Why do the bedrooms in my home have split switched outlets? My wife and I are renting a house that was built around 2007 in Washington State.  It has a peculiar wiring arrangement that I've never seen before.  Every bedroom and the living room has two switches near the entry - one for the ceiling mounted light fixture and the other for wall outlets.  Not just one wall outlet, but every single one.  Each outlet is split so the top is always on and the bottom is switched.

I find this to be a horrible idea, because it essentially eliminates half the plugs in each room, resulting in more power strips and extension cords.

My recollection of building codes is that there has to be a switched outlet if there is no ceiling fixture - is that still current?  If so, why would the house be wired this way - is it local custom in certain parts of the country, or perhaps just a unique request from the original homeowner?

This is a rather easy problem to fix

Modern receptacles have 2 sockets, and a nifty feature -- each side has 2 terminal screws, and a nifty break-off "tab" between them.  Tab in place, the 2 screws are connected so 1 wire can feed both sockets and the second screw can carry power onward to the next socket.  Tab broken off, the 2 screws are separated and the 2 sockets can be controlled individually.

Typically you break off the "hot" tab, and feed one socket with the red wire, the other with the black wire.

You could replace with a socket with the tab not broken off.  Connect only the black (typically always-hot) wire, and simply cap off the red wire with a wire-nut (and tape), or if somehow the old socket was used to splice the supply and onward red wires, join them with a wire nut.

Tenant law prohibits you doing the work yourself without permission.

Landlord law requires them to hire a licensed electrician for any work done in the rental unit.  Residential law requires you to "pull a permit" for any substantial electrical work, but excluded from that is trivial work such as  "changing a receptacle".  So check with your permit issuing authority, but it's likely that merely changing a receptacle is something a licensed electrician is not needed for.  Tell them you want to do it for aesthetic reasons, don't go so far as mentioning the desired change in function.


Installing house surge protector in full panel? Currently doing research, might get type 1 and type 2, i understand type 2 usually requires double pole breakers to work.
For type 1 can i connect it directly to the 2 live wires coming into the panel secured by screw?
For type 2 i dont have any free breaker spots, can replace 2 single poles with a double pole and then share it with the existing wire?
I moved to Mexico and am in a rental for about 6 mo, i do have type 3s on my TVs etc; but nothing for appliances, there arent really licensed contractors or requirements, i do have lots of experience installing 220v for welders and such so i am familiar with panels.
https://i.imgur.com/gwx1Ji8.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/q6DDKF2.jpg

I'd pick two of those 20s and swap them for a 20-50-50-20 triplex breaker
Since your panel is listed and labeled to accept tandem/"double stuff" breakers in all positions, and looks to be uniformly configured with 20A breakers, we can take two adjacent 20A breakers in the panel and switch them out for a MP22050CT (if you can find it) or Q22050CT (if you can't find the Murray part) triplex breaker, then land the two existing 20A circuits you replaced on the two outer poles.  You can then install your Type 2 SPD, landing the hots on the two 50A inner poles of the triplex breaker, the neutral on the right-hand neutral bar, and the ground on the left-hand ground bar.  (Note that you'll need to use a SPD that has separate neutral and ground wires coming out; some SPDs only provide two hots and a neutral and thus can't be used on a subpanel.)
And I'd clean up those double taps while I was at it
While I was in here, I'd clean up those two double taps on the bottom-left and bottom-right breakers, as all that takes is a couple of pigtails of 12AWG wire and wirenuts suited for 3 12AWG wires.  Take each double-tap out of the breaker terminal screw, nut a pigtail to the twisted ends of the two wires, and land that pigtail on the breaker terminal screw the double-tapped wires once went to.  Repeat for the other breaker, and once that and the SPD install are done, you can button things up, turn the main breaker back on, and call it a day!


Bathroom outlet has poor Continuity, no tripped breakers I just moved into a used home and replacing outlets (prior family loved pulling by the cord). In the master bedroom bath, I removed the old outlet and installed the new one. Did not short or ground fault the wires. I now have poor continuity, without breaker tripping. I noticed that the garage has no power now, and earlier I had a temporary loss of power in the garage that corrected itself.

I have checked the connections in the outlet box and switches but not light yet. They are all good. When I plug my continuity tester into the outlet it beeps. I had isolated the garage to this plug by removing the line out and lost the poor continuity signal in the garage without lighting any voltage or amp lights.

I had not yet checked the GFI in the main bath on the other side of the wall yet Just realized that is a possibility. I did not think that many rooms would be linked together for outlets in Utah. This would explain though why the outlet in the Master bed bath is not a GFI.

I am not able to return for a day or so and was wondering if someone had other ideas I could try upon my return in case it is not the GFI.

Sounds like a loose connection somewhere.

This outlet may be the culprit, or maybe one upstream.

Since this outlet was the most recently changed, I would take off the wires and check them with a volt meter so see if you are getting consistent power to that point.

Then reinstall the outlet and see how it goes.

From that you should be able to determine the location of the problem.


How can I tighten a large nut under the sink? I just installed my new peerless kitchen faucet. I used my hand to tight the hex nut because the space is pretty small.(I think that the size is 1 1/2)

It is temporary. I tried Basin Wrench and adjustable wrench. Both of them are not working because the handles are long.

See the sample image, the space appears to be large in the demo video but actually not in the real world.

I even thought to use wrench driver, but I don't want to try different tools and return them if not applicable.

Any idea?

The basin wrench you linked to would be the right tool if the hex nut was 1" or less. For a larger nut like this, it was designed to be either hand tightened, or with a wrench like the channel lock or adjustable wrench you linked to. But to use the wrench, you would need to first remove the sink from the counter.

Some newer faucets have worked around this problem by using a hand tightened nut that has two screws on either side. Once you tightened the nut as far as you can by hand, you tighten the screws which press against a washer, firmly holding down the fixture. If you can't get a basin wrench on it, and don't want to remove your sink from the counter, then I'd recommend taking this fixture back and finding one that would be easier to install in your situation.


What is the expected GPM water flow for outdoor garden hose? The outdoor spigot of my backyard is 3 GPM (gallons per minute), without a hose attached. I filled 8 cups in 10 seconds.  Is this low, expected or high?  It seems low to me.
Looking at the plumbing under the house (everything is copper), I noticed that it switches from 3/4" to 1/2" before it gets to the kitchen, and proceeding to backyard.  Would this transition be a cause of a reduced flow rate?  I was under the impression that pipe should be 3/4" the whole way until it finally gets to the fixture (sink, spigot, toilet, etc).   The pipe run from front-of-house/sidewalk (water entrance) to backyard spigot is about 55', so I guess maybe 25' is 1/2" pipe.

Most house hold well test require 5gpm.
This flow rate is needed for many lenders, so 3 GPM is low. The well flow test are usually done for 3 hours non stop.
There can be many factors that reduce the flow.
Galvanized pipes are the worst, they fill up and end up with small channels inside the pipes limiting your flow , you put a pressure gauge on the spigot and have 60+ psi but when you open the flow it drops to 20, it happens I have picked several short buys and had to change the plumbing out.
Debris in the valves can also limit flow
Last debris in the foot valve is another problem for wells


Wall grille that fits one step stair Between my dining room and living room upstair area, there is one step down and there is a wall grille that is 5.5" tall.

What drives me nut is there is no 14x5.5 grille anywhere. There is either 14x4 or 14x6 grille wall / ceiling:

I want to replace this old one and cannot find a good replacement.

What am I thinking wrong? Or is this something 20 years ago that people don't make unstandardized size any more? Is this a custom made and/or should I cut the 14x6 to fit??

As with many other things (a question about thermostats comes to mind, where various higher-rated thermostats are used simply because it is cheaper to spend an extra $1 on the heavier switch than to stock 2 different items), limiting the number of SKUs (stock keeping units) is important in a lot of businesses. So you won't find a big box home improvement store stocking every possible register size, just the most popular.

Four solutions:

As @bib suggested: Use the shorter one and add a wood filler strip. The only catch is that if the shorter one is too short, you might lose some airflow, but it would probably work just fine.
As @Alaskaman suggested: Clean & paint the one you have. If the problem is cosmetic, that is the easy fix. A little more work but no worries about matching up the screw holes or the overall height or anything else.
Try an HVAC distributor. They are typically wholesalers and will charge walk-in customers more than they charge their regulars, unless you can convince them that you are a tradesman (perhaps a handyman who only occasionally needs HVAC parts) and not just a homeowner. But even at 2x price, it won't cost much. If they are reputable, they won't sell you refrigerant or a whole furnace/air conditioner. But they'll sell you registers (which is what you need), tools, filters, small parts, etc. as long as you know what you are looking for. In this case, I'd bring the old one to the store (which will likely be off the beaten path with a bunch of warehouses or car repair shops, not a shopping mall) and see if they can match it. Since they deal with people building or renovating houses & offices and not just fixing little things, they tend to stock a larger variety of items.
Special Order: Some big box stores have catalogs of special-order items available. It might take a week to get, but with "deliver to store" there is often no extra shipping or special order charges. Ask at the "pro desk".


Is there a dimmer light switch with secondary constant 120V output? I have a vent fan and an overhead light in my bathroom. They are currently tied to one standard light switch. When that light switch is in the "on" position, the vent fan and light are both powered on.

I want to replace the existing standard switch with a dimmer, but do not have space to add an additional switch in the room for the vent fan. The vent fan needs a full 120V to operate properly. I also want to ensure that the vent fan is running if someone ever has the light on in this bathroom no matter the dimmer setting, so adding a second switch doesn't help solve that problem even if I did have the space.

Is there a dimmer light switch sold that has both the variable voltage output (for the light) and a constant 120V output when the switch is on? I've searched the internet and called Lutron but haven't found anything.

If not, can you think of another way to solve this problem?

Thanks!

Check out lutron SFSQ-LF-GR 120v 360w 1.5 amp 3 speed fan control light switch on 1 yoke this will fit in your existing space since that was your concern. I may have mis read your question, so here is a light dimmer with a separate on off switch for the fan, Lutein MA-L3S25-WH. Hope one of those works. Or a pir sensor and switch so the fan turns on when you enter and a light switch combo but those are really expensive.


