what to do about outlet in bad location As we redo our kitchen we have an existing outlet that will end up in a "void" of about 2 feet behind a cabinet.  Specifically we are putting our new cabinets about 2 feet from the existing wall.  There is an outlet and I am thinking of just leaving it where it is located.  But when everything is completed that space (what I am calling a void) will no longer be reachable.  So, this will not be a box behind a wall but will be tough to reach (would have to pull out refrigerator, cut through space in side to get into the void).

Just validating whether this is an issue.  Thoughts how to resolve if it is.  The wire is too short to run further out unless I use the splice fitting that I have seen at Home Depot (this might work to put the outlet in a more convenient accessible location).  The wire goes into an area that I cannot, easily, access so removing the circuit back to the other room is not an option (although I will check if I can find the outlet from which this was connected).

There's no easy fix here.  The electrical code is quite clear on this, and the box must be "accessible".  Hiding the box behind permanently installed cabinets is a clear code violation, even if you cap the wires and install a blank plate.

You'll have to find where the wiring for this receptacle originates, and disconnect it at that point. Cap those wires together and label them as abandoned, or pull them out of the box so they can't be reconnected. Once that's done, you can leave the unused cable in the wall and abandon the box.

If the abandoned box was used to feed outlets further along the circuit, you're going to have to find a way to run new cable to supply the rest of the circuit.


How to get a straight line when painting wall with fillet to ceiling We are moving to an apartment built in the 1920:s which have a fillet between the walls and the ceiling. We want to paint the walls, and to get a nice finish between the ceiling and the walls, we want to paint a distinct line around 10 cm down from the ceiling. See attached image.

What would be a good way to make a straight line, when the walls and/or ceiling is not perfectly straight? I'm thinking perhaps you could make a jig which fits in the fillet?

I've had mixed results with tape.  Paint will wick/bleed under loosely bonded tape, especially if your surface is rough and well-bonded tape can damage the surface especially if you leave it on too long.  A friend of mine likes Frog Tape, but I've never tried it. I just free-hand it and switch to decaf coffee for a day!  I got good pretty quickly.  and it's not like tiling or something where you can't fix your mistakes.   If you don't mind doing touch-up the day after, it's usually faster than taping.

As far as positioning a line that goes with the flow of the ceiling, I would make a jig by screwing a few blocks of wood together that holds a pencil.  Use it to mark the wall and you'll have a visual guide to follow when you freehand. The yellow arrow in the sketch below represents the pencil and I would use a big enough block that averages out maybe a square foot or so of ceiling.  if you see sections of the line you don't like (because the jig hit a bump or whatever), just erase the offending section and use a long straight-edge like a 4-ft level or strip of trim to redraw the line.

Edit:
If your ceiling is very uneven, attach three (not four) "feet" to the top of your jig.  Doesn't really matter where, just position them away from each other in a triangle. This will prevent the jig from rocking on the high spots.


Can I use a "universal" flush valve (or different brand) in my Kohler toilet? My toilet is leaking. I hear the leaking noise and sometimes I can even hear the filling valve being triggered when the level of water in the cistern becomes too low.

After investigating a little bit and cleaning the cistern and flapper valve I decided that probably I better replace the whole flush valve than just the flapper valve.

My toilet is a Kohler, and maybe an old model. I checked online to buy another flush valve, but what I see on the Internet does not like the flush valve I have right now. When I asked in the hardware store about buying new pieces to replace the old ones I was told that for this model (Kohler) I better use the house parts. Still, I can find online other products that say "fits Kohler".

Should I replace my toilet parts with the more expensive Kohler ones or can I try other brands?

It depends on the configuration of the flush valve. If it's the type with a 3-4 inch plastic tube that when lifted allows water to flush than you need to use that specific valve type from Kohler. If not and the valve is mounted through a standard (3/4 inch +/-) opening to the supply line you should be able to swap in any valve with minor adjustments to the lift handle and flapper. Post a photo of the Kohler valve.


Finishing technique for gaps between the wall and the live wood we installed that shrunk We installed a large slab of wood and it has shrunk away from the wall.

Most common solution would simply be caulk with a color matching the wood, not the wall.
Any sanding or harsh chemicals will damage the existing finish.
If you can apply without masking, you avoid risk of peeling off either finish. Choose a product for water cleanup if you doubt your skill.
Apply sparingly usually works best, you want people's eyes to ignore the gap not see a bold stripe of dissimilar material. Sometimes slightly recessing the caulking works well to trick the eye into seeing less depth. Start their and use it as backer if you need to bring it flush with the surface.
Backer rod helps in many significant ways, but carpenters usually omit.
Touch up those ends before you caulk, the unfinished wood draws attention.


How do I connect an air compressor to blow out my sprinkler lines? I want to blow out my sprinkler lines before the freezing weather gets here (I am in NJ).  I have an air compressor that I can borrow but how do I attach the air compressor line to the sprinkler system to blow it out?

Here is the water line coming out of my house, into the pressure vacuum breaker, and then into the ground where the valve box is located.  In previous years I have had someone come out to do it and I know they attach to that spigot in the picture but I am not sure how.  What type of adapter do I need to get?

What I usually do to blow out lines is just use a simple hand held blow gun fitting for the air line. You can buy one that has a rubber end that fits inside the garden hose valve. This usually fits well enough that I don't need to do anything special.

When that is insufficient, then I do have a short pigtail (a one foot long piece) of hose with a regular air line connector at one end, and at the other end a female garden hose nozzle. You could probably just chop off the end of an old piece of regular water hose, since it will already have the male garden fitting on it. At the other end, I would buy a barbed fitting of the right diameter that would allow me to connect to a 1/4 NPT threaded connector. Then just screw on a ball valve to turn the air on from the compressor when you want it, and to that, screw on a male air line connector. A GOOD hardware store will have all of these things.

The nice thing about a blow-out tool like this is it does not need to take any serious airline pressure because the end of the line you are blowing out is essentially open ended. So a simple piece of garden hose is entirely sufficient. You might even temporarily reduce the regulator on the compressor to about 40 psi to avoid damaging anything from overpressure.

If you don't know how to make this up, then I'd go to a local hardware store and ask for help. Tell them what you need. (Print out this response if necessary.) Go to a GOOD one, not to the big box stores like Home Depot. Find one of those stores where the person running it knows what they have in the store and where to find it, and they know how to use what they sell too. When you do find such a hardware store, support them with your business on a regular basis.


GFCI trips when lights go on I have this setup (see attached photo, and sorry for my poor drawing skills) and whenever I screw in the light bulb (or flip the switch with the light bulb in), the GFCI trips. Without the bulbs, no tripping.
What did I do wrong and how do I fix it?

Thanks very much in advance!

Nope, you can't go in a loop like that...

You have power going in a big circle.  Power flows from "J-box", to the GFCI device, off its load to the outlet, then through both 3-way switches back to "J-box" and on to the light.  Neutral does not flow back the reverse route.  That's a big big problem, because the currents in each cable are not equal, which means you're inducing a lot of EMFs, getting eddy current heating, and other badnesses.  You need to fix that, separately from the GFCI problem.

Generally, non-UK wiring is done in a physical "tree" topology.  Wiring may zig up and back several branches, but if you stuck a clamp ammeter around all the wires in a cable together, it will always say 0 since they cancel each other out with equal flows.  Yours does not do that.

There should be /3 cable between the two 3-way switches.

The GFCI is a separate issue.  You must always power things symmetrically, but with a GFCI it's actually going to cause a trip. In this case the light gets its "hot" off the GFCI LOAD terminals, but gets its neutral direct from source.  That means the hot current leaving the GFCI is not matched by an equal amount of neutral current returning, exactly what they are made to detect.

Smart switch option 1: radio/wireless/powerline coding

This works for smart switches which do not need a communication wire.

You will need a "master" smart switch and matching remote, or at least, units designed to work in the same home-automation system.  The remote must only take always-hot and neutral, and relies on radio or powerline comms to talk to the master.

Fit the "master" in the right 3-way position, connecting its always-hot, neutral and switched-hot to the wireds readily available here.

On the left 3-way, the wire heading north from COM, remove it.  Boom, it's gone.  Loop broken.

The two wires between the 3-ways are redesignated for always-hot and neutral and carry power to the remote switch.   If the remote is battery operated, you don't need this pair at all.

Smart switch option 2: communication wire

Again a master and remote designed to work with each other.  But the search for a suitable unit will be harder.

First, on these, you must consult with the manufacturer and ask them if the switches can be on two different services.   Say it just like that,  not subpanel, different service.   If they want more, tell them they will be on opposite sides of a GFCI.  And get the manufacturer's advice.  To be clear, when I say "manufacturer" I do not mean the former landscaper former meth-head who now works in the paint department at Lowes and you caught coming back from the bathroom.  Best advice: don't buy anything like this at a big box, buy from a local electrical distributor.  Best advice: don't buy anything from a big-box.

In this case, you hook up the master in the right 3-way position as before; grabbing available hot, neutral and switched-hot.

On the left switch, you are already bringing down always-hot from the passthrough... Grab neutral there as well.  Note that this switch will be powered from inside the GFCI protected zone.  That should make your spider-sense tingle, hence, the conversation with the manufacturer.    Then you use one or both of the messengers to satisfy the requirement for the communication wire(s).


Need help running and connecting a 'C' wire to my new thermostat I have a Laars gas boiler that has 3 heating zones; basement, 1st floor, and 2nd floor.  I want to replace the old mercury honeywell tstats on the 1st and 2nd floor with newer honeywell RTH9580 wifi model for both. The 2nd floor is a piece of cake as the current tstat and wiring there also consists of the central cooling control.  So on the 2nd floor I have all the necessary wires for the new tstat there to work with (red, white, yellow, green, and blue).  On the 1st floor however, the current tstat only controls the heat, and there is only the 2 wires, red and white. I have a clear shot to the basement in the wall behind the 1st floor tstat, and can run new wires from there to the boiler, no problem.  My dilemma...once I get the wires there (and do I run 5 wires and just use the red, white, and blue?), how do I hook up the blue wire?  To the boiler itself?  To the wires connected to the zone valves, and which one? Or to the transformer, and how?  I've taken pictures of my entire system, can someone tell me the best method (proper preferred, not necessarily easiest) to accomplish this?

