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1500 questions
13
votes
10 answers

Should I solder stranded wires when connecting them to a plug?

I'm about to perform a few electrical changes in my house in order to be able to control lighting fixtures (230V, 30 to 200 mA) from a PC. I have some doubts about the way stranded wires should be connected to the plugs. For instance, I suppose the…
Arseni Mourzenko
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5 answers

How close can CAT6 run to electrical?

I've run CAT6 throughout my house, mostly in the basement where the TV area and office are. I have a cable that goes upstairs to my bedroom along the chimney from the basement to feed a wireless access point. There are 3 spots where the cable comes…
Scott L.
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1 answer

What is this metal thing on my circuit breaker

Just bought a condo and one of the breakers in it has this metal thingy on it. What is it? What is it for?
Edward
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13
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2 answers

Can I build a concrete block wall over floor tile?

I am enclosing a tiled porch on concrete slab with a 3' short wall of concrete block, with windows above. Should concrete blocks be laid over a tile floor?
Larry
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3 answers

How do I add an exhaust fan to an old attic?

Our house's attic retains a great deal of heat during summer. While we now have a good layer of insulation between the attic and the rest of the house I wonder if it would be worth it to add some kind of exhaust fan. We live in a mid-Atlantic…
acrosman
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13
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9 answers

Why does this toilet clog so often?

My inlaws have one toilet in their house that regularly clogs. They have two more toilets that don't seem to clog at all. They live in a suburb with full plumbing (not a septic tank). The toilet isn't low-flow. They had a plumber come look at it,…
Amanda
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13
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3 answers

At a 6' span, how much can an SPF 2x4 turned on 3.5" end support?

The ends are secured, so how much load can a 6' span of SPF 2x4 support when turned on 3.5"?
DANIEL THOMAS
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13
votes
2 answers

What could cause halogen bulbs to explode?

I changed several halogen spotlight bulbs and after less than one hour, one exploded. See image. It's an Osram Decostar, 35W. Although the bulb doesn't carry a "CE" mark, the box did. We regularly have bulbs dying, so I suspect something might be…
Tim
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13
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1 answer

What is the correct way to wire a 4 prong oven receptacle?

I think I wired this the right way but I can't find an online reference that I trust enough to flip the breaker back on. This is how I wired it. Is this correct?
Biff MaGriff
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13
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4 answers

How do I troubleshoot power receptacles?

I just bought a recently renovated house and the house inspector said that all the plugs in the basement worked. Well... I plugged in several devices into the plugs and they don't power on. If I use my voltage tester I can see that the plugs are…
Biff MaGriff
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13
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9 answers

What do I need for a wall shelf that will support an aquarium?

I'm starting a DIY wall shelf project. I'm not very handy, and I've never done anything like this before, so I'd love some advice/guidance! The end goal is for the shelf to hold a 3 gallon aquarium (18 x 5.5 x 7"). The total weight of water is…
Jesse
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13
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3 answers

Name for a partially-circular metal clasp that fits into an indentation in a tube

What's the name of the "circle" that the arrow points to? In the picture is the end of a barbell. That thing that arrow points to is put onto the tube. The tube has a "dent" where that circle fits. There are eyes in the end of the circle that are…
B J
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13
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2 answers

Is it acceptable to have two circuits with a shared hot but different neutrals?

I am working on cataloguing the hodge podge electrical system in my old house. There is an old fuse box that was converted to a junction box when they put the breaker box in. Inside this box there is one hot coming from the breaker panel that is…
Murenrb
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13
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9 answers

What is the name of this metal bar with holes at the ends?

I need to find a metal part that looks a bit like this: hole for bolt strong metal | | ___|____________________________v_______ / v \ ( (_) …
Village
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13
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5 answers

Can a GFCI outlet intentionally and explicitly be used as a switch without violating code?

I'm working on adding several outdoor outlets in the eaves of my roof for holiday lighting. I have a switch in my garage for these outlets right next to the garage light switch. Thing is, I keep flipping the switch for the holiday lights instead of…
Sidney
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