How do I display the US flag at half staff with a standard house flag pole holder? I recently purchased one of these (in the picture below) and a few flags to be on display.

However, how should I display the American flag at half staff?  Should I manually adjust it on the pole I have (it doesn't have pulleys to adjust it)  or should I just the lower pole location on the mount?

(Also sorry if this is in the wrong S.E. as I wasn't sure where this should belong)

I couldn't find a more 'official' site that lists this custom, but flying a black streamer with the flag is appropriate when the flag cannot physically be lowered.  This blog posting is one random source, but if you search for "half mast black streamer" you get many results.

Possibly a more reputable source (worthiness left for you to decide):
http://www.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/05/30/fly.american.flag.mf/
Also: http://eventresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/How-to-Properly-Hang-the-American-Flag.pdf

What if I can't fly my flag at half-staff?
Some flags, like the ones commonly seen in school classrooms or on
houses, are fixed in a certain position on their poles. How does one
handle the sticky situation of a flag that physically can't be flown
at half-staff? The United States Code doesn't cover this conundrum,
but the American Legion advocates adding a black ribbon to the top of
the flag's pole to indicate mourning.


Why don't I have power after an outlet was shorted? A wall plug shorted in the living room of my one bedroom duplex and now I have no lights in the duplex. The plugs in the living room have no power, three of the four plugs in the bedroom have no power, and the plug in the dining area has no power.

I checked all of the circuit breakers with my multimeter and they all seem good because power comes from all of them and then when I turn the circuit breakers off I lose power. None of the circuit breakers seen flimsy they seem all solid from off to on.

All of the GFCI plugs in the kitchen still have power coming to them.  The GFCI plug in the bathroom does not have power coming to it.  The only light that works in the duplex is the one in the closet in the bedroom.  What could be the problem?

What usually hapens is the overload causes the wires to fuse, as Greebo mentions.

But it doesn't fuse just anywhere.  It fuses in a very specific place, namely, backstab / push connections.  They are notorious for doing this.  We recommend using side screws in wiring; backstabs are only intended as a speed shortcut for builders wiring in high production rates.

As you probably know, most circuits are wired in strings.  (Legally they are allowed to be wired in "tree" fashion, unlimited branches never looping back on itself... but a vine is a type of tree, isn't it?)

Regardless, if you have some good outlets and some bad ones in the same circuit string, the problem is always at the first bad one, or the last good one.  The term "outlet" also includes lighting and other hard-wired loads.


Options for a 0-10V dimmer on a 3-way, in a basement I'm putting utility lights in a basement (3-way SW).  After running all the wire and switches I picked up the only lights that my electrical supply house carried, RAB LED utility lights.
Not cheap, but crazy bright, so I figured I could get by with less.  I get back to the house and realize that these have an extra set of wires for a 0-10V dimmer.
What are my options here? this is a basement.  I'm guessing I could just connect the two and get full brightness, but I would like to be able to tweak the brightness because they might be too bright.  What I don't want to do is pay $70 ea for 3-way dimmer's which is what home depot is charging.  Other than these overpriced switches, nothing says 0-10V.  Does anyone know if any low cost, off the shelf dimmers that happen to be 0-10.  I would probably mount it discretely above one of the lights to make adjustments.
Also, is there any reason an electrical inspector would have a problem with this?

There are at least 4 different ways to dim mains AC powered lights (i.e., anything from 110V - 480V):

Modification of the mains power fed to the lights

This is what typical residential applications use. It is cheap because of mass production (i.e., almost any home or office can use it) and easy because it generally involves "switch replacement" so that it can go "anywhere", even in circuits that were not originally set up for a dimmer.
However, it is not necessarily the most efficient way of doing things and often incompatible with LED lighting. Essentially, LED lights are so efficient and so different from incandescent lights, that they will suck up the power when they can and give you light (sometimes flashing) instead of dimming, unless the LED light and the dimmer are designed to be compatible with each other.

Wireless remote control within each bulb or fixture

An example of these is Philips Hue:

They seem expensive, until you realize that each one essentially includes a microcomputer, WiFi receiver and lots of other good stuff. If you want to just "screw in new bulbs and dim from your phone or Alexa", this is the easiest solution. However, this doesn't give you "dim from your wall switch".

Low-voltage lights with power line dimming

This is actually a very efficient way to do things. LEDs are low-voltage devices anyway, so converting from high voltage (mains) to low voltage (typically 12V - 24V) means that the LED lights don't have to do that conversion, which is more efficient and lower cost (though the cost savings isn't always so apparent as mass production of mains-powered LED lights lowers the cost there for different reasons).

High-voltage lights with a separate low-voltage signal for dimming

This is what you have with the RAB lights. It is very efficient because you just use a tiny bit of power to control the dimming and don't need fancy electronics on the switches or in the power modules of the fixtures. There is electronics needed in the fixtures but, designed well, those can be much more efficient than dimming via the primary input power.
This type of signalling has a huge advantage in certain applications. In particular, it allows for remote control of different types of lights (incandescent, LED, etc.) and the dimmer does not have to be sized to handle the full power of the lights. Residential dimmer switches will often have a limit of 600W or similar, less than even a standard 15A circuit - i.e., you might have (in the old incandescent days at least) a large room with lots of lights on one circuit and find you can't even install an ordinary dimmer because the lights use too much power! With dimming through a separate low-voltage path, this problem goes away.
Important: This type of dimming uses separate wires from the actual power for the lights. Which means:

You will need to run a separate set of wires for dimming
If you are using conduit, those wires might have to be in a separate conduit (or outside conduit) as you generally can't mix high & low voltage wires. (Exception if all the low voltage stuff is rated to exist around high voltage. It gets complicated. Separate is easiest.)
The good news: As noted by Harper, the dimmer does not have to be in the same place as the main switches. So, for example, if you have the main 3-way switches by the doors (as is normal, and to a certain degree required by code), you could have the dimmer at a workbench or other convenient location.

But the end result is you got lights that are not typically used in residential applications, which is why the dimmer switches are expensive.


What does the NEC consider to be a kitchen? I understand that the NEC requires GFCI outlets in kitchens. But how does it define a kitchen?
If a room has a wet bar, that's not a kitchen, right? What if we add some more appliances (maybe a stove or dishwasher) next to the wet bar? At what point does the room become a second kitchen for the purposes of the NEC?

Wet bars fall under a different GFCI requirement
The issue of whether a room is a "kitchen" or not is only marginally relevant to GFCI requirements, as NEC 210.8(A) point 7 requires GFCI protection within 6' of any sink in a dwelling unit, including those found in wet bars:

(7) Sinks — where receptacles are installed within 1.8 m (6 ft) from the top inside edge of the bowl of the sink

However, your question has merit
However, your question does matter as it determines whether your space requires its own small appliance branch circuits.  For that, we turn to the NEC Article 100 definition of "Kitchen":

Kitchen. An area with a sink and permanent provisions for
food preparation and cooking.

A wet bar has a sink, of course, and also has "permanent provisions for food preparation" in that it has countertop space.  However, the lack of provisions for a permanently installed cooking (food heating) appliance is what makes it "not a kitchen" under the NEC.
So, adding a built-in cooking appliance such as a cooktop or hardwired oven would do the trick.  What else would make it a kitchen?  A "hutch" for a microwave or toaster oven or other such provision obviously intended for a cooking appliance to be left connected/installed 24/7, would also push it over that line.  Simply plugging a hotplate/portable induction cooker or other such portable cooking appliance in and leaving it on the counter wouldn't be "permanent" enough in my eyes, though, since someone could readily unplug it and put it away if they needed to use the counter space for something else.
Of course, nothing in the NEC stops you from dropping a pair of dedicated 20A branch circuits to the countertop receptacles on your wet bar, even if there isn't a microwave hutch or other "kitchenette" feature planned there.


What material provides semi-permanent, strong bonding with a concrete floor? The professionals doing repairs at a workplace seem to be capable of patching  stairs with material so tough, and make it stick to the existing cement with such strength, that the patching survives years of use, even when it is done on the tip of a stair, as shown below.

My own needs are far more modest. Still, I'd like this not to be a job that looks bad after six months, and that gets completely detached after twelve. My garage floor is abraded in a few places. No place is worse than the one letting air through under the garage door.

I know that I could use some cement, but that will not last very long. Can you guess what material has been used on the stairs above, or can you suggest some material that will provide a semi-permanent solution? I am quite happy using an entirely different color (I'll paint with an epoxy-based paint at some point anyway), just so long as it lasts.

PC-Concrete is a brand I have used especially if you are going to paint over it.
It is a good idea to acid wash the area (10% muriatic and water) then rinse.
Once dry fill the area and let cure. Remember if you use Acid to add the acid to water.


HVAC blower fan won't stop FINAL UPDATE: I have found the culprit - the Nest thermostat itself. First, I disconnected the t'stat at the control panel and found out that the fan would no longer start upon powering the system. Then I replaced Nest with the old 'dumb' t'stat (from 4 years ago), and everything works fine now. Now I will try to figure out what happened to Nest: failure, software update, etc., but that's another topic.

So I had this problem with my HVAC during winter when out of blue (after working fine for many years) the blower (fan) wouldn't stop, even after the temperature reached the target and the burners shut off. The burners would start and stop per thermostat instructions, it's just that the blower motor wouldn't stop to run. The only way to stop the motor was to power off the entire HVAC system. Mere switching the mode to OFF in thermostat wouldn't stop it.

I kind of half-solved the issue then by disconnecting the G wire from my thermostat (Nest 1st Gen, see picture below). As a result, the heating mode worked fine and controlled the blower as it was supposed to. I couldn't manually control the blower from my thermostat, but it wasn't a problem for me, so I never got to the bottom of this.

