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what is the correct procedure to patch up cinder block hole with plumbing? (followup question to Why is this Ptrap installed in this location? ) Here is the hole that I want to patch up: As you can see, it is a cinder block wall with concrete foundation with a new PVC drain pipe. I want to cover the hole to prevent ... | You should install an outdoor rated access panel that either has a hinged door or a removable panel.
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What is the best type of door/barrier for a 96" H x 48" W uncased opening? We have an uncased opening measuring 96" H x 48" W which opens to a room we would like to convert to a home office. What kind of door or other barrier would best serve this space? We're planning on engaging with a contractor for the work but ar... | French doors open in the middle, so each door would be a bit less than 24" wide and take up minimal wall and floor space to open. As a thought, instead of glass, you could use a solid door and not lose much of the "open concept" since you're only cutting off a small corner.
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How can I seal the lids on water collection barrels? I'm working on a rainwater collection system. Due to space limitations, I have arranged the barrels in a 2x2 configuration (as in the picture) Problem with this configuration is that I can't get a good seal on the lids, and the 2 barrels on top never fill up. Any ... | The float valve is still the best solution I've found so far.
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Framing for drywall around curved stairs I have a curved stair case and I'm looking to drywall it up going into the basement. I'm looking for guidance on how to best frame the area below the stairs to drywall it up. Images of the bottom of the staircase, looking up: <Q> I would not mount drywall directly to the stairs... | I would install thin, flexible boards against the wall and mount crossbars (ceiling joists) to them. This could be done with semi-rigid pipe held against the staircase to create smooth curves.
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Is it possible to cut a larger opening in this window / serving hatch of this pool house? I'm curious if it is possible to cut a taller opening in this pool house or if that would create structural issues supporting the roof From the inside you can see I would remove the 3 stubby studs and the 2x4 below it, leaving t... | The 2 2x4 on the flat with the little cripple studs above them aren't really supporting any weight, especially since there isn't a vertical cripple above the jack stud at the edge of the opening. You may get away with it if you put a 2x8 above the opening. Yes, you can but you will need to properly support the structur... |
Ground a dryer converting to a 3-prong cord - manufacturer hardware missing I need to change the cord on an electric dryer from 4-prong to 3-prong. My questions concern 1) what to do with the ground when moving to the 3-prong dryer and 2) how to test whether the installation is working as it should using a multi-meter.... | You should really do this according to current code and leave the four wire plug and run your existing feed into a new box and add a four prong receptacle. What you have done is correct but whether it is safe is another thing. If you hang around any time on this forum, you find hear about loose connections.
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Is this a split bus electrical panel? My home inspector called this a split bus panel and that it should be replaced eventually. Looking at split bus examples, I don't think it is. Was he just confused by the 200Amp double pole braker? Should I have this updated? <Q> It's not a split-bus/Rule of Six panel. <S> I plai... | No, not a split bus. The distinguishing feature of a split-bus panel, also called a Rule of Six panel, is no main breaker .
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what's the minimum depth of a wire channel in a concrete ceiling? I would like to install fans and and ceiling lights at different locations on a concrete ceiling and not have the wire or the conduit visible. I've seen previous posts recommending a trench as a solution and like this idea. Is there a minimum depth to th... | The wire would have to be run through conduit, and I don't believe there is a minimum "depth" that the conduit needs to be "buried" in the concrete.
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Replacment remote for an older garage door I have an older Lift-A-Dor garage door opener. The remote is no longer working. The remote model# is RC-10. The garage door lift is model# LD100. Where do I purchase a replacement or is there a compatible universal remote available? <Q> You can purchase from the big box home i... | For well known brands and models, you can do some internet searching for companies that sell this type of equipment, and have brand name or generic compatible replacements for sale.
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Installing flooring in bathroom and new toilet new homeowner here that decided to take on too many projects while moving in! One of our projects is installing new "peel-and-stick" laminate tiles from Home Depot and are 2mm thick. We are planning on installing the tile on top of the existing linoleum flooring. My q... | You will probably want to replace the wax ring with a new one.
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Can insects get into a house through the ducting? I have a study that normally has the door closed and all the windows are very tight, modern windows, yet I keep finding insects, especially flying insects like lady bugs and wasps in the room. Can insects get into ducting from the outside? Is there some kind of externa... | As for vents they are easy routes for insects, unless there are grilles or filters on each vent which have to be fitted properly - any gap and they get through. They can come in with you, on your clothes in or on bags etc.
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What should I use to fill big gap around door frame? A door was replaced (due to break in). The contractor insisted to go to a bigger size door. So we went from 32 to 36 inch (which is more widely available). Now I see a gap of near 1 inch between door frame and what appears to be the stud near the key hole. The door i... | Best thing, if it is an exterior door, is to loosely press on some soft insulation in the gap.
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Is there such a thing as hardwired/powered keyless door locks? I've seen an explosion on the market of keyless door locks, keyless dead bolts, and so on. Schlage sells a bunch. From the looks of it, most of them are powered either by a 9V battery or some number of AA batteries. Since there's always an actual key slot, ... | There are mechanical combination locks .
