Romex clamp need grounding in NMT? I want to transition from Romex to THWN in PVC. The transition, from what I hear, is rather common from going from the inside to the outside. My question is, I know the NEC is pretty finicky when it comes to grounding anything metal in or on a electrical box, and I wondered if in the following situation, the romex clamp would have to be somehow grounded?

Note: the junction will be inside (attic).

Use a plastic NM clamp

My solution to this problem would simply be to use a plastic (non-metallic, IOW) NM clamp, such as an Arlington NM74, NM75, or NM840-844, instead of the metal one, since this box is indoors.


Turn one light bulb ON and another OFF at the same time with one switch I am trying to operate two AC current light bulbs with one switch so that while the switch is in the OFF position, bulb B1 is OFF and bulb B2 is ON, and while the switch is in the ON position, bulb B1 is ON and bulb B2 is OFF. Only one bulb needs to be turned ON at any given time and  the other bulb is OFF.

Let me know how can I make this possible.

I would appreciate if you can provide any diagram.

A single-pole, double-throw switch would do the job. A common 3-way switch is exactly that.

You'd simply connect power to the common screw, and run power out from each of the traveler screws. All the neutrals tie together. Here's a nice animation showing the idea.

More on switch terminology


Should I use a Ridge/Soffit vent or Attic Fan? I am getting ready to redo the roof on our house (shingles and some sheathing) and I am wondering what kind of venting I should add to the roof. The roof currently is not vented at all and as a result there is mold and and the sheathing is rotting and sagging.

I have been doing some research and it seems like the best way to go is to use soffit/ridge vents instead of an attic fan. However, the roof is only a 2/12 pitch and I am wondering if the shallow pitch will have any adverse effect on the vents. At one point on the roof it is about 30' from the soffit to the ridge with a 2/12 pitch.

Any advice?

Before I added my ridge vent when we had consecutive days of 100F the attic could get up to 120-125 easy - and my roof is heavily shaded.  I would come down completely soaked - like swimming pool soaked - when doing 15 minutes of electrical work.

I just added a ridge vent to my attic a few months ago.  Measured attic temperature after a couple of days in the high 90s and the high temp was around 7PM at low 90s but basically it stayed in the mid 80s.  So 25F temperature change, being conservative.

We did cut out 3 inches on each side of mine so a total of 6 inches.

I am not sure what an attic fan would do in comparison.  The air needs to get out of the attic. Hot air will escape upward.  The attic fan will take hot air out of your house and put it in the attic, with no where to go.  I could almost see the attic fan as barely making a difference due to the heat introduced from the component in this situation.  And from an energy stand-point it doesn't make sense to run something that is a low difference maker.  In this situation I could see just using your AC as being more efficient.

You would ALWAYS put the ridge vent before the attic fan.  Now would you want to install an attic fan with the ridge vent is a really good question.  I could see the benefit of having the attic fan going with the hot air having an easy escape route.


What should I use to fill a gap between oak trim and wall? I have oak trim on my baseboard. What do you use to fill in the gaps between the trim and the wall? Do I use regular caulk and then paint it the color of the wall?

You are exactly right, I use latex caulk to fill the gaps and then paint when dry.  This will create a seamless appearance.  I've seen homes where the owners have caulked all their trim and it looks fantastic -- very clean.

Edit for clarity: I always strike off the bead square (which I make sure gets pushed down into the space) with a sharp cornered putty knife blade.


Terminology for the sidewall of a mezzanine floor For a mezzanine, stage or other flooring with an exposed sidewall, what is the proper construction or architectural term for that sidewall?

For example, here we see a mezzanine:

The red circle shows the exposed sidewall, which is here paneled in hardwood. What is the term for this sidewall?

Some more research led me to the answer: it is called the fascia. The gallery is supported by beams called headers. These beams are covered by the fascia, which in the example above is coffered paneling.


How to make GAF Ridge Cap Shingles? I have Timberline shingles but not the ridge cap ones

How do I "make" the ridge cap shingles?
https://www.gaf.com/roofing/residential/products/ridge_cap_shingles

Since I don't have the 3-tab shingles. This is for a shed so I don't care much as long as it won't leak. Could I just cut to 1/3?

UPDATE 1
My shingle is metric so it's 39 3/8" long actually. So I am wondering if it is OK to cut it 13" for ridge edge shingle? Plus this has adhesive strip on the top (not center). I don't know if it matters (see highlight below as adhesive strip):

UPDATE 2 (WRONG)

Illustration to use the top part only (the one with one layer). Cut to 1/3 and use the "x" pieces for ridge caps.

I've done just that in a pinch, but I recommend centering your tabs on an inset section (the part along the bottom half with only one layer). This will allow much easier bending over the ridge, and your nailing will have more structure as well. You'll use more shingles, but they'll install easier.

Cut at the red line. Fold in the center.


Do 120V pool lights need GFI protection I have a pool at our recently purchased home.  The pool system in about 22 years old and consists of a Hayward / Goldline AquaLogic controller.  The breakers in the controller are marked type QP but I can’t find any markings to indicate they are GFI’s. My logic says that outdoor 120/240 volt circuits require GFI Protection.  The main breaker panel is using a 4 pole 20/30/30/20 ganged breaker.  Could it be a GFI breaker?

If there isn't a "test" button on the breakers in question, then it's not a GFCI breaker. Look for a separate panel maybe mounted on the wall by the controller.

Also the pool lights installed in your pool won't be 120V. They'll probably be 12V. There is a stepdown transformer in your control cabinet that lowers the voltage from your line voltage to 12V. Hope this helps.


Which parts of a Moentrol transfer valve need to be exposed? I am going to be finishing the shower wall over a new Moentrol transfer valve (3320)

This obviously requires penetrations for the two control levers, but it also has three of what appear to be adjustment screws on the face.

The instructions say that the penetration should be shaped to expose these screws, but that will likely impact my ability to waterproof the opening.

Why do these need to be exposed? Can I cover them with membrane?

Do not cover over the following items:

Integral Stops (Item 9 on page 2 of the instructions, there are two) These are the isolation valves for the hot and cold connections to the valve. These valves allow you turn off the water to the shower valve to do repair/maintenance without having to turn off the water to the whole house.
Balancing Spool (Item 8 on page 2 of the instructions) This devise prevents temperature fluctuation due to pressure changes to the hot or cold lines, like when a toilet is flushed. It is basically a couple cylinders with small ports that can slide back and forth to maintain the pressure balance between the hot and cold. However, they can become stuck and may need to be cleaned or replaced in time.
Cartridge (Item 3 on page 2 of the instructions) This is what the shower lever will attach to. Again, this may need servicing at some point in the future. Also if you install it incorrectly or if the hot and cold lines are crossed, it can usually be flipped to rectify the problem.
Escutcheon Screw Holes (Item 5 on page 2 of the instructions, there are two) This is where the screws that will hold the escutcheon or trim plate are screwed into.

Page 5 of the instructions you linked to shows that the opening in the wall should be 1/8" larger then the plaster ground face (Item 4 on page two). This opening will be sealed by the escutcheon or trim plate. This will come as part of the trim package. If you provide the model number of the trim package, I provide further information.


Fiberglass appearing in home dust Thin and very straight fibers have been appearing in household dust, primarily in the room which I occupy. I suspect these fibers to be fiberglass. These fibers shine/glint back if illuminated with a strong light source and are of varying length (<1mm to 6-8mm). These fibers appear to be consistent  with a sample of fiberglass yanked from the attic. I noticed these fibers in the dust in my room about a month ago. A spot check of dust in other rooms shows similar fibers, though in a much smaller frequency.

A member of the household fell through the ceiling walkway above my room ~2.5 months ago, which pushed a lot of insulation through (and very probably dispersed it through the room). The process of fixing the hole also probably dispersed a bit of fiberglass insulation through the room. I suspect this to be the primary source of this contamination, but I can't be entirely sure.

I've cleaned the dust from the room thoroughly about twice a week (wiping down all surfaces with a wet microfiber cloth). The longer fibers seem to be appearing more rarely, but the smaller ones seem to still be appearing with some frequency.

I have a few related questions/concerns:

The particulate does not seem to be very dense in the dust, but it is noticable (especially in my room) with a flashlight. I spend a lot of time in my room for both work and leisure purposes; I typically sleep in my room, but have moved to sleeping in a different room in light of this issue. I haven't really noticed any changes in my respiratory patterns. I suspect this to be a health hazard in the long term; is this accurate?
Is this likely to be continued contamination from the ceiling incident, or is there another source of contamination (e.g. poorly-sealed lighting, poor/drafty attic entrance sealing)? There are 5 possible sources for contamination in my room which I can spot: 4 light fixtures and a central air vent. Light fixtures in the room are IC-rated, but I am not sure how hermetically sealed that means they are. I suspect the contamination is not through the vent, as these particles would then appear more frequently in the rest of the home as well.
What's the best "one and done" way of removing as much of this contamination as possible, assuming that the source of contamination is not still present (i.e., the particles were a one-time contamination from the walkway incident)? The room is carpeted (though we have long wanted to replace it with a hardwood/laminate). I have a HEPA air filter (a Winix C555, a relatively low-end model which has "multi-stage" filtering with a "true HEPA" filter) which I run fairly continuously on a low-medium setting (though I suspect that this may just be continuing to "juggle" the particles through the air). I can vacuum and dust the room more often as well, potentially daily.

Thank you in advance for reading my post, and for any advice or help you may provide.

Many of have worked in attics without masks over the years at hundreds or thousands of times the exposure you are getting but I won’t say it’s not a health issue but I am not aware of any issues with such a light exposure.

Other areas to check include the duct work. Metal trunk ducts usually have a fiberglass blanket that is foil backed. If someone tweaked the trunk line they may have disturbed a seam and created a Venturi that is pulling some fibers in, I bring this up because a home owner sat on his trunk line and it pulled in quite a bit but I was able to seal it up, since the ceiling was down you may have not noticed.

