Can a gambrel roof have outer instead of inner supports? I have built some of the "arches" for a gambrel roof, I know support is needed so the roof doesn't collapse. Is it reasonable to run twin metal straps around the roofing diagonally on the outside for support so the roof is pulled together?

I would like to avoid having to have support run on the inside so it's a cleaner geometry inside.

12' x 12' space that this roof is covering. Blue represents the kind of thing I was thinking.

Trying to brace the roof from the outside as you illustrated will not add any significant structural reinforcement. Without the metal bands, the front and back walls carry the brunt of the lateral load that the roof places on the side walls. Adding straps that encircle the exterior will primarily reinforce the ends, and do little towards stabilizing the rest of the side walls.

If you're working on a small scale, such as an 8x10' (maaaaybe 12x12') shed, you may be able to get away with this type of design, where the exterior walls serve as the bottom truss members to tie the roof together over a short span:

(image source)

However, if you're dealing with anything much larger, this method will not be sufficient. The reason is easier to understand when you examine how the different members in a truss work together to support a load. The top members of a truss supporting a vertical load are generally in compression, with the bottom in tension. Without the bottom members pulling your truss back together, the walls of your structure will be forced outward.

Here's an example showing exactly how each member in the generic gambrel truss works:

In order to analyze the tension and compression in each truss member, the standard practice is to assume the joints do not support any torque loading (aka moment in engineering terms). Therefore, each member is either in tension or compression. For the beginner, I always recommend arbitrarily assigning each member in tension, and if it solves to a negative value, that means it's actually in compression.

First, start by determining the reactions at the supports. Since this loading is symmetrical, it can be assumed that the vertical reactions are equal. Sum the forces in the vertical direction, and solve for the reactions:

Next, you can use the section method to determine the tension in member CI. Start by 'cutting' the truss across the members you want to solve for. Careful though, you can only solve three at once - sum of the forces in x and y, and sum of the moments for the resulting section:

In this case I only solved for the tension in member CI, which is what you're interested in eliminating. It came out to 2.1875 kN, which is approximately 1/4 of the loading not applied directly over the walls. So if you calculated the total weight of your roof material, you should be able to get a rough estimate of how much lateral force is going to be on the walls. THEN you could work out a beam bending equation for the top plate running along each side wall, and figure out if it can sustain that lateral load.

DISCLAIMER: I'm not giving you professional engineering advice, I'm just trying to help you understand how truss structures work so you can make an informed decision yourself.

If you want to look more into the methods I used, a Google search for 'statics truss examples (PDF)' may be the best place to get started.

EDIT: I was at Home Depot last night, and noticed they had several pre-built sheds with gambrel-style roofs. I looked inside, and most of them simply had plywood gussets holding the truss members together, with no cross-beams. Although, the larger ones usually only had half of the roof built this way, with a loft to stabilize the roof at the rear half. I'd suggest that you go to Home Depot or Lowes and take a look at their pre-built sheds. Try to find one the same dimensions as yours, and pay very close attention to how it's constructed. I'd even take a tape measure, sketch pad, and camera along and pretty much copy the design. Someone took time making sure that shed is stable, I guarantee it. You may as well take advantage of it for your own shed.


GFCI receptacle and 3-way switches I have replaced a bathroom outlet with a GFCI. The first outlet from the circuit breaker is the bathroom outlet.

The circuit then goes to a switched light outdoors, a switched light to a hallway, then to 3-way switches for kitchen ceiling lights.  When I power on the circuit the bathroom outlet, the outside light, and the hallway light all work correctly.

When I turn on the kitchen lights from either switch, the GFI trips.  The power into the GFCI outlet is connected to the LINE, the output is connected to the LOAD side.

Is it possible to have the 3-way switches for the kitchen lights work properly with this GFCI receptacle?

Thanks

If the kitchen light(s) are tripping the GFCI then there is a problem in one of the lights. They should work just fine on GFCI whether connected to 3-ways or not.

Do not ignore the problem.

Track it down and repair it. The reason GFCI's or circuit breakers trip is because something is broke (technical term). This is your first sign of a problem. Ignore it at your own, and your family's, peril. The next sign could be someone hurt or a fire.

Good luck!


Must trim paint (for baseboards) be gloss or semi-gloss, or can it be flat? What are the specific properties or style of paint that one needs to use for trim. By "trim" in this case I mean mainly baseboards and baseshoes.

The reason I'm wondering is that I used the left style of paint ("all-in-one primer and sealer") and the middle one ("interior ceiling flat"). I understand that I need to look for something called "trim paint", but the closest I can find is the third style "paint & primer in one". In this case they're all from the same make.

Is the third style "interior semi-gloss enamel, paint & primer in one" indeed the one I should be using for baseboards and baseshoes, and is the idea then for baseboards/shoes to be somewhat shiny (semi-gloss), hence something like a primer & sealer, despite being up there in whiteness, would not look right?

Primer or primer/sealer is only necessary if the surface has not been previously painted (the question does not state whether or not this is the case) or for certain specific situations with "problem" surfaces.

Trim (like door/window casing, baseboards, etc.) are usually treated with a coating that has some sheen (gloss, semi-gloss) to facilitate easy cleaning and for resistance to scuffs and marks. Trim boards exist to protect walls and surfaces from scuffs, marks, and impact damage in vulnerable areas, hence the likelihood of receiving such and the necessity for more durable finishes.


Water supply slowly loses half pressure Water pressure comes out of the faucets normal than drops to what seems 1/2 the flow.  I put a pressure test on the outside faucet and when I turn it on, it jumps between 60-70. After that it slowly drops down to 30-35. We just changed the pressure reducing valve.  The faucet is the first water connection from the main line about 10 ft.  Any suggestions?

A suggestion to keep a pressure reducing valve from causing low flow is how I see this as a question.
The problem sounds like your valve is rated for a lower flow rate than you want.
An example of this you could install a 1/4” valve with no flow you measure 60-70 psi just as you do now. Opening the valve relives the pressure on the system and once any tanks like your water heater and the plumbing are equalized you have the flow at the maximum rate the valve can supply.
With a 1/4” orifice the valve is restricting the flow thus the pressure drops I have seen this with city water systems where the owner just grabbed a 1” PRV and did not realize it had 1/4” orifices and their sprinklers would not work on the low flow. I replaced the valve with a PRV rated at 20 gallons a minute  (the city max delivery rate) and the problem was solved.
So your valve internal orifices are two small in my case I actually had to get an 1-1/4 PRV to get the 20 GPM valve it was a bit more expensive but they never saw the drastic drop in water pressure after that and they used 60 psi as that was the max recommendation on some of the components in their system they said it worked better than it used to probably because the original valve had smaller orifices than the valve I used therefore more restrictions.


How do I properly seal an exterior door? I've recently discovered that rain is getting in around my exterior (front) door and forming a little pool in the frame under the door. I'm assuming I can fix this by adding a seal around the door (which would also help with insulation too). Is this assumption correct, and if so what products would people recommend for the seal?

EDIT: Sorry, I realise my question was ambiguous, or even completely ill-phrased. The gap in question is actually the gap between the door itself and the door frame within which it's hung. So there has to be some gap there, but it appears that the gap I have is too large or something and that is allowing rain in a bit (when it comes at a particular angle). I'll add some photos once it's light outside ;)

Depending on your siding material, it is possible that the door isn't properly flashed, or the existing flashing needs replacement/repair.  If this is the case, I would recommend two things

1) using some expanding foam, fill (but dont over fill!) the void between the door frame and the surrounding studs.

2) Properly flash around the door to make sure water can't get behind the door frame.  Depending on the flashing material used, this may involve some caulk to seal the flashing (though peel and stick flashing won't require any caulk, and is quite easy to work with).

I am going to leave the info about the flashing, as it might be helpful to others, but in regards to your re-worded question-

Depending on where the water is coming in, you might need to either replace the rubber gasket/seal that fits to the outside of the door stop (if water is coming in on the sides/top of the door) or you may need to replace the door sweep (the rubber or bristle bit that hangs down from the bottom of the door itself, and seals everything shut when the door closes).


How do I use a vaporizer/humidifier? An attic has been converted into a bedroom and it's very uncomfortable to sleep in, the air is very dry. I bought a humidifier but it didn't come with instructions. This may be a silly question but I want to make sure: how do I use the humidifier? I filled it with water and plugged it in. Nothing has happened after 30 minutes. A sticker on it says that if it doesn't work the first time to add salt to the water and to refer to the (non-existing) instructions. On the box it says warm mist vaporizer, are vaporizers the same thing as a humidifiers?

EDIT: I added salt and now it's going a little bit, hardly any steam is coming out of it, should there be more?

I had to put salt in the water. After 10 minutes it started making a little steam and after 30 minutes it was making enough steam to actually notice a difference.


Mounting a ceiling fan with 28” joist spacing and no attic access Is there a decent way to mount a ceiling fan between joists that are 28” apart without tearing apart the ceiling? I don’t have access from above.

I looked into the expanding bar hangers that I can pass through a 4” hole but they only expand up to 24”.

Perhaps I can pass through a 2x4 with top-flange joist hangers on the ends to sit across the joists? I wouldn’t be able to nail them in from the top though.

I had to install a light fixture over a pool table in a situation very similar to this. The fixture had to be centered over the table and between joists with 26" space.

I cut a 2x4 23" long and two pieces about 5" long. I centered the two pieces on each end forming a "T" and screwed them in with  some 3" deck screws. I pre drilled two holes at each end of the two smaller pieces for fastening into the studs and fitted each hole with a 3"deck screw. Now comes the tricky part. I cut a 10" hole in the ceiling and was able to fit the framing between the joists and centered the 2x4 and was able to screw the screws in with a ratchet screwdriver. I fished in some Romex and installed a fan box. I used the cutout from the hole to make a quick patch and then installed a 12" fan medallion which cover the hole (see below).