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Two 20-Amp circuits in one box for outlets I would like run two 20-Amp circuits to a 2-gang box with two duplex outlets. One duplex outlet on Phase A and the other on Phase B. I know to keep the hots and neutral separate and that the grounds can be combined. Is there anything special I need to do at the panel? For ... | If using audio amps making sure the amps are on a separate leg from a fog maker or other electrically noisy devices so it depends what they will be doing, GFCI protection but breaker or receptacle is required and if L1/L2 I think the best and safest is for a handle tied breaker or double pole breaker as allowed for a m... |
Daisy chain or dedicated outlets in wiring my RV? What will happen if I dedicate each outlet to its own breaker in an RV??I thought I was doing it the right way and may have cost myself a lot of extra money and put my safety on the line. I already have plastic and insulation up... do I have to take down and ponytail my... | What you can do is pigtail the wiring together in the breaker box so that you can put two outlets on one breaker.
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Fix a wobbly table I have a table consisting of a top and a leg. But top is wobbly due to a space/gap between top and leg. What is the easiest/fastest way to fix it? Note that there's no attachment between the top panel and the structure underneath. <Q> You can buy adjustable size plastic shims easily at home improve... | Wood glue a shim into the gap. For now, I'm using some sort of plastic foam, something like @UnhandledExcepSean suggestion.
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Removing hose tap/faucet from old hose pipe (outside) when half the metal thread is stuck Today, I tried to replace the tap unit to my mom's hose because the 40-year old tap was leaking water everytime I turned the water partially on. So I used a vise grip to try to unscrew the tap. The nice news is the tap is removed,... | works great but turns rock hard after a few years , I have found heat the only way to remove in the past, if this is a copper pipe to a brass fitting that is sweated heat will be the only way to remove it unless you cut it then use a shark bite to repair the stub , again I prefer heat, but a photo of the part may provi... |
What is a solid beginner 3D modeling software to use to replace paper and pen for home projects? I like to make home projects, for example building a bed or a loft or a soundproof room. I also want to design my own house to build. Currently I do the old paper and pen method, but this is limited. I'm finally considering... | TinkerCAD is one of the easiest 3D drawing programs to learn. Consider Autodesk Fusion 360 which has a free hobbyist license that has full modelling functionality.
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Can I use only one phase out of a triphasic cable? Scenario There is a three-phase cable popping out of the wall exactly where I need to put a light bulb. Is it ok if I plug only two wires to the triphasic cable, (i.e. neutral and live 1) to achieve this? Further questions What consequences would this have (e.g. co... | If it was a large load, e.g. an outlet, you would need to make sure the load on each phase was reasonably balanced, Having a lighting circuit on a different breaker to the rest of the house lighting is frowned at, as if that circuit trips, the light goes out, equally someone later on perhaps wanting to replace that lig... |
Why are "horseshoe" shims shaped the way they are? Here's an example of the type of shim I'm referring to: They are sold marketed for various uses - tile spacers, leveling window or door frames, etc. They are non-tapered. Its not clear to me why the specific horseshoe shape is beneficial . Why not just a simpler f... | It is easier to hit and direct a horseshoe with a hammer than a circle - more directional control when placing into tight opening. In tile application they can end up stuck and you want to be able to get a good hole on the portion that is sticking out so you can pull them.
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Hole in countertop too big for faucet I took out an old insta-hot faucet in our kitchen countertop and the hole that had been drilled was too big in diameter for any newer water filter faucet. The diameter of the hole is around 1.5" while the diameter of the faucet fixture cover is barely that large. Unfortunately the... | I'd suggest a new washer that goes on the bottom of the counter top.
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Contractor is installing a vinyl fence and posts but is not using any water with concrete. Is he doing it right? I hired a reputable local company to install 6 foot vinyl fence around my yard. Salesman was telling me how they would be using cement to hold the post in place. To my surprise I see the workers use dry ceme... | As long as the soil is stable (no expansion/shrinking) it's probably alright to have weak concrete surrounding the post.
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Replacing a ceiling rose with a led light without using wire connectors I have two ceiling rose lights in my corridor, I have managed to replace one without the need of any wiring connector. I achieved this because it had one Live, one neutral and one earth connector.So all I did was connect L and N to the new LED ligh... | NO, you cannot just tape electrical connections! Wago connectors, wire nuts or other code-approved wire connectors are designed to provide a solid, vibration-proof mechanical and electrical connection between two or more wires.
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Removing rusted screw and wingnuts from toilet tank My toilet tank is held in place by two screws, which have rusted so much that the shape in their head is almost completely disappeared.On the opposite side, they are held in place by two wingnuts made from plastic. I tried to losen one of them with pliers, but that on... | See if you can loosen it by grasping the screw head with one pair of locking pliers and the nut with another pair.
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Does the ground bar on a subpanel need to be bonded to the subpanel? I had a lightning strike near my house that damaged the electric in my shed and now I need to replace the subpanel. I have a question about the groundbar. In the subpanel I am replacing the grouond and neutral bars were isolated, but the ground bar ... | It's probably best to get a separate ground bar The only place both the grounding and grounded conductors are connected together is in the main but both panels need the case bonded to the grounding buss.
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Equalizing upstairs and downstairs temperatures when A/C is on Our A/C unit is in the attic in an unfinished area on the second floor. The A/C thermostat is in the finished area on the other side of the wall from the unit. As expected, the the second floor is generally several degrees warmer than the downstairs and we ... | Yes, closing downstairs vents will help balance things out, and at least avoid overshoot in the downstairs temperature. This is a common problem in warehouses and homes with high ceilings.