Flex duct (usually black plastic inside and outside with insulation in the center) could have pulled loose and exposed the fiberglass on the inner plastic a flashlight would show yellow or pink fiberglass if this happened. Other than that sealing the fixtures would be the areas to look at if it’s not showing up in other rooms of the house. As I said I am not aware of any issues with such low levels but there may be a stuffy out there that says it is dangerous, asbestos was once thought to be safe along with the Hindenburg.


Electricity tripping off after installing Nest I just replaced my old thermostat and timer for a Google Nest, but every time I turn the electricy back on, it goes off shortly after. I have an oil boiler for heating.

Before I call an electrician, what could be the problem? How can I troubleshoot it?

I'm looking for guidance more than for a straight answer if that's possible.

Thanks!

The guidance we are/have been providing in the comments.

The direct answer, is that you have a current carrying wire directly tied the return. (E.g., Neutral & Live In wired together). While this may not be exactly what happened, its an example.

Unfortunately, the diagram the book shows you is possibly misleading and therefore it is likely you were able to either misinterpret the wiring, or just juxtaposed a wire. It i also even possible that the Nest could be damaged or faulty, but vetting the wiring used will help ensure that is not the case. If it is, return it for a new one.

The pictures help to ensure any guidance given is sound, since there are many possible things that could actually come into play to cause an issue like this.

If you have a multi-meter it is invaluable. It is best when doing these types of connections to always ensure without any doubt each wire is what you think it is. So performing OHM tests between L & N, or End to End on a wire is a great way to have this surety.

Only then, would you turn the power on. Nearly eliminating any chance of damage to the equipment, or you.


How to clear outbound blockage using the snake/auger? If there is any information that I can provide to help make this a
  better question or to assist in getting a better answer please let me
  know in the comments and I will update.

Please check out my photo below (sorry about the quality), you can see that I've removed the trap (elbow) and I have the snake in the outbound pipe. The snake makes it to the wall (about the length of the pipe) and comes back with black gunk but can go no further. It's my first time in the kitchen area with a snake so I'm unsure what to make of this...

I guess I should try turning the snake downward somehow but before I start really mashing about down there, I've stopped (since there seems to be a hard wall or something inside). This seemed like a good point to reach out and ask someone for a bit of guidance since I don't want to make things worse.

Any thoughts on what I can do at this point or how to work that snake further down the pipe?

Background:

I have the issue where the kitchen sink is clogged when I turned on the garbage disposal unit, the water backed up into the two sink (about a 1/4 of the sink full). I tried the Hair and Grease drain cleaner (from Home Depot ~ the heavy duty one sold in the plastic bag) overnight and the water did drain out of the sinks. When I tried to run water through in the morning, the sinks began to backfill again.

Update:

Per request please note the photo of the outflow pipe below.

When I tried to rotate the snake clockwise I was able to get 7-8 feet further. But afterward (maybe an hour or so later) the water starts to backfill even more after I replaced the trap and did NOT run new water down (https://youtu.be/Mcxoekjoazk). Now clear water is coming up into the sink.  In fact, the water in the kitchen sink is (several hours later) now rising to about 1/3 height of the sink.

Final Update

  I'm posting this update for the next person having this issue. I was
  able to use the auger on the outflow pipe (going into the wall and
  downward). Once I did so I hit a blockage that felt like a
  brick/cement/hard packed dirt. I then went out to Home Depot and
  picked up a medium sized bladder(1-1/2 to 3 inches). Attached that to a water hose,
  inserted it up to the first turn of the outflow pipe and turned on the
  water. I noticed that the water sound changes as it eliminated the
  blockage and became fully smooth running after 10-15 mins. I gave it
  quite a bit more time just to make sure and now the clog appears to be
  completely gone. Hope this helps anyone with the problem and thanks to Ed Beal for all the advice.

I can't see to the back of the fitting would it be possible to cut the pipe and use a coupler or union to repair when done? Each 90 causes a large amount of force to be required, with a 90 at the start then probably another 90 in a few inches that will make it tough now go down to ground level and another 90 some may be sweeps or t's but the force still jumps with each one.  Next are you spinning clock wise? You want the augger to pull into the plug turning counter clockwise actually pulls the snake out while you are pushing. Plugs can be tough to work through with a small snake but if you are pulling stuff back up you are getting close , I have power snakes and have had to hit a plug 20-30 times where other times 1 times clears the plug. If totally stuck look for another entrance to try, the roof vents are usually a good place but may require a longer snake. Some homes have a main back bone with a plug at the washing machine in the garage so there may be other ways to tackle this but if nothing else in backing up I would keep trying.


Ceiling fan installation in masonary ceiling - Anchor failure considerations for dynamic loads I have a project that involves mounting a ceiling fan to an exposed masonry ceiling. The ceiling is sections of precast concrete (I think the right term is “flexicore”) 24” wide and about 8” think. The plan calls to mount a standard 30-50lb ceiling fan fixture, under an appropriately-rated electrical junction box, directly to this masonry. My initial though was to simply use a couple of Tapcon masonry anchors to secure the box, as that seems like standard industry practice for securing small-to-medium fixtures to masonry. It’s also what appears to be used for other fixture and conduit runs in the same building. However, after thinking a bit more I’m worried about the fact that a ceiling fan creates an small dynamic load through minor vibrations that are not inherit in other static mounting applications. In theory this dynamic load could weaken the integrity of the anchor’s threaded contacts over many many years, even for an application that is otherwise well within load limits. So I’m trying to figure out if this effect is so small as to be totally negligible, or if it’s something that really necessitates a different type of anchor.

A pair of 1/4” Tapcons at 1-3/4” depth seems to be sufficient to hold 20+ ceiling fans (load chart here) assuming factor of safety of 4 and lowest PSI of 2000 (I don’t actually know the PSI rating of this concrete, so I’m just going with the lowest value). This seems like a bulletproof approach, but again, I have no idea to what extent the dynamic load factor comes into play. I was hoping someone with industry knowledge of masonry anchor failure would be able to shed some light on that.

Alternative Approaches

I’ve done some light exploratory drilling and probing in a hidden section of the ceiling to get a sense of where the hollows are, and where I would therefore expect the pretension cables to be. This of course means that I also have the ability to drill directly into a hollow (they are about 6” in diameter and thus come within about 1” of the surface). This would allow me to use some form of toggle anchor or SnapToggle instead of a Tapcon. This of course requires pretty big holes, and I suppose may come with other risks, but it's a very inciting option.

It reads like you are at 'industry standard' as most installs wouldn't go further than a concrete anchor. I understand your concern, and appreciate the level of detail you're delving in to figure out alternatives.
In terms of industry knowledge, most of the folks here have experience with residential, single family home classification, not industrial, or commercial application, it's all wood.

If you're looking for other options, find the exact weight of the fan, and find a hard rubber (or soft plastic) washer that only partially compresses from the weight(very partially, gross up your concrete anchor by a 3/16th (or whatever the net distance increase is from the washers, and add first a metal re-enforcing washer, followed by the soft washer. this will provide a break between the fan and the anchor.

One important point to cover everything is that you'll need about a week of curing before you'll hit the 2000psi (assuming 20mPa). A day or two less if you're using 25mPa.

Disclaimer of course is that I'm not a fastener guy, and do not have extensive knowledge of the failure rate of in tension concrete anchors with vibrations applied.


Can granite countertops rest on plastic corner braces? Some plastic corner braces included with Ready To Assemble cabinets have lips that sit on top of the plywood cabinet sides.  Do these lips need removed in order to keep the granite from sitting on these smaller points of contact, to distribute its weight more evenly?

I would suggest going over the tops of all the base cabinets with grinder of sander to remove any high spots.


Soldering copper pigtails to aluminum wire As I prepare to remedy my parent's 1965 home's aluminum wiring I have investigated Copalum and Alumicon. Copalum appears to be unavailable. I've tried a few Alumicon connectors but they take a lot of space in the box and basically add more connection points to fail. Now I'm trying soldering copper pigtails to the aluminum wire. Of course the right flux (Superior 1260) and solder (SN100C) are needed, but the results look excellent. Here are some of my practice samples going from 12 gauge aluminum to 14 gauge copper:

Before soldering I wrapped the connection with AWG 40 copper wire to hold it together during soldering and to add strength. Once covered with heat shrink tubing the wire seems for all the world to just be a copper wire.

It takes essentially no space in the box and is far stronger than the aluminum wire itself.  A previous thread indicates that direct aluminum to copper splices are not allowed under NEC (at least for new construction), but that is what Copalum does and it is a recommended fix. Also, previous threads indicate the connection must be solid before soldering, so I could twist the wires together first, but the twisting adds a fair amount of space and frankly the aluminum wire is a bit fragile.  Yes, it takes a while to solder, but I've got time and I feel far more secure about this than leaving the aluminum alone (which I've had to repair multiple times). The question is really what will happen when the home must be sold? Is this going to be too foreign to the home inspector? Does anyone see any other real issues?  Thanks!

A lap-soldered joint like that is good enough for low-voltage low-current low-risk electronics.  But it has never been approved for The Big Stuff, and in fact, is unprecedented.
There was a standard for soldering "back in the day"; and it coarsely resembles the Western Union splice.  If you dismantle any old Knob-n-Tube that was soldered, it looks like that.  Note also that splices had fairly complex insulation: first a layer (by which I mean, 3-6 layers) of cloth-tar "friction tape", with the ending tied off to prevent unraveling... then as it became available,  a layer of conventional plastic tape.
However, a Western Union splice would never be conceived of for a dissimilar-metal copper-aluminum splice.
Now I note that your soldering looks pretty nice on the copper side, but the aluminum side doesn't look too happy.  So I don't think this would work as a Western Union splice either.
Your judgment of "what I'm doing is no different than a Copalum splice" might get challenged by the manufacturer.  It certainly is different.  These look like a sophomoric attempt to apply Adafruit tier electronics skills to a very serious problem that's had 30 years of attention from an army of PhD's.  If it was anything like this easy, it would have been developed into a solution and added to Code.
What you have there, with the solder-to-aluminum, is akin to a cold solder joint. You've enveloped the aluminum but that is all. You are not bonding to it.  Next, corrosion will set in.

