How should I fix incomplete insulation on a skylight shaft? I recently bought a house and am looking at doing improvements and repairs, but unfortunately I don't have a lot of experience or knowledge in such things.  We had a home inspector look over the place and he noted the lack of insulation on one side of the skylight shaft and provided the pictures shown here:

I wanted to pass my current plan by some people on here before proceeding...

I was planning on placing batting up against the bare wall (which already seems to have a vapour barrier there against the drywall) and then using vapour barrier sheets to hold it in place by stapling the barrier into the studs visible in the photos.  I'd then tape the sheets of vapour barrier together.  This is what was suggested to me at the hardware store I bought the materials from.  Is it daft, good, acceptable, or something else?

You do not want a vapor barrier on the cold side of the insulation. Switch your plan to use an air barrier (or an open mesh, since you should have little air movement in the space) and it makes more sense. On the other hand, if you already bought the plastic, just poke it full of holes (but do not poke through to the warm-side vapor barrier.)

But - this will leave you with essentially uninsulated areas at each stud, and compressed insulation near them - particularly galling since they are "flat-ways" (1-1/2" thick.) It would be better to attach ~6" wide boards to the studs (sticking out from the wall), so you have a nearly 6" deep cavity to fill with insulation, and no compression where the plastic or mesh is attached.

Edit post-comments: You could also fill in between the flat studs with 1-1/2" rigid foam cut to fit (and/or sprayfoamed at the edges), and then sheet over the whole thing with 1-1/2 to 2" foam covering the studs (with a bit more sprayfoam sealing any joints or gaps), but your question indicates that you already purchased materials, so I don't want to send you off on a mission to spend more money if it's not really needed. But if you'd rather do that than add boards, it should work fine - especially if you can return the materials you bought.


3-inch recessed lighting junction access I am looking to install 3-inch recessed lighting in room under living areas.  I have the ceiling down so I am using a new-work kit with rails and a pan.  The lights are sold as remodeling and the rest of the parts are sold separately.

So access to the junction with these is gained by dropping the light out of it's clips and pulling the junction through the pan.  This is simple enough when there are no lines running into the box.  But the box just barely fits through the hole in the pan.  Once I put a clamp into one of the knockouts and run a NM-2 cable or two into it, it's nearly impossible to get out.  And when I manage it, I worry that the edge of the hole on the pan is damaging the cable.  In one of these, I need to run more lines (within the limits stated on the box) and at that point, there's no way it's coming through that pan.

Am I missing something?  I can't be the only person to ever have this issue.  The only solution I can think of at this point is to cut a slot in each of the pans to allow for the clamp and wire to come down far enough that I can rotate the box of out the hole.  For the one junction with more lines, I figure I'll have to dig the remodel clamps out of the trash and wait for the drywall to go up and cut the hole as large as possible.  Are there flush clamps that will not protude from the the knockouts or something?

UPDATE: I went by the neighborhood hardware store and got some plastic push-through 'clamps'.  They are almost flush with the outside of the box.  I'm hoping this will resolve my issue for at least the simple configurations.

The plastic push-in connectors did the trick.  I won't say it's super simple to get the box in and out of the pan but it definitely eliminated the issue where the wires were getting jammed against the hole by the clamps.


How much cement and sand to buy for a garden edging project I am planning to lay down edging around the lawn in my garden - leaving about 750 mm wide flower beds along the fence.  All in all, I need to lay down about 23 meters of edging slabs - it will be these ones:

https://www.selcobw.com/flat-top-path-edging-150-x-915mm

The idea is to dig a shallow "trench", pour a base of cement mixture to level the bottom, then set the edging blocks and add a bit more cement mixture on the sides to "fix" them to the base.  Finally, add back some soil to cover all the cement.  There will be about 10 cm of the blocks visible above the ground.

My question is, given the length of 23 meters (about 75 feet) and the width of the blocks of 5 cm (about 2 inches), how much cement/sand do I need to buy?

Assuming 2" around the sides and bottoms, you'll need about 19 cubic feet. 5 bags of cement and 10 bags of sand should do it for you. If you come up short, go and buy some more. If you don't want to come up short, buy more first then return what is unused later. Mix 2 sand : 1 cement.


How do I mount this pullup bar? I bought this pull up bar that is designed to go into studs that are 16" apart Ultimate Body Press

My basement walls are only framed out so I can see all of the studs.  I started to mount it and realized the studs are 18" OC.  I'm trying to think of the best way to get this mounted and strong.

My leading idea right now is to buy 2 more 2x6 studs and attach them to the inside of the existing ones.  There is nothing running through the studs so it should be as simple as lining them up and screwing them together.  I would do a few screws horizontally and then 2 on the top and bottom at a 45 degree angle to attach to the base and top horizontal studs.  I believe the term is toeing?

Are there any downsides to this approach now or in the future.  At some point we will finish the basement and cover this all up with drywall.

Your approach is sound. I wouldn't bother toeing screws in from top/bottom. I would drill through both the stud and the filler board and attach with nuts/bolts/washers (as opposed to threading a screw into the stud). Two bolts above the bar and two below.

Alternatively you can attach horizontal 2x4's across your studs with recessed lag bolts and then mount the pull-up bar to those. Since the 2x4's will be attached to the studs the same way the pull-up bar would have been attached you won't lose much connective strength.


What should go between a wood plank sub floor and a hardwood strip floor I am about to install a hardwood floor into a room in my 1905 farmhouse.  The subfloor is 8-12" wide 1" thick planks.  The floor I am installing is 2-1/4" prefinished solid hickory tongue and groove.

Reading books and web how-tos on this a few have mentioned that there should be a layer of "Construction Paper" between the subfloor and the floor strips.  The accompanying pictures show stuff that is brown, paperlike and comes in 3' or 4' rolls.  I have never seen the like for sale in my local home improvement stores.

What is this "Construction paper"? and is it really necessary?

It's also known as rosin paper:

Its main purpose is to stop air leaking through cracks in the subfloor and floor which is especially important if the space below the floor is unconditioned.  (You'll also find claims that it prevents the floor from squeaking or muffles sound transmission through the floor.)


roof or drylining walls first We are renovating our house, re-roofing, dry lining and getting windows replaced.  The builder recons he will do the dry lining first and then the roof . Does it matter in what order this happens

Well, does your roof leak now? If it leaks and they put in new drywall, and it rains, the new drywall could get leaked on & possibly ruined.

Even if the roof doesn't leak now, they have to tear off the old roof to put a new one on, and they really should wait for good dry weather to do that but sometimes they don't, or unexpected storms appear. So without a roof you almost certainly will have leaks inside the house, again possibly ruining new drywall.

So, with good weather it shouldn't matter. But if it rains & leaks, it will matter. Why not do the roof first?


Switching from dimmer to single pole, how would I do this? I haven't seen something like this before and was wondering if anyone had any idea how I would switch something like this to a single pole light switch.

The dimmer wire (Blue) and fan wire (Black) hook to one terminal on your single-pole switch. The hot wire (Black with white Stripe) hooks to the other terminal on your single-pole switch.


Why are the neutral wires not connected in this box? I want to connect the wiring from my shed into a junction box on the ceiling in the basement. I opened the box to see what I was dealing with, I figured it should be simple, there is only 2 wires going in. but i am confused- black to black, and both white wires just loose on their own. How do I connect my new wire into this box?

This looks like it used to hold a light fixture that was controlled by a switch. One white conductor is a grounded (neutral) conductor, the other is a switched ungrounded (hot) conductor (presumably).

To verify, follow the cable in both directions (one direction at a time, unless you have a split personality) and see if it eventually runs to another light fixture or a switch.

Alternatively, you could carefully connect a multimeter to the two wires. Then run about wildly flipping switches until either a reading is displayed, or the reading goes to 0.


Replacement Parts for In-Ground Grill I need a new grill, and I'm going to try to get this in-ground grill up and running.  This is a natural gas line that's run from the house.  It's been unused in the seven years that we've been in the house.  Does anyone know which parts I can use to replace this broken down valve so I can connect to a new grill(not yet purchased)?

I would like for it to continue to have a shutoff, and also be secure to the base which is still very sturdy despite the surface rust.  The current "valve", i.e. second parts from the top has a nut holding it to the base.

Do you think the second part can be reused and just replace the top part?  That would make my search for the needed parts easier but obviously need it to be safe.

I suggest not reusing anything ; disconnect it at the copper tubing and put in a new stainless flex pipe ( and adapter as necessary) to connect to a new grill. When I replaced a similar grill , I also found the steel pedestal tube/pipe was  also severely weakened by corrosion at ground level.


In my garage can a refrigerator and a separate deep freezer be plugged into the same outlet Electrical
Can a refrigerator and a deep freezer in a garage be plugged into the same outlet

You'll want to find out how many amps that circuit provides and, if possible, how many amps or watts each unit can pull. In terms of watts, a 15 amp circuit gives 1800 watts, and 20 amps is 2400 watts. If your fridge and freezer aren't crazy old, there should be a label inside the door that tells you this. My freezer says it's 5 amps and my younger fridge says 3 amps (for comparison). Older devices may vary, depending on the size.

To find out how many amps that plug can give, plug something like a lamp in and flip breakers until it goes out. That breaker will tell you how many amps it is.


Insulating/preventing heat transfer on non-IC rated recessed lights I recently bought a thermal leak detector and discovered that my recessed lights upstairs are leaking a lot of heat and causing the upstairs to be uncomfortable and hard to cool.

This is the brand and model of recessed lights I have.

They are non-ic rated but claim to be "air tight".  However, the cans are still a good 20 degrees hotter than the ceiling around them when the lights are off.  Is it possible to use one of these products to safely insulate them, or do I need to replace them with a more modern housing?

http://www.jrproductsinc.com/shop/pc/Tenmat-Covers-c209.htm

http://www.jrproductsinc.com/shop/pc/Can-Cover-It-c321.htm

Since these cans claim they cannot have insulation within 3 inches, would it be safe to use one the above products (or the like) to cover the cans?

If I do need to replace them with IC rated cans (which I'd rather not do, because of cost and my utter lack of experience), do you have recommendations on what to look for?