Why does voltage still exists when a circuit is broken by a 3-way switch? My parents got a ceiling light for my parents for Christmas, which I was tasked with installing.  I don't know why I bothered to check the voltage before putting the new fixture on (and after taking the old one off,) but I did, and it read 123V when on (good, obviously,) but it read 38V when turned off.

I disconnected all of the wires and checked the switches, and they worked perfectly fine (complete discontinuity when broken).  I did break one of the switches, however, when releasing the wires that they'd stabbed in the back (20 year-old plastic is sorta brittle, I guess,) so I got new 3-way switches and not surprisingly, this did not fix the problem.

I removed the wires from the switches, except I kept the line attached to the first switch and tested the switched terminals vs. ground.  I got 123V on the active terminal and <.5V on the inactive terminal -- checked out just fine.  As soon as I connected the wires that lead to the box with the second switch (which was not connected,) I got 37V on the wires that were supposed to be disconnected from the line.  (Actually, one reads 55V when disconnected, and the other reads 37V when disconnected.)

Unfortunately, I do not have an insulation tester, but it would seem as though the insulation has failed on those wires (assuming no stupid mistake was made by a previous installer.)  However, I am open to comments about why this might be happening.  Any thoughts?  Anyone ever had this happen before?  Etc.

Do some research on capacitive coupling, and Inductive coupling. This should explain why you are seeing voltage on the "dead" traveler.

If you load up the traveler that is not carrying current; with a test light for example, you'll likely see this voltage go away.

Working in a residential setting, this voltage is likely harmless. Phantom voltages, however, can be lethal when working with distribution lines and other high voltage situations.

You may still want to have a licensed electrician come out and take a look, just to be sure this is actually the case.


How do I wire 3 way switches? For cosmetic reasons, I've been replacing the switches and outlets in my house (from beige to white).  It's been going well until I ran into two 3-way switches in a hallway that turn off and on one hallway light.  I first replaced one switch with a single pole switch, turned back on the breaker to test and the hallway light stayed on and wouldnt turn off.  Then realized it was a 3-way, went to the store and picked up 2 3-way switches and proceeded to switch out the wrong single pole switch (both switches have a red, white, black & bare copper wire)- however I'm certain I don't remember what was the common or travelers.  Consider this switch #1. To further my stupidity, I thought I'd switch the other 3-way out (switch #2) (so they'd match) and when I turned the breaker back on I heard a buzzing noise and the breaker clicked off (3/4 position to the on switch).  I removed both switches, was very careful that no wires were touching each other and turned the breaker back on- still buzzed and switched off.  I've since tries a couple of combinations with no success.  Any suggestions on what combination to use?

This site has useful diagrams for wiring 3ways http://www.homeimprovementweb.com/information/how-to/three-way-switch.htm


Best way to affix plywood to wood unit? I'm planning on affixing some mosaic tile to a panel of plywood (43" x 44"), and then affixing that tiled panel to the back of an entertainment center which I'm re-purposing to become a bar.

Once I've got the tile on the plywood, I'm not quite sure the best way affix the tiled board to the entertainment center. I thought about leaving a few spots untiled, drilling holes through the board and into the entertainment center in those spots and putting a nut and bolt through to secure it. Then I would just go back and affix the tile over the bolt. I'm not sure if this is feasible. Perhaps using a strong epoxy or adhesive is my best option but that might be too permanent if we wanted to re-purpose the tiled board.

Any suggestions would be very much appreciated!

Take a look at a French cleat, it will help keep the ply level and supported and will allow you to
remove whenever you wanted provided you can lift the plywood off the back.

The two factors here, one are getting the cleat affixed to the ply and the entertainment back, ideally both
have enough depth for wood screws. The second is the gap between the ply and the entertainment center the cleat will create.


WiFi Thermostat, No C Terminal on Furnace Really hope someone can help me with this. I've looked through the other posts and can't find one similar enough to mine to answer. I've got an old gas furnace + AC and i'm installing a Sensi Wifi theromostat. There's only 4 wires and I cannot figure out how to do the G wire to C conversion because my furnace has no terminals. It looks like someone added a 24v transformer at some point and i think i can just tap into that for my new theromostat but i don't want to connect it incorrectly and damage something. I can easily run a new thermostat wire that will have 5 wires, but i'm unsure where to attached that new C wire. Any help would be really appreciated.

Wirenut A is where you should tap C at

Since you have air conditioning, we can pull a little trick here.  We start with the yellow Y wire from the thermostat, noting that it is connected to one wire going off to the outdoor unit (condenser) via wirenut E.  Since we know that the thermostat is putting 24VAC from R onto Y to call for compressor, we know that the other wire coming back from the outdoor unit must be a C wire to complete the circuit.  Following it, we come to wirenut A, which just so happens to be quite a convenient place to make the thermostat C-wire connection at.


What could cause flashing LED lights when other LED lights in a different room are turned on? I have the same problem and I'm pretty certain it's NOT related to bad switches - let me explain.

We have LUTRON switches through the house. All was fine. We then had a minor 2nd floor renovation creating my wife's walk-in closet. LED's were installed in the closet. In the kitchen on the 1st floor which never had any issues, we always had LED's. We started noticing the lights in the kitchen would go on/off with 1/2 second intervals - couldn't figure it out. The renovation occurred during the summer so we didn't connect the lighting issue with the renovation because, being in a northern climate, it was bright and the lights weren't needed. We then realized in the winter that whenever the lights in the walk-in came on, that's when the on/off occurred. I would add that its NOT a flicker - definite on/off; I would also note that the walk-in switch is a sensor switch.

We were just living with it.
Then we created a media closet - I screwed in LED bulb - then all of a sudden the LED pot lights in the adjoining hall started to do the same thing! Off/on. I switched the media closet light back to incandescent and the problem ceased. I would add that the media closet switch is also LUTRON sensor.

Q: Any thoughts? We have a few sensor switches as well as regular touch switches and LED for all pot lights though some fixtures are regular halogen/incandescent.

Some LEDs with switching power supplies demand power in pulses, which can get coupled back onto the power line as small surges. If you have bulbs which are making that demand at different frequencies, and the current available is a bit marginal, this can sometimes make one or more take longer to charge than they should and cause flashing.

I have a chandelier which takes 16 bulbs, which is something of a worst case since they are all trying to draw power through the same ten-foot  lamp cord and am using a dimmer to control its brightness. When ask the bulbs were identical, there was no problem. When one failed and I replaced it with a bulb that drew a tiny bit more power, some dimmer levels would cause that new bulb to flash badly. Replacing it with a bulb that drew slightly less power than the others solved the problem. I have some guesses about exactly why, but they are more detailed than I think we want to into here.

So I'd try making sure all the bulbs are identical and see if that helps.

Some folks have  reported that replacing one of the bulbs with an incandescent or fluorescent may also solve the problem, since these draw power differently. Again, I have some guesses about why, but they are mostly guesses. Might be worth trying an experiment, though.

We're playing with a product that's still in the early stages of its evolution. There are likely to be a few hiccups before the manufacturers learn how to make them "as cheap as possible, but not cheaper." I am trusting/hoping that those companies are aware of this effect and will solve it eventually. Unfortunately, given the long life of LED bulbs, that may not help us early purchasers very soon.


Can we seal the bedroom door gap, or will it affect the central air conditioning airflow? I am trying to add some sound proofing to my baby's room. In Canada, almost all interior doors have a gap at the bottom. I believe this is for the airflow of the central furnace/air conditioner. Since the baby room only has a vent out, is there any effect on the central air airflow when I seal the gap at bottom of the door?
Just thinking if I seal it, that will mean the room will have a hard time getting air out when the furnace/air conditioner is running.

The gap at the door allows the heated air in because if the gap is sealed once the room Is pressurized No more air can get in so the room will not heat or cool if the airspace is blocked off.


Deck sealer application Can a water based deck sealer be used in a power washer? I am working on the underside of my second story deck. I will be power washing it then sealing it to try to discourage the Carpenter Bees that are drilling there little hearts out.

If you don't need to clean and reseal the deck to start with, you can use a wasp/hornet/flying insect killer in a spray can.  They usually shoot a stream at least 10 feet so you can single out the holes and get the bees as they fall out.  Fill the holes with caulk afterward so anything left inside can't get out.

If you plan to clean and reseal the deck anyway, a pressure washer does fine for cleaning but would have too much splatter and overspray for sealing.  Try a roller on a pole or a garden sprayer with a long nozzle so you have better control applying the sealer.


Range hood exterior vent close to window? I'm looking to install a vented range hood for the electric range in my kitchen.

The kitchen has only one outside wall, which is mostly window, with a cast-iron radiator and a chimney for my oil-fired home-heating boiler for good measure.  There's only about 6 inches between the top of the window and the soffit.

So... Are there any code or practical restrictions on how close the external vent for a range hood can be to a window? Either horizontally through the wall to one side of the window, or downward through the soffit over or beside the window?

(The house is solid brick, circa 1920, Toronto Canada)

there are not many specific guidelines .  all there is in the obc is this:

  9.10.22. Fire Protection for Gas, Propane and Electric Cooktops

  9.10.22.1. Installation of Ranges

  (1) Reserved

  (2) Clearances for and protection around gas, propane and electric ranges shall be not less than those provided in Articles
  9.10.22.2. and 9.10.22.3.

  9.10.22.2. Vertical Clearances above Cooktops

  (1) Except as provided in Sentence (2), framing, finishes and cabinetry installed directly above the location of the cooktop
  shall be not less than 750 mm above the level of cooktop burners or elements.

  (2) The vertical clearance described in Sentence (1) for framing, finishes and cabinets located directly above the location
  of the cooktop is permitted to be reduced to 600 mm above the level of the elements or burners provided the framing, finishes
  and cabinets,

  (a) are noncombustible, or

  (b) are protected by,

  (i) asbestos millboard not less than 6 mm thick, covered with sheet metal not less than 0.33 mm thick, or

  (ii) a metal hood with a 125 mm projection beyond the framing, finishes and cabinets.