Your root problem, the need to pigtail, is already addressed by devices with CO-ALR rated connections.  Take a close look at one sometime.
The science of copper or aluminum lugs vs. copper or aluminum wires, is well understood.  Aluminum lugs are the universal donor, and will take anything. Copper lugs only take copper.  This is where the 1970s efforts went wrong; they hastily labeled copper-only lugs for aluminum without adequate testing.
That's why most panel lugs are aluminum, neutral bars are aluminum, Polaris connectors have aluminum bodies, and MAC Block and Alumiconns are miniature aluminum Polaris connectors, essentially.
As far as the reliability of lug connections, that's been addressed in Code by the mandating of use of torque screwdrivers.  Playing around with solder when you don't even own a torque screwdriver is having your priorities in the wrong direction!
Some regulatory issues
First, everything you do on a house has to be permitted and approved by a local inspector (the AHJ).  Typically the inspector will waive simple stuff like outlets and light switches; however that presumes that what you're doing is the normal stuff.  You need to ask the inspector whether you need to pull a permit.  I am quite sure when you are honest about what you are doing, the inspector is NOT going to waive inspection. Now you're going to be in a bake-off with the inspector over whether this should be allowed. How do you think that's going to go? Not well, I bet you know.  So really, this whole thing depends on the inspector not finding out.  I think that answers your question about what happens at sale time.
Keep in mind that the electrical inspector, from whom you pull permits and get at-time-of-work inspections, who has regulatory power and can revoke the house's occupancy permit, compel you to pull a permit to remove all unauthorized work and pull another one to redo it properly... is a completely different person from the "home inspector", who is a jack-of-all-trades who merely advises the homebuyer.
The home inspector may be a jack, but knows this town and other homes in these developments, knows what the builders then liked to use, and will instantly recognize the aluminum wiring despite your notion.  Will not recognize the novel pigtailing technique as any legitimate or approved item, and will state that in the inspector's report.  The buyer will withdraw their offer or reduce their offer to require total replacement of the aluminum wiring.
Lastly, you're not allowed to do electrical work on other people's houses. You have to be a licensed electrician, or an owner-occupant.  There is no way to "test into" an electrician's license; it requires a very lengthy apprenticeship.
Further you have this impasse:

110.14 Conductors of dissimilar
metals shall not be intermixed in a terminal or splicing
connector where physical contact occurs between dissimilar
conductors (such as copper and aluminum, copper and
copper-clad aluminum, or aluminum and copper-clad aluminum),
unless the device is identified for the purpose and
conditions of use.

However

110.14(B) Soldered
splices shall first be spliced or joined so as to be mechanically
and electrically secure without solder and then be
soldered.

How do you make them electrically secure without solder, without having them in physical contact?  You can have them contact an intermediate device (e.g. Alumiconn) but that item has to be identified (and 110.2 Approved) for the use.


Should my stairs have less than 10 inch run? My home is antique and has 9" x 9" stairs (extremely steep). I'm having them rebuilt adding only one stair since I am limited by floor space and headroom. They will then have an 8.1" rise and I would like them to have a 10" run because it feels roomy but the formula (2X rise) + run is supposed to be within an inch of 25. The only way to get it below 26 would be to reduce my run which I really didn't want to do.. What should I do?

Code dictates a tread depth of no less than 10". The rise should be no more than 7 3/4", but since your house had an original stair system that predated anything like that they require now, "grandfathered" is the term that comes to mind. If your structure, as in walls, floors etc., keep your steps from being brought up to code, there is an exception to the code that you can go to.

With that in mind, do as you plan, add the extra tread and increase the depth of tread to 10", that is a close as you can get to code without moving walls etc.

You will appreciate the difference...


Clothes washer , fridge, electric dryer , electric range not working First time post here, hoping someone can figure out what is wrong with my electric circuit .
Our Clothes washer , fridge,electric dryer , electric range sometimes will not work(no power) but will suddenly back on again . Clothes washer ,fridge sharing the same circuit with 20A circuit breaker, range and dryer are individual 240v 30A and 50A .
can anyone tell me what is wrong ? Or anything to look for ? Thanks

You apparently have a serious intermittent power circuit. It could be...

A fault in the utility drop to your property
A problem with the meter or meter socket wiring
Faulty connection between the meter and the mains breaker in your power panel
Bad mains breaker in your panel
Loose connection between mains breaker and the bus bars in your panel

There obviously could also be other problems but I focused on likely issues that would be affecting multiple circuits to appliances in your abode.

Intermittent circuits are very dangerous and can lead to arcing and heat build up in the faulty connection that could result in a fire. In your situation it is strongly recommended that you contact a professional electrician as soon as possible to come out and inspect your electrical installation and hopefully correct the problems before any serious injury or damage occurs.


Will I pass inspection/code if I install walls over carpet in a finished basement for a couple bedrooms? Will I pass inspection/code if I install walls over carpet in a finished basement for a

couple bedrooms?

There is no code or regulation that I know of that putting a piece of carpet between framing and the base (concrete).  However this is really poor workmanship and I could see your local inspector reacting with a raised eyebrow or he could just say he doesn't want it for whatever reason - it is his call.  Also doing something suspect like this would lead me (if I were an inspector) to really really take notice of everything else.

Why would you do it?  Your flooring still has to be retacked and stretched.  What possible benefit are you getting from the floor under the walls?  You could just slice the carpet right in the middle of the wall, roll it back each way and then create your wall.  You could probably get a carpet place to come out and fix the issues for less than $100 - and this could also be a DIY job.


Preparing a deck & playset for re-staining The question asked here is pretty much similar to mine except that there are few splinters and chipped wood on the deck. How to smooth those out? Also there is a kid's play structure (with steps and a border that hosts a slide, swings and monkey bars) in a similar staining need state, any special considerations for doing it?

Any good videos/links with the procedure, tools and product recommendations is highly appreciated.

The answer given to the question you linked to, pretty much covers all you really need to know (IMHO).

  Q. There are few splinters and chipped wood on the deck. How to smooth those out?

Sanding by hand or with a random orbital sander should pretty much take care of those areas. If you need to smooth out "really rough areas", go with something like:

Begin with 60 Girt.
Then move onto 100 Grit.
Then finish with 150 Grit.

Though I'm guessing (not being able to see the actual state of your deck & playset) for most of your sanding needs, 100 & 150 Grits will be sufficient.


Cold fridge, warm freezer We have a Whirlpool fridge with french doors, similar to this model that is around 2 years old.

We have both the fridge and freezer parts sets as cold as they will get.  This is -5F for the freezer and 33F for the fridge.  The fridge is staying about this cold, but the freezer is only getting down to around 24-26F, and it seems like it is warmer because some ice cream we keep in this freezer always seems very soft when we pull it out.

This unit also seems to be inordinately slow at making ice. It has the ice container in the door, and even re-enabled the "fast ice" feature every 24 hours it isn't keeping the ice bay full even with only moderate ice usage. (I would estimate usage is no more than a quart by volume, including gaps between the cubes, while the bay itself holds a bit more than a gallon.) I'm not sure what the long-term effect of perpetually commanding fast ice is, or if this can be a problem.  It's not fast enough for us even on the "fast" setting so I'm a bit perplexed by this setting.

There does not seem to be any blockage in air flow, but it seems like the unit runs a lot - although it is pretty quite and unless you stand up close to it or actually open the freezer drawer you might not know it.  It was repaired for the opposite problem about 9 months ago (not cooling in the fridge part) and they replaced - I want to say they said it was an invertor.

Update: When "fast ice" is turned off the freezer temp does drop slightly - about 4-5 degrees, so it's around 20F, which is still 25 degrees above what it's set for.  I suspect that fast ice is really just trying to direct more cold to the ice maker in the top of the fridge, but with temperatures only 5-10 degrees of melting it's no wonder ice takes so long to make.

I had pretty much the same problem with an old (I think) Frigidaire. It had the compressor & evaporator in the bottom of the fridge and used a rectangular air duct to get cold air up to the freezer.  After a series of very humid days and lots of ice use (opening and closing the freezer door repeatedly) the air duct iced up.  I had to use a hair dryer to blow hot air down the duct to defrost it, emptying the drip pan under the fridge each time it filled up.


RCCB trips and causes sockets to lose power, but lights, etc. don't lose power Several times in the last month, we have experienced small power surges that cause the circuit breakers to trip. Most of the time this has been the "sockets" circuit breaker, however 15 minutes ago the RCCB "protected circuits" tripped, while the other circuit breakers remained on. During this the "sockets" lost power, but lights,  and the rest of the electrical system did not go off. Is this unusual behaviour? From what I've read, if the RCCB trips, the entire electrical system is supposed to stop working.

Yes this is normal.

Under the 16th edition IEEE wiring regulations (introduced in 1991, superseeded in 2008, there were amendments, but I don't think any of them are relavent here) in TN installations* RCD protection in normal domestic situations was only required for sockets that could be reasonably expected to supply equipment outside the equipotential zone**. Interpretations of this varied, but in practice it meant that at least all downstairs sockets and frequently all sockets ended up being RCD protected.

Some houses were wired with a RCD covering everything but this was frowned upon because a single fault could leave the whole house in darkness.

It therefore became common practice to fit "Split load" boards where some of the circuits were on RCD and others were not. Exactly what got put on the RCD side was quite variable with some electricians putting everything except lights on the RCD and others only putting sockets and showers (I don't think an explicit requirement to put showers on the RCD but it was widely seen as a bloody good idea) on the RCD side. This appears to be the situation you have.

Since the 17th edition practically all domestic wiring needs to be on a RCD. On cheaper installations it was/is common practice to use a consumer unit with two RCDs so you only lost half the stuff when a RCD went out. Higher-end installations would often use "RCBOs" which combine the functionality of a RCD and a MCB and allow each circuit to be individually RCD protected. Until recently these were pretty expensive though.

