Not sure on assembly of shower faucet I have a faucet similar to this one:

Unfortunately, the pipes were not secured very well behind the enclosure, which I assume is a common problem.  Specifically, the valve is not mounted to a cross stud, in fact, there is no cross stud like the one shown below:

Because of this, the pipes are free too move a bit.  I have two questions:

I am not sure how much to turn the housing screws that pull the large circular cover as with every turn the valve and pipes pull closer to the enclosure.  I am thinking that I tighten them up just past contact, plus a few rotations, and use some thread locking fluid.  They have been backing out a bit as the year goes on. Thoughts?
There is a foam/rubber seal behind the cover that is close the outside edge.  This prevent water from running down the wall and getting behind the enclosure.  Do I need to worry about water getting behind the metal sleeve, shown in the first photo?  There seals look like this:

But I am wondering if I need an o-ring like this:

I may answered my own question but it would be good to hear others' thoughts or confirmation, plus it may help others in the future seeking advice.

you have sort of answered your own question - let me elaborate

1)  the valve body should be secured somehow to avoid fore and aft movement.  the movement flexes pipes and joints that arent meant to be flexed, and it is this movment that keeps unscrewing the trim face screws.  you can simply cut a hole on the rear wall the valve is within, and place a mounting block in there.  then cover the hole with a pop in cover or patch the wall outright.  if you have no access, then unfortunately, this means the valve is only held to the front abs sheet by compression between the rough in plate and the trim escutcheon.  i would switch the screws to socket head pan screws if you are going to use threadlocker, and only use removeable strength locker.  otherwise, you may have a hard time removing the stock philips head screws down the road.

2)  the two foam seals are very important as they prevent water ingress behind the escutcheon plate.  if they are worn, you can get replacements from some companies (moen has them) but you can just make your own from adhesive foam weatherstripping.  make sure you leave the gap in the outer one and make sure you orient it to the bottom (it acts as a wicking hole).  when you reassemble everything, put a small bead of silicone around the point where the escutcheon meets the shower liner, and where the escutcheon sleeves the valve shaft cover.  just make sure you leave a small gap at the bottom to allow for wicking.

3)  the o ring to me doesnt seem to serve any purpose other than to act as a circumferential spacer to retain the decorative cover.  or it could be assembled incorrectly originally, or its a feature in a valve i am unfamiliar with.

hope that helps


Voltage drop with Microwave I've begun having problems with the voltage dropping when running the microwave (which is noticeable when the microwave slows down!).  This does not happen with other high drawing appliances (washer/dryer/AC).

I checked the breaker box.  Both lines from outside are stable around 120 when the microwave runs.  However there's a fizzing and crackling that I can't quite source.  I replaced the circuit's breaker itself, which appeared a bit rusty, but that had no effect.

Any suggestions?

Since the problem does not happen with other appliances, it sounds like this is a problem with this one circuit. You have already swapped the breaker, so that leaves:

Wire
If this is 14AWG wire/15A circuit, try a 20A circuit (which should be 12AWG wire) if you have one available. That should help generally with voltage drop, but NOT with any fizzing and crackling.

Receptacle
The receptacle itself could be bad, and is easy to replace. But more commonly it isn't actually bad but rather has bad connections.

Connections
This is the most likely source of the problem. A bad connection (typically a back stab connection, but can also happen with a screw connection that is coming apart) can cause voltage drop (due to less wire connected than there should be, making that connection a limiting factor in the circuit) as well as other more serious problems (fizzing & crackling are not just noises).

Get this fixed before you have a fire!
This is a classic case for AFCI - Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters. They are required in many circuits now but not required in old circuits unless you change things. However, they are also typically not required in kitchens because there the emphasis is on GFCI. In any case, an AFCI "listens" for the type of problems you describe due to bad connections, frayed insulation and other problems.
I would start with the receptacle. I would put in a GFCI unless the circuit is already protected by a GFCI elsewhere (in which case I would install a new regular receptacle). Don't use the back stab connections. Strip a little (not too much - don't want to cut off too much of the wire) fresh wire if there is any sign of damage - pitting, burn marks, etc. - and connect the new receptacle. If that doesn't solve the problem, check and reconnect/replace any other receptacles on the same circuit. If that doesn't solve the problem then you may have a wiring problem inside your walls which would generally require professional help.


I need a multiple-switch light switch which can't all be turned off at once I have a 4 switch (I think it's called "4-gang"?) light switch on the wall.

It's not connecting to lights though, but to AC vent doors. Now, these AC vents must never all be closed at once. Meaning, minimum one switch must be on at all times.

But, it's just an ordinary 4-switch wall panel, so you can actually turn them all off, potentially causing damage to the vents or AC unit.

But I imagine there might be switches that actually enforce this requirement (a switch won't turn off if it's the only one on). Perhaps physical switches, perhaps electronic buttons.

Does anyone know if these exist? Or what they would be called?

This is possible with a simple guard. The guard should have a notch for each switch that is approximately 4x the width of the switch, except the plastic should not be notched in one of those four positions for each switch. For example, switch 1 should not be notched in position 1, but should be notched in positions 2, 3 and 4.

The guard also needs 4 horizontal slots that correspond to the switchplate screws. The screws hold the guard against the switchplate and the horizontal slots allow the guard to move left and right.

Here's a crude drawing. The red box represents that footprint of the entire switch, the tall black rectangle is the switch lever, and the large black thing with the 4 horizontal slots is the guard. The guard is shown in each of the 4 possible positions.

As you can see, each switch has exactly one position where it can not be turned off. In the first drawing, switch 1 is blocked from being turned off. In the second drawing, switch 2 is blocked from being turned off. And so on.

Let's set up an example:

the guard is in the first position
switch 1 is on
switches 2-4 are off
you want only switch 2 to be on

To move the guard to allow switch 1 to turn off, you must first turn on switch 2 to allow the guard to move. Then you slide the guard one position to the left. Finally, you turn off switch 1.

This could easily be made using snips and a scrap piece of sheet metal or plastic.


installing sub panel in garage off of house main My garage is between 80 & 100 ft. from the main panel . In the garage will be 2-3 flourecent lights , a 17,000 btu 240 volt heater , eventually a welding machine (either 240 volt or  a 120 volt inverter , have not decided yet ) let`s go with 240 volt for this question , and 4 120 volt outlets . what size wire should I run to the garage and from what size breaker off the main ?

The 225A welder would draw 50A @ 240V on it's maximum setting. The 17,000 BTU/hr heater is electrically equivalent to 5kW, so about 21A @ 240V. If you want to operate both simultaneously plus lights (not much power required for those, however), you need a 100A subfeed to your garage.. 60A will not cut it.

A 100A subfeed to the garage requires 3/3 AWG NMD if the garage is attached and the cable is protected and not in a wet location. If the garage is separate, then you're looking at running conduit, with 3 AWG RWU90 line and neutral conductors, (minimum 6 AWG neutral conductor if your locality lets you run a reduced neutral), and a 4 AWG ground.

The breaker would be 100A, unless you can find one that's larger than 70A but less than 100 A. You will likely want to upgrade your service to 200A (Imagine someone using the stove and electric clothes dryer while you weld in your heated garage…) In my jurisdiction, a load calculation would result in a 200A service being required.


Basement Humidity Increases When Central A/C is Running With regards to humidity, I seem to have the opposite intended effect in my basement when my central A/C is running...

I live in Maryland and have a 1960s Cape Cod style home with an unfinished basement, mostly below grade.  Moved in recently, so I'm still getting a feel for all the nuances.

I have a dehumidifier set to 50% in one-corner of the basement that feeds into the sump pit.  I have a smaller dehumidifier in the opposite corner set to 55% (just in case) -- I kind of keep it around as a backup.  In the middle of the basement, I have a hygrometer that has read 46-50% in the Spring with this setup.  Perfect.

I have recently noticed that when the central A/C is running, the humidity at the first-floor thermostat lowers nicely... but the basement humidity steadily ticks UP.  The dehumidifier combo can't keep up.  I've seen the hygrometer climb toward 60% already and it's not even hot yet.  Any temperature change in the basement is negligible.  When the central A/C fans kick off.. the basement humidity lowers as the dehumidifiers work... It is a constantly push/pull.

I don't see any open registers in the basement.. only a weighted damper of some kind which I'm not familiar with.. it appears to stay closed.

I initially thought that the exposed ducts were lowering the temperature in the basement, thus raising the relative humidity... but I'm not sure this is the case.  It seems moisture is being introduced somehow.  Is the system pulling outside moisture from the basement walls and windows?

More Info (Added Later)

My condensate line pumps into the sump pit... I haven't seen any noticeable leaks or puddling, but I will check again.

However, the changes in humidity % are pretty sudden.. and the central hygrometer is 15 feet or so from the fan... given that, unless it was a major water issue, I have to imagine this is an air or temperature-based phenomenon.

After messing with some online calculators.. it's not hard to jump 5% in humidity... decrease the temp by 1 degree and increase the dewpoint by 1 degree and you've basically done it. I bet the air leaks and the exposed ducts are probably the culprit.

It's pulling air from outside

When the A/C starts, it's somehow pulling more humid air from outside into the basement. Hot air can hold a lot more humidity, so on a hot day, outside air that is below 50% relative humidity enters your cold basement and becomes air that is over 50% relative humidity.

Since the basement is cool already, decide whether you want the basement as part of your AC envelope, and if so, duct and seal accordingly. As you know, AC already dehumidifies, so running a dehumidifier alongside it makes no sense.


Nest thermostat wiring to First Co air handler I am replacing the existing thermostat with a nest thermostat E, and it gives me e195 error on the nest device. Looks like I am missing a C wire, so I checked the air handler in the attic (made by First Co, model number 18HBXB-HW), I see the brown and blue wire is not connected to anywhere on the unit, I am thinking I can just connect them to the unit to get the 24v AC, but the question now is which wires on the unite provides 24v? the manual of the air handler doesn't seem to be very clear to me. here is the link: https://www.firstco.com/documents/ProductDocuments/hbxb-hw1117.pdf
Below is the picture of the wires coming out(or in) from/to the air handler, from the manual above it is not clear which wire is for what, or I am mis-reading it?

the wiring diagram from its manual:

You want the brown wire
Based on the diagrams in the manual, the brown wire is the C wire you're after, so connect the blue wire in your thermostat cable to the existing bundle there.  We can also tell it's your C wire from the fact the cable off to your air conditioner's outdoor unit connects to that wire in addition to the yellow Y wire from your thermostat.


