Flipping switch (by itself) trips breaker I have a 30A 240V circuit breaker I have added to the panel to run a saw. From the breaker, it goes to a switch on the wall, which is high enough that the kids cannot reach. Using a multimeter, I have 240v at the breaker. When the switch is in the off position, I have 204v on circuit A of the switch. With nothing on circuit B, when I flip the switch to "on", it trips the breaker. 0V on circuit A and 0V at the breaker (well... 0.05v is what it actually reads).

I thought I had a faulty switch, so I replaced it. But, new switch does the same thing.

The wiring diagram is simple... but accurately reflects what I have done ... it's not complicated.

White is going into "line" (brass connector) on the switch, and black is going into "load" (dark connector).

What am I doing wrong here?

                                      Circuit A
    +------+           White            +---+
    |      +----------------------------+   |
    |Breaker                            | + | Switch
    |      +----------------------------+   |
    +------+           Black            +---+
                                        |
         +------------------------------+
                      Ground

Note: This question was suggested during review: 20amp breaker trips with NO load...Continuity between black & white wire at electrical box and the common wisdom here is that the problem would  be between the panel and the switch. This wire is brand new, and already sealed in conduit. I would have to rip everything out, and re-do 8 hours of work to re-run everything if this is the case. I am hoping it's something else simple that I have missed.

What am I doing wrong here?

You have created a short circuit. When you close the switch, power flows with no load (other than the wires themselves) and the circuit breaker trips to prevent a fire.

You’ll need a double-pole switch (two “line” input connections and two “load” output connections to disconnect this 240V circuit.

Do not re-use the old switch elsewhere. It is likely damaged inside now.


Three dead power outlets, no tripped breakers A few days ago I was using a multimeter to check for current to the thermostat on my garage refrigerator. I wasn't thinking and did something wrong (wrong HOT, I believe) and power to the refrigerator died. Believing I'd tripped the circuit breaker, I checked the panel but there were no tripped breakers. The multimeter shows no current to the outlet. The refrigerator functions when plugged into a different outlet (via extension cord so it's not an actual workaround).

I've tested all other outlets in the house and there is one that appears like it could be on the same circuit (given proximity and common sense, an unsafe criterion for sure), but there is also an outdoor outlet that is not functional. I can follow the circuit from that outlet for a bit and it does not seem to be on the same circuit (though who knows if that's true or not). I've also reset all breakers in the panel and no change. Additionally, I've walked through the house and tested/reset all GFCI outlets that I could find.

At any rate, it seems like these three outlets could be on the same circuit and that I somehow shorted it when I tested incorrectly. What can/should I do to trace and resolve this?

We are talking about garage and outdoor receptacles. These are both required to be GFCI protected. It is extremely easy to trip a GFI if you are working on the circuit live. Simply touching the neutral to ground, or even testing from hot to ground can trip them.

You have a tripped GFI somewhere, you need to find it. Could be nearly anywhere; garage, somewhere outside, near the main electrical panel, etc.
Let us know what you find.


Should I use glue or powder-actuated nails when framing over gypcrete? I have a current gypcrete-over-radiant-over-foamboard-over-slab floor in my unfinished basement. I'm about to frame it out to finish it.
I've already located all the tubing, and I do have spots where I can nail or screw most of the walls down. Three questions for the experts:

If I want to use powder-actuated-nails into the gypcrete, I can't buy nails long enough to go through the gyp and insulation all the way into the concrete slab. Since these are non-load-bearing walls, seems ok if I just get the nail into 1.5" of gypcrete to hold them in place?

Would you apply an anti-fracture membrane (redguard or similar) under the sill plates in order to minimize spalling where the nail goes through?

On the couple walls I need to glue down, I've read that an anti-fracture-membrane first and then construction adhesive will work. Does anyone have products they recommend that work together? (the AFM with the adhesive, like would loctite PL stick to redguard?)

My other option is 5" or maybe even 6" screws which I think will get all the way to the concrete slab, but that seems like a lot of effort for 1300 sqft of walls. If I have to use screws, what screws do you recommend?
I did send email and a phone call to Maxxon, and they never replied, and my heating contractor doesn't have any info either.
Thanks,
--Carey

I will agree with isherwood regarding the nails to jiggle loose rather fast, as the gypcrete doesn't have the compressive strength to hold them.  The power-actuated is a no-no, as the holding capacity of those nails relies on 2 main factors:

sintering between the steel in the nail, and the concrete, achieved thanks to the high temperature during the split second when you drive the nail in (it's a sort of "welding" between the steel and the concrete)
friction between the concrete and the nail, as the concrete is trying to "pour" back where it used to be before it was displaced by the nail.

As gypcrete is more brittle and has lower compressive strength, it won't hold the nail at all.  Furthermore, powder-actuated nails are design to be driven anywhere between ⅝ and 1" into solid concrete (⅝ into higher PSI concrete, up to 7/8 or a full 1" into softer C15 concrete).  In the lower possible setting (using a green cartridge with a tool that allows you to adjust power, such as the Hilti DX351), you would still punch through the track and sink into the soft gypcrete.
I recommend that you bite the bullet, and drive long screws, such as Tapcon concrete screws, or Hilti's Kwik-Con.  Probably even Grainger's regular concrete screws would do just fine, as you just need them to hold against shear loads.
Source: was a technical Product Manager at Hilti for 10 years.


Is a 4 Ohm reading on a dryer heating element bad? My electric dryer will run but wont heat. I'm not very good at electrical work, so I've spent a lot of time researching and did some testing last night.

My High-Level thermostat basically fell apart in my hand with the slightest touch. My Thermal cut-off also seemed to be tripped (reading open with my Ohm meter). I checked the lint in my vent piping and it didn't seem bad, so that was a little concerning because I figure these parts wouldn't just fail without a reason.

So I also checked my element, wondering if maybe that was burned out as well. The reading I got on it was 4 ohms. The things that I read vary wildly, but most of them say look for a 10 ohm reading. I removed the element and inspected it and there are no cracks or breaks visible in the coil. What does 4 Ohms tell me? Do you think my element is OK, or should I replace that too?

Basically I don't want to replace the high-limit thermostat and the thermal cut off only to have them blow again right away because the element is the culprit.

Was your breaker tripping? Did you disconnect the element before taking your resistance reading? If you put 4 ohms on 240 volts you get 60 amps. So I suspect your heating element has some inductive quality you are not measuring with your meter or it was still connected in the circuit. Otherwise, your 30 amp dryer breaker would be tripping.

Resistive elements don't normally drop in resistance. They usually open up. This would mean you would get a reading of infinity (open) with your meter if the element is broke. I would more suspect something in the controls, like your low temperature thermostat is not closing to turn the element on. (is that what you called the Thermal cutoff?) Or the contacts on it are burned beyond usefulness.

Sounds like you are getting good experience at troubleshooting electrical here.


Can water hammer be fixed by replacing a tap? I have a mixer tap in the kitchen that has been causing an increasing amount of water hammer sounds in the pipes in my utility closet and behind my wall. There is almost no way to shut off the tap without causing the sound, even if done softly.
A plumber who just visited insisted that the problem is with the tap itself, whose valves appear worn out, and replacing the tap would solve the water hammer issue.
To demonstrate his point he had me notice how no other tap in the house causes the water hammer sound even if shut off violently.
When I mentioned that I heard others suggest that installing a water hammer arrestor on the affected pipes is a potential solution, he said that he considers it an expensive solution that's not worth the effort, and that the tap would remain an active issue.
Before engaging in an unnecessary tap replacement, I wonder if his assessment checks out—will replacing the tap actually solve the issue as he says, or will it prove a temporary or incomplete solution?
EDIT: The same plumber just came here again and we found a complication. Changing to a different tap didn't stop the water hammer.
He had a look in the crawlspace beneath the house and was able to identify the pipes that are shaking, and will now fix them in place with some expanding foam.
But I'm worried that fixing the noise won't reduce the risk to the pipes themselves. Can my pipes still silently fail due to the pressure? Replacing the faucet didn't seem to stop the water hammer issue, so will the pipes keep deteriorating even once we've fixed the sound?

My answer is based on this:

I have a mixer tap in the kitchen that has been causing an INCREASING amount of water hammer

It sounds like the plumber properly diagnosed the issue and can see that the valve is worn out. The more you use it then the more worn out it gets thus explaining the increasing amount of water hammer.
If the issue can be solved without a water hammer arrestor then I would go for that solution. Consider the pros of not installing an arrestor:

One or more fewer points of failure

The tap is required, an arrestor is an accessory

Arrestors can fail for various reasons and the hammer will return

If you install an arrestor then you're only hiding the problem.
Yes, the arrestor will absorb the noise but all that water force is still being exerted in your pipes. If you're only taking care of the symptom then the water hammer can still cause joints to fail and then you'll have a much bigger problem on your hands.


Can I build 11' x 5.5' loft with 2x2x8 beam and 2x4 joist? I have looked at a lot of span tables and calculators and am not sure if I can safely build this loft. It is in a garage and will need to bear the weight of two or three people and a build-in desk hanging off the wall. The ceiling is pitched, and clearance underneath is important. To maximize usable height underneath can I get away with a double 2x8 beam at 11 feet, with 2x4 joists (at 12'oc if needed) or do I need to do 2x6 joists? 2x6 ledger will be bolted to 2x6 studs, 4x4 beams anchored into concrete. Joists will be hung off hangers on both sides. 3/4" ply will be glued and screwed into joists.

Are these reasonable, safe plans? Will there be too much bounce on the 2x4 joists at 5'2" span?

Is the double 2x8 enough for a 11 foot span?

Thanks for your input.

You will likely experience some bounce using a 2x4 joist even when on 12" centers. I would suggest 2x6 on 12" centers for a nice solid platform floor.

With only a 5'6" width of the platform I think you will have tight work area up there considering a desk on the wall. If the desk is on the long wall I say you have a non-starter situation. If the desk is on the short wall then maybe it is usable but do add a safety railing to the open edge so you do not accidentally fall off. A six foot drop could be downright painful.