I've added some more pics to included the transformer specs and the boiler schematic

Click for larger view

You will want to use the wire labeled "Y" in your schematic as the "C" wire for your thermostats.


How do you remove a Kwikset keyed latch I have been trying everything the internet wants me to try to remove this lock. I've stuck a hex bit inside the little hex thing in the picture below and spun in every direction and still the handle won't come off.

I've tried putting the key in and turning slightly past the normal spot.

And I've tried prying the backing plate off as far as it can go in hopes of finding some sort of hidden "catch" or latch or some other item.

The lock will not come off.

Any thoughts on what I can try next?

Loosen the set screws.
Pull handle off (may have to tap or wiggle handle to get it to come off).
Use a flathead screwdriver to pry the  escutcheon (rose, rosette) off (pry right near the dimple, to release the rose).
Once free, slide the escutcheon off.
Remove the screws that were hidden.


Water heater still won't heat after replacing thermostat and elements I have replaced both thermostats and elements in a Reliance water heater which
checks out 120v at each screw in thermostats and each side of elements still will not heat. What else can I do?

With your volt meter check the voltage at both terminal screws at the same time (screw to screw ) the voltage should be about 230 volts. If it is not 230 volts then you probably have one leg of the 230 volt line open or not energized. Try shutting off the circuit breaker for the water heater and turning back on. If no change you may have a bad circuit breaker or broken wire.


Risk of leakage when changing open-vented to sealed-system boiler Apologies in advance for the long post.

I currently have a gravity-fed, fully-vented central-heating (CH) and hot-water (HW) system (large cold-water tank and expansion tank in the loft, hot-water tank and pump in airing cupboard, gas boiler in the kitchen), and I need to replace the boiler.

I'm trying to decide between a boiler that would keep the system exactly as it is (open-vented) or switch to a sealed-system (e.g., see http://www.gasapplianceguide.co.uk/central_heating_systems.htm), which means the expansion tank and pump will be cut out as the boiler itself provides the necessary functionality.

The sealed-system boiler was recommended by the plumber, but I'm trying to understand a bit more in order to choose correctly. A specific advantage of the sealed system that the plumber mentioned was that the pump, which can be a bit noisy, would be removed from the airing cupboard, which is closer to bedrooms. However, he also mentioned that a sealed system operates at higher pressure, so pipework that is not in great shape can start leaking.

This sounds like it should be a major concern, especially if you start getting leaks in walls , floors etc., so I'm not sure why he's saying it so casually. The information I've seen on the Web is not much more helpful: there are various pros and cons (more important than noise) for both options, and the high-pressure/leakage issue is also mentioned, but different experts/sites disagree which one is preferable overall.

To make this more specific, given everything I've read, I would probably go with the plumber's recommendation for a sealed system, if it weren't for the major concern of water leaks. My house is not very old (about 20 years), but I've repeatedly seen that the developers have consistently done bad work, either out of greed or pure incompetence in some cases, so I generally assume the worst for things I don't know.

So the question is: how likely would this scenario of leakage problems be with a sealed system? I try to investigate things properly before making a decision, but there's also some urgency to this because my house is freezing at the moment.

Side-question or clarification: the page I linked to above mentions cases of exploding cylinders. If I understand correctly, is this only related to cases where the hot water is also at high pressure, hence the risk of hot-water tank explosion (I understand that in my case, only the central heating would be a sealed system and the hot water would still be open-vented)? Would there be a risk of anything else "exploding" (vs just leaking)?

While it's difficult to quantify the risk, based on my experience, I believe it's quite real.

I went ahead with the sealed system, and I've experienced since then a couple of leaking radiators (e.g., at the venting valve). I think the system might also be losing water from somewhere else that I haven't realised because the system pressure went too low on a few occasions, and I had to top it up with water manually.

So, I'm not saying it will happen, but if you're facing a similar choice, I think you should weigh in this risk as well.


How do I wire a gcfi outlet in this situation? While attempting to rewire a duplex receptacle under my sink to power a garbage disposal and a dishwasher (half-switched), I ran into a problem. The existing receptacle only had 12-2 romex and therefore lacked the two separate hot wires necessary. Just as I was about to abandon all hope, I noticed a small hole in the paneling near the receptacle I was working on. Curious, I decided to open it up with my drill and I found a blue box with 5 black, 5 white, 5 bare wires tied off (photo below). Is it possible use these wires to install a gcfi outlet? If so, what's the best way to go about it? I should mention the home was built in 2011 and the kitchen outlets are all gcfi. Thank you for any advice you may offer. Apologies if this is a double post.

If you can't use the interesting bundle of wires you found, there might be another approach. Assuming the 12-2 romex came from the disposal switch (probably above the counter) you might bypass the existing switch and make the current wire to the disposal unswitched. Then you can add a switch and receptacle in the cabinet (assuming it can be made easily accessible under the sink) for the disposal and a second one for the dishwasher.

btw - my house was built in 2004 and we had to install a switch for the dishwasher as well to cut power for maintenance. If you dishwasher plugs in a way it can be unplugged for servicing, then you probably don't need a switch. But if it connects directly to the circuit, you may also need a cutoff switch.

Also you would need to confirm the circuit has enough amps to service a disposal, dishwasher, and whatever else may be on it.


Drylock First or Anti-Mold Paint First? I recently removed my basement drywall and the old insulation behind it.  The basement was first finished about 30 years ago (by old owners).

The walls are concrete blocks.  Most of them are fine, but one corner clearly has some moisture issues and some mold.  This is near the only part of the house where the soil isn't well-graded outside so the location makes sense, and I'm going to fix that.

I was planning on re-painting the walls with some Drylock paint and also some anti-mold paint before having the walls spray-foamed (with closed cell foam).

I've had a lot of luck with this anti-mold paint on bathroom ceilings.  I painted one five years ago and the ceiling still doesn't grow any mold.

Does it matter whether I put the Drylock on first or the anti-mold paint?  Does the Drylock have to go right up against the concrete and get absorbed or something like that?

It looks like the Drylock FAQ covers this and I missed it.

  Q. Can DRYLOK® Masonry Waterproofer be used over paint?

  A. Yes and no. DRYLOK® may be used over any other cementitious-type
  waterproofing paint in good, repaintable condition, either inside or
  outside. However, DRYLOK® cannot be used over an oil or latex-based
  paint on the inside of a building. DRYLOK® will adhere to these
  paints, but if it cannot penetrate into the pores of the masonry
  itself, it will not waterproof the surface.

and also:

  Q. Can you paint over DRYLOK® Masonry Waterproofer? If yes, what is
  the procedure?

  A. Yes, using a good quality 100% acrylic latex paint. DRYLOK® Masonry
  Waterproofer can also be tinted for a decorative finished coat.

So it seems clear that you should put the Drylock on first and then any other paint, including the anti-mold primer.


Where Is Carberautor Located On Mower? I have the TB110 11A-A23O711 (Troy Bilt) lawnmower and purchased some Gumout Starter Spray to try to get the mower to start.

It says I am supposed to spray this into the carberautor in order to use it, but where is my carberautor?

This is what I purchased... https://www.homedepot.com/p/Gumout-11-oz-Starting-Fluid-5072866/204802514?cm_mmc=ecc-_-THD_THANKYOU__V1_M1_CA-_-Product_URL

Look on the left hand side, in front of the gas filler.  There's a black plastic cover, about 4"x6".  That's the air filter.  The carburetor is right behind that.  Here, I think:


What's the name of these pliers? My grandfather called them "order clerk pliers" but can't find that name anywhere on the internet. The brand is Sargent but I can't find anything else about them. The "bolt cutter" like snip at the top is very powerful I've used them for cutting metal fencing, wires, all kinds of stuff.

#1026 - Side Cutting Pliers - 3/8" Jaw Width

Sargent seems to still sell something like these, called Side Cutting Pliers. They also have a variant without the cutter, called parallel action pliers.


Problem with NPT threads on dual check valve? I'm installing a 1" Watts LF7R dual check valve backflow preventer and this model has a female NPT thread on both ends, according to the documentation, and it does have 7 threads and looks like it's tapered.  It's brass.

I have two male copper 1" NPT fittings I'll be connecting it to.  From everything I've read, I should be able to hand tighten it 3 to 5 turns and then I should be tightening it with a wrench 2 to 3 more.  The thing is, when I hand thread the fitting into the valve (either end) I can only get about 1 and 1/8th turns in before it starts to get hand-tight.  (That's without putting teflon tape on it yet.)

Should I be worried?  I'm not used to NPT threaded copper/brass connections.  Is this normal?

Sounds like the threading machine was set a bit two large, many universal dies are adjustable. My Ridgid 535 I have to set the adjustment for just under the size marked on the gauge to get proper sized threads. You may be able to take the pipe to a plumbing supply store that can recut the threads. If a fixed jaw die is used the threads need to be cut the full length of the cutting die to get the proper taper. Usually the female threads are cut with a die if not deep enough the same problem can happen.


How can I improve the appearance of an old concrete storage room floor? What I'd like to know is the best and least expensive way to dress up an old concrete storage floor ? I thought about paint or stain or a mixture of both.   Do u have any suggestions?

Linoleum square tiles are cheap, ~0.88/ea and can be cut/scored with a utility knife and then snapped but the floor needs to be sound and flat. All high spots removed. Do a search for installing linoleum square tiles.


