What happens if I let my building permit expire? TLDR: I pulled a permit for my house, now the inspectors are looking for more things wrong with my house than the permit pertains to. I want them out. What are the repercussions to letting the permit expire? I plan to sell the house sometime in the future, but I don't believe I will have any issues with selling. I live in Clearwater, FL.

Originally pulled a permit to remodel a bathroom. Bathroom originally held the breaker box, so I rotated 180 to be with code. Had power company come out and kill power while I remodeled the breakers, then they claimed they would not return power unless I had it inspected. City inspector approved of my work, but said I needed to redo my home's wiring to come up to code (no grounds in any branch circuits) before he would sign off the rough-in.

Can the inspector even go looking for issues like this?

Now I've got all my walls torn off in my entire house down to studs. My scope-of-work at the permitting office still says "remodeling bathroom." I get the electrical all caught up and call the inspector -- I get a fill-in inspector because my regular inspector is on vacation. New inspector passes my electrical rough, then says he can also service my framing inspection after I update my scope-of-work with the permitting office. I explain to him I've done no work to the frame but he points out some draft points to the attic and says they need filled in (prevention of attic fire), again -

Can the inspector even go looking for issues?

So now I'm sitting with all my walls off, looking at getting 1) Framing inspections, 2) drywall inspections, and 3) final electrical inspections on all my wiring, and being asked to make it official in updating the scope-of-work. Kinda feel like I've been roped into some scheme...

So my final question is this: What happens if I just drop the permit? If I don't call out any more inspectors, just put my walls back up, and then someday somebody at the permitting office realizes my permit expired - what are the consequences? I live in Clearwater, FL.

Right off the bat, you won't get your power turned on.  Because the power company won't turn on power until the panel flip is signed off.

Since you have already done the rewire, I would pull a permit for the rewire and then get that signed off on.  I personally think you took your life in your hands by doing the rewire without a permit for that.

The inspector suggesting additional work does not have the effect of pulling a permit for that work.

It sounds like the inspector is ever pressuring you to increase the scope of the project.  I agree, this is like one of those lottery/Nigerian Prince scams, everything you do, the inspector will suggest another thing to add to the scope of work.  With the Nierian Prince scam, they tend to bump your next payment by about 2.5 times your last payment, and that sounds like this.  Going from a panel flip to blowing out all your drywall is a huge leap.

The only way out is to use the words "no", "not funded", "not this year", "outside project scope" and "I don't have a permit for that".


Should neutral and hot wire be tied together if not in use There was a fan attached, but I removed it because I don't need it. I'm not sure what to do with the wires, though. Should I tie the neutral and hot wires together or should I leave them as they are in the picture? Also, do I leave the ground wire just hanging there?

No, these should be capped off as your picture shows.  If they are still live, code requires that the ends be in an approved box with a lid, and not concealed behind drywall or plaster (i.e. so the next person can get to it.  It looks like the conduit that brings the wires to the metal box has lost its nut to keep it attached to the box;  you should try to replace that too, so that the individual wires don't become abraded and short across the edge of the hole in the box.


How to install screen door on outside? I'd like to install a screen door for accessing my deck.  Currently I have French doors with one that is stationary and one that opens to the inside.   Looking at the existing setup, it appears that there might(?) be a rail for attaching a screen door to?  Is the ridge in this picture for a sliding screen door, and if not, what is it?  It seems like it would impede me installing any sort of swinging or sliding screen if that's the case.

I’d be careful screwing anything down through the threshold.

The “lip” (ridge as you call it) is for keeping wind blown rain from backing up to your interior swinging door.

An exterior swinging screen door would be difficult at best. You’ll need a screen door frame that is “L” shaped that will lap over the existing door frame. I doubt if you’ll find one that is the exact correct depth, so you’ll need to install furring stripes on the head and jambs. Sealing the head is usually with flashing, but maybe you could use glazing tape.

Likewise for sliding screen doors you’ll have similar installation problems.

My daughter just installed magnetic screens on her deck door and she (and her dogs) love it.


How to fill 5 inch deep gap above and below window on internal wall I've recently had wallpaper stripped and the guy managed to remove two of the PVC window trims in the process. This has exposed a gap between the top of the window and the wall of about 1.5 inches, and the same at the bottom beneath the sill a gap of approx 1 inch on half the length of the sill (see pics). The holes go right back about 5 inches deep. I haven't removed the other two sides of the trim but I can see behind them and the main gap is at the top and bottom of the windows.

I don't like the trim any way so happy to remove all of it, but my question is... how do I fill these gaps before I get the plasterer in? Do I need a tradesman to do this properly or can I do this myself - I am a complete novice with limited DIY experience albeit I am willing to give it a go if simple!

I've read that expanding foam might work, is the right? The room will be skimmed after I get this fixed, will I need to replace the trim afterwards or can I just caulk around the edge of the window to the new skimmed plaster? Any help greatly appreciated on how to fix this.

Gaps around windows are common (there's a reason why they're called "rough-in"). As long as the gaps aren't larger than the trim, you're fine. Oddly enough, the old trim looks like it was attached to the window. That would explain the gap (it wasn't visible from the inside).

The unusual thing here is the size. Expanding foam is your friend here, but be sure it will fill a gap that large. Not all foam will expand 1" or more but there are types that can.


Can I use 12 awg ground copper for 14 awg electrical box wirings? My electrical box has 14 awg wires and I have a 12 awg copper ground wire lying around.  Can I use the 12 awg copper or do I need to get a 14 gauge?

Should be fine. If it's just pigtails in the box it won't even affect your fill, IIRC. If you are running 12Ga ground wire (not just in-box pigtails) you do have to allow for it in box volume calculations, but it would rarely cause a problem since the equipment grounding conductor is only counted once for box fill.


Lineset sizing for multi-zone mini-split I'm installing a 48k multi-zone mini-split in the garage.  The zones are 18k, 18k and 12k.  All of the indoor units say they require 1/4" x 1/2" linesets in the install manuals.  The condenser has 5 x 1/4" liquid ports, 3 x 3/8" and 2 x 1/2" gas ports.  I checked with the vendor, and they said adapters are provided with the condenser, so ok to use 3/8" linesets on gas side for the indoor units.
My question:  Is it really ok to use 3/8" linesets and adapters on the gas side in this setup?

I would do what the oem tells you but 3/8 on a 18k sounds a bit small to me but  the oem should know.
I am sure the last 18k I installed required 1/2” on the low and 1/4 on the high.
I would rather use the larger ports for your larger (18k) inside units as throttled suction line will reduce their efficiency.
yes you only have 42 max But if the return line is throttled on the larger ones they may suffer more because of the under sized suction line.
I may be out of line here as I don’t know the brand or control system but if in parallel with the flow controlled in the head unit go with a larger suction line on the 18k units and skip using the adapters
They would not make the suction line on the inside units 1/2” if it did not need it in my opinion. But I only do hvac part time.


trouble wiring smart ceiling fan switch. I recently was gifted a lot of home automation stuff and I was able to set everything up so far including outlets, thermostat, etc. Now I'm trying to tackle the light switch in my home office and its stumping me. any suggestions? any advice would be great thanks!

Connect

COM to L

A1 to L1

B1 to L2

You'll also need to connect the white wire in the box to the N terminal.

There should be a ground wire in the box as well, connect to the GND terminal

(There will be two white neutral wires in the box, connected to each other. They have to stay connected so you'll add a pigtail (a separate short wire) to that connection to provide the wire to the N terminal. Same thing for the bare copper ground wire.)


What to use so concrete doesn't stick to plastic bucket? I'll be using regular plastic buckets to make some concrete planters, something like this. My goal is to reuse the buckets.

The problem is that she sprayed each bucket (generously) with canola oil and non-stick oil, but the dry concrete stuck really well to the bucket. She ended up having to cut both buckets to remove the concrete planter.

Is there anything I can spray the bucket with so that the plastic doesn't stick to the concrete?

A simple solution I used once was a layer of cling film... But you have to get it smooth... Any imperfections may show.


Nice looking on-wall wiring I need to run some standard AC wiring for wall lights etc. in the living room and some telephone/broadband wiring too. The problem is I can't do it in-wall for various reasons. The only option I am aware of is run a casing+capping made of PVC which does the job but looks hideous is a no-no.

So what I am looking for, is some known solution which is on-the-wall and still looks nice or can be made to. Or maybe some start-up/innovation which has come recently which I may not be aware of.

When someone says surface wiring, the first thought that seems to pop into almost everyone's head is something with all the panache of this:

This doesn't have to be.  What about building a cover over wiring which looks like a fireplace mantel or deluxe shelf?

It could serve multiple purposes depending on its depth:  bar, furniture-wall protector, decorative display, storage, art display, etc.


Strange sink behavior -- sink fills partially then drains at a normal pace Our bathroom has two sinks of the type where the entire basin sits above the countertop level.  For several months (at least) now, the sink I normally use has filled up to about 2/3rds or so of its level when I first use it in the morning -- once it reaches that fill level though, it starts to drain normally and continues to drain normally for the rest of the day.  I looked under the sink, and it is P-trapped; also, other drains behave relatively normally in comparison, save for the adjacent sink, which also drains slowly at the same time as the sink I normally use.

Why is this going on? I'm stumped -- the only theory I can think of is a venting issue, but that wouldn't explain why it only occurs for these two sinks, but not the bathroom tub (which simply is sluggish to drain), or the washer immediately on the other side of the wall (if water couldn't get through the trap there, I'd expect it to go up the standpipe and start spilling out the top, and it hasn't).

My first thought was venting as well.  The washer and tub may have different vents and have no bearing.  I'm assuming, of course, that you tried the simple approaches, like pulling out the drain stop to ensure it isn't clogged with hair and gunk, and dropping the trap to ensure it is clean?  I had an issue like this with a tub drain where the vent was clogged, and there was no way to get to it. I worked at it with a hand snake and plunger for a while and it eventuially opened the clog.