Air Tight recessed lights might prevent air seepage from a conditioned area to a non-conditioned area, but they can't do much about thermal transfer.

Proper insulation is the only way to fix large amount of thermal leakage. However, your predicament is going to be that your fixtures are not insulation-contact (IC) rated.

With non-IC fixtures, you'll not only find

  Do not install insulation within 3" of fixture

But you'll likely also find

  Nor above fixture in such a manner to entrap heat

Example

You'll need to check the warning labels and/or instructions for your particular lights, but this all but eliminates the option of putting some sort of heat-trapping box above a fixture with such warning.

You will find it difficult to find a 4" IC rated remodel fixture. They just aren't readily available on the market, except for some speciality LED-driven models.


Multiple Occupancy Sensors to control hot water return pump Can multiple occupancy sensors be used to control a domestic hot water return pump system?
A sensor in each of three bathroom locations wired parallel to start one common low wattage return pump.
A temperature switch would interrupt circuit when return water temp reaches 100 deg F.
Do the sensors need to steal power to run from a closed circuit? This closed circuit is not there in this case.

I am assuming the sensors in the bathrooms are low voltage, say 24V, and rated OK for parallel operation.  Also assuming that the relay that runs the pump is the same low voltage.  Generally the sensors will have three wires, positive in, negative / common in, and switched out.  Let's say it's black, white, and red.

In the basement, you'd connect the all the blacks from the occupancy sensors to 24V+, all the whites to common, and all the reds to run them in parallel.

Then to run in series with the temperature sensor, you'd tie the reds to the black of the temperature sensor, the white of the temperature sensor to the other whites, and the red of the temperature sensor to the coil / primaray + terminal of the relay that runs the pump.

The white of the coil of the relay that runs the pump would tie to all the other whites.  The secondary / contacts of the relay would switch power form the pump.


Increasing the capacity of an electric baseboard thermostat The electric baseboard heat in my living room has a mechanical thermostat (bimetallic strip) that occasionally gets stuck in the "on" position.  I'd like to replace it with a solid-state thermostat, but the current thermostat is rated 22-amps, 240-volts, single-pole, and I haven't been able to find a solid-state replacement rated above 15 amps.  Is there some way to boost the capacity of one of these thermostats so it can handle the full load?

Use the solid state to drive a relay (that actually switches the baseboard) that is rated for the amps.


Dishwasher - 3/8 inch 90° elbow leaks. How do I tighten it without overtighting it and it is pointing down? I've installed a new dishwasher, but the 3/8 inch 90° elbow leaks.
How do I tighten it without overtightening it and it is pointing down?
I put two wraps of teflon tape and hand tightened it, and tightened with a wrench about 3/4 turn.
Thanks for any advice or tips.

Try tightening the elbow more. You don't usually have to worry about over tightening brass on brass, You can torque them pretty good. If the fitting doesn't point down, so be it, it needs to be tight.


Using "interior" door lever on an exterior door I'm replacing the doorknob on my front door; I like the look of this lever, but it's described as

For use on interior doors requiring no locking functionality, such as hallway or closet doors.

(emphasis mine)
I have a deadbolt, so don't feel the need to spend the extra $30 on the locking variant which is described as

For use on exterior doors where keyed entry and security is needed.

As far as I can tell the materials are the same and I should be okay using the non-locking lever. Obviously it depends on the product, but generally speaking is "for use on interior doors" just a recommendation based on security needs? Or is there some reason I should get the locking model?

I did exactly that because I was always getting locked out. The finish on an exterior knob/handle may not last as long if used as an exterior knob/handle. I have a storm door with glass so that's not a concern for me. If someone is trying to break in they'll have a harder time with the deadbolt than the door knob.


What is this cast-iron device on my water supply pipe? This is on the water main for the house, just downstream of the main shutoff valve. Water is going up in the picture, as the arrow shows. Is it a strainer? A check valve? Pressure regulator? It appears to say "Parts No. 135CM2" but I couldn't find anything matching that on google. I cannot read any part of the logo so I can't search on that.

It's a pressure regulator. The screw at the top turns in (clockwise) to increase the pressure, and turns out (counterclockwise/anticlockwise) to decrease the pressure.  The plug at the bottom (adjacent to the screw) can be where a pressure gauge goes for the low pressure side, but it's plugged off.  The other plug towards the input is where you can loop back into the high pressure side.


How to find or make a 72" tall interior solid door I'm trying to finish a large closet into a makeshift office. I'd like to add a door to the opening to the room. The opening is 32" wide by 73". I was looking for a 30x72" prehung door, but everything seems to be 80" tall, and I don't think trimmable doors are designed to cut off 8".

How do I find or build a door that's the right size?

Thanks!

Search the internet for "architectural salvage"* in your area. Here you'll find everything from old doors & hardware to tubs, door knobs, shelves, and who-knows-what.

Look for a door that's 32" wide by at least 73" tall. If you're anywhere near a major urban area, you'll probably have several hundred to choose from. When you find the one you like, you've got about a 99.9999% chance of it being made of solid wood so you can safely & easily cut the extra height off. If the one you like is wider, you can most likely cut some extra width off, too. You can cut some from the top and bottom to keep the panels centered, or cut from only one end to re-center the panels (it's entirely possible that someone cut off only one end previously, leaving them off-center).

If you don't have the tools to do the cuts, they'll probably be happy to make them for you for a small additional fee. At the places local to me, I've seen doors with the old lock mortises very professionally filled so you can install modern lock/knob sets on them. They were happy to cut holes for a modern lock set for me, as well. They can probably fill the old hinge mortises, as well, so you can put new ones where you need them if you can't use the existing ones in the door.

While you're there, enjoy looking around at all the amazing things that have been pulled out of old houses. Be careful, though, you may end up buying more than you came for!

*There are other terms for this, too, but they're just not coming to me yet. It's early and the coffee hasn't fully kicked in.


Good way of trimming a glass plate? I have a cooker hood in mind which has a flat glass plate around the chimney/suction part, just short of 1cm thick. (I want this particular design as the hood will obscure a window slightly and also so I can store light things such as salt, pepper and a few herbs/spices on top of it.)

It is wider than the hob and it may make sense to trim it a bit on one side to allow for a better/deeper cupboard. What is a good way to do this?

The first tool at home I think of is an angle grinder... but I have never used it with glass and I don't know anybody who has. (And I have a lot of respect for these after using them on tiles or metal, even if, say, I was wearing glass splinter resistant head and limb protection!) Thank you.

Although I couldn't find specific reference to tempered glass on the model you listed, other Maan hoods do refer to having tempered glass. The final authority on this would be the manufacturer.

Unfortunately, you can't cut or drill tempered glass. (Essentially, the glass has been treated such that it breaks into small and hopefully less lethal bits when it's broken.)


Can I replace a 15A breaker with a 20A breaker? My new pool pump specs are for  20 Amp circuit on 12 gauge wire. My old pump was on a 15 Amp circuit. I was connected to a 15 Amp GFCI outlet with 12 gauge wire. The pump was 13 years old and we had issues with the electrical motor and shorted wiring. As the new pump calls for 20A, can I just swap out the 15A breaker in my sub-panel for a 20A breaker and change to a 20A GFCI?

If your entire branch circuit is using 12 AWG wire, then yes.  Swap the old breaker with a new 20 Amp GFCI breaker.


What is this panel on my ceiling? How can it be opened? This panel is in our bedroom closet in our apartment.
We're not sure what it is, or how to open it.
Is it for storage? The sprinkler system? A gateway to Narnia?
Can anyone give us any insight?

It is the access panel to the opening to access the attic space above your ceiling.  It has a key lock that the Apt manager or maintenance staff has a key to.


What are things i can do myself to keep mobile home from falling apart until i can get money to repair I live in an Old mobile home.  I am a  53 year old female, single and  some what mechanical. I have a very limited (low) budget.
The walls, inside and out, are coming apart and the cracks are getting wider. The cold is coming thru and the floor is separating.
Things that need attention; roof, walls, wiring, floors. Everything from A to Z, but all that requires money I don't have at moment.
What, if any, are little things I can do to hold it together until I can do better. I have basic tools and can do some things myself.
All suggestions appreciated.

Post an add on craigslist in  the barter section,  just ask if if there are any kind souls who may have time to assist you in doing some upkeep.
There are people in the world that are kind and willing to help. I see posts on craigslist occasionally from folks offering to help the more money challenged of us.
Since money is tight is there anything such as skills, talents, things or space you can offer in trade to a handyman?
Maybe reach out to local civic groups or church's.
Your question is very broad and we can not really give specific advise on each thing with out a very detailed description of the problem. If you have   questions  about specific issues you can post  about each of them  to ask   if it is something you can do yourself with a minimal investment of materials.


Can I remove carpeting that covers a wooden floor? Is it possible to undo the carpet flooring above wooden floor?

Sure, just pull up the carpet. At that point, it depends on the condition of the wood floor. If it was in very poor condition and carpeting was installed to cover it up, you may have a big job of refinishing or replacing it. Otherwise, if the wood floor is in good condition, it's mostly a matter of using some color-matched wood putty to patch the holes made by the carpet tack strips' fasteners around the perimeter of the carpeted rooms.


How can I support second-floor beams when replacing posts in the basement? We are excavating our half basement and need to replace the support posts with new ones on new footings.  The problem is that 2 of the 3 posts also extend to the 2nd floor.  We can't just jack up the joists with temporary shores as in most cases because the beam would be unsupported.

The post goes from the footing block straight up to the 2nd floor and would not be supported by the joists except by nails around it.

This video shows it in the first part.

You're correct, there is no way to do this all from the lower level. Add temporary support to the beams in the basement, then go up a floor to the main level and take the load off that post with temporary supports to transfer the load to those beams.


Run Only The furnace fan I have an old unit that has no control board. It works with a sequencer. (Coleman 3500A816) is it possible to wire it up to to be able to call only the blower to come on and not the heat as well? !