Now, it's time to use A/C, and this half-solution backfired. When I now set Nest to cool, the outside fan/compressor starts working, but the blower motor in the basement doesn't start. If I connect the G wire back in Nest, the blower does start immediately after powering HVAC without any command (similar situation as in winter), the cool air blows fine, but again the blower wouldn't stop after the desired low temp is reached. The difference now is that the cooling mode doesn't seem to be able to control the blower correctly (or at all) as the heating mode does.

I have visually inspected the system, cleaned wire ends and tightened the screws.

Any ideas what exactly could be wrong and how to fix it? I can provide more info on the system if necessary. Thank you!

UPDATE 06/06/2019: Got back to this after travel. Since running a new t'stat wire didn't look very practical in my set up, first I decided to inspect the wiring and found a lot of splicing. I added a picture of a big splicing hub that could explain the color mismatch for wires: HVAC's Green wire becomes Yellow on t'stat, Red becomes Black. White is White (although a bit yellowish due to age). But I am confused about where the Blue wire at t'stat comes from. I can see the Blue wire from HVAC going towards the outdoor compressor, but how it ends up in t'stat I don't know. Unfortunately, I am not able to follow the cables to t'stat for the whole length due to basement ceiling.

Still looking for any ideas on why my fan suddenly started blowing without stopping and how to solve this. Thank you!

Is there a splice in your T'stat wiring? Your color scheme is not matching up. Also you've landed a wire in your t'stat on your "Y" terminal but it is not landed on your power source and the "C" is landed on you power source and is not mounted on you T'stat.

I would suggest you run a completely new thermostat wire and reconnect matching color and code.


Can I have two pressure tanks on my system? I have a 3000 gallon water storage tank that my 4 inch well pump (800 feet down) fills up and the water tank then gravity feeds about 5 feet into a shallow well pump that pumps water into a 60 gallon pressure pump about one foot away.  The pressure pump sends water to the house about 300 feet through one-inch pvc pipe into the house.  The shallow well pump and pressure tank are located inside my pump house.  The water pressure inside the house is OK but I would like it to be much higher than it is.  Can I cut into my one-inch water line right before it goes into the house and install a second pressure tank and then connect the out pipe to the water line going into the house and if so, will it raise the water pressure substantially so that the showers have more pressure and etc. or would I have to install another shallow well pump before the second pressure tank or am I wasting time and money on all of the above. I can live with it the way it is but it would be nice to have greater water pressure coming out of my spigots and shower heads.  Thanks for any advice.

That sounds like an overly complicated setup with far more pumps than it should need. Or else you said pump when you meant tank in two places, actually, re-reading it.

In short, you can have as many pressure tanks as you like. Locating them closer to the point of use (the house) would be helpful, to a limited extent. That limited extent is the "effective volume" of the pressure tank at the house - while it's got pressure, you get better pressure at the house. As soon as it runs out of water and you become dependent on the pump, the pressure loss of the 300 feet of 1" PVC to the house comes into play, until you slow down your water use to the point where the pressure tank at the house fills up again.

If you do not change the setpoint pressure, the peak water pressure in the house will not be affected at all. Once the pressure tank at the house is depleted, the pressure will be the same as it is now. If you have a pressure gauge at the house now (or can add one) it might be useful to know the pressure at the house when "loads of interest" (showers, say) are drawing water.

Most pump controls can be altered to have a higher setpoint pressure, and most well pumps will provide that, within reason. General recommendations are to stay below 80 PSI - but if you are now running your pump on at 20 off at 40 (a typical default) you could turn it up to on at 30 off at 50, or on at 40 off at 60 - you will need to adjust your pressure tank (and any you may choose to add) for the higher pressure, particularly if they are bladder-type tanks - with the system drained, a bladder tank should typically be 2 PSI less than the low water pressure setpoint (ie, 18, 28, or 38 for the three ranges I've just given) and you may need additional pressure tank volume (because the effective volume of water a pressure tank can hold goes down as the system pressure goes up.) So, you can probably get more pressure without another pump, and possibly without another tank, but we'd need more details of what your system is doing now to know that for certain.

Unless your water use is extreme, 300 feet of 1" PVC pipe should not have a lot of effect on the pressure - at 5 gallons per minute, about 2.2 PSI - at 10GPM, 8.2PSI, 15 GPM, 17.4 psi


What are alternatives to an in-floor drain in a laundry room? Let’s say you had a house and, for whatever reason, it was not possible to have an in-floor drain in the laundry room.

Are there alternatives that would ideally provide the same value in case of a leak?

One thing that is an option is automatic shut off valves for the washer that are linked to a water sensor.

Automatic Valves

Above is an example that I have experience with, but they come from several manufacturers and I think there are even "smart home" options that will alert you of a leak as well as turning off valves.  I think I've also seen devices that cut power to the washer when there is a leak to stop it from draining water if the leak is actually a clogged drain rather than a burst hose.

With these valves, you still have to clean up some amount of water, but the problem is greatly reduced to the point of being able to clean up with a simple mop.  Proper baseboard with a good caulking job will keep a small leak from getting behind the walls.


How far apart should I space rafters for a 13ft patio? I'm looking to build a patio roof (shed style) and need to span 13ft. I've found several span tables online, some of them with different maximum distances between the rafters.

Is it ok to use 2x8s with 24" OC? - I've used this span calculator with the below variables to get a maximum span of 13'-10":

wood: SPF (I'm using the usual pressure treated lumber)
deflection limit: L/240
spacing: 24in
snow load: 30psf
dead load: 10psf

It will look something like this:

A couple problems with the span calculation, IMHO (I am not a Licensed Professional Engineer):

Select structural (the lumber grade) is frequently impossible to come by at an ordinary lumberyard, will cost the earth if it can be had, and is even less available (AFAIK) in pressure treated (though you should not need that, as per comments.)

Number 2 is generally the grade you should design for unless you are sure you have a source for a better grade and can stand the price of it... You can get the same loading from 2x8  number 2 on 19.2" centers (5 per 8 feet - there's a symbol on most modern tape measures for that spacing) as your select structural on 24". Or you can get significantly more load (or span) from 2x10 number 2 on 24" centers

The position of this roof on the sidewall of a house (if it's "like the picture") may cause the buildup of a snowdrift on the roof - that needs to be allowed for if the 30 lb snow load is anything other than mythical (ie, I think that snow load is the code standard minimum, so it is often in code where snow is never expected....)


One faucet doesn't work when it's really cold In our upstairs bathroom, the toilet and cold faucet in the sink stop working every winter when it is cold.

The shower works and the hot water at the sink faucet work.

We have tried heating up the room to 85. Looking for the source line and trying to heat it but can't. Our master bath is on the other side of the shower and we do not have any problems. Our daughter's closet is on the back side of the toilet and sink and her room is usually warm.

We tried turning on the hot water and holding it with rag and forcing water back up the faucet for an airlock and it didn't help either.

There is only one wall to the outside and it has a window.

We don't think there are outside lines but we think the cold line goes up into the attic. We hired someone to look and they said it was insulated where they could see but it might not be when it goes into the wall.

Nothing ever leaks so pipes never break. When the weather warms up, it works again.

As others state, fix it before the pipe bursts, and you have expensive water damage, possibly making the house unlivable.

Temporarily, you might try putting insulation over the outside of the wall where the pipe runs. You could try following the path of the pipe with a stud finder, though if it's plastic pipe, it might not show. Then make place bats of insulation outside long that path, and cover them with a wood frame to prevent that insulation getting damaged.


What type of glue should I use to repair my hardwood floor? I'm replacing the tongue and grove boards in a section of my hardwood floor that were water damaged.  On some of the boards, I'll need to cut out the bottom edge of the female side.

On a YouTube video they recommended using a 2 part epoxy for securing the board in place.  I thought I could just use a regular wood glue.

What's the best glue for securing the hardwood floor boards?

Is gluing better than just using a few finish nails from the top?

We only use Titebond III waterproof wood glue on Hardwood flooring.  You can clean up excess with water before it cures. This stuff works great and allows some flexibility for expansion and contraction.


Street water stop tap uk My internal water shut off for the house has stopped working. So I'm using the one just outside my house on the street to cut water to my house.
Thing is that one is faulty too, it doesn't fully stop the water to my house.

Am I allowed to use the external water board tap?

If I tell them it needs replacing, they'll know I've been using it, so could they assume I've damaged it, or replace it with a locked cover?

I think it should be fine to use the one outside to shut off your water.  It is recommended to use the inside stop valve but if that is broken or if the leak is in the section of pipe between the outside valve and the inside one you can use the outside valve.  Also check that your outside valve isn't shared with a neighbour which is sometimes the case.
At least in my area the water company provides instructions on how to use the outside stop valve, see https://www.thameswater.co.uk/help/emergencies/how-to-turn-your-water-on-and-off/how-to-find-and-use-your-outside-stop-valve .


What could cause circuit breakers to trip when power is restored after an outage? What causes circuit breakers to trip after my power comes back on from an outage?

In general, this is a sign of a circuit loaded a bit too heavily. After an outage, everything is starting at once - motor loads, in particular, tend to draw a very large current at startup - if a circuit has several motor loads which do not usually start at the same time, it may not trip in normal service, but if all the motor loads start at the same time, it may trip.

As a general rule, my habit at this point is to shut off nearly everything during an outage, with the specific intent of reducing the local draw on power restoration and to isolate as many things as is reasonably possible from the initial restored power, which can be a bit unstable due to everyone else's loads all trying to start at once. Once power has been restored for a few minutes I turn things back on. It's more fuss than most people go to, but it works for me.

If you have particular circuits which are prone to trip on power restoration, you might both turn those breakers off during an outage and turn off at least some of the items on them before manually turning the breaker back on after the outage.

However, a better option for the long term would be to rewire things so that the circuits in question are not overloaded upon restoration of power.


Why would a dimmer start buzzing when some lights are broken? I have a dimmer that controls a 3-light fixture (filled with 35W halogen incandescents).

When the second light went dark (I procrastinated with replacing the first) the last one starts flickering, especially when dimmed a bit, and the dimmer starts buzzing (louder than normal). Is this normal?

