How to ground solar transfer switch I am installing an off-grid solar system to power some external buildings, but I want an automatic transfer switch so that outlets will be grid powered when the solar batteries are low.

Can I run a pair of 8 AWG wire to the transfer switch and then tie all grounds to the grounding rod of the solar system?

In the breaker box fed by the transfer switch, do I just use a grounding busbar or do I need to use a bonding strap as well.

Your problem #1: UL/CSA/ETL certification exists for rather good reasons
The primary problem with what you've picked out so far for gear is that basically none of it is correctly listed to the applicable UL specifications (UL 1703 for solar panels, UL 1741 for charge controllers and inverters, and UL 1973 for non-lead-acid type stationary service batteries).  This isn't just an issue of providing the right paperwork for inspectors, either; solar panels are tested for their ability to withstand everything from reverse current to roof fires, while the tests for inverters are far more vital due to the key electrical safety role they play.
Sadly, though, much of the equipment (such as 12V solar panels and RV-style inverters) used in off-grid work isn't listed.  This partly has to do with the fact that RV and marine solar applications basically are "your vehicle, your problem", save for the actual inverter, due to limitations of the NEC, and off-grid solar was basically founded on these applications being transposed to buildings.  We see this here with the panels you've chosen; while inexpensive, their lack of a listing makes their fire ratings and electrical fault-withstanding ability questionable at best.
Your problem #2: Big voltage makes for big trouble
Your other problem is that your proposed configuration with two strings of five 20+V Voc panels and two charge controllers exceeds the 80V limit on in-array voltages during rapid shutdown as well as the 80V threshold applied to PV arc fault detection, neither of which your current balance of system hardware provides.  Fortunately, they're both achievable, but going that route limits your charge controller selection in addition to requiring module level rapid shutdown power electronics (Tigo TS4-F or IMO FireRaptor).  It does have the edge that the Tigo TS4 optimizers provide rapid shutdown support, which would allow you more array-layout flexibility as solar optimizers perform a limited per-panel MPPT function, useful in part-shade conditions like what you describe.
The other alternative would be to limit your strings to 80V maximum under all circumstances.  This would require you to go with 2-panel or 3-panel strings instead, and likely cram an extra pair of panels onto the roof you're mounting them on, but with two smaller charge controllers, would keep you under the 80V limit without resorting to a fused DC combiner box on your roof.  It also means you have more options for charge control, and can use less expensive charge controllers designed for lower voltages.
With either option, we still have to address PV ground-fault protection since you are dealing with a DC-coupled system.  Most of these systems provide this using a scheme called functional grounding, using a fuse or breaker in the neutral-to-ground bond to isolate the system from earth and thus stop the fault current if a ground fault happens, but this has the rather undesirable consequence that it puts severe stress on wire insulation due to the whole DC side of the system floating off to a potentially high voltage during a ground fault condition.
However, Morningstar makes ground-fault protection devices that break the wiring to both sides of the array when a ground fault is detected, leaving the battery portion of the system solidly grounded.  They're somewhat more costly, but do have some other advantages atop what I described, so we use those here.  This does mean that we may have to remove a bonding link from the charge controller, though, depending on what we use for that job.
Problem #3: DC is a mean drunk, even at 24 to 48V
The third and final issue you have not addressed in your proposal is the problem of DC circuit control and protection.  Switching DC, even at 48V, requires DC-rated distribution components; while these aren't unobtanium, there are several application caveats related to breaker polarization, short-circuit/fault-current handling capabilities, and lug/terminal capacity that render "obvious" choices all but unusable.
The good news is that DC rated UL Class T and J rejection fuses are fairly readily available, and we can use those with matching fusible switching hardware to get a system that we know will be able to handle the fault currents involved, as well as meeting the NEC requirement for current limiting overcurrent protection on energy storage systems, and preventing gross misapplication of non-DC-rated or non-UL-listed fuse types such as non-DC-rated branch circuit fuses as well as the automotive and marine battery fuses that are sometimes misapplied in off-grid service.
There is some good news, though
Fortunately, there is some good news to be had.  It is possible to get UL 1703 listed 12V-type solar panels for prices that don't completely break the bank if you're willing to shop around some (for instance, the Solartech SPM100P-TS-F), and 3-4 string PV combiners in NEMA 3R enclosures aren't too terribly expensive either.  As a result, we can go with a configuration with 2 charge controllers, each with 3 strings of 2 panels, letting us make up for the cost of the combiner with not having to spend on in-array rapid-shutdown equipment or AFDI-capable charge controllers. This does limit us with regard to inverter capabilites, though; again, we'll hit that down the road.
The MLPE alternative
The other alternative would be to use a single, AFDI-equipped, 300V charge controller in conjunction with a module level electronics package, and run either two strings of five to 6 panels or a single string of ten to twelve panels.  This has the downside of limiting our choices of hardware to Tigo TS4 MLPE packages (either TS4-F for rapid shutdown only, or TS4-O for optimization) and an Outback FLEXmax 100 AFCI for the charge controller along with a Morningstar GFPD-600 for ground fault protection, but lets us use a 48V battery bank and a better/beefier inverter as a result, allows for more array sizing flexibility (10 vs 12 panels), and simplifies the switching somewhat.
With this, we can use a Wiley ACE-PT to bring the PV wires into the house (and combine the two strings in a two-string configuration) since we don't need fuses in this setup, and the Tigo boxes have the rapid shutdown function handled already.  On the roof, 10AWG PV wire in the form of premade MC4 leads and "tails" can be used for any field cabling needed within the array; from there, we can use black 10AWG THHN or PV wire in 1/2" ENT ("smurf") with a 10AWG bare ground to connect to the GFDI, and red and white 10AWG THHNs to get from the GFDI to the charge controller via a 1" rigid nipple and a bonding locknut on the charge controller side.
Finally, we need a PV disconnecting means here, and for that we use a Siemens HF224N connected to the charge controller via a 1" rigid nipple and red and white 2AWG copper THHN conductors.  You'll need a bonding bushing where this nipple enters the charge controller due to the size of the wires and the charge controller's plastic case, and to connect the switch with the poles in series using more red 2AWG THHN, a Mersen NLJ200 "dummy" neutral link, and a Mersen HSJ125 or Bussmann DFJ125 high-speed UL Class J current-limiting fuse to protect the charge controller.  The switch's neutral is left unbonded, and a HCQ64 kit is used to tap the PV-side "hot" terminal with 14AWG THHN running to the 5A inline fuse holder from the GFPD-600, then down to a Traco Power TCL 024-112 DC 48V-12V DC-DC converter mounted to some DIN rail screwed into a suitably spacious place within the switch's enclosure.  From there, we run 12V to the GFDI's battery leads, the power supply connections on the Tigo TAP or RSS transmitter, and to a RIBRL1C relay whose NO contact bridges the shutdown terminals on the MPPT used here.
If you don't want to spring for MLPE...
If you are going with the initial proposal for a no-electronics-at-the-module solution, I'd use a pair of Morningstar TriStar TS-MPPT-30 controllers for this paired with Morningstar GFPD-150s, along with Outback FWPV4-FH600 combiners fitted with Outback PNL-75D-DC-RT shunt trip breakers in them to provide an approximate rapid shutdown function and 12A PV fuses for the Solartech panels given above.  This lets us use premade MC4 leads and "tails" for the in-array wiring, then for each array section, we run black 8AWG THHNs and a bare 10AWG ground in 3/4" ENT (smurf tube) down from the combiner to the corresponding GFDI/MPPT/disconnect chain, and then simply close-nipple the GFDI to the MPPT with red and white 8AWG THHNs thru the 1/2" close nipple connecting the two. As above, red and white 2AWG copper THHNs are used for the charge controller to disconnect connection; in this case, though, we run it inside a 3/4" rigid nipple.
We also need to supply PV system disconnecting means, and for this, I would use a Siemens HF262 for each charge-control train, fitted with a 45A high-speed UL Class J fuse (Mersen HSJ45, Bussmann DFJ45) in one pole, a "dummy" neutral link (Mersen NLJ60) in the other pole, and the two poles connected in series with more red 2AWG copper THHN.  We also fit each of these switches with a HN623 neutral kit, a HA161234 auxiliary contact kit, and a connector from an HCQ62 control tap kit, as well as leaving the bonding screw out as these disconnects are not where the DC bond in the system is made.
The control tap connector is installed on the PV side line lug in each switch, with 14AWG THHN wire running from the quick-connect for the control tap to the 5A inline fuseholder supplied with the GFPD, and more 14AWG supplying the return connection from the switch's neutral block.  From that fuseholder, it splits two ways: one runs to the battery power connections on the GFPD, while the other goes through the NC contact on the aux switch to the shunt trip connections on the combiner breaker, all using more 14AWG THHN.  This causes the PV disconnect to shunt trip the breaker when opened, thus disconnecting the array from the interior wiring, and is about as close as you'll get to rapid shutdown for this particular array configuration.  This comes with a caveat, though: you have to close the PV disconnect then close the shunt-trip breaker to re-energize the system; if you do it the other way, you'll trip the rapid shutdown breaker in the combiner when you close the PV disconnect, which means you have to reset said breaker again.
Now that we have the charging handled...
Now that we have the care and feeding of the solar panels handled, we now need to tackle the rest of the system, starting with the battery banks and the ESS disconnect, then converging on the inverter DC disconnect and inverter before we finally can tackle the AC side of the system, as well as the grounding electrode system and structure disconnecting means.
As to batteries
No matter what battery chemistry you pick (SLA or LiFePO4), you'll need a very sturdy box to house it all in.  MidNite Solar makes the MNBE-D which provides a mostly-suitable prefabricated solution, but building your own is not impossible either provided has enough room for your batteries, interconnecting cables, and the battery/ESS disconnect, as well as being able to accept a 2" rigid conduit nipple.  For that disconnect, we use a Boltswitch PAT325-1P fusible pullout, mounted so it can be pulled out without opening up the enclosure, with a 250A UL Class T fuse (I recommend the Mersen A3T250, but other manufacturers make fuses that will work) fitted in the center hot pole.  A 5/16" machine screw can be used to attach standard 3/8" preterminated battery leads from the positive side of the battery bank to one side of the pullout, while the other side is fitted with a Boltswitch TK400PA lug kit.  The matching negative wires from the battery bank are terminated on a Mersen MPDB67221 lug-to-stud power distribution block to provide a transition point from the negative battery cables to the 300kcmil copper THHNs inside the 2" rigid nipple that we're using to connect the battery bank to the inverter disconnect.  We also use a 2" bonding bushing on the nipple to provide a place to land any equipment grounding connections that need to be made inside the battery box.
Now, we can move onto the inverter
Now that we have a charge controller and a set of batteries, we can move onto the inverter and its disconnect.  For the disconnect here, we use a Siemens HF224N fitted with a Mersen MPDB67452 to provide a connection point for the various wires coming into this box.  The wires from the battery box and the charge controller(s) land on the load-end of the PDB, while the PDB's line-end gets connected to the bus-side hot and neutral lugs on the switch with red and white 300kcmil copper THHN jumpers.  Once we have this out of the way, we once again connect both poles in series but fuse only one, using a 300kcmil red copper THHN jumper, a Mersen NLJ200 neutral link in one pole, and a Mersen HSJ175 or Bussman DFJ175 UL Class J drive fuse in the other pole to protect the inverter.  The neutral bonding screw is fitted here as this is where the DC GEC will land when we get that far, and this switch is also fitted with an HG61234 grounding kit to provide a place to land the inverter DC grounding wire at.
A suitable length of 2" ENT with 4/0 red/white preterminated battery cables and a 4AWG bare copper EGC in it is then used to connect the inverter enclosure or trough to the inverter disconnect.  The battery box is connected to the bottom left of the inverter disconnect via the aforementioned 2" rigid nipple and red/white 300kcmil copper THHNs, while the PV disconnect uses more red and white 2AWG copper THHN in a 1.25" nipple going to the top left of the inverter disconnect.  (If you're using the no-MLPE configuration with two PV disconnects, it's easiest to use a 1" rigid nipple between the two disconnects to route the wires from one disconnect through the other and then into a shared nipple going off to the inverter disconnect, unless you wish to punch an extra 1.25" KO in the left side of the inverter disconnect, that is.)
As to inverter selection? It depends...
Now that we are at the inverter, our choice of inverter depends on which battery voltage, and thus which solar panel setup, you picked.  You see, most larger multimode inverters use a 48VDC battery bus to minimize voltage drop losses, but this isn't compatible with a panel configuration that has a maximum power point voltage of oh, 37VDC.  So, going with that panel configuration requires using a 24VDC battery bus, which in turn sharply limits your inverter selection.
As to that selection, I would use an OutBack FXR2524 for this task, fitted with an Outback FX-DCA conduit adapter for the DC end of the inverter.  While this limits you to 120V loads for the 'off grid' portion of the system, these inverters support full UL 1741 multimode functionality including the ability to sell power to the grid, and are rated to supply their nameplate 2.5kW output continuously.
If you're going with the higher voltage string, though, you can use a 48V inverter, and for this I'd recommend the Outback Radian GS4048A.  This gives you full 240V support for both off-grid loads and power sales back to the utility at not much more cost than the FXR2524, as well as 4kW of continuous output vs the 2.5kW rating of the FXR2524, but does have the downside that you need an enclosure to house the DC connections to the inverter.
While you could use a Radian GSLC for this, those are quite expensive even in their bare-chassis form.  Instead, we use a 12" by 12" by 10" NEMA 1 enclosure without knockouts (Wiegmann SC121210NK  or equivalent), making a 2" KO in the left side for the incoming DC conduit as well as holes in the top that mate with the plastic insulators surrounding the inverter's DC terminals.  This box is positioned so that it fits snugly against both the wall and the bottom of the inverter while staying clear of the AC KOs on the bottom left, and is grounded by looping the 4AWG DC grounding wire from the inverter disconnect thru an Ilsco GBL-4 or equivalent lay-in lug connected to the box with a Garvin GSST 10-32 self-drilling ground screw.  This grounding wire continues onward out of the terminal box and into the inverter where it lands on the AC compartment grounding terminal bar, using Arlington GC50 clamps to provide strain relief at the various entry and exit points.
As to the AC wiring...
Now that we have the DC side of the system basically covered, we can move onto the AC side, which is much simpler, thankfully.  We start with the feeder going to the chicken coop, which consists of 4 8AWG THHN wires (to control voltage rise) in a 1" PVC conduit, protected by either a 30A (for the 24VDC/120VAC) or a 50A (for the 48VDC/240VAC) breaker.
Once we reach the coop, we need to provide a structure disconnecting means.  The cheapest solution for that job is to use an AC pullout disconnect box, but the type of pullout we need depends on the rest of the system in this case. In either case, though, this pullout is where the AC grounding electrode conductor lands, and also provides a splice-point for the AC neutral wires, as they need to be wirenutted together at this point instead of landing on the grounding block in the disconnect.
For the 24VDC/120VAC system, we'll be using a fused pullout in this case, with a 20A RK5 fuse in the leg not going to the inverter so that it can power service receptacles and miscellaneous grid-powered loads, while the leg going to the inverter has a Bussmann NTN-R-30 "dummy fuse"/neutral link in it as we don't need to provide any overcurrent protection for it here.  From the pullout, we then run a 10/2 cable to the inverter, and from the inverter, we run another 10/2 cable to a Square-D QO35FM30TTS that serves as our AC load panel, with a QO130 fitted to that enclosure to serve as the main breaker there.
If you go with the 48VDC/240VAC system instead, we instead have the choice of either using a 60A non-fused AC pullout disconnect, or fitting a NEMA 3R main breaker panel here with a 50A, two-pole breaker for the onward connection to the inverter.  From this panel or disconnect, we use more 8AWG THHN in 3/4" ENT to route the AC line wires to the inverter, then do the same for routing the inverter load wires out to a main lug panel inside the coop which serves as the AC loads panel.  Make sure that all the bonding screws or straps are removed from the panels in question, by the way!
Bringing this all back down to earth
Assuming that you're simply driving rods for your grounding electrode system and don't have metal plumbing to care about, the grounding electrode conductor system for this become not much more complex than a mains-only setup would use.  You simply need to route a 6AWG or 4AWG GEC from the ground rods to the inverter disconnect's neutral block, using an Arlington GC50 to bring it into the box, in addition to the obviously needed AC grounding electrode conductor, which runs from the rods to the AC disconnect or outside panel on the coop.  (If you did have a metal pipe to bond, you'd need to run a fat 3/0 copper wire from the inverter disconnect to the plumbing bonding point to serve as a bonding jumper.)


