What should I do with misaligned sink pipes I tried to fix a clogged sink and found the problem was much more complex: I have to replace the sink waste too. And after I installed the newly bought waste, the pipes failed to align.

I think it's because the new waste is a little bit too long, 'pushing' the pipe it's connecting down a little bit further.

I am thinking maybe I can get an extension to fit in between? Or I can cut off a part of the vertical pipe coming from the ground. Problem with the second option is I have to work out how much I need to cut, and what's the best tool for the job.

Are there any other options? Thanks.

This looks all wrong. It looks like you have installed an adjustable P-trap upside down. The upside down "U" shaped piece attached to the pipe coming from the cabinet floor is supposed to be under the sink strainer.

You need a proper tailpiece to attach to the strainer, which will come down into the "tall" end of the "U" shaped piece. The piece you now have attached to the strainer is supposed to be connected to the "short" part of the "U" shaped piece and runs horizontally to the pipe coming from the cabinet floor, where you will need a slip-joint elbow to connect them. Something more like this:

Please do it right and avoid "clamp-on" Fernco type connectors, as some have suggested. They always end up leaking.


Drip leak on ceiling right above toilet. Can't nail down the source So, I have a few drops of water showing up on my first level ceiling right about where the bathrooms are on the second level. On the second level I have two bathrooms - back to back (and the toilets are almost back to back).

I got a plumber to look at the leak. He opened up the ceiling but couldn't find the source of the leak and suggested I replace the wax ring of the guest bathroom toilet (which seem to be right above the point where the drops of water come). We did that. A few days later I noticed the leak still happening.

I have tried to "troubleshoot" the leak - first few days had no one use the guest bathroom toilet but the leak still was there. Then, switched around - had folks not used the master bathroom toilet. The leak is still there. It is not a steady drip - seems to happen a little after the toilet is used.

I am having the plumber come back and take another look at the issue. Does anyone have ideas on what might be the cause or how to better troubleshoot the issue or even be a little more intelligent when discussing with the plumber or someone else.

Condensation on the vent pipe (warm pipe from venting the shower / sink drain hitting cold air in the attic space)? If it only started happening in winter that would be my suspicion.


Caulking vinyl siding inside jchannel / post? Found I have some yellow jackets trying to get behind my siding in the j-channel/post at the end of the siding. Can I caulk up and down the entire length of the channel where the siding ends to close that gap off?

Not my picture but I would caulk along green. Yellow jackets trying to get into a gap similar to red.

That's not a good idea. Vinyl siding expands and contracts quite a bit with temperature. By caulking it you prevent movement and could cause buckling or other warping. It would also look bad.

The insects would just find a new location and you'd end up doing it all over again. A better approach is to use aromatic deterrents. More on that


Does my wiring plan sound OK? I bought a house built in '69 in northern VA a few months ago. Having mapped out the upstairs circuits, I've discovered that the whole place is a wiring mess. I am remodeling each room and bathroom due to really bad drywall patchwork and insulation suspicions (confirmed now that I've torn down some walls), so I'm figuring this is the best possible time to fix the spaghetti wiring/circuitry.

To give a layout of sorts: Split level home. Upstairs where I am currently remodeling, I am working with 3 bedrooms connected via a hallway and 2 full bathrooms. One bathroom attached to the hallway, the other master bath is attached to the master bedroom. I've found a good spot to run wire from the basement up to the attic, then to each room. I would like to get each room and each bathroom on its own circuit (tell me if this is a dumb idea or not please).

For the bedrooms, I plan on using 15-A breakers with 14/2 romex (14/3 from light switch to fan to operate the overhead light and fan separately). Each smaller bedroom will have at most 6 outlets and one light switch. The master will have at most 8 outlets and one light switch. The number of outlets here is ball-parked based on putting a receptacle every 6' or so.

For the bathrooms, I plan on using 20-A breakers with 12/2 romex since larger wattage items will be used there. The bathrooms are fairly small, so they will have at most 2 outlets (one being GFCI) and an overhead light/fan combo (currently absent from the master bath).

For the hallway, I've read up on the 3-way lighting that I need to meet code, but as that is already in place, I'm not going to do much modification there.

Mainly I am looking for a sanity check that it is OK to wire up that many outlets in a room on 15-A with 14 gauge romex. I see there is quite the debate in wiring with 12 vs 14 and 15- vs 20-A. I am going to be working with an electrician as well in order to make sure I'm meeting local code and to handle anything I'm uncomfortable with.

I'm coming over from stack overflow posting mostly coding questions, so I apologize if I'm posting like a total DIY noob. Thanks in advance.

Your plan as written probably doesn't follow code in a couple of places. If you're working with an electrician, you should have them approve your plan. Then you implement the plan, but they check your work. Don't do the work or buy materials until they have reviewed your plan.

From a usability standpoint, don't put the ceiling lights on the same circuit as the outlets in a room. All of the room ceiling lights can be on the same circuit. This way someone tripping a breaker in a room doesn't leave the room dark.

Along those same lines, you might put the hallway light on a separate circuit from the bedroom lights, but this is strictly a nice-to-have.

Unless you anticipate high loads in the bedrooms, you can put the outlets in the bedrooms all on the same circuit. It is common/customary to have the master outlets on a separate circuit, but not required.

Depending on the code your jurisdiction follows, it's likely that bathroom circuits must be dedicated to a single bathroom. The light in the bathroom can use that circuit, but it should be wired BEFORE the GFCI so that tripping the GFCI doesn't turn off the light. Alternatively, wire the lights to the bedroom lighting circuit.

Another code adoption dependency is AFCI breakers. You will likely need them for all of the circuits you have planned, including lights.

If you're pulling new wire, use 12 gauge everywhere. Using 14 gauge and 15 amp outlets everywhere doesn't save that much money.

And while you're up there, run a dedicated circuit for wired smoke detectors for all bedrooms and the hallway. Besides the fact that it's a good idea, based on the amount of work you're doing they may be required for your permits and inspection.


Is there a way to put Taco zone valves in a closed position? The Amtrol expansion tank on my boiler needs to be replaced but the installers did not include an isolation ball valve.  I can close the returns, but the water will still drain down from the upper floors of the house unless I can close the zone valves. The zone valves can be put in the "always open" position by pushing the latch towards the pipe, but is there a way to put the zone valves into a forced-closed position? If the system electrical is turned off when the thermostat is not calling for heat, will the valves be, and remain, in the closed state?

P.S. Here are pics of one that was replaced with a new one.  It is not really designed to be user-serviceable. The outer shell is riveted in place. I do not see a hefty spring.

TL;DR:

  is there a way to put the zone valves into a forced-closed position?

Taco zone-valve (wax piston actator):

disconnect top wire at contact marked #1 and wait 2 mins, or
disconnect all wires, wait two minutes, rotate head and remove.

Zone valves with a synchronous motor

remove the head.

Further to Tkw's answer, heres the inside of a zone valve. Note the two springs that close the valve when the motor is not powered.

With some zone valves, where the manual-opening lever is located you can peek in and see the toothed segment that is moved by the motor's gear (which typically turns at only 3.5 rpm)

What you show in your updated question looks like a Taco zone-valve

The bottom cast-metal part is the actual valve.

The top part, in a plastic enclosure, is just the Zone-Valve Power-Head. This is a separately purchased part and is designed to be replaced without disturbing the plumbing.

Once the power head is separated from the bronze valve body, the valve will be shut and there is no way for any of your heating controls to open the valve.

If you look at the cutaway diagram in the manufacturers brochure you'll see there is a very strong spring in the base.

That spring holds the valve closed when the power-head is disconnected.

If you want to be 100% sure the valve remains closed regardless of what your controls are doing, just pull the power-head off.

  Procedure to remove power unit and replace with Taco 555-050RP, 555-151RP,
  555-154RP or 555-173RP (as applicable) replacement power unit:
  1. Turn off room thermostat.
  2. Mark wires; 1, 2, and 3, according to terminal strip numbers on power unit.
  3. Disconnect wires from power unit terminal strip. Do not allow wires to come in contact with each other or other objects.
  4. Wait two (2) minutes for power unit to cool down.
  5. Push down slightly, and rotate power unit clockwise (as shown) to remove, and lift off.
  6. Position new Taco replacement power unit on valve body, push down slightly and twist counter-clockwise to assemble onto valve body.
  7. Reconnect wires marked 1, 2, and 3 to their respective terminals on the replace-ment power unit.
  8. Check to make sure that the manual operation lever is in the auto position before returning the thermostat to normal operation.
  (Note: no manual lever on 555-173RP.)

Though just disconnecting the wiring (or just wire #1) ought to be enough.


How can I provide power to a dehumidifier in the bathroom? I have an interior bathroom which has always been damp.  I want to try and do something about it and am thinking of getting a wall mounted continuous flow dehumidifier and attaching the drain pipe either into the toilet tank (easiest) or into the sink drain pipe (bit trickier), but I'm not sure how I can provide power to the dehumidifier.  Obviously I don't have any sockets in the bathroom, and it only has light/fan that use electricity at the moment.  I want to put the dehumidifier above the toilet which would mean it would be on the wall about 1m from the bath/shower and directly to the left and above the sink.

So my question is what is the simplest least disruptive way to get power to the dehumidifier?  Can I drill a hole in the wall and feed the cable through and into the lounge and plug it in there?

Do I need to take any special precautions to make the dehumidifier legal in terms of electricity in the bathroom?

I live in the UK, as that will probably make a difference.

The important rule about bathroom electrics is that, apart from shaver sockets, fundamentally you can't have any power sockets in there. There may be some exceptions, but they don't apply here.

However, you can have power going into a bathroom if you hard wire the device and have a switch outside the bathroom that can turn the device off (we have a couple of heated towel rails wired this way).

So as long as your de-humidifier isn't directly above the sink, bath or shower and wired this way it should be OK.

However, with all these things consult an electrician. Even if you do end up doing it yourself getting professional advice is always a good idea.


TV mount to 5" door frame instead of stud? I have a 1906 Edwardian with solid 5" x 5" door frames. I just noticed that (because of stud positions) using the door frame instead of a stud would allow me to install the TV in a better position. Looking inside the wall, the door frames seem to be made of the same material as the studs.

