All Questions
1
vote
0answers
7 views
Why does my Rinnai Infinity water heater fire up after turning off the cold tap?
I have a Rinnai Infinity XR20. It's about 3 years old. I've just recently noticed a peculiar issue with it that I hadn't noticed before. If I turn on a cold tap like the one to the garden hose and ...
1
vote
1answer
20 views
Is a high electric bill for a pump house caused by a well pump running constantly?
I recently had to turn on the electric for a shared well in my name. I got a bill and it's as high as what my house bill is. The well is the only thing connected to the electric in the well house. We ...
1
vote
1answer
22 views
What is going on with my central air?
I have a re-occurring issue with my central air. I have changed filters, cleaned all three intake vents and even had a serviceman out on three different occasions (two separate companies). My problem ...
0
votes
0answers
25 views
Where can one sell old left-over bricks? [closed]
Having had a bunch of building works done, I'm now left with a significant pile of house bricks, circa 1930s age.
Is there a market for selling this sort of surplus?
(I live in London, UK, so ...
-1
votes
0answers
31 views
Increasing Amps [closed]
I am not sure if this is the place to post this, but both physists and electricians should be able to help here, so I am going to cross post with DIY (sorry if this really annoys people - I know it ...
2
votes
1answer
37 views
Why is my toilet bubbling?
Last night while my washing machine and sink in the master bath was running, my master toilet started having air bubbles come up. Then this morning while I was showering I heard bubbles again, and ...
0
votes
1answer
32 views
How can I wire a GFCI receptacle and a combination switch/receptacle device?
We are trying to install an outside receptacle box. We have one GFCI receptacle and one switch/receptacle combo. We want the combo to be protected by the GFCI. We also want the switch to control the ...
2
votes
4answers
125 views
Will I lose water pressure going from a 2“ pipe to a 1/2” pipe then back to 2"?
I have jimmied up a pool heater from an idea on YouTube, but just expanded it. I have a water line of 2" PVC, piped down to 1/2" copper, so it can run through a coil, then increased back to 2" PVC, ...
1
vote
1answer
30 views
How can I fix a tilted concrete shed footing?
We just bought our first home, and it came with a shed (hooray! Workspace!).
The shed has a footing that's about 8" wide and runs the perimeter of shed, and at some point erosion has caused the part ...
2
votes
1answer
36 views
What could cause an old electric oven to run hot even when adjusted to the lowest setting?
I have an old (probably 1940s) Hotpoint stove/oven that came with my 1901 farmhouse. The cook-top works well enough to use but the oven runs in the neighborhood of 100 degrees F over what the dial is ...
-1
votes
0answers
26 views
Can I build my own vacuum chamber sealer system? [closed]
I've found a few examples on the internet of other's who have created there own vacuum chamber sealer (There are many advantages of using a chamber sealer compared to the bench top FoodSaver style ...
1
vote
1answer
29 views
How do I calculate the proper fan size for a bathroom exhaust and the number of pickups?
Getting ready to remodel my bathroom and I'm thinking about installing an inline fan to reduce noise. I'm looking at Panasonic 120 and 240cfm models.
Bathroom is 7' x 8' x 8'. With a shower in one ...
2
votes
1answer
38 views
Does it mean a broken wire if a doorbell transformer works, but there is little-to-no voltage at the switch?
My family has just moved to an older home, and I've been tasked with repairing the doorbell(s).
We have two doorbells, both connected to the same (for lack of a better word) ding-dong-thing. :) I ...
0
votes
1answer
44 views
What's causing the popping noise from my speakers?
Several weeks ago, I moved into a new home. In office, I have my computer set up with a set of media speakers (older model of Logitech Z-550's). Every now and then the speakers will make a popping ...
0
votes
0answers
28 views
How do I select and install a kitchen exhaust system?
I plan to make my own stainless steel hood cover instead of buying a brand-name hood.
Basically I need a hood cover, duct pipe, 2 unit exhaust fans and an exterior duct cover.
My kitchen is ...
1
vote
0answers
17 views
Why isn't there hot water coming from my faucet after stem replacement?
I just completed the replacement of the hot and cold water stems form my bathtub faucets. The hot water was leaking so I went ahead and replaced both. They were probably original to the house circa ...