Repair holes in galvanized sheet? So far, I've only seen other questions around here about galvanized pipe or duct, so here's a new one for you all!
I'm trying to patch up holes rusted through a telescope observatory's dome. The panels themselves are, according to documentation, Galvalume; the rest of the structure, g-90-grade galvanized steel.
I'm not a welder nor do I expect the community college has funds to hire one for this job, though I understand that would be the most ideal fix. I also never heard back after asking Facilities if anyone on staff had repaired galvanized metal before.
So, I think this is gonna be a "DIY" job. My thought is to repair by sanding/grinding away the rust, applying some sort of metal filler putty, and then painting over with a galvanized-approved paint. The dome is incredibly difficult to disassemble (i.e. we need to rent a crane), so I'll have to do this in-situ... so, products need to be OK with high humidity and possible rain (though I can cover with a tarp) while curing/drying.  This is in Hawaii, where there's equal part bright sunlight (read: intense UV) and rain exposure, salt breeze (one mile from ocean), and no chance of freezing.
Q.1 - what sort of filler putty to use?
Permatex makes a 25909 "Liquid Metal Filler", which claims excellent adhesion to galvanized.
3M Bondo Gold also claims adhesion to galvanized. Weirdly, I emailed 3M and they stated Bondo "is cosmetic only, not an adhesive" and that they "do not manufacture/market a product to meet your needs". Hmm.
I figure that I'll need a fiberglass or polycarbonate patch to reinforce the inside of the larger holes (well, definitely the couple of 3-inch totally-rusted joints that might just need to get chopped out).
Q.2 - how large of a hole can I get away just filling in, before needing a reinforcing patch? Half-inch? There are two spots that are just pinholes right now, but they're directly overhead (the sliding shutter tracks have foam insulation that's above these points), but once I sand them down I expect to have to patch a larger area.
Q.3 - Is there some reason to not use a "cold galvanizing" spray-can paint to finish over these repair areas? I am looking at Rust-Oleum 1685380, which states to not use another primer or topcoat when used on galvanized. It says it is an epoxy ester product.
Thanks for your time and any past experience!
Edit: Just found I could add pictures.  Here are a couple to help illustrate:
The bad seams, from inside:

The bad seams, from outside:

Pinholes, about 12 feet overhead:

The worst area, plus surface rust:

If the rust is superficial and not has not corroded through the roof panels a light sanding with 60-100 grit sandpaper on a sander will remove the most of the rust down to shiny metal. What I like to do next is to apply a rust treatment such as Permetex Rust Treatment (found here
1: https://www.amazon.com/Permatex-81849-Treatment-10-25-Aerosol/dp/B000BKC25K/ref=sr_1_7?crid=1WIHUOS5UN97Y&dchild=1&keywords=rust%20treatment%20for%20car&qid=1607738762&sprefix=rust%20treatment%2Caps%2C213&sr=8-7). This will change the rust to a black inert polymer primer and prevent it from spreading. Once it is dry (black) it can be painted as usual. I'd recommend any enamel alkyd type paint specifically for exterior metal. Rustoleum has an Industrial-type paint for tractors and machinery (found here)   If the rusted metal is perforated or has through holes you will need an extra step to repair the damaged area. Start by sanding the rusted area as before. Remove the rust until you reach shiny metal again. Spray with rust converter as before. Now here's where you'll need some artistic skills. Depending on the profile (shape, plane, detail) of the damaged area you'll need to fit a patch of galvanized sheet metal , cut larger than the hole. You'll have to shape and bend the patch to the existing roof section. Allow an additional 1-2 inches of the new patch to extend past the hole. Mark along the new metal edge where you will drill holes for round head screws to secure patch to roof. Next you can apply a continuous bead of 100% silicone onto the outside edge of the hole. Lay the patch over and screw down with sheet metal screws. Apply protective coating to repaired area. This is a general answer to your question. There are many products and several ways to repair a metal roof. I've answered with the easiest and most durable way I've found. Your roof, I'm guessing is movable to open and close. Be wary of any repaired area that may interfere with the moving roof.


