Home Improvement Stack Exchange
Home Improvement Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [fire-safety]

40 questions
21
votes
4 answers

Should lintels above wall portals be considered for smoke alarm placement?

I need to place a smoke alarm on my first floor (no sleeping areas). There is a wall portal with a 15" lintel (see image) between the living room and the dining room. I am unsure whether one alarm is adequate for both of these areas. My…
Darryl
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Understanding the risks surrounding empty tanks & containers (propane, natural gas, septic, etc.)

In a quickly upvoted comment to this answer regarding propane tanks, community member crip659 wrote: I would change "any level" to ever contained. Empty containers can be as bad(deadly) as containers with some left in. Also know what was in it and…
Amazon Dies In Darkness
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Is it safe to have an unused bulb socket in my ceiling fan?

I don’t have a bulb for my ceiling fan but it has a glass cover. Is that safe? The bulb popped and I haven’t got a new bulb yet and was wondering if the open socket would be safe.
Bryan
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6
votes
1 answer

Back stabbed outlets

A number of years ago I had our electrician change all of our quick wired/back stabbed outlets in our new home to the screw terminals for better and safer connections. Recently I discovered he didn’t bother to remove them completely but rather cut…
Jban2020
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5
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2 answers

Is it safe to use foil heat tape inside the dryer?

The metal air duct pipe inside my electric dryer does not seem to completely seal against the plastic housing of the exhaust blower fan. Is it safe to use metal foil heat tape to join them together, and make sure there is a good seal? This seems to…
culix
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4
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2 answers

What’s the ampacity for 18 AWG wire, at 24 V AC

I’m wiring up some door bells for my company. Have at 120v to 24vAC 50VA transformer. The length of wire is somewhere around 200ft at it longest single length. I’m just wondering what’s the max amp draw that can be out through this wire before it is…
Dalton
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How can I make my electrical box dustproof?

I have a 1-gang box that I'm installing a switch in, for my wood shop. I need to make it dust-resistant, if not absolutely dustproof. I can't use a waterproof box because I don't think they're made for the depth I need (3.5") to fit the switch. Do…
user278411
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Part identification: Thermal cutoff within baseboard heater

We had a contractor paint our baseboard heaters with white thermal paint. He gutted the radiator's electrical components, in order to prepare the chassis for painting. In doing so, he snipped what he thought to be a wire, undid a few screws, and…
Alexander
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Can I use a 13amp 3prong extension cord to plug in my upright freezer?

I bought a 13.3cu feet standing freezer (2.5amp, 115volt) and it does not fit near an existing outlet. I bought a 15 foot extension cord (13amp) to use to power on the appliance. I was googling and was worried if this is safe or whether this would…
Lola Y
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Would blown-in insulation provide any degree of blocking in balloon construction?

As I understand it... One of the problems with old-style balloon construction of walls was that since there was a continuous space between studs which ran the full height of the house, a housefire could be exacerbated by these spaces acting as…
keshlam
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Extension Cords - Electrical Hazards & Safety

We are looking at purchasing a Residence that has a Home Office Area attached to it. It is Commercially zoned in a Canadian Province. Upon doing a walk through, we noticed an extension cord layout like the attached photo which is used to power a…
Ted
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Is it safe to place a dehumidifier near a gas furnace in a Laundry/Furnace room?

I recently purchased a new dehumidifier and I'm considering placing it in my laundry/furnace room since there's a drain available. However, I'm a bit concerned about any potential fire risks due to the proximity of the dehumidifier to the gas…
Luis Martínez
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Is it okay to store window air conditioners near a natural gas tankless combi boiler?

I have some window AC units that have warning labels saying not to store them near sources of combustion like water heaters. I have a tankless combi boiler that runs on natural gas in a small room in the basement. The combi boiler is vented to the…
Mike Eng
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exposed ceiling around ceiling box

A fundamental tenet of electrical wiring safety is that all connections (of AC household wiring, typically 120 or 240v) be enclosed in rated electrical boxes. However, ceiling light fixtures and fans are typically mounted to 4" diameter circular…
RustyShackleford
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How do I take the slack out of a door closer chain?

There is a cylinder with a spring inside. Presumably when the spring is compressed it will pull the external chain attached to it to be taught, I.e. not slack. But I can't keep the spring compressed to then insert it back into the door cavity and…
therobyouknow
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