There is no compulsion however to upgrade your existing installation to the 17th or 18th edition regs. Heck there isn't actually an explicit legal requirement to follow the IEEE wiring regulations (aka BS7671) at all, just a requirement that “Reasonable provision shall be made in the design and installation of electrical installations in order to protect persons operating, maintaining or altering the installations from fire or injury.”. Most electricians however will insist (and may be bound by industry schemes they are a member of to insist) that any new work is done to the current edition. In practice this means they will want to RCD protect any new wiring when modifying an installation.

* in a TT installation everything needs to be RCD protected, but sometimes with RCDs that have a higher trip current.

** I think there may have been some requirements for RCDs related to swimming pools and marinas as well, but those wouldn't apply in the vast majority of domestic installations.


Outside light fixture I am replacing a very old outside light fixture and have hit a roadblock.  All of the fixtures I see in stores are sleek in design but mine is connected to a pretty large electrical box.  The picture below shows my current light.  Can I replace this with one of the sleeker more modern lights without a junction box?

No. Those "sleek" lights also must mount to a junction box of some kind.   However, their box is installed flush to the wall, by embedding the box in the wall.  Same as any outlet in your home, for instance.

In this case, either someone installed a wedge spacer box for no conceivable reason, or this junction box is tearing out of the wall and needs to be reinstalled properly or replaced.  If that were done, this light would also look a lot better.


Replacing 10 amp breaker for 20 amp I'll try to keep this short but there is a bit of background info that may be needed. Couple of days I rented a floor grinder to eliminate uneven concrete floor in the basement. The grinder kept tripping the breaker every 10 or so minutes. All the circuit breakers in the main panel are 10 amp. Needles to say I took the equipment back and was told that this kind of equipment requires a minimum of 15 or 20 amp circuits.

Quite disappointed not being able to finish the project I started thinking and I realized that recently I added a new sets of duplex GFI outlets (one GFI and 3 regular) in the garage using a #12 wire but only a 10 amp breaker to match the rest.  Can I replace the 10 amp breaker for a 20 amp? I mean the 12 gauge wire should be OK, I just wondered why the builder chose 10 amp breakers in this house.

The short answer is that the breaker protects the wire (otherwise, heat and fire can result). You can put a 20A breaker on a circuit if all the wire on the circuit is #12. If any of the wire is #14 you can put a 15A breaker on it. If any of the wire in the circuit is smaller than #14, then you cannot put a 15A breaker on it.


How can I secure an outwardly opening front door? I have just replaced my front door that was inswing with an outswing door per county instructions on new door installation. My question is "how could I secure my door?" My previous door had a chain but I can't use that on my new door. Any clever suggestions?

You have three points of attack to deal with

The first, and obvious, point of attack for any door is the lock, and to this end, get something good from a serious locksmith.  Abloy's disc-detainers are the gold standard, but anything from a well regarded brand (note, standard Kwikset locks are not well-regarded in the physical security world, and nor is Master Lock!) with decent pinning (six pins, including security pins and keys that don't look as flat as Kansas) and good anti-drill features (carbide pins or plates) should be secure enough for a residential application.

The second point of attack for an outswing door are the hinges -- if you use ordinary hinges on an outswing door, then your hinge pins are wide open to get pulled.  While there are hinges with setscrews or hook-like studs that attempt to prevent an attacker from removing the door by pulling the hinge pins out and then simply pulling the door out, the ultimate solution to this problem is to replace the hinges with fast-riveted hinges that simply won't come apart unless you take an angle grinder to them.  This does mean that you won't be able to "take the door off its hinges" to replace it, though -- you'll need to unfasten the hinges from the door or frame in order to replace the door, instead.

The third and final point of attack is the use of a prybar to try to force the door open.  This can be mitigated through the use of a latch plate cover, as well as making sure the strike anchors securely into the frame.


How to change an untwistable (by design?) fluorescent tube light bulb in a fitting with no slot? Every guide to changing a flourescent tube light I can find has the same basic two steps: twist, usually 90 degrees, then slip the two pins out through the slot.

With this fitting,I have a fairly major problem with each step here:

My light fitting has no such slot
The bulb doesn't twist.

I've confirmed that the bulb isn't stuck (I read somewhere, possibly here though I can't find it again now, that sometimes pins get almost welded to the fitting - but at both ends it's possible to wiggle the bulb about 1mm from the fitting. It's not stuck, there appears to be simply no space for it to twist to.

Here's a couple of pictures of the fitting in question. I can't find any information about this type of fitting.

In this one, I've tried pushing the small rectangular shaped thing at the bottom where the slot would normally be, but it seems to be fixed in place, and even if it was removable, there would be no gap for the pins to fit through in the rim below it:

Here's the other side. Note that the circle that looks like a button in this picture is completely fixed in place, I think it's a vent:

These pictures aren't great (dark for obvious reasons!) - the upside-down-U shaped outer dim to the holder protrudes about 1cm along the length of the bulb, and the gap in the U is flush with the end of the bulb before the pins (so therefore doesn't provide a gap the pins could slip out). The dark line separating the holder from the main fitting in the second photo appears to be a small crack, there's nothing like a hinge or detachment here.

Both ends appear to be identical (though the other end is over a fixed fitted cabinet so is hard to see closely or photograph).

To provide a little context, I've quite  recently moved into this rented appartment, which is in West Africa and has a few electrical idiosyncrasies including about half the outlets being grounded and half ungrounded, and some sockets being the wrong type of plug for this country (e.g. South African "type M"). This particular fitting looks very old, based on the lack of information I can find online I imagine it's some old fashioned standard which has long been obsolete. No clues as to manufacturer etc that I can see.

All I can think to do is completely disassemble or replace the entire fitting, which I'd rather not do.

Disclaimer: while this did work, and the insides look as if they're designed for something like this, I'm not sure if it was the exact correct intended approach. Follow these steps at own risk!

Based on Tester101 and Ed Beal's suggestions I tried pushing the ends. I think it was spring-loaded at both ends - by firmly but gently pushing the holder on one side, and firmly but gently holding and pushing the tube itself close to the opposite end in the other hand, I was able to get it loose.

The gap in the upside-down-U shaped rim was then just the right size to allow the (untwisted) pins to come through, which makes me think this was probably (but not definitely) the intended way. There are also what appear to be grooves for the pins.

Both sides were capable of bending backwards about 3mm-4mm with some force carefully applied (it felt like any more than this either side would crack something). This wasn't enough to free the pins on either side, but when the same force was applied to both sides at once, they could come loose on one side. This would be a much easier job with a second person - you could pull both holders apart while the second person holds and manoeuvres the bulb.

Getting the bulb in was slightly trickier, and with hindsight I'd definitely recommend having a second person help. If you do attempt it on your own, set your stool up next to the side where you're pulling the holder, then extend your arm as far as possible down the tube to push the pins in on the far side first, pushing that far side out out using the tube, so you're up close for the tricky task of getting the second pair of pins in the hole without them getting caught on the casing.

Here's what the inside of the fitting looks like with no bulb. It looks a little like a tragic weeping ghost from a Studio Ghibli film. Sad light fitting is sad:

Update: due to national power shortages I couldn't test the new bulb until much later, when I did, the bulb instantly blew. Bright light at each end, then nothing. Don't yet know the cause of the problem, and it's likely it's the same as what blew the old bulb, but I thought it best to mention just in case it's something I did.


How do I get these toilet shut off valve out? As title says I am trying to figure out how to remove the old shut off valve from the pipe. I've been watching lot of videos, reading up on articles and all seem to deal with compression fit type but what I have at work (1st photo) and home (2nd photo) seem different from what I am dealing with. (Top photo is just a reference)

It doesn't look like it is soldered on either (at least that's what I think)

Typically, the valve solders to the 1/2 inch water source pipe. the outlet is a pretty standard 3/8" compression fitting.  It is a little hard to tell from your pics, but it is rare that the valve would be a threaded fitting to the water source, but not unheard of. The differences between the valves pictured are that the top pic is a 90 degree 1/4 turn valve and the bottom pic is a straight multi-turn valve. If you are going to replace them, do yourself a favor and use nothing less than a  1/4 turn stainless steel ball valve. They are available in both straight and 90 degree styles.

Assuming they are solder on, you must heat them to melt the solder and remove them, or cut them free with a tubing cutter as close to the existing valve as possible.  If you unsolder them, take great care to remove all the old solder and clean/smooth the pipe end well before attempting to solder a new valve on. A basic knowledge of sweating pipes is needed for this project as well as basic plumbing tools like a tubing cutter, torch, abrasive cloth, flux and solder.


Combustion Air Necessary Florida I have a gas water heater in my garage that i enclosed with bi-fold doors. Since there were bi-fold doors with space on the top and bottom and also in the garage, we didn't install combustion air intakes.

We have now made it a game room with central heat and air flowing inside the garage. Do we have to add combustion air? There is not people there all the time.

Yes, common sense says so.

Maybe people are not there all the time but combustion happens even when no people are there.

Most times these rules are put in place to avoid consequences like poor combustion or combustion gases building up in poorly ventilated spaces.

Provide the combustion air and be safe.


Should there be a gap when adding insulation in a wooden outbuilding? I'm currently in the middle of a home office project.

It's a simple wooden outbuilding and I'm insulating it with polystyrene sheets. Once they are in, I'll go over them with with some tongue and groove.

My question is, should the polystyrene cover all possible surface area, or should there be gaps to allow airflow? (Ventilation I'm dealing with separately).  Also is there anything I need to do before I start sticking the sheets directly onto the walls?

My options are:

Tight

Loose

'Throw it in'

It looks like your building has studs. The best way to insulate between those studs is low-cost batt insulation, either fiberglass or mineral wool. If you want to use polystyrene foam sheets (like the EPS foam you're showing) the easiest and most cost-effective way to do it is to lay it across the studs, not between them. Use the cheap batts between the studs and save the more expensive and more-difficult-to-cut-and-shape foam for the usage where it's more practical: over the studs.