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Why is my Water Heater Leaking only when I open the Pressure valve? I woke up today to a full drip pan under the gas water heater and my utility room slowly flooding with water. Of course the drip pan was never connected to a drain and overflowing. After shutting off the water to the water heater the flooding stopped... | It was leaking before you touch the relief valve.
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What wire do I run to feed 120v driveway lights a total length of 500' from the switch? I am running 5 - 8'lamp posts down my driveway a total of 400-500 linear feet. The lights will be 120v and will have LED bulbs vs. incandescent. Even though the total watts will be no more than 60 W, I know there will be voltage dro... | If you are willing to use a 240/120V stepdown transformer, perhaps a portable one that you take to the recep location you want to use that day. That would let you use #12 wire and have 4.52% voltage drop assuming a 1500W appliance in use at the far location. Remember you must use outdoor rated wire
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Is there a revolving small flat file for a drill? I would like to file down (just a bit) a metal tube's end to make it completely flat. See a drawing of it in another question of mine on this site Fix a faucet that has a groove . Taking that drawing as the case, I would like to file it from what in the drawing is the... | A sanding or grinding disc intended for a rotary tool will do nicely.
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Should my AC condenser and evaporator be the same size? It's difficult to find a consistent straight answer on this. I asked earlier today on Reddit, and was told "It’s common to upsize the indoor (evaporator) coil to get greater efficiency" . When I search "next size up evaporator greater efficiency" , these are th... | The Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), an industry group, keeps a directory of known-good matches that can be searched, by condenser or evaporator model number, at https://www.ahridirectory.org/Search/SearchHome .
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Can insulation touch the roof sheathing in a sloped garage roof without soffit vents? I am beginning to install fiberglass insulation in my garage and want know if I have done the ceiling wrong. The issue is that the insulation touches the roof sheathing in the sloped area below that I marked in yellow. There are no so... | With a ridge vent you need space for air flow so move the insulation or add more vents .
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Turning an HMO into a family home I am considering purchasing a house that for the past ten years has been an HMO (House of Multiple Occupancy - so each room is rented separately, with a shared kitchen). I'm in the UK. Because of this, what would have been the two downstairs reception rooms are currently styled as bed... | Knock through the study and bedroom 2, put a new kitchen in the study end and the dining room in bedroom 2. You need to decide what you want, but do consider the following: Make sure you know which walls are structural - these cannot be removed easily.
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Why does my re-plumbed shower come on whenever the tub faucet is opened? We recently bought this place and are in the middle of updating the bathroom. Bought all new tub/shower fixtures as well as a valve. Handyman installed and flushed/tested/etc. this new valve, and I’ve since installed the new spout, faucet, shower ... | Most valves (all I have seen) meant for tub/shower send everything to the tub by default.
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Is it worth repairing this spigot? The hose spigot on my house leaks from the handle end, as you can see here: When I took it apart, the lower washer looked intact: However, I could not disassemble it any further to inspect the upper washer (which I assume is there, but who knows). It looks like the handle and the ... | Then you could stop by your plumbing supply store and get a new seal and also replace the bottom washer as it's pretty well compressed.
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Can I put an electrical conduit through this space above the wall to simplify future fishing? Ok, I'll try to explain as best as I can. Basically I have a space above my electrical box that leads into the unfinished section of the basement, with a bunch of electrical wire running through. As it happens I periodicall... | As long as the conduit is designed for electrical work, it should be fine. The energy you are using to push or pull the cable will instead bend the conduit sideways. Believe me, this is very frustrating, especially when pushing, and pushing is (otherwise) easier since you only have to watch one end.
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How to verify electrical box is secured strong enough for 16# ceiling fan? The metal electrical box says it's "Acceptable for fan support when secured with 10-32 screws provided". The box has 2 black screws (sheetrock screws?) in the middle that are screwed to some piece of wood above it. The screws are 2.5-3" long bu... | The deck screws will certainly go in if you don't pre-drill, but they will likely also split the wood right down the line of the screws - and then none of the screws will have any gripping power at all. First of all, those drywall screws are not "10-32", use what's specified or something similar.
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Why did my light string turn off after a short while with GU24 to E26 to socket outlet adapters? I'm new to this website and (as you will see), I have no electrical knowledge. My wife and I recently moved and hung string lights in our back patio (bought from Costco; 24 watt per string). We do not have an outlet in the ... | Your adapter stack is failing I've dealt with this myself with the cheapie adapters from China (though, mine were at least UL Listed, probably because I was doing something reasonable, putting Candelabra bulbs in Edison sockets).
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How can I temporarily disable a garden hose tap without an interior valve? I have a water tap in the garden of the house. My little son keeps opening it regardless of how tight I close it. I would like to seal it off. I was hoping to find a metal cylinder shape element which I can screw on the tap water end. Any help ... | You can get a hose cap and screw it on nice and tight.
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Can I glue instead of screw a 3/4” strip of cement backer board? I am building a shower. The entrance is framed by 2x4s. On the outside of the shower there is drywall butting up against the 2x4. So, there is only enough room for a 3/4” strip of hardibacker. I’ve tried predrilling and countersinking, but the hardibacker... | The predrilling and the flat head of the nails kept the cement board from splitting.