How should I replace 14/2 in wall with new 14/3? Im trying to wire some can lights. There is a switch box that goes to an existing can light to which I want to run some 14/3. The reason I want 14/3 is to keep the existing can light on a separate switch and the new ones on their own switches.

There is 14/2 running to the existing can light. I want to replace the old 14/2 with 14/3. Could I attach the new 14/3 to the old 14/2 and pull the 14/2 out, replacing it with 14/3? Would it work?

No. The original wiring was stapled many times to framing, and likely passes through one or more small holes in wall plates. You simply cannot pull it like a fish tape.

The best bet is usually to carefully remove the switch box by cutting the nails with a rotary tool, poke your new cable down from the attic, and install a new "old work" switch box.


Danger of Christmas lights on aluminum trees Back in the day, aluminum Christmas trees were sold with color wheels and included literature warning you not to string lights on he tree.
Fast forwarded to today, I have an old aluminum tree and am still warned by people not to put lights on it.
I can understand that back in the day, lights burned hotter than deep fried hell and were nowhere as safe as modern day LEDs.
Is there any reason to think that I could not safely light up my aluminum tree?
I feel like a string of LEDs in good repair would not pose any real risk.
Thoughts?

It isn't the heat that's the problem. The problem is the fact that those narrow strips of aluminum "needles" can work their way into a lamp socket  (or the extension socket at the end) and make part or all of the tree "live" at some voltage that depends on exactly where along the string the contact occurs. AC-powered LEDs are just as dangerous in this regard as other kinds of lights.

At a minimum, ground the structure of the tree, and plug any lights into a good-quality GFCI. This should catch any single faults before they have a chance of becoming a double fault that could become a fire hazard.

Better still, just stick with the color wheel.


Water coming back into the dishwasher? I just installed a new dishwasher, replacing an old one.  Everything is working properly, but the problem I'm having is, after it has ran it's cycle and drained out and done and clean, after about 4 - 6 hours sitting there is water that has drained back into the dishwasher.

Many dishawshers will have a small amount of water left in the bottom of the cabinet after the cycle has run - but it shouldn't be much. One thing you should check is to make sure your drain line goes up into an air gap valve at the sink.
If you haven't installed an air gap you should at least take the drain line from the DW up into a high loop before it terminates in the disposal or drain line. A high loop means running it up to just under the countertop. This is especially important if it drains into the disposal. The high loop uses gravity to keeps waste from the disposal from backing up into the DW.


Ceiling fan with light - electrical box has two cables, one with a red wire I'm remodeling a room and someone decided to help me by taking down an existing ceiling fan with a light fixture.  However they didn't make note of how the wires were connected and I'm having trouble figuring it out.

The light was turned on by a switch on the wall and both the fan and light could be turned off and on by the pull-chains when the switch was on.  There is a 4-wire cable (black, red, white, ground) coming from the switch box and another 3-wire cable that I am not sure where it goes.

When they took the fixture down, they put wire nuts on the exposed wires - possibly reflecting the way they were connected (they don't remember)?  In the ceiling, the two neutral wires are nutted together, the two grounds are twisted together, the red from the switch and the black from the other cable are nutted together and the black from the switch is by itself.

The fixture has a neutral, power for the fan and power for the light.  There is also a ground which is connected to a screw in the side of the motor housing bracket on one end and the conduit for the wires going into the motor on the other end (I think it came from the manufacturer this way).

On the fixture, the fan and light power wires are twisted together.

The red wire goes into the top of the light switch (when the switch was up, it was on).

Does the fixture neutral wire get connected to the two other neutrals?  Do the fan and light power wires get connected to the red and black wires that are nutted together?  If yes, what happens to the single black wire?

Also, shouldn't the ground wires be connected to the light fixture?  They are twisted together but they were not connected to the ground on the fixture or the ceiling light box.

Thanks.

It looks like you’ve misinterpreted the use of some of the wires, but this is the way I interpret it.

For the switch box, you have a 14/2 coming in with power and a 14/2 that leaves with constant power to go on to the next outlet or light in the circuit.  One switch provides switched power to the black wire on the 14/3, and the other switch gives switched power to the red.

In the fan box, the red wire is connected to the black in the 14/2 which travels to the other light in the room.  The black wire is what supplies switched power to the fan and that’s why it is not hooked up.

So, the fan will connect to the black wire for power, the white wire for neutral, and the grounds will also need to be connected.

If you need more clarification, let me know and I can edit this with more detail later.


Two light switches and three black wires I've never seen this setup before and was wondering if others had. One of the switches powers a ceiling light in the foyer and the other powers two outside lights on the front porch. Right now neither work and I thought maybe replacing the switches would work but I'm perplexed on how to wire this up properly.

Basically I have three black wires coming from the wall. All of the white wires are twisted together. The switch on the left has two black wires and the switch on the right has one wire running to both posts...

Any help would be much appreciated!

The wire nut in the middle has three black wires going to it, so it's likely the feed in, that then gets daisy-chained out to other fixtures. Looks like all 4 neutrals (one in, one out to other fixtures, and the two to the fixtures switched here) are commoned in the wire nut at the back of the box.

From that live junction, it then feeds the switch on the right, and then the loop going to the other terminal of the same switch is clearly in the wrong place.

I'd guess that the two wires to the left switch are the two switched feeds out to your two loads, so you need to swap one (back) with the loop wire on the right switch, such that the feed goes to both switches, and the switched sides are one to each switch.

How exactly did these wires get swapped? It clearly has not been like this from the beginning.


Why does water and gunk back up through the overflow hole in the bathroom sink? When I run the water in my bathroom faucet it sometimes (but not all the time) slowly starts to creep up the overflow hole and pour back into the sink.  Included with the water is black and grey gunk.

The thing that puzzles me is that even when this happens, the main drain functions fine and the sink itself doesn't back up or start to fill with water (or at least it doesn't do so noticeably).  From my limited understanding of how the sink is laid out under the surface (including the overflow) I can't for the life of me figure out where the clog is and exactly what is going on.

Should I pour bleach or draino down the main drain and overflow drain?  Should I buy a snake and try to snake out the main drain and overflow drain?

I would start by removing the trap, putting a bucket underneath the tailpiece (below the sink) and just running some water and seeing what happens.  Clean out the trap while you're at it and make sure there isn't a mess of hair stuck in there.  If it all comes through without a problem and doesn't back up, then I would suggest buying a snake and going through the wall pipe and seeing what you can pull out.  I've always been able to get a slow drain going with a snake.  It might take a few tries, but it can usually work out.  Make sure that you push the snake right up against the pipe opening, and then just keep cranking until something changes.

You want to be careful with chemicals because they can discolor the chrome around the sink if you're not very careful, and they can also react with the pipes in a unsafe manner.  They make some gels that are more organic in nature that can eat away at organic clogs (hair, etc) that are much safer to use.


Fire rated drywall for room next to garage? The family room, which used to be just a back porch, has one wall against the enclosed garage. This room only has wood paneling, with some kind of insulation behind it, followed by some kind of wood paneling/sheathing on the garage side.
I read that drywall on a garage wall is supposed to be fire rated but I can't tell if that means on the garage interior only or if it also needs to be on the family room interior wall attached to the garage.

The fire protection is for fire traveling from the garage to the living spaces, not vise versa.
The garage is to be separated from a living space with 1/2” gypsum board installed on the garage side and with a 1 3/8” min. solid core door. (See ICC R309.2)
In addition, if a living space is above a garage, then it needs to be separated with 5/8” Type X gypsum board AND no sleeping room can open directly into a garage.
Your existing wood paneling on the living side is acceptable, as is.


Our house is full of termite infected Our house is full of termite infected. We drilled and put holes on each wall and put the termite solution which the seller guarantee for 5 years. Later constructed a modular kitchen in wood which was totally eaten by termite.

what actions should be taken to stop termite on old buildings ?
is destroying and constructing a new building is the only option?

currently we are changing the doors and others to plastic and pvc doors

any good and workable solution is helpful

Thanks.

Stop self treating the property at this point with the expectation of solving the issue. It has not worked and frankly time is your enemy (just as much as the termites are)
The more time that elapses, the more money it will cost
Drilling holes in a termite infected are is no certain guarantee to kill the total infestation.
Hire a professional Exterminator
Hire a professional contractor
Remove all affected/infected and damaged wood
Correct any entry points of water damage
If money and do it yourself savings is something you are interested in, then invest the time in removing personal belongings, various fixtures, and prep work the contractor and exterminator suggest be done. The more you are able to salvage *(if that is your goal), the more you could possibly re-use
Work as a team with your municipality, contractors, family, etc....
It is possible that the structure is beyond repair, i.e. to be condemned. Again, work with professionals to determine this.

Again, it is not good news, but the more time termites have to work, the more damage they can do. There comes a point your life is at risk.

If the property is NOT as bad as it sounds from what you have said, then steps 1-9 are all still applicable. Your time and money will be better spent in this capacity.


How to clean the emergency drain tube on a Samsung Ecobubble washing machine? Today my Samsung Ecobubble 8.0kg washing machine came to a halt mid-wash and reported the error SE/5E. Some googling told me that this was a problem with the drain, and that the filter should be cleaned. Before cleaning it, the water should be emptied out of the washing machine using the emergency drain tube like this:

It warned me that there would be a lot of water, however after pulling out the tube and removing the plug, it just dripped out. When I then proceeded to remove the filter, a lot of water came out, and I spent an hour trying to gently open the filter and let out a little water at a time (to avoid soaking the kitchen floor) until it was empty, which should have been handled by the emergency drain tube.

So I believe that the emergency drain tube is clogged - how can I un-clog it so it can serve its purpose the next time I need to do an emergency drain?