What should I do about a high spot in my new driveway that is causing rain water to backup? I recently had a new asphalt driveway installed and after a tremendous downpour, I found there is a high spot in the driveway that caused the rain to pool and back up towards my garage within a foot of the garage door.

What should be done to correct this problem?

Asphalt driveways are surprisingly flexible when new, and residential driveways are not typically compacted much past 90% — which means there is some flexibility to rework and further compact it.

I corrected a high edge on mine by heating with a torch and pounding it with a 4x4 hand tamper I kept coated in non-stick cooking spray (to prevent soft asphalt and aggregate from sticking to the tamper).


Does this truss have two or three bearing points? Part of my roof is made from studio trusses as shown in the picture. I'm trying to determine if any of the load from these trusses is borne by the highlighted wall.

The wall is built with 2x6s, but this may be because it contains a plumbing vent.

The architect has said that any bearing walls would be indicated in the plans, and this wall is not shown as load-bearing. Indeed, in our variant of the plan, this wall doesn't go to the ceiling, being only three feet high. (Edit: to be clear, the plan for our variant of the house shows the wall as three feet tall, but it was built full-height, and with 2x6s rather than the 2x4s shown here.)

Still, it's worrying that these trusses all touch a heavy wall that goes all the way down to the slab. Can anyone tell for sure if this truss has two or three bearing points?

It is unlikely that a residential truss has a load bearing center point unless it was carrying another truss load and being used as a girder. That doesn't appear to be the case. It appears that the truss was too low once it spanned the high ceiling area and the clearance was elevated to create a vaulted ceiling at the top of the stairwell. That truss appears to only have two load bearing points. Trusses are also marked at the load points when manufactured. I would still call the architect to verify.


How can I remove a potent smell from leather? We just bought two used leather chairs.  They are in great condition, but they have a very distinct (rather unpleasant) smell to them.... Is there any safe way to remove this smell without damaging the leather?

It smells like smoke from cigarettes.

Cigarette stench is a bad one - good luck, you'll need it. I would have moved on to a different sale, personally.

You could try using saddle soap (buy it at a tack shop) and scrubbing the surface down. Follow the instructions on the can. Might need to repeat 3-4 times.

If there's a fabric bottom, remove, discard, and replace it.

You might also consider replacing the stuffing, if its permeated deeply.


What is a bus bar in an electrical switch board? I am doing some research in electrical wiring and mains switch boards and was wondering what a bus bar is and what it does?

I think Wikipedia can explain what a bus bar is, better than I can. But in general terms. It's a strip of conductive material where other conductors can connect, to safely interconnect all the conductors.

If you look in an empty single split phase electrical panel, you'll see 3 or 4 bus bars. Two ungrounded (hot) bus bars running down the middle, one grounded (neutral) bus bar off to the side or at top/bottom, and one grounding bus bar off to the side or at top/bottom.


What to consider from picking a toolbox? I need a tolbox but have got no experience with one. Can you suggest what things to consider before I choose one? Some examples will be very helpful.

Some aspects you should consider would be:

Size:

If you're just starting out with your tool collection, you may want to look into a tool set/tool box combo. The one from the link has several drawers with a bigger top compartment. You can also get an expanding tool box which lets you see where all your tools are without having to go through all your drawers.
If you just want somewhere to store a limited amount of tools because you don't use them often, I'd suggest a simple plastic toolbox like this one. My first toolbox was a similar design with a lift-out tray and small hardware storage compartments in the lid. It is a bit of a hassle to go digging around in the one main compartment though.
Do you have a garage full of tools? A rolling tool chest has a high storage capacity with lots of drawers for easy organization. The one here has a big drawer for larger items and several drawers for organization of smaller tools. An easily portable tool bag would be a great addition if you go this route, since a large chest isn't portable.

Portability:

Are you going to be working at other locations than where you store your tools? A truck toolbox might be useful if you're always working at different locations. (I just realized I made the assumption that everyone owns a truck - whoops!) However, if you're mostly doing home improvement jobs at your own house, you probably don't need one of these.

Work Environment:

If you're doing most of your work on your own house, you probably don't need a lockable tool box. However, if you're planning on working in environments where more than close friends have access too, you definitely want to protect your tools from theft.
Are you going to be carrying it around, banging it up? Then you probably want a metal toolbox. Otherwise, if it's just going to sit in the garage, a plastic one might be okay.

Accessibility:

A tool bag or tool bucket organizer is the easiest way to keep tools nearby when you're working (other than a tool belt). I recently purchased a bag with a large center compartment and lots of pockets on the outside. I can see where all my tools are without digging through a toolbox. For home improvement projects, I'd recommend this style. You do have to consider that you can't lock it though.


Can’t find breaker for AC unit I have 2 AC units and I’m installing Ecobee thermostats. The upstairs unit is on the main panel and I was able to turn it off and install the thermostat.

I turned off the main breaker and the downstairs unit continues to run so it’s obviously not on the main panel. Outside by the unit it is hooked up to a box from the Electric company that says shouldn’t be opened.

I’ve had the thermostat replaced on this unit before and I know they didn’t call the electric company to open this box.

Is there somewhere else this unit may be wired to or somewhere else it can be turned off?

That Duke Energy box is a remote load controller that allows Duke to power down your unit for some interval during times of peak load.  Generally you get some sort of discount for allowing them to do that.

But it's NOT the circuit breaker.  That is going to be in the main panel or a sub-panel.  Trace the wiring coming into the load controller back to the source of the power.


Installing a new exterior door into a taller existing opening We are remodeling our 1948 home, and the previous owner was quite tall.  We are trying to replace our exterior door, and have come across a wonderful deal on a door.  Here is the issue: How can I make a 36w x 78L door fit into a 36w x 82L frame?

The simple answer is to fix a 4" high piece to the top of the frame where the door would go.

However, you would need this to match the thickness of the new door you are fitting and you'd need to weatherproof the gap between this and the new door. Assuming that the door opens inwards you could fit a piece of wood across the gap.

Paint the wood the same colour as the frame to de-emphasise it, or paint it a contrasting colour (the same as the door perhaps) to highlight it.


Do I have to provide better support when hanging a range hood from soffit framing? I recently purchased a house and am currently renovating my kitchen. I have gutted the kitchen and changed the wall between the kitchen and living room to a half wall. The design I have now is setup to put the stove/oven against the half wall.

On the inside of this kitchen wall I have an 8' ceiling but there is a soffit with my heating duct work running through it which brings it down to 7' above where the stove top will be. The stove top comes up 36" so that leaves me 48" to work with for the range hood. I don't think I will be able to get a vented out range hood due to the pre-existing duct work so I will have to get a ductless/recirculating hood.

Is it possible for me to hang a hood down from the soffit frame? Would I have to add support to the frame to make it stronger? The frame now looks pretty weak, so I'm guessing I would.

Every big box has said hood you need.  Do they have one that is fancy or that you will like in the depth.  Who knows?

As you can hang your "vent" from anywhere that is secure.  Note that whether you have to vent out is up to local code.  Most don't require it, meaning if they don't you want to think about not having anything - what you are getting is less effective than a ceiling.  You might also want to think about just installing a ceiling vent/fan (bathroom vent variety).


How to use two UPS one online and the other as backup? I have two UPS 10kva 220 volt used for controlling system. I need one ups online and the other one as backup. If the Grid supply out the main ups pick up the load and if the main ups fail to do that the backup ups will. So how do I setup this configuration electronically instead of electro-mechanically? Note: for now I am using two electromagnetic relays connected as interlock.

You want an automatic transfer switch

The device you want is called an automatic transfer switch (ATS for short) and should be readily available through an electrical supply house (or equivalent) in your area.  Note that this device will need to be approved by your local electrical authorities.

A proper ATS not only has electrical protection, but mechanical interlocking of the contacts, making it impossible for the two sources to be inadvertently coupled together.  It also has logic to avoid transferring between sources when they are not phase-synchronized with each other, which can cause serious problems to loads that are expecting a smooth sine wave instead of a sharp "jump", such as AC motors.


Correct voltage of hot wires with common neutral I just bought a house and am changing around some outlets in the garage, and I want to make sure the electricity is wired properly. There are 6 wires in a conduit going to the garage, three hot (red, purple, and blue) 2 neutrals (white), and one ground (green). Each of the hot wires has their own circuit breaker. Red and blue were wired to share a common neutral, and purple had it's own neutral. When I used a voltmeter and put one lead on red and one on blue it reads roughly 0 volts, when I do the same for blue and purple it reads roughly 240 and purple and red also 240.
Should red and blue share a common neutral? My guess is that I should rewire it so that red and purple or purple and blue share a neutral, but I want to confirm.
Thanks a lot!

Having had to rewire a factory after someone stole all the breakers and all the wires up to the edge of a panel, I see it in the converse manner as ThreePhaseEel.
I don't say red and blue need to be on different neutrals.  I say red and blue breakers need to be on opposite phases.  I.E. the breakers are mispositioned.  I wouldn't do anything to the garage wiring, other than understand it.
I suspect it was wired correctly originally (albeit lacking the handle-ties now required) and then some years ago, a previous maintainer rearranged some breakers and did not realize these were MWBCs. .
So I would reposition the red/blue breakers back to where they belong: on opposite phases... and declare victory, myself.
In other words, I'm saying "fix it at the breaker panel by correctly phasing red and blue"... and don't "try to rearrange the garage wiring to change how the MWBCs are grouped".
For right now, swap the 3 breakers around so red/blue are opposite phased.  It's not a handle-tie, but it's what can be done right now.  (I assume you have a panel full of tandems/double-stuffs, and those get VERY confusing).