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Can I cut the shower seal that is tearing or do I have to replace the whole seal? On my glass shower door, the outer seal of the under sweep is tearing. (I think it's called the under sweep based on other questions I've seen on this site but I could be wrong). Can I cut the piece that is tearing so that it stops or do... | If it is, in fact, torn or split from th groove in the door, then you'll need to replace the whole seal.
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How do I remove textured paint from my patio floor? My patio flooring has a paint-like texture on it that is chipping off. The base is concrete. I have tried scraping, but it's incredibly tedious to get up and is taking hours of work. Is there some sort of chemical or solution I can use to help the paint/texture lift e... | I presume a patio is outdoors, so a pressure washer may do the trick.
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Do power strip switches provide the same protection as circuit breakers? Do power strip switches serve the same kind of protection a breaker do? How are they different? I'm designing a small switchboard for my desk / workbench, in order to have better cable management and convenient outlet access. I estimate all of th... | For the 5A breaker (fuse) on each outlet, I don't believe you will find that in any power strip. The switch doesn't trip if overloaded, it starts to fail by overheating the contacts, or melting the housing.
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Crooked light switches in loose electrical box needs fixing I recently replaced 2 rocker switches in an existing electrical box and they are both crooked (inward) and look like garbage. They also don't feel that nice as they are indented and not flush, so honestly they don't function all that great either. It's a probl... | Loosen the screws that attach the switches to the box, and use the cover plate screws to "pull" the switches into alignment against the back of the cover plate as they are tightened.
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Any special precautions when turning off water to a property? When turning off incoming pressurized fresh water to a property for a few hours during non-freezing conditions, are there any special precautions that need to be taken? Specifically, is there anything that needs to be done to protect a tank-based water heat... | When you turn your water back on, release any air in the water heater by opening a few faucets.
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Is it possible to use the same key when replacing a door knob? The lock mechanism broke in my exterior door knob. I am probably going to have to buy a new one. Can i buy a new door knob and program it to use my existing key so I don't have to get new keys? <Q> Most brands of locks can be re-keyed, but it usually requir... | If your current locks are Kwikset brand, you're in luck -- they make a line of products called SmartKey, which allows you to rekey them yourself at home.
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Removing router bit that is stuck with damaged shaft I got this router from a family member for free but the bit is stuck. It's waaaay over tightened. Trying to get it out just damages the shaft (which I already managed to do). What is the best approach to loosen this and get the bit out? Thanks! EDIT: Following seve... | I would use a bar that fits into the hole in that shaft and a properly fitting wrench as if it has been overtightened it will need some force to undo it.
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Connecting 3 wire timer to 2 wire circuit I went to replace an old mechanical timer for a bathroom extraction fan with a more up to date timer. The new single pole timer has a ground of course (no more mention of that), a black hot, a white neutral and a red load. All good, but when I took out the old timer, the wiring... | The upshot is that you cannot use a "smart switch" unless that smart-switch is designed to not require a neutral wire.
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Can I drywall over a skylight without removing it? Is it possible to put a ceiling over an existing skylight without removing the skylight? It's not leaking. We just want to divide the room in the middle of the skylight. Would it pose problems with heat building up inside the shaft? <Q> You could extend the wall up... | Yes as long as you plan on removing the skylight the next time you have work on your roof and you are OK with that particular area having a chance at water damage.
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unscrew a rounded nut I tried to remove the supporting wheel of my son's bike the other day, it's quite easy to remove one but the other gave me quite a bit trouble - the nut is rounded thus can't be secured by a wrench. The bike, the nut, and the tools I used to try are shown below. I looked up online and found some l... | When you get that nut off, take it to your local hardware store, and ask for a pair of acorn nuts - you'll need this bolt so you can be sure the threads match. You need "locking pliers" - Vice Grips™ is a trade name that has become a common name for these types of pliers. With very few exceptions, all threads on a bike... |
How do I remove an old ceiling junction box to install one rated for a fan? I want to replace a light fixture in my house (1950s construction) with a ceiling fan. I doubt that the existing box will support a fan. I see the big screw in the middle of the box. Is it holding the box up? How difficult will replacing th... | After the box is detached from its mounting you'll be able to work the cables free of the box. The instructions for the new lighter Hunter fans allow installation into a ceiling joist with special wood screws provided if the box is attached to or near the joist. You'll want to ensure that the electrical cables are clea... |
Do I need rim joist for this tree house platform? What will happen if I leave them off? Because the angle is odd and the trees are not parallel my idea was to put everything up as is, tack the decking on and then strike a line on the joists to cut them exactly so they're even. You can see in this picture that everythin... | If you follow the Building Code, the Code says, “Joists shall be supported laterally at the ends of joists by blocking, rim joists, etc.
