Questions tagged [usa]
For questions specific to or mostly about the United States of America.
94
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Can I plane down the underside of 3/4" subfloor to match my existing 5/8"?
Current area, 10' x 12'
3/4" subfloor meeting the existing subfloor, 4mm too tall
I've had to replace the subfloor in my living room, but my existing subfloor is 5/8" plywood and I can't ...
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3
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Can I attach an electrical box to the outside of a wooden closet in my unfinished basement?
I'm getting a sump pump installed and I need a new outlet which I'm hoping to install myself. The photo below shows where the panel is as well as the proposed outlet location and the path I'm planning ...
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84
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Restoring automatic selection of natural gas heat vs. heat pump based on outdoor temperature [closed]
I had a Goodman SSZ14 series heat pump installed in 2008, with the installation came a then top-o-the-line Honeywell thermostat which provided the feature to select heating source (heat pump or ...
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2
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128
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American commercial 240 volt microwave oven in American residence [closed]
There's been a few questions about using foreign 240 volt kitchen appliances, teakettles from UK seems to be a popular one, in the USA but I haven't seen any about domestic 240 volt appliances in the ...
- 372
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Window Stay without drilling into window
I have an awning type window that hinges at the top of the window (the gold bar on the right is rusty, stiff, and the frame doesn't even have the holes where it would be screwed into):
I have a cat ...
- 111
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4
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56
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Split, Increase or Replace Breaker?
I have 2 bedrooms in my house that are supplied by a single 15A breaker, but both bedrooms are being used as home offices with (in one case) a significant amount of computer equipment in it.
The ...
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78
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What Should I Accept for Termite Control for a New Construction Home?
I am building a new home with a rigid steel structure + steel roof/siding, and traditional 2x4 wood framing on inside, a.k.a. a "barndominium". Regarding termite prevention, applicable (?!) ...
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93
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Is it allowed to use same HVAC system for main living and auto garage areas?
I am building a new home and the HVAC provider/contractor has proposed a single, shared system to heat/cool both my main living and garage areas. Proposed solution has separate returns, thermostats ...
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67
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Minimum interior wall opening height
I am going to build some interior walls that have openings that do not get windows, as far as I can tell, the minimum sill height off the floor is 24"; this seems awfully low as people could ...
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1k
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Do one-gang power outlets with more than two jacks exist?
There is a GFCI-power outlet in an awkward place, where we really need three devices plugged-in. The location makes use of an extender and power-strip undesirable.
There is a variety of expanders on ...
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146
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How should I wire a subpanel for my hot tub? [closed]
I’m installing a used 240v 48amp hot tub which has 4 wires (black, red, white, and green). My home panel has the neutral and grounds all tied together. Also I’ll have to install a sub panel as there ...
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2k
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How to fix window A/C Unit tripping Kitchen GFCI outlet?
I have a Midea U-shaped window air conditioning unit in the kitchen, plugged into a common USA 120v GFCI-protected outlet in the kitchen. When installed last year the unit worked fine all summer. This ...
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4
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2k
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Does the NEC allow a sub panel to be powered by a generator and an automatic transfer switch?
I plan to install a sub panel next to my main panel. Mainly because as I do electrical upgrades, I'm accumulating more circuit breakers. Since I need one anyway, I'd like to be able to power it with a ...
- 105
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71
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Remove a 4-way switch
I have 3 switches on the same circuit that power lights in my family room and garage. Two 3-ways are located at each end of my family room and the 4-way is in my garage. I want to remove the garage ...
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2k
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What are some tools or methods I can purchase to trace a water leak?
A downpour of rain has caused one of the ceilings in my bedroom to leak. Now a small little hole in the ceiling is dripping water.
I would like to get to the bottom of how I can prevent this from ...
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442
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Should non-working US 110V AC GFCI outlet that shows open neutral, but trips and resets fine be replaced?
I have a GFCI outlet that has not worked for a while. The downstream outlet (there is only one from what I can tell) connected to it worked for a while, but no longer does.
