How to anchor through .5 inch drywall/.75 inch wood/concrete block Installing a TV wall mount.  The issue is that the wall is 1/2" dry over 1x2 wood spaced 24 inch on center and then concrete block.  What is the best fastener to to use considering the first 1 1/4" would not hold a TV mount for a 70 lb TV.  Would like to secure into the concrete block.
Most of the sleeve anchors I have seen online looked like they would rely more on the wood than concrete since they are only 2.25 inches long..
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I would drill a slightly oversized hole through the drywall and wood, then drill full depth in the concrete for the sleeve anchors. Set the anchors flush with the surface of the concrete.

I would then use over-length bolts into the anchors, at least 3". For extra stability, I might put a metal spacer in the oversized hole in the wood and drywall, and have the bolt pass through it.


Should backer board be installed all the way to the ceiling around a shower? I had a shower head that sprayed water for awhile and it deteriorated the drywall. I'm cutting out drywall and replacing with hardiboard. Should I take the hardiboard to the ceiling or could I stop it two inches below? I'm planning on tiling with porcelain masoiac 11.8 x 11.8 and going to ceiling. I'm trying to not damage my textured ceiling and wondered if it's necessary to run the hardibacker to ceiling to get good tile bond or will the two inches of drywall with thin set have a lasting bond?

I don't believe it's necessary to run the concrete/hardiboard all the way to the top on a remodel application.  Your point about not messing up the ceiling is a good one that people often run in to.

I assume that the drywall that is existing is greenboard or blueboard (i.e. wet area approved)?  You have to think "if it's lasted in bathroom this long..."  I ask because "wet area" rated drywall is better at dealing with mold etc and if it's a moderately modern home then it's likely that code required it's use.  The only other issue (especially that high on the wall) will be if the hardiboard and existing drywall are flush with each other.  Even if they're a tiny bit off the mastic may help make up the difference. If you tape the joint between the two use a non-paper tape (they make fiberglass).

As to bonding tile to drywall?  It's done all the time, especially in kitchens as backsplashs etc. Just make sure you get a good quality tile adhesive.  I prefer portland based w/ a modifier such as acrylic.  I think it grabs tile much better than the cheaper white thinsets.  You may have to mix it from dry but it's worth it.

Best of luck!

Port


How do I fix a shower mixer so I get hot water without turning the knob all the way? I have a single knob shower, Valley brand. Almost the entire range of the turn from off to completely hot, it is just cold water. Only in the last half inch of the turn does any hot water start mixing in.

Unfortunately, this leaves little room for adjustment. Is there any way to change the mix so hot water is introduced sooner?

This is the mixer in question:

This depends on the shower valve you have.

On some there is nothing you can do short of replacing it.  On others there are pressure balancing settings that you can change and these should be adjustable once you take off of the trim.  Most of the time they are right in front and you will see notches.

For American Standard valve they call it the "hot limit stop".  The picture I have below shows how to change it.  You will need some pliers (to turn on the shower without the trim on it) and a screw driver (to take off trim and adjust setting).

This is kind of hit and miss with most valves - you really just have to change it and see if it is what you want.  I have mine on the hottest setting and the range is kind of warm to pretty hot.  Can't take a really cold shower in one of my bathrooms!

Warning:  If you have children using the shower then I would really test the settings for scalding water.  Most newer ones that I have installed don't allow all hot to got through but who knows.  Test it out.

Also if you look like you could or might break something when you are adjusting the valve, I would leave it alone until you can figure out what your replacement options are.  You might want to figure out what model it is so you can look up instructions and then to have that model # to replace if needed.  Changing this is a very easy process for new valves but the much older ones can have issues.


paint failing on plaster The paint in our kitchen is failing.  The walls are plaster.  Initially we thought the paint failed because the plaster cracked and was shifting.  We repaired the plaster, scraped all lose paint, cleaned, primed and painted.  That paint lasted for about 6 months and then started to fail.  We did the process again and the paint lasted for 2 years and then started to fail again.  Eventually the paint starts to scale and bubble and separate from the wall.  We just got done scraping a majority of the loose bits off (mostly because we were tired of paint falling down in our cooking area).  I'm confused by what I see.  Here are some pictures:

The above picture is the ceiling.  There appears to be 3 layers here.  The paint, a thin brittle layer, and the plaster.  What is this thin brittle layer?  I assume since it is brittle I would need to scrape it completely off to be able to prime and paint over the plaster.  Is that correct?

Some walls also have dark spots behind the paint.  Is that mold?  There are more places without visible dark spots like this that are failing than there are.  Would I be able to clean, prime and paint this, or is there something else fundamentally wrong here?

Here is another picture of what we're dealing with.

The main question we have is what steps do we need to take to successfully repaint the walls and have them smooth and the paint not fail.  Is this possible, or should we look into ripping them out and replacing with drywall?  That seems like overkill and far off in our budget so not sure what my options are.

Those walls look in bad shape. The fact that you've done so much work on them and they're still failing is not good sign. You can add drywall on top of the existing walls, tape, prime and paint. This would be a whole lot cheaper than removing and hauling away the plaster. I have not done this but I did go in afterwards to reinstall the electrical switches, outlets and fixtures and add box extenders. It seemed to be a great solution.


can i use a transformer to run an american steam cleaner ( 120v/60hz) on a 220v/50hz i recently purchased a steam cleaner ( sienna Luna plus) willing to use it in Algeria, but it is designed to be used in the US , the only way i found to transform 220 v 50 hz  to 110 v  ( i think continuous ) is by using an electrical transformer , can i use it normally ? if not , what should i use ? , i am hearing around that 50hz even with 120v will hurt and damage it , so i want to be more sure about it

If the steam cleaner doesn't have motors on board you won't have issues going from 60Hz to 50Hz.
Anyway I think that will cost you less if you buy a new 220V cleaner and resell the one you have instead of buying a transformer (220V to 110V for that appliance)


Are watchmaker or mini lathes useful to make adapters and threaded rings for photography and optics tinkering? Old watchmaker lathes, or very small lathes like the Proxxon FD150/e look affordable used, and not very space consuming either.

Can these be used, by a non expert, to build aluminium parts like thread adapters between 20 and 80 mm in diameter, threaded retainers, spacers, tubes, from aluminium or brass bar stock?

The Proxxon doesn't look like it can cut threads so that won't help you in that area. As far as the other items you want to make it looks good. With practice you would probably get good results. I learned how to use a lathe in high school shop class and it's not hard. Some of the other much more expensive lathes can cut threads but with optional equipment.


Floor moisture issue, discoloration. What could be the cause? We've been experiencing an issue across the floor on one half section of the house where there are discoloration spots across the floor. Moisture meter reads high- anywhere from 40-80% on spots with discoloration and 8-20% on rest of floor. Floor sits on concrete slab. The material of floor is Engineered Wood.
What baffles us is there's no plumbing underneath floor- all plumbing is above ceiling. Even irrigation drains run around the house, i.e. on sides parallel to house not directly under floor. There's no buckling of floor/seams or uneven ness.
So I'm looking for some help to find out what could be causing this issue. Any help is appreciated.
See pics (sorry for reflection from sun).

So you must realize that although there is no standing water anywhere on the ground below the floor there is moisture (a vapor). Concrete can be thought of as a sponge in that it will absorb moisture (water) and allow it to move through it.
Most concrete slabs have a plastic vapor barrier (sometimes) installed on the ground, but not always. If the wood floor was glued to the slab and moisture is transferring from the ground this is what is causing the water stains and there is no easy fix.
On the plus side the wood is not swelling (looking at the photo's) and the staining appears to be limited (although it's hard to see). Perhaps a darker colored floor stain would hide the marks. Is the wood becoming loose or warped?


Worth it to add footing insulation if there's already a thermal break? I've been considering insulating the outside perimeter footings of my 1972 ranch house in northern New Mexico. The slab-on-grade it's built on (that constitutes the subfloor) reaches a temperature equilibrium that's always colder than the interior temperature, making me think that it's a drag on thermal performance by sucking away interior heat and releasing it as easily to the surrounding subsoil as to the interior. So I've been thinking that I'd remedy this by insulating the footings to make it only release heat to the interior.

However, while doing other renovations, I just discovered that there does appear to be a thermal break of some sort separating the part of the slab that's exposed to the interior from the part of it that's outside:

So now I'm thinking that either this thermal break/thin strip of insulation either isn't very effective, or else it is effective, and adding more insulation isn't going to do me much more good than I've already got.

So I'm torn. If it's effective, then the biggest loss will be under the slab where I can't insulate, right? But if it's not very effective, then I can add more insulation to the outside of the footings and see a performance gain.

I've never seen something like this and would appreciate the opinion of a professional. Is this the kind of detail that's not helping at all and that was later discarded as people discovered the truth? Or is it doing anything?

That is an expansion joint you are seeing. The material is 1/2" thick and something close to old style Celotex or beaverboard really soaked in asphalt or tar. It isn't much of a thermal break, but it is better than the masonry surfaces touching. Although it is available wider, it is usually only 4" tall. Either a bearing surface or gravel is below the 4" level. It is still in wide use in sidewalks and such, but nowadays ridged insulating foam is used. I have used it back in the day to set the top level of concrete, it was handy to float the concrete to.


How to buy Air conditioner? We are planning to buy AC for our small bed room for this summar. I am really confused with the specification described in the show room.
What does it mean 1.5 ton AC ??
What is that rechargeable fan ??
What is the main thing do I need to check while buying AC ??
My question may be simple . but please guide me .
Thanks in Advance

Unless your "small" bedroom is at least 111-square meters 1.5 ton is way too large, that would need a wiring upgrade & would suck money right out of your pocket. You'd want something in the .5 ton range (not 1-plus anything).

If you'd like a rechargeable fan for frequent power outages & it's common amongst your selection, then you'll have something to move the air. So, that's a plus but a waste & a potential future problem if you don't see a need.

