What's the best way to fix skirting board without nails / screws? I need to put some skirting board up which will be fixed to some skimmed, dot-and-dabbed plasterboard.

I need to fix it without nails / screws however, as it's in a basement/cellar conversion, and there is waterproof membrane behind the plasterboard which I can not puncture.

I'm planning on using No More Nails / Gripfill, but have struggled getting it flush in the past without putting some pins in until it goes off.

One useful thing is it is in a narrow hallway (about 1.2m) so I'm wondering if I can get away with "wedging" the skirting with 1.2m pieces of stud across the hallway until the glue goes off.

Is there a more elegant solution than this? (Am also worried in case the no more nails gives way at a later date!)

Well, you could form the skirting directly out of plaster, but that would only fulfill the "appearance" and not the "function" (such as it is) of the skirting board. And for most of us that would be more "messy" than "elegant", though the real plaster pros can do very elegant things in the high side of the wall for moldings that won't see the abuse a skirting board will.

Wedging is probably the best way to do this - rather than tryng to get "precise" lengths across, if you can get a pack of tapered shims (narrow wooden shingles) you can use a pair in opposite directions to make a wedge-clamp arrangement on studs just a hair shorter than the width. Drive in the wedges to tighten.

I'm not familiar with your brands, but if it's a good quality polyurethane construction adhesive, once cured, it should stay put.

When in doubt, leave it clamped longer. When not in doubt, leave it clamped longer anyway. An extra day or two of stepping over clamps is not nearly as inconvenient as trying to do it over...


In a one-way dimmer, can C and L1 terminals be swapped? In a one-way dimmer switch, does it matter which way round the C and L1 terminals are connected (both electrically and in terms of UK wiring regs)?

For context, I have a dimmer that's wired the opposite to what I'd expect and I'm trying to understand the implications.

The answer is swapping the line and load may cause problems depending on the electronics. Many dimmers use SCR's to control the output. These use a small voltage from the line side to turn on and off the scr at a very rapid rate. Some of the newer dimmers have more electronics and don't care which side the line is on but most do. Depending on the model it may work fine or not at all.  Note an SCR is a silicon controlled rectifier.


Heat vent found under dishwasher So we purchased a brand new home in June 2016 and found the builder put a heat vent under the dishwasher. He explained it's pretty normal but after asking HVAC pro's, it isn't.

My question is, should I have a toe kick vent installed? The builder didn't even cut the floor opening for it, but it is installed under the house.

He put it in the wrong place by mistake. I would make him  move it. You should not have to rig something to correct his mistake. You may not need the vent if there are other vents in  the kitchen. I would still have it changed since you paid for a correct job.


Replacing through-the-wall air conditoner My through the wall air conditioner is no longer working.  It is a Carrier GCA051B installed in 2001, with a sleeve.

Assuming the sleeve is ok, what do I replace it with?  It looks like the model is a window unit, used with a sleeve. Can I use another window unit of the same size?  It covers just a 12x15 bedroom.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

First, if it works even at all, check with your power company about any appliance upgrade assistance they may have.  They will often subsidize replacement with efficient appliances, especially air conditioners, because every watt of A/C draw they eliminate is a peaking unit power plant they don't have to build. Peaking units are by far the most expensive because the bank wants the mortgage paid exactly the same as a baseload 24x7 nuke, but the peaking unit only makes hay a few hundred hours a year.

There's window units, and then, there's wall units.

Wall units are much tougher and more industrial units than window air conditioners.  They also have a much tougher and more industrial price :)

As such, people like to substitute for window units, which is not a good idea. Window A/Cs assume a threshold only a few inches wide, especially on the top.  The wall passage tends to be deep, and the window unit won't perform well there.

One could install a window :)


My pump is streaming water out of valve from underneath pressure gauge I've drained the tank, refilled it & it's still a steady stream of water. Water pressure is good but pump kicks on as soon as you turn on a faucet & I know that's bad. I'm a single mom with no repair experience please help. Thanks, DB.

It sounds like you have lost the air charge on your pressure tank, if an old tank it may need replacing,
try this it may give you some time , turn the pump off, use a bicycle pump to put air in the pressure tank there is usually a small valve like a car tire or bicycle has sticking out close to the top of the tank, fill to about 35 psi. You may have to open a faucet to get enough air in the tank but if the pump turns on at 40 35-38 psi air in the tank, if it turns on at 30 / 25-28psi in the tank will be needed.
Now turn your pump and see if it is working normally, if the pump motor turns on and off rapidly more air is needed in the tank so you will need to turn off the pump let more water out and add air, a air compressor can be used if you have one but a bicycle hand pump will work it just takes a while, I have seen old diaphragm tanks last a couple of years longer by just adding air a few times. Hope this helps.


Finishing drywall that abuts against metal frame prone to condensation I have a interior soffit (that encloses a structural beam running along the exterior of the building) directly above an exterior sliding door. The drywall covering this soffit abuts right up against the door's metal frame. From what I can see, the original drywall installers just ran the 5/8 in gypsum board right up to the metal frame and possibly used some mud to get a nice clean-looking line. Below is a detailed view of this area showing the bottom of soffit (top of image) against the metal door frame (left):

The metal door frame apparently does not have a thermal break and can therefore get very cold. It is also prone to interior condensation even when interior humidity is well controlled (as is visible in the image). My concern is that this condensation may also be occurring up inside the soffit and causing damage to the backside of the drywall. There are some signs of this happening already (bubbling tape seams near frame, etc.). Exterior water penetration has been ruled out.

My question is how is this intersection of dissimilar materials supposed to be finished given the characteristics of this metal frame? I'm assuming that at a minimum some sort of J bead should have been used around the edge of the drywall to create a buffer and make sure the paper backside of the drywall can't touch any sweating metal. If so, would it be possible to retrofit one? Also, even with a J Bead should some sort of air gap be left (maybe 1/8 in) next to the metal to allow for circulation and drainage, or would that just encourage more condensation? Of course an airtight seal is likely impossible no matter what.

Searched for interior soffits seems some people use it instead of bulkheads.  From the picture it just looks like you have a door with a header in an exterior wall.

When you say interior soffit this just means that a portion of the header is air space?  As the thickness of the header is less than the thickness of the door?  Typically you'd insulate the extra space using XPS.  The backside of the drywall that covers the wall above the door looks flush with the interior surface of the door.  Normally you'd use trim instead and have the surface of the drywall flush with the surface of the door frame but using drywall is sometimes done.  In your picture it just looks like they've used the factor edge of the drywall - if that isn't already a j-bead.  I don't think there is much you can do to provide more of a thermal break on the metal frame of that door.

In terms of moisture getting into the wall above the door, in a cold climate, there should be a vapor barrier (typically 6mil poly) that is on the warm side behind the drywall.  This prevents water vapor from getting into wall spaces and condensing.  Older homes (1920s) used vapor barrier paint.

Since it sounds like you have signs of moisture accumulating in the header space, I'd open it and make sure the vapor barrier is properly sealed with tape or acoustic caulking.  For the intersection between the drywall and the metal door frame I'd be tempted to put sill gasket and then tape poly to the door frame and then put the drywall on top of that and use a slightly wider j-bead to return to the frame and then caulk the jbead to the frame.  If you are already opening up the area around the door it wouldn't hurt to properly air seal the gap.  I used backrod and energy seal and then a passive house tape like tescon vana to bridge between the metal frame of the door and the rough opening wood framing.


Does NEC allow for recessed lighting to be placed in a vertical wall? I am about to start running electrical in my bathroom remodel and I am considering options for lighting.  I have a wall on one side that has 5.75" of space (this was for recessed shelving in an adjacent room. My wife has the neat idea of using recessed lights in this space so that they would act like a flush wall sconce.  I like the idea, but i can not find any information on anyone doing this, or if a new construction light housing can be mounted vertically.

Does anyone know if this idea would pass NEC code? Also would a recessed light housing be solid enough to be placed vertically on wall studs rather than horizontally on joists?

As noted by Skaperen and Longneck in comments below, NEC requires using listed devices in accordance with manufacturer instructions. So if it says for ceilings, the code requires that you only use it in a ceiling. All of the can type recessed fixtures I have seen are described by their manufacturers as ceiling fixtures (but there may be versions out there that do not have this limitation). If you proceed, you may have a code violation and you might get pushback from an inspector.

If you do decide to go ahead with this approach, you need to make sure that there is sufficient room in the wall to accommodate the unit. Most stud bays are either 3.5 or 5.5 inches deep and most fixtures are deeper than that (usually 7+ inches).

You do mention new construction units, which have braces reaching the studs. If you have the wall open, or are willing to do that, the support brackets should easily hold the unit steady (although there may be some twisting pressure on the bracket arms).

There are can fixtures specifically intended for slope ceilings. They tend to be new work versions with mounting brackets, not remodel versions with spring clips. If mounted on a wall, they may give you a downward tilt that fits your goal.

If you consider standard remodel recessed ceiling fixtures, the problem you may face is that the mounting brackets for most use spring clips to hold the unit in place.  In a ceiling mount, the weight is evenly distributed around the rim on all of the clips.  If you mount these types of units in a wall, the weight of the unit will pull down in the back, tending to push the bottom of the fixture out.

The springs may be strong enough to hold the unit flush, but you would probably have to try one on a sample of dry wall to see. The Halo brand unit talks about driving a screw through the shell to lock in the spring, and that might help. Other brands may have similar features.In sum, I don't think there is a code issue, but you may get local reaction and you need to make sure you can properly mount the unit solidly.

There trim kits that are intended to be wall wash baffles which cast light to one side (on your case, downward) that might work well. Also, smaller units, such as 3 or 4 inch versions, will weigh less and may pose less mounting problems. Also be sure that you use insulation contact versions if there is insulation in the wall that may come in contact with the shell.

You also might consider small, flush mount or recessed LED units that are significantly shallower than conventional recessed lighting. These also may not be restricted to ceiling mounting (or horizontal mounting), and may be more likely to be code compliant.


