Permanent wiring of external flood light from a garage ceiling outlet without conduit: code check I'm installing a motion-sensor flood light on top of my garage door. This is my first attempt to do the work of such type.
After reading NEC 2017 (currently adopted by my state) and comments on StackExchange I think the below approach should work:

Will extend an outlet with a metal extension box
Cable will be secured with a connector
Will run the cable according to a picture: a) along the ceiling; b) down for 1 foot; c) through the wall
Will not use conduit, will clip every 12''
Will use UF-B 14/2 cable (since it will enter wet external environment outside)
Cable will not go below 9 feet

Wonder whether this approach violates any NEC 2017 code.
Update. Decided to change the project according to recommendations below. Keeping this question as is (it is about running without conduit). Asked a separate question here: Code check: Installing a garage security flood light

Surface mounting of ceiling wiring is allowed by code but looks DIY and some will think it’s not code even though it is. The only thing you mention is the wire size of #14 for this to be code compliant the circuit breaker protecting the circuit will need to be 15 amp other than that it could be ok.


QT/tandem breaker wire gauge Can I use a 14-3 Romex for two different electrical circuits on a 15A QT/tandem breaker? Or should I use one 14-2 for each?

My mistake, apologize.

Post edited: the QT breaker is a space saver. My panel is 30 space 40 circuits. So I intend to have two different circuits on one space. I will use a 1 pole Siemens Q1515 with no clip. Here is the link   Tandem breaker

So turning off individual circuit.

With two adjacent regular breakers, you can share the neutral, a multiwire branch circuit.  Adjacent breakers are on different legs, so the neutral only carries the difference in current between the two hots due to a cancellation effect.

With a tandem breaker, both breakers are on the same leg / line, there is no cancellation effect on the neutral, so you can't share the neutral - you'd be doubling the load on the neutral conductor!

So yes you must use two 14/2 cables rather than a single 14/3.


I have voltage leaking between two wires! I have a home run coming into my master bedroom.   When I checked the voltage it showed 85v instead of 120 and the I checked a power wire in the same box feeding a plug and it showed 15v and when I checked their voltage together it showed 98v.  Could there be a small nail through those two wired at some point?

Any time I measure an undervoltage like that I immediately suspect a broken or floating neutral wire. This is potentially hazardous because it means other outlets and devices in the same house may be seeing an overvoltage.

If you are confident that you have measured those voltages accurately, then all the electrical service in your house may be dangerous. The safest thing to do is turn off the main circuit breaker and call a licensed electrician.


Does a leaking cell destroy the other cells in the same battery? I have a device I have never used before. Unfortunately I found out that one of the device's 3 LR44 cells was leaking white potassium carbonate. See my sketchy illustration below.

I have only 2 new cells to replace the three. Even though I understand that it is best to combine cells that have common history, I started to wonder that, in general, does the leaking cell destroy or at least greatly degrade the others in the same series? If not, then the two with no leak would be fine and I could just replace the leaked one. If yes, then is it best for me to go shopping for more cells?

You're fine replacing just the bad cell. Clean everything & even sand or file any of the device's contacts that look discolored. If you have another device where the LR44's can go now or in the future write "spare" on them & replace all 3 cells. On the flip side, write the date on just the replacement cell so you don't toss that when the other 2 give out.


Where can I find replacement door knobs? In the apartment that I am renting, the bedroom door knob does not have a lock on it.  I am looking to replace the door knob with one that has one.  However, the door seems to have a knob mounting that I am unfamiliar with.  The locks that I've changed in the past have the screws inside the lock, and it seems that this one has them outside of the main hole.  It also seems like a larger handle. Is this a larger lock then normal?  What is a cheaper type replacement with a lock on it?

A quick trip to Home Depot or Loewes will find you a selection of similar door knobs with locks that should fit into exactly the same fitting.

You'll find either the ones that lock when you're inside, just pressing the button, or ones that take a key in the centre of the handle.

It should be a simple matter of unscrewing and removing both handles, and sliding the new handles in place through the existing bolt mechanism.

I've replaced a bunch of door handles that way, both locking and not.

Something like this: Locking door handle, and only $15.


Can I spray foam up to roof sheathing when air sealing skylight tunnel? I've been doing some air sealing in the attic with canned spray foam and I'm about to tackle my skylight tunnels. They are framed and covered with drywall. I have easy access to them in the attic and was wondering if it's okay to spray foam in the gap between the rafters/cross piece and roof sheathing?

You can use spray foam as long it is a minimal expansion type of foam.  Some brands call it door and window foam. This is usually only a 3 to 1 or 4 to one expansion factor. If you use the more aggressive expansion foam, it can cause deflection of the joists and actually cause leaks or cracked windows. Don't overfill the gaps, spray an even bead, let it cure, if you still have a lot of air space, you can put in a second bead of foam.


How to prevent squirrels from damaging pipe boots? I have a few pipe boots on my roof that squirrels like to munch on. I'm not sure why but it creates a lot of work for me.

How can I prevent this from happening again once I fix the boot? This is the second time its happened and I'm sure will continue. I was thinking barb wire around it but I'd prefer a more aesthetic solution.

Do not allow squirrels or any animals access to roof by eliminating trees which are less than 6 feet away.


Would this solution work with my dehumidifier? I have a shed built with concrete blocks and a metal roof, terrible condensation in it and every time I go in, I see water on the walls and floor as well as drips on the metal roof. The shed is not insulated, but will be early next year.

I bought a dehumidifier to take some moisture out of the shed, but it only ever takes a tiny amount. So my question is, If I put a portable radiator into the shed and left it on for about 6 hours and the dehumidifier, would the dehumidifier work better?

You got a strange problem for an outdoor storage building. A dehumidifier is gonna cost you a mint to run if the moisture problem is that bad.  Two things to think about.  First, where is all this moisture coming from? can you mitigate the source? Second, look at the gables or sofits to see it you can install some good venting. You can put a ridge vent on metal roofs and maybe a couple of gable end vents.  what kind of floor do you have?  A soil floor would be a good source of excessive moisture, or fresh concrete for that mater.  If it is soil, try some 4 or 6 mil plastic sheeting over the ground, then tape or secure it to the walls to block moisture form coming up out of the ground into your building. A fan that blows out of a vent would be a lot cheaper than a dehumidifier.  How about some pictures?  Could help tell the story.  Good Luck.


Can I replace my furnace motor's startup capacitor with one matching its specifications? I need to replace two capacitors in our furnance, a Lennox Elite CH33-42B-2F.

The two capacitors are still working, but not within tolerance (so the repair man told me).

The specs are 5uF 370VAC for one, and 7.5uF 370VAC for the second (photo below)

My question is, do I need to source an exact match for each, or can I just purchase from the specification? Is there anything else I need to be aware of when purchasing? (based in Utah, USA, if that's relevant)

You can purchase them according to the specification.
5uF 370VAC for one, and 7.5uF 370VAC for the second.
Your repair man was there to fix something - they are working .. sounds like a suspicious charge to me. It is very unusual for a repair man to break out their capacitor checker and check UF of the Capacitors. The are +- 10%  (so 4.5UF to 5.5UF ) is fine. On the 7.5 UF ( 6.75 to 8.25 UF is acceptable ranges) a meter  that has a capacitance checker on it is what is needed to determine the capacitance - generally cheapo's do not have this function - although I have a cheapo (not really but cheaper than a fluke) I also have a fluke that measures this.
What reasoning is there that these are out of tolerance ?
This is the more relevant question
Is the unit experiencing any problems - what issues does it have .. ??
Because if they are working - what problem is there that he/she stated they were out of tolerance ?
Did he/she physically measure them and visually show you on his meter the reading?
If you are not experiencing any other problem - I would be suspect of the statement they are out of tolerance, especially if they did not show me the reading.
Typically you can buy these for $5 to $10 a piece - the repair guy will charge you $35 each or more plus labor. Another $150 - $200 . Ka' Ching and many people will be suckered to pay it.


Do I need to derate wire ampacity for two or more sets of wires in the same raceway for subpanel wiring? I was planning to pull three sets of four conductors (3 AWG wire) through 2" EMT conduit for a 30' length that is common to all three sets of wires, and then branch off at a listed metal junction box (10"x10"x4") to three 1 1/4" EMT conduits. I was planning to do this as part of running wiring for three 100-amp subpanels from a 200-amp main.

However, I was doing some re-reading of the NEC (2011 version), and recalled the need to de-rate ampacity of conductors where spacing is not maintained (such as in an EMT raceway) for runs greater than 24" per clause 310.15(B)

Per 310.15(B), it appears that the max ampacity for the wires is now only 92A and that I will not be able to use the single run of 2" conduit I had planned and instead will need to run three completely separate runs of EMT to allow for the three 100A subpanels with the 3 AWG wire I was planning to use -- is this correct or is there something else I am missing that would make my original plans okay?

Calculations and Code References:

3 AWG THHN with 90 degree rating = 115 A allowable ampacity per Table 310.15(B)(16)

6 conductors in the same conduit = 80% allowable ampacity per 310.15(B) (relevant sections quoted below)

+6 conductors => 3 sets of 2 out-of-phase hot wires
+0 conductors => 3 sets of 1 neutral carrying the unbalanced load (per 310.15(B)(5)(a)

  310.15(B)(5)(a) A neutral conductor that carries only the unbalanced
  current from other conductors of the same circuit shall not be
  required to be counted when applying the provisions of
  310.15(B)(3)(a).

