How can I figure out why my circular saw has stopped working? I have a Hitachi C 7SB2 circular saw that has very few hours on it, but is perhaps 10 years old. I cut a piece of wood, put saw down, then tried to cut a second piece, but the saw would not run. I checked the outlet for voltage, and it was fine. Checked the cord for continuity, which was also fine. Checked the switch by opening the case, and found that current is getting past the switch. I then bypassed the switch, but the saw still would not run. I removed the brushes and checked for voltage at the brush terminals, and found that it had 120 volts. Finally I opened the saw case to check for obvious damage to rotor or stator, though I did not remove the stator.

Is there any test that I can do with a multimeter, or other device to check further?

I don't see any electronics in the parts diagram.

" ... a spindle lock provides an extra level of safety" from the product description on amazon.  If that is not the cause, I'd phone Hitachi customer support.


Is the transformer bad on my Central Air Conditioner? Need some help diagnosing a problem. My very old central AC unit isn't working. It's just AC and about a year ago I connected a C-Wire to the air handler when swapping the thermostat for a wifi thermostat. I posted pictures in a question I asked at the time here Where do I attach C-Wire in this old Rheem Air Handler

Everything was going fine until a few months ago. The thermostat display cut out. I put an older thermostat that doesn't need a c-wire on and that didn't work either.

I had reason to believe that the wire might have been cut and was going to run a new wire once it's cool enough in the attic to work up there with a mask on but in the meantime I checked the voltages on the thermostat wires and now I'm not so sure it's cut.

These are the voltages I read:

RC to G 6.63 V
RC to C 9.8V
RC to Y 9.8V
Y to G 2.1V
Y to C negligible
C to G 2.8V

Anybody have any insight into where to go next?

I am going to take a stab at this but keep in mind I am a control guy not an HVACR guy.

First let me say a thermostat is nothing more than a set of switches. Your RC is the source side of the power, your C is the return, G and Y turn on your fan and compressor respectively. It doesn't get any easier than that.

So what we want to do is isolate the problem. First we need to take a voltage reading at the transformer (not the thermostat). In order for any voltage reading mean anything the Common side of the transformer must be grounded. Looking at your previous post I can see a ground lug at your top right. That's where we take our reading. form the xfmr (transformer) Common post (C) to the ground lug. You should be reading zero. Any other reading and you need to ground the C to the ground lug.

Now that that is done you need to take a reading at the xfmr's secondary side. It should read 24VAC between the C and the RC, and it should read 24VAC from RC to the ground lug. If you don't get 24VAC then you have a bad xfmr.

If you do get 24VAC you then need to move to the T'stat. Take the reading between the RC and C. If do not get 24VAC there you know it's the wiring between the Air Handler and the T'stat.

If you do get 24VAC then you have isolated your problem to the T'stat and beyond. If you take a small jumper and touch the RC to the G you should here the fan come on, and if you then touch it from the RC to the Y you should here the compressor engage. Now set the T'stat so that the AC will come on automatically. Watch and observe, does it work?

Now you have totally isolated your problem. If both the fan and the compressor come on, the problem is in your T'stat. If either the fan or the compressor doesn't come on then you know you have some other problem down line from the T'stat and that is when I would call a contractor for help.

The problem with your initial readings is that they only show you know how to use a meter. Without the secondary side of the transformer grounded you have no reference, so all you are reading is a floating voltage. I am not saying the system will not work with out a ground. I am saying you can't take any meter readings to analyse you system.

So go through and isolate the problem. Then repair or replace.

Good luck.


What drill and screws should I use to attach security bar to a concrete wall I have a few security bars to attach to my garage window. These are the bars:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/291320181452?euid=37bd934e70374116905fb2a20e9f7fad&cp=1

I have the Face Fix Brackets. The brackets have 5mm holes in them.

There is concrete surrounding the window. I have tried drilling a hole with a hammer drill that my friend lent me (750w) and I used a masonry drill bit but it barely scratched the surface. I need to drill 16 holes so I need something better. Therefore, this is what I want to know:

I'm going to buy a drill, what would be best for this sort of job?
What would be the best way to attach the security bars so that they are so secure they couldn't just be kicked out. I don't think a wall plug would be that secure?

Any advice much appreciated.

If you had one of those drills with a hammer setting rather than an actual hammer drill then that would explain it.

Like this one.

You need an SDS hammer drill like this.

Before you buy one just for a small project, see if there is a place to rent one near you. In the US, Menard's rents tools for small projects. Most rental places have them. You may have to buy a drill bit.

Then use anchors like TapCons for concrete like these.

Good luck with your project!


Trying to relocate a drain- I need to deviate like 27 degrees from the original direction of the drain. What are my options? I have had a busy time at work and I am now getting back to my bathroom renovation project
The picture below shows what I am trying to do
I would like to avoid digging out the pipe and cutting out the concrete to the right of the picture
Ideally I would like to join the existing and the new drain pipe near the right edge of the opening you see in the picture. What options do I have ? I do not like the flex connectors I do not think it is a good idea to leave then under ground. Just to be clear  am installing a shower base there and relocating the sink drain

Here is the overall plan for the plumbing for this section of my project, The angles we are talking about are not exactly rendered in the diagram below

I would use a 22-1/2 degree elbow and flex the pipe if they won’t do it because of the short space a fernco or no hub in the middle will give a couple degrees they are not designed to be flexed but a slight couple of degrees will work if you can’t make a small bend with heat a hair dryer may be enough with abs to get the extra bend if you don’t want to use a fernco. I would never use the corrugated flex pipe and especially not under a slab. But the elbow and a bit of bend in the pipe should do it.


Is there a good way to make a composting watering tank that won't clog 1/16th inch holes? I'm looking at building a hose attachment (chamber) that I can stuff with comfrey leaves, and some good compost to fertilize my garden some (force water through a pipe with small holes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOpvLFwjS1g), but not clog my watering stick (PVC pipe with lots of holes to distribute water pressure). How can I make a chamber that will prevent pipe clogging with hardware supply equipment? Is this even possible?

What you're looking for is called compost tea. The compost is placed in a barrel of water and aerated, then the solids are filtered out. The resulting water can be used in an agricultural sprayer to fertilize fields. Harvard uses and promotes it extensively if you're looking for more information.

At home sized scales you can use aquarium pumps and aerators, along with pantyhose filters.


Receptacle Screw Connections I've replaced around 20 outlets and a few switches in my house over a few months. This is similar to how most of my wiring jobs look.

I've been reviewing my past work and am curious if it's safe for the copper to be touching the plastic (the black area) or not. So far, nothing has resulted from it but it is starting to worry me. Would that be considered safe or a fire hazard?

The plastic is highly insulated. Taking ABS as an example, the dielectric breakdown is in the range of 15kV/mm, meaning (in theory) that 10µm of ABS can separate 120VAC leads without risking conduction.

In short, it should not present a safety hazard. If you really feel it's necessary, you can bend that portion back up under the screw head, though.


unable to turn room light on all the time My house was owned and build by an electrician so the had a main panel connected to a relay box (picture attached) before goes out to the light switches (picture attached). The problem now is that I'm not able to turn on the ceiling light in one of the bedroom.  Sometime I can turn it on but for a few times before it won't turn on again. What do you think the problem is? the switch goes bad or the relay box goes bad? Another thing, what goes bad if the light stay on all the time? Finally, where can I find replacement parts for both relays panel and the light switches.  Thank you.

Bryant Low voltage relays are no longer made.  However the GE RR7 is a direct replacement. Google "GE RR7" or talk to an electrical supply house in your area.

Same thing, for the switches.  You probably have Bryant branded low voltage switches (since the relays were Bryant). You can purchase the P&S/Legrand brand for replacements.  Again google to purchase or contact and Electrical Supply house in your area, like the relays these will not be in carried at a big box store.

In your case, the component that likely has gone bad is the relay.  When you push the switch can you hear the relay click even when the light doesn't come on? If so, the switch is working correctly but the relay is not making contact.  On the other hand if there is no noise from the relay then it's likely the switch.  Since your problem is intermittent its not likely there is a wiring issue either on low or line voltage side, it's most likely that the relay contacts just aren't good anymore.


which is the best wood for a patio set? Hi it is the first time for me to woodwork.. I would like to know which is the best and resistant wood to built a patio set. I'd like two chairs, small table and umbrella.

Redwood, cedar, and teak are probably the most common rot-resistant species used for outdoor furniture. The first two are a pleasure to work with, but they're very soft. That means that they can be damaged more easily. Teak tends to be less common and/or more expensive.

Pine (or spruce or fir) is inexpensive and can actually last quite some time if properly sealed and not left in consistently damp environments.


Diluting oil based undercoat I have erected false walls using osb boards on the face of plastered brick wall to accommodate some photo frames and decorative items. Total surface area is 8'×8'.

My intention is to paint the osb board using high gloss white paint. This paint requires primer to be painted first.

Since osb naturally have tiny holes and voids, i think the primer must be diluted for easy flowing into those voids and gaps.

To keep the cost low, can i use petrol (gasoline) for thinning the primer?  The paint thinner cost 6 times higher than the petrol in Malaysia.

Pls advice.

You should use mineral spirits or mythle-hydride to dilute oil based paints. I don't really think that diluting the primer is the best solution though. It would be best to lay it on thick with a heavily padded roller and then back roll it out. Primers job is to seal and adhere. Thinning it will only prevent it from doing its job.


Is it safe to use my oven with no light bulb in it at all? I looked in the oven before sticking a pizza in it and noticed the bulb was popped so I carefully removed it and now I don't know if it's safe to use the oven with no bulb.

It's a Roper oven, and the bulb just sticks out with no cover.

Never leave a live empty socket unless it is behind a guard for safety reasons. It would be better to leave the old bulb in. Big box has replacements last time mine went out. Couple of bucks. Then at least you can check the progress of your pizzas.


