How do I remove paint from a porous table top? I bought an unfinished kitchen set and had previously painted it white.  We decided after a year that we wanted a bit of a different look.  So, we decided we wanted the contrast of a natural or stained table top while leaving the rest of the piece white.  I figured I'd just sand the top down and then decide on a stain color followed by 5 or 6 coats of polyurethane.

I've put some serious effort into sanding the table-top.  From a distance, it looks good.  But as you get close, you can see the white specs dotted throughout the table.

I figured just more sanding would do the trick.  After about another 40 minutes of sanding w/ an electric sander w/ 60 grit paper, the good majority of the dots are still there.  I guess i didn't figure that the wood was so porous.

The gentleman at my local hardware store pointed me toward a paint stripper called Zip Strip and said to scrape and steel wool after I apply that.

Before I crack open the bottle of the stripper, I wanted to see if there was anything I was missing.

Is this stripper combined with the scraping & steel wool going to be worth it?
Am I better off just continuing to sand or is that a lost cause?
Should I just refinish the top back to white and call it a day?

I'm sorry, but I don't know the exact species of wood.

The paint stripper could be helpful but there is no guarantee, especially after you have sanded it quite a bit already. The stripper may get down into the porous parts of the wood and congeal the paint so as to make it come out. I would say that it is certainly worth a try in a small area to see if it helps. You'll know in short order if it would be worth the effort to go over the whole surface with the stripper. I give it a maybe 20 to 30% chance of making some difference.

If you do take on using the stripper....

move the table to a very well ventilated area with no open flames or
pilot lights
wear good quality rubber gloves that extend well up over your wrists
make sure to wear clothing that covers bare skin where ever the
stripper could splash
wear eye protection
use care with disposal of the paper towels, rags and steel wool that
you use with the stripper

Just to comment on your sanding effort. You did not specify how big the table is but 40 minutes of sanding with a small orbital sander using 60 grit paper over a large area is not really that much sanding. You have come this far so you may want to give it another go at further sanding. Do change your paper often as this can make a huge difference on how well the paper removes the wood. Also note that after sanding with 60 grit paper so much you will need to sand it with successively finer grits all the way to 220 or finer to get the surface in excellent shape for your poly finish.


How should I connect my new motion-detecting light switch? I bought a Legrand RRW600U motion-detecting light switch and I could use some help wiring it to my bathroom light.  It's a renovation so I have complete access to the ceiling, wall, and floor framing.

The switch has three wires in the back (black, red, and yellow) and a single green(ish) screw.  The bathroom light has three wires:  black, white, and bare copper.  I am installing new, 14/2 non-metallic sheathed cable to connect the service panel to the switch to the light.

Both the printed instructions and the only YouTube video I could find seem to assume that the electrical circuit passes through the light before terminating in the switch.  I would like my circuit to pass through the switch and terminate in the light.

How would I wire the switch to the light in that setup?

Run cable from the panel to the switch and another from the switch to the light. Connect the supply cable black to the switch's black wire with a wirenut. Connect the light cable's black wire to the red wire with a wirenut. Connect together the white wires with a wirenut , not connecting to the switch. Connect together the the green wires along with a separate short piece of green or bare wire with a wirenut. This short wire goes to the green screw. The yellow wire is not connected; cover the end with a wirenut.

At the light, connect black to black, white to white and green to ground.


how to replace leaking tub/shower faucet stem I have 20+ old tub/shower faucet. Can't recognize brand.
Please advise how to remove leaking valve so I can replace it. I tried to Google but didn't find anything similar with what I have.

As shown in your photograph, “MIXET” is the brand of faucet.
Apparently “Brasscraft” makes spare parts for MIXET brand faucets.  In the USA, Brasscraft is widely available at “big box” home-improvement stores.  Your locally owned, independent hardware store may carry compatible parts too.
There are tutorials available online for this brand.  Start here:

Although the Mixet company is no longer in business, shower valves made by the company are easy to repair by just replacing the cartridge.

https://www.thespruce.com/replace-a-mixet-shower-cartridge-2718990

And

“How to repair MIXET tub/shower valve”

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iQuq3MRlzlM


Lens filter for recessed light Our recessed lights are way too harsh. I was thinking that some sort of a lens or a filter would be the cheapest way to fix that, but I have no clue about what kind of recessed lighting we have (or even the diameter). A picture is attached. The outer ring is roughly 5" in diameter, the inside ring is a bit more than 3 1/2", and the light itself is 1 1/2".

Is it possible to fit a filter to these lights? Is that our cheapest option to reduce the harsh glare?

Those are spotlight type fixtures, so that's a "feature" of the design. Not that you can't disagree with whatever designer put them in.

Replacing the bulb would probably be the most effective (and safe - those fixtures can get very hot, and putting a "filter" over them will probably increase the heat, possibly to an unsafe level.) I do see that there is a thing sold to fit over the bulb as a "soft focus lens", but I'd be wary of the heat.

If looking at entire replacement fixtures, you've probably got nominal "4 inch" (size of the hole in the ceiling) fixtures. Depending what you've got going on for LED subsidies in your area, you may be able to find a complete LED replacement fixture for not much more than a replacement bulb, and it might be "less harsh" (that's something of a personal taste call - go look at what's available to you.) If you use the lights much, you may also save a good deal on electricity by doing that.

The bulb in there now is one of the standard halogens - I think it's an "MR16" - you'd look for what you can find to fit in an LED replacement, but they are often made to "mimic" the halogen lights as much as possible (so they will probably be harsh.) Some, however, do claim (and appear) to be more diffuse.


How can I remotely monitor a GFCI receptacle? How can a sump pump in a crawl space only accessible by crawling down a hole in a closet have its GFCI protected outlet monitored from the living room?

I am imagining the best way to run the pump is to run a dedicated 20 amp circuit to the pump outlet and put in a GFCI breaker. The breaker could be reset up in the utility room. If the pump is plugged into a GFCI receptacle in the crawl space the homeowners would have no idea it tripped and would have to crawl under the house to check on it and rest it.

The problem of checking on the GFCI is a little easier if they only have to look in their breaker box.

But I would like to be able to have some sort of indication in the living space so that they could see more easily that the GFCI had tripped. The crawl space is on an island and it is a busy pump.

I imagined putting a light in the living room in a box like a switch would be installed. The light would get its power fed through the outlet the pump was running on. If the GFCI tripped off and the outlet lost power, and the pump went off so would the light. What is the best light device of this nature that could serve this purpose? Is there a better way to deal with this sump pump?

There are GFCI outlets that have indicator LEDs on them, like this one:

If you put this in the living space, then connect the sump receptacle (a normal, non-GFCI receptacle) to the "load" side of this outlet, it will also be protected. If it trips, the light will be out and you'll know it.

To make it more obvious, you could plug a nightlight into this outlet.

Even better, plug in an "emergency rechargeable flashlight": the kind that plug into the wall, but turn on automatically when you unplug them or the power goes out.

This would more readily draw attention: if the light is on, there is a problem.


How can I remove paint from an indoor brick wall? I have a red brick wall that was painted. I need to figure out an easy method of removing the paint without damaging the brick. Are there any tried and true methods?

One thing to remember is that these bricks have a lot of pores!

From what I understand, sandblasting works best, but requires serious machinery/produces huge amounts of dust and noise. Next up is "dry ice blasting" (pellets of dry ice are shot at the wall where they explode, and remove the paint). This is also loud, expensive, and can damage the bricks. You can also just sand the wall with various hand tools (VERY labor intensive).


Goodman furnace flames out after 5 mins from cold start Problem with Goodman Furnace flaming out. After it has been off for about an hour it will flame out after it starts and runs for 5-10 min before it satisfies themo setting. Restarts and finishes cycle. Next time it will usually run thru cycle. Pipes are two inch and run 31 feet out back of condo. Will run fine after a few cycles.

This is a Gas Furnace. Goodman GMSS960603BN Model no. 96% PSC UF New. Single stage,up flow. Has 2 inch pipe that runs out the back of condo. 31 feet. Two pipes, intake air and vent pipe. Manual say can use 2 inch pipe with 4- 90 degree elbows and run 30 ft. HAD 2 TECHS that say it is pipe problem. Why will it run full cycle most of the time. Then act up after it has been off cycle for about an hour or longer. Condensation water is draining. No kinks in hoses in furnace. Flame out t(All burners stop producing flame. Since is new pressure switch and control board have not been checked. I now have intake pipe off and use house air to get heat. Getting ready to have a 3 rd tech come in and go over everything. Any suggestion to tell him, will be appreciated.

We had a brand new Goodman furnace in our new condo do something similar a year after we bought our brand new condo. It would flame out multiple times, and then randomly decide to start working again. I'm not knowledgeable at all regarding anything HVAC, but I tried diagnosing all the different switches/sensors and came to my own conclusion that it was the control board as everything else appeared fine.

Asked for a technician to come and check it out and bring a replacement board; They forgot/neglected to bring the board, ran the same checks as I did and a bit more, but couldn't determine the problem. I rescheduled, this time insisting more assertively to bring a replacement board; They did on the second attempt and it has worked fine ever since.

Those hardware boards seem to be quite unreliable from what I've heard. It can't hurt to ask them to bring a replacement board to see if that fixes the issue.


What should I do about paint flaking away from an area with moisture in the wall? We have a very old cottage (built in 1650) that we have just completely refurbished from top to bottom. Because it is stone & brick and had a major problem with damp when we first purchased it, we stripped all of the walls back to brick and redone with a lime cement plaster to let the walls breathe.

As such, we didn't seal the plaster (as this would have negated the breathability) and painted with a microporous paint (Laura Ashley Pale Duck Egg). This has been fine absolutely everywhere, except one corner of the kitchen that backs onto an outside store. In this corner, the paint very quickly started to peel and flake away only a couple of months after applying it.

