How long should humidifier take to humidify small apartment? I have two humidifiers (1, 2) running in attempt to combat some severe sinus issues, likely caused by the very dry winter in Boston. I live in an a 450 sq ft studio apartment.

They have been running for about 8 hours. My AcuRite Indoor Humidity monitor showed an initial humidity of 41%, currently at 46%, but hasn't increased for a few hours.

Is a humidity of > 50% attainable/desired? How long should it take? Are these humidifiers sufficient or should I consider a different one?

The question about the humidifiers is secondary, but related, to the presenting problem "to combat some severe sinus issues".

My wife and I, both, experience Wintertime related sinus issues (drying-out, nosebleeds, increased sensitivity to allergens, etc.).

The level of humidity needed to sufficiently combat the sinus issues of a person would be problematic for everything else; therefore, it's better to treat the person rather than create the ideal environment (or, for example, create the ideal environment in the bathroom and "hang-out" there, lol).

Recommendations for "treating the person" is beyond the scope of the HI/SE.


Re-designing an existing fireplace Can an amateur DIY'er re-design, demo, and built a new fireplace from an existing masonry fireplace?

Tips and Tricks for following the building code
Tips and Tricks for demo (how far to go)
Tips and Tricks for replacing/adding a mantle

I am willing to tackle most DIY jobs in my house, but I, personally, would draw the line at the hearth/doors/mantel on this one.

I'm not willing to mess around inside the fire box or chimney of my fire place, nor with the gas lines or any masonry that is not part of the facade.  When I do have to work on stuff like that, I either bite the bullet and hire a licensed/insured professional, or at the very least, enlist help from a friend or family member with true professional experience.


Adding a utility sink drain to the main to the main cast iron stack I need to add a utility sink and the drain would connect directly into my main stack (see attached picture). Is it possible to add a connection to the main cast iron stack, without cutting out a section and adding a new fitting? Basically, I am suggesting cutting a hole in the side if the cast iron stack and adding a saddle Wye (see picture)my stack as it is now.

My understanding is that saddle wyes are prohibited under most codes, but you should check with your local jurisdiction to be sure.

The usual way is to support the pipe top and bottom, cut out a section, and then put in the new wye with hubless rubber connectors.


How do I safely install a pole/mast on our roof? We are installing a pole/mast for wireless communication equipment on the roof of our commercial building.

The pole will need to rise 2m above the roofline. Obviously we want the pole to be as securely attached as possible.

This is our current plan of attack:

Buy a 3m length of galvanised pipe and have it extend 1m below the roofline, parallel with a reinforced concrete column (part of the building structure).

Pass the pipe through two attachments, which I'm not familiar with the name of. They are like a pipe clamp with a plate welded to it. One near the top of the 1m overlap with the column and one near the bottom.

Fix each plate to the concrete column in four places.

Attach three guy ropes to the top of the pole, one away from the concrete column and one in each direction perpendicular to that. The guy ropes will be fixed to parts of the building structure and a turnbuckle will be used to tighten them hand-tight.

Does this sound like a secure way to mount the pole and the guy rope ends?

I have heard that epoxy glue-in bolts are more secure than Dynabolts (expansion bolts) and reduce the risk of the concrete cracking. Is this true? Are there any resources I should read to use epoxy glue-in bolts correctly?

You may want to consider one of the various style of commercial bracket assemblies designed to mount antenna masts onto chimneys and concrete columns. Here are some examples:


How do I easily tell if vent below microwave is vented to the exterior? We had a house built recently and there's a vent on the wall where the microwave is on the exterior of the house, but it doesn't seem like anything is coming out of this vent when we turn it on while cooking food on our stove top (which is directly below the microwave). We leave the fan on for twenty minutes and it makes a loud noise and doesn't really do anything. And in the winter, I don't feel any cold air coming from the bottom of the microwave.

While the house was still being built, we noticed that there was no hole cut out in the wall for the vent (they said they would do that when the microwave is installed). Is there an easy way to know if that was done or could there be another issue at play here?

Properly installed range hood vent, including those combined with microwaves, almost always use an external vent hood that has a flap to prevent backdrafts. The flap is pushed out by the increased air pressure created by the vent fan.

While there are sometimes internal backdraft flaps, there is almost always an external one as well.

Look at the exterior hood and have someone turn on the vent fan. You should see the flap moving. If it does not, you likely have a problem.

You can remove the external hood by removing mounting screws and cutting the caulk seal around the edges. You can then look into the hole to see where (if) it is connected.

Many vent hoods can be set up for interior or exterior venting. This usually involves changing the orientation of the fan itself during setup. The installer may have left the fan pushing the exhaust into the kitchen. If so, you should be able to feel a draft at the top of the unit when the fan is on.


Why does my water pressure drop after using my water hose for a few minutes? When I'm using my water hose, especially with the electric pressure washer, after about 15 minutes of use, the water pressure drops.   I can disconnect the water hose from the pressure washer and although the hose is running full, it has a very weak stream.  This isn't a problem in the house and we never notice it, even when the washer is running or if we are taking showers.  I have no water leaks anywhere and this problem is present even if I'm just using the water hose without the pressure washer.   My water system is residential.  I have a 4" well with a submerged pump and a pressure tank in the garage.  The system is four years old.

Would this be a pressure switch problem or a pump problem?

UPDATE

Thanks, guys for all the helpful answers.   My pressure tank is a 40 gallon and I have not problem running out of water or the pump keeping up.  I have ran four hoses at the same time watering apple trees and landscaping almost all  day as well as our in house use without any problems.

Actually, I have since found the problem.   I should have read the instructions to the pressure washer more carefully as it specified not to use more than a 25ft. hose connecting it to the water supply.  I just connected to my hose supply which is on a hose real and contains several hundred feet of water hose.   Evidently, by the time the water circulated through all those hoses on the real, it was being restricted somewhere along the line.   I disonnected one hose and the thing worked like it should.  I do need to up the low pressure setting on my pressure switch as I like to have a kick on pressure of 40psi and kick off pressure of 60psi and right now it is a few psi below 40 but other than that things are like they should be.

Thanks again for all your help.

The part that jumped out at me is this: "4" well with a submerged pump and a pressure tank in the garage."

How big is your pressure tank? My guess is that the greater water draw of a 1/2 or 5/8 inch hose can drain the tank in 15 minutes. The washer or shower has a much lower flow rate in gallons per minute used than a hose.

When the pressure is low from the hose, do you also get low pressure inside the house?


What wires connect to what here? I have an old outdoor lamp and the wires used to be all twisted up so a friend cut them for me before we put the lamp in storage. Now I finally have it out of storage but I don't know what wires connect to what (pic attached). I know the green one is the ground wire, but beyond that I've got nothing. The "light bulb" side has three black and three white wires, and the base side has one white, one black, and one green. How do I attach these two sides?

Edit: this isn't the exact same model but it's very similar: https://www.target.com/p/manhattan-3-outdoor-lantern-post-bronze/-/A-14931671 I don't recall any part of the wiring being connected to the "body" when we first opened it up so I'm unsure what the green wire would attach to

Edit2: I will give the suggestions a try and update this post when I can -- thank you all

The short black wires are pigtails; their color can be disregarded.

Ground is always color-coded green, yellow-green stripe, or bare. It goes to the metal chassis of the junction box and lamp, or any ground wires coming from the lamp (e.g. There should be one running down any chains).  It never goes to anything else.

The cluster of black wires goes to your black supply wire.  These are all "hot" wires.  You can simply attach the supply wire to the black pigtail after stripping off about 5/8" of wire so it'll go in the wire nut.

With those dealt with, all that can remain is neutral.  Those go together.  They are white except for the black pigtail, which we'll pretend is white.

Neutral is safe if everything is working, but certain malfunctions can cause neutral to become hot, so it is insulated like it's hot.


1/4" to 1" gaps in corners of my newly "professionally" installed drywall The drywall in my bathroom was put up yesterday, & has yet to be taped & miffed in. There are considerable uneven( up to an inch ) gaps in 2 of my inside corners. I don't want to let them start mudding, & end up with chipping or sloppy corners in my new bathroom. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

It might look sloppy now, but if they are conscientious when taping and finishing, that will not be a problem in the least. It really would only take one quick setting-type coat before taping to get even a 1 inch gap as ready for tape as any other corner. (Assuming there is blocking behind it to back up the compound - there should be, otherwise what is the drywall attached to?). It's important though that the corner tape reaches the drywall - if it doesn't, there needs to be an additional run of tape over the filled-in gap. But other than that slight setback, the finished corner will be as nice as any other corner.


Do hot water tanks have to be in the drain pan I bought a new hot water tank and had it installed by a plumber. It didn't fit in the existing drain pan, so he put it on top of the pan.  Is this safe?

The purpose of a drain pan is to contain small leaks that can lead to damage and can give you warning that there is a problem. This doesn't mean that it is necessary, however for 10$ - 20$ at your local hardware store you could have picked one up - worth the small investment. (I'm surprised that a plumber who is called to install a hotwater tank doesn't have an extra pan in his tool kit)

The tank doesn't look level from the pictures. Try taking a level, place it on the top of the tank.

Here is a guide on how to level a hot water tank.

  New water heaters or water heaters that are placed on an un-level surface, need to be leveled and shimmed for them to work properly.

Personally, I would go pickup a new drain pan, call the plumber back and have the pan installed. If the tank is not leveled, he can address this at the same time.

The question you asked is whether this installation is safe - the tank will probably sit there without incident for many years. The problem I'm having is that if it is not level, you will be possibly shortening the life of the tank, could be voiding a warranty and are not protected in the event of a slow leak.


How many amps can this breakers box provide? I bought a house from the early 80s and I'm trying to figure out how much amps I can use safely, if it is possible to add air conditioning on the current electric system, and in general if the current situation is safe.

