Will this solar panel setup work? Fairly new to using solar. I have been reading up on volts vs. amps in terms of what makes the most efficient system. I am considering a 24v battery bank with 4 12v batteries connected together. These are the Kirkland 115a starting/marine batteries. I am also considering a Victron 100/50 MPPT charger. This is the math I have so far.

Mobil RA 220-8B solar panels
1991

rated at:
230w. 10.55volts. 30.48 amps.

kirkland batteries=
115 amp hours * 4 quantity * 24 volts = 11,040 watt hours to charge %100

6 ra-220 panels in parallel = 54v * 30a Isc = 1620w

11040w / 1620w = ~7 hours of full sun to charge from 0% to 100%   *keeping in mind partial current from shade

is this math correct? Will this charger work well with this setup? Do you see a better way to set it up?

When dealing in watts and watt-hours, it helps to get your math right if you compute a single unit's capacity, then simply multiply by the number of units.  E.G.  Go 115AH x 12 (not 24) volts to get 1380 watt-hours per battery, then multiply by the number of batteries, 1380WH  x 4 = 5520WH whole pack.

I have no idea where you got 54V for 6 ra-220 panels in series (not parallel).  You seem to be assuming 9V per panel, at 30A, = 270 watts per panel.  See how much nicer "per unit" works?  It's now obvious something is wrong with the math, since these panels are only rated at 220-230W.  225W x 6 = 1350W, but that's perfect conditions.

For general design, focus on the watts. The MPPT controller will sort out the volts and amps.  However, you do need to make sure the "open circuit" voltage of the panels is appropriate for the MPPT controller.

Also, don't plan to bottom out the batteries if you're buying lead-acid.  They are happiest when they never drop below 70% charge (i.e. only using the top 30% of charge in the battery).  Dropping below 50% should be uncommon, and draining dead should be rare.  Doing so prematurely ages the battery.

If you want a battery you can frequently deep discharge and otherwise abuse, look at Nickel-Iron or Nickel-Cadmium (not NiMH).


NEC Article 220 load-calculation for entire house My house was built 32 years ago, with 200 amp electrical service. Since then I have added a number of large electrical loads, and decided I should do a load calculation for the entire house using NEC Article 220.
Here is what I have so far:

Items I'm unsure about:
Lines 7, 8, 9: Are these square-footages part of my dwelling unit, and thus part of the 3VA/sq-ft calculation? Do they not count at all, because they're not habitable living space? (Lines 7 and 9 are un-heated, and line 8 does not have code-compliant access, an uncompliantly-steep spiral staircase).  Does line 9 require a calculation outside the 3VA/sq-ft, since it's served by its own subpanel? It does not, however, have hardwired loads.
Am I counting the EV charger correctly?  It is a Clipper Creek HCS-50, rated at 40amps, calls for 50amp breaker & wiring.
Am I counting the water-heaters correctly, do they need to be uprated 125%?
Does 220.53 reduce my total at all?
Anything else that seems wrong (in either direction)?
Part 2 of the question:
If, after corrections given here, I come in over 200 amperes, how worried should I be?
If I decide to upgrade my service to 225 amperes, what is required other than a 225 ampere main load center?

Obviously, and cheaply, the THW cables from the meter to the main breaker (currently 2/0 for hots and 1/0 for neutral).
What about the transformer (I have my own private one in this rural area), the lengthy buried cables from the transformer to the meter base, and the meter itself?
Are these questions only the POCO can answer?

Call to them said surely the transformer/cables/meter can handle 225 amps; pinned down, they said cables were 4/0 aluminum (3/0 neutral) which ampacity charts seem to say are only good for 180 amperes; so something doesn't jibe.

The calculated load valve is for new services, for existing services you can measure the load on the service.
Do you want to put in a new service? Did you just win the lottery?
Putting in a new service in many states requires you to update everything to code and in the last 32 years there are a huge number of changes that will be required.  Would I even consider a upgrade from 200 to 225? Not a chance, I would not really think about it until 250, and at 300 sure it makes sense.
I have measured many homes and have never found one at 80% in fact most residential homes even in all electric are 80 amps or less on average.
Now to help you feel better about your home, have you changed from all incandescent lights to CFL or LED? CFL cuts the lighting load in 1/2, while LED gives close to an 85% reduction. Has the furnace been upgraded to a newer heat pump? Have the refrigerator, dishwasher, and oven been updated to energy star devices?
All these upgrades relieve the actual demand and the code panels are looking to change the load calculations for this reason.
What would an electrician do to evaluate the demand?
They would pull the dead face off your main service panel and clip a clamp meter on one leg then the other, then tell you to turn on the oven and heater or air conditioner and all the lights and repeat the test heavily loaded. As I just described it, I would bet that your home probably will not be drawing over 125 amps.
If you want to get really crazy add the washing machine and dryer, and turn the hot water on.  Unless you have an electric on demand water heater, you will probably still be below 180 with just about everything on at the same time.
You can do this same test yourself with a amp clamp meter costing under 100$
If you see an imbalance from 1 leg to the other this may need to be balanced, but don’t balance with crazy loads; balancing should be done with normal loads that you have running.
Just FYI car chargers are calculated at 125%.
The feeder to the house only has to be 83% not 125 because of the diversity of the load, even turning so much equipment on I would be surprised to see 80% and there are additional safety factors built in.
For example a 14AWG wire is limited to 15 amps by Code, but in a equipment panel from memory it is over 75 amps. There is a huge safety factor.


Recommended way to bolt toilet tank I've read variations on what hardware to use in bolting the toilet tank to the bowl. From a top down sequence with optional/variation items indicated in parentheses:

bolt

(metal washer)

rubber washer

tank

(rubber washer)

(metal washer)

(nut)

bowl

(rubber washer)

metal washer

[wing]nut

Observations:

metal washer under bolt head seems discouraged due to possible leaks, but some feel it will provide more even pressure on the rubber washer
some avoid anything (nut, washers) between the tank and bowl, perhaps to avoid clearance issues between the tank and bowl; this means the lower nut is both providing the pressure for the seal in the tank and securing it to the bowl
the rubber washer under the bowl seems optional, maybe to help mitigate overtightening/cracking the bowl

Comments?

What sequence is recommended?

The proper way is:

Put  the rubber washer on the bolt
Put the tank on the toilet base
Put bolt through tank and toilet base
Put metal washer on bolt and then screw on nut
Tighten accordingly


Sub panel and neutral and ground bus bar Some HVAC people under previous home owners put in a sub panel box and ran the AC as well as some lighting and outlet circuits from the sub panel.

The bus bars on the two sides of the panel box were used for both the neutral and the ground wires just like in the main breaker box.

I assumed that it was right because they were professionals and should have had an inspection for the sub panel and the HVAC. I have been reading about how sub panel boxes should have separate neutral and ground bus bars.

Are there panel boxes which are not designed to be sub panel boxes and should only be used as main breaker boxes?  The sub panel looks like the main box except the sub panel did not have a main shut off breaker in the sub panel.

You are probably in violation of National Electric Code, article 250.32(B)(1) states that the grounded conductor(neutral), shall not be connected to the equipment grounding conductor(ground).

The general rule of thumb is the only point the ground and neutral get bonded together is at the first point of disconnect for any incoming system, be it utility, generator, or some other source. There are a few exceptions for specific situations but none of which I feel apply.

Easiest course of actions is to kill panel, un-bond bars, drive screw through one bar into chassis and make that ground bar, use the other isolated bar for neutral. With no other knowledge of your installation I would advise you be careful of the loose neutrals while making the swap, if any are somehow being used by circuits from the other panel(it happens) they could shock you.


Help with bathroom timer and light switch install I’m fairly new to doing my own electrical so be gentle if this is a simple question.

I’m trying to install a fan button timer along with a new rocker switch for my bathroom. In the image below the left side is the light and the right is the fan switch currently. How do I go about installing the two new switches that have the usual black/white/green? I’ve done simple single switches and dimmers before but have yet to run across one where the two are tied together like so.

If any additional info is needed, let me know and I can get it to you.

Thanks!

Wire it like this:

It's very straightforward, except that the timer-switch requires a neutral connection (to its white wire), and the timer-switch has wires coming out of it instead of having screw terminals.

The timer-switch switched-hot is the red wire, and this should be connected to the black wire in the right-side cable, which leads to the fan.


How to Repair my Dropped Refrigerator I ordered a new hinge and brake for the fridge/freezer a friend dropped.  The problem is the door hangs too low on the left side.

My thinking was that the bottom of the door got pushed out to the right because of the way the hinge warped, but looking closer it would appear the door itself is a bit dented.  Should it be ok to try to hammer/bend that out, or should I be ordering more parts before taking things apart to fix?

It's hard to say if this will ever close right from the picture, and given how old the question is, I'm guessing you've repaired or replaced it by now. But for those that encounter this issue in the future, doors themselves can warp and be easily unwarped.

You need to loosen the screws hidden under the gasket of the door, and with them loose straighten the door. This is typically done when the top or bottom of the door closes before the other so the gasket doesn't seal, so I'm not sure how well that will work if a corner is high rather than not closing. When re-tightening the screws, start with the 8 screws closest to the 4 corners, and then double check your alignment (you can make small adjustments still) before tightening the remaining screws.


Per IRC, are flexible PVC couplings ever allowed to be used above ground for PVC to PVC connections? It is my understanding that flexible PVC couplings (e.g. Fernco) meet the definition of Mechanical Joint in the international residential code. The 2015 IRC prohibits the use of Mechanical Joints on PVC couplings above ground "unless otherwise approved". I am having trouble finding the right terms to help me identify where else they are approved.

Where else are flexible PVC tees/wyes/elbows allowed (if anywhere) for use in PVC to PVC joints?

  2015 International Residential Code

  P3003.9 PVC Plastic Joints between PVC plastic pipe or fittings shall comply with Sections P3003.9.1 through P3003.9.3.