Should I use 10/2 wire for a lengthy 20A circuit? I'd like to get some expert/nec compliant advice on my wiring layout. This week I'll be wiring the foyer, porch, living room, patio, kitchen, dining, gallery and hallway to master bedroom.

I was planning to use 10-2 for right-side of house vs. 12-2 because of distance and voltage drop from breaker panel. Would I be able to use 10-2 on a 20amp breaker? I am also think 6-3 for electric stove.

Thanks.

Unless the run is extremely long (we're talking 200 feet) or has a high sustained load you won't have any problem with 12/2.  Most tools/appliances I know of are designed to work properly down to 110v.  Assuming a voltage drop of 3% you are still comfortably above 110v, unless you anticipate a sustained heavy load near max capacity (20A) that will start heating up the wire more than usual.

Working with 10/2 is much more cumbersome than 12/2 in in standard receptacle boxes if you're pigtailing (parallel circuit). It's even more cumbersome when it's not necessary.


New home has 240v Nema 14-30R for Electric Dryer I have A gas dryer Needing Nema 5-15R I just purchased a 2 year old home in the laundry room on the wall for the washer & Dryer there is 1 -  120v Jack and 1 Nema 14-30R Jack.

My washer only needs 5a 120v Nema 5-15R.

Do I need to run a separate breaker and a stand alone outlet?  (GFI or arc Fault?)

Thank you "

If the 120V receptacle is a simplex (single) receptacle just replace it with a duplex. You can share it with the washer. This assumes the cord from the dryer will reach.

If you are unsure of how to do this please comment back.


What are the drawbacks of not attaching deck to house? I am planning on building a small deck on the side of my house where there is no door or window. The level of the deck is below the top of the basement, so I need to drill through the concrete for the ledger board. However, because there is no door, I am thinking about just building the deck as freestanding without attaching it to the house. One downside that I can think of is that the deck edge might drift relative to the house, making it look crooked. Is this is a problem? What are the downsides of making the deck freestanding?

Doing this has the advantage of not having to attach a ledger board to the house, which must be flashed carefully to keep water from getting in.

The big disadvantage is that you don't get stability of hooking to a big immovable house, so if the deck is a second-floor one, you will probably want more diagonal bracing on the posts to keep things stable. If it's a low deck, this probably doesn't matter.

So, no real reason not to do it detached. There are a number of builders who do it this way.


With no load on a circuit, I measure approx 15volts I picked off 120v from an outlet (parallel) to power a dual switch that inturn will switch on a light and the other to switch on a bathrom fan using a 3/12 with grnd.  The circuit is connected through the dual switch by providing the black "hot" wire to the "com" terminal of the dual switch.  The other side of one switch will go to the light (wht) and the other side of the second switch will go to the fan (red) and all the grounds and nuetrals are continuously connected respectively.  The open wires are waiting to be connected to their respective fixture.  With my multimeter on the open wires I turn the switch on and I get 120volts but when I turn the switch off I get a 15volt reading.  Is this normal because I am reading through a switch that doesn't have a load on it?

Is this normal

It is most likely a capacitatively coupled voltage from "hot"/"live" wires running adjacent to the wire being measured using a high-impedance multimeter. If your meter has a "low-Z" setting, try that. If the voltage is zero using a low-Z setting, there is nothing to be concerned about.

See

Fluke - Ghost Voltages
NEMA - Phantom voltages

  Due to the high impedance of measuring instruments, a voltage reading may be
  detected on open conductors where there is no hard electrical connection to a voltage
  source. Conductors that are installed in close proximity to one another, and are
  capacitively coupled to each other, can cause this a.c. voltage reading. Such a reading
  could be 2 or 3 volts, or it may be as high as the voltage on the adjacent conductors.
  This is what is referred to as a “phantom” voltage.
  ...
   NEMA recommends the use of a Listed low impedance multimeter in
  place of a high impedance multimeter or other high impedance measuring device for
  testing on open conductors where there is no hard electrical connection. Without a low 2
  impedance measuring device, a high voltage reading is an inconclusive indication of
  possible faults in the cable


Paint got ripped off when trying to remove double-sided foam tape I was trying to remove a picture frame which was adhered to the wall with some double-sided foam tape.

Unfortunately, the foam tape was so sticky and ripped some of the paint off the wall (see pictures below).

I would like to know how should I fix this? Should I just repaint the small area where the paint is off or do I have to paint the entire wall? Would that be noticeable if I just repaint the small area? The original paint on the wall is about 1.5 years old.

Also, would like to know some suggestions on how to remove double-sided foam tape easily without ripping off the paint?

Double sided tape has a drawback. Well, it has two drawbacks.

It falls off when you least want it to do so.
It sticks like crazy when you want to remove it.

Having said that, you probably tore off more than just a layer of paint. I'll bet you actually tore off the surface layer of paper on the drywall.

Can you repair this by just painting over the spot? Well, it depends. Will anyone ever look at it? Sorry, but it will be painfully obvious what you did. So this depends on how critical the observer is. If I was your landlord and I saw a poorly done patch when you were moving out, I'd mutter a few obscenities under my breath, then quietly mention to you about how you just forfeited your security deposit.

The problem is that paint won't match that well. The color difference will be obvious. Plus, due to the hole in the surface, there will be small shadows that will be quite obvious, so you will need to fill in the surface so it is smooth, BEFORE painting. Anyway, if you tried to paint in just that small area with a brush, one would easily see the texture differences from painting with a brush compared to what was an original roller applied paint surface.

All of this means you really will need to spackle over the hole, feathering it out over the surface of the wall at least a few inches in each direction, and then sand smooth. Once you have done this far enough out, repainting the entire wall will make sense anyway.

Lessons to be learned:

Either don't use double sided tape,
or, be much more careful removing it if you do. This usually means to use a solvent that will break down the adhesive, but not the surface of your wall. They sell stuff to do this, usually called something like Goo-Gone. Another solvent that often works is rubbing alcohol. It evaporates quickly, and does not attack paint, although it will harm some surfaces like shellac. Always test any solvent on a small, inconspicuous spot before using it. And watch out for fumes, so use good ventilation.


How much do I need to sand before painting? I want to paint my home's varnished window sills. How do I know when I have sanded them enough?

If you want to do a good job, I'd sand until you begin to remove some of the stain from the wood (in effect, sanding the wood)

Then I'd prime the wood with Zinnser Bin wood primer than paint over that.

They have a fast drying version of this; I tried it once; don't use it. you need to move very very quickly. Use the normal drying one and it'll give you more time to work with it.

Wood "sweats" and the stain will eventually come through the paint. Removing the varnish and priming it with a wood primer (not a wall primer) will seal the wood and keep the new final paint from flaking / showing stain from the wood.

For some of the few window casing's I kept in this house and haven't removed, it's held up awesomely for 3 years now. I also had to use a heat gun to get 3 layers of paint off, but thats a different issue. I wouldn't use a heat gun if its varnished. Sand it.

I did this same process to any wood doors that weren't painted and all the wood trim we installed after gutting the rooms.


What does it mean if my Watchdog backup sump is flashing "Add Distilled Water" even with brand new battery? I just went through the laborious process of setting up a replacement backup battery for the Basement Watchdog backup sump pump system.  I had to pour the battery acid in myself.  Now in addition to the expected "the charger is charging the battery," the "add distilled water to the battery" light is also on.  I had understand that the distilled water is only needed from time to time to "top off" the battery.  What does this mean?  What should I do?

The unit in question has two large current-carrying wires which connect to the positive and negative terminals of the battery, and a sense wire which is designed to connect to a probe supplied with batteries manufactured by the same company.  The probe is a thin metal rod that sticks through a special hole in the top of the battery; the hole is placed so as to ensure that the rod does not touch the plates in the battery (having a metal rod touch the plates could be spectacularly bad, so this feature should only be used on batteries that are designed for it), but the tip of the probe will sit in the acid solution; the acid is a good enough conductor that if it reaches the height of the probe it will effectively connect the probe to one of the battery terminals.  If the charging box doesn't see that connection, it will flag a warning.

Note that a 12V battery consists of six independent two-volt batteries, each of which must be serviced separately.  The probe only senses the level in one of the batteries, but if the batteries are all filled to the same level, they will generally lose water at the same rate.  It would have been helpful IMHO if the unit had included probes for all six batteries and provided a means of reading their status, so as to make it easier to fill the batteries uniformly (otherwise it's hard to judge the fluid levels in them), but perhaps some other means of viewing fluid levels could have been usable.

In any case, I have a pump by that manufacturer and it worked successfully even through a 36-hour power outage coupled with heavy rain, so I'm pretty happy with it.


Damaged Wire Insulation I opened an electrical box today to a bit of a surprise - a little bit of exposed conductor on one of the wires!  As far as I can tell, there is no damage to the conductor (12 gauge).  Note that this is for a 240 volt line voltage thermostat.

Is it acceptable to wrap this wire with electrical tape and call it good?  A few notes to help complicate this:

This is 12 gauge wire and quite stiff, it looks like it has been twisted and untwisted several times already
This is inside a gang box so I don't see any easy way to "add a junction box" which seems to be the normal answer - and I wouldn't want to add a blank cover junction box right below this, it would look awful
I'm pretty certain that I wouldn't have enough wire to work with if I trimmed it right behind the knick - this wire connects to a wire nut with 3 total wires when complete
I can't easily remove this cable and fish a new one as it is a long run of wire and is stapled behind the dry wall (this is on the cable from the breaker)
This is a full junction box already, so I don't really have room to be adding some fancy (read: big) specialty splice piece

All kinds of fun.  Seems to me like the only "easy" way to fix it would be with electrical tape.  However, having it totally safe and up to code/regulations is most important to me, so if electrical tape won't cut it then I'll probably have to get an electrical to do something (not sure what).  If it matters, I'm in WA, USA.  Thanks for the help!