Converting electric receptacle with one hot and two neutral wires to GFCI I'm trying to replace my washing machine receptacle with a GFCI one.  The home was build in the early 70's and there is no ground wire.
The receptacle had two neutral wires and one hot wire.  I found the breaker shut it down, but then when I was working on the outlet I got zapped.  It appears that the two neutral wires are on different circuits.  I went and turned off some other breakers until all everything was dead (used a tester this time).  I took my multimeter and found this

Connecting one neutral and hot (with the breaker back on) reads 120 volts.  Connecting the other neutral to the hot reads 240 volts.  We're having our electrical service updated in about a year and some new circuits added for a shop upgrade and I think this will get addressed then if needed, but I'd still like to get the outlet working so I can use the washing machine.
Do I just pigtail the two neutrals together and use the line part of the GFCI?
Thanks for everyone's help.  This site is awesome.
Here's a picture of the box.

You have a multi-wire branch circuit, which is where two line wires (your red and black wires, on opposite legs of your service) are allowed to share a single neutral (white) wire.
The wires that come out of the upper-right conduit should go to your panel; the conduit on the bottom hole should continue on to some other load.
You should measure 120V across the black and white wires that come out of the upper-right conduit. If there is no load at all completing the other circuit, you’d see no voltage between the black wire and the white wire from the bottom conduit. But if there is some load on the other side, you’ll see 240V.
Two things you should fix:

The two circuit breakers serving this multi-wire branch circuit should be handle-tied (or use a two-pole breaker) so you can’t have a live neutral wire in this box when only half of the circuit is off.

The neutral should be pigtailed so that removing the receptacle doesn’t interrupt neutral to the other half of the circuit. The two white conduit wires should be wire-nutted together with a third short piece of white wire that goes to the receptacle.

Then connect the white pigtail and the black wire to the “line” side of your new GFCI receptacle. Don’t connect anything to its “load” side.


Where can I find information on making footbridges with a long span? I have a creek I need to cross with a footbridge.  While the creek is only about 3' wide, the main span of the bridge will have to be somewhere between 14-17' feet long, due to low, wet, and loose ground around it.  I also have to deal with wetlands regulations, so I don't want this bridge to be something large that is part of a major project.  It'll be easier to get approval (due to wetlands regulations) if I stick with just wood rather than pouring concrete footings or using other materials or making something like a suspension bridge.  I'm hoping to keep this bridge to a 3' wide walkway with simple railings.

I've found this site on building arched footbridges (he calls them "rainbow bridges").  If I went that way, it would be much more complex than just a flat bridge and I'd have the issue of having to make concrete footings specific to the bridge plan to handle the forces at the end of the arches.

I've seen at least one video of someone making a flat (non-arch) bridge with a 12' span using paired 2x6 boards for each beam.  I have found tutorials on span tables, but I'm not clear if information designed for a larger surface area such as a floor or roof applies to a walkway or bridge that's only 3' wide, where the load is spread out over only 2 or 3 beams.  Also, since the load would be people walking on it, I'm not sure how that breaks down to the amount of weight per square foot.

The idea of using paired or laminated boards as beams sounds appealing, since it's much easier than building an arch.

Will span tables work just as well for what I'm doing as for floors or other surfaces?  If not, where can I find information that will give me an idea of what I'd need to use (such as paired or laminated boards for supports) to give me solid support for a span as long as I need?

The Scout Pioneering website contains information on how to build several bridges. I am guessing that most of these are more complicated than what you had in mind, so if you want something simpler, you can attempt flat span bridge using 2x12's for a span between 14 and 18 feet. On the latter page the author goes on to say that "[i]f you are thinking of building any bridge with a span greater than 20 feet, you better get a structural engineer involved, plain and simple", which I am inclined to agree with.

Note that none of those links say anything about the actual load-bearing capacity of the bridges, but I would assume that most of them would work fine for one or a few people crossing at a time.

If you want to calculate maximum load, it is complicated, especially as the materials in the bridge are likely to deterioriate over time - especially if the environment is wet. Some simple calculators for point loads and distributed loads can be found online to give you an idea of what your bridge can take, but as they make clear on their website, they provide no guarantees. In other words, if you want someone to guarantee you that your bridge is safe, you'll most likely have to hire an engineer, as circumstances change from bridge to bridge.


Can I use a well pump cable to supply a sub-panel? I have a pump cable (red, yellow, black, green) going from my house (in buried conduit) to my garage. It comes from a 200 amp service box on a 240v 30amp breaker. Previous owner was going to put in new pump, but city did so and wired it. Wire from house is just sitting there. I have a new Square D Homeline 100 amp 12 circuit box. Can I use the 240v pump wire to power the new box? If so, how? I only need 120v in garage. This is a flat cable with four individually insulated conductors, these conductors are also separated within the casing itself. wire is 10/3 with ground USA.
THANKS IN ADVANCE.

Assuming you are in North America somewhere based on your descriptions.
As a generalization without being able to see the cable, "pump cable" typically means a flat, rubber insulated type of multi-conductor submersible cable intended to drop from a control box at the top of a well to the pump that is submersed in the bottom. The extra conductors are usually because in those submersible single phase pumps, the starting capacitor is left at the top in that control box; it's not physically attached to the motor as it is on regular single phase motors, so the wires for the capacitor in the motor circuit have to travel in that cable. Submersible pump cable is considered "conditional use" cable and cannot be used for anything else, at least not per code. Running power to a garage is considered "permanent" wiring, so you have to follow all of the rules regarding that. If in conduit, the conduit must be buried at the correct depth for the type of conduit it is, then you have to make sure you do not over fill it (not likely in this case though).
What you could do is to use that existing cable to pull the correct cable back through that conduit. The rubber pump cable, if that's what it is, may not want to cooperate though. Good luck.


Are these my ground wires? So I'm replacing a ceiling fixture and my new fixture has a ground wire but the old one didn't. My outlet box has two places where wires come in - one with a black, white, and bare and the other with a black, red, white and bare. The bare wires are both attached to screws to the outlet box - I'm suspecting that these are my ground wires, but if they are I have no idea how to attach the ground wire for my fixture, both because the existing wires are so short and there are two ground wires in the outlet box but only one on the fixture. I've added a (not great) photo of my outlet box in case that helps. The fixture's mounting bracket does have a green ground screw on it as well.

The two bare wires are your ground wires, but they are not installed properly according to current codes (even though as long as the screws remain tight it should provide sufficient fault protection).

To be installed properly, there should be a "pigtail" from under one of the screws in the back of the box connected with a wire nut to the two ground wires AND the ground wire from your light fixture. That's a total of four wires in a wire nut.

The one on the left is horribly short. The one on the right is even shorter. Since you may be unable to connect them properly, you can try leaving the one on the right as is. There may be enough slack on the one on the right that you can pigtail it as described above (three wires in a wire nut).

Never wrap more than one wire under a screw. It's nearly impossible to get a solidly reliable connection with more than one wire under a screw, unless it's the type that has a clamping plate and is designed for more than one wire, but in that case you're not wrapping the wire around the screw.

If you find it impossible to use a wire nut because the wires are so short, go to Home Depot or Lowes and get some push-in connectors. They're similar to wire nuts, except you push the wires into holes (one wire per hole) like into the back of an outlet. (I don't like the "backstab" connections on outlets, and I'm suspicious of these connectors, but in this situation it may be the best option.)


Cutting through Shed style roof I'd like to install a new window to increase ventilation & install a new window a/c in this room as the long window in the picture doesnt open. The only way I'd get an ideal window placement is if I cut through the shed style roof. I have 2 options for locations but both require cutting either end of the shed roof.
The 1st pic would allow me to install a window of about 34"w. The 2nd  allows for a bigger window but am concerned removing the roof support.

How feasible is this project? Has this been done before? What do I need to be mindful of? What tools are best to use?

From a distance view the project in the first photo appears feasible. There are many factors at play here including:

Whether you even need the shed roof at all and could simply fully remove it.
What may be inside the wall area already including wiring or plumbing vent.
Locations of existing studs in the wall and how framing has to change to accommodate the window.
Restoration of the house siding in area where roof is removed.
How to properly flash the window so that rain does not get into the wall.
Opening the shed roof to re-frame one end may result in need to re-shingle it.

Due to the nature of the questions you asked, including the question of what tools would be required, I would suggest that you at least get a couple of contractors to give you some bids on what they think it would take to complete this project. Being on site to see first hand they can give you a lot better idea of what is needed overall than we can from several photos. Even if you decide to do the work yourself the consultations will put you way forward in the process.


Correct Wiring for Furnace Blower Motor After getting my furnace blower motor replaced, it now runs only in the following scenarios:
1. Mode "Cool" Fan "Auto"
2. Mode "Cool" Fan "On"
3. Mode "Heat" Fan "On"

In other words it will not run when in "Heat" mode with Fan "Auto". I believe it could have something to do with the way the motor is wired.

Please see the images and link below for information on how it is currently wired. Any advice would be greatly appreciated as we are moving into winter quickly here!

Thank you!

-Zach

Click here for Furnace and Blower Motor Information

Wires Coming from Original Furnace

Wires Coming from new Blower Motor

How the wires are connected currently

check resistance from white wire "neutral". To Each wire. The higher the resistance the Lower the speed. Brown wires. "brown, & Brown" with white stripe. usually go to capacitor. (on 120 Volt) motors.
 Example>>> White to black, check resistance. write it down. white to red, White to Blue. The Higher the resistance, The slower the speed. Black is "generally" HIGH speed. Red Is "generally" the lowest speed. This is NOT always the case. ALWAYS check resistance to verify the proper wiring speed.
  Cooling mode is "generally" The highest speed. Heat is "generally" medium to Medium HIGH. Depends on the furnace AND the manufacturer specs for HEAT TEMP RISE. Always Check TEMP rise on all blower replacement.
 Hope this helps..