  P3003.9.1 Mechanical Joints Mechanical joints on drainage pipe shall be made with an elastomeric seal conforming to ASTM C 1173, ASTM D 3212 or CSA B602. Mechanical joints shall not be installed in above-ground systems, unless otherwise approved. Joints shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

  2015 International Residential Code

  Section R202 Definitions

  MECHANICAL JOINT.

  A connection between pipes, fittings or pipes and fittings that is not welded, brazed, caulked, soldered, solvent cemented or heat-fused.
  A general form of gas- or liquid-tight connections obtained by the joining of parts through a positive holding mechanical construction such as, but not limited to, flanged, screwed, clamped or flared connections.

Fernco (Rubber) fittings are not approved in wall framing unless they have a metal sheathed hose clamp assembly covering the entire fitting as part of the design, Which limit them to straight couplings or reducing couplings. The reason is that vermin can chew through the rubber. They are suitable for underground but are more expensive than standard no hub couplings or regular pvc fittings. So the reason for wanting to use them for that is questionable unless there is some sort of access issue.


Is it normal for coax cable to carry this much voltage? I recently had a problem with my internet going out (cable). I went a few hours later to check if anything was loose on the box on top of the breaker panel. I opened it up and noticed cable coming from the street pole had melted at the point where it connects to the splitter, and it was really hot to the touch. I called my cable company and they were going to come out the next day so I disconnected the cable from the splitter and it seemed to cool down.

I decided to do some research online to see what was going on. I ended up finding problems with open neutral and decided to check the readings with a multi meter. I ended up seeing that from neutral to ground (used the metal fence pole next to circuit breaker) and it measured around 1.6 volts. Is that normal?

Also the ground on the splitter, which connects to the circuit breaker pole to the fence pole measured the same (1.6 volts). The cable tech came the next day and checked on the wire from the pole and said it had shocked him when he disconnected it and believed that it was probably hit from lightening a few days back during a storm. He changed out the splitter and fixed the melted part of the wire and it hasn't warmed up at all since, but it still measured the 1.6 volts.

I'm honestly just trying to make sure that 1.6 volts is nothing I should worry about.

UPDATE: So i went through the house checking all the receptacles and i found one that is hardly ever used that had 110 volts going from neutral to hot and around 8 volts from neutral to ground so i removed the receptacle and tested the volts afterwards and had 0.3 volts from neutral to ground and around 120 from neutral to hot so ended up putting wire nuts on the neutral and hot and put a blank plate i had laying around over it. the coax cable and neutrals at the breaker panel are now only showing 0.1 or 0.0 volts when tested i will check again tomorrow after i get home from work just to be safe :)

Likely source of the problem is a bad cable box.  Transient voltages or surges from indirect lightning can damage electronics.

You could test the coax shield to neutral or metal pipe that is properly bonded and see what the voltage reads. Disconnect everything from the box as to isolate the box.

I troubleshot one the other day that had 50v on an isolated shield.

Further advice: make sure your home is properly grounded to earth w/ ground rods and/or water pipe per NEC Code.


Low Voltage Transformer in Subpanel? I have a Pentair EasyTouch Automation system for the pool, and it is installed on the outside of the house in a subpanel. When it was installed, I also ran 12ga direct burial wire around the pool landscaping, and from the pool, runs through underground conduit into the Panel. In the pic, the wiring is annotated w the red arrow. I was going to purchase an isolating safety transformer, likely the Intermatic PX300. This would supply between 12-14v AC power to the lights.

The PX300 comes with its own outdoor rated box. However, I don't want to install it on the wall. In the pic, where the yellow square is, is typically where the transformer for the salt generation cell would go, but I didn't go for a salt pool, so I have a big empty space in the panel. Can I remove the PC300 transformer from its box, and install it where the yellow square is in the panel pic, screwing is into the holes in the subpanel? Would 725.136(A) prohibit me from doing this?

Thanks!

PX300 Transformer: http://www.inyopools.com/Products/02400015000949.htm

Subpanel

You are correct.

There are several points in Article 725 that are not going to allow that to happen.  This would give you no viable plan to rigidly separate mains from low voltage wiring, and that won't do.

Further, it would violate NEC 110.2 and 110.3(B) because you'd be defeating the UL-approved enclosure design, and using the transformer contrary to instructions and labeling.


Is it safe to run the oven without insulation around it? My oven had mice in it and made a nest. So I took all the insulation out of it too look for the mouse. This was because it smelled like a dead animal every time I turned on the oven so I cleaned it out. I do not know if that was the problem in the first place, but due to the smell I was wondering if I can just throw away the insulation without putting it back. The old insulation is completely ruined due to mouse poop and their nest.

Um...in a word...ABSOLUTELY NOT!!

You should without a doubt get the proper replacement insulation and put it back same as it came from the factory.


Drain clogged by grout The contractor I hired to tile my basement bathroom dumped a bunch if grout sand down the drain. it is clogged solid now that the plumbers came back to do their water test.  we have been trying to get it out by chipping when it was soft yesterday and then dumped muriatic acid down and left it overnight. Nothing seems to have happened and I'm afraid we don't know how deep the clog goes.  The trap is completely inaccessible.  Please does anyone have any ideas?

First I want to mention that your tile guy is 100% responsible for this.  He should be fixing this alone and paying for any plumbing issues.   This could end up being something that could cost you a few thousand dollars or more if you are in a city.  There is a chance that not only do you have grout (cement) blocking one section but it could be layering your whole line on the bottom.  Which you think might not be a huge issue if there is a 1/2 inch grout on a 4 inch pipe but this will build up constantly, especially if it isn't PVC.

There is very little you can do other than replace the pipes.  You can try liquid hammer.  My guys use this to clean their wheel barrows and tools from concrete and it really works.  However I am not sure it is suitable for pipes.  But really what do you have to lose?  I would contact the manufacturer of liquid hammer and ask them if you can pour it down a drain legally and what effect it will have on those pipes (my guess is your pipes will last).  Then pour if it is legal and see if first if your main clog is gone and then later if there are no issues with your main line.  Since it is your house you can monitor if the concrete is causing buildup on main line, and then repeat cleansing or having plumber come out with a bit to break it up.


Plug socket won't turn off even after replacing I had a problem with a plug socket where the socket wouldn't turn off so I replaced with another that I got from Screwfix and now a week later we have the same issue? The socket only gets used about twice a day max... The original socket was about 20 years old.

Seems odd/coincidental that 2 sockets have the same issue?

Regards
Liam

It must be a coincidence, I'd take the faulty socket back to Screwfix and get a replacement.

After removing the socket and disconnecting it from any wiring, you could test the switch with a continuity tester.

The only alternative explanations would be quite complicated. Even an overload is unlikely to produce the exact same symptoms in a new and a 20-year old socket. Anything that welds contacts together ought to trip a breaker, make a noise, a smell and leave visible evidence.


Should I use underlay when tiling a bathroom? Recently I had a water leak in the bathroom.
I noticed water spilling out from the tiles grouting and I removed them to prevent any more water penetration.

I noticed that the following layers have been used:

Ceramic tiles
glue/cement
3mm underlay
carpet glue (or some kind of glue)
plywood

The underlay did a remarkable job of absorbing many liters of water but I cannot find what kind of underlay it is.

I am about to redo the work and I am asking around for advice.
Some professionals strongly recomment AVOIDING the use of the underlay.

So.. My question is.. Should I use underlay? or should I simply glue the tiles on top of the plywood?

If you have wood underlayment that has been water logged, you really should get rid of it. i would remove all layers of old flooring and underlayments down to the primary flooring. If the primary flooring is still wet, dry it and seal it with a primer.  If there are any signs of rot, replace it.

Let's assume the primary floor is salvageable. Tile should have a full 1.5 inches of solid base so flexing is not an issue. Any flex or bounce in the floor will cause grout to crack and tiles to come loose.

Tile is best laid over a cement based underlayment. Concrete board or "Hardy Backer" is a good choice. This underlayment should be screwed down and screw indents filled with leveler or embossing compound.  Plywood sub-floors have been used for years and tile installed on them, but with that said, masonry underlayment is still so much better, just as easy to install and not much more expensive.

The main issue here is not to install tile over a wet or damaged sub-floor. It would be a waste of time and money when your tile lifts or the grout cracks. Mold is always a possibility where moisture is trapped.


Applying paint in hard to reach regions due to roofing sheets Around two years ago we installed Galvalume sheets for roofing. As you can see in the images below, the trusses were given only epoxy coating. We were told by the roofing contractor that paint over that coating would not be necessary.

However, now we are seeing the epoxy coating 'chalking out' i.e., it's just powdering and falling off exposing the metal surface. While we are keen on repainting the trusses, the concern is there is hardly any space between the sheet and upper surface of the trusses. Is there any solution to paint all the sides of the sections without detaching the sheets? Also, would it be essential to remove this existing layer of epoxy for the paint to stick?

I think the answer to your first question is already evident to you. If you cannot get to it, you cannot paint it. They do manufacture some specialty application tools for tight areas, such as mini-rollers and "paint gloves":

My experience with these items has been less than fantastic, but maybe getting some paint on those hidden areas is more important than aesthetics.

As for your second question, NO you do not need to remove all the existing paint. You need to remove all the existing paint that is not sound (i.e. likely to peel or flake off) and de-gloss all the remaining areas. This is normally accomplished by mechanical abrasion (sandpaper, steel wool, etc.), unsound paint will come off when subjected to sanding and the rest will be de-glossed. You should thoroughly clean after sanding, and apply a metal primer on bare areas prior to repainting.


Replacing pool pump/plumbing etc. that is below the level of the pool We need to rework some plumbing on a pool, and the level of the pool is 3-4' above the plumbing.  Obviously we need to drain the pool, but the problem with that is that the valves aren't working, and we can't shut off the skimmers, which are sucking in air.  So far, attempts to blocks the skimmers have been unsuccessful.