The frame doesn't go to the ceiling but it's huge compared to the studs. Would you use it as a stud for TV mounting purposes?

Thank you!

I think you are fine. Predrill the holes because its dry wood. The frame is for sure connected to the studs even if the frame does not connect to the ceiling.


How to remove rivets? I have to remove these rivets (see pics).

What tool can I use for that?

Those are rivets (specifically pop-rivets), they are a permanent fastener not intended to be easily or routinely disassembled and reassembled.

There are many ways to remove them

Drill

You can drill them out with a HSS drill bit of appropriate diameter for the stem of the rivet. Once you have drilled out the centre, the heads will fall out.

Punch

You may be able to punch out the center using a hammer and a suitably sized punch.

Grind

You can grind off the head using an angle grinder or something similar. Once the head is removed, the remainder will fall out or can easily be pushed out.

Chisel

Some people say they chop off the heads using a chisel and hammer. I guess they mean a cold-chisel of the type intended for use on metal, not the type of chisel intended to be used on wood.


Can I use this drain in wood subfloor? I am installing a drain in an upper floor laundry and had limited choices for floor drains.  I picked up this "general purpose" drain. The only other option was a shower drain.   It will be located under the clothes washer so not visible or in a high traffic area.  I would like it to sit flush or just below the floor surface which is why I did not select the "shower drain" which would have a bit of a lip.  Any good advice on installing this?  Is this not the right drain for wood subfloor?

I have not selected flooring or installed any underlayment yet. But if I have my way, it will be some type of marmoleum or vinyl sheet (will need to work on my sales pitch to the boss ;) )

Here is my current plan:

Yes you can.  I have done a few drains on second floor laundry areas.  This is perfectly acceptable.

First you don't really pick where the drain goes exactly gravity does.  You need to figure out in what direction water will go in that room from the washer - you need to put it on the low point.  Then you need to chisel out slight the area around it - maybe going out a foot or two and down at least 1/16th of an inch, better if 1/8th.

Also if you are really worried about what is under the room you might want to redgard the floor or some other sort of waterproofing.


Strain relief for cable into metal box - clamp ok? I am having trouble fining a strain relief clamp to cover the hole into a metal canister (the canister for a heating unit). Is it ok to use an NM cable clamp - the kind you use around the hole going into a metal junction box (where you tighten the clamp by turning the 2 screws)? Is this considered a strain relief by the "average" inspector?

You need to use strain reliefs/clamps which are correct (i.e. listed) for the cable you are using.   For instance if you have cordage (cable designed to be a flexible appliance power cord), don't use a strain relief intended for NM simply because it's the only thing Home Depot sells.

Home improvement shops like Home Depot or Lowes have notoriously bad selection in this sort of "oddball stuff"; they do not want to stock it because their business is all about volume.  A proper electrical supply house will have the right strain reliefs; bring them a cable sample and they'll put you right.

As an aside, you need to use flexible cable that's correct for the usage (assuming flexible cable is allowed at all).  The most common mistake is using NM cable for cordage.  Again, the electrical supply will have a variety and can also advise you.


Wiring single circuit GFCI circuit breaker where a duplex GFCI breaker is shown in wiring diagram I am wiring a hot tub.  The spa subpanel I purchased (Eaton) came with a 50 amp duplex GFCI breaker which is what many spas use.  I bought a used Hot Springs Spa and found instead of a single 240 volt feed their wiring diagram shows both a 20 amp split phase 120 V configuration, utilizing a neutral as well as a 30 amp GFCI which feeds the heater, no neutral just ground.  I replaced the 50 amp GFCI with a 30 amp GFCI and have no problems.  The potential problem comes with the inability to install an addition 20 amp duplex GFCI breaker in the panel. I can and have connected single 20 amp GFCI breakers where L1 and neutral feed one circuit and L2 and a neutral feed the second circuit.  There is only one neutral connection to the spa controller.  A duplex ckt bkr has one neutral pigtail and one neutral load connector.  My configuration has two each pigtails and neutral load connectors.  The only way I see to wire this is to jumper the two neutral load connections together with the neutral wire feeding the spa.  I also have connected both pigtails to the subpanel neutral bus.  My question is whether there is something electrically different about a duplex breaker and two single breakers (both GFCI).  I notice when I press the test button on either breaker they both trip, so I think it is functioning properly.  Each 120 V circuit feeds two different loads; circ pump and a jet pump, so at least in spirit I don't think they require a common trip handle.  I have already spent too much money on breakers and if this configuration will work I would like to use it, otherwise I will have to buy a panel that will let me use two tandem GFCI breakers and of course a tandem GFCI breaker at at additional cost of nearly $200.  I would appreciate your inputs.  If you have experience with the Hot Spring permanently wired 240 V spas, please mention that in your reply.

You cannot combine neutrals from two GFCI breakers; it just won't work. A GFCI functions by comparing current flow between hot and neutral (for a 120 volt breaker) or hot 1 and hot 2 (for a 240 volt duplex breaker). Because you've combined the two neutrals, the current between the hot and neutral won't balance.
I have no information on modifying your spa, but if you cannot change it, you'll need a different panel and two duplex GFCI breakers.


Replaced lights & switches on 3 way switch circuit; not sure if I have wiring problem or product problem or both Project description:
  Replaced 2 ceiling light fixtures with 4 recessed LED lights on 3-way circuit. Also replaced (2) 3-way switches, one with dimmer and one standard, and (1) standard 2-way switch feeding outside porch light.

Problem:
  Can't get both 3-way switches to operate the 4 new recessed lights independently. Currently, in order for the 3-way dimmer switch (on right) to turn lights off/on, the 3-way standard switch (on left) needs to be flipped. I feel like I've tried every possible wire combination tied to the 3-way switches but no luck. The 2-way switch controlling outside porch light worked fine with every combination I tried, and it makes sense with power from breaker connected directly to switch for porch light.

I can add more pictures or answer any questions to clarify anything. Thanks a lot for any help or advice.

OPTION - based on feedback from first post and looking back at the Lutron Diva CL 3-way switch diagrams, heres a new drawing of what seems like a solution. Really appreciate any/all feedback.

Looking at your diagram, you are using the white wire as hot to the left-hand switch and black and red as travelers between the two 3-way switches. On the left-hand switch, you will find (excluding the green ground screw) one terminal looks different, probably a different color) than the other two. This is where the white wire goes. The black and red wires go to the other two terminals. Your diagram implies that this is wired wrong as you show the black wire going to the separate side of the switch.

Two more comments:
(1) I’m assuming that you also have ground wires running everywhere that you just haven’t shown. If not, stop and get a professional to help before you kill someone!
(2) You should add black tape to the ends of that white wire to show that it is not a neutral wire.


best way to secure metal strip between tiles and wooden floor? We have a metal strip between our bathroom and hallway, which have tiles & wooden flooring. It keeps dislocating from where it is supposed to fit. What's the best way to secure it? Please see the photo attached, and if possible use UK DIY terms & links! Thanks]1

That looks like a snap in style once they pull out a few times the Chanel may need to be squeezed together if the raised section on the back of the trim is still in tact. If the raised section has broken off 3 small flat head screws can be added by predrilling and counter sinking the holes (predrill in place to punch a hole in the channel ). This would be how I would repair it to stay in place.


What to do with gap between cut baseboard/shoe moulding and new wider door trim I put in new door moulding around a door. The new moulding was a little bigger than older moulding which resulted in my cutting the baseboard/shoe moulding with oscillating saw. I am left with a small gap less than a 1/4-1/2 inch. What is best way to fill the gap so that new door moulding is flush with baseboard/shoe moulding?

I'd use a non-shrinking wood putty. Caulk and white glue shrink badly, meaning you'll have to apply it multiple times.

Mix up some powdered putty and use a putty knife to shape it to your molding. Let it fully cure and skim it again if necessary. Sand and paint.

Next time, set your door in place (ideally you'd set the door without casing attached and then set the casing), trace the new casing edge, and remove the door. Score the trim with a knife to create a clean, sharp line, then make your cut outside that line.


Is it more work to replace or remove a skylight? We have a 20 year old leaking skylight, and right now I am contemplating either removing or replacing it. Not exactly sure why it is leaking, perhaps the flashing is bad, but it's leaked for a while. One thought was perhaps it had to do with the actual skylight mechanism (this one used to open) So I'm thinking of replacing it with a sealed one or roofing over it. I've read a bit about the latter, and it seams to do it properly it's quite a bit of work, you have to tear out the framing structure, so that air flows to the peak, and make sure it is sealed an insulated like the rest of the structure. On the other hand, replacing the skylight will require re - flashing and perhaps changing the size of the frame a bit.

The real answer is:  Don't do anything until you've identified the root cause.  Find the leak.  FLashing and sealant can be replaced a lot more easily than a whole new unit, not to mention the difference in cost and time.
Similarly, if there's a leak where the glass (and frame) separates from the support frame as you open the skylight, address that specifically.

Never start out by attempting the most expensive solution.


Cool bulbs into a min 90C fixture with 60C wiring I bought a light fixture that has a min 90°C warning.  The wiring leading up to the fixture is NM (60°C wire).  I was wondering if an easy workaround to this would be to install a newer, more energy efficient light bulb to keep the temperature of the wire down.

Is this a viable solution to this problem? The next option is to replace the last 2 feet of NM with wiring that is certified to 90°C.

That's not a good workaround.  Recessed Insulation Contact (IC) lighting fixtures have a target temperature of 90ºC in the junction box.  Kinda crazy, but that's what it is. See NEMA Bulletin #92 (December 2005) which reads:

  When the dwelling’s existing wiring is rated 60ºC, install a junction
  box approximately 18 inches away from the newly installed lighting
  fixture and then run Type NM-B from the junction box to the fixture.

Installing the energy efficient bulb will not meet code.  You'll be fine.  But how are you going to prevent the next owner from sticking a hefty bulb in there?

An alternative is to take that fixture back, find something with a GU-24 socket, and hope the vendor was smart enough to realize that GU-24 means lower heat.