You'll need to add a blower relay to your system
Unfortunately, you have an oddball among electric furnaces in that your furnace controls its blower autonomously using the sequencer relay, much like a gas furnace does with its blower thermostat/limit.  As a result, your electric furnace doesn't support a G wire natively.  Fortunately, it's not too difficult to add one on by splicing a fan relay in at the right spot.  In your case, you (or your HVAC tech of choice, if you're not comfortable modding your furnace) need to:

Get a fan relay with a 24VAC coil and SPDT contacts, as well as appropriately sized female quick connects (1/4" wide, and rated for the gauge of wire in question), and some 18AWG TF(F)N in blue, yellow, and green
Install the fan relay in the wiring compartment of the furnace
Move the existing blue wire from the sequencer over to the common terminal on the fan relay
Make up a jumper of blue TFFN with quick connects on each end and use it to connect the normally closed terminal on the fan relay to the sequencer terminal that the original blue wire connected to
Make up a jumper of yellow TFFN and use it to connect the terminal of the sequencer directly opposite the blue wire (it has a yellow wire and nothing else connected to it from the factory) to the normally open terminal on the fan relay
Make up another jumper of blue TFFN with a quick connect at one end and a stripped end at the other and use it to connect one coil terminal on the fan relay to wherever you connected your C wire to
Crimp a quick connect onto a length of green TFFN and strip the other end, then run that from the other coil terminal on the fan relay to where the thermostat wires connect; this will become your new G wire, when wirenutted to the incoming G wire from the thermostat

Once you're done hooking everything up, you can turn the system back on and test operation both with the thermostat fan switch in AUTO and the thermostat fan switch in ON, then enjoy your upgraded furnace!


How to repair damaged lining paper for painting? I've stripped some old wallpaper in order to paint the walls and discovered painted lining paper beneath. I'm happy to paint over this paper as it's mainly in good condition (and I don't want to deal with whatever the plaster is like below). However it has numerous holes from old fittings (up to about 20mm) and some tears and scuffing where the surface of the paper is exposing the fluffy innards of the paper.

Other than stripping the paper and plastering the wall, what's the recommended approach for repairing the papered surface well enough for painting?

I had exactly this in one room in our house. I simply treated it like a normal wall, filling the holes and sanding until flush.

For the scratches, you could probably just paint over with a 50/50 paint/water mix to seal the fibres, and then sand and fill as necessary when dry.
I find Quick-Dry PolyFilla perfect for light surface scratches. It dries so fast that you can do two or three fill & sand operations in about half-an-hour.

NB:
Make sure you've sugar-soaped the wall really well, as any residue wallpaper-paste may cause the paint to blister.


Adding gas/oil mixture into unmixed gas tank? My wife accidentally added about a cup of gas/oil mixture (50:1) into our lawn mower which takes unmixed fuel. If she fills the rest of the tank with regular gas will there be any problems? Do I have to empty all the gas out?

The tank holds .6 gallons of fuel.

I think this should be fine. The mixed gas will be diluted almost 10x if you fill the rest of the tank with fresh gas. The mower might be a little smokier than usual but you probably won't even notice.

If it makes you feel better you can keep topping up the tank with fresh gas as you use it, that will further dilute the oil. But personally I wouldn't bother.


Should a rough wall be smoothed with mortar before installing tile? I’m looking to replace my kitchen backsplash.  It was previously regular tile and I’m going to replace it with glass/porcelain tile mesh backsplash.
I have removed the old tile and it appears to be drywall  with the old adhesive residue.
I have watched a video where it was recommended to apply thinset to the wall to smooth it across, let it dry completely, and then separately use adhesive and stick the tiles.
The wall is definitely not smooth/flat now.  Do you think it’s a good idea to smooth out the wall with thinset first?
Also, do you recommend I apply mastic With my trowel for installing the backsplash or is thinset ok?  I read that mastic is recommended for glass tiles as it dries faster but not sure.  This is my first time installing tile/backsplash.
This is the tile I’m looking to install.

Royal Pain the ars to make that wall smooth and workable.
I would remove the drywall and install 1/2"
Denshield. No need to remove the cabinets. the Denshield will give you a nice solid surface to work with.
Added benefit to this is that while the wall is open you can change the electrical box's to adjustable depth one's, once your tile is on you can adjust the box, by turning a screw, so it is the correct depth.
I would use a White mastic for your semi-translucent glass tile.


Gas pipe to dryer has wrong adapter A gas tech had told me that we have a wrong type of adaptor connected to steel elbow. See image below.

The gas tech pointed to the elbow joint, but did not tell me what kind of joint I needed to use. Does someone have any idea what can be wrong with it? What kind of adaptor is needed? Thanks.

The elbow looks good, but what happens after that seems to be a mess.

Circled in red appears to be a flared adapter, which is connected to the valve using far too much dope to tell exactly what's going on. I'd assume by the large amount of dope, that it's the wrong type of fitting.

Circled in orange appears to be a galvanized steel nipple, which has tape dope in the threads. First off, that should be a black steel nipple, not a galvanized steel nipple. Second, it's atypical for a gas fitter to use tape dope. This would lead me to believe that the nipple was installed by an amateur.

I would expect to see a short black steel nipple threaded into the elbow, followed by a valve threaded onto the nipple. The valve should either have a flare fitting, or a flare fitting should be attached to the other side of the valve. The supply piping (commonly a flexible fitting), should attach to the flare fitting.

If this was in my house, I'd remove everything back to the elbow. Then I'd install the proper fittings.


is this typical wall framing? I am working on a bathroom renovation.  As part of it I am trying to determine if a wall is load bearing. Wall in question runs parallel to floor and ceiling joists.  A small window of drywall is removed at floor level.  bottom plate of wall is 2x4 and so are studs.  In the attic I moved insulation aside and found the top plate...which is a 2x6.  Anyway the top plate runs past the wall and ends over the hallway bordering the bathroom.  So, is does a top and bottom plate od different sizes make sense?

If its parallel to the joist, you can be pretty sure its not holding anything up other than the 2x6. I'd guess the purpose of the 2x6 is probably there for the edges of the ceiling to be nailed to.


Wet blocks AFTER French drain and weep holes I had water leaking in my cellar from bottom of floor. Water was NOT on blocks at all. Now after French drains and weeping holes put in, the cinder blocks along the bottom of floor are wet. Will this damage my foundation, over time?

It sounds like your water table is very close to the floor level. It's not necessarily damaging to the concrete, after all hydration is what actually cures concrete and concrete peirs are largely unaffected even after hundreds of years sitting in water. Lumber and your possessions in the house are of a concern. I would suspect that you would benift from at least a sump pump and even better, a weeping system tied into the sump pump.


Proper glue for sticking foam on window glass? Strong enough, removable, and without gap Winter is coming. I plan to stick soft polyethelene foam on window glass for thermal insulation. Last time I use Styrofoam glue, and it is a disaster. It is hard to remove it. It take hours with alcohol and box cuter. Is there any proper material for the job? The house is rented. In future I will have to remove it. I am looking for a glue strong enough to keep polyethelene foam and glass together, removable in future, and leave no gap. I tried gap before, if foam and glass has a gap between, moisture condenses and molds. I wonder is 3M 77 spray adhesive will do the job? It sticks like a 3M post-it. Or is there any alternative? Thank you!

Small dabs of clear silicone caulk. You'll have to secure the foam while the silicone cures (maybe 4 hours), but it'll hold very well and will be a breeze to remove and clean up. You could use masking tape or lean a broom against it. Start with pea-sized dabs, and leave them round until the foam presses into them. Keep them away from the window frame for easier removal.
Double-sided foam tape. This would be fast and easy, but it would leave a small gap against the glass. This just means that you'll need to seal the foam well at the edges. Rope caulk could help with that. A few squares around the perimeter should do nicely, or you could seal the entire edge.


Why are two outlets on one circuit suddenly reading 16V? I have two 110V outlets that suddenly only have 16 volts. Both are in the same wall, about 6' apart. The breaker has not tripped. Other outlets on the same circuit work fine. They are only about 10 years old and no work was being done.

Why the sudden drop in voltage?

You have bad wiring or a bad outlet. Turn off the breaker for that circuit immediately as this type of problem can cause arcing or heating at the site of the break, possibly leading to a fire. And no, this type of failure may not trip a breaker.

Depending on your comfort working with household voltages and wiring, you can start troubleshooting by figuring out where the wire for those outlets start and inspecting the end for corrosion, nicks on the conductor, or breaks in the conductor or insulation. Also try replacing the outlets themselves, including the outlet before the non-working outlets.

A quick anecdote: an outlet in my previous house that had been working fine for years developed this weird behavior where if something was plugged in, nothing else in the room worked. Turns out that the outlet had a manufacturing defect that only became apparent after 4 years of use.


how to change furnace filter (bottom return) for Lennox G43UF I have a Lennox G43UF furnace and I am not sure if I need to have both a filter for a side return and bottom return.  If I do (which sounds logical), where would the location of the bottom return filter be?  I just bought a home and there were no filters in place.

The manual for the filter states the following: "This unit is not equipped with a filter or rack. A field−provided filter is required for the unit to operate properly. Table
1 lists recommended filter sizes. A filter must be in place whenever the unit is operating."

Table 1 per above lists the size of filter that I would need for side return (16x25) and bottom return (20x25).

I have located the side return filter which seems to be behind the tin foil in image 1 (in centre of picture) but I have no clue where the bottom return filter would go.

Any advice would be appreciated!

The air filter should slide in the slot between the return air duct, and the furnace.

The filter should have some markings on it, to indicate which way the air should flow through it. Make sure when you install it, you install it in the proper direction.
Supporting Documentation
The installation instructions shows the location of an optional external side air filter kit, which is the slot in the photos you've provided. It also shows where, and what size the return air opening should be (14" x 23").

When you slide the filter into the slot, it should completely cover the return air opening. This is why the documentation calls for a 16" x 25" filter.

This model also allows for a bottom return, which you do not have. If it was installed to use the bottom return, the return ducting would attach to the bottom of the furnace (basically the furnace would sit on top of the duct). You'd then install the air filter on the bottom of the furnace.