Then a few weeks later the final light broke; coincidence or effect of the prolonged flickering?

Dimmers have a minimum rating (as well as a maximum rating) and it is possible that one 35W fitting might not have been sufficient to reach the minimum.

The final lamp breaking might have been a result of the flickering.  Flickering incandescents are not good as it is like they are being turn on and off repeatedly and each time an incandescent lamp is switched on there is an extra rush of current as the filament is not at it's running temperature and therefore has a lower resistance and as a result each time you switch one on it dies a little.  A flickering light is being "switched on" lots of times and dying a little each time.


What gauge speaker wire do I need? I am looking to run some speaker cable through my unfinished basement.
I will need 35 ft long cables for a couple of Technics SB-A10 speakers.  What gauge of cable will I need?  How is the gauge calculated?  How much noise should I expect with a 35 ft long cable?

Impedance: 8 ohm

Input power: 200 W

Crossover frequency: 3000 Hz–6000 Hz

Output sound pressure level: 91 dB/W (at/a 1 m)

Woofer cone type: 25 cm (10")

Midrange cone type, ferrofluid: 10 cm (4")

Tweeter, cone type, ferrofluid: 5.5 cm (2 - 1/8")

Dimensions (W x H x D): 360 x 733 x 265

The most important aspect of speaker wire is resistance. There is a ton of junk-science and stupid audiophile marketing claims that will try to confuse you and make you spend absurd amounts of money, but don't be fooled.

Wikipedia actually has a good write-up on it:

  Resistance is by far the most important specification of speaker wire. Low-resistance speaker wire allows more of the amplifier's power to energize the loudspeaker's voice coil. The shorter the cable and the greater the conductor's cross-sectional area, the lower its resistance. Depending on the hearing ability of the listener, this resistance begins to have an audible effect when the resistance exceeds 5% of the speaker's impedance.

They also have a chart: for 35' at 8Ω, you're good with 18 or 16AWG.

All you need is basic stranded cable. Don't pay extra for fancy brands, or "oxygen-free" or "hand woven by the dalai lama" or whatever (unless you have the money to burn and really way to, I guess) as there's really no difference -- you can use lamp cord, if you want.

In proper tests, the best audiophiles can't tell the difference between $500/ft "top of the line" speaker wire and coat hangers -- and if you can, James Randi will give you $1 million (sorry, a bit OT from your question, but people that believe in this nonsense really piss me off).

For in-wall applications, you should get wire rated for in-walls - which basically boils down to fumes that the wire gives off in a fire. There's a good article on Understanding In-wall Speaker, Video and Audio Cable Ratings on Audioholics. In short, in a 1-2 family dwelling, any cable with the following ratings is suitable for in-wall: CM, CMP, CMR, CMG, CL2*, CL3*.


Should I use a 6 mil poly moisture barrier for engineered hardwood floor installed over concrete slab-on-grade? I am planning to install an engineered hardwood floor over a slab-on-grade subfloor. The slab is bone dry but I understand it's wise to install a moisture barrier anyway.

My plan right now is to cover the slab with 6 mil poly overlapped 12" and taped at the seams, then put some type of foam flooring underlayment over that, then install the boards as a floating floor.

Does this sound sane? Or is there a better/easier method?

If my approach is okay, does the 6 mil poly moisture barrier need to go a few inches up the wall, presumably hidden behind a baseboard? Or is it okay to have it end at the slab edge?

One thing I'm not clear about regarding the moisture barrier is how any moisture that finds its way under or over it is actually going to dissipate. Wouldn't it just stay there?

For what it's worth, what I wound up doing is using the Floor Muffler underlayment, which is its own moisture barrier. As per the directions, I applied it over the subfloor and about 2" up the walls.

It's hard to see, but I have indeed left an appropriate half inch expansion gap between the wood and the drywall. And this is engineered hardwood so I don't expect it to move all that much.


Is my brand new central air conditioner short cycling? I just had a brand new air conditioner 5 ton condenser, coil and furnace installed in a 3,300sqft colonial in Connecticut. It’s 1am right now, 75 degrees outside with 97% humidity. I have my upstairs (which for a colonial is always hottest part of the house) thermostat set to 68 degrees. The AC turns on for about 7 minutes, shuts off for another 7 minutes and turns back on. Could it be short cycling? I’ve read it’s usually normal for an AC to stay running between 10-20 minutes?

If you are at set point, it sounds like it's working correctly. Many of the newer high end thermostats have the ability to program maximum number of cycles per hour or minimum time between cycles, etc. varies by Tstat.  You have to get into "installer setup" which requires the installer manual for directions and codes.   But bear in mind, if you change some of those settings, you'll have wider temperature swings between cycles.
I'm not an expert in the calcs for HVAC, but your system might be a little over-sized. If it's oversized, it cools the space quickly, but doesn't have enough run time to dehumidify the space, leaving occupants with a cool, but clammy feeling.
I guess the most important question is:  "Are you comfortable in the conditioned space?" If so, live and let live.  For me personally, 68 would be way too cold, but that's just me.
Ed Beal may have other thoughts regarding the cycling rate and hope he'll chime in...I always learn something from him!


What ceiling/wall lamps fit these ports I am looking for ceiling lamps for the first one and wall lamps for the second port. Since I have a low ceiling in my apartment in an old house, I want to the use of pendant lamps.

What country is this from? I'm guessing Netherlands as Attema is located there.

Looks like it's a simple two wire terminal block and hanger hook. Under magnification, I can see the screw threads protruding into the opening where the wires insert.

You strip the lamp cord back about 1/4". After turning off the power, loosen the screws, slide the conductors in each terminal opening and tighten.

The lamp hangs from a chain attached to the hook. Allow for slack in the cord so it doesn't pull against the terminal block.


Insulation with multiple polyester layers instead of one I am getting 3cm thickness polyester sheets for free and while it could be great not having to buy insulation myself, I wonder is it a good idea to insulate it with multiple layers of these sheets for walls (I want to do 10cm thickness insulation).
Would I lose R value by doing so, or it doesn't really affect thermal insulation of the walls?

As long as you make sure that the sheets are packed or glued together so there are no air gaps then the insulation value will be based on the material and its thickness. If you allow the sheets to flop apart then the insulation value is not so good.
Having 10cm thickness is good - when we built we put 30cm - insulation material is cheaper than 50 years of heating (or cooling) costs.


Can I (and should I) remove old unused electrical wiring? I have some old electrical wiring original to my 1946 house. In some cases it goes between my button board rock lath walls and was stapled there. Are there techniques for removing disconnected, unused electrical cable that has been stapled within or behind a wall? (without opening the walls)

The cable has black fabric on the outside and each wire has a kind of plastic insulation as well as its own fabric sheathing. It is difficult, if not impossible, to pull it out from beneath the staples even when I have direct access to it (e.g. in my attic).

I suppose I could just leave it there but I'd rather get it out if possible.

There's no problem, conceptually, with removing wiring that doesn't do anything. But your problem isn't the should I, it's the can I.

So to answer your question: Yes, feel free to remove it.

But you have to figure out how to squeeze your arms behind plaster walls and pull staples. :(


Installing single receptacle for motor loads and not gfci protect What about installing a single receptacle in the location like garage door openers, sump pumps, disposal, ect...? If hey are dedicated circuits do they still need to be GFCI protected?

2014 NEC 210.8.A "All 125-volt, single phase 15- and 20-amp receptacles installed in the locations specified in 210.8.a.1 through 10 shal have GFCI for personal." (This means 5 MA trip on detected fault). #2 "Garages, and also accessory buildings that have a floor located at or below grade level not intended as habitable rooms and limited to storage areas, work areas, and areas of similar use."

This means all outlets in the garage require GFCI even ceiling mounted outlets for garage door openers. (My state exempts the dedicated outlet behind a freezer or a large piece of equipment not easily moved. All other outlets except an alarm system require GFCI protection).
For a Sump pump if you do not want GFCI protection get a 240V pump 120V pumps require GFCI even for a dedicated circuit.


replace one tile bathroom floor 18" tile part adjacent to toilet and under the flange cracked during toilet install (plumber).
first try result:  replacement tile is too high, i I had to remove it.
Complication:  tile rocks due to uneven sub-floor.  Attempt to level it elevates tile height even more.

question 1: I have Versabond fortified mortar ... is there an alternative to mortar?  Rapid Set Cement All (R) high strength PSI.  Or how about a mixture of Rapid Set and Versabond?  I don't have confidence in Versabond after first failure as tile popped right off with ease  after  24 hours.
With the height and level issue,  I am hoping for a stronger alternative that requires less mortar to keep height in check.

Yes there is a rapid set thinset, big box stores have it. Fortified thinset that you have is good stuff, I used it in all my install for my bath renovations. 2 days time is not enough time for thinset to get a strong bond, enough to step on but easy to pull, any longer you would have had a tougher time.

The amount of thinset you use is crucial, it has to be placed so the tile is well supported at various heights, but can still be lowered if needed. If there is a high spot in the subfloor, grind it down, I have relived the back of tile in places where needed but that is really chancy. Those areas need a full bed of support under them, so the thickness is critical there, but time well spent.

Get your tile to set below the surface of the other tile uniformly, about an 1/8" to a 1/4" lower with no thinset under it, no rocking, then you can gauge how much thinset you need under it. Except were you may need to grind the back of the tile, floor grade tile can handle a small span with no contact to the setting bed.


Transparent cover on the water surface of a swimming pool could please anybody tell me how it is called ? The swim pool in one of the episode of Californication had it. People were walking on it, it looked like there were going on the water surface. Then Hank Moody broke it and fell into the water.

You could but you need to build all sorts of hidden supports underneath.

In theory a thick polycarbonate (perspex/plexiglass/lexan) sheet could easily support the weight but you would have a job anchoring it so it couldn't tip over or tilt and flood. And there would be a big risk if somebody managed to slide under it and get trapped.