They come in many styles. Hope this helps


Is a junction box required in my situation? I’m moving my vanity light fixture (from where it was on the left to the hole on the right), and the cable is just barely too short to reach the new location (in particular the ground wire).
I’m thinking the solution is to install a junction box between the two holes to connect a new cable (luckily the fixture will hide it).
I just wanted to double check that this is the best course of action.

Yes, you must use a junction box to make a splice and also remember that you cannot "bury" that box.  Its cover must be accessible.


Mansfield 4000 series outdoor frost-free faucet leaking from inside the stem tube I have a 12-in Mansfield 4000 series outdoor frost-free faucet (according to this). It's leaking from inside the stem tube (labeled "1") only when water is turned on. Removing the stem from the faucet, I cannot see light from the stem tube end. However, when I carefully dripped water into the stem tube, a little of that water came out from the holes labeled "2". This makes me suspect that there might be a hole (I assume I have to replace the entire stem in this case) or a deteriorated washer inside the stem. Is Prier a new owner of the Mansfield brand? According to them, the stem should never leak this way.

It turns out that an o-ring (400/500 Stem End O-Ring in the diagram below) is completely absent. Since there is no leak when water is turned off, the washers should have been fine. When water is turned on, the stem end will be pushed against the thick copper part, thus closing the holes. With the o-ring missing, water drips through the seam, into the holes, and out from the handle thread.


How can I drill through rim joist/sheathing for a dryer vent? I want to vent dryer through the rim joist of this home but it looks like this home has some sort of stone sheathing underneath the cedar shake.  I can only see it from the basement.  I can't really tell from outside without some destructive testing.

I am trying to figure out what this is, poking it with a screwdriver it appears to be hard as stone and would quickly dull my hole saw.  The sill plate is atypical too. It looks to be more like a 4x6 with the floor joist notched and resting on it.  There is room above this beam for the dryer vent but I don't want to open a can of worms.

The foundation is 24" thick feild stone.

Any idea what I have? Could it just be plaster?

EDIT:
Picture attached.  I was wrong, there is no room above the beam. Above it you can see the hard material.  Either way, I'm not sure I want to drill through the thick sill plate beam now.

Your house is more than likely Balloon Framed. Stick and Platform framing hadn't come into being in 1900. In a balloon-framed house, the studs you see in the basement run all the way up to the roof. The filler material is a concrete mixture that was used as a partial fireblock and also to hold the spacing of the studs.

You can put a hole through the concrete using a 4" coring bit and a coring drill. Google for "coring drills rental" and you find plenty of places that rent them. Your local home center probably does, if they rent tools.


What could be causing our air conditioner circuit breaker to keep tripping? Our air conditioner circuit breaker marked "AC", is tripping frequently after the AC unit works for a while. Sometimes as long as an hour or more and, sometimes as short as few minutes. We were told the AC motor needs to be changed, but we decided to change the whole unit, since it has been 14 years since we bought the house. But the same problem persisted with the new system. The people who have installed the new AC, have been checking to make sure there are no blockages in the refrigerant lines. still, the problem has not gone away. What are the possible causes, remedies, and safety precautions I should consider in this situation?

Too small a temperature swing on the thermostat can cause this issue as well.  Many electronic thermostats have an adjustable temperature swing of 0.5, 1, 2 degrees.  If this value is set too low and the compressor is restarted too soon (less than 10-15 minutes) after a cycle, it can trip a breaker as the compressor struggles to start against a pressurized system.  This setting is also known as differential, anticipation, or hysteresis.


How to use 30 AMP wire to make 120 outlet He we had a hot water heater that is on 2 25 amp breakers. We took out the water heater and use a boiler with boiler mate for hot water. The wire that use to go to the the hot water heater is capped off in a junction box. We just added a water softer that runs on a regular  120 outlet. Currently the water softener cord is plugged into the same one as my washer. This is an outlet I often use to run the dehumidifier. I would love to find a way to use the capped off 30 amp wire to make an outlet for the water softer. Is it possible to take the 30 amp wire and convert it to a 120 outlet. I have done very basic wiring of outlet and lights but this is over my head. Money is too tight right now to pay for adding a new outlet so if this can't be converted the plug will stay were it is. Thanks for any ideas.

yes You can turn this into a 15 or 20 amp receptacle possibly even 2 circuits depending on how many wires in the cable.
If there is Black, white and a ground you will need to move the wires around in the panel but a legal 15 or 20 amp 120v circuit can be set up.

If this is a main panel
Put the white on the neutral bus or the ground bus (if white and bare copper are on the same bus(es) either one, of your white wire is too short a splice of white wire long enough to reach the bus is ok. I don’t like changing wire size but if you use the 15 amp breaker you have 14 awg white is ok, if you go for a 20 amp breaker, 12 awg white will be needed.

Next you will need a receptacle, I prefer spec grade back and side they cost a bit more but as most 15 amp receptacles the number 10 wire should fit under the screws.

Wire the white to the silver screw, the black to the brass colored screw and the bare copper to the green screw.

If your cable happens to have 4 wires you could create a multi wire branch circuit (2 circuits) but most water heaters are wired with 3 wires.

Using larger wire is ok and in this case it should fit a receptacle (30 amp wire is normally 10 awg) but could be larger and in that case you would need to pigtail to smaller wire at the receptacle and possibly the breaker.

Update: the op said 25 amp breaker in comment while I was typing the breaker would need to be down sized to feed a standard receptacle. The max breaker is 20 amp and would require a 15 amp duplex receptacle. And 12 awg pig tail if needed.


Carbolineum safety and removal from wood someone we hired brush painted carbolineum onto wooden structures in our basement below the house. The (wooden) roof of the basement is the floor of the kitchen. The entire house smells horrendous and, reading up on the product, we have discovered its toxic too. Its been about 48 hours and we are now concerned about our health - is it ok to use carbolineum in such an area? Can we remove it from the wood and if so how? A response would be much appreciated. Thanks.

This seems to be something that penetrates into the wood and will be very difficult to remove.
I would find the manufacturer from the empty cans and phone their customer support number for advice.
I'm no expert but I suspect your choices include

Paint over it with a "bituminous aluminum system" and hope for the best.
Replace the affected wood.
Move out and ventilate continuously until the smell has fallen to an acceptable level

Here is a description from one maker of carbolineum

Application

Suitable as supplied for application by brush, spray or dip.
Apply  copiously  in  one  or  more  coats  until  wood  is saturated.  Where  poles  are  to  be  set  in  the  ground  it  is advisable  to  stand  ends  in  CARBOLINEUM  WOOD  PRESERVER  for  several  days  to  ensure  maximum  impregnation.
Wash equipment with MINERAL TURPENTINE (AZH 1) immediately after use.

Warnings

Do not apply to surfaces that come into direct contact with food or feedstuffs.
Store away from food and feedstuffs.
CARBOLINEUM WOOD PRESERVER has a strong, long-lasting smell and is extremely dark in colour.
Even after prolonged drying, decorative paints or varnish must not be used over CARBOLINEUM WOOD
PRESERVER.  Only a bituminous aluminium system may be applied.
Do not use on seats, benches or tables  as staining of clothing is likely.
Toxic to birds and fish.
Keep water out of CARBOLINEUM WOOD PRESERVER.

Safety Precautions

Avoid inhalation of fumes and excessive or prolonged skin contact.  Use suitable respirator and gloves.  Wash with soap and water after use.
If eyes are contaminated, flush with clear water for 15 minutes.
Ensure adequate ventilation whilst applying.
Prevent contamination of eating utensils, water, rivers, etc. with
CARBOLINEUM WOOD PRESERVER
or mineral turpentine used for cleaning equipment.
Destroy empty container and do not re-use for any other purpose.
Keep out of reach of children.
Refer to Material Safety Data Sheet for complete information.

(my emphasis)


Upgrade to 200 amp by adding another main panel? I want to install central air conditioning in my home but my current service is 100 amps.
If I were to upgrade to 200 amps service, could the breakers be configured where I have two 100 amp main breakers, one will be the already existing breaker box servicing the house as usual, and the other would be just for the central air conditioning.
Is this possible to configure like this?

The answer is yes, the 2020 code now requires the mains to be outside so updating to a dual main and feeding each of your panels makes sense. Your existing main will become a sub so neutrals will need to be isolated in the panel.
This kind of update is one of the easier ones and helps to move mains out to the service.


How do I locate where bed bugs hide? Location: Hong Kong

Recently I have had a problem with bed bugs in my house. I've seen them and confirmed they are bed bugs.

I've googled for a way to kill bed bugs. A most accepted solution is to call Pest Control Operator several times. However, this method is most likely not applicable in our situation.

In the suggestion I've seen from the Internet, it is best for the human to leave the house so that the bed bugs won't have any food. We can't afford the trouble of moving around and renting another house for this pest problem. In addition, we've got 2 dogs here. If they use toxic chemicals it would be no good for the dogs.

I know there are different approaches but it is hard to identify the bed bug's hiding places. One of them caught a ride on my bag when I went to work. I caught it in the train. So I turned my bed ( the mattress, wooden bed frame ) upside down and found none of it yesterday evening. I sprayed rubbing alcohol all over them like crazy but really there is nothing alive or moving. Some furniture is huge and is too difficult to move so I can't examine other places.

There are other beds that need to be turned up side down for investigation.

I can steam clean all of my clothes, and the floor, but if they are hiding in some crack in the wall, we can't easily find them. My only worry is that they are not dwelling in the mattress but some cracks in the wall so that they only come at night. I've heard that they are sly - after the feast, they will be gone.

Any of you have any suggestions? I can upload some photo later in the night. More important, what I bear in mind when I am searching for them? Should I search during the night only? If I turn on the light, will they go hiding immediately, like cockroaches?

We have fought this problem in our rentals before with success using the following techniques.