There is one main panel (first picture) and a "kind of panel" in the garage (second picture).

From what I understand, the left thing is the main switch and is rated 80 Amps.

Does that means that this is the maximum that can be used at the same time?

I assume the two residual current device on the right are protecting the light and power point breakers with the green labels, but since all the green label breakers adds to 80 Amps, where does the extra 80 amps of the 3 red label breakers (garage 32A, stove 32A, solar HWS 16A) come from?

Does it means I'm pulling 160 Amps from a 80 Amps main switch? (if that's the case, is it safe?).

Here I think there is a residual current device for 40A and 3 fuses. I assume those are connected to the Garage breaker in the main panel (which is 32A, not 40. Is this safe too?)

What I'd like to know is:

First, is this setup safe?
How much amps can I pull from each power point (this is an issue since there are only 2 of them in most rooms, and I suspect they are both wired together since they are always next to each other)
On the garage "panel", the marking says 8A for lights and 16A for each power point, but the installed fuses lists the opposite; should I switch them?
We are looking into adding Air Conditioning, and the installer recommends installing 7 split systems, each of them requiring its own breaker (5 need 10A, 2 need 20A). That's 90 extra amps. Can this be added into this installation? and if it cannot what would be the best option?

Not sure if it helps, but we are in Australia (240V, 50Hz).

is this setup safe?

A fault in your garage lighting might start a fire in the 8A wiring before the 16A fuse blows. Don't replace your fluorescent tubes with a huge bank of film-studio incandescent lighting.

I see nothing else to suggest it is unsafe.

  How much amps can I pull from each power point

From any one power point, you can pull the maximum current  that point is rated for (e.g. on a UK ring circuit I can pull 13A from any single power point)

However the total load on the circuit is determined by the circuit breaker rating for the circuit. It is perfectly normal to have ten 13A power points on a 32A circuit. Obviously you can't boil ten kettles at once.

You might have radial circuits (I'm not sure what is normal in Oz) and different numbers - but the same principles apply.

  Does it means I'm pulling 160 Amps from a 80 Amps main switch?

No, it means that the design used in all household electrical installations assumes that you wont fit every light socket with the most powerful bulb you can buy, plug a full kettle into every power point and turn them all on while simultaneously having a power-shower, roasting a turkey, frying four pancakes, mowing the lawn, drilling and sawing 2x4s, running AC at full, with TV, DVD, Blu-Ray, VHS, HiFi, bedside radio, and all lights on full blast. It might seem like your suburban neighbours do this but they don't really.

  On the garage "panel" ...

I would try switching them to see what happens. Inspect them first, maybe the fuse wire used doesn't match the number on the outside.

  90 extra amps

You say your main panel has a main switch rated for 80 Amps. It sounds like you need a 200A supply.

I'd

Buy a power meter - the sort that clamps around your main power cable and tells you how many amps you are pulling. My electric co gave me one free.
Get whoever's installing the AC to specify total current that is needed at
any one time.
Contact your electricity supply company / utility to get supply to house uprated accordingly.
Hire an electrician to replace your existing main panel with a new main panel with capacity for another 8 circuits (if that is really what is needed).
Get an extra job to pay for the electricity bills.


Dishwasher drip tray (de)calcification? Recently, my dishwasher (Whirlpool ADG 9999M, about 10--15yo) stopped working with some standard error. After getting the manuals, I decided to inspect the drip tray: it was full of water. I removed/wiped most of the water and the dishwasher started working again. Now the tray is completely dry, but there's a lot of calcification build-up (see photos below).

Should I remove the build-up? And if so, how? Can I for instance use vinegar, or will it damage something? I can't really access most of the tray surface since there's a lot of stuff placed over it.

The reason why I think this can be related is that it has been suggested the drain pump may be blocked; the website says "remove and clean the pump", however, the pump does not seem to really snap off and I don't want to break something.

Photos: (1) the tray; (2) the build-up when I scratched it off and one place.

Monthly vinegar use: a full cup in an empty washer on "pot-and-pans" mode with no heated dry.

This has kept my unit functioning well and lime/scale free since I tore it apart and discovered the pump, the "macerator", pretty much the whole lower works, plugged up with lime, scale, and a whole lot of solidified dishwashing soap. I predict that you will be disassembling the lower works, internet searches helped me tear mine down (along with trial and error and persistence) and put it back together.

I will never use bargain liquid or any type of granular soap again. I only use the gel pouches and it's been smooth sailing ever since.


15 amp gfci on 30 amp breakers I have 2 space heaters at opposite sides of my bathroom walls (facing into guest rooms).  There is a wire that is easily accessible going between them thru the bathroom wall, which I have opened up right now.  the space heaters are on a double 30 amp breakers (two 30amps tied together in the panel).
I would like to put a 15 amp (but I could use a 20amp or 30 amp if necessary) GFCI on the open wall to run hair appliances (not at the same time).  Can I splice into that wire from one heater, to the GFCI and then back onto the 2nd heater?
The heaters are rarely used and haven't been turned on at all in a year or two.

Your standard receptacles must be 15A on a 15A circuit or 15A or 20A on a 20A circuit. Your plug-in appliances will all be designed for those type of receptacles (generally 15A and fit 15A or 20A).

GFCI is required for bathroom, but doesn't have to be at the receptacle - could be at the breaker.

You can't piggyback 15A or 20A receptacles on a 30A circuit (the heaters). Not allowed. Period.

You can repurpose the wires currently being used for the heaters to instead be used for 15A or 20A circuit. But to do that:

You will lose the ability to use the heaters - they will be disconnected.
You must replace the 30A circuit breaker with a 15A or 20A circuit breaker.
Any additional wire to extend the circuit must be at least 14 AWG (for 15A) or at least 12 AWG (for 20A).
Any junction between new wires and the old heater wires must be in an accessible junction box. (Not an issue if you are able to reroute the wires directly into the box for the new receptacles.)
240V heaters often don't need neutral. If the existing wiring is only 2 wires + ground then you can only get a single circuit out of this - one wire as hot (on a new 15A or 20A breaker) and one wire as neutral. The neutral wire must be the white one. If the existing wiring includes neutral (e.g., black/red/white) then you can actually get two circuits out of this as an MWBC, but GFCI would have to be done at the breaker rather than at the receptacle.

The alternative of "pull power from the heat/fan" will probably not work. If the heat (lamp and fan are basically "nothing") uses more than a few Amps (I'm not sure of the breakpoint) then you can't put receptacles on the same circuit.


How do you break in a new air compressor? Just got a new craftsman air compressor (33 gal).  I have read that it is important to "break in" the unit by running it with the pressurized chamber open (so that there is no load on the motor).  How long do I do leave it running in this state?  Is there anything else you would recommend I do?

Answering a little late, but the instructions that came with my 20 gal. oil-free Husky say to run the compressor for 10 minutes with outlet and drain open. Times may vary depending on compressor size, lubrication style, etc., so check your owners manual.


How do I install cabinets on a floating hardwood floor? We just purchased a bunch of cabinets for installation of a bar / kitchenette in the basement.  There are 4 wall cabinets and four base cabinets.  These are going to be installed on the existing hardwood floating floor, which are sitting on top  of a pad and then concrete.

The wall cabinets I can do, I have installed many in the past.  But what is the best way to install the base cabinets?  Since the floor is floating, I don't know if i should attach them through the floor to the concrete (thus locking the floating floor down i think).  Or should I just attach them to the wall and each other and let them float on on the floor?  Or perhaps attach to the wall and then glue to the floor with a construction adhesive?

Part of the layout is a peninsula, so two of the base cabinets will only be touching another cabinet and not the walls.  If these are not attached to the floor, it seems like these would have the potential to move if pushed or bumped.

I should also note that we will be installing a heavier counter-top, not sure yet if we will do granite, some other natural stone, or stamped concrete.  But that might come into play as the weight may hold it down.

Is cutting out the flooring where the cabinets will be not an option?  You don't mention it, so maybe there's a reason, but that's the method that would get you the best attachment for your cabinets, while still allowing the flooring to float and move as it's designed.  You could make these cuts with a circular saw set to just the right depth.

For the peninsula, I believe cutting out the flooring is your only option.  If you try to attach it through the flooring, you're either going to 1) pull it too tight to the flooring so the flooring can't float, or 2) not fasten it tightly enough and it's going to creak and move every time someone leans on the counter.


How to insulate under a front door 100 year old brick house with a new front door. Thee door is awesome at stoppiing the cold, but there is a space under the door where cold still comes in. I originally  put some fiberglass pink insulation in there, but that didn’t do much. I think I need to stop the air flow better.

One option is to fill it with spray foam. But I’m not sure if I want everything glued together for all eternity. And I believe you should only fill cracks, not voids.

Another is to cut a piece of plastic and glue/caulk it along the front (so the insulation is behind).

Any other ideas?

That opening will be sealed off with a riser.  Make sure it's a tight fit with no gaps.  The horizontal pieces extend farther than the framing, so add wood to extend the vertical framing to make a 4-sided box that the riser mounts against.  Caulk between the riser and that threshold "box" to seal it.

Beyond that, fiberglass batting like you show should be fine to fill the space.


How can I finish this "peeled" drywall? While doing some work in my bathroom, one thing led to another and paint started peeling. I found that under many layers of paint was some wallpaper so it seemed natural to pull...

I started peeling it off like crazy, in huge pieces before I realized that what was left behind was not so nice: drywall with its paper peeled off.

It looks like part of the drywall's paper has come off, leaving a rough, fuzzy, roughish surface (that's about 1ft2).

Question: how do I fix this? I might be able to scrape/sand it down smooth enough to paint...maybe.

Another option is to hang some wallpaper.

I do not want to go down to the studs and hang new drywall.

