D Grip vs Barrel Grip Jigsaws I've been looking into getting a new jigsaw and I've noticed that there are two grip types, barrel and D grip. I've looked around and I don't see any good explanation about the differences. Are there any actual advantages of one other the other or is it merely personal preference?

Its personal preference. Couple things to note:

With the top grip saw, its more
natural for me. I look down on the
cut, where as with a barrel grip I am
looking to one side.
The switch placement on a top grip saw is more natural for me as well.  It is usually a trigger under my index finger.  A barrel grip has switch placement on one side.
Top grip are more wrist action saws so they can be easier (I think) to do more scroll work.

It is mostly personal preference though. I would try would a couple saws.  However, I would bet you would be happy with either.


What are my options for a basement floor drain? I'm in the process of finishing my basement and I'm trying to figure out what to do about the existing floor "drain" by my furnace and water heater.  Frankly it looks like it's just a whole cut into the basement slab and I doubt it's been built properly.

What are my options for retrofitting this into a proper floor drain that can take the AC condensation runoff, humidifier runoff and any possible water heater leaks?

Here's a picture of the existing floor "drain"/hole with the current piping from the dehumidifier and furnace:

Only proper options are the options. You'll need to seal that up so Radon & Water can't come in, stop the creation of a sinkhole under the house & get a condensate pump with a pipe into the plumbing or to the outdoors. Unless, you have actual real plumbing within 10 or so feet, then you may still be able to do a gravity drain or break up the floor to do so.


Did not remove break off tab on electrical outlets replaced I changed three very old electrical outlets in my grandmother's home today, and was thinking afterward about how they were wired. After finishing they did work when tested, with a simple desk lamp, but I haven't tried anything more complex or sensitive to wiring.

The outlets I removed did not appear to have break off tabs at all, and the outlets are not switched. I was thinking that they were just ancient, at least 70's era, and the screw plates shared an unrestricted contact on both hot and neutral.

The two outlets in question have two hot wires, two neutral, and a ground. I wired up the new outlets and left the metal tabs intact. I am worried now that that may eventually cause a problem, and hopefully someone can confirm or deny for me. If it is suggested that I should remove the hot side's metal break-off tab, I will do so immediately. If it will not cause issues, then I will leave it as-is.

What should I do?

If the outlets test correctly and are functioning as intended then you should leave the break off tabs alone.

The break off tabs are there so that you can power the top and bottom outlets differently.  Most commonly so that you can have one of the outlets on a switch.  A less common and generally inadvisable reason is so that you can have each outlet on a different circuit.

If you aren't trying to do either of these things then leave the tabs intact.  Older outlets often don't have break off tabs.  The only thing I would check to make sure of is that your outlet is rated to handle the amperage of the circuit.


Can I remove bluestone pavers embedded in mortar Can I remove bluestone pavers embedded in mortar and reuse them?   A house with a bluestone foyer is being demolished and I would like to salvage the pavers and reuse them in my new home.

You can always try.  You will need to break some of the grout away so you can see the base where the paver and the mortar meet.  Then using a floor chisel (3 inch wide blade cold chisel) set between the paver and the mortar, see if you can pop the paver up.  If the paver is not well bonded to the mortar, they will pop up.  If they are well bonded, they will just snap when the one side is getting lifted.


Plastic sheeting in a french drain system I am installing a french drain along the foundation of a residence. I have always place thick plastic sheeting (6mil) up against the trench on the foundation side and on the bottom of the trench. Afterwards I lay 2" of gravel,fabric,pipe,etc. Is it over kill to do this? My reasoning is that it helps force the water away from the house and into the pipe.

Oh heck no. I go deeper than that myself and typically apply a rubber or asphault-base coating on all the masonry, then put poly over that.

Nobody, anywhere, ever said "this crawlspace is too dry".


Gas fireplace will not come on or it goes off minutes after coming on When we turn on our gas fireplace switch it will sometimes come on, but typically doesn't. When it does ignite, the flame wil only stay lit for several minutes and then goes out. The pilot light remains lit, so that is not the issue. Do you think it is an electrical issue or a problem with the insert?

From the sound of it some kind of safety has kicked in. There's probably a thermocouple that's connected to a cut off valve of some sort. If the gas is on, but the thermocouple is too cold, it cuts off the gas (this is intended to prevent something blowing out the flame from filling your home with gas!).

Look around and see if you can spot the thermocouple and make sure it's not bent out of the way or something silly like that. Beyond that, I'd call for service on the thing.


Can I run direct burial line in a conduit from the ground to the electrical box? Can I run direct burial line in a conduit from the ground to the electrical box? Just the 4 or 5 feet from ground to box? Can I run it in conduit above ground along the building for 20 feet? The is the wire:
https://www.wireandcableyourway.com/2-2-2-4-dyke-underground-secondary-distribution-cable.html

"Direct burial" means that the cable is rated to be in direct contact with the ground and keep the ground water away from the wires inside. It does not mean that it is only to be used in direct contact with dirt.
Feel free to wire your whole house with direct burial cable if you'd like, just be prepared to pay through the nose for it. (Just be sure to use wire also designated RHH/RHW-2 to do this - it's flame retardant and approved for indoor use. It must be used even if running in conduit.)
Long way of saying "yes", feel free to put it in a conduit as it comes out of the ground and makes its run to wherever you're terminating it. Actually, unless it's coming directly into a building, you'll be required by code to run it in conduit to protect it. Just make sure that your outdoor junction box is properly watertight.


Water from toilet tank goes straight down the drain? Is it possible for the tank water to bypass the bowl and straight to the drain?  Would this mean I need a new toilet?

The toilet was running and I have been trying to fix the flush valve.

Mansfiled toilet.

It's most likely a bad flap, probably not seating correctly on the bottom of your tank. this can cause the water to constantly flow straight into your bowl and as the bowl fills up it will automatically drain. Try cleaning it or replacing it.


Is this 15 amp w/2usb outlet on a 20 amp circuit against code? Does it present a fire hazard? So the 15/20 amp circuits are confusing, from my reading you can have a 20 amp breaker with 12g wire and multiple 15 amp receptacles because the total draw of all receptacles combined might exceed 15 amps.

However, you can't have a single 15 amp outlet on a 20 amp circuit, because then the outlet might overheat if it draws more than 15 amps instead of the breaker tripping. For the purposes of this, a duplex receptacle is considered two separate receptacles.

I'm thinking about putting an outlet like this in for my garage. Does the addition of two USB outlets count a "Seperate receptacle" for the purposes of the above guidlines?

For the purpose of this question, I'm asking from Kansas.

I believe it does, based on the 2011 NEC (which I believe applies to you?)

Definitions used are available here

A strict interpretation of "receptacle" and "attachment plug" would make that a multiple receptacle.

There are 20 amp versions of that available; here for example


Should I upgrade to 3/4" pipe all the way to my new pex manifold? I have a water meter with a 3/4" supply line that is fitted to an adaptor which then runs 1/2" to all the pipes in my house.  I'm in the process of installing a PEX manifold system for some new connections and I'm wondering if there's any reason I shouldn't remove the old adaptor and just run 3/4" from the main supply to my manifold.  It seems silly to leave it as is while I'm doing the other work.

The manifold has a 3/4" PEX input with 1/2" outbound PEX connectors on valves.

For what its worth, the plan is to then run one of the outputs from the manifold to the existing 1/2" copper pipe to supply the lines that aren't being added.  All pipes in question are exposed and easy to access in the basement.

Is the manifold 3/4? If you have easy access to do it, then you are correct that now is the time to do it.


Swivel adaptor for screw bits I am looking for a swivel adapter that will allow the turning of screws at an angle.

Can someone help me?

Try a flexible shaft:

This should work at any angle, though since it is flexible the speed will be limited compared to a rigid adapter.


Compressor Break In Help I received my new compressor today. The break-in instructions say:

  PREPARATION FOR STARTING

  Push in switch to OFF position, and plug in power cord at the wall.

  Pull up the red power switch and run compressor unit for 30 minutes to
  break in the pump parts.

  Turn regulator knob fully counterclockwise to cause air to bleed off.

  Attach the hose and tool to the compressor using the Euro type quick
  release couplings on the compressor.

The problem is about 30 seconds after starting the compressor it shuts off because it has reached the maximum pressure.

Here are the instructions.

Cheers.

The third step in your instructions might address this

  Turn regulator knob fully counterclockwise to cause air to bleed off.

so either that or leave the drain cock twisted open while it's running.


Saddle valve keeps spinning? I’ll start by saying I know saddle valves are evil, but am trying to avoid replacing it right now.
Our fridge has had poor pressure since we moved in. I just found the saddle valve for the water supply in the basement ceiling, and was going to try to close and reopen it in case of a small clog. I feel like I’ve been turning forever and it is not stopping. There is no leaking water, and the distance from T Bar to pipe doesn’t seem to be getting smaller.
Can a saddle valve break where the valve stem keeps turning, but it doesn’t open or close any further?

The valve should be replaced if for no other reason than if you have a leak you can't shut it off. You have 3 basic choices. Install a new saddle valve ( I wouldn't do this), cut out the pipe where the saddle valve was and solder in an an appropriate "T" fitting, or shut off the water, cut the pipe and install a "SHARK BITE" T. The shark bite doesn't require soldering and can be installed even if the water is still dripping out of the pipe.


How far apart should nails be when installing baseboards? I am using a nail/brad gun to install baseboard.  How far should I space the nails?  I want to make sure I hit some of the studs, but don't want to take the time to find exactly where all the studs are, so it seems better to space them a little closer.

We usually tack the baseboard in place with one nail at each side, and then find the studs with a stud sensor, marking on the baseboard as we go.

Alternately, I would think that every 12 inches would be sufficient. We also caulk the top of the baseboards with paintable latex caulk (which helps with dusting later), and that helps hold the baseboard to the wall too.

With shoe moulding (which I seriously recommend, especially on 2nd stories and pier on beam structures), it doesn't matter since the nails go into the baseboard first.