However, separate from that, it's a Code requirement that the neutrals be identified in association with their partner hot(s).  Things like that are why my electric toolbox has 10 colors of tape.  I would simply tape the white wires with the colors of the hot(s) they support; there's nothing wrong with that *when it's individual wires in conduit; as remarking individual white or gray wires does not convert them into a hot.
So wrap them or tape them as pairs/triplets, at both ends.  The ground is shared and doesn't need to be associated with one or the other.


Add 3-way switch with regular switch In one of my greatest moments I decided to move the attic switch from in the attic to downstairs as I'm always forgetting to turn it off and have to go back (yes, I'm a bit lazy).

In any case, I then was like... well what if I go in the attic and forget to turn it on (equally as bad of a scenario).

Attached is a diagram of my current setup. I haven't installed everything yet but the wires and the necessary electrical work downstairs has already been completed. Is there a way to add a 2nd light switch in the attic without modifying the "SW Downstairs" to a 14/3? The LINE is already in the attic. I'm 90% sure the answer is: "No"; but after being in a 90deg attic for a majority of the afternoon my brain isn't functioning at full capacity.

Please note: everything is in the attic except "SW Downstairs"

Legend:
SW = Switch; LTS = Lights; G = Ground; B = Hot; W = Neutral

Nope. Unless the first switch is already fed with power from somewhere else (which is not the case in your diagram), then you need three (non-grounding) conductors to use a 3-way switch: 1 hot and 2 travelers.


Replacing both 3-way switches I found 2 hot wires one in each box Since the new switches were not same make\model as the old ones I had to remove both switches (6 wires) and test for the hot wire and I found 1 hot wire in each to the 2 boxes.  Now what?  It seems which ever way I install only one switch truly controls the light.  Let me say again, there is a hot wire at the top of the stairs and a hot wire at the bottom of the stairs and one light half-way up the stairs.

Two ways to connect 3-way switches and load. Firt feed and load in same junction box. Second feed and load connected in different boxes. In second only three wires run between boxes: two travelers and one phase return. So two wires live voltage.


Best way to convert all lights on one switch, to one switch per room I’m about to tackle refinishing some parts of my basement.
When you walk down the stairs, there’s one switch that controls all the lights; I’d like to convert that to one switch per room.
Is it code-ok to run some romex to a switch from the light, leaving them all on the same circuit?

Thanks!
EDIT:
Right, here's the current floor plan w/wiring.

I was thinking I could:

bypass the current switch that controls them all (by tying white and black wires in that box at the base of the stairs; this would save me some time, where I can reuse the wire that currently runs the length of the basement).
use the now-hot source to wire a single-pole switch in each room, taking some 14-3 from the existing ceiling boxes down to each switch. (14-3 instead of 14-2 because of the capped-off neutral requirement 2011 NEC). Like so:

I was about to say yes but if someone turned that switch off it would turn all the rooms lights off so if these are living spaces / finished  rooms it would not be to code.
If you made that location hot all the time  then broke all the rooms you could do that and it may not take much wiring depending on how your wires are run.


Hot tub heater not working and making noise I'm working to fix a free hot tub that I got with a number of issues.

Now it seems that my heater is not working and also making a clicking noise. I am wondering what peoples thoughts are on what this could be? It's definitely coming from the heater area (not the motor) and I'm concerned it's arcing.

I imagine this could be a useful question for anyone trouble shooting an electric coiled water heater. The link to the video is below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xwyenfw0Co0&feature=youtu.be

Thanks so much stack exchange community

The clicking noise sounds like a contactor or power relay. On the tubs I have worked on there has been a safety pressure switch on the pump, no pressure the switch opens and the heat contactor drops out. Other possible problems include a rusty contactor trying to pull in, loud buzz because it's not fully closing. I would check the pressure switch and look for a possible thermal overtemp switch also. Loose or corroded connections are quite possible also. So an inspection of the connections could also identify the problem. The contactor issue needs to be fixed but you can test the heater with the power off, measure the terminals with an ohm meter the value will probably be 10-30 ohms if it shows open it is bad. The resistance is based on the size of the heat element so it could be lower or higher but will probably be close to 10-30 ohms. I have bypassed both pressure switches and over temp switches to verify that is the problem but once solved never leave a safety bypassed.


Is it good that windows are shut when heating is on Many apartments require all windows to be closed during winter when the heating is on. But even when the apartments have central heating, as far as I know about my current apartment, it just circulate the air inside the apartments, and doesn't bring in fresh air.

It is dangerous to tenants' lives that the CO2 and other kinds of gas become accumulated inside. So are the above policies of apartment managers reasonable?

As tenants, what can we do to guarantee we have necessary fresh air to breath?

An example of such policies is following:

  During the heating season when the outside temperature is below 50-degrees, all windows must be kept closed to prevent waste.  During the winter when the outside temperature is below freezing, leaving a window open, even one inch, can freeze the heat lines beneath the window and cause a flood.  Management will watch for open windows and repeat offenses may result in a charge to the Tenant.

There are very few workplaces or residences which are so air tight that air cannot exchange with the outdoors adequately.  Particularly if an exterior door is opened for a few seconds once in awhile or a heating or cooking appliance exhausts outdoors (thus drawing in outside air).  Buildings which are designed to be really airtight will have an outside air intake, usually with a heat exchanger for energy efficiency.

In ordinary construction up to the 1990s, there was little concern of consuming interior oxygen, even with a small apartment and a large number of people visiting, cooking, etc.  Doors, walls, windows, floors, closets, plumbing and electrical holes simply were not that tightly sealed.

If this is truly a concern for you, rent or buy an air oximeter.  An "inexpensive" laboratory model for O2 is less than $1000 here (a bargain compared to many).  Lab instrumentation rental businesses typically require a month or two minimum rental.  To get a reasonably complete understanding of the air composition, a model which reads both CO2 and O2 is desirable.


Low foghorn noise after new pressure reduction valve and expansion tank installed A plumber recently installed a new pressure reduction valve and expansion tank in my house (which previously had neither) because the water pressure was unusually high. About a week after the install, I started hearing a low, loud foghorn noise whenever I turned on any faucet in the house or flushed the toilet. The noise comes a few seconds after the water comes on, and it typically only happens after periods of no water usage, such as in the morning or when I get home from work. I spoke to the plumber who is coming back next week, and he doesn't think the problem is the PVR unit itself, but everything I'm seeing online indicates that usually is the problem. What could be causing this noise?
Update: the plumber came out and agreed it sounds like the PRV. He replaced it, and two days later I haven't heard the noise once.

Instead of flowing air which is used in instruments like flutes or trompets,  oscillations can be produced by flowing water as well. The complete system consisting of the spring in the reduction valve, the tube dimensions and the expansion tank could be in resonance depending on a certain pressure and water flow.
It should be influenced by the pressure that can be adjusted turning the black part of the reduction valve.
If there is a water heater downstream of the pressure reduction valve, a safety pressure relief valve must be installed, since the expansion tank could fail and the reduction valve would close if the water is heated up thus preventing the pressure to be relieved into the upstream net.


Planning for a Covered Deck in the UK Do i need permission to build something like this in the UK?

And do i need to follow any building regs?

(I am not in a conservation area)

According to the Planning Portal, you need planning if the deck is over 300mm high or covers more than 50% of the garden (along with other structures).

(see here)

It also states that if your deck needs planning, it probably also needs Building Regs approval.


DC current for reconstructed house with new extension I am hoping this could be the right forum for this kind of question. I recently bought a house that is going to have major structural changes and an extension that will basically be new-build. I am pretty much a novice to all this.

I am thinking about the electrics, naively, and wondering what kind of cost savings and simplifications could be achieved by trying to run DC around the house.

My thinking is that

I want efficient (LED?) lighting (DC)
If necessary, perhaps I could pipe the light by cheap fiber optic, if that ends up being part of the solution
Most things I use around the house either run off DC or will be rechargeable via USB anyway.
I will still need a few AC sockets for things like the hoover, but not many

I am aware that low voltage DC will suffer voltage drop and power loss, and that fat cabling to compensate would make that more expensive, but what I am thinking is that because this is so early in the construction, are there any opportunities for taking advantage of decorative or structural elements as electrical conductors?

Can I use steel reinforcements, even in steel-concrete, as the DC distribution network?
Other structural and/or decorative elements such as aluminium bars, copper plates and etc., that when arranged could also serve as DC distribution

In short, in our current home it seems absurd at face value that we have all these little USB adapters and chargers lying around, transformers, wall-warts, bricks and etc., when it seems all I really need is a USB socket in a wall.  I am wondering if there is any realistic way of achieving this that makes general sense.

It's an idea that initially sounds appealing but just doesn't work out in practice.

Unfortunately for a given acceptable power loss percentage the cable size required is proportional to the inverse square of the voltage. Running any significant power any significant distance at 5V is impractical.

Once you introduce an intermediate voltage (e.g. 48V DC systems) the losses in performing the conversion (which you generally want to be isolated to prevent currents from taking unexpected routes) from your intermediate distribution voltage to the final utilisation voltage tend to eat up any gains.

Using structural metalwork would open up it's own problems, such as poor electrical insulation, risks of shorts (a short on a high current low voltage line can be no laughing matter), galvanic corrosion and great confusion for anyone who works on the property in future.


Are all ceiling fan switches interchangeable? I need to replace the switch in a ceiling fan and the current switch's model number is "ZE-109 E89885". If I look for it at Home Depot and they don't have that exact model, what is acceptable?

Yes, this is fairly standard.  I wouldn't worry about the precise part number.

Your man at Home Depot should be able to help you find a replacement.

Any switch that will fit the hole will work.


Concealing led strip light power supplies in a porch ceiling I live in Ohio in a home built in the 50's. A very large back porch was added onto the home years later with a roof. It has the typical vinyl ceing. It has one light in the center of the ceiling controlled by a switch inside the home. I wish to remove the light and replace it with a non-lighted ceiling fan. I want to run power from the fans junction box to a separate one. My plan is to add 4 each of 12' LED tape light runs in metal channels that will be powered/switched from the switch in the house. The fan will have the pull chain to control it so when I turn the switch off in the house it will kill power to the fan and the tape lights.