How can I calculate how large an airconditioner my house needs? I know there are a lot of possible factors that go into determining the size of the air-conditioning system a house needs.  Is there a standard way of calculating what is needed, or do A/C companies each devise their own method?  Is there a guide somewhere to aid a home-owner in figuring it out?

You'll want to check out the ENERGY STAR Air Conditioning Sizing Calculator.


Why is part of my GFCI circuit dead after a short-circuit? I was charging my electric golf cart off the GFCI on the side of the house. It tripped and would not reset. I found out I had a bad cord that was shorting it self out. This is were the puzzle begins.

I pulled the receptacle from the wall and this is how it was wired.

Two white wires pig tailed together; one of the white wires had black magic marker on it. These both ran to the brass screw on the outlet.
Two black wires pig tailed together wired to the silver screw
The ground wire  was hooked up correctly to the green screw but also marked with black magic marker.

The receptacle had started to melt. I now have no power from that receptacle onward to the rest of the receptacles, the overhead light or fan which is controlled by a three way switch does not work either. The wires at the switch do not use a 3 wire cable as a feeder, they use black and white wires.

I do not now know what to do to correct the problem that this presents.

Wait, you have white wires on the brass screws and black on the silver screws? Are you sure this is correct because black "hot" should be on the brass screw and white neutral should be on the silver screws. I did purchase a home in Ohio that was wired backwards 100% but I would be checking the wiring, did you check the circuit breaker? A short hot to neutral won't trip a GFCI, but will trip the breaker.


Considerations for hardwiring electronics project in wall What things will I need to consider for hardwiring a planned electronics project into the wall?

The plan is a DIY smart thermostat. An LCD touchscreen panel will be flush with the wall. Attached to the back will be the electronics, including a miniature computer (a Raspberry Pi) and an interface board of my own design. The interface board will include a board-mounted 120V-to-DC power supply, connections for line voltage, and connections for 24VAC furnace wiring.

I imagine hiding the wiring and tucking the electronics in a 3 gang box and mounting the assembly to the box with something like this: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2749782 -- basically the LCD panel+electronics assembly will be screwed to an adapter plate that slides into slots in another adapter plate that is screwed to the box. Then the touchscreen covers the box and everything else is out of sight and out of reach.

Here are some questions I know I have:

The assembly would very easily be removed from the box (just slide it up against the force of gravity). Great for servicing wiring, but is that too easy? What if someone bumps into it and it falls out and the wiring gets yanked out and then there is 120VAC dangling within easy reach?
Am I required to enclose the high-voltage parts of the interface board? The board-mounted power supply might be a class II device, but would be a through-hole component meaning the under-side of the interface board would not be finger-friendly. But the under-side of the interface board would normally be out of finger's reach.
Do I need to ground everything?
Is the board-mounted power supply required to be a class II device?
Am I required to include a fuse in the design? Or is that a matter of judgment and engineering? For example, the electronics would have to let a lot of magic smoke out to trip the circuit breaker. Even if the circuit breaker were 1A that's 120W, an order of magnitude larger than the planned power usage. So my judgment says to include a fuse, but I don't know if it's required by code.

Does anything else jump out at you?

Not only will you need to get your local inspector's approval, in writing (and the inspector will defer to Underwriter's Laboratories or other NRTL, so we're talking about getting a UL listing for your one-off) ...

... But all your thermostat wiring must now be re-done in Class I wiring methods  Because you are intermixing thermostat control power with mains.  You can no longer enjoy the exemptions provided for low-voltage systems such as phone, doorbell, burglar alarm, everyone else's thermostat, etc.  You'll need to rewire it in Romex or better, with proper junction boxes instead of informal splices.

Have you noticed something about every single small electronics product of the last 20 years?  They all come with wall warts etc.  You know why?  Because that is how you pass muster with Underwriter's Laboratories and the various other NRTL's (Nationally Recognized Testing Labs).  There are still standards to meet, but it is much more achievable when your product uses an external wall-wart that is already UL listed.

if you do any competitor research, how does Nest get 120V power? Ecobee? Ring doorbell?  They don't.  They use the 24 volts AC that is already present in the thermostat circuit between the R and C wire. That means they sidestep the hard part of UL listing.

So you have precisely 3 options:

set things up so your project is powered off the 24VAC thermostat transformer
use a wall wart to make a different low voltage, and feed that up via spare thermostat wires
go through the rigmarole of getting your homebrew project UL listed


Insulating attic with no soffit vents. I just bought a house in northern Midwest where there's lots of snow and was planning on adding blown in cellulose insulation to attic space.  Then I noticed that there are no soffit vents in the main portion on the house.   House has two scissor trusses in the middle and only at the lower end of each end of the house are there these soffit vents.   At the one end is a garage and a knee wall so these soffits are cut off from the main house.

I'm looking for recommendations on whether I should get proper venting before insulating with 16" of cellulose.  House has been updated over the years but has been in this shape for at least 10-15 years.

Is there any insulation now? If not, you might as well go whole hog and make the attic itself a part of the conditioned space. That way, you won't need soffit venting to begin with, along with its associated complications (soffit baffles, ridge venting), and it will also be more efficient if you have mechanical appliances or ductwork in the attic. Get some guys in there to spray a couple inches of closed-cell foam on the underside of your roof decking and be done with the issue entirely!


China bristle paintbrush stiff from oil based paint and varnish I have used high quality china bristle paintbursh for various projects over the years.  It was used for some exterior oil based paint, but mainly it has been used to varnish various hardwoods after they were stained (stain not applied with the brush).  After every use, I clean it off with thinners, and spin it dry using a paintbrush spinner.

Recently I have noticed that the bristlse are getting stiffer and stiffer, from the base of the brushes up toward the end.  I's say that the bottom half closest to the handle is completely stiff and the bristles wont move.

I tried soaking it in thinners for an extended period of time, but that did not break it down and free them up.  Is there a good way to fix this brush, or has it just reached the end of it life?  How do I go about preventing this, was it do to inadequate cleaning after use?

I've had some success with recovering a gummed-up brush using a paint brush comb.  Soften the bristles by soaking them in thinner for a while, then use the comb to brush out loosened paint; repeat, probably several times.  If the brush is really bad, you may just be better off buying a new brush.

It's hard to get a brush completely clean, so to help prevent this, I have a large glass jar with some mineral spirits in the bottom.  I hang the brush from the top of the jar with wires so that the bristles are submerged (but not resting on the bottom).  Seal up the jar and the brush is OK to use next time.


How to repair a French Door latch that's keeping the door from opening I have an exterior French door that, in addition to the normal door latch, also has bars that extend both upward and downward as part of the latch mechanism.   The door handle is used to extend these bars up and down into the door frame to lock the door. The door handle is also used to retract the bars to unlock the door.
However, after seven or eight years of reliable service, this mechanism in the primary door has suddenly failed with the latch pins extended. The net result of this failure is that I can no longer open either side of the French door. Aside from the obvious inconvenience of a door that can't be opened, this also appears to block the access to the latch mechanism I would use to repair it.
I've tried removing the inside and outside door handles, but that didn't appear to provide useful access. I've also put lubricant in the door latch mechanism, but that doesn't appear to have freed anything up. Because of the structure of the hinges, there is also no good way to take the door off the hinges. I can get the hinge pins out, but the door can't get past the hinge.
Aside from drastic measures to pull the whole assembly out of the wall, are there any good techniques for dealing with this situation? Thanks in advance.
This is an overview photo of the door. Both doors have latch pins extending upward and downward into the door frame. These are extended and retracted by the latch mechanism and this is what is failing:

This shows the latch pin extending upward into the door frame.

This is the main latch mechanism. Not much to see here. Anything more interesting is on the edge of the door, which is what I cannot get to.

I had a similar problem with a Sierra Pacific door. On mine you raise the handle (clockwise) to lock and lower the handle (counter clockwise) to unlock.
I lowered the handle as far as it would go and then with a small screw driver pry the pins up / down to fully retract the locking mechanism. That would be your pin in picture #2 and the one that goes into the floor.
I was not able to find a replacement that would fit, but was able to fix the broken piece.


How do I connect a Juno LED light to a switch when the light receives power first? I'm trying to connect a new LED light to a new single pole switch. I have a 14/2 main power feed coming in to the LED light first then a 14/3 wire going from LED light to switch. I feel like I have it wired correctly but the light does not turn on. Is it not possible to wire LED lights this way?

Harper's comment is, as usual, a correct summary of the solution. Here (copied from part of another question) is the full diagram:

Light fixture junction box:

All whites (neutral) together
All grounds (green or bare) together
Blacks from 2-wire & 3-wire cable together (hot)
Mark light fixture black wire (may be labeled "hot" or "switched hot", but it should be the only wire or screw other than white/neutral and ground) with red tape.
Reds from light fixture and 3-wire cable together (switched hot)

Switch junction box:

All grounds (green or bare) together
Black to "hot" screw on switch
Red to "switched hot" screw on switch

If switch does NOT use neutral:

Cap white (neutral) with a wire nut

Note that with a simple (not smart, not dimmable, not timer, etc.) switch there is no functional difference between the hot & switched-hot connections, but if there is a clear indication on the switch (or in the switch instructions), follow the directions.

If switch USES neutral (e.g., smart switch)

White to neutral screw on switch.


How to measure air flow coming out of registers? As my contractors finish installing ductwork and the air handler for my central AC system, I would like to have a measure of how many CFMs come out of each register, as a function of how the system is designed. In other words, if there is significant disparity among solidly quantifiable measures (coming out of some metering device as opposed to putting a hand and saying "it's not blowing much"), I will send the contractors to reconfigure the ductwork until I get a proper distribution of flow.

Is there a metering device I can use to measure this flow?