What doesn't work:  Foggers.  We treated the rental for MONTHS with weekly applications of foggers - 3 or 4 anti bedbug foggers per floor - hundreds of dollars spent - and the tenants had to leave the building for half a day every week and then deal with the stink and the toxic residues left behind.  Not fun, and didn't work at all because bedbugs DON'T hang out where the fumes can get to them.

So, what do you need to do?

First, buy insect resistant, zippered mattress covers.  These are usually some kind of plastic.  You wrap each mattress in its own cover and zip it shut tight, sealing the bedbugs within the mattress inside.  You must take care not to rip these covers or the bugs can get out again.  This is done during the treatment process and for some time beyond.

Second, and this is the big step -  Treat your entire house with diatomaceous earth (DE).  DE is a non toxic, non pesticide means of controlling pests.  It's a crushed silica product that is effective in killing not via poison, but by cutting the outer membrane of small insects.

Unlike most dust/powder which is smooth from erosion, DE has microscopic sized jagged edges.  Many types of insects have an external shell which is coated with a kind of mucous membrane which helps them retain water.  DE slices that membrane to shreds, and the bugs lose all of their moisture to evaporation, so they die of dehydration, NOT poison.

You can buy food grade DE online.  It's safe to use around the house, and you can even dust your pets with it (keep away from the face, of course).  We have three dogs and when fleas get in the house, we dust the animals and the areas they sleep with DE.

Now bedbugs are not jumpers, so the key with dealing with them is getting the DE where they live and where they travel.

Where they live:  Your furniture.  Those mattress covers?  Open em up and dust both sides of the mattress LIBERALLY with DE, then close it up again.  The bedbugs will get coated in it as they crawl around looking for an escape.

Your sofa/chairs - if you can, dust the INSIDES of larger pieces of furniture - heavily.  Also apply dust in all the cracks and crevices.

Remove the wall plates - use a dusting sprayer like this:

and spray that dust into all the electrical junction boxes - the idea is to force the dust into the walls where bedbugs travel.  (They don't like open areas, they prefer tight spaces and corners.

Also put a ring of dust down around your bed posts where they touch the floor, along the edges of the walls.   Dust your carpets with it to.

I personally bought my supplies at Dirtworks ( http://www.dirtworks.net/Diatomaceous-Earth.html ) - I bought 2 five pound bags of food grade DE (which was 1 bag too many, honestly), a few puffer bottles, the glimmer sprayer, and we did ONE heavy application all over the entire property (we even dusted the lawn with the sprayer) and never had a bedbug complaint again.


Options for installing sub-panel we are thinking about the best way to rewire our kitchen. It had 2 circuits when we moved in. We managed to add 2 circuits using an existing 3/4'' conduit that goes from the basement to our third floor apartment in the back hallway (see pictures below). However, we want to remodel the kitchen next year and our goal is to have at least 6 circuits in a kitchen with gas appliances. What are our best options and how much work do they require? We thought about three possibilities.

Stick with the EMT conduit and use multi-wire branch circuits to maximize the circuits we can get out of it. This is based on a previous suggestion from this forum.
Install 60A sub-panel in the 3rd floor using the EMT conduit with 3x #6 wires plus #8 wire for ground. Run 6/3 mc cable from basement junction box to main panel. A sub panel seems much more future proof. How do people feel about the #6 wires for 60A sub-panel. I read different things about that.
Install 60A sub-panel in the 3rd floor by replacing the EMT conduit with 4/3 mc cable that goes directly from main panel to sub-panel. We would remove the EMT and use the same holes for the mc cable. Maybe I am wrong but it seems relatively easy to run this cable.

In general, I like a sub-panel because it's more future proof and because it avoids the MWBC

Current conduit

The 3/4'' EMT conduit goes from the basement to a third floor junction box in the back hallway (about 30') and currently includes wires for 4 circuits (2 for kitchen, 2 for the living area).

Conduit is still your friend

Even though running rigid EMT back to the main panel from the basement junction box is basically impractical with all those other cables in the way, it is still possible to stay in conduit all the way back to the panel.  How? Flexible conduit, that's how!

In particular, instead of running a cable (or cables) back to the panel, we replace all the existing cabling between the panel and the basement JB with 3/4" FMC, using a 90° fitting to come into the bottom of the basement JB as the EMT going up to the third floor leaves very little room to do anything else.  We can then pull wires as-needed through that FMC: 3 6AWG THHN feeder wires, 4 14AWG THHNs for the existing 15A branch circuits, and a 10AWG or 8AWG bare ground will all fit through a 3/4" FMC, although it will be a tight pull, or you could pull wires for the MWBC route through it if you preferred, using a 12AWG bare ground from the panel to the basement JB.  (The reason for the ground wire here is that FMC isn't allowed to be a grounding conductor by itself when more than 6' of it is used in a run.)

And yes, 6AWG is (more than) fine for a 60A subpanel

Anyone who is telling you that 6AWG is insufficient for 60A is full of hooey, as a 6AWG THHN copper wire landed on 75°C connectors and terminations (all modern distribution-equipment terminations are slash rated 60°C/75°C, which means that 110.14(C)(1)'s 60°C termination limit does not apply to them), and otherwise allowed to run at 75°C (as a wire in conduit is), is good for 65A.  (In fact, thanks to the 240.4(B) round-up rule, you can use it for a 70A subpanel, even, although there's no point to that in your case.)

The only caveat for this is that the wire connectors used in the junction boxes must also be rated for 75°C usage.  This is true of most mechanical set-screw (Polaris™ or equivalent) connectors, as well as of decent quality wire-nuts, but may not be true in all cases, so do check the specs on what you're using.

GO BIG OR GO HOME

When it comes to subpanel shopping, you will want to go big here.  A 24-space or 30-space, 125A, main lug subpanel is not at all out of place here; if you wished to stick with GE, a TLM2412CCU (if you don't mind grey) or TLM2412CCUW (if "default electrical panel grey" would be a bothersome edition to the decor; the W suffix stands for a unit that's factory painted white) with a TGK32 ground bar field-fitted would be a good choice here.

As to getting wires from the third floor junction box into the subpanel, I would use a LB, accessed from the opposite side of the wall, and a 3/4" EMT run inside the stud bay to come down into the top of the panel.  This will require a bit of patchwork, but gives you a 100% conduit installation while letting you flush mount the panel.  Of course, if you'd rather have the panel surface mounted, that's an option as well, clear space permitting, and would let you simply run a length of 3/4" EMT down from the third floor junction box to the top of the panel.


Is there a simple way to lower 0.5 square meters of concrete by 2mm? When I did concreting to raise the floor in my bathroom by 15cm, I accidentally created a bump of about 0.5 square meter, which is about 2mm higher than the rest of the raised floor level.
I'm looking for a simple way to reduce the concrete level there.
I was thinking of using a rubbing brick, but I don't want to buy one if would be hopeless.

The easiest way is with an angle grinder and a concrete surfacing disk, these use carbide blocks or diamond impregnated ones that grind the surface.
2mm is not a huge amount but enough at 1/2 meter square that doing it by hand will take a really long time, using a surfacing disk is cleaner and easier than masonry grinding disks
Amazon has one similar to what I have used on small jobs (4-1/2” angle grinder)
Search for grinding wheels for concrete and masonry the more segments the disk has the better the finish and longer it will last.
After surfacing the surface is usually much smoother and looks different I have used a strong muriatic acid wash to “rough up” the surface.


Using 120v GFCI outlet for 240v AC Source Most GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) outlets are being sold for 120v only. Can it also work for 240v source? Anyone among you has 240v source and yet successfully used any 120v GFCI?

Note in principle a GFCI detects only difference in current. A 240v outlet would have smaller current.. so can we say all 120v GFCI outlets can work for 240v source?

Does the power source of the GFCI circuit uses switching adapter technology or fixed voltage step down transformer?

You want to use Euro-style RCD equipment for this

The Filipino power system can be treated as a split-phase, no-neutral (hot-hot) system using TT earthing (Terra-Terra, where the source transformer is connected to an earth electrode and local metal parts are connected to a different earth electrode, but there is no conductor connecting the two earth electrodes).  As a result of this, North American distribution equipment is only marginally suitable, as much of it assumes that an earthed neutral is distributed.

Instead, I would use two-pole (1P+N) Euro-style circuit breakers and RCDs (RCBOs, preferably, even, so that local socket-outlets can be used) -- however, instead of a single RCCB or RCBO incomer for the entire system, I would use a regular CB for the incomer and RCBOs with 10mA or 30mA residual (differential) trips for the individual circuits.  If you really want to use socket-outlet style equipment, SRCDs can be obtained and used with 10mA trips, but they have the disadvantage that they may not come in a suitable socket style for your local plugs.

(Furthermore, this is forward compatible to what the power utility wants to do over there, which is get you converted over to the IEC/Eurostyle system, full stop.)


Do I need a gravel pad beneath skids on my finished shed? I'm getting a 14x14 finished shed built in Austin, TX. The builders are using 30-year pressure treated 4x4 skids, which they raise off the ground on 4" blocks. The area drains well. They claim that this provides enough protection from rot.
Another guy I talked to said that I should either raise it 12" or put a gravel pad underneath (which he'll do for a reasonable price).
Which plan is correct?

I would believe the builders over some guy any day.
Will a taller block and gravel make a difference? Sure it will but if you have good drainage it really won’t matter.
I have seen folks dig out earth and put rock down for the same reason “a guy said to” worst choice for them there soil was a high clay content so the rock pit filled and held water (yes it started to smell) a drainage system had to be added. If a simple plastic vapor barrier with the 4” blocks will do better than rock and taller blocking.


What could cause my washing machine to stop before the rinse cycle, it drains fine? This is the 2nd washing machine that has this problem.  I have seen all the previous answers and non of them correct me problem.  The water drains out fine, it just will not spin, I have to manually turn the dial to  it works.

