Identifying a metal item buried in my backyard I was digging up a bush stump so we can pour a concrete pad for a condensing unit.  As I dug I uncovered the top of a metal object approximately 3-4ft long and 1.5 feet wide.  It's made of some kind of metal (hard to tell with a fair amount of earth still covering it).  It seems flat on the top and no apparent pipes so far.  I was thinking it might be an old buried fuel oil container, but from what I've researched its fairly small for that.  Any ideas?
Additional info: its about 6 inches from my foundation and another 6 from a more recent addition that protrude from the house.
I should also mention there was an oil storage tank in the basement but that was at least 6-10 ft away and has no obvious connection to this area.

I finished digging it up. It was just an oval piece of concrete (about 3 inch deep) that had the edges wrapped with metal.  0_0  so I guess trash is the closest answer.  Wish I knew what it was t here for...it seemed deliberately placed.


How can I get rid of ants in an environmently friendly way? Is it enough to pour boiling water in their mount?

Ant Control on Simple Pest Control has a huge list of ant control techniques (even mentioning your boiling water idea, which I'd never heard of - I'll have to try that!). It includes a lot about behavior control, ie, keep them from wanting in your house to begin with, to keeping them out of the areas you don't want them in, etc.
The Biological Control section lists several natural ways of getting rid of ants:

Make your own boric acid bait to kill ant colonies. Ant baits are the cornerstone of all ant control. Instead of spraying poisons everywhere, which can split colonies up and potentially make ant control more difficult, you bring the ant to the poison. The worker/foraging ants then take the poison back to the nest to share with larvae and queen. This is how colonies die, or are reduced to acceptable levels. Boric acid is a perfect ant poison. It’s cheap, natural, and much less dangerous (though not harmless) than commercial poisons. Best of all, when mixed correctly, boric acid is a slow ant killer – it allows ants time to bring it back to the nest in sufficient quantities for an ant apocalypse. Here are a few boric acid ant bait recipes:

Mix three cups of water with one cup sugar and four teaspoons of boric acid. Pour around a cup of solution into separate jars. Pack the jars with cotton balls to about the halfway point. Seal the lid and poke a few holes at the center. Make a fun skull-and crossbones label and set the jars out in ant trails and hotspots.

Some ants prefer protein and grease over sugar (little black ants, thief ants, pavement ants, big headed ants…). Replace the sugar in the above recipe with canned pet food. Or try this recipe: Mix four tablespoons of peanut butter with six tablespoons of honey and one teaspoon Borax.

Use diatomaceous earth – the slow ant killer. Most ant species are susceptible to diatomaceous earth, a desiccant dust consisting of the fossilized shells of ancient algae. These shells are covered in microscopic shards which create cuts in the cuticle of crawling insects. The ants walk over the DE, start leaking, dehydrate, and die. You can apply DE as an ant barrier around the outside of your home or inside, around the perimeter of rooms and carpets (be sure it’s food grade). You can mix DE in water to make a paste to apply to trees. You can get proactive and dust nearby anthills. Using a duster, you can apply DE to the cracks, crevices, and wall voids, where it will remain effective forever.
Capsaicin – a natural ant repellent. Chili pepper, black pepper, red pepper, ginger, and paprika all contain capsaicin and so can be used to repel ants. I’ve heard of people using it as a barrier around homes, but it is best used in gardens. You can apply these powders around the base of plants or in wide bands (5-6 inches) between rows.
Citrus oils kill ants. Linalool and d-limonene - citrus peel extracts found in products like Orange Guard, Citra-Solve, Bugs’R’Done and Pro-Citra DL Aerosol – can be used for ant control in a variety of ways. They can be used as a direct kill spray, a repellent in gardens, as a drench for anthills and outdoor nests, or for treatment of cracks and crevices where ants are nesting indoors (may stain).


Home security alarm system in the uk Can anyone suggest the best home security alarm? Most famous one is ADT in the uk which is monitored alarm system. Is it non-monitored alarm system much secure than monitored one?
Can some one please suggest me for the best alarm system for the home security.

My home is like end terraced which has front door, back door and back garden. I am really interested to put security alarm system in the outer part of the home like doors and windows.
Thank you

The best alarm system you can have is three large well-trained guard dogs. I can say that, since I've done security electronics in some of the more secure places in this world, and for a while I had every-day conversations with professional burglars.


14/2 line with 12/2 outlet? I'm doing some remodeling on a river cabin. It was built 50 years ago and most of it is not to code.

It's not mine and I'm trying to get my family to look at upgrading all the wiring. It doesn't even have outlets with grounds in them.

Also, for those who might be concerned, I do have some experience wiring. My uncle wired his whole home and came down to wire my dad's shop. He taught me and an inspector said it was wired better than some homes he'd been in. I know how to safely wire this project in, just not issue like this. If I can't find a satisfactory answer or I don't feel confident, I will call in a professional.

My issue is that I'm working on redoing a wall in the bathroom. There is currently a light fixture with a built in plug for plugging in something like a hair dryer. I'm replacing that light fixture and would like to add a gfci outlet in the wall before I add the FRP board I'm covering it with. The current gang box for the light is free floating and I'm going to replace it with a plastic one with the little wings that hold it in place. Being able to push it back I can read that the wire says 14/2.

Ideally all the wire would be 12/2, but I don't know when or if that will happen. I'll never use 14/2, so instead of buying a roll of that, can I use a piece of the 12/2 romex that I already have, and wire off the light to the outlet?

I understand that the outlet would only work when the light was on. I just want to make sure I'm not going to burn the cabin down. In my mind, it would be fine, because it's already wired correctly for 14/2, with the correct amp breaker, so if it hits a load too high for the 14/2, then the breaker shuts off. It just has the capability to run more power. I wouldn't be able to do the reverse, but this seems okay.

Am I correct on this or is there an issue I don't know about? Thanks. I did see similar questions, but none that I thought were exactly this issue.

I would say you are ok for now. Would be different if the current wiring was 12/2 with 20amp breakers and you were splicing in a piece of 14/2. But there is probably a section in the code book somewhere that states this is not acceptable practice.


How to re-attach kitchen cabinet laminate? In two different Formica-covered bottom cabinets in my house, the Formica is not perfectly attached to the wooden-base cabinets. The edges of the Formica have become unattached to the wooden cabinet. Our handyman re-glued the Formica in these two places, but the new glue did not stick. What can now be done to solve this problem of unattached Formica? These cabinets are 25 years old.

Many years ago, I worked for Formica.  I can give the advice that worked at the time.

Firstly, try to remove the set glue if at all possible.  This is easier said than done if only the edges are unstuck.  You will have to get something flat between the laminate and the wood.

Secondly, use an epoxy-based glue, like Evo-stik or Bostick.  Not the sort where you have to mix two components and not wood glue.  Smear this under the edges, getting as far in as possible.

Thirdly, apply pressure.  If you can place a protective piece of wood to either side of the door and use G-clamps to hold them in place then the pressure will help the glue to stick.  Leave the clamps on for about 24 hours.  Pressure is more effective than heat.


Cause of damp in exterior building I've recently purchased an old house (circa 1725), which has a brick constructed outbuilding of about 3x5 meters. The previous owners claim they were using it as an office. There was no evidence of damp, but looking at the state of it when we arrived, I'd be surprised if they'd used it as anything but storage.

The construction seemed solid, so I redecorated and carpeted (removing the previous linoleum). When doing so, I noticed the door didn't quite fit the jam properly - it's an old door for an old building, so air tightness wasn't a priority. However, there were actual sections at the base where you could poke your finger to the outside world. I've sealed it as best I can, and will have it professionally corrected soon. It's probably been that way for about 25 years.

Since finishing the project 5 days ago and beginning to use the room, I've noticed signs of dampness. It's mostly around the door, where the paint has become seriously discoloured already. On heating the room all day, the lower half of the door wall (nearest the worst door hole) was really quite wet. Moreover, the area of paint above 75% skirting board has become similarly discoloured (worse in the corners of the room). There's no evidence of damage higher up the walls or near the roofing (aside from a small area around the upper area of the door wall, near another gap).

Before I panic and think there's some more sinister structural issue, I'd like to ask how likely it is that the gap(s) in the door would have caused this effect? That is, once the door is repaired, and the room dried out, could my problem be fixed, or is the fact that the damp has spread quite a long way from the door a bad sign?

Short answer is: condensation from not having insulation and openings to the outside. Not as short answer: If the wall and ceiling have little or not enough insulation any moisture that is warmed to a temperature higher than the exterior ambient air temperature will change to liquid water as it contacts the cooled inside walls. It will be visible as droplets running down the brick walls or door.   It will be most noticeable in areas of the room were the openings are greatest  (such as by the door you repaired). The problem can be reduced through: insulating the walls and ceiling, upgrading or improving the windows glazing, sealing any gaps and openings to the exterior and keeping the moisture level inside to a minimum.


Air Conditioner woes: water pooling in basement, condensation on ducts, frost on outdoor copper pipe Can someone help diagnose what's wrong with my air conditioner?

The symptoms are:

the air that it is blowing is not very cold

It's colder than the ambient air, but not cold enough to cool the house more than 1 degree

there is condensation on the supply ducts exiting the furnace

The condensation is inside and outside the ducts

there is water pooling on the ground below the furnace

I suspect this is probably the condensation flowing down the duct into the furnace then down onto the ground

On the large copper pipe on the outside unit, some of the insulation had rotted away. I observed frost on the exposed copper.

I've tried:

Putting new insulation around the outside copper

I have not observed frost since

Put insulation around the ducts, but they still have condensation
Cleaning debris around and inside the outside unit.
Vacuuming the fins condenser coil and the evaporator, and used a alkaline cleaning product

neither were very dirty in the first place, and I was very careful not to bend the fins

I run a dehumidifier in the basement
I've opened all the registers

I have not tried:

cleaning the drainage pipe

I can't access the pan or outlet from the inside of the furnace
the pipe is PVC that's been glued on. I'd have to cut it to investigate

talked to a professional

I've got an appointment scheduled, but I always like to have an idea of the problem before they come so I can ask intelligent questions.

