Repacked packing nut but sink is still leaking! I have a leaky cold water valve in my laundry room. It is a gate valve with a similar set up to This post (although older and with a lot of scaling). I did some research and decided to buy some 5/32 inch valve packing to re-pack the valve. I cleaned the old packing out, scraped the scaling off of the nut, wrapped the packing around the stem 2 times and tightened the nut down until it stopped leaking. I then decided to test it with a load of laundry. Of course, at this point it started leaking slowly again.

This has led me to a question which I haven't been able to find the answer to online:

The valve leaked whether it was open, closed or somewhere in between. Does this suggest that the issue is related to the washer or o-ring located at the bottom of the stem rather than the packing nut itself?

I'd hate to call a plumber, only to learn that I hadn't packed the nut properly but replacing the stem is above my pay grade. Any input is greatly appreciated!

Is this the cutoff valve for the cold water supply to the washing machine? Does it take several turns to go from closed to full open on the stop?

If, when the valve is closed, it leaks continuously around the stem, then the plastic washer at the bottom of the stem needs replacing. One has to remove the stem to do this. Some of the valves of this type use the packing nut to cover the interior and other valves have a separate screw cover. These latter can be stuck in place, but if not stuck this is a standard maintenance procedure.

With the stem out to change the washer, one inspects the brass seat in the valve body. If the sealing surface is compromised, then it should be replaced. However, a valve in cut-off service for a washing machine is hardly ever cycled so the seat is probably OK.


What translucent material can I use to cover the bulbs at the top of a medicine cabinet? I am restoring a medicine cabinet that has light bulbs on the top but no covering.  Should I try to cover that area with glass (I'd like something frosted or opaque) or is there some type of plastic or other material that can be used?

You could certainly use frosted glass, though acrylic is easier to work with and lighter weight. You can cut it with a saw, it's effectively "shatterproof," and the edges aren't sharp like glass.

Frosted acrylic sheets are available at many DIY "big box" stores, and online. You may know this acrylic material by the brand name Plexiglas.

Acrylic sheet is also available in a variety of patterns and textures, as shown on one manufacturer's website.

One easy way to go might be to find a replacement diffuser panel for an overhead fluorescent light fixture. and cut it to fit your application.


Self Priming Aura paint vs Priming Then Painting We've just finished an addition and had it skim-coated.  Does anyone have an opinion on whether or not we should prime and then paint or use a so-called "self priming" paint, i.e., Benjamin Moore Aura self priming.

We were in the same situation as you last year. Benjamin Moore recommended that we use a sealing latex primer first on the new drywall and then use the Aura pain. It worked out really nicely for our walls.

As an aside, primer is a fraction of the cost of Aura paint. So if you have to do do 1 coat primer + 2 coats Aura versus 3 coats of Aura, the primer + Aura will be cheaper.


What is this style of cupboard door called? Trying to identify (and locate a replacement) for this style of kitchen cupboard door. I see them often, especially in rentals, here in Canada. I assume they are cheap, does this style, where a wooden lip spans the width of the door, have a name?

Are they a style from a specific manufacturer?

While the "flush" or "integrated handle" style door is common, it's likely that this particular design with this particular molding profile is proprietary. They were probably cheap to purchase initially due to economy of scale, but they may no longer be in production.

You may be better off refinishing the wood (sand, stain, seal), and if necessary reapply laminate to the face. Creating a new identical door would be an exercise in detail work.


How to remove bricks cemented on patio floor? Who do we hire? My patio has some bricks cemented on top of older ones that I wish to remove. What kind of service do we need to hire for having the top bricks removed? Cement or mortar was used to set the bricks.

Removing bricks set in cement/mortar is basically just a brute-force operation.
You can use any of the following methods:

A short 4 pound sledge hammer and mason chisel to break things apart at the joints
A full size 6-12 pound sledge hammer to just crush everything to dust and a pickaxe for chipping loose parts
An SDS hammer with a chisel attachment to quickly break through the joints
A full sized jack hammer would laugh at the endeavor

If you wish to minimize damage to the old brick underneath then choose option #1 or #3.
There will be leftover cement/mortar on the old bricks so you could grind that away with a diamond cup disc or chisel it away as much as possible.
You could feasibly hire just about any general contractor and they will be able to remove the new brick.
A mason would be preferable because they would know how to make the end result look nice.


Does a power outage / unplugging damage major Appliances I was wondering if power outages (or simply unplugging) caused any damage to major appliances like dishwashers, clothes washers and dryers while they are running ?

Let's say that the power outage lasted about 20 minutes.

It certainly doesn't help. Dropping power off and restarting of any piece of equipment without going through a staged shutdown or startup leaves the equipment in a state where the normal sequence is interrupted and leaves the controls "confused" so to speak. Also every new appliance you buy generally has a microprocessor and electronic controls these days and they are a little more sensitive to surges and low voltage outages. During an outage you should shut off any equipment you can that was on before the outage and restart after your are sure the power is going to stay on for a while. What's more damaging to these appliances than a long term outage is the rapid blinking and flashing where say a tree branch is touching a power line during a windstorm.

All that said most appliances are fairly rugged and can take a certain amount of abuse.

I always suggest that a whole house surge suppressor be install at your main panelboard. That also helps cut down spike that may enter your system.


Is it ok for a water heater pressure relief valve to be moved away from the tank with a short pipe? I had the PT relief valve replaced on a RUUD gas water heater, due to several drain releases throughout the day. Since then releases continue but at lesser frequency and amounts. I noticed the plumber had installed a galvanized pipe coupler/splice between the new PT valve and the gas heater nipple inside the heater. This pushed the new PT valve out by 1 1/2" from the older valve position. Is this acceptable? Since the new valve is out further due to the pipe section, could valve temperature and pressure readings by off?
Thanks

What is your water pressure? Do you have an expansion tank? Lack of a (working) expansion tank is the most common cause of overpressure releases (meaning the valve is doing what it's supposed to do, not malfunctioning.) Heated water is physically larger than unheated water, and pressure can rise due to that if no water is being used.
Extension makes no difference to pressure function, may or may not affect temperature operation (depends on probe length of the new valve, which might not have been the same as the original valve.)


2-State Wall AC Switch What happens to load in electrical installation which is switched by 2-State Wall AC Switch, when switch is not fully in ON or OFF state, but in middle state?

Can that middle state damage load or electrical installation?

A mains switch that can stay in the middle state is a bad quality switch.
If there's a proper toggle mechanism inside the switch it will be in either on or off state. An in-between state (contacts just (not) touching) can cause arcing, this will burn the contacts of the switch. What happens to the load depends on the load. An ordinary tungsten lightbulb or heating element (toaster, oven, water cooker) usually don't care. Anything with a something inductive inside like motors, fluorescent tubes (they have an inductive ballast) and anything with electronics inside will not like this either. Eventually they will break.

Just get good quality switches and then it should not be a problem.


Any downsides to upside down shelves? I want to put a row of bookshelves along a corridor, immediately above door frames - basically like this above the doors. Because of the gaps where the door themselves, and because I assume floating shelves wouldn't be strong enough for long rows of books, I was thinking of "upside down shelves", basically like these. The walls are solid bricks.

Are there any downsides to doing it that way? Any other suggestions / ideas?

Thanks in advance

Normally the long metal arm holds all the weight.  The screws are just holding the shelf in place.

With the upside down shelves all the weight is on the screws/bolts.  They will not be able to hold as much weight.  It might be good enough.  Or it might not and piles of books come crashing down on someone's head.

There are calculators online to figure out how much weight a particular size piece of wood can safely hold with supports at a given distance.  I would see if you can make the shelf strong enough with supports on either side of the doorway.


How can I add a 30 amp breaker for an RV connection? I am trying to determine the most cost effective way to add a 30 amp breaker so that I can plug in and run the air conditioner unit on my RV.  Currently my panel is full and I don't have space to put in a whole new panel. I do have a 40 amp hot tub breaker box located outside but don't think I can add anything to it.  So is it possible to just add another 30 amp breaker to a full panel and then wire a 10 gauge plug to it?

I like the idea of adding something to the hottub box if I could just wire a plug in right off of that box.  This is a picture of the hottub box. It is a Beachcomber GFCI box.  It looks like it has an open spot.  I would just have to turn the hottub off to run the RV I assume

Hot tub breaker outside

Picture of hottub box information

You're in luck -- your panel can accept another 240V breaker in the bottom knockout pair.  You'll need a 30A Siemens type QP breaker to install there, which you can pick up at a typical big-box store.  (A GFCI is not needed here, best I can tell, because this is a single outlet in dedicated service.)


3-way and 4-way switches My kitchen lights operate with 3 wall switches.  Two of the switches work properly only if the third (3-way) switch is in the on position.  I assumed that the third (3-way) switch was malfunctioning, so I replaced it.  There was no change.  The other two switches operate only if the third (3-way) switch is in the on position.  Should I simply change all 3 switches?

Don't replace the other two switches.

You'll only muddy the water, in fact, I would rollback to the earlier 3-way.

The root problem is that previously, someone replaced the 3-way switch and they did a bodge job of it.

A 3-way switch is supposed to have 2 traveler terminals, going to 2 traveler wires, and a common going either from supply or onward to the light.  In either case, there may be 2 wires on the common - either carrying switched power onto a second ligt, or supply onward to other points-of-use.  You know, like the other two switches right next to it.

Ideally, instead of 2 wires on the common, we like to see pigtails, because  they're easier to understand   and harder to mess up.  However, very likely, the  last guy found the splice had been done right on the switch - one on the screw, and the other on the backstab associated with that screw.

And he didn't know what he was doing when he hooked up that 3-way.  Either he got the wires mixed up... or he got supply and travelers correct but accidentally put the "onward power" onto one of travelers.

If you have any other switches in the area that ought to control this light but don't work or only sometimes work, then more likely the former.