What is this metal inside my wall? Last night I was try to put up a shelf across this narrow wall protrusion in my semi-finished garage. Magnetic stud finder registered on the edges but not in the center of the wall, so I believed it was a standard wood framed in piece of drywall. When I started drilling pilot holes I made it about 1/16" into the plaster before I hit something metal. Same on the other side. What could this be? It's garage level. I can't think of any reason why there would be a ventilation duct there, or why someone would skim coat a duct anyway.

what could this be?
can I still into it for my shelves, which I already cut to exactly the width of this wall?

Judging by the thickness and location of the metal you detected it seems like you might have metal drywall corner bead, which is typically installed on the edges of drywall to reinforce the area and prevent chipping.
Assuming that is what you found, the corner bead shouldn't interfere with the installation of shelves. That doesn't mean there isn't anything else behind the drywall that the stud detector isn't picking up, so proceed with care.


Securing brick, rock or pavers on artificial turf I want to build a backyard putting green. The company I am going to buy the turf from (Garden-mark) says to lay the artificial grass over prepped ground as if laying pavers and secure the turf with spikes.
I would like to add rocks or paver edges (for the golf ball and addition hold down for the turf) and obstacles (like a tunnel), something like this:

How would I secure the rock or pavers to each other?  To the turf?

This is somewhat discretionary, but either mortar of the correct type or landscape adhesive should do to bond the stones. I'd think gravity would be adequate to hold it in position on the turf, or you'd install a concrete footing, bond the stone to that, and install turf around it.
Depending on how larger your stones or edgers are you may not need anything.


How to anchor brick vertically to concrete slab Here's a concrete slab porch that was finished with paving bricks on top, and then matching pavers attached to the vertical front face with what appears to be some form of Liquid Nails.  The pavers sit on dirt.  The adhesive is failing to adhere them to the concrete.

What other materials or methods might durably hold these vertical pavers in place?

I've used this Loctite Premium for many types of concrete. It's waterproof and should work well with your pavers. Good luck


How do I maintain air quality in a newly finished basement of a 1925 home with no ductwork? I just bought a house built in 1925 but it has just been professionally renovated, including finishing the basement as living space. The home has a boiler for radiator and baseboard heat. There is no duct work for ventilation nor AC. My question has to do with whether or not it would be advisable to install an air to air exchanger in the basement.

On the plus side, a 1925 house tends to be fairly drafty. Not an ideal thing if you live in MN, but it can be considered a benefit as it typically means you have plenty of airflow in the home.

The main air quality issue in your basement will likely be mildew/mold. That will depend on your climate (is it humid?) and the quality and type of finishing that was done in the basement.

If it is a humid region, definitely invest in a quality dehumidifier. If you already have central air, and it can handle the extra space, definitely add the basement space to the HVAC system to help circulate. Having heat in the basement is good too, as the warmer air will eventually rise through the house pulling in newer air into the basement space.

Other things you can do would be to install ceiling fans...a relatively cheap way to help increase air circulation.

And as others have stated, definitely get a Radon test.


How can I fix this loose chandelier mount? This is the mount for a chandelier in our dining room.  I can tug downward on it and it's pretty solid.  There's still something holding it in place but when I push up it jiggles around.  It should be flush with the ceiling and not loose.

Is this something that someone with limited home improvement skills can fix?

Update:

So I took the faceplate off and unscrewed the mount and it was mounted to this bar about 18" long that's not secured to anything. It's just laying on the sheetrock. There are joists on either side, or plywood above, that I could mount the bar or something else to.

With another floor above try removing the plate on the face of the box and see if there are some screws that are loose you can tighten, if no screws , push the box up is it hitting something? That will be a cross brace to screw into. The box is usually less than 2-1/2 deep and with a floor above there should be 6-12 “ clear above the box other than the brace, I have had nails come loose and used screws to reattach the boxes in many cases over the years. The box may also be attached on the side in that case shooting a screw or 2 into the joist would work.


Lutron LED/CFL Dimmer switch turns lights off the wrong way, up is down and down is up. What's the problem? I bought the $20 Lutron Dimmer Switch (TGCL-153PH-WH) from my local big box hardware store. It dims the Cree LED bulbs great. There is just one problem... no matter how I install the wires the switch always tuns off in wrong position. The dimmer is marked UP and the has two terminals on the right side plus a wire at the top for ground.

I had to install it upside down for it to turn the lights on in the UP position. This matters because the slider is on the right side of the switch, sure I can use it upside down (with the slider on the left side but I don't think it's right)

The two wires in the terminal were Black and Orange. I used a fluke tester and determined that the black was hot. This switch actually powers an outlet. From that outlet I've attached 14-2 wire to "steal" electricity off it. What seems to be the problem?

You've probably connected one of the 2 power wires to the incorrect traveler terminal on the switch.

This switch can be used as both a standard two-way switch as well as a three-way switch.  (A three-way switch is used when there are 2 switches controlling the same device.)

In standard two-way arrangement, one of the power wires should be attached to the common terminal (this screw is a darker color than the others) and the other power wire should be connected to the terminal on the opposite side of the switch (according to this switch's wiring diagram).  These two terminals are connected when the switch is flipped "up".

The third terminal (on the same side as the common terminal) is used only in three-way configuration.  If you've connected your second power wire here instead, then the device will receive power when the switch is flipped "down" because this is when that terminal is connected to the common terminal.


Do light fixtures have to be CSA approved in NB Canada? Will electricians install light fixtures that are “UL and “ETL” listed in NB Canada or Do light fixtures have to be CSA approved in NB Canada?

NEW BRUNSWICK REGULATION 84-165-3(1)No person shall install, attempt to dispose of, dispose of or use any electrical equipment, electrical fixtures, appliances and their components which are not certified by the Canadian Standards Association, the Underwriters’ Laboratories of Canada or any other recognized testing laboratory acceptable to the Chief Electrical Inspector.
Each testing lab has specific marks for Canada, if ULC or ETLC approved there is a small c located outside the circle around the 8:00 position.


Fix Garage Door Bracket My garage door bracket is starting to pull out from the top panel of the door.  Some friends of mine have pointed me to a opener reinforcement like the one linked below but others have suggested mounting a steel plate to the door and using the existing bracket.  I am concerned that the Home Depot reinforcement wouldn't stand the test of time.  Does anyone have any experience with either of these methods?

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Clopay-21-in-Opener-Reinforcement-Bracket-Kit-4125479/100069364

Steve, from the looks of the picture it appears as though part of the bracket is fastened to wafer board. In this cas it may pay you to put a steel plate (1/8" should suffice) under the bracket for support. Hover I do suggest doing it to both sides, since it is a matter of time before the other one loosens. Good luck!


Can dried out joint compound be rehydrated? I have a container of dried out drywall mud and I wondered if there is anything I can do to make it usable again.

Drywall mud is so darn cheap, why would you do this?

That said, I actually tried this myself one time because I was temporarily without a car to get to the store, and I was impatient.  I managed to get it to a somewhat workable consistency, but no matter what I did, I couldn't get the lumps out of it.  I think if I'd let it sit and re-hydrate over a longer period, perhaps I could have worked out the lumps.  But by that time, I'd have the car, and I just threw the lot of it away.


Can I tile on top of laminate underlay? I have removed the laminate flooring in my hallway and I have left the underlay in place for the time being. I am flowing the tiles from the kitchen into the hallway and the underlay nicely levels the tiles to match. I was wondering if it is possible to keep the underlay down and tile directly on top of it?

All the underlayments I have used for laminate are flexible. With a flexible base your tile will crack and the grout will crumble, not in years time but with each step. So I would say No you can not use this as a base for your tile.


Quick repair for cracked wallpapered ceiling I'm decorating a room on a non existent budget and have a ceiling that has cracked plaster with wallpaper on it which has torn. I can't afford to have it replastered and don't have time to strip it etc. Therefore I wondered if anyone has any tips for covering up the cracked parts or fixing it somehow... Polyfilla over the top doesn't appear to have worked (see picture). I did consider cutting out the cracked paper area but am unsure if this will cause the plaster to fall off completely... Maybe tape would work?

See photos to see what I'm dealing with. Lighter is for scale!!

Ok so in the end I cut away a small section of paper where the crack was to 'level' out the surface. I then just filled in the gap using polyfilla, sanded and painted - yes it doesn't look very good but it's a massive improvement on what was there.

I think the correct fix would be to cut away a larger section, use special tape to repair the crack and then paste new paper over the area - using a non uniform cut (zigzag/rough). At least that's what my old man told me!

Ultimately the best thing to do is replaster it.


Cosmetic fix for a cracked wooden window sill I live in an ancient apartment and last night I leaned on the window sill only to cause small cracks in the wood and paint to appear, as you can see in the photo.

What would you recommend for cosmetically repairing the cracks? I don't care to replace the sill completely right now.

Any wood filler that cures will be fine. (Avoid things labeled "non hardening"... these sometimes have "putty" in the name.) Sand it smooth (120 grit sandpaper, with the grain), then try your best to match the paint.

That does look like it's about to break off, though. Don't lean on it any more.


Harbor Breeze Fan lights go out after 20 minutes Harbor Breeze Fan lights (3) go out after 20 minutes or so but fan keeps working on a single wall switch. I have same fan in another room works fine. I just installed this one yesterday. I can turn the wall switch off and back on lights come on for 2 seconds and then back out but fan keeps working. Seems to be the same candelera bulbs on this fan as the other ... they came with the fan.
Any help appreciated.

In modern fans there is a current limiter, these devices limit the wattage of the lamps and they do go bad, I have had to bypass them in my personal fans but when on the job they have to be replaced in this case it is cheaper to replace the fan. Some are electronic 3 wire and some are simple 2 wire from what I have found. If changing to a lower wattage lamp won't fix it the current limiter is bad.


