Home Improvement Stack Exchange
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1500 questions
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3 answers

How can an outlet with only 2 wires (hot and neutral) be grounded?

I live in a home that was built in the late 1930s with some old electrical wiring and some new wiring. As I was identifying which outlets and lights are controlled by which wires I discovered a brainteaser: A garage outlet that my outlet tester…
Vlad Gurovich
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Should rooms be designed to minimize waste of sheet goods?

We are building a new home and I want some guidance on recommendations for design creating minimal wastage and maximum efficiency for the builders. For example. Are room sizes best divisible by 4 since sheetrock is usually 4 x 8. Same way with…
Yourguide
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Is this box bonded properly to the ground?

The receptacle is from the mid-1950's and my multimeter shows that it is grounded. There are a solid 120 volts when testing between live and ground. I noticed a bare copper wire coming from the cloth wiring in the back tied to a screw connected to…
the_martian
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8 answers

Using a sealant to stop a toilet tank leak

The toilet tank is leaking through the bolts, but the bolts are so rusted I can't remove them. I can't afford a plumber right now, but would like to stop using bucket-fulls of water to flush. My husband wants to use a sealant to stop the leaking. Is…
Diane Villafane
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10 answers

How should I conceal gaps between laminate flooring and wall trim?

I am looking for the best way to fill some small gaps left between flooring and wall in new house, see image. Guessing the previous owners installed the flooring themselves hence why the finish is not always right against corners and walls. The…
Joseph Haynes
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3 answers

What causes standard door hinges to close up to a certain amount automatically?

Hopefully a relatively easy one to answer. :) My bathroom door has a standard hinge attached, that requires the door to physically be closed - this matches the setup of the other doors in my house. However, when fully opened, my bathroom door closes…
elliott94
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10 answers

Safely hang a mirror that does not have hooks

I would like to safely secure a mirror to the drywall. The mirror itself is pretty light (probably under 5kg), the weight is not an issue. However, its back surface does not have any hooks or anything that can be used to secure it. I was going to…
slava-kohut
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How much power do LED smart bulb wireless control systems consume when the light is turned off?

I've been shifting to LED light bulbs due to the energy savings but I've a question about the new smart bulbs that are controllable via Alexa etc. These need to be kept "on" via the switch for them to respond to Alexa / Google etc. So what's the…
curious_cat
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4 answers

GFI outlets tripped after power outage

I live in a rural area that has frequent power outages (Several per month. Less than a minute in duration). When the power is restored, several GFI outlets always trip. I am trying to track down the cause of these trips, as one of the outlets…
cyclops
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How often do septic tanks typically need to be pumped?

At the risk of potentially asking an off-topic question, I'd like to better understand the maintenance of a septic tank. I've never had one before and am unfamiliar with how to manage one. My primary question is: how often do septic tanks need to…
Mike B
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Why did my leaking pool light trip the circuit breaker, but not the GFCI?

This is, I am sure, an extremely naive question. I hope that's okay (and I hope it can be answered at a level I'll understand). The background: My swimming pool has underwater light fixtures, on GFCI circuits. I recently replaced the bulb in one…
WillO
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4 answers

Loss of power when I remove item from the outlet

I have this unusual electrical issue in our master bedroom. I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this. We have this $3 LED night light in our bedroom and when we take it out, the power/lights go out. Other things also trip it up (It…
Vipul Mistry
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9 answers

Basic power tool set for Home repair and simple projects

I have a feeling this has been asked before, but I didn't find it here. I've read a number of websites and there always seem to be a little fluff and maybe this favorite tool or that. I'm thinking about putting together some basic home repair…
Paul TIKI
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Can I use 220 V outlets on a 15 ampere breaker and wire it up as 110 V?

I purchased a 220 V outlet and didn't realize it. My circuit is 15 amperes. I wanted to hook up a series of normal 15 ampere 110 V outlets. When I look at the outlet it looks exactly like a regular 15 ampere 110 V one?...but it has a red, blue, and…
Steve
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Are pressure-treated posts that have been submerged for a few days ruined?

I dug holes for four 8' 4x4 posts, and had the posts positioned and plumbed vertically in the holes, but had to leave for a couple days before I could concrete them in. In the meantime, storms came and filled the holes. The ends of the posts have…
Kerry Thomas
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