What is the proper way to cut a hole in a window pane? I have a small electronic detector (the enclosure is 80mm x 110mm externally, rectangular with rounded corners) which I need to fit into a narrow, single-pane, fixed window next to a rear door. If at all possible, I'd like to achieve this without having to remove the pane from the frame.

How should I best go about this?

Assuming not tempered, this is relatively easy, if tedious. If tempered, you'll have to replace the pane, as it will shatter as soon as you try to drill a starting hole. Would be easier out of the frame, though (or you could simply have a glass shop do for very easy, but probably more cost).

Diamonds are not needed to cut glass.

Drill a hole large enough to feed a carbide rod saw through. With care you can use one without a hacksaw frame, and you'd pretty much have to do that if not removing the glass from the frame. You can cut a lot faster if it's held in a hacksaw frame. Pull, rather than push when cutting, and be aware that a rod saw will cut in any direction, which is good for making your rounded corners, but requires attention when cutting straight lines. Used without a hacksaw frame you will also need to be careful not to bend it too much.

I have done this a few times on custom fish tank covers to make cutouts for filters.


Hvac fan runs and shuts off in a cycle when in heat mode I have a Heil hvac model. N44336336GKE100, The system works ok when in cool mode but when in heat mode the outside fan runs for 30 sec then shuts off for 20 sec and continually repeats the cycle. I changed the defrost sensor which seem to work but the following morning it went back into the same cycle . I checked  the capacitor and the reading was same as the specifications. Can you point me the way before I do anything foolish. thanks.

I imagine you are referring to Heil Model N4H336GKE100.

Check the test control jumper on the defrost control board.  In the "speed up" test position it will cause the timing you describe.  For normal operation the test jumper should be OPEN (no jumper or metal object shorting the test pins together).  The default for the timing jumper is usually "60."  For dry climates the timing jumper should be "90".

The tech support manual is posted at this address:

http://icpindexing.toddsit.com/documents/086477/42804510201.pdf

Here is a snapshot from the relevant section:


Can one of my three-way switches be configured to use a remote control? I want to put my outside flood lights on a remote control. They are controlled by two separate switches in two different rooms. One switch on the second floor and the other on the first floor. I want to change one of the switches to a remote control while leaving the other as a regular switch. Can this be accomplished?

Make up your mind :)

One of the tropes around here is people wanting a light to be controlled by a complex switch scheme, and also controlled by another complex switch scheme.  Somehow, these are supposed to play nice together. They don't.  And it degrades into a glitchy mess pretty fast.

The best answer in this case is a networked smart-switch scheme that uses a programmable hub.  Now you can code in what each triggering action does.  This doesn't make it do what you want, but at least when it doesn't, you can improve the code to fix it.

And as far as products, you can use a smorgasboard of remote controls made to work with that system, including, potentially, your phone.


Why would a GFCI trip on refrigerator circuit? My refrigerator is tripping the GFCI on the socket into which it is plugged.  Searching about this topic seems to indicate that this is a reasonably common complaint.  However, I can't find any concrete information about general causes or potential solutions other than suggestions to replace everything and hope for the best; this seems unsatisfying.

This is a new fridge and all new electrical work by licensed professionals.  I believe that the electrical is installed correctly and grounded, and that there is no damage to the fridge. I believe this is a dedicated circuit from the breaker panel to the outlet for the fridge. Nothing else is on this circuit and nothing else is plugged into the other socket. Low humidity. Kitchen installation. No water, no ice-maker. This has never happened before, but now it trips the GFCI immediately after reset.

I've done the following things:

Reset the GFCI, then re-plugged the fridge; GFCI tripped again.
Plugged other things (alone) into the fridge's GFCI outlet: they work fine and GFCI does not trip.
Plugged refrigerator into other GFCI-protected outlet with nothing else on it; this GFCI outlet also tripped.
Plugged refrigerator into other non-GFCI outlet; works and doesn't trip the breaker.
Tested the socket wiring (using 3-lamp receptacle tester) -- it's correct.
Measured resistance between prongs on the refrigerator's electrical cord; ~300 kOhms between hot and neutral; no continuity to ground from either.  This all seems reasonable.

EDIT: per comment below, I should also note that I called the service line for the manufacturer: they said only that, if the appliance works when plugged into a non-GFCI outlet, that there's nothing more they can do.

To me, this seems to suggest the fridge is broken -- but it's brand new!  Why would my fridge be tripping the GFCI? Is this to be expected for a refrigerator? Should I just plug it into non-GFCI and ignore it "like any normal person"? ;-)

Several other questions on this site suggest solutions for other GFCI issues, but I don't see any about refrigerators and GFCI.  This answer seems to suggest that refrigerators shouldn't be on GFCI in the first place.  However, my electrician said it's now code to have refrigerator's on GFCI (at least locally), but there seems to be disagreement about The Rules.

Other discussions quickly devolve to inaccurate and imprecise citing of NEC, or straying from erudite matters:

This one that suggests it's common for older refrigerators;
This one that suggests certain components of the fridge that could be causing it.

Other topics about humidity, garages, other stuff, wiring, etc. don't seem to apply here.

Residential Kitchen

In a dwelling unit (residential), GFCI protection is only required for kitchen receptacles that serve the countertop surfaces. There's no requirement to GFCI protect receptacles that serve a refrigerator. Unless the fridge is plugged into a countertop receptacle.

  National Electrical Code 2014

  Chapter 2 Wiring and Protection

  Article 210 Branch Circuits

  I. General Provisions

  210.8 Ground-Fault Circuit-Interrupter Protection for Personnel. Ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection for personnel shall be provided as required in 210.8(A) through (C). The ground-fault circuit-interrupter shall be installed in a readily accessible location.

  (A) Dwelling Units. All 125-volt, single-phase, 15- and
  20-ampere receptacles installed in the locations specified in
  210.8(A)(1) through (10) shall have ground-fault circuit interrupter protection for personnel.

  (6) Kitchens— where the receptacles are installed to serve the countertop surfaces.

Garages, Unfinished Basement, and Other Locations

If the refrigerator is in a garage, boathouse, or unfinished basement. All the receptacles are required to be GFCI protected, so the fridge will have to be plugged into a GFCI protected receptacle.

Why does the fridge trip the GFCI?

Any inductive load when switched off, can produce electromagnetic interference (EMI). This interference can, and often does, trip GFCI devices. Most vapor compression refrigerators have a few inductive loads, any of which could cause the trip.

Is there anything that can be done?

There are devices called snubbers that can be used to reduce, or eliminate the effects of EMI. Installing one between the fridge and the GFCI device, could prevent nuisance trips. The best solution though, is to connect the fridge to a non-GFCI protected circuit.

If that's all it takes, why isn't there already one built in?

While most (all) manufacturers are aware that refrigerators can cause nuisance tripping of GFCI devices, most (none) seem willing to provide a solution. It would be complete speculation for me to try and tell you why they don't care, so of course I'll go through a few possibilities.

Cost.
Plain and simple, it costs money to implement a solution.
Warranties and Operating Conditions.
Most refrigerators are designed to operate in a kitchen. Running them in dusty, dirty garages and basements could lead to more warranty covered repairs.


How should I sand before the final coat of polyurethane? I have applied 3 coats of poly so far. I'd like to smooth out the surface before the final coat. What type of sander should I use: Square Buff Floor Sander ,

Random Orbit Floor Sander ,

or just a hand held orbital ?

Depends on the quality of the existing finish... if it's as flat as you want it to be, then I'd kiss it with 150 on a pole sander.

Link for illustration purposes only: there are many out there...

If you need to knock down blobs/ runs/ etc, then start with 120 on the handheld random orbit sander. Work your way up to 150/220.

Vacuum and then wipe with a compatible tack cloth to remove dust and residue.

If you're having a hard time laying down a perfect coat, make the last one a bit thin -- 10-20% added paint thinner -- and it'll flow better. Also, don't skimp on the brush quality.


I-joists on an old dimensional lumber floor I’m remodeling a room on my first floor and will need to move a HVAC duct, make it run across 4 joists of the second floor. Room is gutted, and I can see second floor has a 3/4" OSB subfloor on dimensional 2x10 joists, 16" OC, 13’ in span:

Ducting is 6" round so I cannot drill through the dimensional lumber I have in place without compromising it. But I could if I had i-joists (a 9-1/2" i-joist allows up to 7" roles per manufacturer). So I'm considering this:

Assuming this is my only option, but being happy to be proven wrong, my problem is: a 2x10 is actually 9-1/4" but the i-joist is 9-1/2", so I see two options to make up for the 1/4":

Align the top of the i-joist to the top of the current joists: that would bring my ceiling 1/4" lower only on those 4 joists so I'd need to shim every other joist to match. I'd also need to notch the beam and top plates so the i-joist can sit lower

Align the bottom of the i-joist to the bottom of the current joist: same issue, and even greater pain because it would mean ripping the subfloor upstair, shim the top of the other joists and re-install it

So #1 seems easier since ceiling is already gutted but I'd need to bring the whole first floor ceiling down.
Yet another option is go with #2 but route a 1/4" rabbet on the underside of the subfloor for the top of i-joist to tuck into. The subfloor is 3/4" which would leave 1/2" and I was planning on adding a 1/2" underlayment for hardwood floors on top of it anyway, so doesn't seem to me there would be a problem:

Looking for any ideas besides the ones mentioned here, or to be talked out of my hacky third option
Notes: Shaving 1/4 from i-joist flange is out of question, per manufacturer's manual. And I read i-joist manufactures make it a pain on purpose so builders are not mixing dimensional and engineered lumber due to differences on expansion rate, warping, etc. but that doesn't seem to be an issue on my case (I thought about sistering the current 2x10s with i-joist but after reading that I changed to replacing it altogether)

I think an I-joist is a good solution.
Your existing 2x10 floor joists have dried out over time and are stable enough to mix with I-joists.
However, I question the 7” allowable hole size. I’d double check with your I-joist manufacturer and follow their guidelines for size AND distance from bearing point.
There are many sizes and grades of I-joists, so be sure to coordinate all that with the manufacturer. I have no doubt the 9 1/2” I-joists will be strong enough for your 13’ span.
I’ll give you a third option: Option 3: Use the 9 1/2” I-joists at 12” on center. Align the lower chord with your existing 2x10’s (this allows you to use the existing bearing walls, beams, etc.) so no adjustment for replacing the ceiling. Then, use 1/2” plywood subfloor instead of replacing your 3/4” subfloor. (1/2” plywood on 12” centers is as “stiff” as 3/4” plywood on 16” on center.) You won’t notice the difference.
The underlayment can be reinstalled or the existing underlayment or it can be removed throughout the space and new installed for uniformity.


