Storm door resists closing I have a storm door that won't shut properly. In specific it "resists" or bounces back open if you let go when it's about 1 - 1 1/2 inches away from being shut. This means that the self closing mechanism pretty much never works.

I can't identify an obvious culprit for the cause though there are some things I find suspicious. For starters, there's a small gap between the door and the frame at the top of the door on the side without the hinge. There's also some peeling paint near the top hinge, and when you pull the door shut, it does seem like the frame flexes and shifts. But I'm not sure what would be causing the poor fit, since it looks like all the screws are properly tightened.

I tried tightening the screws on the inside of the metal frame, but it doesn't seem to have made a difference. How do I go about figuring out why this door won't shut, and then fix it?

The air piston on the closer has an adjustment screw on the end of it.

If you tighten it (or turn it clockwise) the door closes slower. Loosening the screw causes it to close faster.

Also, check to make sure the prop clip on the rod is slid back as far as it will go.

Good,luck!


what are these two things in my basement and can they be used to add a bathroom I am not a technical person and I am wondering what are these two things in my basement?

I think one of them is the water input (with meter) for my house
the second one coming from the ground is for the wastewater output

I am wondering can they be used to add a full bathroom in my basement? the reason I am asking is I contacted a contractor on the phone and he gave me two prices based on whether he needs to dig the concrete foundation to connect the wastewater.

One is a water meter on your main supply that can be read remotely.
The other looks like a drain access plug in case you ever need to run a snake down the pipe.


Unknown armature in a kitchen Can someone explain me the function of following armature in a kitchen?

The valve is probably for the dish washer, but what is the purpose
for the metal thing below? It does not seem modifiable and has small
slides near the front cap.

The armature is at a height of about 1.2m in the middle of the kitchen wall.
At a height of about 30cm there are different connections
(water for dish washer and regular kitchen water / wastewater connections).

I highly doubt this is a valve for the dishwasher. Since this is above the countertop (which I'm assuming since there's tile on the wall), it may be a pot filler with the end capped off.


Can keep my header when widening a doorway? I'm replacing my 60"x 95" exterior french doors with a new set measuring
72" x 95" instead. My entrance is partially underneath a single gable front porch which has a small trussed attic above.

I guess my question is this... The current door frame needs to widened by about 4" more inches on each side in order to sneak in the wider unit. Any other options to maintain structural integrity without tearing things down and adding an 8" longer header?

In a jam. Any suggestions would surely help me out.

Thanks, VC

Not if you want it done right, but it's not as bad as you might think. Here's my usual routine to avoid excess drywall repair.

Remove the current door and jamb.
Mark the new rough opening on the wall.
Make the horizontal cuts to widen the rough opening using a circular saw (which will be extremely dusty--have a helper hold a strong vacuum) and/or a reciprocating saw. At this point the current header is still in place, but you've cut through all studs interfering with the new rough opening.
Make the vertical cuts on each side. With luck you'll be between studs. If not, just cut the drywall for now. Remove all drywall inside the R.O. on both sides of the wall.
Remove any studs at the sides of the R.O. that are within 1-1/2" of the R.O. You may need to remove drywall screws and extend the horizontal cut slightly. You should now have voids between drywall panels, at each side of the R.O., of at least 1-1/2" depth into the wall cavity. At this point you may want to stand your new door in the opening to be sure you have the R.O. correct. You want about 1/2" gap all around.
Remove any drywall screws run into the header. Gently pry the drywall away from the header to locate them. A magnet can help. Once the drywall is completely free, pull down the header. It'll probably be toenailed into the pin studs above and may take substantial force to dislodge. Once it's out of the way, reach up inside the wall cavity and pry out those nails. You could also cut them off with a rotary tool. The bottoms of the pin studs should be free of obstruction.
If necessary due to a taller replacement header, mark the top of the new header above the rough opening. Make surgical cuts with a reciprocating saw to shorten the pin studs appropriately. If you're very careful, this can be done by cutting through the drywall on one side only. It's easy to let the saw jerk the studs around and rip up your drywall here. Go easy. You'll have to repair these small slots later anyway, so you can add extra drywall screws to better anchor the pin studs if you like. Remove any drywall screws and the pin stud cutoffs.
Add new king studs where needed. Anchor them in place however you can, by toenailing into the wall plates and with drywall screws. If you have an existing stud less than 6 inches from one side of the R.O. consider extending your header to use that as a king. It's important that both kings be well anchored at the top and bottom, as they're critical to a rigid wall and robust frame for your door. If you can't get nails or screws in place, use a copious amount of construction adhesive (not wood glue).
Slide the new header up into the wall cavity. It might hang there of its own accord, but you could run a couple drywall screws in to temporarily support it, or place a 2x4 leg under it. Toenail or screw the header into the king studs.
Add your trimmer studs. If you used a king that's more than 3" into the wall, add double trimmers on that side, flush with the R.O. You'll want 3" of lumber there for rigidity and for trim backing. Fasten the trimmers to the header and re-fasten the drywall to the trimmers.
Repair the slots and any screw holes in the drywall above the header as necessary.


How can I adjust for an uneven exterior door threshold? What is the most appropriate way to adjust for an uneven threshold on an exterior door?

In the image below you can see the gap that exists on one side of the door.

We have considered taking up the metal threshold and using self-leveling concrete to even out the corner, and threshold. Is there a more appropriate way to handle this gap?

One way to address this problem is to acquire a lower door threshold seal unit that slides onto the bottom of the door and is adjustable by sliding up and down to the threshold. They are then fixed into place using screws through the side flanges into the lower rail of the door.

Here is a picture of what the product looks like. They are sized to the specific thickness of the door.

You would remove any existing lower door seal before installing the new seal. In some cases it may be necessary to trim the door some if the lower height requirement of the new piece is more than the current gap under the door.

You should be able to find these at most big box home stores. I saw mention of the orange one online.


How should we sand and treat our Victorian floorboards? We have recently bought a new house, well a new old house. It dates from 1900, we have taken the carpet up ad are now looking to sand back the exposed original floorboards.

We plan on giving the floor a light sanding, as it smooth just somewhat dirty/cosmetic imperfections.  Is the correct process to use a fine sandpaper, and then possibly an intermediate if necessary ? We will be using a large commercial floor sander.

After sanding we envisage the wood being a lot lighter, and therefore we will need to stain it.  What stains are best oil/water/spirit based ?

How many coats of stain are required ?

After staining it is necessary to apply a varnish ? We intended to apply two coats of clear varnish. The first coat can be watered down, as it is used to seal the wood ?

Does our plan look like a good one ?

Edit

Just in case anyone is interested, the floor is all done.

We used 3 coats of ronseal diamond hard floor varnish.  Before the final coat of clear varnish we sandpapered with fine grain by hand, and wiped with wet cloth/let dry for couple of hours. This got rid of a number of cloudy marks that were present and caused, I think, by our slightly imperfect sanding.
So one thing I learn't - don't be afraid of the rough paper and really giving the floorboards a good going over.  We got them smooth, but there is substantial variation in colour where different amounts of wood were taken off by the sanding/levelling process,however we quite like this the distressed/aged look; They are over 100yrs old after all.

It might be better if you didn't stain the wood.

We have varnished the floors in nearly all the rooms in our circa 1900 house and in each case we used clear Ronseal Diamond Hard varnish - it's quick drying and "does what it says on the tin" * - and with three coats it still darkens the wood quite nicely.

It isn't necessary to stain before varnishing and most varnishes don't need diluting.

In a couple of rooms we stained the boards, but only because we had to replace some and the new ones were the wrong colour. In those rooms is was a case of two coats of stain on the new boards and one on the old. Any more and the wood becomes too dark.

The best thing to do is to stain a piece of board in areas with one, two and three coats plus leave an area plain, then varnish. This will give you an idea of what the final effect will be and you can compare the different levels of stain against each other.


How can I install a J-Trap for a bathroom sink with limited space? Well, it was my first difficult handman project and I got this far...

Below is a photo of my installation right now. Every single diagram I've seen has the J-Trap facing down. Is there any way around moving the drainage outlet?

Seems to me that the issue is the pipe enters the wall so low that the J-trap won't reach (and would hit the shelf)?  Looks like you are going to need to get two elbows, or a 180 and bring the wall fitting up higher to meet your J:

It will snake around a lot, but I don't think there's anything wrong with doing that.
BTW, since it's visible, I'd suggest getting chrome instead of the plastic.

EDIT: As mentioned in the comments below, the solution above is pretty easy, but will result in a more clog-prone drain since the water won't drain as fast, and there are more turns to clog up (and it will not snake easily).  The more difficult solution is to open the wall (hope the plumbing is plastic and not iron) and move the sanitary tee higher, and then patch the wall back up.


Do I need to dielectrically insulate smart home shuttoff valve on water main? I have a smart home automated shutoff valve that I want to install in my water main.
The shutoff valve is a motorized ball valve on a stainless steel fitting. My water main is copper.
I am aware of corrosion issues mixing different types of metal piping.
I am hesitant to use a dielectric union on the water main because I have never used one before, and don't know if these are prone to leaking. I also also do not want corrosion though, so I'm stuck not knowing which is best.
I love in Colorado, but am not looking for meeting the minimum code, I want to make sure I don't have to worry about corrosion or water leaks.
Thanks in advance!

They are not prone to leaking.  But since you are cutting into the water main inside the house (which I assume is coming into the house) you can go from the main to PVC then to your stainless steel valve if you like.  What is the material of the plumbing in the rest of the house?  Is it already PVC or PEX?


How do I drill holes for "cam nuts"? The manuals I've seen for (cheaper) furniture refers to a cam nut and a cam bolt. Examples of them can be seen for purchase on Amazon.

I've recently decided I'd like to build my own desk and believe these would be a good means to allow future disassembly of the desk.

Is there a reason to not use cam nuts/bolts in my own furniture? I'm surprised how little info I'm finding on DIY'ing with them.

And what tool would I use to drill the hole for the cam nut?

A frequently used bit is a Forstner style bit, which drills (nearly) flat bottomed holes.  .