2
votes
1answer
32 views
Does a deck band board go over or replace wall sheathing?
I can't find an existing question that completely addresses my question, so here goes.
My outside deck was recently rebuilt by contractors selected by my HOA. The deck is effectively on the second ...
1
vote
0answers
34 views
Why is my air conditioner tripping the circuit breaker?
Our air conditioner recently stopped blowing out cold air. When I went to check on it, I noticed that the outside unit wasn't coming on. We had had problems with ants in the contacter in the past, ...
3
votes
0answers
46 views
How can I repair these cracks in my balcony wall?
I have recently purchased a flat which around three years old. The house is on 11th floor and has vertical cracks on balcony walls. Some of them are across the wall. Here are some pictures
Wall crack ...
1
vote
2answers
33 views
What could cause an under-sink reverse osmosis filter to have low pressure?
The previous homeowner put in a GE SmartWater reverse osmosis filter under the sink, which is attached to the cold water. It was experiencing low pressure (the sink-top valve would spurt water for ...
0
votes
0answers
25 views
Two stroke engine throttle not working [migrated]
This may not be the correct place to ask this question, but I'm not sure a more appropriate place exists.
I have a Craftsman 32.8cc 10in tiller with a two-stroke Tecumseh engine. It ran fine the ...
1
vote
1answer
62 views
What can I use as an alternative for an underwriter's knot?
I want to hang a vertical pendant, but what do I do to prevent the wire from pulling through? The vertical cord is a hard nylon that can carry the vertical load of the pendant, and the hole in the ...
1
vote
1answer
51 views
How to solve the problem of sticky Danish oil?
So I ignored the warnings about not getting spray disinfectant on our oak kitchen surface which is finished with Danish oil, and now the surface has become really sticky, attracting dust and crumbs ...
0
votes
0answers
16 views
Lawnmower cord won't pull [migrated]
I just tried starting my lawnmower (Lawnboy EasyMulch) after it had been sitting in my garage all winter. I pulled it out, cleaned it off (a lot of oil had spilled out), and gave it a basic ...
1
vote
2answers
48 views
How do I wire up a saeco magic deluxe coffee grinder to be a standalone coffee grinder?
I would like to make a standalone coffee grinder by reusing the grinder in an old broken down Magic Deluxe Espresso machine. My electrical skills are pretty limited but I thought I'd find an ...
0
votes
1answer
72 views
Why is my Australian light fixture wired this way?
I just want to replace it with a new light fitting philips tcg701 but there's way too many wires and I don't know why it was done this way.
4
votes
1answer
62 views
What should I check when troubleshooting a doorbell?
Our doorbell stopped working a while ago and my wife finally bugged me enough to fix it.
First, I found a diagram on another site when I googled this. It is wired like the right box:
I started by ...
1
vote
2answers
47 views
What is involved in replacing leaking iron drain pipes in a house with a concrete foundation?
I noticed cracks in the walls getting larger and called someone to check on the foundation. The foundation is fine (it's previously been repaired) but the center of the house is sinking. I plugged the ...
2
votes
3answers
83 views
Why would my TV image turn black when electrical appliances turn on?
I have my computer connected to my TV via HDMI. Every time something electrical happens (fridge turns on, stove sparks, etc), the image on the TV goes black for a second and then comes back on. And ...
0
votes
0answers
60 views
Is this white powdery substance on a wood shelf caused by flying termites?
There were probably about 100 or 200 so flying termites inside the house two days ago. They were all flying to the ceiling lights, and I placed buckets of water below it and many got in. I also ...
1
vote
1answer
33 views
How can I hang my cupboard on a stud wall?
I have a storage cupboard in which I'd like to put some shelves. No problem with brick walls as normally I'd just have wooden battens on 3 sides, srewed directly into the wall with rawlplugs, then ...
0
votes
1answer
23 views
How do I repair broken bathtub faucet handles?
How can I repair the faucet handles on my bathtub? It snapped off then when I was trying to use it; it shot off the wall and water constantly pours out where the handles go.
1
vote
1answer
34 views
Why doesn't the flange fit on a new bathroom faucet?
I purchased a Kohler Mistos today for the bathroom sink. I took out the old faucet, struggled with the old drain assembly, but got that off with no damage to the sink. I attempted to put in the new ...
