Replacing electrical panel halfway embedded in EIFS stucco I need to replace a main load center from the side of my house (it's FPE, so it's gotta go).  Plus the utility is willing to increase my current 100A service to 200A, so I'll need a new meter base for that.
This house originally had wood siding, and about ten years ago it was covered with EIFS, aka synthetic stucco over styrofoam.  I'm not sure if the wood siding was removed first or not.  The good news is that it was fully permitted, and based on the install date, should be the modern kind of EIFS with a drainage channel behind the insulation.
I believe this panel was surface-mounted on the original wood siding, and then when EIFS is added, they just went around the panel, so it's now sitting halfway between surface mount and flush mount.  From the other side of the wall, I can see the metal of the box, so it looks like the drainage channel is not continuous behind the box, but rather they flashed to the sides of it.  I don't see any signs of water damage at present.
I'm trying to figure out my best option for replacing this box while still keeping my wall watertight.  So far I've thought of a few options:

Abandon the current panel in place, and (surface mount) install a new one right next to it.  Wire length is not an issue, since most of the circuits will be moved to a new subpanel in the garage (where all the wiring to the house crosses anyway), and the new service drop will give me the length on the service entrance cable.  In this case, I would need a new wall penetration for 2" minimum conduit for the feed to the subpanel.  Probably the worst option aesthetically, but by far the cheapest and easiest.

Demo some of the EIFS directly around the panel and masthead conduit, remove the current panel, and surface-mount a new one in its place.  This will require widening the current hole since modern panels are not available as narrow as the current one.  With this approach, I expect significant challenges getting it watertight, and I'm not sure I'm comfortable DIYing it.

Remove the current panel and install a new flush-mount panel.  This approach would probably look the cleanest, but I've mostly ruled it out because the stud spacing in that part of the wall isn't wide enough for modern panels, so the wall's framing would have to be significantly altered, in addition to the challenges waterproofing it.

So my questions are, what approach would you recommend taking, and how DIYable is it?  If I go with option 1, how difficult will it be to seal around a conduit penetration in EIFS-with-drainage over wood?

EDIT: Some more pictures showing the wall's construction: 1) looking up at the wall's layers from the foundation, 2) looking at the back of the box from inside the garage, and 3) a picture near a hose bib on the other side of the house that shows all the EIFS layers

As requested, measurements.  The brown box represents the closest spot on the building to the utility pole, which is directly on the opposite side of this driveway, 22 feet away.

Your problem: lack of wiggle room
With around the corner off-limits due to the garage door, the space to the right of the existing panel being problematic due to what appears to be a telecom service drop that's sort of in the way in addition to having little to no room for any flashing or such that's called for by the new installation, and the 3'-from the corner limit SMUD imposes on service equipment, our options here are limited.  That limit only leaves us with 9" of space from the left edge of the existing service equipment to the centerline of the new service mast.
This, in turn, renders many EUSERC-compliant meter-mains unusable for us, as their utility-side overhead service hub fitting sits more than 9" from their right edge.  (The common designs put the meter and pull section on the left with the breakers or loadcenter on the right; this was done to allow the same meter-main to be used for both overhead and underground applications.)  However, the SMUD residential overhead service requirements do not require EUSERC approval (contrast with their residential underground service requirements, which do require EUSERC-approved service equipment), which gives us a few more options. We do need to stick to ring-style metering, though; while the SMUD requirements documents don't explicitly call it out, EUSERC-compliant service hardware is required to be ring-style, and their technicians are unlikely to be familiar with how to handle ringless hardware as a result.
As a result of these constraints, our options are limited.  We can go with a conventional over/under ringstyle meter-loadcenter such as the Siemens MC2040S1200SZ or Square-D SC816D200C; however, their 14.5" width and centered top hub leaves us with very little space to operate.  The Siemens MC0816B1200T is somewhat narrower at 12.5", but even then, that only gives us 2.75" of room for flashing and wiring between the old and new meter boxes, assuming the mast centerline can be placed precisely 36" from the corner.
A better option is offered by the Square-D C2M200S; while it uses a side-by-side configuration, it puts the meter on the right, with only 5" from the line-side hub's centerline to the right edge of the meter-main.  This gives us 4" of clearance for flashing and wiring under the same mast placement assumption as above; the tradeoff is that you get only a single auxiliary service disconnect with this option, instead of having a full panel to play with.
In-place alternatives
The other possibility here would be to install the new panel into the hole that the old one went into.  While this is possible, depending on the new panel, you may have to remove a bit of EIFS at the bottom or top to make the hole in the stucco tall enough, and you'll have to add EIFS at the sides in this approach as the new panels that can fit into that hole are narrower than what you're replacing.
In particular, I would look at an Eaton/B-Line 2M2RP for this application; while 32" tall, it is only 8" wide, and provides a secondary service disconnect of up to 50A alongside a 200A main breaker.  The Milbank U3574-RL-200 is also an option, and is an easier fit into the space at 30" tall, but lacks a secondary service disconnect, requiring a different means to be used for tapping the solar system into the grid. I'd use a pair of Eriflex SB2C250 power distribution blocks for this job, one each mounted on the upper left and upper right of the breaker compartment about 2" below the service barrier, with the "two hole" end pointing down, 4/0 Al XHHW-2s connecting them to the breaker load lugs, and 6AWG copper THHNs in the "top" holes for the tap conductors; however, insulation-piercing tap connectors such as Ilsco Kup-L-Taps may be a simpler, albeit messier, option.
If you need EUSERC hardware...
If SMUD does indeed require EUSERC-compliant overhead meter main hardware, then your options are a fair bit more limited.  The Square-D SC816D200C provides a conventional option, although with not much space (1.75") between it and the existing meter-main.  If one wishes to go with the replacement route, the B-Line 2M2RP will fit the bill; one can also use the U3574-RL-200 in this case, keeping the aforementioned caveat about tap conductors in mind.


Why would the light switch control the fan and the fan switch control the light? We replaced  8 ceiling fans in our house and they all worked great until the last one.  It was wired correctly according to the directions, but now the switch that controlled the previous fan, controls the light and vice versa.  Is this a problem/ fire risk?  We are having trouble finding the answer to this.

You've likely just swapped a couple wires, if you even have to do anything. If the fan and light are controlled by simple snap switches, then you don't really have to do anything (other than relearn which switch is which). If you have specialty fan controls and/or dimmers, you'll want to switch things around.

In the ceiling box above the fan, there should be a wire connected to the blue wire of the fan, and the black wire of the fan. You'll simply want to swap these wires. So take the wire that is connected to the blue fan wire, and attach it instead to the black fan wire. Then take the wire that was attached to the black fan wire, and connect it to the blue fan wire.

If the wiring is more complicated than I've described (or a remote module is used), please post some photos of the wiring before proceeding.


Running 2nd sub panel from 1st sub panel I have a 200amp main panel running the house, I added a 100amp sub panel(#1)to power my finished basement,I installed a 100amp breaker in the main panel and ran aluminum feed to power the sub panel#1. I only installed eight breakers and have 12 spaces left in 100 amp sub panel#1 (both panels are in the basement). I installed a 60amp breaker in the 100amp sub panel#1 and ran ROMEX(TYPE NM-B)6/3 with bare ground Wire(to feed the future 2nd sub panel in attached garage) to my single car attached garage(6/3 wire is in garage awaiting 2nd sub panel).

I plan on installing a pool and expanding the garage to a two car in the future. What type of sub panel in the garage can I install to the 6/3 romex wire? Can I use a 100amp panel? The second sub panel will only power lights a few outlets and a pool.

Thanks, Garrett

Can't run Romex (NM-B) outdoors, need UF-B.

The "100 amp" or whatever on the subpanel is an absolute limit

OK so you live in Wyoming and the posted speed limit is 80 mph. The tire shop has tires rated for 85 mph, 112 mph, or 130 mph.  Would you want the 85 mph tires?  You'd be running them at redline all the time.

And so it is with subpanels. 100A or whatever is the redline, as far as bus rating.

The main breaker is irrelevant in a subpanel

As far as main breakers in the sub, that's only there to be a disconnect switch, so the amp rating on it doesn't matter.

So ultimately the answer is "feel free to use a 200A-breakered, 225A-bussed subpanel fed off a 60A breaker".

What would not be OK is powering a 100A-bussed panel off a 125A breaker.

Is your panel too small?

If your basement panel is getting close to full, one option now is to upgrade it to a larger panel, and then upcycle the old panel to the garage.

When planning breaker spaces, keep in mind NEC 2020 drops a bunch of new GFCI requirements that force even more (nearly all, at this point) breakers to be full-width breakers. Narrow half-breakers or 2-in-1 breakers (we call them double-stuff) can no longer be counted on.


How do I replace the bulb in this enclosed bathroom ceiling light? There is a small groove between the white and black sections, but it doesn't come loose with slotting a screwdriver in the groove.

These fixtures usually have a "bayonet" mount, requiring a partial turn, perhaps just a few degrees, and then pulling straight down on the plastic cover. After years, it may require a wiggle or two to break it loose.


building a home from ground up. money is not an issue. electrical wiring I am installing all new electrical wiring in an all new home. I would like to know whether it is better to run my lighting circuits with 14/2 wire from the panel to the switch then 14/2 wire to the lighting fixture or should I run 14/2 wire from the panel to the lighting fixture then use 14/3 wire from the fixture to the switch?

Be practical - not rigid

Only you know your home's layout.  Either go to "switch first" or "lamp first" depending on what is most practical based on the "lay of the land".

For instance, having arrived at a lamp, the nearest thing may be another lamp in another room.  OK, go there, and then to its switch.  And behind that wall is a third switch going to a third lamp. Etc.  Power-S=L-L=S-S=L for instance.

Also, you are allowed to "tee" in any junction box (remember junction boxes must be always accessible and cannot be covered over by any part of the building, other than lamps and cover plates), so if branching a "tee" off an existing circuit run makes sense, go ahead and do it.

Generally you use /2 cable.  You need /3 cable between a switch and all the lamps it controls -- unless the lamp(s) are at the very end of the string.