Rodent proof old garage door with uneven driveway My garage door is old and falling apart, plus the driveway at the threshold is uneven. There are big gaps at either end both along the side and bottom. What is the best way to seal these up? I can't afford a new door right now.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/N6Rkn1BhfdsKCxDW2
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ikK3Ek98pqcMwixR2

There's a problem. Rodents can get through tiny gaps. Doors generally need gaps around them.

Some ideas -

Remove whatever it is that is attracting rodents. Tidy up the floor. Put edible stuff into metal containers (I use metal bins with metal lids that I weigh down with heavy bricks).

Get a cat and fit a cat-flap. Cats love chasing rodents away.

Graft new wood on around the edges of the doors using glue, dowels, screws or whatever methods and hardware you have to hand. This means taking the doors off after scribing the required shape onto some the donor timber. If an enlarged door would scrape the ground when opening, you'd have to lower the ground or abandon this idea.

Have the door close against a fixed frame. You would probably need a rubber sealing strip or equivalent to close up gaps. Rodents chew through rubber.


Bathroom sink drainage Yesterday I tried to get my bathroom sink to drain   better and I used a plunger. Unfortunately water got into the overflow and now   water  is coming out through the hole.
What can I do?

...

When you plunge a sink with an overflow built into it you must first plug the opening with a plastic bag so a vacuum is created.
The overflow and the drain are connected when the sink is designed. Sometimes if plunging won't open the drain removing the trap and checking for obstructions is best.
If the clog isn't in the trap by removing it you can than peer down the drain from above at the sink. The stopper lever is also a location that is notorious for causing clogs.
Lastly, if you verify there are no clogs along the exposed drain line and plunging doesn't help, an augured drain snake pushed into the pipe gong into the wall may be your last hope.
I don't recommend any type of clog dissolver or acidic solutions to open the drain as they can do more harm to the pipes and septic system than good.


How can I insulate under flooring panels in my attic? I am removing the original barely-still-there insulation in my 1950 attic (S. Cal.) and then sealing and then placing R 30 fiberglass batting. A problem I have is that about 5%-10% of the attic is covered with plywood nailed to the joists.
I have been advised by a professional to not lift up the plywood for fear that tension between the joists and plywood would be released potentially cracking the drywall ceiling below it. To take a stab at insulating the plywood areas I'm thinking of adhering panels of rigid foam to the top of the plywood. It would probably be only R-7. Is it worth it and am I asking for any problems like condensation between the layers?
Assuming any insulation under the plywood is the same as the exposed areas it is so thin it almost just paper. The smallest plywood area is about 3' x 4'. And I do not think condensation is a big issue here.
I have thought about pushing blown insulation under the plywood by hand and also sliding in 14" wide slices of rigid foam.

Condensation should not be a problem in SoCal. IS there insulation under the plywood now? If so, but is has compressed or something, or if not, you could drill holes in it and use blown-in insulation under there.If you put the foam on top, you eliminate the option of walking on it, in which case you may have well as removed it.


Can replacing a T&P valve be done as DIY by a home owner? I want to replace the T&P valve on my gas water heater since it is dripping water all the time. I talked to a couple of people such as my friend and a salesperson at a Home Improvement Store. They said I need to call a professional to do the job. I researched the subject on YouTube and find it can be done by myself. I do not know the reason why I would need to call a professional, which is expensive. Can it be done by ourselves?

I know the basic safety procedures. For example, I need to shut off the water/gas and drain all the water to reduce the pressure in the tank before doing anything. Are there any other safety concerns? I mean if it too complicated I will call a professional but I want to make sure that I really need them.

Can it be done?
Probably.
Should it be done?
Maybe.
Are you allowed to do it?
Depends on your location.
Replacing the valve is fairly straight forward, and can be done following the instructions provided with the replacement valve.  The bigger problem is determining why the valve is leaking, and fixing that problem.
The purpose of the valve is to open if the temperature and/or pressure in the tank reaches or exceeds specific levels. My answer to a previous question, provides more information about these situations. There is another common cause for leaking T&P valves, which may be more applicable to your situation.
Gunk.
When a T&P valve is opened; either during testing of during a fault, gunk (corrosion, mineral deposits, etc) can become lodged in the valve. This gunk prevents the valve from closing properly, which can lead to leaks. If gunk is the problem, replacing the valve may be the only solution required.
If you're not sure why the valve is leaking, you're not comfortable working on hot water tanks (or plumbing in general), or you simply do not have the proper tools for the job. Please do not hesitate to contact a local licensed Plumber.


What kind of appliance(s) used to be here? I'm remodeling a room in a fairly old house (~100 yrs), and I discovered a capped-off gas pipe behind some framing+drywall that had been hastily installed whenever this room had been converted into a bedroom:

I'm trying to determine the original purpose of this room, when the house was first built. Notice the D-shaped hole next to the gas line. At first I thought this might have been a flue vent for whichever appliance had been connected to that gas line, but then I thought it wouldn't be possible to direct exhaust downward.

Did the D-shaped hole fit to some other part of the appliance, or perhaps a completely separate appliance next to whatever was connected to that gas line?

Some more clues:

The room in question is at the front of the house, facing the street
The gas line is up against an interior wall, opposite the front window
One-story house in the Midwest, cross-gable roof plan, probably built in 1920 or earlier
Tearing down some of the drywall in this room reveals old wood paneling on the walls beneath it

What appliance(s) used to be in this room, and what purpose did this room serve overall?

This place obviously was occupied by a gas dryer.

Of course, it's impossible to know for sure, and what is obvious is not always true, but nothing else is really likely.

Venting a gas dryer downward presents no special difficulty, because the exhaust is driven by a powerful fan. Many dryer models offer the choice between rear exit or bottom exit. The vent pipe can be up to about 25 feet long but bends and flexible sections reduce the allowed length.

The height of the gas pipe is more usual for a stove than for a dryer. Perhaps at one time a stove stood there, then subsequently someone cut the round holes and installed a dryer instead.

The D-shape of the vent passage is strange, but as Mike Harris and Alaska man indicate, this is probably an accidental result of cutting holes in a finished and occupied structure.

The goal of a home owner is often different from a professional contractor for the  same job -- the contractor aims to do a sparkling clean, plumb, and finished installation that reflects well on his skills and motivation, while the home owner aims to get something working without spending a small fortune or burning down his house.


Chrome vs nickel plated screwdrivers Is there any difference in performance or endurance of nickel vs chrome plated screwdrivers? Some companies offer both and the former (nickel) is cheaper for the same blade (& handle).

Nickel is softer than chrome but chrome is brittle.

Many high-carbon tools have a chrome plating, but many times there are other softer metals flash coated first to allow the other metals to "stick" together better. On steel bumpers, a flash coat of copper allows the chrome to stick. Electroplating with CVD chemical vapor deposition similar layers are deposited.

My opinion is it depends on the base metals used. Mild steel is soft but can be made to last longer with chrome coatings. Both nickel and chrome prevent rusting. Jump to high-end tools and the metals are different.

So to really tell, even the craftsman screwdrivers had 2 levels the old clear and red and then the black handles. Check them out - it was the base metal that was the difference not the outside coating.


How to wire up a 240 V oven? I recently purchased a Whirlpool WOS51ES4ES electric oven from Home Depot with the intention of installing it myself.  Our old oven is gas, so I need to run a new 240 circuit.  The oven draws 20A.

I am currently at a loss regarding how to attach the pigtail connection that came with the oven to the 240 V wiring that I am going to run to the breaker box.  I initially presumed that I need a junction box, and I'm not sure if the twist-on style are appropriate for these current levels.  Additionally, I understand that there is an NEC requirement to be able to disconnect the oven from power locally (i.e. via unplugging it, or turning off a switch).

Is wiring up a 240 V junction box for this situation any different than a 120 V circuit?

Home Depot has been no help.  Initially they told me to purchase four of these, connect like colors inside a junction box, and then just "wrap them up like hell with electrical tape".  This sounded rather dangerous to me, so I came back during another shift to ask someone else.  This time they said that my oven should have arrived with a plug (not a pigtail), and that I have to install a 240 V outlet to plug the oven into.  I then also have to replace the pigtail with a corded plug by opening the oven, removing the pigtail from its attachment points (which they presumed were screw ring terminals) and install the corded plug by replacing like colors.  Unfortunately, when I opened the oven, I found that the pigtail feeds into a wiring harness that runs to multiple places in the oven and there are no screw terminals in sight.

So I'm at a loss of what to do next.  Surely there must be a way to install the oven without re-engineering it.

You need a 12/3+ground cable as a minimum to support this oven. However it would be a nice future-proofing trick to run 10/3+ground.

You can also run individual wires in conduit if you prefer, for the ultimate future-proofing. I would run 3/4" conduit, or 1" if able, as that will support any foreseeable future oven/range.

You must run neutral and ground separately.

Since this oven has a conduit whip, you will need to use a conduit connector and hardwire the oven to the junction box.

The breaker must be 20A.

There needs to be a junction box in the wall or mounted to the wall.  I recommend a 4-11/16" steel square  box because it has lots of room for future expansion, but a 4" square by 2-1/8" deep box will also suffice.  This is high current stuff that will arc spectaularly, so it's no time to be fooling with plastic boxes.  Metal boxes conduct heat well, spread heat instead of burning through, and will forestall a fire.

You can get a variety of front faceplates for either box to accommodate  whatever you need - e.g. A NEMA 14-20 socket, or a blank cover plate with a knockout hole for mounting that wire whip.

Wire nuts are perfectly fine if they are properly done - use Ideal brand as they are electricians' favorites, this is the one time that "gorilla tight" is OK, and give the nuts a firm pull test (hold nut, yank each wire in turn).  If you need tape to make it pass a pull test, that is bad technique, fix the technique.

I have never seen a disconnect switch for an oven.


50 amp wiring for an RV receptacle I need to run a 50 amp line from my outside breaker box to plug in my RV. the distance is 400 to 500 ft. I will have an electrican do the hook ups but I want to run the piping and wire. I think the wire would be a 6-2 indoorwire that should carry the load, nothing else will be run off this wire. Suggestion?

