Questions tagged [safety]
For questions generally relating to preventing or avoiding injury in the home or on the job site.
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Is it dangerous to put expanding foam in home heater ducts?
My house has a centralized gas heater, that pumps the hot air through metal ducts to vents in each room. I discovered that the past owner had previously had a greenhouse, and so there was a duct that ...
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Is this a safety or fire hazard
My apartment complex recently replaced the disposal in my kitchen that was leaking from the power cord due to a cracked seal. They left the wires of the power cord that attach to the disposal exposed ...
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Are Polybutylene pipes safe & reliable for potable water systems (UK)?
We are having extension work done and noticed the builder has used Polybutylene pipe for all the cold and hot water systems.
I noticed on the label it says "Not for sale in America", and ...
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CAFCI+GFCI protection for 30/40A double pole required?
I have the following double pole breakers in my new PoN Siemens panel:
Heat Pump Water Heater (30A)
Clothes Dryer (30A)
EV charger (40A)
2x Sub Panel feeds (40A)
Heat Pump (40A)
Electrical Stove (40A)...
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In safety guidelines for construction work and/or welding what is "RPE"?
In North America, when you are dealing with safety guidelines, what does the abbreviation "RPE" represent in simple English words?
I was watching a video which explained that RPE is ...
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How to make the septic tank safe for human entry
My septic tank is hard sealed with concrete slab.
My mason and plumber wants to install two Effluent filter inside the septic tank.
So I'll call up the septic tank trucks ,they will suck the septic ...
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Is it risky to have soak pit of septic tank near building
I have series of soak pits connected by pipe and this soak pit takes grey water from Kitchen and bathroom only.
I have to call septic tank lorry frequently to pump out the filled up septic tank. ...
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Covering screws used to mount receptacle boxes
Should screws that are used inside a receptacle box to mount it to a stud be covered by tape or some non conductive material?
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Does this attic insulation look like asbestos or mineral wool? [closed]
My house was built in 1962. I'm trying to replace a ceiling light fixture with a ceiling fan by retrofitting the hole. Unfortunately there seems to be quite a bit of this gray, stringy, slightly shiny ...
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Is a dryer at risk of overheating on a hot day? [closed]
Say around 32 C or 90 F, inside, not in the sun, near an open door. Is there a risk a dryer will overheat? Or does it regulate temperature so it'll just not heat as much use less energy to run (with ...
user173128
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can a used tank water heater be reconditioned for safe usage?
I need to replace an electric hot water tank (it has started to leak). I'd like to replace it with a used one because the property, which has 2 occupied units, is for sale and it is expected to be ...
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is it possible to turn this dumb-waiter into an elevator?
We recently acquired a house that has an elevator-like mechanism. The former owners call the thing a "dumb waiter", suggesting that it's not safe for human use. Although it's roomy ...
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Pros and cons of installing UV sanitizer light in HVAC
I am looking to improve indoor air quality of a home. I have heard UV light can be use to sanitize against certain organisms.
Does it "kill" mold and viruses floating in the circulating air?...
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Where can I find replacements for Oxberg door hinges with a damper? [closed]
I have Ikea Oxberg hinges that my 2yo is slamming heavily. I wonder if there is a replacement that can have a damper? Ikea does not provide such, so maybe anyone knows a replacement?
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How do I fix this light fixture wiring situation?
imagine a light fixture, with no ground wire, this is mounted to aluminum which is painted white, The hot and neutral leaves from the wire are exposed to the open air and connected to exposed Romex in ...
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Limitations of apartment living
I'm disabled and live in a 55+ apartment. I need safety handles in my shower to help me step over an 8" lip to enter the shower.The maintenance manager won't put permanent metal bars for my ...
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How can I identify a HEPA filter?
I'm looking for a HEPA filter for my vacuum. In this case a Dyson V8. There are lots of generic filters in the market place that claim to be HEPA (see here). But I understand that HEPA filters do not ...