There is a lot more wall that backs onto the outside store, but it's only this small corner that has a problem; however we also appear to be developing a similar issue in a small spot on the opposite wall, which backs straight onto the outside at the front of the house.

Obviously I want to repaint it, but without it happening again and again. Does anyone have any ideas?

For reference, here's an ASCII drawing of the corner:

        ___          |  ____________
        | |          | |
 Side   | | Outside  | |
 Of     | | Store    | |
 House  | |          / |
        | |________/  /
        | __________/
        | |
        | | \
        | |  The problem area
        | |  (Inside kitchen)
        | |___
        |  ___|
        | |
        | |

Any help or suggestions would be very much appreciated.

It sounds like the dampness is still a problem in that particular area because it is a corner adjoining the external wall and the store area.  Is this part of the house in shadow for a lot of the day?

Check the external ground area surrounding the outside store.  If the ground is clay or compacted it might not be helping in that it is storing water.  Perhaps better drainage there.
Some form of heating in the store area to keep it at a similar temperature to the kitchen e.g. condensation happens in that part of the kitchen because of the cold store area on the other side of that particular wall.
Perhaps a better seal on the door and windows in the store to keep it warmer in general.
Put a faux wall in the back of the store to buffer the cold air away from the wall that is adjoining the kitchen.
A robust kitchen extractor to remove as much steam as possible from cooking.


What to use as a knee high wall sill I removed the sill that was on top of the knee wall between my shower and bath tub. It seems to be made from some carbonate/plastic. I cannot find anything similar anywhere. I dont even know what they call it.

What can I use for this and where can I get them..? I really dont want to tile and I'm not wanting to use granite.

There are many PVC trim and moulding options out there that would be perfect for this. PVC is now engineered to look like wood or stone, but it is non-porous so it will never warp due to moisture. Google "PVC trim" or "PVC moulding" to shop for some near you.


Installing new panels in concrete fence posts with overhanging tree branches I need to install some new fence panels into concrete posts, the kind with a slot intended to allow you to drop panels in from above, however there are overhanging trees that will render this traditional method of installing the panels impossible.  I've tried removing the strips of wood at the top and bottom of the panel that keep it rigid and bending them in, but I'm unable to bend them far enough to get them into place (maybe with assistance I'd be able to do this, but unfortunately I'll have to do this job by myself).  Are there any other tricks I might be able to use to get the panels into the slots?

Cut the panels (horizontally) into strips short enough (vertically) to slip between the limbs and the top of the posts. Stack as many strips as needed to get the full height.

So if you have 2 feet of clearance and 6 foot tall panels, cut them in to 3 strips, insert each strip. If you have 3 feet of clearance, cut them in half. If you have 18" of clearance, 4 parts...one variant of the type of fence you describe uses strips (boards or sometimes concrete "boards" when going for a "never have to do that again" method) that are only 6" or so tall. Stack 12 of those and you've got your 6 feet (tall.)


Is CD 12R 12 gage stranded wire suitable for use in an electric oven? I have a spool of CD 12R 12 gage stranded wire, Standard Motor Products, spiffy spool.

Is this wire suitable to replace the wire from L2 to the controller in an electric oven?

The oven is the one in: Electric oven: Bake and Broil not Working  and  electric oven bake element gets warm but does not get hot.

Use a dual-rated (TFFN/AWM) wire suitable for 105°C

The bad news is you have the wrong wire (UL listed wires are marked, and your replacement wire isn't, so it's no good).  The good news is that we know two things here:

This wire is replacing wire within an appliance, so UL-listed Appliance Wiring Material (AWM) is the correct family of things to use
We have the old wire's temperature rating (105°C)

Thus, we can safely use a dual-rated 16AWG stranded wire (TFFN/AWM) that has a 105°C rating when used in an AWM application -- most TFFN sold today will be of the dual-rated type, but double-check the printing on the wire when you're buying it to make sure.


What reasons are there to rewire an ungrounded circuit instead of adding GFCI protection? The NEC allows replacing non-grounding-type (2-prong) receptacles with grounding-type (3-prong) receptacles by adding GFCI protection at the breaker or first outlet.

What reasons might there be for wanting to upgrade the circuit wiring to include an equipment grounding conductor (EGC) instead of, or in addition to, adding GFCI protection? (alluded to in this answer)

Specifically, I'm curious about:

Safety - In what scenarios does an EGC provide protection (from electric shock, fires, etc.) where a GFCI does not?
Can an EGC help prevent damage to computer or audio equipement?
Could an EGC reduce noise/static from audio equipment?

Points one and two, I can't make a definitive answer but generally when a ground is not provided a GFCI provides acceptable protection.

As for point 3, grounding issues are a major source of noise/static.  If the item is not grounded the metal case around the device will be very ineffective in shielding the device from EM interference.  Likewise, any EM interference the device creates will be poorly contained within the case.

Another source of grounding on audio/video equipment is referred to as "ground loops".  Pretty much all audio/video cables use a grounded jacket around a central wire to shield it from EM interference and this jacket also connects different pieces of equipment together on the ground.  If two pieces of equipment happen to be grounded to two different sources, a small electrical current can be transmitted across the grounding jackets causing a lot of noise on the lines.


Where do I place drywall screws when fixing nail pops? I have a few nail pops I would like to fix and want to be sure I am putting the screws in the right place.  The nail pops are along the edge of the ceiling where it meets the angled portion of a ceiling that connects to a dormer (see pictuere).  The pops are about 15-16" apart.  Do the screws go on either side of the nail head (1 - 2 inches away) along the line where the two drywall pieces meet, or perpendicular to that?  Basically, do the screws go along the red line in the picture, or along the black line?

Considering that this occurred on the ceiling beneath a roof space I wonder whether you're seeing the effects of a phenomenon called truss uplift. It's a very normal occurrence. In a nutshell, varying temperature and moisture content in the wood members of a roof truss can cause the lower chord to lift upward; it then floats above interior walls. When the truss moves up in this way one (or both) of two things happens: the drywall stays down with the wall and the nails back out from the truss, or the drywall moves with the truss, tears the joint tape, and a crack appears. If the nails back out from the wood when the truss lifts up then when the season changes the truss chord will relax downward and push the nail through the finish.

The solution is this: don't fasten drywall to the truss within 12-16 inches of an interior wall. One could drive the nails back in but they'll pop again. One could use screws that won't back out but it'll fail in some other, possibly worse way.

If you have access to the roof space above this place you could attach wood blocking to the top of the wall between the trusses. Remove those nails that popped (and don't replace them) and instead fasten the drywall to the new blocking.

If you don't have access to the roof space then just remove those nails and patch the texture.

Here are a few nice articles on truss uplift: Trim-Tex Drywall Products, Building Science, and Pro Builder.


Noisy breaker, whats the reason One breaker started making a noise every time after i put it on, sometimes its immediately after switching it to on and sometimes it starts after a few seconds, and after a while the noise gets lower but consists til switched off.
Is the breaker broken? Do I have to change it?

Last thing you want is a dodgy circuit breaker. I suggest that you replace it so when and if you ever have need for that breaker to protect a circuit you can depend upon it to work properly.

I got the impression from reading your posting that you are using this circuit breaker as a regular switching function. Be aware that some breakers are not intended to be used as regular switches. Others may be designed to work correctly. Please see the accepted answer on this posting for further information.


No electric in my garage My electricity in my garage went out recently. The UF wires are buried righht next to a large tree, so im assuming the roots had something to do with it. Well it rained for 2 days straight and my lights came on, so im thinking the water is acting a the connector. I dug a section of it up and it was a metal pipie with a white wire running along the side. In the garage theres a pipe that comes up and has 2 black wires(romex) and a white UF. Im thinking black is hot,nuetral and white is ground. My question is its probaly the ground thats cut by the tree so can i just get a new grounding rod for next to the garage and cut at house and pull up the bad one? Thanks in advace.

No. While ground may be tied to the earth, it's also connected back to the source (distribution transformer).  Electricity doesn't flow from the transformer to the earth, it flows from the transformer back to the transformer.

Only connecting the grounding conductor to the earth, will not provide an effective ground-fault path.  So a ground-fault will not trip the breaker, as it should.

Without more information, it's difficult to tell exactly what's going on with your installation. My recommendation would be to contact a local licensed Electrician, unless you have the tools and knowledge to troubleshoot the problem yourself.


How do I repaint a bathroom that was originally painted with oil (possible lead) then latex? The home was originally constructed in 1955. Since I have no way of knowing when the original paint job was done on this bathroom, I cannot easily determine if the old oil-based paint contains lead or not. So what do you suggest when my goal is to remove the peeling latex as well as to prep the underlying oil-based painted surface for either latex or acrylic when there is a chance the old surface might contain lead? I want the safest and best method possible that I can do myself. without having to call in a Hazmat team.

You should be able to test the paint for lead content using one of the lead-test kits you can pick up at Home Depot or Walmart. Especially if the oil-based sub-layer is exposed in places. If the first test proves negative it's worth scuffing the paint with some sandpaper and testing again, just to be sure.

If it's lead-free you're home free.

Depending on where you live, and how much area you are doing, there are homeowner lead-paint removal classes that show you how to do the job safely. Not all cities allow this however.


Can I swap out cinch clamps on a piece of PEX pipe? I used a cinch clamp to fit a PEX pipe with a valve. Turns out the valve is too small, so I would like to replace it.

Is it OK to just remove the old clamp, put in the new valve, and put a new cinch clamp on the exact same spot on the pipe as the old clamp?

I'm worried that spot will be flawed in some way because it already had a clamp on it, but there's very little pipe for me to work with.