As for ventilation, you do not need any ventilation inside the wall or on the interior. The place for ventilation is on the outside of the wall. If it's not too late to do that (i.e. because you haven't yet applied the exterior finish materials), then it's always a good idea to build vertical ventilation channels under the finish material. This will greatly enhance the drying potential of the wall and make it a more robust building. And if you're in a position to do this, it makes sense to apply all the foam on the outside too, not on the inside. It's easier and more effective. You would apply the foam the outside of the board sheathing, install a weather-resistant barrier of Tyvek or another housewrap with taped seams over that as an air barrier layer (flashed to the windows and doors with window and door flashing tape), then insulate between the studs with fiberglass or mineral wool, and finally install your interior tongue-and-groove over the studs and fiberglass. Such a wall will resist the weather for hundreds of years assuming the roof does its part.

If the exterior finish material is already in place and you are not willing to remove them, then you'll need to install the foam on the inside. And you'll need to use another layer as your air barrier. The board sheathing on the outside is not airtight. And your choice of interior finish material--tongue-and-groove boards--is also not airtight. So your air barrier will need to be in the middle of the wall somewhere. Your best bet is treating the foam layer as your wall's air barrier, which entails caulking, taping, spray foaming, and otherwise air-sealing the seams to eliminate as many gaps as possible. Then cover up all the foam boards with tongue-and-groove boards.


Is a little ice on the cooling coils ok? This is our first summer in a new house which has central air.  It was a bit hotter today than normal so the AC was running for a long time.  After awhile we noticed the airflow stopped because the cooling coil completely iced over (about 1/4" of snow over the whole thing).  Bits of the suction line, including where the suction lines meets the outside unit, where also iced over.

We opened up a couple registers which we had closed for the winter, and fixed a blockage of our largest return vent.  The system seems to be working better now, its been on for hours and is still working.  However I have noticed that the bottom inch of so of the A shaped coil is frosted over as are most of the loops on the sides.

Is it alright to have some frosting of the cooling coil or should it be completely clear at all times?

The suction line (the larger pipe) should never be iced up during normal operation.  By the time the refrigerant gets to the end of the evaporator coil, it should be completely boiled off (in a gas state).  The bottom few coils may frost up,  but the top ones should only be sweating at most.
If the suction line; or more than the bottom third of the coil, is frosted up.  You either have an overcharged system, or you're not getting enough air flow over the coils.
Make sure all registers and returns are open, and unobstructed. Check all filters, to make sure they're clean. If you have a multi-speed blower,  make sure it's set to run at the proper speed. And make sure it's actually running at, or near the speed it's supposed to be running at.
If none of that helps, have an HVAC technician check the refrigerant level.
Normal System

Temperature and pressure are the same thing in a refrigeration system, so based on the pressures shown above you can easily determine the temperature of the refrigerant .  Assuming this is an R22 system, you'll see that the refrigerant enters the evaporator at 26°F, and leaves above freezing at 43°F. The suction line in this system is above freezing, so no icing will take place. The temperature may be below the dew point, so there may be sweating (condensation).
Not enough air flow

In this example you can see that the refrigerant enters the evaporator at 26°F, but it leaves the evaporator below freezing at 31°F.  Since the suction line in this case is below freezing, there may be frosting/icing of the line.  If the temperature of the line stays below freezing all the way back to the compressor, you'll see icing all the way along the line.
In this case, there's not enough air flowing through the evaporator. Because of this, not enough heat is being transferred to the refrigerant.
Overcharged
Sorry, I don't have an image for this. In this situation, you'll see that the temperature of the refrigerant entering the evaporator is so low. That even with good air flow, enough heat cannot be transferred to bring the refrigerant above freezing.
undercharged
While icing due to low refrigerant is rare, and often requires other problems, it can happen.  Because the pressure in the evaporator is so low, the boiling point of the refrigerant is well below 32°F. This causes the coils closest to the metering device to be very cold, which causes moisture to freeze. As the coil freezes, air flow is restricted. As air flow is restricted, less heat is removed from the refrigerant. The freezing slowly creeps through the coil, and eventually makes its way back along the suction line to the compressor.


Water Hammer from Upstairs Toilet After my upstairs toilet is flushed and the bowl fully refills, it sounds like a water hammer.

Here's a video of the noise. At 4 seconds, when the bowl has refilled, you hear the noise:

[url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaqWCjywjUo"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaqWCjywjUo[/url]

Please note I've been in this house for years, no work was recently done to this toilet or any plumbing in my home recently, and have never had this issue before with this or any toilet.

What can be done to correct this? Someone mentioned to me to buy a water hammer arrestor.

Thank you for the help!

That's not water hammer, or it's very little at best. That sounds more like the fact that your fill valve is getting a little old and is banging shut harder than it used to. I would just leave it, but if it bugs you, replace the fill valve. There are newer ones on the market now called "quiet" or even "silent" fill valves. They are a little more money, but you seem like the kind of person that would want that.

http://www.mechanicalcaveman.com/best-toilet-fill-valve-review-flush-system-kit-replacement/


Ceiling lights running dim I have a persistent problem with the upstairs ceiling lights in my house where they often run dim for a while and then return to full brightness a few seconds later (at most 1 minute). Sometimes turning on a light will cause another that is already on to dim as well.

Could this problem be attributed to faulty light bulbs (some of them are energy saving bulbs)? Or perhaps a loose connection in just one of the light fittings? I want to see if there's any troubleshooting I can do before calling someone out.

I'd recommend starting by replacing the bulbs to rule out any issues with them.

Assuming the bulbs has been ruled out, it sounds like a bad electrical connection.  If it is affecting many lights, then it's likely upstream, perhaps at the switch, but if not, in another connection point.  Could even be in a receptacle along the same circuit.

Do you know if your house uses aluminum wiring? If so, you should contact a qualified electrician since AL wiring requires some expertise, and the dimming lights are a good sign that there is arcing occurring which can be a fire hazard (it could be a fire hazard with copper too, but much more common with aluminum).

If your house is wired with copper, you can start by first turning off the power at the breaker, and then inspecting all of the connections at each light fixture and the switch.  Look for lose or corroded connections. You're going to need to work backwards from the fixture to the panel, until you find a cause.

Based on the info you provided, it could be a lose connection with either the hot or neutral wire. If you observe the bulbs getting brighter than normal, that is usually a sign of a open/lose neutral wire.

Lose connections usually cause arcing, which can cause a fire, so this is not something I'd leave indefinitely.  If troubleshooting this is outside of your skillset, it's always best to contact a licensed electrician.


What kind of tool do I need to access this bolt? I would like to unscrew a nut that is in a pretty hard to access position. It is at the end of a very long screw, in a cramped space. There must be a tool that allows me to work on that nut, but I don’t know what it would be called.

Can anyone name what I should be looking for on Amazon or the local hardware store?

For context, this is the screw that holds the toilet seat lid in place. In the pictures, it’s the one at the end of the long screw.

Edit: The top of the toilet seat looks like the following, I don’t see any screw, nor it seems possible to rotate the caps as they hold the lid in place and the sit can’t be removed unless I unscrew the nut first.

I believe the tool to get a proper "bite" on the nut is a crow foot wrench attachment. You'll be able to get a cockeyed bite on the nut using a typical wrench in order to unscrew it from above, but just for posterity, a crowfoot wrench is used for these angles. I've also had deep sockets that are hexagonal at the end so that they may be used in a wrench. Seeing as how you cannot unscrew from the top, I suggest using a socket with a hexagonal end fitted into a flex head gear wrench.


Refastening a cabinet door A cabinet door in my kitchen detached from the cabinet- the screws are about 1/2" long and weren't enough to hold the door in place. The screws are short to keep them from poking out the back side of the wood and into the cabinet space.

My concern is that simply reattaching the door with the same screws in the same holes does nothing to keep the same thing from happening again. Is there something I can do to reinforce the holes or otherwise help increase the bite of the screws in the wood?

Remove the screw and hinge.  Break apart a wooden toothpick and place a few pieces in the existing hole.  For extra help, you can combine the pieces of toothpick with a little wood glue.  This will help hold them in place before the door is back on and also add extra stability once dry.  Then put the door back on and use the existing screw.  This should help hold it in place for a while.

In my experience, this will last a few years, and then when it gets loose again, do it again.  It will be like new.


What is this unit attached to my house, and what do I replace it with? I am trying to figure out what this thing is.

I assumed it's a bell ring transformer but then it has four terminals on it.

Any help is appreciated!

That's telephone.  It's not a transformer.  It's a terminal block.

Call up the phone company and ask them to have someone come out and show you where your point of demarcation is.  That's where the wires stop being their responsibility and start being your responsibility (unless you have an in-house service plan as part of your bill).  It looks like an obsolete one of those.  If so, you can't mess with "their" half of it (the side going off to the pole).

If it is downstream of your point of demarcation, you can do as you please, at peril of breaking your landline phone service. (and Internet if it comes via phone line).


Toilet tank - orange stuff My toilet tank has orange a lot of orange stuff in the bottom.  I tried flushing it over & over, but the orange stuff doesn't come out.  What should I do?

That's most likely iron rust deposit, easiest thing is to ignore it; you aren't going to be drinking from the bowl anyway.

Otherwise turn off the feeding valve flush again to drain and start scraping.


How does one replace an adjustable back box lug? Whilst redecorating, we knocked the faceplate of a light switch and realised it was only being held in place by one screw and years of accumulated caulk / paint / etc.

Upon further investigation, we realised that it's not just that one screw is missing, but that the lug for that side has actually snapped off at some point:

Notice that there is a black lug on the left-hand side, but that the corresponding lug on the right is missing. It is just possible in this picture to see the stubby remains of the right-hand lug.

