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1500 questions
26
votes
4 answers
How do I remove and reinstall baseboards (Skirting Board) without damaging them?
I need to temporarily remove the baseboards in a couple rooms. I am interested in some suggestions for removing the baseboards without damaging them so they can later be reinstalled. Suggestions may include
Helpful tools
Pitfalls
Removal…
Mario
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26
votes
8 answers
Is twisted and taped splice on cable, objectively any less stable than wire-nuts or terminal blocks?
In Brazil, electrical connections are almost always done splicing electrical cables by twisting the strands together and insulating them with electrical tape. Here is a video showing some of the connections the way they are done in Brazil. Terminal…
Luiz Borges
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26
votes
3 answers
Can anyone tell me what this little white box on my outlet is?
Recently bought a house that's about 40 years old. The previous owner was clearly very fond of doing the wiring himself and has left me some idiosyncrasies to work out. One is this box in one of my bedrooms. No idea what it is, or is supposed to…
Misanthrope Meanguy
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26
votes
8 answers
How do I compensate for the sun confusing my garage door opener's sensors?
Only during summer and only when the sun is close to the horizon the light from the sun confuses my garage door opener and in order to close the door I have to hold down the wired button which is a real pain if I'm leaving.
A friend suggested I use…
tooshel
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26
votes
6 answers
Are "1/4 turn" water supply valves more reliable than "multi-turn" valves? Or vice-versa?
Aside from personal preference, is there any reason why I would want to buy a "1/4 turn" water supply valve instead of "multi-turn valves"? Is one technology/design clearly superior than the other in terms of reliability? Or is this purely just a…
Mike B
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26
votes
9 answers
How do you determine if a door is Right Handed (RH) or Left Handed (LH)?
I am replacing a few interior doors and I need to know if the existing door is Right Handed or Left Handed so I have them drilled correctly. Sounds like the acronyms for this are RH and LH. This also would apply for new pre-hung doors as well I…
mohlsen
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26
votes
2 answers
Why am I getting shocked touching an outdoor faucet?
In a farm setting, my brother asked me what could cause him to get a shock from an outdoor hose bib at the pump house? He was prepping for freezing weather and disconnecting hoses from hose bibs. There was a ground wire attached (poorly) to the…
George Anderson
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26
votes
2 answers
The main ground on my house sparks when an appliance is turned on
When turning on high amp appliances like an air compressor or dust fan, the attachment of the ground from the meter box to the water main (pic) sparks occasionally for a second or so. A separate ground from the meter box was also installed a few…
Laramie
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26
votes
9 answers
Should my neighbor run their AC refrigerant lines through my garage?
I live in a 2-unit town home. I have installed an AC on the side of my unit. My neighbor would like to install an AC for their unit. However the city codes will not allow them to install it on the side of their house since it is too close to the…
V Maharajh
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26
votes
1 answer
What was a receptacle installed near my breaker box?
We had an old fusebox replaced with circuit breakers in our (U.S.) house today. Its a 100-amp panel, everything very simple and standard. The electrician installed a regular receptacle just outside the breaker box (about six inches away), a GFCI…
nuggethead
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26
votes
3 answers
I ran a nail through a wire at home, should I worry?
I was trying to fix a nail on my wall and it seems that I may have ran the nail into a wire. Pulling the nail back causes the lights in my room to go dark. I pushed it back in and my room seems fine, and, I plan on getting it fixed soon.
However,…
user135685
26
votes
6 answers
How do I find studs when stud finders won't work?
I was trying to hang my TV at my new place, on an interior wall (between living room and a bathroom). Using the stud finder on other walls worked fine, but on this wall I got some very strange readings. An area of about 5 feet by 4 feet was setting…
Steve Armstrong
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26
votes
6 answers
Why has my 10 year old ceiling fan suddenly started shocking me through the fan pull chain?
My fan has been working fine for ten years now and suddenly if I’m barefoot and touch the metal pull chain it lightly shocks me, but does not if I have shoes on.
Does this mean I need a new fan or is it some electrical issue in my ceiling?
J Aguilar
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26
votes
1 answer
Seemingly overbuilt basement wall - load bearing?
I'm doing some prep/exploratory work before I begin finishing my basement. Home was built in 1980 and has a cement block foundation. There is a seemingly random wall framed in the otherwise unfinished basement. I pulled one side of the sheetrock - I…
cxd213
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26
votes
10 answers
How can I lift a sunken paver in the middle of my driveway / patio / walkway / sidewalk?
I have a couple pavers that have sunk in my driveway. If this was close to the edge, I’d take up a few, re-level and replace. But this is in the middle of a large expanse of pavers.
How can I pull up a few in the middle to fix this without having…
BIBD
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