What is the ideal lumen output and temperature range for my computer room? I have replaced an older 100W incandescent light bulb with an led 3000K 1400 lumen light bulb but it seems very bright so I wonder if the lumen output is too high. How can I calculate the correct lumen output needed for my space?

What is an ideal lightbulb temperature for computer room/use? The 3000K led is a lot whiter than the old incandescent, perhaps easier on the eyes but too bright in my case.

Room Diagram:

"Calculate the correct lumen output" &  "ideal lightbulb temperature"

implies a lot more definition to "correct" and "ideal" than seems likely to apply to a matter of individual tastes. For some folks the light in the computer room comes only from the screens, and it goes up from there. There may well be architectural standards, but whether you like the result is going to vary anyway. So:

**

Try different bulbs until you like one.

**

Or: Replace switch with (LED-rated) dimmer and adjust to suit. This can actually be tricky as many LED dimmers have minimum loads for stable operation that are more than a single bulb. Also, the LED needs to be "dimmable."


How do I remove a blower wheel from a shaft that uses a slip ring? Exhaust fan blower wheel is attached to the shaft of a 1/100 hp induction motor; I can see a ring thru’ the vanes; how to remove? How do I remove a blower wheel from a shaft that uses a slip ring?

If you look close where the shaft and the squirrel cage or blower connect there is a thick piece of metal. Rotate the blower and look for a hole there. It's usually a set screw or grub screw holding the blower to the shaft. Most of the time these are Allen screws but I have found a few that are standard slot screws, normally on the inside through the fins unless a larger blower then sometimes on the outside. Or that is what I have found in the past.


How can I replace a two way switch with a ZW4001 Z Wave enabled light switch? I am trying to replace a single switch connected to a single light bulb with a Z Wave enabled switch, model ZW4001Z; a link to the manual for the switch is at the bottom.  There is a wiring diagram on the bottom of page 5 of the manual showing how you are supposed to wire the switch, the diagram uses 3 wires and a ground; the problem is that I only have 2 wires and a ground.  How am I supposed to hook up the switch?  My wiring looks like this:

Switch Manual

Your switch requires a dedicated neutral so that the switches internal electronics can operate independently of the fixture it is connected to.

Your configuration is such that the line (source of power) comes into the ceiling box first instead of where the switch is located.

In order for this to work with the line still coming into the ceiling, there would have to be a third conductor; when the switch was installed, it needed to use 14/3 instead of 14/2 (usually you see this for a 3-way switch).

Your options to fix this is to either run a new 14/3 cable between the switch and fixture, or change the configuration of your circuit so that a line comes into the switch.  The complexity of this depends on the distance and cable route between the two.


How to add a barrier with access to roll in and out trash bins in my 'public' driveway? I have a driveway that is in the back alley.  All of our neighbors have access to the back alley.  Also, all of my neighbors have basically built on their property so that they have used up their driveway.

All of our trash cans are also in the back alley.  Some neighbors roll their trash cans onto their property.

However, some of my neighbors (I don't know which), always put their trash bins in my driveway.  When we first moved here there were SIX trash cans.  Only two of them belong to me.

My question is, how do I prevent people from accessing my driveway (it's about 40' wide and 26' deep).  I would want to put up a barrier on the 40' span.

---------------------------------
              alley
---------------------------------
+              40'              +
+                               +
+                               +
+                               +
+           drive way           +
+                               +
--------- garage door/wall------+

I don't want to install a fence just yet, I just want a deterrent.  But I still need to roll my trash cans in and out of the driveway for trash collection in the alley.

UPDATE
I've moved the bins and also talked to the neighbors but the bins still end up on my property.  Or sometimes they will take my bins if they run out of space in their bins.

A few ideas, not knowing what the area really looks like.

Over time seek to identify the various mystery bins and mark them with names or house numbers in permanent ink. When they appear on your property you can either bring it up with your neighbor or ask the local police for help. This may also work through peer pressure. If your neighbors see their names sitting on your property they may be less likely to violate your space. (I find that turning on my hazard flashers is the best way to deal with tailgaters--the unwanted attention very often mitigates the poor behavior.)
Fabricate a temporary gate, such as suspended cables with wire mesh between, that you can install the day before trash day each week and roll up when not needed. Put it up, take it down. Like when training a puppy, your neighbors will become conditioned to do something else.


What's the best way to seal a small leak on a sprinkler pump inlet PVC pipe where a siphoning system has been tapped? On my sprinkler system I installed, about 4 months ago, a system that siphons, from a large tank, a mixture of fertilizer and iron stain inhibitor. The system works fine but it had to be installed by drilling a hole in the pump inlet and using a 3/4" pipe tap which is where the check valve for the siphoning system hand-screws in with some thread tape. There were no leaks initially but this morning I noticed a small pool under the pump and saw immediately that it was dripping from where the check valve was screwed in. What is the best way to seal this leak? I tried wrapping the plumbers tape around thicker but it didn't help. I don't want to cement/epoxy it in, I want to be able to remove it if I need to, but I would be fine with something semi-permanent like caulk. Would caulk work well for this?

Tighten the joint  slightly.

Pipe threads are tapered - the PTFE thread tape (or pipe dope - I'm currently more of a fan of PTFE pipe dope than of PTFE thread tape, though I used to be a big fan of the tape as opposed to old-style dope) provides a seal for the "helical leak path" (the fact that the female threads are a bit sharper than the top of the male threads) and some lubricity for easier tightening.

A slow drip type leak is often just a 1/4 turn from not leaking.

If you take it apart, you need to clean off the remains of the old tape and apply new tape (one reason I now prefer the modern dope - you can just add a bit more, with no need to clean off the old, and you don't have all the tape shreds to deal with.) Excessive thickness of tape won't help the seal - more is not better.


Drought-Resistant Lawn/Turf Recommendation For Area Above Septic We recently had a new septic system installed in the front yard.  The installation went fine but the front-yard is quite bare now (almost all dirt).  I want to have a nice lawn in front but am paranoid of having to water it too much and creating a problem later (as mentioned in this prior post).

I'd like to know if there is a specific type of grass that would be ideal for this type of scenario; something that wouldn't require much water. Any suggestions?

Our house is located in Aptos, CA. Here's a brief weather summary:

Weather is mild during summer when temperatures tend to be in the 70's and cool during winter when temperatures tend to be in the 40's/50's.

The warmest month of the year is September with an average maximum temperature of 75.60 degrees Fahrenheit, while the coldest month of the year is December with an average minimum temperature of 39.60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Temperature variations between night and day tend to be moderate during summer with a difference that can reach 22 degrees Fahrenheit, and moderate during winter with an average difference of 21 degrees Fahrenheit.

The annual average precipitation at Aptos is 30.67 Inches. Winter months tend to be wetter than summer months. The wettest month of the year is January with an average rainfall of 6.49 Inches.

Sorry, I can't help you with the type of grass. But I do have some suggestions that will work with any type.

Don't just leave it dirt. Improve the dirt. Add compost to the soil. If necessary, have the compost roto-tilled in.

Organic matter helps the soil to retain moisture. Periodically aerate the soil (yearly is a good idea if you can do so. A pull-behind aerator is not that expensive if you have a small tractor, and well worth the expense.) After each aeration, add more compost on the surface. Grass with a deep, robust root system can survive a period of no water for longer than otherwise.

You may also find it a good idea to check your soil for problems. Is it heavy clay? Sand? Are there problem trees in the area, like walnut? Is the soil too acidic?


Humidity level in Attic vs outside My attic humidity level is 85% but on the outside when I can my location in the weather app the humidity is 85%. My question is, is it normal the humidity level in my attic same as the humidity level outside? I know that humidity level in the attic should stay around 50%. My main concern is my attic might now have enough airflow that's why humidity is high even its on my attic.
-Thanks

You are asking about relative humidity, which is a measure of the total amount of moisture in the air relative to the amount of moisture the air could hold at its current temperature. Humidity measured this way will change if the temperature changes even if nothing else is different. I.e. the same exact slug of air will have different relative humidity, depending on its temperature.
Attics are typically vented to the outside, pulling fresh outside air in while warmer air in the attic is exhausted, usually via vents on the gable or the rooftop, but sometimes with a fan.
Unless there is an incorrectly installed vent from the house (e.g. bathroom vent), the air in the attic is basically the same air as outside, but possibly at a different temperature.
In the winter, it will be a little warmer, because of heat losses from the house coming into the attic, warming the attic air. In the summer it can often by much warmer, because of heating from the sun on the roof radiating into the attic space. Either way, this heat difference provides the convection that drives the air movement through the attic, drawing fresh air from vents under the eaves or soffits, and exhausting air through the gable and/or roofs.
Bottom line:

The absolute amount of moisture in the air should be the same in the outside air as in the attic air. If it's not, something in your house is exhausting humid air into the attic, and that should be fixed.
Assuming the absolute amount of moisture in the air is the same as the outside air, then if the temperature is different, the relative humidity will also be different. Since the attic is typically warmer than the outside air, the relative humidity in the attic will typically be lower than the relative humidity of the outside air.

So to answer your question:

is it normal the humidity level in my attic same as the humidity level outside?

Exactly the same? No, I wouldn't say that's normal. Humidity in the attic generally will be at least a little lower than outside, because the attic air temperature is generally higher than outside, while the content of the air is generally the same as outside.
The exception to this being in weather where the air in the attic is at the same temperature as outside. This is more common in the Fall and Spring, but can also happen in the Winter in zones where the outside temperature is relatively mild (i.e. when the attic air temperature is as cool as the outside air temperature).
It's not clear why you believe that 50% relative humidity is "ideal" or "typical" for an attic. The actual humidity in the attic can vary a lot, and there's no reason to believe it's going to always be right at 50%. In Arizona, it may never ever get that high, and in Florida it might be higher than that all year round.


How to properly pigtail a second light source from existing light switch all.

I'm looking for feedback on how to wire a second light from an existing wall switch. I am providing a self-drawn diagram and an actual photo of the existing box with the wires exposed in an attempt to express myself as clearly as possible.

Here is my drawing. I'm sorry it's not the best. I can redo it if it appears too poorly done.

