Encapsulate A/C duct inside roof deck insulation? I just bought a house and am evaluating my options for A/C retrofit. We have a partially finished attic, and plan to fully finish it. The roof is currently uninsulated. We have 6" roof joists.

One installer I spoke to proposed to put down 2" of closed-cell foam along the roof deck, then to run oval ducts between the joists in this partially insulated space, and then finally to envelop the ducts in additional spray foam.

Vanguard Energy expressed horror at an analogous setup that used fiberglass batt. The installer argues that this setup is much better than that because the spray foam insulation performs so much better.

Is he right?

How big is the attic space? Maybe forget ducts and put in a mini-split system instead for the attic.

But your contractor is nuts. Two inches of foam is not enough to prevent significant heating/chilling of the ducts from the roof. And spraying foam OVER or next to the duct does nothing to insulate the duct from the roof deck.

Your contractor will probably counter with "but it's only a couple of feet, so you might get a hot/cold blast when the system starts, but then it'll be fine". No. Even when your fan is not running, air is flowing through the system due to convection. So your attic ducts will continually heat/cool the whole house.


New Vanity: Sink Won't Drain Completely My wife and I just replaced the vanity in our bathroom. To fit the new sink, we had to cut some new PVC. Here's a picture.

All the plumbing works, without leaks, except that it will not drain completely out of the sink. After the sink stops draining, there is still about 1/2 inch of water standing in the sink.

All of the pipes that look horizontal are almost exactly horizontal. Did we not include enough of a downward slope? If so, how would we do that?

This might not be the answer, but for reference here is a problem that can occur if the plumbing is not installed properly.

If you look at Fig. 3, this is what a proper drain looks like.  You'll notice the orange line represents the water level in the system, the water levels out in the trap preventing sewer gases from entering the sink drain.

In Fig. 1, you can see what will happen if the drain line has to go up before meeting the main drain line.  Again the orange line represents the water level in the system, and as you can see the water level is much higher in the drain.

Fig. 2 shows what could happen if the sink was installed lower than the rise in the drain line. The water would never fully drain from the sink, since it would require extra pressure in the system to push the water up the drain.

I wouldn't guess this is the issue in this case; since as you can see, if you opened the trap in this case you would have more water drain than what is typically in the trap.

In a perfect world Fig.1 and 2 would never pass inspection, but as we all know not all plumbing is properly installed and/or inspected. So this could possibly be the case in this situation (given the plumbing was installed by an amateur plumber), but it is doubtful. It would be more likely caused by a clog in the line.


Insect net on outward opening window Like all british windows, mine also open to the outside making fitting insect nets quite difficult.

Has anyone managed to find a way to fit nets on these kind of windows?

The only way that I can see is fitting the net on the inside, but then I wont be able to open/close the window.

In the US we call them window screens instead of nets. Yes, there is a "window" made in the window screen for outwardly opening windows that allows you to reach through the screen, unlatch the window and open it. It's called a wicket. Goggle "wickets in window screens".


What's the best material to patch gaps between moulding and the wall? I am installing new moulding (aka baseboards, woodwork, etc).  A few of the walls sort of dip inward, so a gap is left in between the moulding and drywall.  What's a good material for patching this gap?  Would ordinary spackle do the trick or is there a better alternative?  It has to be something I can paint over.

This is a simple job for caulk.  Just get a tube, run a bead, and smooth with your finger.  Allow to dry, and paint it the same color as the baseboard.  If the space is wide enough, first try to close the gap by nailing the moulding into the closest stud.  If the caulk shrinks too much, after it dries you can run another bead on top.

Note that spackle would crack when the baseboard moves.


Assessing Wardrobe's Protection from Sunlight I'm in an urban environment and my apartment doesn't leave me with many choices with some of my larger furniture items. Namely, my wardrobe ended up having to be placed in the extended indoor balcony. This area faces south and has sliding windows on all 3 walls, comparable to a large bay window. I placed my wardrobe so that it faced west, which you will see in the floor plan only has partial exposure to a window (just 1 window).

Question: If there is legitimate cause for concern for color-fading/distortion on my clothes inside the wardrobe from prolonged sunlight (either from the front doors, or the back of the wardrobe that faces the east), what are some possible solutions?

Further Clarification:

Wardrobe Door Type - double outward swinging doors
Wardrobe Door Material - particle board
Wardrobe Door Color - black
Wardrobe Door Thickness - 1 in
Wardrobe Back Material - not sure, looks like really thin wood
Wardrobe Back Thickness - 3mm
Wardrobe Back Color - cardboard brown

Note: There are curtains all the way around, but I'm not sure how much they will help in terms of preventing sunlight from hitting my wardrobe.

No, your clothes won't fade from sunlight.  They may take heat damage, but only if the cloth is very high end, e.g., silks, etc. and if the area has no A/C.

As for the wardrobe itself, it will take some damage, but if you keep the drapes closed (and if those directly next to it are reasonably opaque), then it will take years for fading to occur.


How to get rid of this sulfur problem I just moved to China about a month ago to live with my relatives in an apartment complex on the 16th floor. Now, there has been a sulfur problem near their washing machine, and sometimes their bathroom too.

What happens is that randomly, the smell of sulfur starts spreading around the washing machine and eventually stinks up the whole apartment. The solution to getting rid of the sulfur has been doing laundry. Once we do a load of laundry, the smell of sulfur goes away.

This leads us to believe that there is some pre existing chemicals in the water pipes. And that everytime the upstairs apartment (17th floor) uses the water pipes, it somehow pushes the sulfur into the pipes near our laundry machine. (The people on the 17th floor moved in last month as well. Before they moved in, there was never a sulfur problem). Currently, the only way to rid of this smell is push the smell further down by washing clothes.

How can we fix this sulfur problem? Washing clothes is only a temporary solution, but sometimes the sulfur comes back immediately after the load of laundry is finished.

Any information about the causes or solution to this problem would be greatly appreciated.

EDIT: Our clothes are not washed with sulfur contaminated water. Honestly I have no idea what exactly is going on with this sulfur, because using the washing machine makes the smell go away, but the sulfur isn't actually in the water the machine uses.

EDIT 2 :
Keep in mind this is in China. This stuff looks bootleg. Here is a brief description followed by pictures. The laundry machine is in the corner of the bedroom. The washing machine has a small dark gray hose that outputs the water. Then there is a white tube sticking out of the ground that is the building sewage. All that we do right now is stick the gray hose into the white tube. We tried stuffing the tube with towels when we weren't washing anything, but the sulfur smell still got through.

Your problem is the sewer, not the "fresh" water.

Activity on another floor is almost certainly sucking water out of the sewer trap at your laundry and/or bathroom sink.  The dry trap then has no resistance to rising sewer gas.  Doing laundry fills the trap back up.  Here's what it might look like in the wall behind your laundry machine.  For proper operation the U shaped part must be full of water at all times:

We're talking China, so shoddy design or construction are a possibility.  If the sewer trap is not vented, or is S shaped rather than P shaped ,it is vulnerable to siphoning dry.  See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trap_(plumbing)

Test this next time you have the smell.  Slowly pour about 1 liter of fresh clean water down into the drains near the laundry, and see if the smell starts to dissipate.

You can fix this by crudely mounting a second waste trap between the washer and the building's trap.  This could even include an "automatic air admittance valve" just to act as a vent without the need to penetrate the roof or reach a window.


How can I remove a moisture mark from a wooden table? I have a white mark on my wooden dining table that was caused by a potted plant sitting there for too long without a saucer.  Attempts to clean it off have been futile because it seems not to be a mark on the surface, but a mark in the wood probably due to moisture.

I thought it would disappear by itself after a few days but it has remained for over a week now.  Is there a tried and true method to remove such marks?

I have read that an iron can help lift those water marks off the table. If I remember correctly...

Lay a dry cloth over the mark
Heat the iron with the steam turned off
Briefly iron the spot, gradually increasing the length of time you apply the heat

I haven't tried it myself, so try it at your own risk.


Can I connect a heater and air conditioner to the same circuit even if the combined loads would be over the breaker rating? I have a generator with a 100amp panel. The A/C only system is on the emergency panel. I want to add a frost protection heater to a crawl space. Can I connect the heater to the A/C circuit even though the connected load will exceed the breaking rating as these devices will not operate simultaneously.

Yes, if you never draw more than the max output of your generator then having an A/C and frost protection heater wired to the same panel would be ok. However, that doesn’t allow for human error. I don’t know what code is for generators, or if they include internal fuses or circuit breakers. (If your crawl space heater is thermostatically controlled then you would have to really TRY in order to run it and the AC at the same time. You’d have to run the heat to warm up the house in sub-freezing temps, and then turn on the AC and lower it’s setting until it switched on, which would be a really dumb thing to do.)
It would be safer if you were to wire a master breaker into the generator that would trip if you attempt to overload it. That way if you screw up and turn on the crawl space heater and the A/C at the same time, you’d just trip the breaker. (Or if you just run the AC, a toaster, and a hair dryer at the same time. It’s not hard to exceed a modest current feed like 50A with resistive loads and/or big motors)
What is the max power of the generator? Max current used by the AC? By the heater?


Are home warranties worth it? As someone who is very busy, and not very handy, I like the idea of getting a warranty so that I know that all I have to do is call someone when something breaks, and I know in advance how much it will cost.

But, I'm skeptical.  The sites have very little information. Is it generally the kind of thing where there are so many exclusions that you end up paying for a lot of repairs anyway? Or does it end up being a lot of hassle with paperwork and scheduling preferred service providers and such?

Does anyone have any experience with this or recommendations?

Depends on who's paying for it. When you buy a home, you can often get the seller to cover a 1- or 2-year home warranty for the basics (structure, roof, plumbing, HVAC). This is usually insurance as much for the seller as the buyer; if something goes wrong that the seller and home inspector thought were fine, the buyer (who must now fix the problem as they've closed on the house) can call on the home warranty, pay the $100 deductible or whatever, and the problem will be fixed. This dramatically reduces the incidence of lawsuits after closure; actual damages no longer include the real cost to fix the problem (which can be in the tens of thousands for something big like rotting timbers in the attic due to a leak).

