Finishing attic with static vent I have a 1920s building with a gable roof that has a 10' peak. I'm going to finish the space and had an engineer detail the specs for structural safety, but I'm stuck on the appropriate way to provide venting with what I have.
The space has 8 static vents (not a ridge vent, unfortunately) that are about halfway down the roof, but no soffit intakes - there's simply a solid board under the eaves of the house on all sides (no visible openings). The previous owner had blown-in insulation put in about 20 years ago, but other than that there's no insulation.
I'd like to drywall all the way up to the peak (around the collars that I need to install, which will remain visible) and plan on insulating all of the cavities in the rafters, including those behind the knee walls that I'll install.
I'm doubting there's really any "venting" going on in the attic as-is, and I know it isn't as simple as installing baffles since there's nowhere for air to flow. How should I go about this?

The Code says Attic Ventilation shall be “cross ventilation “ and shall be 1/150th the area that is to be vented. (See ICC R806 Vents.)
However, there is one exception: The attic ventilation can be reduced to 1/300th the area to be vented provided one of the following items are met:

a Class I or II vapor retarder is installed on the “warm-in-winter” side of the ceiling, or

not less than 40% and not more than 50% of the ventilation is located in the upper portion of the attic. The upper portion is defined as: “Upper ventilation shall not be lower than 3’ below the ridge or highest point of the roof. “  (See ICC R806.1.2.)

Currently your vents satisfy the “cross-ventilation requirement, but when you cover the roof rafters you will no longer have cross-ventilation.
Also, the Code says you shall maintain a 1” clearance between attic insulation and framing.
Where you live, R-19 batt insulation is grossly inadequate. (In fact, the 6” batt insulation will completely fill up the 2x6 joist space and you cannot vent it.) I’d use R-30 insulation (10” thick), but you’ll need to sister 2x12’s to the existing 2x6’s so you’ll have about 1 1/4” air space above the R-30 insulation. You’ll also need to provide soffit vents and a ridge vent (or provide a means for the air to cross the ridge.)
So, you can see there is clearly a benefit to having ridge vents, soffit vents, etc. , but in a proportion that allows COMPLETE CROSS-VENTILATION above your new insulation.


Should I replace an old breaker or add a new one? Our old circuit breaker for our water heater seems to be at the end of its life. However, the breaker also controls our well system, and the breaker is only 20 amps. Is it okay for us to just replace the breaker (the old one lasted a good 15-20 years) or should we consider having an electrician separate out the well onto a new circuit? There is an open slot in the circuit box if needed.

I would definitely have the two circuit separated. In fact, they should have been from the start.

If the water heater is a "standard" 4500 watt tank-type then a 20A breaker is not adequate anyway. You'd need #10 wire with a 30A two-pole breaker.


How do I plumb radiators in an off grid cottage? I have a cottage that is off grid. I want to plumb radiators on it that wont use a pump, or minimise usage of a pump if at all possible. What is the best way to do this?

Hot water tank is raised to roomceiling level, expansion and water tank are in very small attic, boiler is at floor level, and there is three loops, two with one rad a piece, one with five.

Back  in the days in the beginning of the tall cast iron radiators, they were set in the loop so that the hot water would rise and by the time it went through the radiators in its zone, and by the time it went through the radiators and cooled it was on the downward leg of the run back to the boiler. This would work best in a two story home where it would go through a few on the first floor, a few more on the second floor, so it would be cool enough to make its way back down to the boiler in the basement, repeating the cycle. It is called a gravity system. there is a small article near the bottom of the page here

12-28-13 edit taken directly from the article

" After a few fires and explosions, Perkins modified his system by installing a temperature-limiting device, operating the system at a lower pressure and temperature. The Perkins’ system was very popular in England until the 1850s but then died out. The idea of high-temperature hot water systems languished until they were revived in the 1920s."

The article goes on to state how the system grew in popularity

I would presume that old tried and true technology would work now. I think that with a little research, since these systems really need to be designed by an engineer to get the flow right, a slightly more efficient system could be had.


how better to cut laminate planks -- with saws or laminate cutter In different videos I see that normally people prefer to use laminate planks cutter to table saw or similar. Is it just their preference or because of saw dust and such produced during sawing?

I do not use a laminate cutter.  For some laminates I am able to score with a razor knife and a straight edge and then snap, for others I use a miter saw for cross cuts, a table saw for ripping lengthwise and a jigsaw to cut around closet openings and door openings.


Transformer going into receptacle obstructed by board behind it I am in the process of upgrading my doorbell transformer. (I am the fella from yesterday with the question about broken off back stabbed wires, registered with a proper account this time)
In addition to upgrading the transformer I am now changing out the receptacle. Removed the existing receptacle, tried putting the new transformer in and ran into a minor speed bump. The utility box that holds the receptacle is to the bottom right of my panel mounted on particle board. The new transformer secures itself via. threaded clamp going into a hole on the box. The threading on the new transformer can't really get into the hole entirely or straight due to the edge of the particle board blocking it. Here's a photo:

I have been thinking about what my options are. What I have thought of so far:

Keep it as is. It's not pretty but I wound the clamp through a couple thread rotations to the point where it feels secure enough.
Move the box right to the edge of the particle board so there is no obstruction.
Find a place to screw the transformer right onto the particle board, or add some board next to the particle board and screw the transformer on there if there is no room in current setup.
Purchase a different transformer that has the same screw in style as the old one.
Completely overhaul and move where my transformer is hooked up.

Option 1 is obviously the laziest but if it's safe would probably be preferred. 2 and 3 are happy mediums and then 4 and 5 are last resorts. At this point I suppose I am looking to get opinions and/or suggestions in case I have missed anything. The other thing is there was another ground wire I had not noticed screwed to the box against the particle board. My plan was to remove that, pigtail the grounds and connect them to the ground screw of the receptacle assuming that is OK? Anyways sorry for the drawn out post and question. First home and have only owned for a couple months, so I am finding a lot of surprises.

Use a
metal box cover with a knockout in it.
I think you will have enough room to access the screws of the cover. You will need a plug for the knockout on the side.

Or, the box is surface mounted, add a spacer behind it.


Main panel mounted directly to cinderblock wall My main electrical panel is mounted directly to my basement wall, and I noticed last night while I had it open that it is starting to show signs of rust/oxidation around the mounting screws.  What is the correct and safe way to get a piece of plywood in between the panel and the block wall?  Should I be able to simply pull the panel out away from the wall far enough to slide a piece of plywood in or is there disassembly involved?

Thanks

You may be able to pull the panel off the wall and attach the plywood then screw into the plywood. I usually seal the plywood so it will last longer and look nicer. All my phone and data patch blocks are hung with plywood. I do this in unfinished basements as this extends the life of the panel if the wall is damp.


Weight of gas dryer drum? Kenmore 87071110 In order to repair my dryer I have to remove the drum. As a senior citizen I have difficulty lifting things that are over 25 pounds. I can’t find dryer drum weight listed anywhere.

I don't have the exact weight, but I'm pretty sure it's well under 25 pounds.  That being said, it's quite large, so you're going to have to hold it at arm's length, which will make it feel heavier.  You'll also need to be able to reach deep inside the dryer to deal with the drum belt.  So, you may consider getting some help with this job if you aren't as limber as you used to be.  You can always try it and stop if you decide it's too much.


How can I stop water from coming out of the shower head even when the diverter valve is shut on the tub faucet spout? We just had the tub faucet with diverter valve spout replaced.  It is the two valve wall mounted type faucet.  Now when you open either or both faucet valves water comes out of the shower no matter whether the diverter is up or down on the spout. I pulled off the spout with diverter and put another brand new one on and the same thing happens.  What can cause this and how can I fix it?

Could be that your diverter is not closing all the way. Without a picture.....I assume the shower attaches to the tub spout. If so, the diverter is not closing all the way or the diverter may have something blocking it from closing all the way.


What's behind the hard plaster walls? Most of the walls in the old part of my house are plaster.  Hard, nasty, amazingly solid plaster.  While this is nice in some areas, there's others that it's rather annoying -- such as on the stairs (previous owners have screwed in a banister ... with regular screws, awesome)

I would have no problem popping out the plaster and exposing some brick, or even better, find some wooden slats, get some insulation in there and maybe toss up some drywall.  Yea, I know, it'll be a mess, but oh well, I got a shop vac :-)

Anyway, what's behind those walls?  (and someone needs to make a -plaster- tag !)

If your house was built before the 1940's, it's probably a layer of wood lath, followed by a standard 2x4 stud wall with no insulation.  Perhaps some knob-and-tube wiring just to make things interesting.  The plaster will make more dust than you thought possible (wear a mask).

After the 1940's, it's probably gypsum board, but without the foaming agents and plasticizers that make today's drywall easier to use.  Behind it, you probably have a 2x4 stud wall with no insulation and conduit or NM wiring.

[Here's a picture of a lath wall from the back, courtesy Wikipedia]


Can I repurpose this RJ45 setup for phone to run as Ethernet? So my home is wired with what I thought looked like Ethernet ports. After trial of plugging in my computer and seeing that the ports weren't working as Ethernet cables, I dug deeper.

The wires that run throughout the house are all cat5e. My router is hooked up in the living room with an Ethernet cable running from the ONT port on the back of it to a port in the wall named 1A. Right next to 1A sits a port named 1B. all of these cables run to a central hub in the master bedroom closet.

after finding this hub I realized that all the Ethernet cables running throughout the house are connected to a telephone line switch. and above that switch is a small white box with AT&T on it that one Ethernet cord is plugged into (I'm guessing that's connected to the port that my router is connected to). If I wanted to run a few of these cords that are connected to the telephone hub as Ethernet to the rooms, is the fix as easy as buying an Ethernet switch, unplugging the cables from the telephone switch and plugging them into the new switch, and connecting the Ethernet switch to the small white box i talked about previously?

For the last couple of decades, many new homes have been wired using UTP cabling because its not significantly more expensive than plain old phone cabling.