What are our options to update this brick facade? I'm interested in updating the look of the brick facade on our house. The first image shows the wall and planter below the window and the two planters by the entry way.

The previous owner painted the brick red and the mortar white and we want to get back to a more natural, monochromatic, color scheme. Our initial thought was just to repaint the brick but I 'm wondering what other options exist short of replacing the brick?

So, assuming we want to reach a more of a dark gray color, what would you do? What are my options other than painting the brick again?

Thanks!

Your cheapest route would be to paint it by far. If you want to change the texture of the wall, have it stuccoed. That can be done in 2 ways, a 3 coat system with a cement based finish or the 3rd coat can be a latex based product that is normally used in EIFS, (exterior insulated finishing system) The color is part of the finish coat with either system.

The top row of brick will need to be removed to tie the stucco in under the siding edge, leaving the brick there will create a water trap and allow water to get behind the brick. This system is around 3/4" to 1" thick. It can be thicker, sometimes thinner, but I would not let anybody try it.


Circular saw blade clogs nonuniformly I rip cut few pine boards today with my circular saw and noticed that only a third part of a blade is clogged up. Should I be worried about unbalanced blade or some arbor problems?

You should only be worried about it if it's a problem with respect to your woodworking. Circular saws are by their nature not extremely precise tools. There's a lot of potential for movement as you work.

Reasons for your findings could be a warped blade, a bent arbor, worn motor bearings, sloppy blade installation, or a number of other things.


How to and what tools do I use to cable between 3 floors at my house. What tools do I need and what techniques do I use to to cable a cable (coax) between 3 floors.   Actually it's from my first floor of a two story home to the attic.

I have searched and searched and I can't find the answer.  I see flexible drill it extensions but nothing like a good 6 footer.

I want  to know from professionals what is used and any possible videos.  I am having problems because I think I have the wrong tools.  I keep loosing my drill bit extensions in the wall.

As an update I wanted to let everyone know that I got the super long drill bit rods and extensions and made all of the ports myself.  I like hard wire to my stationary devices (tvs, media devices, and pcs) and I also like hard wiring WAPs so that I always have the best wifi coverage.

I ended up dropping almost 2k of car 6 in my house and 1200 feet of CCTV camera cable.

Enjoyed learning and thanks everyone for your help.


Realign this front door I'm trying to figure out how to fix the alignment of my front door. Sorry if I get the terminology horribly wrong, but here goes.

Three of the four corners of the door line up almost perfectly, but the top corner on the strikeplate side of the door sticks out (into the house) by about half a centimeter. The spacing between the door and the jamb is roughly equal all around (so it closes nicely), yet this one corner sticks out far enough to look funny and to prevent the weather stripping from making contact, leading to a noticeable draft. I'm not really sure what other information would be useful, so I'm just attaching some pictures in hopes that somebody can either identify what adjustments are needed, or tell me what further information I can provide to facilitate a diagnosis.

These images show the problem area:

If three corners match but the fourth is off like you describe then it means that either the door jamb is not a vertical flat plane of that the door itself is warped. It is most likely to be the door because presumably at one time the installation of the door frame/jamb and the door matched up.

The most normal fix for a warped door like this is to replace it with a new one. And if you are going into that level of work it is totally a good idea to carefully evaluate if the door jamb should be replaced at the same time. Sometimes a new door will fit and work better with a new jamb because the opening can be cleared out all way to the rough opening framing. Then the new jamb can be properly plumbed, checked for square and shimmed on installation.

If an old door is a particularly unique period piece that you would like to try to preserve it may be that it could be worked on to eliminate warpage. This can be labor intensive and end in no hope for recovery if the wood of the door styles is already twisted. On the other hand an antique door may have come apart in the joints and allow the door parts to move around. In this case it may be possible to strip the whole thing back to bare wood and see if it is possible to re-glue the joints. Sometimes this can also be achieved by attaching surface mounted brass plates on both sides of the door at the bottom or top.


well pump kicking on and off every few minutes my well pump kicks on every 5-10 minutes even with no water usage. It runs for a half a minute then shuts off.

There's a leak, assuming the pressure is varying and the pressure switch is operating normally.

If you are not seeing a leak, the most likely one is in the check valve at the bottom of the well (though we don't have any information about the type of pump you have - on a submersible pump, that check valve is in the top of the pump itself.)

You might also have a leak in the pipe between the well and the house, or in the well itself.

Finally, you may be running water in the house without being aware that you are - water softeners with faulty valves have done this to me, and leaky toilets are another common cause. If you have a main shutoff valve after the pressure tank, you can shut that off for 10-30 minutes or so and see if the pump still runs every 5-10 minutes or not. If so, look to the well side - if not, look in/around the house.


what is the name of this lightbulb There is an engraving on the bulb: 6v? 120v
This is for a motion-activated floodlight and I want to replace it with an LED but I don't know what to look for that fits this socket.

Perhaps Halogen 100W.

Not sure what the 6V is. Maybe "GV", Walmart's Great Value. They have these bulbs.
Or GY, for GY-type pin-lamp base. There are different pin spreads under the GY family, so make sure you have the right one. See also  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bi-pin_lamp_base (as suggested in the comments by brhans)
Here's an overview for any interested readers:

From https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/b7/73/19/c0beebbacf9410/US8888332.pdf
Here's a link to the above bulb:
https://www.wayfair.ca/HeathZenith--100W-Halogen-Replacement-Bulbs-SL5591A2A-L338-K~HEH1120.html?refid=GX185650380210-HEH1120&device=c&ptid=266190925378&targetid=pla-266190925378&network=g&ireid=3346990&gclid=CjwKCAjwxuuCBhATEiwAIIIz0aQYFiIG9NljPwFZQVfdkUB0BdFae-QcAWGvnQl_A0sqbbXqZTJJHxoCRPUQAvD_BwE


house cracking inside and out have a three level house in the south suburbs of chicago. the house was built on marsh land in the late 70's . when we moved into the house the previous owner remodeled the lower level removing the garage and opening it up meaning taking out the inner house wall. we have lived here for 3 years and have noticed a couple cracks in the foundation and drywall cracks inside the home , no water however but i am on a slight incline . the park seems to flood majorly when it rains .    can i build a new wall, should i have a foundation specialist look at it??

The relevant professional are structural engineer or civil engineer.  Internet advice cannot suffice for a complex matter like cracking or settling, especially if there is a chance a structural wall was removed in a multistory home.  You should start by getting a copy of all relevant permits at the building department and taking photos to document the current cracks.

Your local building department may be willing to come out and inspect the home: but beware they have the ability to force you out of the home if it's unsound.


How much of a damaged shower wall should I replace? I was trying to fix a few crack tiles yesterday, upon removing the loose tile, I found out the dry wall on the back has developed some mold, I removed all the mold drywall, and think about replacing the drywall with some Cement board as the drywall is definitely NOT a good idea to put behind the shower tile? My question will be whether I need remove all the tiles and replace the whole wall, or just replace the damaged area? Any suggestion will be highly appreciated.

Yes, you want to square off the drywall so your cement board will fit snug so as to lesson the amount of repair to do. Use cement board mesh tape to do along joints and any where the tile meets a joint.

Down on the bottom is that dark area the shower pan? If so make sure it is behind the cement board so it doesn't leak. The area you had to use tape you now want to take some thinset mortar and using a 3/16 notched glue trowel, take the flat side and smear thinnest along the seam to fill in joint so you won't have a leak. Be neat and as flat as possible--you don't want up and down tiles! Let that set over night and next day if you have a sanding stone go over any rough areas with it before starting repairs.

You will use thin set (no latex) to attaché tiles to cement board. When you are done allow overnight to dry. Also clean any thinset on tile or stuck in grout joint. Use a utility knife to clean joint and clean with moist sponge.

Next day it is time to grout. You want to take a sample of your old grout and try and match it at your local big box store or a tile store. Do the best you can. To grout you will need a grout float a margin trowel and it looks like unsanded grout. Mix grout with margin trowel to the consistency of peanut butter. Smear grout on wall with grout float. Use float on a 45 degree angle to work grout into grout joints.scrape excess off with float and allow grout to dry for 10to15 minutes. You will see the grout haze over on the tile and this means it's time to wash off. Take a damp sponge and wash over grout joints on a 45 degree angle. Take sponge and wash out in clear water. Now take sponge and make one pass straight down, turn sponge over and make one more pass over dirty tile. Now rinse sponge out in rinse water and repeat whole process over until whole wall is clean. Change water after you finish and wash again in 2 hours.

Good luck.
Mike


Can I use an outlet splitter with my air conditioner? I live in an old apartment building, and there is only a single outlet anywhere near the only window in my living room.  My Air Conditioner works great with it, but now I can't use the desk lamp and digital piano that were plugged into that outlet (with a splitter) while the A/C is running without running an extension cord across the floor.

I realize that you're never supposed to use power strips or extension cords with air conditioners, but there are ones that are apparently meant for this.  However, I can't find any that are splitters (i.e. they all are just one male to one female).

I don't need an extension cord per se - just a splitter, like this.  This is rated for 15 amps, and the A/C says it's only 6.3 amps, so I'm assuming it's ok (not sure what the piano is, but it uses a thin cord without a ground so I assume it's not much).

Would that be ok?

Side question - even the cheapest power strips I can find are rated for 15 amps - and from what I can tell, the household outlets are usually 15 amps.  So why can't I just use any power strip or extension cord, if the A/C only pulls 6.3 amps?

Your AC only draws 6.3amps when its running.  But when it turns on, for a moment as the motors start, it draws significantly more.  Many window air conditioners say in the manual that they need a dedicated circuit because of this.

These startup surges may melt cheap powerbars and splitters, eventually causing enough damage to be a fire hazard.

Additionally, those surges cause the voltage to drop which can wreak havoc on delicate electronics like an electric piano.  Usually not destructive, but enough to make it malfunction.