As far as you as a homeowner buying a warranty for your own home, this is basically supplemental homeowner's insurance, and you should treat it as such.

The thing to remember with any insurance is that it is a bet; in fact, the field of probability mathematics was originally developed for underwriters, not casinos. By buying the policy for X dollars, you are "betting" the insurance company that some catastrophe will befall your home within the term of the policy. The insurance company is betting Y dollars that your house will be in the same condition at the end of the month (or six months or year etc) as it is now, and if they're wrong they'll pay you up to Y dollars to cover the loss. In the case of home warranty, they generally have more individualized limits on payout and more limited coverage, but the idea is the same. These "bets", just like bets against the house in a casino game, are rigged in favor of the insurance company; the "paid odds" (ratio of payoff to policy cost per year) is less than the "true odds" (ratio of probability against versus probability for) that your house will be totaled in any given term of the policy. Supplemental insurance is less tightly controlled by regulation, since you aren't required to have it (unlike basic home insurance, which under certain mortgage contracts you are often required to have), which means in the long-term, general case, it's a pretty significant losing bet.

However, you can "beat the house" at this game by having a better understanding of when things are more likely to happen than the insurance company's "general-case" calculation. If your hot water heater is over 30 years old, and you don't have to tell them that so they can figure it into their price, then odds are you will need to replace it (on their dollar) before they can break even on your policy premiums. If the policy covers replacement prior to total failure, it's a pretty sure thing for you. Same with roof repair; almost nobody pays for a new roof themselves, they just wait for the next hailstorm after the 20- or 30-year rated life of the roof has passed, and pay the insurance deductible for the (overall much more expensive) reshingling and/or resheathing job.


Something to catch exhaust particles made by bench grinder I am looking for something to attach to the exhaust of this bench grinder to catch the particles, especially the side with the grinding wheel.

It's making a big mess of particles.

It was a "flea market special" I bought about 40 years ago.

I am willing to make something if need be.

Thanks.

Here's what I went with:

It does not look pretty, but it does work.

Many thanks to all who helped. :-)


Electric range not working properly The clock and the oven light work but not the oven or burners.  I read it may be the thermal fuse but my stove was old so I replaced it and I am having the same problem.

The oven and the burners are probably 240 V and the clock and light 120 V. This suggests you have lost one leg. It may be the breaker or it may be in the range. Get a voltage tester and first check at the plug and the range. If you have no 240V at the plug or cable then check the voltage at the double pole breaker outputs. If it was before the breaker, then you would have other circuits unpowered and you don't report that.

If the range has a plug, then it is easy to check the voltages at the plug. Then check the voltages at the connection block on the back of the range.


push in / snap in panel spring clip edge fastener? help finding product or name I've seen them many times before but can't seem to find the an image, name or product.

You know the clip on your houses circuit breaker panel door that keeps the door closed.  It's a little metal clip M shaped clip that snaps into a metal edge or pin.  Well,  I've seen them on flat panels to secure them over openings in thin sheet metal walls. I have a 6 inch round opening in sheet metal I want to cover with a 7 inch 1/4 plywood and want it to snap in. To open it I would have to apply pressure out to compress the clips.

What is the name of those clips and where can I find them?

They look something like this..but orientation is wrong and seem too thick. the idea is that the clip is attached to the panel and just needs to snap into the substrate.

You are using a wood door to cover a metal hole. You could attach some of this Super Strong Magnetic Backing to the wood with some epoxy or small pan head screws. This stuff holds 1 pound per an inch of length.


What is this material between our concrete and bricks (lining our pool)? The material lines our pool between the brick (edge) and the concrete. This material is only near our pool. It feels rubbery and bendable. And The material is over 30 years old is has been breaking apart in certain areas and needs to be replaced.

These are some images of the material.

High Resolution

It is called "mastic". It provides a flexible buffer space between the pool and the deck while sealing that gap. It does wear out over time and need to be replaced.

Pool mastic generally refers to the expansion seal located several inches from your in ground pool’s edge. This expansion seal is filled with mastic, a waterproof, putty-like adhesive used as a joint-sealer between concrete sections.

The pool mastic seal is vital to the care of an in-ground pool because it prevents water from seeping between the pool and your decking, which can cause the surrounding concrete to crack. Put more simply, your pool and deck both need a small margin of space to expand and contract with the weather, the pool mastic provides that space.

Pool mastic should be replaced when you notice the sealant in the expansion joint peeling or cracking. Other indicators include pool tiles falling off, cracks in your deck, or heaving (rising) in your deck. In fact, anytime you notice the concrete around your pool changing it means you should inspect your pool mastic.

Source


How can I repair my Bosch dishwasher that won't drain? My Bosch dishwasher stopped draining. At the end of the cycle, it gets stuck at 1 minute remaining. When I open the door, there's water that hasn't drained.

Here's what I've tried:

Following the instructions from a video on YouTube, I emptied the water, removed the cover on the drain pump impeller, removed any additional water and debris, took out the back flow preventer, and removed additional water and debris.

After doing this, the first two times I ran the dishwasher it did not fill with any water.

I then poured some water into the bottom of the dishwasher to see if it would drain and started another cycle. This time, it did fill with additional water, but I'm back to the original problem. It doesn't drain at the end, and it gets stuck at showing 1 minute remaining.

Photo with drain pump impeller cover removed:

You've got some large particles in there & it seems that you're running out of time before a complete draining. You likely have a partially blocked drain line from the sink side of things. Make sure your drain hose is clear to the sink drain or disposer & that your sink-top Air Gap (if you have one) is clean.

Your drain hose should enter the sink cabinet at the very top & your hose should be angled up from the sink drain or disposer inlet with no sag or dip below the top of that inlet to avoid any future clogs. You should be good to go after that's all squared away.


What are these small holes in my foundation? I recently removed the flooring in my house, without a basement, and found neat, evenly spaced (1/4"?) holes. What are they? Should I fill them?

These could be made by termite treatment. For on-slab houses, they drill holes in the concrete and inject poison (termites can burrow through concrete). Since the holes would be covered by the flooring they didn't bother filling them in.

You can fill them if you want but there's no harm in leaving them as well.


Where can I find a kitchen faucet that stays in spray mode after turning the water off and turning it back on? I'm looking for a kitchen faucet with a single spray head that can toggle between spray mode and stream mode, but where the setting stays put when turning the water off and turning it back on. I asked the manufacture about this Kraus faucet

, but they said that it resets to stream mode after shutting the water off, as I have found most do.

Are there any particular manufacturers that make faucets that stay in spray mode after shutting the water off and turning it back on? Is there a standard industry term to search by for this functionality?

We have a Kohler Model K-10433 that has a pushbutton near the spray head.  Pushing it one way gives a stream and pushing it the other way gives a spray.  It will remain in whatever position it was in when the water is turned off. However this unit was installed back in 2009 so I don't know what Kohler may have available now.


What type of primer is required for pine? I bought a gallon of Zinsser, low-odor, stain-and-odor-blocking, oil-based, primer. We bought it primarily for the subfloor we found after tearing out the carpet and seeing some various pet stains.

I also built a new mantle as part of the room remodel out of pine. It's quality pine, but still a knot or two. Is any oil based primer sufficient to fully cover pine or do I need to go with some special just for pine?

If you bought Zinsser Cover-Stain, that is about the best option for any type of wood.

Cover-Stain


Ok for garage door chain to sag on one side when door is closed? I noticed today that the chain on my garage door seems to droop a bit on one side when the door is closed. I feel like I would have noticed if it was always like this (new unit, about 1.5 years old).
Is this okay/normal? If not, is there a process to tighten it? Seems like it's been nosier lately!

Yes, that's normal because the drive is putting some tension on the other side of the chain and that leaves a bit of slack on this side.


Sump Pump Minimum Basin Height I'm looking to replace my sump pump because the last rain storm showed that my sump pump couldn't handle the amount of water. It ran continuously for about an hour or two with the water level still rising.
My basin is 13" diameter at the bottom and 22" high.
I was looking at a Wayne pump and all of them point to the same documentation: https://www.waynepumps.com/wp-content/uploads/woocommerce_uploads/2018/10/600002-001-D.pdf
It states that a minimum of 22" height is needed.
My question is why is the 22" height needed when the sump pump itself is 11.5" high by 9" wide?

Two things:

It allows room for the inlet(s) to the sump pit.  If the pit were too shallow the water might backup into the inlet pipe before the pump switches on.
It gives the pump a bit of "buffer" when you have sudden surges of inlet water.  If you didn't have that, it might overflow before the pump turns on and gets a flow going.

Also, check that your outlet pipe has enough capacity.  That might be the real problem instead of the pump.  You can only force so much flow through a small pipe.


How to identify the purpose of this switch? I have three switches in a box.  One controls the light on the ceiling fan and one controls the ceiling fan.  I cannot figure out what the third switch is used for.

I thought it might have controlled switched receptacles.  However after testing all receptacles in the room with the mystery switch on and off, I saw no change in power being supplied to the receptacles.  I used an receptacle tester that plugs into the receptacle.  I tried both the top and bottom outlets in each receptacle.

Does anyone have thoughts as to what this switch could control?  How can I identify what the switch is used for?

A picture of the switch box:

UPDATE: As @Edwin guessed, this switch was previously used for two switched electrical receptacles.  One of the switched outlets had been replaced since the house was built and the fin use to make the top outlet switched had not been removed.  This caused the outlet to have power regardless of the switch position.  I'm guessing this was done when the ceiling fan light was installed and the homeowner no longer wanted the switched outlets.  I've replaced the receptacle and now the switch works--switching the top outlet on two receptacles.  Mystery solved!  Thanks go to everyone that had a suggestion and offered advice.

It's possible that the switch does power an outlet, but that the installer did not remove the fin that connects the top and bottom outlets.  When the fin is removed, the top and bottom outlets are isolated from one another so that they can be independently powered.  If the top and bottom outlets are wired with two wires of the same phase, you would not notice a problem with day to day use.