So its not uncommon for cat5 and cat6 cable to have only one pair used for a `phone, and the other pairs idle.   It will be relatively straightforward to reterminate both ends of each wire.

At the room end, you will need a new faceplate and a new jack for each wire.  One jack per cable is correct - ethernet can't be daisy chained like a phone.

  There's some cost saving putting a cat5 jack on cat6 wiring, but there's literally no gain putting a cat6 jack on cat5 wires.

At the central point, there should be one run of cable to each remote room.  If you don't have this, then someone's done daisy chaining and you need to investigate further.

The wires in the walls should be Solid Core.  While it is possible to get plugs for this, the normal best-practice is to terminate the solid core wiring on a patch panel, something like this :

And then to run short stranded patch cords into your switch or router.

Tools: Crimp for plugs, punch-down tool for jacks, a cable stripper for ethernet.  Optionally a tone source tool can help with discovery, and a cheap link tester helps show if any of the individual wires are broken.  And the usual screwdrivers etc.

Consumables: wall plates, jacks, one patch panel(the most expensive item), a short stranded patch cable per link, a longer stranded patch cable for use in the remote rooms.

You also need to think how your router can connect to this switch.  Its possible to use one link to backfeed the LAN through to a switch at the central point.  It may work for you to move the router into the central point, though this can cause issues with wireless ethernet signal strength.

This is all a bit generic, but we can be more specific as you provide more details.


Is water vapour on light switch a fire hazard? If I spray a 70% alcohol mist onto a regular household light switch, is that a fire hazard?
I assume not since the red and black wires would both need to be exposed and close together... But assuming there was a short circuit, would the alcohol/water just heat up and evaporate instantly without causing any real damage?

Or am I mistaken? Thanks

Water/ alcohol would be more of an electrocution or shock issue than a fire issue.
Alcohol is flammable yes but depending on the concentration there’s probably more water, and water with impurities can make a conductor and shock you with contact being made on only 1 conductor , so I don’t see it as a possible fire hazard but as a possible shock hazard in reality. I spray any cleaner / sanitizer on a wipe then clean the device as the electronics are not sealed and it is possible to get enough moisture in the switch to get shocked.


What is the best way to build a box to elevate my bathroom fan above joists? I want to create a register/ return air type box about 4" high so my bathroom fan's exhaust will be above the joists so that the duct can have the shortest and most direct run to a gable vent. Is there a good pre-made product that would work to line it, or should I just line a box made of 2x4s with some galvanized steel sheet?

Great idea.

I would install 2x blocking to mimic how it would mount normally and then create a chute using rectangular duct.

Rectangular duct is available, pre bent with 1 bend, you buy 2 to assemble.  You can buy a slightly larger size and just tape the overlap to get a custom size.  Be sure to use a metallic tape and not ordinary "duct" tape.

Make your chute several inches longer (than needed) and cut down along the corner seams to be able to bend out 1" mounting flanges on each end.

You may need to make some mounting ears to attach the grille.  Perhaps a pair of screws left proud of the chute would catch the spring loaded bail (bale?).


My overhead door sticks at very beginning of open cycle I recently insulated my garage door with a foam kit and I don't think it weighs much at all.  I believe the culprit is the weatherstripping I added to the the frame.  I think it is creating a vacuum that is hard for the opener to fix.  If the door sits for a while, it struggles to start the opening process.  Once it is moving it is fine, but there is an initial jolt that shakes the door and the worm drive track pretty good.

Are my suspicions correct?
Is the weather stripping too tight so the door needs backed away a bit on the track, or does the spring need wound a few turns?

If your weatherstripping was installed firmly to the door, the problem is probably simple static friction. In total, the seal creates a substantial drag on the door, which is enhanced by warm weather making the seal softer and stickier.

I'd try applying a drying, not-greasy lubricant to the weather stripping--silicone or Teflon. Alternatively, adjust the depth of the door rail brackets slightly to reduce the pressure of the door against the seal.


How to mark measures? I'm not a very contentious person. One of the most basic things I struggle with in all types of home improvements is how to properly mark measurements. Two examples, to mark the x/y position for a screw on the wall or properly mark where to cut a bolt that is too long. I try to use angle iron, spirit, and folding rule and mark it as closely as possible, but usually, I end up with a few millimeters off. Is there a good method to improve acc

If you are only a few ml off, then I'd say you're doing pretty good for a beginner DIY.

For bolts and edges on boards I have always found combination square a very handy tool to have. (See picture below)

The X/Y on a wall gets a little trickier. You need a good tape measure, one that's at least 1" wide so it doesn't have a tendency to bend. Get into the practice of measuring from both sides of the wall and from ceiling to floor from your "point". Then measure again. Make sure you use a sharp pencil to mark your cut or drill point.

Like everything else, this takes practice. good luck.


Does it matter if my underground conduit overlaps or crosses over existing conduits? I'm planning on digging a trench for underground electrical conduit. I recently called my state "call before you dig" underground locating service. They finished marking the locations of underground utilities. They all overlap, perpendicular, to my proposed conduit path. Does this matter? Does this mean I have to choose a different path? Or do I need to give a certain amount of space? Or just be careful when digging?

Crossing existing utilities is no problem; it happens all the time. Just be careful when digging. There is probably a prescribed margin to either side of the marks within which digging must be done with "hand tools only." In some areas the margin is 24 inches to either side (48 inches plus the width of the marks themselves); in other areas it is 18 inches to either side; yet others may choose some other distance.
Even when hand digging a shovel can easily damage the insulation or even cut through direct-buried cable (telephone and CATV are often direct-bury; power might or might not be). Plastic pipes, such as gas pipe or electrical conduit, are much more resilient to impact from a hand-operated shovel.
Soils vary quite a lot. If yours is sandy then hand-digging will be easy. You could even vacuum excavate with the help of a wet-dry "shop vac." Vacuum excavation is considered "hand tools." If your soil is harder, like clay, it's going to be tough going. In this case I'd suggest digging the trench full-depth on both sides of the marks first. You could then make a choice: chip away at the remaining wall of hard soil, or simply bore through it at the height where the new conduit should go. This can be done with running water from a garden hose if the soil isn't too hard, or with a boost from a pressure washer. "Hydro excavation" as this is called is also counted as  "hand tools" and is used extensively by professional excavators. Its likelihood of damaging existing buried lines is very low.
There are tricks one can use to improve the DIY hydro excavation.

Use a pressure washer turbo nozzle. It shoots a 0 degree stream but orbits in a circle, carving a cone into the soil. It works much better than a plain 0 degree or fan-type nozzle.
Push a 2"-2.5" sleeve (pipe) into the bore as you go. It "saves your progress" each time you push it in deeper, defending against cave-in. It also eliminates concern of excess erosion of the bore because water and spoils exit through the sleeve. The sleeve must be large enough that spoils, including small stones, can flow past the boring device (pressure washer wand or hose/pipe) to exit the sleeve. Vacuuming with a wet/dry vac can help.
Bore at an uphill angle so that gravity will carry water and spoils back to you.
A pressure washer wand can easily be extended. Big box stores have begun carrying adapters from pressure washer quick-connect to regular pipe thread; a pair of these and one or more arbitrary-length 1/2" threaded pipes joined with couplers works well. Ready-made extension parts are sold by outfitters for the utility hydro-excavation industry.

I've used these techniques to bore about 25 feet under my own driveway. The bore began in clay, but my upward angle was too steep and I ran into the gravel beneath the concrete and then into the concrete itself. With some creativity and persistence I got it to follow the bottom side of the concrete and exit at the far side.
Now I own some real boring equipment and do it on the side semi-professionally. :-)


How to attach horizontal wood fence posts at an 15 degree angle to a 4x4 post? Building a fence using redwood horizontal boards and 4x4 posts. I'm very green, and just want to ask what the best way to attach the boards on the outside to one of the posts, that is not aligned straight as its at a corner.
Its only about a 15 degree angle, so thinking I can just cut the board ends at and angle so it lines up to the post, and then just drill screws in.  Any problem with that, as I don't want to put in a second post next to the first post, as that seems like overkill, and just wanted to make sure that there is not some easy and obvious other solution?
Thanks!

So, if I understand correctly, you have a 75 degree or 105 degree corner.

I wouldn't butt an angle cut fenceboard into the post, as the amount of fenceboard that holds a screw is pretty modest. This would be prone to failure.

You could pad your post with a small strip of wood so that your fence boards hit the corner of the post and then are supported on the strip. (The fenceboards would overlap the post.)

(Edited out part about cutting the post, as there's a high probability that the post is PT.)

If it was a 75 degree angle and you felt lazy, you could just overlap the fenceboard and put screws in where the fenceboard hits the corner of the post. I wouldn't do this if you had a 105 degree angle for the aforementioned problem of putting screws through the ends of fenceboards.

Plan your butt joints to overlap nicely and you won't have to worry about putting fancy 15 degree angles on the ends.


Can <1% asbestos vermiculite be removed yourself? As the title says, I'm looking to remove vermiculite from an attic that's been tested as having less than 1% asbestos.

The rest of the house has been tested and contains no asbestos.  It's just in the attic.  I understand that in most places, <1% would mean it's technically not an Asbestos Containing Material (ACM) and could be removed by a layperson. However, here in BC, vermiculite specifically is considered an ACM no matter what.

It being considered an ACM in BC but nowhere else isn't relevant per se, since it's legal for a layperson to remove most ACM in BC.  However, I want to remove it so I'm not affecting resale value.

Can this be done yourself with adequate PPE and a 0.3 micron vacuum, since the concentration is so low?  Or should I fork out for professional removal. Since I'll be saving ~$18,000 by doing it myself, I want to be damn sure there's a legitimate risk and not just a knee-jerk reaction to the word asbestos.

Thanks!

Yes.  You can remove it yourself.

You are over thinking this.  Doing a one-time removal job is not going to hurt you.  Wear a respirator and shower/wash clothes right after doing the job.

Asbestos exposure is only something you need to worry about if you're going to be doing it every day for a career.