UPDATE:

I said I didn't want to go down to the studs...but that's what I ended up doing. It was not as hard as I expected but did add a lot of time and cost to the project. I couldn't have done it without YouTube :).

I don't think sanding the surface will produce a surface good enough to paint. It's certainly a lot of effort for uncertain results.

If the underlying surface is very rough it might still show through the wall paper, unless it's very thick (1000 gsm lining paper for example) or you do some sanding.

The best answer might be to continue to peel off the paper and then skim the wall with plaster. Depending on your plastering skills you might want to get a professional in.

The result should be good enough to paint.


what could cause my gfci to randomly trip? I'm in the process of finishing my basement, and am almost done with the electrical rough-in. The whole thing is open studs at this time, so any sort of reconfiguration is easily possible.

I have a 20amp AFCI circuit breaker supplying the bathroom's GFCI receptacle, all with 12 gauge wires. This receptacle then supplies power to the light and fan via a double gang box.

Intermittently and randomly, the GFCI trips itself, but only when either the fan or light switches are toggled. It can go several dozen toggles with no issue, and then suddenly trip. This can happen either with the fan or light switch; I haven't had any luck identifying exactly why this happens.

The GFCI outlet is around 7 years old (came with the house; I repurposed it in the bathroom). Load and line are set correctly, and the switches are also wired correctly.

Is there anything I need to specifically look for, to help identify why this happens, and to avoid it in the future?

I suspect the electronic circuitry of the AFCI is drawing some quite small current from hot to ground, which looks like a ground fault to the GFCI. This current is probably not enough to trip the GFCI normally, but when switching an additional load on the protected side of the GFCI, there could be some transient currents from hot to ground that take the GFCI over the trip threshold sometimes Remember, the GFCI is supposed to trip with as little as 5mA of ground fault current.

Try connecting the light and fan to the line (unprotected) side of the GFCI. I don't think code requires the fan and light to be protected by the GFCI in any case, just the receptacle.


How to pick a sliding glass door I'm looking for something mid-range that works well in summer/winter. Should I be leaning towards composite or vinyl?

You're probably going to get a few opinions on this based on individual experience. Is there a reason you excluded aluminum?
I have installed composite, vinyl and aluminum sliding doors and all of them have preformed well to the best of my knowledge (no complaints). They all require little maintenance. I've replaced the rollers on my aluminum doors after 30 years and really appreciated the strength and durability of the aluminum doors. I've also noticed the track for aluminum doors are narrower than for the other types as are the frames so there's more glass to look out (and clean,lol). Because of the strength of aluminum, it can support a larger area so you can get by with fewer doors.


Panted & Varnished but rough to the touch I have a rocking chair a Gentleman refinished for me.  He stripped it, sanded it down then painted it and put a varnish on it.  It looks really good but extremely rough to the touch.  Without messing up the entire job he did, how can I get rid of the roughness?  It's like it's got grit, but you can't really see anything.    Thanks so much!

Normally you would sand between coats before putting on the next coat. This is especially important after the first coat on the raw wood. I'm afraid you are going to have to sand it until its smooth with some either 220 grit sandpaper and then recoat it. If 220 is too fine, try 150.


How far can you safely drill into 100mm thick brick for expansion plugs I'm mounting a rafter support for a lean-to at the side of my house (45mm x 120mm wood beam). I know that the bricks are 100mm thick, so I'm wondering what length of expansion plugs (rawl plugs) I can use. I don't want to drill right through the brick obviously but am wondering how far I can go?

I think 75% of the brick should be fine.. normally there is a "blow out" of the brick within 1cm of reaching the other side... but this is really dependent on the type of brick (cement, clay, etc), moisture contnet, age of brick, diameter of hole and strength of the hammer action of the drill

If it were me, I would drill to about half way, then add some water to the hole and start to reduce my force on the hammer drill in order to slow the drilling speed. -- do not attempt to drill if you have an SDS type drill since the hammer action is not dependent on your applied pressure.

once the plugs are in place, you should have no issue hand tigtening the plug. just dont over-tighten


Will the last electrical receptacle on the same circuit have two cables entering the box? I have identified three receptacles in my garage coming from the same circuit breaker. All three boxes have two romex cables entering the boxes.  There appear to be no other devices on this breaker.

Why would the last outlet receptacle on this circuit have two cables entering its box if it is the end of the run?

Then it's not the last outlet.

An outlet is any point of use, i.e. an overhead light or hardwired exhaust fan.  A receptacle is the fancy name for the familiar socket.  A receptacle is one type of outlet.

And it's not n cables entering the box.  It's 1 cable entering the box and n-1 cables exiting the box to go to downline load(s).  n can be 3 or more, by the way.

Every load must attach at a junction box or fixture that must be accessible without disassembling the house in any way (other than the fixture itself, obviously).  So there should never be a need to unscrew wood panels, bust up and re-mud drywall, etc.  Between accessible points there can only be wires.

So if you take covers off things, and remove lamps etc., you should be able to find it.   There are electronic tools which can aid in the search greatly.


How do I clean up linseed oil? One of the many things I loathe about our kitchen cabinets is that although they're stained to a mahogany tone dark brown, the undersides of the uppers (which are visible from our kitchen table) are rough birch plywood. I had the bright idea to use some imitation gold leaf that I've had forever to beautify my breakfast vista. I turns out I should possibly have done more research or at least read the instructions on the size, because I made a mess of it. On the upside, you can only see it if you're sitting at the kitchen table. It has a nice glow, though, and I'm slowly figuring out how to salvage it.

But: the size is a mix of linseed, tung, mineral spirits and petroleum distillate. What should I use to clean my brush off? Can I bag the brush so I can keep using it for a few days or is that dangerous?

Bagging is fine: the lack of oxygen will keep it from spontanously combusting.

Mineral spirit will clean it.


Is there anything wrong with using a PC power cord for a miter saw? I just bought a used miter saw that needs a new power cord.  I found this one but $25 for a cord seems a bit steep.  That "official" cord is 16AWG with two wires.  I also found this one when I searched for 16AWG power cord.  Is there a reason I couldn't just cut the PC connector side off and wire it up to the saw?

As long as you don't splice it, but install it by hooking it up internally consistent with the way the original one was (including noting the conductor type, aluminum vs copper), then you will be fine.


Is it ok to use pneumatic tools underwater I have a concrete that is stuck underwater. The concrete piece is too heavy. I think that I could break it into small pieces with my pneumatic impact drill.

I do light underwater work as a part of my job. One thing I do is drill in rock underwater with a CP9 rock drill. This is a pneumatic tool but is designed to work both above and under water. It works great as long as it is properly lubed before and disassembled and lubed as soon as possible after the job is done.

I have no first hand experience of other tools, but according to a colleague it is perfectly fine to use more or less any pneumatic tools underwater, he often uses cheap ones and says that they do get the job done.

Edit: I have since I posted this answer used multiple cheap pneumatic tools underwater. I can report that I have had no problems at all in doing so, as long as the tool is disassembled within a day (preferrably ASAP) after being used and lubricated throughout.


Seeking Alarms Suggestions for open refridgerator I plan to add this socket to the refridgerator light bulb to enable another device to signal when the refridgerator is open.  The fridge is in the garage and the kids seem to leave it open.

If you have created a similar alarm for your fridge, please state this in your response.  I am seeking ideas or hacking existing inexpensive devices to signal the fridge is open: that can be powered by the socket in the picture:

There is a reason that refrigerators do not have internal electrical outlets and that reason is so that people do not die.

Generally, that socket is a bad idea because a refrigerator is cool and when warm humid air enters, it will condense. The amount of condensation could easily rise to a level beyond that at which the socket is electrically safe.

Unlike other outlets in the rest of a kitchen, the National Electrical Code has not, historically, required ground fault protection for outlets serving refrigerators and other major appliances. A strict interpretation of the 'major  kitchen appliance exception is why many jurisdictions prohibit duplex outlets in the area where a refrigerator is designed to go.


How do I fix a pocket door wheel track? I have a pocket door that keeps falling off its track.  The metal track has become warped and bent down in just one or two areas.  When I slide the door along the track and the front wheel goes over these areas, the wheel falls out of the track and the door gets stuck.

I cannot see how I can remove the track because the door is always hanging off of some part of it and the track is screwed to the top inside of the pocket.

I've searched for a tool to do this, but have not found anything.  Is there such a tool designed specifically for it, or is there another technique to fix this annoying problem?

Regarding your question on tools to remove the track, this article (Natural Handyman - How To Repair and Adjust Pocket Doors) says:

  Many pocket doors can be adjusted with
  special tools from around the top of
  the pocket frame with the door in a
  partially closed position. These tools
  are often specially angled wrenches
  designed to fit into that little gap.
  These tools are part of the assembly
  kit supplied with the pocket door, but
  are rarely given to homeowners by the
  builders. Without these proprietary
  tools, you have to improvise with or
  modify standard tools.

If you can't get to the warped part of the track with any tool that you have (or can find), then you will need to cut a hole in the wall for access.

This article (Ask the Builder - Fixing a Pocket Door) has a great description of how to get access to the track.  The article talks about replacing the track but it also gives a warning that if the new track is not the exact same dimensions then the little project will become much bigger.  So you will have to make a decision to cut the wall to get access to the screws to replace the track or just to get to the warped section of the track.

A quote from the article:

  Remove the door from the pocket and
  take it off the track. Use a
  flashlight and peer up into the pocket
  cavity. There is a good chance you
  will see the screws that fasten the
  track to the frame. It is now time to
  cut an access hole on one side of the
  pocket wall. This hole will allow you
  to get your hand or arm into the
  pocket so that you can loosen and
  remove the screws and subsequently the
  track.