Causes

Mold/algae/bacterial slime is one cause for drains that don't drain.

The second is mineral build up, but since the drain is rarely used and never dries up I'd say it's probably biological slime.

The third is hair/lint, so definitely a possibility.

The fourth possibly is that by design the water passes through the filter before it gets to the emergency drain, so a clogged filter would actually prevent water from draining through the emergency drain.

Solutions

I'd try filling your washer with a 1:10 bleach to water ratio, and running an empty wash cycle but pausing it before it drains, waiting an hour, and then draining with the emergency drain. Using the emergency drain a few more times like this might help clean it out.

If you're able to able to blow compressed air backwards through the emergency drain and into the unit, that might help declog it.

If that doesn't work, then it might be clogged with hair/lint. You might be able to put drain cleaner in your washer, but that would probably risk destroying it. You'd probably be better off disassembling it and removing out the clog from the inside, or trying to stick a flexible pipe cleaner up the drain tube if you have one long enough.

Enough compressed air through that emergency drain tube will probably clear it though, keep it under 20-30psi though.

Also maybe clean your filter more often and the emergency drain will drain better if the filter isn't as clogged.


Strapping down a copper pipe with little access I installed a new tub faucet because the old one had a terrible diverter.

Because the pipe moves in and out (about 1.5inches), it’s impossible to get the new faucet to fit tight against the tub. I also can’t caulk any gap because the movement will break the seal.

I have a plan to fix it and I want to make sure this is the best plan.

I’ve opened up the wall to strap down the pipe.

This is what it looks like inside:

The pipes run along the inside of the studs so I cannot screw in a strap.

So here’s my plan and I’d love feedback. I plan to add a 3/4” thick piece of scrap plywood behind the pipe. 3/4” is the distance between the tub and pipes.

Then, I’ll strap the pipe to this scrap plywood with this:

That will keep the pipe from pulling towards the inside of the tub.

Then, I’ll toenail a 2x4 between the studs. Finally, I’ll screw through the 2x4 into the 3/4” plywood.

Is this over-complicating things?

No, I don't think you're over-complicating it. You don't want to just have a piece of 3/4 inch plywood floating around in there without securing it to the studs. There are a number of ways to do this type of job and your approach seems sound. Be sure to securely attach the 2x (screws or nails) and the 3/4 ply to the 2x.
Also, I noticed what appears to be moisture around the lower run of copper where it goes through the wall. I'm assuming that is the feed for your tub faucet. I'm further assuming that the moisture is from prior unsuccessful attempts to seal around the tub faucet and isn't a leak. If that's the case make sure you allow that to dry out thoroughly before you seal up the wall. Might want to use a hair dryer on it but remember the moisture is permeating the entire width of the drywall - don't just get it surface dry. Even with a hair dryer I'd leave it open for a day or two. Good luck.


Should I connect one or both Ufer grounds to my panel? Local code requires the use of a Ufer ground (concrete-encased electrode) as a ground rod system for new construction. There are two electrodes in my construction. My question is: do I connect both electrodes with a single conductor to my sub panel or just one of the electrodes?

You only have to bond the closest one to the panel. NEC 250.52.a.3.2. (2017) same in the 2014 code.


Why doesn't my dimmer switch work after installing LED bulbs in my ceiling light? I have three pendants and a 5 bulb fixture over my table it has Antique Edison bulbs in the fixture with yellow tint I want brighter bulbs, I purchased LED equivalent bulbs and when I put two or more into the fixture the dimmer will not turn on or off the fixtures. Can someone help me to understand why? could it be the dimmer switch? we purchased house with the dimmer switches here, fixture works with the bulbs it came with even when I dim them.

This is common with older dimmers and LED's. Old dimmers use a small amount of power to activate the switch (almost always silicon controlled switch called an SCR or thyristor) the small amount of power is enough to light the LED's.
You need a dimmer that is LED compatible I would get a quality name brand dimmer as not all dimmers are created equally.


How to add a 400v 3 phase plug and/or extra distribution panel with only two breaker spaces left? I have a few 400v appliances with 5 pin plugs (pressure washer etc.) but no 5 pin plugs. I would like to easily add a 5 pin 400v socket to my existing fuse boxes, but I only have two breaker spaces left on my sub-panel.

I have found some good instructions online for adding sub-panels or 400v 3 phase sockets via a 4 pin fuse and then a 3-way circuit breaker (see photos below), but I don't quite understand how to connect this from my existing circuit board, particularly considering there are only two circuit breaker spaces left.

plus

To connect to this space somehow?

Questions:

Option 1: Adding new Fuse in 2-space gap (Preferred option)

Option 1 Question: - Can I fit a 2 pin fuse (or whatever fits in the available space) and then wire it to the 4 pole fuse pictured above? If so, can you suggest how I can wire something in this two space gap without adding extra capacity to an existing fuse?

Option 2: Somehow reworking an existing fuse/collection of circuit breakers to just slip in a 400V socket to the existing generous 35A/50A fuses

Option 2 Question: - Confusingly, there is a three pin campervan socket wired with a fat wire to a ciruit breaker with a '3' symbol written on it. In the pic below youc can see this fat wire at top of pic with black, blue and earth wire going to 3 locations in fuse box. I don't understand this.

I could only get 230v out of the socket when testing with a voltometer. Could this somehow be better wired to become three phase?

Useful info:

The electric meter is rater for 400A

The existing fuses are all 35A or 50A

Most of the existing circuit breakers are capable of both 230V and 400V (I'm in Germany).

Here are some extra pics you may find useful:

Caveats:

I'm no electrician so may have some of the terminology wrong.
Any advice/discussion is for learning purposes and I act on it at my own risk, so please feel free.
More pics/info available on request (max 8 allowed in this 1st post :( )
I appreciate any input : )

Extra photos now I have the 'reputation' to allow me more than 8 photos:

Thick wires can be seen going from meter to main panel:

These Same wires (in a split grey PVC housing) can be seen going from left to right panel at the top here:

Neutral and ground on top rows of left panel (joined) and seen travelling to right panel:

Ground and neutral on right panel (not joined):

The path of the brown and black wires on the right panel is less clear to me:

But the black and brown wires are in some way connected to a number of fuses and circuit breakers, which I think means they are all ultimately connected directly to the electricity meter power source?

&

When you're out of room, you add a subpanel. Relocate 3 or 4 of the breakers from the current main panel to the new subpanel to make room for the new high amperage 3 pole breaker you're going to need to add to it.


What is "gauge" size for door hinge knuckles? Anyone know the meaning of "gauge" when talking about the outer diameter of a door hinge's knuckle?

For example, commercial door hinge knuckles often have "gauge" sizes of 0.134 or 0.180.

Doing my own measurements, I'm guessing that in this context it means tenth-of-a-meter.  E.g., 0.134 gauge = 13.4 mm.

The gauge is a measure of the thickness of the hinge metal.

 source: Stanley 5 Knuckle Ball Bearing Hinges

This would affect the size of the knuckle as it wraps around the hinge pin.

size of knuckle = (hinge gauge x 2) + hinge pin diameter (+ a bit to allow for clearance)

Heavy weight gauges increase available bearing surface area. It will also determine the depth of the cut-out recess(es) in the door/door frame necessary for a flush installation.

The gauge also determines the type of 'hinge tweaker' tool you need.

       Hinge Tweaker Heavy Weight Size for .180 Gauge Hinges

You need a more robust tool with a wider 'mouth' to 'tweak' .180 Gauge Hinges than .123 Gauge Hinges


Can too much ridge ventilation be detrimental? At my house in central Texas, where temperatures can persist at 86 - 110 degrees Fahrenheit, one side is always hot, no matter how long the A/C runs. That attic space is considerably hotter than other locations.

Attic ventilation includes:

twenty-two 16x8 soffit vents
two 10' runs of plastic ridge vent
three stack vents

For better or worse, the ridge vents do not have a filter underneath and are covered with shingles.

According to the web, such as this website, 20' is the minimum requirement and the 22 soffit vents balance appropriately.

Will it help to install additional ridge and soffit vent? or will that disrupt current circulation?

UPDATE:
The ridge vents are actually 8 ft. long (not 10') and only 5 ft. of that are actually exposed. 1.5 ft. on either side of the ridge vents are covered over by shingles.

With the solar-powered vent and two static vents being so close together, I wouldn't be surprised if the the solar-powered vent (because it's powered) is pulling most of it's air from the two static vents. You might be able to check this by using toilet tissue, feather, incense smoke or something to determine air-flow direction through the static vents while the solar-powered vent is running.

If the net effect is that air is being pulled in, then none of those vents are doing as much as they should to cool the attic. Some of the air through the soffit vents is being exhausted through the solar-power vent, to be sure, but the static vents aren't helping.

If I were going to make changes, I would consider the following, in order of preference...

Remove and seal up the two static vents. This alone would cause the solar-powered vent intake to come completely from the soffits and thus pull hot air out of the entire attic area underneath.
Remove the solar-powered vent and install a ridge vent the entire length of the ridge next to it. As this makes venting totally passive, it might not be enough for your climate. Depending on size and efficiency, the solar-powered vent without the static vents may move more air. If still not enough, I would think more CFMs of air could be vented using a line-powered unit, but haven't researched it.


How do I fix a rotting door frame? This is a six year old house and I noticed that frame is rotting due to elements of nature.

Should I just paint over it? If not, how should I fix this?

The two options that come to  mind are as follows:

Rip out the wood and replace it

This is the traditional way to approach the issue.  This is labor intensive, but taking the time to remove all of the rotten material is usually the best way to go.  Remember, you're just seeing the surface rot.  There might be more damage inside.  The sooner you get to that damage, the sooner you can stop the spread.

When you get the new wood in place, make sure you prime and paint with good quality, exterior materials.

Inject it with an epoxy resin

This runs the risk of hiding damage and mold issues, but is sometimes expedient / convenient.  I recently took this road with my exterior door of my house.  I'm planning on eventually replacing the entire wall of doors and windows, but couldn't quite swing that on day one.

