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have also seen this occur if the specificied clearances are not met, back, and above for the heat generated by the running appliance to escape (i.e. an over-the-refrigerator cabinet being too close to the top of the fridge.
Also if the seal on either door is compromised so the defrost cycle/dehumidifying efforts of the appliance are kicking in too frequently.
You can test the seal using a dollar bill closing the door overtop leaving an edge exposed – if you can pull out the dollar bill easily – your door seal gasket might need to be cleaned or replaced.
Did you replace any of the appliance bulbs (lighting the interior) recently?
to clean the tracks and door frames use hydrogen peroxide and an old toothbrush. Works wonders on the scale stains and mildew and scum and won’t stain the aluminum. If necessary scour old deposits with a 3-M brand scrubber sponge that is rated safe for teflon pots (so it won’t scratch or burnish your aluminum track).
Keep lime-a-way products away from aluminum. Elsewhere for the tile and tub (but not if fiberglass or acrylic tubs) lime-a-way is great for getting old mineral scale off.
If old rust stains and lime – use bar-keepers friend scouring powder (again avoid the metal frame and tracks of the shower door) for the tub and tile walls – nothiing works better. (first scrub with a scrub brush then follow-up with scrubing with a paste on a damp sponge.)
Once you’ve gotten the area all sparkle clean, maintain by spritzing the entire shower and tub with a 50/50 solution of distilled white vinegar and distilled water, then polish dry with a cotton terry towel. (this really should be done daily, and the entire shower if buffed dry after every use will look perfect indefinately).
Use the hydrogen perioxide weekly with the old toothbrush on the track.
Assuming you’re looking to maintain an antique.
Stove black also known as stove plish is what was used back in the day before reliable heat-proof paint was around. Its a waxy goop, and will make your stove look nice and shiney. However it is not water proof, and if water lands on it the stove will rust (back in the old days one polished their stove every week at least). You could get your stove painted with high temp paint – and that paint job could last 3-5 years.
This is what should be used.
Avoid using any type of grinding wheel or abrasive as you will ruin the seasoning, also likely ruin the nickle plating from your handles.
If you can unscrew the handles polish them (just the nickle) with barkeeper’s friend scouring powder (its about a dollar a can) if you can’t find it use bon-ami but it won’t work as well.
first unplug everything from this and all “downstream” or load side outlets.
Next, press the TEST button. Now fully depress the reset button. (sometimes a trip doesn’t fully trip out the GFCI so you can’t quite reset it…hitting the test button should fully trip the GFCI outlet).
If it still won’t reset, then head back to your CB box and cycle that circuit breaker all the way to off then on (do it twice). Then head back to your GFCI and try the test then reset process again.
Get yourself a three-pronged (looks like a built-in grounded plug) circuit tester with the three or four different lights on the face – plug it in to your gfci outlet – see what it tells you.
Also check the downstream or load side outlets.
If you have one of the newer style “lockout” type GFCI outlets it will not reset if there is a wiring error, fault, etc.
Sometimes a GFCI outlet will fail, sometimes they just can’t do their job anymore.
A LOT of them have been recalled, and many have been out on the market that were bootleg. Old style outlets should be replaced. The more times a GFCI has had to cut (otherthan a TEST) the sooner they can go bad.
Replacements can be found for between $8 and $25 depending on where you shop, which grade and manufacturer, and which features they have.
However it is my understanding that new (new Fed regs) requirement that newer 4-wire appliances cannot (or rather should not) be retro-fit to 3-wire plugsets. It would violate the warranty and not be newer NEC code compliant, which is why I said what I did (as this ? comes up frequently when a DIY homeowner purchases a replacement electric drier for example) decides to DIY the delivery/installation and realizes the new cordset doesn’t fit their old outlet.
it occurs to me that you did not ask about balustrades but hand-railings.
Are you asking about the height required for containment? spacing of the ballustrades or a maximum distance between the floor of the balcony and a lower rail to capture the balustrades?
Indoors or exterior? Ground access? Off of a sleeping room? How high from lower level is this balcony floor?
Suggest you check with your local building department and inquire what model codes have been adopted and what, if any, local amendments have been adopted.
Our area has adopted a more restrictive ammendment.
Local ammendments may vary on this issue, especially depending on the location and height of the balcony and if it is contained or has egress to ground level (has stairs like a deck, or if it is contained and off of a sleeping room, residential).
Check with your local authority having jurisdiction, inquire as to what, if any national codes have been adopted, and what if any local ammendments had been adopted.
The 4″ sphere and 6″ max triangle transition near steps are commonly quoted – but both will allow entrapment of a crawling tot’s head – and the six inch transition sphere limit will allow a crawler to fall through.
The crib-safe check of a 12 oz. coke can avoids this possiblity. Also remember codes adopted are minimums – nothing prohibits you from improvement.
Depends on what you’re trying to protect – if you have children or plan to – or small pets that you may wish to contain on this balcony you might want to consider improving on the 2003 IRC.
