All Questions
13,085
questions with no upvoted or accepted answers
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votes
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answers
111
views
Can I use an inlet with a 5-15R plug to connect a 120v 20A generator to a transfer switch?
I got a pretty modest generator in case we lose power this winter and I'm learning a bit about limitations of power, running the extensions, etc. I'd like to wire up the house with an inlet and a ...
- 101
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votes
0
answers
271
views
Plumbing Garbage Disposal, Water Filter, Dishwasher and P-Trap
I'm doing a new install for a garbage disposal and water filter. Old plumbing didn't line up to new disposal. In total, I have a dishwasher out line (going through the disposal), a waste water line ...
- 1
0
votes
0
answers
117
views
Drilling conical holes into Metal (Lathe)
I need to make a hole that is 11.5mm wide at the bottom, 12.2mm wide at the top and 34mm deep into a metal cylinder. The dimensions may vary. I have a lathe.
I was thinking of getting a 11.5mm drill ...
- 97
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answers
1k
views
Led bulb dims slightly and then brightens, repeatably, but very slow
I have googled a bunch on this, but everything talks about a fast flicker. This is a real slow slight dimming, followed a second or to later by returning to full power. And no descerable pattern, ...
- 101
0
votes
0
answers
142
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How can I properly fix this existing drywall corner (ceiling to wall)?
In the picture below 1 and 2 are existing painted drywall sheets (2 resulted from the removal of the 3 sheet, I guess it was a fill in strip since 3 is 8' long). I did not remove 2 because I did not ...
- 3,402
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697
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Floating Vanity w/ Metal Studs & Tile Wall
So the high level question I have is, what is the best way to hang a vanity on a wall with metal studs and large format tile (12x24 inches). At this point, I am down to the drywall so can add re-...
- 11
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1k
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How do I wire Honeywell RTH6500 Thermostat?
I have an old battery powered HW thermostat using 4 wires (W Y G R). I intend to replace it with a Honeywell RTH6500WF using a 24v power adapter, hook the adapter’s 2 wires directly to the baseplate ...
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answers
87
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test GFCI tripped circuit in garage, would not reset, then power came back by itself later
In the garage, I've got two wall GFCI outlets, some other non-GFCI wall outlets, several overhanging lights, and a garage door opener. The conduits from these all comes together in a couple junction ...
- 101
0
votes
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answers
665
views
Furnace won't turn back on after leaking collector box diagnosed
We had water leaking from under our furnace, so we called our an HVAC repair company. Their tech opened up the furnace and determined that we have a leaky collector box. He ordered he replacement ...
- 469
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votes
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answers
484
views
Wiring Boiler for a C wire Adapter
I want to install a smart thermostat for one of my boiler zones. My thermostat doesn't have a C wire. It looks like installing an adapter would be the best option, but I am not sure my system is ...
- 1,055
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answers
36
views
I have a Nest 3rd generation thermostat and it wont turn on the furnace
I have a Nest 3rd generation thermostat and it wont automatically turn on my furnace i have to the nest to off then turn back to On to get the furnace to start. It was running fine for about 2 months ...
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answers
74
views
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 ...
- 111
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votes
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answers
82
views
Plastic coating defect in electrical wire
Below is a close up photo of one of the hot wires to my dryer. Recently several of my outlets and one bank of lights went out; no breakers were tripped. Then the dryer quit heating, but will turn on ...
- 1
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votes
0
answers
587
views
Door Not Closing All The Way
I replaced the hinges on a interior (bedroom) door, and now the door will not close all the way. When I removed the old hinges/screws nothing jumped out at me that was unusual. No exceptionally long ...
- 541
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answers
67
views
Do copper water pipes split underground?
I'm trying to figure out where I may have a water leak. This is related to this question. I'm thinking capping and bypassing pipes is easy provide they do not split underground. Do/can they split ...
- 533
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answers
98
views
Crack open a Belgian lightswitch
there!
I'm trying to open this lightswitch, I tried to put a screwdriver beneath the plastic outer frame and lift it, without success. There's a small notch below the switch itself, but I don't ...
- 129
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0
answers
703
views
Is it necessary to caulk between bathtub and drywall?
Our house was built in 2017. It was not built to the... highest quality standards. One thing I have wondered since shortly after we moved in is this:
Should the builder have caulked where the tub/...