Assuming you cant get permission to have more outlets installed, run an extension cord, preferably for the other electronics near the window.  Make sure that extension runs to an outlet on another circuit, and that no other large loads or sensitive electronics are on that circuit.


How to reduce a garden rocker's squeaking? Last night I finished mounting a garden rocker (it's something like this).
It looks and feels nice but unfortunately it's very, very squeaky when used, especially when I'm barely moving it.

Is there anything I can do to attenuate the squeaking?
I was thinking about changing the springs or adding some sort of rubber to the current springs.

The current rocker's spring looks like this:

If all the fasteners in the frame are thoroughly tight, put a drop of 3-in-1 oil on the end of each spring where it goes through the eye and contacts metal (two on the upper end for each side) and see if that gets rid of most of it.

Squeaking is caused by metal-on-metal contact where there's minute movement and no lubricant. Changing out the springs won't take care of where the squeaks usually come from.

After lubricating the spring ends, if it's still squeaking, have someone sit in the swing and observe the bolted joints for slight movement. If they're reasonably tight, you might hit them with something like Tri-flow lubricant spray between the joined pieces and wipe the residue off. The spring coils wouldn't be hurt by a little of that either as an anti-corrosive.


Identify source of current in phone lines and reclaim use of phone lines? I'm trying to use a VoIP system in my home's existing phone lines, which I have little knowledge of. The two bedrooms are connected. I can hook up my Obitalk adapter in one and get a dial tone in the other room.

The kitchen is a mystery. There are two six strand UTP bundles coming through in the panel, and only one pair actually has a current running through. I can turn off the VoIP and still get current. I can turn off my breakers and still get current. I measured it at about 26 V. My impression is it's coming from either the phone company, an old security system, or something else that has a battery backup that I haven't found. I figure the phone company would have a disconnected message if I dial out. I'm not sure about security companies since I've never had one. What seems likely?

Whatever the case, I'd like to connect the kitchen so it's on the same circuit as the bedrooms. What should I be looking for to do that? I know there is an access panel in a closet which appears to have phone wire bound together with some of those twist on caps.

Based on the description, it sounds like you (or a previous owner of the house) USED to have traditional phone service and do not have that any more. If you are still paying for phone service then you may want to look into porting the number to VOIP instead of simply turning off the phone service and using VOIP with a new number.
Find the Network Interface
The network interface is the connection from the phone company network to your local equipment (phones/fax/etc.) With newer homes this is typically a clearly marked box with an easy to disconnect connection between the inside wiring and the phone company incoming lines.
In an older house this may be simply a small terminal block "anywhere" with one pair of wires for each phone line coming in and one or more pairs of wires (like the 3-pair UTP you found) going to the rest of the house.
A newer network interface will typically be on the outside of the house or together with electrical and other connections inside the house. An older network interface could be "anywhere", though near the electrical panel is typical. If your utilities come from overhead wires (aka telephone poles) then you can often trace the wires around the house and look for where the phone wire (typically smaller than the main electrical service) goes into the side of the house and look for a terminal block on the other side of the wall. If you have underground utilities then it will be a little harder to find where the wires enter the house.
Disconnect the Old
Once you find the network interface, disconnect either the incoming (phone company) or outgoing (home wiring) wires. With a modern network interface, it should be very easy to disconnect the home wiring. With a terminal block, it may vary. If you are not 100% sure, take a picture and/or mark the wires clearly so that you can put everything back the way it was previously. If you disconnect some wires and you still get 26V on the UTP then you haven't found the real network interface - but you may disconnected one section of phone wiring from another such that your VOIP would only work in part of the house.
Connect the New
Depending on how the VOIP works, you may be able to connect it directly to the network interface. However, many systems are designed so that you can simply plug the VOIP line into any existing phone jack and all other phone jacks on the house (sharing a linked pair of wires) will be instantly "live". You can use a line splitter to make the the jack used for the VOIP connection live at the same time.


How to efficiently trim 3mm polycarbonate with portable tool(s)? I have a square of 3mm thick polycarbonate (aka "Lexan" after a common brand, though mine is a different brand) that is roughly 50cm along each edge.

I need to trim a few mm off one corner and part of one side, as viewed from the front, in order to fit this polycarbonate into an aperture that is not quite square:

         ~5mm ↴
              ↔
|------------\--|  ↑
|             \ |
|              \|
|               | 50cm
|               |
|               |
|---------------|  ↓
 ←    50cm     →

(Diagram not to scale.)

I tried using a small surform, but although my surform is sharp enough to work well on wood, it makes very slow progress in this polycarbonate sheet. Coarse sandpaper also makes very slow progress.

I am thinking of using a tenon saw to cut off the corner concerned, but I am concerned about cracking or otherwise irreparably damaging the sheet.

Bench tools aren't an option, unfortunately, both because they aren't available on-site, and because there wouldn't be room to deploy them even if they were available.

Question: does the tenon saw sound like a good bet, or is there a better tool to use? Either way, should I do any specific prep, such as applying masking tape where I will be cutting, to reduce splintering?

If you have to use an unpowered hand tool, then a file or possibly a hacksaw will work.  Anything with coarser teeth than that (like the saw you linked to) will be very difficult to use on such a hard material and cracking is likely.

If you can use power, a belt sander will work.  An angle grinder iwth a cut-off wheel or Dremel tool will also work, but they can be a hassle to use if you have a long cut because they cut slowly and stink because they melt the material as they go (use in a well ventilated area).


How do I tell difference between doorbell transformer and furnace transformer? I’ve been searching for way too long for the doorbell transformer in our house (I suspect it’s not putting quite enough juice for a Nest Hello doorbell setup as the Nest Hello works but the chime doesn’t sound because the solenoid moves but not as much as it needs to).

Anyway, I’ve been looking for this doorbell transformer in all the typical places, such as behind the chime or the button, in the circuit breaker panels, garage, closets, attic, crawl space, etc. and not finding it.

The one thing I found that looks like a transformer is on top of a galvanized metal switch in the closet with the furnace (Trane XL-80 gas furnace). I was guessing that it was a furnace transformer, but is it possible that this is the doorbell transformer?!

Update: What is this?

Your pic is a furnace transformer. A furnace transformer will be located close to the furnace and in most cases is mounted to the furnace itself. Doorbell transformers are a different story. I've found them in walls, behind the chime. I've also found them in the attic as well as the basement or crawlspace.


What material can I put along a sharp, thin metal edge? I have some sharp aluminum sheet metal, about as thin as a sheet of paper. I need to put something on the edge to protect other items from being cut by the edge. This could be a piece of rubber that fits over the edge, for instance.
The nearest product I can find is the edging on sheet protectors. It has a "U" shape, so you can clip it over. The problem is I need 200 ft! Is there a kind of product in the building world that serves this function? I looked through many window sealing strips, but could find nothing with a "U" shape that could fit over a thing sheet of metal.

I second Nate's comment that folding the edges is your best bet - it'll give you a small, slightly rounded edge, instead of a sharp edge, and it will stiffen your panel. The drawback is that you probably need a sheet-metal brake to make this happen in anything resembling a neat, time efficient fashion, especially for 200 copies.
This is a small portable brake, bigger counter top & freestanding models are also available:
Image courtesy of HarborFreight.com. No endorsement implied. However, for your one-time use, this one may be right up your alley, so the endorsement is, basically, intended.
If, for whatever reason, you cannot get your hands on a small brake and can't find a local shop that'll do it for you, I'd suggest some clear rubber hose, something like refrigerator line. You can buy whatever diameter best suits your needs, then "just" run a slit down the length of the tube and slide your sheet metal in.
I say "just" because this will be time consuming, but it shouldn't be difficult. A sharp utility knife will easily cut the tubing to length, then will also allow you to slit it. It shouldn't matter too much if your cut wanders a bit (i.e. doesn't go straight down the length of the tube), as the tube itself will happily twist to line up the slit with the edge of the sheet metal.
The tubing is cheap enough that you can buy enough for a couple of trials to see if it will work for you, and you won't be out much if it doesn't.


Code requirements for adding several outdoor outlets around my garage I have been doing some reading and feel just about ready to add some more outlets to my garage. I would like to add 2-3 more outlets, 1 on one side at the top (maybe under the roof overhang) for Christmas lights, and two on the front of the garage for more lights and using tools. I planned on adding a new 20amp GFCI breaker with 12 gauge wire. By the way, I am located in Alameda County, California.

I will list all the code rules I am aware of here, but can you guys help me identify any more I might potentially need to comply with?

use circuit breaker of same brand as panel
must use gfci protection on all outdoor outlets (this should be covered by my breaker)
outdoor outlets must be at ground level to 6.5' high (does that mean I can't put the outlet under the roof overhang)?
I must use at least 12 gauge wire for my 20 amp circuit
wire must be stapled to wall studs near where the box is put in.

Thank you all for the help!

You're almost there, but not quite

First off, matching breaker brand isn't quite enough to get you there, you need to use a breaker that your panel is labeled as compatible with (either via the loadcenter UL label or a labeling supplement provided with a classified breaker), as Square-D and Eaton (Siemens was this way too, but recent changes have ameliorated the situation) have two mutually-incompatible loadcenter product lines, and some loadcenter assemblies use other folks' breakers for one reason or another.

Second, an outlet can be more than 6.5' off the ground, but that means two things.  First off, that outlet no longer counts as the outdoor outlet required by the Code in 210.52(E), so some other outlet has to do that job instead.  Also, that outlet cannot have a GFCI put there, because said GFCI is no longer readily accessible.

Finally, you need an "extra duty" while-in-use cover (hood) on the outlet to keep water out of it, as well as a weather-resistant receptacle.  These combine to mitigate water damage to the receptacle, but aren't perfect -- in particular, the plastic while-in-use covers are prone to breakage especially in cold conditions, so a metallic type is recommended instead for the extra robustness it provides.


Does RedGard count as a rubber sealer in a shower? In standard poured shower pan construction there is normally a rubber layer between the bottom flat layer, and the upper sloped layer.

Today I came across the following "updated" method:

(credit: Mr. Money Mustache)

I am under the impression that redgaurd is used primarily to keep splashes and overflow from causing an issue, and not as a primary water repellant.