Most washers do not require the latch closed for most washing cycles. The one thing that does need for it to work is the spin cycle. So it sounds like the latch register the door closed is not working. I would try put the washer to the spin cycle and push in the tab or what not indicating the door/latch would be closed.

edit: I am a bit confused. It will spin if you move the timer to spin cycle? If so then it sounds like its the timer.


Alternatives to conventional weep screed, for stucco to the ground homes? I live in one of millions of older homes that have stucco applied right to the ground, like so:

There's really no way to retrofit a conventional weep screed here.  Lowering grade is not feasible except in spots.  Are there alternative designs?

Note that this is not as bad as it looks: the skip sheathing allows a lot of drying to the inside and except for two areas with overt leaks above, the wood is in good shape.  In the leaking areas the sill rots as shown.

I would take an angle grinder and cut a 1" channel in the stucco right where it meets the concrete foundation. Then you can slip some new tar paper into the gap underneath the existing (probably deteriorating) layer. Should help a bit. It's also enough of a capillary break to stop the rising damp and will allow you to inspect for termites.

Long-term, the best solutions would be removing and re-applying the stucco (possibly not as expensive as it sounds) or applying a new layer of stucco over the existing layer, with a few inches of rigid foam between old and new.


How do I keep black tile and black grout actually looking black? I have tried what feels like every cleaner and product out there to "clean" my black tile floors but I cannot for the life of me keep it looking nice and actually black. The tile and especially the grout always has a white look to it and imo, it looks awful. I assumed it was due to maybe salt/minerals in the water used to clean it, but I even tried distilled water and a steam cleaner (multiple times) to no avail.

The only time it actually looks good is when it's wet. (see pictures for comparison). Anyone have any suggestions on what to use to keep this floor looking good?

Typical look after "cleaning" and letting it dry

What the floor looks like wet while cleaning it.

The issue is almost certainly, efflorescence from the grout being mixed with very hard water. While curing, the salts turn to a fine, light dust, causing the look from your photo.

The fix is a two-step process. First, clean the grout with a white, nylon bristled brush using a haze remover product like Custom Building Products Remover or Sulfamic Acid Crystals, depending on how noticeable the efflorescence. I have had much experience and successful results with these products as a bathroom renovation contractor. [I do not work for or am not sponsored by Custom Building Products or any of their affiliates]

FOLLOW LABEL INSTRUCTIONS. After you’ve scrubbed off the dusty residue “trapped” in the grout, rinse with cool, clean water to neutralize the acidic chemicals. Do a final  rinse and wipe-down with a clean, dye-free cloth using distilled water. Let air dry. After complete drying of 1-2 hours, apply two coats of a quality penetrating sealer, (I can recommend 511 or Sealer’s Choice) following manufacturer’s directions.

NOTE: There is one other option if you are trying to achieve the “wet look” with your tile and grout. You can use a “surface sealer” with a gloss finish for the second or “topcoat.”

This is a little bit of work, but you only have to do it once to have a beautiful outcome that will last for years. Sealers should be reapplied to grout once a year. Resealing tile yearly is as easy as a five minute wipe-down.

Finally, and most importantly to preserve this or any new, sealed grout and tile installation, grout and tile should never be cleaned with harsh products like bleach or very strong cleaners, even when they’re advertised as “for bathroom tile, grout.”

The harsh chemicals break down the protective coat of the sealer and slowly will allow bacteria, fungi, dirt and oils to penetrate the grout and ultimately stain and ruin the install.

Clean tile and grout surfaces with a very mild soap solution and a clean, dye free cloth. I have a 100% success rate with this type of repair and maintenance routine.

If you have any follow-up questions or need additional information, feel free to ask. Good luck! Please post photos after you’ve finished your repair.


Subfloors and stairs It seems to me that many people put subfloors in their basements (and other floors), but what do they do when it comes to the existing stairs?  I'm code says that you can't have more than 3/8" difference in the steps, and most subfloors are more than 3/8" thick (especially with flooring on top of it).  What do most people do to fix their stairs?

Technically the floor below the last step is considered a landing, and stair risers may be measured from tread to tread, not landing to tread. The 3/8", depending on your exact local codes, may not apply to the tread to landing at the top and bottom of the stairs. It may have a different standard, or it may have the same standard.  Of course if the height difference is large it's going to cause tripping and stumbling, but for minor changes a little more than the 3/8" code it may not make much of a difference or present a safety hazard.

However this can be fixed by putting a thin board on the bottom tread, then half that thickness on the next tread, then half that thickness on the next tread until the requirement is met. If your subfloor is under 3/4 inch higher than it used to be, then it should only take one 3/8 piece of wood on the bottom step to make the first two risers only 3/8 shorter than the rest of the risers, for instance.

You can, of course, replace the stairs or stringers entirely to meet the code requirements and account for the new floor height at the bottom landing.  If the height difference is large enough that you'd have to modify more than half the stairs you'll probably have less work replacing the stringers than adding height to each tread.


How should I connect a light fixture to this box with four cables? Can anyone tell what is going on in this box? Why are there four plain copper wires? Why is there only one red wire? What is the purpose of the brown bundle of wires that contains a black, white and copper wire? Is this even safe?
Also, is it safe to attach this very simple light fixture?

UPDATE
I have since discovered both with everyone's kind support and a pal that this is a switch! I also after finding this out, discovered there was no fuse blown, only that the switch circuit was not complete (when I separated all the wires like a dingus) and the power to the other room's outlet and lights (and light switch) were out! I have more work to do because I cannot for the life of me figure out which collection of black wires will work for the lamp to complete the second switch circuit! Picture and more details to follow!

This is not even close to the box from hell.
Why are there 4 bare copper , your home was wired with grounded NMB type cables each cable has a ground so there are 4 how can I tell? The number of and colors of black white & red wires. All the grounding conductors or bare copper should be connected together.
Why is there only 1 red wire. This cable is quite normal in a ceiling fixture, if you pull the light switch you will probably find the other end of the cable in that box. Red and black are “hot conductors” normally 1 for a light and the other for a fan. What is the brown cable for? Without knowing how things were connected we can only guess but there are many colors of nmb cable I have seen brown in the past there is nothing special about the color in this case modern coloring identifies the wire size white is 14 awg , yellow is 12 awg and orange is 10 gauge. This is not always the case as this is a more recent change in the past they were all white for the most part. Gray usually             identifies the cable as UF or underground feeder.
You ask if this is safe? Was a light hooked up previously? And how was it wired? I would say it probably was safe but now to get it back to a safe state we will need to know where the wires go to connect them up safely.  The red cable that is all tied together is probably a spare we can’t tell if this was a switch loop or how it was connected but be aware that white is quite often a switch leg or loop where white carries the power to the switch. To give more information on how to connect things properly we will need to see the connections at the switch(s) and we need to know which cable provides the power.  If you took photos prior to disassemble i it that could be quite helpful also.


Issue when adding a single pole switch next to a 3 way Hoping for some help here.  I have a 3 way dimmer switch running to a fan/light combo that I have jumped a single pole switch off of to power a new exterior light.  There are two 3 way switches on the fan/light combo and I have source power coming into the box which ran through the 3 way to the fan/light combo which I jumped off of.  I pigtailed the hot off the source and ran one to the 3 way and one to the single pole switch and tied together the neutrals.
The issues I am having are:
When the fan/light combo is off and the exterior light is on, one of the 4 lights on the fan is on with low power. Also, when I pull the chain and shut off the fan light, the exterior light goes off.
When both the fan/light combo and exterior light are on, all is good.
Both 3 way switches are wired correctly, though I haven’t been in the fan yet (hoping to fix without opening up the fan connections since the wife wants a new one and I can’t justify taking it down and putting the old one back up).
What is the issue here?  Issue with the 3 way dimmer, issue in the fan, the “source” is something different altogether?
From a comment:

So ironically, In digging further, it seems my source into the box has the line power on the white wire and neutral on the black wire. One thing I am confused about though ... it appears the hot travels up the fan/light and neutral connects to the common on the 3 way switch ... fan/light and 3 ways work as intended with the setup but that wiring doesn’t seem right. For the new light ... as long as I tie the neutral to the black source wire and the hot side to the white source wire, I should be good right?

REWRITE:
Having the 3-way travelers go through the fan box is quite unusual, but I was "going on faith" on that.  However, given the behavior of the supposed "supply" wires you mention in comments, notably white being hot and black being pulled down to 0V... it's clear this is a 3-way switch loop.  Neutral is not present at the box at all.
I recolored it to designate wire function (black=always-hot, red=switched-hot, yellow=travelers)... because 3-ways are too confusing otherwise.

Note the complete absence of neutral from this box.  White is an always-hot wire (as is required by Code; if neutral is not present in the cable and always-hot is; white must be used for it; that makes it easier to detect as a hot.  It's odd that the person knew this rule yet did not use it in the other switch leg).  Black in your circuit is switched-hot to the fan - i.e. it powers the fan.  The fan's load is "pulling it down toward neutral" which is why it reads 0V.  It is not neutral.
If you have any doubt of this, connect that black and white to a receptacle and plug in a 1500W heater or toaster (simple heat appliance, but high in wattage). I guarantee the fan/light will activate if you do.  Switch loop!
Neutral is not present in an old style switch loop like this, so branching an additional light off it is not going to happen. Sorry!


Pressure tank location We are purchasing a home with a shared well with the neighbor. The pressure tank is in the house we are purchasing. We are destroying the house therefore the tank will need to be relocated outside. Looking at 2 options a hut with insulation and a gas heater for the winter or underground below frost level.concerns with both options with freezing. Any ideas of the best route?

