bcworkz

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	5,065 reputation	bio	website		visits	member for	10 months
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391 Comments

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May 19	comment	How do I wire a bathroom exhaust fan/light to two switches? I understand you to mean you are extending a 12/2 cabled 20 amp circuit in the attic with 14/2 cable? Not good! 14/2 cable can only carry 15 amps and is illegal to use in 20 amp circuits, no matter how small the connected load. Other than that, your project sounds feasible, someone should get you pointed in the right direction soon with a diagram.
May 18	comment	Is my well pump serviceable after overheating and starting to leak? Maybe yes, maybe no. Depends on the exact pump and exactly what is leaking and if any other damage occurred. If you can identify the manufacturer, try contacting them.
May 12	comment	How can I replace this unusual kitchen sink drain pipe? Good find, glad it all worked out. Nomenclature on these things is a bit confusing. A slip end is the part with a ring nut that makes a compression connection. With glued connections, 'slip' is the hub end that accepts smooth pipe. Similar portions in function, but makes more sense with glued connections. So a 'spigot' end is the part of a fitting that would normally be the straight smooth pipe portion of a connection, except in this case it is part of the fitting to save room and joints. On further investigation, your piece is apparently a slip x spigot brass waste bend. Close but not quite.
May 10	comment	How can I connect a portable dishwasher to laundry hookups? Looks pretty tidy considering what's all involved. Good work! I'm glad it worked out for you. I'd be really surprised if this setup gives you any trouble.
May 10	comment	How do I connect up a ceiling rose in a 2-way switch circuit? There are not enough wires if the travelers pass through here, yet there are too many wires if they don't. The number makes sense for a light and power carried on elsewhere, but the colors don't make sense for that scenario. To make sense of this, we'll need to see how the two switches are connected up as well. FYI, they are called 3-way switches even though there are only two of them and each one only has two possible positions. Each switch does have 3 terminals however.
May 8	comment	Why doesn't the paint stick to new ingrain wallpaper? It can take weeks of curing before paint develops its full strength. In addition, some tape has overly aggressive adhesive and is inappropriate for painted surfaces even when fully cured. It can be difficult to get a clean line with tape on textured surfaces because tape weak enough to not pull up paint will allow bleed under. You may be better off practicing until you can obtain a clean line by hand.
May 7	comment	How can I connect a portable dishwasher to laundry hookups? Sounds promising. The water supply was critical because it must hold pressure. If need be, you can get by with less than ideal connectors for the drain because it is not high pressure. While you really want to find barbed connectors, you could get by with a short length of copper tubing and some hose clamps provided the tubing is a good snug fit. Also check auto parts stores for hose connector possibilities. Happy hunting.
May 7	comment	How can I hang a custom lamp from the ceiling by its cord? I believe knotted support can be done with this fixture, assuming those bayonet snaps are sturdy enough to support the entire assembly. This could be the intended application. Since the knot is holding the weight, it does not matter that poke in connections are being used. They actually have a pretty firm grip on the wire and the wire cannot typically be pulled out at all unless a release tool is inserted. Most importantly the cord must be constructed for pendant applications.
May 5	comment	What's the minimum distance for a mantle above a fireplace? The mantel must project a decent amount (10"?) or the TV could get overly hot. Another reason to not put TVs there, at least with LCDs, is unless they are angled downwards, the contrast ratio typically falls of much faster with changes in vertical angles than with horizontal angles.
May 5	comment	How do I keep water from getting in and out of a dishwasher drain air gap? I also had a carrot wedge right where the tube connection empties into the disposal! Carrots make great tubing plugs. If the disposal is fairly new and the dishwasher was never used, the installer may have failed to remove the knockout plug that covers this opening in new units in case there is no dishwasher connection. The installation instructions clearly say to remove this, but who reads instructions?
May 1	comment	What type of rubber pipe is used for this particular installation of hydronic radiant in-floor heating, and is it reliable? Hi Paul - AFAIK the O2 barrier is for protection of other system components. I would not expect EPDM to be any less O2 permeable than any other flexible material. Otherwise, EPDM is good stuff, it's still widely used in a variety of applications. There are other factors though, such as consistency of manufacture, that can compromise an otherwise excellent material. Another concern is it appears this tubing is on the small side for heating use, there could be issues with it being choked with sediment. If the system has been operating properly for this long, it may be fine.
Apr 30	comment	What type of rubber pipe is used for this particular installation of hydronic radiant in-floor heating, and is it reliable? The fact it is stretchy likely means no O2 barrier. The lack of crimp rings or deformation from barbed fittings is disconcerting to me. I'd be leery of any hydronic system where the materials used and level of insulation was not documented anywhere.
Apr 30	comment	What is the purpose of a vapor barrier? Hi Luiz - No, you do not need vapor barriers on interior walls. Since there is little temperature difference between spaces, condensation risk is minimal. You do however, want to have means of removing excess moisture from the damp spaces, either by operable window or opening and/or exhaust fans. This is more for occupant comfort and reduced AC loads (thx Evan, good point) than for protecting building materials.
Apr 29	comment	Why would my kitchen ceiling fixture not have any current? Awesome! I love it when logical deduction works. Without it, locating this sort of fault can involve a lot of testing, and usually a lot of confusion.
Apr 28	comment	Why would my kitchen ceiling fixture not have any current? Looks like we cross posted, your last question came up when I was typing the main answer. It's not the last in the series, but the last one that has power. There should be a connection there that leads to the kitchen wiring which is not working.
Apr 27	comment	Why would my kitchen ceiling fixture not have any current? Either the breaker has failed or there's a bad connection somewhere along the line. Check for voltage at the breaker and in each box along the line, the last box with voltage has a bad connection, probably one those push in connectors.
Apr 27	comment	How can I insulate my attic conversion, without pulling down the plasterboard? Should and 'is' are two different things. As a conversion, there's a fair chance a functional venting system is still in place. Any vents to rafter cavities should be closed off prior to insulation. If there are any remaining enclosed non-habitable attic spaces, proper ventilation must be maintained to such areas. The problem with retrofit blow-in projects is there is typically not any kind of viable vapor barrier. Not an issue with foam, but for cellulose.
Apr 27	comment	How do I get these toilet shut off valve out? Take it from an idiot, soldering valves to pipes is not idiot proof. There's a good chance you'll either have a cold soldered joint (leak) or ruin the valve seals, or both, unless you're experienced in this stuff. You're better off soldering a pipe thread adapter on and using a PTxComp ball valve. And remove as much water as you can from the pipe or it will never get hot enough.
Apr 26	comment	How do I know if my windows are energy efficient? +2. If they are dual glazed, they are adequate enough, money is better spent elsewhere. Unless dual glazed units are defective in some way, single glazed units are the only ones worth replacing.
Apr 26	comment	Why is the top step of a stair a different thickness than the other treads? A variance in riser height of 3/4" should not be an issue for able bodied people, but elderly and other people with ambulatory difficulties could have a problem. They are also the people that could be gravely injured in a minor stumble on a stairway. This is why building codes typically allow no more than 3/8" variance in riser heights.