OK, a bunch of stuff to respond to:

Wire size

There are really two considerations when picking wire size:

Safety. You do not want the wire to overheat and catch fire. 6 gauge is fine for 50 amps, so you're good on this front.
Voltage drop. Long wires cause the voltage to drop. Upsizing the wire will counteract this. Typically you want to keep the voltage drop under 3% or so, although it somewhat depends on whether the voltage coming into your house is on the high or low end, and also what you're using the circuit for. 6 gauge wire for 500 feet @ 50 amps will have more than 8% drop, which is almost certainly unacceptable. If you want to stick close to 3% you will need 2 gauge at a minimum.

Cable Choice

Your RV hookup is probably 240V with a neutral, which requires 3 conductors + ground (not 2 conductors like a standard indoor 120V outlet).

Also, using "indoor" Romex (NM-B) is not appropriate for an outdoor installation, even if it's in conduit. You will need to use something outdoor rated, either a UF cable or individual outdoor-rated conductors.

Finally, 500 feet is a very long run. Make sure you plan carefully. Even simply buying cable that long will probably require getting a whole spool. And pulling the cable through conduit is a whole other challenge.

At this length you might consider using aluminum cable, which is somewhat cheaper for large sizes, although it definitely complicates the installation. I don't know much about aluminum wiring but I believe it requires special connections and the wire amp ratings are different.

Since you are already going to be using an electrician, I think you should ask him/her what they recommend.


How can I trace the wires of a circuit? I have a switch on my bedroom wall that I believe is used to control the outlet on the same wall. However, the outlet has never worked, and the switch doesn't even seem to be connected to the wires in the wall correctly. How can I trace back the switch or outlet to the panel, or along the inside of the wall to verify that the relationship between switch and wall is even accurate in the first place. I would like to avoid removing the wall as much as possible.

one device would be to use a multimeter. They have something called a continuity tester, whereby you take the two leads. the one end gets pressed against the one end of the wire, and the other end goes to the other end. if there is a connection, then the multimeter will either show on screen of buzz. ... the real problem is to run a temp wire all the way from  the one end of your wall switch to the other end being tested. (that is just to effectively extend the length of your test leads of the multimeter.


Expanding two gang box to three gang with metal conduit I live in Chicago so everything in my walls is in metal conduit. In what is currently a two gang box, all three of the top punch out holes are connected to metal conduit. I'd like to expand this to a three gang box, but then the top punch outs will no longer line up with the metal conduits that feed it.
Is there a simple way I can alter the positions of the conduits so they would line up with a three gang box?

The conduits will bend even if rigid, if thin wall or emt they are easily bent into place.
I pull my wiring out and mark with a paint pen or sharpie stripes take a picture or draw a schematic black wire 1 has 1 stripe white wire 1 has 1. Red 1 has 1 then black 2 has 2 etc.  normally not more than 5 in a box keeps from having so many stripes).
Power off of corse. Disconnect switches, pull nuts, remove fasteners(screws or nails) fit wires and conduit into new box install locknuts /bushings if needed. Anchor usually with screws install switches.
A small pry bar or wonder bar can be a lifesaver muscling the conduit.
try to not skin the wires if you do skin them the world is not over some shrink tubing will fix a skinned bit of insulation.
I have done jobs with rigid a foot up in the wall it was anchored but I could get the conduit into the box with a bit of brute force.


Light Switch Wiring, hot wire to lights I have a light switch that has the black wire attached to the bottom terminal and the white wire attached to the top terminal. Is there any way I can add another light switch for recessed lights to this circuit?

The hot and neutral are at the light box. Another Romex is ran down to the switch box and viola, a switch loop.

You cannot use this for more lights unless you rewire some things and add more wiring to this switch.


Help with wiring a computer PWM fan to DC voltage I've recently purchased a "fume extractor" from China which is basically a filter with a pc fan behind it. The Fan pre-installed isn't really doing much of anything and I would like to replace it with a powerful PC fan that I have lying around.

Pictures can be found here:
https://imgur.com/a/Fm3p6lt

I have a multimeter lying around but am not really proficient with it. The diagrams that I can find on the web for PWM fans state that Black should be ground and yellow should be 12v. The pre installed fan only sported 2 wires instead of the 4 of mine and thus isn't anything to go by.

Can I just hook up the ground / 12v wire to the corresponding wires from the "fume extractor" or is there anything else I should be aware of?

Yes you can just hook up the fan to +12V  (yellow) and Ground (black)  and ignore the control lines of the fan. They are for fan speed control to reduce noise in a computer. If they are not connected, fan runs always at full speed.


Correct way to add power plugs I currently have a workstation area setup where I am using a ton of power sockets.  5 monitors (3 for main PC, 1 for server, 1 for CCTV cameras), 1 server, 1 laptop docking station, 1 CCTV DVR, 2 raspberries, 1 printer, 1 network switch, 1 light, 1 speaker, plus a few others, you get the idea...

I currently have this setup in a pretty horrible way, two wall sockets, and power strips plugged into power strips...

A couple questions:

What is the (maybe not-so-simple) proper way to add additional power?
What is the simplest way to add additional power?  If there is one... (I'm renting and would like to avoid redoing the electrical in the house)

Btw, based on what I've seen since living here over the last couple years, it seems the main power for the houses power plugs and lights are separated into two breakers.  One breaker controls about 90% of the house (including my fire-disaster-waiting-to-happen).  The other one controls an outdoor power plug and a couple plugs on that same wall (on the interior - prob added later).

Thanks!

The simplest answer here is to continue what you are doing, but use an appropriately rated power strip. Standard 110V wall outlets on ordinary branch circuits in a US household are rated for 15A service. You can easily find power strips that are rated to 15A and beyond. If you want to be extra safe, verify the amperage of the circuit breaker (it will be marked) and make sure all power strips are rated for that amperage. Then the breaker will act as a protection device for your power strip wires.

The daisy chaining of power strips is okay too, but you need to effectively treat the longest length from outlet to last plug as your "wire length." The ratings on the power strips might all be 15A, but if you chain 5 together, the combined length might exceed the gauge wire used internally. If you want to be safer, consider one very large power strip and then oversized, heavy gauge extension cords coming from that power strip to devices too far to reach directly to the strip.


Can a plastic fridge shelf be definitively repaired? I have a fridge with a plastic shelf which first cracked, then finally split. Being short of cash and a replacement seemingly being not terribly easy to find, I thought I would see if it repairable.

To attempt repair of the complex crack, I have used PVC cement (intended for repairing plastic pipework, I think) liberally on the facing edges and in layers over the joint. This has provided sufficient strength for the shelf to support its own weight if held from either side.

Short of putting it back in the fridge with items on it (and potentially re-splitting the shelf!), will PVC cement be sufficient to return this to active shelf duty? I had thought of drilling and plating across the split; but I'm not sure how this plastic would take to drilling, especially relatively close to where it has split already.

There is no glue job that involves just the edges of the plastic shelf that will hold up to any use. In fact it is rather amazing that you got it to bond with PVC pipe cement. Clearly the solvent in the pipe cement that you used was able to temporarily melt the plastic edges to the point of them bonding back together.

In order to get the fix to stand up to regular usage you are going to have to do some additional work. Find a type of glue that really takes to this type of plastic and use that to bond some metal cross bars to the bottom side of the shelf surface. Something like aluminum bar stock that is 1.5" (~38mm) wide by 0.25" (~6 to 7mm) thick that spans the maximal across the width of the shelf would be workable. I would suggest three such bars.

The ridges on the shelf, which appear to be on the bottom side, will require you to use a bonding agent that can fill in a gap. I would not recommend grinding off those ridges to accommodate the suggested cross bars. I would also not suggest trying to drill holes and using fasteners to secure the bars. This creates localized pressure points in the plastic that could cause it to crack from the drilled holes.

Experiment with silicon sealer type material to see of it bonds to that type of plastic. The plastic has to be clean, dry and oil free. If it does this would work well to bond the support bars to the bottom of the shelf. Silicon sealer material bonds very well to aluminum bar stock. If the silicon sealer is a non-starter with your plastic shelf then you could try one of the construction type adhesives. There are types that have solvents that allow them to bond well to certain types of plastic.


What is NM cable with green jacket? I am trying to update a two prong receptacle to a three prong. In the receptacle box is what looks like NM cable but it appears pretty old and has a green colored sheathing.
Is this an acceptable “romex” alternative? I haven’t installed my three prong yet, but will install and check for ground/neutral/hot.
I am wondering if I should snake a new romex cable or if this will be ok for a general bedroom receptacle.

I am wondering if I should snake a new romex cable or if this will be
ok for a general bedroom receptacle.

I  do not see a need for a new cable.
The metal box is grounded, (attaching the receptacle to the metal box provides a ground).
The wires appear to be of sufficient gauge.
All should be good.


best method to shield exposed horizontal roof beams I'm looking for a good way to shield the tops of exposed horizontal beams. These are 4x12's that extend about 18" (cantilever) out from the bargeboards (gable end fascia). The main problem is that the tops are level and it's a place for water and dirt to accumulate. I'm thinking of spraying on some tar, just on the horizontal portion, or more expensive, something like "Low Profile Copper Beam Caps".

Thanks for any ideas.

The top of the beam is just part of the problem. The beam soaks up way more moisture from end grain exposure. Also, whatever you use to cover (protect) the beams, you need it to allow to dry out each time after a storm too.

Where I live, our community college had a similar problem and a local architectural firm designed a stainless steel cap to protect the tops and ends of the beams. However, after about 3 years the beams had even more dryrot and the problem accelerated, because moisture blew in and became trapped between the beam and flashing.

Even pressure treated material can rot. Good design does not included leaving wood structural members exposed in wet climates.


Is my A/C circuit break worn out? My secondary A/C unit has been drawing too much current and trips the breaker. It has happened about 4 times.

Yesterday, I spent a bit of money to replace the whole A/C and furnace with one which is supposedly energy efficient. After the workers left having installed and check the new system, the breaker tripped again.

Do you think it's the circuit breaker that has weakened or the new system might be drawing still too much current?