Is redgard, or any comparable product, able to hold up under this kind of abuse?

Yes that is what RedGard is for (I assume you are planning to tile over the top of it).  It is a waterproof membrane, it stops any water that might make it through the cracks in the tile (or grout).  It is not intended to stand up to the abuse of a normal shower wall or floor so it must be covered with tile.
From the company's website:

Rated for extra heavy duty service
Meets Uniform Plumbing Code specifications for use as a shower pan liner

I used RedGard to waterpoof behind my tiles in my tub surround.  It was pretty easy to work with.


hook and eye orbital sander problem I have have a hook and eye orbital sander. My problem is that the sanding disc come flying off after a few minutes. Is there anything I can do to increase the duration the discs are in place ?

Assuming you're using the correct adhesive system for the pad, there are two instances where this will happen:

1) Your pad is old and will no longer hook the loop, you'll have to replace the pad, generally about 15$ and you can easily do it yourself.

2) Your pad is incompatible with the sander you're using(rare if you're using the same system). It happens sometimes even with the same system sanders where the hooks on the sanding pad are agressive as are the loops on the disc, causing the loops to tear off the disc damaging the hooks on the pad. This may have happened in the past.


water not turning on for washer supply valves For some reason my hot and cold supply lines to my washer are not working.  My washer was not filling so thought it was the washer but after taking the hoses off no water through the valves.  I have a newer house 8 years old and have the 1/2 turn red and blue valves at the wall.  I turn them off and on and nothing.  I can see the valves open.  All other water connections are working.  I turned off the main valve that comes into my house and no help.  I live in Richmond Va and we had some very cold weather so maybe a pipe is frozen but would it really be hot and cold?   I tried to find the pipes in my basement and seems like they are all PVC not copper.

Also not sure if part of problem but in the laundry room I have a sink and it seems no cold water is coming out only hot.  It was working before I turned off the main though.

FYI they were working a couple days ago when I did laundry.

Any help greatly appreciated before I call a plumber.

Without seeing the lines, I would say frozen. Sometimes if you can access them, you can tap on them lightly and see if there is a change in the sound from one section to another, follow the pipe all the way from the appliance as far as you can. It it sounds hollow in one section closer to the washer and more solid the other way, you have a blockage of some sort. Try to carefully heat the pipe where it sounds more solid close to the hollow section. You might also be able to "feel" the pipe for hot or cold sections. Usually of the wash basin and machine are close, they feed from the same pipe and if you have water at one and not the other, you have a blockage.


How do I seal seams between bricks on a patio without using sand? I have a patio that's made of bricks with fine sand filling the gaps. This is turning out to be a maintenance hassle. Every time the kid or dog gets mud or crud on the patio I hose it off and manage to blow more and more sand out of the cracks.

Is there a way to seal the seams between the bricks or use something more sticky than sand... like a fine grout? I like the look just fine, but it appears that I'm going to be spending a lot more time than I desire on maintenance of my patio.

What you are looking for is a joint sand stabilizing sealer.  That should prevent washout as well as weed growth in the joints.


How can you tell if it's safe to hang weight from the ceiling? I live in Canada and my house is made of wood. I'd like to mount gymnastics rings to my ceiling. I weigh roughly 90kg and I know you're suppose to find joists and attach weight there, but I don't want to pull my ceiling down. Is there a way to test or tell if my ceiling will take my weight? Especially since it's dynamic as I will likely be swinging.

It's impossible to say with any confidence without knowing the details of your house's construction.
If there is a regular room above (not an attic) the ceiling you want to hang the rings from, normally those ceiling joists above are also the floor joists of the room above.  If it was constructed to modern guidelines those are going to be pretty strong - if you hang the rings from two parallel joists so the load is spread across two joists, and your attachment is sound and solid, that should be strong enough to hold you.  After all, it would hold you if you went upstairs, stood over the rings, and jumped up and down.
However it may very well cause enough movement to damage the ceiling drywall, make the floor squeaky, etc., especially if you made a habit of it.  If you were jumping up and down on the floor above, the subfloor and floor would help spread the load.  With rings, the forces generated by your weight and motion are focused on a single point and may cause the joists to flex more than intended.
If your attachment is not solid, that's a whole different story.  For example if you anchor your eye bolts into strapping rather than joists, that will either rip down the ceiling, rip out the eye bolts, or both.  If you find a joist but hit it off center and crooked, the eye bolt will look fine from below but will be hanging by a little sliver of wood and will rip out under load.  If you're upside down on the rings when that happens, it will be ugly.


How do I wire half hot receptacle to 2 switches? I am trying to wire a half hot receptacle to 2 switches on opposite walls. One switch is already wired and working with the receptacle using 14/3 cable. The single pole switch has hot (black wire) on top, red on bottom, and neutral (white) married to other neutrals in the wall box. I have a 14/3 from opposite wall already wired into the same wall box.
How do I correctly wire in the wall box and to the opposite wall switch so that it can toggle receptacle on/off, with the power source at the original wall box? I tried it by pigtailing reds, neutrals, and black at the wall box. At the opposite wall switch I wired black on top, red on bottom and capped the neutral. This didn't work, as the switches work independently of one another but will not toggle each other on/off.

Three-Way Switches
You have standard toggle switches. You need three-way switches. A standard switches on/off. A three-way switch switches one common wire to alternate between two other traveler wires. Pretty much any standard toggle switch can be replaced with a 3-way switch - regular, Decora, etc. The most important thing is running 14/3 (or 12/3 on a 20A circuit) between the switches instead of 14/2, but you did that.
There are a few different ways that these switches can be wired. This is specific to your particular configuration. Note that there is no standard for where the screws are on switches! On a standard switch, it doesn't matter which wire goes to which screw. on a 3-way switch, it does matter. The instructions should make it clear, but pretty universal is that there will be different colors - one screw (= common) silver and two screws brass (= travelers) (or vice versa). I will refer to them as common and travelers, as that is what matters, no location or color.

Original switch box:

Old Black = hot = common screw on replacement 3-way switch.

Old Red = switched hot = white wire coming from new switch box.

Old White = neutral = still passes through, as currently connected to other neutrals.

New Black = traveler = traveler screw on replacement 3-way switch.
New Red = traveler = traveler screw on replacement 3-way switch.

New switch box. Replace standard switch with 3-way switch as follows:

Black = traveler screw

Red = traveler screw

White = common screw

White vs. Neutral
There is one more complication. Neutral and white are normally the same thing. A switch loop is an exception. In recent versions of the NEC, most switch boxes need to have neutral in a box, for new work. With a regular switch loop (one switch), the solution is to use /3 cable instead of /2, so that you have Black = hot, Red = switched hot, White = neutral. But with a 3-way switch, you need 3 wires so that means going to /4 cable, which is not nearly as common. If this were an existing circuit then this would not be an issue. But the 3-way 2nd-switch is brand new here, so grandfathering does not solve the problem.
I think you are OK here because one of the switch boxes in the circuit has neutral. But I am not 100% certain. If it turns out that you need a neutral in both boxes then you will either need /4 cable or use smart switches instead.
Assuming that you are allowed to use white as a common switched-hot wire, then you need to mark both ends of the wire (e.g., colored, but not green or white, electrical tape) to make it clear that this white wire is not neutral.


How to repair a microwave door with a broken spot weld My microwave door slacks down and I have to lift it up a bit before shutting it. I sent this picture to Frigidaire and asked what I should do:

Their support emailed me back saying:

  I'm sorry, there is no screw that goes in the hole. that actually is a
  broken spot weld for the hinge. The hinge cannot be repaired.

Here's a short video of the issue:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMWu6HFAwN0&feature=youtu.be

I want to fix the issue without replacing my entire microwave. Anyone have any ideas on how I can fix this?

Don't do it.

Microwaves, while safe, emit a significant radiation that is controlled, in part, by a carefully designed door interlock system. If it is compromised, there is a risk of radiation leakage.

You don't fix microwave doors, you send it back for them to fix or you replace the entire unit.

Period.

SUPPLEMENT

The World Health Organization (WHO) has this to say about microwave oven safety.

  Microwave safety: The design of microwave ovens ensures that the microwaves are contained within the oven and can only be present when the oven is switched on and the door is shut. Leakage around and through the glass door is limited by design to a level well below that recommended by international standards. However, microwave leakage could still occur around damaged, dirty or modified microwave ovens. It is therefore important that the oven is maintained in good condition. Users should check that the door closes properly and that the safety interlock devices, fitted to the door to prevent microwaves from being generated while it is open, work correctly. The door seals should be kept clean and there should be no visible signs of damage to the seals or the outer casing of the oven. If any faults are found or parts of the oven are damaged, it should not be used until it has been repaired by an appropriately qualified service engineer [emphasis added].

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says this

  Checking For Leakage: There is little cause for concern about excess microwaves leaking from ovens unless the door hinges, latch, or seals are damaged. If you suspect a problem, contact the oven manufacturer, a microwave oven service organization, your state health department, or the closest FDA office [emphasis added].

The problem described is not just tightening a screw or putting a seal back in its track. The door is misaligned and poses a risk. Trying to realign and weld parts of the safety system seems very ill-advised.


Is my p-trap too low? We recently installed a new sink and because the drain is in a different spot decided to replace the plumbing. This is the preliminary set up. My question; is the distance from the bottom of my p-trap to the exit pipe to great?

Don't mind the towels and baking dish we were just making sure we had no leaks.

You seem to have way more piping that you actually need. Some points to be made reference this picture:

There is freedom to rotate the whole disposer to optimize the piping.
You should be able to cut off a portion of the disposer tail piece at (A).
You should be able to eliminate part (B) and the elbow (E) to the left of it.
The sliding connection part of the p-trap at (C) can be directly attached at the cut off end of (A).
The other side of the p-trap (F) should be able to directly connect to the elbow piece at G enters the pipe at W on the back wall. Rotate the disposer and the amount that the elbow piece at the wall penetrates into the wall (W) to adjust the fit of the pieces going together. The amount you cut off of part A will be determined by what it takes to line up the opposite side of the p-trap (F) with the piece from the wall (G).
Note that the plumbing piece that you currently have at (G/W) will most likely need to be changed because the coupling at (F) is not normally a slip type joint. A p-trap can be purchased that has the mating part for the joint at (F) as a part of a kit.


