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Accessory for connecting a manual scissor jack to a drill to lift it faster I have a scissor jack and I was wondering if rather spinning it manually, if it is possible engaging it to my drill. I'm pretty sure that there is an accessory like a hook for drills, or something similar, however I'm struggling to find it. If there is no such accessory, maybe there is a combination of pieces which might sort my problem. <Q> I would use a clevis pin like the image, with a bit of hex shaft welded into it for the chuck to grip. <S> Remove the safety clip and withdraw the clevis pin to allow the jack eye-hole to pass into the jaw, then push the pin through and secure with the safety clip. <S> A spacer to reduce the play between the clevis pin diameter and the jack eye-hole diameter will reduce excessive play and wear. <S> I would make a shaft to go into the drill chuck from some hexagonal shaft - commonly available and likely stronger than grinding flats on some cheap jack handle... <A> This is a trick that I also use for driving eye-bolts into wood, and that is to use a screw hook or cut eye bolt chucked up in the drill and then hook it through the loop that you want to screw in or turn. <S> If you'd rather not cut an eye bolt, a heavy J hook can be used, but I have found that you can't get one that is quite as thick as an eye bolt, but that might not be a big deal. <S> Imagine this with about a 1/4th of the circle <S> cut away so you can loop it through your jack's eye. <S> Turns out <S> I'm not the only one with this idea <S> (of course) - check out this article to see it in action. <A> I actually did this with my scissor jack. <S> I had two of them <S> so I took the hook handle from one of them and cut it off about 5 inches from the hook. <S> Then, using a grinder, I flattened out three equally spaced surfaces on the shaft so the drill chuck would hold fast. <S> You should definitely use a drill with a side handle on it, the torque grab will really twist your arm if using a single grip. <S> You can just use a lag hook if you don't have two jacks. <A> There is a great hack on YouTube Video Describing the use of an adapter for a ratchet driver or getting a jack with a bolt head that will accept a socket. <S> OR , You could buy a new or used scissor jack handle and modify it. <S> You could find a used one at auto junk yard or a thrift store for a couple of dollars. <S> Cut the hook end off with a hack saw, i would cut i long enough that you can reach the jack when it is under the car with out having to put your self under the car. <S> Use a grinder or a file to put three flat spots on the shank where it will go into the drill <S> chuck the keep it from spinning in the chuck.
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If you have access to a angle grinder or other way to cut a bolt, I suggest using a heavy duty eye bolt and cutting out a part of the loop to make a slot just big enough to fit your jacks eye hole into.
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Water pressure from slope causing crack and lean in foundation. Is a French drain the answer? We have a concrete basement foundation. It's the type with a retaining wall that can only be seen from inside the basement and a second outer wall on top of which the structure is built. The retaining wall has a crack and is leaning. We got a few quotes and the fix is.... not affordable at the moment. One guy said that the best thing I can do immediately is dig a french drain on the outside of the house because the damage is caused by water pressure from the land sloping gradually in the direction of the house. I thought that would be a simple google search and then I could get digging, but it turns out there are different views of what a french drain is and how it should be dug. I'm very confused. I have a lot of questions, but first and foremost: Am I digging a trench that has no outlet, but is deeper than the foundation and catches the water from upslope and drains it beneath the foundation? Or am I digging a trench from the back yard to the front yard that drains the water into a drywell or something in the front yard? I have to find a way to drain the gutter also since it currently drains into the front lawn from an above ground corrugated pipe. Can/should these problems be resolved together? Photo 1: I pointed out the crack location and compromised wall in red. I pointed out the downspout with corrugated pipe in blue. There is a small slab foundation addition that I pointed it out in blue so as not to confuse anyone. I also pointed out in red the cracked wall for the stairwell which is due to the weight of the slab foundation (separate issue, but thought it might be relevant). Photo 2: A close-up from a different angle. Photo 3: showing the downspout and alleyway to the front yard. I am appreciative of any advice at all. I don't have any experience with this kind of work and this house has too many problems for us to get professional help with all of them. Couple of progress picks here. Not yet sure how I'll manage getting around the sewer pipe which is about a foot down. Also, found an old foundation wall, I'm going to have to pick up a sledge hammer to bash it to bits. <Q> A French drain needs a location to drain to. <S> Some drains are like a curtain in front of the house that extend down the side of the house to the lower area where the water can drain. <S> If there is not a way to move the water or allow it to flow it would be useless. <S> Some drains on flat ground end up in sumps so the water can be pumped out. <S> Most of my homes have been in areas that had a slope <S> and I have installed them to drain water coming down the hill to the house and causing foundation problems simple 3’ French drain with pipe in the bottom extending to the low side of the house <S> eliminated my problems, other homes deeper drains were needed but that property had a huge slope. <S> After the drain was added the problems were fixes at that place. <S> It looks like you have a fair drop to the property behind yours as the roof level looks to be almost at your ground level <S> so you have 5-6’ of slope to work with if that is your yard, put the drain in the front drain to a low side or if level side to side both sides to the lower area in back, this should help if surface water coming down is the issue and this can cause problems with only a few feet of slope. <S> The good news a small slope of only a couple of feet usually only requires a trench 18-24” deep, I find steep properties require deeper trenches , my last home had 5-1/2’ deep ~10’ <S> in front of the house and that set of drains below the house we had to bring in more rock as it flowed like a fire hose <S> ok no pressure <S> but but the 4” pipe was flowing almost completely full of water, flowing onto rock we dumped. <S> The drain helped in several areas of that property. <A> Water flows in the direction of least resistance. <S> You need a french drain to keep the water off the wall. <S> Moisture is either coming up from below (a rising water table) or its coming from the surrounding ground water in the saturated soil. <S> If it comes up from a rising water table, it will enter the living space from below through the crack between the foundation wall and slab. <S> If it comes from the surrounding ground water, it COULD enter the living space through the wall, especially if the EXTERIOR side of the foundation wall is not sealed properly. <S> Either way the moisture will put pressure on the wall and could enter the basement. <S> I think the best way to collect it is on the exterior side of the foundation wall in drainrock and a perf pipe laid <S> 6”-8” <S> BELOW the interior basement slab. <S> If dirt is allowed to be backfilled against the wall, the dirt could hold the moisture giving it a chance to seep through the wall. <S> Once collected, the perf pipe needs to connect into a solid pipe and then extended over an embankment or in a collection well and pumped away. <S> This may be the most expensive method of solving the problem, but it’s sure to work. <A> Rain drains - solid pipe that takes the rain to a storm sewer. <S> Perimeter drains - 4" perforated pvc pipe installed at or slightly above the footing of the foundation. <S> These either flow to a sump well and then to a storm drain or can be directed into a sump well with a sump pump that pumps this water into either the storm drain or the sewer. <S> Hydrostatic pressure on foundation wall - addressed with waterproofing spray, dimple board (delta ms is popular) and drain rock or combination. <S> Slope the grade away from the house to minimize load on your water management system. <S> Ideally grade should be 6" lower than any wood so in your case it looks like you'd want to remove grade from the rest of the yard as the grade is close to your siding already. <S> I'd address 1 first, then 4, <S> then 3 on the affected section of wall. <S> 2 is the most difficult as you have to do a lot of digging. <S> Perimeter drain pipe doesn't need a lot of slope and is often installed almost flat so you could probably do one section of the house at a time once you figure out where you are taking the water (storm sump, powered sump pit, etc).
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To keep the subsurface water from putting pressure on the wall and from seeping through the wall, I recommend installing a moisture barrier on the exterior side of the foundation wall and install a 2” thick plastic mesh on the wall to allow water to flow down to the perf pipe.
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How can I raise the output temperature of my air conditioner for better comfort? I think they put too much refrigerant because it's too cold at night; it is not comfortable. It's freezing cold even at 75 degrees. What can I do? This is a newly installed ac and furnace. <Q> There isn't too much refrigerant in the unit. <S> It doesn't work that way. <S> Check your thermostat setting and verify its accuracy with another cheap thermometer. <S> Readjust the directional settings of your AC registers so they're not blowing directly on you. <S> Restrict their flow by closing them a bit, they are fully adjustable. <S> Be thankful <S> it's cold; most people complain their AC doesn't get cold enough. <A> There are a couple possibilities. <S> First is that your new air conditioner is oversized. <S> That's not uncommon, as HVAC contractors would rather err on the side of too much heat or cooling since that results in fewer callbacks. <S> I'd investigate that (compare the unit's rating with the size of your home), and if it is oversized, address that with your contractor. <S> Another is that airflow is restricted somehow. <S> The less air that travels over the coil, the more its temperature is reduced. <S> Be sure that all vents are open in rooms you'd like cooled, and that nothing is covering them. <S> Also check the return vents. <S> You want as free a flow path as possible. <S> They'll let you direct the cool air somewhere that doesn't result in discomfort. <A> Too much refrigerant is not the issue. <S> Instead it should controlled by a thermostat that tries to reach a set temperature. <S> Or move its temperature sensor to somewhere reasonable so that it actually measures the room's temperature. <S> You can also simply turn off the unit at night and save yourself some power that way.
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Change the temperature to something more comfortable. Finally, look into deflectors for the vents.
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Why do I measure voltage on a breaker that's off? My breaker #1 (115VAC) is connected to my dishwasher. My breaker #2 (115VAC) is connected to my garbage disposal. Why do I get 38.5VAC on the dishwasher line, even when breaker #1 is off? When breaker #2 (Garbage Disposal) is also off, I get 0 VAC on dishwasher. Why? <Q> Almost certainly an induced voltage. <S> Is this part of a Multi Wire Branch Circuit (MWBC)? <S> If you have black, red & white wires in the cable <S> it's probably a MWBC. <S> Common to have induced voltages in them. <A> In a lot of homes in the US, the circuits for your dishwasher and garbage disposal are fed to a single duplex receptacle under the sink, which has the two hot wires coming from separate breakers to the separated receptacles, but they share the same neutral wire (called a Multi Wire Branch Circuit, or MWBC). <S> What you are reading, because you most likely have an inexpensive digital meter , is just the capacitive coupling though the motor windings and starting capacitors of those motors because they are sharing the neutral. <S> If you had used an older meter with an inductive coil on it or a more expensive digital one that has proper filtering, the meter burden would have taken that voltage reading to zero. <S> Bottom line, don't worry about it. <A> This means that it's a single /3 cable, with two hots and a shared neutral. <S> Since the two hots run together in the same cable, you are getting capacitive "crosstalk" between the two wires. <S> This is very weak, and you can only see it because you're using a DVM. <S> DVMs are very sensitive. <S> The bigger problem is the breakers And <S> the biggest risk is in phasing the multi-wire branch circuit incorrectly, which will overload the neutral wire. <S> The surest way to get that right is to use a factory provided handle-tie, either built in to a 2-pole breaker, or made by the factory to tie two individual breakers. <S> The handle-ties are keyed so they won't fit on the breaker in a mis-phase situation. <S> 2-pole breakers are much easier to obtain. <S> Note that you will need a 2-pole breaker if you ever want to install GFCI protection . <S> Second, it should not be possible to turn only half the circuit off. <S> The 37 volts wouldn't have harmed you, but if you interrupted the neutral, that would've! <S> Bigtime. <S> Interrupting a neutral on a live circuit can kill you, that's why neutral wires have insulation. <S> So, when you use a 2-pole breaker or factory handle-ties to tie the two breakers together, that takes care of that also. <S> Again, the reason not to tie them with a nail is because a nail will let you tie, say, the two halves of a duplex breaker, which is something you should not do. <S> That would cause precisely the overloaded-neutral scenario I mentioned.
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You have a multi-wire branch circuit feeding these two appliances. That is precisely to protect you from getting nailed like you almost did.
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Why do unfinished basements need GFCI outlets? I was replacing outlets in the basement and noticed that unfinished basements require them to be GFCI protected. While I did do this, I can't help but wonder: WHY?? I searched for the NEC definition of "unfinished basement" and I just don't see why the fact it's not "habitable" it needs GFCI. I can understand moisture areas like outlets near sinks, etc., but not this: my basement is very dry and whether the basement is finished or not does not affect the moisture content. Does the NEC explain this? <Q> Even "dry" concrete contains considerable water, and is a relatively good conductor. <S> So, it's a relatively good path to ground for a person touching it, increasing the odds of a lethal shock. <S> Generally, for something to make it into the electrical code, some number of people have probably died due to the lack of it before that happened. <A> You don't need GFCI receptacles anywhere . <S> Nobody cares how you provision the GFCI protection. <S> You are welcome to have one GFCI device and feed all the receptacles from the protected zone (LOAD) of that GFCI device. <S> You should take the time to learn exactly how downline protection works, and then, put LOAD to good use! <S> That will greatly reduce the cost of fitting GFCIs, since you then only need 1 per circuit. <S> It's really a statistical numbers game with the NFPA. <S> They are looking at accident statistics and where accidents happen. <S> NFPA is now requiring GFCI and/or AFCI on pretty much every circuit, but the requirement for unfinished basements came in shortly after kitchens and bathrooms, i.e. high on their priority list. <S> So it's pretty apparent <S> this has been a problem area according to the statistics. <S> One thing you should do, if you have a freezer, refrigerator, fire alarm, radon system or other safety critical appliance, is talk to your AHJ (inspector) about a variance to exclude that appliance from GFCI. <S> For pretty much all those systems, GFCI is completely useless because e.g. a refrigerator is grounded other ways, fire alarms and radon systems are hardwired and don't create particular shock risks, etc. <S> The inspector will typically want to see a single, solitary receptacle (1-socket instead of 2-socket) and want it labeled "Refrigerator only". <S> I for one prefer to put a regular 2-socket receptacle right next to it that is GFCI protected, so that no one is tempted to stick a 3-way splitter there or something. <A> Some basements are prone to flooding even if yours isn't. <S> Plumbing is often run through basements which further increases the risk of a flood. <S> If the outlets end up under water this isn't a good thing since water and electricity don't mix. <S> In this case, it's easier to apply a blanket rule to all basements in all areas than it is to regulate individual basements. <S> Then people want to sue you because THEY did something stupid. <S> It's better to be safe than sorry. <A> Partly because some unfinished basements have water containment risks, and the code is written to not create work for inspectors arguing the risk for each individual installation. <S> A Code-Making Panel document <S> I saw a few of years indicated manufacturers were pushing to require GFCI protection for all circuits. <S> The code making panel was pushing back only sightly, by adopting their proposal incrementally, by locations of highest risk first. <S> It does seem like could be a case of a manufacturer identifying how they can use government regulation to increase sales, and the willingness of government to use all the power of regulation that the govern don't protest against. <A> There are many manufacturer representatives in code making panel <S> and I believe there is push towards Increasing the sales. <S> Remember back in 1999 consultants <S> alarmed everyone about Y2K problems and received lucrative contracts to solve problems those were not existed. <S> I still keep the book telling “Airplanes will fall of sky, because their clocks will fail in control software when midnight new year 2000 arrives.”. <S> None of proven theories happened. <S> Now the sales focus on Internet of the things (IoT), in industrial process it is IIoT. Process industries will need billions of sensors and switch to complete digital control to be competitive. <S> Some Dishonest Sales people will never stop exaggerating.
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It's not just the access to moisture-containing concrete and brick; it's also that the devices used in basements tend to be more risky equipment.
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Ceiling light not working In my living room there are two light switches, the cables of both come out of the same hole in the ceiling. I would like to use both switches, one for dim, ambient lighting, the other for game nights etc. Hence I installed an additional lamp. Sadly the second lamp doesn't turn on. While my mains tester indicates that blue, brown and both black cables are live (see image), only the combination of blue and any black cable works. When attaching brown and black to a lamp, the lamp doesn't turn on. Any ideas? <Q> Where are your neutral wires? <S> For a ceiling light my best guess is you've mixed up your wires going into the switch and the ones from supply. <S> You have 2 neutral white and 2 black hot inside the ceiling? <S> I'm not seeing any neutral wires being connected in that pic. <A> This could have previously been a 3-way setup. <S> Take a look at if your wires are tied together. <A> I can't really see what's going on, but it looks like someone just ran a cable through a ragged hole in the ceiling. <S> The missing insulation on the wires is frightening as well. <S> I don't know what wires originally were connected to what wires, or which wires you were measuring between, so it is hard to comment on what you've said about that. <S> I also don't know what country you are in. <S> More pictures, and a more detailed description of what's going on, would help. <S> At any rate, this does not look to me like something that should be wired into a house.
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It could be that there could be a disconnected wire, or something could be miswired.
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How can I grind a portion of the threads off a hex bolt? I need to grind down the threads on a 4" hex head bolt while preserving 1 inch of threads closest to the head. I need to do 5 bolts this way. I'm thinking bolt in vise and then using a belt sander. Have any other suggestions? I am using the modified bolts to create a roller bar on a trailer. The nut will be welded to a bracket, the bolt will be inserted then threaded down to lock in place. The roller bar is water pipe with a roller bearing insert, that's where the smooth part of the bolt comes into action. <Q> If it's not important for the shank of the bolt to remain perfectly round then a belt sander with a coarse grit will do fine. <S> The 80 grit is the most fine I'd try; 60 would be better. <S> Grits as coarse as 36 or even 24 are routinely used for fast material removal by an angle grinder when working with steel. <S> You could get a belt that coarse <S> but it will leave a rougher surface compared to 60 or 40. <S> Ask an assistant to hold the sander upside-down on a work bench. <S> Then hold the bolt to the belt while rotating the bolt. <S> You'll be able to see the work as it progresses and it'll be easier to control. <S> The bolt will get hot quickly; plan on using pliers (locking pliers if possible) to hold it. <A> From my experience I have found that an electric bench grinder works best for this type of job. <S> Put the hex head in a vise grip and carefully work your way up the bolt rotating the bolt as you go. <S> I find that this allows you to be more precise with the grind. <S> Whatever grinding method you use <S> it's important that you don't allow the grinding surface to mar the threads remaining. <S> If you're not careful they can be damaged and won't allow a nut to be threaded on. <S> If this happens you can probably reset the starting thread by using a small triangular file and reopen the thread path. <A> Grinding the threads on a bolt to make it round can be done freehand and get good results, if you are patient and you go really slow. <S> The deepest part of the thread will be visible as little grooves, that become narrower as you grind down to the minor diameter. <S> Once they disappear, you've gone far enough. <S> There is a very specific art to using a belt sander / bench grinder to grind round objects without making them lopsided -- it can also be quite dangerous if you are doing it without the object firmly against the table or tool rest, respectively. <S> If you are not highly skilled, you can lose fingers doing it the hoopty way. <S> Dipping <S> the bolt in water's been mentioned, that's a good idea. <S> Putting a nut over the threads you want to protect, which was mentioned also, is a good idea too -- if you are grinding for a while, chances are that you will slip a bit and put gouges into the thread if you don't have something physically covering it <S> (tape will probably foul your grinding medium and not really protect it too well). <S> Be sure that you take the nut off every once in a while and look at how far down you've taken it -- a few times when doing this <S> , I'd notice that the neck of my ground-down portions would sometimes get narrower right near the part where they were concealed... <A> Grinding that much off the bolt will take forever, wasted wear and tear on your grinding wheel. <S> I am not sure <S> but it's also possible the heat could damage the temper of the steel. <S> Instead, put the bolt heads in a vise and saw off the excess. <S> Use a hacksaw if that's all you have, a portable bandsaw would make life a lot easier though. <S> Before sawing, thread one or more nuts onto the thread. <S> This will serve several purposes. <S> One, if you line up the flats of the nuts with the bolt head, it gives more meat for the vise to grab. <S> You can use it as a saw guide - put it right where you want to cut off - but you may damage the nut and have to throw away the nut. <S> Most importantly, it will re-form <S> the threads when you remove the nuts. <S> After sawing, but before removing the nuts, you may want to clean it up with a grinder but a file would probably be sufficient and safer. <S> And of course, it's way better to just buy bolts the right length if at all possible, but I am sure you already thought of that.
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Assuming that your bolt is fairly small in diameter it might be slightly easier if you can fix the sander in place and manipulate the bolt instead.
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Hot water last long time everywhere but in my shower? Hot water last long time everywhere but in my shower? Hot water only lasts about 10 minutes in shower but lasts forever in kitchen and bathroom sinks! How can I fix this? <Q> Unless something is badly broken in your setup, the most effective fixes are (1) installing a flow restrictor, (2) increasing your water tank size, and (3) raising your water heater temperature. <S> You're probably just using up all the hot water in the tank. <S> You can confirm this if you have a 5 gallon bucket (you can get one for a few bucks in my neighborhood big box store). <S> Stick it under your shower head and see how long it takes to fill halfway. <S> A modern shower head will take about a minute to fill 2.5 gallons, which if it's 80% hot water and 20% cold, means you're using 2 GPM hot water. <S> If you have a smaller 40 gal tank, you have 20 minutes of shower. <S> But if you had an older shower head (probably your case), it could have easily have twice the flow, meaning you have 10 minutes. <S> You can lengthen your shower using any of the suggested techniques, the easiest and most effective being replacing your shower head. <S> In many places, your utility will give you a water-efficient shower head for free. <S> My bathroom sink is 1.2 GPM, and most are similar, which would give you 40 min hot water in the same setup. <A> Sounds like the shower is using too much water in general. <S> If you have a strong, powerful stream coming out of the shower head, it probably has its water restrictor removed, or its old enough to not have one. <S> You might not be totally happy with the new spray, but a new shower head would use less water and therefore give a longer shower. <S> If the water is just getting warm after 10 minutes and not totally cold, then your single handle faucet might need some adjustment. <S> Those can be set to use only a certain amount of hot water to control the max temp of the shower. <S> If your hot water drops in temperature after a few minutes, your shower temp will drop, and you won'y be able to "turn it up" because it's already on max hot. <A> Have you thought about a hot water mixing valve? <S> It tempers the hot water coming out of your water heater with cold water to achieve the desired temp (recommend 120 degrees). <S> Then you can turn up the tstats on the WH to 140 or 150 effectively increasing the "size" of the WH without actually replacing it. <A> It's your shower head <S> A low-flow head will perform much better for you. <S> Massive amounts of water coming down isn't a tenth as useful as people think it is. <S> Install 1-handle joystick style faucets for longer run <S> If all your house's faucets are the 1-handle joystick type with a thermostatic anti-scald feature, then you can crank the hot water heater temperature up to the max without worrying about scalding. <S> This is a good idea anyway, given the several types of bacteria that can breed . <S> and fester inside a water heater not kept hot enough (140F). <S> A hotterhot water tank contains more energy, and when you meter it out for your target temperature, that means it lasts longer. <S> But don't get clever and think "ho ho, I don't need a fancy valve, <S> I can avoid scalding just by using the faucets properly / pulling my hand out". <S> Yeah, no... <S> if that worked, they wouldn't require anti-scald valves, would they!
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You have a high-flow shower head, which is basically dumping your entire hot water tank in minutes, wasting your limited time of water.
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What is the minimum height to a crawl space, and where did you get that information? I am working with a customer and it was a great question. I was trying to find the exact answer. <Q> The Code requires a minimum of 18” clear from the bottom of wood floor framing to the ground. <S> (See ICC Figure 403.1 (3).) <S> I remember seeing that the bottom of beams can’t be within 12” of the ground, but I can’t find that requirement... <S> maybe that was in an older code. <S> (See ICC R408.3.) <S> Also, you need 1/150 area ventilation without a vapor barrier and 1/1500 area ventilation with a vapor barrier. <S> (See ICC R408.1) <S> There is an exception for eliminating crawl space vents on one side. <A> A crawlspace is a designated area under the floor that allows for your house to not get flooded. <S> That it allows you access to plumbing and electrical... or whatever, that is not its innate purpose nor is there any sort of building requirement around it. <S> Since there is no requirement, there cannot be a height requirement. <S> However when getting a loan, there are often crawlspace requirements and this can be by agency and/or by area of the country. <S> For FHA loans for example it is a given that you need to have 18" of crawlspace. <S> I have had to dig out parts of "crawlspaces" before to meet this requirement. <S> If you are building a home without a basement and it is raised - not slab - 18"+ makes sense. <S> Why have 10" crawlspace that you can't even use if flat on your back? <A> In Europe there is apparently safety regulation that forbids companies working in crawlspaces lower then 60 cm. <S> I found out when I had a gas-man come into my house for a quote. <S> He told me he could not legally do the job. <S> I searched the internet and found a reference in a Dutch site to "NEN 3140": <S> https://kennisbank.isso.nl/kenniskaart/veilig-werken-in-kruipruimten <S> (Which means: "Safe working in crawl spaces")
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Btw, don’t forget you need an 18”x24” crawl space access if you go through the floor and 16” x24” access if you go through the perimeter wall. There is no direct answer as far as building codes are concerned. If you are going to raise the house you might as well be able to make electrical and other changes easier and to push further away from flooding issues.
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Which terminal to use on my multimeter I have read the manual for my new multimeter but unsure which (red) terminal to use for what. The meter has one VΩmA fused 500 mA max terminal and one Unfused 10A Max terminal. I just want to measure the voltage of a wall outlet. Which terminal do I use? It would be great with some examples of what the 10A terminal is used for as opposed to the VΩmA terminal. I'm not an electrician by any means so the manual is not covering this. <Q> Stay away from the 10A terminal. <S> That is for amp measurements ONLY, and creates a dead short between the 10A terminal and the common. <S> This will blow your fuse, burn up your probes, and/or destroy the meter. <S> Never use that unless/until you know <S> exactly what you are doing. <A> Keep in mind that using a meter that's not rated for the task can be dangerous! <S> Even with relatively low risk things like residential receptacles. <S> Right off the bat - if you got this meter for free with a purchase of a blue tarp at Horrible Freight, just throw it out. <S> Next, make sure the meter is properly rated for the task. <S> Meters have CAT ratings roman numeral I through IV, and are designed for safe use depending on the application. <S> For residential receptacles, it should be marked CAT II, and should be from a maker you trust to properly rate their products. <S> (Hint - reputable makers don't give away meters free with a blue tarp.) <S> Technically, for CAT II the receptacle should be at least 30 feet away from the electrical panel supplying the receptacle; if it's right close to the panel that feeds the receptacle, you are supposed to use a CAT III rated meter. <S> In the comments, the original poster links their meter's web site and looking at the picture below <S> , you see that it is rated CAT II <S> so it's suitable for the purpose. <S> (It also shows that the left jack, for 10A current measurements, is actually fused, not unfused as stated in the original post - which makes sense, and is a relief.) <S> So to measure voltage, yes you want the red lead plugged into the jack labelled "VΩmA" and the black lead plugged in the common jack, <S> the configuration shown in the photo from the web site. <S> To address an issue that's mentioned in the comments - since safety is a factor, you don't want to skimp on a meter, and a good meter is not cheap. <S> Plus there's a little learning curve involved using a meter correctly and safely. <S> As an alternative, for checking voltage at receptacles, consider a Kill A Watt or similar plug in device: This measures voltage as well as power utilization <S> and it's dead simple to use, safer than a toaster. <A> Memory key: <S> (Also use that terminal for measuring resistance (Ω) and small currents (mA).) <S> The 10A terminal is special purpose, only for measuring very high current (up to 10 amps).
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Because you want to measure voltage (V), use the VΩmA terminal.
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How far out of square is too far? What is a good margin of error on the diagonals for a 5x10 foot, square wood foundation? I have about 1/2" discrepancy on the diagonals.(for a shed). <Q> It's going to make for gaps in the corners <S> , trim might not fit quite right, stuff like that, but probably not an issue for a home built shed. <S> I would weigh the aggravation of fixing it against the aggravation of working around it, and correct it if I could without major surgery. <A> Since it is only the floor that is out, re-square the walls and add a little shim to get the floor flush with the walls at the edges. <S> No need to get into a whole lot of concern or head scratching.... <S> I have had to work with concrete foundations that were way out, and re squaring the floor system give it the foot print needed to go on. <S> The same for you with squaring the walls over your floor <A> The first part of this is to get all the lengths on like sides cut exactly the same (even down to less than 1/32". <S> The diagonals should be as close to exact as you can measure. <S> Make sure to even take into account any droop in the tape measure as you measure across the base plate frame. <S> The droop can easily add an extra 1/4" or more to the measurement. <S> If you need to lay put extra material along the diagonals to keep a floppy tape measure straight then do so. <S> When I build I strive for the diagonal measurements to be well less than 1/16" even if it means that I have to repeatedly reposition the frame. <S> When you go to frame the walls it is also essential that you get the top plates to be exactly the same length as the base plate. <S> Careful use of a level to get the corner studs plumb is equally important. <S> Make sure to add diagonal bracing to the stud assemblies to hold things square before you apply any sheathing to the walls. <S> When the top plates are installed make sure to once again check that the diagonal measurements are the same across the top of the structure. <S> If you have done everything carefully the diagonals at the top of the plates should be the same as what you measured for the base plates. <S> A handy hint is to write down the base diagonal measurement so that you can refer to it when measuring the top plates. <S> When the tops are squared up you should temporarily tack up a few sheets of the sheathing on the walls. <S> Then recheck the top plate diagonals before committing to nailing all the sheathing in place. <S> Once the sheathing is in place it can be difficult to re-square the top of the walls. <S> I go into this in so much detail because if the top plates are not square you will end up with difficulty dealing with setting rafters and getting the roof sheathing to lay down nicely on the center lines of the rafters. <S> Even an 1/8" of error in the top plate squareness can translate to much more error on the roof sheathing.
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I would say it's a little more than what's normally considered OK, but it isn't going to make the shed collapse or anything like that. Getting the foundation plates square (or rectangular as the case may be) is essential to getting a building to assemble correctly from start to finish.
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GFCI's on BLACK/RED dual 15-amp circuits I am in the process of updating the wiring for my dock. It was originally wired with a single 15-amp GFCI outlet into which the two motors for the boat lift were plugged into. The problem I’ve had is that I can only operate one motor at a time. If I try to run both motors at the same time the 15-amp circuit breaker back in the sub-panel, located at the beginning of the dock, trips. I have two 15-amp circuits coming out to the subpanel, from a double-pole (tandem) 15-amp breaker in the house. This is a standard 3-wire with ground format (black, red, white, ground). I’m in the process of putting in a 2nd GFCI outlet, in a larger box along with the original outlet. One outlet will be powered by the black circuit, and the other will be powered by the red circuit. The motors will then plug into the separate outlets. So far so good, I think. Question(s) are: How to handle the white (neutral) line. Can this be shared between the 2 GFCIs? When both motors are running, the current in the white return line will be close to zero, since the current through the 2 motors will be 180 degrees out of phase. Won’t this cause the GFCIs to trip? Final Results 3/18/2020 Here's what I ended up with: Two GFCI outlets (WR/TR), one on each 120V phase. The load (protected) side of each GFCI feeds one of the lift motors via a switch for controlling lift direction Everything works OK, no GFCI or ckt breaker tripping. Waiting to get the boat back from winter storage. <Q> To start with, this is a shared neutral aka multi-wire branch circuit . <S> One rule of MWBCs is that neutrals must be pigtailed when the other hot is near; you can't daisy-chain neutral through a device like a receptacle, because that would sever neutral for the other side if you removed it. <S> Keep in mind on a plain recep, all screws are LINE . <S> There is no LOAD on a plain recep, because it doesn't do anything special like provide GFCI protection, dim, etc. <S> If you leave the warning tape on the LOAD terminals and don't use it, then you don't have any worries about GFCIs tripping from miswiring. <S> The only time you'd get in trouble is if you did that thing with daisy chaining neutrals, that thing you're not allowed to do anyway , and tapped a recep's LOAD terminal for that purpose - <S> in that case, you are correct, the GFCI would have a problem with that. <S> However, there's a safer way to wire your dock Delivering GFCI protection at the socket is better than nothing, but there are all sorts of wire failures before the receps that could leak current into the ground around the lake. <S> And many miswirings could cause the same effect. <S> Further, outdoors is a terrible place to put a GFCI device; they fail all the time there. <S> So you are actually better off fitting a 2-pole GFCI circuit breaker back at the service panel... <S> And then you don't need any additional protection dockside. <S> The's no need to put a GFCI on a GFCI. <S> This will protect the entire cabling run, as well as all wiring dockside. <A> But, AFAIK, there's no problem with running the single white to a pigtail to each GFCI, and that just happens to "solve" the "problem" of both motors running at once - <S> there won't be any current to speak of running back to the panel, but exactly the correct amount of current will run from one GFCI's neutral, through the pigtail, to the other GFCIs neutral, and any imbalance between motors will run back to the panel, with each GFCI seeing the same amount in from its hot and out from its neutral, unless there is a fault. <A> I've just had a similar question myself. <S> In an older house with additions, someone used that old 2 wire (hot, neutral, no ground) to more outlets or rooms than should be. <S> I was curious if I could pull a new 3-wire romex rather than 2 2-wire romex. <S> Turns out the way the wire is ran I cannot pull the new wire very far anyway. <S> But what I found from recently searching is it's about the 'phases' from the different blocks at your breaker. <S> If you use the the left side in your panel for black and the right sight of the same row.. then the phases are 'adjacent' to each other or out of phase. <S> The black (hot) wire receives current, and then the red (also hot or 'Neutral') receives current. <S> But because each receives current in different phases.. then the white wire is able to carry both currents back to the breaker. <S> I read this is popular in newer Kitchens <S> so the top and bottom of the outlets are independent from each other and on separate breakers. <S> But I also read that because GFCI's are required in kitchen's it's not a perfect or easy solution.
