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 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. ...
Amogam's user avatar
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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 - ...
CuriosityKilledTheCat's user avatar
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Rim joists sitting on top of notched post

My older deck doesn’t have a beam. Instead, the rim joist is attached to the 4x4 posts, most of which are notched and serve as both support for the rim joist and continue up as railing posts. I ...
Logan Berries's user avatar
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2k views

Protect electrical wiring between drywall and brick fireplace

Following the question at Frame drywall around brick fireplace I would like to figure out how to protect the electrical wiring and other wirings (HDMI) from the top down in middle of the fireplace as ...
HP.'s user avatar
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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, ...
Elizabeth's user avatar
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How close to an old mount point can I mount a TV?

I recently purchased a house and the previous owners had a TV mounted over the fireplace, but removed the mount and painted over the holes before they sold. I would like to mount a TV, but ...
amflare's user avatar
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File cabinet drawer falls out

enter image description hereOne drawer falls out when roller slides are extended. I cannot see what is supposed to stop it. The hems on the sides of the drawer near the bottom (Left side of pic 1) ...
Mark's user avatar
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1 answer
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Dead end in pipes and legionella risk

Today a plumber removed a sink from my house and sealed the two corresponding pipes at the location where they branch from the rest of the system. I expressly asked him to do this because I wanted to ...
kettlepot's user avatar
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Small shop fire safety for liquids/wood dust

I am setting up a very basic wood shop. Basically a car garage. But I am away for it often for a few days at a time. It does have a fire alarm which of course depends on someone hearing it but I've ...
Woodworking Devil's user avatar
1 vote
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At a wall socket, is using thin wires at ground pin dangerous?

I paid a hardware shop owner to modify my wall light switch to socket for my washing machine in bathroom. The power in my area right now is 3 phase 220V AC. At first it is a switch. Then we modified ...
Superuser's user avatar
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How do I replace insulation around knob and tube wiring

My drywall ceiling developed a large crack over the last two months (after being fine for 70 years), and investigating my attic I discovered the lower layers of insulation were soggy and the drywall ...
Daniel's user avatar
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Attaching a ground wire to a prong that plugs into an outlet adapter

The outlet shown in the image below doesn't have a ground wire connecting to its receptacle. A friend of mine is helping me setup a ups that requires ground wire, however what he did was run a ground ...
Ben's user avatar
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Are there any health concerns around treated wood?

Last weekend I received a pallet of freshly pressure treated (still wet) green Wolmanit feather-edge cladding. I have started to apply it to various buildings. Obviously I am handling it with bare ...
Digital Lightcraft's user avatar
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151 views

Running a generator on the back of a flatbed - Safety Concerns

Fourth of July is coming up, and we're doing music for the parade off a 1990's Dodge flat-bed truck. Equipment Electric drum kit... the brain is the only electronic (see below) PA system (2000 watts)...
Kellen Stuart's user avatar
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Test Existing Natural Gas Barbecue Line Without a Hose

I have a natural gas hookup on my back deck and want to purchase a natural gas barbecue. There is a quick connect at the hookup and a valve to turn it on, but when I turn it on I don't feel any ...
g5spville's user avatar
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Replacing H-style track lighting lamps with a different H-style brand

The installation instructions for my new track lighting heads (lamps) say: "This fixture can only be used with Lithonia (brand) track". But I was hoping to use them on my currently installed track of ...
Addua's user avatar
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Is this main box outdated and needs upgrade?

This house is 1970's built (UK) but not sure when the electrical wiring were done. The main box looks like in the attached picture. It seems it has only fuse boxes in it... and does not have any MCB, ...
Jay's user avatar
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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 ...
BabyGirl Mufasa's user avatar
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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 ...
cr0's user avatar
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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 ...
Robert Rapplean's user avatar
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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 ...
OneAlaskan's user avatar
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Is plugging a leading-edge dimmable lamp into a trailing-edge dimmer plug safe?

Rationale for what I'm trying to do: I'm trying to update my house to use "smart" lighting and one device I want to update is a smart lamp in this style but with replaceable bulbs. If I ...
coderofhonor's user avatar
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0 answers
81 views

Vertical bricks above a window new house uk

I am trying to fit an outdoor camera above my window frame. The beat place for me is in the line of vertical tiles above the frame. These seems to only have half thickness and I am not sure what is ...
NewToDIY's user avatar
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Identification of Mold

I am working with some old plaster and a few days after it set, I found that pink mold or fungus appears to be growing on it. See attached photo. Please help me identify what type of mold this is and ...
Sycamore's user avatar
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332 views

Barn door with one of the bolts on drywall

I just installed a barn door track on a nice, solid piece of timber. However, the piece of timber doesn't go all the way horizontally, meaning that the last bolt is just on the drywall (plasterboard), ...
Megaptera novaeangliae's user avatar
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36 views

Extending a basic rectangle deck out 4’

We have a basic porch deck that is a rectangle with stairs at the front of it. We want to extend the deck out 4’. We’re only adding on to the area to the right of the steps, so we’d be building an ...
Erika's user avatar
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Floating tiny droplets in the water

Lately there seem to be floating tiny droplets (oil?) on the surface of tap water. This is limited to hot water, and does not affect other tenants in the building. The water heater has just been ...
Antoni Parellada's user avatar
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35 views

Ventilating utility room with gas appliances

I have a 20 sq ft utility room hosting a water heater and hydronic boiler, both gas. The door to the room is louvered, to allow for air passage. In addition to that, I was wondering if installing air ...
amphibient's user avatar
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684 views

Non contact voltage sensor shows voltage a foot away from live wire

I'm evaluating a situation in a home I recently moved into. A previous owner did some DIY and installed a switch in the wall of our kitchen pantry. The pantry is made of wood and the switch is housed ...
Homeowner9531's user avatar
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Kitchen shelf placement

I've bought a large, wooden kitchen shelf that I wanted to build up onto a wall above the stove, but my roommate said the heat from the stove will destroy the wood, and will become a health and safety ...
Charlie's user avatar
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What causes a rainbow sheen on wire jacket?