Instead, I removed the source of water (a huge dog house on our deck left by the previous owner that was shedding water directly onto the door), let it dry and injected copious amounts of epoxy.   I happened to use the West System and it turned out great (I have no relationship with the company).

If you go this route, it's worth reading a bit about the right resin and filler to use for your application.  In my case, I didn't care about appearance so I used the strongest combination.  You'll want to sand the epoxy to make it fit in, so you'll want to consider that.

The epoxy isn't cheap, but as long as you store it in a room temperature setting, it will keep for years.


What do I make of this wiring? I am trying to replace a toilet pull cord switch.

Wiring seems unusual in the sense that there are:

2x brown wires
1x brown wire that is live and by itself
1x yellow/green earth
no blue wires

Those are split over to separate cable sheathes.

Connected to the old pull cord switch was:
- mirror light
- roof light
- extraction fan

Not sure about the whole setup, this new build was sold like (this is in the UK bu the way) that so I'm guessing some cowboys run out of proper cables and just used whatever was around or I'm missing something important about how wiring is meant to be done, maybe especially in the toilet?

Mainly I do not know what to do about not marked neutral wire, right now I am thinking of joining live with live and neutral with those other two brown wires that are not live.

Twin brown & earth is the right cable type for a switch loop. One brown is  live from consumer unit, the other is switched live to lights etc

Fans often have both a switched live and a permanent live, this allows the fan to continue to run 5 mins after the light etc is switched off. It uses a timer built into the fan. This is better for clearing moist air out and reducing chance of mould. The extra brown wire is probably for that extra permanent non-switched live to the fan.

Finding out which brown is which requires using a Cat II or better voltage tester.


How do I measure joist deflection? I have a 3 story townhouse that was built in 2004. We recently redid the flooring in the top floor, and while we had the subfloor exposed we tried to eliminate the squeaking that we've been hearing by screwing the subfloor further into the joists. We screwed around 200 screws in a 10' x 10' bedroom, and the floor (or something) still squeaks.

Could the joists themselves be deflecting when we walk on them? There's a section in my home warranty (expires in 10 months!) covering joist deflection, but it has to be more than a certain number of inches of deflection over a certain length. How do I know if the joists are deflecting, and how do I measure the amount of deflection?

This is what my joists look like (we had the subfloor open in another area b/c mold from an improper shower installation).

I don't know if I can put an image in a comment, but this is how I'm interpreting the instructions from the answers, and there's a wall in the way. Do I just measure at the wall and hope that it's not more deflection where I can't measure?

Get a laser pointer or level.  Sight along the joist from one end to another to establish the level.

Get a ruler and measure the deflection at the center (or lowest point)

Typically, building codes specify a L/360 deflection limit.

This means that the maximum sag in the center of a joist is 1/360th of the length of the joist.


Fan capacitor replacement question I have a pedestal fan, and the capacitor needs to be replaced.  Unfortunately, I cannot find a replacement online.
Here are the specs:

2-wire
5.5 uf +- 10/5 %
250 VAC 50/60Hz
MAX TEMP 70 C
E166700 G

I found a close one on Amazon, and am wondering if I can substitute.
The specs are exactly the same as above, except instead of 5.5 uf, it is listed as 4.5 uf and the +- is 5%
E163532
If this cannot be used, can someone help with an appropriate replacement?  Thanks!

As long as the cap UF rating or micro farids are within 10% and the voltage is the same or higher it will usually work fine.
This is a bit smaller but it will probably work.
Mcm 2 wire ceiling fan 5,5uf 450 vac Ccb61. would be a better match
$8.50 on amazon square case 2 wire . Free shipping
You can go higher on the voltage but not lower than the peak to peak voltage
120v x 1.41 =170 as an absolute minimum  higher is better and will last longer.


What kind of ventilation do I need in my workshop? I have a roughly 2.5 by 5 meter workshop with 2.5m high ceilings in which I work on electronics (so lots of soldering), do some occasional painting, and which houses a 3D printer. I want to add some ventilation in the ceiling, but I'm unsure what kind to put in. How much air should it move, and is it worth adding multiple "openings" (for instance, one over the 3D printer and one over the soldering station) in a space of this size?

If you are doing a lot of soldering then a dedicated soldering fume extraction unit would be a good idea. You can put the end of the hose right next to the soldering operation.

For an example on YouTube of someone who does a lot of soldering using one and showing how much gunk they stop you from breathing:

Loius Rossman: A word on soldering and fume extraction


Does there exist backwater valves for sink drains? I have what I think is a standard plumbing set up in my kitchen, with the laundry machine and dishwasher drains merging with the sink evacuation drain. There have been instances of water backing up. To prevent flooding of the kitchen I'm looking to fit the drain with a backwater valve. The specifications on the drain are: Tubular F 409 PP 1 1/2 tubular. Does there exist such backwater valves for this specification?
UPDATE #1:
Water is backing up due to a common drain problem. When that happens, it doesn't get fixed immediately. In the interim, one needs a fix
UPDATE #2:
I just spoke with a plumber who said it's trivial to install a check valve.

I have what I think is a standard plumbing set up

It appears that you have the dishwasher drain hose plumbed directly to the disposal instead of to an air gap. ALSO you have a washing machine plumbed to a tail piece with a dishwasher stub,  Both are not "standard". (In the USA)
Washing machines pump water at a significant rate and may be overwhelming your 1 1/2"  sink plumbing,  2" is code for washing machine drains.
Adding  a check valve is not the correct solution.
The first step it to plumb it properly and then if you still  have the issue   diagnose the problem.


How can one test a sewage ejector pump? I have a sewer ejector pump in my basement but it's in a sealed well. There are two electric cords running into it. How does one test it? For maintenance reasons. Can this only be done by a plumber?

I have a sump pump too and those are well documented on how do monthly tests.

Most sewage ejection pumps have two cords.  One is the power for the motor.  The other goes to the float switch.  The power cord is a regular plug.  The float switch cord has a plug on the end with female on one side and male on the other.  The power's plug is inserted into the female side of the float switch plug.  The male side of the float plug is then inserted into an electrical outlet.  When the water level trips the float, the float's plug "opens" to give power to the motor's cord.  If you want to test the pump manually, find the outlet the cords are plugged into, unplug the motor's plug from the float's and insert the motor's plug directly into the outlet, bypassing the float.  When you're satisfied, insert the motor's plug back into the float plug and insert the float plug back into the electrical outlet.


Basement lighting four rooms So in my basement I want to add lights to 4 rooms.  A total of 18 LED lights on 5 switches from one power feed.   This would be a 15 A feed all 14-2 wire.  Switches 2 & 3 would be a 3 way switch for Room #2 - this would have an additional  14-3 wire between.

First question: for Room #2 from Box #2 to Box #3  - Am I correct in saying it needs 3 cables?

1st cable - Power/neutral in 14-2
2nd cable - Power/neutral out to box #3 for switch #4 and then to switch #5
3rd cable - Traveler wires (2 travelers/1 neutral) 14-3 between boxes for 3 way between switches #2 & #3

Second question: At each box would you just pigtail the power in / power out and power to the switch?

Third question: Is 14 the correct gauge wire since the whole load is less than 3 amps?

First of all, as I edited in the question, wire normally refers to a single conductor. Multiple wires inside a outer covering is referred to as a cable. 14/2 and 14/3 are common cables, each containing multiple insulated wires (2 or 3) plus a bare ground wire.

  First question: for Room #2 from Box #2 to Box #3 - Am I correct in saying it needs 3 cables? 1st cable - Power/neutral in 14-2 2nd cable - Power/neutral out to box #3 for switch #4 and then to switch #5 3rd cable - Traveler wires (2 hots/1 neutral) 14-3 between boxes for 3 way between switches #2 & #3

That is the typical way to do it, though it uses a little more wire than the minimum. You could use a single 14/4 cable between box 2 and box 3. This would have hot (black), neutral (white), 2 travelers (other colors). The advantage is you save one wire because the neutral can be shared since this is all part of one circuit. However, if you already have (or will be getting) 14/3 for other 3-way switches then running 14/2 + 14/3 is probably cheaper than getting 14/4 just for this one installation. As noted by Harper, if you use separate /2 and /3 then you must keep the neutrals matched to the hots/travelers and not connect them together in room #3 (i.e., switches #3 and #4).

  Second question: At each box would you just pigtail the power in / power out and power to the switch?

Correct. Pigtail hot (black), neutral (white), ground (bare) and connect to switches as appropriate.

  Third question: Is 14 the correct gauge wire since the whole load is less than 3 amps?

Correct. Just make sure that the circuit breaker is also 15A to match.


Can we install an aeration unit in an older septic system? Our home was built in 1957.  We have had problems for years with having a wet drain field and keep having our septic pumped.  Today (of course my husband is away), I have done a couple of loads of laundry and the water has now pushed into the shower in the laundry room.  It looks like it is from the sewer because there is toilet paper with it.  We just had our septic pumped last year and 2 years before that.  Having a new drain field put in is going to be very expensive and I have been looking online for what to do that we can afford, and have come across septic aerator systems.

Can we put this in with our older septic system?

Another question I have is that people are saying they have two tanks; I think we only have one tank.  Is this what was done years ago?

The airated water treatment systems (AWTS) are a two tank system usually new ones have a inner and outer tank in the same unit. It is possible to buy a two tank seperate system and you could use your old septic tank as the first tank then run the outlet into the awts unit. http://econocycle.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=7&Itemid=13. an example of a two tank system is on this page.

Although all of this is possible if your dispersal field has failed it will still need replacing as this system only Improves the quality of effluent leaving the tank. The other option may be to connect to the council sewer if it is now available in your area?  you can run the sewerage straight to sewerif avalible or install a maceration pumpIin your septic and pump upto the sewer if it is nearby but you are unable to get fall.


Leveling drywall patch Due to a problem with my furnace, I recently had a lot of moisture get behind a wall and of course, mold to follow. All said and done I will need roughly 3 4x8 sheets to replace the damaged drywall.

My problem is they appear to have used 2 3/8" sheets stacked on one another, making it 3/4" total. All I can find around here is 5/8" boards. So, I need to make up a 1/16" difference. My friend suggested just mudding out the difference, but there is some large, older molding on the ceiling that i need to marry up to that makes that seem really difficult.