Now for the meat of this post; I assume (I may be an idiot, not a complete one) I have to cut an access hole in the vinyl and add a nice looking access panel. Am I allowed, by code, to cut the plugs off of the two power supplies and hard wire them into a junction box? Do I have to screw a box in the ceiling to hide the two transformers (one for two runs) directly above the access panel or is this not allowed at all? Any and all help would be appreciated. I have to do this as cheaply and easily as possible while remaining in code. Thanks.

Normally you have to install a receptacle face down in the ceiling and plug your devices in to that. For example, ceiling mounted projectors, garage door openers, stage lighting, all have to be plugged in to ceiling mounted receptacles. Not hard wired.
Concealing flexible cord above a ceiling is not allowed by the National Electrical Code.

400.8 Uses Not Permitted. Unless specifically permitted in 400.7, flexible cords and cables shall not be used for the following:
(1) As a substitute for the fixed wiring of a structure
(2) Where run through holes in walls, structural ceilings, suspended ceilings, dropped ceilings, or floors
(3) Where run through doorways, windows, or similar openings
(4) Where attached to building surfaces
Exception to (4): Flexible cord and cable shall be permitted to be attached to building surfaces in accordance with the provisions of 368.56(B)
(5) Where concealed by walls, floors, or ceilings or located above suspended or dropped ceilings
(6) Where installed in raceways, except as otherwise per-mitted in this Code
(7) Where subject to physical damage

Note number 2.
There are other ways to conceal your equipment such as building a cove along a wall.
I just bought some 120volt LED rope lighting that can be much longer and doesn't need a power supply. However, you still can't run it above the ceiling.
Good luck!


Fuses blow and sparks appear when using my home's wiring circuits I have recently had issues with different electrical appliances / light bulb / bathroom wiring packing up.

If you put 4 bulbs in different areas of the house, you can guarantee that 1 or 2 will blow off within the first 2 weeks. The surges are irregular and a pattern cannot be put on them.

The house is about 55 years old and a few of the cables are touching the floor, a sizzle and spark often happens when taking the plugs in and out.

We have a lot of sockets which are about 1cm off the floor and not more. The  fuse switch box is as per the image:

Would I need to do a complete rewiring of the house? Do I need to change the switch box? Or, what do I need to do to correct the current as-built issues?

I have recently had issues with different electrical appliances ...

Having the outlets very low down must put a strain on the leads where they enter the plug. Other than that any suspected problems with the electrical supply need to be discussed with the supplier.

  / light bulb ...

Incandescent bulbs tend to fail when there is problems with the supply voltage (i.e. surges) - that is something your electricity supply should be able to help with. Another cause is if the lamp housing/fixture gets too hot.

However, nowadays you should be using CFL or LED lamps. LEDs in particular need adequate airflow to keep them cool - many older bathroom light fittings don't allow for this as they are designed to keep out steamy humid air (and fingers)

  / bathroom wiring packing up.

That sounds very alarming. Ideally there shouldn't be much wiring in a bathroom. A light, maybe an electric shower and a towel rail, maybe a shaver outlet. Given the age and quality of what is visible in photos, I'd consult an electrician.

  a sizzle and spark often happens when taking the plugs in and out.

That shouldn't happen if you turn off the switch at the outlet first.

Sparking tends to erode contacts and cause further sparking. The outlets might need replacing (I'd get them moved higher up the wall, with wiring suitably protected in a channel chased into the plaster).

  do I need to change the switch box?

As AndyT commented - you might not strictly need to but many people would want that old-style fusebox replaced by a modern consumer unit with RCD protection (or RCBOs to make later fault-finding easier)


How to remove old light switches, leave circuit always on? I have purchased Hue lights and switches and want to remove my old wired switches, leaving the circuits always connected.  (Thereby using the Hue software switches to control the lights.)

I suppose I need to remove the old switches and connect their wires together.  Some of the old switches are simple one switch per light, others are two switches for a light.  Are there any tricks to this, or do I just turn off the circuit breaker, remove the switch, connect all the wires together (except the ground obviously), then cross my fingers and turn on the circuit breaker?

Thanks much for any advice!

You also need to consider the Electrical Code, which absolutely requires a light switch in the expected location, and requires that the switch turn on a light.  (in some cases this can be a switched receptacle, but the homeowner is expected to fit a light there.)

Why should light switches be required?  Why can't you choose to turn your lights on any way you please?  First responders.

an EMT who needs to reach you right now
a fireman trying to find your child or pet
a SWAT team needing to see your hands do not contain a gun

If any of these guys have to pause to fiddle with lights, that might not go your way.


Does a 100A outlet for a car charger need a dedicated disconnect? I am going to be installing a charger for a client for their Tesla.
Do I need to ha e a separate shut off box for a double gang 100amp breaker for the charger?

Receptacle plugs can serve as a means to disconnect an appliance.

If there is no receptacle, but is instead direct-wired, appliances rated over 300 volt-amperes require a disconnect.  If the breaker box is within sight and is 50 ft or less the breaker can serve as the disconnect.  If it is not within sight, then a means to lock the breaker in the off position can suffice as a disconnect.

Addendum: There is a small section in the code that talks about car charging disconnects.  As mentioned by another post, 2011 625.23 says greater than 60A or 150 volts to ground requires a disconnect --  That section was moved to 625.42 in the 2014, and to 625.43 in 2017.

That being said, 60A or less can use a receptacle plug as a disconnect if listed by the manufacture, and with residential 150V to ground is not an concern.


Remove switch that controls thermostat I recently bought a condominium in a large building, built in 2005. It has a single thermostat, and the thermostat works fine. But right next to the thermostat, there is a switch. It looks like an ordinary light switch, and it is positioned where one might find an ordinary light switch. But it governs the thermostat: when it is switched to the "off" position, I get neither hot nor cool air, no matter how I set the thermostat.

The switch is a three-way switch, not a single-pole switch. Every unit in the building has such a switch, and my switch doesn't seem to affect any other units in the building. Here are pictures of the switch and the junction box:

At the switch:

two black wires on one side
two red wires on the other side
nothing connected to the ground screw

In the box:

one red wire going up from the switch, and one red wire going down from the switch
one black wire going up from the switch, and one black wire going down from the switch
one wire that passes through the box without ever being connected to the switch

It is a small condominium, and there is a direct line of sight between the switch and the circuit breaker. At a slow pace, you can walk the distance between the circuit breaker and the switch in under six seconds.

I don't think that I will ever want my switch to be in the "off" position. The thermostat itself has a switch with an "off" position, and I would rather just use that. Can I simply remove the switch, use a wire connector to connect the two wires that are now affixed to the switch, and then cover the opening with a blank faceplate?

This might be the furnace emergency shut-off switch. That switch plate should look like the illustration below, and be mounted much higher on the wall than a regular light switch.

Check with the condo management... It would likely be a fire code violation to remove it, in that case!

However, it might be a "vacation" switch, which could be removed... But again, check with the condo management, since they surely have rules about what is allowed.


Where to connect c wire in furnace I have 5 wires running to the thermostat from the furnace. The blue wire is not connected on either side. I'd like to connect it as my c wire for a smart thermostat.

On the furnace I see W R Y G and what looks like P on the top right. So no C. Am I out of luck or can I connect the C wire elsewhere?

Make and model of furnace: Trane electronic ignition xe 70

The other white wire is your clue

See that two-wire cable with the red wire connected to the yellow (Y) wire from the thermostat cable? That cable controls your compressor, and the white wire from it must connect to the equivalent of the C terminal on your air handler for your air conditioner to work.  So, connect whatever wire you're going to use as C to the same terminal as that white wire, and you'll be good!


Will ceiling junction box support fan mounting? Will current ceiling junction box support fan? Not exactly sure if a fan was mounted to it prior as I recently moved into this apartment. Somewhat older of an apartment and box doesn’t directly state if fan is supported or not. Figured it was better to check first.

Mount the fan to the joist or block behind the box, not the box

The two screws in the back of the box in line with the mounting tabs appear to land in a joist or cross-block in the ceiling.  I would attach the fan to that using two 1/4" by 3" structural wood screws (not drywall, deck, or lag screws -- look for something with an ICC-ES or IAPMO rating, such as a FastenMaster TimberLok or Simpson Strong-Drive SDS) through the fan bracket and ceiling finish board into the structural member.


Replacing cast iron pipe and adding new toilet I'm planning to add new toilet/shower/sink downstairs. I have one existing on the 2nd floor and right under I'd like to add the new one.

The new one is on the concrete slab, so no basement underneath which makes the work more difficult.

The iron cast pipe goes along the wall and I'm planning to cut it and replace it with PVC all the way up to the existing toilet, plus I will add the new toilet to it.

My question is, since the second toilet is going to be on the concrete slab, is this going to work if it's on the same level as the connection will be? Or does the connection needs to be below the toilet drain. If so, how much below it needs to be so the flushing and draining works properly. Thanks

Do I really have to do the 2nd option and cut out the concrete or 1st option would be ok if I use saniflo, pump. Do I still need to tilt the drain down from sink and shower if the pump used?

The first option is if you have absolutely no choice.  It could possibly have continuous issues, and you might eventually have to do choice #2.

You need at least a 1/4" decline per linear foot.  For long runs I like to add an inch if I can.  So for a 20 foot run I would put it 6 inches under from shower trap.  Note that you probably need to do no digging for your sink.  Pipes can probably line in the walls fine.

For the shower you need to break up concrete - about 1-1.5' wide and dig down to lay pipe.  Fill area with gravel and concrete over it again.  This is not a seriously hard job.  A jackhammer makes it maybe a couple hours and can be done with a sledge hammer.  Probably the hardest part is throwing away the concrete.  With the slope for your shower your toilet should be fine joining the main stack probably right above the shower.