Can I convert an old dual fuel Electric/Propane range into a cooktop only that uses 120V instead of 240V? We have an old dual fuel range - electric oven / propane cooktop - that we'd like to transform into a propane cooktop only. The range is old and outdated and we want something new for the kitchen, but I'd like to keep the old thing as a propane cooktop only and use it in the garage/outdoor for canning garden goodies in the fall.
Now the range obviously uses a 240V outlet cause of the electric oven, but I'm wondering if it's possible to convert/rewire to be able to plug it into 120V (in the garage outdoor) as we'd only need electricity to light the cooktop. Who has a 240V outlet in the garage?!? :)
It's not really a big deal cause we still can use a lighter to light them up, but if we could plug it in 120V it would be nice to be able to use the clock/timer on the cooktop. We still have the electric wiring plan, but we're not sure where and how to wire it into 110 V for the lighter and clock/timer front plate.
Would that be doable?
Edit: Added electrical wiring schema

Many people have one or more 240V outlet in the garage (shop tools, welder, etc.,) and many more will as electric vehicles (and associated chargers) permeate the marketplace more.
Anyway, if you don't, certainly the simplest option is to light with a lighter.
If the igniter circuit works from 120V (which you appear to assume, but I don't), and both the clock (where that assumption is more valid, IME) and igniter circuit are on the same leg of the 240V line, it should be possible (with care) to determine which leg of the 240V feed that is, and to wire a 120V plug to the line, Neutral, and Ground for that purpose - whether that's going to be a technical code violation or not, I don't know. If the current range cord is a 3-wire, you'll need to separate the neutral and ground, for sure.
You will need to take care that the other side of the stove's line connection is well-isolated, as that will be energized when someone unfamiliar with your modification tries to use the oven, unless you make more internal modifications to disable that.


What are these 'cabochon' tiles called in English I'm looking to source some of these tiles which alternate large and small tiles in a matrix. The French name is cabochon, but that is not proving useful in the UK to shop for this style of alternating big/small square/octagon arrangement. Obviously the size can vary, I'm looking for about 20-30cm for the larger part of the pattern rather than a small mosaic.

"Octagon and dot". Not very elegant a term, eh?


How to install wall mount corner sink? I'm installing a sink in a 3x4 powder room. There's no room for pedestal or legs, so it must be a wall mount. The chosen sink has no overflow. I'm in Toronto, Canada.

How would I install the sink? What type of bracket? hinges? And plumbing pipe?

The arched notches in the rear skirt are intended to accept heavy bolts with rubber pads and washers.

Be sure that you have solid backing where the bolts will need to go. Install two-by lumber, wide face forward, between studs where needed. Be sure they're well anchored.
Finish your room. Paint should be complete and well cured.
Install the sink by carefully locating the bolts to align with the sink notches. I'd put rubber or plastic sleeves over 7/16" bolts, and use neoprene rubber and stainless steel fender washers to secure to the inside face of the sink skirt. Leave the bolts about 1/4" loose when hanging the sink, the snug them slightly against the skirt. The bolts should be piloted properly and extend at least 2" into the wall.
Optionally caulk along the wall. Use the smallest bead necessary to create a good seal and nice appearance. An acrylic with silicone should last well and is paintable.
If the drain assembly that comes with your faucet doesn't work out, look for a standard 1-1/4" assembly with full-length threads. Otherwise it's a typical P-trap installation. That's well covered in other questions on SE and throughout the internet.

Product brochure


What is a "washing machine filter"? I read an article on leach fields that recommended that a "washing machine filter" be used to prevent lint from getting into the septic system.

What is that? The portal for my washing machine effluent is just a plastic fitting about an inch in diameter that is mounted in the wall facing up. It looks like a hose screws into it.

It's a lint filter, and the problem isn't just with septic systems.  The discharged water is full of fibers.  Much of it takes forever to break down if it does so at all.  But even before it reaches your septic system, the fibers can build up in the pipes and clog them.  I learned of the problem by needing our drain pipes professionally cleared because of the washing machine dischage.

I stopped using the in-wall drain.  Even if you use a filter, you have to remember to regularly clean it or water will back up, and the mesh filters still let much of it through.  If you have a nearby utility sink, discharge into that, instead.  Fasten an old stocking around the end of the discharge pipe.  It will capture virtually all of the lint.  The stocking will balloon when the water discharges, providing plenty of surface area for the discharge, even when it has a lot of captured lint.  When the stocking gets too full of lint, toss it and stick another one on the hose.

BTW, the in-wall outlet has a trap that will eventually dry out if you aren't regularly discharging water into it.  If you don't use it, pour a quart of water into it to ensure the trap is full, and then seal it to stop evaporation and keep out funky-smelling sewer gases.  You might find a rubber stopper that size.  I used some rope caulk and a small plastic lid a little larger than the opening.


How do I run ethernet, speaker wire, and coax through a wall into a crawlspace? I would like to run three low-voltage cables from my entertainment center through an old plaster wall, down (1-3 feet) through the sill plate, and into the crawlspace.

The cables are Ethernet, coaxial-something (for a roof mounted UHF/VHF TV antenna which we haven't installed yet) and speaker wire.

Will this gang box will be too crowded? Is there an easy way to give me more space inside the gang box, or to deal with the thick coaxial cable?

I might want to run additional wires into this box later, such as phone cable for our DSL connection, or maybe an HDMI connection to another room (but this is a fantasy). Since I have existing wires in the box, will routing new cables through this box and through be a problem?

I have a raised crawlspace (4 feet high or more). I need to get the cables from behind the wall into the crawlspace. It looks like many people drill a hole through the sill plate and then route the cables through the hole. Is this recommended, or does it cause any structural issues? I would be drilling the hole from the crawlspace up into the wall. From the room above, I would then need to cut a hole through the plaster. Is there a way to make these two holes line up?

I'm looking at the following products to make my life easier.

Use some Leviton Quickport wall plates and snap in connectors.
Use an low-voltage old-work gang box. I'm a little concerned about moisture coming in from the crawl space. Is this a problem?

You've got a lot of different questions, so I'll try to answer the ones I can:

Coax sucks because of the necessary bend.  You're better off going with a backless box like the one you linked to, because it makes running cables so much easier.  (if you have a second person, have them push the cables up from below (or a straightened coat hanger or other wire to act as a needle, if the bundle of cables is too floppy), and then snag it from the hole with a wire bent into a hook) ... which you can't do as easily if you mount a box with little punchouts.  Also, you then don't have to worry about crowding the box, etc.
It's easier to run lots of cables at once.  What what you're planning already, I'd likely run an extra cat5e/cat6 cable, and then get an HDMI-over-twisted-pair (aka HDMI-over-cat5) extender if you wanted to go that route, or re-terminate it for RJ11 if you wanted to change it over to phone.
I don't know of any other way to get cables/pipes through the sill other than drilling, and it's allowed for plumbing, electrical, etc, so long as you then spray foam the holes afterwards (at least, it's required in my area, might not be in yours).
You only need to line up well enough to get it in the same bay, so you have a ~14.5" target.  I cut the hole for the box first, then check to verify the location of the studs (I don't use hardware that requires me to attach to a stud, so I just have to make sure to miss it when cutting my hole), then measure off of some reference point that I'll be able to find down below.  (electrical runs, walls, etc.)  If nothing else, you can use plumbing or electrical for identifying where the walls are from below.
To avoid humidity issues, use spray foam to seal around the cables.  (see #3).  It may even be required by code in your area.


How can I get rid of frogs that have settled in an unused swimming pool? We have an inground swimming pool that we haven't used in a few years (it's just too expensive for us to maintain at the present time).

Well it's almost June and the frogs are a' plenty. Our pool (covered, but with a top layer of about 2ft of water over the tarp) has become a pond/swamp for these little critters, and at night the sound is keeping us up (and our neighbors) all night long.

I'm tempted to start routinely dumping chlorine into the water that's on top of the tarp, but that will get almost as expensive as...maintaining a swimming pool ;-).

There really isn't anything we can do about the water on top of the tarp. All we have to keep the tarp sitting on top of the pool are a bunch of cinder blocks that weigh it down. In between the blocks the frogs can slip under the tarp and get access to the main pool anyways.

Commercial frog repellents exist. Mothballs are recommended by some people, others say they don't work. It is illegal to use a pesticide (yes, mothballs are pesticides) in any way other than the way directed on the label.
I'm not sure if fake plastic snakes would help. Most animals are terrified of plastic owls.

Here's an approximate frog repellent solution (legal per the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act), for use in a trigger spray bottle: 1 quart water, 1/2 cup citric acid, 1/2 cup salt, 1 oz sodium lauryl sulfate (it's a kind of surfactant -necessary to mix oil and water- that can be found at a tractor supply or online), 0.5 oz peppermint oil, 0.25 oz clove oil.
Collect and relocate the frogs before spraying. Spray 24" band around the pool, weekly or as necessary; avoid spraying brass, galvanized steel, and other metal finishes.


How can I remove very old wallpaper? I've got wallpaper that was put up in the 70s. Trying to get it off the wall is proving impossible.  Have used all the home remedies and removers you can get st the store to no avail.  May try the steamer, but doubt it will get this stuff off

Any suggestions?

It is often faster and cheaper (particularly if you are paying for labor, so faster is cheaper, but merely saving your own time is good, too) to either cover the wallpapered wall with thin sheetrock, or bash out the wallpapered wall, do anything a sensible person would do with the wall open, and place new sheetrock.

This seems like a drastic, nuclear option approach when you are thinking "but I just wanted to remove the wallpaper!"

You can waste a lot of time and effort and products trying to get an old wallpapered wall looking as good for paint as a newly sheetrocked wall. Demo is messy (so is wallpaper removal) but quick. New rock is quick...and you can fix any wiring  or insulation issues in the wall. There's another wallpaper removal question where where one answer says they spent 6 nights doing a 10x10 room sure, it was the worst room, but tearing out and new rock would definitely have been faster, in my experience.


Is there anything I can use to remove gorilla glue from hardwood? I have a very thin layer and some thicker blotchy spots on some steps and was curious how or what I could use to remove it?

I would first try a plastic scraping tool to see if you can physically remove it.