The store(s) should have a sheet, pamphlet or booklet with the "approximate" size AC unit for a range of room sizes. .5ton or 6000btu should likely work perfectly, but get the store chart, measure your room & go for the next size up or for the maximum suggested for that room size. Going too big does cool, but it doesn't remove the humidity before it shuts off, so you'll always feel clammy.


Could I use a UPS to power my humidifier on an underrated breaker with a little trickery I recently bought a house with really nice hardwood floors, but the builder didn't put any thought into installing a humidifier system.  I'm now looking into my options and steam humidifiers seem to be the highest output solution, albeit overkill.  Unfortunately, the only power source I have available in the furnace room is on a 15A breaker shared with two bathrooms, but my tinkering instincts won't accept defeat so quickly.

I'm thinking that I could use a UPS with sufficient output power to support the 7A steam humidifier.  The trick is that I would use a current switch to sense when the humidifier is on and subsequently turn off the power source to the UPS (with a relay) and when the humidifier is off the UPS will reconnect and start charging.  My theory is that the no load charging current of a UPS is always lower than the maximum load current.  Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

The question is:
How do I determine a UPS's charging current spec?  If this is low enough to put on the 15A circuit then I'm good to go.  If it's still too high then I have to accept defeat... unless someone has another clever solution.  Given the construction of the building I cannot run a new 20A drop to this room.

Assumptions:
Yes, I know, this isn't what a UPS is meant for.. but that isn't a part of the question.
Also, I'll probably go through a set of batteries in a year and I'm OK with that.

No.

You definitely want to put the humidifier on its own circuit, or a circuit that is not shared with two powder/bath rooms. You could look for a convenience receptacle in the basement and determine if it's on the same circuit. If not, you can probably come out of that for the humidifier. If the humidifier pulls it's full 7A rating when it starts, you probably want to avoid having it share a lighting circuit, as the lights could dim when it turns on. That can cause premature wear on ballasts and greatly reduce the life of any incandescent lamps you might have in use. Take care to know exactly what else is on any circuit you find in the neighborhood.

NEC requires wiring devices, such as the relays you're talking about to be listed and approved. Assembling something to cut the power to the UPS when the humidifier kicks in using all listed and approved parts does not constitute a listed and approved device. Your approach, while very creative gets a little too far into the "Rube Goldberg" brand of tinkering.

My advice is, have an electrician install a single use receptacle for the humidifier on its own 15A circuit, even if that's slightly overkill. If your panel will not accommodate this, and tandem breakers aren't a possibility, then consider increasing the size of your panel and / or service.

Two bathrooms on a single 15A circuit is problematic enough, it sounds like you need to bite the bullet and get a few additional circuits where they're needed.


Is hooking up led lights to a timer cost effective? I have 2 strings of small led Christmas lights above my cabinets in the kitchen as a accent lighting (probably about 100 bulbs total) I  have each hooked up to a lamp timer, and they turn on for about 6 hours a night. A friend at work laughed and said that it would be cheaper to leave the lights on 24 hours a day then to run the timers. I can not find a definitive answer, but it makes sense. Anyone know?

No, the lights will use many more times the power that a timer, digital or analog, uses. If you talk about digital timers, the difference is astronomical. A modern solid-state timer will use no more than half a watt (5v logic x 100ma consumption), probably a lot less.

In terms of mechanical timers, it's still a lot lower than 7w; Using a kill-a-watt, I just now plugged in all 4 mechanical timers I had around (at once), and the meter was still unable to measure the draw, placing all 4 at under 3 watts combined. There are different brands in that batch as well: 1 intermatic, 2 ikea, and one unknown. Think how long a tiny battery can power a mechanical watch; clocks are low-power these days.

Obviously 7w > (x/<3), so your friend is simply wrong. He's a lot closer than he would have been 5 years ago, but he's still wrong.


wiring of occupancy switch in 3-way situation (odd-looking instructions) I'm looking to replace one of the two switches (wired in a standard 3-way configuration) which control an overhead light in a utility room, with an occupancy sensor switch.  The room is small enough that the one sensor should provide adequate coverage.

I've purchased an Eaton Model #OS306U, and the wiring instructions look most peculiar to me.  The switch has 3 wires, black, red, and blue (plus ground); I'd expect one of the wires to be the "common", and the switch makes a connection between common and either the red or the blue wire, much like a standard mechanical 3-way switch.   But it's not wired like that at all.   Here is an image from the instructions, for my scenario:

Neutral is wired as normal.  The occupancy sensor turns the light on or off by making or breaking the connection between its black and red wires (and the black, being connected to hot, probably powers the logic as well).  Meanwhile, the blue wire goes back to the other mechanical switch; this switch either leaves the blue wire open, or shorts it to ground.  Apparently the mechanical switch needn't even be a 3-way switch, a single-pole one would be fine (despite the labeling in the drawing).

I can't quite figure out what's going on.

Yup, I agree with your read. That is exactly what's going on.

I am fairly impressed that UL even allowed this... I seem to recall seeing a bulletin from  NFPA  to the effect of "alright UL, it's time to stop approving things that use ground for more than ground".  Although it may be still allowed since it is surely a millivolt current.

Regardless, it's rather ingenious.  It liberates two wires completely, so for instance if the other switch is a remote spur, you can now use black and white for onward power.

Still won't let the put the sensor at the remote spur, that would require 4 wires (line, load, neutral and sense) plus ground.


Can I shave the bottom of a metal casement window to get it to close fully? I have a Casement Window installed that, as the new building has begun to settle, now has to be forced closed. It is on the verge of breaking the crank off now because it is so difficult. While wood is easy to shave to help fit, the window and its frame are made of metal.

Can I shave the metal to make the window close properly or any other method? I think 1/8" - 1/4" is all the needs to be taken back. The option to reseat the pivot point is not available, outside of a contractor doing it.

Rather than attack the window itself, I'd re-install it.  Usually there's a gap around the frame filled with spray foam insulation.   Take the trim off the inside to see it.  You'll also see a bunch of screws that hold the window frame to the house frame.  See if you can take them out. Once this is done, you can scrape off the spray foam with a stiff knife.

Stuff the screw holes with toothpicks or matchsticks (take off the heads with nail clippers), and remount the window, making sure it's square.  In most situations, the settling is transferred to the window via the screws and or spray foam -- That is, the house hasn't settled enough to close the gap completely. Remounting the frame will solve the problem and leave your window intact.

If you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself, it shouldn't cost a whole lot to get someone to do it for you.  On the order of $100, Less if you can make it an add on to another job you're having done.


Can a thermal expansion tank be install above the water heater? The manufacturers instructions show the expansion tank installed with a 'heat trap 6" minimum' drop to the side of the water heater.

I have a tall 30 gallon (< 17" diameter) water heater going in a narrow closet (< 24"). The copper cold/hot lines come up from the floor. Is there a safe way to orient the expansion tank above the water heater instead of off to the side? Also is that heat trap 6" drop before the expansion tank required?

They make heat trap valves, which come already installed on some water heaters. You could use those instead of the pipe loops, then you can route the pipe however you like. You should be able to find a set of heat trap valves for ~$10.

Also, there may be alternative installation diagrams in the manufacturer's installation instructions.

Expansion tanks can be installed up, down, or on their side. However, if they're installed on their side, support is required.


Kitchen exhaust fan vent pipe We had professionally installed kitchen exhaust vent, venting outside.  We had 300cfm and we were having smell issue in the house even after venting outside.  We replaced the fan with 900 cfm and still having issue with smell in the house.  Our new fan will run for few minutes and then shuts off. We called the guy back who installed our 900 cfm fan and he said there is leaking from the pipe that was installed for venting out.
What kind of pipe should we use? Why we are still having smell in the house when we cook even with 900 cfm fan?

If the fan works against the natural wind flow, a part of the kitchen exhaust air may re- enter the building.
Natural flow is from West to East on the northern Hemisphere most of the time, but could be changed by mountains, buildings, weather or geographic anomalies.
In other words, the exhaust end should be on the Lee side of the building.
Very important with kitchen exhaust fans is the interaction with furnaces, gas ovens, fire places or other combustion units in the building.
The kitchen fan could produce a relatively strong pressure decrease, which pulls the poisonous exhaust gas into the building, if the chimney effect is too weak.
That is why an interlock mechanism is mandatory in some jurisdictions.


Can you cut open a plastic junction box and just lay splices inside? This doesn't look like it should fly to me, but the "electrician" hired by the seller of this property is arguing that this is an acceptable way to put an open splice into an box. I know this shouldn't be allowed, but is there phrasing in the code to support this being unacceptable? Their contractor is saying it just needs to be in a box, and if he staples it down within 8" it is fine. He "repaired about 20 open splices this way. You can see how he just modified the boxes and placed the open splices into them as they were before and just left them all over the attic like this. What kind of tradesman takes this little pride in their work?

Red tag party, anyone?

Hoo boy, that installer needs to get knocked back to school with a Codebook!  What's in the photos alone violates several sections of the NEC, starting with 314.17(A) on the excessive openings for conductors:

  (A) Openings to Be Closed. Openings through which conductors enter shall be closed in an approved manner.

We then move on to 314.23, where the utter lack of box support strikes:

  314.23 Supports. Enclosures within the scope of this article shall be supported in accordance with one or more of
  the provisions in 314.23(A) through (H).

Note that nowhere in the subsections does it allow for a box to flop loose on some insulation, supported only by cabling that is not strain-relieved to the box by an approved means (such as a cord grip).

Also note the bulging box lids, which are indicative of a violation of the general provisions of 314.16:

  314.16 Number of Conductors in Outlet, Device, and
  Junction Boxes, and Conduit Bodies. Boxes and conduit
  bodies shall be of an approved size to provide free space
  for all enclosed conductors. In no case shall the volume of
  the box, as calculated in 314.16(A), be less than the fill
  calculation as calculated in 314.16(B). The minimum volume for conduit bodies shall be as calculated in 314.16(C).

  The provisions of this section shall not apply to terminal housings supplied with motors or generators.

