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The connector is the same as the connector on the IKEA DIODER LED light kits but that’s a constant 12v supply, not a 3-13v supply.
corgski fucked around with this message at 08:06 on Aug 8, 2020 |
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Aug 8, 2020 08:04
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Bioshuffle posted:Whoop! Thanks to you guys I was able to patch up the closet doorway. Paint won't fill gaps. Best practice is to hit the tops of you baseboard, the top of your quarter round, edges of door casing, and both the wall side and ceiling side of your crown molding. I always use the water soluble stuff on the molding because you want as thin a line as needed and it is much easy to work with.
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Aug 8, 2020 18:11
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Cut the nozzle very fine, wear nitrile gloves (of you can get ahold of them), and use dish soap and water to wet your finger to smooth out the caulk line. It's always worked well for me for the water soluble stuff. For silicone in wet areas I lay down painters tape to get crisp, controlled lines
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Aug 8, 2020 20:08
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I'm replacing my condensate pump; the old one was hard-wired into the HVAC unit, how bad of an idea is it to run an extension cord from the nearest outlet and just plug the new one in, so I don't need to fuss with the wiring? Edit: you know I think I can answer this one myself. While I'm here, I might as well ask if anyone has an idea about what's going on in my basement. It's an 1840s house on a rubble foundation, basement floor is a mix of old floorboards and newer concrete. The furnace sits on top of a big blob of concrete with some sort of circular object underneath - any idea what it is? Maybe an old sump or something.  
Toebone fucked around with this message at 21:01 on Aug 8, 2020 |
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Aug 8, 2020 20:16
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Toebone posted:I'm replacing my condensate pump; the old one was hard-wired into the HVAC unit, how bad of an idea is it to run an extension cord from the nearest outlet and just plug the new one in, so I don't need to fuss with the wiring? It shouldn't be hardwired into the unit, this is actually a bigger electrical hazard. The right way is to extend that circuit from the nearest outlet (or wherever) and mount a receptacle near the unit. For the time being, an extension cord is less hazardous than powering it from the unit's circuit (which is massively oversized for this pump, and almost certainly doesn't have a dedicated neutral, which means you'd be using the ground to power the pump)
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Aug 8, 2020 20:41
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angryrobots posted:It shouldn't be hardwired into the unit, this is actually a bigger electrical hazard. The right way is to extend that circuit from the nearest outlet (or wherever) and mount a receptacle near the unit. I've never seen a residential air handler in the US that didn't have a neutral.
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Aug 8, 2020 21:02
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angryrobots posted:It shouldn't be hardwired into the unit, this is actually a bigger electrical hazard. The right way is to extend that circuit from the nearest outlet (or wherever) and mount a receptacle near the unit. I think it may be ok, when I said wired into the unit I should have actually said it's wired into a switch box mounted to the side of the unit, with a positive/neutral/ground. Its not wired into the furnace itself. Whoever put this place together had some interesting ideas.
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Aug 8, 2020 21:05
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I'm back with another dumb question. I'm now house hunting and we've found a unit we like but it's got a Nest thermostat. Are those exceedingly difficult to remove in favor of something that's less "smart"? At the danger of sounding  I just hate IoT poo poo. It's not a dealbreaker but I was curious.
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Aug 8, 2020 21:05
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Should be straight forward. Just make sure you note what color wires are landed on which terminal on the back of the nest so you can match it to a new "dumb" thermostat.
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Aug 8, 2020 21:08
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Elitist Bitch posted:I'm back with another dumb question. I'm now house hunting and we've found a unit we like but it's got a Nest thermostat. Are those exceedingly difficult to remove in favor of something that's less "smart"? At the danger of sounding Replacing a thermostat is a very simple thing. It's like 5 wires, all color-coded, and the color coding is standardized. And the nest will have the color code programmed into it so you can double check that you don't have some weird amateur hvac wiring nightmare on your hands. (And if you do you can at least label the wires.) And good "dumb" electronic thermostats (the kind with 7-segment LCD displays and timers) are very cheap. And mounting them to the wall is a matter of 1 or 2 drywall anchors. My other advice is to try to find a new thermostat that doesn't use AA batteries or other nonsense, since it's both unnecessary and a pain in the rear end. Good thermostats will just trickle power from the relay coil supply instead and charge up an internal rechargeable battery/supercapacitor.
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Aug 8, 2020 21:15
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Elitist Bitch posted:I'm back with another dumb question. I'm now house hunting and we've found a unit we like but it's got a Nest thermostat. Are those exceedingly difficult to remove in favor of something that's less "smart"? At the danger of sounding If you're buying once you're under contract ask if the sellers will take their nest with them and hand them a replacement thermostat. They will probably be happy to save the $200. "If you can get it in before the inspection that's great, should make it easier for our person to verify it all works right."