What everyone has said is fine, but here is an optional method I would use. First straighten the wire out as best you can. I usually us a pair of lineman's pliers our a heavy duty needle nose. Then you can purchase some shrink insulation from your local hardware store or electrical supplier and shrink a new piece of insulation around the nicked area. I generally shy away from using tape since you will find it hard to wrap and get a proper application in a small enclosed area. Also, depend on conditions tape has a tendency to come unraveled from time to time.

Good luck and stay safe.


Which way should air flow through this oil/water filter So, I picked up an oil/water filter for painting with my compressor. Unfortunately, the thing had zilch for instructions, and I'm not sure which way the air should flow. Which side (male threaded side or female threaded side) should be connected to the compressor, and which should be connected to the tool?

tool --> female-filter-male <-- compressor

By putting the male end toward the compressor, the water drain valve will be on the "low end" when you drain it.


Connecting string of cafe lights to power source sans outlet I'd like to string up cafe lights on my back porch, but there's no outlet or power source for them to plug into. The cafe lights wrap around the porch roof perimeter and end about 2 feet away from the porch light (see photo).

My question: is there a way to cut the male end of this string of cafe lights and, with the help of additional wiring and end caps, somehow splice/connect it to the porch light so it can be operated by the light switch that turns on/off the porch light? Or is there a better and safer way altogether to connect the cafe lights to a power source? For reference, here's a closeup of the porch light:

Since that light fixture appears to be wired with temporary use extension cord anyway, why go through the trouble of wiring up a new weathertite box with GFI receptacle and approved weatherproof "in-use" cover (method probably required for code compliant install)?

Keep it simple. The items that I am suggesting are probably listed for indoor use only. I have a similar setup (in a similarly protected location) and have had no problems for years: socket adapter + lamp extension cord.


What is low VOC paint? What is low VOC paint, and what is the durability like when compared with 'standard' oil or acrylic based paints?

Generally the durability is considered to be just as good as the older paints. The VOC-Free paints still have less color-selection (at least last time I looked), but that's been changing as demand increases.

The building I work in (in the U.S.) just completed a LEED-Platinum renovation, and used all VOC-Free or Low-VOC paints. Some of the special purpose paints were not available in VOC-free yet, but low-VOC paints covered most of what they needed (including paint for a metal roof).

I was impressed at how much less they smelled when I stood next to a painter with an open tray of paint for several minutes before realizing he had fresh-paint out (I was disappointed that it smelled like someone had painted a week before until I realized he was doing the touch-up painting right then).  In the first year we haven't seen any issues related to durability.


Can I cut the back off a china cabinet to convert it into a bookcase? I would like to change this china cabinet into a built in bookcase.  It is currently 16" deep, but I want it only 12" deep.  Is it possible to cut the entire back off, and would it need to be put back on before it is attached to the wall?
http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/fuo/5638057861.html

The back of the cabinet plays a large role keeping the unit square. My suggestion is to forget about trying to re-work that cabinet. There a bunch of concerns:

Cutting off the back 4 to 5 inches would remove the rear shelf support brackets.
The internal shelves are glass and would need to be cut or replaced with other materials.
There would still need to be a back to provide for the structural integrity of the unit.
You would still have to add a means to attach the thing to the wall.

In the end the amount of messing around with it highly likely outweighs any benefit of trying to use this cabinet for another purpose. Instead invest in something that is already a wall mount shelf unit.


Hot water at only one faucet I recently shut off the water main to the house to repair a leaky downstairs shower. When I finished and turned the water back on, I found that only my kitchen, which is upstairs and nearly directly over the water heater, was getting hot water. Other spouts in the house would run warm water for a few seconds and then go cold, while the kitchen continues to get a steady flow of very hot water. Pressure in all spouts is strong.

The house was built in the 1950s. The piping is simple, with one hot water source out of the water heater immediately going to a “T”, turning left to feed the upstairs kitchen and right to feed the rest of the house. No anti scalding valves that I am aware of. Water heater is about 10 years old. Everything worked perfectly before.

Faucets are a mix of single and double handle, makes no difference. It’s very confusing that water flows freely yet is cold, when the only source is the hot water heater. The line coming out of the water heater is quite hot. I need Colombo here.

This is a very strange issue.  Do you have any shutoff valves for your cold water?  If so turn your cold water valves off so that only hot water lines can reach your fixtures.  Now run the hot water.  If no water at all comes out of your faucets clearly there is an issue and this could be a clue.  If water does come out of your faucets it eventually has to be hot.


20amp breaker trips with NO load...Continuity between black & white wire at electrical box I have a 20 amp breaker that connects to one wall in my kitchen.  It operates 3 outlets, a microwave and two other outlets used for a toaster oven & the last a blender.  On the blender outlet there is a switch that operates an under the counter light.  On the toaster oven outlet there is a switch that operates the track lighting for 1/2 my kitchen.

I have disconnected all outlets & switches and even took out all the lights in the track lighting to create a complete open circuit.  The breaker still trips in the breaker box.  I was originally thinking a short and was convinced.

I replaced the breaker, it still trips.  I disconnected the breaker and used my multimeter to test the continuity of the black & white wire that feeds the breaker and I get continuity.  Inside the house I isolated all the wires and tested all black/white wires for each and I don't get continuity.  What am I missing?

Any information would be wonderful!  Thank you in advance!

From the comments posted above I understand....

You say that you measure a hot to neutral short at the electrical box for one particular circuit. On the other hand you say that no short is measured across hot to neutral at the outlet boxes.

This can mean one of two things.

(One) Something severed one or both of the wires between the outlet string and the breaker box and in the process caused the two wires to become simultaneously shorted on the breaker box side of the break.

(Two) The shorted pair from the breaker box is feeding a different circuit than you think it is.

For the first case you should really think about what has changed in your building between now and when the outlets used to still function properly. In most cases it is unlikely that wires spontaneously break and short together without there being some interposing disturbance of the wiring. This can give a clue of where to start looking. Did something get nailed or screwed to a wall someplace? Did a window get replaced?

I can think of one case where a wire break/short could happen and that is if there was a loose or high resistance connection that over time caused so much heat to be produced wherein the wires melted apart and also shorted due to the insulation burning off. This type of failure is most likely going to happen inside an electrical box itself where connections exist.

For the second case the obvious thing is that you need to guide your attention to the correct circuit. Note that I have seen many cases where the breaker function labels in the breaker box are incorrect. So double check the circuit carefully.

To aid in either case there is a simple technique where you can run a known good conductor from the destination point back over to the breaker box. Just lay it along the floor / ground. Then wire clip one end of it a wire in question at the destination and use the other end of the wire with your multimeter. This effectively makes one of the test leads of your multimeter long enough that you can look for continuity or opens between breaker box and destination without having to buy other types of test gear. This kind of testing should obviously only be done when all the power is turned off. Use a flash light or battery powered lamp if it gets too dark to see.

One other thing to think about....if not already being done....is that when testing for problems like this it is generally necessary to remove all connections from each wire run and test against wire ends that are free ended.


How do I replace switch/outlet to GFCI/switch combination? I am having a problem switching a switch/outlet combo to a GFCI/switch combo. The GFCI switch provides power to a bathroom fan and light that are not protected.

I have wired the GFCI/switch as shown in the photo and when I test the GFCI using the test/reset buttons, the GFCI works properly. When I test the outlet with Gardner Bender tester, I receive a "correct" indicator. However, when I press the Gardner Bender test button, I receive "hot/new rev" indication and the GFCI outlet does not trip. Suggestions?

My suspicion: an open ground

This is based on two factors:

Your three-lamp tester is unable to trip the GFCI, but the GFCI tests OK.  This is because the internal TEST button doesn't rely on the ground (it goes load-hot to line-neutral or vice versa), but the three-lamp tester's TEST button is connected hot-to-ground, and thus requires a solid ground connection to work.
Pushing the TEST button on your tester yields a "hot/neutral reverse" indication despite it testing correctly initially -- the "correct" indication is due to capacitive coupling between neutral and ground providing a current path "home" for the current through the right-hand lamp.

I'd check to make sure the green wire is securely connected to the box in your case; if it is, then the problem's upstream somewhere as it appears this receptacle was wired using conduit (note the locknut and fitting at the bottom of the box).  If you can't find it still -- call in an electrician, as they should have better tools (such as an earth fault analyzer/loop impedance tester) that can be applied to the problem.


How can I use drain motor as aquarium motor? I want to circulate water which falls from a tank that 2.5 meters up to the reservoir tank at the ground level. I know there are numerous pumps but I want to use a washing machine drain motor if it is possible because it is cheaper than the other pumps.
If I can please guide me
- how I can soak water from the reservoir?
- is it possible to pump the water to 2-2.5 meters high?
- if I can't why?

Thanks in advance for your kind answers.

Edit:
The title has aquarium to create right imagination for water pumps but I'll do fodder system like this:

I need to raise water from the reservoir to the top of the shelves. I know aquarium motors will be usefull and cheap but I found washing machine motor 3 times cheaper.

Pumps function by providing sufficient pressure to overcome what's called the "static head" at a desired rate of flow. Static head is the weight of the water in the height of the pipe as it rises above the source. The higher the elevation, the higher the output head pressure from the pump must be. You can increase the head pressure of a pump a little by restricting flow; think of what happens to a hose when you put your thumb over the end. So the trick is the balance between the two values, but we don't have any way of knowing what the capacity of your washing machine pump will be and it's not likely that is data that the washing machine OEM will publish. All you can do is try it and test it. If it can lift your desired flow of water 2.5m high, then it worked. If you think about it however, a washing machine pump typically would not need to provide more than about 1m of head, so it might be a problem. If it is, you can try using a smaller hose / pipe and see if you can get the head pressure, but the flow rate will go down.

Secondarily, aquarium pumps also are designed to not need lubrication that comes in contact with the water so as to avoid contaminating it for fish. If you don't have fish, you don't need to be concerned about that but if you do, it might be an issue in using a washing machine pump.