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Hanging drywall on taller than 8-foot walls I have a concrete slab porch that was made into a family room by the previous owner. They used paneling on the walls and I'm going to remove that paneling and replace it with drywall. The top of the wall has wood trim all the way around. That wood is damaged to some extent an... | A flat/matte paint as opposed to a gloss will reduce visibility of any minor variances, as would a wallpaper lining. The outcome will be the same regardless, since a well-done tape joint is more or less as strong as the sheet itself. You might even want to dig through the removed wood panelling/trim and see if there's ... |
How can I disconnect rusted tail piece mount from popup flange? I am experiencing a water leak from some sort of waste trap piece below my bathroom sink. This piece sits directly above the U trap. Here's a photo. This trap looks unusual, in that it seems a bit different from most of the wider traps. Any pointers on ... | If you can't get it lose by holding the strainer and having a helper unscrew the pipe (again with a rag and pliers if necessary) they make wrenches that are designed to hold the strainer. Take this opportunity to give the trap a good cleaning. Your part is labeled "Lock Nut". That's the tail-piece of the drain. Take th... |
Why are there three cables coming into my ceiling fan box? I'm working on a new ceiling fan install. I pulled out the old light fixture (traditional fixture) with three sets of wires coming into the box (three hot, three neutral, and three grounding wires). There is only one light switch, so why are there three sets ... | One cable leads from the fan to the switch.
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How can I cut slots in the ground to install insulation panels? To build a geothermal greenhouse, I need to insulate a thermal mass -- basically the ground directly the greenhouse. The insulation will be for the underground "walls" only, no floor, and 5 feet deep. As an alternative to having to break up my 6-inch-conc... | Unless you're in the perfect type of sand/clay soil, with no gravel or rock larger than say 1/4", this won't happen. Lay thick layers of insulation on top of the existing concrete; this will be the subfloor of your greenhouse.
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Is it normal for air to be leaking from this part of the HVAC? First time living in a house. While I was cleaning (AC was also running) I noticed that somewhat cold air leaks from the circled part of the furnace on either sides. Not sure if this this information is relevant: My electric company shows usage comparison ... | To really decide if the cold air leak on your furnace is a problem you could cover that crack (opening) with duct tape and see if that results in a more effective use your AC cooling the other parts of your house. Your notification that you are targeted to be using 30% to 40% more energy than your neighbors is interest... |
My kitchen cabinets were mounted with drywall screws. How can I better secure it to the wall? The kitchen cabinets in our apartment were hung with drywall screws which has been flagged to us as a safety concern because they might not bear the load when the cabinets are fully loaded with dishes: My understanding is th... | Anectodally, I'd say there is nothing wrong with these screws, installed properly, except they don't match the color of the cabinet, and they can rust if exposed to weather.
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Affixing a sail shade to balcony railing with a pole I need suggestion on how to put up a triangular sun shade sail over my balcony. There are already two pre-drilled holes on the wall where I can hook up the two corners. Now is the third corner of the canopy. My old plan was to attach it to a pole and affixate the po... | I would take up welding and make your own pole type fixture and mount it with the bolt pattern shown above..maybe put a radius type bend in it to achieve desired results
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Do i need to mud the top of horizontally mounted drywall if i am hiding the seam with quarterround? I am doing a bedroom with horizontally hung drywall. The ceiling in the bedroom is already drywall with popcorn on it. The existing wall is just wood panel with nothing behind it. Am hoping to hide ceiling and floor lin... | If you don't mud the top and bottom, the bevelled edge will show up. Mounting the quarter round up there might be harder than you think. Code doesn't address that as it's purely an aesthetic issue (excepting in cases of firewalls).
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My 20 amp circuit has some 14 gauge wire in it. Is that OK? I have a 20 amp breaker in my 1890’s home with 12 gauge wire attached to it. Further down the line (Where I can not see) there is some old 1960’s 14 gauge Romex wire attached to it within the walls of the house. This old 14 gauge wire is attached to a plug I ... | You may not have 14Ga copper (or 12 Ga aluminum) downstream of a 20A breaker/fuse.
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Applying urethane to table: brush or pad? I am finishing the stain coat of my revamped desk, and I am wondering, after much enjoying using a staining pad rather than a brush, if I could use a pad for the urethane as well — or will that leave streaks? What do you folks use to apply polyurethane, is it a brushes-only wo... | You could use a pad exclusively, but you would need to watch how you apply so that when you start applying finish beside a part you did a few minutes before, depending on the conditions may have started to dry
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How do I test a GFCI circuit breaker (without pushing the "test" button)? I want to test if my oven can trip the GFCI. The leakage current should not be a problem but I worry about the GFCI would trip at high frequency. So I bought three circuit breaker and tested oven on them individually. They all didn't trip. But I... | I used a standard 120v receptacle single a single pole double throw switch And a 50 a 4 wire range power cord , plug my tester in and push the button on the cheap home owner one or dial the resistance until it Tripp's this fit in a single gang box with a 3/4 cord grip.
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Can I replace a quad breaker with a tandem breaker? My panel has a 15-amp breaker for two-bathroom outlets and two outdoor outlets. Is that normal? I would like to replace that with a 20 amp breaker. Also, I want to replace my water boiler with the "Ecosmart ECO 36 - 36kw 240V 150A Electric Tankless Water Heater" but t... | You cannot simply replace a 15 amp breaker with a 20 amp breaker unless ... You would not be able to get a permit with the existing service panel.