Should my mirror fog up when showering with a proper exhaust fan running? I run the exhaust fan when showering but even so, the mirror fogs up completely. Is this an indication that the fan is not sized or functioning correctly? Or is this expected behavior, as no exhaust fan could keep up with that amount of humidity put into the air that fast?

The mirror is right outside the shower, as is the exhaust fan, but I've seen this happen when the mirror is farther away from the shower and/or around a corner.

Depends on:

The location of the fan relative to the shower and the mirror
The effectiveness of the fan
The air temperature in the room
The initial relative humidity of the room
The temperature and volume of the shower steam
The length of the shower
HVAC conditions
Window configuration (sunlight and airflow)

The bottom line is that it might, but it doesn't much matter as long as the fan is run long enough to reduce humidity after each shower. In my case (Minnesota), this means an hour in the winter and at least two in the summer (though maybe less when air-conditioning is active). A digital timer switch is very helpful.


previous owner painted over door latches, preventing doors from closing - how to proceed? This door (pictured below) used to work just fine, but my superstitious mother, may she rest in peace, painted over it to prevent it from closing. Now it is sealed open. Since it is the door to the bathroom and I intend to rent out the house, I would like to get it in working order again. Is there a way to repair this? Do I need to replace the entire door?
Note that this procedure has also been applied to several other doors in the house, so I will be looking to implement a solution multiple times over.

That's an interesting tactic.

You may be able to mask things off and use paint stripper to clean up the latch area in place. Otherwise, take the hardware apart and soak it clean. Lubricate as appropriate and reinstall.


How I prep a concrete garage floor for painting? Is there any special considerations for painting a concrete garage floor as opposed to any other concrete surface?

I'm thinking in terms of foot and tire traffic.

I have found an acid etch is about the best and easiest methods. Most masons use muriatic acid at 15-30% with water you can go stronger but this is normally strong enough to etch the surface looking at your photo 15% may be plenty. I use a 2 part epoxy made for garages , don’t go cheap or you may find where you park your vehicle the paint peeling where you stop when the tires are warm. With plain concrete paint I have seen it peel up along the tire path not just where the vehicle stops. Since you are in a garage there should be plenty of ventilation and ringing is easy with a squeegee (that’s what I use) a floor squeegee. I would caution a really nice coating looks super but I spilled some antifreeze on mine one day and it was so slick I could not stand up so now I add a traction powder, you really can’t see it but it is not so slippery.

Remember aaa always add acid to water to prevent an exothermic reaction and possibly having the acid splatter when it boils.
muriatic is used in swimming pools to adjust ph all pool stores have it as do most home improvement stores for cleaning and etching concrete.


How do you insulate exposed crawl space? How do you insulate floor of cabin built on piers that has exposed crawl space and also keep the mice out? I want to insulate floor from underneath cabin. Cabin is in northeast U.S. and subjected to winter weather.Floor Joists are 24" oc.

You fill the joist bays with fiberglass or mineral wool batts, then you cover the underside of the joists and batts with a few inches of rigid foam or rigid mineral wool boards, and then you protect that layer by covering it up with plywood or OSB. One layer has to be your air barrier. If you use rigid foam, make that your air barrier and caulk and tape the seams. If you use rigid mineral wool, the plywood will be your air barrier so caulk and tape the seams. I think mice would be hard pressed to chew through plywood from the bottom while crawling up piers, but if they can, protect the piers themselves with downward-facing anti-mouse cones made of metal or something.


In a cool damp climate, should I use hardwood or synthetic decking material for a deck that will be near a large tree? We're building a 12x24 deck in our south-facing backyard in Seattle (aka rainy Pacific NW). There's a very large willow tree in our backyard that doesn't directly hang over the deck, but certainly drops plenty of leaves that float down to the deck. The really wore out our previous (old) cedar deck.

We were considering Ipe, but our contractor cautioned that as a hardwood, it can get very slippery from the accumulation of pollen from leaves. He thought that a synthetic like Trex would provide more traction.

Anyone had experience with this? Or recommend decking material that's relatively low-maintenance (and looks good) that would work well in this situation?

EDIT

IPE is very very nice and really good material. As to your concern of slipping then using an anti slip decking oil will be most effective.   Be sure to look at DD5/DD6 Anti-slip specially designed for this use.
And protects from mould and algae

Sealed IPE

Please take a look at this post, maybe it could help you too.

How can I improve traction on an outdoor plywood ramp?

It is a bit of a shame putting anti slip strips that could ruin the look- but maybe wisely choosing areas for some strips is a good idea.

There are other solutions specially made for decks.

You can get these fancy strips that will plug into these pre made deck planks

You can also get various sizes and colours of antislip tack strips that you attach to any sort of decking plank

Also you can take a look at this alternative. It could be difficult to clean though. But if you deck has enough space for leaves and bit to fall through it- it might be goood

http://www.tacttiles.com/anti-slip/f3


Lawn mower dies when blades are engaged I have a 1993 model Craftsman (917.257560) mower. I was having problems with it last weekend when I was trying to get it out. Charged the battery, checked the carb and checked the starter. Everything looked fine. I bypassed the seat safety cause I thought that was the culprit. Put everything back together and it started and purred like a kitten. It was too late to start mowing so I put her up.

Yesterday I was going to mow so I started it up and went to engage the blades and it died. I think there is a safety switch of some sort at the end of the engage/disengage lever under the dash. That is a whole other problem cause I can't figure out how to take the dash off... please advise.

Rather than bypassing the various safety systems, either replace it (23 years is not an unreasonable retirement age for a mower) or have it properly repaired (since your "repair" methods don't appear to be oriented that way, take it to somone who is oriented that way.) Rendering the safety systems inoperable is a good way to find out why they were installed in the first place. Perhaps you'll have a child mowing the lawn someday with your customized mower...


How can I ground an appliance with a CEE 7/7 plug plugged into a step-up transformer with a "universal" female outlet? I'd like to use a European appliance (5A 208-240V 50/60Hz 900W) with a step-up transformer such as this one.

The appliance has a CEE 7/7 Schuko-French hybrid plug.  The transformer has a female receptacle seen here, which accepts multiple types of plugs.

It seems to me that a CEE 7/7 plug plugged into this all-female receptacle would not be grounded, since there would be no contact to either the earthing clips or to the female contact for an earthing pin that are on the plug.

Q1:  Is it dangerous to use this set-up as is?

Q2:  Would it be safer for the transformer to be plugged into a GFCI outlet?

Q3:  Could I obtain or make a two-sided male adapter with earthing pins on both sides that would ground the appliance through the transformer?

Q4:  Would the appliance be grounded if I cut off the CEE 7/7 plug, and wired on a Type G or Type I plug?

Q5:  Could I ground the appliance some other way?

This is in an apartment, so electrical modifications to the source outlets or building wiring are not an option.

After further research prompted by Ken's comment, I see that if I buy either a transformer or a plug adapter with a CEE 7/3 socket instead of the silly "universal" socket, then it will have earthing clips that make a ground connection on the sides of the plug.  I missed this before, because I was expecting to see a male earthing pin.

However, I like the form factor and price point of the transformer I originally linked, and would still like to know whether replacing the plug would be as good.  Or better, since I had the impression that plug adapters aren't meant for continuous use.


do I need to fill with spackle or can I paint directly I have the corner of my wall chipped a little

Do I need to fill this with spackle or can I paint directly?

Also, will spackle absorb moisture and cause problems this way?

This is in the bathroom.

(I tried to fill in with spackle but it fell out. It turned out to be super hard to fill in because it's on the corner).

So again, my questions are:

Can I touch up with paint directly?
Does spackle in the bathroom cause problems due to absorbing moisture?

Thanks

The corner of your wall may be "protected" with corner bead, a metal strip that is bonded to the wallboard and provides impact resistance. If you can see the metal surface in the chip, it may be that you need to prepare the surface to take the paint you use to cover it. Using a paint that is also a primer will help in that regard.

Abrade the surface as well as you can, perhaps extending to the paint around the chip. Ensure that the surface is clean, using an appropriate solvent. Acetone or similar material that will not damage the surrounding area, or even rubbing alcohol may serve the purpose.

If you use a paint that includes a primer and comes in a spray can, mask off the area around the chip to avoid overspray, or spray some into a container and apply with a small brush.

It's difficult to determine the depth of the chip. If too deep to simply paint over, you would still want to prepare the surface and use something like auto body filler putty (or bondo!) to get a good bond to the underlying surface. Any filler would have to be sanded to have a smooth surface for the paint, of course.


How do sub-surface drains (e.g. French drains) work? Do sub-surface drains (e.g. French drains, rubble drains, etc.) require a uniform rise in the water table in order to work? Or can they catch and convey localized sub-surface water?

For instance, let's say my neighbor allows water from their garden hose to accumulate in one spot on their lawn near our property line. As a result, the soil there becomes soggy and water logged. Can I install a sub-surface drain on my side of the property line to prevent this water from transmitting through the earth towards my home's foundation?

Moreover, if my sub-surface drain does catch that ground water, what prevents the water from falling back out of the pipe as it flows downwards towards its ultimate destination? What causes the water to stay in the pipe even though the pipe is full of holes?

