What type of cordless tool battery chemistry should I purchase? I'm about to buy a cordless tool set in which the tools all operate off the same form-factor battery.  The batteries come in several different chemistries and I'm wondering which type is better for the type of short duration, impulsive discharging that power tools undergo.  The available battery chemistries are:

Lithium Ion
NiMH
NiCd

There's a GREAT article here. I'd highly recommend checking it out. Here's a brief excerpt (ALL CREDIT GOES TO THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR!):

Nickle Cadmium (NiCd)

Pros:

NiCd batteries are more difficult to damage from heat and impact.
NiCd batteries have a longer cycle life of about 1,000 charges.
They put out strong current flow.
They are less easily damaged by being stored in deep discharge, although it is still not recommended.
They are less expensive than other rechargeable batteries.

Cons:

Nickel Cadmium batteries are the heaviest of the three types.
Lower capacity than other batteries.
NiCds shouldn't be allowed to drop below about 70% charge between charges, or the battery lifetime can be shortened.
Most NiCd batteries must be allowed to cool before being recharged.
Must be allowed to deep discharge about once a month or they will suffer severely from memory effect.
The cadmium in NiCd batteries is very damaging to the environment and must be disposed of correctly.

Nickle Cadmium Overview:

cycle life: long; 1000+ charge cycles
self-discharge: moderate, 15%-20%
capacity: low; 1.2 Ah - 2.2 Ah
optimal charge time: fast
maintenance: high; deep discharge once/month
memory effect: high if not maintained properly
sensitivity: very tough

Nickle Metal Hydride (NiMH)

Pros:

NiMH batteries are a little lighter than NiCd batteries.
They have a higher energy density, meaning that their capacity is greater than NiCd batteries, running 2 to 3 times longer in a single charge.
They are less expensive than Li-Ion batteries.
Capacity loss can be reduced drastically if charged and stored properly, making it possible to greatly increase their cycle life.
They are not destructive to the environment.

Cons:

NiMH batteries are more sensitive to temperature, especially cold temperatures, and should only be stored or operated between about 33°F - 103°F.
Deep discharge and lack of use will damage NiMH batteries, shortening their lifespan and limiting their storage capacity.
Should usually be charged after reaching 70% capacity, but should also be allowed to deep discharge every three months to avoid memory effect.
They are more expensive than NiCD batteries.

NiMH Battery Overview:

cycle life: varies; can be as long as NiCd if stored and charged correctly.
self-discharge: fast; 20%-30%
capacity: moderate; 2.2 Ah - 3.0 Ah
optimal charge time: fast
maintenance: moderate; deep discharge once/three moths
memory effect: moderate; can be avoided with proper charging
sensitivity: very sensitive to temperature

Lithium Ion (Li-Ion)

Pros:

Li-Ion batteries are the most light-weight of the three kinds of rechargeable batteries.
Li-Ion batteries benefit from high energy density like NiMH batteries do.
They are much less sensitive to damage from temperature changes than NiMH batteries.
Li-Ions are not restricted in the shape of their design like NiCd and NiMH batteries are, and can be designed in almost any shape for better tool balance.
They do not suffer from self-discharge and memory effect like NiCd and NiMH batteries, meaning that they're much less sensitive to recharging and storage methods.
They have the longest charge/recharge life cycle of all three types of batteries.
Li-Ion batteries are not destructive to the environment.

Cons:

Excessive overheating of Li-Ion batteries can damage or destroy them, which can occasionally happen during recharge. However, most rechargers and Li-Ion batteries are designed with safety features to prevent overheating.
They have the shortest overall life cycle of about 300-500 charges.
Li-Ion batteries are the most expensive batteries of these three types.

Li-Ion Battery Overview:

cycle life: short; 300-500 cycles, or about 2-3 years.
self-discharge: very slow or not at all.
capacity: high; 3.0 Ah+
optimal charge time: moderate
maintenance: none
memory effect: none
sensitivity: sensitive to heat and impact


Dishwasher Diagnosis I have a Maytag Model mdbh949awb that stopped working without any indication that there was an issue. The cycle type (heavy, normal, light, rinse only) buttons on the left of the latch do not function but the heated dry, hi temp wash etc on the right are working. I checked the thermal fuse and door switches with my multimeter and they are passing a continuity test. When I looked at the ribbon from the LED's to the circuit board I noticed a small dark spot and I am wondering if that could be the issue, and if so, how I could test/fix it. I have attached pics of the cable and the door. I tried looking for a tech info booklet for this and I could not find it (i think the previous owner had the dw apart and lost it). I don't mind replacing the circuit board or the touch pad but I want to be certain of the dx before I spend the money. All LED's light up when I do the field test by pressing high temp wash + heated dry ~ 6x. Any assistance anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated.

If this ribbon flexes , it is possible that it is broken. The LED's work that tells you that you at least have some parts of the cable working. The buttons are usually in a matrix - address and row. or a control signal and simply a row. You would be missing the control line in this case. So I would check the circuit board for a bad solder connection where that cable attaches. Checking continuity of the conductors on that cable - I would be flapping the cable a bit (while testing for continuity) to see if I lose continuity - looking for a cracked cable. Obviously this cable connects to a single touch pad.
Simple solution to verify bad touch pad. Trace the wires that need to be connected for any one of these functions (heavy, normal, light, rinse only) then using a jumper wire JUMP them with the wire and see if the function lights up (remember you might need the door switch in the locked position).
If it does not try the same for the other non-working buttons and also one of the working buttons just to be sure.
None of the functions work except the previously defined working function - then your controller is defective.
If the functions all work then your keypad is defective.
Remember you are jumping them on that beautiful ribbon cable.


do water heaters shut of when they fail? An example - Does an electric water heater shut its power off when (Feed) water source is shut off? I have a WAGS valve that will shut the water off when it fails, not sure about the power (Electric)

Generally no. It'll heat and reheat the water indefinitely if the supply is shut off but the tank is left full.

If the power is left on and the tank is drained, the heating elements will probably self-destruct trying to heat non-existent water.

Of course, newer and more sophisticated models may have damage prevention mechanisms in place.


How can i insulate exterior brick walls How can I insulate a house that is brick outside with nothing between the brick and the inside wall without enough space to put insulation between the two walls.

Either build in, or build out.

Out will cause less disruption, normally. Exterior Insulation and Finish System (EIFS) is a generic term for the typical approach, which consists of applying insulation (typically foam board) and a protective finish (typically stucco.) This is quite common in commercial construction.

Building in will reduce the size of your rooms and require all rooms with an exterior wall to become construction sites as the work progresses. Additional work will be needed to extend any electrical (switches, receptacles), plumbing fixtures or HVAC vents from the old walls to the new walls. It will probably cost more, as well.

If the house is "historic" you may have additional considerations/restrictions.


AC to DC transformer for LED Can someone tell me where AC to DC conversion happens in this type of LED light ? This is retrofit LED light which fits into can which has AC current. How and where does it step down voltage and also convert current from AC to DC ?

The voltage conversion (if nessessary) is done inside the lamp housing that you pictured. This type of retrofit lamp is designed to fit into existing recessed cans that are designed to take a reflector bulb with a standard base. If you disconnect the orange connector and screw the base adapter into a bulb socket, a voltage meter will show 120v AC at the orange connector.
There are some cans that are designed to work with this type of bulb/bezel combo and supply the orange connector inside the can instead of a screw-in light bulb base.


Sash window design / security - parting bead vulnerable to attack? I'm currently trying to design a timber box sash window.

I've had a look at both "traditional" designs from books, and more modern double-glazed window designs, and most have the same general arrangement:

There are two sashes in the frame, the top/outer sash and the bottom/inner sash. The outer frame is built as a box in the factory. On site, the frame is fitted into the brickwork (often behind a reveal to mask the large sections needed to house the balance weights).

Next the outer sash is placed into the frame, the parting bead (which separates the two sashes, acting as a runner, and also holding the outer sash in place against the frame rebate) is hammered into a groove in the frame, then pinned into place with glazing pins or similar.

Then the bottom sash is placed into the frame, and the staff bead on the inside is pinned in over the top to hold this sash in and also act as a runner face.

The sashes then lock together in the closed position by a catch at the meeting rails.

What gets me is that the parting bead is what's keeping the bottom sash from being pulled out to the outside of the frame, but it's also visible/accessible from the outside. What's to stop somebody either chiselling off or levering away the parting bead, then yanking the bottom sash out of the frame towards them?

I've found a product that claims to address this here but the end result is that the parting bead is fixed into place via screws which are still accessible from the outside of the frame. They call it "secure" because the screwdriver bit needed is a "Torx" bit (star key), but in my experience any standard multi-bit set has a number of these in these days, so they're not exactly exotic and this doesn't really seem to solve anything.

How can I change the fixing method of the parting bead or alter the design in such a way that it's secure?

Assume that the frame is fitted with the most secure glazing available - I'm not interested in debates about the glazing as this is largely a solved problem.

Being in the security trade, I can tell you that burglars are smart. It doesnt really matter if they know about that particular shortcoming or not. The main element to theft is speed. It will simply take too long to fiddle around with the bead strip in the hope to neatly displace the window. If someone wanted to get into your house a crowbar and a good kick will do the job just as well!

With that said.. its your job to make as many aspects of your home as secure as possible. The sash security parting bead is probably the best thing you can do if you dont like the bolts, try fixing it with one way screws

Another option is to drill a metal pin into the bottom portion of the bead, but you may end up doing some damage. Or you could get some brass or stainless screws drill pilot holes into the bottom of the beading, set your screw till the head is almost in, then get a hacksaw and remove the head of the screw, then polish with a file..
that way, if they remove the beading there will still be a pin to make life more difficult.


Securing slate tiles over outdoor cement slab Here's a cement patio that was covered decades ago with slate tiles.  Some along the edges have popped up.  Underneath the popped tiles we can see that the slab has cracked.

What are proper and/or expedient ways to resecure these tiles to the slab?

