Home Improvement Stack Exchange
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1500 questions
16
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3 answers

Can I use two wire nuts instead of one to connect 6 wires inside a 3-gang box?

Is it considered acceptable practice to use two wirenuts in a situation where it is possible to use only one but may be easier to use two? I have a three-gang box with six cables coming into it. The person who wired it previously (homeowner, I…
susie derkins
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1 answer

Do GFI/GFCI outlets have a potential to damage Nespresso machines (and coffee machines?)

I had a Nespresso Vertuo Next machine. It stopped working properly and during the troubleshooting video call, the Nespresso support agent said that the machines should not be connected to a GFCI outlet because they can potentially damage the…
Steve V
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4 answers

What does the colour of drill bits mean?

I bought this set of drill bits. The set came with 3 colours of drill bits: Silver Gold and Black I do not know. What does each one of these bit colours mean?
asmgx
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16
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6 answers

Old ceiling light fixture with 9 wires (5 black/4 white)-how to install a new fixture?

I am trying to install a new light fixture, but there are 9 wires--I wasn't able to see how it was connected and I'm pretty sure it was wrong to begin with because bulbs kept burning out right away. Initially the whites were together, 3 of the black…
Rachel H
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4 answers

How can I refill the toilet after the water has evaporated from disuse?

My toilet bowl and tank water appear to have evaporated after several weeks of disuse. How should I go about getting water in them again? I haven't tried anything yet because I didn't want to do the wrong thing.
Jason
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16
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4 answers

Can I cut the small tab off of these rafters to make drywalling easier

I am finishing my garage and I have come to the point I need to start drywalling. I ran into a roadblock and would like to get opinions on how to proceed. The roof is a pyramid shaped hip roof and each rafter has a small "notch" where it meets the…
Yamaha32088
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16
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3 answers

How to (safely) permanently turn off natural gas?

We're switching out the natural gas oven for a new model, and we opted for electric. We already have the 240v supply in place and ready to go. The oven is the last piece of natural gas equipment in our home. We still have pipes running about for the…
Tyler M
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4 answers

Where to start first in finishing my basement

First, I have to mention that I have never done any house improvement and I am close to the 50s of my age I bought a house (my first ever) and it has an unfinished basement. I want to finish it by myself, no one to help, just by myself. I am not in…
asmgx
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16
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2 answers

If my 240v cooktop does not have a neutral, is it safe just to cap the neutral and leave it?

I bought a cooktop which has 3 wires: Black Red Green The wiring in my home is 4 wires: Black Red White Bare I saw the instruction for 3-wire to 4-wire connection, it states to leave the white neutral wire alone. Is it safe to do so? Without…
movila
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16
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4 answers

French Drain: Why do I need 3" of rock bedding beneath the pipe?

I'm having issues with a leaky basement in the Portland area. There's dirt, mud, and vegetation outside of my foundation wall, and it's absorbing lots of rainwater. 4 feet of it is inside my property line, but my neighbor has a wide grassy driveway…
M -
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16
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2 answers

Removing faucet from kitchen

I have a faucet that leaks at the valve, and I would like to remove that faucet to replace it with a new one. The trouble is that it is mounted tightly between the wall and the sink, so there is very little space to work with. I would like to avoid…
Bram
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16
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1 answer

Does anyone know what this fan blower thingy is?

I initially thought it was some type of paint mixer then realized the end would not fit in a drill.
Steve Wellens
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16
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3 answers

Why did cracks form over the rebar grid in my concrete footings?

I am building a house and we just poured concrete 3 days ago and now it has some cracks, This is the footer with reinforcement : This is footer after pouring concrete : These are some cracks that we have now, some of them follow the shape of bars…
Madian Malfi
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16
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2 answers

How to remove wires from thermostat without screws

How do I remove the wires from thermostat without screws holding the wires or any apparent hole to push and loosen the wires. Picture below shows the wires:
Rafael Velásquez
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16
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1 answer

What is this set of claw-levers and bolts?

This has been in my garage for a while, but I have no ideas what it is. Anyone out there know?
Eric V
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