The usual mistake when swapping 3-ways is that every 3-way switch puts its screws in a different position. People think position matters, and it doesn't.  Actually, screw color matters.  Travelers are on brass screws.  So I like to mark them with yellow tape (no need to distinguish travelers from each other).

So see if you can correct that problem, least toward the mispositioning of the onward power wire.


How to tell if an air-separator is working We have a Spirovent Air-Separator on the hydronic heating system, between the boiler and the circulator.  How to determine if it is working properly to remove dissolved air bubbles and has not been clogged by minerals in the water?

The maintenance and operation documentation, for what I think is your model, provides the following steps if service is required.

  WARNING! System fluid under pressure can be very hazardous. Before removing the vent head for inspection, reduce system pressure to zero,
  or isolate the Spirovent from the system. Allow the system to cool to
  below 100°F. Failure to follow these instructions may cause serious
  bodily injury or property damage.

  Using two strap wrenches, hold the body in place in the piping while
  removing the vent head, taking care not to damage the O-ring. Pipe
  wrenches may be used, but they can leave marks in the brass.
  To clean the vent head, use a mild detergent and water or vinegar
  and water solution. For extremely dirty conditions, soak the head in
  mineral spirits for several hours and then clean thoroughly. The
  vent head is available as a replacement part if necessary. Use part
  number PJR000HA. Assembly includes the O-ring.
  While the vent head is removed, remove the coalescing medium from
  the body and rinse thoroughly with mild detergent and water or
  vinegar and water to remove any system contaminants.
  Examine O-ring before installing on the Spirovent and replace if
  necessary. Use part number PJR000RG.
  Reassemble the Spirovent.
  Return system to operating condition.

It's a bit of work, but I think it will be the most complete way to ensure the vent is in good condition.


Is it safe for plumbing to use rainwater to flush toilets? A couple of articles encourage the use of rainwater to flush toilets. (article 1, article 2)
However, would it be safe to do so if the rainwater in your particular area has a pH that is considered as acidic or akaline?
(The risks of which are outlined on this page and reproduced below)

It is doubtful the pH+ of rainwater anywhere, other than directly downwind of an erupting volcano, would be unsafe in terms of damaging plumbing fixtures or pipes.
That said, there is concern in how the rainwater is stored. It must be kept so as not to be a breeding place for mosquitoes, toxic algae or other noxious critters, nor should the container cause entrapment of wildlife. There also must be air breaks to ensure that the untreated rainwater does not enter and contaminate potable water. There may be local regulations regarding use of rainwater or "greywater".


Understanding my radiator I'm in my first apartment and it's a bit colder than I'd like it. Can I tweak the settings on my radiator so that it's warmer? I'm motivated to learn more about my radiator and it's hard to find information because I can't find the specific valves.

From what I can see, I have two valves:

This replaced another valve that was spewing water. This one shot water into the air out the top until maintenance "adjusted" this or the other valve. Since then it's been colder in my apartment. This is why I would prefer learning what the valves do before experimenting with different settings.

The second:

And finally the big picture:

The first valve looks like it might be a thermostatic valve - the numbers representing the various temperature "settings". There should be an indicator on the bit that turns that points to the number. Try turning this fully towards the "1" and then fully towards the "5". Leave the valve in each position for half an hour or so. The radiator should get a lot warmer on the "5". Turn the value down until you get a comfortable temperature.

The valve on the floor should be nearly fully open.

The other thing to check for is cold spots. If the radiator isn't getting warm at all, even on "5" there may be an airlock in it. There should be a bleed valve on the top of the radiator - you'll need a special key to crack it open. If there is air there'll be a hissing sound. Leave it open until water starts dribbling out.

There might be a cold spot at the bottom which would indicate a build up of sediment. This means your radiator (or perhaps even entire system) needs draining and flushing. Try draining the radiator first. It doesn't look like you've got drain point so this might be awkward, but it is possible.


Can only use small sump pump basin in crawl space, what can I do to prevent short cycling? My crawl space access is only 19" in height. This severely limits the sump basins I can find. Every basin I see that say that they are 18" diameter are referring to only the inside diameter. The outside diameter is 20-21" which won't fit (I tried everything I could to wiggle it through the door).
I've found a few smaller basins that are specifically meant for crawl spaces with limited access. However, I'm concerned that the sump pump will short cycle. For instance, the basin I'm looking at is only 14" inside diameter and 15" tall. So a pretty small basin. Most pumps at minimum recommend 18" diameter. I'm concerned that the smaller basin will be filling up too quickly.
Because I will mostly likely have to go with a smaller basin, I'm thinking of things I can do to help prevent the short cycling. I'm a visual learner and like to explain things visually, so just bear with me through some MS Paint!
If I have a basin that is 14" inside diameter and using a Zoeller M53 pump (already own it) that kicks on when the float switch is at 7", I'd have approximately 5 US gallons of water in the basin.

Getting a basin that is taller would do nothing for me. The pump will still kick on at 7" water height.

So a taller basin really won't help me much.
A wider basin is really what I'm after.

Going from a 14" diameter to 24" diameter will almost triple the amount of water. But unfortunately, I can't fit that in my crawl space.
Regardless of how I do it, I would backfill a few inches around the basin with gravel. However, I was thinking, what if I used large aggregate such as heart/fist size stone. I could put down normal gravel at bottom for the basin to sit on level. Then on the sides I could put the larger aggregate. I'd also have a permeable non-woven geotextile fabric to separate the aggregate from the soil. Lastly, there will be a vapor barrier that goes over all of this and tucks into the basin and is sealed with a good cover. The advantage with this is that I could hold more water with a wider hole and using larger stones.

Is this a practical solution? My Zoeller M53 pump seems too powerful for the 14"x16" basin with only 5 gallons before it kicks on. Therefore, I'm trying to solution a way to increase the amount of water it holds. Should I instead buy a smaller less powerful pump? I was hoping to be able to save money and reuse my current pump. It needs to be able to go about ~5 feet and over ~5 feet before it exits the crawl space and into a freeze guard. From there, it travels ~110 feet.

Your "basin" need not be sold as a "basin" -  the good old fashioned, fits very easily through limited access, pile of bricks or blocks that you use to line a hole that you dig (of whatever size you like, since you assemble the wall in place) will solve your diameter problem.
The other obvious solution would be a different pump with an adjustable float, or a secondary float switch for the pump you have that would prevent it from turning on at 7" when set in a deeper basin.
If you are dedicated to pre-manufactured sump basins, install several of them in close proximity connected by 3" or 4" pipes. The large aggregate you propose will fill much of the void space you propose to add - if you are digging that much hole, line it with bricks to get most of the storage capacity from the large hole (or use multiple connected basins.)


Can a cooking oil spill-over cause a burnt-out outlet? A cooking stove with electricity and natural gas has been in place for 20 years. Last month I did deep frying, some of the oil went overboard, touched the electric plate, and some of it instantly vaporized into smoke. The oil also left a definite stain on the electric plate. Note that I didn't smell anything burned, and that the electric plate and cooktop was 1 meter from the power plug.

I didn't use the cooktop for a month and yesterday, when I turned on an oven daisy-chained to the same outlet, the house circuit breaker went off and I smelled something burned, which I then identified as burnt plastic. The outlet was burnt-out along with the electric plug of the cooktop:

(I found it hard to take a good picture because the burnt area is the blackest of the black.)

I did not find any residue of oil near the outlet. The cooktop has been in place for many years in an area by the seaside with much salt, humidity (up to 80%), so metal often corrodes and rusts.

Could cooking oil cause the outlet to arc and burn out? If not, what is the most likely cause?

Update

Here is a photo of the house's electric panel. The tripped switch was third from the top left:

Any answers to this will probably be based of the actual experience of the answerer. Cooking oil is not a good conductor of electricity. It could possibly trip a GFCI. Outlets like the one shown will fail over the years because their contacts lose their ability to "hold tight" due to the metals being annealed over time because of the current draw. My experience is that outlets usually "cook" or arc for awhile and then finally let go and short out. This will even happen with 110 Volt outlets with little load. Corrosion and time, I think that's what did this in.


What parameters affect the amount of btu required to cool a single room Background
Due to the reason I lack knowledge in air conditioning I asked a company that manufactures and sells a\cs to send a consultant to advise me on which air conditioner I should use in my room.
The suggestion he gave me is a ductless a\c with a BTU measure of 12,650.
I tried to learn about the quality of the suggestion and I found multiple sites that cite this table from energystar's site.
My room is 105 squared feet and is quite sunny so according to this chart a 5,500 btu a/c should be enough.
The suggestion by the consultant is very far from the estimation of this table and therefore I'm not sure what is the explanation. I'd like to understand which suggestion is correct to avoid the possibility of buying a highly non-matching a\c (either too strong or too weak).
Question
Are there any other parameters, beside those that appear at energystar's site, that the consultant could take into account that result in this big difference?
For example I encountered a website that suggested that a hot climate could raise the required btu by 30%.
Is there any more information, about my room perhaps, that I can provide you to allow you to better answer my question?
Note
I found this question. I concluded it doesn't contain enough information because:

The calculator provided in one of the answers doesn't seem to fit very well to my single room situation (And when i tried it suggested even less than 5,500 btu).
Some of the parameters listed there are also listed in energystar's site.
Another parameter that was suggested was the climate. as I mentioned earlier this still doesn't cover the difference.

Edit
Information about the room

it's size is 105 sqr feet.
It has 2 windows of 8.7 sq feet each with double glass pane.
The climate is rather hot in summer (from 23 c at night to 32 c at day).
the door to my room is open during the day (which leads to the rest of the family house) and close during the night.