How can I attach cable clips to an outside wall? I have plenty of cable clips that work great indoors, but I want to attach a cable to an outside pebbledash wall. The existing cable clips, which have broken, appear to have been nailed into some kind of plug, but I can't see what.

What is a good technique for attaching cables to a wall that won't accept a simple nailed clip?

The original solution turns out to be bits of hardwood doweling inserted into the wall, with the cable clips hammered into them.


How can I repair a Palruf roof? I've installed a couple of transparent Palruf PVC sheets for a treehouse roof. I've gotten some small (several inch) holes in it that I'd like to patch up. I have some small pieces of Palruf left over that I was contemplating using to patch up the existing roof.

Any thoughts on adhesives or techniques for this, or better approaches? This is a treehouse, but I'd like to keep the rain from pouring in.

I've never dealt with the stuff, but I'd say if it's near the ridge line, remove whatever you have as a ridge cap, place the patch on top of the hole large enough to tuck under the ridge cap, and then replace the ridge cap.

If it's lower down, I think I'd patch it from the inside, and use silicone or some other sealant from above.

As for adhesives, my normal stand-by for this sort of thing (waterproof, gluing sheets together) is DAP contact cement, but the two pieces might not mate together well enough for that.  You could probably use a mastic, such as the roof cement they sell in caulk-gun tubes for dealing with flashing, although, it tends to be pretty ugly, so you might want to just use it to afix it, and then use silicone around the edges.  (I don't know if silicone would hold well enough for this on its own)


Countering/Filling countersink in a metal component I have a metal component on a project. The holes are countersunk for use with M3x16 flathead phillip screws. The problem is, due to torque requirements, these screws are consistently stripping out and require drilling to remove(they need removed periodically so I can check/maintain the component). I considered switching to a M3 flathead hex, but my previous experience shows that they strip out at similar rates to the phillips.

I would like to switch the screws out with bolts or Socket Caps. Unfortunately, due to clearances I cannot use a full size washer, so the fasteners without countersinks do not achieve the necessary contact to create a firm grip. The slightest gap causes the component to fail (this component has very tight tolerances).

Is there a washer or other device I can use to overcome this? I know they have finishing washers for using flathead screws in locations without countersinks, but have not had any luck in finding the inverse.

Note: The metal component with the countersunk holes is prohibitively expensive, so remaking it without the countersunk holes is not an option.

Conical washers M3 seems to get some of the kind you don't want, and some of the kind you do want.


Did the plumber hook up my water heater backwards? I just had a plumber install a new 50 gallon water heater, but the cold water pipe is installed to the hot side (the left pipe when facing the front of the heater) and the hot water pipe is installed to the cold side (the right pipe when facing the front of the heater).  Is this ok? I thought that the cold water pipe had to go into the cold intake value and the hot water pipe would be connected to the hot value.

So I called the plumber and he said that everything is installed correctly. And he wouldn't change the plumbing.

Yes, reversing them would be a bad thing. The cold water should be entering the bottom of the tank, the hot output at the top:

I'd insist that the plumber fix this. But if they won't, I'd suggest picking up a pipe cutter, some sharkbite connectors, and just fix it yourself. Shouldn't take more than a half hour to do so.


Baseboard meeting at top of corner but not bottom Removed 3" and installing 4" baseboard. The inner corners meet at the top but gap at the bottom ( sheet rock taper is at the bottom and wondering if that's the problem) (have checked the saw and can't think of anything else).  Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!
Debbie

Baseboard should be installed using cope joints, not miters, for this exact reason. Some builders request that the drywall taping crew fill the edge channel on the drywall sheets along the floor to keep things more square, but this still doesn't resolve the issue of boards tightening outward when fastened, which very often results in open miters.

Coping, along with a slightly tensioned installation (cut 1/16" to 1/8" long, nail the ends first), almost always results in tight inside corners. This is crucial when working with natural wood, where fillers don't result in a quality appearance.


How can I get the 2-part epoxy smell out of concrete? Six months ago or more, my friend used a 2-part epoxy (no longer have the packaging, but it's a double-syringe with clear liquids, purchased at Home Hardware) on something, and some of it (one or both liquids) got on our basement floor, which is concrete someone had painted grey before we moved in.  Well, the reaction between the epoxy and (I had thought) the paint smells like a burning rag of cat pee.  After the nth cleaning of it with vinegar and baking soda, I one day just duct taped it over to at least stop the smell, since it was winter and (enough) fresh air (for this particular smell) was hard to come by in our house without central air without us freezing to death.

Today I decided to try sandpaper, and sanded down to the concrete, and no matter how much I sand I can now see the outline of the spill in a grey-brownish shadow on the white concrete, and I can still smell the damn stuff.  I smell three inches away on the floor and it smells neutral.  It's just that one spot, and it can stink up the whole room if I leave it.

What will take care of the smell (while not adding another smell to take care of)?

The easiest and most cost effective way of dealing with it is to paint over it with something like drylok.  You can't really do anything about the smell itself other than removing the epoxy but you can put up a good barrier.


Installing a GFCI Breaker How can I install a 40A 220V GFCI breaker in a main panel that has ground and neutral wires on the same bus bar?
I tried putting both white wires on the one bus bar that has the line feed neutral and a #1 copper wire and ground rod attached to it, but it keeps popping with no load.

There should be no problem with this, as long as you've installed the breaker properly.

Read and understand all of the included manufacturers documentation.
Connect the grounded (neutral) pigtail from the breaker to the neutral/ground bar in the panel.
Connect the grounded (neutral) circuit conductor to the neutral (silver) terminal on the GFCI breaker.
Connect the ungrounded (hot) circuit conductors to the hot (brass) terminals on the GFCI breaker (one conductor per terminal).

If the breaker will not set, there are a few things that can be wrong.

The breaker is faulty.
There's a ground-fault in the circuit.
There's a short-circuit in the circuit.
The circuit is overloaded.


Ground Wire (or Wires) after PEX Installation I recently had my galvanized pipes professionally replaced and now think I have an issue.  Previously, The ground wire that ran from my electrical panel used the galvanized pipe as the "conduit" to the main water line that sinks into my basement floor.  Now PEX has replace the galvanized pipe, and unless grounding wire can use plastic as a "jump", I think I need to fix this.

My house has two metal rods (with wires attached) on the exterior of the home.  One (on the back of the house) runs into the electrical panel.  The other (on the side of the house) runs nowhere.  A previous homeowner appears to have clipped the thin plastic coated wire that came into the house from the rod.  So it is effectively useless.

The distance from the electrical panel and the water main is significant, approx. 30+ feet.

How should I fix this?  Run copper wire to what's left of the copper after the PEX installation? Using the water main as the ground seems to be the logical option.  Also, what should be done (if anything) to the second metal rod?  Is it needed?  The home was built in 1948.

Thanks for any ideas.

Run a new wire from the panel to the 2nd metal rod, and to the water main coming in

You'll want to run a new copper wire (minimum size 6 AWG unless your service is upwards of 200A) from the panel to the 2nd metal rod, and also run more of that copper wire from the panel to the water main coming in.  That way, the water main itself is bonded to the electrical system, and all ground electrodes present are tied in (it's actually against the NEC to have a ground electrode, other than a buried concrete-encased electrode, that's not tied into the mains grounding system).

See NEC 250.64(C) for what prohibits you from splicing to the existing conductor attached to the 2nd ground rod:

  (C) Continuous. Except as provided in 250.30(A)(5) and
  (A)(6), 250.30(B)(l), and 250.68(C), grounding electrode
  conductor(s) shall be installed in one continuous length
  without a splice or joint. If necessary, splices or connections shall be made as permitted in (1) through (4):

  (1) Splicing of the wire-type grounding electrode conductor shall be permitted only by irreversible compression-type connectors listed as grounding and bonding equipment or by the exothermic welding process.

  (2) Sections of busbars shall be permitted to be connected
  together to form a grounding electrode conductor.

  (3) Bolted, riveted, or welded connections of structural
  metal frames of buildings or structures.

  (4) Threaded, welded, brazed, soldered or bolted-flange
  connections of metal water piping.

and NEC 250.50 for the requirement to use all available electrodes for grounding:

  250.50 Grounding Electrode System. All grounding electrodes as described in 250.52(A)(1) through (A)(7) that are
  present at each building or structure served shall be bonded
  together to form the grounding electrode system. Where
  none of these grounding electrodes exist, one or more of
  the grounding electrodes specified in 250.52(A)(4) through
  (A)(8) shall be installed and used.

  Exception: Concrete-encased electrodes of existing buildings or structures shall not be required to be part of the
  grounding electrode system where the steel reinforcing bars
  or rods are not accessible for use without disturbing the
  concrete.


Can I check the wattage / amps of a pair of light fixtures using a multimeter I need to test the wattage / amps of two light fixtures on a single circuit. I'm having issues with a smart dimmer and I'm trying to figure out if the amps / wattage exceeds the limits of the dimmer.
I have a southwire 100031s multimeter. Is it possible to test the wattage / amperage using this multimeter?

It sounds as if you want to measure wattage/amps of mains-powered lamps, which are probably powered from an AC source. Unfortunately the meter you mentioned cannot measure AC current; it does DC only.
Most (all?) lamps should be labeled as to their wattage. On the old incandescent bulbs it was printed right on the glass. Newer CFL and LED bulbs often have the wattage printed on the bulb base. If you can find the wattage marked on the lamps then you can add the wattages of all the lamps to figure the total load.


What affects air quality indoors after home improvement? We installed a new A/C in the corner room of our house a little while back, because we wanted to use it as a nursery. Installation went fine and the little one sleeps in there every night. A few months later we decided to get a baby cam, which happens to have an air quality monitor build in. I noticed strange things happening to the air quality in the room, which reaches concerning levels at times, hence my question:

What affects air quality indoors after home improvement?

Could the A/C unit itself blow in bad air?
Could the carpet or the ceiling cause bad air quality?
Could furniture (mattress / sofa / closet / drawer) cause bad air quality?