My thought was corrugated cardboard. But I saw this post and it didn't give a sure answer on whether or not that would be ok.

It mentions the cardboard giving too much and cracking the joints right away, but as I see it, the cardboard is thicker than what I need, so once it is compressed, it's not going anywhere. Any thoughts on what I should do?

Why not use standard 1/2" drywall after you shim out the studs. Use 1/4" stock or rip 1 1/2" strips of 1/4" plywood. Tack these to each stud. Then screw the 1/2" drywall through the shims and into the studs. I would probably use 1 5/8" drywall screws for a better grip.

By the way, if this is in or near a furnace room, be sure to use fire rated drywall.


How can I reinforce an entertainment stand for an aquarium? I just moved into a new apartment, and I'd like to get an aquarium. Space is tight so I'd like to use this entertainment stand:

I would like a 20 gallon aquarium (I'm told 10 gallon ones are too small, and hard to maintain for beginners).

Weight = aquarium + water (20 gal) + rocks = 85 kg (190 lbs).

I would like to reinforce this stand so I don't face $$ in damage charges :). I am thinking of using metal rods going from just under the main shelf where the aquarium would stand, going all the way down to the floor. This would mean drilling through the 3 shelves below it.

I understand that aquariums hold most of their weight on their corners, thus four rods would be positioned just under the corners. I also want to protect from the shelf buckling, so I will want to double it up, and reinforce the diagonals. I am thinking sheet metal + more square rods.

Any thoughts? Am I missing anything or doing anything wrong? Any help appreciated! First DIY home-improvement project.

Disagree, aquariums do not hold most of their weight under the corners.  The weight is almost uniformly distributed on portions that are in contact with the supporting surface.  If it is an acrylic tank with no frame, then all that weight is distributed across the whole bottom surface (assuming it is resting on a shelf like you illustrate).  If it is a glass tank with a frame, then the weight is around the perimeter wherever the frame contacts the surface.

The rod under the corners are good, and your idea about diagonal members will prevent sagging.  But that is probably overkill and also adds complexity to the fabrication.  I would just run lengths of angle iron between the rods along the long length.  I don't think sag would be an issue on the short length.

You didn't ask, but spend the extra money and get an acrylic tank (not just any plastic tank though, acrylic).  A glass tank will eventually leak especially if it is not on a perfectly flat surface (flat, not necessarily level), and sometimes even then.

Lastly, that entertainment center is probably made of MDF or a similar material.  It will swell like mad if left in contact with water long enough.  No matter what you do, you will end up with some water outside the tank at some point.  So, this is not the best material overall so do take care.


Resolve argument on load bearing walls Here are both the builder blue prints and foundation plans.  According to the plans all external walls and garage are load bearing and internal walls are not. There is no built up foundation/headers internally, only thickened on external walls.

I want to completely take down the wall running horizontal from the garage to the kitchen which includes closet, kitchen wall, half walls (lv rm) and where pantry (no longer there) are indicated.  Since the trusses run perpendicular and the middle of the truss (middle of the A) is where the wall is, my S/O is arguing it is load bearing.  Full disclosure: I removed a quarter of that wall (next to the closet) more than 10 years ago based on these plans—no sagging to date.

You really want to hire an expert. A house is probably the most expensive thing you will ever own; don't risk it if there is any doubt.

Usually, walls which run perpendicular to floor joists are assumed to be  load bearing until proven otherwise. That doesn't mean walls along floor joists are  not load bearing, but it's much less likely.

In older houses, walls may be carrying structural load even when they were not originally intended to, due to subsidence or past modifications.

Note that even load bearing walls can be opened up, by putting in a beam to take up the load and columns to transfer that load to adequate supporting points. Did that in my place, opening a 10-foot-wide passageway.  But that really calls for an engineer to determine what will have to replace the wall, and involves building a temporary wall alongside it to take the weight during this process.... In my case the final result needed a double Paralam beam across the opening (equivalent to a hardwood 12x4 beam?), similar manufactured-lumber columns from that down to foundation and joist, and we had to sister that joist with a steel C-beam in the basement to help transfer load to the foundation and main beam. Definitely not something to attempt without expert on-site advice.


Why are half my Christmas lights not turning on? I have a set of Christmas lights for which the second half doesn't light up. My understanding is that the individual branches are in parallel whereas the lights in each branch is in series.

The plug at the end of the set works fine, so current seems to travel to the end of the wires correctly.

What could be causing this?

On Christmas lights, they are wired with a backbone of 2 wires carrying power through to the socket on the other end.

Then, they have one or more strings of 40-50.  Each string taps one backbone wire at one end, and the other backbone wire at the other end.

Within each string, all lamps are in series.  A failure will darken the whole string, except the bulbs have fusible shunts so if a bulb burns out, it will shunt and the other bulbs will remain lit (at a slightly higher voltage, burning them out faster).

When you have a segment with 40-50 out, that means a shunt has failed, or you have a loose socket or broken wire.

They make toners specifically for Christmas tree lights (a cheapie version of a Fluke toner, I presume) that will help you find the bad one.


THHN versus NM for conduit wiring? I am wiring a small workshop, using conduit.   I was shocked to see how expensive THHN/THHW cable is, with respect to NM-B: at local big-box store, 100ft of 14/2 NM was $33,  whereas 100ft of THHN was about $20 (so $60, almost double the price of NM, for 2 conductors plus EGC).

I am wondering about the pros and cons of using NM instead of THHN.  Issues I see, for various options, are as follows:

Just run exposed NM ?   Probably against code, but it's just a detached shop and won't be inspected.   I'm using conduit for outlets, but this is for lighting wiring in the ceiling, so out of reach; OTOH, it might be tempting to hang things on it.   Probably a terrible idea.
Run NM inside conduit ?   Might be tough, due to its stiffness.   OTOH, I'm using pretty big conduit (3/4" for just 2 14ga conductors plus EGC) and only two bends max.
Pull the conductors out of the NM jacket and use these in the conduit ?  How difficult would this be ?   Don't want to have to rip the jacket the whole way, but once one conductor is pulled out (probably the EGC) the others should be easy.   I've heard varying opinions on whether the wire inside the jacket of NM is actually THHN.  I've read it doesn't have as "slippery" insulation, so doesn't pull as easily as real THHN.  I've also read it's un-marked, so technically against code, but I probably don't care.
Bite the bullet and pay much more for real THHN.
Use armored cable such as MC or BX.

I pay $48-52 per 500ft for #12 THHN/THWN-2.   I do not use #14 at all.

My preferred supplier is City Electric, and I shop around other proper electrical supplies, and Menards on 11% off days.

I do not buy ground wire because I use EMT properly, I use enough conduit clamps to hold it where it belongs, and I refrain from routing it unguarded in places at risk for damage or pullout.

When I find an odd situation where I worry about EMT parting, I dive into my junk drawer and find some old solid THHN or Romex that I had pulled out earlier, and strip down a bare wire of enough length to link the two junction boxes on either side of the danger zone.

By the way, I use stranded THHN/THWN-2.  After the pleasure of working with stranded THHN/THWN in conduit, the idea of choking NM down a conduit is laughable.

You cannot strip the sheath off NM as a "cheap" way to get THHN.  The reason is obvious once you work with the various wire types, but NM wire insulation doesn't even begin to compare to THHN insulation and it will too easily take damage.  You are also relying on being able to strip sheath 100% perfect with no damage to either black or white insulation. It is also not marked, so it is not legal to use.  And then you only have solid wire, which is more alligator wrestling.

The other big problem with shucking NM is you are stuck with only 2 wire color choices. I stock 9 colors of THHN and 10 colors of tape. If you're buying just a few rolls of THHN, consider colors other than white black red.

I don't know whether running exposed NM is legal in your shop. Conduit is very convenient for lighting. Do not hang anything on electrical cables or conduit.  If you want hangers for low voltage wiring or anything else, put them up there while you're up there.
Your statements are inconsistent: one hand is hanging oversized conduit and running superfluous ground wires, the other hand is wringing over the cost of wire.  Make up your mind.  Either you're trying to save money or do a good job.   I wire my lighting grids with 1/2" EMT and 2 THHN wires. Easy peasy.
As mentioned, individual wires inside NM will get damaged if pulled through conduit.
If THHN is much more expensive, you're sourcing at the wrong place. The big-box stores really getcha on small reels, and shamelessly overcharge on most other electrical parts too. (just not the ones you're likely to price-check). Big-box are not gods of pricing, or even selection; they are gods of being open at 9:30pm on a Saturday. They also have some freakish "Pied Piper" effect on consumers; it's almost impossible to convince folks to stop shopping at big-box.


How to properly wire a ceiling light fixture? I rent an apartment and a tenant installed ceiling fan that was not well secured to the ceiling.  I removed the fan and attempted to re-install the original light fixture after he moved out.

I am having issues with the wiring.  There are 2 black wires and 2 white wires in the ceiling.  On the fixture itself there are 2 black wires and 2 white wires as well as a small ground wire.

I try to wire it white to white and black to black.  When I turn the power back on, the light switch is off but the light comes on.  If I turn the switch on it's blows the breaker?

Should I have 4 connections 2 x black to black and 2 x white to white or should I have two connections - all black together under 1 cap and all white together under 1 cap?

What am I missing?  How should this be properly wired?  Or is there something else going wrong (maybe an issue with the fixture)?

The power (from the breaker) is likely at the light fixture.  When you hook black to black and white to white, the light is powered directly from the breaker. In this configuration, when you flip the switch on you create a short through the switch.

What you need to do is hook it up like this.

Notice the white wire that runs between the switch and the light has a black stripe on it (in above image), that lets anybody that works on this light in the future know that the wire is switched. You can mark the wire using a bit of electrical tape, or a marker.

Figuring out which wires come from the breaker, and which go to the switch will require some tools.  First Turn off the breaker, and verify the power is off using a non-contact voltage tester.  Now pick one set of wires to work with first (one black and one white from the same cable). Turn the switch to the on position, and use a multimeter to check continuity between the two wires. If the wires are connected (low resistance), these are the switched wires. If not (infinite resistance), check the other set of wires. If neither pair pass the test, contact an electrician.

