Unique Tips And Tricks

[Sberry]

I thought about a load bank for burning up old fuel in the winter when the demand for heat was hi.

 

[Joethemechanic]

I thought about a load bank for burning up old fuel in the winter when the demand for heat was hi.

I have 2 of these. One like the picture, and one older one with the round door. The stoker part will burn anthracite coal, wood pellets, and dried corn. The burner have in one will burn oil or propane. The older round door one I have is only set up to burn solid fuel.

Coal Stoker Boiler DF520

Visit efmheating.com to find top quality heating equipment, like the right oil-fired or gas-fired water boiler for your home, electric and coal stoked boilers.

efmheating.com

 

[ptonsparky]

I happened to look, losing tank pressure in the middle of the night, downhole check was leaking.

My well guy told me I saved a pump by catching a check valve failure. My data was graphed at that time.

 

[Sberry]

Tuning a well for the work at hand can be worth it. I am at 30 to 55 psi. Its deep and not real effecient but not drought sensitive. I can run 7 sprinks at 48 or so # and 6 right before shut off. I irrigate or pond fill before cut off and to leave enough service for incidental living. I should put down shallower bigger well.

 

[retirede]

When you need to use a hole saw to say, drill a 1 3/8" conduit hole in a box where it already has a 7/8" hole in it. screw a 4S cover to the box. Use it to center the pilot and the hole saw won't walk on you. A common sense thing to me, but I have seen people struggle with this more than once.

I use a piece of scrap 2 by 4 and an Irwin clamp.

The nested hole saws is a good idea, but doesn’t work if the new hole location isn’t concentric with the old one.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

and this along with an incandescent bulb are very helpful in troubleshooting

View attachment 2566089

This with a flasher button and a large wattage lamp lets you track down the circuit using a clamp-on amp meter.

 

[Tulsa Electrician]

View attachment 2566095 View attachment 2566096 View attachment 2566097

Not that's handy

 

[qcroanoke]

Another method is to insert the old sized cup inside the new sized cup.

View attachment 2566099

Great for countersinking LB's!

 

[ptonsparky]

Great for countersinking LB's!

Where were you with that hint 45 years ago?!!

 

[Todd0x1]

If the threads on a panel are stripped due to years of people taking the panel cover off and on, or over tightening the panel cover screws, I have a fix.

I put a thin wrap of Teflon tape (for plumbing) around the panel cover screw. Take my thumb nail and push the Teflon into the threads while spinning the screw with my other hand.

I then screw it in to the worn out hole on the panel with the cover off and coat around the screw and hole on the inside with JB weld.

Once it hardens, you can unscrew it, due to the Teflon tape not allowing the JB weld to adhere to the screw and the problem is fixed.

If you do one hole at a time, you can secure the cover with the other screws until it cures.

Time consuming, but if you have the time, it's a great trick

To my knowledge, I invented this trick, never seen anyone else do it

One thing I left out, best to scratch up the inside around the hole w sand paper to get a good bond

I've used clip on nuts for this in the past

Clip-on nut - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[jim dungar]

I've used clip on nuts for this in the past

Clip-on nut - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I fixed plastic trim on my microwave this way several years ago, except I used Vaseline on the threads.

 

[Sea Nile]

I fixed plastic trim on my microwave this way several years ago, except I used Vaseline on the threads.

You mean you used JB weld but Vaseline instead of Teflon tape? Can't imagine needing Vaseline for clip-on nut.
Lots of ways to skin a cat. Never tried Vaseline, but the Teflon works great. Some of the Teflon stayed in the new threads and made it easy and smooth to take the screw in and out.

 

[jim dungar]

You mean you used JB weld but Vaseline instead of Teflon tape? Can't imagine needing Vaseline for clip-on nut.
Lots of ways to skin a cat. Never tried Vaseline, but the Teflon works great. Some of the Teflon stayed in the new threads and made it easy and smooth to take the screw in and out.

Oops replied to the wrong post.
JBweld with grease.

 

[qcroanoke]

21

Where were you with that hint 45 years ago?!!

21 Years old and just getting started in commercial work. All previous experience was helping dad on side jobs in residential.

 

[ptonsparky]

I had three girls and my wife waiting for me to come in the door. No matter how tired I was, they needed some of my time. I got into the habit of hanging an imaginary tool pouch on a tree in our back yard before I walked in.

 

[Jraef]

… The lipstick will mark the paneling where you need to cut out the holes.
…

I just put up sone Sheetrock and did this. My wife doesn’t wear lipstick, so I got some at the Dollar store. The clerk there told me it wasn’t my color…

 

[Little Bill]

I just put up sone Sheetrock and did this. My wife doesn’t wear lipstick, so I got some at the Dollar store. The clerk there told me it wasn’t my color…

Better than what I did. I forgot to put the lipstick back. Don't think she bought my explanation!

 

[electrofelon]

If you need to push a fish tape in to a live panel, get a rigid coupling of the pipe size. Put a bell pug in the end and screw it on the conduit threads inside the panel. When you push, the fish tape will stop at the bell plug. Take the coupling off and you have 2" of fish tape to pull in. Of course, none of us here would EVER open a panel that is hot, let alone pull wire in to one... but...

This was an idea I got from E C and M mag years ago. Credit where credit is due.

I heard JWST (James Web Space telescope) discovered a galaxy where people often pull conductors into live panels. Crazy place that must be.

 

[Joethemechanic]

I heard JWST (James Web Space telescope) discovered a galaxy where people often pull conductors into live panels. Crazy place that must be.

I once pulled live conductors into a dead panel

Actually it was a fused disco that served as a main. 240/120 high leg to make it worse. Needed to cut the conduit a bit to make the new (actually used) disco fit, so I pulled the live conductors back up the conduit so I wouldn't cut into them. I don't even want to say how old I was or what I used for protection. I didn't know anything about available fault current, or arc flash, but I knew there were no fuses between what I was working on and the transformer, and figured if I F ed up it wouldn't be pretty

 

[drcampbell]

Stone wool insulation is a lot easier to work with than fiberglass, yields better results in irregular spaces, and insulates better.
The best tool for cutting either one is an electric carving knife, routinely available at Salivation Army or other fine thrift sores.