Seeing as how we don't have an extra pump to bring in in order to drain the pool, the best plan that we've had so far is to just simply cut the plumbing (which we will have to attempt to stop from leaking) and put temporary pipes in that will connect the pump to the bottom of the pool.

I just figured I'd come here to see if anyone had any better ideas.

Use gravity, all you need is a garden hose! If the pool is raised up on a deck or above surrounding areas, then you can siphon it out. This is exactly the same way fish tank owners get water out of their tanks.
First get a garden hose that is long enough to end up in an area lower than the desired depth. Put the hose completely in the pool so it fills with water. Then seal both ends with either a clamp or a thumb, but make sure it is SEALED. Then take one end to the lower area and unclamp. Then wait for the water level to be lower than the plumbing.

(source: richmondaquarium.com)


Power to a light, through two lights and then to a switch I have three lights with the power to the first light and passing through the other two and then to a switch.   How is this wired?

If you are in the U.S.A. and the wiring was installed before 2011, it probably looks like this. Note the colored tape or paint mark on the white wire used as a switched hot:

NEC 2011 and later calls for a neutral wire to be present in each switch box (to accommodate smart switches) so if your wiring is new it might look like this:


Using extra plywood as stringer for window boards? Trying to size out some window boards for a hurricane.  It's actually two questions but the stringer is the main one.

I have a section of windows that is roughly 14' x 4'6".  Given a sheet of plywood at 8' x 4', I was thinking of laying one full sheet horizontally, and then stringing together 1' worth making the sheet 8' x 5'.  Then stringing in the remaining length of windows from a second shortened sheet that is also strung with an extra 1'.

My first question is, can I string these pieces together with whatever leftover plywood that I have?  Or do I need to get something thicker / stronger?

My second question is, does the above strategy seem structurally ok for boarding against a hurricane?

I imagine something like this... where """" indicates stringers.

+---------------------------"-------------+
|                           "             |
|                           "             |
|                           "             |
|                           "             |
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
|                           "             |
+---------------------------"-------------+

Sorry if I'm butchering up any terms / ideas!

If those stringers are unsupported by an underlying structure such as a substantial mullion, it would allow unacceptable flexion at the joint under high wind conditions IMO. Even with a solid wood stringer you might have trouble over that long horizontal span.

Might I suggest that you use your idea but with the plywood in a vertical orientation? I know this would double the number of sheets required to 4 (5 to join with plywood "stringers"), but it would be much stronger this way. Also, the smaller pieces would be much easier to handle and install, and easier to store when there is no hurricane threat. 5 sheets is still way cheaper than a new window that size, you could use the leftover for other smaller windows.


Ceiling fan with two wall switches I'm putting up a new ceiling fan. There are four cables in the ceiling and two wall switches. Black and white for one cable goes to each wall switch. The other two cables use only the black wire and one goes to each wall switch. So each switch has two black wires and one white, and there are four black wires and two white in the ceiling.

The old fan had three of the black wires twisted together with the black wire from the fan. The two white wires were twisted together with the white wire from the fan. The remaining black wire was attached to the blue wire on the fan.

My new ceiling fan has a remote. The remote sensor only has one black and one white wire for input from the house.

How do I attach these four cables to the remote sensor?

Wire it using the black and white that were attached to the fan, and cap off the black that was attached to the blue (using a twist-on wire connector, or other approved means).

Note that the switch that used to turn the light on, will do nothing. And the switch that used to turn the fan on, will send power to the remote module or not.  So you'll want to leave the "fan" switch always in the ON position, so that the remote can control the fan/light.


Reset furnace (heater) often to get my fan to work. Why do I have to reset my furnace (heater) often to get my fan to work? The thermostat works properly but the fan some time is not turned on. Reset the furnace and/or the limit control switch works for a while but the problem will come back.

You might need a new control board in the furnace or just a relay replacement. Anything more than a once a year reset means there's a failure somewhere.


What is the impact of a backwards connected hot water radiator? When building a hot water heating system the plumber has connected one of the hot water radiators backwards, i.e., the loop comes in at the bottom of the radiator and leaves the radiator on the other side at the top. Unfortunately, this has been discovered only weeks after the installation and it's not easy to fix (there is no access to the pipes making up the loop anymore). What is the impact of such a backward installation? Does it affect the heating, efficiency or maintenance?

I can't say I'm familiar with your setup, but only with big old radiators & baseboards of the same principal & setup. Your problem is no problem in those systems, they are just to circulate water in one direction of a daisy-chain. The only definition of inlet was which side a flow management valve was installed on.

But, definitely get the plumber back out to inspect his work with you & explain how the system works. In your case I would assume it also doesn't matter at all because your system is actually zoned (it better be), meaning that this radiator might be its own loop & in is out & out is in regardless of what end & what pipe is where.

Don't prejudge & stay calm, just ask him back out to briefly explain the system. You'll need him friendly when the system goes active to adjust the zones for your maximum comfort & overall house balance.

Due to your response indicating this is indeed the start of a zone, the best fix would be to just swap the pipes at the manifold in the basement (or wherever) as the other radiators after the incorrectly installed unit are just flow-through units. Proven by their working perfectly with the first unit being essentially bypassed almost entirely.

No cause for panic nor messy permanent repairs, like replacing the entire zone. The plumber may have initially intended the incorrect unit to be a flow-through, but had to change his plan if a zone was added after the fact (& he/she forgot about the reversed plumbing). I don't know the entire situation, I'm just explaining & not excusing, a proper repair is absolutely necessary.


Fan wiring with no wall switch I am replacing a ceiling fan in my home built in 1999. The electrical box has four wires, black, white, blue, ground. I have no switch on my walls.

The old fan was controlled by a remote and we had issues getting the lights to work, hence the replacement. My fan has a remote and is how I plan to operate it. The instructions for the fan wiring can be found here on pg 10.

https://www.homedepot.com/catalog/pdfImages/f1/f1521f17-4df1-4a12-b04c-26026838731f.pdf.

So, I have it wired as shown in the picture and now have an intermittent issue where when I turn on the fan from the remote, the fan pulses slightly. It does not get up to speed and giving it a manual push does not help get it going. The light also does not work when this occurs.

I have tried attaching the blue wire to the black/red wires as well but with no success.

Thanks in advance for any help/ideas!

Decades ago I installed several of those old Hunter oil bath fans (4-blade with low and high speed by pull chain) and have never had any problems with them. After 35 years of service I did have to replace the pull chain switch in the most heavily used one. All of these have light kits.

More recently I installed several of the newer cheaper Hunter 5-blade fans all with light kits in a relative's house (without remote transmitter/receiver) and they have not reported any problems.

More recently still in our house we got two additional fans--newer cheaper Hunter five-blade fans with remotes and we have had problems with both. After initially working, one fan would not turn on. In messing with it, I found that depowering the remote receiver by turning off the breaker (no wall switch) restored full function and it has continued to work since. High speed is a papers-off-the-desk tornado. Go figure!

The other fan no longer works on high speed. The medium and high buttons give the same speed. I am not even sure the medium is as fast as the medium on the other fan. Depowering the receiver did not restore function. "The next chance I get" I intend to disconnect the receiver and wire it directly to see if the problem is in the receiver or transmitter or is in the fan. All five of my fans are on the same circuit and all are powered direct with no wall switch.


How can I add a wedge to a U-haul ramp to avoid the step down from the truck bed? Sometimes, I use U-Haul trucks that have a loading ramp that comes out of a slot in the bed of the truck.

The problem is that because it is coming out of the slot, the ramp is about 2 inches below the bed of the truck, so when I use a dolly to move freight out of the truck, it drops down that 2" and jars the freight. Also, if one wheel drops before the other, it can actually unbalance the whole load and threaten to overturn the entire set of boxes. A few times I have almost had a stack of heavy boxes fall off the ramp because of this.

I would like to somehow construct a wedge (shown in green below) that would eliminate this 2" drop off from the bed of the truck. There are two main problems: (1) how to make the wedge itself, and (2) how to fasten it to the ramp securely so that it stays in place.

Note that I typically rent trucks only for a morning or for one day at most, so it has to be something easy to attach and detach from the ramp.

On all of the rental trucks I've driven that had a ramp, the ramp could be pulled out a bit further and was able to be lifted up and latched into place at the same level as the inside of the truck, for exactly this reason.

U-Haul has a youtube video showing how to use the ramp; lifting the ramp up to the level of the interior is seen at around 45 seconds in.


How wide should I make my game-room if I want to fit a "full-size" pool table in it? I'm starting to look at finishing my basement, and am playing with a couple different layouts. I definitely want to put a pool table down there - and later sell the house with this being one of the big selling points.  Length shouldn't be an issue, but how wide does my room need to be to properly fit a full-size pool table and comfortably play on it?

You need enough room to be able to properly line up and execute any shot. I would say you need at least 5 to 6ft "elbow room" around the table.

  A regulation sized pool table is 4.5'x9'.

Source

So your room needs to be 14.5' x 19' to 16.5' x 21' (which sounds very large).


Asbestos Exposure, need help! I am renovating a home built in 1979 which had ~100sqft of vinyl tiles from the ~90s in the kitchen. I didnt realize there was vinyl sheeting under the tiles and decided to cut the vinyl tile into ~2x2 squares with a circular saw for easier removal of the underlayment. After pulling up the entire floor I realized there was some vinyl sheeting underneath, so I decided to have it tested for asbestos to be safe. Testing revealed the sheeting did have (20%) Org.Bound/Fibrous Chrysotile. While I was wearing a KN95 mask, I see now that it doesnt provide much protection against fibrous asbestos. I thought asbestos flooring products were phased out in the early 70s. Should I be concerned for my health or am I over reacting. I was in the house for ~5hrs.  If I should be a concerned, Id really like to know so I can share with my primary care physician.