This page, under the FAQ tab from the Gorilla Glue site states:

  Wipe off excess glue immediately with a dry cloth or standard paint thinner. Do not drag glue over material, instead make small swipes to remove wet adhesive. Make sure you avoid skin contact. Cured glue can be removed with a chisel, scraper or sandpaper.

I'm not positive if a solvent would work, but before you try a solvent, test it on an inconspicuous spot of your floor to ensure it doesn't damage the wood finish.  Try denatured alcohol, mineral spirits, lacquer thinner, etc.


Adding additional lights to a circuit I have an older house that has 12/2 wiring to the plugs.  I am adding 2 LED lights and and On/Off switch to a closet and want to connect to the electrical plug for the power.  The wiring that was installed was 14/2.  When i turned the CB (20amp) back on it keeps tripping. Will replacing it with a 15amp fix the problem or will I need to run a separate line to a new breaker?

"It keeps tripping" means you have a short somewhere. That being said, you need to have all wire 12 AWG on a 20A circuit. Since you now have some 14 AWG wire, you need to replace the 20A breaker with a 15A breaker.
My best guess is that you have the switch wired incorrectly. Based on your description, you should have:

Hot (black) from receptacle to switch.
Neutral (white) from receptacle wire nutted to white going to the light fixture.
Switched hot (black) from switch to the light fixture.

If the switch is a smart switch, dimmer, motion detector, etc. then the white will also go to the switch.
If you still can't figure it out, upload pictures of the wires going to the receptacle, to the switch and to the light fixture(s).


Can I connect all of my LED strips to a single power supply? Im working on a project with LED light strips, and want to connect them all to a sd controller. The lights are ws2812b 60 LED/meter, and have 20 meters of it. It calls for 14.4w per meter @ 3 amps per meter. Can I hook all these strips to one power supply of 400W 80A?

The power rating of the supply must be higher than the power rating of the load -- so based on the numbers, yes, this seems sensible.

However, the strip lights themselves will not support running that much current through them -- which means you can't just daisy-chain all the strips lights.

From https://www.pololu.com/product/2547:

The 60 LED 1 m strip drew 3.0 A and had a voltage drop of 0.6 V.
The 120 LED 2 m strip drew 4.7 A and had a voltage drop of 1.4 V.

The voltage drop means you'll have dimmer LEDs.. and at some point they'll stop working entirely. To get around this, you should provide power to each strip. You can interconnect the data lines, but separate power wires should be run to each segment. How long the segments are really depends on how much voltage drop you can tolerate (how dim the LEDs at the end get).

You can use a voltage drop calculator (Google it) to figure out the size of wire you should use for the distance and power draw -- but expect to probably run 18 or 16awg wire from your power supply to the segment.

It may also make sense to use multiple smaller power supplies (with shorter runs), depending on your distances, room layout, etc.


I chopped through 1/3 of the width of the cord leading to my angle grinder - it still works should I replace the cord? I had an angle grinder setup in a chopsaw stand.  Something similar to this:
https://www.amazon.com/RO-LY-100-125-Grinder-Support/dp/B07NTXMHC1
It was the first time using the setup and I didn't notice that the cord came into the area of the grinder disc.  I cut through ~1/3 of the strands of copper in the cord.  The grinder still seems to be working.  I put electrical tape around the cut area.
Do I need to replace the cord?  If I don't replace the cord what are the downsides, the grinder is fairly cheap.

Yes, replace the cord.
Seen too many damaged cords covered in unravelling sticky tape that then become dangerous - wet environment, spilled liquid etc etc
Adding a cable joiner just adds a "catching" or "trapping" hazard.
2 or 3 metres (6 or 9 feet for some) of quality cable is cheap and safer.
Also the length of cable is likely to be cheaper than a fancy repair plug...


What type of plumbing fitting is this? (Fridge) This picture is the fitting that comes off the back of my fridge for water into the fridge. Fridge manual says it is 1/4" but doesn't mention fitting type. Is it compression?

And if it is compression, then this fitting should work to connect to a 6 ft hose to ice maker outlet box which are both 1/4" compression fittings?

Connection Fitting

It is GE refrigerator water connection tubing.

It's sort of built like compression tubing, but since it's not going to be under much pressure, they integrated in the brass compression collar into the plastic tube and molded the tip for a better fit.

https://www.zoro.com/ge-refrigerator-water-conn-tubing-15-ft-wx08x10015/i/G6150737/


Six wires in outlet box, from 3 different circuits; 4 are hot? I have been trying to install a new outlet in a room in my 1950s house, but I am really confused.  When I opened it up, there were two black wires in under one screw and one under another.  Ditto for the white wires. (No grounds anywhere in the house). I knew that was wrong

I pulled it apart and have been trying to sort it out and my head is ready to explode.  The first pair (black #1 and white #2) are on one breaker. The second pair (black #3 and white # 4) are on another breakers. And, the third pair (black #5 and white #5) are on yet a third breaker.

To make matters worse two of the black wires (#1 and #3) and two of the white wires (#4 and #6) are hot.

When testing I get 120 between #2 (which appears to be a true neutral) and #1, #3, #4, and #6.

I get 240 between #6 (which should be neutral, by color) and #1, #3, and #4

All other combinations are 0.

There is a light in the room (on a switch) that was working separately from the outlet, but is now out. The outlet has always stayed on, independent of the switch.

I could not come up with any safe way to put it back together.

Any ideas?

The only way you can get 240 across a back and white wire in america is if one wire is wired to one phase, and the other wire to the other phase (and not the neutral bus bar).  Find the wires in the panel and move the corresponding neutral wires off the breakers and move them over to the neutral bus bar.  No grounds to work with?

Recommend you have an electrician do it unless you know what to test and check o make sure lal is well after the swing is done.  Combining phases on accident I have heard is no bueno.


Ice maker making pounding noise I purchased an ice maker from amazon for my Frigidaire side by side.  It woke me up in the middle of the night just pounding.  It seems that the heating element is not getting hot enough fast enough to loosen the ice from the sides of the ice tray.  This is when the fingers that push the ice out of the tray just keep hammering until the heating element gets hot enough to loosen the ice.  Would this be a defective ice maker?

Amazon has a very purchaser-friendly return policy. Many times you won't have to pay return shipping. If you suspect a defect or any faults it would be wise to return the item rather that void the warranty by trying to repair an unknown problem. If you do order another replacement I've learned that it is usually best to purchase an Original Equipment Manufacturers part (if it's a Frigidaire stay with Frigidaire parts). Parts are usually a bit more expensive, but they tend to last longer than generic or "OEM-like" replacements.


How can I prevent cold air from dropping down my bath fan duct? In my new home, on the second floor, the bathroom fans goes outside and under the roof, so the output is upside down.
They installed the type of vent with a flap that, normally with gravity and perpendicular to the ground, stays shut  but since they are installed upside down  they stay open all the time.
I thought about a vent like we have in the kitchen's fan, a valve that opens only when air is pushed one way, but not sure if there are any off-the-shelf for bathroom fans.
We hit -20C the past few days and the cold air was pretty apparent.
Anything I can do here?

I am going to answer this even though i should probably wait for more information.
Bathroom, and dryer vent, outlet caps that exit a wall are generally attached to the exterior wall with screws, one at each corner. There may be some silicone caulking as well. They have a male crimped pipe that fits into the duct coming from the source.
You should be able to remove the screws and pull it directly out, turn 180 degrees and re-attach.
Here is YouTube video of one with a spring loaded flapper.

3" or 4" Round Duct Black Wall Cap w/ Damper, supplyhouse.com


How proud can a toilet flange sit above the floor? Related to How do I replace this cast iron toilet flange?

I've removed the cast iron and am dry fitting the replacement parts.  I used a 4" - 3" reducing coupling, 3" pvc and a 3" 90 to line up where the flange needs to go.

Problem:  With the 90 in place, the flange is going to sit about 3/4" proud of the subfloor.  (The final floor will be a fiberglass material that compresses so I'm not really counting it)

Can I create a reinforcing support for the flange to sit on to get solid support, and if it sits that proud, will it affect the toilet?  Or do I need to figure some way to lower the flange?  The latter would be very difficult given the very tight space I'm in.

Update 5 Nov 2012

I found a 3" flange with a 45 degree bend and coupled it to another 45 bend to get what will be a perfect fit once the 1/4" ply (underlayment) and the fiberglass sheet flooring are installed.

The flange is actually above the subfloor by 1/4 inch, sitting on waterproof shims on all sides.

There isn't much allowance for raised flanges in most US toilets I've seen. The critical feature is how much higher the under toilet "ceiling" is than the bottom perimeter base that sits on the finished floor. Since this dimension is intended to work with a standard wax ring, there's little chance a 3/4" protrusion will work. Not only do you need physical clearance between the flange and the "ceiling", there also must be room for the wax sealing ring.

The other potential conflict is the outlet horn and how it fits into the small bevel of the flange fitting. Again, there needs to be room for the wax to fill this gap. You do not want any direct physical contact between the flange and horn.

Simply supporting the flange is not enough. The perimeter base must be fully supported. If you try to install the toilet as things are, the toilet will be balanced on the wax ring. It will wobble every time it is sat upon, eventually forcing all the wax out until the "ceiling" is bearing directly in the flange. While the wobble will diminish at this point, it will still wobble. The seal would obviously be compromised.

Whatever you do, the perimeter base must be solidly supported. The obvious solution is lower the flange, though very difficult in your case. Another solution would be to raise the floor, which I imagine would be undesirable. The only other possible solution would be to raise the support of only the toilet base, such as setting it on a grout bed. Depending on the nature of your flooring and the actual final thickness of the grout, this may not be too bad a solution. You would need to spend enough time finishing the exposed grout around the toilet base so that it is smooth and easy to clean.


What STAINABLE wood fill is best to use on a plywood floor? I am doing a quick fix on an existing plywood, unfinished floor.  I need to fill the gaps between boards before staining, then applying polyurethane.

I have plenty of Minwax Stainable Wood Filler to complete the job, but have read horror stories from others who say it is not as stainable as it should be.   I have also read that some use it for their floors, though the container states "Not For Use On Hardwood Floors".  Since plywood is not hardwood, does that statement still apply?