If you have a voltage tester, test to see if you have power to both the top and bottom terminals of the switch when the switch is in the off position.  If you do, it's likely the installer just forgot to take a fin off one or more of the outlets.

There is probably a way to test for this without any tools, but I am stuck at the moment.  Maybe someone else will have a suggestion.

If you have reason to believe that the installer forgot to remove one or more duplex receptacle fins, you have to get in the outlet boxes to fix the problem.  Take off the covers to the outlets in the room.  If you're lucky, there will be both red and black wires connected to the receptacle(s) with switched power. These are the receptacles where the fin should be removed.

If there is only black wires and no red wires, your next step is to find out how the installer connected the outlets to one another another.  He could have used pigtails, using wire nuts to connect the "line" (wires coming into the outlet box) to the "load" (wires going to the next outlet).  Or he could have daisy chained the outlets together, meaning both the the line and the load load is connected directly to the receptacle. If you find that the installer used pigtails, you can just look for the receptacles where both the top and bottom outlets are wired.  This receptacle likely has your switched outlet.   If they are daisy chained, you have your work cut out for you.  I can't think of any other way than to start taking apart the outlets and testing the wires one by one.

If you find a receptacle that needs the fin removed, and there is a shared neutral, only take the hot fin off.  If there is a neutral for both outlets, then take both fins off.

Safety note:  Don't assume that all the wires in one box are of the same circuit.  Test ALL the wires in the box before you go in there with your hands.


Repairing a leaky valve stem I'm replacing the valve stems for my 1960's bathtub handles. There's a hot and cold handle, and they both are leaking profusely from the stem (not drips, but streams of water).

This picture generally agrees with what I've seen so far -  previously I tried to replace the entire valve stem, but I don't think it's made anymore. The closest I've found is a Danco 10B-9H/C (https://www.danco.com/product/10b-9hc-hotcold-stem-for-gerber-faucets/), but the stem has too many threads to fit my fixture.

I replaced the seat washer, and re-greased it and the bonnet washer (could not find a replacement for the bonnet washer). This fixed the original problem, which was regular dripping from the faucet itself. Now the handles are spewing water when they are turned on. From inspection, it looks to be leaking out of the inside of the packing nut. Based on the picture above, I think it is because I destroyed what little remained of the original packing washer (I soaked the valves in alcohol and cleaned them internally and externally with steel wool). This means that the water is sneaking by the stem threads and leaking out of the front of the packing nut (facing into the bathtub).

Knowing this, I think I have a few solutions. One,  I could use graphite packing string on the stem threads. Two, I could use teflon tape on the stem threads.  Or three, I could use plumber's grease on the stem threads.

Which of these choices is appropriate? Stem threads regularly move (anytime you turn the handle), so I'm not sure any of the above methods could handle that regular motion. I can't find any information telling me if they can. However, I can't locate a new packing washer or stem.

How should I repair this leak?

I think I have a few solutions. One, I could use graphite packing string on the stem threads. Two, I could use teflon tape on the stem threads. Or three, I could use plumber's grease on the stem threads.

None of those proposed solutions will work because the problem has nothing to do with the "stem threads". Your problem lies with the missing packing. The valve design incorporates what is called a packing gland, which includes a packing nut, a stuffing box, and packing material.

The stuffing box is where packing material (in your case probably a washer) is supposed to be. The packing nut screws down onto the packing, causing it to squeeze around the stem, which prevents the water from passing through.

You should take the valve stem to a good plumbing shop, where they will have a wide selection of various size packing washers to choose from. If none are exactly the right size, it is very common to trim down a larger packing washer with a knife, to make it fit. It is also very common to use packing string (you mentioned it in your post) in lieu of, or in combination with, a packing washer.

This pic illustrates the theory but instead of a packing yoke with bolts, your valve uses a packing nut:


Do I need to turn off my Water Heater when changing my hot and cold bathroom sink flexible water pipes? I need to change the hot and cold flexible water pipes feeding my bathroom sink as they are rusty and ready to burst. The problem is there are no shutoff valves under my sink so I'm wondering what the best course of action is.

I've read all the blogs I could find and found the information to be confusing as everyone had a different piece of advice.

Some people say that shutting the main valve at the meter and draining the hot/cold water pipes is sufficient as long as the water heater is lower than the lowest hot tap that will be drained (hard to say for me as my water heater is on the ground floor)
Some people say that the water heater cold water feeding pipe valve should be shut off
Some people say the water  heater should be turned off (gas, electricity) as a precaution
Some people say the water heater might get siphoned out and therefore present a hazard, etc.

Can someone help me knowing that my bathroom is on the first floor and my water heater is on the ground floor? I realize I need a better understanding of the theory so if someone knows where to find some good information please let me know.

The water heater should have an vacuum relief valve, so no siphoning should happen. The water heater is designed to withstand a loss of pressure on the cold side without any problem, no matter if the hot tap is open or not.

Consider this: if you close the main shut-off, this has exactly the same effect if the water was turned upstream from you, on the street, or if the water main burst somewhere, etc. So this poses no hazard to you or your water heater, as these things happen from time to time, and your water heater is designed to handle them.

Just close your main water shut-off, open the taps you are changing water pipes for, both cold and hot, and let the water drain. Hopefully your main water shut-off is operational, and withing a couple of minutes, water stops flowing, then you may proceed. But wait till the water is completely stopped: any trickle may indicate that your main shut-off does not close properly.


Does IR remote work through acrylic glass? My little kid likes to press buttons too much, so I'd like to protect a shelf with my HiFi equipment with a door from acrylic glass (PMMA).
My only concern is: Would I be able to practically use IR remote when the sensors are behind acrylic glass?

I've found this information on Wikipedia:

  PMMA passes infrared light of up to 2,800 nm and blocks IR of longer wavelengths up to 25,000 nm. Colored PMMA varieties allow specific IR wavelengths to pass while blocking visible light (for remote control or heat sensor applications, for example).

Does it mean that plain transparent PMMA will pass beam from IR remote or I need some special coloured variation?
I don't know what is the typical wavelength or IR remotes and I don't have any spare acrylic glass pane to just try it.

Here's a search result from ePlastics, a reliable plastics manufacturer (companies I have worked for have bought from them repeatedly).

  Infrared transmitting (IRT) sheet was specifically formulated for projects requiring ultraviolet (UV) and visible light blockage while allowing infrared (IR) transmission starting about 750nm. The physical properties of this product are the same as standard extruded sheet and thus the same fabrication techniques apply. What makes this product special is its ability to transmit light in the IR region. We stock this in 0.060" and 0.118".

  Note: All plexiglass sheet is infrared transmitting. This grade is
  opaque to visible light and allows infrared light through. Unlike
  glass, you can put all grades of plexiglass in front of DVR's, cable
  boxes, DVD players, etc. and your remote control, wireless router,
  etc. will still work. This particular acrylic material is black and
  only transmits infrared, which makes it ideal for hiding a CCD video
  camera.

While it's probably not safe to say that all acrylics transmit all frequencies of IR light, based on this I would say it's safe to say that most acrylics (and Plexiglas brand specifically) would allow transmission of remote control signals.

The particular result above is for a plastic that is opaque to visible light, but if you're looking for clear, you could probably call them and verify that the clear versions transmit IR light, even if you're not going to buy from them.


Will an ungrounded light fixture on a GFCI circuit cause the GFCI to trip? Shed outlet is powered from a GFCI breaker in the main panel. I want to add a switched light in the shed using power from the outlet. The outlet is a standard 20a grounded outlet, not a GFCI. No issues with doing the wiring, except I am unsure whether using an ungrounded pull-chain type light fixture will cause a ground fault when switched on. Can I use an ordinary ungrounded pull-chain type light or do I need a light that is grounded to avoid a GFCI trip?

This is a common misconception when using Ground Fault Circuit Interruption (GFCI) devices.  GFCI devices do not require an equipment ground to function, they detect unbalanced loads within the circuit using the "hot" (ungrounded conductor) and the "neutral" (grounded conductor).

In a properly functioning circuit, the current on the ungrounded conductor and grounded conductor should be equal.

You can test this yourself, using a clamp on ammeter. If you clamp the meter around both the hot and neutral wires, you should read 0 Amps (If you read anything other than 0, you have current leakage). This works because the current flowing through the wires creates an electromagnetic field, and since the current is flowing in opposite directions the fields cancel each other out.

A GFCI device takes advantage of these principles, and is able to detect current leakage by comparing the current on the ungrounded and grounded conductors.


trying to save a cheap electric driller I wanted to use an old electric driller that it's battery has worn down and i couldn't find a new battery. on the battery it says 7.2V.
So i took a AC-> 7.5V DC 1A Transformer and used it in place of the battery. it worked, but it didn't had a lot of power, and I'm trying to figure out way.

can it be that the driller need more then 1A? it doesn't make sense cause in this current it probably drained the battery in a few consecutive minutes.

so WTF?

I checked this list of capacities for Dewalt batteries, and most of them were above 1 amp-hour. Assuming they're not capable of running continuously for an entire hour, then they're discharging at a rate greater than 1 amp.

EDIT: I did some calculating off of rough numbers I could find concerning 7.2V drill operation, and here are the results:

A max 44 in-lb torque operating at 200 rpm for a 7.2VDC drill requires 2.3A.

The formula is:

Torque*RPM=Power
Voltage*Current=Power
Torque*RPM=Voltage*Current
Current=Torque*RPM/Voltage

if you've got torque in in*lbs and rotational speed in RPM, multiply your answer by 0.00188308048 to get the correct units of Amperes. (1 inch pound is 0.112984829 Joules, and 1 RPM is equal to 1/60 Hz)


Is bottom support required for an aquarium stand? Building a low fish tank cabinet like picture. The width and length is 60*60cm with height around 20cm. It's for fish tank of size 60*60*70cm (roughly around 250kg).

so, the question is whether required to have the bottom horizontal support?

I understand that the top horizontal support is required to spread the load.

The fact of the matter is that most of the time an aquarium doesn't have full edge support anyway. Given the extreme rigidity of glass, the center usually floats unless the stand's structure is extremely stiff itself, which would typically require steel and careful shimming. A wood rail flexes enough (if imperceptibly) that it offers virtually no support to the glass mid-span. The glass is quite strong in shear and carries the load itself.