+0 conductors => 3 sets of 1 ground wire (per 310.15(B)(6)

  310.15(B)(6) Grounding or Bonding Conductor. A grounding or
  bonding conductor shall not be counted when applying the
  provisions of 310.15(B)(3)(a).
  (b) In a 3-wire

115 A * 80% = 92 A

Your final wire size selection for the ungrounded conductors was exactly right at #2 copper. Your neutrals, however, could have been much smaller. You are allowed to calculate the total unbalanced load and in turn size the neutral accordingly.
You still must apply the ambient temperature derating factor and you are required to at least match the size of the grounding conductor. For example, if your total calculated unbalanced load on the neutral was 25 amps and the ambient temperature was negligible, the ampacity table would allow for only a #10 AWG wire to carryn the neutral current, but because the neutral cannot be smaller than the grounding conductor you would still be required to use a #6 AWG. I have the tables underlined in my codebook but don't have it on hand , sorry.
 The minimum size grounding conductor chart chart is in article 250.
Just found this on Mike Holt's website: { The grounded (neutral) service conductor must be sized to carry the maximum unbalanced load in accordance with 220.22 and must not be sized smaller than required by 250.24(B).}


Why is it taking so long for my house to heat up? Firstly, I should probably mention that I'm in the UK...

My wife and I bought a house new from a builder over 9 years ago and have had no problems whatsoever with our central heating system in that time. It is a typical modern system with a gas boiler in the kitchen feeding radiators upstairs and downstairs and a pressurised hot water system. The radiators have thermostatic valves on them (except for one in the entrance hall).

Earlier this year, I contracted a local plumber to do 4 things:

Replace the original ("bimetallic") thermostat with a more modern programmable thermostat so that we could keep the heating on over night but at a lower temperature
Service the boiler (for no real reason other than that it was 9+ years old and had never been looked at)
Re-balance the radiators
Re-pressurise the hot water system as the showers had lost their original mains water pressure

The system has never been quite right since but of course we haven't really been able to pin anything down until the recent cold weather. We are now seeing the following:

For a while, the thermostat would call for heat, but the boiler wouldn't fire up. The boiler casing was very, very hot, so I suspect overheat protection had kicked in.
When the boiler does fire, it doesn't stay on for more than a minute and then goes of for 2-3 minutes before firing up again. Again, suspicious that it is overheating.
As a result of the above, it can take all day to get the house up to temperature (20C)

The plumber came to investigate last week and made a number of noises about the pump overrun not working, and the possibility of a pump failure, but ruled both of those out. He made some adjustments and now:

The boiler appears to fire up reliably, although it does cut out periodically. He assures me this is normal and that it switches itself off while the water is circulated. I can't honestly say I was aware of it doing this before the summer.
The radiators get too hot to touch, but I'd swear you used to be able to feel the heat radiating from them up to 12+ inches away which you no longer can.
But still the house is very slow to heat (it appears to heat up at a bit under 1C per hour).

The house is a fairly typical British 4 bed detached (c. 1800 sqft) and is relatively modern (being newly built 9 years ago) so has pretty good thermal characteristics.

So my questions are:

Does taking 8+ hours to get the house warm sound right? I'd swear it used to be warm within an hour or so of the heating coming on.
What further diagnoses can I perform to help (the plumber and/or you good folks) identify the problem.
Does it sound reasonable to assume (having had 9+ years of faultless service) that my problems stem from the work done in the summer? Perhaps a valve was closed while the plumber worked that he subsequently forgot to open, or something like that?

Taken together, all the symptoms sound to me like the hot water is not being circulated around the system quickly enough (boiler over temperature, house not heating up), and the plumber would appear to agree. He seems rather keen to fit a bigger pump. But I'm reluctant given that the system has worked fine for so long previously.

Sorry for the rambling post, but I'm pretty much at my wits' end with this and we have two small children that we'd really like to keep warm over the winter.

You've bought a programmable thermostat so you can lower the temperature of the house at night, however by doing that you are making it much harder work for the boiler to bring the house back up to temperature. Before your house was at a constant temperature so you boiler would turn on for a bit, off for a bit, on a bit, off a bit over the whole day. Now it goes off for a long time and your house gets cold, then it has to run a very long time to get it back up to temperature again, leading it to overheat and shut down.

It may be your boiler simply doesn't have the grunt to heat your house for that long. Try setting your night-time temperature a bit higher and see if that improves the situation.

It could also be that your system is gunked up, leading to poor water circulation in your system. Did you have your heating engineer put a cleaner in the system? If not, have him try it.


What kind of bulbs should I get? My bulbs does not look normal I am in a situation where I need to change bulbs in my bathroom, but my bulbs look weird, and can't find right bulbs for our light.

The bulbs that I took out look like this. There are wires coming out. I had to cut them when I remove the bulbs from a socket.

We showed the bulbs to Home depo guy. He thinks that I should have removed the base, but I don't see any base.. This is how the socket looks like after I removed the bulbs.

Will I ever be able to find right bulbs? Can someone please help?

Those are 2 or 4 pin CFL bulbs. Sorta like this:

Technically, you should handle them with care, as the contents of the tubes are toxic.

Turn off the power to the light, wear sturdy gloves, and pull the bottom part of the bulb straight out of the socket. (Straight out means the direction that the tubes were going.)

With this end in a plastic baggie, you'll be able to find an appropriate replacement at the hardware store.


Air conditioner register leaking I had my roof repaired and they had to lift my AC unit. Now I have condensation leaking from a register. What caused this?

It sounds like they may not have leveled the ac unit and the condensate is dripping into the your vent, if they did level the unit they may have moved the drain and it plugged up.
In my state a roof mounted system requires a drain line to the edge of the roof at a minimum.
Checking the condensate drain would be my first check.


Appropriate installation for a detached structure electrical sub panel? I currently had an irrigation pump and small shed 125' away from my main panel. This pump and shed electric is fed underground in 1" pvc pipe with #10 THHN 220v (neutral/ground/2 hots). I removed the shed and am building a larger workshop with a cement floor slab. The slab will contain the two wells, one for irrigation and the other is house well water supply. here's a pic of what it looks like now.

As you can see i have the irr pump wired up temporarily for now until the slab is poured.
I plan to leave the existing 4 #10 wires and pull an additional 4 conductors in the 1" pvc pipe for a new 60 amp feed. 2 #6 Black&Red Hots, 1 white #8 neutral & 1 green #10 ground. I went with the minimal sizing on the neutral and ground wires because of the possibly difficulty in getting these pulled through the 125' of pipe.
The pvc pipe will terminate into a square D DU323rb shut off box

This shut off box will be mounted 5' off the ground with the new conductors (2 hots & neutral) going to the 3 phases of the shut off box and the existing 4 conductors dropping down out of the shutoff in pvc to a disconnect box like this.

The irrigation pump will be wired directly from this disconnect box.
An 8' ground rod will be driven next to the slab under the shut off box and connected to the ground in the shut off box with #6 bare.
The new 60 amp feed will run from the shut off box to an interior load center, something like this
Which I will break into 20 amp circuits for lights, house well pump, shop equipment, Mini Split AC.
Just looking for comments and suggestions if anything stands out as incorrect?
Should I just remove the existing #10 wires and go with 4 #4 wires for everything and nix the disconnect box, could I even fit 4 #4 in 1" pvc? The southwire conduit calculator says it can be done with a 38.2% fill but I'm skeptical with my situation.

One circuit or feeder to an outbuilding
If you install a 120/240V split-phase #6 feeder, you have to get rid of the #10 circuit.  Then you would feed the well from the subpanel you plan.
The only exception is if a circuit is a different voltage (no luck here), or a different usage - classically, a circuit switched from the source for yard lights, well, etc. If you wanted to do things as you plan, you could always change it so the #10 well line is a switched circuit operated by a pressure switch back at the house.
No elbows -- assemble the conduit then pull the wire
Notice how you couldn't find any PVC conduit elbows and had to steal a plumbing elbow to make that 90?  That's because elbows don't exist in conduit. Code requires you assemble the conduit complete empty of wires - and then pull the wires.  Can't pull around an elbow.  To make turns, either use a sweep, or a conduit body.
Outside disconnect not required
I see you spending some coin to provide an outside disconnect.  That's not required.
A disconnect is required for an outbuilding, but it can be indoors. In fact what most people do is choose a "main breaker" subpanel, and use the main breaker as the disconnect. When this is done, the size of the main breaker does not matter. The panel bus+breaker need only be >= the supply breaker.
"But I'm using a main-lug panel that is too small to really have a main breaker!" Um, yeah... about that...
Panel spaces: "Go Big or Go Home" as ThreePhaseEel says.
Nobody ever asked "I need to add a breaker to my panel, but it has lots of extra spaces available. What can I do?"  They always ask the other thing.
Painted into a corner because somebody scrimped on a panel, and what was their big savings?  At most, a pizza.  Spaces are cheap.
For instance in your case, I count 2 wells, a mini-split, and a presumptive need for a 240V circuit for larger tools - that's 4 240V circuits - 8 spaces so far, plus lights and at least 2 more circuits for saw and dust collector. A blink of an eye, and we're up to 11 spaces already - and you picked a 6-space panel which just goes to show how easy it is to short yourself on spaces.  So don't make that mistake - select 24-30 spaces and you won't have a worry.
Panels this size also have a distinct, separate main breaker, which creates a better aesthetic than a backfed "main".
Many panels claim "12 spaces 24 circuits" - beware of that claim. The 24 circuits requires use of double-stuff breakers, which precludes use of GFCI or AFCI breakers, which are widely required now. Get 24 actual spaces. They're cheap.
Use a breaker lock instead of well pump disconnects
You don't need a disconnect box for your wells, either.
What you need is a disconnecting means that is either a) in line-of-sight, or b) lockable for lockout-tagout. (NEC 430.102).  That way a repairman can be assured that someone thinking about turning on well power will either a) see them, or b) be unable because of a lockout-tagout.
The supply circuit breaker is a perfectly acceptable disconnecting means, and that can be a breaker.  So the breaker panel could be in line-of-sight (i.e. outside)... or the breaker could be fitted with a locking kit.
Local grounding rods
You need a ground wire for human-made current. But you also need a ground rod for natural current.  Code requires the ground rod pass an expensive test, or use 2 ground rods at least 6' apart.
However, since you are making a foundation pour, and surely including some steel re-rod, seize the opportunity to provide yourself one or more Ufer grounds.  Turns out, a concrete slab is an absolutely fantastic "grounding rod", and is automatically approved with no testing.  You just need to tie into the re-rod at the time of pour.  So make sure your concrete guys do that - they should know the drill.