Some key parameters:

Size
Peak Outdoor Temperature (i.e., needs to be sized based on the hottest days)
Insulation
Windows - size of windows and also quality (double or triple pane will do a LOT better at keeping cold in/heat out than single pane)
Frequency of opening of doors to the outside
Air Leakage - cracks, holes, etc.
Internal loads - how many people? computers or other equipment? A room full of servers generates a lot of heat.


one recessed light not working? one of my eight recessed lights (HALO H71CT) is not working. What are the chances that it is the thermocoupler? The light doesn't come on and go off it just doesn't come on....thanks for any help you can give me.

It's difficult to tell from a brief description. However, that model of light lists that it uses push-in wire connectors, and it's possible those aren't making a solid connection. If you have access to this light, test the voltage.


Is there any danger in pulling a washing machine forward? Our washing machine broke, specifically it stopped draining water. The water has been in there for a few days now and has started to smell. I researched this problem a bit and all possible solutions involve having access to the back of the machine.

Our machine is stuck under a counter, next to a wall on one side and a (broken) dishwasher on the other side. This means I don't know what's in the back or how the drainage looks like/works. Is there any danger in pulling the maching out of the corner, so I can have a look at it

I don't really know what washing machines look like normally, if they have any hard pipes connected in the back or whatever... I pulled it forward 5 or 6 inches but then it started struggling a little, and I really don't want to flood the kitchen...

A washing machine should have

One detachable flexible cold water feed of indeterminate length.
One detachable flexible hot water feed of indeterminate length.
One possibly detachable flexible drain line of indeterminate length.
One permanently attached electrical cord of indeterminate length.

So the problem you have now is figuring out how long each of these are,and how to disconnect them. It sounds like you don't have much access to the back of the machine to get a good look, so a mirror attached to a telescoping handle might come in handy here.

Once you get a better idea of what's behind the machine, you'll have a better understanding of how to move it.


I want to run a small kiln off a living room circuit with ext cord out to the yard. I want to run a small kiln. The specs say 115V, 15A, Amp fuse size 20, wire 12, plug type 5-20P. Can I plug into a regular household circuit?

No, the 5-20P configuration will only fit circuits designed for and equipped with a 20 amp receptacle:


Quantitative measurement for sound dampening methods I'm planning to finish off my basement.  Which type of basement ceiling insulation is most effective at reducing sound transfer between levels, blown in cellulose or rock wool batts and how much more effective is one versus the other?  Where can I get quantitative measurements?  I'm not considering closed-cell spray foam insulation as that is too costly for my project.

The overall construction method makes much more difference than the type of insulation. It seems intervening air gaps in assemblies is usually beneficial so batts may be more beneficial than blown in, given identical material. All just a guess on my part. Acoustics can be maddeningly illogical.

Some time ago California compiled acoustical tests from various sources into a catalog of sound-rated wall and floor/ceiling assemblies.


What is a good technique for cutting in when painting? I'm going to paint another room in my house this weekend, and I have most of the prep work completed (walls cleaned, holes spackled and sanded, covers/vents removed, a few odds and ends taped off).

One thing I very distinctly remember from the last major painting job I did (I took a full week off and painted most of the rest of the house) is how incredibly painful my wrists and elbows were for a few days after painting. I am pretty sure my 'cutting in' (hand-painting corners, sills, along molding, etc.) was the culprit, because actually rolling on the paint on the larger areas was a breeze (comparatively).

What are some techniques that I can use to make cutting in easier and faster?

Narrower or wider brush? (I have a 2" brush right now)
Angled or flat brush? (I'm using an angle brush right now)
Long or short handle? (I have a long-handled brush, but sometimes I 'choke up' on it)
Should I dampen the brush before starting?
Should I mix in any paint additives? (Like Floetrol?)

I use a step stool to reach along the ceiling and higher in the corners, but everything else is easy enough to reach from the ground.

This verges on "opinion based..."

Brush width depends what you are working on - for wall corners, 2" is
probably fine. On our last project, my assistant finally figured out
that using an overly tiny brush on window muntins was slower, not
faster or more precise, but for that job a 1/2-5/8" brush was "about
right."
I go for the long handled angled - how much that is the physical
characteristics .vs. how much that is one of the better quality
brushes I own is possibly debatable.
If the brush needs a haircut, give it a haircut - while this ties
back to brush quality to an extent, any brush can get "flyaway
bristles" - cut them off ruthlessly. For lower end brushes, this can
improve them a lot, practically speaking.
Dipping the brush in water (latex) or thinner (oils) and then
flinging/brushing out the water/thinner will tend to reduce clogging
of the brush "cavity" or reservior for paint, .vs. just dipping it
straight into paint. It's not absolutely required, but it make
through cleaning much easier, and through cleaning is the way to keep
a good quality brush alive for a long time. A good brush costs enough that you should take care of it.
Personally, I thin the paint a bit if it needs it, but figure if it's
quality paint it already has whatever additive package the paint manufacturer
thinks best.

@bibs comment about the death-grip is probably relevant to your pain the last time. The other thing, which does get better, is that this is one of those things where practice really does make perfect (or at least you learn how to make it look more perfect, even if the process isn't quite that perfect) and as non-professional painters most of us simply don't do it enough to build the skill to a high level. As such, just the stress over "doing a good enough job" can make you tense up (and that also makes it harder to paint well, on top of hurting.) Admire an amateur painter's paint job and they will nearly always wander off into to pointing out invisible and virtually invisible flaws which they perceive as if neon-lit with giant arrows pointing at them, even in the face of compliments about how nice it looks.


Is it necessary to remove old wasp nests? The house and barn I just bought was not very well maintained.  In the attic of the house there are about 50 abandoned wasps nests (as it is winter).  The barn has well over 100.  I know I need to eradicate any entrance points into the house and barn for wasps, but do I need to remove the old nests, or is it ok to leave them?  I wasn't sure if they reuse existing nests or not or if there was an advantage to removing old ones.

Personally I had lots of wasp nests before, and after "exterminating" few of them I left them where they were. No more wasps in there. One thing - I used one of the "wasp killers" so that I was sure there will be no more chance to get wasps here. But one thing - if wast nest was removed there was a bit more chance that wasps get in here one more time building another nest. Try to use really good wasp repeller. Those chemicals do it right.


What's the easiest way to fix these deck joists? Today I found some deck joists are either cracked or completely out of shape.  I was wondering do I have to remove all the boards to replace these joists?
There are two joists that seem to be really bad (picture 1 and 2 is for the worst one, picture 3 is 2nd worst).  There are couple other joists that are cracked like in picture 4.  I can get underneath the deck easily.
Any suggestion on what will be the easiest way to get them fixed?
I am new to deck, appreciate any help!

I've replace a few on decks and never had to remove all the planks because there was enough room underneath to get to the joist hangers.
You should remove the screws from the planks going into a joist you want to replace. Then support the joist and remove the hanger from one end and the screws from the other hanger into the joist. Then lower and remove the joist. Take the new joist, work it into the one hanger and the install a new hanger at the other end. You might have to use new hangers at each end if the new joist in a slightly different size than the old one. Then re screw the planks into the new joist.
If you don't have the clearance under the deck to do the above, then you'll have to remove the planks to get to the joists.


How can I prepare this concrete floor for tile? I'm looking to replace an old carpet in my finished basement with tile.  I've removed the carpet and found a surface with some peeling paint, which I've read needs to be removed since the thinset for the tiles needs to bond to a solid surface.

I've tried attacking a small area with an angle grinder with a sanding attachment and a coarse grit sanding disc, and I've found that there seem to be a number of layers on top of the slab:

It looks like there are at least two layers of paint, and then the green layer is pretty resistant to coming off.  Below that there is this red, which I thought at first was maybe some weird color of cement, but if I really leave the grinder there it seems to get through to gritty looking concrete.

What do I need to do here to be able to tile on top of this?  It seems like the green / red layers are very well adhered and I wouldn't be worried about them coming up, but they also will not absorb any water, so I'm not sure if the thinset would bond?

Putting tile over a painted surface can be risky. Sure looks like removing all that paint would be a chore and maybe hazardous (lead based paint if pre 1978).  We have put tile over such surfaces by roughing it a bit and putting a scratch coat of "floor patch and leveler"  over the entire surface. This is a good bonding agent on stable subfloors.

Another very good alternative is to use one of the new no-mortar interlocking tile products. These are tiles mounted on an interlocking plastic base that just snap together. They are very quick and easy to install. There are several different brands, tile material and backer types available. There is an article about these type of tiles, on Good Housekeeping.

Google "no mortar tile". Lots of articles on the subject


What advice would you offer somebody who is building a laundry chute for the first time? I'm looking to build a laundry chute from our bedroom closet to the laundry room below. The positioning is such that the wall of our closet is shared with a storage closet in the loft above our garage. The floor of our closet is above the laundry room. I've figured out where I would need to cut to place the chute to where we'd want the laundry to fall.

What should I keep in mind when cutting into the wall (in the closet) and the ceiling (in the laundry room)? I'm seeking any general advice in renovation or anything specific to help.

Thank you.

Safety first
Make sure you wear proper safety gear. Safety goggles, appropriate gloves, hearing protection (if applicable), and a hardhat, might all be useful safety equipment.
Watch out for that...
Make sure you know what is inside the wall/floor, cutting through a wire or pipe can ruin your day really fast.
"Did it come out yet?"
It might be a good idea to line the chute using ducting or other lining material, so the items you drop in actually make it out the bottom.
Don't bring down the house
The easiest and safest place to install a laundry chute is between studs/joists. If you have to cut studs/joists to install the chute, you'll have to reinforce the structure appropriately. If you are going down more that a single floor, you'll likely have some structural issues to deal with. If you go between studs, you'll have to deal with a sill plate at the bottom of the wall and possibly a top plate at the top of the wall below.
The right tool for the job
Make sure you have all the proper tools before you begin. Having all the right tools you need at hand, makes every job easier.


Water to the shower & bathroom sink When I turn on the water to the sink, it sends water to the tub & shower, why would this happen?