Also note that I don't see any venting in your picture.

Note:  I am not anti-saniflo pump.  I have had to use them 2-3 times over the past 20 years.  I didn't feel good either time and I seriously doubt the original pump is working in those locations.  For this instance it would take more time to hook up the pumps to both the shower and the toilet, cost a lot of money, and have serious long-term money/time spent in making sure these systems were working.  I would be done breaking up the concrete and laying line (and maybe concreting over) before you got done reading the saniflo manual.  It is just the "easy" way out of your situation and is actually MUCH harder.  If it were just a toilet I would still say no way but I might be more on the fence, the shower makes breaking up concrete a no brainer.  I am just offering the best way to do this at the lowest cost and work.  If saniflo is preferred please note that it isn't the easiest way and will cost more money and time.  (please read customer reviews - they are all over the place)


How do I get a finish on wood that's as bright as when the polyurethane is fresh? When I put the poly on, the wood (stained cherry) looks amazingly bright, with depth of color.  After it dries, it looks dull.  Is there a top coat I can put on to make it bright like when it is wet?
Note, I am using satin poly since I don't want a glossy finish, but I do want a bright, deep, color.

For critical color "warmth" and "color pop" on fine wood projects (e.g. musical instruments like guitars) drying oils (e.g. tung oil, boiled linseed oil) are often used. Sometimes they are then hand-rubbed only, or wax, lacquer, shellac, or even poly are applied on top.
I recommend you visit Woodworking Stack Exchange and search under the "Finish" tag.


Is HVAC connection coding universal? We get a lot of questions related to HVAC wiring -- initial installation, connecting thermostats, adding humidifiers, etc.  In most of the questions, the connections are designated only with single-letter terminal identifiers and/or wire colors.

It would make sense if everything was standardized so you could attach company A's thermostat to company B's furnace without needing model-specific wiring diagrams.  However, features change over time and vary from model to model.  It just seems odd that questions about almost any two HVAC-related components from any manufacturers can be answered knowing almost nothing about the specific manufacturers, models, equipment ages, etc.

Is it the case that all of the manufacturers follow the same wiring conventions?  If so, what underlies this?

Is the coding (terminal labels and wire colors), regulated by the government to ensure that all HVAC equipment complies with the same scheme?
Are, say, almost all thermostats made by one company (Honeywell), so the furnace and A/C manufacturers need to conform their wiring conventions to that?
Do all of the manufacturers simply cooperate to follow the same scheme for interoperability and to facilitate service?

It is a de facto quasi-standard situation

The situation with thermostat wiring nomenclature is more or less the third case in your question: manufacturers cooperate to follow similar (albeit not identical) schemes for marking the terminals on/used with "North American style" 24VAC thermostats.  While the basic terminals are more or less universal, there is more variation in the terminals used for more exotic functions (such as multiple fan stages from the 'stat, heat pump reversing control, or humidity management).

However, there is a push in new system designs (led by mini-splits, modulating furnaces, and inverter modulating air conditioners/heat pumps) to not support this "standard" at all; instead, these systems use a proprietary communcations bus (similar in concept to an industrial fieldbus, but not based on any standard fieldbus or building-automation protocol) between the thermostat, the air handler/furnace, and/or outdoor unit.

Some hydronic systems (mostly in the European market) do use the OpenTherm standard, but due to the apparent lack of support for fan coils and air handlers in the standard, it does not see much use in North America to my understanding.  Larger commercial systems in the US are also more standardized as well, sometimes using BACNet or a similar standardized protocol for communications between the various system components.


Motion sensor switch doesn't fit in faceplate I am trying to put a motion sensor switch in a surface mounted box as shown:

However, the switch has a "plate" (where the "tabs" would be on a normal switch) that does not fit inside the faceplate as shown below:

The only thing I can thing to do is cut that "plate" on the switch (with a hacksaw?)? It seems like even though I don't have to cut much, it'd be awwwfuly close to the hole where the nut is to hold the switch onto the faceplate (actually using a nut here seemed odd, but perhaps this is normal for these steel boxes?).

What am I supposed to do here?

------------- EDIT ------------
Here is how it turned out:
With the mud ring, before the faceplate:

Final result (using a nylon decora faceplate, because I haven't gotten a chance to go to a proper electrical supply house to get a metal faceplate:

It does seem "less than fitting/flush", but it's better than it was!

You can't use that kind of faceplate with that kind of device.  (Unless you're willing to hacksaw off the wings, but that will mean it can only be used in this type of faceplate, and will never be mountable elsewhere because you will have destroyed the screw threads that mount the Decora faceplate).

You need this

src

You install this cover ("mud ring").
Then, you install the Decora outlet (or any device) in the normal way. Those two nubs give you mounting holes in the normal location.  Remember to remove the paper squares if you're grounding via the yoke.
Then install a common/normal (e.g. Decora) cover plate.
This works with anything that will bolt into a normal box.
The only downside is the cover plate may overhang a bit, but a careful choice of cover plate will help that.

Technically these things are called "mud rings", because it's intended that you install the mud ring, then lay drywall over it. They are made in different depths for that purpose.  They also make flat (0 depth) plates, do not use those because the Decora cover plate screws will bottom out if you do.

The large opening meets the requirement for accessibility without tools.  Wires must stick out at least 3" beyond the surface.

What it's doing is emulating a common 1-gang "handy-box". Except with a many more cubic inches available to you.  You need the cubes practically for bulky devices like these, and you need the cubes statutorially for box fill.


Trying to understand clearance regulations on woodstove chimneys I'm installing a wood stove.  The regulations say that the chimney top should be at least 2 feet higher than any part of the roof within 10 feet horizontally . . . from what I've read, this seems to be all about draft.  And it's also a bit unclear as to what the nearest part of the roof means.  For instance, my house has a second story but the part of the roof that the chimney penetrates isn't a second story; in other words, the chimney goes through a first floor roof, but where it emerges, it's about 8 or 9 feet over to a second story external ( steel sided wall ).

So, if the chimney needs to go higher than that wall, it would be like 12 feet high, which seems unreasonable.  But, if it's only about draft, I imagine the constraint is based upon the roof that the chimney comes from.  So that it's not interrupting air flow.

Can anyone provide clarification?

It means what it says. If you go 10 feet from the chimney in any direction horizontally, you need to be at least 2 feet above the roof. Which means that your chimney is poorly located, if it's within 10 feet of a higher roof. So it needs to be 12 feet tall, if that's what it takes. Wind currents over that higher roof can cause downdrafts in the chimney - and that sort of thing is precisely what the language is there to prevent.

Depending how far along your install is, you could potentially move the chimney so it's more than 10 feet from the second story.


Can I install a row of bricks on a slab to support a shed? I am designing a shed for my garden and I would like to build the shed inset from the concrete base by about 20cm on each side. The concrete base already exists (built before I brought my house). It has to be inset as there are fences either side and I will need a bit of a gap for construction.

My concern is that it will not be waterproof enough. As water can fall on the concrete and travel to the wooden framing.

My current idea is to lay a single course of bricks and cover then in some sort of waterproofing layer (not sure what to use for that). I am unsure if that is a good idea though.

What are your thoughts?

Michael Karas is correct in that a half-height block foundation wall is common, but that doesn't really address your concern about water intrusion. His suggestion to seal the block does, and that wouldn't require the blocks in the first place.

I would build your walls with bottom plates of treated lumber one nominal size wider than the walls themselves, and place the plates flush with the outside face of the wall sheathing, resting on foam "sill seal".

Then I'd install a metal flashing against the plate, lapping onto the concrete. This I'd caulk to the concrete with urethane or other high-performance caulk. Wrap the building with housewrap fabric lapped onto the flashing to create a full drain plane.

For extra protection you could apply a paint-on waterproofer or asphalt caulk to the area behind the flashing before it's installed.

  |          | |
  |          | | <-- sheathing
  |  stud    | |
  |          | ||
 _|__________|_||
|   plate      || <-- flashing, caulked to the slab
|______________||___


Can spray foam be used between Rim joist and exterior sheathing? I have a 40 yr old single story modular home set on a block foundation. I used a thermal temperature gun to verify a temperature difference. the insulated wall is approximately 1 to 2 degrees cooler than the room ambient. I consider that normal with 6” exterior stud walls. Problem is I’m finding at the baseboards the temperature to be 10 to 12 degrees colder than room ambient. (Typically when outside temp. is below freezing) This is attributed to cold air transferring into the home.

The interior floor joists are well insulated in the basement. I removed and inspected a few locations but find no gaps to exterior. Typical interior insulation as current is as shown in this photo.

Investigating the exterior, i find there is a 1/2” gap between the rim joist and the original exterior lap siding. You will note in the photo a metal siding was applied over the original vertical lap siding.

In the photo, you can see the gap which had what appears to be a foam rubber type insulation. Appears this foam rubber insulation has fallen out or disintegrated over time. Even vermin of some type or field mice could be the cause.

I have the original construction drawings and included two copies of the detail. It does not indicate any type of insulation within this area. Yet the gap between the rim joist or so called Sill Band exists all around the house perimeter on exterior.

My question is could I use a spray foam to fill in this gap? I was thinking maybe Great-Stuff window and Door spray foam would be a good choice. If an alternate would be advised, please advise? Especially since the spray foam would be difficult to remove after the application. Yet may be the best deterrent to mice, etc.

I do not foresee moisture being trapped, as metal siding would provide the shedding any rainfall, etc.

Follow up for clarification:
Appreciate any thoughts. I am not concerned with risks for cleanup using spray foam. The picture provided is the only side of house you can actually see the gap. It is on the one side with garage doors. (Garage is part of the basement.) The rest of the house siding is only about 6” above grade. Would be very difficult to manually pack the other 3 sides of the house. Would almost need a mirror and go by feel to find the gap. That is why I am considering spray foam.

