Advice replacing 1930s receptacle I have a receptacle that seems to have been around since the house was built (all others were upgraded). It’s a simple two prong receptacle with two wires attached. I’m not sure if the wires are copper or not.. could I perhaps use a multimeter to measure their resistance to get a better idea of this?

To give a better idea of the wiring in the house here is some of the metal conduit used to carry the wiring through the older part of the house (the part I’m dealing with):

Okay so that’s the background and now the question is - it seems most conduits these days (at least at my local hardware store) expect 2 black wires and two white wires. Do I need to get a conduit that expects only one of each or can I still use the ones that expect 4 wires? Also, what’s the best way to determine what materials these wires are made of (resistance method?) and if not copper are there GFCI options out there that work with non-copper wires (I realize I would have to label this "no equipment ground")?

Thank you in advance for any assistance!

Besides copper, the only other material suitable for conductors is aluminum.  In 1930 aluminum was a precious metal, as the Hall/Héroult refining process wasn't industrialized yet.  Far too precious to waste on wire, which was easier done by cheap, plentiful copper.  (Now it's the other way 'round lol).
This wiring looks like it may have been retrofit.  If so, it may be aluminum.  Scrape it with a knife to see if it comes up brassy or silvery.
That 2-prong receptacle is perfectly new, possibly 1980's more likely 21st century, noting the upward offset to leave room for an absent ground.  Inside the receptacle the metal bits are identical to the grounded type.
You can retrofit ground wires
That looks like armored cable, not conduit.  If you can freely pull out and replace the wires, it's conduit.  Otherwise it's metal jacketed cable.  Fixed metal conduit is allowable as a grounding path.  That metal cable may be, depending on type; AC cable was demoted to where it's  no longer allowable as a ground path.  No matter, you can retrofit just a ground wire, those rules were liberalized in 2014.
You don't need to follow the original cable, but given the ease of access you have, that's exactly what I'd do.  Do the same thing as the cable is doing, hop from junction box to junction box.  Those steel junction boxes are exactly what I use today for that sort of work, and they don't really age unless they're exposed to wet.
The layout of this wiring really did you a favor.  The splices are being made in the junction boxes, so the receptacle only takes 1 wire per side.  That's a knee-saver!  Just FYI, The 2 screws per side are there to optionally be used in one of two modes: a) as a handy-dandy way to splice 2 wires while also connecting them to the receptacle, or b) if you break off the tab, a way to control each socket separately.  Neither applies here.
If the box is grounded, you can ground the receptacle with a "ground pigtail"*. Search the back of the junction box for a hole that's a slightly different size than the others; that would be threaded for a #10-32 ground screw (note -32).  If absent, either use a grounding clip or drill and tap your own #10-32 hole (minimum size #6, thread pitch -32 or finer to bite enough metal to conduct electricity, don't use a sheetmetal screw!).
You cannot ground the receptacle via the mounting screws, but if the metal yoke bottoms out, clean metal yoke against clean box flange, that is acceptable. Typically the box is recessed shy of the drywall and that is not possible.
The ground path needs to go all the way back to the panel, but your retrofit wire only needs to reach a point with good ground that is served out of that same service panel,  e.g. say if you have a water heater that is grounded.
Aluminum wire
If you believe you have aluminum wire or other old wire you just don't trust**, a 'silver bullet solution' now exists in the form of AFCI circuit breakers.  They listen to the wire for any evidence of arcing, which is how most wiring problems show up.  Then, they trip to shut off power.   The concept of AFCI pretty much requires doing that in the circuit breaker; they make AFCI receptacles but they don't protect the wires feeding them, which defeats the purpose!   If you are installing AFCI breakers, they also make AFCI/GFCI combo breakers for a few dollars more. A GFCI breaker protects every point in the circuit, however, GFCI breakers are sensitive to wiring defects such as crossed neutrals.  Those are defects you want to fix anyway, but a GFCI breaker will trip until you do.
Long term anti-aluminum plan:
For small branch circuits (#8 and smaller) only use copper wire, because inspectors and homebuyers with small minds will freak if you use aluminum. Aluminum is perfectly acceptable for 50A+ feeders in #4 and above cable.  If I just spoke greek, get a book.
The wiring I see in your picture would be easily replaced if aluminum; so do that.  If you have aluminum wiring which is infeasible to replace, the problem with aluminum happened because they attached it to terminals that were rated for copper only.  Copper terminals don't like aluminum, zinc-plated aluminum terminals play nice with everybody.  So change to CO-ALR rated recepatcles and switches, and use Alumiconns instead of wire nuts for splicing. The purple wire nuts are no good. Alumiconns are actually miniature lug connectors, and like most lugs, they are made of aluminum.

* most grounds must be pigtailed anyway, note there is only 1 ground screw, that is because you are not allowed to use the "handy-dandy use the receptacle as a splice point" technique with grounds, they must be pigtailed so removing the receptacle does not break other grounds downstream.  That same rule also applies to neutrals in MWBCs, which is way above your skill level right now.  Upshot is if you see a neutral pigtailed "for no reason", leave it that way.
** or new wire you just don't trust, namely backstab connections.  Backstabs are all the rage because they shave time when building new houses. However they are unreliable and are the #1 source of arcing problems. As a direct result, AFCI breakers are now mandatory in new construction.


Does Ductile Iron Rust? I am in the middle of replacing a drain in the concrete floor of my basement.  I'm replacing it because the current drain is terribly rusted, and was quite crooked in terms of not being flush with the floor.  I'm getting ready to seal the concrete and figured I might as well put in a nicer drain.  Now that I've broken out the concrete around it, I can see that it's a St. Louis style drain, and I'm assuming it's cast iron.

I had been thinking "Why on Earth do they make these water-channeling fixtures out of cast iron when cast iron rusts so easily?  I thought maybe that was just how it was done in the old days, but that now you wouldn't see iron being used for plumbing.  However, now I'm looking for fixtures to replace the rusted drain with, and I notice a lot of these are made of ductile iron.  I know that ductile iron is a different alloy, but does it not rust?  I'm looking to install something that won't rust, so I need to figure out if ductile iron is off limits.

Ductile Iron dose rust but at a much slower rate than Cast Iron I only use it when the owner wants the old style piping (Okam and lead) for the seal. I believe it will out last you and any kids if it has a protective coating it will last over 75 years if memory serves but I haven't installed any in years I usually change to ABS and a no hub (also called a fernco coupling). I think the No hub and abs is much easier to install. so those art the 2 methods I use.


12/3 cable coming from box, is this correct? I have the following junction box:

The cable coming from the left is from the fuse box, it's 12/3 (aluminum). The cable going straight down is going to a switch (it's 12/2, aluminum). The other cable going down and curving slightly to the right is going to a light fixture (14/2 copper). The cable going up is also going to a light fixture (14/2 copper). The cable going to the right is carrying power to another room (12/2 aluminum).
So there's essentially one X/3 coming in, and four X/2 going out. The aluminum to copper needs to be property pigtailed with a purple wire nut (which is accepted here). Let's ignore that issue for now; I'm trying to understand if my assumptions about this setup are correct and why it might have been set up this way.
Here is a drawing I made of the wiring (I omitted the other lights, as they are just pigtailed together):

(B = black wire, W = white wire, R = red wire)
When I open the switch, the lights turn off, as expected, and voltage drops to 0 on the red wire (R) coming from the fuse box. The black wire going to the other room remains live.
When I close the switch, the lights turn back on, and there is now 120 volts on the red wire (R) going to the fuse box. The wires going to the other room remain live, of course.
Now, I'm assuming that the 12/3 cable is the one delivering power to this circuit, and is coming from the fuse box. The white wire is shared common for the lights and the other room. Which makes it seem like the red wire is useless. Does this seem correct?

To me, it seems the 14/2 wires were retrofitted into this box to add additional lights, and originally this junction box was the one that had a light attached to it. Which makes me think that the red wire from the fuse box should be used as the neutral/return for the lights; so the lights and the other room both share power from the same black from the 12/3, but return power on the other two wires, separate from each other.

UPDATE: After reading the comments and answer and looking around a bit more, it seems the 12/3 cable probably terminates in this junction box (and the red cable isn't attached to a load):

Red is carrying switched-hot off to another location where a light might have been fed from.  It's not going straight back to the panel.  If you follow it you'll probably come to a good place to fork off more light fixtures.
Red is the preferred color for switched-hot.
Now there are a few issues with this box. It's extremely over-full.  You have 11 wires in there + ground + cable clamps, so I see 13 wire counts... at #12 that's 29.25 cubic inches required for that box.  Those octagon boxes are about half that, so you'll need to get an octagon "extension box" to put on top of this box.  Or you could change the box to a 4-11/16" square box (42 cubic inches).
As far as the aluminum to copper splices, purple wire-nuts may be Code but they sure like to start fires. You'd be wise to consider Alumiconns for up to 3 wire connections, and MAC Block connectors for 4+ wires.  The MAC Block has 2 voids and allows up to 4 wires per void (though the 4 must be the same metal).


Ballast + lamp. Putting all together I would like to thank community for helping me with my initial questions regarding this project part I and part II.
Finally, I put all the parts together and would like you to review it before I plug it in.
Here are the component parts:

Bergen Industries Inc PS915143 3-Wire Appliance and Power Tool Cord
Fulham WH43-UNV-L
TUV 55W PLL
Shunted socket

Here is the schema I wanted to use between ballast and socket:

And here are the photos of all other parts:

In future I would cover the ballast and wires by some plastic box just for safety reasons.
Few questions below:
Common:
I have a Philips 55W twin tube lamp (Philips recommends ballast with programmed start type).
My current ballast WH-43 has instant start type.
From fulham’s documentation it is OK to use this type of ballast with Philips 55W lamp.
I read that using instant start type only affects lamp's lifetime.

But the question is: does it have any other side effects? (safety or any other)

Working mode:

How dangerous it might be to touch the ballast while it is plugged in?
(I am not going to touch it anyway, under no circumstances. Just out of curiosity)

Is that safe to plug it in without lamp in the socket?

Connection & wires:

Is ground wire connected properly?