If at any time you don't feel comfortable doing this work, or you don't have the proper tools to complete the task. Contact a local licensed electrician.


Stove wiring with no ground? I purchased a new induction cooktop only to find the old cooktop is has some strange wiring. The house was built in 1980 but the cooktop that came with it was much more modern. The wire powering it has to thick black cables, and then like 10 thin bare silver wires. The existing range had the ground hooked up to a bundle of 3 of the thin bare wires.

I cannot find any reference to this kind of wiring online. For now I've wired up the new cooktop the same way and it works but makes me nervous. Can anyone explain what the existing wiring is without a neutral or single ground? And is it safe, or how urgent is it I get a new wire run?

Cable Incognito is OK here

Your cooktop circuit was wired using what is known as type SE, style U (or just SEU) cable.  This is a jacketed cable with two insulated wires and what is known as a concentric neutral formed by the bare strands wrapped around the inner conductors and then covered by the jacketing.  It is suitable for indoor applications as per NEC 338.10(B)(2) and (B)(4).  (This is unlike the similar-sounding but not quite related type USE cable, which is a direct-bury rated, jacketed or unjacketed multiplex cable that cannot be used indoors as its insulation is not required to be flame retardant.)

As there is only a main panel involved (no subpanels), and both of the current production Frigidaire Gallery cooktops are 240/208VAC only units, you can strip back some of the SEU cable's jacket, twist all the strands into a bundle after peeling them away from the wires inside, feed it into the junction box with an appropriate cable clamp for strain relief while making sure the jacket is clamped with at least 1/4" of it inside the box and clamp, and then cut and strip the inside wires + cut off the excess bundle length.

From there, use Al9Cu listed split bolts or another type of connector (such as a screw type lug) listed for 90degC operation and copper to aluminum connections with 10AWG copper and 8AWG or larger aluminum to make the connection, along with antioxidant compound.  With split bolts, you'll need to insulate the connections yourself as well -- this is done with a self-adhering elastomeric tape first, followed by an overwrap of ordinary PVC electrical tape.

Electrically, what you're doing here is using the concentric conductor to the main panel as an equipment ground as per 338.10(B)(2) with the two inner conductors as the hots as your cooktop has no use for a neutral wire.


Is it alright that I did not turn off the power while installing my thermostat? I just installed the Nest thermostat, I forgot to turn the breaker off everything seems to be working fine.

Is it safe to assume it is ok?

Did you get shocked?

If it turns on, it's likely fine; modern electronics have fuses to prevent surge damage. Just...don't do that next time.


Clicking noise from fridge, and won't hold temp anymore I have a ~10 y/o (predates my purchase of the house) built-in Sub Zero 700TC. A day or two ago it started clicking every few minutes and showed codes 24 and 50, both of which reference the compressor running too much. I cleaned the coil with no effect, and the clicking noise is atypical and loud - I had never heard it before and I generally notice things like this.

Visually, it's coming from what I think is the start capacitor(?):

Or is that a relay too? I don't understand why a capacitor would make noise (they generally don't).

Either way, before I call a tech I want to see if I can fix it myself. Can this be a source of the clicking / issue? Also - the refrigerant line was still hot to the touch, so I feel like it's working at least somewhat?

Any ideas?

Our refrigerator suffered a similar problem a few months ago. The tech arrived and replaced what he called a starting relay. I had also suspected a capacitor problem, but the relay apparently precedes the circuit with the capacitor. Your description of clicking is consistent with a relay problem.


humidity level? stuffy nose My room is in the basement and for some reason my nose gets really stuffy when I stay in my room for long periods of time.

I have a dehumidifier:  what would be a good humidity level to keep the room? Some days it is really hot down here and some days it's nice and cool depending on the weather.

There is no one appropriate humidity level. In the dry, cold north household humidity must be below 20% during certain weather to prevent massive condensation on windows, which can result in damage. Here's a chart showing approximate levels for different outside temperatures:

Read more

I agree with the comments above indicating that you likely have an allergen issue. Moisture alone doesn't typically result in respiratory distress. Lack of moisture can certainly be irritating, however.


Basement Recreation Room I have a basement that we would like to make into a recreation room.
There are two ways into the basement, code compliant stairs and a 36x80 door that leads to a mudroom (we live in Maine so mudrooms are key :-). The Mudroom has a direct door to the exterior.
Will these two ways into and out of the basement meet code?

Yes, your two exits are code compliant for a basement rec. room.  (In fact, only one exit is required. It can be directly to the exterior or up to the main floor.)
Two exits are not required unless you’re going to sleep in that room.
The Code only stipulates the size of one door in a residence. It requires one egress door that is (1) 32” clear opening with the door in the 90 degree position (which requires a 36” wide door), (2) located at a exterior entrance into the residence opening into a public way or open side yard that opens to a public way, and (3) cannot open into a garage or carport, (4) and shall be a minimum of 78” high measured from top of threshold to bottom of stop, (5) and must be side hinged...no sliding doors allowed. (See 2017 ICC R311.1 and R311.2.)
Don’t forget the ceiling height shall be a minimum of 7’ too.


Window leaks from hole in bottom of frame See the video.

I have a bad window leak.  The water comes in during rainy days and makes its way from the 2nd story window to the first floor window and wall just below it.  After much painful cluelessness I finally have a lead on a cause.  Today it rained and I got heavy dripping coming from a hole in the bottom right corner of the frame.

What is this, what causes it and how can I get this fixed?

I think what is happening is that black goop (silicone?) that is all over the window has clogged up the weep holes.  The water pools up and spills back into the house.  There's a small crack in the wall on the right probably from water and that may be where the drip makes its way down to the first floor.  You can see this happening realtime in the video 25 seconds in ending about 35 seconds in.

Gutters would help a lot. I thought I saw water on the inside on the video. At the bottom of the window there should be 2 or more small weep slots / holes these allow the water that gets in the tray to drain out. I believe these are full of debris and probably plugged. If you open the window look outside at the bottom of the frame you should spot the weep holes or drain slots. now look inside at the same location they are probably full. A shop vacuum may help clean out the area but a small rag and a tooth pick can clear them. If you have horizontal lap siding it would be easy to take a piece of flashing and make a diverter slipping a few inches of flashing under the lowest overlap and fold it out so it creates a makeshift gutter and reduces the amount of water dripping into the window. other types of siding would be a touch harder to not look like a "back country red neck repair". Even a bead or RTV / silicone calking above the window 1' on 1 side in a straight line to just above the window may divert enough so it wont flow into the house once the weep holes are cleared. I would clear the holes it may take 20-30 minutes but this small fix could possibly solve your problem until it needs to be cleaned again. Good luck.


Dryer loses electrical power in the winter For 3 years now my electric dryer loses the 220 current in the winter. It runs normally in the summer but gets weak in the winter. I have tried 4 different dryers and they all do the same thing. The receptacle is good and so is the circuit breaker.

Broken wire.

The 'inner' copper of the wire may be cracked. In summer metal expands and makes contact, in winter metal contracts and doesn't make contact anymore.

I suggest replacing the wire feeding the outlet.


Repair path - leaking bathroom drain and drywall damage New home owner. Wife took a bath in the guest bathroom and this water damage showed up an hour later on ceiling from the first floor. I'm assuming it's the bathroom drain and removed/inspected an old/broken seal. I suspect that's all the problem was with the pipes but she wants me to have someone check it out for additional damage and I don't want to spend more money than necessary on folks coming out.

Does the drywall all need to come out regardless?
Would I have a plumber or general contractor come in first to look?
Should I contact insurance after having one of the above spot check it or should I be contacting them first. I think I have a $500 or 1000 deductible, need to check..

The drywall doesn't need to be replaced unless 1) it gets moldy and gross, or 2) its structural integrity is compromised. Get some fans on it as soon as possible, from above and below. If it dries out and doesn't feel mushy you can simply prime and paint.

It's possible that the leak is at the tub connection, but it's also likely that it's in the trap assembly if it was put together with compression fittings (as opposed to being cement-welded). Do you have access to the drain area? If not, consider installing an access panel below or at the end of the tub.

A plumber won't be able to tell you anything that you can't determine on your own. They'll need to see what's in there, too. Once you know, repairs can begin. It's probably not too difficult considering you're working with PVC and modern fixtures.


Reinforcing a load-bearing bolt in metal-to-metal assembly I just got a new pull-up bar and am slightly concerned about the design. The bar itself is attached to the main assembly in such a way that its only support comes from two bolts on either side that bear the entire body weight load in a downward direction. Even though it feels very secure to me, one reviewer of this product says that one of the bolt's threads stripped on him during a workout. Therefore, I want to reinforce the assembly as a measure of protection.

The first thing that entered my mind was to remove the bolt, apply epoxy to the threads, and reattach it. This would pretty much be a permanent solution which I am not opposed to, but I'd really like a solution that would allow me to disassemble all parts if I needed to.

I also thought of a possible way to use some kind of strap or cable that would wrap around the bottom of the bar and over the top of the handle as I attempted to illustrate in the pic, but I don't know what kind of strap could be used for that.

In general, bolts are great fasteners, and unless the engineers did a particularly poor job designing the connection, you shouldn't have to worry about a properly assembled pull up bar.  The issue comes when bolts start to loosen up and move.

If that bolt were to loosen up a bit, it would start to jiggle and move as you worked out.  A pull-up bar will have 100s of pounds of force on it, so a loose connection will get looser and move more and more until the bolt strips.

You give the idea of "epoxy" on the threads, but there are actually "thread locker" compounds used on threaded connectors that are made for this.  Any automotive parts store (and most home improvement stores) will sell thread locker.  It typically comes in a "blue" color for removable connections and "red" for permanent, but you need to read the package.  For this use, permanent should be fine, because even if you want to take down the pull-up bar and move it or sell it, you probably don't need to take it apart.

I wouldn't bother with a reenforcement strap.  Make sure all the connections are tight and secure and you should be fine.


