|
A handy thing to have in your toolbox is a GFCI outlet tester like this https://www.amazon.com/Gardner-Bender-GFI-3501-Outlet-Tester/dp/B00170KUPC
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2016 16:30
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 13, 2024 23:40 |
|
|
Are GFIs/GFCIs really prohibitively expensive for some people? I just bought one as a temporary fix for an ungrounded box (I know this isn't up to modern code, please don't derail, here is some info on this) and it was like ten bucks. That said, do make sure you only put one GFCI on a particular circuit. More than one is unnecessary and will be annoying when one trips and you've got to go check them all. e: One thing I just remembered that article left out is that if your body completes the circuit back to the outlet, the GFCI won't (might not?) trip. It's a temporary measure that's better than just sticking a three-prong adapter into an ungrounded outlet and leaving the ground disconnected, which is what most idiots do. GameCube fucked around with this message at 17:30 on Aug 12, 2016 |
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2016 17:26
|
|
|
Depends on how many you need to replace. I might be doing 8+ on my place. Depending on the rewire quote. If the circuits are grounded, installing combination gfci/afci breakers wound be ideal.
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2016 17:35
|
|
|
GameCube posted:Are GFIs/GFCIs really prohibitively expensive for some people? I just bought one as a temporary fix for an ungrounded box (I know this isn't up to modern code, please don't derail, here is some info on this) and it was like ten bucks. $20 is the cheapest I have found for a 20amp TR. 15amp is a few bucks less, $18? There is no point to put multiple gfci's on the same circuit IMO, but there is a point to run individual circuits to many GFCI required locations. But it is more expensive without question.
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2016 17:45
|
|
|
I've heard not to put afci breakers in because it can produce lots of nuisance trips, from shared neutrals, etc.
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2016 18:06
|
|
|
GameCube posted:Are GFIs/GFCIs really prohibitively expensive for some people? It seems expensive when other outlets are a dollar, but a lot cheaper than literally any of the many issues not having one could cause. For some reason the house we just bought (built in 1988) didn't have any GFCIs in bathrooms or outside. It's a pain, but it's a pretty cheap safety measure as they go.
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2016 18:31
|
|
|
GameCube posted:e: One thing I just remembered that article left out is that if your body completes the circuit back to the outlet, the GFCI won't (might not?) trip. If you complete a circuit with your body hot to neutral, then no, a GFCI won't trip (nor will an AFCI, or anything else, since it's effectively impossible to distinguish between your body and a device that is intended to have electricity flow through it); this is not related to whether or not you are using it to provide psuedo-grounded outlets. It just means that bathing with your toaster is a bad idea even if it is plugged into a GFCI protected outlet.
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2016 18:33
|
|
|
Hashtag Banterzone posted:You don't want to go to the panel unless you have GFCI breakers (which it doesn't sound like you are talking about) My kitchen outlets are tied off from my bathroom GFCI upstairs. That took me a week to figure out why my outlets weren't working anymore.
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2016 18:40
|
|
|
Zhentar posted:If you complete a circuit with your body hot to neutral, then no, a GFCI won't trip (nor will an AFCI, or anything else, since it's effectively impossible to distinguish between your body and a device that is intended to have electricity flow through it); this is not related to whether or not you are using it to provide psuedo-grounded outlets. It just means that bathing with your toaster is a bad idea even if it is plugged into a GFCI protected outlet. Isn't that situation exactly the reason GFCIs are required around water, since the ground is connected to the plumbing in many houses? My understanding is that grounded appliances are wired in such a way that in the case of a failure, they're most likely to short to ground, preventing the hot-to-neutral short-circuit from occurring in the first place.
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2016 18:51
|
|
|
"Most likely" is exactly it. GFCI makes it significantly less likely that your toaster bath will be fatal, it's just far from a guarantee.
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2016 19:56
|
|
|
My point is that without a grounded outlet, GFCI or otherwise, it's more possible for a hot-to-neutral short to occur on appliances that are meant to be grounded. That has nothing to do with toaster baths.
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2016 20:45
|
|
|
Oh, I got ya. Yeah, some scenarios where you'd just trip a breaker with a grounded outlet will instead present at least some possibility of a hot to neutral electrocution.