  Informational Note: For volume requirements of motor or
  generator terminal housings, see 430.12.

  Boxes and conduit bodies enclosing conductors 4 AWG
  or larger shall also comply with the provisions of 314.28.

From there, we continue the party at 300.11(A) on support:

  300.11 Securing and Supporting.

  (A) Secured in Place. Raceways, cable assemblies, boxes,
  cabinets, and fittings shall be securely fastened in place.
  Support wires that do not provide secure support shall not
  be permitted as the sole support. Support wires and associated fittings that provide secure support and that are installed in addition to the ceiling grid support wires shall be
  permitted as the sole support. Where independent support
  wires are used, they shall be secured at both ends. Cables
  and raceways shall not be supported by ceiling grids.

and move on to 300.3(A) and (B) for the single wires run loose in the attic:

  300.3 Conductors.

  (A) Single Conductors. Single conductors specified in
  Table 310.104(A) shall only be installed where part of a
  recognized wiring method of Chapter 3.

  Exception: Individual conductors shall be permitted
  where installed as separate overhead conductors in accordance with 225.6.

  (B) Conductors of the Same Circuit. All conductors of
  the same circuit and, where used, the grounded conductor
  and all equipment grounding conductors and bonding conductors shall be contained within the same raceway, auxiliary gutter, cable tray, cablebus assembly, trench, cable, or
  cord, unless otherwise permitted in accordance with
  300.3(B)(1) through (B)(4).

Finishing things off, we can write the installer up for violating 110.12, including 110.12(A) specifically:

  110.12 Mechanical Execution of Work. Electrical equipment shall be installed in a neat and workmanlike manner.

  Informational Note: Accepted industry practices are described in ANSI/NECA 1-2010, Standard Practice of Good
  Workmanship in Electrical Construction. and other ANSI-
  approved installation standards.

  (A) Unused Openings. Unused openings, other than those
  intended for the operation of equipment, those intended for
  mounting purposes, or those permitted as part of the design
  for listed equipment, shall be closed to afford protection
  substantially equivalent to the wall of the equipment.
  Where metallic plugs or plates are used with nonmetallic
  enclosures, they shall be recessed at least 6 mm (1/4 in.)
  from the outer surface of the enclosure.


How to remove grime from shower handle hole? Can't remove handle for repairs! Hello: I have a leaky tub spigot and I think the issue is the valve behind the handle. I just can't get an traction with any allen wrenches in the hole shown -- I think this is because of grime/mineral deposits/whatever that are caked over what I believe is a hex screw. I've tried digging through it with a random objects, have sprayed some chemical cleaner down it, and have had my friend and dad take a look too. We just can't get the handle off. Any ideas?

I've considered just paying a plumber, but everyone I call either wants to charge an outlandish amount upfront, won't come because it's in a condo so I can't guarantee a great spot to park their truck, or they just seem completely insane and scare me when they start asking personal questions and talking about Jesus. I'm a first time home owner, this can't be how life really is. Driving me insane! Any help is much appreciated.

Rinse it with vinegar (let it stay overnight to dissolve the mineral deposits), then use a good light to examine the head (perhaps a slot head?)


What is the Correct Hot Water Expansion Tank Pressure What is the correct pressure for the pre-charge on a domestic hot water expansion tank?  I have read in several places that it should be pressurized for the incoming water pressure.  This would involve getting a pressure measurement of the building water service, and pumping the tank up to that pressure accordingly.  Alternatively, I have also read in a few places about 12 PSI and it being the fill pressure for a 2 story house.  Why would the fill pressure not be the incoming water service pressure?

From http://diy.blogoverflow.com/2013/02/handling-the-pressure-with-expansion-tanks/

  Check the system pressure

  At this point you’ll want to close the faucet you opened, and open the
  shutoff valves (make sure you cap the extension pipe, or close the
  valve on the extension, or you’ll have water everywhere). Turn on all
  the hot water fixtures in the house until water flows normally (no
  sputtering), to insure the system is filled and at full pressure.
  Check for, and repair leaks.

  Attach a pressure gauge to any part of your plumbing system. Some
  gauges contain threads for a garden faucet, or you can attach one to
  the extension where the expansion tank will be installed. Once the
  gauge is attached, open the valve to get a reading on the gauge. Note
  the pressure. If the pressure is not within the normal range of 40 –
  80 psi, you’ll have to take steps to correct it (which is not covered
  in this article).

  Pre-pressurize the tank

  Most expansion tanks come pressurized to 12 – 40 psi, but before you
  install the tank you have to match the system pressure. Start by
  removing the protective cover from the air valve on the tank. Use a
  tire gauge to check the pressure. Use a bicycle pump, or compressor,
  to fill the tank to match the system pressure you noted earlier.

From Bell & Gossett FHD501A (http://documentlibrary.xylemappliedwater.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/22/files/2012/07/fhd-501a.pdf):

  Most residential diaphragm tanks are pre-charged to 12 psi to match the
  fill-pressure needs of a typical two-story house. When the feed-water pressure
  reaches 12 psi, the system will be filled to the top floor and will be under several
  pounds of pressure. At that point, no more water will enter the system because
  the pressures on both sides of the diaphragm will be equal. It pays to check the air
  pressure in a diaphragm tank before you install it, because some of the air may
  have escaped during shipment and storage.

It would seem to me that if you simply went with the 12 psi and your service pressure was, say, 60 psi, your tank would be completely waterlogged and provide no real function.

I realized as I was reading through the B&G design guide above what I think the answer is. The 12 PSI is necessary for a two story building on a closed loop hydronic system. Most household boilers are limited to 30 psi before the pressure relief valve will open. So if that system were sized for the 60ish psi, you can probably imagine that there would be some issues. An expansion tank for a hot water system, on the other hand, WOULD be charged to the line pressure since it is directly connected to the incoming cold water line.


Can anyone tell me why my new window unit airconditioner has stopped blowing cold air? I just bought this window unit last July, and right away it was installed wrong. (not by a professional, by a family member who said he knew how) It is tilted so that water leaks into the house. Since we live in such a remote area, calling a professional would have cost me big bucks, so I tried to keep something under it to catch the water and left it at that. Other than than that, I cleaned the filter once per week and it worked fine.

A few days ago, I woke up and it was working fine, left the house, came home in the evening to find my unit blowing room temperature air. Left it off for a few days because family member mentioned above said it could become "frozen". Ummm, ok?

Really bummed that I payed a fortune for this thing only to get a few months use out of it, since it wasn't used during the fall/winter/early spring months at all. Anyone know what the problem could be? (Advice to others: when asked if you want the 2 year warranty, say yes!)

There's a lot to address here. So here goes:

In general, when a store is selling a warranty, it is generally going to be a waste of money, FOR YOU, to buy it.
FROZEN: Air conditioners can freeze up, this is often due to things that affect the units performance or refrigerant levels in the unit. Since you keep the unit clean, and you aren't indicating you use it in an inappropriate environment or manner, in general you should be ok here. Nonetheless, things happen, and if the unit freezes up, you can usually tell. Not to mention, you will most likely notice the airflow is not "normal" (if it is frozen)
DIRT: If you have pets, or live in an area where a lot of dust, hair, or other debris could have entered the unit, then the coils could be clogged. So question: what type of "stuff" were you cleaning off of the filter? Did you run it without the filter? If the filter looked like a dryer lint trap, then there is a good chance so does the coils. You may be able to inspect the coils with a flashlight. You could potentially pay someone to service it if you do see dirt inside the unit. You can buy a "comb" for cleaning the coils but its not really recommended on a home unit.
COMPRESSOR/SWITCH: With the unit off, turn it to fan only. Then toggle it to COOL. Does the unit actively draw more current? Do you hear a motor/pump engage? It should be near instantaneous when you turn on "COOL". If you don't hear these things, it needs to be serviced. Unfortunately these are not often worth paying more to fix. It can be a thermal-couple, bad connections in wiring connector or on a board, a fuse, a startup capacitor, low refrigerant due to a leak in the closed system, or a burned out or seized compressor. Parts can range from a few dollars, to hundreds. Then there is a service charge. I would call around to repair centers and see who, if any, in your area will do a free quote.
WATER: Condesate, this is meant to drain right out of the back of the unit. This is done by "simply" mounting the unit in the window with the correct tilt to the unit. I would not anticipate an incorrect incline to ruin the unit. I would expect said improper installation to cause window, window sill, wall, floor, etc. damage, and it would rust out the inside of the A/C prematurely. But it shouldn't stop the unit from working. Using a level and making sure it is in the window properly should suffice. Just exercise safety and caution.
FORTUNE: If you paid a fortune for the unit, what is the manufacturers warranty? Probably a year? If so, it lasted it's year. I am not trying to be cynical, but there is truth to this statement: Businesses absolutely design equipment as inexpensive as possible, while lasting as long as they state it will. Some call this planned obsolescence, and if anyone ever tells you there is not such thing, they aren't entirely correct. My best advice answer here, is to do your homework when you buy a unit, look at various reviews, and only buy once you are reasonably certain the unit you are purchasing is a good deal, (be it value, money, warranty, etc).

On my answer #1 above: Warranties are sold such that the guarantor has "written the fine print" to potentially deny all claims, with the exception of very few. It's a headache often not worth it. So While I'm suggesting you never buy extended warranties, obviously there are situations where it is a good idea. Read fine print, consider cost of a new unit, and if its worth the "value".

Sadly, home A/C units are not high quality.


How to Fix this Water Damage? The area in the photo is in the bathroom next to the shower stall. The damaged area is approximately 3.5 inches wide. The previous owner of the house had allowed a leak from the shower enclosure to affect the area and over time the drywall and/or plaster had degraded, so I cleaned it out with a putty knife.

The leak from the shower has since been fixed and the area is now dry. Fortunately, there is no sign of more extensive or significant damage to flooring underlayer (plywood) or wooden wall joists.