Now, I am obviously aware that keeping the windows closed and consuming air should gradually worsen the air quality, but what has been happening the last nights is more weird than that - the air quality suddenly goes from pretty good to bad in a matter of a few minutes. Now it could be a problem with the sensor, of course, but I did confirm with a secondary sensor, who gave similar results.

So, any idea what could cause sudden bursts of pollution into the air?
Is that an indication of mold or would you expect an A/C to be able to actually worsen the air quality (I generally thought it would improve it)?

"Air quality" is an ambiguous phrase.

This baby monitor that you bought, on what basis does it determine the air quality in the room? Carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, radon, particulates, pollen, VOCs, smoke?

There are literally thousands of things that can affect air quality. I don't think I would get too worried about a baby monitor, that doubles as an air quality sensor, giving you an overall poor reading without knowing why it is showing a poor reading.

Open the room (and your house) once a week and get fresh air into the room. If you are really concerned get a better piece of equipment to monitor your air quality that shows specifics about the content of the air. That would give you a better idea how to remedy poor air quality.

Good luck!


What would make my ac unit hiss I live in a mobile home and my central ac unit starting hissing pretty loud 3 days ago and tday it is blowing only warm air. There is no water or ice inside or out. The outside unit is running but it does sound a little odd but can't describe the noise. The outside don't look dirty but we have not cleaned it this year yet so I know it could be. But is there anything else that could be a problem

Call a local HVAC company, it sounds like a refrigerant leak.  Don't run the system until somebody has looked at it, as you could damage the compressor and/or other components.


How can I replace a ceiling fan plus light with just a light? I have a ceiling fan with separate fan speed control and switch on the wall. I would like to replace it with a plain light fixture if it is not too hard to get the wiring into a safe configuration.

It is wired to a switch and fan speed control as follows:

All these connections are inside the switch box with the fan control and switch, except between cable 2 and the fan.

Is it compliant and safe to simply remove the fan control and abandon the black wire in cable 2?

This is in the US. The house was built in 1950s, but the wiring in this room appears much newer.

There are a few related questions already present. I don't believe any of these cover my case, but I could be wrong.

Light to fan
Light to fan
Fan to light; but underspecified and no answers
Fan to light;
but underspecified and no answers
Fan to light; my wires at the fixture are different

I'd go with just using the wires from the Rocker switch. They should be the same wires that make it up to the ceiling fan box & are hopefully a perfect match to the new light of black, white & copper. All you'd do with the fan speed controller is throw it away & wire nut & tape those wire ends in both boxes. The new wall cover plate would be a 2-Gang Half-Blank to cover over the now abandoned fan speed controller's space.


Is it acceptable to run 10-3 wire to a 110V 20A junction box? I have leftover 10/3 wire from a 220V outlet installation.

I need to install a 110V outlet and splice to an existing junction box. Using the existing 10/3 wire will save me a trip to the store. At most, there will be 10 ft of wire from the junction box to the outlet.

Can I do it, or do I need buy 12/2?

Totally legit.  You are allowed to oversize wire anytime you want.

Breaker amperage is determined by the smallest wire in your circuit.  So if all the other wire is 12 gauge, you may breaker for 20A.  If any of it is 14ga, you must breaker for 15A.

You are also limited by devices, but common "15A" outlets are allowed in 20A circuits.

You may get into physical fit issues trying to get 10 gauge wire onto terminals meant for 12 gauge.  At worst you can pigtail a few inches of smaller gauge wire onto the outlet, but the "smallest wire" rule applies here.  That should fit fine in a common 2-1/8 x 4" box if there isn't anything else in there.  But I recommend going for the deepest box you got, because those 10ga wires will be stiff and hard to stuff in the box.

Cap off the extra wire with a wire-nut, tape or both; no need to strip it but its copper core can't be permitted to hit anything metal.   You might also wrap the outlet along the edge with tape a few times, covering the exposed side terminals.


Can I upgrade existing T12 fluorescent fixtures to T8 just by replacing the ballast and bulbs? I was going to replace the fluorescent T12 fixtures around my house with T8 fixtures, but I noticed that the T8 bulbs seem to fit just fine into the T12 fixtures.  It seems like I could save myself a few bucks and maybe some hassle if I just replace the ballasts instead of replacing the entire fixtures.  Plus, I could make sure to buy higher-efficiency or higher-quality ballasts instead of just using whatever mystery ballasts come with the fluorescent fixtures at the home improvement store.  Is there anything wrong with this plan?

Replace ballast and lamps, and for extra savings, on a four tube per bay fixture, get a 3-lamp ballast and run only three tubes.

The extra efficiency of the smaller tube plus high-frequency electronic ballast means that three T-8 tubes can put out nearly the same light as four T-12 tubes.

The ballast tends to be a lot smaller, and weigh much less than the t-12 ballasts.

Wiring varies -- your ballast will have a wiring diagram.  But to give you an idea, here is an example of wiring for an instant-start electronic ballast (which are easier to wire, but tend to fail bulbs faster); and a rapid-start or programmed-start electronic ballast (which often matches the old magnetic ballasts):

For the smaller 18AWG solid-core wires in ballasts, don't use the common yellow/red wire nuts.  Use blue wire-nuts, or for instance, push-in wiring connectors such as Gardner Bender PushGard, others are available... make sure the size is correct for 18 AWG wire.

You can reduce number of bulbs, since T8s are brighter.  A complete building rewire from four T12 to three T8 tubes per fixture eliminated 38 tubes and at 32W each, was a savings of 1216 Watts in power reduction if you only count tube elimination and not also ballast efficiency over mangetic (est. 10-15w per ballast replaced). PLUS, NO FLICKER! For someone with fast vision, not seeing 60Hz flicker in the peripheral vision was almost worth more than the power savings.


Bluestone pavers for front stoop? In the fall I made a simple front stoop.  It is 24 inches by 48 inches.  That size feels just right.  It has some brick-shaped things from Home Depot as the under layer, and then the top layer is eight one-foot-square pavers also from Home Depot.  I stuck everything together with "landscape glue" using a caulking gun.  It was late fall and maybe a little too cold, and now a couple of the square pavers are loose.  I was about to re-attach the loose ones with either the same type of landscape glue or with some quick set mortar (I have some power left over from another project).  But I started to think that maybe two bluestone treads would look better, similar to this:

which I got from a This Old House video.

If I do that, should the two treads (each measuring one foot by four feet) be butted against each other, or should I leave half an inch between, and then put some mortar in between with a "grout bag"?

Also, about the mortar for the treads.  In the video, here's how they stuck the treads on: start with regular mortar, pretty thick.  Then scratch X's in that mortar.  Then add water to some mortar to make a slurry and put some of that on top of the regular mortar layer.  I guess that's to make it easier to get the big heavy tread nice and level.  Is there any simplification possible?

Simplified installation was indeed possible.  I just used some leftover mortar mix from another project.

When I bought the bluestone the supplier told me to butt them up next to each other.  That worked well.

It's best to place the stones with an assistant, with one person on either side.

The result looks very good.


What's wrong with my heater? My heater only turns on if the temperature inside the home is 68 degrees or above. If the temperature inside the home is below 68 degrees, I can hear the thermostat click when I turn on the heater but I get no hot air until inside temperature is above 68 degrees. Once the inside temperature reaches 68 degrees due to daylight or whatever, then the heater turns on and works without a problem and maintains whatever temperature I set as long as it's above 68 degrees. What could possibly be the issue?

It looks like your thermostat is wired wrong way: call for heat wire is connected to call for cool (probably at furnace side, as you said replacing the stat was unhelpful).

So if temp is above the one you set the heating starts as it 'thinks' it have to cool.

Please post a picture of wiring both sides (furnaces and thermostat)


Online tool to draw saw lines for plywood? I want to make some shelves out of plywood which comes in 250x125 cm sizes. Each straight saw cut costs ~$3, so I would like to reuse as many cuts and at the same time fit as many shelves into on board at a time.

The shelves measure:

A: 132x9   7 pcs
B: 88*30   7 pcs
C: 71*9    7 pcs
D: 53*26   8 pcs
E: 79*15   1 pcs
F: 153*26  1 pcs

Question

Is the an online service of some sort where I can draw the rectangles and fit them into the big plywood board?

I guess I could do it in a drawing program, but I have never tried to use one before, so if there exists an online service for this exact problem, then I would prefer that.

Search term: Panel Cut Calcuator

A few results - most seem to be software to download and run, rather than a website. The first one does claim to work on the website, but I have not tested any of them personally. I think all the ones I'm linking claim to have a free, community, or functional demo version:

http://www.optimalon.com/online_cut_optimizer.htm

http://www.optimizecutter.com

http://www.maxcutsoftware.com

http://www.applicationprogram.net

http://cutlistplus.com

Enjoy.


Can a natural stone wall be made waterproof without defacing it? I have a cottage with a natural stone wall in an arid climate that sees rain only in the winter.

The wall is really nice to look at:

The stones were collected from the area, and attached to the wall with cement. However, it appears that when the cement dried, it shrunk, and left many small holes in between the stones.

Apparently as a consequence, there is water damage on that wall inside:

It appears that the wall isn't completely watertight, and rainwater is coming through.

I bought the house only recently, so I do not know whether this is the damage from one winter, or from ten.

Still, something needs to be done because this corner is the only one that can house the wardrobe.

The only way to fix this that I can see right now is to plaster the wall. However, the thought breaks my heart because I'd of course be destroying its beauty.

Is there a way to water-proof a natural stone wall while preserving its look?

Where is the water damage relative to the exterior ground level? I note in the outside picture that there is significant slope to the ground - if the ground on the uphill and slope-side sides is not shaped to move water away from and around the house, it would be likely that there would be water damage on the lower parts of the walls from water flowing over the ground into the house - that would be corrected by reshaping the ground, not anything on the above-ground wall.

You could certainly try a clear-spray-on waterproofing material on the stones - but that won't solve ground drainage issues, if those are the problem. Digging out the soil around the house and applying waterproofing to the below-ground wall and placing a drainage pipe in the bottom of the trench before refilling will address those more throughly if reshaping the ground does not completely solve the problem.