Avoid the too-many-wires trap - change routing

If you have 3-way switches, things get more complicated.  You can easily reach a point where you need 5 wires (hot, neutral, switched-hot, 2 messengers). /5 is hard to get, and you're not allowed to parallel cables to make one.  On these, slow down, graph it out and possibly change your topology - for instance make the other 3-way a dedicated branch with a /3.  Or use smart switches. Or change wiring methods to conduit and use as many single THHN wires as you need.

For instance if your layout is Power-3-L-L-3-receptacle that's impossible without /5, so you do it this way

 Power-3-L-L-receptacle
       |
       3

and only need /3.  Even if the /3 cable between the switches is laid right next to the lines to the lamps, it's not considered parallel because it doesn't connect electrically.

Other  tricks

Standard practices in house design are a compromise to save money.  No need for you to compromise, here are some things you can do better.

Run 20A (12 AWG) circuits even where not required -- though this is a lost cause with lighting, as with efficient LEDs, all the lighting in your home won't add up to 12A.

Put overhead lights in every room - the new thing of "don't install any overhead lights, just switch a receptacle" isn't trendy, it's just cheap. And it prevents use of dimmers.   EMT's and other first responders will thank you.

Kitchens require 2 circuits for countertop receptacles, but your chef would love to have as many as possible.  Most kitchen appliances which use heat use 1500 watts of power.  The max for a 20A circuit is 2400W, so it can't support two.  You can imagine in a 2-circuit kitchen, that will drive a chef nuts.  Can't run the skillet, waffler and toaster at the same time.    You can fix that by running plenty more circuits, and adding outlets beyond what is required, e.g. putting 2 dual receptacles where one is required.  Also think about where people like to charge their phones.

Either use GFCI receptacles, or use plain receptacles with GFCI protection upstream (e.g. at the breaker panel). To extremes: split each kitchen receptacle and run /2/2 cable (hot hot2 neutral neutral2) to the panel, and punch them down to two GFCI breakers.  That means each socket gets a dedicated breaker.

If you put the refrigerator on a dedicated circuit, that assures nothing else will trip it.  I hate the idea of GFCIs on a fridge circuit, as it only makes this trip problem worse.  Assure it stays dedicated by bringing it to a single receptacle (1 socket not the usual 2).  If you expect to have a chest freezer, also provision a dedicated circuit for that.

Same with extra circuits in bathrooms - hair dryer and curler and little electric heater!

Speaking of bathrooms, it's forward-thinking to lay conduit between the switch area and the overhead light/fan/heater/etc.  That way you don't have to sweat how many wires to put there, you can just pull what you need.

Ditto anywhere you put a ceiling-fan box.

Get the biggest panel possible.  The size of your service panel is no place to save $50.  We get lots of "My panel is full, help" questions but never a "what do I do with all these panel spaces?" problems.  Aim for the panel to have 50% spare spaces when you are done.

Use subpanels to avoid long hauls of many parallel Romex cables.  A friend has a long house with his panel on one end, not much in the middle, and a cluster of bedrooms and bathrooms on the far end. That's the perfect application for a subpanel, and a subpanel is an easy/cheap way to add a lot more spaces: instead of an expensive 60-space panel, have a 40 main and a 30 sub.  You could even feed a subpanel with a GFCI breaker, conferring GFCI protection to every circuit in it, and saving money on individual devices.

Speaking of refrigerators/freezers... Think forward about which loads would be most urgent for an emergency generator or solar-panel/battery/inverter system.  Put these in a separate subpanel, and leave physical space for a changeover switch, even if you don't install it.

If the load is just refrigerators, gas furnace and a few lights, I would get a subpanel that supports a simple manual interlock, fit the generator-side breaker, and put all the loads on one pole.  Then on the generator feed breaker, connect that pole to a 120V inlet socket.  That would be cheap/easy.  Then, with an extension cord and a small Honda generator, you could get critical loads lit without too much work.  You don't want to have no protection at all while you decide on whether to commit to the expensive, complicated rigmarole of a whole-house generator setup.


What Solutions are Available for Marble Floor Etching / Corrosion Below is a picture of what some of the tiles that have corroded over the past 25 years of use, look like in the our house.

I read this QA post, however, am not comfortable with the solutions provided, it would be expensive & they would have to remove each slap (they are big stones placed on the floor), resurface then put back in. Is there such a thing as marble filler or even transparent fillers which can fill these
corrosions?

That's too deep to grind flat.  It's somewhat of a "natural" look, so you could consider leaving it as-is unless the holes are big enough to be a hazard.  In that case, I would look at just filling the holes.

You can use clear resin, which will sort of keep the natural look.  A variation is to fill the holes with a mix of resin and marble dust.  If you can find a small piece of marble of a generally similar color (doesn't need to be an exact match), you can make your own dust with a grinder.  A marble supplier may also be a ready source of dust from other jobs.  That will look a little more like natural patterns in the stone (like the light colored blotches that are part of the existing stone).

When it hardens, you grind the filler level and polish it.  Experiment first to learn how the material behaves, and adjust your mixture to achieve the appearance you want.  Buy a few marble scraps to play with.  You can use a Dremel tool to grind out some holes to mimic the floor and practice on that.  Work with small batches so you have plenty of time to get each repair right.

You can also buy kits for repair of marble and other stone.  They tend to be epoxy with colorants that you mix to match the color, or an acrylic gel that you color.  Here are a few links (there are lots of options that a Google search will show):

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Custom-Building-Products-Travertine-Repair-Kit-TRAVRK/203919972
https://marblekareproducts.com/products/mk-hole-repair-kit-white?variant=553746433
https://countertopguides.com/shop/countertop-stone-repair/granite-marble-chip-repair-kit
http://acrylicrepair.com/high-quality-do-it-yourself-marble-repair

Disclaimer: I've never used any of these products, they're just examples as illustrations.  I mix my own.

If it's just a few tiles, you might be able to replace them from a marble supplier.  You won't find an exact match, but you might find something close enough (or what you think is a better match than a few tiles with patterns that don't match the others).

One other thought: If you use the resin and marble dust approach, that material will be almost a tough as stone and you may need an angle grinder and a collection of successively finer grinding heads or pads to smooth and polish the surface in a reasonable time. If you use one of the kits that are just colored resin, that material is much softer. It will scratch more easily, but you will be able to finish the surface quickly with a collection of successively finer sandpapers.

With the resin-only approach, you can put down a shine layer on the whole floor.  There are products like Pledge Floor Care that are a clear acrylic solution that dries to a film. That will get the abuse and you just periodically clean it off and apply a new layer rather than polishing away the repair over time, which would eventually leave dents.


How can I route a trap when the drain inlet is too close to my disposal unit? I am installing a trap into my new sink. I've installed the garbage disposal, and also the new strainer. The problem I have come across is the fact the trap is WAY too close to the garbage disposal outlet. I'm not sure if I can re-route without disturbing the water drainage flow.

Any help will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

This is really difficult to explain. For starters, you can't use the tail piece attached to the left basin. It's wrong. I've put an image together, but it's ugly. It still may help tho.


What is this type of garden appliance power socket? I've inherited a garden shredder with a missing power cable.

The missing cable plugs into this large 3-pin socket on the body of the shredder where the earth pin is female, and the other two are male.

Googling the make of shredder isn't giving me anything useful. Neither is searching for general garden power extensions etc..

The shredder is from a German manufacturer called Atika, but I am in the UK and it is rebranded as Parkside. I have no idea where the product was purchased.

If it helps, this video shows the power cable being inserted: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Vc36GJsqw0&t=6

Does it look proprietary? Tips appreciated so I know what to search for.

That's a CEE 7/7 plug often found in mainland Europe used in their sockets. It's for 220V on the male plugs (polarity doesn't matter) and ground to the female.

You should be able to find sockets for those online that you can wire to the female end of a (220V) extension cord.


Fixing wall with constant moisture over the years I live in Mexico where most of the houses are made by brick and cement. Over the years we have had moisture in the walls as shown in the images below.

As you can see, it looks like if the wall is falling apart. Even in some parts of the walls with this problem, we don't even have pipelines where it could be a potential water leaking. We have checked and we don't have any of those.

We have hired several masons to fix it and we have bought a lot of different chemicals and very powerful acids that eat the cement of the wall in order to kill the moisture but we have not succeeded, yet.

My dad told me that long time ago people used to put big chunks of charcoal in vases that sucked all the moisture from the wall but it seems that is a very old way to do it and the house would not look pretty with vases all over the house.

Is there a way or method you know in how to fix this for a long period of time?

I deal with excessive moisture in the house by using a portable dehumidifier. I live up in the Seattle area where we get a LOT of moisture. A side effect is that it creates heat from both the electricity used and that water vapor needs to release heat to condensate (the opposite of steam from heated water); this a positive in the winter (free heat from the water vapor) and a negative in the summer.


Can I use 4 x 4 to extend the space from the wall with a tv mount? I have my 60" tv mounted on a tv mounted to the wall per the instructions.  However, I do not get enough swivel before the edge of the tv hits the wall.  So I want to attach two 4x4's from the ground up to about 6 inches higher than the top of the mount.  My plan is to attach the 4x4's to the studs in the wall and then attach the mount to the 4x4's.  And if I still need a little more space from the wall, I was going to use 2x6 across the two 4x4's and attach the mount to the 2x6's.  My guess would be that if the 4x4's are attached top, middle and bottom to the stud and with the 4x4's touching the floor, there should be no problem???

That'd work. there are easier ways though.

If your TV mount is already mounted to studs  you could just pack your 4" or  6" of wood behind it and screw that wood to the studs then screw the mount to the wood. there's no need to have the wood extend all the way down to the floor.

I'd use 2x4s drilled half-way through with a spade bit and then screwed through the bottom of the holes to the studs with 4" chip-board or drywall screws


For installing a new exterior light on a brick wall, can I connect the wires in a junction box mounted on the opposite side of the wall? There is plenty of room to install the junction box on the other side of the wall and I would rather not put a box on the outside of the wall. Can I simply connect the wires in the junction box on the opposite side of the wall and mount the fixture to the brick wall?