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Is it OK to replace a 15A outlet with 20A outlet as long as it's already on a 20A breaker? My circuit panel has a 20 amp breaker on the circuit that leads to the garage (I know this only by the little 20 on the head of the breaker switch). The garage has one 15A outlet, a few lights, and two garage doors. I want to pl... | There are extremely limited cases where 20A breaker with #14 wire is permitted, I think all related to dedicated circuits for certain electric motors. It's always a good idea to check the wire size to make sure you have #12 AWG wire.
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Can I DIY fix the broken main feeder support cable? After trimming the old tree, we found out that the steel cable supporting the main feeder lines is broken: Must have been like that for years. The actual feeder wires are fine, the electricity is on. The steel cable seem not to be really connected to any electrical ... | Call the power company as soon as possible and tell them a wire on your service drop is broken. You should not go near that.
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What is the name of this plug/socket combo from a rangehood? I have a rangehood with some lights for illumination. But they're expensive lamps, mains voltage, not very bright and they run hot. So I'm looking to remove and replace with something LED based. Ideally I'll remove the whole lampholder assembly and store t... | DigiKey (a very large electronics supplier, and the first result of a search for plastic wiring connector ) calls them rectangular connectors
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Outside garden hose bib plumbing - 1/2" or 3/4"'pex I recently renovated and I now want to setup an outside garden hose. I can either hook it up to the 1/2" PEX or the 3/4" PEX. I have 3/4" PEX coming from main water entry to my water heater, then from there the whole house is on 1/2". (Side story, my water pressure / ... | 1/2" is fine for individual fixtures such as sinks and dishwashers, but high flow fancy showers should be 3/4" The only disadvantage of 3/4" on a the hot pipe is that it takes longer to get hot water at a remote faucet due to the increased volume of water that needs to be moved.
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Two black wires connected into a single black wire in light switch box I pulled out a one-way dimmer light switch in a bedroom in order to replace with another dimmer switch. Within the switch box, there were two black wires connected together, with another single black wire exiting out of the connector (see the red c... | Getting stranded wire onto receptacle screws is fidgety work, and it’s easier to do at a comfy workbench. Which often means using pigtails. If you were to disconnect the black wires that are connected together from the wall, you'd find that only one has power. This is the typical way to connect a switch.
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Code question: Can electric range outlet with 6 Gage wire be exposed under surface mount box? I am in the USA. I want to change my propane stove to an electric stove. I have read that I should put in a 50 amp outlet with 6 gauge wire.The employee at the big-box store said I could make it easy on myself by using a sur... | If it doesn't line up you could create a situation where damage is possible and protection would be needed if you don't drill a new hole. Unfortunately "where necessary" isn't well defined in the Code and is mostly up to the interpretation of the inspector. But as I mentioned most inspectors view protection against phy... |
How would you repair this broken sprinkler irrigation PVC pipe? Please see the photo. We had a (plastic!) stake hit this (red circle). There doesn't appear to be any leaking from the red circle. Unfortunately, there is quite a bit of spray from the bottom of the elbow joint (the Yellow Arrows indicate the direction of ... | Get three slip connectors to connect the three pipes to the existing ones.
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How to seal dryer exhaust vent I am replacing my dryer exhaust vent. Here is a picture of the old one after I removed the cap. I did my best to clean up the old caulking before adding the new tube and vent, which looks like this: As you can see, it's not sealed very well against the brick. I'm not really sure how ... | So basically, I put the vent into the hole with the cap on, secured it to the wall on the other side to it wouldn't move, and took the cap off. As others have said I would not worry buch if the pipe connected to the vent, if the vent is just a cover you don’t want lint hanging out of all the mortar gaps.
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What is this metal block found in our yard? We found this metal block while digging in our yard. It is 3x4x11 inches, very heavy (around 30 lbs), and shows rust. Our property is in Charlotte, North Carolina. Does anyone know what it is and its purpose? <Q> Steel barstock; My guess is some one picked it up where he w... | If you found it near the property line, it may be an informal survey marker showing the corner of your lot.
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Electric heat pump water heater with solar power vs. gas water heater I am getting ready to replace my current hot water heater - it is a ~15 year old tank gas water heater so I want to be prepared in case it breaks. In the summer (when I am not using gas to heat the house) I pay on average $20 per month for gas, so as... | Depends a LOT on your local costs - in many places, natural gas is quite inexpensive on an "energy basis" but against "nearly free" electricity that might not hold.
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Ideas for making a backyard fort moveable I'm in the planning stage of a backyard fort similar to this , standing on six 4x4 posts with the floor roughly three feet above grade with far more structure than the linked example. Since this thing will need to be placed within a utility easement, one requirement will be t... | Pin/bolt or plate those top and bottom skid pairs together.
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A 1" T fits the pipe and a 1" valve does not, why? Both of these are labeled 1". The T on the left fits the little bit of grey pipe. The valve on the right is too small. What am I missing? <Q> The difference is deliberate because CPVC is rated for hot water whereas regular PVC is not; they don't want people to accident... | That valve is for a different type of piping system called CPVC and the sizes and fittings are different. SDR piping has the same P-T ratings regardless of pipe size.
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How many wraps of Teflon tape around nipples that need to point in one direction? I cannot find one source on the Internet that addresses what to do when you’ve wrapped the threads with Teflon, threaded the fitting on and threaded until it’s pointing in the right direction, and it’s not tight but it won’t go around aga... | I was taught to never exceed 3 wraps of Teflon tape, because all it is there for is to lubricate the threads and fill in the microscopic gaps between the tapered threads. It varies depending on the fitting but the key is to start with no tape and adjust from there.