I am starting a renovation of this bathroom and I am looking for options how to fix this water damage. The area is very confined due to the way it was constructed as a sort of notch. Do I just use a putty knife and try to fill in the area with plaster or something, while attempting to keep the surface as flat and level as possible? Are there any other options?

This type of damage in that area adjacent to a tub enclosure is common, and I am going to suggest that this area has seen prior repair attempts.

I also wonder (due to the vertical seam in plaster board) whether you would find wood members for adequate support and fastening of new plasterboard, if you were to tear out and replace all the existing questionable plaster/plasterboard.

If the remaining board is structurally sound (dry and firmly attached) your easiest play here might be to use a hard setting plaster (like fixall or water-putty) to cover over the area. Hard-setting plaster is tough to get smooth and practically impossible to sand, but is resistant to future moisture damage due to its hardness. I might patch with the hard-setting plaster but not to wall level, leaving room for a skim coat of regular plaster compound to allow sanding to a smooth finish.


Networking Phones Together in Building I have a number siemens optipoint 500 economy phones.

They have been used in an office environment in which the networking of the phones were managed by a third party. I would now like to use them in my new building to allow transfer of calls to other rooms and phoning handset to handset.

I've got 1 landline coming into the building and would like any of the phones to be able to pick up the call and transfer to another phone. Luckily all the phones are in the same large room and so is the landline so I shouldn't need to do anything in the walls.

Can anyone point me to what additional hardware I need and any info on how to get this setup?

You will need a phone switch to make this work. I think these phones use a Siemens HiPath switch. The phone line from the phone company connects to the switch, then the phones connect to the switch. The switch will require detailed programming. You can probably find one cheap on eBay. However, I don't recommend this path.

Instead, I recommend buying an "expandable business phone" from some place like Office Depot. I know RCA makes a decent line, and that AT&T has a competing product but I have no experience with those. Unlike the OptiPoint phones you have, no switch is required. The phones talk to each other over the wiring you get from the phone company, but in such a way that phone company doesn't think you're making a phone call through them.

To make this work, you just have to get the phone company (or a wiring contractor) wire all of your phone lines (or just your single phone line) to every desk. Then plug the phones in. Any phone can answer any line, you can make internal calls, you can make conference calls, and you can transfer calls, just like you would with your OptiPoints.


Are there any special tools, materials or techniques required for building a staircase door? I have recently moved to a house that has a converted attic. It isn't a huge space but would make a reasonable den or man-cave were it not for the fact that the staircase cuts the room almost in half and restricts the use of the floor space - see photo

I've been thinking of doing away with the railings and getting a staircase or cellar type door instead. This would act as a sort of trapdoor and maximise available space.

I've measured up and been looking at various designs, for example this commercial offering and this one found on Pinterest.

My basic design is going to be a reinforced rectangle of wood attached with strong hinges to act as a trapdoor. There will be say a 4x4 retaining beam running along the opposite side to the hinges to keep the door in  place when closed.

Does anyone have any tips that might be useful for me to know? For example what kind of hinges should I use, how best to reinforce  a door panel to make it sturdy enough to be walked on? Any safety considerations and so on.

EDIT: I'm in a two story brick built house in the UK.

Thanks in advance for your help.

From this picture it hardly looks like the stairs "cuts the room in half". In fact it looks like the stairs hug all the way to one side of the room.

I would strongly discourage you from proceeding with the idea that you propose. If the horizontal trap door were closed in the event of a fire it may very well be just that...a trap the prevents you from escaping in a timely manner, if at all.


Suggestions for gate latch issue Let me preface by saying that I'm not really looking for "shopping advice". I just need some direction on how to tackle this issue.

We recently purchased a house and it has a block fence around the back yard, with a side gate. The latch is facing the exterior so, I would like to put a lock on it. The issue is that the latch (located on the right side of the gate) is too close to the block to fit a standard lock through it. I've tried a few different kinds of locks and nothing seems to fit.

Any advice and/or direction would be appreciated.

UPDATE -- Photos added

One option would be to drill holes through the post to allow you to use the lock that you have (or perhaps a slightly longer lock).


How can I repair my damaged kitchen counter? I made a stupid mistake and placed a hot pan on the kitchen counter top directly, which made a small burn and a bigger bump filled with air that cracked after a little while.

I don't know much about kitchens, and I can't tell what the material is.

Is there a way to fix this?

That's a laminate countertop. You may want to try to use a repair compound like SeamFill or FormFill Laminate Repair - the damaged spot is small enough where it may work. You'll need to remove the blistered material with a sharp knife before applying the compound. Instructions for application, complete with '70s style cartoons, can be found here.

If the results aren't satisfactory, you will need to cut out a section to install an inset cutting board, or re-laminate the countertop - neither option is simple or easy.


Can I use an old 50 amp circuit that was previously used for an electric stove to feed a new sub panel in my garage? I have a 100 amp service entry which is about 40 feet from the attached garage. Currently, I am only using 50 amps to feed the house and want to use the other 50 amps to feed my garage. I reside in California for code purposes.

To directly answer your question: yes, you can use a 50 amp breaker for another purpose.

Also, just to be clear, the total of all breakers in a panel can be higher than the main breaker protecting them -- it just means you can't have more than 100A being used at the same time. Most people don't generally use their stove, dryer, hot tub, furnace, table saw and have every light and electrical appliance in the house on all at the same time anyway, so usually this isn't an issue.

For your garage, you also need to be concerned about the size of wire, and physically getting it to the garage. There are lots of good questions on this that I'd recommend you browse through: https://diy.stackexchange.com/search?q=detached+garage+subpanel


Peel & stick tiles for temporary floor covering over chip board? We recently had a toilet tank crack.  I caught it within two hours. stripped the carpet and foam underlay from the affected hallway, vacuumed up the water, and had a fan on the chip board all within an hour.  I have a slight amount of swelling on one seam -- about a mm.

Next winter we are planning to redo all the floors -- carpet to laminate -- in this  part of the house.

I have a couple of boxes of peel and stick tile from another project.  Directions are very specific that 'porridge board' is not a suitable underlay.

I don't expect it to last for years.  Just for a few months.

Is this a bad idea?  Should I just give the chip board a couple coats of paint?

I have peel and stick tile in several closets on particle board. But it sounds like you may have Oriented Strand Board (visible chips) which is not as smooth on the surface, and that might make a difference.

Closets are low-traffic, which is why I was willing to use P&S at all, but it was a definite improvement from the nasty old carpet removed and the bare particle board left when the carpet was gone. You'll need to address the raised area around the seam in some way, perhaps sanding.

I think it would be worth a try if you do a careful job, since you have the material on hand (sounds like "as excess.")


Can you use an outdoor paving stone for indoors? I want to tile my kitchen with a tile that continues outside to a patio. I have seen a nice 25 mm thick lime stone tile (outdoor) that would look good, but I'm not sure about using an outdoor tile indoors.

We are going to have underfloor heating (water system) under the tiles. I realise that it might take a bit longer, but that's okay.

Are there any disadvantages or anything that I should be aware of?

I'd be concerned about the weight. 25 mm is pretty heavy, and you'll be putting a fridge on top.


What is best way to compact styrofoam and discard it? Every time I install appliances or get something which is breakable, it's covered in styrofoam. Now what is the best/cleanest way to compact and get rid of styrofoam?

I've known people who just put it in a container with acetone where it just dissolves, but I highly doubt it's eco-friendly and I'm not sure what to do with the solved substance afterwards (don't think pouring it down the drain is a smart idea).

What is best way to compact styrofoam and discard it?

I'll assume from your question that you live in a place where it's not recyclable.

Here's an idea: turn it into a resource and use it to improve your house's insulation! I am currently re-using strips of styrofoam packaging material to insulate around my new windows. You could put the bigger sheets of it on your attic floor and then cover it up with cellulose. Etc.

You could offer it up free on Craigslist too. You'd be surprised what people can do with what you might consider a waste product.


Is it okay to glue mirror cabinet to tiles ? (IKEA LILLÅNGEN) I want to buy something like this LILLÅNGEN Mirror cabinet with 1 door:

The problem is that I don't have permissions of owner to drill through tiles. Can you advise me, is safe to glue this kind of cabinet to tiles or not? And if is safe, which glue would you use?

In a word no. First issue is you are renting. The owner has specified no holes in the tile. There is no guarantee the adhesive, if it held won't damage the tile when the cabinet is removed. I would suggest getting some sort of a base cabinet, perhaps a bookcase size piece and mount the mirror cabinet to the top .


Powering battery powered tools from the power grid I have a number of Ryobi One+ tools that have enough power and quality for me in most cases. They all share the same 18V battery form factor which means that I can invest in 2-3 batteries and use them for any tool, which is nice. However, for longer jobs I would like the option of plugging the tools into an electrical socket and run off of that, to not have to charge or change batteries all the time.
Understandably, companies make lots of money from their battery sales and aren't interested in providing such a solution themselves. I would also break the warranty if I did something like this. However, practically, this this possible?
There are 3D-printed products that act as an adapter from a regular 18V laptop transformer and lets us plug that cable into the empty battery socket of a power tool. These are quite expensive and some reports vary on how well they work compared to the actual batteries. Before buying them I would like advice on if I can build one myself, and what transformer specifications would be necessary.
None of my tools or batteries specify the number of watts they consume at maximum load. When fully charged my multimeter says they output 20V DC. There must be a limit in the batteries so the tool doesn't drain the entire battery instantly and burn up, but is it possible to calculate that somehow without jacking in the multimeter between the battery and the tool and putting it under load? I don't think it would be safe to attempt that. My idea is that if I ran the tool from a 100-120W 20V transformer, or whatever the power I would need, it would simply be a matter of properly connecting the positive and ground wires to the tool battery socket. The easiest way would likely be to sacrifice a battery by taking it apart, removing the battery cells and rewiring it from the transformer. Is this very foolish or not?
Thanks for any help. I have some wired tools that are more powerful, but would really like to use my Ryobi kit both ways when their power is enough.