I guess my question is does a circuit breaker get weak after being tripped several times?

It was pretty warm when I turned the breaker back on.
Thanks in advance for the answer.

If the breaker is sized accordingly for the system running on it, then no, it should not be tripping. That said, yes, breakers can wear out. How old is the breaker?

Next question, Does the wiring for the A/C near the box feel warm? It really should not. If it does, I suspect a loose connection or HIGH resistance connection between the A/C and the breaker. It is possible the wiring in the panel is loose, but the HVAC company should have checked that.

Did the old unit trip as well? it is a sign something is wrong with the wiring or the breaker, and if you told the HVAC company that, then they should have checked or one of you called an electrician before connecting the circuit.


Rim Joist Insulation without a Sill Plate I've seen a few similar questions but the answers don't add up...

I would like to use some rigid foam insulation to insulate my rim joists. Here is the problem: everything I have seen shows putting the foam on top of the sill plate like this (via Family Handyman).

In my situation, my joists run into sloped concrete block:

If I stuck some rigid foam in those gaps it would be floating above the wall and sticking out 2". So what is the proper way for this type of joist?

My idea is to attach a 1x3 under the joists and set the foam on top of that. But I know a big part of this insulation method is sealing the rigid foam with caulk or spray foam. So would this work? Or will I just need to add some extra caulk to seal the small gap between the 1x3 and the wall?

That's fine. The thing you want to make sure is that you seal off any air paths from the inside of the basement to the rim joist, the reason being that if you insulate it but let humid air hit it, that air can condense on it and cause rot. That's why they tell you to use rigid foam--which is an air barrier--instead of something like air-permeable fiberglass or mineral wool batts. So as long as you make the rim joists airtight, you're fine. At that point, it's just an issue of aesthetics. Your idea of using a 1x3 there will work fine if, again, you make absolutely sure that interior air can't touch the rim joists, using caulk or expanding spray foam.


How can I repair cracked stones around a drain in a wet room? We've had two plumbers trying to fix this problem but the leakage to downstairs is still happening.  The second plumber recommended that we contact a wet room specialist to have a look at this.  He said also that we shouldn't use silicone to fix the cracks around drain.  Do you agree with him?  Even as a short-term solution to prevent any leakage?  Any other solutions - short or long - welcome.

Pictures attached:

That looks just plain done wrong to me. The drain entrance should be below the membrane that should be below the stone. Cracks in the grout should have no impact on the waterproofing effectiveness. Drain entrance level with stone surface = designed to fail.

A minimally invasive fix would be to lay a membrane on the top of the current stone and lay new stone above that. Making the connection to the side wall membrane will be somewhat tricky - assuming that's even there, which I have to wonder about...

If you want to save the current stone the options are purely invasive/destructive; and that's if you can get the stone up without destroying it.


epoxy grout in contact with regular sanded cement grout We don't have a floor threshold between the bathroom floor and the corridor. is it a bad idea to grout the bathroom floor with epoxy grout and the rest regular grout? what happens if the epoxy grout gets mixed with cement grout during the work? the guys do not want to wait till the epoxy entirely dry then grout it.

It's OK to do that. The epoxy grout is great for bathrooms because it doesn't stain, is virtually waterproof and it's not affected by the cleaning supplies you'd usually find in a bathroom. The installers need to do the epoxy grout first and let it set up. It needs to stay in the bathroom because the sheen will be different than the regular grout so you don't want it to be worked into a hallway. Once the epoxy group has hardened, but not completely, they can use the regular grout right up against the epoxy group which will not absorb any moisture from the regular grout... .enjoy your new tile.


How can I join two pieces of wood at 90 degrees? I'm trying to make myself a wooden CNC machine. I haven't started on the woodworking yet, as I'm still planning on the easiest way I can construct the machine (newbie here).

I'm planning to use 1' x 4' wood as the frame for the X-axis, since that's the only material I can get my hands on. How do I connect them together at 90 degrees while maintaining a solid connection? I don't have any fancy tools; at best I can get a hand drill, a jigsaw and some vices.

This is just the simplified view of the X-axis frame. It's just a normal rectangular frame..

How do I connect [1x4 wood] together at 90 degrees while maintaining a solid connection?

If you can obtain a hand-saw (e.g. tenon-saw/back-saw), some sandpaper and some wood glue, you can make lap-joints. I find they are the easiest way for me to make rigid joints in wood.

To join wood the other way, for a strong joint I'd try a simple finger joint (box joint)

  at best I can get a hand drill, a jigsaw and some vices

I find jigsaws are a good way to make wobbly uneven cuts in sheets of wood. Maybe that's just me. Chewing through wood with your bare teeth is not much worse. A back-saw and a miter-box might be more useful to you if you can obtain them.


1/4" metal pin through a 2x4: unthreaded t-nut or metal sleeve to prevent fretting (wear from small movements)? I want to secure fittings to a 2x4. These fittings will have holes that line up with holes in the 2x4. Thick metal pins will hold the fitting in place, but I want to reinforce the 2x4 so the pin will not enlarge the hole.

I think I'm looking for an unthreaded t-"nut", or perhaps a sleeve bushing.

Does this have a more elegant solution?

Buy something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Z-Threaded-Insert-Internal-Threads/dp/B002WC8TQ6 screw it in, and drill out the interior threads.


How do I care for the land area directly above a septic tank? Any suggestions for how to care for the land area directly above a septic tank?  I'm a first-time home buyer with a septic tank in my front yard.  I'd like it to be aesthetically pleasing and consistent with the rest of the yard but didn't know if there was any special considerations to be aware of (e.g. don't water, mow, seed, etc).

-M

You can pretty much do anything above a septic tank, as long as you aren't going to be doing major landscaping that requires tractors, heavy equipment, etc..

The one thing you do want to be aware of is the location of any inspection pipes, or manholes that might have a negative effect on mower blades.  Trying to mow around these nice yard "features" can be quite frustrating.  For our old system, we mulched around the area containing the manholes and inspection pipes (~ 4" white pvc pipe with a cap), and planted a nice flower garden around it.  We had our 3-year pumpings scheduled in the early spring before we plant, and if we needed work done on the system, flowers are easy enough to re-plant.  There are also some realistic looking fake hollow rocks you can buy- we'll probably do this at our new place, as the covers are in an area not well suited to a flower garden.


What to look for when choosing a new bathtub? I am in the middle of a total bathroom renovation.  Now I need to choose a new tub but there are so many choices and price points I don't know what to look for.

My situation is that I have room for a standard tub (32" x 60") I could go longer but I really don't want to go any wider.  This is going in a single full bathroom of the house so it is shared with everyone in the house and is also a shower.  I was planning tiling the surround.  This is a second floor bathroom so I don't really want to try and take a 500 lbs. cast iron tub up there.

Basically there are so many options for standard plastic tubs that range from $200 - $1000.  What should I be looking for?  How is a $600 acrylic tub any better than a $300 acrylic tub?

The most common discrepancies in price between tubs, not counting accessories like heaters and jets, are due to four factors: style, depth, build quality and brand. A garden tub will generally cost you more than a simple rectangular built in, and a clawfoot is more expensive still, followed by "custom" installations like non-overflow tubs.

In the same style, the depth of the tub determines the volume and weight of water the tub must hold and therefore the dimensions and thickness of the material. More material == higher cost.

Even in the same style and depth, one maker may build their tub out of cast iron while another uses plastic, or even in the same material, one maker may double the thickness of the tub walls to increase durability and thus longevity (removing a damaged built-in bathtub is no small job; it can even require a full remodel because it requires re-tiling the backsplash).

Lastly, major name brands will command a higher price even if their product is inferior. Jacuzzi, for one, is a trademarked brand name that has apparently rested on its laurels; I was warned away from even their thousand-dollar tubs for quality reasons, but the tubs still cost a grand, cause they're branded with a universally-known name (so much so that people use the brand without knowing it's a brand, similar to "Band-Aid")

As far as actually what to look for, it depends on what you want. For an upstairs bathroom normally used by kids and guests, a standard Kohler, Moen or American Standard acrylic or cast built-in is fine. Cast iron is more durable, and holds the heat of the water well, but it'll be a beast and a half to put in place. For your own master bathroom, you can be pickier. The three brands I mentioned are names I trust, and they make tubs in all shapes, sizes, styles and pricepoints.


How do I reduce the noise from my forced air furnace? We recently had a new forced air furnace and return installed. The unit works great, but the return (which is in an adjacent closet to the furnace closet) is quite loud. What are some solutions I can explore to reduce the general noise the furnace makes as it is circulating air?

Fiberglass Duct Liner: (industrialinsulation.com)

  Fiberglass duct liner is designed to be installed inside sheet metal ductwork and plenums.  Fiberglass duct liner absorbs noise and contributes to indoor comfort by lowering heat loss or gain through duct walls.

Or if you have the space for it, build some baffles out of 2x4' acoustic ceiling tiles inside the return chamber like below. Secure them to some sort of structure so they don't get pulled into the blower.

Using a pleated filter (the white kind) instead of the fiberglass type will choke the air flow a bit more and probably cut some of the whistling noise.


How is it possible to get an electric shock even with mains power off? I was changing a socket outlet yesterday. I switched off the mains power at the consumer unit (the big red switch) so thought all was safe. I disconnected the old socket, but when I went to fit the new one, I got a quite powerful electric shock from the wires coming out the wall. I didn't flip the other contact breakers in the consumer unit as I assumed (wrongly) that everything would be isolated.

The house is in the UK, built 1992, and has a consumer unit with built in RCD and 4 contact breakers (lights up/down, sockets, cooker).

Any ideas how this could have possibly happened? Any help would be appreciated.

How could this have happened? By:

assuming the wiring was completely and correctly labeled.
not verifying zero potential energy.
not having flipped-off ALL breakers in the absence of a main breaker.

If I understand it right, RCDs are the UK version of AFCIs, so if it was coming off a RCD, you shouldn't have gotten bit so bad: this breaker is fail; use the test button (or this was simply the wrong breaker).

