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1500 questions
14
votes
2 answers
Should I be concerned about the structural integrity of this 100-year-old garage?
I had an aunt who lived in a house that was built in 1923 and its detached garage was also built in 1923. I am in the process of fixing up both this house and the garage before the house is put for sale on the housing market.
All the outer walls of…
user57467
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14
votes
5 answers
What is causing the pilot light to go out with a loud clunk?
On particularly windy days like today, the pilot light in my furnace likes to go out.
To try to confirm it is the wind blowing out the pilot light through the flue, I set up a camera and recorded this footage:
Pilot light going out with a clunk
The…
Resorath
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14
votes
2 answers
Is electrical panel safe after arc flash?
I was trying to install CT clamps on the service wires to my center fed main electrical panel. I used pliers and by mistake torn a bit the insulation on one conductor while the pliers were touching the ground bar. There was an arc flash that pushed…
user162793
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14
votes
2 answers
How to pull cable straight?
Yesterday I ran a new 100ft home-run of 12/3 Romex through the crawlspace of my house, and I noticed that my cable is not as neat as other runs that other electricians had installed.
In particular, the cable had lots of knots and kept twisting (vs…
peter
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14
votes
5 answers
How do you mount conduit to a wall so that it stands off a standard box distance?
I'm running 1/2" EMT conduit between single-gang surface-mount boxes. The holes for the boxes are slightly set away from the wall so that the conduit does not mount flush against the wall. I have found various types of single screw and double screw…
KJ7LNW
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14
votes
4 answers
Plugging refrigerator only when necessary? (bottled beers)
I have a small and cheap refrigerator that I use to store beers. It has a small freezer that is of no use to me.
I am only using this refrigerator 5 times a year (during "events"), and I measured that it costs me around $10/month. Not that cheap in…
ChipsMyName
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14
votes
5 answers
Cutting larger pieces on table saw
As the photo shows, I want to cut some larger pieces of plywood.
The right edge is not straight, but even if I get it straight, I will not be able to easily cut it using the rip fence.
And the miter gauge won't work because the piece is too wide.
I…
fixit7
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14
votes
5 answers
What is the easiest code compliant way to totally remove an electrical box?
Much of the wiring my house is of the DIY variety, done by someone who was plainly insane.
My living room has an electrical box with a switch, which runs to .. another switch on the exterior wall, to turn on/off deck lights.
This is not a runner…
negacao
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14
votes
3 answers
Are tankless water heaters worth it in cold climates?
I was thinking of switching over to a tankless water heater. A friend of mine said they are not good in colder climates since the water coming in is colder and takes longer to heat. Is this a valid concern, or are these things designed to deal with…
Tester101
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14
votes
13 answers
How do you make outdoor wooden stairs less slippery in winter?
Outdoors, I have some wooden stairs leading up to my front door.
The wooden stairs are covered in high-gloss wood preservative. In winter, snow and ice are deposited onto the stair-steps. The bottoms of my shoes slip and slide on the high gloss…
Samuel Muldoon
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14
votes
1 answer
Old Whirpool gas stove mystically stops making spark when I put the cover on
I just moved to the new apartment and here we got an old dirty whirpool gas stove with nasty fat stains. I checked it and few burners would stop burn if I stopped to push the button. All the sparks worked alright. I assumed the problem was in…
Foby
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14
votes
5 answers
How can I use existing satellite coaxial cable to carry my internet connection?
I recently moved to another internet provider who provides FTTH (Fibre To The Home).
Now my powerline adapters are incapable of taking full advantage of the increased speeds. I'm currently using Wifi and losing some speed, and don't really want to…
LondonGuy
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14
votes
5 answers
What is the technical term for the rings that protect holes for electrical through woodwork like cabinets?
I drill holes in cabinets or desks for electrical. I usually drill about a 3/4" hole and I have these little plastic rings I put in to protect the woodwork and just so it looks nicer. Electrical is armored...
So I have seen other examples at…
DMoore
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14
votes
3 answers
Should my 240v electric stove be grounded to the neutral like this?
I have an induction cooktop/stove in a California condo built in 2011-2012.
Recently, I had to pull the cooktop electrical and discovered that the stove has a 3 wire harness (red, black, yellow/green). The building has 4 wires (red, black,…
James
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14
votes
4 answers
Why not use a plastic receptacle box for an outdoor outlet?
This answer says "... it should be possible to cut into the wall and install a metal box (don't use plastic, please) [for an outdoor outlet]."
What are the problems associated with using a plastic box for an outdoor receptacle?
KJ7LNW
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