If you reduce a 8" duct to 6" just before a register boot, does it produce more force through the opening? I figure this is probably true if there was nowhere else for the pressure to go, at least in terms of water.  Is this true for air pressure even considering there are other paths for the air to move closer to the blower?

A lot if things will happen because fluid dynamics is complicated.

If you reduce the opening of one register, you increase the resistance of the whole system.  This increases the pressure of the whole system and reduces the volume of the whole system.

At the individual registers:
The increased pressure in the whole system will cause more volume to flow out of all of the other registers (than was flowing before), because their resistance hasn't changed.

The increased resistance of the register you reduced will decrease the volume coming out of that one, but, the velocity (which is maybe what you meant by force?) will be higher, because of the higher pressure (Bernoulli's equation).

The actual degree of these effects will also depend on the system fan - as most HVAC system blowers have a very shallow pressure/volume curve (and sometimes even positive slope, yikes!), you will likely see only a very small increase in pressure and a more significant loss in volume.  Nevertheless, the general relations I said above should hold.  Unless you somehow push the blower into some unstable region (positive pressure/volume slope), then bad things will happen.

Always be careful naively applying the surface area relation in the cases.  Going from 8" to 6" will reduce the surface area from 50 square inches to 28 square inches.  Naively you could guess that this would reduce the volume to 28/50, a 44% reduction, or that it would increase the velocity by 50/28, a 78% increase, but when you consider the system, and the fan, you see that it does neither and both of these.  It will decrease the volume, but by less than 44%, and it will increase the velocity, but by less than 78% (far less, in practice).

Also note that the degree to which these things happen will depend on exactly how you reduce from 8" to 6".  A flat plate with high losses will make your volume loss closer to 44% and velocity increase closer to 0%, whereas a carefully designed nozzle with minimal losses will get much more velocity with less volume loss (keeping in mind that a nozzle, after all, is a device designed to convert pressure to velocity as efficiently as possible).


Improve downspout fitting on gutter This used to be fine without the flexible adapter, I had a rigid gutter to pipe adapter in the past. The ground below must have pushed the pipe around over time. The fitting was barely working for the last year and more recently not working at all. I bought a flexible adapter today and it is really straining to fit. Is there a better solution? I could not find flexible pipe to pipe connectors for this job.

I would suggest that you replace the rigid gutter to pipe adapter with a new one. Adjust the downspout as necessary to make it fit.
What you've got now looks like it will restrict water flow because the flex pipe has a dip in it - effectively a shallow P-trap. Not something you want in an rain gutter. Also, if that's not a tight fit between the flex and rigid piping, you're going to end up with dirt and plant life in the buried section and it will end up backing up and flooding this area.
I can't tell from the picture which way the rigid pipe goes once it's underground, but you may have to dig up a few inches of it to move it so it will once again meet up with the downspout and adapter.


Can I install windows into a concrete rough opening without wood buck? I recently cut two holes in my foundation and installed new windows. I lined my hole with 2x8 PT wood bucks that I attached to the masonry with Tapcon screws. Then I attached my window nailing flange to the wood buck. All seemed to work fine.

Now I would like to replace some of the other windows in the room (basement). The existing windows are a reasonable size, but because they are old steel frame, and the frame is very thin, the effective window area is very close to the same size as the hole in the block wall. If I follow the same strategy as I described above, then by the time I add the wood buck and a modern vinyl window, my effective window area is reduced by about 4.5" on each side! (1.5" for the buck, 3" for the vinyl window frame). The resulting window would be tiny. I am looking for a way to maximize the final size of the window without having to cut away any more block.

Does anyone here have experience attaching the window directly to the masonry opening, and skipping the wood buck? For small windows, I have heard of people essentially floating the window in the rough (cmu) opening with spray foam - no nails or screws! - but I am a little hesitant to pursue this option...

For reference I am in Anchorage AK.

Just get replacement windows instead of new construction and use tapcons to fasten the windows through the sides. Caulk outside good to keep out water. Foundation should also be graded away from the window to keep out water.


Toilet repeatedly clogs - is putting toilet bowl cleaner in the toilet's tank causing the problem? Our apartment's toilet repeatedly clogs.  My roommate puts toilet bowl cleaner in the toilet's tank, so that when we flush, the cleaning liquid runs through the toilet.  I'm starting to wonder if the toilet bowl cleaner is clogging the jets and causing the toilet to repeatedly clog.  Can putting toilet bowl cleaner in the tank clog the jets?  Could this be contributing to the repeat clogs?

If by "clog" you mean

You try to flush,
Water flows into the bowl,
The water level stabilizes higher than the normal resting level and the toilet doesn't actually flush.

Then I really can't imagine any way the cleaner fluid could be causing it.

In any case, check the directions on the cleaner product in question. It's certainly possible for an improperly used cleaning product to cause other problems in in a device like a toilet; I'd specifically be worried about some of the soft or hinged gaskets degrading.


Why aren't AFCI breakers required for bathrooms/lavatories? Why doesn't NEC require AFCI breakers for bathrooms/lavatories?
Is there a good reason NOT to install AFCI protection on a 15A/20A 120V bathroom outlet?  (I.e., use GFCI only.)

We're reading tea leaves here to guess at NFPA's intent.   NFPA writes the "model electrical code" which they offer for anyone in the world to adopt as their law.

But politically, NFPA has been having a big problem.  Normally NEC changes are fairly trivial in cost: Pull a neutral wire on switch loops, gosh, you're using the /3 Romex instead of the /2.  It's maybe $3 per house.  Those increments have been getting bigger, as they've started so snake GFCIs and AFCIs in more and more places.

Mind you, AFCIs started out as a solution for electric blankets starting fires in bedding.  However, they discovered that in actuality, AFCIs were catching arc faults caused by backstab connections.  Backstabs are a builder favorite (jab a wire in a hole and you're done, instead of having to form a shepherd's hook and torque to spec, times  say 200 connections in a typical house). Builders don't want to quit backstabs. (if they fail after closing, who cares?)

Well, in 2014, NFPA was hellbound and determined to require AFCI or GFCI breakers on darn near everything.  And a lot of people were thinking "Why not just outlaw backstabs, then?"  Anyway, NEC 2014 was adding six hundred bucks to the cost of a house, which was actually going to have a material effect on real estate prices.

Builders were saying "Oh hell no", and telling their Congresspeople to say "Oh hell no". And NFPA had to lobby right back, and influence public opinion. So states adopted NEC 2014 very reluctantly (seven still haven't), and some states still adopted it with some AFCI/GFCI requirements left out.

Anyway, requiring both AFCI and GFCI on a circuit was politically "a bridge too far".


Do range hood inserts with rear exhaust exist? I may try to fabricate an under-cabinet range hood, and would use a range-hood insert with integrated baffles and lighting, so fabricating just the "shell".

All of the inserts I've found so far have a top-mounted circular exhaust vent, which wouldn't work in our case without major expensive cabinetry work. Are these inserts also made with a rear-mounted rectangular exhaust vent (approx 4x10)?

I have an older Bosch unit that was sold with both inserts, however:

Standard fans usually have pretty weenie capacities and putting a 90 degree bend will seriously affect their flow. This is why cheaper, low capacity hoods only come with straight inserts. Ironically, many expensive, snazzy looking, hoods have miserable performance.

High capacity hoods with beefy fans tend to be a lot more money, but will have the overhead (ha ha!) to accomodate bends and longer duct runs.


How to install deck railing top board slanted I'm building the railings for my new deck and plan to use a 2x6 as the top board. 4x4 posts, 2x4 rails. How can I make it a bit slanted to help shed rain water with minimal tools? (No table saw, no router...).

You'd just slope the 4x4 posts, set the top rails on them, and fit your 2x4 rails underneath. A slight wedge gap would be present, but that's not going to look terrible.
I'd reconsider for a few reasons, though:

You'll need a substantial slope to drain enough water to make a difference. We're talking about beads of water or, at worst, shallow puddling. Both require at least several degrees of slope to eliminate.
This isn't going to substantially extend the life of the rail. Even if it did, replacing just the top rails after 10-15 years might be worth not creating conditions whereby...
You'll eliminate the railing as a drink/dish platform. Don't underestimate the utility of that surface for you and your guests.

I'm in a moist climate and we routinely used 5/4x6 deck boards as top rails. Folks really liked being able to rest dishes and elbows on that wide surface. They didn't rot out any quicker than the hundreds of feet of decking below. A quick squeegee cleans them off after a rain.


How to set metal fence posts? I am getting ready to build a 6' tall 80' long wooden fence, but instead of 4x4 wooden posts I am going to use metal fence posts. The fence will have 1 walk through gate and a larger gate that can be driven through. It will be attached to another fence on either side (one is sturdy, and another well is not so sturdy and I will probably replace it within a year). I think I remember reading before that I should put gravel at the bottom of the hole of each post to allow water to drain from the post.

I want to make sure the new fence I put up is done right, and that it will hold over time.
So how deep should I set the metal posts, and if I should put gravel at the bottom of the hole, how much?

How tall are your posts to start with?  A 6 foot above ground post should have at least 2 feet in the ground in your area.  I would be setting them in concrete so you have a good solid base and good ballast. A metal post in concrete won't rust as long as you dome the top of the concrete so water runs away from the post.

I'll share a clever trick that works well and is very fast.  After digging your hole for the post, set one or two bricks in the bottom of the hole to set your post on. You will of course have to adjust for height and plumb the post. Then simply pour an 80 pound bag of Sacrete premixed concrete mix around the post dry, right from the bag.  Now just pour apx 2 gallons of water on top of the mix and leave it alone for 24 hours.  You will have a solid concrete base for your posts without having to mix concrete.  Mixing concrete is good, even better, but this little trick is fast and easy.


What kind of thermometer do I use to check dryer temperature? Can same one be used to check stove temperature? Is there a thermometer that can be used to check dryer temperature, and if so, what kind should be used?  Should only a multimeter be used on the dryer's thermostat instead?  I'm just wanting to doublecheck that a dryer is heating to proper temperature.  I would like to know if there is one that can be used both on a dryer and a stove, like maybe a thermometer that is just used for appliance repair.