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"Simple" solution would be to use a two-pole GFCI breaker.
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How to fix a slightly raised stair nosing board (See photo below). I have hardwood flooring that goes into stairs. The horizontal wooden slat right before the stairs is very slightly raised, by maybe an 1/8 of an inch, maybe even 1/16th. It's not a major problem, but I'm worried it's a tripping hazard which could end horribly wrong if you trip down the whole flight of stairs. Is there a way I can make the two hardwood slats smooth with each other? <Q> You just don't want to overdo it. <S> Be patient in removing the stair slat to prevent splitting. <S> EDIT <S> If the stair is mortised into the stringer the only realistic solution is to carefully use a sanding block to bevel the back edge of the step to reduce the risk. <S> If you can keep the bevel area narrow and not impact the flooring you might be able to apply a matching stain and seal to the bevel that will be acceptable visually. <A> If that is real wood (and not laminate), you could sand it down. <S> I would tape off the remaining to avoid accidentally sanding the other planks. <S> However you must have the correct stain color to refinish it. <S> Removing it, as suggested above, is best. <S> But if you can't remove it due to some constraint, sanding is another option. <A> I've never seen stairs that could easily be disassembled in-situ. <S> The treads are usually morticed into the stringers, then glued and wedged into place, along with the risers with which they interlock, starting at the top and ending at the bottom, <S> so disassembly would be in the opposite order requiring access to bottom riser from below.(assembly is done in the joinery factory then the assembled stairs are connected to the framing). <S> The best fix is probably to raise the hardwood flooring and pack under it with building paper (etc) until it is level, while the easiest is to plane or sand the top step down until it is level with the floor and then re-finish it. <S> It may be possible to access the underside of the floor and pry the boards up a little and then hammer wedges in to raise the floor.
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If the top step is slightly higher than the hardwood flooring it shouldn't be much of a problem to pull it up and plane down the underside to the thickness you're seeking.
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Using drywall screws for electrical boxes? I am installing the following items: and I am using regular 1 1/4" drywall screws to secure them. Is there any concern in regards to shear strength or rot that would make me regret using drywall screws? I am fully aware of the adage "Drywall screws are for drywall; it's in their name." but it seems like they are more than sufficient for my application. Especially with the single-gang box because the head will lay flatter making sheetrock easier. <Q> I used drywall screws in the past for electrical boxes and stopped using them when I found that they snap off too easy when using a powered driver to insert the screws. <S> This is all due to the hard tempered nature of drywall screws. <S> Now I use #8 or #10 pan head stainless steel screws. <S> If possible, when using the #10 size, I will even drill a pilot hole for the screw. <A> Some of those boxes only require the metal tabs be set with a hammer. <S> I usually add a screw on those also. <A> Drywall screws are black phosphorus. <S> They have absolutely no rust protection and are code required to be completely encapsulated in mud or wood to prevent future rust. <S> In California they are fully against code to use for anything other then drywall. <S> Gold screws are fine. <S> A small step up in price, but with some rust protection. <A> I use sheet rock screws for metal studs fine thread. <S> They never shear off. <S> Also I've never ever seen a child or adult rip a blue box out of a wall lol. <S> Also also those metal tabs are not for permanent mounting of any box. <S> They must be either nailed or screwed fast to studs. <S> I would laugh any contractor off the job if they were only using the temp setting tabs on box for mounting. <A> If your electric boxes need water/rust preventive screws... <S> I think you have a much bigger problem than black drywall screw <S> fastenersjust <S> my 2 cents ;)
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I use drywall screws all the time & have never been called on it during an inspection (would not use them for a ceiling fan box ). They can also snap if there is any reason that the electrical box can flex.
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Can I hook up two baseboard heaters on a 30 amp double pole breaker with #12 wire? I want to run 2 baseboard heaters on a double pole 30 amp breaker with 12/2 wire. Is that ok? <Q> No! <S> While there are other considerations, you will need to use a MINIMUM of 10 AWG Cu wire for a 30A circuit. <S> Beyond that, whether 30A is enough for your two heaters cannot be answered because that depends on the current requirements for the heaters. <A> Do the space heaters total less than <S> 3840 watts? <S> Then just change the 240V breaker to 20A, done. <S> Can't run 12 AWG wire off a 30A breaker, but you probably don't need to. <S> If you're going "Oh, gosh, I already own a 30A breaker", 20A breakers cost ten bucks . <A> No, #12 wire is limited to a maximum of 20A overcurrent protection by NEC 240.4(D)(4). <S> Generally fixed electric space heating is required to be treated as a continuous load by 424.3(B), so 210.20(A) limits a 20A space heating breaker to 16A, or #10 wire on a 30A breaker to 24A.
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If you're dealing with an obscure panel like Pushmatic where 20A breakers are not ten bucks, then stay with 30A but run 10 AWG wire. 12/2 wire is NOT suitable for a 30 A circuit.
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Making sure only one of electric shower or instantaneous hot water heater can operate at once I'm completing the renovation of an annex. The annex shares the mains supply with the main house which has a single phase connection rated as max 90A. I'd like to fit an electric shower (9.8kW) and an instantaneous electric water heater (9.5kW) into the annex; giving a combined draw of ~80A. Clearly using any other power hungry device in either the annex or main house (eg kettle, oven etc) would then take me over 90A. I thought that a possible solution is to only allow the instantaneous water heater to draw power if the shower isn't operating. Is anyone aware of any product which would cut power to the water heater if the shower is in use so that the max draw would be reduced or any other cunning solution (other than ripping out the shower and water heater) <Q> Why do you need two? <S> In Europe, some showers have their own, on-board, built-in <S> on-demand water heater just for the shower . <S> This is called an "electric shower". <S> Which begs the question of why you need two on-demand water heaters, since you are already installing one for the whole house. <S> Simply using the one would solve the power problem. <S> Or, if your issue is that the shower and kitchen are distant from each other, and you don't want the long delay, then OK, we have to hunker down and have two heaters, and must solve the electrical problem. <S> But then, again, why a heater dedicated to the shower? <S> Why not a whole-bathroom heater <S> so you can serve the sink also? <S> A relay would need to be current-activated <S> There's an easy electronics approach with a gadget called a reed relay, which placed next to a high current wire will engage. <S> It needs 10 ampere-turns to operate, typically, and you'd have ~40A going through that wire, so merely orienting the reed relay <S> correctly should get the job done. <S> Essentially, drawing current on the shower heater would throw the relay and knock out the other heater (I presume you'd want it that way). <S> However, the challenge here is doing this with mains-rated equipment acceptable to your jurisdiction. <S> It's not as simple as "raid the electronics parts bin" since the equipment must be mains rated. <A> What you need is a shower priority unit <S> Various types are available for two or three showers, with or without ladder or first-come-first-served priority. <S> Made by Garo and available from larger electrical merchants in the UK and Ireland. <A> Current-activated relays are available from industrial automation houses. <S> They can be purchased with variable or fixed operating current setpoints (the current at which the relay contacts close). <S> It is unlikely that you can find one that is capable of switching the full current of your load, so you will need a current activated relay controlling a single phase contactor that is rated for your full load. <S> You will need to find a current activated relay that has a DPST or DPDT relay at its output, because you will be wiring your contactor to the NC <S> (normally closed) contacts of the relay. <S> This will allow your water heater to run when there is no current flowing to your shower heater, and will disconnect your water heater when there is current flowing to your shower. <S> The current controlled relay, contactor, and 24VAC transformer (if necessary) will need to be mounted in an approved box. <S> Do you know however, that if you are shower heater cycles on and off rapidly for whatever reason, this will cause the whole system to cycle rapidly, which may reduce the life of your other water heater. <S> I'm happy to add a schematic if you want to pursue this route. <A> A very simple manual solution is a dual-throw switch. <S> These are often disguised under names like 3-way switch, interlock, generator transfer switch, selector switch, or changeover switch. <S> The common terminal would be connected to the power source; the electric shower and the electric water heater would each connect to one of the switched terminals. <S> A person could then select either of the two loads by throwing the switch. <S> The solution could be embellished slightly by using a pair of relays to control the mains power. <S> The relays could be chosen with mains-voltage coils or low voltage coils. <S> In the latter case one might choose a 5 volt DC coil and power it with a USB charger adapter. <S> This could be as simple as a one-shot timer: push a button to select the electric shower; it remains energized for some fixed number of minutes and then power is automatically switched back to the electric water heater. <S> Or the automatic control could be made more complex. <S> For example both relays could normally be closed <S> until a load is sensed (with a current transformer, a reed switch, a Hall effect sensor, etc) and the "other" relay could be switched off while the load remains active. <A> There are many manufacturers for these power switches, named priority/interlock/selector switch, shower change over switch, load shedding switch, <S> Lastabwurfrelais etc., <S> e.g. Garo, Eaton, ABB, Siemens, Eberle, Doepke, Hager. <S> Searching might be a problem because of these many names. <S> That way a huge amount of energy and money can be saved, some 25 to 45 % in practice. <S> Some of the mentioned devices do only cut the low priority device if a certain (adjustable) current is measured, so some parallel use might be possible . <S> The electronic tank less heaters must be suited for the higher inlet water temperatures coming from the heat exchanger (20-30 degree Celsius), which might be restricted since the power electric elements like triacs or IGBTs are cooled by the incoming water. <S> There are many DIY instructions for simple inexpensive easy-to-build shower heat exchangers, f.e. <S> https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKrPT0_vSug <S> The use of a central electric water heater in combination with local water heaters can help to optimize the integration of modern systems like heat pumps, which rely on small temperature differences in order to get a high cooefficient of performance COP. <S> This water may be warm enough for dish washing or hand washing, but for the shower an "afterburner" can be used. <S> So the use of heat exchangers with local electric water heaters is highly recommended - if not to say it should be mandatory.
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An automated solution could be built around relays with the addition of some control circuit. A dedicated shower heater (tankless or with tank) can be combined with a counterflow heat exchanger. Another aspect is saving money and energy:
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How can I repair damaged door casing? We recently adopted a pup and are still getting to understand his separation anxiety triggers. Recently, he gouged the door frame pretty severely. I am hoping I can fix this myself, since this is a rental. Does this look like something that can be repaired by woodfiller/epoxy/bondo. If so, what would you recommend? If not, am I better off looking at replacing the trim? He did quite a number on it, but luckily the damage is almost entirely to the trim. I'm asking, because most other DIY resources related to this seem to be focused on much more minor damage. <Q> I would just replace the trim. <S> If you were good with an oscillating saw or sharp wood chisel you could cut the molding just above the damaged area at an angle. <S> Remove everything from there down. <S> When you take out the lower piece try to keep a piece that is undamaged so you can take it with you when you go searching for replacement trim. <S> Hard to tell from the picture just how standard that trim profile is and when you go to the store it will be very handy to have a reference. <S> Cut and fit the new trim to fit the angle and length to the bottom and then nail in place with small finishing nails. <S> A small amount of spackle can be used to blend the joint if it is not a perfect fit. <A> I would go to the big box store and buy a small piece of trim and see if it matches. <S> If it does then @Michael Karas has the right answer. <S> If you cant match the trim then I would repair it with body filler. <S> If you're not experienced with body filler, use several thin layers so you don't have to do a lot of sanding. <S> For sanding wrap sand paper around a block of wood and sand up and down. <S> Make sure the block of wood is longer than the patched area. <S> You may find that the paint doesn't match. <S> If it doesn't <S> and it's close mask off and paint all the trim around the door, <S> a slight color difference probably won't be noticeable. <A> I disagree with replacing this. <S> If you replace this you will need to replace both sides and that can be a domino on the rest of the house. <S> Just eyeballing that trim, you aren't finding it at big box. <S> That looks like 3" semi-rounded pine from late 60s - early 80s. <S> Sure you could find something close and then shake your head every time you walk by it. <S> Buy some Durham's, mix it up and plaster it on the voids. <S> You might actually be better off doing this in two steps. <S> Put a flattened first layer. <S> Let it harden for three days - takes 10 minutes. <S> Then add a second layer to do the rounding. <S> Depending on your artsy/craftsy abilities this could require very little sanding. <S> If you are like me you will be sanding it for an hour to match. <S> Throw a layer of primer and paint on it... <S> It will be hardly noticeable and Durham's holds up like a rock - <S> (I am just a very small customer). <A> How much time and money do you want to spend? <S> This video about fixing rotted window sills with epoxy should give you a good idea of something which you might be able to do. <S> https://youtu.be/3l5q0xaQEf8 <S> If you're crunched for time and money then you can buy some wood filler and a large taping knife such as this 14 inch one: <S> Sand down any high paint peaks, apply a glob of wood filler, then use the knife vertically to follow the contour from the wall to the door; make sure your knife is large enough to cover the entire affected area, don't cheap out by getting an undersized knife or else you won't be able to get the contour right. <S> Once you're satisfied then let it dry, sand, and paint! <S> And of course replacing the trim is also an option but other answers have already mentioned this. <A> I would go for a 2-part epoxy filler like this: <S> If you have some regular 2-part epoxy sitting around, you could use that, but it might be a bit too thin. <S> Either way, you'll need to sand, then prime and paint over it once it is fully cured. <S> But here's the thing <S> : you go do all this work, and the dog is going to come back and eat it. <S> I've been there. <S> I'd suggest leaving it alone until the dog is more settled (also, make sure that the existing paint isn't lead based, since the dog is surely swallowing at least some of it). <S> There are ways to discourage this type of behavior, but that's a topic for a different StackExchange site. <A> I had about a dozen instances of this problem, caused by a lodging dog, on high-end fitted furniture finished with poyurethane varnish. <S> I just planed or sanded out the chewed areas to make them curve smoothly, and applied two coats of the original varnish, and that was it. <S> You can still see all the dents. <S> It's just part of the history of the house. <S> And makes a good story. <S> If you really need to use filler, Dry Flex and Dry Fix from Repair Care in the UK are great products for a permanent fix.
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You can either get new trim, or if you're feeling adventurous, pick up some wood filler and use it to try to level it out.
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How can I set these nails flush in my beadboard paneling? The person who installed beadboard around our kitchen island didn’t countersink the nails. I bought a nail set from Home Depot and have been trying for the past hour to get the nail at least flush with the beadboard. It doesn’t seem to be budging. I quickly tried doing it with some other nails that need it and nothing’s happening. This is the nail set and hammer I’m using? I’ve also included a photo of what the finished nails look like and another photo of what my nail looks like after going at it for some time. Any thoughts or advice would be great, thank you!!! <Q> Unless I've got the scale completely wrong, those aren't finish nails. <S> These are finish nails, since they have tiny heads. <S> A finish head nail is used when there is no force on the head, such as trim and other decorative pieces. <S> What you look to have are common head nails. <S> These are used when the force on the nail head is significant and avoids pulling the nail through the wood. <S> You'll need a ballpeen hammer to get that done. <S> You use the rounded end to pound in the nail. <S> This is done either by using it like a regular hammer and risk missing the nail, or you put the hammer on the nail and use another hammer to hit it. <S> And no, hitting a hammer with another hammer isn't going to make either explode. <S> This was busted by the Mythbusters years ago. <S> You can break chips off the hammer, if it's old and already showing signs of stress, but it's not going to explode. <S> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MythBusters_(2006_season)#Hammer_vs._Hammer <A> Good luck trying to sink those nails in. <S> They are flat head nails and not meant to be countersunk. <S> The proper nails would have been finishing nails. <S> At this point try grinding the heads flush. <S> There should be enough head to still have them hold tight and then repaint. <S> If you try to completely remove the nails, you'll probably mess up the cabinet. <A> The big flat head works like snowshoes on snow. <S> Drill out the nails, use a drill that is slightly larger than the nail shaft. <S> Drill in middle of the nail head. <S> You could drill a tiny pilot hole first. <S> The head should fall off, then punch the rest of the nail in a bit more. <S> Use some proper nails to hold the board, fill all holes and apply paint
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You can still countersink these, but not with the nail punch you have, which is designed to completely cover the nail head so it won't slip off.
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Connecting a hose to a 3/8 compression fitting I have a dog waterer that has a female garden hose connection. I would like to take a tee off my 3/8 compression fitting above my cut off valve under the sink to connect to this. Any suggestions on the best route to go? I would prefer to stick with a short braided hose like you would use for a toilet to make the run... But I have no idea how to take a compression fitting to a garden hose. <Q> Not knowing what your valves under your sink look like , I would suggest possibly a new valve with 2 ports or the addition of a T on a 3/8 fitting then you could find a pre made hose like you want for a Refrigerator, this can feed your waterer. <S> They may cost a few dollars more but 1 trip ends up saving time and frustration in the long run compared to the big box stores , the big box may have what you need but getting the correct help sometimes it tough. <A> For the life of me I couldn't remember where I'd seen that connection, and the local Lowe's guy wasn't helpful. <S> 3/8 compression to female hose bib is common in dishwasher installations, which wasn't in the same location as any of the other brass parts. <A> I know some may respond that this is not an answer to the question <S> but sometimes it is necessary to shed light on why the question may be trying to solve the wrong thing. <S> I second the comment from @jsotola. <S> The hose fitting connection should make it obvious that the dog watering unit is made for use outdoors. <S> You do not want to hard connect the watering unit indoors because a feisty dog could easily overturn the unit and you may return one day to a flooded house. <S> If you need an indoor unit get one of the types that recirculates a limited supply of water to keep it fresh and then refill it as needed. <S> In the case of these the water spillage in an overturn is much much less.
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I would want an independent shut off incase of problems, my plumbing speciality store could set up all the parts needed and suggest things like an extra valve just in case by using a photo of your existing under sink set up.
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Replacing light bulbs with receptacles in garage I'm trying to improve the lighting in my garage. Currently it has several simple bare-bulb lampholders, and I am installing larger hanging LED fixtures that have a cord with a plug. Initially, I tried using an adapter that screws into the light socket. Unfortunately, this does not make proper contact with the center terminal of the socket, and the plugged-in light fixture did not initially work. I attempted to bend the center terminal out slightly to make better contact. That worked for a while but the light stopped working after just a few minutes. If I wiggled the plug, the light would flicker and I could hear arcing inside the fixture - not good! Reading reviews of several similar adapters, this seems a common problem. I purchased some Leviton 1228 receptacles which are designed to fit a round electrical box. Unfortunately, when I went to install them, I found that the existing electrical boxes have the screws at a 2.75-inch spacing instead of the more common 3.5-inch spacing. This simply does not fit, and I have not been able to locate any similar receptacles that would fit. I have considered replacing the fixtures with lampholders with built-in outlets (which do have the spacing). However, I do not want to have an empty socket or install bulbs in these locations. I'd also prefer not to cut the plugs off the end of the light cords and hardwire them into the box. Are there receptacles that are designed to fit a round box with 2.75 inch screw spacing, or some other good solution to connecting these light fixtures? <Q> What you want is available if you are willing to order parts and put it together. <S> The starting place is a single round outlet such as the Leviton 5258-SS. <S> Picture Source <S> Then you need the smaller sized 3.5" cover plate with 2.75" mounting holes. <S> The above outlet mounts into the plate. <S> Picture Source See picture sources for possible suppliers. <S> The existing device holes in the plate have too large of a dimension. <A> A picture of the situation would be immensely helpful. <S> Anyways, if the ceiling is not finished then I would upgrade to standard sized electrical boxes; it would cost a grand total of about $3 for the box, outlet, and plate. <S> If that is not possible then get an oversized cover and drill the holes yourself. <S> See this Amazon review <S> Source: <S> https://www.amazon.com/Leviton-5059-15-Amp-3-Wire-Receptacle/dp/B000U3I1Z8 <A>
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To mount the 5258-SS into the shown cover plate you would need to drill your own holes. You can install one of these light sockets.
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How do you comply with NEC receptacle requirements in row homes with brick walls? I'm rewiring a Philadelphia row home, which like many others, has brick and cinder block for the side walls. There is no framing, just lath and plaster. I know some flippers will put in 2x3 studs to make things easier, but I'd prefer to avoid this for reasons of both cost and space. What they Originally did was chisel away part of a brick and install the receptacles in the base trim. At the time they made small, narrow boxes, probably only 1 1/4" deep and completely flat on the front with wings made to nail into the trim. I have looked all over for these. I can't even find a picture of one. How are people handling this in renovations? The only other solution I can think of is that ugly plastic channeling that runs on the outside of the wall. <Q> I see two options. <S> What I see in the US quite a bit is instead of running the plastic channels on the wall surface, people will use steel conduit. <S> It gives kind of a rustic/industrial look. <S> There are specific tools for this called wall chasers, they have a set of blades kind of like a dado set that let you cut a groove into the plaster. <S> This would obviously be more work and much more messy than the first option. <S> In addition to cutting the channel for the conduit, you would of course also need to chisel out holes for the boxes that would probably go through both the plaster and partially into the brick. <A> Surface mount of some sort - "ugly plastic channelling" being only one of many sorts. <S> Tasteful wood trim being the most easily accessed for a DIY less ugly / less modern-looking solution. <S> One reason you probably can't find those boxes would be that they are not going to have adequate space to meet code box fill requirements (and that's not a particularly recent part of code.) <A> Just a short line from another Transpondian [UK here] <S> In the UK most older houses are brick & plaster. <S> Only newer [& cheaper] constructions use what the US would call 'drywall' <S> , any decent modern build would use concrete 'cinder-block' & plaster <S> so this is a very common situation. <S> Mounting on any trim, such as skirting, panelling or architrave is not allowed, so you have to surface-mount [unpopular] or chase the wall. <S> The standard method is to chase down into the brick & plaster - either old-style with a hammer & chisel, using a channel-cutter as mentioned by PhilippNagel , or more commonly using an SDS drill set to hammer only & using a large chisel/spade bit. <S> You can drop from the ceiling or come up from the floor, whichever is most convenient. <S> Later edit: <S> I'm not certain <S> whether to traverse horizontally is against code, but it is certainly frowned upon. <S> People expect cabling above or below a socket & plan their picture hanging etc activities accordingly. <S> They don't expect a wire horizontally. <S> Using a cable finder is, of course, always recommended. <S> Once the drop is in, you then re-plaster. <S> Conduit is not required in the UK for such construction [though it is optional], only that metal back-boxes are embedded [plug & screwed] in the wall to carry the sockets & terminals. <S> Any jointing must also be metal boxed. <S> Back-boxes come in two common depths [25mm & 35mm; 47mm is less common, 35mm is 'standard'], depending on how much room you have to work with in the wall, single- or double-wall brick & whether you need sockets in-line on both sides of the wall. <S> UK Trade store link as example , presumably wouldn't fit US sockets so for illustration only. <A> Yes those shallow boxes were ok once upon a time with the wires closer than allowed today. <S> Today because of the 1-1/4” requirement most use conduit. <S> I will use smurf tube or non metallic flexible tubing concealed in walls with shallow boxes <S> this requires the splices or feeds to other devices to be made in a different location that will have enough volume for the additional wires and device for box fill. <S> The only other method is surface mount <S> you mentioned <S> you did not want that. <S> The trick I have used many times is to conceal a box in the ceiling for splices to other shallow boxes. <S> The code definition for accessible (as applied to wiring methods) capable of being removed or exposed without damaging the building structure or finish or not permanently closed by the structure or finish. <S> The code handbook for years has also stated removable panels designed to be removed are allowed most of the time I make a “picture frame” and screw the cover in place. <S> The 1 area I have an inspector that will not allow this I use Velcro tabs , no tools needed to remove the decorative panel but tools are needed to remove the cover plate of the box.
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Receptacles would then be mounted in steel boxes on the wall surface as well. What is typical in Germany, where most walls are block and plaster, is that grooves are cut into the plaster, conduit laid into the grooves, and then the whole thing gets covered with plaster again. The shallowest box I can remember using recently is 1-1/2 deep device box there are 1-1/4” round and square boxes but these need a mud ring or cover and would be larger than a device set in a trim board. As Harper points out, in the US, it is probably required by code to use conduit, and either way, it would be common sense to do so for protection of the cable, as well as future replacement.
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How would you protect a plywood container from moisture and abrasion? We have a pitching mound that sees basement and outdoor use. We try to keep it out of the rain but it does sit on wet ground sometimes. It is made of plywood and has a number of hinges/brackets as it folds in three. What I am mainly concerned about is the plywood. This seems like it has a good chance of fraying from movement or just normal use and then add to that hitting rough concrete in basement and water outside. What is the optimal way of protecting this? Also bonus if that way includes the ability to paint/color. Edit: Hate to add more after feedback and answer but I am really worried about the very bottom and it is water and water that leads to fraying. Each of the three sections have basically the same bottom albeit the other two sections deeper. So kind of worried this get scruffed up, little water, then start chipping like mad. <Q> The usual approach is a couple coats of polyurethane varnish. <S> Steel wool between coats. <S> It'll be apparent when you've applied enough coats to seal the edge grain well enough to protect it. <S> Reapply every couple years as needed. <S> If you use a good oil-based paint (like a floor paint), you could omit the varnish and use two or more coats of paint. <S> Otherwise paint with a flat sheen, then varnish. <S> Glossy sheens would require light sanding for good bonding of the urethane. <A> I would try boiled linseed oil and turpintine. <S> I use them for the floors on my trailers. <A> Flex seal is the closet consumer product to a solvent-based urethane waterproofer. <S> Traditional paints, urethane and varnishes do not have the flexibility this thing would need to endure. <S> The biggest problem that I see is that there is carpet over the plywood. <S> The carpet will hold the water and cause the top layer of plywood to rot. <S> Another thought, pitching Mounds are made from hard pack clay. <S> Synthetic grass is typically seen on the infield and Outfield grassy areas. <S> I would have coated the entire pitching mound in a rubberized aliphatic urethane and simply recoat as the surface wore down. <S> I've been in the coating industry for 20 years.
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If you want the plywood to have a color, simply stain or paint it first. I'd sand it a bit to clean it up and give it a coat on all exposed surfaces.
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Is it okay to put rigid sheet foam insulation directly over studs before installing sheetrock (fiberglass insulation would be in the walls)? We want to improve the insulation in a bedroom. Will it cause a problem (condensation, etc) if we put rigid sheet foam insulation that completely covers all the studs before installing the sheetrock? There will be fiberglass insulation between all the studs. <Q> We live in the same area, you will want something that will allow moisture out But stop air flow (vapor barrier). <S> We do have issues with mold here. <S> on several houses I have found the bad stuff ( <S> Stachybotrys chartarum) and 2 have been when the home owner tried to seal the walls In similar era homes. <S> In this era home there are normally a lot of air leaks and house wrap may be a better option, although toxic mold is not common all mold can cause issues with the structure and health at some level. <S> Also don’t forget about your floor. <S> Your floor is a large external surface area and simple fiberglass insulation in both the walls and floor may be best. <S> I have used chicken wire or fish net to hold the fiberglass in the floors in place and it reduces the chance of squirrels, raccoons and opossums getting in there and pulling it down (yes even in town). <S> if copper pipe do not let the chicken wire touch the pipe, the moisture in the air + copper+ zinc coated wire = <S> pinholes in copper pipe because of galvanic corrosion. <S> Dehumidifiers in a sealed bedroom will go a long way to prevent mold and mildew here in the Pacific Northwest. <A> I don't think you can attach drywall over (flexible) plastic foam. <S> When my house was built I put in the wall insulation; I put the paper-facing of the fiberglass batts ( flanges) on the 2 X 4 wall studs. <S> The dry wall guys said not to put anything on the 2 X 4 surfaces , they wanted to place the dry wall directly on the bare wood. <A> In Oregon you are primarily a heating climate. <S> The typically thing to do is to have a vapor barrier on the warm side. <S> Normally you insulate between the studs and then put 6mil poly and then drywall. <S> The moisture in the air will then not hit a cold surface as your drywall is on the warm side and the air can't get to the cold exterior sheathing. <S> Now as far as your plan to use XPS - high density foam - on top of the studs before the drywall should be fine. <S> The XPS is a vapor barrier <S> but you'd need to tape the seams or have poly in front of it. <S> Boarding will be more of a challenge though as you can't see the studs. <S> I don't think the screw heads are any more likely to cause a problem than the walls. <S> If you have high RH levels you should have a dehumidifier. <S> Condensation on walls occurs when there is high indoor humidity and the walls are cold (insulation is bad and the heat is either low or not adequate to heat the surface of the wall). <S> I don't see insulating / air sealing / putting up a vapor barrier making any of those things worse.
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If you want to air seal the room please get a dehumidifier. The dry-wall installers were specialists that only installed dry-wall.
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Dual GFCI/AFCI breaker to support regular TRR USB outlets on kitchen counter: to code? I would like to replace some outlets that run along my kitchen countertop because the TRR plugs are hard to plug in, and I would like to put ones that have USB jacks. I know that GFCIs are required in this area, but if I install dual GFCI/AFCIs breaker to support this circuit and replace it with the non-CI USB outlets, would this be to code? Is there any easy way I could have found out if this was to code myself (I assume reading NEC 20, is the start?), or is this a bad idea for a DIYer? Thanks! <Q> You're not on NEC 2020 yet, unless your state just adopted it. <S> (MA has so far). <S> Under NEC 2017, Code requires GFCI only in certain places (kitchen being one of those) and it generally does not require AFCI breakers in those places. <S> The rationale being that providing both can be a technical challenge. <S> So you probably do not require AFCI protection in the wiring to a kitchen, but it is a good idea if (in order of importance) roached wiring, aluminum wiring, old wiring, or wiring in non-metallic cabling or conduit. <S> IMO. <S> Keep in mind despite the similar names, AFCI and GFCI do totally different things. <S> AFCI protects wiring from burnup due to bad connections, and this mainly guards in-wall wiring, particularly backstab connections. <S> Originally they were conceived to protect electric blankets, but "backstabs in plastic boxes" proved to be the main thing AFCIs defend from. <S> Whereas GFCI protects humans from shock, hence the requirement anywhere within reach of a sink. <S> AFCI is only constructive at the breaker. <S> GFCI can be anywhere, however. <S> And at the breaker is just fine. <S> Your plan is perfectly fine. <S> Keep in mind that making an outlet <S> USB does not erase any requirement for Tamper Resistance. <S> If TR is a requirement, then you need a recep that is TR and USB. <S> There is a lot of junk on sale on Amazon Marketplace and other outlets of the Alibaba junkstream, which uses direct mail to circumvent the laws which assure the supply chain contains safe, UL-listed products. <S> Such things are best bought at a bricks-and-mortar retailer; if you don't like Home Depot's pricing, try a genuine electrical supply. <S> Do your level best to keep refrigerators, freezers, fire alarms, radon systems and other "needs power for safety" appliances away from both GFCI and AFCI. <A> You could swap out the breaker for a GFCI/AFCI breaker <S> but then if it trips you have to go to the panel to reset it. <S> You could use a dual function (GFCI and AFCI) outlet that are not tamper resistant, to replace the existing ones, but that isn't code now. <S> TRR are required. <S> I don't know of a dual function outlet with USB, but you could put a non protected outlet with USB ports downstream of the GFCI/AFCI outlets. <S> Just be sure they are indeed protected by the upstream outlets. <S> You can easily test this by pressing the test button on your existing outlets and see which other outlets no longer have power. <A> According to National Electric Code 210.8(A)(6): 125-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere receptacles that serve countertop surfaces shall have ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection for personnel. <S> [NEC 210.8(A)(6)] <S> What is ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection ? <S> It is either a GFCI outlet or a GFCI breaker: <S> GROUND-FAULT CIRCUIT-INTERRUPTER <S> A device intended for the protection of personnel <S> that functions to deenergize a circuit or portion thereof within an established period of time when a current to ground exceeds the value for a Class A device. <S> [2017 Florida Building Code Ch. <S> 35 ... <S> NEC Citation needed] <S> So using a GFCI breaker is appropriate. <S> Whatever receptacle outlets (your USB plugs) <S> you decide to put in, well that's whatever you choose.