The most likely reason for the tile popping and crack  is water getting under tile and freezing.  First remove old thinset and clean.  I would use a roll on waterproofer like RedGard to seal concrete. Use a polymer-modified adhesive thinset rated for outside use to install slate and grout.


Can I save energy costs by turning off the refrigerator for 1-2 hours every day? Now that I'm looking into home automation, I'm thinking about automatically cutting off the fridge power from 3am ~ 5am. Given that modern refrigerators are well insulated, it should be able to withstand 2 hours of non powered cooling.

If I proceed with this project, will I see a big reduction in my monthly electrical bill?

You'd need to run an experiment to confirm this, but I think it would be a false economy.

Even though the fridge is well insulated it will warm up by some amount. Then when it's switched on again the cooling would have to work harder/for longer to bring the temperature back down again probably using the same (if not more) energy in the process.

Let the thermostat do it's job and keep the fridge using a little energy over the 24 hours to keep the temperature constant.

You'll save more energy by opening the fridge less often during the day.


Always blowing breaker We live in a 37 yr. old house that is total electric. When I try using a electric grill and a 1000 watt microwave at the same time it blows the breaker. How can we fix this problem?We live in Missouri if it matters

The reason you're tripping the breaker is that the peak current draw with both items running exceeds the safe level for that wiring.
The answer is to plug one of them into an outlet that's connected to a different breaker.  (or use them sequentially :-( ).

The answer is most specifically NOT to replace the breaker with a 20 or 30-amp unit unless you've had an electrician verify the existing wiring is rated for the larger current load.


Getting rid of mold in areas you cannot reach I used a home mold test kit (leftover from my previous question) to see if I had mold in my basement (where I sleep). Turns out a little bit of mold is growing in the petri dish. The mold looks to be greenish in color, almost a green-white. It also looks a bit fuzzy. I looked around and cannot find any source of it, so I figured I would clean all of the wood beams, insulation, and walls as well as run a dehumidifier and air purifier (with HEPA filter) to get rid of and prevent the mold. The biggest issue is that there is one part of the ceiling that is drywalled, and a part that isnt (the main cable line as well as water lines needed to be accessible)

I was considering just spraying some vinegar behind the drywalled section because I cannot reach behind there to scrub, nor can I see all that well to target specific sections should I see mold. I figured the vinegar would kill the mold even without scrubbing, and the dehumidifier would prevent the spores (which apparently cannot "die"?) from spawning new colonies.

Is this an effective plan? Or will the vinegar add moisture to the drywall/wood studs and actually feed the mold? Is there a more effective way to treat the mold and prevent it in the room?

PS: the room as only a small basement window and cannot be opened, so air flow is poor, so I am trying to avoid bleach/ammonia. Plus I heard they cannot penetrate porous surfaces anyway

Although Vinigar is a weak acid it can kill surface mold. I would recommend hydrogen peroxide at 3% it is more effective at killing mold and bacteria and doesn't stink after application.
I would also spray the exposed wood surfaces, when lumber is milled it is sprayed with a biocide that doesn't last long and I have seen older units start to grow mushrooms in just a few months. And ply wood is worse when the sheets of veneer are cut mushrooms begin growing in days. Most spores are killed in the hot press process. Keeping the basement dry with a dehumidifier will be the best plan forward without moisture it cannot grow. But make sure to treat the exposed wood because you sleeping in that area create a large amount of exhaled moisture that may be enough to activate the mold.


Underground Feeder Wire OK in Basement? I need to run a 60 AMP subpanel and have about a 45' total wire run between the main panel and the proposed location of the subpanel. I have a piece of underground feeder cable (6 gauge copper with 10 gauge bare wire).

This is a residential installation, single family.

My question is, would there be any reason I can't use the UG feeder in the basement? It's the gray, flat wire.

You can use UF cable any place where you might use NM-B cable indoors.
Art 334 is NM cable
Art 340 is UF cable

NEC 2011
Article 340
Underground Feeder and Branch-Circuit Cable: Type UF
II. Installation
340.10 Uses Permitted
Type UF cable shall be permitted as follows:
(1)    For use underground, including direct burial in the earth. For underground requirements, see 300.5.
(2)    As single-conductor cables. Where installed as single-conductor cables, all conductors of the feeder grounded conductor or branch circuit, including the grounded conductor and equipment grounding conductor, if any, shall be installed in accordance with 300.3.
(3)    For wiring in wet, dry, or corrosive locations under the recognized wiring methods of this Code.
(4)    Installed as nonmetallic-sheathed cable. Where so installed, the installation and conductor requirements shall comply with Parts II and III of Article 334 and shall be of the multiconductor type.*


What is required to move a washer/dryer from one room to another? How hard is it to move washer/dryer from an upstairs room to the basement? What hookups would we need, etc?

Chris is right, but let me add.  You really want BOTH and hot and cold water feed. If you leave off the hot water and don't cap the input, cold water may escape out the hot water feed port through the mix valve (if so equipped) when the machine is set to warm. Besides, your wife will be upset when she tries to bleach whites with no hot water!!  You will need to install a drain with a trap for the waste water to pump into. As long as you have a drain line close by to tap into that is not more than a couple of feet higher than the top of the washer, you can use that. The machines today can usually raise water a couple of feet above the machine, but not much more than that. You will need to install a 15 amp, 120 VAC line with receptacle for the washer and a  30 amp, 220 VAC dryer outlet connected directly to your breaker box equipped with the matching double pole 30amp breaker.  Last is the dryer vent to the outdoors.
 BTW, years ago my wife made me take the washer/dryer out of the basement and install them in a utility closet on the second floor closer to the bedrooms. No more lugging laundry up and down stairs.


Should I add venting to my solid soffit, and how? I am in the process of replacing some fascia boards on an eave that goes around one corner of my house.

I notice that the soffit is just a plain painted board with no deliberate venting. Although after 100 years gaps have opened up in the soffit's joints so there is accidental venting.

Before I install the new fascia boards I was planning to recondition the soffit and seal it, but I have heard that it is recommended that soffits be vented. If there is a plain board, what should I do? Drill holes in it?

Most roofs have intake and exhaust vents. Soffit vents can be used for intake, but they are not the only means of intake. If you have a vented roof and already have adequate intake venting, you don't need to add more.

Additionally, not all roofs need to be vented - there are "hot roof" designs where the rafter bays are insulated and sealed up. You wouldn't want to add intake venting to a system set up like that. Given that your house is 100 years old, you probably don't have one of those types of roofs, but it's possible that it was renovated at some point.

So, figure out what you have and go accordingly. If you do decide to vent, you should take a look at all the products out there and install according to what you like best. For example, there are round vents you can install by cutting a hole out with a hole saw and pushing the vent in place, ones where you cut out a rectangle, ones where you cut out a long strip down the length of the roof, etc.

There are also vents that install under or in place of fascia board, which might be good for your situation (in place of soffit venting), since you say you're removing the fascia anyway.

I would not just drill holes - soffit vents are cheap and have screens to keep animals & insects out.

This PDF has a good explanation of how roof venting works. They're selling Cor-A-Vent products, but the explanations are good regardless. They do make a good under-fascia vent, but GAF, Owens-Corning, and other roofing suppliers do as well.

Here are some GAF vents you can use for soffit venting. Others manufactures have similar products.


GFCI tester doesn't trip GFCI. Bootleg ground? My girlfriend recently moved into a new apartment which I have come to suspect might have bootleg grounds, or otherwise improperly wired outlets. After multiple surge-protectors said that they were not grounded she bought a GFCI/outlet tester. When plugged in the tester says that the outlets are wired correctly, but when the GFCI test button is pressed the GFCI doesn't trip and the tester changes to reading that hot and neutral are reversed until the GFCI test button is released again. Pressing the test button on the outlet itself works normally. None of the outlets have any special labels.

The building is old, and originally did not contain apartments, so it seems reasonable to assume that the wiring was in some way retrofitted into it. Some searching around on the internet has led me to suspect that these things might be symptomatic of the outlets having a bootleg ground. Is this the correct conclusion, or are there other possible causes of this?

It is normal for a plug-in GFCI tester to not work, if the receptacle is not grounded.   GFCI testers are not magic.

GFCIs work by comparing current on the "hot" wire to current returning on the "neutral" wire. If all is well, they should be equal.  if they are not equal, some current is traveling down a third path possibly through a human.

If a third path does not exist, then tripping a GFCI is impossible.   An external tester cannot trip a GFCI if it only has access to hot and neutral.   The GFCI itself can test itself by using an internal path which goes around the LINE and LOAD terminals, both of which it has access to.  An external tester can't do that.

So failure to trip at a downstream outlet does not tell you anything one way or the other about whether ground has been bootlegged there.   It only tells you ground is not present.   Such a receptacle should have "GFCI protected" and "No Equipment Ground" stickers and will need those to pass home inspection.

To use an external tester at such a location, get a common 3 to 2 prong cheater, the kind that has a 3 inch green pigtail meant to be attached to the receptacle screw.  Extend that using whatever wire you have on hand, all the way to the panel, attach it to the building's grounding electrode system.   That becomes the third path.

You are allowed to retrofit proper grounds to a receptacle without disturbing the hot/neutral wiring, and you don't even need to use the same route.   (Also remember metal conduit is a ground path).  However if a circuit has GFCI protection upstream, I would call such an upgrade a low priority.  In some ways, GFCI protects better than actual grounding.


How to stop a water leak through concrete? I live in a very old house and it was very cold and pipes burst everywhere.
When the plumbers came, I told them that they need to fix the leak from the upstairs bathroom and that we had to shut off the water supply because of burst pipes.

They fixed all the pipes in the basement, 1st and 2nd floor. It was a total of 56 pipes.
They demolished ceiling, broke open the walls, ripped the kitchen cabinets to get to the pipes.

When they finished with all the pipes and left, I started to take a shower in the attic and the water started to flow up in the 2nd floor shower and bathtub drains.
He came back to clean the sewer line with an electric snake.
It did not help so they said that they need to put a triple lever on the tub.

That also did not help - water started to pour from a second floor bathroom into the kitchen.
The plumber sad he would have to take out the second floor stand-up shower, break the floor to find the leak and fix it.
They also sad they would have to break though cement in the kitchen ceiling if they would not be able to find the leak.