I expect people repairing appliances either use

a k-type thermocouple attached to a suitable multimeter.
a thermometer specific to the type of appliance.

The key factors are probably temperature range, accuracy and the mechanical details.


What is special about carpet cutters? I currently have to cut a small piece of carpet and I wondered if I should get a carpet cutter. It seems to me that probably any solid, sharp knife (or scissors) would be suited similar well.

So my question is: What is special about carpet cutters? Should I get one or simply try it with other knives?

Carpet edgers are designed to trim a carpet to the right fit against a wall and under baseboard trim by sliding along the trim.

If you're referring to the basic utility knife, they're designed with an appropriate angle to reduce hand fatigue, but any utility knife will do fine.

A typical scissor won't have the leverage needed to shear the very heavy backing fabric (jute) that  carpet is built upon. Specialty shears may, but they'll be slow and are only suitable for small fitment work.


Should I use caulk or grout between the edge of a tiled bathroom floor and the walls? I just tiled my bathroom floor. What should I put between the tiles and the walls, silicone or grout?

Use anti-bacterial water sealed silicone. The reasons being that if you use grout then expansion in the tiles can cause the grout to crack along that tile line. Also caulk will get very grubby quickly. Silicone allows expansion and doesn't get grubby like caulk


How can I cut extremely heavy cast iron? I want to cut up a large piece of cast iron (think storm drain cover) with thicknesses greater than 1".  What would be the cheapest way to accomplish this?  It doesn't have to be a fast method.

Could this be accomplished with:

A hacksaw with a special blade?
A 4.5-in angle grinder and then finish the job with an 8-lb sledge hammer?
A 3-lb hammer, a cold chisel and lots of patience?

The profile of the iron is at most 3 square inches, and is relatively square. I want the cuts to be somewhat precise (I'm not just breaking it up to remove it), but they don't need to be clean.

If cost is the only factor, a hacksaw is hands down the cheapest option. It's also the slowest.

An angle grinder would be next up. a 4.5" with a diamond blade should do the trick, but the diamond blade will cost more than the hacksaw.

Best bet? A circular or miter saw with a metal cutting blade.


What size conduit should I use for Coaxial and Ethernet? I'm looking at feeding both a coaxial and an Ethernet(probable cat6A) cable too multiple locations in my house shortly.
I was wondering what size conduit should I use?

After a quick google search, I've estimated the dimensions of the cables as follows:

RG6 - diameter = 0.33", area = 0.08552 sq.in.
CAT6 = diameter = 0.25", area = 0.0491 sq. in.

So to run just these two cables, you're going to need 3/4" conduit (based on NEC Chapter 9 Tables). If you run two of each cable (4 total cables), you'll need 1" conduit. Three of each (6 total cables), you'll need 1 1/4" conduit.


Field-stone Foundation on Top of Bedrock, Keep the Water Out? I have a field-stone foundation built on top of bedrock. Due to the slop of the bedrock, water collects outside and runs down under the wall. As you can see from the pictures, moisture gets in.

I have a couple ideas for keeping the water away from the foundation (I'm open to more though), but also, is there anything I can do inside? Of course I'm also worried about erosion.

Outside: I was thinking of either french drains that lead the water away, or angle the soil next to the foundation and layer it with stones.

Inside: ?

Not sure about inside, maybe damp rid or a dehumidifier. I don't suppose it wouldn't hurt to pack concrete in that gap under the wall/foundation (but you should dig this out from outside first).

The truth is, water coming in must be taken care of from the outside. A picture of the outside might be helpful.

I understand that you are on bedrock, but just to be sure, whatever soil exists outside should be graded away from the house. If that's not possible (or is not helpful) then you need to (dig out the outside and) seal the outside of the foundation. Tar and rubber liners are good for houses built into the side of a mountain. Again, packing concrete in that gap under the wall/foundation would probably be helpful. French drains should be at the foundation level... so that sounds like work (cutting into rock?) for you. If this is in the side of a mountain or hill, a cement patio or sidewalk (sloping away from the house) with a retaining wall for the soil would be the most effective solution (for worst case scenarios).


How to put a support bed under an already installed bathtub? The bathtub was installed without a mortar bed just the  foam it comes with during transportation and seemed to be fine but after few weeks it started to squeak when taking a bath.

I have access to 3 sides of the tub and thin king of adding mortar under it but I read that expanding foam and plaster could also be an option.
Any advices over which option is better? I'm not familiar with what kind of plaster to be used.

I have done this with plain Plaster of Paris, which I consider to be the best option - it's stable, but easily removed if/when the tub is replaced. I had planned to set the tub, pull it and place a pile of plaster, then reset it, but setting it the first time was such a chore that I did it from the other side of the wall instead.

It will be a bit messy, so prepare for that. With plaster you need to keep the relatively short working time in mind (it sets fairly quickly) and be sure to push enough in from the side you can access to support the opposite side. I ended up mixing several smaller batches so that I could get them placed before the plaster set, and filled in from the far side to the side I had access from with successive batches.


what is the environmentally safe way to remove & prevent moss from growing on the roof? I live in the pacific northwest and all rain water goes directly to the lake near our house. So I don't want to use some harsh chemicals to remove moss from the roof. Are there any environmentally safe ways to remove moss and keep the roof dry and prevent moss from growing?

EDIT: The roofing material is asphalt shingles.

We use a bare galvanized wire fastened to the ridge of the roof.

If you’ve ever noticed a “clean” area under (downside of slope) chimney flashing or metal roof vents, you’ll understand the use of galvanized metal to keep the roof “clean”.  (I’m sure some chemist could explain why the galvanized coating keeps the asphalt shingles “moss-free”. )


Any Idea what this connector might be? Any idea what the pictured connector might be and how it might be replaced/connected again?
It is part of a steam generator, for a steam shower, providing power to the heating element, I believe. It has an identical one on a black wire that was worn through completely. Just hoping it is a common part.

Here are some more pics to show the gory details.

You can see the where they disconnected here.

And if you look past the red wires you can see where the other side is still nice and tidy. (How these should look)

It is a Ceramic Insulator for heat protection - the wires go to the heating element.

EDIT 5-8-2017

As per Ed Beals comment (Thanks for the FYI) - I will make some explanation here .

Heating elements are exactly that they heat up as the electricity flows through them, they have different ratings of wattage consequently also heat output, How hot they get. Because of this there needs to be a method of protecting the wiring of the circuit from the transference of this heat.

The heat transferring via the wire into the insulation can melt or make brittle the insulation and thereby create a potential fire hazard and or electrocution hazard. Ceramic Insulators are used to dissipate the heat and prevent this transference that would cause the insulation of the wires to melt or become brittle.

Over time the heat will cause these ceramic insulators to break  down - constant heating and cooling causing them to crack and become brittle and break. You need to use them in the replacement of your part and in connecting the wires to the heating element - unless you would like to risk the lives of the  occupants of the home to fire.

I should also add that sometimes the heating element itself has this component - and therefore a new element would need to be purchased.


How to find the correct replacement glass dome for a light fixture? My wife and I were cleaning the glass dome for our kitchen's main overhead light fixture and it broke.  How do we go about finding a matching replacement?

The electrical and structural metal parts are fine, we just need the glass part.  Would a manufacturer's code be etched on the metal parts somewhere?  Do we need to contact the original builder?

I wish I had a picture (I'm at work at the moment), but the dome was basically the bottom third of a glass sphere, like a shallow bowl, with several holes to attach metal supports.  Nothing terribly fancy, but I have no idea where to look for a matching replacement.

See if the globe is a standard/common design.

There are a few "standard" designs for how globes/domes/shades attach to the lamp fixture.  Many manufacturers intentionally build to the standard, and there is a huge aftermarket of various styles of globe, specifically for replacement or "style upgrade" in any compatible fixture.  A lighting distributor or real hardware store will have these.  Big-box chain stores maybe not so much.

Contact manufacturer

Part number is probably on a sticker on the fixture itself, usually around where the light bulbs are or on the back. You may have to take the fixture down to be able to see this (and if you do, be sure to turn the power off).

Just a warning: It's possible they don't sell the individual part, don't make it anymore, or want to charge more for the part and/or shipping than other options (below).

Buy an identical fixture

Find the same fixture somewhere, and use the parts from it you need

Just replace the fixture with something better

If you can't find a matching fixture, just replace it with something else.

You can also just use this as an excuse to replace it with something you like better anyway.


Is there a paint sprayer suitable for both large areas (exterior) and finish work (cabinets)? I have two large upcoming painting projects that I'm likely going to use as an excuse to invest in a decent paint sprayer.

The first is repainting/restaining the exterior of our house. The second is to repaint our kitchen cabinets.

For the former, it sounds like an airless system would be the best product. Are there airless systems that would also be suitable for finish work (high gloss oil based paint) or for the latter is a High-Volume, Low-Pressure system really the only way to go?

There are several good professional grade airless paint sprayers out there at reasonable prices. The base unit is the airless pump and the different nozzles used in the sprayer head make the difference in the style of application.  The spray pattern and volume the nozzle allows as well as the types of paint or stain it can handle determines how it can be used on different projects.

I for example have a Graco Pro LTS17. I have a variety of tips that range from 14 inch wide high volume which makes shooting out a house a one day job, down to much finer spray tips that shoot properly thinned cabinet enamels in very tight patterns.  One of the advantages of this type of pump sprayer is that you can feed product directly from a 1 gal or 5 gal can.

As with all sprayers, using the right paints/stains for the job and thinning them with Flotrol for latex or mineral spirits/linseed for certain oil based products makes all the difference on how the sprayer preforms and how well the product covers.

i kick myself for not having used one years ago. Once I started using mine a few years back, projects for painting a house exterior, decks with hundreds of spindles, priming new construction drywall, and refinishing wood cabinets became so much easier, faster and with not that much practice, a very nice finish.

