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1500 questions
12
votes
4 answers
How can I prevent shocks from an energized, ungrounded clothes washing machine?
I live in Europe (Italy) and our apartment is in an old building where the electric box has not been changed since the building's construction (in the 60s). Therefore, there is no grounding and no surge protector.
Recently, I got a mild electric…
Aurimas Dainius
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12
votes
11 answers
How do I prevent masking tape on paintwork from pulling off paint?
When painting, I often use masking tape, however, when I pull it off paintwork it sometimes pulls off some of the paint with it. Is there a way to prevent this?
EDIT:
A few people have said: "make sure you take the tape of after painting". But…
Paul Michaels
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12
votes
3 answers
What type of cordless tool battery chemistry should I purchase?
I'm about to buy a cordless tool set in which the tools all operate off the same form-factor battery. The batteries come in several different chemistries and I'm wondering which type is better for the type of short duration, impulsive discharging…
Joel B
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12
votes
7 answers
Can I add a wood burning stove to radiant heat boiler system?
We just moved into a house that was built in 1905 and got our first utility bill... it was almost $800. ( $600+ of it was gas, from boiler). We are aware of our energy usage habits (bring temp down at night, etc), our previous bills in other homes…
Alex
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12
votes
3 answers
Are special screws required inside an oven?
I am replacing the oven grilling element in my Inglis Citation Programmable Cooking Self Cleaning Oven stove model IUP 37500 because it burned out. I have a two-part question.
The OEM element was mounted to the oven roof using a combination bracket…
JohnC
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12
votes
2 answers
Why do some installers insist on not doing a full frame window replacement?
We're replacing a few windows in our old 1920s house. The windows are original and the wood frame on one of them has had water intrusion through the frame. We even had a water bubble last year that we're pretty sure came from water through the…
RabidPanda2332
- 121
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12
votes
6 answers
Devices that can slowly lower and raise 200 pounds ~2 feet?
What are some devices that could slowly lower and raise roughly 200 pounds roughly 2 feet?
I have been looking at hydraulic equipment, but they are all designed for tons and i do not need the ability to lift that much. I would like the device to be…
prolink007
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12
votes
2 answers
Is grounding an outlet only to its box enough?
There's an outlet in the front hall of my house near Atlanta, GA. I noticed scorch marks on the face, so I decided to investigate it a bit. My outlet tester indicated an open ground.
When I opened up the outlet, I was surprised by what I saw. The…
Kurt Tomlinson
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12
votes
2 answers
Does this metal plate stay on my prehung door frame after installation?
I bought an exterior prehung door to install for my garage. Does this metal plate stay on? Or do I take it off?
Ruben
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12
votes
2 answers
What do I do with the unused wire for ceiling fan installation?
I recently replaced my bedroom ceiling fan with a newer ceiling fan and with the old fan I could:
Use one switch on the wall to turn on/off the light
Use the other switch on the wall to turn on/off the fan
The new fan came with a remote and the…
nullByteMe
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12
votes
9 answers
Why doesn't my garage door close unless I am holding down the button?
When I push my inside of garage button for the door to close, the door attempts to go down, motor light flashes and door goes back up again. I had to keep holding the wall button for the door to actually go down and close.
Celia
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12
votes
10 answers
Drill perpendicular hole through thick lumber using handheld drill
When using a cordless drill to make 1/2" holes in 4x4 or 6x6 lumber:
Despite taking my time, I find the holes I drill aren't perpendicular to the board. What can be done to drill better holes?
Off-grid location; no access to electricity or power…
User1974
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12
votes
5 answers
What should I know about radon levels at home? What levels are safe and do they affect resale value?
My wife and I are looking to buy our first home. We recently found one, but a report says the radon levels inside the home are unsatisfactory. I've never really been aware of radon levels in homes before, but of course, look it up and it's not a…
Ryan Hayes
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12
votes
1 answer
Why is this bolt's thread the way it is?
I scavenged an old bolt from an interior office remodel, and it is odd.
The thread appears to be triple-start BUT two of the three are milled off.
Shaft is 11.8mm and appears to be galvanised but the missing threads are shiny so appear to be trimmed…
Criggie
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12
votes
11 answers
How to extract pipe remnant from ground sleeve?
In Hurricane Beryl my Purple Martin birdhouse pole blew over when it broke off at the ground sleeve. In retrospect it was weakened by decades of metal fatigue and rust.
I would like to extract the remnant of the old pole from inside the ground…
Organic Marble
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