What does "8(3)A" mean on a relay spec sheet? In the specs for this heating controller (http://www.ecr-nederland.nl/files/lae_bediening_ac1-2w_en_de.pdf) the relays have a capacity of 8(3)A (top-right). What does this mean? 8A/3A?

I can't be 100% without a relay part number or datasheet -- but most commonly, that type of specification would be 8A switching a resistive load (say a small heating element), and 3A switching an inductive load (say a fan motor).

Solid-state inputs and relay coils generally don't draw enough current to be a problem.


Will silicone caulk seals affect the bond of mortar and tiles to backer board? I have heard to use a high quality silicone between each piece of densshield around all joints and corners and also a dab over each penetration including screw heads, around shower niches, around the mixing valve, and around the shower head outlet.  A true silicone never really hardens and this would form an elastic property when I tape and "mud" the joints, also per densshield directions.

Is this a concern? Obviously the silicon should be used with modesty just enough to seal the joints but I will be applying enough that I am comfortable it's watertight.

Your silicone seals should never be wider than about 1/2", and you should avoid smearing caulk onto the face of the backer board. Your mortar and tile will span those small gaps without an issue. Keep in mind that the boards should all be securely fastened to the framing such that there's no movement with respect to each other.


What do the numbers 1 to 9 mean on my thermostat? What do the numbers translate to in temperatures?

It means it is a cheap device and they are not willing to provide a properly calibrated thermostat at that price point.

Instead they are giving you a real thermostat, but with no effort to calibrate it to any real world values, just slap a knob on it and done.  You are meant to turn it up if you are too cold and down if you're too hot, iteratively, until you find the temperature that suits you.  Then you are to remember that you like it at 3-1/2.

Since the knob is just slapped on, expect two identical units to have different meanings of, say, "5" .


Redguard Waterproofing I have red staining leaking through tile grout in our shower stall. I presume it is caused by Redguard Waterproofing on the backerboard. How do I get rid of the continuous red staining, including down on to the shower floor?

Redgard dries to a plastic rubber-like consistency and once dry doesn't dissolve in water (or what would be the point in using it for waterproofing?), so I very much doubt it's doing any staining. My initial guess is you've got something metal under the grout that's getting wet and the red stain is rust. Any chance you can show some pictures?


Best way to test light switch and socket? I want to test the switch and light socket for an outside light which stopped working. The switch and light socket (bayonet style) are similar to the ones in the photos below.
What's the best way to test them? I assume I would need to test the switch for continuity and then measure voltage across the light socket?
I have a non-contact voltage tester so would it be better (and safer) to use that instead for the light socket?
I also have a question regarding the voltage tester which has high and low sensitivity settings: before turning off power at the switchboard, with the voltage tester set to high, I get a voltage warning as expected. After turning off the power, the voltage tester is not activated but if I actually touch the tip of the voltage tester to one of the switch terminals I get a warning. The same thing happens when the voltage tester is set to low sensitivity mode and I make contact with one of the terminals.

You've already experienced the flaws with non contact voltage testers.... they are not accurate. Get a good multi meter from your home store.
Make sure you check for any GFCI's outlets that might be feeding the light. They might have tripped.
Start testing from the socket and work your way toward the source. Look for your voltage between the switched hot and neutral with the switch on. If no voltage, test the switch load to neutral and hot to neutral. If no neutral, then test to ground. If neither, turn off power and check switch for continuity.The best way to do this is to disconnect the switch from the circuit after turning off the power and taking pictures of the original wiring. Then hook your leads from the multi meter to the screw terminals on the switch. With your meter set to "ohms", operate the switch. Your meter should go to zero ohms when the switch is on and go back to infinity ohms when turned off. If it doesn't do this then the switch is bad. If the switch is good and there's no voltage at the switch, then continue testing toward the main panel.


Do I need a new circuit breaker? I have an OLD circuit breaker.  I think it's the original one for my house (1950's I think).  It's a Pushmatic Electri-Center "Automatic Protection Push Button Control" from Bulldog Electric Products Co. in Detroit.  Which is now out of business and I guess they got acquired by Siemens at some point.

I have noticed that if I run more than one major appliance - like the dish washer and the dryer - at the same time, it will pop the breaker for the whole house.  To me this says there's too much going on for that to handle.  Occasionally a single breaker will pop but usually if something goes it is the whole house. Sometimes, when I try to reset a breaker, it won't "stick" so it will be on and then just pop out again.  A lot of times I have to use a lot more force than I think should be necessary in order to get a breaker to go back in.

The thing works, but I wonder if it isn't time to think about a new breaker box?  Is 200A a good size for a typical 3 bedroom house?

There may be a perfectly reasonable reason for the Pushmatic panel tripping with 2 major appliances going at once; however, that would also be a reason to replace the panel.

Pushmatic is a fine panel

It does not have the problems of some old panels of being unsafe.  However, it does have a reputation for the action of resetting the breaker being very stiff, and of tripping too soon (i.e. Failing safe). These are convenience, not safety issues.

A new 200A service

If you want a new 200A service and panel, you will need a new panel obviously, and an new meter pan, and a new service entrance.

If I were you, first I'd go with a BIG panel (because 42 spaces vs 16 spaces is a tiny amount of money compared to total project cost).  And install it right next to the Pushmatic panel.  The meter pan goes outside, right next to the existing meter pan and pole.

Then, I'd make the Pushmatic panel a sub-panel.  Install a 100A breaker in the main panel, then feed the Pushmatic panel off that breaker. That way you have very little disruption to the existing system wiring, and fairly low installation costs.

At some point, the power company comes out and moves their drop from the old service pole to the new service pole.  Simultaneously, your electrician cuts the Pushmatic panel over to be a subpanel.  Your house downtime would be a couple hours.

Once this is set up and you are happy, you can then move circuits over to the new service panel, one circuit at a time as convenient.  Or you don't have to. For instance I would move that dryer over first.

If the Pushmatic panel has one main breaker

Then if you don't want a new panel right now, replace that main breaker.

If you do want a new main panel, then bypass that faulty main breaker, and feed the main buses directly.

If the Pushmatic panel has up to six main breakers

There's an obsolete style of panel called a "Split-bus" or "Rule of Six".  The Rule of Six literally means six hand motions to shut off all the main breakers. I.E there are multiple main breakers.  Some of them feed major appliances, and one feeds another section of the panel - a "subpanel within the panel" if you will.  This was called the "Lighting section" because lighting was the most common outlet load.

This was done because a 100A breaker was prohibitively expensive, and a 60A lighting breaker + 30A dryer + 30A water heater + 50A range + 30A A/C is unlikely to peak all at once.  But the possibility of that is why we consider this panel style dangerous and due for replacement.

However, this creates a possible reason for a breaker trip: If your dryer is punched down in the "Lighting Section", then it's sharing a limited 40-60A "Lighting" breaker with your washer and whatever other loads you have in the house. That would explain it!

Feeding a Rule of Six panel from your new 200A panel

If you follow my advice of putting a new panel right next to this one, again, you do not need to replace the old panel. You can simply rig it up as a subpanel, or to be more precise, two subpanels.

You feed the "main" section from one breaker, and the "lighting" section from another breaker.  Now you are putting 60A (or more if panel permits) into the lighting section, and 100A (or more) into the "main breakers" section, which is no longer that.

The only issue is that you must also split the neutrals, so I would identify the circuits from the "main breakers" section that need neutral, and feed that separately e.g. Through a Polaris splice.

Again, this results in very little disruption to the old panel.


Do I need to seal / moisture-proof an outdoor plug? I have an outdoor plug socket (UK) in my garden that is ip66 sealed (basically the plug is inside a box that you can open and close).

I intend to use this plug for a hot tub in our garden, but there is one hitch. The hot tub pump/heater has been supplied with a moulded european plug.

I will need to cut this off and replace it with a UK plug.

Should I be concerned that I will be replacing a moulded plug with a standard plug? The plug will of course be inside the ip66 sealed socket, so should be free from moisture - but I cannot shake the feeling that I'm downgrading my safety here.

I don't think I'd worry about it.  I don't know much about UK electrical hardware but it looks like your outdoor plug / receptacles look a lot sturdier than the US equivalents.  (Apologies if I confuse any terms translating electrical terminology to English.)

It looks like you have RCD / GFCI protection on outdoor receptacles / outlets, which is probably more important than the plug.

The BS 1363/A plug is made so the cord exits down rather than straight out of the wall in most US cords.  This makes your outdoor cover a lot more low profile and probably a lot more secure than the US versions.

The seam on the rewirable plug is probably less susceptible to water than the mating between the plug and the socket.  So you're really relying on the waterproof cover even with a molded plug.

The only alternative I can think of would be to splice on a molded cord.  I am sure you can make a very secure waterproof splice.  But I personally would worry more about the splice than the rewirable plug.

I will admit that sometimes I still add a wrap of Scotch 88 tape on things like this, even though it probably isn't needed, just because it can't hurt.  (The US electrical components may not be as robust as the UKs but we make the best tape in the world, hands down!)


Why does the water at my sink not get hot but the shower does (same bathroom)? I recently moved into a new house and there is one thing that baffles me and that is how the water from the sink in my bathroom will not get hot and it takes a long time for it to even get warm.  Just an arm length away is the bath/shower and that water gets hot pretty quickly.  I can turn the bathtub all the way to hot and the sink will get warm much quicker but it still doesn't get very hot.  I am not even sure where to begin.  The bathroom was rennovated at some point and my guess is it went from a one sink setup to a two sink setup, not sure if that has anything to do with it or not.

Any ideas?

Does your sink faucet have a single knob that controls temperature and pressure, or does it have separate knobs for hot an cold? If it's the single type it probably has some corrosion in the valve that's letting cold water in with the hot. If you've got shutoff valves for the sink faucet, turn the cold water supply off and see if it still only gets lukewarm or not.

Depending on brand and age of the faucet, you should be able to get repair parts from your local home improvement or hardware store.


Can a multi-meter be used to test home theater receiver speaker output? I have a Sony HT-CT150 that no longer outputs sounds.