In the US, code requires AFCIs in all bedrooms but not for convenience outlets in say, a hallway. It is very common to steal power from the 'hallway lights' for 'that-one-outlet-under-the-stairs' (no one would label it as such). This may or may not be code but I assure you it is done.


Should I use Baltic Birch for stairs? My indoor basement stair treads are currently made of 5/8 OSB nailed to the stringers.

I plan to replace them with new glue+screw plywood.

I'm considering 3/4 Baltic Birch ply for this because of its exceptional stability and exterior-grade glue on all layers.

I'm also considering 1-1/4 plywood but I wonder if the thicker+fewer layers and different adhesives actually make it less performative.

Cost differences are negligible.

Is Baltic Birch appropriate for this use? Should I prefer 1-1/4   plywood?

I'm aware of the code for height of risers and it's not relevant to this decision.

I don’t see an advantage of using hardwood veneer plywood over spf veneer plywood, unless it’s going to be your “finish” layer.

Yes, thicker is better, but required thickness is a product of span, (how far apart the stringers are located).

Those numbers (48/24 for example) stamped on the plywood mean maximum span for roofs followed by maximum span for floors...but that is for subfloor, not finish floor.


Device keeps tripping AFCI device I have a BedJet device that I run at night that keeps tripping the ARC-fault breaker in my bedroom after about 30 minutes of running nearly 70% of time (other times it works just fine). I have tried moving it around to another circuit (also AFCI) but it trips there as well.

I contacted the manufacture and they said that ARC-fault breakers are just sensitive and I should have it replaced with a non-ARC fault breaker. I also was thinking of buying a surge suppressor to see if that stops it from tripping. Could this potentially be dangerous? I don't want to increase the risk of a fire if something is indeed wrong with the device.

we are the manufacturer of this device.  We've never recommended to a customer to replace an AFCI with a non-AFCI breaker.  What we recommended is simply to get your AFCI circuit breaker replaced with a new AFCI.  Our BedJet is in 9000 bedrooms and we've had a total of 3 customers experience issues with an AFCI breakers flipping.  In every case changing it to a new one fixed the problem, which means the AFCI was faulty or too sensitive. In my own home with new wiring my Dyson vacuum cleaner flipped our breaker in the bedroom all the time until we had it replaced.  It seems the consistency of these AFCI's is not very good.


How thick should my tile underlayment be? Am remodeling, and installing tile floor. Joists are 2x8 16 o.c., subfloor is 5/8 plywood perpendicular to joists, for underlayment should I use 3/8 plywood+1/2 in. backerboard or 5/8 ply+1/4 in. b-board? (also, should underlayment be laid same direction as subfloor? (with offset seams) thanks, Ray

When I did this in my old house I had a 3/4" subfloor and used 1/4" backer board (with 1/4" notch thinset between the subfloor and backer). I don't think that direction matters given how many fasteners you'll use on that backer board. Don't neglect to tape the joints either.

That floor never moved after adding tile on top.


Taping drywall of different thickness I am patching some plaster with some drywall and have shimmed out the drywall. The issue is that the plaster isn't a consistent thickness. Some spots it's flush and others its off by 1/8". What's the right course of action to level these out? Paper or fiberglass tape with that big of a difference would make the bulge worse. Heard of a product called fibafuse that might be good for this? Recommendations?

With uneven work like that you will have to build up the sheetrock side I use a wide mud knife at least 12" when trying to cover uneven areas, as far as the kind of tape paper or fiberglass I use both but preferr fiberglass in this case as it helps reduce cracking. Also I would not do in 1 coat but use several thinner layers. For areas like this I will use "hot mud" because it sets quickly and in some cases as soon as the first layer is complete the starting area is dry just don't mix two much up or you may have a mud tray that turns into a brick before you get done. The last caution is hot mud is tough to sand so I will put my base coats on then a thin layer of topping mud very easy to sand but it takes a day to dry.


How can I remove oil/ATF from a newly paved driveway? I had my asphalt driveway repaved this spring, and of course my car has started leaking - ATF in this case.

How can I remove it?

First fix the leak! Then attack the stain with a bristle brush and some dish detergent; if that doesn't do it, there are commercial cleaners for asphalt or concrete, like this that are a bit stronger. Don't expect 100% results, but the stain will fade over time:


Is detergent tank necessary for pressure washer? Why do some pressure washers come with a detergent tank, and others do not?  If a pressure washer does not have a detergent tank, does that mean you cannot use soap/detergent with it, only water?
For example:
https://www.championpowerequipment.com/product-comparison/?model%5B%5D=100384&model%5B%5D=100385
In the above link, the more expensive model says it has NO detergent tank.  Does that mean there is no way to use it with detergent?
The less expensive model says it has 2 detergent tanks.  Why two?  What is the second one for?
Much obliged for any insights into this.  Thanks.

The pressure in both models is controlled by the tip installed on the wand. On the output side of the pump there's a small valve which opens at low pressures creating a siphon which is connected to a detergent hose. When the black tip is installed the detergent is pulled up through the hose into the water stream. The other tips run at higher pressures and don't draw any detergent.

With either machine you can stuff the detergent hose into a pail and siphon straight from the container. That's pretty convenient for exactly the length of the high pressure hose; after that you're moving the machine and the bucket. Onboard detergent tanks allow you to easily drag the whole unit along. (Note how the tankless machine has twice as much hose.)

On the other hand, the onboard tanks are bolted to the machine and have no drain cocks. Unless you're planning on turning the washer upside down or sucking detergent out with a turkey baster any that you don't use is staying in there until next time. That's probably why they provide two separate tanks, so you can two different chemicals on board and just move the hose to switch.

If you need a highly mobile setup the tank is a nice touch. It's also good if you use the pressure washer for small jobs frequently. For example if you use it to knock mud off a tractor or dirt bike every week then having to refill the detergent tank every month or two beats getting out a bucket and the washer both every week. For everything else it's completely extraneous. Most of the time you probably won't even use a detergent.


How do I fix the compression fitting connection on my refrigerator water line? in replacing a broken water line from the water valve to the filter the old damaged line got stuck inside the compression fitting.  After I dug it out, the compression fitting will no long hold the plastic tubing.  other than replacing the entire water valve is there a way to fix this.  Sounds crazy but could I put glue on the tubing and then insert it in the compression fitting.  Please give me an easy solution, I am a elderly woman who does her own home repairs.

This video shows basic assembly of small compression fittings. The only things I would add:

the ferrule (whether plastic or brass) is indeed a "single use" item, as mentioned by @Tyson and @Ed Beal
you can use a brass ferrule on plastic tubing, but not a plastic ferrule on copper tubing
the video says to tighten a single turn past hand tight. I say tighten well, regardless of turns needed; you need to actually squeeze that ferrule onto the tubing.


Installing a New Electrical Outlet in a Modified Closet? I have a closet that I've modified to be a vanity area (I have 2 closets and aren't interested in having a titanic wardrobe). I pulled off the closet doors and the closet clothing hanging hardware and made a floating desk.

The only thing I need is power for the blow dryer and lights I plan on adding. I've decided that a old work 3 gang box would be best (Having a duplex for electronics, and a light switch for the overhead lights).
Desk:

Intended Place for 3-Gang:

I plan on using the typical daisy-chain tactic between existing outlets in my room.

Closet Considerations:

I was reading some other posts about installing outlets in a closet (And objections to it, notably regarding closets being used to store objects and the outlet/objects plugged into the outlet being crushed, and I don't think that will apply here since this area will not be used for storage.

Code Considerations:
I'm not entirely certain how to wire the outlet up to code, and could certainly use some instruction with regard to this. I've chosen 14 AWG Romex wire for the install (Same as the already existing outlet). I know that I've seen contractors use electrical tape to wrap the screw terminals around the outlets, but what else would be involved in this installation? I also need to run wire behind the wall to get from one outlet to the other. I plan on following an install similar to for running the wire(https://youtu.be/eSMUnuoxdZQ).

What are the minimum requirements to wire a new code-compliant outlet like this in a closet?

On a 3 gang box with 12 AWG wire I would not use a plastic old work box the tabs are not large enough. I would use a metal box with wings the wings expand among each side, they come in single gang that 1 side can be removed off each end box and both sides on the center box then they attach to each other. Screwing to a stud as Harper suggest is also a good idea. I have no problem installing outlets in a closets I have added some for things like dehumidifiers many times. The lighting you are going to need to be careful with because this is a closet look at NEC 410.16.C for the type you can use in a closet and the allowable locations.


How should I prepare a 5 year old deck to be stained for the first time We built a covered deck on our home 5 years ago and never sealed or stained it. I want to do it now, but not sure how I should prep it. Would sanding it with an orbital sander be enough or is there some chemical I should use? Is pressure washing necessary?

Sanding would certainly be effective (you would need to at least rinse the deck after sanding), but sanding may not be necessary. If the wood is sound and smooth you may be able to use one of a large variety of deck cleaning products. The best bet would be to choose the stain first, then follow the prep directions recommended by the stain manufacturer.


Is it safe to turn on sprinklers in spring and just drain backflow preventer if freeze is pending? I live in Colorado, it's quite dry here and can be quite warm in the middle of winter. If I blow out my sprinklers before the first freeze and don't water again until after the last freeze of the spring my lawn will be dead (edit: not really dead, but damaged, in much worse condition than neighbors). So I drag a hose and sprinkler out several times in late fall/early winter and also again in the spring.

In the spring, would it be safe to just turn the system on earlier and just drain the backflow preventer if a freeze is incoming, since the buried lines are less likely to freeze?

I'd love a system that didn't require winterization, but don't think that exists.

I can't see a problem as long as you can drain the system. I installed my own sprinklers and the system is pretty unusual because I have very little lawn, mostly shrubs. I do have some low spots that don't drain properly that are a problem. However , as long as there are no undrained areas you should be good. One related problem; I tried to use a hose in cold weather but the water froze before it could get to the end of the hose . This could be a problem for you if you tried to water while the ground was frozen to a depth below your sprinkler system.