Placing a good surge protector on our Fleck 4650 Control Valve (used as well water softener) The stepper motor / timers on our Fleck 4650 Control Valve for our well water softener dies when lightening strikes happen.  I can't find the amperage rating for this device when it's in operation so I can spec the correct surge protector to purchase.  Does anyone know what type of surge protector I should place on this or if I even should / can?

Manual

PS: I based in Florida, USA

It's probably very low power, but you can be sure its less than 15 amps since it runs off a normal 120VAC 3 prong plug. So, get a normal (but quality) plug-in surge suppressor (single port if this is the only thing you are trying to protect) and plug it in - don't overcomplicate the process. While you are at it, buy a spare so that when the surge suppressor gives up the ghost you can replace it quickly. The manufacturers of quality suppressors often claim to cover damage to connected equipment, though it's probably a pain to get them to pay up in practice.

You might also want to go over the grounding connections of the power to the well shed, and check for basic details like "if the well casing is steel (or other metal, which would be uncommon) is it tied into the grounding electrode system properly"


Insulation foam in hollow bricks and blocks This is a wall in the extension to my house, which I estimate to have been added around the 1930s (house is 1909) using mostly large hollow bricks that look more like cinder blocks but are not of concrete and brick-like clay instead.

I need to plaster the exposed brick (there is a reason why I couldn't frame and drywall) and I was thinking, since these elements are hollow, does it make sense to drill a small hole in each and fill it with insulation foam, to improve the house R value. The only reason against I see is that the foam may expand if moisture comes from the outside (the other side of where I'm plastering) and explode the brick.

Those are terra cotta blocks. They are, indeed, hollow. You could drill (carefully! Terra Cotta is fragile when drilling) and fill each and every block with low expansion foam (has normal expansion foam could break the blocks).

But that would be a huge project. And you'd still have major thermal bridging issues along the edges of each brick. It'd be much better to apply 2"+ of foam to the inside. What is the reason that you can't go that route?

Another reason to try and gain some wall on the 'inside' is to make it easier for future owners...if you could add 2x framing that also will give a surface for mounding shelves, pictures, etc. You don't want to take a nail and hammer it into a terra cotta block as it will just fracture.


How do I handle ground wires in 2-gang box with circuits coming from separate breaker boxes In my house, I have 2 breaker boxes. In the basement there is a 200-amp main box, with the ground and neutral bars bonded.  Feeding the main floor, there is a 100-amp sub-panel (branched off the main box) that has a separate ground and neutral bar.

I am currently finishing the basement, and am installing the lighting.  For the stairway going downstairs, I have an existing 3-way switch that controls the stairway lights.  This circuit is fed from the 100-amp sub-panel upstairs (area in dashed box in picture).  I now want to add a lighting circuit for the main room in the basement.  This involves switching out the 1-gang box at the bottom of the stairs for a 2-gang, adding power in from the existing 200-amp service in the basement, and running my wire off to the lights.

My question is: since I am mixing not only circuits, but one circuit from the main panel (the downstairs lights), with a circuit from the sub-panel (the stairway lighting), what do I do with the ground wires?  Do I tie them together, or isolate them?  Unfortunately, the box at the top of the stairs is part of a 2-gang box that feeds upstairs lighting as well, so even if I switch the stairway light circuit to be fed from the 200-amp panel at the bottom of the stairs, I have the same problem in the upstairs 2-gang box.  (For code purposes/passing my inspection, the state I am in has adopted the 2014 NEC)

Good question, but pause to think: What if all your wiring was in EMT metal conduit? (In which the conduit is the ground).  There'd be no choice to bond the grounds, and thus, it is OK.

This question is even easier since you are working out of a sub-panel, which already has its ground bonded to the main panel; that is, one ground rod for the whole house.  I have a facility where the 120/240v is served out of two main panels, each with its own supply transformer and its own ground.  Circuits from both main panels go into a spiderweb of EMT, and while the neutrals never cross, the EMT certainly does, which means the ground does.  What's more, the EMT is attached to an all steel building via girder clamps that are entirely made of metal. It would be impractical to separate the grounds.  All this to say: If I am allowed to mix grounds, you certainly are.


Whirlpool Model 6065D mini split I purchased a new Whirlpool Model 6065 Mini-split in Mexico last year. The price was right.Installation manual is in Spanish and Whirlpool USA will offer no support. Manual appears to say power goes to inside head first and then to outside compressor. Some have said this is wrong and will blow the unit. Any experience/advise? Thanks. Max Boese

Usually the compressor evaporator unit has the main power 240v and with inside units only need 120v for the fan. How are you going to pump the line set down? The compressor is probably charged but after the line set is brazed it needs to be pumped down to at least 500um and verify that it is holding at what ever base pressure is achieved. This removes the air a non compressible and any moisture in the open plumbing.  If the base pressure can not be achieved there is a leak or there still moisture in evaporator / line set.
Allthough this is a DIY site most of the above work requires a EPA 608 certification. If the system holds more than 5 lbs it would require 2 of the 3ea  608 certifications with that in mind a certified tech should be hooking the system up.


Can I temporarily ground an outlet in my home to use a pressure washer outside it? Can I temporarily ground an outlet by attaching a wire to its central screw and then to a grounding rod situated outside my house?  I want to use an electrical pressure washer, but it requires a ground that none of my outlets have.

My solution for this sort of thing: I built a "power strip" box containing a GFCI. That provides protection as good as or better than a safety ground, in a portable form. (If you do this often I'd suggest actually permanently replacing that outlet with a GFCI. My outdoor outlets are powered via a gfci in the basement.)


Increase humidity with HRV? I’d like to increase the humidity levels in my old stone and brick house (~120 years) during the winter. Right now it’s about mid-20% and I’d like it to be 30% to 35%.

This house came with a HRV system system that I understand brings outdoor air into the house. Considering that it’s usually more than 50% RH outside, I am curious why running the system seems to dehumidify the house and make my problem worse rather than improve things. I understand that the water-carrying capacity of cold air is less than warm air, so why would bringing in 50% RH cold air into a warm space of 20% RH not increase the indoor RH? Is there something else possibly wrong that I should investigate?

Bonus details for those curious:

The house came with an evaporative flow-through bypass humidifier that pours about $25 to $60 of water down the drain each month while also not affecting the humidity. My current working strategy is run a large console humidifier next to a large return near the furnace – with this setup I can crank the house up to 40% RH easily but it requires filling up the water tanks every day or so, which isn’t sustainable while I’m away. Coming up with a better way using the HRV would be neat.

Ah, I think I’ve found the answer:

Admitting cold outdoor air into a space will lower the indoor RH. When the lower temperature outdoor air is brought indoors and heated, it loses moisture and reduces the overall RH.
For example: if the outdoor temperature is 0°F and 50% RH and the air comes indoors and is heated to 70°F, the residual moisture after heating the outdoor air will only be about 3% RH. Even on a nice, sunny 35°F and 50% RH day, the residual indoor RH will only be about 14%.

So by heating the cold, high-RH outdoor air up, the RH content drops tremendously. By introducing this extremely low-RH air into the house, you can expect the indoor RH to plummet.


Correct way to attach outlet wall plate? I have been replacing the outlets in my house with Tamper Resistant outlets. On some of the replaced receptacles, the plate does not tightly attach to the wall—it can be pried back by my fingers. (I think the paint was holding them in place before.)

What is the correct way to ensure that the tamper resistance is not made moot by the tamperability of the surrounding face plate?

There are a couple things you can do depending on what the cause is.

If the entire cover plate stands proud of the wall, then it probably means the receptacle itself is not far enough back. Make sure it is screwed all the way into the box and that the box is set at a proper depth into the wall. If it's unfeasible to adjust the box, and you're only dealing with an eighth of an inch or so, build up the surface of the wall with some joint compound and blend it in as best you can.

If only part of the cover stands proud of the wall, it's probably because the wall is uneven. (Very common for plaster or drywall that's been repaired a lot.) Use some all-purpose kitchen/bathroom caulk around the cover plate where there are any gaps, and smooth it out with a wet paper towel.


How can I get replacement floorboards to match existing floorboards? I've just moved into a 1930's house and have started work on restoring the original floorboards. I had to replace around one third in each room with new boards from a local timber yard.

After sanding the original boards down the colour still differs between the new and the old - the new being lighter. How can I go about making all the boards match? Should I use something like Danish oil on the new boards to darker slightly and then stain/varnish or would a darker (tan colour) wood stain on top make them all match or would they still be just a darker/lighter stain?

Before doing anything else, give part of the new board a swipe with paint thinner. Dampening it gives you an idea of what it will look like under a clear varnish, and paint thinner evaporates quickly enough that it doesn't tend to raise grain or otherwise interfere with the rest of the finishing process. That'll give you some idea of how much the color really needs to shift.

If you have some scraps of the old floor and of the new wood, a good paint store may be willing to dab the latter with samples of several different stains to see what they'd recommend as a good match. If in doubt, remember that you can always apply more stain in successive passes.

In my case -- and I'm not sure this is a recommendation, just an observation -- I went with a very cautious approach. Oil varnishes, especially older ones, tend(ed) to add a strong yellow tone to the wood. I was going to use water-based poly, which hardens clear. I applied multiple passes of dewaxed shellac (which I happened to have on hand) to the oak thresholds to achieve that color shift, then applied water-based poly as the protective layers. I stopped short of getting a very close match, but it's close enough that the thresholds don't stand out. I'm sure a real stain would have gotten me there faster and more exactly, but this was good enough for my purposes.


Swapping Lock On Exterior Door I thought this was simple standard take out the old, plug in the new.  However, I am switching from a Schlage to a GateHouse and the (excuse my lack of terminology) actual "lock", the piece that slides in the cylindrical hole in the side of the door, on my GateHouse is probably 1/2 to 3/4 inch thicker than the "lock" on the Schlage.