Since I have the MinWax filler already, I wish to use it, but if this isn't a good option, can you please suggest an alternative.  I have heard that FamoWood latex filler would be a good choice.  Any comments on that product for this use would be appreciated.

There is no good filler for every purpose all wood and all fillers take stain differently. When they say "sands and stains like wood" they are misleading you. Different sections of the same tree stain differently. That's why quarter sawn lumber is desirable. You need to try a swatch in a descret location. Or better on a sample. Finding something to match plywood may be a bit tricky. I'd avoid putty. Try to get a filler of the matches the species of wood, if you are able to identify it. Another method is to make your own filler out of fine sawdust of the same material, if you have a peice available. You make a thick paste of the sawdust and wood glue and apply it as filler. It's very hard to get a seamless finish and the colour of the stain will make a big difference as to how noticeable it is.


Is it okay to reuse Alumiconn connectors? After having redone the aluminum-to-copper pigtails in my house's electrical outlets using AlumiConn connectors, I subsequently had to undo a few to debug a wiring problem. All I did is unscrew the connectors and take out the wires; I did not otherwise damage the connectors or the wires.

Is it safe and acceptable to screw the wires back in, or must I replace the connectors entirely?

I am worried about reusing the connectors because pulling the wires out means (1) I've lost some of the antioxidant paste inside the connector and (2) the aluminum wires have been pressed by the set screw, so the wires' strength may have been compromised. Even if I clip the ends of the wires and re-strip them before reinserting them, that still wouldn't address issue #1. However, I don't really know – maybe I'm being too paranoid. I tried to find guidelines but my Google-fu is failing me in this case. Are there requirements or guidelines for this situation?

It seems that the manufacture does not suggest to reuse the connectors.

For instance, this document here states "Do not reuse" in the "product specifications & measurements" section.


How can I temporarily adhere plastic conduit to a brick wall? I am putting up an IP camera on my front porch, using Wifi for data and an extension cord to a nearby outdoor power outlet. I have put the power cord into a cheap round 3/4" plastic conduit. The conduit has an adhesive backing on it. It turns out the conduit's instructions to "use only on a smooth surface" were words of wisdom, because after a day of adhering to my brick wall, it fell off (almost taking the camera with it). So I'm looking for a more permanent solution than tape, but less permanent/damaging than epoxy or screws. I want to be able to move the conduit in case I move the camera (which has a DIY movable magnetic mount which nevertheless was able to hold up the camera, the power cord, and the conduit :P).

According to https://www.hunker.com/12003687/what-adheres-to-brick my best option may be hot glue (which I figure can be peeled off the brick), but I figured I'd ask here for more options.

The final/current result:

Try some 3M Extreme mounting tape http://amzn.to/2h7cIi6
If there is any leftover tape on the wall when you remove it, use some adhesive remover on it.

The other option would be to attach some legs on the pipe so that it can be physically supported by the ground. Or wire/rope it to anything that protrudes from the brick wall.


How to fill a large exterior settlement gap between wall and courtyard I'm looking for the best way to restore appearance and seal a gap after a settlement problem. It's a 20 year old house with a flagstone courtyard surrounded by cultured stone walls.  The flagstone was laid first on a concrete base.  Then the stone was applied to the walls, overlapping the flagstone at the edges.

The courtyard has uneven settlement, leaving a gap ranging from zero in some areas, up to 1 1/2" in the worst areas (some of the gap is due to loss of the original grout).  A couple of examples:

I suspect that the settlement is finished, but that isn't guaranteed (much of the gap became large within the last few years, although it could have been catching up on prior erosion).  It's possible that some of the settlement was even caused by water getting into the original separation and washing away some of the underlying soil.  So my objective is to both seal the gap and restore the appearance.

I can match the original grout and just fill the gap.  If there is additional settlement, though, I'll have to redo it.  Is there any way to fill the gap with something that would tolerate a small amount of new settling?

I contemplated something like backer rod and clear silicone caulk, and then sticking some grout to the silicone surface (embedding dry grout before the surface cures).  That might stretch a little and still look enough like grout to not be noticeable.  But if that doesn't work, it would be a mess to remove.

Is there a standard way to fix this kind of problem?

Here's the solution I settled on:

Vacuum out the gap to remove debris.
Stick backer rod in the larger gap areas.
Fill the gap with matching grout.

That closes the gap and mates with the settled flagstone.  If there is future settlement, it shouldn't be as much and any new gap will be small.  That can be filled with clear silicone, which will have some stretch if there is more settlement.  The exposed surface can be dusted with the matching grout before it cures to look like the other grout.


Are hydronic systems set up as loops or ladders, and how can I tell the difference? My hydronic system has a loop (or ladder) that visits baseboard radiators on four floors. All piping is hidden in the walls.

On the attached diagram, squares are windows, red is baseboard radiators, and black lines are potential configurations of the pipes in the wall. The tops of the black lines have bleed vents.

I would like to install Danfoss valves (TRVs) where the blue circles are, but this will only work if my hydronic system is in a 'ladder' configuration, rather than a 'loop' configuration.

Are most systems set up one way or another?  Are there good ways of telling, short of ripping holes in the wall?

The temperature gradient between heaters will be different depending on how the system is arranged.  A larger system is likely a two pipe system with the supply and return piped to each floor.  Get an accurate clamp-on pipe temperature probe and the appropriate meter:

Open all windows, turn all heat full on at all locations and let the system stabilize for 20 minutes or so.  Record the temperature at the inlet pipe and outlet pipe for each radiator.  Highest temperature indicates closest to the supply line.  Coolest temperature indicates closest to the return line.  If the floors are run in parallel between supply and return, then the radiators closest to the supply line on each floor will be about the same inlet temperature.  Follow the temperature gradients and map out your piping.

Edit:  I should mention that this test relies on the boiler running continuously.  If your boiler is cycles frequently because it is oversized, then measuring the system temperature gradients will be tricky.  You will need to pay attention to the varying supply temperature.


What needs to be done to protect existing 12/2 cable in a stud wall being converted to a mass wall? I'm working on plans to convert three bays of a 2x4 stud wall with drywall into a mass wall by adding material to the cavity.  The material will be something like sand/clay/gravel (to be determined depending on the answer to this question and other factors).  The goal is to catch heat from a wood stove around 8' from this wall and help moderate the resulting heat as well as transmit more heat through the wall to the adjoining room.

There are three 12/2 Romex cables running together horizontally through this wall at around 2' above the bottom plate.

What are the electrical concerns and considerations relevant to this idea?  Is it safe and allowed by code to pour a bunch of heavy stuff around these wires?  If not, what protection is needed and how can it be put in place given that the wires have already been run?

[Edit: I left the wires alone but I boxed them off so they have an airspace a couple feet tall and the mass only begins above them.  This isn't really an answer to the question so I'm not leaving it as an answer.  It's just the work-around I used since I didn't have the answer and it didn't seem like it was going to turn out to be okay to surround the wiring with mass.]

This is an unusual question but I think the code does address it and prohibit what you're doing:

  334.12 Uses Not Permitted.

  (B) Types NM and NMS. Types NM and NMS cables
  shall not be used under the following conditions or in the
  following locations:

  (1) Where exposed to corrosive fumes or vapors

  (2) Where embedded in masonry, concrete, adobe, fill, or
  plaster

  (3) In a shallow chase in masonry, concrete, or adobe and
  covered with plaster, adobe, or similar finish

  (4) In wet or damp locations

More general answer - when you have an unusual setup it's best to err towards caution;  I'd say you need to do something other than just fill around that cable.


Deck Continuous Rim Joist Connection I am planning on redoing the surface and the railing of my deck.  In the process, I plan to remove the cantilevered portion past the existing beam.  This will place the existing 2x10 joists resting to the end of the outer edge of the beam.  I will need to cover these ends up.  To do so I plan to use a couple of 2x10 rim joists.  This is kind of visible in the following image (despite my efforts, this is still kind of hard to see in the image):

The rim joist is highlighted in red and the existing beam is highlighted in blue.  Note that the rim joist does not rest on the beam.  (Should I do that?) How should I connect this rim joist?  I live in northern Virginia and have referenced the "Typical Deck Details" document offered by my county (Fairfax).  I am having difficulty in seeing what the acceptable methods of installing this Rim Joist are.  The section on joists (pages 6-9) does not specify and the section on rail posts (pages 20-21) suggests that I use hold-down anchors (Figure 36) at the rim joist / joist intersection.  It could be I just do not know how to read this document.

I would like to avoid having too much visible hardware on the outside of the deck.  I understand the need for the hold-down anchors near the guard posts.  I just do not want to have to do that at each joist intersection.

Could I use just an angle iron type tie at each intersection on the inside of the deck?  This would hide the hardware and avoid screwing into the end grain of the board which I am sure is not as strong.

the rim joist does not rest on the beam... Should I do that?

You don't need to, the beam is supporting the weight bearing joists.

  How should I connect this rim joist?

In the "Joists" section of the document you linked it tells you: "Attach a
rim joist to the end of each joist with (3)10d nails or (3)#10 by 3-inch wood screws."

You have to fasten the rim joist to each joist as directed (with 10d nails or screws). You also have to strengthen the rim joist wherever it will be supporting a guardrail post, as directed, with anchors.


electrical question involving earthing This is not strictly a home improvement question but I'm trying to learn more about household electricity. I couldn't find a better place online to pose this question.

Lets say I'm bonded to a pc power supply which in turn is earthed through a connection to a grounded outlet. If the pc power supply is powered off, am I still at risk of electrocution and if so, why?

In working on computers, or for that matter of fact most electrical equipment, avoiding static damage is achieved by establishing a ground plane.

It's not whether you're connected to earth potential, but rather the fact that everything you're working on is at equal potential.

You can get by easily by having an antistatic mat on a desktop that you've laid all the components on, and then grounding yourself to that mat with your personal grounding wrist strap. This establishes a ground plane of equal potential as everything on the mat will bleed charge to equal potential. No potential differential, no sparks...