A French drain doesn't move the water anywhere it just creates a void that can be filled with water for the short term. You could do the same thing by burying a barrel with holes in it and landscape fabric around it. Eventually it would get full of water and if the rain (or garden watering) doesn't stop it will still flood the area.

Nothing prevents the water from falling back out of the pipe except hydraulic pressure. But that is the idea. As the ground dries back out the water leeches back into the soil. There is not usually an ultimate destination but you could create one by connecting solid pipe to the perforated pipe running downhill to another area.

You can certainly do this on your side of the property to help reduce flooding.


How can I  repair scratches on a coated stainless steel surface? I have a coated stainless steel refrigerator that unfortunately was scratched. Every tip I've found for removing scratches says the coated ones cannot be fixed once scratched. Any suggestions?

I looked into this some and there is no easy answer. Appliances are a 4 ( brushed) finish,BUT different mills may supply slightly different appearances. It is close to a 120 grit finish. I have four SS appliances , 3 different manufacturers all
Korean but the finishes do not look identical .I doubt there is a coating. Mine all all non-magnetic SS ( " 18-8" or 304 ). When I was shopping I found 90 % of the US manufacturers use magnetic SS ( 13 chrome ).Again the alloy will not significantly affect the appearance. I tried rubbing a hidden spot with 180 silicon carbide paper and it polished ; it was too fine. I then tried 150 sand paper ; still too fine. A "net" site said the finish should be equivalent to 120 grit ; that sounds like a good possibility . I don't think any coating is significant .  Summary : Try 120 grit paper.


Installing PEX pipes close to heating vents We are renovating all the bathrooms in our house that was built in the early 70s.

The plumber has replaced most of the copper pipes with PEX tubing. He has not replaced copper entirely and has coupled copper with PEX (see pics below). He connected the main water supply copper pipes to 1/4" PEX but then connected them to 1/2" PEX later.
EDIT: made an error above....should be copper to 1/2" PEX and then connected to 3/4" PEX later.
Shouldn't the main supply line be connected to the wider PEX if at all? How does one check that the clamps are properly fixed onto the connectors?

He has run PEX right next to main heating duxt from the furnace in the mechanical room (that supplies heat to the house) and in other places as well. Is this safe? Is a minimum clearance required between the PEX and heat vents?

Please see pictures of the shower rough-ins in two bathrooms. Is it normal to have so many joints and connectors? Any thoughts would be most appreciated.

Thanks

Great questions! Yeah, I agree that the 1/4" AIN'T RIGHT. Have him replace those sections. A body-spray setup needs all it can get.

Being close to Ductwork is fine, the hot water is hotter than the ductwork will ever get. FYI, the Blue PEX is just coloring and is exactly the same as the Red PEX. However, PEX cannot withstand a furnace flue's/exhaust pipe's temperatures, ensure PEX is not touching nor even within 2' (my requirement) of that Ductwork.

Yes, there is a way to test the Plumber's crimping workmanship. It's a Go/No-Go gauge and he should be using one himself...likely molded/carved onto his crimper. See https://www.menards.com/main/plumbing/plumbing-tools/pex-tools/nibco-reg-go-no-go-pex-crimp-gauge/px01382r1/p-1444449294533.htm

So many fittings? Yep, kind of kills the "PEX advantage", doesn't it...soldering ain't slow and only gets A LOT faster in your kind of shower setup. I'm not a fan of PEX. It's only good for 50-years and copper is good for OVER 100-years (in most areas)...which house would you buy...sell in 20-years or less.

By the way, while you have some access to duct joints, liberally wrap the joints with Aluminum Foil Tape...the real duct tape.


Is my contractor guy doing a botch up job with repointing Is my contractor guy doing a botch up job with repointing.
Is it normal that it's drying out all cracked up like this and it's easy to crumble.
They are only using the masonry cement type S and color are they supposed to be mixing it with sand to strengthen? Is this just the first layer? So was able to add screen shots

That is terrible and unacceptable.

The mortar has been mixed with too much water causing it to dry (cure) and crack. When mixed, it should be the consistency of thick paste. There should be no water oozing out when mixed and sitting on the board before “placed”.

Cracking will allow moisture infiltration. It’s useless. Remove it and re-do. Do not just reapply another drier coat over the cracks. (Type S is acceptable for above grade use.)


Old kitchen light fixture was wired backwards, should I reverse it with the new one? After looking through some other posts here about switch loops, I don't think that's the situation I have here. When I pulled off the old light fixture for the kitchen (dual bulb), it had the white wires from the fixture connected to a single black wire, and the black wires of the fixture were connected to three white wires that were wrapped together.
Should I wire up my new led fixture the same way, or was this wrong to begin with and I should reverse it?
In the picture you can see a red cap that has a few black wires from elsewhere in the room, and a single white wire that mates up with the black one that was connected to the fixture.

The fixture was in fact wired up backwards before. After some more searching I found out that by measuring the voltage from each wire to ground I could determine which one was hot. The black wire read 115V to ground so I went with black to black and white to white and it works!


Should I fasten brackets to the wall or desktop first? I have a 20"x60"x3/4" piece of knotty pine with three coats of lacquer.  I have two big support brackets.  This will be a minimalist desk, should I mount the brackets to the sheet then mount the brackets to the studs in the wall or should I put the brackets in to the studs then lay the sheet over and secure it to the braces? Any pros/cons to mounting it one way over the other?

As you're just asking about which order to attach the pieces, and not different methods, there is very little difference.

Mounting the brackets to the wall first may make it easier to ensure you hit studs, but you'll have to be careful to make them exactly level with each other. Attaching them to the desk first ensures they are level, but you'll need to measure more carefully to get the spacing right so you hit studs. Neither is really difficult to get right, just different considerations.

It may be slightly easier to hold the brackets in place without a heavy desk on top.

If you are using any kind of joinery to attach the brackets to the desk (other than screws into the underside of the desk), you'll want to do that before mounting it to the wall, of course.

Another consideration is how much clearance you have below the desk; with little or no clearance, you'll have to attach the brackets to the desk first.


Do you need spacers for subway tiles? A lot of Youtube videos is showing subway tiles being installed without spacers...
Do you really need spacers or not for Subway tiles (Bathtub surround tiling) ??

Thank you

Andrew

4-1/4" and some larger wall tiles have bumps cast in that act as spacers. Unless you want a larger gap, no additional spacers are needed.

Whether your particular tile has them is uncertain. They're often necessary to prevent sagging with heavier tile while the mortar or mastic sets.


Is this broken pipe the reason my freezer is not working? Can it be fixed? The freezer is old, but I am a renter so I couldn't say how old. On the back there is a sticker that says “HUAYI B43CB”;

It has been stopping intermittently for the last week, and in the last two days it has not come on at all. Everything is now room temperature. It dosen’t have a light, but it is certainly plugged in and switched on.

Looking inside I see that one of the pipes in the shelf of the freezer is broken;

Is this why the freezer is not working? Can it be fixed?

That broken pipe has let all the refrigerant escape, so it will no longer work.

Compared to the cost of a new one, the repair will likely be more expensive given the time, tools and materials involved.


Window framing on old construction I'm redoing a kitchen but I've hired a contractor to do a portion of the work. One of the jobs he was hired to do was to move and reframe two windows. He finished that job today and I'm really concerned that it wasn't done correctly.

I called him on it and his argument was that in old construction with native lumber the headers are so strong that you don't need the typical double header, jack stud, king stud. He basically claims there's no load here.

What do you all think?

Click for larger view

The wall seems to have 'full dimension' studs and the markings of old lath and plaster.  I don't see plywood sheathing on the exterior walls.  All in all I'm guessing that your house was built prior to WWII and is either 'post and beam' or 'balloon frame'  construction, both of which are radically different in terms of structure and loads from modern techniques.

Here are wikipedia links for those techniques:

post and beam construction
balloon framing
platform framing ("typical" modern wood framing)

Can you post some photos that show the original framing for the original windows? I'm guessing the original construction did not include headers above the windows. Also I do not see any indication that jack studs were used in the original construction.

If your house is post and beam, then I don't think there are any significant structural issues.

If your house is balloon framed, this is how I would 'fix' it, with the jacks (red) and cripples (black) going through the floor to bear on what ever the existing old studs bear upon. The header (green) consists of two 2x10s sandwiching two rippings of 1/2" plywood (or whatever).

Based on the current state, achieving this is rather quick and simple.  It does not require starting from scratch: the window and existing new 2xs do not need to be removed.


Window air conditioner between living room and enclosed porch It seems like the best place to install the 12,000 BTU air conditioner in our house is in a window in the living room. On the other side of that window is an enclosed porch, approx 27x7 feet. Because the windows jut out into the room, there would be about 4-5 feet between the end of the AC and a window. Here's a diagram of the house. The porch is the lower part and the red is where the AC will go

The online consensus seems to be that installing a window AC between two rooms like this is bad news but I'm wondering if it might be more useful in this situation since the porch has some airflow and the unit would be relatively close to a window. I have two main concerns: airflow and drainage.

Drainage seems relatively easy, as I could hook a hose up to the bottom of the unit and run the water right out a window.

Airflow seems the larger issue. Even though it's almost entirely windows, would the porch heat up so fast that it would ruin efficiency (and maybe the AC unit condenser)? And if that's the case, could I try to run a duct from the back of the AC to the window about four feet away? Would that make it feasible or should I just find another window?

Your thoughts? Thank you!

If you have a forced air furnace for heating, you could install the window unit in another window and run the furnace fan to circulate the conditioned air throughout the house. My son did this in his first house. As for using the window you mentioned, you could do it your way if you can insure good air flow in and out of the porch area to keep that area the same temperature as the outside. Window fan/fans, may be needed. If the porch area heats and has  high humidity that will affect the operation of the A/C unit and could ruin the porch area. All window A/C units produce lots of heat and humidity when operating. So you will have to make sure you address these issues. A split system or other type of cooling unit would be preferred. Depending on where you live a 12,000 BTU unit may be a little undersized.