Don't go cheap. Be sure whatever unit you buy is versatile and accepts all the tips you need for your varied projects.


Can I run a new ground wire from junction box in attic down the wall to replace 2 prong outlet I have an older home where some of the house has updated electrical and some doesn't.

In a few rooms I still have several of the 2 prong outlets with no ground wire in the box and I want to replace them with 3 prong tamper proof outlets with proper grounding.

If I had an easy way to run a new line from the panel I would not be wasting your time, but I live in a split level home and several of these rooms have their lines fed from below, in-between floors, so I don't have any way to run a new line easily.

I know I can add GFCI outlets for some human protection but I want to do better.

I need to know if it is safe and/or legal to run a ground wire from a junction box in my attic (there are several) down the wall to use as ground when I replace the 2 prong with a 3 prong.  The junction box likely leads back to a different circuit but it is all originating from the same panel (I only have 1)

This is fine, provided you're under a new enough Code

The 2014 NEC added a new point 4 in 250.130(C):

  (C) Nongrounding Receptacle Replacement or Branch
  Circuit Extensions. The equipment grounding conductor
  of a grounding-type receptacle or a branch-circuit extension
  shall be permitted to be connected to any of the following:

  (1) Any accessible point on the grounding electrode system as described in 250.50

  (2) Any accessible point on the grounding electrode conductor

  (3) The equipment grounding terminal bar within the enclosure where the branch circuit for the receptacle or
  branch circuit originates

  (4) An equipment grounding conductor that is part of another branch circuit that originates from the enclosure
  where the branch circuit for the receptacle or branch
  circuit originates

  (5) For grounded systems, the grounded service conductor
  within the service equipment enclosure

  (6) For ungrounded systems, the grounding terminal bar
  within the service equipment enclosure

that, along with 250.134(B) exception 1:

  Exception No. 1: As provided in 250.130(C), the equipment grounding conductor shall be permitted to be run
  separately from the circuit conductors.

lets you do precisely what you are describing (running a separate ground wire to an existing point on the equipment grounding system originating from the same panel).

The minimum wire needed for this is a 14AWG bare or green (THHN) wire, but I would use a Bare Armored Ground cable instead (to make it clear to future remodelers that this isn't something they can just cut through willy-nilly).  You will also need the Bare Armored Ground cable if it's exposed to physical damage to comply with the protection requirements of 250.120(C).


Wiring in a Aprilaire 500m to an older (11-86) Trane furnace w/o A/C New here. I recently purchased a Aprilaire 500m with a humidistat installed on the return. It's working fine, sure... But I don't want water pouring down the drain while the furnace/blower is not working. Yes, I wasn't aware of this ahead of time and thought the humidistat would handle it. A big duh on me. So, I have an idea that I'd like to bounce off the community here. The humidifier came with an additional step down transformer. I'm thinking of wiring it in just before the blower for it's 115v power supply and then just hooking up the 24v blue and red terminals to the humidifier. It's an older (11-86) Trane furnace w/o A/C and I've attached a copy of the wiring schematic if anyone is interested in giving me their opinion or a perhaps a better idea.

I would use a Honeywell sail switch like the S688A-1007 from SupplyHouse.com for about $50.00 bucks and wire it in series with the power source for the humidifier. You could also use an air pressure switch from the same supplier. Those sail switches work very well.


Wide cracks across asphalt road Location: US California desert
What would cause multiple 1 to 1.5 inch wide cracks, averaging 25 ft apart in asphalt roadway? (not regularly spaced, though)

Normal expansion and contraction. That's what asphalt does. In Minnesota those cracks show up within two years of road resurfacing due to our weather extremes. It is exacerbated by age, where the asphalt has dried and doesn't stretch as well.


What can we do about previously filled holes so I can varnish wood? We have bought a house that has nice wooden doors, but holes in them have been filled ready for painting.  We would prefer to varnish the wood - what can we do about the white filling in the holes?

Test it first. You may be able to just stain the filler as is.

If that does not work, dig out the existing filler with whatever tool works (putty knife, old drill bit, a thick nail) and replace it with something you can stain. Not sure if paint stripper works on filler, but it's work a short.

If there's any other stains or treatments on the door though, you need to remove those with chemicals like The Evil Greebo, and sand it down nice and fine.


Does this ceiling look like it contains asbestos? I noticed water dripping from my kitchen ceiling. I informed my parents about it and they decided the best thing to do was rip part of the ceiling off? I am very worried about this as I think it may contain asbestos like one of those popcorn ceilings. Thanks for reading.
https://imgur.com/a/h36ejKy

That just looks like standard “mud”.  The common ceiling texture that is known to contain asbestos is “popcorn texture” not what you have.
I doubt it contains asbestos but the date the work was done and the location would also help.
if the home was built after 1984 in the US I would not worry about it but testing is the only way to know for sure.


Do I need to run new wire I'm trying to install a new outdoor with a outlet on the post...but the electrical coming from the house that powers it does not h ave ground...is the lamp post grounded enough just being in the ground? Or do I need to pull new wire?

Option 1, add GFCI protection
Follow this cable back to the house to the service panel.   You want the circuit to start at the service panel, stop at a receptacle inside the house, then go outside.  If it's not like that already, rewire it so it is.   Now install a GFCI receptacle in the indoor location, and feed the outdoor line off the LOAD terminals.
Now install a 3-prong receptacle on the pole, and label it

GFCI Protected
No Equipment Ground

Option 2, retrofit ground
Don't run a whole new 3-wire cable, just run a ground wire.  It does not need to follow the same route.  It does not need to go all the way to the panel, only to any grounded circuit that is also served out of the same panel.  That circuit's ground wire must be at least as large as your ground wire is required to be.
Using the pole won't work.  Ground has two purposes (to wildly oversimplify).  The post would arrest lightning just fine.   However it would fail dismally at returning fault current to the service panel.   Dirt is a poor conductor (that's why they use copper instead).   It wouldn't flow enough current to trip the breaker, and it would just sit there shocking you and anyone between you and the house.  Of course in the latter case, a GFCI will provide that protection.


How do I remove 1 out of 4 light fixtures from a two way switch arrangement? I have 4 light fixtures on the exterior of the house (pictured blue=lights, green=switches). 2 of them are on a wall along the stairs, 2 are at installed on the ceiling of an overhang in front of the garage.

All 4 of these fixtures are controlled by two light switches, one upstairs in the main level of the house, and one in the garage right inside the door.

I would like to install a Ring Floodlight Cam on the garage light closest to the door, how would I take that one fixture off the circuit so that it always receives power?

You pretty much need to run a new cable to that outlet and re-wire the existing cable to bypass that outlet.

inspection of the outlets may reveal the possibility for a different option, but I'm not expecting it to.


Best insulation to adhere to back of door leading to attic space? In the closet of an upstairs bedroom, there is a door about 3/4 the size of a normal door that leads to an unheated attic space.  It gets pretty chilly in that closet during the winter months, since the door is a simple hollow core wooden door that does very little to keep out the cold air in the attic.

I'd like to add some insulation to the attic-facing side of the door, but I wasn't sure if I needed a special insulated foam board or some other kind of insulation for the task.  Would a general purpose foam board adhered to the door be the best way to keep the closet warm?

Rigid foam insulation will be the easiest to install, since you can simply screw it on. The blue or pink stuff should be fine, and they are easier to handle than Poly-Iso (yellow with a foil backing). You should pick up a pack of insulation washers, often sold for duct insulation, at your home center or on amazon. These are essentially large domed plastic washers, which flatten against the foam board, and provide a much stronger connection than a simple screw-head. Make sure you place your screws into the solid wood at the edges of the door too, so they don't pull out of the flimsy center.

You should really look at air infiltration first though. Make sure you run weatherstripping (either rubber gasket or foam strip) all around the opening. Make sure it latches snugly.

Even a heavily insulated door won't do much good if you have a 1/4-inch gap running around the frame.


Why does my dishwasher detergent get stuck? My dishwasher isn't working like it's supposed to. Everything seems to be working fine, but then after the machine stops, I open the door and see that my glasses and plates are suspiciously grimy. When I expose the detergent cup, I see this:

Clearly the detergent (I've tried a couple types) isn't flowing out from its cup like it should be.

What's the fix here?

The cover of the detergent cup is not opening when its supposed to. If you need to expose the cup to investigate, it is not opening at all. The spring loaded cover is held closed over the detergent by a little catch. There is a solenoid in the door that pulls on the catch, letting the cover spring open. This happens at the start of the main wash cycle. The cover is not that water tight, water normally leaks in, causing the detergent to start caking.

Once the cover opens, exposing the detergent to the main water jets, the minor caking is not an issue, all the detergent gets washed out. When the cover doesn't open, the main water jets cannot wash out the damp detergent.

The reason the cover does not open usually is the solenoid fails and needs replacement, though it's possible something else is at fault. Faulty wiring, faulty relay or triac on the control board, some sort of timer issue, etc.

If you can locate the solenoid, try measuring the resistance of the coil with the wiring removed. If it's either hardly any or nearly infinite, the coil is at fault. Solenoids can fail for other reasons, so reasonable resistance does not mean it is not at fault.

Unless you can observe something out of place, like a broken wire, that is probably the extent of DIY troubleshooting.


Recommended web sites that help pick out interior wall colors? Is there any website where i can see what kind of color will look how on the wall? I am planning to get my living room re-painted and looking for some ideas.

Any suggestions?

I'd second Greebo's suggestion of buying samples, but we've found that painting lining paper works better.

Firstly, you can move the patch around the room to see it in the different conditions that exist in your room - next to window, in the dark corner beside the chimney, etc.

Secondly, you don't have to worry about a darker colour showing through if you end up choosing a lighter colour.