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Code does NOT state that an AFCI is required for the countertops, so using a dual GFCI/AFCI is just as acceptable as a regular GFCI breaker. As far as NEC code, you're compliant.
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Making an extension cord I went into home depot to get an extension cord that was 5 foot 14 gauge. I couldn't find anything that small in that gauge and I asked the employee for his recommendation. He told me to just make my own and he proceeded to cut me 5 feet of 12 gauge wire and hands me a female and Male plug. I've wired outlets and Ethernet before so I'm not too worried about it I just want to confirm some things before I do it so I don't blow the house up. Green is ground,Black is hot,White is neutral. Black goes to the gold contact and white to the silver contact. Green meeting green. Is this correct? <Q> It is always stranded wire. <S> UL-listed plugs aren't even listed for solid wire. <S> I don't agree with their advice of build up both ends out of line cord; I prefer to start with a pre-made extension cord and cut one end off, leaving one end a factory end. <S> Factory plugs are more durable than field-fitted plugs, or, you can preserve a triple socket end. <A> The standard in the US is: BLACK WIRE - GOLD SCREW - HOT (the 'live' wire) <S> WHITE WIRE - SILVER SCREW - NEUTRAL (the regular 'return path') <S> GREEN WIRE - GREEN SCREW - GROUND <S> (the 'save my skin in an accident' backup path) <S> The smaller of the two spade terminals is the HOT and the bigger is NEUTRAL. <S> The round plug is GROUND. <S> Remember, looking face-on at the female end, HOT is on the right, but looking face-on at the male end, HOT is on the left. <S> Here are the hookups for the female end: <A> It doesn't have to be from this manufacturer, but they all look just like this: UL-listed, 3-prong, flat, grey, heavy-duty extension cord. <S> Yes, it's 9 feet long; deal with it. <S> Use some zip-ties. <S> Your HD has these in stock, or someone should be fired. <S> ( source )
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Yes, building your own cords is fine, as long as you use UL-listed plugs and sockets, and use them correctly according to instructions and labeling, e.g. with right size cable and using the strain reliefs. Make sure they gave you well-fitting ones. And you need to use correct cordage , one of several types including SJOOW (off the top of my head).
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Tile on OSB substrate in bedroom A lot of information online about laying tile is specific for bathrooms (that need waterproofing), but in this case I want to remove carpet from a bedroom that is used as office space. This carpet is not only old but also quite thick and is extremely annoying to use with office chairs. Three people will be using this room and I believe a tile surface is best. Removing the old carpet seems easy, but I do not want to start before I figured out all the details.However, in the next 3 years I plan to proceed with a whole house remodel, where I will change the layout of the rooms etc. This is not just a wish, I am working with architects right now. In the meanwhile, I just wanted to get rid of carpet and put tiles for before we go insane. For that reason, I wanted to do something relatively cheap and that is easy to remove in a few years. Big box stores have tiles that cost around or less than a dollar/sq ft. I know it's not the best type of tile and not as durable but this is perfectly fine in my use case as described above. However the substrate is OSB and I understand I have two main options:- cement boards- decoupling membrane Cement boards are relatively cheap, less than a dollar per square foot so in line with the cost of the tile. However it seems they require a huge amount of screws. Membranes are quite a buit more expensive, around 1.6$/sq ft so much more than the actual tiles. I am debating if they are really worth it given I plan to remove them relatively soon. My question is: what is my best compromise for a cheap tile solution that will be easy to remove? Can I lay cement boards without the screws? I also have a technical question: I understand how a decoupling membrane works by letting the substrate move independently from the tile, so cracks are less of an issue. But if cement board is cemented and screwed to the substrate, what is the actual difference compared to just cementing the tiles to the OSB? <Q> I would not tile for a temporary surface. <S> I would get a sheet of sanded 3/4”. <S> If you only need a 4x 6 or 4x 8 lay the sheet down and cut the carpet at the edge. <S> Remove the cutout carpet and tack strip. <S> I might get some carpet threshold and lock the carpet down or use some screws and washers to hold the carpet in place. <S> The plywood will hold up for a few years and be easy to remove. <S> Tile will be more expensive take longer to put down after that all the work to remove and dispose of the debris. <S> If you want a surface that will last a Formica sheet on top of the plywood will last a decade or more. <S> And when pulled up could be used someplace else when done. <A> This sounds like an ideal place/situation to use "linoleum" <S> (almost all some sort of sheet vinyl product for the last umpteen years, really.) <S> Can be had in many patterns/appearances. <S> Inexpensive options are available. <S> Either not adhered at all (just cut to fit the room - if room is more than 12 feet (or 13.2 ft = 4m for some varieties/brands) wide, seamed together and cut to fit the room) or taped around the edges only, so easy to remove. <S> No particular need for another layer ($) under it. <S> While pricing info may be local and quickly out of date, the faux tile version shown here was priced at 59 cents per square foot when I looked locally just now. <S> It will also be a LOT quieter than ceramic tile with office chairs rolling around on it. <A> Cement board will be an order of magnitude easier to remove than a uncoupling membrane since it'll be affixed using screws rather than a full thinset coat. <S> Even if OSB were an acceptable substrate for tile, I'd recommend layering cement board on top it for much easier removal. <S> If you screw cement board onto your OSB, all you have to do when time comes is break enough tiles to expose the screws and seams and pull up mostly cleanly with only a little scraping of thinset. <S> You could consider screwing it in without thinset underneath for even easier removal. <S> My bathroom had this and there were discernible tile cracks when I ultimately ripped up the floor, but it's a risky move since the flex might be too great for floor tile especially with concentrated loads like casters. <S> That said, given your timeframe <S> I'd personally consider putting in vinyl plank flooring . <S> It'll only be $3/sqft for decent quality and casters will slide better than on tile + grout lines, plus you'll save hours (if you're a tiling wizard) to days (if not) and a bunch of mess on installation/removal.
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You want to put some thinset on the underside to prevent flexing and cracking instead of screwing it in "dry", but it'll still be easier to remove than a typical thick mortar bed for floor tile directly on a membrane or plywood. Put plywood in the hole and use a few deck screws to hold the plywood in place.
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Stopping air leaks in attic I am attempting to take care of air leaks in the attic before new insulation is put in and I have a few questions. Along areas of the roof line there is light that comes through. I don't have soffit vents. I assume I should seal these? What is the best method? I have two ceiling fans that have pretty large gaps between the box and drywall. This seems too large for foam without getting foam into the box. I was thinking of just using recessed light cover. Is there a better idea? Here is a pic from the outside of the same area where the light was coming through. The gap scene there is just the space between the gutter and soffit and not the actual gap scene from inside the attic. The roof was replaced 3yrs ago and proper roof vents were installed too. <Q> The reason eaves have this open space is so that moisture doesn't build up in the attic and cause rot. <S> Completely sealing them off is generally not a great idea. <S> Attic insulation generally goes on top of the ceiling surface -- the space between there and the roof will generally be outside of the temperature-controlled part of the house anyway. <S> It shouldn't really matter if the attic itself gets too hot or too cold. <S> The main issues are vermin and moisture. <S> There are vents you can install, and wire mesh will help with the vermin. <S> If you want to insulate a larger space than foam can handle, there are things called foam backing rods you can buy to fill large gaps -- once you've inserted it, there will be a much smaller gap between the foam backing rod and the surfaces, which can be filled with spray-in foam. <A> Your attic needs to be vented. <S> That area that the light is entering into is probably some deteriorated eaves and if so need to be replaced, fixed. <S> There really shouldn't be unscreened, opened areas going into your attic. <S> Insulation usually goes to the wall cap and shouldn't cover any soffits. <S> Filling the gaps around the junction boxes can be solved with the low expansion foam or just by stuffing some extra insulation in there before the final layer is put it. <S> A picture from the other side of that opening in the attic would help. <A> I'm not rep'd enough to reply to comments, but re: venting: <S> it looks like you should have ventilated soffits, and then the gaps above those soffits allow air to come in, flow up the roof and out your static vents. <S> That circulation is a common design. <S> The baffles would let you put the insulation all the way into those corners without obstructing the air flow. <S> For the can lights, I think you're supposed to build a box around them <S> so they have air space around them and aren't packed into the insulation. <S> They look old -- I think there are newer ones that are ok with being surrounded with insulation... <S> and maybe if you use LED lights, they wouldn't heat up too much.
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Personally, that's what I'd do -- get ventilated soffits, make sure there are no other openings into the attic, then put in soffit baffles before insulating the floor of the attic -- the baffles would just have to run higher than the insulation.
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What lubricant, if any, should be used for clothes dryer rollers? It seems I may have used the wrong lubricant for my LG clothes dryer rollers because the rollers kept seizing up. Since these rollers are simple and there are no bearings I did not put much thought into what lubricant to use: While I am not 100% sure I believe I either used Super Lube 51004 Synthetic Oil with PTFE or WD-40 Specialist Heavy Duty Multi-Purpose Grease My question are: What lubricant, if any, should be used there? What could be that black film on axle? I believe it is culprit here. In particular, would grease be a better option here than oil because it would not mix with small lint particles (I suspect this is what may have happened here unless that is lube thickener or something like that)? <Q> Grease or nothing would better here. <S> Oil and grease will attract lint and dust and seize sooner. <S> I have used a spray Teflon and graphite as the lube on my dryers with graphite lasting longer. <S> The black film is probably the lube with some added dust. <S> When you replace this try some powdered graphite or molybdenum dry lube, it lasts a long time and the black film that it produces is a lubricant. <A> First off, why is that bearing wheel flat? <S> I've never seen one look like that. <S> Oil shouldn't be used on a bearing because oil runs. <S> You use oil in your car and it works because it's constantly pumped through the engine and runs down into the pan. <S> You use grease on your bearings because it stays in place and does its job. <S> Get some emery paper and clean of those shafts and then apply a general automotive grease to the shaft and bearing and then reassemble. <S> you could always just but a new bearing and shaft too. <S> Good luck. <A> I would think about machining shaft and rollers to add sealed bearings... <S> That “flat” is a concern though - <S> at the least it will cause noise & vibration...
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Adding any sort of lubricant is a “magnet” for the lint to stick to and eventually gum it up.
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So is it better to go from a smaller pipe to a bigger pipe? OK I know it sounds confusing so here I go. Doing some work on the washer supply lines. Well they are copper right now 1/2". Issue is there is leaking around the shutoff valves and such (old fixtures). So the question is it OK to go from 1/2 to 3/4 in piping? The distance would be about 6" for each hot and cold pipe and then and elbow then 4" to the new shutoff valve if that. Shark bite connectors for the valve and what i would be getting is 1/2 to 3/4 couplers for copper to CPVC. <Q> I don't think the shutoff valves leaking should have anything to do with the diameter of pipe you're using. <S> It sounds like the situation is: you are replacing that last bit of pipe anyway because the shutoff valves are leaking, and you want to know if you can also increase the pipe diameter while doing this. <S> Changing the pipe diameter will not do anything to fix leaky shutoff valves, and it probably won't have any benefit, but I also don't think it will do any harm. <S> If it is less than a foot of travel, it's hard to see how flow could be impacted much, unless it is getting constricted from something huge down to a half-inch. <S> Keep in mind that the flow will be restricted by the smallest diameter pipe. <S> If a 1/2" line is what's coming out of the wall <S> and you couple it up to 3/4" for the last foot, you're not really changing much. <A> If the shutoff valves are leaking repair or replace them. <S> Why go to 3/4" copper? <S> It sounds like a fairly simple repair. <S> Sharkbites are fine but I don't see why you would need them. <S> Edit <S> It's okay to go to 3/4" and use sharkbites - won't hurt a thing if installed properly. <S> Maintaining the 1/2" throughout would have been the cleaner way to do it. <S> With pictures we might have been able to help you simplify what you're doing. <S> Simpler is always better. <S> But seems like you're trying to work with the material you have. <S> Go for it but simplify where you can. <A> I like solid pipe to my valves. <S> Will it hurt to go larger <S> NO. <S> Is it a waste of $ ? <S> Probably. <S> Replacing the valves would be my option <S> but I have the proper tools , if you don’t have the tools for copper a shark bite will be fine.
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A larger diameter pipe is stronger , but a properly anchored valve will be fine in any size.
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Will fiberglass insulation grow mold? (Florida) Followup to this question one of the comments says that fiberglass can trap moisture and lead to mold/mildew. I did some research myself and found other sources saying the same. This worries me -- since I live in Florida (very humid all year round) so should I avoid fiberglass insulation entirely in my 2x4 framed home, and opt for foam board, even at the sacrifice of r-value? <Q> This question could get flagged as opinion based but here goes anyway. <S> I live in South Florida and have been in hundreds of attics with fiberglass insulation and have never seen any problems. <S> Yes, there is a lot of humidity <S> but if the attics are vented with soffits, etc., then the humidity doesn't cause a moisture problem. <S> I had a roof leak and some of my fiberglass insulation got wet. <S> I fixed the leak and monitored the insulation and it dried out in a day or two and did not compress. <S> I have read some articles that warn about fiberglass insulation but most are from companies that sell something different. <A> Fiberglass itself will not support mold. <S> Mold needs 3 things: <S> Mold spores Moisture <S> Organic matter (i.e. food) <S> With fiberglass itself you have #1 and #2 but are missing #3 since fiberglass is glass and not organic. <S> Note <S> that paper backed fiberglass insulation adds the organic matter component but most is treated to inhibit mold growth. <S> Check with your supplier to be sure the product you are considering is applicable for your application. <A> Less likely, but mold can grow also next to/on Fiberglas insulation, since there is always some organic matter in the air and on building materials. <S> It is more a matter of due point, drying time, damp diffusion etc. <S> Here is a reliable way to get all necessary information: Just input each layer into the professional "Ubakus"-Site, which is free for private use: Ubakus.de
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fiberglass insulation has been proven to be an excellent insulator.
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EMI / RFI filters for reducing dimmer-switch noise (what is available, where to install) I don't have many light-dimmers in my house right now, but I'm doing some renovation, adding recessed lights in some areas that I have temporary open access to the floor joist areas and circuit runs, and I'm noticing some radio-unfriendly behavior in the first dimmer I've installed. I've been looking on digikey for "power line filter modules" and yes they have hundreds of them. They are all, I believe, designed to be installed in appliances and devices of all sorts, inside their respective housing, enclosure or cabinet, and wired on the power-input side of the device. This is presumably to prevent wide-spectrum electrical noise from traveling back from the device to the branch circuit and hence causing the entire circuit to act as a broadcast antenna. Most of these filters range from $15 to $30, come in a variety of inductance and current ratings, are all housed in a metal can with mounting tabs, have connection options such as spade tabs, screw terminals or posts, or wire leads. So my first observation is that none of these is what I would consider to be mountable as infrastructure devices that you might locate in an inaccessible place, such as you would a junction box, even if the device is electrically "safe" from a durability / longevity point of view. So if I wanted to use one of these on the input side of a dimmer control for a dimmer controlling say 4 lights, and potentially also put one on the output side (?) I think I'd want to mount them inside a junction box, which is not difficult. Even if these devices have MTBF ratings in the hundreds of thousands of hours, I do wonder about the really long-term installation of these devices in areas that would be somewhat difficult to reach years from now (behind walls, under floors, etc). So besides where on a circuit these filters should or could go to achieve maximal EMI/RFI filtering effect, I was wondering if anyone else has used these particular devices for this purpose. Or am I overlooking purpose-built infrastructure-mountable or load-center panel-box mountable products that are easily obtainable, reasonably priced and equally effective? <Q> The problem with those modules is they're designed to go in a product <S> The power-line RFI filter modules you're looking at aren't useful for what you're trying to do. <S> Why? <S> Because they're designed to go in a finished product , and thus are UL Component Recognized (with the RU, or Rather Useless to us, mark), vs being UL Listed as something that can be installed standalone into mains wiring. <S> (If you can find someone willing to sell you one, there are UL listed facility <S> EMI/RFI filters available; however, most of them are either combination EMI filter/SPD units, and those that are standalone EMI filters are rather hard to find/obtain. <S> Furthermore, heavy-duty facility EMI filters have relatively high line-to-ground leakage currents, which makes them not get along well with GFCIs and many AFCIs.) <S> However, there is something you can use to fix this <S> However, if your dimmers are emitting RF noise, you still do have a couple options. <S> If that's insufficient, one can try a Lutron Lamp Debuzzing Coil in series with the dimmer wiring, as per Lutron Application Note 519 . <A> High levels of Radio/High Frequency noise are produced by many LED bulbs. <S> Those tiny switched mode power supplies do often miss appropriate filters. <S> The working frequencies are often above the hearing limit, i.e. above 20kHz, sometimes above 100kHz. <S> The switching mode in combination with non-linear elements like fast rectification diodes produce frequencies and (cross) modulations with relative high levels even above 100MHz. <S> The wires from the dimmer to the LED lamp could act like an emitter antenna. <S> In this case, the standard phase-shift dimmers with under 10 electronic elements are less likely to produce high noise levels in the MHz range, because the base frequency is <S> only 50 or 60 Hz and the current is much lower compared to the current of the secondary side of the switched mode power supply. <S> In addition, there is often a capacitor or RC-unit/snubber bridging the triac and reducing the noise level. <S> Temporarily replacing the dimmer with a switch and / or the LED lamp with a candescent one can disclose the culprit. <A> A whole house surge protector may be an option some have RFI filters but your problem is harmonics . <S> All electronic controls create harmonics it is a fact of wave shaping (how electronic control /adjust the power) . <S> Some controls have zero crossing these produce less noise but when dimming all electronic controls create harmonics. <S> Higher end controls do have some filtering built in and really cheap ones run the noise up to the limit. <S> So your options are usually, better switches, or a whole house protector that has RFI filters built in. <A> In your question you hint at trying to use these filters in an "inaccessible place" or "behind walls, under floors, etc". <S> From a safety perspective these devices that attach to mains wiring will be required to be inside a junction box or in an approved enclosure. <S> In addition the electrical code requires that all junction boxes remain accessible and serviceable. <S> This means that you cannot freely install these outside of junction boxes and they cannot be hidden away in walls, behind permanent barriers or in areas that you cannot get to.
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First off, upgrading to better quality, specification grade dimmer switches (such as the better stuff Lutron, Leviton, Eaton/Cooper/Arrow-Hart, or Legrand/Pass & Seymour make) will often get you dimmers that go the extra mile on built-in RFI/EMI filtering.
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Re-key or just replace deadbolts? Our house has Schlage "bright brass" deadbolts on the front and back doors, which use different keys. Our separate garage had a no-name unit. We never had keys for the rear door or garage. I just replaced the garage deadbolt so I would have keys. It only took a few minutes, and that got me thinking... What is the easiest/simplest/cheapest way to get the front and back doors to share keys? re-pin the rear door, which Home Depot will do but I didn't get a price get new cylinders for both, but HD doesn't sell them replace both deadbolts outright HD has Schlage brass deadbolts for $58. Ouch. Weiser is $40, Defiant is $19 (although not quite the same color). Is there any real difference between these? <Q> It massively depends on the quality of the locks. <S> (If you have 3 sets that all say "Key Code 12589”, they will all have the same key). <S> However I am transitioning to using Schlage Primus, a dual-keyway patented system which precludes unauthorized duplication, and warrants top-shelf hardware. <S> Bring in a lock you want re-keyed, with the key that works in it, and the key <S> you want to work in it. <S> Come up to their counter. <S> They will tell you whether it's worth re-keying. <S> By that <S> I mean there are 3 kinds of locksmiths: Virtual locksmiths, who only exist on Google, and harvest the identities of people who need locksmiths, <S> so they can "generate leads" <S> (sell you as a sales lead to a locksmith), or engage in criminal behavior toward you, such as casing your home whilst getting a copy of your key. <S> Truck locksmiths, whose business is a van, and who mainly do emergency work. <S> They only do outbound work, always charge a hefty service call fee, and have gotcha pricing on everything else. <S> Showroom locksmiths, who do outbound but also have a retail premises you can visit with a halfway respectable showroom. <S> They will do amazing stuff for you very cheaply. <A> The difference is Schlages are worth re-keying, and that's almost always the only reason to remove one. <S> Defiant is Kwikset, which is crap, and they break . <S> For $60 you can get a Schlage re-keying kit. <S> And for a few hundred dollars you can get a key duplicator. <S> With both of those, e.g., you can make the gate key use just two of the pins that are the same for the lock on your house. <S> Then you can give the gardener a key to the gate that won't open the house, but your single key does both the gate and the house. <S> With that in mind even if you're not going to do it (which is a pita), there's no reason to get the mid-grade offering. <S> I have blanks to make Kwikset and Schlage keys. <S> I don't need a third type floating around from a manufacturer that I've never heard of; go big or go home. <S> I do a lot of investment property, and ordnance requires me to change the lock for every new tenant, which is where these tools come into play. <S> But you can buy a $60 lock and have 'done' this once, or buy the kit and be able to do it again. <S> Being cheap at the onset of a project doesn't usually save you money in the long run. <S> I reinstall old Schlages with confidence and no call backs. <S> Old Kwiksets go straight into the garbage. <S> The only time I can recall having to arbitrarily discard a Schlage is because the door was kicked in (the cylinder probably still worked fine). <S> But since locks only keep honest people out, I do my best to keep them so. <A> If your existing deadbolts are in good shape and functioning well, by far the easiest and least expensive is to rekey (re-pin) one of the deadbolts to match the other. <S> Not sure of the cost, but probably under $10. <A> @George Anderson is correct - rekeying the back door to the front door <S> is the easiest and least expensive. <S> Having just gone through this at my daughter's home <S> I have one other thought. <S> If you bought the garage deadbolt at HD go back with the deadbolts from the garage and the rear door and keys for both and have them all rekeyed the same - one key instead of two for everything. <S> Since you purchased the garage deadbolt at HD and possibly the rear deadbolt they will usually rekey them <S> free if you ask. <S> I just did this. <S> I had one deadbolt that wasn't a Schlage <S> but the HD guy was able to rekey it to the Schlage.
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Go find the kind of locksmith who has a bricks-and-mortar presence with a showroom (and isn't all outbound). I buy Home Depot cheapies, and I just replace locksets using the package codes on the lock-sets to get multiples of the same key.
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What kind of bolt is this? (securing the garage door opener rail to the wall face) It was used to secure the wall mounting bracket of the garage door opener's tee rail to the concrete wall of the house above the center of the garage door opening. The bolt was inside an expanding sleeve. The tapered head was inside the wall with the threaded side sticking out, for the bracket to go over and be secured by the nut. Probably in place for half a century, over the years it got increasingly loose, wiggling around a lot but still difficult to remove due to the expanded sleeve. Lately, I noticed problems with the garage door opener and chain vibrating a lot and managed to pull out the loose bolt this time. Now I'd like to know: What is this bolt called? (in case I should get a replacement) How is it to be secured? (to prevent the garage door opener from damaging itself or the from chain popping out of place, the latter of which has happened a few times recently.) Is a hole drilled in concrete, and the bolt and sleeve inserted, which then expands as it is tightened? Or should they be stuck in concrete when wet and allowed to cure? The latter seems like it might not allow the expanding functionality of the sleeve to work. Since there isn't concrete residue on the bolt and sleeve, I'm guessing the former approach was used? Also, I'm thinking there should be more than one bolt, but that's for another question... Click images to expand. Some close-ups, showing the main over-enlarged hole and three other unused shallow holes. Note also that due to the loose bolt, the mounting plate rocked vertically and created a wedge shaped indentation in the concrete, allowing/causing even more rocking. <Q> You drill a hole, then pound it in, then twist the nut a few times to set it. <S> If it has wiggles out then the hole is probably damaged and now oversized. <S> You might find it best to now set a replacement deeper wedge anchor, or maybe set with a bit of epoxy. <S> I don't remember what brand I was using, but somewhere instructions said to space at least 5x the diameter apart. <A> NoSparksPlease answered your question about what type of bolt you had. <S> I have always has better luck with lag shields and lag screws. <S> They just seem to have more gripping power. <S> Two 3/8" lag screws and two lag shields 2" long would be all you'd need. <S> The drill size would be listed with the actual lag shield. <S> With any luck, you might find a shield that fits into the existing hole <S> but I'd still add the second one. <S> You could also, as an alternative, mount a 24" piece of 2x6 up there with 4 lag screws and shields and then screw the bracket into that with some 1 1/4" lag screws. <S> Just a thought. <A> You don't need to use the same type of bolt. <S> This is just one type of retrofit connector for concrete. <S> I say retrofit because it is installed after the concrete is cured, even if installed soon after. <S> It appears that a piece of the bolt is broken off and still in the hole. <S> The end of the bolt should have a bulb shape to it. <S> More pictures would help. <S> However, it's probably there for a reason. <S> To repair, you could use the two next lower holes to install bolts, this would allow for drilling new holes. <S> You could use various techniques to attempt to get the broken metal piece out of the existing hole and reusing the hole. <S> Using epoxy is an option. <S> I would suggest taking the pieces to your LOCAL hardware store, not a box store, but a local old school type where they know their stuff and want and can help you
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I can't comment on what the bolt is for or if you need to replace it. It is a concrete sleeve anchor , many brands with similar names.
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Plumber unable to replace Moen shower cartridge A plumber I hired to replace the cartridge in a dripping Moen shower faucet at home said that he couldn't pull the cartridge out and so will need to replace the entire valve. The leaking faucet is in a tiled stand up shower, so he will need to access the valve from the other side of the wall to not have to break the tiles, which in turn means this work will entail opening up the drywall and fixing it afterwards. He said he would fix the drywall with an access panel so we can access the valve easily if this happens again. The plumber said he tried different ways to pull the cartridge out but stopped because he was worried that he would break the pipes/valve. I'm still hesitant to jump into all the extra work he recommends because he didn't seem to use the Moen puller, which makes me question his competence. Has anyone had or heard of a scenario where the cartridge couldn't be pulled out even with a puller? Is it worth it for me to try to replace the cartridge myself after getting a puller and following Youtube videos, or is a stuck cartridge common enough that I should trust the plumber? <Q> Maybe it's me <S> but I would try to pull it myself. <S> Sometimes they're difficult due to corrosion and scale buildup. <S> Once you have the cartridge puller and with the water supply turned off spray some Limeaway or other decalcifier on the cartridge. <S> Let it sit for a bit then give it a shot. <S> I haven't had to use a Moen puller <S> but I doubt that if used according to instructions it could hurt the valve. <A> Although it was not a shower valve, my kitchen sink cartridge was real difficult to pull. <S> Here is a video by Moen on YouTube on how to remove the shower cartridge you may have. <S> It is very simple once you see how it is done. <S> But I would not let that guy touch my shower or anything I have again. <S> To me it is a ploy for more work. <A> You're better off hiring a new plumber. <S> If he can't remove the cartridge then replacing the valve from the backside will be your best bet.
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The plumber may have not had the cartridge handle turned to the on position.
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How to cut into plastic to remove a metal slug that had been press-fit to be flush with the surface? What tool would be appropriate to cut a gap around a metal slug that is holding this plastic join together? It has been press-fit to be flush with the surface. There is no access on the opposite side for pushing it out. I've been trying to cut a small gap around the perimeter so that I can grasp at it with a pair of pliers and pull it out. But I want to do it in such a way that I can reinsert it later. It is a soft plastic. I drilled small holes around the perimeter and have cut away at it with an x-acto knife. Is there a better tool that I can use to nibble away at this? <Q> The blade is thicker and more durable than an xacto, and the handle allows you to apply more power to the blade. <S> My option 1 would actually be a rotary cutting tool like a Dremel with a cutting wheel attached, however it's an expensive thing for a single job, the utility knife will do the trick for much less money. <A> I would drill a hole on the opposite side of the exposed pin large enough to start a metal punch in. <S> Some places it is called a drift or pin punch as found in a Google search. <S> A word of caution... <S> the end we see is square, but somewhere it must be round. <S> So somewhere the round will be larger than the square or vice versa. <S> I have a feeling more plastic is going to move in such a way that is not healthy for the joint. <A> This looks like a hinge of some sort. <S> If the space between the upper and lower plastic parts is accessible, or if it's hidden behind a shroud <S> and you're willing to cut the shroud away, then try inserting wedges between the plastic pieces to force them apart. <S> In other words, rather than pulling the bar out of the plastic, pull the plastic off the bar. <S> The bar might well be captive, ie molded into, the lower piece of plastic anyway.
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If you cut away enough plastic to grip the metal, you may weaken the joint. Once the hole is drilled, set the exposed pin over a hole it can drop into that is sturdy, like a drilled hole in a block of wood and drive the square pin out with the drift through the drilled hole. If you can cut it with an xacto you can cut it with a razor blade utility knife (aka carpet knife, Stanley knife), like this: There may be another way to remove it that is not so drastic, but the picture does not tell all.
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Does water pressure drop when opening a faucet? Wondering if anyone can explain how a PRV (pressure reducing valve) works? I have a water pressure gauge connected to my hose bib right after the PRV. It measures 75psi. When I open a faucet inside my house, the pressure is dropping to 60psi. Is this normal, or not? Is the PRV supposed to maintain the 75psi when faucet is open? Thanks!Jen <Q> The PRV won't always keep the pressure from dropping below the pressure it's set at - <S> in this case 75 psi. <S> Its primary purpose is to keep the pressure from going over the set limit in the event of pressure surges. <S> It's a safety device. <S> The pressure coming into most homes (curb pressure) is usually anywhere from 120 PSI upward. <S> Usually the closer you are to the water supplier the higher the pressure. <S> This curb pressure is generally too high for most faucets and other domestic water controllers and if it isn't reduced can cause damage and leaks. <S> As more faucets are opened the pressure will drop since the water has more outlets to flow through. <S> The PRV will compensate for the pressure drop to some degree by allowing more flow but there is almost always some drop in pressure for various reasons. <S> Sometimes this can be partially corrected by replacing the PRV, resizing water supply lines, or simply cleaning out hard water deposits or debris. <S> However, it would be helpful to know the curb pressure in your situation. <S> The PRV cannot provide more pressure than what is available. <A> A PRV is a name for a regulator. <S> If properly sized, the regulator will maintain a set pressure. <S> My guess is yours is set to 75 psi and when you open the hose the flow is higher than the regulator can maintain. <S> There can be several reasons for the pressure drop. <S> First if the prv or regulator is not sized large enough for the flow, try flowing just a small amount of water to see if it maintains the pressure. <S> The second common issue I see is debris collect prior to the prv and limit the flow. <S> Rust, scale and other debris do plug the inlets up especially if there is a screen to protect the regulator. <S> There are other possibilities like the pressure is set to 60 and the diaphragm is damaged or has a slight leak so with a flow the pressure drops to the regulated pressure, once the flow is stopped your pressure raises to the supply pressure. <S> I usually try a flow test and even increasing the pressure to verify the regulator is functioning properly, then look for blockages prior to the regulator. <A> When water flows in a pipe a pressure drop develops along that pipe. <S> The greater the flow and the thinner the pipe <S> the greater the pressure drop. <S> A PRV can only reduce pressure, it cannot increase it. <S> They are installed in situations where the supply pressure may potentially be too high for equipment down stream (exactly what these situations are may vary with country, afaict here in the UK it is not normal to install a PRV in a domestic water supply while in some other parts of the world it is).