For the smaller sizes (< 1/2 inch, <13mm) , a brad point bit is also usable and also (nearly) flat bottomed.

Because these bits are minimally guided by a central drill point, use in a drill press is recommended (to prevent sideways drift).  Careful use freehand can also work.  Go slowly at the start, until the full circumference is inscribed, then higher pressure can be used.


Adjustable door threshold bottomed out and grouted in place Just bought house. Previous owners did some bad renovations by themselves. I noticed lots of bugs coming in. Figured out the wooden kitchen/garage adjustable door threshold was screwed down all the way. Got down there to raise it and realized when they did kitchen tile, they mortared against the threshold, in it's tightened down position. The grout line is about 1/4 inch wide, all along the threshold.
Then they filled the adjustable screw head with grout so nobody could adjust it up and break the grout line/threshold connection. Except the screw closest to hinge, it doesn't have grout in it, and it's raised flush against the door bottom like it's supposed to be. Then the other three are all tightened down.
I don't know if you're supposed to tile flush to the threshold edge or grouting to the edge is better, if they did it wrong or not.
I tried scratching the screw head grout with a screwdriver and a dental tool but nothing came off. Any ideas for that, short of demolishing it to get it out?
Would using a dremel and thin cutting wheel break the grout cleanly along threshold? Or will it break up the 1/4 channel and I'll have to re-grout that part, hoping to match the color? I've never grouted before and don't really want to get into it. I'm terrible at painting and caulking so probably won't do well with grouting.
Or any other ideas? Thanks!

So this is what happened. First I bought a handheld grout scraper, but it was way too wide; I wanted a thin cut if possible. Then I bought and used a 1/16" wide mason cutting wheel on my cheap harbor freight 4" angle grinder, you can see results in pics. It did the job, but the grout crumbled and collapsed. Finally, I used an old flathead screwdriver and hammer to chip grout from screws until I could raise the threshold.
Lessons Learned:

Good: Goal was to raise the threshold and stop bug traffic. Goal accomplished.
Bad: I should have started inside kitchen rather than outside in garage. I think I could have kept a straighter line and not damaged the threshold so much. I didn't realize the threshold damage until I moved inside.
Bad: I should have tried using a Dremel cutting wheel cutting wheel first. The wheel width would only been 1/64" thinner, and maybe the grout would still have collapsed, but I would have had better control with a Dremmel than the heavy angle grinder. Also in hindsight probably wiser to start with smallest cutting tool and move up if the situation allows.
Bad: I ended up trashing the threshold.
Good & Bad: My mistakes in this project force me to learn how to remove and reinstall a wood threshold and grouting. Acquiring new skills is never bad, but now I have to pay extra money and have two more chores to finish it.


Finishing nails won't penetrate wood I have a support beam for my bed that broke off recently and needs to be replaced (I've highlighted the beam in yellow in the picture below). Two of the four original finishing nails have snapped off.

I've tried using 1" finishing nails to nail the beam back onto the wood. However, I find myself having a hard time getting the finishing nail to penetrate the piece of wood and I'm not sure what the reason may be.

The wood would penetrate half way, but would not go any further. As I use more force, I end up bending the head of the nail and eventually having it break off the nail itself due to many attempts to bend the head back to form a straight line.

Does anyone have any ideas on what I'm doing wrong and how I can get these nails to penetrate properly? (i.e. Am I using the wrong type of nails for this job? Is there any technique in hammering I need to be aware of?)

Thanks in advance.

It is not uncommon, with hardwoods, to have to drill a pilot hole prior to nailing. If the wood you are working with is soft then you should investigate the circumstances, like is there a metal gusset plate or structural component that is interfering with the nailing.


Open riser stairs with squeaky treads How do you make stair treads with an open riser stop squeaking?  The treads are connected to the stringer with brackets.

You could try tighting the brackets. If the brackets are screwed on unscrew remove thread and apply some adhesive like F-26 or Liquid Nail then reinstall. If that's not possible you could screw or nail thru top of thread directly to the riser.  This old school trick might be an option, squirting a small amount of either baby powder or graphite between the tread and riser. I'm guessing the stairs are made of wood.


How can I further diagnose my central air conditioning compressor fan motor and capacitor? I have a 15 year old Bryant Central Air unit in my house.  Yesterday it stopped working.  Here is what I have checked.

The breaker in the basement is not tripped.
The furnace works fine from the thermostat.
The blower downstairs by the furnace runs when AC is on and blows room temp air into the house, but the fan on the compressor is not spinning.  The fan on the compressor does spin freely when I manually spin it with a stick.
Checked for fuses in the outside box.  There are no fuses outside, only an on/off pull thingy with two metal plates that you have to turn upside down to turn off.
The capacitor is not flat on top, but far less rounded then any of the examples of blown AC dual capacitors I've seen on youtube.
I get 220v in on the contactor.
I get 220v out on the contactor.
I get 24v from the thermostat.
When the air is on at the thermostat the contactor solenoid is in, when the air is off it is out.
When the air is on at the thermostat I hear a buzz coming from the outside compressor but I can't tell what the source of the buzz is.
If I push the solenoid in when the AC is off, the compressor does not start up and the fan does not spin, I just hear the buzz.
If I wait by the compressor outside for a few seconds while the AC is on there's another buzz sound that goes off for about 3 seconds then stops.  From listening to the AC when it was working this is the buzz sound that goes off before the compressor and fan usually kick in.
After leaving the non-functioning unit on for a few minutes while I diagnosed I noticed that the metal on top of the compressor fan motor was VERY hot to the touch.  It cooled after I turned the AC off.

I'm thinking the fan motor on the compressor is dead or the capacitor is bad.  Is there a way to check the capacitor and the fan motor while they're still in the unit?  With the power off of course.  Does anyone think it's something else?  Do I have to buy the overpriced ($485 for the manufacturer fan motor and $200 for the dual capacitor) replacement part from the manufacturer or can I use a third party manufacturer?  Any other help would be appreciated.  As much as I'd love to bring an HVAC guy in here I just can't afford it.  Either I go without AC, or I fix it myself.

EDIT:  With the AC on I manually spun up the fan on the compressor and the fan started spinning and the AC unit fired up.

I ended up pulling the capacitor and testing it with my ohm meter.  It was dead.  I could have easily gone to the local HVAC supply, purchased a new capacitor for $30 and installed it myself.  But, because I also wanted to have the pressure tested, I called in the guy who installed my furnace.  He affirmed that I "did good", it was the capacitor.  And because I had done most of the diagnostic work, he cut me a good deal.

In the end, the most important bit, on a 95 degree day when the humidity is 70%, a happy wife is a blissful life.  ;)


How do I determine how much water is in my water heater's tank? We are in S. Texas experiencing record breaking cold weather. Have had hot water since this began. Today, third day into double digit temps, city announced broken water pipes and water boil notice. Water pressure out of tap is almost nonexistent. No water at all out of hot taps. Turn off heater?   I know nothing about hot water heaters. Just don’t want it to explode if it contains no water and continues to heat empty. Gas heater. Below freezing weather still in forecast. Heater located in garage. How does one know how much water is in the tank?

If your water heater has a drain port that uses a conventional garden hose type fitting, consider to attach a short piece of hose to the port. It can also take a standard washing machine hose. Ensure that you have no pressure, as "almost nonexistent" is still some pressure.
Open the valve for the drain port while the end of the washing machine hose is at the height of the top of the water heater. There should be no water visible when the end is higher. As you lower the end of the hose, you will begin to see water approaching the opening. It will match the level of the water in the tank.
If there is pressure in the system, none of this will work, as the water pressure, even if low, will force water from the tank into the hose, regardless of the level of the hose end.


How to protect stair stringers from water rot? I'm repairing the stairs of a deck structure, replacing dry-rot stringers with new ones. The stringers rest on top of a cement pool deck. The pool deck is sloped towards the stairs, so I expect rain water to come towards the stringers.
Is there a good technique to water proof the new stringers? I was thinking using Redguard type of waterproofing but I read that this could make things worst as moisture could potentially be kept in.
The stairs are about 20 feet wide, so I have about a dozen stringers to deal with.
This is what some of the stringers look like after 16 years.

I had a similar problem with stringers in direct contact with cement that had water runoff. I sawed off 1/2" from the bottom of each of four stringers,screwed in 4- 2 1/2"  stainless steel lag screws into the bottom of each stringer. Once back in place, backed out the lag screws like leveling a washing machine. End result, the stringers were 1/2" above the concrete and the water just drained by. I guess it's kind of a hack but it worked great. Twenty stringers is a lot of lag screws though.


Should I insulate the duct trunk as I finish my basement? I'm in the process of finishing my basement and am currently planning out my HVAC. I live in Minnesota so I'm trying to do what I can to maximize heat delivery/retention down there so I don't end up with an uncomfortably cool living space in the winter.
I'm wondering if it would be a good idea to insulate the trunk duct which will be enclosed in a soffit that runs along the middle. I'm also considering the same thing for the branch ducts. Would it be a good idea to insulate those ducts as they run through the floor joists? If so, would it make more sense to only insulate the supply ducts that are delivering to the basement and leave the existing supply ducts for the upper floors uninsulated? Perhaps leaving those ones uninsulated may allow some extra heat to stay in the basement? But, I'm guessing the vast majority of that would just be waste that would just be staying in the interfloor space.
Just hoping to get a sense for what steps may actually be beneficial vs what would be a waste of time/money.

All ducts are now required to be sealed (at the seams), but you don't normally insulate unless:

they pass through a cold/hot environment such as an attic or unheated crawl space
you have an extraordinarily long run and need to reduce heat loss along the way

If you have a typical home, don't bother. Exhaust temps should remain acceptable unless you're skirting the fringes of performance with an old or inadequate furnace. The key is to have enough vents for each room (based on square footage, windows, and other factors) and good return flow.
Use foil tape and/or silicone caulk to seal all joints and be happy.


Building Patio - Pavers against siding solution? I used crushed gravel as a base for patio. I'd like the patio to get as close as possible to the house but am realizing that it may not be good to put the pavers right up against the siding.