Why is my Honda generator running rough, if at all? Currently trying to diagnose the issue with my Honda Eu1000i Generator.

New spark plug
Changed oil
Changed gas
Cleaned entire carburetor

Had the engine running rough for a while and haven't gotten it back there. I can use starting fluid sprayed and it runs well until starting fluid is over.
I don't think it is getting gas, although when it was running it did run for about 30 minutes. This "fluke running" was before starting fluid applied but after the other listed items for cure.

These Honda EU engines are known for carburetor issues when they're not exercised regularly. I tend to run mine under a load about monthly. It's quite a common issue in RV circles.
But given that you've already cleaned it, I might look at replacing the fuel pump. Or, honestly, I'd probably swap out the carb for a new one.


How can I speed up the removal of stubborn tile? I am trying to remove tile from the bathroom floor. It was installed in the 70s, and the pieces are tiny, 1 in x 1 in. I've been hammering away but they're not coming up very easily. Is there a product I can use to loosen them up?

With these types of tiles you do not want them to break as they are harder to demo when they are in bits and shards.  If you try to use a scraper (even power) what inevitably ends up happening is the top of the tile comes off, leaving the much harder to remove bottom on.  Also this method severely damages the subfloor, sometimes to the point that you will have to put a new subfloor in.

What you simply want is a mallet or a hammer.  Let me be really clear since I have demo'ed at least 50 of these bathrooms now and I think I have it down to a science.

Start in a corner.
Hammer the edge tiles flat.  When I say hammer, imagine that you are playing drums in marching band, not hammering a nail.  You want some force but not enough to break the tiles (they are usually hard to break when striking straight down).  Bring hammer up 8-12 inches with each strike, hitting a small area repetitively.
The first couple of rows might take 20-30 taps for a small group of tiles.  This method does not "remove the tile", it removes the thinset bond to the subfloor.  The tiles will just disengage from the floor.
Don't just tap right at the edges.  If I have an edge then I am tapping in a 6-10" perimeter in the area.
Clean-up is easy since most of your tiles are in one piece.  I can usually get a decent size floor demo'ed and cleaned in 2 hours this way.

Note: One of my contractors does this via air compressor and flat air hammer bit.  After I showed him the method he went and got a flat bit that I think was made for pounding out auto bodies.  You have to be careful with this because the force sometimes is too much or too repetitive and it will crack tile.  I personally don't think it is faster but you could argue it is less labor intensive - he spends more time cleaning up.  The hardest part about this type of demo is on your knees (I would pick hammer/knee pads over compressor/hammer bit).


What conduit to use for later use? Reference picture below.

The electrical boxes for the switches can be adjusted in/out for different thickness of drywall.

I want to run conduit from the 2-gang switch box though the top-plate and into the attic for about 3 feet. The reason is so that I can come back later and run NM cable to the switch box. The conduit must allow the box to be adjusted in/out to meet the thickness of the drywall or other wall covering.

Does the NEC allow this?
If so, what options are available?

Revision:

I am undecided on the wall covering at this point. At least 5/8 Type X Drywall. Had considered maybe 2 x 5/8 Type X Drywall for sound.

The box is Arlington Industries FA102:

NM-B ("Romex" is a brand name...) in conduit is a pain. Conduit fill calculations treat "oval" cables like a round cable of the largest dimension, so if you need more than one you need HUGE conduit.

So, use a junction box in the attic to transition from NM-B to THHN in conduit, which makes life MUCH easier.

Properly attached rigid conduits (which can be a confusing term, since "rigid" (RMC) is the heaviest class of steel conduit, but in this case I mean "non-flexible" to include IMC, EMT and PVC) will not allow much, if any flex, since it's supposed to be attached near boxes/termination points.

So, you need a flexible product. ENT or "smurf tube" is a corrugated plastic conduit.

Flexible metallic conduit (steel or aluminum) is also reasonable.

Liquid-tight flexible conduit is probably acceptable, but insanely expensive and something you don't need, so it's unreasonable.


How to maintain a proper gap while installing vinyl plank flooring under the existing baseboards? I'm going to be installing some vinyl plank flooring, and it happens to be exactly the same thickness as the wood planks I'll be removing.  It would really convenient if I could just slide it under the baseboards without removing the baseboards from the wall.

I found some instructions here that explain how to do exactly what I want.  The key is that, instead of a traditional pull bar, you use an adhesive tool that sticks to the top of the plank while you tap it into place.  That way you don't have to fit a pull bar under the baseboards.

It seems to me that the planks would end up being pushed against the wall on two sides of the room as new planks are tapped into place.  Do you have any suggestions for maintaining a gap on all sides of the floor?

Have any of you tried this technique?  How did it go?

Mark the new plank with a depth line and measure the gap under the baseboard. Put masking tape on the plank so the line comes off after.


Washer malfunction/reset? Hello:I have a Whirlpool Thin Twin Mod # LTE5243DQA,it's about 5-7 year's old.  The washer suddenly stopped while in the rinse cycle with the
tub full of water. I "played" with the Load Size control and used the Reset, which for some reason started the washer.  Is this a sign of further problems, what course of action should I take to prevent a re-occurance?

I think it's a little premature to try and diagnose a problem that at the time doesn't exist. There are a few micro switches, like the one in the washer door, that if not completely closed can stop the machine. Maybe a problem with the gear cam that will stop the machine at the same place each time. Is the Reset button a system reset or a load size reset? If a system reset, you might have corrected the problem like a reboot on a computer...
Monitor the operation of the machine and try to get some more information. Good luck.


Changing a switched outlet to half-hot and found pigtails I’m trying to change a switched outlet to a half-hot outlet. The receptacle itself had one black wire and two white wires (plus ground), and then I saw a pigtail with two black and one white wire.
I broke off the brass bridge tab but then realized that I didn’t have an always hot wire already attached.
Can I just take one of the black wires from the pigtail and add it to the receptacle to make that always-hot one?

Easy one. Here are the secrets:

The circuit involves a switch loop which uses /2 cable (black-white). Switch loops don't have neutrals.
If white is not used as a neutral, it must be used for the always-hot, not the switched-hot (so it reliably reads hot when touched with a voltage tester).

So... 1 white among blacks tells us a switch loop is involved, and the bundle is certainly the "Always-Hot bundle".
That being the one you need to add your always-hot pigtail wire to.
All these wires have other jobs to do, and so they must remain together.  They are not "spares" for you to pluck one out of. Any end scenario must end with them all still together (plus whatever wire you may want to add).
You'll need to obtain a pigtail wire from any shop that sells wire by-the-foot.  Solid white 12 AWG THWN wire (<25 cents a foot) is the universal donor, since it works in 15A and 20A circuits, and can be taped to make it a hot.
DO NOT obtain one by cutting short any of the wires in the box.  They don't have length to spare, they have statutory minimum lengths they must have, and you don't have enough excess length to make a pigtail.

Code now requires that a white wire used as a hot must be taped with black/color electrical tape to indicate its use as a hot, so now is a good time to correct that.


How can I tell if a remnant of granite matches my counter? I have a kitchen island with a granite countertop which, for various reasons, I would like to make larger. I found a granite company which has a remnant of granite that would match the size I'd like.

The problem is, how do I tell whether it will match my other countertops? My counters are a pretty common granite 'pattern' (brown, black, and white splotches; very similar to this), and they all match perfectly. The piece they have looks very similar, but it's very hard to tell. I went to look at it with pictures of my counters, and looked at my counters with pictures of the remnant. But pictures are really bad at showing color, and I just can't tell.

I don't know if this is a question for diy, but can anyone figure out some way I can tell if it'll match? I assume they won't cut me a sample because that's a big job to do just for the possibility of maybe selling a remnant, plus that'll make the remnant smaller - in case I decide not to buy it, it might be harder to sell to someone else.

Whether the photos are good, perfect or rubbish, if the pieces are not from the same stone then they will not match.

They might be ok if they are not close together ie they are separated on different worktops.


Cheap bendable material for DIY project I'm looking into making a DIY indoor mini golf course. I want to possibly make some curved surfaces (ramp, bridge, curved walls). I'm looking for a cheap material that can bend smoothly, but is kinda strong. At most it needs to be able to stay still from a golf ball rolling on it, so it doesn't need to be too strong.

I just had the idea, that i would nail/tape it to the wood/floor. I also do not want anything that would require a cutting saw or any heavier duty tools.

Can someone point me in the correct direction?

The material used to support legal pads would be good (chipboard i think?), now i just need it in large sheets.

Maybe something like sodium acrylate or polycarbonate (lexan) would work. Unlike acrylic sheets (plexiglass glass) the two I mentioned are less brittle and easier to fasten with screws and drilled holes. These materials can all be cut with a specialized handheld plastic cutter that looks like a razor.

The cost will depend on the thickness of material, but given that they're strong you could probably get away with bracing thinner sheets.


Top half of outlet is no longer "switched" and stays on contiuously! My wall switch going to bedroom no longer turns lamps on and off and both halves of outlets have current all the time no matter what position wall switch is in.
What should I look for and do??

If all of the wiring was properly installed previously then chances are you haven't broken the tab at the receptacle or someone else has just wired in the source and not the switch leg. Check out the drawing below:

Hope this helps.


Adding insulation to attached garage I have an attached garage I use as a workshop, and I'd like to insulate it since I plan on running water and sewer lines into the garage for a utility sink*. Right now, the garage is just studs and exterior wall. I don't plan on drywalling this garage. The ceiling is drywalled, since there is a bedroom above the garage.

I was thinking of just using fiberglass batt insulation. Would that be sufficient? If not, what is the best way to do this?

Edit: This house is located in Denver, CO. We get both warm summers and cold winters, but not a ton of humidity.

*Please note, I am going to have a shutoff valve and nipple drain on the line inside of the heated portion of the house. I don't plan on having this water line charged unless I need water in the shop.

Fiberglass is an option.  I would go roxul though with your climate.

However insulation is the least of your worry.  If you want to run lines to an area of your house in your climate it must be a conditioned space - meaning it needs heat.