Can I somehow use my mutli-meter to test the speaker output? Here's what it looks like

I want to make sure that the system is actually outputting sound, before I start ripping speaker wire out of my wall.

Yes, flip the meter to "AC".  You should detect a fluctuating AC voltage when sound plays.  Some amplifiers also put a DC bias on speaker circuits, you can check for that too by flipping the meter to "DC".


Cement board removal under tub edge I have pulled up 99% of the cement board and tile from my bathroom, and am fighting with the edge that is up against the tub. Some of the board broke off a half inch under the tub, some broke off a half inch out from where the side of the tub meets the floor.

How much do I have to clear out under the tub to slide in new cement board, or am I just wasting time and should run a new straight line with the board and back fill with grout or mortar and some water proofing on top?

Thanks for any advice.

Just make sure the cement board is out from the outer part of the tub.  It being uneven underneath is not consequential.  You just need your cement board to be able to lay flat and I usually place mine about 1/8" from tub.


Why is my bathroom floor raised up very high? I know that it needs to be raised a little bit so that the floor can slope towards the drain. But on my floor the slant towards the drain is shallow, but the floor of the bathroom is much higher (3cm/1.2in above tiles) than compared to the hallway adjoining it. It is a concrete subfloor.

I would like to re-tile the bathroom, and I would like to lower the floor... but is there a special reason why it is how it is? Am I making a mistake changing it?

It's in an apartment - all the walls and floors are concrete. There is no wood at all anywhere.

In some older homes built between 1900-1930's it was common to set the ceramic tile in a bed of cement. The cement was poured over the subfloor. While this was a great stable base for the tile it did raise the floor. You may also have a case where the floor was damaged and during the repair or remodel they added additional layers of plywood or tilebacker to form a base for the new tile.


Are these asbestos fibers in my plaster? While screwing in an electrical cover in my new home (built in 1919) I noticed these fibers sticking out of the plaster or skim coat. I have not seen these anywhere else. Hope the picture loads. Are these asbestos fibers?

Often, people talk about “old-fashioned horse-hair plaster,” but the binding agent in old plaster walls was more commonly cattle hair. -searshomes.org

I am reasonably sure it's not asbestos.


Can I move this drain line from the wall to the floor? Here is my kitchen sink drain configuration:

(The horizontal run after the trap is actually pitched correctly, not as drawn.) The portions inside the wall are galvanized steel pipe. Under the sink, the galvanized pipe transitions to white plastic trap and tailpiece. Under the floor, the steel pipe is coupled to cellular ABS drain pipe.

While I am replacing kitchen cabinets, it would be convenient to move this drain line to the floor. Is it kosher to cap the existing line inside the wall, then join a new vertical leg to the existing horizontal run under the floor, as drawn below?

This is forbidden by the International Plumbing Code.

2009 IPC 906.2: "Venting of fixture drains. The total fall in a fixture drain due to pipe slope shall not exceed the diameter of the fixture drain, nor shall the vent connection to a fixture drain, except for water closets, be below the weir of the trap." (Emphasis added.)


Electric shock from washing machine I got a dry tumbler and a washing machine that give off shocks when touched on the inner barrel.

I'm in Europe 230AC 3 phase 50Hz but no ground(old house) ground is connect to neutral at main panel going around the main HPFI breaker.

With high impedance DMM I measure 120V between each machine inner barrel and water pipe. Between them I measure 200V. All at 50Hz. Putting meter in low impedance I measure 4V between them and 2V to water pipe. Taking some cobber wire and connecting to washer and then tabbing the dryer I can throw small sparks.

If I turn off the power on the wall socket all measurements go to zero.

The machines are not grounded at the wall socket.

My first guess was capacitive coupling from the main breaker panel that is right next to the machines but I'm not so sure when all goes to zero when I turn off the power and I can throw continuous sparks when on.

Thank you for any help!

You definitely have a problem, either a hot-chassis fault in the equipment (which would have been suppressed by a proper ground) or a loose neutral wire (which will cause the neutral to float).   I don't know how things work in Europe, but in the US, laundry equipment is allowed to use neutral as ground, bonding neutral to chassis, when hooking a new washer to old wiring.  Every few years, someone dies from a lost neutral which causes the chassis to energize at 120V. (Our neutral is pegged at the midpoint in the 240V spread, 120V on each leg).

You can dismiss capactive coupling by placing a small lamp (e.g. incandescent night light) across the points being tested.  (That is to say, in parallel with the meter).  It will sink capacitive/inductive float.   However if the lamp actually lights, you know you've got a serious problem.  In any case, capacitive coupling would not develop over such a short wire run, and cannot spark continuously like that.

I honestly doubt you would feel capacitively coupled current.  If you got "kissed", it is probably a lethal current, and you were saved by the impedance of your shoes, floor etc.  You can't count on that, and the threat should be treated as safety-critical.  Immediately unhook the machine, validate the cord/plug connection, and if that's good and the machine still fails, bin it!

Honestly, the usual reason people don't modernize their laundey wiring is difficulty of long wire runs through walls etc.  But if the service panel is right there, it's time to wire a proper, modern grounded receptacle to code, and reconfigure the appliance's wiring to use ground properly.   My guess is, you do that, your problem will go away, or at least resolve itself definitively with a breaker trip.


Tightening/loosening a screw spins the threaded screw well Not quite home improvement but I don't know who else to turn to.

I installed a monitor into a mount with the wrong screw and now it's stuck. As the screw spins, the metal well that seated the screw into the plastic case, also spins.

The problem is that the design had the screw wells only attached to the case, where as others would have it secured to the guts of the monitor.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Use a one-ended hacksaw and cut the screw (using a screwdriver to keep it from spinning). Once that's done, and you can remove the monitor frame, you'll be able to deal with (or ignore) the remains of the screw and well.


Add A Sonoff To Home Thermostat? I would like my A/C to self turn on at 8pm, that is before I get home and have the ability to cut off power automatically. I have Sonoff basic devices doing this with my lawn lights, pool, etc. I have a 1 Channel Inching /Self-Locking WiFi Wireless Switch 5V 12V that's been sitting here unused:

I connected it to 1 zone of my sprinkler system and it worked as expected - when the sprinkler controller turned on that zone I could turn on/off the Sonoff WIFI switch which then turned on/off that zone but for so long, then off. I thought it's summer, turn the HVAC selector to AC, find the power line, cut it, insert them in this low voltage Sonoff, and I can turn on/off AC on my phone or just use a set timer. The thermostat is a Honeywell RTH110B here is installation manual. Sonoff device is powered by cellphone charger or 12vc dc connectors.

This is an old question, but there are several solutions here that may help others who stumble upon it.

The easiest and most consumer-friendly way to do this is with a "smart" thermostat, these are designed to be controlled remotely and also can be activated when you're home/away, at a set time of day, minimum/maximum temperature, or when you reach a certain distance from your house (tracked by GPS).

The Sonoff you mentioned is capable of doing this as well, in a tinker/hacker way. I would actually recommend you use a 2-channel Sonoff so one channel can control heating and one channel control cooling. As you're configuring the Sonoff remember that "inching" means "momentary connection" and "locking" means "closed circuit" like a normal switch. I believe thermostats "lock" until the desired temperature is reached. Sonoffs contain relays with several hundred volts and several amps of capacity.

As @dandavis commented previously, I would wire these in parallel with your thermostat wiring so that your thermostat still controls your system also. The answers about what to connect with what should be in your thermostat manual, I haven't read it. If you're more of a "do-er" than a reader, you can use a voltmeter to check the thermostat's continuity during operation and figure out where to bridge your Sonoff that way.


How does a diaphragm type bathroom fill valve stops water flow? I'd would like to understand how this kind of fill valve does work:

(Source)

In this mechanism, the float (ballcock?) pushes on the indicated lever which in turn pushes the diaphragm to block the water flow.

(Source)

However I believe that contrary to traditional float mechanisms, water pressure then helps pushing on the diaphragm and maintain contact with its housing. This explains the relatively short lever.

The diaphragm itself has a small hole:

(Source)

What I'd like to understand is the course followed by water when the valve is open and closed, and how pressure is used to help maintaining the valve closed.

More: A view of the diaphragm (seal) in this video.

There are two types of diaphragm valves that you seem to know about in your question.  One type uses external pressure to hold the valve closed, but another type uses the power of water pressure to do most of the work.  An example of this second type is the common irrigation valve:

Click picture for video

I'm not going to quote the entire video, but basically, the very small solenoid controlled valve on the left controls the flow of water to the top portion of the main valve (the small, blue, down arrows).  When the top section is pressurized, water pressure is actually holding the valve closed.  When that top section is allowed to drain, the diaphragm springs up and the valve is open (the larger, upward blue arrows show pressure opening the valve).

Does your toilet valve work this way?  I have no idea, but this is a design that allows a very small force to open a large high pressure valve.


Should I put vapor barrier only on exterior wall of a bathroom? I've been searching around the site and haven't found an answer for my question on where to place a vapor barrier so I'm hoping to get a little more clarity here.

Basically I'm in the home stretch of a small full bathroom gut/remodel. Took everything down to studs and even pulled the subfloor because of rot. Getting everything back together and have used the Roxul stone/mineral insulation for the walls (comfort on one exterior wall and safe 'n' sound for the inside walls) and good ol' Pink Panther faced for the ceiling. According to the Roxul site, a vapor barrier is only required for external walls. What I'm trying to figure out is whether I need to do just the exterior wall or if I need to do all around the tub/shower area as well. 1 of the 3 walls for the tub is exterior and the other 2 are interior. Thoughts or input?

Bathroom is about 7' x 8', is on the first floor and there is a room above it (1940's bungalow). Here in Detroit, I believe we're Zone 5. I installed an 80 CFM fan above the tub/shower area to vent out moisture and am planning on putting up the Sheetrock Mold Tough drywall. Original bathroom had no insulation and no vapor barrier but had about an inch of rock lath (don't know if that makes a difference).