Other info:

this same thing happened 2 years ago. At the time, the professional who came out added refrigerant and that fixed it

He said that if there was a leak, it would all just leak out again right away, but it took 2 years for the issue to come back.
Does that mean the leak is very slow? or is there no leak?
I've read that AC units don't just consume the refrigerant over, it's in a closed loop, so there is no need for regular recharges.

the blower belt looks pretty worn, it's at least 5 years old, but it doesn't sound like it's slipping

Update

I had a HVAC company come out and take a look. The refrigerant was low. They gave me various options including finding the leak and refilling the refrigerant, or replacing the whole AC & furnace. The system was installed in 1987, so I'm ok with replacing it. Their quotes seems pretty high though, ranged from $10000 to $16000.

You are correct that the refrigerant is not a consumable. If a system is low on refrigerant, then it has a leak. The technician should have a "sniffer" tool that can detect refrigerant leaks. If they didn't use it last time, then they were irresponsible. Also, refrigerant is expensive so that attitude of "if it gets low again then we know you have a leak" is wasteful of your time and money.

If the compressor in the condenser (the outside unit) is running and the air is not cool, then you are probably low on refrigerant. Frost on the refrigerant is also a pretty clear sign of low refrigerant.

I am additionally concerned about the condensation on your duct work. Is the air handler inside the conditioned envelope of the house? If so, that could explain the condensation you are seeing now but would not be seeing normally.


How to replace bathtub pull-up drain stopper with screen/mesh for hair? I have a bathtub which also is a shower, and it has a twist-and-pull type drain. Currently I never actually use the bathtub for taking a bath, only showers. Unfortunately it keeps getting clogged with hair.

On the one hand I could get a hair stopper that fits over it:

But I'd prefer to just install a mesh/screen that is always open and looks much nicer:

Is there an easy way to convert this type of drain?

It looks like you might be able to do this pretty easily.

To remove the stopper, simply unscrew the top of the handle of the drain stopper, then unscrew the underlying screw in the shaft to pull out the drain cover completely. Then, you'll have the cradle-thing that holds the stopper. You might be able to leave that in place (I grew up in a house that had the stoppers taken out but the "cradles" left in place, and two women with long hair would share the bath. We took turns cleaning out the drain) and place the mesh catcher over it. See this video for a demo (It should be region-free.)

You'll probably want to put down putty or some sort of long screw from the drain to the "cradle" in order to keep it in place.


Latest IBC code for residential regarding tempered glass requirement - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania In the home inspection report, it was stated that: "a Qualified window contractor to correct as determined necessary the master bathroom window in the shower has no tempered etching. (should have safety glass)"
The location of the current non-tempered glass window is 5'3" from the shower floor.  The window size is 2'10 5/16" x 2' 9 3/4".  The window is original from 2017 brand new construction.  If this requires tempered glass, kindly share with me the specific section in the code where it states this requirement.  Thank you.

Maria, unless the IBC has changed since late 2018, your window would only require tempered glass if it were less than 60" at the base, above standing level (floor level), AND measured 9 sq.ft.
You can check it out yourself under "tempered glass requirements in residential bathrooms". Either code has been changed or your inspector didn't read code correctly.


Can I connect a water hose to an irrigation system? I am planing to install water lines as you can see in the picture. Right now I I have a water hose that runs along the house, I am referring to the segment that goes along the wall between the patio and the house.

The other two segments together with this one are what I am planing to install.

For now I just have a water hose that I run along the line above described. There is a gap space between the house and the patio where a pipe/water hose fits just fine. My plan would be to install the first segment of the future irrigation system and to connect the water hose to it for now (no sprinklers so no water pressure loss) because I want to cover that gap with peanut size decorative stone. Later I would disconnect the water hose and fully install the irrigation system. As an alternate solution I would love to leave the water hose there till I proceed with the irrigation system plans but I am afraid that the water hose is not winter resistant, so my question is: can I put an irrigation system segment there and connect the water hose to it at at the point where the irrigation line reaches the corner of the house?

I'm actually wanting to do this myself. I've looked into it for quite awhile. There is one video on youtube that is amazing. His system has been up for nearly 5 years without any problems. I'm at work and cant search youtube, but if you look up "150$ diy irrigation system" you will find it.

Some things to consider.
 1. Water pressure from the garden hose won't be able to support more than 1 (maybe 2) sprinklers at a time. Depending on the type and GPM you get at your house. Test this with a 5 gallon bucket, I'm able to run one rotor 50ft throw and 2 very tiny low pressure nozzles at the same time.

If The larger pipe or hose you use, the more pressure you get. I just bought 1 inch irrigation hose with an adapter to 3/4 inch for the sprinkler. I have a smaller yard, so I can get about 90% of the yard with one 50ft throw sprinkler. The smaller the diameter of the main, and hose the lower GPM you will have.

Edit
Okay for people who think smaller water pipes will increase water pressure, no. It's about fiction, volume and speed. Below is a great read about it, with some quotes.

https://www.irrigationtutorials.com/using-a-smaller-pipe-to-increase-water-pressure/

  Grab your thinking caps for this.  As you well know, Bernoulli’s Principle essentially says (paraphrased) that as the speed of a fluid increases, the pressure of that fluid decreases.

  Obviously as you force a given amount of water through a smaller size pipe, the velocity of the water must increase for it to get through the smaller pipe.  According to Bernoulli’s Principle that will decrease the water pressure!  This is called the Venturi effect.  By suddenly forcing the water through a narrow passage you can actually create enough of a pressure decrease that it creates suction.  This is how many fertilizer injectors work.  It also is another reason why using a smaller pipe would not increase the pressure– it would actually decrease it!


Can a light with a built in motion sensor, be used with dimmer switch? My front lights are bright and have built in motion sensors.  I would like the capability to dim these lights.  So my question is, can I use a dimmer switch on these lights (with built in motion sensors) without adversely affecting the motion sensor function.

Here's an example of the light switch I was thinking of using: Lutron Diva 1.25-Amp White Preset Dimmer

No, such an arrangement will either flat out not work, or have very poor reliability.

The motion detector logic requires full uninterrupted voltage and a dimmer switch is going to inject noise into the power which will disrupt the motion logic or its sensor.

Additionally, even if the motion sensor continued to work, the cycling of the light on and off would disrupt the load of the dimmer and make the voltage wildly vary.

You might get lucky with some quality components and dimmer settings, but it would be better to simply replace the bulbs with those of a lower wattage.


Usefulness of PEX Manifold I am redoing the plumbing for a small studio that only needs (currently) 5 hot and cold lines to go to faucets and fixtures.

I am thinking of a manifold that looks like the following diagram:

This question asks about manifold loops, which most answers state is typically for a hot water recirculation loop. The last answer suggests less head loss when connecting both sides of a manifold to a supply. How much of a difference would that make? According to this table, you would lose about 8psi over 100ft of 1/2" PEX at a typical shower temperature and flow.

Also, how would a recirculation pump through the manifold help if the branch plumbing to a fixture doesn't have a return to the manifold? It seems like the manifold temperature might be constant, but if you have a long run to the fixture, you're still waiting on hot water.

What benefit, then, does a manifold offer?

EDIT: Added picture

implicit is also the fact that using the manifold results in less hidden fittings. That is, it's a straight run ("homerun") from the manifold to the point of use - no hidden tees, etc. There are advantages and disadvantages. The following document is a great overview of options for installing pex:

https://www.huduser.gov/portal/publications/pex_design_guide.pdf


How do I lower the temperature of an electric boiler in France/Europe? My electric boiler is delivering VERY hot water: my hands are often burned when I forget to mix it with normal-tempered water.

Do you think there is a way I can make the boiler heating the water something like a maximum of 40 degree celsius ? on top of that it takes more energy to heat that water (even if any boiler has top-notch insulation).

The manufacturer is Olympic: 861154. 1200W, 100L, 230V

For most boilers the desired temperature is user-configurable. I suggest looking in the manual to find the specific instructions for your model (I searched, but could not find an online copy of the manual for your model).

Another solution would be to change the plumbing to mix in an amount of cold water. It's best to do this near to the output of your boiler.


How to track energy usage per zone? I have an old oil boiler with 4 zones, individual zone pumps. I'm trying to track heat usage on a per-zone basis. Would it be possible to simply track how often each zone pump runs and apply their percentage of the total run time to the total energy used?

For example, the run time percentages might be:
Zone A - 20%
Zone B - 25%
Zone C - 30%
Zone D - 25%

Could I assume that Zone C used 30% of the energy?

The boiler is non-modulating.

This method is predicated on the zone controller only running one zone pump at a time. Is that typical?

update 3/9/20
Each zone corresponds to an apartment - that's why I'm trying to track energy usage. Given that there are tenants involved, I want a sure-fire way to track energy usage. I am aware of "BTU meters" that use flow and delta t measurements but was wondering if some simple logic a la RUBS could be used instead of expensive sensors.

Since tenants are involved, you'll need to do this right

If you were owner-occupying a zoned single-family dwelling, then taking shortcuts in the interest of expediency would be an acceptable way to get rough estimates of zone energy usage for your own uses.  However, you're not in that situation; you're dealing with tenants instead, which brings real estate leasing (landlord-tenant) law into the picture.  While state and local policies and attitudes towards submetering vary, your best bet to get AHJ (and tenant!) acceptance is to do this the right way from the start.

Fortunately, you aren't the first landlord to have this general idea, so prepackaged BTU metering systems are available, generally running about $700-$800 a zone for an Istec 4440 or a Badger 380.  These consist of a flowmeter with totalizer/register and two pre-harnessed temperature sensors for supply and return.  The meter is installed in one of the two pipes going to the unit (the Istec goes in the return line, while the Badger doesn't care), while the other temperature sensor is fitted in a thermowell in the other pipe.