What is this door hardware called? Can someone help me out and let me know what these are called?

I'm looking on a DIY site to order one but can't work out what these are called to be able to find them.

As you can see in the picture, it's loosened over the years and now doesn't pull the door tight (it also looks broken to me as the bottom part is 'inside' the top - can someone confirm?), so I need to get a replacement.

I think it's a push latch or a push to close latch for sliding doors- like the one pictured below:


Proper method to attach horizontal board to beam posts in outdoor patio? I want to mount a TV using a basic TV mount. I do not want to mount onto the exterior wall and the back roof truss does not have a joist hanger so I can't use a side-facing TV mounting plate.

The two blue posts bear the load of my roof and are 4x6 (4x5.5). What is the proper method to attach a horizontal board so I can then mount a TV mount to it?

I was thinking of using a 2x10 (so when I mount the TV mount the bolts are at least 2" from the top and bottom edges) and attaching them to the inside-facing faces using joist hangers. I'd likely use 10D nails to connect joist hanger to beams and 10d 1.5" nails where the hanger connects to the horizontal board. Any ideas or thoughts are much appreciated!

Your 2x10 idea is just fine. I wouldn't use hangers, though. They'll be ugly.

I'd do this:

Cut a 2x10 beam to length, fitting it between the posts.
Mount pairs of slotted bed rail brackets to the back side of the board, flush with the ends, one high and one low.
Set heavy screws as appropriate to engage the slotted brackets.
Paint the board and hang it.

Either that or simply mount it to the outer faces of the posts with nice screws. If you fit it well, that would look fine. It really depends on how deep you want the tv to be.


One light switch controlling multiple lights So my husband and I bought an older house (1956). After we moved in, we noticed that if we turn off a certain switch in the kitchen, we can't turn on the lights in the hall, bathroom, or bedrooms. This is very annoying because we have to either leave that switch on (which means one set of kitchen lights are on 24/7), or turn it off and not have lights in the above mentioned rooms. Any ideas how to fix this?

I read your question and the many comments and answers. There is one answer [retired Master Electricians] and one comment [ Ed Beal's ] that I would advise to consider as they provide valuable insight to what could be wrong and specifically ed's comment that there is most likely a simple solution for your problem that you yourself can solve with a little knowledge of being safe with electrical wires and some direction. I add my own answer here to assist you as well.

I think this is what happened: someone rewired that specific switch and instead of placing the continuation wire in the wire nut on the supply line in, they placed it on the Load side of the switch. I will have a diagram of what I believe you have. And what you need to do. There is a SIMPLE FIX for this issue.

In regards to some other comments:
Being as your house was built in the 1950's and not the 1930's I do not believe you have switched neutrals. The reason this was banned was that people could be electrocuted just by installing a light bulb. I am not saying this is impossible but I do believe it was codified in the 1930's. A Big clue will be that the white wires are connected to the switch terminals. If this is the case you might want to have the whole house electrical system brought up to date for the sake of your safety.

What I believe is your issue with he solution below it :


How can I replace ceiling gypsum board and loose fill insulation at the same time? I lost most of a ceiling panel due to water saturation and collapse. It was removed along with insulation residue and a temporary fiber board panel tacked in in its place. Now I would like to install the permanent gypsum board, full 4 by 8 but the problem is how to restore loose fill insulation layer (only) on top of the new rock but the joist would interfere and there's no practical way to blow or throw it going into the attic. I have a drywall jack/lift. I am looking for good idea for lifting insulation along with the panel and thought maybe someone else has encountered this kind of rehab challenge.

Hoisting the insulation with the drywall panel is a bad idea. I would instead install fiberglass bat insulation between the joists. You could use the kind that is faced with paper and staple it to the joists for added support. If just plain batts are used then you may need to add some type of staple on stripping to help hold the batts in place. Install all of this except for one small area where you can go up and put in more of the loose insulation above the fiberglass if that is desired or needed. Finally close off the small area by pushing up an oversized bat that covers the opening from above and then install the final piece. If using the paper backed staple that in place. If the ceiling previously had some type of vapor barrier you need to install similar material on the bottom of the ceiling joists.

Now you would be ready to install the new ceiling drywall.


I might have accidentally vacuumed asbestos. Is the vacuum ruined now? If an ordinary shop vacuum has sucked up asbestos, should it be considered unsafe after that and thrown away?

I don't know if this is the right kind of question for this site but I thought I would try.

The story:
I was vacuuming some debris from a gap between the ceiling and the wall (brick) to do some insulating. I noticed a spot on the 2x4 at the top of this gap, where a pipe is passing through it vertically, that was splintered and soft. So, I stopped vacuuming and started breaking away the splinters and eventually went all the way through until some loose stuff and a few pieces of what I think are asbestos fell out. Then I realized there could have been asbestos dust there before I vacuumed, from previous work. The building does have asbestos.

I don't think the vacuum is ruined, it just needs to be cleaned properly. Since it is a shop vac just empty the dust out into a safe container, clean the inside of the vacuum out with some household cleaner, and then change the filter. You should be good to go after that.


Is drilling a pilot hole into the plaster wall of an old house hazardous asbestos? The house was built in the 20's, and I was installing some battery powered smoke alarms today.  I drilled the pilot holes for the plastic screw anchors and the 'A' word jumped into my head after I looked at the powder that came out with my drill bit.  Is drilling into the walls of an old house hazardous due to the possibility of asbestos insulation?  Or, would there likely not be any insulation in the interior walls?

It is difficult to say

If you are concerned about asbestos you need to go to your local council and tell them you are concerned about your walls being filled with asbestos. They can check records if any occurances of asbestos builds exist in your area. even if nothing shows up it will be worth doing an independent test if you are still worried.

There are asbestos tester kits available also for DIY- but be advised to wear asbestos protective masks and clothing- if it turns out positive you will need to deal with it asap.

If they find asbestos.. well you need to tell the council and there should be grants available to remove it.

Be careful and wear certified masks and gloves at all times during testing and never reuse any of the kit- dispose at once into bag- into separate container. IF tests reveal negative your stuff can be dumped into normal channels.. IF positive you need your council to collect it and incinerate all exposed items.


Insulating basement that's already framed with electrical run First, let me own my novice DIY status and say I screwed up. I bought a new house last year in the Indianapolis area and immediately went to work finishing the basement. The builder attached batts of insulation to the top half of the poured concrete walls to just below grade, but that's all. I framed the walls just off those batts -- so several inches from the foundation. Didn't consider any other insulation as I assumed like a novice that I'd just insulate the stud cavities after everything was done. It's only recently I've become aware that the preferred option is rigid foam attached to the concrete walls for moisture control. I've now got a 2000 sf basement fully framed with electrical run and I'm wondering what my best and most cost-effective course of action is for insulation. Thanks for any advice!

Just wanted to come back and say my plan is now to remove the fiberglass insulation from the top half of the wall, cover the walls with foam foam board insulation (EPS) by threading sheets through the studs and at the large openings for my egress windows, then reuse the fiberglass in the stud bays (along with more I'll need to purchase).  This approach has been recommended to me on several forums in order to minimize condensation on the cold concrete walls when warmer air from inside hits it -- especially in winter.  For about $1000, it seems the smart thing to do, albeit a bit of a pain to get all that foam delivered and installed.  But this is a large basement that will have a lot of living space, so it's obviously best to do it right.  Thanks for replies all!  Any further input is certainly welcome!


How to replace light switch that is daisy chained to other light switches I am trying to replace a single pole light switch with a light switch with a digital timer on it. The new light switch has 3 wires (neutral, line, load). The switch doesn't need a ground. My current light switch has 3 light switches in the box. The wiring to the light switch has:
1) a bare wire (ground) going to a green screw
2) a black wire going to one of the holes in the back that you have to push to release the wire with another black wire that is looped around the screw next to the hole were the other wire is. This looped wire then goes to the next light switch (daisy chained) which then goes to the last light switch).
3) a 3rd black wire going to a screw on the opposite end of the other black wire.
4) there's a group of white wires capped off.

I was going to proceed as such to rewire the new light switch:
1) Remove the black wire going to the hole and assume this is the load wire.
2) Cut the loop on the black wire that is daisy chained and cap the ends of the wire together such that the wire just goes to the other 2 light switches.
3) The 3rd black wire, I'm assuming is the line to the light switch.
4) The white wires I'm assuming are the neutral and going to use the correct one for the light I'm putting the new switch on.

Is this correct?

The black wire that goes to multiple switches should be your hot leg. If the black wire in the back is on the same side (top / bottom) as the wire going from the screw to the other lights this is the line and it will need to be connected to the other switches and your new one or they will no longer work if capped off if that is the case the other wire is the load. The whites are the neutrals when bundled (some times in a switch loop a single white can be hot, they are supposed to be marked but many times they are not).


Can I modify the plug of my new bath fan to fit the non-polarized receptacle? Can I file down the polarized plug of my replacement Pro Endurance bathroom fan to fit the existing female receptacle?

No, no, no!  It's polarized for a reason.

Just replace the receptacle with a polarized receptacle.  Make sure the taller slot is on the neutral side.

They look like this, note the absence of a ground pin.  There may be a green screw on the outlet nonetheless, that grounds the outlet.  It should be left disconnected unless ground is actually present in the box.  This is a current product legally sold all over in white, ivory or brown.

As a footnote, this is a polarized receptacle.  The other type, with 3 slots, is a grounded receptacle. If you really need one of those, there's a legal way to do that using GFCI's.  As such there is never a reason to break off a ground pin.


Locate water shut off valve I'm trying to locate the water shut off valve for my home. I'm trying to shut-off the water to replace and outdoor faucet. I've attached 3 pics of possible locations for it. Can anyone identify it for me?
In case it matters I live in Hawaii.
Notes:
In pic #1 I already attempted tightening and loosening the pressure regulator bolt. It doesn't stop the water.