Now I have put the Schlage back on, but i want to swap it out.  What do I Need to do in order to make the "lock" hole bigger to fit the new Gatehouse lock?

buy a cheap set of holesaws. This one is only $8 if you use a 20% off coupon.

https://www.harborfreight.com/1-in-2-12-in-carbon-steel-hole-saw-set-11-pc-68114.html

buy a set that has the correct diameter holesaw.  create a template by drilling the correct diameter into a scrap of 3/4" plywood. attach the plywood template to the door using clamps or screws.  go ahead and drill the new hole in the door.

if it is the large hole on the face of the door, you can prevent splintering by drilling in two steps.  drill the new hole only halfway deep. remount the template on the other side and drill the remainder.

if it is the small hole on the edge of the door, clamp a scraps of 2x4 to door, one to the front and one to the back, then mount the  plywood template by screwing it into the 2x4 scraps.


Drilling Piers under exterior wall We have a small cabin that we would like to extend 10 feet in the back. It has a crawl space.  The architect and engineers have designed a new floor plan for the house that involves putting new footings (Piers) under the back wall, in addition to several other footings to support the extension.  It's a pretty big job for such a small cabin. It involves putting a new roof on the entire structure too.

I was wondering, just out of curiosity, how is it possible to put a new deep footing under an existing wall? Digging a hole for a pier seems pretty straightforward with an auger in an open space.  But how would it be done underneath the exterior beam of the house? Is it even possible, or would the beam need to be removed in the process? Or is there some way to drill sideways to accommodate the pier?

I really wish the architect could have done it another way.  I won't be doing this myself, of course, but I was just wondering what we are asking the builders to do.

You haven't said what the foundation (referred to as a "beam") is built of. A poured foundation can span gaps of several feet temporarily. A block foundation may be supported by adequately reinforced footings. A temporary beam carrying some of the load on the floor joists could also be employed.

As to how... a shovel. Despite our many evolutionary regressions due to over-
abundant modern conveniences, we're still able to grasp and manipulate simple tools fairly effectively.

It's also possible that a backhoe could cut in from outside the foundation and bore underneath.


How can I straighten out my dishwasher? My dishwasher was open, and my eight year old accidentally tripped and landed on the door. Ever since then, when the door is open, it is angled slightly downwards instead of being straight. Otherwise, everything seems fine with it. If I had to guess, I'd suspect the door itself is fine but the dishwasher is no longer mounted as securely as before--it seems to have a bit of play in it when I wiggle. I'm not sure how to diagnose further, but I'd love to get it straightened out again.

Usually they are fasted to your cabinet at two screw tabs along the upper front edge of the dishwasher. Open the door and look along there, as your first step would be to check/remove the mounting screws.

It is likely that the mounting tabs have been bent, causing the unit to sit in a non-level position. It's important that you get it back level or it may not operate properly and could leak. Once you remove the screws you should be able to carefully pull the unit out a bit to straighten the tabs.
There is a chance that you may also be fighting copper water supply tubing that has been distorted/bent/kinked when the unit moved. If this is the case, you will need to shut off and disconnect the water supply, power, and drain lines and pull the entire unit out to inspect and repair as needed.


interior clear span 16' header size Hi I am looking to clear span 16' interior load on single floor home with light storage in attic.
The opening now is 12' supported by 2 2 x 10 hemlock with 3/4"cdx glued in as core. Dose this need more support for the extra 4'?
Thanks Ed

If it's a load bearing wall (seems likely), you need an engineer.


Wire a new light where there was previously a ceiling fan with a light wired into a 3 gang switch box The first switch is a 2 way for the hallway.  The 2nd switch is for the eating area of the kitchen, the 3rd switch is the issue.  It is in the working area of the kitchen and had a light with a fan.  We want to replace it with just a new light fixture.  There are 3 black wires and 3 white wires that were connected to the old fixture.  There is a red wire that is not used here.  One of the black wires remains hot when this light switch is turned off and if not used none of the lights work.  How do I connect the new light so it will work with the switch and shut off?  The hall light and eating area switches are in the on position in the photo so I could take the photos.

Was everything working correctly before you removed the fan? All you want to do is replace the fan with a light fixture? If you have everything wired the way it was when everything was working and you removed the fan you should now have three wires. One white and I'm guessing from your description two blacks. One of those blacks provided continuous power to the fan so it would always operate whether the switch was on or not. You won't need that wire, put a wire nut on it. You should now have a black and a white left, those will connect to the black and white on the new light fixture. If I misunderstood or if you mixed the wires up then you may want to post a better picture of the ceiling box without the bracket as it's hard to see where the wires come from.


Do Most LED Hallway Lighting Fixtures have replaceable lamps Most traditional hallway lighting fixtures have replaceable lamps (bulbs).  I've been told that with LED sconces that "most" do not have replaceable lamps.  For an apartment building that would mean replacing the entire fixture every 5-6 years, assuming a 50,000 hour expected life, since they run 24 hours a day.  That doesn't seem acceptable.

Time for math!  I love math.

50,000 hours x 25W x $0.12/kWh = $150 total running costs over the lifetime of the LED fixture.  Plus the cost of the unit itself - say another $150.  That's $300/fixture, or $60/fixture-year.

By contrast, a halogen bulb costs $2.50 and lasts 1000 hours.  So you need to buy 50 of them to meet the lifetime of the LED bulb.  That's $125 in bulbs.  Plus running costs: 50,000 hours x 72W x $0.12/kWh = $432 in electricity.  Neglecting the cost of the fixture, as it doesn't get replaced, you're spending $111.40/fixture-year for something that has the benefit of being replaceable.

A CFL equivalent might be $4.50, so it's more expensive than the halogen, but it also lasts longer (10,000 hours-ish).  It also uses less power than the halogen, but more than the LED.  Using the same math, you'll spend $45 in bulbs and $132 in electricity, for an average of $35.40/fixture-year.  So if you're going to go replaceable bulbs, definitely go CFL (but then you have to live with the light of CFLs, which some find objectionable).

TL; DR: Even replacing the fixture every 5 years, LEDs are cheaper in the long run than halogens.  CFLs are even cheaper than LEDs (slightly less efficient, but cheaper bulbs), but their light is objectionable to some.


How can I prevent the light leaks on the side of blackout motorized blinds I bought motorized blackout blinds from Ikea. After installing it I still see lights coming out of the side of the blinds. What can I do it completely block the light from entering in? Please see the picture for reference.

Your problem is that light bounces.  White looking surfaces reflect a broad spectrum of light, and even black looking surfaces can reflect substantial amounts if smooth/shiny.   You can see from the lighting on the frame in your picture that some of the light hitting the inside of the frame is actually reflection off the blackout curtains.  To prevent the light from getting through, pretty much your only options are to block it or absorb it the best you can.
You could paint your window in vantablack, the blackest pigment humanity has come up with.  This would stop almost all of the bouncing light and give you a very odd looking, possibly overheating windowframe.  It's kind of elegant, but probably not the best solution.  A more realistic solution would be to come up with a temporary addition for the curtains when you need it to be really black.
Thick black felt is probably a good option that will give you flexibility and easy mounting without permanent surface damage.  The porosity combined with the dark color of the material help it absorb light without reflecting much.
If you want to try semipermanent so the blinds still open, I'd try putting a 4-6" wide piece of absorbent material up the center post of the frame on the inside so it overlapped the edges of the blinds, and L shaped flaps on the inside of the frame to the left and right.
Note that complete blackout is extremely difficult to achieve because of the way your eyes adjust to darkness.  A tiny percentage of the total illumination available will seem like a fair bit of light once your eyes adjust.
If you want an absolute and elegant solution and you don't mind spending some money, you could look at something like Peka roll shutters or similar external security blinds, but obviously it won't be cheap and would look extremely odd on some external finishes.


Nail Gun for Framing and installing subfloor I'm looking to buy a nail gun because I have a lot of framing and probably 90+ sheets of subfloor to install this summer

1) I would use 16d coated sinkers for the studs and 8d nails for the flooring, what sizes are typically used for these two tasks with a nail gun?

2) Are there guns that can do both? Can I get 1 gun to do both + roofing + hardwood installation?  I'll probably hand nail some or all of this if I must, but I'd like to avoid hammering 20,000 nails this summer :D  I already did 2,100 this fall.

Most framing nailers will accept a variety of nail lengths.  For example, mine will take nails between 2" and 3.5" (6d to 16d equivalent) and from casual searching this seems to be fairly typical.

That said, you'd be much better off screwing down the sub-floor with decking screws. It's a little bit more work, but you won't have to worry about the nails working themselves out over time due to the deflection of people walking on it.

As far as roofing or hardwood flooring installation, both would require a different gun.  Framing nailers aren't designed to accommodate the larger heads on roofing nails, and likely won't ever be - in general, you don't want the nail heads to be much smaller than the nose-piece.  The more space you have between the nail head and the bore, the higher the chance of misfires or jams.  This is also the reason that most roofing nailers are coil fed instead of stick fed.

Hardwood flooring nailers are fairly specialized equipment because they are designed for precisely blind nailing through the flooring tongues:

Image courtesy of Amazon.com, does not constitute an endorsement of either the specific tool or seller.

They also use a fastener that is much more like a finish nail than a framing nail.  Unless you're planning on doing a lot of roofs or a lot of floors, I'd compare the price of renting a roofing nailer or flooring nailer before purchasing one.


Smart counter around kitchen sink I am replacing my kitchen, and I'm going to use bamboo for the kitchen top. Imagine the rough layout where T = Top, W = Wall, S = Sink, R = Refrigerator.

WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTWWWWWWW
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTWWWWWWW
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTSSSSSSW
                              SSSSSSW
                              SSSSSSW
                              RRRRRRW
                              RRRRRRW

Because of the extra wall in the corner, the sink area can't use the same continuous material as the kitchen top. And besides, since it's a wet area, wood is not the ideal material anyway.

