Recent content by Engineer61

Kitchen outlets - use 4 gang boxes, with each dual outlet on a different 20 Amp circuit, make one white and the other ivory to indicate which circuit is which. Code now requires 2 20 Amp circuits for outlets in the kitchen, have both circuits accessible at every outlet box. Lets the toaster sit...

First step : Send a water sample for laboratory testing. Is there H2S in the water, is there any iron in the water, and have it tested for bacteria as well. Need to find out what is in the water in order to fix the problem; select the proper filter etc to remove the odor from the water. If the...

This may be out of you price range, but have you checked into the "Drawer" freezers and refrigerators? You could put in two freezer drawers and one refrigerator drawer, put them in some insulated cabinetry for extra efficiency. Problem is that the drawers start at expensive and go up to outrageous.

Another option is to put your outlet boxes on a tee from the main conduit run, with a large double junction box on the conduit run. That removes your pair of pass through wires, and one set of wires to the outlet box, leaving just a single pair of wires to power the outlet. Large junction box...

Is the existing sheathing real wood installed over 3/4 sheathing (either plywood or chipboard) - or is it that pressed cardboard/Masonite stuff? If it's the pressed cardboard rip it off before putting up the hardi-board as it will just cause problems as it eventually rots off the building. If...

Looking at McMaster-Carr, I would get some of the oil-resistant Aramid/Buna-N for most gaskets, some of the oil-resistant Cork/Buna-N to replace any cork gaskets, some water-resistant Aramid/SBR for water pump gaskets and some of the Graphite High-Temp High-Pressure (850 degree) material for...

Problem with vinyl windows is finding something that will stick to the vinyl without ruining the vinyl. My suggestion is a small piece of PVC cut from a pipe cap, glue it over the hole using PVC cement and then drill a new under-sized hole for the screw.

If you are using them to drill out bolts, get a left-hand drill set. Often will get the bolt coming out during the drilling, and if it doesn't can still use your easy-out.

Air jacks typically have a limited extension making them difficult to use on 4x4 trucks, real off-road SUV's etc, but for most cars they are pretty fast to use. Just need to have an air compressor or it just doesn't work.

Just had 1 Gb fiber installed at my house and the tech couldn't get the 1 Gb speed inside the house. Ran an extension cord so she could hookup the router outside directly to the new fiber box and had 1 Gb speed no problem. She spent a couple hours trying to get it to work, making and re-making...

Mount a good solid eyebolt on the lower corner away from the hinges. Then another above the upper hinge. That will let you add a steel cable with a turnbuckle to tighten it when the gate starts it's inevitable sag.

A lot of advantages for Torx have been stated, and the history and who invented Torx have been put forth, but the reason Torx was invented is for automated assembly - i.e. the robots that auto manufacturers were looking to start using. Internal drive simply lets robotic system auto-align in...

Questionable if MAPP gas is safer than acetylene - it's toxic when breathed at much lower concentrations than acetylene. Not as explosive etc, but it is much more toxic which may be why no one wants to make it available again.

How much space do you have? Definitely need to use at least a long sweep 90 like this, using 2 long sweep 45's with a couple inches of pipe in between would be better.

Maybe in California, but not in Colorado. A lot of the laws dealing with real estate in Colorado are extremely biased against one side. Who a real estate agent works for is one of them, foreclosure laws as you might expect are all in favor of the bank to the point that a homeowner doesn't have...