I decided to find out more ...
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How important is a grounded stove outlet?
Apologies if covered elsewhere... My place has the old-style three-prong 240V stove outlet, two phases plus neutral. This means the stove (recent, induction) doesn't have a safety ground. The closest ...
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202
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What is this covered-up electric box, with only white wires inside, for?
I've got a covered up electric box, and inside are two white wires, both coming from the same place that are tied together. Neither of them register on my voltage tester. Taking the tape off reveals ...
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603
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What is the best setup for plugging in outdoor pond pumps?
I have a large backyard pond. To run the waterfalls, filters, and circulate the water, there is one 30-watt septic air pump, plus three 120-volt, 300-watt water pumps. The pumps move about 15,000 ...
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2k
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Mystery wall plate by front door
Our neighbors have this mystery wall plate by their front door. We have the identical house (both built in 1929) and we don't have one. The fire department was there today to investigate a smoke alarm ...
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76
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Fireplace intermittently making noise when turned on
My tenant just moved out and I went to do the walkthrough on the home.
My propane fireplace behaves one of two ways at startup:
Normally: takes 5-10 seconds to start and then works as usual.
When I ...
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181
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Please help identify this bathroom faucet cartridge
I'm trying to fix a leaky faucet cartridge in my bathroom, but I'm unable to identify what brand it is to order a replacement. Couldn't find a brand name anywhere.
Could someone please help me ...
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1k
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How to control multiple independent circuits from one switch?
If I have several separate circuits in my house, each with their own circuit breaker, how can I turn all of them on or off with only one switch?
The circuits could be all of one voltage and amperage, ...
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Toilet supply line cannot be screwed to toilet when installing water gun
I’m installing a water gun/bidet to my toilet. In the step where I’m screwing the T valve to the toilet and then the water line, it does not screw.
i.e - I can screw the T valve to the toilet first, ...
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187
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Can I tap a double oven and induction stove on a 60a breaker?
Context - I'm in Indiana (USA) replacing my existing gas cooktop with an induction cooktop.
My existing setup has 6 gauge wire running from the panel with a 60a breaker to a stove with a 7.2kW rating.
...
4
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3
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1k
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Rewiring a switch to bring in neutral
My master bedroom has a single light switch for the overhead fixture; however, it was built in the 50's and has end-line "power at the light" wiring like so:
Image borrowed from this ...
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2
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380
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Why are my LED lights randomly blinking when dimmer is set to low?
I recently installed new Kasa dimmable light switches (HS220) along with new light fixtures with LED bulbs (E12 2700k Candelabra Light Bulb). The bulbs are dimmable and 99+% of the time they work as ...
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127
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Neutral wires in US, do they run in a hub/spoke pattern on a single circuit or serial?
Following on from my previous question about adding neutral wire.
I've read on here about neutral wires not being crossed between circuits, which makes sense after reading. But I'm trying to learn ...
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3k
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Should neutral wires be grounded inside of light switch box?
I'm looking to replace some light switches inside my house and came across something I haven't seen before. Inside the box, there's a number of ground wires all connected together, and a number of ...
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1
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230
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Is This Receptacle Up To Code?
I recently added this receptacle to my bathroom because I am putting a vanity here that has a built-in power bar and previously the only receptacle in the bathroom was the GFCI outlet at the top of ...
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4
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976
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What's behind my wall? Is it safe to mount a TV?
My house is located in Washington state and is wired with ethernet and coaxial cable to several rooms. I am hoping to mount my TV on an exterior wall. I've been looking for studs using a Zircon ...
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4k
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Is it safe to shut off an electric water heater for long periods of time? [closed]
The house is located in Florida and has a 4 year old electrical water heater. Can I safely shut off the hot water heater for a long period of time? Or can I install a regulator and the purpose of it?
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1k
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Outdoor 50A welder outlet best practices?
What's the best practice for installing a code-compliant 50A 240VAC welder plug outlet on an exterior wall? I can run 6/3 90°C wire to the location from an appropriate breaker. Where should conduit be ...