Thirdly, you can reuse the sample in another room or even in someone else's house.


mud keeps drying and crumbling as i spread it on wall i have mixed mud as close as possible to the correct consistency of cake frosting, and have studied many you tube videos to see what the pros do, but every time i apply the mud it seems to dry and crumble as i spread it with a taping knife. then the only way i can smooth it out is by brushing over it with a wet brush, otherwise it becomes stiff and hard to spread on wall. if i force it it starts to tear and dry. if i mix it to the same consistency as those on you tube, why does it become dry and stiff as i use it. when i see it done on you tube, they seem to spread it like cream on the wall, never drying out, almost like they have added oil to the mud. what can i do to make it smooth on easily. i have resorted to wetting the wall before applying it, but i find that this just washes away any previous layer of mud i added.

If this is for a small home project stop with trying to mix drywall compound yourself and purchase the premixed material in the plastic bucket.


Top Loader Kenmore HE Washer with VERY LOUD whirring sound, not present at purchase I have a Whirlpool top loading washer that sounds like an airplane engine at take off when it spins.  It was not like this when I bought it less than 3 years ago.  I can't even hold a conversation in the next room when it is spinning!

It sounds like your washer needs its main bearings replaced. My top load Sears Kenmore HE washer had the bearing seals fail and allowed water to get into the bearings. Over the course of a few months the washer, in high speed cycles, sounded like a freight train passing by in the next room. It was LOUD just like you are describing.

A sure fire test to check if it is the bearings is to rotate the washer tub / agitator by hand, when the washer is OFF, for a few turns. If the rotation has a grinding or roughness feeling then it is almost for sure the bearings.

I took on the repair myself and purchased the replacement parts on line for ~50$US. It also took a special tool to press in the new roller bearings. I found out that the bearings were industry standard size roller bearings (my washer used two bearings each of which was a different size) so I went to a site that sells a bit higher quality bearings with known names than the brandless import types used in the original washer. The special tool was a bit expensive at ~85$US but made the install very easy.

My suggestion is to get your washer model number and do some Google searches. When I did that I even found that the results turned up several U-Tube videos showing the steps in the bearing removal and installation.

After the new bearings were in place washer runs better than a new one. The thing is now so quiet I'm never sure just when the last load of laundry is completed.


How can I more easily install a Nema 6-50 outlet? I'm installing a NEMA 6-50 outlet in a garage for future potential car charging.  The wire is a #6 3-wire, red, black, and white.
I'm not used to this size wire, and it's very stiff and hard to fit into the box.  The box is a metal 4x4 inch box, but it still seems difficult to get the wire in the box once it's screwed into the outlet.  The wire extends maybe 3 or 4 inches into the box.
So my questions are:
Is my box big enough, or do I just need to cut the wires shorter?  Ideally I'd want a longer box to more easily accommodate these thick wires.  I'm guessing the box is large enough, since I can't seem to find anything bigger.  I'm more used to cutting the wires long enough that I can make them extend out the box a bit, and then push them out, but 6 gauge is so stiff, this is difficult.  I've not wanted to cut the wires too short for obvious reasons.
Can I pigtail the ground wire with a smaller wire, and connect that smaller wire to the outlet, or does the ground wire have to be 6 gauge?  This was one idea I had to make getting these wires to more easily fit the outlet, but I don't know if it's legal/safe.

You can't use that cable for a new outlet.  It needs to go to the scrapper.
You'll need to re-run it with proper wire or cable, such as 6/2 w/ ground.
Given your complaints about the stiffness of #6 wire, I'd suggest running some sort of conduit, such as "smurf tube", and run individual THHN wires in the conduit.  That would do a couple of things for you.   First, you'd be able to use #8 stranded wire for 50A, since THHN is allowed a higher operating temperature.  Second, you could defer the "neutral" question and simply add the neutral wire later if needed.


30 Amp Cooktop on 40 Amp Breaker The installation specs for my cooktop read as below:

-Connected Load (kW Rating) @ 240 / 208 Volts = 7.2 / 6.2 kW

-Amps @ 240 / 208 Volts = 35.0 / 35.1 Amps

-Recommended Circuit Breaker – 30 Amps

The circuit I have available is on a 240v 40 amp breaker running 8 AWG wire.

First, it's a little strange that the manufacturer lists a 35 amp draw and recommends a 30 amp breaker. I'm guessing that has something to do with the NEC 220.55 Demand Factors table. But according to the table 1 appliance at 8,000 watts divided by 240v = 33.3 amps. I'm stumped there.

Second, it would seem to me that since the cooktop leads will be hardwired in a junction box, there wouldn't be a plug compatibility issue. Then the only problem might be the gauge of the wiring coming out of the cooktop provided by the manufacturer?

Finally, in a separate manufacturer specs doc lists the "Minimum circuit required" as 30 amp... which makes me think that a 40 amp circuit would be fine even though the other doc "recommends" a 30 amp circuit.

The term they are supposed to use is Minimum Circuit Amapcity (MCA) and/or Maximum Over Current Protection (MOCP). In your case the MCA is 30A, but they apparently didn't provide an MOCP, just a "suggested" one. I think you are fine with a 40A breaker, so long as your conductors in the wall to the receptacle are rated for that and at #8, they are.

The rating on any circuit in the NEC is based on "continuous" current, defined as 3 hours or more. On a stovetop, it's highly unlikely that you would have ALL burners set at FULL output for 3 hours or more.


Caulk/Putty around Interior Timber Frame Window Gaps I am in the process of painting my timber frame windows and when cleaning and sanding down I have noticed that there is a small gap between the window pane and timber frame on the interior (the stuff which was in the gap has come away etc. when prepping). I am wondering what I can use to fill the gap and then paint over it to give it a nice finish (the gap looks pretty ugly!).

Here's a picture of the gap.

I'm aware of window putty and decorators caulk but do not want to use the wrong thing and create more work for myself! Based in the UK if that helps with product recommendations.

Yes, that appears to be old, dried caulk. The new caulks don't crack like they used to. Get yourself a tube of silicone caulk. It comes in clear and white and possibility other colors. Make sure you get one that's paintable. Clean out the old gap completely. Spraying in some white vinegar will help dissolve the old caulk and make it easier to remove. Wipe down with water and let dry completely. then apply new caulk, following the directions on the tube.


Can I install wood stair treads over old Linoleum Installing maple tread and riser kits into my bi-level home. The stairs currently have linoleum on them. The lino peals up easy leaving a the paper glue layer on the stairs. Can I install the solid wood treads over the paper glue left behind without issues? Using adhesive and maybe some small brad nails?

Yes this is no big deal.  Given that you might want to glue them anyway to reduce squeaking.  If you have big glue pieces hit it with a putty knife but don't need to spend a ton of time on it.


What is the small blue wire in my 240V air conditioner cord? I'm looking to replace the plug on a window air conditioner unit that uses a 6-20 240v plug. However, in addition to the cord having two hots and ground, there's a small blue cable that I'm not sure what it's hooked up for. Is it for the circuit breaker (leakage current sensor, or LCDI; it's similar to a GFCI receptacle with the test & reset buttons but apparently for a different use) built into the plug, and if so can I bypass it? And if not, what is it for, and how do I account for it on the new plug, which just takes hot, neutral, and ground? I realize the risks of just bypassing it, but I'm desperate.

The air conditioner probably around 15 years old, give or take. At least 13 years. It's a Whirlpool, the model is ACQ244XR2.

The longer story, I'm hoping this will fix the air conditioner. It simply does not turn on anymore; there's no display, and the controls don't work (it's all digital). The test/reset breaker on the plug actually still seems to work okay, but of course, there's no power. I've tested the plug with a multimeter and everything tests okay (there's the occasional jump to 1000 when I wiggle the lead connected to a hot but I'm assuming that's user error or from it being a cheap multimeter). All in all, I can't afford to replace it or hire an electrician so I'm hoping this is the only issue. Any help at all would be greatly appreciated.

That blue wire is likely testing the integrity of the ground and if not connected correctly, will not allow it to work. ACs like this create static electricity and that needs to go safely to ground. The 240V will work fine without it, so that blue wire is making sure that you have a good ground connection before it allows it to run.

Along those lines, when you say you tested it with a multimeter, what did you test? The fact that you seemed to think there was a "neutral" on a 240V circuit kind of indicates you don't know what to look for. You need to have 120V from either hot pin to ground, and 240V from hot to hot. There is no neutral. So if you measured no difference from one of the hots to ground, thinking that was neutral, that's your problem. One of your hot's is open. That would explain why your AC is not working.


Is it Code legal to hardwire a refrigerator in a basement? Suppose you have a refrigerator in a basement.  You have two dueling safety systems:  The cord-and-plug-connected fridge needs to run to keep food safe, but the GFCI needs to trip to save people from potential shock. (and refrigerators do tend to trip GFCIs incidentally).

So what is the Code impact if we lop the plug off the fridge, bring the cord into a junction box through a strain relief, and hardwire the fridge?   Does this wash away the GFCI requirement?

Will it continue to do so after NEC 2020?

You cannot cut the cap off of a cord to make it hard wired; 1) you are modifying the equipment, i.e. not being used in its intended manner, and 2) portable cord is not allowed for permanent connections. And forget the idea that commercial refrigerators and freezers are hard wired to get around the GFCI requirement, they are required by code to have GFCIs regardless of how they are connected, have been since 2008.

Most MODERN refrigerators and freezers have been designed now to NOT trip GFCIs because of the impending requirement changes. So in reality what the main effect of this will be is that you will likely have to get rid of your old ancient garage beer fridge and upgrade to something built in the last 10 years. Just from an energy efficiency standpoint you should probably do that anyway. Around here, my utility will pay you $75 to get rid of your old garage fridge.

There is a Power Failure Alarm unit I found and used on a sump pump once, it would work for a fridge as well. It can be ordered with an alarm contact that can be wired to an auto dialer or security system, but now I think you could also wire it to a sensor for a "smart speaker" system too.


Range Hood has plug, no outlet on the wall I removed my upper cabinets and bought a range hood. There is a BX coming from the hole above my stove. There is no wall outlet. Is there any way I can convert this to make the new range hood work? I don't want to reinstall cabinets but also don't want to dip into my budget for serious electrical work. The house is old an has enough problems. Thank you!

