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| bio | website | gregmaclellan.com |
|---|---|---|
| location | Canada | |
| age | 32 | |
| visits | member for | 2 years, 10 months |
| seen | 5 hours ago | |
| stats | profile views | 357 |
Professional software developer, with several years working on industrial control and monitoring systems. Slowly remodeling parts of my house.
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Jan 23 |
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Why does the shower get cold when I flush, and how can I prevent it? I had a thermostatic valve in my last house, and it worked amazingly well -- even flushing the toilet, which came off the same branch line (after the shower, if that makes a difference), did not cause any real change in temperature. If the dishwasher or washing machine was using water, you could notice a reduction in overall pressure, but not temperature. I'm looking forward to demoing the bath in my new house, at which point I'll definitely be putting a thermostatic mixing valve in the new shower. |
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Jan 21 |
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Can I install a light between two three-way switches? The other option is to go to "smart" switches, such as Insteon, Z-wave, or UPB. With these, the switches communicate to each other using a separate carrier signal (either wireless or over existing 120V lines). Effectively any "smart" switch/keypad can control any other "smart" switch/bulb/module from anywhere in the house. If you go this way, you'd have to replace both switches with smart switches, and your 3-conductors between the two become hot, neutral and switched. |
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Jan 21 |
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Can I install a light between two three-way switches? The trouble is basically all 3-way circuits use a 3-conductor wire (take a look at some 3-way circuit diagrams). You always need 2 travellers, and so the other wire is either a neutral or the switched hot (and in the case of the light between the two switches, on one side it's switched hot, the other side it's neutral). The only way it would be possible is if you have a 4-conductor wire between the two switches or run a new 2-conductor wire (either between switches or to the new light). |
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Jan 21 |
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How do I lower a cold air return from the ceiling for a basement rental? @pete You've possibly moved out by now, but you recently accepted an answer. How much did this help? Did you do anything else? |
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Jan 16 |
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Why would my lights take 10-20 seconds to turn on after installing a dimmer? Can you explain the problem a bit more? You turn the switch to full instantly, and they take 10-20 seconds to turn on at all, or do they take that long to reach full brightness? Does this happen every time, or only the first time after they've been off a while? What happens if you turn the dimmer on to half-way? What type of dimmer (model #)? Some dimmers have ramp speed settings, have you changed/checked that? |
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Jan 15 |
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Should I purchase a hand driller? Yes.. I answered that I thought. A single hammer drill will work, but of course hammer drills are more expensive. And cheap ones tend to have not-very-variable speed control, so will be more difficult to control in plastics or if you only want a hole of a limited depth. |
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Jan 14 |
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Should a GFCI interrupt the entire circuit? GFCI's tripping should not be treated as a nuisance: they are a safety device. If it's tripping, it means one of two things: there is current flowing out the ground (precisely the condition indicating a fault in something attached; this current could potentially flow out of the person using the device thus electrocuting them), or the GFCI is faulty. If the GFCI is faulty, it should be replaced. If a device being protected by the GFCI is faulty, then that device should be replaced. |
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Jan 10 |
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Can I use the wiring from a disabled home security system to power wireless cameras? What's the gauge of wire? What's the current draw of the camera, or the current rating of its transformer? What's the voltage? Do you know (approximate) length of the wire? |
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Jan 9 |
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Why do my garage door opener remotes need to be reset frequently? If not batteries, can you isolate the problem a bit more? When they "stop working", do they absolutely stop working (no matter how many times you press the button and no matter distance from opener) or will they work in some situations (eg, close up) or otherwise intermittently? Do they both stop working at the exact same time (before you reset codes, obviously)? After resetting, will they work consistently even from decent distances (eg, standing out in the street)? |
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Jan 9 |
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Why do my garage door opener remotes need to be reset frequently? My first thought was batteries as @MichaelKaras suggested. If the batteries are low, they may just not have enough power to transmit while you're in your car driving up, while they may be good enough for resetting/testing (from much closer with no car blocking the signals). |
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Jan 9 |
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Does a whole house humidifier go on the intake or outlet of the furnace? What type of humidifier? What manufacturer/model? Have you consulted the manufacturer's documentation? |
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Jan 9 |
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What size hole do I need in masonry for an anchor that takes a 1/2" thread? Generally the anchor manufacturer will tell you this - check the box/packaging it came in. |
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Jan 8 |
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How should I mount a TV to a wall that slants inwards 8 degrees? Btw, would love to see a picture of this crazy slanted wall, especially once you've got the TV mounted! |
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Jan 8 |
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Are generator interlock kits permitted in residential applications? I've only ever seen manual transfer switches as subpanels (with 2 to 12 circuits on them), with mechanical switches that flip one way for generator power, and the other way for utility power (and the switch design itself prevents both). This also limits the generator to powering only the sub-panel, which is typically wired for fridge, freezer, furnace fan, sump/well pumps (if applicable), and maybe a couple lights. I agree with @bcworkz, this flimsy metal cover looks sketchy -- not to mention it seems to rely on manually turning off unnecessary circuits to prevent overloading the generator. |
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Jan 8 |
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Do home radiators waste water? Simple step (but doesn't answer your question): look at your water meter. Is there water flowing? If so, likely something is leaking. Start turning off valves to appliances (shut-offs under sinks, toilets, outside taps, at your furnace, etc) until it stops. If not, you may just have to keep track of the readings throughout the day as much as possible, and see if you can isolate usage to something or some time in particular. |
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Jan 8 |
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Is voltage too high in C wire going to thermostat? Will it run correctly without the C wire connected (many will, at the expense of going through batteries quickly)? That would be a quick trouble-shooting step. What model is it? Maybe it has a rating somewhere that says eg "Acceptable input range: 22 to 26 VAC" |
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Jan 8 |
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What options are available for insulating interior walls myself with minimal damage to the wall? Are the walls insulated now, and with what? Without understanding your reasons, it's very hard to make recommendations, not to mention that this may not even be the solution to your problem. For example - if it feels cold due to drafts, that can better be solved by finding and stopping the drafts (a big draft can completely undermine any insulation -- even if you put in new insulation). Maybe the ceiling or floor is not insulated. Give us some background information at least.. |
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Jan 8 |
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How should I mount a TV to a wall that slants inwards 8 degrees? Really?? 8° is significant: if you have an 8' ceiling (and my math is correct) that means the bottom is out 13.5" from the top.. |
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Jan 7 |
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Why is there no hot water in the kitchen? It sounds like you have some reason to suspect they're frozen, and you should be very cautious of this: because water expands when frozen, it often bursts pipes, but that won't be evident until it thaws out. Unchecked, this means as soon as it thaws it will start flooding inside the wall or floor or whatever, which could in turn cause major damage beyond what's already been done. The best thing to do is turn off the water before the suspected freeze point, figure out where it's frozen, and then thaw, fix any damage, and do what's needed to prevent it from freezing again. |
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Jan 7 |
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Why is there no hot water in the kitchen? Have you previously had hot water on the kitchen sink? Have you had it in previous years during the winter, and if so, do you know of anything that's different now? What's underneath the kitchen -- finished/unfinished basement, crawlspace, and is it insulated under the floor (cold space) or around the walls (conditioned space)? Are the pipes copper or pex or something else? |