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How impactful will it be to lose 7' of radiant heat pipe in a room? My home has a hydronic heating system, with fully enclosed floor radiators. In one room, there is a radiator that runs the length of the room, on the outside wall which is about 20' long. In the center of this run, I want to install a set of french d... | Unless it was massively oversized when it was installed then the room will take longer to heat up to temperature and may well feel cold. That is one third of the radiator. So from the cold source you will notice a continuous draft at your feet.
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"Connect the ground wire from the branch circuit to the ground screw"? This is what the directions say for my new pendant light. Both the (metal) box and the fixture have ground wires. The diagram didn't show how exactly to connect the wire to the ground screw (located on the mounting bracket). Do I wrap part of the gr... | If fed by conduit with no ground in the conduit then you could connect from ground screw in the box to the bracket and on the the fixture wire.
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Should a UPS be unplugged when working on the electrical circuit it is plugged in to? I need to do some electrical work on a circuit in my home. One of the outlets on the circuit has a UPS battery backup plugged into it. The UPS is tucked away behind a lot of other equipment, so I'd rather not have to unplug it if its ... | If the UPS is one of those expensive full-conversion zero-switching time types that have a rectifier and an inverter at the input - the chance of it backfeeding something is minimal, comparable to the possibility of an unplugged laptop power supply to feed back something to the plug.
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Should I use a GFCI breaker or receptacles for my shed run? In my question about running a circuit to my backyard shed, a discussion arose in the comments about whether I should use a GFCI breaker or have the convenience outlet be a GFCI. Instead of debating it in comments, I thought I'd ask a new question where the ... | Furthermore, with the GFCI tucked inside the shed, that keeps it reasonably protected from the weather; this isn't an issue for most folks, but can be if your breaker panel is outside (say, on a meter-pole). Without running 2 circuits separating lighting from outlets, if you tripped the breaker, the light would obvious... |
What is a safe way to ground this light fixture? We are putting in a new mirror and light fixture. Unfortunately the electrical box is not centred with the vanity. I am going to drill a hole in the metal backing for the light fixture (see pictures) to put the wires through, but i'm not sure about what is a safe way to ... | Yes you can cut the hole but you need some protection for the wire coming through the hole I would find a large snap in gromet drill a hole to fit the gromet
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Quickest way to circulate outside air thru house? All but one major room is part of a single path through home, from a window on one end to a window on the other. In the evening I want to bring in cooler outside air as efficiently as possible. If there is no breeze outside, is it faster to close all windows except th... | After sunset, open draperies/windows on both sides and turn on your kitchen exhaust fan in addition to the box fan, to determine if it creates a sufficient draw of cooler air into your home. It would only function in the immediate room space and probably not do much for the rest of the house. On the flip side, even a s... |
Can I oil a push button light switch? I have a circa 1920 push-button light switch which sticks occasionally. The push buttons move fine, but sometimes the blade switch inside doesn't flip unless the button is pressed very hard. I'd hate to replace this, because this antique switch has a more solid feel than replicas... | Use switch cleaner spray to clean any gunk away, then use a silicon grease with a small craft paint brush.
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How to protect an outdoor electrical cable which can’t be buried? Last week we had an electrical point installed at the bottom of the garden (about 15m from the house). The cable runs alongside the property boundary. The electrician did not bury the cable as the weather was “so hot” that day and advised that the cable ... | The line needs to be buried but before doing that you need to determine if the wire used is rated for direct burial.
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Ground neutral bond screw on a PON main panel I'm installing a Plug-On-Neutral (PON) main panel. There is a screw with a label indicating that if I need to bond the ground to neutral, tighten to 40lbs. Now I know main panels generally have the ground and neutral bonded, and it appears that they all are, but I am assum... | There is no difference between plug-on neutral and regular panels; plug-on-neutral is just an alternate way to pick up the neutral instead of a pigtail.
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Getting rid of a Chalkboard Wall Around 4 years ago, we painted a chalkboard for our 1-year-old kid. She loved it and did all sorts of artwork on it. Now she is 5 years old and doesn't want the chalkboard anymore in her room. I tried to scrape it off using sandpaper and a Dremel power tool (MM 50) to powersand it. O... | You did not properly prepare the wall surface prior to priming.
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What is the most affordable means of storing 3,000+ gallons (11,000+ litre) of rain water? I'd like to setup some rainwater storage, collecting water from the rainy season, so use later on the garden. The hardware stores sell water storage containers, but to store 3000 gallons (11,000 litre) would require $5000 of cont... | I've seen silo like cisterns used by residences in the Caribbean islands. They sell plastic water tanks in the $1000 range for 3000 gallons (11000 litre).
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Is it safe for plumbing to use rainwater to flush toilets? A couple of articles encourage the use of rainwater to flush toilets. ( article 1 , article 2 ) However, would it be safe to do so if the rainwater in your particular area has a pH that is considered as acidic or akaline?(The risks of which are outlined on th... | Virtually any water is safe for toilet water use as long as it has, at minimum, a "sand filter" of sufficient size to keep out sand and particulates.