I am a poor student and already paid them $2700. That is what they charged me for fixing pipes and sewer cleaning.
They said that it would be at least another $1000 to fix the leak!
They said that they gave me a huge discount because they felt bad for me and that it was and still is a $10000 job. 2 people worked for a total of 30 hours.

I've been up for 5 days, 30 days without hot or cold water and I would appreciate any advice here.
Did he do everything right?
Did he gave me a discount?
What else can I do to fix the leak?
Can water that started to flow up in the 2nd floor tub and shower drains be from broken pipes?

Several parts of your question can't be answered here, as they deal with costs with contractors.  That said, a broken pipe would usually have water flow down, after all, water seeks its own level.  If a drain pipe is broken in some way that clogs it, the water might come back up the drains.

As to what you can do, that depends on how big of a bite you're willing to take on.  If you want to remove a shower, it can be done.  Tearing up a floor isn't complicated, either.  Putting replacements in is a little more difficult, but there are books and websites and youtube videos for any issue you face.  The local hardware shop should be able to give you an idea of what you need and how it goes together when you get to that point.  Your local code office can also tell you what they want to see as far as doing the job properly to code.

Goes without saying, but this is work that generally will require a building permit and probably an inspection.


adding an electric range/oven in house with only 100amp main service? Well I'm doing some wiring in the kitchen before the big remodel in there and I thought I'd install a 40 or 50 amp circuit for an electric range/oven (there's a gas oven currently, but may want to upgrade to electric or even induction one day).

Then it occurred to me.. we only have 100 amp service in the house. Would adding an appliance that uses up to 50% of the max electric load be pushing it? Does this mean I either need to update the service or scrap the idea of an electric oven?

I would like to stay at 100 amp main if possible. The house has a gas furnace, three window electric A/C units on 20 amp breakers (I'm in Kansas, climate is really hot in summer and a pretty cold in winter), an electric dryer on a 30amp breaker, not a lot of lights and stuff as it's less than 1000 sq ft, there's a workshop/garage getting 20 amps IIRC (could be more, especially if I want to weld).

What do you think??

(Bonus question: do I really need #6-4 wire for the oven circuit and how do I connect this to the breaker box?)

edit: thought you guys might like to see the breaker box. (btw, I've already removed the old K&T wiring that you see going to the breaker bellow the main breaker).

Your panel needs to be reviewed, carefully.

When you do, you'll have no trouble finding 2 spaces.

It's a quality CH panel, albeit with only 20 spaces.  I'm not counting the top 2 spaces in each row, which collectively are the main breaker (100A).   Good news is, with this panel arrangement, if you shut off the main breaker, everything is cold except those conspicuous large screws. Which makes it more DIY-friendly than most.

I see seven 240V breakers tying up 14 of 20 spaces.  That means all 120V loads in the entire house are served by six 120V breakers, which is pretty compact.  I don't believe a house can have seven 240V loads.  The usual big four are dryer, A/C, water heater and oven. So I suspect many of these breakers are surplus, particularly since they're off.

The only conceivable reason for this many 240V breakers is having all-electric heat, e.g. baseboard, and if that's the case, forget about an electric range/oven - you just don't have enough service.

Two of those 240V loads are 120/240 split phase.  The right side middle rows are a 30A breaker, and looks to have the heavier 10 AWG wire, so it looks to be a dryer.  The left side 4th and 5th from the bottom is weird because the white wire is being used as a hot, and the red wire is taped white and used as a neutral (which is illegal to do).  That's not right.  It might be a multi-wire branch circuit or MWBC, serving two 120V circuits, but I doubt it.

I see a red wire that's taped off, that means there's another black-red-white cable with black and white only being used. That seems weirdly sloppy (why use white for a 240V circuit when you have red) which only worries me more about the quality of work in general.

Even worse, look at the bottom right breaker.  It's a 60A breaker but that's NOT a 4 AWG wire. It's either 12 AWG or maybe 10 AWG. That needs a 20A or 30A breaker, respectively.  I know exactly what those breakers cost, so no excuse!  SHUT IT OFF NOW.  NEVER turn it back on.  Replace with a 20 or 30A breaker respectively, most hardware stores stock CH220 or CH230.  And if it trips, it's supposed to.

Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln...

Go through each circuit in the panel, for two reasons.  First, to find any more defects -- after all, I could find two whoppers from a photo.  Second, to understand what you do have, so you can either trim or consolidate and free up 2 breaker spaces.

Don't bother hunting down double-stuff (duplex/tandem) CH breakers.  Yes, they exist, but you really, really need to re-evaluate this panel, given the large number of defects I've seen from one measly photo.  And I think as you do so, you'll free up some space.

Oven/range is straightforward

You simply need a 50A breaker and 6 AWG copper (or 4 AWG aluminum).  You could go 40A and 8 AWG, but the difference is only a few bucks, and you'll have a wider selection of ovens/ranges if you go 50A.  CH 50A breakers are readily available, not quite as widely stocked as the 20/30s but any big-box should have them.   You cannot reuse the 60A breaker.

However, cooking on electric kinda sucks, if you're coming from gas.  It's a very annoying learning curve, and a lot of compromises and workarounds. Not recommended.

If you must upgrade the panel

CH is a fine system.  One option is get a larger CH panel.  However, if you replace the panel, you will need to upgrade most of all of your 6-8 120V loads to AFCI or GFCI or both/combo, and that could get costly.  The disadvantage to CH or any 3/4" wide breaker is being smaller, there's less space to cram advanced tech, so they're more expensive or unavailable.

Don't go cheap. This panel is much better than the Homelite and other shlock the local big-box is shoveling. (You can't go by brand anymore, as good brands like Square D and Eaton have bought up cheapie sub-brands.)  You have to ask for the good stuff.  Get a top-shelf panel from a proper electrical supply. And go really big - bare minimum 42-space, 60-space is not too many.  If the main breaker for such a panel is too large, bypass it - put a 100A breaker in the normal spaces and backfeed it (much like is occurring in this panel).


shower leak from back of wall There is water coming from the back side of my shower head wall and spill out from there in stead of the shower head can you tell me why this is happening

Because the showerhead isn't installed properly (or it is damaged/cracked).

First try tightening it.  They just screw on.  Make sure the threaded piece of the showerhead isn't cracked - some cheap plastic ones break quite easily, and if that is the problem you need to replace the showerhead.

Take it off and make sure there is a rubber washer inside and that it is still in good shape - if not, get a new washer for it.

If that doesn't work, get some white plumbing tape that goes around the threads to ensure a tight seal.


What would cause water to pulse from the faucet? What causes both hot and cold water from kitchen tap to pulsate as if getting a breath. This happens at all times of day and is most noticeable at half to full flow.

Sounds like water hammer.  I had a similar issue with mine.  Your local hardware store should carry a device you can install on your water lines that basically has a little expansion volume to reduce the effects of water hammer.  Easy to install, solved my issue.


Plumbing water pressure I turned off water supply to house to replace shower cartridge.  Water off for three or so hours.  Turned water back on and "flushed" the lines.  A few days later, turned on pool filler and got low pressure and almost no pressure everywhere else in house during fillup.  HELP!

Pool filler is leaking somewhere. I know the cartridge replacement seems suspect, but I believe that's just a coincidence.


Roof screws need replacing My roof screws need replacing because of rust, do I do it myself or get someone and pay them ? And how much will it cost ? It's a 4 bedroom obviously tin roof.

The first question to be asked whether the whole roof needs replacing - if the screws have rusted out, what condition are the roofing sheets in? Exposed-fastener sheet-steel roofing is NOT a long-term roof like concealed fastener standing-seam. It's an inexpensive, short-life-span roof. (If it was actually tin, you'd strip it off, take it to a scrapper, and put on just about any roof you'd like with the proceeds.)

As for whether you hire it done or do it yourself, that's mostly up to you, your ability to work safely and/or equip yourself to work safely, and your willingness to pay to not be bothered, or take the time to save money. Don't scrimp on safety - falling off a roof can be fatal or very, very expensive in both money and future incapacity. If you hire someone else, make sure that they are actually insured for the work.

I have cleaned up (caulked and re-torqued, as some screws were leaking post-install and it was simpler to do them all that to try and sort exactly which ones) an exposed fastener roof of about 16 squares (1600 square feet) as a DIY job. I dropped a chunk of change on climbing gear (harness, static line, locking carabiner, rescue ascender) at the outset, and I think I replaced my failing cordless drill with a brand-spanking new one as well. It wasn't bad, but I'm not you, either. Ultimately, what you choose to do is your choice.


How to calculate FPM as related to Residential HVAC air handler I'm working with the formula that CFM = FPM X Cross sectional Area and I'm trying to calculate an accurate FPM through my air filter in my air handler.

Originally, I was simply using the cross sectional area of the filter opening, 20x20 (19.5 x 19.5 actual) which is about 2.6 sq ft. My air handler is pushing 1098 CMF, and so I have:

1098 CFM / 2.6 sq ft =  422 FPM

Which I believe is accurate, if the opening were just a gaping hole instead of an actual filter. The trouble comes when I referenced this number 422 FPM and someone said I should actually be using the total square footage of the pleated media in the filter, through which the air is passing. In my 1" filter thats 5.55 sq ft, and in my 2" filter thats 12 sq ft. That would yield the following calculations:

1098 CFM / 5.55 sq ft =  197 FPM
1098 CFM / 12 sq ft =  91 FPM

What I'm ultimately trying to do is determine an accurate FPM calculation, so that I can compare that value to data sheets on various filters. The data sheets I have, have tables and graphs where the X axis is FPM and the Y axis is Pressure Drop. Thus, if I can get an accurate FPM calculation, I can see the estimated pressure drop at various sizes of filter, and at various CFM settings on my air handler.

Should I therefore be using total filter media as the sq ft variable, or just the cross sectional area of the opening, or something entirely different?