Safety concerns:

How safe would be wood base in normal mode?

How safe would be wood base during short circuit? (Is that possible that the base would catch a fire)?

What is the proper material for base in such a project?

Any other advice?
Thank you.
UPD:
Thank you all for your help!
Final result, click to enlarge.

The earth connection should be a ring terminal under the screw.
With the earth connection it will be safe to touch the ballast case in all circumstances

Dry wood does not conduct electricity, nor does it pose a fire threat due to electrical faults

I'm not a big fan of those pliers crimp connectors. (but that's personal opinion)

The ballast will be safe and come to no harm with no lamp connected.

Some sort of strain-relief clamp should be arranged on the jacket of the appliance cord
so that yanking the cable does not disturb the connections.

I would not expect the ballast to get hot get hot enough to start a fire


Why is our water heater running the burner for so long and why is the relief valve running? We have a gas water heater. Sadly, it's covered in a layer of insulation that obscures all the labeling (that's probably illegal, come to think of it), so I don't know the manufacturer or the year it was installed, but if it was new to the house, it was installed in about 2003.

It has a relief valve that runs to a dedicated pipe in the ground. As of late, this pipe has been dripping a little bit, but it decided to flow some more today - not a full release on the valve, but still a significant flow nonetheless.

We opened up a hot water faucet on the same story for a few minutes, and the flow slowed to its usual level, where it remains as of this writing. Neither the water from the faucet nor the water from the valve were particulary hot for a water heater - about 130-135F. We do not own a pressure meter.

However, the burner had been running during the entire process and even after we had opened the faucet to slow the relief valve (it was running for about 1 hour 15 minutes in all). I didn't hear any water leaking from anywhere, just a uniform hiss from the burner.

The burner did eventually turn off. I don't know if 1:15 is common for a water heater to run for, and the burner not stopping doesn't seem like a common problem. Also, I just checked the heater - the burner's still off and relief valve isn't running too much, but there is a consistent hiss from the relief valve itself. A very light tap caused a few extra drops to spill out.

"the burner had been running... even after we had opened the faucet"

Every time you open a faucet on the system you introduce cold water into the heater, necessitating additional burner operation to bring the water to the temperature setpoint. The longer you run the hot water, the colder the tank water becomes and the longer the burner will operate to heat it up.

Also, older water heater T&P valves are notorious for dripping/leaking. You may need to replace the valve, it's easy.

The fact that you have had no noticeable pressure increase and that your water temperature is normal seems to indicate a properly functioning thermostat and gas valve. Test the temperature then turn the thermostat down and see if there is a corresponding response.


Is it allowed to run NM wire in PVC pipe under an outdoor porch? I would like to know if it's allowed to run 10/3 Romex in 3/4 inch PVC pipe for 15 ft. outside under the floor of an open porch to be wired to a 30A power outlet for a portable 6500 watt generator.

No. Nonmetallic sheathed cable is not allowed in wet locations.  NEC considers outdoor conduit a wet location.

You'll have to use THWN conductors, or other conductors/cables rated for wet locations.

If you use THWN conductors, you'll be able to fit 7 conductors through 3/4" Schedule 80 PVC (Table C.9), or 9 conductors through 3/4" Schedule 40 PVC (Table C.10).


Bath tub install with dry wall in place What are the techniques to get a tub into the alcove during a remodel.
The alcove is 60", but with the drywall, (ahead of the alcove), the width is only 59"
Thank you

Depending on the exact shape you might be able to tilt it up (about 1 degree, or considerably more based on what the lip shape is) at one end if there's enough room to rotate it back down once "in place" but tubs are awkward to fiddle into place and redoing the drywall after it's in might be simpler (or just needed even if you don't remove it first, from the scars you'll probably put into it fighting with the tub.)


Why do I have a large PVC pipe venting warm air outside intermittently? There is a large PVC pipe (3 actually) which vent air intermittently.  I started noticing I could see steam rising over my deck in the morning and then I found that these pipes vent air at least a couple times per hour.

What is the purpose of this venting?  I'm concerned about efficiency.

Bonus: When the pipes are venting it is fairly noisy.  When we're on our deck we can hear it and it's annoying.  Any way to muffle this noise without impacting the operation?

Do you have a high efficiency furnace? If so this is the exaust and air intake for your furnace.  Unlike older furnaces, HE furnaces do not exaust up through your chimney and instead use PVC or ABS pipes.

Not sure about the third pipe though - do you have a heat exchanger?

Best way to know for sure what they are is to try and trace them back to the source.


new unfinished cabinets in bathroom The cabinets in my bath are new and unfinished.  What is the best way to protect the wood?  I would like to stain rather than paint.  Do I need to cover with polyurethane after I stain?  Also, what is the best product to fill the nail holes?

Most modern cabinets, the middle and higher end ones anyway, are made from solid wood stock. The face frames and doors are solid wood while the carcass walls are plywood or veneer. If they are left un-sealed the raw wood will eventually degrade in a moist environment and become smudged with grime and oils.  Either way starts with sanding. Progress to a finer final grit and wipe down with a tack cloth or a rag dampened in mineral spirits. Stain if desired and let stand 12-24 hours.   Now for the seal coat which protects the wood. You have a few choices, ranging from a lacquer sealer to a polyurethane.  Go with a urethane sealer that is brushed on and apply 3-4 coats letting each dry and sanding between each application. For a bathroom you might consider a marine grade varnish which better protects against moisture.


I want to install a combo switch/outlet to my existing bathroom light switch I currently only have a single hot & neutral wire to the switch for my light. Can I install a combo switch/outlet?

No not if there's only 1 cable in the box. That's not Hot and Neutral, but Hot and switch leg.


How do I go from 1 copper propane line to 5 propane lines? Do they make a splitter like cable tv does? Do they make a copper propane line splitter like cable tv. I nee to go from 1 line to 5

Simply put Four Tees in a line, or two Crosses. 1 in, 4 side outs, one end out.

Of course, if you are adding 4 appliances to an existing installation, you might need to upgrade the line from the tank (sized for one appliance) to maintain adequate flow.

Likewise, be careful, or consider the possibility that a propane leak is potentially dangerous, and you may not be the best choice of person to "split" your propane line if you equate it to cable TV (i.e. have zero plumbing experience.)


Ugly porch light installation I had a security light installed on the outside of my house.  The power feed (wiring) came off of my existing surface mounted porch light.  The installer added a junction box under the porch light, and ran conduit along the wall from the porch light to the security light.
The porch light now sits on top of the junction box, and extends about 2-3 inches away from the siding and is so horribly ugly.  Before I hire an electrician to redo the whole thing, and recess the box into the wall, is there any kind of trim box or other easy solution for this problem?

Yes it’s ugly, I would cut some cedar 5/4 thick the with of that box and make a trim ring. Cedar won’t rot and is easy to work with a few finishing nails to hold the trim in place and it will look much better. Trim ring the size of the fixture not the box.
Actually this meets code if the correct wiring was used. The KO or 4x4 box up under the eve is a “dry” location and other than ugly because no trim was used to hide the box is the least expensive way to add a light.
To put the new light wiring in the walls/attic will normally cost much more.
Is this a gable porch?  any access to the house attic? Running this concealed will cost many times the surface mount and that is with good attic access.
2 story or poor access you can start adding zeros to the original cost for the extreme cases.
So I would recommend a trim piece that you can make for a few bucks possibly from wood scraps around the house, cedar can go un painted and left natural until time to repaint it will turn gray over time. This will be the least costly unless you want the wiring hidden bad enough to pay the premium it will cost to change the wiring from surface mount.


How can I safely work in my attic without a floor in place? Is there a picture that can I go up to the Attic. I am not familiar about it and how do I walk on the ones you don't want to fall on the drywall ?

I went up to the attic entrance and took these pictures from it but I did not walk. I want to see what it looks like and it has foams that is whole bunch of it from there. The only area doesn't have these in the Garage which is behind me.

I live in Colorado and I believe the builders put them there to protect from the cold winters we have here...

This is all new to me and it is first time I am going to have to deal with this and I am not very expert in this area. I grew up in hot weather and we dont have to deal with it when I was a kid.

I'd like to get some tips or advice on what should I do ?

I have include the pictures to share with you.

What you have in your attic is blown cellulose or fiberglass insulation. It can be moved out of the way and replaced in small areas without too much harm to its insulating value.

To move around in your attic, you need to step only on the wooden framing members... virtually any portion of the truss rafters, or any of the boards laying across them perpendicular. You could also take some sturdy boards up with you and move them around as needed, laying them across between the trusses.

If you step between the framing onto the drywall you will tear it loose from the framing and cause serious damage to the ceiling below (and/or yourself). It's critical that you avoid doing so.


Why does my dyed wood look so blotchy? I am using Transtint dye mixed at the correct ratio with denatured alcohol, and applying it to surfaced red oak. This is what it looks like:

Its incredibly blotchy, much more than I would expect from oak which is known for its great stain/dye acceptance. What can I do differently to cause it to more evenly apply?

Here's some close-ups:

What you have planned to build will take a lot of sanding. If you have a random orbit sander and will be using a lot of solid stock, experiment with your stain samples. Let me say this first, if you sand everything out getting rid of the planer marks (washboarding) the quality of your finish will be remarkably better. Secondly, sanded wood takes stain differently than planed wood, usually it takes it darker than planed wood. Thirdly veneer plywood takes stain differently than solid wood but should only need a light sanding by hand, no machines, since the veneer is so thin, and always in the direction of the grain. Soft sanding blocks are handy here.

This is what you need to experiment with on your samples. Start with 100G sandpaper, and run the sander over your stain sample on one side. If it removes the stain/washboarding fairly quickly. It is a good start, if not, you may need to start with 80G. Find the finest sandpaper that gets the job done of removing the washboarding, the fewer steps it takes to get it ready for staining/dying. I usually sand to 120G when finishing by hand, but with machine sanding, I would go a bit finer. Perhaps up to 180 or 220G. But that is what the samples are about. You have 4 sides to work with, before you need to redo your samples. More pointers later on that if needed.