  9.10.22.3. Protection Around Cooktops

  (1) Except as provided in Sentences (2) and (3), combustible wall framing, finishes or cabinets within 450 mm of the area
  where the cooktop is to be located shall be protected above the level of the heating elements or burners by material providing fire
  resistance not less than that of a 9.5 mm thickness of gypsum board.

  (2) Countertop splash boards or back plates that extend above the level of the heating elements or burners need not be
  protected as described in Sentence (1).

  (3) Except for cabinetry described in Article 9.10.22.2., cabinetry located not less than 450 mm above the level of the
  heating elements or burners need not be protected as described in Sentence (1).

and

  9.32.3.12. Outdoor Intake and Exhaust Openings

  (1) Separate air intake and exhaust outlet openings, when located on the same wall or roof, shall be installed so as to avoid
  contamination of the ventilation air by the exhaust air.

  (2) Intake openings shall be located so as to avoid contamination of the ventilation air from other local sources such as
  automobile exhausts and exhaust from adjacent buildings.

  (3) The distance from the bottom of an air intake opening to finished ground level or to any nearer and lower permanent
  horizontal surface shall be not less than 450 mm or the depth of expected snow accumulation, whichever is greater.

  (4) The distance separating air intakes from building envelope penetrations that are potential sources of contaminants,
  such as gas vents or oil fill pipes, shall be not less than 900 mm.

  (5) Air intakes shall be clearly labelled as such for identification from locations outside the dwelling unit.

  (6) The distance from the bottom of an exhaust outlet to finished ground level or to any nearer and lower permanent
  horizontal surface shall be not less than 100 mm.

  (7) Where air intake and exhaust openings are in exposed locations, provision shall be made to protect them from the entry
  of precipitation by the use of louvres, weather cowls or other suitable protection.

  (8) Air intake openings shall incorporate screens or grilles to protect against the entry of animals and insects.

  (9) Except for exhaust outlets serving heat recovery ventilators, exhaust outlets shall incorporate backdraft dampers.

  (10) Except for clothes dryers, exhaust outlets shall be fitted with screens of mesh not larger than 15 mm, except where
  climatic conditions may require larger openings.

  (11) Where a screen or grille required by Sentences (8) and (10) has a screen mesh less than 6 mm, the screen or grille
  shall be removable for cleaning.

  (12) The gross area of the screens or grilles installed in intake and exhaust openings shall be three times that of the duct
  served.

  (13) Screens and grilles shall be of corrosion-resistant material.

  (14) The net free area of an air intake or exhaust outlet shall be equal to or greater than the cross-sectional area of the duct
  served.

  9.32.3.13. Installation

  (1) Installation of fans and heat recovery ventilators shall be in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions for
  minimizing noise and vibration transmission and achieving the required sound rating.

  (2) Where flow-regulating dampers are required, they shall be adjustable and accessible without requiring the removal of
  fans, motors, or insulating materials and without the need for specialized tools.

  (3) Ventilation equipment shall be accessible for inspection, maintenance, repair and cleaning.

  (4) Ventilation equipment installed in unheated spaces shall be installed so as to avoid condensation of moisture on fans
  and motors in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

however, if you are looking for advice:

in a solid masonry wall, a penetration through the wall for a vent stack or discharge should not be within 300 mm of a window or door lintel (this way you avoid a collapse of the hole from a transferred overhead load.
if you have masonry lintel (caternary arch type), i would be very wary of doing a penetration anywhere near the foot of the arch without an engineer looking at it.  masonry lintels can exhibit huge horizontal compressive forces on a solid wall a long way horizontally from the foot.  you usually have to sleeve the interior of the penetration hole with a thick steel pipe section to take the load.
if you can't go through the wall for whatever reason, just go up.  you can either vent

a) directly up through the attic space, then through the roof (just remember to use insulated pipe and a proper roof stack, cap and waterproof boot
b) up into the attic space and come out through the eave with a soffit drop vent port (just make sure to use insulated pipe and a drop vent with a baffle valve).

do not, under any circumstances use flexible metal duct.  its not legal and it makes for a huge cleaning nightmare over time with a kitchen exhaust.  only use rigid galvanized steel duct pipe

hope that helps


Gas oven hob not lighting properly I have seen other answers and questions about this and my specific problem doesn't seem to be answered, basically the gas hob I have won't light completely or it won't light occassionally and in some cases I have to light the gas hob manually on a higher setting as on the lower setting the hob doesn't have a complete ring would this be a gas hob fault or a circuit fault of some kind.

Usually there is just 1 small igniter the gas then jumps to the next jet of Gas until they are all lit. I have seen 2 things cause this. First the openings in the burner can get plugged not allowing enough gas flow. cleaning the burner solves this problem. Second there is usually a small screened mixing port where the gas enters into the burner that draws in air for a proper air fuel ratio. This screen gets clogged with dust, spiders, and even sometimes grease. cleaning the screen or making sure if it is just an opening that spiders have not blocked the air flow path. Both of these problems can be fixed fairly easily. The Gas pressure is very low in the burner so even a flake of rust can stop the flow or a spider web. I find this quite often when remodeling a house that has not been lived in for a few weeks or months.


Should I add a mound of concrete on top of existing concrete to direct water away from fence posts? After living in this house 3 years, I realized that our wooden fence, built maybe 8ish years ago, wasn't done as I'd like.
1: The panels are installed too low, so the bottom of the boards are up to a few inches under ground in places. I'm removing panels and cutting the rotted wood off across the bottom so there will be a few inches of clearance.
2: The concrete at the base of the posts isn't built up to send water away from the post. It's not even level with the surrounding ground, but is 3-5 inches below the dirt. Is it wise and sufficient to scrape off as much dirt as I can and add a sloping  mound at each post base?
I'm attaching an image of one I've already done this to, and one which is still undone. There are 20 or 25 posts.
My mother in law lost an otherwise very solid fence last year because her posts rotted at the bottom, so I would hate to have it happen to me.

I do dome the concrete depending where it is at I may make it above ground level , in a small back yard for example I may make the top of the dome at ground level but in a field above ground level because that is easy , I have seen many that were dished holding the water and making a tasty meal for carpenter ants & termites & rot.


What is the proper way to join two beams on a post? I'm working on a deck that will involve two 10ft wooden beams across three wooden posts. One of the posts will be in the middle of the two beams. What is the proper method for joining the beams to the post?

Typically you would have the beam sit on top of the posts and use a post tie like this one:


Can the blanket Insulation in my basement be left in place when refinishing? I'm thinking about finishing my basement. It currently has the blanket insulation that the builder installed when we built the house last year. I'm unfamiliar with this product. Is it meant to be used behind my framing or should I take it out and use something else. I would love to use it since I already have it.

If the exterior of the foundation has the black waterproofing membrane, you're fine to build your framed wall right up to the vinyl blanket insulation in the basement. When I finish basements for my clients, they always ask my opinion. Here it is: I don't like spending money twice. If there is already insulation on the wall the meets the code requirement, then we'll frame right to in and leave it in place. The white vinyl insulating blanket usually has an R value of 10. In Colorado where I live and work, that's the code requirement. You won't see a lot of thermal benefit from upgrading the insulation to a R-13 or R-19. To me it's not worth the cost of removing and replacing. (not to mention the disposal of the blanket - it takes up a ton of dumpster space!) That said it would be easy to add batt insulation in addition to the current insulation after you frame the walls.
One note: you do not want to compress the vinyl blanket with the wood framing or you'll reduce the effectiveness. If you do compress it, take a knife blade and run it down both sides of each stud and it will allow the insulation to expand into the stud cavity.

Your main source of heat loss in the basement is going to be around the  windows. Take the time to seal the windows well.  Hope that helps!


When to turn on backup water powered sump pump I just moved to a house that supposedly has a backup sump pump that is backed by tap water. We’re currently in a power outage. I’ve never had a sump pump before.

How do I know it’s time to turn on the backup?

Normally each pump has its own float switch . They are set to increasing water depths so each one comes on independently at successively higher water levels in the sump . So the first pump comes on at depth X. The second at X + 3", the third at X + 6" , etc. ( A neighbor had 4 pumps in his sump.).I suggest the final pump to switch on should be battery powered or ( I guess) a jet pump powered by water as you have. Must admit I have never seen a jet sump pump. In other words it seems to defeat the purpose of a "backup" pump if you have to be there to turn it on.


Whats the easiest way to fix sticky painted furniture so that it's no longer sticky? I sanded and painted a dresser with several coats of 100% acrylic paint, namely, these paints:

The paint job turned out good, with one issue. After 4-6 weeks of drying, the paint is still slightly tacky. That is a problem, because when I put a significantly weighted object on top of the dresser and leave it on for a while, it 'peels' off. If I leave it for long enough, I am sure the paint will completely peel off along with the object.

The reason for the tackiness could be for a variety of reasons (I probably didn't allow enough time to dry between coats, and I probably put the coats on too thick) but I am more concerned about how to fix it so that the top of the dresser is not sticky anymore. Short of restripping it and starting over, what are my options?

It's called "blocking" and often happens w/latex paints - especially if the 1st coat wasn't allowed to dry fully before the second coat was applied. It's not much of an issue on walls, but horizontal surfaces are a different story.

The ultimate solution is time - possibly a few months. The inner coat's moisture is blocked from evaporating by to outer coat. It will slowly wick through the surface over several weeks.

You might be able to reduce the stickiness by spreading some fine talcum powder on the surface, then lightly vacuuming it off - but TEST in an unobtrusive area, first, because if it's too sticky, you could end up with permanent, visible, dust built into your paint job.

You may be able to speed the process by blowing warm (not hot) air across the surface for several days (hot air can cause the paint to peel). This can open the pores in the paint to allow slightly more rapid evaporation, but a lot depends on what paint you used, how much moisture is trapped in the undercoat, etc.


Can rigid foam board have an air space between it and the studs. Basement wall I finishing a part of my basement and I want to put rigid insulation>studs>batt insulation in stud bay>drywall.