So long as all the connections are inside the junction box you should be fine to do that.


Why are corded Drills so different from cordless drills? Typically the difference between the wired and wireless tool should be the wire or lack there off. However the the corded and cordless drills are both quite different from each other in typical design and extra features.

Common traits

Keyless chuck
Clutch for screw driving
Light
Spirit level
2 speeds
Spirit level
Screw/Bit holder

Common traits -

Keyed chuck is more common (Newest models are often keyless though)
The hook on top for hanging on belt
Usually 1 speed Gear box
Usually has a dial on the trigger to adjust speed
Button next to trigger to lock trigger
Sidehandle and depth stop

Why do these 2 tools look so different?
My guess would be that when they were designed corded was for industrial use, and cordless started as hobbyist.. and the design has not evolved as fast as the userbase has..

All of the "cordless" features debuted or were available on corded drills. The biggest factor now is that cordless drills have fallen so far in price that the market for corded is comprised entirely of people who have opted out of cordless. The superior holding power of keyed chucks, depth stops, secondary handles to counter torque, along with the more powerful tool make the corded drill excel at drilling multiple or difficult holes.

Other features which have remained on the corded drill are because of its superiority in continuous usage. The trigger lock can be handy if you're using the drill as a grinder, buffer, whatever. If you need to use the drill inverted for whatever reason it's easier than holding the trigger with a pinky. Setting the speed via a dial rather than trigger pressure is also preferable there, because you can lock in the slower speed.

The keyless chuck and clutch common on cordless drills are more user friendly when it comes to rapid bit changes and driving fasteners. The addition of the clutch necessitates reverse, because "only drives screws" is an awful selling point. Driving screws with a corded drill is easy, but breaking out the key every time you need to drill a pilot hole and getting out a screw driver if you need to back out a screw gets old really quickly.


Is there a trick to getting round HVAC duct pieces to fit together I have been doing some basic HVAC duct work as part of a remodeling project and I can never get the pieces to fit together without massive amounts of elbow grease and mangling the ends. Is there some kind of trick that I am missing that makes it easier? I am working with 6 inch, and 7 inch sheet metal duct and vent boots as well as some flex duct.

You need a duct crimper like this to reduce the diameter of the end of one piece of duct:

Run the tool around the end of the duct so that you have multiple parallel crimps. That piece should slide right into the uncrimped piece, giving you a secure connection to tape.

If you don't want to spring for a dedicated tool, I've seen where people use needle-nosed pliers to do the crimping.


What could be wrong with my Frigidaire dishwasher? I have a Frigidaire Professional Series 4300 series AquaSurge with Speed Clean. It seems to start running fine, but then intermittently pauses for varying lengths of time. This usually results in hot, steaming, sometimes-wet…dirty dishes. Sometimes it cleans fine, but this has turned into a rare occurrence. More often than not, the detergent tab can be found ejected but undissolved, somewhere at the bottom of the dishwasher.

I've tried troubleshooting this myself by sticking a camera and light inside and running a cycle. Here is what happened:

0:00 - set the program, shut the door, loud droning sound with nothing visible happening inside

1:00 - sound stops, and nothing happening

2:35 - opened door to have a look

2:55 - shut door and water immediately starts flowing into the dishwasher

4:25 - lower arm starts spinning and spraying

7:30 - upper arm starts spraying but not spinning, top mini arm is spinning and spraying

7:44 - water pressure of upper arm starts varying between normal and low, and top mini arm stops spinning and spraying

7:55 - water stops flowing out of upper arm

10:48 - bottom arm starts spinning / spraying again

12:20 - bottom arm stops, upper arm starts spraying (but not spinning), top arm is spinning / spraying

13:48 - upper and top arms stop abruptly and bottom arm starts shortly after

15:30 - bottom arm stops and upper arms going again

16:50 - upper arms stop, nothing happening

33:15 - my camera stops recording nothing

Any ideas what might be wrong with this thing, or what else I can try to get a better idea?

Per the manual,

  It is normal for dishwasher to pause (no
  sound) when the wash action is switching
  between the lower and middle spray arms

but 17+ hours, yeah, somethings wrong. Hard to troubleshoot, could be the computer in the panel, some sensor. I think you need to get it serviced


Why do most home automation products only control incandescent light bulbs? I have a new bare apartment due soon to work with. It's my first time investigating home automation but all I come up with are home automation products for incandescent lighting. Yet all my rooms have main fluorescent lights. Do I just have bad luck and somehow googled only incandescent light home automation? Or is this how the current home automation industry is?

I know that a part of many home automation controls are built in dimmer switches to control the level of lighting.  You can't use a dimmer control with florescent light fixtures.  The alternative is to use an appliance control instead.  An appliance control is on/off only, and this will work with flourescent light fixtures.


How would I wire a thermal circuit breaker and switch together? I want to wire a circuit breaker and switch to a GFCI and some other outlets. This is for power outlets on a work bench.

Something like:

I have this for a circuit breaker:

and this for a switch:

How would I go about connecting these and where would each wire go on the circuit breaker and switch. In other words, where does the load wire go and the line wire go.

The trivial way to do this is to buy an off-the-shelf power strip with a switch and 15A circuit breaker, and plug that into a 15A-or-more GFCI outlet.

If you don't want to replace the existing outlet, you can do what I did: Buy a standard 15A 3-prong power cord, a GFCI, a box with an outlet faceplate, and a strain relief. Knock out an appropriate size hole in the box, install the strain relief, run the power cord through that into the box, wire the power cord to the GFCI (with ground to the box as well as to the GFCI), close the patient. Bingo, portable GFCI that can be plugged into any 3-prong outlet.

Or you can look for a power strip that includes its own GFCI. Some do exist.

Yes, you can wire this up from scratch. But if you have to ask how to do so, it's safer AND not significantly more expensive to just plug together parts that are already UL-certified.

.....

Having said all that, the answer is that there are several possible arrangements that would work but the one I'd set up for you would probably be:

Hot from wall to switch, other side of switch to breaker, other side or breaker to GFCI Hot In.

GFCI Controlled Hot Out to hot of other outlets. NOTE THAT THIS IS A DIFFERENT CONNECTION FROM GFCI HOT IN. READ THE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY. DO NOT GET THIS WRONG.

Neutral from wall to GFCI Neutral In.

GFCI Controlled Neutral Out to neutral of other outlets. NOTE THAT THIS IS A DIFFERENT CONNECTION FROM GFCI NEUTRAL IN. READ THE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY. DO NOT GET THIS WRONG.

Ground from wall to ground connections of GFCI and all other outlets.

If the reasons for doing it this way aren't obvious, STOP and get someone more experienced to work with you.


Can I extend an electrical ground wire with a copper wire crimp? I am working with an electrical socket and I need extra length on the ground wire.  It doesn't seem unreasonable that I can attach an extra three inches to the existing one and attach it with a copper wire crimp.  Does anyone see a problem with this?

I have no extra slack on the rest of the wires, so I am not able to pull it through any further.

Technically, you should twist the extension bare ground wire to the short one and secure it with one of the copper crimps like you have pictured.  A wire nut certainly would work , but it should be green. Practically speaking, either way will work and be safe, just a matter if you want to follow current NEC standards.


Toilet Sounds like it is flushing but it is not 2 or 3 times a day, my toilet sounds like it is filling up - you hear what sounds like water running into the bowl and then a shut off noise but it is not flushing. I've taken the lid off and checked. I don't see any change in my water bill so I don't think there is a leak. Sometimes there is a gurgling sound for several minutes but also stops.

I've lived in the house 5 years but it is the original toilet from 9/1999. It looks to me like the insides are not the original.

Any ideas what this might be and how to stop the problem? It's actually woken me up in the middle of the night.

Your flapper is leaking, allowing water to slowly drain. Once the water level drops enough, the float valve opens to refill the tank to the correct level.

Remove the tank cover and check the flapper for a sticky hinge or mildew accumulation. Often, just a cleaning will fix the problem. Otherwise, the flapper can usually be replaced separately for a small cost.


Uneven poles for fence with wood railing? What can I do if the steel poles used for a fence are uneven? They're all supposed to be the same height, but for some reason, they're uneven (ie. surface is uneven, the welder din't measure correctly, etc). Every pole has a plate at the top where I can insert screws to hold a 2x4 long piece of wood. The poles and the floor cannot be changed.

What can I do if they're uneven? I was thinking of maybe using washers to fill up the extra space, but there has to be a more elegant solution.

Thanks.

It depends on the size of the gap. For very small gaps, washers will work just fine. For larger gaps, cut a piece of wood (same wood as the top rail) to shim the gap, and just screw through it. If the gap is excessively large, you'll want longer screws, or you'll want to screw the shim to the long 2x4 first.


How to fix drywall bowing from exterior, blown in insulation? Last July, we had a company come out and blow insulation into the cavities of the exterior walls...

We've seen the issue for a while, but have been ignoring it, but now I am working on one of the rooms and would like to remedy it.

Basically, house was built in 1974.  Drywall was secured (properly) around exterior edges, and only glued throughout the center studs.  Naturally,  that glue bond has deteriorated, so when the insulation was blown in, the drywall bowed.  In some cases not so much, but on longer spans, I would estimate up to 2-3 inches.

Is there anyway to resolve this without tearing out the drywall completely?

I have tried a 2x4 down the length of a few studs, secured in with 4" decking screws, but the boad ultimately just bends and follows the contour of the wall.

Did they blow in dry fiber glass, cellulose, or wet foam. Years ago my brother- in- law got into the foam insulation business and foamed some houses. The wet foam loosened the glue and the drywall bowed. His insurance paid to have the drywall replaced on every wall effected. After that event he would never take another insulation job where that same builder built the house since they used glue and only a few screws to hold the dry wall in place. My guess would be that the insulation contractor is " on the hook" for the bowed walls. I would call him and show him the problem. Let him decide what to do.


