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1500 questions
12
votes
4 answers
How can you repair split wood that cannot be moved?
My goal is to install a new set of blinds in an existing window. It looks like a former owner tried to do the same thing and split the wood on the side of the window casing. Unfortunately the location of the split is exactly where I need to screw…
Ben S
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12
votes
2 answers
Can I leave excess wire to allow for future use?
If I'm running wire through the crawl space for say a light switch in a wall above, but I plan on moving said wall 8 feet further away in a couple years is it legal/advisable to leave extra wire coiled as shown in the picture to have it ready to go…
Trevor
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12
votes
3 answers
What is the purpose of flanged plugs?
What is the purpose of putting a flange on a plug like this (from yard equipment)? Help me understand.
It’s not like it’s waterproof.
It seems to me it only serves to keep you from plugging it into a cord with a built in splitter. And even with a…
BIBD
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12
votes
2 answers
Stains in grout
For a tiling job, I used this charcoal grout:
After a few days, as indicated by the instructions, I applied this sealer:
A few minutes after applying the sealant, these white stains appeared randomly in the grout:
It's been a few days and the…
Martin Argerami
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12
votes
6 answers
Can I pour a concrete foundation in multiple pieces?
I'm building a 25-meter (65 foot) block retaining wall. The engineering specifications require a concrete foundation for the block wall equal to about 4 cubic metres (141 cubic feet) of concrete, with reinforcing bar/mesh throughout. This includes…
guest12345
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12
votes
2 answers
Old subpanel has dual 60A breaker feeding lighting
We've inherited an old house, and the original panel for the house seems to be a subpanel to the new service panel that primarily has electric baseboard heating, and two 20A circuits of receptacles in the kitchen. In trying to figure out how things…
Dave X
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12
votes
3 answers
Screw with mixed threads?
I changed a deadbolt lock on my front door, and in the pile of old parts, there was a weird screw with 8-32 threads near the head and wood threads at the end. I'm just curious:
what is the name for this type of screw?
what is it used for?
thanks
FJZ
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12
votes
3 answers
Electricity coming from panel is not right
After a recent power outage i have serious power issues in my garage. With no load, i get solid 123vac from both channels in the box and a solid 240vac across both legs. As soon as i apply a load one channel drops to approx 100vac and the other…
wsnbh
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12
votes
4 answers
How can I drill my own electrical knockout in an appliance housing?
I would like to drill a regular (I think 3/8") knockout on a metal appliance housing. It is not tabbed like on a metal handy box. Which drill bit should I use?
amphibient
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12
votes
3 answers
Is it safe to use the ground as a neutral when other grounds are available?
I moved into a new house and was working on making a three way switch work properly when I came across some creative wiring. The traveling wire between the switches was only two wires, and the ground from it had been electric taped over and used as…
yesennes
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12
votes
1 answer
What is this piece of hardware?
My wife wants to know. Her sister has a giant bag of them. She thought I would know, but I don’t.
The outside diameter of the finely threaded side is 27mm.
kmort
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12
votes
7 answers
Can an ethernet cable look OK to a cheap cable tester but still have a problem?
My home office is at the end of a 15-20m ethernet cable that a friend ran 15 years ago, and it recently stopped working. I tested it with a cheap continuity tester, hoping to discover a fault near one end, or that there were still 4 good conductors…
Robin Bennett
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12
votes
2 answers
Plumber drilled through exterior 2x4s - that's bad, right?
I'm doing a bathroom remodel and adding a utility sink for my wife's art studio on the floor above. When we talked over the plan, I decided to go with the 2" drain they said I should use, but I had wanted to send it through an interior wall.…
hepcat72
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12
votes
6 answers
What are my gutter guard options?
As I mentioned in a prior post, I'm planning to add some gutters to my house. I see that there's wide variety of gutter guards available and was curious which ones are better?
As far as I can tell, there are basically two types:
Covers that go…
Mike B
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12
votes
5 answers
Should I reuse drywall screws?
I removed lots of them because it was easier to remove the drywall that way. Some of these screws were also used for carpentry work by the contractor who built the bathroom.
The only problem I am seeing is that some of them have drywall dust in the…
MiniMe
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