Because the lug (and remains of a lug) has a bit of vertical movement and on some inexpert Googling, I think these are "adjustable lugs".

So, my question: Is there a way to replace adjustable lugs in a back box?

I've tried to find the answer online, but most discussions seem to centre around re-threading lugs, rather than replacing them entirely. I'm really hoping there's a way to do it that doesn't involve excavating the whole back box!

I don't think you can replace the lugs. They're effectively T-shaped and the cross piece is thicker than the upright so that it can't be pulled out of the slot.

You're going to have to remove the old box completely and replace it with a new one.

The hardest part is going to be knocking the old one out without removing half the wall as it's been well plastered in. First remove any screws on the back. Then taking a reasonably thin cold chisel or old flat bladed screw driver dig into the wall around the box to remove a thin layer of plaster all around. When the box is loose, carefully pull it out.

The new box should fit nicely into the hole and the wall can be made good with a little filler.


Trying to identify the neutral in my switch box for home automation switch. My house was built ~3 years ago and i am trying to add some smart switches. I see that nearly all require a neutral wire. When i pull apart any of my switch boxes i see that a neutral wire is not connected to the switch, but in every junction box there is a bundle of white wires capped off in the back.

Would these be the neutral wires? and is it normal for traditional switches not to be connected to a neutral?

Yes, and yes.

If properly wired (and this is always a potential issue), neutral wires are white. Hot wires are black, red, sometimes blue or other colors except white and green (which is reserved for ground).

Basic switches that have no electronic components simply make or break the hot wire. One side is hot and the other side is switched hot. Modern switches also have a ground, which is green or bare.

More complex switches, such as electronic dimmers, some lighted switches, wifi switches and others also need a neutral.

In the switch you have shown, the two hot contacts are attached to the black wires shown. If your switch has its own wires, the white wire is attached to the existing pair of white wires, and the proper sized wire nut then put back on.  A white pigtail (a short length of the same gauge wire) should be connected to the neutral terminal of the switch if it doesn't have its own wire.

The two existing black wires should be attached to the hot terminals on your new switch. Also attach the ground wire to your switch, either directly to the ground terminal or to the ground wire.

If your switch needs a specific connection to the hot wire (also called line), you will have to test to see which of the black wires is hot and which is switched. If so, ask and we will explain how to test.


Smoke detector position vs air register Are there regulations about positioning a smoke detector in the vicinity of an air register? I would like to position it within 3 ft aerial distance but I'm concerned the air flow might be blowing smoke away from the detector therefore causing a false negative, which is like not having a detector.

You are correct to be concerned!
NFPA 72 (my cite is from the 2010 edition, but this rule hasn't changed in the last decade I reckon) 29.8.3.4 point 6 covers your situation:

(6) Smoke alarms and smoke detectors shall not be installed
within a 36 in. (910 mm) horizontal path from the supply registers of a forced air heating or cooling system and
shall be installed outside of the direct airflow from those
registers.

So, either the smoke detector or the air register has to move, lest airflow from the register create what you describe with a false-negative result due to smoke being blown away from the detector.


How can I remove carpet adhesive from hardwood floors? We are doing some renovations to a home we just purchased.  The carpet had hardwood flooring under two layers of carpet.  The bottom layer of carpet was glued down by a dark amber colored adhesive.  Does anyone know how I can remove the adhesive from a hardwood floor?  I have tried mineral spirits to no avail.  I also tried some hot soapy water.  It worked to some extent but it there was still a lot of scraping needed to get it up.

Re-did some floors a couple of years ago with the same situation, two layers of carpets on hardwood floor with the bottom layer glued down. We used heat gun and scrapers to remove most of it, and then some glue remover on the worst parts. After doing this the person that came in and re-did our floors said that was not needed, especially the glue remover. He said the sander  would have taken it all off.

So I would still probably try scraping up as much as possible and then let the sander do the rest of the work.


Best place to put Microwave Oven What is the best place to keep Microwave Oven in home?

I thought to keep it my kitchen but my electrician said not to put it in kitchen along with LPG (but didn't provided any specific reason). What could be the possible reason of not keeping it in kitchen?

Is there any harm (due to Microwave or heat radiation) if I put it in my bedroom?

Microwaves go in the kitchen.  I would suggest that it is up in a higher spot so kids can't play with them.  That is a good reason they are often over ovens along with the venting.

Also from an electric point of view almost all microwaves require a 12A dedicated circuit.  For a kitchen you will probably have several runs like this and it is just bundled with those.  For a bedroom you would be basically running one circuit into a room for one outlet, where the rest of the room is on another.  Just a little odd.

From a safety stand-point microwaves draw a lot of current.  I guess there is more of a chance (albeit very low) that microwaves cause more fires due to current fluctuations than most other things.  I would much rather a fire in my kitchen than my bedroom or anyone's bedroom.

And practically speaking I remember living in the dorm and my roommate burning popcorn in the microwave... Good luck falling asleep with burnt popcorn smell.


How can I tell what electrical service I have? I hired an electrician to do some work on my house and he said that they did a check with the city and there was no permit for 100amp service issued so I must be on 60amp.
I think this may be a load of hooey as I have a main breaker box that is relatively new which has the old 60amp box on a sub.

Is there a way I can tell visually if I have 100amp service or if I am on 60 amp? Will my power provider know this?

Having a certain level of "service" entails that the required level is supported all the way from transformer to panel. Just because you have a new panel does not necessarily mean anything about the type or size of service you have.

For example, someone could install a panel with a 100amp breaker even though the service was only designed for 60amp.

The only way to know for sure is to verify with the electrical company what your location is permitted to run based on the last permit and inspection.  If the gear in your house has changed illegally, after the electrical company reports back you should have an electrician ensure everything else is up to code and able to support that load.

The maximum service you can have is dependent on:

The capacity of the transformer feeding your house
The wire gauge used between the transformer and your house
The size of the electrical meter box (it has to safely support the conductor size)
The maximum load supported by the meter
The wire gauge used between the meter and your main circuit breaker
The maximum load supported by your main circuit breaker and load center.


Mysterious Metal Plate on Basement Ceiling? There is a metal plate on the top of my basement's celing.

It is attached to the HVAC ducts, but doesn't appear to be a duct itself.

I'm interested in using the stud it is attached to hang an LED strip light that requires stud access.

Can I drill a pilot hole through the sheet metal to attach it to the joist? What is the purpose of the sheet metal?

This appears that they used the channel between studs as a return air duct.  Look at the duct that attaches to it and see if it is also a return air duct or if it goes to the return side of the air handler.

That said, drilling a small hole to hang something should be fine.  Make sure you drill as close to the center of the stud as you can - you don't want a random hole in the return air duct if you can avoid it.  If you have some kind of hole-drilling accident, a piece of aluminum duct tape or duct sealant should fix it.


How do I safely place an extension ladder on an uneven surface? I'm a new first-time homebuyer who needs to clean out my gutters.  They are jammed with fall leaves.  My home inspector told me to get a ladder and a leaf blower to do the job.  The only problem is that the ground around my home is not level.  It slopes away from the house on both sides where gutters are, most steeply in the back but somewhat in the front.  Is there a way that I can safely place my extension ladder?  I heard using a piece of plywood to create a flat surface might work - other good options?

It may be easier to find one place where you can safely place the ladder so that you can get onto the roof.  Once you are there you can remove the leaves.  Of course this depends on the how steep the roof is and your comfort level of being on the roof vs being on a ladder.

Unless you plan to buy a leaf blower anyway, make sure there are only dry leaves in the gutters.  If they're full of decomposing leaves, you'll have to scoop out the gunk and a leaf blower isn't going to cut it.


What is code or common rule when securing multiple electrical lines? What is common practice or code when running new electrical lines in a home(15 amp/20 amp) in a basement that feed up to the 1st and 2nd floor of a home?

Is there a rule on how many wires can be run down the same floor joist overhead? In other words, If I need to run 10 new 15amp/20amp lines, can they bunched together and secured to the floor joist overhead safely, or is there a rule on how many cables can be together? And what is the rule if these wires need to cross a metal gas line?

Bunching together is a serious issue.  For instance, in EMT conduit, you are allowed only 9 active conductors regardless of pipe size, unless you derate (use larger wire than normal).  That means four circuits, or three 3-phase circuits.  I notice the multi-cable racks only hold 4 cables.

The reason is heat, and you have to design for worst case, you can't armwave it with "it's residential, they'll never all be used at capacity at once." At least it isn't for you to armwave; Code decides which corners may be cut based on a lot of research and experience.  Even then, Code is a bare minimum- common sense also applies. I wish a Code expert would speak up.


Does generator power cord gauge have to be the same as the power inlets gauge? I wired my generator inlet power box with 8 gauge to a 50amp breaker in my box. Can I use a 6 gauge power cord to connect my generator to that inlet power box? Will this cause any issues or power loss? I’m having trouble finding a generator power cord that’s 8 gauge 50 amps. My generator runs 9500 watts. Thanks for any help with this question.

9500 watts is about 40 AMPS at 240v. 8 gauge is good for 40 amps even in a cable. You can always use wires that are larger than needed, but not less.  Think thru this...most of the wiring in your house is probably 14 ga, or 12 ga. yet you are seldom using anywhere near that much on each circuit.  Same applies to your generator connection.   You might be slightly undersized for a larger generator, but for what you have now, you should be fine.


Seeking 110v plug that is easy to grip The 110 v electrical plug on my vacuum cleaner started to fray. I put on a replacement plug but I have a little difficulty pulling the plug out of the wall.

I would like to replace the plug with one that either has a handle or is big enough to really grip and with a shape that is easy to grip, so it is easy to pull out of the wall.

Do such replacement plugs exist and, if so, what are they called?

Home Depot is one of many sources for a larger plug that can be attached to existing wiring.

As noted in the photo, this is a three conductor type plug. Most vacuum cleaners are only two conductor. You can ignore the third connection if your machine is that type.

I did not search specifically for this larger plug in two conductor form for that reason. You may find that the store you select will have that type on the shelf.