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Aug 8, 2020 21:17
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This thread owns. Thanks everyone 
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Aug 8, 2020 21:23
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Toebone posted:I think it may be ok, when I said wired into the unit I should have actually said it's wired into a switch box mounted to the side of the unit, with a positive/neutral/ground. Its not wired into the furnace itself. That is better, but it still should be plugged into a receptacle and not hardwired into a circuit with other devices. If you have a 120v circuit there, adding a box and receptacle would be easy. I'd use the extension cord for now, and add the receptacle at your earliest convenience. glynnenstein posted:I've never seen a residential air handler in the US that didn't have a neutral. Why would you run an extra conductor to a straight 240v unit? Unless it is some local code? angryrobots fucked around with this message at 23:20 on Aug 8, 2020 |
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Aug 8, 2020 21:33
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angryrobots posted:Why would you run an extra conductor to a straight 240v unit? Unless it is some local code? Where I am gas heat is predominant so most air handlers are 120 and only the condensing unit is 240. Since the op has a gas furnace I assume it's the same.
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Aug 8, 2020 22:31
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glynnenstein posted:Where I am gas heat is predominant so most air handlers are 120 and only the condensing unit is 240. Since the op has a gas furnace I assume it's the same. Ah. Yeah I replied before his edit with the picture showing the gas line. Here, 240v heat pump air handlers are predominant. At any rate, the condensate pump shouldn't be hardwired.
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Aug 8, 2020 23:18
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In any case, I cut the plug off to wire it in so it's staying that way until something else breaks 
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Aug 8, 2020 23:41
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Stack Machine posted:Replacing a thermostat is a very simple thing. It's like 5 wires, all color-coded, and the color coding is standardized. And the nest will have the color code programmed into it so you can double check that you don't have some weird amateur hvac wiring nightmare on your hands. They are standardized, but not always correct. Best to always take a picture of how the old one is wired (or draw a diagram) before ripping the wires off. Even better, go down to the furnace and see if you can remove a panel to see where the wires connect into the main control board. The terminals on that board should be labeled, and that is the ultimate source of truth. Just match terminal to color on both ends.
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Aug 9, 2020 01:29
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B-Nasty posted:They are standardized, but not always correct. Best to always take a picture of how the old one is wired (or draw a diagram) before ripping the wires off. Unless there is a splice buried in the wall somewhere and they crossed the colors! This happened at my brother's last place
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Aug 9, 2020 02:18
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Apologies if this isn't the place: This evening I discovered that my vintage GE electric alarm clock, inherited from my late grandparents, had not only stopped, but had set itself to exactly 1 o'clock (to the second) and then stopped.  The outlet is good, and the clock doesn't work in any other known-good outlets. The cord itself is intact, if dusty.I wonder if the precise time could be a kind of early error code. Does this ring any bells, and does it sound fixable? Please do direct me elsewhere if that's where I belong.
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Aug 9, 2020 03:24
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Hirayuki posted:Apologies if this isn't the place: This evening I discovered that my vintage GE electric alarm clock, inherited from my late grandparents, had not only stopped, but had set itself to exactly 1 o'clock (to the second) and then stopped. The mechanical mechanism likely jammed rolling over the hour. Are there any screws to undo?
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Aug 9, 2020 03:30
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B-Nasty posted:They are standardized, but not always correct. Best to always take a picture of how the old one is wired (or draw a diagram) before ripping the wires off. You also need to get a shot of this screen from the nest because the pinout is configurable. That's what I meant by "programmed into the nest":  So with this and a photograph of the actual wire colors you'll have enough info to set up the next one.
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Aug 9, 2020 03:56
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H110Hawk posted:The mechanical mechanism likely jammed rolling over the hour. Are there any screws to undo? edit edit: Only those two outlets are dead--none of the other outlets on that entire circuit. The plot thickens. Hirayuki fucked around with this message at 04:21 on Aug 9, 2020 |
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Aug 9, 2020 04:02
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Hirayuki posted:edit: Dammit, turns out both of the outlets in our bathroom were dead, a blown fuse or breaker. I blame it on my husband using his beard-trimmer for the first time in months. (Nah, it must have happened several hours afterward; maybe the clock's motor blew the fuse when it tried forcing the mechanism past the hour? I thought our home wiring was more robust than that!) Happily, the clock still works just fine, which I guess we can chalk up to solid 1960s craftsmanship. Thank you very much for your reply--I'm glad this thread is here! Is there a GFCI outlet nearby?
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Aug 9, 2020 04:23
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Charles posted:Is there a GFCI outlet nearby?  Thanks again!
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Aug 9, 2020 04:41
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Hirayuki posted:Bingo: a GFCI outlet in a bathroom two rooms over had tripped. Crazy. It might have been the clock, or possibly something crawling into our outdoor outlet (also on that circuit)--we weren't even home when it happened.  Thread success story.