From there, the two diverge.  The Badger 380 requires 12 or 24VAC or DC power (a standard 24VAC, 40VA HVAC control transformer should be ample, even for several meters, though), and has to be programmed using a Mini-USB cable and the supplied commissioning software, but once that's done, it not only can output simple pulses to an external totalizer, but can speak BACnet or Modbus over RS-485 to some sort of central monitoring system (anything from a Pi with an RS-485 hat, to a full-on BMS such as one'd find in a large building).  The Istec 4440 lacks the network connectivity support of the Badger 380, but has a built-in LCD register (something the Badger 380 lacks), and is battery-powered; it does support pulse outputs to an external totalizer, though.

Either way, you can get within a few % of accuracy here, which is about as good as you'll get without spending much, much more on high-accuracy flowmetering hardware, as ordinary water meters aren't rated for hot-water hydronic duty, and are only held to 1.5% accuracy by AWWA standards, anyway, just for flow.  Given that we're dealing with a derived parameter (BTUs) here, 2-3% accuracy is not unreasonable.

Other legal issues

While Maine landlord-tenant statutes, as far as I can tell, do not directly touch on submetering, they do have the fairly logical prohibition on a tenant paying for common area heating service without expressly and separately agreeing to do so.  To avoid running afoul of this, I would put a BTU meter on the commons area zone or zones as well; this way, you can apportion fuel costs fairly among all participants, with you, as the landlord, paying for commons area heating and each tenant paying for their own unit's space heat.

Also, you may need to provide heating cost information for the past year to your tenants on request with the note that space heating costs will be apportioned based on BTU usage, and presumably will note the presence of BTU metering on your Energy Efficiency Disclosure Form.  See 14 MRSC 6024 and 14 MSC 6030-C for details.  You'll want to talk to a lawyer about amending any written leases, too, and any written billing you may do.  I would at the very least make heating costs into a separate line item on the billing, or otherwise make it clear that they are not fixed, unlike the rest of the rent.


How can I mount a deck gate against Hardie siding? I'm going to build some gates for my friend's deck.
I obtained all the materials and then they asked about the side porch.
How should I mount a gate here against the house?

I would mount the gate with hinges on the 4x4 post on the right. It is structurally sufficient to support the gate. Make it an in-swing right, gate opens into the porch swinging to the right towards the railing.
Then all you need is 2x4 latch post attached to the side of the house for the latch.
You could attach the latch post with a couple of timber screws. (There is not a lot of lateral forces on the latch post but you could use some construction adhesive to assist the holding power of the screws if you are not into a stud).
Drill holes (three should suffice) in the 2x4 and then set it in place plumb and true, use a pencil through the holes to mark the locations on the siding. Drill pilot holes, just slightly smaller then the shank of the screws. You only want to drill just to the sheathing behind the the siding  to avoid splitting the siding. Use a stop collar or tape on your drill bit to so you only drill about 1/2" to 3/4" or so. (you do not know what is in the cavity of the wall like electrical so you don't want to just drill deep.) Also choose the length of your screw so it will only protrude into the sheathing plus a smidgen.
You do not know where the studs are in the wall and it is unlikely, but possible, that one is exactly where you need it. If you can locate it on a stud it would be best, then you could use longer screws  to go into the stud. You may be able to use a stud finder on the inside wall and then a tape measure to transfer that distance on the outside of the wall and see if it lines up with the 4x4.
Before you install the post with the screws, pump some silicone into the holes so that any moisture that gets behind the post is sealed out.

An alternative if you did not want to penetrate the wall of the house would be to
build a  handrail that would be up against the house but not attached to the house.
It could be two 4x4 posts attached to the risers of the steps and tied together with a solid handrail on top and a 2x6 about a foot under that to provide structural integrity, I.E. minimize racking.


Is it okay that framing in houses is sloppy? I've been watching people do framing on residential homes for a while; both in person and on videos. The framing is very "sloppy" compared to watching a craftsman build a cabinet, for example. The cuts are choppy, edges don't always butt tight, wood splintered from nail guns is ignored, etc...

I assume builders don't worry about all of the minor details because they're moving quickly, working with lower quality materials, and because most framing is hidden behind drywall, roofing materials, etc...

What I'm trying to understand if this is, in fact, an okay thing to do? Are there any advantages to building a house like a master carpenter would build a quality piece of furniture? Are there any disadvantages or problems that creep up from this quality of construction?

Ten years ago I would have said getting any fussier than what you see average framing crews doing would be a waste of time. But in 2009(10?) I was involved in a project that had the framing done by a local Amish community. Hand planes, old timey plum bobs, brace and bits, the works. They didn't spend the time that we, the cabinet and trim guys, spend on our fit and finish (it would take a century to build a house to that level of exactitude), but they were much more conscientious about compensating for the defects found in modern building materials than what we were used to seeing.

The difference it made when it came time to set our cabinets, hang trim, etc. etc. etc. was unbelievable. You could have gone around that house with a fine tooth comb and not found anything out of plum, level, bulged, sagging, crooked or otherwise wanged up by more than an 1/8 of an inch, and that is no exaggeration. To put this in perspective, well let's put it this way: we usually have to add 1/2" scribes to all of our end panels and so forth just in case the framers were having a particularly bad day.

It might have taken them longer to do their part, but the labor saved down the road was well worth it. The trick is knowing where to spend your extra time/effort up front so that it pays dividends down the road.


Fan with Remote issue I just got a fan that came with a remote.  I have one wall that has 2 switches 1 for the light and 1 for the fan.  You can also turn that same light on from 2 other switches.  I wired everything up, but for some reason the fan remote doesn’t work for the light.  It works for the fan. What did I not wire correctly?  Please help and thanks!

My ceiling has white black red and ground coming out.

This is what I used as a reference to wire

(C) Ceiling / ac supply: white, black & Red

(RI) Receiver In: white, blue & black

(RO) Receiver out: white & black

(F) Fan: white, black & blue

Connections

C white & RO white
RI white & F white
RI black & F black
RI blue (alone)
RO white & C white
RO black & C black
C red & F blue

You wrote

  (RI) Receiver In: white, blue & black

  (RO) Receiver out: white & black

I think you have this reversed. The receiver controls the fan and light separately with inputs of white and black (neutral and hot, respectively) and outputs of white, blue and black (neutral, switched hot for light and switched hot for fan, respectively).

You could have only one wall switch provide input to the receiver and use the remote to control the fan and light independently. The other switch and its hot would be unused. If you mount the receiver on the wall switch, this might satisfy the requirement that there be a light switch on the wall. You could cover the unused switch with a shabbat light switch cover, e.g. these.

If you want to forego having the light controlled by the remote, and just have the light controlled by the wall switch (to satisfy the code requirement), you could operate the fan with the remote, and have the line hot to the receiver be the switched hot from the fan wall switch. But the blue output from the receiver to the light would not be used. Instead you would connect the hot from the light wall switch directly to the blue wire to the light. You can do this because there is a common neutral white in the cable from the wall to the ceiling box.


Rinnai tankless on-demand water heater making a high-pitched whistling sound I have a Rinnai tankless on-demand water heater. The unit is making a high-pitched whistling noise.
I have:
-Unplugged the unit from the electrical wall socket.
-Turned the gas valve to the off position.
-Turned the cold water intake line valve to the off position.
-Turned the hot water outlet valve to the off position.
-I have removed the front panel and used compressed air to blow most of the dust off of the unit.
The unit has been in this state for an hour and It still whistles. Why?

An exterior garden hose spigot was on, leaking, and whistling.  Turning off the outside spigot stopped the whistling in the Rinnai.  The water heater must have acted as an amplifier for the sound travelling through the pipes of the house.


Shower problem: Can't turn off hot water I turned the tap fully clockwise, as usual, to turn of the water.

Still, a significant volume of hot water continued to flow.

I removed the tap handles and used some locking pliers to twist the threaded, brass shanks that remain in the wall, but they were both already stuck tight in the "off" position, as far as they could go.

I don't know much about plumbing. The only way I know how to stop it, short of replacing the shower head with a terminating bolt (like a sump plug), is by using the main valve (outside) at the water meter. But that's getting old real quick.

Where is the problem likely to be located; or which component is causing the issue? And how's it fixed?

Okay, so now I've removed the compression valves from the wall and this is what I've got:

I bet you it's the rubber washer that is gone, crushed beyond sealing. Easy and cheap repair. Of they have been replaced and it still leaks, then the brass seat is bad and could possibly be polished/filed to a smooth surface again. If that's not possible then a new valve assembly will be needed. The rubber washer is at the end of the shaft, screwed in with a screw in the center. You could also try a thicker one or a fine shaped one of it will fit.


How to Calibrate a Make-Up-Air Controller? My home is equipped with a make-up air line intended to bring some outside air to mix it with indoors air prior conditioning by the furnace. I am not sure why this is necessary but my question is regarding calibration. The line is connected to a Skuttle Model 216 make-up-air control unit. See:

http://www.google.com/patents/US3982560

http://www.skuttle.com/aircontrols.html

In summary, a damper inside the duct is moved when the furnace blower operates allowing outside air in. When the blower stops, the damper moves again to obstruct the flow of outside air. The damper can be calibrated with a pair of counterweights in the outside of the unit (see patent). I have followed the manufacturers instructions for calibration and failed every time. Either the damper wants to stay closed or it wants to stay open. I cannot get it to adjust according to the blower power. Does anybody has any experience with these units? Any ideas on proper calibration or on what could go wrong with these devices?

All fresh air intakes do is provide a slight positive pressure within the home.  This means inside air is pushed out through non-airtight spaces in the building envelope as there is slightly more air pressure inside than outside and nature abhors a pressure gradient.

Without an intake there is normally slight negative pressure where outside air is sucked inside from all over the place creating cold drafts during winter.

With positive pressure you don't feel drafts, outside air gets sent through furnace air filter slightly cutting down on dust accumulation.  Air consuming devices—bathroom and kitchen vents, gas furnaces, gas water heaters, fireplaces—work better/safer.