I had a similar situation. My wife and I bought a property with an old, poorly remodeled house and another newer house (mid-80s) with a shared well. I built a "pump house" that housed not only the pressure tank, but water softeners for both houses as well (no pun intended!). I also terminated various utilities (electric, phone, cable) at the pump house with a 200 amp generator transfer switch to supply one of the panels on my new home from the generator that was also housed just outsize the pump house. I call it my personal PUD!  The pump house is insulated and has never had any freezing issues (Western Washington State, so Pretty mild climate).   I'd suggest good insulation on your pump house and a small electric heater to keep temps over about 35 degrees. I think a gas heater would be overkill and more expensive than needed. A decent sized pressurized water tank holds a great deal of thermal mass and would likely keep the temps pretty even.  But if needed the electric could kick on for a bit to keep temps above freezing.


How could one insulate sill plate from the outside? My house has a gap between the Basement wall and Sill Plate (location best shown in this picture). While there are several question and answers here, I have not found any that deals with a fix from the outside.

I started looking into this since even with the fire place going, there is still a draft of cold air coming in, and from the direction of the fire place.

Questions:

Does anyone have any guidance on the correct way to address something like this?
Could I use Great Stuff on the exterior between the Sill plate and the basement wall?

Asking this since I do not know if there are any consequences. I live in a Zone 5 climate.

The gap is shown here with the spot light from the flash light.

Here's the view when I took a step back.
This is the exterior wall, underneath the natural gas fire place.

Fireplace thermal - comparing the heat from fire to the stone base.
Obviously, this is a picture from inside the house.

Fireplace thermal - zoomed in showing where the air leak is coming from.
That dark blue line is, I suspect, the air leak.

Here is a thermal image of the exterior of the house.
You can clearly see the heat loss from the basement wall and sill plate.
(I'm referring to the yellow heat spots to the right of the steps.

Just a bit closer. Heat loss right of the steps.

And even closer.

Since all you need to do is keep out air here (not actually insulate it), and you need it to be durable to the elements and fauna, I'd suggest filling that gap with mortar or quick-setting concrete. Once it's fully sealed up on the exterior, you can go inside and seal up any remaining gap with Great Stuff or another kind of expanding spray foam, or even caulk if the gap is small enough.

If you want to go even farther and actually insulate the sill plate and band joists from the inside (a good idea), you can do as your first picture suggests and encapsulate them with even more spray foam, or you can cut pieces of rigid foam to the right size and caulk them into place so they're airtight. The point is that if you insulate the sill plate and rim joists, you need to make them completely airtight from interior air, which is moisture-bearing and can condense on them if you insulate them without cutting them off from interior air. Once you've 100% sealed them from interior air with spray foam or caulked rigid foam, you can fill the remainder of the space with cheaper mineral wool or fiberglass batt insulation. Use only unfaced batts.

Another thing to keep in mind. You mentioned that you feel a draft when the gas fireplace is on. Gas combustion consumes air, and that air has to come from somewhere. I'm guessing that your gas fireplace doesn't have its own ducted supply of combustion air, so the air is coming from inside the house, from the biggest nearby air leak--the one you're asking about. If you seal off that air leak (a good idea), the air will be pulled from somewhere else. If you seal off enough of these air leaks (a good idea), your gas fireplace may be starved of air and cause backdrafting of any other gas combustion appliances inside the house. This is very dangerous, but probably not something to worry about right now. However, keep in mind that the tighter you make your house, the more you will need to confront this challenge/danger. The fact of the matter is that gas appliances without ducted outside combustion air supply are not a very good match for being located inside tightly sealed houses.


How to fix a wooden screw hole that is stripped? I have an Ikea chest of drawers with metal rollers that allow me to slide the drawers in and out.

One of the drawer’s metal roller screws has popped off due the weight of the contents of a shelf and when I tried to rescew it back in, the screw just spins around. What is the best way to re-thread this hole? Would wood filler be strong enough?

Remove the castor, get some PL premium, glue it back on.

Or just get some small pieces of wood (wooden match sticks - minus the head - and jamb those into the hole with or without glue, cut the ends of the wood pieces off flush and screw into that mess.


Light switch installation I am replacing light fixtures in the bathroom from one fixture that was part of a medicine cabinet to 2 separate fixtures.  The fixtures have 3 connections - black, white and copper which I have connected. I connected the lights and they come on but do not go off when I turn the switch off. They only go off when I turn off the breaker.The switch has 3 connections - 3 black tied together, red, and 2 white tied together.  The black and red wires are connected to the switch and the white wires are capped together. There is also a red wire in the box for the light that is capped. How should it be wired so the switch controls the lights?

The red is your switched-hot, so connect the black from your fixture to that
It appears that your switch was wired so that always-hot could be passed along to downstream lighting outlets while providing a switched-hot at those outlets as well, while power comes in at the switch.  So, you need to turn the breaker off and move the black wire from the fixture over to connect with the red wire from the ceiling instead of the black wires.  Then you can button the fixture back up, turn the breaker back on, and enjoy your new switch!


luxury vinyl flooring under gas stove I want to install luxury vinyl floor in my kitchen. If I don't want to move my gas stove, can I install it up to first couple of inches under front side of stove? Is that OK with a floating floor (tongue and groove)? Can it be left like this?

This is actually done quite often, especially with gas appliances. People don't want to disconnect the gas lines to move their stoves. Many times the gas company will disconnect/reconnect for you.

I have never floored around an appliance but I see it a lot. If you choose to do this, do yourself a favor and save a few lengths of the flooring in case you decide later to correct this.


Adjustable wrench use, how to quickly determine which way to turn the wheel I've used adjustable wrenches for years but I still end up turning the wheel the wrong way half the time, widening the wrench when I need it narrow and vice versa until I figure out the orientation I'm holding it and do it correctly.

Is there an easy to remember shortcut way of knowing which direction to turn the wheel that I just never learned. For instance, when I grab an adjustable wrench from my bag, how can I quickly know based on the feel of the wrench in my hand or a quick glance that pushing the wheel up with my thumb will tighten or loosen the wrench without inspecting or fiddling with it for a few seconds.

This question assumes that most adjustable wrenches have the same wheel operation which probably isn't the case, however the 4 that I own work similarly to the one pictured. When held in this orientation it will widen when I push the wheel up with my thumb.

Would love to hear some suggestions. Thanks.

< frivolous >

You have really already provided your own answer to this question.

Up to widen the jaws.

As a mind joggler just remember "Up to widen your horizons".

Although this is useless if you flip the tool over.

< /frivolous >

If this is truly an issue why not paint, with red finger nail polish on each side, a turn direction arrow for the wheel and a corresponding one for the jaw direction.


What could cause ceiling fan lights to flicker on with power and then go out immediately? I have ceiling light fan.  The fan works fine.  The light used to work fine.  All of a sudden one day the light started acting up.  When I turn on the switch, the light flickers on for about a second and then turns off.  It has three bulbs, all turn on and then off in less than a second. Any suggestions to fix problem.

I've seen this happen before.  The vibration of the fan loosens connections to the bulbs.  The lighting portion of the fan should be removed and examined for flaky connections.

The fact that the lights come on and then off might indicate an issue with a partially-inhibited connection that is generating some heat and then separating somewhere in the light fixture.


Is there a way to plug a NEMA 6-20P plug into a NEMA 10-30R receptacle? Is there a way to plug a 6-20p 208/220/250v plug into a 10-30r receptacle? I can't seem to find an adapter for this. I bought a 220v fahrenheat heater and want to be able to plug it into a range or dryer receptacle.

You will not find a legal or listed "adapter" for this.

A 6-20 is a straight 240V grounding 20A device.
A 10-30 is a 120/240V non-grounding 30A device, where the grounding function is provided via the neutral. This is only allowed in older range and dryer circuits, so any adapter would not be legal to use on any other circuit.


Adding sconce lighting above window As part of a kitchen renovation, the designer would like us to install sconce lights above the window over the sink. This is a load bearing exterior wall and there is a solid header across the top of the window, so I'm just not sure how to get the wires to the sconces.
I realize I can mount pancake boxes, but I'd have to cut a groove or something in the header to run the wires.
Any ideas for how I could safely wire up these sconces?

False wall that projects out beyond the header.  If the window is going to be surrounded by cabinets they won't even notice it.  A picture would help.


Are supports for spot lights required? If I am planning to install this spot light on the ground (in dirt), are support beams or things like that required or can I just place this in the dirt and it would be fine?

A lot of outdoor light comes with a stake or something to stabilize it.  I have ran a lot myself and basically I have two rules.  Run all of your wiring through PVC all the way up to fixture.  Second, if it doesn't come with something make your own stake.  If this thing is just a rock with wiring sticking out I would get some thick wiring, glue it on the bottom and stick that in the ground like a fork.  For more traditional type of lighting we put half cages over them but since this was made to look like a rock that would probably kill the aesthetics.


Installing corrugated metal in bathroom I'm planning on installing corrugated galvanized metal as a wainscoting in my bathroom.  Is there anything I need to put behind the metal to help prevent mold/moisture from getting behind it?  The walls are plaster.

This is the picture my girlfriend pulled off of Pinterest.  I would run the corrugated metal vertically at 48 in in height.  It looked like a good idea because it would match more of my personality and lifestyle, living on a farm.  I've read where people have used it in bathroom surrounds with little issues, however I haven't found anyone who has had it installed for more than a few years.

I don't consider it any more of a concern than wood wainscot or a vanity that's not hermetically sealed to the wall. I take measures to prevent undue splashing in my bathrooms, such as using a shower curtain and teaching my kids proper behavior. With this approach you can have confidence that your nice, unique metal wainscot won't result in the fall of civilization.

I'd run a wooden cap as shown in the photo, and if you're concerned about water running down behind, seal against the wall with a fine bead of clear silicone caulk. It'll take on the colors of the wall and trim and be nearly invisible.


Are buried footings required for a shed or other structure to withstand 90mph winds? I want to build a small 10x10 shed in my backyard.  My city code doesn't require building permits for structures under 120 sq. ft. and doesn't require footings that run down below the frost line for those structures.  However, the code does require that the structure be built to withstand 90 mph winds.