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Aug 9, 2020 04:48
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I need to use tape to mask for silicone caulking. Can I use masking tape instead of painter's tape?
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Aug 9, 2020 16:31
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Is there any way to identify this bulb? It came from an under-cabinet light, and the tines measure 8mm apart, so I think it's a G8, but I want to make sure because these things are surprisingly expensive. Unless I'm blind, there are zero identifying marks on the bulb itself.
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Aug 9, 2020 18:32
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That's probably not something that can be fixed fast, but anyway. My grandpa's country house has this wall holding up the dirt on the other side. I think there's a tree that started growing near it and causing it to crack and break up like this. I'm not at the location now so I can't check unfortunately. Any ideas what to do about it? On one hand walls are pretty simple but on the other hand I wouldn't even know where to start with it.
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Aug 9, 2020 19:23
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mobby_6kl posted:That's probably not something that can be fixed fast, but anyway. My grandpa's country house has this wall holding up the dirt on the other side. I think there's a tree that started growing near it and causing it to crack and break up like this. I'm not at the location now so I can't check unfortunately. If that wall is a multi-foot change in grade you're at the "need a licensed professional" stage. Retaining walls are no joke. Hire an engineer to look at it.
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Aug 9, 2020 20:21
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Just curious how long has that wall been like that? How big is the tree?
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Aug 9, 2020 21:53
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Probably a year or two. I don't live anywhere near and my grandfather doesn't go there often any more either. Not sure about the tree, I'll be able to check it out in person in September unless covid fucks everything up even worse by then
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Aug 9, 2020 22:53
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Best case remove the tree, some minor excavation on the other side, some medium-to-major repair work on the wall. Worst case the wall comes down and gets rebuilt. Not a DIY job.
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Aug 9, 2020 23:03
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Lester Shy posted:Is there any way to identify this bulb? This seems a fairly comprehensive guide: https://blog.1000bulbs.com/home/how-to-identify-halogen-and-xenon-bi-pin-bulbs
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Aug 9, 2020 23:06
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Lester Shy posted:Is there any way to identify this bulb? That would be my guess.
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Aug 9, 2020 23:14
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C-Bangin' it 
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cakesmith handyman posted:Best case remove the tree, some minor excavation on the other side, some medium-to-major repair work on the wall. Worst case the wall comes down and gets rebuilt. Not a DIY job. poo poo. Thanks. That's going to be a pain in the rear end since the place is pretty far from major civilization but better to fix it before it goes to poo poo completely of course.
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Aug 9, 2020 23:36
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 So the previous owner painted over the laminate cabinets in our place with latex paint(with some predictable outcomes.) I think eventually we're going to remove the cabinets and replace them entirely, but in the meantime we're going to try and repaint them. What's the best approach in this scenario? Here's my plan: 1. Scrape/sand off as much of the latex as possible 2. Sand laminate with some 180/200 3. Wipe down with degreaser? 3. prime with an oil-based primer (foam rollers) 4. sand 5. Prime again 6. Sand again 7. Paint (not sure what paint type I need though for laminate) Any advice for me on #7 especially or suggestions for a different approach? El Mero Mero fucked around with this message at 00:01 on Aug 10, 2020 |
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Aug 9, 2020 23:56
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A tip for replacing a thermostat. Tape the wire bundle to the wall when you disconnect the old stat, cause if it falls back into the wall cavity, you'll be pulling your hair out trying to get it back through. My question is a general house question. My wife and I are debating buying a neighbors house when he sells in a few years. It has been added to and we really like it. He's a local contractor and does good work and even built our porch. But I have heard that buying the home of a contractor can be a can of worms. What should I consider?
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Aug 10, 2020 00:41
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Mercury Ballistic posted:What should I consider? "Ehh, it's good enough"
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Aug 10, 2020 02:41
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After some heavy rains I had leakage through my foundation around my 4" septic pipe and a smaller hole with wires for my septic pump. I have chipped away the loose/crumbling mortar on the inside that was used to fill the gap. What's the right thing to use? Hydraulic cement? Some kind of foam? Some kind of caulking? I googled quite a bit but I can't find a clear guide.
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Aug 10, 2020 03:22
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Two questions. I had to replace the light fixture. There are three bundles of wires. Copper, black, and white. Is it OK that I bypassed the green screw in the wall mount and connected the copper wire from the wall to the copper wire from the light fixture? Secondly, the previous home owners drilled a hole from a closet to the living room so they could run a wire. Looks like they drilled right through it. Do I need to do anything special when patching said hole? I was going to cram as much mud into the hole and just patch it and call it a day. Do I have to ensure the entire space is packed with mud or something like that?
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Aug 10, 2020 03:28
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