Would spray foam be a concern for trapping moisture between the rim joist and exterior sheeting? Also I have used spray foam before and worked well to stop rodents. Not bullet proof, but certainly is a good deterrent.

I think spray foam will be a bit of a mess applied this way, you'll get drips, and it's incredibly difficult to remove the residue if it runs down the wall.

I would not try to seal this up air tight, I'd just rather make it less drafty but still permeable.  You may see a small difference in insulation but if it winds up trapping water or vapor somewhere unexpected, it won't be worth it.

I think I'd pack this space with mineral wool insulation and put some kind of flashing or trim over it.  Drip edge might work for that, it's inexpensive, readily available, and easy to apply.  The rock wool won't trap water or vapor, wick water, rot or grow mold.

I think mineral wool would be at least as much of a rodent barrier as spray foam, which isn't hard for rodents to get through, but you could use stainless steel wool instead of mineral wool if you wanted a filler that's really rodent resistant.


How can I remove this screw from a ps4 system? The interior pattern of the screw is whethered away as you can see. This is on a ps4 system. I tried using different sized screws but to no use. Any ideas?

For that top picture's stripped screw-head you can first try a drill bit turned very slowly to hopefully catch the head and loosen it. Or, you can cut a slot in it with a Dremel cutting wheel to get a flat-head screwdriver in to remove it.

If neither of those work or are available, then you'll need the a Screw-Out kit, most hardware stores have them from Craftsman or another brand. They're basically a special drill bit designed to remove damaged screws...they do actually work.


Tabletop saw stops midway through chipboard I am new to woodworking and I tried my ''new'' secondhand table saw (General LR63420 Model D) today. It cut through the first few chipboard boards just fine but then had a lot of trouble going through the middle of a 4 x 8 chipboard board. I am pretty sure I did not squeeze the blade so I am wondering whether it could be a belt or blade issue.

What should I look for/change first?

Examine the blade disk to see if it has become gummy or coated with resin. You may have to remove the blade and scrub it clean.

If the saw is not new the blade may be quite worn and need replacement.

The teeth of a saw are bent slightly to the side (usually every other tooth to each side) to make the cut wider than the saw blade. Sometimes a saw blade can seem sharp but the projections formed by the bent teeth are worn down, making the cut too narrow.


Goodman furnace ignites but fan won't run My Goodman furnace burners ignite fine but fan never starts. Have I got a bad fan motor? LED blinks 4 times for High Limit Switch. I've removed the switch and shaking it softly you can hear the internal part moving freely – but perhaps it's still faulty and should be replaced (only $9 on amazon). After the burners run for a period of a minute or so they kick off – which I believe should happen because the fan isn't running – just my thoughts. Any help would really be appreciated.

Goodman gmv950704cxa - installed in 2007

I have a similar Goodman furnace and have done troubleshooting on it for similar problems.

Your thought is correct - if the burner fires but the blower does not start, that will cause the burner / heat exchange to overheat. When the high limit trips, that is normal and the switch is doing it's job.

Some possible causes and troubleshooting for the blower non-start:

Bad capacitor (the PSC blower motor needs the capacitor to start/run). Disconnect the cap and test with a multimeter on Ohms setting.

Blower stuck  The blower squirrel cage should turn freely if you push it by hand.

Bad motor  Test with a multimeter on Ohms, there should be low resistance on each winding. Infinite resistance (open) on a winding is bad. You might try selecting a different speed.

Bad control board  Test with a multimeter to see if the board is supplying power to the motor. Note there will be different terminals powered depending on the selected speed.


How can I transition from baseboard to a flat bathtub? I have 3 1/4in baseboard molding that I want to transition from to a flat surfaced bathtub/shower. What are the generally accepted options for doing so? I could cut it at a 45, 90 or some other option but I really have not come into such a situation before so I'm not sure what is recommended for aesthetics or otherwise. If it isn't clear, I do not want the baseboard on the shower/bathtub, I want to end it on the drywall.

I created mockups of a few different configurations and decided that I liked the look of the following the best. I created a 45°(an opposite cut of my original example cut; sorry I don't know the correct terminology), and created a "return" that was at the opposite 45° and cut 90° to butt up against the wall. I liked this option because it left no grain exposed and seemed to be fairly clean. I didn't like it because the final piece is so small and was difficult to cut precisely.


How can I prevent water from entering through water heater/furnace exhaust vent? I have an exhaust vent in my basement (Amerivent Type B) which takes the exhaust from my gas furnace and water heater goes out the basement wall, and up my chimney. A little bit water is coming in to my basement from this vent. It looks like this has been happening for quite a while based on drip marks on the floor (since before I moved in in 2007) but it recently lasted long enough to run back along the pipe and into my furnace, shorting it out.

I took off the vent from the furnace and reached in there, there's a little dampness where it turns 90 degrees to go up the chimney but none before that making me think it might be a small leak at the top of the chimney but the amount is small enough that it could condensation (if the water heater exhaust could cause condensation).

Can/Should I fix this or just leave it as the previous homeowners did? How can I prevent it from running back into my furnace again (seemed to go between the inner and outer wall of the vent pipe)?

Edit I shined a flashlight back there and it looks like some leaves had built up.

I took care of them with a shop vac. Will that take care of my problem (until the next time they build up of course)?

While looking at the cap, it's probably worthwhile taking a look at the caulking between the crown and your flue, and or flue-cap, which may have eroded.  This needs to be looked at about every year or two (more or less frequently depending on your local habitat, but both extremes in hot and cold weather will help age caulk, rot brick, etc.)


Does water-based paint expire? I have almost a whole gallon of Behr white semi-gloss that is 6 years old.  When I opened it, it looked good.  But is it expired?

I don't have a specific answer for you but all of the data sheets from Behr I've come across seem to suggest that they have a shelf life of two years (IF unopened).  For example: http://www.behrpro.com/cma/BehrPro/Marketing/Products/TDS/7050_27050.pdf

I'd say 6 years is pushing your luck and I wouldn't recommend using it for highly visible or large projects... or project where you need to blend the color with something else.  Maybe you can use it for some minor trivial touch-up projects?


Can I tie a vanity sink drain into the bathtub drain? I'm in the process of remodeling a basement bathroom. It used to have a big shower in it and a vanity on the wall opposite the shower; the shower used a floor drain (obviously) and the vanity sink had a long sloping pipe to a vented drain pipe in the adjoining wall. The new layout puts the vanity and new tub/shower on the same wall right next to each other. The tub will be using the same drain that the shower used before, and I am trying to figure out what to do with the vanity sink drain.

If I route it to the same pipe as before, it's about 10 feet with a right-angle around the corner. This isn't hard to do with PVC pipe alone, but I have to notch out a whole bunch of studs to make room for the 1.5" drain pipe to run the whole length (the studs are right up against the concrete surrounding the underground basement). I would really prefer not to have to notch out all of those studs--though, at least, it's not a load-bearing wall.

However, if I route the sink drain into the existing drain pipe, it's much shorter and more direct, even if I stay in the wall and don't go straight through the side wall. Here is what I am thinking:

This arrangement will require notching out exactly three studs, two of which have permanent open access via the storage area (i.e. no drywall on that side). Since we already have to trench into the concrete a bit to get the tub drain in correctly, we'll have a span of horizontal drain pipe that should allow an extra "T" junction for the drain pipe to join below the height of the tub drain itself, which should negate the possibility of any sink water flowing back up into the tub (unless the whole underground drain is clogged, but that's a bigger problem).

Is there any reason not to do this? Even if I have to re-vent the sink drain, it would be far easier to run a new 1.5" pipe up the open wall and across above the ceiling (big crawlspace available) to join the existing vent. I'd do that any day over notching out all those studs.

Note: I'm primarily interested in physical limitations that would make this a dumb idea, but also interested in code compliance. The home is in Virginia, USA.

A couple considerations:

You cannot "double trap" any fixture. To utilize the trap in the floor for your lavatory, you need to ensure that the length of the trap arm does not exceed maximum allowable distance (42" for 1 1/2" trap arm, in CA USA, I think). It looks like you are pretty close to max distance but you did not say in your question.

Also, max trap arm change of direction is 90°, but you would have two 90° bends. You AHJ might allow though if you install an accessible clean-out.


How do I detect live electrical wires with a degree of confidence? I'm using a Zircon stud finder that can supposedly detect live electrical wires but I get inconsistent reading. Is this normal? Anyways back to the original question, how can I detect live electrical wires behind a drywall with a high degree of confidence?

I would treat an inconsistent reading as a positive (live wires).  The reality is, it's hard to detect with 100% confidence an actual live wire behind a wall with a stud finder or non-contact tester as these can be triggered by low voltage lines, or line-voltage lines that are off but in close proximity to other live circuits.  The proximity of the wire to the walls surface is also a factor here.

Wires running vertically should be stapled to the stud so you are less likely to hit them when cutting into walls, so it's really the horizontally run cables you need to worry about.

An inspection camera is a handy device for these scenarios since you can look around the stud cavity to confirm or rule out the presence of electrical wires.

I'm assuming this is because you want to cut into the wall.  If you think there might be wires behind where you are cutting, instead of using a drywall saw, try just scoring the drywall and give it a good whack with a hammer to break out the piece of drywall - you're far less likely to damage wires or other infrastructure this way.


What can I use to repair a crack in a plastic AC Condenser Drip pan? I've currently got an oldish furnace (early '90s Lennox), with an A/C system.  The blower motor burnt up on me last week, and I just had it replaced.  It turns out that the reason for the motor going, was that my AC condenser drip pan has a crack in it, and water was dripping down into the blower housing, rather than draining properly.

The drip pan is plastic, and is molded to the condenser.  So the only way to replace the pan, is to replace the condenser.  Unfortunately, the AC is an R22 system, and after calling near and wide, with the R22 phaseout there are no replacement condensers anywhere.  So to fix a cracked pan, I'd have to replace the entire A/C system.

