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1500 questions
14
votes
4 answers
Detecting cigar/cigarette smoke levels
I have a cigar lounge with a ventilation system, I would like to detect the "level" of cigar or cigarette smoke in the room. But I am not sure what sensor to go for, since these smokes contains a lot of different substances and I really want to…
Thomas Jensen
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14
votes
1 answer
Can a GFCI receptacle protect other receptacles?
My contractor has wired one GFCI receptacle in the main bathroom on the same circuit as a normal receptacle in our en-suite bathroom (it is less than a foot from the sink). he says that since they are on the same circuit that the GFCI in the…
kers
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14
votes
6 answers
How to keep home automation complexity under control?
If you installed some form of home automation (lighting control for example), how did you keep the complexity manageable for your family members?
In many cases where friends have installed some form of home automation, I see that the person who…
Jan Fabry
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14
votes
6 answers
How can I quiet a noisy downspout?
Possible Duplicate:
How do I stop the dripping noise from my gutters?
I have metal downspouts that come down from by gutters. One of them happens to be right by my bedroom window. When the rain is just right this downspout will often make an…
Brh
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14
votes
5 answers
Can metal studs support a 64" plasma TV on a swiveling mount?
Alright, I need a sanity check here. I've been tasked with mounting a 64" plasma TV with an articulating mount onto a metal stud wall in the corporate boardroom. It's the quadruple-threat with no room for error.
The TV weighs 85lbs dead load. The…
BB ON
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14
votes
3 answers
Something in my home is making my family sick. How do I determine what it is?
My wife and I moved into a new rental house two months ago. Our small dog, my wife, and myself have all started experiencing symptoms such as headaches, runny nose, constant congestion, cold-like swelling in the sinuses, neck, and throat, general…
Bryson
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14
votes
3 answers
What is the proper way to install a junction box above a dropped ceiling?
I'm doing some remodeling in my basement and part of that work involves moving a switch. When I was tracing the wires for the switch I found this above my dropped ceiling:
Now, I'm no electrician, but this does not look up to code to me. Further…
heavyd
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14
votes
4 answers
How can I make suction cups stay securely to a tiled shower wall?
I am trying to hang a mirror in the shower and it simply will not stay on the wall. It does not weigh more than a couple of pounds. There are two suction cups.
Things I've tried:
Cleaning the tile surface before attaching
Using water on the suction…
John Conde
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14
votes
1 answer
How do I know if my wiring is aluminium or copper?
In this answer, Chris has mentioned that, before replacing a worn-out electric outlet, it is important to know whether the building has an aluminium or copper wiring. How can I get this information?
I live in a rented apartment, and the homeowner…
Erel Segal-Halevi
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14
votes
1 answer
What size wire should I use to feed a subpanel in my garage?
My main panel has been upgraded to 100 amps. I would like to add a subpanel in the garage which would supply:
20 amp Mig welder running on 120 volts, but later upgrade to a larger Mig welder as i am experienced at welding.
Large jointer
Medium…
Peter
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14
votes
7 answers
What's the least intrusive way to find out what's in a wall?
I'm getting ready to mount a flatscreen TV on our living room wall and would like to route various cables through it (e.g. surround sound speakers, HDMI, etc). I appreciate the AWESOME tips here, but I think I'm missing something important: How can…
Mike B
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14
votes
4 answers
What's the difference between asphalt and tarmac?
Trying to get my head around the key differences between Tarmac and Asphalt as surfacing material for a driveway. Lots of contradicting info out there. Was wondering if anyone had first-hand experience with a driveway for example?
Gael
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14
votes
6 answers
Why did my EV charge outlet overheat and burn the wires?
I bought an EV that came with a free level 2 charger. I had a Honda “certified electrician” come out and install a Honda re-badged JuiceBox on an unused 60amp two-pole breaker (previously used for a hot tub).
Everything worked well for roughly 11…
Evan
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14
votes
3 answers
How to fix lawn where car drives over
my car needs to park slightly over my lawn. Unfortunately this has ruined my lawn slightly.
I'm wondering what is the best option to fix this or are there alternative solutions, such as going artificial grass? It dirties my wheels everytime now…
Michaelllll
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14
votes
10 answers
How to drill a large clean hole in a particle board?
How to drill a large clean hole in a thin melamine board so that it looks closer to this (factory predrilled, 12mm diameter):
than this (my best attempt to replicate so far):
I used masking tape, drilled with a small size drill bit first, then…
Johnny Baloney
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