TL;DR Don't worry, be happy.
In my non-professional, non-government opinion, you are overreacting. The risk with asbestos (as with smoking, radon and many similar things) is repeated exposure. That doesn't mean a single exposure has no effect, but the big problem is with repeated exposure. Something like, tearing up a floor each day, 200 x a year for 20 years. Not "once". Plus, even though a KN95 mask may not be certified for asbestos, it will certainly help block the fibers. Certification is a tricky, and expensive, business. Especially in the past year, there are a lot of masks out there, of varying quality, that are not being certified for medical use or for asbestos or other specific things simply because any manufacturer right now, worldwide, can sell all the masks they can make as long as they meet some extremely basic design standards.
In general with asbestos, if you can cover it up, there is no danger. If there are other areas of the house (e.g., flooring in other rooms) that may have asbestos, you should probably get it tested first before working on it, or just cover it all up instead of rip & replace.


Will removing supporting cabinets cause table top to fall? This question is not the same though as comments suggested.  This is specifically asking whether they table top will fall in light of how it has been constructed. It is not asking the best way to install a vinyl.  Maybe I want to try an alternative route but have concerns whether the table top will fall. Maybe I also want to avoid pluming work because I do not have tools/am no confident with it.

I am trying to get vinyl underneath some cabinets and I'm hoping I won't have to remove the tabletops.  I have provided pictures of how it seems to be resting.  It may be using the cabinets but were I to remove them the remaining support would be what you see in the pictures.

If I remove the remaining cabinets will the tabletop collapse?

No way to tell if the top would fall without knowing how it was fastened to the wall. You're right that if you add the vinyl and then try to slide the cabinets back in, assuming the top didn't fall, they won't fit. If you tried to force them in, you'd damage the vinyl. You could get a belt sander and remove some material from the bottom of the cabinet.
Personally, I think your best bet would be to remove the tops and take your time and do the job. Reinstall the cabinets on the vinyl and then install the top, secure and caulk the sides. good luck and stay safe out there.


Converting 10 gauge 4 wire to 10 gauge 3 wire supply I am connecting a double oven that has a 10 gauge 4 wire cable coming out of back to a 10 gauge 3 wire cable that runs to the main panel.

How should I accomplish this?

The National Electrical Code allows an existing 3 wire cable to feed a new oven.
Here is the pertinent article from the 2014 NEC:

250.140 Frames of Ranges and Clothes Dryers. Frames of electric ranges, wall-mounted ovens, counter-mounted cooking units, clothes dryers, and outlet or junction boxes that are part of the circuit for these appliances shall be connected to the equipment grounding conductor in the manner specified by 250.134 or 250.138.
Exception: For existing branch-circuit installations only where an equipment grounding conductor is not present in the outlet or junction box, the frames of electric ranges, wall-mounted ovens, counter-mounted cooking units, clothes dryers, and outlet or junction boxes that are part of the circuit for these appliances shall be permitted to be connected to the grounded circuit conductor if all the following conditions are met.
(1) The supply circuit is 1201240-volt, single-phase, 3-wire; or 208Y/120-volt derived from a 3-phase, 4-wire, wye-connected system.
(2) The grounded conductor is not smaller than 10 AWG copper or 8 AWG aluminum.
(3) The grounded conductor is insulated, or the grounded conductor is uninsulated and part of a Type SE service-entrance cable and the branch circuit originates at the service equipment.
(4) Grounding contacts receptacles furnished as part of the equipment are bonded to the equipment.

If all of 1-4 are true you can do it.
The oven should have a bond strap from the manufacturer to allow the bonding of the neutral and ground on the oven. And then you can connect both the ground and neutral from the oven to the neutral wire from the 3-wire cable.
Good luck and stay safe!


Hot water leak from heating system I discovered there is some hot water is leaking from what seems to be a pressure release point of my heating system. I am not very good at plumbing so i will probably hire a professional if this is something i should be worried about.

I had the heating on for 45 minutes and few minutes after turning it off i went outside and realized there is some steam coming out of the pipe(pictured below).

Here is a wider picture of all the plumbing, this is right beside a condensing boiler

The pressure relief valve must be installed in an upward position, i.e. the red cap must be the highest point. In the position shown in the photo (horizontal installation) the valve closing contact zone can easily be jammed by dirt and rust resulting in a leakage. The red cap offers a maintenance/cleaning procedure - the valve can be twisted and in that way lifted for a short time (< 1 sec) to flush/blow the residual dirt out of the critical zone. This should be done regularly.
Above this valve there is a location which seems to be a place for an automatic air release valve, which has been removed. Since this type of valve is prone for problems/leakage, a manual procedure for air release may be better, i.e. the removal is not a bad idea.
Although air should not be accumulated in that place since the pressure relief valve under 1. does not work well with air instead of water.
If the pressure at the gauge is increasing with every heating cycle, and decreasing between the cycles, the pressure compensating tank (= big red item in the photo, should have a car valve for testing/filling) could be faulty or could have low pressure (rule of thumb ca. 50kPascal = 0.5 bar + x bar, x is height of the system in meter devided by 10 - for a 3 level building ca. 1-2 bar).
The Grundfos pump in the photo should be checked for correct installation position. The pump has - just as the valve in 1. - a horizontal position, which could be incorrect.
If the leakage problem is not solved, the complete system could be slowly destroyed, since every filling procedure resp. topping up inserts new oxygene into the system that promotes corrosion.
If the tank for the domestic hot water has an sacrificial anode, it must be also checked every year. That water system has no connection to the heating water system, but corrosion could also destroy the heat exchanger and other components.
The label of the right most red rectangular item can not be read, but if it is an electric valve for automated refilling, this valve can also cause the problem by not closing properly due to dirt in the heating system.
Less likely is a problem with the (electronic) control system or the pressure input sensor/filling sensor.
Normally the domestic water system has a higher pressure than the closed heating water loop.


Inground Pool Setup Needs More Power My pool pump draws about 11 amps and we just converted the pool to salt which requires powering a chlorine generator. This draws an additional 7 amps for a total of 18. When both are powered on, the breaker is tripping since it is only a 15 amp breaker. The pool guy said swap it out for a 25 amp breaker. I thought, however, that the solution was not this simple depending on the gauge of the wire on the circuit.  Is there a way to figure out the wire gauge from looking at it? Should I just hire an electrician to check it out and determine if it needs a thicker gauge wire? Thanks

You could try the following to determine the gauge

Cut the power off
Open the connection and pull a wire off
Use a wire stripper and find the largest hole it fits in

As to the rest of the question...

25 amps is nuts. You have 18 amps so a 20 amp breaker on 12 gauge wire should be sufficient. My bet is that, since you have a 15 amp breaker, that your wire is 14 gauge (it's pretty rare to find higher gauge wire on a lower amp circuit like that). When in doubt, run new wire. It's not worth it to try and guess. Know that your setup is sufficient.

I would suggest dropping new 10 gauge wire (more than you need in case you ever add anything else, like a Polaris, although you'll probably want a subpanel at that point) and adding a 20 amp breaker. If you're burying it, make sure it's UF and preferably in conduit. Take the existing wire and stick it in a box with a GFCI and make it an outlet.


C wire - Where does it go? Got a wifi thermostat.  Behind the old thermostat was a blue wire.  The other side of the blue wire in the equipment isn't plugged into anything.  I need to get the 24v common hooked up to this blue but don't know where it goes.  Any help is greatly appreciated.

Fortunately, in your case, the fat blue wires in your first photo are the transformer return -- connect the skinny blue wire from the thermostat cable to the fat blue wires. Since the air-handler maker used quick-connect terminals for the internal wiring, you can crimp one of these onto the end of the thin blue wire and slide it on in place of one of the fat blue wires somewhere, then slide the fat blue wire onto the stacked end the linked terminal provides.


Replacing outlet switch combination with GFCI outlet switch combination I'm trying to replace an old non-GFCI outlet switch combination in the garage ceiling, that looks like this:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/LoWQrqFkNhoNZkoK6
https://photos.app.goo.gl/NsCgwuyd2xrby1Vp8
https://photos.app.goo.gl/US35XNW8qX8AVyNT8

With a Leviton GFCI outlet switch combination (https://www.leviton.com/en/docs/GFSW1_Application_Note.pdf)

I've tried many combinations of the suggested setup, both with and without GFCI on the light switch, but cannot get the switch to control the light - it's an outside motion light. In addition, for some reason, the (new installed) garage light does not work anymore. What's the easiest way to test the setup in terms of wiring. Also, how can I check that the switch really controls the outside light, could it actually be a switch for the downstream light switch?

First, that thing you did there, where you just tried random stuff, without really knowing what you were doing?  Don't ever do that with electrical. You would've stopped at the first combination that worked, and there are lots of combinations that work and will kill you. No more of that. If you are stuck/confused, stop until you learn.

*In particular, the GFCI device came with a warning sticker across two of the terminals that said, in as many words, "Do not use. For wizards only."  Peeling that is where things went sideways.

What you have now.

Switch+receptacles (that aren't GFCI) are made with a "common" tab that lets the recep hot and switch share a terminal. On yours, that tab is broken off, so the two devices are *totally independent**.

Specifically, your switch black & white is a switch loop, meaning hot power comes down the black and goes back on the white wire.  You didn't confuse them and I'm glad you didn't.  Just for reference, you can't put a smart switch here, because smart switches need neutral and you don't have a neutral you can use.  The receptacle neutral can't be used by the switch because it's fed from a different cable.

Because this is a switch loop, forget everything on that application note. The white wire in that note is neutral, the white wire in your box is actually hot.  It should have been marked by wrapping it with black tape.  The application note is for a "power at the switch" arrangement, which isn't the style yours uses, and what's more, the app note is putting the lamps on GFCI, which is a silly thing to do unless it's in a water feature like a pool or shower. These sorts of details is why electric is best left to trained people who are used to seeing weird stuff like this.

Wait. Why do you have a switch on a motion sensor?