Need to replace lock on car top carrier I have a Packasport fiberglass car top carrier with a cylinder lock (outside view above).  The key has been lost.  I ordered a new lock/key set from Packasport but am unable to remove the old one - the locking nut is rusted on. I've tried Linseed Oil and WD40 and still doesn't work.

My latest idea is to drill through the locking nut that is right next to the fiberglass wall of the carrier (drilling parallel to the wall, perpendicular to the surface of the locking nut) to create a gap and then just wedge the nut off using a chisel.  I don't care about damaging the existing lock but I don't want to damage the fiberglass.  However, when I tried this the drill would just slip right off the (very thin) nut surface.

Any ideas?

These car top carriers are expensive (about $1000) so worse comes to worst, I'll probably just live with not being able to lock it any longer.

Thanks!

Here's what it looks like on the inside:

Why not leave the lock in place, drill a hole for a new lock and move the locking mechanism a few inches to the right or left?


What's the spanner called for these "four side notch" collars/bolts? Notice this thing,

for a 30mm ...

What is the tool to tighten that properly?

It would seem to be best if it was a long tube-like thing you slid down from the top and tightened, but, maybe there's a thing that grabs it from the side?

(And, what's that type of bolt known as?!)

A hook wrench (as used on bicycles)

https://bicycles.stackexchange.com/questions/16291/what-tool-is-needed-to-adjust-this-headset-on-a-childrens-bike


Repairing Basement Wall Framing After Subpanel install notched to 75% I have a home I bought a few months ago and I'm working on finishing out the basement space. The builder put in a 2x6 wall 12" on center. I quite certain it's a load bearing wall. 2 Story house with a basement.

The electrician notched one stud 75% to get the 14" wide sub panel in the wall. I've taken out the stud and want to put the panel back in up to code. I have to pull a permit to finish in an unfinished space. Since it appears to be a load bearing wall, do I have to maintain the 12" spacing? Or can I have a 14" space and 10" space? Do I need to frame this in like a window with a jack studs and a header then rough in the box with 2x4s?

I ask this because I need to inset a smart panel (same 14" spacing) next to the electrical sub panel for the basement and this wall will end up being an interior wall in my office.

Any help would be appreciated!

Here are Pictures for those who asked: Basement Remodel Pics

There is no place in the code book that I can recall that requires 12" centers for a bearing wall. You can move over the studs to a 16" center, rather than making a header. If you choose to. The drywall will make it a little tough to do that...


How can I hang a heavy mirrored bathroom cabinet? I purchased a bathroom cabinet today that is 1200 mm wide, by 750 mm tall, and 150 mm deep. When I brought it home, I discovered it weighed nearly 40 kg (88 pound) empty.

I was told that I could use 4 or 6, 10 gauge 65 mm plasterboard screws, by screwing them straight into the studs behind the plaster wall. If I have 2 studs I should just use 4 (2 in each), and if I can get it across 3 studs to use 6 screws.

Anyway, I am really worried that once it's filled with shampoos etc. that it could fall of the wall. Could you please give me some advice about the best fasteners to use. I think the studs are only 2x4, the house was built 10 years ago (house and land package by a big building company, so not top quality).

That sure is a heavy cabinet.  I think you will be fine if you use at least a 2 or 2 1/2 inch #10 or larger pan head screw with a washer. Four screws/washers should be fine if you can only hit two studs, obviously, six screws/washers, two each in three studs would be better. Not sure of the metric conversion, but a #10 is about 5mm. I would not use anything smaller.


Can I salvage this broken toilet flange that's embedded in concrete? The flange is about 7" OD. As you can see both slots where the closet bolts would go are broken. Can I salvage this flange somehow, instead of having to rip it out of the concrete and installing a new one?

They make toilet flange repair rings. I don't have any personal experience, so I can't say how durable they are, but for a couple bucks it's worth a try. You can see that there are holes to screw through the plastic flange holes, so in your case I'd get a good concrete bit and some tapcon screws.

sample image from homedepot.com, no affiliation


In 2/3/4 gang box, should you combine all grounds using crimp connectors? When I have multiple lines going in/out of a 1 gang box (with an outlet/receptacle or switch), I typically combine all the grounds into a single wire using crimp connectors:

However, when working with a 2/3/4 gang box with multiple outlets, should I be combining all the grounds into a single wire using crimp connectors? Because this would leave one of the outlets without any ground attached to it.

Or should I add in an extra loose ground wire into the crimp connector, so that the crimp connector now has 2 wires coming out  of it? Then connect each one of those ground wires to the 2 outlets. That seems to make more sense but I'm not sure if it's the proper way to do it.

What is the proper, code-appropriate approach to dealing with multiple ground wires in a 2/3/4 gang box scenario?

You have to connect a ground wire to every device's ground terminal, that's not optional.  There's lots of ways to do it.

You could crimp pigtails in the crimp ring, as long as you don't exceed the capacity of the crimp ring.

One good way to go is leave one ground wire very long, and pass that through the crimp ring and hit all the ground terminals on the devices with that one long wire.

If you don't have a long one, you could crimp in one long pigtail, and hit all the ground terminals with that one long pigtail.


How do I remove a submersible pump from a 11000 LTR (LARGE) concrete underground rainwater tank to replace it? I have a single storey house with all downpipes connected to a large 11,000 liter underground concrete rainwater tank approx 1.8m deep. The tank contains a submersible pump servicing 5 outlets - 3 inside the house (toilets/laundry tap) and 2 garden taps. The tank's outlet is connected to a rain switch and a pressure switch housed in a box fixed to the rear brick wall of the house. The inlet valve is connected to incoming pipes coming from the house's downpipes.

The tank is currently full and I just discovered that the pump tries to start when a garden tap is turned on but then straight away cuts out with the LED panel light showing "pump failure". So I need to get the pump out to find out why it is not working and if not, then replace it. The pump is a NON LABELLED brand supplied and installed by a builder now gone broke and the house/tank and pump is ONLY 2.5 years old.

I cannot see the pump when I look into the top of the tank from the manhole.

How do I get it out?
Can I replace it with any other similar type submersible clean water
pump and connect to the SAME rain
switch? (This switch will switch
between Town or Tank water if water
is below a level in the tank or the
pump fails)

If the pump is a 3-wire submersible with a control box, you can do some basic troubleshooting with an ohm meter without pulling it. If you have a control box like this:

Then you can pull the top off. Inside there are terminals that have black, yellow and red wires that go to the pump. Inside the cover of the control box, it will tell you the resistance ratings (in ohms) between each of the colors, which you can check with any standard multimeter. If those readings are off, then the pump needs to be replaced. If they are OK, the next thing to check is the current draw. You need a multimeter with a current clamp on it, like this:

and you need to be able to clamp around one of the wires while the control box cover is on. The red wire is the starter wire, so it should have a high current then go down. The others should draw whatever the control box says is the normal current draw for the motor. You can measure either the wires going to the pump, or coming from the panel.

If the current draw is very high before it shuts off, the pump is probably jammed. You'll need to pull it and possibly take it apart to fix it.

If there is no or very low draw (and the ohm readings are ok), the control box is probably bad, and you can just replace it without pulling the pump.

I used to work for a company that did that kind of work. Anytime we installed a pump in a cistern like that, we would use a pitless adapter to attach it to the incoming pipe. They're normally used in drilled wells to be able to pull the pump.

If you are lucky, then yours has one too, and all you need to do is screw a threaded pipe into the top of the adapter to be the pull bar (typically 1 1/4"), and then pull it straight up and out. Because you are not using clean potable water, and especially if it hasn't been pulled in a long time, it may require some "gentle" persuasion to get it out. Wiggling and/or using a T-shaped bar (which you can hammer from the bottom) usually does the trick.

Before you put it back you should check the o-ring, and lubricate or replace if necessary. It's not really as important in a cistern as it is in a well, since if it leaks the water just goes back into the cistern, and the pump doesn't have that far to push water anyways, but it's just good practice.

I have run across cisterns where this wasn't the case though. If the pipes come in through the top, you may just be able to pull them and pull the pump out. If not, you may be able to cut the pipe, and then pull the pump from there.

If those methods fail, or if the pipe enters the cistern at the bottom, then the only way to get at it would be as @longneck says and drain the whole thing, then crawl in and get the pump out.

If you do have to drain it, it's a good oppertunity to clean it as well. There is likely a lot of sediment built up on the bottom that you can get out with a shopvac. Spraying it down with a pressure washer probably won't hurt either.

I would highly recommend that before you put the pump back in, you install a pitless adapter.


Blower motor compatibility First off I would just like to thank anyone who takes the time to read and help in any way. I need to replace a old blower motor which is now obsolete. That part number is (1150519). I need to replace the capacitor as well (1150060). I am not sure what motor/capacitor I need that is compatible with what I have.
My motor has white wire (common) black wire (high speed) red wire (low speed) two brown wires (to capacitor) and green wire (ground). I am pretty sure it turns counterclockwise. The only thing I have found so far is motor 92L22 but nothing on capacitor. Or do I need capacitor on new motor?
Again thanks for taking the time to help!

Go to supplyhouse.com, they can help. Click HVAC, motors, then Century. Go down the page to the motor with the SKU DL1036. It is the same size as yours, the same RPM, voltage,and HP (1/3), and is reversible. You can also ask them for advice. Sometimes, removing the old motor from the shaft is a lot harder that it looks. If you are not sure what you are doing or do not have the expertise to do the job call in a professional for help. And, while you are replacing that motor, clean the vanes on that "squirrel cage" fan blade. Take it out of the housing, clean the vanes and pressure wash the vanes also for a complete job.


Water damage or bad patch job on the ceiling directly under the shower stall of master bath? We moved in 2 years ago into a new build. Just today I’ve noticed this discoloration on the ceiling. Directly above it is the master bath shower stall.
My husband thinks this is a bad patch work. I’m just a little worried since we are both first time home owner and both not very handy at all.
I  would like second/third opinions from someone that is more knowledgeable than us.