Update- I used an old box that I got from the hardware store and used it to install a new outlet. Everything is working great and looking lovely! Thank you!

It's common enough for range hoods to be supplied with a cord and plug.  It's also common for range hood connections to be made via BX.

The range hood should be designed so the cord-and-plug connection can be removed, presumably exposing a standard 1/2" trade size knockout (more like 3/4"), and then the BX can be fit up to that with a BX fitting. There'll be a compartment that opens up to hook up the wires.


Is it worth it to replace T1-11 siding just to install house wrap? I'm having some siding repairs done by contractors. When they took the siding sheet out, they found out that my house has no house wrap between the frame/wood and the T1-11 siding sheet. There was some rotten wood under the siding, and the 2 windows on the wall don't have window flashing.

One of the guys said that they would never install siding sheets without the house paper. They told me that their boss looked the project over and wants to offer me a discounted rate to reside the whole wall since the building hadn't been wrapped originally and that side of the house gets the most weather (this is true).

Is residing the entire to install the house paper worth it?
Are they just trying to upsell me?

Most of the wall's siding looks good, except for the rotten part that needed repair. The house was built in 2000.

I'm doing a siding repair because it's cheaper. I don't know much about home repairs. Some insight would be appreciated.

Thank you

I looked in the 2012 residential building code book I have and there is no exception for the building paper/tyvek. It is to be used in all instances of siding. Whether it be brick, cement board, shingle, or T1-11(panelized covering)
I added the term panelized covering because in the 2003 CABO and perhaps earlier, for your case, that was the code book used to govern building practices. I had a lot of that book memorized for the areas I needed like siding, headers, stairwork. My recollection for that time, that the building paper layer was not needed for panelized wall covering. What I claim, may or may not hold up to scrutiny, since my copy of that code book is buried away somewhere. It also depends on your area you live in and which code book that was followed, since there were a few different code books that were used back then. Nowadays since 2012, I think all building everywhere in the states is using the ICC IRC for single family homes.

In your case, if there is window flashing missing, and places rotting where the wood siding is too close to the ground or covered by shrubbery where the moisture can get in or is constantly present, building paper will not help.

In my experience, if the material is installed properly, with all proper flashings, seams nailed at the studs, proper laps at the studs, and I "back prime" my cuts and bottom edges so water will not wick up or into the layers of the T1-11. Your siding will hold up.


How to seal an indoor wood planter box? I'm planning on building a wood planter box for some edible herbs. (Similar to this; in Maple and a bit more squarish.)  I already plan to glue the wood with Tidebond III as it is waterproof.  My question is how to seal the wood itself from the water.

So far I've seen the following suggestions :

Roof cement; doesn't sound too edible to me...
Liquid rubber
A thick layer of beeswax.

What would be the best? Should I consider Cedar instead of Maple?

I have made a few exterior window boxes and none lasted long with the wood in contact with the soil. I would make the boxes of whatever wood and finish matches yor kitchen. I would seal the inside with an exterior grade urethane. The idea is to protect the wood from the dampness and occasional water spill. I have had the best long term results by using a plastic container to hold the soil. The box is just a decorative holder for the plastic containers


Replace two-wire thermostat I'm replacing an old mercury thermostat with a digital one.

The new unit has 7-8 connections (labeled w1,wh,r1,rh,y,c, etc.) and a bunch of instructions about how to connect similarly labeled existing wires.

But there are no instructions about how to connect an unlabelled two-wire thermostat. How do I connect the new thermostat?

Here's a good guide on thermostat wiring:
http://wiki.xtronics.com/index.php/Thermostat_signals_and_wiring

Most likely, all you should need to do is connect one wire to either W for heating or Y for a cooling system, and the other to R (or Rh for heating or Rc for cooling).


How do I hang shelves on poor quality brick/concrete walls? I'm trying to install some shelves in my apartment (brick/concrete) but when I drill holes the walls almost seem like they're made of sand. I'm not able to securely fix the screws (I'm using wall plugs) and the shelves appear like they're going to fall down at any minute.

Is there anything I can do about it? I was wondering if I could use some material inside the holes after I drill them (and before putting the wall plugs) so I can make the screws stay firm in their place.

Any tips?

Are you sure you are not drilling between the mortar? That is the weakest point to drill.

There are a couple different things you can do. I assume you are using concrete anchors so you can apply a generous coating of Loctite Metal and Concrete Epoxy onto the anchor before you insert it into the hole.

The other option is to take furring strips (pressure treated 1x4's) and attach them to the wall with blue concrete anchor screws, at least 2 and 1/2 inches long. These should make a good thread and the furring strips will add to the support structure. Space your anchors 2-4 inches apart vertically and on-center.


No power in r line after changed thermostat I have a carrier furnace 2008, just changed my old thermostat to new nest thermostat, forgot to turn off the power. Now I have no power on my r line, checked short fuse still good, red light in front of furnace still on, I am not sure why I lost power to the r line. My furnace was working fine yesterday. Checked with nest supporting line, nest base was not a problem. Help

check for 24 volts at the furnace. Some carrier boards will have a lit led even if the 24 volt circuit is non functioning. I don't recommend using a contact probe. I always recommend using a muti-meter.
 Check from R to C. your looking for 24 volts. if no voltage, then check 3/5 amp fuse on board. If fuse is good, check voltage from transformer.
 If you do have voltage From R to C. put a jumper from R to G and see if the fan comes on. if fan comes on, then you know the issue is at the thermostat somewhere.
 I hope this helps..


What can I do about radiant hot water tubing above an electrical panel? My wife and I have a new construction with radiant heat installed on the underside of the floors between joists, which was in place before the electrical was installed. Electrical inspector burst a blood vessel on rough electrical inspection, saying the heat tubing violates the 3' clearance rule around the panel and demands it be moved (or removed) before final electrical inspection. Seems we can't be the only people on the planet with this issue. Is there any way to resolve the issue without ripping out and moving the radiant heat tubing and in doing so causing a huge cold spot in a main room on an outside wall? Wouldn't a layer (or two) of 5/8" Sheetrock qualify as a suitable barrier in the off chance one of the radiant tubes were to miraculously burst or leak right above the electrical panel?

Radiant tubing is secured to the underside of the sub-floor. It is up in the joist bay. This tubing is ABSOLUTELY legal above a panel. Most homes I do these days have hot water radiant and ALL of them have tubing in the joist bays above panels.

This inspector is a renegade and sounds like he likes his power. Also, there is NO "3 foot clearance rule", whatever he thinks that is.

I'd politely ask him for a verification of exactly what code you violated with the radiant tubing.


Removable Table Top for Workbench I am starting my first DIY project -- a workbench for my 2 year old.  I'd like the bench to function in two ways.  With the table top on, it will be a traditional workbench surface.  But I'd like to be able to remove the table top, as well, to have more of a "potting bench" setup, where I can place bins for other "sensory projects" (think preschool activities).

I've seen some plans for potting benches that have cleats to secure the table top.  But because this is for a toddler, I'm concerned he'd accidentally lean on the table top edge and tip off the top (the table top extends a couple inches around the frame).  I've also thought about using dowels.  Can anybody recommend a simple way to attach the table so that it can be removed and replaced without too much hassle, but still be "secure" for a toddler?

Thanks!

Generally, the first step in this type of project is to decide on the hardware, then design the unit around the hardware.

A general idea would be to use cleats mounted underneath the top to keep it square on the bench, then use hardware to latch it down ....

1) A couple of gate hook and eyes mounted underneath:

https://www.google.com/images?q=safety+gate+hook

2) A couple of swivel hasps mounted underneath:

https://www.google.com/search?q=swivel+hasp

3) A surface mounted deadbolt w/key, mounted underneath:

https://www.google.com/images?q=surface+mounted+deadlock

4) A couple of window sash locks or clasps, mounted underneath:

https://www.google.com/images?q=window+sash+lock

https://www.google.com/images?q=child+proof+sash+lock

For the workbench top, I recommend a used solid core door from, say, HH's Restore. Cut it to size. It's weight will help make the bench stable.


All lights have tripped out! The existing kitchen light was taken down, it was always blowing the bulbs. Currently, there's no light fixture up, just a connector type thing.  Is this wired correctly? I've attached a photo, the light is operated by 2 different switches, either end of the kitchen. Thank you

When the light was in did the switches work correctly where 1 switch can turn the light off or on? Then the other could turn the light on or off.
 Wiring is not going to cause a light to blow if the switches work correctly.
There may be problems with the main or another load is creating large spikes shorting the life. Here in the US I purchased cases of lamps prior to the outlaw of standard 100w bulbs , some of those old bulbs burn right out because they were not well made but if the switches work correctly there is another problem.
Added since op said switches working.
If the switches work properly the wiring at this point is not the problem.
 Especially with 3 way switch setups it is difficult to tell if properly wired, the only thing that could be wrong is the neutral is being switched and or the hot and neutral are swapped at the fixture. Even if this was the case it would not affect bulb life.

Things that do affect bulb life are large voltage spikes and over voltage. I am guessing the reason everything tripped out is that when the filament in the lamp failed it shorted, this failure is not uncommon it has happened to me and I have been called several times because the breaker kept tripping At customer homes, remove bad lamp and everything is good.
Could there be something wrong with your fixture? Yes it could have caused the short but that is unlikely. Looking at the wires if no burn marks or bad insulation it was probably the fulfilment in the lamp.
Last one thing the fixture can contribute to a shortened life if the center contact is arcing (not a tight contact) this can erode the base of the lamp but I would expect you to notice that and probably hear it but that's the fixture and not the wiring.
Hope that helps.