Unless your furnace/ducting/returns are sized/designed incorrectly and the envelope of your home is being over-pressured, only same amount of air that would normally be leaking in from cracks is sucked into the fresh air intake to replace that escaping air.

This situation is all very different from a mental picture of a fan operating in a large open space where the amount of "sucking" is always proportional to amount of "blowing" where the higher you turn up the fan the more air is sucked in.

In your home an intake works more like a fan blowing into an enclosed box:  no matter how much you turn up the fan "sucking" is unchanged if there is nowhere for the air to go.

Within reason (e.g. no over-pressure) no matter how much faster the fan turns sucking of outside air can only be proportional to the amount of air leaving the home.  Most of the energy goes into moving inside air around between supply and return ducting.


Can I reasonably build a pergola on top of an 8'x12' deck? I've been having trouble coming to a conclusion on whether I can reasonably build/mount a pergola to my existing 8'x12' deck. The main issue is I can't attach it to my house because of the roof overhang and clearance. Its also unreasonable to dig to add external posts outside the deck area. e.g. build a posted pergola bigger and around my deck. The below pics don't show it great, but there is good room for a 8'x8' free standing roof/pergola at the end of the deck. I was inspecting the deck construction and I can notch 4"x4" posts to mount outside against the joints, flush with the railing. e.g. the 4x4s would side outside on the left and right of the deck, and be leg bolted to the deck joints, ideally as close to the deck posts at possible.

An umbrella is not reasonable either. It's only a 8x12 deck and sticking a table big enough to support an umbrella would make the deck too tight. I could go lighter on the material so I don't have 400lbs of wood overhead. I was considering the possibility of boxing the posts on all 4 sides with 45 degree top corner bracers using 2x6 lumber, then running only 2x4 joints. I was also trying to look into retractable canopy kits that you bolt into a wood frame, similar to what I'm thinking of. Only they're hard to come by where I live. (Canada) Everyone (Lowes, HD, Rona) sells gazebos, pre-made pergolas, awnings and umbrellas only.

Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks in advance!

It's impossible to suggest a proper structure without much more detail about the existing deck structure. A solution is very likely available, I just can't say what it is. Here's some structural issues that must be addressed to be successful.

The weight of the added structure must be properly transfered into the deck structure. Plus some live load for accumulated snow or simply added safety factor. The weight cannot overload any existing structure or joints, nor the foundation system.

The added structure must resist lateral loads from wind and possibly seismic factors without racking. The railing posts could be adequate, depending on how they tie into the rest of the structure. If not, employ knee braces at every post to resist lateral loads.

You are basically building a parachute. All connections must be tied together so that this thing cannot possibly be blown away in a wind storm. Ties must be employed to transfer uplift loads from the roof all the way down into the foundation. If the existing deck connections do not provide this, they must be reinforced.


Sill plate alternatives when *not* using pressure treated wood? I have a barn I am restoring. I do not want to use pressure treated wood for the sole plate or sill plate. My carpenter would use 4 x6 locust at 12 foot lengths, but we cannot find any.

Can anyone suggest an alternative? And if so, what kind of moisture barrier would be necessary.

We are not going for code regulations here. So I am open to suggestion. Lumber mill suggested white oak with tight knots.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

There are many species of wood that are naturally insect and moisture resistant. Redwood comes to mind. People used this for decks long before pressure treated came along.

Just install it as you would PT wood with a sill plate gasket.

Good luck!


Why is there a one second delay before the lights turn on with this new dimmer switch? I just installed a new dimmer switch (Lutron Skylark (SCL-153PH-WH)) in my dining room.  The previous switch was a single pole dimmer switch that would turn on the lights on immediately when switched on. The new switch is a one or two pole dimmer switch.  I found that there was only a red and orange wire in the box to connect to the red and black wires on the new switch.  I connected red to red and black to orange.  It has a one second delay when the light is turned on.  Now I wonder if I have mis-wired it or if I have a faulty switch.  Any ideas on why this is occurring and how to correct the lag so it is instant on?

You are right HandyMan - I called Lutron and it turns out there is a micro processor in this model which allows it to work well with led bulbs which causes this delay.  It is not defective nor the wiring.  They said they have a newer version of a similar model called the Diva, which has no delay when turning on the light.  They said that there is a newer model of the Skylark coming out soon too which will eliminate the delay.  Thank you all for your help with this question! :)


Water Heater PRV keeps opening I have a water heater that is 20 years old. When we turn up the water temp the pressure release value opens and drains water into the overflow pipe. The issue is this then overflows from the top of the pipe onto the floor and is only fixed by turning the water temp down. The water temp setting doesnt even have to be too high for this to happen. Time for a new water heater??

20 years old, it's almost certainly time for a new one unless it's of very unusual construction - like stainless steel.

If water:

  overflows from the top of the pipe onto the floor

Then the overflow pipe is not correctly routed - it should go DIRECTLY down to the floor. I can see it going sideways in the picture on your other question. It also appears to be reduced in size, which is a code violation, and if it's positioned so that water is held (trapped) in it, that's a code violation.

Many hot water heaters need an expansion tank to avoid over-pressurizing the PRV when heating a slug of cold water when no water is being used. Most PRVs are rather bad about resealing when they have been "exercised" a bit. Both of these may play into your problem.


Furnace running.Shuting off for a few mins then starting again.Continued process Why would my furnace run it's cycle, shut down and then start up again a few minutes later. Continuing this cycle all night?? Thanks

If the home is maintaining the temperature set on the thermostat (at least AT the thermostat) then it's probable that you are near, but not quite at, "design load" for the furnace. At design load, the furnace runs 100% of the time to keep up with heat loss in the house and maintain temperature - if it gets colder than that outside (below the "design temperature"), the house gets colder than set. At anything less than design load, the furnace runs a fraction of the time, and is off a fraction of the time. The closer the outside temperature is to "design temperature" the longer the run time and shorter the off time. As it gets warmer outside, the off time increases and the run time gets shorter.

Anything that makes the house lose heat faster raises the effective design temperature (doesn't change what temperature was assumed to design it, but alters the actual one.)

Anything that makes the house lose heat slower lowers the  effective design temperature (doesn't change what temperature was assumed to design it, but alters the actual one.)

If the house is NOT maintaining the set temperature AND the furnace is shutting off regularly, something may be in need of maintenance/adjustment.


Needle valve connection to plastic tubing I tried to connect the needle valve to plastic tubing, but the tube slides out if I pull on it. More over the metal no longer fits over the tube because it has already been tightened.

Since one side no longer fits I tightened the other side to stop the water for now but for sure this will not hold. What is the right way to go about this?

Your assembly looks right. The tubing could be nicked, though, so when you try again snip off an inch from the end of the tubing so you'll have a fresh surface to work with. Also verify the mating face of the valve is clean and undamaged.

One common cause of leaks with poly tubing (at least it used to be for me) with the use of a brass ferrule is that the ferrule can get misaligned a little too much. It gets compressed a little out of round and won't seal. It's more prone to happening with poly tubing because poly is softer than copper tubing. The job definitely can be done with a brass ferrule; I'm only saying it can be a little challenging and don't feel badly that it has taken a few tries.

You could try the connection with a Delrin (aka acetal or "plastic") ferrule as illustrated in this answer. They're a bit easier to work with on poly tubing. These ferrules are generally available alongside the other fittings for tubing in a plumbing department.


What maintenance does a cedar deck require? We just moved into a house with a very nice 16'x16' cedar screened porch. The problem is I've never had a cedar deck and am not sure what maintenance to expect or how often to do it.

Cedar is naturally rot-resistant, but not 100% rot proof. Keep it clean & dry.

Leaves are especially good at promoting rot. They are design to turn in to new soil to feed the tree they fall from, so they rot fast. If they clump up on your deck, they will hold moisture & invite fungus to break them down. That will hurt your deck, too.

In general, look for anything that will hold moisture against your deck. Yard debris, a door mat, etc.


Can polyalloy (plastic) pex fittings be used with both styles of attachment rings? Some pex fittings are made of a type of durable plastic known as polyalloy. Examples:

These fittings appear to be plastic equivalents of their brass counterparts.

In general is it permissible to use either the copper crimp rings OR the stainless steel cinch / pinch clamps with this type of fitting?

Notes:

This wasn't addressed in What is the advantage of PEX pinch clamp vs. crimp rings?

TLDR: Yes, either type of attachment ring can be used. At least in the USA, these products have to conform to standards which make this so. Additionally, some manufacturers specifically state this is the case.

Details:

Primarily, this seems to come down to manufacturing standards.

In the USA, "PolyAlloy" fittings are governed by standard ASTM F2159 Standard Specification for Plastic Insert Fittings Utilizing a Copper Crimp Ring... which states:

  This specification establishes requirements for sulfone plastic
  insert fittings utilizing a copper crimp ring for [PEX] tubing...

Based on that alone, it would seem that these plastic fittings can only accept the copper crimp rings, not the Oetiker-style stainless steel cinch rings.

However, cinch rings are governed by ASTM F2098 Standard Specification for Stainless Steel Clamps for Securing [PEX] Tubing to Metal Insert and Plastic Insert Fittings which states

  This specification covers stainless steel clamps ... that comply with F1807 or F2159, and
  cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) plastic tubing ...

Therefore by reference to F2159 it seems that the cinch clamps are effectively retconned into acceptability for use with polyalloy fittings.

For example, Everflow fittings are documented to be "Certified to ASTM F2159". And here's a marking on a Vanguard Apollo package indicating the same:

Update: I contacted Apollo about this and they wrote:

  You may use pinch rings, copper crimp rings, pro crimp rings, and
  stainless steel sleeves with any of our Poly Alloy fittings.

So at least as far as their products go, there should be no problem. And I think therefore that any of these fittings made to the same standard ought to be fine also.


Where to locate heat tape within gutter Our recently purchased home has de-icing cable and we rely on it to prevent ice dams and water intrusion (had a couple of wet spots last winter).  It was not a professional installation.  I called to have them repaired by a professional, but they insist on a complete removal, discard and replace which we cannot afford.  I'm going to check continuity and relocate some cable to help water flow.