Use an Anemometer to measure the air velocity, then multiply that by the cross sectional area of the duct.
Circular Duct
Air Velocity x (πr²) = Air Volume
4583.67 feet/minute x 3.14159265359 x ((4 inches / 12)/2)^2 = cubic feet/minute
4583.67 x 3.14159265359 x 0.02777777777777777778 = CFM
4583.67 x 0.08726646259972222222222222222222 = CFM
400.00066662446875833333333333333 cubic feet/minute
Rectangular Duct
Air Velocity x Length x Width = Air Volume
1772.31 feet/minute x (3 1/4 inches / 12) x (10 inches / 12) = cubic feet/minute
1772.31 x 0.2708333333333333333333333333 x 0.8333333333333333333333333333 = CFM
1772.31 x 0.22569444444444444444444444444444 = CFM
400.00052083333333333333333333333 cubic feet/minute
Or pick up a handheld digital anemometer, and let it do the calculations for you.


Is it possible to wire 2 GFCI receptacles on 2 circuits with 12/3 wire shared neutral? I am planning to run a few needed 20amp outdoor receptacles (and therefore want GFCI). My plan was to run 12/3 wire from 2 separate circuits in the panel to a double gang weatherproof box with 2 gfci outlets using a hot for each and a shared neutral that was pigtailed before the first outlet -see poorly drawn diagram :) [red and black (hot), white (neutral) and green (ground), triangle (Marrette)].
I have been reading/getting different advice as to whether the pigtailed neutral will work with GFCI outlets (some say no, some say yes but only if you pigtail before the first gfci and don't use the load to carry it to the second receptacle, some say it's OK but the circuit must be 2 pole connected).
Can anybody clarify please? Thanks in advance

This will work as long as the breakers are not GFCI. As long as the GFCIs are after the shared neutral, you are fine.
BTW, this arrangement is called a multi wire branch circuit and you are required to use either a double (240 volt) breaker or two breakers with the handles tied together.


Filler to fill gap between frame and wood in the balcony What kind of filler should I use to fill the crack as shown in the picture? This is outside in my balcony where the sliding door frame meets the wood. I have actually seen small mushrooms sprout up in the crack every few weeks so if I should do any thing for them before filing it up (I just use a box cutter to cut the mushroom out of the gap), that would be great to know.

Zoomed out view of the balcony on the third floor.

The piece under the slider sill appears to be face nailed facia.  You try removing this piece of wood, maybe they did water proof properly and only this piece of facia is rotting.  If it is only the facia rotting then you could replace it and then to seal the gap, depending on the size, use a piece of foam backer rod and some exterior grade paintable caulking.  The backer rod allows the caulking to properly expand and contract.

I'd pull the bottom piece and replace it with PVC facia.  Home depot carries it but you could probably find others.  After replaced use backer rod to fill the gap and caulking to seal it.

For caulking I'd probably go for something like:

GE M90026-30 Paintable Silicone Supreme Window & Door Sealant Caulk

For backrod size, you generally want something slightly bigger than the gap.  Sometimes if the gap varies over the width you'd start with a larger diameter until it couldn't fit and then move to a smaller one.


Prefinished hardwood floor uneven between head and butt I have a contractor who installed prefinished hardwood flooring.  When I slide my sock from side to side, it's very smooth.  However, there are some spots when I slide my sock up and down that are uneven.

He says, worst case scenario, he will sand the whole thing down smooth and refinish.

I'm happy he's willing to do that, but seems a little extreme.  Is there anything else he can try to get it smooth?  The floor is already down.

My answer would be, especially since he offered, have the contractor do just that - resand the whole thing. You don't pay for a prefinished hardwood floor expecting to have little bumps and divots in it. Our house has original hardwood floors, that we had refinished a few years ago. After refinishing, they were as smooth as glass, all the way across the room. If you just leave it now, most likely those little uneven spots will nag at you and bother you more and more until a year from now you will have to pay someone to resand the whole floor. Just my 2 cents worth. Hope this helps.


How can I work on eaves of my house, 30-feet high? I have repair work and painting I want to do on the eaves and gutters of my house. In some places they are up to 30 feet off the ground and I would not feel safe being on ladder that high.

One option may be to rent a scissors lift which might cost about $150 per day. The main tricky thing there is that my house has a berm so I would have to find a way to provide a solid level surface for the lift, essentially building a small platform and ramp for the lift everywhere I would need to use it, which could get expensive and time consuming.

Another option would be to rent a cherry picker, but they are more expensive around $250 a day, but that would make the level platform problem go away.

On a side note how do you reposition such lifts? Are they self-propelled? I would need to move them to several different positions around the house.

I'd rent a batch of scaffolding (or "staging"), including some extensions to accommodate the berm. You can set up two or three sections and have 20 feet or more to work from at a stretch. It should be relatively inexpensive and you'll be able to keep it for a few days for the same money as a motorized lift.

The drawback is that it's a bit slow and effort-intensive to move, but if you're able-bodied it's not difficult.


Switching to LEDs: 12v LEDs on existing transformer or remove transformer and use 240v LEDs - Which is better? I have +/- 50 10w halogen lights running on transformers at 12v.  I want to switch these to LEDs.

Some quotes are coming in with keeping the 12v transformers and getting 12v LEDs and some are on removing the transformers and installing 240v LEDs.

Mains is 240v here.  I also plan to possibly go off the grid with solar electricity in future.

Which is better from an energy efficiency perspective?  Other things I should consider?

I would stay with 12V if possible.

Because LEDs draw very little current, a minimum load requirement may be a factor if there are any electronic parts such as a dimmer or a transformer.

For general residential lighting 12V would be the best choice.  Running at higher voltages for incandescent, halogens and especially for LEDs is unnecessary and probably does more harm than good.  Compare it to using a sledge hammer for hanging a picture.


pool pump wiring size The pump is 115v 9 amp draw. The run length from breaker box to outlet is between 70 and 75'. I have a coil of 14/2 left over from my barn wiring project. I've done some online checking and think I am ok with this setup but you can never have too much info. Thanks for the help.

You can't use interior wire (NM aka Romex) for outdoor, underground or outside conduit applications.  As an example if the cable contains that paper wadding, that's a big no-go.  You need UF cable if direct burying, or that or THWN-2/XHHW individual wires for conduit.

#14 NM is generally white (rarely black). UF is gray.

Voltage drop wise, that sounds fine.  You don't even need to think about voltage drop til at least 60' on a 120V circuit, and even then only if you are running at hard circuit limits (which you should not) and believe in 3% (which you should not).

Given that you are well under 15A, and 3% isn't that important for a panel-final load run, you are fine.


How can I get low water pressure in sprinkler system fixed? I have a new house that is still under warranty. Compared to at least two of my neighbors whose houses were built by the same builder and have very similar sprinkler systems, my sprinklers put out very low water pressure. The water pressure is so low that several sprinklers don't even deploy (that is they don't fully come out of the ground).

I demonstrated the problem to the builder, and he's sent out two different contractors in succession (first was a sprinkler guy, then was a plumber) that have said that it's not their area of expertise. The plumber confirmed that the decrease in water pressure was localized to the sprinkler system (water pressure at the exterior spigots was 55 psi, I believe), which I already knew from anecdotal experience, and said that an irrigation specialist would be the one to call.

Given the way the last two experiences have turned out, I'm hesitant to tell the builder to call a third contractor before I have a better understanding of the steps needed to get this problem solved, because to this point I've just had to take what the contractor's have said at face value.

So here are some specifics I would like to know:

Is it likely that the plumber is right, that the problem will necessitate an irrigation specialist (by process of elimination, I would expect this is true, but I had no idea of the existence of such a specialist before the plumber mentioned it)?
Are there any steps that I can take to better prepare for the next contractor?
Is there information that I'm missing that I should try to collect? I've basically given all of this information to the builder and the contractors, but we still haven't arrived at a solution.
Neither of the two contractors spent more than a couple minutes trying to diagnose the problem. Once I'm pretty sure I have the right sort of contractor, is there anything I can do to make sure that the he or she actually works to pinpoint the precise problem before trying to pass me along to someone else?

Notes:

I haven't noticed any water pooling in my yard, so if there's a leak in the irrigation system, it's not obvious where it is, but my yard is pitched pretty sharply for drainage purposes, so I don't think that this indicates that there is no leak.
Water pressure in the house is quite good
At each step, I've actually had to push to get everyone to acknowledge that the problem isn't just that the city is not supplying my house with enough water pressure, which considering all the above, indicates to me that this is the sort of problem that nobody wants to deal with, probably because it's difficult and time consuming.
The sprinkler system is separated into zones, one of which only has two sprinklers, so I think that it's unlikely that the system simply has too many continuously running sprinklers to maintain enough water pressure.

Clogged line
There could be a clog in the lines feeding some of the sprinklers, or clogged up sprinkler heads.

Remove all the sprinkler heads (the procedure will vary based on the type of heads).
Inspect and clean the heads.
Turn the system on.

If you don't notice any dirt or gunk coming out, and the pressure does not increase in the low flowing outlets. Cap the working outlets, and turn the system back on. If you still don't notice a difference, you might have to dig up the lines to inspect them.
Damaged line
The line feeding some of the sprinklers could have been crushed, damaged, or broken.

Cap the working sprinklers.
Turn the system on.

If the pressure in the low flow heads does not increase, you'll likely have to dig up the lines and inspect them.
Not enough pressure
It could just be that the system does not have enough pressure for all the heads to work simultaneously.

Cap one of the working sprinklers.
Turn on the system.
Repeat.

If each time you cap an outlet you notice the pressure increase in the low flow heads, it could be that there is just not enough pressure to operate all the heads at once. In this case you might have to have the system split into zones, and only run one zone at a time.


Which material should I use for a whiteboard that would erase easily? I saw some DIY tutorials recommending to use tileboard to make a cheap whiteboard.

I had a piece lying around, and tried some dry-erase markers on it.
Turns out they don't erase well at all when dry, and I had to use a window cleaning spray to get it off completely.