The gravel is about now 3-4 inches "up" the siding as you can see in pictures.

Should I dig out the stones I put down against the house? Maybe just keep the patio 1/2 foot away from the house?

Ideas?

I ended up digging out the stones for about a foot away from siding.

I poured a concrete "curb", making the curb form out of 1x6x8's in front of the siding about 8 inches above the ground and extending 18 inches into the ground.

Then I laid the pavers on top of the crush and run base, with sand on top to make everything level. Looks great. Laying your pavers up against the siding looks bad. Worked great.

Also in the picture above you can't see the new sideing. I just left the old siding on. After I poured the curb and laid the pavers I put some new siding on (right over top of the old) the siding goes right down to an inch above the curb. Perfect.


Is a water plumbing shut-off valve needed for every room? Can I have a just a single set of shut-off valves (one for hot and one for cold) for two bathrooms upstairs and another for the kitchen/laundry area?

Should each bathroom have its own set?

This is a two story house.  Can those shut-offs be on the first floor, directly below the bathrooms, or should they be inside the bathrooms?

Each water dispensing device should have its own valve. That means one valve for every hot and one for every cold for each fixture or appliance.

If there is a problem (a leak, a malfunctioning unit) this allows you to cut off the problem device without losing functionality of other devices in the system.

For example, if you had a leaking toilet filling valve (inside the tank), you could turn the toilet supply off without losing the cold water in the sink and the tub in that same bathroom. If you had a delay in getting a part or doing a repair, this could be very important.

Having a separate cutoff valve near the dispensing device also allows a fast response to cut off the flow if there is a sudden leak. No running to the basement while the upstairs bathroom floor fills with water.


which comes first painting walls or stippling the ceiling Hope that someone can help me. I am scrapping the popcorn off my ceiling. I will be doing a knockdown. Should I paint the walls before the stippling?

Thanks.

Personally I would do the final coat on the ceiling and then the final coat on the walls - “cutting in” has to be done either way.


Are these toilet bolts installed properly? I had my bathroom renovated and had a new toilet installed. I noticed the white caps on the toilet screws were not secure---- looked like the contractor tried to secure them with some sort of caulking. I was not confident that they would stick and I had a grave concern because my daughter likes to pull them off anyway. So I took them off and cleaned up the goop which was used to secure them.

I didn't know if i was being overcritical but it seemed like the caps might have been hiding shoddy work. I attached some photos. Notice the washer (I don't recall seeing them on old insulation). Also it looks like the screw was broken off after it was screwed in. (it's sharp)-- again another issue for my daughter.

Couple of questions-
1. Is there custom hardware to attach toilet to floor?
2. What should keep these caps or is there an assumption that you won't have two year olds to pull them out.

The caps come with a washer-type thing that they clip into:

Your toilet clearly does not have these clips. Using silicone is most definitely not the correct way to attach these, so maybe the installer lost the clips or just has never installed a toilet before?

It's normal to cut the bolts to length, as the length needed depends on the thickness of your floor. The nice way to do this is with a tool that has a cut-off wheel (eg, Dremel), the not-so-nice way is a pair of cutters since it leaves the edges sharp, but if the cap is attached correctly it shouldn't matter.

Here's what it looks like normally (via Handymanhowto), the clips are clear in this case:


How do I keep drawer knobs from loosening over time? I see knobs like this on cabinets, dressers, and closet doors. They are held in place with a single wood screw.

Very often they are loose. I guess when we grab them we often impart a slight twist. Also, temperature and humidity changes cause the wood to swell and shrink. The system is biased towards unscrewing, so over time they loosen up.

My DIY instinct says that this is bad. That the screw will strip out the knob, or it will ream out the hole in the door. Well, it seems sloppy.

When I notice one, I give it a twist to tighten. Sometimes I put my finger over the screw head to hold it still. When it's really stiff, I might get out the multitool. Sometimes, in my enthusiasm, I strip out the knob. Doh!

What's the best way to deal with these things? For example:

Use handles that take two screws.
Put a washer under the head to distribute the load, then make them really tight.
Keep them all tight according to a schedule.
Only use knobs made of strong wood, and keep them tight.
Use knobs that take a machine screw instead of a wood screw.
Put wood glue in the screw hole.
Use door designs that don't need a handle.

I'd recommend going with a metal knob that's held in place by a machine screw. They're going to cost more, but they won't get damaged from everyday use, and you don't have to worry about them stripping out. Most of the knobs in my house are metal and take machine screws. I do have to periodically re-tighten them though. Some Blue Loctite might take care of it, but I've never taken the time to address the issue.


What are these doorstops called? I've encountered these doorstops in Japan, but I can't figure out what to call them. They are on interior doors.

They aren't on the hinges, so they aren't hinge-pin. They are mounted on the door frame - but searching "frame mounted" isn't consistent.

I also thought "door jamb stop" might yield results, and it does, but I still don't know what I should call it if I were to talk to someone about them.

So what's the name of these?

combined doorstop

no idea why it is called that

https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Combined-Doorstop_120756102.html?spm=a2700.7724857.main07.63.6fab1fe1FMcc4F


Why would two regular outlets stop working after I replaced GFCI outlets? I replaced two GFCI outlets and they are working fine, but two regular outlets on the same wall stopped working and are not receiving electricity. I checked and checked to see if I did the GFCI ones correctly but can't figure out what the problem is.

There are a couple of possibilities for how this could happen, but the simplest theory is that you failed to reconnect the wire feeding those outlets to the LOAD side terminals on the GFCIs.  Turn the power off to the kitchen circuits and check in the GFCI-containing boxes for loose/unconnected wires.

If you don't find anything in there, there are three possibilities:

You knocked the wires feeding the outlets out of the boxes during the GFCI replacement.  Unfortunately, you'll probably need an electrician to come in and fix your divot for you in this case.
The outlets weren't GFCI protected, and you somehow managed to miss their HOT wire in the box -- perhaps your kitchen is on a multi-wire branch circuit, and the receptacle HOT wires never were connected back in when the GFCIs are replaced?
You interchanged the LOAD and LINE terminals when installing the new GFCIs -- the outlet itself will still function, but not as a GFCI, and it will not pass power "backwards".  What happens when you press the TEST button on the GFCI?  It should trip if and only if it's wired a semblance of correctly -- and will not trip if reverse-wired as there's no power on the LINE side for it to trip with.
The GFCI itself isn't passing power -- try tripping it manually with the TEST button then resetting it.  If everything is indeed wired correctly and it still doesn't pass power when tripped and reset, you have a pair of dud GFCIs on your hands, and it's time to replace 'em.


Do Victor Poison-Free Insect Magnet Traps actually work on spiders? Victor Poison-Free Insect Traps

I trapped a few in an old apartment. But I've had spiders running free in my own room - despite the presence of THREE traps.

These will generally work on hunting spiders, such as jumping, wolf and fiddleback (recluse) spiders. The hunting spiders go and look for food, and will thus be attracted to insect pheromones as they indicate the presence of a group of insects (males fighting over females and/or "orgies" of large numbers of both sexes), providing ample opportunity for the spider to nab a meal.

Web-weavers, not so much; they don't go hunting for their meals, instead waiting for the food to come to them. So, the myriad web-spinner spiders including most of the big scary ones like garden spiders, orb weavers, funnel-webs and black widows, won't fall for these types of traps; really the only way to get rid of those types of spiders is a poison of some sort, which they'll get on their feet as they move around, then ingest when they clean themselves (most insect/arachnid species are rather fastidious).

Understand that spiders are beneficial, even inside your home, though I definitely get why you don't want them hanging out in the bedroom.


How can I connect a sub-panel to an unused 60A breaker in another panel? So I have a contractor installing a gas furnace where I used to have an electric furnace. I am ending up with a 60a circuit that is not needed anymore. I want to take that circuit and install a subpanel so I can run two or more 15 or 20a circuits off it. Should be able to do that no problem. But where I am confused is instead of having a black and red wire I have a black a white and a bare wire. How do I wire that into my panel?

Make this a 120V only subpanel

Since the original circuit was 240V-only (hot, hot, ground), you're short the neutral wire needed for having both 120 and 240V at the old furnace's location.  Since you only need 120V here, though, what you can do is install a 120V-only subpanel; however, that limits you to 50A as 120V-only (by design) subpanels don't come in larger sizes, and trying to use a larger subpanel gets confusing, what with the potential for skipped slots and all.

You'll need a GE THQL1150 breaker (to replace the THQL2160 that's in there right now), a TQLFP1 filler plate to fill the hole left by the other pole, a Square-D QO24L50TTS panel for your subpanel, a suitable NM clamp for the cable coming in, and appropriate QO single pole or QOT double-stuff branch breakers in 15 and 20A, as well as a torque screwdriver or torque wrench that goes up to 50 inch pounds or so as all lugs must be torqued to their manufacturer specification (110.14(D) in the 2017 NEC).  Replace the THQL2160 with the THQL1150 (with the main off) -- the black wire that landed on the THQL2160 lands on the THQL1150's lug, the white wire that landed on the THQL2160 gets moved over to land on the neutral bar (torque it to spec too!) as it will be a neutral now, not the other hot leg, and the bare wire stays put as it will continue to be a ground.  Snap the TQLFP1 into the hole in the deadfront left where the other half of the THQL2160 was.

Once this is done, leave the new branch breaker off, button the main panel up, and turn the main breaker back on.  You can then mount and install the QO24L50TTS in an appropriate spot; once it's mounted and the cable fed in through a KO and secured, you then can terminate the black wire from the cable to the main lug, the white wire from the cable to a lug on the neutral bar on the far right, and the bare wire from the cable to a lug on the ground bar on the far left.  Make sure to torque the connections to spec; there will be no bonding strap or bonding screw to pull, as the QO24L50TTS is not suitable for use as service equipment to begin with.