The way the current cable is positioned within the gutter does not seem ideal.  It is in some places higher than the rim of the gutter and in other places lays on the bottom of the gutter.  I don't see any specific instructions online, but photos of proper installations look like they try to keep the cable off of the bottom of the gutter.  I'm guessing to avoid debris buildup in the summer.

I'm also not clear on whether or not to weave the gutter cable through the zigs of the roof cable or whether they should be attached by metal clip.  They are currently attached by metal clip, but most have failed.  I've seen both methods recommended.

In summary:  Should I run gutter ice melt cable in the bottom of the gutter or suspended above?  Should I weave the gutter cable thru the bends of the roof cable or attach with provided clips?

It shouldn't make a huge difference but higher is better as you ideally don't want it to spend most of its time submerged.  Using the provided clips is a better solution long run as this puts less stress on all the components of the system.


Installing Light Switch I'm trying to connect a new light switch but can't seem to figure out what connects with what.  Can someone please help me?  Thank you!

I've never connected a motion switch before but it looks like the two whites neutrals in the wall box stay together, and then just twist one of the two blacks coming out the wall box each and individually with one of the blacks coming off the switch (just pick one from wall to twist with wire nut with one on the switch, and then do the other blacks). The green and the other small wire are ground wires so those will go from a newly connected pigtail to the metal box, and follow instructions from the Important Grounding Note section below for correctly connecting the grounds.

Important Grounding Note: You should use pigtails to connect the two grounding conductors to the circuit grounding conductors, and the box. Putting them all under the same screw, is not the proper way to do it.


Wiring for long runs Problem:
I didn't do my research before running a 200ft 12/2UF-B W/G  cable from my breaker to my shed branching off to my pergola in between. I saw that 12ga was for 20amps and then run with it without thinking about distance and voltage drop.  Well, i haven't powered it up yet but after coming across a calculator online it seems that i may have a problem on my hands.

My solution:
My solution will be to re-run from J-Box which is in-between shed and breaker panel using 6/2 wire and then from there branch off to the receptacles in pergola and shed with already buried 12/2 wires. My only concern is still the distance.  Will i be okay with this self-proposed solution?  From B to C there is barely any digging.  I just have to pop one of the deck boards up, drill holes through the studs to the end of the pergola, come out of the pergola, dig 18" for roughly 3ft,bore an inch hole into the concrete above and then go through the attic space and drop off the wall to the breaker panel.  From B to A however, i will have to trench another 75feet to get into the shed.

As ThreePhaseEel has suggested and since its already installed maybe you should think about what your really need (demand verses connected). One thing you could do is install an extra conductor to your run to the jbox and get one circuit to the pagoda and one circuit to the shed. Also I would rethink my conductor size to the j-box. Having a #6 run 110 ft to a #12 running a further 90 ft wouldn't be my idea of a good circuit. To be sure you would have to do a drop calculation to the j-box and then another to the shed. In other words I don't see the benefit of running the #6. Also FYI a #6 does not fit in a standard 20 or 15 amp breaker. The largest they  accept is a #8. So you would have to splice another tail on to it in the panel.

I have also done what everyone has suggested. Only I have installed a buck/boost transformer. You could install it either at the load or line side of the circuit, and simple boost the voltage to whichever % your going to need to cover the drop. Remember you would have to do a voltage drop calculation with the necessary amperage at each location to get the proper boost. Also remember that  even though you adjust the voltage you will experience a power loss due to the resistance of the wire.

Example: If you installed a boost xfmr to cover a 10% loss. Then you would loose 10% of your power.  120V*20A=2400VA(W), less 10% would be (120V*20A)*90%=2160VA(W) or 2160W/120V=18A. See how it works.

Good luck on whatever you decide.


How to unfasten electrical subpanel attached with ramset I'm getting ready to frame out a wall in my basement that has an electrical subpanel.  I would like to move the panel out an inch or so, so I can frame around it and it will be flush with the finished wall.  There is plenty of room and extra cable above so that I shouldn't need to rewire anything.  My original plan was to remove cover, frame around it, turn off power, unscrew panel and slide it forward, reattach to studs, replace cover, turn power back on.  But, the builders attached it with a ramset directly to the concrete!  So, does anyone have any ideas on how to get that thing removed without having to disconnect all of the wiring to get a prybar in there?  There might be enough clearance to get a sawsall blade behind the box and cut the nails from there, but I wouldn't bet on it.  Any other ideas would be much appreciated.

Powder-actuated gun nails are extremely hard. You don't want to have to cut them with a saw, and you probably won't have room anyway.

Get yourself an angle grinder with an abrasive wheel. Bracing your hands well against the box, carefully grind away just the heads of the nails. You should then be able to pull the box off the nail shafts.

Obviously, take all necessary precautions when working around electrical current, and use eye and ear protection.

Caveat: Be sure that you have enough length available on your primary conductors to make the move you have planned. You may also be required to install conduit behind the box, where the wires are exposed.


Locating burst point in copper pipe There's a leak, most likely a freeze burst, in a vertical section of 1/2" copper pipe that runs behind some drywall.  In order to minimize the amount of drywall that I have to tear out, I'd like to locate the burst before hacking up the wall.  Is there a way to do this?

Sure, just turn the water back on and wait.

Of course, that won't actually minimize the drywall repair work. But you'll eventually localize where the leak is.

My actual approach would be to point out that a big drywall repair is barely any harder than a small one, so get over that misconception and rip away.


Removing dimmer switches, 4 wires I'm trying to replace 2 dimmer switches with normal switches but I'm confused by how they are wired.  Each dimmer controls a different set of lights yet they are connected in a way.

1 dimmer has a red wire on the top right screw, a white on the bottom right and a copper ground on the top left.  From the bottom right screw there is an additional small white wire that then jumps to the bottom right screw of the second dimmer.  This dimmer has a black wire connected to the top right but no ground.

I was going to just put two new switches into place in the exact same configuration but the lights have been shutting off somewhat randomly and I'm wondering if it's because of how these switches are wired.  Is this configuration right?  If not how can I fix it?

Sounds to me like the white wire is the ungrounded (hot) conductor, and should be reidentified as such using a bit of black tape/paint/marker. Power comes to the first switch via the white, and then to the second with a white jumper.

The red wire is the switched "hot", which is used to control one light. The black wire is the other switched "hot", and is used to control the other light. The bare wire is ground.

To install two new switches:

Turn the power off, and verify that it's off.
Mark the white wire with a bit of black tape/paint/marker.
Connect the white wire with two short bits of black wire (pigtails), using a twist-on wire connector.
Connect one black pigtail to one switch terminal, and the other to one of the switch terminals of the other switch.
Connect the red wire to the other terminal of one switch.
Connect the black wire to the other terminal of the other switch.
Using bare copper or green pigtails, connect a ground wire to the green screw on each switch, and the box if it's metal.

When done, it should look something like this.


Drywall or cement board in gap between bathtub and corner So, I’ve about installed all the cement board for my bathroom tile renovation around the 3 sides of the tub. There is approximately a 2” gap between the corner of the room and the bath tub. For the 2” gap that runs the depth of the tub, should I use cement board or dry wall? I’m not planning to tile this - it was previously, but going down the side of the tub I recognize it’s at risk of water damage.
The tile will start at the bathtub and go from the tub up to the ceiling.

The spot next to the tub is a trouble area. I have found that the more robust the wall material is (i.e. less porous, harder) the longer it will last without water damage, that is why I tiled that area next to my tub.

"...should I use cement board or dry wall?"

I recommend cement board. Furthermore, I encourage you to use a harder plaster material (instead of joint compound) such as a "setting-type" plaster (e.g. water putty, "fixall", plaster of paris, etc.) as the base coat on top of the cement board and at the joint.
Setting-type plasters are a bit hard to work with because they have a short working time, they set hard, and are difficult to sand or smooth after they set. However, hard plaster as a substrate to normal joint compound should help prevent structural damage in case of water contact over time. NOTE- all plaster is porous, but hard plater is less porous. Use joint compound as the final coat so you can sand it flat and smooth, use a high quality paint with a gloss, and caulk well.


What Condition Can Concrete Be In And Be Recycled? I have a basement slab that I'm going to be breaking up and sending to a recycler. Here's what I would like to avoid:

The concrete being rejected at the site of recycling
The concrete causing some problems with the recycler's facilities

Both are admittedly unlikely, but I'm a worrier. In my basement I have carpet pads that I will be removing to access the slab, and those pads were attached to the concrete with what I assume was construction adhesive several decades ago. I'm wondering how clean I need to get the concrete to be able to get it accepted for recycling.

I asked the recycling facility this question, but didn't get an answer. Anyone know?

You're fine, as long as the amount of debris is low.  A bit of carpet glue, no problem.  Huge chunks of carpet, or mud, no good.  Of course you can ask the recycling company for a contamination rate, but pretty much if it looks clean, it's good to go.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concrete_recycling


Should I replace a 50A oven breaker with a 40A breaker if that's adequate? I am replacing electric range in an older house with a legacy 3-wire supply. Based on reading posts in this forum, I realize that I can enhance safety by upgrading to a 4-wire supply.
One things I'm trying to sort out is: right now, the range is wired to a 50A breaker. However, the new range is rated for 40A.
Should I replace that 50A breaker with a 40A? I see at least one advantage: I can use slightly lower gauge wire, which would be a little easier to work with. But is there any other advantage or reason to change? The panel is about 7 years old, so it's not an especially old breaker.
Thanks!