Vertical adjustment slider for VESA mount? I'm looking for something I'm sure must exist but simply cannot find to improve the ergonomics of both my workspace and my TV wallmount. Essentially, I need to be able to quickly and easily adjust the vertical position of both the VESA wall-mounted TV and the VESA articulated arm mounted monitor. Not necessarily together.

For my monitor I could buy an insanely expensive replacement arm with vertical adjustment. I'm not kidding when I say insanely expensive, though, and they're often not good for the weight of a decent quality 24"+ monitor anywya. An arm is not appealing for the TV even if I could find one capable of holding a 32" TV without breaking, because they're big, ugly, and can't be mounted flush with the wall.

The Question:

Does anyone here know of a VESA-mount-to-VESA-mount slider adapter, something that'd let me vertically adjust the position of my monitor and TV without having to mount and demount? I've been searching around and haven't found anything like it in ergonomics stores, DIY/home stores, electronics stores, etc.

Think, rotated 90 degrees to the vertical:

 _____     <--- VESA plate to mount TV/monitor on
   |
   ------------------------
   |    SLIDING RAIL      |
   ------------------------
              |
           _______     <-- VESA plate to connect to wall / monitor arm

If nobody knows of anything like it off the shelf: Any idea what'd be involved in creating one? I can source or make VESA mounting plates, both male and female, quite easily. The challenge would be finding a rail that would stand up to the load and one that could ideally be balanced with a gas lift, spring, or whatever to suspend the display at the selected height while allowing easy adjustment.

Most display arms with vertical adjustment seem to use some kind of internal friction brake within the rail, combined with a spring to offset the weight of the display so it's as easy to move up as down. Any ideas whether this might be a practical approach for DIY, or whether I'm better off with something like a small locking gas lift?

For that matter, is it even possible to get small gas lifts - ones sized for devices not chairs and people?

I'm wondering if server rack mounting rails can be adapted for the job, combined with a weight-balancing spring and a friction brake. Ideas?

Sorry if this is OT; I wasn't really sure where the best SE site to ask it would be.

A real cost-effective way to position a slide is to use a screw drive.  These can handle the load, move the payload rapidly and, if geared properly, stay where you put them.

You should be able to make a unit cheaply like so:

(Click an image to see it full-sized)

This would use:

Two good-quality drawer slides.
Plywood for the moving platform, and optionally a plywood base for the whole thing.
3 feet of "all thread" rod (the larger the diameter, the better).
A matching nut or a threaded block for the drive rod.  If a plain nut is used, then you also need some means to affix it to the moving platform.
A reversible motor and gearing.  Old drills, shredders, electric car-window lifts, etc. are good sources for this.  Or you could buy something new.
This is the part that will require most of your ingenuity, as there is nothing off the shelf that I am aware of. But it's not too hard to rig something up if you've a little fab know-how.
If the motor was DC, a power supply for it.  Old computer supplies often put out plenty of juice at 12V, if a 12V motor is used.
A suitable switch for the motor, usually DPDT is required.
Misc hardware, paint, axle grease for the drive screw.


Nylon switch cover plate screws Every time someone touches any of my light switches they get a static shock. I know the root cause is the humidity is too low, but until I fix that, I heard that nylon cover plate screws (vs the usual metal ones painted white) would help this problem (I guess the theory is that the screw is touching the box which is what the person is "discharging" through). So I was going to pick up some of these to test it out, but I couldn't find them in hardware stores or on Amazon. There must be a reason these are so hard to find - is there a reason not to use these? Or can anyone recommend where I can buy them?

A new trend is switch plates which snap on, and do not use cover plate screws at all. That is worth looking into.

Of course, none of that will solve the underlying static problem; you'll just get nailed instead by the next metal thing you touch.   I would want a metal cover plate isolated by a 1 megaohm resistor to safety ground, because that would actually dissipate the charge.

And of course, make sure your safety ground and grounding electrode are tip-top to be sure you aren't actually getting bit by mains current.  That is somewhat different in sensation, and also does not disappear in high humidity.


Pouring a concrete slab against my house: how to frame it up against the outside wall? I have a concrete front stoop that drains some water into the basement, so I am going to knock it out and pour a new slab with better grading. The slab will be about 4 feet square, and fits into a corner so that two sides abut the house and two do not.

How do I frame this slab, knowing that it will be up against the house on two sides?

This poster had a similar problem, but he accepted an answer that calls for leaving a few inches of gravel between the house and the slab. I can't do that - below the slab is basement!

There are references (here and here) to using "pre-formed joint material" to separate the house from the slab. What kind of material is this, and is it used instead of a wooden form on the sides that touch the house?

You don't need to frame against the house. Be sure that any wood of your house doesn't end up in contact with the fill under the slab or the bare concrete. Just tack a strip of that expansion material right against the house and pour right to it.


My front door lock is too loose I sprayed WD-40 in ny keyhole to stop my key from getting stuck inside. Now my knob is so loose that I don't even need a key to open the front door. I just twist my knob 2 or 3 times and the door unlocks. How can I go about fixing this so other people can't do the same to my door and walk right in?

From the sounds of it I would suggest that it is time to replace the front door lock. Be aware that there is a huge range of quality in door locks and door knob units. The lowest quality ones are often what is found on mass built homes, condos and apartments because it saves the builder a lot of money when they are buying 100's at a time. The lower quality ones are more apt to give you trouble as well.

Since you are only looking to fix one door lock it would be worth it to look over the available units and select one that is better quality. That often comes with a bit higher price as well. It has also been my experience that higher quality units tend to have a much more solid feel to them and contain few or no plastic parts.


Shaving a floor joist without a planer? I have an interesting problem. I been in the process of remodelling my living room and dining room - paint, lights, floor, essentially the works. And in doing so I discovered one of my floor joists is raised in comparison to the rest. I know that it is a small enough of a rise that I can plane down the joist (about 3/8" of an inch, the joist runs the length of the room which is near enough to 27', with no holes drilled through the 10" joist within a few feet of the peak), so bringing it true shouldn't be an issue.

The problem is I don't have a hand planer or belt sander. From what I have read online some guys have attempted to do this with a 1/4 sheet palm sander (which I have already). Is this actually an option or should I swallow the bill for a new tool? (Which I really wouldn't mind --- it's just I am married to an accountant and now "we have cost over runs").

Thoughts? Advice? Hopes and prayers?

Thanks!

If the floor framing is wide open, snap a chalkline on the side of the joist and run your circular saw on that. You could go so far as to screw a guide to the joist if you don't trust your skills, but it's a matter of finding a comfortable position and bracing against the joist with your hands. Just keep the saw table tight to the joist to keep the cut square.

Do investigate why that joist is high, though. Is it just warped? Bad from the mill? Hung up on a beam where the framing around it has settled or sagged? You may not want to fix the problem this way if you find something underneath that should be fixed instead.


Fitting add on blinds to rear door I am trying to fit add on, enclosed blinds (like these) to the rear door of my new home. I have not been able to find a set of blinds that fit appropriately and I am not sure why. I've returned 2 sets so far.

Is this a non-standard door?
Using the measurements below where can I purchase blinds that actually fit?
Is there a type of enclosed blind that has the narrow clearance I need to fit it with the door hardware?
Are there other, equally effective solutions for putting privacy blinds on this door?

I want to avoid blinds that slap against the door when it is opened and closed.

Window Frame Measurements:

Inside frame

Vertical: 63 in. (approx)
Horizontal: 21 in. (approx)

Outside frame

Vertical: 66 in.
Horizontal: 23 3/4 in.

Distance to hardware from frame

Door handle: 1/2 in (approx)
Deadbolt: 3/4 in (approx)

Pictures:

Full door frame:

Inside vertical measurement:

Inside horizontal measurement:

Outside vertical measurement:

Outside horizontal measurement:

Handle to frame measurement:

Deadbolt to frame measurement:

You just need to have the blinds cut to size, many home stores even big box can cut custom sizes. To avoid blind slap some blinds come with lower mounts that hold the bottom bar in place. This limits the blind to twisting them to horizontal for open or verticals for closed.
Some higher end blinds actually have rails that contain the blind and bottom and keep it in place. And can be raised and lowered


Hot Water Baseboard Heaters A contractor came to add an additional hot water baseboard heater into our family room which is an add-on, because there was no heating element in this added room and we could not use the space in the Winter months.  He did this by tapping into the baseboard pipe in the room adjacent to the family room.  Before he installed the new pipe, the baseboard heaters in every room were working fine and the house stayed quite comfortably warm.  But now, none of the baseboard heaters are emitting heat.  They are all cold.  The furnace is working just fine.  He has bled the system multiple times and still nothing.  What could be the problem?  And what could be a possible solution?

You still may have a vapor lock.  'Bleeding" alone may not be enough.  You need to find someone who specializes in circulating hot water heat.  This system is far more complicated than forced air.  If there is air in those lines, water won't circulate.


Could this S trap be causing sewer gas odor and drain backup? My apartment has been reeking with a foul odor for a while now. It seems to kind of vacillate between smelling like something died to smelling like a sewer. I'm about to approach my landlord about it but in trying to understand the nature of the problem i was reading about S Traps and how because of their design they could allow sewer gases to flow into a building. I also read that because of this issue they are illegal. This S Trap is in my kitchen where most of the odors seem to be coming from and my kitchen is directly behind my bathroom. As there are other plumbing problems occurring simultaneously, like dirty water flowing back into my bathtub, i'm wondering if this S Trap could be a part of the overall problem?

Oh my. this trap isn't even an S trap, it's a rollarcoster trap. wow..funny, but not your issue. The reason for the P trap is to trap a little bit of water in the P where stop all air from moving up the pipe. You have a sewage backup issue.

It's very possible this trap also does not trap water if you take off the trap you can see for yourself if it's full of water or not. The suction that S type traps create pull all the water out of the trap like a siphon leaving no water left to block air flow. I have one, i need to get around to fixing. It definitely does not cause any backup.