In pic #2, I attempted turning the large bolt head on the bottom right (next to blue meter cap) of the pic with an 8-inch wrench. It wouldn't turn. I was hesitant to buy a bigger wrench and put more leverage into it until I got some advice...

Pic #3 is just a photo of my front left outdoor faucet. I only included it because the home inspection report I dug up listed the water shut off valve as being in the front left of the house. However, this is the ONLY thing that is not photographed by the inspector in the report, so I suspect it was made up and he never actually found it. But maybe the black sewer cap in the bottom of the pick is something to do with it?

That looks like the city meter in picture 2 ; In TX the home owner is not supposed to operate the 90 degree cock type valve at the meter ( not that it hasn't happened). There is another valve between the meter and the house . My valve is inside a large plastic pipe which I found while gardening near the foundation ( buried in leaves).


Should I replace my Pressure Reducing Valve? A few weeks ago, my oil-fired water boiler started continuously leaking water out of the pressure release valve on the top of the unit. I know this is leaking steadily because it drains into a 5gal bucket and I have dumped it twice now. I examined the system and determined that in order to keep leaking, water must be fed into the system from somewhere. So I looked up this Pressure Reducer Valve and determined its function - filling the system when water pressure gets low. I also read online that this valve can malfunction and let in too much water pressure causing this sort of leak.

My Pressure Reducer Valve is part number: Taco 329-3

I see screws... can this be opened and cleaned or should I replace this Pressure Reducing Valve entirely? Is there anything else I should check in my diagnostics?

I assume you have an expansion tank attached to the cold water line leading into the boiler. I’d check that – if it feels warm all around, it’s membrane is probably faulty and the tank needs to be replaced.


Am I required to replace a non code compliant balustrade? I am purchasing a flat in Brisbane, Queensland Australia. Prior to purchase, I had the building inspected and they've noted that the balcony balustrade doesn't meet height requirements for my jurisdiction.

Specifically:

The balcony is more than 1 meter above the ground.
The balustrade is not quite 1 meter high.

The structure was built in the 1970s, prior to the regulations being put into place. If I take ownership of the property as is, am I obligated to replace the balustrade?

We would have to talk to your building department to answer that question.  For something like this there may be a serious safety issue.  If a small child got hurt or someone got knocked over you would be liable if you didn't fix it and knew about it...

It is customary in the US to get the replacement cost of something that isn't code built into the price of the house.  If it costs $1000 to fix then I would expect to pay about 1K less for the house.  Also in the US (and I am pretty sure Australia) that you must disclose the issue to other potential buyers once one inspection finds the issue.  Meaning too that if you buy the house and potentially want to sell you have to tell everyone looking at your house about the issue.

Also you might need to think out of the box.  I don't have a picture of your balcony but if it is pretty close to 1 meter - then how about a decorative top plate on top of your current setup?  This would be cheap, easy, and a DIY.


How to repair this broken lamp harp? This lamp harp is welded to the lamp so cannot be easily replaced.  The screw for the shade was welded on and broke off.   Any suggestions for how to repair?   I've tried various glues with poor results.  I don't own a welder but willing to buy a basic one if there's a good chance of success.  Always willing to buy a tool and learn a new skill when appropriate.  I'm trying to think of some mechanical way to do this with brackets or other hardware.  Drawing a blank.

Likely needs to be brazed and repainted if you want to do it right. If you just want quick and dirty, try using a grounding clamp. mcmaster.com/grounding-clamps/grounding-screws/


Can I safely pigtail #10 wire and #12 wire on a 20 amp circuit? When they built my house, than ran  10/2 wire from the 20 amp breakers. I’d like to pigtail into one of those and make a new outlet. But I’d prefer to use 12/2 as it’s easier to work with and it’s easier to find outlets that accept 12 gauge wire.

Can I safely pigtail (under a wire  nut) #10 wire and #12 wire on a 20 amp circuit?

If copper, no problem, easy, yes you can use 12Ga copper to add to it, it was just overbuilt. Using larger wire than required is fine, code only specifies the minimum size required.

Do make sure you use wire nuts (or other wiring connectors) rated for the combination and number of wires you use. There is normally a little table on the container listing acceptable combinations of wires for this particular size connector.

If Aluminum, it's complicated and not burning your house down is a main consideration.


Can I add four 20Amp circuits in a subpanel with a 10-3 feeder? My garage has two 20 Amp circuits and an unused 10-3 w/ground connected to two 30 amp breakers.

I want to use those unused wires for a subpanel but i'm not sure how big of a panel could I install? I would like to add four 20 amp circuits.
Will I also need a grounding rod?

You have the ideal situation for adding a subpanel. Woo-hoo!

As @Philip points out, you can use any size subpanel you like. Get one that's bigger than the minimum, so you have plenty of room to work inside.

You can choose either a "main lug" panel, which does not include its own main breaker, or a "main breaker" panel. In the latter case, the breaker can be any size, as the feeder is already protected by the 30A breaker in the main panel.

If the panel is mounted outdoors, it must be an outdoor rated panel.

In my jurisdiction, a pair of grounding rods are required if the garage is detached from the house. If it's very close, you can probably share the same grounding rods as the house uses.

Be sure to keep the ground bus and neutral bus separate in the subpanel . They should only be bonded in the main panel.

Consider adding a 30A 240V recep right off your new subpanel where you can plug in heavy equipment on short notice.


How to Get PEX to Seal I'm in the process of moving my laundry area. For the plumbing we decided to use PEX. Unfortunately I have been unable to properly seal the PEX tubing to the fittings on the final fixtures- they continue to leak with a slow drip. What do I need to do to get these to seal.

We tried two different crimpers, thinking that maybe the first one was out of adjustment, but that didn't fix anything. We removed the first set of rings (using a dremel) and crimped on a new set, but the drip continued. We wrapped the hot water fitting with some silicone tape, but the water keeps seeping through.

Maybe I should replace the brass fittings on the faucets. Other than that I'm out of ideas. What should I try next

You need to evaluate where the leak is really coming from. Use some paper towels to thoroughly to dry the whole fitting area. Then watch to see where water first appears. I suspect that you may find the leak coming from here:

..as opposed to the PEX joint. It appears that you did not use a Teflon sealing tape on the pipe threads.


How can I bring more light into this shower? Consider this shower alcove:

The curtain is partially-transparent. It can't be made much more transparent for privacy reasons; so, it blocks a lot of the light. Also, hanging a towel on that rail further reduces light flow. Thus even despite the light fixture being installed right in front of the shower - it is kind of dark in there.

My question: How is it possible to flood the shower stall with more light?

Notes:

The light fixture's wattage cannot simply be strengthened further, as it is already rather strong and on a very low ceiling (204 cm).
I am intuitively ruling out any electricity going into the actual shower (The light fixture is IP54 in case you were wondering).
I was thinking about using some sort of mirror configuration; perhaps a right-angle-triangle-paralleloid  along the inner-top edge?
Ceiling height is 204cm off the floor, minus a few cm if it's off the raised basin.

How about a glass shower door, a combination of clear and frosted glass? They can be ordered to size and are not expensive.

If glass doors are not an option, you can install one or more battery operated led lights in the shower (see enclosed picture).


Basement wiring with wood foundation I am in the process of finishing my basement. My house has a wood foundation and I am about to start wiring the lights and recepticals.

I am wondering, since the studs are the foundation of the house, am I allowed to drill thru the studs for electrical wiring? Or do I have to drill thru the top plates?

A few screws or nails do nothing to the structural integrity of your studs.
A few holes for the wires are fine as long you don't make a swiss cheese out of them.


Ceiling fan electrical box swap. Conduit making issues I had a basic light fixture mounted in my garage ceiling. I'm putting a ceiling fan in its place. After removing fixture, there's a square box with 3 conduit connections. I undid the connections and cut ceiling around box. I used a hammer and pry bar to get the box out. It was nailed to the joist.

I thought I was home free until I looked at the new ceiling fan box with the adjustable bar. Box only has two knockouts. I went online and it seems that all these boxes either have one or two knockouts.

What do you suggest? I want to make sure the box I put in is up to code, whatever that is. Thanks.

-Frank

There are absolutely fan electrical boxes with the extra support brackets that have more knockout holes. You can also get fan rated boxes that screw directly to the joist, either below it or on the side.

If you can't find them at a retail store, an electrical supply store will have them.


Galvanized Water Heater Straps be reused? I've got a plumber telling me that galvanized water heater straps are one-time-use-only because they form fit to the water heater.

He's saying because the new water heater isn't exactly the same diameter as the old one, he has to use new straps.

Is he correct or just padding the bill?

The claim that the previously applied straps cannot be re-used is mostly not true except for certain specific cases.

In general these can be re-used as you can see they are adjustable via those slots every half inch. These may have been cut to length on the original water heater but there is no reason that they can not conform to a new water heater that is slightly different shape.

But in a special case that the new water heater is a larger diameter it is possible that the slotted straps may now be too short to reach from their anchor points on the wall around the heater. As designed the straps have to come together far enough so that the bolt brackets can slip into the slots and the bolt is long enough to engage the two bracket holes.

So it is possible that the original straps may be too short. Probably not uncommon as newer water heaters may very well be bigger diameter due to larger tank size or additional insulation  needed to increase efficiency.


How secure is a live bamboo fence compare to chain link or barbed wire fences? We're about to start working on securing our house. One thing we know we need on the back part of our property is a fence of some sort. I'm trying to keep costs down but security up. I know that any fence I choose will only delay an intruder from leaving or arriving. I have access to unlimited bamboo from a neighboring farm, so my only cost in a live bamboo fence would be labor in planting it. So, I'd like to know if a live bamboo fence would provide similar security features as other fence styles like barbed wire or chain link.

I already know about the spreading potential of bamboo and it doesn't concern me for the space where I would be planting it.

I came across some of these in New Zealand.  About 2 feet thick, and bloody well impenetrable. Also completely unclimbable.  You're not stopping a chainsaw, arsonist or bulldozer, but neither is a wood fence.