Suggestions for standing pole for sun shade I'm looking for suggestions on how to best attach a sunshade opposite of my garage.

The subject sunshade is here and I've already attached two anchors on the garage. Here's what I'm trying to add:

Would a 4"x4" 12' post like this one work for this? Or do I need to look for a metal one? If so, where does one go for those?

If the wood one works, is it possible to attach to the side of the concrete:

A 4x4 would work, and it mounting there is probably ok assuming the concrete is thick enough at the bottom which is below the bottom of the slab. Which it probably is, I would expect 6-8 inches +. I would use Simpson SDS concrete screws, 1/2" diameter and embed 4" into the concrete. Two of them. You'll need a rotary hammer drill to predrill the holes.

I suggest using pressure treated wood or cedar for resistance to rot since this is considered a wet condition.

Note that the higher want to mount it the more force on the post. More force in wind storm. More force to be more taught, keeping it very taught requires quite a bit of force


Floor to Ceiling wall mirror - Wallpaper? What can we do to this bathroom wall with floor to ceiling mirror?   Looking to do a quick makeover - not wanting to pull the mirror off and patch the drywall.    We are considering peel-and-stick wallpaper over the mirror as a quick fix.  What kind of prep would be needed? I assume cleaning, light sanding with 400, then a primer?   What kind of primer?

I would use the "fake stained glass" window products that are commonly available if doing anything to this. "Privacy film", etc...
You clean the glass and they are applied with a mist of water and a squeegee to remove bubbles. They stay put (I've had them in a bathroom for several years on windows, as better than having curtains/blinds) and when you decide to remove them they can be peeled right off - since it's some sort of static cling rather than an actual adhesive, there's no fuss and no mess to clean up.


Resurface exposed aggregate concrete patio Is it possible to resurface an exposed aggregate concrete patio? My current patio surface is about 20 years old, and the aggregate has deteriorated a bit and is pretty ugly looking and painful to walk on. Here's a picture:

http://i.imgur.com/xgNSNgS.jpg

Resurfacing seems like a good solution, but I'm unsure of how well an overlay would bond to the aggregate stone. Is there a product that might work?

If you don't have to make the overlay "very thin" and the patio is structurally sound, there's not a whole lot of "bonding" needed - a 1-1/2 - 2" thick overlay on a sound, solid concrete substrate will happily sit there, unless it has voids to encourage spalling (by filling with water and freezing) in the winter. As it happens, that looks like a pretty good bet for bonding to (with very exposed aggregate) though it would probably be advisable to pressure-wash it to remove any loose material, and probably also acid-etch it to improve bonding and further clean it up.

Thin is generally harder to do well with masonry materials.


Rinnai R85 - no water pressure after flush I have a Rinnai R85 tankless water heater.  We recently had an issue with no hot water which was resolved by performing a flush.  Since then, upstairs sinks and tubs are fine, but our two kitchen sinks have no pressure and one doesn’t have pressure on hot or cold.  HELP!!!  Nothing was changed on any lines - but there’s no pressure and only in those sinks.

An issue with no hot water being resolved by performing a flush suggests to me that there was a buildup -- hard water scale, ie mineral deposits -- on the inside of the heat exchanger tubing. I suspect that the deposits were not entirely removed from the heater during the flush. Some debris may have remained inside the plumbing. That debris found its way to some faucets and is now plugging them.

The first thing to check is the aerator. This is a screen assembly installed right at the point where water comes out. Unscrew it and clean out any debris. It may not be easy to remove, especially considering that you had scale problems in the water heater.. Soaking the end of the faucet in vinegar for a few hours may ease the removal.

If cleaning the aerator doesn't resolve the problem the next thing to check is the faucet valve. Remove it, check for damage or debris, and re-install.


PTAC through brick wall I am doing a project where I bought old building and converting in to apartment unit. The building has brick wall and was thinking of putting PTAC like they have in hotel. Initially I was thinking of putting mini split but that seems to be more expensive. I need advice if someone has put PTAC through brick wall. Thanks in advance.

If you think a mini split is two expensive you have not compared the structural work and possible engineering stamps required for a package unit. The unit will take at least a 3’ wide hole usually ~18” tall this requires reenforcement of the brick and this would be for a studio style, a 2 bedroom unit will be even more because of the brick work.
Having installed both I can do mini split in a couple of hours drilling the ~ 2” hole to the outside is the hardest part (both will require power so we will call that part equal for the new circuit.
Commercial properties require additional B.S. or oops governmental permits in some cases and have to be done by a contractor licensed for the work, where a home owner can do there own work.
To fully compare systems get a quote to put the package unit in the mechanical work alone can double the cost of install.


How can I improve the wiring under the sink for a garbage disposal? My vegetable sprayer line broke yesterday, which led me underneath my sink. It wasn't until I was kneeling in a large puddle of water with the line draining on me and the floor that I realized how bad the wiring was for my garbage disposal:

This obviously needs to be addressed. My question is which of the following approaches will solve my problem and won't kill the next tenant?

Cover the J-box with a plate that has a hole and let the romex come through
Wire in an outlet (half-hot) and convert the romex to a 3-prong plug
Wire in a GFCI outlet (half-hot) and convert the romex to a 3-prong plug
Something else?

Completed project:

The answer to your question depends completely on whether this node in the circuit is GFCI-protected. GFCI protection is an absolute must for your disposer; it's a high-amperage electric motor hooked up to your kitchen drain.

Since this J-box doesn't have a standard 3-prong outlet, you'll need to find another outlet on the same circuit; look for a countertop outlet nearby. Plug in an outlet tester (like the one below, available for $5-10 from your local big-box home improvement store), turn on the disposer, and hit the black button on the tester to short hot to ground, inducing a "ground fault".

If the disposer has GFCI protection, it will cut out, and you're golden as far as circuit safety. If not, you definitely need to rewire this J-box with a GFCI outlet.

Even if the disposer is GFCI protected, you have other problems. The outlet is in a "wet" place; you hope that the under-sink area never leaks, but there is always, always, a plumbing emergency at the kitchen sink at some point. To avoid a continuous ground fault through contact with standing water in the J-box (which would prevent you from resetting the GFCI until the whole area dried out), you should seal this area as best you can. A little adhesive spray foam to fill the gap between the wall and the back of the cabinet, followed by a layer of silicone adhesive caulk to waterproof the spray foam (people think spray foam is waterproof, but it really isn't), and a child-resistant outlet and plate with a rubber or neoprene gasket (and/or another dab of silicone) should keep the water out in any situation less than a full flood.


How best can I seal up an old coal door? Alongside my house is an old coal door that was never properly sealed.  Some caulk was added around the metal exterior door, and a piece of plywood nailed over the interior opening (more to keep out critters than water, I believe).

As you can see from this exterior view, there's not much I can do about removing the door itself:

But on the inside there is a cavity that could be filled in somehow:

The framing inside here was metal -- it's mostly rusted out now -- and there is a little bit of daylight making its way through.  This is very obviously not watertight.

The house has a brick and mortar foundation.  What's the right way to seal this up to keep water and critters out?

As you already know there is water getting into there, if you only seal up the inside to make it look better you will have water collecting between the door and your seal. You don't want a pool installed in your wall.

To do this properly you really do need to excavate the outside remove the door and metal frame (if there is a steel load bearing piece across the top I'd recommend leaving that in and if there is a rain catch on the outside that could be left, but it doesn't look like there's either from the pictures). Patch the hole with material that functionally matches the foundation wall. Water seal the patched area then once it is dry back fill where you excavated. It would be good to make that area right against the seal a little higher grade when you fill it in than the area around it to help the water drain away and reduce infiltration.


How would I connect multiple ground wires in this case (replacing ceiling pendant lights)? We have this new pendant light where there are WHITE (neutral) - BLACK (live) - GREEN (grounds) wires from the pendant and bare copper wire already attached to and coming from the green screw in the fixture.
I believe in my ceiling electrical box, there will be black/white/green or bare ground wires.
I know that black from pendant goes with black from the ceiling and white with white, but for the ground wires, should I connect GREEN from the pendant + loose end (left side of the picture) of the copper bare wire from the green screw in the fixture + ground bare wire from the ceiling all together in one wire nut/cap screw?
And I shouldn't touch that copper wire loop that's connected from the right side of the screw to the silver nut in the middle? Any advice will be greatly appreciated!!

Yes, those three loose ends would be connected. That creates continuity to all involved circuits and fixtures. You really can't goof up grounds if everything is linked in a proper manner.

Green wire from the pendant
Bare wire from the mounting bracket
Bare wire from the supply cable


How do I connect my kitchen sink sprayer I just bought a house, and the first thing to break is the spray hose for my kitchen sink.  It was added recently, and I'm unable to find any brand listed to help me understand the parts, or even what is broken.

Click for full size image

My problem is that the quick-connect adapter doesn't actually hold the end of the hose.  It falls right out and water sprays into the cabinet under the sink.

What it looks like is you shove the hose in, then pull the plastic clip outwards to lock it in. If water sprays out of it, you need new o-rings. If the hose shoots out, either that's not the clip, or some of the plastic is chipped making an unreliable lock.

If this isn't the case, could you tell us what you've done to try and fix it already and what moving parts you see? Perhaps a photo of the top of the faucet may help too


Add bathroom light fixture to GFCI or not possible? In my bathroom near the sink is a GFCI outlet. I installed a new medicine cabinet and I want to add lights that currently do not exist. I will connect these fixtures with Romex wiring that I will install. But what I want to know is, can I pigtail my new lights from the power that currently connects the GFCI on the same wall? I just read that a GFCI has to be powered by a separate circuit on another forum. But I'm not sure if this is correct. If this is the case and I CANNOT pigtail from the GFCI can I run a Romex from an outlet from the bedroom next door and run it to the same junction box. To keep things looking neat and tidy I want to replace the existing GFCI with a two gang junction box that will allow me to have a GFCI and a light switch all under one switch plate.

If I can do any of the above would you be willing to provide me with detailed instructions?

Thank you.