Motion sensors are supposed to be switched by motion.  Not a switch.  The two aren't really compatible, and will cause poor performance from the motion sensor.  The switch will prevent the motion sensor from lighting when off, which may sound clever, but turning off the switch also makes the motion sensor forget what night and day look like from here.  If you measured light levels with an instrument, a shady location by day can be darker than a streetlit location by night. That confuses motion sensors the first time they power up, but they learn after a night or two. Turning off the switch wipes that memory.

So your best recommendation is to bypass the switch altogether and fit a plain GFCI recep.  Then you can get 2 outlets instead of 1.

Hooking up the GFCI

OK, the warning tape goes back on the LOAD terminals.

Note the three wires (single cable + ground) going to the socket part of the existing switch.  Those go onto the GFCI's LINE terminals and the ground screw.   Black to brass, white to silver.

That was easy, and we are done wiring the GFCI device, and we are done with screw terminals on the switch.

Hooking up the light switch

Note the 2 wires that used to go to the light switch side of the device.  If you've decided to stop switching a motion sensor, just connect those two wires to each other and you are done.  You straighten out the shepherd's hooks, cut them slightly shorter, and feed them both into a "wire nut" and twist firmly. Proper technique and all that.  Figure out what that is if you don't know.

If you really, really want that switch... OK, the GFCI+switch combo device has two wires coming out of it.  Each wire joins to one of the switch wires coming from the wall, again using wire nuts and

If you decide you don't want that switch, don't use a GFCI device with a switch, use one without.  Still, wire-nut the two wall wires from the light to each other and don't use the LOAD screws.


Remove CO detector From wired alarm system My house has a wired smoke alarm system, three smoke detectors and one CO detector. These are all old firex detectors, I am replacing them with three kiddie smoke alarms where one is  combo CO + smoke detector.
The problem is if I remove the old CO detector and leave it disconnected the alarms chirp every 5-10 minutes. I put it back in and the chirping reduced to rarely a couple times a day.
How can I fix this setup to remove that old detector from the system?

I solved this by re-inspecting the detector that was making the noise. I discover that the original wiring had reversed white and black power connections.
Perhaps the older alarms were not polarized.
I have no confirmed idea why the external CO detector impacted this system, my theory is it helped balance the load to offset the crossed wires.
After fixing the wiring, I was able to remove the external CO detector without any further issue.


Why does my main water supply go down into the foundation? The main water supply in our house comes up out of the foundation then sends cold water in four directions--the bathroom, the kitchen, the water heater, and back into the foundation.

I know why we need water in those first three places, but can someone tell me where the water might be going in pipe that re-enters the foundation?

Thanks!

This is very common, but not good. It's not good because it's under the concrete slab & expensive to get to, as well, these do usually fail very prematurely & first (30 to 60-years) because they live in harsh & moist conditions to be constantly under attack.

But, this is "normal" for basement baths & laundry sinks or laundry supply hook-ups. It was just cheaper, easier & shorter to run the pipes this way. A lazy Plumber that didn't care about the future & a crap builder that went along with it...just like today.

If you're saddled with a leak in the future, that's when you should see if you can run that piping up into walls, across ceilings & back down walls instead...unless you're doing renovations that can correct it sooner. This will double the piping's lifespan & be easily repaired in the future.


What direction should lever-style door handles be oriented? What direction should lever-style door handles be oriented?  According to this guy on YouTube, the traditional way is "middle of the curve up, end of the curve down", which "looks better", but you can do it the other way "for disabilities".

My thought is that a "middle of the curve down, end of the curve up" doesn't look better or worse, but it is a little bit better UX, in that the hand coming from above can get a better grip on the handle, regardless of disability.

If that's the case, why does the other way seem to be more popular?  Obviously, consistency is most important, but if doing all doors, which way should I choose?

Use your ADA manual fella's. The upward curve on the handle end could get hung up on a disabled person's cuff, clothing, wrist watch, hand bag, etc. Usually not much of a big deal, right? Unill the building is on fire or a natural disaster, earthquake. Anything can happen in race for life. ADA people need all the help they can get in a calamity, residential, institutional or commercial


When should an asphalt shingle roof be replaced? My shingle roof is 21 years old.  However, it still looks good.  My roof has aged well.  Should I play it safe and just arbitrarily replace the roof based on time?  Or, is it safe to hold off a few more years? I live in Massachusetts (NOT on the coast) and I've heard estimations for asphalt shingle roofs to be around 20-25 years.

Assuming a shingle roof. When to replace:

It is leaking and can't be easily repaired.
It looks bad. You don't like the looks, or the city is threatening to fine you for code violations.
You want a better roof. Better hurricane resistance in my case.
An unbiased expert says it should be replaced.

The climate affects the expected life--heat is hard on shingle roofs. Are you comparing the lifespan to other shingle roofs in your area? That is a better indication than opinions from people around the world.


Does "stacked switch with two separate legs, one 3-way and one dimmer" electrical part exist? I have a very old house built from adobe. I have a workman trying to make a connection for a chandelier where there was previously no connection and he says he needs something to do this that he thinks doesn't exist. I told him to tell me and I'd search the internet. He says he needs a

  stacked switch with two separate switch legs, one 3-way and one dimmer

so it's out to you experts to tell me if this exists?

Here is a double 3 way it will work single gang double 3 way it will work for your needs except the dimmer. One switch used for 3 way and only 1/2 of the 2nd switch is used for on off. Ok dimmer it gets a bit more expensive as you will need this style retro double digital you will also need a second switch single gang that can talk to this one similar to this single dimmer. I have not used a double with a single in the past so double check that the single wont affect both on the double.


can a ceiling fan be wired via a 3-pin plug and switched using the standard power socket switch? I've got a perfectly good ceiling fan without controller that I want to rig up in my shed for cooling purposes and wondered if there are any problems attaching a 3 pin plug to feed the power directly to it? Expecting to be able to control (turn it on/off) using the standard wall socket switch with the option of removing the plug from the wall socket whenever I wish to completely isolate it.

Yes. A ceiling fan swag kit is made, that allows you to convert a hardwired fan into a plug-in fan. You would install this kit, then install the outlet that is wired to the switch.


What to do with old air/light shaft? I live in an old house that is very narrow but tall. In the middle it features an old air/light shaft that looks very similar to this one. It goes through attic room, second floor bathroom, first floor bathroom down to basement/laundry room.

What do I do with it?

Ideally I would love to somehow "extend" the bathroom floors to make use of the shaft space  (the bathrooms are miniature).

Or I was thinking of putting in modern light tunnels to bring at least some daylight to the miniature bathrooms. Though I am not sure how efficient will the light tunnels be on the distance of 2-3 floors.

Or I was thinking of putting in some king of slide for laundry that would connect all the floors with a laundry room in the basement. But I was unable to google anything so laundry slide is probably not the correct term.

Any other ides? Any advice is welcome.

To get the floorspace and some light, I guess you could paint the attic section brilliant white, or mirror-line it (the light-pipe idea without restricting the size to the size of the light-pipes - perhaps using builders aluminum foil) put a "skylight" on it in the upper bathroom ceiling and put floor-load and fire-rated glass panels in the bathroom floors. Save a corner of the shaft-space for ventilation duct if there is not an independent means of ventilation for these bathrooms.

One reason for the decline of laundry chutes (however awesome they are ;^) ) is that they are a fire hazard (or a fire traveling quickly through your house hazard, more accurately) as a big penetration in the floor assemblies - to a fire, it looks like a chimney.

If keeping it a a chute, I guess you could still get some light and reduce lost socks by making the walls mostly glass.


Would this be the correct way to add a timer switch to an existing fan with thermostat? We have an existing 120V AC exhaust fan wired to simple inline attic fan style thermostat.  We would like to add a timer switch so the fan could be manually turned on as needed.

Would this be the correct way to add a timer switch?

This is the sort of timer switch we are looking to add: 12 hour timer

Yes, that is precisely correct. Though I prefer red tape, but that's a preference, not a requirement to go buy a roll. Nicer (IMHO) because you can easily mark switched hots whether they be black or white.


Demolition of 1.5"+ tile/concrete floor on second story I began demolition of a bathroom today and ran into an unusual (for me) flooring issue. The floor is tiled and it's set on a 1.5" thick bed of mortar. The mortar was spread directly onto the 2x8 subfloor. I don't see any evidence of wire mesh between the mortar and subfloor.

(Tried to upload a pic, but SE doesn't seem to like iPads...neither do I, but that's what I'm on right now)

What's the best way to break the floor up? It's a smallish bathroom (~70sf), but that's still a lot of concrete. Use a concrete saw and cut the tile/mortar into small pieces and load them out? Maybe an air powered chisel? I've used the latter many times for removing tile, but I'm not at all sure it can handle this material....it's a pretty small chisel.

Also, I don't want to create vibrations that may damage the ceiling below (pop drywall nails, etc.) The house was built in the 50's.

Any ideas are appreciated. Many thanks in advance.

Best,

Lee

Like you stated: masonry bladed saw set to cut just above or below the concrete base. If you snap lines to show a 2 foot x  2 foot quadrant to cut with the saw will make it much easier to remove concrete. You will need to expose the sub-floor to begin so that a pinch bar or long pry bar can be slid under each section and fulcrumed up. Have several abrasive masonry wheels on hand as they wear-out quickly. Hint: if you pry the concrete slab off the sub-floor slightly than it only takes a slight tap to break it apart with minimal shock to the floor framing.


Do these pictures suggest mold is growing behind walls? Seeking advise on mold.

This wall isn’t hard, feels kind of soft to knock.  Do u know what material it is and can mold hi through it?

You can see in the pics I peeled it and it just revealed more mold.  From the pics can u tell if this suggests the mold is growing behind the walls?

I cleaned the area with vinegar and covered it in foil paper.  It seems the covering reduced the mold smell.  If so would this suggest it is coming through the walls? Note I could be wrong about this as the vinegar may be masking the mold smell but if u can answer I’ll know the situation when the vinegar dissipates.

Thanks.

Guys, just to add should I keep peeling them if it shows more and more mold?