When staining oak, the hard and soft grain becomes more pronounced, with dyes, the color takes more consistently across the face, lessening the difference from soft to hard grain. If each pass with the sander is not complete, it will show marks from the last grit of sandpaper. Be certain is is sanded thoroughly. There are tricks to confirm that.

IMO, I don't think you blotching was caused by "bleed out" although with oak it happens in a heartbeat with oil based stains, had it happen too many times. For that checking the surface after a while can keep this in check, and do not stain or dye in the sunlight. Alcohol based dye may bleed back, but because of its properties and the porosity of oak it will soak in deeper. Alcohl compared to oil. Still, whenever applying dye, apply enough to achieve uniform color, and wipe off the excess immediately and wipe back over the entire surface. If you have panels, consider dying them first and first coat sealer over that. This will fix the issue when the wood moves, sometimes the unstained wood moves from behind the rails and shows raw wood. This way you can cover the smaller parts easier without the dye setting on the surface too long for trying to cover such a large area.

One tip, when sanding narrow pieces, a machine sander will have a tendency to roll off one edge or the other, not keeping the surface flat. Before you start, set up a flat area where you can get all around it, and can hold 3,4 or 5 pieces of your narrow material, and sand them all at one time. Under a random orbit sander, they may act like a bunch of cats, running off in all directions, but set thin strip around the wood you are sanding to keep them corralled. Nothing fancy, doesn't need to be tight, just something simple to take things out, and set more back in. On the sides only, may do what you need.

Here's a few pics of my entertainment center/bookshelves I made of oak.


Replacing switched 14/2 with 14/3 I have a 14/2 wire going from a switch to an outlet such that both plugs in the outlet are switched.
I'm going to replace the 14/2 with 14/3 so that one plug gets constant power while the other is switched.
My questions are:

If the 14/2 is nailed to the stud inside the wall what do I do with the old cable?

Do I wire nut it inside both boxes?

Can I just cut the ends off and push into the wall side there will be no power on the cable?

You could leave it in the boxes, capped, or chop it off. The problem with leaving it in the boxes is you may run up against box fill rules. If you do leave wires in the boxes, even temporarily, any wire by itself should generally have a piece of tape over the wire nut and wire insulation to make sure the cap stays on as the caps generally are designed to hold properly with 2 or more wires.


Fixing window condensation on vinyl windows I have double pane gas filled vinyl windows that are approximately 10 years old that recently starting condensation around the edges of the glass. I've done some basic caulking around a few of the windows but it didn't' seem to help. Should I caulk around where the glass meets the frame? Any tips to prevent the condensation and (likely) drafts?

See pictures below (note condensation is on the exterior of the window not inside):

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ud82e7jqsgtz5o9/IMG_20151228_094959.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/f73s61x8edds8tm/IMG_20151228_094945.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/dwl5u2bpzpwil22/IMG_20151228_094934.jpg?dl=0

Condensation appears to be on the inside of the window.

After 10 years, the seals have failed. They are no longer "gas-filled" - they just have air in there, and the air in there has water in it, which condensed when they are cold. The only way to fix this is to replace the double-pane unit. It's remotely possible that if your window manufacturer was optimistic this MIGHT be a covered failure (they would pay for or supply the replacement panes under warranty), but it often is not.


When should HVAC returns be opened and closed? My Pennsylvania house was built in the early 90s, has central heat (natural gas) and central A/C, and most rooms have pairs of closable air returns on the wall near the floor and ceiling.

I've been searching for guidance on whether and when any of the returns should be closed, but I've found lots of conflicting and unsourced answers. Some say that the upper returns should be closed when the heat is running (to circulate out the cold air), and the lower returns should be closed when the A/C is running (to circulate out the warm air). Others say that they should always be open (so the HVAC unit doesn't have trouble pulling in air).

If and when should any of the returns be closed? Some explanations as to "why" and/or links to reliable sources would be appreciated.

All are true! Generic questions receive generic answers. The advice about closing the upper or lower with heat or cool respectively follows physics of "hot air rise" so sucking up the hot air you just produced isn't very efficient. On the other hand, you don't want to block an intake if it would put additional load on your fan and isn't allowing the amount of air the handler is expecting as they are engineered to a spec to try and optimized HVAC and/or energy performance. But you have two returns and they are designed to be able to shut, so why would they do that. The vent may have been installed because they were cheaper/on-hand, because they looked better, or actually because they were intended to be shut. They also could have been installed correctly and to spec of the air handler but then the air handler was replaced. With so many variables (generic question) you will hear a lot of different answers and most people with lean on the side of caution.

So how to determine what is right for your situation, I've had a few scenarios where people want to place a table or open entertainment center near or in front of their return so I'm going to give you the same advice. Limiting the handler is bad; however, short term is negligible so we'll perform a before and after test. First I inspect the handler to make sure the fan blades are clean. Try and find the vent furthest away from the handler and tape a piece of light cardboard/posterboard or paper to the top; create a hinge, tape on top with paper covering vent. Without any obstruction, both returns open, turn the fan on and see how far the board/paper moves; repeat with a return closed. On a house I typically only check one vent but you can check more. Typically when there is a problem it is extremely noticeable so I'm not breaking out rulers to measure the distance.

If you have the one return closed and your handler is running longer or more frequent that is also a sign that you either need service, possibly just a new filter, or that you don't have enough air flow anymore.


When insulating a new house does the poly have to be caulked and taped at the top? How far down from the top of the wall does the poly covering the insulation have to be and does it have to be caulked at the top and bottom and taped?

Unless you live in Canada, Alaska, or a similarly cold and moist climate, you neither need nor want interior poly, especially if the climate is rainy, if the house will ever be air conditioned, if you are using OSB or fiberboard (e.g. Celotex) sheathing, if you're applying stucco or adhered brick or stone right over the sheathing with no rainscreen gap, and ESPECIALLY if all of those are true. Just Say No.

For more info on this subject, see the following:

http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/musings/when-sunshine-drives-moisture-walls

http://www.buildingscience.com/documents/reports/rr-0104-solar-driven-moisture-in-brick-veneer

http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/musings/do-i-need-vapor-retarder

http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/musings/vapor-retarders-and-vapor-barriers


Which type of termite control is the most efficient in term of price in my case Which type of termite control is the most efficient in term of price in my case?

All the wood flooring and pillar had termite colony in my case...

The most cost-effective methods of termite control, in descending order:

Live where it's too cold for termites - $
Treat the soil around the perimeter of your house with termiticide once every 5-10 years - $
Build a physical termite barrier around your house out of metal, fine sand, cementboard, or some other material that termites can't eat or pass through, leaving inspection strips along the perimeter of the foundation - $
Build the structure and finish materials of your house out of non-wood materials - $$$

...

Wait until your house has a major termite infestation and needs to be fumigated and major structural and finish materials replaced - $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$


Hanging a heavy object with the help of a plywood beam (due to a mismatch with studs) Two studs in my wall are 24" apart, but the mirror I'd like to hang has hooks that are 32" apart.

I'm reluctant to use a hanging wire and shift the mirror a little to the left or to the right, simply because I do not have the confidence to knot the hanging wire around the hooks and be certain that it will not unravel after n months under the weight of a 50-lb mirror.

So the next idea I'm pursuing is to use 3/4" plywood, 32" wide and 3 to 4" high.

I would use 2.5" screws to attach the plywood to the wall where the studs are located (24") and I would use two bolts that are 32" apart on the plywood to hang the mirror on the plywood.

My question is: What kind of bolt should I use? Although 3/4" (maple) plywood should be plenty strong to carry 50lbs, I'm doubtful about using screws that would be in just the 3/4", and I'd much rather not rely on the wall (or else I'll go with butterflies and be done with it). And so I suspect that a bolt (inserted from the back, rather than a screw, inserted from the front) of the plywood and that gets a second head on the front side will do the trick. Would this work? What is the name for this sort of bolt?

Update

The nice thing about writing something down (to ask, for example) is that it makes one see obvious flaws in one's argument. After writing this question, I think that 3/4" plywood would just snap under the bending from the bolt. What I would need is a bolt that has an L-shape on one side, and two bolts going into the plywood. Experts, please help!

I would just use these with some ⅛" steel cable.

If you tighten them down good they will hold much more than 50 lbs.

Good luck with your project!


Fixing leaky drain gasket I am having some trouble making my sink drain gasket not leak. I have a very old sink (50+ years) and it is made of iron. The overflow drain holes in the drain pipe have over the years corroded part of the sink so now water is getting out of the overflow hole, outside of the drain pipe, and building up behind the gasket. Here is a picture of the issue.

As you can see there is a bead of water. Yes the nut is on tight. Until I get a replacement sink, is there some way I can stop this dripping? Perhaps silicon caulking? Thank you.

If you have a honer and it is not rusted through and through, you could clean up the outer lip, remove any calcium buildup, and ensure the outer lip of the sink itself is solid.

Also make sure it is not bent (the sink) and ideally, the drain tube is also perpendicular to the base of the sink. Make sure the sink is still sitting level on the counter top.

if everything is level, flush, and clean, you should be all set.

If the drain area of the sink is rusted through, you'll have to replace it, or epoxy it like mad. (then clean it, and seat everything).


The existing switch box is too narrow for my switch I am replacing a dimmer with an LED compatible dimmer. I have two problems.

1) I can't find an LED dimmer narrow enough. The Lutron dimmer that I bought is 1 3/4" wide. The box is a little less than 2 inches wide and the box tabs are very close to the screws on the dimmer.

2) Whoever installed this old work box didn't secure the romex.

I see two possible solutions:

1) Find a narrower dimmer. Use a press-on plastic clamp to secure the romex.

2) Replace the box with a slightly wider non-conductive box with a built-in clamp.

My primary question: how difficult is it to remove this box? I think that it is held in by the tabs, so if I bend them out the box should come out. What about the tabs, will they come out easily? I don't want this simple project to spiral out of control.

Any other suggestions?