If you support the four corners on a single plane you'll be fine. That is to say, if you set the empty aquarium in place and it doesn't rock on the diagonals, and if there's little or no jiggle in the stand, it should be ok.

For many years I've built stands for my 55 gallon aquarium and smaller ones using two stacks of concrete cinderblocks and two boards laying on them. This means that the aquarium is really only fully supported at two points (at 25% and 75% of the length), and I've had no issues.


Have kwikset deadbolt with interior knob with setscrew is not coming off after setscrew has been removed why? Kwikset deadbolt interior knob with set screw removed yet knob will not come off, what else can I do to remove the knob?

Deadbolt: I’m assuming what you call the “set screw” refers to the two long mounting screws on the inside side of the door lock, by the thumb turn assembly.

You should be able to remove those two long screws and the thumb turn plate should come right off. The lock cylinder assembly on the front of the door should then be removable. Finally, when the front and rear are removed, the deadbolt mechanism can be removed from the side of the door.

If the rear or front don’t easily come off, often it’s because they were painted over or applied when the door paint was fresh. A very gentle rap with a non-marring hammer should knock them off. I often just use a block of wood to soften the blow and rap gently.

You can also try to cut the seal or pry them off with a razor but it’s easy to mar the surface of the door.

Knob or handle: if you’re instead referring to a locking doorknob, you again remove the two mounting screws (they’re not easily visible in the schematic below but they’re roughly in the same place and roughly the same length as the deadbolt above) and the handle assembly should pull right off.

There’s no need to try to remove the handle from its base.

Again if it feels stuck, it may be glued on because it was painted over or applied in wet paint. A gentle tap with a non-marring hammer or block of wood should take it off.

Note: both sets of schematics from Kwikset’s website. Fair use claimed.


Caulking for deck frame To seal the seam between a doubled joist or beam, what type of caulking is best? The Home Depot Decks 123 book recommends Alex Plus (acrylic latex plus silicone) while a guy at Home Depot suggested Mono Ultra Exterior (latex). How about Blueskin?

I initially used Alex Plus, it rained before the caulk cured, the caulk became a shriveled and cracked mess, I scraped it and replaced it with Mono Ultra Exterior.

Maybe I'm just sloppy, but I've never bothered to caulk the seam on a doubled up joist with treated wood.

There was one time I felt I needed to worry about that, but that was with a cantilevered deck using untreated wood.  In that case I just used aluminum flashing over the top of the joists.

I suppose if I were going to caulk it though, I would use a silicone caulk over a latex caulk since they generally adhere and hold up to water better (cleanup is messier, but it's a deck, so it probably doesn't matter).


What are the issues with using sour smelling paint? My husband touched up the paint in our bedroom.  The smell was rancid, like sour milk.  I cannot believe he used the paint that went bad.  I have a horrible headache and watery eyes, an obvious allergic reaction to the mold smell.  When the paint finally dries will it all be OK?  Or are there lasting issues now with him using the sour bad paint?

The foul smell is from the volatile organic compounds in the paint decaying. Could very well have mold spores living in it. Whatever you are smelling its going straight into your lungs because smells are particular. If it was me I would get rid of it like it was a plague.
My suggestion is get a heavy duty respirator with the proper filters and a boat load of lacquer thinner. Scrub the walls down with the thinner using towels to get as much of that bad paint off as possible. Then apply two coats of Behr Primer & Sealer to the walls. Finally finish by applying a good brand of paint. Lacquer thinner is hard core so:

cover everything; it will take just about any finish off.
have all your fans running in that room with all the windows open and the door closed.
remove all pets from the home prior to and for several days after the lacquer operation has been completed.
let the walls thoroughly dry out with fans running before attempting to paint.


What to do about gap between tile and tub This is my first shower tiling project and the tub was not level at all. To make sure my tiles were level I left a gap between the first row and the tub on one side (see picture). The gap is 1/2” at its widest. I’m wondering what you would suggest for finishing this project up. Should I attempt to simply fill the gap with white caulk or should I buy some sort of cover?

I won’t re-do this now but for the future should I have done this project differently? Perhaps cut my first row on an angle and left it closer to the top of the tub?

I have always found the top surface ie edge is always level and the slope is built into the shape of the shower base.

However, one neat solution for your gap is to fit a cornice molding ie a triangular tile usually the same length as the side of the tiles all around the edge and it will cover the gap much neater than filling it with caulk, but you could do that anyway for peace of mind against insidious leaks.

See
cornice tile


should i wrap exhaust duct joints of hot water heater? i replaced my  hot water heater.  I used a single flexible 3" metal  duct tube to  go  from the new unit to a an old "y" connector metal duct that is near the ceiling in the utity closet.

I noticed at Home Depot they  dont sell high temp  foil duct tape. is it required or forbidden to  wrap the  joints/seams of the hot  exhaust stack  wiht foil tape?

the utility closet is inside the house, so im worried about  CO  leakage

Duct tape and flexible ducts are OK for a fume hood exhausts or for ventilation ducts, but not for combustion exhausts.

Although regulations depend on where you live, for your own safety I would not use a flexible metal duct for combustion exhausts as they are not designed for this and can be prone to leaking. Same goes for duct tape. The glue or tape could melt, or the tape could perhaps even catch fire from the hot fumes.

So, use fixed tubing and connect it as per the instructions, probably with screws. There are also systems that are self sealing with built in rubber rings.

Furthermore, if possible for your hot water heater, I would recommend that you also connect an intake duct for fresh air. This will lessen the amount of CO gas is produced, and make it less likely that the  combustion exhaust product escape inside the house in stead of through the exhaust pipe. If you have a heater with condensation, it is possible you need to use specific concentric tubing to do this. It might be necessary to build a new connection to the outside for the intake, or, if the existing exhaust is wide enough, you could install an air intake tube inside the existing exhaust tube.


Can someone explain this Tandem Breaker Setup to me? Question
I'm scratching my head trying to understand why my Sub Panel was set up using the tandem breaker configuration described (with picture) below.
There are 3 tandem breakers, with the top two on the top breaker slot and the 3rd breaker on the next slot down.  You can also see a cover where another tandem breaker for the second slot might normally be.  There's also what I believe is a "cheater bar" across the bottom two breakers tying them together.
Why are the bottom two tandem breakers tied together across two slots like this?  And, possibly worse, why is there another non-joined tandem breaker sharing the top slot. Best case this is some complicated scenario I just don't understand.  Worst case this is a problem and I need to re-wire my subpanel (which I might do anyways for sanity).
Background
I understand tandem breakers allow you to use the same breaker slot for multiple circuits (with caveats).  I also understand that you can tie multiple breaker slots together to control phasing or create a 220v circuit.
However I can't quite make sense of what's happening here.  There aren't any 220v circuits that I'm aware of and that'd be a problem anyways as these are 15A breakers, wouldn't it? I can see 4-5 separate circuits in my garage attic which are all tied to these two breakers.  Note the circuits aren't under heavy load: a few lights, 1 outlet and the garage door opener.  I haven't looked yet to see if all of these circuits go directly to the breaker or if there's a junction box hidden somewhere in my house.
Maybe I'll pull off my panel cover and discover some weirdness on my panel itself leading to this setup, but this configuration seems suspicious. And there's so much room on this panel. I don't understand why tandem breakers were even necessary.
It's also possible that the cheater bar is there purely to turn off all power to the garage if either breaker is tripped, maybe as a safety feature.
Any thoughts?
Thanks!

GE does things differently
Since it appears you have a GE panel with GE breakers in it, your situation is a bit different than most folks.  What you see there aren't "tandem" breakers at all, but half-width "double-stuff" breakers (THQP) instead, with the top breaker independent and the bottom two breakers handle-tied to feed a multi-wire branch circuit.  A filler plate was then used to keep stray fingers out of the remaining half-space.
This means that the MWBC has a neutral wire landing on one neutral screw in the panel, and the outdoor lights circuit then has its own neutral wire landing on a different neutral screw in the panel.  As to why it was done this way? It was probably done this way simply because the installer had THQPs handy instead of THQLs; there's not really much to be concerned with about that, although occasionally a THQP will wind up losing its grip on the bus a bit and becoming wobbly as a result, which can be fixed simply by replacing the breaker.


Can stranded wire handle the same high voltage as solid core? Two 10 AWG wires for an electric fence were cut by the lawn mowers. I read that electric fences have very low amperage. So a 30 A rating is well above the call of duty: 10-2 type UF-B cable with ground wire (stranded).

That is what's available locally. There is no voltage rating. Although, looking online, I find that similar stranded wires have 1000 VDC (TÜV). Does that mean they're rated only up to 1000 VDC? Or is this just something to do with solar panels?

Edit - This wire is between the energizer and the fence, no man's land.

Aside, why does our electric fence have two wires? To create an open circuit, wouldn't you only need one?

No, you'll need the proper electric fence extension wire

The problem with a standard UF or equivalent cable is that the insulation is only rated for 600V, far less than the several thousand volts that an electric fence energizer puts out.  As a result, you'll need a specialized electric fence extension wire and matching splices that are rated for such high voltages to replace the damaged wire.  Using the wrong stuff will cause the wire insulation to break down and fail, leading to your fence grounding out.


How soundproof is roxul / acoustical putty? I want to put Roxul and acoustical putty in the interior walls of the home my wife and I are renovating. She is worried that she won't be able to hear the kids (ages 5, 3, 0) in the next bedroom over if we do that. The home is 950 sq. ft. and has three bedrooms, all next to each other.

If I just put Roxul and use accoustical putty between the bedrooms (2x4 studs), how soundproof is it going to be?  I understand that to get real good soundproofing, you have to use green glue, multiple layers of drywall, acoustical drywall, and RSI clips. I figured the Roxul and putty would just give us all a little bit of privacy without totally sealing off sound from one bedroom to the next.