Why would a CFL bulb dim by itself after 60 seconds? I have some GE Energy Smart CFL bulbs which are advertised as "Bright from the Start". This is true, except within 60 seconds after I turn the bulbs on, they will dramatically and immeidately become much dimmer.

I assume that this is not the intended outcome, so...

... are the bulbs defective?
... is there something wrong with my wiring?
... is something else going on?

If this were a no-name brand I'd assume a defective bulb, but coming from GE I'd expect better.

FWIW, it's a regular switch on a regular circuit. No 3-way, no dimmer, etc.

The Feb. 2012 issue of Consumer Reports had a sidebar about new hybrid halogen/CFL light bulbs as part of a review of light bulbs.  The sidebar includes a picture of a two-pack of GE Energy Smart 75W equivalent bulbs.

These bulbs have a halogen bulb inside the CFL swirl.  The theory is that the halogen is used when the light is first turned on, providing instant light.  The waste heat from the halogen bulb helps to warm the CFL, allowing it to reach full brightness quicker.  The halogen is turned off after the CFL has warmed up, so you're getting the energy savings from the CFL from that point on.  The drop in brightness you're seeing is when the halogen turns off.

The CR review said that these bulbs didn't last well in a 2 minute on / 2 minute off rapid cycle test, but were otherwise very good to excellent.  It also pointed out that once the CFL fails, you'll have a bulb that lights for a minute, then turns out on its own.


Is duct tape okay to use for insulating very small, low current wires? I'm currently in isolation due to covid, so I can't go out to get electrical tape.

My keyboard's sustain pedal wires (~1 mm diameter) got cut, so I was planning on splicing them (no solder) and using duct tape for structural and electrical security after. Is this okay?

Low voltage lets you get away with all sorts of things ;^)

Why? - Because they won't burn your house down.

Any sort of (non-conductive) tape is fine - use what you have, without misinterpreting that in silly ways if you happen to have a roll of aluminum foil tape... Duct .vs. gorilla is pretty much "gray or black" in this case - does not matter. Clear packing or office tape would also work. Masking tape would work for a while, then dry up and fall off in the middle of your Carnegie Hall performance.

If your isolation tool arsenal includes a hot glue gun, you can make a neater and more durable fix (I rebuilt a LOT of laptop power cord plugs "better than new" back in the day with hot glue and popsicle stick to replace the "custom molded plastic" at the end of the job. I did solder those, but they were carrying more power than your keyboard sustain pedal wire.)


Combo panel upgrade: meter questions I would like to update my main electrical panel from 12/24 space-circuits to 30+

I currently have an EATON BR 125-amp with 4-jaw ring meter socket (MBE1224B125BTS) which is inside the attached garage of my single-family home.    I would like to replace it with a 200-amp panel to get a bigger panel without doing a subpanel(s).   I would get a 125amp main breaker for the new panel.   I'm considering this Square D QO model (QC3040M200S), 200-amp 30-space/40-circuit ringless 5-jaw meter socket.

For the meter socket, what is the difference between ring/ringless and 4-jaw/5-jaw?   Can I keep the current PG&E meter I have or would that need to be replaced for this particular panel?

General case: your utility sets the requirements for this

Since the meter socket is part of the interface between you and your electric utility, most electric utilities publish a document that specifies what sort of meter socket they want, among the other various requirements and conditions they place on consumers of electric services.  For the case of PG&E, this document is called the Greenbook.

In your specific situation...

PG&E is a member of what's called EUSERC -- this is a coalition of utilities that set and use a common standard for metering equipment.  In particular, you will need a ring type meter main that conforms to the EUSERC specifications (EUSERC drawing 301, 301A, or 302, to be precise, but if the manufacturer's catalog says that it complies with EUSERC, that's good enough).  As a result, the QC3040M200S is not usable for you; in fact, none of the Class 200 (150/200/225A) all-in-one CSEDs in the QO line meet EUSERC requirements, so they're a non-starter for you.

Furthermore, PG&E will not accept a setup with the meter for a single-family residence inside a garage -- this is prohibited by the Greenbook, section 5.3.2, point F.  So, you'll have to put the meter-main and any loadcenters on the outside of the garage instead if possible (as you can't put the subpanel by the gas meter either, NEC 110.26A would likely prohibit it even if the Greenbook didn't).  Thankfully, this gets them out of the way of the gas meter set, so you now have the flexibility to use a separate meter-main and loadcenter, as described below.

If this doesn't work, then you'll have to find a new home inside for the setup, or hope that PG&E and your electrical inspector will grandfather the noncompliant location.

Avoiding repeating this pickle down the road

One of the problems with "all-in-one" service entrance devices, as you are finding out the hard way, is that they tend to be short on breaker spaces and are hard to expand or replace.  As a result, if a meter-main is required, the use of a single-disconnect meter-main or a meter-loadcenter with feed-through lugs in conjunction with a separate 200A panel is a far better choice than a single 200A meter-loadcenter combination from an expansion and flexibility perspective.

Given the lack of options in the QO lineup for this, I would go with a Siemens MC0816B1200E(FN/FT/SN) for the meter main.   It is listed as EUSERC approved in the Siemens catalog, has 8 full size spaces for outdoor branch circuits or the like as well as an available secondary main disconnect of up to 50A (useful for an outbuilding), and has a set of feed-through lugs at the bottom of the busbars that can be used to provide the full 200A capacity of the main breaker to a subpanel without taking up any spaces.  With this, you can use a 200A panel of your choosing -- I would use something with a minimum of 42 spaces, but would not turn down a 54 or 60 space unit if one was available.  Plug-on Neutral is a nice-to-have (albeit not necessary), and since the meter-main provides the main disconnect, you can use a main lug panel for the subpanel.

Sidebar: 4-jaw vs 5-jaw

Self-contained electric meters and meter bases/sockets are not all alike -- they come in various current ratings (or Classes), as well as in various jaw configurations to accommodate different supply systems.  The 120/240V split-phase system used for most houses and light commercial buildings uses a 4-jaw meter and socket, as it only needs to be involved with the two hot lines (hot 1 in, hot 1 out, hot 2 in, hot 2 out).

A 5-jaw meter socket and matching meter are used when the service is a "2 out of 3" service, where instead of providing 2 legs 180deg apart from the opposite ends of the supply transformer, you get 2 legs and a neutral 120 degrees (and 208VAC) apart, as they came from picking 2 legs out of the 3 phases provided by a 120/208Y connected three phase supply.  Many 4-jaw sockets can be converted to a 5-jaw configuration in the field using a fifth jaw kit, as all this fifth jaw does is supply a neutral connection to the meter so it can correctly measure power in this asymmetric configuration.  However, unless you are in NYC (and you aren't), you will only see a 120/208 3-wire service or feed in a high-rise building fed by three-phase electricity.

So, while a 5-jaw socket can be used in a 4-jaw application (with the neutral jaw sitting unused), 4-jaw sockets are more widely available, so that's what I have specified here.


How do I repair the bottom lip of a concrete slab? (My issue is kind of like this question but more of a missing chunk than a thin crack.)

I have a concrete patio in the front of my house that was fixed by a previous owner after a bottom chunk broke off.  Unfortunately, that repair doesn't appear to be permanent.  I'd like to:

Knock out the existing broken area with a hammer and chisel.
Drive some Tapcons in partially, such that enough of the Tapcon (say, 1/2" to 1") is sticking out from the old slab to provide some reinforcement (but will be covered completely by the new patch).
Clean the area with a pressure washer (and let dry).
Maybe wrap some metal wire between the Tapcons for extra reinforcement.
Build the area up using some vinyl concrete patcher (based on this guide).
Patch all the smaller chips elsewhere on the patio, and cover the whole thing in a nice, thick layer of Concrete Restore.

So:

Is this Tapcon reinforcement idea a good one?  Is it even necessary with a vinyl concrete patcher compound?
Would Bondo be a better in this case than vinyl concrete patcher (keep in mind: it's all going to be painted over with Concrete Restore anyway)?

You're on the right track.  I've repaired chips and missing chunks in 80-100 year old public stairways in similar ways.  Start with a hammer and chisel, and be really aggressive like a dentist to find and remove all the soft spots.

I've used the tapcon screws, but generally find it easier to chisel an irregular shape that does the same thing.

For your patch I might chisel a channel all the way to the top, so it is easier to get the patching mortar past temporary formwork.  Remove your formwork as the stuff starts to get hard, and brush or trowel to match the old surface.  Or ignore that as your "concrete restore" will hide minor surface differences.

You can build up the repair in layers, but that requires mixing a fresh batch of rapid set cement every 15 minutes or so.


How to handle ground and neutral in multi gang box containing both branch and traveler further down on same branch? I have a 15 amp branch circuit where the first box from the breaker contains a switch for a ceiling light at the door leading to the garage. This box supplies the rest of the branch.  On the same branch at the opposite corner of the room I am adding trailer circuits for multipoint switches located at each entry point to the room to control new recessed lighting fixtures.  These trailer wires end back at the garage door where I am replacing the first box with a multi gang box. This box will now contain the switch for the existing ceiling fixture, feed the rest of the branch, and also be the end point for the trailer wires where they connect to the load through the final S3 in each chain.  This ends up making a big loop with sub branches branching off in the middle.  I have included a diagram for clarity.  The question is, how do I handle the neutral and ground connections in this box (Multi gang box combining B1 and B5).  I am inclined to wire the neutrals and grounds as if they were still in separate boxes but everything I've looked at seems to indicate I should wire all the neutrals together and all the grounds together.  Does anybody know the correct approach?

I'm guessing your wiring looks something like this.

So if you also draw the grounded (neutral) conductors, it looks something like this.

Drawing it like this you can clearly see, if you connect the grounded (neutral) conductors in box 5 (B5) to the grounded (neutral) in box 1 (B1), you'll have a giant loop.