Really the only option you have in Denver is to run your lines to a shared wall with the inside of your house and install a shutoff on the other side that you can close up for a few of the coldest months (without a conditioned space).  Would this get signed off by local inspector?  Ask him.  It wouldn't happen in my area but who knows in colder climates the allowances they make if you take precautions.  Also make sure all plumbing after shut-off is heavily sloped down and out - I would say at least 10 degrees.


How to choose location for kitchen rough-in plumbing I'm going to have a new house built, and I want to have roughed-in plumbing in one room for a small kitchen.  I need some help choosing a location to tell the builder.  I won't be shopping for cabinets or fixtures until some time in the future, long after I have to finalize the construction plans.
I want the pipes to be in a certain interior wall that's 8 feet wide, but I'm not sure how far the pipes should be from the corner of the room.  Is there a standard or rule-of-thumb to follow in the US?  Is there a reasonable place to put the rough-in plumbing so that I can easily choose a cabinet later that would work with the pipe location?

Production cabinets are made in standard sizes. If you can make some general decisions about what the future kitchen layout might look like then you can forecast reasonable locations for the plumbing.
First is to decide the shape of the future kitchen. Would it be a single-wall layout, L shape, U shape, peninsula..?
In the US kitchen base cabinets are generally offered in 3-inch increments from 9 to 42 inches wide. Drawer stacks are commonly 15 or 18 inches but sometimes as narrow as 12 or as wide as 21 or 24. Ordinary box cabinets are probably most commonly 18-36 inches wide. A full size sink would usually sit above a 36 inch sink base, but because this is a secondary kitchen space may be tight and you might plan for something narrower.
You've mentioned that the cabinetry would run along an 8 foot long wall and is near a corner. Because it's a small kitchen a narrow sink of 30 inches or less may be appropriate/proportionate. My personal thought is that a sink at either end of the 8 feet would be unpleasant to use so plan on the sink base being the second cabinet from either end.
Assuming a one-wall layout I suggest the 8 foot space be divided into four cabinets: 27 inch, 30 inch sink base, 24 inch, 15 inch drawer stack. There are only a few ways to arrange these. I'd put the 27 inch in the corner and the 30 inch sink base beside it. Then the sink would be centered about 42 inches from the corner and the plumbing could be roughed in near there. You'd still have some flexibility to go 3 inches wider or narrower with that first cabinet as well as with the sink base.


How can I remove a stripped lag screw from wall framing? I’m moving and need to take down my wall mount for my 55in TV. It’s amazon basics and I accidentally mounted it upside down- when I went to correct this, the bottom bolt was too tight to come loose (I guess I was really worried about my new TV falling off the wall!) so I left it as is. But I tried for awhile and in doing so, the head edges became softened and the screwdriver receiving end stripped.  I don’t have a vise grip plier at hand. I have a few wrenches. Should I go get one and try it? Though that’s another cost. What’s the likelihood of this thing coming out?

If you want to remove it cleanly you will probably need a drill and a stripped screw extractor bit (grabit combination drill and extractor, twist drill bit, or screw extractor).

You might have luck with vise pliers but it all depends on the head size and how much is initially exposed.


Do travel voltage transformers really not have grounding? Example 220v-to-110v converter here.
It seems like it accepts a 110V plug with grounding, and yet the converter itself only has a two-pronged plug (to a 240v outlet). Does this mean that plugging a device that needs grounding to this converter is dangerous, or does it somehow use one of the two prongs for grounding?
The question is general, not about this specific transformer. I linked to one of many. They all lack visible grounding.

All this stuff is cheap Cheese junk
You describe a genre of travel transformers, not just a specific one... but who's kidding who?  The "genre" you're talking about is "the infinite array of products sold on Amazon" and other online/mail-order sites.  Your underlying assumption is that Amazon is a professional and reliable supplier of goods, comparable to walk-in big-box stores like Home Depot.
Actually, that assumption is flat wrong, thanks to Amazon Marketplace.  For business reasons, Amazon chose to open their retail-sales website to any seller - ANY seller, very much like you expect from eBay.  Further, they opened up their warehousing and delivery systems as well, so eBay-tier absolute junk is sitting on warehouse shelves right next to Amazon's own stock (and sometimes commingled with it), and ships with Prime.  Of course, the "Prime shipping" is very prominently marked, but this is more subtle.

The various governments certainly have processes in place to protect the supply of consumer goods.  The problem is, direct mail does an end-run around those processes.  Items sold at retail in competent, professionally managed walk-up retail stores are generally protected - so Home Depot, Wickes, etc. should be reliable supply, provided you see an NRTL stamp.
Even the ever-counterfeited CE mark becomes reliable in a competent EU retail store supplied by EU manufacturers or industrial EU importers... because they are within the reach of EU's enforcement agencies.
So my strongest advice is limit yourself to supply chains subject to that government scrutiny - competent retail stores (e.g. not your local flea market/junque shoppe).
Oh heck no - UL would never approve that.
Your intuition is spot on: "Bull feathers!"
Obviously, a device should not offer a grounded socket if it doesn't have any source to obtain ground from.  (this might be allowable if GFCI protection was present, but it's not).
In the US, we have a very solid system for approving consumer electronics.  Underwriter's Laboratories (UL) writes a "White Book" of product safety standards every product must meet, then a manufacturer sends prototype devices to UL, and they teardown the device and torture-test it for compliance to the White Book. (US OSHA maintains a list of "Nationally Recognized Testing Labs" also qualified to do the testing, such as CSA or ETL.).
Generally, any electronics seen in a retail store has a UL, CSA, ETL or other NRTL listing with file number.
Meanwhile Europe has the CE mark, in which domestic manufacturers self-certify their goods (this can include goods they import into their own warehouses). Difference from direct mail being, the manufacturers have something to lose; something for enforcement to threaten.
But you want a bargain.  I'm not so worried about this bargain, which you can readily see is a ripoff and Darwin award... I'm worried about the all the other bargains whose danger is not so obvious.
Simply turn off dodgy supply channels.
I get the allure of online shopping, and especially Amazon Prime "since you prepaid for shipping". But the fact is, some areas (especially consumer electronics) are so awash in this crud that buying from many sites is simply futile.  There's no answer but to stop trying.
I certainly believe COVID-19 is real, and I see the case for online shopping. However, my recommendation is to shop at the websites of bricks-and-mortar stores such as Home Depot, Wickes, Redoute, etc.  While these sometimes intermix Amazon or eBay results (looking at you, Walmart and Sears)... the items on the website are the items they sell in the stores, which are UL-approved, legal and safe.   As far as free shipping, I'd point out that most of them cheerfully do curbside.


Should all Federal Pacific panels be replaced? I understand that Federal Panel Stab Lok breakers have the potential for becoming stuck, overheating, and starting fires.  My home has a Federal Pacific panel but no outward markings of being a Stab Lok model, the breakers cannot be identified as I haven't opened the panel cover yet.

My question is whether Federal Pacific products, as a whole, should be proactively replaced.  Does having a Federal Pacific panel mean that I certainly have FP breakers as well?

Concurring mostly with Some Guy's answer here -- the reason why I take an aggressive tone in my other answers regarding FPE is because many of the OPs are coming to us because they want to do something to the breaker box, such as adding a new circuit or replacing a breaker that "died".  Note also that all of this advice applies to panels labeled "Federal Noark" or just "Noark", as well as Canadian panels labeled "Federal Pioneer".

Trouble Brews in the Panel

I will start by linking my main source here, the latest revision of Jesse Aronstein's paper on the topic.  In short, there are three main problems with the FPE Stab-Lok system:

All Stab-Lok breakers made since Federal Pacific Electric acquired the line (from Federal Electric Products circa 1960) are likely to be miscalibrated (high) -- this includes substitute types (the calibration means in the Stab-Lok design was extremely poorly thought out)
The FPE Stab-Lok common trip mechanism is a common no-trip mechanism that can jam the breaker closed if only one pole trips -- this also renders Stab-Lok GFCIs highly failure-prone.
Some Stab-Lok busbars use an undersized screw and post to connect the clip to the actual busbar, leading to overheating of the busbar system with its attendant fire dangers.  Stab-Lok breakers have also been said to be prone to coming loose from their busbar mounting due to their dependency on the front panel for retention.

and three follow-on problems that stem from the system's obsolescence:

The arc fault breakers that have been developed for FPE panels cannot be relied upon due to the common-trip jam issue, rendering it impossible for even a FPE panel with likely-good (pre-1960) breakers and a reliable busbar design to meet the current NEC.
Stab-Lok breakers cannot be safely replaced.  More on this in a bit when I talk about the history of this sordid affair.
Many Stab-Lok panels are "rule of six" or split bus, rendering a jammed two-pole branch breaker much more dangerous than it would be in a main breaker panel.

as well as one final problem that seems to be connected somehow to the common-trip jam defect:

Switching off a two-pole FPE breaker may fail to disconnect power from the circuit.  This is possibly linked to common-trip jamming, as it appears that two-pole FPE breakers lack handle ties, relying on the common trip mechanism to shut off the other pole when a pole is shut off manually.

Digging into the Past

Federal Pacific Electric started off making electrical switchgear, but in the 1950s some folks at a company called Federal Electric Products came up with a circuit-breaker and panel design to jump in on the building boom (and newfangled invention of residential circuit breakers) that was going on at the time.  Production started up in the 1950s, and went smoothly for a short while, at least.

Then, FPE acquired FEP in 1954, and proceeded to trademark the name Stab-Lok for their newly acquired circuit breaker, due to its unique design which used a "stab" terminal on the breaker that mated with a slot in the busbar; other panel designs use a tab on the busbar that mates with a spring-clip-type contact in the breaker.

However, for all its infelicities, the Stab-Lok would have not earned its infamy had it not been for the work of some even dimmer bulbs in the testing department at Federal Pacific Electric in building an elaborate testing apparatus for the sole purpose of fooling UL into allowing them to accept breakers that were actually outside of the UL standard criteria.  This hoodwink started about the time FPE acquired FEP and continued for many years, until FPE itself went bankrupt and went through multiple changes of ownership, first by a holding company known as UV Industries, and then being acquired by Reliance Electric.  Reliance began to sniff around, and what they found shocked them -- causing them to suspend FPE executives without pay, and UL to start delisting the FPE Stab-Lok line.  By 1982, the Stab-Lok line was well and truly out of production in the US, and Reliance was well on their way to suing FPE/UV for their deception.