No reasonably-sized and priced 20V PSU will be able to deliver the power that your 20V tools need.   You are trying to design a corded tool that can last through a big job.  The correct solution is to buy actual corded tools.  Just the ones that you actually need for such big jobs.   Plan B would be to buy more, bigger, batteries and a multi-battery charger that you can keep near your work location.
I don't know what current is drawn by battery-operated tools but we can guesstimate. A typical corded 120V saber saw or rotary saw is rated at 10 or 12 amps, therefore consumes say 1400 Watts.  At 20V that means a tool with similar power needs to draw 70 amps from the battery.    You could improve this guess by rigging up one of your tools to actually measure the current from the battery but let's start with this.  You are looking for a 20V 70A PSU.
Forget about laptop PSUs .... even the biggest ones the size of bricks meant for whacko-crazy gaming laptops only provide a small percentage of that power.  A typical laptop PSU is 65W.  Big ones are over 100W but nowhere near 1400.
20V 70A PSUs do exist, but they are very expensive, well over $500 and they are enormous and typically designed for permanent installation in a workshop.  They are specialty items.  You won't find one that is practical or economical for your intended use and it certainly would not be more convenient than charging and swapping batteries.
One last thing: If you did manage to rig something up that could deliver the kind of power you want to your tool, you would probably electrocute yourself.  Unless you designed it with the same safety standards as an AC-powered tool.  Double insulated cables, sockets, and plugs, fuses, etc etc ... all the things designed to protect you with dangerous power delivery.  Are you going to design and build that into your 20V solution?  No.  So you'll eventually get killed.   Just go buy one or two corded tools!


Very low water pressure coming out of cooper tub spout pipe My Co-op recently turned off my buildings hot & cold water supply to fix some pipes. Everything seemed OK for a few weeks, but now the water pressure coming out of the tubes cooper pipe (after the Delta cartridge) is very low pressure.  I tried removing the cartridge (RP46463) and installing a new one - doing this evidently caused some rust or sediment to dialoged and it cam pouring our.  After I installed the new cartridge the water pressure remained low coming out of the cooper tubing. I am thinking I need to have my co-ops plumbers come and use there equipment to blow out the water line for the tub/shower.  I do have another new RP46463, but I wont install it until after the lines get blown out. I'm not sure that is the problem, I have already used a vacume that has a blower on the tube and shower and that did force water through the lines but the pressure remains low.

If anyone one has any ideas or suggestion it would be greatly appreaciated

My Co-op's "plumbers" came this morning and they finally used a hand tool which they refer to as a "Blaster", they first used it on the hot/cold valve with the cartridge removed - the flow got a little better - then I asked them to use it on the tube spout copper pipe - after several attempts BINGO, FULL pressure water flow has returned. There was evidently "something" between the hot/cold valve & the tubs copper spout that needed a really strong push to get knocked out.  All we saw was some brown water and a few very small pieces of rust.  This is the 3rd time this has occurred this year, so I have become an unfortunate experienced person at what needs to be done.  If I had a "blaster" I likely could have taken care of it and I might just get one.


What shades of top coat is dark grey undercoat suitable for? Most widely available wood undercoat seems to be either white or dark grey. What would be best for a mid-tone top coat?

Context: I've found I need 2-3 coats of an expensive (brand name) eggshell over a white undercoat. I'm not keen to spend the extra ££ on their own brand recommended undercoat and it's not stocked at my local shop anyway.

I know this is a bit subjective and hard to answer without images, but I'd appreciate some guidance before buying a tin of dark grey to try out.

Like you say, everything is relative.   Architectural coatings are extremely biased toward white.  I knew that's what you were talking about the moment you said "eggshell" :)

So I suspect all the colors you are contemplating are in fact pastels or off-whites. Truly dark (Munsell 0-7 lightness) or deep (3+ chroma) colors in interiors are simply not in style, and haven't been for 50 years.  Here, see how the only color fit for architectural use is the top left (8 lightness 2 chroma)?

Munsell. Lightness is 2-8 bottom-top, chroma is even: 2 4 6 8 10.

When you have a "dark" (by architectural standards; probably 5 lightness) primer like this, it's for one of two reasons: First, because the chemistry of the stuff makes it better at its job; that's the case with Rustoleum Rusty Metal Primer for instance, or the mil-spec aluminum primers (the green on airplanes). Or: Second, it's tinted for undercoating extremely deep or dark colors like for warning signs or actual black or anything on the bottom half of that chart.

If the primer is merely done for color reasons, then, consult the factory, but they may allow you to add a little dark primer to white primer to dial it in to the lightness of your topcoat.  But be careful; a little dark goes a LONG way!  The reason to do this is to reduce the number of coats of topcoat needed for reliable coverage.

It's a regular thing for me to use Rustoleum Rusty on bare metal, followed by Rustoleum White primer, followed by 2 coats of an off-white.  The Rusty is there for rust protection, the white primer is there to reduce the number of topcoats needed.

As always, primer is cheaper than topcoat, and good and proper prep is cheaper than recovering from lazy prep.


Replacing battery in backup sump pump I have a PHCC 2400 battery backup sump pump. It started beeping today and the controller light indicated that the battery terminals were corroded or that the battery was bad.

I opened up the case and checked the terminals, no corrosion. I pulled the plug on the controller (charger) and tested the battery and it read 12VDC. The manufacturer sells two different replacement batteries. One that you fill yourself and one that is pre-filled and sealed.

Can I use something like this instead?

Note: I found the actual product on ebay which lists it at 12V, 90A max. So it would seem the universal battery I found would fit the specs.

As long as the battery supplies the correct voltage and amperage, yes, you can use it.


Tuscany shower faucet single lever turned to hot, water stops coming out of shower head When the faucet is turned up to hot water max position, the pipes vibrate and the water stops coming from the shower head.  I have adjusted the red plastic knob for the maximum position and even tried without the red knob and still the same.  There is a green knob behind the red one but I am unsure if he is suppose to be adjusted or how to remove.  I have turned up my hot water heater and all other faucets are receiving plenty of very hot water.

The hot water inlet side of your valve may be clogged with rust or mineral deposits.  I have had that happen before.  In my case there was a galvanized steel pipe section screwed directly into a copper pipe section, which always causes rust in the pipe (galvanic corrosion).

Based on having the red and green adjustments, this sounds like a single-handled valve with a cartridge in the center.  You will need to remove the valve cartridge to clean out any deposits.

Is this a newly-installed valve in the shower, or is it an existing valve that just recently started having problems?


Replace existing phone jack with network cable I'm trying to get wired network to my living room since wireless isn't ideal for streaming high quality video.  My first instinct was to replace the existing phone jack, since I don't have landline phone service.  I figured I could use the phone cable to fish the network cable up to the attic, but it seems to be held in place.  I've tried pulling from both ends, but it won't budge.  The living room ceiling is vaulted, so there's no attic access directly above the jack.

Here's a picture of my living room with the existing jack circled in blue and the route I assume the phone cable takes in red:

And here's a picture of where the other end of the cable enters the attic:

This is a two-story house built on a slab, so there is no basement or crawl space.

Does anyone have any idea how (or if) I can make this work?  I would prefer to put as few holes in the living room walls as possible, but I can cut some holes if that would be the best way.

Go fishing
If you're a really lucky person, you might be able to use a fish tape to follow the path of the phone cable.  However, this means running the fish tape through the wall or ceiling, and hitting a small hole in the framing.  Without being able to see what you're doing, you'll just be poking around in the dark, trying to hit a hole of unknown size.

If you want to attempt this, the procedure is as follows:

Run the fish tape up the wall, or down the ceiling cavity.
Poke around until it slides into the hole through the top plate.
continue to feed the fish tape, until it pops out the other end.
Attach the new cable to the end of the fish tape.
Pull the fish tape back out the way it went in.

Open access
The "easier" option, is to cut one or two small access holes. This will allow you to drill new hole(s) through the framing members, and let you see what you're doing while running the cable.
While running the cable, you're going to encounter at least one framing member. Right at the top of the wall, there will be a top plate. Which will consist of either a single, or doubled up piece of lumber laying flat across the top of the wall. In some situations, you might also have fireblocking, or other obstructions within the wall. You'll want to use a stud finder, to try and locate an obstructions along the route.
If you're only dealing with a top plate, you'll want to cut an access hole just below/above the corner of the room.

This hole should be just large enough to fit a flexible drill bit, to allow you to drill through the top plate.

Once you have the hole through the top plate, fishing the cable is easy.

Feed a fish tape up from the lower hole in the wall, to the upper hole.
Feed the fish tape up through the hole in the top plate.
Feed the fish tape through the ceiling, until it comes out where you have access.
Attach the cable to the fish tape.
Retrieve the fish tape and cable.
Patch the hole(s) in the wall/ceiling.


Can I keep my existing ductwork when replacing a furnace with a heat pump and air handler? I currently have an over-sized furnace for my home square footage. I'm happy with the duct's performance, they are quiet.

The furnace is 27 yo and I'd like to replace it with a heat pump and air handler. To keep the project cost down, I would prefer to keep my existing ducts.

I would step down to a 2.5 ton system from the 4 ton furnace - what would I expect to happen if I keep the ducts?

Definitely maybe...  Sorry but it depends on whether or not the existing ducting will work with the new unit.  So you should take that into consideration when selecting a new air handler.  Many units are similar but not identical and so you may have to have an "adapter" fabricated to mate up the new unit with the old ducting.

Why do you think the old unit is oversized?  It would be unusual to oversize like that because a larger unit is more expensive and a waste of money if it's larger than the needed size.  You should have an HVAC professional evaluate your home and make a size recommendation.


electric shock from brass light switches I went to put out 2 light switches at the same time and got an electric shock from both of them. I'm just wondering whether this was static as I was sorting laundry from the tumble dryer or a more serious problem. I have kids and I'm petrified incase they get a shock from them too. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

If you got shocked twice in a row without moving, that doesn't sound like static electricity. But if you mean you touched them both together and got shocked, or you came back later and got shocked again, that could be static electricity. But based on the circumstances (dry winter air, doing laundry) it seems much more likely it was static electricity.