Do you know of another cheap material that would allow to more easily clean those dry-erase markers off ?

Edit : I intend to make it large, so the lighter, the better !

There is also white board paint, that you can use on a variety of surfaces.  Here is one example.  You can use this directly on walls, or on a board if you need portability.  There is also blackboard paint for use with chalk.


Dryer terminal block arcing I have an electric dryer (30A, 240V) that made a "pop" sound the other day and tripped the breaker. When I reset the breaker and turned the dryer back on, I saw arcing behind the dryer. Upon investigation, it seems to be coming from the plug contacts with the dryer.

Question: how do I repair this? Do I just need a new dryer plug? Do I also need to replace the contacts on the dryer?

I think it's worth just replacing - it'd be too much risk to try and reuse it now.

It appears to have been a loose or bent screw or connection on the left terminal. Replace the block, check the wires to ensure that they aren't fried (they appear to be fine from here), and reconnect.


Washing Machine drains during wash cycle Why does my washing machine drain water during the wash cycle?  It will fill up to specific level and then start to drain during the wash cycle.
When it gets too low, it starts to fill again and so on.

The drain hose is probably too low. The end of it has to be higher than the top of the wash drum (not the entire machine just the drum).

i.e. For a front loader this is the top of the drum, for a top loader this is the high water mark.


What are the dimensions of the steel in the concrete slabs on the upper floors of my house? Drilling holes (for curtains) in the ceiling of the 1st floor(2nd floor in the US) of my house  I ran into a steel rod in the middle, running parallel to the outer wall.  The steel is about 2.5cm in and starts one meter from the side wall.  So far, it's at least a meter long. (I drilled three holes and all three hit it.)

Is this a rod and how thick is it?  Can I assume that I can drill a few centimeters to either side and not hit it?

(I'm assuming that I can't/shouldn't try drilling through it)

(This is in the Netherlands and the house is from 1985 if it matters)

It's a piece of metal that sits on top the window sills to either side(10cm) and into the room about 5cm.

I ended up just drilling another hole 2 cm out from the original holes and it wasn't there.

I guess it's something to keep the weight off of the window frame.


electric cooktop install I've read the posts regarding no neutral line on a 240v circuit, this was my situation, had a new cooktop installed as a replacement, the electrician connected the black and red line from the cooktop to each of the blacks coming from the panel. He then took the neutral and ground from the cooktop and connected to the ground from the panel. Had never seen this before, was this correct ?

It sounds like this guy wires 4-wire ovens and ranges all day everyday.  When you do that, you run into a lot of obsolete NEMA 10 wired circuits, hot-hot-neutral no earth.

It also sounds like he wired this range, he saw 3-wire supply and "ran home to mama" as it were and his muscles just wired it NEMA 10 out of habit.

Older ovens want 120V only so customers can use common off the shelf incandescent bulbs for the oven light.  (Incandescents thrive in heat.)  Many of the newest ranges, especially those cross-marketed in Europe or Asia, don't need or want 120V at all. They need a Hot Hot Ground connection, or NEMA 6. (NEMA 14, Hot Hot Neutral Ground, will also do.)

If your wiring is old, then you are mistaken about the third wire.  It is not ground.  It is neutral, and this is a NEMA 10 wiring arrangement.    If the cable is /2 USE type and the third wire is a bunch of strands that wrap around the two hots, that was legal as a neutral prior to 1989. In any other type of cable, use of the bare wire as neutral was always illegal, but widely done because NM is cheaper than USE.  You can correct this flaw by reclassifying that illegal neutral as a ground, and moving it to the ground bar.  If the cable is USE, you can do that too but you are better off enjoying the grandfathered neutral which you are entitled to, and retrofitting a separate ground, which you are also entitled to do.

If the cable was recently installed for the last range whichwas a fancy Eurostyle job that didn't require neutral, they wired it with /2 cable as NEMA 6.  Any modern use of /2 can only be NEMA 6 (Hot Hot Ground). That would be a rather foolish thing to do since it cost only a few dollars more to pull /3 cable instead, allowing modern NEMA 14 (hot hot neutral ground) connections which most modern ranges prefer.  In this case you are married to NEMA 6, which most ranges cannot use.

So either

the neutral-required range must go,
or you must pull new cable,
unless your setup is NEMA 10 with USE cable, in which case your electrician probably installed it "correctly" in the obsolete NEMA 10 manner. Legal but dangerous, so for safety you should retrofit ground, and separate neutral and ground at the range.

Wait.  Did you say two blacks?

Whoa.  All modern cable has differing colors - black and red.  Two blacks means either a) very old cable, or fasten your seat belt b) the wire is individual wires in conduit.

The Conduit wiring method allows you to add individual wires.  If you need a neutral, just get a long enough white #6 THWN-2 wire, and fish it on down the conduit, you're all set!  If indeed it is in conduit, then failing to include the white neutral wire was a perfectly reasonable thing to do, since it's so easy to add later.


A/C frozen Suction line MIS called me, as I'm a Bulidings and grounds TECH. Limited A/C knowledge.
 He said the server rooom was getting hot. Servers put out some heat.
There are 2 units in the room. A Reem and a Rudd unit. The room has no fresh air only room air. Each unit takes room air and for the bottom which blows over the evaporation coils. The condensers are on the roof 2 of them. The filters at bottom of the room units were very clean. I went to the roof and found on the Reem unit a frozen Suction line. As well as a frozen Evapoator coil. I live in syracuse NY. Where the nights get cold. I remember a Contracor many years ago when it was 29 degrees out went to the roof units and overrided something electronically. Because the same thing happened.Low refrigerant will do this i think. 410A

Frozen suction line and evaporator coils can be caused by a few different items.  But basically the A/C unit is making more cooling than the air flow can dissipate. Dirty filters is the first place to look.  They will restrict air flow.  Not enough air flow means inability to dissipate cooling to the room, means freeze-up. If the filters are good, look at the coil itself.  Is it dirty?  Shut the system down, defrost the coil then you can inspect it.  If it is dirty, you have to clean it.  dirt on the coil face will restrict air flow.  Lack of air flow can mean freeze-up. Now check to make sure the blower wheel is clean.  A dirty blower wheel cannot mover air like it should.  If it is dirty, you have to pull that blower wheel and clean it.  Not very much dirt on those fins can reduce the efficiency of the wheel a lot.  Not enough air movement across the coil means freezing. Now think about it this way, you want to direct as much warm air across those coils as you possibly can.  Is there any way to augment the flow of the warm air in the room across those cooling coils? If the room thermostat is calling for cooling those compressors are going to run.  When they run they are going to produce a certain amount of cooling regardless of other conditions in the room.  If you can't dissipate that cooling off the coils they will over cool and freeze.  With a frozen coil, not enough air flow across the coil is 95% of the time the problem.  Either move more air or shut the units for a short period of time to let the warm air catch up.  This is a good start. Good Luck.


Plumbing water line and drain schedule I want to build a detached garage. I submitted plans to the city for a permit and they came back telling me they need to see the "plumbing water line and drain schedule" because I would like to have a sink in the garage. I am searching the web to no avail... I have no idea what they mean by that. Can someone show me an example...pretty please?

Pipe schedule is a standard way of specify the thickness of the wall of the pipes.  There is code that requires minimum schedule pipe and approved materials for drains and pipes.  Code varies by location.  They probably want you to specify something like

MIN. SCH 40 ABS 3" DRAIN PIPE

On your plans.  You could also ask the city to show you some example plans.  Or even go in to the office in person and ask about meeting with your plans reviewer, if nothing else.  In my city they encourage you to do this before submitting them.


Low flow bathroom appliance doesn't activate tankless heater I have a whole house tankless water heater installed, and so far it's nice except one problem. I also have a nonelectric hot and cold toilet mounted bidet installed. Since a high pressure jet would not make the bidet suitable for it's task, it's max output is less than 0.4 GPM.
The tankless heater has an activation flow rate of 0.4 GPM and the bidet fails to pull enough water to start it heating.
The current solution is to run either the sink or tub hot water to avoid a very cold jet of water in an uncomfortable place.
Is there a common solution to this issue?
I'm considering getting a 2 gallon mini tanked water heater for the bidet.  I think that should be plenty, but I'm worried that a small tank heater would have a lot of surface area and lose heat fast. It would have the advantage of being local and instant, as long as it was installed near the toilet.
Alternatively I could get point of use tankless water heaters. I have one installed in the kitchen in series with the whole house unit to boost the temperature for the faucet and dishwasher. That works good, but I'm having trouble finding one with a low enough activation flow rate for a bidet.
A third option is to use an electric bidet. This has some nice bonuses, but I don't really want to do that. They're expensive, and since they're all in one units, then each additional function is an additional point of failure. I'd rather keep the bidet and water heating separate. Further I already have the bidet, and toilet seat, and don't want to replace them if it's reasonable and possible.
So what I'm looking for is more information.
How is a low flow appliance normally handled with a tankless heater? Is the minitank a good solution energy wise? Should I look harder for low flow point of use tankless heaters? Is there something I'm not aware to solve this? Thank you.

Thanks to MonkeyZeus suggestion. Here's the answer I'm trying. If you look around you can find a 12VDC Circulation pumps that do 2 GPM for under $50.
Simply install an outlet in a location safe from water near the appliance or fixture that has some means to control it whether a switch or motion sensor.
Install the pump between hot and cold lines. Plug the Pump's AC adaptor into the outlet mention above. And life is good. A bonus is no water is wasted getting the water heater up to temperature.
Edit: I'll mark this as correct once I have mine installed and made sure it's working good.
Update: installed and working good!
I used these parts:
1/2" Back-Flow Preventer: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EDUTN6
Hot Water Heater Circulation Pump with DC Power Supply Adapter 2.1GPM: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01G305PK0
The incoming hot water line is 1/2" pex, going to the bidet, and the out going cold line is 3/4" pex, because the shower line was easier to connect to for that. Per the comments, I added a backflow preventing valve. The pump didn't come with one.
You can hear the pump running, and once it kicks on there's hot water in the line in less than 20 seconds. Works so good I'm going to install one on the kitchen faucet.
The pump it's self is submersable, 12VDC, and low amperage. Parts including the pex connectors, crimps, and such was less than $50 and took less than an hour to do. Most of it was figuring out the in and out on the pump.
The install is less than 10 feet from the water heater, so this may not work for longer runs, or narrower pipes, or some other variables. I mention this because the pump isn't rated for longer runs. It works good for my loo, that's all I know.
Haven't yet put the motion sensor switch and outlet in yet, but I'm confident about those.