Your method of FPM X cross sectional area won’t come out right for a large trunk line, the problem is the airflow is faster in the middle and slower at the edges so usually a grid of measurements are taken and an average flow is created. I have a book that gives the recommended number of points based on the size of memory serves 3 points 2 on the sides and one in the middle averaged gets close with the big book. Measurements were not supposed to be taken the width of the opening from a turn, that’s silly because most openings are at a 90 to the duct within an inch or so. I just take the measurements wherever and it has always been close enough for residential.


Should I use vapor barrier for a framed floor over a slab? What to do about the vapor barrier?
I am currently using a formerly unheated basement room as home office. The room is not properly insulated and rather hard to keep warm. I am thinking about installing a nicer floor and insulating it to make the climate more pleasant. The floor is currently bare concrete and I assume there is no vapor barrier under the slab. About 50% of the room is below the ground. We live in the Arctic, so the temperature ranges from about -35C to 25C, and it is mostly considerably colder on the outside than inside.
I don't have much experience and am on a very tight budget.
The initial idea was to lay out PE foil as vapor barrier, build a wooden grid (60cm wide) to fill with glass or rock wool and to install wooden planks on top to walk on.
I am very unsure about the materials and vapor barrier thoug.
According to previous replies, I would end up with trapped water under my foil without channels to escape if the foil was placed directly on the concrete. As I can not build a pit, that makes me consider to ditch the vapor barrier altogether, to allow some ventilation, but that seems to eventually soak my materials.
I am not primarily concerned about the materials as in bent wooden floor planks after a few years. I am mainly concerned about mold, I don’t want to make the room a few degrees warmer but trade it for smell or an unhealthy environment.
I have attached an artistic masterpiece (sorry!) of what I mean and hope that someone might have a pointer what you would do.
I am still lost and would appreciate any help, I am also open to different materials!

The best place is for the vapor barrier to be is UNDER the concrete slab.  This prevents moisture from the ground from seeping through the slab into the living space.
Assuming that's not the case, then your next best choice is to apply a moisture channeling product on top of the slab.  You don't want to use poly film here as that will cause moisture to condense between the slab and the poly with nowhere to go.
There are any number of commercial moisture channeling products but these provide both a vapor barrier and a system of channels for the trapped moisture to drain, most often to your sump pit.
Even though your floor is "dry" now, that doesn't mean there is no moisture coming through it.  Concrete is porous and allows water to penetrate.  The reason it seems dry is that the moisture is evaporating into the air.  Try taping a sheet of poly to a small area of the floor for a few days and you should see moisture trapped under it.


Water coming in through seam in bulkhead wall. How to fix? There is a caulked seam where the bulkhead wall comes into contact with the foundation wall. It is raining outside and water is now coming in through the small cracks in this seam. It is causing the water to pool below and eventually come into the basement.

What is the best and most permanent way to fix this? I'm concerned if I use more caulking it will eventually crack again during freeze/thaw cycles.

Making matters worse, this is a new construction home that was built in 2017. Per the code in this town, a perimeter drain was installed. I am concerned this perimeter drain was not extended around the bulkhead. There is a lot of water currently pooling up around the bulkhead area outside.

You say, “...pooling up around the bulkhead.” Does that mean ponding water on the surface of the ground directly above the perimeter drain?

If so, you could have two problems (assuming the perimeter drain is really installed): 1) the soil (backfill) against the retaining wall and/or around the drain line does not percolate (drain), and/or 2) the drain line does not extend to where it can drain out.

1) Soil should have enough voids to allow water to percolate down to the drain line and then “run” (or be pumped) out so that the water drains away. Usually drainrock is used so that water can move freely through the rock and away from the wall. Here, we use a 3” thick mesh that lays against the wall so no water will lay against the wall.

2) Once the water has reached the drain line it needs to run away from the area. Otherwise, the water will fill the site up and put pressure against the wall. Water has tremendous pressure the deeper it is. That pressure will “push” water through any crack or joint.

Also, another important step is locating the drain line below the slab. Otherwise, water under the drain line but above the slab will enter the room.

Caulking and patching the inside of the wall will never be permanent. The only permanent fix is done on the outside of the wall. There are systems designed to gather the water inside the room and then pump it out, but then you’ll need to watch for mold, etc. buildup.

If the construction is less than a year old, it’s still under warranty. Contact your Builder Board that license contractors and discuss with them.


How to fish low voltage wire from finished attic dormer through heavy framing? I want to reroute this wifi camera’s 5V power cable (currently going through the window) through the wall.
My idea is to drill a small hole in the wall where the purple circle is, route the wire down the wall as shown and then into an unfinished crawl space (red outlined areas).   There is a specific problem I’m asking about, and I’m open to other ideas.    I cannot get into the dormer soffit, it’s finished with no access.
The issue is that the framing is all very heavy.  The green lines indicate actual 4x4 beams and the horizontal one between the dormer and the crawl space is even heavier.  I can get into the crawl space beneath it, and drill up into the wall as shown by the yellow arrow.  But the bottom plate of the dormer is very wide at that point.  It extends about an inch out of the dormer into the roof space below, and about two inches into the dormer where it forms a ledge you can see in one of the pictures.  My fear is that drilling up from underneath as shown by the yellow arrow I might end up going through the roof or into the inside ledge.
I can make small holes in the interior wall to help fish the wire through.  I'd like to avoid opening a huge hole in the interior wall, from where I can easily drill down into the crawl space but then refinishing is more work than the entire project would be otherwise.
Note, aside from the question itself, my intention is to install an outlet in the crawl space, run my own low voltage wire from there to the outside, and splice it to the camera connector outside and to the wall wart inside.
Photos:

outside, showing location of camera, desired cable route (purple), location of unfinished spaces under roof (red), locations of heavy framing (green) and location markers 1 and 2.
inside ledge at bottom of dormer showing where oversized bottom plate protrudes into attic.
Same corner of dormer showing framing in crawl space.

It's probably reasonable to assume the wall board has equal thickness above the ledge and below the ledge. Then you can measure the depth of the ledge at the yellow arrow, which is front-face to front-face of the wall board. Bring that measurement into the crawl space and measure off the back side of the lower wall -- this tells you where the back side of the upper wall is at. Add another inch and you've got a position that is comfortably inside the upper part of the wall.
If you'll still prefer to drill down rather than up, consider a long drill bit (sometimes called a bellhanger drill bit). You could use it to pierce the interior drywall and continue on through the lower framing. Yet another approach is to remove the right-hand piece of window casing. There should be a gap between the window and the rough opening. You can drill down in that space, again with the bellhanger bit, and afterward reinstall or replace the wood casing instead of repairing a hole in the wall.


What's a good way to anchor the central bolts of a pair of gates? So I've a pair of new handsome wrought-iron gates for the bottom of my (tarmac) drive. The gates each have a long thin "bolt" that is intended to go into a hole in the drive itself.

My initial feeling is that a couple of short lengths of metal tube set into concrete should hold them nicely. But, I'm concerned they'll soon fill with mud or earth or leaves and turn into a maintenance headache.

Any guidance? Should the tube be long (in which case I'll need a deep hole) or short (but this might fill up faster?) Would a bit of old copper tube I've got about the place do the job?

Not sure if it would interfere with the operation of the gates, but if you set that tube into the ground and left a slight lip sticking above the cement, that would probably do a lot to keep stuff out of the hole.


How do I detect and repair faulty wiring? Recently, during a storm, an outdoor spotlight was broken in its socket, its internal wiring shorting out. The lights happen to be on a motion sensor, and in turn on switch, and a breaker at the panel.

Replacing the spotlight bulb, nothing worked, so I checked with a non-contact tester, no power in the socket. No breakers were tripped at the panel. So I pulled the switch; it looks like there is no power their, either! It seems like everything else that should have power does, but I haven't exhaustively checked every nearby outlet.

This is in Canada, and I know the house was just about entirely rewired ~10 years ago.

I'm at a loss how this is possible, but anyway. How can I find the fault?

Use your non contact tester, and start tracing the circuit back to the panel.  Check each device along the way, and keep a close eye out for GFCI receptacles that have been tripped.

You may want to pick up a multimeter, and test for voltage at the switch, and at the fixture. Water could have entered the fixture housing, and fried the motion sensor. So make sure you check the wires feeding the fixture.

If you don't feel comfortable working on live lines, call in a licensed electrician to have a look.


Do I need to remove this enclosed shower and check for mold? My wife and I just bought a house, and I noticed after using the shower, there were black specs all over the shower floor.  There is a seam where the bottom part of the shower joins with the wall covering, and there is no caulk. I sprayed water into it, and a nearly endless stream of black and yellow specs poured out. Should we remove the enclosed shower and check for mold?  Some people online claim that this is soap scum, but there are a lot of seams in the shower without caulk so I am concerned it could be mold.

This what was coming out at the hour mark. Here is a video: https://youtu.be/PW_0p61zcHY

First go to a home store and look at how this style tub and shower surround are built.
Next realize the tub has a lip that extends up and the bulge at the base of the surround is to overlap the lip on the tub.

If you want to purchase a new surround try removing it,
You have probably shot some water up inside the wall and that can cause mold.

If you want to keep mold from becoming a problem seal the joint with a latex calking or any silicone bathroom calking with mold inhibitors.

Whatever you do don’t pull the drain and see all the gunk hair and? in the drain or you may want to move out.

Seal the joint and forget about it would be my advice.


How do I connect a 1/2" PVC slip joint to a 3/8" compression fitting on a sink faucet? I'm trying to get water to my sink in an unconventional setup. I have a water tank and a water pump so I don't need a shutoff valve under the sink. I have 1/2" female PVC stubbed up, and I have the two female 3/8" compression connectors hanging down from the faucet with a merge connector bringing them into one (I won't have hot water). I'm just wondering what's the cheapest and easiest way to connect these two? I can't seem to find any connectors that would work. It would be easy but I can't figure out how to connect to the compression threading with anything that can go into 1/2" female PVC slip joint. I would really appreciate some help.

Glue a 1/2" slip x FIP adapter into the PVC fitting (this requires a short piece of PVC pipe also).
Thread a 1/2" MIP x 3/8" comp. adapter into the FIP fitting (use teflon tape on the threads.