It shouldn't cause any problems, electrically speaking. Your electrons will just be able to take different routes back home. However, as ThreePhaseEel points out, paralleling conductors in  this way would be a code violation.  To avoid paralleled conductors, you should wire the circuit as shown in the second image above. Notice that the grounded (neutral) conductors are kept separate from box B3 on.


How can I tighten nut under kitchen sink My kitchen tap has come loose from the sink and I'm having trouble tightening it back up. This is what it looks like.

I need to tighten the nut, but the problem I'm having is there is not enough space between the nut and the water hoses or the sink basin (Bottom of the pic) to turn the wrench when holding it parallel to the nut. I tried turning by putting the wrench perpendicular to the nut, but the bolt comes down to far to allow me to do this. I've also tried using pliers the same way, there is enough clearance to with the pliers to turn perpendicular to the nut, but the nut is so thin I can't get enough grip to tighten it much, I managed to tighten a bit this way, but it came loose again after a few days.

I guess I need to buy some sort of socket wrench, but not sure what kind. Or is there some other tool I should use?

Edit:

I have tried tightening using the a screwdriver in the flat slot of the bolt, that seems to secure the bolt to the tap. The problem seems to be the tap and bolt are not secured to the sink properly, which I think is what the bolt is doing.

You can buy a cheap set of tubular spanners/wrenches designed for exactly that

The slot only tightens the stud in the tap


Yellow stains on plaster wall patches I live in an old 1910s house and it turns out my walls aren't drywall. It is constructed of rock or some type of masonry. Over it, there is a really, really old wallpaper, which also have over itself, something covering it. It's 1½ feet wide paper-like sheet vertically pasted on walls and finaly, covered by many, many paint layers.

Yesterday, I went into a room in order to put some plaster patch on a damaged area. There was a spot, on the paper layers which I mentioned previously, which doesn't seems to stick anymore. So I simply tear it and it came off pretty easily, without too much effort (this is how I discovered the old, old wallpaper). So I applied some plaster patch on it to level it correctly. But once it has dried, some weird yellow stains appeared through the plaster patch. I'm guessing that at some point in the past, water damage or something may occurred at that location. However, when I touch it I don't feel any moisture.

What should I do?
Is this normal?
Is it moisture or something like glue behind the paper-like sheets?
Should I consider putting «placoplâte» in french (Plasterboard in english I guess or draywall) to cover all over these walls?
Is there anything I must do to ensure my walls are really dry?
Are these yellow spots appear on the paint too?

Thanks in advance. I must specify that it will be a new born child's room so I don't want to take any risks but I really want to do it on my own without paying for an expensive professional service.

Things can yellow for a variety of reasons, water, smoking, etc etc etc.  It really depends on the materials you are working with as well.  If the wallpaper came off that easily, water is a good guess.

What should I do?  Lots of options, I have two suggestions (see below)
Is it normal?  for a house that old, normal is a relative term, Ill go with yes
Is it moist or something like glue behind paper-like sheets?  There is likely glue of some sort, it could also be moist.  You should ensure there is nothing (a leaking pipe perhaps) behind the wall.  Its also entirely possible that there was water at some time in the past but it is no longer an issue.
Should I consider putting «placoplâte» in french (Plasterboard in english I guess or draywall) to cover all over these walls?  I wouldnt go over the walls, see my suggestions below
Is there anything I must do to ensure my walls a really dry?  Its definitely worth checking into.  If you are already patching it wouldn't hurt to cut a small hole where you suspect moisture and verify there is nothing behind the plaster.
Will it "sweat" over the paint I'll put over this or it stays only on my plaster patches?  Not sure what you mean here.  Will what sweat?

In my mind you have one of two options:

The cheaper, easier option:  Prep the walls to make them smooth and clean (in this case meaning free of dust and other things that can mess with paint).  Repaint the entire room with an oil or alcohol based sealer/primer.  Anything that is in the plaster (I am guessing this is plaster you are working with) this step will seal it in; odors, chemicals, stains...including the yellowing you mentioned.  Once you have done that, paint the walls to your taste with a latex paint.
The more expensive option:  Get yourself a dust mask and a sledge hammer and some tarps for the floor and tear the plaster out (demolition is fun, but test for lead paint first).  Replace with drywall.  This option is obviously a lot more involved.

Good luck.


can I remove 1 collar tie I'd like to create a small storage space in my attic.  The beam in Red is low and just gets in the way.  Can I remove one of the Red beams without causing structural problems?  I am willing to put in supports on the sides like the white post I have pictured. I'm also willing to move the Red beam up, but it would have to be all the way up at the ridge to be out of the way.

Probably not. For a definitive answer you can bet your house on (which you will be doing), consult a licensed civil/structural engineer.

The "white post" does not fulfill the same function that the "red beam" does (making strong/rigid triangles to resist forces from the roof loads.)


How can I tell what kind of heating system I have? Seems like a simple question, but I've had a very hard time finding a definitive answer to this.

I went to the hardware store to buy a replacement for a faulty thermostat and when I arrived and looked at what was available there were specific TYPES of heating & cooling system (single stage, multi stage, heat pump, electric baseboard heat etc) that each thermostat supported or didn't support. I ended up not purchasing anything because I didn't want to buy the wrong one - and to be honest didn't trust the recommendation of the employee.

In my specific case, I have a Rheem Criterion ii heater, but can't find any description online of which of those types of heating system types mine is. For my benefit and others, it would be great if someone could detail how to determine this?

Rheem's Digital Programmable Thermostat Model# RHC-TST411MDMS. This Thermostat is Required for Enhanced Modulating Features.
Check this site to determine the exact model and specs.(PDF file) http://www.expresshvac.com/res_components/gas_furnace/hvac_rheem.asp
Most of these Rheem furnaces are gas fired, forced hot air.


How do I replace this odd outdoor outlet and light setup? UPDATE:

First, thank you all for the responses, I really appreciate it.  I first tried to drill through the screws but I couldn't make it work; they were encased in thick metal, almost as if thick metal anchors were used.  And those weren't budging, at least not with the drill bits I used.

With that option off the table I began to cut the box out of the caulk, and boy was that a task. It was floating entirely in caulk, which in turn was attached to the siding frame. (it didn't actually seem like caulk, much more tough and rubbery, but I don't know what it was).  Behind it was just a hole through the wall/insulation with a single romex coming through (yes I cut the breaker).  Of course the attached conduit also wouldn't budge so I had to twist it off at the switch box.

So I'm left with the big hole, without siding to use as a flat surface, and without a stud or wall to attach a box.  I've taped an improvised cover on it for now and will turn back to it soon.  Wish I hadn't opened that box!

-
Original:

TL/DR; I need to replace an exterior electrical outlet box that is also supplying power to an exterior floodlight through surface mounted conduit. The box is partially counter sunk into the siding and seems to be caulked in place. What do I do?  (this is a bit long but the pics should help)

I started to unscrew the outlet from its box outside and it popped off along with the tops of the corroded screws, leaving the rest of the screws in place and preventing the use of replacement screws to get the outlet back on the box.

Replacing the box looks more complicated than I expected.  Power runs to the outlet and then up through a conduit up against the outside of the wall.  It stops to connect to a switch in the adjacent room and continues on to the light fixture.

Here's where it gets a bit weird. First, there is a hole in the wall for the box (framed by siding) but it is bigger than the standard single gang at 5.5 high and 3.5 wide. Second, because the conduit needs to run outside the wall through a punch hole in the box, the box is partially in (3.75 inches) and partially out (1 inch).

That leaves an awkwardly floating box surrounded by sloppy siding-colored caulk (or something).  I could just replace the box, but I'd have to cut it out of that caulk and I don't have or know that color.  I can't replace it with a flush outlet regardless of the caulk because there needs to be an entry point for the cable going to the light.  Adding a big cover that reaches to the siding frame has the same problem.

On that wire to the light, I don't know that I can fish it inside and back out to the light. I could probably live without the light, or maybe get a light that is solar or has a plug that I can run down and into a cover. That still leaves me with the weird box setup.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

If this was my home, I would do the following:

I'd flip  the appropriate breaker, take everything out and disconnect it.
I'd take off a piece of siding and get it color matched so I could fill the gap. That would either be with buying siding that matched; or buying white siding with the appropriate color matched paint to fill it in.
I would take off a piece of interior drywall to give me access to the studs and add the electrical box and the light the correct way, with all wires running through the interior wall.
I'd patch the drywall and repaint the section of the room (Again color matching off of a section of the wall that I removed in the process).

You could fish the wall; and I've done it. I used to install coax cable for several years and have probably done 500+ wall fishes. However, for a complex and messed up setup like this it is almost always faster to cut the drywall, patch and paint.

I would also REALLY like to see how the interior wiring of that thing was done on the parts you can't see. If someone was that creative getting the outlets there, I imagine there could be an interesting story behind the wall. Most interesting stories I don't want to find, but electrical can burn things down.. and therefore I most definitely would want to know.


How can I dim LED Christmas lights? I bought two different strings of LED lights of the same brand to replace my old lights with LEDs.  Big multi-colored C9 bulbs with dangling white icicle strands of T1 bulbs.

The problem is that the big bulbs produce a lot less light than the cool white icicle lights.  Is there any way to dim a chain of LED lights?  I keep reading that standard dimmers don't work with LED lights.

Not all LED's are dimmable.  The box should say if they are dimmable. Usually if they are dimmable, the instructions might say something like dimmable with standard dimmers.  If they are dimmable and you use a regular dimmer they will dim but a standard dimmer will not give you 100% dimming and might go bright to off in half a turn or slide.  Dimmers for LED's have a trim wheel that you can adjust and give you a more balanced dimmer and effect.


Pool pump shaft seal leak...or something else? I have water leaking from behind the seal plate of my pool pump, under the motor.  Exactly like a bad shaft seal.  However...

I replaced the shaft seal.  Still leaking.

I replaced it again, thinking I might have accidentally touched it or got some dirt on it.  Still leaking.