If you are talking about water backing up in the drains there is a down line obstruction and a snake or jetting may be required as the problem normally continues to get worse until totally plugged.


Is it possible to wire a 240v outlet so that after I don't need 240v anymore I will have two 120v circuits? I'm in the US.
I will be installing a 240v outdoor outlet for an EVSE (electric car charger). However, in a few years I will have a garage built (elsewhere) and will move the EVSE to the garage, so won't need the 240v outlet anymore. At that point, I will instead use that outlet for my workshop and would like to have two 120v circuits: one for lights and a 120v air conditioner, one for power tools.
[Edit: the workshop will be for power tools and the garage will be for parking/charging the car. They are not the same structure, the garage is unrelated to this question and will be far far away.]
Is this possible with a single 240v cable? Alternatively, would it be possible to start with two 120v circuits of opposite phases, and wire them together to create 240v and then later go back to two 120v?

Yes, just be sure to run a 4 wire circuit (2 hots, neutral and ground), if the current garage is attached you don't need extra ground rods. In fact, since you are planning for the future, you might install a sub-panel now that would supply your EVSE outlet as well as other circuits in the future.  As many others have said here, go bigger than you expect to need on the sub-panel, they are cheap compared to upgrading later. It's OK for the sub-panel to have greater capacity than the feed to it...no problem.  Just make sure the breaker is appropriately sized for the wires feeding it.
You can't do this with 2 separate 120v cables, not code allowed.
EDIT:  Of course be sure the wires or cable are of sufficient size to feed the EV charger and future needs. (should have included that with my answer).  I also got ahead of myself regarding needing ground rods or not because I was already thinking about sub-panel. Clearly you wouldn't need additional ground rods if it was just an EV charging outlet.


How should I use my humidifier's bypass option? I have a Skuttle model 2000 flow-through bypass humidifier unit. How do I use the bypass lever in the winter months? Do I leave the bypass open during operation and closed in the summer months??

From the website:

  The summer shutoff damper on bypass units increases efficiency and saves energy. [...] The humidifier and the connecting water valve must be turned OFF at the end of each heating season. On bypass units, the shutoff damper should be turned to SUMMER.

More in the owner's manual.


Does a larger solar water heater equate to better water pressure? Please excuse my ignorance - we want to buy a typical slanted rooftop solar water heater for our home. We thought 200L would be an acceptable capacity, but the vendor we visited today said that we should have 300L or more. When I explained that we had calculated our hot water needs and 200L was more than sufficient, he countered that having a larger capacity tank would mean better water pressure at the shower head.

Now I'm no physicist, but I was under the impression that flow rate for these tanks depended on two things: vertical distance from the outlet (letting gravity speed the rate) and pipe diameter. Is there a significant difference in flow rate simply due to tank size?

No, unless the larger tank is taller, increasing the average height.


Hot water tank issue (rust or other buildup?) I recently noticed the water coming out of my hot water has taken on an orange/dirty colour so decided to do some maintenance on the hot water tank. Below is what I’ve tried so far over the span of 2 weeks, the water has kept the same discolouration - some improvement but not clear like when I compare to water out of my cold water tap. It’s certainly not as bad as when is started but still there. I’m at a loss as to what to try next, do I have any other options or is next step to replace the tank?? Thanks!

I flushed the tank two weekends in a row now trying to get the water coming out to be as clear as possible. Tank continues to have small particulate flowing out when I flush but nothing I would consider excessive (probably rust as it was attracted to a magnet when I ran one through the water)

I replaced the anode with a new one, the previous anode was completely gone to the core (probably never replaced before). Water tank is 7 years old and I live in a very hard water area + have a water softener. I’m suspecting the tank has probably started rusting inside but not sure how bad.

There are no leaks or dripping water around the tank that I can tell.

As a last ditch effort I bought an endoscopic camera to see what’s going on in the tank itself. Below are the best pictures I could produce given the conditions (fed through the hot water inlet when tank was empty)

first 2 pictures are where tank walls meets bottom - you can see sediment that looks like small rust particles, second picture is of the wall, there’s lots of buildup like this at the top of the tank? Is this rust or something else and is this what’s causing my water discolouration? Anything to be done?

That's as good an excuse as any for buying an endoscope.  I've wanted one for a while.
You did not say if you have hard or soft water.  That matters.
I think your tank is too far gone.  Tanks that do not get anode rod replacements are typically good for 8-15 years depending on usage.  Tanks that do can go from 15-25 years that has been my experience.  Your tank has been missing an anode rod for a long time now.
If you have hard water you should be periodically draining sediments.  If you have very hard water you should replace the dip tube with a curved dip tube.  This allows the tank to be drained then all of the sediments to be expelled.  If you don't do this then they build up on the bottom and cause the bottom of the tank to overheat which damages the glass and causes the tank to start rusting.
The tank is steel with vitreous glass bonded to the inside.  The glass does not perfectly cover all the steel in the tank which is why there's an anode rod.
If you have copper pipe there should be dielectric fittings used.
The hotter the temp you keep the water heater the faster it will corrode.


Is a cracked brick sign of a deeper problem I've just noticed a cracked brick,  and wondered if I could just replace it and do some repointing,  or could suggest another problem?

The cracked brick appears to have a crack in the mortar moving diagonally up a 3 or 4 bricks to the right.  I've included a photo and the brick I'm talking about is 3 bricks up from the left window sill and then 3 in.

My house was built in 1910, and has had its wall ties replaced in the late 70s.

better quality picture download link

I'm not a structual engineer but it's probably the foundation settling a little unevenly. If it was me, I wouldn't be concerned by the couple of cracks you have now but I would certainly keep an eye on it for new cracks, cracks growing longer and cracks going wider.  I'd probably get a professional opinion if it got worse. Keep an eye out for interior cracks too.


Does VOC-free paint require VOC-free undercoat? I have been asked to paint a room with a paint that has no or low VOCs (volatile organic compounds) such as the Dulux Ecosure paints.

I was originally planning to use a plain white paint as the first coating to give me a clean, uniform surface to paint on with the new colour (I'll probably still do two coatings of the new colour). Would it defeat the purpose if I didn't use a low-VOC undercoat or is it the top coats that matter (the purpose being better air quality, in case it wasn't clear)?

Dulux actually sells an Ecosure undercoat (https://www.duluxtradepaintexpert.co.uk/products/picker#details/dulux-trade/ecosure-undercoat), which is why I started wondering if I need to worry about more than the top coatings.

More background info: the room is in a 20-year old house, though I'm not sure when was the last time it was painted. It currently has some stains and dirt on the walls, and I already fixed some cracks and holes with plaster (so it definitely needs some sort of paint job).

VOC solvents are used in paints because they are volatile; they will readily evaporate at room temperature.  When someone wants low-VOC paint, it means that they don't want (for health or environmental reasons) to release VOCs as the paint dries.  Since the undercoat would need to dry before the finish coat is applied, using an undercoat that is not low-VOC would defeat the purpose.


Replacement window spring won't raise Old house with double-glazed replacement window. I had to have one of the glass panes replaced and was able to easily tilt in the window and remove the lower unit.  Upon replacement, the window goes right in, I cannot slide it down and when I slide it up, it pulls out of the support springs in both tracks.  I feel as though something is holding the spring in the current position. As if it is locked there. What am I missing?

In looking closer at the window it appears the posts that engage the spring supports are keyed and when you rotate the window back in place the spring support is unlocked.  Of course on my windows the locks are going bad...


How to remove rust from desktop computer cabinet case How to remove rust from desktop computer cabinet/ case?

I have 10 desktop PC and for 1 purchased cooler master premium cabinet which was expensive all if their side covers and internals are getting rusted I have googled and founded many chemicals but don't which one is safe and best which do not destroy the paint of the cabinets. I'm worried the rust don't catches in motherboard HDD or any other components

I have the following queries:

Which of chemical are good for rust removing and safe  secure and long lasting and does not cause rust again
How and what I can apply  can I protect cabinet so that it don't form rust again
How can I repaint the scratches after scrubbing the rust the cabinet which matches original paints does spray paint work as original
If it's a galvinised paint then why does rust form inside metal and outside covers can we do galvinised paints at home or market

Kindly guide or advice me with your suggestions and advice for rust free cabinets.

The original metal finish inside a PC it typically a type of zinc plating. no paint will exactly match it.

1: I don't know of any chemical that will remove rust without also attacking the plating. fish oil will stop the rust, but it take a long time to dry.

2: galvanised iron primer

3: take it to a paint shop, they'll probably be able to match the finish better than anyone can guess over the internet.

Consider going to a new finish, using automotive paints, you get a custom look at about the same expense as a repair.

It rusts because the zinc coating is applied to the sheet metal before the case is assembled, so all the cut edges have no plating. also something must be getting it wet, perhaps something causes condensation?


Is torque important when drilling hole in ceramic tile? I want to drill a 2-3cm diameter hole in a ceramic tile. There are diamond-coated hole saw bits, and I read that a cordless drill is recommended if water is used for cooling. I own a 10.8V 30Nm torque drill, but there are more powerful 45 and 85Nm versions too. Is my drill OK for this, or should I invest in a more powerful one?

I'm not a professional, but have drilled a lot of holes in masonry.  For a tile, I don't think that the torque will matter much, just chuck it, set it to high speed and drill.  Drill a test hole in a piece of scrap first, so you will know what to expect.  I think your toughest problem will be trying to get the hole started on your center accurately. Nicking the tile with a punch may help.

Drilling an 8" x 3/4 inch hole into 10 year old concrete will require a bit more torque.


Seal bathroom sink drain to vanity/wall I'd like to seal the hole in the wall/vanity where the drain goes to. I assume there is some sort of circle cap that I could glue there.