I actually think a real photo in its current appearance is harder to make out what's what:

So here are the details. The areas of each corner marked "A", "B", "C" and "D" are actual Romex wires that enter the box from each corner. This will be a two gang junction box, by the way. One will control the existing ceiling fan and the other will be a dimmer for the new lights. Currently, the "A" Romex leads up into the ceiling and powers a ceiling fan. Romex "B" will power the new  lights which will have a total of four LED flush-mount lights in the corners of the ceiling. Total wattage for all four will be 28w. The ceiling fan has a total of 57w (that's at the highest settings for both the light and fan speed). Romex "C" (I'm 98% certain) is the power from the circuit box. And Romex "D" is a line that runs to the bathroom. I know that bathrooms should have their own circuit. I didn't wire it that way. That's just how I found it. I can't change that.

What I am looking to learn is how to connect Romex "B" (the new light) correctly. I tried connecting a dimmer switch for my new lights by connecting the the hot wire from Romex "B" to the black shared wires "A" and "D". Then I tried to connect the neutral white wire from Romex "B" to the neutral white shared wires from Romex "A", "C" and "D." This blew the circuit and I fried my dimmer switch.

I think my error was that I connected incorrectly to Romex "D" as and now I'm pretty sure that wire goes to the bathroom (hence why I mentioned I'm 98% certain above). Romex wires "C" and "D" are either one or the other (either power from circuit breaker box or a line to power the bathroom).

Do I connect the Romex "B" hot to the hot on Romex "C" and Romex "B" white neutral to Romex "A", "C" and "D"? I am confused.

It sounds like you connected the dimmer to the fan speed control output.  Don't do that.

In fact, just go ahead and bypass the dimmer and wire it cable B neutral to neutral bundle and cable B black to the bundle you think is "always-hot". This will make the light go on 24x7.   Then, operate the fan speed control and see if the lights are affected, If they are, you got the wrong black bundle. Switch.

Once you're sure of the black wire, then install the dimmer.


Primer is thick and uneven I purchased a Tikkurila Optiva Primer(eco) to prime a painted wall. When I started to apply it to the wall it was so thick that my roller just slided across it. I managed to get going, but the end result was bad. The coat was uneven, grainy and I could clearly see the old paint through it.
Looking up how it's done on Youtube, I noticed how everyones primer applies smoothly and evenly. Could there be something wrong with the primer I purchased? The primer was kept in a cold room overnight(around 8C/46F), could the temperature damage it? Getting it back to room temperature improved things a bit, but it's still grainy and uneven.
Will an uneven and grainy primer affect the end result?

If the primer or walls were outside the temperature range specified on the primer can, it's hard to demand the primer to perform to spec, and any number of poor results should be expected.
Despite having mixed "as much as we could" if it was still cold, it's highly likely that it wasn't mixed properly. Therefore, what went on the wall wasn't the prescribed mixture of solid & liquid, and, therefore, what's left in the can isn't the proper mixture, either.
It's likely that what's left in the can will no longer perform as expected. Once warmed back to the manufacturer specified temperature range, there's a good chance you'll get a smooth coat if you choose to apply what's left, but it's likely not to cover as you'd like it to.
I'd suggest that this can is now likely a good learning experience.

Cold temperatures will not, in my experience, permanently harm paint. We have what could generously be described as a "three season porch" on our house. It was, for many years, uninsulated and unheated. We use it to store paint, among other things, and the temperature back there has probably dropped below freezing, if not below 0°F more than once, yet paint stored there, once warmed to room temperature, has been applied successfully. It may not have been a "perfect" coat, but it was quite presentable.


How to add door trim where there isn't enough room? I'm adding molding to my living room, but have one entryway where there isn't enough room on the side to add the full width of the pilaster.

What are my options?  I do plan on having a 5" base molding, a 2" chair rail, and a 3" crown, if that affects what might look good.

There are only 2 options I can think of.

Rip the trim down so it is narrow for the place where it won't fit.
Build out the opening so the trim will fit.

Which is better is entirely a personal preference.

Option 1 is easier. I've had to do this with door trim and haven't been unhappy.


What should I do about old cables that have been damaged? I was replacing some drywall and noticed the wiring underneath has a couple of surface tears. House is from the sixties, but has been rewired with new Romex, except this circuit. Wire seems to be old type of Romex (cloth covered) and has the marking "HATFLEX NM 14/2". Only the cloth is partially teared-up.

Should I be worried about this? I was considering putting some electrical tape over the damaged sections. Is this ok? What other alternatives do I have?

Repair

You can use a cable jacket repair tape, to repair the jacket. I would not use simple electrical tape to make the repair, since it has a tendency to dry out and fall off.

Scotch® Cable Jacket Repair Tape 2234

  Repairing Damaged Cable Jacket When No Portion of Cable Jacket is Missing

  Abrade the cable jacket 3" (75 mm) beyond each side of the damaged cable jacket section

  Wrap one half-lapped layer of Scotch® Cable Jacket Repair Tape 2234 extending at least 2" (50 mm) on each side beyond the damaged cable jacket

  Starting 1" (25 mm) past the Scotch® Cable Jacket Repair Tape 2234, apply 3 half-lapped layers of Scotch™ Super 33+™ Vinyl Electrical Tape to each end to temporarily secure the ends of the Scotch® 2234 tape to the cable jacket until the tape reaches full bond.

  Instructions

NOTE: Other products do exist.  The products listed above are for example purposes only. I do not recommend or endorse the above listed products.

Replace

If the section is accessible at both ends, you could simply replace the section of cable.


Need help choosing wire for a detached garage I am in need of some help choosing the correct wire for my detached garage.

My plan is to create a run from my main panel in my basement to the detached garage.

The total length of the run is about 80 feet.

I would like to have 2 - 15 amp circuits and 2 - 20 amp circuits in the garage.
My thought is to use a 70 amp breaker in my box in the basement and 70 amp main in the detached garage.  If this is wrong please let me know.

My preference would be to use UF-B direct burial wire if possible.

Links to specific wire and/or breakers/sub-panels would be greatly appreciated.

Conduit is your friend

Conduit is cheap, trenching is expensive, and putting fat conduit in now can save you more trenching later if your wires prove too small, as well as shielding the wire from mild cases of excavation damage which'd otherwise force you to dig up the cable and replace it.  So, I'd put fat (2"+) schedule 80 PVC in the ground now, using prefab wide radius sweeps for the horizontal to vertical transitions.

Fat aluminum is also your friend

All the bad things that you may have heard about aluminum building-wire do not apply to what you are doing right now.  The terminations you're working with (pressure setscrew lugs) are much better at handling aluminum wire than the wrap-type terminal screws or backstabs on receptacles and switches, the aluminum wire that you buy now is made from a different alloy with better properties for building wiring than the aluminum wire that gave aluminum its bad rap, and the busbars and lugs themselves on your breakers and panels are likely made from plated aluminum, too.

So, that said, I'd use 2AWG, wet-location-rated (THWN or XHHW-2) aluminum wire for both hots and the neutral with an 8AWG or 6AWG (8AWG works, 6AWG might be more useful for grounding electrode conductors though) bare copper ground wire.  That will give you 70A at the garage without coming close to filling a 2" conduit.

Big (slots-wise) subpanels are your friend, too

Furthermore, you'll need a subpanel at the garage for this, and again, it's penny-wise and pound-foolish to skimp now due to the labor costs of redoing things down the road.  I'd at a bare minimum put a small 20 or 24 slot, 100A panel in as the garage subpanel -- if you can afford something with more slots in it, do so, as often you can get kits with the panel, a main breaker, and some 15 and 20A branch breakers.  Don't worry about the ampacity of the main breaker in the subpanel, by the way, as it's only serving as a disconnect -- the 70A feeder breaker in the main panel provides the overcurrent protection.

Last but not least

You'll want to use an inch-pound torque wrench or torque screwdriver (depending on the specified torque) to torque all the breaker and panel lugs to specification when doing this -- the 2017 NEC actually requires the use of calibrated torque tools in 110.14(D), and it's a good idea in any case to make a reliable connection, especially on aluminum wires.


Which order to paint ceiling and replace downlights? Which order should I do these two tasks:

repaint ceiling
replace downlights (licenced electrician will do this)

The downlights are recessed and the whole thing will be replaced (not just the bulb).

In most cases you want to

Remove the old fixtures (or at least the bulb portion). These typically have a flange that covers the ugly hole in the drywall
Paint
Replace fixtures

If you do it this way, you can paint around the hole itself and then the fixture will hide it. Painting around fixtures is a pain, and you're making more work doing in in any other order.


Does one way check valve reduce the water pressure? I am getting very low pressure due to my tank height in home. Input of tank got high pressure but not whole time. Something like below.

What my idea is directly connect input to low pressure end as below diagram. I have a doubt one way valve is reduced the pressure of high pressure end and low pressure end.

If I use like this, will I get high pressure when its available? (I do not have good idea how check valves are working)

Thanks

Yes: your proposed cross-connect will maximize pressure on the outflow.  But, as aaron commented, you will need to put a second check valve on the low pressure line between the cross connect and the tank to avoid losing pressure back to the tank (or, worse, blowing it out since there is presumably no shutoff valve on the tank outlet).


Is there a standard wiring scheme for AC/heater thermostats? I have a project idea where I would really like to be able to make my own thermostat to control my home's AC and heater. I have just two questions

Is there any standard wiring/color code?
Are any of the wires supplying a high voltage or current? (ie, possibly dangerous)

Not sure if this is the best place to ask, but I figured I'd give it a shot

The standard colors can be found at various sites on the web.  Here is the important part from that site (I did the best I could to cleanup the formatting since I don't think we have support for tables here):

Older systems and base signals on newer ones
Code    Color   Signal  Description
C       Black   24 Vac  Common  From one side of the 24Vac transformer (Think of this as 24Vac neutral
R/V     Red     24 Vac  Power to be switched    From other side of the 24Vac transformer (Think of this as 24Vac L1)
Rh/4    Red     24 Vac  Heat call switch power  Same as R, but dedicated to the Heat call switch
Rc      Red     24 Vac  Cooling call switch power   Same as R, but dedicated to the cooling call switch
G       Green   Fan     Fan switch on thermostat - is connected to R when Fan /Auto switch is in the fan position
W       White   Heating call    Is connected to R or Rh when themostat calls for heat. (Might be jumpered to Y on a heat pump. On others might be second stage heating
Y       Yellow  Cooling call    Is connected to R or Rc when themostat calls for cooling. Also Cooling or 1st stage heating on a heat pump. Most often connected to G when Fan switch is set to auto.