I called a "pro", who also replaced the shaft seal.  Still leaking.  He then suggested rebuilding the MOTOR, which makes no sense to me. The problem is that water shouldn't be getting to the motor in the first place.  How could rebuilding the motor be a possible solution?

At this point, the leak has increased from an occasional drop to more of a visible flow.  I'm hesitant to run the pump at all now.

I replaced the seal plate, thinking maybe there was a small crack.  Still leaking.

I replaced the impeller, again thinking maybe there is a crack.  Still leaking.

As far as I can tell, that pretty much exhausts the list of relevant parts that could be replaced.  I also replaced the impeller screw and gasket, but I don't think that would be related to the leak.

I'm pretty sure (say 99%) the water is not coming from somewhere else and running down under the motor, but at this point I'm not going to reject anything out of hand.  I can post a picture of the leak if that would be helpful.

What else can I do?  Is it possible the repair guy was onto something with rebuilding the motor?

This is a Pentair Whisperflo pump.

I replaced the motor, and that seems to have fixed the leak.

I suspect that during my first attempt to replace the shaft seal, I damaged something in the motor while struggling to remove the impeller.  After that, the shaft was probably slightly off center, such that the two sides of the seal were not properly aligned.

It's possible that just replacing the bearings might have fixed the problem too, but I didn't feel confident that I could do that successfully.  And the typical cost to pay someone else for that is about the same as a new motor anyway.


Selecting the correct lighting transformer This is related to a separate question I posted here: LED chandelier lights permanently dim.
I have an LED chandelier that it appears that I need to replace my transformer in as per the comments in my above post. I have almost zero electrical knowledge, at least in any practical sense, so I'm not sure how to interpret the numbers on my existing transformer in order to select a new transformer. Also, I'm not sure where the best place to get a new transformer might be. I'll start with Amazon.com but if anyone has suggestions it would be appreciated.
Here is a picture of the existing transformer.

Also, there is a copper wire coming from both the lighting fixture as well as the wiring coming from my ceiling. I understand that this is the ground wire. They were not connected when I pulled the light off. Is this a problem? Must they be connected? My understanding is that they would connect via the mounting plate.
Update
Considering this transformer. It shows not quite 12v on the output and it also shows 5amp. Is that a problem?

This looks like another alternative (my understanding is since this is 60w @ 12v that means it is 5amp, right?)

Both of these also say "For use with halogen lights only". I'm running LEDs, but does it matter since the output is "right"?

I'm not sure how to interpret the numbers on my existing transformer in order to select a new transformer.

You just want to match the numbers. It's not that important to understand what they mean. That said, note that the output is 12VAC (AC is "alternating current"). LED drivers are usually DC ("direct current"), but there's this corner of the market that seem to be descendants of the landscape lighting market and low-voltage incandescent lighting market, both of which use AC.
Which means you might have better success finding a replacement transformer by looking for landscape or low-voltage incandescent lighting parts, rather than "LED driver" parts.
So, find a transformer that meets the following:

120 volts AC for input (i.e. normal North American household line voltage)
12 volts AC for output
4 amps (or as the markings show, 4000 mA...same thing) current for output

Be very careful about the output AC vs DC, because this is where you'll likely find the most confusion, since there are those two different styles that otherwise seem very similar.
If you find a transformer rated at higher than 4A, that's fine. You just don't want less. You should try to get 4A or as close to as you can though.

there is a copper wire coming from both the lighting fixture as well as the wiring coming from my ceiling. I understand that this is the ground wire. They were not connected when I pulled the light off. Is this a problem? Must they be connected?

There's a green screw on the ceiling plate, which is intended to be a ground connection. Judging from the bends in the wires in the photos, it looks like the original installer tried to connect the ground wire from the supply cable along with the ground wire from the lamp cover to that single screw. This might even be the way the lamp was intended to be installed, and the wires might even have been connected there at some point, but getting two different wires secured to the same screw like that is difficult.
You would probably have better luck getting a screw nut and a short piece of extra wire (preferably the same size as the supply cable wire, though since they used a smaller wire for the lamp cover anyway, I'd say the size isn't too critical). Use the wire nut to secure all three wires together — the supply ground, the cover plate ground, and the new wire — and then secure the single new wire to the green screw in the ceiling plate. You'll need to straighten out the ground wire from the supply cable.
And yes, it's a good idea to make sure the ground connections are done.
As far as finding specific suppliers, that's technically outside the scope of the Stack Exchange network, including this site. But if you search for "landscape lighting transformer" with your favorite web search engine, you're likely to find a variety of vendors that could be useful. Alternatively, look for parts for low-voltage halogen lighting. These are often used for decorative lighting, cabinets, or track lighting.


What's this stud type called and how should I drill for hanging a heavy item? I just moved into a new house and doing my research, learning and planning before hanging a mount for a 40lb TV.

I have a Mantel Mount, which is basically a lowering mount to be hung over the fireplace.

I found out today that the studs are positioned in a way I haven't seen before. Its double studs and the narrower side is towards the wall, where I have to drill. Below is a photo, I tried my best to zoom into the area and highlight the studs, but I'll be happy to answer any question and describe them better if there's a need. (questions after the photo)

How do I properly drill into this for hanging such a heavy thing? Should I aim for the center, right were both studs stick with each other? Or is there a known trick for such type of stud arrangement?

This is  pretty standard double-stud, used in this case to provide some extra support for the framing around your fireplace.

You should install like with a regular stud, and do not try to guide your screw between the two studs. The two studs are probably just nailed together in a few spots, and a screw driven in between them could spread them apart. You want each screw to go directly into one of the studs, ideally toward the center of one. You can also attach to the central (single) stud for your TV mount.

As @bib and @mikes point out, because your mount moves you will want to make sure it's firmly mounted at multiple points. If it can attach across two or three of these studs (not just the two that are doubled up, but spanning the gaps) great. If not, see if your builder can add some blocking to support the mount.


Can I wire a Bathroom Fan to two Switches in Parallel? I want to control a bathroom exhaust fan with a wall timer, and a 24 vac relay. Basically both switches would be wired in parallel. Is this safe to do?

There's nothing electrically wrong with this, as long as no other part of the electrical code in your region is violated.  For example you can't over-stuff the junction box.  And your relay has to be rated for, and not get too hot, if used 24/7.

You can also do this with off the shelf home control components.

Note your ground needs to connect to the box frame and probably the timer frame, in accordance with normal electrical installation procedures.  The relay is is not touchable by humans and need not be grounded.


Run directly from the meter to house, no secondary panel? I want to run directly from the meter to house, no secondary panel:
Would the following portion of this answer here apply to my situation?

To feed a 100 ampere secondary panel 200 ft. from the main panel, you'll want to use 1 AWG copper or 2/0 aluminum conductors. This is large enough to safely carry 100 amperes, and to maintain power quality over the distance.
NOTES:
You'll want to feed the panel using 4 conductors (hot, hot, neutral, ground).
You'll have to isolate the grounded (neutral) conductors and bus bar in the secondary panel.
You'll have to install an adequate grounding electrode system at the outbuilding, and bond the grounding conductor to it.

Per the 2020 code (230.85), you are now REQUIRED to have a disconnect outside of the house at the meter.


How do I determine the origin of a window's leak? The drywall is water stained directly under the two lower corners of my window. So, I need to figure out where the leak is coming from. What steps should I take?

-The home was built in 1967. The window is on the second story and gets a lot of wind and weather as it is on a gable end.

-I removed the interior trim from the window. I'd like to spray foam the window. Should I wait to determine the cause of the leak or can I go ahead as the leak's origin is invariably on the exterior?

-When I removed the trim at the top of the window I noticed that there were a lot of small bits of pine needles and detritus that had somehow worked their way in. The material appeared to be dry.

-After removing the lower window trim, I noticed that there were a speckles of mold on the drywall-- very few, only a handful. But, obviously water had penetrated.

-The lower storm window sash was open for almost a year. (I just noticed that it was open). The regular lower window sash was closed. Could this be the source of the leak?

It turned out that the top corners of the window were rotted and water was penetrating behind it.


What are the specifics I should be looking for in a quote to replace my concrete steps? The front steps in front of my house are deteriorating. I am trying to get a contractor to replace the limestone slab steps with concrete. For example, enclosed is a picture of my estimate from 2016.

The steps are steep, is there a specific type of concrete that might work better than 4000 PSI mix? Are there any red flags in the estimate, or other specifics I should be looking for or asking about?

I'm not a concrete expert by any measure, but here are a few questions I would have about the job.  I'm not looking for you to answer them here - they are just questions you should know the answer to and possibly should be a part of the quote.

Are you sure you want the same rails replaced in the new steps?  Won't they be damaged when removed and if so, who pays for new rails/posts? Are they also replacing that stone "slope" the rails are sticking out of?
Does the current stair design meet all building codes or will it have to be modified to meet code?  Check on rise/run measurements, landing requirements, ok to have rails on just one side, etc.
Do you require any building permits or inspections to get this completed?  Who pays for the permits?
Are they hauling off and disposing of the old material?  You may be able to shop for cheaper demolition since that is unskilled labor.
Do you want a time estimate in addition to pricing?


Can you use a 10 Amp socket (and device with a 10 Amp draw) on a 15 Amp circuit I'm looking to replace my oven (the old one was a 15 Amp) and my new one is 10 Amp, the old one was hardwired my new one has a plug. so I would now need to attach a socket. I am also a little concerned with the heat generated behind the oven.

My understanding is it will be ok because the oven will only draw 10 Amps? there would obviously be an issue if the oven drew 20 Amps and I tried to use a socket rated for 10 Amps. The breaker is rated for 16 Amps.

Yes, you can use a device which draws 10 A on a circuit protected by a larger breaker. For example, table and floor lamps may draw less than 1 A and have light power cords that could not carry 15 A continuous, but code allows them to be used on 15 A circuits.

If the lamp socket would develop a dead short, the breaker would blow before the cord would overheat. If the lamp socket would develop a fault in which it drew 19 A continuously, then the lamp cord would get hot, but the probability of such an event is judged to be nil.