Question 1

sprinkler shutt-off valve in freezing climate

Accepted Answer

I just installed a sprinkler system at my house.  I tied it into themain line down in my basement using a ball-valve shutt-off and includeda drain for the system.  My dad is going to install a system at his house but has no basement. How do you typically install a main shutt-off and/or drain valve andtie it into the main line in a region where freezing is typical(Colorado) if you don't have a basement?  If he ties it into the mainline under the house he has to try to get into the crawl space everyyear to access the shuttoff valve, not a good option.  If he ties it inoutside he has to install the shutoff valve deep enough so it doesn'tfreeze... 4 feet or so.  That's a large access hole to dig and have inthe yard.Thanks

Question 2

Window film to block heat?

Accepted Answer

Anyone have any experience with any of the film productsthat you can apply to windows to block heat?  Lookingfor something that doesn't darken the window much, butblocks 50%+ of the heat.  Interested in any experience withone product vs another, the ones that use adhesive vsthose that just cling, how long they last, etc....

Question 3

toilet clogged by underwear (probably)

Accepted Answer

I've had plenty of clogged toilets in the past and have always been able to eventually push the clog through with a plunger (things usually soften up and dissolve in the water after a while).  After we had guests over yesterday I discovered that the toilet was clogged - and much worse than I've ever seen before.  I plunged and plunged and eventually cleared the bowl, but now it's in a state where it will slowly drain but not flush properly.  I'm guessing I just moved the clog a little further down the pipe.  I would not want any solids going in that toilet right now.I had my suspicions, but new evidence has come to light that strongly suggests our friends' daughter probably had an accident and decided to hide the evidence by flushing her undies. :-(  If I had know that from the beginning, I might have approached matters differently from the start.  Now I'm not sure what how to proceed.  We have a septic system.  Should I just keep up with the plunging and hope to eventually move the...

Question 4

Best place to drill holes for cables?

Accepted Answer

I'm going to install network cable like in this guide (this guy is  installing coax cable, but the idea is the same):  When drilling a hole in the floor between two walls, should I put the hole  in the middle, or at the bottom of one of the walls? In the guide, the person apparently drilled at the bottom of one wall and  avoided drilling into the beam below the floor board. Is this better because  it doesn't weaken the structure of the house, or is it insignificant?

Question 5

Best way to install a radiator in my conservatory

Accepted Answer

Hi,I am just about to buy my first house which has a currently unheatedconservatory. My plan is to install a radiator into it as we plan touse it as a dinning room for the whole year.The inside rear wall that the conservatory is "connected" too alreadyhas the main lounge raidiator on it, and it looks a fairly easy job toextend the piping from this to the new raidiator. Additionally theboiler is located in the upstairs hallway (its a combi boiler)My question really is, is this the best way to do it ?, from readingold posts on this topic I understand the best way of installing aradiator into a conservatory is to put it onto a completly seperate"zone". To do this I presume it requires its own seperate pipes comingfrom the boiler which to be honest seems like it will rather expensiveto do especially when there are current pipes literally the other sideof the wall.Is my current plan of simply extending the current pipes ok ? or shouldI really try to get the zone'ing thing done. Or is there...

Question 6

Speeding up a stairlift

Accepted Answer

Every old person I know with a stairlift is pissed off at how slow they go.  Does anyone have experience of making these things go a bit faster?  I mean picture an old person trying to get downstairs to answer the doorbell, shouting "just a minute!" or more precisely "just an hour!" I know they don't want to be going so fast as they'd fall off, but the things have fucking seatbelts on them anyway!  There'd be no harm in making them go walking speed, with a gradual start.

Question 7

replace r410a refrigerant with what other type of refrigerant?

Accepted Answer

can another refrigerant such as r134a replace r410a refrigerant?

Question 8

Soldering/brazing torch for (e.g.) 13kg propane cylinder

Accepted Answer

Is it possible to get a brazing/soldering torch that can be run off astandard propane cylinder that one uses for domestic cooking orbarbecue or similar?Apart from anything else it would mean that it's much easier to handlewithout the bulk and weight of a disposable gas bottle on the back ofit. Presumably it would be cheaper to run as well.I have standard 13kg propane cylinders both at home and on our boat sothey're readily at hand.I guess it might need a different regulator from the standard 15mBarones used for cookers and barbecues.

Question 9

paint or stain, how to tell?

Accepted Answer

It's time to refinish my deck. About two third of the finish of the deck is gone. The other one third, being under shade, is still stubbornly adhered to the deck.How do I tell whether the finish is stain or paint? I think stain should go into wood and paint is only on the surface of the wood.Other than this, is there a definite way to tell?

Question 10

Garage floor paint.....

Accepted Answer

I've been given two brand new unused 5 litre cans of garage floor paint.Is painting the concrete garage floor paint actually worth doing or does it quickly wear off and flake off?Otherwise, I'll put it on eBay.

Question 11

3 wire vs 4 wire for stove

Accepted Answer

A neighbor who asks my DIY advice but never takes it is getting a new stove.  The old one is hardwired, she might have an electrician put in an outlet instead.  I told her he'd insist on using a 4 wire outlet and probably run new wire. But I'm not sure I know all the reasons for the 4 wire requirement, and google turns up a lot of explanations that make little sense.Thinking out loud.I can see if you lose the neutral on a 3 wire, AND you have a hot wire short to chassis, AND you have a good ground nearby, AND you touch stove and ground you'll likely get shocked/killed.  That can also happen with a 4 wire if you lose the ground connection.  But with good 4 wire, a short to chassis should trip the breaker which won't happen with bad 3 wire.  That's the purpose of the ground, right, to trip the breaker? Also, at least one of the hot is always connected to neutral through a large resistance, like the clock, stove light, etc.  So with 3 wire it's also connected to the chassis.  With a...

Question 12

Building a dam around a water heater

Accepted Answer

My water heater is 15 years old, still working fine, but there's no pan under it and space around it is limited.  It's in the basement in an area we don't check often.  Eventually it will leak like they all do.  What is the easiest way to make a short wall around it, to catch just enough water that an alarm can sound?

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