First of all, note that if your current wiring is in good condition, you don't need to remove it to install a 4 wire cable.  Instead, you can retrofit a ground by using an appropriately sized wire (depending on your breaker choice), running along any route you please, that connects the stove to the panel it's served from, or to any ground wire at least that big that goes to that service panel (i.e. the wire from your ground rods).
As far as the breaker size, check your new range's instructions: if they say it requires a 40A breaker, then yes, you need to change it to that.  If instead it says you must use a minimum of a 40A breaker, it should also list a maximum (which will almost certainly be 50A), and in that case you're free to use either.
As far as the wire size, you could downgrade to a lower gauge if you're using a 40A breaker, but since you already have 3 of the 4 wires sized for 50A, personally I'd recommend sticking with the current 50A wire and adding a 50A ground wire as well -- that way if you (or whoever buys your house someday) wants a more powerful range in the future, you'll be ready.  It's always allowed to use bigger wire, so putting wire that's good for 50A on a 40A breaker is no problem.


How can I securely hang a very heavy object on wall made of hollow bricks? I would like to hang a blackboard (it could weigh 160 - 190lbs) on an interior wall made of hollow terracotta brick like this.

In the case of solid bricks I see there are a number of solutions readily available, but I'm not sure how to proceed in the case of hollow bricks.

Thanks in advance for any guidance.

There is a class of anchors called "hollow wall anchors".  Most of the time these are used for sheetrock or plaster walls so people don't think about them when it comes to brick, but many of them will work in hollow bricks.  There are many types and should be available at any home store.

Sample toggle bolt

The challenge will be making sure you hit a "hole" in the brick.  There are different anchors for hollow bricks and for solid bricks, so it probably make sense to have both on hand.  If you drill a hole and hit a solid portion of brick, use the solid anchor.  If you hit a hole, use the hollow anchor.

When hanging a large item like a blackboard, you may be able to adjust your hole spacing to make sure you always hit a hollow area.


Is the laundry room floor drain connected to the water heater? My home is built on a slab foundation. When I turn on the hot water valve I get no hot water. Instead it backs up from the floor drain under my washing machine. One person told me I had to re-plumb my home. This doesn't make sense to me. I can use cold water all day long with no problem in shower, toilet, washing machine, sinks, etc. How would turning on the hot water cause the drain to back up? I am a 69 year old single woman and don't know if I am getting the correct information. A total re-plumb is very costly.

One way this could be occurring is if the PT valve on the hot water heater is open and if the water through it is directed into your santitary sewer. If this is the case, it will be very easy to fix.

You will feel and hear water flowing through this overflow; it comes out of the side of your hot water tank. I assume you have turned off the cold water supply valve in the cold water supply to the water heater. Turn on this valve and listen and feel the overflow line. Turn it off quickly so you don't get water backing up in your floor drain. If the PT relief valve will not stay closed, you will have to call a plumber. There is a toggle handle on the PT relief valve. Cycle it and see if it will close.


How to adjust a pressure regulator, that doesn't have a screw/bolt? The pressure in my house seems to have dropped, so I called my City Water department. They came out and tested it, and said my regulator must be bad. So I dug it up, and found it's one I've never seen. It doesn't have a screw/bolt on top. It could have broken off, but it's hard to tell with the dirt. There is something that looks like it could turn, if you had a special star/hex/torx/allen bit.

In general, it looks similar to a SharkBite 3/4 regulator. I did make a letter P on top, right were it starts to curve down.

So any thoughts? Here is a picture of what I have now.

My guess is that the screw is missing and you're getting the lowest possible pressure as a result. If it were me, I'd just replace it if you're able to access the other side and clear away the water under it (why is there water under it?). With access to both sides, replacing it is an easy DIY job if you're comfortable cutting and soldering pipes.


Difference between $50 and $175 breaker I have a Zinsko outdoor panel with a 100 amp breaker for the garage and 125 amp breaker for the cottage. The breakers are bad, so checked into replacing them. It seems a Zinco or Connecticut electric breaker is $175 or more each as compared to any other brand that are about $50 each.

Wondering what the difference is between these breakers and inexpensive breakers, zinas I'm contemplating replacing the panel and breakers with Siemens, Square D, etc., as panel and breakers would be $200 total. And if the breakers need to be replaced again due to being near salt water ocean, cost would be 1/3 of a $175 breaker.

The reason why Zinsco/compatible breakers are so gosh darn expensive is because Zinsco panels are obsolete and have a somewhat checkered field failure history -- while they do not suffer as badly from the issues that plague FPE's line of non-breakers, the Zinsco breaker line still has some of the same problems: namely miscalibration (i.e. failure to trip under low to moderate overload conditions) and breaker-to-busbar arcing/overheating damage.

As to a replacement type: the resistance of modern electrical grade aluminum alloy (AA-8000) to salt air corrosion (pitting) is unknown, but presumed to be poor -- also, salt air and current drive can aggravate galvanic corrosion of aluminum, weighing against the use of unplated aluminum busbars in salt air, and also against zinc-plated aluminum (the standard for aluminum busbar panels) due to bimetallic effects.

This leaves us with copper busbar panel options; some use various forms of plated busbars (either silver flashed or tin plated copper), while others use a bare copper busbar. While silvered contacts are generally considered to have excellent corrosion performance overall (tarnish is conductive enough in thin layers that it doesn't impact contact performance the way oxides do), the presence of chlorides (salt spray) can result in nonconductive silver chloride being present.  On the other hand, tin plating withstands salt attack very well in salt spray tests, and so does bare copper.

Another factor is that if the existing enclosure is appropriately weatherproof and in good condition, an Eaton retrofit kit can be installed by an electrician to convert the existing panel to a type CH (copper bus BR is not available in the retrofit kits).  Of course, if the enclosure's shot and needs replacing, then replace it.


Do I need to lay plywood before I lay down cementboard? I'm remodeling my Bathroom and I had to lay down new 2 x 6" T&G boards. I plan to lay tile so I bought Hardiebacker (cement backer board). I was planning on laying down the backer board, lay thinset over T & G boards then backer board, but after reading a lot of sites I'm not sure if this is the best way to go. My tile area will be about a 4' x 5' foot section on the floor. I'm also reluctant to put down 1/2" plywood then backer board then tile because it will create a big lip between the bathroom and hall way.

If those T&G boards are your subfloor, you'll be fine putting the cementboard panels right over them. Just screw them down to the wood subflooring with plenty of screws; don't use thinset for that.  DO use thinset to cover the cementboard seams and screw holes, then tile right over it.


Why is my electric water heater making an intermittent groaning noise? My 8 year old electric water heater started to make a strange rattling noise a couple of weeks ago. The noise happens at random and lasts for only a few minutes. Short bursts of noise about a minute apart and stops after about 6 rattling bursts. The noise sounds like a loud groan. I heard this sound about 2 weeks ago for the first time and I've only heard it about 4 times since.We have plenty of hot, clean and soft water. My tank is a RHEEM 40 Gallon.
Is my tank failing?

Groaning, rumbling, or other low-pitched noises from a hot water heater are typical symptoms of excessive sediment buildup in the heater; normally, flushing it via the bottom drain valve is recommended to clean out the sediment buildup.  If not cleaned out, eventually the heater's lower element will burn out due to being buried in insulating sediment (calcium carbonate).


Is replacing the nails with gasketed screws likely to remedy leaks in a metal shed roof? I own a 40 year old shed with a steel roof that was fastened using gasketed nails. Over time the nails have worked loose and the gaskets disintegrated and many of the holes leak.

Will pulling them and replacing them in the same holes with screws designed for the job resolve the leaks, or at least most of them?

I would think that if the nails are the leak source then yes replace them with rubber gasket-ed screws, but put some quad sealant in each hole before driving the screw in.


What types of surfaces can I use ammonia or isopropyl alcohol for cleaning? Consider just NH3 and C3H8O (isopropyl alcohol) for their cleaning ability, in liquid form, on common hard surfaces (glass, aluminum, stainless steel, finished wood, PETE, etc).  The action is just soaking and wiping with a towel, repeatedly.

What's the best example of a "preferred hard surface" (i.e., the other cleaner would not work as well) for each cleaner?

I was thinking that the contaminant on the surface can be any greasy thing, but maybe it's more complicated, so feel free to instead give a "preferred contaminant plus hard surface".

The goal here is basically to understand the simplest cleaners since I never know which to use.  Memorizing a simple list might help me.

Ammonia:

The ammonia, also known as ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH), is an aqueous solution containing ammonia gas (NH3).

Ammonia is available for sale in supermarkets and hypermarkets

What to clean with ammonia?
fingernails varnish

Ammonia is a useful detergent to a large amount of stains. It removes stains of:

Blood
Wine
Transpiration
Fruits,
Wax
Varnish,
And many others.

It can be used on:

All tissue types except silk and wool,
rugs and carpets,
wallpaper,
dishes and windows,
electrical appliances,
floors and walls (except cement and concrete)
plastics,
wood.

Precautions for use of ammonia:

Ammonia is a hazardous material that must be used with care:

Read the instructions carefully.
Wear protective gloves.
Do not breathe its irritating odor.
Open the window.
Always dilute ammonia in a large quantity of water.
Keep the ammonia out of the reach of children and pets.
On fragile materials, first test its effect on an invisible part.


Can I run CAT6 FTP cables parallel to electrical cable in the same conduit? Can I run CAT6 FTP cables beside to electrical cable (220v 1 amp) in same PVC Trunking ?

Absolutely not.

Low voltage (LV) and mains cannot share a conduit.

Further, you cannot attach anything else to the outside of the electrical conduit.  So forget about ty-wrapping the LV cable to the  outside of the conduit...


Where should I install a wall heater? I have a house with no wall heater, and would like to install one.  What criteria should I use to help me determine the best place for the heater?  Is it better, for instance, to be on an inside wall?  Would it be better to have it beside the door of a room I want to get some of the heat, or on an adjacent wall, to "direct" the heat toward the door?

Most HVAC's are designed with vents near areas or low insulation or drafts, which are typically windows and doors on exterior walls. I'd suggest the same should be done for any space heater, baseboard, or in your case, a wall heater. The reason is to equalize the temperature in the room and counter-balance any drafts.