It's impossible to say how soundproof an installation will be. We can make a reasonable estimate if we know all the details, including potential flanking paths. A wall of this type may give you an STC 45 or something (wild guess). But even if it were STC 300, you'll still hear a screaming child due to flanking paths. Just how much do you need to hear? You're not going to hear them plotting their first great escape, but if a child is in trouble, you'll hear about it, unless the stereo or TV is up fairly loud.


Algae build up from pond is clogging sewer drain A small pond about 100 feet across in my yard (located to the right in picture below) drains through the small path into a nearly non-grated sewer drain.
In recent years, more and more algae has been flowing through here possibly due to cattails having largely died off.
The algae sits on top of the water and never seems to drain with the water. The algae is 1-2 inches thick in this photo, with maybe a couple inches of water underneath that flows very slowly.
We've had to scoop this stuff out a few times and it's extremely thick and difficult to clean up. It doesn't take long before more flows through and it fills up again.
Any suggestions for ways to get rid of this stuff or prevent it from coming back?

That looks like the type of algae that is floating IN the water (as opposed to ON it). That means it might be controllable via aeration, either a redesign to add more falling water to get more oxygen into it, (i.e. a small dam and waterfall) or by adding a small pond pump and sprayer.
Secondary to keeping it under control is to take a look at whether you are causing it to over bloom in the first place. Looking at your yard, you might be over feeding your lawn and plants, so the nutrient runoff is getting into that stream and feeding the algae too.


Matching drywall to original texture The existing texture is not orange peel, stipple or popcorn. I believe it is roll on texture. I have the mud but do not know what kind of roller or design I need to use to match. Help greatly appreciated.

The roller that does that usually looks like it has loop carpet on it.


TV mount on wooden studs - what screws to use so i want to mount my tv on the wall, with a flexible arm tv mount. its a drywall with studs behind it.

i think the wall is drywall anyway - it was built in 2005.

the wall screws supplied come with wall plugs - which, as far as i know, are only supposed to be used with brick walls.

this is the hardware supplied with the holder:

the long screw on top is a wall-screw. the instructions are meant for wall bricks, so they say to put in the plugs first and then the screw - for stud-installation it says to do the exact same thing, just use a different drill-bit.

am i really supposed to put the plugs in the wooden stud? or can i just drive the screws directly in the stud without the plugs? the plug is 10mm wide, while the screw is probably like 8mm incl. threading or so.

plus, the stud is around 8cm (slightly more than 3in) wide according to my stud meter - the holes for the holder are around 1.5cm (approx. 0.6in) from either edge of the stud. could this be an issue?

a friend said it might be a good idea to put one side of the holder more towards the center of the stud and use rawlplugs/umbrella plugs or something for the other side screws.

I agree with unhandledexcepsean--I would use lag bolts for larger TVs. Some flat screens will be fine with the wood screws through the drywall into the stud not using the plastic expanding anchor. I have seen some smaller mounts where 4 of the plastic anchors into drywall are supposed to work but I do not like those at all.

Since you have at least 1 stud, measure 3/4” from 1 edge and mark. This will be the center of a two-by. If doubled two-bys then 16” over and there should be another stud. If not check the other side of the 3” stud measure in 3/4” mark (1-1/2” between marks) and see if there is a stud there. 16” on center is a most common spacing and if a wide bracket it should be set up for 16, 32, 48” widths.


My wall outlet is making a hissing noise, should I be concerned? My wife leaves her laptop charger plugged into a wall outlet.  As soon as she connects the other end to the laptop (meaning AC is actively flowing through the plug to the laptop), it makes a strange hissing noise.

Is this something to worry about?  Is this the outlet itself, or a symptom of a bigger problem?

If the circuit makes a 'hissing' noise as soon as load is applied, then you definitely should check that outlet for a problem.

Shut off the power at the breaker. Confirm that the power is off using either an electric light plugged into the outlet, or by using a Non-contact voltage tester. Unscrew the faceplate of the outlet, then unscrew the outlet. Examine the wires for heat damage or signs of arcing. I'd probably just go ahead and replace the outlet.

This is definitely something you should worry about; I'd expect to see something like this:

If you don't feel comfortable doing that, call an electrician.


tapping a hole - how close does the drill bit have to be I want to tap a hole in a surface that I think is steel.

According to the chart I need a 6.8mm drill bit but screwfix doesn't sell a 6.8mm hss drill bit. Can you use a 7mm instead?

For future reference sake, what if the chart said 3.3mm, can I use a 3mm drill bit?

You need a better supplier.

If you use a 7mm drill bit the threads won’t be properly formed and will have less strength. If the load is critical then it might well fail.

For the 3mm instead of 3.3mm you run the risk of breaking the tap off in the hole, which can be a *real pain to remove as the steel used for the tap is very hard.

Engineering suppliers carry an extensive range of drill bits and Zeus tables used to work out drilling and tapping hole sizes.


How to get rid of ants on ceiling? I tried Borax with sugar as bait but these ants are not taking it. They wonder aimlessly on ceiling, they come from an electrical junction box in kitchen. There is no visible path it's just circling each other in a specific area on ceiling. I bug sprayed the area but they still go there. There are like dozen visible ants.

You can powder a 3-6 inch border around the outlet box on the ceiling with diatomaceous earth (I'd use food grade since this is in the kitchen) to control the ants.  Then I'd use a fire-rated putty to seal the outlet box.

When I lived in an apartment, there was a large colony of ants living by the pool and they would come out of little cracks in the walls.  I ended up caulking everywhere I saw a crack or hole and powdering around all the doors windows and that stopped them.


Are there any restrictions for drilling holes in solid lumber joists regarding how close to the ends of the joist? I've read to not drill a hole greater than 1/3 the depth of the board (I want to drill a 3/4" hole in a 12" board for wiring, so that won't be an issue) as well as not to do it within two inches of the edges. Mine will be approximately 6" from one end.

Are there any restrictions as to how close to the ends of the board I can go with the hole?

Is the "end" of a joist, one of its "edges" (and therefore any holes must be 2" from the end)?

It has to be at least 2" away from the top, or bottom of the joist. As far as distance from the ends, there are no rules:

  Holes: Do not bore holes closer than 2" from joist edges, nor make them larger than 1/3 the depth of the joist. –engineering.purdue.edu, PDF

If you look at the document, it clearly states and depicts the top or bottom, with no mention of an "end".


Mounting Electric range when stud is on the center line? I am installing 50 amp circuit for a basic  30 " freestanding  electric range,  The range I settled on is 40 amp. The instructions included say they do not recommend a 50 amp power cord from the range to the outlet.
From the install instruction sheet:
"A range cord rated at 40 amps with 125/250 minimum volt range is required. A 50 amp range cord is not recommended..."
"This appliance must be supplied with the proper voltage and frequency, and connected to an individual, properly grounded, 40 amp (minimum) branch circuit protected by a circuit breaker or time-delay fuse."
"NOTE: Use a 4’ power cord to prevent interference with
the storage drawer. Power cords 4.5' to 6’ long may have
to be dressed to allow for proper drawer closing"

One one side is  the wall to the exterior of the house. The other side is  cabinet.
It appears there is a stud  16" from the outer wall.   This would mean the outlet center would only be 2" from near center of the stove.
The install instructions state either 3" or 4" off  the center line would be in the zone.
I will be coming up from the basement.
The 4 ft GE cord plug  would stick 1.4375 (1 7/16"  ) from the wall.
Will this plug really be in the way if outlet is in center?, Will the cord really not allow it to go back were it needs?
Installation instructions here (PDF file from Home Depot)
Note the stove is on order. I assume the back looks as in the PDF but can not confirm
I want the outlet to be installed before the oven arrives so I can test the range.
What is the fix if the only stud is near the center of this oven?

You're in for some drywall work anyway (and it's going to be behind the range, so it does not have to look too good) so you might as well make a nice big hole and put a horizontal 2x4 between studs (think "firestop" per usual application) and mount your box where it's most convenient for the range install, get the cable into it, then fix the drywall.
You could also add one (or two) chunks of 2x4 to the stud as suggested by Platinum Goose, but it's unlikely to save much, if anything, on drywall repair and is potentially less stable in the face of force applied.


Determining if a foundation is moving or shifting? I am finding circumstantial evidence that leads me to believe that my house is settling from the foundation moving or shifting. I've found brand new grout done by a professional cracking after a couple weeks, siding outside breaking, doors rubbing then not and cracks on the concrete base of the house. I worry about getting a pro over because even if there is nothing wrong, I worry they will 'find' something.
Is there any way to tell, like repeated measurements over time?

The area my home is in is notorious for foundation issues, i.e. every neighbor has a story about having to get work done, I would just like to convince myself first.

Cracks are caused by 1) changing climate conditions, 2) soil movement

1) Where you live, I doubt the climate changes much from season to season. You do not have a freeze/thaw issue.

2) Soil movement can be caused by adjacent property movement, expansive soils or tidal/moisture fluctuations.

Look around your property and see if a neighbor has been moving dirt or if the city just installed a new sewer/water line in your area. (Even a new fence can cause problems if an auger was used and hit a tree root, pipe, etc.)

Florida is known for having soil problems and often the ground will swallow whole houses. I doubt you live in a soil area that has “decaying” soil like Florida. However, if the developer cut down trees before building your house, the stumps could have rotted and left large holes in the ground that allows sluffing and ground movement.

If you live in a high water table area, tidal action or seasonal rains can cause ground movement.

However, the most likely cause is expansive soils. That is to say, when your dirt gets wet and when it dries out, it expands or contracts. The amount of movement is directly related to the amount of moisture in the ground.

If you’re concerned, you can keep a journal noting season, rainfall, and what changes, (i.e.: doors rub, cracks open up, etc. )

if problems are only in the southwest corner of your house, that would be good to know when it comes time to fix it.


Need new converter or special hose? I would like to connect my bike nozzle to a new compressor I just bought. However the compressor have an odd (?) connector.

Can someone from the pictures below see if I need to buy a new converter for the compressor or a special hose is needed?