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2016 23:57
|
|
|
Subjunctive posted:Also: I got some of these on a lark, and I'm really liking them in hallways: https://www.snappower.com/select-guidelight/ I'll second that these things are indeed pretty cool. I did the same thing: bought two and put them in each hallway between bedrooms and bathrooms. They look like normal outlets during the day but put out a lot of light at night. Too bad they don't work on GFCI outlets because I would like to put one in each bathroom but for now I'm stuck with the old fashioned plug type until something better comes along.
|
|
#
?
Aug 13, 2016 14:08
|
|
|
Maybe combine those snap light covers with USB charging in a few spots around your home: https://www.amazon.com/TOPGREENER-TU2154A-Charger-Receptacle-Screwless/dp/B00IAZIU5Y
|
|
#
?
Aug 13, 2016 21:57
|
|
|
Snapower makes USB ones as well, yeah.
|
|
#
?
Aug 13, 2016 22:28
|
|
|
FCKGW posted:My kitchen outlets are tied off from my bathroom GFCI upstairs. That took me a week to figure out why my outlets weren't working anymore. 1979 split level ranch gfci in master bath and garage door opener / box freezer in garage. Had to throw the food out before we caught that.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2016 00:09
|
|
|
Pryor on Fire posted:Maybe combine those snap light covers with USB charging in a few spots around your home: I put one a similar one in my living room, and they are indeed awesome--no more octopus cover or power strips for us!
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2016 14:36
|
|
|
So I had a home energy audit on my 1961 built home and found out that my attic(s) have only R12 rock wool insulation, and zero in the walls themselves.  I guess that explains in part why the interior of my house has gotten up to as hot as 91 degrees this summer, christ. I'm starting with the attics since the walls would be a whole other story. The auditor said that the minimum code value in 2012 was R49 so...I think it's a good time to add some. I contacted a company to insulate the area with R50 rated insulation along with the following: - Airsealing the attics - Installing shields around flues/chimneys to prevent insulation contact - Install covers over recessed lights if not rated for insulation contact - Install baffles or blocking at any soffit vents to allow free flow of air into the attic - At kneewall in attic, insulate with blown cellulose behind sheathing, add R19 fiberglass blanket - Install a soft dam around attic access to contain insulation - Insulate and weatherstrip attic hatch - Cleanup following installation work I was able to negotiate with them and we settled on a quote of $1,800 for 1411 square feet of insulation to be installed. That equates to about $0.78c/sq.ft, which seems really competitive - I read that typically insulation installation costs anywhere from $1.50-3.50/sq. ft, so I think this is a pretty good deal. Anyone else done an insulation project recently? Is this as good a deal as it seems? The company is highly rated and has lots of positive, recent reviews.
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2016 17:10
|
|
|
a shameful boehner posted:Insulation stuff Dollar for dollar, attic insulation is the best way to spend insulation money, so I think that's an excellent decision right there, and it doesn't sound too expensive. You might ask them how much it would be to insulate your exterior walls, it's really not that hard. They just peel off the siding at the top, drill a 4-6" hole, blow in insulation, and repeat every 16" in each stud bay. Might be a worthwhile investment to tack on, since they're already out there doing all the work anyways.
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2016 23:48
|
|
|
I've been cockblocked from installing my own shower head by a literal metal dick. What the hell is this, there is no threading on it.  Edit: apparently it's a ball end shower arm from the 60's lwoodio fucked around with this message at 01:57 on Aug 16, 2016 |
|
#
?
Aug 16, 2016 00:33
|
|
|
lwoodio posted:I've been cockblocked from installing my own shower head by a literal metal dick. What the hell is this, there is no threading on it. AHHAHAHHAHHAHAHTurn it on and take a picture. Be sure to stroke it a few times to prime the pump. I bet it would work wonders as a bidet head.
|
|
#
?
Aug 16, 2016 00:36
|
|
|
lwoodio posted:I've been cockblocked from installing my own shower head by a literal metal dick. What the hell is this, there is no threading on it. what in the gently caress
|
|
#
?
