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1500 questions
30
votes
17 answers
How do I change a light bulb I can't grip?
We have two bulbs in our house that need replacing. They appear to be PAR38 bulbs.
The bulbs are both in recessed sockets. There is not enough space between the bulb and the well to get fingers around. The bulbs are in too firmly to budge with what…
Shay Guy
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14 answers
What are cheap ways to build strong shelves with a large span?
I have removed several old and moisture damaged built in storage units from my house. I would like to replace them with shelving. There are a number of different sized gaps (width and depth to fill).
I would like the shelves to hold quite alot of…
flamingpenguin
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30
votes
1 answer
Why does dirt kill saw blades?
What is it about dirt getting into a saw blade (as opposed to, say, sawdust, rock chips, etc (presuming the right blade is being used, of course)) that will kill a saw blade?
I've seen it happen to sawzall-type blades and chainsaws - but don't see…
warren
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30
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9 answers
Is there a way to simply splice in an additional length of 12/2 NM-B cable?
Is there a way without using junction boxes to simply splice in additional length of 12/2 NM-B cable? Can I use twist caps?
I'm putting in a dog door and as it so happens, there is some 12/2 right in the way of the location I've chosen. There's no…
snicker
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votes
14 answers
How can I get rid of a mouse in my house?
There is a mouse in my house.
What's the most effective way to get rid of the mouse (and any "friends" it might have) and ensure that it doesn't come back.
Jeff Widmer
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30
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3 answers
What wire gauge do I need for a 100 Amp subpanel at the end of a 60' wire run?
I am adding an attached garage to my house. I'm going to be putting in a 100 Amp subpanel which is about 60 feet away and run through the basement joists.
What gauge wire do you recommend for either aluminum and copper? Also, do you recommend…
Shawn Coleman
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30
votes
3 answers
Is this a load bearing column?
I’m trying to determine if a column in my house is load bearing. It’s at the corner of 2 pony walls and if it isn’t we might take out the column and the pony wall. There’s an extension of the 2nd floor hall above it, and it looks like directly…
StockTsi
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30
votes
1 answer
Four outlet / Four USB charging station stuck in outlet
We have a "charging station" that has four USB ports on front and four regular outlets, two on each side, that was plugged into a bathroom outlet.
Now I am trying to remove it, but it seems to be stuck. There is enough for a gap at the back to see…
Michael
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30
votes
3 answers
Is it bad practice to regularly turn a circuit breaker off/on?
I have an electric vehicle mobile charger that is plugged in to a dedicated 30 Amp circuit.
When I’m done charging, I undock the charger from the car. I leave my mobile charger plugged into the 14-50 receptacle.
Instead of unplugging and plugging in…
milesmeow
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30
votes
7 answers
How can I add an ammeter and/or voltmeter to my home breaker panel?
In my professional life, I work in datacenters and all of our PDUs have ammeter displays on them.
Of course they do: we always want to know how many amps a PDU is using.
But in my house, nobody has any idea. As far as I can tell, there is no such…
user227963
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30
votes
2 answers
What spacing difference is acceptable with a contracted tile job?
What is a reasonable difference in gaps between tiles? We just had our bathroom floor done by Lowe’s (first mistake), and I’m not happy with the outcome, AT ALL. Is this just me being picky, or should I call and complain?
I’m not sure what they can…
Slink2015
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30
votes
6 answers
Why is my fire extinguisher emptied after one use?
I'm planning to make a small DIY gas tank and I saw people using old or used fire extinguishers but I don't understand why my fire extinguisher can't hold pressure after one use.
I have this fire extinguisher about 3 years and it was holding…
Mordecai
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30
votes
6 answers
How should I support this large drywall patch?
after the installation of a new water heater and a relatively extensive plumbing fix, I wanted to save a buck trying to patch the drywall myself. It's the very first time I buy a piece of drywall or anything related to this activity. I re-created a…
Alessio Sangalli
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30
votes
5 answers
What is the best method to patch a large hole (2-3 inches) in drywall?
I have a large hole where a TV wall mount once was (I believe the hole was used to run power and coax cable to the TV). I have since moved the TV and would like to patch the hole. What is the best way to do this?
mmattax
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29
votes
4 answers
Why are homes wired using solid wire rather than stranded?
If stranded wire can carry more power for a given wire gauge, why are homes typically wired using solid?
If solid wire is less expensive to make, that provides a compelling reason why solid is used, but if an electrician or homeowner wanted to use…
JYelton
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