The reason is that I feel a current of air going out of there. I am in the 4th/top floor of an small building, sometimes the air smells. I believe there is a chimney effect bringing air from the lower floors to mine.

Note: I know that's not the only crack/opening able of transporting air, however, I am just following the smell. It is faint (almost nobody else notices) so maybe if close the big holes that I can see it will go undetectable.

Please advise. thanks.

You are correct that there is trim made for this, but if you've never seen one the term for it is hard to figure out...  It's called a pipe escutcheon and they come in two flavors.

If you can disconnect the pipe and slip the pipe escutcheon over the end, the single piece models look better and will seal better.  If you don't want to mess with the pipe, they also come in a "split" ring that is either two pieces, or more commonly, a hinged ring that opens up to fit around the pipe and then close back around it.

Amazon search, not responsible for search results


Preserve treated wood? What should I use, if anything, to preserve these steps made of treated wood? These are on my townhome's back porch. Two of the steps are directly exposed to weather. They were filthy but cleaned up fine with Murphy's Oil Soap and some scrubbing. Should I preserve them with something or just leave them alone?

It basically depends on how long the steps have been there for one. You can stain fresh new pressure treated wood, but if its still wet, it doesn't take well. If it has been seasoned and is dry, as it looks like it is, you can stain it.

They make stain, for pressure treated wood even, which helps prolong it. Between that and keeping water from pooling on it, it should last quite a while.


How do I remove or paint over graffiti? Recently some graffiti appeared on the side of my house. I knew I should have done something right away but I didn't, and now there is more. Here is a picture:

I read this article. I think I just want to paint over it. Someone told me to use dry lock. Is this the best thing to use for this, or might there be an easier way?

EDIT: I finally painted over it with stucco paint. Here it is now:

It is never nice to see that someone has chosen to vandalize your property. I see main options here.

Leave it alone. (Already ruled out, since you wish to deal with it.)
Remove the paint.
Paint over it.

If you do choose to remove the paint, a paint stripper is a good start. I like the citrus based ones, as they seem less toxic than the old solvent based strippers. Brush the stripper on, let it stand for the indicated time, then wash off, probably with a good stiff brush as an aid. An issue here is you will essentially end up cleaning the surface where you just worked, so this action will tend to leave a negative of painted region. The wall will be lighter in those spots, because it is cleaner. So you will then want to wash down the entire wall. A pressure washer will help, and you can get mild cleaners to help in this part.

The final choice on my list is to paint over it. A good exterior paint will cover the graffiti well enough. (Of course, a downside to paint is that once you paint that wall once, you will be forced to paint it again in the future when the paint gets old.)

An alternative to a blank white wall here is to do it as a mural if you have an artistic bent. (My wife surprised me one day with her artistic talent, when I came home to find she had painted the block wall on our house with a field of cat tail reeds under a bright yellow sun.) How about a nice field of sunflowers against a blue sky? Or, perhaps you might paint the wall to look like a brick wall, but add several fake stained glass windows on this facade?

If you do decide to paint the wall, you might still want to wash it down first to remove any crud that will prevent good paint adhesion. Give it a couple of days to dry before applying paint, especially if it is oil based paint.


Why is my radiator hissing? I've never had a radiator before, all central air for me, but I'm living in an apartment that has them now. All of the radiators in my apartment have been hissing, and pouring out steam from the "valve" on the side. I'm not sure what the "valve" is or even if it's a valve, but it seems to relieve pressure and it's not always on when the radiator is so I'm guessing there is an 'on' and 'off' position. Here is a a wikipedia picture of one that has the same type of "valve":

My questions are as follows:

Should it be hissing? (it's really loud)
Is there anything I can do to make it quieter?
If there isn't, would an unorthodox solution, such as putting something that allows air through over the "valve" be safe? I've used a wet sponge for short periods when it really annoys me.

This is basically going to be landlord work unless you plan playing heating technician and checking the basement pipes. Here's the gist:

Air vents on the radiator must flow air out so it can be replaced by steam to heat. They sometimes have adjustment valves on them so you can balance the system.
Air vents that are producing a lot of noise are either

too small of a vent
clogged up / broken (this is you because you're leaking steam)

Improperly designed systems can also push a lot of air out of the radiators. The steam delivery pipes should also have air vents on them before the radiators.

When working properly, those air valves should not let steam through. They should close when the steam reaches them, and open when there isn't steam. If there are showing visible steam, they need replacement.

I found this to be a good article on caring for steam vents that will provide more detail.


How to stop fridge water line without stopping everything else? So.  My old fridge finally went and I will be getting a new one delivered.  The company that I am buying the new fridge from is going to haul away my old one.  I noticed that I don't have any type of "shut off" behind my fridge for the water line.  When I checked my basement, I noticed that there is a single shutoff for my entire bathroom + fridge water line.

My problem is, in order to haul away my old fridge, it has to be disconnected, thus disconnecting it from the water line and, in turn, putting my bathroom out of commission.  Is there an easy way to remedy this (I googled around and saw mention of a non-piercing saddle value that can be used?) or should I just deal with having all the water off during disconnect, haul away and re-installation?

Below is a picture of my current situation.

I went to the hardware store and they gave me this.  They said it was a bit overkill but it would work.  Do you guys agree?

If you're up for it, I would install a valve in the wall while you have the water shut off.  When you're done, you'll have a separate shutoff for the fridge and your bathroom available again.  To make it look nice, I'd go for a valve box that you mount in the wall:


How to attach wall on top of french drain in basement? I am in the process of finishing my basement and had an interior french drain system installed. I now want to start putting walls up but am unsure how to attach them on top of the french drain. I believe the cement is only around 1.5" to 2" inches thick on top of the french drain and I fear cracking the cement or damaging something.
How should I attach the studs / wall frame on top of my french drain? Can I really just shoot nails into the cement over the french drain or is there something else I should do to prevent damaging it? Is there perhaps a better way to secure the wall?

Use construction adhesive and the occasional drilled fastener, such as concrete screws or plastic plug nails.


Electrical terminology in the breaker box I'm trying to understand how the breaker box is wired so I can turn off power in some part of my house. In my country (Spain), lights are on a separate circuit(s), and usually entire rooms are controlled by separate breakers. But here I'm puzzled by the nomenclature. I'm attaching an image of the labels so you can help me understand the meaning of them.

Liv / Kit LTS: Is liv "living room"?  What's LTS?
FAU: I know this from another question that it's the air blower in our unit.
Kit |O|: no idea.
Comp: no idea.

Answering your questions in turn:

Liv/Kit LTS. indeed means "Living Room/Kitchen Lights"
FAU could be a small on-demand water heater (FAUcet according to Harper) or it could be a Forced Air Unit (air handler) as you are thinking
The circle with two lines through it is the de facto North American standard electrical plan symbol for a duplex receptacle, so that line is short for "Kitchen Receptacles"
Comp. most likely is short for a trash compactor if you have one.


Should I nail, and glue my hardwood flooring? Well since I'm waiting for an answer on my first hardwood floor question I might as well throw my second question out there too.

I’m face nailing my new hardwood flooring (Tasmanian Blackwood 19mm x 130mm) then puttying the knot holes and nail holes. This will be done through the whole house. The subfloor is Particle Board (Brand name: Yellow Tongue) that has been glued and screwed down.

Additional information: This is solid T&G timber flooring that was purchased direct from the saw miller. In the event nailing and gluing is recommended, there would be no moisture barrier.

My question:

Is there a benefit to ‘nail and gluing’ my hardwood flooring to the Particle Board subfloor or will this just interfere with the natural expansion and contraction of the hardwood?

You said the subfloor is particle board, so if there's some kind of isolation under that you don't need more barriers.

Attaching your floor to the subfloor depends on what kind of floor that is. If it's floating floor, it needs to float, so no gluing at all, and you need some kind of padding to level out the floor. Generally floating floors are tongue/groove or click install.

And if it's kind of parquet you have to glue it to the subfloor, because the grip of nails to particle board is very weak.


Are clogs in the AC condensate drain common in Florida? I have a two year old central A/C unit.  Every 2/3 months the unit shuts off.

I called the rep/maintenance company and they have given me the following response:

The cause of the issue is algae building up within the drainage line
This is due to the climate in Florida
This is extremely common, and in fact comprises the majority of their service calls

Their solution is to:

Shop vac the drainage line
Pour bleach down the line

I have asked co-workers, family members in state, and a friend who's father has been in A/C for a few decades in the south an no one else has heard of this / has this issue.

This was most definitely not explained during the purchase of the new unit.

Does anyone know if this normal?  Am I getting hosed?

I live in South Florida and I too have to do this. My house has 2 AC systems. One of them clogs up after about 3-4 months, the other never has. I'm not sure what the difference is, but ever since I started putting a bit of bleach in the condensate line every time I change my filters; I've had no clogs since then.

Assuming this is actually your problem, I would suggest that you do the same.


How to clean a 100 year old piano I have recently inherited a 100 year old piano that has not had any love in a long time.  I have tried to clean it with vinegar and water but it persists in being VERY sticky.  I don't want to harm it but I want it clean. Any suggestions?

At 100 years old, there's a good chance that the finish on that piano is Shellac. The stuff can get sticky over time. As the linked article points out, the stuff is soluble in alcohol. I've use a cloth soaked in denatured ethanol to swab away sticky spots on a few of my hundred year old oak doors. Doing so gently, not scrubbing so hard so as to remove all the finish, left me with no obvious discolored spots on the wood and no stickiness, but of course, your mileage may vary. I'd suggest trying it on a small, discrete bit of the piano before going whole hog.


Why isn't my freezer getting cold? My freezer stopped freezing.  There was ice on the evaporator coil.  I cleared that.  All fans and compressor are running.  I replaced the relay and capacitor.  The refrigerator is cold to the touch from the outside and cool on the inside. what should I do next?