Aug 16, 2016 02:01
|
|
|
I made it into my house after the flooding. We took ok about 2 feet of water inside. Anything that wasn't on a shelf or the kitchen counters is heavily water damaged. My car is most likely totaled. We closed on the house on the 5th. We were supposed to move in totally on the 13th.  We have a place to stay since our apartment lease isn't up till October but now I get to learn how to handle basically repairing a whole house.
|
|
#
?
Aug 16, 2016 02:29
|
|
|
Irritated Goat posted:I made it into my house after the flooding. We took ok about 2 feet of water inside. Anything that wasn't on a shelf or the kitchen counters is heavily water damaged. My car is most likely totaled. We closed on the house on the 5th. We were supposed to move in totally on the 13th. Dear god that's awful... My sympathies, I can't imagine anything worse happening, especially so soon after closing... Have you gone over your home insurance paperwork to see what is and isn't covered by food insurance, or gotten in touch with your agent/FEMA? Two feet of water is pretty bad, I'd be surprised if you didn't have to rip walls out down to the studs. I'd definitely be in touch with someone who knows what to do asap, because I can only imagine it's a matter of hours before home condemning mold sets in, especially behind the drywall and in the insulation. Box fans are great to get air circulating and help dry things out. First thing I'd do is take pictures and document everything for your insurance, I think there's a goon somewhere on here that's an agent and might be able to offer you better advice. NPR recently did a story talking about how tons of Sandy victims got completely screwed by their insurance/fema, so best of luck to you... At last you and your family are safe, that's honestly the only thing that really matters, as much as everything else sucks. Are you in Baton Rouge? Catatron Prime fucked around with this message at 03:28 on Aug 16, 2016 |
|
#
?
Aug 16, 2016 03:24
|
|
|
OSU_Matthew posted:Dear god that's awful... My sympathies, I can't imagine anything worse happening, especially so soon after closing... I'm in Baton Rouge, yeah. The water probably came in around Saturday afternoon so I'm sure the mold situation is not good. We've started an e-mail to our agent for home\flood (same company thankfully). We're going to document tonight so hopefully, we can get started soon.
|
|
#
?
Aug 16, 2016 19:06
|
|
|
Irritated Goat posted:I'm in Baton Rouge, yeah. The water probably came in around Saturday afternoon so I'm sure the mold situation is not good. We've started an e-mail to our agent for home\flood (same company thankfully). We're going to document tonight so hopefully, we can get started soon. Stay safe and good luck, I heard the flooding isn't quite done and there's more rain on the way. If your ac (or even any of your electrical) works, that might help to pull moisture out of the air... And you probably already know, but don't forget a respirator. Please let us know how things turn out, or if there's anything a bunch of fat sweaty nerds on the internet can do to help
|
|
#
?
Aug 17, 2016 03:23
|
|
|
My cookie-cutter suburb house's crappy, plastic light switches are beginning to warp and break. I was thinking of replacing them with something like the Wemo Light Switch, or the GE Z-Wave. Or something has a light-sensitive LED indicator so I can find the switch in the dark. I just want something a bit more than a boring, plastic on/off switch. Any thoughts on a better light switch thingy? melon cat fucked around with this message at 22:14 on Aug 17, 2016 |
|
#
?
Aug 17, 2016 22:03
|
|
|
I'd also like a more interesting light switch to replace my cheapo ones, and I find the new trend of bafflingly complicated switches with like four buttons and six dimmer sliders to control two zones of lights pretty awful. Any other neat options out there? I don't need dimmers everywhere stoppppp
|
|
#
?
Aug 17, 2016 22:12
|
|
|
melon cat posted:I was thinking of replacing them with something like the Wemo Light Switch, or the GE Z-Wave. Or something has a light-sensitive LED indicator so I can find the switch in the dark. I just want something a bit more than a boring, plastic on/off switch. Any thoughts on a better light switch thingy?
|
|
#
?
Aug 17, 2016 22:30
|
|
|
moana posted:Be careful with this. We got new switches - the dimmer one flickers like crazy, and the one with the light inside of it made the lamp it was connected to via outlet flicker like crazy, even when it was turned off. Back to boring plain light switches for us.. Did you make sure you weren't using CFL bulbs that weren't compatible with dimmers? I forget if that's still an issue.
|
|
#
?