There is a tool made just to remove cinch clamps from PEX. After removing inspect the pipe for cuts and nicks if there is none you should be ok. If the pipe is damaged you could try cutting the pipe back some install a coupling and replace the bad end


Foundation design for a small cabin I'm planning to build a 14ft x 16ft A-Frame on grade in Vermont this summer. The frost line here is 4ft. My site is at the top of a small, wooded knoll. I know from some exploratory digging that The first 10 - 12in or so of soil is somewhat gravelly forest loam.  Below that is layer of fine sand.  I dug 18 - 24in into this sand, but presumably it continues deeper.

Because the structure I want to build is relatively small, I am considering digging deep enough to rest the foundation on the layer of sand described above. The idea would be to pour nine footings on the sand layer that would serve as the base for short concrete piers to support three carrier beams that would be the base for the structure.

My hope is that the sand will provide adequate enough drainage to prevent freezing and heaving, even though the foundation would be resting above frost line.  I'm also hoping that, given the small footprint of my cabin, the entire structure would float up and down if the ground heaves.

Have others built small structures without getting the foundation below frost line?  How has this worked out for you?

Does the foundation I've described sound reasonable given what I am planning to do, or are there modifications I should make?

Sand (as opposed to larger material with larger pore spaces - e.g. rubble trench foundation, train track ballast rock) will hold enough water to freeze and move.

If your cabin has no plumbing or electrical going into the ground, I have several 8x12 sheds supported by pressure treated lumber piers that are simply set on the surface of the ground (removing the leaves/humus, but not otherwise "digging") which have been fine for 20 years now in a cold climate.

If you do have plumbing or electrical going into the ground, movement can be a problem. Cheap foundation option is basically to go "pole building" style and set treated posts into the ground below frost depth in postholes - they don't need to be concrete piers, but they do need to be below frostline.


Can I use a receptacle and switch for a dishwasher and garbage disposal? I would like to install a receptacle under the sink to control the dishwasher and garbage disposal, with a single pole single throw switch mounted in the wall above the counter top to control the garbage disposal.
In the load center I would like to use a 20 amp GFCI breaker to power the circuit.
I'm using #12/3 romex to feed the circuit.
My question is, would it be better for me to replace the garbage disposal with a unit that has an automatic sensor that activates the disposal when the plug is inserted or turned rather than going to all the trouble of mounting a switch on the wall.
Since the dishwasher and disposal don't run at the same time and the full load amps are less than 14 amps on either appliance, I'm thinking I can just use a 20 amp GFCI receptacle and save on the GFCI breaker.
I would really like a professional opinion on which way proceed.

If you're using 12/3 with ground, non-metallic sheathed cable from the panel to the outlet, you'll have no problem doing what you want.
Materials:

20 ampere double pole combination GFCI circuit breaker.
20 ampere duplex receptacle.
Length of 12/3 with ground non-metallic sheathed cable.
20 ampere single pole single throw switch.
2x single gang boxes.

Procedure:
Pull the cable

Install a length of 12/3 cable between the switch box and the receptacle box.
Install a length of 12/3 cable between the receptacle box and the service panel.

Install the switch

Connect the Bare/Green grounding conductor to the Green grounding screw on the switch.
Connect the Red ungrounded (hot) conductor to the common switching terminals on the switch.
Connect the Black ungrounded (hot) conductor to the switched terminal on the switch.
Use a twist-on wire connectors rated for use with a single 12 AWG conductor to cap off the grounded (neutral) conductor.
Tuck all the wires into the box, and mount the switch.

Install the receptacle

Clip the tab connecting the upper and lower receptacles on the ungrounded (hot) side of the duplex receptacle.
Connect the Bare/Green grounding conductor to the Green grounding screw on the receptacle, and to the Bare/Green grounding conductor from the cable to the switch.
Connect the White grounded (neutral) conductor from the feeder, to one of the grounded (neutral) screw terminals on the receptacle.
Connect the White grounded (neutral) conductor from the cable to the switch, to the other grounded (neutral) screw terminal on the receptacle.
Connect the Black ungrounded (hot) conductor from the feeder to one of the ungrounded (hot) screw terminals on the receptacle.
Connect the Black Ungrounded (hot) switched conductor from the cable to the switch, to the other ungrounded (hot) screw terminal on the receptacle.
Using a twist-on wire connector rated for use with two 12 AWG conductors, splice the two Red ungrounded (hot) conductors together.

Install the breaker

Terminate the Bare/Green grounding conductor to the grounding bus bar.
Install the breaker in the panel (make sure it is in the OFF position).
Terminate the White grounded (neutral) lead from the breaker to the neutral bus bar.
Connect the White grounded (neutral) conductor from the circuit to the neutral terminal of the breaker.
Connect the Black ungrounded (hot) conductor to one of the ungrounded (hot) terminals on the breaker.
Connect the Red ungrounded (hot) conductor to the other ungrounded (hot) terminal on the breaker.

Turn on and test the GFCI breaker

Switch the breaker to the ON position.
Press the TEST button on the breaker.
Switch the breaker back to the ON position.

If the breaker will not switch on, there is a ground-fault, the wiring is wrong, or the breaker is bad.  Detect and correct the fault, and reset the breaker.
tl;dr
Here is an image showing what the finished circuit should look like.

Click for larger view
NOTES:

If using metal boxes, make sure to bond them to the grounding system.
You can also use 12/2 with ground, but you might find that if both devices are run simultaneously, the breaker might trip.


Is corrosion a concern when hanging black iron pipe with copper hangers? Can I hang black gas pipe with copper hangers? Is corrosion a concern?

Example:

Galvanic corrosion is a worry only if there is complete circuit.  With water pipes, cold water running through the line can make the wood conductive, so you use copper tape with copper lines.  Gaslines in the house aren't going to be damp.

If you are worried about it, Insulate it.  Put two turns of duct tape around the pipe whereever you're going to put a hanger.


How can I rewire a light to use three-way switches? I have a light that is operated by two switches. One is upstairs, and the other is down stairs. How can I make the light work by either switch? Currently if I turn the light on down stairs, I cannot turn it off upstairs.

Please advise.

Sounds like a mis-wired 3-way switch. I had one in my house when I moved in that did that. Have a look at my answer to this related question: How should I rewire a miswired 3-way switch?


How to unscrew a screw that I can't access frontally? I need to unscrew a screw that I can't access frontally.
How can I do it?
Googling a bit I was thinking of a Torque Wrench, do you think it's the right choice?

Use an angled (or offset*) screw driver:
Image courtesy of chelseaclockwallpaper.blogspot.com. First reasonably small image I found for what I was after
There are also ratcheting right-angle screwdrivers such as:
Image courtesy of harborfreight.com
If you don't have enough room for even that, use pliers to grip the head. You might use locking pliers (ViceGrip™ is one brand name) depending on how tight the screw is in.
*As noted in a comment by Greg Hill. Thanks!


Can I Install a 60 AMP Breaker and Outlet with 220 - 240 Volts 63 Amp in My Home? I am not an electrician. I am a sysadmin. I am trying to hook up a power-hungry blade server in my home and I am woefully ignorant on the subject. I have researched enough to ask a questions that I believe may be understandable to professionals. I am hoping to get enough information so that I can contact a professional to do the work and waste as little of his or her time as possible.

Here is a picture of my box:

I've read that these things can handle breakers totaling double the amperage of the main fuse. As I understand it, that means that this box can have 200A worth of circuits. By my count this box is at 135. Can this box handle a 60 Amp Breaker?

Furthermore, even if this box can take such a circuit. That's kind of the beginning of the road. According to this document: http://media.community.dell.com/en/dtc/attach/white_paper_c07-443792.pdf

My server should be powered by a 48 Amp Single-Phase (as three-phase is out of the question, according to my wife) Power Distribution Unit, and that the recommended mating receptacle for such a PDU is Hubbell 363R6W 60 Amp.

As far as I've been able to gather, this is the outlet to which they are referring:

https://www.stayonline.com/detail.aspx?id=11661&gclid=CjwKCAiAk4XUBRB5EiwAHBLUMfHDSBq6p2fD5vwVQ9Vvg2bPGYg-EmMhikH0OYumQXcFSWXHSBtDvhoCnPgQAvD_BwE

So, I guess what I'm wondering is, am I crazy?
Is this even possible to do for $1000 or less?

Please also consider the alternate solution.

Alternately, I could have 2 x 30 Amp breakers with the more common NEMA L6‐30R plugs.

I don't really want two special outlets. I'd prefer to have one. But if running a 60 AMP circuit with the unusual Hubbell 363R6W is preposterous, I suppose that would be the only viable solution.

Thanks again for your consideration. Your input is valued, even if you are just laughing at me for being inexperienced.

Since your 100 amp, 240 volt service consists of 100 amp, 120 volt branches, you can have 100 amps of load on each of the two branches. Note that the AC has two 120 volt breakers with the handles connected together. That uses both of the 120 volt branches to make a 30 amp, 240 volt breaker. As shown the box has breakers totaling 75 amps on one branch and 80 amps on the other. If you add a 60 amp, 240 volt breaker you will have 135 amps on one side and 140 amps on the other.

You can have breaker capacity in excess of the main circuit breaker rating based on the assumption that many of the load devices will only be used for short intervals of time during a day. However if the server uses 48 amps all of the time, it would not be difficult to imagine a day when the AC is running a lot, the refrigerator is cycling on occasionally, you stick something in the microwave and your wife is vacuuming.

It may not be out of the question, but it is somewhat doubtful. The service is already nut up to today's code. Today, a residence should have two 20 amp circuits dedicated to kitchen counter outlets and one 20 amp circuit dedicated to bathroom outlets. A microwave and garbage disposer often have their own circuits.

The box itself is likely capable of handling 200 amps at 240 volts, but you may have service entry wiring only rated for 100 amps. An electrician may come and quote a price at no charge. You can not get a good answer without that, but there is likely a way to get it done. Note that 48 amps at 240 volts is a lot of power. That is like having the oven and all the burners going at one time in an electric stove.

You don't need the Hubbell 363R6W. Use a standard electric range outlet.