This is the box I am considering:

https://www.amazon.com/Madison-Electric-Products-MSB22-Adjustable/dp/B00H8NUVM4

Edit: Resolution: Reused the metal box. Used a dimmer with wires instead of screws. Still a tight fit. Added a clamp to secure the romex (had to take the box out to add the clamp, thx to Jack for the tips). Labeled the wires (white was line, black was load/lamp :( ). Used a clip to ground the box (wasn't grounded before).

The box is very easy to remove. Just straighten the four tabs and the box will come out, the taps will fall to the floor behind the drywall unless you hold on to them and slide them out from behind the wall in the event you want to reuse the box.

You could use the existing box once you attach the NM cable to it. Just remember to hold on to those tabs. After making your connections to the switch, wrap two or three wraps of electrical tape around the switch and secure it into the box.

You can also replace the existing box with a plastic old work box. The box you pictured won't work unless there's a stud right there to drive those screws into.


Can I use a 220V rated LED lamp on a 110V line? I am presuming the answer of this is no. (I haven't tried to use a 220V bulb from the supplier before but their supply of 110V or Wide Voltage bulbs is limited.)
E27 6W LED Maïs Lamp Koud Wit 750lm 6500K 69-SMD (AC 220V ~ 240V)
Is it safe to use this on a 110V power line?

Probably not, since it's an LED bulb; and while there seem to be very few details on the website, the link calls it out as 220-240V. Some "wide range" LED supplies work from 85V to 277V but this is almost certainly not one of those.
An old-fashioned incandescent 240V bulb will work fine on 120V, at roughly 1/4 power, and thus it will be dim and yellow (but it will also last a very long time.) But that is not what you linked.


Is there a compatible breaker fuse? The house I recently purchased has a fuse box (something I have never had before). I was hoping to use breaker fuses until I am able to get the box upgraded to breakers, however I don't know a lot about these and I am having a hard time finding compatible ones. I have attached a few images.

I am wondering if such a thing exists for this and where I could potentially find one?

I have seen these at Home Depot and a few other home stores. They are not cheap, about $10. I would be more concerned about why your fuses are blowing. Are the circuits overloaded? You need to determine that first. Don't even think about increasing the fuse/breaker size until you or someone else checks the wire size for the circuits. Just get a few boxes of the standard fuses and don't complicate things.


Conduit - Flex Steel vs EMT Is it acceptable to use 3/4" steel flex conduit instead of EMT for wiring 240 receptacle plug inside my garage?  This would be attached to the garage wall.

The answer is fully dependent on:

Whether the location is subject to physical damage.
Conduit fill (for the 3/4" size) and planned amperage of the circuit.

For item 1, flex conduit cannot be used where subject to physical damage.

From NFPA-70:2014 (2014 NEC):
ARTICLE 348
Flexible Metal Conduit: Type FMC
348.12 Uses Not Permitted. FMC shall not be used in the following:
(7) Where subject to physical damage

"Subject to physical damage" is subject to the inspector's opinion since the NEC does not explicitly define these terms, so I would recommend consulting with them.
Generally, wiring at a height less than 8 ft is an unwritten convention that is typically considered subject to physical damage p(rovided there are no other surround protections/enclosures/guard strips and then you're back to the inspector's interpretation).
For item 2, once you have selected the wire size appropriate to supply the required current on the circuit, you will need to calculate conduit fill to determine the allowable size of the conduit/raceway (refer to Informative Annex C of the NEC).


Can a receptacle before a light or light switch use a pigtail? Can a receptacle before a light or light switch use a pigtail or does it have to have the black and white wires on each side of the receptacle?

It can use a pigtail, unless it's a GFCI receptacle and you want the light to have GFCI protection.


Can I pour concrete next to my foundation? I'm planning to install a 4x4 fence into the ground by digging up a hole, adding some gravel, then pouring concrete in. Is it a problem if the concrete touches the foundation of the house? I've added a picture of what I'm planning (not to scale or anything).

Concrete touching the foundation shouldn't be a problem, but make sure that you aren't constraining any of the services (wires and pipes) shown in the picture, and that you aren't butting up against the siding, potentially entrapping crud and/or insects.


How do I untwist a very long, very twisted Ethernet cable? A few years ago I bought what should be a 45m flat Ethernet cable.
After a long period of disuse the cable has gotten very tangled but I need to use it again. I've unknotted the cable so it is now one long cable but the cable is incredibly twisted:

I've tried to very slowly untwist the cable starting from one end, but that just seems to make the problem worse. After a certain point it gets harder and harder to untwist and then I can't untwist it anymore, and then the rest of the cable gets even more twisted. No matter which way I twist the end of the cable just seems to get even more twisted.

Is there a clever way to untwist this cable? Or should I cut my losses and just buy a new one?

Well, the good news is it does not appear that you've passed into "throw it away" levels of twisted yet. I've had users do things to innocent cables that I can't quite believe. I find out about them when the cable fails, usually.
Find a stairwell, or some other place you can let the cable dangle, hold, and wait. Since you probably don't have a 45m stairwell handy, you'll have to work in sections. Starting from the end is a problem unless you can let the whole thing dangle - you want to start as far into the middle as you can and let the end spin free, so that the twist gets "worked out".
Another approach is to wind the untwisted section of cable onto a core of some sort (essentially a small cable spool) and to spin that as needed to remove twist as you wind it on - you'll need to keep light tension on it so it can't snarl - you can tape it if you want to pause while working. Important to then unroll it, NOT spiral it off the side of the spool. Still likely to be easiest if you can hang the unspooled cable as much as possible so it twists freely.
Once you get it sorted, you may also want to look up various methods of coiling cables without adding twist when coiling. Various ways work, and the one I prefer may not be the one you prefer.


How many recesses of a '5-pin' socket should light a voltage tester? Pretty simple question, but I couldn't find the answer anywhere. Suppose I have a standard '5-pin'/5 recesses wall-socket and I check it with a voltage tester. How many recesses should show a voltage?
My expectation was 3, however in my case only the bottom right recess showed a voltage.

Context: this is in an apartment I just moved to in the Netherlands. I tried connecting my electric stove and 3 out of 4 plates no longer worked. That caused my to grab a voltage tester to check the socket.

Assuming you mean an IEC 60309 Plug that delivers 3-phase 230/400V power (usually a red connector), there should be power on three pins.
The largest hole is for the earth pin, and the next hole counter-clockwise is the neutral. The remaining holes should have line voltage - 230v measured to neutral or 400v measured to another line hole.
Here is a good reference for you: https://www.plugsocketmuseum.nl/IEC60309_1.html
Also, as mentioned in the comments, get yourself a proper tester for this or call an electrician to test it.


Is this scenario a bootleg ground? Is it safe? options? I have a shop that has been fed a 3-wire (L1 - L2 - N)service years ago. The ground wires to the outlets are bonded to the neutral wires in the shop's subpanel. There is NO earth ground / ground rod at the shop. The outlets DO NOT have the ground wire hooked up at all, and no "typical" bootleg with a jumper or something. Should I hook up the ground wires in the outlets? I know the real solution is to run a separate ground wire from the source of the shop's service and turn the shop feed into a 4-wire with the separate bus for ground and neutral etc... But is it considered "bootleg" if I hook up the ground wires at the outlets like I said?

The ground wires to the outlets...
...The outlets DO NOT have the ground wire hooked up at all, and no
"typical" bootleg with a jumper or something. Should I hook up the
ground wires in the outlets?

First off, there are ground wires TO the outlets, but they are just sitting in there? That makes no sense and if the ground wires are there, you should connect them to the ground terminals of your outlets.

...are bonded to the neutral wires in the shop's subpanel.

Secondly; is this a sub-panel or the SERVICE panel? The FIRST panel where the utility power comes in is the SERVICE panel, and you DO connect the Neutral and Ground wires together there. In a SUB-panel, you do not. If this is a sub-panel, then they should NOT be bonded (connected together), even though they are going to be at the Service panel upstream. The Service panel is where the Ground is then connected to the Grounding Electrode (ground rod) with a separate ground wire, called the Grounding Electrode Conductor (GEC). That should be the ONLY connection to ground in your building.
Thirdly, when talking about the number of "wires" in a service or cable, you do not count the ground conductors, it is not a "current carrying conductor" so is not considered a "wire". So "Romex 3-wire going from the breaker box to all the outlets" would mean 2 hot wires and 1 neutral, not 1 hot, 1 neutral and 1 ground. I'll assume you meant 1 hot, 1 neutral and a ground, which is called 2-wire NM cable with ground. NM cable is abbreviated by the size, the the number of current carrying conductors, then w/G if there is a ground wire, so for example 14-2 w/G is 14 ga, 2 wire (H+N) with Ground. The reason it is done that way is that you used to be able to get 14-2 with no ground, in which case it was just called 14-2.
Lastly, a "bootleg ground" is when there is NO ground wire run out to the receptacle box, so someone bonds the ground terminal of a grounded receptacle to the neutral terminal with a little jumper. That was technically legal up until 1969 but has not been since then. But from your descriptions, that's not what you have.


Recovering R-22 refrigerant from a system with locked compressor Compressor locked on my 29 year old R-22 system. Will be getting a full new system: 4 ton R-410A, NG furnace and air handler.
My HVAC service doesn't have the right coil in stock and while waiting for a coil to arrive from the factory I began to wonder about recovery of the full charge of R-22. They cannot pump all the R-22 into the condensing unit. My refrigerant lines are about 30 ft long.
I gather the service valve can be shut off on both the high and low sides so that all the R-22 in the condensing unit is sealed in and taken away with the condensing unit. But what about the R-22 in the lines and evaporator coil? Will that just be lost to the atmosphere?
I wonder if nearly full recovery of the charge of about 12 to 14 lb could be accomplished by connecting an empty, evacuated R-22 cylinder to the service valve with the cylinder immersed in a large bucket of ice water? Would ice water  be cold enough to liquefy the R-22 in the cylinder. Of course, if this is not SOP then my service wouldn't do it so I suppose this is just dreaming.
EDIT
I posed this question to get opinions on what to request of the HVAC service (used them for 30 years). I will not be installing this unit myself. My current system is 3.5 tons, which worked OK for our 2050 sq ft house in the very hot climate of Dallas TX, but was marginal, ran continuously for hours in the middle of hot days. I believe that a 4 ton unit would not require larger lines. When I suggested to my proposed contractor that I needed new lines he disagreed saying he would employ a cleaning "kit". The lines are maybe 40 ft long and are not in the attic but in a chase of ca. 4 inch plastic pipe under the slab.
We are still without a/c because the air handler, furnace and evap coil are in a tight closet in our 1970 tract house. The contractor has not been able to source the 21 inch coil needed for the cramped space. He only has a 29 inch coil and this will not fit. Our current unit has an 18 inch coil, but the air handler is taller than the new one.