Furnace with no “C” connection I have a mobile home furnace. This furnace only has a 4 wire connection terminal, G,W,R,Y. I also have a condensing unit outside with the 24 volt 2 wires coming to the furnace. I know I connect one to Y, but I don’t know what to connect the other wire to? Yes my furnace is AC ready.

It's the grey wire in the thermostat wire bundle

According to the wiring diagram posted for your furnace, the C wire should be the grey wire in the thermostat wiring area of your furnace.  So, you should just be able to connect to that.


What kind of adhesive should be used to install marble tile? Looking to have large 24x24 Marble tiles put around and under a new cast iron pedestal tub.  What adhesive should the contractor use? Is there a problem putting these under the very heavy tub?

Since it’s going to be in a “damp” area I would use thinset mortar. With tiles that large a large notch trowel will be needed.


Does the California plumbing code require a water line shutoff behind a refrigerator? Appliance store says I need a shutoff valve behind the refrigerator.  They want a valve box in the wall to attach their flexible water line.  The plumber put in flexible copper tubing with the shutoff valve under the sink.  Appliance store says that's against code. I live in California if that makes a difference.  The copper tubing is the smooth type.  The refrigerator is a LG French door.

The guy at the appliance store is correct. California plumbing code 606.5 states

  A control valve shall be installed immediately ahead of each
  water-supplied appliance and immediately ahead of each slip joint or
  appliance supply.


How to wire a three phase machine to a single phase plug? The machine has five wires, three of which are live. I want to wire into a single phase supply using a three prong plug.

It powers a boiler and water pump (for an espresso machine: 220-240V, 50/60Hz, 0.190Mpa/0.65Mpa, 3000W).

The advice I received was to twist the three live wires together and wire them all to the one live prong.

The problem I have is that the the three together is to thick. Is there a way to do this?

Solution: what I found was a connector (not sure what it's called) big enough to take the three wires together with a single wire coming out the other side. Someone else suggested 'wrapping' two of the wires around the third.

You can't just fix this with wiring.

You either need to get 3 phase supplied to your location and wired to the device, or you need a phase converter, such as what these guys sell:

http://www.northamericaphaseconverters.com

A possible alternative might be to use a VFD, such as this one:

http://www.automationdirect.com/adc/Shopping/Catalog/Drives/GS2_%28115_-z-230-z-460-z-_575_VAC_V-z-Hz_Control%29/GS2_Drive_Units_%28115_-z-230-z-460-z-_575_VAC%29/GS2-11P0

In either case, I would seek advice from the device manufacture's tech lines to confirm it's suitable for your application. These devices are generally expected to be connected to a motor, and you have a heater - that is an electrically significant difference.

Also note that I doubt the 3 phase is just powering the boiler. I don't know coffee, really, but I thought high-end espresso machines were pump driven - the pump will be 3 phase too I suspect.


How do you determine how much electricity is used by a device? How does one go about determining how much electricity is used for a particular device?  Where can I find the wattage ratings, and how do I calculate the cost based on my current electricity rates found on my monthly bill?

Specifically, I have a computer that I am debating how to leave it on a regular basis.  I wonder how much it costs in each of the following scenarios:

Leave my computer in standby mode.
Leave my computer in hibernate mode.
Turn off my computer but the cord remains plugged.

Sounds like you could use one of these...

http://www.amazon.com/P3-International-P4460-Electricity-Monitor/dp/B000RGF29Q/ref=sr_1_2?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1294406639&sr=1-2

Then you could take this power saving feaver beyond the computer.


Do power outlet splitters decrease power for each deviced connected to them? If I have a one to three outlet splitter, would this mean that each outlet only gets one-third power, or do all three get full power?

If split, all plugs will get the same access to "power".

Your outlets themselves are splitters: in general several outlets share a run of wire back to the power source.  The external "spliter" is no different, it just provides more connection points to the same electrical circuit.

However: the total circuit capacity is neither increased nor decreased by a splitter. Devices "draw" current based on their needs: for example a motor generally draws more power when loaded than when spinning freely.  If the total draw exceeds the circuit capacity, a protective device will trip.  The protective device is usually set at 15 or 20 amps in a residential circuit.

Extra connections or total extension cord length can have a minor effect: a long thin cord with a heavy load can heat up, using up some of the electricity in transmission. In effect the wire becomes an electric resistance heater.  This effect is usually negligible.


What is this white powder on the walls and around the plumbing? We have a bathroom in a detached structure from our house. We purchased it and have not used this for 6 months.

I just noticed this powder on the walls and I touched some of it on the wall and it just crumbled like baby powder.

It is also on an adjacent wall. There's also white stuff around a hole in the ceiling.

It is also under the sink...around the pipe.

Note this powdery material has build up on the wall so that it is 1/2" or so thick.

I don't know what all of this stuff is and whether it's the same substance in other places in this bathroom.

Efflorescence!  Efflorescence is a crystaline deposit of water-soluble salts on surfaces of masonry, stucco or concrete.  Water brings these salts to/toward the surface and then the water evaporates leaving behind the crystaline deposit.

Note: If one has efflorescence on the surface, one can count on having similar deposits just below the surface, too.  These sub-surface deposits tend to cause crumbling of the masonry, stucco, or concrete structure.

The presence of mineral deposits on water pipes indicates one of three things:

1) there's a pin-hole in the pipe through which water is penetrating and evaporating to leave behind calcium (and other minerals) behind,

2) water is leaking from a fitting and leaving behind deposits, at the lowest point of moisture travel, before dripping or evaporating,

3) water is carrying minerals from an adjacent wall, ceiling, etc.; which runs down the pipe and leaves behind deposits, from the lowest point of moisture travel, before dripping or evaporating


Do I need conduit for an indoor sub-panel feeder line? I'm adding a 100A sub-panel to feed a stove and water heater. The sub panel is indoors and in the same building as the mains panel. Do I need to run the supply feeder in conduit? I'm in Michigan and want to make sure I'm following code on this modification. If it makes a difference I'm planning to use a 8-3 wire with ground for the sub-panel feeder.

A brief visit to the code indicates that there is a bigger problem, in that the ampacity of 8Ga copper is only 55 at 90C (aluminum 45 Amps) so your wire is too small for a 100 amp service. You need a bare minimum (if everything is rated for 90C) of 3Ga copper or 2Ga aluminum, and probably larger after various derating factors are applied, or if 75C is the limit on any connection. There is a note that may permit use of 4Ga copper for 100 amp in a dwelling unit as a "service lateral" - you'll have to decide how you feel about taking that note seriously. I've linked to a handy calculator that might be instructive.

Ampacity calculator for branch circuits and feeders

Non-pickily, for a wire appropriate to the ampacity of the subpanel, no. If you are using an 8-3 w/g cable, the cable is probably fine, and being a cable would complicate running it in conduit (as opposed to 4 individual wires.)

Pickily, maybe, if the wire is running through an area where it's prone to damage, or through a floor - but in both those cases, the conduit is only needed in the affected area, and is a "sleeve" rather than a "raceway" for code purposes.

If you don't already have the 8-3 w/g cable bought, do compare costs .vs. THHN or THWN (or XHHW, etc) in conduit. Edit: Well, even if you do have it bought, you can't feed 100 amps with it, so shop around for bigger wire.

I have a personal bias in favor of conduit, but that's all it is. I've seen too many scary things in remodeling where rodents have stripped NM cables in concealed spaces. In addition, you are limited to the 60C rating when using NM cable.


How are mixing valves installed? Do they affect just the hot water line? How are mixing valves installed? Do they affect just the hot water line?

So my basic understanding is that the valve connects inlet to hot and cold, but outputs only hot and you set it to your desired temperature and GPM.

So, for example, if you set it to 120F, then the water in the hot line will always be 120F, in theory.

However, when I take showers I find that as the shower goes on I have to adjust the hot-cold balance constantly. So, does this mean that as the temperature from the tank goes down, the GPM from the hot goes down so the overall water stream cools?

The purpose of these thermostatic (static: constant, thermo: temperature) mixing values is to give you a controlled-temperature output even when the hot and cold input temperatures can vary.

When you take a shower, the temperature can fluctuate because of the cold water (water from pipes in the walls vs water that just came in from underground) and because the water heater is "running out" of water and getting cooler.  The value works by mixing cold water in with the hot to give a constant output.

So, let's say you set the valve for 120, and have hot water at 140 and cold water at 60 degrees.  I'm going to make up some math on the fly and say that the valve will mix about 80% hot water with 20% cold to cool it off down to 120.  As the incoming temperature drops, it uses less cold.  So when the water heater gets down to 125, it's going to be more like 95% hot and 5% cold.  Finally when the heater is down to 110 degrees, you're going to get full hot water and then you're left on your own to adjust the shower handle.

The speed at which the adjustments happen will be device dependent an "adding hot water to the cold" or "adding cold to the hot" is really just two ways of saying the same thing.  Also I believe that some models only have one "valve" to change the amount of hot or cold and others have two separate valves (maybe for greater temperature swings or faster action?).


wire size for 140` run I'm going to wire a sub-panel 140 ft from the main service.  I would like 70 amps to be available; the actual load won`t exceed 50 amps for now, but I may need more later.