I thought some stone like marble would be nice, but 80% of the material will be cut away to make the hole for the sink, so you're basically paying five times what you end up using.

Thus I'm wondering if there's a smart and cheaper way out of this predicament. Is there a nice-looking, water resistant material suitable that doesn't involve a lot of wasted investment?

Shop for a stainless steel sink with integrated drainboard. Some designs even have an apron front to eliminate the strip of countertop in front of the sink.

If you can find a suitable one in the right size, you can make the countertop out of strips and the drainboard will cover the joins. The strips should be synthetic lumber such as polyurethane or High-density polyethylene, containing no biodegradable material.


Options for replacing mortise lock with keyless lock The main door to my apartment has a Baldwin interlocked mortise deadbolt/lockset combination... basically one of these:

I would like to replace this with some kind of electronic, keyless system, but all the ones that look any good are designed for cylindrical-drilled deadbolts.

Any suggestions?

(I am aware that one option would be filling in the mortise cavity and starting from scratch, but that's rather a bigger project than I had been hoping for)

There are certainly mortise-form-factor smart locks; I installed one of them last year. They tend to be commercial-grade rather than home-grade; more durable and able to handle more complex programming but also more expensive.

At one point several manufacturers were offering smart mortise cylinders, which did a digital handshake with a powered key to make the key extremely difficult to duplicate. Thay would install into your current latch mechanism. But I presume that isn't what you:re looking for.

If you were a paying customer I'd ask you to be more specific about what you need and then do a search thru the manufacturers. A full-time locksmith would be more aware if current product lines and would find the answer faster.


Can the vapor barrier between a dry floating concrete slab and linoleum flooring be foregone? I have a two year old house that sits on an 8" concrete floating slab.  The slab is insulated below and around the side.  The floors in the house are unfinished.  That is, the concrete slab is currently the floor.

To get some idea of whether there is moisture coming out of the slab, I taped a ~1'x1' sheet of plastic to a spot on the floor.  When I removed it a couple weeks later there was no evidence of moisture either on the plastic or the slab itself.

I am looking at having finish flooring put in.  I am considering linoleum (specifically, marmoleum click tiles).  On an early site visit the installer seemed confident that a vapor barrier should be installed on the slab to keep the tiles dry.

Considering the details of this particular slab, is there reason to think the vapor barrier will be completely redundant?  If the details are not sufficient, is there further information that can easily be gathered that would point to redundancy (or the opposite)?

Insulated slabs usually have vapor barrier underneath. Since you did a test and found no moisture, there should be no problem installing vinyl flooring on it.


Options to cool attached sunroom I live in the northeast US and recently bought a home with an attached solarium facing south.  Roof is composed of reflective double-pane Anderson windows.  Sides are nearly floor to ceiling double-pane Anderson windows.  All the floor to ceiling windows open.  The room is completely connected to the rest of the house, though it does have its own AC system and zoned baseboard heat.

On days where it's cool enough to open the windows, the room is generally comfortable.  It does get warm in the spring (maybe 80 degrees) but it feels fine with the windows open.

On hotter days where we seal the house up to turn the AC on, the room bakes.  Until 2 o'clock or so where the sun starts to be on the other side of the house, the AC barely makes a dent.  Yesterday it hit 94 and the AC was on all day and couldn't get the room below 85 until 4 o'clock or so.  Since the room is attached to the rest of the house, the main AC obviously has to work harder too.  The only saving grace there is the thermostat for the rest of the house is upstairs; it means downstairs will always be warmer but at least we aren't going to freeze in the bedrooms.

I've done a little research but I'm a bit overwhelmed by the options at reducing the solar heat gain:

install all new tinted windows ($$$)
install tinted window film (less costly but worried about how it will look)
install shades on the interior (worried about how it will look and confused about how much heat that will block as the heat has already come in through the window; or perhaps that understanding is wrong)
install exterior shades

My current leaning is installing exterior motorized shades.  This is also a pretty expensive option but I prefer this option as I want the solar heat gain in the winter.  If I tint the windows (either through film or new windows), I will solve my problem in summer, but won't I make the room colder in the winter?

Keeping what is effectively a greenhouse cool in the summer is a heavy workload for any AC system. Your best bet is to prevent solar heat gain by blocking the light. Doing this with an opaque shade on the exterior will be the most effective option, though window tints or interior shades would also help.

Of course anything that reduces heating in the summer will also reduce it in winter. You may be able to exploit the fact that the sun is higher in the sky during summer than during winter, and create a shade that blocks more of the summer sun and less of the winter sun. This is often done architecturally by using long eaves over windows. But it's hard to retrofit a solution like that because it depends on the orientation of your sun room, the building around it, etc.

Because of all that, a retractable outside shade sounds like a great solution. If you're looking for a cheaper option than exterior motorized shades, you may consider a removable shade sail or an awning that you can wind away. The idea there is that you wouldn't be adjusting it every day, just seasonally and whenever there's a possibility of severe weather.


What is this piece, that fell out of my Kenmore Dishwasher? I have a Model #66513593K600 Kenmore dishwasher.  I had a fuse problem, and replaced it, but after I put it back together, I found that this part had fallen out and I'm not sure what it is or where it came from!  What is it?

I think this is the right Sears page, but I can't find the piece on there: https://www.searspartsdirect.com/model-number/66513593k600/0582/0130000.html

Ah, never mind, I found it!  Dishwasher tub corner baffle.


What information about a house is required to get a quote for a fire sprinkler retrofit? So, I have the crazy idea to give my grandparents what could be the ultimate Christmas present -- having their house (they own it outright) retrofit with fire sprinklers.  It's a single-story ranch with a one-car attached garage and full basement of about 1100ft^2 finished area, fed by municipal water -- so on the face of it, a retrofit appears feasible.  However, the house was built in 1947 -- so there are no blueprints for it.  What information, other than a reverse-engineered floorplan of the rooms of course, would the sprinkler contractor need for a quote on the retrofit?

Floorplan is not enough. They need to visit and take extensive measurements to engineer the system.
If you want "bells and whistles" (there's lots of options) you need to decide on those too.

They will need to investigate the location, size, and routing of the service main as well. They should be able to determine minimum requirements for your locale by contacting the AHJ. NFPA has specific requirements too, but they only matter if adopted by your building code. This could be a very expensive gift. Significantly cheaper to get a high-end alarm system.


What's the best way to patch baseboard trim? Just how should this patch job be "further" patched?  Caulk/wood filler/spackle?

I'm not sure that "patch" piece is actually helping at all. It might very well look better with just some caulk and the large gap.

If you're set on trying to patch it, the first thing is to make sure the patch piece is sized correctly. It might just be the perspective of the picture, but it the piece looks like it might be larger than original baseboard.

After you have the new piece secured (glued) in place, you can use wood filler to fill all the gaps.  Apply generously and try to feather it into the rest of the baseboard. You might need more than a single application.  Once fully dried, sand down the filler so it blends well with the rest of the baseboard, prime and paint!


Cleaning oil-based paint from brush efficiently Each time I need to use oil-based paint, I struggle for the paintbrush cleaning part. Here is how I proceed:

I start by trying to squeeze the paint out from the brush, using paper towel, as much as I can, without thinner (of course, I get paint all over my hands after this).
Then, I have an old jar in which I keep the white spirit from previous cleanings (the white spirit there is really dirty). I put the brush in it, stir a bit, and squeeze again with more paper towel (now it gets on the ground too).
When I feel it's enough, I hold the brush, tilted, above some more new paper towel, and drip some fresh clean white spirit on the top of the bristles. I see some of the remaining paint getting drained with it and I wipe it on the paper towel.
I check if there is still paint on the brush by wiping it on more fresh paper towel. Of course there is. Repeat step 3. Again. Again.
I eventually get tired of that, and say it's enough. I put the brush away.
When I need to reuse two weeks later, it is rock hard. I usually manage to get it back to condition by putting some white spirit on it and flex it gently, little by little.

Overall, I wasted:

Twenty minutes
Half a roll of paper towel
Not that much white spirit, thanks to the old jar, but still quite a bit (I can probably clean a brush 10 times with 1L)
The ground and my hands

It doesn't seem very effective. Is there a better process? Using less paper towel, less white spirit, which takes less time and which is more gentle to the environment (which includes the natural environment, but also the ground and my hands)?

Traditionally, we would keep the jar still and covered and in some time the paints settle to the bottom and we’d decant or carefully pour off the top layer of clean solvent into a different jar. The crud that’s left in jar one can be scraped out with a stick, then wiped clean with paper towels or old rags - either can be a fire hazard so store away from the house in a steel can with tight lid. Re-use the clean solvent. I lightly push the brush into the jar which has solvent level == to about 3/4 length of the bristles. Dab and twist lightly several times, then flex the bristles on dry part of jar to remove as much solvent/paint as possible. Go to a jar with cleaner solvent. It takes two or three such steps to get most of the paint from the brush. I don’t think you can get 100%. The majority of the solvent is preserved and recycled.

Oil painting and saving the brushes is a pain. Typically I don’t reuse a brush from dark or saturated paints with light colors on the next go around. Dry the cleaned brush as much as possible and store it with the bristles in the correct shape and wrapped with paper towels and a rubber band on the ferrule. It will get stiff but you can condition it just before use by working it dry or with a little solvent compatible with your paint, as you described. Good quality bristles will last a number of such uses.


Adhesive for indoor fireplace veneer Ledgestone veneer 1 1/2 to 2 inch stone was added around a gas fireplace.  This installed directly on hardy backer board with Licote proline Premium adhesive.  My question is there ANY chance that the heat from the gas fireplace with break down the adhesive over time and stones will fall off the wall? thank you

According to this document it can sustain 250 degree F with occasional exposure. It will be difficult to determine just how hot it gets at the glue layer, since the stone and backer board act as a heat sink, and what is on the surface of the stone, will not be the same at the glue layer.


