Home Improvement Stack Exchange
Home Improvement Stack Exchange

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1500 questions
13
votes
4 answers

Should I replace two 75-gallon (gas) water heaters in series with a tankless heater?

We live in the Midwest in a large home that was built 20 years ago. At the time, we installed two 75-gallon gas water heaters, and the plumber did this in series, not parallel. We also have a system of pipes for hot water recirculating to each of…
Shelly Lee
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5 answers

Installing a grab bar on a fiberglass shower wall

My elderly mother is coming for a visit and I initially was looking for a suction grab bar but deemed it not reliable so looking for options to install it. I’ve seen videos of grab bar installation without studs - they use Wingits and a toggler…
punsoca
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3 answers

Can I use a 125A panel with a breaker and wiring sized for 90A?

I have a detached garage. I would like to run power to it and have a 400 amp service on my house. I already have a bunch of 2-2-2-4 aluminum ser wire, which I know is only good for 90 amps. I have installed a 125 amp 12 space subpanel and intend on…
Will
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13
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3 answers

Does hardwood floor REALLY need an expansion gap?

The conventional wisdom is that hardwood floors need a 1/4-3/8" gap to the wall (or bottom plate) around the perimeter, hidden under the baseboard. Ostensibly this is for thermal and/or humidity expansion. For a floating floor, I get needing a gap,…
Huesmann
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13
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5 answers

Attempt to locate buried sewer line with melted snow?

I live in a housing addition (built 1965-1980) in the barren (no trees) Oklahoma panhandle. The first thing the new home owners in this area did was plant as many trees as possible. Over last several years in my neighborhood many of these house…
Oily Tex
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13
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2 answers

Why would remotes work reliably on one garage door opener, but unreliable on another?

I have 2 older Home Builder garage door openers. Both have hard wired buttons on the wall that work fine for opening and closing. My remote in my vehicle and another hand held one work to open my door but will not close until I wait for about 3-4…
Frank Haylow
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13
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6 answers

Why don't people use rigid or spray foam insulation in attics?

I'm looking to upgrade the insulation in my attic bumping it from an R-6 to R-30 or better, and while looking into things I realized I've never seen anyone use rigid or spray foam insulation in an attic. Is there a particular caveat to these, or is…
anthonyryan1
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9 answers

What could be causing a urine smell in our bathrooms?

I live in a home built in 2006. We are a clean family and have no pets. In ALL three of our bathrooms I am smelling an odor of "old urine". I do have a 3-year-old son so at first I thought he was simply missing the toilet in his bathroom, but days…
Chris10
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Why does dryer manufacturer not recommend runs of 10/3 cable longer than 15 feet (4.5m)?

I'm moving my dryer from one side of the laundry room to the other one, and extending my circuit from the existing outlet box -- the new length of the run (old+new) is roughly 25 feet. During an on-site consultation, my licensed electrician…
init_js
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13
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7 answers

Can I save energy costs by turning off the refrigerator for 1-2 hours every day?

Now that I'm looking into home automation, I'm thinking about automatically cutting off the fridge power from 3am ~ 5am. Given that modern refrigerators are well insulated, it should be able to withstand 2 hours of non powered cooling. If I proceed…
Level1Coder
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13
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4 answers

Can a new expansion tank cause extreme water consumption?

We recently sold our home and per inspector had a licensed plumber install a new expansion tank. We moved out, but continued to visit the home to clean, so we know there is no water on and no leaking toilet. We just received our final bill saying we…
Beth
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13
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2 answers

Should I be disappointed about this quality of craftsmanship in new front door?

I recently had a new front door and doorframe constructed an installed in my Victorian terraced house. The old frame and door were ripped out, and a new frame and door installed. On inspection, I think that some of the work is well below standard,…
Rocketmagnet
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13
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2 answers

When should you use metal studs?

When does it make sense to use metal framing for an interior wall? What are the advantages to traditional wood framing?
Ed.T
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13
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1 answer

Where can I get a cover for a main supply?

My house (I live in the UK) failed an electrical safety inspection because of a missing main supply cover. I have tried using google to find one to buy but can't find anything at all. Does anyone know how I can go about getting the right kind of…
lapsel
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13
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3 answers

Crushed Aluminum Dryer Vent

My dryer vent got crushed. It seems there's probably a couple inches for airflow. Do i need to have someone replace it? Is there some sort of simple tool to uncrush it a little bit?
LLC
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