The TL;DR -- vapor barriers belong on the outside only

You should only place a vapor barrier on the exterior side of the exterior wall, allowing the assembly to dry back to the inside if water does get in past the tub surround.  I would recommend paperless drywall over cement board for the tub surround, as well -- gypsum board of all types is vapor open (around 50 perms) while serving as an air barrier, allowing drying to the inside without letting a ton of humid air into the wall cavity, while cement board is a fairly severe vapor retarder at 4-8 perms, which puts more pressure on the ability of your tub surround to keep water out of the wall to begin with.

What happens when you try to stick one on the inside?

When you stick a vapor barrier on the inside of a building, all will seem well at first, until you go and turn the air conditioner on.  Then, the moisture in the warm, humid outside air that fills the wall cavity will start to condense on the cold exterior surface of the vapor barrier (assuming an insulated assembly), and you get mold as a result.

A similar problem will happen if you try to insert two vapor barriers in the same assembly -- the inside one will still generate condensation despite the efforts of the outside one to keep all that humidity at bay, and now there's utterly nowhere for the moisture to go!

Of course, there's no point in putting a vapor barrier on an interior wall -- the airspace of a partition should never communicate with that of an outside wall!

More info on why vapor barriers are like badgers can be found in BSI-073, aka "Macbeth Does Vapor Barriers."

Popsicles are for sucking, bathrooms aren't

One other mistake that can be made in a modern, tight house is to slap a "fart fan" in the bathroom and call bathroom ventilation done.  Doing that just means that your makeup air will come from all sorts of random leaks that have no business providing indoor air to people -- especially if one of them happens to be the range hood, or the exhaust of some appliance.

The easiest way to solve this problem is to provide transfer air to the bathroom from a zone that's being blown on, say the basement, if your basement is a suitable transfer air supply, as not all are!  (You'll need to provide, oh, 10% extra makeup air as this is a transfer air setup, as well.)

Of course, if the OP's house leaks more air than a SR-71 on the ground leaks JP-7, an old-fashioned bathroom exhaust fan like the one the OP proposes will serve him fine.

More on ventilation in general can be found in BSI-070, "First Deal with the Manure and Then Don't Suck", by the way.


Electric outlet on roof I have a flat roof for my 1100 sqft home which I expect to replace or recover in a couple years.  I'm considering whether I should mount an outdoor gfci electrical outlet, just coming straight up like this.   Besides christmas lights, what other uses might I need it for?  Good idea, bad idea?

If you have any HVAC equipment mounted on the roof, you are going to be REQUIRED to have a GFCI protected receptacle next to it for service equipment. But barring that, I wouldn't do it: no need for it,  waste of money, possible site for future leaks and then it will get in the way of the future re-roofing project.


What's the smallest general-use tractor I can get? I'm thinking about buying a small tractor for odd jobs on the homestead (~2 acres of woods).

For big jobs (e.g. install septic system), I'm OK with hiring someone, but sometimes there's a small job that a little tractor would be perfect for.

I have some logs (16" diameter, 26' long) that are too heavy for me move.
I might want to clear some heavy brush to make a trail.
Dig a trench to run run utilities through. (Maybe this is too much, and I should rent a bigger model for this job).

How small a machine can I get, that would be able to help with these kinds of tasks?

The problem is, there are infinitely many jobs that a tractor can fill, if you look creatively at how to use that tractor. A small tractor can do some of those jobs. At some point, you will find that only a larger tractor can solve some more complex job. Of course, a larger tractor will take up more space to store. It will maneuver less easily in tight spaces. A heavier tractor may compact your soil more in your lawn. There are always tradeoffs to make.

It depends on what you are looking for. Large manufacturers of tractors, Kubota, for example, or John Deere, offer a huge line of tractors at all levels of size. Both of these standard lines of tractors offer many good choices. The more money that you spend, the more capability achieved.

For example, I can move stone and gravel with the bucket on my tractor, but only a few cubic feet of it at a time. Over the last few years, I've moved about 30 yards of stone and gravel. However, there is one rock I want to move, but it is about 200 pounds too heavy to budge. The hydraulics on my tractor simply won't lift it, but a tractor with the capability to move that rock simply won't fit behind my car into the back of my garage.

As an alternative to the great tractors offered by the mainstream vendors, consider something somewhat less conventional. There are small tractors that can agilely fulfill many purposes, capable of mowing a lawn of any size, yet move dirt, gravel, large stone, dig a ditch, run a trench, move a boat trailer around, pick up a pallet, grind out a stump, pick up a pile of brush with a grapple, etc., and do all of these things with only a few seconds in between tasks.

First, I'll point out Ventrac. These tractors are small enough to mow a lawn, but they offer something that can mow your lawn, but in about a minute's time can swap the mower deck for a bucket that can move dirt, stone mulch, etc.

Similar to Ventrac, there are Steiner tractors, another interesting, very capable line of small tractors for the homewoner.

Next, you might look at Powertrac. Powertrac is even more capable in some respects, with dozens of implements you can attach in a matter of seconds. Look here for some examples of a PT in action.

And, there are even relatively small walk behind (two wheel) tractors. Take a look at BCS.

A very neat line of tractors are the various Magnatrac models. For the grown up kid who wants to move some serious dirt, this is the trick.


How can I replace a recessed light with a ceiling fan? I've installed a few ceiling fans before and found them to be pretty easy so I'm trying to add them to each room in my house, I don't have great knowledge of electrical work but I can install a ceiling fan, switch a light switch and the basic things like that.

In the one room there is a single light int he ceiling and when I pulled it down there was no electrical box, just a plastic / metal looking sleeve running to it.

I'm not familiar with this wire sleeving and was wondering if I can be told a little about it and if I'm able to cut it and install a fan brace and then an outlet box and run the wires through there and continue installing the fan like I normally would. As I'm assuming that in this sleeve there are just the normal electrical wires in it. I would of tried to look some info up on this wire sleeve but I couldn't figure out what it was called.

That is a recessed light. That flex whip goes to a junction box mounted on the frame of the light. You need to remove the whole light, after removing the circuit cable from the junction box. DO NOT wire the fan box from that metallic flex whip.

What you have looks something like this:


Why does this receptacle have the ground tied to the neutral? I was replacing some outlets in my house with tamper-resistant ones, and came across one where the white and ground were wired together, as seen in this picture.  Why?  Is that okay or appropriate ever?  It was clearly done on purpose.

When the house was inspected, the inspector detected significant current on the ground.  Is it possible that this wiring is the reason?

Yikes, good find! This is most definitely the reason.  The ground and neutral are only supposed to be tied together at the main panel.  In this case, instead of only the neutral carrying current, both the ground and neutral will carry it.

There is no legit reason that I know of to do this at an outlet.  I wonder if perhaps the neutral was open and the previous person was trying to cheat to make the outlet work?  Do disconnect this. I would check other outlets in the house. An outlet tester may help speed this up but they don't detect all conditions.

Grounding is an important safety aspect of your house. If you suspect there is a more systemic problem with the houses grounding, get an electrician to take a look. Better safe than sorry.


What causes cracks in stucco at 45 degree angle from top of NW corner garage door up along light fixture to wall vent? What likely causes this pattern of stucco cracking from top corner of side garage door through light fixture up along air vent up to roofline on NW side of house?

Did someone or something hit it a couple years ago and does it need to be repaired if my HOA cannot see it from common area?

If so approximately how much would it cost?

It is a common occurrence.

What you have appears to be 2 large wall sections of stucco, connected by a small area of stucco where the crack is. For many years I thought that cement based products were very stable, but I found that it moves quite a bit itself. Usually there will be control joints added so when it does crack, with large areas it will, will be directed to the control joints. Since there were no control joints near the narrow area, it took the least path of resistance, as mentioned earlier in a post that was deleted.

Settling of the framing will do this too, but the symptoms suggest expansion and contraction, the crack is uniform in width. Typically settling would show the crack tighter at one end than the other.

Never the less, the crack should be caulked with a good caulk, I suggest a one part polyurethane. It will need to be forced in the joint, it will be messy. To help force it in, cut the tip of the tube so the hole exposed by cutting is slightly smaller than the crack. You could mask the adjacent areas with masking or duct tape, it will keep the mess to a minimum. After applying the caulk, wipe off the excess with paint thinner or mineral spirits to minimize the line and touch up with paint unless you find a caulk color that matches the color close enough. Another suggestion perhaps, if the stucco is a sanded finish, you could have some sand handy to throw on the wet caulk to give it the texture of the rest of the wall. I have done this before with tile and concrete joints and it helps disguise the caulk.


How to get rid of a permanent old people smell? I'm living in a new place. On the second floor there is somebody who smells really bad, when I'm walking up the stairs its like a nursing home x 10 on that floor. I'm on the 4th and when I keep the windows open its fine but after having them closed for around a day or so, the smell creeps up here.

Keeping a window open every day isn't really practical since it goes down to -30C around here in the winter so what do you guys suggest to avoid the smell? I saw a commercial for an automatic air freshener for bathrooms in the tv once, are those any good?

This situation calls for a conversation with your property manager. Airflow is probably the only solution, and it may be necessary to ask the downstairs resident to keep an exhaust fan on for a larger part of each day.

You might also investigate ionization filters, though they have their own issues. Ozone can be problematic for some.


How do I go about filling a hole that's all the way through wood, for a new nut? How do I go about filling the holes up so I can reset the nuts inplace for the handle. Also my tv cabinet, has two small holes but only one lines up, the other is right next to where I want to drill a new hole. How do I go about this so it doesn't collapse. The holes go all the way through the wood.

The best way to deal with this is to drill out the holes to a larger size to match a piece of dowel rod. The dowel rods come in standard diameters so select one that is a bit larger than the hole that needs plugging.

Cut off the dowel rod to a length that matches the thickness of the door or drawer front. Then use wood glue to completely coat the outside of the dowel and inside of the hole and insert the dowel into the drilled out hole.

Use care to match up the outside surface of the wood with the end of the dowel so the surface is nice and level. Let the glue fully dry.

You can now drill your new hole through the wood where needed for the new handle of pull. If the original wood is a soft wood like pine and the dowel was a harder wood like birch then it is advisable to use a drill guide to hold the drill bit position if the new hole needs to span the transition between the dowel and the existing wood of the door/drawer front.