I have a wall that has copper pipes, pvc pipes, and gas pipes flush to the concrete wall. There is also a main clean out on the floor that's about 2 inches away from the concrete wall.

I'm thinking about moving the pipes off the concrete and putting rigid insulation on the wall. Then frame my wall in front of the main clean out.

Is it okay to have an air gap of about 4in from the rigid insulation to the studs? Also is there a better way to insulate this wall because it requires moving a lot pipes.

It's fine to have a gap between the rigid insulation and the energy wall IF you don't allow airflow to occur between the gap and your conditioned space. If there's free flow of air from on space to the other, the insulation in your energy wall effectively does nothing as you've now basically placed the insulation in the middle of the room.

This means relying on your drywall, plus something at the top of the gap, to completely block airflow. For that reason it may prove too complex.


Replacing Single Switch with Dual Single I have a single garage light switch that controls 2 ceiling mounted left and right fixtures, I want to replace this with a dual single switch that can independently turn off/on the left/right lights.

Inside the jbox on the wall, it looks like I have 3 cable runs, I'm assuming the third is for the ceiling mounted outlet for the garage door opener, can anyone help with wiring this up properly?

Photos below of the setup, the switch I'm trying to replace it with is a Cooper 7728, sorry I can't post more then 2 images for now.

First, you need to figure out which wire is which.

Then, you will wire it as follows:

Before you begin, shut off power at the breaker or fuse box, and then remove all the wire nuts inside that box.

Connect all the ground (bare/green) wires together, and ground the switch.
Connect all the neutral (white) wires together.
If you look at the switch, there will be a terminal that is labeled "common", "main", or "hot". Connect your power supply wire (black) to this terminal.
Connect the remaining each of the remaining black wires (each one should go to one of the lights) to each of the two remaining terminals on the double switch (in my photo, those are the terminals on the left side, clearly visible).
Mount the new switch, turn on the breaker, and voila! Separate controls!

I think that you should also use a voltmeter set to continuity and a long piece of wire to determine if each light is it's own wire, or not. Attach on lead to the long wire, and connect it to the center contact on the light bulb socket of one of the lights. Then connect the other lead to each hot wire coming in to the switch box. You should be able to figure out using this method if each light is its own wire, and then which each light's wire is.


I need a signal when my furnace fan turns on I want to install a motorized fresh air damper that opens when my furnace fan comes on. Is there a place where I can pull this signal off of the furnace board? Thanks!

As noted in the comments, depending on your furnace make/model, but assuming it's not too ancient, it likely has a signal wire coming from the furnace control board that can control a damper.

Alternatively, they do make "barometric" switches that can serve the same purpose. Installed in the return, such a switch would detect the lower pressure and activate a damper.

All that said though: opening a fresh air damper isn't necessarily going to introduce fresh air into your house, if there's not something pulling stale out out of the house. Assuming your fresh air damper feeds into the furnace return, then to the extent that the lower pressure in the return does pull in fresh air, that will reduce the draft at the return grill and cause the house air pressure to increase, pushing air out through chinks and cracks as best as can happen.

I suspect that in practice, you won't get much incoming fresh air from the damper. In any case, you might want to consider a more active approach, with a fan, or at least another exhaust damper that opens when the fresh air one does.

Bottom line: it's not really enough to just let fresh air in. You also need a solution to let the stale air out, to keep things balanced.


Why does my greatroom have a GFI breaker on the circuit? We moved into a condo in 2012 and have had issues on one of the circuits. The circuit serves the outlets in our great room and sun room. Initially, we would trip the breaker when using the vacuum cleaner. We have not had issues for a year or two. Last night, it tripped 3 times. We had two lamps on, the TV, cable box, wifi router, and several strands of the mini Christmas lights. When we were first complaining about tripping (with the vacuum), the electrician said that GFI breakers are very sensitive. Last night was a pain with the 3 trips during a football game. Question is, why do I have GFI breakers in these locations in the first place? No sinks or water sources near any of the outlets. A pic of my box should be attached. I understand why 20 and 21 are protected, but why 16, 17, and 19? Thanks in advance for your replies.

Given the locations for these breakers and source of trips, I'm guessing they are actually AFCI breakers. AFCI are designed to detect an arc fault, e.g. a failing extension cord that is at risk of causing a fire. They are required in bedrooms in newer electrical codes. Vacuums frequently trip these because the motor itself gives off a lot of noise in the line that resembles arcing (or perhaps there is some arcing inside the motor).

Since you are seeing it now, look for anything that may have changed, like your holiday lights. Try leaving those lights off for a while to see if the trips stop, and if so, inspect the wiring. Twinkling lights would be another suspect as they turn on and off with a heated element that is likely generating a small arc as it does so.


How to make 3" concrete "legs" via reusable casting structure? I have a design for a (set of) planter(s) I'm trying to make, and to make the design I have in mind, I need an 18" long 3" OD leg with a bit of rebar in them.  (let's say 100 of these bad boys in toto)

My initial thought was to cast it using PVC pipe and cut the pipe off, but pricing that off the top of my head has the cost of PVC to be about $60 in cost. I wanted to make the legs round, but would settle for square if that would be less cost prohibitive.

If I use PVC with endcaps, can I fabricate the legs in such a way that after "casting" I can neatly slide the legs out of the PVC pipes, thus allowing me to reuse the PVC repeatedly, or is there a better method for making over 100 18" 3" OD concrete (with rebar inserts) concrete columns than using PVC during the pour process?

If it matters, I was going to use quikrete crack-resistant concrete, but am totally open to ideas.

Yes, you could use 3" PVC schedule 40 pipe such as This one from The Home Depot.  Cut it to length, then cut it lengthwise on one side and use duct tape to hold it together... This single cut will keep the round shape and when it has set, it will give you the ability to flex the pipe enough to have your cast come out.  I would not use a PVC end-cap, but I would just make a duct tape one.  Cutting ten foot length pipes will make you six molds per pipe @ ~$9 per pipe.. 100 casts in 8 batches for < $20.


Is it possible to reuse shingles/replace only part of the shingles? My back porch roof is collapsing. You can see in this photo how the left side is bowed down tremendously:

Obviously, I want to fix the roof and make it actually sturdy. I lifted the shingles there in the corner and discovered that much of the wood in that corner has rotted away. I don't know if it was like that before they put the siding on, but it's really bad, and I worry about it collapsing, especially when my children are playing out there.

Is it possible to save the shingles that are currently on the porch roof there and reuse them? If that's not possible/recommended, is it at least possible to only have to replace the shingles on part of the roof, as opposed to the whole thing?

I would say yes for sure on this.  You are going to have to pry them off more carefully.  Note that the nails/staples should only be under the other shingles.  If put on wrong it could make it difficult to reuse.

The only reason I am suggesting reusing is that you met two criteria:
1. You have a small area and you don't want a color mismatch.
2. That area is outside of a living space.

I would personally reuse them.  I would try to keep the row(s) between the house and porch attached if you can.  This will be your we spot and you will need to retrofit that first row under.  You would want this on the porch in case of future potential leaks.


Garage switch and remotes will not work My garage switch on the wall and my remotes will not open the garage.I unplugged the opener and then everything started back working. An hour later it all stopped again. I unpluged it again and they started back for a little while.

This sounds like a defect in the garage opener, probably in the receiver electronics.  A device like this should not stop working without warning and restart again on a "reboot".

I would look into whether you can replace the receiver without replacing the entire device.


Why is neutral wired to ground at this switch? I was looking to add an outlet near my light switch in the garage.  When I opened the box for the switch I noticed that the neutral is wired to the ground.  In the picture of the switch, the top wire screwed to the switch is the only hot wire in the box.  Its hard to see but it comes from bottom right corner and the neutral from that same wire is wired to the ground.  The wire at the top was stabbed all the way in to the back of the switch and i pulled out to test it which is why it is out.  The second picture is the garage light.  Two sets of wires coming in to the box.  Have never seen anything like this.  Did some reading on this site and couldn't find the same scenario.  Any help on explaining why this is set up this way is appreciated.

The ground wire is ONLY for emergencies. The 'return' from an appliance or light MUST be a separate neutral wire. Re: "Any help on explaining why this is set up this way" is very simple: THEY WIRED IT UNSAFELY IN VIOLATION OF THE ELECTRICAL CODE!

Yes, you need to run more wire. People do all sorts of crazy things. The NEC exists to prevent fires and electrocution.

You can look up the current electrical code at NFPA.org (free registration required) but there's no search function. Read about grounding and bonding in Section 250.

I'm not quite clear what wires go where, but the outside light needs a switched hot, and a neutral to return from that.
In previous versions of the NEC, you could have the hot and neutral come to the box holding the light, and lead the hot from the light box to the switch then back to the light. IIUC, this is no longer allowed.

The only way to do it now is to have hot go to the switch, then to the light, and run a neutral from the same branch circuit to the light. Typically this runs with the switched hot wire.

So-white (neutral), black (hot) and bare ground to the switch box, black to switch, neutrals connected together, grounds connected together (but not to neutral) then white (neutral), black (switched hot) and bare ground to the light. If you don't have enough conductors for this, you need to run more wire.


removing grout from very narrow gaps between tiles? Wanting to re-grout wall tiles in the bathroom, I realize that the gaps between tiles are very uneven from area to area, and are sometimes too narrow for either the oscillating tool's 1/8 inch blade or manual grout blade which has approximately the same thickness. Even the 1/16 blade would not cut it in all places. Trying a thin screwdriver or another pointy metal tool immediately made a chip on the tile edge.

What would be the recommended way to proceed here?