The same can be done with an unplugged computer simply by attaching yourself to the metal case with a grounding wrist strap and laying the plastic component packaging (antistatic conductive plastic) on bare metal in the case before opening. Once again, you're attempting zero potential between you, the computer case and the component, not absolute earth potential.

As to worries about computer power, the maximum voltage you'll encounter is 24V if you manage to bridge the powered output between +12V and -12V. The line current is pretty effectively contained inside the metal box the PSU resides in except for ancient AT style PSUs with the hot switch that switched full line power. Those could be dangerous.

I've also had situations where there were bad grounds in the power wiring that allowed for hot chassis, so if it's unplugged, you will find this is the safest mode of operation.

If you feel it's absolutely necessary to work on an earth potential chassis, there are green-cords available. They have only the ground lug attached. Using the ground plane methods described, I've never really needed such a thing and I've worked in some industrial situations where there's been some pretty heavy inductive magnetic fields available that have powered up the outer shields of ungrounded coax ethernet cabling. Computer system completely disconnected from all external devices with grounding strap worked the best.


How can you reverse a sliding glass door? We have a sliding glass door to our patio. The opening side is jammed up against a wall, meaning you have to scrape against that wall unless you throw the door all the way open. On the other side there's plenty of room.

I had the thought to reverse the door so that the left side slid, instead of the right side. Now, given that glass doors are sold in left- and right-handed, I imagine this is a bit involved. But can it be done without replacing the entire unit? If so, what's involved?

With andersen the task of swapping sides is possible with a little work. What has to happen is all the holes for the handle, lock and latch has to be drilled into the opposite side. The most intricate will be the channel that houses the latch. I cut that by using a large drill bit and making several holes then taking a dremel tool to finish. Finally you will need to plug the original holes with some kind of silicone or calking. I used white so it blends in.

Then all you have to do is move the stationary door over and cut a new hole for the latch.  ( I did not have to do this step because all I was trying to do is replace a broken opp door with one I found online, that happened to be the wrong side. )


Differences between matt and silk paint I have started to paint my new home in matt as i prefer the none reflective surface compared to silk.

My Grandfather has said i should always paint walls with silk, but my outlaws say matt is just as good.

What are the actual differences other than the look of the paint?

Paints, in order of shininess from least to most, go:
Flat-Matte-Eggshell-Satin-Semi Gloss-Gloss-High Gloss

10+ years ago:
The reason shinier paints are shinier is because they have a greater concentration of binding agents (adhesives). Because greater amounts of adhesives provides a sturdier paint, glossier paints are more durable and washable than flatter paints.

Satin is generally considered a good middle-ground. It's flat enough to not show tiny imperfections but strong enough to endure washing.

Today:
As the chemicals in paints have evolved, flatter paints have become more durable and washable (provided you're dealing with a quality paint).  I'd wager the adhesives in matte paint today do a better job of binding the material than the adhesives you could find in a gloss paint from the 1990s.

Today, it's just a question of:
How shiny do you want your paint to be, keeping in mind that the shiner it is the more imperfections it will show?

(Personal note: I'm pretty thrilled by this development. I never liked shiny paint and just a few weeks ago painted my kitchen with Sherwin-Williams Duration matte turquoise.  Duration is one of their lines that offers washable mattes, and S-W has a very good track record to their name.)


Natural Oak Table Top - Removing accumulated crud without damage I have an oak dining table that is made of horizontally laminated blocks, not "butcher block" since the end grain is not at the top.  It had a natural oil finish.  Over the years it has been used mostly at one end and has accumulated a layer of "crud" visible in the photo as a dull spot.

This picture is after vigorous scrubbing with Murphy's Oil Soap and a soft rag.  If I run a fingernail across the dull area I scrape up quite a bit of crud that feels oily/waxy.  I don't get anything when doing the same over other areas.

Given that the oil soap/soft rag does not seem to help, what's the next step? I feel like something very mildly abrasive, like a plastic scrubber sponge gently applied, would probably remove the crud but don't want to damage the wood.

What's the best way to remove the accumulated crud, and what should I apply afterwards to restore the original look?

You can safely use a Scotchbrite pad or nylon bristled brush in the direction of the grain; the brush may do a bit better at getting into the pores. By the way, you'll damage the finish long before you damage the wood.

In theory you can rejuvenate oil finishes by reapplying them. In practice manufacturers label wiping varnish and all sorts of other goodies as oil finishes. Bob Flexner has an excellent book on finishing which is well worth a trip to the library if you want all of the gory details on the care and refinishing of furniture. Your table looks to be in nice shape though, so I'd offer two simple suggestions.

Priority one should be to avoid any furniture polish containing silicone, which is most of the popular brands. Silicone is a real nightmare for refinishers because it causes fish eye. Of course the more valuable a piece of furniture is the more likely people are to contaminate it in their efforts to protect it.

Depending on how much use the table gets your best bet is paste wax. It's easy to apply, goes over practically any finish, and typically offers a big improvement in appearance. The downside is that it can require a bit of attention on high-use pieces because it's so soft. You can always try it on a low-visibility area and remove the wax with a solvent if you dislike it.


How can I convert a 240V dryer outlet to two branch circuits? I'm converting a former laundry area into a bar/coffee area. There's a relatively new 240V, 40A circuit that is now unused, so I'd like to repurpose it for 120V service.

I'm hoping to run 1/2 of it to a new 20A GFCI, with the load side then going down to another 20A receptacle below the new counter (as shown on the photo).

The other leg I'd like to run from the GFCI box (i.e., using the GFCI box as a junction, there's plenty of room) to an adjacent room where I also need a new pair of 20A receptacles (a work bench).

I know I'll need to replace the 40A ganged breaker with two 20A breakers.

So I have two questions, both in terms of code and general sanity:

Can I use the GFCI box like this as a junction for the other side of the 240V circuit that will be run to the other room? The junction would be accessible and visible, just not obvious because it would be behind the GFCI rather than in a dedicated junction box.
Is it ok that the two new 20A circuits share a common neutral and ground wires from the junction back to the breaker panel? The wire was intended for 40A service, so I'm not afraid of the load, just concerns that there may be a rule that you can't do this.

Yes, it is legit to have a “shared neutral” circuit, to be more specific, a “multiwire branch circuit” or MWBC. The Code forces you to engage in certain best practices, because even if you get it perfect, it's very easy for the next guy to inadvertently create a hazard.

First, 2011 code absolutely requires a 20A ganged breaker (or approved handle ties).  Aside from the reason you recognize, it also assures you are on opposite poles of the 240v, which avoids overloading the neutral.

All neutrals on an MWBC must be “pigtailed” - google it, i.e. you are not allowed to daisychain through outlets by using the extra 2 terminals.  (Well, OK, you can daisychain the “hot”.)  This is to prevent “lost neutral” damage downstream if an outlet is removed or has a problem.

Exception: Your GFCI outlet.  By nature, they require a dedicated separate neutral to any downstream outlets, so naturally you must daisychain both hot and neutral for those.  To make that clear, mark that neutral in a distinctive way so the next guy doesn't grab it thinking it's the MWBC neutral.

To answer your followup, opposite poles matter.  While your homerun is 40A rated to the old plug, you certainly are extending the MWBC beyond it, and using 20A wire (e.g. 12 gauge) to do so.  In the future, others will add to that MWBC. What happens when the next homeowner runs the other "hot" out to the workbench? Due to time/billing/skill limitations the "next guy" can't reverse engineer the full scope of every circuit they touch - they must be able to assume it's correct with no hidden gotchas, which is a big part of why there's a code.  That is especially important with MWBCs because they are so touchy.

If the restrictions or safety margin of MWBCs bother you, slap a sub-panel at the site of the old plug, and run simple circuits off it.


Is there a significant risk of CO2 buildup with a ductless heat pump A/C? It just occurred to me that if I install a ductless heat pump to cool the air in my house's bedrooms in the summer, the unit will be cooling and dehumidifying the air - but not introducing any new oxygen.  The window will also be closed.  If I spend a few hours in one of the rooms, is there a significant chance of CO2 buildup which could cause malaise and tiredness?  The bedrooms are relatively small, about 3 metres by 2 metres each.

Your house is not a space-ship, and it's not built like a space-ship.

If it's built anywhere close to a spaceship, you can run continuous ventilation fans, typically though an air-air heat exchanger. If it's of "normal construction" normal leakage will take care of adequate air exchange.

If you are adequately curious you can have a "blower door test" done to determine the actual leakage rate of your house under controlled conditions, which might inform both sealing particular leakage areas and the decision of whether or not to install active ventilation.


Combination Outlet/Switch - Two Wires Only I want to replace my regular bathroom lightswitch with a combo outlet/switch. Seems the wirebox only has 2 wires but i do see a 'mysterious' third wire in the back that is not connected to anything there. All videos i've viewed about installing combo outlet/switch requires 3 or more wires. My apartment building was built in the 1940s and our Super said the building wasn't wired with ground.
Anyone know if installing combo outlet/switch is a possibility with the wiring I have now?
Thanks!!

That weird wire is your neutral, and the conduit's your ground
Your building was wired using what appears to be cloth-covered wires in metal conduit.  This would not be atypical for a large or high-rise building in the 1940s, especially in an urban area with strict building codes.  The mottled pattern you see on the wires in the back of the box is a simple fact of aging, by the way -- those two wires were originally white, and still are much lighter than the other wires in the box.  As a result, we know that those two "weird" wires are actually white neutral wires, with power coming in from the top left and going to an in-line splice with a pigtail to the switch and an always-hot heading off to the top right, where the switched-hot also departs the box.  Furthermore, since we have metal conduit here (from the lack of paper packing or jacketing peeking through), we know that the conduit itself provides grounding here.
As a result of that, and since this circuit serves only this bathroom, we are clear to install a GFCI/switch combo receptacle here.  You'll have to cut the existing splice in the neutral out and add a neutral pigtail to do this, though, as well as cutting out the existing pigtail splice in the hots and replacing it with a new splice and pigtail that also joins one of the switch wires into the bundle of hots.  The other switch lead gets connected to the switched-hot then, and the hot and neutral pigtails we created land on their respective LINE terminals on the GFCI.  The LOAD terminals stay unused, and you can either use a grounding pigtail to connect the GFCI's ground screw to a 10-32 ground screw driven into the back of the box, or use a self-grounding GFCI/switch combo that's listed for grounding through the mounting screws.