That said, a wall heater will have different requirements from an HVAC vent, the main one being that you only have a single heater rather than lots of vents. You have to consider the power/fuel source and how you'll run the line to your selected wall. Be sure place it where combustible materials won't be placed near the heater (the specs on the heater will tell you how much clearance it needs).

One last consideration is to maximize the space that can receive heat, and in particular the spaces that you plan on using the most. So if you place it in a room and close the door, no other rooms will be heated, but that room will be heated really well. If you place it in a hallway, the whole home will get some heat, but each room will only get a little of that heat and only when their doors are left open.


Carrier HVAC: CO Alarm and Smells I'm trying to figure out the right questions to ask. I've not had good luck with a HVAC service company when we first purchased the house. As I don't think I have any urgent risks given the 3x Nest sensors are working (i.e. they would have to fail on different floors), I'd like to try and get an understanding of potential root-causes before trying my luck with a service company. Appreciate all advice.
Issues:

Our Nest Protect CO alarm has gone off twice since it got cold - 90
days apart, in the basement only. Opening the windows cleared the
gas and the issue did not re-occur.

Separately, near the air-filter area, a strange smell of
post-processed gas(if that makes sense) is lingering in the air.
Again, opening a window clears this right up.

While I think the air-filter might be old(?) and changed it for issue #2, could I have a more generic issue of an exhaust valve being clogged that might be causing things to linger? I'm not aware of any physical trauma to the HVAC system between the last two winters - so it's perhaps some natural build-up?
Thank you.

Where is the make up air for the boiler?
I think I see a vent to the top left but it appears blocked. If that is a fresh air inlet and it is blocked I hope your last will and testament is in order!
I lost a friend to carbon monoxide poisoning years back it is nothing to mess with. Your system needs fresh air for the CO to escape with no fresh air it escapes into the living space.
The fact that it is detected on another floor means it is an IMMEDIATE  HAZARD !
Make sure there is fresh air this is probably the issue. The small amount of cold air being drawn in by your boiler having to be heated is nothing compared to cost of a casket, no I am not kidding!


how to install drawer slides but are scraping against drawer? I just built and installed four drawers into a bed frame I recently built.  I was careful to keep everything square and parallel and the finished sides of the drawers as well as the cabinet where they go are parallel to better than 1/32 inch (0.8 mm).

To avoid headaches, I made the cabinet openings about 1/8 inch (3.2 mm) wider than the drawers plus the one inch required by the slides (1/2 inch each side; total cabinet opening is 1 + 1/8 inch wider than the drawer).

However, not one of the drawers slides easily.  They feel like they are binding and scraping wood against wood.  I have looked carefully and am certain the drawer bottoms, tops, sides, and edges are not touching the cabinet at any point along the way.

I used these soft closing ball bearing slides:

I think it is the rails themselves that are scraping the drawer and cabinet.  Looking down them, along the sides of the drawers it looks pretty tight:

That is the left drawer edge (with dovetails) at the left and another drawer at the right.  The parallel plywood is the center support and "cabinet edges" for both drawers.  The extra 1/8 inch width is made up by using the slide's "shim tabs" (for lack of a known name) which is being used on the left slide in the photo.  The right drawer's right slide (not in photo) is doing the same thing for the right drawer.

I see there is an answer for how to install slides so they line up and work properly, but after reviewing it, I think I covered it as best I can.  That answer's links talk about leveling, for which I installed the slides by measuring the same distance from the top of the sides which are level which support the plywood under the mattress.  I had squareness in mind at all aspects of building.  I couldn't make much sense of this one and this is all about the special jigs sold.

Naturally the instructions that come with the rails are useless:  Install the rails as required (or something to that effect).

So, what am I overlooking?  How should the slides be installed to work smoothly and without scraping?

1/16" is going to make a difference here. Very small margins.

Don't rely on those metal flaps as shims. If you need shims, use shims.

You have not done anything wrong, you've just entered the PITA adjustment phase. Higher-quality hardware has adjustments which can be made after the hardware is installed. These slides are not that. You are fortunate that your problem is the width and not vertical because you'd hate to have to move the glide 1/16" up or down - the screw would keep getting sucked into the old hole.

Take it apart and flatten out those "shims." Then put it back together and try it. Based on the math, it won't be quite right. Add 1/16" shims to both sides and try that. If you have measured correctly this far, you'll be done. Obviously if it doesn't work, try 1/16" shim on only one side. Get some serious shim material that you can measure and which won't compress. And whatever you do, don't strip the holes with all of the in and out.

Whatever that other answer said about support in the front does not apply. These glides don't need support. If they require support it's not done properly.


What animal are these coffee-ground-like leavings around my doorframe from? We are finding strange stuff around the frame of our bathroom door. It looks almost like ground coffee, and has no discernible smell. It's getting out of hand: we cleaned it up yesterday and this much has showed up again today:

There is nothing above or around the frame where this could have come from: no holes or cracks.

Is this the work of some form of woodworm, termite, or some other animal?

We live in a hot, arid climate on the Canary Islands.

I'm not a pest control specialist but that's got insect written all over it, and given the proximity to that wooden architrave/post/whatever-it-is I'd be worried about termites or some other wood boring critter. Call an exterminator post haste.


How high off the ground can you place LED lighting? Our ceiling is about 15 feet tall. We'd like to place LED lights on it to light our seating area and room. We're wondering if the lights are too far if the light may be too diffuse by the time it reaches ground level. Is there a formula, chart, or rule of thumb for what kind of lights you can put at different heights?

There is no general formula besides some really scientific ones. It is rather difficult to find rules of thumbs for calculating light in rooms. In your case the illumination levels on your seating area depend strongly on the beam angle of your luminaires.

However, it is both possible to do some calculations by using pen and paper and to do exhaustive simulations using a computer.

For the latter there are at least two free but professional softwares:
Dialux and Relux

While it takes some time to get into it, you can yield very professional results. Both softwares contain a 3D-modeler for your rooms and exhaustive luminaire databases as well as the possibility to import lamp date like IES and EULUMDAT.

To do a calculation by hand, you need to know the FWHM (full width at half maximum) angle and the lumen output of your light source. Then calculate the illuminated area. Use the formula for the base area of a cone (you can find that at wikipedia) from the FWHM and the height of your room. Then divide the lumen output of your source by the area and reduce that value by roughly 30%.
 Then you get the illuminance in lux. If you install more than one of these sources close to each other, you can simply add up these values. 200 lx are fairly enough for recreational areas. For more challenging tasks like drawing, you need 500 lx.

I suggest looking for lamps with a beam angle not bigger than 30°, perhaps even 15° is necessary.

One thing to consider if light sources are far away is the formation of very sharp shadows. And with a multiple of distant light sources the formation of multiple shadows, which can be quite annoying. This can be avoided by a flat light source. But most flat light sources have a wide angle making it difficult to bring the light there where you need it.

One way or another this will be some sort of tradeoff.


How do I seal an electrical box for a ceiling fan? We recently installed new electrical boxes and hung fans from them. We caulked around the boxes to seal off airflow into the attic. There are several small holes (and one has a medium sized hole) on the boxes. What's the proper way to seal this off to prevent the blown-in insulation from falling through the hole into the box (a fire hazard I presume)? Is caulking them appropriate or just putting a piece of electrical tape over the holes?

I believe that insulation falling in is less of a fire hazard than air escaping through the holes during a fire.  The intent is to prevent air from flowing out into the attic space during a fire, which would create a chimney effect and continue to feed the fire oxygen.
But good news, you can achieve both with the same approach.
You want to use a fire-rated expanding foam or caulk. In the gaps within and around a ceiling box, I’d use the intumescent style of either which will expand further when exposed to heat.
Be sure to clean out any foam or caulk that works its way into the electrical box. From a code perspective, it is important to keep the volume of the box the same.
While using electrical tape to seal the holes in an electrical box is likely better than nothing, I don't suspect it will survive the heat of a fire for very long given that it is not "attached" to anything over the void of the hole.  An intumescent caulk or foam will provide a much more durable blockage to prevent not only insulation from falling in, but from air escaping during a fire (which is the bigger concern IMHO).


Why does one switch only work when another is on? I'm trying to wire up a living room light on a new switch. Prior owners ran wire from panel to outside lights first then back inside to the electrical box that contains the single pole switch. So I have tried to connect the neutral only to the new switch and tap into the hot wire from my outside switch. Doing this makes the new switch only work when my outside lights are on. Do I need a different switch? or is there anything else I can do?

If your original wiring schematic is correct black and white on the switch this is a switch loop, or switch leg!
the power goes to the fixture. Then the hot comes back to the switch on the white it is not a neutral.
at this point do not connect all whites together as someone said. The white “always hot” should be marked as a hot the black complete’s the circuit to the outside light. The switch turns on and off this connection!
New wiring would need to be run the new light. You cannot tap a switch leg to provide power for another device!
Be careful accepting assistance on the internet because there are a lot of people that don’t have a clue I hope you have not damaged things wiring etc.
This is a prime example of internet only electricians in a circle !


Symptom of bad breaker? I was changing some old light switches at a friend's house. The breaker panel wasn't labeled, so I did the bad thing, I tripped the breaker by shorting a hot line to ground. The lights went out, and I swapped out the 3 light switches. But along the way I got a bit of a shock. Sure enough, my tester showed the wires were still live, just not live enough to power lights.

The question - does a tripped breaker still leak a bit, or is this a symptom of a bad breaker? Once I identified the breaker and flipped it on and off, I couldn't detect any leakage.

Circuit breakers generally do not leak at all.  But the kind of surge you put on it could have caused the internals to melt together before it blew.

It could also be a breaker further up the line that didn't take it well.

It could even be the main breaker.

But if you have live voltage on the neutral then it is also likely that somewhere along the neutral connection the surge caused it to become disconnected.  This could be at a wire nut.  Or, perhaps it got hot enough to melt the wire and caused it to separate.

In a case like this I would call a qualified electrician to sort things out.

You could literally be playing with fire.