The HVAC technician is required by EPA regulations to recover and recycle all the R-22 that can possibly be recovered.  They should know what to do and should also have the right equipment to do it.
They will use a refrigerant recovery pump that is essentially a vacuum pump that then pumps the recovered R-22 into a tank for proper disposal.
You should not attempt this yourself as it's both dangerous and illegal.


90amp breaker to a subpanel for 60 amps I have a mobile home that is wired for a 90 amp furnace. but didn't have the furnace.. so I purchased one which is  60 amps.
could I take the wires for the 90 amp furnace run it from the 90 amp breaker into the main lug in a subpanel and use a 60 amp breaker for this other furnace?

You can simply continue to use the 90 amp wires.  You change the breaker to 60A, they're about $10, but hold on to the old 90A breaker because those critters are expensive.

This depends on the rule that you are always allowed to use larger wires than required.


What is the name of these silver curtains used to reflect heat energy back outside? Some people use aluminum foil to reflect heat on windows but I find it very depressing and bad-looking thing. My Chinese friends use 台州涂银反光窗帘布 but I have no idea what it is in English: they translated it as a silver curtain and galvanized curtain. According to them, it is available at least in Beijing's IKEA and Shanghai's IKEA but apparently not in Europe or I just cannot find the right term to describe the special curtains to reflect the heat. This material is like a aluminum foil canvas but more durable. It is easy to use during travelling and studying particularly in places where you cannot carry a 30kg central-cooling unit like here.

This is how it looks like on window: the side of sun is covered with this silver curtain and the other side to the room is the canvas knitted together. It is very hard to notice this unless you know what you are looking for but it keeps the room cooler and darker -- great!

What is the name of the silver curtain? Which kind of factors should I consider in choosing a curtain? Which silver curtain reflect most heat and blocks well light?

Solar curtains - beware I haven't seen any that look much better than aluminum foil.


How to wire a smart thermostat with dual Transformer system? R , Rc, W , Y , G. No C wire. No Jumper Is this system considered a Dual Transformer system? According to Nest since there is a R and RC cable it must be a dual transformer. But they were unsure and I don't know what that means! I don't have a C wire.  Trying to figure out which smart thermostat is best suited for such a setup and hook it up without tearing up much or pulling new wires!
Hope the picture makes sense. I currently have a Honeywell Thermostat with the following wires hooked up.
R, RC, G, Y , W. No jumpers.  I have a FirstCO Air Handler, Burnham Heat, and AC unit outside the house.

Current Thermostat: Honeywell TH6220D1002
FirstCo Air Handler: 30MBX-3HW 120V-1PH-60HZ

Google did not help me much with the installation or ideas. They said "learning system may work".
Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks

You have a two-transformer system most likely
From the way your existing thermostat is wired, you most likely indeed have a two-transformer system.  This means that you will need a 3rd gen Nest, since the Nest E dropped two-transformer support, and the 2020 edition Nest supports the same physical connections as the Nest E.


Purpose of this diagonal board on underside of deck? This board is nailed to the underside of the joists, and does not extend across the full width of the deck.
I'm planning to add a commercial under-deck ceiling, and would need to remove that board.
Would there be an issue removing that board?  What does it do?

It’s a temporary brace...probably used temporarily during construction and they forgot to remove it. (Look close and you’ll see the end of the board is not fastened.)
The height of the deck above the ground has nothing to do with the use (or need) for a brace.


Newly installed ceiling fan, lights turn on and off on it's own - dimmer switch, breaker or light bulbs causing issue? Help, I have a newly installed ceiling fan that is controlled by a remote control and the wall has a dimmer switch. (We had a smaller ceiling fan in place and replaced it with a larger fan to fit the room better). The 3 light portion of the fan works with 2-60 watt bulbs for 5 minutes.  Then light starts to turn on and off again.  When we had 3-60 light bulbs in, the light didn't work.  The limited wattage on the fan is combined 190.  3-60 watts shouldn't be over that.  Can anyone suggest why we are having this problem. I didn't install it, I paid a guy to do it.

Is it because all 3 of our bedrooms are on one breaker and now with the bigger ceiling fan we have exceeded some sort of power limit on the breaker?  Is it because of the dimmer switch?  Should I try 3-40 watt bulbs instead?  Help, would be appreciated.

If the breaker isn't tripping (all your bedrooms are not losing power, just the light on the fan), it's not the breaker being overloaded.

How is this wired? Is the "dimmer switch" controlling just the lights on the fan, or is it the older fan's speed control? Or perhaps if I ask "How do {or did, with the old fan} you turn on the lights alone, fan alone, or both?" - is there a wall switch or speed control for the fan, and a separate wall switch for the lights, or does one wall switch (dimmer?) turn on the fan/light and then you select if the lights are on by a pull-switch on the fan? You have a remote control now - that would probably affect the way things should be wired.

Why do I ask all this? The only way I can imagine that you're causing something to overload with 120 watts of light bulb is is if you've got the fan motor attached to the dimmer, which is almost certainly not right...either the "dimmer" is a fan speed control, probably sized for the previous fan motor (did it have lights?) or it's only supposed to be attached to the lights, if it is a dimmer.

A dimmer won't work right as a fan speed control, and a fan speed control won't work right as a dimmer, and if both the motor and lights are attached to either one, it would not work.


What are some alternatives to a square ceiling air diffuser? We recently bought a house that had an addition put on in the 80's. The addition is on the back of the house and has separate (electric) heating and cooling. In the ceiling are two square, 12.75" air diffusers. Picture here:

The hole that it covers measures 12.75", but the actual cover seen here measures 17.5". The other thing is that I'm having a hard time finding different ones in this size.

Personally, I've never seen these used in residential, only commercial. And frankly, they're ugly. They're the first things you notice when you walk into the room. Is there an alternative that is more updated and more attractive that I'm not aware of? I would settle for the same thing, but one that doesn't drop down 3" or so from the ceiling (the more flush the better).

As long as the cover is the same size as the opening (or otherwise impede air flow), you can probably use any cover.

I would start by searching for ceiling vent or grilles.

12x12 inches is a common size for vents, so there should be many options available depending upon your budget.


What should I do about standing water in my tiled shower? I have standing water in my tiled shower. The side of my house sank a bit causing the floor to be uneven. The guy I use for home repairs is out of the country for a couple of months. Can I wait until he comes back to get it fixed or do I need to get it done ASAP?

A tiled shower is generally designed to be watertight during normal use. However, if it is holding water for an extended period of time, it will have a higher chance of leaking or deteriorating more rapidly. Whether it's likely to leak in a way that causes significant additional damage over the next 2 months depends on your house and usage: what's underneath the shower, can you inspect it regularly, how much do you use this shower. It also depends on whether the caulk which seals the corners in your shower has held securely in place even as your structure has shifted. You can mitigate the risk of damage somewhat by cleaning up the standing water using a towel or squeegee after you shower, but it's also possible that your shower is now leaky enough that it should not be used at all. If you want opinions on that, pictures of the shower and the area underneath would be helpful.

You didn't mention the extent of settling that caused your floor to become uneven in the first place. Depending on lots of factors (your home's age, weather conditions, foundation and drain tile, etc.) this could be normal or this could be a sign of a severe structural problem. While repairing the shower may solve your immediate problem, I'd recommend you talk to an experienced builder or structural engineer to better understand this root cause. You don't want to spend money fixing the symptoms only to have them reappear later. Good luck!


How do I clean my jetted whirlpool tub? The master bath of our new house has a jetted whirlpool tub. We haven't used it yet, since the previous owners were, um, lacking hygiene. Is there a good way to clean it out without taking the whole thing apart? I've heard that some people use dish detergent, but then I've heard elsewhere that this can cause residue buildup inside the jets and tubing. Is there a good cleaning product made specifically for jetted tubs out there that doesn't cost an arm and a leg? Does anyone have experience they can share?

Were the previous owners kind enough to leave the instruction manual for the tub?  If not, you may be able to look up the model online, and get a copy.

The last jetted tub I had experience with, had removable jets, which could be placed in the dishwasher (as per the instruction manual).  In order to clean out the tubing, we would fill the tub, and add 1-1.5 cups of bleach, then run the jets for a good 20-30 minutes, drain the tub, refill with clean water, and run for another 5-10 minutes.  It was amazing how much "ick" came out, and with the bleach you don't have to worry about buildup.

If the previous homeowners were as you say, lacking hygiene, you may want to repeat this process a few times.


Extending power from existing three-way switch circuit I have 2 circuits of 4 lights connected via two 14/3 cables to two sets of switches that on/off each circuit. Power comes in at Switch1/circuit 1. All works fine.

I want to extend power from second set of switches to new single pole switch just two feet from that second set. The new single pole switch will control one dining room light. How do i extend power to next switch so that it works independent of the other switches?

Let's go to the store and get some colored tape, so we don't lose our minds.  We don't need to distinguish two travelers from each other, so a pair of travelers can be the same color.  We do however have two sets of travelers in close proximity, and two switched-hot colors which I'm making red and purple.

So now in color:

In order to feed an additional switch+lamp combo, you need always-hot and neutral.  Do you see it in the right hand switch box? Yes, you do, but how?

Well, you've got always-hot in one cable and neutral in the other cable -- Oh wait.

You can't do that

You can't pull power off one cable and return it on another cable.  Currents must be equal in each cable.  The answer is "NO".

It would be yes if they were all wires in one conduit.  Using cable between the switch groups sinks you.