At about the same time, the CPSC began to investigate this issue in earnest; however, in about 1983, Reagan-induced budgetary shortages and the negative precedents from the aluminum wiring case conspired to force the CPSC to abandon their investigation before they could come to a conclusion; all that came of it was a generic press release that neither exonerated nor found any definitive fault with the FPE breaker line.  As a result of this, no recall was actually ever issued for the FPE breaker line, and there may never be a recall of the product, lest the aluminum wiring court debacle repeat itself.

After this, FPE basically was broken up -- their US switchgear plant went one way (to Westinghouse to be converted for aftermarket breaker manufacture, then possibly to Cutler-Hammer and then closed down by C-H only to be reopened by its manager as an independent company), their US breaker line formally went another way (to Challenger Electric who proceeded to sell it off to a company that eventually became American Circuit Breaker Corporation), and their Canadian breaker line went a third direction (being absorbed into Schneider Canada).  This led to some infighting between the US and Canadian sides -- as part of this, in the early 90s, the two products were acknowledged as identical and interchangeable in the course of the ensuing court case, which was settled in 2005.  Schneider Canada, of course, is not forthcoming about any of this; however, there have been sporadic recalls of Stab-Lok-type breakers that appear to be of somewhat later designs than FPE's original type NA.

A class-action suit was filed against the remains of FPE in 2002 in New Jersey; however, the ensuing judgement and 2008 settlement, while finding that FPE did violate state consumer fraud statutes, provided very little right of recovery for New Jersey homeowners, and no help whatsoever outside of NJ.  Finally, in 2011, the CPSC issued a clarifying note to their original 1983 press release that more explicitly stated that the CPSC had to close their investigation before they could publish findings.

A Sorry State of Affairs

All of the preceding history aside, here is my guide to "I see a FPE panel, but it's otherwise apparently OK, I'm not trying to add anything to it, and this house isn't changing hands any time soon", in it, "as soon as feasible" means "as soon as you have the money to hire an electrician to come out", not "when I'll get around to it" or "oh, that'll happen when we remodel":

Are there any signs of busbar damage such as hot breakers or buzzing sounds?  If yes, then the panel is defective (trying to catch on fire) and should be replaced as soon as feasible -- continue to the next section.  If it is not, then continue to step 2.
Is this panel a main breaker panel, a "rule of six" main panel, or a subpanel?  If it is a main breaker panel, then go to step 3; a "rule of six" or "split bus" main panel, then go to step 5; and if it is a subpanel, then go to step 6.
Are there screw ends (not screw heads!) visible along the centerline of the panel (i.e. between the breakers) with the dead front removed?  (Follow all applicable safety precautions when removing the dead front.)  If so, this panel has the undersized screw-and-post busbar-to-clip connections and is likely to pose a fire hazard in the future, so it should be replaced as soon as feasible -- continue to the next section.  If not, continue to step 4.
The reliability of Stab-Lok main circuit breakers is suspect; there is some evidence available, mostly for smaller sizes (90A/100A), that implicates them as having the same flaws as their smaller brethren, although the reliability of Stab-Lok mains that use a larger frame size is unknown.  However, the main circuit breaker construction provides a minimal degree of redundancy should a branch breaker jam or otherwise fail to trip.  Panel replacement in this case need not be your first priority, but should be urgent nonetheless as there are issues with the main-breaker-to-busbar connections in some FPE panels being quite undersized -- schedule it alongside any other electrical overhaul work that needs to take place (such as aluminum wiring pigtailing, replacement of defective branch circuits, or any panel alterations that need to take place).  Continue to the next section for panel replacement options.
Unfortunately, the "rule-of-six" design, while otherwise Code-compliant, conspires with the common-trip Stab-Lok jam defect to create an extremely hazardous situation; a jammed two-pole breaker in a rule-of-six main panel is equivalent to wiring a 240VAC appliance directly to the service-entrance cable!  Replacing the "split-bus" or "rule-of-six" panel should be done as soon as feasible.
In the case of FPE subpanels, the main breaker panel should be examined -- if it is FPE as well, then go back to step 1 and examine the main panel.  If the main panel is not a FPE Stab-Lok type -- the feeder breaker in the main panel will provide limited protection against gross faults and jammed breakers until the subpanel can be replaced -- so you can replace it along with other electrical work.

Panel Replacement Options

There are two options available for the replacement of FPE Stab-Lok electrical panels; either the panel is replaced in its entirety with a modern panel, or gutted and retrofitted using an Eaton retrofit kit to convert it to a type BR or type CH panel.

Of the two, the retrofit kit is more costly parts-wise ($500 for a retrofit interior vs $200 for a new panel); however, if your panel is large enough to accommodate it (due to wire-bending space issues in older panels caused by the 1982 changes to the NEC), the retrofit kit can be installed in the existing enclosure, which is a significant labor savings over having to remove the enclosure entirely and install a complete new panel.  Another factor that complicates this is while BR retrofit interiors can take tandem/quadruplex type BR breakers, tandem GFCI, AFCI, and DFCI breakers don't exist due to the space required for the electronics -- this significantly restricts the utility of the retrofit kit when the wiring is not grounded, or a significant number of GFCIs, AFCIs, and/or DFCIs need to be installed to meet current Code circuit protection requirements.

Why Not Replace the Breakers?

Unfortunately, both NOS (new old stock) and newly-manufactured type NA breakers are available on the market these days.  Some may be tempted to go "hey, I'll just replace the crummy old breakers with new ones, and it'll be fine now!"  However, there are three problems with this approach:

While Schneider Canada does make a Stab-Lok AFCI breaker, it 1) is not certified for use in the US (only Canada) and 2) may still suffer from the same design flaw as the Stab-Lok GFCI (namely, common-trip jamming, as the Stab-Lok GFCI was a two-pole half-width Stab-Lok with GFCI electronics hung off it).
There is no evidence whatsoever that NOS or newly made Stab-Lok breakers are better than the crummy old ones -- no matter what the era, the Stab-Lok is fatally flawed, save for some extremely old (pre-60s) units that appear to have been calibrated correctly.
Circuit breaker replacement does not address the busbar defects, which are just as dangerous as the breaker defects, if not more so -- there have been field failures where FPE panels overheated and ignited internally due to busbar contacts coming loose.

I want to add another circuit!  My electrician was doing something else and said it needed to be replaced!  My lights are behaving weird and the electrician is blaming the panel!

In all of these three cases, or in any other case where an electrical panel alteration, such as:

adding breakers/branch circuits
removing breakers
replacing a breaker that is "dead"
replacing a breaker with one of a different amperage rating
upgrading the service
rewiring existing branch circuits with new "home runs"
or, any troubleshooting that casts fault at the breakers or panel

is called for, this is a sign that the Stab-Lok panel needs to be replaced; see above for replacement advice.

I'm buying/selling a house, and the inspector found a FPE panel!

First off, good on the home inspector -- not all of them keep up on such esoterica as faulty electrical service equipment!  The advice from here depends on if you're the buyer or the seller.

I'm buying a house with a FPE panel in it, what should I do?

In this case, making replacement of the panel a condition of sale is wise -- now would be a good time for a general electrical overhaul, as well, and the best part is that it may be possible to do a bit of creative financing on the seller's side to use the proceeds from the sale to finance the electrical work at the end of the day.

If that's absolutely impossible, the panel should be examined by an electrician for any sign of overheating or internal arcing that poses an immediate fire hazard, at a barest minimum.  "Exercising" or "testing" FPE breakers in situ is hazardous and should not be attempted under any circumstances.

My house has a FPE panel in it, and I want to sell it

Just replace the electrical panel, alright?  Electricity is different from many other household systems (such as HVAC, plumbing, or even structural) in that the system can appear to function normally (unlike a leaky pipe or a clearly bowed beam) while posing grave dangers to the house's occupants -- a shorted dryer drawing 1000A of current until the utility's fuses blow will catch on fire, despite everything appearing to be normal up until the moment the dryer shorted out.

I have a FPE panel and/or FPE breakers laying around, what should I do with them?

First off -- do not sell this stuff.  There is a "black market" for old FPE hardware, and given the out-and-out danger it poses, getting involved with said black market is beyond unwise, it is complicit in endangerment.  Throwing it away is also not ideal option either, as it represents evidence of FPE's failings, but if you must toss it in the can, taking steps (such as double-bagging) to thwart trash-pickers is a good idea.

A better idea than simply trashing evidence, though, is to send it to someone who can add it to the record.  Jesse Aronstein has been performing independent testing and research on residential circuit breakers, including FPE, for almost a decade now, and has published results not only in the reports I rely on here, but in a journal paper as well, and would be happy, I am certain, to receive more FPE hardware to add to his collection; so I would recommend contacting him through his website and offering to donate your FPE hardware to him.


How to install a guy wire kit? I'm in WA state. PoCo is Mason PUD #1. AHJ is WA L&I. I recently had my first inspection after upgrading meter box from 200A service to 400A service. Only flunked for 7 things. One of them was "add guy kit on service mast". The roof is metal. Inspector said since the mast is more than 2' above the roof (I wanted separation between service wires and metal roof. It's probably 3-3 1/2') and is a 3" mast and will have heavy wires attached, it needs a guy wire (or wires?).
I'm picking up an MK-3 from Platt: https://www.platt.com/platt-electric-supply/Mast-Guying-Kits-w-Wire/Nichols/MK-3/product.aspx?zpid=43927. I suspect it won't come with directions. I'm wondering if someone can provide guidance on how to install it. E.g., how high up should the wires be attached to the mast? What directions should the wires head away from the mast? Is there a distance away from mast or angle down I should aim for when determining where the roof attachments go?
I've attached a picture of the mast. If it'll help, I can get a better shot next time I'm on site (if the rain lets me). The power pole is currently about 15' beyond the right end of the house and about 10' in front of the front of the roof line. With that said, though, I hesitate to add guy wires based on that. PoCo wants to upgrade service wires in the neighborhood. They may move the pole elsewhere. They may even go underground (in which case, at some point, this all becomes moot). But, I should probably add the guy wires that make sense now, and worry about the future when it happens.

