At a camp we bought those items had a lot of work. Hot and neutral were reversed in a few outlets, and in many of them the ground hadn't been connected.
At a camp we bought those items had a lot of work. Hot and neutral were reversed in a few outlets, and in many of them the ground hadn't been connected.
That stuff is handy for the average homeowner who doesn't have or doesn't want to fool with a multimeter. Good tool to have.Something like this: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Southwire-Digital-100-to-600-Volt-Non-Contact-Voltage-Tester/1000095087
And if anyone wondered what a gfci outlet tester is:
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Southwire-Analog-120-Volt-Gfci-Receptacle-Tester/1000970284
At a camp we bought those items had a lot of work. Hot and neutral were reversed in a few outlets, and in many of them the ground hadn't been connected.
It seems as though almost any place I put anything is, conveniently, some that I can't find it. Mrs CMD can find it let than a heartbeat and then stand there smiling sweetly dangling the missing "thing" in front of me.
Something like this: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Southwire-Digital-100-to-600-Volt-Non-Contact-Voltage-Tester/1000095087
And if anyone wondered what a gfci outlet tester is:
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Southwire-Analog-120-Volt-Gfci-Receptacle-Tester/1000970284
At a camp we bought those items had a lot of work. Hot and neutral were reversed in a few outlets, and in many of them the ground hadn't been connected.
Sorry, I had to smile at this. Reminds me of my oldest. He used to stand in front of the fridge with the door open, just looking inside. He would eventually yell out, "where is the _____?" I would say, "did you look behind the ______?" If it didn't jump out at him, he couldn't find it.
How much space are we talking here? I know you can buy a thin wrench or spanner wrench that are pretty skinny. There's a name for them and I've always been able to blurt it out with no hesitation but lately names are not readily at my finger tips. Here is a set to give you an idea. You might be able to buy just one for the size you need. I'm assuming that shaft has squared off thingies that a wrench would fit snuggly on?? Or is it round all the way thru?I have a grinder. It has an Allen screw that holds the grinding disk onto the shaft. When I bought it, it came with a "wrench" that held the shaft steady while I undid the Allen to replace the disk. I have misplaced the little wrench. I have no tool thin enough to fit between the motor housing and the cutoff disk to hold the shaft still. Any thoughts other than those calling into question my mental capacity?
I have a grinder. It has an Allen screw that holds the grinding disk onto the shaft. When I bought it, it came with a "wrench" that held the shaft steady while I undid the Allen to replace the disk. I have misplaced the little wrench. I have no tool thin enough to fit between the motor housing and the cutoff disk to hold the shaft still. Any thoughts other than those calling into question my mental capacity?
If I'm picturing it correctly, you only need something thin to slide in there had keep the shaft from rotating while tightening the allen screw? And it doesn't need to be really strong or withstand that much pressure?I have a grinder. It has an Allen screw that holds the grinding disk onto the shaft. When I bought it, it came with a "wrench" that held the shaft steady while I undid the Allen to replace the disk. I have misplaced the little wrench. I have no tool thin enough to fit between the motor housing and the cutoff disk to hold the shaft still. Any thoughts other than those calling into question my mental capacity?
REPAIR/REPLACE ELECTRICAL BOX IN WALL
Had an outlet in the kitchen that was flopping around. Most of the time you can use spacers and cinch it back up. But not always. In this case, the female side that holds the outlet mounting screws was cracked all to hell and could not hold a screw. Only fix was to pull the box and put a new one in. Not the most pleasurable job but it's not especially hard.
1) Have to turn the power off to the outlet for safety.
2) Remove the wall plate.
3) Unscrew the outlet from the box, pull away from the box to extend the wires.
4) Disconnect the wires from the outlet paying attention to where the wires go so you can put them back the way you found them.
5) Slip a hacksaw blade (just the blade, not the entire saw) between the stud the box is nailed to and the box itself. There is a nail at the top and bottom of the box. Might have to pry the box away from the stud a little with a flat head screwdriver.
6) Saw the nails off making sure you're not sawing the wires going into the box. Use a glove to hold the hacksaw blade so you don't rip up your hands.
7) Pull the box out allowing the wires to feed out at the same time.
8) Get yourself what is called an, "Old-Work Box" from the hardware store (they're cheap). Feed the wires thru the back of the box.
9) Push the box back in the wall till the tabs bottom out. Secure the box with the two ears (one on top plus one on the bottom).
10) Put everything back together.
Here is a picture of an old-work box. Get the largest one that will fit in the wall so it's easier to scrunch the wires back in it. Mine was 20 cu. in. I got from Home Depot.
https://www.amazon.com/Lamson-B120R...XZ0A7CVXX1R&psc=1&refRID=GGSR1DT4HXZ0A7CVXX1R
Here's a video of some dude sawing the box out of his wall.
That is a nice option if you want to do a little extra work to enhance the outlet. In my case, it was an outlet that is basically used for the toaster and no more. It's also on a tiled wall and I didn't want to hack that up. The tiled wall contributed to the outlet coming loose in the first place.I would also upgrade the outlet if possible to a 4 outlet or gfi,,,. Or a double with built in usb charge ports.
I figure if the cover got beat up ,, then the outlet is used a lot. &needs upgrading as well
Yeah, I read a couple of decades ago that insurance companies said that they pay out more for damage due to leaky icemaker lines than any claims other than natural disasters.NOTICE
I was reminded today about a potential disaster for every home owner. I have a neighbor who was forced out of their home for several days and faced about three weeks of repairs due to a kitchen faucet water hose that burst (hose failure, not a freeze failure). Trashed their lower level floors and insulation in the crawl below. This is a common problem and is always one of the leading causes of home insurance claims.
Solution: DO NOT USE PLASTIC WATER HOSES. PERIOD! Instead, use the steel braided hoses throughout your house. Check all water faucets, toilets, wash machines, icemakers, water dispensers, etc. Then change out your hoses every five years. Not even the steel braided hoses last forever but they are still far better than plastic hoses. This is not the time to be a cheapass,
If you want to spare yourselves of a very real disaster source, then change out those hoses.
I meant that for years, people just bought the cheapest poly tube with compression fittings to attach to the angle stop in the existing box behind the fridge- or even when an older house didn't have an existing supply, to tap into a pipe.People must be running the lines to the kitchen sink or local bathroom?? I just punch a hole in the floor behind the refrigerator and into the basement and then connect it over the floor drain.
You'd think the insurance company would put out a warning somewhere, somehow.