These plugs are quite easy to grip. I've repaired two extension cords with these connectors and it's been working quite well.


How can I protect a house foundation from weather conditions? I started building a house and had to divert my money into another situation which was urgent. It might take some time to retrieve the money so the building is on hold.

Only the house foundation is built. It a reinforce concrete slab.I'm in a temperate to continental weather zone, Central and Southeastern Europe. This means 4 seasons, hot in summer (mostly > 35 degrees Celsius), cold in winter (mostly < 10 degrees Celsius), spring and autumn with moderate amount of precipitation. Don't know how long it's possible to suspend the project, 1 maybe 2 years tops.

How can I best protect it from rain, frost, heat etc. until I can return to it?

The concrete itself should be fine. Make sure water doesn't have anywhere it can pool, since standing water, concrete, and freezing temperatures can lead to cracking. I would protect any metal brackets or bolts intended to secure the framing to the foundation. And I would also protect any plumbing coming through the foundation. Where the water line is exposed, make sure it's drained, cap the end, and cover it in pipe insulation and then some plastic. Throw out some grass seed around the yard to minimize erosion.


Can fiberglass insulation cause leaks? I've recently bought a 100 year old wood frame house from a DiY guy who took decent care of the place. He didn't put any insulation in the attic though and my home inspector said insulation is a great easy home improvement project with very little downside or risk.

So among a few other projects, I started buying a batt of 19 faced insulation every time I go to the store, and then laying it piece by piece. My plan was to then buy 30 r insulation unfaced and lay it on top.

But...

We've had some exceptionally hot weather this summer. Today there's a fierce thunderstorm, and I'm sitting by the chimney and I hear drip... Drip... Crap. I run up to the attic, and I have two significant leaks. One from the chimney flashing, and one from the attic vent. Rest of the attic is bone dry.

I run to the basement and there's a stream of water running from the wall. I used to see lots of condensation on the floor but this is visible moving water. Woah, that's new.

Obviously these need fixed, and obviously my insulation needs to air dry now. But the timing has me suspicious. Did I cause the leak? Did the attic overheat and cause something to shift? Or did the ancient chimney just finally wedge the wood frame enough for water?

Should I pull the insulation out and can the whole project? Or fix the leaks and forge ahead?

Thanks for any help.

Correlation is not causation.

No, the insulation did not make your roof leak around the chimney nor at the vent. Being 100 years old (and odds are great someone did something sketchy during one of those years, though even the best construction/repair jobs don't last forever) did that. Rather than chase chimeras, fix the leaks.


Ceiling Fan with Recessed Lights This is for U.S. based electrical in a house built in 2001.

Currently I have a ceiling fan w/light on a 14/2 NM-B run to a single-pole light switch. When the switch is turned off, neither the fan nor light turn on. If switch is turned on, the light or fan can be activated based off pull chains on fan.

I want to add 4 recessed lights off the ceiling fan (which I will be replacing with a remote controlled fan), except I need the lights controlled by the switch, and the fan to be always on (as it will be controlled by the remote control, and not the switch).

I believe I need to pull 14/3 NM-B wire in place of the 14/2 to make this work. Please confirm. See diagram for proposed solution.

FYI: Wire B is going to a different room, Wire C is the wire I would switch out with 14/3.

Also, I left out Ground from the diagram to make it cleaner, I would obviously ground everything.

You have this right-on-the-money, save for one thing.  I'd pull a 14/4 instead of the 14/3 -- that way, if you want to have two separate switched hots at the fan location as well as a switched hot for the cans, you can do that.  Copper is cheap compared to the hassle of re-pulling wires!


How do I repair a split in trim boards? I removed the quarter round and two trim boards to install a new hardwood floor.  I partially split one of the larger (lower) trim boards.  The split is about 24" long.  The wood is 12" wide birdseye maple in 14' lengths and is not replaceable at a price I can afford.  I would like to repair the split as best as I can.  I do not need structural strength here, just a good looking finish.  I would prefer not to have to refinish the board.

My current plan is to carefully open the split a bit wider and using a toothpick, work in some good quality carpenters glue (Titebond III seems highly regarded around here) then clamp.

Do you have a better technique?  Any tips?

I think you're on the right track.  I'd apply enough glue so some squeezes out, wipe the face with a damp towel to remove the residue, and either clamp it or wrap it with blue painters tape until dry.  Just make sure that the wood remains flat and not bowed when you clamp it.  After the joint is dry, remove the tape or clamps, and you should be good to go.  If the finish is hazy, polish it with steel wool (0000) or I'd use a rattle can of poly or Deft wood finish to feather it in before you install it. It will take another 10 minutes and better disguise the split.  If it's a dark finish, there's "dark wood" Titebond available.


Precaution before getting a whiteboard: carpet stains? I'm considering getting a nice large whiteboard for my living room. The problem is: I've got a light-coloured carpet in the room and I'm afraid if the whiteboard marker ink leaves stains on the carpet.
At work, I see the stains on the floor from time to time, but seemingly they come from people cleaning the sponge by rubbing it on the edges, which I wouldn't do of course.

So the question is: In casual use, will I get a color stain below the whiteboard in some time? If yes, is it difficult to clean it from the carpet?

If this is for adults only I wouldn't be worried about it.  I have a large dry-erase board in my office that my family uses and light tan carpet and we have never had an issue.  The key is making sure you whiteboard has a tray to put the markers in and not to leave markers open (which dries them out).

If for kids I would say you run the same risk as them coloring with markers at a table.  Certainly they will destroy things and make a mess.  I specifically left certain things off my house to-do list until my kids got older.

Either way if you want piece of mind I would scotch guard the entire area.  I would use interior automotive spray which I use in all my cars and did my kids carpets with them.  A couple of layers and basically you can spill anything within reason on the floor.


Lawn mower runs for a few seconds then stops I have a Briggs and Stratton mower that runs for a few seconds after being primed and then stops. If I continue to press the primer button it will keep running.

I've tried to change fuels, clean carb, keep nut with the little hole, replaced spark plugs and air filter.  Still no luck.

Any suggestions?

EDIT:

So it turns out that a few of the gaskets on the carb were stuffed (I also thought the fuel bowl was the carb originally, my bad).  I bought the carb rebuild kit and replaced everything I could. The carb itself was pretty clean as well.

Here is a photo of the carb when I took it off

Mower is working awesome now. Thanks for your help!!

There are so many variables that can keep a small engine from running properly. The best way to find the exact cause of a "no-start" issue is to ensure that the engine has the four necessary things for it to run: fuel, compression, spark and air. If any one is missing or inadequate the engine won't work.   Since it runs, but then stops you can you can assume the plug is igniting the fuel. Check the tank for particles blocking the fuel line, check the gas cap vent for blockage, and clean the air filter. If the gas has been sitting with no Sta-bil preservative the fuel may have crystallized in the carburetor which would mean a disassembly and a soaking in a bath of parts cleaner. Add fresh fuel before re-starting.  Pull the plug and place your thumb over the cool engine plug port. Pull the starting cord on the exhaust stroke the pistons' force should be felt. If not you may need piston rings.


Ground wires crimped in copper sleeves in switch box? I had to move a two-gang switch box to a new location on my wall. This meant disassembling everything, moving the box, and reassembling it as I found it.

The only thing that seems a bit sketchy is how the ground wires are connected together.

The three ground wires coming into the box are crimped together with a copper sleeve. One wire continues through and is connected to the ground screw of one of the two switches. This wire is folded midway between the crimp and the ground screw. The fold is twisted with a pigtail that connects to the ground screw of the second switch, and the twist is capped with a wire nut.

Code allows the crimp sleeves for grounds. The proper procedure is to tie all grounds in the box together with a crimp sleeve or green wire nut, then from there run an individual 'pigtail' conductor to the switch or outlet, continuing the unbroken single conductor to all other switches or outlets in that box.

Phil


What are my gutter guard options? As I mentioned in a prior post, I'm planning to add some gutters to my house.  I see that there's wide variety of gutter guards available and was curious which ones are better?

As far as I can tell, there are basically two types:

Covers that go over the top of the gutters and let water seep through cracks/holes in the cover.
Fillers that line the entire gutter (e.g. GutterStuff).

The first option seems to make much more sense but the GutterStuff branding claims not to clog.  I can't help but be skeptical.

Any thoughts?

I've not found any solution. The guards made of mesh, plastic, metal, whatever, tend to get clogged if you have trees that drop small seeds. Cottonwood is a weed around here. In the spring, the cotton goes flying around. It is impossible to get out of the mesh. I tore those style of guards out after a few years. As well, small stuff from the shingles on our house could fall through the mesh. I found a half inch think layer of black gunk lying in the bottoms of our gutters in spots, since the mesh does not stop really small stuff.

The gutter caps have a reputation as hornet hotels. Wasps can build nests underneath them, and I have a known bee sting allergy.

My solution is a simple one. Clean out the gutters twice a year. I blow them out with a leaf blower, standing on the ground. I added a couple of pieces of pvc angle to my leaf blower, with a long extension. Then I put on a hooded jacket when the gutters are dry, and blow the mess out away from me if possible. I usually get a face full or two, but that is what the hooded jacket is for.

Neighbors of ours chose to skip gutters completely when they just built their new home. But that leaves you with a need to deal with water near your foundation.


How to prevent moisture problems in newly-sealed crawlspace from the 1800's I'm renovating a Virginia home from the mid-1800's.  The house is balloon frame construction, sitting on top of maybe four layers of brick, sitting directly on top of the dirt.

In the past, the crawlspace was not sealed and there was a lot of air movement under the house due to gaps in the foundation, which I have closed off with bricks and mortar.  Half of crawlspace is inaccessible (no room to move under the floor joists), and the other half has a shallow access trench for the plumbing.

Presently, I have managed to poly and seal the half of the house with the access trench.  My question is what to do about the other half of the house?
There is no way to access it.  There is a dirt floor, and no ventilation at all.  By sealing up the accessible area, I have cut off all ventilation to the inaccessible area.