What substance absorbs the most moisture in a given time? I have bought some damp traps. When it comes to refilling them, what substance would soak up the most moisture? Googling, dishwasher salt and cat litter have been suggested, but nobody seems to be able to say exactly what would, in principle, absorb the most moisture.

Calcium Chloride.

They sell it as driveway ice-melt by the 5 or 10 pound bag so it is cheap. It is even used in pickling to make vegetables crisp.

It makes a great desiccant.


How would I join several pieces of thick plywood together? Ok so this question is regarding my Design and Technology GCSE, I have 5 pieces of 15mm thick plywood. These pieces of plywood have no middle and need to join together to make a sort of box with another piece of plywood that is 3mm thick on the bottom. I was thinking about just using wood glue to glue every piece together or would it be more durable if I drilled holes, through all the pieces, countersunk at the top and used screws instead or is there another way entirely for example biscuit joints.I'm limited to, while it is still very well equipped, a school workshop.

Glue and clamp to laminate the plywood together. Just be careful to make sure all the pieces are all well aligned and clamped evenly - use additional wood top and bottom to spread the clamping force evenly and avoid damaging the plywood. Also be mindful that the glue will be squeezed out of the joints so will need to be carefully cleaned off before it dries.


Is there a way to measure the output of a single HVAC vent? As inspired by this previous question, is there a method or device used to measure the output of a single HVAC vent or the output of a single room?

I'm imagining some sort of hood device that could be taped or magnetically sealed to a vent that would have a CFM (cubic feet per minute) meter on it to make sure each vent is putting out a certain amount.  Just to make up numbers, you could then verify that a 6" vent was putting out 1000CFM, and the 8" duct in the next room was putting out 1300CFM, but a 6" vent in the guest room was only putting out 500CFM.

If such a device doesn't exist, how do installers verify that each vent is working as designed?  Is it just a matter of a temperature sensor and the fact that the air coming out "feels like the right amount"?  How would the poster of the linked question "prove" that one vent wasn't putting out a sufficient volume of air for the room?

A hand held anemometer can be used to see the flow then multiply by area to get the total flow.
There are quite a few for under 20$ .


What are the must-have features for a Hackspace/Makerspace horizontal metal bandsaw? I asked a similar question here where I got some useful advice for selecting bandsaws in general.  From the advice received I was able to select a few potentially interesting vertical woodcutting bandsaws.

This question is more specifically about what to consider when buying a Horizontal bandsaw for cutting metal stock, tubing, etc.

I assume there is some amount of overlap in the dimensions to consider such as:

  Variable speed for multiple materials
  Adjustable blade guides
  Throat capacity

What are other dimensions to consider?

Are there any features that are clearly must-haves?

Because this tool will be used in a Hackspace/Makerspace it will be used by many different people on a wide variety of projects and probably with a wide variety of materials.  It is also quite possible it'll be used for several hours a day (this is still unknown).

Our budget is roughly in the £1,000 to £3,000 range.  Any advice would be appreciated.

From my perspective, I cut lots of metal and cant live without my horizontal bandsaw, I cant tell you what is must-have, but I can tell you the features I like.

Auto off switch at the end of the cut (sometimes cutting large sections you dont want to sit at the saw.
Clampable vice which firmly holds the metal, and is degree adjustable BUT with quick release/adjustment coupler so you dont sit there winding the clamp to get the desired with.
Bin for cutting fluid should you buy the attachment to spray cutting fluid onto the blade.
A common blade size which is cheap and readily accessible
Hydraulic assisted arm which you can adjust the effective "weight" so that you can set the machine to apply a constant pressure to the cut.
An additional feature is a vice with 2 degrees of angle, (up down, Left right) - this will enable compound mitre cuts.
E-Stop, for when the blade snaps

Hope this helps


Screaming shower head (the sequel) See also this question:

I recently soaked my Moen shower head in vinegar for a day to fix a problem where the center jets which pulsate were not working. Inside is an impeller of some kind and I assumed it was not spinning properly because of hard water buildup or lime, etc. Soaking in vinegar did the trick, the center jets are working better than ever.

But... the shrieking began. I looked up the above question but since I just cleaned the shower head, the answer is not satisfying.

So, how do I stop the shrieking? Is it time to get a new shower head? Will a more expensive one avoid this problem better?

Another thing to try would be a slightly more aggressive cleaner than vinnegar - I've had good luck soaking the shower head in CLR, making sure to shake it up every few hours.


Storm door panel replacement? Basically someone kicked the bottom of my storm door, denting the panel there. It looks like I should just be able to replace it but I can't find a new panel anywhere. Not sure if there's a special name for it or something so here's a picture to be clear what I'm talking about:

So does anyone know what the name of that part is and/or where I could buy it?

A shop that fabricates sheet metal can probably fabricate a new one. A company that installs metal roof systems would be a good candidate because they deal with pre-finished materials on a regular basis. An HVAC shop could probably also fabricate something but they are less likely to have a finished material.

If you're ambitious, you could perhaps fabricate something yourself out of sheet metal.


Sub Panel for Floating Boathouse/Dock I am upgrading the electrical service to a floating boat dock in a home I purchased last year. The lake is managed by the Army Corps of Engineers and has specific regulations I'm required to follow.

Currently, 12/2 NM UF is run from the main house on a 20amp breaker to a mast at the shoreline, where it terminates at a flood light and a GFCI receptacle. Is it possible to use this existing 20amp feed to power a remote weatherproof subpanel (required by the Corps for remote shut-off) with a single 20 amp breaker inside? The sub-panel is rated for 70 amps.

From my perspective, the amperage isn't changing, and all I'm adding is a shut-off switch, therefore nothing should be wrong with this setup. Is this a correct assumption?

From this shut off panel at the shore and a locking outlet, 12/3 (black/white/green) SJOOW is run to the dock ramp, and is junctioned to 12/2 NM UF (black/white/bare), which is run through 1/2" schedule 40 conduit beneath the ramp and onto the dock.

I am a heavy duty DIYer, but want to be sure I'm not doing anything wrong with this 20amp sub-panel since this is a first for me. Thanks in advance for any advice or answers you can provide.

12/2 is awfully, awfully light for a 300 foot run.  It's not a bad installation, and it's legal and safe to breaker that 20A.  It just won't be very satisfying if you try to run a heavy draw appliance.  As things are, your tiny 60W / 0.5 amp load won't be a probem.  Punch your actual amp load into a voltage drop calculator (and specify 99% allowable voltage drop) to see what the voltage drop will be.

You new setup will delete the GFCI receptacle, but that's a good thing. The problem with GFCI's at beachside is that if the GFCI itself gets wet, electricity can leak from the unprotected line side of the GFCI and kill you.  A better place for the GFCI is actually as a breaker in the main service panel, so the entire wiring run and the panel and the receptacle are all protected.

Since this is only one circuit, all you need here is a shutoff switch, provided you have a GFCI back at the main panel.  This can be a $19 fuseless shutoff switch, or a $20 2-space subpanel with a $5 breaker installed in it (using the breaker as shutoff switch). Guests need to be able to shut off power FAST if needed, so get a panel where the main breaker is obvious, not hidden among the other breaker(s).

If you want the GFCI at beachside, figure on a $65 hot tub subpanel which has a GFCI "main breaker".

GFCI breakers for your main panel are $40, so this is a wash costwise.  If you do have that, you will not need any GFCI devices beachside, and you can satisfy GFCI requirements with a sticker that says "GFCI Protected".

Using SJOOW cord between the flexing sections is correct.

If you're actually using the conduit wiring method where all boxes are connected by continuous conduit, 12/2 UF is a very tight fit in 1/2" conduit and a miserable pull (some manufacturer's UF are actually too big!)  THWN-2 individual wires are the right thing for conduit, and you get to use stranded wire, which is a joy to work with.  Only downside, you'll need 3 colors of wire.

If the conduit location is exposed to direct sun, PVC will take UV damage inside 3-4 years (so paint it).  Sched 40 PVC also won't hold up to physical damage (so use Sched 80 or EMT at sensitive areas).


Will this slotted waste fit this basin? I am buying a basin and it isnt clear if the waste will fit it?
How do you ensure the slot for the overflow is at the right location? (or are they all the same? )

Basin

Waste

They're all more or less standard these days. The overflow comes in between the upper and lower rings on the drain. I've never seen one that didn't work.


How can I attach an under-sink water filtration system to the water line? I recently bought an under-the-sink drinking water filter, a model from GE, and I got stuck trying to hook it up to the cold water line.

The package came with a simple plastic tee that had a 1/2 inch MIP, a 1/2 inch FIP, and a 1/4 inch connection for the tubing that goes to the filter. My trouble is that I don't have any 1/2 inch connections after the shut-off valve -- the connections there are 3/8 inch compression connections (I'm slowly learning the difference between the various fitting types).

I've been trying to find fittings that would let me adapt the plastic fitting that came with the filter for my situation, something like the following:

shut-off -> 3/8 fem comp x 1/2 mip -> plastic tee -> 1/2 tip x 3/8 male comp -> water line to existing fixture

But I can't seem to find anything like a 3/8" female compression to 1/2" MIP adapter. It also seems like having more joints in a plumbing system might cause problems, so using the fewest fittings possible sounds like a good idea.

Is there a better way to do this? Some way of avoiding the included plastic tee?

So, to restate my problem, how can I accomplish the following:

shut-off, 3/8" m comp -> 3/8" f comp x 3/8" m comp -> 3/8" f comp fixture line
                                  |
                                  v
                         1/4" quick connect tube

You're going to need to get a 3/8" x 3/8" x 1/4" brass tee, like this one from Home Depot.

Then you'll simply screw the tee onto the male end of the shutoff valve (where the cold water supply line should currently be attached). Attach the supply line (that you removed from the shutoff valve) to the male end of the tee. Finish the installation by attaching the tubing to the 1/4" outlet using a compression fitting (Which should be included with either the filter or the tee).


How do I turn my top-heavy headboard into a freestanding headboard? I've DIYed an upholstered, king-sized headboard (5'x6'10"), but after trying to bolt it to the bed frame, I've realized that the bed frame is much too light to prevent the headboard from toppling over. What's worse is that there's an electric baseboard heater running the length of the wall (where the head of the bed is), and wall mounts are not an option (apartment living, yay). While there's plenty of room at the foot of the bed, I'd rather not have the bed in the middle of the room.