NOTE- pictures are for reference of fitting type and may not link to the size(s) you need.


Bringing unused chimney down below roof line? I'm in the middle of renovating a balloon-framed house from the 1890's.  The house is currently gutted.  It originally had a standing-seam metal roof that was penetrated by a central chimney.  At some point a membrane roof was installed over the old metal roof.

The chimney has not been used for a long time, and the (four) fireplaces have been cemented over, except for a stovepipe hole in each one.  The chimney was last used to vent combustion gases from kerosene heaters, so I imagine it's pretty dirty inside.

Since the fireplaces are not useable, and the chimney has always been a source of moisture problems in the house, and I'm about to install a whole new roof, I was thinking it would be a good idea to knock the chimney down below the roofline, and simply roof over it.

Once I got the chimney below the roofline, I would seal up the top of the chimney with masonry tiles, and I would seal up the fireplaces with cement.

Is this the proper way to do such a thing?

For what it''s worth, I did exactly this as part of the process of replacing my shingles (which were nearing end-of-life). That had the advantage of letting the roofers completely open the patient, remove the top courses until it was safely below roof level, install a nice strong patch over the hole (in fact they were putting plywood over the old king-pine boards anyway, so this was almost automatic), then shingle right across where the chimney had been.

At some point I'll take a hammer to what's left and recover the space the chimney occupies. I know the ground-floor main beam no longer rests on the chimney (that had crumbled and later been fixed with columns); we'll have to see whether it supports anything higher up. Hope not...

(This wasn't a gut rehab, so there really wasn't much advantage to removing the whole thing in one swell foop.)


Is it worth it to pay extra for a stainless steel tank water heater? I'm getting ready to replace my ancient water heater and wondering whether it makes sense to get to a model with a (edit: 316L) stainless steel inner tank instead of one with the standard glass-lined tank. I like the fact that these units require no anode rods and theoretically will never leak if plumbed with an expansion tank. Is the upcharge to go with one of these worth it, or would I be wasting my money because electric water heaters typically fail catastrophically in ways other than the inner tank leaking?

The key word you used is "theoretically".

Stainless steel is not all the same. Is it 304 or 316 stainless?

It should last much longer than glass lined but still not forever.

If you can afford it, for longevity, I would eliminate as much steel or galvanized steel as possible.

Good luck on your project!


Power Miter Saw, Hand Miter Saw, or Jig Saw? Looking to build a utility/storage shelf in the unfinished area of my basement. Considered dropping the $170 to get the metal unit from Home Depot (in the U.S.), but thought that now that we have a home, it'd be fun to build one on my own. I already have the design sketched out and have figured out how much material I need, but now I'm stuck with this question: what sort of saw should I invest in to cut the 2x4s (I plan on either purchasing the plywood pre-cut or else having it cut to spec at HD)?

Originally, I considered purchasing an inexpensive power miter saw, but then wasn't sure if I'd use it again (i.e. I don't have any plans for doing work with crown molding in the future, and the only possible work we'll be doing to internal finishes in the future will be to create some decorative framing squares below the chair rail in our dining room...something using stock that a hand saw would have no troubles handling) and also wasn't thrilled about the space I'd have to find to store it in our basement (we have a townhome; while not small, I'd like to minimize the amount of space I need to take up in the unfinished utility area, since I'm building the storage shelving to get things organized and make space that doesn't exist now). Not uncomfortable using it, but also lack the workbench space to use it properly. So then I started thinking about it, and wondered whether getting a hand miter saw (the kind that is pre-attached and swivels as you turn the blade), a miter box and tenon saw, or inexpensive jig saw (provided I'm using a guide to maintain a square cut) might also work for cutting the 2x4s to length, while not taking up space and minimizing the odds that I'll lop off a finger inadvertently while working with a less than ideal workbench set-up.

I'm sure my wife would find some crafty uses for the jig saw, and saving the money I'd spend buying a power miter saw would allow me to upgrade my drill driver from the crappy NiCad Black and Decker I have right now (though I do have a nice Craftsman impact driver). At the same time, I've read of folks having issues with the blade bending the cut with the jig saw, though I'm not sure how much of an impact that would be for making cuts to 2x4s on utility shelving. Part of me does like the appeal of using a handsaw (e.g. general inexpense, space saved, and etc.) to make the cuts...although I wonder if modern hand saws (I only remember using them when I was younger, and they were older blades) are relatively "easy" to use and make cuts. Does it feel like a lot of work to make cuts in 2x4s with hand miter saws?

Anyone have any ideas? I apologize in advance for the lengthy question, but wanted to put it all out there in the event that someone else has been in the same position. Look forward to reading your ideas and hearing your thoughts. Thanks!

I agree that for cutting 2 x 4's you absolutely do not want to use a jig saw. While a jig saw is handy to have. As Ed mentioned, you cannot get square cuts and are generally used for thin material and scroll work unless you shell out the money for a professional model with massive power.

A compound miter saw is a better choice than a chop saw. I believe that Ed may have been describing a miter saw but wanted to point this out as they are two very different things.

A chop saw is 'like' a miter saw in that it allows you to make 90 degree cuts in materials but is usually intended in a shop environment for chopping metals.

A compound miter saw allows you to make angled cuts from over 45 degrees to straight 90 degrees perpendicular to the work piece. It also can tilt to make angled cuts at varying degrees. The compound part allows you to do both at the same time. The sliding part allows you to make cuts while the blade slides on a rail allowing you to make wider cuts than a typical miter saw. You can cut 2 x 10's with a sliding version where you could only cut 2 x 6's with a non-sliding version.

You can pick up a very good entry level compound miter saw at your local Lowe's and Home Depot's for around $130 (7 1/4 inch versions - may not handle 2 x 10 cuts). While they have a slightly bigger footprint than your average manual miter saw/box combos you will get much better and lightning quick results. Plus you will find that you can actually do a lot more around the town home with it.

And best of all, these work just as well on the floor as they do on a work bench.

If a small hand unit is all you really want however. Get a power saw (a.k.a circular saw). You will get square cuts (no blade curve) and will take a fraction of the time. Not as accurate as a miter saw but much better for 2 x 4 than a jig saw. You'll save time and have better cuts using a framing triangle with the power saw.

Hope this helps.


How should I flatten (not level) a concrete subfloor? In the final stages of finishing a room in our walk-out basement.  This particular room has a long history, as it was originally a garage.  Thus, it has a slight pitch from the back of the room towards the wall that once contained the garage door (which is now a sliding glass door).

Unfortunately, there is a ridge down the center of the room where the concrete bows up about 3/8" of an inch over a 2' wide strip.  I believe that this kind of ridge will cause issues when laying the laminate flooring.

My initial thought was to use self-leveling compound.  However, being self-leveling, it will run down and pool quite thick at the front of the room, and require a significant amount to do (and might even go higher than the threshold of the sliding glass door).

I am unsure as to what type of product I could use that would be trawl on, and thick enough not to run, yet bond well with the underlying slab.  Any thoughts on the best way to flatten a concrete floor that has a pitch in one direction that must be maintained?

Cut slots in the concrete close together with an angle grinder and diamond blade, knock off the little ridges you have just created, and then either flatten with a cup grinder or level up with compound.


How to add another network cable? I am buying a house and it has cat-5 cable going to all the rooms. However, it has an RJ-11 plug on it. I'd like to leave that in place and run an additional one or two cat-6 cables. How can I do this without tearing out the drywall?

Currently, all the cables terminate in a patch panel in the garage. This is a two story house, and many of the sockets are on the first floor.

I'm looking specifically for gigabit ethernet because I will use it. (Backups, network installs, cross-network file sharing, etc)

If you just want to extend your network you can use your existing electrical system.

This is called power line ethernet You get various version- The simplest being point to point. and more complicated ones that allow for mulitplexing/switching across several units like the one in the image below.

And you can get very advanced and slick ones called power line sockets that are switch traffic across your whole house with these stylish wall plates...

Speeds vary from products but usually start at 55mbs (55megabits = 5mega bytes per second) and I have seen speeds reaching up to 500mbs (50megabytes per second)

Cable is ALWAYS allot more reliable especially if you want to use it for you home multimedia systems, like streaming HD movies from a NAS, playing world of warcraft with ultra low latency so you don't get owned by a noob because of lag. Wireless is good for watching youtube on your smartphone, placing orders from your fridge or letting your guests leach some of your bandwidth. (Trust me- I had Wirless N on my media centre that was 3 meteres above- put in a 100mb cable and now i can watch movies without stress)

Obviously running LAN cable is the cheapest option - I would suggest using some cable conduit.You get various sizes and shapes - and you paint over plain ones if you want to camouflage them into your wall.

But be careful not to land up with something like this.. it is easy.

Some technical benchmarking and limitations

Some more reviews on the netgear 500mbs reviews


Installing drain saddle for Reverse Osmosis (RO) system in brass metal pipes I am trying to install a reverse osmosis RO system under the kitchen sink. The pipes are all metal (brass, I suppose but not sure). where can I install the drain saddle?

The instructions with the RO system and online videos/PDF all assume that the pipes are plastic/PVC etc. Is it OK to drill that 1/4" hole in the metal pipe or will the pipe be too thin and not hold the drain pipe properly?

Thanks much!

Yes, it's fine to install it on a metal pipe.

Drill the hole on the top of the horizontal drain between the garbage disposal and main sink.

If you have problems for some reason, or are still worried about it not being plastic, then replace that one metal pipe with a plastic one.


Main Service Panel - Outdoor/200 amps I am trying to do is pick out a service panel. MY requirements are. Meter on the Left, 4 jaw Ring, no bypass, outdoor, surface mount, 200 amp, Main Breaker, 8 breaker spaces Underground feed and Lower Right Side knockout. What are the requirement I should be looking for in a unit. Is breaker type just preference or is one better then the other. Is Bolt on better for outside use, versus Plug on. I will install a 100amp breaker and feed to an RV panel on same board. It has it's own breakers for 50/30/20amp plugs.
Thank you in advance

It’s up to you whether to get a combo meter-main-panel it get them as separates.  I prefer a separate meter from panel, so You can change the panel without having the PoCo come out and remove the service drop (and all the permits and inspections they will require for that).
A “farm panel” is a popular product that contains 8 breaker spaces and thru-lugs for carrying the full 200A onward to another panel.  That seems to meet your requirements.