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Okay for electrical receptacle and sump pump discharge to be near each other?
We're having an additional sump and pump installed and its discharge has limited options. One of the best discharge options (shortest run to a reasonable place to leave the basement) is already an ...
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What flooring options are there to make a concrete basement safe(r) for falls while retaining wheelchair accessibility?
I have an above ground, sealed, concrete basement that I want to make safer in the event of someone falling, while keeping it easy for someone in a wheelchair to get around. A hopeful side effect will ...
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Burned Outlet and burned and lo frayed wires is this safe to put a new outlet
Me and my dad are fixing a burnt outlet and when we opened it we found out that the wires were frayed and burned is it safe to rewire these to the new outlet.
So apparently the tenant said that he ...
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Has any research been done on stair tread shape?
I'm replacing the treads on a short flight of stairs, and have a CNC router available. Since this is my personal home, and there are only four treads on this stair, I'm considering custom shapes for ...
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What conditions cause issues with bacteria in supply pipes other than copper such as PVC or PEX?
I know that copper is naturally antibacterial, and that seems like an advantage of running copper pipe.
If PEX is becoming more common, how are problems with bacterial growth inside the pipes being ...
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Should I be concerned about the structural integrity of this 100-year-old garage?
I had an aunt who lived in a house that was built in 1923 and its detached garage was also built in 1923. I am in the process of fixing up both this house and the garage before the house is put for ...
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Is it legal for a stairwell balustrade to be removable? [closed]
Can balustrades be removable or should they be fixed? I am a tenant and the current property has a balustrade in the attic bedroom that is removable and made from thin off cuts of wood. This makes it ...
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What is a safe procedure for removing natural gas pipe after full service disconnect (meter removed, house intake capped)?
I had my local gas service company disconnect my house from the gas service line. They offered to remove the meter for me and cap the house intake pipe, which I accepted. So to be clear, the service ...
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Is it safe to connect house wiring with duct tape?
I rent a house in LA that has been given the landlord special--after looking a the wiring to see if I would be able to install a pendant light, I was shocked to find a live wire wrapped with old, ...
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Is ladder less safe at greater angles?
If I only go up to 3 ft from the leaning wall back for my ladder's feet, I start getting pretty steep on the angle it closes approaching 90 degrees. I feel (but I question my intuition) that I am ...
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How can I find the source of rust in my water supply [closed]
I live in the Seattle area, in a rental house that was built in 1956.
Sometimes when I open faucets (especially after trip), brown water comes out from the faucet for a few seconds before running ...
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How do I fix a broken scaffolding flip lock?
I have 5'x5' steel scaffolding and two of the flip locks are broken. On one of them, the stub and pin are intact with just the flip part gone, and the other one has the end of the stub broken off. Is ...
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What size scaffolding wooden planks should I use
I'm erecting scaffolding with 5'x5' frames and 7' crossbraces. I want to use wooden planks. OSHA planks apparently are 2" x 10" x 8' Southern Yellow Pine and cost about $30-$40. At the ...
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AFCI Breakers & Panel Upgrades
We are having our electrical service upgraded (from 100A to 200A) to support EV charging and to allow the installation of solar panels. As part of the upgrade the panel is also being relocated to the ...
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How can I conceal an electrical box mounted on a wall with an angle passing through it?
Moved into a house with a 2 gang socket mounted on an angled bit of wall. It's a galvanized steel back box with holes for mounting that have been left exposed. This is in my child's room and starting ...
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Rewiring a house that has aluminum wiring
My house is at least partially wired with aluminum. I’m trying to replace what I can as I remodel. I can pull copper wire in some areas but can not pull out the aluminum easily as it is stapled down.
...
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Got shocked after rewiring my doorbell - how can I safely fix the issue?
Stupid question, but I was changing my apartment's doorbell, tried it, closed the door, and went on my way.
The shock - 1 hour later, I inadvertently touched the door's handle, I got a small shock - ...