I'm guessing the best thing to do is to add some counter-weights to ensure that the headboard can stand on its own without being bound to anything. Unfortunately, I don't know what the ideal counter-weights are, nor do I want to build something that would be difficult to transport in the event we have to move. What would be the best course of action?

The bed frame that you showed at the link (pictured below) is, as you have determined, not at all suitable for having a large headboard attached to it.

This frame is really meant to be used without any surrounding bed adornment or to be used as a mattress support inside of a full surround bed set. The link picture tells it all:

The side panels of this bed set adjoin to the headboard to make a nice solid support.

I would never make a headboard by a bed free standing; especially one that is five feet high. The last thing you would ever want is the thing tipping over on you when you are sleeping in the bed or doing some active activity on or near the bed.

One choice you have is to construct a full bed set. Alternatively you could DIY a support frame that sits directly on the floor and bolts to your head board at one end. The corners of this frame could be joined using pieces of angle iron screwed to the wood. The picture below could give you an idea to work with. Such a floor frame could be made shorter and narrower than the mattress so that it is kind of under the bed. You could even make it out of dimension 2x8 lumber and pad it with a fabric or upholstery material.


Attach partition wall to lath and plaster wall I am looking to add a small closet (2×4 ft) in the corner of a room with lath and plaster walls. I would like to frame in two sides and attach it to the existing wall. Do I have to limit myself to the existing stud locations to anchor the new walls or is there a way to add another stud without destroying the existing wall?

To answer the original question, the studs at either end of the closet will not need to define the dimensions. The stud at either can be screwed in place. Do not use nails. The vibration from setting the nail will break off the keys of plaster that hold the plaster up on the wall. Use enough screws to increase the chances of finding the wood lath to secure the last stud in the wall. The top and bottom plates as mentioned in other answers will do the rest.

To address another valid issue that was brought up about direction the walls over the joists. If the long wall is across the joists, and portions of the wall that are supported by these joists will be fine. Actually, the wall should be so light in weight there will be, or should be, little or no concern. If the side the door is hinged happens to sit on or near a joist, the better the support for the wall. Half the weight on the shelves will be supported by one of the existing walls the other at the back existing wall and a bit on the new wall. If the floor that the closet is built on has subfloor, all the better.


Should I cut back drywall before installing a new wall? I'm adding a new wall/door in a current finished loft space to convert it from a loft to a bedroom.  I've already decided to trim back the carpet and carpet pad to attach my bottom plate to the subfloor properly, and of course trim back the existing baseboard.
What is the correct way to install the top plate and first stud of each side?

Leave existing drywall - Attach the top plate to as many ceiling joists through the drywall as possible and the side studs to potentially nothing except the new top/bottom plates
Remote existing drywall - Attach the top plate directly to the ceiling joists and side studs to the existing top/bottom plates and any studs that overlap in the existing walls.
?

Normally it's not necessary to remove drywall when adding new walls. You'd just install studs tight to the existing drywall and nail or screw through. For the ceiling, cut openings to add backing if the plate is parallel to and between joists, otherwise just fasten to the joists through the drywall.
An exception might be where you lack midpoint backing and want the studs mounted securely for reasons such as door openings right at the end. If you don't have backing you can use construction adhesive or toggle bolts to secure the middle of the stud, or just rely on the top and bottom connections and the tension of the drywall on the new wall.
So, no.


Microwave oven blows internal fuse when door is closed My GE model mc0165uw above range oven blows its 20amp ceramic fuse when i close the microwave oven door. I have checked the continuity of all 4 door interlock switches, and as far as I can tell they check out ok. What would be the next troubleshooting step here before heading to the pawnshop for a new one.

Years ago I had experience with helping an electronics shop owner next door to my office fix a similar problem. The problem turned out to be alignment of the micro switches which were all on plates with adjustment slider holes. On his unit the door interlock micro switches had an interesting contact arrangement with wiring such that when the switches sequenced incorrectly a direct short would be imposed across the power line through the fuse. This would cause the fuse to blow and render the unit non-operational. Best we could determine it was designed as a safety interlock system. It turns out that we guessed correctly.

It is a requirement that microwaves have an interlock monitoring system to pop the fuse if the switches are not operating correctly. There is a good description here:

http://www.microtechfactoryservice.com/switch.html


Oven burner not lighting normally - strange behavior I have a 15 year old Capital Performance Series gas range, model number PSGR304. This is a cheap relative of a commercial-style DCS range without any electronic controls, timers, etc.

Lately it has been behaving strangely so I took off the covers to investigate and here is what I found after repeated tests:

When turned on from room temperature with the thermostat set at about 350 it takes the ignitor about 12-14 seconds to begin glowing
The ignitor looks fully bright by 22 seconds (total time)
The burner lights fully at about the 1:24 mark (normal flame)

At 2:14 the burner goes off but the ignitor remains bright

There is a faint smell of gas
After waiting for the 5 minute mark to ensure that nothing happens spontaneously, a finger inserted in front of the gas jet (through the burner air intake) senses a very light cool flow of gas but not nearly enough to light
If said finger is used to briefly tap/bloc the orifice there is a little "whoosh" and the burner ignites but the flame is not at its normal intensity

The oven takes about 40 minutes to reach 350
The thermostat clicks off, the flame goes out, the ignitor stops glowing
Keeping the door open causes the thermostat to click on and heat the ignitor
The gas comes on by itself but the flame is still at the strange low level

Nothing I found online so far addresses this combination of issues, everything assumes a binary failure (shorted safety valve, bad ignitor etc). In my case, the sequence of events seems to rule out a complete failure of all three active components (ignitor, thermostat, safety valve) as well as a blocked orifice or burner holes.

Can anyone please suggest a way to identify the root cause of all this? Thanks!

Could be a cracked ignitor element, letting through enough current to open the gas valve until it gets even hotter, then the crack widens and the gas valve closes.

Could be a faulty valve, and the valve throat is blocked by debris or broken part (as opposed to valve coil is broken).

You can distinguish between those cases by reading the voltage across the valve terminals while the oven tries to start. A steady rise in voltage with no spikes or dropouts means the ignitor is OK.

Sometimes you can detect a cracked ignitor element by direct inspection -- it will have an obvious hot spot, which often looks like the element is burning.

If you can't see the ignitor or measure the voltage, you could try replacing the ignitor. It's the cheapest part, and any replacement is cheaper than calling a licensed repairman.


Replacing a PIR light switch with a timer switch I thought I'd try to be all helpful around the house and replace the PIR light switch in my dad's room with a simpler timer switch.  After flipping the breaker, I pulled out the PIR and found that there were four wires.  I was only expecting black, white, and green, but it had a red wire like a 3-way switch.  Except that this switch isn't supposed to be 3-way and there isn't any other switch in the house that controls this light.

I looked up the manual for another manufacturer's PIR light switch, and for 2-way operation it says to cap off the red wire.  I'm wondering if I should do just that -- cap off the red wire in the wall, and just connect the other three wires as I normally would.  Can anyone offer me their advice?

Switches normally just "make or break" the hot lead. Neutral conductors should never be connected to switches except for PIR wall switches and many wall timers. They need to have a neutral connector.

So you should have:

1) constant live hot wire (normally black in USA, but you never know without testing)

2) switched hot wire that delivers switched power to the load (I use red for that, never know...)

3) ground wire (green or bare)

4) Neutral wire (normally white...)

Carefully test, you should be able to identify.


Recessed light wiring I am planning to install recessed light in ceiling of my 2nd floor condominium. Here are some facts.

There is truss framing (picture attached) in the ceiling, between my ceiling and the upstairs unit's floor.

There is fiberglass insulation in ceiling.

I live in New Jersey and I don't think there is local code in addition to NEC.

I am planning to cut holes in ceiling for can lights and pull the power source from existing switch which currently controls receptacle. I am thinking to change wiring inside the receptacle to make it always hot and then I will connect my recessed lights to existing switch.
I have some questions.

Given truss type of framing in ceiling, can I just run the cables from one can to other can in straight line or I have to run the cable only parallel or perpendicular to framing ?

Is it OK to run Romex cables through fiberglass insulation ?

NEC requires that Romex cable has to be supported to framing members, within ceiling or walls, every 8 inches (I don't remember exact distance) with staples. -  How can  support it when I don't have access to the ceiling or walls ? I would have to tear apart lot of ceiling and wall to satisfy NEC requirement.

You can run from one can to another in any way that makes sense. Typically this would be done to minimize the cable length. It is easier to run parallel to the trusses and minimize truss crossings (this depends somewhat on your insulation). If you have a single line of recessed can lights this should be an easy run from switch to end, but if you have a grid like I did you should plan the cable route in an S or U shaped pattern.

You can run Romex through fiberglass insulation but you should minimize the runs "through" insulation if possible i.e. don't cut a slot in the insulation and wrap it around the Romex. Poke holes if necessary, insert through it, run over the top or around the side of the insulation. More than Romex interacting with insulation though, be aware of installation safety instructions with the can lights, most of which require minimum clearance between the can and any insulation in the ceiling. LEDs which don't heat up the metal housing quite as much have lower clearance requirements, but be sure to check.

Ecnerwal answered succinctly in a comment:

You don't have to staple when retrofitting in existing construction
where it would be onerously destructive to tear things up so you can
attach cables. NEC 300.4, D, Exception 2


3 cables in one box wiring issue My house was built in the 50's.  In my master bedroom I need to replace the fan, so I disassembled it, bought the new fan and am looking at the wiring with a serious question here.  There are three cables coming in, black and white only.  All three blacks are wired together.  Two of the whites are wired together with a pigtail hanging down and the other white as my two connectors.  Is this even remotely normal or am I missing something here?  The fan / light combo was fully functional, but it just doesn't look right.  I hooked a normal/plain light to it and it works, but am still concerned.  Any help is greatly appreciated.