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So yes, it is normal for pressure to drop as the rate of water use increases.
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What to cover underside of shed subfloor I'm building a garden office (shed) and will build a floor similar to that shown below (minus the flat beams between the joists and the concrete supports). I will insulate the floor using PIR (e.g. celotex or kingspan). On the top will be two layers of plywood and above that insulation, electric underfloor heating and then tiles. My question is whether the lower surface (which will be between 5cm and 15cm off the ground) should be covered with ply, some sort of building wrap (tyvek?) or even polythene? Or can I just leave the lower surface of the insulation foam open to the elements? The PIR boards have an aluminium foil covering which is what would be facing the ground. Source: http://blog.rockwelltools.com/how-to-build-a-better-backyard-storage-shed/ <Q> Normally a shed does not have an insulated floor but since yours is going to be insulated i would not leave it open for critters to nest in or chew up and take away for a nests. <S> I would cover the bottom of your joists with treated plywood or Metal lath . <S> The plywood keeps out bugs and squirrels etc, the lath keep out only things larger than the opening of the lath you choose. <S> Building wrap (tyvek?) or polythene is no match for squirrels. <S> Mice a voles are different, they can chew through plywood, so you may need both PW & lath with very small openings. <A> Don't leave it open, like Alaska Man said. <S> My son has a sunroom that was built atop existing framing for a deck. <S> The underneath of the floor was insulated, just like you're describing. <S> He had all the problems Alaska Man mentioned, until he finally got around to covering the underside of the joists and closing off any openings. <A> Any sort of outdoor space we put insulation in we put a couple layers of chicken wire under the joists to not only keep creatures out but to keep insulation in place. <S> It really is that easy.
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Unless you put some lath around the structure as skirting, i would bury the bottom of it in a trench several inches deep to keep critters from burrowing under it.
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How to tell if light switch box is grounded I'm attempting to install a smart light switch in an existing light switch box. There's isn't a ground wire I can see, nor does my voltage detector light up when I touch one end to hot and the other to the box. My outlets are all grounded, so could it be that my light switch box is not? This condo was built in 2004 in the Chicago area, so I imagine a ground of some kind must exist. <Q> You have metal conduit connecting metal junction boxes. <S> All of it is ground. <S> This is the ideal system. <S> Switches ground through the yokes and mounting screws. <S> They don't need ground wires. <S> Receptacles are not allowed to do that unless they yoke has hard clean flush metal-metal contact with the box, and yours won't because the box is painted. <S> However, in the back of the junction box will be a hole that is tapped #10-32 for a ground screw. <S> Any #10-32 screw will do, but they sell little green ones very cheap. <A> Some of those wire compo's look strange <S> so I'm guessing this in a conduit installation. <S> the box should be grounded. <S> Try reading from some of those black wires back in the box. <A> What is the third wire entering at the top left? <S> Is that uninsulated copper? <A> It appears that the device you took out had more than two wires on it. <S> Is /was it a three way switch or a switch plug combination??How <S> many screws (for wires) are on your new device?From <S> my 40 years at that trade, i would fire whoever made up that box.. <S> The bare copper is surely grounded -- I just wonder where. <S> Jim.
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The conduit, the boxes, all of it. If so, it's a ground wire. Then you can just run a recep ground to the green screw. Make sure you're going from box to always hot and not switched hot when testing for ground.
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Join wooden poles end to end I need some 16ft (5 meter) long 3 inch diameter ash poles that will be used for re-enactment pike shafts. They will eventually be tapered to 1.5 inches at one end. For practical purposes however - mainly storage, transportation, cost and availability, a better option would be poles of half the length that can be joined together. The join should be good enough to not cause an excessive bend when held horizontally, and not be too obvious if possible. I can do basic to intermediate woodwork jobs so hopefully I’ll be able to do it, when I find out how! What would be a good way to do this? <Q> If you are going to be swinging this 2-part pike around like a weapon, there will be a lot of stress at the join. <S> It would be good to spread that stress out. <S> Obtain pipe the diameter of the 2 poles. <S> PVC would be light and easy to work but less strong. <S> Copper is expensive but strong enough, easy to drill and looks cool. <S> Cut a length of pipe approx. <S> 30 cm. <S> Slide pike shafts in top and bottom of pipe <S> so they meet in the middle. <S> Tape shafts in place <S> so they stay put when you drill. <S> Drill hole thru and thru pipe and shaft. <S> In one side and out the other. <S> You could actually make 4 holes in the pipe so each pike shaft has 2. <S> Thread bolt thru each hole and fix on far side with a nut. <S> This will be robust for swinging around in your re-enactments because the pipe spreads stress over a large section of shaft. <S> It will be easy to break down. <A> I'd use heavy studding, perhaps M20, M22 or even M24 (3/4-1" if you don't do metric). <S> In one piece, insert it as far as you can drill (at least 20 cm I reckon), glued for the whole length with epoxy. <S> The drilled hole should be a snug fit. <S> The matching threaded inserts are much too short to be of any use. <S> Instead you'll need to make one: <S> Buy tube and tap it out as long tap as deep as you can, then drill out the other end as you can. <S> For M22 the tapping drill is 19.5mm , and the internal diameter of 25.4×3.2mm (1"×10SWG) <S> tube is 19mm, so you would need to open it out a touch for tapping, then drill out the other end to 22mm (or maybe a touch over), before tapping as deep as you possibly can. <S> Check the lengths first. <S> It should be possible to hand tap aluminium tube up to this size, with plenty of cutting fluid, though I haven't done anything quite this big. <S> If you're really lucky you may be able to find threaded tube in that size, but I can't. <S> This means buying: studding (aka threaded rod), tube, a tap, and drills for wood (2 sizes: for the studding and for the tube) and metal (also 2 sizes: pilot and snug clearance). <S> Many of these will need to be ordered as they're rather specialised. <S> If you're doing anything to the poles, even just stripping bark, wait until after you've made the joint. <S> Before you cut, mark opposite faces clearly across the cut, parallel to the length of the pole, then after cutting draw between the marks and mark the centre. <S> Squaring up to the faces will be critical. <S> If you can handle the effect on the appearance, cross-drilling and pinning the studding and tube as well as glueing it would be a big help. <S> In the case of the tube you'd need to leave a bit of length into which the studding doesn't reach, or screw only into the wall, but that wouldn't be as strong as pinning right through. <A> I think you need a threaded coupling that can be screwed into each end of the shaft. <S> It's similar to what Ack recommends for pool cues but unfortunately cue joints won't have a 3" diameter. <S> You can find this at your Home Center store and they're inexpensive and easy to install. <S> Just drill the proper size hole in the end of each shaft and screw them in. <S> The only tricky part is making sure that the drill bores are perfectly centered. <S> They will also sell the threaded shafts with the correct pitch. <A> I would think that pool cue connectors would work great for this. <S> Here is an example: https://www.aliexpress.com/i/4000427299129.html <A> For a strong , practical answer, see Willk's answer. <S> For a better looking answer,don't join on the outside, join on the inside. <S> Get a 1 foot rod of metal which is thin but resists bending. <S> It will be light compared to the wooden pole, so don't worry about that. <S> Drill a 6-and-a-small-bit inch hole into each of the wooden rods, almost exactly the diameter of the metal rod. <S> Be careful to run down the middle of the wooden pole. <S> Insert the rod, check that it works, remove the rod. <S> Apply glue everywhere and insert the rod for good. <S> The main failure mode will be the wood cracking near the join. <S> A well-drilled hole of the right diameter helps. <S> You could tape at the join, but I'm hoping for a better look by not needing that step. <S> The longer the metal rod the better,but personally I'd be limited by the length of my drill bits. <S> Good luck! <A> I don't see why you need to tap the wooden shaft. <S> Get some threaded rod, maybe 24" by M10. <S> Drill 12" into each end of the shaft, snug fit but not threaded. <S> Get some 20mm steel rod to go sideways through the shaft, two sections 2.5" long. <S> Drill through the shafts sideways, maybe 9" from the join. <S> Thread the short bars side to side to accommodate the M10 rod. <S> Screw the two parts of the shaft together through the cross-pieces. <S> Plug the four ends with matching wood plugs.
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Iron pipe would be strong but harder to work.
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How important is Tyvek/house wrap for a house with metal siding? I'm building a tiny house and it will have metal siding. My dad has worked a lot of construction and says he's never installed a house wrap for a metal building in his life. Most info I can find online says if it's climate controlled it needs wrapped. Just wondering how important it is when it comes to metal siding? Also, I may cut it close when I get to the tops of the walls, I'm planning to use the rest of the #15 asphalt felt I used on the roof to finish the job if I run out so I don't have to buy another roll. Is this a good idea? <Q> While I don't doubt that your father 'never installed a house wrap for a metal building in his life' I have to wonder how many of them were residences? <S> Buildings with walls that trap moisture or where higher efficiency insulation is often needed? <S> Bare and exposed insulation on the inside doesn't count. <S> Wrap is about what is INSIDE the wrap, not what is OUTSIDE the wrap. <S> Tyvek lets moisture out while not letting air in or moisture in. <S> Tar paper was the old school solution but it blocks air and moisture in both directions. <S> Tyvek or other similar modern building is needed for insulated walls with poor circulation, metal or no metal. <A> I don’t see a problem with felt for a portion as it was used for years, I believe a wrap is a good idea as it will increase the energy efficiency and keep the condensation from the metal off the sheathing. <A> I don't see what the issue would be with the Tyvek (or any other) house wrap. <S> When my renovations were done, much of the brick was removed & replaced with OSB+Foam Board+ House Wrap + Hardiplank (cement board). <S> I don't see why the metal siding would any different from the cement board in so far as using a house wrap. <A> Also in this case, a reliable way to get all necessary information concerning possible moisture, insulation and mold problems is to input each material in the layer fields on the professional Ubakus website , which is free for private use. <S> Each layer can be switched on/off with a single mouse click to immediately see the difference. <S> Another important aspect is a good grounding of all metal parts in order to avoid dangerous voltages resulting from the electric installations or static charges. <S> The mobile telephone/ router/ smart home signals may be affected, depending on the windows.
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If you use insulation under the metal as used in many roofs you probably would not need a wrap but it would still be a good idea.
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Cutting insulation of speaker wire without damaging inner wires I bought some speaker wire and an adjustable auto-stripper. I don't remember the gauge of the wire, but I wanna say it's 16ga. It's got a pretty sturdy plastic outer insulation and the speaker wires are twisted inside. The outer wire is too thick for my auto-stripper and I'm afraid of damaging the wires inside when I'm trying to strip it. So, my plan has been to cut the outer layer by using just a dumb little craft scissors, because that's the only scissors I have right now, but it's obviously slow going. I've been cutting down the wire, being careful not to nick the speaker wires inside and then cut the insulation once I've exposed enough of the inner wires to strip them/fit them in my banana plugs. My question is this: Is there some kind of specialty scissors I can get that is effective at cutting the outside insulation while also not really damaging the inner wires? Is there a recommended type of scissor, like a small but blunt nose, so I can fit it inside the outer insulation but not cut the inner wire? <Q> For speakers, losing a couple of strands of the wire itself is irrelevant. <S> I know that some of the wire mfrs hawk their "gold plated" wire and make a huge deal about conductivity, but in reality it's all bunk. <S> 16ga wire is rated for 10A, even a typical 350W speaker is going to draw maybe 6 to 7A. <A> Being stingy, and not averse to minor personal injury I'd attack the white outer with my trusty pocket knife, <S> The idea is to cut it most of the way through the white layer and then flex the cable until it tears the rest of the way though. <S> Cutting while flexing works well too. <A> Greenlee 1161 Adjustable Fiber Jacket Stripper ( source ) <S> I used to use these until I learned how to just do it with a utility knife. <S> If the jacket is loose enough, you can try these. " <S> Slitting blade [not visible in picture <S> ; it's inside] rips outer jacket of NM cable cleanly and quickly" IDEAL <S> Lil' Ripper Wire Strippers ( source ) <S> I've owned "The best wire stripper of 2019" for some time now. <S> However the insulation on (jacketed or not) speaker wire is too thick to use them reliably. <S> Klein Tools Katapult Wire Stripper and Cutter ( source ) <S> All that would be left is a coax cutter and a utility knife; then every tool I've ever used to cut wire insulation (successfully) for the last 30y would be pictured (wire stripping pliers are garbage). <A> You can practice by cutting off less of the outer sheath than you need a few times, so any nicks on the inner insulation would be stripped off anyway. <S> To do that reliably without experience, there are tools (cable ringing tool might be a good generic term - rotary coax stripper is another, but may have more limited capacity) which rotate on the cable sheath and have an adjustable blade that makes a groove only so deep, no deeper. <S> Some include a different blade so you can also slit the sheath up to the end of the cable (cable slitting tool is a good search term, some do indeed do both jobs). <S> If you don't have regular need for such tools, purchasing one to do 4 ends of two sets of speaker wire (or <S> 12 of six if it's surround sound) is probably a poor use of funds, to be honest. <S> You could MacGyver one up from a grooved block of wood and a razor blade/craft knife blade/utility knife if you wanted to make that effort. <S> If proceeding as you plan, sharp tips are actually preferable, as they can get inside the sheath to an extent, and that's why wire shears are commonly made that way. <S> Just keep them between the inner wires as the inner wires twist. <A> You have a 'Stanley knife' ? <S> - common UK name for a generic tool <S> I know of no other name for. <S> Hold wire against knife with thumb. <S> Carefully push thumb so wire rotates. <S> Stop before blade reaches thumb. <S> Pull end of plastic insulation off. <S> if it fights you a bit, drag the tip round in a circle, putting pressure on each side in turn. <S> This has been the trade method of stripping wire too fat for a small domestic stripper since time immemorial. <S> Most trade don't own a wire stripper. <S> All own a stanley. <S> Don't use teeth. <S> Stanley blades are about 10p/¢ each. <S> Tooth caps/crowns… not so cheap.
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With experience, you can just cut the outer insulation (trick being, not all the way though - you make a weak spot/stress concentration by grooving it, and then pull off the waste, and it breaks where it's been grooved.)
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How to install tile over area with no drywall Plumbers made a mistake by placing a mixer vertically when it was supposed to be horizontal. I had to remove 3 tiles and some cement board in order to the mixer. Now what everything has been positioned properly, there is no base to install the tile onto. What can I use to create a base for tile installation? Foam? <Q> This may require removing addition tiles and cutting more cement board to reveal half a stud on the right and most of a stud on the left <S> but it will be a better solution <S> then a quick fix. <S> Once you have the cement board make sure adequate waterproofing, per regulation where you live, is also done. <S> Then re-tile. <A> Firstly, it seems like removing one or two more tiles and having a clean go at it would be the easiest approach. <S> If you have the tile available, I'd do that. <S> Otherwise... <S> Clean up the mangled cement board to achieve straight, square cuts. <S> Use an angle grinder with a diamond wheel and a shop vac. <S> Where possible, center these cuts over framing. <S> Try to leave existing board protruding from behind the remaining tiles (don't cut it flush) <S> so you can patch to it later. <S> Add framing blocking where needed. <S> You don't need to support every single edge and corner. <S> Hit a few key points. <S> The tile will span the joints and lend its own support as well. <S> Pre-drill the blocks for screws and use construction adhesive for extra stability. <S> Patch in the cement board. <S> Be careful not to crack things up by placing screws in delicate areas. <S> You could go so far as to pilot for the screws. <S> Using tile mortar and fiberglass tape, join the panels as you would drywall. <S> Keep the joint repair as thin as possible to not complicate tile installation. <S> Install the tile as before. <A> Best way to reclad the bath wall is to remove the old tiles of that wall. <S> Then fix a Granite slab - prepolished or with antic/ laetherd finish - with glass stud or dry lading. <S> Seal the joint with epoxy sealent. <S> This will add the beauty to bath room
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Patch the hole with cement board. The time spent flopping those tiles back on is saved by not having to jigsaw-puzzle your way back to a good base. This will help stabilize the edges.
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Solar water heater vs Heat pump for heating water? I'm debating between installing a solar water heater vs. a heat pump for supplying hot water to my house. The house is in Bangalore, India - we have about 300 days of sunshine in a year. My estimate is that we'll need about 150litres of hot water a day, mostly between 6:30AM and 8AM (just after sunrise). Whichever system is selected would be installed in the terrace and exposed to sunlight. A few things I'm concerned about: Availability of hot water on cloudy days and early in the morning -is the insulation of the typical solar water heater good enough tokeep the water hot overnight? Power consumption - with solar waterheaters, the power consumption is pretty much zero. What kind ofpower consumption can I expect with heat pumps for heating up150litres of water a day? Reliability: what kind of life can I expect for a solar water heater vs a heat pump. Intuitively it feelslike solar water heaters should be more reliable since it has lesselectronic parts. What should I consider when installing these in theterrace to protect them from damage? How do these compare on maintenance cost and effort? Since these will be installed in the terrace and there will be about 30ft length of pipe to bring the water down, I'm concerned about the water in the pipe cooling down and the cold water having to be drained before the hot water from solar heater/heat pump in the terrace comes out through the taps. This could mean a lot of water being wasted. Is there any way around this: for example, are insulated pipes available/a good idea in this case? <Q> I see 5 questions: 1) <S> Solar hot water in the morning and on cloudy days. <S> Your usage pattern is worst-case since maximum solar energy availability is soon after your usage. <S> So you will need a storage tank that can keep the water hot until you need it. <S> Lots of variables here <S> so your best bet is to consult an insulated tank supplier in your area. <S> As far as cloudy days, you're either going to have to upsize the tank considerably (probably not feasible) or plan on installing a backup hot water heater. <S> 2) Power consumption of heat pump based hot water heaters. <S> These can be 2-3 times more efficient that a standard resistance heating water heater. <S> The formulas for calculating energy to raise a liter of water 1 degree are straightforward and you can do that yourself. <S> But keep in mind that most of these units also have resistance backups when demand exceeds capacity of the heat pump and that can reduce your savings. <S> Also remember that these effectively cool the room they are in and that can impact your heating costs. <S> 3) Reliability. <S> Heat pump units are more complex that solar units <S> and it's likely will require more maintenance and not last as long. <S> But depending on the solar unit you choose, there may be reliability and longevity issues with that as well. <S> Check with your supplier for their warranties. <S> Also keep in mind that you will have a pump with the solar unit that may need maintenance. <S> 4) Maintenance costs. <S> See above <S> but it's difficult to say without specifics and <S> even then it's a lot of guesswork. <S> You need to rely on the data provided by the supplier of your specific equipment and, as you know, your experience may vary. <S> 5) Insulated pipes. <S> In either case YES, you will want to insulate the hot water pipes to conserve as much of the heat energy as possible. <A> Photovoltaic plus tankless water heaters plus counterflow heat exchangers <S> (there are youtube videos how to build inexpensive shower heat exchangers) would be also an option. <S> Heat exchangers may cut the needed power by 25 to 45%. <S> Rentability depends on the relation of the feed-in vs. feed-out tariff, and of course of the installation and procurement costs. <S> Life expectancy is also much higher, warranty for PV modules is 20 years or more. <S> In many regions there are special subsidiaries for PV , maybe in Bangalore as well. <S> The PV can also bridge power outages /emergency situations for basic needs during day time like radio, TV, cell phone loaders, computers, routers, fridgerator, etc. <A> You can do this without any electrical parts at all. <S> Use a solar thermal tank and Thermosyphon flow from the solar thermal panels to the tank. <S> The panel arrangement in B will tend give a lower higher temperature compared to A but more hot water... <S> With thermosyphon flow all the pipe runs have to be sloping, up for hot and down for cold. <S> I had a 1280 litre tank that the sun heated to 70 degrees C in one sunny day in Switzerland, so in India you should not have an issue. <S> The tank can easily get to above 90 degres C <S> so you need a temperature limiting valve on the delivery. <S> If 1 litre of water leaves the tank at 80 degrees C then it is mixed with nearly a litre to get it to 46 deg C... <S> So you can have ample amounts of hot water. <S> The 1280 litre tank will supply hot water on the 4th day if it started hot and had no sunny days in between. <S> I have not shown all the parts of the circuit just the main concept. <S> Take care with solar water systems - I have seen flat plate collectors produce steam on even mildly sunny days when they were being commissioned...
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Maintenance costs should be much less compared to solar heaters and heat pump.
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Tool/key for removing switch plate I’m trying to remove light switch plate below but it seems to be securely attached around the pole switches. There are 2 dots on each of the rings around the pole switch, leading me to think they might be acting as screws. Anyone seen one like this before? And would you know what tool to use to remove these? <Q> What you want is called a "pin spanner wrench". <S> I've never seen that on a switchplate <S> but they are commonly used in autos and motorcycles. <S> This type of wrench comes in many styles. <S> For reference here is one that is adjustable and comes with inserts to accommodate various pin hole sizes. <S> Picture Source <A> What you're going to need is a spanner wrench similar to the one shown below. <S> You might be able to get one at an electrical supply store or high end lighting store. <S> You could also use a pair of pliers and gently grasp the round nut and turn it counter clockwise. <A> Neither answer here gives you the name of the proper type of tool to remove the type of retainer nut showing in your picture. <S> However for a one shot instance it may not be particularly feasible to acquire the tool that you need. <S> If you have a pair of needle nose pliers that have tips that fit into the holes on the retainer you can sometimes use that in a DIY way to loosen or tighten this type of retainer. <S> Just open the needle nose pliers and insert the jaws into the holes and then twist on the handles of the pliers. <S> Note that you would not want to use an expensive, precision or treasured tool in this manner as it can actually damage the tool due to the sideways twisting of the jaws. <S> In the past I actually took a cheap fairly heavy duty pair of needle nose pliers and ground down the tips a smaller size so I could use them as an impromptu spanner wrench. <S> Picture Source Comment Regarding Switch Panel <S> It may be possible to remove the switch panel by removing the three spanner nuts <S> however it is more than likely that the spanner nuts are simply holding the switches onto the panel and that the panel is retained by another means. <S> I can see several methods that would secure the panel: <S> The panel may have been glued to the mating surface. <S> Not so forward looking as that is less serviceable. <S> It may be necessary to access the panel from the back side of the adjacent surface. <S> It could be retained via stud fasteners where the screw/bolt part is spot welded to the rear side of the panel. <S> This panel may even have a whole box type structure built on the back side that slides into a mating box that is built into the surrounding surface.
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I also have a small pair of bent nose pliers similar to the ones pictured here that have on occasion been used to remove small spanner type nuts on switches. The back side of the panel may have some type of spring clips that slide into a box or clip to the sides of the opening in the adjacent surface.
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Heat dissipating materials for a wall that gets very hot? The exterior wall adjoining one of our rooms gets a lot of sunlight in summer, and I suspect heats up the room a lot, as the exterior wall continues to radiate heat well after sunset during peak sunlight hours. What kinds of materials could be used as a cladding (preferably decorative) to dissipate or disperse heat and cool down the adjoining room? <Q> This can be especially useful to grow things that might be a bit marginal in your climate and could stand some more warmth. <A> Put a false wall in front of the existing outside wall and allow air to flow between the two. <S> That will reduce the conducted heat into the room by a huge amount. <A> Trees ( maybe some other sorts of plants as well) near walls of buildings with sub surface basement, near terrasses, near concrete or plastered ways etc. <S> can be a big problem in the long run, since the roots may destroy the sealing of a wall resulting in molded basements and health problems, and can lift and brake ways even made of concrete. <S> The leaves or needles of high trees near buildings can clogg the tiles of roofs in a way that water can flow horizontally into the building. <S> High trees can attract lightning. <S> As a rule of thumb, a distance of 15m should be to the next sub surface construction. <S> A photovoltaic screen protects the wall against heating up and can amortize in 6 to 20 years depending on sunshine duration, subsidiaries, own consumption, installation costs, feed in vs. feed out tariffs, maintenance costs. <S> A PV system is a safe energy source during daytime in emergency situations or in locations with frequent power blackouts or shut downs. <A> As other answers noted, plants are good. <S> The other option is photovoltaic panels. <S> You may reduce your electricity bill. <S> Depending on your local electrical grid and code, you may even be able to get your bill negative (the power company to pay you something). <S> It will reflect most of the sun energy back (and make the area near the wall even hotter).
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Since it's a "Heat in summer" problem, a traditional decorative and edible approach would be to train/trellis a plant or plants in front of the wall - grapes, vining tomatoes, espaliered fruit trees, perhaps even a fig depending on your climate - or purely decorative things like climbing roses, wisteria, or ivy - but ivy can be surprisingly aggressive, so research carefully. Plants near buildings can help burglars to be not seen by neighbours - and to get into upper floors. The professional solution is expanded or extruded polystyrene (EPS / XPS) insulation. The cheap option is aluminium foil.
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Should I use an orbital sander or a belt sander for sanding a section of varnished floor? I need to sand down a small section of our floor and thought I'd buy a small sander instead of renting one for the day. I've been looking at orbital and belt sanders. In particular the two models I was looking at are as follows: https://www.screwfix.ie/p/makita-m9400-4-electric-belt-sander-240v/4558r https://www.screwfix.ie/p/erbauer-ero450-150mm-electric-random-orbit-sander-220-240v/285fx The belt sander is 940W whereas the orbital sander is 400W. This suggests the belt sander has more heft than the orbital model but I'm not sure what is best to use on our floor. I like the idea of the orbital sander as I expect it will be easier to blend in the new varnish with the old coat but maybe that is nonsense. Can anyone tell me which is better to use on varnished pine flooring? <Q> I've got both types of sanders and I use the belt sander when there is a lot of wood to be removed and the orbital sander when the amount of wood to be removed is small. <S> You have a little better control with the orbital sander. <S> With the belt sander, it's easy to put some pretty deep grooves in your work before you know it. <S> I'd go with the orbital sander. <A> I always find belt sanders for this type of work to be a tad too aggressive. <S> Especially when you only have a small area to do. <S> The hardest part if you are only doing a section of floor is matching up the stain. <S> There are a number of expert hardwood floor finishers on this site who I am sure will give you in depth advice on technique. <A> I recommend the orbital. <S> It’s easier to control and will perform less aggressively. <S> It also comes in handy later for power sanding over walls you may be prepping to paint or drywall repairs, something I also wouldn’t use a belt sander for. <S> Regarding technique when sanding with orbital, it’s important to start and stop while the sanding pad is in contact with the surface. <S> Otherwise if you start by holding it up in the air and try to touch down you can end up carving moon shapes into your floor or wall... learned that from experience, also this is the single point I wish to share which prompted me to reply to your question. <A> I had to do a small section once. <S> Ended up doing the whole floor as time, sunlight and stain made it so difficult to match... <S> I used a large drum sander (about 12”) with several grades of paper. <S> First thing was to run diagonal to the boards / grain - this also helps reduce any curves in each board... <S> Had to seal all the other rooms as the dust was amazing... <S> But this gave a matching surface for the stain and protection that then lasted years.
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An orbital sander will glide over the surface easier and has less risk of leaving grooves particularly if you're not used to doing this type of repair. Obviously, you want to use as fine a grit as possible - especially on the finish.
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How do I correctly join this sink fitting to the wall pipe? I was unclogging a blocked drain and putting everything back together and I'm unsure how this piece is supposed to work Here it is just loosely resting where it came from. It seemed to be held onto the pipe by some cohesive force before (though now I'm doubting myself about that), but I'm not sure how. I thought I may have lost a washer or something but I double checked the floor and couldn't see anything. Here's the rest of the plumbing without that piece And here's how I left it for now While the metallic piece is screwed on as before, I'm pretty certain it's not accomplishing anything (besides maybe aesthetically). Something presumably needs to exert a force towards the wall to get a tight seal there. It expectedly leaks slightly. If I apply pressure towards the wall then it doesn't. The sink was leaking before this, but I thought that was only from the black rubber washer. It's possible that my landlord never did it properly and that it always leaked from here too, but I tend to think I'm missing something. How can I fix it? <Q> Agree with others. <S> In UK known as a compression fitting. <S> You're missing the black rubber o ring. <A> That nut with the blue plastic ring is designed to squeeze the ring around the metal pipe stub and the edge of the trap piece that goes around the outside of the metal piece. <S> For this to work effectively <S> the metal stub pipe has to slide inside the piece from the trap about an inch or so. <S> (That is why the other answer suggests that the metal stub pipe may have pushed into the wall too far). <S> Old rings can get hard and brittle. <S> Some of the better versions of the rings that you can buy are made of a more rubbery and pliable material than others. <S> They will squeeze into place better and make a better seal than the old hard plastic. <S> It may need replacement as well. <A> I suspect you may have pushed the sliding bit of pipe a bit further into the wall connection <S> so there's no pipe left for the nut to clamp the ring onto now. <S> Try pulling it out a bit (you may need to first loosen the wall-side nut) <S> so that more projects towards the trap piece. <A> If the white fitting is chamfered on the inside (where it meets the metal) then it's supposed to have a V-shaped o-ring. <S> If so, the o-ring is incompatible. <S> At the very least, that's not the nut that came with the trap. <A> It's a compression fitting. <S> I call them McAlpine fittings as that's the name of the fittings I use. <S> You're missing the rubber washer which goes on after the blue compression ring. <S> This is what causes the seal when you screw the nut. <S> Looks like 1.25" could be 1.5". <A> Nobody has mentioned it yet, but these are called slip joint fittings and they can be a real bear to install: too tight and you risk stripping threads, distorting that rubber washer, or other bad stuff... too loose <S> and it's obvious what happens. <S> Plumbers find them mildly irritating, but they usually have the magic touch needed to get them installed just right. <S> I don't have the magic touch. <S> You probably do not have the magic touch, either. <S> So when you finish reinstalling/replacing it, watch it for a few days to make sure it's not dripping. <S> I'd go pick up replacements for the white nut, the rubber ring inside it, and maybe for the piece of pipe that is sticking out from the wall side of the drain pipe. <S> It'll only cost a few bucks, and it's much easier than fighting with old and worn out parts. <S> When you install it, put on some work gloves to get a good grip; you might need to turn it a little harder than you think. <S> And as another poster mentioned, make sure there is enough of the plastic pipe coming out of the wall side to give the nut something to grab onto. <A> The rubber seal has probably been pushed into the slip joint in the trap. <S> Check to see if you can see it once the trap has been removed. <S> You will need to fish it out with a small flat screwdriver <A> I think you are missing a component. <S> In addition to the slim plasic ring (blue in your picture, but the color varies) there should be a much thicker rubber ring (black in my experience) which has a chamfered fitting to fit into the pipe fitting (trap in your case) and a flat face against which the nut presses (via the slim plastic ring). <S> This thick rubber ring is compressed by the nut and as it is compressed the hole in the center of the ring shrinks. <S> It is this shrinkage of the hole that grips and seals the pipe.
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While you are at it consider removing and inspecting the ring seal in the nut that faces the wall. If the plumbing is old it can be a good idea to purchase replacement rings like that blue plastic piece.