Why not always use a stronger mix ratio for concrete? A lower ratio of sand and aggregate to cement will lead to a stronger concrete.
What are the reasons for using a 'weaker' higher ratio mix?
Is it just cost?

Adding excess Portland cement will cause the concrete to shrink more and accelerate the hardening process making it even more brittle than it normally is.
My Dad used to always say there are 2 types of concrete. The kind that had cracks and the kind that will.
Cement really has no strength because it is brittle add something like sand and rock for it to bind together and it has some strength. Add rebar to further bond and it is even stronger.
The problem is over time it continues to hydrate making it more and more brittle. This process can take over 100 years to become a real strength issue with proper ratios used in the original mix.
Excessive cement can accelerate the process where failure is in a hand full of years compared to proper ratios.
Have you ever seen a bag of cement that got wet it is a solid “brick” but less than 10 years they were spalling and crumbling we had about a dozen bags that we used as riprap I noticed it crumbling at about 5 years and by 10 years it was like shale.
Using excess cement in your concrete will shorten the useful life of whatever you are making.


What is the purpose of these spare rings for an HVAC blower motor? I recently replaced the blower motor and wheel for our HVAC unit. The motor came with four of these spare rings:

There is already an identical ring attached around what I would call the front shaft (spindle?) bearing. You can see it here:

(This shot doesn't show the split.)If it's some sort of shipping retainer, why would there be extras? And if this ring can become dislodged and fall off, thus requiring spares, this is a serious problem, as this ring being tossed around inside the blower wheel while it's running could probably do serious damage. This leads me to believe that this is not their purpose, either. So just what purpose do these spare rings serve?

(Credit for this answer to user d.george, who has not responded since posting as a comment.  I'm posting as an answer so this question can be closed and marked answered.)

The rings are to make the motor mounts of a 48 frame motor adapt to a frame 56 base. If the old motor was a frame 48 and the replacement is the same, you do not need the rings. If the base was originally for a 56 frame motor then you slip these rings onto the ends of the motor before installing. (1 per end) If your motor does not fit into a base or if you don't them , then you discard them.


I'd like to raise the ceiling height on my second floor but the roof is flat. How do I do this? I have 7ft ceilings in one room on my second floor.  The room was an addition and the previous owners decided to make the original stone porch below into a family room.  In this room, they kept the original stone columns that were 9ft tall and didn't leave enough room above for standard ceiling height.  I'd like to make a cathedral style ceiling out of the current 7ft ceilings.  I know that the joists above run the same direction as the rest of the house until about half way across the room and then run the other way (I don't know if this matters).  Can the ceiling height be raised without taking the whole room down and starting over?  Can a kneel wall be added to the existing wall? HELP!!! HOW EXPENSIVE WILL THIS BE?

Note that this is just a best possible guess based on the current info and in no way should be used as a "given".

Since room is an addition and the fact that you are on the top floor of a flat roof house, I doubt that there is too much to do as far as the roof.  It is quite possible if the room is truly an addition that the roof section could be taken apart and put back up 5 feet higher.  This is all given that your room was really an addition (not just half your room which it sounds like from your description).

Nobody that I know, no engineer I know nor any inspector OK adding on to the existing outer walls - let alone the interior walls.  You have to rebuild.  Taking off the top plate, pulling the electric, taking out windows, and reframing with longer lumber is a quick 1-2 day job for a small crew of 4.

So you have demo, you have a lot of trash, you have taking apart roof, you have materials (lumber, new roofing, new gutters, new flashing for old roof, new siding, new insulation).  This is all given that you keep the exact same windows, don't move electric or plumbing or hvac, and really don't care that much that this height extension will make the house look awkward since doing aesthetics will add on cost.  I have to say on the really really low end if the roof materials and windows can be saved and no surprises surface and you use low-end builder grade finishes someone might quote you 6-8k.  I would think most estimates will come in closer to the 10-15k range.  Again this is given that this room was a true addition.


How clean up linseed oil stains after spill on stone patio? A contractor spilled linseed oil on my stone patio, staining a large area. I tried cleaning the stone with simple dish soap & water, and it had absolutely no effect. I fear that the oil has been absorbed. Any other suggestions for a cleaning method, one that won't discolor the stone during cleaning?

The stained surfaces are bluestone, brick, and some random rocks.

Thank you for any suggestions.

If the area isn't unreasonably large a poultice of talc and mineral spirits should work. You could purchase a commercial poultice preparation if you don't care to play Kitchen Chemist, but it may take some shopping to find a large tub rather than the small jars marketed for countertop maintenance.

For areas too large for that but too small to have steam cleaned your best bet is probably a commercial degreasing product (or copious amounts of mineral spirits) and your garden hose. Soaking the area first should help by saturating the stone so the solvents won't be able to carry more contaminates into the stone.


Why are the lights flickering when the a/c is on? The lights flick on and off when the a/c is on and the sound of a/c is too noisy and look like it's going to blow.

I already checked the connection if they have a short circuit. Did not found any trouble

Im going to assume you are talking about either a window air conditioner or portable unit - not central AC.

The lights flickering means the voltage is dropping.  Incandescent bulbs are particularly sensitive to that.  Most CFL and LED bulbs flicker less, though some may still flicker.

The voltage is dropping because of a large current draw.  It is normal for there to be a momentary large draw as the compressor starts up.  Fridges and freezers do the same thing.  Its part of the reason for having a dedicated circuit for such appliances.  The manual for your AC may even say it requires a dedicated circuit.

If its doing this when the AC first turns on, its not a problem.  If it were drawing too much power for too long your circuit breaker would trip.  If the compressor is starting and stopping rapidly causing constant flicker, your AC unit needs servicing or replacing.  The noise might be the compressor or a fan dying, or just vibrations.  Hard to tell without hearing it.


Are expansion gaps necessary in a plywood shed floor? I'm building a 2.4m x 3m (8 x 10) shed/office in my garden. For the subfloor, I am going to use two layers of 18mm (3/4 inch) plywood. The second layer is there because I plan to tile the floor and want to minimise flex. On a building this small, is it necessary to allow expansion gaps between the plywood sheets (I'm using 8' x 4' sheets so will use approx 2.5 sheets per layer) or can I just lay them tight? Ideally, I'd like to glue the first layer to the joists as well as screwing, and then glue (and screw) the second layer on top of the first.

For a floor of that size you don't need them, and you wouldn't want them under tile anyway (you'd need expansion gaps in the tile). It's really only necessary for large home and commercial building floors.


How do I replace a bulb in this bathroom light/fan? Can figure out how to open it.alt text http://img715.imageshack.us/img715/2743/img4094s.jpg Maybe somebody has a similar one.

Try turning the glass and see if it has hooks that hold it in place (kind of like how a smoke detector hangs onto that plate on the ceiling).


Do you use a twist-on wire connector to connect a "neutral in" and "common" wire? I'm upgrading the receiver on a remote-controlled ceiling fan unit (which also controls the ceiling lights in that room). The wiring diagram changed from the old model to the new -- most importantly, the white common wire not connects to the white neutral-in wire. Would I do that with a simple twist-on wire connector, or is there a better way to do this?

In US 120 volt household circuits, all neutral (white) wires on a given circuit are ultimately connected. In your old receiver, there was almost certainly a direct connection between the white in and the white out, as well as a connection to the receiver circuitry.

Connecting all of neutral wires (source/receiver/canopy) with a simple wire nut is fine.


What water saving technology could I apply to this tap (pic below). I can't identify its gender I tried amazon to find out, but i really couldn't figure out what water saving tech would be most helpful. See the Water Saving Tap Aerator

I can't identify its gender

That looks like a female (internal) threaded tap. It takes a male (external) threaded insert.

  I really couldn't figure out what water saving tech would be most helpful

If you unscrew the hex insert using an appropriate spanner/wrench you can check the thread size and order an appropriate insert.

Personally, I find not turning the tap fully on, and turning it off early are good water saving solutions. You could also fit a service valve under the basin or sink and turn that half off.


Adding outlet to existing outlet controlled by switch I've got an existing circuit of outdoor receptacles, and only one of those receptacles is controlled by a light switch. I want to add another receptacle, so that it's also controlled by the same light switch.
How would I go about doing that? I've made my best attempt at diagramming this out:

Connection
Plug 1 currently has 3 wires:

White neutral back to the panel
White neutral to Plug 2
Black switched hot to the switch

Run a cable (black/white) from Plug 1 to New Plug.
Add a white pigtail (short wire) and connect one end to both existing neutral wires and to the white wire going to New Plug. Connect the other end to one of the existing neutral screws (doesn't matter which one, except see GFCI issue below) on Plug 1.
Add a black pigtail and connect one end to the existing switched hot and to the black wire going to New Plug. Connect the other end to the existing hot screw on Plug 1.
New Plug gets black on the hot screw and white on the neutral screw. The usual color-coding on receptacles is Black/Hot to Brass and White/Neutral to Silver.
GFCI
All new outdoor receptacles require GFCI. If you already have GFCI "upstream" (either as part of the circuit breaker or at an inside receptacle that is prior to the first outdoor receptacle) then you don't have to do anything special.
If you do not already have GFCI then you need to add it. The catch is that with your existing wiring scheme, you need to add it either at the source (somewhere inside) or at both Plug 1 and Plug 2. New Plug gets protected by Plug 1, provided it is wired correctly, which can get complicated so ask a new question if needed.
Note also that GFCI/receptacle combinations placed outside are likely to not last as long as GFCI/receptacle combinations (or GFCI/circuit breaker) placed inside, due to weather.
Speaking of weather, all outside receptacles should be weather resistant and also include an in-use cover.


Can I use a portable air conditioner with a casement window? My apartment has windows like this, where they rotate out upon a vertical hinge. I live in Seattle, so I can't rely on an evaporative A/C unit because the humidity is too high. And all the portable vented A/C's I've seen require either vertically sliding or horizontally sliding windows to mount the vent hose. Do I have any options for getting an A/C to work with this style window?