It is both.  Probably.
A section of drywall was removed to fix a leak.
Perhaps the leak has returned and now moisture has migrated into the seams of the resectioned area causing discoloration. However user DMoore has never seen such a thing and his reputation is beyond reproach.
So it could be that a section of drywall was left out during drywall install to leave access to the underside of a shower that had not yet been hooked up.
This was done in my house when the plumber was on vacation and the drywall installation had to proceed.
To be certain that it is active leak use a moisture meter to determine that this area is significantly higher in moisture content than other areas in the ceiling.
If it is wet  a similar cut out will need to be made so that whatever is leaking( most likely  the drain) can be fixed.  Then a new patch can be made.
Followed with a stain blocking primer and repaint the ceiling.


Are push in connectors up to code? Just came across a neat product at the local hardware store, but I wonder if they are up to code and safe to use.  They are a wire nut that allows you to simply push the wires in, instead of twisting on a traditional wire nut.

They cost slightly more, and you have to keep a wider variety of connectors on hand since they vary by the number of wires that can be connected.

they accept 12-22 AWG solid and 12-22 AWG stranded wire, and are rated at 600 VAC.  They come in a variety of sizes from 2 - 8 'ports', so they should be up to any job.

Has anybody ever used these, and are they code compliant in the United States?  Is there any danger of the wires slipping out over time?

electricalbasics.com

Found some standards information:
(Ideal Industries IN-SURE(TM) PUSH-IN CONNECTORS)

  UL 486C, UL 467 GROUNDING CSA
  C22.2 #188 IEC 998-2-2 CE
  CERTIFIED RoHS COMPLIANT UL
  94V-2 FLAME RATING US PATENT
  7,507,106 US & FOREIGN PATENTS
  PENDING

UPDATE:

I finally got my hands on some of these things, and I'll tell you what. If you can pull the wires out through normal means once they're locked in, you deserve some type of prize.  I did find a way to pull the wires out, but I doubt they'll ever see enough movement while in use to allow the wires to slip out.  If you spin the wires back and forth while you pull, they will eventually work their way out (this is the official way to remove wires according to an IDEAL spokesperson).  Doing this chews the wire up pretty bad, leaving a bunch of nicks along the length of the wire.

They say not to reuse them, and I can see why. Removing the wire can leave fairly deep gouges in the wire. If you ever have to remove them, you'll likely have to trim the wire back and restrip it. However, Even after torturing them (including taking them apart), they still held the wire when it was reinserted.

So as long as your wiring is not subjected to constant twisting and pulling, you should have no problems with wires pulling out of these things.

UPDATE:

I think I finally found the relevant section in the code that would apply to these devices.

  National Electrical Code 2014

  Article 110 - Requirements for Electrical Installations

  I. General

  110.14 Electrical Connections.

  (B) Splices. Conductors shall be spliced or joined with splicing devices identiﬁed for the use or by brazing, welding,
  or soldering with a fusible metal or alloy. Soldered splices shall
  ﬁrst be spliced or joined so as to be mechanically and electrically
  secure without solder and then be soldered. All splices and joints
  and the free ends of conductors shall be covered with an insulation
  equivalent to that of the conductors or with an identified insulating device.

  Wire connectors or splicing means
  installed on conductors for direct burial shall be listed for such
  use.

I would say these devices fit both criteria. They are identified for the use, and they provide insulation equivalent to the conductors.

I will not speak to the code issue as other already have. But, I did use them when building my new home a few years ago and, for me, they passed inspection.

While the package does say they can be used for stranded wire, I did not find that they worked that easily with stranded wire (I was using some computer controlled switches with pigtails instead of screws). But, they did work. I just had to twist the strands fairly tight first.

As far as coming loose? Not the ones I was using. If memory serves me correctly, I think there is a little hole that you can push the spring up with to release the wire because it is so tight.


Should I run cable through an always damp crawl space or a dry soffit in the living area? You guys are one of the best electrical help web-communities, so thanks for your
time and efforts!

I am advising some homeowners who need to rewire their first floor on Long Beach Island, NJ after hurricane Sandy flooded the place. The house has a few complications. Wires need to be run along brick walls with no wire cavities inside framing to get to their destinations. In the past wires were routed through the crawl space which is a very damp space with an almost always wet rock floor and very little room to work. Electrical work was done poorly with unnecessary junction boxes. Everything metal had rust. That can all be fixed more easily because the subfloor is removed and the floor joists are exposed. Wires can be run along joist and over running boards with no junctions in the crawl space. There is no consensus in my research about using THWN wire for damp locations or just the regular Romex in a damp crawl space. My feeling was to put in the THWN for wet locations in all runs under the floor through the crawl space and up to the outlet boxes they feed since no one can complain about THWN being in parts of the run. There is a question in my mind whether the Romex feeding the crawl space THWN wire should not also be THWN since its paper wrapped grounding wire would be vulnerable to any water that climbed up the THWN wire running in the crawl space into the junction where the Romex feed the THWN.

The homeowners are worried about running any wires in the crawl space and wanted a way to keep all runs in the upper living area. The two complications are the brick walls running the length of the house and the fact that a very nice wood ceiling not so easily messed with is the only thing not ruined, plus it is a good idea not to drill holes through the main support beams in the ceiling/upper floor of this 100+ year old house. I suggested building a little soffit along the brick wall where they have a piece of wood trim anyway. The soffit will run the wires and be the trim. I cannot speak with confidence about the aesthetic result, but it should be fine if its done well. My electrical concern is the fire code parameters of the soffit for the wiring. The soffit will run three 12/2 wires and maybe one 14/2. The soffit will have an exterior measurement of 4 by 4" and the interior about 3 by 3". It will be made of wood that can either be painted of maybe left to stain. So it won't necessarily have drywall around it. They wanted the front to be removable--to unscrew so that if another flood damages the outlets the wires running to them can be removed and rerun more easily.

Does a soffit with three 12/2 wires and a 14/2 wire need to be of a certain cubic size that would be larger than the size I am suggesting (3 by 3 inches interior space)?

Does the soffit need to be dry-walled with the edges dry-walled to meed the fire blocking standards or can a wood soffit with seams where the edges meet satisfy the fire code burn rate for where wires are run?

Is there a preference to run wires in a soffit above verse a problematically wet crawl space difficult to get to and work in? And what sort of wire should be run? THWN?

The crawl space case

Wiring in a crawl space (wet location) can be done successfully using a variety of means:

THWN (pretty much all building wire you buy at the borgs these days is both THHN and THWN) in either rigid metal conduit or schedule 40/80 PVC conduit
Type UF or NMC multiconductor cables, but not ordinary NM-B, or
Type MC cables rated for wet locations (i.e. those with an overall PVC jacket and THWN or XHHW-2 internal wires)

However, given the circumstances (i.e. the persistent wetness in the crawlspace), I'd be most comfortable with THWN in PVC and nonmetallic junction boxes down there, with the risers being THWN-in-PVC as well.  The main downside, though, is that not only is this an expensive way to wire a house, most "wet location" electrical equipment will not survive being bathed in another storm surge!

Wiring in soffits

The soffit proposal is elegant; however, the main problem is going to be providing access to junction boxes -- you'll need to have blank plates interrupting the molding (preferably on the bottom of the soffit) in order to provide access to junctions:

  314.29 Boxes, Conduit Bodies, and Handhole Enclosures to Be
  Accessible. Boxes, conduit bodies, and handhole enclosures shall be
  installed so that the wiring contained in them can be rendered accessible
  without removing any part of the building or structure or, in underground
  circuits, without excavating sidewalks, paving, earth, or other substance that
  is to be used to establish the finished grade.

Further more, you'd have to use an "old work" type of junction box in this application as you wouldn't have framing members inside the soffit to attach the boxes to.  While the 3" by 3" soffit interior should be adequate for cabling, I would not use a conduit inside it due to the soffit interfering with conduit body access.  I do not know of any fire code requirement for horizontal cable chases other than them requiring firestopping when they penetrate a firewall; however, as mfarver pointed out, your AHJ has the final say on that, and internal firebreaks in the chase would be wise.

Could a busway be the best way?

Another option for the soffit wiring case would be to use a plug-in, non-ventilated, totally enclosed busway system with branch circuit breakers at the outlet taps and type MC cable run exposed or NM run in surface raceways for the drops/horizontal runs to outlets and luminaires.  While unusual for a residential application, plug-in busways offer a high degree of flexibility in layout, and can be subdivided so that branch circuits can be moved with only modest impacts on power to other parts of the house.

There are two drawbacks to this approach, other than it being relatively costly, though:

A means of access into the soffit that does not damage the soffit would need to be provided: either the soffit side panel could have hinged access panels in it, or the screw system designed so that the side panel can be removed and replaced without causing any damage to it.  See NEC 368.10(B) for details.
You'd need to locate the branch circuit breakers at the tap-off points -- while this doesn't limit the height of the busway, as per NEC 368.17(C) and Point 1 in 240.21(A), there has to be some sort of rod, chain, or what-have-you attached to the breaker handle so that it can be operated from floor level.


Replacing G4 halogen bulbs with LEDs We've got 12V halogen G4 fixtures mounted under our kitchen cabinets and would like to use LED's instead.  I found some G4 LED bulbs on Amazon, and they fit in the fixtures just fine, but if I try to replace more than one of the halogens with the LED's, they won't fire up (they just barely come on at all).

On a circuit with two fixtures, if I have one LED and one halogen, they light up just fine.

Any idea what is going on or what I need to do?

You probably need to replace the power supply with one designed for LEDs. According to various web sites, some LEDs have compatibility issues with transformers designed for halogens. In particular, the power supply may have a minimum load and your all-LED setup uses too few watts: "When replacing with LED bulbs they found they had to keep at least one halogen in the circuit to keep the load high."


Should an interior non-load bearing wall stack up to a joist or stud? I am trying to add a partition in my garage and the ceiling joist does not line up with the wall studs. So my question is which one do I go by?

It shouldn't make any difference.  If it isn't any extra work I'd position the studs directly below the ceiling joists.  This will make everything just a little stiffer and more solid.