Ice buildup on the evaporator is a sign of a low refrigerant charge. To verify this is the problem I would defrost the unit first, it could also be a bad defrost timer or a fan that died or even bad door seals. Since we don’t know the model or type all are guesses but these are the common problems.

If you defrost the coil and it immediately comes back (I mean in a couple of hours) low refrigerant charge is the most common issue. If after defrosting it takes several days to ice up I would be checking the door seals, fan and defrost timer.

I have found newer fridge/freezers do not last like they used to. I have found adding a service port and recharging brings the unit back to life for a few more years--I almost never find any leaks but believe there must be some that are smaller than my leak checkers can detect.  With these once the problem occurs I have found in 3-5 more years they do it again.  The lucky thing with r134a I have found is the charge is quite small many times less than a pound so it is easily fixed or topped off.


Venting basement bathroom rough in I'm a DIY-er with a lot of experience in some phases of construction but not much in plumbing (so please be nice to my dumb questions!). I'm finishing a basement with a full bathroom, and thought I'd toss out a question here as I ponder whether to attempt myself or hire out.

My question is about venting. When they built the home 2 years ago, they roughed in for a bathroom in the basement. I'll put a picture below of the rough in. In the picture, numbered 1 to 3 from left to right, is a drain pipe for the lav (it is right up against the insulation), then the toilet, then the drain for the tub. But, I can't find any evidence of a vent. There's no rough in for a vent in the ceiling anywhere, and the lav drain is just capped off and doesn't extend upward to a vent (as I would have expected). The only stack in the vacinity is 3.5 feet to the right from the tub drain, but I know it is draining the 1st floor laundry (and possibly others as well). Any ideas on how to vent this without having to run a new vent to the roof (which would be near impossible)?

I think my local code allows AAV venting (as I'm pretty sure my kitchen sink has one, though the other bathrooms in the house do not). However, even if I did that for the lav, what about the toilet and tub? Is it at all possible that the stack draining the laundry could be used as a wet vent for any/all of the basement bathroom fixtures? (I'm thinking no, but thought I'd ask.)

With new construction the vent is probably in the wall, you would not be able to see it, it is probably tied into the upstairs vent and may not be a straight shot up, with the home being only 2 years old you should be able to get the blue prints for the plumbing layout and they will show the layout, I would not be concerned because the plumbing would not have been approved prior to the floor being poured without a vent.


Combination boiler pressure zero after heating I generally don't notice a performance problem with the boiler, but after I run the heat to the radiators and turn the boiler off, after cooling down the the pressure gauge shows zero. I can easily top it up to the "green zone", and all is well. I don't always remember to do this, and it doesn't seem to be a problem. Next time turn the heat on, the gauge is back up to a normal level while heating. In other words, I've never seen the gauge read zero when the boiler has been running.

I don't see any signs of a leak anywhere near the radiators, and it doesn't seem to happen when using hot water -- though this may because the boiler is not running long enough.

Any ideas of what to check?

When the boiler is running (especially in heating rather than hot water mode) watch the pressure gauge: does it rise almost all the way to maximum? And do you then get a sudden discharge of hot water through the pressure relief discharge (PRD) valve and pipe to the outside of the building? (If the boiler is mounted on an external wall the PRD pipe usually goes directly through the wall behind the boiler.)

If so this is where you're losing water (and hence pressure). It indicates that the expansion vessel (probably built-into the boiler) is faulty. It may just have lost pressure (there's a Schraeder(sp?) car-tyre-style valve you can use to top it up) but could have failed entirely (e.g. if water comes out of the air valve!). For expansion vessels built into boilers it's often more trouble and expense than it's worth to replace the fitted one and quite acceptable to fit a vessel externally.

The uk.d-i-y usenet newsgroup is generally a good place to discuss this sort of problem. There is also a wiki/faq at http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/


Is it acceptable to decrease the HP rating of a blank-face GFCI? I have a 20 amp Blank Face GFCI rated at 1.5HP that is protecting two outdoor 15 amp receptacles. Could I use a 1hp blank face GFCI instead? Also, why wouldn't the electrician used a regular gfci instead?

Thanks

Are you sure that it's no powering more than those two recepticles?

Yes, you can downgrade it from 1.5 to 1.  You SHOULD however, make sure the new GFCI you want to install is rated for 20 Amps.

As for why they chose a dead front, most likely it was used for a spa at some point and local code forbid use for anything else.

It could also have been that the owner intended to reserve its capacity for some other high current device.

Some deadfronts have multiple load terminals which could possibly be a reason.  (To avoid wire nuts).

Or perhaps it's a 240v GFCI.  Nobody generally has use for 240v 20A outlets.


Do I really need a special bulb in the oven? My oven light burnt out recently. After dismantling it I found a 40W 130V "appliance" bulb with a standard Edison connector. The bulb is slightly smaller than a normal incandescent bulb. Looking for replacements at the local stores, all the similarly sized and shaped bulbs list fans and fridge/freezer as acceptable uses. The few ones I can find that actually list ovens as a use case are the wrong shape, size or base.

So do I really need an "oven bulb", or will the fridge/freezer appliance bulb work?

Gotta tell you, I tried the same thing long ago. Learn from my stupidity. LOL  Seems that regular bulbs really don't like the high heat or getting splattered with cooking juices,  shatter at the first contact with liquid.  Think you better spend the couple of extra $$$ and not have to clean up a shattered glass mess in your oven.


Can I increase the ceiling height in my mobile home? In the main living area of my 1990s single-wide mobile home (living room, kitchen, dining area), the ceiling is 8' with a decline from the center that brings it down to 7', which is the height of the ceiling in every other room. Even if only in my bedroom, and even if only partially, I'd love to expand the height of the ceiling. Please forgive my obvious ignorance here...although I'm relatively new in the DIY space, I'm serious about it and am a quick learner.
To be clear, I'm not asking about modifying my home structurally to increase the area inside. Instead, I'm wondering about the possibility of "reclaiming" some of the space, primarily in my bedroom, between the existing ceiling and roof by simply moving the ceiling up, even if only by 6". There are no obvious existing structural barriers for this, but what is to consider in assessing the practicality of such a thing?
Also, I'm not in a park, and I own both the home and the land.
Thanks in advance for your time!

No. Your roof is built to minimal height standards for cost, insulation, travel height, wind handling, etc. You basically have ceiling joists, a relatively small space for insulation, and the roof. There's no extra height available there. You will need to raise the upper roof surface to make room for livable space below.
Here's a short list of things that need to happen to raise the roof in part or all of your home:

Roof demolition
Wall framing
Roof framing
Plumbing vent extension (if present)
Utility vent/flue extension (if present)
Roofing repair (shingles or membrane, edge flashing, penetration flashing)
Electrical wiring extension/reconfiguration
Wall and roof insulation & vapor barrier
Exterior siding & soffit
Drywall hanging and taping
Wall and ceiling texture and painting
Building permits
Inspections

Whether this project is appropriate for you is entirely a matter of prerogative, budget and legality and not ours to say.
One other consideration is that mobile homes tend to be subject to wind damage (tipover). Raising the height of yours exacerbates that problem.


Unblock a drain after using too much baking soda I had a smelly drain in my bathroom after moving into a new house. I tried baking soda and vinegar but the smell remained. I decided to poor the rest of the box of baking soda down the drain and let it sit for a while. I followed it by warm vinegar and hot water...and now I have a blocked drain which I never had to begin with! Please help! How do I unblock it?

A weak acid is the way to deal with a plug of baking soda. It'll turn the plug material into CO2 and a soluble sodium salt of the acid.
It'll take quite a bit of acid to deal with a pound of bicarb though, 84 grams is 5.4 moles of the stuff.
Regular vinegar runs at 5% acid strength, that's abot 200 grams per gallon, 3.3 moles. So you'd need abot 1.6 gallons to deal with a pound of impacted bicarb. A single gallon might do the trick though, as all you need to do is destabilize the plug, at which point the rest will wash through.

Citric acid would be a nice choice. It's easy to get, but with a molecular mass of 192, and a price around $6 for 200 grams (~1 mol), it's too expensive.

Finally, if your plumbing will take it, and you're comfortable around strong acids, hydrochloric acid (muriatic acid) would do the job. Muriatic can be had cheap at any good hardware store. Since it comes at a concentration of about 10 molar, it'll only take about 500 ml to take care of a pound of bicarb. At full strength, it'll foam and heat and boil while acting on the carbonate, so dilute with at least a gallon of water first to keep things manageable; and only try this approach if you're OK with working with around nasty, smelly, dangerous, irritating chemicals.

Trying to use lye, Drano or some other basic drain cleaner on this problem is a futile pursuit. Bicarb responds to acids, not bases.


Shower Tile Waterproofing I am renovating my bathroom and am getting close to tiling the shower. I have the hardibacker in place and mortared the seams etc.  The guy at Home Depot made it seem like I needed to apply a waterproofing before laying the tile (RedGard 1 Gal. Waterproofing and Crack Prevention Membrane). This stuff isn’t exactly cheap but I don’t want to end up with a leak somewhere. Is this stuff needed or was the rep just trying to make a sale?

https://homedepot.app.link/sCYDLBgIcL

It's needed, at least, strongly suggested if you have dry-walls, if you're on a brick&concrete house you don't need it.


How do I stop my toilet from backing up? My toilet clogs, I plunge it and nothing happens, I come back a couple hours later and it flushes.  It makes a gurgle sound after the flush and and air bubble come up.

What can I do to make the toilet flush correctly?

Sounds like you have a slow-draining blockage in the drain arm between the toilet and the main drain.  If you haven't used it in a while, the drain is empty and you can flush it, filling the arm with water and forcing the air back out of the toilet (hence the gurgle).  The second time or third time you flush, the drain is already full and there's no place for the water to go.

Call a plumber to snake it and clear the blockage.