Fiberglass insulation that didn't cause skin irritation? I had to move around some insulation in my basement to find the cause of a leak. The insulation is yellow and fluffy, so I'm assuming it's fiberglass. I wasn't wearing gloves or eye protection, but I didn't end up itching or anything. My house was built in 2006.

Is it likely fiberglass and I was I just lucky to not get skin irritation?

Thanks.

There's a lot of fiberglass that is yellow. I have yellow fiberglass in my attic not dissimilar to this

More people are familiar with Owens Corning and their pink fiberglass (they advertise heavily and have licensed the Pink Panther as their mascot). Johns & Mansville (typically sold at Lowes) is brownish in color

Keep in mind that fiberglass takes time for the fibers to work into your skin. I often don't feel it until I shower afterward


Can I cover a high efficiency HVAC vent? Just moved into a house with a High efficiency HVAC (heating and air conditioning) which vents to the outside ( with a booster fan). the outside pvc pipe is just " open" . no cap, no screen.. i know this is because of the concern of freezing condensation, blockages, etc.. but my concern is bee/hornet nests, bird nest, squirrels, etc....
Can I cover it with something?

The appliance typically comes with a screen, that should be installed in the end of the exhaust pipe. The screens are commonly made from Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), or Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), but could be any heat and corrosion resistant material.

I'm not sure you'd be able to pick one of these up at the local home center or hardware store, but you could always check.  Through a quick google search, I was able to locate a product that should fit your needs...

Diamond Vent Screens

  Our patent-pending Diamond Vent Screens are specially designed from robust, long lasting ABS plastic to let these varmints know homeowners aren’t interested in having them over for a visit. Designed with furnace and water heater exhaust pipes in mind, our screens keep birds, squirrels, chipmunks where they belong – outside.

I've never used, and don't recommend, or endorse this specific product. It's simply the first product I came across when searching.

A screen like this will prevent birds, leaves, and rodents from entering (or leaving if they already live in the pipe/furnace). Unfortunately, there isn't much you can do to prevent insects. Anything that would block small things like insects, would also restrict the air flow and cause more problems than it solves.


Dealing with incline from back door to fence We have plans for a new house build - see my attached crude mockup where the front of the house is on the left and the backyard is the green shaded area.

The land has up to 1.8m incline from front to back (these are the elevation values):

99.8m SW corner (top-left)
100.2m SE corner (bottom-left)
101.3m NW corner (top-right)
101.6m NE corner (bottom-right)

The slab has an elevation of 100.6m.
This means there is a 1 metre uphill incline from the back door to the NE corner of the yard (over a distance of 4.9 metres), with a slightly smaller incline of 700mm from the back door to the NW corner.
The builder's original proposal was to build a 1 metre deep footpath around the property, and then a retaining wall with 2 steps up into the backyard.  We didn't like this as it would mean the flat portion of the yard would be approximately 4 metres from the retaining wall to the fence.
What we are proposing is to excavate the land around the back/side of the property to lower it to slab height, and then build a retaining wall at the fence line.  This will give us the full flat backyard, without any awkward steps or retaining walls in the middle.
Based on these measurements and figures, does our option sound feasible?  Our main concerns are:

Cost of excavation
Whether retaining wall will be effective enough (neighbours houses will be 1 metre higher than ours)
Whether we will become vulnerable to flooding in heavy rain (note we're not in a flood prone area)

I guess we just want some reassurance that what we're proposing is a fairly "normal" thing to do, and we won't run into any major complications after the build.

I assume this is going to be a slab on grade house.
I assume the plan is for rain drains which feed into a perimeter drain which goes out to the city storm drain.
A 1m tall retaining wall is nothing.  A nice flat backyard is good.
Unless your lot is down slope from many other lots and there is a natural tendency for water to run into your yard and your neighbors don't have good drainage I like your general plan.  Even if there was a drainage issue, as long as your house is protected with perimeter drains, you could cheaply add more drainage and hook into your perimeter drain.  Leave a 1' wide area over your perimeter drain in the backyard to serve as drain rock and easy drainage should the backyard get more water than is desired.
Cost to excavate 1m should be pretty minimal ( assumes that isn't 1m of bedrock and there aren't truck sized bolders in that 1m ).
The biggest expense is likely to be the larger retaining wall and the extra coordination with the neighbors depending on how you site the wall and how you site the fence with relation to the wall.


How do I remove these bathroom faucet handles? I'm trying to replace the cartridge in a dripping sink, and I'm having trouble at the second step.

I have spent 20 minutes struggling with these handles, and I can't figure it out.

There is no screw that I can find.

I have put all my weight into lifting them off vertically.

I have pried and pried at the bottom cone-part to twist it off.

Nothing seems to work.

I had similar fixture and found the part attached to the top of the sink unscrewed when turned counterclockwise. You might need to apply a bit of pressure to turn it if it has never been removed before.   Try a vise grip pliers with several layers of folded leather to protect the chrome finish.


What are the unused 240V breakers in my panel for? The main service panel in my house has eight 2 pole breakers in it.  It breaks down as:
2 40A breakers for the AC units
2 50A breakers for the furnaces
1 40A breaker for the stove
1 30A breaker for the dryer
2 30A breakers that are unlabeled, but have 10ga wire landed on both.
We have a gas water heater, so no need for 240V power there.
My question is this: Any idea what the two unlabeled breakers could be for?  I cannot think of any other 240V loads.  We do not have a subpanel anywhere, no hot tub, no RV plug, generator backfeed... I have them turned off now, but have not noticed a change in anything.  I would like to repurpose one of them to feed a subpanel in my shed, but don't want to drop something in the house.  Thanks in advance for the help.

2 x 50A for furnace implies electric heat. (If it was a heat pump, that would be combined with the 2 x 40A AC). That all points to "everything electric" because in most places if you have gas available then you use that for heat rather than electric. Plus "2x" indicates this is a large house. While you have a gas water heater now, my hunch is that your house originally had electric water heater(s) and, due to the size of the house, was wired up for 3 water heaters. That also fits with the (typical, but not universal) slower recovery time for residential electric water heaters compared to gas. One large gas water heater could easily produce as much hot water (between faster recovery and larger capacity) as 2 electric water heaters. Then at some point (my parents did this years ago, but they added gas heat at the same time), someone got gas piped into the house and replaced the electric water heaters with gas.


Lubricating squeaky European cabinet hinges Our kitchen cabinets are about 5 years old now and starting to squeak, some of them awfully. They have European-style hinges (KraftMaid is the cabinet brand and I guess these are Blum hinges). I'm an old hand with good old WD-40 and the trusty straw, but not these sorts of hinges. For the life of me, I can't cure the squeak. I have squirted WD in every crevice where I think there are moving parts, but the squeak persists. What am I missing here? Could someone point out where to stick the straw in these darn hinges, please? I hope disassembly isn't required to be able to get at the right spot in these hinges!

It may not be a matter of where, but of what. WD-40 isn't a great lubricant in some cases. It's very light and may not work on the nylon parts. It may also dissolve any actual grease that was present.
Maybe try something with Teflon, lithium, or silicone, or use basic 3-in-1 household oil.


EMT all the way, or start with IMC outside and transition to EMT inside the building? We are running a subpanel from the outside of the building to the garage.  The 2" metalic conduit will begin from the top of a 3R box's raintight hub, run up the building about 8ft, turn right, and then turn again into the attic space before running about 50ft to the garage.
We would like to avoid IMC all the way because it is more expensive.  As another option, we're considering starting with IMC and transitioning to EMT:

What should we consider when deciding whether to go EMT all the way, or to start with IMC and transition to EMT?
If we transition inside, what type of transition would you recommend to go from IMC to EMT?
When we turn into the building, can pre-bent swept 90-degree conduit segments be used so we can easily pull the wire, or do we need to use a hard-90 with a wire-pull-hatch?  If swept is possible, how would you mount it?

(We are also considering EMT the whole way using 2" compression fittings on the outdoor hub based on this and this other SE question.)
Thank you for your help!

Sorry, there are no single solid answers to most of your questions.
To transition from IMC or RMC to EMT usually we just fit together a rigid threaded coupling and an EMT  connector. They make a fitting that I never used, but have heard rumors that some AHJ's require them. Some of that problem can be avoided by using an LB outside where it enters the building, which also eliminates the sweep question. Just be aware most LB's are internally marked at a maximum wire size (for bending radius) that is less than maximum conduit fill.
It is a lot easier to cut EMT to the exact length you need versus trying to miss structural members with threaded pieces and sweeps. Rigid/IMC should nearly butt in a coupling, but it doesn't always seem to measure out that way.
On the other hand a raintight EMT coupling is at least 9 pieces, that don't fit together well, and a couple of those parts are easily damaged, wasting the whole part.
I would seriously evaluate the size of conduit you are running, 2" could be overkill, and complicate fitting and increasing cost with little benefit.
1.5" conduit will get you 3@3/0, even aluminum will get you single phase 175A.


What kind of dimmer switch do I have? Moved into a new place  recently and I don't know what kind of dimmer I have.
The dimmer switch: (the whole thing is on/off and then there's an up button and down button; the blue led presumably corresponds to different settings but I don't know what)
When I moved in the lights would flicker and hum (I didn't systematically try the dimmer settings). Soon after, the lights went out. The blue led on the switch itself wouldn't turn on either so I thought maybe it was a wiring thing but when i replaced one of the incandescent bulbs the bulb worked and the blue led worked again as well.
The light is steady and doesn't hum. Hitting the up/down settings makes the bulb flicker (pulsing rapidly and hum) in some positions. However, when I turn it off, it also pulses rapidly (but not as bright) and never goes off--at least for the couple of minutes I've tried to wait it out (the blue led stays on on the switch too, but before it would be off if the light was off).