What could cause my radiators to go cold when the hot water is turned on? When only heating is selected on my program timer the radiators all work fine and are hot. But when both heating and hot water are on the water gets hot but all the radiators go cold. When the hot water is up to temperature on the tank thermostat the radiators still don't get hot until I turn the heating off then the hot water off then on and off again. Then turn the heating on again and it works OK. I have a 3 position zone valve and this makes a banging noise when the water is first turned on. Could it be the valve that is faulty because I have had to replace it twice now in the past 3 years. The current one is about 13 months old. Or could it be the pump that's the problem?

It does sound likely that the 3 position zone valve is the problem, or likely more accurately the actuator that controls the valve is the problem.

To check that it is the actuator: remove the actuator from the valve body (there's normally a button to press which releases it), and then turn the heating on/off and the hot water on/off and see how the actuator moves - does it go into three different positions? (NB, the total rotation from all-heating to all-hotwater is a lot less than you'd probably expect; something like 40 degrees if I remember correctly.)

Possible faults with the 3 position zone valve (off the top of my head):

The actuator isn't wired in correctly and so isn't receiving the correct signals. If you've previously replaced the valve (including, I assume, the actuator), and wired up the new actuator however the old one was wired, then this might be the problem.
The valve itself is gunked up / not moving freely. A symptom of this would be that when the actuator is removed from the body it rotates as expected, but then when replaced onto the body it stops moving. Perhaps if you've previously replaced the actuator but not the valve body, this could be the problem.
One of the springs in the actuator has come loose/broken. The actuator relies on springs to return the valve to the default position when unpowered. Normally the default position is hot water though, so this would be more likely to be the problem if it you were getting heating but no hot water. If this is the problem you'll probably need to replace the actuator. Or if this is happening repeatedly, buy a better quality valve/actuator!


3 phase (delta) power to single phase space heater I bought a 240V single phase, space heater for heating up a warehouse space.  The warehouse has 240V power in a delta configuration (no neutral).  My understanding is that in a delta configuration, the line voltage between any two phases is the same as the phase voltage, in this case, 240V.  So I should be able to wire the the heater between any two lines, right?

Here's what 3-phase delta looks like.

This happens to be 240V and uses the common 3-phase colors of black, red, blue.

It's that simple, folks.  3 phases, No Neutral.

One error of belief is thinking every service must have a neutral.  It doesn't.   This was Tesla's genius.

Delta is used in industrial facilities where a few tools need a medium amount of power for a few larger tools.  It would be rare to see lighting or other minor loads run off it.  A motor which takes 240V 3-phase can typically be jumpered to also work on 480V 3-phase, and that is much more efficient to distribute. I would never install 240V today, I'd install 480V.

Obviously there's only one voltage.  Pretty straightforward.  Now what's this?

It's the exact same thing.  The only difference is using alternate colors. The point here is that any color may be used (except white, gray or green) including orange.  NEC doctrine is the electrician is expected to measure the circuit to determine voltages. Prince fan? Use Purple Pink Black.

Hook your heater between any two hots.

They are all 240V. Done.

The only other issue is balancing.  If you have several loads, try to put them on alternate phases so you load the 3 phases evenly.

We're done here.

So what's this Other Thing then?

This thread is dominated by discussion of some other system which is not relevant to OP.  It's a red herring.  But since it keeps coming up, let's talk about it.  This is "high-leg" or "wild-leg" delta, which is a clever rearrangement of delta to get 120V single-phase loads also - to avoid the cost of a separate 240/120V single-phase service. See how a neutral has been added halfway down a phase.

If you want to use 120V appliances, this only works on 240V delta.

Notice two mandatory wire colors.  Of course, neutral must be white or gray.  The "wild leg" - with much higher voltage to neutral - must be orange. It's one of very few cases where a "hot" color is mandated. However in any other circuit, you can use orange for any hot, and that's exactly what happened in our second example. That means if you see black-red-orange-white, it could be anything including 600V wye.  You better test it.

So when someone says "Delta" they do not mean "wild-leg delta". They mean "delta".  Don't go buying something that needs 120V or 208V expecting it to be there in delta service.  It won't be unless they specify wild-leg/high-leg.

All the 120V loads load up the A-C phase.  If there's a desire to run a significant number of 120V circuits, 208V "wye" 3-phase does a better job of it, while allowing loads to be balanced. If lighting is the primary load, 480V "wye" is a "swiss army" voltage, allowing 240V/480V motors to run in delta connection and lighting to work in wye, using a hot-neutral 277V connection.


Should I bypass a thermal cut-off switch on my oil furnace? My thermal cut-off switch for my oil furnace blew and my neighbor replaced it until a tech could come out and check it when I had my cleaning. The switch blew again and the furnace tech bypassed the switch instead of installing a new one. Should a new one be reinstalled, or is it fine to just bypass it? My neighbor said its a safety issue because if it gets to hot the switch won't be able to shut the furnace off.

I would really want to know why the switch failed twice, and running the unit without all safety devices seems like a bad plan.  I'd find a new tech (don't use the other guy again) to diagnose the actual problem and install a new switch correctly.

The tech may have never seen a thermal cut-off switch do anything and decided it wasn't needed, but that's not really something that should be done.  Your neighbor is right - get it fixed properly.


PEX Line Toilet Water Supply Disconnect I just bought a house built in 1984 it has PEX plumbing. I need to remove a toilet to install a new floor and I noticed the water supply line to the toilet connects to a water shut off valve that I’ve never seen before. It looks like a PVC bonnet or nut cap thing With a half crescent ring that you turn left or right to turn the water on or off. Are these reliable or should I replace with a quarter turn ball valve. I really don’t want to do anything unnecessary but a PVC shut off valve gives me anxiety as an inexperienced DIY homeowner

With a manifold system, each branch has its own valve, so it is more common to not have a valve at the point of use.  If you are more comfortable with an additional valve next to the toilet, you can certainly add a typical 1/4 push-fit shut off valve.

If for some reason the manifold doesn't have individual valves or something is wrong with them, you would simply need to turn off the main water valve to the house so you could remove that straight fitting and replace it with a valve like you would do in an older home.


Placing stone over metal fireplace face. Is this possible? let me start by saying I have seen mixed answers all over the web (and from professionals whom I have spoke to). At this point I wanted to hear thoughts from folks online.

As seen in my picture I am looking to tile the remaining black metal fireplace face with the same stone seen surrounding it. I have checked the installation instructions and the metal can be covered with a non combustible material. It is also worth noting the fireplace is gas, the metal is pretty solid (doesn’t expand when I push it) and even after running the fireplace for 2-3 hours it doesn’t get to hot to the touch. (But definitely heats up)

My question is: Is it possible to apply a tile or stone to this black metal fireplace using modern technology? If so how? I have been told the following solutions “could” work:

1.) use latapoxy 310 to set the stone directly on the metal face

2.) use latapoxy or a high tempature adhesive to glue concrete board to the metal face and tile as needed.

3.) screw the cement board directly to the metal box and tile as needed (could also glue and screw using high tempature adhesive)

4.) use some special mortar which handles high temps tires

5.) there were other options using lathes and what not but outside my realm of understanding :)

I would love to hear opinions on this, if anyone has done this? If it’s possible?

Thanks so much guys!

The manufacturer of the fireplace is okay with it, so you definitely can. I have done it many times and I found it the best option is to use cement board and then the appropriate application method for the finishing material. I've always used high temperature morter of various kinds and never had an issue. The key to remember is, accessibility to service the fireplace. Any openable panels must remain that way. Avoid man made stone that has epoxy in it as it tends to discolour. Many fireplaces I have installed are actually unfinished everywhere except the glass and require a stone finishing right up to it.

From the Safety data sheet


How to fix baseboard header periodic buzzing A baseboard heater in my apartment emits a short buzzing sound every 16-17 seconds. It seems to happen only when the room is near the temperature I've set on my thermostat, that is, only when the heater is keeping the room at a certain temperature, and not when it's working hard to raise the temperature. The buzzing isn't loud, but it's mildly irritating.

Does anyone know how to keep the heater quiet?

Check the contacts in your thermostat and in the relay for your heater. It sounds like they're not opening completely when the desired temp is reached. If it's an old mechanical thermostat with the mercury switch, look for slag floating in the switch, in which case you'd want to replace it. If this is a rental unit, check with the landlord before doing any work and see if they'll correct the problem.


Help identifying possible dual pot light plug In my kitchen, I have a number of ceiling lights that take MR16 bulbs. However, I noticed that the plugs seem to also accept another kind of bulb as well. At first, I thought these other sockets were for GU10's, but the spacing in this plug is actually wider than the two GU10 prongs.
The main reason I'm wondering is because it would be great if a larger, brighter bulb could go here as the kitchen is a bit too dim.
Picture below:

Thos MR16 GU5.3 light bulbs are 12 volt bulbs. The GU10 bulbs are 120 volt. There is little to zero chance that this is some sort of "Dual Socket". And if it were, it would still likely be just a 12 volt supply.
The round things in the picture are rivets that hold the fixture together.
To brighten the fixture, I'd recommend a bright, new LED bulb. Your fixture likely has a power supply with a watt limit somewhere, if you can access it, check the largest total watts you can draw on that switch and get a bulb as close to that as possible. If you don't know the power supply rating, then just try the highest output MR16 bulb you can find anyway. They usually don't take much power. Many of the fixtures were designed for incandescent anyway.
You might already have what WAS a bright LED bulb in that socket. Over time, and this is especially true of the early models made years ago, LED bulbs go dim. They may never burn out, but they loose brightness so an easy way to fix a dim fixture is to just get a new bulb. Looks like 75 watt equivalents are available. This one is rated for 700 lumens and consumes 9 watts but you might want to look for one that is Energy Star listed as they won't go dim as quickly.


