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1500 questions
33
votes
5 answers
How should I remove a swimming pool from my back yard?
Our house had a nice cedar pergola in the backyard, about 20'x16', whose posts began to rot at the base. It was covered in grape vine... Nice for shade but not for a falling down pergola. Needless to say, a few months ago we got a pretty good wind…
tbox
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33
votes
8 answers
LED Light bulbs burning out much sooner than expected
My family at my house use EcoSmart LED lightbulbs that are rated for 9W, and the box says they are replacements for 60W incandescent bulbs. It says have a "long life". However, upon connecting them to light sockets, they immediately get very hot.…
Proxy303
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33
votes
6 answers
When should pipe dope vs thread tape be used?
For threaded plumbing connections, you typically use pipe dope or thread tape (aka teflon tape). Are there situations when one is preferred over another? Does the size of the pipe, type of pipe, part being connected, or other variable make a…
BMitch
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33
votes
5 answers
How to fix bathroom tiles falling off
This happened in my bathroom just now.
The build got completed approx 12 months ago and now tiles are coming off this extended wall.
During construction, the builders told me, that the bathtub didn't fill out the length of the room. So they wanted…
ChrisRich
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33
votes
7 answers
Are soldered electrical connections code-compliant?
I was changing a switch in my house when I found a number of connections in the electrical box that were soldered rather than secured with a wire nut. The solder joints look very well done, the conductors were twisted together nicely and the solder…
Ukko
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33
votes
5 answers
Why does my home's power fade and surge when I plug things in?
I live in Texas. I ran 300 ft of aluminum electric direct-bury 4-4-2 from the pole on street to my new home. The pole is metered and yes, I had my utility's blessing to do so.
Everything worked perfectly for 6 months, but now suddenly if I plug…
Sarita W
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32
votes
9 answers
How much load can a (wood) board support, if it is supported only at the ends?
How much load can a board support, if it is supported only at the ends?
At the moment my specific problem is hanging a tire swing between two trees, and depending on which trees I choose they could be 10, 12, or 14 feet apart (center to center). If…
evil otto
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32
votes
13 answers
Is there a technique to make a shower mirror fog-free?
We want to install a permanent mirror in a new shower, but hope to find a permanent way to prevent it from fogging up.
I have seen gooseneck mirrors that hook up to the showerhead itself so as to run hot water behind the mirror, which supposedly…
Joel Spolsky
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32
votes
4 answers
How to future-proof a long cable run
I'm starting on a project that will involve digging a long (roughly 150-200 meter) trench from my house down to the road. The trench itself will be a considerable expense and so while the ground is open, I plan on laying additional conduit(s)…
Jack Lloyd
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32
votes
15 answers
What is a humane, safe and clean way to dispose of a live mouse caught in a glue trap?
A glue trap in my garage caught a mouse. I consider it inhumane to let the mouse die in the glue trap. I am looking for a method to euthanize the mouse that meets the following requirements:
Humane - Must be quick and effective.
Safe - I got bit…
Codism
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32
votes
8 answers
How long do modern flush toilets last?
I have always considered flush toilets to basically last forever. I have graced toilets constructed over a century ago with my behind, and they have worked just fine.
Recently, when explaining a problem I was having with a toilet to the manager of…
End Anti-Semitic Hate
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32
votes
2 answers
Why is my garage grounded ONLY when it rains?
My garage is not connected to my house and it's on a circuit that contains a few outlets inside the house as well. I found out the first time I tried to charge my PHEV that the entire circuit isn't properly grounded. I had an electrician come look…
Andy Barnes
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32
votes
5 answers
Why does this pipe feeding a hot water heater dip down like this?
This is a cold water pipe just in front of the hot water heater it is feeding. Why is it shaped that way? What is its function?
Rob
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32
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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32
votes
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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