Then, you can install the appropriate OQ or QOT single pole breakers (QO115/120 or QOT1515/1520/2020 depending on the mix of 15 and 20A circuits you need, you can get 4 circuits max using double-stuffs in this panel) and wire up your 15 and 20A circuits to the subpanel.  Note that if you want ground-fault or arc-fault protection here, it will probably be easiest to use a short conduit nipple over to a box with a deadfront GFCI, AFCI, or DFCI in it instead of crimping your circuit count with a GFCI, AFCI, or DFCI breaker.


Can I install two independent gfci outlets in one double-gang box? Cam I have two GFCIs connected to one double gang box in my laundry room and if so can I do a single line connection so that they both can work independently?

I have a 12/2 going from the panel through conduit (copper wire) to the double gang box. I want to have each GFCI to run independently without using the load. Why, in case one shuts off the other isn't affected. the double gang box is standard. the device is a Leviton 20 amps. I was told that you can run 12/2 from the panel to the first GFCI black and white. Then connect the second GFCI using a jumper and attaching it to he second GFCI. Is this acceptable by code. we use a washer,dryer in the laundry and the garage heavy machinery. so why should this be a problem running two independent?

Take the incoming hot (black) and wirenut it to black pigtails going to the brass LINE HOT screws on each GFCI.  Take the incoming neutral (white) and wirenut it to white pigtails going to the silver LINE NEUTRAL screws on each GFCI.  Take all the grounds and wirenut them to each other and to bare pigtails to the green ground screws on each GFCI -- if you're in metal conduit with metal boxes, simply get self-grounding GFCIs instead.

With a single 12-2 and two yokes, you'll be nowhere near box fill for a double gang box, by the way.


Is there a significant Difference between roofing and weeding torches? I have a modified bitumen roof and I would like to go independent making patches for things like vents and other fixes. So far I have hired people to come and torch down material like this but I don't want to bring guys for just small jobs.

I need help selecting a torch. I will not be doing heavy duty jobs, only small patches, a few square feet at a time. I noticed that the Roof Center and Amazon sell $190 torches like this.

But also you can also buy a cheaper version, which is advertised for "weeding". They look similar and comparable BTUs.

I was wondering if the cheaper torch will do fine for what I need and if they can be mounted on a small camping propane tank, not a big one for grilling. In fact, my ideal torch would not need a hose at all and would just be directly mounted on top of a camping propane tank.

The weed burner that I have is more of a cross of the 2 torches and yes my weed burner will work but not as well as the roofing torch.
What are the differences the roofing torch is highly focused compared to the weed burner, the focused heat is helpful at not overheating the edges and starting fires where the weed burner can create the heat but tends to flame more (I hope that makes sense)
Other minor things like the cradle to keep the flame pointed up (yes you could make one) but the focused torch can be a help as I have used it not pointing down but horizontal to help put a fire out it sounds funny and it takes some practice but I don’t think you can do that with a weed burner.
(But for small jobs I would and have used my burner)


Why do electricians prefer not to use the push-in connections on receptacles? Why do electricians prefer not to use the back-stab or quick connect holes on switches and receptacles? If these were unreliable do you think they would be allowed by the NFPA and NEC?

The sockets I've been using for the last 15 years have standard screw connection, holes behind that location where the screw pulls a plate against straight stripped wires and the push-in holes.

After you've encountered a few burnt sockets from using the push-in connection in the first couple outlets in a daisy chain, you start to realize something.

The straight connections behind the screw are mechanically sound and require only a wire stripper and a screwdriver. You don't really save much time using the push-in.
Hoping and wishing that brass retains its spring pressure to maintain a tight, low resistance connection on the push-in connector after many heat cycles anneal it, doesn't make the connection mechanically sound. When the spring pressure relaxes as the metal loses its work hardening, you are left with a loose connection which heats, further anneals the brass spring and then proceeds to get hot enough to melt the supporting plastic shell.

Afraid to burn a house down during its lifetime? --OR-- Proud of sturdy craftsmanship that only takes a wire stripper and a screwdriver to make a solid, permanent connection?

Take your pick on how you word it, I'd rather err on the side of wearing the socket out from use, not having to replace it due to burning and melting from a loose connection.

Further observations:

On the mechanical connections: Brass has a similar coefficient of expansion as copper so is slower to loosen if tightened properly. This is one of the reasons why the old copper wire only sockets would fail with aluminum wire.
Due to daisy-chain failure, I once sectioned the side out of a new socket to verify "spring-loading" in the push-in contact. As copper wire is flexed, it work hardens. This allows the wire to put side pressure against the spring contact as the socket is pushed back into the box for mounting which can slightly unseat the connection. The lessened contact pressure causes resistance. Heat eventually anneals the spring causing it to lose its "tightening" ability leading to enough heat to melt the plastic supporting the contact. That observation is from disassembling a failed socket and the closeness that the hot conductor came to the others after burning/melting the support plastic was not good.
If you look up the receptacle specifications, the push-in is rated for 14 gauge wire. If your circuit breaker is 20 amp, you will be using 12 gauge wire and have to use screw head or straight in mechanical connections.


Non-permanent way to cap a clay cleanout pipe I have a clay cleanout pipe, with bell, in my side yard. There is no type of cover and I want to prevent mosquitoes from breeding inside.  Does anyone know of a way I can cover it while still allowing periodic access and not damaging the pipe in anyway?  I've looked online and at Lowe's for rubber caps but nothing fits the exterior 9.25"-9.5" perimeter.

Thanks,
Adam

A big stone is very good. Or, a 12x12 or small concrete paver from the store will also work great. Or, you may find smaller metal (you need UV proof) trash can lids at the store. A rock can go on top of the lid or a rock can be attached or hung from the lid inside the pipe. Or, you can get some concrete or cement mix & make your own custom cap.


Is it ok to use a plunger on a basement toilet connected to a pump? Our basement is below grade of the sewer line, so we have a pump to send waste to the sewer. The pump has a closed well in the floor of the mechanical room.

The toilet in the basement is flushing slowly. I would like to use a plunger to try to clear any presumed clog. I think any force from the plunger would be absorbed by the well, but I want to avoid damaging the pump or the well itself.

Is there any reason to be concerned about using a plunger in this scenario?

A plunger will not damage your pump. You may have a back flow valve / or check valve to prevent sewage from backing up into the toilet. It is a nasty job but some times the valve needs to be cleaned, it should be accessible. Plunge away it may just clear things up.


What is the purpose of a whole home surge suppressor? Is it useful to invest in and have a whole home surge suppressor installed at my inside and outside panels.  My home was built 2 months ago.  Home do I install the whole home surge suppressor and what should be cautious of.  Will the whole home surge suppressors cause problems with any of my devices in the house?

A whole-house surge protector is used for the same reasons that you use the power-strip surge protectors with your computers and TVs - to protect that equipment from power surges. The benefit of a whole-house unit, though, is that it protects everything connected to your electrical panel - your furnace, AC, water heater (if electric), washing machine, as well as your computers and TVs. Newer appliances have a lot of internal electronics, and the cost of replacing a fried circuit board can exceed the cost of a new appliance, making the installation of a whole-house surge protector a very attractive value.

Be sure to read the fine print of any warranty the surge protector comes with, as it may require professional installation. Typically, these units come as a double-pole breaker and are usually installed as one of the first breakers in the panel. Some of them have also a piece that sits outside the panel, and are installed through a knockout in the panel.

A lot of people will tell you to continue using strip surge protectors for your consumer electronics, and there really is no harm. Most of us need the extra outlets provided by the power strip anyway.


What is this clunking noise in my water pipe? Earlier today, I noticed a strange, repetitive clunking noise from the vicinity of my water heater.  After some investigation, it seems to come from the cold water supply to the water heater.

Here's what I've found:

turning on a faucet quiets the noise temporarily.  After shutting off the faucet, it stays quiet for a bit, then the noise comes back.
turning off the cold water supply to the heater stops the noise (and the water)
the noise occurs while no water is being used in the house.
the noise repeatedly clunks about once a second.

Any ideas what this might be?  Is it something that needs fixing, or can it be safely ignored?

I had this exact scenario in my home and the culprit turned out to be a failing pressure regulator valve.  It's typically installed after the shutoff valve where the line enters the home and will probably have a bolt going into the side of the device that would be used to adjust the pressure.

To see if this is the case, go over to the home improvement store and pickup a water pressure gauge that screws onto a garden faucet.  Attach the device to any fixture, open the valve and leave it, then go inside and turn on the cold water for 5 seconds, back off, and go back to the gauge to see if it starts climbing as the pipes bang.

You may also notice toilets or other valves leaking in the house if you have an overpressure situation.  I ended up replacing several leaking toilet valves and a sink valve because of pressure issues.

Replacing this can be a DIY job if you're comfortable cutting and soldering pipes.

Edit: here's a sample picture


3-Wire Dryer Connection Works with Dryer at Home, But Not At Other House--socket tests ok though This one is really odd...
I have a 3 wire Samsung Dryer that was not turning on at my MIL's house -- but the outlet and the bare cord (I was super-careful) show 220 across the two hot legs.  But when hooked up to the dryer, at the connection block, the voltage measures 220 from leg 1 to Neutral but zero across legs. And leg 2 to neutral is zero.
I took the dryer to my house and plugged into my 3 prong outlet; and it turns on...and measures as expected at the connection block.
I don't get it at all.  If the 3 prong outlet at my MIL's was bad, wouldn't I have got nothing or the same as my weird measurements at the connection block?  I'm stumped.