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Toilet won’t flush and found this floating in the cistern Toilet won’t flush when using the handle. It’s like there is air in the mechanism which doesn’t allow it to fill. Found this floating in the cistern. The whole cistern fills up fully but when you pull the handle it feels like there is air in the reservoir and only allows a little bit of water out. After a few attempts it flushes. <Q> Flush mechanisms are fairly straightforward. <S> Diagnosing the problem is the first step. <S> Correcting the problem may require an adjustment or a new flush mechanism. <S> Diagnosis With the lid off of the cistern push down on the flush handle. <S> The lever inside should be connected to the flap (usually with a chain) that releases the water at the bottom of the cistern. <S> The mystery part floating in your cistern is probably part of that connection. <S> Try pulling up the flap by hand and let it release. <S> You might be able to do that by reconnecting everything or simply replace the flush mechanism which you should be able to buy at any Home Center for a few dollars. <A> That looks like a rubber link , usually a S link to rubber to chain , flip the Handel and look for a chain not connected to anything , usually a flapper valve in the bottom of the tank... <S> Don’t worry that water is as clean as the water you drink out of the faucet <S> if you put your arm in the bottom of the tank and pull the flapper up it will flush if the tank is full. <A> I suspect that your siphon is similar to the one I've just replaced. <S> We were having trouble flushing it, so I just swapped it out. <S> The one I removed had two holes spaced about 1 1/2" apart on the side, which were obviously letting air in. <S> I bet that if you look on the side of the main siphon body you will find a couple of holes which this rubber piece should close. <S> They must be designed to allow you a coarse way of setting flush volume. <S> God only knows what happened to ours, I suppose it must've got sucked up and flushed, I guess.
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If it flushes normally the solution is in restoring the lever to flap connection. From the picture it appears that the connecting chain may be loose or disconnecred.
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Hang indoor swing chair BETWEEN two ceiling joists I purchased one of those indoor hanging swing chairs for kids, specifically this one , which is meant to be mounted in the ceiling with a single eye bolt. I want to hang this in a 38" space, between wall and bookshelf. This is pretty tight, so I need to mount pretty much in the middle. After finding the joists using a studfinder I found they are 24" apart in pretty much the worst place, a few inches near each side of the 38" space. In fact, directly between them is pretty much dead center. My question is what options I might have to hang this swing (single strap) between the joists? One idea is to attach a board between (what size? Attached how?). I do have access to the attic, there is some kind of loose insulation up there. Another idea is to attach two eye bolts of some kind to the joists on each side and suspend with some kind of strap between, but again not sure the hardware I should use to do that. Any suggestions are welcome. Thanks! <Q> You've hit on three viable options. <S> I'll make some notes on each so you can decide. <S> Run a cleat across the gap <S> Requires perhaps the most damage to the finished ceiling, but <S> simple and fairly easy A 2x6 laid flat against the ceiling will carry the weight just fine <S> (avoid boards with large knots) <S> Four 3-1/2" by 3/8" lag screws, properly piloted into the ceiling joists, will carry well. <S> Run backing in the attic <S> Least visible option, but most challenging due to attic work <S> so you're anchored <S> well <S> Span between two eye bolts with chain <S> Probably the simplest and quickest option, but most likely to cause issued in your drywall such as nearby screw pops since it puts the most lateral stress on the ceiling joists <S> To reduce lateral force which could bend or move your eye bolts (potentially shifting the ceiling joists), run your chain or cable down far enough <S> so you have an angle less than 45 degrees to vertical, and consider using a rigid bar between the chains near the ceiling to direct force to vertical Hang on both chains with an S-hook or proper carabiner (not a novelty item) <A> I vote for the solution of providing blocking in the attic but will suggest a technique which is very much easier to install than some of the other answers here. <S> A side on looking picture will get the idea across quickly. <S> First trip to the attic to access the situation should include making measurements for spacing between the ceiling joists and the vertical height of the joists. <S> Back in your workshop cut the wood pieces to the proper lengths and preassemble the two pieces of wood together using piloted sturdy screws or lag bolts. <S> Also pre-drill the clearance holes in the ends of the upper piece. <S> As someone else already suggested make a hole in the ceiling where you want the eye bolt from below to be located so you can know where the install the wood assembly. <S> In the last trip to the attic you can easily install the wood assembly simply by screwing down into the top of the joist. <S> This is much easier than trying to install the blocking by screwing or nailing through the sides of the joists. <S> It also is much gentler on the fasteners that hold up the existing ceiling material. <A> Just get a couple of joist hangers and add a 2x6 between your joists. <S> Drill a small hole in the ceiling where you want the eye bolt first and poke a wire hanger through to help locate it from above. <A> Easiest is probably to attach a piece of wood to the surface of the ceiling screwed into the joists with structural screws. <S> 2x4 would be fine here as the load is only about 80kg Even painted to match the room that's not going to look particularly good best would be to put 2x4 blocking between the joists and attach to that. <S> that's going to be messy dealing with the loose insulation and there won't be much room to swing a hammer up there, but if you can get in there with a nail gun or some long screws to secure the blocking that'll work. <A> Another idea is to attach two eye bolts of some kind to the joists on each side and suspend with some kind of strap between, but again not sure the hardware I should use to do that. <S> These solutions work but be careful and do the math: <S> People naively think that if there are two straps then 50% of the weight is held by each strap, but the amount of tension in each strap, and therefore the force on the joists, is both down and inward . <S> If the angles are, say, 45 and 45 degrees at the top and 90 degrees at the connection to the chair, each strap holds 70% of the total weight, not 50%. <S> In the diagram the angles at the top are 30 degrees and each strap holds 100% of the weight. <S> If the angles at the top get less than 30 degrees then you can quickly get into a situation where the tension in the straps and bolts is more than 100% of the weight applied; it can be arbitrarily high. <S> Remember, tension is not a conserved quantity; you can always make more. <A> My suggested solution is hidden blocking in the ceiling. <S> From below, put a small hole where you want to connection so that from above you can locate where to place the block. <S> In the attic, install a 2x4 (about 22-1/2" long) between the trusses, centered over the hole you made, and tight to the ceiling dry wall. <S> Screw through the trusses into the ends of the block with (2) 3" #8 screws each end. <S> Use screws instead of nails <S> , it'll be easier, won't jar things around, and will be stronger. <S> You can pre-drill the trusses for the screws to make it easier (the size of the shank without the treads). <S> Attach with an eyebolt from below through the hole that you made
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Use a 2x4 oriented vertically (like the ceiling joists) between the trusses Anchor with substantial lag screws and also consider laying another board across the top of everything, connecting that with lags or 3" construction screws Locate the eye bolt carefully
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Wiring of simple wall switch One of our wall switches was acting a bit flaky so I replaced it but I was surprised by how the old switch was wired. I was expecting to see a continuous white wire going through the box and two black wires connected to the switch. What I saw was a black and white wire connected to the switch. I wired the new switch the same way and all is well but would like to understand more. I found this old thread where the issue of the white and black wires was explained: Simple light switch wiring upgrade to new switch - NO NEUTRAL "The wiring in your wall is called a "traditional switch loop". The two wires present (besides ground) are always-hot (we hope, the white) and switched-hot (we hope, the black). Note that neutral is NOT present in this box. This is a case of white being used as a hot wire because the cable only has 2 conductors. Modern Code requires a re-tasked white wire be marked with paint or tape to indicate it is not a neutral. " Okay, but I was wondering what it looked like further down, say at an outlet (which this wall switch actually controls). Assuming there's a black and white wire, is the white there neutral and the black hot? And why use this type of switch wiring instead of just breaking the black line with the switch and continuing it on to the outlet? <Q> The outlet is not "further down". <S> Electrical power is delivered to the outlet first, and the switch is "further down": Constant-hot power is delivered from the outlet box to the switch, and switched-hot is returned to the outlet via the same cable. <S> (The NEC specifies that when a cable does not contain a neutral wire, the white wire can be re-marked for another use, and when a constant-hot is in the cable, it must be assigned to the white wire. <S> This leaves the black wire to be re-marked as the switched-hot.) <S> Following Harper's recommendation, I have illustrated black tape for the constant-hot and red for the switched-hot. <A> Because in the case of a switched outlet you would then need 3 conductor to continue the hot to other receptacles or to a hot half of the receptacle, it's easier to use one type of cable. <S> It also increases box fill. <S> The primary purpose of the rule is for light fixture wiring. <S> If you were to use the black hot to the switch then you would have two whites connected to the fixture, it would be very easy to reverse the polarity and in the case of a basic Edison base the shell would be hot, and as you unscrewed a bulb you could contact hot threads of the light bulb. <S> Actually modern [2017 <S> ] Code does require a neutral at the switch for most lights so 3 conductor cable is now required. <S> But this new requirement doesn't apply to switched receptacles [NEC 404.2(C)(5)]. <A> The mandatory colors are green, yellow/green or bare for ground. <S> Then white or gray for neutral. <S> All other colors are hot. <S> Where cables are concerned, you are stuck with the colors of wire that are in the cable. <S> As such, there are some rules of precedence regarding neutral. <S> Where neutral is present, it must be on the white or gray wire. <S> If neutral is not present in the cable, the white wire can be re-marked for use as a hot. <S> I also prefer to mark always-hot wires black, and switched-hot wires red, using colored tape. <S> This makes things clearer. <S> This thing is an old style switch loop . <S> Neutral must surely come into the receptacle box, since the receptacles need it. <S> However it comes, white will be used for neutral there. <S> The white always-hot to the switch will need to be marked black. <S> It will be joined with other black(s) at the recep. <S> I would mark the switch's black wire red, since it is switched-hot.
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If always-hot is in the cable, then the white wire must be used for always-hot. (Switch loops are no longer wired like this, as the widespread use of smart switches has changed the standard so that a neutral connection is now required in every switch box.)
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Do solid core doors reduce sound more than hollow-core doors? I need to replace a bedroom door. I would like to find the option that is best at dampening noise. I'm trying to decide between an MDF door like Jeld-Wen Molded Composite MDF Interior Door Slab or a solid core door like Masonite solid core door . Being that I'm mostly concerned with noise, which would be the best option. Is there anything else I should consider when choosing, and am I overlooking a better option?Thanks <Q> From my experience solid core doors will block sound much better than hollow core. <S> Also, you want to make sure the door is pre-drilled for your hardware and pre-hung. <S> The Jeld-Wen door you sited is a slab door and is not pre-hung. <S> Slab doors need to have the hinges mortised and require more labor and knowledge to fit and hang correctly. <S> So whichever type of door you go with (solid-core or hollow) make sure it's pre-hung. <A> Looking over the product guides etc. <S> for the JeldWen, it does not say if it is a solid or hollow core door, although its price say solid. <S> Never the less, when looking for sound deadening in doors, always go for density, in this case solid doors. <S> And if both doors are solid, go for the heaviest one. <S> That is if the difference is in pounds. <S> Don't sweat it if the difference is only a couple of ounces. <A> I recently replaced some hollow bi-fold doors that enclosed my air handler for my AC and heating unit. <S> I got the heaviest, highest density, doors I could find. <S> It's amazing how much the sound has been reduced. <S> Definitely go with solid.
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Solid core is also a heavier door which can be a plus although sometimes makes it a little more difficult to install.
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Can I glue the float back onto linkage to my toilet fill valve? The part (circled in red) has snapped off - I think it belongs to the entry fill valve. I have placed the knife in there to stop the cistern from filling and overflowing. Should I try and super glue the black bit attached to the metal connector (at the bottom of the red blob, you can see the black plastic bit that has snapped off)? Or, should I replace the entire unit? If so anyone know what this unit is and where I can get it from? <Q> That whole assembly is the toilet tank fill valve. <S> The float assembly below rises as the tank fills and pushes up the tab that broke. <S> That in turn pushes up the linkage rod <S> and then the lever to turn the water off. <S> I am not sure what made the tab on the float break but possibly the plastic just got super brittle after being exposed to chlorine in the water over a long period of time. <S> I do not think that a simple gluing of that tab is going to last. <S> The types of plastic used for these do not lend well to being glued. <S> And if you did get some glue to hold initially the exposure to water could make it fail. <S> They are not that expensive [mostly due to being made of all plastic parts :-) ] <S> at your big box home improvement store. <S> The last one I purchased was between 10-12USD. <A> To come at this from another direction (Michael Karas' answer is spot on), that's a Fluidmaster fill valve . <S> Yours looks to be a much older model, in that they don't use metal for the arm anymore (stainless steel is more expensive than plastic). <S> I've never seen the float part sold separately, since the float surrounds the column (i.e. not removable). <S> You can buy most of the other parts, but not that. <S> As such, you need to replace the fill valve entirely. <A> Basically, unless the manufacturer tells you, it's impossible to know what glue will work. <S> It's best to replace the entire unit. <S> They aren't very expensive and you'll save so much time, effort and headache.
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The problem with gluing plastic is that there are so much variations in the plastics and glues may or may not be compatible. Replace the whole toilet fill valve.
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How do I replace a non-removable hose connection vacuum breaker? Need advice on how to replace a Watts Series 8 Model 8A non-removable vacuum breaker. <Q> You do know the meaning of non-removable, right? <S> That being said, you'll need to replace the spigot. <S> Those fittings have a brake-away threading system that allows you to tighten them for installation but breaks away the sleeve from the threads if you try to turn it counterclockwise. <S> Something like the safety caps on pill bottles. <S> Now, I have removed them with a Dremel drill with a cutoff wheel and carefully cut the breaker off of the spigot <S> but it was a slow process <S> so I wouldn't damage the threads on the spigot. <S> the next time I came across one that had to be removed, i just replaced the spigot and added a new breaker. <A> There is a repair kit available for that part. <S> Your other option, depending on what's wrong with the first one, could be to just screw another vacuum breaker onto the existing one without removing it. <S> If all else fails, I think you're going to be cutting it off with an angle grinder, dremel, or similar. <A> This vacuum breaker is titled "non-removable" for good reason. <S> The unit is secured by a set screw that is snapped off through tightening. <S> I believe the only other option is to replace the entire spigot. <S> I would try drilling it first.
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If you need to remove it the only way I see to do it is to completely drill out the set screw with a metal drill bit. Since it is designed to be non- removable, I would assume you can repair it in place.
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Is it safe to flush newspaper down the toilet? Recently an Australian newspaper printed several blank pages to help readers who may have run out of toilet paper. Would it be safe to flush pieces of newspaper down the toilet? <Q> No, that would not be safe. <S> If you want to use something other than regular tissue (like paper towels), you would need to dispose of it in the wastebasket. <S> Newspaper isn't the strongest paper, but it doesn't fall apart as easily and the ink and paper itself might contain harmful chemicals. <A> Newspaper is actually one of the worst types of paper materials to use for flushing. <S> One of the things not mentioned is the gummyness of newspaper. <S> When newspaper gets wet it sticks to more newspaper really well. <S> So not only does it not break apart but it easily builds. <S> Basically if you have any sort of weak spot in your plumbing system the newspaper will quickly accumulate and build until it is blocked. <S> Now compare this to regular "printer paper" and <S> your stock white paper will take way way longer than TP to break down... <S> But it will in general float when wet better <S> and it will not stick to other paper as much (it still will). <S> An alternative is to either throw the newspaper away or use leaves - which you need to throw away too. <S> Bidets are a thing so people low on TP can easily use something to get the bulk and then shower after. <A> I am living in a country where it was pretty much a normal practice some 30 years ago. <S> Communist party press was issued in excessive numbers and everyone was forced to subscribe, so the old issues accumulated everywhere. <S> In contrast, toilet papper was not always that much abundant and sometimes was even worse than a newspaper. <S> Flushing the toilet paper down the pipe came as a surprise for a lot of people, everyone used trash bins. <S> Few people tried the same with newspapers and results were invariably bad. <A> Use the newspaper as toilet paper but don't flush it. <S> Throw it out with your garbage or compost it. <S> It sounds gross, but not as gross as the alternatives. <A> Newspaper will not break into pieces when wet for a long time and may clog the toilet sink or pipe. <S> It is better to throw such paper in the trash bin. <S> Ink is also used in such paper with plumbum, which is not safe for health. <A> Here's something you can try sometime. <S> Take some toilet paper and put it into the bowl. <S> Let it sit for a while. <S> What is its consistency? <S> It's most likely mush after an hour or two. <S> Take a plunger and stir it after it's sat. <S> It should shed like crazy. <S> Toilet paper is designed to break down in water . <S> That's important, because any other kind of paper is not designed to do that. <S> Regular paper will eventually break down, but we're talking days or weeks, not minutes. <S> This is why many places warn you to not flush things like paper towels. <S> A paper towel (which you explicitly do not want to break down in water) can cause a clog. <S> And the last thing you want is to flush a load with normal paper, only to have the drain clog and all that stuff is left sitting there. <S> Flush again and it overflows. <S> No other kind of paper is toilet safe . <S> Expect to hire a plumber to clean your drain lines if you try. <A> Not exactly an answer, but you can't put images into comments:
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Toilet paper is made to fall apart quickly when it gets wet and doesn't contain any chemicals that would harm a septic system or a city's sewer treatment.
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How to check how much water my dishwasher is using? My landlord is getting $700 water bills per month and nobody knows why. About 4 people use this water and it is about 55 thousand gallons per month. I'd like to check how much water the dishwasher is using. It sometimes sounds like a waterfall inside of it. I'm not sure it always sounded like this. How can I examine a dishwasher for how much water it uses during its operation? What tool can I use and where can I apply it? Or is there a better plan to make? <Q> This is NOT intended use <S> It's way too much water for any intended use. <S> To give you an idea, the last time I saw a $700 bill, it was from a toilet at a rarely-used facility, which had a stuck float. <S> The valve was wide open 24x7 for 2 months. <S> That's the kind of flow we're talking about. <S> For a dishwasher to have that much flow, it would have to be waterfalling 24x7, running its little pump to death. <S> So that's not likely, due to the dishwasher's need to pump its wastewater up. <S> It is absolutely impossible for a dishwasher to overuse that much water during the hour or so a day it is in-use. <S> Outside of toilets, you'd know about any appliances leaking that much water, because their usage is obvious. <S> You'd notice if a shower, tub or sink was running full-on. <S> The only things that remain are: <S> A pipe break somewhere unnoticed, like in lines under a slab, soaking into the dirt. <S> Pay close attention to any blooms of vegetation, lush spots in the lawn, etc. <S> A tenant who has insanely or maliciously thrown water valves wide open, e.g. a vacating tenant on their way out the door. <S> Or a hardware failure in a vacant apartment. <S> So do a walkthrough on any vacant apartments. <A> First, it's almost certainly not the fault of your dishwasher. <S> A dishwasher has to physically pump the water out of it, and they really only hold enough water to fill the bottom. <S> If it started to fill completely, the water would leak out all over the floor - the seals are not designed to hold back that kind of pressure. <S> The problem is most likely a leak or a running toilet, which can use a surprising amount of water. <S> Every water meter has an indicator that shows water is being used, and that can help tell if you have a leak. <S> The meters are cheap, but you'll also need $10-$20 in adapters to go from the water hose thread to 3/8" compression fittings or whatever you need to adapt to. <S> Also note that those cheap meters are not rated for long-term indoor installation. <S> Don't leave one installed because it can leak. <S> Use it to measure the water, then take it off. <S> To permanently install something is possible, but more expensive. <A> To just answer your question about how much water your dishwasher uses, unhook the drain tubing for the DW and stick it into a big bucket so you can catch the water as it drains out. <S> You might need two buckets, one for wash and one for rinse. <S> The drain tubing disconnect easily from a trap or the disposal. <S> Once you get all the water in buckets, just scoop it out with a quart measuring cup and count them. <S> I seriously doubt the problem is your dishwasher. <A> that is a very large water bill. <S> This size of leak could easily be in the pipes in the ground before they reach the units and after the meter. <S> To test, turn off all the water outlets (normal situation & without any dishwashers or clothes washers running). <S> Check your meter to see if its running or not. <S> If not obviously running, record the value and come back and check at 15 minutes and maybe even 30 minutes. <S> If there is significant movement, the source of the trouble isn't your dishwasher and is probably the underground plumbing. <S> Alternately, call your utility company for help. <S> Most of them will help, they are interested in conservation <A> Do you have access to the water meter? <S> Here in Australia we have meters which have a counter on them a bit like the odometer on an older car. <S> The faster the right most dial spins the faster the flow through it. <S> Turn everything off and watch how fast it spins. <S> With everything off it shouldn't move unless there's a leak somewhere. <A> A dishwasher once take for the wash load ( <S> around 10L) just recycles it, then take another 10L for the rinse and for any additional rinse. <S> (usually it takes less than 50L). <S> In my opinion is a hidden leak (like a buried pipe) or just a toilet stuck flushing or with a worn gasket. <S> In my case the high bill (100 m^3 excess over some years) was a leaky toilet with a worn gasket that overflowed not much so we just ignored it thinking <S> wasn't that bad, like a almost-close tap, say 1L/min this error costed us around 100€ over 2 years. <S> sidenote: here <S> tap water, including sewers and depuration costs around 1,8 €/m^3 for the baseline, with sudden increases when going over. <A> Not sure why you are fixated on your dishwasher but according to Google the average dishwasher uses about 6 gallons per cycle so this is really just a math problem. <S> 6 gallons x 4 cycles per day x 30 days = <S> 720 gallons <S> I don't know if 4 cycles is normal for one day but even if you doubled that then you are still well below the quoted 55,000 gallons. <S> There's a leak somewhere; a big one. <S> Do you have a water-powered back-up sump pump in the basement? <S> If your landlord is pointing fingers then tell him your water usage has remained the same and mention the possibility of a leak in the system. <A> check for a leak. <S> Make sure all tennants (how many?) <S> are not using water and see if the water meter is still spinning. <S> Sounds like a leak to me.
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Now, if you really want to know how much water something is using, you can get a water hose water meter that will give you gallon-accurate water usage. To me it sounds like a leak.
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How can I fill and flatten unneeded hinge mortices for painting? I have removed a bathroom door and installed a sliding barn door on the other side of the wall. The door frame in the bathroom now has the open sores of where the three hinges came off. The house was built in 2004 and all the door frames are mdf/cardboard. The door frame is painted with high-gloss paint. What's the best way to fill this in to protect it from moisture and smooth it over? <Q> If your doorframes are MDF any patching is going to be visible to some degree. <S> I would try filling it (with slight overfill) with wood putty and sanding it as smooth as you can using finer grit (220) for the finish. <S> It all depends how particular you are - it's very difficult to get a perfect mend on this. <S> The only other option is replacing that side of the frame which would take considerable time and effort since it's structural to the door. <S> In case you or a future homeowner wants to put a door back in you <S> need to make sure it's attached properly and shimmed. <A> For the best match, cut a thin piece of the same MDF material to fit, and glue it into place with wood glue. <S> MDF is very easy to work with <S> so this would be relatively easy. <S> If the fit is good enough, the glue will fill any of the cracks, or fill them in afterwards with a mixture of wood glue and MDF dust. <S> Keep glue off the surface as it will affect the sanding and painting properties in a negative way. <S> You can keep glue off in the same way as when painting, by applying masking tape to the surface. <S> Sand any imperfections smooth and paint to match. <S> It's very difficult to match paint perfectly so you might choose to paint the entire flat surface area. <S> The nearby surfaces often don't need to be painted because the lighting will hit them slightly differently thereby making any slight difference undetectable. <A> Like a 1x8 or 1x6 ripped to the proper width. <S> That would remove the unnecessary door stop trim and give you a nice, smooth opening. <S> If that sounds like too much work (and it is quite a bit of work), then filling the old holes and hinge locations and sanding smooth is your best bet. <S> You may have to build up the hinge spots with a few layers of fill, but it should be possible. <S> Using a long block sander can help smooth over that area. <S> A small sander will tend to leave a concave area where the fill is going unless you're very careful.
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If you really want the "best" way, it's going to be to remove the existing door casing and replace it with a smooth 1-by board.
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Does the Baco Code require double 5/8 on the ceiling in a garage when there is living space above? Does the Baco code require double 5/8" 0n the garage ceiling when there is a living space above ? <Q> When you have 3 units or more, then you MAY need 2 layers, depending on the size of the complex and type of construction. <S> For ceilings in 1 and 2 unit residential units: 1 layer installed on 2x lumber <S> and/or I-joists correctly gives you “1-hour” construction. <S> In order to obtain the “1-hour” designation 5/8” type-X gypsum board must be installed on joists at 24” on center (max.) fastened with Type W or S drywall screws at 12” on center along all supports, and then “rough” taped. <S> (See ICC Table 721.1(3), item 21.) <A> I'm sure that you mean BOCA <S> (Building Officials Code Administrators) rather than Baco. <S> You need (1) layer of 5/8" drywall and it needs to be mudded and taped to get the needed fire rating <A> I have never seen local code in my life requiring a double sheet of dry or more than 5/8". <S> Period. <S> It could be done but your screws not having framing for the first 5/8" is a recipe for failure. <S> So either this is the weirdest city in America or you are reading code wrong. <S> Note: <S> It is very normal to require 5/8" drywall on all adjoining walls. <S> Which means your ceiling would need to abide.
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In residential construction up through duplexes, 1-hour Fire rating (1 layer) is required on the garage side of the ceiling and walls when there is a living space on the other side. To second this due to the weight of the 5/8" drywall there would be some innate issues installing it over the top of another 5/8" sheet. But I'm also sure that you probably need to adhere to the IBC (International Building Code)
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My circular old work electrical box is too small for the light fixture mounting bracket I purchased some flush mount light fixtures to install in each of the bedrooms in my house. Originally I picked up some circular 4" old work electrical boxes (the ones with the "flags") but discovered that those are not mean to bear weight (the weight of each fixture is about 5lbs). I found the "right" circular old work electrical box which had a metal support and said it supported up to 10lbs, so I bought them and installed them. I did notice that they were 3 1/2" but I didn't think anything of it. Now I'm trying to install the mounting bracket for the light fixture and it is too wide for these boxes... The outer screws which must go in the outer holes are touching the plastic of the box itself. I feel like I'm screwed now. If they make bigger electrical boxes, I could buy them, but I already have three 3 1/2" holes in my ceiling so removing them and expanding the holes will be a nightmare. These fixtures are meant to match others that I was able to install in original electrical boxes without a problem, so I really don't want to change them. This is the light fixture: This is the electrical box: And here's the problem: Any help is appreciated. Edit: I just tried a 4" round old work box (with the "flags") and it has the exact same problem... Is there a different type of box that I need to be using for this? How would you make this work in an "old work" style situation (E.g. I have a 3.5" hole in the center of my ceiling)? <Q> Edit: <S> Sorry, trim the screws <S> In electrical, screws are not sacrosanct. <S> If one is too long, you simply trim it. <S> That's why your stripper-crimper multi-tool has thread shears around the center pivot. <S> Wrong holes <S> This box has 2 sets of holes at 2 different spacings. <S> The inner (closer) set of holes sit on inward sticking nubs. <S> Those are the ones you are trying to line up on. <S> They are 90 degrees from the other holes. <S> Try those. <S> The current 4" trade size (4" across corners, 3-1/2" across flats) has 3-1/4" screw spacing. <A> Use an Adjustable Cross Bar <S> Here is one from Home Depot <A> Moved from my comment so I could add a picture. <S> Wouldn't a 4" round ceiling box solve your problem? <S> Something like this: <A> I installed led ceiling light on such ceiling mounts
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The older, now largely obsolete 3-1/2" trade size (3-1/2" across corners, 3" across flats) had 2-3/4" screw spacing. The outer (farther) set of holes sit pretty much on the rim of the box. The reason for the two spacings is the two sizes of steel octagon box (pictured).
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How to fix this storm door hinge? The jamb bracket was always loose, so I had to keep using longer and longer screws to make it stronger. Over time the wood completely got eroded, left with a gaping hole and no place to insert a screw. How do fix this? I have a young handyman who is painting my house and I was going to have him fix this, but I don't think he knows how. If someone can explain clearly I'm sure he can do it. <Q> Go to your home store and pick up a package of dowel pins or just get one big dowel rod and a drill bit to match. <S> They come in many sizes depending on the hole you're trying to repair. <S> Drill out the eroded wood <S> , squirt some wood glue in the hole and tap in the dowel pin and let the glue dry. <S> If you are going to use one long rod and cut it to the size you need, cut a small grove length wise in your pin to allow excess glue to escape. <S> This isn't needed if you buy a package of dowel pins because they are already grooved. <S> After the glue dries, sand and paint the area <S> and then you can reinstall the jab bracket. <A> For a quick fix clean out any loose wood, glue small pieces of wood (matchsticks, toothpicks, even a twig off the ground) in the holes to fill them, let dry, then replace the screws. <A> As Eric suggested, clean out any loose debris first. <S> But do not use small pieces of wood such as toothpicks (they are usually made from very cheap, low-density wood, that easily crushes when you insert later the screw for the hinge). <S> The filler has a much higher compressive strength than matches and toothpicks (around 400kg/cm2, or 5600 PSI). <S> Then drill normally and fasten the hinge as you would with a new door. <S> Edit: regarding the comments below about brittleness, I personally recommend Abatron WoodEpox. <S> I used it several times, and I can guarantee you can drill into it. <S> Edit 2 <S> : In their website they say it's designed to be able to drill into it. <S> Source: https://www.abatron.com/product/woodepox/ <A> Plastic hole inserts. <S> https://www.homedepot.com/p/Hillman-1-4-in-and-5-16-in-Sharkie-Kit-with-6-12-in-and-8-14-in-Screws-376353/203754328 <S> I had the problem you describe, and kept fixing the growing hole with the toothpicks and glue method. <S> Either because of the nature of the jamb wood or the weight of the door the screws would eventually get loose and I would need a longer screw or to refill the hole ... <S> sound familiar? <S> I got some of these screw anchors. <S> Bigger than the one depicted. <S> They are mostly used for masonry or concrete to give the screw something to bite, but they worked great to fill the eroded holes behind the screw. <S> I tapped them into place with a hammer. <S> I think the plastic anchor absorbs the motion of the screw with use of the door and does not transmit it to the wood - so it does not cut / erode the hole bigger. <S> If the hole is too big for the anchors you find you could anchor the anchor with the described wood glue and many sticks method.
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Get a wood filler (which consists of sawdust in a binder) and fill the gap flush.
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What should I do about the floor for a outside metal shed / ventilation I put together one of those 1 million fastener sheds from lowes. I didn't do a lot of ground prep but tried to make it as flat as possible. There were initially some areas under the perimeter wall that were too low so I added dirt under those sections. The exterior walls then all sat flat but due to time constraints I didn't try to completely level the inside dirt area. I then put some 6mil poly down on the flat ground and then put the shed on top. A season later and I have some water puddles in the low spots. I am not sure if the water came in from the change in season and humidity - over the winter there were certainly times where the metal ceiling of the shed was sweating with condensation and dripping. Do I put a hole in the poly at the low spots to allow the water to drain? Should I put a layer of sand on top of the poly? Anyone add a vent to these things to allow more air flow? The shed is in a really tight spot so I can move it maybe a few feet in one direction but it is pinned in by a tree, a garage, and two sides with fence. I suppose I could cut the poly, add soil to level and tuck tape in new poly. Really I guess the water and ventilation are the main issue. There is a probably a liter of water sitting on the floor and that seems like a lot for condensation from season change but I am pretty sure that the grade all around the exterior slopes away so maybe there is some kind of small leak in the roof. In the pacific north west we have enough rain that if there was any sizable leak the thing would be saturated. With two people I can lift the shed vertically. Ideas? Thank you in advance. <Q> The plastic is good to prevent growth from taking over the shed floor. <S> You're now paying the price for not taking the time to do proper ground prep. <S> This is going to be some additional work, but think about adding more sand to the top of the plastic, level it and put down some of those 16" x 16" concrete pavers. <S> Those are easy to keep level and any water dripping down for any reason would fall into the cracks of the pavers and be absorbed by the sand. <S> Just a thought. <A> Two years ago I built a 6'x 3' kit type shed in my backyard and dealt with similar drainage issues. <S> I would move the shed off the base and get rid of the plastic. <S> Since the grade slopes away from the shed I would use metal landscape edging to set a perimeter to hold pavers. <S> Level out the sand and use 12" x 12" pavers to build a base. <S> You'll want the base to extend out past the shed by at least 6" around the sides and back and at least 12 to 18" for an apron in the front. <S> This will allow water to drain down and away from the shed. <A> The water is likely from condensation and possibly dripping down the side of the exterior walls. <S> Plastic is used in the crawlspaces of houses to keep moisture down that originates from the soil, and as you noted you don't have for your shed, there is also foundation ventilation so that any air that is moist will vent to the exterior and be replaced with drier air. <S> For your shed, the plastic isn't necessary.