What are the pros and cons of various hardwood floor finishes? Trying to decide how to stain/finish some new oak hardwood floors. What are the pros and cons of various options like stain+poly, tung oil, etc. I'm wondering about lifetime cost, durability, ability to make small repairs, and work involved.

I have done both a refinish and a new install, and did a bunch of research before choosing.  These are my generalized conclusions about the different choices:

Linseed / Tung Oil

Pros:

Easy to apply
Relatively durable
Quick curing and drying times

Cons:

Will darken with age
Provides very little protection against wood damage

Oil based polyurethane

Pros:

Durable
Low maintenance

Cons:

Long dry times in between coats (~8 hours)
Long time to fully cure (~30 days).
Yellows over time
Strong odor during application and cure
Requires some skill to apply correctly

Water based polyurethane

Pros:

Durable
Low maintenance
Easy to apply
Short dry time (~3 hours)
Short cure time (~7-10 days)

Cons:

Short dry time requires a "wet edge" when applying.
Provides less protection than Oil polyurethane

I don't have personal experience with the Tung/Linseed oil approach.  Both of the areas which I was working are relatively high traffic, and I did not want to have to worry about damage to the wood surface.
I have seen the Oil-based poly done, and it is a production.  It usually results in evacuation from the house because of the VOCs in the finish.  The long cure times made it a deal breaker for me, because the areas in question were main walkways in my house.
So, in my case, I chose to go with the water based poly.  It is durable, comes in several finishes (satin to high gloss), and is maintenance free for many years.  It is easy to apply, and dries very quickly in between coats.  It can be applied without specialized brushes or equipment.  You can sand, stain, and seal your floors over a weekend, and they will be ready for walking 24 hours later, and will be fully cured a week later.  This is a really good choice for a DIYer, and I would not hesitate to use it again in the future.


What to use as a spacer where deck joists overlap? I have a long deck that must do sister joists on top of a beam. I was reading this thread Is deck joist sistering a sloppy repair? and look like it's better to use spacer in between.

Is it OK to use another treated lumber as spacer? I could just coat the lumber protection around that square 1x2 (?) piece. Or is there a designated metal spacer for such thing?

Update 1

This is what I am trying to do:

Indeed, sistered boards may provide an area that is vulerable to moisture buildup and decay. However, in practice/experience the effect is not very pronounced. If I was concerned about it because of general moisture in the area,  then I would use zinc paint between the joists to help reduce any mold issues.

If spacing is preferred, then I'd recommend a 1/8" space (similar to the space between roof sheathing/plywood). There might be some kind of special spacer, but chances are, it's a rare and unpopular product. You could potentially use washers, but that could be tricky unless you use bolts (I would want the nail to go through the washer to keep the washers from falling out).

Another way that this could be accomplished would be by using steel or aluminum shims. I would just cut my own from a piece (or three) of 1/2" x 1/8" steel or aluminum stock... maybe 6 foot long, and use 6" strips as spacers.


Is it wrong that my dryer plug has one L shaped prong? We have a fairly new dryer and we are in the process of getting kitchen and laundry remodeled.  The electrician put in a three prong outlet with all prongs straight.  The dryer has one of them L shaped, so it won't go.  What does this mean?  Did he put in the wrong outlet, or is our dryer goofy?

EDIT: Here's the inside of the outlet.  There exists both ground and white/neutral. The white unused.  It looks to be an easy fix.  Also showing a picture of the dryer.  Ground connection is available.

You have an obsolete, dangerous  NEMA 10-50
It's a member of the NEMA 10 family which has been outlawed for 30 years because it has a very dangerous failure mode.  If anything goes wrong with the neutral wire, the chassis of the range/dryer becomes energized!
In a remodel you are required to come up to current Codes.  No electrician would ever install a 10-30 (let alone a 10-50!) as it would be instantly written up by the inspector.
However it should be easy enough to change the recep to NEMA 14-30.  Just get a thing that looks just like that, but is a 14-30 instead.  Here are the three 30A styles.

The left one is correct for a dryer.
You must change the dryer cord according to the dryer's instructions (search the web).  An essential part of this is removing a "grounding strap" which attaches the dryer chassis to neutral (which was bad).


How can i set up a Solar Panel to charge a 12v DC car battery and power a Raspberry Pi? I've pulled together a few spare parts that i've had laying about for ages now and I finally have a bit of time to try do something with them.

I've got a solar panel which puts out ~22vDC @ ~2Amps when its in decent sunlight, and i've got a 12vDC lead-acid car battery which i pulled out of my old car.

My plan is to hook up the solar panel to charge the battery and to have the system power a small Raspberry Pi computer 24/7 (assuming the battery lasts) which should draw no more than approx 10W.

I've seen some videos which make it look like all you need is a simple inverter and to plug the solar panel straight onto the battery, but I was under the impression you need a charging circuit to make sure you don't damage the battery?

Are there any detailed guides to doing this available or does anyone have any suggestions on how to go about doing this?

Since you have an old car battery, the cost of damaging it by overcharging isn't much ($40?) and that would only happen if it got a lot of sun over weeks.  A small home solar system might have thousands of dollars of batteries, so standard practice has long been for those to always have charge controllers.

For small systems the cost of a charge controller used to be significant so it was common to forego it in favor of simplicity.  However, there are now very - inexpensive -   controllers which no longer as easily justify the old practice.

If you can afford an additional $25, you might as well do it right.  Also, it would come with instructions on what to do.


Replacing my locks/door handles I'm going to replace the locks in my home. I'm doing this because we are renting the property out and I want to get keys that are "un-duplicatable" (the kind where only the owner is allowed to make duplicates).

I've never done this before, so I'm coming here to learn about what I need to know.

I'm planning on going Schlage because I've heard they are high-quality.

I'm hoping to do the work myself. I'm not sure how difficult it is. Do you think that a novice handyman can do this work?

I think I can just take the old door handles and deadbolts out of the existing doors and replace them with my new locks. Does this sound reasonable?

I have three door handles and two deadbolts (not sure if this is important).

Are there particular things I should consider. Is Schlage a good brand to go with? What am I not thinking of?

Thanks!

Yes, a novice handyman can easily replace door knobs and deadbolts.  All of these come with good instructions, so read and follow them and you will be fine.  In North America, residential door knobs and door locks have a back set of either 2 3/8" or 2 3/4" - the backset is the distance from the edge of the door to the center of the hole for the door knob or lock.  Measure the backset and buy replacements that will fit the same holes.  Note that many door knobs are adjustable so they will work with both backsets.

One thing to consider is the security.  Make sure the deadbolt strike plate in the door jamb has long screws that extends into the house framing that surrounds the door.  Also, don't consider door knob locks to be secure - they are not as they can easily be kicked in.  I always replace those type with a regular knob and a deadbolt.

BTW.... Good luck with the "unduplicatable" keys...  there will always be someone who is persuasive or will badger some poor person into duplicating a key stamped with "do not duplicate". Your best bet is to find a lock where the blanks are unique or not readily available.  I replaced the deadbolts on a house with Medeco a number of years ago.  (At that time, Consumer Reports rated them the most secure locks.)

Every manufacturer has different grades of quality, so it is impossible to say every product from manufacturer X is good quality, and sometimes the quality of the parts is reduced to save costs.  Read recent reviews for the particular model of lock you want to install.  If you are able to examine the components of the lock before you buy it, examine the pieces to see if they are just cheap stamped metal or if they are made of something stronger.


Are my GFCI outlets tripping each other? GFCI 20 amp breaker in main panel powers 1 bathroom on far end of house, 2 lights 1 fan on switches, and 2 GFCI receptacles.

Occasionally the power panel GFCI trips. I think the GFCIs are fighting each other.

I believe this is redundant and should not be wired this way because the GFCIs are causing the power panel to trip with nothing plugged in. Would it be proper to replace the Receptacles or the circuit breaker with non-GFCI?

I bought this house a couple years ago, older but remodeled some years ago. Every so often the power goes out only in the Master bath when nobody is in it, so far every time it shuts off it is because of the circuit breaker tripped and not a receptacle. When everything is working, when I trip the receptacle test button it only affects the one receptacle that was tested. When I trip the circuit breaker test button it affects the whole bathroom.

As long as you are sure you have a panel GFCI breaker (not AFCI (AFCI + GFCI is fine, just not AFCI by itself)) then yes, you have a redundant system and can replace the GFCI receptacles with ordinary receptacles.

If the panel breaker is actually AFCI (and not also GFCI) then it is a good thing to have but does not provide sufficient protection for bathroom receptacles.

If the panel breaker is AFCI or AFCI+GFCI then you may have an arc fault triggering the panel breaker rather than a ground fault. These are two different types of problems with different fixes. The short version is:

Ground faults kill people, especially in wet areas (bathrooms & kitchens). GFCIs stop the power fast enough to save you from serious injury or death. To work effectively, GFCIs can be installed anywhere from the panel up to the point of likely problem (e.g., the bathroom receptacle).
Arc faults cause fires. AFCIs protect your house from burning down by detecting the problems at an early stage. To work effectively, AFCIs need to be installed in or near the panel.

If you do replace the GFCI receptacles, I recommend getting a GFCI tester like this one. After installing the receptacles, test each one (and any other receptacles that are supposed to be protected by the panel GFCI breaker) to make sure that the panel breaker does trip when it is supposed to. If you find that the panel breaker does not always trip, then it may be failing and should be replaced.


Can I send audio through coax cables? I'd like to be able to pipe some audio from a computer in my basement to some speakers upstairs. When thinking about the best way to do this, I realized that my house is already wired with coax cable, which I'm not currently using since I don't get cable. Would it be possible to use the coax cable system to send audio around my house?

A few details:

For the audio I'm sending, I wouldn't care if the audio signal were mono only
The audio would come out of the computer using a 3.5 mm plug, and the speakers I'd be using to listen to the audio would also have a 3.5 mm plug.

I'd be able to buy plugs and wire to create the needed cables myself; I'm just not sure if this system would even work, though.

COAX to RCA adapter

You could get a "Y" adapter but it doesn't matter because you are getting mono.  The Y would just split the mono in two.