New signals - for heat pumps and staged systems
Code    Color   Signal          Description
Y2      Blue/Or 2nd Cooling
W2      Varies  2nd Heating     First stage Auxiliary heating on a heat Pump
E       Varies  Emg heat        Disable the heat pump and turn on first stage Aux heating
O       Varies  Reversing valve Energize to cool (Changes from heat to cool on heat pumps)
B       Varies                  Sometimes common side of transformer. Needed on some electronic thermostats or if you have indicator lamps OR   Reversing valve (energize to heat) above. York and Trane sometimes use (B) as common.   Might be heating changeover or on older stuff common of transformer.
X       Varies                  Might be common but sometimes emergency heat relay
X2      Varies                  Second stage heating or indicator lights on some thermostats    Might be emergency heat relay
T       Varies                  Outdoor anticipator reset   Used on GE/Trane/American Standard and some Carrier Products.
L       Varies  Service Light


Basement moisture on foundation issues After taking all sheet-rock down I noticed that all walls (cement block) siting under ground are moist. Some of them even ate through footers. After farther look at the house I found out that their is no insulation on the outside of the cement blocks that are under ground. On the blueprint of my basement I marked in red most affected areas or rather corners. This is walkout basement. My question is, should I try to divert water from the house by insulation/wrap and drain on an outside or French drainage on the inside? Also the whole house is on the slope and red circles are on the side that is deeper under ground. Thank you for all help.

Moisture is either coming up from below (a rising water table) or its coming from the surrounding ground water in the saturated soil.

If it comes up from a rising water table, it will enter the basement space from below through the crack between the foundation wall and slab.

It appears from your pictures that moisture is at the BOTTOM OF THE WALL. Therefore, the perf pipe needs to be installed at the bottom of the wall.

If it comes from the surrounding ground water, it COULD enter the living space through the wall, especially if the EXTERIOR side of the foundation wall is not sealed properly.
Either way the moisture enters the living space it will need to be collected and disposed. I think the best way to collect it is on the exterior side of the foundation wall in drainrock and a perforated pipe laid 6”-8” below the interior basement slab.

To keep the subsurface water from seeping through the wall, I recommend installing a moisture barrier on the exterior side of the foundation wall and install a 2” thick plastic mesh on the wall to allow water to flow down to the perf pipe. If dirt is allowed to be backfilled against the wall, the dirt could hold the moisture against the wall giving it a chance to seep through the wall.

Once collected it needs to be disposed by extending a solid pipe over an embankment or in a collection well and pumped away.

Remember, water flows in the direction of least resistance.


How to open ceiling light cover to replace bulb I don't understand how to open it so that bulb can be replaced. It has no screws. Tried to move white dome anti-clockwise but does move at all.

Looks like ones I have that are springs/clips holding it.  Does it turn when you turned it?

If so, you might just have to shift it over a bit, and pull down carefully.

ps. I'm trying to find an example with images of how they fasten online.


How do I troubleshoot my pool filtration system? What are the basics for Diagnanimous Earth Pool Maintenance?  This is all new to me. Everything was working fine until today when I noticed that I'm not getting any pressure rating on the filtration system.  Jets are not working either. I have tried back flushing, but it does not seem to help.  The pressure gauge works as when back flushing it changes but once I close the system it goes back to 0.  I was told it should be between 20 - 25 for the jets to work properly.  Of course pool is cloudy and looking dirty due to filter not working correctly. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Let us start with some basics of how the pool plumbing works. This picture helps to show the basic connectivity of a typical swimming pool system.

(Picture borrowed from website)

Note that not all pool setups have two separate pipes to draw water from the skimmer or main drain and bring it up to the to the pump station as shown above. On some the main drain T's into the bottom of the skimmer and then a single line goes to the pump. The following picture shows this alternate type connection and when one wants to drain the pool the skimmer intake is blocked via a diverter in the bottom of the skimmer.

(Picture borrowed from here)

The above picture shows the basic plumbing circuit for water flow when the pool is operating in the normal filtration mode. Not shown are the various valves that are used to re-direct the pump water flow backward through the pool filter to suppport the back flush operation. Here is yet another picture showing a setup with all the valves.

(Picture from here)

In the above the numbered elements are as follows:

Swimming Pool Skimmer Line
Swimming Pool Main Drain Line
Swimming Pool Slide Line
Automatic Pool Cleaner Line
Swimming Pool Return Line
Swimming Pool Return Line
Automatic Pool Cleaner Motor
Auto Sanitizer
Swimming Pool Heater
Swimming Pool Pump
D.E. Pool Filter
Pool Heater Gas Supply Line

Hopefully that helps to gain an understanding of how these systems work. Now let's talk about what could be wrong with the setup that you have.

a) Make sure that after the back flush operation that you have returned all the valves to their position for normal filtration operation.

b) Most pool pump assemblies are equipped with a debris basket on the inlet side of the pump. Make sure to clean this out. If it gets all full of leaves and other stuff that comes from the pool then the pump will not be able to draw water from the pool.

c) Make sure to clean out the basket assembly in the pool skimmer. Generally when this gets completely full of leaves, tree droppings and flowers there is greatly reduced water flow in the system and the pump will be unable to produce much pressure.

d) Also check to make sure that the skimmer pipe in the bottom of the skimmer is not clogged up with debris that may have pulled through a broken skimmer basket. If the basket is broken it should be replaced.

e) Now you can turn on the pool pump motor. When it is running you should be able to observe suction in the bottom of the skimmer. If there is no suction there then there is either an improperly positioned valve, the line from the skimmer to the pump is plugged, the line is broken, the pump intake basket is plugged or the pump itself has failed.

f) After you have the pump going again it is necessary to purge air that gets trapped in the top of the filter assembly. You should find a air bleeder valve near the top of the filter (may be part of the pressure gauge) that you open to expel the air. When all air is removed water should shoot out of the bleeder valve.

g) Be aware that when the DE filter has been flushed most of the DE material in the filter gets ejected out into the drain line. No filtration can happen when returning to the normal pumping mode until fresh clean DE is introduced into the system via the pool skimmer. Follow the directions for your filter to know how much DE to place back into the system.

Hope that helps with the basics. There are obviously other things that could go wrong but start with this and comment back if more information is gathered.


linseed oil over wood that was treated with water seal I had new wooden gates added on to my house.
Put Thompson Water seal on the  new wood gate.
Can I now use linseed oil over top to help protect it from the sun and heat of Phoenix AZ???

NO. Linseed oil will not work on freshly sealed wood, it will not penetrate and will just lay oily on the surface until it partially dries into a gooey mess.

The benefit of products like Thompson's is that they last longer than natural oil finishes (although any claims of better protection are unproven, and in my opinion dubious). If you prefer linseed oil then you will have to wait a few (3?) years, then be prepared to re-apply the linseed oil annually. Better to just reapply the Thompsons every 2-3 years IMO.


How do you frame an exterior wall over 8 ft tall? For a residence, normal 2x4 studs are used to frame 8 ft tall exterior wall.

How do you build exterior walls over 8 ft tall?

What kind of studs? 2x6 or steel posts?

What do the codes say? (Houston, TX area)

Would it be a lot more expensive, percentage wise?

You buy longer lumber (2x4, 2x6).   I can go in big box and find 10' lengths, and sometimes 12'.   Any decent lumber yard I use sells these up to 12' in high quantity.

This isn't part of your question but I have worked on new homes over the past 20 years.   We have gone from mostly 2x4 exterior framing to 2x6.   Honestly unless you are in hurricane land there isn't a huge difference save for the fact of insulation.

Some people say you must do 2x6.  No you must not.  You can insulate a house better from the outside rather than inside the framing (I am not suggesting no insulation inside framing - I am suggesting insulation in framing and exterior sheething in extreme climates).

But but... I have had engineers that proved break points in framing with 2x4s and it is around 9-10'.   This is where you start seeing a degradation in foundation rigidity.   Sorry I do not have research for this but I saw this on multiple reports where we had plans for 10-12' ceilings.   So basically we were made to move to 2x6s.

I wanted to mention that because in fact I think for most moderate houses in moderate climates, 2x6 is overdoing it.  But when you start talking about higher ceilings there becomes engineering needs.


How do I separate many devices controlled by one switch? I just moved into a new townhome and have noticed that one switch controls 3 outlets, a light fixture inside and 1 outside AND a hallway light. The lights have their own switches but will only work if this switch controlling all of those things is switched on. How do I go about fixing it?

That sounds like your standard basic electrical bodge job, where it once worked, and then some homeowner or handyman got in there and mucked it up good-n-plenty.  God knows what else could be wrong in there. Or what else that menace has done!

I gather all this sparky stuff is new to you.  You may be better off bringing in a pro to correct that blunder and search for other flaws. They have a fair chance of correcting a dangerous situation.

If you want to take it on yourself, good, but take your time (you don't want to become that menace).  Learning electrical is a wide mountain (but not a steep one). I'd hit the library and look at electrical books (adult nonfiction, section 621.3192) and browse a few and find one that speaks your language. Then indulge in reading most of it. That'll establish well-rounded knowledge on the subject, something Google is awful at... and then we or Google can fill in the gaps.


What's the cheapest temporary shower wall option? I'm looking for a temporary solution that doesn't cost a lot of any money. I have basic construction skills (about the average home owner), so anything too complicated to install isn't a good option.

The shower has a tub. The required walls measure 60*30*67 (LwH) (67 inches from tub to ceiling, not floor to ceiling). The tub is 15 inches tall.

Again, I'm looking for the cheapest solution that's waterproof, I don't care how it looks.

Staple a vinyl shower curtain to each wall, lapping the sides fully. Let it extend adequately into the tub at the bottom.