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Depending on your situation you might also want to improvise vents for air circulation between the shed base and the pavers - on the floor perimeter. I would suggest making a cut in the lower areas so that the standing water will drain away.
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My Acacia dining table starting to show some huge splits or cracks We got this Acacia dining table from costco and noticed after a year or so it started to crack on one end.Initially the crack was pretty tiny and now it's very noticable.I was wondering what are the ways I can fix this? <Q> There's generally greater success with making it a feature than trying to hide it. <S> Clamping it together and gluing will generally fail unless it's also rehydrated to the level it was made at first, and then kept that way. <S> So if you live with the air you have, not going to fly unless you buy locally made furniture or avoid solid wood in preference to veneers over plywood or MDF. <S> While you can fill with wood, or leave it open (first putting in butterfly keys to try to limit further movement) one of the more visually appealing methods is to use a "crushed stone inlay" (sometimes the stone is really plastic, which, since the epoxy holding the stone in is plastic, is not that huge of a deal if you like the way it looks.) <S> Simply using colored (often black) epoxy is anoter stylistic option. <S> Turquoise in mesquite cracks is probably the most common example of this. <S> I also know woodworkers who fill voids or make features by casting pewter directly into wood (it melts at a low enough temperature that this works.) <A> Fill the crack with wood glue and fix in the clamp for a one day <A> This is on topic no reason to close. <S> On solid wood and laminated wood surfaces once they start to split it can be hard to stop. <S> the underside is not finished <S> application of linseed oil has helped me in the past, also pulling the wood together with structural screws <S> I have done this with large walnut pieces that started splitting 4/5 years later (drying and twisting) where the oil did not stop it. <S> I prefer oil over moisture as the humidity variation will be harder to control over time than oil once a year or two . <S> In 1 case I had to cut holes large enough for plugs , installed the screws and started pulling closer together, then sealing and installing plugs. <S> Structural screws with threads on the end allow a good grip past the crack, don’t try and seal the gap in 1 <S> try I will do it over several days even weeks and in many cases the wood can be brought back together so a very thin oil coat or varnish will hide it. <S> I have had this happen on 4” walnut that had cured in my shop for 6 years , I made some tables and a mantle out of it <S> and it later started cracking , the oil stopped it but then over about a month I pulled it back together after that I started oiling the bottom side of the tables and the mantle and the crack stayed sealed and the large table and 2 end tables never did split or crack.
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I have found oiling the wood can help usually
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What options do I have to rotate a horizontal 2-gang switch box? I'm working on replacing the light switches in my house, but I've got one box that I'm not sure what to do with. It's a two gang box with double switches in each slot (4 switches total). It looks like the box was installed horizontally instead of vertically (screws on the sides instead of the top and bottom). This allowed for all 4 switches to be vertical instead of horizontal as double switches normally are. However, I'm planning to replace the 2 double switches with 1 single switch and 1 double switch as one of the switches can be eliminated, but I really don't want the single switch to run horizontally. Are there any gadgets or tools that would allow for easy rotation of the switch box? It's conduit so I don't think physically moving the box is going to be easy. Here's what it looks like now vs what I'd like to put in: <Q> Your plan ain't gonna happen. <S> There's no way to do that. <S> I realize from your perspective it seems obvious that somebody ought to make "kit" for that, but they don't. <S> Nobody installs junction boxes sideways like that. <S> That's OK, it may still work out. <S> Your particular line of switches, there, is called Despard which is largely obsolete. <S> The problem with Despard is they use bizarre and largely unobtanium switch plate covers. <S> And part of the problem with their covers is they don't have a good answer when you use fewer than all three voids , or all six in your case. <S> For instance I have a 2-gang switch plate with 3 switch positions populated (out of 6). <S> They improvised the cover plate by wrapping a 6-hole cover plate with wallpaper. <S> However, the market has plenty of dual switches which use either the common "dual oval receptacle" cover, or the "Decora style" rectangular cover. <S> That may be the option for you. <S> Note that all double/triple switches on the market have the throw going sideways . <S> That means in your sideways box, the throw would be up and down. <S> Which would validate the designer's original vision after all. <S> You realize, of course, that a single switch throws nominally "up and down", so in your application would result in a sideways single. <A> If there's no mudring, or you don't want to rotate it, add an outlet, assuming you have a hot and neutral. <S> Use a switch and receptacle for one slot and a double switch for the other. <S> These can be mounted sideways so you keep your up/down orientation for the switches. <A> Those yokes and switches are still available , getting new may be easier than knocking the box out and installing an old work box . <S> Breaking that box out may turn into a hassle, I think I see some colored wire <S> so it may not be two bad and have some modern wire , but those were common in cloth wire days <S> it also looks like Sheetrock so it may be a modern install. <S> But a new “old work” box is designed to be put in a hole. <S> Look up despard for the options on those yokes and switch covers.
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They even have a few triple switches in Decora , in case you want to just have switches 1-2-3 in the first rank, and nothing in the second. I would verify the wiring prior to knocking the old box out and installing a new old work box. Since you won't turn the box, you are married to this sideways arrangement. You don't have much other choice, you can't leave empty holes for curious fingers to explore!
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Possible explanations for a hissing toilet Mansfield 1.6 Toilet. Relatively recent (<3 years old) Korky fill. Hissing noises. Water level stable. So, I replaced the drain stack with a new one, new gasket, bolts, etc). Put it all back together, and I'm right back where I started. If I'm hearing watery noises from the Korky unit, where is the water going, if the level in the tank does not go up and over the overflow in the drain stack? Should I just replace the fill at this point? Needless to say, no sign of water outside the toilet. <Q> There should be a tube coming from the ballcock valve (Korky unit) going to the overflow pipe with a clip holding it onto the edge of the pipe. <S> The purpose of that is to run some water down directly to the bowl after the flapper closes in order to refill the bowl (and help take care of "Klingons" on the side). <S> I have found Korky fill valves to be especially susceptible to leaking through to that bowl refill tube continuously. <S> The water runs along the side of the overflow pipe, so it's hard to see. <S> You don't see anything going over the top of the overflow pipe and if you put dye in the tank you don't see it leaking. <S> But if you pull that bowl refill tube off of the clip, you will see a small stream or drip of water coming out. <A> You have water leaking slowly into the bowl. <S> This can be a warped flapper seat, build up on seating surface, or worn valve seat. <S> To verify, mark the water level in the tank with a pencil and turn off the water valve. <S> Come back in 30 minutes and see that the water level has changed. <S> To fix: clean the flush valve and seat. <S> Especially if it feels rough. <S> Retest and if there is still the issue then go to item 2 Replace the flapper. <S> Retest and if there is a problem then go to item 3 <S> Replace the valve set <S> Korky will also help you troubleshoot by calling them at (800) <S> 523-83553 <A> Hissing means water movement. <S> Period. <S> It's a leak. <S> In valves, there are two kinds of leaks. <S> Leaks external to the valve - i.e. puddles in places water does not belong. <S> And leaks through the valve <S> -- i.e. water flows in correct places, but the valve refuses to shut off all the way. <S> In a sink/tub, it's easy to recognize the second type -- the faucet keeps dripping. <S> But it's hard in a toilet, because toilets stay wet, and there's nowhere to observe water movement. <S> We know for a fact that you have a leak; now it boils down to "where". <S> A toilet has 2 valves: the huge valve that empties the tank into the bowl; and the refill/float valve that refills the bowl. <S> Pop off the tank lid. <S> The tallest thing in there will be the fill/float valve. <S> The second tallest will be a simple tube sticking out. <S> It's like a "glory hole" for a reservoir ; it's an emergency spillway in case the refill valve sticks open. <S> Normally the water should be below that. <S> Otherwise most likely the leak is in the flapper valve; however you usually expect intermittent <S> action of the refill valve in that case. <S> The drain would be continuous, but the refill valve has some hysteresis/slop: it fills to point X and shuts off, but it won't reopen until the level falls somewhat. <S> So it'd be off for 3 minutes, on for 15 seconds, repeat. <S> Refill valves and flapper valves are different items, but each is around $10US.
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If the water is overtopping the overflow valve, the leak is in the refill valve .
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Doorbell transformer is this it? I am going nuts trying to find my doorbell transformer. Someone suggested it may be this. But doesn't look like one to me. Is it? If not any suggestions where it may be? <Q> When you go looking around for your doorbell transformer it may look like one of these: <S> Mounted on cover of an electrical junction box similar to the following. <S> Liable to be found in garage or basement fairly close in distance to the bell button and bell unit. <S> Picture Source Mounted to side of a ceiling light fixture junction box in garage or basement: <S> Picture Source Mounted on the side of the service entrance box / distribution panel. <S> Picture Source <S> Mounted in some obscure place in your attic on a junction box. <S> Picture Source <S> One would look similar to this. <S> Picture Source <A> Nope. <S> That's a phone line terminal block. <S> Old school. <S> May have rudimentary surge supression built in. <S> The heavy black wire is drop cable (from the pole to your house) <S> It's not your doorbell transformer. <A> Sometimes it is inside the electrical panel even though it is not supposed to be in there. <S> I have found them inside the electrical panel many times.
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And finally it is possible that you may find a plug-in style door bell transformer that is secured to some electrical receptacle someplace. As indicated by Ecnerwal the picture you show is an old style telephone line hookup.
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Can I safely plug a two prong plug into an extension cord with a ground socket? I have a plug for a wireless router that ends in two prongs (no ground). Is it safe for me to plug this into an extension cord that has the ground prong, which would be left empty? I believe it is but want to double check. <Q> Yes you can safely plug the appliance into a 3-wire cord and plug set, as long as that is the factory installed cord and plug on the router. <S> Appliances that are <S> double insulated do not require an equipment grounding conductor to earth because the live electrical parts are specially separated/insulated from the case in a way that prevents any single failure from electrically charging parts that the user can touch. <S> There should be the words "double insulated" on the chassis, and/or this symbol: <A> If the power cord on the router is one of the modern type like this ... <S> Picture Source <S> ... with one blade wider than the other <S> then you have a polarized plug with the neutral routed through that wider prong. <S> You want to make sure to properly orient the plug at the extension cord so that the wider blade goes into the wider slot. <S> Note that there are lower quality extension cords where it is possible to force in the plug wrong way around because the molded plastic will just stretch. <S> This is one reason that you now see cords that have hard plastic around the holes that is then overmolded with the more flexible material. <S> Picture Source <A> In general, yes; in terms of grounding <S> this is no different from plugging such a cord directly into an outlet. <S> (Also, grounded extension cords are typically rated for more current than devices with two-prong plugs typically draw, and even then, I think almost all cords are rated for at least 1A, which means you will likely only need to worry about devices that draw more than 1A / 100W. Edit <S> : looks like you're unlikely to find less than 10A, so up to ~1000W should be safe, but if you're paranoid, stick to 500W unless you know the rating.)
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Where you need to be careful is that your extension cord is rated for the power that your device is going to draw, but this has nothing to do with two-prong vs. three-prong plugs.
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How to repair a slow leak in sink food disposal, at discharge It is a slow leak, perhaps less than a cup a day, so I have time to plan. That is good, because plumbing is not really my thing. I would like to repair rather than replace, to save money. Should I try to tighten down on the bolt that I see at the site of the leak, or undo the bold and replace the black washer/gasket that seems to be failing. What is the name of the washer/gasket piece that I likely will need to replace? Is this type of part standard and easy to find or should I go to the mfg website: https://insinkerator.emerson.com/ I did not find the part on that site. Mfg: Emerson insinkerator Model 17-85SIN 05111658797 If there is good reason to replace the whole disposal rather than repair it, let me know. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thank you. <Q> This is a fairly easy repair to make. <S> You didn't say if it's working <S> but I'm assuming it is <S> and it's not jammed. <S> First unplug the disposal. <S> You could have a blockage in there <S> so make sure that there isn't standing water in the disposal. <S> It's possible that the screw is just loose <S> but I would put a bucket under the disposal and remove the top screw over the tailpipe coming out of the disposal and remove the tailpipe. <S> You'll see a rubber gasket that seals that connection to the tailpiece. <S> I think you'll at least have to replace that gasket. <S> Once it's open you'll have a better idea of what's going on. <S> It's obviously corroded. <S> Clean it out as best you can. <S> If everything else looks okay take the gasket along with the pictures that you posted here along to your local home center. <S> They should have that rubber gasket. <A> There is an awful lot of corrosion where the down pipe connects to the disposal. <S> Remove the nut on top and remove the retaining bracket. <S> Loosen the brass nut at the end of the pipe and swivel the pipe out of the way. <S> Now examine the disposal to determine if the recessed area of the disposal is rusted beyond repair or if cleaning it out and getting a new rubber seal will stop the leak. <S> You can get one at a plumbing supply store. <S> The bracket fits into a groove on the bottom and is secured on top by the screw. <S> If that groove or recessed area is disintegrated, stopping the leak will be almost impossible. <A> It has been my experience that when a disposer body is made of die cast aluminum corrosion of the type showing in your picture means that the metal has been eaten away over time. <S> When it gets to the state showing it is highly unlikely that it will be repairable with just a new gasket/retainer. <S> One point I would like to make is that now might not be a good time to take it apart to "take a look at it". <S> If you did disassemble it there would be next to no chance that you could put it back together with the same parts and achieve the current low leak rate. <S> I suggest just putting a bucket under it for now until you can get a new unit.
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In my experience, when the corrosion is that bad, replacing the disposal is your best bet.
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How can I add support for my floor inside a rigid metal return vent? I bought an old house with tongue-and-groove flooring and no subfloor. It looks like it was retrofit with a modern HVAC system and floor vents some time in 2008. Whoever installed the return vent made some questionable decisions - they used the space between joists to form the return duct , and also cut away the floor such that the edge is not properly supported on one side: You can see that the floorboards are already cracking from people walking across them. What can I do to support their edges? You can see that the return vent actually spans more than one joist cavity. I don't think I could add a block parallel to the joist visible in the picture without completely taking apart the vent or lifting up the flooring (which I'd rather not do). If I add any blocking perpendicular to the joists inside the vent, I would be partially obstructing the return airflow. I also can't make the vent longer by cutting back the flooring to the next joist over, because at that point it would extend in front of the new doorway we just built. Are there any other options? Some kind of bracket or brace that would support the edges but still permit airflow? <Q> This concept extended within my grey matter to suggest a plank running across all the floor boards, but with holes across the span to provide for the airflow. <S> The pillars could be hardwood dowels of an inch diameter or larger, or strips of lumber with the grain oriented for maximum support. <A> I'm not an HVAC guy <S> so I don't know the CFM requirements <S> but I believe that you could use 2x4 blocking that would leave over 3-1/2" depth <S> should be plenty for air flow. <S> Assuming that you are comfortable with that air flow, use 2x4 blocking with Simpson A35 clips and screws for attachment. <S> You might be an extension on your power driver to reach the far side. <S> Use (2) <S> #8 x 1" screws for each side of the A35. <S> Workflow. <S> Attach the A35s to the blocking member, attach to the cross members <S> Here is a very rough sketch of it. <A> I'd probably just get some angle iron. <S> One piece parallel with the joist with the flange surface inline with the floor. <S> Two lateral pieces parallel with the floor boards on the edge with the flange under the first piece. <S> This final pieces takes the loading, causes the previous two pieces to cause uplift on the first piece. <S> I'd go with something like 1/4" thick steel <S> but you could probably go quite a bit thinner really <S> you just want it beefy enough that it doesn't bend with an expected weight load.
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A plank with holes would be more restrictive, but having more than one option isn't a bad idea. A final piece flange parallel with bottom surface of floor boards. One option to consider would be a set of pillars under each individual floor board, wedged or glued firmly in place, perhaps only secured on the bottom to allow for thermal movement. Attach the A35s to the cross members, attach the members to the floor joists.
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Drain trap is too low for new vanity My wall drain pipe clears the vanity, but there is not enough depth for trap. That's why I am thinking running a 90 degree bend out of the wall upward. My concern is losing the trap seal. Since wall drain pipe clears the vanity, I am thinking running 90 degree going up and then attaching the rest to the p-trap. Not sure if this matters. Within the wall, drain pipe doesn't go straight down. It turns left and goes towards toilet. <Q> No you can't do that. <S> The P-trap depends on the weir which requires critical trap arm length and a slope that does not siphon the trap dry. <S> Your drawing siphons the trap. <S> You could add an aav but opening the wall might be easier. <S> https://www.jlconline.com/how-to/plumbing/maximum-length-for-fixture-drains_o <S> The other thing I've done is to make the p-trap assembly in a straight line to the back of the cabinet and then make a cut out in the shelf to accommodate the trap. <S> I've done this with both drawers and with shelves. <A> Picture courtesy Home Depot <A> Use a t wye and a studor vent .right <S> now you created an S trap.so the first 90 elbow from the sink needs to be a t w wye with a studor vent on top a min of 4 inches over trap weir <A> If it comes to it, sacrifice the vanity shelf and get your waste pipes as close to perfect as you can. <S> Future you will thank you, you can always add more storage/shelving elsewhere. <S> You have one decent opportunity to get your sink drainage as good as you possibly can, function over form. <A> Instead of 90's use 45 degree fittings. <S> And That particular offset can not be greater than 2ft. <S> Same goes for pop up assembly to p-trap weir. <S> The maximum is 2 ft. <S> Or you might create a dry trap not stopping sewer gas.
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No need for that, there tail pipe extensions that add length to get to a lower P trap like you have. This fixture cannot be further than 7ft from its vent.
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Is water vapour on light switch a fire hazard? If I spray a 70% alcohol mist onto a regular household light switch, is that a fire hazard?I assume not since the red and black wires would both need to be exposed and close together... But assuming there was a short circuit, would the alcohol/water just heat up and evaporate instantly without causing any real damage? Or am I mistaken? Thanks <Q> Alcohol is flammable <S> yes <S> but depending on the concentration there’s probably more water, and water with impurities can make a conductor and shock you with contact being made on only 1 conductor , so <S> I don’t see it as a possible fire hazard but as a possible shock hazard in reality. <S> I spray any cleaner / sanitizer on a wipe then clean the device as the electronics are not sealed and it is possible to get enough moisture in the switch to get shocked. <A> It's a matter of quantity. <S> The alcohol in such a solution doesn't evaporate "instantly"--it takes a few seconds and only when the solution is in mist form. <S> If it collects in drops or puddles evaporation slows substantially. <S> Obviously this would be long enough to bridge an electrical connection to detrimental effect. <S> 30% of your solution is water, which is the primary concern. <S> However, as you mentioned, you'd have to get enough of it past the wall plate and into the mechanism and maintain a closed current path. <S> That would take a fair bit of liquid. <S> Unless you're spraying directly into the gap in the plate and a lot, it's not a concern. <A> The risk is electric shock. <S> If in doubt, double layer with kitchen dishwashing gloves. <S> We're dealing with 120V, <S> not 8kv, I don't see call for hi-pot-tested gloves. <A> And the answer is no, not with standard amounts of cleaner and practice. <S> Just don't allow beads of solution to run into crack around the toggle <S> and you'll be fine.
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I believe what you are asking is if you mist the outside of the switch while doing regular cleaning, will this cause an electrical issue. Water/ alcohol would be more of an electrocution or shock issue than a fire issue. The alcohol, penetrating the switch mechanism, would become a current path potentially between you and the switch internals, which are hot. You'd have to get what most could consider a lot solution in there for it to become an issue. A fresh pair of latex or nitrile or vinyl gloves should mitigate that risk.
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Can I partially suspend an angled climbing wall from my garage trusses? I'm planning on building a home climbing wall in my garage. I'm wondering about the structural integrity of attaching it to the trusses. They are 2x4s, 24" apart, and span about 30 feet. This image shows basically how I would build the wall (the left one): My wall will be 8' wide by 12' tall at a 45 degree angle (I have 9ft ceilings). Since this is a bit of an aggressive angle I'm concerned about attaching that much weight to my trusses. I would also be adding some support from the middle/upper area of the climbing wall back to the garage wall, similar to this image: If that doesn't seem like it would be alright, how can I modify it to work? I was thinking I could add some 4x4 posts to the each side of the top plate, but I would prefer less intrusive options. Would I need to reinforce the garage wall too? I can double up the studs if that's necessary One last question, that original image is using 2x6s for the climbing wall frame, would 2x4s be alright as well? I've seen a bit of both on the internet. Thanks for any advice. Edit:Here are some pictures of the attic I took a while ago, I tried to add an outline for where the wall will go (roughly). Here's an image to help visualize what I'm hoping the wall to be: EDIT: Current Plan Per most recommendations I shouldn't attach much weight to the trusses. My current plan is to anchor the climbing wall heavily to the garage wall with joists at an angle (like the second picture but beefier). For attaching the top of the climbing wall to the trusses I'm going to lay a 2x6 across about 6 trusses on top from within the attic and then bolt a 2x6 from within a garage to that one (so the trusses are sandwiched in between), that way I don't need to drill/bolt into the bottom chords at all. I'll be doing the same thing about halfway between the top of the climbing wall and the garage wall and attach the climbing wall there as well. In that way whatever load is on the bottom chords will be spread out across a larger area. <Q> Not all trusses can be used for downward forces (say it keeps the walls from spreading) <S> and if you're accidentally mis-describing them you could be getting some bad advice. <S> That said, assuming your climbing wall touches the ground the load will be carried there. <S> Lateral forces on the side of the wall from 'pulling out' are supported by the cross bracing in ceiling. <S> I'll see if I can find the article on design I read on the 'net about 3 years ago. <S> Edit: OK, going to give my non-civil-engineering view on this. <S> https://www.menards.com/main/buying-guides/building-materials-buying-guides/roof-truss-buying-guide/c-19431.htm <S> The example image shows all of the load being pulled downwards (compression) to the floor, and the ones nearest the wall providing tension to pull the rest towards the wall. <S> You should have a large piece of anchored plywood or 2x8 back there to bolt into- <S> lag bolting into your 2x4 sticks in the garage. <S> Then you can attach multiple points to the 2x8 and the 2x8 can resist twisting the rear wall. <S> The bottom chord of your attic is in tension- <S> it's to hold the walls from spreading. <S> The upper chords are in compression and are carrying the load to the double sill plate around the base. <S> The remainder of the web is stiffeners and compression/tension. <S> Diagonal'ed boards in the attic prevent your roof from twisting around. <S> Just really limit how much 'weight' the ceiling is holding. <S> If you do the example you've got, really emphasizing connecting it to the wall, it should be fine. <S> Assuming of course the wall is connected to the floor somehow... <A> You have done an excellent job and this will be very strong (assuming a standard wall covering like dry wall or wood sheathing and not something odd like a heavy pseudo rock face). <S> Use #8 x 3" screws for the attachment to the underside of the trusses, (2) at each block and truss. <S> No larger as this will compromise the truss too much, that member is in a state of tension. <S> I suggest using the same screws everywhere, it's just easier than nails <S> and you won't bang everything around. <S> Get a powered driver tool of course. <A> Your attic is totally capable of holding the walls and a climber's weight. <S> However it cannot deal with a moving climber <S> and I don't see how this would ever be legal <S> (could void home owner's policy) without sign-off from engineer and city. <S> If you are going to do it no matter what then what you need to focus is cross lateral support in the attic. <S> I would put some intensive blocking, I would add at least 2x4 stirrups across the top and would go with plywood over that <S> but I might skip that due to weight.
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You need to define the type of garage ceiling you're looking to use.
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Why WasteKing disposal throws water up? My old Waste King Special Edition 3/4 HP had this problem: when activated it started turning so rapidly that all water and filth accumulated in it gets thrown up into the air (splash guard did not help). It only happens in the first moment after activation - after that it worked OK. Now it finally died and I am looking for a replacement. I do not want to get the same problem again. Does anybody know what could have caused that problem? Was it common for that model?I know that Waste King has high speed - 2700 RPMs, while Insinkerator only 1725. May be the high speed causes it? But then it should affect all Waste King models? Should I buy a different brand or different HP?What is your experience? <Q> There's a good chance the disposal was larger than needed for your house hold. <S> Three people households will do great with a 1/3 to 1/2 HP disposal. <S> larger the 5 people would use the higher RPM and HP. <S> Those high RPM models need to have a lot of stuff in them before turning them on. <S> I've always had In-Sink-Erator disposals, 1/3 to 1/2 HP and have never had any problems, and that's with a household of 4.Are <S> you sure the splash guard hasn't been damaged or cut? <S> I once got a call to replace one because the customer cut some of the fins out of it <S> so stuff would go down faster. <S> Then stuff splashed out <S> so they wanted a new splash guard. <S> You might want to check the plumbing to make sure there's not a partial blockage that could be causing the initial back splash. <A> Apparently previous owners (long time ago) installed a deeper sink, but forgot to lower the outlet pipe. <S> There is no easy fix for that. <S> See also Drain and disposal outlet same height? <S> and What is the minimum height for garbage disposal drain above the drain stub <A> You need a wye or diverted where the garbage disposal wasteline connects into the adjacent sinks wasteline. <S> https://www.acehardware.com/departments/plumbing/pipe-fittings/plastic-fittings/42623?x429=true&gclid=CjwKCAjwguzzBRBiEiwAgU0FT1x7zinDNbgiAB8UkJBAUYCBdMDt0umsWu7Ta73l136PILx4010ZuxoCgpUQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds <S> If you look closely, you’ll see that the current waste line connects in as a “T”. <S> You need to get the waste moving “down” the other wasteline rather than pushing the waste into the side of the other waste line when you turn the disposal on.
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It appears that my problem is caused by incorrect plumbing, similar to Help with Garbage Disposal install and high drain pipe
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How do I get rid of toilet stains? So my friend said I could rent out his place for free if I can get it clean and the person was here last didn't take very good care of it. The toilet looks like it hasn't been cleaned in ages and there are stains. Any idea what the best way to remove them is? I've scrubbed at it for like an hour with a pumice stone and while it's a mild improvement, there's still a long way to go. Any ideas as to get it clean? <Q> My furnace blew up a few years ago and my insurance company hired a professional cleaning company to clean everything. <S> (About 8 weeks and $35,000 later and they were done.) <S> I had to leave the house, but stopped by occasionally to watch. <S> I had terrible rust stains in the toilet (we have “hard” water). <S> They used an electric drill (actually battery powered... <S> maybe that’s a safety thing) with a bristle toilet brush stuck in it. <S> They cut the plastic handle of the toilet brush off down to about 6” - 8” long then stuck it in the chuck where the drill bit would go. <S> They used Comet cleanser (they said Bon Ami could work too.) <S> You’d think it would splash like crazy when you start scrubbing, but it doesn’t. <S> They laid the brush tight to the wall of the toilet and moved it around slowly...stopping to add Comet cleanser from time to time. <S> Try it...you’ll be amazed. <A> It isn't for everyone but to be safe, wear gloves and have and extended brush and this is a 15 minute job. <S> I have used muriatic acid many many times and not only will it clean the inside of the toilet bowl <S> but it can be used to unclog the rest which may have issues. <S> Warning <S> when using muriatic acid it cannot get on you, room should be ventilated (may need to open windows everywhere), and you must use gloves. <S> I am suggesting it in your case not because your bowl is just dirty - it will eat through that like nothing - but because of the lack of care of the bowl you need to restore the whole thing. <S> You are going to: Turn off water to toilet. <S> Flush it. <S> Empty the tank as much as you can. <S> Fill tank with a few cups of muriatic acid with the stopper up. <S> You would like to get just enough so toilet will flush. <S> The muriatic acid will flow down to the bowl through the crevices on the top of bowl. <S> This is key because it will basically renew the toilet. <S> (also what you do when toilet is not flushing well) <S> Let it sit for 10 minutes. <S> Brush it out.8. <S> Repeat at steps 4-8 least 3 times to ensure any dried stuff the muriatic acid knocks out gets moved. <S> Keep doing it more until the toilet looks perfect. <S> Muriatic acid is available at most big box stores, is cheap, and won't ruin your toilet's finish coat. <S> The main reason I am suggesting it here is that you will probably need to use it to restore the flushing of the toilet <S> anyway <S> so you might as well get use of its cleaning qualities. <A> You could buy a new one... <S> toilets are as cheap as 60$, and decent ones under 110$. <S> Your labor is free, however... the cleaning supplies might run you 20$. <A> I think you want something gentle that won't damage the glaze. <S> I have never before seen a toilet that filthy, but I would try citric acid. <S> Fill the bowl with water, add a cup citric acid powder (anhydrous citric acid - buy in bulk from a home brewing store, or pet store, at a few dollars per kilogram), stir to dissolve, and let it sit for 24 hours to dissolve the scale. <S> Then scrub the bowl with a toilet brush, flush the toilet, and repeat.
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Muriatic acid is the best cleaner for toilets in this state period.
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How can I prevent my lawnmower from spreading red thatch? My lawn last year allegedly suffered from red thatch. I’ve since moved but want to know if my lawn mower could carry red thatch to my new lawn and, if so, how I can clean it properly to prevent spreading it? <Q> 1 cup (5% laundry) bleach to 1 gallon water is usually a good bet to kill most things. <S> Use in a well ventilated area, and never mix ammonia and bleach. <S> (Which you all should know already, but evidently some people still don't...) <S> Clean (but don't paint) <S> the wheels/tires (if any) as well (evidently hover <S> mowers are still out there, wheel-free.) <S> "Red Thread" seems to be a more common name (I get no results for "red thatch" other than "red thread" and "pink patch" results.) <S> Both are fungal diseases. <S> A bleach solution will kill fungus on non-porous surfaces (such as your mower's steel and plastic) but is less effective on porous surfaces (which would mostly be the "age of the mower old" buildup of impacted grass clippings, in lawnmowers.) <S> Sharpening the blade is also a good idea for prevention, as these diseases more easily attack damaged grass blades than ones that have been cut cleanly. <A> Never heard of red thatch (sounds like an STD...) <S> but that would be my first action. <S> Of course you may need to take care where the waste water runs... <A> Wash the mower with a hose or pressure washer. <S> In addition, bag the clippings.
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With a lawnmower, getting the blade and underside clean enough to paint (remove all grass clippings - and hey, if you've gone that far, why not paint it!) will help immensely in not having residual clumps of stuff that might not have gotten bleached all the way through. Power wash it using an appropriate cleaner / disinfectant.
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Is there a problem with panel I have three legs entering with no neutral, from fuses. The voltages on the legs read 120, 208, and 118.When I put a light on the first breaker it will go out within a minute. No matter where I try to hook it up except the high leg the voltage either goes down or up. Is this panel bad or am I doing it wrong? <Q> But without neutral, you can only drive 240V loads. <S> Since your service does not contain a neutral wire, you are not allowed to hook up any loads between hot and ground. <S> The only loads you can serve are 240V loads. <S> The 240V loads must be connected on a 2-pole breaker (or 3-pole) with hot1 to one throw and hot2 to the other throw. <S> You cannot do anything with neutrals, except re-mark them with tape to designate them as a hot wire. <S> If you have a desire to power 120V loads, you need to contact your power company about getting a 4-wire service with neutral. <A> You get two phases opposite 90 degrees and one neutral which is the grounding at the pole transformer. <S> What you should measure is RMS 120, 120, 240. <S> Or 110, 110, 220. <S> The 120, 208, 118 is worrying. <S> It indicates that (at the time of measurement) you have a high power consumer which is probably on the 118V line, <S> is a one-phase motor and generates lots of reactive power. <S> Could be a pump, a fridge, a fan, a transformer. <S> Please beware, it could also be a ground loop off an improper grounding. <S> Any circuit has the neutral and the ground tied in the panel. <S> These two lines should never be tied at the other end. <S> The ground is supposed to unload any short made between phase and external casing or even the local ground and panel ground. <S> When both ground and neutral come tied at the user end, then two distinct paths to panel ground are made available from user end to main panel. <S> Is impossible for predict which path a short will take to panel ground. <S> To check a ground fault is not an easy task. <S> So I will not deal with it now. <S> What I would do is shutdown <S> the entire panel (pull off all breakers) and measure the input voltage lines. <S> I expect to see 120-120-240. <S> If I don’t see that I would call the power company. <S> If the voltage is fine while my circuit breakers are off, then I would start troubleshooting each circuit, one at a time. <A> Figure 1. <S> Star or wye connection versus split-phase delta-connected. <S> Image source: PlugSocketMuseum . <S> In Europe 3-phase star or wye connected supply would be most common in industrial supplies and in domestic in some countries. <S> In North America the split-phase or high leg delta type is popular. <S> As shown in Figure 1, a ground connection is made to the centre-tap of one of the 240 V delta windings. <S> This then leaves L1 and L2 with 120 V when referenced to ground or neutral while still leaving 240 V between each of the three phase pairs. <S> Your readings of 120 V and 118 V are close enough. <S> The 2 V difference may be due to imbalance at the transformer centre-tap or a higher loading on the '118 V' line which would cause the voltage to sag. <S> Note that L2 now has 208 V relative to neutral (and hence the term "high leg"). <S> This can be verified by Pythagoras' Theorem taking the base L1-N = <S> 120 V, the hypotenuse <S> L1-L2 = 240 V and then calculating \$ V_{L2-N} = <S> \sqrt <S> {240^2 - 120^2} = 208 \ \text V \$ . <S> So, if your measurements are taken with respect to ground or neutral those readings are to be expected.