What could be causing my water heater inlet pipe to corrode? There is corrosion forming on the inlet and TP valve connections to my water heater; the outlet seems to be fine.  More specifically, the nipples are what is corroding.  I have read the copper pipe and galvanized steel will cause this, and I assumed this was the issue.  Upon further investigation, "Dielectric" is clearly readable on the nipple labels so they are not steel I guess.

I thought that these nipples were produced to avoid this exact problem.  Why are they still corroding?  The inlet nipple has corroded to the point that there is now a tiny drip present.

Edited for adding pics below.  I am suspecting that maybe the nipple is corroding from the outside?

Click any image for full size (8Mpixels)

I'm thinking that the installation is missing this dialectic union. Your "dialectric" nipple has an ABS plastic coating inside a galvanized steel pipe. If the dialectic union were used in conjunction with this nipple it would provide electrical isolation from the copper - galvanize connection. This document explains this in better detail.


Service mast too short I've read that the service mast on the roof should be 12-18 inches high. The one we have is a lot shorter than that. Does that pose any safety issues? We recently purchased the house, and the previous owners had it like this for the past 20-30 years. What is the best way to extend the mast? What things do I need to watch for?

The main risk with a short mast is that your feeder cables may come in contact with your roof, particularly at the edges, or other roof fixtures. (What is that metal rod in front of it -- maybe an antenna?)

Because the cable is flexible, it can move during a windstorm. Over the years, if it is rubbing against your roof, the insulation can wear down and you risk electrifying parts of your house or reducing the reliability of your electric service. Worst case, the cables could arc and cause a fire.

Adjusting the length may be a simple operation but to do it safely requires shutting off power before that point, which you'd need the utility to handle. Additionally, further work may be required if, say, the wire leading down to your meter or service panel was not long enough to simply extend the current mast in place.

I'd recommend calling your electric utility to come check it out. They will tell you what the safety concerns and current codes are, and may even be able to correct the problem. For the work on/in your home, you may need an electrician, depending on your state, and will almost certainly need a permit.


What is this seven inch long tool? What is this?  The metal strip is 7 inches long.  There is a small hook in the end.  The other end is just a plastic handle.

Looks like a "puller", for pulling string or cord or wire through things.

That one could be for mattresses or cushions for the "buttons" or similar.


Alternative for one-way sheet metal screw? I need to choose the right screws to install a child window guard into a wooden window frame.

The guard comes with one-way screws, but my 9 month old hasn't figured out the trigger on my Dewalt, so I want to use normal screws. I called the manufacturer but they are "unable to recommend screws other than those provided."

The screws look like 1" #10 sheet metal screws with either pan or truss heads (also below). This is a little odd because they recommend them even for wooden window frames.

The guard is constructed of square steel tubes with 3/8" holes on one side and 3/16" holes on the other (see below). The screws attach the guard to the window frame by passing first (and entirely) through the 3/8" hole, the threads and shank pass through the 3/16" hole and into the frame, and the head presses up against the inside of the tube around the 3/16" hole.

If this were any other application (i.e. one that isn't for preventing my child from falling to his death), I'd just get a round-head wood screw and call it a day. Instead, I don't know how to decide between:

Round-head wood screw (since it's going into wood)
Truss- or pan-head sheet metal screw (since that's what they provided)
Roofing screws (since they are designed for attaching metal to wood)
Something else I haven't thought of

What say you, oh wise DIY Stack Exchange?

-- Salsmile.

Round-head wood screw

OR

Truss- or pan-head sheet metal screw

Either one will work fine. The stresses on that screw would likely be minimal and would be tensile rather than shear, so use whichever one is easiest to find in a 3/16" (#10) diameter with a head that fits through the outer hole.


I am trying to find a way to open this lock to replace battery I am trying to find a way to open this lock to replace batteries.  I find no way to open it.  See front and back pictures attached.

No gurantee, but see those little holes around the collar on the back handle? You can see two of them in your photo. Those often either (a) give a tool a grip to unlock & unthread the collar, allowing you access to full disassembly or (b) require insertion of a tool to release a spring that keeps the collar in place. that would be my starting point.


How can I add insulation to my roof? I have an old 1930's house, the upstairs of which is in the pitched roof space.

I've just checked and it has no insulation what-so-ever up there, so it is very much the same temperature as a loft at the moment - The layout is like so:

(Apologies for the bad drawing - only have MS Paint here!)

So the red areas have some rockwall insulation, which will be easy to top up as there's good access to the eaves. However there's no loft hatch into the top "triangle" of the roof.

The green areas have no insulation at all, so we would like to add some. We've had a quote for a company to remove all the roof tiles and battens, put insulation in between the rafters, put new felt on (there's no felt either at the moment), reinstall the battens and replace the tiles.

The rafters are only 100mm thick so we can only put 50mm of PIR type insulation between them to maintain a 50mm air gap correct? I've read that by using a breathable felt you can use a full 100mm of insulation but unsure of this?

Is there a cheaper way to do this? As re-roofing is an expensive option, but I can't see any way to get insulation effectively between the rafters on the diagonal sections.

I don't know if something like this foil double insulation would be as effective as the PIR insulation and able to be run down the diagonals if we were to install a loft hatch to get into the top triangle?

BTW, I'm based in the UK so that may alter any options.

If adding insulation to the outside (roof) is prohibitively expensive, then the alternative is to add it to the inside. Tear out the sheetrock, fur out the joists, and add our insulation there and re-sheetrock.


How do I fix a leak in a fiberglass water tank? There is a small crack in the overhead water tank, about 6 inches by 1 inch. The tank is made up of fiber glass. Is there any chemical that can be used for filling the crack?

When I worked in a fiberglass piping company we used a fiberglass resin mixture that was thickened with a product called aeroseal. This made the resin extremely thick which allowed us to fill spaces between two fiberglass pipes. The mixture was then sanded and fiberglassed with resin and glass both inside and out.


How can I improve water volume with a half-inch supply? I have a 1/2" pipe system in my house. The water pressure is very good if there is only 1 source of water open (bathroom faucet, kitchen faucet); but if there are 2 sources of water open then it is very low pressure/flow. Or if I flush the toilet and the other sink will have low flow.

Is there any way I can improve this? Thank you.

There are 2 possibilities to correct this problem unless, as described in previous answers, there is a restriction somewhere in the piping, bad valve, plugged line, etc. If the problem is not one of these then you need to raise the incoming pressure, if possible or increase the size of the incoming pipe.

To increase the size of the piping, first check to see what is the size of the incoming piping from the street. If it is a size larger than the 1/2" you have in the house, then I would change the size of the piping to 3/4" from the larger street size all the way to the water heater. By doing this you are supplying both the hot and cold water supplies with it's own 1/2" supply line. Any take off feed between the incoming water and the water heater would be by a 3/4"X3/4"X1/2" reducing tee.

I do not know what the codes are in your area so you may be able to do it yourself or you may need to have a registered plumber do the work.

I would not use "shark bite" type fittings since they have some restriction built into them. If you have a 1/2" water meter, it will not add much restriction due to its  short length.

To raise the pressure you could adjust the PRV in the supply line if you have one. If you don't have one then you are limited to the pressure in the supply line.


Configuring a plug-on-neutral breaker panel as a subpanel I recently learned about a new species of breaker panel known as the "plug-on-neutral" design. All the major load center manufacturers seem to be making these now. The idea is to provide a neutral bar at a fixed distance on each side of the bus bars, so specially-designed AFCI or GFCI breakers can plug directly onto the bus bar and the neutral bar without requiring a pigtail connection. Here's a picture from a catalog:

The extra-long breakers in the middle are the AFCI ones which snap directly onto the neutral bar. Very clever!
But I'm confused about how this panel could be configured as a subpanel. In the picture the two neutral bars are clearly connected (somehow, where is the bonding strap?) and they are connecting both neutrals and grounds to both. In a subpanel, the neutrals and grounds must be separated.
Does this mean one of those bars must be separated from the neutral somehow, in which case the fancy plug-on breakers would be limited to one side of the panel? Or can they both be isolated and a separate ground bar installed (how?)
It seems like it would be a waste if only one side could take advantage of the plug-on AFCI/GFCI, since almost every room requires one or the other now.

You'd have to remove the bonding jumper, and install a separate grounding bar.

Notice in this image, there are clearly separate grounding bars installed.


Toilet tank will not refill after flush unless water valve is closed and reopened After flushing the toilet won't refill. However if I turn off the water supply and turn it back on the toilet will refill immediately.

What is the problem and how do I correct it?

Some fill valves have a device that shuts the water off if it detects tank leakage. Sometimes these devices get sticky and the pressure has to be cycled to open the valve. I have not been able to clean one in the past and have had to replace the fill valve when this happens regulary.


Test voltage for common on HVAC wiring I'm working on adding a smart thermostat, and as many older setups have it, my current thermostat doesn't have a 'C' wire.

However, if I pull the wires further out from the wall, the feed from my A/C air handler has 'extra' wires.

I would guess the blue colored wire may be C, but I'm not sure, and I'm not sure it even has power. I would like to check that it has 24+V, but I'm rusty on my electrical diagnostics. With my multi-meter (set on stun, I mean Volts) would I use Red to the blue wire and Black/common to ... some other wire? If so, which one?

Update:
I added an image of the wiring at the air handler. I noticed that the white and blue wires are disconnected there. If I knew where I needed to, I could connect the blue wire.

If the white wire was connected, the Ecobee I'm connecting has an adapter that would make it work without the C.

This image is of the existing thermostat bracket.