The easy, but ugly solution is to cut a sheet of plywood that will fill the entire opening, and cut a hole in that to attach the AC exaust hose.  Or cut the plywood to fit in beside the exaust hose, whichever is easier.

Then insulate and seal the crap out of it with foam boards and metal tape.

I would recommend avoiding portable AC if you can get one that will fit the window though - I have 2 of them, and they do not work as well as one that sits in the window.  They take more power and take twice as long to cool the room.

Depending on the window, you might be able to easily pop the window out of the frame to fit a normal window AC, with plywood to fill the rest of the opening.


Can someone please tell me the name or purpose of this tool? Thanks Please identity this tool. Thanks.

https://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/04618823

It is a draw cleco used for sheet metal work to hold sheets together while riveting adjacent holes. Black usually means 5/32 diameter.


What kind of electrical shock can that be? edited to add some details asked for in comments

So, there is that house in France with three phase electrical power. I don't know if this is relevant. And I can't tell the whole installation was set properly. But the grounding is recent and strong.

We have the electrical board and its protections (differential circuit breakers).

We also have Uninterruptible Power Supply with battery and their protections.

Then we have some computers —local second hand professional servers, with now very low service load— with their own inner surge protections (in AC block).

Now, from time to time, we noticed some computers got problems. Usually correlated with some general power interruption (at the house level, but AFAIK no thunder implied).

One server would be found off while the BIOS settings said to restart after power interruption; but the BIOS settings had gone. The motherboard battery was changed and same occurred again. That's when the UPS was installed, stopping that problem.

But more recently, again we got some damage. A network area storage got burnt. One server doesn't come fully up any more. Seems some problem with ROM corruption or I can't tell.

Maybe at some point the material plugged into one UPS was consuming (demanding) more power than supported (10A).

So my questions are

— How comes all three protection levels (electric board, UPS and AC block) get passed through?

— What kind of a shock can that be (technically / physically)?

— How to set proper protections against that?

First you should look at your grounding electrode system.

Then you should look out for lost neutrals, which can cause voltage to rise as high as 400V on 230V-nominal legs on a 400V "wye".

Finding none of those, you should look at the quality of the equipment - an awful lot of PC equipment is cheaply made foreign garbage with frequent failure rates, especially in the developing world. It is possible the failures have nothing to do with power quality. Going out of your way to get well-regarded power supplies can help a lot.

Finally, look at localized surge protection at the equipment.


Is there a standard height for wall mounting flatscreen TVs? Is there a standard height for wall mounting flatscreen TVs?

Eye level

The center of the TV should optimally be lined up to your eyes. This will change based on the purpose of the TV. In the kitchen, our TV is about 6 feet off the floor over the counter top because we do a lot of cooking / baking; so we're standing when watching TV.

In the family room, take this measurement when you're sitting on the couch.

Same thing with speakers: place surround sound speakers at roughly the height of when you're sitting down from the floor to your shoulders (for a 6' individual, that's about about 26").


Can I replace the engineer's I-Beam recommendation with a different one? I'm removing a load bearing wall and the structural engineer recommended a W8x15 steel I-beam.  It would save me a lot of effort if I could use a 6" beam instead.  So I'm trying to calculate the deflection of the W8x15 beam and then find a W6x?? beam with similar deflection.

I've found the specs for various wide flange beams here, but I can't find a max deflection equation that uses the elastic section modulus provided in the specs.

So, can someone point me in the right direction?

I think I figured it out.  I was thrown off by the Elastic Section Modulus.

Anyway, the deflection is calculated using the following parameters:

W = load

L = length

E = Young's Modulus

I = moment of inertia

And the equation for max deflection is:

I'm trying to find a beam with the same maxdef or smaller.  I can ignore W and L because they are the same regardless of I-beam.  Young's Modulus E is a property of the steel used, so it is also the same regardless of I-beam and can be ignored (this is what I misunderstood).  This means, the only variable I have to worry about is I.  I can see in the equation that I is part of the denominator, so if I increases, deflection decreases.  So I just need a W6 beam with a larger I than what the W8x15 beam has.

Final answer:  The only W6 beam with a greater I than the W8x15 beam is the W6x25,


Screw & Glue Subfloor and Screw Underlayment I'm replacing a floor in a bathroom. I've ripped out everything down to the joists.

Is it okay to:
a) screw & glue the subfloor

AND

b) screw the underlayment

Should I use nails? I don't care about speed as it is a small space. I just want to avoid squeaks and problems

Yes, do both.  To avoid squeaks, use screws (not nails) everywhere for the flooring.

I had a very squeaky kitchen and entry-way floor, which I wanted to tile over.  I kept the existing plywood subfloor but screwed it down to the joists using drywall screws.  I used a LOT of them, one every 4 inches or so along every floor joist, and it eliminated all of the squeaks.

Then we put down Hardibacker-type cement board and screwed it to the subfloor.  We didn't worry about screwing the cement board to the joists; just screwed it to the subfloor.

That was two years ago.  No tile has cracked or shifted, and no squeaks have returned.  Definitely use screws and not nails.


How do I connect braided under sink hose to 3/8 inch RO plastic tubing? I can't figure out how to hook up the incoming water to my reverse osmosis system. I want to tap off the braided hose here, and use a quick fit for the plastic tubing but have searched and ordered two parts and can't seem to figure out what is correct.

you need whats called a braided hose adaptor.  see pic attached.


Is Roof De-Icing Cable good for the roof? Is heat tape or Roof De-Icing Cable good for the roof?

Providing the constructed building was properly insulated to code and spec, adding environmental impact, nothing beats a ladder and shovel to clear snow.  Cleared gutters and eavestroughing after the leaves drop every fall and if ice damming does occur, purchase de,ice pucks from a hardware and supply center. Most chains carry it. Simply toss a puck every few feet apart up onto the roof. They de ice and clear out eaves.  Ice dams also are pretty good indicaters of an improperly vapor barriered or insulated roof.  DO NOT RUN HEAT TAPES!  Thats asking for trouble.  Jon, AB, CAN


Why won't HVAC supply stores sell directly to the public? I am quite shocked that every store in my very large metropolitan area that sells HVAC supplies requires purchasers to have HVAC contractors license.  Which makes it very difficult for a very technically inclined DIY-er to do the job himself.

I understand this is not a DIY and more of a legal question but I am trying to understand why that is.  It is as though the Home Depot required an electrical license to sell you a spool of Romex or a receptacle, which they don't.  It is clear that HVAC stores have no intrinsic economic incentive for such a policy; it must come from either the municipal government or their insurance company.  Or some nefarious ultimatum from HVAC trade unions so they secure more grip on the market.

Their insurance may lean that way. Rates are probably lower if they are not selling to end-users. They may also not have to deal with sales tax, if they are not selling to end-users.

As for the (or more) economic incentive many take for granted: the cost of customer service. The below consumes valuable man-hours and to staff this could double payroll:

They may also prefer dealing with competent licensed professionals, because they will have less time wasted on "dumb questions" (there are such things, really, even if you've been told otherwise) and irate "genusies" who bought the wrong thing for the wrong job and want a refund because it didn't work, or because they are used to getting "free rentals" by exploiting big-box-store policies that allow them to return things even after they have used them.

The competent licensed professional also provides them with a repeat/regular customer base - how often do YOU buy an air conditioning system? How many do you buy per year? Do you buy parts by the case? Less of their time spent moving more product is more profit for them, even if they sell it at a discount to the professionals (which is common, based on volume.)

There is also a concern about the proper handling and recycling of refrigerants - few if any homeowners own a vacuum pump, much less a refrigerant recovery system.

There are websites that sell various things (I happen to have been looking at mini-split system heat pumps recently) but you still need a licensed installer to assemble them; both for legal reasons (EPA) and practical ones (that vacuum pump, etc.) In many cases, you'll do better to just buy the system from a local installer than to buy it online and then pay an installer to assemble it for you.


Inheriting an alarm system in our first house My wife and I just bought our first house and it came with an alarm system already installed. It looks like it's active but we didn't get any information on it when buying the house.

What do I need to do to make this alarm system usable?

Is it just a generic systems and I can call up any alarm company and have them activate it?

Also, we currently do not have a landline phone, we just use our cell phones. Will we need to get a landline to use the alarm system?

Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks!

update

Here's the panel

Speaking in general terms, the wired sensors are standard across manufacturers. If you call an alarm company to come out and hook you up for monitoring, they will either reuse the panel or just replace it. Often this cost is waived as part of signing a monitoring contract. Wireless sensors are not as compatible, but not out of the realm of possibility.

Monitoring does not require a land line. Cellular monitoring is available.

If you can find the model number of the main control board, often the programmer or installer manual is easily locatable on the internet. These manuals can have instructions on resetting passwords.

If you can't find the manual or you can't reset it, and you're feeling a bit more DIY, you can buy a new control board and install it yourself.


How can I repair damaged vinyl flooring over gypsum subfloor? While moving a new washer and dryer through our bathroom and into the attach laundry room, the moving guys made several silver-dollar sized chunks of damage to the bathroom floor.  The damage is pretty clean, but I was surprised to find what looks like drywall under it and clinging to the bottom of the flap of vinyl.

How can I repair this?  Is there a particular glue I should be using?

The white looking stuff is not gypsum, it is the backer that the finish facing is bonded to. If you look closely at it you will see it has the consistency of soft cardboard, it will flake a little and be slightly fibrous.

If you feel you should repair it, make sure the glue is flexible, since the flooring has a little give to it.

I would think if the movers damaged it, they would be responsible to fix it. They should have insurance to cover these items, since they are in the type of business where this type of stuff happens. They also, since that would be the case, have leads on companies that specialize in this type of repair. Take pictures of all the damage and send it to the company that did the moving, they have a reputation they want to keep in good standing, I would hope.