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The neutral is only supposed to ensure neutral reference for voltage. If you clarify how you connected your bulb - which wires to which phase - we may be able to help further. You have wild-leg delta.
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How to post mount flood light security lights I am trying to add some light for security and visibility in our backyard that serves as a parking lot. The area where I'd like to install a light fixture is in the back corner of our yard opposite of our home. This means I'll need a post of some kind to attach it to. From what I can see these types of lights are meant to attach to a junction box that is on some outside wall of a home. I can't seem to find pole mount options for this type of motion sensor activated security light: Can anyone enlighten me on how to attach this to a pole? I was hoping to avoid installing a very wide diameter wooden pole where I could run PVC conduit along the side to an exterior grade conduit junction box attached toward the top of the pole. Namely, because that starts to look unsightly. I'm looking for something that floods the area with light but also isn't an eyesore. <Q> I have seen people take a 14' 4x4 and bury it 4' and run conduit up to an exterior junction box mounted on the flat surface but those posts have a strong tendency to twist. <S> Check with your power company. <S> They may have an outdoor lighting program that could help you on this. <S> Think about installing the fixture on one of your walls. <A> Make a bracket to hold a plate which then supports a junction box as necessary. <S> So, a hoop or u-bolt either into a support or direct into the plate as per: Or a clamp around the pole such as: <A> It looks like you could use 2" RMC ac the pole and run the wires inside it,top it with a suitable outdoor junction box and affix the lamp assembly. <S> https://forums.mikeholt.com/threads/using-rmc-as-lighting-pole.123064/
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Just about anything you do will look like an eyesore unless you're willing to spend 300 to 400 bucks on a 12 foot light pole and bury it 4'.
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No Electricity To One Room One room of my home has no electricity. There are no GFCI outlets in the "chain" of things, and the breaker for this room is not flipped. I have tried to flip the breaker, then turn it back on and nothing. What other things would I need to check to determine why there is no power in this room? EDIT A Ubiquiti Access point was added to the room for better wifi coverage, but that is the only 'change' in the past 8 months that has taken place in that room. All outlet wiring runs behind the wall, I have this Klein Tester - should i pull out the outlet and check for 'hot' wires? I have checked all outlets with this Klein Outlet Tester and no lights turn on. EDIT 2 As suggested in one of the answers, I checked the last outlet on the chain (I checked the last two as I wasn't 100% sure which one was last) and visibly didn't see anything that looked awry.I checked the first outlet on the chain and this one is using a backstab. It has 3 wires, 2 connected to the screws on the side and one connected to the backstab for both the black and white wires. What is still throwing me is even if I use the non contact tester and check the wires connecting to this receptacle, none of the wires are still showing up as hot. And I am 99% certain this is the first receptacle in the chain. Should I test the breaker in the box to see if that is the culprit? (if yes, will the voltometer I have work for that) EDIT 3 After using the pen tester to test the breaker it is lighting up red, (all the fuses were lighting up red) which would mean that the breaker has power and the issue is downstream, correct? (like stated in comments maybe a junction box that is either a in the crawlspace or somewhere in the walls...how the world do I trace that?) <Q> Well you have checked the circuit breaker's tripped status and reset it and somehow verified that there is no GFCI in the circuit. <S> 2) Check that the circuit breaker itself has not become damaged or defective and also that it is making contact with the bars in the panel. <S> 3) Check that the wires from the breaker are supplying power to the first outlet the wire goes to and that it's firmly and correctly connected there. <S> 4) Trace the connections from there until you find the fault. <S> I think you are making assumptions <S> that as long as the breaker is in the ON position that all is well with your system and that is simply not the case. <A> The pen looking tester should light up on the smaller hole (if the ground is down it will be on the right, the outlet tester won’t work if the hot is open someplace. <S> The pen is called a non contact tester (sometimes give false positives) <S> What I usually find is the circuit was <S> over loaded or heavily loaded and a back stab connection failed very high 90% range, after that a wire nut is loose, broken wire or bad wire in the panel. <S> I start by working my way back to the breaker panel identifying all the dead receptacles, if I find one that seams to be on that circuit that is corking I turn off the breaker if it turns off you will be close. <S> A failure in a daisy chain is always at the last working or first non working device. <S> Remember a receptacle could be on the same circuit on the other side of the wall. <S> Identify the last working receptacle or switch, pull that out and look for a loose wire or burned insulation a bad connection may damage the insulation or burn the wire off <S> it could be either the hot or neutral. <S> If you don’t see anything put the last working one back in and turn the breaker back on if everything starts working and back stabs were used the failure will happen again use the screw terminals or replace the receptacle. <S> If it is still dead turn the breaker off and check the first non working receptacle it will be in one of these 2 places <S> bad backstabs are so common you will find this advice hundreds of times on this site. <A> Shut the main breaker off... <S> Remove the panel cover on the breaker box and look at the breaker <S> make sure the wires are secured to the breaker follor the wire to you find it ground and neutral make sure they are secure to the appropriate bar. <S> Replace cover then power the main back on. <S> If there still is no power then you may have completly severed the hot wire in the wall. <S> If this is the problem you will have to re feed new wire or locate where the break is and repair it
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There are multiple places left where failures may be present: 1) Check that the wires for the circuit are firmly connected to the output of the circuit breaker and that the breaker is properly inserted into the panel. +98% of the time , broken wires from nails are rare but possible or a loose pigtail in those locations are also possibilities but
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Door jamb wider than framed entry I'm trying to figure out the best approach for this issue I ran into. So I have a door jamb that sits at 79.5" wide and the actual frame is at 79.25" wide. I have 3 options: trim either the hinge or doorknob side down. Cons: Weakens either the hinge frame side or the passage latch will have to feed into the wall stud in the frame. trim the frame entry, Cons: harder to do, chances wont be a clean cut, thou can be hidden take 1/4" off the top of the door frame and door itself I cant decide which one I should do. Would love some advice on what you thoughts around this are. <Q> I could give you some easy tips on adjusting the door and jamb <S> but I would only do that if there wasn't the option to - make the frame bigger (rough opening) . <S> You can plane off 1/4" on one of the sides in about 5-10 minutes and you won't be messing with the integrity of the door you bought. <S> You can plane sloppy and with shims you are still good to go. <A> If it were me, I would trim off the latch side of the door, and reduce the width of the jamb appropriately. <S> There are ways that can reinforce that part of the door if needed, but it would be more difficult to reinforce the hinge side which is where most of the forces are. <A> Why? <S> Why the door and not the frame? <S> Easier, cleaner, can remove the door to work on, much harder to work on the frame in place or reinstall the frame. <S> Why the hinge side and not the latch side? <S> For the very simple reason that the door latch is not adjustable and set by the distance of the hole for the knobs. <S> If you trim that side of the door, the latch will be in the same place and 'proud' (sicking out) of the new door surface. <S> Moving the drilled hole is a very difficult proposition to say the least. <S> On the hinge side, all you have to do is deepen the hinge pockets the same amount that you trim the door. <S> And you have the existing hinge pocket edges as a guide. <S> And if go too far, it's easy to fix with shimming. <S> And it's in an relatively hidden area. <A> If u have a solid hard wood door trimming from the door would be the easiest way to go but if it is not one solid piece of wood by all means go for the rough opening.
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Best bet is to trim the door on the hinge side.
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Can I use blocking between floor joists to support off-center jack studs in a load-bearing wall? I have a load-bearing wall running down the center of my house, perpendicular to the floor joists. As this house is from the 1920's, there is no subfloor - the bottom plates of the walls sit directly on the joists. The studs and bottom plate are 2x4s, the floor joists are 2x8s. I started relocating a doorway in this wall to accommodate our new floor plan, but I forgot to consider how the loads would now be transferred! Specifically, the jack/king studs for the new doorway don't line up with the floor joists. When I cut away the portion of the sole plate inside the doorway, there will now be two "free" ends bearing the load above that may not be properly supported by the floor. This diagram shows a birds-eye view of the situation: My thought is to simply install some blocking between the floor joists, parallel to the wall, to support the new studs. Will this be sufficient to prevent sagging? The blocking would be as follows (in red): There is already a central "backbone" beam or joist that seems to support about half of the width of the bottom plate (~2"). This by itself would perhaps be enough to support the doorway, but I would fasten blocks to this backbone, as well as to the joists that they run between, to support the full width of the bottom plate. <Q> A few points for clarity: Use substantial (joist-size) lumber. <S> These are essentially joists themselves. <S> I wouldn't go smaller than 2x6. <S> Sheer nails don't meet modern code in a load-bearing situation like this--either at the ends or into the existing beam. <S> You might double them to give better bearing. <S> Double joist hangers are easy to come by. <S> You could drop these new joists 1-1/2" and lay in a wide plate on top of them, and under the wall plate, to give yourself flooring/subfloor support around the wall plate. <A> With a beam nearly directly under and supporting the joists that are supporting the wall, all you need to do is provide blocking to transfer the load of the trimmer and king posts to the beam below. <S> 2 <S> " bearing is enough (the depth of the studs is for other factors and the full 3-1/2" width is not needed here) <S> This <S> because the loads on the wall haven't changed, you've just slightly relocated some of them (removed 1 stud and moved that load to the nearest 2 studs and there you are adding at least two studs (to get the 2 trimmers and 2 king studs depending on layout compared to the wall) <A> Why don't you just make the opening for the door oversized, bear the studs down onto joists and then fill in the portion that you don't want as door. <S> Add 24" to the span of the header for the door. <A> First & Foremost, Let's reevaluate what you are <S> Asking <S> a 1920 house has <S> 2"x4" Bearing wall studs 16" <S> O.C & 2"x8 <S> " (Guessing 16" O.C as well,Sometimes their 19.2" O.C.) <S> Nominal Lumber . <S> Today's lumber is 1-1/2"x 3-1/2" and 1-1/2" x 7-1/4". <S> You are not Specifying the distance of Door Movement or the Loads Transferring Down. <S> There is a Lot to Consider when moving Loads around, Yet I am not there to evaluate for myself and the information your giving is Vague! <S> Based on My Knowledge of Engineering and Framing, I believe Just Blocking the Floor is a Mistake, It may seem/Look Good when Complete until the Settling Starts then your door may have Future Issue's! <A> We run into this all the time. <S> As already mentioned, simply frame the opening oversize so the studs align with the joists below. <S> Everything placed under the header is then non-load bearing, and you can add additional framing to make to doorway RO, without structural concerns. <A> I have a similar home, and encountered a different issue, but similar. <S> When I opened up my first floor, and found my headers looked like smiley faces, I knew I had to fix them. <S> Everything is now 2.0 3.5"×12" lvl. <S> Money well spent in my opinion, as the house will now last another 100 years without concern. <S> My biggest problem wasn't the single pine header in the 7' opening, in my center load bearing wall. <S> It was the floor. <S> 1 day after building temp walls from basement to 1st floor, and from first floor to second, to ensure everything was level, then installing the lvl with double jacks, kings, and cripples. <S> The next day I found the header 1" ot of level. <S> Pretty major issue. <S> Come to find out, the openings posts were not sitting on any structure other than 1x6 sub floor. <S> From the basement I could see the floor dining down like the shape of a balloon pushing through the floor. <S> As floor was framed with 2x8 floor joists, I cut new 2x8 blocks and hammered them in. <S> (I also doubled up floor joists with construction adhesive and nailing to fix how bouncy the floors were. ) <S> The end result was solid blocking from every king and Jack to sub floor, to block, to carrying beam. <S> This is required under the international building code. <S> Big pain in the <S> but, but well worth it.
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To solve this issue, everything got jacked back up to level, and solid blocking was installed under posts to support beam directly underneath. Consider using joist hangers or lag screws. The headers in my house were true, single 2x6 pine. That should be just fine.
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Can I plug a powerline adapter into a grounded-in-wall adapter? I have one outlet right next to my router and need it for a bunch of other electronics. I currently have a grounded 6 outlet in-wall adapter plugged in. It is not a surge protector, just an outlet. Will a powerline adapter work through this or does it need to be plugged in directly to the outlet? Example of the adapter I'm talking about: Thanks! <Q> You can definitely plug your powerline adapter into your in wall adapter. <S> It might take up more than one space on the in wall adapter thought preventing you from being able to use an outlet. <S> check the sizes before you buy. <A> Generally speaking, you can. <S> The only concern would be if the adapter has worn or dirty contacts or introduces noise due to protection circuitry or whatever. <S> Even clean contacts reduce signal quality somewhat. <A> In my experience, and as per the usual instructions - they perform worse, or not at all plugged into a multisocket. <S> You want it directly in the wall, and if losing a socket is an issue, there's passthrough versions. <S> - for example, netgear explicitly suggests you not do this <S> In some cases - using a passthrough might also help filter noise from any device or devices plugged into it - so wall socket -> <S> homeplug - <S> > multisocket is a good idea. <A> I do at home (the socket is behind a piece of furniture) and performs quite well
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The adapter doesn't much care what metal parts are between it and your service panel--even the outlets have internal contacts and screw connections.
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Is it normal to see moisture inside my solar panels? They are installed about 10 inches above my sheet metal roof. The solar panels are Monocrystallin. <Q> It isn't normal in the sense that it's normal operating procedure. <S> That is the answer to your specific question <S> and I wonder if you more want to know if you should or need to do something about it or can stop worrying about it. <S> You do need to do something about it. <S> My understanding is that moisture degrades performance, can cause electrical issues or corrosion, and can shorten the overall lifespan of the panel. <S> Moving forward, I suggest contacting either your installer or the manufacturer to discuss the situation and what to do about it, and who pays for it. <S> Also I suggest reviewing your installation contract about warranty and service. <A> moisture inside PV module <S> No, visible moisture is not normal. <S> PV- panels are sealed and air-tight. <S> But the sealing can suffer from mechanical stress during transport, from wrong handling, from mounting or operation. <S> Every bending, twisting etc. should be avoided. <S> Sometimes the building roof is under stress by setting effects, traffic, earth movings, heat etc. <S> which impacts the panels. <A> and you'll want to check the warranty for the panels to see if this is covered. <S> If there is no sign of physical damage then the seal should be intact.
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No, not normal at all It can be normal in the sense that it does happen as it is hard to keep moisture out over the long term.
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What are the pros and cons on installing a typical garage floodlight kit, inside your garage? I have a few extra kits and a dark garage... and I am like why not inside? This thing would take 20 minutes to install and would pump out 225W. Some other things that have come to mind. Is there a way I could electrically use both the motion sensor of a floodlight and also have the option of having it on via switch? <Q> The immediate issue I see is that a floodlight is not great for lighting a room. <S> They cast harsh shadows, create a lot of glare if you look anywhere near their direction, and will leave plenty of dark areas in the room. <S> Of course, a few of those downsides could be fixed by just installing regular light bulbs rather than flood bulbs unless it has integrated LED floods. <S> Using a switch and the motion detector is possible if you are running new wiring to them. <S> You could have two switches where one powers the motion detector and the other powers the lights directly. <S> You could even use a three way switch if you never needed the light to be fully off (you could have always-on, or motion, but never totally off with one three way switch). <S> The other thing to consider is that some (many?) <S> motion detection lights have a feature where they will stay on if you turn the switch off and on a few times. <S> This allows people to easily use the light in a passive motion mode or you can "force" it on from your back door by toggling the switch a few times. <S> Check your instruction manual <S> - I know this used to be a popular feature but haven't had my own lights to try it on in some time. <S> As far as safety or code are concerned, I'm not aware of any issues that would prevent you from installing the light inside. <A> Due to medical conditions I need lots of light <S> and I don't due well with harsh direct lighting or shadows. <S> For lots of light, I have often installed alternate 'outdoor' lighting inside. <S> I even have a 18000 lumen high bay light! <S> To deal with the harshness, I often install in an 'indirect mode' with the light pointing upward with the light bounced off the ceiling. <S> Or I install high enough or in location that I can't see the point of light out of my eye when looking at my work area. <S> To deal with the shadows, I use two or more sources of lights and separated by some distance if possible. <S> This can be an upside in the winter. <S> I suggest going for it. <S> I would. <S> There is no reason why the light is an 'outdoor' light other than meaning that it's sealed against weather. <A> I have one in the garage. <S> It is great because when you walk into the garage a light comes on and you don't have to hunt for a switch. <S> If you are just carrying laundry down or getting into the car it is sufficient and will go off after you leave. <S> If you are doing anything much in the garage it is the wrong light for all the reasons everybody said, but you can have other lights that you turn on by a switch. <A> I have a motion sensor on my garage fluorescent tubes, and its massively convenient because there are three doorways (side-outside, internal, and a car door) <S> The sensor means the lights come on no matter which door you enter by. <S> Downside is that I can be working away on something at the bench, and the light sees no movement, and turns off. <S> This can be incredibly annoying if I'm drilling or soldering, or simply in the corner getting something out of a shelf. <S> Yes its totally possible to turn the light into "always-on" mode with a flick of the wall switch, <S> but that's hard to remember. <S> ANSWER Motion sensitive lighting works, and doesn't have to be a separate floodlight. <S> There are downsides too. <A> Mount them as high as you can, pointing down-ish, but be aware that the older types produce a fair amount of heat, so don't put them where they could cause scorching or burning. <S> A metal heatshield would stop that.
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If you have several, why not fit one which comes on with sensing motion, lit for as long as you want, and a couple of others on a switch, which you then won't have to find in the dark. The downside to non LED lights will be the heat.
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Old house. Front porch light wiring is piped so need to know how to install an outlet box. Pic attached I removed the old front porch light and found that the old wiring is being run through a pipe that sticks out about 1/2”. I can’t install the new light because it needs to flush to an outlet box. Ideas? <Q> The picture shows an armored conduit holding the wires. <S> You'd want to make sure it's rated for outdoor since it's exposed. <S> I'm not sure what type of base the light has and whether or not it will cover the box once you mount it or if that's important to you. <S> In this particular application code may allow you to attach the light directly to a mounting bar attached to the nipple. <S> However, before you do that check codes. <S> One of the electrical pros here might help you with that. <A> To have a flush mount as you have asked, cut out the brick where you want the outlet, and shorten the conduit. <A> Most of the time when I don’t have a J box I will recommend a wall pack. <S> A wall pack is a surface mounted fixture that allows the wiring splices to be made inside the fixture. <S> These come in every light type , incandescent, LED, HID including metal halide , sodium and fluorescent. <S> In the past they were more common on industrial buildings but with LED lighting <S> I see them much more often.
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Use a shallow electrical box so the cut into the brick is minimized. You could mount a box by removing the nut and mounting a box through a knockout at the back of the box, replacing the nut on the inside.
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Idea to seal (prevent water) in the gap between marble floor and fixed shower glass panel I have a marble piece, and on top of that I have a sliding glass door (one sliding and one fixed).The issue is that between the floor (marble) and the fixed glass panel there is a gap of 1/4 inch where water is escaping to the other side of the shower.I thought about the following solutions in order of effectiveness: Silicone: don't want to use, because it's too hard to remove later in case of any maintenance (will get stuck/leave residue on glass and marble). Flashing/vinyl seal: would be my best option for now because it allows easy removal if needed, but in my opinion it looks ugly (plastic and marble together...). Any other options I could consider that will not interfere with the current look, and will be effective and not so hard to remove later when/if needed? Thank you. <Q> Clear silicone is very very very easy to take off marble and glass. <S> There is no residue after hitting it with a glass scraper and some mineral spirits - a big shower is maybe 15 minutes. <S> For application on something like 1/4" I would put a first coat down that should fill most of the gap. <S> Then come by about 1-3 hours later (depending on air flow and temperature of room) <S> - you want the first coat to harden a little but not be set - and put a finishing coat that looks good and fills the rest of the gap. <S> Do it right. <S> (There are also some edging strips that you could use. <S> You would effectively have to use glue - silicone - to install them <S> and they would be a PITA to remove. <S> But the big issue is this shouldn't have been installed with a 1/4" gap) <A> Piece of marble. <S> https://www.homedepot.com/p/36-1-2-in-Cultured-Marble-Backsplash-in-White-UBS37Y-3Y/308002453?MERCH=REC- <S> -pipsem- -205866101- <S> -308002453- <S> -N <S> This is a 36 x 1/2 inch strip of marble. <S> Get something to match the marble you have. <S> You would set it in the shower so it occludes the opening. <S> If 36 inches is too long ask them to cut it down to size at Home Depot or tile store. <S> The issue is with the fixed piece of glass and so it does not move. <S> Neither does the strip of marble. <S> It would be easy to clean because it is not attached; you can pick it up and scrub it, and behind it / under it too. <S> Plus I like the installation. <S> Set it down, and done. <A> See photo: <S> I installed in the wet side <S> and I'm not sure how the tape will hold. <S> If necessary I'll install it in the dry side <S> so tape doesn't come in contact with water (but silicone will still prevent water from travelling to another side). <A> Tape. <S> Seriously. <S> Since it comes with a fixed width and straight finished edges, it will look reasonably finished if applied well. <S> It won't last as long as caulking, but given your criteria, maybe that's not an issue. <S> Heavier duty tape such as Gorilla brand will last longer but only comes on select colors, or just black.
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Duct tape is available in many colors and even patterns. Based on @Ack's recommendation, I found a silicone tape which I think has best the both words: protection of silicone but easier to remove/replace when necessary. If you want to get fancy you could caulk it in place, but then you would have to buy caulk.
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Conduit size for UF cable I need some advice that I'm having problems finding any conclusive answers for. We are moving an electric water heater that is on a 20amp circuit outdoors (we live in South Florida) I plan on running 10/2 UF cable from the box, under the house about 30ft in a dry crawl space. Then exit and go up 8ft to the water heater. The water heater will go into a galvanized steel enclosure against the house. My issues is that I would like to protect the UF cable from where it exits the crawl space to where it enters the water heater enclosure. About 8ft (2ft from inside the crawlspace 6ft up to the top of the water heater enclosure). I believe 8" of protection is required by code anyways to protect against vermits and weed wackers... I know UF CAN be ran through conduit, but I'm having a hard time determining the correct size and determining the easiest/best conduit to use... Does anyone have any suggestions or see an flaws in this plan?Any help is greatly appreciated. <Q> The answer is yes, you can run UF in conduit. <S> I normally use 1 inch; it fits easily and the NM is not damaged. <S> UF is slightly thicker but should fit it depends on the MFG; some are round and some are flat, 3 wire or 4 wire, etc. <S> I usually have to have a section of metal flex conduit from the wall to a water heater to protect standard NM since smurf tube or non-metallic is not allowed and liquid tight is too expensive. <A> There isn't a chart that says a specific size, you have to calculate it from the exact cable size per NEC Chapter 9, Table 1, Note 9: (9) <S> For cables that have elliptical cross sections, the cross-sectional area calculation shall be based on using the major diameter of the ellipse as a circle diameter. <S> So you need to measure or find a table from the manufacturer of it's actual size, do some math, then check inside diameter of raceway desired for maximum 53% fill. <S> Even Sch 40 or 80 can make a difference. <S> Most electricians I have worked with won't even know off the top of their head what 10/2 UF works out to because they wouldn't even try to push UF through the conduit, it's difficult, ugly, and inconvenient. <S> I would run 1/2" PVC and THWN conductors. <A> There is no "easiest". <S> UF-B in conduit will be a masochistic pull no matter what size you use, unless you go rather extreme like 2" or something. <S> You can use conduit either as a wiring method (the whole run from junction box to junction box being in conduit) or simply as a wire guard. <S> As a conduit wiring method, the conduit must be at least 138% of the wide width of the cable. <S> The cable is 0.518" which means the conduit needs 0.715" inside diameter conduit. <S> In other words 3/4" conduit of almost any kind will do. <S> As a mere guard from damage, it doesn't matter whether the conduit fill rules apply.
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A multiconductor cable, optical fiber cable, or flexible cord of two or more conductors shall be treated as a single conductor for calculating percentage conduit or tubing fill area. A water heater only needs 3 wire normally: 240v and ground with no neutral. For your short section this would be normal. It simply will not be workable to choke it down 1/2" conduit.
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Do I need a nailing edge around the perimeter of my room for my new AdvanTech subfloor? I have torn out the original flooring from by 1910 Victorian so that I can level the joists and install new sound subfloor. I'm using 3/4" AdvanTech T&G subfloor, glued and screwed to the new sisters. What I'd like to know is if I need to install blocking to provide a nailing edge around the perimeter of the room where the joists deadhead into the brick walls. The original floor had no nailing edge. Installing blocking will be pretty each in some places, but there are mechanicals that make installing it a challenge in others. There are places where I can't fit a nailing edge within 6" of the exterior wall. Some things I'd like opinions on are: If I don't install a nailing edge, is it likely I will have a noticeable bounce? If I should install a nailing edge, but can't fit a full height joist in place, will a 2x4 add enough rigidity to be worth the energy to install? If I should install a nailing edge, but can't get one within a few inches of the exterior wall, do I just install one as close as possible or is that just a waste? What would your typical contractor do in this scenario? For you old house lovers who want to yell at me for chucking the old growth pine planks, please know that I did everything I could to try to salvage the original floor. For a wide variety of reasons, it just wasn't in the cards. <Q> I did it both ways in a laundry/powder room I completed last year. <S> Along the one wall, I installed the nailing plates your described. <S> Also this area holds the washer/dryer & a utility sink, so no foot traffic. <A> If I don't install a nailing edge, is it likely I will have a noticeable bounce? <S> No, because you can't stand that close to the wall. <S> The only unsupported edge is right at the face of the wall <S> If I should install a nailing edge, but can't fit a full height joist in place, will a 2x4 add enough rigidity to be worth the energy to install? <S> Yes. <S> A 2x4 is more than adequate for that span and use If I should install a nailing edge, but can't get one within a few inches of the exterior wall, do I just install one as close as possible or is that just a waste? <S> Close as possible is adequate. <S> Think about how much plywood can bend if you wanted to bend it at say 4" in from the edge, almost impossible <S> What would your typical contractor do in this scenario? <S> When I was a contractor I would usually not worry about it. <S> I would consider that adding blocking would reduce air flow at the exterior wall in the crawlspace and therefore increase humidity and likely of decay or mold issues. <A> I chose if I need blocking by placing 2 pieces of flooring on top of each other and stepping in the middle of a span. <S> If the deflection is excessive and it is a high traveled area like a entry door I will block (I normally block at perpendicular entry’s). <S> At a wall I don’t block in most cases unless the flex in 2 boards is noticeable, remember when you glue and nail the boards become fixed in place. <S> If I feel the new T&G sub is flexing two much <S> I go thicker <S> but this is normally only needed for floors 24 <S> ” OC <S> however I normally use 1-1/4 T&G with a thin overlay. <S> For vinyl and carpet. <S> Tile <S> I use a backer on top then tile. <S> What is your plan for the floor a little more info would be helpful. <A> I would definitely put in blocking along the wall. <S> The point isn't for support of the the floor <S> the point is to deflect some of the bounce. <S> 2x4 blocking as close to the wall as you can get is more than adequate. <S> Also not sure why you notched the new joist for electric <S> (sure seems you could have went under) <S> but I would block each side of that too.
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3/4" ply is very stiff (and rated for 24" oc) and as I noted, no one can stand close the wall anyway. Along another wall, I didn't, in part because the sole plate for the wall had to be down before the subfloor, in order to run the plumbing. In any case, the inspector was satisfied. If it were to be a tile floor, I might be more likely to add it since tile is so sensitive.
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Help changing direct hard-wire to outlet for new dishwasher I am swapping out an old dishwasher that was hard-wired to a new dishwasher that requires an outlet. As you can see in the picture, the original unit was connected to a cable that goes into the wall. I was thinking of converting the cable to an outlet by... Strapping the cable to the wall (using a hole strap) and feeding it behind the cabinet to underneath the sink. Connect the cable to a 20 amp outlet ( do I need a GFCI? ). Housing the outlet in a raised ground electrical box and mount it to the wall underneath the sink. I would love to get your feedback if this is the proper way to do it and if you may have other suggestions. Thank you! Edit: The new dishwasher make and model is Beko DDS25842X. I am wondering if it just easier to hard-wire this? I couldn't find any information online if this is possible for this model. <Q> I think your methodology is sound. <S> When you mount it be sure to secure it to a stud and away from anywhere that could be exposed to water. <S> This means away from the shutoff valves and not directly under the sink supply connections. <S> Cable straps will hold the metallic cable in place. <S> Make sure that you use enough straps that the cable is secure to the wall studs under the sink and not loose or attached to the flooring. <S> Based on your picture you can probably do this without trimming the cable. <S> Secure the connector with the locknut. <S> Connect the hot (black) wire to the brass screw and the white to the silver. <S> Green goes to the ground. <S> You shouldn't need a GFCI on this but check codes. <S> Edit <S> Many dishwashers that come with a wall plug also have alternate instructions for hardwiring. <S> The Beko installation manual doesn't offer that as an option but you might want to contact the manufacturer to see if it is recommended. <A> Whether you are required to use a GFCI or not is often the requirements of the local code and which code version is being enforced. <S> But if you wanted to be extra safe, it can't hurt to install one. <S> You may get nuisance trips. <A> I agree with the above. <S> Still, it might be easier to hard-wire, similar to old DW. <S> I'd bet it has the same 3 screws (usually located behind the front kick panel - <S> so it is easy to reach when installing or removing). <S> Then all you have to do is: release the power cord, put DW in place, feed the flex conduit under it to front, connect and tighten. <S> A lot easier when you have one side fully open :). <S> P.S. <S> the circuit feeding the DW might already have a GFCI breaker!
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Take out the appropriate knockout and using the connector to secure the cable run the cable and wires into the box. You pretty much "got it right". You want to make sure the plug and outlet is accessible so putting it under the sink is the way to go. To check if you can do this, tip the new one to the side and trace how its power cord terminates. I don't believe a GFCI is required for a DW in the 2017 code.