What to do if paint peeling on bathroom walls? Paint has peeled from the walls (not ceiling) of my bathroom.
Any chance I will know what is causing it? (This has happened after  at least 5 years of use, we are not the original owner/painter). What should I look for to find the cause?
Do I need to apply any anti-bacterial compound before painting again (it has been like that for 5 months)?
Do I need to apply any special primer?
What type of paint should I use?

...what is causing it?

There is a very high probability that the person who applied it did not sand the gloss off of the existing paint prior to applying the new paint (bathroom paint, typically, has a gloss to it).

Do I need to apply any anti-bacterial compound before painting again... ?

No

Do I need to apply any special primer?

Not if you prepare it properly, meaning sand off all unsound paint that is peeling or seems like it might peel, and ensuring all surfaces below the peeled-off paint are also de-glossed. Make sure the wall is smooth, dull, and clean and you can repaint.
Notes-

if you paint over existing unsound paint, it will all peel again eventually
if you patch (or sand through to bare plaster) you will need to prime
if you choose to use a high quality bonding primer (after proper surface preparation) it will do nothing but help.


How do I remove a drill bit that is stuck due to an overtightened chuck? I recently bought a Bosch PSB 500 RE power drill and already I kinda screwed up the machine.

The chuck is keyless, consisting of two parts which I'll refer to as the head and the base.  You would hold the base and rotate the head relative to the base to loosen or tighten the bit.

The machine is also equipped with a grip that is located on the drill body just before the base of the chuck.

While drilling this grip slipped and caught the base, stopped it from turning, so that only the head of the chuck was turning in the grip direction.

Now the whole chuck is too tight and it seems I can't release the bit any more.
Any solutions?

Edit 1

I tried wearing gloves, it didn't help. I also tried putting some WD40, but that didn't help because the bit is way too tight.

I heard that the chuck assembly can be replaced, what do you think?

Put the drill in reverse, firmly grip the chuck (the part you were calling the head) and gently squeeze the trigger up the point that you cannot hold on. If you hear clicking, and it doesn't torque very much, you need to turn the torque setting up to the maximum (the highest number, or the drill setting if it has one). If it still doesn't budge and you're not able to hold the chuck against the force of the drill, you may want to use something stronger than your hand to hold the chuck. A strap wrench is well designed for this task and won't damage the chuck.


Can Invisible Dog Fence Wire be run in same Conduit with Cat6 for POE Cameras without Interference? I am pulling 300' runs of Cat5 or Cat6 for POE security cameras.  In the same ditch will be a 2" conduit with fiber runs for high-speed internet service.  My client wants to add an invisible dog fence to the conduits.
It seems problematic to me.  Don't dog fences emit a fairly strong magnetic field?  And would that interfere with the POE power and signal transmission to the cameras (and possibly other sensors)?

Most information I can find states that this type of product operates in the 7-10 Khz range.
As such, while I would certainly consider it preferable on general principles to separate it from the network wiring, I'd also consider it low-likelihood of causing notable interference with DC (POE) or 100 MHz (network) signals on twisted pairs doing differential encoding (which is what "Base-T" ethernet does.)
The twists cause any coupled signal to "self-cancel" as each twisted section opposes the signal picked up in the next turn of the twist, and the differential encoding means that only the difference in voltage on each pair is observed for network signaling. The fiber, of course, is completely immune.
On the third hand - "client" - Probably simpler to just tell them "no" than to buy into any (even remotely) possible problems this might cause. But depending on the client, and the budget, might be worth a practical test bundling 300 feet of dog fence wire with a couple of Cat6 (not in a trench for the test) and looking for any differences in signal behavior with the dog fence wire dead or active. At their cost for your time, not "for free."


My shower doesn't turn on when I turn the diverter I have a problem with my shower.  When I turn the diverter knob no water comes out of the shower head.  I have the type of knobs that are three one for hot one for cold and the middle to turn on the shower.  What is going on and can I easily fix it?  It isn't brand new but not very old the handles about 7 years old.  It worked until recently.  Any help? please!

It sounds like there is a problem with the diverter valve. When you turn on the hot and/or cold water valves they flow through the diverter valve on the way to the tub spout. When you turn the diverter valve, it redirects the flow up the pipe to the shower head.

When a diverter valve malfunctions, initial symptoms usually include partial diversion, where some water comes out of the tub spout and some comes out of the shower head, it is unusual for there to suddenly be "no water out of the shower head" like you describe.

Special tools are usually required, like a shower valve socket tool which reaches deep into the wall to facilitate removal. If you want to DIY you need to give more info and post pics. If you are not ambitious, call a plumber.


My cold water valve Seems to have a cap. Is this normal and how can I remove it? I’m in the process of connecting my washing machine but noticed that my cold water supply valve seems to have a cap on it. My hot water one doesn’t. Is this normal? How can I remove this, it doesn’t budge when I try to turn it.

It has ridges on it so try twisting it counterclockwise with some adjustable pliers or channellocks.


Can I safely remove stringer in garage? There are two 2"x12"x8' stringers attached to studs in the garage with 1/2"x2-1/2" lag screws in order to mount a squat rack.

Is there any concern that I could compromise the integrity of the garage by removing removing the stringers?

Unless there is more to this than you've shown, this was added AFTER construction to permit the installation of the squat rack.  As such, it's NOT a part of the garage's structure and so removing it will not compromise it in any way.


How to connect grounding wire to gas pipe for 2017 NEC 250.104(B) I'm trying to interpret and apply the 2017 NEC bonding requirements from 250.104(B) to my existing home gas line. I've read this related question to determine I should use #6 AWG wire, but I'm unsure of how to exactly connect the wire to my gas pipe where it enters my home.

2017 NEC Bonding Requirement - 250.104(B)
If installed in or attached to a building or structure, a metal piping system(s), including gas piping, that is likely to become energized shall be bonded to any of the following:
(1) Equipment grounding conductor for the circuit that is likely to energize the piping system
(2) Service equipment enclosure
(3) Grounded conductor at the service
(4) Grounding electrode conductor, if of sufficient size
(5) One or more grounding electrodes used, if the grounding electrode conductor or bonding jumper to the grounding electrode is of sufficient size
The bonding conductor(s) or jumper(s) shall be sized in accordance with Table 250.122, and equipment grounding conductors shall be sized in accordance with Table 250.122 using the rating of the circuit that is likely to energize the piping system(s). The point of attachment of the bonding jumper(s) shall be accessible.

Question
What is an acceptable means of "bonding" the grounding wire to the gas pipe per code?
For example, code probably wouldn't approve the use of duct tape. Is some sort of clamp OK? If so, what kind and material? Or do I need to solder the wire to the pipe? Seems dangerous with a gas pipe, so guessing the answer is no, but let me know.
Edits based on comments

2017 NEC is enforced in my city. I've updated the code pasted above accordingly.
My gas pipe is black steel.
Updated wire size per Ed Beal's guidance.

There are several types of brass clamps depending on your AHJ. Some will allow acorn style clamps some require the style that has a separate screw for the wire to be secured and the brass clamp on the pipe. Only # 6 is required # 4 is required for concrete encased electrodes but everything else in a residential install # 6 would meet code ( it is ok to use #4 if the clamp is listed for that size).  I am talking about copper wire here.


How to Hook Up 120V & 240V On AC Disconnect? I'm attempting to wire a RV for hooking up to 50 Amp Service.

Using a AC Diconnect (60-Amp 240-Volt 240-Watt Fused )connected to a

(PowerMark Gold 125-Amp 4-Space 8-Circuit Indoor Main Lug Circuit Breaker Panel)

My concern is that the AC Disconnect does not have a Lug for Neutral.

Would it be okay to run the Nuetral straight from the RV Plug to the 125 Amp Panel ?

I cant afford an electrician at the moment and have been taking advice from Home Depot employees so I would greatly appreciate some oversight

This is what I was told to do by HD

That is perfectly fine.

The neutral does not have to terminate in the disconnect box, but of course the equipment ground does.

Just so you know, as long as you are coming from a 50A breaker in the breaker panel you do not need a fused disconnect.
Actually, what is feeding that ML panel? I cannot see a feeder.


Gas Furnace only, is Y wire needed? I have force air (propane furnace).  I would like to upgrade to a new "smart" thermostat, but they didn't run a C (common) wire which is required for most of these units to run properly.

I do however, notice that there is a Y wire, which from my understanding is used to switch on an air conditioning compressor (which I don't have).

Since I don't have one (nor do I plan on getting one anytime in the foreseeable future), is there any reason why I couldn't just move Y over to C?  Seems like I should be able too, but I just wanted to make sure that it won't somehow screw with the furnace control to not have it hooked in.

Here's a picture of the furnace board:

(on a side note, does anyone have any idea why there are also stranded wires going into R & W?!)

You'll want to pull a new cable

The installer who put the existing programmable thermostat in didn't pull the correct kind of cable -- they grabbed a spool of network cable and used that instead.  Problem is, network cables use much thinner gauge wire than thermostat cables (22-24AWG for network cabling, 18AWG for thermostat wire), which means that the voltage drops over the cable become excessive due to the improper substitution, even with the doubled-up wires.

I would suggest pulling an 8-wire, CL2 rated, 18AWG thermostat cable at a minimum -- if you can get 10-wire, 12-wire, or 13-wire stuff, all the better to avoid having to put someone else through this chore again.  The unused wires can simply be wrapped back around the cable jacket at each end.


How to raise a wooden floor to same height as adjoining concrete floor before carpetting? I have a room which has a concrete subfloor on one side, and wooden floor boards on the other. Unfortunately the wooden floorboards are about 1.5cm lower then the concrete. What's the best way to level the floors? My initial thought is a plywood base on top of the wooden floorboards, in order to raise it to the same level as the concrete. Then underlay and carpet as normal.