Fixing TV on concrete behind drywall I am a DIY newbie. I want to mount a TV on the wall. The wall is drywall, but the builder of the apartment told me there is concrete behind it, and the fixings should go in the concrete.

What kind of anchors and technique should I use in that situation if I want to make sure the TV stays on the wall?

You need to attach the mount to the concrete, not the drywall.

There are special anchors for concrete. Most are made of metal and expand into the hole drilled in the concrete with a hammer drill and a masonry bit.

Most masonry anchors are sleeve anchors and use bolts (also called machine screws) to expand the anchor.

There are also metal lag shields that use lag bolts (heavy duty screws) to push outward on the hole and hold the device. These are fairly reliable, but are less forgiving if you need to remove and reinsert the bolt.

There are also masonry screws that can hold in concrete without a separate anchor, but these need precise drilling and care when tightening to prevent stripping the hole.  While they are fine for things that use numerous attachment points, such as studs in a concrete floor or wall, the risk of failure on a device that only uses a few mounting points make these a bit more risky (in my view - contrary points of view welcome!).

The instructions packed with the mount often recommend which size of bolt or screw to use, and many come packed with mounting hardware for masonry attachment.  Drill the size hole called for by the particular anchor, and take care to drill straight and not oversize the holes.

 Images and links are illustrative only, not an endorsement of goods or sources.


55g aquarium dimensional lumber support I know there are a lot of questions on here questioning the weight bearing capabilities of dimensional lumber but this seems like such a specific scenario since the load is static and completely even.

This is a stand made entirely of 2x6 SPF lumber to support two 55 gallon aquariums right next to each other. The span from leg to leg is 10ft. There is are 4 through bolts connecting the horizontal beams to the legs. The spans are connected in the middle by short sections of 2x6 which are also there to support the short edge of the tank.

Each tank when fully loaded is 500lbs or more. From what I have been seeing this shelf is not strong enough but nothing quite matches the scenario. Here are 2 photos of the shelf:

Will this be able to support another 55g across the ten foot beam? Of not, would adding a middle support to cut the beam length in half help?
If there are 2 beams and the aquarium sits on both, does that mean each beam takes half the weight of the aquarium. For example in this case there are 2 beams supporting the bottom of the tank, does that mean, if the tank were 500lbs, that each beam is supporting 250lbs?

No. It may support two aquariums without collapsing, but it will sag substantially. Adding legs in the middle would resolve that problem, but I'd also consider doubling the beams, front and rear. I'd have confidence in that setup as well (though you'll still probably see some sag).
Yes, the front and rear beams each carry half the load. This is a rare example of a very evenly-distributed mass.

Other notes:

It appears as though your upper bolts are very near the top edge of the beams. SPF (spruce/pine/fir) lumber of the last few decades is very soft and prone to splitting. It won't take much to rip those bolts out of the upper edge of the lumber. I'd leave at least 1" between the edge of the lumber and the bolt holes, or add two more in between.

SPF lumber can vary quite a lot in terms of strength and stiffness. By using a single beam front and rear you incur some risk that either the front or rear beam will sag more than the other, resulting in a twist in the aquarium. That's what breaks glass. With something like this, rigidity is key, not just strength.

Here's my 55 setup. notice that it really only has 4 primary points of contact, but they're in key locations and provide a flat plane of support.


Is Advanced and Supreme silicone worth the extra cost over the All purpose silicone? This is a general inquiry into silicone sealants that you buy at home improvement stores in 10oz tubes.
Many of us have fallen a victim to “Good/Better/Best” marketing strategy of manufacturer offerings. But when it comes to silicone, does more expensive really make a difference?
I mean the “All purpose” silicone is. 100% silicone, and no matter what additives it has that makes it set a little quicker, doesn’t it in the end end up being the same silicone as that “mold free” “10 year” silicone?
Is it a waste of money to pay as much as sometimes 25-30% more for the premium silicone?
Thanks!
EDIT: Just providing some more detail. Let's say it is for windows and door use, as it's probably most common next to bathroom use.
Features (skipping some fluff, such as lifetime limited warranty):
GE All Purpose Silicone $5.38

100% Waterproof and same-day water-ready
7-year mold-free protection
Permanently flexible
Meets ASTM C-920, class 25
Strong adhesion and durability
Same-day rain-ready
Shrink and crack-proof
Freeze and sun-proof

GE Advanced Silicone $6.78

100% waterproof seal and 30-minute water-ready
10-year mold-free protection
Excellent adhesion; will not blemish most high-end metal finishes
Meets ASTM C-920, Class 35
40% more flexibility than Class 25 sealants
5X stronger adhesion
30-minute water-ready
Shrink and crack-proof

GE Supreme Silicone $8.98

100% waterproof and weatherproof; 30-minute water-ready
lifetime mold-free product protection
Excellent adhesion and flexibility with 50% joint movement
Meets ASTM C-920, Class 50
100% silicone is permanently weatherproof
Caulk is permanently sun-proof, freeze proof and flexible
Typical uses include windows, doors, siding, trim, moulding, baseboards, vents, around wires/pipes and other attic/basement applications

I looked up ASTM-920 to see what Class-25, Class-35 and Class-50 meant.
Turns out the higher the class the more flexible and more adhesive your final joint will become. If you need the flexibility, you may want to go to a higher class.
There may also be a difference between the amount of biocide these caulks contain, allowing some to be more resistant than others to mold.
So in short, there does seem to be a difference.
If you have a shower installed on a flexible (wooden) floor, and this shower is used often, perhaps you may want to buy the most expensive one. For a basement shower that barely ever gets used and is installed on a stiff concrete floor (unlikely to experience flexing), perhaps you can use the least expensive.


Can we mount a TV over a fireplace with the chimney directly behind it? We have a home built in the 1950's and I'm assuming the chimney/fireplace is original. We'd like to mount our 50" TV over the fireplace. Directly over the mantle is a wall, but we believe that directly behind that wall is the brick chimney. The chimney currently does not have a flue so it's literally a straight chimney of bricks. We are worried that if we drill the mount into the wall here, we will be drilling directly into the chimney and possibly putting a hole all the way through the brick or knocking a brick out of place. Is this a legitimate concern? Any advice on how to best mount this TV? Thanks!

When in use, the chimney itself will be at a higher temperature than ambient. Just how high will depend on several factors: materials used, thickness, fire heat output, etc. You can get an idea of just how hot just by touching the visible part of the chimney with your hand, and a more precise reading from an IR gun. This is actually a desirable feature, since the chimney radiates heat into the room.

On the other hand, the television is electronics. The individual components radiate some heat (flat-screen give off less than old cathode-ray tubes, but still), but do not like to work at high temperatures - which is why you will find heat sinks on some components and air vents all around the back of the television set: to get some air moving and cooling the electronics inside.

So, in the first place putting the television on the chimney is probably not a good move for the set itself. The manufacturer may or may not specify in the documentation just how much ambient heat is acceptable, but as a rule of the thumb anything above 40C (about 105F) is a no-no, will void the guarantee and shorten lifespan. Unless it actually starts melting the plastic ... and please don't laugh, I have seen it happen.

If you do decide to proceed, I would make sure to use some isolation. If you use plastics or foams, make sure they can stand the heat. Otherwise, just leaving a separation or air gap between the set and the chimney wall may be enough to isolate the television from the heat.

Also take into account any metal fixtures you use to actually bear the weight of the television. Since metal transmits heat, you should try to reduce their section (while still being strong enough for their purpose). Steel would be better than aluminum, and much better than bronze or copper (steel conducts less heat).

HTH.


Why does water surge out of the shower head after being turned off? This can happen 30 minutes later or even many hours later after a shower is taken. The new shower fixture installed didn't solve the problem.  Can anything be done to correct this and prevent this surge of water?

By surge of water, I'm guessing you mean a quick trickle that would fill a cup and not a hard spray that would let you wash your hair. Like Steven says, the shower head will still have water in it after you shut off the water.

My guess for why you see the surge is that the water is held in the shower head by water tension at each of the nozzles. Eventually that breaks from vibration, water contracting as it cools, or drying out. This allows air to be sucked into the shower head while water drains out the rest of the nozzles.

There's nothing much to fix. But if it bothers you, give it a shake or run your finger over the nozzles to break the surface tension. Another suggestion is to make sure your shower head is mounted at an angle, rather than spraying downwards.


How to clean a drain in a refrigerator? We have an old Kenmore fridge/freezer combo. It is slowly leaking water into the bottom of the fridge which is below the freezer. After doing some research we think its likely because of a clogged drain hose. We are not sure how to remove the attachment so we can clean it.

How can I remove this black drain without breaking anything so I can clean it?

From experience, from inside the fridge you can clean it out with a cable tie (flexible long thin piece of plastic).
Insert tie and rotate.
It is unlikely to be blocked all the way down, just at the join at the top.


Where to turn cold water off inside the house? This is somewhat a newbie question as I just bought this house. I assume design of plumbing must be common. So I wonder if I miss something.

Below is the "green" valve to shut off hot water into the house

But for the light of me I could not find the valve to shut off cold water in the pipe next to it.

Any idea?

Trace the pipes further upstream to before the water heater.

Where the cold enters the house there will be a shut off.

Turn off the water heater while the water is shut off to avoid it turning on when there is no water inside and damaging itself.


How to turn on a Honeywell gas heater I am trying to understand how to turn the heater on in our unit.
There is a thermostat on the living room wall that looks like this:

And there is a trapdoor below the heater in the wall looking like this (yes, it's upside down in the wall):

So far I have tried to turn on the [B] button, and turned the black know 1 to either "on" or "pilot" and pressed the button 2 but I'm not sure what to look out for to show whether or not I'm doing the right thing, and I'm also not trying to blow up the apartment or gas myself, so I turned everything back to "off" until I know what's what.