Before installing the new handle or pull you can use some wood stain or paint to touch up the ends of the dowel so it does not show out too much. If you got glue all over the ends of the dowel and it dried there it will first be necessary to sand this away before trying to apply stain.


How do I replace a 3-way lamp socket so that it doesn't die after 6 months? I've replaced the 3-way socket in a table lamp about 4 times in the past 6 years.  Each time it works for 6 months or so, but eventually the secondary contact that touches the "ring" on the base of the 3-way bulb (the low-intensity filament) starts arcing and the lamp flickers.  This progresses to the point where the lamp flickers most of the time, at which point I replace the socket.  Up until this last time the only sockets I could find locally were Leviton brand.  Last weekend I found a Westinghouse brand socket at the local DIY box store.

Why does this happen? Anybody else have this problem?  Will the Westinghouse 3-way socket have the same problem, and does anybody make a socket that will last longer?

EDIT: Adding some answers to good questions raised in posts below:

Does the arcing problem happen with new bulbs?

Once it starts arcing it happens with any bulb.  The contact for the low-wattage filament (the off-center contact) looks pitted and corroded.

Is the lampshade (if any) attached to the bulb, and could be stressing the socket?

The lampshade is attached to a harp, there's no mechanical stress on the bulb.

When it starts arcing, are the bulbs loose? If so, can they be tightened? Or are they screwed down all the way, but they wiggle laterally?

When a socket first starts flickering, tightening the bulb more tightly will quiet it for awhile, but that stops working eventually.

Maybe you've got something else going on?  I've never seen this problem before and I have a number of 3-way lamps!


How do I prevent water from streaming into my driveway? Here's pictures of what's happening - taken yesterday (June 1st 2015).

I'm struggling with water drainage problems on this old gravel driveway.

When it rains -  all the water streams from the street then pool next to the garage and only then runs to the side of the property.

In the spring, water runoff is stronger - so my garage has been flooded...

Could you advice what do I install along the road to prevent water from coming in? Just add more gravel?

P.S. also - gravel seems to be so old - it's not porous anymore  - it's literally fused into the ground

It looks like your land sits a little lower than the adjacent roadway. It would be a cost but if you pave the first 10 ft of your driveway you can make a little berm with that pavement. Since pavement is non-porous the amount of water to overcome a couple of inches of slope would be substantial. Yet those same couple of inches will not be much to drive over. You really only need 0.5% slope for a couple of feet. While your gravel seems solid it likely has enough space between the rocks for water to pass through. If there is storm sewer nearby you could also look into installing a trench drain. Though that would perform better if your driveway was paved. The water would have a tendency to go around the drain and wash out the soil at the edges.
Some interesting links
Pennsylvania Code  has good stuff on the driveway slopes. This picture is from their site.

This is a trench drain.


Is insulating basement ceiling or first-floor walls more effective? In an old house with plaster walls there is a large room on the first floor with wood floor.  The walls are not insulated.  The basement has no ceiling, so you just directly see the subfloor of the first floor.  There is no insulation.

What is more effective, insulating the walls on the first floor (with blown-in insulation from outside holes), or attaching some insulation under the subfloor?

If your walls are not insulated, then the walls need to be.  If the walls of your basement are insulated then no insulation in the floor joists should be installed.  If your basement is not insulated, then you should have insulation with Kraft Faced paper installed with the paper side against the floor of the upstairs.  Or have closed cell spray foam installed in the floor joists.  You can have someone come in and foam the walls to ensure a complete fill of the wall cavities.  That would be the most efficient way of insulating your room.


Egress Access through garage I am looking to finish our basement and add two bedrooms. The basement has one stairway access from the basement to the main level of the home. Additionally, it has another stairway access from the basement to the garage.

I currently have four non-egress windows in the basement. I am hoping to add two bedrooms with two windows each.

Can I do this, without needing to add an egress window in the basement bedrooms? Does having a second stairway access to the garage count as a walk-out? Does having a second stairway access to the garage mean I don't need an egress window in the future finished bedroom?

Basements and every sleeping room shall have at least one operable emergency and rescue opening. Such opening shall open directly into a public street, public alley, yard or court.
IRC R310.1

Egress must be available through a window to the outdoors, such that an adult can be reasonably expected to pass through to escape or to provide rescue. Down a hall, up some stairs, and through a garage or other part of the structure doesn't meet that requirement under most applicable codes, nor is it the kind of "escape route" you'd really want for your loved ones.


How did they drive nails into hardwood before modern power tools? I know of two methods to drive nails successfully into hardwood. One is to predrill; the other is to use a power nailer, which can drive the nails with enough force that they will go in cleanly and not split the wood.

My house, which was built more than 100 years ago, has oak floor boards throughout that were face-nailed into the subfloor. This was done before most power tools existed. There is no sign of the wood splitting or other problems occurring when the nails were driven in.

My question is how the guys who built my house would have nailed these boards in without the assistance of power drills or power nailers.  I'd be surprised if they predrilled each hole manually (there are probably thousands of holes throughout the house), and I assume that even their impressive early-twentieth-century biceps could not come close to matching the force of a modern power nailer.

Anyone with knowledge of historical construction techniques know how nails were driven into hardwood (especially applications like floorboards, where you would care about making it look pretty) before power tools?

How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Don't discount the fact that everything was hand nailed at one point. Sheathing a building in board by hand works wonders for increasing efficiency with a hammer.

One hundred years ago green or air dried lumber was the norm, rather than kiln dried. Even seasoned lumber had generally been in the air under a year at the mill. Wet lumber is substantially easier to work with than dry, which includes nailing. (Solid wood is also easier to nail than composite or engineered lumber, which can skew perceptions if you're used to modern materials.)


What would cause an AFCI breaker to trip under no load? I have an AFCI breaker that trips with 0 load - nothing plugged in, no lights on. To test that power is getting to the room, I turn on the overhead CFL lights (very light load) and flip the breaker. The lights do turn on, then the breaker trips and power is shut off.

When I replace the AFCI breaker (15A) with a standard breaker (15A, I have both in my panel), the standard breaker does NOT trip. However, no power flows to the room either - no lights, and no outlet power.

What could be causing this discrepancy? I have confirmed that the AFCI breaker and the standard breaker work on other circuits; they are not faulty.

Given that you state that "no power flows to the room" when you use a normal breaker, the most likely explanation is either that there is a short/arc somewhere, or the wiring is incorrect.

Shorts/arcs are not something to be messing around with.  I would call in a professional.


Can I have two main panels from a single service drop? Can I run 2 main panels both with separate circuits and main disconnects all off of 1 electrical service from the street?  basically separate 1st floor 2nd floor with different boxes and only one service.

Your profile does not show where you are from. If you are in the US, then the answer is yes. The main electrical drop has to be sized for both panels and each panel should have its own utility meter. All NEC codes must be conformed to. You need to consult your local government to see about local codes as well.


Can I plug a driver/transformer for 12v undercabinet lighting into the same outlet the OTR microwave is plugged into? I have an outlet in the cabinet above the microwave that the microwave is plugged into.
I'd like to  use the same outlet to plug in the driver/transformer for 12v under-cabinet lighting but am not sure if I can do this by code.
Any advise would be appreciated.

As a general rule, if an appliance is supposed to be on a dedicated circuit, then it will either have a single receptacle instead of a double receptacle or it will be hard-wired. So if the original stuff was installed correctly (not always the case, but we'll assume that is the situation) then any place you see an empty receptacle should be safe to plug in a small load.
From a practical situation, 12V undercabinet lighting likely uses very little power, and a microwave is typically used at high power only for short intervals, so the risk of an overloaded circuit is very low.
What I would not do is plug in a toaster oven or other high wattage appliance into that receptacle, because if you used it at the same time as the microwave then you could trip a breaker.


Detecting mail in the mailbox, too far for WIFI Our house is pretty far away from our mailbox, and we need to walk uphill to go check the mail. The mailman has very variable hours, so we often find ourselves going 3-4 times to the mailbox during the day. My dad is an avid DIYer, and has given himself a challenge: find a way to know when the mailman drops mail in our mailbox. He has thought about a lot of different solutions and none really fit our use case. We looked up online for other people who have done that, but every one seems to use WIFI. Our WIFI unfortunately doesn't reach that far, as the mailbox is quite distant from the house (we measured 50 meters / 164 feet).
He first thought about putting a WIFI camera in the mailbox. However, WIFI doesn't reach that far (the router is in his office, I put it on the diagram).
He also thought about running a cable from the house to the mailbox, attached to a sensor or a camera. However, a part of the path is made out of concrete, and burying the cable would be super hard. He could also run it through the garage, there is a little space between the roof and walls so a cable would probably fit. However, he would then have to drill through the house's walls and having done it in the past, it is a real pain.
He thought about buying a camera or sensor that uses a SIM card to connect to a network that will be picked up by his phone. However, our country forbids the use of SIM cards for communication that is not person-to-person. He would have to get a more expensive kind of card.
He thought about putting a WIFI repeater in the garage, but finds this solution a bit overkill and expensive.
This is a diagram I made of our house configuration using a map:

We are looking for a solution that is not too expensive and doesn't involve a lot of wall drilling. I have read about people using radio sensors (for instance a tilt sensor on the letterbox door), but knowing nothing about radio waves, we are a bit lost.
What would be an ideal solution to remotely check if the mailman has dropped mail today?

I have two suggestions that seem, to me, to be very simple:

Walk to the mailbox to check for mail. Very few people get enough exercise, so a few extra laps will, most likely, be beneficial. Of course, your dad may not get around very well these days, so that may be very impractical, which leads me to...

Check once, later in the day, after the latest time known for the mailman to stop by. Unless there's some critical reason to get the mail out of the box the moment it arrives, just check at 5pm (or whatever time is convenient).

I'm all in support of high tech and cool gadgets, but sometimes we get so focused on the gadget that we miss the point...
If there is a desire to tackle this simply because it's a challenge, I get that too. Try looking into a "cantenna". It's a way of extending WiFi signal range, sometimes quite significantly (into the mile+ range, if memory serves). A cantenna on the mailbox and one on the house and Bob's your uncle!