You have a lost neutral
... and the chassis of the dryer was electrified.  You're lucky you didn't meet your maker.
That third wire is neutral, not ground. There is no ground.
Perhaps you are accustomed to welders, compressors, etc.   On those, the three wires are hot, hot and safety ground.
However, in a dryer, the three wires are hot, hot and neutral. Several parts of the dryer are 120V equipment and require the neutral to function.  This connection type does not have ground, which is why it's been outlawed for 30 years.
Your neutral wire is inoperative. So the timer, controls, thermostat and tumble motor cannot turn on, therefore the dryer can't run.
Even worse, the load sitting there, connected, between a phase and neutral, is sitting there like a low value resistor, "pulling the neutral over to hot voltage".  That is why neutral reads 0V from one hot and 240V from the other.
And it's trying to kill you.
So what do they do to "ground the chassis" on these obsolete 3-wire connections?  They bond the chassis to neutral, doing the very thing that is called "bootlegging" when it's done anywhere else.
The logic is that neutral wires rarely fail.
So, since neutral is the same voltage as a hot wire... and chassis is bootlegged to neutral... that means the dryer's chassis is also at the voltage of a hot wire. It's been sitting there waiting for you to touch the chassis and also something grounded!
And maybe you've felt some little bites - 99% of the time you'll get lucky.  It's the 1% that will turn you into an obituary.   And when they write it, they'll say the dryer circuit was miswired -- no, it was not.  It was wired completely correctly (for 1989).  Simply, the neutral wire broke or has a poor contact.   That's all it takes for the setup to turn lethal... and that's why it's outlawed.
Convert the connections to 4-wire.
You can either  retrofit a ground wire ... or, you can use the 4-wire socket without a ground wire, and drive it from a GFCI breaker in the panel.  Label the outlet "GFCI Protected / No Equipment Ground".
Note that if your wiring is 3-wire black-WHITE-bare, that wiring was never legal and is not grandfathered and must be taken out of service.  It can be re-tasked to drive a 120V circuit, such as the mandatory 20A/120V circuit laundry rooms are now required to have.


Running a neutral wire to a switch box I live in Ontario, Canada.  My place was wired pre 2011 code, so it doesn't have a neutral in (most of?) the switch boxes.  I would think that the easiest way to fix this is to run a neutral line from the light to the box.  My question is, is this to code?
Edit
I've used an endoscope, and I can see that all of the wires are separate within the conduit.

Yes, you need to follow (in the conduit) the same hot and switched-hot wires.  Follow the switched-hot to the lamp itself; there, a neutral must be present.  Tap the neutral from there.
Do not tap the neutral from any convenient location.  Only the other end of the switched-hot wire.


Can I use a vent that was over an electric oven for a dryer instead? I just bought an apartment built in 1980 and it does not have a washer and dryer.  There is a vent above an electric oven.  I am remodeling the kitchen and moving the oven to the other side of the kitchen and would like to put a stackable washer dryer in the same place where the oven is.  This way I can use the vent for my dryer only.  Please let me know if I can do this and if it is safe to do so (and following the safety/state code in California-OC).

It is more important for me (and it increases the market value of my home) to have a washer/dryer than to be worried about the smell of fried onion or garlic once in a while in my home.  I would just open the windows instead of having a vent on top of my stove.

Please advise! This is very important improvement for me and makes my life much much easier to have my own washer/dryer in my home.

In general, it is a good solution.

There are a couple of potential issues:

Most dryer vent hose is 4" diameter, some oven vent is 6", so you might need an adapter

The other aspect that may need to be addressed is the louvers on the outside.  Be sure you dryer exhaust is strong enough to open the louvers or you may have to replace it for one with lighter duty springs.


What are these valves downstream of my water heater? Our water heater has two valves located on extended pipes perpendicular to the hot and cold water lines. When Spring hit, the maintenance people in my complex mentioned we needed to turn the valves before the AC would run properly (we tried running the AC first and it was producing no cold air). Since these aren't connected at all to the actual AC unit, as far as I can see, I'm confused about what they do and whether or not I should turn them back off if I want to switch back to heat.

Answer to Question asked originally

That appears to be unused piping that goes nowhere now.  The valves were shutoffs for whatever was that direction. The pipes appear to be capped now, meaning the valves have no function now.

Answer to question as Edited

These pipes and valves still have no purpose.  Take the picture you posted to your maintenance people that told you to turn the valves and ask for clarification.  FWIW, the valves as shown are turned off.

Additional Guessing and Theories

If your AC uses water it's likely an Evaporative Cooler (sometimes called a Swamp Cooler--typically found in dry/arid climates).  In that case, the AC would take a supply line to fill, but not a return line.  If in fact turning a valve on solved your problem it was a different valve and not either of the two shown.

It's also possible that your AC unit's supply water supply isn't your water. It's only a guess, but maybe your neighbor (you said apartment) got similar advice to turn on a valve and their valve feeds both units.

In any case my advise above still stands, show the maintenance man the picture you've shown us and ask for clarification about WHICH valve is associated with the air conditioning.


How can I split my rg6 cable runs without losing my signal? So I've been working on this for months as I finish my basement.  We don't have cable tv or satellite.  We just get broadcast tv using a digital roofmount antenna and then in the house a digital converter box on the old Analog TV.  We are finishing the basement and I'd like to add a jack for a TV we have down in the planned family room and office.  Whenever I put in a splitter, I lose the signal (not completely though, just poor) on the main TV.  I decided to put in a junction box/4way splitter with amplifier to bump up the signal and get the same results.

If I have 60 feet of cable with one double female link about in the middle between the antenna and TV all is fine.  Once I take out the double female and hook into the "amplifier" my signal quality decreases immensely.  I am trying my second amplifer/splitter combination and getting the same results.  I've talked to several people including RadioShak tech and everyone is scratching their head.

You cannot passively split a cable run without loss. You can split a run with a lot less loss in one leg using a device called a tap (looks like a standard splitter, except when you consult the specs). This device is used where several rooms are going to be fed from a backbone. The next leg in the backbone is fed by the low loss leg and the high loss leg forms the drop into the room. Commonly, this is used in motel suites where you start with a very strong signal and have the reliability and low cost of passive devices in the chain.

For your installation, another layout that's more common for low signal areas using antennas is to have a mast mounted antenna amplifier. This puts the maximum received signal into an active device that can boost it to a much higher level with less noise than you would get putting the amplifier further down the cable. If the mast mounted amp can boost the signal enough, then you can get away with a passive splitter down the run betwen the two tv locations. If the signal is marginally weak, then you have to put it into a distribution amplifier (technically what you have) to re-boost the signal to make up for cable loss to it to the end of the runs as a useful signal.

Putting a distribution amplifier after any length of run from an antenna pretty much always is a very miserable experience. The coax attenuates the signal, you insert this weak signal into an amplifier and you end up amplifying noise and the signal equally. If you put the amplifier at the mast where the received signal is stronger, you increase what is called the signal to noise ratio. With the amplifier at the mast, you are amplifying more TV signal than noise. If you try using a distribution amplifier only, depending on the length of the run of cable between the mast and the distribution amplifier, you may end up amplifying more noise than signal.

Signal strength is measured in decibels, a logarithmic scale. Rule of thumb is that every 3 dB of loss reduces the signal power by half. Per 100ft, RG-6/U cable has approximately 2.8dB at the low end and 6.5dB at the high end of the broadcast band, more expensive brands of cable with properly installed compression fittings can have a bit less. If you use the two amplifier method, the only loss should be the cable run.

If you use a two way passive splitter, the loss will be 3.5dB per leg. A tap could be used with the 6dB leg going to the closest tv and the 1dB leg feeding the long cable run.

To sum it up, use a quality, mast mounted amplifier from a quality company like Winegard. These come in high gain or adjustable. Adjustable is for closer stations where you need just enough amplification to overcome cable run and splitter losses.

For the runs, use Quad Shield RG-6 cable rated for 2000MHz and if you have several brands available, go for the lowest loss. Old cable runs are your worst enemy for eating signal here, rip and replace if the cable's been inherited. Compression type fittings are readily available, as are the tools to install them.

See if a quality TV Broadcast band passive splitter will work (no Radio Shack gold plated potmetal please, Phillips, Channel Master) and use one rated for 5-900MHz thru 5-1500MHz. This spec is important. Satellite splitters will not pass TV broadcast band signal, they cover 950-2150MHz.

If the splitter attenuates the signal too much, then use a distribution amplifier (5-8dB range for a passband of 54-1000MHz) in place of the splitter. Once again, Channel Master or other quality manufacturer would be good.


Is it ok that my laundry drain trap is tilted? I'm working on the drain for my laundry, and there isn't enough space to fit a vertical drain pipe above the P trap.+
Is the vertical pipe coming in being slightly offset going to be an issue with the inspector? (The P trap itself is level).

It looks like the hole drilled on the outlet side of the p-trap needs to be enlarged so the hub of the fitting can slip in, thus leveling the p-trap, thus keeping it from sticking out of the wall, however, ideally, and by most codes, there needs to be a larger drop directly from the installed washerbox, because  as piped, when the washer drains, water will shoot right back out of the opening.  The y fitting in the stack where this drain connects, needs to be lower, and you can eliminate some couplings in the lateral, by feeding your piping from the end of the wall.


How do you hard wire a garbage disposal? I do not have a dishwasher. There was no existing garbage disposal and there is no plug under the sink. I'm trying to hard wire a garbage disposal there. I want to create a light switch off an existing plug and wire the garbage disposal to the light switch.

How do I go about doing that?

If this receptacle you are referring to is serving the kitchen counter you CANNOT use that to feed a disposal. Kitchen counter circuits cannot be used to feed fixed appliances.

You will need to run a new feed to the disposal, preferably a dedicated circuit from the panel.


How can I diffuse the light coming out of recessed LED lamps? I live in a US condo building which has standard recessed lights, looking somewhat like this:

I find the light to be too harsh and would like to have a way to diffuse it. Is there some sort of a diffusing lens I can install on top of the lights to make them pleasant to the eyes? Or should I just install a different lamp type if I want that effect?

You need to talk to your local gaffer supply/film production supply.  Rosco makes a variety of gels and scrims to do exactly that, and they’re made to be near hot halogen lights.
Alternately, you may be able to find LEDs that aren’t crap and have proper diffusers on them.


Is vinyl click-plank flooring appropriate for 3-season rooms in cold climates? Has anyone had experience with floating click-vinyl plank flooring in a 3-season sunroom? My room has south west exposure. The floor is insulated with vapor barrier and is well supported. My main concern is the extreme cold in winter and heat in summer.

if you look at the manufacturers directions for the flooring it will tell you what temperature limits your flooring can take. For example:

  Make sure the temperature in the home is maintained between 65F to 80F
  year round.

