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1500 questions
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6 answers

Is all copper pipe pretty much the same?

Is there different levels of quality in copper plumbing pipe? I see copper pipe at Home Depot and I assume plumbing supply stores sell it too. Does pretty much everybody sell the same quality of copper pipe, or are there differences I should be…
Tyler Durden
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What is this balloon with "eyes" printed on it, hanging from the eave on this house?

I have seen this, or something very similar on various houses in the city I live in. It is rare enough to be remarkable, but common enough to make me think it is a "thing". Any ideas?
zeeple
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Why would you use copper over CPVC or PEX?

Are there any advantages to using copper rather than CPVC or PEX?
jlpp
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How to deal with broken compact fluorescent (and its mercury) without breaking the bank?

We're now out of the compact fluorescent era, fortunately, but we wound up with 3 or 4 broken CF bulbs from somebody not being careful with a box of them in the garage ... We're moving and I want to handle this stuff responsibly but I don't have…
Mark McWiggins
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Small branch stuck in electric wire

A few weeks ago a small branch became stuck in the telephone and cable wires leading to our house. I hoped it would blow out, but the latest snow storm has put it in it's current position. Is this a concern? Could it mess up our electricity or…
user20127
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How to add on to a concrete patio?

I would like to add on to my existing concrete patio with more concrete. I will about double the size of the patio. My question is, should I have the new patio free floating from the existing or should I attach it (as in drilling into it and have…
Kellenjb
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Is it permissible to have exposed mains conductors in holiday lights?

I've just had a holiday lights company install some outside tree lights, and I found they had done it so that at several places the prongs of mains cable plugs had been left exposed, and carrying mains voltage. I've put a couple of pictures here:…
tkp
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Can anyone help me identify this old audio cable?

I have this old Bang & Olufsen vinyl record player, with a old connector for the speakers. Do anyone know what type of connector this is? And if there exist some converters? Looks like DMX, but it can't be that? Would love to get this to work again.…
eivindml
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5 answers

How do I optimally cut a bolt to length?

Once in a while I need a bolt of exactly the right length and it is not one of the lengths available in stores. So I get a longer bolt and cut it to length. Here's the procedure I follow. I screw one or several nuts onto the bolt so that they are…
sharptooth
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Damage when drilling a mirror — normal or not?

I've just had a bespoke mirrored bathroom cabinet installed. The mirrors have had holes drilled for the knobs, and one of the holes has a white mark around it and generally doesn't look very clean. The mark is visible even when the knobs are in…
Simon K
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Can you identify this receptacle?

I was walking through a house during the middle of construction and came across what appears to be a recpticle attached to a pvc pipe that seems to pass a low voltage wire. Also connected to the receptacle was a 14 gauge wire.
bigmike7801
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Is there supposed to be a gap between the wall and the roof?

We bought a new house last year. Going up to the loft we noticed there is a considerable gap (5-6 cm) between the roof and the wall, like this: Is it supposed to be like that? It's freezing up there but I'm more concerned about animals entering the…
algiogia
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6 answers

How do I remove these Ikea screws? (studs inside holes)

I bought and assembled an Ikea sofa bed (asssembly instructions here). I'm moving soon and want to take apart the couch to make it easier to lift. Some of the screws needed for the assembly come in 2 parts: the head and the threads. You screw the…
J. Yee
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One circuit on two 20 amp breakers

Can I put one circuit on two 20-amp breakers? I'm drawing too much power on just one breaker and I'm not able to run a whole new circuit right now.
Thomas Sedwick
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When bolting down a porcelain toilet, how tight is "too tight"?

Tightening bolts on the base of a toilet is the one thing about toilet installation that has me the most nervous. They say not to over-tighten, but how tight is too tight before the porcelain is subject to cracking? Do I tighten until I can't…
oscilatingcretin
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