Aug 18, 2016 04:12
|
|
|
I have a wemo light switch. Aside from some issues with getting it to see wifi initially and the lack of support for it on my Logitech hub, it's not bad.
|
|
#
?
Aug 18, 2016 06:43
|
|
|
moana posted:Be careful with this. We got new switches - the dimmer one flickers like crazy, and the one with the light inside of it made the lamp it was connected to via outlet flicker like crazy, even when it was turned off. Back to boring plain light switches for us.. Dimmer switches work by rapidly modulating the voltage on and off, which is great for incandescents because it takes a bit for the filament to start glowing, and then cool down, then start again. With LEDs and CFLs, they're just instant on/off, so you wind up with flickering unless they're designed to be dimmer compatible Pryor on Fire posted:I'd also like a more interesting light switch to replace my cheapo ones, and I find the new trend of bafflingly complicated switches with like four buttons and six dimmer sliders to control two zones of lights pretty awful. Any other neat options out there? I don't need dimmers everywhere stoppppp You can get switches that have built in lighting behind the switch, which is great for finding them in the dark. I got a switch/led night light combo for my basement stairwell, so it's always illuminated, and it's great. Had to run new 14-3 wiring because there wasn't a neutral on the circuit branch for the old light switch (only had a hot going straight up to the switch, then coming straight back down to the basement through the neutral), but it was worth it. Otherwise in light/receptacle land, I've seen night light outlet covers, and I put in a USB receptacle or two which were great to remove loose wall warts beside the bed.
|
|
#
?
Aug 18, 2016 12:36
|
|
|
There are some backlit light switches that do not require a neutral, such as the Lutron CA-3PSNL-WH Diva, which is what I used because I am made entirely from monies.
|
|
#
?
Aug 18, 2016 13:51
|
|
|
Bozart posted:There are some backlit light switches that do not require a neutral, such as the Lutron CA-3PSNL-WH Diva, which is what I used because I am made entirely from monies. How exactly is that possible? Is it using the ground as a neutral return pathway? I could have googled the wrong one, but the one you mentioned doesn't have a backlight... E: nvm, was looking at the wrong model. Thanks Google, for linking the exact model I searched second behind something else Catatron Prime fucked around with this message at 14:10 on Aug 18, 2016 |
|
#
?
Aug 18, 2016 14:07
|
|
|
OSU_Matthew posted:How exactly is that possible? Is it using the ground as a neutral return pathway? I am not sure how they do it, and I'm an electrical engineer by education. There is no warning about using it with a gfci, so if it is using the ground as return then the current must be minuscule, less than say 100 micro amps. E: now that I think about it they are probably putting a tiny bit of current down the load even when the switch is off. Bozart fucked around with this message at 16:32 on Aug 18, 2016 |
|
#
?
Aug 18, 2016 15:49
|
|
|
I like my UPB dimmer switches. Even if you don't set them up with a home automation system, you can reprogram what they do with single and double taps. Kind of expensive, though.
|
|
#
?
Aug 18, 2016 18:26
|
|
|
OSU_Matthew posted:Dimmer switches work by rapidly modulating the voltage on and off, which is great for incandescents because it takes a bit for the filament to start glowing, and then cool down, then start again. With LEDs and CFLs, they're just instant on/off, so you wind up with flickering unless they're designed to be dimmer compatible.
|
|
#
?
Aug 18, 2016 19:00
|
|
|
Does anyone have experience with refinishing a brass fireplace door? I've seen that people use high heat paint or darkening solution. Are either of these a reasonable solution?
|
|
#
?
Aug 18, 2016 19:12
|
|
|
Zoro tools sometime has a good sale on Hubble switches. You will wear out your finger before you wear them out. I also like the outlets they grab the plugs without getting weaker each time.
|
|
#
?
Aug 19, 2016 16:13
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 13, 2024 23:40 |
|
|
I discovered mcmansion hell. There's actually some good design advice along with many houses that should have been coat hangered instead of built. It seems kind of BWM but probably fits better here. http://www.mcmansionhell.com/
|
|
#
?
Aug 29, 2016 02:36
|
|