Unusual wiring at a light switch Recently a dimmer for my basement light was burned. It created a lot of smell so I took it out and threw it away immediately and I don't remember how it was wired.

Now I want to replace it with a simple switch. This is easy if there are two sets of wires, one supply and one going to the light. But mine is very weird.

I see 3 wires at that box, 1 black, 1 white, and 1 bare copper. My electrical test pen makes noise when it touches the black and bare copper, but not white. There is 110V between black and white, and none between black and bare copper or between white and bare copper.

Is is normal ? How do I wire the new simple switch?

Thank you very much.

Update: It was working before the dimmer died. That is the only switch. Today I took out the lights ( that switch controls 2 lights ). Suddenly there is no voltage between the black and white anymore. The electrical pen beeps when it touches any of the wires, even at the black wire at the light. Is it normal ?

Thanks.

Well, you've learned one lesson:  always make a drawing (or photo) before dismantling anything.    In any  case, one hopes that the bare copper is the ground connection.  It's pretty scary that there's not 110V from black to bare - this suggests someone ran 2-wire+ground cable and never connected the ground at the far end.   I would have a licenced electrician check this out.

responding to update

If this is the only switch, and there's truly 'hot' voltage coming from the light fixture, you have bigger problems.  The switch should always be on the hot feed side; as it stands now the switch appears to disconnect neutral but that leaves the fixture boxes with live voltage all the time, and that's a significant safety risk.

The white probably is the feed to the light fixture, since that presumably continues on to the neutral/return on the other side of the fixture.

Make sure this is the only light switch that controls this fixture, rather than being part of a pair of 3-way switches, in which case everything I suggested may not apply.


Could excess water in the boiler cause overflowing radiators? The water level for my boiler seems to go above the labeled height. We now have a sporadic water leak that is not showing itself. Could it be that the excess water in the boiler is causing this ovrflow condition?

Two common causes of overfilled boilers are a defective auto fill valve (if equipped) and the tankless coil. You can test the auto fill valve by shutting off the supply line to the boiler. If the overfill condition ceases the auto fill is the culprit. If you have a tankless water heater (a coil inside the boiler that makes your hot water) it may be leaking. The leak allows uncontrolled domestic  water to enter the boiler causing the overfill condition.


Sealing gaps to prevent pest ingress I have a shed next to a house we bought last year. The back of the shed serves as a windbreak and decorative back to a decking area but they didnt make a very good job of fixing the decorative lumber to the shed so there are plenty of gaps. We now have a wasp nest to deal with.

I suspect the best resolution is to replace the decorative lumber with lumber that has no gaps, but is there a temporary measure i can use (expanding foam or the like) to fill the void the wasp nest is being built in?

A pest controller is coming today to remove the wasps and nest but i would like to prevent a new nest being built in its place.

Probably not.  My flat has a balcony with a couple of wooden cupboards built in to one side.  Wasps have built a nest in one of those (despite there not being much of a gap).  Obviously, if you can make the shed air-tight, that will stop them, but otherwise - not so much.

To deal with wasps:

Firstly: can you live with them?  They are an important predator of garden pests, so ideally just leave them alone.  However, if you use the shed, this is probably not practical.

If you find the nest when it is small (upto 10 cm), blast it with a few seconds of a wasp-killer late one evening, and the nest should be dead a day later.

If you find the nest when it is large (upto 30 cm), same process except a) empty the full can on the nest; b) wait until a cool evening if possible; c) dress up with clothing covering tightly as much of your skin as possible (this will be hot), and prepare to run directly away if the wasps start to leave the nest.  I did this when the evening temp was about 20C without problem.

(In other words, you almost certainly don't need a pest removal firm in future).

Finally:

Don't do what my significant other did, and try to dig a wasps nest out of the ground at midday.
If your significant other does this and gets stung, "Well what did you expect?" is not the correct response.


Is it safer to buy a circular saw with the blade on the left or the right? I'm right-handed I'm in the market for a circular saw and am right-handed.
I was about to purchase one with a blade on the right b/c I've seen lots of pictures of right-handers (b/c their right hand is on the trigger) and their left hand on the second handle (the one near the front of the saw).

I thought that it's a safety thing to have the blade away from you...until I saw this video from this Old House (forward to ~1:00). Here he uses a speed square WITH a circular saw. He is right-handed and holding the saw in his right hand and holding the speed square as a guide in his left hand!

Is it safer and or appropriate to buy a right blade circular saw for right-handers...like this one pictured?  The blade is to the right of your hand.  In order to see the blade you would have to look over and to the right of your hand...which seemsm awkward to me.

A right-handed person will always, naturally have the right hand on the trigger thus making the right handed blade easier to see from the right side.

For maximum safety, the left hand should also be on the tool.  When it is, the left arm, riding high and forward, will partially obscure the blade and the cutting line from the left side view.

Also, when the right hand is on the trigger (and left forward of that) one might want the motor closer to one's body (than having the blade there).


HVAC Wiring: Any reasons for one zone to be wired different from others? In the course of attempting to add a C wire for some new wi-fi thermostats I noticed something odd about the existing wiring on my system. My system has four zones: Hot Water, Main, Guest, and Master. The hot water, main, and guest are wired as one would expect. But the Master zone is different from all the rest. See diagram:

My inclination is to rewire the Master Zone circuit to match the others. But before I do so I wanted to make sure there isn't some reason foreign to me for doing it this way.

Thanks in advance!

Oliver

These are all AC voltages. Basically, you have a transformer output, a thermostatic switch, and a motor driver (actually a relay) all in a loop. It doesn't matter which order the three items are wired, so either of your two wiring plans should work fine. (I presume that your heating system has been working fine.)

The only reason to regularize the wiring is to lessen confusion in the future, which is a true benefit, but since you have this quite clear diagram it would be just as valuable, and much easier, to just post it by the furnace.


Help me build this soffit I need to enclose the shown duct work in a soffit (shown in blue). The ceiling joists run parallel to the soffit and (shown in red). They are 24” spaced and the spot I need to attach the soffit to, doesn’t have a joist right above to secure to. The studs (shown in yellow), are 16” spaced. There is a small, non-structural wall on the left, with HVAC duct running up it, and at the right end, there is a double LVL beam (shown in green).
Soffit only needs to be finished at its face and a little bit at the bottom with a corner bead. Below the soffit there will be kitchen cabinets.
What is the best way to frame this soffit? Ordinarily, I would build a ladder and attach it to the joists above (if they were perpendicular).
I’m thinking, instead building the same ladder with top 2x4 “standing up”, securing it to the wall and LVL at each end, and then running some 2x4s toward joists for the bottom part. I haven’t come up with a good way to do the same on the right side of that LVL beam with the can lights to its right.

This is how I ended up building the soffit. I decided to write this up as an answer, since there is not a lot of information, including on YouTube, dealing with building kitchen or basement soffits or bulkheads, where the joists are parallel to the planned soffit. Hopefully the readers can benefit.
Step 1. I cut back the existing ceiling drywall to the point where it wouldn’t interfere with the new soffit frame. I made sure that I didn’t cut beyond that, as you want your soffit drywall to butt under, and against the ceiling drywall, and not against the frame above. This way the soffit vertical drywall piece will support ceiling drywall from any possible sagging and will make this joint much less susceptible to cracks.
Step 2. I took the measurements and built the soffit frame on a level floor. First I built the front of the frame using a 2x4 as a top piece and a (ripped from 2x4) 2x2 as a bottom piece. I used the lumber as straight as I could find - a challenge in today’s breakneck lumber production, especially for boards 10’ and up. The ladder "steps" were made with 2x4 pieces at 24” at the center (you could go 16” but unnecessary for narrow soffit). I used long clamps like this, which made it MUCH easier to keep the ladder together while assembling than it otherwise would. I used 3" these decking screws to assemble the whole ladder.
Step 3. Next, I cut some 2x4s at a length that would fit between two joists and "toenail" them with 3” decking screws to the joists in a perpendicular fashion.
Step 4. Lifted the assembled front of the soffit, and attached it with the same decking screws to the 2x4 braces I toenailed to joists earlier, as well as the side walls.
Step 5. I attached the second piece of 2x2 from that ripped 2x4 with 2x4 ladder "steps" to make up the bottom of the soffit.
Step 6. Hang drywall as usual using drywall screws, tape the joints, install a corner bead (a lot of people use vinyl beads on soffits, I just prefer metal ones), mud, and finish.
I left the soffit on the back open (no drywall), as new kitchen cabinets, as well as the trim (still to be installed), would fully cover the opening. Had I had no cabinets, I would additionally screw the bottom of the soffit to the studs on the back wall and run the drywall all the way to the wall. In this instance it was unnecessary, and besides, I had a range hood vent hanging behind it.
Here are some photos of the build. I didn't take detailed photos of the whole process but it does show some detail.


Install Bath Fan 1st floor with parallel joist to exterior wall I'm planning on installing a bath fan in a first floor bathroom with one exterior wall.  This ceiling has 2x8 joists running parallel with the exterior wall.  This exterior wall also has a window right in the middle.

My questions are:
1) can I drill 4" holes through each joist to get to the outside?
2) How can I mount the fan perpendicular to the joists?  Do I have to attached cross braces to mount the fan?
3) Is it ok to drill through the window header and vent right above the window?  I guess I'll have to keep  the window closed forever.

I have done several different things here. In several houses I have mounted the fan directly on the wall close to the roof with the exhaust going through the side.
I have also mounted the fan in the first 16” and punched a 4” hole through the joist is sitting on the wall so it’s not a structural problem.
The 3rd and hardest but best looking was to build a small plenum with intakes mounted horizontally at the top with the exhaust through the wall, I also incorporated some lights in the plenum so it looked very nice.
The fan on the wall direct exit was the easiest but did not look that great to me. I have used this on homes we flipped where cost and speed matter.