Plywood to build up the wood floor height is an appropriate way to address this problem. For use under carpet some regions may allow use of other products for this purpose such as particle board but plywood is still the best.

Installation of the plywood also gives an opportunity to firm up the floor and work at eliminating any possible squeaking in the old floor. It is best to screw down the plywood into the original floor joists. You can probably find where these are by looking where the old boards were nailed. It can be handy to apply some masking tape to the bottom of the adjacent walls and marking the location of the joist center lines so that after you lay down the plywood it is easy to locate the joints and snap chalk lines across the plywood for a screwing guide.

You may still need to do some special work at the plywood to concrete transition zone because there may still be some minor height variation after the plywood is installed. This can be handled by troweling in a layer of an appropriate floor leveling compound and feathering it out away from the transition zone.


Halogen Light Fixture with Broken prong Halogen light bulb prong broke off in fixture and can not be removed.  I inserted another bulb with prong in the socket and left other prong out.  The light is now working; however, I need to know if this is safe.

It is NOT safe since as indicated in the question only one prong of the bulb is in its socket contact. Obviously the other one that you left out is merely touching the other broken off prong.

Touching is not good enough as the bulb could move some and turn a touching contact into an intermittent one. This results in arcing and extreme heat generation that can lead to burning the socket, attached wiring and even lead to a fire. The fact that halogen bulbs already generate high heat leads to greater possibility of the bulb to move around as it heats up or cools off.


Humidifier connected to water supply WITHOUT a furnace I want a humidifier that's connected to the water supply but I don't have a furnace (I have baseboards).
Does that exists?
I just want a humidifer that I don't have to refill every day or so.

Search for a ductless humidifier. Aprilaire makes them as do other manufacturers. I have used the Aprilaire model 350 and it works. My 2 cents


AMP-MFAH-M Replacement Media Filter for AHMAC - Merv 11 Said filters are large and more expensive.  What is the advantage of this class of filter?

The quality of the filter ie the size of the particles it will trap.

The smaller the size the better the filter - of course a coarse filter can be suitable for the task, that depends on what needs to be achieved.

Hepa filters or pollen filters tend to be most expensive.


No power to switch box and overhead fans/lights in master bed/bath. No tripped GFCI, no tripped breakers Just moved into a 2-story home built in 2002.
Upon move in, all lights and switches worked except for a pantry light downstairs and one of the outlets in an outlet box in a small bedroom upstairs.
Things I did:

Opened up the switch box for the broken pantry light to find that it had cracked in half. Went to HomeDepot, got a replacement switch, and replaced it. Only involved moving the ground, incoming hot, and outgoing hot lines from one switch to the new one. Now the light works.
Opened up the outlet in the small bedroom to find that everything looked okay. Didn't move any wires, just reinstalled back into wall after inspection. Then I opened up the switch box in this room that controlled the outlet that wasn't working, to find it also was cracked in half. Same procedure as above: got a replacement switch, moved the ground, incoming hot, outgoing hot wires, and reinstalled. Now the outlet works.

At this time, a comcast installer came and spent some time playing with stuff to get the internet coax working. I did not see everything he did.
Later, I realized the overhead lights/fans in the master bed and bath no longer work. They did previously work before the 2 switches were replaced and the comcast install occurred. All of the outlets in the master bed+bath still work. Checked all breakers, none were tripped but I reset them anyway. I could find only 4 GFCI outlets (all located downstairs), and none were tripped but I reset them all anyway. Opened the switch box in the master bed to find no power for any wires coming into the box.
It seems like there's only one breaker for the outlets and overhead lights/fans in the master bed/bath. How is it the outlets can still work but the overhead lights/fans do not?

Except for certain code-required dedicated circuits (mostly kitchen, bathroom, laundry), you can have a lot of stuff on one circuit. That is especially true these days with LED lights, but even in the old days. 1/2 my house - lights in 2 bedrooms, receptacles in 1 bedroom, lights and cooktop exhaust fan in the kitchen, several receptacles and some of the lights in the basement - are all on 1 15A circuit!
When only one part of it goes bad, the problem is either in the first part that is bad or the last part that is good. You have determined the switch is OK because you have no power on the wires. So you have to trace it backwards to figure out where it came from. You likely have a loose wire, open wire, bad receptacle or bad switch. Check especially for any "back stab" connections.
What caused it? You might figure out when you find the problem. But since you already had 2 broken switches, I wouldn't be surprised if you find more things broken or about to break. It is quite possible that when you or Comcast was doing some work, you pushed something "over the edge".


What is this lamp base wire clip and how do I remove the wire without breaking the clip? I'm trying to replace the socket in an old desk lamp, and I need to pull the wire through.  However, the wire is secured tightly by a black plastic clip at the base.    I'm wondering what this clip is called, and how to remove the wire without breaking the clip.  I would like to be able to reuse the clip (or buy a new one if I know what it's called and can find it).

That is a Heyco bushing. You need to squeeze, preferably with a needle-nose pliers, in what I would call a top-to-bottom position considering the orientation of how it is installed.

If you squeeze just right it will come out no problem and will not damage the cord.

Here is a decent video explanation:
http://youtu.be/G1IWQB3mQrw

Here is the manufacturer's guide:
http://www.heyco.com/img/SR_Assembly_Guide.pdf

Rest assured, it CAN be done with a regular pliers if you're careful. I've done it a million times.

Also, keep in mind, to replace a socket you really should not have to remove that bushing if the cord is in good shape.


Can the drain pipes in my kitchen soffit be relocated into the wall? I'm in planning stages for a major kitchen remodel. Home built in 1984 with PEX plumbing, all electric, etc. We would like to demo the kitchen soffit (bulkhead) to make the ceiling level and install updated cabinetry. I cut a couple holes in the soffit to see what's in there. On one side there's some electrical wiring and PVC drainage pipes heading up to 2nd floor. On other side is some more PEX plumbing and an HVAC vent. I've attached some photos (but can add more if it helps). I would be comfortable removing the cabinets and demolishing the soffit drywall/framing. However, if I do that, would a professional plumber/electrician be able to relocate the plumbing/wiring to be behind the wall/in the ceiling? I don't want to demo everything only to find out that I need to put the soffit back on because of some permanent construction realities.

UPDATE (03/17/2020): Alternatively, instead of removing the entire soffit to the ceiling, would it be possible to raise the soffit ceiling by about 6"-7" and take it in about 5.5" to create a reduced soffit that could be covered with crown moulding? This would make room for 36" cabinets and still leave about 1" of clearance from the bottom of the DWV pipe to the top of soffit framing. There's still the electric and PEX issues, but those seems less apocalyptic. All pending measurement/concurrence from a licensed plumber.

You're dealing with some major renovations. I don't think we would be able to answer that accurately just by looking at pictures. The easiest part would be rerouting the electric cables. Junction boxes could be mounted to the joists but the boxes would have to be accessible forever. The plex plumbing would be a nightmare and the drain piping almost impossible as you've got pipes going through the ceiling at that point. The AC duct really appears to have nowhere to go. All of the facilities you want to move will have to go somewhere so some walls would have to be wider and you'd have to loose a closet or two. You're best bet would be to get a few professionals in there for an estimate, if it's even possible.


Fan humidity switch doesn't install I'm trying to install a humidity sensing switch for a bathroom fan that requires a neutral. There are two switches in the box, one for a light, one for the fan. There are 3 white wires (assuming they are neutrals) in the box twisted together. However, when I hook up the load, line, and pigtail to the neutral bundle, the switch doesn't work. Am I missing something? Every install video I've watched shows connecting it exactly as I have it, but mine won't work. I've tried 2 switches, just in case the switch was bad.

Update: Switch model is Leviton R02-IPHS5-0LW
Switch Model http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/productImages/400/43/43ea781d-e83f-41d3-98c2-90fec341f3c6_400.jpg

Photos:

This one is simple -- you have the "line" and "load" terminals on the fan controller swapped, assuming the wire that is going to both the fan and the light switches is the line going in.  The red screw (i.e. the screw on the same side as the silver neutral screw) is the load terminal, while there is a brass(?) screw on the opposite side of the device that is the line terminal -- they are also marked RD/WH/BK on the back of the device.  Turn the circuit off at the breaker, and swap the two terminals -- you will need to swap the pigtail from the other switch over to the BK/brass screw on the device as well.


Help making room on 200 amp panel for 50amp breaker I have got a couple different opinions from electricians and they all tell me something different. One said I could make room by pigtailing and another wanted to install a sub-panel to make room. Their prices were also between $1.5k and $2k. I need to add a 50amp breaker to this panel. What would be the easiest, most cost effective yet safe way to do so? The 20amp breaker on the left highlighted in yellow is not in use, so that can be removed. The two 15amp breakers on the bottom right feed the LED lights in my house, and carry a relatively small load.

I would go with a larger panel, it looks like you could add another quad breaker since the existing panel is a 8-16 but you are out of space again, to save some $ I would add a sub and move some loads over to the sub and feed from this panel that would save some $ and require less rewiring and the need to bring everything up to current code that is usually required for a complete panel replacement. Personaly with the very small panel you have I would bite the bullet and replace it with a larger 40 or larger slot panel. It looks like the existing loads plus a new 50 you would probably be ok with a 200 but we would need to know the needs like what type heating, water heater and range / AC? Is used in the home.


Stick welder shut off I was welding with an amico 140 amp stick welder when it shut off without warning. Why did it do this? I have waited about an hour and a half and it is still unresponsive. Is there a fix? If I am not in the right place, please tell me.

Thanks,
Amateur welder

If it restarted shortly after cooling, you may have exceeded the duty cycle. The duty cycle on the spec sheet lists it as 65% @ 110 amps and 35% @ 140 amps. What this means is at max power you can weld for you can weld for 3.5 minutes then it is required to let it rest for 6.5 minutes before resuming.  If you exceed the limits the unit shuts off to prevent overheating or damage.