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How can I safely/legally use these power distribution units in an installed/semipermanent configuration? [closed]
I bought a bundle of these old power distribution units (PDUs) from a commercial building that previously housed a small picture frame manufacturer and was being remodeled, don't know how they were ...
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6k
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Why would a particular heat pump model be illegal in my state?
I am trying to replace an electricity-hungry whole-house electric furnace with something that will be more cost-effective. I live in a high-altitude part of New Mexico, where I don't need to use much ...
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174
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What cable do I use to connect my generator to my panel?
What is the type of cable I should use for electrical panels for generator sets in the United States?
If I am not wrong, the American standard for this kind of cable should be rated 600 volts or less. ...
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5
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9k
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How do I properly prepare stranded wire for a screw down connection?
When connecting a stranded wire to a solid wire in a wire nut (for example connecting a ceiling fan's internal wiring to the house wiring), I know that I should tightly twist the stranded wires and ...
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2
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2k
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Is #8 wire suitable for an oven on a 50A breaker?
My house took considerable damage to the roof and electrical supply to my home in a wind storm. The main breaker panel was in a sorry state and so while the damage did not technically reach the panel ...
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3
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500
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How do I wire a new duplex GFCI-enabled receptacle to run two 15 amp appliances simultaneously?
Original situation:
I have a 14/2 circuit, where the circuit powered 7 lights and 3 outlets. One of those outlets was in the kitchen and was powering a microwave and sometimes an air fryer. During ...
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364
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Remove plaster from brick
We recently purchased a 130+ years old house and have been restoring the plaster walls. We realized one of the walls is the chimney to the fireplace. I removed the plaster as best as I could before ...
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721
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How to legalize unpermitted half bathroom?
I live in Daly City (SF Bay Area) and I recently purchased a house with an unpermitted half bathroom that was converted in the back portion of a 2-car tandem garage. It looked like it was installed ...
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263
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USA- 220v receptacle giving 200v
I just put in a new 220 circuit to run a rackmount UPS for some servers.
However, there are some issues with the ups, and it notes that the input voltage is only 200v, versus the expected 220v.
This ...
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80
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Hot dryer cord after use
This question is a follow-up to this question titled "Dryer door switch" which I asked a bit ago.
Thank you to @SiHa who answered my question! I just was using my dryer (which now works). It ...
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774
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Dealing with ants coming in from walls
We just moved to California, and specifically one of the many areas that has a major problem with Argentine Ants. The house we're renting is relatively new (1980s construction), but it seems like it ...
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449
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Rewire a European power strip to use NEMA plugs?
(This might be more of a DIY question, if you think so I will gladly move it there)
I recently moved to the US and intend to use some of my 230 V appliances on "native" 240 V here in the US, ...
- 111
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1
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592
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Circuit breaker that fits in a spot for a standard light switch?
I have a few projects in mind where it would be handy to have a dedicated circuit breaker accessible outside of the main breaker box. I don't want to go through the expense of buying a separate ...
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759
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What wire should I use to replace URD in underground conduit
I have a detached garage, about 80 feet away with a roughly 1" conduit, maybe 2", would have to measure, with an LB on the garage and house straight from ground. Knowing where this is going?
...
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3k
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Does electrical code allow NEMA 14-60R receptacles in residential settings?
I know that NEMA 14-60 plugs and receptacles exist, but they seem really rare. I've come across a few random online forums where people say that this is because they're not allowed by code, since any ...
2
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1
answer
756
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Add a junction box to recessed lighting housing to give more space?
If the junction box on a recessed light is too small, is it okay to use a box spacer to add a second junction box to it? This would allow adding a second junction box, that pulls down in the exact ...
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Are lumber prices now high enough that building with brick/concrete is more price efficient in the US? [closed]
I’m looking at purchasing a piece of land and building my own home within Washington state. Traditionally, single family homes around here are built with lumber rather than brick or concrete due to ...
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