainly preclude any of the NEMA 10 types (ho...
How to 'fix' a twisted murphy door? I'm new to woodworking and I am building a bookshelf door. The bookshelf is constructed of hardwood. I mounted it, and the measurements and square look good, but it seems that the surface I used to lay it out on (a 6 foot plastic table on my steep driveway) was not particularly fla...	You might be able to more effectively pull it in (and have it stay put that way) with a turnbuckle to apply tension on the backside (where it will be hidden), if it has enough flex to move with some force applied.
Which wire is line vs load wires Which wire in this configuration is line and subsequently which ones are load? Legend : B1-B6 are 6 black wires. Not shown : each switch has ground wiring as well. Left them out for simplicity. There is also a clump or neutral white wires in the back of the box with a wire nut around...	Line supplies the power (hot side) to the switch and the load side of the switch (switched hot) is delivering the current to the device being energized. Edit Typo correction; B2 and B5 are "line" and B1 and B6 are load. So now that your wires are identified, they are same color to same color.
How do I fix this drill hole on countertop? How should I go about fixing this mistake I made? The size of the hole is 5/32 in diameter and about a 1/16 deep. I’m thinking of cutting a piece of laminate from behind the fridge and hole punching out a circle the same size. Not sure what the best way to adhere it would be...	In my opinion, trying to get a small patch in that size of a hole will be more obvious than a mono-color filler done in the right color. Clean out this hole by drilling deeper ... just enough to completely remove the old adhesive.

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