If you are worried about temperature extremes consider something else like ceramic tiles. Another thing to keep in mind in our climate is that for a sunroom you want a flooring that can absorb heat during the day and release back heat overnight to keep the room warmer in spring/fall and cooler in summer. Click-vinyl plank flooring is not good for that compared to other material such as ceramic.


Is it safe to wire a light junction box to a plug (which could then be plugged into a switch-controlled outlet)? EDIT: I'm rephrasing the question, as it seems the original was unsafe. If I install a light box in the ceiling (both to mount the fixture to, and to make the connections between fixture wires and extension cord wires), would it be safe to then run the cord from the junction box, through the crawl space, and the plug it into and electrical outlet? If not, how can I accomplish the task of getting a light fixture to be controlled by the switch (which controls power to one of the outlets)?

Original post below:

I'm currently in a rental unit. The bedroom is in a loft upstairs, with a vaulted ceiling, and surrounded by a crawl space. Currently, there is no light fixture in the bedroom, though a few of the wall outlets can be operated by a light switch.

I've bought a light fixture (a simple 5 pendant track light),and I'm hoping to attach it to the ceiling, run the wire down the vaulted ceiling (from my understanding, I can just find a 3-prong extension cord and cut off the one end, yeah?), then out through one of the crawlspace doors, and finally plug it in to one of the light-switch operated outlets.

My question is - is this safe? I'm sure wiring the fixture to an outlet is safe, but I'm not sure about attaching the fixture to the ceiling. the back plate would need to be screwed directly into the drywall and possibly a stud if i can find it, since there is not light box, and I don't want to cut out a large amount of drywall to add one (being so it is a rental, though 2 screws / 1 wire hole should be fine).

Is there a risk of fire from doing this? One of the ground wires is attached to the backplate I believe. Will this be a problem seeing as with no light box, the backplate wouldn't be grounded to anything metal?

Generally this is made of "Nope".

You hope to use flexible cordage.

Cordage needs to be correct for the task.  A random extension cord won't cut it - believe me, I've struggled a lot to find longer cords I can put on 4' fluorescent fixtures.  (I don't want to splice plugs on them, I want premade plugs).

Cordage needs to have proper grommeting/strain relief anytime it enters or exits a listed electrical box.

You can't attach cordage to walls.  You might be able to run it through surface mount conduit.

You definitely can't route cordage through a doorway, whether there's a door or not.

Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, use of cordage is not strictly prohibited.  It's fine for the short jumper between a lamp properly physically mounted, and a nearby outlet which has been installed for that purpose.  In fact, look "up" in a CostCo ceiling and you'll see a lot of that.

Maybe you should ask your landlord to install just that.

Speaking of that... The lamp needs to be properly hung from the ceiling. "any old way" won't do, it must be hung by a UL listed method.  That is because if the lamp falls down, it will tear out its cordage, which will start a house fire or electrocute someone.

The home was provisioned to you with switched outlets along the floor.  The purpose for those outlets is to plug in floor lamps.  That is the right way to light the room.

If you like ceiling light... remember the terrible old halogen torchiere lights which stood 6' tall and had a 500W halogen bulb lighting the ceiling (which started fires)?  Those were brought to market for this very problem. The good news is, today, you should be able to find modern LED versions that are maybe 30-50 watts.

Unless you investigate house fires for a living, you can't go with your own intuition of "safe".  People who do... have written a big book.  It's called the National Electrical Code.

The book is the reference standard used by insurance agents, prosecutors and judges. When a tenant violates Code, he creates a very ugly liability situation because the home insurer won't pay the landlord for the fire loss, leaving him to go after you.  After you deal with the criminal justice system, you file bankruptcy to shake off the civil debt, and get a big surprise.

As a landlord I might be mellow about an alteration that was to code.  But if not, I'd call the building inspector in, and he'd condemn the house and you'd be out.   This method overrides rent control, 30 day notices and the like.


Is it OK to make a forced air register out of wood? I live in a rather old house, and in the bathroom the heating register is oddly busted up. I'm wondering if it would be a safety violation to fabricate the outer frame of the register out of wood, that would match the vanity furniture in the room. I would retrofit it to the metal grate which holds the blocking mechanism.

They make wood registers for sale so I would say it will be fine to make one yourself and reusing the adjuster is great for recycling.


Run 6 AWG NM-B cable through 1 1/2 PVC pipe indoors I am running a 6/2 NM-B Romex for approx. 45 feet from my service panel to my garage for a wall charger for an EV. No unfinished space in basement and and garage wall is on concrete slab of garage, so conventional run will be very difficult. However, my house has a central vac system with ~ 1.75" thin-walled PVC piping running to both my garage and a wall in the basement adjacent to the service panel(s). We don't use the central vac system. I was able to use my shopvac to pull a pulling rope from the service panel to the garage through the PVC pipe. Looks like it goes through 3 90 degree elbows and 1 T. Will it be OK to pull the 6/2 NM-B Romex through the PVC pipe inside the house if it is the only circuit?

The central vac PVC isn't listed for electrical use, so it won't fly as a conduit or raceway for electrical wiring.

But you aren't really using it as a raceway, just as a protective sleeve for the cable, so you could make the argument that if the cable could travel the same path without the pipe, it should be able to travel that path in the pipe.

The main sticking point would be the bends.  You might have a very hard time pulling the cable around those bends and T's.  The resulting install may even violate the bend radius requirements for the cable.  If you cut out the elbows and T's and use those spots as pulling points, that should get around that problem.

You'd want to be sure that the pipes are protected by nailers where they pass through framing closer than 1-1/4" from the finish surface.  That could be a gray area.  You might assume that was the case when the central vac was installed, but if you're repurposing the pipe, your local code enforcement department may insist that it be re-inspected, which would mean removing the finish (drywall).


Is the electrical outlet by my kitchen sink supposed to be protected by a GFCI? Aren't all electrical outlets near sinks supposed to have a safety reset switch? This one is for the garbage disposal but also has outlets for electrical equipment. Should I call an electrician or just unplug the night light and can opener?

It doesn't seem up to code like this.

If there is an upstream GFCI device protecting that outlet it is fine.

See if any other outlet in the kitchen has a test and reset button, when you test it and it trips does the outlet by the sink also lose power? If so then the outlet is protected by the GFCI.

The GFCI device can also be the breaker in the panel feeding the circuit. So check there as well.

If you find that they are protected by GFCI take your label printer and print out a "GFCI protected" label to put on the outlet.


How do I remove scratches from bluestone steps? I have some scratches on my front entry bluestone steps. I tried to remove them by brushing with water but they don’t seem to go away.
Any advice on how to remove the scratches?

My apologies to Fresh Codemonger, mineral oil will darken the steps and will leach back out over time showing the scratches from clearing the snow.
Use Muriatic acid to etch a new surface. I have had some success in removing most of the scratches in other slabs.
You will need to dilute it, apply it with a stiff bristle brush, use gloves and eye protection. It can be bad stuff, if handled improperly. Depending on the strength of the acid, I dilute 1 cup with about 2 gallons of water. I only suggest this as an example for dilution.  As a caution, too strong of solution will yellow the stone or anything it gets on, besides burn real bad if it gets on your skin.
It will also need to be rinsed thoroughly.
Here is a online document for etching concrete, which is the same process as etching stone, just that there is not painting going on afterward.
Another way to do it by "flaming" the surface with an acetylene torch after wetting the surface. This is the way the edges were finished on our treads after a saw cut the slabs to size. I am certain the top surface was flamed as well since your tread surfaces are not natural cleft.
If you do choose to do it this way you will need a face shield since the steam created by the flaming sends burning hot flakes of stone popping in the air at high speeds.
Here is a video on it here
The masonry cement will need to be protected from the extreme heat of the torch, it will cause the mortar in the risers to really blow out. that would NOT be good


How should I repair a hole in an attached garage? I need to repair a hole in an attached garage.  When I looked in the hole there is yellow insulation but no vapour barrier.  the other side of the garage is a bathroom that is very cold .  Should there be insulation and then a vapour barrier and finally the drywall?

The vapor barrier goes on the heated side of the insulation, or in your case, the side facing the bathroom. If the garage itself is conditioned space, there may only be a vapor barrier on the exterior walls and the insulation behind the bathroom would be for sound. Note that the craft paper backing on insulation is considered a vapor barrier.


\What is the best way to frame a box? I want to create a box. I am using a lap joint for the top and bottom frame.

For the vertical sides I need help. The pictures show the two ideas I had.

But there must be a better way to attach the vertical pieces instead of being inside or outside like I have drawn them. Ideally I would like the corner of the vertical support to flush with the corner of the horizontal frame corner. I could toe-nail thr vertical into the frames, but that seems very weak to me

Requirments:

1) strong - I don't want the structure to "fold" if it is leaned on
2) flush to the long and short sides because I want MDF on one side and doors on the long face to create storage.
2a) for doors I will need more vertical members to create a door opening. Basically I'm creating a built-in entertainment centre as the end result

Isherwood's answer is great, however, I'd question why you are using lap joints at all if that's the type of vertical you are thinking about.

It's far less work to not bother with the lap joints and just tie the sides directly into vertical posts like this:

However if you insist on using lap joints I'd say you want every face to have to be made of it's own lap jointed rectangles, them just link the rectangles together so it looks a bit like this (imagine the top part of the frame with less overhang):


Is there a better solution than a lint trap for venting a clothes dryer indoors? My condo association does not allow installing a dryer vent to outdoors, so I am forced to vent my dryer into a lint trap. Unfortunately the trap I have does not catch all the dust, and the rooms adjacent to it gather visible dust within 2-3 weeks. I make sure to change the water in the trap after every load. Are there traps available that perform better? Are there any additional filters/gadgets that may help with this?

Some additional notes: As much as I would like to set up a vent to outside, it is not an option for me. Humidity is not an issue, as I only dry clothes with no or lowest heat setting, and I do have an a/c register nearby to help provide dry air.

Edit: The dryer is electric. I live in a suburb of Chicago, which may have a different building code than the city itself.