I've got this wire running through my wall that has a bit of a rainbow sheen to it. I feel like that's probably an indication the wire has gotten a bit toasty in the past and should be replaced. Is ...
Wayne Werner's user avatar
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131 views

Unidentifiable worms appear on apartment floor

I found some worms on my apartment floor. I can’t find anything rotten around the apartment, but I don’t know how they got there. Are those maggots? video link
jeffrey's user avatar
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145 views

How to repair (and prevent) pool cover tear & holes

We have a safety cover for an inground pool. Over the winter, heavy snow melting and refreezing caused it to be weighed below the surface and tore up a few holes where the cover contacts the concrete ...
P. B.'s user avatar
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0 answers
167 views

Yellowish residue from within water pipe

I was changing a valve today and used tissue to wipe water off the threads. While doing that, I also wiped the inside of the old pipe a bit through the opening, and I got yellow residue on the tissue (...
max sim's user avatar
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0 answers
65 views

Using air humidifier wick cleaned with home detergent - Any health concerns?

I have been using humidifier with rotating wick, and used to clean it with domestos detergent. This detergent as said by manufacturer contains: Non-ionic surfactants <5% - particular type not ...
diimdeep's user avatar
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0 answers
93 views

Can I connect Ground from UPS outlet to another outlet which has no Ground?

Simplified situation: I live in a rented room. My room has two two outlets, namely Outlet A and Outlet B. Outlet A has connections only from main supply. It has no connection to UPS. And, it has two ...
Sahil's user avatar
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0 votes
0 answers
305 views

Propane and septic pipes

Is it safe to have a propane line (within a PVC conduit) cross a septic pipe (house to septic tank) underground?
Tim's user avatar
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80 views

Does build up in lead pipes make them less dangerous?

Maybe this would be more likely in warm water pipes. A place I saw had a super slow warm water tap, which someone with a plumbing background said was from the passageway in the lead pipe decreasing. ...
user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
49 views

TV mount in plaster wall with no studs

Is it possible to mount a 65in tv on a 1.5in thick plaster wall over a fireplace? there are no studs, and about a 3in air space before its solid again. probably insde brick chimney wall. i never use ...
ROY's user avatar
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0 votes
0 answers
57 views

How much weight can a drywall support on both sides if everything is hung on the 2x4s (not on the drywall sheet)?

How much weight can a drywall support on both sides if everything is hung on the 2x4s (not on the drywall sheet)? This drywall doesn't go all the way up to the ceiling. It separates the kitchen from ...
user122954's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
254 views

Safe wiring on linkable shop light?

Question about  Smart Electrician® 3650 Lumens 46" LED Linkable Shop Light Model Number: 0053-0011 | Menards® SKU: 3481400 I bought several of these and am having the same glowing issue referenced in ...
user avatar
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0 answers
66 views

Preventing formaldehyde release from particleboards

I have a few particleboards that I want to use as cabinet boards. What is the most simple way to reduce the release of formaldehyde? Quick and cheap would be great. Would it be sufficient to foil-...
n5585's user avatar
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0 votes
0 answers
598 views

How to check if painted plasterboard is fire rated?

UK answers in particular please ... The underside of the staircase and main escape route in my new house is in my kitchen, and has my fridge immediately underneath. Is there an easy way to check ...
nigel222's user avatar
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How far does bookcase have to be next to baseboard heater?

How far does furniture have to be from the side of a baseboard heater? My bookcase will be 2 inches from the side of the baseboard heater, I would like it to be closer so I can use the outlet on the ...
padma's user avatar
  • 149
0 votes
0 answers
64 views

Improving Heat dissipation in freezer

I have a small apartment and a large freezer; I'm concerned about heat build up in and around the freezer. I have a similar problem with an old PC tower, to which my solution was to create and ...
curly's user avatar
  • 48
0 votes
0 answers
1k views

How to measure the nut size that goes on screw?

I recently bought a toilet seat and the seat holder on one side loses over time making it loose from one side while another side is tight. I realised I was missing one these and hex Nut to fight it. ...
localhost's user avatar
  • 111
0 votes
0 answers
711 views

Asbestos in my furnace closet - should I get rid of it?

I have a home built in 1958 with a closet inside the house that contains the furnace. When the house was constructed this closet was lined with asbestos as a safety measure. How dangerous is it for my ...
fbrereto's user avatar
  • 383
-1 votes
1 answer
301 views

Shelving units anchored to drywall and metal studs - Load Bearing and Safety Concerns

We are interested in purchasing a residence that has a workshop attached to it. The owner has erected metal shelving units like those shown in the attached photos. The shelving units are anchored to ...
Ted's user avatar
  • 29