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How can I remove the coating from black iron pipe? I'm building a couple industrial style tables, using black pipe from Home Depot for the legs. The fittings and smaller nipples are all a faded gray color that perfectly complements the black cherry stain I used on the wood. But the longer segments of pipe come in a black color that is too dark and very patchy and uneven. I would really like to remove it and ideally match the color of the fittings. Based on some research, I tried using mineral spirits to clean them up. This had very little effect. Next I tried sanding. This does break through the black, but is very slow going and the sand paper quickly fills up with black goop. Also this cuts all the way through to the underlying metal, which results in a shinier color than the fittings. There's got to be a better way. According to this video , the black stuff is mill scale and can be removed with Jasco paint and epoxy remover. This does look effective from the clip, but the Jasco stuff is $45/gal and seems pretty toxic. Also I'm skeptical that the black stuff is actually mill scale. Before I drop the money on the Jasco, can anyone tell me what the stuff is and maybe recommend a less toxic way of removing it? I wouldn't mind painting over it if I can figure out how to properly prime the current surface so the paint stays on. <Q> I find no definition in the ASTM index. <S> Mineral spirits or gasoline should take it off. <S> Different mills may use different products as there is no firm definition. <S> It is applied to new , relatively scale free pipe. <S> A industrial purchaser does not want to see his brand new pipe delivery covered with rust. <S> Oil companies sometime order pipe with no mill varnish as it is a nuisance to remove. <S> I have seen it hard like paint , I have seen is still gooey. <S> Mill scale is thick black iron oxide scale; Fe O and Fe3 O4. <S> The mill removes scale with concentrated sulfuric acid. <S> I have seen some new steel products with scale allowed to weather , rust ( complex hydrated Fe3 O4 - brown) will loosed the mill scale so blast cleaning is easier <A> Mill scale is the iron interacting with air while the metal is very hot. <S> It's almost one and the same as the surface rather than a coating on it. <S> The problem is removing it without removing the steel underneath Grinding with a different disks will work, as will a steel brush, or sandpaper. <S> The easiest is probably using muriatic acid. <S> It's cheap at about $10 / gal. <S> Be careful when using it and use appropriate precautions. <S> Here's a video on it <S> and it shows how easy and well it works <A> Slow... but low toxicity Leave the pipe outside until it's nice and rusty. <S> Then remove the rust by electrolysis (washing soda or baking soda in water work for an electrolyte.) <S> This happens to leave a pretty grayish "clean" surface, IF you rinse with hot water and immediately dry it (leave it sitting around wet <S> and it will re-rust.) <S> It's possible that you can skip the "let it get rusty" part, but I know for a fact that starting from rusty gets results that are similar to what you describe wanting. <A> It's some sort of rust preventative, possibly fish oil, fish oil will evetually set like varnish (it can take several weeks to set in warm weather) <S> but while tacky can be cleaned off using white spirit, or possibly grease remover. <S> caustic soda relatively cheap, not technically toxic, but is very corrosive and a powerful irritant. <S> keep away from eyes, skin, and aluminium.
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caustic soda solution will remove it too. It is "mill varnish" , nothing to do with mill scale. Very likely it is a varnish ; A resin plus a solvent/vehicle.
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Dual Purpose breaker (Eaton type BR Combination AFCI/GFCI) trips when starting blender or vacuum My brand new home has all available outlets protected by dual purpose circuit breakers EXCEPT for my bathrooms which are protected only by Eaton 15 amp Type BR Combination AFCI breakers. My blender and vacuum (both are pretty high draw) work faultlessly when plugged into a bathroom outlet but I'm getting tired of using an extension cord. Using any other outlet trips a breaker (about 95% of the time) immediately when turning on the appliance. Is there some kind of "dampening" device that I can plug in between the vacuum and outlet to stop the tripping? On the rare occasion when the breaker doesn't trip when turning on the appliance, it runs fine so I am guessing it has something to do with the inrush current. Note that I have a dedicated 20 amp outlet protected by a Dual Purpose breaker but that works no better than the 15 amp breakers. Also, I assume, I would be breaking code by changing out a Dual Purpose breaker with Combination Breaker. Any advise would be greatly appreciated. <Q> I believe your dual function breakers (GFCI and AFCI protection) are thinking you have an arc fault, not a ground fault or excessive current. <S> Some people confuse "Combination" with GFCI and AFCI, but those are properly called "Dual Function", as you did. <S> Is the bathroom outlet AFCI protected? <S> If not, you just ruled out over-current (inrush) and ground fault causing the trip, meaning the other breakers are thinking there is an arc fault. <S> Motors that have brushes are common causes of what you are experiencing. <S> Unfortunately all this great new "protection" is interfering with day to day operation. <A> The appliances are broken. <S> They're dual-function <S> so you'll have to have a conversation with the breaker to see if this is an AFCI or GFCI trip. <S> The purpose of both of them is to protect you from defective appliances that can start a fire or shock you to death. <S> Note that this is particularly important on kitchen and bathroom appliances because of the presence of water. <S> Using an extension cord to defeat GFCI protection in a kitchen is a classic Darwin award scenario. <S> Or the wiring has issues <S> It would be a loose connection that can handle low current, but breaks down on high current. <S> This is a serious firestarter if so. <S> However, I would expect this to occur one one or at most two circuits. <S> for every AFCI/GFCI circuit to do this would debunk this problem and put it right back at faulty equipment. <A> Combination arc fault breakers protect for both series and parallel faults . <S> There are combination breakers out there but they will specify GFCI and AFCI if it just states AFCI it covers series and parallel , Dual function is AFCI, GFCI.
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A "Combination Breaker" is one that provides series and parallel arc fault protection and not GFCI protection. Given that these are the main high-draw appliances you use, it's also possible this is an AFCI trip due to a wiring problem in the walls. One of the reasons I do not like arc fault breakers is they have problems with motor circuits and speed controls or electronic wave shaping. I could be wrong but all the breakers I have installed follow that naming convention.
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How do I change a bulb from my recessed lighting fixture? A light bulb went out in my storage room and to my surprise its socket and peripheral looks quite complex and all bolted into one piece, meaning I couldn't find screws which I can loose to open it. Anyway it looks like the pictures below. Can anyone tell me how I can open this thing and change the bulb inside? Update: I changed the bulb, it is as easy as, changing a bulb. :) Thanks to all answers and comments, you guys are awesome! <Q> Here is what the process of pulling the cover down will look like. <S> The bulb is inside. <S> If you can't get your fingers around it to unscrew it and need to use the suction cup, you can squeeze the spring clips and remove the entire trim ring assembly. <S> Pay attention to how it came out, you'll need to reverse that process to get it back in. <A> Try grabbing the trim ring underneath the edges and pulling straight down. <S> They usually have a springy bracket that holds them in place. <S> Once down, the bulb will be exposed. <A> On those fixtures there is a small margin between the bezel and the flat lensed/Fresnel'd surface. <S> That flat surface is the bulb . <S> See, it looks like this... <S> So how do you grab a flat flush bulb? <S> Suction cup.
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On many types of fixtures... You just unscrew the bulb!
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How to combine flat and split lock washers on a bolt So I'm assembling a pull up bar and its assmebly instructions look like this In the parts list it mentions only one type of spring washer (quantity 4). But it actually came with two types of washers (quantity 4 each ), type1 and type2 . Am I supposed to use both of them? And in what way? Any help would be appreciated! <Q> They gave you four lock washers instead of 4 locking nuts. <S> No problem. <S> Install the bolts as shown in the instructions. <S> Then install a flat washer on each bolt followed by a lock washer and then the nut. <S> Tighten as specified. <S> Picture Source <A> Put the flat washer on first then the split lock washer and finally the nut. <A> It is the bolt that should be under tension and the bolt that provides the force that keeps the joint together. <S> Spring washers, split washers and crinkle washers will eventually yield and the tension in the bolt will be lost. <S> The joint WILL open up. <S> At best the nut will fall off, at worst the bolt will experience shear or bending moments and fail.
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The advice from the German military shock testing establishment is to NEVER use any washer except a flat one.
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How can I repair a circular drywall patch seam? I hope someone would be kind enough to help me. We recently had a bathroom cabinet fitted. As it required wiring to the light switch an electrician used a tool to cut holes into the wall so he could feed the cable through and connect it. He then replaced the holes somehow (they seemingly went in and out in one piece, I have no idea how they were stuck back in) and said that all I would need to do is sand the edges and paint over them. My problem is that I have tried sanding them (with a fairly fine sandpaper), but there is still a slight circular ridge that is still bound to be prominent and unlikely to be hidden by even a couple of coats of paint. . I doubt I have the skill to skim the wall myself, and currently really can't afford to get someone in to do it, however I've seen a few options online that I think might be worth giving a go myself, including using a base coat, or a product such as "Everbuild Filler Coat". I'm hoping that someone might have experience of a similar issue and be able to advise me please. Best regards <Q> That electrician was no plasterer. <S> First you need to get rid of the high spots where the paper part of the drywall is showing through, you might need to cut that out with a knife. <S> after that you just need to fill it with plaster filler until it's flat <S> then sand it smooth and paint. <S> If you light it at an extreme angle the high spots will be easily visible. <S> you probsbly want to use poweder based fiiller, not pre mixed joint compound, the powder stuff sets hard quicker and shrinks less. <A> further Back spray the area fading to the outside <S> let it dry if it looks close paint and you are done, matching texture is difficult in a small area so adding a light texture to a larger area will hide the hole much better. <A> This needs proper taping or it's likely to crack on the joint. <S> Lay two strips of standard tape in a thin bed of joint compound and let it dry. <S> Then skim wide and flat with a second coat. <S> Evaluate the situation when that dries, and skim again if necessary. <S> Standard advice: Very little sanding should be necessary. <S> Skim thinly with firm pressure to achieve a flat finish.
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When I poke pull holes I do similar, 200 grit paper will knock the ridges or a sanding sponge, once the ridges are down skim coat or the paper will probably show, a wide taping knife and some pre mixed mud skimmed on will work let dry and sand then get a can of spray texture and try to match , do not use tape to block off an area as the tape will produce a line that will be noticeable , start
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How do I fix broken screw flange in shower drain? On my shower drain, I have a broken screw flange, so only one of the screws is holding the drain cover in place. This causes the drain cover to slide around easily when your foot hits it during a shower. The other screw got lost a while back due to this issue. Is there any easy way to reattach this flange? Before it broke, the threads are stripped and the flange material is almost crumbling. I thought about using some kind of silicone to just hold the drain cover in place on the broken flange side, but I need to be able to take the drain cover off from time to time to clean out hair, etc. Another idea would be to put some JB weld or some kind of epoxy to reattach the flange, but then I still have the problem of the stripped threads. I really don't want to replace the drain because this is an upstairs bathroom, so we'd have to cut the ceiling in the living room to access it. I did try to use some plumbers putty, but it does not hold it in place and it makes quite a mess too. <Q> See if some of the covers that do not use screws will work for you. <S> Example this oatey cover has tabs that grip inside the drain hole. <S> There are other after market drain covers that employ a screwless attaching mechanism, even an attached hair trap. <S> Use the search term “snap in drain cover” to try and find a compatible one. <A> You're close but no cigar. <S> Clean the surface and inside cracks as best you can. <S> Fill the screw hole too and be very generous with the weld, epoxy. <S> When it drys, fully cured, drill a small hole for the screw into the flange. <S> You should be good to go. <A> A drain is a difficult place for epoxy, as it's hard to get clean enough, and presumably it's also plastic since it stripped and broke, and many sorts of plastic are difficult to get epoxy to stick to. <S> In my experience, most black plastic drain-waste-vent pipes and fittings in the USA are ABS, so choose an ABS-compatible solvent glue. <S> Start with cleaning and drying the mess, which may require completely removing the cracked bit to clean properly. <S> You might be able to just glue the cracked bit back on, fill the stripped hole with excess glue (or glue and ABS plastic shavings), wait a day or more for the solvents to work their way out (the filled hole will be slow - gentle heat may speed the process, too much heat will cause other problems) then drill and tap the hole to make new threads. <S> Another approach would be to find a pipe or fitting that is sized so you could glue a short ring from it (or segments of a ring) in the recess where the screw holes are, with the aim of drilling and tapping two new screw holes into solidly glued new plastic. <S> If fully committing that might involve removing the present holes to glue a full ring, or removing the rest of the broken one to glue in a ring with a segment cut out for the good hole. <S> A more minimal approach (but you'll need some creative clamping - perhaps a shaped wood scrap driven in) would be to glue in two short segments at 90 degrees from the present holes. <A> You should be able to unscrew the closure from the top side without replacing the whole drain from beneath. <S> Most bathtubs and sinks are installed by placing the basin on top of the drain assembly, then applying putty, then screwing the top closure through the basin's drain hole into the drain assembly. <S> Look for "tub trim set" at your favorite home improvement supply. <A> Many thanks to the folks who answered and commented, really appreciate it. <S> I ended up going with a different solution though, and wanted to detail it here in the hopes that it might help others. <S> I did try Kris' solution of the hair catcher drain (bought the exact one from the picture), but as I feared, it would not fit my drain due to its shape <S> so I had to return it. <S> I also tried JACK's solution of making screw threads with the epoxy, but the screws would not hold because the epoxy was just not strong enough for screw threads. <S> I had previously found a thread on reddit where someone suggested using hex couplings and then attaching the coupling to the side of the drain with epoxy. <S> This is the solution I used (huge thanks to the redditor that suggested this solution). <S> Here are the materials I purchased for the repair. <S> As the redditor mentioned, be sure to get stainless steel screws <S> so you don't have to worry about rusting. <S> First, I drilled out the old flanges and made notches for the hex couplings. <S> Tip: stuff some paper towels in the drain to catch the drill shavings so they don't get into your drain <S> Next, I used the epoxy putty (make sure you use the type that is waterproof) and secured the hex couplings in the notches. <S> At this point, you want to make sure the hex couplings fit the drain cover screw holes properly and adjust as needed. <S> I messed up on this the first time and had to drill out the notches a bit deeper, but be careful that you don't drill too much as to cause a leak. <S> Once I had the epoxy and hex couplings in place, I just left the drain cover attached with the screws started about halfway while the epoxy dried. <S> Let the epoxy putty dry for a few hours, then put the screws all the way in. <S> Done! <S> In hindsight, I should have adjusted the rear hex coupling a little higher as one of the screws doesn't go plush against the drain as you can see from the picture. <S> But I can live with that. <S> Anyway, good luck and hope this helps!
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Take some of the JB Weld or epoxy and glue the parts back together, bracing or clamping the broken part.
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Leveling options for an uneven concrete floor in basement? I live in an old house (somewhere between 1870 and 1920) with a retrofit basement. I also have a high water table, so during the spring rains, we get a trickle of water in the basement ( we've come to accept it as part of the personality of the house and just make sure nothing is on the floor. ) The floor is poured concrete, but whoever did it left high spots and low spots, and of course one of the high spots is between the biggest low spot and the drain. So my question is: Short of taking out the entire floor, is there something I can do to level out the low spots? Or can I cut/grind/chip a groove deep enough in the high spots to act as a channel? <Q> Too long for a comment: I like to reduce high spots because I have found with moisture most self leveling compounds just don’t last , a 4” angle grinder is a handy home tool and can be used to cut a trench or with painstaking work grind it all down, inexpensive grinders start at ~30 <S> $ and pro versions can be close to 200 for a 4” , going up to a 9”angle grinder with a carbide surfacing blade/ bit will cost around 300 but can do a large amount in a short time this tool is used to cut the high spots down faster than masonry disks without dust. <S> I use water so a GFCI protected receptacle or extension cord is a must with my setup if no water is used the blade or bit <S> doesn’t last long this eliminates the need for a dust mask but a shop vac and a large rubber floor squeegee is helpful. <A> This is commonly done and is done so using self-leveling concrete or cementitious products. <S> These can be found at your local home improvement center. <S> The basic idea is that water, as a liquid, will always be level and the leveling compounds are very thin and act like water to become flat as you pour and spread it over the unlevel surface. <S> Then they harden to a very hard surface. <A> If your primary goal it to drain the water, then simply cutting a slot through the high spot can be quite effective. <S> Even though they are quite small (and as such will need cleaning somewhat more often than larger ones would) <S> In my case I had a grinder, got a dry diamond blade for a tile job, and used it on the basement floor later. <S> If renting a tool for the job, a diamond bladed wet saw (preferably with a somewhat wider kerf) would be a better choice - but adding water to electrical tools not designed to have water spraying around is chancy at best, so I chose a dry type blade when purchasing one for my existing tool. <S> Dust control is important for both your own health and the survival of your tool - it's best to have someone else holding a shop vacuum nozzle sucking up most of the dust before it can go anywhere, or lacking a helper, to attach the shop vacuum hose to your chosen tool somehow. <S> Aside comment - I found that painting the concrete also helped immensely with water movement/drainage - when the surface of the concrete is not acting like a sponge, the water is much more prone to just follow the drainage channels and leave. <S> I chose white paint and the basement felt 3 times brighter as a result, too.
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even an 1/8" wide cut made with a dry diamond blade will move water through a high spot (I've done that) to a sump/drain, and greatly reduce ponding/puddling in the basement.
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Locating burst point in copper pipe There's a leak, most likely a freeze burst, in a vertical section of 1/2" copper pipe that runs behind some drywall. In order to minimize the amount of drywall that I have to tear out, I'd like to locate the burst before hacking up the wall. Is there a way to do this? <Q> Sure, just turn the water back on and wait. <S> But you'll eventually localize where the leak is. <S> My actual approach would be to point out that a big drywall repair is barely any harder than a small one, so get over that misconception and rip away. <A> If you are really dedicated to avoiding replacement of a sheet of drywall (see other answers), then drill a small hole near the top of the run, and insert an endoscope or equivalent. <S> Cut there. <S> You can get USB-powered & connected scopes like this for peanuts at the usual shopping places online. <A> If the leak has been going on for a while and is bad enough to allow water to spray out sideways <S> so it hits the drywall (instead of just dripping out slowly and traveling down the pipe) you just need to gently but firmly probe the drywall with your fingers until you find a soft spot caused by the drywall absorbing the water. <S> Since it is already leaking there, your drywall is getting wet and will almost certainly grow mold and mildew, so you will need to replace a it anyway. <S> If the leak is spraying out at an angle so you're hole <S> isn't exactly at the leak, it won't matter since you needed to patch that spot anyway, but you should also be able to look through that hole to determine whether you need to move up or down.
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Of course, that won't actually minimize the drywall repair work. Lower it slowly until you see where the drip is occurring.
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Connecting a Makita jigsaw (4351) to dry vacuum cleaner (Dyson) Could someone share their experiences with connecting a Makita jigsaw (22mm vacuum piece) to a regular vacuum cleaner (Dyson)? It appears that some people say it's just really impractical to connect a jigsaw to a vacuum? I suspect it might be a good idea to get a longer hose that's a bit more flexible than the average vacuum hose. What say you? <Q> The main problem with using something like a Dyson or any other "floor vac" is that their filters (and warranty) are not made for sucking up a stream of sawdust or other "shop dust". <S> I imagine you can, and it should work fine, but you could clog up a comparatively expensive filter in a short time. <S> A "shop vac" has large filters made for exactly this type of dust and the filters are pretty cheap and easy to replace. <S> Your other issue is that attachments for power tools are going to be made for the standard sizes of shop vac attachments. <S> The only thing the Dyson has to connect to is its own included tools so it might not fit anything else without a clunky adapter. <A> It won't work well <S> and you don't need it <S> A jig saw work doesn't create the same dust and mess problem like other woodworking tools such as a sander, router, skill saw, etc. <S> A jig saw does not create the same small fine dust like particles and it just doesn't have the speed and power to throw them very far. <S> High speed tools work by removing much smaller pieces during each passing cutting blade and as a byproduct creates a lot of dust and can throw all of it a long way. <S> Sanders of course work by exclusively removing very fine particles <S> Collecting tool dust is about pulling a lot of air, to get the larger particles it needs to also be a powerful pull of air. <S> A household vacuum clear, while it can 'suck' well for household cleaning work, just can't move enough volume of air. <S> From experience you probably know that you must get the detachable tool very close to the surface to do much good or work it into an area where the air is channeled by the surrounding surfaces such that it's almost as if it were an extension of the vacuum attachment. <S> For a jig saw it would not be possible to get the tool close enough to the tool head to pull in the particles without interfering with your field of view and work area <S> and there is no confined area around the saw blade to assist with the air flow. <S> Or alternately, if the vacuum port was at a good distance then it would not be able to do <S> it's job due to lack of power and volume to get any dust. <S> And certainly there isn't enough power to get the larger particles <S> If you want to keep the area clean, simply sweep or vacuum up afterwards, easy peasy. <S> If you are doing a cut that somehow requires more attention to keeping the area from getting particles on it, simply hold or clamp the vacuum attachment near the work, on lower in height if sloped so that the particles will slide towards the opening. <S> Or use an assistant whose job is to running the 'cleaning tool' as you work. <S> If your concern is dust and breathing it, again, it just won't create much dust in the first place like other tools and is not a concern. <A> You need to let the dusty air go first through a cyclone filter which you will drive by your vacuum cleaner. <S> Dust that the cyclone fails to capture will be trapped by the filter on the vacuum.
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Some shop vacs will also accept bags for certain very fine dust that would quickly clog a pleated filter.
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Rewiring Outdoor Light to Switched Outlet (half hot, half not) I have an outdoor light that's currently controlled via a light switch inside the house, that I would like to convert into a switched outlet (half hot, half controlled via the existing light switch). However, I'm not sure if it's even possible... I opened up the outdoor light and there are three wires coming from the wall (black, white and ground). Each of these wires have a pigtail with another wire added that is then connected to the outdoor light. Advice appreciated! <Q> As you may have suspected, you would need four wires to have a half-switched and half-hot outlet. <S> Ground, Neutral, Hot and Switched Hot. <S> So, you could replace the light with an outlet, but it would have to be all switched or all hot (remove the light switch). <A> There are not enough conductors present in the j-box to support a split receptacle. <S> You have a ground (bare), switched hot (black), and neutral (white). <S> The only options I see routing a new cable from the switch box or some type of smart switching module or receptacle. <S> After seeing your comment, you could wire it hot (or leave it on) and add a photocell or motion sensor for the light. <A> You'll want a bit of a different sort of smarts for this <S> While controlling outdoor outlets isn't the forte of most smart-switch systems, especially those that rely solely on wireless technology, your "typical" options aren't the only game in town for smart-switches. <S> In particular, the old power-line communication standby of X10 hasn't disappeared altogether; instead, it was succeeded by an updated protocol called Insteon, and that technology provides us with several advantages here, including remote modules that can go in fixture boxes and the ability to use reliable power-line comms to go <S> places wireless systems just don't go. <S> In particular, I'd replace the existing switch with an Insteon switch, but leave the LOAD terminal on the switch unconnected, only connecting Neutral and Line. <S> This allows the switch to be used as a remote , controlling an Insteon Micro On/Off module located at the outdoor box, which gives you your switched hot for the outlet. <S> (Note that this circuit will need GFCI protection somewhere in line to protect the new outdoor outlet, by the way; if you have room and all the necessary wires at the wallbox, putting a deadfront GFCI alongside the Insteon switch there and feeding always-hot and neutral through it on their way to the fixture box is your best plan.)
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This day and age, you could use a regular outlet and then plug in an outdoor wifi switch to it and use that to switch something while the other receptacle always has power.
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Fridge turns on when banging it My Kenmore full fridge intermittently turns off, and the only way to turn it back on is to bang it on its side. When it is off, unplugging it and plugging it back in doesn't help, neither does turning the thermostat help. Also, when in it's "off state" the fridge light still goes on. Any idea of what is causing this to happen? <Q> Sometimes wiggling them will allow them to seat <S> so it starts again, <S> if it is getting worse over time I would probably replace first you could test Jraef’s theory by opening the door while it is running if it keeps running it’s the contactor or relay. <A> In some fridges, the compressor and fan are turned off when you open the door. <S> If your door switch sticks open, it would not turn on. <S> Banging on the side of the fridge might be jostling the switch so that it closes again. <S> Bottom line, the door switch would need replacing. <A> If it's a bad compressor relay, the fan will continue to run, but the compressor won't turn on (unless maybe if you bang it). <S> If the fan is on, check the compressor relay. <S> So if the fan doesn't run but the light is on, it's more likely the door switch. <S> If the light doesn't come on, check the outlet. <S> Compressor relays are cheap (around $20) and easy to replace. <S> You can test them — there are videos online showing you how. <A> Something physical and not something electronic. <S> Either a bad connection or more likely a bad switch or sensor. <S> The slap causes something to move and close or open a circuit or provide updated information to the electronic controller. <S> Electronics don't work that way and jarring won't fix them directly, though could via a power or other cord etc. <S> A good first step in troubleshooting can be to do a quick web search of your make and model to see if there is a common item that fails and people are asking or complaining about. <S> Also, you can try slapping (softer) different areas to try and narrow down where the item is located. <S> This is decidedly low tech but at least something to try and often I can work out issues this way. <S> Also, I don't like getting out the tools and taking things apart until I have to.
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It could be a door switch but also could be the contactor or relay that runs the compressor has bad contacts.
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What is the maximum number of branches on one circuit? Just curious. Is there a maximum number of junction boxes (and then branches coming off of those junction boxes) that one circuit is allowed by code to have? Could you theoretically just continue to add junction boxes to one main line of power and split that power into new branches over and over? <Q> No, and also, no. <S> But perhaps a qualified yes. <S> No limit on number of junctions/branches per circuit, unless it's been added at the local level. <S> And even then, reports I've seen here of inspectors with some number of end-use boxes in mind as a limit <S> don't care if the boxes are all in a line or madly branched every which way. <S> But you will soon run out of available power to run devices at the same time; <S> Or you won't meet required VA per square foot requirements; Or, you will be lacking adequate overcurrent protection. <S> Of course, if you care to modify your interpretation to include the breaker boxes along the way that DO provide the current limiting, "adding breaker boxes and junction boxes to one main line of power" is exactly what your house and even neighborhood power system looks like. <S> There just happen to be a larger number of branches at a few breaker boxes to deal with the overcurrent protection. <A> Wiring must be tree topology. <S> No loop-back or balloons, <S> no current going out one cable and back another. <S> Other than that <S> , there's no limit. <S> You can have as many T's as you want. <A> Reliability is the main concern... <S> Nothing prevents you from adding boxes but <S> the more you add the less the reliable the ckt. <S> Safety and reliability should always be considered in your electrical design. <S> Nothing is more reliable than a solid wire. <S> The more you splice the less the circuit will last. <S> My approach is always to try and avoid splices. <S> They fail and that is never a good thing. <A> USA answer: <S> In conformance with NFPA 70 (Electrical Code) <S> you are allowed 1920va on a 20 ampere 120 volt circuit. <S> Each piece of 'utilization equipment' reduces the maximum allowable load by it nameplate rating, 180va for each receptacle, and each light fixture at its maximum labeled lamp wattage. <A> Well, you can have as many junction boxes you want, technically, because the code limits the terminals, not the path to the terminal. <S> Ad <S> I recall, a circuit should have a typical load of 80% of the breaker max, <S> so: A 12 ga/20 Amp line can run .8 <S> x <S> 2400 = 1920w <S> A 14 <S> ga/15 Amp line can run .8 <S> x 1800 = 1440w <S> Then it depends on what's on it. <S> There are rules/guidelines for appliances, including that you need a dedicated line for some. <S> You're supposed to use 180w (1.5a) for each standard outlet, giving you a max of 10 on a 12 ga line if all you are doing is running branches to random general outlets. <S> I forget how you are supposed to count an overhead light, and technically you're supposed to count an outlet that may have certain things (like an air conditioner) differently. <S> But to your question, it's not based on junction boxes or number of branches per se, but practically speaking I have a hard time seeing you with many more than 10 if you're limited to 10 outlets.
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There are no limits on the number of junction boxes (without devices) in any particular circuit.
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Can any damage be caused to a door and/or its hinges if pushed open with force? In the majority of houses that I've visited, I've noticed that most walls in the property have door stoppers behind them to prevent damage to the wall from a door hitting hard into it. For doors that are situated in an area of a house that has no direct wall behind it, however, can any damage be done to the door hinges if a floor-mounted door stop isn't present? I was mainly thinking that it may be possible for somebody to force the door back not realising that there wasn't in fact anything behind it to stop it from going any further - but I'd be interested to know if damage to the hinges and/or the door are possible. <Q> No. <S> A door-stopper isn't there to protect the hinges. <S> It's just to prevent the doorknob from punching through the drywall. <A> If there's not a wall there for the doorknob to punch through and stop the door, the relationship of the hinges and doorframe may, in fact, lead to ripping the hinges out if the door is pushed too far open. <S> This takes an odd configuration , such as a door that opens out from a corner, towards the open side of the corner. <S> The leverage of a 36 inch wide door traveling at speed suddenly encoutering the frame an inch or 2 out from the hinge attachment point is fearsome. <S> That's one reason your typical designer avoids this odd configuration, in general. <A> The only way hinges would be damaged is if they part of the stopping process or the door hits something that causes it to pry against something to put unusual force on the hinge. <S> A classic example of something that does both is a hinge mounted door stop (picture below). <S> Otherwise, the door is always stopped by a wall. <S> And therefore it is always a good idea to have a stop since the item that first contacts <S> the wall is the door knob and that will damage the wall either with a hard opening or just regular use over time
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A unusually installed door might hit the trim before fully opening and being stopped by a wall and that will pry on the hinge and damage it.
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Changing loft bed's beam to diagonal braces? We have an IKEA loft bed for our 12 yr old. One of the beams that prevent legs going apart, is messing up with access to his chest of drawers. I want to change that beam to diagonal braces like these: What would be a good way to attach them to the bed frame to ensure legs don't come apart? The legs are 6x6 cm, and the horizontal frame part is 2x10 cm. The diagonal braces I want to use would be 7x4x40cm. <Q> The diagonals seem under-sized to me but even with heavier diagonals I don't think the bed verticals would hold up. <S> A 12 year old clambering up and down that ladder is going to put a lot of lateral stress on those vertical supports without the horizontal strut.. <S> Have you considered moving the horizontal strut on the left of the picture all the way to the floor? <S> That would give the stability you will need. <S> Also if there is a way to attach the verticals to the back wall - better yet. <S> Edit <S> Your idea of moving it up instead of removing it is much better. <S> I would keep it as close to the center of the verticals as you can. <S> Again - if you can attach it at the top to the back wall would be best. <S> If you did that I think the diagonals properly attached would work well. <S> Second edit <S> If you want to do diagonal struts <S> I would through bolt them with no more than 1/4 inch diameter bolt and washers. <S> With only 6 cm width to work with you don't want anything larger than that. <S> However, I strongly urge you to attach the posts and/or preferably the bed frame to the wall and not rely on diagonal struts. <S> That's the solution you need. <S> Put wood spacers between the frame and wall and attach it into the studs with Timberlok screws . <S> All you need is two attach points through the frame. <S> They are easy to install and remove and when you get rid of the bed at some point you only have two 3/16" holes to patch in the drywall. <A> The lateral support on your bed mostly comes from the two connections at the top creating what is called a moment connection (think of lifting a long stick with both hands). <S> The middle members do provide some additional support but consider that there is NOT one on the front and this should make it obvious that they are not absolutely necessary to keep the bed from falling over. <S> The middle brace is more about keeping the relatively thin and tall posts in place. <S> In particular, the BOTTOM of the post. <S> They do provide some additional support against buckling but that is minor, again note that front piece does not exist. <S> My suggestion is to prevent the bottom of the posts from moving. <S> If you have carpet then it's probably fine as it is as long as no one tries to move it. <S> If hardwood floors or for the case of people relocating the post or bed, you can place a cross member in a different location, perhaps at one of the shelves so that it is not in the way, or at the bottom of the post, even under the posts, though you would need to rise the other end the same amount or cut down the posts in question <A> Your plan is basically sound. <S> Long screws, counterbored through the braces, should hold well. <S> If you can attach the posts to the wall, that will help some. <S> And if you discover the bed is still wobbly, a wide plank where the braces are would be my next step. <A> I built a very similar bed but without any of the lower braces. <S> I anchored the top bed frame to the wall on two corners (diagonally opposite). <S> This means that there is no side to side movement of the bed frame. <S> So the posts are simply bearing vertical (gravity) load. <S> Its been rock solid for a year. <A> When I built my grand kids bunk beds I used 3/4 inch plywood at the foot and head of the beds. <S> In your case, you could put a panel of plywood that went as far down as possible under the top bunk. <S> And it could go up as far as you want past the top. <S> That is what I did <S> so I could add a book and toy shelf to the bed. <S> In this case just attach with standard #8 screws (drywall, or woodworking).
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If you can move the removed beam right down to the floor to tie the posts together, that might help. I'm really concerned about the stability/safety of what you're proposing. The braces are located in the middle for reasons such as aesthetics, to prevent toe stubbing (if the middle piece was not there then people would walk through and hit the bottom piece).
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