This got me to thinking- I can access the crack in the pan easily.  Since it is simply a pan to divert water, would it be reasonable to simply patch/waterproof the crack?  If so, what would I patch it with?  Would a quality epoxy work?  A fiberglass patch?  Any ideas on how I might be able to fix this, without dropping thousands of dollars?

I think you're on the right track - a strong, waterproof epoxy and a piece of rigid plastic or fiberglass should seal that crack nicely.


How should I secure NM wire that someone ran outside of two studs? This is behind a closet that we’re going to Sheetrock and finish. The wire runs through a hole in the corner, around two studs and into another corner. I’m thinking of notching the studs 1/4” so Sheetrock can go on. I’ll attach metal plates to protect those notches of course.

But what about the fact that the romex would run close along the back of the Sheetrock? Is that code complaint? I’m thinking of attaching a metal “shield” across from he studs against the drywall, or cut a PVC conduit to enclose the wire between studs. There is not much slack in the wire.

Any suggestions? I’d hate to cut the wire and run a splice across two junction boxes just so this can go through centrally drilled holes. Seems like overkill. Though, if that’s the only code compliant solution, I’ll do that.

Thanks!

Edited to add detail: Wire is 2' from concrete subfloor. Other side of OSB is drywall and an adjoining room. Additionally, I believe the OSB is a sheer wall, and would avoid cutting it, and can't see any reason I'd have to anyway. Studs are 2x6 and 90% sure they're load-bearing for a 2-story house, so I'd like to avoid cutting more than a small notch.

Joe, the metal Simpson plates are for exactly that purpose put them on every 2x4 over the wire. Don't cut the wire or you'll have to add in a j-box, actually 2 of them.


Is it possible to override building-wide air-conditioning settings? I live in an apartment building (high rise). The ac is off and they won't turn it on for another month!!

Meanwhile it is 90f inside and I can't sleep!! Is it possible to overide? We do have a unit in the appt with a thermostat and all but only hot air comes out.

From inside your apartment, no, the best you can do is use a fan, open the windows, block the sun with blinds, or walk around naked.  And if you do that last part in the building, the management may decide to turn on the AC sooner.


Can a solder joint handle torsion force? I'm replacing the shower mixing valve in my guest bathroom during renovation as the old one had a good deal of surface rust. This is my first time soldering pipes together.
I mounted the new valve to a 2x4 laid flat between the two studs that the valve sits between, as instructed. I placed a similarly-mounted 2x4 about 36" above the mixing valve so that I could mount the shower arm. The way the valve is designed, however, forces me to apply a slight bending force in the length of pipe that traverses the distance between the mixing valve and the shower arm in order to get the shower arm mounting elbow screwed to the 2x4. The reason for this is the fact that the outlet in the mixing valve juts further out than the inlet of the shower arm mounting elbow when the mounting elbow is mounted to the top 2x4.
Please note that this diagram is not to scale. The bend is exaggerated for illustrative purposes.

That length of pipe is soldered to both the shower valve and the shower arm mounting elbow. I used enough flux and got two nice solder joints, no leaks. I've had it like this for a few days, and no leaks have sprung up. The bending force I've applied is not excessive. I may have had to use three to five lbs of force to push the shower arm mounting elbow onto the 2x4 so I could attach it with screws.
Do I have anything to worry about? Will the constant torque applied to the pipe, and ultimately the solder joints, cause leaks in the future?

Looking at what you have done I would not be worried. I do both copper plumbing and hvac copper (high pressure) if you have a good clean connection that the solder wicks back into the fitting it will be plenty strong.
I have made hangers using 1/2” copper pipe and 4ea 90’s to hang heavy items with and these last for years, I know a guy that makes fancy towel racks using the hot water pipes (with a recirculating system so the pipes are always hot) a good solder joint won’t leak with a little force on it.


How can I have an exhaust fan run if either of two switches is on? My design includes 2 switches to control one fan, but it is not strictly a 3-way switch. I want the fan to be on if either switch is on and off if both switches are off.
This is an attic mounted fan, and I plan to split the input side to pull air from one of two rooms. Room 1 = shower with automatic humidity switch. Room 2 = toilet with timer switch. I also want these switches to control motorized dampers to close when the room switch is off.
Is there a device like a relay that can combine the two sources and power the fan?
EDIT: I don't think I worded the part about the dampers clearly. I only want a damper to be open if the switch for that room is on. In other words, I would expect that generally only one damper would be open or they would both be closed. If the switches were just wired in parallel I think both dampers would operate in unison.

This is the fundamental circuit you need. Use two double-pole switches. One pole of each switch controls one damper, and the other poles are connected to the fan in parallel.

If you need to control the fan and dampers with timers, humidity sensors, occupancy detectors, etc., which rarely come in double-pole versions, you will probably have to use relays in addition to the switches. The relays will, in turn, be activated by your single-pole detectors.

The physical wiring will depend upon the locations of your switches and loads, how you choose to run your cables, and where power enters the circuit.
Here is an example with power entering at one switch, the fan cable branching from the other switch, and no cables between the loads.

I have omitted the fault ground wires from both diagrams. They clutter the picture and make it harder to understand. Just connect all fault grounds together wherever you see them.
Many many other physical layouts are possible. I think any layout that implements the fundamental circuit and does not have any cable loops will be safe. Once you decide where your cable runs must be then you can ask for a specific diagram.
One other possibility is to use the dampers as relays. You will need a style of damper that incorporates a switch to indicate when it is open. If you can find (or safely make) such a thing, you can wire those switches in parallel to control the fan.


I have 2 outlets from front and back of the house that have no current I have 2 outlets from front and back of the house that have no power, and I check my breakers they all on and everything else in the house is working except there is no current to these outlets so i don't know how these outlets are tied to.
How can I repair them?

Since outside receptacles have required GFCI protection for a long time there is probably a GFCI receptacle inside the home that is protecting these.
With the receptacles required at front and back they are quite often fed from a receptacle close to the door that is a GFCI. Reset this and they will probably be fine. Sometimes the receptacle inside is on the other side of the wall.
Prior to WR rated GFCI receptacles it was common to put them inside. After weather ratings became a thing it made more sense to put them outside as the moisture no longer was a problem (the electronics are potted) this is an encapsulated coating that seals the electronics from moisture.
You might also check for switches as many outside receptacles are put on switches so they can control holiday lighting.


How can I determine which wire is which when putting a new plug on an extension cord? My question has to do with identifying the hot (black) and neutral (white) wires on the plug, when both wires are unmarked twisted copper? The other end of the cord (outlet) is well marked with white and black wires.

They make a tool called a continuity tester. These also come in the form of a meter product that can also measure voltage and current. You can pick these up at most auto parts stores or hardware stores for a relatively low price.

To use the continuity tester, you would connect the clip to one of the known wires, and then touch the end of the probe to each of the unknown wires in turn. Which ever wire lets the bulb light up is the same wire as the known wire. Obviously make sure everything is unplugged from mains power before doing this.

To use a multimeter for continuity testing you make sure that the cord/wiring that you are testing is not connected to any mains outlets. Then make sure the two test leads are plugged into the black COM jack and the red VOLT/OHM jack. Rotate the range selector to the lowest OHMs setting. Momentarily tough the two test lead ends together to verify the meter is working correctly. The meter should show a reading of near zero ohms. In the case of a meter like shown above a zero ohm reading will deflect the needle all the way to the right. Next step is to touch one of the test leads to one of the known wires. Then at the same time touch the other test lead to the unknown wire ends in turn. The one that causes the meter to show a reading near zero ohms (deflects the needle to the right) will be the same wire as the known wire.


Heater air intake blows out the flame The problem I have is the air heater shutting down in windy days and I'd like to figure out how to fix this issue.

Here's the setup: The back of the house faces North to an open field which gets very windy. The winds are very strong on that side and hit right up against the north wall the house. That's exactly where the air heater intake/exhaust sits.
It is about 1.5 feet above the ground. The pipes run through the wall and in a straight line to the heater in the basement.

When the winds are really bad (like the blizzard we recently had) the fire jets from inside the furnace get blown out. The heater attempts to restart about 3 times then it locks out because it can't stay up and running.

In this photo you can see the type of intake/exhaust termination I have. The big hole in the middle is the exhaust. The intake is the gap in between the wall and this piece.

When the winds hit the side of the house, they go along the wall into the intake.

How can I prevent this from happening when the next blizzard will hit?

EDIT

Moving the ducts to other sides of the house is not really plausible. The only side that might work would be on the east, but it also could get very strong winds.

During the last blizzard I improvised a wind blocking wall in front of the vent, but it did not work. The wind hits the side of the house and goes down along the face of the wall into the intake.
I guess I could have some sort of a barrier attached to the wall around the intake. But that could end up being an eyesore.

Providing general wind break in the area will help. Regarding flow, you don't necessarily have to block where flow enters; you can also block the escape.

I don't think it would hurt to plant some evergreen shrubs along the side of the wall and perhaps some trees around other areas of the (north) yard. A small fence around this area immediately in front of the vent/intake would certainly work better than nothing.

Could you use wind resistant wall vent?

Since the air is blowing down from above, the wall vent pictured above should work to shelter the immediate venting area. In the moderate range a fence should work pretty well. And general wind breaks in the yard will be effective on the larger scale.


What can I do when coats of paint won’t hide/cover the shadow left on a wall by wooden shelves I have a wall in my dining room that has had a pine wood bookcase hanging on it for 13 years. Today, I unscrewed it from the wall so that I can paint the wall. But every time the paint dries, a ‘shadow’ remains on the wall exactly where parts of the wooden bookcase were touching it. I’m guessing that something has seeped out of the wood and into the wall.