No.   But maybe.   You would be surprised how easy mold grows on the surface of a wall - especially sheetrock.   It certainly looks like there was/is some offset moisture from those pipes which looks like it has dried up.
While there is mold on the wall it isn't even that bad on this side which means it could be worse on the other side but me guesses that the water is from the pipes... not the other side.   So I would just scrape off the mold (sure hit it with bleach or whatever).   This is a good area that makes a point to use an oil based paint.
Probably the best thing to do is clean the area up, get the mold off and then check it every day or two.   There is no reason to open up the wall unless you can verify that the wall has remained dry, on your side and the mold progresses to grow more.


What can cause the capacitor in an air conditioner to fail? I just had the capacitor on my air conditioner fail.  It was explained to me that the reason for this was the oil inside the capacitor got too hot, expanded, made the whole thing bulge, and no more cool air or spinning fan.

Is this is a "all parts wear out" thing?  Or can misuse of an AC unit cause this sort of problem?  Or can other things being wrong with the AC unit cause this sort of problem?

The main question I'm trying to answer is: How can I avoid this in the future?

The life of electrolytic capacitors is primarily shortened by heat. Therefore ambient temperature, temperature of nearby motors, ventilation and air circulation (e.g. fan), presence of thick layers of dust, clogged grilles, excess paint, ... can be important factors.

Electrolytic capacitors are manufactured to various specifications:

Capacitance: e.g. 1 uF,  10000 uF
Voltage (maximum) e.g. 5V, 400 V
Lifetime e.g. 1000 hours at 80 C, 1250 hours at 150C
Operating Temperature e.g. 40-85, 25-150 C

By choosing a capacitor that suits your operating conditions you can ensure that you get the maximum life.

As with many things, some manufacturers produce good quality products and some low-cost manufacturers simply lie about their products' specifications. Choosing the right manufacturer may have a large influence on operational lifetime.


How do I know if I can run power to a garage from my breaker box? My breaker box is a 200 amp service. There's 16 openings and only 1 blank space for a new breaker. I have a garage about 100' away from the house that I'd like to run lights and a few plugs for tools from this panel. (The strongest power draw would be a cheap harbor freight air compressor.)

When I add up the amount of amps on the breakers already in the box, its well over 200. I know not everything runs at once, so how do I know exactly how much I can add to the box before I start dimming the lights in the house when I use a drill in the shop, or if the air compressor kicks on, it throws the breaker? Ideally, I'd like to run it off of the house and not install it's own meter and supply since the power company charges commercial rates for the second meter at a single address.

I know they make sub panels but I don't know when those are the only option or how involved a job it is to add one.

I have enough experience to run the wires and do the plugs/switches but this part is new to me.

No need to worry, a 200 amp supply box has more than enough reserve to power your garage.  If there ever was an exess draw - anywhere in the system - your circuit breakers would react by tripping.

You could run a sub panel to the garage, in case you ever wanted to use more powerful tools in the garage.

Install a 50 amp duael breaker in the panel, run #6 three-wire line to the garage in a plastic conduit line and connect it to a sub panel circuit box in the garage.  Then you can run individual 20 amp circuits from the sub panel to power outlets in the walls and another circiut to your workbench, etc.  you could run 3 or 4 20 amp circuits in the garage.  This would leave you in good stead for any future needs in the garage.


How to take out a screw on wall I tried hammering the screw a bit to loosen it. Any suggestion? I'm thinking of getting something to saw off the holder and hammer the screw into the wall.

If you have a small socket set with a Philips bit, you can use that in the 1/4" socket. This would allow you to put pressure on the screw while removing it.


What would cause a clothes dryers thermal cutoff to keep tripping? I have Kenmore dryer model 110.96588210. For about 10 years it worked flawlessly.

Then, its thermal cutoff started blowing in an unreasonable frequency. Since the hi-limit thermostat must be replaced as well when replacing the thermal cutoff, I now have a collection of about 10 perfect (but useless) thermostats...

The replacement kit is the so called 279769 kit. You can see an example here.

The rate at which this component has been failing is unreasonable, and in my search for explanation I eliminated the following possible causes:

I verified the the vent is not
blocked in any way.
I verified the lint screen is
totally clean.
I verified that the blower wheel is
good.

What possibly could explain a situation that has gotten worse to a point where the cutoff does not even last one full drying cycle?

How did you check the vent?  Mine had an open airway, but after years of use, I picked up a cleaning brush and was amazed as how much lint came out of the vent.  If your dryer is anywhere other than on an outside wall, I'd pickup a cleaning kit just because they are nice to have and reduce your fire risk. Here's one from Amazon:

That reminds me, I should clean it again soon.


What is the best way to insulate an unvented interior vaulted ceiling with 2x6 rafters? I'm in the midst of re-doing our garage. The space will be used as a nice woodshop/mancave. I'm looking for some suggestions in terms of insulating.

The garage is 12x20, and has about a 27 degree pitch in the roof with 2x6s as rafters. I live in Vermont so it's recommended to have around R50 insulation in the ceiling. If I retain the vaulted ceiling I'll need to furr out the 2x6's to achieve the recommended R value. From googling around people are pretty divided on furring (with a 2x4) vs. sistering a 2x10 to the existing rafter. I'm leaning towards furring because with sistering i'm adding 1.5" to every rafter which is less insulation value up there. But perhaps this is a non-issue?

If I do end up furring are there any sort of recommended techniques to do this? I plan on hanging 1" thick pine boards on the rafters and want to ensure the furring holds up with the added weight.

Forgive the myriad of questions, but any help/guidance is much appreciated!

You cannot completely fill the attic space like you can a wall cavity. Remember, you'll need at least 1" air space above the insulation for "attic ventilation."
If you choose to use the 2x6 roof joists, you'll only be able to "fill" the joist space up about 4.5".  So, your choices are 3 1/2" thick batt insulation for an R-value of about R-11.9 or rigid insulation board for a R-20 to R-30, depending on the type of board.
If you choose sistering 2x10's, then they have a net depth of 9 1/4". Therefore, leaving about 1" for venting, the net depth of insulation should be about 8" or so. That would give you R-19 to R-21 with batts or R-30 to R-60, depending on the type of board. (By the way, the R-60 is with polyisocyanurate boards, which are very expensive.)
Also, you're correct in assuming there is a significant R-value reduction because of the 3" of solid wood joist space.
If you furr down a 2x4 "ceiling" joist system, you could create a deeper attic space and use blown-in insulation, which is much cheaper. However, you'll need to verify that the 2x6 roof joists can support such a load. (Note: If you have an average load of about 25 lbs. per sq. Ft. Live load and 15 lbs. per sq. ft. dead load, then my calculations indicate 2x6 joists at 24" oc will only span about 8' to 10', depending on the grade of lumber. If the span is further, you could add 2x8 or 2x10 ceiling joists and support the existing 2x6 roof joists "up".
Also, you indicate the slope is about 27 degrees, which is slightly steeper than 6:12 (26.5 degrees). Blown-in insulation will tend to settle down to the walls, become ineffective and block the vent space on that steep of slope. Consider lowering the new 2x10 ceiling joists down to 2:12 pitch (about 9 degrees).


Is there a way to make my own chalkboard paint without using unsanded grout? I'm trying to create my own chalkboard paint (where I'm from, we don't seem to have any stores that sell chalkboard paint, nor unsanded grout in the entire city) and I see all the DIY posts out there saying you need "unsanded" grout. I'd like to avoid trial and error because the grout isn't as cheap as I thought it would be so my question is:

Is there a way to create chalkboard paint without using unsanded grout?

You need unsanded grout, paint, and chalk.

Mix your unsanded grout.

Then add the unsanded grout to your paint.  The ratio is about 1 unsanded grout to 10 paint.

Then you have to mix really well.  If hand mixing this could be a good 10-20 minutes.

Paint section.

Let it dry a day.

Rub chalk all over the paint very thickly.  Let it sit for about a half hour.  Wipe of chalk with rag or eraser - nothing wet.

Should be good to use.


How do I add veneer stone to an exterior painted wall? I have an exterior painted wall and am interested in installing a stone veneer. I realize that I may have to install wire mesh to the areas but I'm wondering if there is a material that can be used to apply to the stone to the painted wall without mesh? Or should the paint be removed as much as possible then attach the wire mesh and apply a scratch coat?

You need mesh. While veneer is a fraction of the weight of full stone, it is not light. The mesh forms a framework that the bonding material will surround and be inseparable from it (absent smashing with a hammer). The mesh is firmly attached to the underlying structure with fasteners (type depending on the nature of the siding).

In this case, the painting of the surface makes no difference.

Getting mortar to adhere directly to an existing concrete, stucco, brick or stone surface is not simple, especially when there is a tendency of the attached material to pull away from that surface. Adding to a horizontal surface (like a concrete floor, steps or walk), there is mostly a compression force (pushing the surfaces together), and bonding makes more sense. On a vertical (or overhead) surface, where the force is tension (pulling away), this makes less sense.

I think you need the mesh.


Home waterline upsizing questions So I JUST had my plumber replace the service feed to my house with a soft copper 1" dia. line, which was originally 3/4" dia. GSP from the street to the house (~35' as the line lays). I wish I had taken a picture of the old line that was removed, because I've seen clogged arteries on the surgery channel that looked better than that... I mean, you couldn't even shine a light through a short piece it was plugged/rusted up so badly! Amazing we had any pressure (edit: FLOW) at all...

Anyway, the meter at the street is also 3/4" dia. on either side (located inside a box, built into the sidewalk), and is being fed by a 1" dia. line running in either direction under the sidewalk. The point on entry into my house is still 3/4" dia. GSP, and I know most (if not all) of the fixtures inside the house are all fed by 1/2" dia. copper lines from the slab, but I don't really know what happens to the 3/4" feed after it enters the wall (i.e. does it go down below the slab or is it cast into the slab? how much further does it go before it splits up into 1/2" dia. copper runs? etc.) Oh, and the water heater is on the opposite side of the house in the garage too (great design - not!), so it always takes a while to get hot water in any of the faucets/showers. This was one of the mains reasons we did this project to begin with.