I was planning to just put the shed on concrete block footings on a layer of gravel.  I'm pretty sure the structural design will be over-built, but does the wind resistance requirement mean I need to anchor the building to footings buried below the frost line?

To resist wind forces, you don't necessarily need footings below frost line, but you do need a substantial mass to resist the overturning forces from wind. Buried footings work well because the the wind must also pick up a substantial amount of earth in addition to the foundation weight. The deeper the footing, the more earth being picked up, so it is a good solution that does not require excessive amounts of concrete or masonry to provide dead weight.

The structural portion of the IBC specifies how much pressure 90 mph wind exerts on various surfaces. While too complex to get into here, if you understand overturning moments, determining the required dead weight to resist the wind is not all that complicated.

There are too many unknowns to say for sure, but I doubt a course of blocks, even with the cells filled, will be adequate to resist wind forces. In order to not build more foundation than you need to, it's likely worth it to find someone who can calculate the minimum foundation to do the job. An engineer is an obvious choice, but since no permit is required, it's likely a licensed engineer is not required. You just need someone who understands the physics involved and can do the math.


weight bearing ability of home made truss How much weight would a Pine truss support if it were made of two pieces 2 inch by 12 inch lumber with 3/4 ply board in the center?

It will support exactly what is on the certificate of compliance, and the person who signed the certificate say it will support.

I know you want a simple number, but such a thing is simply not possible.

You really are asking the question backwards. The question should be, 'I need to support, this stuff, will two pieces of 2" x 12" Pine lumber, with 3/4 ply allow me to do it.'

I can come up with an endless list of things that need to be considered, including, but not limited to: is it,

Indoor or Outdoor?

Fastened together in any way (If yes, how?)

What is holding the truss up?

Spanning any distance?

A dynamic or static load?

It is kind of like asking, 'How much will my wife let me spend on tools if I want a drill and a circular saw?'

If she is the AHJ, you can only spend as much as she allows, sucks, but such is life.


Get free-spinning bolt out of TV? I am trying to remove an HDTV wall mount from the TV, but: a handyman tightened one of the bolts overzealously, and now it's stuck.  Specifically: The bolt turns freely, but does not reverse out of the TV.  I assume the metal sleeve in the TV broke off, inside, and now my screwdriver is turning the bolt and the sleeve around it.

How can I get this thing out of the TV, and thus free it from the wall mount?

Is there a tiny bit of space between the bracket and the tv?  If so I'd use a hacksaw to cut through the screw and remove the bracket.  If space is really tight, try removing the blade and using it with your hands.

After that, you'll have to see what you are working with.  If you are lucky, maybe you can get some epoxy or glue around the bolt inside of the TV to freeze it and then use locking pliers to remove the rest of the screw or drill it out.


How can I figure out what mystery wall switches might do? I have a two-story house with blown-in insulation in the attic. There are at least four wall switches in my house (some on the ground floor, some upstairs) that seem to serve no discernible function. I have asked the previous owners of the house and the owners before that, but none of them know the function of these switches. The first family to occupy the house is no longer alive.

What techniques might I use to figure out what these mystery wall switches are for? I've tried all the outlets, and they don't seem to turn any of them on and off, and I can't find any mounted lights controlled by the switches.

First thing I'd check is if the switch is even connected to any wires. You can probably check this just by removing the face plate.

You already checked the receptacles, but did you check both the top and bottom outlet?  Sometimes a switch will only control one part of the outlet.  In this case, the metal tab connecting both hot terminals is broken so that the top and bottom outlets can be individually powered (and switched).

The next step is to look at the wiring of the switch.  First turn off the circuit breaker and test again with a non-contact tester (if you don't know what the switches do, then it could have more than 1 circuit in the box - just to be safe). Remove the switch and take note of the switch type - is it a single pole switch or 3-way switch?  (If its a 3-way switch then the color of the traveler might be helpful in finding what it controls.)  Is the line (from the circuit breaker) in this box?

If a visual inspection doesn't give you any clues then you need to trace the circuit.  This is usually done with the power off using a circuit tracer:

A telecom probe/tracer can also be used in many cases.  You hook the tone generator up to the wires at the switch, and then you use the probe to follow the wires through the wall.  With any luck you will find your way to a ceiling or wall box. Depending how badly you want to know, you might need to open the wall (or use a scope) at some point to help trace the wire.  More expensive versions of this tool exist that might be needed to find really sneaky wires.

It's not unheard of to find out that a previous owner dry walled over an electrical box, so keep this in mind as a possibility.

And if you just can't sleep at night without know where it goes, you could always x-ray your house as a last resort.

(source: tomcomunicacao.com.br)

(The above image is by photographer Nick Veasey. While this photo was stitched together, there are companies that x-ray buildings )


How to I cut glass and marble tiles when they are on a mesh backing? How do you cut combination marble and glass tiles when they are both on the same mesh backing?  When I tried this, the tiles move and the glass shatters.

Ahhhhh no wet saw for small glass mosaics.  First it will bounce all over when cutting and second you might get a nice chunk of glass in you.

You will be cutting everything one mosaic tile at a time.  Take it off of the mesh.

#1 Make sure when laying out your tile that your cuts are in the corners or in less seen areas.

#2 If you need to cut the corner of a tile or odd shapes use glass nippers.

The nippers are not a precision tool.  With a little practice you can get close to what you want.  Luckily doing mosaics breaking a couple of squares is relatively cheap.   If you have a weird corner cut on a tile or a circular cut and you can get it done in 2-3 tries the great job.

#3 For straight cuts you use a wheel scorer.  The picture I have below is a double sided.  Often you will just see a single wheel.  Just like cutting drywall it is most important to get a good score on the glass side.  With a little muscle you should only have to roll an area 2-3 times.

#4 Once you have a line on the top of your tile we are going to move it over to the tile cutter.  You are going to place this faced up with the edge right on the cut line.  This takes practice and is a little different with each cutter.  You will gently (do it to hard and cut may not be clean) bounce the lever to put pressure on the tile.  If it is lined up right eventually it will break clean on your scored line.  If your cut isn't clean then you may need to score a little deeper or line it up better on your cutter.  Also do one tile at a time.  I know it seems a PITA but you can do 2-3 tiles in a minute once you get it down.  Also do your cuts before you start applying thinset or have a helper.


How to install a door in a load bearing basement wall that is only 80 inches high I would like to install a door in a load baring wall in my basement that is only 80 inches from the floor to the joist.

It's an old 1940s home where half the house has joists running east west and half running north south. The two joists come together just past the load baring wall.

I want to know what my best options are to install a door between the existing studs and only removing one stud. Goal is it to have the doorway to be as high as possible.

Please see attached pictures for clarification.

enter image description here.

You will need a new rough opening that will measure 76 1/2" X 26 1/2", give or take 1/4" This is assuming there is nothing on the floor above like pianos, bookcases, and such. This also assuming that there is nothing required above in the way of a point load that happens to be right at the location of the new header.

To add the header, cut out the 2 top plates at the sides of the studs you want to keep for the beginning of the rough opening. You can temporally support the one joist in the middle if you choose, IF there is no load on the floor in that area. If there is a load, then this whole idea needs to be rethought. Using 4X4 solid wood cut to the length between the 2 cuts where the plates were. Set it in place, keeping it in place with a few toenails. It needs to move a little. Make sure it is tight to the center joist and pretty level. After that is confirmed, measure the jack stud lengths that will hold the header. Add 1/8" to that number. By the way if there is tile on the floor above, this may or will crack it. The first piece you cut will go in readily. DO NOT nail it, Cut the other, this one will need to be driven in. Set the top in place and drive the bottom in. If it gets really tough to drive in and the bottom is still 4 " away from the stud, remove it and cut it 1/16" shorter. It should drive in all the way this time. While driving things will shift around and settle in. Drive everything back in line and nail everything off. Some folks may say put truss plates at the meeting place where the header and plates meet, but the subfloor above will not let anything spread, and the new jack studs will not let anything drop. So I would not sweat the plates. Now cut out the bottom plate. set your door

The doors you need can be ordered cut to 74" instead of 80". This door will be a 24" wide door. It is a special order but it will be done right by the maker of the door. If you must do it yourself, you will need to cut the bottom 2" off the door, and with a table saw, CAREFULLY skin the finish layer off the bottom filler, clear the webbing out of the bottom if it is a hollow core door and cover all meeting surfaces in glue. It will be messy. Insert the filler. Clean most of the glue mess with a damp sponge and water. Use 2 strips of wood the width of the door and clamp them on with wax paper between the wood and the door to keep the glue from bonding the wood to the face of the door. Let it dry for a day, trim off the excess glue and clean up the cuts and prime. Cut the bottoms of the jambs and set your door(s).

The downside of this is the knob will be 6" lower. The bottom hinge will be at the floor as well. This is why the door should be custom ordered.

Of course you could cut the top off and the bottom, and rework everything, but that is up to you.

FREE TIP OF THE DAY!!!!

If you are planning to salvage the plaster wall, your best chance to do so is screw a strip of 1X over the stud that the cut will be at, top to bottom. Screw it (not nailed, vibrations destroy plaster) about every foot, closer is better, not farther. Do this on both sides. This will keep the wood lath from flying off when the cutting starts for the opening. This is after the new jack studs are in place and secured.


Replacing filler in hardwood floors My new apartment has a wooden floor laid in it, but there are a number of places where the larger knots have been filled in with some kind of filler that is black. The timber is tallowwood (quite pale) so these are pretty eye-catching. Luckily there are only a handful of planks with knots in, so it's not all over the floor.

Is it possible to change this filler to something lighter or replace these particular planks without having to replace the entire floor? Want to know how big a job this is.

Thanks in advance

Google "bowtie inlay" for details on what's possible. You can do the work either with chisels or a router (or both). And, for what it's worth, bowtie isn't the only shape out there... it's just reasonably charming and has straight lines that make it more manageable for chisel work. (Sharp chisels are always good, but particularly good in this instance.)