Why is Thermostat Y wire connected to C terminal on furnace? I have a Nest E thermostat, and like many others have lost wifi and getting low battery because I have no common wire connected.

After looking at my old Lennnox 78ugf3-75-1 furnace, I noticed that my AC Y wire is connected to the Common terminal(called 'T') on my furnace circuit board. Oddly enough, nothing is connected to my Y terminal.

The electrical cable has a green unused wire that I plan to use for my C wire, but before I do that, should I move the Y wire to the Y terminal or leave it on the C terminal? It must have been installed this way years ago as I've never swapped the wires before.

Your AC compressor needs two wires - Y and C.  Y comes from the thermostat and C comes from the air handler or the common side of the 24vac transformer.

The picture you have with the mid-line wire splice is where the three conductor wire (green white, red) branches off and goes outside to the compressor.  Since Y is the standard for "compressor, someone decided to cut the Y wire in that place and use either end of it.  One side of the Y wire goes back to the air handler to pick up the C wire (T terminal), and the other side goes to the thermostat to pick up the switched Y wire.

So, the Y wire and it's connections seem fine.  What I would do is move the Green wire to the G terminal on the air handler and the thermostat since that is the standard color, and then use the Blue wire for C.  It can connect to the T terminal on the air handler and then the C terminal of the nest.

I think the Nest has a voltage check function, but a simple multimeter could be used to verify that you do indeed have 24VAC between the R and T terminals of the air handler.  Based on the diagrams, the T terminal is the C wire, and it was working before, so there shouldn't be a problem.


Can I safely brush down old spray foam that is very dirty? We have an enclosed building that has been spray foamed years ago. By now it's very dark and dirty in the building and we found out we can brush it down with the broom. It works well and changes it back to original color but it just creates a lot of dust. How dangerous is this dust, or is there some better way to do it?

The dust by itself isn't dangerous since the foam's not breaking up but large quantities of regular dirt and dust are not good to breath under any circumstance. You would be better off getting a good shop vac and vacuuming the foam with the attachment brush. If you could get one with a long hose so the pump wouldn't be exhausting into the same room it would be better. You should also wear a mask to keep from inhaling the dust.


Shimming a Floor Joist I've got a floor joist that is low between 3/16 and 1/2 in. Because of its position, I can't sister it. How can I level it? Can I rip a 2x4 and glue and screw it to the top? Would it be stable or compress over time? I've read that it's possible to use strips of asphalt shingles to level a joist. Can I stack them a 1/2 in. or is that too high? Are there other options?

If it is possible, use the ripped down 2X4. The built up shingles will work for a while, for I think they would compress over time since the asphalt or the derivative of it will move if given reason to.

If there is no room for sistering a full sized joist beside it, perhaps just a 2X4 glued and screwed to the side? Just in case the reason why it cannot be sistered otherwise is from utilities passing through the way. A notch here and there will get past issues too.


Can I replace a outlet dedicated 16A/240V with a 20A/125V outlet can i replace 16A/240V outlet to 125V/20A outlet and it will work for 240V? israel outlet
i want plug my pc and monitor + ups + isolator transformer on this outlet but its 120V/20A
this is my electrical panel i dont know how i check wire size but i use 14 awg cables

i have bootleg ground on my outlets i think so i want change the whole outlet + fix the bootleg ground
i heard those outlets are high quality and very good for sensitive equipment

Your service panel is in Israel and it is 220/230 volts AC, which is the standard power there.
120V is not available in Israel.
This type of outlet you linked is called a NEMA 5-20.  It cannot be used with 230V.    There is another type made for that -- use that.
Let's solve your problem, though
I understand you brought a bunch of computer gear from North America or Japan that has NEMA 5-15 plugs, and you want to plug that in, in Israel.  That is a reasonable problem to attack, but you're going about it the wrong way because all due respect, you don't know anything about electricity.
I bet right now you're using hokey cheapo Chinese-made adapters, and they're not working properly, and you're getting frustrated, and now you just want to throw money at the problem i.e. a $250 fake socket.  Okay, let's throw the right money.
The PC and monitor
Read the labeling on your PC, but most likely it will be perfectly happy running on 120V or 230V.   Your monitor may be the same.  These can actually run directly on Israel power, so there's no need for weird games with sockets.
"But they won't plug in!"   That's true. If the power supply says that it works on a range of voltage including 120V and 230V, you can simply cut the plug off the end of the cord, and fit a standard Israeli 3-prong, what the travel industry calls a "Type H" and Israel calls an IS1-16.  (should be sold at local home stores).
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You may find that's difficult to find because it's such an unusual standard. In that case, feel free to go with a common Europlug or Schuko which is grounded, but you will need to also install those sockets in the wall also, which may be a Code violation, and in any case will require compatible junction boxes in the wall (or surface mounted) so the fitment is proper.
If you just have to go American style, use the right one

America/Japan has a socket specifically made for 230V -- it is called NEMA 6-15.  It is compatible with the power you have there.  However, 6-15's will not fit in standard Israeli junction boxes, and you can't just ignore this detail - you can't go "oh hey, the holes won't line up, I'll just leave it flopping around in the box because I don't know what else to do". No way.  So you'll need to import some North American junction boxes and hardware as well.
Do not use 14 AWG wire in Israel (unless that's the standard wire they specify in their electrical codes, which I doubt).  Even if you're in America, do not use 14 AWG with 20A receptacles lol (this is you knowing just enough to be dangerous lol).
Forget that audiophile sucker-crud
Your power is ungrounded, and you're using cheapo adapters. So you have lots of Big Stuff to fix before you could possibly benefit from unmeasurable increments of quality in sockets.
Sockets of that type should cost $3 for a quality, spec-grade outlet.  Hospital-grade outlets aren't electrically better, and "bunk-ium plated" sockets aren't either.   The $250 socket you linked is a complete fake.  It's made to sell to "sucker" audiophiles who have more money than common sense.  You're not even talking about audio equipment, so it deoesn't help you even if it wasn't all lies.
If you still don't believe it's a fraud, notice that it's a third party seller - this is "Amazon Marketplace", which is basically eBay - it's random people selling random crud, and having their stuff come up mixed into regular Amazon listings.  It's turned Amazon into a minefield of junk.  Here's the seller.

OK, let's hop into Google Earth and see their World Headquarters.

Note the "rooms" sign on the tree. It's a flop-house.  To be more precise, it's "off campus" student housing, the kind where an old house is subdivided into as many "dorm rooms" as possible, with bathrooms and kitchen shared.
So at best, this is some college student's side hustle, bringing in common Japanese receptacles in luggage and fobbing them off as audiophile gold-plate, which "plays" because they look different.  At worst, the student is a "figurehead" and behind the curtain is a Chinese company selling junk. We see that a lot.


Replace Chimney with Lally Column? I'm planning to take down the rest of our interior, non used chimney in a few weeks. As I look at it more and more a joist, which has several others tied to it, appears to rest on the chimney, and the section below this point on the chimney is wider than above.

What do I need to do under the joist that rests on the chimney? (both during demo and permanently, afterwards)

I think I need a lally column under the end of the green dashed line. The problem is the only possible place to locate a jack post while I'm working is a very tight fit, where the 2 green double lines come together, just to the right of the chimney in the drawing. Other than putting a jack post there, my other thought is to try to remove 1/2 the width of the chimney first.

I may hire an engineer or just leaving the basement section, but am trying to figure out if it even seems possible first. Part of me thinks this is easy with a jack post and then lally column, part me thinks it's impossible.

Green double lines are 2 joists doubled. Black lines are single joists. Blue are still plates on block walls. It's an 8.5 x 11 inch sheet of paper, 1 inch per foot, so total area shown is 9.5 by 7.5 feet.

I would recommend hiring an engineer. There may be issues you aren't seeing, and structural integrity is not something you want to pinch pennies on.


What is This Metal Flashing and Hollow Space Where Top Plate Should be I'm running new wiring to add receptacles in an attached garage.  I have attic access above the garage and have been drilling down into the top plate into the cavity where the receptacle will go and fishing the wire from above. I came across this section where the top plate is gone, and in its place is some metal flashing and a hollow cavity.

It's about 10" across, and When I dropped a fish pole down the cavity it went down about 29". Tapping the fish pole, it sounds like the bottom is metal. There doesn't appear to be anything in this space (besides some of the blow-in insulation).  There is a fire block in the wall, but it's about 10" further down.

The wall is shared with the kitchen on the inside of the house, but there isn't anything in that area except a wire between a couple outlets in the kitchen, about 14" further down than the bottom of this cavity.

The kitchen was remodeled at least once since the house was built, but that was before we bought it, so I'm not sure how the kitchen used to be laid out. For what it's worth, it was built in 1984, in Northern Virginia.

It's right above where I planned to put a receptacle, and I've already cut the hole for the work box.  Can I just drill through the bottom?

At one time that metal piece was probably part of a vent pipe to transition a range hood up through the ceiling. If it had been in use there was likely to have been a rectangular to round transition that then piped out through a shrouded roof vent.

Just drilling a hole through the bottom of that metal piece may require a special treatment such as a grommet to protect the electrical wire from the sharp metal edges.


Insulating a basement bathroom The new basement bathroom is framed and passed inspection. Ready to insulate and close. My first question is about the ceiling. We plan to use fiberglass batts between the joists in the ceiling. Above is a finished hardwood floor bedroom. In the framed walls we'll be using paper faced fiberglass, paper to the bathroom side.

I see different info on the ceiling. Looking for thoughts on whether there should be faced or unfaced fiberglass. Rockwool?

Thanks guys!

Consider if you need ceiling insulation at all.  In a bathroom there's lot of extra moisture, and you don't want some to enter the space between floor and the fiberglass moisture barrier, and have trouble drying out.

Floor insulation helps with sound transmission a bit (though an STC rated ceiling is better).  But in your case it might have more downsides than upsides.

This IS a good chance to insulated the joist bays from the outside, usually a weak place in standard home construction.  Post photos.  Research and remember some golden rules of insulation: seal air leaks first, never trap moisture between two vapor barriers, use the right insulation for your climate zone.  Get a local expert, as climate matters a lot.