0
votes
0answers
49 views
How can I block off my stairs while I repair the walls?
I have an epileptic son that I have to keep off of our stairs. We have some great childproof stair gates installed currently. I have redone all of the drywall in the house except the stairwell ...
0
votes
0answers
32 views
How do I wire a bathroom exhaust fan/light to two switches?
I could use a diagram to wire the following: a bathroom exhaust fan with light on two separate switches. I also need a 3rd switch for a vanity light and a GFCI. My power comes from the attic (12/2 ...
1
vote
1answer
18 views
Can we install an aeration unit in an older septic system?
Our home was built in 1957. We have had problems for years with having a wet drain field and keep having our septic pumped. Today (of course my husband is away), I have done a couple of loads of ...
1
vote
1answer
37 views
How should I connect conduit in the wall to conduit on the ceiling?
In running conduit for a subpanel, I'm not sure how to make the transition from conduit running vertically in the wall cavity to running out from the wall along the ceiling. I could notch the top ...
3
votes
3answers
72 views
What is this old 1/16" thick floor-covering, and how do I remove it?
We recently pulled up the carpet in our bedroom, and found this gray covering over the wood subfloor, which seems to be adhered to the wood with a black adhesive (some previous owner scraped away ...
2
votes
2answers
31 views
How to find areas where heat/coolness are lost?
I live in a 2-story rental townhome (basically an apartment with 2 stories). Our central air/heat system isn't really the best at keeping the upstairs and downstairs the same temperature whether in ...
2
votes
1answer
24 views
Is my well pump serviceable after overheating and starting to leak?
A 'handy man' did work on my plumbing and shut off the main water to the house. He did not unplug the well pump, and it got really hot to the touch. When we hooked everything back up again, the pump ...
1
vote
1answer
25 views
What techniques are used to change the color of a particle board's veneer & edge banding?
I found a piece of particle board that seems to be strong enough to hold an Apple 17 inch monitor, since it has the size and thickness requirements.
I'm toying with the idea of changing the color of ...
-3
votes
0answers
29 views
How do I wire two switches to a fan light fixture [closed]
How do I wire a bathroom vent light fixture with two switches
1
vote
2answers
58 views
Why does wand shower head drain at unusual times?
We recently moved from using a stationary shower head to a new version that has a wand. While I love the new one we have noticed that the wand shower head will release water at random times.
For ...
1
vote
1answer
26 views
How do I stop the rubber sweep on my front door from squeaking as it moves against the floor?
The main door into my house has rubber at the base of it and it has started to squeak against the wooden floor when opened. How do I fix this problem?
-1
votes
0answers
31 views
Where to get oversized Trip Lever assembly? [closed]
Example
I need a 3.5 inch trip lever to replace old one. I have looked at local big boxes and online and they are all around 3 inches. I even ordered one on amazon and it said it was 3.5 but was ...
0
votes
0answers
45 views
Fix a bad dry wall patch [duplicate]
I patched a hole in my dry wall by putting a metal plate on it and pasting some spackling on it. As you can imagine, the wall is not flat enough to fool my landlord. How can I fix that? The hole is ...
4
votes
2answers
62 views
Should anchors be used with screws going into framing?
I have just installed a bathroom vanity that came with screws and anchors. However, I just screwed the screws directly into the drywall, which has 2x4 framing positioned exactly where the screws go. ...
0
votes
1answer
36 views
Should I use thinset or silicone to reattach shower tiles? [duplicate]
My tiled shower needs to be repaired only where the walls meet the floor. While preparing for this by taking out the old grout, two small pieces of floor tile came out. Each piece that came loose is a ...
3
votes
1answer
35 views
How can I insulate a stud bay containing a subpanel?
I'm putting a subpanel in the outside wall of my attached garage, which I'm also insulating so I can work out there in the winter. I'm wondering what steps are worthwhile to air seal and insulate ...
3
votes
2answers
77 views
Is it possible to vent two exhaust fans through a single wall penetration?
I have two bathroom exhaust fans that need to be vented out of the house, but I'd like to do it using a single wall penetration. Is there a code compliant, safe way to do this?
Both bathrooms are ...