Looks like:
System "on" at B.
1 to pilot, 2 should either press or turn (and will need to be held, if it's what I think it is) and 3 should be pressed in (and will make a "clunk" sort of noise) one to three times.
There should be some place you can see the pilot light - you might need to move a flap, you might not. When you see it light, stop pressing 3 but hold 2 for (typically 30 seconds, but it varies.) If you don't see it light after a few presses of 3, or can't figure out where to look, re-evaluate.
1 is the gas valve, I believe that 2 is the over-ride that allows you to light the pilot, and what it over-rides turns off the gas if the pilot is out, and 3 appears to be a spark igniter (you may have seen them on gas barbecue grills) to light the pilot.
When the pilot has ben lit for long enough it will stay lit when 2 is released - at which point you can move 1 to "on" and proceed with heating.


Can I install a 50A breaker in a 70A sub-panel with other breakers installed? I have an electrical panel in my garage with a single row of breakers 4 single 15A breakers installed and 4 blank spaces left. (pretty certain it is a sub-panel off the house)  It has a sticker that says 70A max. Am I able to install a 50A 240v breaker in the spaces left over?

There is not enough information to give a yes or no answer. The breaker that supplies this panel and the wire size would be needed to say if it would work. Can a 50 amp breaker be installed in a 70 amp panel yes. Can this be done if the total of all the breakers add up to more than the panel rating? Yes but the over current protective device (breaker) feeding the panel can not be more than 70 amps. One easy example would be for a heating and cooling sub panel lets say 60a of electric heat and a 30a AC unit total 90 amps but it is legal because only 1 load would be used at a time. So in short a 50 amp breaker can be used in a 70 amp panel but if your breaker feeding the panel or the wiring is not sufficient size it won't work.


LED Strip Light Fixture/Luminaire - Is Junction box required? I have been having a hard time figuring this out through looking at US NEC code and online sources. I am adding LED strip light fixtures/luminaires to a closet (hanging it directly above the door frame or on the ceiling depending on how things go). It will be installed in accordance with code being at least 12" from "closet space"). The fixture is similar to this. Instructions are also similar to this

Am I able to run standard NM 2-wire + ground cabling directly into the light fixture through one of the integrated knockouts and splice inside the fixture's housing? I would install NM push-in connectors in the light fixture knockout so it will hold the Romex in place.

I've seen fluorescent t8 fixtures wired in this way where the light fixture itself was considered the junction box. However, the LED light fixture's instructions show a junction box being used with a plate between it and the light fixture. The plate has a center knockout that the wire is run through and then passes through the light fixture knockout. The wires are all spliced within the light fixture according to the instructions. The junction box will be larger than light fixture so I'd prefer to not have to use one. Further, since the splices are still in the light fixture, the junction box adds no real safety in my opinion besides some extra measure of safe area that the Romex could be tugged into and protect surrounding areas from shorts/fires. Thoughts?

The electrical connections in the box the Cable protected with the plastic clamp sounds like you have it covered no box is needed when the fixture has one.


Can I repair light scratches on a laminate countertop? I was foolish and scratched my laminate countertop, which I would like to repair. Everything I have found online shows solutions for filling in chips (or deeper cuts), mainly in laminate that has a uniform colour. My counter top varies in colour, and the scratches appear to only be in the top coating, so I am hoping there is another solution.

If I wipe a damp cloth over the scratches the all but disappear, but once it dries again the scratches reappear.

Is there something I can do to recreate how it looks once damp, but permanently?

It's worth trying a high-quality paste wax before going too crazy with more involved fixes. Applied correctly you shouldn't even notice the wax. If you mess up or dislike it, wax is soluble in acetone so it's easily removed. You can't really make anything worse, in other words.


Is galvanized steel totally incompatible with cedar, even when only touching on the surface? I'm building a cedar picket fence attached to 2 3/8" chain link fence style galvanized steel posts using galvanized post brackets like these. I know that there are a lot of material incompatibility potentials here, so I want to make sure I get it right.

Two questions:

I know that galvanized fasteners corrode in cedar and cause ugly stains, but will it be a problem to have galvanized brackets simply touching the cedar rails on the surface? Should I "downgrade" to spruce/fir/pine rails in order to reduce corrosion of the galvanized hardware that will be touching them, or physically isolate them from each other with something?
If I use stainless steel screws to affix the rails to the galvanized brackets, will that create a galvanic corrosion potential? (the galvanized brackets will be the anode)

Yes, to both. The cedar will last for decades and your hardware should too. Simply isolate the galvanized from the stainless and cedar, but definitely don't trade the cedar for some much lesser grade wood. Don't get talked into hot-dipped fasteners, stainless is the only way to go.

Buy thick fiber or plastic washers or even use cut-up pieces of tar-paper, rubber, roofing shingles, milk jugs or soda bottles. Of course, the more UV resistant the better, the exposed cheap stuff can be trimmed or spot painted after installation for UV protection.


What pipe diameter, for gravity drain of a given impermeable area? How do I calculate a sufficient pipe diameter, for handling a given amount
of impermeable pavement?

A general answer is best.

In my particular case I have approximately 675 square feet of tile roof and driveway which drain to the front of a garage.  The garage door is the low spot.  An additional 650sf of neighbor driveway more or less sheets into this same area. Area is San Francisco Bay Area, California USA.

From the low point I could run a pipe about 70 feet in length with a drop of 12 inches, to drain the water by gravity (1.4% slope on average with one cleanout).  Or I could go 10 feet over and down at 4% slope to reach a sump in the home's basement.  Or accept a drainage contractor's bid (total $30,000) and have this water pumped uphill to the curb about 2 feet.

From the 2012 International Plumbing Code Section 1106, I get a pipe diameter of 3" based on table 1106.3 and this map:


Tying in to existing hardwood flooring I'm getting ready to lay down hardwood flooring in a bedroom that is the same as what was previously layed in the hallway outside of the bedroom.  There was carpeting in this bedroom before.

I layed the flooring in the hallway earlier and ended at the doorway of the bedroom with a piece I cut to meet where the carpet ended.

However, if I start a new row directly adjacent to this doorway piece in the bedroom, it gets offset by a small amount when I leave the required gap by the drywall.

And here is picture with what that gap would be when I'd line the piece up with the wall.

What's the best way to do this?  I can remove the piece in the doorway if I need to.  The other way I see is to cut the wall-side of each piece along the wall so that it lines up with the doorway piece.  I do have access to woodworking tools: tablesaw etc.

Yes, you need to rip the starting board to match what's protruding into the bedroom. First establish an accurate straight line based on the existing flooring. You may need to taper the starter to fit an out-of-square or curved wall.

Update: I didn't initially catch that you had ripped the final board in the doorway. That board should be removed and replaced with a full board.


Strange water pressure We have well water and Im unsure if that is a factor in all of this but after replacing new shower heads (we have two in one shower) I have noticed the water in every room in the house comes out slow then fast and I hear some kind of noise like a deep humming that comes in waves. The water pressure includes the flushing and filling of toilets. The sinks and showers. There has been no change in the taste of the water just pressure. It actually started in the main shower that the appliance change took place and then I started noticing it in the toilets and finally after a few days....I noticed it in the kitchen sink. If anyone knows whats going on I sure would appreciate hearing from you. It makes me think something may be wrong with our well or pump or something.

I had a similar situation as of lately. There are usually only a few things it can be.

1) Cracked pipe and that usually occurs outside from the well to the house.

2) The pump is bad or giving out.

3) Well is running low and pump needs to be lowered or redrilled.

4) There is too much air pressure in the tank and it needs to be released.

I do not think it is 1 or 3 because you said no sediments in the water.
The the noise you hear is probably the well kicking on and off which points to 2, 3 or 4.
In my case it was initially too much air.. after time it was pump need to be lowered. Next, will be drilling lower. Cheers


Turning off two switches at same time trips breaker I have a double light switch in my house (1 inside, 1 outside light) that will trip the main switch in the circuit breaker when both switches are turned off at the same time. Turning either one off individually works fine, and turning them both on at the same time also works, but if both lights are on and I hit both switches, it'll trip the main switch and I lose power in the whole house.

Has anyone seen this before, or can someone suggest how I can start to diagnose this? I don't understand why this could be happening.

Thanks in advance!

Edit: I'm in the UK - completely forgot about that!

Just to be specific here, the unit in question is something like this: image. The left hand switch is responsible for the outside light (and is the only switch for these lights), the right hand one is responsible for the inside lights. There is another switch for the inside lights, so this is a 3 way switch.

This is not a new installation, has never worked properly that I'm aware of, and the switch has never been replaced.

Tom - we need to know where on the Planet you are as Electrical Codes vary and so does the wiring.

In the USA .. simplistic description: normally your electric panel would be wired Power Line, to Main Panel ( you might have a main breaker in the panel or on the outside of the house ) your lights would be wired through a separate circuit breaker after the main breaker in that panel.  Lets be clear this is NOT a Main Breaker.

So if you have a MAIN breaker that is tripping - Your circuit protection for those lights (the light circuit) is not working or it is Sized completely Wrong - hint it is probably not working - welded in the on position.

What you refer to as a double light switch is what is known as a 3-way switch arrangement. You do not specify if this is a new installation, has ever worked or if a switch has been recently replaced.

If a switch was recently replaced (my guess is yes):

I suspect the Switch;
someone purchased and installed a normal light switch instead of the 3-way switch.


How to keep a downspout extension from coming off? Had to replace a downspout because it was stepped on.  I replaced it with a downspout extension, which is longer and does a better job of letting the rain water drain away from the house.

The only issue I'm facing is if we have a heavy rain or high winds, the downspout extension comes off, thus defeats its purpose.

Is their anyway to keep this extension on when experiencing heavy rain and winds?

(can't upload a pic because its too big)

thanks

White sheet metal screw through the overlapped sections. Or if you want to get fancy, a pop-rivet (converted from my comment).

Note to Jack - some of the other SE sites seem to discourage 1 (or 2)-sentence answers.  I have been asked on at least one occasion to convert an answer into a comment.


US-Michigan—Subpanel install—Can I use PVC conduit and THHN in-wall to go from disconnecting means to panel inside the garage? Hello— I'm installing a 100 amp sub panel in my detached garage.  The panel that I have does not have a disconnect breaker on it, and I'd prefer to locate it away from the point of entry in the garage for convenience.  So I have a 100amp outdoor disconnect (basically a 100amp breaker in a box, listed as "service equipment")  My intent is to run conduit from the house to the garage, terminate it in the disconnect, (I think a disconnecting means is required where it enters the garage) then run to the panel elsewhere in the garage.