Anyway, the black would be chiseled or router-ed out; a small replacement piece would be glued in; then you'd have to sand it flush and apply a local finish similar to the existing. You wouldn't have to refinish the whole floor.

Almost all cutting tools are dangerous. If you don't have experience with a router, please read up on what can go wrong and practice on scrap.

The not-very-nice-in-my-opinion alternate is to chip out the black and use a lighter coloured wood filler. The really bad thing about this is that your wood's pores might (depending on the finish) collect traces of filler that'll make the whole repair look messy. And, as mentioned, the colour of filler is uniform, so it'll jump out at you as well.


Making a 4" hole in my foundation , will cutting the rebar cause the foundation to crack? Making a 4" hole in my foundation , will cutting the rebar cause the foundation to crack ?

Cutting the re-bar so you can complete your 4 inch hole could cause your foundation to crack. I suspect that you already know that or else you would not be asking this question.

The problem here is that there is no way to provide any answer regarding assurance that cutting the re-bar would not be harmful to your foundation. There are just to many unknown variables to be able to make any prediction. Some of these unknowns are:

Are there other re-bars in the foundation
What part of the foundation, wall or footing
Type of construction of the foundation, cement blocks, poured concrete, stone or bricks
How thick the foundation is
Where the hole is located relative to edges, top, bottom or corners in the foundation
Hole location above or below grade
Past history of building structure foundation
Temperate zone location
Seismic zone conditions


How do I wire up a saeco magic deluxe coffee grinder to be a standalone coffee grinder? I would like to make a standalone coffee grinder by reusing the grinder in an old broken down Magic Deluxe Espresso machine. My electrical skills are pretty limited but I thought I'd find an appropriate dc adapter and solder up the wires to the grinder and maybe a add a switch. However I dont know how to determine the expected input of the grinder to choose the appropriate dc adapter. It is not printed on the side.

Can anyone tell me the voltage and amperage the grinder expects?

I can see two motors. They have a 2A fuses on them and most likley are just normal brush motors 10vdc~15vdc
I know this because there are only 2 wires to both of them. Stepper motors use 4 or more wires and need special circuits to make the motor spin. There are some that use 3 wires that might also require a special circuit.

Unfortunately there is no indication what the transformer supplies to the PCB and also there can be voltage regulators there where the big heat sinks are. So the motors could also be 24vdc motors.

You need to use a multimeter with DC and measure the two wire points on the motor when its running. That will tell you how many volts it is.

Then all you need to do is supply those motor with the DC voltage you measured, times that by 2 (2Ampers) and make sure your power supply can handle the load.

For example-

24vdc * 2a == 48watts maximum power
12vdc * 2a == 24watts maximum power

I really doubt the motors are AC driven.


WiFi Thermostat - C Wire I am trying to install an Ecobee 3 thermostat to replace the upstairs one I have now but the 3rd wire isn't connected to anything on either end. I added the basement thermostat just to complete the wiring but I won't be changing that one. Can I connect the 3rd wire to the C terminal on the external transformer (top left)?

Yes, the terminal labeled C on the transformer is where you want to connect the C wire to the thermostat.  However, you'll want to make sure that the transformer is large enough to also supply power to the thermostat.  If the thermostat draws too much power, you could end up burning out your transformer.  It might also be a good idea to put an appropriately sized fuse in line with the R wire.


Home Heating Efficiency See a similar question I posted a few years ago: Heat pump minimum compressor temprature
I have a custom built new construction home, but I was not involved with the build process, so I don't know the thought behind some of the equipment decisions.
My home is located where we have very cold winters (Nights at -10F are not uncommon).
I have a multi zone air handler that is connected to a 2 stage ground source geo-thermal heat pump, along with  2 stage natural gas auxiliary heat.  In addition, the entire home is equipped with zoned hydronic floor heating backed by a natural gas fired boiler.
The zone controller for the air handler has settings to configure to when to "Stage up", with combinations of Temperature setpoint to actual temperature delta, number of zones calling, outside air temperature, and time spent running in current stage.  These settings were never setup by the installer, and due to my rural location, getting any type of an HVAC person out (Especially one that understands the system) comes with a very hefty service fee.
From the zone controller point of view:
Stage 1 - Ground Geo Stage 1
Stage 2 - Ground Geo Stage 2
Stage 3 - Aux heat (Natural gas) stage 1
Stage 4 - Aux heat (Natural gas) stage 2
The floor hydronic heating is serviced by a bunch of "dumb" honeywell thermostats and not tied into the air handler at all.
Specific questions:

Since I have a ground source geo-thermal unit, is there ever a time when I should run the Auxiliary heat? (Leaving number of zones calling, Outside Air Temperature, and time spent running in current stage disabled)?

What is the most economical way to balance the Hydronic floor heat with the heat provided by the air handler?

Specific Equipment (If needed):

Air Handler / Furnace: Carrier Infinity 59TN6A (96.7% Efficiency
Rating)
Hydronic Boiler: Navien NHB-080 (95% Efficiency Rating)
Ground Source Heatpump: Hydron Module BT060 (Stage 1 CoP - 4.1, Stage
2 CoP 3.7)

Energy Costs (If needed):

Electrical: $0.1057 / kWh
Natural Gas: $0.1414 / Therm

If your numbers are accurate (that seems like a shockingly low price per therm for 2020):
10.57 cents buys you 13,989.2 BTU at a COP of 4.1 in the heat pump.
14.14 cents buys you 96,700 btu in the furnace, or 95,000 in the boiler.
A dollar buys you 132,348 BTU at the heat pump, or 671,852 at the boiler, or 683,875 at the furnace ("heating fuel cost", ignoring the fact that all of them use additional electricity to move the heat around)
At those prices, you want to use the heat pump for cooling only, unless you have excess electricity to burn (Solar panels and no buy-back, just offset) or the two gas sources can't keep up on a cold day.


NM cable next to hot water pipe Edit: The answer below indicates that at least in some places inspectors consider it inacceptable to attach any wiring to pipes. However, I would still like to understand why it is a bad idea.

Original question: I had a gas boiler for the radiator hot water system installed. After the contractor left, I noticed that they ran two 12/2 NM cables from the boiler to the two pumps along the hot water pipe, attaching the cables to the pipe with plastic cable ties. I am concerned about the exposure of cables to the heat.

My questions:

Is this installation allowable?
If it is technically allowable, should I still be concerned?

Data: The two pumps are 0.75 and 0.81 amps respectively. The maximum allowable boiler temperature is 210F (but we won't ever run it that high of course, ours is set to 130F-180F depending on the outdoor temp).

According to my reading of 110.11 of NEC, it appears to be disallowed. On the other hand, according to the formula in 310.15(B)(2), using temperature of 180F it appears to be OK with a margin to spare. The 310.15(B)(3) does not apply since there are only two cables run together.

The heat with such a miniscule load is not really an issue. I wouldn't worry so much about the temperature as I would about using NM cable to wire pumps (I assume circulators?), and securing them to water pipes (which is not allowed). A much more professional job would have been to use MC cable and secure them to the boiler housing or simply tie wrapping them together.


Can a damaged dishwasher heating element break something else? A piece of plastic melted on our dishwasher (66515113K216) heating element, and within a few weeks the heating element failed at that spot. We ran the dishwasher without a heating element for a few more months, drying the dishes by hand, before I ordered the replacement part.

Once installed, the new heating element didn’t work. I can’t imagine multiple things failed at once, unless the fault in the old heating element may have “blown” something else.

I replaced the high limit thermostat as it seemed like the most likely culprit, but no joy.

Before I go and replace every part in this dang thing, I’d like to apply a method to my madness. I do have a multimeter, and both new parts seem to conduct just fine (as does the original high limit thermostat, dangit).

Thanks!

Over the years I have bought brand new heating elements for dishwashers, stoves and water heaters that were no good. Remove the new element and check it for continuity. If you aren't familiar with this type of test, here is a Dishwasher Element Continuity Video. I would also check the resistance of the element. Turn your multi-meter dial to the ohms position. You should get a reading somewhere between 10-30.

The bad element could have caused an overload in the Electronic Control Board. This is the "brain" of the appliance. Remove the inside door cover to expose the wiring and make sure all of the wires are tight and not burnt. Smell the control board and see if you detect any type of electrical burn.


How do I calculate how long a furnace has to work to compensate a given temp drop? I am trying to understand the dynamics of heating a home after the furnace size was calculated.
Say you have a 60000BTU furnace to heat a 2000 sqft home.
At the beginning of the heating season you brought the in house temperature near the point set on the thermostat and since then the temperature has been fluctuating around that value as the house lost heat and that was compensated by the furnace

At this point I have two questions:
-how do you set how much the temperature can drop before the thermostat calls for heat?
-How can I calculate equivalent temperature rise of let's say 1000BTU/h delivered in an 1000 cubic feet volume?

The point with my last question is this: if it is possible to configure the temperature drop before the thermostat calls for heat I would like to know how long the furnace will have to work to bring the temperature back to the set point

The vast majority of home heating thermostats do not have a user configurable "temperature drop before the thermostat calls for heat" or hysteresis. It is what it is, and it's usually small.

To calculate the temperature rise, you need to know many things, some of which vary. In particular, the insulation (resistance to heat flow) of the structure, and the external temperature. The thermal mass of the building and contents also come into play, as does air leakage and/or deliberate ventilation; air leakage will generally vary with wind speed and direction outside the house.

The net effect in practice is that the furnace works longer as it gets colder (and/or windier) outside. If you monitor how much the furnace (burner) runs in an hour, you can infer the rate of heat delivery required to maintain temperature for that hour (If it runs for 30 minutes and is a 60,000 BTU/Hr furnace, the house needed 30,000 BTUs for that hour.) An ideally sized furnace will run 100% of the time on the coldest day you get (and maintain temperature in the house while doing that.)