Is it possible to create a 4"x4" channel through concrete using acid? I'm trying to figure out a possible way to eat through concrete without damage pex tubing inside (its a radiant heated slab). Is there any way using some type of acid (hydrofluoric, muriatic ) to eat a 4" wide and 4" deep channel through the slab that could be tapped out with a blunt chisel? Pex tubing is resistant to most acids so wouldn't be damaged.

Secondly would this be cost effective (under $1000), I need this channel to be about 71 feet long.

No, and no. Acid isn't controllable that way.

And hydrofluoric acid is really nasty stuff.


3 way switch wiring for heater I have a heater with a built in thermostat. I also have another in wall switch (looks exactly like a ceiling light switch) that controls if the heater is on or off. I want to replace the in wall switch with a different switch that has a timer so that I can control when the heater goes on and off. I realize this will not allow me to control the thermostat.

The wiring of the in wall switch looks like this:

The front is like this. The black wires are on the left, the red wires on the right.

I though this would be wired like this 3 way switch but it looks like the in and out wires are not at diagonally opposite ends of the switch like in that diagram. I could also be misinterpreting the diagram since I don't understand the wire colours. I assume the red taped group are hot and the white taped group are neutral but don't know which wires in the taped group are in and out.

The wires with red tape around them are at 120V, the wires with white tape around them are at 0V.
Can someone explain how this circuit is wired?

This is a job for a programmable thermostat, not a timer switch

The heater in question, a Cadet RM162, is a 240VAC unit, hence the two pole switch (which was inadvertently disassembled by the OP).  The timer switch the OP has, unfortunately, is a single pole, 120VAC unit.  While a relay could be used to get around this limitation, it's cheaper and easier to use a line-voltage programmable thermostat instead, such as the Honeywell TL8230A1003.


Is there such a thing as a backless junction box/conduit fitting? I have a battery enclosure for a small off-grid solar installation, and I want to run the battery cables out of the enclosure to the DC breakers and inverter. I'm looking for a backless junction box of some sort to mount on the back of the battery enclosure to attach the cabling conduit to. I can cut out a 6'' x 6'' area on the back of the enclosure to mount the junction box to, run the cables from the inside of the enclosure into the junction box, and then (preferably) through punch-outs of conduit fittings at the top. Does anyone know of such a product?

Try using an 11b extension ring or a 1900 extension ring.  Actually made to deepen a junction box, but should work for this application.


Is an electric heat gun powerful enough to help aid in metalwork? I've seen videos where metalworkers will heat up some sheet metal with a blow torch to make it more malleable. Could this be done with an electric heat gun (just working with ~1 to 2mm thick steel and aluminium)?

The electric heat gun of the typical 1500 or 1750 Watts would not be particularly capable of heating the metal up to the red temperature where it gets more malleable. Especially for metal that was 1 or 2 mm thick. The metal acts too much like a heatsink.


Is it okay to mount this switch with a metal box? I am mounting a bathroom vent onto a piece of plywood.  I took a 3 prong extension cord and cut the end off and wired it into the vent.  The other end of the cord will be plugged in to a receptacle.  I am wiring a switch into the extension cord to control the vent on/off.  My question is, is it safe to mount this switch onto the piece of plywood with a metal box?  It just seems like I might have to worry about touching the box and getting shocked.

Thanks for your advice.

Extension cord cabling is not designed for permanent installations (someone will quote you the NEC reference, I'm sure).
Is the receptacle properly grounded?
If you attach the ground to the metal box or to the switch's ground connector (which is connected to the mounting yoke, which should make metal-to-metal contact with the box) the box itself will also be grounded and you shouldn't have a problem.


Difficulty attaching 2x4s to poured concrete wall We are novice DIYers attempting to finish our garage walls in a 10 year old Ryan Home with a poured concrete foundation.  I had planned to lay the 2x4s flat against the wall, meaning I need a fastener of 1.5" for the lumber and additional length for the concrete.

Initially I purchased a Ryobi hammer drill and two packs of Tapcon 2 1/4" concrete anchors which came with a drill bit.  We were able to drill one hole with difficulty and the bit was burnt out by the time our second hole was barely started.  I tried drilling several different places in case I was hitting reinforcement.  At this point I was concerned I had done something wrong and damaged the bit.

I stopped at Ace hardware and asked their advice and they weren't sure what was causing the problem.  They recommended I try a powder nail gun, which I purchased along with Ramset 3" pins and yellow loads (listed as 4/5 power, the strongest Ace had).  When I tried this the nail was still protruding 3/4" from the wood, which means that it made it less than 3/4" into the concrete.  This has led me to believe that there is some sort of reinforcement in the wall or in the way the concrete was mixed that is causing problems.

Is there something special about some concrete walls that needs to be taken into account and worked around when finishing them out?  What could cause the standard methods of securing lumber to concrete to fail like this?  Should I simply try again with the same powder load and a 2 1/2" pin?

EDIT

Given the difficulty in getting through the concrete, would it work to treat it more like an interior wall and completely frame it on the floor, then lay the whole thing against the wall?  That would allow the 2x4s to provide structural support against each other instead of the wall, minimizing the concrete anchors I need.  It would also address issues with the concrete wall not being completely flat.

Or would that not be a good idea?

The drill bits that come with the screws are junk.

Also if you don't have a Slotted-Drill-Sytem (SDS) Hammer drill then all you have is a drill that wants to be a hammer drill when it grows up.

I have one of the Milwaukee's like that and had the same problems until I dropped some money and bought a Bosch SDS. I wanted a Hilti but the price was a little high for a homeowner. Hilti is all our contractors buy for a good reason. They are the best. The Bosch I bought is a good runner up though. Makes a ½" hole 3" deep in solid concrete in about 45 seconds.

You could still use the semi-hammer drill but get your self some good carbide tipped drill bits and pack a lunch.

Good luck!


Why won't my pool pump breaker reset? After extreme rain for a week my pool breaker has flipped off twice and now won't reset.  Should I wait for the ground to dry or contact an electrician?

As a commercial electrician I feel confident in a few things about this. Contact and electrician. You have several variables that need to be evaluated by someone with experience and the proper equipment.

Don't force the situation. It could be something simple like a failed breaker, or something more complex that could mean replacing pump parts, wiring, and so on.

Don't take the chance, bring in a professional.


How can I run a new light circuit from a GFCI outlet? Okay, I would need to know how to put in a 120volt pull switch light fixture in my pantry closet. I do have a GFI outlet that is near my pantry and pretty much the closest power source.
(See photo)
I'm seeing a black(hot) white (neutral) green(ground) and I see a RED wire from one of the bundles in the box. Then I see 2 other bundle wiring sets that looks like is pigtailed going to the other parts of the house? From what I could tell, the GFI is interconnected with other outlets around my living space- in other words when I pushed reset all the other outlets near me turned off. Though I am not at all familiar with red wiring?
Could I have someone here tell me or draw me a diagram of how I would wire my light fixture to this GFI please?
I know the  VERY basics of electrical work, so the better detail you can describe for me the better it is for me to understand

To wire up a pull string light switch you basically just need to bring "hot all the time" power to it. The same sort of unswitched power you bring most plugs in your house. The pull cord on the light will act as the "light switch". So you just need a black (hot all the time) wire and a neutral (right back to the panel) wire.

Looking at your GFCI you will notice you have it right there. Your GFCI will be labelled LINE and LOAD on the back of the plug on the plastic. Whatever wire nut the black and white wires go to on the LINE side of the GFCI is where you want to attach your black and white wires going up to your light.

So in review. Take a 14/2 wire, run it from your GFCI box up to your octagon box for your pull string light. On your lamp base put the black wire on a copper screw and the white wire on the silver looking screw. In the GFCI box, look at where your white and black wires coming off the LINE side of your GFCI are going (to what wire nut). Attach your black wire from the octagon box to the wire nut the black wire from the LINE of the GFCI went, and your white wire from the octagonal box to wire nut the white wire went from your LINE of the GFCI.

And don't worry about the red wires for now....


Need help with new kitchen sink plumbing Just did my countertops and had new double sink installed. The new sink drains are not centered as before, but offset.  The installers took out the old one before I could take a picture of setup. The old setup had the garbage disposal installed on the left side.  With the plumbing that is in place now what will I need to get the two sinks up and running? I bought a new garbage disposal as well to install on the left side like before. Do I need major work done to get the plubming all sorted out or is this an easy fix with just extra pipes and some cutting and adjusting? If anyone can give me some feedback or diagram of how it should work for my situation that would be great. I'm attaching pictures of what I have right now. The new sink came with one drain assembly and one strainer. Please let me know what other parts I will need to complete the project.

You'll want to mount your disposal so the outlet of the disposal can mate up with the pipe that's connected to the wall. It looks like it's currently positioned pretty close if you mount the disposal on the right. If you want it on the left then you'll probably need to shorten the pipe going into the wall and swing the trap around 180 degrees. The outlet of the disposal should point down and it will fit into the opening on the pipe that points up. The horizontal inlet that's on the pipe that's connected to the wall will conect to the pipe laying on the ground, the other end of that pipe will connect to the sink strainer.


Replacing sink trap with a flexible one? Bathroom sink was not properly installed. It is a little misaligned. I cannot align it appropriately because the rigid  trap pipe does not allow for it. I am thinking of replacing the P Trap ( only the U shaped pipe) with a flexible one.
Here is a picture:

Can I connect a flexible plastic P trap to both metal pipes? Or what is best material?
What else should I take in consideration when replacing the trap? And any product recommendation?

Here is a picture of how the sink is shifted to accommodate the pipes:

You sure can attach the plastic flex to the metal. Just buy a complete trap kit and it will have all the nuts, pipe and washers needed to switch it out.

Another possible option is to try to twist the wall side of the pipe a little in the direction you need.