By the way, this is the light switch I want to add in the long run:

Photo of blue junction box below added 03/19/18 at 2:35PM PST

Drawing of my junction box to explain what's what:

Should I just follow this diagram? I need visuals and I can duplicate this since I can see it. But this doesn't look anything like what Jim Stewart was telling me to do in terms of wiring:

This wiring diagram belongs to do-it-yourself-help.com. The original can be found here: https://www.do-it-yourself-help.com/gfci_wiring_diagrams.html

The NEC reference is Article 210.11 (C)(3) - It basically states that you must provide one 20A circuit to supply bathroom(s) receptacles(s) with one exception. "Where the 20 amp circuit supplies only one bathroom, outlets for other equipment within the same bathroom shall be permitted to be supplied ...".

All that being said, if your dwelling was built prior to this becomming code, you will fall under the grandfather clause which is pretty much explained by @Jim Stewart.

So if you want to upgrade you can or you can leave as is.

Hope this helps.


What is causing the minor leak in flex supply line under sink? I had new shutoffs and new flex supply lines installed by a professional plumber a few months ago.  Today, I installed a new faucet because mine was very old and starting to fail.  I installed everything successfuly however I am now noticing an extremely minor leak in my cold water supply line.  Basically, I can run the water for 5 minutes and nothing would happen but when I shut off the water at the faucet, a few seconds later, I get a tiny drop of water build and drip from the area I outlined below.

I didn't disconnect the supply lines from the shutoff values when installing the new facuet so I figured that maybe I losened it slightly by mistake during installation.  I tightened it as much as I could, just to be safe, but the problem seems to still be happening.

Any ideas?

The joint that you are pointing to in your picture is a compression joint. Usually a little bit more tightening of the nut will stop it.  If you are absolutely sure you can't get another 1/8 or 1/4 turn on the nut, then simply shut off the valve and replace the hose.  The Teflon tape mentioned in the previous answer is necessary on new hose threads, but has nothing to do with a leak in the joint you are leaking from.


Toilet won’t flush and found this floating in the cistern Toilet won’t flush when using the handle. It’s like there is air in the mechanism which doesn’t allow it to fill. Found this floating in the cistern.

The whole cistern fills up fully but when you pull the handle it feels like there is air in the reservoir and only allows a little bit of water out. After a few attempts it flushes.

Flush mechanisms are fairly straightforward. Diagnosing the problem is the first step. Correcting the problem may require an adjustment or a new flush mechanism.

Diagnosis

With the lid off of the cistern push down on the flush handle. The lever inside should be connected to the flap (usually with a chain) that releases the water at the bottom of the cistern. From the picture it appears that the connecting chain may be loose or disconnecred.
The mystery part floating in your cistern is probably part of that connection.
Try pulling up the flap by hand and let it release. If it flushes normally the solution is in restoring the lever to flap connection. You might be able to do that by reconnecting everything or simply replace the flush mechanism which you should be able to buy at any Home Center for a few dollars.


Wiring Diagram From a Wall Switch To Two Light Fixtures What is wiring diagram from wall switch (source) to two light fixtures ?  Isn't it fairly simple ? All blacks together,  all whites together, all grounds together with wire terminals on all connections. Turn both light fixtures on or off at same time.


Repairing damaged marble veneer in kitchen My kitchen counter has developed a 2cm wide bubble of the top layer of veneer. I've not really seen anything like this before and don't really know how to go about performing a fix; picture is attached.

I got a quote from a company and they were asking for over £300 which seems ludicrous, so I'd like to explore other options. Obviously it's not going to be possible to 100% match the repair to the original markings, but I'd like something that looks okay.

You could carefully drill a small hole from below, into the bubble. Then make a small slit in the bubble with a fresh razor. Get some five minute epoxy into the bubble via the slit, then use a vacuum to apply suction to the hole you drilled while gently pressing down on the bubble. Maybe have a putty knife handy for pressing and smoothing. With a little luck it may stay down flat. It’s already messed up, so you won’t make it any worse!

Also - that looks like the result of a manufacturing defect. You might contact the manufacturer about a possible warranty claim as a first measure.


What coating to put on a flat roof so that it can be walked upon? The house we've bought has an two-storey outbuilding.  The access to the second storey is some steps up the outside and then a 5 x 1 meter walkway along the back, with a door half way along it.  That walkway is also the ceiling for the (uninsulated) workshop underneath.

Due to various failings of whoever put it up originally, the roofing felt on this walkway has leaked, and the plywood underneath it is dangerously rotten, to the point that I've managed to put a hole through it to downstairs - not ideal.

I'm going to strip it all off, and start again.  The joists, thankfully, appear to be fine.

I plan to add firring strips to create a bit of a slope so that water doesn't pool on it, and lay 18mm ply (or OSB?) on top of that, and then coat in a suitable waterproof material.

The question is, what IS that material?  I frequently hear that one shouldn't walk on roofing felt - so what coating IS ok to walk on?

Thank you

What you are after is waterproof deck coat also known as elastomeric waterproof rubber base coat. There are different brands out there, pick one and go for it.


What is a quick and easy way to disable a door so you can no longer use it? I have a two story home with a one story garage attached. The garage has a flat roof. I can access the roof through a door in my upstairs bedroom. At one time the garage roof had a fence around the perimeter. It was secured improperly to the roof and caused water damage inside the garage and another room. The fence was removed and the roof repaired. The door access is considered a safety issue (for a mortgage refinance) and must be removed or made inaccessible. I don't have the funds to put up a fence.

Any suggestions?

A common way to handle this, is to build a railing in front of the door.  You'll see houses built where a deck was optional, that have a railing built in front of the sliding door.

Something like this...

The best way to find out what is acceptable, is to contact the people who will be determining if your solution is acceptable.


Electrical conversion from European to USA I am currently living in the US and have bought a house in Italy. I would like to take the many electrical devices i have so i do not have to re-buy them there.
I have flat screen TV's, DVD's and kitchen appliances as well. Is there a way to convert or add US current with correct Hz so i can bring my appliances there to use?

This is not a smart way to go at all, except for devices that only need a cord conversion (the inputs are already rated and labeled for 240V 50 HZ input as well as 120V 60 Hz.)

Some, but not all, TVs and DVDs might qualify. Virtually no kitchen appliances do, and you will waste a great deal of money trying to convert adequate power to run them. Save money on moving and not trying to tilt at windmills and sell them before you leave...


What is the best way to demolish a little brick wall? Since this is a small wall, I do not wish to buy any expensive tools.

seems they used some mortar. I failed when trying to use nothing but a small (nail) hammer. Any tricks?

alt text http://is7.itookthisonmyphone.com/m/00140/fe5e15de-72ab-4553-9f81-ba9663b8af62/f8876fc8-345e-416b-b982-85284574a505_568x426r0.jpg

I've had luck using a sledge hammer in similar circumstances.

You'd be surprised how many problems in life have "use a sledge hammer" as the correct answer.

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What kind of system carries both hot and cool water to my condominium? I have an ancient furnace and air conditioner in my condo.  Basically the building supplies water to every unit.  In the winter it is warm water, the summer cool water.  Every condo has a blower unit which sucks are through something that looks like a radiator and out ducts in the condo.

What is this unit called?  I have to replace the blower motor and am not sure how to explain to the furnace company

What you have is a four-pipe hydronic system with individual air handling units in each dwelling unit -- this is a very common system in larger buildings of all kinds, and works quite smoothly.  Just tell the HVAC folks that the blower in your AHU is shot and they'll know exactly what's up.


Building a house, door from house to garage We are building a house and they installed the garage door to open towards the garage with two steps down, I don't think is right and I asked them to flip it but now they say it was that way in the plans, and I should pay for it. I am not sure is fair, and definitely not safe. We are in Edmond Oklahoma and I cannot find the code. Could someone please help me with that? Thanks

Doors cannot swing out over a stair without a landing. (See IBC Code, Paragraph R311.3.2.) Take it to your local Building Official and ask for, "an interpretation ". There's an exemption, but I don't think it applies to you.


Braided stainless steel water supply hoses versus rubber hoses I've noticed some apartments that use both for water supply to faucets and toilet cisterns.

I understand that the braided hoses are rated for higher pressures, but how do they compare in terms of durability at typical static and dynamic pressures?

Is it correct to consider the EPDM layer in braided hoses, by itself (minus the support of the stainless steel braiding), to be equivalent to a rubber hose in terms of pressure resistance?

The braided stainless steel flex supply lines are just jacketed with braided stainless. The jacket is there for appearance and perhaps resistance to incidental contact damage, but has nothing to do with the pressure rating.

In general, rubber hose is not used for faucets and cisterns; the hoses (whether jacketed with braided stainless or not) are commonly reinforced PVC (at least in my area, anyway). The washers are often EDPM rubber...


How should I end this wiring? I am doing a minor reno in a new house.
I took out a wall and in it was two strands of 12-2 that went to one outlet.
That wiring will not be used anymore, I don't want to splice into them  or  run them to a different location. I can not tell how the wires run back to the box so I can't pull them  out so I want to hide then in the floor.
Can I just cap it with some wire screws? Or should I put a box around it? The box is less favorable because I would have to cut a hole in the sub floor to hide it. But is that the safer option?
Thanks
J

Junctions and terminations must be in a box, and the box must be accessible. You can't bury it under a floor. Unless you have an idea where the source is, you'll need to treat the wires as though they're live.


i can't tighten the hinge screws on my aluminum swinging screen door, the screws just spin without tightening. how can this be remedied? i have an aluminum swinging screen door. the hinges are loose, but I can't tighten them, the screws just keep spinning. What should I do?

It depends on the frame.

If the frame is metal

remove screws one by one
take some bare copper wires and insert them into the hole
put the screw in the middle of the hole with the copper wires on the outside
screw down until just about flush then cut the excess length from wires before finishing.

The screw should jamb the copper wires into the metal hole and allow the screw to grab.

If the frame is wood you can use wood pieces to do a similar thing.  Golf tees, wood match sticks, small pieces split from shims will all work.