Which Polyurethane for Industrial Loft Floor I am planning to sand and polyurethane a floor in an industrial loft, my question is what poly to use.. water or spirit based, and is there anything elae that makes a difference in choice of poly?  And do I need to stain first or will I get a nice enough golden tint from the poly?
Attached is a photo of an identical floor that was finished by someone else and I like the way it looks, not sure if it was stained first or if this appearance is solely from the spirit based poly??? I don't mind a finish on the lighter side but not totally clear.  Advice please thanks!

I would use solvent based poly for an industrial loft. I am partial to solvent based and have had friends that said they had good success with water based (I have not had as good results) so this a opinion, however the solvent based tends to hold up better or did in wear testing so for something more than residential I would go solvent based it drys better with varying conditions were water based is more affected by the weather.


Very old, Coleman, through the wall (double sided) mounted gas heater not working My home was built in 1957, I had a new heat pump system put in (which I now hate) 7 years ago. It works fine in the summer, but in winter it doesn't heat the house very well.

At the time, I kept the old Coleman, through the wall natural gas heater as emergency heat, as works without power to the house. It's old and inefficient, but it's done it's job for 50+ years. This year I replaced the old thermostat,with a new Honeywell round heat only mode. I haven't been able to get it fired up once this winter though. I've contacted a couple of local heat/air places, and noone has ever heard of this heater and don't know how to service it apparently.

So I'm trying to troubleshoot it myself and see if the problem is the thermostat, or the unit itself. Am I correct in thinking that if I manually touch the two wires together (red/white), sans thermostat, the unit should come on if it's going to?

I assume you are dealing with a gravity wall furnace, now made by Williams and Empire, and commonly found in California. They require no AC power.  They use a thermocouple on the pilot light to power (via the thermostat) a millivolt gas solenoid.  They sell special thermostats for this application.  A "common" thermostat may or may not work, depending on its ability to switch a very low voltage at comparatively high current, and function without 24v power.

Electronic thermostats cannot work, unless you supply 24v to them and supply a relay to switch the millivolt line... but that makes the furnace dependent on AC power, which defeats the purpose of this type of furnace!

Yes, touch red and white together, and the unit should come on.

If it does not, first check that the pilot is on (no pilot, no millivolts). Then check the 2 wires with a voltmeter, there should be some fraction of a volt of electricity.  If not, the pilot is out or you have a thermocouple problem.

Parts are readily available for Empire and Williams furnaces, and worse comes to worst, you can replace one in-kind, though you'll have to special order it in the northeast or midwest.  For some reason, people in those areas have a revulsion to furnaces that work without electricity.


Drilling/screwing into exterior metal door? I am wondering about drilling/screwing into an exterior metal door.  I want to install a dart board & back board onto the back of my exterior door that leads into the garage.  My worries are as follows:
- Will this damage the integrity of the door (i.e. since this is probably a fire door, will this be a bad idea?)
- Will this cause the door to lose insulating value for the basement?
- What's inside these doors, will it be able to hold a dartboard mounted on plywood?

Thanks!
Sean

I would look in to magnets. I recently purchased a magnet and hook to hang a Christmas wreath. It was about $5. It is strong enough that the easiest way to remove it is to slide it off the edge. I checked Amazon has them rated for 8 lbs.


Fix leak between seal and shower door joint Anyone got any suggestions for sealing this gap up?

The problem is because of the door joint, the top seal can't work all the way down, but the bottom seal can't move all the way flush because when the door opens it pushes it out of the way... leaving a gap that bleeds water.

I'd rather not replace the cubicle but its making our living room ceiling rather wet!

you could always cut a small piece of urethane or silicone foam (closed cell only) and glue it into the gap on the static side of the opening.  it would act as a live seal that could adapt to the gap or move as the door rotates.

you might want to take some time to really clean the existing sealant/caulk out from all over and redo it.  also do the floor to shower pan joint.  use a good solvent to clean everything up and bleach all surfaces prior to re-caulking.  you have so much filth and mould there that new sealants wont stick.  a properly sealed shower assembly wouldnt let water into your ceiling below even if the door seals are not working.


What to do with small space at the edge of the step when tiling floor? I am tiling an entryway/hallway floor, which has a somewhat irregular shape. While I've dealt with all the corners and funny shapes, there's one place where I can't think of a solution.  At one point, the floor ends with a step down into a garage. I need to tile the whole area as one. Yet when I lay the tiles, because the step ends slightly at an angle, I end up with a very narrow strip along the edge of the last tile.  Look at the picture below (not drawn to scale):

This is a simplified drawing of the area in question - and I'm interested in the little corner marked in grey. Normally I would just cut a tile at an angle, however the width of that grey area is only about 5 mm at the widest point and I am tiling with 3 mm spacers.

One option I'm thinking about is to put one tile vertically along the side of the step (basically from the drawn surface down) but sticking 13-14 mm up above the surface (i.e. the same as thickness of the tiles plus the thinset) and then grout.  Are there any other options?

Two options:

you could taper the tile as necessary and fit a nose strip.
Lay that last single tile at a slight angle so it shares that gap equally either side. But wide grout lines may be "odd"...

Edited based on comments, and option 1 seems favorite...


Can I disable an old security system by disconnecting the transformer? I switched from my old security alarm to a diy alarm system. I want to completely shut down the old alarm system and keypad. Is I possible to remove the wires of the transformer? I don't know what to do with it. I don't to just let it dangle. I am nervous to close it inside the box because I don't want it pressing on the transformer wire. What is the safest way to store/ hide the wire connecting the transformer to the wall?

The wire from the transformer goes into the wall and right back into your alarm panel with the rest of the wires to energize it. Unscrew the wires from the transformer and just tuck them into the wall by the outlet in case you ever want to use the panel again. Tuck the transformer into the alarm box and shut it. There doesn't appear to be any backup batteries but if there are, disconnect them too.


How do I cap a T junction on a roof ridge? My house's roof-ridge joins a small barn at the center of the barn's roof-ridge forming a "T".  The barn does not have a vent cap.  Metal flashing was used on both valleys where the house roof meets the barn and the flashing runs all the way to the junction of the T.  I have just reshingled the barn and am at the point of capping the ridge.  Can anyone tell me how to install the cap at the junction point where the cross of the T meets the stem?

The lower roof shingles are capped by upper roof.


Used ceiling fan not working Bought a used ceiling fan w 2 pull chains and lights. Seller assures me it was working. Hung it up and wired it fan black and blue to ceiling black, white to white, and both a  green wire from the down rod and a green wire from the fan hanging ball to the ceiling copper wire. Multimeter test shows 120v when red probe is touched to light socket and black probe to housing screw head. Pull chain to light shows 0 when chain is pulled off. Was a ceiling light with a single wall switch. Why is neither the lights or fan coming on?

You are testing hot (light socket center) to ground (housing screw) and getting 120 volts. How about between light socket center and light socket screw threads? This will test hot to neutral which is where you need the voltage. Assuming this is not near 120 volts, it sounds like your neutral (white) wire is not connected. You should probably take down the fan and test voltage between black and white wires or, better yet, reconnect the old light to test. Assuming this works, reconnect the fan, making sure the get good connections with the wirenuts.


How can I remove this old tub drain stopper? My girlfriend recently moved into a house that was built in the early 1940s.  Most of the house is in great condition, but, of course, there are a few items here and there that need fixing.  The tub is slow in draining and we suspect part of that is from hair in the drain.  (It got worse with her daughter there, so that's part of the reason we think it's hair.)

The problem is we don't know how to remove the drain stopper so we can clean it out and see if it's just hair.  I have a picture of the stopper below.  I haven't tried forcing anything, but we've tried pulling it up and out, unscrewing it (clockwise and counterclockwise, just in case), and even combinations (like holding it up in a higher position and trying to unscrew it).

My guess is that I need to use some leverage (like channel locks with a towel to protect the stopper) to unscrew the top ball and then remove the rest of the stopper.

Is that right?  Or is there something else I should do to remove this so we can clean the hair out of the drain?

If you just wish to confirm the issue is with hair in the drain, you can try something like Zip-It Drain Declogger ("Hair Snare"). They're inexpensive (The Home Depot sells them for $2.48) and you may also solve the problem without having to disassemble your drain.


Is it ok to use three sequential 30 amp breakers for my new well pump install? Just wired in new 230 volt (1-1/2 hp) water well pump. Do I have too many breakers for this pump?

The first breaker is a 30 amp double-pole inside the 200 amp main panel house box. The second breaker is a 30 amp double pole in the Reliance transfer switch box for my generator. The third is a 30 amp breaker that's 100 feet out to well house, connecting to the relay control box & then running down well to pump.

I don't see a problem the 3rd breaker provides a local disconnect and this can be a safety factor issue. If you remove the local breaker you will need a lockable breaker at the house because the pump house location is not "within site".


Where does the extra wire connect on my new furnace blower motor? My furnace is approximately 20+ years old and i need to replace the blower motor.  however the replacement has six wires and the existing has 5.

Here's the existing motor's wiring diagram:

And here's the replacement's:

I understand the brown wires will connect to the capacitor, and the red, black, and blue wires controls speed. What I do know is what the  white connects to (it’s the wiring between the capacitor and the speed controls). There is a green wire for grounding.

I'm assuming the grey colored motor is the new one and the rusty one is the old. In your old configuration the capacitor connected between the AC neutral (white) and the brown wire. In your new motor the white still needs to connect to your AC neutral. However, your new motor has two brown wires to connect to the capacitor, and any connection between it and AC common (if it has one) is internal to the motor. So whatever the white wire connected to on your old motor is where the white wire on your new motor should connect to. (I'm not sure if the diagram indicates that the wire in question is white, purple, or yellow; or a wire with white, purple, and yellow stripes. Your pictures don't show the actual wires.)