According to Chicago Building Code

  18-28-504.1  Installation.

  Clothes dryers shall be exhausted in accordance with the
  manufacturer’s instructions. Dryer exhaust systems shall be
  independent of all other systems and shall convey the moisture and any
  products of combustion to the outside of the building.

  Exception: Where the make and model of an electric dryer is known
  and the manufacturer’s installation instructions do not require
  exhaust, see Article 4, Ventilation for room exhaust requirements.

Venting a dryer inside is a potential fire and mold hazard, and can negatively affect indoor air quality causing sickness (and/or death, maybe).

You should bring this up with the condo association, the building owner, and potentially the building inspector.  A possible down side to this action is, the condo association could ban the installation of dryers altogether.  So you'll want to try and suggest some alternatives.

I'm going to guess, the condo association is worried about the appearance of vents sicking out all over the building.  A potential appeasement would be to select a nice looking vent (voted on by the condo association), and force anybody who installs a dryer to use the same vent.

They may also want all vents to be installed in similar locations, so the vents are uniformly placed on the building.  A good way to insure this would be to install all the vents at once, including installing vents for units without dryers (in which case they should be sealed until in use).


How do I extend an Ethernet cable at a wall socket? I have a wall socket in my kitchen but there isn't enough cable leaving the wall to attach a new RJ45 jack to (There's about an inch left to play with). There's no slack in the cable so I cannot pull more through. is there a way to extend the cable within the wall socket?

Correct solution - replace the wire with a long enough wire. This plays to "why network & telephone wires should always be run in conduit, always."

Kludge that will still be difficult with only an inch inside a box - put a plug on it and use a dual-jack extender.

Kludge that will work fine if you are OK with drywall and paint repairs - move the box 4" up the wall.


Basement odor like the smell of cat pee We have a room in our basement about 14 x 20 that We use for a game room for our grandchildren now and then or a storm shelter. No plumbing, no vents, no ducts.

On Easter Sunday before the tornado we went to the basement for a couple of hours. There was no smell. The next day my son came by to hook up a generator while our power was out.

When opening the room door the odor was horrible, is smelled like strong cat pee. Cannot find where its coming from. One window and 2 doors are the only entrance.

Any suggestions on who to call.

If the sub floor parts of the wall is made from OSB or particle board, the glue that binds everything together is usually urea based, so when it gets wet for long enough, it spells like old pee. You my have had water intrude from underground or around window casings during the storm and got it wet. Happened to me once, I had to replace the entire floor.


When buying an older home that has recently been renovated, what should I look for in the home inspection? I'm in the process of buying a house built in the mid 80's.  It was foreclosed about a year ago and has since undergone a large number of renovations (roof, HVAC, windows, doors, plumbing, etc).  What are some specific things I should look for when doing an inspection on a house that has been flipped like this?

Check with the local building department to verify that they pulled permits and passed inspection for the work.  They could have just covered up big problems that inspectors would have forced them to fix.

Even if they did get permits that does not guarantee that there are not still problems.  Things that may have been hidden from the inspectors, just missed by the inspector, or some issues may just predate the "flip".  You definitely will want an experienced home inspector to check everything thoroughly.


Furnace blower motor runs briefly then turns off I have an Amana AMH80804BN with a Nest thermostat (wires Y,C,Rh,W,G) and a 3 ton AC. I have been having issues with the AC portion the furnace (heat) seems to work fine.

The AC will start out the day working great! Cold air blows out it will run for an hour or two and before it gets to temp the blower motor shuts off while the compressor continues to run. Then at this point the evaporator coils tend to freeze (sometimes).

Then, the blower motor seems to try to run every 10 minutes or so. The blower spins up, runs at a low speed for a few seconds, and turn off again.

Eventually, after many attempts the blower fan will kick on and the AC will begin to cool again then rinse and repeat all day.

Also a strange and likely connected issue is that I cannot turn the blower fan on from the thermostat I turn it on from the thermostat and nothing happens.

I can power cycle the whole unit but doesn't seem to fix anything.

Cooling is adequate on most days with this issue when the outside temperatures are 70-85F but when it's hotter outside (above 85F) the AC can't keep up and it never gets colder than 80F inside.

Troubleshooting steps I've taken:

Multiple google searches. The issue seems to be unique to my case.
Cleaned my evaporator coils and compressor coils. They were pretty dirty and neglected but issue continues even though now they are squeaky clean.
Full wires check. Checked AC sender wires, thermostat and thermostat on the furnace side.
Removal of 'saver switch' my electric utility company added a saver switch that turns off the compressor during peak times of the day. I have bypassed this.
Hardwired the blower fan. Tried to direct wire the blower by crossing the green and red thermostat wires.
Checked fuses, breakers and wiring at the unit itself.
Checked on-board diagnostics (solid red light showing)
Bypassed the blower limit sensors
Quick check of air duct blockages

Sounds like the capacitor in the AC blower motor is failing.

The electrolytic material dries out over time, leaving the motor unable to spin.

Replace capacitor with one of the same rating.


Where is the Neutral Bus in this picture of my breaker box? Hi. I have a rather small breaker box and I'm trying to wire up a new wire with a neutral. I've marked the candidates A, B, C:

If that is your main panel both the neutral and the ground can go to the left. It looks like both A &B are isolated from ground (the metal case) .
But if this is a sub panel the neutral goes on the isolated left buss and the ground goes on the right (they should be isolated)
I believe that  rule came  out in the 99 code change so if your home was built prior to this,  and this is a sub it would have been ok back then for a sub to have both on the same buss, today’s code or since 99 a sub  the neutral is isolated from the ground.


How do you properly connect 3 x solid 2.5mm wires to a 4mm stranded wire? I have a single 4mm stranded wire I want to connect to 3 x 2.5mm solid wires. At the moment I've simply wound them around each other temporarily and sealed with electrical tape - but how is it done securely?

Is this for AC wiring (more permanent house wiring, that needs to meet code, or for something else?

If I were you, I would look into wire nuts, they may be able to get it done the cheapest/most effective.

Also check out the splices used in this question about grounding Grounding wires


Getting rid of ozone and/or burning plastic smell left over from a dead box fan Almost had a housefire a few weeks back. We left a Lasko box fan (that we use for white noise while sleeping) on during the day and when we went to go to bed there was a horrible burning smell coming from it and the motor was groaning and the blades were not turning. Clearly the motor died or botched somehow but since it was left on it was overheating (the fan was hot to the touch!) and spewing a burning plastic smell all over the house.

Obviously I threw the fan away, but weeks later the burning plastic smell remains. Health considerations aside, is there anything we can do to get rid of this smell? Leaving the windows open and running fans to air out the upstairs isn't really an option because we're heading into winter, the price of heating oil is high and its been in the low 40s consistently for the last week or so.

Time is the only real cure. Air out the house with the heaters off whenever the temperature is tolerable. Run the fans, not the heat and change your air filters a few times. You can also spray Febreze or other odor eliminators where appropriate (i.e. not on bed sheets, garments, food surfaces etc.), especially any carpets or rugs because fabric traps and holds smells like that.  I like to use the unscented version but it's harder to find. These are not perfumes, they actually chemically neutralize odors and are basically temporary so if the smell is embedded in the paint on your walls or the carpet, it may return. But the odor eliminator will make it tolerable to live there. Also wash ALL of your sheets and garments that were exposed to it.

Article on how odor eliniators work.


What is this kind of security bolt head called, and how can I remove it? A previous owner fitted the light fitting pictured above, and has not left me a tool to remove the bolt. The bulb has blown so I need to get in to the unit. The head diameter is about 12mm and the gap between the two notches is about 6mm. I would like to remove it with some technique involving more finesse than simply smashing up the fitting and/or drilling out the bolt.

I hope someone can recognise the bolt and give me a search term which will let me cheaply buy a bit for this bolt from somewhere like Ebay UK.

It's called a spanner slotted (or slotted spanner) head. Useful site here. Hard to find in the UK, why the owner used one I cannot imagine. Screwfix doesn't have them. This site may do, although it is international. You'll need to figure out the correct size before you order.

Alternatively get a real cheap flat-head screwdriver the right width and file down the middle until you get the right notch.

If you can grip it with a pliers try a pair of locking pliers and unscrewing it that way I keep a mini vise-grips handy for that sort of thing.


Is it possible to use this reclaimed hardwood flooring? I am planning on reusing some old hard wood flooring reclaimed from another parts of the house. I should note I have an old house that the original portion was built in 1760 with an add on done sometime in the 70's. Durring a major rehab of the house, I opted to have the flooring pulled and saved from several rooms. After going through the supply, of the three rooms demoed and flooring pulled, I have enough for my family room.

Now that I am looking to start reinstalling I have a few questions/challanges in front of me.

The wood is sound and usable, but it needs a sanding and I wonder if there is a way to do this prior to install? To include a place or company I should look for to do it.
The flooring consists of two species of wood. Cherry and oak. There is not enough of either to do the one room I want in just one species, so I am going to do the feild in oak with a double cherry frame around the room. The challange is that the tounge and grooves of the differing woods are not the same, meaning the oak tounges fit in the cherry groves, but its a bit off center and will leave the cherry sitting higher (and cause a ridge or break the tounges durring or after install) than the oak once on the floor. Can the cherry tounge and groves be redone to match the oak? if so how or by whom?

Sanding is best done after the floor is laid. This enables you to get a flat finish across all the boards which would be difficult if not impossible to achieve by sanding prior to installation. If you have any particularly rough boards then you might want to sand them first - but it's not essential.

You should be able to hire a drum sander and an edge sander for a weekend which should give you enough time to complete the job. It will produce a lot of dust so taping plastic sheeting to any doorways will minimise the spread of the dust into the rest of the house.


Removing an unkown wood stain So I purchased a new desk last weekend, and it needs a bit of restoration before I can use it.