Increase drain size? My kitchen sink has a good size drain pipe heading into the basement and out:

And what I assume is a pretty normal connection from the drain to the sink:

But when you look at the drain in the sink, the way it's all put together, the actual holes through which water can drain are quite limited:

I can't help but think that if this were set up better, the sink would drain faster and possibly get clogged less often.  Is there a different tailpiece or other part that I can get that has a wider diameter?  Or are these so standardized that what I've got is all I can get?
EDIT
I realize my original post didn't really capture my question accurately.  So yes, I always have a strainer:

and my question is not about the crossbars in the standard strainer (I've labeled "YES" in the image below), but rather the piping that lies right beneath the strainer and seems to impinge on the drain (labeled "NO" in this image):

EDIT 2
The black "stack" is a 2" pipe at floor level, but it shrinks as it goes up.  The white pipe that branches off to the sink is 1 1/2" as suspected:

The sink drain you show in the picture is a standard kitchen drain that meets code. Its only purpose is to drain water. Based on your post it seems that you are getting clogs in your drain at the mouth of the drain as shown in your picture. It may not drain fast enough for you but it is doing what it's designed to do, trap large debris before it passes down the drain resulting in a potentially costly repair. To make the openings any larger could result in a blockage issue.
It's also a good idea to use the strainer that fits in the drain. It's much easier to clean out the strainer than to have to call a plumber.


What material to use for replacing interior porch panels? I really have two questions, both pertaining to the enclosed porch on the front of my house.

The first is, what material should I use to replace the panels that are starting to warp (bottom of the picture). I can't really tell if they're warped from pressure or moisture or both. But I can say I need new gutters, water will get in through the windows if I don't shut them.

Also, if you look at the top of the picture, the frame is showing. You can see the 2x4 supports all around. It would be cool if I could cover the frame as well as the plywood wall with some thin material, just to give it a finished look.

Any ideas on what material I should be looking at? I'm open to all possibilities.

I've had great luck with expanded vinyl beadboard.  It comes in sheets that can be used as paneling, pieces cut to smaller sizes for wainscotting, and planks.  Some are reversible, with a bead on one side and a V groove on the other.

Expanded vinyl is the material used for most "permanent" house trim.  It is a little more expensive that wood-based alternatives, but it is durable, lasts forever, and has better characteristics in virtually every respect.  It's weatherproof, moistureproof, and unaffected by UV.  It doesn't warp, rot, or split.  The material inhibits the growth of mold, mildew and bacteria.  It doesn't require painting but is paintable.  It's easy to work with, and looks like the wood product.  The rigidity is closer to thin wood boards than to paneling or plastic sheets.  I've used it for exposed exterior, protected exterior (screen porch ceiling), and inside use (wainscot).

The big trim manufactures like Azek sell it through building supply stores: https://azek.com/products/trim/beadboard-trim.

Stores like Home Depot and Lowes have in-house brands: http://www.homedepot.com/p/House-of-Fara-W96WP-12-sq-ft-White-Vinyl-Reversible-Interior-Exterior-Paneling-3-Piece-per-Pack-W96WP/205437105


Is it ok to re-slope one of my gutters to another gutter? Right now, on one side of my roof, I have two gutters that come together at an inside corner. Each gutter goes to the edge of the house with a downspout, which would mean that the inside corner is the highest spot of the two gutters.

I would like to remove one of the downspouts and re-slope that gutter to feed into the other gutter. So then one end of the gutter would be the highest spot as opposed to the inside corner.

Would this be feasible? Could my gutters hold that amount of water?

Maybe.

Generally, the number and size of the downspouts is sized to handle a certain water volume. So if two downspouts were installed, then they probably can't handle just two.

Also, the gutters have to be pitched at down 1/2 inch for every 10 feet. If your facia board isn't tall enough to handle that slope for the entire length, then you need two downspouts.


Dewalt circular saw, motor works but blade doesn’t turn Dewalt DCS570 7 1/4” 20 volt cordless circular saw. I was cutting 3/16” panels and after a few cuts the blade quit turning yet the motor still works fine. I pulled the blade off and everything looked in order but when I put the blade back on I noticed I could easily turn the blade by hand. It didn’t spin smoothly but sounded like a stripped gear would sound. I hoping to get some hints as to what to look for and where, before I open the case. The blade lock works and the motor runs and sounds fine.

I believe you will find that the Dewalt DCS570 is not a direct-drive from the motor but has a reduction gear.  It sounds as though that gear drive has failed somehow.
If this is under warranty, contact Dewalt.  If not, then it may be serviceable.  It looks like parts for this model are available from Dewalt.


Molten wire nuts on recessed MR16 halogen lights In one room of the apartment we rent, there's recessed 12v MR16 halogen lighting. There are 3 different circuits with dimmers.

I noticed that two of the bulbs were humming loudly even when dimmed all the way up. One light was constantly going off and on and flickering.

I took a closer look and I saw that the connections between the incoming 12v wires and the short wires going to the socket were in bad shape. Those connections were apparently made using wire nuts, and the plastic from the nuts had melted away completely. On one lamp, there was no plastic left at all, the naked wires enclosed by the wire nuts' metal spirals were sticking out. On the other lamp, one wire looked the same, and on the other one half a plastic cover was left. See the photos.

What's the proper, heat-safe way to connect the wires in this case? There's not much room in there, see the fourth photo below. I usually use WAGO lever connectors instead of wire nuts when I connect something and I was going to do the same here when I re-do the connections, but I'm not sure they'll perform any better in heat.

I'm also investigating replacing the halogen bulbs with LED ones anyway, so there might be a bit less heat in the future (BTW, any tips for MR12 LED bulbs?).

How is this usually done? I imagine there is often a need to connect the incoming wires in close proximity to the (hot) bulb in ceiling installations like this?

Thanks to Tester101's comment on my question I learned about ceramic high temperature wire nuts. I ended up using these: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0071NCSA4, for 18-14 gauge wire (the ones noted in my comment above were too large, they are for 12-10 gauge wire and didn't hold on to the wires properly).

I read somewhere that halogen lights reach temperatures above 300°C, so the plastic high temperature wire nuts mentioned above are not an option as they are only rated up to 150°C. The WAGO nuts I intended to use were also not appropriate as they are only rated up to 105°C.

While I was already in there, I also replaced the lamp holders with these: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0055D2Y2E because the metal contacts in the existing ones were corroded.

The result looks like shown below and it works great, no more flickering or humming.

I have to say that these ceramic nuts are a bit iffy to install, probably because they don't have the metal coil inside like the regular plastic wire nuts do. In one instance I twisted too much, and the nut just cut off the wires completely. Another nut never got a good grip on the wires and fell off, so I had to toss it and use another one from the same batch. If somebody knows of a better type of high heat nut, perhaps one that does have the metal coil inside, feel free to comment.


Wiring question - Swapping in GFCI breaker for my dryer I got a GFCI 30amp breaker and will be putting it in for my dryer circuit. Just want to confirm I'll be wiring this correctly before actually going ahead with it.

In the red circle is the white neutral wire that is associated with the red+black wires that came from my dryer into the breaker. So my plan is to:

Swap Black+Red onto the two load terminals on the GFCI.
Move that highlighted neutral wire to the Load Neutral terminal in the GFCI.
Connect GFCI neutral pigtail to neutral bar (where the original neutral was in step 2)

Does this make sense? Anything I'm forgetting? I figure i don't have to do anything with the ground (bare copper) wire.

This is the new gfci breaker for reference - https://www.homedepot.ca/product/siemens-30a-2-pole-120-240v-type-q-gfci-breaker/1000406279

Update: The dryer outlet is a NEMA 14-30. He's a picture of the wiring inside the outlet

Thanks!

Go for it

Since you have a full four-wire connection to a NEMA 14-30 receptacle, your plan to replace the breaker with a GFCI breaker is sound, as long as the dryer is properly configured for use with a 4-wire cord.  Note that this will also let you know if your dryer has a ground fault, so you may wish to keep an appliance repairman's phone number on hand in case it turns out your dryer needs fixing.

While you have the outlet box open, it would be a good idea to take a couple lengths of bare 10AWG wire and a wirenut and use them to pigtail the box ground screw and the outlet properly, as well as changing what looks to be an improper ground screw to the correct screw, namely a 10-32 fine pitch machine or self-tapping screw (the latter is available as the Garvin GSST).


What should the difference of inner to outer diameter of two pipes be to ensure one fits snugly within another? One pipe is brass and the other is going to be made out of a hard plastic, probably acetal. I'm looking to be able to slide the acetal fitting over the the brass and have it snug enough so it doesn't wiggle or fall off but loose enough so you can slide it on and off with enough exertion (without needing to use a tool). My question is, what are the rules in determining what the difference between the outer diameter of the inner pipe vs the inner diameter of the outer pipe?

I found this similar question: How can I fit a pipe inside another pipe? but the answers were more specific to his use case.

There are no set rules across materials, all the materials have different wall thickness (thus outside diameters) based on their use (strength and durability) and other reasons. The best you can do is pick your material and look at the size charts to find something that works for your needs


Can I secure a new non load-bearing interior wall to the existing ceiling and strapping? I am adding a new interior wall that will run parallel to the ceiling joists, and perpendicular to the drywall strapping for the ceiling. The ceiling is already finished with drywall. The position of the wall puts it between the ceiling joists, so only the drywall strapping would be available to anchor it.

Can I secure it directly to the drywall strapping, or do I have to cut away the drywall and strapping, and put new blocks between the joists?

Even though the wall doesn't need to bear weight, it needs lateral support so it doesn't tip over.  How much lateral support you need to satisfy engineering requirements and code compliance depends on many things, seismic requirements, type of wall construction, dimensions of wall, endwall attachment, etc.  If the wall will carry shelving or cabinetry, it needs more lateral support.

Attaching the top of the wall to a structural member above is usually the easiest way to provide lateral support but not the only way.  It's possible to build partition walls that don't extend all the way to the ceiling above, usually by extending the end studs through the floor to attach to the joist below.

Attaching to the strapping would provide some support but since strapping is part of the finish, non-structural, you can't really count on it for support.  It's also possible that the load on the strapping might cause some cracks or other blemishes on the drywall ceiling.