If you use poly sheeting from a hardware store I recommend 4 mil. You'll want to roll the top edge several times before stapling.


INSULATING A STUCCO SHED I live in an high desert where it gets very cold, -20  in the winter,with 95 degree days in the summer. I have a beverage cooler in a building with a new shed attached to it to protect the compressor. The shed is stuccoed with a metal roof. I have a vent in the upper portion of the shed, no windows. I will install an exhaust fan in the spring, but now I need to insulate the shed for winter. What is the best material to use and who do I avoid mold or condensation issues?

You don't need to insulate this shed. Also, it's a bad idea to have the compressor in a shed in the first place. Compressors are designed to be outdoors because they need to reject heat. In sunny 95f summer weather, your "insulated shed" is really an oven. In winter, insulating a building will not actually raise interior temperatures unless there is a source of heat on the inside (insulation slows heat movement, but it does not generate heat where none exists). High deserts are sunny, but you mentioned that your shed has no windows to allow sunlight in. So insulating the shed will not actually meaningfully raise the temperatures that the compressor is exposed to.

Next, you will not be able to prevent condensation in -20f weather. However at that temperature the moisture-holding capacity of the air is incredibly low--especially in a high-altitude desert (I live in one too; I know what it's like). Despite this, if there is a source of moisture, it will condense somewhere; the only way around that is to keep all condensation-forming surfaces above the dew point which is impossible in the winter without a source of heat, irrespective of how much insulation you have.

Finally, your concern about mold is misplaced. Mold won't grow in -20f weather. The time to worry is during the summer and the swing seasons, but during those times of year, the problem won't be condensation because you generally won't have interior surfaces below the dew point. The real cause of mold is not condensation but rather water leaks from a faulty roof or bad flashing somewhere. Monsoon rains can be brutal so the roof especially needs to be leak-proof. The intense sun in your climate will do a great job of killing mold if you let it!

Here's what I would do: remove the shed's walls and make your shed essentially just a roof to protect the compressor from rain and snow. This will ensure enough airflow around the unit in summer to do its job and allow the sun to warm it in winter and kill any mold that grows as a result of monsoon rains.


Can I bury a 1 1/2" shower/tub drain pipe in an earthen floor? We are building an earthship and our bathrooms will feed a greywater system. We've spec'd the usual 1 1/2 drain for the tub...but we plan to bury it in an earthen floor in the bathroom (our code treats this floor as though it was a concrete slab). We read somewhere (of course can't remember where ) that the minimum size that can be buried in concrete is 2" pipe...do we need to upsize our drain sizes?  We are in Canada.

I'm not aware of any restrictions on the minimum size of a drain pipe encased in concrete in either the BC or National plumbing codes.

If the floor is truly classified as concrete, there may be issues on how literal the inspector's interpretation of the code is.

The 1998 BC Plumbing code included the following:

Section 7.3.5 Protection of Piping, Subsection 7.3.5.3 Isolation from Loads:

Where piping passes through or under a wall it shall be installed so
that the wall does not bear on the pipe.
All pipping shall be
installed without undue strains or stresses and provisions shall be
made for expansion, contraction and structural movements.
No piping shall be embedded in concrete or masonry.

The BC building inspectors issued interpretation 98-0056 regarding this issue. The bottom line was that pipes embedded in concrete needed to be sleeved. However, the current BC plumbing code (2006) has removed both sentience 2 and 3 from 7.3.5.3. The national code (2005) also reflects this change. (The BC Plumbing code is almost an exact copy of the national code).

The short answer is that it comes down the the inspector's opinion. It would probably be beneficial to contact your local inspector to discuss.


lawn sprinkler system pressure reducer settings? my street water pressure is around 100 psi, my house pressure has a regulator on 70 psi.  my yard sprinkler system is directly on my street water line before the house.  I want to place pressure reducers at each of four zone valve locations as I cannot access the main line to the water yard sprinkler system.  What in line pressure regulator setting should I use?  same for yard lawn pop ups? how about a small zone with only droppers?

thanks

It depends on the particular sprinklers, but somewhere in the 25 to 40 psi range should work for all but golf fairway sprinklers.  Usually the pressure regulator is adjustable, so you can experiment to see what works best.


Can I stain without stripping? I bought a headboard that I'd like to just stain darker without going through the whole stripping/sanding process. Is there a product or method that is best for this?

You can use "furniture glaze" (pretty much a tinted "clear" finish.)

You could tint/dye a clear finish, or use a naturally tinted "clear" finish such as dark shellac.

For both of those you'd likely need to at least scuff-sand the current finish to get good adhesion.

You can also use a colored/tinted furniture wax over the current finish.


How to change recessed lighting with GU10 light bulb How do I go about changing this lightbulb?
The frame won't come out and there's no spring to pop out the bulb?
Any and all help is greatly aplreciated!

You have to pull the outer potlight trim frame straight down and out of the ceiling.  Then you will be able to access the bulb from the back side.


Continuity on hot/neutral at dead outlet I have an outlet that has stopped working.
When it used to work I previously labeled which circuit it was on at the breaker. I'm rather certain I know which breaker supplies it. It also supplies other lights, which continue to work.

Turned off breaker, removed outlet from wall and disconnected from wires. Powered on breaker, and confirm with multimeter no AC measured on bare wires at outlet. (Proving that this is not a faulty outlet.)

Have a continuity tester (part of a tone generator). I am getting continuity across hot and neutral on these wires.
(Edit:  also getting continuity between neutral and ground wire, as well. 20 ohms hot/neutral, 1 ohm neutral/ground,  20 ohms hot/ground. WTF??) What does this imply? How could I have done this?

I'm still trying to use the tone generator to trace where the wires feeding this outlet come from, but the continuity is making the signal very weak.

Thanks to @manassehkatz I went to all light switches on the same circuit and disconnected them. The outlet retained continuity.

I then traced the wire through the crawlspace to a wall with another light switch that I did not realize was on the same circuit. Opening that box and removing the switches I found that the line to the outlet comes from that box, and I somehow failed to reconnect power to the outlet when I was changing out my dimmer switches. The neutral was connected, but the hot line to the outlet was just loose in the back of the box. (Yikes.)

I'm not sure what connection it was making when everything was crammed into the box. I'm guessing it was loosely connecting to one of the free ground wires. Once I removed the switches from the box continuity disappeared. And, once I connected the wires properly, the outlet works again.


How do I mount curtain rods securely into crumbling plasterboard? I am trying to hang curtains and am using a medium weight wall plug which screws directly into the plaster.  I live in an old Victorian mansion block, and every time I try and screw the plug into the wall, the plaster just crumbles around it and the plug falls out.

What am I doing wrong and what do I need to do to fix it securely?

Stop using plugs in plaster.
These anchors are designed for drywall, and even then may not be useful for hanging curtain rods.

If you're using an anchor where the drywall/plaster is weakened, the drywall/plaster will fail and the anchor will fall out.  If you're using an anchor too close to the edge of a sheet/seam/cutout, the drywall/plaster will fail and the anchor will fall out.
All drywall anchors and plugs are meant to be used in the middle of an undamaged sheet of drywall. They are also not very good at handling varying loads, such as those caused by opening/closing curtains (not to mention little Johnny tugging at the drapes, and Felix the cat climbing the curtains).
Wood Frame
If it's a wood frame wall, aim for the studs or the header. Use appropriately sized screws, directly into framing members.
Masonry
If it's a masonry wall, epoxy appropriate plugs into the masonry behind the plaster.


Where to add a c-wire on my Goodman furnace? I'm looking to upgrade my old thermostat and need to run a c-wire. Where would be the best place to tap into?

Where would be the best place to tap into?

whatever side of the transformer goes to Rh or Rc on the thermostat, the C (common) is the other side of the transformer.  From that other side of the transformer or tapping off the wire from that other side of transformer goes to the C terminal of your new thermostat.


Hooking up additional outlets & lights to a central vac circuit? My unfinished basement has a central vac on its own 20A circuit.  The central vac is plugged into a 15A duplex outlet (not hardwired).  I want to finish my basement and build a closet around the vac and the water heater.

Can I run additional outlets and lights off this circuit (all in the closet), or is that against the US NEC?  I understand certain "fixed" appliances like ovens and dishwashers are required to have dedicated circuits, but this has a plug so I'm hoping it doesn't fall into that category.

Thanks.

Is the vacuum unit fastened in place?

  NEC 2011 210.23 Permissible Loads. ... A branch circuit supplying two or more outlets or receptacles shall supply only the loads specified according to its size as specified in 210.23(A) through (D)...

      (A) 15- and 20-Ampere Branch Circuits: ...

          (1) Cord-and-Plug-Connected Equipment Not Fastened in Place. The rating of anyone cord-and-plug-connected utilization equipment not fastened in place shall not exceed 80 percent of the branch-circuit ampere rating.

          (2) Utilization Equipment Fastened in Place. The total rating of utilization equipment fastened in place, other than luminaires, shall not exceed 50 percent of the branch-circuit ampere rating where lighting units, cord-and-plug-connected utilization equipment not fastened in place, or both, are also supplied.

Utilization equipment is anything that connects to AC power.

You can have more than one installed device on a circuit, but if they total >50% of available ampacity, the circuit must be dedicated to them.  In this case, a good installer will install a single (not duplex) receptacle.

If the water heater is already sharing a duplex receptacle with your 12A load, then it must be either

less than 4 amps, or
an MWBC. (multi-wire branch circuit, 2 hots sharing a neutral).

Most likely the manufacturer chose 12A because 125% of that is 15A, which makes it the perfect size for a 15A circuit. 125% because continuous load. Not that I vacuum for >3 hours at a time!