How to drill a hole in a space too small to fit a standard manual or electric drill? I have a very narrow kitchen cupboard I'd like to make some changes to (add shelves maybe). Almost any change will require drilling holes though, and there's not enough room for a standard electric or manual drill, so the first problem to solve is how to drill holes. It's only around 170mm wide.

How can I drill a hole with only around 170mm of space?

The holes would only need to be about 12-15mm deep.

They sell what is called an "Offset" drill.  Instead of the chuck being inline with the motor, it is turned 90°.

They also make drills where the chuck can be turned to get into tight spots.  They also make an offset attachment for most drills.


Add a c-wire to 25+ year old Rheem furnace I've looked at just about every post on adding a C-wire to power a WiFi thermostat but remain uncertain on how to proceed.  The current installation on a Rheem RGAC-080A is two wire as here:

XFMR - White -> Thermostat - Red -> Valve TH terminal, Valve TR terminal to silver Honeywell box (capacitor?) -> XFMR

(Tried to take a photo but it's too dark to be informative.)

I can run 3-wire from the thermostat to the furnace and reproduce the Red & White connections.  But where does the third wire go?  Valve TR?

Thanks.

Edit:

Based on your description of the wiring, and the schematic you've provided, this is what I think is going on.

Click for larger view

It sounds like there's a white wire and a black wire, connected to the secondary side of the transformer. The white wire carries 24VAC to the thermostat, which means the black wire is connected to the C terminal.

So the new thermostat should be wired as follows:

White -> R
Red -> W
Extra (blue in diagram) -> C

You can verify this by measuring the voltage between the blue and white wires, in the diagram above. You should get ~24 volts AC, though it might be a bit higher or lower.


How to make a 6 inch hole through a brick wall for venting I'd like to vent my range hood out through an exterior brick wall. How would I go about making a 6 inch hole for the vent?

I'd guess I'd use a masonry chisel to chip out the mortar and then pull out a couple bricks on the interior and exterior layers of the wall. Is this the best tool/approach to use?
Do I need to be concerned about the load of the bricks above the hole?
How would I make the hole round rather than square?
Any other considerations?

It is entirely possible to construct a 6 inch hole in brickwork. The problem with a round hole rather than a square hole is where the hole cuts across joints in the masonry leaving small triangular pieces of masonry over the hole. These tend to be fairly week so are best avoided. You would therefore have to position the circular hole carefully so that is best placed not to leave small or week sections of masonry. As mentioned in other answers to get a good hole, a diamond or similar circular hole saw is the best way but at this diameter you made need a large pillar drill rig to use the hole saw and this may need to be bolted to the wall prior to making the cut.

If you can fill it a square hole then may be better. Given the diameter of the hole you are suggesting you shouldn't have any structural problems as long as you aren't right next to openings or corners in the wall. The key is to make sure that the hole doesn't leave a whole brick unsupported from below when you make the hole and with a 6" diameter this shouldn't be a problem unless your bricks are very small. The neatest way of doing this is to cut out the edges of your hole with something like a disk cutter and then use an impact hammer to chisel out the brickwork in the centre. This should leave a very neat cut.


3-way switch replacement mystery: can I solve it without a meter? 3-way switch replacement mystery:
I wanted to replace the old, beige toggle switches in our kitchen and hall with Leviton Decora white paddle switches.
The kitchen was easy, just removed the wire from the old switch and immediately put it on the corresponding terminal on the new switch. Dark terminal is common, the 2 brass ones are travelers, ground is ground. Easy peasy worked like a charm.
The hallway: the switches are identical to each other but not like the kitchen, they are older. They don't have ground terminals - what's up with that? There are ground wires passing through each box so I tied into them. The terminals on the switches are all alike - dull brass slotted screw head. I figured if I moved old wires to corresponding position on the new switch the odds would be at least 50:50 it would be correct, Nope. One switch has 1 red, 1 white, 1 black - the other switch 1 white, 2 black. AND inside the box that has 1 white, 2 black, I can see a white wire connected to a red wire, and not connected to anything else. That doesn't seem right... I have not looked inside the light fixture to see what's going on there.
Any explanation for the red and white wires tied together?
Can I find the solution without a meter?
My switches are now wired this way (sorry, no pictures, I put the switches back in the wall and DW won't let me turn the power off to troubleshoot.)
Switch right, looking at switch as installed:

top right terminal: traveler, black

bottom right terminal: common, white

bottom left terminal: traveler, black

(this box has a red and white wire connected together tucked away in the back)
Switch left, looking at switch as installed:

top right terminal: traveler, black

bottom right terminal: common, white

bottom left terminal: traveler, RED

My guess: put the white on traveler, put the black on common.

Yeah, you had the right idea about screw color, but worrying about physical position was a dead-end. There's no standard. Every manufacturer changes the screw positions on every model every week.
Don't sweat the differing wire colors.  Wire colors are also completely meaningless in 3-ways since all 3 wires are often hot.   The three colors are due to the limitations of using multi-wire cable.  In conduit, when I pick the colors, travelers are the 2 yellow wires.  There's no Code requirement that "travelers must be color X and color Y" because there are other Code requirements that certain other wires must be certain colors.
The 2 travelers can be determined by the fact that they are always in the same cable.
If all 3 wires are in the same cable, then look for one wire that is hot at all times regardless of the position of the other 3-way - that is common.
If that is not present, then look for the two wires that change hotness when the other 3-way is thrown - those are travelers.
I'm a big believer in marking travelers both with yellow tape. There is no need to distinguish 2 travelers from each other.  But 2 yellows in a box is distinctive.


Outdoor led wall panel - reacting when hit by a ball I want to build a 10-15'' square or round wall panel and hang it on a wall. This I call the target. My son is supposed to hit it with a soccer ball. When he hits it the panel should change its color e.g. to green.

I've seen it already in some amusement parks, it's like a 7x7 wall panel each 10-15'' and you are supposed to hit it with a ball. I do not need this complexity, I just need it one of this wall panels roughly around 10-15''. I'm just saying it because I know it exists.
So it needs to withstand rain, and I need to be able to fix it on the wall.
It needs to resist some hits of the ball.
Preferably to work with batteries.

Can you please help me find whether this is feasible, and especially which type of panel I need to buy.

Many thanks for your advise!
P.S. I searched on google quite a lot, but couldn't find the right keywords.

My guess is that if you can't find something pre-made (which would be by far cheapest thanks to the efficiencies of mass production), the best way would be to have two panels:

The back panel would be an LED panel, protected by the front panel from being hit by the ball.
The front panel would be a plastic (i.e.,transparent) panel with sensors - perhaps in the corners - to detect hits.
Then you need a small computer (Arduino, Raspberry Pi, etc.) to connect it all together to change the lights as needed, keep track of the score, etc. The hardware shouldn't cost all that much, but there would be some significant programming involved. Not a trivial project, but a lot of fun if you are truly geeky (like me) and have time (which I don't :-( )


How can I add two bathroom receptacles behind and above a vanity? Background

I'm in the middle of a bathroom remodel, and had to take off some drywall to get the tub in, then thought I may as well take all the drywall on that side off to give me an easier taping job. Also I wanted to replace another section of the polybutylene pipe while I had the chance.

The Goal

Then I thought now would be a good opportunity to add a few extra receptacles around our (new) vanity. We bought a 36" vanity, and would like to put one receptacle above the left side of the vanity, and another lower down for charging devices in the vanity (there's no back to the vanity).

The Details

I'd like to tap off the receptacle shown in the upper right. This receptacle is on the same circuit as three others in each of the three other bathrooms in the house, all four protected by one GFCI receptacle in the adjacent bathroom. I'd like to avoid cutting out the drywall around the receptacle itself, and instead cut out a section towards the bottom and tap off there so I don't have to be as concerned about doing a fantastic taping job since it will be hidden by the vanity (the strong glancing light from the vanity light would make the receptacle tape job very difficult I think).

If I tee off the wire towards the bottom of the floor, I believe I'd have to put a box in with a blank plate to make the connection accessible. Since the vanity would be covering it, would this not be acceptable? In that case I could put a plate on the other side of the wall in our bedroom.

Is there anything wrong with my plan?

I see a couple of issues.  The first is that your three bathrooms are not wired properly, and you should take this opportunity to fix them!  You should not have outlets in three different bathrooms all on one circuit.  Each bathroom should have its own 20 amp circuit.  The reason for this is that hair dryers, curling irons, etc. use a lot of juice.

Your second issue is going to be the ability to "T" off of an existing cable at some point below the existing outlet.  Assuming that the cable actually does run down the wall below that outlet, I would imagine it runs in a fairly straight line without a bunch of slack, right?  Unfortunately, in order to "T" off of it, you would have to cut that cable and then have enough slack to pull 6 inches or so from each side of the cut into a new box, where you would join those two ends with your new cable.  It's highly unlikely that your wire has a foot of slack in it that you could use for this purpose.  If it did have a foot of slack, then you would be better off just pulling it through the actual hole for the new outlet and connecting the two ends (from the top and bottom of the cut) to the screws on your new outlet - no need for a new cable or a secondary hole anywhere.

All that said, here's how I would go about accomplishing what you want to do without cutting any unnecessary drywall:

Turn off the power and remove that outlet in the picture from the box.
Put a crowbar or something against the inside of the box, and hit it with a hammer a couple of times - just enough to make the box start to lean away from the stud it's attached to so you can see the sides of the nails.
Slide in the blade of a reciprocating saw and cut off the nails.
Trace the old cable from the outlet back to the outlet that was feeding it power.
Disconnect the cable from there and pull it out of the wall if possible.  If it's fastened inside the wall, just cut it off and leave it in place.
Run a new 12-2 cable from your breaker box to the new hole you cut in your drywall for the outlet under your vanity.  Run another 12-2 cable from that location to the hole your old outlet box came out of.
Get a pair of "old work" single gang boxes.  These are designed to slide into the small rectangular hole in your drywall and clamp onto it from the back with no need to cut giant holes that will require taping and repair.
Pull the cables into those boxes and fasten the boxes to the wall.
Install a new GFCI outlet under the sink using the directions in the package.
Install a new 15 amp outlet where the old one was located above the sink.