The reason you need guy wire is to support the mast place strap at the top of the mast then extend the wire behind the mast so when you pull the wire tight you look down the wire and the pole and mast line up with each other. I like my anchor into the roof to be as high as possible because higher up on the roof there is less water and leaves to hang up as they go down. Next is to find a rafter to screw into I usually use 1/4 x3” lag bolts and that is plenty for a 40’-60’ span the normal range I see houses set back from the lines.
When I was an apprentice I was taught to site to the top of the transformer to the top of the mast and put my anchor in on that line but many times that did not end up on a rafter and that angle really did not help as much as a longer run. With a longer run of wire or cable usually you will cross a rafter and that is just right because the rafters are the strong points in your roof.


How can I get unswitched power froma switched circuit without running new cable? I want to get unswitched power into my carport attic to install unswitched electrical outlets.  Right now, power into the carport is switched, controlled by two switches, one for carport can lights and one for driveway flood lights.  There are a couple of outside junction boxes (outside wall and outside breezeway ceiling) as the carport replaced an existing screened porch.  I CANNOT run new wire from the light switch box to any of the junction boxes or from one junction box to another (it can be done if I opted to tear up wall and ceiling, which I don't want to do).  From the attached diagram, is there a way to use existing wires to make a hot wire in the attic junction box?  Maybe a pigtail, or moving the existing power into the switch to power into the can lights or flood lights?  The diagram does not show ground wires, and light gray wires represent white wires.  Yellow cable was installed by electrician during the carport construction in 2015 (I assume the white and black cables are from the original build in 1989)

Decommission the switches.  You can leave them in place, just adjust the wiring behind them to always be "on" by pulling the wires from the switch and wire nut them together, two wires per switch.
Add switches in the garage near their load after the loads are branched off the feed.
Outlets in attic now always have power.


Video Wall Mount in the home Anyone installed a video wall mount for non-commercial TV. I was thinking to purchase an MV70 Video Wall mount because it is fixed and easy to pull out and push back into the canvas.
Your thoughts and recommendations would be much appreciated.

Can you use Commercial mounts for homes?

Yes, I know of no law that says a product made to withstand the rigors of commercial use can not be used in a house or apartment.
I think the Commercial classification on this is mostly because the market for video walls is mainly a commercial one. I.E. Not a lot of home owners are building video walls.


Garbage disposal flange is leaking I removed the flange, cleaned the surfaces and used fresh plumbers putty. It still leaked. I did it all again. It still leaks. What am I doing wrong?

The flange coming out of the disposer secures the pipe that attaches to the drain. There is supposed to be a rubber washer behind the flange that when the flange bolts are tightened seals the pipe connection from leaks.
disassemble once more and verify there is a washer behind the flange. If not get one and skip the putty.
If the leak is from the sink basket where the disposer attaches at the sink bottom it may be due to:
-not enough fresh putty. The putty should be rolled to a 3/8-1/2 inch diameter and overlapped where 2 pieces are used. More is better in this case.
-press the basket into place before tightening the screws underneath. You should see putty being forced from under the baskets flange in a continuous ring.
-the sink edge for the basket is bent or damaged. check for burrs or lippage with you finger.
-the basket screws aren't tight enough.


How to tighten this kitchen sink faucet? I have an unknown model of kitchen faucet, with two problems.

The handle  is loose, i.e. it has a lot of play before it starts
adjusting the flow.
The pull-out sprayer hose doesn't seat properly when retracted, so it wiggles.

Both problems are quickly illustrated in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRVtZPf-4zw

EDIT: I got the handle off, and found the below mechanism inside.  The left piece screws on top of the right piece, creating a groove where the white piece is shorter, and there's a metal piece that slides back and forth in that groove.  This plastic is clearly worn, so I guess I just need a new one.

About the sprayer problem, here is a photo showing it a little better.

I can help you with number one, number two I'd have to see more angles and photos of both sides of the mating connector. (EDIT: There's magnets and a weight that makes those things retract.. is the weight caught up on something under the sink?)

I had a handle that did this too. This is caused by one or many occasions when excessive force is applied to the handle, breaking or bending the metal inside.

There's an set screw hidden right below the red/blue dot, use a razor to catch the edge of it and pop it off. Watch your sink drains, they're like magnets for that darn dot. Once you back out the set screw about 3/4ths of the way, the handle will come right off the top.

You'll find the inside of the handle has a hollow rectangle that slides over a solid metal rectangle on the valve. You'll likely find that the metal of the hollow rectangle has been bent.

I fixed mine by using a vice grip to squeeze in and tighten the sides of the female side of the rectangle back up. Test it for fit, make sure it's good, then take it back off and wrap it with steel wire and epoxy. I must have layered mine in about a quarter inch thick. Make sure to leave clearance for the set screw, and definitely leave the screw in place to protect the threads from the epoxy in case it drips.

The idea is to reset and strengthen the metal in place. Wire alone won't do the trick, since it'll round right out too, the epoxy gives it the strength. You might even be able to use stranded copper wire and solder to replace the epoxy. There's more than one way to skin a cat faucet.

Alternatively, a lot of faucets have lifetime warranties that they hope you don't remember about. I once called up the manufacturer and got a brand new handle shipped out.


Penetrating exterior wall to bring in a continuous MC cable to the garage I'm installing a high current 100 amp EV charger inside my garage.  It seems easiest to wire it with a continuous run of 2/3 MC cable from the outdoor breaker panel, first strapped to the exterior wall, then run through some sort of conduit body for weather protection, and then into the garage.  The wires inside the cable are rated for wet, so I believe outdoor use of MC under eaves would meet code.  But how can I get it through the wall without cutting and re-connecting the large AWG2 wires?  The cable is 1.18" OD. I'm thinking of running it through a 1.25 inch PVC or EMT conduit body.  But since the metal cladding won't make a 90 degree turn in less than about 7 inches, I would either have to terminate the cladding at the body, or cut away the body back to allow an angled smooth curve into the wall.  What is the right way to do it?

Don’t cut the cladding.
Cut an elongated hole long enough to enter and continue on the other side of the wall. Start your cut right after a stud punch the inside hole so the cable will make a lazy Z. Pull the cable through the 2 holes and seal the outside one with a paintable silicone calking.
If you want a 90 yes cut the cladding but the problem then is having enough space to splice the #2 wire this will probably take a box and fittings, this can get expensive box on the outside, nipple box inside, or a large box through the wall.
I have done both and any time I can eliminate a splice I will opt for that especially on high amperage feeders.
The sealing is not that difficult  and whatever method is used will require some sealing.
I would use a 1–1/8 or 1-1/4” hole saw drill the first hole then as close as (overlapping about 1/2) possible drill the second hole so the length is about ~2” the same thing inside at the other side of the stud bay works best (less possibility of breaking Sheetrock
A clamp can be put on each side just prior to entering the wall. No extra connectors, boxes or wire nuts needed.
14” is plenty of space to make the lazy Z from one side to the other.


Replacing dumb wall switch with smart one (wiring) Based on the first diagram below (which is the current wiring for my wall switch), is the way I have the second diagram set up correct? My biggest point of confusion is the line/load wires. Judging by the fact that there are two loads (presumably TR and BR), I am assuming that TL is the line. Would this be the correct way to install my new switch?

I am assuming based on the current wiring that the exposed copper wires are ground (green in the diagram), the white wires are neutral (yellow), and the black wires are line/load (red).

Does this work? Is it safe? Should I abort? :P

Based on the information you've provided; and without knowing what TL, TR, and BR stand for, I'd say your proposed wiring looks correct. However, this is assuming that TL is the feed, and that TR and BR are devices you want to turn on/off.


Do I have to install a vent to add a bar sink in my basement? I want to add a small bar sink in my basement.   I have 1 1/2" line transitioning into a 2" before it goes into the floor coming from the kitchen sink above, it is 48" from the location I want put the sink.   Do I need to run a vent up or am I close enough not to add a vent

Do I need a separate vent stack for my kitchen sink?
... in my state (VA), the allowable distance between a 1 1/2" drain trap (standard size for a kitchen sink) and its vent is 6 feet. If your trap is farther from the vent than that, then you should consider adding a new vent or an air admittance valve.

If your local codes allow them, the 2" pipe may serve as a wet vent. According to the IPC an X size stack can handle Y number of DFU.
1.5" : 1 DFU
2"   : 4 DFU
2.5" : 6 DFU
3"   : 12 DFU
DFU or Drain Fixture Units, where the UPC allows for bar sinks to count as 1 and kitchen sinks to count as 2.
So long as these are the only two fixtures discharging into the 2" pipe, you're within nominal code not to add a vent but you still need to check your local codes.


Rust free concrete fasteners I need to fasten a 3/4 inch PVC trim board to a poured concrete basement wall.  Since this will be on the exterior of the house I want to avoid rusting of the fastener.  The previous pressure treated board fell off when the concrete nails rusted and broke off.  I was considering using Tapcon screws and counter sinking the heads and filling with a paintable epoxy.  I know the Tapcons will rust at some point. Does anyone know of a stainless steel concrete fastener?

Tapcons and similar are available in stainless:
https://www.tapcon.com/products/concrete-screw-anchors/410-stainless-steel-tapcon


How to finish the broken edge of my exposed brick wall? I'm in the process of exposing the brick on an exterior wall around some newly installed patio doors. The majority of the brick work looks fine, the problem is the edge of the wall where the brick looks like it's been cut by a blind man with a sledge hammer. It's next to impossible to clean (I've only done about half so far), cleaning brick is hard anyway but I can't even get to a lot of the broken edges with the chisel and wire brush I'm using.

The plan is to do as little as possible to wall once it's been exposed—ideally I can just seal it and I'm done.

Is the brick (the broken edges specifically) going to be ok if I clean it up, remove everything that's loose and seal it as it is? Maybe since the brick is so broken anyway I should just have at it with my chisel to smooth off the worst bits?

Another problem it's left me with is the big gap between the brick and the patio door (probably 2 ½ inches at the worst areas), what's the best way to fill the gap?