So to complicate matters a bit further, I added a Home Master 2-stage whole house filter as part of the line replacement (right at the entry point to the house), which has 1" ports one either side and two REALLY big 20" tall canister style filters. Apparently it has less than ~1psi pressure drop across the system according to the manufacturer (which I tend to believe), but I plan to eventually install some gauges and confirm.

Now it's only be 24hrs since the upgrade, but I have not noticed any significant/noticeable improvement in water pressure (or flow) using normal faucets and shower. The hot water still takes about the same time, which is unfortunate, and a sink + tub scenario still leads to a pressure drop in both fixtures. However, one of the garden hoses (opposite side of the entry point) seemed to have more pressure when I tested it last night, but the pressure dropped off after about 10 seconds or so which I'm guessing is because the new 1" feed is so short and only provides an initial boost in flow/pressure (right?)

So my question is: Even as badly clogged/corroded as the old 3/4" GSP line was, shouldn't I have seen a more substantial improvement in pressure and/or flow by upgrading to a NEW, much larger 1" dia. line? Or do the 1/2" lines inside the hose restrict flow/pressure and keep everything about the same? And does anyone think that the 3/4" meter at the street may be causing a restriction at all? Would replacing it with a 1" in/out version help any?

Sorry for the long rant and multiple questions, but I'm trying to see if there is anything else that we can do to help get a bit more pressure (aside from replacing all the pipes in the house, of course).

TIA!

The time delay between the hot water tank and the places where you use it is entirely determined by the distance between the two, which you have not changed. Note that larger tubing would be counterproductive here, because the flow is almost entirely determined by the outlet device, and you want to minimize the amount of cold water you need to drain before you start getting hot water.

Similarly, the pressure drop issues when using more than one tap are also related to your inside plumbing. What this tells you is that the badly corroded service pipe was not your "bottleneck".

The only way to improve the hot water access time is to move the tank closer to the places that need it. In a large house, this may require multiple heaters, possibly including on-demand "tankless" type heaters.

The only way to improve the pressure drop issues is to redo the interior plumbing, either by using larger tubing, or making every tap a separate run from the main distribution point. With modern PEX tubing, the latter option is less trouble than you might think.


100 amp service wire size from transformer to meter/panel I have a run of 185ft underground in 2 1/2" conduit from transformer to my a 100 amp service panel/meter. What size wire should I use?

Voltage drop may be an issue, at this distance.
The Canadian Rule (don't permit more than 3% voltage drop at 80% of breaker trip, which is the max provisionable) requires a wire size "bump" around the 175' mark on distance.  This is not required in the United States, but it's a viable rule of thumb.   Under the Canadian Rule

for 100A breaker (80A computed) #1 will come in at 2.99% drop.
for 200A breaker (160A computed) #4/0 will come in at 2.88% drop.

And that's fine, because those are your minimum wire sizes anyway.
Wires carrying your whole service get a 17% discount
When you have wires carrying your entire service, you get to compute your mandatory wire sizes off 83% of service size.   So this leads us to #2Al for 100A, and #4/0Al for 200A.
A feeder wire never needs to be bigger than the service wire by this rule.
However, since you are seriously contemplating a 200A heavy-up, I do not recommend laying #2 because you'd only need to upgrade it later.
All other feeders need to calculate on full-boat
If a feeder doesn't benefit from the above exception, then it must calculate full-boat ampacity.  For the wire types offered in aluminum, that is
100A = #1 Al ...... 200A = 250 kcmil Al.
A 2-RV stands needs less than 100A.
The RV provisioning rules allow a "discount" for feeder size when the feeder serves multiple RV stands.  The discount means #2 aluminum wire (rated full-boat 90A) is acceptable to feed two 50A RV stands.
Run wires ONCE
The reason I'm arming you with all this data is because I want you to not have to replace wires later.  Run the wire you need and don't look back.
"But my 100A meter won't take 4/0 wire!"  That's OK -- get three Polaris connectors rated for 4/0.  Use those to pigtail down to #2 or #1 Al wire to land on the meter lugs.  Of course those Polaris couplers are about $20 a pop, so figure that into the cost.
On panels - think BIG
What's important with panels is the number of breaker spaces.  Spaces are dirt cheap, so never allow a future situation where  you want to add a circuit or feeder but can't because the panel is full.  Honestly, "help, my panel is full" is our #1 panel question here.  Just get ridiculous numbers of spaces.
Typically, 100A panels have only a few spaces... most panels of respectable size (24-space and larger) are 200A bussed.  If they are main-breaker, they typically have 200A main breakers.
That is fine -- you can go ahead and use it anyway.  If it is downstream of another breaker, then the local breaker doesn't matter - it's only there to be a disconnect switch.   E.G. if you use a 100A "meter-main" you can run to a 200A-main-breaker panel and that's fine - the 200A breaker serves merely as a disconnect so its size doesn't matter.
If this panel needs a 100A breaker, then you have 3 choices:

Buy a 200A main-breaker panel and swap out the main breaker for 100A
Buy a 200A main-breaker panel, disregard the 200A main, and install a 100A breaker in a normal breaker space and backfeed it, as the main. Label it as the main breaker.
Buy a 200A/225A convertible, main-lug panel, and buy a retrofit main breaker that is 100A.


Washer and Dryer on one 20amp breaker? We just moved into a home built in 1998. The previous owners had a standard washing machine and looks like were using an electric dryer.

We have chosen to go with a gas dryer instead. There was a gas line there already so it made for an easy connection. My question is on the electrical part.

Right now the washer is on a 20amp circuit with terminates with a single 20amp outlet. The new washer states it needs 10amps.  The dryer states it needs 13 amps. Can I turn the single outlet into a double 20amp outlet? Is it okay to have both the dryer and washer on the same outlet/breaker?

The poblem(s) with your scenario is one 20 amp breaker it's only good for 20 amps under normal usage.  Your washer and dryer combined equals 23 amps. Granted you may not run both at the same time but who's to say the next homeowner will not.


How to safely and legally join building wire behind drywall I had a small kitchen fire and the electrical wire behind the drywall in my kitchen melted. What is the best way to safely and legally (to code) rejoin the wire?

The "best way" is to replace all the damaged wire.
Either completely (from where it starts and ends now) or by adding two junction boxes (which must remain accessible) where you can join the undamaged parts of the wire to new undamaged wire between the two junction boxes. If you can reach one end with new wire, you may only need one new junction box.


water pressure high after using hot water We have replaced all the check valves from the road to the house.. The city replaced its valve at the road.  We continue to have 90psi pressure after shower or dishwasher use.  I have to flush the toilet to bring the pressure down to 47PSI. The city says it may be our hot water tank.  The tank is 10-12 years old.  Whenever the pressure starts to build my kitchen sink faucet leaks and I have already replaced the flow meter in one of the toilets that blew. Is it our hot water heater?

Interestingly, working check valves (you noted in the other question that they were replaced) are essentially what cause this problem, your water heater is raising the temp of the water in the system (it's expanding) and it has nowhere to go, it can't flow back toward the street to equalize pressure thanks to the backflow preventing check valves, so it builds.

This is exactly what hot water / thermal expansion tanks are meant to mitigate. You either don't have one or yours is malfunctioning. They are typically made of a tank pressurized with air and a bladder inside to let the water push against it as the pressure builds, since air compresses relatively easily compared to water.  If there is a leak on the air side of this tank, it will fill with water and not react at all to the changing pressure.


How do I install a bathroom exhaust system? We are set to close on our house in about three weeks and one of the problems that the inspector noted was that the vent in the guest bath vents into the attic (never going outside) and the master bath does not have a vent at all.

We do not have much experience with DIY home repairs, but would like to do as much ourselves as is feasible so we have a better understanding of the house and how it works.

First of all, how simple would it be to extend the vent from the attic to the outside, and what would we need to do so without causing additional problems with the roof, and secondly, how easy is it to install a vent in a bathroom that does not have one?

Congratulations on your new place! Installing a bath fan is a somewhat ambitious project for a novice DIYer. You have to:

Do electrical work to wire the fan and switch.
Mount the fan in the right location.
Run ductwork from the fan and outside, usually via a roof or wall vent.
Avoid doing much damage to your ceiling when cutting into it.

The biggest challenges here are usually in the vent installation. If you can go out through a wall or gable, a vent can be easy to install, just requiring a round hole and some caulk. If you have to go up through the roof, there are a number of subtle ways you could install the vent incorrectly that would not be immediately obvious but would increase your chances of a future roof leak significantly. Try searching the site for "roof vent flashing". Also, depending on the height and angle of your roof, you should think about whether you're able to climb up safely.

The other potential issue is the electrical. Like roofing, it's easy to make a mistake that you might not notice for a while, but the risk is more severe as you could create a fire. You could also make a mistake that shocks and injures you. So if you are really new I'd recommend you start by learning how to safely do things like replace outlets and light fixtures first.

Most of all, make sure you take the time to understand what you are doing. A challenge is always fun, but you will probably have plenty more opportunities!


Where can I find a replacement green colored porcelain toilet? Do any of the manufacturers still make green colored porcelain toilets?  The existing one is an American Standard model probably from the 60's and it is green porcelain.  Most of the bathroom is green tile so I don't think a white replacement would look right, but it seems that none of the manufacturers I have looked at make green colored toilets anymore.  Any ideas?

I found this place on the net that has a lot of vintage plumbing. They had some green sinks and soap dishes and a pink toilet.

I didn't see a green toilet, but it looks like they do a lot of salvage work and their inventory changes frequently. Might be worthwhile to drop them an e-mail and have them notify you if one comes in.

Historic House Parts

Also, you could try online classified sites like e-bay. Here is an add for a turquoise/green toilet.