Do I need to protect all wiring in an attic when adding a permanent ladder? I am wanting to add a permanent attic ladder to create storage space in a big attic. There is already exposed wiring in a few places in the attic. If I add a permanent ladder, does that then mean that according to code that all attic wires now need to be protected? Some of the cable would be covered by 3/4" plywood for flooring, but other cable is hanging above in the rafter braces. If I add this ladder, what are some different options to protect this hanging cable so it meets code? Or is that really necessary if it's not in the main part of the attic for storage that will have the plywood flooring?

I have never had an AHJ confront me about exposed romex in an attic with or without a permanent ladder. One quick note though, if you are laying down plywood Make sure there are no electrical cables laying across the joist where they may be pinched and shorted. Notch the joist and use nail plates or reroute the cables.

Good luck


Wiring Help Replacing a Two Switch Ceiling Fan and Light with Only a Single Light Fixture--See Photos At the ceiling box where the ceiling fan/light there is:
White Wire
Black Wire
Red Wire
Ground Wire
The 2 wall switches.
The Left switch powered the fan.
The right switch powered the light.
I am installing a single light fixture that has Black, White, and Ground Wire.
How do I re-wire at the switches? What do I need to do to run the new light fixture off of one of the wall switches? How do I properly/safely "Cap-Off" the switch not in use?
Also both of the wall switches the black plastic housings are both cracked pretty good. What types of switches are these so I can replace? Especially the one that will be actually in use.

Lets eliminate the switch with the red wire. Remove the two black wires on the red wire switch, one from the screw terminal and one from the backstab and wire nut them together. Remove the red wire and put a wire nut on it.
Now get a new single pole single throw, standard toggle switch since you stated both switches were cracked. Remove the black wire loop from the switch screw terminal and the wire from the backstab next to it. Pigtail them with a small piece of black wire and connect it to the new switch. Remove the other black wire from the backstab at the other end of the switch and bend a shepherd's hook on the stripped wire and screw it to the other terminal on the new switch. Ground the switch with a piece of #14 wire. Now mount the switch and get a cover similar to the one shown below.
To remove the backstab wires, shove a small screwdriver into the slot by the wires and put the wire out.

At the ceiling box, remove the red wire and wire nut it. Connect the black wire from the box to the black wire from the light fixture with a wire nut. connect the white wires together the same way. Connect the two ground wires together with a wire nut.


What are the pros and cons of cast iron vs. porcelain covered steel bathtubs? What are the pros and cons of cast iron vs. porcelain covered steel bathtubs?  I'm wanting a free standing bathtub but do not want the fiberglass or acrylic type that are common now.

Great call. Cast Iron's bottom & sides are solid, none others are. Steel is quite bouncy & hollow sounding. Cast Iron is very heavy so consider that if you'll be installing yourself. You'll want 3 other helpers & to make a stretcher under its rim out of 2x4's & treat it like a King or Queen...unless winding stairs or shallow hallways will be a length issue.


What size pipe fitting has an outside diameter of about 1/2 inch? So in another thread this week I asked a question about the type of valve I need but I ordered the wrong size...uggh.

I ordered this tee connection because it included a shut off valve...which I like.

The new valve thread (3/8") is too big for the existing nut.
Can someone help me confirm the correct size I need this time?

Half inch (see photo) minus 1/4" for threads = 1/4"...?

1/4" NPT fittings have a nominal outside diameter of just over .5". That's what you have.


What are the options to increase doorway height in load-bearing portion of foundation wall? Question: What are the potential options for increasing doorway height in a load-bearing portion of a cinder block foundation wall?

Background: I am considering finishing my basement, but there is an obstruction in a foundation wall that violates the applicable Ohio Residential Code Section 305 Exception 2: "Habitable spaces created in existing basements shall be permitted to have ceiling heights of not less than 6 feet 8 inches (2032 mm). Obstructions may project to within 6 feet, 4 inches of the basement floor." While I am planning to schedule a consultation with a structural engineer, I would like to know what types of options exist so I can do some research beforehand since a structural engineer's time does not come cheap.

Obstruction Details: A cinder block foundation wall runs through the middle of my basement. There is a single opening in the wall to allow passage between the two sides of the basement. At the top of the opening, there is a layer of brick with a thin steel strap underneath (~1/8" thickness) which extends down to within 6' 3.5" of the floor. This is prior to the addition of any finishing materials. The brick is supporting floor joists and a load-bearing wall on the first floor of my ranch home.

Note: I added an answer to account for applying for a variance, but I do not like this option because I plan to use the basement as an entertaining space. I do not like the thought of the tall members of my family hitting their head on this low-hanging brick obstruction.

There are two very important dimensions left out of the "Obstruction Details". See picture below.

Overall height of overhead clearance. (Directly related to number of courses of cinder blocks in the wall).
Width of the opening. (This is of lesser importance than the overall height).

The dimensions I show are just pure guesses based on what one may expect in a fairly standard basement.

If your basement was built with 10 courses of cinder blocks such that the joist plate is directly over the bricks then there are going to be many fewer options. Already with severely compromised ceiling height the engineer may suggest a cross support beam inline with the wall fitted up between the ends of the joists that are cut off flush to the surface of the cross beam and then supported via metal joist hangers into the sides of the cross beam. Such cross beam would span over the opening and extend to an even multiple of the joists spacing.

If your basement was built with 11 or 12 courses of cinder blocks then you have more options. The engineer may suggest cutting out the bricks and overhead cinder blocks and laying in a cross beam header. This header would be longer than the opening width and may be specified as a steel or wood beam. The ends of this cross beam header would be supported by the first solid cinder block course on either side of the opening. It may have to be shimmed up from the cinder block course with wood or bricking.

With either of these approaches it would be necessary to prop up the overhead joists back away from the opening whilst the engineer approved re-work was being performed.


How do I determine if the energy savings are worth replacing windows for? I have a house with an east-facing wall which is mostly windows. In the winter, during the day I almost never have to run the furnace because of how much the sunlight warms my house. During the summer it's hard to keep cool for the same reason. I'm thinking of replacing most or all of the windows with highly energy efficient windows which I understand work by blocking the heat coming from the sunlight.

I'm wondering how much that will make my winter heating bills go up and if that will be offset by the savings on my electric bill for running my air conditioner in the summer.

Edit: I'm in Ohio.

I have been told but have no first hand knowledge that the way low E windows work is the coating is somewhat directional in the sense that they reflect summer solar energy because the sun in higher in the sky.Winter solar energy is allowed to pass thru because the sun is lower compared to the horizon.A simplified explanation is it works similar to a louvered window blind that is partially opened.Because of the complexity of the formulas needed I would contact your local utility company about a free energy audit.If the windows are dual paned now it may be possible to just have the film applied to your current windows.


Can I safely jumper between either G or Y and RC at thermostat panel to troubleshoot AC problem? I'm trying to troubleshoot a non-functioning AC.  The fan does not come on and there is no cool air/condenser does not run.

My thermostat is a Braeburn.  Three things I'd like to try for troubleshooting, but are they safe:

Can I safely just jumper between the G and RC posts at the thermostat
to see if the ran comes on?
Can I do the same between the Y and RC posts?
I have other Braeburn faceplates (the AC and the heat are separate
systems and the house has 4 zones for heat so I can 'borrow' a
faceplate from another location) - can I safely pop one of those on
the one thermostat that controls the AC to see if the Braeburn is
shot?

The short answer is "Yes you can", but I would hesitate giving a DIY this information without knowing how much experience he has in controls and troubleshooting. True a thermostat is simply a set of switches but you are also bypassing many protective devices used to stop a sequence to protect your equipment. This type of procedure in my circles is infamously known as a "smoke test" or a test of last resort. So if you decided to do it. Be prepared to replace other parts you may damage.

Good luck.


What is the best covering for a redwood deck to keep the wood's character? I am installing a new 2000 sqft deck, in an urban home. It will get intense sun, need low maintenance. The builder wants to cover all 6 sides of each board. Is this realistic or even cost effective versus a good stain and regular upkeep and maintenance?

What is the best covering? I would like to keep something resembling redwood.

By all means, coat all six surfaces.

My favorite wood protectant is raw (NOT BOILED) linseed oil, but it's not for everybody. It takes a mule's age to harden, and it wants periodic recoating (exposed surfaces only) until it's fully built up. Nothing quite matches the beauty of a fifty-year-old well-maintained linseed-oil finish over natural wood, though.


Is painting rough cut wood a reasonable way to smooth it a little? I have some rough cut wood, I don't have a plane, I want to turn them into some crates for storing beer.

Could I just paint them?

Painting rough cut lumber will only smooth out the irregularities a very marginal amount. It will take many coats to smooth it out any significant amount. Plus, depending on how rough your rough cut lumber is, you may have trouble with adhesion.

I'd at least hit your wood with a 60 or 80 grit sandpaper to remove the roughest parts.


If I get a e14 to b22 converter, will this affect how bright the b22 bulb is? What about a gu10 to b22 converter? I was buying same, and I suddenly wondered why they even have different kinds of light fitting. Is a e14 or gu10 socket capable of delivering enough juice to a b22 bulb? The old bulb was 9 watts, new one will be 15 watts.

Yes, they should all have enough current capacity to handle 15 watts.

I don't need to ask your working voltage because at the lowest one likely (12V), current would only be 1.25 amps.  That's less than a turn signal bulb.

The light will be the same brightness.  If for some reason it is less brightness, that should be considered a serious threat, as that means the rest of the energy is trying to set something on fire.  In that case search for whatever's getting warm and fix it.


Capping Wires in Junction Box I was removing some wall plates and noticed that behind a blank wall plate I had the mess of wires as shown. It looks like it's a white wire with a red and yellow wire inside. I used a contact tester on the red and it was indicating voltage, although I have read those are notorious for false positives. My question is if I should cap the white wire with a wire nut. If I do, would there be any issue with the red and yellow being twisted together?

This looks like telephone or doorbell cable.  It can safely be left alone.

This is allowed to be in an orange backless junction box.  It appears in this case they used a blue box rated for mains power and cut the back off of it.