<img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/ir1PZ.jpg" alt="inside...there's three bulbs but thought a close up would be better. I don't know what the writing on the socket says.
" />

That dimmer switch looks a bit like a Lutron Maestro, but your best bet to find out for sure is to unscrew it from the wall and look at the back. (Don't forget to turn off the circuit breaker for that outlet first!)
However, as @jsotola noticed, a more significant issue is the light bulb:

"NOT FOR USE WITH DIMMERS"


Can I plaster over metal lath without a backing material? One alternative to traditional drywall is plaster over metal lath. Most of the videos I've watched use some kind of backing (e.g. brick, OSB, or plywood) with a layer of tar paper over the top behind the metal lath. Can I plaster over metal lath over a wall cavity with the lath secured to 2x4 studs (16" on center)?

Yes you can; however, I would recommend at least stapling craft paper/tar paper across the stud bay behind the lath to minimize loss of plaster through the mesh.
Make sure the lath is stretched tight.


How to fix a halogen light with missing transformer plug I have a halogen light [ikea brasa 360] where the plug/transformer is missing. Image here http://imgur.com/FMjSToJ
I did a bit of research and figured I could cut the cable and solder the wire to that of a plug/transformer  rated at 12v.
When i cut the cable on the lamp i found three wires red, yellow and blue. Given that teh transformer [from a hard drive] had only two wires I  went through them all two at a time until i got a light.
I joined them [yellow and blue] and the light lit but it flickers at a steady throb now and doesn't light properly.
Can anyone advise as to what i need to do. As you can tell I am far from an expert in these matters. Any help would be gratefully accepted.
Thanks

You have probably replaced a regulated power supply (this creates a constant 12V) with an unregulated one (which supplies 12V on average, but the actual level fluctuates). Or the power rating of the new transformer is too low.

You need a regulated power supply that can supply not just the right voltage (V) but also enough power (W).


Is it necessary to remove stickers before gluing PVC? Let's say you have a piece of PVC tubing that is going into a 90 or 45 and for some reason the piece of PVC has a sticker right where the glue connection is made... will this effect the seal? Similar question for inside toilet flanges where the sticker is always in the area where the glue will be. I couldn't find any info on whether the "sticker" is compatible with the glue so to speak.

Bonus points if anyone can point me to an article or product instruction where it says that this is ok.

Surfaces to be glued together should always be made thoroughly clean before gluing. That includes removing labels and removing any adhesive residue left by the label.

This especially applies when using solvent-welding - as is often the case for plastics used in plumbing.


Faulty rotary knob on AEG microwave This microwave has a rotary knob which is used to manually set the cooking time, with a digital display.  Over time the knob has started to work very unreliably: some days one can rotate and set the cooking time as normal, other days rotation of the knob increments the time very very slowly or not at all. I have tried to access the knob and clean any mechanical contacts but it difficult to get at and I am not even sure if it is a mechanical issue.  I cant correlate the erratic behaviour of the timing knob with any other setting on the microwave.  Any ideas how to repair this?

I would wager even odds the problem is temperature related. I've no idea about this model, but these sort of devices no longer use mechanical contacts. The knob is typically connected to a reluctor wheel and a pair of sensors detect the notches in the wheel going past to increment or decrement the timer. There's different types of sensors, one type uses a coil of superfine wire. The wire can develop a break, but as long as the temperature is right, contact is made and it still works. A change in temperature starts to open the break and it works intermittently. More change and it stops working.

These sensors are not repairable, they could conceivably be replaced, though I'd be surprised if you are able to get spare parts for this machine. Furthermore, if you happen to reassemble the shielding incorrectly, you could create a very dangerous condition where the device emits high levels of radiation completely undetectable to you and your family.

Even though you may be quite mechanically adept, between the radiation risk and the probably unavailability of parts, I suggest you simply find a replacement unit before this thing fails completely.


Wiring a counter top fryer I have a deep double fryer I am wiring up, voltage is 208/240, power is 5400/7200 watts, it will be 45 feet from the main electric panel, what size wire and fuses should I use

You'll need 8 AWG copper wire.  Your breaker will need to be 40A and 2-pole.  Unless the labeling or instructions says otherwise.


toilet handle prevents flapper from closing sometimes My toilet "sometimes" runs water incessantly after flushing.  Upon examination it appears it's because the handle, after flushing, descends and then gets in the way of the flapper closing, holding it open forever.  If I hold it for quite awhile when flushing, then let go, it works OK, but I'd prefer to be able to "flush and leave" as it were.

I looked at other questions here and didn't seem to find a precise match.

Turns out I needed to tighten the handle.  It was allowing the handle arm to descend "all the way to the ground" which happens to interfere with the flapper.  But these handles are apparently designed in such a way that they aren't supposed to allow the handle "get too low ever" so if your handle is "pointing straight down" you have a problem.  Mine was fixed by tightening it up again.

Requisite diagram to show arm vs. handle:


How to tie a rope to both sides without loosing its grip strength? I already tried other kinds of ties but nothing seems to accomplish what I want to do.

I tried taut-line hitch, didn't work... the only way to tighten it is to pull the tied part and if apply force at the middle of the rope then It will just simply loosen..

There are several variants of hitches that allow tightening after they are tied.  The most common is the taut-line hitch.

Wikipedia [citing more authoritative sources]


Is it a hazard to use spray foam around baseboard heater pipe? I probably should have asked this before doing it, but I will now anyways.

I have noticed mice coming in and out of the (fairly large) hole where the baseboard heater pipes are. I removed the casing and added a bunch of steel wool to it + spray foam. I am now concerned if this is a fire hazard - having all of this dry foam near a heater?

I attached photos of what the area looked like before / after.

Thanks!

Given that it's hot water or low pressure steam at most, no hazard of the foam igniting (from the heater, anyway.)

Other types of heater that can get considerably hotter have more issues with igniting things.


How do I remove the mounting hardware of an intercom speaker, and then patch the hole? I am looking to remove an old intercom speaker from my bedroom wall and patch over the hole. I removed the speaker to find a metal mount in the wall attached between two studs.

More pictures here

My questions are: is it recommended to remove the metal mount? How well will spackle adhere to the metal?

Im somewhat afraid to attempt to remove any more of the wall to expose where the mount is attached to the stud in fear that it is nailed in instead of screwed.

I've been told the walls are plaster, but I'm not sure. I know I have to attach a backing board between the 2 - 2x4s and cut a piece of plasterboard or sheetrock to fit, then patch over it. I mostly concerned with whether or not I should remove the frame.

I wouldn't try removing the frame. It appears to extend in both directions and may damage a larger section of wall.

You are right to be concerned about taping compound or spackle sticking to a metal edge. I would recommend making a patch that is larger than the opening by about an inch on each side. Then trim away the back paper and the core of the patch so that the part being put into the wall is the exact size of the hole. That will leave you with a "flange" of paper facing on hte room side that will be easier to tape and compound to blend it in.

Your general approach to support is right, but you may not need a brace between the studs.
To support the patch, cut three pieces of 1x2 wood that are about 6 inches longer than the height of the opening.  Position each piece of wood vertically in the cavity, one near the  left side of the hole, one in the middle, and one near the right. To attach each strip pull it forward against the back of the plaster or plasterboard. Hold it in place by screwing through the face of the wall into the top and bottom sections of the wood strip. You can screw the plasterboard patch to these strips for support.

Finish the attachment with tape and taping compound. I would probably use mesh tape on a patch of this size and support.


How to safely attach block-and-tackle to 2x8 ceiling joist(s) to handle 1000-lb load? I'd like to make or build a block-and-tackle in my garage to be able to lift up to a thousand-pound load (e.g. a moose).  I think I have a handle on the design of a block-and-tackle and the selection of rope, etc., but what I'm struggling with is how to attach it to my ceiling joist(s).

The joists are 2x8s and they are exposed so I can get up there if I need to drill holes, bolt through them, etc.  I'm not sure how far apart they are but I think it's about 2 feet.  The simplest approach would be a single eye bolt screwed into one joist, but I don't know the weight ratings for eye bolts and I'd be worried that the wood might fail (I don't know the species) or the bolt might unscrew over time.  So I've been thinking instead about perhaps running a steel bar horizontally between two or more joists and hanging my block-and-tackle from that bar.  Or maybe a wooden beam, but how would I fasten that to reliably hold the weight?  Another possibility might be multiple eye bolts in one or more joists and a small web of ropes coming together to lift the block.

TLDR: what is a safe and reliable way to attach a block and tackle with a 1000-lb weight to a ceiling with exposed 2x8 joists?

You want a LONG beam on TOP of the joists to spread the load over LOTS of joists, since your garage is probably not designed to have very much (if any) load on those (particularly if there is not a floor on top of them, which it sounds like.) I'd suggest 10 or 12 feet minimum so you pick up 5 or 6 joists to share the load. 16 feet would be better.

You can throw some hurricane ties at it to hold it in place. It wants to be "on edge" (if it's not square, the narrow sides should be top and bottom, since the depth of a beam is where its strength is.) If it's square, you don't really NEED to hold it in place, as it won't roll over, and gravity will hold it there just fine.

A section of chain around the beam is a good way to hold a block without depending on a bolt attachment. Lift-rated eye bolts are available, but they are fairly costly. Chain and chain accessories rated for 3000 or more pounds are easy to come by. But make sure every element is rated for (several times) the load you want to carry. Do NOT use "1000 lb rated" parts if you actually want to lift 1000 lbs - always add a safety factor.


Knee brace alternative to support 12' 2x4 span for single tree treehouse I see most treehouse's have knee braces to support the frame of their treehouse. I'm trying to find an alternative, if any, and also ask if my 2x4x12 frame will be strong enough.

Here are pictures of where I am in my current treehouse build.

I have 2 2x10x12's for my main lower support held into tree with 3/4" x 10" Lag bolts. I have 2 more 2x10x12's on top of those for my base support. they are also fastened to tree with 3/4" x 10" Lag bolts. Them frame and joist are made up of 2x4x12's and held secured with joist hangers and rafter ties.

I offset the platform to get more room on the left side. The only weight that will be on this platform will be the 1x4 flooring and railing. There will not be any structure built on it or heavy furniture.

My original plan was to set 2 4x4's in concrete and support the longest stretch of 2x10's. Here is a mockup i did to illustrate.