Frankly, unless your hands were dripping wet or you recently changed the wiring, I would be pretty surprised if you got shocked by a light switch. If you want to check, try turning the lights on and off with something nonmetallic, like a wooden spoon. If the lights turn on and off normally, I think it's unlikely there's an electrical issue (though not impossible). The best way to tell whether the switch itself is electrified is with a multimeter (about $20 for a cheap one at a big box store).


Retroffiting buried pipes that carry hot water? I am considering to improve the efficiency of an existing installation where heat pipes between house and hot water deposit have been insulated with a thin (10mm) neoprene sleeve and directly buried?

I measured the temperature drop between the water tank output and house's heated floor distribution point. With a water flow of nearly 1L per minute,  it reads 50C in and 45C out, and I calculated it to be roughly 350 Watts loss per hour.

What would be good and cost saving approaches?

Do a completely new installation enclosed in PVC pipes?

Clean this mess up, cut the pipes, wrap it in new neoprene sleeves?

A fairly common approach these days is to make a box from rigid polystyrene (12-25mm thick) and fill it with closed-cell spray foam (polyurethane.) Don't forget to separate the pipes with more insulation - in many of these systems the double-pipe run is too closely connected and acts as a heat exchanger - not only does the hot supply drop in temperature, the cold return rises in temperature from house to heat-source.

That heat is not technically lost, but it's also not useful/available for heating the house. But you might want to measure it and see how much you are really losing, if that changes your mind about digging up the whole pipe run.

This foam box and spray foam approach does not require cutting the pipes, nor doing a completely new installation - just digging for access.

The box, in cross-section, would look like an "E" laid down flat - you put one pipe in each channel and fill the rest of the channel with spray foam - most people put a foam lid on the box ("E|") after applying the spray foam, and then backfill.


Law on lead Gas pipes My daughter asked a plumbing/central heating company for a general service on their gas system/boiler. They have a 7 week old baby and wanted to make sure the boiler  wasn't giving any fumes off. Just as a precaution. They moved into the house inheriting the lead pipes. The guy who came noticed lead pipes and immediately cut off the gas supply, he said by law. They have no water/heating. He is charging them £600 to replace pipes and also he noticed a vent problem on the roof. Not a big job. Should he have cut the gas off and left them vulnerable and as they now feel cornered to have the work carried out by that company. Seems wrong to me. Any help please ?

Law on lead Gas pipes

Existing installations that are not leaking or faulty do not have to be replaced.

See Is it necessary to replace lead gas pipes?

  Should he have cut the gas off and left them vulnerable

Only if there was a gas leak or the installation was in a dangerous condition. If so I believe he should have given them a written notice.

  He is charging them £600 to replace pipes

Get at least one (preferably more) separate quotations from different companies.

As a matter of principle I would avoid giving additional work to tradesmen who invoke the law to obtain additional money. Often tradesmen/engineers will tell you what is required for new installations as if that had to be retrospectively applied to existing installations - the law does not require that (in general) unless there is a defect or a major change.

  they now feel cornered to have the work carried out by that company.

I would urge them to stop dealing with this company. In their position, if pestered by people from this company I would just say I am arranging for any problems with the installation to be dealt with and leave it at that. I would cut off any conversation at that point. There's absolutely no need to communicate further with a company that makes you uncomfortable, they have no rights to make any demands of you.

If their bill for work already completed to your daughter's complete satisfaction seems unreasonable,  I would write to the company saying you dispute the bill and I would try to take the matter up with trading standards and get free advice from the citizens advice bureau. Keep written records of everything that was said and done.


50 amp stove? and it appears to be gas My buddy wants me to hook up his stove, but it has a 50 amp cord at the bottom. Why does a gas stove need a 50 amp cord. My stove just has a plug for a 110 volts. His stove is not electric, I'm a little confused, or should I say unlearned.

The stove may be one of the more modern types known as having "dual fuel". I have one of those and the cook top burners above are using natural gas while the oven operates on electricity. In fact even the oven has two operating modes selectable between static heat generation and convection with the hot air being moved around.

As such the stove unit has a 50A electrical hookup and a gas line hookup.


Is a ceiling fan box brace required? I am about to install a ceiling fan where there was only a simple light fixture before.
The existing electrical box will be removed, and I will install this box in its place. This has me attaching the box directly to a single joist in the ceiling.
Image from HardwareWorld.com
I am not planning to use a brace to suspend the box between two joists. This is a relatively modern house from the 70s and the ceiling appears to be in good condition. I am wondering do I need to reinforce the joists at all or is this sufficient to hang a ceiling fan of average weight?

Brace Yourself!
The problem is not the simple strength of the ceiling joists - we'll presume that even a single joist is strong enough to hold up a fan. The problem is that a box next to a joist will not be stable enough to support a fan if it is only supported on one side. A typical brace solves that problem.
An alternative is to place the box under a joist. However, unless this is an open ceiling, that will (a) have the box dropping below the finished ceiling and (b) not look very nice.
So unless you really like a wobbling fan, use a brace:

You also get the nice advantage of more flexibility for placement of the fan, though if you are making use of an existing hole in the ceiling then that is a non-issue.


When designing plumbing, what is the most efficient way to pump water to a roof? I am planning to pump water to the roof of my house in order to cool a solar panel array during warm days.  I'm trying to determine the best way to route the water as the water source is on one side of the house and the array on the other.

Is it more efficient to minimize the height that the water will move, but introduce some 90° bends in the plumbing, or minimize the bends in the plumbing at the cost of an increase in height?  What is the general trade-off in pressure for these scenarios?

To illustrate, I can pump the water straight up, over the apex of my roof and down the other side.  Assuming the pump can handle the extra elevation of about 3-4m, gravity will assist in moving the water back down the opposite slope of the roof.

Alternatively, I can bury a length of pipe going from one side of the house to the other, introducing some 90° elbows, then pump straight up to the desired elevation.

EDIT:

A rough estimate shows that I would need to raise water at-most 10m/33'.  I don't need a high flow rate since I plan to use micro-irrigation drip sprayers; these things will require at most 1 gallon per hour in flow, but typically much less.

Head is a term used to identify the vertical distance between the pump output and terminus. This is where we figure out how hard the pump has to fight gravity. Another thing to remember is the rule of thumb is every 90 degree elbow is equal to 20 feet or 6m of pipe. How much water you want to move and your head distance will determine pump and discharge pipe diameter. So we need to know head distance, volume in lpm or m^3/hr to get an idea of where to start. And FYI, even though gravity will help the water fall, you will need a bigger motor to start against the head pressure meaning a bigger pump than you really need. Go horizontal.


How can I create an air tight seal around pipes? I live in an industrial loft. My downstairs neighbor is a factory. When they're running, fumes come up through my bathroom into my apartment. It's serious problem.

The guy who lived here before me put in the pipes himself (he left behind the tools, even) and I'm guessing he did a slapdash job of sealing around them. I'd like to find the penetration that the fumes are coming through, make an airtight seal around that pipe, and live in peace and harmony with my downstairs neighbor once more.

Problem step 1: How do I figure out which penetration is leaking fumes? (Some of the penetrations, like the 3 water lines to the faucet, are closed off behind a boxy sink, too.)

Problem step 2: How do I seal it?

Solution step 1: Just seal all of the penetrations you can find. If that doesn't help, you'll probably have to start tearing off drywall to get at hidden pipes if you're sure the smell is seeping through gaps between plumbing and the floor.

Solution step 2: Use Spray-applied polyurethane foam. Dow Great Stuff works well. Just be sure to wear gloves!


When wiring a switch, should I break the neutral or power wire? My husband has always wired a switch to break the neutral wire to turn a light on and off.  I can remember for 40 years he has said to "break the neutral".  However, our son worked as an electrician for 2 years and he said you always "break" the "power" wire (black one)  Who is correct?  Thank you!!

There was a time when switching the neutral was a common practice, but it was way more than 40 years ago.  It's no longer permitted:

  NEC 404.2(B) Grounded Conductors. Switches or circuit breakers
  shall not disconnect the grounded conductor of a circuit.

(In the case of your home, and in most cases, the neutral is grounded so the neutral wire is the grounded conductor.)

This way when receptacles, light switches, etc. are switched off, they do not carry any voltage to ground, making them safer for light bulb changing, etc.


How to add a surge protector on 240 circuit at pool sub panel - neutral or ground connection? Trying to add a surge protector at a sub panel by pool. The 240 circuit runs from the main load panel on side of house to sub panel by pool - red, black and green only - to a disconnect and the pump. The surge protector (Intermatic PS3000) has two black and one white wire only. No other wires. I was planning to connect the two black wires to the red and the black from the 240 circuit at the disconnect, but am stumped with where to attach the third wire.

I am adding a whole house surge protector, but also one at the pump for extra protection because the variable speed pump has an on board electronic unit that is more sensitive and according to many reviews, can be troublesome. Kind of like adding a surge protector next to electronics inside.

I understand that at the main load center the white/neutral would go to the ground/neutral bus bar, but that according to code, at a sub panel, it should go to a neutral bus that is isolated from the ground bus. Otherwise, as I understand it, you can end up with neutral current on the ground wire.

At the sub panel, the ground bar is bonded to the rebar in the pool. Intermatic says they get this question all the time and that they tell everyone to connect the white wire to the ground at the sub panel and tape it green. Intermatic tech support even says they are trying to get the color of the wire changed to green by production. Two local electricians have said this is fine also, even though it might not be 100% code. I am asking here because I believe the advice is very considered and expert, and I want to be safe and follow code.

There is also a 110 circuit running from the main load center directly to the sub panel. This  circuit has a neutral on it. A ‘professional’ pool installer which sets up pumps routinely said that he regularly grabs neutrals from other circuits and that it would be fine to connect the white wire from the surge protector to the neutral on the 110 circuit. This makes me a little nervous as it seems like I would be mixing a 110 circuit with a 240 circuit.