I would consider putting molding around the door and turning over the face of the brick. I would use a jamb-like board perpendicular to the wall and the door, and make its width flush with the face of the brick. Then add a small flat board parallel to the wall overhanging the door side of the jamb by about 1/8 inch and the brick just wide enough to cover the broken edges (maybe 1 1/2 inches). Paint it to match the door and it will look like part of the door frame.

I would fill the gaps between the door and brick with exterior foam sealant. Just be careful since this expands and you don'r want so much that it warps the door frame. Apply it, trim it flush, then do the molding.


Basement framing around finished window I'm framing my basement using steel studs. I have this sliding window on the window well (see picture) that already has a finished framing all around and is flush with the concrete wall. How do I frame around this window to be able to attach drywall to the window frame - does the drywall screw into the white portion on the window side? I don't want to remove or redo the window.

My thought is have the stud flush with the concrete wall. Then use pine wood to create a box from the edge of the window frame to the finished drywall edge. Then put the trim on the drywall to frame it.
Creates a window box ledge for fancy stuff to sit on.


Raise and support a sunken laminate floorboard without removing the entire floor? I have a tongue-and-groove laminate floor, laid on 3mm foam underlay on concrete slab.  After around 10 years of use, the long edge of one floorboard now drops around 1mm when stepped on.  I think there was a slight step or ridge in the concrete slab here, the floorboard was supported by being locked to its neighbour, but now the tongue has snapped off. (Photo below shows pushing down hard on the broken edge.)

The floorboard is right in the middle of a large open plan space and lifting the surrounding floor is not really an option.  There is also no clearance between the board and its neighbour to insert any tool.

My plan so far is:

drill some small holes (say 2mm) through the board close to the sunken edge;
insert screws in some of the holes, and turn until the board is lifted level with its neighbour;
inject some kind of liquid resin through the other holes using a syringe, and plug the holes with more screws;
once resin has set, remove screws and fill the holes with matching filler.

Does this sound like it would work?

What could I use as the liquid?  It needs to be very thin, but probably not water-based.  I have no experience with resins and no idea what to use.

Thanks in advance.

I had something similar done on two different floors (solid wood herringbone parquet and more recently on an engineered wood floor). I assume the same trick will work for laminate flooring (given that it's pretty similar to my engineered wood example).

The trick was to use low expansion polyurethane foam to fill in the voids underneath the flooring. The foam comes in a can ending with a ~2 mm diameter pipe, so all you need is to drill suitably sized holes into the floor, stick the pipe in and carefully inject foam until everything is level again. Of course you can't do this with ordinary PU foam as that expands a whole lot and would rip your floor out.


Is it OK to drain sump water into a pond? My current sump system drains into an area that has high traffic for various activities such as log splitting and brush clearing. This creates a very muddy mess. I want to relocate the sump drain pipe to a pond that is close by (< 50 ft.). Is this acceptable to do? The pond water does have the potential to seep into a creek nearby as well. I am assuming it is OK since the water is from the ground/rain but I want to be sure it would be appropriate.

NOTE: The pond is on my private property. The water does not actively drain into the creek unless there is a lot of rainfall in the spring. And even then, there is about 100' until the water reaches the actual creek (the creek branches out towards my pond).

Unless you have reason to believe that the sump output is contaminated, and assuming that you have legal access to the pond, this is a perfectly viable solution. In fact, even if the pond does eventually (or occasionally) drain into a stream, the natural filtering effect of the process should remain somewhat intact.

As Tester101 points out, local and state laws may apply. In my experience there's no problem ejecting groundwater into a wetland in a non-destructive manner. We've run open-loop geothermal systems into adjacent wetlands, and in Minnesota wetlands are strictly protected.


Plug HRV (Constructo 2.0 ES) into power bar? Would there be any issues if I plugged this HRV into a power bar? I have this unit  (says 200 watts of power) which is in the closet of the master bedroom and plugged directly into a wall socket.

I want to plug some other things (router, computer, PoE Adapter) in and got a Surge Protector that's rated up to 1800 watts.

Are any issues if I plugged it into the surge protector?

If by power bar you mean.

Then, Yes you can.

Make sure to wire up your plug correctly and properly. If it did not come originally with a plug then check if the wires are sat firmly within the plug.

  As per you comment. It is possibly true for cheap power blocks with no
  certification or valuation, so don't use cheap ones for lots of
  things.  If you are paying a premium price for a power block with
  surge protection and marked as 1800Watt then you can be pretty sure it
  passes all tests to handle this wattage. (beware of fakes)

For the second part, Yes you can also plug all your other appliances into the power bar.

You just have to make sure that the total combined wattage does not get excessive. As a guideline I would say stay under 1000watt constant usage.

The 1800watt means the power bar can handle a maximum of 1800watt but it does not mean you should push it to that limit.


Unlocking original casement window for house built in 1938 I have the key to unlock this window but I cannot figure out how to get it to open.
I believe you need to not turn the key but I cannot remember.

It might need lubrication, depending hw long it's sat locked.
If your belief is correct then you'd insert the key and rotate the handle from left to right (anti-clockwise.) That certainly seems plausible given how small the whole thing is - the lock cylinder also being the whole rotating mechanism, rather than having two separate interacting rotating parts.


REPAIR - Bathtub caulking or grouting between acrylic bathtub and tile A large chunk of grout came off from the area that covers the joint between our bathtub and the wall tile (see pictures).  As I prepare to fix it I would like to know what is the best method to repair it, ie should I use grout or caulk and if so any specific product that I should get to match the current color?

OK, grout should never have been used there in the first place because it will crack. I can see more cracking from your pictures. Your best bet is get as much of that grout out of there as you can as it will continue to crack and fall out. Once you get the grout out, get some quality silicone caulk and run a good bead of caulk around the tub. Make sure everything is dry before caulking.


Outside water pipe covered in ice A month ago my house's sprinkler pipe formed a hole and exploded due to pressure. This was caused by the fact that I had forgotten to shut the water off to my sprinkler system before it got too cold. I then shut the water off to the sprinkler system from inside my house. Today, I walked outside and there is a pipe that is completely covered in ice outside my house. It's located next to the sprinkler pipe. I'm not sure what I should do about this. Any thoughts?

It looks to me like it's still the sprinkler pipe, they're attached at the top? So that line that's covered in ice is probably the supply that comes from inside your house, and the line going down goes out to the sprinkler system, and there is a backflow preventer at the very top where they connect.

When you shut it off, there was still water in the line going outside, and it's likely that it burst. The pattern of ice looks like there was water flowing from the backflow preventer. There's a lot of water there though, I don't think the water in the lines would be enough to make that much ice. You should double-check that you shut that line off. You should be able to see where that comes into the house, and there should be a valve on it. If that line isn't shut off, and has also burst, then as soon as the ice melts it will start leaking/spraying again, and as it gets cold freeze again, etc.

I'd say you have another shutoff that you missed (eg, did you shut off the sillcock (outside tap) next to the sprinkler instead of this line?). In the spring, you'll have to replace part of that pipe or the backflow preventer, depending on what broke.


How to make water move in a square bed Say I have something similar to the image below:

Now, where you see the rocks, I want to put water that goes a little higher than the rocks, and I want the water to move in one direction all around the square. Rather than being made from steel, it will be made out of wood sides and it will be raised off the ground a little. So, how would I make the water move? Some kind of pump? Can I keep each side level or do I have to angle some sides so that water can flow?

This is an interesting question. Actually, you can have a squared waterfall with the top trim being all the same height, however, the bottom has to be an incline leading to a sump pit where you can install a small water feature submerged pump. I'm not much at drawing pics, maybe one of my fellow SE buddies can help me out here.  Let me try to explain the theory. Even though you want the shape to be square, think of it as a straight sluice. You will have a pump at the lowest point, and recycle the water to the highest, starting point. So if you build a square canal, there must be a start and an end. The barrier between the "start" and "end" could be very thin, maybe a piece of plexiglass. The difference in height between the start and end does not have to be much, but practically speaking would depend on the dimension of the overall square. So if the start of the flume was 6 inches deep(for example). then the end of the flume/ pump location, could be 12 inches. Since water is going to seek it's own level, the volume of water in the feature has to be a bit less than is required to fill the entire feature to the top.  So let's see how it works: Water from the lowest point/pit or reservoir is pumped up over a barrier to a shallower starting point, raising the surface level at the "starting point. Gravity and the flow created from the pump, sends the water downhill along the sluice. As the water seeks a level state, it flows back to the pit/reservoir where the pump lifts it to continue the cycle.


What is this grey fungus/insect, and is it damaging the woodwork? Yesterday my parents discovered these 'things' attached to the varnished wooden fascia board outside the downstairs bathroom.  They are attached to the outside of the house, in a sheltered spot.  They live in Somerset, UK.

They are approximately 6 cm in length/diameter (some are round and some not - see photos), and have been there for about a week (it is about a week since this part of the house was looked at).

My questions are:
1) What are they?  Mould? Fungus? Insect?
2) Is it damaging the wood, and therefore should it be removed?

My dad removed them this morning, and they are a fungus.  A lot of dark spores came out when he pierced one (see photo).

The fungus didn't damage the paintwork, as can be seen in the photos; it just left a mess of spores behind.


Resetting fence posts in very wet conditions This winter the Minnesota frost heaved up 5 fence posts in my yard.

I've pulled out the 5 posts, and have found basically puddles of water and very very wet mud.  I shop-vac'd out the standing water, and have let the holes air out on nice days.  When it has rained I've tarped a 8x10ft area to try and get the water down hill.  This is what I have been doing for the past week.

Some of the holes are still filled with 3-4inches of water, others are very wet but not filled.  The holes right now are around 2ft deep, and I need to dig them to 4.5ft or so.

Should I just dig the holes with standing water?  Some of the holes are so wet I'm afraid a deeper hole would just collapse.  Or how can I dry them out?

Are you in the Twin Cities? We have lots of clay here. Clay never really dries out ;)

Looking at the concrete, notice how it's flared at the top, this is a nice 'handle' for the frost to grab on to and push up. Ideally, your flare would be the complete opposite...wide at the base of the hole, narrow at the top.