I always use a Stanley knife with lots of new blades when doing re grouting jobs.


stop cold air around window cracks Around my living room window i see little crack (pic attached) from where cold air seems to enter. There are no cracks on the exterior of the house.
Can anyone suggest what is the best product i can use to cover these cracks.
Thanks in advance

It looks like the caulk there is old and cracked. Scrape it all out so you have a good surface to work with and use a premium acrylic caulk. DAP extreme stretch or 230 would be good choices if you dont want to work with silicone. If the gaps are larger than 1/4" you should use window expanding foam or backer rod first to fill the gap before caulking. Then use a wet sponge and your finger or caulk tool to smooth out the bead


Moving (not adding) a GFI protected outlet (that isn't the GFI outlet) Odd scenario in that I need to move a GFI protected outlet (downstream of the actual GFI outlet) about 10" (to accommodate new bathroom cabinets/countertop). Unfortunately, the existing wiring is too snug to just snake it to the new outlet location - so my question is - can I just add new wiring (same rating) to extend the wiring the 10" to the new outlet location? This would NOT add load to the circuit as there would still only be the one (downstream) outlet.
Also, I don't need to remove the old junction box - so the connection to the new wiring would be with wire nuts that would be inside the original junction box (with the new wiring just going to the new box/outlet).

No problem doing this, except for one thing: The old junction box must remain accessible.
It can be inside a cabinet (i.e., open a door to get to it), but it can't be blocked by a permanently installed cabinet, covered over with wallpaper or drywall, etc.


Is it necessary to protect a (half full) propane tank from freezing temperatures? The title line says it all. I know um.. empirically that it's ok, but I'd like to hear a confirmation of safety and/or a more extensive empirical experiment.

The tank in question is a BBQ tank measuring about 1 ft in diameter and about 1 1/2 ft in height.

Edit

Let me just add car gasoline tanks as a reference for comparison. The lore from folks who own a car they do not drive in winter is to fill the tank in Fall, then to park the car in the garage with the tank full. (The typical garage is not heated, but it absorbs heat from the adjacent structure, and so as an extreme the temperature can get close to freezing—32F/0C.) If the tank is left half-full, water condenses (and so Harper's description makes sense), but it condenses inside the tank. Needless to say, come Spring the engine is not too happy to be fed  gasoline contaminated with water.

Will water condense in a similar way inside a propane tank left outside in freezing temperatures (of as low as 15F/-10C, say)?

Actually, no.  You need to keep it exposed to weather to keep it warm.   Yes, you heard right.

Or any other heat source would do.

Propane is stored as a liquid, but used as a vapor.  As you use it, it must convert from liquid state to vapor state (i.e. Boil). That requires it absorb energy, its latent heat of vaporization, from its surroundings (i.e. the liquid propane in the tank). This will make the liquid even colder than ambient air.  You may have seen propane tanks condense water or "ice up" when in heavy use. That's because they are colder than ambient.  This is that effect.

If the liquid propane can't absorb its latent heat of vaporization, it won't boil. So when the liquid propane falls below its natural boiling point, then you will have no vapor pressure at all, and your propane accessory won't work.  Much like a boiler gives no useful steam if its temperature is below 212F (100C).

You rely on heat transfer from outside into the tank to keep the propane "warm enough" to boil on its own.  Trouble is, heat transfer works best when there's a big temperature differential.  When the outside is already cold, heat transfer is slower.    You want the opposite of insulation, you want a heat exchanger to speed it up.


Son accidentally painted my new cedar shake! How do I remove it? I just spent two days prepping my natural cedar shake for the beautiful stain I purchased today only to come home and find that my son had PAINTED IT!  What can I do to remove the blue Pittsburg top of the line paint that is currently drying on my beautiful shake that I intended to stain today?

There are definitely pain removers out there at the local hardware. They have lots of fumes though so you'll want to be ventilated (:


What size screws and spacer should I use for installing shelves on tiles? I need help confirming what size of screws, spacer and drillbit to use for installation of a shelf in my kitchen. Some specifics:

shelf is 200 x 30 x 1.8cm (spruce).
shelf brackets ask for 4mm screw.
using special drillbit as I will be screwing the shelf bracket into kitchen backsplash tiles.
backsplash is installed on solid wall, so I am not dealing with studs if that makes any difference.

I have tested the drillbit on a test piece of tile and am comfortable with the technique (ie, placing tape in an X) and the feel of the drillbit on the tile. My questions pertain to choosing the correct bracket, screws and spacers to ensure that the whole thing doesn't come crumbling down at some point.

As I noted above, the brackets call for a 4mm screw, and each bracket has a 50kg sign on it (I'm in Europe), but I'm uncertain if this means per bracket, or per set of 4 brackets? Given that this is going into a tile and is meant to hold a 200cm (200 x 30 x 1.8 cm) shelf, What length of screw should I use? Will a 4mm screw be sufficient? And how many of the brackets should I install (ie, what distance between each bracket - one at 10cm, 70cm, 130cm, 190cm - or will I be fine with 3 - 10 cm, 100 cm, 190 cm)?

Any other tips / suggestions please?

Thank you

Perhaps more important than the size of the screws (or other fasteners) is what they actually grasp. With any significant load, a screw will not hold by itself in tile or plaster.  The tile will chip and the plaster will crumble.

One possibility is to use an anchor through the tile and plaster that expands laterally.  There are several types (plastic, metal, etc.), but these are also generally used for lighter loads that are close to the wall, not a shelf that sits on brackets that act like levers, tending to pull them through the wall:

If your plaster is attached directly to masonry, there is an expanding anchor that is meant for that:

It must be placed in the masonry, not the plaster.

If there is a hollow space behind the plaster, a third type of anchor that mushrooms behind the surface could be used:

A fourth kind is a toggle that is inserted folded, but then opens behind the surface of the plaster and its fastening:

If the wall behind the plaster is hollow, this may be the best type of fastener.

If there are studs behind the plaster, the strongest fastening is to align the brackets with the studs and go through both the backsplash, plaster and finally into the studs with wood screws (wooden studs) or screws designed for metal studs.


Attaching a heavy plastic object - of which I can't access the inside - to the side of an office table I have a wooden table in my studio and need to attach to its side a Lenovo Laptop docking station (2 kg, 3.5 lbs), to which then I want to plug and unplug my Lenovo T450s laptop (2 kg, 3.5 lbs) to save space.

The total weight is about 4 kg, or 7 lbs.

The docking station is made of plastic and I tried to access its inside so to place some nuts from the inside. Unfortunately, it's quite complicated and I desisted.

I tried with lots of 3M Command hooks, and they lasted one day before detaching.

I then tried multiple attempts by sawing a piece of wood, screwing it to the side of the table, and using a fair amount of high-temp glue using a glue gun to attach the docking station to the piece of wood. The piece of wood is solid to the desk, but after 1 day the docking station detaches.

I would like to try using something similar to nuts and bolts, but in a way that I don't require to access it from the inside. Is there anything like that? Or is there a better solution?

Why not create a shelf-like support using two or three angle brackets to support the weight of the docking station?

The vertical leg of the bracket could be screwed into the side of the desk, and the horizontal leg (in the down position) would carry the bulk of the weight. Then the hook and loop style hangers would only be holding it tight to the desk (horizontal pressure) not carrying the weight (vertical pressure).

If the horizontal leg is too long, it could be cut off with a hack saw.

A more elegant version would be to build a wooden shelf to support the weight, but that would be a bit more complex to ensure its strength to carry the load.


Is there such a thing as a smaller vent cap than the 4" I need a vent cap to fit without touching an adjacent vent pipe i.e.vent cap cover needs to be < 4 1/2 " ( possibly might work <5" ) to fit into opening to exhaust air outside from a bathroom.

How about using an off-set vent cap like this: Sears.com offset vent

Or extend and vent to the side: Whirlpool 5-in x 4-in Galvanized Steel Round Duct Elbow


Is it ok to place a window AC unit in front of the window instead of hanging outside? I just put a window AC unit on a table in front of a window instead of hanging out of the window. The back is flush with where the screen would be so the heat is pumping outside.. but the side vents that are normally outside the house are in the house. Is there an issue with this? The AC unit is just about 1 inch too big to fit fully out the window...but the back is flush with the frame.

Thanks

Kelly

This should work, except there are some potential problems:

Usually a window A/C gets rid of the indoor heat by taking outside air and heating it, discharging it outside. Here, you're taking inside air and heating it (still discharging it outside). This will work, and it's exactly how single-hose indoor air conditioners work. However, it's less efficient (perhaps a lot less efficient).
The evaporator coil (that cools the indoor air) also condenses water, which has to be disposed of outside through a drain. It's quite possible that the normally-outside drain is now inside, and you're going to find an increasingly large puddle on your floor.
Your A/C will likely be noisier than it usually is (at least indoors, but that's where it counts).

So, it'll work, but there may be issues (the water one being the most immediately concerning).


Why do my halogen lamps keep burning out? In my kitchen, there are 5 halogen lamps, connected in parallel to a 12VAC transformer. The bulbs have rated life of 2000h, but I seem to be getting only about 60 hours out of them.
I measured the voltage at the terminals of the transformer to be 11.9VAC. The fixtures are well ventilated, I do not power-cycle them excessively and the rest of the devices in the household work just fine (my fluorescent bulbs are into their 5th year). I take care not to touch the bulbs with my oily hands when installing.
What could the problem be? A collegue suggested adding a voltage rectifier, but I believe the root problem is something else than the alternating current? Plus those guys seem to have some complicated chemistry going on inside them.

Update 4 years later:
The led lights have perhaps double life of the halogens.
I have a section of (extremely ugly) halogens hanging in thin air by the wires. They are now 12 years old and I have replaced one of them once. Draw your own conclusions.

@Andyaka, I know you don't need the extra reputation, but it would be
  cleaner for future viewers. Please copy your comments into an answer,
  so I can accept it.

Getting to the bottom of why the halogen bulbs have failed may be difficult. There is no technical reason for them to unnaturally fail but it could be a bad batch but my advice is not to replace the halogen bulb with another halogen type.

I'm swapping out all my old bulbs for LEDs everywhere in my house for reasons of long-term economy. It looks like your bulbs are G4: -

And there are plenty of LED replacements coming into the market place now. This wasn't true 3 years ago. Anyway here are a couple: -


Patch small holes in an internal stucco wall In a room that was added on to the house (many years ago), two of the internal walls (that used to be external walls) are stucco.  There are a couple of approx. 1 inch diameter holes in the stucco that I want to patch, and several smaller screw and anchor holes.