I would estimate it to be around 80-100 years old (but could be older). I am fairly sure the finish currently on it is a varnish. To begin with I have given a quick sand to the drawers and an inside panel with an orbital sander (I tried removing the finish with a Varnish stripper, but this didn't have great results, some of it came off, but not a lot. this is the result so far (with the sander):

As you can see, the existing stain is quite deep into the wood, am I best of just persisting with sanding to take it back to its original surface?

Once back to the original surface I plan on re-varnishing with an Oak shade (so lighter than the old finish). Due to the age of the desk I imagine the current finish is an oil based product, so I will have to-refinish with an oil based product again (unless I manage to take it all back to its original surface)

This was the desk before I started (the picture from the Gumtree Advert,you can't see from the picture, but it needs a few panels filling/re supporting and the finish is much darker in person):

Cabinet scrapers are a surprisingly effective way to remove many surface finishes from flat wooden surfaces.

If you haven't used one before you would have to learn how to sharpen them - which involves creating a hooked cutting edge using a burnisher. They remove shavings.

This would have been a good question to ask at woodworking.stackexchange.


What should I do about an overflowing septic system? I noticed a small puddle in the backyard that remained even when it's dry out, and recently realized that it's probably the septic system overflowing. The tank was pumped 2 years ago and I don't think we're heavily taxing the system (no garbage disposal, frequently away on travel), so I did a quick household audit and found that one of our toilets has been running pretty steadily. I'm not sure how long it's been going on, but presumably that's contributing to the problem.

The toilet is now fixed, but I'm wondering what I should do about the septic system. Should I get it pumped, or will the water level return to normal after a couple days? The amount of solids and grease entering the system hasn't changed, so I'm hoping that the extra water will just diffuse into the leach field.

Or maybe this requires professional attention?

It is entirely possible that if the toilet was running hard enough that that is the source of the problem.  Assuming the weather conditions are fairly dry and surrounding ground is not saturated, I'd give it a day or two to subside and let the leach field catch up. If the problem doesn't clear quickly with the toilet fixed, I'd call for a pump and have them check the backflow of the leach field to determine if there is blockage downstream from the tank.  Good luck.


How to tell if old ceiling light box can support ceiling fan? I want to replace a small hanging chandelier with a ceiling fan and am trying to figure out if the existing box can support a fan. I don't see labeling on the box itself but noticed this large rod sticking out in the center of it. Any idea what that is? Is that perhaps an indicator that it's attached to a horizontal beam that mounts into the joists?

Update: So I managed to get my scope camera up there and took a picture (see below). It looks like there is a beam that goes across and connects to the joists with 1 screw on each side and 2 staples. Do you think that is strong enough?

The threaded rod you see in the middle is a stud. It is used to  attach mounting bars or hickey (a connecting device). Studs are attached to the box, not to framing members. It is no indicator of the strength of the box itself, or the attachment mechanism.

Fan boxes are characterized by their screw system that ensures a redundant attachment between the fan and the box. They also must be solidly mounted to framing members.

There are no heavy screws showing in the interior of the box, and the screw in the clamp holding the NM wiring going straight up suggests that there is not a framing member directly above the box.

It is both against code, and more importantly, dangerous to mount a fan in an unapproved box. The weight an dynamic load of a fan makes failure a high risk.

You need to replace the box with an approved box and ensure that the box is firmly attached to framing members. It may require some drywall surgery, but it is worth it.


Periscope dryer vent in exterior wall Our exterior wall has 2x4 framing and we wanted to see if we can run a periscope vent for the dryer in the exterior wall before venting out. We are trying to save some space in the laundry area so wanted to know if that is an option. Could it interfere with the wall insulation? Any other considerations to be aware of?

This is an example of a vent from the home depot.

Thanks!

This vent should not interfere with standard insulation. If you have to remove some of the insulation to fit it in make up for it by adding insulation to the vent. Wrapping the vent pipe with insulation is a good idea. So the air remains warm until it exits the house. This reduces the chance of the water condensing inside your house or dryer vent. Attach insulation with foil based duct tape and caulk where pipe exits the house.


10-50 to 6-50 wiring Suppose someone has a 240V 50A plug at a rental house. It is wired to a 10-50 receptical. My understanding is that this is a deprecated standard, and my guess is that it is 6-50 wiring that was put into a 10-50 receptical.

Suppose they want to change the receptical to 6-50.

There are three wires which I will call (G)reen, (R)ed, and (B)lack. The heavy duty wire is in a metal sheath that is earthed (E)

Using a multimeter I detect:
E-G: 0
E-R: ~120V
E-B: ~120V
G-R: ~120V
G-B: ~120V
R-B: ~240V

My read of this is that I can simply change the receptical to 6-50.

Is there any specific risk to this? It's a relatively modern house.
Are there any other tests that I can perform to determine whether this is 10-50 wiring or 6-50 wiring?
Does this matter? The difference seems rather subtle.

Aside: It's not particularly relevant, but the wire I referred to as red was actually white. It's clearly live, so this is the "typical" I've-only-got-three-wires-and-don't-want-to-cap-a-white-wire-so-I-declare-white-equals-red. I have put black tape on it to make this clear.

I haven't opened the distribution box to look at the wiring, but am hoping that the multimeter can give me enough information.

As requested, here is a photo of the junction box internals, showing the white wire (with a bit of black tape on it), black wire (these are both hot and 180 degrees out of phase), and green wire (it is 0V from the earth and electrically connected to it presumably at the distribution board).

Further thought: According to this discussion board which agrees with my other reading, 10-50 is hot-hot-neutral and 6-50 is hot-hot-earth. Since my green wire is in continuity with the box, my wires are hot-hot-earth.

Assuming that cable is in fact 6 AWG, that cable was always correct for a NEMA 6-50 receptacle.  It was always wrong for a NEMA 10-50.

It really matters.  Some people have seen the inside of a panel and see where neutrals and grounds land on the same bus.  That's not quite what's happening. Neutral and ground serve very different purposes. One returns current normally, the other one is a safety net that saves lives. They are supposed to be kept totally separate, with equipotential bonding created between neutral and ground in one place - the main panel.  However in a simple residence, there is only one panel, so they allow the shortcut of simply putting them all on one bus.  That's all.

The only wire relabeling that is permitted is a white wire in a cable can be relabeled to be a hot, so what you have done is correct.  This is the normal way of powering NEMA 6 circuits using common multiconductor cable.

Being a modern house, if this was a range circuit they would have already used /3 cable and your range receptacle would already be a NEMA 14-50.  So I gather this is in a utility space and is intended for welders, kilns, EV chargers and the like.  A great many of those work fine without neutral, so you may never need a neutral. If you did, you'd need to replace the entire cable. You cannot retask that green wire to be anything else.  You also cannot use the MC shield as a ground path, so you do need the green wire.


Adjusting a sliding patio door: does the door have to rest equally on both rollers? I have a strange problem. Both jambs are plumb, the sill is level but the sliding door does not close properly if I do not raise one of the rollers almost to the maximum. Funny thing is that this misalignment happens when the moving door is also set plumb. Geometrically this should not be possible.

One of the issues I am trying to solve is to keep the edges of the two doors, the fixed one and the sliding one when closed perfectly overlapped so achieve perfect insulation

Moving a roller up or down has a minuscule effect on the load shared by the two wheels. The door's center of gravity will not move more than one-half inch either way. The two wheels will always share the load equally +/- 5%. Wheel replacements are available, or remove the door and oil the pivot points.

The top or bottom sill can have a dip or a bulge and still read level. Use a string line to check your bottom sill. From your drawing, a dip in the middle of the bottom plate would cause the 2 glass sections to lean toward each other. Set the rollers to achieve parallel between each section, and between the sliding glass and the side frame. If you lower the sliding part, be sure the frame remains in the top track.


Transformer before or after switch? From a 5A 240V supply - I have two puck type 12V 10W lights in a cupboard and a round plastic switch. Each light has a 10V halogen bulb. I need to buy a new transformer - will any do? Is the transformer to be wired before or after the plastic switch or does it not matter? Can any size output wire be used or does it need to be relatively small to carry the current to the lamps? Thanks

The switch should be prior to the transformer for several reasons.
First this kills power to the transformer; if the lamps were only disconnected, even with no load, transformers waste power. This use of power usually increases with age and later it may start buzzing as the core delaminates. The power usage in this case is from eddy currents.
Second, with the switch turning off power to the primary, if you need to work on it the circuit is dead, you did not say if this is a hard wired application or a plug in.
The size of the wire would be based on the current the lamps draw. Since it is about .83 amps each or 1.66 amps, if it is not a long distance 18awg wire would probably be fine, but if it is a long distance I would verify the voltage drop.
As Harper mentioned halogens, I would bet you could find replacement LED’s that will last longer and draw ~1/3 the current.


Do I need to sand my entire deck before staining? I recently cleaned my deck using Behr deck cleaner and want to re-stain it before the winter.  Do you recommend sanding the entire deck, or just the affected areas where the stain has come off?

I was thinking of renting a belt sander for the day just to get the rough spots and re-stain with the same stain.  There's a tub of it left over from the previous owner.

I wouldn't belt sand any outdoor deck, especially with a commercial belt sander that your talking about.  More damage will ensue.  Take the $60.00 you'll spend on the rental and buy a Makita Palm Sander.  It takes a 1/4 sheet of sandpaper to load onto the pad to sand.  Buy some 80 grit sheets and some 120 grit sheets.  Grab a beer and get down on your knees and feel for rough spots, sand lightly with the 80 grit on all the rough spots on the deck.  The electric sander will make light work of sanding the deck without going to far.  Then swap out for the 120 grit and hit all the spots again and your ready to stain/seal once you do your clean-up.. that size deck may take you 2 -3 hours total, good luck.


Can I use caulking to install a marble threshold? I have a black marble threshold that I'd like to install in my bathroom doorway. Is it OK to use caulk to adhere it to the floor, or perhaps liquid nails? Or is this not recommended?

If not what is the easiest adhesive to use for this?

The easy thing to do would be Liquid Nails and I am pretty sure they have a stone version.  A better solution would be some thinset.

I do not agree with silicone because it has a little give in it.  After a while of kicking or stepping on it will lose its grip a bit and eventually come loose.