If it's really heavy clay, you may want to forgo concrete completely and instead use compacted crushed rock.

If you stick with concrete, be sure to dig deeper than you need to and put gravel at the bottom of the hole for drainage before putting in the post and concerete. Also be sure to get at least a good 2' of the post into the ground.


What's the most common cause of A/C refrigerant lines freezing? I noticed my house wasn't getting under 75°F this weekend when I had the thermostat set for 70°F. Since I'd done a lot of drywall sanding inside recently, my first idea was to replace the filthy air filter.

My first indication that the air filter wasn't the root cause was when the return didn't have enough suction to hold the air filter in place while I was replacing it.
I went outside to look at the compressor unit and discovered the exposed portion of the refrigerant line running into the house was frozen, but the fan was still running.
The evaporator drain line still had a steady stream of water coming out of it.
After turning everything off and waiting for the line to thaw, I turned the thermostat back on. Cooler air came out of the vents, but it didn't seem to be blowing with much force, and it wasn't as cool as it should be.
I went back outside and discovered the refrigerant line was already frosting up again. At this point it was already dark, so I turned everything back off and slept with the ceiling fan on. :/

Other random notes that may or may not play a factor:

The AC unit had been sitting idle the past 3 days since we had nice weather in the mid-70's last week.
I mowed the lawn next to the condenser unit the day I noticed it stopped working. However, I was bagging the grass clippings, so nothing should have been blown into the unit.

Any ideas on the root cause of the icing and lower air flow? I wouldn't think the two would be connected normally. Is it something as simple as low refrigerant levels? I plan on going to look more closely at it after work today. What are some other things I should pay attention to?

UPDATE: I checked the system after work today and decided to give it one more chance after I couldn't find anything wrong with it. After a few hours, it had brought the inside temperature down from 80°F to 75°F. I periodically checked the refrigerant line for freezing, but it never got much colder than 60ish degrees.

I think the root cause was the air filter, and that I didn't allow enough time for the line to thaw last night.

UPDATE 2: Maybe I drew conclusions too soon - I just checked the refrigerant line and discovered frost on it again. The inside temperature was at 72°F while the outside was at 66°F. I think pumping warm air to a cooler outside temperature may have contributed to the icing, but I'm not completely sure. (And if you think I'm crazy for running the AC when I could just open the window, you'd think twice too if you saw how many bugs swarm my porch light and windows every night. Dozens of them somehow find their way past the screens if I open the windows.) I plan on running it again tomorrow during the day and monitoring the refrigerant line temperature every few hours. If it freezes up again, I think I'm going to cave and call a repair guy.

UPDATE 3:  I totally forgot to follow up on this. It froze again, so I called an HVAC repair guy. He checked the system, added refrigerant, and problem solved. I think the bill came out somewhere around $150 for the service call fee and refrigerant costs.

You may be looking at the problem backwards, the freezing lines could be a symptom of the problem not the cause.  Start by looking for blockages in the system that would cause lower air flow / heat exchange.

Dirty filters.
Clogged ducts.
Closed dampers.
Closed/Blocked vent covers.
Dirty coils.

Basically if the system cannot exchange the heat/cold, it will not function properly and could lead to over heating/cooling.

Frozen lines could also be caused by high or low levels of refrigerant, so you'll want to get a service person out to check the refrigerant levels.

Here is a really good image to visualize how it works.


Water Heater on/off switch My water heater and dryer are connected to the same circuit breaker. Consequently, when the washer-dryer combo is in use the water heater (tank type) is working too and consuming electricity. Can I use a 240v extension cord with an on/off switch to connect my water heater? If it is possible, could someone provide me with a wiring diagram to connect this switch? Recommendations will be appreciated..

No, because you are talking about a 30A load, and that is way, way, way too much current for common switches.  By the time you pay for the exotic switches you would need, you would just be better off wiring a subpanel.

It might be possible to wire that legally, but I rather doubt that's what happened.  It sounds like an ugly hack job that's just waiting to electrocute someone.  I wouldn't touch any of it with a 10-foot pole, especially if you are a tenant in somebody else's house.

You simply need to train your laundry people that they cannot run the dryer 30 minutes after anyone uses hot water. That shouldn't be in the way of washing clothes; hot water is only used at the beginning of the cycle, and the water heater should have caught up by the time the cycle ends and it's time to go in the dryer.

Stacking loads (drying one while the next one is in the wash) is not allowed unless they select "Cold" water.


Can I run electrical along a furring strip in EMT? I know that I am required to run electrical spaced away from furring strips when running parallel.

Does this code still apply if I run the wire in EMT?

What about flex metal?
What about PVC?

flex metal requires the spacing.  PVC and EMT do not.

300.4(D) Cables and Raceways Parallel to Framing Members and Furring Strips. ... the cable or raceway shall be installed and supported so that the nearest outside surface of the cable or raceway is not less than 32 mm (1 1/4 in.) from the nearest edge of the framing member or furring strips where nails or screws are likely to penetrate. Where this distance cannot be maintained, the cable or raceway shall be protected from penetration by nails or screws by a steel plate, sleeve, or equivalent at least 1.6 mm (1/16 in.) thick.
Exception No.1: Steel plates, sleeves, or the equivalent shall not be required to protect rigid metal conduit, intermediate metal conduit, rigid nonmetallic conduit, or electrical metallic tubing.

Flex is not on the exception list.
EMT is on the exception list.
NEC is rather cryptic about what exactly it means by "rigid nonmetallic conduit".  However the table at 392.10(a) says RNmC is controlled by Article 352, and Article 352 claims to govern PVC conduit. So it appears PVC does rate an exception.


Felt pad for shower install? So I am putting in a basic 60x30 shower base in my basement.  Shower sits on my basement slab, connects to the drain.  All square and level.  The instructions say I can put a felt pad down instead of mortar.  Is this just a 60x30 pad that I would get in the flooring section of a store just so the base isn't sitting on the hard floor?enter image description here

A 60x30 shower is a pretty decent sized shower.  Most shower pans have the "floor" layer that recedes to the drain and the slope leaves a vacant/hollow layer underneath the pan.

I have only seen a handful of pans in my life that actually sit completely flat on a floor - it is usually just the drain part and the outside.

Felt is used when a pan does sit flat or if there is a bed that the pan sits on that is already "curved" for the pan.   Simply for a basement floor I would never put a felt pad down.

There is a good chance if you did just put a pad down then the pan would feel hollow standing on it.   And the other issue is that depending on how the pan is made it could "flatten" (yours would not flatten but the mortar would allow you to correct the drain height) and not drain right.   Not a huge issue if the pan top is plastic but if it contains cut granite/tile/whatever it may not dry out properly.

My advice would be to pack in the pan to achieve a proper drain slope.   The mortar should  be solid to pan and I would estimate fill 90% of the hollow area - you don't want it just spilling out.   Doing this right can make a cheap shower pan seem expensive and solid and its just the right way.

On a side note the mortar and bucket is probably cheaper than a felt pad.   You want to put the mortar in right when you are hooking up your drain.


How to locate the fuse of this FAAC automatic gate controller? I have tried to locate a manual (as seen in the picture) on FAAC's website. The model number XF 433 turns out to be the code of the radio module.

At the moment the a swing leaf gate it controls is not responding. I suspect it is caused by a blown fuse due to a recent storm.
Where is the fuse and how can I replace it? Do I need to remove the radio module (XF 433) before I take of the frosty plastic cover?

The fuse is located under the logic board. (see attached photo)

It is actually not necessary to remove the frosty plastic cover of the logic board. As a matter of fact, removing the cover incorrectly could bend and damage the pins of the radio module.
The fuse is a glass fuse T2A.


What should I do if I'm unsatisfied with my recent roof replacement? I had my roof replaced this past summer . The old roof was torn off and new insulation and a whole new roof.  It is a flat roof, new plywood and two layer torch on, on a 12x60 mobile home . The roof has leaked in 4 different places over the past 8 months.  The roofer has been cooperative and I will be meeting with him to discuss this. He has already fixed the torch on and said he was 100 % sure it would not leak, it leaked. So I would like to ask that the whole roof be replaced, is this reasonable? Also what happens to wet insulation in the ceiling? I have all work in writing and a five year guarantee. He told me he is insured. What course of action should I take?

As a contractor, I will share with you an approach that may help.

First of all, you need to document the current leak with pictures, dates etc. When you communicate with your roofing contractor, be calm and polite, explain precisely the problem and ask to witness his/her inspection. Explain that since this is the second occurrence of the leak since the new roof installation, you are concerned that water may have compromised the insulation and framing and is a potential cause of mold or rot and must be addressed. Tell the contractor that you insist on having an infra-red scan inspection of the effected area to detect any current moisture in the cavity before any more repairs are made. If the roofer is not willing to do this, tell them that you are terribly sorry we could not reach a mutually reasonable solution. Calmly but firmly state that you now have no other choice than to have this scan done yourself and that subsequent repairs will be made by another contractor and the total costs will be litigated in a civil action against him/her. Carefully and concisely summarize your conversation and send a letter with your demands via certified mail immediately after your meeting. If the contractor does not respond favorably after written notification, contact the BBB, and licencing bureau of your town or state. If none of this induces the contractor to act, proceed to having another contractor do the scans and repairs. Follow through with civil action, usually small claims on both the contractor and his/her insurance company.


How to get a flat-head nail out of a piece of wood? I have a 1/4” (~6 mm) nail that someone put in a wooden bed frame that is 1/2” (12 mm) thick.
The wood is hard (not soft) and the nail is flush with the wood in some parts, actually digging into the wood in other parts.

How does one get this nail out without damaging the wood too much?

The only thing I can think of is to “chisel” around the nail head until I can expose it enough to pull it out.

UPDATE: The nail has to come out so I can put a screw in to hold the bed frame together.

This style of nail puller does a good job of pulling out nails that are flush or deeper.

It won't leave the original surface completely untouched, as it needs a tiny bit of clearance to get a grip on the nail.
And here are a few videos demonstrating how to use it.

https://youtu.be/sWC0hkTH250
https://youtu.be/573UbJ3tgQI
https://youtu.be/kPh8GkComL0