I would really appreciate any thoughts on this. Thank you.

Good question! DOC - to answer your question, (for 240 volt application) the two BLACK wires go to a 2-Pole 20A breaker and the white goes to the ground bus or a bonded neutral bar.  Here is a cut sheet for a unit similar to yours (and similar to those that we install on a daily basis:

http://www.five-two-one.com/pdf/LT521SPD_Web.pdf

Hope this helps you!


Device to "freshen" an unventilated bathroom? Is there a device that ozone-ises or ionises the air to reduce the odour that builds up in an unventilated bathroom?

I'm not talking about reducing smells created by - eh - "toilet deposits", more the smell that builds up because there is exposed water in an unventilated room.

Update
This is indeed an infrequently used bathroom, in my inlaws basement. I need to do some wiring work down there and thought if there was a device I could wire in to help I'd do so.
I thought I'd seen things in bathrooms in Pubs & Restraunts that does this, possibly not.

Try putting a small dehumidifier in the room, which will cut down on musty smells.

Also if this bathroom is used infrequently, be sure the flush the toilet periodically, and run the faucet.  Stagnant water in the toilet will stink, and the drain trap will dry out, leading to sewer gas smells.  This will be especially true with a dehumidifier, which will dry things out.


Can I install required breaker in my electrical panel? GOAL: installing an external 240v wall outlet to power a future air compressor.  I have attached a picture of the electrical panel in my house.  I would like to understand what I am looking at in the panel.  I do not know how to find the main breaker to stop the feed of current/voltage to this panel.  Lastly, do I even have room to install a breaker that is suitable for a 240v air compressor.  I am happy to be here and learning from everyone, first question asked, so please correct me in any way and school me up.  I am thirsty so if you have time just lead me to the water!

Can you install a new 240V breaker? Probably. It looks like the necessary two spaces are available on the bottom-right (the one space on the left side can only get you 120V without shuffling things around).
Pictures of that areas straight-on would be helpful, as would pictures of the panel front and the stickers on the inside left and right sides of the box.
Since there is no shut-off in this panel, it must be somewhere upstream - probably in the same box as your electric meter. You'll want to take a look and see what the amp rating of your feed is, as that could limit whether you could run this new load at the same time as all your other existing loads. Judging by the wires feeding the bus bars, you probably have 100A service to this panel.
For an outdoor receptacle, you'll need GFCI protection somewhere in the circuit - either in the breaker or the receptacle. Receptacle GFCI can be less expensive than breaker GFCI, but may not be available in the size you want. It's also not a great idea to mount sensitive GFCI electronics outdoors.
There are some other concerning issues in your picture:

No grommets/clamps around any of the cables entering the box. Without proper clamps, the cables may rub against the sharp edges of the knockouts until the insulation is cut and a short circuit occurs.

Probable missing handle tie on the breakers in spaces 5 and 7 (left side, below the double 30). Judging by the lack of visible numbers on those handles and the black and white load wires, those two are probably feeding one 240V load and used to have a handle tie. You don't want to be able to turn off only one leg to the load, as it creates a dangerous situation where the device appears to be off but still has live wires inside. A handle tie ensures you always turn off both legs together.

Probable missing handle tie on the breakers in spaces 15 and 17. Also, the wire is far too small to normally be on a 50A breaker (it looks like probably #12, good for 20A or maybe #10, good for 30A), although there are code exceptions for certain motor loads (such as air conditioners) that mean it could be a legitimate configuration.

At least two of the screws in the neutral bar have two wires. There should only be one neutral wire per screw. Grounds can generally be doubled up.

The orange cable should not be flopping out in the open air. It should be fastened securely, and protected from damage (e.g. covered by wall or conduit below a certain height, which it is surely below if the panel is mounted at a legal height).

The ground wire in the bottom-left corner of the panel (the one mostly wrapped in paper) looks like it isn't connected to anything.


Cutting cardboard tubing I’m looking for advice on how to cut cardboard tubing into a T. The tubes I have are approximately 11” OD with a 1/4” thickness. I’m able to cut with a jigsaw but having difficulty cutting them with a nice fit. Any ideas?

Many moons ago, last century, I used and appreciated a program known as winmiter. It no longer works on today's technological magic, but there's an online free alternative known as Pipe Joint Template with an option to purchase and download an offline version with more features.

The program allows you to print a paper template to mark the cuts necessary to have a clean fit to the joined tubing. The original winmiter program was quite capable and I suspect that this one is as well.
There are other similar options via CAD programs such as Fusion 360, solvespace and I suspect SolidWorks and others, but this is certainly among the simpler methods to accomplish a good fit.


Does my furnace and water heater need a shut off switch I notice my furnace and electric water heater have switches. Why do they have a switch, is it for convenience or are they required by code. Each of these are on a dedicated breaker and the breaker panel is only 15 feet away. The switch just seems like another thing that can fail.

NEC Articles 110.25, 422.31, 422.33, 422.34 and 430.102(A) provide requirements for disconnects used to protect those who might need to service equipment. Basically it requires the following.

It must be with in line of site and less than 50' from the equipment.
The disconnect means must be able to be lockable for hardwired or plug and cord.
Many AHJ have also require the access to the disconnect to be in an unencumbered path from the equipment.

Also as mentioned by Jim Stewart, it is there for safety's sake and it is rare these devices go bad.

Hope this helps.


How to permanently seal a pipe filled with water and under pressure making it equal to the wall? What I'm trying to do is something like this:

I don't want any section of the pipe out of the wall. So I can't use a common "external" cap. I need a cap that goes inside the pipe (or something else).

After sealed, the pipe will still be filled with water and under normal pressure for the kind of pipe. It will be a dead leg.

I'm trying to avoid breaking walls to change the pressure valve or cap the pipe.

Now we are getting somewhere. You have a pressure flushing system which is malfunctioning, and I can understand your desire to remedy this.

But your solution is too radical. The first attempt should be to get a better pressure system and not to do radical surgery on your existing piping. Can't you replace the valving with a better quality one? Tank (aka cistern) flushing systems have their own problems.

Is this an emergency? Have you removed the toilet and this is your only one?


Foundation casting of a house The foundation trenching has water about 3 inches  due to rainfall, also the surrounding area of the land is waterlogged. We blind the trenching base using sand and cement. Can we cast the foundation now or later?

Concrete for the foundation base (aka footing) poured into mud and standing water will not cure properly will be not suitable for use as a footing. You would be well to do one of:

Wait for the water to evaporate and/or soak into the ground.
Pump out the water.
Dig an additional trench away from the low end to drain the water away from the footing area.

Then let the soil base dry out. You will have to remove the area of the footing with the punky concrete and re-pour it in proper conditions. All this needs to be done before you start building a foundation on top of the footing.


What plaster compounds should be used when plastering an unheated building? Remodeling an old school that was built in 1902 that had plaster stripes on inside walls. they want it to look original.  Will it work to put 1/2inch OSB on the wall and then a layer of plaster on the OSB? tape the joints of course. This building will not be heated and is located along the Ohio River where it is very damp. What plaster compound should i use and will this work, or any other suggestions

Don't put plaster on OSB. Put plaster on plasterboard aka blueboard. OSB is very moisture sensitive. Your plan will eventually result in rotten, swelled OSB with plaster falling off of it, especially if the building won't be heated.


Re-routing discharge pipe from hot water heater's T&P relief valve Our new construction home (completed build in August 2018) in northwest Georgia (about 40 miles NW from Atlanta) has an electric water heater installed in an alcove in the corner of the garage.
The current discharge pipe setup from the T&P relief valve seems incorrect and self-defeating and maybe even dangerous, depending on what sort of discharge event happens (if one were to occur):

The discharge pipe runs up vertically (into the ceiling, then over and across the garage, down into an exterior wall, where it finally terminates outside)
Before encountering the upwards path, there is a tee, where the other path (downward) terminates into a ball valve, to allow for drainage (according to the builder)
There are several 90° elbows, which, from my limited understanding, can potentially restrict discharge

Current setup:

"Snapshot" of what the beginning portion of the pipe looks like behind the drywall (the red PEX pipe):

What I'm contemplating doing is:

Remove most of the current setup (capping off the now-useless pipe, extending from the ceiling)
Re-orient the T&P valve such that it points towards the front of the water heater
Run a new length of (probably copper?) pipe that extends from the T&P valve towards the front of the water heater, then down the front, and finally terminating near the floor.

Idea for new pipe run:

There is no floor drain in the garage, so I am not sure if terminating the pipe into the garage is a viable (and safe) option?
Or, should I just leave this as-is?

The garage (and home) is on/part of a monolithic concrete slab, so there is no worry about flooding/damaging a basement.
The garage floor is "recessed" such that the interior walls of the house sit about ~2 inches higher than the garage floor, so unless there'a catastrophic event where water is being released non-stop for hours before being noticed, it might be OK?

Example of "recessed" floor:

Draining up does not work

The T&P valve drain pipe is no different than any other drain, in that it relies on gravity to function at the end of the day.  As a result, your builder's completely bizarre installation needs to be removed and redone, as you show in your pictures, as it violates several of the operative points in IRC P2804.6.1, including points 9:

  Be installed to flow by gravity.

and 12:

  Not have valves or tee fittings

PEX is listed in IRC Table P2906.5 as an allowable material for water service, though, so Point 13 permits its use for T&P relief valve piping.

Your plan might work; you may need a pump, though

Your plan may or may not be acceptable, it depends on how the AHJ interprets IRC P2804.6.1 point 6 in your (admittedly odd) case, though:

  Discharge in a manner that does not cause personal injury or structural damage

If draining, via the obligatory airgap of between twice the pipe diameter and 6", to a floor that is not further drained is not acceptable, what you can do is use a basin and float-operated pump setup so that any drainage can be pumped to a place that doesn't risk damaging the house.  (They make all-in-one kits of this nature for draining things like washers.)