Notching Rafters for wires to res Is it safe from a structural standpoint to put small notches ( 1 inch deep x 3 1/2 in long at the deepest/longest point, not the whole area) in 5ea of the 2x6 bottom chords across attic area that run from front of house to back of house to allow wires running though the area to lay so i can put plywood pieces down and use area as storage and not have the plywood sitting on wires?

No, it's not. You'll weaken the rafters.   Edge cuts are particularly harmful to structural members.

If anything, you would rip a whole bunch of shims, (say, 7/8" thick), and lay them across the tops of the rafters, omitting them where the wires are.   Or sister the rafters.

However, this would create a second code violation: wires too close to the floor surface, and vulnerable to being nicked by nails.   This can be remedied by putting steel "nail plates" above the wires to guard them from nails up to 1-3/4" long.  However it wouldn't be enough to protect only above the rafters, because the cables are being drawn taut between rafters, so they are vulnerable there too, especially near the rafters.

Stapling the wires to the rafters and using sufficiently thick shims would take care of that.

You're also not allowed to cut the -- well, hold on. You're not allowed to cut the cables and then make a desperate, taut splice with what little length remains.   You are allowed to cut, reroute and splice additional length in the middle.  However all splicing must be inside junction boxes*, and the boxes must remain accessible forever.   I recommend large-ish steel boxes, because if you do have a bad connection that arcs, the steel won't melt and burn through, and will distribute the heat around the entire box, reducing the chance of any point turning hot enough to ignite building materials.

Steel junction boxes, plus non-flexible metal conduit (EMT, RMC or IMC) are a great way to make the "shim" strategy actually work.  Now the shim needs to be no thicker than the pipes, i.e. 7/8".  These tough pipes are their own nail plates, taking that problem off the table. Inside the conduit, you'd use THHN/THWN-2 individual wires; up to 4 circuits per conduit pipe. The pipes are also their own grounds, meaning no need to push ground wires through the conduits.  Most circuits only need 2 wires, and the 1/2" trade size of these pipes can support 9 or 10.

There's no profit in using 3/4" pipe.  You could use 1" pipe and put up to 10 circuits in a pipe, but the wires in the pipe would need a wire size "bump", 14 AWG cable -> 12 AWG THHN, 12 AWG cable -> 10 AWG THHN. In those cases I prefer to lay two or three 1/2" pipes, especially if bending is involved.

* If you ask how to splice without a junction box, the Home Depot clerk will cheerfully press one of these into your hands.  No mention will be made of the fact that these are illegal, except in very particular applications.  These are the same dim-bulbs who will cheerfully recommend a NEMA 10 dryer outlet "since it's universal".


Can two neutrals on different legs of the same circuit be connected together to shared neutral of ceiling fan? Situation: half way through construction, a change in plans on ceiling fan operation occurred. Wires were originally ran to 3way switches and on to ceiling fan. Then came the decision to separate the fan to be operated by its pull switch (keeping the light kit wall switched). A new 12/2 supply wire was able to be ran on unfinished side of room to get power to box, but I am questioning the neutrals. Maybe I’m overthinking this, but is it ok to have the two separate legs supplying fan and lights (legs are on same circuit) and have the neutrals from both lines wire nutted together with the single/shared neutral line of the ceiling fan?

I wouldn’t normally wire something like this and if it weren’t for code now requiring neutral up to switch box, I would kill that supply line side and just use the other side as supply.
Thanks in advance for any wisdom out there!

There is a simple rule of thumb that keeps you honest, about cabling: No loops.  What you just drew there is a loop.  You can't have loops.

Think about a tree - trees have many places where they branch or split. But you never see two branches re-merge so they are connected and interchange life fluids.  That doesn't happen.

So all wiring must be a tree - unlimited splits involved, but no re-looping back.

This setup has a loopback.  It must be cut somewhere to be legal.

Mind you, the cut can be at a device or switch box, by having either a physical or imaginary "partition" separating all non-ground wires). Safety ground wires are allowed to cross the partition/loop/web, but never neutral.

So if you can obtain a fan with separated neutrals for fan and light, or if the fan's instructions include a procedure for having the same effect,  then you can indeed have the lamp+its neutral powered off the 3-ways and their accompanying neutral, and the fan+its neutral powered off the branch coming over from the lamps.

The problems with looping are serious -- buzzing wires which then causes metal fatigue, cracking and overheating or arcing...  heating in metal bits near this wire, and high EMF which can trouble animals or people who are EMF-sensitive.

When the "tree" plan is followed properly, all currents in each wire are balanced by an equal and opposite current in the other wire(s) of the cable. This causes the EMFs to cancel each other out, because that's the way magnetism works.


Proper methods for cleaning window sill See photo.  I'm not even sure I'm using the right terminology, because I don't know the name of this type of window.

It's very hard to get these areas clean from the inside. Is it truly necessary to remove the screen, open the window, wet, and spray out this funk?

The ridges that make the seal just seem to fight against anything being removed from the area.

If you know the type of window and a better way to ask this question, I welcome new title/clarity suggestions!

Cleaning them:

If I have good access from outside I push up screen (or remove), close window and hit it with a hose or power washer - from a decent distance.
Open window and get everything wet.  Soap and hot water.  With one paper towel you can take away 90% of the dirt on one window.
Use old toothbrush, old butter knife, and a washcloth on the rest.
Dry them with a clean rag.
Apply a marine wax (here is a brand I have used with good results).  By waxing it you are not ridding yourself of window cleaning.  However I have found that a lot less stuff will stick to your window sill/track in the short term (6 months).

Aside from shuttering up your windows, you will always get dirt in thise area.


Replace A T5 Fluorescent to A T8 LED I currently have a T5 Fluorescent Fixture which one socket broke. I got a great deal on LED Bulbs which are a direct replacement to T8 Fluorescent bulbs. Would I be able to reoutfit the fixture with T8 Sockets, or would I need to change the ballasts too?

The T5 fixtures have several differences the first is they are shorter than a T8 so no you can't use the T8 lamps.

2nd would be,
The tombstones are smaller in a T5 and not compatible with T8 or T12.

Last the T5 fixtures and lamps I use require 54w ballasts where the T8 only require 30-40w this may be a problem for both the ballast and the new led lamp if you could make it fit.

A new fixture is the only real path forward for T8 but T5 tombstones are inexpensive if you want to save the fixture.


Can I splice NM-B cable in the ceiling? I am moving my bathroom exhaust fan from its current location to 2 feet farther, over the shower cabin.
I need to extend existing wire for this. I can't fish new wire because existing wire has been secured to joist/studs with nail/staples.
As per code I have to splice wire into junction box and it has to be accessible. So I have to install this box in ceilling and hide it with cover plate.
I found this other post which mentions some NEC exception which allows  this product called "Tyco NM splices".
Does this exception apply to my case? NEC language is sometimes hard to interpret.

The Code language has changed since the quoted link, now (as of 2014 through 2020) saying "...exposed cable wiring and for repair wiring...", removing the word rewiring. Significance of the change would be up to the local Authority Having Jurisdiction, but many agencies such as the NEW YORK ELECTRICAL INSPECTION AGENCY make it clear this means not for rewiring.
If doing a remodel or renovation you have to demo enough to repair structural, HVAC, plumbing, and electrical up to current codes. No exception is in the NEC for too inconvenient or too expensive.


Exterior foundation drain pipe location relative to the footer Our house—built in 1989 in the Kansas City, MO area—has a walk-out basement with exterior foundation drain pipes daylighted. The drain pipe on the east wall had a complete blockage, so I dug it up in order to replace it. The drain pipe—4-in perforated, corrugated black pipe—was sitting on top of the footer. What is the proper location for the drain pipe—on the footer or next to the footer? Or to be safe, should I install one drain pipe on top of the footer and another next to the footer?

You can install your drainpipe on your footing or next to it, but the critical issue is that it is BELOW your basement slab.
Drainpipe systems are designed to capture ground water leaking down from storm water, downspouts, etc. AND from a rising watertable.
Ideally the 4” perf pipe should be encased in about 12” to 18” envelope of drainrock and protected with a filter fabric wrapped around the drainrock envelope. (This fabric will keep the soil from flowing int the perf pipe and plugging it again.) In addition the basement wall should have a waterproofing (mastic) applied to it and then cover the mastic with a mesh that protects the mastic when you backfill and allows water to “flow” down the surface of the wall and directly into the perf pipe. (Make sure the mesh extends into the drainrock envelope.)
We like the bottom of the perf pipe to be about 4”-6” below the bottom of the basement slab.
You say your pipe daylights, which is good. Make sure it flows down and do not tie downspouts into it, because it could overflow the system and backup to your basement wall.


I found an electrical outlet hidden behind wood paneling. Do I need to cut the paneling and remove the outlet? I was hoping to quickly flip out a few electrical receptacles in my basement; however, I found that one of the outlets was connected to a outlet floating behind the wood paneling.
Is this okay given that that the receptacle is boxed in, or do I need to cut out the wood paneling on this corner to address and resolve somehow?
Hidden Box

Edit: I cut the paneling to expose the issue. It looks like it is pretty damaged and corroded. So, now should I be okay to just rewire the outlet as it was only with a new box and receptacle as long as I make the outlet accessible, correct? I wouldn’t mind having a couple of more outlets. It sounds like I should secure the wire and add clamps to the other already exposed outlet as well. Thanks all.
Exposed

Wear

It's definitely a code violation, boxes have to be accessible without cutting the wall finish - paneling in this case.
The main problem with a buried junction box is that there's no way to know that there's a splice there when troubleshooting and there's no way to inspect the work inside.  Splices are common failure points and if the splice goes bad, it's a real pain to find and fix.  And a bad splice can definitely heat up, so it's a fire hazard.
Think about this:  even if inaccessible junction boxes were code compliant, would you trust those boxes in your wall?  I personally wouldn't trust either, not the one that's dangling nor the one that's attached to the stud.  None of the cables are strapped down, and I don't see any clamps where the cables enter the boxes.  Who knows what kind of dumpster fire might be inside those boxes.
So I'd say just bite the bullet and fix it.  If I am following the photos, you have three choices:

Eliminate the dangling box - replace the cable that feeds these with one long enough to land right in the bottom receptacle box.  (This could be a lot of work.)