In commercial construction it's common to see partition walls attached to the acoustical ceiling grid at the top, which would seem like a similar method, but it's debatable if attaching to the ceiling grid complies with current building codes.

Bottom line, you might get away with attaching to the strapping, but installing blocking is the right way to go.


What do I do with two prong plugs in my house, when my fuse box is grounded? To whom it may concern,
I just bought a house that was built in 1958. When the house inspector went through the house, he noted that our main fuse box was grounded at the breaker, and then randomly tested various plugs throughout the house and they were grounded. GCFI plugs were installed in the bathroom, kitchen and garage areas respectively. Unfortunately renters were in the process of moving out and furniture was blocking maybe five or six outlets. When the furniture was moved and we finally took possession, we noted around 5 outlets were two pronged. I was planning to test for ground using a voltage tester, by plugging the leads into the polarized plugs (following directions for which color goes where) and then move the lead from the small plug to the screw on the outlet and if the voltage doesn't change then it's grounded. I don't have much money and can't afford to rewire the house. Regardless of how the plugs come back, I'm planning on replacing the receptacles with GCFI outlets. Is there anything else I should do, that won't cost me too much? I don't plan on plugging a TV or computer into the GCFI receptacles, just fans, a phone charger and clock radio because it's in the bedroom.
Rantin' Robin

It may already be grounded.  Back in the day, it was common to use either metal conduit or metal-armored cable, which provides a ground path.
If you only need human-safety protection and not equipment protection (e.g. from ESD), then you can convert 2-prong receptacles to 3-prong by providing GFCI protection.  You must add a sticker "No Equipment Ground", and if the GFCI device is somewhere else, also "GFCI Protected".
If one is clever, and if one is poor it pays to be clever, then one can get by with a single GFCI device per circuit.  The labeling is still required.
Lastly, it is legal to retrofit just a ground wire to a box that has no ground.  The ground wire must be the proper size for the circuit, and must go back to either a) the panel, b) a junction box with metal conduit going back to the panel, c) a junction box with a big enough ground wire going back to the panel, or d) the bare copper Grounding Electrode System wires.


Gas Oven Stove Will Not Ignite My wife reported that our GE profile JGS968SEK1SS would not heat. I removed the igniter and it is reporting 99.1 Ohms for continuity, which seems fine to me. What other troubleshooting options do I have?

While the igniter may have continuity, it must get hot enough to 'trip' the gas valve to open (usually by drawing enough current).  Does it glow when energized?  If not, the problem may be upstream at the control board, or a wire may have burnt through.

See the video and 5 steps for trouble shooting this oven here


Single cylinder set-up for geothermal heating and hot-water I am looking to install a geothermal heating system to provide hot water and heating in a small home. I am aware that constant cycling of the geothermal heat pump is not desirable, so it is usual to use a buffer vessel to store residual heat for the heating loop. The problem is that we are very constrained on space. We also intend to use the heat pump to provide hot water.

I have found some hot water cylinders that have dual heat exchangers. These are often used when you have multiple heat sources, but I was thinking that there is no reason i could use one of the exchangers as a sink instead of a source, and use it to heat the underfloor heating loop. Then the hot water itself is used as the buffer to reduce cycling.

The hot water cylinder thermostat that would be used to control the geothermal heat pump, aiming to keep the hot water at a sufficiently high temperature. The room thermostat would control the circulation pump on the underfloor heating loop.

Please see the attached diagram (I have ignored expansion vessels, etc, for simplification):

Logically, this seems like a sound solution to me: it avoids the need for a dedicated buffer tank, reduces the cycling of the geothermal pump, and eliminates the need for complicated valve controllers to efficiently balance the distribution of heat between hot water and heating.

Am I missing anything obvious? What are the caveats to a solution like this? Any advice appreciated.

There's an easier way to do this

Your first issue is that you are using the domestic hot water as your buffering medium, which forces several constraints on your original proposal, including the need for two heat exchangers connected in series, as well as having to keep the tank at or above 135-140°F to keep your tank from turning into a Legionella nest.  Furthermore, the two-exchanger configuration would require two feedwater trains, two air separators/air vents, and two expansion tanks, which adds needless cost and complexity.

Instead, I would use a reverse indirect hot water heater such as a Turbomax or Ergomax as the buffer tank.  This uses the boiler (heat pump) medium as the buffering medium, running the domestic water through a heat exchanger coil in the tank; thus, you effectively get tankless performance without many of the tankless drawbacks.  It also provides a convenient hydraulic separation point between the heat pump and the load, and helps separate that ever-present pest known as air from the water in your heat pump system.

On one side, you'd have your heat pump and its associated circulator, controlled by the tank aquastat in order to keep the tank at an appropriate temperature, with the supply and return lines connected to tappings on the tank.  On the other side, you'd have your radiant loop, connected as a mixing loop with its own circulator and a mixing valve in the supply side, mixing return water with supply water to feed the circulator suction.

Unfortunately, there's no clear place to put the water feed and expansion tank in this system, because of the apparently-packaged nature of the heat pump/circulator combination; if its circulator is indeed external, then I would put the expansion tank and such immediately on the suction side of the heat pump circulator.  Also, don't forget to put a suitable backflow preventer on the water feed to this all, especially since you're planning to use glycol in this loop.

And yes, having a hydronic professional work with you on this system design would be a good idea; all I can do is give you a starting point for this, but they'll be able to figure out pesky things like where to put the expansion tank much better than I can, as well as being familiar with local backflow prevention requirements and such.

So, you want to add more heat sources to this?

Fortunately, because we have the reverse-indirect/buffer supplying hydraulic separation in our system, we can add other heat sources to this system, even "wild" ones, quite simply, without the need for extra heat exchangers and their associated complexities.  This is done by manifolding the supplies and returns of the heat source loops together at the tank, or by using additional tank tappings if they are available, for that matter.  Each heat source has its own circulator and flow-check/non-return valve; the main complexity is in the control logic to decide which source(s) should supply heat when the reverse-indirect's aquastat calls for it.

If you want more information than I can give in a Stack post, by the way, I would recommend John Siegenthaler's articles (which are largely collected into a set of 5 e-books), as well as Dan Holohan's "Pumping Away", and Caleffi's idronics series of design journals.


Does a dishwasher require a disposal? I'm thinking of installing a dishwasher.  Unfortunately, my kitchen layout would not allow me to install it beside the sink (without moving the whole sink & cabinet).  So, I'd like to install it along another wall.

My question - can I just run a new water supply and drainage to this spot (and electric)?  I have good access under the floor, via my basement.  Or, does the drain really need to go to a disposal?  I've seen dishwashers that have a "hard food disposer" feature, but I'm not sure if this replaces the sink's disposal, or just helps clear large items out of the tub interior during washes.

Dishwashers are no longer being connected to garbage disposals, though that was the previous way and it grandfathered in for anyone that already has it installed this way. If you are plumbing a new trap in another part of your kitchen for the dishwasher, remember that it will require a vent.

See also Shirlock's answer here.


Is it damaging to turn off a small fridge for two days every week? I am a student who studies in a different city than my home so I go home almost every weekend or second weekend. I recently brought a room sized fridge and to save electricity costs, whenever I go home, I turn off the fridge which is usually for two-three days and in case of extra vacations, more. Recently somebody told me that that isn't healthy for the fridge and the compressor will get inefficient if you keep doing this so you should just keep it on. Now my question is, if I turn it off for 2-4 days, will the compressor or fridge in any capacity be messed up? Or work less efficient? Or will there be any issue?

Thanks in advance.

Someone will close the door and...

It will fill the fridge's internal spaces with mold

Air holds moisture.  Warm air is capable of holding more moisture than cold air.  Everytime you open the fridge door, you let in room air.  This contains more moisture than air can possibly hold at refrigerator temperatures, which means condensation occurs inside the fridge.  When it occurs on the coils, it is visible as frost.

Those panels that line the fridge interior are not airtight.  Air also circulates behind them and condenses there.

The upshot is, a fridge has a lot of water or ice inside it, in all sorts of inaccessible nooks and crannies.  When you shut off, the interior warms to room temperature, a sealed space with more condensed water than the air can possibly hold. It hits 100% humidity and you have a petri dish for mold.

The only cure is to leave the door open enough that air circulates freely, which keeps the humidity same as ambient.  However, this doesn't work. Humans have embedded programming to close any refrigerator door on sight. The entire species has 18 years of full-immersion psychological conditioning starting nearly from birth to close refrigerator doors.

Why the mold is bad

I learned this by repeatedly cleaning mold off a fridge we ran when needed.  It seems a simple fix; clean off the surfaces and you're all good.  However, those are not the only surfaces. There is also the backside of those surfaces, the machinery including evaporator coil, and electricals.  You cannot reach those to clean them.  And to be clear, the interior lining of fridges are decorative, not hermetic seals.

Exactly the same black mess is happening in  the inaccessible locations, in roughly same proportion, since the humid air is convecting all over the fridge.  If it happens repeatedly, the mold gets thicker since you're not cleaning it.

Obviously that can affect machinery, but this reserve of mold spores can also get on food.


circular saw efficiency My 12 year old Black & Decker 7308 Type 7, 230 Volt A.C corded circular saw is struggling to rip 12 mm plywood; I have changed the blade and it still struggles to rip. Can you help me diagnose the problem?

I tried to cut a 30 mm thick wood, but it was struggling to cut and so I stopped. Afterwards it even struggles to cut 12 mm thick plywood. (not enough torque)
Does the motor need rewinding to improve the torque?

Thanks

Honestly, a 12 year old black and decker probably needs to go to the scrap yard. Low end saws are not built to be rebuildable, at least since the late 20th century (some 50 year old "low end" saws were a lot less "low end" in construction) - a 21st century low-end saw was usually built with "planned obsolescence" from the design phase forward.

Provide the exact model of your saw to check some details.

The one thing (if that's been left serviceable on this model) it might be worth trying is to replace the brushes if they are excessively worn. Beyond that, replacing the saw is far more likely to be cost-effective.