Is it safe to wire regular receptacles to the end of an extension cord? Is it safe to cut off the single-plug end of an extension cord and replace it with several regular receptacles and a metal box? Should the box itself be grounded?

This would be considered to be temporary construction power equipment. According to OSHA rules (1910.305, 1926.405) there are specific requirements and the assembly is not for permanent use (running your hand saw for various jobs on the property vs running your freezer long term). Link to OSHA as they're not going away anytime soon: Acceptable Job-Made Extension Cords

The major focus is on using boxes meant for this type of use (boxes with no coined knockouts or that use screw-in knockout plugs), making sure all grounds are intact (including the metal box), neutral and hots properly routed so plugging the assembly in or items into the assembly will not reverse polarity and proper strain relief is supplied (no romex squishers) for the cord.

NOTE: While OSHA rules don't apply to DIY, the spirit of the rules is to increase your safety so Joe Electron doesn't escape through you!


Cutting and sanding/buffing galvanized steel I have 3/4" galvanized steel bars (hollow) that I bought from Lowes. I'm looking for a tool that will cut through them and sand/polish the cut surfaces smooth so that there are no metal burs or slivers; I need it to be completely bur/sliver-free by the time the sanding is done.

My first thought was that using a sawzall with a metal cutting blade would easily do the cutting, but then I'd probably need to use a hand file to sand it down, and that feels like it would take a long time to do it right.

So now I'm leaning towards purchasing/renting an angle grinder, and I'm hoping they come with different disks/heads for doing the two tasks I need done: (1) for cutting the steel and (2) another one for sanding/buffing the metal smooth. One tool to do both jobs and I've have it for future projects down the road as well.

So I ask: is this angle grinder solution feasible? If not, why and more importantly, what is?! And if so, then what types of disks/heads would I need to do both jobs? FYI I'm thinking about this Dewalt grinder unless anyone here has huge objections!

Thanks in advance!

I would use a 4-1/2"- 5" angle grinder, I have dewalt, bosh, Makita and even a harbor freight. I use the very thin metal cutting disks fro cutting steel all the time, after cutting a pass done at a 90. a quick 45 will take the sharp edges off, if I want to polish or buff I use sanding disks, if I want to take rust off I will use a wire cup brush, in all cases it is a really good idea to wear eye protection , a face shield is even better with a good pair of leather gloves both to protect from the hot sparks from the cut but also from the metal it will get hot also. If you go with a grinder it can also be used for masonary just change disks. I probably have more angle grinders than any other power tool because the are so many uses for them.


What causes a heater fan to keep running? I have a regular gas air heater that heats the whole house. It is installed in a garage.

When I use thermostat to turn on the heat it works as expected. When temperature reaches set value the gas turns off.

But the fan keeps running, cycling room temp air around. It never turns off. I waited at least an hour.

I replaced a thermostat. Same problem.

There should be a switch on the thermostat that says "ON  AUTO", make sure it's set to AUTO.

If the switch is set to auto, but the fan continues to run. You may have a short between the R wire and the G wire, or a problem with the control board in the furnace.


Is it safe to pull a continuous 18 amps from a 15 amp outlet? I have a heater that draws a continuous 18 amps and has a 20 amp plug. I created an extension cord to plug into the wall, however on one end it's a 20 amp receptacle - heater plugged into extension cord - and the other end of the cord is a normal 15 amp plug, plugged into a 15 amp receptacle in the wall. The extension cord is 12 gauge.

I used a kill-a-watt to measure the draw at the wall (the 15 amp outlet) and it's drawing 18 amps.

Is this ok for long term use? i.e. plugged in 8 hours a day straight.

UPDATE: In my haste to get this posted as I worried about the setup, I mis-spoke and need to make a correction - The outlet itself is a 20 amp outlet in the wall, BUT the make plug on the end of the extension cord is a 15 amp plug (was the only part I had at the time). Does this still pose a large risk? Here's the picture:

Update: It's no longer plugged in at the top where it was for several years. Image of extension box:

Here's a photo of the plug that goes to the heater:

No it is not safe.

A 15 ampere rated receptacle should not be installed on a circuit protected by a 30 ampere breaker.

You should not be plugging devices that draw more than 15 amperes, into a 15 ampere rated receptacle.

The receptacle in your photo is a 20 ampere receptacle, so you shouldn't have a problem plugging in a 20 ampere device.  They make receptacle configurations different, so that you can't plug things into the wrong receptacle.  By making a bootleg extension cord, you're bypassing that safety feature.

You're going to burn the place down.

Also note that since the device is active for longer than 3 hours, it would be considered a continuous load.  In which case the circuit (overcurrent protection, wiring, and devices) should all be rated for 125% of the load.  That would mean the wiring, overcurrent device, and receptacle should be rated to handle at least 22.5 amperes (18 × 1.25). That means a 30 ampere breaker, 10 AWG copper conductors, and a 30 ampere receptacle.


Water pressure inside house drops to zero when sprinklers are on When any one zone of the sprinkler system turns on, the water pressure inside the house drops to zero (no water coming out of the faucet) for a 3-7 seconds before returning to normal. After that drop, both the sprinklers and inside faucets/showers work fine until the next zone turns on, then the water pressure inside the home drops again. PSI measured at the main valve is 55 (after the pressure regulator). I have low flow sprinkler heads installed, and fairly small zones. Any ideas on what could be the issue?

I don't think you have a leak, what I believe is your pressure regulator is set at a high enough pressure that when the zone turns on and has a high surge until the pressure builds this is causing the no flow in the house for a few seconds. Once the flow stabilizes the pressure builds back up and you have pressure in the house again. To keep this from happening install a regulator on your sprinkler system and set it to a slightly lower pressure than what you want in the house. This will make set sprinkler lines take slightly longer to fill and if 2 psi lower will slightly reduce the water spray distance but your pressure would not drop as it is doing now.


How to switch off/on a Hot Water System I believe I have what is called a gas-boosted, solar HWS (although there is only one solar panel on the roof). On the outside of my system, apart for the valves/pipes/wires leading into and out of it, there is no obvious control panel for me to light/re-light the pilot light. Is this called an electronic ignition without a pilot?

Before going away for a few days, I would like to switch off my water, gas, and electricity. Will my HWS automatically switch off, and automatically switch back on by itself when I turn all these services back on after coming back?

My house is about ten years old, and in a part of the world where the temperature rarely falls below 0 degrees C, so I don't think we have to worry about freeze.

Regards,

[]
[]

The Chromagen Eternity 26 is an on-demand hot water heater. Since it does not store water, it does not normally run except when you use water. If everything is connected properly, it also won't run in normal use in your case as long as the storage tank below it has sufficient solar-heated water to meet your needs. If the storage tank water is too cold (either because the solar is just not heating the water enough, or if you have used up the hot water and now the tank has cold water), then the Chromagen will provide additional heat as needed.

The Chromagen has electronic ignition. There is no pilot light wasting gas when you aren't using it. The control board uses a little bit of electricity to monitor the temperature & water flow, even if the system is not currently being asked to heat water. The manual specifically advises against disconnecting electricity & gas because if you do so and there is a freeze then the unit may be damaged, and that damage would not be covered by the warranty. Even if the warranty has expired, I think this is very good advice. If the temperature stays above freezing then you do not save any gas and only save a little bit of electricity by leaving the unit running normally. On the other hand, if there is a freeze then the little bit of gas needed to run the system periodically will far outweigh the cost of fixing the unit after pipes crack.

Leave it connected normally. You can turn any relevant thermostats down to the minimum, but otherwise leave it alone.

If you turn off electricity & gas for the entire house, the unit will be OK, as long as you don't have a freeze. In my area (Maryland, USA) it is normal practice to leave the furnace & water heater on at their lowest settings when going away in the winter, just in case.


New Sprinkler Installation - Rototill/Level Before or After? Any other "Pre-Sprinkler" Preparation? I have a (mostly) dirt and weeds backyard to which I am planning to add sprinkling and new sod next month. However, my locality requires (and I agree since the soil is poor) that I rototill in compost to prepare the soil before sod is installed. My backyard is also uneven and bumpy. Thus, would it be better to rototill/flatten the yard before or after I begin digging the trenches and laying pipe? Is there any other prep I should do before installing sprinkling?

Definitely rotortill before you put in the pipes. Otherwise you run the risk of damaging pipes and sprinklers.


How should I deal with lumber size differences when replacing floor joists? I am in the process of replacing 4 floor joists and the new 2x10s are 1/4" taller than what was previously there. I understand that as the lumber dries out it will shrink but how do i handle the 1/4" difference to have a level subfloor and not crack the tile i put on top.

In my experiences there in no way to control how much a given piece of wood shrinks, that is if it has enough moisture content (MC) to shrink. If you could get it tested with a moisture meter for MC and it is around 6-8% preferably less, you can cut the joist to size for it will not shrink anymore. If the MC is 10% or more it will shrink and it will take a few weeks to get it to loose enough MC to not crack your tile. If you have kind of time to install the joists and wait for them to shrink in place in a heated environment, all the better. If you don't have that kind of time, then you will be better off purchasing LVL or other engineered lumber that does not move that much at all, unless it is really saturated.


How long for this cement smell to go? Somebody recently came and filled this deep hole up with cement.  It has been giving off a strong odor.
Does cement typically smell and how long will it take for the smell to go mostly and eventually completely.

The odor is a function of the drying process. Some moisture is chemically bound to the cement, but some remains. The dryer and breezier the area is the quicker it'll disperse. We can't really say.
It is odd that the cement is so smelly that you notice it. A new basement slab smells like fresh concrete for weeks or years, but that small patch shouldn't really be noticeable if there's any ventilation at all.
You could coat it with a sealing primer, then paint it to help block the odor.


Identifying cabinet hinge I'm renting this house and one of these hinges broke.

1.) Can I replace this hinge?

2.) If so, what's the model number/manufacturer?