You need a quick connector at the compressor... it looks something like this:

The things to get right are whether the threaded end is male or female, the size of the threads (1/4 NPT is common in the US, but YMMV), and the compatibility with the connector you already have (if you don't feel like changing it as well). I can't really tell, but it might be a type M connector. Just to make things more complicated, there are different sizes out there.

If it was me, I'd unscrew the connector from the compressor and bring everything to a store that stocks such things to put it all together. In the US, any big box Home Depot/Lowes/Menards would have that.


Are there any restrictions on using crimped connections to electrical devices (receptacles, switches)? As the title states, are there any code restrictions in general on using crimped spade and ring terminal connectors when wiring household electrical circuits?

I've actually been doing this for a while, using 600V rated spade connectors from Home Depot, and Wago's Wall-Nuts, and I've inspected some of my work that has been installed for over a year and saw nothing worrisome but I thought it might be good to ensure I'm not totally violating code here.

An example of something done recently:

EDIT: I predict a lot of "you don't need to do that" or "that's overkill" replies: Yes, that's totally obvious, but I like to over-engineer things.

After further review, it appears that receptacles and switches are listed for use with crimp terminals. So this installation would not be a violation of NEC 110.3 (B).

  National Electrical Code 2014

  Chapter 1 General

  Article 110 Requirements for Electrical Installations

  110.3 Examination, Identification, Installation, and Use
  of Equipment.

  (B) Installation and Use. Listed or labeled equipment
  shall be installed and used in accordance with any instructions
  included in the listing or labeling.

  2013 UL White Book

  Receptacles (RTDV)

  Receptacles for Plugs and Attachment Plugs (RTRT)

  Terminals
  Terminals of a receptacle are permitted for use with certified field-installed
  crimped-on wire connectors or an assembly, if so identified by
  the manufacturer.

  A receptacle may also be provided with conductor leads with factory-installed
  crimped-on connectors. Such connectors may be either attached
  to the receptacle terminal or are provided with the receptacle in the smallest
  unit shipping container and are suitable for use with the terminal of
  the receptacle.

  Switches (WFXV)

  Snap Switches (WJQR)

  Terminals
  Terminals of a flush snap switch are permitted for use with Listed field-installed
  crimped-on wire connectors or an assembly, if so identified by
  the manufacturer.

  A flush snap switch may also be provided with conductor leads with
  factory-installed crimped-on connectors. Such connectors may be either
  attached to the flush snap switch terminal or are provided with the flush
  snap switch in the smallest unit shipping container and are suitable for
  use with the terminal of the flush snap switch.


Purple primer left on over night: can I use it? I am using Oatey purple primer with Oatey medium gray pvc cement. This is a 2 inch PVC pipe job for pool pump to filter.

I have a joint where I applied purple primer then realized I am not ready for the fitting so I need to leave it overnight.  This fitting is to an ABS filter valve.  I realized I need Green ABS to PVC transition cement and will get some tomorrow.

Can I add some fresh primer on the PVC pipe before I glue it the next day with green PVC to ABS cement?  Or must I cut off that piece of pipe and start over?

yes, you can use it, just re-prime it.  You'll see that the fresh coat of primer with melt right through the dried primer.


Name for a partially-circular metal clasp that fits into an indentation in a tube What's the name of the "circle" that the arrow points to?

In the picture is the end of a barbell. That thing that arrow points to is put onto the tube. The tube has a "dent" where that circle fits. There are eyes in the end of the circle that are used to expand it slightly so it can move easily onto the tube and when it's in the dent, it's released so it clasps.

The clips that you are referring to are called snap rings in North America.


Please reassure me about basement french drains I understand the principles and practice of putting in a basement perimeter drain... but I've got a slightly irrational paranoia about the concept of cutting the basement floor free that way. Intuitively, it feels like I'd be removing part of the support for the walls... and these aren't even the fielstone and brick walls at the other end of the house; this is poured concrete, probably with rebar, so I'm sure I'm worrying unnecessarily.

Well, pretty sure.

I'd just feel better with a "yes, the floor is just a floor; stop worrying" consensus... thanks.

For what it's worth: The leakage isn't so much a general problem, but two specific sources -- somewhere in the bulkhead stairs enclosure or how it joins the foundation (coming in past the door), and from somewhere between the new basement of the 1945 extension and the bulkhead that stabilizes what was originally the back wall of the 1890 brick-over-fieldstone foundation. Of course the small sump pit is on the middle of the wall opposite both of these, so on the relatively rare occasions when I do get some water, it travels across the floor. I'd rather find a way to direct it to the sump and pump without making a mess. If the door wasn't involved I'd consider just trying to channel it, but.... This is starting to turn into another question, isn't it.

Well, a (concrete slab) floor is just a floor, supported by its substrate. You may have some subsidence afterwards, so I'd advise my tips here, especially the one about undermining it a little to lock it all in place once you re-pour. Rebar is a must.

Done right*, I have no concern for the foundation. I'd be worried that there's a pocket under the slab somewhere and a section might drop a little. But that's not a show stopper, it's just more work.

*AFAIK, done right means you don't dig below the bottom level of the foundation.

If the slab is keeping your foundation from collapsing, your house has some big problems.


what brand of thermostat is this The cover is missing from this thermostat, so I don't what brand or model it is and I don't have the manual for it.

Most residential thermostats are designed to be easily removed on one of two ways:

The entire device slides up ~ 1/2" and then pulls off the mounting screws
The front pulls forward, possibly with a plastic tab or two on top or bottom pried open with a flat screwdriver, revealing a back panel screwed into wall and containing the connections to the wires going to the furnace & air conditioning.

Either way, once you have it off the wall it is usually easy to find manufacturer/model information.


Can I use green(lid) all purpose joint compound to skim a plaster wall? I removed the wallpaper from plaster and lath walls. I found a few cracks that were easily repaired but previous owners did a terrible job with patching. I would like t o get rid of imperfections and make it smooth looking.  Can I use the pre-mixed USG (green lid) all purpose joint compound to do this? Do I need to use a bonding such as plastic weld first?  If not what should I use? I don't want to deal with structo lite which from what I read seems hard to work with.

I would patch cracks with general purpose , any large cracks use paper tape or mesh so it won’t crack in the same place after being painting. To give a really easy nice finish after the patch work is done is to use “topping mud”, it is much lighter than general purpose and way easy to sand. I used this method on “quick skim” jobs where I wanted to change the texture type, you can use general purpose for skim but it takes longer to dry and is a bit tougher to sand. (Topping mud is not hot mud it is lighter and softer than general purpose and not for cracks).


What is the purpose of a GFI outlet tripping on low voltage? As I went looking for a replacement for a GFI wall outlet, I noticed that the advertised features of one outlet included "low voltage trip" – that is, the GFI will trip not only when a ground fault is detected but also when voltage drops below a certain threshold.

As a result, the GFI will trip and need to be reset whenever the circuit breaker trips, when there is a blackout or if you've wired your outlet in series with a switch (as for a power outlet outside the house which you want to be able to switch on/off from inside).

Is there an actual safety gain from designing a GFI outlet that way, or is that just an undesirable characteristic of a particular GFI design?

I've come across a scenario in which this feature might actually improve safety:

Some older European buildings still have TN-C wiring in place. Current wiring codes no longer allow this due to safety concerns (which I'll get to in a minute), but there is no requirement to upgrade as long as no modifications are made (simple replacements, such as installing a new switch in place of a faulty one, do not count as modifications).

With TN-C there are two wires from the main panel to the wall outlets: a live wire and a combined ground-neutral (PEN) wire. At each outlet, there is a short length of wire bridging the ground and neutral terminals, and the PEN wire is attached to one of these two terminals.

However, an interruption in the PEN wire presents a safety hazard: devices are still powered via the live wire but the circuit is interrupted due to the faulty PEN wire. Touching the metal chassis of any device on that circuit will have the same effect as touching the neutral wire: doing so while grounded will turn you into the missing link in the PEN wire, which can be deadly.

This was the reason for phasing out this practice in favor of TN-C-S, which splits up the PEN into two wires at the distribution panel. With TN-C-S, interruption of a single wire affects either the ground wire or only the neutral wire, neither of which present an immediate risk of electric shock in an otherwise compliant setup.

Enter the GFI outlet: if used to replace a regular outlet in a TN-C setup, the PEN gets interrupted and someone were to touch the metal chassis of a device plugged into the GFI outlet, the GFI would trip. At the most, you'd feel a slight, short tingle as you touch the device.

Since a faulty PEN is likely to cause a brownout or blackout, having the GFI trip on low voltage would likely cause it to trip on a PEN interruption. Devices plugged into the outlet would not be hazardous to touch (and not even give you a tingle as you did), although devices not behind a GFI would obviously not benefit from this and still present a hazard. Additionally, a tripping GFI may alert people that something may be amiss – another example why a circuit breaker or GFI tripping should not just be considered a nuisance to be fixed by switching the power back on, but as an indication of a potential hazard that needs to be looked into.


How to seal between sill plate and foundation wall with wide gap? Here is a picture of the top of my uninsulated basement wall.  The foundation is poured and from early 1970s.  For orientation to the photo: the white in the lower left corner is the vertical face of the wall.  The horizontal board is the sill plate.  Attached to the sill plate is some mortar. In this photo it has separated from the top of the wall.  (Edit: the picture happens to be in a location directly above a basement window, and the mortar has separated from the frame above the window.  However, there are places along this wall where the mortar has indeed separated by a fraction of an inch from the poured foundation wall.  An eighth to as much as a quarter of an inch, except above windows where it's more like 1/2")

I am in the process of insulating the rim joists.  I'm using rigid foam board instead of spray foam, and I'm using caulk instead of Great Stuff / expanding spray foam.  As part of the job I am trying to seal the gap between the sill plate and the foundation wall.  In the places where the mortar has not separated from the wall, it's easy enough to just run caulk along between the mortar and the sill plate.  However, where it has separated, I need a better solution.  How can I do that?

If the gap between the sill plate and the wall was a little smaller, I could just run caulk in it.  However, since it's maybe 1/2 an inch, would it be better to shove a narrow strip of wood into the insulation to give the caulk something to adhere to?  Or I could cut a narrow strip of wood (say, 1" by 1/4") and staple that to the front of the sill plate in a fashion that covers up the insulation gap and then caulk along where that strip meets the foundation wall and also where it meets the sill plate.