As to the thought of installing a monstrosity like that, may God have mercy on your soul. =)


Trim separating--caulk or wood putty? The trim on my interior door frame in the bathroom is starting to separate, making long thin, narrow gaps.

should I fill the narrow gaps with wood putty or caulk and
how will each option impact the finished, painted look?

Presuming that this trim is nailed on like it is in most houses, why not just use a hammer to gently tap it back into place? If you can't see the nail heads and/or you're not good with a hammer (it's easy to miss a finish nail), hold a block of wood against the trim where there's a gap and hit the block (not your fingers).
You may want to get a few extra finish nails (they have a very small head that will nearly disappear once it's driven all the way in) to add some extra grip. If you go this route, you may choose to fill the holes with a bit of wood putty, then repaint. I'd suggest a careful touch up of just the puttied areas, but expect to have to repaint all the trim in case it doesn't come out looking all that great.
This way, you'll fix the problem instead of just hiding it.


What's the best way to secure soffit that joins a roofline? I have a roofline similar to this.

.

Just above the porch column, there is a roofline that joins the main roofline. On my home, birds have started to push up on the soffit and make their way into my attic. I'm assuming this is how mice keep getting into my attic as well. Is there supposed to be some sort of support behind the soffit to keep it firm against the shingles?

It's hard to say much from the very distant photo, but I'd guess that there's no metal channel against the roofing (shingles). That would prevent all but the burliest of birds and rodents from shimmying under.

The wall has a channel for the soffit to slip into, and that channel should wrap down the slope to the backside of the fascia.

Or, work in some lumber, fastened at the wall and fascia, to stiffen things. Don't puncture any existing roofing.


painting rotted sashes I am trying to fix discolored and rotting lower sashes on my natural pine windows.  The wood has turned green.  I am using a wood petrifier to firm up the wood.  How do I paint/varnish that lower sash to match the rest of the natural lightly yellowed pine sash once the petrifying is done?

If you want to keep a natural/varnished finish, you'll probably need to replace the rotten sash. Which is also the correct solution to a rotten sash, really.

You can try bleaching the repaired area, but I doubt it will work for the level of "work" required to look good as a plain/varnished item.

As such, either paint both upper and lower sash some solid color (or just the whole lower sash could work, if wood above/paint below suits, and that leaves the option of going back to a full natural/varnished look when you do replace the lower sash) or replace the rotten sash with new wood. You'll also need to address the reason the sash rotted in the first place.


Circuit Fails when wires capped but not when light is inline curious to hear your thoughts. It's on old 1960's house and I can't trace all the wiring. In the diagram: when the porcelain single bulb light is hooked-up the Black and dotted white wire, the light works and break is Not tripped. Also works fine whether switched off/on. When I cap those two wires together, the break trips to off position.
Any ideas?

The picture has the black & white wires in question, with red on them.
I wired in the light to the left and the run works fine...grr

A Simple Short Circuit
when the porcelain single bulb light is hooked-up the Black and dotted white wire, the light works and break is Not tripped. Also works fine whether switched off/on. When I cap those two wires together, the break trips to off position.

Black wire going to bulb is "hot"
White wire going to bulb is "neutral"

A circuit is panel -> "hot" -> load (e.g., light) -> "neutral" -> panel.
When you cap the two wires together without any load between them, you let ALL the possible electricity flow through. Otherwise known as a "short circuit". The breaker then trips, as it is designed to do to protect your wiring and prevent your house from burning down.


Make an hole at the center of a cylinder with a drill press I have a drill press and I want to do an hole at the center of a cylinder but I don't know how to do...Can anyone help me?

I'd create a channel out of wood blocks for the cylinder to lie in and pad it with a cloth. Something like this:

Image source and more info

Then I'd use an awl or nail set to create a divot in the surface of the acrylic. This will help prevent bit crawl, though a drill press usually takes care of that for you if you secure the work piece well.

Acrylic melts easily, so either drill fairly quickly or use a fluid bath for cooling.


Moen kitchen faucet replacement I had a leaky kitchen faucet so I got a new Moen 87557 from Homedepot. I was able to install everything up until I was ready to connect the faucet to the water outlet. The old faucet had a 3/4" (I think) and new one has 1/2" inlet and my water outlet has a pipeline which doesnt fit into the new Kitchen faucet intake. Am very much a rookie, so please help me with suggestions on what can be done about this? PLease find attached the photos.

I used the LFA124 adapter from hone depot and i was able to connect it properly.


Types of dangerous sparks inside drilling machine that require to stop work immediately This question mention that it is common to see sparks inside a drilling machine.

It is not uncommon to see sparks at the interface point between the carbon brush and the commutator as the motor operates.

So, is there a particular kind of spark inside the drilling machine that is dangerous and requires stopping work immediately and getting it fix? and also, do old drilling machine have fewer sparks than new drilling machines (the question mentions that old drilling machines produce more sparks, while the answer mentions that new drilling machines produce more sparks, both statement are contradictory to each other)?

I went through a few forum threads where people said sparks inside brushed drill machines are common, but all of them mentioned old drill machines

The amount of sparking will often reduce as the brushes wear in during use of the tool.

You know the ordinary low level sparks which dance across the commutator? And you know the ordinary sparks from metalworking?   Any sparks other than those are dangerous and a sign it's time to stop using the machine.

The amount of sparks has everything to do with the health of that particular set of brushes and commutator, and little to do with the make, age, class, etc. of the machine.


How to connect steel posts to build a shelf unit? The posts or conduit needs to be galvanized as I'm using this for growing herbs.

Im not sure if I would have to get this welded or if theres a simpler way to put something like this together. (fittings possibly?)

Im considering 1/2" to 1" for thickness for conduit, or 1 1/2" galvanized fence posts.

Thanks!

A lot of structural steel and piping comes galvanized already.  For instance most silver/gray colored iron pipe.  (not black pipe used for gas; apparently methane or its additives don't play well with zinc.)   And you can get galvanized pipe fittings to link them, in most shapes.

Piping may not be the way to go.  You may want to go with sectional steel channel, one being the Unistrut style and its many clones.  Again, available galvanized.

If you really wanted to go PVC or EMT conduit, despite the weight load, consider designing a truss.  Crazy large geodesic domes are made using EMT conduit as the structural members.

There are many ways to arrest corrosion other than galvanizing.  My preferred way is to knock off the rust with a wirebrush or sander, then Rustoleum 7769 Rusty Metal Primer which seems to control light surface rust reasonably well, then any of a variety of topcoats (primer alone will not hold; look any any automobile that's driving around with rust busting through the primer).


AC/DC adapters making strange buzzing crackling noise in all house, what causes it? Yesterday all of my AC/DC power supplies began making strange buzzing, crackling noise (quickly and intermittently repeated pops). First I thought that my computer's power supply is dying. So I switched to laptop, to my surprise its power began to make the very same noise when I started the laptop. I checked the outlet and there was not problem.

I tryed other wall outlets in the flat too. All of them making this noise. I looked around the house. Other AC/DC converters making this noise too (eg. the main door bell).

But something is strage, the DC appliances and computers still working no signs of overheating or crashing, incandescent light bulbs NOT blinking, AC appliances (like hair dryer) works like before.

Also no electric smell anywhere inside building, pylons seem and sound to be ok. The local transformer just humm.

This crackling noise is quite annoying at night, and it's worrying.

So what can be the source of the noise? And how to fix it? (at least in theory as I rent the flat and I have no tools).

Some technical details: I live in Hungary, the voltage between one phase and ground is 230V, between two phases it's 400V. It seems only one phase installed in the house but I'm not sure.

UPDATE:

Uploaded a Youtube video of the phenomenon:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrWAY0XMB_E

You have an arc-over somewhere in your power supply system. Electric arcs produce a broad band signal with precisely that noise pattern.

Cracked or dirty insulators on the power poles, transformer with an internal primary circuit fault, loose connections between the transformer and meter, or compromised underground feeder cables that are leaking current between the conductors will probably be the source of this EMI.

Heaven forbid that the source is anywhere in the house, that's a dangerous situation.

Determining where it comes from

Given the noise that can be heard in the video, this should be transmitting a pretty nasty interference on AM radio frequencies to the point you should have no problem using an AM radio as a source detector.

First steps are to make sure this isn't something in the house that is suffering from a loose connection, ground leakage or arc fault. Turn your radio on and with it somewhere mid band between stations, see if you can hear the noise. Now go through the breaker panel or fuse panel and cut power to each circuit till you have cut all power to the house.

If the noise goes completely away from powering off a circuit, then start looking for appliances, switches, lighting fixtures powered by that circuit that that have failures. At this point, if wiring starts being the possible culprit, you're getting into electrician territory, so get a qualified electrician if you're exceeding your technical expertise or what you're allowed to do under your local laws.

Using this method, I had found that the people who wired my house up had used a crimp ground ring to complete a power circuit in the bathroom which explained the radio noise and the dim lighting that would flicker every so often. Removing the electrician's tape off the odd looking connection revealed that the crimp ring (improper use, only supposed to be used in the ground circuit) had worked loose and the copper wire was being slowly eroded from the arcing in the loose connection.

If the power down only slowly diminishes the noise till the last circuit is cut off, then you need to make sure the power entrance and cabling to the breaker panel/fuse panel are intact to clear your residence (qualified electrician time, you do not want to be messing with this).

Once you have cleared your residential wiring, then you need to get the power company involved in hunting down where the noise is emanating from. It's in their best interest to fix it if its a bad splice, cracked insulator or transformer getting ready to blow.


How can I move loose-fill insulation temporarily? My current bathroom fan is dead and needs replacement. I tried removing it from the inside of the house, but something is holding it. I'll need to do it from the attic.

The attic is covered with loose-fill insulation. What should I do to temporarily move the insulation while I replace the fan?

Assuming the insulation is safe to be around, use a plastic lawn rake. After years of settling, you can use the same rake to "fluff" up your loose fill insulation to make it more efficient.