The other walls in the room also have some holes and I already purchased the mud (powder) to patch these with.  (The other walls are ordinary painted drywall.)

Given that the stucco walls aren't exposed to the elements, how important is it to patch them with a compound designed for stucco patching versus just using ordinary mud?  (Mud = drywall joint compound.)

I am interested to know:

The correct, professional way to patch the stucco;
Any drawbacks (especially in appearance or longevity) associated with doing it a different way;
Whether it's really possible to get the texture to match if I do use a compound designed for stucco patching.

(I'm patching the walls in preparation for repainting the whole room.)

Matching the texture of an existing surface (any textured surface, not specifically stucco) is an art form that takes years of trial & error experience and rarely if ever looks exactly the same.

The composition/material used is not an issue considering the (small) size of the repairs you describe. Stucco can be textured infinite ways (sand finish, spanish lace, rough, etc.) and you did not describe or attach a pic depicting yours. Your best bet is to experiment (on a sacrificial surface) with different materials/products: mortar applied with different techniques, stucco patch, acoustic ceiling patch, drywall mud, plaster with sand added, etc. The options are limitless, start trying.


How do you calculate the weight capacity of a shelf? I have a shelf that is about 4 feet long 2 feet wide and 1 1/2 inch thick. I would like to place an item on it that weighs about 90 pounds. I want to know if it will hold that and I don't know how to calculate it.

There is a cool site for this:  The "sagulator" for computing this. It's intended more for freespan shelves (like a book case), but you might be able to use it to answer your question.  Hope it meets your needs. Ed makes a good point about support as well. With that weight it will need to be fastened to studs with multiple brackets.

Edit:  Forgot the link, here it is:  https://www.woodbin.com/calcs/sagulator/


When finishing a basement should the ceiling or floor be completed first? I am finishing my basement of a new built home. The builder has already insulated and dry walled the walls. I am ready to move forward on the project, but should the basement bathroom framing and ceiling be done before the floor is completed or should the flooring come first?

When adding new walls for things like bathrooms I will usually put the walls up first on the deck or slab this way if later you have a water leak and the underlayment has started to swell it is not trapped by the walls it makes repairs easier it is a real pain when the deck and underlayment is put down first and then there is a leak that damages the underlayment that is under the wall.


Replace FS5/FS2 starter with S10? for a jukebox restoration project (changing T12 lamps to T8 by replacing lamp + ballast, the juke uses one ballast and starter per lamp), I am looking for the correct starter of the TL lamp.

The juke states that it uses FS5 and FS2 starters, the lamps are currently F20T12 and F4T5.

Would I be correct in assuming that these both can be replaced with the newer S10 starter by philips ?
https://www.amazon.de/dp/B00BFT1RC0/ref=zg_bs_10388864031_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=CZDKH5B6TX3JA17JQYEM

The starter is part of the ballast

So it goes with the ballast.

Changing from T12 to T8 is a good thing to do.  You have to change the ballast.

T8 ballasts are almost universally electronic ballasts, do not use starters, and use one of two wiring schemes.

Old-style ballasts that use starters use quite a different wiring scheme.

Your new ballast includes a wiring diagram, either on the label or its instructions/data sheet.  You will need to convert to this new wiring scheme.  It will not involve starters.  So there is no reason to be shopping for starters, unless (amazingly) your T8 ballast requires one, in which case you'll need to use the starter it proscribes.

Choices of ballast type

Since a starter based lamp does use preheats, that means your lampholders will be 2-wire (non-shorting).  That means you can use any modern T8 ballast (which matches your bulbs): instant-start, rapid-start or programmed-start.

Instant-start ballasts don't use the preheaters, and strike the arc with sheer brute force: a big voltage spike. This is hard on the tube, and will necessitate more frequent tube changes. (that's relevant if the tube is difficult to change).
Rapid-start ballasts do the same thing starters do; they use the pre-heater filaments before striking the arc, to ease wear and tear on the tubes.
Programmed-start ballasts preheat intelligently, actively monitoring tube conditions until the ideal arc strike. These are far easiest on the tube; the tubes can even outlast LEDs! However, this patient preheating can annoy; for instance at -20C they can take 4-5 seconds to start.

Keep in mind T8 ballasts won't feel traditional; they won't flicker at 100Hz, won't flash on and off at times, and won't perform horribly in the cold.  Also, the T8 tubes will have good clean >80 CRI light.


Neighbour left ladder tied to roof My neighbour did some roof work 4 months ago and has left a ladder section on the roof, it's tied at the top round chimney stack and the bottom of ladder is tied around guttering. We are exposed to strong winds and I'm worried that the ladder could come loose and fall. Any advice would be welcome. I've mentioned my concerns to him but he seems to think there's no problem.

Depending on where you live, you can complain to your town which may have ordinances against this. It could be considered construction debris or a building safety hazard. Your local code enforcement department should be able to point you in the right direction.


How Do I Fix This Broken Switch? What's the simplest path for me to fix this?  Is it possible for me to order a new "cap" somehow or do I need to replace the whole switch plate?

Thanks in advance!

Google search:

Split Replacement Knob Lutron (aka Skylark)


DIY Syringe Lubricant I made a syringe (used for a pressure system) myself, it seems to have a tight fit around the cylinder.
I used non-waterproof clay coated by hot glue (to make it waterproof), and the problem is that the layer of hot glue has too much friction.
So I guess I'll have to use a lubricant to reduce the friction, but not sure what to use.
Some of my teachers recommended some type of oil, like olive oil or butter.
Which one will work better - liquid oil or butter?
The syringe will have water in it so the butter would probably be in the solid state.
Would oil contaminate into the water? I'm really not sure what to use, please help!

There is a product known as plumbers grease, used for faucets and other plumbing applications. The water from those faucets is used for drinking and cooking and other household applications. The grease is also known as PTFE lubricant, also known as teflon compound.

A liquid oil would not have much staying power and may react with the walls of the syringe. Butter would eventually turn rancid as would other organic compounds.

Teflon is known for lack of reactivity as well as durability under high pressure and temperature, although it's unlikely you'd be dealing with either.

A thin film of teflon/PTFE/plumbing grease would provide a substantial reduction in friction with minimal contamination and also give you good duration of use. You would also want to consider if the hot glue you used is water resistant. Some products of that nature will slowly degrade when exposed to water.

All of the above is my opinion, backed up with some real world use and online research independent of this question.


What kind of router would you use to extend a cabinet opening? I'm the proud owner of this guy:

http://www.cabinets.com/dsmw649h-mbc24-shaker-maple-bright-white-microwave-base-cabinet-1-drawer.html

The description is as follows (emphasis mine):

  1 bottom drawer, 1 shelf included SHIPPED LOOSE with no shelf clips,
  the shelf is intended to be field installed to help hold the
  microwave, this cabinet is intended for built in microwaves not
  countertop microwaves, must field install microwave, this cabinet does
  not have finished interior, cut out dimensions are 14 13/16" high by
  17 3/4" wide, maximum cut out is 15 13/16" high by 20 7/8" wide,
  premium UV finished plywood cabinet box construction, 1/2" plywood
  hanging rails, 5/8" solid maple english dovetail drawer box with BLUM
  motion integrated easy-close slides

What kind of router and bit is warranted here in order to cleanly and straightly expand the hole?

Why are you using a router?  Does your microwave overlap the edges?  If so, I'd use a jigsaw, seems to me to be much easier set up.


Why are GFCI systems typically in the receptacle instead of in the breaker? Since the breaker box contains all the other electrical safety equipment it would make sense to put GFCI systems here; and GFCI circuit breakers are available which do this. But GFCIs inside receptacles are much more common. Is it just because they're older, because they are easier to reset, or something else?

The top few possible reasons are:

Ease of access- it's easier to reset a tripped GFCI in the same room.
Easier to retrofit- it's easier for a homeowner to install a receptacle than to dig around in the panel. Even if this type of panel work is trivial, most people just aren't comfortable with it.
Cost- one GFCI receptacle is cheaper than a GFCI breaker. If multiple GFCI receptacles would be needed to properly protect a branch circuit, then this argument would diminish.
Protection requirement(s)- some circuits do not require GFCI protection for the entire circuit, so installing a GFCI receptacle allows you to "target" the required areas (ie, if you don't want your lighting to trip in the case of a ground fault at a receptacle).


How to remove wires from doorbell I was tasked with removing a broken doorbell from the outside of the building. I'm not sure what to do with the wires? If I pull on them they come out further but not a whole lot. I want to at least make it look good.

If the electric doorbell(s) are no longer required, there is two steps. First, you need to disconnect the ends of the wires in question from the doorbell transformer. Cut them away from the transformer so no one will be able to reconnect them easily.  Doorbells work on 12 to 28VDC, so the source of voltage should be removed.  Once you are sure there is no electric power on the wires, simply cut them off or stuff them back into the hole, never to be used again. I always clip off any bare copper and fold and tape them so no conductors can come in contact with each other when stuffed in the wall.  Even though it is low voltage, shorting the hot and ground can cause sparks which could be a fire hazard.


When connecting LED tape lights to a transformer, should I daisy chain the strips or install home runs for each strip? I'm in the planning stage for adding under cabinet LED tape lighting. I have four seperate cabinet areas to reach.

Before I drywall I'm planning to install a standard wall switch that goes to an outlet that will be in the upper part of the cabinet.

Later I can then add a low voltage transformer and a remote dimmer in that cabinet. My question is how to get power to four different cabinet areas. I have attic access.

Is it possible to attach homeruns to the transformer, or do I need to daisy chain down and have a wire go down each cabinet and back up to get to the next one.

LED lights can typically be chained several times. Read the package. It's almost always stated quite clearly. To be safe with in-wall wiring, you could halve the recommendation and have confidence that it'll work fine.


N-G Bonding Jumper problem I found out that my meter base has an N-G Bonding Jumper but also there is one in my service equipment main panel and also another one in the service panel for all the backyard lighting and equipment which bonding should I take out?