My question is, can I use PVC conduit in-wall with THHN to go from the disconnect to the panel?  Is there another way that I should do it?  Using SE cable in wall and attic seems like a minefield, so I figured conduit might be best, but I'm not sure. If the conduit is surrounded by insulation, do I need to derate the wire inside it?  If I use conduit, do I need to use Sch 80?

Any thoughts or caveats greatly appreciated!

Sch 40 is fine, this time at least

Since this conduit run is inside a wall, its generally not subject to physical damage, which means Schedule 40 PVC is fine for this job.  I'd simply bring it out of the back of the box with a LB body, by the way, and then it can just pipe straight into the side of the indoor subpanel, or into the bottom or top with a LL or LR body if that is more convenient.

As to other means? PVC is really your best choice here, unless you want to go metallic instead, which puts you in EMT-land.  (Rigid is a bigger pain to deal with due to threads, and SE cable is going to be harder to replace later if you want more power in the garage.)  I'd just size it generously -- 2.5" is a good size for this.

Wire derating is not needed here

Insulation isn't an issue when it comes to derating for wire in conduit as long as the ambient temperature isn't roastingly hot (i.e. not greater than 30°C/86°F).

Don't forget the grounds

Since you're providing a feeder to a detached outbuilding, you'll need to both run an equipment grounding conductor back to the source of the feeder (it can be 6AWG copper) to provide a fault path, and run some more 6AWG copper back to a grounding electrode (ground rod) for the outbuilding to deal with lightning-type problems.  Don't forget to pull the bonding screw in the disconnect while you're at it!


Plumbing and Vent Layout - back to back bathroom renovation Please see attached vent and waste layout. I have back to back bathrooms that I'll be attempting to layout as such.

My concern is the main vent going to through the roof. In the image, I have it a 4", and in the existing bathroom it is 4".

My question is can I use the 2x4" bushing to reduce in size to meet the 4" vent? Does the UPC require the vent to be 4" for the two bathrooms? This will require some furring in order to fit the shower mixer valves because of the 4" going through a 5.5" wall. The kitchen sink has its own vent.

Also, did I get my fittings correct? Any other concerns? Code is UPC.

Back in the day all homes required a 4" stack.So no,the plumber was not an idiot.
You can snap a 4x2 combination into existing stack rather than drill another hole through roof.


How to change lightbulb inside a fixture I want to change this burnt out light:

How can I get at it to change it?

Thanks

It should unscrew counterclockwise if you put friction on the inner chrome ring with your fingertips.

If it does not unscrew, you can pull the whole thing out of the receiver by using your fingernails on the outermost edges and pulling down. You can then inspect it for how to remove the lamp.


Should I convert a single light switch to a receptacle/switch combo? First I want to say I've done a little research on my question. I'm familiar (I think) with the wiring, but I'm uncertain if my solution is a good one because of what I plan on using the outlets for (see Convert Light Switch to Light Switch + Outlet Combination).

My plan is to convert a single light switch in my garage to a switch/outlet combo. I am not a carpenter and I do not plan on using 'heavy' machinery via the outlets. But I do plan on running vacuums, computers, fluorescent lights, TV's, radios and an occasional drill or circular saw or other 'light' home use tools.

I live in San Diego, CA and the home was built in the 80's. See below for images of the existing wiring and the outlet/switch combo I plan on installing.

The question is whether or not this is a "safe" solution to my problem given the intended use of the outlets.

What's on the circuit
Usually lighting circuits are protected by a 15 Ampere breaker. This means that if the total circuit current draw is greater than 15 Amperes, the breaker will trip and open the circuit. It's suggested to only load a circuit to 80% capacity, so the total current draw should only be ~12 Amperes (1440 Watts). The first step in determining if you should add a new receptacle to a circuit, is to determine what's already there and how much power it's sucking. There are many list available online that list the typical wattage of various appliances, that can be used to estimate how much power you're currently using.
Turn off the breaker for the circuit at the main service panel, and make a list of all the items that lost power.  Add up the wattage of all the items, and determine if your circuit can handle the load you plan to add.
Electronics and motors don't mix
When motors start (vacuum, circular saw, drill, etc), they draw a large amount of power for a short amount of time. If these items are connected to a circuit that also supplies lights, you may see the lights dim briefly when the motors start.  This may or may not be a problem for lights, but you may find that sensitive electronics (TV, computer, etc) don't like it so much.
Blow a fuse, wander through the dark
It's often recommended to keep light circuits separate from other circuits. This is done for the simple fact that if you trip the breaker, it's nice to not be standing in the middle of a pitch black room because of it.
Imagine this
You get your project all ready to be cut, you line the saw up, pull the trigger, and click. You're standing in the dark.
Circular saws tend to be rated 12-15 Amp, which means they'll push most circuits to the limit all by themselves (15A * 120V = 1800W). This is why it's a good idea to not mix lighting and motor loads.
Is the wiring already in place
In some cases, only 2 wires exist at the switch (excluding the equipment grounding conductor). There will be a wire carrying electricity to the switch, and another that carries it to the light when the switch is on (closed).  In a situation like this, you'll have to run more wire to connect a receptacle.
In other cases, the power for the circuit passes through the switch box. This is the perfect situation, because you can use the power at the receptacle before interrupting it with the switch.  In this situation, you should see 4 wires (2 cables) in the box (not including the equipment grounding conductors, which may or may not be present).


How to remove the cap/plate/cover off this tap I've got a stuck cold water tap on the mixer tap below. If I could get the cover off the tap I'd be okay from that point I think but it's not budging.

I've sprayed plenty of WD40 into the sides of it but it doesn't pull, pop or turn at all.

Any ideas how I might get the cover off and get to the screw?

See if a careful knife or razor blade might pop it off, the spring clamps could be pretty strong. If that fails to widen the gap, then it's a screw-on cap. You'll need to treat it like a faucet aerator that you don't want to scratch, by wrapping the cap with cloth, leather, rubber, plastic or even liberal tape & take big (long) pliers to it. It should be normal threads, loosen to the right.

Otherwise, I might try the shoulder sleeve below the stem...that looks removable. Not that I've seen it before, but the cap could be screwed from the inside as that stem looks quite thick.


Can one use large-diameter rigid plastic pipe for HVAC ducting slash why is this never done? Lots of buildings have rigid metal ducts. And lots of buildings have (much-maligned) plastic flex ducts. But why do rigid plastic ducts not seem to be a thing in North American construction? Such ducting would seem to solve a lot of problems: Like flex duct, it would be cheap and fast and easy to install, but give better static pressure due to its smooth walls like metal ducting. Whatever plastic they make flex duct out of seems temperature-resistant enough; why not make rigid plastic duct segments out of the same material, with it being field-assembled like PVC or ABS pipes?

Is there any reason why you couldn't use sufficiently large diameter rigid ABS or polyethylene pipes for ductwork if you wanted? These are both relatively temperature-resistant plastics (176f and 221f, respectively) and would seem to be especially well-suited for carrying the output from heat pumps where the maximum output temperature is much lower than what a gas furnace can do.

1)  cost.  plastic is way more than steel

2)  weight.  so much heavier per unit volume

3)  thermal expansion and contraction, deformation, etc.

4)  it is used in lab environments for fume extraction, and in exhaust for high efficiency gas appliance exhaust (for its resistance to corrosion from the combustion gases)

5)  you also cannot use rigid plastic ducting for interior air distribution for fire spread reasons. the fire code forbids it.  imagine a flamethrower coming out of your vents as a small spark is fanned to superheated air as the forced air fans the flames from the burning plastic.


Fix or remove stair landing I’m installing laminate floors in my basement. On the landing prior to my basement floor the landing was not level with the bottom stair, so I removed it to see how I could raise it. The person who installed the landing put a bunch of shims underneath which also caused it to squeak. But after removing it, I’m considering removing the landing all together. The only additional work would be to fix the drywall.
Would there have been any reason for building a landing and would it make sense to remove it or build the support up to reinstall the landing? If keeping the landing, what would the suggestion be to level the landing out?

I am in total agreement with @Lee Sam, but with a different fix. As a mention, since the one side is shorter than 3', when coming down the stairs with no landing, the angled wall will crowd the walk path. The squeaking landing was a fix for that.
IMO, the original landing has to many moving parts, maybe 30 to 50 individual pieces to make up the landing you had. Each one has a potential to squeak. The fix I would recommend is to do the same thing with MUCH less material.
Using 2X8s or a material that will get you to the level of the first tread minus 3/4" to allow for the subfloor, rip the material to the width needed to bear on the concrete(?) floor and allow room for the subfloor. This at least should be done all around the perimeter, 5 pcs total, not including the blocking or extra material needed to fasten the part to the original riser. These "nailers" will then be screwed straight into the wall framing with 3 1/2" screws with the material tight to the floor. Other joints can be screwed too. To fill in the middle, you could use more of the same material ripped to width, but it is an extra effort that is not needed, but if you choose to do so, it is only extra time and money for material. I would use 2X6s at 16" on center to span the short run since that span can be handled easily by the 2x6s, It will not matter which way you run them, either way it will be strong, choose the way that works best for you. When fastening them in place, "toe screw" the pieces in by angling the screws in from the side of the 2X6 into the nailers. 3 screws per end or use joist hangers to aid in their support, but use the screws for the anchors, not nails. The action of nailing will cause things to separate in places you will not want to separate, still creating squeaks. Then set the 3/4 subfloor.
As a final layer, I would use a 1/4" piece of plywood underlayment to cover over the whole assembly, original tread and all.  Doing this will unify the surface for the laminate floor, while keeping the code required difference of one tread to another less than 3/8".


Mold on the walls on the bathroom I've been living on the same rented house for some years and on the last year's the mold on the house is intensifying.
For example the bathroom is the worst case by far

This is an old house and the walls don't have any kind of insuation.
The bathroom doesn't have an exhaust.