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Blanked receptacle in my kitchen island: Safe to install a GFCI?
Context: Rental house built to US/Oregon code in 2008.
There's a receptacle in my kitchen covered by a blank plate. It's located vertically below the lip of my counter. When I opened it, it had one ...
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How should I install rope lights across a stair?
I'm using rope lights to illuminate a wooden walkway (a catwalk with railings, actually). I've put a string alongside each edge (at the bottom). Midway along the catwalk, there is single step about ...
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How can I remove these bolts that connect my safe to the wall?
So in my room I have this safe I want to remove it because it's in an inconvenient spot and rather have it in another room. I have these bolts inside of the safe that are in my wall and the problem is,...
user162535
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Non-Contact Voltage detector reading a daylight lamp from over 2 feet away
I was trying to check and see if a cable was bad to something not working when I noticed my non-branded cheap daylight bulb/ UV lamp was giving off a very bright reading from over 2 feet away and ...
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How do I determine whether pipes (water, electricity, gas) are buried in basement concrete?
I would like to drill two 2.5″-deep holes for 5/8″ bolts (64mm x 16mm) in the basement floor. The two holes will be used for a (bicycle) floor anchor.
How do I determine whether pipes (water, ...
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My dryer outlet is a NEMA 10-30, wired with the "Neutral" connection wired to ground. What should I do to make this safe? [duplicate]
Long story short, I recently learned about NEMA 10-30 plugs being unsafe, and I noticed my dryer outlet is a 10-30. I wanted to replace it with a proper 14-30 plug, but when I took it apart I noticed ...
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Is this pressure treated wood safe? [closed]
I just heard that Pressure Treated wood is not safe and can increase the risk of cancer.
I am a DIYer, and very new to the field.
once I heard that I started googling and apparently there are ...
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Is it a problem that studs are 3 feet apart in my townhome? [closed]
We recently moved into a new build townhome. The studs appear to be 3 feet apart. My understanding is that they are suppose to be 16-24 inches apart. Is the structural integrity compromised by the ...
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OK to leave open combustion air pipe in crawlspace sucking air from crawlspace? I like in Alaska and we have had a lot of snow blocking outside vent
We recently had an unusual snowstorm that completely covered the open combustion air pipe that is vented at almost ground level to the outside. This caused the HVAC to shut down. We are worried ...
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Protocol for copper wire with dirt / patina when installing new outlet
I’m replacing some outlets in my 1950s home that were originally split (via broken tab) across two circuits, so that I can get them back on a single circuit.
When replacing the Leviton outlets with ...
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Generator Inlet Box Location per electrical code
I'm installing an inlet box for a generator on my property. My transfer switch and main circuit panel are indoors, in my basement utility room. There are numerous other utilities that all enter my ...
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Should I keep my fridge supply valve off or on with it being capped off?
I’m brand new to this page so bare with me. I bought a new fridge over the summer in my home,and it didn’t have an ice-maker in it,
so I didn’t run any water line from the valve to the fridge since it ...
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RCBO Test button stuck in pressed position
I pressed the Test button on this RCBO and it worked as expected, tripping the RCBO, but the button got stuck.
It wouldn't spring back to its normal position.
The home owner said it wasn't pressed by ...
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What's the difference between these regular vs "QAF" "Plug-On" circuit breakers? (20A 2-pole CAFCI)
I'm looking for a 20A 2-pole breaker for a Siemens panel. I see two options that offer high amounts of arc-fault and ground-fault protection. I don't understand the difference between these options ...
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Is it safe to cap and bury old thermostat wiring in wall?
We recently removed an old thermostat box and don't need it. There is a long brown thermostat wire now sticking out of the wall, so we want to cap it and push it back into the wall so we can patch and ...
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Why are nails showing in my attic after new roof was installed?
I live in Northwestern Florida (Crestview), and I never go in my attic during the summer because it's tooo hot.
In July we got a new roof and solar panels. I had to go in the attic to retrieve ...
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