At a 6' span, how much can an SPF 2x4 turned on 3.5" end support? The ends are secured, so how much load can a 6' span of SPF 2x4 support when turned on 3.5"?

Check out this site :   http://www.msrlumber.org - it has all the answers to spans for most applications.  There are several good sites that have tables, just google "lumber strengths".


Why are two load wires both energized when one is? I pulled an outlet out of the box to determine how far upstream it was on the circuit in preparation for installing a GFCI. Three hots and three neutrals connected to the outlet.

I disconnected all hot wires and used a non-contact detector to determine which is the line from the circuit breaker. I verified the other two were hot loads going elsewhere (i.e., not energized when I turned on the breaker -- and everything else on the circuit was off, so I got the outlet furthest upstream). I figured, OK, they're splitting the circuit left and right around the room to reach the other outlets, etc.

However, when I connect just one of the load hots, everything downstream gets power, and the other load hot that's not yet connected also has power. Ergo, the separate hot load wires connect with each other somewhere I can't see, but I have no idea why or where, since hooking up just one got power to everything.

I've never seen this before. Can anyone tell me what's going on?

sounds like the circuit is making a complete circle. they ran wire around the room and came back to the same box again. go to the "last" box on the run. There should only be one wire. Wire in, no wire out.


How to unscrew this uncommon type of screw? The staircase light next to my flat broke down and I would like to fix it. The ceiling lamp is pictured below:

I have a problem with unscrewing the screw. The screw is of rather peculiar shape with a little bit of space on the side and a full middle, reverse to a normal screw. I attempt to show this in the picture below:

I tried to budge it from left and right with a small screw driver but it doesn't work. I would be very grateful for any advice on how to unscrew this things. If someone could kindly point me to a tool / special screwdriver that I could cheaply buy on eBay to move this thing it would be amazing :)

Depending on your stair, lighting might be the responsibility of the council. If there's a sticker/notice that has a number for "concerns/ complaints", they'd be the right ones to call. If there's nothing posted, it might be a communal thing. Part of the reason I bring this up is that the replacement bulbs for that lamp seemed really expensive when bought in small quantities. (Or maybe that was just me being a cheapskate. From memory, it was just shy of a tenner.)

But a pair of small-ish needlenose pliers should allow you to unscrew them. If you're naughty, replace with a normal bolt.

If your ceiling is high, be careful on that ladder.


Can push in connectors be used for parallel circuits? Adding in new construction can lights that come with push in connectors.
Rather than using the old yellow cap twists, the connectors have 4 slots and I wanted to know if I can just run a line from one light to the next using these connectors, or will that act as series?

"old yellow cap twists" - if you hate the things then use something else.
However you should hate the old ones. Old wire-nuts aren't very good, or to be more precise, newer ones are better designed.  I throw away all old wire nuts especially Scotchloks.
The other reason to hate wire-nuts is if you have not learned proper technique.   If they don't firmly hold together by themselves, you're not tightening them enough, or wrong-size nut for that many wires.  I stock yellow and red, that covers just about everything.
Never, ever tape wire nuts. Or to be more precise, never need to tape wire nuts. A proper splice must easily pass a "pull test" (hold nut, yank each wire one at a time).
"Backstab" connections on receptacles and switches are known to be unreliable.  Some here will vouch for the stabby splice, but keep in mind those "came free with the lights" which isn't the highest recommendation in the world.


Can a GFCI plug on the same circuit as a range cause a fault for power getting to the range plug? I have a standard 220v plug for an electric range. There is also a GFCI plug along the same circuit but it is tripped and I cannot get it to reset. If the GFCI plug is tripped could that cause a reduction in the current to the 220 for the range?

You can't do that.   The 240v power to the range must go only to the range.  You can't fork off one leg of the 240 and a neutral to also serve a 120v plug.  Of any kind.  If you need a 120v plug there, you need to either run a new circuit, or add an outlet to an existing circuit.

That, however, does not explain why the GFCI is tripping.   The GFCI would not know it was applied illegally - as long as it sees 120v across its line terminals, it is happy.   The fact that it is tripping suggests to me that either it is defective or you have connected it to 240v.  Or it is working properly and you are plugging in an appliance which has a ground fault, such as a 3-light electricity tester.


attaching eye-bolt to roof ridgeline I would like to attach an eyebolt to the ridgeline of my metal roof.   I can then attach a rope to that when I need to work on the roof.  I am a climber and have the knowledge and gear to secure myself.  The rope is mainly to allow me to get up the 10/12 central part of the roof (the ridgeline of which I'll mount the eye-bolt), and not slide off the adjacent 5/12 portions of the roof.   It will not be subject to dynamic loading (catching falls); the biggest loads it will sustain are when I haul on it to get up the 10/12 roof (it's impossible otherwise, very slippery).

Since the ridge cap is just a fairly flimsy piece of galvalume, the eyebolt must be secured without reliance on it (and RTV silicon caulked to it).   My plan is to drill a hole through the ridge cap, the eyebolt will come through that, and then be attached to the rafters with two u-bolts.  Since this is the ridge, it's where the rafters meet.  So additionally, I will reinforce the rafters with two triangular shaped steel plates (one on each side of the area where the rafters meet); these will be bolted through the rafter with 2-3 bolts, and then the u-bolts will go through them as well.

This picture shows the detail.

If I may suggest an alternative since putting a hole in any roof is better avoided.

I have a 10/12 pitched roof and I use an extension ladder with a stand-off stabilizer to reach the peak.

The ladder is laid flat on the roof with the stabilizer pointing skyward. Extend the section and slide upward towards the peak and then flip the ladder so the stabilizer hooks over the peak.

Climb up the rungs which offer both hand and footholds. Once you’re at the peak, tie off your safety line, hoist a plank to lay on the opposite side of the peak and insert through the top rung. Lash it off or use pipe clamps and you’ve reinforced the setup. I have used it to rebuild chimneys, antenna work, placing hundreds of pounds of brick, etc... on it.


How do I connect this saw's motor to 220 volts? I finally found a motor for an old DeWalt radial arm saw but I don't understand the diagrams on the motor plate. I want to run it at 220 volts but without terminals I'm not sure about which wires go to my hot leads.

Looking at the first photo, under the label "208-240" the "white line" is the in coming white wire from the power. It shows that it is connected to the white wire from the motor. The "blue insulate" means the blue wire is not being used and should be capped and taped. Although it doesn't designate how the "black" wire from the power is connected I would say that since it is a capacitor run-type motor that the black is wired to the capacitor. If not it would go to the "reset" switch. Look to see how the black wire  is connected presently and keep it as is.


Intersystem bonding terminal - how direct? Back before I knew what an intersystem bonding terminal (IBT) was properly called, I had my service entrance put in by an electrician, licensed in 3 states, who never-the-less pulled things I now know to be violations, such as stripping NM-B cable and using the unmarked conductors in conduit.

Most of the work he did was not affected by that particular stunt (just the panel light and panel outlet.) However, I did ask at the time about grounding other services, which is made inconvenient on the outside by the conduit protecting the main GEC from the meter box into the ground.

From the left - power to the well, power from the pole, GEC (2/0) (runs to the well casing and hits 5 ground rods on the way); two communication conduits to the pole, and a golf ball on top of a section of (empty) conduit marking the first of those ground rods. From looking at "typical" IBC terminals I gather that 2/0 is a bit out of their wheelhouse anyway. The G/N bond is inside the meter box, thus, sealed. The crazy-big overkill main ground is "customer with lightning/grounding issues" rather than any fault of the electrician.

Inside, the feed from the Class 320 meter splits to two 200A panels; Ground and neutral are isolated, and the ground comes in on 4AWG green wires.

The North panel is closest to the Communications ducts. The red tape was applied over the Line lugs by me, as it's fine for homeowners to do their own work in Vermont, and I'm comfortable with that, but I prefer to de-fang easily preventable stupid problem points, which those are.

His response to my inquiry was to hand me a couple of these, and while I can see that they are some sort of clamp, googling the number (G603) with ground, clamp, etc. yeilds no useful results for me thus far - and in any case, the question of WHERE to get access to attach them is unclear.

Now, I've certainly seen the stock cable company deal of "just screw a bar to the meter box" with no copper connection, but I'm pretty sure that's a hack.

Without getting into having to break the seal on the box, my options (other than that kludge) appear to be:

Run a #4 copper ground from the ground rod in front of the communications conduits to an IBT near their eventual termination. This is short, sweet, all outside, and probably as close to the actual bond point as (2) will be, but via 2/0 from the rod to the bond point in the meter box.
Run a #4 ground wire out through the wall from a ground bar in the North Panel to an IBT near the eventual termination point of the communication conduits
Cut access to the actual GEC through the 1" schedule 80 PVC that's protecting it, without damaging it, and clamp a #4 onto it, since I have not found a IBT that will "lay-in" on a 2/0 conductor. But now it's "not protected" at least wherever that is.
Do something with the odd G603 clamps. What, I'm not clear. It's been many years and I'm unlikely to hire the same guy back after gaining proper understanding of what a blatant code violation the NM-B wires trick was.

I'm getting ready to have internet put in, and the cable company is old-fangled (they ran a brand-new coax line up the road in an era where those cost a good deal more than fiber-optic) so I'm going to need this done soon-ish.

So, The question: which of those options appears to be the best/proper approach?

Contributory questions that don't appear to merit a completely different question: Can anyone identify the "G603" clamps and their application, if any, to this problem? Does the IBT need to be as close as possible to the N/G bond point/service entrance?

Not sure why 2-0 is used for residential with rod pipe and plate electrodes--#6 is all that is needed per code per 250.66.A. The IBT attached to the service equipment or disconnect is according to code not a hack but self forming screws are needed, not self tapping, or #6 to the grounding electrode conductor. 250.94.4  the length my jurisdiction uses is 20’ (see 800.100.4) except on motor homes it is allowed to be 30’. If this distance is not compliant this is when they require a 5’ ground rod (see 800.100.b.3.2). Hope that helps