Flush Mount Ceiling/Wall Speakers I am building a house.  Right now I am at the stage where there is no drywall or insulation, we just got dried in. We just installed the electrical.  I got the idea that I'd like to install something now that would allow me to hang in the wall and ceiling speakers.
I am using an older system that I already have.  it is a Sony STR-K790 5.1 Surround Sound.  The speakers are rectangular, but I've mounted these in the ceiling in a rental home in the past that was already wired for surround sound and the round ones work just fine.  I'd also like for these to be flush mounted.
Is there something out there designed for flush mounting speakers in the ceiling before drywall is installed?
One other note, I will be storing all of my equipment in a media closet about 12 ft from where the tv is mounted so I will be running the wires out of the components into the ceiling of the closet and out to the speakers.  What is the best way to accomplish this?  I've installed plugs into the closet already.  Just need to work out running HDMI cables, RCA cables etc. through the wall to the closet.
Thank you in advance.

For the speakers, the ceiling mount speakers I have used have their own "can" and just need a hole in the drywall and wires. They are not designed to be trapped by the drywall, they are designed to be installed into it and can be removed from it when/if desired. You can get separate empty cans and speakers to put in them if desired - any AV supply place, ceiling mount speaker cans...
For the wires: Conduit. This stuff changes rapidly compared to other building systems. So, place conduit and easily update it when everything changes again (enough that you choose to upgrade).
Otherwise in 10 years you'll have the equivalent of a VGA cable and quadrophonic speaker cables stuck in the wall today - antiquated, though you might be able to kludge some use out of them.
While you are at dried in but no drywall, think about networking, and wiring wireless access points (which work best if they are wired and the things that connect to them can see them without going though walls.) Easy now, hard later. Nobody remembers to put networking in the ceilings, but that's where you want it to make your portable devices work well.


Why am I seeing stagnant water inside the shower drainage pipe hole? I was cleaning the shower drainage pipe (removing hair etc) in the upstairs bathroom and I can see water around 1 foot deep. See the pic.

Is that normal? Shouldn't the pipe be empty? If water stays stagnant like that, it can't be good.

If this is a problem, how do I fix it?

Yes it's normal and what you want. It's called a P-trap and the water sitting in there seals out the sewer gasses.

My ASCII P-trap:

                  \ /
                  | |
   __________     | |
   _________ \    / /
            \*\__/*/
             \****/
              ----

The asterisks would be the water that forms the stopper.

In an empty home or in drains that are infrequently used (such as a basement) you these traps can eventually dry out from evaporation and let sewer gasses seep in.

In your case, if you aren't going to use the shower for months on end, I suppose you could add a drop of bleach to the drain. If the shower is used semi-regularly, there should be no issues at all.


How do I tape a joint between drywall and plaster? I have old old plaster (on lath) bordering new drywall. Is it better to use mesh tape or just paper?

Mesh tape works really well.  Some guys swear by paper though.

I prefer mesh because its really idiot proof and quite forgiving.

Plaster will crack though. Just a matter of time and how many tractor trailers roll by your house.


Carrier Fan Coil Unit heat function does not come on FCU  model # 42SGA03   Fan works, cooling function works, but heat does not

1H/1C T stat Honeywell Focus pro 4000
Hot water  and chilled water supply and return pipes

terminals W ( heat ) Y( Cool) G( fan )  R/Rc( line voltage )  C( common)
I measure 24 volts at all terminals in backing plate with T stat removed,  ( R-W; R-Y: R-C; ) except fan ( R W )
Continuity between R and all other terminals
Also some continuity between W and Y terminal, and between the  wires themselves for the W and Y
I have tried with 2 Thermostats up there,  both new, and neither can get the heat to come on.
Could I test function by jumping between R and W? or R G and W?

I think I can answer my own question. I checked the thermostat again, and this time I flipped the switch that says 1) for gas or oil  and 2) for electric ( thermostat controls fan). Running with the switch at 2), the fan operates and  I think the heat comes on. I will try it again tomorrow with my multimeter, checking for temperature rise.


Chinese Power Supply 180-260v on US 220v Electric I am building 3 large computers each running 3 1300w power supplies.  I purchased the units and I can't return them only to find them in Chinese/AU Power.  The label reads "180v-264v 50-60Hz 20/10A"  In my house, I ran 3 Romex 6/3 wires connected to 60A breakers.  My intention was to hook 3 power supplies to each line.  I ran each of these lines to a disconnect box.  My problem is the power supplies have 3 wires.  Brown hot, Blue natural, and Green/yellow ground.  I have looked into step converters but I don't see any type of product that would let me take the 220v line I have run to the 180-264.  Any suggestions how to proceed or where to find what I need?

There are several issues here. But the good news is, you erred on the side of overdesign, so it'll be easy to put it right, and you'll wind up with a fair bit of spare capacity.  For instance, running 6/3 was a great move.  It didn't add much cost and it gave you versatility you can put to good use.

That power supply

The power supply is rated at 1300W output.  One aspect of its cheap Cheeseness and lack of UL listing is that it doesn't have a nameplate power rating, or the power it needs from the power grid. This differs from output rating by a) power supply efficiency, and b) power factor. Skipping the gory details, I'm going to SWAG-guess the nameplate at 1800 VA.  The numbers work out reasonably well if I do that.

(feel free to google VA and how it differs from Watts).

Aside from that "reality check", this will be a continuous load so we must do a derate of 125%.  That means we need to provision a circuit for 125% of 1800 VA, or 2250 VA.

This is just within the 2400 VA capacity of a 120V/20A circuit.  You would need a step-up transformer, but this would supply correct neutral to the power supply.
Two would just fit on a 240V/20A circuit (4800 VA)
only one would fit on a 240V/15A circuit (3600 VA).

Your 60A circuit has 240V x 60A = 14,400 VA.  You won't have any trouble provisioning three 2250W loads on the circuit.  In fact, you could get six.

Powering the units, and neutral

RedGrittyBrick points out a serious issue. These units are made to be connected to hot and neutral.  In USA 240V power, there's no neutral, it's hot and hot. The neutral on the power supply would need to be insulated to tolerate being 120V from ground, and it may not be.  If only the factory could advise you!   Regardless, here's how to fix it.

They make "step-up, step-down" transformers.  You supply 120V at 20A (2400 VA) to the transformer.  It passes the neutral straight through (so that is satisfied). Then it doubles the voltage of the "hot" wire, giving you exactly the right thing: 240V and neutral.

Supplying 120V is possible because you used /3 cable.

Power distribution off 60A

You can't just hotwire all 3 power supplies to a 60A main, especially when they're cheap units. Putting a 1800W unit on a 14,400W circuit breaker is nearly worthless, because the trip point (14,400W) is so very much higher than the rating of the power supply (1800W).  You need more sensible breaker sizes.

How to safely split up that 60A supply:

PDU. Your first option to distribute power is a PDU, which is computer equipment made to sit on the bottom of a rack, take a fat power connection, and distribute it to individual servers in the rack, with sensible circuit protection.   However PDUs are expensive, and subpanels are cheap.

A quality QO panel is about $45, a cheapie BR $22, breakers are $5 or $9 for 240V types.

Subpanel.  Normally I recommend the biggest subpanel you can afford.  But in this case, there's no use for more than 8-13 spaces (it's rated current must be at least 60A).  And then, you fit breakers like this.

If using step-up transformers, fit 3-6 120V/20A breakers (2400VA each).
If using 240V, use three 20A breakers (4800 VA) and put up to 2 servers per circuit.
Or using 240V, use 3-6 15A breakers (3600 VA) with 1 server per circuit.

Note in the 120V example, you really have to watch breaker placement for the servers. Place the server breakers in pairs side by side, just like 2-pole breakers. Do not put the 6 server breakers in the top 3 rows. The aux circuit is for small loads like monitors, switches etc.

Don't parallel.  Use three subpanels.

Neutral and ground must be separated in the subpanel, so add an accessory ground bar ($5) and remove the green screw on the neutral bar to unground it.  This makes 120V available.


How do I replace a Zanussi washing machine's front door seal? I have a zanussi jet system 1200, model wjd1257w. It is a washing and drying machine. It leaks water, I guess at the spin cycle or perhaps before it. I searched and found out that it could be either due to loose connection of the pipe to the gasket or the door seal itself needs to be replaced. I could not find that for doing it at home should I open the top and front panels all, or just I can do it by working around the front door?

A good way to establish the point of the leak is to place a piece of thick cardboard beneath the machine and give it a short run whilst empty.

The most common leaks are from the 'Sump Hose' which connects the pump to the tub and the 'Door Boot' / door seal.  Items such as 'underwires' from clothing can poke holes through them.

To get to the sump hose it is a matter of tipping the machine backwards to allow access.  Lean it against the kitchen work surface and wedge something beneath it if you are doing the job alone.  It's best to have another person to stop the machine falling forward onto you and of course for moral support and comedy observation :)  Sump hoses are normally held on with spring loaded circular clamps (hose clamps).  You'll need an adjustable wrench / mole grips or very large pliers.  These clips can be fiddly to remove but once you get the knack...etc.  Be warned : you will need a lot of sacrificial towels on the floor first and DO NOT pull off that hose if it is directly above you :D

To access the door seal it requires removing the lid.  Remove the rear bolts, slide the lid forward or backward and it will un-hook.

In some machines the door seal has a couple of large circular wire bands with tightening screws.  Some have spring loaded ones.  Others have compression bands and require a good deal of persuasion to remove (mind your fingers).

I would initially explore the door seal fully with my hands to save messing around.  9 out of 10 times the hole can be found without dis-assembling the machine yet.  The next trick is then finding out whether or not you are comfortable removing and re-fitting it (as described above).

If neither of these are causing the leak then look for rusty trails inside the machine, follow them if possible to the source.

Before you do anything - check that the inlet hoses are screwed in tight - this is also another major cause of leaks and can be solved inexpensively.


20amp circuits with 20amp receptacles Hi Is it a problem to have a number of 20amp receptacles on a 20amp circuit-breaker like a number of 15amp receptacles on a 20amp circuit? Or should a 20amp circuit have only one 20amp receptacle? I have read numerous electrical books looking for this answer and not see it [if it is there] Thanks for your help. Frank

The only reading you need to do is NEC Article 210. Specifically Article 210.21(B) (1) which states that if there is only one receptacle on a 20A circuit it must be 20A. Also 210.21(B)(3) and Table 210.21(B)(2) which tell you you can use 15A receptacles on multiple outlet 20A circuits.

Hope this helps.