With the fan in the ceiling close to the wall it looked ok but it was closer to the wall than I thought looked good I have used this method many times on new construction it can be done in a remodel but drilling through the sheathing and siding is a bit tougher on a remodel but can be done, if pulling some Sheetrock down it is much easier.

In my own home I have the plenum it really looks nice and is the quietest but close to 3x the cost of just a fan and a exterior jack with a damper.  we used this method on ~half a dozen spec homes and I like it the best.


water pressure regulator releasing a tiny bit of water About a month ago i installed new water lines and a water pressure regulator.  The supply pressure is ~95psi and the regulator drops it to ~50psi before it continues to the house and workshop in 1.5" PVC.
The area around the valve and regulator look wetted, either a tiny leak on the fittings, or the regulator releases water during its operation.  Does anyone know if its normal for these water pressure regulators to release outboard a bit of water under normal operation?  I cant immediately find a leak source, but will continue to investigate if these things don't release water during operation.

Normally these are non reliving so no water leaks when the pressure changes, this may cause your pressure to shift a few psi on occasion but not more than a few psi.
I am wondering if you got a reliving type regulator.
These regulators release the over pressure ( normally caused by water heaters) the pressure is vented thus the leak. Most of the time a pressure tank is used to absorb the pressure created by the water heater and a non reliving regulator is used. If you purchased a reliving type you don’t need a pressure tank but it allows some water to be leaked out to maintain the pressure.
This is if the water is coming from the regulator from the looks it might be condensation.


How do I lay asphalt shingles on a roof, and what should be under them? How do I lay asphalt shingles on a roof, and what should be under them?  Are they self-adhesive?  Can I stick them directly onto plywood?

Asphalt shingles by themselves will keep out the rain.  Extra steps increase longevity.  You need to follow the manufacturer's directions (take photos!) if the warranty is important to you.

Careful preparation can double the installation time and increase the cost by 25%.  Whether it's worth it to you depends on how catastrophic a leak would be.  For me, my garage or shed gets minimal preparation since a leak doesn't matter that much - it can be patched when it stops raining.  For a house or any finished space like a nice studio, a leak will mean ruined drywall, etc. so more attention is warranted.

In order from minimal work to a complete, nice job:

Minimum is a double course of shingles at the bottom of the roof.  The bottom course should be upside-down with the tabs cut off.  This is the minimum I'd do, maybe for a shed.
Next up is covering the roof with roofing felt before installing the shingles.  This increases the longevity of the shingles and helps the nails hold. I'd do this for a garage.
Best, if you're in a cold climate, is covering the roof with roofing felt then adding a 4' course of ice dam, which is a self-adhesive rubber membrane, at the base of the roof.  This helps prevent ice dams from damaging the shingles.  I'd do this on any roof over a finished space.

The shingles are not self-adhesive, but you'll see strips of tar on the backside.  After you nail the shingles down, the sun will melt these strips and adhere each course of shingles to the one under it.

One thing about the double-course of shingles that you start the roof with. The reason you cut the tabs off and reverse the shingle is to get that strip of tar at the very base of the roof.  The tar will melt and glue the first tabs down, helping prevent the wind from getting under the shingles.  For some reason many people I know, including my father who I worship, will put an upside-down course of shingles first without cutting off the tabs, to save time I guess. To me this is pointless since it does not do its job, which is to lock down the tabs at the leading edge of the roof.


3 wires hanging from fixture I have a light fixture that no longer works after a space heater blew the circuit. I removed it from the ceiling and it looks like a few wires were burned. i was able to connect the black and white wires with the caps but now i have 2 blacks and a white i dont know what to do with. Can i cap them together??? the light does not come on still so i believe these 3 wires are important. see attached pic.

Firstly, some safety points/observations on your content...

Never, EVER, EVER, connect wires if you do not know the original connections without some pen & paper research, testing, and writing down what goes to what
If wires have burned, there are safety concerns to observe. Did the wires burn at the wire nuts ONLY (due to high resistance), or is the circuit overloaded and the wires melted due to too much current being pulled over an overloaded circuit? Again, this is paper and pencil work. What wire type is it? Looks like a standard copper 15 Amp circuit. Ensure the breaker is 15 Amps not larger, add up the demand on this circuit, are you trying to get more than 15 Amps from it?
Has the breaker been tripping often? How many amps is the space heater?
Due to the fact you've noted the wires are burned, make a list of all of the things on this circuit, and check the wires where the heater was plugged in, here at the fixture, and any points up to the panel, including looking at the wires for this circuit INSIDE the panel. If they are crispy and melted/burnt, you will need to replace the run
I'm glad you pointed out the sheathing missing on the wire, you need to check if the sheathing is crispy or broken elsewhere, all the way back to each of its connections. Do not use the wiring if it is. If it is only here, and CONFIRMED only here, you'll need to tape it/replace it.
If this is daunting, it would be best to hire an electrician to come in to do the repair, safety first!!

Most likely yes, the two blacks belong tied together (the whites probably do too.... but this all needs to be validated), but since the circuit blew, and the light no longer works, we know something in the circuit is not working. The burned wires need to be replaced. This is an indication that some other weak spot (at additional wire nuts, or the panel, or the breaker, and it could be hot or nuetral side) is broken/dangerous. You really do need to check it all the way back. You really do need to make sure you aren't exceeding the circuits capacity. Also, ensure the breaker is the right size. My post here is somewhat redudant, but it is very important to do these checks.


What to use between a sticky floor and interlocking vinyl tiles (a floating floor) I didn't want to install luxury interlocking tiles over the existing floor because there were already two layers of vinyl tiles on the floor and it would be too high.

After removing the old tiles, the residual glue is causing the wood floor to be sticky.

I'll probably put red rosin paper down on the sticky floor and install the floating interlocking tiles over that.

Is this OK or am I missing something?  Is there a better solution?  Thanks!

Rosin paper or felt would work fine. I have used felt paper in the past because I had it in the shop.


Ceiling fan wiring blue/white/black vs. 3 black/3 white/red I want to install a ceiling fan that has 3 wires - blue white and black, but the ceiling light has 3 black wires and 3 white wires and 1 red wire.

I'm confused because the 3 black wires are together and the 3 white wires are also together and the red wire is alone.

It sounds like the original configuration was for a switched light and now you want to install a combination fan/light. It is hard to say for sure without knowing the existing wiring. One possibility for the existing wiring is:

3 cables

Black/White - incoming black hot & white neutral
Black/White - outgoing black hot & white neutral to next device on the circuit
Black/White/Red - black hot & white neutral to switch and red switched hot coming from the switch

In this situation, the light fixture connected to red & white. The problem is that the fan/light needs two switched hots - one for the fan and one for the light. That requires an additional wire in the cable. That leaves you with four options:

Connect blue & black on the fan to red. Then the switch will operate the fan & light simultaneously.
Run a new cable with 4 conductors (hot, neutral, 2 switched hot) + ground. Fan and light will each connect to a different switched hot and you will need to install a double-switch for the fan & light.
Use a /3 cable like I think you already have "the old way". Before neutral was required in every switch box, the normal way to connect a fan/light was with a /3 cable, as I think you already have. But instead of connecting white to neutral, white would become one of the switched hots. So you could connect black to black bundle, white and red to black and blue on the fan/light, fan/light white to white bundle and then install a double-switch with black to hot and white & red to switched hots. However, I suspect it is not code compliant to take a switch box that already has neutral and remove the neutral.
Use a smart fan control switch as described here


How can I waterproof this weak spot in my roof tile where pipe goes through it? This copper pipe goes in between 2 roof tiles (cement/hard tiles). Water constantly leaks through when it rains. The water clings to the pipe and then drips onto the ceiling.

As you can see from the images, multiple people have tried to plug this leak, including me. I used a product called Sikaflex 11FC sealant.

In this image, you'll notice that I've scraped away the sealant close to the pipe. When I did this, I noticed that it was all gummy, which makes me think that it never hardened properly.

The gap that you see is the gap between the 2 tiles. It's bigger than other gaps on the roof because of the pipe. I've also tried to plug this gap all the way and the sealant was much harder further away from the pipe, which makes me conclude that the weak point is close to the pipe itself.

Is this just a very bad installation that can't be saved, or is there something I can do to waterproof it properly?

I would take a piece of flexible rubber sheeting approximately 12"X12", cut a hole in the rubber about the size of the tubing (make it a tight fit), near the center, and slit the rubber from the edge to the cut hole. Fit the rubber sheet around the tubing and use silicone caulking to seal the underside of the rubber, the slit area and between the tubing and rubber sheet. Use a lot of a good silicone caulk (not the cheap stuff or spray foam), 2-3 Tubes of caulking should suffice. Lastly, coat the whole top of the rubber sheet with a thick film of caulking and spread with a cheap paint brush to coat the whole rubber sheet out past the edges.


Do I need more than one receptacle on a 17 foot kitchen wall with two doors? I have a 17 foot wall in the kitchen. At each end of the wall is a door. So this effectively makes the actual wall 12 feet long. I am updating my electrical and need to know if I need one or two receptacles on this wall. Since the effective wall length is 12 feet, I thought it would be one receptacle (6 feet from receptacle to each doorway).
The wall is not a counter top wall. Outlets for small appliance circuits have already been installed. The doors in each corner go directly to the corner of the room and there is no space between the door frame and the corner to install an outlet.

I would install at minimum 3 duplex outlets for a kitchen counter of that length. One foot from each corner and one in the middle.
Depending on how it looks then I might do 4 duplexes. One foot from each corner and one 4-5 feet from each corner.
You will NEVER EVER say to yourself: "Gosh, I wish I had fewer outlets!"
The only code thing you need to look into is whether they all need to be GFCI protected and whether each duplex needs a dedicated circuit.