For stereo it is doable but the only thing I know is S/PDIF - so search for a COAX to S/PDIF adapter.

Either way I wouldn't spend a lot of money on adapters.  You are getting mediocre end product no matter what you spend.  Go to the local radio shack and enjoy your music today.


Running AC/MC cable in boiler room, do I need additional metal conduit? I'm planning to run AC cable (or MC, not sure which is better) in my basement to install an outlet near the boiler room. the cable that powers the boiler has sections that are inside of a rigid metal conduit. Do I need to run my cable through the rigid conduit as well? I'm talking about the parts that will be exposed on the wall.

Also I believe this is considered an unfinished area of the basement, but how is it different if it was finished?

Thank you

This question may seem to be fairly straight forward but it is not and here is why.

First in the NEC AC cable and MC cable are two different cabling systems and follow similar but different requirements. Since you have asked which one would be better, MC is permitted in more situations. AC is NEC Article 320 and MC is NEC 330. So you need to determine how exactly is your basement is used and if you are going to change it at anytime. Normally I would say either system would work fine in a normal basement situation, but if your AHJ believes it to be a damp or wet location. Then you will need to use MC. (See the articles for use permitted and not permitted).

Second you are trying to find out the requirements of wiring a basement but you are not sure if it is finished or unfinished. Once again it depends on its intended use and your AHJ can help you determine exactly what you are trying to do. Some of these classifications are covered in Building Codes but not necessarily the NEC.

Third you are asking if you should run cabling in a conduit system. This is common for DIY'ers to think you need to run cabling inside of conduit, but a conduit system is an alternative to a cabling system where allowed by code. So let me suggest if you are going to run conduit don't put a cable in it just run the conduit and the necessary conductors and this will cost less and be a better system. Determine which conduit system you want to run NEC Articles 334 rigid metal, 348 flexible conduit, 352 rigid pvc conduit, 358 electrical metallic conduit, or 362 electrical nonmetallic conduit.

If I may suggest and as I have mentioned above, get in contact with your AHJ and he can help guide you through what you are going to need. I know some people think they are annoying and a problem, but my experience is they can be very helpful when you get them involved early. Remember they work for you and want to help you protect yourself from many different things such as safety and lets say shady contractors.

Good luck


Can a cord and plug attached to a wallbox be used as a transfer means for fixed wiring downstream of the box? So, we have a circuit that runs from the panel to junction box A, then to junction box B, and then onwards to a load.  Can the fixed Chapter 3 wiring between junction box A and B be replaced by a flexible cord "pigtail" emanating from junction box B and plugged into a single receptacle in junction box A, to provide for the interchange of the equipment providing the power source to the circuit?  (Say, to a generator if this configuration was mounted outdoors and made of outdoor-rated parts, or to an inverter powered by some DC source, or even simply to a different circuit for some bizarro reason.)

It seems to me that while this isn't quite the situation in 400.7(A)(11) as this is field fabricated -- 400.7(A)(6) would hold, as we are connecting some load to facilitate interchange -- just not of the load, but the source powering the load.  Or does 400.7(A)(6) not apply, rendering this arrangement a 400.8 violation as it'd be substituting for permanent wiring?

In my area the inspectors require 156% wire size (125% x 125%) if a flexible cord is used as a non permanent connection. Something like a portable generator.
The other requirement is it needs to be 30amp or less. With that said there is usually a transfer switch to the specific circuits being powered.
Larger supplies are required to be in 6’ or less liquid tight. All parts must be listed for the use or type of power generated (like Solar, motor driven generator).
Some inspectors are easy some are real buggers. I have set a couple dozen of these up over the years and the biggest hassle is proving the grounding to show if it is a separately derived system. (I mentioned Solar since the comment about DC). Just another note the 156% wire size is on fabricated cords not the ones that come with the transfer switch that are molded.


How do I sand stamps off of lumber? I just finished building a deck.  The boards have stamps 1–2 ft from each end, and I could not bring my self to be as wasteful as to always cut them off.  I tried to place the boards with the stamp down when possible, but the mill seemed to have taken special care to place the stamp on the “good” (undamaged) side of most boards.  Here is a picture:

I probably have 30–50 of these stamps to sand off.  How easily do they come off—is it too much to do by hand, using a block and sandpaper, given that I have no ambition of becoming the next Karate Kid?  If so, I will have to convince my wife to let me buy another powertool. :)  Should I get a belt sander, or will a random-orbit sander or Mouse be sufficient for this job?  (The latter two would be more useful for future indoor projects.)

If you can get under your deck I'd try and do a test sanding just using sandpaper and some arm strength to see how easy the stamps come off. I'd be willing to bet a small orbital sander would do the trick with some fine grit paper.

Orbital sanders are pretty cheap so convincing the wife shouldn't be too much trouble. Maybe hop on craigslist or ebay and see if ya snag one on the cheap.


What gauge wire is typically used for the input to a home breaker box? I have a moderately-sized home (~2400 sq. ft.) in the United States that was constructed in 1999. I am looking to build a home energy monitor to track my electricity usage versus time. Obviously, in order to do so, I need to get some reading of the current consumption of my home. To do so, I would like to use a device like this:

This is a current transformer that you clip around the outside of the (insulated) conductor. It outputs a voltage proportional to the current that passes through the conductor; that will then be monitored by some electronics that I'm building. What I haven't figured out yet is how best to install the sensor; I'm very comfortable with electronics, but I don't have much experience in building electrical wiring (beyond some very simple rerouting of existing circuits).

From what I gather, my home has two 120V phases that come into my breaker box like this:

I've been hesitant to open things up without knowing exactly what I'm doing, but I think it will be required to install the sensors (I believe I will need one on each phase). I've verified that the run from the outdoor meter to my breaker box is all conduit (which I've read is required by modern building codes), so I don't have a point where I can access the hot phases unless I install the sensors inside the box. I would likely then just route the signal wires up through one of the box ports and plug it into my electronics package nearby the breaker box.

Apart from my hesitance due to my lack of experience with the interior of my breaker box, the other detail that I'm not sure of is what thickness of wire is typically used for the inputs to the main breaker (labeled B in the above diagram). I need to ensure that the sensor I select has an opening large enough to accommodate the insulated conductor (for instance, the probe I linked indicates that its opening is 13x13 mm). I'm sure there isn't a single answer for all cases, but is there a good rule of thumb for what my home might have based on its characteristics?

In the 2011 version of the National Electrical Code, there was Table 310.15(B)(7). This table was quite handy for determining the service conductor size.  In the 2014 version, it looks like they've done away with this table. However, the long code trail that has replaced it, seems to basically say the same thing.

National Electrical Code 2011
Article 310 - Conductors for General Wiring
II. Installation

Typical services (in the US) are 100, 150, or 200 ampere (though 60 is common for older dwellings). Which means you'll be dealing with a possible range from 4 AWG copper to 2/0 copper (2 AWG al to 4/0 al).  Which means you'll want a device that can accommodate conductors from about 0.3 in. diameter to about 0.7 in. diameter, if you want to cover the whole spectrum of possibilities.


Behind the Washer and Dryer clearance I have a 90s GE filter flo heavy capacity top loader washing machine that has started to make squeaky noises during the agitation. It's 27 inches wide and 24 inches in depth.

I'm looking to replace it with another top load machine. The ones I found online are at least 26 inches in depth. My laundry closet is only 29 inches deep. Is 3 inches behind enough for clearance? The old machine has 5 inches behind. What is the minimum size required? I see some front loaders that are 24-25 inches deep but the capacity of those machines are very small.

The installation clearances for an appliance would be documented in the users manual or installation setup guide.

If you know the manufacturer and exact model number it is very possible to find these manuals and/or guides online. Another possibility is to go to the store where you would purchase the appliance and query with the staff there to look at the manuals or just ask their technicians the respective questions.


Water supply valve to closed radiant heat system on or off? I have a closed radiant heat system, meaning a boiler with a pump, radiators and piping.  After the intake valve, there is a pressure reducer and a backflow stopper (both bell shaped).  Yesterday, when I was reenabling the system after I had dismounted some radiators for painting, I had forgotten to tighten the elbow couplings on one radiator so when I was filling the system, I had a small flood.  Which got me thinking, if there ever was a leak while I am away, the open intake valve would cause continued flooding but if the system is full, as it is a closed system, the spillage would be limited.  So there is an advantage to having the valve shut.  But are there any reasons to keep it on?

That would depend on how smart your boiler controls are. If they shut down on low pressure, there's no real reason to leave the valve open. If not, you have flooding on one hand, burning out the boiler on the other...neither is good. Smart boiler controls and a closed valve would appear to be the best available option.


Home phone jack connectivity test I have a panel in a closet with my phone (RJ11?)cables in there.

I want to convert one of those to RJ45. I want the cable that goes into my living room. I know there are connectivity testers out there, but those work with cables that are already terminated in RJ11 or RJ45. How do I figure out which one of the blue cables I want to change?

Go to the living room and put a 9v battery on one of the pairs of wires.  Then with a voltmeter, go through the cables in that closet one by one until you find the one that measures 9v across that pair of wires.


Central Air is Blowing cold air outside I change the capacitor and cleaned all of the coils inside the interior unit and outside along with the fins and the blades with a professional solution. I had the HVAC refrigerant filled. I cleaned the water pump which circulates the outgoing water  which was filthy. I also replaced the thermostat I don’t know what else it could be but the compressor.

Why would the unit still be running with a compressor that is not working? And also is there a way to check it without replacing it to see if it actually bad?

By the way the electric dryer vent is located directly above the outside unit. Why would anybody put it there is beyond my comprehension?

If the unit was working somewhat fine and you were simply doing much appreciated maintenance to restore its past performance, then you mixed up the wiring during the new thermostat install.

If the unit wasn't cooling and therefore prompted the maintenance, then it would likely be that the TXV (Thermal Expansion Valve) needs to be replaced.

If the unit's inside coil was hot, then the Thermostat wiring is screwy...assuming it's set to Cool and not Heat. If the inside coil wasn't hot, then the Thermostat is still wrong, but you fortunately discovered before heating season that the Reversing Valve needs to be replaced.