This house has never had air conditioning or insulation, but it does now.  By installing these two things, I have significantly changed the environment of the house.  I cannot assume the crawlspace will behave as it did over the past 100 years, during which it stayed dry and free of mold.
Should I vent the dirt portion of the crawlspace by cutting vents into the foundation, or do I leave the dirt portion closed up?

Physical access to the dirt portion is not an option either way.

You have an interesting problem, with a lot of compounding issues. If you only have 4 courses of brick on top of dirt, that's not much of a foundation either way. I personally would be greatly concerned about movement, but the fact that its been that way for a couple of hundred years is kind rendering it null and void.

I wonder too what you mean by "poly and seal"? Do you mean you have applied vapour barrier to the underside of the joists and sealed it? If so, this will have catastrophic results. Moisture from inside the house will permeate the floor and when it hits the cold (October to March) side of the joist (the bottom) it will condense and pool in the VB. This leads to rot of the joists and mold. If you have insulated as well, it will generally make it worse, unless you have used spray foam (which solves the problem entirely), but I doubt that as you said you have limited access. You could use an air barrier (Tyvek™ or TYPAR®) instead of a vapour barrier, but if you have no insulation, you aren't really achieving anything.

By adding the AC and insulation, you will be significantly altering the thermal and moisture dynamics inside the house and underneath in the crawlspace. In my experience, Virginia is quite humid, but doesn't get that cold, correct? If that the case, frost may not be an issue as far as the foundation goes (heaving and ice buckling), so if it was my place or a customers place, I would probably approach it this way:

1) Dig out access trenches below to give you access to the entire area. A three foot trench every eight feet (on center) usually works pretty well.

2) Get a spray foam company to come in and do an R40 Polyiso foam spray throughout.

3) Back fill all of the access trenches to make sure a soil subsidence doesn't compromise your "foundation".

4) Install venting openings or louvers all the way around.

This way the insulation encapsulates all of the existing structure and insulates it and seals it from moisture ingress from below. The foam will make sure the wood is kept above the dew point in the crawlspace to make sure you don't get water logging of the joists. The venting will ensure the Polyiso cures alright and then keeps the crawlspace vented permanently.


What does this lever do near my gas heater? I am not entirely sure what this big duct work is for.
Its not the exhaust, because im sure the exhaust is the smaller duct on the gar left side (exiting form the enter image description heretop). The big duct as a lever, which i know is to open/close the valve inside the duct.

The question is, what is this duct for?
And should i be keeping the valve opened or closed?

This is the valve lever:

It's a "damper". It can be manually set (open or closed) depending on quantity of air needed.

During the design of the HVAC system, duct sizes are determined based on size and location of rooms they serve...kind of a best guess. Once the system (ducts) are installed, the quantity of air can be adjusted by opening or closing these dampers.

Often we put these dampers on "fresh air" intake ducts. However, they're still used to adjust the amount of outside air. (We usually start at 10% of the total air required.) In residential construction we usually don't have fresh air intake ducts, because of air leakage around doors and windows.

This damper appears to be on the "return air" duct. Keeping the damper "full open", uses the maximum amount of return air.


Techniques to wrap the innards of electrical switches and outlets with electrical tape? In the comments section of this question, MacGuyver's distant cousin MacGuffin recommended wrapping the innards of electrical switches and outlets with electrical tape to avoid any accidental shorts.
I think this is a great tip.  But the innards of electrical switches and outlets are often not exactly the type of shapes conducive to being wrapped with electrical tape.
What technique is recommend to do this?  A photo or two would also be most appreciated.

There is no need for tape inside a device box except perhaps as a wire colour marker (phase taping, etc).  Outlets, switches, device boxes, cable, clamps, breakers - all of these devices have clear and specific installation methods that ensure they perform to the safety standards against which they are tested.  Hacks like this do not count themselves among those methods.
If you're tempted to put tape in a device box to stop electricity from going somewhere, it's because there is something else in the box that is done wrong, and tape is never the correct solution.

If the side screws are not screwed in, screw them in.  It takes ten seconds and costs nothing.

If the outlet isn't secure, secure it. It takes ten seconds and costs nothing.

If the box or outlet is damaged such that it can't be adequately secured, or is dented, or too narrow such that the side screws risk touching the box or is too small to accommodate the box fill - replace the box.  It takes fifteen minutes and costs two dollars.

If the wires inside are twisted like haywire, tidy them up.  It takes five minutes and costs nothing.

If the box needs an extender, add one. It takes five minutes and costs a few dollars.

If the wires or insulation are damaged they must be replaced.  Tape is not allowed. If I open a box and see a taped device, the very first thing I do is remove the tape and inspect the job hiding underneath because tape inside a device box does tell you one very important thing - that the person who put it there in the first place didn't even trust their own work.  And you shouldn't either.
Tape is a band-aid solution.  For applications where you would use it to repair insulation it is not allowed by code anyway. Neither code nor device manufacturers require or even recommend that you to wrap tape on outlets, switches, wire nuts, or any other part of anything inside a device box other than for identifying wires.
3M Super 33 is probably the best electrical tape you can buy, and it comes with a 5-year shelf life.  If 3M doesn't give it more than 5 years on the shelf, you can be guaranteed that it won't last that long in service.  Tape eventually fails - it is not a long term solution and it is not suitable for permanent installations.


Brackets For Temporarily Connecting Wooden Frames Together? I am creating a DIY light box for product photography and it will likely be large. So I was thinking about creating the sides so that they can be connected together to form the box and then disconnected so that they are single pieces and could be stacked under the bed.

Can anyone recommend a bracket or hinge to buy or method that would allow me to do this?

Thanks

Loose pin hinge has a removable pin so the hinge halves can be separated. Examples

https://shopmtn.eu/products/scenery-fixings-loose-pin-hinge
http://www.doughty-engineering.co.uk/cgi-bin/trolleyed_public.cgi?action=showprod_T61700

and

https://www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/product/loose-pin-steel-hinge-100x67mm-brass-plated-pair-546135


Two Thermostats on a single zone Can I have two thermostats connected to the same zone on my Taco Controller?
I have two Taco Controllers with a total of 9 Hot Water zones.  One of my Hot Water zones is for the Entrance Hall, Living Room and Dining Room.  The thermostat is in the dining room and set to 70 during the day and I’m trying to establish a minimum temperature for the Entrance Hall area.
On cold day’s the entrance hall will be 10-12 degrees colder than the Living and Dining Room. I wanted to know if I could add a second thermostat that is wired directly to same Taco zone.  I would set this second Thermostat to call for heat and stop calling for heat a a temperature below 70 degrees.  For example, the Entrance Hall Thermostat might call for heat at 64 Degrees and stopped calling for heat at 68 degrees.  The Dining Room Thermostat would call for heat when the dining room was below 70 degrees.
I do realize that when either thermostat is calling for heat, all areas in that zone would be heated.

As others have commented:  The answer is yes.  The area will be heated until both thermostats turn off, and one area might be overheated.
A cleaner way to do this would be to buy a digital thermostat with a remote sensor (e.g. an ecobee) and have a schedule that either switches the driving input between the base and the remote sensor or averages them.   You can use heat correction factors to instruct the thermostat to do something like '70 in the living room or 65 in the entryway'.
Longer term, a fan, an extra zone, an extra space heater or a new loop may be necessary to get a more balanced temperature.


How can I provide neutral wires for my smart switches? I'm trying to install smart switches, which obviously need a neutral wire.  I'm pretty sure I am lucky enough that I have it, but, want to make sure and also find out how to use it.  I've attached a diagram of what is inside the 3-gang box that I have.

There are 3 switches that are on the same circuit (all go dead with the same breaker) - one for lights, one for a fan and one for another fan.

The red in the diagram are actually white in the box.  Green is ground and black is black.  The diagram does not demonstrate this because it would look unnecessarily complicated, but all of the ground wires are bundled together with a wire nut, as are all of the white wires.  The grounds are not connected to the existing switches, nor are the white wires.

For now I am just installing a smart switch on one of these.

First, is this possible....are the white ones actually neutrals like I am hoping?

Second, do I just take one of the white wires and connect it to the neutral spot on the switch?

Third, do I need to take one of the grounds out and connect to the switch also?  Should the existing switches also get grounds?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Sorry....forgot the diagram and photo.....

On the hots, you can add the switch hots via pigtail to that nut with the black wires.

Yes, when all the wires in the bundle are white, that is neutral.  Do Not split up the neutral bundle, those are not spare, those are how current returns.  The only reason you're thinking that is because you don't have any pigtail wires or wire-nuts on hand and you can't see how to connect without those things.  Go get them!

You need to add your neutral wire to the bundle.  Since that bundle is pretty full already and I gather you will have 3 smart switches, I recommend adding a white pigtail to that bundle and joining the switch wires to the pigtail with another wire nut.


How to cover a window well seamlessly so I can project TV onto that wall? Problem: I would like the projected image to cover the whole wall, but when I turn the projector on, the window is in the way.

I bought a small screen (see the photographs) to try and cover that up, but it doesn't blend in perfectly and you can clearly see some shadows (depending on the angle you're looking at it from) and outlines in the screen, so this solution won't work.

The WHOLE wall is actually pretty much covered by the projection, but the wall plugs are not a problem.

I thought of maybe using some foam, but I am afraid it might not have the flattest surface, but I think I'll give it a try.

What do you think?

Here are pictures:

I saw a relevant thing at hackaday.com You can paint a large piece of hardboard and use that to cover the wall.

http://makeprojects.com/Project/Glass-Bead-Projection-Screen/685/1


I may have crossed wires on my dryer I took the front panel off and the wires came undone from the door switch. I think i put them in the right way but im just not sure. Will it start if i mixed them up?

No worries, the switch is just a mechanical contact- closed or open. It doesn't matter. I won't tell you for sure it will start because you must have had some other problem or you would not have removed the front panel.