1) Yes, it can be replaced with any hinge that has the same offset and radius even if it doesn't match the exact visual design.

2) It looks like this one:  Full Overlay Soft Close Clip On Cabinet Cup Hinge HG1019


Why don't heat pumps run for a bit BEFORE starting the air circulation fan? I'd like to think I understand how heat pumps work decently well.  My home has one plus electric heat, which I try not to resort to because heat pump is more efficient, if slower.

When a traditional thermostat calls for the heat pump however, it turns on the big fan in the basement at the same time as the heat pump (or perhaps it's the heat pump calling for the fan right away when it's called on to pump heat).  This uses electricity and makes nose to just to move cold air while the heat pump builds pressure and starts to heat the coils in the basement.

Couldn't a delay be added, or a thermocouple added to the indoor coils, so that the fan indoors doesn't run until the indoor coils are nice and warm?

For that matter. I would think the outdoor fan could be delayed a bit too to save electricity and reduce noise at the beginning of a cycle while a temperature delta builds up.

I realize that if you ran the heat pump or AC for 'too long'/indefinitely without the indoor fan, it could damage the system.  But why don't heat pumps run for 'a bit' BEFORE starting the air circulation fan?

I could understand parts cost of a thermocouple (though that's what a marketing department is for), but just using an delay wouldn't cost any money, and would be pretty easy to add to the firmware, I would expect.

I don't think the problem you're having would be solved by a fan delay.  When the fan turns on, it has to purge all the "cold" air from the ducts, before the warm air reaches the registers.  There's not much that can be done to solve that problem, other than having really short duct runs.

If you did add a delay, the system would likely overheat.  This could cause a bunch of problems, as well as reducing efficiency.

If you did want to add a delay. It would require a thermocouple and relay, or a time delay relay.  I doubt your furnace has any firmware, unless it's a super fancy custom system.


How do I insulate the floor under my shed? I have a shed that has a wood floor laying on a steel frame, which is laying on some tiles on the bare earth. I would say there's roughly 30cm of clearance between the dirt and the floor boards. I want to add some insulation, and I'm wondering what put under there. I'm assuming I need some kind of plastic sheet to stop moisture, and some sort of isolating material like rock wool. Does the moisture barrier go on the bottom, with the rock wool between the floorboards and the barrier, or do I place the barrier on top, exposing the rock wool to the earth? If there's an aluminum film on the rock wool, does it go up or down, or do I need a different material entirely?

You probably don't need a separate vapor barrier. What you'll want to do (since the bottom doesn't touch the ground) is put regular faced batts in, with the kraft paper on the bottom side. That's both a vapor barrier and the easier install method.

Putting plastic on the ground under the shed can't hurt, but isn't necessary.


Affixing a plastic A4 foil to a (textured) wall I have an A4 sheet of paper inside of a standard (plastic) protective foil/lamination. I would like to affix this sheet onto an external wall, as a public sign/notice. The surface of the wall is not smooth but rather a bit uneven/textured.

I am wondering what kind of substance to use to make the foil stick to the wall. I guess some type of playdough should do the trick, either the type for children, or maybe some special type used in constructions. But I am not sure which type to buy.

I would like this to adhere well between the plastic foil and the wall, but also be undoable, for when I will want to later remove the notice; but for it to withstand weather elements (rain etc).

Any recommendations?

My short list would be:

3M Command strips
Blue tack / "poster putty"
Double-sided foam tape


Would the "Nest" thermostat work outside US? Looking at this Nest question reminded me that I'd really want one of these for my future house. The Nest website says that it's currently only available in the US but I'm wondering whether that is just a sales/marketing choice of if there might be technical reasons for the US limitation.

The Nest website has a widget where you can tick what cables you've got and it then tells you whether the Nest will work with that. I'm not sure that these cable markings/colors are international though. I would get a Vaillant gas heater very similar to this one.

At $250 it's just expensive enough that I hesitate to just order one and try if it works. Even if I did, I would also be afraid of damaging it by connecting the wires wrong.

Do the markings/colors on cables of gas heaters/thermostats follow an international standard?
Can I expect that a Nest would work in Europe, when connected to a European brand model?

Actually, you should be able to make them work in the UK. An electrically savvy friend of mine has one up for sale on ebay along with this note:

I would suggest that only the technology savvy avid DIYer, or keen professional electrician with enough research install this item.  Unfortunately because this thermostat is not intended for direct installation to common UK Central Heating systems, I will not accept returns.  It can be installed though!  It will work just fine when correctly installed, but there are the following caveats:

The Nest thermostat works on 24V AC North American HVAC wiring - in the UK most commonly we have zero volt contacts for Thermostats.  You can easily make this work with a 24V AC power supply and a relay after carefully studying the wiring.  The Nest draws a tiny current (12mA) through the coil to trickle charge its internal battery so I would suggest a good sized relay to avoid buzzing.
The WiFi in the Nest can only handle US FCC approved channels 1-11.  In the UK we allow channels 1-13, so just make sure your wireless access point is not set to channel 12 or 13.  No big deal.
You must skip the 'enter your zip code' stage of the setup process.  The Nest will not access weather data outside of the USA.  The smart algorithms still work fine without weather data - the sensors to check the temperature inside your house is what is most important anyway.
The Nest iPhone and Android apps to control your temperature from your phone are not available outside of the US.  If you have a rooted Android phone, you can install 'Market Enabler' to install the Nest app from the US Market and then it should work just fine.  I have no idea about whether such a thing is possible for the iOS App Store.

Once those four things are paid attention to, it should work well!  Would be a fantastic, high quality, high tech, rare addition to your home and definitely a cool talking point.


What does the word "Post" mean written on this electrical box cover? I want to add an electrical outlet to my basement. There is already an electrical box attached to one of the floor/ceiling joists with a wire going in. No wire coming out.

Inside is one set of wires (1 white, 1 black, 1 ground/bare). I have not tested to see if this is live yet. It has the word "post" written on the cover. What does this mean, and is it safe to add an electrical outlet to this box?

I believe that this perhaps was slated for the connection point between the UF cable going to a post/yard light and the indoor NM switch leg.


How to clean inside wrought iron handrail on saircase I have a wrought iron handrail in my home that has black gunk on it about 1/32" thick in the groves.  It comes off easily if I scratch it with my fingernail.  The junk is not really noticeable, since it is black and who looks at a handrail anyway.

How might I go about cleaning the handrail without taking off the black finish?  Soap and water?  Gentle brush?  Metal brush?  Scouring powder?  Chemical cleaners?

Assuming the railing is painted, you should use a brush that isn't too abrasive. I'd start with soap and hot water along with a scrub brush like you'd use on pots and pans (with natural or synthetic fibers). You can add chemical household cleansers if needed.

To fully refinish the railing, you'll want a wire brush. Use this to clear off any flaking paint or flaking rusty areas, as well as scour the entire surface to prepare it for a new layer of paint. Clean with a mild solution of water and soap, let dry, and cover with a primer/paint designed for metal. I'd recommend a spray, because you can find primer+paint products designed to seal over light rust, which is often a concern on iron railings. But you can also use a brushed primer/paint as long as the directions indicate it's OK for metal.


Best solution to install a sense monitor in crowded electrical panel? I am trying to install a sense device in my electric panel to track my electricity usage. More information here. However, my panel is full, and I am trying to make it work without getting a new panel altogether.
I have sketched out two options, before installing the sense, a section of my electric panel looks like:

First solution is to "piggyback" on an existing double breaker:

Second solution is to install a new quad breaker to group Bedroom1,2 and garage door there and have the sense use the old breaker that was used by the garage door:

My understanding is that solution 1 potentially does not meet the code, and solution 2 is fine but involves buying a new breaker. A better but significantly costlier solution would be to install a new electric panel. Is my analysis correct?

Don’t put this device on anything larger than a 20 amp circuit.
these monitors draw very little power and putting them on a large breaker is asking for problems if and when things go bad.
Use a 15 or 20 amp circuit to power the system then if the worst happens you won’t be rewiring the entire panel.
If your breakers allow 2 wires per breaker great add the monitor directly. If your panel only allows 1 wire per lug get a few inches of the correct sized wire for the breaker 20 amp use #12 or 15 amp use #14 wire  a few inches out use a wire nut or some kind of splice device to tie the original conductor your new jumper and the power to the monitor all together. Then put the other end of the new wire to the breaker (a splice in the panel is ok).
If you need voltage sense tap a breaker close to the main lugs.
The reason I said not to use anything larger than a 20 amp is if the power supply fails it would melt the wiring down before tripping the 50 amp bkr, as the wires melt down they usually cross others on the hot or neutral / ground and depending on the failure I have had to replace several panels for aftermarket equipment that went up in flames.
Most of these are measuring the current using current transformers (no actual contact to the wires but the meter and transmitter need power)
Your garage door should not be on a 50 amp breaker in any case.


How to frame a door in a passageway? I'd like to add a door into the entrance of a passageway which leads into the bedrooms.
The entrance dimensions are 87 1/4 X 39 3/4 and is drywall.
it seems the standard door widths are 36 X 80, so it seems I will need to add a frame.
I've looked at some doors and the "assembled" height/width seems to be 1.75 inches over the doors widths - what does this mean?
What would be the best method of building a frame to support a door on this size, especially the top as I have just over 6 inches I'll need to build up.
What would the internal dimensions need to be to support a door 36 X 80?

The recommended rough opening for a 36" x 80" door, is 38 1/2" x 82". So you're basically looking at something like this.

Basically, you'll have to fill the purple area with framing. Which means you might have to either use thin planks on the sides, or cut into the walls to install framing.

The rough opening (blue) around the jamb (brown) will be left open, and shims will be used to make sure the jamb is perfectly level and plumb. This area will be covered by the casing, once the door is trimmed out.

Finally the door (green) will be fitted within the jamb.

The 1 3/4" you're seeing as "assembled" dimensions, includes the door, the small gap between the door and the jamb (3/16"), and the jamb itself (11/16"). This is typical of prehung doors.