Sounds okay to me. I'm guessing one cable is the feed to the box, another goes to the switch, and the final cable goes off to some other part of the circuit.  The black wire in the cable going to the switch, is connected to the black feed wire. The white wire in the cable going to the switch, brings switched power back to the fixture. Since the cable only has two wires, the white was repurpsed to be the switched "hot" lead. This is fine, though the wire should be marked in some way at both ends to indicate that it's no longer a "neutral".

This is what the circuit looks like.


Newly installed dimmer switch doesn't power off My bathroom has a double switch plate: one for a fan and one for the light. I've replaced the light switch  with a dimmer (Lutron Maestro Model# MACL-153M.) And I've also replaced the incandesent light with a 40" LED by Commercial Electric which is dimmable. The light won't power off, nor will it dim. It just stays on.
Worth mentioning…there was no visible ground wire when I installed the switch. Only two wires were available to connect to my dimmer. So I capped the green ground wire coming out of the Lutron. Could this be why? (BTW, is this still considered a single pole even though the fan is attached to the same switch?)
This is the inside of box with my attempt at connecting the Lutron switch.

this is the metal face of switch:

Under ‘Important notes’ in the Lutron instructions, it mentions: When no ‘grounding means ‘ exists in the wall box, the…code allows a control to be installed as a replacement if 1) a non-metallic, non-combustible faceplate is used with non metallic attachment screws, or 2) the circuit is protected by a ground fault circuit interruptor. When installing a control according to these methods, cap or remove green wire before screwing control into wall box.

This dimmer's instructions endorse the idea of just capping off the ground wire if the switch outlet has no access to ground.  However it also requires non-metallic faceplate and also non-metallic faceplate screws, so you'll need to take care of that.
That means this dimmer is NOT a modern type (those either need neutral to power themselves, or a special UL variance to bootleg ground as neutral. Those won't work without ground, but that is not your dimmer, so not your problem).  What you have here is the "old school" classic dimmer that powers itself by leaking power through the [incandescent] bulb. Only certain LEDs will tolerate this; the rest need the modern dimmer type that self-powers.
Lutron has a list of recommend LED bulbs; a few bulbs from Commercial Electric are on it. This one is not.
I would start by rolling it back to incandescent (or just temporarily hooking up an incandescent light for testing purposes).  If the dimmer now works properly, you know the dimmer is reliable.
Next, I would try temporarily wiring up BOTH the incandescent and the LED fixture.  This is a trick we use a lot for diagnosis.  Now, see if the LED fixture dims correctly with the incandescent in parallel with it.
If it does, then the dimmer is using the traditional strategy of leaking current "through the bulb" to power itself.  Of course you can't very well go leaving an incandescent bulb in your lighting; those things burn out! And when they do, your LED will be back to the bad behavior, and it won't be obvious why.  Lutron actually has an answer for that; the "LUT-MLC" incandescent bulb simulator module.  This can be wired in parallel with the LED and left up in the junction box.


What are the two-strand wires used for? Just got a new house. In the house, I saw many blank patch panels and when I open them, hiding behind them are these two-strand wires (AWG 22).
Any idea what are these wires used for?
I'd like to hard-wire the house with CAT6 cables.

It is rough-in for central vacuum. Pipe and two wires for distant turn on vac. Some special outlets, central vacuum should be installed if you gonna use it. And hoses, connected to outlets, have switches.


Should custom masonry mixes first be mixed dry? I am currently doing a small retro plastering job ("retro" because I am in the U.S.).  I am mixing masonry sand with lime plaster.  The way I do it is make a homogeneous mix of sand and lime while both ingredients are dry, then add water only when they are mixed well.

I am curious how bad it would be to cut the corner of mixing it twice (once dry and once with water) and just dump water on top of the unmixed sand and lime, then mix only once.  Will that cause unmixed lumps of lime surrounded by solid lumps of sand?

Dry mixing all the ingredients before adding water ensures a complete homogenous batch. Mixing dry allows you to see how complete the materials have combined. Proper blending of the mix is necessary in order to produce a strong and workable mortar.    Of course if you are using a powered mixer you would just shovel in the proper amounts as it is turning and add the correct amount of water. No need for dry mixing.


Can anyone tell me what kind of drain this is? I found this drain in my basement in the middle of a raised rectangle of concrete. Its supposed to be for a shower the previous owner installed. I have never seen this drain type. Looking for answers for what kind of drain it is and why it would have been installed.

That is a bone stock "bell-trap" floor drain.
They are illegal for interior use under the IPC (at least) since the trap weir depth is perhaps 1/2 an inch or so; well below the minimum 2" weir depth required, in any case - though in fact the exclusion is for ANY bell-trap, not specific to the depth of the trap, but in this case that is typically about what you'll have.
1002.3, (Prohibited traps) item number 2 (Bell traps)
They can be used for exterior or garage drains (not connected to the sewer) only, as I recall.
I just removed one and "de-trapped" another (cut the inner ring seal so it just acts as a collector) and installed an actual P trap (adjusted to 4" weir depth) on its line. Fun chopping holes in concrete, yes indeed.
It probably was installed for a shower. They look like a perfectly reasonable, easy to clean option and the large box store will happily sell them without telling you that they are illegal for interior applications.


Is this true about circuit breakers being out of phase in a house? I just read this on another message board:

  If you know which breaker each outlet is on, it's easy. Breakers that
  are directly adjacent to each other (above/below or left/right) are on
  different legs. Breakers that are diagonal are on the same leg.

Is this true?

Another answer explains the split phase normally used in residential electrical service.  This picture

from answer to 46960 explains how breakers basically do alternate as you say, which leg of the service they draw from.

Note that there are breakers that attach two circuits in a single space, etc., so it's a little more complicated, but if you keep in mind what the bus looks like underneath, you'll understand what's going on.


Should I repair this very small area of minor water damage on my bathroom floor? I’m getting ready to install LVT over existing VCT in my bathroom, and when I pulled up the shoe molding I discovered that the corner of the floor next to the shower has a slight soft spot at the very edge, with just a slight give when I press my finger in the very edge of the corner. The radius of the give is well under an inch, and the deflection no more than 1/8 inch down. It’s not wet so it seems like it must’ve been this way for a long time, and perhaps some cracking caulk for where the shower had been sealed long ago is to blame. There is also some evidence of a small amount of mold.
I’ve treated the mold with vinegar, but do I need to pull up the floor and repair this small spot?  It won’t be noticeable once I’ve installed the new floor, and if I take care to seal it well, do I still need to be worried about it getting worse some how?
Update: I peeled up the flooring to reveal the extent of the damage to the wood subfloor, and the top layer was a little crumbly but it’s solid underneath (see photo). Would it work for me to just patch it up now? Any recommended patch strategy?
Thank you!

If your subfloor is wood, I would verify that the wood is in OK condition.
Caulking is good, but it's not necessarily a solution here. You have a piece of wood trim by a major source of water. That trim will get wet sooner or later, caulk or not. What you should look into is getting some vinyl(PVC) trim. It's not terribly hard to find now and it avoids the need for trying to prevent water intrusion here. Just do some basic caulk for aesthetics and it should be fine.


It sounds like water dripping when heat runs We have a humidifier and I have shut that off but still hear the sound when the heat runs...anybody know any other possible solutions

It's is a carrier weather maker 8000vs energy efficient gas furnace... The noise sounds like it is coming from the vents upstairs the furnace is in the basement

I suspect that you're hearing pinging from expansion and contraction of your ductwork. That often sounds like drops hitting the sheet metal. If you have access to the ducts, look for places where it's rubbing on the framing lumber between fasteners. Loosen the contact points or lubricate them.


Electric (120),only getting 70 volts,after breaker box From pole to breaker box got 120 and 112,112 changes to only 70 volts,what causes this problem?

This sounds like an open neutral and is a dangerous situation. Call the power company and report the trouble. They will check their facilities and your meter can for problems. If the problem is in your breaker panel, they might be able to fix it or they will tell you to call an electrician. Good luck.


Could insulation around copper pipes cause condensation problems? Should you insulate hot water pipe (copper) located in an attic?

I live in Louisiana, where it rarely gets cold. The plumbers insulated the hot water pipe from the tankless water heater. Now condensation is building up between the pipe and insulation so bad, it leaked onto the Sheetrock over the laundry room causing damage.  The plumbers tried to blame it on the rain, but the roofer said the roof is fine.  Since I took off the insulation, the condensation is gone  (and it has rained everyday). The Plumbers said rain made the insulation around the pipe wet, but the condensation is ony inside the insulation around the pipe. There is no water damage anywhere else.

Insulation on pipes should prevent moisture in the air from condensing on the pipes, by preventing the air from coming into contact with the pipes.  What you are experiencing could be caused by a few things.

Insulation was not installed properly, and is not preventing the moist air from contacting the pipe.
Condensation is forming on an un-insulated section of the pipe, and is flowing along the pipe into the insulation.
The roof is indeed leaking.
A leak has formed somewhere along the pipe (remember, there is water in them there pipes).

But why don't I see the problem when I remove the insulation?

Removing the insulation may be allowing the moisture to evaporate before it can build up and cause problems. the insulation could have been preventing evaporation, which allowed a noticeable amount of water to build up inside of it. Once the insulation reached its saturation point, the water had nowhere to go but onto the floor.


Drainage fix: Flat concrete slab up over my vinyl siding by 2 inches. Is this acceptable? I am a new home owner.

The concrete on my front porch sloped towards the house so every time it rained water drained between the porch and the house.

Last week after 8 months the builder took out the concrete and place new concrete. They had to placed it about 2 inches on the vinyl siding.

Is this acceptable?? It is now flat and still does not slope away from the house.

PLEASE ADVISE!

From your question the part that jumps out at me is that you say it is flat.  Also that it is above your vinyl siding.

I recommend first that you examine where it comes into contact with the vinyl and add some clear silicone if there are any gaps.

Secondly, since you say it is flat, I would recommend you go out there with a hose and see how the water flows across it.

You didn't mention if this is catching water from elsewhere or maybe from a roof above, but with the hose you should be able to simulate a rainy condition and then be able to make a determination about whether the fix is going to work for you.

Good luck.