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1500 questions
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8 answers
Where do you cut drywall if you need to remove it but still want to easily put it back up?
I want to pull a section of drywall down, but then put it back up again later. I'm having a hard time deciding where to cut.
I think ideally, I could cut exactly down the center of a stud so that I could screw it back in. But there will already be…
brentonstrine
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5 answers
Does turning circuit breakers off cause wear?
A comment over on another SE got me thinking. With screw-in fuses, unscrewing it and then later screwing it back in causes negligible wear on either part of the installation. But what about modern "switch" overcurrent circuit breakers? Does manually…
user
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12
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1 answer
What is the difference between a ball/pin detent and friction ring impact wrench?
I have been looking into getting an impact wrench for my car and I have noticed that any given model (at least the one I am looking at) has two versions. One version has a ball to keep the socket supported (like a torque wrench) and the other type…
Sponge Bob
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2 answers
Can I use a *ground wire only* conduit for copper data cables?
Hypothetical question. I won't self-answer. The purpose is to inform potential answers on another person's question.
Suppose I have a shed with a 200A subpanel, with 3-wire feed that was installed prior to 1999, so it was grandfathered. I now want…
Harper - Reinstate Monica
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12
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8 answers
What (in the US) do you call the type of wrench that is made from a steel tube?
This is the sort of wrench I have in mind:
In the Wikipedia article (Socket Wrench) displaying this image, it is described as a spark plug wrench, but there are wrenches of this style in many other sizes, and for many other purposes - anywhere one…
sdenham
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12
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2 answers
Proper technique to adding a wire to existing pigtail
This seems like a pretty straight forward question and hoping not a poor question but here we go.
If you have a pigtail for three wires (say # 14 AWG if that makes a difference) together in a wire nut but you want to add another wire to the mix. Is…
Qiuzman
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6 answers
Electrical outlets gone bad?
New here, please go easy on me:)
I have a few outlets that we’ve never used because furniture was in the way. Just started moving stuff around and I’ve come to realize that 2 outlets just don’t work, with known working items.
Tested with volt meter…
Justin Alvarez
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12
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7 answers
What exactly is a PAR type LED lamp, how does it differ from R/BR type LED & CFL lamps?
I am in the process of replacing my incandescent bulbs with more efficient alternatives. My home is about 14 years old, I've owned it for a little over three years. It seems most of the bulbs that it "came with" are original, and since I purchased…
jrista
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votes
5 answers
Are two wires coming out of the same circuit breaker safe?
There are two wires coming out of two of my circuit breakers in my electrical panel. I am thinking the previous owner of the house stuck these two wires in there because the panel was full and they didn't want to replace the panel. I am not sure…
CSR
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12
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12 answers
What goes on threads first: tape or dope?
Should the dope be applied directly to the male threads or should the tape go on first?
Matthew
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12
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8 answers
How do I remove blown in attic insulation?
I want to replace the drywall ceiling in my house. It's old and has been painted over a million times. Home was built in the 50s. How do I replace the ceiling without replacing the insulation? Or if I take out the insulation to replace it with new,…
Trevor
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4 answers
What screwdriver I should use for this screw head?
I am trying to unscrew the screw head you see in the picture. It is from the kitchen faucet handle.
From looking online, it is usually a hex screw head. I tried a hex-key wrench, it didn't work, and tried every tool I have that could fit with no…
Lloyd
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12
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1 answer
Can a Backup Generator SubPanel Neutral be tied to the Main Panels Neutral bus, if both panels are energized at the same time from different sources?
Im new here, and Ive learned alot from many of these posts, although I have not found my exact issue yet, so I decided to upload this.
I have a question regarding my installation, if its safe, and if I were to have the generator running whilst the…
Nate
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12
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5 answers
How can you tell if it's safe to hang weight from the ceiling?
I live in Canada and my house is made of wood. I'd like to mount gymnastics rings to my ceiling. I weigh roughly 90kg and I know you're suppose to find joists and attach weight there, but I don't want to pull my ceiling down. Is there a way to test…
food-destroyer-big-bone-monsta
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How can I seal a gap between floor joist boxes and foundation?
I have an unfinished basement that always has tons of beetles, spiders and cold air (yes I know most basements have this, but it is more than normal). I finally decided to take a piece of insulation out that sits on top of the foundation between the…
Josh
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