Is there a better option you'd recommend?

That's my main question, but here are another couple of questions if you have interest or time.

Below is a stretch of wall where I removed the mortar that had separated from the top of the wall.  You can see that the mortar on the right side of the photo has not separated from the top of the foundation wall.  What the heck is the purpose of the nail that is sticking into the sill plate?  It was buried in the mortar that I removed.  You can see the head of another nail in the mortar in the image above.  Seems weird to me...though I have never done this type of work.

What is the yellow insulation that is underneath the sill plate called?  Why is the gap so tall?  I would expect the sill plate to be basically right on top of the foundation wall with only a tiny gap.

And what is the purpose of the mortar along the top of the wall in the first place?  Is it basically an attempt to stop air infiltration?

Edit: as follow-up to a comment I made, here's a picture of an anchor bolt in the sill plate.

Remove ALL the mortar throughout.

Fill gap with Great Stuff / expanding spray foam.

Let cure and then cut off square.

Drywall the face of the sill plate to cover the foam for fire safety.


What can I do to prevent possible gradual erosion on this small slope Just had a paver walk installed and the end of it has an elevation of 6" from the grass edge 18" away.

I live in Maryland.  I was thinking about the possibility of gradual erosion due to rain coming off the edge of the paver walkway.

Thanks for your help.

If the pavers were installed properly--and it looks like they were--the edge banding should be staked into the ground much deeper than 6". So, structurally, I think there is nothing to worry about.

Now, aesthetically, it does seem a little wonky. But we can't see the larger picture here.

That said, if you are worried about a bit of erosion over time, I'd suggest removing the mulch up to the pavers and plant grass there. The grass will help stop any erosion over that small of a slope.


What is the best way to fill narrow gaps between floor and skirting boards I have narrow gaps between the floor (Amtico) and the skirting boards (not over 1.5/2 mm) that I would like to fill but I'm not sure what to use. The floor is quite elastic so ideally I'd need something that sticks and that is also flexible and doesn't crumble. Being able to paint over it is a bonus, but the main goal is to fill those gaps. What's the best product that I could get in the UK to get the job done?

If skirting board by itself isn't sufficient then you can add a length of quarter round as well.


Why does my furnace need power resets all the time? I just installed a smart LUX thermostat and I know it's right but even with my old thermostat it was doing the same thing. My temp will be set at 70 yet its 62 in my house. I have to go to the basement and turn the power to the gas furnace off then on. It kicks on with in a few seconds and runs fine the later in the day I'll have to do it again. Wtf is going on with this thing? It just started doing this with in the last week  it is a heat and air unit that's gas and I know its wilted right because it will work fine once I power cycle it.

It sounds like a safety circuit is telling your furnace not to turn on again until it is serviced. A dirty air filter can be the cause, your control board usually has LED’s that indicate what the fault is by a sequence of flashes. It is best to find the cause of the fault not just powercycling. The brand and model of the furnace and the sequence of flashes could tell us what the fault is. A dirty filter is a first thing to check as they are most often overlooked.


Why do decks and porches have cracks between the boards? Is there a functional reason, like helping with rainfall or snow, or is it more of a cost issue?

Are there decks that are solid pieces of bonded wood?

The main reason for the gaps is to give wood room to expand and contract as moisture levels in the wood changes due to it being exposed to the weather. Without that spacing, the wood may expand and buckle, damaging the deck, and requiring repairs beyond the simple popped nail.


How to finish tiling an outside edge for a shower? I am installing stone tile (travertine) in a shower. I do not have bullnose tile so I was planning on simply finishing the edge by slightly filing the corners of the tile so they're not sharp and then caulking the edges so the thinset is hidden. Unfortunately I think I'll have to go entirely to the outside corner of the wall because the shower curb goes that far and I want to make sure the shower door will have ample room to be installed without having to deal with the outer edge of the tile being right in the middle of the door installation.

Here is a picture of the wall and curb. When I put on the 1/2" drywall, it should align with how far the curb sticks out.

Should I use some kind of corner bead? Are there any special instructions for that since it's near the wet area? Maybe I can treat it as a dry area since it will be on the opposite side of the shower door?
Should I skip the corner bead and instead take the tile all the way to the corner?
Can I have a corner bead and take my tile almost to the corner (about 1/2" away)?
Does anyone have tips for ending the tile in the 'open' like I am? People have previously suggested using the Schluter edging but I haven't see any that would look good with my tile so I've sort of ruled that out as an option.

(Yes I now realize I should have done the floor before setting the bottom row of tile)

You should NOT treat the top of the curb as a dry area, prepare it the same way as you prepare the shower floor (and it should be sloped toward the shower). I think you should tile the whole top and front of the curb .

If you cant find a suitable "corner round", you could finish the edge of the tile at the front of the curb, or finish the front edge corner (if you choose to tile the front side of the curb, which I recommend) with grout .

I do not recommend finishing any tile edge with caulking.


Ideas for securing decorative trim to brick I have what looks like a 10" x 3/4 board with some crown trim attached to the brick above my garage.  It is currently attached with square cut masonry nails, and part of it is loose.

I'd like to remove it to repair some rotted crown and prep and paint, and I'm looking for good ways to reattach it so it can be easily removed in the future.  Ideally without visible fasteners on the front edge.

The trim is as long as the two car garage, so its a bit awkward to work with.

The masonry nails are out, Tapcon screws are my usual goto, but don't lend themselves to repeated removal and have bright blue heads.  Exterior paint would also gum up the threads.  Some type of wooden cleat behind it would still have to be painted and maintained.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

If you're only and specifically asking about the crown, I'd use screws from above. Stainless or coated exterior screws, properly piloted and countersunk, would hold very well. You could use silicone or construction adhesive behind the lower edge of the crown to keep it snug, too.

This all assumes that the cap is securely fastened to the one-by attached to the wall, of course. It's also possible that you have a 1x6 with crown attached to the top edge, leaving a void under the cap. That would require new fasteners into the masonry. I'd then use trim-head screws and plastic plug anchors in 1/4" holes. They can be easily filled with wood putty before painting.

If your question is broader in scope than that, please revise to clarify.


How would I go about fitting a window AC into a really wide window? I live in an apartment and have a central air system but my main bedroom always stays about 10-15 degrees hotter than the rest of the apartment. I reached out to my landlord about this problem and she just brushed me off, so I called out an AC company & they said that the duct work was too small for the bedroom (they can't do anything without landlord approval) so here I am looking for a window AC.
I have a pretty large & odd shaped vertical opening window measuring in at about 50" wide and 12 1/2" tall. I've searched high and low for a window AC unit to fit those measurements, but continue coming up short. Any ideas on how I could get a standard window unit to fit in & stay?
I should also mention that I obviously rent & the frame is metal, so I can't screw or nail anything in.
!

That is a really wide window.
At just 12 inches tall you won't be able to fit any sort of window unit. Even 6,000 btu models are usually 12.5 inches tall. If you can find a short enough model then great but then you'll have to contend with finding a wide enough accordion curtain or just fill the void with cardboard.
An alternative option is a portable A/C which sits on the floor and exhausts out the window using a vent tube.


240v double pole breaker for two 120v circuits I am buying a very old house with fairly new looking breaker box in Ohio. When updating my bathroom,(installing a bathroom exhaust fan, new lights, ect.) I found that the wire that runs the bathroom is a 12-3/ground wire on a 30 amp 240v double pole breaker.  The red and black wires are running two separate circuits sharing the neutral.  I pulled the 240v breaker and put in two 120v, 20 amp breakers to see what all is on the circuit with the bathroom.  (It's running the bathroom, an outdoor light and a couple plugs on the other side of the house.)
  Ok, my questions are;
  Is it ok (safe) to just run a new 12-2 wire on a 20amp breaker for everything in the bathroom and leave the rest alone?
  Should I just change the 30 amp double pole to a 20 amp, or put in two 20 amp single pole breakers using  the 12-3 with ground wire?
  (Sorry about the long question)  Thanks!

The last guy got the 2-pole breaker thing right, the amperage wrong, and the GFCI wrong.  Here's what you need.

The breaker needs to be correct for the smallest wire in the circuit.  If it's all 12 AWG (no 14 AWG extensions) then the breaker must be 20 amps or smaller.  A 30A breaker is wrong and should be removed from service immediately.

Since it's a multi-wire branch circuit (MWBC), the circuit needs common shut-off, and with circuit breakers, that means either a 240V/2-pole breaker, or single breakers with handle-ties.  A handle-tie is a bit of plastic that sits in between the handles so they jointly shut-off.  It's sold by proper electrical supply houses; Big Box won't stock it.

Since it's a bathroom, at least part of the circuit needs to be GFCI protected.  Single-pole GFCI breakers with handle ties won't work.  The only options are:

A 2-pole, 120/240V GFCI breaker (expensive)
GFCI receptacles, making sure if you connect any additional loads on the "LOAD" side of the GFCI receptacle, that they use a dedicated hot-neutral pair separate from the MWBC shared neutral.


How can I reduce the amount of noise transferred through my exterior walls? My apartment building is near a mosque and as you may already know when the Moslems pray they like to use loudspeakers. And I mean LOUD. As I live in an apartment I am not allowed to make any changes to the outside facade. Our corner unit has windows in the bedrooms and it could get really noisy. We are expecting a baby soon and are trying to find a way to cancel this noise to ensure good sleep for the baby. What kind of solution can you suggest? Preferably one that wont involve a lot of construction and wont break the wallet. I attach a pic of one of the bedrooms with the blinds drawn.

There are soundproofing curtains and soundproofing panels that can be found through an internet search for soundproofing curtains.

They are not cheap, window curtains starting in the $300 range for an average size window (and yours are much larger). Panels start at about $200 for a 4x8 foot unit and they still need to be hung on some sort of frame. Preframed versions are a good bit more.

Many people swear by white noise machines, but not all people find them effective.


