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1500 questions
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2 answers

What are the rules for unplugging a refrigerator?

I'd like to unplug my fridge for a few hours each evening to have silence in my small studio while I fall asleep. It is on a timer, so it happens at random times through the cooling cycle. I was warned that this could be a problem if I unplug the…
mankoff
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How much weight can you mount to a wall?

I would like to mount a fairly heavy shelving unit (~150lbs) to a wall with a number of L-brackets. It being a shelving unit, I would be putting all kinds of books and random stuff on it, thus increasing the weight. This seems like a bad idea to…
YuKagi
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What is the right way to connect 7 conductors in an electrical box?

What is the "right" way to join 7 different wires in a single electrical box? Here's the situation. I opened up a four-gang light switch. There were four switches controlling five lights. As expected, the four switches were interrupting the hot…
Joel Spolsky
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Why would a GFCI trip on refrigerator circuit?

My refrigerator is tripping the GFCI on the socket into which it is plugged. Searching about this topic seems to indicate that this is a reasonably common complaint. However, I can't find any concrete information about general causes or potential…
hoc_age
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10 answers

How do I calculate the length of a ladder I need to reach a certain height?

My roof-line is 24' from the ground. What length ladder should I purchase to ensure I can reach the this height safely? I'm guessing there is a "safe" angle (a) for a ladder, regardless of the height (h). So more generally what is an easy way to…
shufler
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10 answers

Is it more economical to use hot water before boiling or to bring cold water to a boil?

Since the arrival of our newborn, we have been using the stove to boil water in order to sterilize the nipples, bottles and rings. Which got me thinking, is it more economical to start off using hot water to help accelerate the boil or are we better…
Handy Man
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8 answers

Why little holes/dots when I apply joint compound?

I can't find answer anywhere, can somebody tell me why and how to avoid these little dots/holes when I spackle. I also including the pic of the compound I'm using.
bell2041
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6 answers

What is the best way to cut receptacle holes when hanging drywall?

I will be installing drywall in a 10x10 room this weekend, walls only. I'm planning to use the longer sheets so there is only a single horizontal seam on each wall and install the top sheet first, flush against the existing ceiling. My question is,…
dslake
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8 answers

What's the best/easiest way to paint edges?

Been doing a lot of interior painting lately and I always find the edges — by the ceiling, windows, baseboards, etc. — the most tedious. What's the best way to paint the edges — old fashioned cut brush? Some of these special edging tools they…
brendan
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7 answers

What is the right way to strip power wires?

I've been working with electrical circuits as a DIYer for years, including electronics and powerline work. But one thing I always feel like I do a terrible job at is stripping wires: both the outside jacket and the insulators from the…
Sean Reifschneider
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10 answers

Do thermostat-controlled, auto-adjust HVAC vents exist?

The residential forced-air HVAC systems I have seen are controlled by a single thermostat in one room. One has to manually adjust the vents in order to adjust the temperature in other rooms. Is there such a think as thermostat-controlled,…
Vebjorn Ljosa
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Nicely mounting 2x4s to wall

I would like to make some bookshelves similar to what is seen here: My question is how to nicely mount these to the wall. Obviously I could simply angle some screws into the wall studs, however I think that'd look a bit messy and would like to…
erik
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4 answers

I have a 3-pronged receptacle but no ground wire connected to it. Is this ok?

I removed the plates from outlets to paint walls and noticed that some of my electric boxes have ground wires connected to outlets while others do not have a green wire at all. Is this ok? I know that neutral wire is connected to ground in the main…
user443854
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4 answers

Is this "asbestos siding"?

My insurance sent me a letter today that they are cancelling my homeowner's insurance, because I supposedly have "asbestos siding" on my house. I don't really know what counts as "asbestos siding", but I'm 99% sure my home is using wood shingles…
mitchkman
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13 answers

How do I run power to a treehouse if I can't bury the wire?

I put in a treehouse and would love to get power to it, but my property is very rocky. Burying the wire is just not practical as digging a trench would require equipment that can get through rock on a very uneven surface. Is there a practical way…
DBWeinstein
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