The problem is the wire must travel the entire run in buried 1.5" PVC conduit. I can`t go more than #4 Cu; #2 Al is too big for the conduit. I'm getting dizzy trying to find an answer.

Wasted space is not your friend

According to the 2017 NEC, a 1.5" Schedule 80 PVC conduit has 442 mm2 of usable fill.  Four 2AWG Al RHH/RHW/USE-2 concentric stranded conductors (the worst case for fill) take up 112.9 mm2 apiece for a total of 451.6 mm2.  This is too much for 1.5" PVC, and would explain why you are having so much trouble.

So, take those wires back and get a more compact set

The rub is that the RHH/RHW wire specification is very old, dating back to when natural rubber was the insulation material we were all stuck with, and calls for very thick insulation as a result.  Newer wire specifications, like the THWN commonly used for small gauge wires or the XHHW-2 used for today's large gauge wiring, use more sophisticated insulating materials (PVC/nylon for THWN, XLPE aka the same stuff PEX plumbing is made of for XHHW-2) and thus can use thinner insulation layers, letting you get more wire into the space available.

Furthermore, today's large gauge aluminum alloy conductors are compact stranded, further increasing the amount of conductive material that fits into a given area by removing many of the air gaps between strands present in concentric stranded wires.  This means that your best option here is to take those 2AWG aluminum wires (or the 2AWG quadruplex) back to where you bought them from, go to your local supply house, and get wires that use the space you have better.  This also gives you the chance to downsize the ground wire and use a bare wire for that function, as a 2AWG aluminum ground wire is larger than neecessary for a 70A, or even a 125A, feeder circuit.

In particular, a set of 3 1/0 (!) compact stranded aluminum wires with XHHW-2 insulation will carry 125A (!!) to your shed, while using 102.6 mm2 of fill apiece for a total fill so far of 307.8 mm2.  To this, we add a 6AWG bare copper ground conductor (this is the minimum size required for a 125A circuit by Table 250.122), which takes up a mere 13.3 mm2 of additional fill.  The resulting total fill of 321.1 mm2 takes up a mere three-quarters of the 442 mm2 available fill in a 1.5" Schedule 80 PVC conduit, and gives you almost twice the 70A you desire while you are at it!

If that is too pricey for your tastes, 2AWG compact stranded aluminum XHHW-2 will get you your 70A at merely a few dollars more than the RHH/RHW/USE-2 conductors you were using, while taking up a mere 65.61 mm2 per conductor, or 196.83 mm2 before we add the 8.37 mm2 of an 8AWG bare copper ground (suitable for 70A as per table 250.122) to get a total fill of 205.2 mm2.  This means that with the correct wire, you can run 70A through a 1.5" PVC conduit while using less than half of the available fill area!

If returning the existing #2 aluminum is not an option...

If returning your existing #2 aluminum wires is not an option, then you can use them for your hots and neutral, yielding 338.7 mm2 of fill so far, and then add an 8AWG bare copper for the ground wire, which adds 8.4 mm2 of fill for a total of 347.1 mm2 of fill.  While this is more fill than necessary for this application, this does still fit into your 1.5" PVC conduit, and is an option if you can't return the existing wires for some reason or another.

Go BIG or go home!

While we are shopping for bigger and better parts for your run, let us not forget the subpanel.  Many people skimp on subpanel spaces to save a few dollars now, but this is penny-wise and pound-foolish in the long run, as it is quite expensive to replace a panel down the road compared to the minor extra cost ($80 vs. $40) of a larger panel right now.  As a result of this, and the fact that your outbuilding needs a main shutoff switch at the structure to conform with NEC 225.31 and 225.32, picking up a 24- or 30-space, 125A, main breaker panel while you are buying the new wires is a good idea, even if you will only use a few of those spaces right now.

TORQUE ALL LUGS TO SPEC (so your electrical installation doesn't have to make unexpected pit stops)

The 2017 NEC added a requirement in 110.14(D) that all terminations must be torqued to the specification marked on the equipment with a calibrated torque tool (wrench or screwdriver); for the torques used for light-duty residential equipment, a torque wrench marked in inch-pounds is adequate.  Even if your jurisdiction does not enforce this, it is still a good idea especially with aluminum wire, as aluminum wires are less forgiving of termination mistorquing than copper wires are, and you don't want your hard work doing worse things to you than what Greg Biffle's infamous lugnuts did to him, right?


How can I hang a picture? I tried to hang pictures on the wall using Command™ no mess picture hangers. I cleaned the walls as the instruction requested, then applied the Command™picture hanger and let it set. When I hung the picture, they fell off the wall. How can you hang pictures on an oil base painted walls?

How about a good old fashioned nail and a picture hanger? Don't think I've ever had one of those fall down.


Why does a subpanel need separate ground and neutral? Why does a power sub panel have to have separate neutral and ground bars other than code satisfaction?

Does a sub panel need a main breaker if there is one at the main?

Also, does the sub panel need a ground wire connected back to the main panel in the same building?

Bonded ground/neutral

If you have the neutral and ground bonded at a subpanel, then you'll get neutral return current through the ground wire back to the main panel (since there are now multiple paths). Even worse, as @Tester101 points out, if the neutral ever has a fault, everything will continue to work but you'll have all the current on the ground, which also means that you can now be electrocuted by touching the panel chassis, for example.

The ground and neutral must be bonded only at one place (in the main panel) to avoid this.

Subpanel main breaker

A main breaker on a sub-panel is not necessary because this is in the same building (if you are in a different building then NEC 225.31, 225.32, 225.33 apply). That said, having a main breaker in the sub-panel is also acceptable.

For whatever reason (economy of scale, I guess) "main" panels are often sold cheaper. I recently purchased a small 12-breaker panel (which included a main breaker and a couple 15A breakers) for almost half the price of a similarly-sized sub-panel (which didn't include any breakers). It makes absolutely no difference to wiring, you just have to be sure to take out the ground/neutral bonding screw/bar (if pre-installed).

Subpanel ground

The sub panel must absolutely have ground back to the main panel, and it must be appropriately sized for the current rating of the panel (as in, it's the same as or larger size than the hot/neutral wiring). This is regardless of being in the same structure or not.


Is this DIY pull up bar and dips station structurally sound and is it a good solution? The gyms in my area are closed. I am renting a house, so I can't permanently attach anything to my residence. My back yard is small and lacks trees of any size or any secure mounting points.

So, I'd like to design something to work out with during the lock down that doesn't break the bank since I may be on the bubble for getting laid off in the next few months if the economy doesn't turn around. And, ya, I realize I can do body weight work outs and resistance bands and so on (which I've been doing). But something like the attached picture would be very helpful.

Please let me know if this design is structurally sound for pull ups and dips. It uses 1.25" galvanized pipe and kee (or similar) clamps. I need this to be able to be disassembled and moved when I eventually move out of this rental and/or am able to go back to the gym so wood is probably out of the question. And very importantly, I need to minimize the cost.

3rd iteration adding additional diagonal supports:

This is not as structurally sound as it could/should be. With such large dimensions between corners, adding some diagonal bracing will improve the strength by a substantial margin. As I typed this, I see Ed Beal has added the equivalent in a comment.

Triangles are your friends.


Home extension causing existing structure damage I have a pretty standard to North America wooden carcass home - two floors above ground, and a sub-basement below, plus an attached garage, sitting on top of it's own foundation.
Over the summer I had a room built over the garage, which went reasonably well, everything approved by the city and the contractor's architect.
During the recent snowfalls, I guess a large amount of weight was added to the new extension and I saw that the floor in the 2nd floor room adjacent to the new space kind-of bent upwards near the wall next to the newly added space, with the hardwood tiles spreading out.
I don't see any other damage (at least so far), but I wonder what I should do about it - if I simply fix the floor, will I be ignoring a larger issue? Will it actually cause even more damage in the summer when the weight of the snow is gone and the beams that are bending straighten out again?
Should I simply call the contractor and drop the problem in his lap, or get an inspector to take a look at the damage first?
Any other recourse?
Note - I'm in Canada, so the snow and extra weight isn't something rare like you'd expect down in Texas for example. I do believe the contractor should have examined the existing structure while he had the walls open and determined the existing beams are strong enough to connect the added structure to.
Thanks
Here's a closeup photo showing two floor pieces, one that remained in place and another that moved:

I don’t know Canadian law, but in America 1) the contractor must be licensed, 2) a licensed contractor must have a bond to pay for mistakes if notified correctly, 3) be a member of a state licensing board that can review and make determination of “fault” and holds the bond to pay for such corrections. (There is an automatic 1 year guarantee period ...2 years for roofing in U.S.)
So, you’re on the clock. First, go take pictures immediately and make sure the pictures clearly show the problems. (You may need to use a level and square in the pictures to successfully illustrate the problems.) Second, I’d send notifications. Notifications should have pictures and clearly State the problem and what you want done to “fix” the problem. (You’ll need to hire an “expert witness” ...probably another LOCAL architect.) Notifications are by Certified Letter with return receipt. I’d send one to the contractor, with copies to his architect and one to the licensing board and one to the Building Official that signed off on the Permit. I’d also hire an attorney that is familiar with construction law.
If the contractor says he’ll “fix” it, then you want 1) what he intends to do 2) how he intends to do it , and 3) when he intends to do it...in writing with his architect’s signature. (Be careful they don’t stall you past the 1 year completion time. The 1 year issue starts when the Building Official signs off on the project, I think, but ask your attorney and licensing board. ) If it takes longer than a year, the bond disappears and the contractor can just change the company’s name and keep building.
The reason I tell you all this is because, as you say in your statement, you 1) don’t know how bad it is, 2) how to fix it, 3) if it will be a problem in the future. No one here knows either. You need an expert to examine it and offer a “means and methods” way to solve your problems.
I’d call the contractor and let him know what you are intending to do and offer to meet him at the site. You’ll get a good idea of what kind of contractor he is after he sees the problem.