- 283
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votes
0
answers
94
views
Installing a new dimmer switch with screw terminals in place of old rotary dimmer
I have an existing rotary dimmer in my dining room. It is the only light switch in that room and as far as I know only controls that light that is in that room. I want to install lutron maestro dimmer ...
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0
answers
60
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DIY - Vent Duct Cleaning of small condo with no ductwork - Power of Shop-Vac, tools, tips needed?
I own a small condo, 870 sq ft, built in the 70's that does not have any metal ductwork or any ductwork at all. (I looked in the air conditioning vents & all I see are the studs and drywall.)
...
- 13
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votes
0
answers
309
views
How does water get into the dishwasher door?
I have a Bosch dishwasher and got the E:15 (anti flood shutoff) alert. I got into the pan underneath and the water there was very moldy. I cleaned it out and while running a cycle, I don't see any ...
- 1,126
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answers
188
views
Forward phase / reverse phase LED dimmer switch inverted - house wiring messed up?
I have a Lutron Caseta dimmer (model PD-5NE) which is an ELV+ dimmer which should be great for LED bulbs. Its default configuration is "reverse phase" which is for ELV, but in that mode, ...
- 750
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votes
0
answers
93
views
Foundation wall slanting towards deck
I bought my first home in Sep 2020 and redid the old deck since all of the planks in the old deck were rotting away.
When we reinstalled the deck, we had the deck raised in height and also increased ...
- 21
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votes
0
answers
163
views
Aprilaire 600 to Fedders furnace
Wiring issue. I have installed the unit, an Aprilaire 600. When the humidifier is OFF, the heat and fan operate normally. However, when the humidifier is ON, the heat and fan come on normally but ...
- 11
0
votes
0
answers
37
views
Gas wall Heating
I have a gas wall heater that only heats one side.it is ductless & forced air out of the one side. How do (or can) I convert it so that it heats both? Or possibly a vent kit that divert heat to ...
- 11
0
votes
0
answers
100
views
Toilet riser installation: The flange opening and the riser barely mate [updated]
I am installing a toilet riser to allow installation of 2" floor insulation. The flange that is already in place has a large diameter pipe. The bottom of the riser is fairly small in diameter - ...
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0
answers
78
views
Fixing a wooden brace that has had holes drilled in it
When putting up my punch bag in the garage I drilled holes which I have decided need to be sealed post conversation in another question raised by myself.
There are 2 holes running along the brace ...
- 131
0
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0
answers
2k
views
Can frame made of 2x2's be used to hold drywall for a faux wall
I'm looking to create a 5.5'(tall) x 12' (wide) faux-wall which will stand and rest on the floor and on and in front of an existing wall. It's not supporting any weight other than the DW laid ...
- 107
0
votes
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answers
94
views
What can I do with two blind corners ('C'-shaped kitchen)
I have this space:
There is around 80cm underneath the counter, call it 70cm afer allowing for a toekick.
This consists of:
120cm on the left, reduced by around 9cm of wall to 111cm, of which 60cm ...
- 598
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votes
0
answers
969
views
Mounting gym equipment to drywall frames with metal studs
I have recently mounted a folding squat rack to dry wall framed with metal studs. Following another thread I mounted 2 2x6 horizontally across the length of the wall and attached to each stud with ...
- 1
0
votes
0
answers
333
views
Does a dryer belt have to ride in the groove if its drum?
I inherited a Maytag Neptune Drying Center, which has a lower tumble dryer and an upper drying cabinet, when I purchased my home. When replacing the belt, I noticed that the belt has never rode in the ...
- 3,819
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votes
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answers
64
views
Expansion joins in 3m x 1.6m concrete retaining wall (with a brick wall ontop)
I'm working on creating a concrete retaining wall; which is between two large rocks; and will support a wall, and roof on top of it. The whole building is a 3m x 3m shed. When the retaining wall is ...
- 113
0
votes
0
answers
68
views
Need to affix an outdoor boiler to an external wall that has started to come away
I have a situation where an existing boiler that was fixed to an external weatherboard wall has started to come loose. The weatherboard had some dry-wall or something affixed first to which the ...
- 19
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0
answers
73
views
Switch has a hot wire activated by another switch
I have a box with two switches. One of the switches goes to a ceiling light. The second switch we have never been able to determine. Today I decided to try to figure out where that second switch ...
