Advice The Home Improvement/Automation Thread

theres a blank cover plate in the closet under the stairs. behind it is all these low voltage wires. what are they for? i was able to pull them out, they aren't connected to anything at this end.
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Can you explain that further?
Frequently the thermostat wire is ran with a bit of excess. if so, cut the wire maybe 3-4 inches from where it gets screwed to the board in the AC(we'll assume it is shorted in those few inches), strip the ones for common (usually blue/black) and ac.(usually red). Jumper them together and ac should come on. IF fuse stops blowing you have your answer.
You could do this first at the thermostat end to rule out the therms.
And DON'T buy a slow blow fuse or a larger fuse - the fuse is attempting to protect the expensive circuit board. *The fancy fuses(if a push in) with an LED indicator arenice to verify the low voltage transformer is on. Albeit, tells you nothing about the voltage.

Sorry about the delay, I was a bit trashed when posting yesterday o_O
 
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Frequently the thermostat wire is ran with a bit of excess. if so, cut the wire maybe 3-4 inches from where it gets screwed to the board in the AC(we'll assume it is shorted in those few inches), strip the ones for common (usually blue/black) and ac.(usually red). Jumper them together and ac should come on. IF fuse stops blowing you have your answer.
You could do this first at the thermostat end to rule out the therms.
And DON'T buy a slow blow fuse or a larger fuse - the fuse is attempting to protect the expensive circuit board. *The fancy fuses(if a push in) with an LED indicator arenice to verify the low voltage transformer is on. Albeit, tells you nothing about the voltage.

Sorry about the delay, I was a bit trashed when posting yesterday o_O
So I don't think it's anything at the air handler. I put a new fuse in last night and pulled the fuse block lockout thingie outside, just to see if the fan would run and at least circulate the air overnight. No blown fuse. So that makes me think it's something outside.

After reading, the most obvious outside culprit is the contactor. I ordered one from Amazon that will be here tomorrow.

That make sense?
 
So I don't think it's anything at the air handler. I put a new fuse in last night and pulled the fuse block lockout thingie outside, just to see if the fan would run and at least circulate the air overnight. No blown fuse. So that makes me think it's something outside.

After reading, the most obvious outside culprit is the contactor. I ordered one from Amazon that will be here tomorrow.

That make sense?
It does. Good job. *I was in heating season when I had that similar/same issue so the AC was never a consideration.
 
So I don't think it's anything at the air handler. I put a new fuse in last night and pulled the fuse block lockout thingie outside, just to see if the fan would run and at least circulate the air overnight. No blown fuse. So that makes me think it's something outside.

After reading, the most obvious outside culprit is the contactor. I ordered one from Amazon that will be here tomorrow.

That make sense?
On further thought - there may be, like the issue I had, a short between the line voltage that runs the compressor and the low voltage that switches the contactor on/off, possibly like my issue due to some insulation getting worn off on the low voltage stuff. In which case, you pulling the fuse block might have just interrupted that. I guess you'll see. If the contactor takes care of it then guess it had a short internally. Someday they'll use solid-state relays instead of contactors for that part is my guess - kiln industry is switching to that, similar loads.
 
On further thought - there may be, like the issue I had, a short between the line voltage that runs the compressor and the low voltage that switches the contactor on/off, possibly like my issue due to some insulation getting worn off on the low voltage stuff. In which case, you pulling the fuse block might have just interrupted that. I guess you'll see. If the contactor takes care of it then guess it had a short internally. Someday they'll use solid-state relays instead of contactors for that part is my guess - kiln industry is switching to that, similar loads.
So from what little I've learned, it almost has to be the contactor. I'm on my last 3V fuse, but I think I've figured it out. The fuse blows when the tstat turns off the compressor. How or why that happens, I don't know. Right now I've got the A/C on set to 65F. When it gets cool enough, I'm hoping that I can just go cut the breaker to turn it off. Basically cycle it manually.

BTW, fucking Home Depot. The fuses are $4 for 2 there. My order of 25 for $8 doesn't get here until tomorrow from Amazon. :rant:
 
Water heater went out




Turns out the heating element isnt supposed to be shaped like a U, or have holes in it. I purged the water heater earlier today (surprisingly few dead ants) and it turns out refilling full bore 3/4 inch pipe for 50 gallons looks just like a busted pipe to the automatic low pressure switch on the well pressure tank.

So it cut off the water in the middle of a tank fill, and the element baked itself to death in air.
 
Water heater went out




Turns out the heating element isnt supposed to be shaped like a U, or have holes in it. I purged the water heater earlier today (surprisingly few dead ants) and it turns out refilling full bore 3/4 inch pipe for 50 gallons looks just like a busted pipe to the automatic low pressure switch on the well pressure tank.

So it cut off the water in the middle of a tank fill, and the element baked itself to death in air.

That sucks. Well, at least a cheap fix.