What thickness drywall do I need for 24" OC wall studs in a detached garage? I am currently finishing an older 3-car detached garage.  Both the wall studs and the ceiling trusses have 24" OC spacing.

I know that for the ceiling, I'll need to use 5/8" thick drywall, due to the 24" spacing, and sagging that would occur over time as moisture hits the drywall (which will happen in a detached garage).  However, for the walls, our local code allows for 1/2" wallboard for 24" OC studs.  But wouldn't I have the same issues as with the ceiling?  Thoughts?  (I am not opposed to the price- it is only about $30 difference to use all 5/8".  However it is easier to hang 1/2")

You actually have a couple of options in this case.  The easiest option would be to simply use 12 ft sheets of 5/8 fire rated sheetrock and rent a lift to do the ceiling with.  A lift is very easy to use and almost makes it a one person job.  Personnally, I'd also use 5/8 on the walls as well. As BMitch already mentioned, mount the wall sheets horizonally and stagger the vertical joints.  You can use 2X4 nailers, (fire breaks) at the 4ft OC point, but not really necessary.  You will not see any bowing or cupping with 5/8" at 24" OC on walls.

The second, and BEST option would be to install 3/4" strapping 12" OC across the field of the ceiling, and around the parameter.  This will give you a lot more surface area to screw the drywall to and make aligning joints a lot easier, especially if the 24" joists are not perfectly spaced or square. Putting up strapping is quick and easy if you have a nail gun. Use 4D ring nails. Ring nails will hold tight and not loosen over time.

Hint: Use a chalk line on rock to mark backer locations before you hang it, or you can also mark the location of your joists or strapping on the wall before you lift the rock into place. Secure the rock with a few screws to hold it in place, then  use the marks to snap a quick chalk line marking the location of your strapping. This will assure you hit a solid spot with every screw. Ceiling screws should be no more than 16 inches apart.


6/3 Wire to a 100 amp sub panel, how many breakers? I have a 100 amp sub panel being fed a 6/3 cable.  The main Panel has a two pole 60 amp breakers.
How many breakers can I have, or how many amps can I have?  All the outlets/receptacles will be 120v. Can I use twins? What is my limit?
This is for a shed with power tools, fairly light use.  I just want lights and 120 volt outlets attached to the Sub panel.
Thanks,
-Greg
Edit please... I'm looking for direct answers, not what I should change. I have 6x spaces can I put 6x 20amp breakers? I had two electricians suggest I can't but wouldn't tell me why.

If you’re thinking about twin breakers, it’s because you got too small a panel. Stop right now before you sink any more work into it, and get a much bigger panel.  Spaces are dirt cheap right now, and it’s one place you should splurge.
And it’s fine for the subpanel busing to be much larger than the feed breaker.  It’s a safety margin, 130 mph tires are safer than 85 mph tires even if you never drive 85 mph.
Your ability to use twin breaker depends on your local Electrical Code and any requirements it has for AFCI on any breaker or GFCI on 2-pole breakers.  Those are not available in double-stuff breakers, so you must plan a full space for each of those circuits.  Nowadays that will be most circuits, so I advise to just forget about twins.
Since you will certainly never use all circuits at once at full power, you can put quite a lot in a panel. Having 16 120V circuits would not be unreasonable.


Come along (Hoist Puller) vs Ratchet Strap Does a Ratchet Strap rated at 10,000 pounds such as this one really have 5 times the pulling strenght of a "comealong" winch rated at 2 ton such as this one?

Ratchet straps are much cheaper, and a few feet of pulling is all I need.

You might be confusing rated working load with the actual ability to pull. The comealong has a much longer lever arm and is therefore better suited to manually pull loads. The ratchet strap, on the other hand, is intended for transport. It's designed to handle dynamic loading of cargo on trucks, etc.

The bottom line is that they serve different purposes and you should select the one that meets your functional needs the best.


How To Fix Severed Sprinkler Solenoid Wire? I re-opened my sprinkler system this season to discover that one of the zones would not go off on it's own.  After visually inspecting the valves, I see that the issue is that one of the two wires that connects to the problem zone's solenoid has been severed.  Not sure what happened - maybe an animal chewed through it or weather destroyed it, but it is severed right near the solenoid connection, making standard splicing and fixing impossible from what I can tell.

How do I fix this?  Do I need to solder the wire back on?  That was the only thing I could think of, but wanted another opinion before taking any irreversible action.

The solenoid coil assembly of many sprinkler valves is replaceable. This allows repair to occur without having to remove/replace the plumbing part of the valve assembly.

If you have a similar type spare valve unit you could also consider swapping the solenoid coil off of it to replace the one with the damaged wire.

You could try repairing the broken wire if there is a short stub of the metallic conductor still sticking out of the molded casing of the solenoid coil. This would require careful cleaning and preparation of the stub and the wire end and include the use of a good electrical soldering flux to enable the solder to stick to the wires which may very well be rather corroded at the present time. If you do solder it will be required that you securely anchor the rest of the wire pigtail to the coil body to make sure there is no stress on the solder joint. This could be one or two zip ties around the coil to hold the wire against the body. After soldering clean up the area around the joint with flux remover and degunk the coil body too. Then apply some non-conductive epoxy over the joint and over on to the coil body to seal up the joint to the weather. Do not use common silicon sealer to cover the wire joint because it has a weak acid in it that can cause the wire and solder joint to become corroded under the sealer. (I warn of the sealer type that has a vague vinegar odor before the stuff has set up).


Securement requirements for ENT conduit: Is this a code violation? I'm building out a homelab and got permission from my Electrician to install a bunch of ENT "smurf tubes" everywhere for low voltage applications. Some lines running to the front of the house for possible future Fiber to the Door, and some running to low voltage wall plates for cameras or Access Points. I memorized Article 362 of the NEC and much of the other relevant chapters just to be sure I was doing it right.
I followed section 362.20 to a T, and secured it every 3 feet.
While I was out today the electrician came by and told a family member that some of installations where in violation of code. Something about how I didn't secure my conduit enough, it can't be attached to the sheathing, and has to be secured within 1 foot a junction box. Annoyingly no one wrote down what he said, no one can remember what he actually said, he isn't answering is phone and neither is his company. I tried calling the electrical inspectors office to ask them some questions but they aren't picking up either.
It's practically the weekend, so I'd like to get this fixed and learn what my code violations are if any.

The other low voltage wires are secured independently. The hole will be filled with fire blocking. Does the conduit need to be secured closer to the hole in the top plate?

Ignore the Coax cables, they are just temporarily placed for now. Does this conduit need to be secured closer to the Structured Media Center?

Can this conduit be secured to the cross-member of the rafter?

Can conduit be secured to the sheathing of an exterior wall?

I'm most interested in learning the NEC, If you could could quote me the section number of any violations I have I would be most interested. If I'm just violating a best practice and not necessarily the NEC, let me know.

The NEC doesn't require support within a foot of termination, but there may be some state or local amendment that may modify 362.30.
As far as attaching to sheathing I can't think of wording in the code that directly addresses that specifically, but an inspector would likely claim that the sheeting is not structurally sound for support, which would create a building code violation or not installed per UL.
Section 300.4 needs to be addressed, a couple holes and supports look like they might be closer than 1.25" to the edge of a wood penetration, you would need nail plates.


Who would one hire to make a cabinet door that matches existing cabinets? Who would one hire to make a cabinet door that matches existing cabinets?
Is this even plausible, something a carpenter or cabinet maker would entertain?

I bought some nice cabs from a relatively big name brand, but I need doors for a framed-in area and I would like these door to match in style and paint.

Is this possible and if paint matching is a pain, is it reasonable to ask the manufacturer for paint specification (they're big, but contactable and responsive, but sadly do not do custom sized doors)?

Carpenters don't usually do custom cabinetry--it requires a special skillset and some specialized tools. Some do, of course, and if you find a high-caliber handyperson he or she could probably get the job done.

A better bet is probably a local custom cabinet shop. They'll have the tooling required to match your design, edge profile, etc., and they'll be more likely to have the products on hand to create the wood finish to match your existing. They're also likely to be more expensive than the handyperson due to overhead costs.

Certainly ask your cabinet seller what they can tell you about finish products. A good cabinet shop won't need it, but it's probably helpful to have anyway. Otherwise just leave one of your doors with the shop while they do your project.


What solutions exist for opening and closing a window very high up? We have a room with a high ceiling and a set of four windows.

The windows start at about 7 feet.

The person who lives in the room is not tall and currently has to use a ladder to open and close them.

They are essential for that room's ventilation so she needs to be able to open them completely. It does, however, not matter which way they open (to one of the sides, or up, or down).

What affordable approaches exist to open a window in this height, from down below?

We realize we will probably have to replace the windows in any case.

To make it even more challenging, underneath the windows is a bed so there are limits to moving sideways to open and close the window.

It would be acceptable to have only one or two windows open-able.

They have to be reasonably secure against intrusion (i.e., they need to snap shut somehow.)

What we've considered:

a lever system that leads up to the window, like so I think. Not suitable because these systems typically only tilt the window and we need it fully open (80-90°).
sliding windows - an option, but how would we slide them from below, and how can we prevent opening from outside?
an approach using a motor - an option, but we can't think of a concrete implementation.
a rope winch-like approach, with a winch opening and closing the window - interesting, but how could the window snap shut, and be opened again, from below?

Ideas would be most welcome.

The usual approach is a "crank-type" casement window with a loop in place of the crank handle, and a hook on a pole (try "clerestory pole crank" as a search term) that engages the loop. There are also hex-type versions that use a flexible shaft inside the pole. Or, these days, motors. I'd suggest the hook on a pole, I view motors in this sort of application as things likely to fail and then make the motorized windows useless as they will probably be hard to replace when they fail. Or they'll leave you with inoperable windows during a power outage.... But it is an option.

