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1500 questions
41
votes
9 answers
Is the Electrician trying to scam me?
I own a home in California and was emailed by my property manager about an electrical problem with an outlet. The outlet was fixed according to the tenant but the repair man through the manager thinks there is still a problem. Just wanted to know if…
K. Moore
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41
votes
7 answers
Purpose of Fill Valve Tube Going into Overflow Drain
I can easily understand the purpose of the overflow tube itself, but why is the little black hose that comes from the fill valve placed down into the overflow tube? On my toilet, there is a strong stream of water that comes from the black hose, and…
Buck
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41
votes
2 answers
How did a circuit that was shut off at the breaker almost kill me?
I just had a near-disaster while trying to install new smoke detectors. My house has AC hardwire connections for the smoke detectors. I wasn't sure which circuit the smoke detector AC connection was on, but after going through the breakers one at a…
Kevin
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41
votes
2 answers
Why is there a 1/4" jack in my oven?
I am in the process of replacing the controller for a jenn-air oven. Ever curious as I am, I was poking around the wiring for all the sensors and elements, tracing them out, and learning their function. Then I came to this, and I have no idea what…
repurposer
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41
votes
3 answers
How can I restore power after a switch was shorted with scissors?
Ok, so I'm a 15 year old kid and my parents werent home, my house is under construction and I wanted to see what would happen if I put scissors to my light switches, so I took the pair of scissors and I put it to the light switch on the hot side and…
Josh
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41
votes
5 answers
If a light bulb is dead, does it still consume electricity if the switch is in ON?
It's been a week since a light bulb in the bathroom died. I'm wondering if the bulb is dead, does it still consume electricity if the switch is in ON?
The light is completely dead, no light whatsoever.
user3108698
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40
votes
10 answers
How to avoid wires when drilling into the wall?
I have to anchor a bookcase to a wall to prevent it from tipping over.
When drilling into the wall, how do I make sure I can avoid drilling into the wires behind the wall?
I have bought a Stud finder which says it can detect wires, but I am not sure…
ritK
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40
votes
7 answers
How do I run ethernet cable through a wall cavity?
I want to install an ethernet jack in an interior wall of one room. I'd like to run the cable up through the wall cavity (so it is hidden) into the crawl space and back down another wall to another jack which would be connected to the network…
Lisa
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40
votes
8 answers
What are the dangers of operating a mini excavator?
I plan to rent an excavator like this:
I am aware that it is quite dangerous if someone walks by and is hit by the bucket, but assuming I can clear the area of passers-by, what are some common dangers to be aware of that could cause harm to the…
Village
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40
votes
4 answers
This fell out of my toilet when I unscrewed the supply line. What is it?
I needed to replace my toilet’s tank to toilet gasket, and in the process disconnected the toilet’s supply line. The rubber “screw like” object shown above fell out when I did this.
After finishing the gasket replacement, I forgot to put this…
objectivesea
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40
votes
10 answers
How do I drill a 2⅛ inch door knob hole over an existing 1½ inch hole?
I need to replace the door knob for this interior door:
The door knobs I've found at the stores require a 2⅛ inch hole. Mine is only 1½:
Did door knobs used to be smaller? Is there some place I can find a replacement door knob that will fit my…
Jeremy Stein
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40
votes
11 answers
Why don't you connect unused hot and neutral wires to "complete the circuit"?
I'm new to home wiring and had a question I'd like explained to me. I removed a vent hood over my oven and I thought I had to complete the circuit so I tied the hot and neutral wires that were powering the hood together with a wire nut, but all the…
Skoant
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39
votes
9 answers
How should I go about installing a 12 volt DC residential circuit?
I have a couple deep cycle batteries that trickle charge from a solar panel, for emergency use. Right now the only way I get useful power from them is to use a 12VDC -> 120VAC inverter, e.g. the type that can hook up to a car battery.
I'd like to…
Hank
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39
votes
3 answers
Why do gas water heater exhausts have an air gap before the chimney?
Every conventional (i.e., non-direct-vent) gas water heater I have seen has a roughly 1" vertical gap between its exhaust port and the exhaust vent (or "chimney"). See photo below. What function does that gap serve?
How does the gap not pose a…
feetwet
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39
votes
11 answers
How can I allow 911 first responders to access a locked residence?
What if I live alone and cannot unlock the door during an emergency? What can I do to enable 911 responders to enter my residence without tearing down the door?
gatorback
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