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What would be the cleanest way to wire a wyze security camera from a light switch in a staircase? I am planning to install a wyze security camera at the top of a staircase. There is a light switch right there I can draw from. Was thinking about wiring a romex from the light switch to the ceiling. But then how do I plug... | The wire was neatly attached to the wall with u-clips, and the excess was coiled around the camera. (Obviously won't help if you absolutely, simply must use an existing wired Wyze cam.) It looks like the white wire may be a neutral.
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what should I use to cover a table made out of a broken bookcase? I'm working with a friend who is trying to make a kitchen table (i.e to use for eating) from a bookcase which broke.We're trying to do it as low-budget as possible (he's in a lot of debt right now). The bookcase is made up of a type of WPC . Each piece... | A thin coat of sealant will provide at least as much waterproofing as any other wooden table has.
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Wood fence posts in clay I'm installing a wooden fence around my back yard using prebuilt cedar panels and 10 ft (3+ m) 4x4 pressure treated posts buried 3 1/2 to 4ft (1+ m) deep. The posts are packed in with pea gravel to allow for drainage. Most of the post holes I've dug go through 2 ft (60 cm) or so of hard clay b... | One solution I saw was to drill into the post from the bottom and meet that centre hole with a small hole from one face.
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New concrete up to blacktop's soft edge I want to make a concrete walkway next to a blacktop driveway. This is on private property, and the total length of the walkway will be about 20 feet. I don’t want a curb, and I want the concrete to be at the same level as the blacktop for ease of snow-plowing. Trouble is, the ... | Once the concrete is set you could back fill the space between the concrete and the asphalt with asphalt patch and tamp it down.
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Do drywall cracks pose any risk for further damage? I recently discovered a fairly long (~2 foot) crack in my drywall within my home. Aside from the aesthetics, is there any negatives associated with leaving a drywall crack alone for an extended period of time? Of course I will eventually fix it up, but does delaying t... | These are also pretty common fractures and usually nothing to be too concerned with. You have a hole in the framing that will never be quite as strong as unbroken studs, and lots of vibration. It wouldn't hurt to call the builder to get their input if you really wanted to ease your mind.
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Can pressure treated wood be buried in concrete? I was planning a relatively simple, 6x8ft "2-post" pavilion, just a small structure to provide protection to a small bench. This design would require to bury the wood into the concrete several feet. Is it OK to bury wood in concrete this way? How to avoid getting water... | In my last house, I built a very large deck and all the uprights were installed in concrete that were buried 3' minimum into the soil below.
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Why do I have two doorbell transformers? I'm trying to debug why one of my doorbells isn't working, but to keep things simple, today I'm just trying to understand the reasoning and implications of what I see at the electrical box. Background: The house has two doorbells; one original location (1967) and one added with... | Yes, adding a second transformer to make higher current available would be cheaper than buying a bigger transformer.
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approximate strength of poured reinforced concrete slab We would like to back a truck over a garage floor recently poured. The slab is 6 inches thick with 1/2 inch rebar in a 2 foot grid throughout. The concrete is a 6.5 sack mix and has cured 60 days. The garage floor has no walls erected. Our intent is to pour a walk... | An alternative approach could be to cover the slab with a thick layer of gravel to protect it from the local effects of the wheel loads. If you want a reliable answer, you should hire an engineer to do the calculations.
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Installing tiles on bare floor after removing kitchen cabinet We had to remove a kitchen cabinet to free space for a dishwasher, and now the visible floor is bare. I have few tiles that I would like to install on that area, but I have no idea what steps I should follow to do it the right way. it is an old kitchen, 40 ... | Ideally, you'd make sure the structure underneath that floor is sufficiently strong so the floor doesn't flex, tare up the whole floor down to the floor boards, put down proper thickness of plywood, maybe some kind of waterproof membrane if you want a waterproof floor, then tile the whole thing wall to wall.
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Installing smart switches in 2-gang box with switch loop We have two dimmer switches in a finished basement room. Switch 1 controls wall lights, and Switch 2 controls overhead lights. We are hoping to replace them with smart switches that require a neutral. It looks as if Switch 2 is wired using a switch loop. (The... | It does seem like the center top cable in your diagram supplies the light fixture, and that the cable at switch 2 is a loop. If you don't mind adding a decently large electrical box you can still do it. It’s a Code violation, it’s a safety hazard to workmen working on the left circuit... and what’s more, if there are a... |
Trace live wire without an outlet I have an old-school intercom installed in the house that I am in the process of disconnecting. When I remove the master unit from the wall, I found 120v mains coming in directly to a transformer behind the unit, with absolutely no separation between the HV and the LV side (and all the... | While of course I couldn't recommend that a person should do such a reckless thing.. if a person did choose to wear gloves and work carefully, it wouldn't be impossible to attach a receptacle to those bare wire ends so that the plug-in tracer could be used (or a plug-in noise maker, for that matter). Honestly it's the ... |
Why would the neutral current be significantly greater than phase current? I am in India. The typical domestic supply here is 240v @ 50Hz 1phase. The utility company recently replaced the old analog wheel type meter with a modern electronic meter capable of providing several readouts. Amongst these are Ip and In , ... | The neutral should be equal to or less than the phase currents.
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