A hook or hex style operator pole (image from BlaineWindow.com):

I can't make out how the current windows are operated - they might be able to be retrofitted with operators of that type, rather than replacing the whole window, if the only reason for replacing them would be to make them operable from below.

The style that @TDHofstetter mentions, with a catch that's operable by a hook (image from calaifornia-classics.com):


Portable power distribution box A power distribution box would be nice for connecting different loads to a generator at an off-grid job or camp site. But commercial units are big, heavy, and expensive, and they offer some features I don't need, while lacking some of the connections I'd like.
Here's an example of a commercial product.
Could I build a safe, simpler, cheaper version of this myself?
My generator is rated for 40 A peak, 30 A continuous. Its 240 V output is on a NEMA 14-50 receptacle with a 40 A breaker. Like the commercial products, my box would have a suitable generator inlet, and I'd connect the generator to the box with an extension cord.
I'd like a distribution box with another 14-50, a duplex 5-20, a 6-50, and maybe a 6-20. I anticipate using the box with other equipment that needs to be sheltered from weather, so while a weatherproof enclosure might be nice to have, I don't require it.
What would make a suitable enclosure?
What should I use as connectors internally? I've seen terminal blocks but not with insulated jumpers rated for this current. I've also seen set-screw connectors with a cover that looks like a wire nut.
My understanding is that the generator breaker will protect my box from overcurrent, but should I use GFCI outlets for the 5-20s? Is there other protection I should incorporate? Any opinions about the usefulness of a power switch at the box?
Should the components be rated for 50 A like the generator outlet, even though it's on a 40 A breaker? Is there some standard derating applied here?

You absolutely need breakers for the 5-20 and 6-20 receptacles - can't connect those directly to a 40A breaker with any hint of safety. And all the outputs would benefit from GFCI protection, given that you plan outside use; clearly required on the 5-20s and highly advisable on the other outlets.
So, you need a subpanel, at least.
Given a 50A input connector, "your intended use with a 40A generator" is moot - someone could plug this thing into a 50A receptacle, so your provisioning, wire size and protection scheme needs to be based on that case. If (common, but can't be assumed, has to be checked) your 50A devices have connections rated for 75°C you can wire them with 8 Ga copper or 6Ga aluminum and suitable wirenuts or Polaris connectors, or split nuts insulated with tape if you want to go old-school (you probably don't.)
Your 20A stuff, on the far side of the 20A breakers feeding it, can be 12Ga copper.
Depending on your choice of subpanel, you might be able to simply attach a few 4x4 boxes to it to hold the inlet and receptacles. Otherwise you'll end up mounting them all (subpanel and boxes for receptacles/inlet) to a suitable substrate, such as a hunk of plywood, or a plywood box. Size the plywood box right and your inlet cord will fit into it.


multi tester showing 10 volts on in active wire I have a line into a junction box and 14-3 going out to switch. tester shows 0 volts between ground and neutral on line in, however when I connect hot only at junction box I show 10 volts on all other wires including the ground.

Unsure why this would be, I completed all the connection and put the switches and light on and everything works but I still show 10 volts on the inactive wire at the 3-way switch. As I said it all works but I'm still not comfortable  with this and unsure why 10 volts is showing up

Do-de-do-doo....

The spooky 10V you are seeing is a "ghost" or "phantom" voltage, capacitively coupled from the hot wire, that your meter can measure due to the meter's high impedance, but can't do anything as it has no current (energy) behind it.  Some modern meters have a "LoZ" function on them that lowers the input impedance to get rid of these phantom voltages.


Will a single ductless mini-split heat pump be able to distribute its air evenly throughout my ranch house? I am in the middle of a deep energy retrofit of my house, and a quick-and-dirty online manual J calculation of the projected loads once my projects are completed shows an estimated heating and cooling load of only 13,000 BTUs, compared to the current baseline of 41,000 heating / 28,000 BTUs cooling.

Since this is such a small number, my existing 125,000 BTU furnace will become even more ludicrously oversized than it is now. So I'm considering replacing it with a single ductless mini-split heat pump.

Here's my quandry: the numbers alone say that a single-headed heat pump unit should easily be able to handle both the projected heating and cooling loads. But I'm worried about getting the conditioned air consistently into the three bedrooms, which in typical ranch house fashion, are on the other side of the house from the living area, accessed through a hallway. The living area will probably be fine, but I'm worried that the bedrooms might not get enough of the conditioned air, even with a sealed and well-insulated building envelope (R-26 walls, R-50 ceiling, R-20 footing insulation).

If a single unit will be enough, where should I put the unit? In the living area above the entrance to the hallway? If a single unit won't be enough, would a double-headed unit with a single outside compressor work? Where should I put the other unit?

Maybe. It depends on your climate, comfort range, and behavior.

You may be able to get away without supplemental heat sources if you can tolerate temperatures 10ºF or more above or below the setpoint and if you keep the bedroom doors open most of the time. Are you planning on installing an HRV or ERV? If so, that will help with mixing. Cooling can be more difficult to distribute because of solar gains. I'm writing mainly with heating in mind because that is my experience.

Note that even if your MSHP rated heating capacity is sufficient for your calculated heating load, you'll want to make sure it has enough capacity at the design temperature. Some units maintain capacity pretty well at cold temperatures (Mitsubishi FH series and Fujitsu RLS2-H series), but others do not.

Most people who attempt single-point-source heating with MSHPs install electric resistance heaters in other rooms and/or install a circulation fan to assist with mixing of air.

Supplement with electric resistance heaters

Common options here include electric baseboards, radiant cove heaters, and wall-mounted panel radiators (plug-in or hardwired). Occupant control here is key because you want to maximize usage of the MSHP and only use the resistance heaters when necessary.

For my 1000 sf ranch semi-deep energy retrofit with MSHP, I plan on installing radiant cove heaters in the bedrooms and bathroom. The bedroom heaters will be controlled by line voltage programmable thermostats (e.g. Honeywell P-8001) set lower than the MSHP, and only at night when bedroom doors will be closed. The bathroom heater will probably just get a cheap dial thermostat. Dana Dorsett on GBA talks about using occupancy sensors to control the radiant cove heaters.

Use a circulation fan to help mix air

Some people use low-wattage bath fans (e.g. Panasonic WhisperGreen) to pull air from the living space and supply it to the bedrooms. This still might not be enough to keep the bedrooms close to the heating setpoint because the supply air delta T is so small (only 5–10ºF). If you do room-by-room heat calcs (part of the official Manual J spreadsheet), you can compare the room design heat loads to the Q=1.08*CFM*DT for the circulation fan airflow, to help determine if this is sufficient or you need to supplement with electric resistance heaters.

Some people might not like having a bath fan grille in their living room, even if it is decorative. And running the ducts can be tricky, especially if your R-50 ceiling insulation is already installed. I'm thinking about installing a variable-speed in-line fan in my (unvented, conditioned) crawlspace to distribute air to the bedrooms from the living room. You can't beat the low-watt draw of the WhisperGreen bath fan though.

You probably would not want to use your existing furnace fan and ducts to help distribute the air because it is likely an inefficient motor and duct leakage would be bad if your ducts are in unconditioned space.

Location of single indoor head

In the main living area sounds like a good location. Here's what to think about:

You want it to be able to "see" into as many rooms as possible.
Length of the refrigerant lines running between the indoor and outdoor units is also a consideration. There's an efficiency penalty above 25 ft. The Mitsubishi comes pre-charged with refrigerant for up to 25 ft. Lines longer than that need more refrigerant to be added.
Installation on exterior walls is much easier than interior walls.


Broken cabinet door.. Need help in identifying the part My cabinet door is not holding in place any more because of a plastic broken part.

I have also attached a pic of the same part that is intact for the other door.

I am not sure what is the name of the part that is broken and needs replacement..  Could anyone help please?

I don't think you'll find those anymore, they're pretty old. But, they're called Cabinet Brackets/Braces, Plastic Brackets/Braces, Screw Blocks, Angle Brackets/Braces, Modesty Blocks.

I'd suggest the left Metal L-bracket below & screw in a new location, just to the left or right. Unless, the old holes still hold strong & can actually tighten down very well with no slipping or spinning.


My plumber installed my hot water baseboard backward. The feed and return are hooked up backward. What problems will this cause? I believe my hot water baseboard heater was hooked up wrong. The feed and return are opposite. The plumber said it's not a problem as we'll still get heat. Is that so, because we don't get a lot of heat from the heater. Please advise.

Assuming it's a hot-water baseboard heater, there should be no problem from which way the water goes. It's a rather simple machine (pipe with heat dissipators) so it couldn't care less which direction the hot water is flowing.

What could be an issue is if a bleeder valve was installed on the output side and not the intake side. Typically the intake side would collect more air to bleed.


Problem with parallel flow The problem is that there is no water at the outlet when pump is working. When I disconnected 3/4" pipe that was in parallel to 1" pipe, and left 1" pipe only, the water showed up at the outlet and flow was ok? What was wrong with this parallel piping? Please explain that to me.

Sometimes centrifugal pumps (those with a spinning impeller) will cavitate when there is a discharge path too big to supply back pressure, and/or if there is not enough suction pressure. Cavitation will result in low or no flow, and will usually be accompanied by pump noise. You may be operating the pump outside of it's design parameters (pump curve).

See if you can recreate the "no water" scenario, then slowly close off the pump discharge partially to provide some back pressure (which is what it sounds like you did when you blocked/removed the flow path to the 3/4" pipe). If the pump is cavitating do not run it for too long like that or it could be damaged.


How do I go about fixing an apartment buzzer? My apartment's buzzer has stopped working. I can use the intercom and buzz people in but if someone presses the button outside I hear nothing. What's likely the problem here and how can I go about fixing it?

I would report it to maintenance/landlord, it isn't something you installed to the unit so it isn't your responsibility to repair it.

Plus, the issue isn't even necessarily at the end in your unit, there could be a problem with the button at the front door, wiring issue between, etc.

Typically to test wiring issues you need access to both ends as you will need to loop one end and test conductivity from the other.

Aside from if the buzzer device itself went out, I'm not sure what you could fix on just your end, and that would require a part replacement that you don't need to pay for.