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1500 questions
33
votes
5 answers

Is it a problem that my bathtub drains directly into the wall?

Here is what I see inside the hole My landlord said is ok. But I think water going directly to wall can't be a good idea. My question is how bad is it? Needs fixing right away? If needs fixing, how can I fix. The side of the bathtub is sealed and I…
07mm8
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33
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8 answers

Why am I getting an electric shock from the water in my hot tub?

I have noticed that when I touch the water of my Hot Tub when I am grounded (barefoot standing outside of tub) I am getting a very small electric shock. Using a multimeter it is reading 2Vac between the water and the ground outside. I have an RCD…
Lee
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33
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12 answers

How do I make around-the-room shelves for a seriously skewed room?

I've been given the Christmas task of setting up an HO model train and rails around a child's room, so I researched a bit and found a shelf train would be the thing. So I go to measure the room in order to figure out how much wood I have to buy to…
QuestionerNo7
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33
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18 answers

How to remove nails with heads cut off?

Yes, I know I can go to the big box store and buy lumber. That is not the point of this question. I have some boards that have the nail heads removed, leaving the nail flush with the surface of the board. The boards come from pallets where…
bgoodr
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33
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6 answers

What do you call the fastener that's like a metal zip tie with a screw?

I assure you that this is not the beginning of a fastener-related standup routine. While working out at the gym, I saw a fastener that looks like a metal zip tie, with a screw to tighten it. Two pictures below. This can be useful for me in some of…
Ram Rachum
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33
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5 answers

Is it OK to borrow a ground wire from a different circuit?

I've got a circuit in the basement carrying a handful of outlets. This circuit has no ground wire. I want to add a couple of outlets and want them to be grounded. I may even want gfci outlets on them in the future. I have no reasonable way of…
Paul
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32
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8 answers

When pouring concrete, is it safe to add large rocks to increase volume?

Backround I'm going to pour some concrete to anchor a swing set. The base of the swing set that is being anchored is two 4x4s with a 2x4 footer crossed perpendicularly to the 4x4s. I have a bunch of large softball-sized rocks in my yard. I was…
Walter Stabosz
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32
votes
4 answers

Should all Federal Pacific panels be replaced?

I understand that Federal Panel Stab Lok breakers have the potential for becoming stuck, overheating, and starting fires. My home has a Federal Pacific panel but no outward markings of being a Stab Lok model, the breakers cannot be identified as I…
STW
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32
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8 answers

How do I rehang a wooden door with worn screw holes?

I have a wood door in one of my rooms where the top screws no longer hold the hinge to the wall because the screw holes have worn loose. I have tried slightly larger screws and filling with wood toothpicks, which usually lasts about a year. I…
user2278
32
votes
6 answers

Electric shock - was I stupid, unlucky, or a combination of both?

One of the double sockets in our garage needed replacing (damaged after a washing pole hit it) - a pretty trivial job that I'd done before. So I flipped the MCB for the ring main, used a non-contact voltage tester to check nothing was there, and set…
user24536
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32
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3 answers

What's the practical difference between "latex" and "acrylic" water dispersion paint?

I see lots of water dispersion paints in shops and they usually come in two flavors - "latex" and "acrylic". The application range and procedure seem the same, they are all relatively safe, don't emit anything toxic while drying, prices are more or…
sharptooth
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32
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4 answers

What temperature should I set my water heater to?

When adjusting my water heater, what temperature should I set it to? Is the answer different if you have: Concerns about diseases A dishwasher Young children or elderly that can be easily burned Electric vs Gas heat Type of plumbing (e.g. PEX or…
BMitch
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32
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6 answers

How to provide backup power to a three-phase European home?

I have a home (in Ukraine) which is wired for three phases, but only ever use the three together for the electric heating system (which, for obvious reasons at this point we are not using). So, I bought a diesel generator with three phases. I…
Гаврил Вильямович
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32
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11 answers

Why are so many radiators installed beneath a window (at least in Germany)?

I live in Germany and I always wondered why the radiators in most apartments are installed right beneath a window. The pictures below show an example (this is an older building, but you see similar installations in new buildings as well). I would…
André
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32
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6 answers

How do I fix this 30 ft (9 m) dryer vent abomination?

The previous owner left a bit of a headache with the dryer venting setup. Context: This is a gas dryer The living room is behind the right hand side wall, so that's a no-go as far as drilling The kitchen is behind the wall behind the door The…
Albert
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