Use a NM splice repair kit.  These do appear code compliant, they have a listing for repairs and don't have to be accessible.  Unfortunately they are junky and make an insulation displacement splice and I just don't trust them.

Redo that dangling box so it's accessible.

So I'd probably be going with that last option, it is not much work.  You'd just remove that dangling box, set a box on the stud, and staple down the cable coming down into it.
It looks like there's enough cable to reach a box set at switch height.  Even though it will just wind up with a blank cover, it will look better at switch height than at some random height.  Add a short cable from that box to the receptacle below, also secured properly, splice, button everything up, and hang a picture over the blank cover.


How to Make Freestanding Pegboard Walls? I was just over at a place called "Value IT" which used to be called "Value City", and the owners were really creative; they dropped the "C" and the "Y: from the sign to rename the store without buying an entirely new sign.  That's just the spirit of that place.

Anyway, aside from this store having wonderfully cheap second hand stuff, it also has walls; and not just any walls; Perforated Hardwood walls, everywhere, so that the landscape of the store can be modified to suite whoever and whatever a vendor may be selling there.

Me being a meta sort of a person, I can't help but wonder where I can get some of these Perforated Hardwood walls for my own place.  It would be wonderful to see a mess somewhere, and then organize it on the wall!  And if I ever had to move as my capitalist masters frequently dictate; it would be nice to be able to just pack up my wall, and move it to another location...or if as with the vendors at Value IT, my needs would change, I could just take the wall own and re-purpose it.

Now when I was rummaging around "Value IT" as I frequently do, I found an entire stack of the Perforated Hardwood, and it read on the label "Georgia Pacific Clutter Cutter"; which led me to figure out that it was called Perforated Hardwood or "Pegboard".  But I was unable to find out what the stuff that fits inside these walls is called.  I mean you can't just setup some peg board unless you have a garage with just some wooden rafters behind it to go with it;  So in order to make the "walls" there are these vertical metal inserts that you screw the Perforated Hardwood into on both sides in order to form a wall.  I suppose it also requires that you have at least two walls facing a 90 degree angle, which makes it seem to me like there are probably at least two kinds of inserts.  Anyway the metal inserts for inside the walls were there too, but I couldn't find a label on any of them to find out what they were called.

Does anybody know what those metal inserts inside the walls are called?  If they indeed come in more than one variety, let me know that too;  Or if they go by one more aliases, just as the pegboard / Perferated Hardwood does.  They look pretty cheap and flimsy, but if they do the job, I'm fine with it.

The metal things in the walls are metal studs, used in place of wooden studs. In other words, these walls are built like any other interior wall, facing material over framing, with appropriate attention to possible fire hazards and so on.

Pegboard is perforated hard board, not hardwood.


How to indentify if the crack on plastered brickwalls is cosmetic or structural? First up, I understand these kind of things are best left to experts' inspection and internet forums won't help much. I have called an engineer but until he arrives in a day or two, for my solace, I am asking this question. FYI I am just short of having a panic attack!

About the house

Ours is a three storeyed house about 35 years old. It is a brick wall and concrete plastered house all the way, typical of India, and has 11 columns in all. Till 2011 there was a small room on the third floor and the rest was terrace. In 2011 the room was extended incorporating the entire terrace. Before the extension we had contacted an engineer and he inspected the house and gave a go ahead. The problem is in this new floor.

About the cracks

Lately, possibly from the beginning of this year, I have noticed hairline cracks on all the walls. Most of them are thin and vertical. They don't go all the way. Some start at the top near the ceiling and stop midway. Some start midway and stop midway. None go all the way to the bottom to the floor, and none rise from there. Only two cracks have a vaguely diagonal shape but they don't continue all the way and stop midway. All the cracks stop abruptly. Although the cracks don't seem to be mirroring on both sides of the wall, they are present in some places (not all) and close to mirroring.

The cracks don't seem to be widening but I get to see more cracks the more I look. I am not sure if they were always there or are they developing newly. I am very scared TBH. The reason I am panicking is I have absolutely no clue about the seriousness. My father thinks they are just air cracks on the plaster. We had called the contractor (not the engineer) a couple of months back and he said the same.

What is a good layman's way of determining the seriousness of the cracks?

I have two related questions:

Isn't it a bit late for the structural defects, if any, to start showing up after three years? Shouldn't it be apparent during the construction or within the first few months?
If it is indeed structural, against my hope, will the house collapse without warning or will there be telltale signs?

A good way to determine the seriousness is to call an engineer, as you have done.

Because soils can settle, water can degrade materials, concrete and other materials can expand and contract over time, storms exert wind forces, and seismic events occur, design and/or construction  issues may express themselves in the structural system at any time. So may cosmetic issues.


Handy Box Extension on a Plastic wall box I current have plastic wall boxes. I need to connect to a MC conduit, which connects to an metal handy box with an receptacle. (NM to receptacle is not appropriate in this case).

I also have another 2 gang plastic wall box which needs to be connect to a FMC conduit attached to a cooktop. Can I use a two gang extension ring with knockouts?

Is it up to connect to install a metal extension ring with knockouts over a plastic wall box, as long as I put in a metal grounding click with wire, and join that wire to the other electrical ground conductors?

There are extension rings that fit over a standard single gang ring

Like any metal box, you'd have to bond the box to the EGC (green / bare wire) with a grounding screw or clip.

It will work just as shown in the photo for a single gang ring.  I learned in a comment below, you can rotate the box 90* and the four holes in the back of the box will line up for a double gang ring.


closing cold water inlet valve to propane water while away for 2 months I have a 16 year old State Industries 40 gal propane water heater. It currently works fine (only issue I've ever had was to replace the thermocouple a couple of years ago). However, I'll be away for two months, and I worry what would happen if the water heater gave out and began to leak while I was away. Rather than have the possibility of water running non-stop and flooding my house in that scenario, I want to shut the cold water inlet valve off going into the top of the tank. That way, the worst that could happen is that the water in the tank would drain out if it leaked (which really wouldn't be that much of a problem). Unless it's absolutely necessary, I really don't want to drain the tank, turn off the pilot and/or turn off the gas. If it's not unsafe or going to damage the water heater, I'd rather just turn the cold water valve off, and when I return to the house, turn it back on and wait for the water to heat up before using it again? Will that work?

If you turn off the water supply to a hot water tank, you should also turn off the heat so that there isn't a chance of heating an empty tank. Leaving the pilot on is fine, but leave it set to pilot only.

Other than that, it's a fairly standard practice to shutoff all the water, not just the hot water, in an unoccupied vacation home. I would recommend a 1/4 turn ball valve, instead of the traditional gate valves, because the latter are prone to failure when used. It's also important to set the thermostats in the home to keep it warm enough to prevent any pipes from freezing inside the walls if your location gets that cold.


What would cause all my gfi recepticles to not reset in my kitchen? All my recepticles that are gfi except one will not reset nor will the outlets that are protected by them work? My house was built in 2006 and the receptacles are levitons. It tripped the breaker about a week ago then all of them stopped working except one. The one gfi has a crack in it. What do I need to check?

Assuming the GFI isn't defective, there are three common things that can keep it from resetting:

There is no power to the outlet.
The GFI is wired in backwards: the wires coming from the breaker box are connected to the "load" side of the outlet rather than the "line" side.
There is a ground fault somewhere in the circuit the GFI is protecting.

Given that the breaker tripped, (3) is very much a possibility.  Alternatively, since you say there's a crack, the GFI may have been damaged.


What knots/hitches should I use to attach a log to a screw eye? I have a log that I want to hang against the wall, creating a small shelf. I'm attaching the logs to two iron screw eyes using 1/4" hemp rope, for a rustic look. Here's a diagram:

The screw eyes don't have a closed loop; they're open-ended like a hook. The log itself is very lightweight, and I don't plan on storing anything heavy on the log itself. The two candidate logs have several flat edges, they're not perfectly circular (see pictures below).

What knots/hitches should I use to attach the rope to the log and screw eye? My main goals would be to have a secure hold on the log. Beyond that, having an aesthetically pleasing hitch would be nice, too.

Initial googling pointed to a timber hitch to attach the log to the rope, but I also read that it's only secure under load, and comes easily undone (it's designed for dragging timber along the ground, I think).

Here are images of the two candidate logs (I'll only use one, unless I do this project twice):

A boom hitch (ABoK #1687), might look nice around the log.

A simple bowline (ABoK #1010), or other secure loop would be fine for the hooks.

A simple loop with a decorative weave on the standing end, might also look nice.  That way the decorative bit would be above/below the loop.


How can I insulate a sash window? I just moved into an old flat which has old and weathered down sash windows which let a lot of cold air in. As Scotland does get very cold at times I would like to insulate them in a cheap and efficient way. If it lasts for only a winter that would be fine, longer would be better of course.

My windows look like this more or less:

just that i only have 4 glass tiles (2 in the upper sash and two in the lower).

The main source of heat loss is not through the glass but through the gaps in the window frame and where the sashes rattle.

There are various ways you can reduce the air flow though the window.

The cheapest would be to install some cling film secondary glazing. This one looks like it just tapes up over the windows to keep the draughts out. Other systems use heat to shrink the film to size.

You could hang some heavy curtains. Make sure that they reach all the way to the floor and are plenty wide enough so you can have maximum gathering. If you line them as well there'll be two layers of fabric between the window and the room.

Next up is something like this from 365 Plastics. It's sheets of perspex cut to size and fastened to the windows with magnetic strips. We have this and it works quite well. The main drawback is storing the sheets in the summer.

A less visible solution, which you might want to use in association with one of the above is to renovate the windows with something like one of these draught proofing kits (others are available!). With these you replace the staff and parting beads with the supplied parts that include brush pile that forms the actual draught-proofing.