After several deaths – my local authority having jurisdiction did just that.
Yes Doug, I didn’t realize my post was unclear.
Bins is a pigmented shellac primer/sealer. Great for regular painting but does go on thick and tends to not be ideal regarding its glossy finish for priming if desiring an enamel top paint, and can be tough regarding spraying (clogs) and brush mark issues.
This is why I also mentioned my favorite primer sealer for same, original formula Kilz as an alternative (since the original poster mentioned spraying and don’t know what his top coat finish will be – and that its a great base for water-based paints as well as oil-based for trim, especially if enamel finish paint – more common with baseboards).
Sorry if my original post was unclear.
If your new electric dryer requires a 4-wire receptacle and a four-wire plug then you must rewire your outlet. To do otherwise would defeat local codes, safety, your UL listing for your appliance (negate your hazard insurance), etc. and be basically unsafe.
If you have an 3-wired older dryer, you can contact the manufacturer for instructions and source for the supply a replacement plug set.
I’ve always used a standard 12 oz. cola can or (beer can)as a guide. If it can barely pass (on the skinny) it (the gap)is just a bit too wide.
The drip pan (where condensation is directed to) is usually found below the lowest edge of a door, behind a removable face plate/grid/vent on the face of the appliance.
Likely either a collection of yuck, constantly being re-wetted is the source of your smell, mold or other science project growing in same, or a rodent has died, possibly traveling to or from this drip pan, using same for a water source (especially common if you spread regular d-con or similar rodent bait nearby). I’d also pull out the appliance and check behind and underneath everywhere. Also check the condenser coil – may need to be cleaned also might be harboring a carcass or two, and/or a nest.
Next, investigate wall cavities, etc. for other dead animals.
dry-wall retains moisture and should equialize at a higher moisture content than what Bill has referenced regarding aged/dried lumber. X rated should contain/maintain more constistantly over time.
It is supposed to retain moisture to some degree – which is why it is used in fire resistant/suppressive structures – so when exposed to the heat of a fire, the retainted moisture will boil, develop pressure, then rain down the gypsum on the fire, idealy helping to smoother it somewhat, and prior to raining, resist fire spread for a time.
Wood framing should probe at 16% water/moisture content or less before it is covered with drywall at the time of drywall installation. Drywall should probe at or less than 20% before it is taped, sealed or finished.
If I recall correctly, gypsum itself is about 20 percent water (crystalized) by weight as mined from the ground. As it is processed and reformed, I think it equalizes around that same figure (crystalized) plus any additional direct water drawn if it gets wet, but when dried will return to that state.
acetone softens/disolves original super glue. Cheap source (other than the expensive finishing isle of your hardware/paint/homestore)? Acetone containing cheap nail polish remover from your local dollar store (note: if the fingernail polish remover is marked non-acetone, it won’t work to remove super glue!).
Somehow I doubt super glue was used (holding strength limited for such a heavy application). Suspect something more substantial like an epoxy resin adhesive or similiar was used.
I’m assuming you have poplar or pine baseboard trim you’re looking to install.
First, assure your new trim is clean (greasy fingerprints, dirt, gook). You could touch up/clean an area with odorless mineral spirits.
For sealing/priming I’m a fan of a shellac primer. I’m especially fond of original formula KILZ. It will dry rapidly, is thin so easy to avoid brush marks and such (unlike bins). If your plan is to paint a dark saturated color then you’d want to use a deep tint base in your Kilz (limited amounts as per spec sheet). Although your base primer coat (or two) might look a bit thin in areas it will make a great base for even paint finish.
If you’re painting a more open pored wood trim like oak, you may need to grain fill first for a smooth painted finish.
36 years old home not uncommon (in the US) to have each duplex recept to actually have both tabs broken, each recpt to be powered from a different circuit – for example top one powered from circuit A and bottom one powered from circuit B. The next duplex again top is on the load side of A, bottom from the load side of circuit B. This was actually NEC code pre-80s (to have two circuits for kitchen recepts, but split recpt’s, depending on when adopted, you see this even in late 40s construction up through the mid-70s – btw you might also find eating areas/dinning rooms and/or family rooms wired this same way in homes of that vintage).
These circuits may or may not share a neutral within the circuit (usually not). Polarity and not crossing/confusing the neutrals is very important (backfeed and/or accidentially creating a 220 circuit when something is plugged into an incorrectly wired outlet), pig tailing essential and both tabs on a replacement duplex rec. must be broken/removed, each side wired independently (not back-stabbed but side screw-post wired) to replace them.
Sometimes in these circuits they don’t have a equipment grounding wire, but instead use the metal armor on the cable or metalic conduit bonded to metal boxes, etc. for ground.
If you don’t know what you had to start with – you can get yourself into major trouble if you don’t know how to diagnose/circuit trace safely. You just might want to consult an electrician (ideally one with decades of experience – since the younger guys don’t always consider the older (code required back in the day) way kitchens used to be wired.
None of those outlets should be switch controlled – don’t know why that was introduced into the discussion.