Wide back box with central 1-gang mounting Does anyone make a back box that has (British) standard 1-gang lugs, but the actual box extends beyond that?

i.e. something could be mounted centrally with 1-gang spacing (and it would cover the whole box) but the box would have more space either side of that.

Does anything like that exist? Closes I've found is dual 1-gang boxes, where two sit side by side, that would be OK except that I need the 1-gang spaced mounting to be central, or else the box probably wouldn't be covered one side.

You can get various conversion patresses which will fit over a flush 1-gang box and present a surface 2-gang box, eg

and conversion sockets, eg

If you want to fit a single socket on a double box you'd probably need to use a Euro module faceplate, Euro module socket and blanking plates

If you just need a decorative cover then 'finger plates' are available in white or clear

https://cpc.farnell.com/pro-elec/pel00515/finger-plate-for-light-switch/dp/PL10027


Best choice for sub-panel and circuits for basement Can anyone help me spec a sub-panel for a basement renovation? The plan is to run a 6/3 AWG feed from a 60A breaker in the main panel to a sub-panel which will be flush mounted in an interior stud wall in a closet. Here are the circuits I need:

Two 20A outlet circuits for a small kitchen
One 20A for a garbage disposal
One 20A for a dishwasher (I'd prefer to share this with one of the two kitchen outlet circuits -- if that's allowed)
Two 15A circuits shared across bedroom/bathroom/living room outlets
One 15A circuit for lighting (3 rooms, all LED)
One 20A (Amperage TBC) circuit for bathroom under-floor heating
20A circuits get 12/3 wire and 15A circuits get 14/3
GFCI outlets in kitchen and bathroom, of course.
Furnace stays on it's existing circuit from the main panel
I will run all this by the city inspector after I pull permits

Questions:

Is this a reasonable plan?
Is 60A sub-panel enough or should I be going to 100A?
What kind of breaker do I need for the main panel? 60A single pole?
Can the sum of the sub-panel breakers be greater than the breaker in the main panel from which it's fed? (I think yes, as is the case in main panels)

A recommendation on reasonably-priced panel and breaker choice would be much appreciated. There are so many choices out there.

What kind of closet will this be? Can't put a panel in a clothing closet.

A bathroom needs a 20A because a hair dryer is 13A all by itself nevermind the curling iron or hair straightener often set out to warm up while it's in use. Also whatever else, and lights, fan, heatlamp if that's on the circuit too.

I get your idea that it's YOUR house and YOU can cheap out on the electrical system and use your smarts not to overload it. However a) don't overestimate your sense of load size.  b)  I certainly hope for your resale value that you are not the last human who uses this house.  And c) I fail to see the value of cheaping out on electrical.  Given the astonishingly low cost of the parts, you should be optimizing for performance not economy.  Case in point:

The ampacity of the subpanel

First, separate the supply breaker from the subpanel proper.  You can have a 30A breaker in the main feed a 225A panel (the 30A certainly won't melt the 225A panel!)  The reverse is not true, obviously.    You would go with a higher amp subpanel mainly so you have extra breaker spaces for future expansion, because running out of spaces is a nightmare that is so easily averted right now, when you buy the subpanel, and extra spaces are cheap.  So in your case I'd go for a 30 space for instance.  Finishing with 60% of your spaces unused is a good place to be. It's so easy and cheap to just add circuits if you have the panel space, so things like under-sink water heaters, electric car, welder, become easy decisions.

Beware of double-stuff breakers. Many panels advertise "24-circuit (12-space)" - the 24 circuits relies on double-stuff breakers, which are more expensive.  Those are bad news because increasingly you are required to use exotic breakers like GFCI, AFCI, 2-pole and the like, and those cannot be had in double-stuff.  So you are stuck with the lesser capacity e.g. 12 circuits.   It's cheaper to get the number of spaces you want, so you can use the simplest breakers allowed.

Which panel?  The breakers must match the panel. Eaton CH panel, Eaton CH breakers.  Most manufacturers make several incompatible lines (CH/BR, Homeline/QO, etc.) The ruling factor is the cost of exotic breakers such as GFCI, AFCI, 2-pole GFCI and the like. So you can cross off several models.  Those exotics are being forced down our throat, so get used to them.   I am also not a fan of tenant-grade cheapies (Homeline, BR).  Siemens has a lot of promise: quality panel with sanely priced exotics.

The panel should be fed with a 2-pole breaker in the main panel, unless you are doing something intentionally weird, but then why would you use /3 feeder?  You should know this, by the way.

I'm a little concerned with a knowledge gap here, and encourage you to hit a library for a book on wiring houses, and read it cover to cover. You don't want a knowledge gap. You especially don't want one after the drywall is up but before inspection.  If your skill is lacking, do the works in EMT conduit so it's easy to fix later!

The circuits

Now, you say you want to run /3 cable.  Either you don't know what you're saying, or you intend to double the circuit so you get 2 circuits out of each cable (a multi-wire branch circuit).  That's awesome. (MWBCs not unfamiliarity).

I was a little worried that you were underpowering things like the bathroom and kitchen, but if you intend to supply them with a /3 and MWBC, that means double the circuits, and the cook will thank you. However MWBCs absolutely require a 2-pole breaker, which means you will need 2 breaker spaces for each one.  Like I say, you go through spaces faster than you expect!

Honestly MWBCs are falling out of style because so many circuits require GFCI or AFCI.  And that requires either the uber-exotic 2-pole GFCI/AFCI breakers, or correct branching at the destination and then GFCI or AFCI deadfaces or receptacles.  And the savings is pretty small compared to running 2 separate /2 cable runs and avoiding MWBCs altogether.

The bathroom(s) require following one of two strategies:

Each bathroom gets a dedicated 20A circuit for ONLY loads in that bathroom, including wired loads like lights, fan, etc.  I am not a fan of this one, because BOOM you are now in pitch black, holding a red hot hair straightener 1/4 inch from your ear, and can't even set it down because you can't see to not set it in the sink full of water. (however if the hardwired loads together exceed 50% of circuit capacity, looking at you fan-heater, that circuit cannot serve any receptacles at all, and this method doesn't work.)
A dedicated 20A circuit serves only receptacle loads in any number of bathrooms.   The hardwired loads are served potentially from other circuits that serve other rooms.

There is one circuit that you really will want to be 100% dedicated, and that is the refrigerator.  Code requires a GFCI since it's in the kitchen, even though that's not really the use-case GFCIs were intended for.  And you really don't want any other appliance tripping the fridge and ruining your food.  For this reason GFCIs on fridges are a terrible idea. I say install a dedicated circuit with a single (not the usual duplex) receptacle, so only the fridge can possibly be plugged in.  Use a GFCI breaker, and I would certainly never tell you to switch it to a plain breaker 5 minutes after the inspector walks out the door.


Adding 50 amp breaker to 90 amp subpanel I have a 90 amp sub panel in the garage with a couple of empty slots. Am I able to add a 50 amp breaker for a 14-50 outlet without overloading the sub panel?

Your panel has many "tandem" breakers... read here on what those are, how those work and  how they relate to panel spaces.
First, deal with  the fire-starters!
OK, there are at least three Multi-Wire Branch Circuits in here that are catastrophically miswired. They will overload neutral, putting  30A on a 15A wire.  "The last guy" did exactly the thing we warn people not to do: put MWBCs on tandems.
What's more, the installer violated the "handle-tie" rule of MWBCs, which would have prevented the blunder.

You will need two of (in order of preference) Eaton BQ215215, or BQC215215. Either one will do. You need two.
Pull the 8 wires off the bottom 4 left-side breakers.
Now, identify the three cables coming in that have  black-white-red.
Pick one cable.  Follow its black and red wires.  Stick them on the inner terminals of one of the breakers.
For the second cable, stick its black and red on the outer terminals of that same breaker.
For the third cable, stick its black and red on the inner terminals of the other breaker.
The two single-pole 15A circuits that are now dangling, go on the remaining breaker terminals.
Remove the bottom 4 breakers altogether, and snap these two quadplex in their place.
OK, so that's fixed. They have mandatory handle-ties, and they are correctly phased so you won't get a neutral fire.
Install the 50A breaker.
Now, get a BQC2502120, or a BQC220250, in order of preference.   This has 50A in the middle and 20A outside.
Remove the 20A single breaker.  Replace it with the above breaker.
Put the existing 20A wire on the bottom terminal of the big BQC breaker.
Put the 50A load on the middle terminals.
Now you have 1 spare 20A breaker, and one full slot still free.
Plan on replacing that panel with something much bigger soon.  As expected, you ran out of spaces before you ran out of amps.
Fix the markings on that panel.
They are a code violation for two reasons: First they specify rooms by things only you know like Karen's room, and second, they contradict each other.
Obviously someone rearranged this panel, and that's how the MWBCs got dangerously placed on tandems.
Also you are required to identify breakers by marking that will be obvious after you move out -- "northwest bedroom" not "playroom" and definitely not "child's name".
Just get some acetone or something and wipe off all that Sharpie (not that easy)... better yet, scrub it with a Scotchbrite pad (so the paint will stick), clean and dry it, then hit it with a can of Krylon. Great time to match it (roughly) to your walls - you are better off using an "oil paint" like is in spray cans, than a latex which doesn't work on machinery.
Number all the spaces the same way -- 1A-1B through 12A-12B is fine, or 1-24, whatever. If an AFCI breaker is sitting on 23 and 24, people will figure out what you mean when you say "23 NW Bedroom" or whatever.


What is the appropriate type of caulking around a kitchen sink? The caulking around my sink has worn/rotted away and I've removed it properly, but I've been looking into what I kind of caulking to use, and there seem to be many different types, so I'm a bit unsure of what to do.

Which type of caulking is used for a kitchen sink (the gap between the kitchen sink and the counter-top? Does anything else need to be applied in addition to the caulking?

You need a 100% silicone clear caulk and since it is near a sink I would get something that is mold resistant.

Silicone for the sink to counter binding and its flexibility with temperature change.

Clear because you don't want to have staining issues down the road.  Also if you need to add caulk down the road - clear matches clear.

GE Silicone II

I have used this on almost anything.