Update per your edit:
It's just a regular house wall so treat it as such.
I think the only applicable rules are "within 6 feet of the doorway and within 12 feet of the previous outlet". You can have an outlet every foot if you wanted to.
I would go for 1-2 feet from each door and maybe one in the center of the wall.
You might still need to verify the GFCI ruling and/or dedicated circuit ruling since it is in a kitchen.


How can I enclose wiring connections between a wall and a cabinet? In my bathroom, there is a cabinet against the wall where the original light switch would be. The previous owners ran some romex through the top of the cabinet to a 2 gang box on the outside where the switches now live.

When I went to open the junction inside the cabinet I found out they had just glued the blank plate to the cabinet with some construction adhesive. And behind it, in the 4" void between the original box and the cabinet, is a mess of pigtails.

Does anyone know of a way to extend the original box or put some kind of plate on the front with a knockout so I can run the romex properly and have it contained inside of a proper enclosure? I tried one of these deep-drawn exetension rings but I couldn't find a way to attach it to the original box.

You have the right idea but you need a 2 gang switch/outlet box extension. They come in 1/2 increments. I prefer metal but I did see a plastic one on home depot for 3$  the metal ones run 13 to 32$.


How to prevent blinking LED on a three way Lighted switch circuit with only one light fixture? I have a stairwell that has only one wall sconce with two switches that are lighted when off. one upstairs, and one downstairs. I recently replaced Sconce, and added an LED 60 watt bulb; I triple checked all connections, and all is fine; however when I have light turned off is flashes. I have read many things about dimmers causing this, and some suggesting the use of incandescent bulb in another light, however I only have one Sconce on this circuit.

any tricks for fixing this flashing without adding another sconce?

Thank You in advance!

Suede

Most 3-way lighted switches work by adding a light between their line and load terminals:

This actually causes a small current to flow through the load (light) -- with incandescent or fluorescent bulbs, it's not enough to actually cause the light to go on. But with your LED blub, it's enough to at least start the bulb.

Your potential solutions:

Replace the 3-way switches with non-illuminated versions
Stick with an incandescent light
Get an illuminated 3-way switch that doesn't draw current over the load lines. A good sign is if it requires a neutral wire. Of course that also means you'd need a neutral in your switch box to be able to use it.


Connecting Sub Ground to Main A year and half ago I set up my sub panel around the back side of my home for pool equipment and further outlets and patio lighting/fans.
I set 3x #3 copper THHN in a 1.25 ENT in the ground from my main panel (new '08) approx 170 feet around the back of my home to the other side of my home for a new QO load center run by a 2 pole 80 amp breaker in my 200 amp panel.
I didn't find that I needed to run the ground from the sub to the service main,only that the sub needs its own ground and the bond screw in the sub is removed.
Now I'm seeing that I do NOT meet code by not having the sub ground connected to the service main.
What would be the best way to upgrade this oversight?
Can I connect and bury a ground wire (#4 copper) to my ground rod for my sub and run it in the ground, not in a conduit, around to the ground rod for service main? I know where the rod is located.
Or must I run that ground into the main service panel to connect to the ground bar in the main panel?

I did not use ENT, I used rigid PVC electrical conduit and fittings glued together buried 18 in down all the way around my house through the walls and into the service panel. I was thinking about ENT while typing and didn't catch that I used an 80 amp Eaton breaker in my 200 amp main service panel. The QO load center I put in is rated to 200 amp but I didn't need that much, but I intended on over sizing the feeder wire to be good on wire size. I don't need 100 amps on that sub right now so 80 should be fine. The 1.25 pipe has a number of turns in it so I can see challenges getting through it, and the 3 wires may be twisted at some point.
QUESTION: Would I need to pull out all three wires while pulling in a pull cord, then reset to pull the three and the ground after that?

Thankfully, fixing this is fairly simple
The good news is that pulling an 8AWG copper grounding conductor from the subpanel to the main panel should pose no trouble, as you have plenty of fill to spare in your conduit for that fourth wire.  In particular, Schedule 80 PVC in that size is no issue at 320mm² of usable fill area, which is ample space compared to the mere 211.92mm² of fill your feeder will take up once you add the 8AWG grounding wire to it.
The bad news is that you'll want to pull the existing wires out, pulling a line in at the same time, then use that pull string to pull the new bundle through.  (You should be able to reuse the existing conductors provided they're in decent shape, though.)
Other notes: that 80A breaker can be bumped up
Note that there's no reason to put this feeder on an 80A breaker; 3AWG copper wires with an 8AWG ground can handle 100A when landed on 75°C terminations, which modern distribution equipment will have, as a rule.  So, you can swap that 80A breaker for a 100A breaker. (Square-D doesn't even make an 80A panel, by the way; they have some tiny "spa boxes" rated for 70A or less, but anything larger will have 100A or 125A busses on it.)


Why is my water heater still running if I cut the main line due to water problem located in my house I had to cut off my main line, but why is the water heater still running.

Assuming it's a tank-style heater: The tank leaks heat, and eventually gets cool enough that the thermostat switches the heat on. If you don't want that happening you'll need to explicitly turn off the heater.


Getting various non-zero voltages between neutral and ground on daisy-chained extension cords Backstory: I am running power (temporarily) to a workshop through a 25' and a 50' extension cords. I was worried about the voltage  drop over this length so I was measuring voltage to see if it dropped below what the tools needed. As it turned out, there was almost no voltage drop, which really surprised me, so I connected another 50' cable to the end of that. Still no very little voltage drop.
The resulting daisy-chain looks like this:
Outlet -> [25' 10AWG] -> [50' 12AWG] -> [50' 14AWG]
Then I decided to measure neutral to ground to see if it was zero. I tested at each of the four locations, and had various readings from 8V to 0V. It seemed that the farther I got from the original outlet the higher the voltage. What can explain this?

Keep in mind that voltage drop in the wire is totally load dependent; when you measure voltage without load at the end of long wires, you won't see much if any voltage drop.  If you use a splitter on the end of your chain of extension cords, and plug in your shop vac and turn it on, and test voltage on another receptacle on the splitter, you'll see voltage drop.
The small voltages you're measuring from neutral to ground could be induced voltages, and will disappear if any load is placed in the test circuit, or if you use a low impedance volt meter, which is in itself enough of a load to make the phantom voltage vanish.


Wiring - 230V on a 120V 18/2 wire? I have brought US lamps to the UK. The sockets are rated 300W, but the cables are 18/2 gauge rated 10A/120V (UL rated, purchased 3 years ago).

What would happen if I ran 230V at 0.05 amp with a 9W UK Edison E27 bulb? The cables also have a switch on it.

I called several electricians and they all offered to replace the plug but not to rewire the lamp and said the amps were so low it didn't matter, but I figured I'd ask the group re: safety.

Thanks!
Mark

The cable is not the problem.  It takes less current to supply the same power at 240 V as it does at 120 V.  The wires intended for 120 V operation therefore have excess current capability.

However, you have to consider voltage on other parts.  The switch has to withstand more voltage when open, and so does the insulation between you and the high voltage.  Probably both of these can handle the extra voltage.  However, if something happens, the liability is on you.  If the lamp catches fire and burns the house down, the insurance company would have a legitimate reason not to pay.  If someone got electrocuted by touching this lamp, you could be in serious trouble.

All around, this is a bad idea.  Leave the US lamp in the US.  Get a UK lamp for use in the UK.


What's the best way to run a wire from inside my garage to the outside? I'm installing an underground fence for my dog, which requires putting the receiver inside the garage (plugged into an outlet) and running the insulated fencing wire to the outside where it will be buried. Using a suggestion from the manual, my plan is to simply drill a hole through the exterior wall, then caulk around it after installation. Is this the best way, functionally and aesthetically?

My exterior is vinyl siding.

The way you suggested will be fine.  On the exterior, make sure to leave a drip loop in the wire in order to prevent water from running down the cable.  Drill the hole high enough so that standing water next to the foundation won't leak into the hole.

(source: chicagopropertyinspection.com)


How long does latex paint last? I have several buckets of four-year old latex paint leftover from finishing our basement.  Many are still in unopened original containers, in particular, our primary wall paint.

I opened one to use for wall patching and found it to be completely separated.  This bucket was also in the garage and was subjected to freezing temperatures.

With just a little bit of stirring it seems to be back to life, but I just want to be sure that I won't have any adverse affects using it to patch several chips and scuffs around the house.

How long is the shelf life for latex paint?

From what I have read it varies with the quality of the paint and the storage conditions,but 3-5 years is reasonable for unopened cans. Most of the evidence seems anecdotal. There always seems to be a case of someone using something 20 years old that they got for free and it lasted 30 years. There doesn't seem to be hard evidence from manufacturers saying that you will decrease service life by X number of years if stored for X number of months.I would do a test sample on something similar to your planned use, wood trim,drywall etc. Give it a day or so to see how the color match and texture looks. If it looks OK you have nothing to loose. If you buy new paint you will probable want to redo the whole wall so it will blend in. If the old paint doesn't match you'll have to redo the wall anyway


Water cooler faucet handle broke After a decade of use, it looks like my water cooler is slowly falling apart.
I am not sure of the proper terminology here, but the handle/lever part of the faucet broke off.

Am I able to buy just the handle and install it (not the entire faucet)
If I have to install the entire faucet, is there a guide/manual somewhere? I couldn't scavenge anything relevant.
Is there a temporary workaround that I could do to still use the faucet?

Image of the damage (blue, center):

I've not found an image to match the handles in the photo. Without a model designation, it's challenging to zero in on the same product, but the images I've found indicate there are similarities in your product and the parts available.

My search terms were "sunbeam water cooler handles" and could be modified by adding your model number for best results. I was surprised to see that WalMart carries replacement parts, but that's likely to be online and not necessarily available in stores. Amazon also popped up in the search results.

It appears that you may be able to dismantle the nozzle just above the opening if parts are available for that segment, or you should be able to remove the entire assembly for replacement as well.