Photo of the wall. Sorry, the light is poor in this corner. But you can hopefully see the darker, horizontal strips where the bookcase shelves used to be - despite 3 coats of paint. The new paint is the same make and colour as the original. It is emulsion, chalky and has a very matt finish (it is made by Farrow & Ball, New White No.59).

There is no indentation in the wall from where the shelves were. But the paint finish looks and feels different in the places where the shelves were.

It is a brick wall, between my house and my neighbour’s.

The ‘shadow’ was visible on the wall when I took the bookcase down, and is sadly still there.

Can anyone suggest what might be going on here and how I can get rid of the shadow?

Many thanks for any help you can give me.

I use a shellac based primer for things such as this.  It  has better hiding ability then just paint or regular primer.

Give it two or more coats and see if it hides the problem and then you can apply the final paint.

If you still see a shadow after the shellac primer you could try a coat of bonding primer over the shellac primer.


Can I use a threaded rod for a rafter tie? Long story short: I am working on a 1960's house with no rafter ties. The rafters themselves are now attached with screws and strong-ties (previously just double nailed!) but I don't have faith in the tensile strength of this arrangement.

I want to add rafter ties.  I could just bolt on timbers (as this will be sufficient to offset the rafter thrust) but this approach will not prevent the walls from shifting while the timber settles/dries.

I want to use threaded rod instead so that I can manually adjust the tension as needed.

I can figure the actual rafter thrust, but the cost difference between smaller rods and larger ones isn't that much (though the entire arrangement is a bit expensive).

As I know that douglas fir is acceptable for rafter ties here, I looked up the longitudinal tensile strength of the wood (~1400 psi). I intend to use 5/8 threaded rod because the tensile strength of the turnbuckle in that size is 2200 psi. I could even save money and go with 1/2" rod (1500 psi) and still be ahead.

My rod strength will be higher than the failure point of timber, which is otherwise acceptable for this task.

Is there something wrong in my reasoning here? Is there a reason I can't / shouldn't use threaded rod for rafter ties?

Corrosion would be one concern.  Another would be carefully and slowly tightening the turnbuckles in a sufficient and even manner.  Your rod could well deform the wall/roof if adjustments are done too quickly.  Small adjustments over months.  Perhaps a laser and mirror could give clues.

I used SS cable with stainless fittings for my leaning garage and used 2 levels to put a leaning wall straight.

Many issues regarding fixing leaning, sagging buildings are here


Unknown freezer parts do not correspond to assembly diagram The evap coils in my freezer have been building up ice, so I opened up the freezer to diagnose the issue, and was confused by what I saw:

My fridge is the following model (freezer assembly is shown at the attached link): HTS22GBPBRCC
I've discovered that the white probe at the bottom of the copper pipe is a temperature sensor, but I have no idea what the blue object is. My guess is that it's the defrost thermostat since it's clipped to the copper pipe, but it doesn't look like any defrost thermostat I've been able to find, and it's definitely not the thermostat that's supposed to be in my freezer. Moreover, there shouldn't be a temperature sensor in my freezer either, at least according to the freezer assembly.
According to the freezer assembly, my freezer should have two separate defrost thermostats:

Thermostat 1
Thermostat 2

My questions are as follows:
1.) Has anyone seen this blue part before? What is it? If it's a defrost thermostat, it doesn't appear to be wired like the correct defrost thermostat for my freezer.
2.) The freezer assembly states that I should have two defrost thermostats - is that unusual?

jsotola was correct - after taking the entire freezer assembly apart, I found that the blue object was indeed just a bizarre clamp. The wires connected to it attached to the fan. I have no idea why it was clamped to the copper pipe.
After leaving a hairdryer running for ~30 minutes in the freezer, I actually found the two defrost thermostats mentioned in the specifications. They were located behind the evap coils and had been completely encased in ice. This isn't really relevant, but I think that is probably the most inconvenient place to mount the defrost thermostats.
Only divination can answer why an additional temperature sensor was added.


how to connect C wire for ecobee lite to Weil-McLain EG Series-5 gas steam boiler I want to upgrade from a battery powered Honeywell thermostat to an ecobee3 lite.
This is for heat only.

My current Honeywell has two wires: Red and White. Missing is the C cable.
There are enough wires in the cable in the wall they are just not connected.

The transformer on the boiler has the following terminals:

Y     W

G

C     R

Currently the red cable from the thermostat is connected to G.
The white cable from the thermostat is connected to Y.

Question: Where do I connect my 'c-cable' ? Is this a question of just connecting that one cable or would the entire transformer need to somehow re-wired ?

I did the same upgrade, but my old thermostat, YWGR were connected to the corresponding letters on the furnace.  The blue wire was not connected on either sides.  I connected the blue wire to C on both ends.


How should my sconce light be connected? My wall has a black and a white wire. My sconce has a blue wire and a brown wire. What gets connected to what?

The Europeans and the rest of the world are harmonizing on a color standard as follows:

Hot - Brown (and several other colors as needed, including gray)
Neutral - Light Blue
Ground - Yellow with green stripe, or the reverse, or green, or bare

According to trade deals with those nations, we must honor their color scheme for appliances from European providers.  Our own scheme is:

Ground: same
Neutral: white or gray
Hot: every other color, or one of those colors taped on a white or gray

The NEC allows light blue for neutral in certain cases, an obvious nod to our treaty obligations.

However... Anything you install must be listed.   To be more precise, it must be a device approved by your AHJ (your local electrical inspector) and they simply rely on listings issued by UL, the main American testing lab.

Due to our treaty obligations, we must also honor listings to equivalent standards done by their testing labs such as CSA, TUV, etc.  All these labs operate internationally so a German company might get UL listing for a fixture to be sold in the EU.  CE is not a listing agency.  RoHS is not a listing agency.  Chinese suppliers are notorious for faking listings.


What size are the correct fittings for 1 1/4" ABS pipe? I need to plumb into an existing ABS drain, labelled as "ABS/DWV 1 1/4" schedule 40 ", but for the life of me cant find any 1 1/4" fittings!!!

My suspicion is that the pipe is 1 1/4" ID, and I need to buy 1 1/2" OD fittings.

Before I trundle down to Home Depot, is anyone able to confirm my suspicion (or do I have the most useless, redundant piping ever?

Thanks!

They definitely exist (in Canada at least).

Sample "big box" listing for "abs 1 1/4" :

https://www.rona.ca/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/RonaAjaxCatalogSearchView?catalogId=10051&searchKey=RonaEN&urlLangId=-1&content=&langId=-1&keywords=abs+1%22+1%2F4&storeId=10151


Can dywall vinyl j-channel be used on exterior siding? I am having a hard time finding replacement j-channel for my vinyl siding. I am installing new windows, taller than originals, and this means my vertical j-channel I have now won't be long enough. Can i use drywall bead j-channel? I don't see a difference other than no nail fin on the drywall channel. I plan to re-side the house in a few years but not in the budget for awhile.

i would say NO. the drywall channel will not be made for long exposure to uv sunlight nor will it be as thick and durable. If you use the drywall channel You will more than likely be replacing it in the near future.

As you know it is not at your local box store, find a siding contractor or supplier in your area and get it from them.


Where do I put the C wire in this setup Got me a wefe thermostat. Old thermostat used 4 wires but the blue C was stuffed in the wall. I have read many forums and nobodys setup really matches mine.

This what I see at the furnace and what I think the functions are. I see the spot for C but it has a red and yellow wire connected to it. I figured T would be the common but when I hooked the blue wire to this I got power to my new thermostat and could make the fan come on but the A/C would not turn on. Guess my only question being is where to put the darn C wire. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Here is the old tstat and setup in the furnace. I cannot see a model anywhere on it. Just says climatrol. It is an older one tho with a pilot I gotta light manually.

Here is the wifi stat setup.

I turned it back on and afew minutes later while uploading this pic it the system came on!!! Musta took 3 to 5 minutes but its working! Will make sure it does what it is suppose to do but thank you for advice on waiting and the other help you provided. I really appreciate it!!!

T is common, confirmed by reading 24VAC across T and V (24VAC should also exist across V and ground to confirm V as hot). A/C may need a few minutes to kick on.


Can I replace a recessed lighting track without replacing the fixture housing? I have 20 year old track lights that I would like to replace.   They are Lightolier brand which is now owned by Philips.  The track heads have transformers in them that buzz loudly.  New track heads are hard to come by and are about $100 each.

When they were installed, they were recessed to be flush with the ceiling.  Can I replace the track without replacing the recessed fixture?   I can't tell if the track and fixture are one piece, or if the track is a separated piece that fits inside the fixture.

The track part is 48 inches (4 feet) long and 1.25 inches wide.  The recessed part is about 6 inches longer and wide enough that the track part appears to fit perfectly inside.

Here is one of the track heads that I took apart.   It has a surprising amount of circuitry in it.   I would have expected the wires to connect directly to the bulb without anything intervening.

The track and the housing are apparently separate components, judging by the photo. The question is how well they're fastened together. I'll be surprised if anyone knows that particular fixture well enough to tell you offhand.

I wouldn't hesitate to investigate. Disconnect power and start disassembling. Use a rotary grinder if necessary to remove rivets, screw tips, or sheet metal tabs.


Which bolt pattern to sister a ceiling joist? I need to sister a ceiling joist — put a
2x6 8ft piece next to existing joist, and
fasten with 1/2 inch bolts. It will be supported
by a stud wall on one end (but not other end)

Anybody knows what are the rules about
bolt pattern for such repair?
Is this described in any building code or
somewhere else?

From the image it looks more like a 2nd collar tie or a rafter tie then a ceiling joist. A ceiling joist would have the ceiling finish material attached to the bottom of it. In the case of a collar tie just a generous 3/8" bead of construction adhesive in a zigzag pattern. Clamp it if you can and nail it vertically with three 16d nails vertically and 16" apart. Ensure that your sister extends at least 3' beyond the break.

If you are trying to repair a sag or rafter spread it is a different repair