- 1
0
votes
0
answers
772
views
1-1/4 brass sink drain pipe stuck in larger cast iron elbow--threaded or not?
Attempting to replace p-trap in bathroom, 1954 ranch on slab. There is a 1-1/4 brass drain pipe "stuck" into larger cast iron elbow in wall. The brass pipe is short, no longer perfectly ...
- 175
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0
answers
25
views
Periferic or pressurizing pump to pull water up to a higher place?
I live up a hill where the water doesn't always reach my tank. The pipe runs up a gentle slope and halfway it doesn't have enough pressure to reach us. Searching for a solution I seem to have two ...
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votes
0
answers
43
views
Rated ampacity of water heater thermostat
What is the rated ampacity of "standard" water heater thermostats? The kind you see all over the place from a million different vendors. I cannot seem to find an electrical data sheet on any ...
- 879
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votes
0
answers
59
views
Can a Tile-In sink be installed on top of laminate countertop
I like the look of Tile-In sinks because of their flush rim. Can this type of sink be safely installed on a laminate countertop?
- 1,842
0
votes
0
answers
182
views
Painting exterior caulk
The caulk on the exterior of my fiberglass windows turned black after a couple of years and I was never able to get it white again even though I tried every idea I could find online. Now new vinyl ...
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votes
0
answers
227
views
washer drain pipe through triple stud
Bit of a predicament here. Previous owner converted a part of the garage into a laundry room and installed a sink. The faucet fed the sink and also was connected to the cold/hot washer hoses, while ...
- 149
0
votes
0
answers
102
views
Can I safely swap an incandescent in a shower recessed fixture for an LED?
I have an "airlock" (I believe this implies humidity reduction) recessed ceiling light in my shower. It has a 40W A15 incandescent bulb, which is now dead.
I'm looking to swap in an LED bulb;...
- 1
0
votes
0
answers
299
views
Is my HVAC condenser fan motor wired incorrectly?
My condenser fan motor stopped working and I noticed black scorched marks on the Defrost Control Board where the fan connection is (near DF2 and the relay that is used to run the fan). The HVAC ...
- 101
0
votes
0
answers
30
views
Pebbles and paver installation for side walk
I am trying to improve my side-walk which basically goes to my backyard. Its roughly 30ft length by 4ft width. I want to install pebbles and pavers in the middle to make it look clean. I have no ...
- 101
0
votes
0
answers
149
views
Is my plan for connecting a generator interlock to a subpanel ok?
My son installed a sub pan next to his main panel he installed a generator with an interlock system he did not have enough room in main panel so he removed two 30 amp breakers to the sub panel he ...
- 11
0
votes
0
answers
35
views
Replacement light fixture not lighting
I’m replacing an old light fixture with a new LED one. When I got it all hooked up the light turned on very faintly. I checked the fixture by installing somewhere else and it worked fine. Any ideas?
- 1
0
votes
0
answers
91
views
Furnace starts but Blower doesnt start
I have been having challenges with my furnace starting last winter. Every now and then the furnace doesn't start. When I go down to HVAC and open the panel and force it to restart, I see the filament ...
- 1
0
votes
0
answers
23
views
Split AC Unit for heating - Why shutdown when target is 22°C (71.6°F) but works fine when target is 24°C (75.2°F)
In one of my apartments I installed a split AC unit for heating. The floor space is about 20m2 while the unit is for about 100m2. (I intentionally oversized because there was not much of a price ...
- 471
0
votes
0
answers
76
views
Servicing my furnace
So every year I would have a technician come out and service our furnace. I'm not sure what all it entails to service our furnace, aside from changing the filter, but last year I learned quite a bit ...
- 383
0
votes
0
answers
918
views
Nest thermostat. No fan with heating
Here is how my Nest behaves with 3 different scenarios. My question is how can I get my fan to turn on automatically with my heat. Is it possible i have it wired incorrectly? Attached is my wiring ...
- 11
0
votes
0
answers
85
views
Bathroom sink drainage mystery
Top floor bathroom sink in a 3 story townhouse.
When running the hot or cold water at a low flow rate, the sink drains normally. Running at high flow rate causes backup in the sink, i.e., the drain is ...
- 1,027
0
votes
0
answers
30
views
Adding a humidifier with oval-shaped duct on return
I have an oval return duct. Can I mount an Aprilaire 600 humidifier on supply side of furnace?
- 1