I don't want to spend much money on it; it's not my house and I will leave when I can.

I know I can put fresh paint and it will help for a while.

On your opinion what is the cheapest way to deal with this? Just cleaning?

Obviously the root problem is too much humidity in that area and fixing that properly would mean adding ventilation to get the warm and moist air outside.  Short of that, I can think of two things you might do:

Clean the area with a chlorine bleach solution (not 100% bleach) but something like 1 cup to a gallon of water.  Wear gloves as this will burn your skin.  And scrub the visible mold/mildew off.  The bleach will help to kill what's there.  Use a brush if you need to in order to get into cracks.  After that, you might treat the area with a commercial mold/mildew inhibiting product.  You should find something at a local grocery or home center.
After using the bath or shower you might place a portable fan in the room to help extract the humid air from the enclosed space.


What type of exterior floodlight will turn on slowly (or not at all) when it's cold out? I have eight (8) floodlights on my tennis court. I didn't install these, they came with the court.

Questions: Recently, in the evening when it was cold I switched them on and only 3 of the 8 came on. A few days later in the middle of the day when it was warm I switched them on and all of them came on. The normal functionality of the lights is that they slowly get brighter and brighter (as you can see from the attached images) until about 5 minutes has passed when they are fully "powered."

What type of bulbs are these that illuminate slowly? Is it normally behavior that these lights might not work when it's cold (a few degrees above freezing)?

Those look like Metal Halide bulbs.  It is normal that they take upwards of 20 minutes to get to full brightness.  They can be affected by cold temperatures, but this could also be a failing ballast or igniter (sometimes part of the ballast).  There could also be some poor electrical connections.

These should not be turned on and off frequently - you have to let them cool for 20min before restarting.


How should I set my furnace's DIP switches to allow thermostatic control of the fan's stages? I have a 16 year old Tempstar condensing 90+ two stage with variable speed motor. I just connected a Lyric T5 thermostat and would like to have the thermostat control the staging rather than the furnace. The manual says the 4th DIP switch on the control board must be in the ON position for two-stage thermostat operation. At present only the 2nd and 3rd are in the ON position. If I move the 4th to the ON position do the 1st, 2nd and 3rd stay in their present positions? Are any other adjustments required other than the wiring?

Thank you!

It turns out that it is indeed the DIP switch location and moving the 4th one to the left (the ON position) is the factory setting of 1 OFF, 2 ON, 3 ON, 4 ON. No other adjustments other than to the wiring between the thermostat and the furnace were required.


How do I make a curtain rail on a curved bay window easy to use? We have a bay window with a curved curtain rail that goes round the bay.   At present it is very hard to pull the curtain along the rail, as the curtain hooks get stack often on the curve.

Solutions please...  (With or without replacing the rail)

If by "stack," you mean that the curtain hooks get out of order, which makes opening the curtains back up impossible, then you could put a small screw or nail in the top/window side of each hook (perhaps two in each hook if it is really bad.)  Or you could just get bigger hooks. That would make it would be impossible for them to overlap.

If the problem is that too much friction is created by pulling on the curtain material, then I would suggest finding a curtain pulley system (or attaching a rod to the middle-most hook on each side of the curtain.)  Such systems would create an entirely horizontal force on the curtain's hooks, as opposed to the diagonal downward force created by simply pulling on the curtain material, which will create friction between the hooks and the rail.  Or, if the rail and hooks are metal, you could simply try oiling them to reduce friction.

If the problem is something other than the hooks overlapping and becoming inseparable, please explain the problem... maybe even a picture would be in order!


How can I economically switch between two home power sources? We're researching low cost solar power systems, and we stumbled across a company out of Tx, offering a system that allows you to switch individual circuits between your service lines and solar. Sounds all well and good, but this is how they suggested to do it.

I think this idea is beyond terrible, however I lack the experience and anecdotal evidence necessary to come up with a compelling argument or alternative solution.

The question:

What (low cost) solutions are there that will allow us to be able to switch individual circuits between the two power sources?

If you are OK with manual transfer operation, what you're after is called a "select circuit" manual transfer switch -- they're pretty readily available, for anywhere up to 12-16 circuits.  Reliance and Generac both make them.


Wiring IKEA light fixture into old fixture I am installing a simple IKEA ceiling light fixture.
The new light fixture has a neutral wire, a live wire, and a ground wire.

My current old light fixture has 4 wires: white, red, dark blue or black, and copper wire.
And here is how it is connected: The white from ceiling to the white in an old fixture. The black from old fixture to both the red and black/blue ( 3 cables in a cap). The ground from the ceiling is just hanging.

How should I connect the wires? Please see the attached picture of the current situation. I also included instructions of the new fixture.

What not to do

We get people who find 4-12 non-ground wires they don't understand, and so they take them all apart.  I call this "trying to learn electrical by disassembling your house".   Every wire is now separated and splayed all over the box, and they ask "how does this hook up?"  And we tell them

Wire it exactly the way you found it

And you can (unlike some people).

We don't need to worry about ground, so for purposes of getting the wiring right, we can totally ignore ground.  Grounds are always and only bare, green, or yellow with green stripe.  So ignore those; we'll come back to them later.

It's obvious which wire from the ceiling is neutral.  Neutrals are supposed to be color-coded white or gray, and there's only one wire that could even possibly be.  So neutral is identified; hook lamp neutral to it.  Done.

What remains?  Hot.  Hots are usually every other color not mentioned.  We find 1 wire from the lamp which is obviously hot, and two wires from the ceiling that, they seem like hots and nothing contradicts that.  What is up with that- we really don't care, the point is, that is how we found it, so we hook it up that way unless it's an obvious code violation (and it's not).

So your new lamp hot goes to those 2 black/red wires. I really don't care why.

Now, let's revisit grounds.  Hook all the grounds together.  In fact, it's best to do this first and push the grounds into the back of the box; however I just did this sequence because it's easier to describe.

So what is up with those two hot wires?

Until the lamp is installed and working, I don't care because the first rule is wire it the way you found it.  Now that it's wired, working and tested, we can think about that.  Often, black+red is used to provide separate control either for a light and fan, or for separate groups of lights (e.g. hi/lo, or groups in a chandelier). Typically you find two switches on the wall in this type of installation.

If you have 2 switches and the light is on unless both are off, that's what's going on here. In that case, you should revisit this installation and remove one of the wires from the wire-nut and cap it off (it will be hot so it must be insulated). Don't cut short or otherwise destroy the wire, because the next person might want that feature. If the switch which now controls the light isn't the one you want it to be, exchange hot wires at the light.

I do not recommend attempting to do both things in one action.  Hook up the new lamp exactly as-was, then test and confirm it's working as expected, then modify the circuit.


How to fix a retaining wall that is difficult to access behind the house? My retaining wall needs to be fixed/rebuilt since it's leaning, but I can't get any machines back there because house doesn't have much side or rear setback(maybe 5ft on each side) and behind the house is steep hill and above that another house.

Retaining wall is about 8ft tall, any suggestions on how to easiest and quickest fix this wall?

My neighbor and I fixed his retaining wall along the steps to his basement years ago (when we were both in better shape and in our late 20s).  We had it dug out by hand in a few hours, but it was mostly clay, and didn't require shoring up.  If you've got a long length, or sandy soil that's going to keep filling in as you dig, it might not be a good option, but it's really not that much work.

Digging out a pit isn't as hard as something like trenching, where you're always bending over ... with digging out the retaining wall, you can get in the hole, so you're not constantly bending over.

There are also plenty of ditch-digging equipment that could easily get through a five-foot opening.  If you really wanted equipment, measure how much space you have, and call your local tool rental shop; there's a whole class of 'mini-excavator' that might be able to get back there.  If you needed to loosen the soil, you could use a tiller, but then excavate by hand.


Closing in a window opening on a cinderblock wall I am having a window closed in, on a cinderblock wall. My contractor laid mortar horizontally when he put up the wall. But he left gaps on all the vertical sides of the cinderblocks. When I questioned him about it he said it was excepible to fill those gaps after all the bricks were laid. His guys tried the rest of the day to force mortar into the gaps. I can now stick a small rod into lots of holes they left. I also noticed when I put a straight edge to the side of the wall the bricks are not aligned. Some are pushed back as they stagger upwards. I called him the next day to ask questions. He called my husband and I crazy and told us that “they are not done”. Should I continue to let him keep adding mortar? I can not tell if there is anything between some of the bricks. There is however lots all over the fronts of the bricks.  Will that hold them up over time? I am not sure how to move forward.

You have several issues: 1) proper mortar installation, 2) mortar on face of bricks, 3) contractor’s license.

1) Laying bricks is not just sticking mortar between the bricks. Bricks are embedded into mortar. The bricks should be clean and wetted prior to COVERING the bricks...it’s not acceptable to jam a little mortar between the bricks because it will not bond, will not be watertight and will be susceptible to spalling due to frost, moisture, etc.

2) Mortar must be removed immediately from brick faces or it will stain the face. The only way mortar, that has aged on the face, can be removed is with acid. Using acid will remove the finish and cause the brick to leak (water penetrate into the brick). Then, a strong wind will drive rain into the bricks causing damage from moisture, mold, etc. Also, frost will crack the bricks.

3) I would check with your local Builders Board and see if they are licensed contractors. I doubt it. You can see if they have claims against them and you can file a claim against them. The builders board will investigate and make a determination. I’d call your local Building Code Office.


Snow blower : 0w30 or 5w30 My snow blower manual recommends 0w30 oil but every store recommends 5w30.
Which would be better for the longevity of my snow blower and why?

Most engines have several weights of oil that are allowed, typically with one of them being the recommended weight. In addition, outside temperature affects which oil weights can be used. Most manuals will have a chart with temperature ranges for each oil weight.
My Toro snowblower lists 10W30 and 5W30 with the following temperature chart:

I'm sure your snowblower's manual would list all oil weights that are allowed. I would suggest following the manual rather than some generic advice.