However, after walking on the corners I am realizing that is not going to be enough support. My first idea was to place 2 more 4x4's in those corners to left and right of the ladder. But I wanted this platform to be as independent from the ground as possible. But i am quickly realizing that might not be possible.

So here are my questions:
1) Would the 2 4x4's for the ladder and 2 4x4's in corner to left/right of ladder be sufficient?

2) Is there another way to do support those corners without using the ground?

3) Are the 2x4x12's I used in the frame good enough to support the platform? should I have used 2x6's?

Here is a mockup of what the deck will look like once completed

This is what we ended up doing.
Took the center link brackets off of JD tractors and bolted them to the base of tree with lag bolts. Used 2x6's to brace the corners. Have had a large group of people up there and has no sag.


Repair of a split on a plastic water tank My shamba man cut the water tank with a panga at the lower part, the tank is full of water.
My son tried to stop the leakage by forcing in the split some polythene papers but the leakage is still much.

How do I get it repaired, urgently??

Here are a couple of solutions, one simple but temporary, and one that will take a little work and an inexpensive tool, but permanent.

Simple but temporary

There a line of products that's been advertised on TV for sealing leaks.  One of their products, called FLEX TAPE looked too good to be true.  They slap a piece of tape on a hole in a tank that's gushing water, and it immediately seals it water tight.

However, I've seen a number of tests, including a news crew that brought in a product debunker, and a guy with a pool filter with huge cracks in the pressurized plumbing.  The videos show that the stuff actually works.

It's intended, though, as a temporary fix.  BTW, the guy in one video recommends getting it on Amazon to save the outrageous shipping and handling charges if you order directly from the company.  Home Depot (and likely other similar stores) carry it and stock it in the stores (also without the S&H add-on charges), so you can get it fast if you have an emergency.

Permanent fix

The standard way to permanently repair a crack in a plastic tank is to weld it.  You will need the tank empty for that.  The heat is applied with either a special type of hot air gun ( a little expensive for a one-time need), or an inexpensive tool resembling a soldering iron with a special tip (that operates at the right temperature).  You can get a kit containing the iron, welding sticks, stainless steel mesh and various accessories used in the process.  Harbor Freight has one for $16, which I've used a lot (and it's kept on working).

The process involves:

closing the hole
adding additional material from a plastic rod
and reinforcing it by embedding a piece of stainless steel mesh in the repair.

This kind of repair is as strong and permanent as the original material.

A note on plastic welding: the process melts the plastic together.  The additional material you add needs to be either the same type of plastic or a special welding plastic designed to bond with common "structural" plastics (it's usually a black color).  The rods that come with the Harbor Freight kit are the latter, but you can also get rods of common plastics if it is important for the repair to blend in.

If you can't reliably determine the tank material, use the special rods.  If you know what kind of plastic the tank is made from (it may have been specified when you bought the tank, or it may be identified by a recycling symbol molded into it), you can probably find the same material in the same color lying around.

For example, many of these tanks are high density polyethylene (HDPE, recycling number 2).  That's likely if it is translucent white and does not have a glossy surface.  In that case, you could cut up a plastic milk jug (or other bottle of a similar color with the same recycling code) to use as the fill material.

There are numerous online tutorial videos showing how to repair various plastic items this way.  Here's one showing a guy using this technique to repair a crack in a water tank.  It doesn't take much practice to be able to make a good repair.


Filling crack in outside concrete path Is there some DIY way I can fill up the cracks in the concrete path outside my home without having to go and hire professionals? See picture for how the crack looks like.

There are several types of concrete patch’s available at most home stores I like latex type products because they are flexible . All you will need is a calking gun and a tube of the proper type, give a big box store a try tell them what you want show them the photo.

When they make a recommendation if they don’t provide a reason (like I said I like latex because it remains flexible and will not break up with summer heat and winter cold) ask them why they like that brand or type.

This is as close as I can get without it turning into a shopping question that would be off topic and closed.


What is a good adjustable ring hook for attaching resistance bands? I would like to have an adjustable ring on the wall for attaching ropes and other things. My gym has such a thing, but I can't find it online and could really use some help. Below is an image of the ring hook and it has a switch that allows you to hook it into some kind of wall mount structure. Any ideas?

You are looking for an E track tie down system that is commonly used in box trucks and trailers.

Example : E tracks and assorted tie downs


best way to install a flat wall fixture on a sightly curved wall In our rental property, the kitchen walls are all ever so slightly curved (as are a lot of walls in our house)

We want to put up a knife magnet. Obviously we are keen for this not to be wobbly in any way as this could lead to the blades falling, not good. Any tips on the best way to achieve this, ruling out re-plastering the room.

Maybe you can fix some adhesive felt pads ( like you would use under furniture legs) to the back outside edges of your rack to compensate for the curve. These would act like wedges to bridge the bow and not scratch the plaster wall.


How to put out a polystyrene fire? I'm planning to use some polystyrene in a project. I will try to avoid all fire hazards, but in case the worst happens is there anything special I should know about how to fight polystyrene fires? Would a fire extinguisher work? Does it depend on the type of extinguisher?
Thanks!

An ABC extinguisher would be my choice I carry one on my truck and 2 in my boat. They will put out everything but electrical & magnesium, kill the electrical first then the fire will not be electrical.
Magnesium takes a special chemical in the service it was called purple K .
ABC will put most things out quickly, last week we had a  Fire In a field just after a major power bump.
I was the first one there and with 1 medium fire extinguisher i was able to knock down the circle of about 40’ by using short controlled shots.
Where it started back up I was able to stomp it out, until our fire truck got there and we soaked the entire area down.
Even a small extinguisher can put out a decent sized fire with control. For home or office use I recommend ABC type extinguishers.


How to even dents and scrape marks over entire wall Our hallway is painted brilliant white eggshell but has quite visible dent and scrape marks under the paint. What is the best way to even out the wall?
We will eventually cover a lot of the wall with artwork so we're thinking to spackle the worst looking areas (rather than the entire wall) and then paint over those areas with the correct existing eggshell colour but having never used spackle before I'm concerned this might make some parts of the wall look entirely different.
Images for reference (ignore the iPhone white balance making the colours a bit strange!):

I usually lightly sand and use standard Sheetrock mud, after it is dry I sand again if I think this looks good I then use a can of spray texture and blend some new texture with the old, after the spray texture is dry and a fresh coat of paint when we’ll done you really won’t see the repair. Never tape off an area when using spray texture that makes lines that stand out after painting (one of the best DIY repairs I have seen was spoiled because they taped off the area instead of blending.


Wire splitting to switches I am running 14-2 wire from a 15 amp circuit.  I want to use 3 dimmer switches for 4 lights on each.  Can I split or connect 3 wires in a junction box to each dimmer switch from the main wire?  I am only using LED lights.

Yes, you can do this. The 14/2, with a ground, would be run into your 3 gang box. The black hot would be connected to the three black dimmer switch wires using a wire nut or appropriate connector. Then the load wires from the switches would be hooked up to the appropriate black wires from the lights. The white wires, neutrals,from the lights would all be connected to the white wire from the feed. The ground wires from the lights would be connected to the ground wire from the feed and from the ground wires from the switches. Good luck.

Since the dimmers are separated, run a 14/2 with a ground to the second and third switch box. In the first switch box connect the black feed in with the black feed out with the dimmer hot, connect the white wires together, connect the light load to the dimmer and connect the grounds. Wire the second box the same way. The third box connect black feed to dimmer, white neutrals together, light load to dimmer and connect grounds.


Is this an isolation valve? I'm trying to change the kitchen tap in my apartment, but I'm struggling to stop the water supply to the existing tap. I have flexi pipes installed so I'm assuming I also have an isolation valve, but from all the pictures/videos I've seen they don't seem to be so I'm really confused.

I don't want to force anything, so I haven't tested it yet, but is it possible to stop the water in this set up?


Wiring Lights with Independent switches I have a set of hallway lights with two 3-Way switches. Currently the  power source enters at one switch, then the wiring traverses through each of the lights and then terminates at the other switch (see 1st image). What I want to do is change the switch at the end of the hallway to a motion sensor and make the other switch a master ON (in Off position the motion sensor would determine state of lights).

The motion sensor requires a neutral which does not exist in that box currently. I think the below diagram would work (2nd image), but not sure it would be compliant. Once concern is that it would be possible for the lights to receive power from both the normal switch and the  motion sensor switch at the same time. Would that be a problem? Thank you in advance!

EDIT: The reason I want to use the normal switch as a master ON is because there is a treadmill in that area and using it does not consistently trigger a motion sensor. I want the motion sensor for people walking in that area and the other switch to turn On indefinitely while using the treadmill.

The original diagram has a problem

There's one issue with the original diagram -- it shows the two /2 NM cables between the lights being used in a way that can be considered a 300.3(B)/310.10(H) violation for cables in parallel.  So, as long as all the wires between the two lights are run in a single cable, you are fine in doing what you propose -- powering a light from the same circuit via two parallel paths is not a Code violation, or a major issue otherwise, as long as folks know to turn things off at the breaker before servicing the fixtures.

I would take up Chris Cudmore's suggestion of making the black always-hot and the red switched-hot, by the way, though.


Will my floating shelf hold a fish tank weighing approx 33kg? I have a 60cm X 23cm floating shelf with 6 X 4mm x 50mm screws with rawl plugs. The shelf is rated at holding 25kg. I also installed 4 L-shaped brackets underneath, each with 3 X 4mm X 50mm screws and rawl plugs. Each of these brackets are rated at holding 20kg.

The shelf is on a brick wall, with a 20kg fish tank on it now, but I'm thinking of upgrading the fish tank to a tank that would probably be weighing double this. Would this be strong enough or would it be best to strengthen some more?

Probably. 4 brackets rated at 20kg should, in theory, carry 80kg, loaded uniformly. This depends entirely on the integrity of the fasteners and the wall, of course. The original rating of the shelf as a floating assembly isn't particularly relevant.

I'd set it up, then do a test with progressively heavier dead (non-fishy) weight. It should be apparent if it's dramatically overloaded.