Is it safe to store paint in a furnace room? I currently store my paint cans, mostly latex but a few oil-based stains, in my furnace room.

I'm not certain if latex paints are dangerous to keep near flame sources, but I'm fairly certain that oil-based products are.

However, I'm unsure as to where else I can store them.  My alternate locations are my garage or attic, but both are unheated and the northern Ohio winters will almost certainly freeze the paint.

Where can I safely store paint?  Are latex based products safe to store in a furnace room?

If your paints will be in close proximity of the furnace I wouldn't do that.  If they are in the same room and the room has ventilation but away from furnace I would go there.

I wouldn't store anything like this in the attic for sure.  Unless your attic is somewhat finished and you go up there all the time I wouldn't.  You don't want cans spilling or issues in a place that could affect house and really in a place that you don't keep track of.  That is why I would throw them on shelves in the garage if the attic doesn't work.  If your garage is attached for the most part you shouldn't have many days in there below freezing and almost none that go below the paints freeze point.


Can two circuits' neutrals be tied together (not a single neutral wire, but two that have been connected)? Related to but different from this question, I have two three-way switches in my house, which are in multi-gang boxes at the top and bottom of the staircase and control lights at the top and bottom landings. I know for a fact, having fixed the "hot" side of the wiring to the three-way switches before, that the switches (along with others in both boxes) are fed by different circuits. However, all of the white neutrals in each box are twisted together into one bundle and wire-nutted; this predates any work I did on the circuit, but I don't know if this is the work of the original electrician or the "handyman" whose work I've been fixing since I moved in.

As these joined neutrals include the travelers of both three-way circuits, the neutrals from the nearest light to each box, and the neutral heading back to the panel from each box, these two circuits' neutrals have multiple junction points that tie the neutrals together.

Is this dangerous (from a fire hazard perspective)? My Google-fu brought up some similar questions, but the answers were all along the lines of answers to the related question in the link: "a shared neutral is bad". However, this isn't a "shared neutral" as in one white wire carrying the load from two circuits; this is two white wires carrying the load from two circuits, but the two white wires are both carrying the load from either circuit. So, to my way of thinking, there's plenty of copper to get the power back to the panel without overheating. And obviously there are no AFCI/GFCI breakers in the house (plenty of GFCI receptacles), because everything on both circuits works fine (they'd trip as soon as I turned a light on otherwise). The only concern AFAIK would be shock safety, as you'd basically have to make sure both of the breakers were off before working in either switch box (something I would do anyway; I wouldn't want ANYTHING hot in either box if I were messing with these switches, regardless of whether the neutrals are separate or not).

EDIT: picture == word*1000:

This is a safety hazard. An electrical system must remain safe (not hurt a user or overheat and cause a fire) even if there is a failure.

In your situation it is true that the neutrals will not be overloaded under normal conditions. But if one of the neutrals were to get disconnected at or near the breaker panel (loose screw or accidental damage to the wire itself) then the other neutral could end up carrying the current for two circuits and overheat and cause a fire.


LED undercabinet lights but 240v inputs I have replaced a run of halogen under cabinet lights with 1w lights running of an LED driver.

This string of LEDs goes under a run of wall cabinets over a worksurface.

I have two smaller worksurface areas that need only 1 light each.

Can I fit LEDs that have integral drivers. Seems silly to fit drivers that cost more to power 6 light and only use one with them.

Where would I get such LEDs with integral drivers (i.e. connect to 240v mains in UK)?

Sounds like you should just get a transformer to transform your 240v main to whatever the LED drivers are looking for.  Without more detail, I'm not sure what the LED's are designed to take in.

It sounds like your LED drivers are going to convert a less-then-240 voltage AC feed down to the couple of volts DC that the LEDs are going to use.  Since you are putting these under cabinets, you could mount the transformer up and out of the way where you couldn't see it.

I'd look at one of the online electronic parts suppliers (like DigiKey or Jameco) to find the transformer you will need.  You shouldn't have to get to big of one since you are only powering LEDs.


Why should a (non-dimming) light timer care about what's connected to it? I am looking at the spec sheet for an Intermatic STW700W in-wall timer.
It says:

Switch Ratings:
General Purpose:         15 A, 120 VAC, 50/60 Hz
Tungsten:                 8 A, 120 VAC, 50/60 Hz
Inductive:               15 A, 120 VAC, 50/60 Hz
Electronic Ballast//LED:  5 A, 120 VAC, 50/60 Hz
LED Load:               600 W
Motor:                    1 HP, 120 VAC

I would understand if it had different load capacities for different types of lighting if it also had dimming capabilities, since dimming works differently for different types of fixtures.
Why should the type of load matter if all it is doing is turning the load on/off?
As an extension of the question, what kind of loads could the spec sheet mean when it says "general purpose"?
(In general, this spec sheet doesn't make much sense to me. For example, it says it can handle inductive loads up to 15A, but it also says it can handle motors up to 1 HP. 1 HP is approximately 750 watts which at 120V is just under 7A, less than half of the 15A rating. Why should a motor load be any different than any other inductive load?)

This product is marketed primarily for lighting application, and so, its rating focuses on lighting applications.

Tungsten refers to incandescent, halogen and other lights in that family.
Inductive refers to HID (sodium, mercury, metal halide) and old-school magnetic ballasts for fluorescent.
Electronic/LED refers to modern electronic ballasts for fluorescent/LED.
The "LED Load" figure is just to restate the rating in commonly used terms.

The reason is because these different loads have different electrical characteristics, and that affects the contactor make/break.
A plain resistive load follows Ohm's Law steadily during both make and break events -- a 12 ohm resistor will draw 10 amps on switch make, and 10 amps on switch break.  The "general" rating applies here.
Tungsten (incandescent, halogen etc.) have a much lower resistance quiescent than they do upon reaching operating temperature. When you drive them constant-voltage, that results in "inrush current" which quickly brings them up to temp.  It is quite a current spike, and that means relay contacts have to contend with it on "make".  As such, relays are derated for tungsten loads.  Breaking an incandescent is just like a resistor.
Electronic ballasts for both fluorescent and LED are wildly variant.  Many have have power supply capacitors or chokes on the DC side which on initial turn-on will drink up current very aggressively. This works out to be an inrush current similar or even worse than incandescents.  But again little trouble on break.
"Inductive" means Old Fluorescent, and HID (Low pressure sodium, high pressure sodium, mercury vapor and metal halide) These contain bulbs which, upon striking the arc, act like a dead short. These days you drive that with a switching power supply in CC mode, but back in the day, you used a transformer wound in constant-current mode.
This transformer is a large inductor, which stores energy like a capacitor.  Just as capacitors use their energy to combat changes in voltage, inductors use their energy to combat changes in current.  An inductor does that by increasing the voltage - to infinity, or to the point where insulation breakdown occurs, whichever occurs first.
This means that HID loads (or as they call them "inductive") are pretty docile on make -- but on break, they do not want current flow to stop, and will attempt to drive voltage to infinity to preserve current flow. This high voltage will force current to leap across the relay contacts.  This is often called an inductive "kick" - and obviously it causes relays to be derated.
Motors are inherently inductive machines, with the same problems with inductive kick.  Since motors are all inductor, it can be worse.  However it looks like the 1HP motor rating is merely the inductive rating restated in horsepower (equaling 1.287 horsepower) and rounded down to the next common motor size.
Motors get you another way too: they also have very low resistance on initial startup; they need to be spinning to provide enough "back EMF" to limit current to reasonable values.  This is called the "Locked Rotor Amperage" and again, relays must contend with this on make.


How can I remove small paint specks from a wooden floor? The painters I had hired (and quickly fired) to repaint my apartment spilled some paint (little specks and spots) on the wooden floors and let it dry off without cleaning it.

The paint was "glycéro", which I think translates to alkyd paint. It wasn't acrylic paint.

Since it's dry, I can't remove it with white spirit. I can remove it with paint remover but it also removes the transparent coating on the wooden floor ("vitrification" in french, not sure how to translate it).

Any ideas of what I can try to remove the white dots on my floor without having to redo my floors afterward?

Try some very fine steel wool, #0000 should do it. Confine it to the paint spots only, as best you can. You may try using small amounts of the spirit you tried with that. If the wool dulls the shine of the floor finish test an area first and apply wax over the treated area when done to restore the luster. You could also try automotive scratch removing compound. Use a little bit on a rag and buff the paint out.


How to stop door knob latch from twisting and sticking on strike plate? The latches on a couple of doors around the house have started twisting when they are turned. Sometimes this causes the latch to get stuck on the strike plate, meaning the door doesn't close properly. This is what it looks like when the latch gets stuck:

This is what it looks like when the handle is twisted.

How can I stop this? Is there a way other than buying completely new door knobs? I've taken a lock from another door which has this same problem off and I can't see anything that is obviously wrong.

If it's any help these are basic 'button' door locks. No key, just a push button on one side that locks it from the other.

The locks appear to be worn out. If these are just inexpensive builder's grade door locks, replace them.

You then get to decide whether you want knobs or lever handles. We opted for levers and these have worked well for the bedroom and bathroom doors because they are recessed from the hallway. We also used a lever handle on the HVAC closet in the hallway which was a mistake because it is flush with the wall and is an interference.


How to choose correct drill bit size for screw and wallplug? I need to drill a hole into masonry wall.
I've never drilled a hole with a drill bit before and am confused about what size drill bit to use.
I have a screw, and I have a wall plug that will go into the hole.
So do I drill the size for the wall plug or the screw?
Even so, how do I measure to make sure I have the correct size?

Sounds novice I know, but I just don't want to make a mistake in the masonry.

The wall plug may have a size molded into it, or the packaging will say. At any rate, the right size is usually the diameter at the widest point of the plug's taper (if present), not counting a flange. It should not take a lot of force to set the bare plug.

In the case of masonry (and most other materials) you can err on the small side and work larger until you get a good result.