Installing a Bath Fan Roof Vent Without Attic Access? I'm interested in installing a bathroom extractor fan where there was a previously small regular fan, but there isn't an attic above the bathroom.

The switch is already wired from the previous fan which saves me from having to snake it, but I have questions about how to run the ducting from the fan, and about installing the fan itself.

The duct is 4", and I plan on running it through the roof to a proper exhaust vent right next to the bathroom. I'm not entirely sure how to know where a good position to make the 5" hole with the hole saw would be (since I can't see from the inside or put a marker like a nail for marking a place to drill), or how to get the ducting to a place where I could reach it and attach it to the vent.

What tactics should I use to locate a good place to drill using the hole saw?

You say "no attic". That can mean one of two possibilities:

Bathroom ceiling is very close to the roof

In this case, you should cut the hole in the ceiling for mounting the new fan and simply uses a reasonably long drill bit like this 12" drill bit to drill a pilot hole, then go on the roof to drill a larger hole around it. In this case, there won't be much ductwork needed and the installation should be very easy.

Bathroom ceiling is far from the roof

You could easily have a few feet between ceiling and roof without having a functional (and accessible) attic. In which case you need a really long drill bit like this 72" (6 feet) one to drill a pilot hole, then go on the roof to drill a larger hole around it. The problem then will be the ductwork. With a little luck, and a bit of work, you may be able to get rigid ductwork lined up just right and drop in from the top and get it over the fan location. But in that situation it may be a lot easier to use flexible ductwork.


Wiring for 1 phase 220 volt bandsaw I recently purchased a MBAND18BX2203, Laguna Tools 18|Bx 3HP 220V 18" Bandsaw and need to wire a 220 Volt outlet.
I think I know what I need to do, but I have one question: I was confused by the breaker since the saw was described as one phase (specifically, the spec sheet says: "3HP, 220V, 1 Ph. 12 Amp."), but the breaker I selected will connect to both leads, each at 180 degree offset in phase. I am guessing that this ensures that one of the 110/120 volt connections is active at any one time, but wouldn't this make the wiring 2-phase?
Just to verify, the rest of the setup below:
Wiring diagram:

The 18BX2203 has a 3 HP 220 volt 1 phase Leeson motor. I have residential 2 phase wiring and was confused if I needed to some each 120 from the same phase or from different phases.
The manual recommended that I connect the bandsaw to a 15 amp breaker but I wanted to provide myself some additional margin for a future tool but was also aware that tools use more power on startup. I initially was going to use 12/2 wire, but I decided on schedule 40 conduit with Thermoplastic High Heat-resistant Nylon-coated THHN wire.
Another question I had was the number of wires connecting to the outlet. I initially thought I would need to have 4 wires (a 12/3 wire), both a neutral and a ground in addition to two hot wires. After thinking about it a little bit, it made sense two use three wires total, since I was setting up a dedicated circuit and the ground and the neutral would be the same wire
Receptacle
The bandsaw came pre-wired with a 220V 3-pin plug. I used this page to make sure I used the correct outlet. One of the decisions I had to make was if I wanted to use a twist lock plug, but I didn't consider the benefit worth the extra work to re-wire the saw.
I decided on 20 Amp Commercial Grade Double-Pole Single Outlet, White which has two connections for hot and one ground wire.
Breaker
I think the 20 Amp Double-Pole Type QP Circuit Breaker will work if I connect the red and black to each of the 20 amps (but does this make it 40 amps)?

Wire
In setting up a 20-amp circuit, I had to make sure this worked with my setup. Per the table in the manual, I need at least 14 guage wire, so I went with 12 guage which I needed for the 20-amp breaker anyway.

Our power into US houses is 240V single-phase, with a center tap.  The center tap is called neutral. This is called "Split-phase" since you can grab the outer "phase" wires (hot-hot) or grab one phase and neutral for half the voltage.
If you're wondering, this was Edison's idea when power was DC.
The plug you need on the saw is a NEMA 6-15.  It is literally in the drawing (you are seeing a side view).

src
The socket you should install is a NEMA 6-15 or NEMA 6-20.  Note the family resemblance.

Due to an exception in NEC, you are allowed to plug 15A-plugged loads into either a 15A or 20A circuit.  Further, a 20A circuit is allowed to have 15A sockets on it (as long as there are 2 or more sockets, e.g. the above NEMA 6-15 will suffice).

If you cable this with /3 cable, simply cap off the neutral.
If you cable it with /2 cable, you MUST use tape etc. to re-mark the white wire to indicate that it is a hot.
If you use individual THHN wires, you MUST use a hot color (black brown red orange yellow pink blue purple) for the 2nd hot.  Both hots CAN be the same color, in fact, I recommend it. There's no useful purpose in distinguishing them from each other, but with up to 4 circuits allowed in conduit, you want to distinguish them from other circuits.

For instance suppose you have a 120V and two 240V circuits in a conduit.  The wire colors are blue white red red orange orange. Which ones are which? Easy. Orange-orange is a 240V circuit. Red-red is another.  What's left?


Garage door immediately reversing when trying to close I have a Ryobi garage door opener. It's been working fine until recently when trying to close it. The opener will try to close when pressing the button but then immediately reverse back open. I don't believe the safety sensor is obstructed; when waving my hand through the sensor I can see the green LED turning off and on indicating it's getting blocked and unblocked. The safety sensor LED is normally on when not being obstructed, and it is on when trying to close the opener.
I've tried disconnecting the trolley from the opener bullet. While the trolley is disconnected:

With the door in the closed position, the opener bullet will close fully.
With the door in any open position, the opener bullet will immediately reverse back to open in the same manner as when the trolley is attached.

What else can I check?

Does the door move freely?  If the sensor isn't obstructed, the other cause for reversal would typically be down force.   If it takes too much force to close the door, it may think it's obstructed by something that's not blocking the sensor, and will reverse.   The amount of force required to reverse is adjustable, but you shouldn't adjust it without understanding why it changed, as it is a safety issue if not adjusted properly (think crushing a pet or toddler).    Please consult the instructions for your unit for proper adjustment.


Can I cover my kitchen stone floor with tiles? I have this stone floor in my new kitchen, and I'm going to need to cover it with something.  I'm not sure what kind of stone it is.

The floor is really cold in the winter, so I don't want to leave it just stone.  My question is can I cover it without creating problems with damp? I've been told the stone should be breathable and therefore not covered.

you can cover with anything you want to, it all has to do with how much money you want to spend.  the way it looks I would not lay any tile, that will be costly and it will still be cold. I would lay a free-floating that does not attach to the concrete at all, it just floats, that way if the concrete cracks are moves at all the flooring, will balance out and not crack are a break. that's why I was saying no tile, to much prep wood, floating all the concrete will cost a lot. and they make floating floors that look just like tile, wood, rock anything you want, and you can get it in waterproof, completely all of a rubber type material. with no kind of material that will swell up when it gets any moisture.


Joist design for shed/workshop I am in the process of building a roughly 12' x 16' shed/workshop. It is going to be a pier-and-beam design. There are 8 concrete piers, 4 on each side, that will support 2 4x12 beams. The span from the outside of one of the beams to the outside of the other is roughly 12'.

One possibility for joist/subfloor design:

2x10 doug fir joists, 16" oc
One blocking sequence down roughly the middle
3/4 inch plywood
Some form of construction adhesive between joists and plywood
Screwing and/or nailing plywood to joists.

I think it's a fairly sound design overall, but I'm not sure how much "give" there will be in the floor after completion. Do you think that would have a lot of bounce, or should that be plenty?

According to the IRC, both southern pine and doug-fir-larch should be able to span 12 ft for 40psf live load and 20 psf dead load at 16" oc. See: https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/IRC2015/chapter-5-floors?site_type=public .

Will this be sufficient to have a floor without significant bounce?

I recently build a 8x14 shed using 2x8 pressure treated joists and there was no bounce.  It felt solid with a 3/4" PT plywood floor.  Your design is larger, so I agree with the 2x10 that you spec'ed.  I don't think you'll have an issue it all.

I was originally going to try and save some money so I mocked up a few combinations of 16" oc and 24" oc with 3/4" and 1/2" plywood since it was "just a shed".  The joists 16" oc with 3/4" ply was the only combo that felt solid (as expected).  The shed had a small 4' "porch".  For that I did use 24" oc joists with 5/4" PT deck boards.  That was a stretch that I wouldn't have made for a full on deck, but it was fine for the small porch that would only have a few people on it with no static load.

I had 6 piers, so your 8 sound good.  The only thing I second guessed is the depth of my piers.  I was digging alone, and manually so I didn't get them as deep as they should have been.  I didn't notice a problem, but I would suggest getting the recommend depth in your area for sure.


Can I put concrete over PVC pipe? I have my laundry room in the backyard and there is an area that had a thin piece of concrete and below it there is soil. Beneath the soil there lies the drainage PVC 1 ½” pipe, gas line (not currently connected to anything), and water line for the washing machine. I had to dig out the soil a bit and replace a section of en exposed PVC pipe that was broken. The PVC pipe is the thin type. I replaced the damaged section with Schedule 40.

I want to cover up the soil with cement to flush the floor. This will need about 4 inches of concrete (Height) in an area of about 8 inches by 10 feet.

I was thinking of using a concrete mix.
I live in an all year warm climate, BTW.

Is it ok to pour the concrete over the compacted soil and not worry that the weight will crush the PVC pipe?

Schedule 40 pipe is what is used under many of our slabs and under the driveways for conduits/pathways for future use. Never had an issue. Schedule 35, yes, it would crush.
Make sure the conduit is at least flush with the sub grade or it will act as a control joint and the concrete will crack at the place the pipe is.