The bonding jumper should always occur at the first means of disconnect. Whether it is at the panel with a main breaker or a remote enclosed breaker. After that every panel or breaker should have an isolated neutral bus and a separate grounding bus. So you subpanel should be corrected.

The meter is covered under NEC Article 90.2(B)(5) a. Which basically states that the NEC does not cover property owned or leased from the electric utility and includes you meter and meter base. So they have there own codes and we simply do what they have requested.

Hope this helps.


How do you determine the date a house was built? I was told our house was 18 years old when we bought it. The date it was "built" was listed as 1998. However, the building permit was issued in 1996. What determines the date a house was built, when it was finished or when it was started?

All of this information will be available on most county (.gov) websites through title information or deeds.  They only care about when the house was titled, which as @bib has alluded to comes after a occupancy permit and a finished inspection.

It does not matter when the house first started to get built.  The inspections will be done when it is done and will require everything to meet code when it is being inspected, not when the work was done.  So a house started in 1980 and finished in 1990 and inspected and titled in 1990 is "built" in 1990 for all intents and purposes (given that you do not own a historical home where this information might be important).


Is the hole cut in the wall for externally vented, over stove microwaves, standard? I have a Goldstar MV-1515W microwave installed over the stove vented externally. I want to replace it. Goldstar became LG. I contacted LG and they were unable to tell me whether a new model will have the hole in the wall, in the same place. I am unable to find the template used many years ago to cut the hole and hang the microwave. If I had the template I could compare that to new models.

Is there any standardization with regard to the hole for externally vented microwaves?

Nope there is no standard for exhausted hoods as far as location some are vented backside and some topside and others can do both.  But as far as the hole location I would measure exactly where it is on the original unit then pull up the specifications sheets at the manufacturers website for any new model you plan to buy.


Is a home inspection of lead worth the money or will it basically tell me what I already know? We just purchased a house.  It was built in 1939. There are areas of the house, around the base of some molding, door corners, around some door frames, etc., where paint is chipping.

We didn't get the house inspected before we bought it because we just assumed that there is lead paint underneath.

We haven't moved in with our kids (5 and 3 years old) b/c we are renovating. I recently used a lead paint test stick on a wall under a big piece of peeling paint in the bathroom. It was positive for lead.

Now that got me thinking and possibly considering getting a professional to come it to do some XRF testing. Is it worth having it tested or is it adequate to just follow EPA RRP guidelines and recommendations...such as cleaning the house more often, wiping your shoes before coming in the house, eat a less fatty diet (less lead absorption), etc.

Beyond simply identifying whether you have lead, there are two main reasons to consider getting a more thorough XRF lead inspection:

If you're trying to fully de-lead your home, this is a thorough test to determine if the deleading project has been successful.
If your goal is to make your home safer without going as far as a full deleading project, you can use XFR to prioritize remediation work. For example, you may find that some areas do not contain lead and can be safely ignored.

For safety impact, the most important rules are:

Any repair work should be done with proper personal and work area protection. Work done without proper precautions is a major risk for dangerous levels of lead exposure.
Peeling or chipping lead paint should be safely removed and replaced or covered (e.g. with an encapsulating primer designed to secure lead paint).
Lead paint in areas subject to frequent motion (e.g. window partition beads, door jambs) or in child-accessible areas (e.g. base and window molding) are higher priority for remediation.
Keep your home clean (vacuum more often with a HEPA filter equipped cleaner).
Supervise your children and/or remove lead paint in their primary play areas.
Watch out for any new paint chipping and clean or remediate as needed.

Of course, it is safest to fully de-lead your home. You should come to your own conclusion about how much risk you and your family are willing to accept around this.


Notch Stud for Electrical Work Box I have some switches that are a little further from a door frame than I'd like (because I intend to put cabinetry on that wall and the switch might be in the way). I've seen the 25% notching restriction for load-bearing studs, but I am not sure about studs that frame doors and about lateral notches, as you would use to move the work box left.

While I don't know with certainty, it appears the stud framing the door is quite wide, so I shouldn't be notching more than 25% of width anyway. The attached pictures should clarify.

Usually doors and windows had two studs on each side ( cripple and King cripple ) if this is the case you should cut no more than half way into the King cripple.  From your picture  either the door is slid over to one side of the rough opening, has blocks nail to the King cripple, or you  have a stud next to the cripplebbecause of layout. I say this because of how much space you have between the switch and the trim. If you could determine if is just blocks cut away as much as you need. If it is a stud or the door is slid over I would check into some Slim-line boxes. These boxes are not as deep as regular boxes this way you can just notch a smaller depth letting you notch a wider width and keep the strength.


Residential Natural Gas Meter - Remove Fitting? Is that reducer coming out of the meter necessary? Currently, it's a 3/4" to 1/2" reducer, then steps back up to 3/4" and then to 1" for the runs in the house. Can I eliminate this reducer and just go from 3/4" to 1"? Did the guy on the truck just not have the right sized fittings the day of the install?

Further Info if Needed: I'm in the middle of a remodel. I am going to
move away from the black pipe and replace with CSST. We are moving FAU,
moving the water heater, going from tanked to tankless etc. I'll be running new CSST. I'm just
trying to eliminate some of the unnecessary fittings and turns if
possible at the meter.

Thanks for the help!

I have not adjusted the lines at the meter connection for many years because my gas utility got real upset (for reasons I won’t mention here). They started using J shaped fittings for higher system security.
If the utility is OK with you doing it I would since it’s on the customer side easy enough to leak check and it’s outside.
I will warn you with CSST you may not want a large flow device like a home tankless supplied (large flows tend to create a whistle sound) . Reducing the restrictions and elbows will help deliver the flow rate you may need but you may also need a larger meter if the oven, water heater furnace all kick in at the same time the whistle can be fairly loud go large to keep it from being a problem.


So is it better to go from a smaller pipe to a bigger pipe? OK I know it sounds confusing so here I go.  Doing some work on the washer supply lines.  Well they are copper right now 1/2".   Issue is there is leaking around the shutoff valves and such (old fixtures).  So the question is it OK to go from 1/2 to 3/4 in piping?  The distance would be about 6" for each hot and cold pipe and then and elbow then 4" to the new shutoff valve if that.  Shark bite connectors for the valve and what i would be getting is 1/2 to 3/4 couplers for copper to CPVC.

I don't think the shutoff valves leaking should have anything to do with the diameter of pipe you're using. It sounds like the situation is: you are replacing that last bit of pipe anyway because the shutoff valves are leaking, and you want to know if you can also increase the pipe diameter while doing this.

Changing the pipe diameter will not do anything to fix leaky shutoff valves, and it probably won't have any benefit, but I also don't think it will do any harm.

If it is less than a foot of travel, it's hard to see how flow could be impacted  much, unless it is getting constricted from something huge down to a half-inch. Keep in mind that the flow will be restricted by the smallest diameter pipe. If a 1/2" line is what's coming out of the wall and you couple it up to 3/4" for the last foot, you're not really changing much.


How can I create a platform on my stairs strong enough to support a ladder? I live in a two-story condo and need to reach a spot on the wall high above my staircase to do some handy work.  A ladder is the only way I can do this (I am stating this explicitly in order to avoid responses of Well, tell us exactly what you are doing so we can possibly find an alternative).

A scaffold for a staircase would be nice, but there's no place around here that rents them out for a reasonable price.  I came across an idea on YouTube to set a ladder up against a wall and then lay a board across the staircase and one of the rungs on the ladder, but there's no way I can transport a board of such length in my sedan.  As I am sorta forced to find a way to do this on my own, I came upon the dangerous idea of creating a platform by stacking a few cinder blocks on a lower step and putting a sheet of plywood across the blocks and a higher step.  I have a rail that will serve as backing for the plywood.  Conceptually, it seems like a sound idea, but I am coming to you guys for alternatives that might help me avoid breaking a part of my body.

Update: Since I am in dire need of a super quick solution and couldn't find a PiViT per Tester's recommendation, I picked up a Werner 22' multi-use ladder from Lowe's.  Tester gets the mark for best answer since his answer addresses my question. Even though I haven't tried it, I know it would work.

If you're using an extension ladder, they sell Ladder leveling feet.

I also stumbled across this product The PiViT Ladder tool, though you'd need two for a step ladder.


Electrical light switch circuit split I have one inside switch that turns on 3 porch lights. I would like to install a ceiling fan where the middle light is but do not want the other two lights on the same circuit to turn on. How can I separate the switch control?

You would need to add a new wire from a new switch for the ceiling fan. If the (required) fan-rated box that will be installed is large enough you can simply leave the splice for the center light in that box just capped off.


My water softener has a setting for KCl (Potassium) / NaCl (Sodium), what does it do exactly? I'm having some trouble with a relatively new water softener (<2 years). It seems like it is cycling when it should as the salt level is definitely going down, but the water is still hard.

While troubleshooting I came across a toggle setting that lets you choose KCl (Potassium) or NaCl (Sodium). Honestly, I haven't been paying that much attention to what type of salt I put in there, so theoretically I could have mismatched the setting to the salt that I'm using.

My questions:
1) What does that setting do exactly?
2) Could a mismatch be responsible for it not softening the water?

Edit: For clarification, I understand the difference between NaCl and KCl. My question really boils down to how the softener treats them differently when you toggle the switch and what is the impact of having it set incorrectly?

It controls the weight of the salt that is used.  Potassium has a higher atomic weight than sodium, but they play the same role in the ion exchange reaction in the softener, so you need a greater weight of KCl to achieve the same level of softening.

Potassium chloride has a molecular weight of 74.55, whereas Sodium chloride has one of 58.44, so in theory you should need about 27% more KCl.  In practice, this article cites a study that suggests that less is needed:

  To achieve the exact equivalent capacity of an NaCl softener, the weight of KCl used would need to be increased by 13 percent at the 4 lb./ft.3 dosage level, but by only 2 percent at the 15 lb./ft.3 level.

If your softener is set to use NaCl, but you've added KCl, it'll be less effective than it should be.