The air handler, C-wire disconnected

The blue wire is unconnected (floating) at the moment

I can see from your photograph of the wiring at the air handler that the blue wire in the thermostat cable is simply disconnected at that end.

Finding your C wire (using the air conditioner trick)

See how the yellow wire from the thermostat is wire nutted to a red wire going off into a second brown cable? That second brown cable is connected to your air conditioner's outdoor unit, and the white wire in that cable must be connected to your C wire in order for you to have air conditioning.

So, nutting the blue wire from your thermostat-cable into where the white wire from the air-conditioner cable is joined into (after stripping the end of the blue wire of course) will make your blue wire the C wire you're looking for.


Effective way to remove trapped lint inside blower wheel? Maytag mgd8630hw0 I have a less than year old maytag mgd8630hw0 gas dryer. The dryer is on the second floor and vents through the roof.

About 3 months ago the dryer started making a loud banging noise so we call the repair company. The guy came out, took everything apart and then cleaned out the lint stuck in the blower wheel with a set of pliers (might have the wrong part name - I am talking about the area under the lint screen and before the rea exhaust). He said if I used a lint brush and regularly vacuumed I should be able to keep it under control (it would be great to install a automated suction blower in the piping, but that is a big undertaking since I don't have easy electrical access in the attic currently).

In any event, last week the dryer started really pounding (it was also a large load), afterwards I did everything I could to try to clean the dryer, I even got behind it and tried vacuuming out from the back...

The problem is that it's very hard to actually get into the area where all the lint is stuck. It's really in there, I tried both vacuuming and blowing. I am hesitant to try to take everything apart myself to manually get in their with pliers, it also seems crazy to have to do every 2-3 months in order to keep this area free of excess lint leading to noise and problems.

I've run the dryer since, and it makes less noise, but I know there is still a lot of lint stuck in there because I have one of those endoscope cameras and I was able to snake in to take photos (below).

I saw in this post that the OP removed his outlet grill and was able to get in there a bit better. When I tried this, I got all the screws out but it still felt like something was wedged and I was worried I might pull to hard and snap the plastic.

tl;dr is there any secret way or special tool that I can use to get into this area? Or it it normal to have some build up of lint in this area - if so how much is acceptable?

I've tried a flexible grabber, brushes, vacuums, blowing, etc. I either can't reach it or can't maneuver it enough to really get much of anything for the amount of effort and time I put in. There doesn't seem to be an easy way to access from the back because there is a small opening and a turn at the end reaching in from the back.

Where I am trying to clean/access:

Photos of the lint trapped inside:

As you can see, it looks like these fins have a lot of lint packed into sheets so I don't think any amount of suction or blowing is going to help unless I could really find a way to get in there or seal it off.

Make a long hook from a metal coat hanger and scrape gently , it looks like it will peel off easily.

Something I have done often, in fact I have several hooks made like that.


Where does my garage drain go and how can I unclog it? I have a drain in my garage floor. I've never worried about it too much, but with some heavy rains recently I discovered it doesn't work.

It appears to be clogged with lots of dirt, pebbles, and leaves. I tried pouring a bunch of water down it to see if I could find the exit, but could not.

Would this drain go to the sewer? If not, what can I do to unclog it? How can I figure out where it goes?

I've taken a look at this question, but the drain is in the concrete, so digging it up is out of the question. Also, it appears -from jamming flexible tubbing into it- that it gets clogged almost right away, so I don't think snaking it will tell me anything.

Any help is appreciated.

pic of drain, grate removed: Hemisphere base with the drain going straight out of the side. All that dirt is left over from my attempt to use a plunger on it.

Your garage drain could go anywhere--it could be tied into your septic system or sewer connection, or it could go to a separate exterior drywell or leach field. It could even head into a sump pit to be pumped out by a sump pump. Its impossible to know without a whole lot more information about your specific circumstance.

As to how to unclog it, your best bet may be a high-pressure water jet snake.

These can be rented from tool rental outfits, or you could call in a professional. They tend to be better at removing sandy-type clogs than conventional drain snakes.


The inlet on my water heater is leaking. The pipe is corroded.If I clean it up is there a way to wrap this or something to apply to stop the leak? i don't think removing is an option.

If it uses flexible connections, all you need is two adjustable wrenches and a set of supply lines. Do them both, even if the other one doesn't leak yet. Braided steel is a lot easier to work with than the corrugated copper type.

You could try plumber's epoxy putty, but you'd only be delaying an inevitable catastrophic leak.

If it's hard piped and you do call out a plumber, specify that you want it re-done with flex (so that you can DiY next time).

Some thought should be given to the inspection and replacement of your dielectric fittings (or the rectification to the complete lack thereof).


1916 bungalow - Removing cigarette and animal odors I've found a property that has huuuge potential for equity building. To boot, the housing market where I live is absolutely bananas with housing stock at an near all-time low and the available housing for anywhere I would feel safe living out of my price range. I want to make this house work and given how cheap it is, I have some flexibility to spend money on it to (hopefully) remedy some of the problems with the place. The house is from 1916 and has wood trim and wood built ins from that era.

The downside is that the previous owner had 3 cats and 1 dog, she was seriously depressed, and let the animals go to the bathroom in the basement. In one specific area in the main level, the litter box was stationed and the cat clearly had poor aim. At this location, the wood floor is rotting and new maple hardwood flooring will need to be installed. The majority of the animal smells are in the concrete floored basement.
In addition, the woman was a smoker and lived in the house for near about 20 years. There is a noticeable, but I think mild, smell of cigarette smoke in the main level.

Current plans for the main level include. - There is ceiling tile in the main level that I will be removing anyways with the hope of putting drywall up. - We are also planning on painting the walls. I hear Kilz primer does a great job of sealing in any possible odor causing agents. -We will be refinishing all of the maple hardwood and also replacing the hardwood in the location where the cat clearly urinated frequently. - Plan to rent a ozone generator and running that for several days with fans on.
Basement - Not quite sure what to do about the animal smells but to clean the concrete very, very well.

So, to my questions, how do I best remove these odors? Would the wood trim and built ins be holding onto any of the smoke smell and, if so, what to do about this? What additional measures can I take to remove these odors?
Will they likely remain after taking all these measures?

That is all.
Thank you.

Replacing dry wall will help, remove all carpets and padding , painting your walls and refinishing the floor will help.

When you pull the old dry wall and sand the floor - a stripped house..

Then rent the OZONE Generator - seal off the house, stay OUT of the house for several days. The Ozone can kill you.

Have a method to turn off the generator with out going inside.

After you have done this open windows and doors for several days at a time, do not go back into the house for long periods while you open windows and doors - let it 'air out'. After 3 days you should be able to enter wiht out issue.

Install your dry wall, paint them and refinish your floors.


What do you call the piece that holds a router bit's guide wheel in place? In the pic below, there's a black ring that holds the bearing guide wheel in place against the router bit.  I need another one of those so I can position the guide wheel higher up on the shank.  Knowing what that piece is called will give me something to actually search for.

Often called Stop collar or shaft collar.


How can I remove these windows for cleaning? I'm trying to figure out how to take these windows out of the frame for cleaning. I asked the landlord and he also doesn't know how that's done.

The windows consist of two panes that slide up and down in tracks. When closed the panes can be locked against each other in the middle.

I searched online but couldn't find anything, and I tried pretty much everything that didn't require excessive force to get them out.

Is this a standard window type with a well-known way to take them out?

Raise the inner sash about 6"  and then firmly pull the top of the it toward yourself.  The spring-loaded tracks on either side will give slightly and the top will pivot inward.  You can then tilt it to the right or left and free it.

Similar process with the outer sash although there is a section of the track down lower where the ridge that keeps the sash in is missing.  Lower it to that point and pull inward from the top.

If the window doesn't come easily, you can press the track on one side or the other with your palm to make it a bit easier.

To re-install, reverse the process.  Put the outer sash in first at the bottom, press in the top.  Slide it up.  Then put the bottom of the inner sash in, tilt it upward and press the top into place.


How much weight should a standard cabinet be able to support? I purchased standard cabinets (no plywood box) including a 33" farmhouse sink cabinet. I found a farmhouse sink I'd like to install and it's about 150lbs. (30" sink).

There is no weight rating on the cabinet I purchased, and the store I bought the cabinet from doesn't know how much weight it can hold.  Should I reinforce the cabinet? Or should it be able to hold the weight?

I would recommend calling the cabinet manufacturer. They have almost assuredly done load tests to see how much weight their cabinets can carry before failing.


How good do I need to make my primer coat? When doing a primer coat do I need to get everything or can I pretty much fly through it leaving it kinda blochy?

I find that primer dries so fast that you have to do the job quickly, but it's worth it in the long run to get it somewhat even: any time saved by doing a poor job of priming will be more than made up for trying to get the finish coats looking good.

The primer coat doesn't have to be perfect, but it should cover the surface (no bare spots) and it shouldn't be so blotchy that you get drips or visible unevenness.


Can I use an over-rated transformer for a low-voltage lighting circuit? I am trying to do a simple low voltage lighting design.  I intend to use 3 18w incandescent bulbs just to light a small area.  I want to know if there is a problem using a 120w transformer for this or should I use something much smaller like 75w?  The distance from the transformer to the first light will be about 20ft, and each light is separated by 10ft.  As far as I can tell I should use 12gauge wire for this.

Again the question is should I use a 75w transformer or 120w transformer and what is the problem using the 120w if I should not use it?

Thanks,

You can use either.

54 watts is the load from the bulbs. The transformer must be larger than the load.

In theory you could use any transformer 54 watts or greater. In practice though inefficiencies such as splices and voltage drop mean that exact 1:1 ratio doesn’t work anymore, so upsize 20% to take into account inefficiency. Meaning in this case use any transformer greater than 67 watts.