Are there alternatives to sinktop backsplashes and sidesplashes? I just got a new vanity with a counter top that I am having a hard time finding splashes for.  It's a very nice counter top as is and looks really good just nestled in the corner without any splash at all. I'd really like to just keep it as is.

I guess what I really want to know is what is the point of a splash?  Is it to keep water from going down behind the vanity?  There's caulk to prevent that.  Is it to keep water from damaging the drywall around the sink?  If so, aren't there waterproofing treatments that I could apply to the wall around the sink to keep such damage from occurring?

What are my options here as far as not using a splash and what are the implications of not using them?

Seems like most vanities have somewhat of a rounded edge and a backsplash or sidesplash provides a nice clean place to caulk. A vanity seems to be a place where quite a bit of water can wind up on the counter, so I think it's easier to keep clean if you have a splash. What about some ceramic tile? You could put them right on the sheetrock. As for having a hard time finding a backplash, have you contacted the manufacturer? I bought an American Standard vanity top from Lowe's and I had to call A.S. myself to order the side splash.


Help wiring new overhead light that uses SPT wire I am wiring a new overhead light fixture in my study. I have done lots of light fixtures before but the wires of the new fixtures I have done in the past have always matched the black and white wires of the ceiling wires.This new fixture has SPT-1 or SPT-2 wire (It just says in the instructions that it is one of the other but I do not see an identification on the actual wire). I understand that this new fixture is 'lamp wire' but I want to double check that I am hooking the right wire up to the hot and neutral wires in the ceiling.
Here are the specifics:
The new fixture wire is brown with both sides having copper wire. There are no grooves or stripes on either side but one side has writing on it. Am I correct in thinking the side with the writing is the 'hot' wire and should connect to the black wire in the ceiling and the side without writing is the 'neutral' side and should hook to the white wire?

I think I would say just the opposite. My thinking is that the wire with the writing on it is identified thus the neutral. You can check it out with a continuity tester or an ohmmeter by checking which wire gets a ring from the metal exterior of the fixture, since most fixtures are bonded between the neutral and the grounding wire.

If this is just a replacement cord you can select any conductor and mark it on both ends with white tape and identify it yourself.

Hope this helps


How can I remove 1/2" PVC pipe that has broken off inside a 1/2" elbow? How can I remove 1/2" PVC pipe that has broken off inside a 1/2" elbow?

You know what they say: nothing is forever -- except glued PVC parts. Well I don't know if they really say that but they should.

It's unclear exactly what situation you have, but if you have a glued part that is broken, the only option is to cut out the elbow and replace it with a new one. You might need to use a coupling to add on another 1" or so of pipe to get the elbow positioned correctly again.


Concerns about hanging a hundred plus mugs on dry wall Newbie here! Among other things, I collect Starbucks mugs from my travels. I have over a hundred mugs and they have spent most of their life in boxes in the garage - until now! I was thinking of displaying them and was thinking of using several rows of BYGEL rails from IKEA and "S" hooks.

I have two perpendicular walls I was thinking of hanging them on. I can hang only six mugs on each rail, which would mean I would need around 20 rails (scope for expansion). I was thinking of hanging two rows of rails on one wall, and one row on the other. To make it look even, that would mean 2 rows of 7 rails on one wall, and one row of 7 on another. My fear is whether the dry wall will be able to hold this kind of weight. Each mug weighs 1.1lb, and the rail 1lb. So one wall would have to hold around 107lbs of weight, while the other around 53lbs.

I will not be able to screw the rails into the studs as it will not be aligned aesthetically. So I will have to use dry wall anchors.

Do you see any concerns with my design? Will the dry wall be able to hold this kind distributed weight? I really appreciate your feedback.

Thanks so much.

JK

It's hard to say whether your drywall will support this, it might, it might not.  Big factors are the thickness, condition, and stud spacing.  As well, if the bars ever experience a dynamic load like someone bumping into it, pulling on mugs, etc. it might very well fail while it was fine with a static load.

The "right" way to do this is to open up the walls and install blocking between studs so that you can mount your bars to a solid support instead of the drywall.  Or alternatively, install a piece of plywood on top of the drywall, anchored to the studs, and then mount your bars to the plywood. You could paint it to match the wall.


Can a main breaker box be bonded at the meter box? Im trying to add a subpanel to my main breaker box, I know that on a subpanel neutral bus and ground must not be bonded, but looking inside the main panel I don't see where the neutral and ground bars are bonded, also this panel does not have connection to a ground rod, the ground rod connection it's coming out of the meter box, Its this ok? can the neutral to ground bonding be inside the meter box? , thanks in advance for the help!

Yes, the neutral can be bonded at the meter.  National Electrical Code 250.24(A)(1).

Here's a YouTube video where Mike Holt discusses this topic.


Exposing a 220v socket in my condo I live in the US and own a few appliances (mostly audio) that are European, designed for 220V and don't have a built-in converter to deal with 110V. I'd like to find a way to use these in my condo, for which all regular sockets are on 110V.

My understanding is that heavy appliances like heaters (and ovens, etc.) are wired on 220V and that my condo already has 220V. I have two rough plans.

First plan:

the heating is forced air -- it must be running on 220V
as such, there must be a live wire with 220V running to the heating vent
I should be able to pop the cover, find the 220V wires, and expose right next to the vent a 220V socket, with schuko to avoid mistakes
this will be more efficient than having a 110/220 converter running constantly.

Second plan:

I have a socket that I'm happy to flip to 220V + schuko, also standing fairly close to the electrical panel
there must be a guide wire running from the electrical panel to that socket
I should be able to pull a wire for that socket that is on 220V.

Question 1: does any of the plans make sense, and if so, which would be easier? (I may be missing assumptions on US wiring, quality of current, etc.)

Question 2: my panel says "circuit directory: 120V/208V". I'm surprised by the latter (208V instead of 220V). Can I still run audio appliances off of that? This seems on the low end of the tolerance spectrum.

It goes without saying that I would contract a professional electrician to do that; but before, I'd like to know if any of this makes sense. Thanks!

Power service to your building includes a 3-phase, 208-volt, wye (or star) distribution system. That provides 208 volts between any two of three phase terminals and 120 volts between any phase terminal and the neutral terminal. Any one condo in the building would be served by two phase conductors and a neutral conductor plus a protective earth (ground) conductor that is connected to neutral at the service entrance. This system is used in some commercial and multi-unit buildings in the US, but it is somewhat uncommon.

If you have loads that rated to operate on 208 V, 60 Hz, it makes sense to install 208-volt receptacles for those loads if it is not too expensive. The equipment should be marked with a voltage range and frequency. If is says something like 200-240V, 50/60 Hz or 47-63 Hz, the equipment is ok for 208V, 60Hz. You can probably not use any existing wiring, because it is likely protected by larger circuit breakers than would be permissible for lower current receptacles and loads. In addition, the existing circuits are intended to serve certain loads. An electrician can tell you what is involved and the cost of the wiring. In addition to that cost, there may be repair of plaster and painting required for any openings made by the electrician. An electrician would not usually do that repair.

Read you condo association documents, wiring may be owned in common, not owned by the unit owner. Your individual ownership may be only the paint on the walls inward. In addition, any wiring must conform to the local electrical code and all receptacles are more than likely required to conform to Underwriters Laboratory (UL) standards. Code may not allow a schuko receptacle.


Plumbing - two cold water pressure tanks, both with bladders - low flow second floor The house we bought has two blue cold water pressure tanks, both with bladders, and the system is set for cut-in at 50 and cut-out at 70. We noticed a tiny pinhole leak in a tee connection close to where the well line enters the house - so we turned off the pump and drained water from the tanks enough to allow work on the tee, which is about 5' off the floor. Tee repaired, we cleaned and changed the sediment filter, put in a new filter, and then checked the bladder pressure while the pressure was off the water tanks. Both pressure tanks bladders were charged to 38 pounds rather than 48, only because it seemed like it was taking forever to do that. Both of the tanks, before charging the bladders back up, were at about 24 pounds each (the tanks are in tandem, one larger than the other).  Refilling the system was normal, and we let the water and air blow out of lines through the house. However, we now have a situation where, as the pressure drops before the pump cuts back in, there's very little water pressure on the second floor (tanks are in the basement) so the bathrooms/showers are an issue. Tank pressure seems fine, and the 50-70 in and out seems high to us, but that's how the prior owners set up the system, so we've never messed with it. Until now. Help!

I think you have two completely separate issues that you became aware of at the same time, and which are mostly unrelated.

Improperly set system and air pressures in bladder tanks.

A note - the higher the system pressure, the less water storage (drawdown) in a bladder tank. So you might get better performance from a 40/60 or 30/50 setting.

You are also at risk of damaging the bladders by underfilling the air for the pressure you have set on the water side. The bladder becomes much more distended than it's designed to be, and lots of water simply sits in the tank with the effective volume of the tank greatly reduced, since the first water to enter the tank is raising its air pressure from your too low setting to where the pressure switch is set, and shrinking the air bubble to do that.

Low pressure on the second floor bathrooms is probably from a blockage.

Pressure due to elevation is 2.3 feet per PSI, so pressure on the second floor due to elevation is probably not really the issue  (might be 8-10 PSI less than the basement in a typical house) and of course it worked fine until you drained the system; so it's not "really" pressure loss, in the sense of the pressure in the pipes - IMPE it is often the case that when you drain and refill a water system "crud" (usually harmless, but unappealing, deposits from the water) in the pipes gets knocked loose with all the bubbles passing through and will plug shower heads and aerators - that does cause pressure loss OUT of the showers and sinks. Try removing shower heads and aerators, cleaning them, and blowing the pipes clear without having them in place.

I would suggest draining the system again, verifying that the air pressure is still 38 (if not you may have a leaky bladder) and resetting the pressure switch to 40/60 (with a typical pressure switch, be sure to turn the pump breaker off before adjusting.) Then remove all showerheads and aerators, repressurize the system, and blow the pipes clear before reinstalling the cleaned showerheads and aerators.